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Crescent City [Dramatized Adaptation] #3, Part 1
House of Flame and Shadow (Part 1 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation]
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.
Adapted from the novel and produced with a full cast of actors, immersive sound effects and cinematic music!
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.
Adapted from the novel and produced with a full cast of actors, immersive sound effects and cinematic music!
11 pages, Audiobook
Published December 17, 2024
110 people are currently reading
888 people want to read
About the author
Sarah J. Maas
115 books557k followersSarah 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 194 reviews
February 26, 2025
still my least favorite sjmaas book ever written but graphic audio always saves the day!!
September 12, 2025
This series is by far my favorite by SJM and also my favorite graphic audio to listen to. If you have the option to listen to a graphic audio, I 100% recommend it. Written and performed so well!
August 9, 2025
Spoilers everywhere. You have been warned!
OK so I'm going to be eating my words a little bit, specifically from the opinions I have on the ACOTAR series so far. Nesta is actually a pretty interesting character when you see her from someone else's POV, who isn't A) herself in her own head, and B) her family. Seeing Nesta from Bryce's POV was actually so interesting. I like how she's presented as a cutthroat b*tch in the best way and fiercely defends her world. Though that may be because Bryce comes off as much more of a b*tch who gives no f*cks about this new world (because her own world and her family/friends are dead if she can't figure all this crap out). So maybe Nexta became more palatable in comparison? Though I can't stand Nesta through Feyre and Rhys' POV, she became a bit more human in my eyes looking at her through Bryce's POV.
Onto the story! Very interesting and entertaining, though I hate not knowing Bryce's plans until it comes together. Not going to lie, at times it truly does seem like she's a bumbling idiot with no plan or strategy. Which then kinda makes me question where the story is going and if it's even possible to save everyone.
It's been quite a few months since a book has captivated me this much. I'm inhaling these books as fast as I can, so color me surprised when I finally looked it up and saw that this isn't a complete series. There are more books to come! Which is great, but also not great because there is no release date. Maybe this is me being so used to reading mostly indie authors who regularly release a book every 6 or so months that a years+ long wait is frustrating. We live and we learn. There's always next time ♡
P.S. The Graphic Audio production did not disappoint! I loved it SOSOSO much ♡
OK so I'm going to be eating my words a little bit, specifically from the opinions I have on the ACOTAR series so far. Nesta is actually a pretty interesting character when you see her from someone else's POV, who isn't A) herself in her own head, and B) her family. Seeing Nesta from Bryce's POV was actually so interesting. I like how she's presented as a cutthroat b*tch in the best way and fiercely defends her world. Though that may be because Bryce comes off as much more of a b*tch who gives no f*cks about this new world (because her own world and her family/friends are dead if she can't figure all this crap out). So maybe Nexta became more palatable in comparison? Though I can't stand Nesta through Feyre and Rhys' POV, she became a bit more human in my eyes looking at her through Bryce's POV.
Onto the story! Very interesting and entertaining, though I hate not knowing Bryce's plans until it comes together. Not going to lie, at times it truly does seem like she's a bumbling idiot with no plan or strategy. Which then kinda makes me question where the story is going and if it's even possible to save everyone.
It's been quite a few months since a book has captivated me this much. I'm inhaling these books as fast as I can, so color me surprised when I finally looked it up and saw that this isn't a complete series. There are more books to come! Which is great, but also not great because there is no release date. Maybe this is me being so used to reading mostly indie authors who regularly release a book every 6 or so months that a years+ long wait is frustrating. We live and we learn. There's always next time ♡
P.S. The Graphic Audio production did not disappoint! I loved it SOSOSO much ♡
February 20, 2026
✅✅ Last 25%
✅ Expansion of the world-building
✅ Plot
✅ Relationships
✅ Magic / Faes / Shifters
✅ Romance and some smut
✅ Pace
✅ Multiple POVs
✅(🆗) Characters (some were great, others not so much)
✅(🆗) Some info-dumps
🆗 Change of POV in the middle of chapters
🆗 Some plotlines were pointless
🆗 I was expecting and hoping for more ACOTAR universe
🆗 I still have questions?! Who and what is Fury? Is there a connection between Rhys and Rhun?
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: torture (explicit), gore and blood, deaths, mild cannibalism (is it though?)
❗️❗️It is probably not the last book of this series, but almost everything is resolved at the end of HOFAS and the next book (if there is one) will probably follow some of the secondary characters.
I tried my best to put my thoughts into words, but I have so many thoughts about this book. I might come back and edit my review later when I have more time to think about everything...
**Spoilers for the first books of the series in the review**
While I liked this book overall, and it did make me cry a little bit near the end, many things disappointed me or just didn’t live up to my expectations. Some aspects of the plot felt almost pointless, and at times I wanted to slap some sense into the characters. That being said, I still love (most of) them all, and I had a good time reading this book.
House of Flame and Shadow is darker. There is more tension as the characters are trying to escape and survive the Asteris, get back together, and ultimately find a way to get rid of them. They travel all over Midgard (and even to other planets), there are some shady deals, a death threat thrown here and there, a patricide on the side, and
A LOT was happening at the same time at the beginning of the book: Hunt, Rhun, and Baxian were being held prisoner in the Asteris’ dungeon, Bryce was stuck in Prythian, Tharion was under the thumb of the Viper queen because of the desperate deal he made, and Ithan proclaimed himself the savior and protector of the lors Fendyr Heir. Sadly, because there was so much to develop plot-wise, I feel that the character and relationship development took a backseat in this book.
The way the point of view changed from one paragraph to the other was jarring at times. I’m used to a change of POV when there is a new chapter, but in this book we went from Bryce to Ithan, to Hunt in the span of a few paragraphs (it even changed from Rhun’s to Lidia’s POV in the same paragraph one time!), and I found that it stilted the flow of the story. Sometimes, there were only one or two paragraphs in a POV, before jumping to another character in another setting, and coming back after another few paragraphs. It was annoying instead of building tension.
There were two info dumps, and honestly, both felt pointless in the way they happened. Surely Bryce didn’t need to travel all the way to another realm to learn what she did about Theia? There would have been a way to do it differently, especially since Hel’s Princes seem to know Theia’s whole story too, and are more easily accessible than Prythian. The whole “you were not ready yet” crap from Aidas was so frustrating. They withheld critical information because they felt that she wasn’t ready, and now they decided that she is when she feels cockier and recklesser than ever!
Speaking about traveling to another planet, the expansion of the world-building didn’t meet my expectations.
Honestly, I was hoping for so much more when I realized at the end of HOSAB that the universes converged, but it was disappointing in the end. We saw a lot of Nesta, which is not my favorite ACOTAR character at all, although it was nice to see her from Bryce’ (who knew nothing about her) perspective, and some of Azriel in the first 30% or so, and then a little more crumbs of Nesta near the end, and that’s about it. I was hoping to see more characters, and for their meeting with Bryce to have more impact. Bryce had to go to Prythian to get Truthteller and to learn a shit-load of shocking revelation (#info-dump), and that was it. It felt more like an excuse to set the table for the next ACOTAR book than a true necessity for the continuation of the CC series.
Yeah, well the Magical Starborn Princess crap got annoying after a while…
Bryce becomes even more powerful in this book, and while it was necessary for her to face the Asteris, I liked the fact that she was nearly powerless in the first book. It was a nice change from the super-powerful fae main character that we are used to with SJM’s novels, but in this book, Bryce just gained more and more power and developed new abilities constantly. She also had this blasé and cocky attitude about it, flaunting the “magical starborn princess” excuse time and time again, and I didn’t like the vibe it gave her. It made her less likable than in the previous books, and it felt forced and over the top instead of the irreverent persona she crafted for herself in the first book.
She also felt selfish at times, which is weird to say because she is the definition of self-sacrificing at the same time… But I just feel that she lost the little something that made me really like her in the first book. She is now super powerful, makes all her decisions without consulting anyone, and tells them to suck it up if they’re not happy, while also being seen as this savior of all, willing to fight for the defenseless. She is a walking contradiction at times, and while I still like her as a main character, I liked her less in this book.
Bryce and Hunt annoyed me in this book.
Their mate bond felt weak in this third book, and not because they spent time apart from each other. Their reunion, which I highly anticipated, was very underwhelming. I was expecting something similar to Aelin and Rowan’s reunion in Queen of Shadows, but Bryce reacted more to seeing Rhun than Hunt. Then they spent the following days tiptoeing around each other because Hunt feels like he is responsible for the debacle since he didn’t try harder to stop Bryce. At the same time, Bryce feels bad for what happened but is determined to keep looking for a way to kill the Asteris, meaning they are at odds most of the time. There was this underlying tension between them, and it seemed like Hunt kept questioning her, and she kept repeating the same things, without truly listening to his fears and doubts and withholding information from him. Overall, I just don’t feel that these two have that much chemistry when compared to SJM’s other “main couples”.
Lidia is the MVP in this book.
She was selfless, brave, and driven, and I my heart broke for her. She kicked asses BIG TIME, and while the spotlight was on Bryce, and she is the one who ultimately had to defeat the Asteris, none of it would have been possible without Lidia’s help.
I enjoyed her romance with Rhun much more in this book because I was rooting for them, now that I knew more about Lidia and liked her. I wanted them to get their happy ending so much, and I love their dynamic, but I think it’s sad that there wasn’t more time dedicated to the building of their romance. They have this push-and-pull attitude in this book because there are many traumas and secrets to be dealt with and resolved between them, which makes total sense, but they just went from having issues to getting their HEA, and I wanted more development. I am not complaining about it, because I still got what I wanted, but I would have preferred more time with them and less with Tharion.
Ruhn remains one of my favorite characters in this whole series. I loved him since the first book, and I was just so happy every time he was present in this series. My poor baby suffered a lot in the first part of this book, and then there is the whole angsty and complicated relationship to navigate with Lidia, but he did not disappoint, and in the end, he was loyal, brave, and selfless. I love him.
Tharion made a free fall in my esteem in this series. I liked him a lot in the first book and wanted to see more of him, I was annoyed with his choices in the second book, but in this one, I was just frustrated with him. He eventually turned it around some, but his helpless attitude in the first half of the book got on my nerves big time, which makes me sad because I loved him in HOEAB.
Ithan finally realized what everyone has been hinting at him since the second book. While I saw the “twist” regarding his position with the wolves coming since HOSAB, it was still very satisfying when it finally happened. While I liked his chapters and how he grew and became more confident and how his kindness and bravery truly shined in this book, I can’t help but wonder what was the use of the whole “lost Fendyr heir” plotline? It was a big revelation at the end of the second book and got dropped almost instantly in this one, only to then be used as a guilt factor to push Ithan toward where the author needed him to go. I feel that the only purpose of this sub-plot was to push Ithan’s character, the Fendyr heir had no personality or importance besides that.
Hypaxia is… present… for a while… That’s about it. She became even more of a power player near the end of the book, and she played a key role in the end, but I feel that she was there as an afterthought almost, while also being crucial to the resolution of the plot. It was weird. I like who she’s become though, and I hope to see more of her and her new powers in the next book (if there is a next book).
Other characters just faded into the background and were mostly forgotten, like Fury or Juniper (and even Flynn and Dec were not that present in this book), while others, like Sathia, just came out of nowhere and I am left wondering why they were even a part of this book.
This series also taught me to never underestimate fire sprites!
At least, we finally got more information on Jessiba: who she truly is, her powers, and her backstory! I had suspicions since the first book, but while some of my theories were right, there were still a few surprises. We also finally get some answers about Hunt’s father and origins. While I am happy to know more about these two, I still have many unanswered questions… Who and what is Fury? Is there a connection between Rhys and Rhun? Or between Az and Rhun?
Overall, this was a nice conclusion to the series, and I like the potential for the multiverse (as long as my babies from ACOTAR and TOG remain happy and alive). I feel that I talked a lot about what I didn’t like in my review, but I want to repeat that overall, I liked this book very much, despite the disappointing parts. It was a wild ride, full of action and emotions (and that bonus chapter with Ember and Randall was awesome), and while I am happy that the author wrapped it all up in three books and didn’t drag things on for too long, I am sad that this adventure is over. Although, I heard that she confirmed a fourth book (eventually) that will be about some of the secondary characters, so that’s good. It will allow me to dive back into this wonderful world she created.
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
2.House of Sky and Breath (Part 2 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation] ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
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✅ Expansion of the world-building
✅ Plot
✅ Relationships
✅ Magic / Faes / Shifters
✅ Romance and some smut
✅ Pace
✅ Multiple POVs
✅(🆗) Characters (some were great, others not so much)
✅(🆗) Some info-dumps
🆗 Change of POV in the middle of chapters
🆗 Some plotlines were pointless
🆗 I was expecting and hoping for more ACOTAR universe
🆗 I still have questions?! Who and what is Fury? Is there a connection between Rhys and Rhun?
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: torture (explicit), gore and blood, deaths, mild cannibalism (is it though?)
❗️❗️It is probably not the last book of this series, but almost everything is resolved at the end of HOFAS and the next book (if there is one) will probably follow some of the secondary characters.
I tried my best to put my thoughts into words, but I have so many thoughts about this book. I might come back and edit my review later when I have more time to think about everything...
**Spoilers for the first books of the series in the review**
While I liked this book overall, and it did make me cry a little bit near the end, many things disappointed me or just didn’t live up to my expectations. Some aspects of the plot felt almost pointless, and at times I wanted to slap some sense into the characters. That being said, I still love (most of) them all, and I had a good time reading this book.
House of Flame and Shadow is darker. There is more tension as the characters are trying to escape and survive the Asteris, get back together, and ultimately find a way to get rid of them. They travel all over Midgard (and even to other planets), there are some shady deals, a death threat thrown here and there, a patricide on the side, and
A LOT was happening at the same time at the beginning of the book: Hunt, Rhun, and Baxian were being held prisoner in the Asteris’ dungeon, Bryce was stuck in Prythian, Tharion was under the thumb of the Viper queen because of the desperate deal he made, and Ithan proclaimed himself the savior and protector of the lors Fendyr Heir. Sadly, because there was so much to develop plot-wise, I feel that the character and relationship development took a backseat in this book.
The way the point of view changed from one paragraph to the other was jarring at times. I’m used to a change of POV when there is a new chapter, but in this book we went from Bryce to Ithan, to Hunt in the span of a few paragraphs (it even changed from Rhun’s to Lidia’s POV in the same paragraph one time!), and I found that it stilted the flow of the story. Sometimes, there were only one or two paragraphs in a POV, before jumping to another character in another setting, and coming back after another few paragraphs. It was annoying instead of building tension.
There were two info dumps, and honestly, both felt pointless in the way they happened. Surely Bryce didn’t need to travel all the way to another realm to learn what she did about Theia? There would have been a way to do it differently, especially since Hel’s Princes seem to know Theia’s whole story too, and are more easily accessible than Prythian. The whole “you were not ready yet” crap from Aidas was so frustrating. They withheld critical information because they felt that she wasn’t ready, and now they decided that she is when she feels cockier and recklesser than ever!
Speaking about traveling to another planet, the expansion of the world-building didn’t meet my expectations.
Honestly, I was hoping for so much more when I realized at the end of HOSAB that the universes converged, but it was disappointing in the end. We saw a lot of Nesta, which is not my favorite ACOTAR character at all, although it was nice to see her from Bryce’ (who knew nothing about her) perspective, and some of Azriel in the first 30% or so, and then a little more crumbs of Nesta near the end, and that’s about it. I was hoping to see more characters, and for their meeting with Bryce to have more impact. Bryce had to go to Prythian to get Truthteller and to learn a shit-load of shocking revelation (#info-dump), and that was it. It felt more like an excuse to set the table for the next ACOTAR book than a true necessity for the continuation of the CC series.
“Add it to Bryce’s list of Magical Starborn Princess crap,” Hunt said, chuckling.
Yeah, well the Magical Starborn Princess crap got annoying after a while…
Bryce becomes even more powerful in this book, and while it was necessary for her to face the Asteris, I liked the fact that she was nearly powerless in the first book. It was a nice change from the super-powerful fae main character that we are used to with SJM’s novels, but in this book, Bryce just gained more and more power and developed new abilities constantly. She also had this blasé and cocky attitude about it, flaunting the “magical starborn princess” excuse time and time again, and I didn’t like the vibe it gave her. It made her less likable than in the previous books, and it felt forced and over the top instead of the irreverent persona she crafted for herself in the first book.
She also felt selfish at times, which is weird to say because she is the definition of self-sacrificing at the same time… But I just feel that she lost the little something that made me really like her in the first book. She is now super powerful, makes all her decisions without consulting anyone, and tells them to suck it up if they’re not happy, while also being seen as this savior of all, willing to fight for the defenseless. She is a walking contradiction at times, and while I still like her as a main character, I liked her less in this book.
Bryce and Hunt annoyed me in this book.
Their mate bond felt weak in this third book, and not because they spent time apart from each other. Their reunion, which I highly anticipated, was very underwhelming. I was expecting something similar to Aelin and Rowan’s reunion in Queen of Shadows, but Bryce reacted more to seeing Rhun than Hunt. Then they spent the following days tiptoeing around each other because Hunt feels like he is responsible for the debacle since he didn’t try harder to stop Bryce. At the same time, Bryce feels bad for what happened but is determined to keep looking for a way to kill the Asteris, meaning they are at odds most of the time. There was this underlying tension between them, and it seemed like Hunt kept questioning her, and she kept repeating the same things, without truly listening to his fears and doubts and withholding information from him. Overall, I just don’t feel that these two have that much chemistry when compared to SJM’s other “main couples”.
The friends they’d made were what mattered in the end. Not the enemies. Through love, all is possible.
Lidia is the MVP in this book.
She was selfless, brave, and driven, and I my heart broke for her. She kicked asses BIG TIME, and while the spotlight was on Bryce, and she is the one who ultimately had to defeat the Asteris, none of it would have been possible without Lidia’s help.
“Now I don’t fucking care who you are, so long as you’re mine.” Her eyes shot to his, again full of surprise. “Because I’m yours, Day. I’m fucking yours.”
I enjoyed her romance with Rhun much more in this book because I was rooting for them, now that I knew more about Lidia and liked her. I wanted them to get their happy ending so much, and I love their dynamic, but I think it’s sad that there wasn’t more time dedicated to the building of their romance. They have this push-and-pull attitude in this book because there are many traumas and secrets to be dealt with and resolved between them, which makes total sense, but they just went from having issues to getting their HEA, and I wanted more development. I am not complaining about it, because I still got what I wanted, but I would have preferred more time with them and less with Tharion.
Ruhn remains one of my favorite characters in this whole series. I loved him since the first book, and I was just so happy every time he was present in this series. My poor baby suffered a lot in the first part of this book, and then there is the whole angsty and complicated relationship to navigate with Lidia, but he did not disappoint, and in the end, he was loyal, brave, and selfless. I love him.
Flynn threw up his hands. “Am I the only one who feels like they’re on a bad acid trip?”
Tharion scrubbed at his face. “I’m still on one, I think.”
Tharion made a free fall in my esteem in this series. I liked him a lot in the first book and wanted to see more of him, I was annoyed with his choices in the second book, but in this one, I was just frustrated with him. He eventually turned it around some, but his helpless attitude in the first half of the book got on my nerves big time, which makes me sad because I loved him in HOEAB.
Ithan finally realized what everyone has been hinting at him since the second book. While I saw the “twist” regarding his position with the wolves coming since HOSAB, it was still very satisfying when it finally happened. While I liked his chapters and how he grew and became more confident and how his kindness and bravery truly shined in this book, I can’t help but wonder what was the use of the whole “lost Fendyr heir” plotline? It was a big revelation at the end of the second book and got dropped almost instantly in this one, only to then be used as a guilt factor to push Ithan toward where the author needed him to go. I feel that the only purpose of this sub-plot was to push Ithan’s character, the Fendyr heir had no personality or importance besides that.
Hypaxia is… present… for a while… That’s about it. She became even more of a power player near the end of the book, and she played a key role in the end, but I feel that she was there as an afterthought almost, while also being crucial to the resolution of the plot. It was weird. I like who she’s become though, and I hope to see more of her and her new powers in the next book (if there is a next book).
Other characters just faded into the background and were mostly forgotten, like Fury or Juniper (and even Flynn and Dec were not that present in this book), while others, like Sathia, just came out of nowhere and I am left wondering why they were even a part of this book.
This series also taught me to never underestimate fire sprites!
At least, we finally got more information on Jessiba: who she truly is, her powers, and her backstory! I had suspicions since the first book, but while some of my theories were right, there were still a few surprises. We also finally get some answers about Hunt’s father and origins. While I am happy to know more about these two, I still have many unanswered questions… Who and what is Fury? Is there a connection between Rhys and Rhun? Or between Az and Rhun?
Overall, this was a nice conclusion to the series, and I like the potential for the multiverse (as long as my babies from ACOTAR and TOG remain happy and alive). I feel that I talked a lot about what I didn’t like in my review, but I want to repeat that overall, I liked this book very much, despite the disappointing parts. It was a wild ride, full of action and emotions (and that bonus chapter with Ember and Randall was awesome), and while I am happy that the author wrapped it all up in three books and didn’t drag things on for too long, I am sad that this adventure is over. Although, I heard that she confirmed a fourth book (eventually) that will be about some of the secondary characters, so that’s good. It will allow me to dive back into this wonderful world she created.
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
2.House of Sky and Breath (Part 2 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation] ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
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February 24, 2025
This book was intense—and the dramatized audiobook adaptation took it to a whole new level. The action, the emotions, the stakes—it all felt bigger, bolder, and more immersive thanks to the incredible voice actors who truly brought Bryce, Hunt, and the entire world of Crescent City to life.
Listening to this felt like being in the story rather than just following along. Every tense moment hit harder, every emotional scene had more depth, and now I’m completely torn—do I read the last half myself, or do I attempt the impossible and wait for Part 2? (Patience is not my strong suit.
Listening to this felt like being in the story rather than just following along. Every tense moment hit harder, every emotional scene had more depth, and now I’m completely torn—do I read the last half myself, or do I attempt the impossible and wait for Part 2? (Patience is not my strong suit.
July 12, 2025
3.5/5⭐️🎧
July 7, 2025
I finally figured out why Hunt is my number one book boyfriend of all time. He's the realest MMC ever. He makes mistakes, but he's learning from them. He's always trying to save Bryce and he WOULD die for her if it was the last choice he had, but he wants to LIVE. He wants to have a real, happy, NORMAL life with Bryce. And so he's doing everything in his power to survive, to get back to Bryce, so he can see her again and live with her. And thats why I love him so so so much 🥹
November 20, 2025
The crossover is still my favourite part of this book I love it so much I want every SJM book to be crossovers now. Bryce is such a boss bitch queen I love her so much. Her and Nesta would be total besties under different circumstances. Honestly the worst part was re listening to the Hunt/Ruhn/Baxian torture scenes, they were really hard to get through I was cringing a lot picturing what was being done to them. And surprisingly no tears during this book! New record for me!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2025
The best one I heard
February 4, 2025
SERIOUSLY SO GOOD. These graphic audios keep getting better and better. You guys know I already loved the first two CC graphic audio books and this one totally exceeded my expectations.
We got Nesta and Azriel in this one with Bryce and their scenes together were SO good. When they were fighting the Middengard wyrm, the Asteri and listening to Theia’s daughter, Selene’s memory? Oh my gosh, so well done. Nesta and Bryce’s rage came across so clearly. And of course, I have such a soft spot for Azriel, I just love him.
My favorite part though HAS to be when Lydia launches the rescue mission in the Asteri’s dungeon to get our boys back. My heart was racing the entire time! When Ruhn is talking to Dec over the radio? I was bawling my eyes out. Ugh, my heart, it was so well done. I loved it! I highly recommend this graphic audio.
As always, I’m a Hunt Athalar girlie until the end of time.
Happy listening everyone!
We got Nesta and Azriel in this one with Bryce and their scenes together were SO good. When they were fighting the Middengard wyrm, the Asteri and listening to Theia’s daughter, Selene’s memory? Oh my gosh, so well done. Nesta and Bryce’s rage came across so clearly. And of course, I have such a soft spot for Azriel, I just love him.
My favorite part though HAS to be when Lydia launches the rescue mission in the Asteri’s dungeon to get our boys back. My heart was racing the entire time! When Ruhn is talking to Dec over the radio? I was bawling my eyes out. Ugh, my heart, it was so well done. I loved it! I highly recommend this graphic audio.
As always, I’m a Hunt Athalar girlie until the end of time.
Happy listening everyone!
February 14, 2025
Ahhhhh sooo good!!! Dying for part two to come out now 🤩🤩
February 4, 2026
I finished part 1 and 2, but only logging part 1 so it doesn’t mark as 2 books read instead of one. *
This reread was so much better than the first read. A lot of the things that annoyed me or bored me first round were way more tolerable on Graphic Audio/ reread. Also more things made more sense.
I’ll forever love them
This reread was so much better than the first read. A lot of the things that annoyed me or bored me first round were way more tolerable on Graphic Audio/ reread. Also more things made more sense.
I’ll forever love them
December 24, 2024
Graphic Audio makes EVERYTHING better.
February 6, 2025
I CANNOT WAIT for part 2. I need more Lidia and Ruhn. And Hypaxia. Bryce annoys me in this first half butttt the voice acting is just so well done.
March 4, 2025
4/5 ⭐️
I don’t get the hate this book gets. Highly engaging! Made me not hate the Maasverse tie-ins.
I don’t get the hate this book gets. Highly engaging! Made me not hate the Maasverse tie-ins.
October 4, 2025
I am gay for Bryce
March 3, 2026
Fuck Morven honestly.
this part took me the longest to finish so far. still good, I felt like it kind of dragged on at certain points. But I love the lore!!
this part took me the longest to finish so far. still good, I felt like it kind of dragged on at certain points. But I love the lore!!
December 13, 2025
I still have half the dang book left but can I listen to it? No. I gotta wait til MARCH 28TH??????? I’ll never make it. There’s so much happening.
March 20, 2025
This was only part 1 & I felt confused most of the time - there was just too much going on for me to comfortably keep up, which takes away some of the enjoyment of reading. The story itself is extremely intricate & well thought out, the writing by SJM is always superb, the characters are unique & lovable, but even with all those green flags I find myself not jumping to finish the second half of this book. I will eventually but I’m just not in love with this third book.
Bryce is a badass but we’ve known that for 2 books now, give me a bit more depth or more understanding of her power because right now it feels like nothing but a HUGE question mark. Hunt is absolutely a book boyfriend worth swooning over, but he spent most of the first half of this book tied up with Ruhn & Baxian in prison sooooo yeah not a lot going on there. Lidia did get some tears from me - her sons? The bargain?? Are you kidding me right now?! Ruhn, make a good choice my friend 🥲
Bryce is a badass but we’ve known that for 2 books now, give me a bit more depth or more understanding of her power because right now it feels like nothing but a HUGE question mark. Hunt is absolutely a book boyfriend worth swooning over, but he spent most of the first half of this book tied up with Ruhn & Baxian in prison sooooo yeah not a lot going on there. Lidia did get some tears from me - her sons? The bargain?? Are you kidding me right now?! Ruhn, make a good choice my friend 🥲
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2025
Sarah J Maas books in Graphic Audio are just the best. Part One of the third book in this series was a lot more violent and somber and slower but still good. I can’t believe I have to wait until March for Part 2. Rude! 😉😊
February 12, 2025
I think I liked this better because I listened to the graphic audio. CC has felt like the weakest of SJMs trio, maybe because modern settings don’t appeal to me, but I really liked this! Getting more of Nesta helped a lot 😂 Can’t wait for part 2 in March!
March 7, 2025
The crossover was so exciting, I had a blast speed listening to this to know what would happen next! So sad that the second audiobook hasn’t been released yet, but I can’t wait to see what happens next in their journey to eliminate the Asteri.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2025
This was SO GOOD I loved the Bryce and friends content in this part SO MUCH. But the hand part (iykyk) was a bit much for me, dang. Okay and now my library needs to get with it and put the Part 2 on Libby. :D
April 17, 2025
Okay okay now I kinda get why people complained about this book lol. It’s this first half 😅 I still love it but it was all over the place. I’m ready to be emotionally destroyed by part 2 (the reason I gave the book as a whole 5 stars)
May 15, 2025
I'll be honest...this is my favorite book so far!!! The continuation of the end of the last book and "new" characters is what got me to love it! The fact that this series has gotten better with each book amazes me. So much plot and character development!
August 8, 2025
Loving how the world is coming together and the story is developing. However, there were some parts that were a little slow and long for me, so I would say maybe 4 1/2 stars compared to how good book 1 and 2 were. Hoping the second half picks up more!
Read
January 23, 2026I like the ACOTAR crossover but I was still very confused at points. There’s so many characters to keep track of. I do like that they continued with Lydia and Rune’s relationship. I listened with a full cast and that was cool too!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2026
4.5⭐️ I’ve loved this graphic audio series from book 1. Part one of Flame and Shadow was epic, if just a bit too info dumpy at times which made it hard to follow the story. I’m loving it though and already on to part 2!
December 25, 2024
Love me the graphic audio!
February 5, 2025
I. Need. Part. 2. Now.
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