House of Flame and Shadow Review

I’m shocked to be writing this review considering I had decided not to finish this series. I’m also super shocked to say House of Flame and Shadow might possibly be my favorite book of the year. Let’s get into my review.

Synopsis

Bryce Quinlan never expected to see a world other than Midgard, but now that she has, all she wants is to get back. Everything she loves is in Midgard: her family, her friends, her mate. Stranded in a strange new world, she’s going to need all her wits about her to get home again. And that’s no easy feat when she has no idea who to trust.

Hunt Athalar has found himself in some deep holes in his life, but this one might be the deepest of all. After a few brief months with everything he ever wanted, he’s in the Asteri’s dungeons again, stripped of his freedom and without a clue as to Bryce’s fate. He’s desperate to help her, but until he can escape the Asteri’s leash, his hands are quite literally tied.

My Thoughts on House of Flame and Shadow

I’m not going to lie House of Flame and Shadow starts out a tad slow. It took me a minute to catch back up and figure out the players in the game. Honestly, I’ve had a hard time with the hierarchy in this series from the beginning. It seemed a little muddled, but I finally got it. It took me until the last book, but better late than never. After it finally clicked my whole understanding of the series changed. Now I want to reread the others to grasp it a little better. While I was reading this for the romance, and the characters, it wasn’t enough to keep me from struggling to connect with the series as a whole.

When I settled in with a deeper understanding of the world building it helped me enjoy the social aspects even more. I love Sarah J Maas’s character work. That’s the thing that won me over to begin with. And the mashup between ACOTAR and this series just felt right. I also saw several nods to TOG and I’m hoping that’s a cross over we get as well. Now as far as the romance goes Bryce and Hunt aren’t my favorite couple of the series. I love them both separately. Please don’t crucify me. But overall, I enjoyed the other romances in this one.

Lastly, let’s talk about that epic ending. I cried more than I care to admit. I was actually sad it was over, but it wrapped up in such a satisfying way. Now I’m geared up to read more Sarah J Maas. I have ACOTAR #6 on preorder. I’m really glad I gave this series another shot.

My Rating: 5/5

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