Crescent City Series Set of 3 Books. House of Earth and Blood, House of Sky and Breath and House of Flame and Shadow

Crescent City #1-3

by Sarah J. Maas

Crescent City Series Set of 3 Books. House of Earth and Blood, 9781635574043 House of Sky and Breath, 9781635574074 House of Flame and Shadow, 9781635574104

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Fiction, Fae, Fantasy Romance, Paranormal

2462 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2022

About the author

Sarah J. Maas is the #1 bestselling author of the Throne of Glass, Court of Thorns and Roses, and Crescent City series. Her books have sold millions of copies and are published in thirty-eight languages. She lives in New York City with her family.

Reviews

[Wilson Crook · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately one of the worst book series ever read. One of the least creative fantasy books and ends up just being corny capitalist democracy propaganda. I don’t find any of the characters or their relationships to be well-written and while I feel like Sarah j mass usually can get me to feel attached to characters and storylines this was a complete dud. Only finished bc I knew it was important canon for the other series which i think will just end up tanking ACOTAR world. Why can’t they just be separate storylines, why must it attach? I hate to give such a negative review but,, being the Taylor swift of authors means I think her brand will be able to take it. I’m certainly not snobby about my fantasy books but this just had no redeeming qualities for me.

[Courtney McLeod · Rating 5 out of 5]

my heart has been ripped out

Beautiful. Absolutely, devastatingly beautiful. The character development, the worlds tied together - I could not be more impressed. What do I do now?

[Cecilie Arnesen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jeg synes bok 1 var bra, den anbefaler jeg veldig. Og så anbefaler jeg å stoppe der, siden de to siste var ganske mye dårligere.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romantasy. Protective alpha-holes. Fierce, give no fucks females. This series has everything you need all wrapped into 3 books. I truly fell in love with this series from the first chapter. SJM truly knows what she is doing and you will cry, laugh, swoon, and want to go out and own the world.

Be right back. I need to go find a chimera and a pegasus.

New to fantasy? Give this series a go! I cannot recommend it enough! 100/10 recommend to anyone.

“Through love all is possible”
“Knock em dead Pax. Hopefully not literally.”
“I’m Queen, I’m Judge, jury, and I am your mother fucking executioner”
“Light it up!”
“What is made of love can never be destroyed.”
“Live your life, Quinlan, and live it well.”

[Abi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This BOOK
HAD
ME
CRYINGGGG LIKE I DID IN KOA

No words for this. Absolutely amazing. Enjoyed every second. I loved loved loved this series. I can’t wait for more books to come

Sarah J Mass you will be the death of me

[Renee Kinden · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 - 0.5 deduction for wildly confusing world building (side characters make up for it in spades, though)

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

soooo good. first book had me actually sobbing/ugly crying. read all three books super fast. the world building was really hard to follow initially because it felt like so much info at once. other than that, they’re all super fast pace which i love

[Marian Younker · Rating 5 out of 5]

While A court of thorns and roses was my starter book into this world, I think crescent city is the one I can relate with the most. Though the world building may take a while, I can say I can dream of exactly what is being conveyed.

[Sam Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

So for most people, ACOTAR is their gold standard. For me, Throne of Glass is my Roman Empire. I worry if you fall into either of these categories you might enter into this series expecting something you're not going to get. It is such a different vibe and different world to what you might expect. The story also goes HARD. I really enjoyed it. I think Sarah J Maas creates strong women who are flawed and I always appreciate that read. I struggled a bit with Hunt. He felt a bit meh for my liking. There are a couple of holes here and there that bug me a bit. A few things that don't make sense. But for the most part I thought it was a good series and I liked it. I'm a bit sad a few character stories weren't wrapped up well the end - but I thought the nod to ACOTAR was rad and there is a nod to Throne of Glass as well.

I liked the technology aspect being bought in as well. I think it is a good one to sink your teeth into. I'm yet to find a fantasy romance writer that I love more than Maas though, so I'm a bit biased.

[Antonia Stan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review: Crescent City Series

Book 1: ★★★★★ | Books 2–3: ★★★
SUMMARY:
The series follows Bryce Quinlan, a half-Fae woman whose life is completely changed by a demon attack on her friends. She teams up with various other magical being and while investigating the attack, they uncover secrets that shake the foundations of their city — from corrupted magical hierarchies to forbidden experiments and hidden truths about the ancient war between realms. As the series progresses, Bryce and her friends unravel increasingly massive conspiracies involving the ruling Asteri, rebel factions, other worlds, and long-buried magical powers. What begins as a murder mystery expands into political uprisings and a multi-realm battle against ancient rulers, forcing Bryce and her allies into roles that could change — or save — their world.

BOOK 1 REVIEW
The Crescent City series started incredibly strong with book 1, the Pack of Devils’ story and the shock of an unexpected high-stakes murder what was very well prepared - an unforgettable punch I would say that I felt along with the main character. I loved the mystery that followed, the investigation arc, the grief and the healing. The emotional aspect was very realistic and a reoccurring theme that made me feel the weight of Bryce’s grief, numbness, anger, and the hardships of rebuilding piece by piece and feeling like herself again.

One of the biggest emotional hits for me was when the story took a turn and revealed the 'truth' about the initial murder and I absolutely wasn’t prepared for that. It took everything I thought I knew about a character and completely flipped it in the harshest, most gut-punching way, but in a way that made sense, and not forced. I remember feeling glued to the page, horrified, heartbroken, and desperate - the more I thought about it, the worse it got. That reveal was raw and painful, and it made the whole mystery feel so much heavier. That moment had me sitting there with my heart in my throat, feeling shocked, betrayed, and scared for the main character and for her still in progress recovery. It completely consumed and hooked me - it was so intense it changed my mood the whole day and the reveal stayed in my mind for hours even when not reading. It's so extremely rare that a book grips me so much that the reveal alone made this a 5/5 MUST READ book.

BOOK 2, 3 REVIEW:
The next two books felt like they had a different series entirely. The world was the same but it was no longer captivating, it lacked a 'hook'. The villan from book 1 was no longer in the picture and the enemy in book 2 was at first, too vague, too far away and untouchable to bring me to care. The direction became predictable — a familiar blend of recycled tropes from ACOTAR: fated mates everywhere (despite being “incredibly rare”), too many main character ascending to leadership (the ascensions made sense but 4 characters became leaders or were offered top leadership position in a very short timespan), and a romance dynamic I’ve seen from Maas before. The story pivoted into yet another “save the entire world” narrative, with hidden powers raveled for all the important characters and I already knew how it would end. Throw in some more plot armor for some characters and the repeated resurrection trope and it destroyed the tension that made Book 1 so well done and brutal.
OVERALL:
The series also reads like only the first book was fully planned, very different from Sarah Mass's other books. But the final two were 1500-pages add ons that sometimes felt like ACOTAR rewrite or like the author was inventing new threads or characters to try to recreate (unsucceffuly) the depth the first book had. There were some great character moments, but the pacing and predictability left me tired rather than excited.

A phenomenal first book wrapped in a series that loses momentum by leaning too heavily on familiar tropes and overextended plotlines. Book 1 can be read without the series without any issues (another hint that perhaps book 2 and 3 were not intended from start) and it's an absolute MUST READ for its emotional punches and mystery, but be prepared for a more conventional, trope-driven fantasy ride in the following books.

[Zimmy W · Rating 5 out of 5]

overall rating: 4.7/5 stars

hoeab rating: 5/5 stars

"I'm Stan and I was wrong-" 🤡

This was actually really really good and I'm so sorry to anyone I doubted 😭

hosab: 4/5 stars

This was still a fun book but the perfection of book one is overshadowing this for me lmao

hofas: 5/5 stars

Bryce they could never make me hate you <3

[Kim Jacobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down!

I have loved the books by Sarah J Maas!. Very well
written and had great characters and plot lines. I'm sad to be finished!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

good read

Took a lot to get into
These books but enjoyed them once I got into them!
Not a patch on A court of thorn and roses series.

[Justice Esplin · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mind was blown the whole book. Absolutely amazing.

[Emma Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE the crossovers between series ugh it is jsut so good. I wish there was another book

[Emmytheslightlyaboveaverage · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books. So many different kinds of plot and well written characters. The modern stuff takes a min to get used to but in many ways these are the grown up versions of TOG and ACOTAR that I needed. I’ve just finished the Graphic Audios which were an entirely new and wonderful experience.

Plenty of twists and such a great ending.

[Maeve Cowhey · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing
feel like a chapter of my life has ended
10/10 ending

[Amoky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall really really enjoyed the world building, it doesn’t stop at book 1. Loved that it’s not written in pov but you still get their perspectives and thoughts as if it’s pov. Quite a lot of characters and side stories, I enjoyed all of them except for Ithan’s. If frustration is what sjm wanted us to feel from Ithan’s tunnel vision then she succeeded. Murder mystery, espionage, magic mix tech and multiverse storyline (end of book 2 surprise) - 4.75/5 bc first half of book 3 felt way too long.

[Mirena Fonseca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot wait to read the next acotar book so I can get their POV during all this!!
I did not expect everything to wrap up so nicely in this book. Everyone’s story feels finished (besides tharions - don’t know what’s up with that situation) that it’s hard to picture another book in the series. If we get one, amazing, if not, i’m content with the story as is <3

[Jessica Howe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite series by Sarah J. Maas. Was it terrible? No. Did I love it? No.

I feel like the first book would have made a solid stand alone. It was actually really good, and I felt excited to turn the page. The two books after that honestly felt like a fever dream. I couldn't even tell you what happened in the second?

Bryce Quinlan - I did not take to her well at the beginning as I could not relate, but then I grew to like her, but she is nowhere near the same level as Feyre or Aelin in my opinion. I just couldn't find that bond with the main character, so it fell flat in that regard for me.

Hunt - I loved Hunt in the first book, he really grew on me, and I thought he was going to be a great character, then I felt like his character just fell flat also. Like it never really took off, I was waiting for some big reveal on his parents or something and it just felt like he was there to be Bryce's charger.

Ithan 'SUNBALL' Holstrom - Did you know he played Sunball? I don't know why but I rolled my eyes like 99.9% of the time he was on the page. He isn't necessarily a bad character, he just irritated me so much. Also, did I mention, he played sunball? His obsession with bringing Sigrid back to life drove me INSANE like MATEEEEEEEEEEE get over it already. Like what the actual FUCK was all that about? At first, I was like maybe they are mates but now its hinting like him and Perry have a thing so, what the actual hell was the point on, what felt like 80% of, the 3rd book spent on resurrecting Sigrid about? fuck me.

Ruhn - He is the best character in this whole series.

Lidia - She is also the best character in this whole series.

My last rant is for the last fraction of the 3rd book. Once Bryce & Co killed Moven and the Autumn King, so now she is Queen Fae whatever. How conveniently after that everyone else seemed to drop like flies so that their friends all became head of the other houses. My poor eyes were tired of rolling so hard. Hypaxia now Head of House and Flame, Sunball is now the Prime.

All in all, it was fine, it was exciting and different but it just didnt give me that 'home' feeling I get when I read ACOTAR and TOG. I dont think I will reread this series the way I reread the other two.

[Suz S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness. The series is amazing. The first book felt long and it was hard to understand what direction it was taking (at least for me), but then I read the second and third books and I am once again blown away by the author's talent for sharing a story.
I loved Bryce and Hunt and they finally get to be together. Their courage through the hard times and even though they shared the same fears, they also became each other's courage. Syrinx, and the fire sprites always made me smile. There was humour, love, sentiment, and adventures that had me sitting on the edge of my seat. I love how she told multiple characters stories and how they eventually intertwine with each other. I can only hope that there is more interaction between Rhysand and Bryce. I hope the characters can have adventures together and maybe even help each other build better worlds. Loved these books. I can't even fathom the talent and time it takes to write a book, let alone the thought processes that must be entertained. As an avid book reader, sometimes it feels like it takes forever for the next adventure of your favorite characters, but I have to say, reading this book has made the wait absolutely worth every single second. Thank you to Sarah J. Maas for sharing your ideas with the world.

[Kanwarpal Singh · Rating 3 out of 5]

House of earth and blood

Welcome to Crescent City, where shifters, fae, angels, witches, sprites, and any other magical creatures that you can think of coexist in relative peace and order.

Bryce Quinlan lost everything 2 years ago when her best friend’s pack was slaughtered, along with her best friend, in their apartment. Now, as she is trying to move on, without much success, she is forced to dive back into those painful memories when she is asked by the governor of the city to team up with Bryce who is a sarcastic and "gorgeous-and-I-know-it" half-human half-fae girl and Hunt is the sexy fallen angel, the ex-general who's now a slave to the republic after leading a failed rebellion , to investigate a murder that seems to have the same signature as her best friend’s. Only, the more they investigate, the more complicated it becomes, as the murders seem to be connected to a theft that happened 2 years prior, and to a new drug that hit the street and could have disastrous repercussions for the city.

The main intrigue is a mix of murder, theft, and a drug-selling scheme to solve, and even though this book is almost 800 pages, it doesn’t drag on. There is action, in last 200 pages. There are also some plot twists and just enough mystery to keep us guessing about the identity of the person behind it all until the end and it honestly kept me at the edge of my seat. I know that some people are sick and tired of Sarah J. Maas's style and I admit that Bryce reminds me of Aelin and her relationship with Hunt is a little similar to Feyre and Rhys's relationship at their beginning or even similar to Aelin and Rowan's relationship , but I still liked it and I really enjoyed reading this book.


House of sky and breath

This book takes place a few months after the end of House of Earth and Blood. Bryce is trying to adapt to her new reality as the Princess of Fae, while also trying to work things out with Hunt to build a healthy and serious relationship. Hunt is enjoying his newfound freedom and Ruhn is building back the trust between his sister and him. The friendship developing between the guys in this book is so wholesome! Ruhn, Flynn, Declan, Tharion, Hunt, and even Ithan are becoming a little boy's club. Hypaxia is also more present in this book and I can already see that Bryce and her will make a kickass duo.
Everything was fine and normal until they get sucked into a rescue mission involving some rebels and ruthless faes that will not hesitate to destroy them all should their affiliation with rebels be revealed.

The plot is good, full of unexpected twists and shocking revelations though, and the pace is engaging. I was both excited to know what would happen, at the same time, I wanted to take my time and enjoy this book. Conflicted emotions , well detailed plot and character from the first book have a big significance in this book, and I like that there was a deeper connection between the books than simply having the same set of characters embarking on a new adventure.

This might be an unpopular opinion, I was not impressed with Danika’s choices and behavior toward Bryce, and the friendship I admired so much in the first book turned a little sour.The found family is one of my favorite tropes, and I loved every mundane moment with the gang in this book because of this feeling of finally having somewhere to belong and had people who cared about them.

I am a little disappointed though that Aidas was not more present in this book. I believe he has the potential to be a truly complex and interesting morally grey character, but we haven't seen enough of him to really know what he is up to and where he stands in the conflict that is to come.
.

House of shadow and flame

The information dumping I complained about before.. was prevalent everywhere.. with an entire chapter even dedicated to nothing else. The reader retains that close connection with the characters or they divide the content into more segments and I really think either choice could have saved the final part of the story for me.

There is understandably.. a lot happening in this novel. We've had over 1,600 pages previously to build a world-sized cast and a monumental plot. In trying to tie together everyone's personal histories, their present situations as individuals, and their role in the overarching tale.. while also managing all the chaotic plot devices, any connection with the characters or the story itself was lost.

Interactions between characters mostly felt forced and uninteresting. I wanted to feel for my favorites, but I wasn't given the opportunity. We were too busy being jettisoned to the next thought or next scene.

Everyone is leveling up, becoming super natural powerful, none of them getting power beyond our main protagonist. Every time there's a problem, there's a solution at the ready. I never spent a moment fearing for anyone.. and that's not something I can say for either of the other books in the series.While that's not to say that everyone is safe and secure. The surprises are minimal and while I found one of them quite interesting in concept, it was handled in such an offhanded way that I didn't care.

The Chosen One thing is so exaggerated everyone around her has suddenly become dependent on her. All these previously strong characters are there standing like useless props for the Super Magical Starborn Princess. They've all become too weak, too guilt-ridden, too afraid to insert random vulnerability here.

[Ruxandra Barbu · Rating 5 out of 5]

📌Wrap up Time ✨

📌Ranking the books
1.HOEAB
2.HOSAB
3.HOFAS

NOW NOW
I did rate all these books a 5⭐
But ....
❤HOEAB - was the best in terms of fantasy and action, the mistery thriller aspect was nice and it kept me guessing, it was full of suspense and twists, the introduction to the world was immaculate and i got immersedin the city vibes very easily, the characters introduction and their friendships were also very nicely done and I knew the found family trope is coming.
Also in terms of emotions this one was the best. It made me tear up a bit - LeLe i m looking at you now.
The ending was 🤯🤯🤯
💙HOSAB - was the best in terms of romance, damn i loved to see Bryce and Hunt being a couple and the SPICEEEEEEE wasss so good.I love a good slow burn and this gave me everything i wanted from it .Also Ruhn and Lidia started to form a connection too .The side characters became more present and their friendship more explored. But it terms of action there was not much, just the ending.
💛HOFAS - this one was the best one in terms of PLOT TWISTS and reveals and everything coming together and making sense.ALSO THE ACOTAR CROSS OVER with BOTH of my favorite characters??? Seeing Nesta and Azriel interacting with Bryce? I WANT MOREEEEE . I NEED MORE OF THIS .Also for me the final battle was very satisfying, i loved the action throughout the book ( even if it was not so intense ) I did not get bored at all even tho the pace was slow. 🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️
I got to love new characters because lots of their back story got exposed and they also developed as individuals - Ruhn, Lidia , Ithan, Hypaxia , Tharion.


SO YEAH - IN CONCLUSION - i loved all 3 of these books for quite different reasons.🤷🏽‍♀️

📌Ranking the Characters
1.Ruhn
2.Lidia
3.Hypaxia
4.Ithan
5.Bryce
6.Hunt
7.Tharion
8.Declan
9.Flynn
10.Aidas and Apollion

Special mentions : Connor, Cormac, Lehabah, Jesiba

Neutral : Juniper, Fury , Ember and Randall, Naomi and Isaiah, Baxian, Adriadne ( She kinda annoyed me tho )

Hated : The autumn king, Avallen King , Micah, Celestina , the asteri and rigelus , Danika( controversiol but i think she was not a good friend at all , what s up with a the lying and hidding??? ) , Sabine, The Viper Queen ,Sigrid, Sandriel.

📌Couples
I like lidia and ruhn more as individuals, But i am more of a fan of BRYCE X HUNT as a couple. Idk if it makes sense but it is what it is.

📌overall
Plot 5/5⭐
Characters 5/5 🧝‍♀️
Love and relationships 4/5 ❤
Spice 🌶🌶🌶/5
Found family 5/5 🤝🏻
World building 5/5 🌃
Magic system 4/5🔮
Action 4/5⚔
Twists 5/5🔎
Tears 2/5💧

📌A little word about my faves
💙 Ruhn - so since the first book I was like a ruhn girl. I cannot explain whar exactly attracted me to him but smth did.I liked his appearance and his personality. He looks like a bad boy but he has a heart of gold.He cares about his friends and about his sister and about lidia. He would sacrifice himself before he lets anybody else get hurt.

💛Lidia - what a strong girl boss.Fr
wym she had 2 kids??? and wym those kids are mean to her??My poor girl has been thru hell and back, she lived a miserable life as a kid then she had a double life then she had to indulge pollux and lie to everyone she felt like caring for...damn my heart breaks for her.But she was strong and became a better version of herself in the end.

❤Bryce - our spoiled party girl princess .
She was a Rollercoaster to me , first i got annoyed by her bratty attitude, then i warmed up to her and thought that she is actually smart and good at planning, then i got frustrated by her and her acts towards her soulmate - Hunt ( wym yu are hidding stuff from him? ) then i started to like her again, then she ended up in acotar and was a jerk to my babies and i started to curse her, but then she saved the world so we were good in the end.Phew She kept me on my toes.

🖤Hunt - well he s a cutie pie that acts tough.Yes yes i know Umbra mortis scaryyyyy shitt but i could not take him seriously with that when he was such a softie to Bryce.Idk i just feel like he didn't have much of a personality by himself so that is why he is not so high up my top.

🤎Ithan - WHAT A LOVELY SURPRISE HE WAS. The little pup that i expected nothing from made me the happiest when he finally got rid of that old hag Sabine.Yey thank you for your service sir! Also he is hot and cute and caring . He grew on me slowly but surely.

💚Hypaxia - witch queen of the dead .She was very loyal to her friends, devoted to the bigger cause. She was such a smart ass and great asset in the war.She was nice and friendly and i am flad she felt into her true power. Love a woman in stem 🧪⚗

[KV G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 ☆ for the overall series!

With the 1st installment (House of Earth & Fire) being a 4 star, then the 2nd & 3rd books, 3.5 and 3.25, respectively!

I don't really know what it is about the FMCs Ms. SJM creates, but I'm just not the biggest fan of the whole woe-is-me, I've gone through some tough shit, so I gotta be an unrelenting bitch to those who have nothing to do with my suffering to make up for it female characters. Hypocritical because, admittedly, Nesta is my favorite FMC in the Maasverse, but I don't know how else to explain my slow progression of disliking Bryce throughout CC; this was the same case for me with Feyre in ACOTAR. I really enjoyed the beginning with Bryce, reading about her changing her party girl ways in order to atone with the loss of her best friend, but as the series continued, I kept finding myself so frustrated with the way she treated her friends when they were nothing but supportive all throughout their journey and looked to her as a leader (though imo, she didn't really do anything to deserve this persistent outlook). They might've questioned her motives and methods, but I thought that was to be expected with the way she would keep things under wrap, even when it came to her mate Hunt. And don't even get me started with the lack of chemistry between her and Hunt. He was a complete simppppp for her, which yes, I know we all want someone to be just as obsessed and protective as SJM tried to portray Hunt as, but not even a little blowback when she's wrong and/or being selfish? Although I wasn't a big fan of Bryce, I did stick around for the plot and other side characters.

Aside from my distaste for the main couple of the series, I loved so many of the other characters in CC. Ruhn and his little friend group?! We appreciate a cutesy boy pact that is unrelentingly loyal to each other. Lidia, looovvvved her! Ithan and his little sweet self; his character arc felt kinda rushed, but I still loved him throughout the series. The sprites and Syrinx! I'm telling you, the side characters made CC for me 💕

Now I know this wasn't really a full-fledged review of the series, but rather a rant, so I apologize for my past transgressions lol. Mayyyybe someday I'll go through my notes & do actual reviews on each book, but that day is not today 😅 All in all, if you're into the whole Maasverse, I'd say give CC a go! You may really like it; the back story of the starborn lineage, the action, the interrelationship between the cast, I thought it was all fun to read about! though, if you're like me and didn't really find yourself the biggest fan of Feyre in ACOTAR, maybe don't. I'm a nosy ass bitch, so yes, I had to check it out, but> it has made me even more hesitant in checking out TOG (convince me otherwise 😏).

[Lauren Wigfield- Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

'through love, all is possible'

I was aprehencive to start reading this series because of the tech involved (too real world for me), but i'm so glad i did.
The first book is the official opener for the whole shit show thats going to go down, bryce is our badass heroine who genuinely doesn't care and is just here for the vibe, Hunt is our brooding male 'angel' who is also the 'umbra mortis' (aka scary demon killer).
Just like all of SJM's series we have our *main* main characters (bryce & hunt) but then we have our other main characters that join as the series unfolds. each characters has their own individual storyline and i love that we get to see whats going down from multiple points of view.
I get that everyone gets scared of the world building in CC but to be honest TOG had waaaaay more in my eyes, i think it is just the element of tech involved and how many races of fae and magical creatures are actually in the book.
I feel like the dynamic within the world in the first book sets up the premise for the whole series perfectly, in book one we dont meet the 'true bad guys' officially but they are eluded to in various different back stories and meetings between the councils.
The relationship between the characters are second to non, i genuinely felt for every single being in midgard at the end, The main characters relationships blew me away with the intracay of it and the love they all have for each other. even the ones you don't think you'll love you do by the end.

*spoilers*
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE READ ACOTAR FULLY BEFORE STARTING CC.
YOU HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK SERIES BEFORE ACOTAR 6 COMES OUT.
this series to me felt like the one that ties everything together within the massverse. Like nesta and azriels involvment in book 3, the dread trove making a suprise comeback to help save the day. finding out the prison in ACOTAR is actually the MFing Dusk court... like what the helly.
THEN....... we have the connections to TOG which i really was not expecting given TOG is a 'finished' series but... is it?. Finding out Lidia (the hind) is a decendant of Brannon and elena fully blew my mind, looking back there were signs like her golden burning eyes (ashryver eyes) the fact she is a stag shifter... all signs point to terrasen but then the fire and how it manifests with lidia is so unreal its made me second guess if TOG might make a come back in any of SJM's future books. (if it did id bawl my eyes out and praise the heavens).

all in all, this series is dramatic, suspenceful, romantic, inspiring and uplifting. I laughed, I cried, I got super vexxed and points but what else could you ask for in a series?
1000000% would reccomend this series.

[Ella Gauld · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay so, I didn't read the ebooks, but this was the only option I found for all three without having to review them individually.
Unlike other fantasy books, even by the same author, it's written in an urban setting- technology and clubs and cities and what not, which I found to be a super new and interesting switch up compared to most fantasy books. Also, it's a murder mystery. I loved these books, even without really liking the MC. She is a little bit insufferable, falling into the whole "i'm not like other girls" trap. However, I absolutely adored all of the other characters who have basically the same amount of page time as Bryce (MC), so that made up for it- along with the world building is SO good. The other character's stories and feelings are looked into on par to Bryce's, which made it much more interesting to follow along with their thoughts and decisions. I adore the magic system, and that fact that it is very clearly a political opinion veiled in fantasy. Unfortunately the author has opposite opinions to her characters when it comes to race and politics, which makes no sense, since she can clearly see the other side of the fight enough to write endearing and powerful characters on that side. But oh well. There was a huge (like 800 page) slow burn for our main love interests, which I adored. The tension made it infinitely better. The plot of these books just kept getting more interesting, and I never felt like I got bored with them, as so many new exciting pieces of the puzzle and plot twists kept arising. However, the first few hundred pages of book one can feel a bit slow and intense at the same time, since there's a lot of info dumping, but push through!!
Can be quite violent and sexual for a YA series, but if you're fine with gore and intimacy then no problem.

[Hey Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not who or what you think; not even their own choices and actions ...

This author must employ a fantastic copywriter. There are never typos in her books. It's like someone actually proofreads her work ... which seems to be a foreign concept in today's quick to print, cookie-cutter, formulaic "literary world."

The story lines are merged from folklore, religious rite, and historic text into something that is both new and familiar. The characters are a mix of irreverent, brash, trite, the usual suspects, and that something extra that Sarah Maas brings to all her books. Just when you think you have comfortably settled on who someone is or why something is or what is going to happen next ... she throws a pebble at a butterfly in a shadow that you never even saw two chapters ago, and it changes the why behind the whole thing.

It's not so much that what you know is coming next does our does not happen ... it's not that the character is or is not who or what you think they are going to be ... it's what choices and actions led them there and what decisions they face next as a result of someone else's choices that she's going to show you in the very next book if you are only brave enough to keep reading.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating this as a series because I listened to them back to back and don’t remember how I felt about each specific one. They were all about the same though. Overall I was disappointed in the series. There were interesting parts, but the pace was SO slow. It took me months to get through these because I kept losing interest. Not sure if it was the writing or the full cast audio (which I didn’t care for). I had to listen to several parts multiple times because there was too much information to keep straight and I kept forgetting what happened. There were far too many details about the universe to keep up with that didn’t make much sense. It seemed like the rules and the characters’ powers conveniently changed from scene to scene depending on how much drama SJM wanted to create, which I found annoying. I also didn’t care for the awkward crossover scenes. I enjoyed aspects of it, but not something I would care to read again.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly I loved Bryce’s and Hunt’s journey but we gotta talk about it. Why you gotta make my ACOTAR babies look weak😭? Literally made them look like some common folk when they’ve fought in wars and lived for hundreds of years. Why? You didn’t have to do them like that. And Nesta just summoning the mask and using it to kill a wyrm was so random to me. That just felt like it was thrown in there. Also why is hunt such a baby? Like he literally is over 200 years old and decides to go through a random mid life crisis is just weird to me. And them him and Bryce fighting about him not wanting to go to war again was so childish to me and completely unnecessary. Despite all of this I really did enjoy the series a great deal but I’ve been waiting to address these issues. Did anyone else feel like they did our ACOTAR peeps wrong??

[Morgan Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love SJM and that's why I gave 4 stars. You need to read this series to understand the connection between all 3 series but it was not my favourite read. I don't know if anyone else felt this way but I found it hard to keep track of everything that was happening. I feel like she should've spread the series out over a couple more books so it wasn't all crammed and hard to follow.

What I did like about it; every character had depth for the most part(obviously some characters are meant to be stagnant). The love stories were beautiful and fulfilling. VERY comedic banter. The surprise in the 3rd book with ACOTAR characters, love, love, love. This connection is also why I think there will be another book where Nesta is the main character.

Anyway, not my favourite series of her but still a good read!