February 22, 2024 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | By Greta Patterson
Light spoilers included
The time has come for one of the most anticipated 2024 releases in the fantasy world to arrive. The third book in the Crescent City series, “House of Flame and Shadow,” has fans riled with anticipation simply based on the reputation of Sarah J. Maas’ past series, and this addition was no exception.
Maas is a No. 1 New York Times bestselling author, famous for her series, “A Court of Thorns and Roses” and “Throne of Glass.” “Throne of Glass” is my favorite fantasy series of all time, so if you haven’t read that please do so, I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Let’s start with the positives. The book begins with a legendary crossover as Bryce, the main character, finds herself in the world of “A Court of Thorns and Roses,” or ACOTAR for short. I personally found the crossover to be very well done, however, some readers found it disappointing as the two main characters of ACOTAR, Feyre and Rhysand, are not heavily featured. While I understand the sentiment that this is the third Crescent City book and serves to advance that timeline, not the characters in ACOTAR. The two characters who are primarily featured from the ACOTAR world are Azriel and Nesta, two of the more complex individuals in the series. I loved how Maas chose these characters to help Bryce along her journey, as the complexity of each of them allows the others to be cautious yet intrigued.
Additionally, seeing Nesta and Azriel together was an unlikely combo that didn’t feel overdone as it hadn’t been heavily featured in past books. While the crossover segment was short, this was preferred by those who are Crescent City fans as it isn’t the main story which is being followed. To be honest, I found the hints to “Throne of Glass” existing in their multiverse much more enticing than the ACOTAR segment, but that’s probably just because I’m an Aelin fan.
As with many of Maas’ books, the point of view shifts throughout the chapters, with side characters getting narratives along with the main characters. At times I loved this, as focusing on only one voice would get repetitive given the fact that the plot in this book takes place over just a few days. Ithan and Tharion were somehow both remarkably frustrating to follow, yet it’s impossible not to cheer for their success, so it didn’t feel too dreadful. At times though, it felt a bit too abrupt to be taken out of the scene that was happening to read about whatever bad decision Tharion was going to make next.
Perhaps the most popular Crescent City couple, Ruhn and Lidia, were some of my favorite sections to read about as they both reflect deeply complicated pasts and identities. Lidia was the saving grace throughout the book; no complaints on her front.
Now for some of the bad. I have no problem with an unlikeable main character, but the ways Bryce acted throughout the book made her unlikeable in ways that felt counterintuitive to some of her past behavior. Hunt, her love interest, has a deeply complicated and heavy past that triggers him at different parts of the story. Bryce, in response, acts as if she has a much worse history despite Hunt literally being tortured and enslaved. Her continued dismissiveness to his concerns and fears was infuriating. The trust issues radiated from them, and hopefully in future Crescent City books that can be worked out. Therapy is good for everyone, even fictional people!
To be completely honest, most of Bryce’s character within the book was disappointing for a character with so much potential. I hope Maas can salvage her in the fourth Crescent City, but we’ll see.
Most of Maas’ books contain a heart wrenching death, one where you’ll be bawling over for hours. While this book contained many deaths, I didn’t find myself all that emotionally impacted by the end of it, which was disappointing given how long everyone has been waiting for this release. Two of the main villains were killed in weirdly easy ways, and while a third villain’s death was more satisfying, it didn’t feel as thorough as one may have wanted. The two most heart wrenching moments, which weren’t all that sad, involved Hunt’s past lover Shahar and the death of one of Bryce’s good friends in exchange for her to live. I honestly found myself sadder over Shahar who had already been dead for a couple hundred years as it was an incredibly moving section. While the second death had incredible context for occurring, part of it felt like it just happened because Maas needed someone to die so it wasn’t all happy endings.
Also, where was Fury throughout the whole book? Despite being one of the most notorious assassins in their world, all she did was fly a helicopter. For a book that centers female friendship at its core, I felt that there was no character or relationship development.
Through all the good and bad elements, I found myself satisfied by the end of “House of Flame and Shadow.” I’m not going to say Maas can do no wrong, but her books are deeply engaging and emotional, and I can credit “Throne of Glass’ for getting me back into reading after some years away. If you want to jump into the Maasverse, I recommend reading in order of “A Court of Thorns and Roses,” “Throne of Glass,” and then “Crescent City” — since much of the world building throughout the first two series overlaps with the story in “Crescent City” and the series is still ongoing. Happy reading!