I set my reading goal for February to a grand total of 3 books solely because House of Flame and Shadow was 838 pages and I knew it would take the majority of the month to finish it. I already shared my thoughts about my first book of the month, The Silent Patient (⭐⭐⭐.75 rounded up), in my last post so I will link that here.
I personally loved the third installment of the Crescent City series, House of Flame and Shadow. I’m going to refer to it as HOFAS from here on out because the title is pretty long to say over and over. If you are unfamiliar with this series by world-renowned fantasy author, Sarah J Maas, then let me give you a short overview. Spoiler-free, of course. Crescent city (CC for short) is Sarah’s first official adult fantasy series, since her other two didn’t start off as apart of the adult genre. It is also her first dive into Urban Fantasy, which I believe is a part of why a number of her existing fans don’t vibe with it as much, at least not right away. The fact that CC is so different than her other books is part of the reason why I had so much fun with it. I also really appreciated how intense Sarah got into the world-building in this one.
That said, I did have a harder time following the plot and lore in this trio of books. She created such an intricate timeline with so much significant history that it got a bit confusing to keep up as events unraveled. I do feel like this really allowed Sarah’s cleverness to shine. She is known for having the plot of her books (multiple, at once) already sorted out way ahead of time. As a result, she will plant something seemingly insignificant in a first installment that will become relevant 7 books later. It’s super impressive, and why a lot of her fans refer to her as “The Taylor Swift of the Book World”. In case you’re not a Swiftie, they are referring to the way that Taylor hints at future and past releases or announcements in Instagram posts and lyrics. Something as simple as a color, fabric, or number often has meaning or acts as a riddle for fans to solve. Her release of the song “Mastermind” touches on this trait of hers as it relates to her past relationship, and the term has subsequently been attributed to Sarah J. Maas.
I understand why some readers started to feel like they were falling into a slump when they hit certain parts of HOFAS. There was, frankly, a lot of info-dumping and monologuing in one scene, and since Sarah jumped between perspectives through the story, it felt a bit like a history/genealogy class that wouldn’t end. Also, since it is an urban fantasy, Sarah created her own science in a way, because magic would operate in tandem with technology. It was cool, but definitely made reading parts of it feel like doing mental gymnastics. High Fantasy and Adult Fantasy/Science Fiction often have me feeling a bit overwhelmed, but I enjoy being mildly confused, so it works for me. When I vibe with how an author writes, I will re-read complex stories and almost always enjoy them more the second time, because I am already familiar with the world and catch more details.
My favorite thing about Sarah though is how she writes her characters. Found family is a trope dear to my heart, and I live for when an author can write a solid group of friends (or frenemies). I enjoy when Sarah switches POV’s and will go on to give characters their own books. Some of my favorite characters in the ‘Maasaverse’ are secondary characters, such as Lysandra in Throne of Glass, and the Valkyries in a series that won’t be named since I don’t want to spoil anything. In fact, two of the secondary characters in HOFAS quickly became favorites of mine, though I won’t say there names here because I would consider it a spoiler. The scenes they were in though… simply perfection.
I love the main character, Bryce. I have since the first book and my opinion remains the same. I understand why she makes the choices she does, even if a lot of them are reckless. She is so similar to Aelin in that sense, and I think it makes her interesting. I also like that she has more shit going on. Feyre and Aelin have their fair share of issues (hello, trauma), but handle it differently than Bryce. As someone who frequently works with people suffering from PTSD, loss, abuse, and mental illness, I typically see survivors behave more like Bryce and Nesta than I do like Feyre and Rhysand. I would argue that people’s dislike of Bryce and Nesta is partially rooted in sexism and unconscious bias, because romance and fantasy readers often adore their signature traits when they are attributed to a sexy male character. (Case in point: The Shadow Daddy, The Mafia Boss, Grumpy/Sunshine, and Enemy to Lovers MMCs.) I also think it sucks people crap on Bryce and Nesta so much, when Sarah has said publicly that she wrote herself into those characters more than any others. When it comes to books, movies, and TV shows I find myself drawn to more realistic, flawed characters, because I think it makes their growth throughout a story so much more powerful. While there’s space for a darling ingenue, I think that we could do with more Queen of the South, Jessica Jones, and Bryce Quinlan vibes in entertainment.
Phew. Continuing on.
While HOFAS is not my favorite book in the Maasaverse, I still had a ton of fun reading it and plan on re-reading it. I would also love to do another review with spoilers so I can dive deeper into my favorite scenes, quotes, and characters. That will have to wait though, because I still have one more book from February to review.
LAUREN ASHER. The woman you are.
I am smitten with this book. Truly. I had only read 100 pages or so when I purchased another title from this author (The Fine Print). This story was a delightful combo of some great tropes: Enemies to Lovers/Childhood Rivals to Lovers, Small Town Romance, and Billionaire Romance. I particularly loved how big a part the family played in Dahlia and Julian’s lives. It was so refreshing to read about Latinx characters in a romance and the inclusion of Spanish phrases throughout the book made the dialogue so smooth and believable. I giggled at Dahlia and Julien’s banter and cursing so many times, and the snappy responses from their loved ones were perfectly timed, and reminded me of my blended family. I don’t always love a small-town setting, but it added to this book’s charm. I also have not read too many books with Billionaire Boyfriends, but as far as rich boy MC’s go, Julian may be my favorite.
Dahlia as a main character was EVERYTHING. She was so well fleshed out, and her approach to her career and romance were both relatable, but not overdone. By this I mean that being a “Girl Boss” wasn’t her entire personality, and while her past relationship impacted her, her ex wasn’t the focus. Her character is funny, talented, confident, and slow to forgive. I appreciate Dahlia for her realness and love that she is a force of nature with a passion for beautiful aesthetics. The vibes with the historical home renovation and family events were so cute and I could see the setting in my mind clearly.
The chemistry… immaculate. 12/10. With how much history they had the tension was HIGH and it made the slow burn so good. For a standalone romance the pacing was just how I like it, since I am all about a drawn out romance. As far as spice goes I would give it 3 and a half chili peppers. For reference, 1 chili pepper in my scale means there is a steamy scene or two, but nothing very explicit. 5 chili peppers is My Grandmother Would Be Horrified and Call a Priest to Perform an Exorcism. I think Julian is so swoony because he has gained confidence to be honest about the depth of his feelings. Some of the things he said to Dahlia were so romantic and made me want to cry. There was one or two things he said in the spicy scenes that were mildly cringe, but it wasn’t weird enough to ruin the moment. Basically, Dahlia + Julian forever 💟
Oh, I already ordered the second book in the Lakefront Billionaires series, Love Unwritten. The second book is another standalone story set in the same town, Lake Wisteria and centers Julian’s jaded cousin, Rafael. It’s a Single Dad, Grumpy/Sunshine romance with a beautiful pink cover and I am so excited to read it. I have to wait until June 18th, but it’ll be a nice surprise when that beautiful paperback arrives in the mail! Love the belated Valentine’s day gift to me, from me.
For just two reviews I had a lot to say. I read 3 books totaling 1,691 pages in February and they were each about 4 stars, so it was a great reading month. Thank god, because in general this month was god-awful.
If anyone happens to read this: What has been your favorite book so far this year? Have you read any of the books mentioned? What are you most excited to read next? Sending hugs and comforting vibes to anyone who sees this. Happy reading!
Spicy Spooky Potato 
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