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Crescent City [Dramatized Adaptation] #3, Part 2
House of Flame and Shadow (Part 2 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!
12 pages, Audiobook
Published April 16, 2025
83 people are currently reading
686 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 172 reviews
May 19, 2025
House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas❤️🔥🧚🦇⚔️
Power. Secrets. War. And a battle for survival that will change everything.
This book grabbed me by the throat from chapter one and did not let go. The Graphic Audio edition? Next level. It felt like stepping straight into the chaos, magic, heartbreak, and sheer badassery of Crescent City. The sound effects, music, and full cast made it feel like I was living the story instead of just listening to it. I was in it—heart racing, eyes wide, emotions on high. I laughed, I gasped, I yelled, I may have cried (okay, I did cry).
Bryce’s journey in this one is intense. She’s dropped into an entirely new world, facing unimaginable odds, and her growth—both fierce and vulnerable—is some of the best I’ve seen from her. The reveals? Devastating. The character arcs? Incredible. There were moments I had to pause just to process the weight of what was happening. It’s SJM at her most intense.
That said, I have complicated feelings about the ending. The first third was phenomenal—gripping, well-paced, and emotionally charged. I was captivated. But as the final chapters unfolded, something faltered. The story and plot began feeling sluggish, and the conclusion rushed. It didn’t quite match the scale of what came before. It wasn’t bad—but it lacked the impact I was hoping for. I expected something more explosive, more unforgettable.
Still, this book is a breathtaking continuation of the series and an experience I won’t soon forget. It may not have landed every note perfectly, but the journey? Absolutely worth it.
Power. Secrets. War. And a battle for survival that will change everything.
This book grabbed me by the throat from chapter one and did not let go. The Graphic Audio edition? Next level. It felt like stepping straight into the chaos, magic, heartbreak, and sheer badassery of Crescent City. The sound effects, music, and full cast made it feel like I was living the story instead of just listening to it. I was in it—heart racing, eyes wide, emotions on high. I laughed, I gasped, I yelled, I may have cried (okay, I did cry).
Bryce’s journey in this one is intense. She’s dropped into an entirely new world, facing unimaginable odds, and her growth—both fierce and vulnerable—is some of the best I’ve seen from her. The reveals? Devastating. The character arcs? Incredible. There were moments I had to pause just to process the weight of what was happening. It’s SJM at her most intense.
That said, I have complicated feelings about the ending. The first third was phenomenal—gripping, well-paced, and emotionally charged. I was captivated. But as the final chapters unfolded, something faltered. The story and plot began feeling sluggish, and the conclusion rushed. It didn’t quite match the scale of what came before. It wasn’t bad—but it lacked the impact I was hoping for. I expected something more explosive, more unforgettable.
Still, this book is a breathtaking continuation of the series and an experience I won’t soon forget. It may not have landed every note perfectly, but the journey? Absolutely worth it.
August 14, 2025
OMG this was too good! This is the best SJM series I've read so far. Hands down. The ACOTAR integration was fantastic! I'm curious as to how this series compares to Throne Of Glass. The graphic audio for that series has been delayed a bunch so I'll get to it when it finishes getting released through Graphic Audio.
Overall the story was great! The loose ends, however, were mean. Not as mean as I was expecting it to be, but still very much not fun. There's too much in the air I NEED to know what's next!!!
Overall the story was great! The loose ends, however, were mean. Not as mean as I was expecting it to be, but still very much not fun. There's too much in the air I NEED to know what's next!!!
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
3. House of Flame and Shadow (Part 1 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation] ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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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
3. House of Flame and Shadow (Part 1 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation] ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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May 2, 2025
This one was so much fun to experience in graphic audio. Now that it's wrapped up, CC might be my favorite of the SJM series!
June 11, 2025
I did not expect to read through this whole series again so quickly but I’m glad I did. This whole series was brilliantly done, I really enjoyed each and every voice actor, even the extra random few ones that appeared for a line or two.
The background music made so many scenes sooo much more dramatic, in a good way. I genuinely enjoyed.
The background music made so many scenes sooo much more dramatic, in a good way. I genuinely enjoyed.
May 17, 2025
This was by far my favorite book in the series! Sarah J did her thing with this! What I loved most about Crescent City is how much character development there was. Not just main character development like in ACOTAR, but multiple characters. They all grew and became better versions of themselves. There was also so many different parts of the book occurring at the same time which made it even more interesting. This was definitely a great way to cap off this series! 10/10!
May 7, 2025
I freaking love how this trilogy ended. I think everything came together in a neat little bow, and everyone got their redemption or their happy ending. Honestly my least favorite part was the crossover storyline with ACOTAR, but it kept leading me to believe we might actually get to see characters from Throne of Glass, which I would have enjoyed WAY more. Sure there were nods to “the stag” and “the world of the shifters”, but come on we literally set foot in ACOTAR but can’t even get a name drop for TOG?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 10, 2025
I mostly powered through the earlier books in this series for the ACOTAR crossover if I’m being honest 😬
That said, this final book…. Easily my favorite of the bunch! It actually wrapped up nicely and for the first time, I found myself truly rooting for Bryce, I’m genuinely curious where she goes next, I hope Bryce and Nesta cross paths again.
This book also made me like Nesta more I’m curious to see where the ACOTAR series takes her with what she now has in her possession….
That said, this final book…. Easily my favorite of the bunch! It actually wrapped up nicely and for the first time, I found myself truly rooting for Bryce, I’m genuinely curious where she goes next, I hope Bryce and Nesta cross paths again.
This book also made me like Nesta more I’m curious to see where the ACOTAR series takes her with what she now has in her possession….
May 12, 2025
My usual SJM gripes persist- use of the word mate, smelling people, balls tightening, general cringe, and of course plot twists that are quite the leap- but I will say I love her commitment to a) the power of friendship b) PTSD being a huge bitch and c) horniness. I had fun, 3.5 rounded up lol
May 3, 2025
Pegasus ending was actually so cringe
June 6, 2025
I feel like I took too long to finish this one but overall I definitely liked this book over the 2nd book.
God that was a slog, like nothing happened.
Maas has this really weird tendency to write Book 1 as if its a standalone and then write book 2-3 and maybe onward like they're part of the series. Like obviously book 2 was a lead up to 3 but it was so boring, but obviously you can't have 3 without context of 2.
I was happy for the action and things actually happening and moving forward.
I still think this series suffers from way too many characters but in some cases they were needed and some they weren't.
Sometimes characters are just meant for drama and not really worth remembering I guess.
But overall it was a great time and the graphic audio did help with the emersion and captivation of it all.
As I made earlier comments...
Bryce does have some balls... It's almost laughable at times.
Where do you get the audacity and the confidence to ask someone for a favour.
Like robbing someone, and then later going back and asking them for $10 even though they robbed you. Like why should anyone trust you.
While I was near the end, it came to me that... thank god that books have happy endings - at least most of them?
Real life is depressing enough and we need somewhere to go to escape that and to know that there are happy endings possible when our lives are maybe not that great.
So thank god for happy endings in most books lol
I wonder what the next series will be that pulls me in the way this does. Apparently Fourth Wing is losing a lot of people :P and the author is taking a break for her mental health which is totally fair.
For now time to catch up with the rest of the TBR.
God that was a slog, like nothing happened.
Maas has this really weird tendency to write Book 1 as if its a standalone and then write book 2-3 and maybe onward like they're part of the series. Like obviously book 2 was a lead up to 3 but it was so boring, but obviously you can't have 3 without context of 2.
I was happy for the action and things actually happening and moving forward.
I still think this series suffers from way too many characters but in some cases they were needed and some they weren't.
Sometimes characters are just meant for drama and not really worth remembering I guess.
But overall it was a great time and the graphic audio did help with the emersion and captivation of it all.
As I made earlier comments...
Bryce does have some balls... It's almost laughable at times.
Where do you get the audacity and the confidence to ask someone for a favour.
Like robbing someone, and then later going back and asking them for $10 even though they robbed you. Like why should anyone trust you.
While I was near the end, it came to me that... thank god that books have happy endings - at least most of them?
Real life is depressing enough and we need somewhere to go to escape that and to know that there are happy endings possible when our lives are maybe not that great.
So thank god for happy endings in most books lol
I wonder what the next series will be that pulls me in the way this does. Apparently Fourth Wing is losing a lot of people :P and the author is taking a break for her mental health which is totally fair.
For now time to catch up with the rest of the TBR.
December 16, 2025
All in all, I enjoyed this book more than HOSAB, but didn’t love it. It was much easier to follow than HOSAB and, therefore, more entertaining, but unfortunately still didn’t land. I love Lidia and learning about who her ancestors are makes me like her character that much more. Her and Ruhn’s relationship has more chemistry to me than Bryce and Hunt’s. I was never super into Bryce and Hunt’s relationship… don’t come for me. It doesn’t help that Bryce’s brattyness and sarcasm starts to get repetitive and predictable.
I love the ACOTAR crossover in the first graphic audio which carried a lot of star-rating weight for me, but this half just was too… convenient. Hypaxia failing at necromancy twice, but then quickly finding the anecdote? Eh. Ithan and Hypaxia killing the Under King? Eh. Jesiba trading her immortality for Bryce? Eh. It was too similar to Rhysand being saved in ACOWAR. Too neat. I’d rather mourn a character than have some sort of secret magic rule conveniently popping up at just the right time. There were several things that felt too neatly placed throughout this half of the audios and I don’t love that.
With all the story lines, I feel like character development got left by the wayside in this series, too, which I also didn’t love. I love SJM’s writing for her character development and I wanted less plot and more character QT.
The narrators for these tho? No notes.
Now I’m ready for a less intricately woven fantasy. 😮💨
I love the ACOTAR crossover in the first graphic audio which carried a lot of star-rating weight for me, but this half just was too… convenient. Hypaxia failing at necromancy twice, but then quickly finding the anecdote? Eh. Ithan and Hypaxia killing the Under King? Eh. Jesiba trading her immortality for Bryce? Eh. It was too similar to Rhysand being saved in ACOWAR. Too neat. I’d rather mourn a character than have some sort of secret magic rule conveniently popping up at just the right time. There were several things that felt too neatly placed throughout this half of the audios and I don’t love that.
With all the story lines, I feel like character development got left by the wayside in this series, too, which I also didn’t love. I love SJM’s writing for her character development and I wanted less plot and more character QT.
The narrators for these tho? No notes.
Now I’m ready for a less intricately woven fantasy. 😮💨
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2025
How I read it: 🎧
The Tea: Ethan let it go man
📚 If this Book was Emojis: 🌎🕳️🪽🔥✨🧟♀️🐺👑
Vibes: modernised fantasy with corrupt government
Spice: have you ever read about sex that causes magical power exchange? Well buckle up
Pace: it was a bit slow, but loved it
Emotional Rollercoaster: did I almost cry yes? But could of been more hormonal then anything
Last page review: I said “come onnnnn” way to many times. Some of this went too far especially when you reflect on the first book
🎶🎵 Song this Book gives: gay for me by G-Flip (cause I am gayyyyy for Bryce)
🌶️Hot Takes (that’s my opinionnnn): was a bit much at the end but still loved it. Loved the mini quests everyone went on. Felt very “we’re going through the bush, on and on we push”. Felt like a more serious version of FRIENDS but also fantasy.
The Tea: Ethan let it go man
📚 If this Book was Emojis: 🌎🕳️🪽🔥✨🧟♀️🐺👑
Vibes: modernised fantasy with corrupt government
Spice: have you ever read about sex that causes magical power exchange? Well buckle up
Pace: it was a bit slow, but loved it
Emotional Rollercoaster: did I almost cry yes? But could of been more hormonal then anything
Last page review: I said “come onnnnn” way to many times. Some of this went too far especially when you reflect on the first book
🎶🎵 Song this Book gives: gay for me by G-Flip (cause I am gayyyyy for Bryce)
🌶️Hot Takes (that’s my opinionnnn): was a bit much at the end but still loved it. Loved the mini quests everyone went on. Felt very “we’re going through the bush, on and on we push”. Felt like a more serious version of FRIENDS but also fantasy.
January 13, 2026
“Through love all is possible.” Didn’t think I was gonna cry during this part but that was delusional… when Bryce sees Danika and the pack of devils and Lehaba omg sobbing 😭 honestly I thought Hunt was kinda a little bitch in this book and he annoyed me more during this relisten. I LOVE Ruhn and Lydia so much. Bryce will forever be my fave SJM queen I love her with my whole heart ❤️ honestly don’t know what else she’s gonna do with this series I feel how it ended was perfect but I will definitely read it when it comes out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2026
4.75⭐️ Audiobook Review 🎧:
I love the dramatized version I listened to on Audible. It was perfection. I loved having a full cast, and the sound effects just added that extra detail that immersed me into the story. It was all very entertaining and gripping. Multiple times I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat in trepidation. There were so many twists and turns that I couldn’t stop thinking about it. In fact, I resented having to put the book down to do everyday, mundane tasks, you know, like go to work. lol. This is how a story should be. Loved it.
I love the dramatized version I listened to on Audible. It was perfection. I loved having a full cast, and the sound effects just added that extra detail that immersed me into the story. It was all very entertaining and gripping. Multiple times I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat in trepidation. There were so many twists and turns that I couldn’t stop thinking about it. In fact, I resented having to put the book down to do everyday, mundane tasks, you know, like go to work. lol. This is how a story should be. Loved it.
October 15, 2025
4☆ Review:
I LOVE THARION & BAXIAN!!!
Anyways, this was a great conclusion to this new fantasy world.
We all know that we’ll be seeing more from SJM in the future & maybe we’ll get to say hello to these characters once again someday.
P.S. I still believe Tharion & Ithan should have kissed at least once, agree to disagree with me.
I LOVE THARION & BAXIAN!!!
Anyways, this was a great conclusion to this new fantasy world.
We all know that we’ll be seeing more from SJM in the future & maybe we’ll get to say hello to these characters once again someday.
P.S. I still believe Tharion & Ithan should have kissed at least once, agree to disagree with me.
Read
April 26, 2025I’m glad it’s over.
So much happens in this second half that I got put off it. Then during the wrap up of the story there’s a cross over from her other books that I will never read and feels so pointless to have in here plus plot points that are just dropped, what’s happening here????
So much happens in this second half that I got put off it. Then during the wrap up of the story there’s a cross over from her other books that I will never read and feels so pointless to have in here plus plot points that are just dropped, what’s happening here????
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2025
As someone who’s already ready this series in paper back my views was never going to change
This dramatised audio version was so good not gonna lie I did jump a few times with the gate’s slamming 😂
It was so good to revisit and refresh and hopefully sj gives us more soon 🤞
This dramatised audio version was so good not gonna lie I did jump a few times with the gate’s slamming 😂
It was so good to revisit and refresh and hopefully sj gives us more soon 🤞
November 15, 2025
Okay so originally, I was not super jazzed for this series. I read it to complete the SJM universe. However, the story in this book was so fun and imaginative that I am thankful I pushed through the first two books. I enjoyed this!
May 4, 2025
I loved this significantly better when listening to these dramatic audiobooks compared to the actual book lol.
May 31, 2025
I just adore this series and these characters! Fingers crossed there are more books to come!!!
September 15, 2025
I loved this series. Sad it's over!!
September 19, 2025
The amount of emotion that I had listening to this. It is such a great book!
October 2, 2025
Still my least fave in the series but I enjoyed the book a lot more listening to the Graphic Audio!
October 12, 2025
LOVE LOVE LOVED IT!
November 1, 2025
This. Is. Everything.
January 29, 2026
This was probably my favorite series ever
February 1, 2026
Phewwwww what an ending.
February 22, 2026
2.5 stars. I don’t have any other way to describe how I feel about this book and series this other than wtf sarah 🥲
March 12, 2026
The last chapters were SO emotional 😭 Getting to witness how the story unfolds and all the wrongs become right.
I’ll be grieving these characters - and I low key do NOT believe this is the end for the series. I don’t care what they or SJM say! 😎
Loved loved loved this book (2nd book still my favourite out of the Crescent city series).
Character development was EXCEPTIONAL - fell in love with every-single-character.
Said it before and will say it again - this is the crown jewel series in the SJM universe. Exceptional.
Makes reading other romantasy books HARD because nothing quite compares.
I hope the next ACOTAR book is all things Azriel & we get to experience some of the encounters in this book from his POV 😍
I need cake now to eat my emotions that the series are overrrr 😭
I’ll be grieving these characters - and I low key do NOT believe this is the end for the series. I don’t care what they or SJM say! 😎
Loved loved loved this book (2nd book still my favourite out of the Crescent city series).
Character development was EXCEPTIONAL - fell in love with every-single-character.
Said it before and will say it again - this is the crown jewel series in the SJM universe. Exceptional.
Makes reading other romantasy books HARD because nothing quite compares.
I hope the next ACOTAR book is all things Azriel & we get to experience some of the encounters in this book from his POV 😍
I need cake now to eat my emotions that the series are overrrr 😭
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