Through love, all is possible…

I cannot express in words how much this novel left with me a book hangover! I have only read one other book by Sarah J. Maas (A Court of Thorns and Roses) but have heard such great things and positive reviews from numerous people. I picked up Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood kind of on a whim. I saw it was at the library and I felt drawn to it. Without reading the synopsis, I added it to my pile. If you don’t want a single spoiler, forgo the synopsis and instead be mesmerized by the surprises as they come.

Synopsis: Bryce Quinlan is living a perfect life: working all day and partying all night. That all changes when a demon brutally murders all of her friends and Bryce is left alone.

A couple years after the attack, Bryce’s life looks very different. She still works everyday but no longer parties, no longer drinks, and is haunted by the grizzly scene she walked into that miserable night. When another brutal attack occurs, but the initial suspect is still behind bars, Bryce gets pulled into an investigation to figure out the answers and avenge her friends.

She meets a Fallen Angel, Hunt Athalar, who is working with her on the case and is tasked with her protection. Working together, they begin to uncover secrets within the city that others are working to keep covered up. And every time they think they are getting close, more citizens are murdered.

Amid a budding romance, murderous demons, and evil powers threatening the existence of their world, Bryce and Athalar must work together to find their freedom and bring about justice.

Review: I cannot lie to you, the beginning of the book had me a bit leery. I was pulled away from the book because of the amount of swearing (it felt quite jarring but did eventually subside to hardly noticeable) and some repetition that left me less than enthused.

BUT! I wanted to stick with this book and as I kept reading I was quickly sucked into the story line and characters. I had to know what was happening next and how the characters would react. For a few days, I hardly left my couch and was reading every chance that I got.

I loved the world that Maas was able to build (why I got over the repetition in the beginning) and felt the complexity and intricate details of the book were beautifully crafted. Everything built upon the foundations that she had set and explained craftily. This book is a whopping 796 pages, and I never felt like I couldn’t remember a character or why something was happening the way it was. I think to be able to capture my attention and hold it for that long, is a testament to her fantasy writing abilities.

Overall, this is a story of determination, romance, and the fight to find answers and protect the good that remains around us. As soon as I finished it I had to take a break from reading for a few days to ponder it. Then, I just wanted to start the book back over from the beginning. I will definitely be getting a copy for my bookshelf at home and will check out more writing from Sarah J. Maas!

Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood is rumored to be the beginning of a new adult fantasy series from Sarah J Maas so I will keep my ears open about an upcoming title.

Have you read Crescent City? Are you planning to? Let me know if the comments below!

Happy reading!

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