House of Sky and Breath: Crescent City, Book 2

Kendall v Mead

Absolute perfection.

"This was my favorite book in the Crescent City series. I felt like there was the perfect amount of plot mixed in with the day to day life of the characters (which I feel like we normally don’t see a lot of in fantasy novels ). I enjoyed getting to know more of the background characters and I thought that the beginning of this book did a good job setting up the relationships between each of the characters. I found it endearing that SJM included a little more whimsy in this book and I felt like we had a good balance between heartwarming and dramatic moments. This book was driven by both the plot and the characters which was another balance that I felt like SJM did a good job with. Ruhn Danaan, Crown Prince of the Valbaran Fae, stole my heart in this book. I’m a sucker for a good shadow boy and he was the perfect mix of some of my favorites. I enjoyed seeing the different sides of him - unserious, lonely, suffering, brother, friend, son - and the juxtaposition between each of these sides was beautiful. He was my favorite character and I hope that once everything is said and done he can live a peaceful life filled with love, laughter, and light. He deserves every bit that he can get. Bryce was my second favorite character in this book and the relationship between Ruhn and Bryce was my favorite. I love how they accept each other for everything that they are and offer endless support to one another, no matter how harebrained the scheme that - mostly Bryce - is concocting next. I felt like Bryce really grew into herself in this book and I loved how she approached her circumstances on her terms, and how she continued to make the best of a bad situation. She had everyone’s best interests at heart and this was showcased for her love and acceptance in those that became her family. She did what was best for her people but did so in a way that wasn’t self sacrificing, it felt like her journey was one of self acceptance. As always I adored Hunt and how he fit in with Bryce and those she loves. He was fiercely protective of everyone whom she cared about and I have the highest amount of respect for him because of this. The connections that were being made between characters - I’m looking at you Ruhn and Lydia - added an extra layer to the story and I loved watching everything unfold. The plot for this book was well thought out; SJM truly outdid herself with this one. The connections between events were intricate and well designed. Oftentimes I found myself flipping back and forth between pages that were 300 pages apart because of how many layers there were and how many triggers needed to happen to wind up where we did. The setup for the ending was incredible, I felt like it had to have been in her mind for years before actually writing it. I really loved how each individual storyline had its moment to shine and each one added to the plot without outshining or detracting from the other storylines. The exploration of new places also added another element to the dynamic plot. It felt like the story was woven into the fabric of Crescent City and with how detailed the city itself was I thought this created a cohesive relationship between the setting and the story. Overall I loved this book and would recommend this series based on this one alone. ["

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March 20, 2026 Verified Purchase

Mara

Sarah J. Mass is one brilliant writer and this book is worth all the hype!!!

"🌃 House of Sky and Breath 🌃 By @sarahjmass ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🌶🌶 I am loving Crescent City more and more as I keep reading it!!! The second book was even better than the first one and I loved it all! The political intrigue, the unexpected plot twists, characters' growth, everything is just done so amazingly well!! I loved the plot, Bryce and Hunt involvement in rebellion was timed well with the story progression and all the side characters and events added to the depth of it! Side characters, as usual, Sarah J.Mass simply outdone and I was swooning over the connection between Agent Daybright and agent Night! I love these two so much!! The ending left me with my jaw on the floor!! It was soooo good, it was delightful and shocking!!! But also, again, so well written, it was very much believable! Sarah J.Mass truly is a genius and a master of her craft!! I am in love with her ability to create very much flawed and unperfect characters, likeable and real! And that's something she's done both with ACOTAR and TOG, and I honestly think that is one of the main reasons her books are that good! Love, love, love this!! What to expect: ▪️mates ▪️forced proximity ▪️found family ▪️complex political rebellion ▪️slowburn ["

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February 15, 2026 Verified Purchase

Eli Star

Pure excellence, just like every other SJM book I’ve read

"Wow. I don’t even know where to start, except to BEG you to run to your nearest book retailer and pick up this series. Pick up all of Sarah J Maas’s series, as every single one of them is excellent and I have yet to read anything by her that I don’t absolutely love with all my heart. I’ve been following her career since the early Throne of Glass days, and seeing her find so much success and such a devoted fan base (one I’m proudly part of) that enables her to continue creating these incredible stories and equally spellbinding worlds? It brings me so much joy, and also a deep sense of kinship with the rest of the fandom who love her characters as much as I do. I’ll preface this actual review by saying I had already very confidently figured out two of the major reveals that are spelled out towards the end of the book. I guessed them early on (one I had figured out midway through HOEAB) and I have to admit - I had the audacity to feel disappointed because it had all just seemed so OBVIOUS to me and it didn’t seem like a typical SJM ending for there to be nothing crazy for me to gush over. That being said - despite those two mysteries having been pretty clear to me, I still LOVED the book. I loved the characters, I loved the dialogue, the internal struggles, the power moves, the sense of adventure the book carried through it. The way SJM writes fantasy, as always, is divine. The friendships and relationships snd love stories, as always, were poignant and touching, and they elevated HOSAB from a story about different types of magical beings living in a fantastical world to a story about the human condition and what it means to survive, what it means to sacrifice for something bigger than yourself, and what it means to truly love someone. So, even with those two reveals at the end not really being reveals to me, this story was so gorgeous that it was still a 5 star read for me. Now it seems like those reveals were red herrings of a kind, in that they kept the reader focused on those specific mysteries instead of wondering what else could be at play. BUT - then the real ending came, something that I never saw coming even ONCE and turned everything on its head so thoroughly that I had to eat all of those “disappointed feelings” with a monstrous slice of oh so humble pie because HOLY CRAP. THAT IS HOW YOU END ON A BIG REVEAL! It was fantastic. The ending was so surprising and delightful that I immediately wanted to run to everyone I knew and beg them to HURRY UP so we could talk about what this means! So well done and just so enjoyable in every single way. If you have been holding out on reading SJM and haven’t yet discovered what the fuss is about, I urge you to open up one of her books and find out for yourself why so many people are such devoted fans. Thank you for this beautiful second installment. I simply can’t wait to see what happens next! ["

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February 27, 2022 Verified Purchase

Lady A's Favorite Finds

Explosive, emotional, and one of those books where the last line makes you scream into a pillow.

"If House of Earth and Blood was the slow climb, this book is the moment the coaster crests and you feel the drop. I settled into the world faster this time. The pacing, the character growth, the brewing rebellion…it all had me completely strapped in. Bryce is still chaotic, loyal, and a little too self-sacrificial. Hunt is trying his best to be a functioning adult with wings and the tension between them simmered from chapter one. More secrets, more politics, more morally grey chaos. The friend group dynamics hit deeper. There’s humor and heat balanced with real-world themes like corruption, justice, and who gets to decide what freedom actually means. I love that the lines between hero and villain blur in a way that makes you question everything. So many threads! There were moments where I wished I had a conspiracy corkboard. Favorite Quote: “The world will try to break you, but you decide if it succeeds.” ["

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March 25, 2026 Verified Purchase