5/5

For fans of: urban fantasy, new adult fantasy, paranormal fantasy, Sarah J. Maas, murder mystery, insurrection, spies

Synopsis: Several months after the attack on Lunathion, Bryce, Hunt, and the rest of the survivors are trying to pick up the pieces and heal. The Asteri, for the moment, seem to honor their deal of leaving Bryce and Hunt alone so long as they keep their heads down. But the war in Pangera is inching closer than they realize and as each of their friends and family start to get pulled in deeper into the war, they must decide whether staying out of the war is an option they can live with.

Review: Maas has done it again because of course she did. The hype of this book, if I have to be honest, undersells it. The two year wait was worth the rollercoaster ride that is House of Sky and Breath. It’s been almost a week since I finished it and I am still reeling over what I just experienced. I made a conscious decision to take my time and really take in each and every page. I’m glad I didn’t rush it because so much happens so quickly that the whiplash would have been too much if I read it at my usually eyes-bleeding-into-the-wee-hours-of-the-morning speed that I usually do with a book that has me hook, line, and sinker.

This book demands your attention. From the get-go there is an action packed prologue setting the tone of the book and it does not let up. There are multiple POVs from characters old and new, characters hinted at in House of Earth and Blood are fully introduced in all their bloody glory, and we get new settings as we travel away from Lunathion several times to new kingdoms and territories.

The plot moves at an even pace as we have soft moments between characters growing in their stories and relationships, difficult moments where their relationships are tested and proven true, and so many moments of intense revelations that I lost count of how many times I audibly gasped. The last 200 pages will leave you breathless and in absolute shock. You think you know where this story is going and you absolutely do not. At least, not in the way you think. Maas did such an excellent job of leaving so many hints of an ending you think you see coming so you are prepared for it, but no, you are not. Absolutely not.

I cannot wait for the next book, but if I have to wait another two years for it, I know it will be worth it.