Raquel Flockhart's Reviews > House of Flame and Shadow

“A world where people loved and valued books and learning so much that they were willing to die for them. Can you imagine what such a civilization was like?”

I’ve been reading Maas’ books for years now and I can honestly say that she is one of my favorite authors, but Crescent City has always been the series of hers that I’ve enjoyed the least. So, although I was excited to read this new installment, I didn’t have the most ambitious expectations about it. That being said, I can confidently say that House of Flame and Shadow is my favorite book in this series so far, regardless of whether I’ve given it the same rating as the previous ones.

I really loved the first half of the book. It was absolutely action-packed—I think Maas has written some of her best action scenes to date in this book—and had me completely engrossed with all the plots and the exploration of the lore. I’m going to be vague because I don’t want to spoil anything, but after the ending of the previous book, I was looking forward to reading Bryce’s chapters solely and exclusively to see certain characters. And although I enjoyed those interactions, I found myself more captivated by what was going on with the rest of the cast.

As in the previous books, I was much more involved in the rest of the characters than in Bryce and Hunt, although I must admit that developing his character beyond his relationship with Bryce made me appreciate him more. There are a couple of characters who spend a good part of the book in their respective mental loops and although at times it made me want to shake them, I understand that it is part of laying the foundation for future plots in the series. And while I still love Ruhn, Lidia—whose point of view was the most delightful surprise—ousted him as my favorite character in the series.

My problem with this book, besides Bryce being insufferable once again, was the last part. I think the battle was entirely rushed, with a conflict of millennia being resolved in just a few hours, characters moving between cities from one day to the next and an extravagant plot resolution that reminded me a lot of another book by the author. As I mentioned before, I want to be as vague as possible in this review so let’s say that I would like Maas to start taking more risks with her characters so that it feels like there is more at stake in her stories.

Overall, I enjoyed House of Flame and Shadow. It kept me hooked to the point that I read its more than 800 pages in a matter of a couple of days. And although this book certainly marked the end of a storyline, it leaves things at an interesting point for future sequels to the series. I wonder who will take on the mantle as new protagonists, although if I had to bet, my money would be on Ari playing a major role in future books.

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