#1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas launches her brand-new CRESCENT CITY series with House of Earth and Blood: the story of half-Fae and half-human Bryce Quinlan as she seeks revenge in a contemporary fantasy world of magic, danger, and searing romance.

Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life-working hard all day and partying all night-until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She’ll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths.

Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose-to assassinate his boss’s enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he’s offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.

As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion-one that could set them both free, if they’d only let it.

With unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and page-turning suspense, this richly inventive new fantasy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas delves into the heartache of loss, the price of freedom-and the power of love.

 

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House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

House of Earth and Blood is book one in the Crescent City series. It’s a paranormal of epic porportions!

*I usually write a very small paragraph here to recap the plot but it’s best to just read the blurb since the book is so intricate!

The Main Players:

Bryce Quinlan= half-Fae/half-human; searching for who killed her bestie, wolf shifter Danika Fendyr
Hunt Athalar= an angel who’s been enslaved to the Archangel Micah in punishment for his rebellion; sent to protect Bryce as they search for a killer
Ruhn Danaan= half brother to Bryce; Prince of the Fae

My Favorite Side Characters:

Lehabah (Lele)= fire sprite; guardian of a secret library; friends with Bryce
Fury Axtar= assassin (unsure about WHAT she is?); good friend to Bryce
Hypaxia Enador = A mediwitch; Queen of the Witches

Alright, so I’m gonna get this out of the way first. This is my VERY. FIRST. BOOK. by Sarah J. Maas [hangs head in shame]! Yes, I’m way behind the times but in all honesty, beyond my beloved vampire series, the Black Dagger Brotherhood, fantasy is not really my fave genre. Having said that, I absolutely loved this book! Let’s go back to the start…

In the beginning, I felt like I was lost in a dim fog because there’s a ton of characters set in a new, unfamiliar world and so I was wandering from page to page trying to understand where all these strange pieces fit. But once I got the rhythm down, Maas’ words just flowed and I had a hard time putting this bad boy down! The world building in this story is staggering in its depth and detail. The characters are riveting, vibrant. I loved bad ass Fury, sweet Lele, protective Ruhn. And then of course, Bryce, who really has the most emotional growth throughout the story. I applaud her loyalty, her tenacity, her fearless pursuit of the truth.

My true hero, however, was the angel Hunt. He wasn’t perfect by any means but I think that’s what endeared him to me. Because he too has some emotional hurdles to overcome. Then there was one particularly gruesome part with Hunt that actually had me in tears. I bow down to any author who can pull that kind of emotion from me because it shows just how invested I was in Hunt and Bryce and their plight!

I can’t really express how much I enjoyed this book. Even days later, I’m struggling to get my head together to write this review because I have a massive book hangover! I’m so excited for the next installment and needless to say, this one will sit on my READ AGAIN E-SHELF as well as one of the BEST OF 2020! Told from multiple POVs with a happy for now ending. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book.

 
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Sarah J. Maas is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series (Queen of Shadows, Book 4, will be out in September 2015), as well as the A Court of Thorns and Roses series (out 5/5/15).

Sarah lives in Bucks County, PA, and over the years, she has developed an unhealthy appreciation for Disney movies and bad pop music. She adores fairy tales and ballet, drinks too much tea, and watches an ungodly amount of TV. When she’s not busy writing, she can be found exploring the historic and beautiful Pennsylvania countryside with her husband and canine companion.