House of Sky and Breath (Part 2 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation]

Crescent City [Dramatized Adaptation] #2, Part 2

by Sarah J. Maas, Colleen Delany (Narrator), Kit Swann (Narrator)

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.

Adapted from the novel and produced with a full cast of actors, immersive sound effects and cinematic music!

Genres: Audiobook, Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Fae, Magic, Werewolves

12 pages, Audiobook

Published September 26, 2024

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

[Kristin Voyles · Rating 5 out of 5]

THAT ENDING THOUGH 🤯😱👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[Matty Lin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Y'all, when you know what happens at the end and you know who walks in and says you know what... I was grinning like a FOOL. I love graphic audios.

[Mikky · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS WAS SO GOOD! I wasn't expecting it, but (considering how the books have been so far) this one brought the steam and romance up quite a bit. I'm a paranormal romance girlie at heart, so you won't catch me complaining about that! I'm guessing it's to compensate for (probably) the lack thereof romance for the next book, because of how this ended. URGH, pray for me. The next book is going to be rough. As always, I did not see the twist coming until it promptly hit me over the head so hard I saw stars. At this point, call me a masochist because I loved every second of that hit.

The can't I/can I trust X, Y, Z characters was also nerve-racking. The constant back and forth even while discovering their dirty laundry and not being able to blackmail them because that would mean throwing a person you care about under the bus also was H*LL! ALSO WTF I DIDN'T SEE THAT REVEALTION FOR RUHN COMING.WTF. WTF. WTF.

I've been waiting for a crossover with SJM's other series to present itself and I wasn't disappointed. It caught me completely off guard. I was a ball of anxiety due to the circumstances, and then THAT happens?! I caught myself, surprisingly, saying "What?!" rather loudly at 1 AM. I was in disbelief for a few seconds there.

What's with all the dead characters haunting the story!? It's interesting but also so, so sad. Also why was Danika such a crap friend? All these secrets that literally died with her (that no one even knew she was dealing with? She had a f*cking mate! Why did she not tell anyone of her actual friends!) and now we're trying to figure them out? WTF. Also, also this may be an unpopular take but if I had worked hard for a certain position in a company but was always passed up for a promotion because I wasn't someone *important or powerful* and my friend who is *important and powerful* made a call to get me said promotion I wouldn't be mad at it. Like, my BFF is helping me. No amount of grit and hard work is going to make the *important and powerful* person in power consider me for the position when I'm not *important and powerful* too. Maybe this is me saying that if I were a nepo baby I would be humble and recognize that not everyone has access to what I've had and also me saying that if I had an *important and powerful* friend that could get me a leg up with no strings attached I would take them up on their offer and try and uplift others behind me when I get to where I want to be. Rant over 😅

Overall, this was great! I don't know how this series ends. Considering how many loose ends this book alone presents, would I be insane to think that SJM is going to add more books to this series in the future? It lowkey feels like it'll happen. SJM can't possibly tie up all these loose ends in the next book. It's impossible and improbable. Right? RIGHT?! Please say I'm right 🥺

The Graphic Audio narration was the absolute best part of this book. I have nothing to complain about. It was glorious and they outdo themselves with every new book production. All the stars!

[Lauren Stafford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew it was coming and still got chills when I heard him introduce himself to Bryce at the end 🙂‍↔️ I can’t wait for cc3 graphic audio!

[Lucie V. · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Our love is stronger than time, greater than any distance. Our love spans across stars and worlds. I will find you again, I promise.”

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG THAT ENDING!!!!! 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

✅✅✅ ENDING
✅✅ Great characters
✅ Rebels and spies
✅ Complex world-building
✅ Plot
✅ Relationships
✅ Magic / Faes / Shifters
✅ Romance and some smut
✅ Pace
❗️❗️Cliffhanger
❗️❗️ Trigger warnings: grief, torture, and deaths

4.5 stars. It was great, but not as good as the first one.

_______________________

Second read: I am still flabergasted by that ending.

_______________________

“You're a power player now, Bryce, whether you like it or not.”

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. Everything is fine and rather 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.

"You'd almost think this was planned by the gods. They probably have a special task force: How to Fuck Over Bryce and Hunt in One Day."

The plot is good, but I didn’t find it as good as in the first book. It is full of unexpected twists and shocking revelations though, and the pace is engaging. My heart was pounding and I had to refrain from skimming parts of the book because I was so anxious to know what would happen, but at the same time, I wanted to take my time and savor this book... Conflicted emotions and a few heart attacks apart though, it is a great book and many details 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.

"Our insurance rates will go sky-high," Ruhn said to Declan, appealing to the slightly-less-insane of his roommates.
"When the fuck did you become a grown-up?" Flynn barked.
Ithan jerked his own chin toward the doorway again. "Wait to have your meltdown until after you meet the fourth new roommate."


“I’m sorry,” Ithan said, scrubbing at his face, “but what the fuck is this about?” He glanced at the pizza on the table, as if wondering whether it had been spiked with something.
Welcome to our lives, Hunt wanted to say.


"You're part of the Quinlan-Silago clan now. We're a crazy bunch, but we love each other."

I LOVE the characters in this book, THEY ARE SO CUTE AND PERFECT TOGETHER. SJM worked her magic once again and made me fall in love with them as I did fall in love with the crew of ACOTAR and TOG. The secondary characters are as lovable and amazing as the main characters. The friendship developing between the guys in this book is so cute and wholesome! Ruhn, Flynn, Declan, Tharion, Hunt, and even Ithan are becoming a cute little boy's club and my heart is SO happy about that. I said in my review of the first book that I wanted more of Ithan and Tharion, and I got it! Hypaxia is also more present in this book and I can already see that Bryce and her will make a kickass duo.

Okay, now this might be an unpopular opinion, but in light of what we learned in this book, 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. I feel that Bryce gave her everything to Danika, and Danika only gave her a few pieces. I know Danika loved Bryce fiercely, but she kept so many huge secrets from Bryce, and every time Bruce discovers a new truth about Danika, it only upsets her because she sees how little she truly knew about her best friend…

She said to Flynn, “Hey, remember that time you set a dragon free and were dumb enough to think she’d follow your orders?”
“Hey, remember that time you wanted to marry me and wrote Lady Bryce Flynn in all your notebooks?”
Hunt choked.
Bryce countered with, “Hey, remember when you pestered me for years to hook up with you, but I have something called standards—”
“This is highly unusual behavior for royals,” Hypaxia observed.

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. From Hunt making new friends to Ithan and Rhun mending their relationship with Bryce, it was cute, sweet, and so satisfying to see them all finally feel like they belonged somewhere and had people who cared about them.

She sipped from her champagne, then said casually to Hunt, "The headline on the gossip sites tomorrow is going to be: Horndog Umbra Mortis gropes Starborn Princess at Ballet."
"Good," Hunt murmured. "It'll improve my standing in the 33rd."


"You know what I mean," Bryce said.
"I'm not sure I do." Had his voice dropped lower?
"We're roomies," she said, her own voice getting breathy.
"Roomies."
"Occasional Beer Pong Champion?"
Hunt snatched the hat off her head and plunked it back on his own, backward as usual, "Yes, the Autumn King truly fears our unholy beer pong alliance."

The romance between Bryce and Hunt is still super cute, and we also have more spicy moments, even though SJM did ensure that Hunt got cockblocked quite a few times before *it* finally happened. They are cute and funny and they still have that witty banter from the first book that I enjoyed so much. I like that the author managed to keep the sexual tension between them for so long and that when they finally did the deed, they didn’t turn into sex-obsessed fae/angel and did nothing else for the rest of the book. They enjoyed each other but kept in mind that they had more important things to do and that there were lives on the line.

“Hel’s armies shall strike at your command, Bryce Quinlan.”

I am a little disappointed though that Aidas was not more present in this book. I really like him, and I think 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.

I can't wait for the next book. There is SO MUCH potential for an even more epic third book, but at the same time, I am SO FREAKING SCARED of what could happen to my babies. 😭😭😭😭😭

Hunt’s voice was a thunderclap as he said behind her, “Light it up, Bryce.”

1. House of Earth and Blood (Part 1 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation] ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
1. House of Earth and Blood (Part 2 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation] ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
2.House of Sky and Breath (Part 1 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation] ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5



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[Chrissie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unpopular opinion: the sex scenes are the least interesting part of Sarah J. Maas’s books. Always thoroughly entertaining, I particularly liked this book of Maas’s for its commentary on colonialism and the use of religion to create power structures and induce fear (and misguided awe).

Bravo, Ms. Maas. Bravo.

[DianaRose · Rating 4 out of 5]

love a sjmaas graphic audio iykyk😉😌😮‍💨🙂‍↕️🥵
&& HEARING THE ENDING FOR THE FIRST TIME IN GRAPHIC AUDIO😭

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

okay okay, not bad Ms. Maas, you keep me intrigued... let's see how you wrap this whole thing up....
The last chapter or so was a bit cheesy and my goodness I did NOT want to see those returning characters again.

[Kassidy Marquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

SJM did it again 👏👏👏 I am once again hooked

[Halina Hetman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Боже, як мене розізлило закінчення цієї книги...

Спочатку ця серія, вже третя серед серій авторки, йшла мені більш-менш добре. Вона презентувалася як окрема від попередніх творів. Були хоч якісь потуги в ВОРЛДБІЛДІНГ (дуже натужні, з цілими главами інфодампів, але хоч так), цікавіші персонажі, яскравіший світ, тощо. Я навіть почала думати, що нарешті авторка розписалася і зможе видасти на-гора щось нормальне, відпочивальне, не дратуюче.

Але наприкінці другої книги серії головна героїня (безумовно, принцеса, красуня, іт гьорл, воїтелька, королева сердець, найгарячіша серед дівчат і просто обрана - в Маас інших не буває) ПОТРАПЛЯЄ В СВІТ ІНШОЇ КНИЖКИ МААС. І звісно вона потрапляє саме в світ найвідомішої (і найкраще продаваної) серії авторки. А там найбільш тугодумні й бісячі персонажки ever (я витримала лише першу книгу, бо хотілося головну героїню тієї серії лупашити головою об підлогу). Коротше, нажаль, з цією серією я теж done. Якщо авторка не може не запхнути тупу Фейру в кожну зі своїх книжок, навіть в ті, що не про неї, то я не можу цього витримати.

Проте я нарешті зрозуміла, для кого ці книжки. (Не для тупих і відсталих, якщо що - я не оцінюю людей по тому, на що вони дрочать витрачають свій час). Для тих, хто в підлітковому віці не читав фанфіків! Тут і мері-сью, і purple prose, і дивні описи виразів облич, і крінжова еротика з величезними членами, і жарти, що звучать дотепно лише в голові автора, і ось навіть потраплянство. Тільки я це все читала років з 15 тому і про Ремуса Люпіна з компанією, а тут людина написала цілий власний всесвіт, але з такими ж тегами тропами))

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE the dramatized audiobook version I think every audiobook should be recorded this way. This was so much fun to listen to on my new commute. Title should have been “Crescent City: Multiverse of Madness.”

[Stephanie Jenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hello Bryce Quinlan... my name is Rhysand ✨
🥺

[Dar ⟢ _littlebookishblog · Rating 5 out of 5]

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas❤️‍🔥🪽🔫⚡️


A city shimmering with secrets. A rebellion on the rise. A love tested beyond limits.

Sarah J. Maas does it again. House of Sky and Breath takes everything we thought we knew about Crescent City and blows it wide open. Bryce and Hunt are trying to return to normal life after the chaos of House of Earth and Blood, but the world has other plans. As they dig deeper into Danika’s secrets, they realize they’re caught in something much bigger than themselves—something that could change everything. With tensions rising, alliances shifting, and danger lurking around every corner, they’re faced with impossible choices that will test their limits in every way imaginable.

Maas’s writing is just on another level. The world-building? Immaculate. Just when you think it can’t get any more lush and detailed, she expands it in ways that make it feel even more real. The relationships? So layered and compelling, whether it’s the slow-burn romance, the unbreakable friendships, or the tangled web of political intrigue. And the twists? Absolutely insane. I thought I knew what to expect, and I was so wrong. She delivers shock after shock, tying together threads so seamlessly that by the time you reach the end, you’re left completely wrecked—in the best way possible.

I truly have no words for how much I loved this book. Every single moment had me glued to the story, and by the time it was over, I just sat there in awe, trying to process everything. If you love epic fantasy, deep lore, unforgettable characters, and jaw-dropping twists, you need to read this series. If you love ACOTAR, ToG, and Sarah J. Maas, you NEED to read this series! There is literally nothing more I can say except that Sarah J. Maas just does not miss. I can’t start the next book fast enough.

[Sam0ny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not me rewinding the last 7 minutes to make sure I understood wtf just occurred.
Great cast, loved the flight scenes, big ol cliffhanger.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH. MY. GOD. The scream that just escaped me at the end of this book! SO good!

[Lindsay Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ugh! I love having the same emotions and reactions to this from when I first read it!

[Michelle Delp (Fazio) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I forgot how much I loved the second half of this book and this graphic audio DID NOT disappoint. OMG, the ending… the whole entire scene when they get to the eternal city. It was so well done and everyone did such a fantastic job in part two of this graphic audio.

Hearing Rhys introduce himself to Bryce at the end? SO GOOD.

All this to say I wholeheartedly recommend these graphic audios AND I am a Hunt Athalar girlie FOR LIFE. ❤️

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

for some reason this took me quite a while to finish.
I loved the story, but the pace felt too long-winded for the most part. There were a lot of moving parts, none of them connected until the final hours.
I'm still not sure how I feel about certain choices, but I love other aspects! such as the progression within the wolf-community and the new creatures introduced.
curious how the next book will tie off some of the loose ends that are not the "main" storyline 🤔

[✧desiree✧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4☆ Review:

One thing SJM will always be able to do is give us a stress inducing ending. But it got me hooked. I love where this left off & how everything is connected. I can’t wait to start book three.

P.S. they didn’t kiss 😔
(see my review of Part 1 for context)

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

No 5 stars because they used different voice actors for the people in the last chapter. (IFYKY)

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhhhh!!! Loved it. So glad the next part is already available on graphic audio!

[☾ talon ☼ · Rating 5 out of 5]

screaming crying throwing up

[crusadeannihilation · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread <3

[Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

my heart 😭😭😭
Also the last few PAGES I AM so excited to see where this goes

[Nathalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH
(definitely read heavy fantasy shit what the fuck I'm still losing my mind)

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The GA is SO good!! The ending gave me chills even though I already knew what was going to happen. 😂

[William Burrel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to lead this review to say what the smut?! This book felt like ACOTAR in that sense haha. Anyways, amazing amazing amazing plot. Loved this one better than the first book. And the cliffhanger ending was top-tier. My mouth literally dropped when a certain character appeared. Like what in the Sarah J. Maas universe! I'm excited to start the next book in the series!

[Christine Stitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ I didn’t love it. I didn’t hate it. It was that classic second book for me. A bridge book for our characters to go from a simple story of finding a murderer in book 1, to a series of events that lead our characters to wanting to overthrow the higher powers in book 2. Which will then (I’m guessing) lead us to a big war or overthrow of the government in book 3, and beyond.

I enjoyed the ending of this book the most, and having all the answers and pieces of the puzzle fit together nicely. The ACOTAR crossover using the same Graphic Audio voice actors, was absolutely EPIC! The last 2 listening hours were incredible. However, the previous 22 hours?! It was long. It was wordy. It was choppy. It was really tough to get through.

It felt like lots of characters going on lots of little side missions to uncover truths. Because this book opened the world so much, we have atleast a dozen more characters to keep track of (their names, nicknames, powers, if they’re a double agent or not, etc.).

This author has a penchant for giving major screen time to side characters. In CC2, we get a ton of Ithan and Tharion. We also get more of Ruhn, which are some of my favorite scenes.

And while this book did have more spice then book 1, the romance between Bryce and Hunt felt so stilted. They constantly felt at odds with one another. Ruhn and Day had a better, steady budding romance. But even that could’ve been expanded upon more. As a romance reader, romance was really not prevalent in this book (which I’m thinking is consistent with this series).

If you’re looking for the swoon worthy romance of the ACOTAR series, it’s not in this series.

All of the comments (mostly negative) I hear about CC3, I feel like apply to this book as well. The constant POV switches, the droning on and on, complex world building details, etc.

Likely pausing on this series for now as I wait for the Graphic Audio production of CC3 to be released (Dec 2024 and then Feb 2025). So far, I enjoyed CC1 more as a story, then CC2.

[booklovelastsforever K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly , the ending would’ve been more shocking if Bloomsbury didn’t spoil it for me 😭 now we all know how book 2 ends before reading it! 👎🏻
That being said, it still made me giddy because my number one book husband is back baby!

I love the bromance that is Ruhn, Declan, Flynn, Ithan and Tharion. The house keeps getting more crowded and is definitely the bro pad.

A bit spoiler-y from now 👇🏻

I love Bryce, she is a badass but I feel she lost a little of her spirit in this book. Maybe as the book ended on her being more desperate than badass like book 1.
Also, I wanted to throw my book (if I had one but I didn’t because it was audio) for Bryce keeping things from Hunt. IMPORTANT things! She treated him just like *ex girlfriend * and he deserves better! Shame on your Bryce. Your excuses were rubbish.
Hunt forgave her pretty quickly 🤷‍♀️
The chemistry though, Hi Daddy Hunt 👋 such a filthy mouth for someone so laid back and quiet. To wait all the way to book 2 was worth it!

Also agent Daybright 👀 I had no clue but the more they talked to Ruhn I guessed it before she was exposed.

There were so many twists and turns in this book. How did Danika have the time but also keep all these secrets from her best friend? Then again if the roles were reversed, Bryce would do the same.

The way Ruhn is described, I really want to know the connection with Rhys. And how that sword partnership is going to help!
I need to know that Hunt and Ruhn are ok. No more torturing poor Hunt please 🙏

So pleased I waited to read this book because I can dive House of Flame and Shadow!

[Faith Tanous · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Bryce ‼️ I will talk about this over and over. I have not enjoyed the trend of keeping secrets from the FMC, where the people around her “protect her” but keep her in the dark. This book is not that, BRYCE RUNS THIS SHOW. I loved watching as her plans came to light not only to myself but to her friends. She never fails to be the mastermind.

AND THE CROSSOVER? I knew it was coming but I was SO EXCITED i had to pause and explain the books to my dad. Book three comes in the mail tomorrow and I am SO excited to start it 🕺