House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Forced Proximity, Fae
Pages: 816
Cover: Paperback
Age rating: 16+
Buy on: Amazon, Barnes and Noble
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Before a demon killed her closest friends, leaving her devastated, injured, and alone, Bryce Quinlan had the ideal life—working hard during the day and having a good time at night. Bryce finds herself at the center of the inquiry as the crimes resume after the accused has been imprisoned. She will stop at nothing to exact revenge for their murders.
The infamous Fallen angel Hunt Athalar is currently a slave to the Archangels he once tried to overthrow. His ruthless abilities and extraordinary strength have been directed toward the sole goal of eliminating his boss's adversaries without hesitation. A demon is causing chaos in the city, but he is presented with an alluring offer: if he helps Bryce identify the killer, he will be free.
Bryce and Hunt uncover a sinister force that threatens everything and everyone they care about as they delve deeper into Crescent City's dark side. They also find a fiery passion in one another that, if allowed, may set them both free.
SPOILS ALERT!
General Opinion
I LOVE THIS BOOK!!! I know Sarah J. Maas's writing might be controversial or not up to the taste of some people, but I am obsessed with her writing style, I devour her Throne of Glass series, and House of Earth and Blood did not disappoint.
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Characters
Bryce is a BADDIE and I love her for it. Does she remind me of Celaena/Aelin? Yes. Is that a bad thing? No, if it works, it works. Bryce is sassy, and badass and would never let anyone disrespect her, including, her best friend Danika. They are the ultimate duo and have one of the best friendships I've seen in books. Bryce is a half-blood Fae, which causes other Faes to look down on her, thinking that she is weak, calling her a half-breed. But Bryce proves herself strong and capable, with her talent in using the rifle and how smart she was.
Hunt and Bryce are ENDGAME. Their forced proximity and enemies-to-lovers trope got me giggling and kicking my feet. I love their dynamic with each other, how they slowly warm up and begin to see that they are not so different. My favorite moment from them was when Bryce washed Hunt off in the shower after one of his horrible missions, that moment just made me love Bryce so much and it melted my heart. This further portrays how Bryce is kind and caring, yet can still be bold and sassy.
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Hunt's backstory broke me, that guy went through hell back and forth and can never seem to catch a break. I was preaching for Hunt peace the whole book with Bryce :))
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Ruhn has to be the most adorable character in the whole book, yes he is deadly, but he also cares about Bryce so much, being her older brother. At some point, I was tired of Bryce pushing him away continuously, even if she had a good reason, but Ruhn was just sulking and I felt for him. But don't worry, because Bryce finally accepts him at the end of this book and their relationship grows a lot in the later 2 books.
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Plot
This book had amazing world-building and the plot is so addictive. To summarize, Bryce was planning on partying with Danika for the rest of her life, but disaster struck. And now we have Bryce, Hunt, and Ruhn trying to discover the mystery of the murder, at the same time watching Bryce coming back to life and forming relationships with new people. ​​Many twists in this book had my jaw drop, and one moment where I shed a tear for my girl Bryce. This book shows the beauty of friendship, love, and the abuse of power.
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However, the one thing that I will complain about this book is the cursing, there are multiple parts where the cursing is unnecessary, and it makes the dialogue cringe and corny. But that's the only thing that I didn't enjoy.
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​Conclusion
Overall, I love this book and would recommend it to anyone within the age group. It is a great balance between fantasy and romance, alongside with friendship and family relationship. ​
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