Breakaway Books

Authored by Sarah J. Maas; final book published January 2024; fantasy

⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🏖️🏖️🏖️🏖️

What would it be like to have a world with vampires, necromancers, fairies, and… smart phones? Throw in a dash of oppressive dictatorship and a plucky rebellion, and this series is what you get.

I feel like I’m kind of a traditionalist fantasy reader, and a series like the Crescent City series was new for me. A world where googling questions on the internet is as normal as fire sprites and witches. I enjoyed the modernity of it, but I especially loved the collision of different mythical creatures from so many worlds.

The lore of all these different legends was a big draw for me in this trilogy (House of Earth and Blood; House of Sky and Breath; House of Flame and Shadow). There was something fun and playful about a society where this panoply of creatures are thrown together to make a society together, with functional employment and taxation. And the heroine herself, Bryce, embodied this playful, plucky, sassy spirit—although I wish I had been able to witness much more of her relationship with her best friend directly. That relationship is a thread throughout the series, and the purity of their devotion to each other is among the best qualities of the trilogy, in my opinion.

Unsurprisingly, Bryce’s development is one of the focal points of the series, along with her relationship with Hunt, the main hero of the series. For the most part, I was rooting for her: to find her power, to find her purpose, to be the hero. But in the last book, I found that she became sharper, harder, in a way that didn’t feel true to the nature of her heart that I’d read in the previous two books. It didn’t feel entirely natural, and it dampened my enjoyment of the final novel. 

That being said, if you are interested in the intersection of political intrigue and rebellious insurgency with supernatural factions of vampires, werewolves, fae, and witches, then you will love this book. It has elements of revolution, of romance, of fantasy lore–what’s not to love? As each novel unravels, the different characters blossom, connect and contribute what they can to bring down an unquestionably oppressive regime. It’s for the most part empowering and at times a little gory.

If you are a fan of Sarah J. Maas in general (I am), have perhaps read ACOTAR and the Throne of Glass series (I have), and were hoping that this trilogy might include a cross-universe reunion (I was), then this series may not deliver all you’re looking for. In favor of not spoiling any more, that’s all I’ll say on the topic. 

Overall, a worthwhile series to escape with. It will certainly take you away from whatever extremely human and ordinary problems you’re experiencing.