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House of Flame and Shadow (Crescent City #3) by Sarah J. Maas

 

Summary (from the publisher): The stunning third book in the sexy, action-packed Crescent City series, following the global bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath.

Bryce Quinlan never expected to see a world other than Midgard, but now that she has, all she wants is to get back. Everything she loves is in Midgard: her family, her friends, her mate. Stranded in a strange new world, she's going to need all her wits about her to get home again. And that's no easy feat when she has no idea who to trust.

Hunt Athalar has found himself in some deep holes in his life, but this one might be the deepest of all. After a few brief months with everything he ever wanted, he's in the Asteri's dungeons again, stripped of his freedom and without a clue as to Bryce's fate. He's desperate to help her, but until he can escape the Asteri's leash, his hands are quite literally tied.

In this sexy, breathtaking sequel to the #1 bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath, Sarah J. Maas's Crescent City series reaches new heights as Bryce and Hunt's world is brought to the brink of collapse-with its future resting on their shoulders.

Review: Book three picks right up where book two left off. Bryce has been transported to an alternate world (with characters familiar to Maas fans) while the two men she loves the most, her love Hunt and her brother Ruhn, remain imprisoned in the Asteri dungeons undergoing extreme torture. Will Bryce be able to discover how to defeat the Asteri, return to her world, and save everyone in Midguard? Or will evil prevail?

My favorite part of this novel, really the only part I enjoyed wholeheartedly, was the Lidia and Ruhn storyline. I really liked how complex of a character Lidia is, including her backstory and motivation for her actions and her chemistry with Ruhn. 

There was a lot going on here. A lot. In fact, there are six alternating perspectives and each of the brief chapters cycle through most of them. It felt like whiplash to get a couple pages from each perspective in a revolving door throughout the hundreds of pages. On the other hand, it did make the pace of the book feel rapid, despite the immense length of this novel. I still love Bryce and Hunt, but the pair were separated the majority of this novel. I support their mission to defeat evil and create a better world but whew, the author has them pulling any type of magic and tricks out of the hat so things will go in their favor. There seem to be no rules or limits to the type of creature, type of magic, or what can or can't happen in this book. 

I couldn't help but be amused in the final chapters as certain characters are literally spinning through space. It just felt like the author tried throwing everything AND the kitchen sink into this one. I wanted to read this next book to see what happens next to the characters, but this felt like a slog and not a particularly satisfying one. Rounding up to be generous to three stars. 

Stars: 2.5

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