Vale VHM

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Vale is Currently Reading

Vale VHM is currently reading

House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1)

by Sarah J. Maas (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: 2020, own, reread, currently-reading

Reading for the 3rd time

read in December 2020

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Vale VHM said: " Edit (feb, 2022): I just finished my reread to prepare for CC2 and oh my god I had forgotten how much this story sucks me in and how hard it makes me cry at times. My heart feels like a tentatively healing little bird that’s trying to fly on hope but Edit (feb, 2022): I just finished my reread to prepare for CC2 and oh my god I had forgotten how much this story sucks me in and how hard it makes me cry at times. My heart feels like a tentatively healing little bird that’s trying to fly on hope but know it will get crushed again soon before (hopefully) being sewn together again and able to fly for good. I am scared of CC2 and I can not wait to see what SJM has in store for us.

———————————————-
I don’t know where to start.
I literally just finished this, so this might be a mess.

First things first, I get why some people have a Problem with SJM’s books. She uses a lot of the same tropes over and over again (the chosen One, the main protagonist are so fucking beautiful that everyone falls in love with them blablabla), she always specifies the gender of everyone no matter how unimportant (“the male shadow”), her characters all seem to have golden glowing skin and there are a few words and phrases she loves to repeat, especially when it comes to character descriptions.

However, despite of all of this, I can’t help but love every one of her books. Her strong, sassy, badass, almost annoyingly stubborn female leads always weasel their way into my heart. Just as their male counterparts do. Brooding and fierce, protective and only vulnerable in front of their love interests.
I don’t care about the clichés, they work for me every time. I don’t know how she does it to be honest, she writes a certain type of lead characters that all have similar traits, yet each one is unique and special to me.

About the book itself...
At times it felt like I’d never get to the end of it, it took some time for the plot and characters to really pull me in. But once they did I couldn’t put it down.

The only thing I’m scared about is SJM pulling a SJM and discarding Hunt for a somehow “better”, even more badass love interest in the next books. I don’t like to get emotionally invested in love stories just to have them not work out.
However (and it pains me to even write this), IF she does go that way, it better be with Aidas. No further comments are possible without spoiling the book.
I have to admit I spent a good part of this book wondering whether Hunt and Bryce wouldn’t be better off as friends, right until Sarah crushed me with that ending and took that option off the table for me.

I think I’m going to die waiting for the next one. I need to talk to someone about this book ASAP.

Final verdict: It made me cry. It made me laugh. It made me gasp in delight and shock and even disbelief. So it made me feel, which is ultimately why I read. 4.5 Stars ⭐️
I love SJM and I don’t even feel guilty about it 😝 ...more "

progress:

(40%)
— Apr 28, 2026 07:28AM

Feb 13, 2022 03:42PM · see review