Review: House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City #2)

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Started reading: July 31st 2022

Finished the book: September 21st 2022

Pages: 805

Genres: Fantasy, Romance

Published: February 15th 2022

Source: Bought the book

Goodreads score: 4.52

My score:

Synopsis

Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar are trying to get back to normal―they may have saved Crescent City, but with so much upheaval in their lives lately, they mostly want a chance to relax. Slow down. Figure out what the future holds.

The Asteri have kept their word so far, leaving Bryce and Hunt alone. But with the rebels chipping away at the Asteri’s power, the threat the rulers pose is growing. As Bryce, Hunt, and their friends get pulled into the rebels’ plans, the choice becomes clear: stay silent while others are oppressed, or fight for what’s right. And they’ve never been very good at staying silent.

In this sexy, action-packed sequel to the #1 bestseller House of Earth and Blood, Sarah J. Maas weaves a captivating story of a world about to explode―and the people who will do anything to save it.

Review: House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1)

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Started reading: July 19th 2022

Finished the book: July 26th 2022

Pages: 803

Genres: Fantasy, Romance

Published: March 3rd 2020

Source: Bought the book

Goodreads score: 4.48

My score:

Synopsis

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.

Review: Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass #7)

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Started reading: June 5th 2022

Finished the book: June 14th 2022

Pages: 992

Genres: Fantasy

Published: October 8th 2019

Source: Bought the book

Goodreads score: 4.61

My score:

Synopsis

Aelin has risked everything to save her people-but at a tremendous cost. Locked within an iron coffin by the Queen of the Fae, Aelin must draw upon her fiery will as she endures months of torture. Aware that yielding to Maeve will doom those she loves keeps her from breaking, though her resolve begins to unravel with each passing day…
With Aelin captured, Aedion and Lysandra remain the last line of defense to protect Terrasen from utter destruction. Yet they soon realize that the many allies they've gathered to battle Erawan's hordes might not be enough to save them. Scattered across the continent and racing against time, Chaol, Manon, and Dorian are forced to forge their own paths to meet their fates. Hanging in the balance is any hope of salvation-and a better world.
And across the sea, his companions unwavering beside him, Rowan hunts to find his captured wife and queen-before she is lost to him forever.

Review: A ​Court of Silver Flames (A Court of Thorns and Roses #4)

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Started reading: May 14th 2022

Finished the book: May 21st 2022

Pages: 757

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, New Adult

Published: February 16th 2021

Source: Bought the book

Goodreads score: 4.40

My score:

Synopsis

Nesta Archeron has always been prickly-proud, swift to anger, and slow to forgive. And ever since being forced into the Cauldron and becoming High Fae against her will, she's struggled to find a place for herself within the strange, deadly world she inhabits. Worse, she can't seem to move past the horrors of the war with Hybern and all she lost in it.
The one person who ignites her temper more than any other is Cassian, the battle-scarred warrior whose position in Rhysand and Feyre's Night Court keeps him constantly in Nesta's orbit. But her temper isn't the only thing Cassian ignites. The fire between them is undeniable, and only burns hotter as they are forced into close quarters with each other.
Meanwhile, the treacherous human queens who returned to the Continent during the last war have forged a dangerous new alliance, threatening the fragile peace that has settled over the realms. And the key to halting them might very well rely on Cassian and Nesta facing their haunting pasts.

Review: Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass #6)

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Started reading: March 31st 2022

Finished the book: April 16th 2022

Pages: 660

Genres: Fantasy

Published: September 5th 2017

Source: Bought the book

Goodreads score: 4.29

My score:

Synopsis

Chaol Westfall has always defined himself by his unwavering loyalty, his strength, and his position as the Captain of the Guard. But all of that has changed since the glass castle shattered, since his men were slaughtered, since the King of Adarlan spared him from a killing blow, but left his body broken.
His only shot at recovery lies with the legendary healers of the Torre Cesme in Antica-the stronghold of the southern continent's mighty empire. And with war looming over Dorian and Aelin back home, their survival might lie with Chaol and Nesryn convincing its rulers to ally with them.

But what they discover in Antica will change them both-and be more vital to saving Erilea than they could have imagined.

Review: Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5)

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Started reading: September 12th 2021

Finished the book: November 16th 2021

Pages: 689

Genres: Fantasy

Published: September 6th 2016

Source: Bought the book

Goodreads score: 4.52

My score:

Synopsis

Kingdoms will collide.

The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius as war looms on the horizon. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don't.
With her heart sworn to the warrior-prince by her side, and her fealty pledged to the people she is determined to save, Aelin will delve into the depths of her power to protect those she loves. But as monsters emerge from the horrors of the past, and dark forces become poised to claim her world, the only chance for salvation will lie in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.

In this breathtaking fifth installment of the New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series, Aelin will have to choose what—and who—to sacrifice if she's to keep the world of Erilea from breaking apart.

Review: Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4)

Author: Sarah J. Maas
Started reading: December 8th 2019
Finished the book: December 26th 2019
Pages: 648
Published: September 1st 2015
Source: Received as a gift
Goodreads score: 4.57
My score:

Synopsis

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she’s at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past…


She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.


She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen’s triumphant return.

Review: Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3)

Author: Sarah J. Maas
Started reading: April 9th 2019
Finished the book: April 19th 2019
Pages: 565
Published: September 2nd 2014
Source: Received as a gift
Goodreads score: 4.51
My score:

Synopsis
Celaena Sardothien has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak—but at an unspeakable cost. Now she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth...a truth about her heritage that could change her life—and her future—forever.


Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. To defeat them, Celaena must find the strength to not only fight her inner demons but to battle the evil that is about to be unleashed.

Review: A Court of Frost and Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3.1)

Author: Sarah J. Maas
Started reading: January 16th 2019
Finished the book: January 23rd 2019
Pages: 229
Genres: Fantasy
Published: May 1st 2018
Source: Bought the book
Goodreads score: 3.91
My score:

Synopsis
Feyre, Rhys, and their close-knit circle of friends are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly-changed world beyond. But Winter Solstice is finally near, and with it, a hard-earned reprieve.

Yet even the festive atmosphere can't keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, she finds that those dearest to her have more wounds than she anticipated--scars that will have far-reaching impact on the future of their Court.

Review: Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2)

Author: Sarah J. Maas
Started reading: December 5th 2018
Finished the book: December 22st 2018
Pages: 415
Genres: Fantasy
Published: August 27th 2013
Source: Got the book as a gift
Goodreads score: 4.47
My score:

Synopsis
From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Review: Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1)

Author: Sarah J. Maas
Started reading: June 5th 2018
Finished the book: June 24th 2018
Pages: 454
Genres: Fantasy
Published: May 7th 2013
Source: Bought the book
Goodreads score: 4.23
My score:

Synopsis
In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass--and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

Review: The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass 0.1 - 0.5)

Author: Sarah J. Maas
Started reading: January 16th 2018
Finished the book: January 31st 2018
Pages: 430
Genres: Fantasy
Published: March 4th 2014
Source: Got the book for my bday
Goodreads score: 4.47
My score:

Synopsis
Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan's most feared assassin. As part of the Assassin's Guild, her allegiance is to her master, Arobynn Hamel, yet Celaena listens to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam. In these action-packed novellas - together in one edition for the first time - Celaena embarks on five daring missions. They take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, where she fights to liberate slaves and seeks to avenge the tyrannous. But she is acting against Arobynn's orders and could suffer an unimaginable punishment for such treachery. Will Celaena ever be truly free? Explore the dark underworld of this kick-ass heroine to find out.

Review (SPOILERS): A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3)

Author: Sarah J. Maas
Started reading: July 3rd 2017
Finished the book: July 13th 2017
Pages: 699
Genres: Fantasy
Published: May 2nd 2017
Source: Bought the book
Goodreads score: 4.56
My score:

Synopsis
Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's manoeuvrings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees.

But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit - and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well. As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords - and hunt for allies in unexpected places.
In this thrilling third book in the number one New York Times bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the earth will be painted red as mighty armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy them all.

Review (re-read) (SPOILERS): A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2)

Author: Sarah J. Maas
Started reading: June 9th 2017
Finished the book: June 17th 2017
Pages: 626
Genres: Fantasy
Published: May 3rd 2016
Source: Bought the book
Goodreads score: 4.73
My score:

Synopsis
Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

Review (re-read): A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1)

Author: Sarah J. Maas
Started reading: April 3rd 2017
Finished the book: May 6th 2017
Pages: 421
Genres: Fantasy
Published: May 5th 2015
Source: Bought the book
Goodreads score: 4.30
My score:

Synopsis
Feyre's survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price ...
Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre's presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.

My thoughts

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this series. Since the new book arrived in my mailbox last week and I really wanted to review the other two books, I decided to do a re-read. To quote myself in my last review, this book is:

Dazzling, emotional, gripping, intense, powerful, unique, astonishing, captivating, magnificent, fascinating, memorable, breath-taking, heart-breaking, spine-tingling and tear-jerking!

READ. IT.

Pros

• Worldbuilding: The worldbuilding in this book is so strong. Sarah J. Maas is using her first book as a really good set-up to explain the world Feyre is in and the creatures she is meeting. It's so fascinating, all the names and new species she can come up with and I SWEAR it just all makes sense...
• Feyre: Feyre is my #1 heroine! She is fierce, loving and ready to give her all for the people she loves. I'm a very big Feyre-fan, she is all you want in a series like this.
• Ending: It seems like a thing, to break my heart at the end of a book. I know how book 2 is going to end, and Sarah J. Maas is a BOSS in ending books with a big shock. I LOVED the ending. I cried so hard, even the second time, it was perfect, it was great and it makes you want MORE. I couldn't wait to read the second book after this first one.

Cons

NO!!

Overall

I am such a huge ACOTAR fangirl. I LOVE the books. I really don't know what I'll do with my life once this series ends. Can't even think about it right now. I totally recommend this book to fantasy lovers. I know the books are kinda hyped right now, maybe? But I can't imagine anyone hating these books...

Who can hate a book when it leaves you like this:

Other opinions about this book

"A gorgeously written tale as lush and romantic as it is ferocious. Absolutely spellbinding."

- Alexandra Bracken, NYT Bestselling Author

"Readers will find the author's trademark blend of action, romance, and witty banter as well as a sexier edgier tone."

- School Library Journal

"Suspense, romance, intrigue and action. This is not a book to be missed!"

- The Huffington Post

Memorable quotes from this book

"Do you lie awake at night to come up with all your witty replies for the following day?"

"A kiss for each day we'd spent apart, a kiss for every wound and terror, a kiss for the ink etched into my flesh, and for all the days we would be together after this. Days, perhaps, that I no longer deserved. But I gave myself again to that fire, threw myself into it, into him, and let myself burn."

"Don't feel bad for one moment about doing what brings you joy."

What's your opinion about this series?!