*this review contains spoilers for House of Sky and Breath, but I will try with my whole soul not to include spoilers for House of Flame and Shadow*
House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas was one of the most talked about, hotly anticipated releases of 2024. Part of that is because the entire bookish community goes nuts for anything she does, myself included, but the other part of it is the insane cliffhanger she left readers with at the end of the second book in the series.
At the end of House of Sky and Breath, the main character, Bryce, travels through worlds, into the universe of Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses series. Readers are left with Bryce meeting the characters that we all know and love from that series. The only other place I have ever seen this kind of multiversal blending happen successfully is in the Marvel Universe.
Going into this book, I was really hoping for a full dive into the multiverse concept, beyond what we already knew was coming from the end of the second book. I had dreams of Bryce (the heroine of the Crescent City series), Nesta (the heroine of A Court of Silver Flames), and Aelin (the heroine of the Throne of Glass series) teaming up. I know we’ve heard of a nightmare blunt rotation but is a dream blunt rotation a thing? Because if so this is mine. But maybe with wine instead.
I will not reveal whether or not my dreams were answered, but I will say that I am satisfied and filled with hope for the future of the Sarah J. Mass universes.
Maas achieves a seamless and sometimes subtle blending of different worlds, with so many careful details for readers who are paying attention. As someone who writes, I know it is incredibly difficult to write just one universe. Infusing different universes like this and having them fit together and make sense is nothing short of genius. It is true art.
Other than this masterful integration of storylines, timelines, and universes, House of Flame and Shadow doesn’t resemble a Marvel movie. It is rooted entirely in a fantasy world, and while there is some tech, it is first and foremost a fantasy novel.
The world-building in this book was a little tricky to get back into, which I fully expected from a Crescent City book. It was 838 pages long, but I finished it in just over 36 hours. It may sound long and daunting, especially when you consider the series as a whole, but it doesn’t seem like it while you’re reading. The story has near-constant action in one way or another, and the pages fly past as you sink into the story.
House of Flame and Shadow has the thing I love most about Sarah J. Maas’ books in spades. Badass heroines are everywhere in this book. They are often flawed women who don’t need to be perfect in order to be people we root for and admire. And see ourselves in. Every chapter is mired in love, friendship, and female empowerment. When the world looks bleak and hopeless, we can hold onto faith in the heroine and her mate.
House of Flame and Shadow might be one of the things I was most excited about in 2024, and I’m getting married this year. It did not disappoint. It didn’t end how I expected at all, but I’m glad it didn’t, and this is my favorite in the Crescent City series thus far.
Spice: 2 (this book was very much all plot with a sprinkle of spice)
Writing: 5
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