<b>Exclusive extract via Netgalley</b>

I've read the extract and I'm actually...not feeling this one??? I think it's due to all the immediate info dumping and opening on a very uninteresting scene about the characters lunch and mentioning of all the different names, places, houses, kings, queens etc and I honestly couldn't keep up with it all and it didn't interest me enough to really want to? I'm so far disappointed with what I've read but at some point might get myself a copy of the full book to see where it goes

I can´t review the book [yet!], since I´ve only read the excerpt provided by NetGalley...

I have to say when I began reading I thought it was somewhat derivative (Kim Harrison of the Hollows series came to mind) and I really began to get lost and resent the massive info dumps in the first few chapters. (Writers there must be another way to introduce your splendid new world to your readers, find it!)

But I got into it, it got better, then much better... Then I reached the end of the excerpt and was COMPELLED to immediately download the book.

As I said to my SO "I think I´ve found another fantasy writer worth reading..."

Woah, what a wild ride. This excerpt includes the first five chapters, roughly 70 pages of Crescent City. We meet Bryce Quinlan, a half-fae half-human who's living in Crescent City with her best friend Danika. This world reminds me of good old paranormal romance books, I lobe the mix of all different species, the technology and history of the world. I'm a bit confused by the north Mythologie references, that the world is called Midgard and that the most powerful species are the Vanir. Because the rest of the world building doesn't fit what we know about north mythology. But this may be explained later in the book.

The story itself seems like a lot of fun, the excerpt ends with a huge bang and I can't wait to read more. Bryce and Danika are concerned at the beginning because a criminal is set free that they had a hand in getting caught. A war is looming on the borders of the city and Danika is in a precarious position as a potential new leader for all the wolfs in Crescent City, a position her mother wants for herself. Bryce looks like the normal friend in the group - there is also another Vanir and a faun - which I like, I've had enough of the chosen trope.

One issue: it wasn't the entire book and I want to read it.
It was an excellent read and I cannot wait to read the entire book.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I am not a huge fan of Maas' previous work, but am certainly intrigued enough to give House of Earth and Blood a go. I'm not sure how well I will gel with the new book, the opening has a lot of information and it's not immediately capturing my attention, as you would hope it would. I'll certainly consider giving the book a proper chance in the future, but it isn't one I'll be rushing out to buy.

Oh this extract for the first part of crescent city was amazing and it gripped me straight the way I can’t wait to dive into the full book and explore this awesome world further and get to know the main character Bryce and the many characters that will follow her on this fantasy journey!!!

I will be honest, I was super excited about getting to read this extract before the book came out. I am a big fan of Sarah J. Maas’s books, I have been reading them ever since my friend recommended the first Throne of Glass to me and I have been hooked on her books since.

I think that only thing that I was sad about was that this extract was only 70 pages long because I hooked in by it and would have happily read more of it. I’m very excited to read the full book, to immerse myself into this new world by Sarah J. Maas. It’s pretty different to what she’s written before and I’m excited to see where this story will go. It’s new and exciting, with Maas’s usual fantastical flair and magic.

If anyone is a fan of Sarah J Maas’s book I would recommend reading this book. From what I’ve read I think that this will be a great start to a new series.

Okay, these chapters were amazing, and I cannot wait to read full book! Hopefully it will be as good as this beginning, but right now, I am prepared for this new book to be my new favourite one! Sarah didn't disappointed me at all. So, thank you for this extract!

Thank you NetGalley for sending me this extract. I loved this and it has gotten me pumped to start reading the finished copy!

I don’t normally do samplers and honestly I’ve been on the outs with SJM since A Court of Wings and Ruin and her appalling attempt to retcon Mor into some sort of rep. BUT she always comes up with worlds, stories and characters I can’t help caring about and this piqued my curiosity. It’s very readable as far as it goes. I have reservations but I need to read on so I’ve just bought the book. Only 3 stars until I’ve decided after reading the whole thing.

Maas has done an excellent job maturing her work from YA to adult fiction and she is clearly in her element with House of Earth and Blood. I will admit there is a lot of information and characters to take in, in the extract but Maas does a great job creating the bustling metropolis of Crescent City. I also loved the blend of magic and modernity Maas has created by setting the story in a contemporary society with touches of magic.

#CrescentCity #NetGalley

What a phenomenal snippet! The last chapter absolutely gutted me! I need to get my hands on the full book ASAP!

This excerpt of sarah J Mass new crescent city series is amazing.

It left me wanting more and I hioenthe whole book is as good as this little snippet was.

I can't believe the book is coming out tomorrow!!! The excerpt was amazing and I cannot wait to read the entire book. I have so many questions, and I need to know more about Bryce and everyone else!!

The beginning of the story establishes a number of strong female characters each with their own identical levels of sarcasm which is something Maas is very good at. I love the sarcasm and dry humour that Maas gives her characters because it makes me smile and laugh. Maas has continued to create and establish a strong presence of characters with individual identities. I love the incorporation of fantastical creatures too, we see a number of ones that are popular but also ones that haven't had much attention in recent years, which is really exciting. Maas continues to celebrate female sexuality and not shame women for enjoying sex. There is plenty of threat and danger within the first few chapters that will leave you wanting to find out the answers. Although this is an adult book there is a lot of swearing and because Maas has a large following from teen readers too and are likely to read this book it seems that perhaps the level of swearing may not be appropriate for younger readers. Also some adults don't like large amounts of swearing either and this may isolate a number of adult readers too. One other issue readers may have is the use of drugs, again this may be inappropriate for some younger readers, and for adults that don't endorse drug usage.

I’ve read the first 5 chapters, and I can’t wait for more! Only 2 days before the official release! Can't wait for my signed book!

Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing U.K. for making available an extract via NetGalley of ‘Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood’ by Sarah J. Mass in exchange for an honest review.

From publisher: “A blockbuster modern fantasy set in a divided world where one woman must uncover the truth to seek her revenge.“

Although I have been intending to read one of Sarah J. Maas’ novels for some time, this is the first one that I have read, even though obviously this was just a taster for her March 2020 doorstopper of a novel (816 pages). Yet I found that I wasn’t impressed for a number of reasons.

I certainly have enjoyed urban fantasy for years and here the opening listing of the various Houses suggested that this was going to be a bit of a mashup. Indeed, it quickly emerged that this was a rather clumsy mixture of modern technology with various mythological beings though both divorced from our actual world, something that rather contravenes its description of being ‘urban fantasy’.

There also seemed little rhyme or reason for drawing on such a wide variety of mythologies and then popping in angels and demons (referencing the Fall, an Abrahamic religious concept). Again, it just felt rather haphazard.

Also, right from the opening I felt as if I had just woken up in a strange room and was struggling to figure out where I was, who all these people were, and what on Earth they were going on about. It was a massive info dump rather than an organic introduction to this world. It was not only confusing but felt like both poor world-building as well as a lesson in how not to introduce a large cast of characters. I genuinely felt that I had come in mid-novel rather than the start.

I know the author is a big name, which can lead to editors tiptoeing around their feelings, but I read a lot of fiction across a range of genres and this just felt a very cluttered and weak opening.

In addition, it does seem that when some YA authors transition to adult fiction, the first thing they do is have their characters effing and blinding every chance they get along with risky behaviour in terms of substance abuse, casual sex, and the like. This I expect is meant to convey how edgy this novel is going to be though again it just wasn’t convincing me.

The cliffhanger fifth chapter did redeem it some in setting up the revenge plot, yet before I invest my time and money in this gigantic novel and the series, I will probably scan reviews of the full novel focusing on those that aren’t just praising every word Maas writes.

1.5 stars rounded up to 2.

The concept sounds very interesting, but I’m not sure that I was invested enough to keep on reading such a huge book (at the moment). Especially because we immediately get thrown in the deep with all the new names and information.. we’ll see!!! Maybe someday

I need more.
This has completely hooked my interest for the book. As always Sarah J Maas has enticed me in and will no doubt make me forget everything around me when the full book is released next week

I think I actually died for a few seconds when I got sent a copy of this book. I. DIED. And no, that is definitely NOT an exaggeration of what happened. I got sent the latest book by my GOD, Sarah J. Maas, and so yes, I totally died. Anywaaaay… let’s just dive into the review, shall we 😂?

So, from the get-go, it feels like this book is a total departure from Maas original fantasy ya/na style. The story seems grittier, the world is darker, and just the overall language and actions of the characters seem to indicate that Maas is shifting her vibe into something a little grimmer. (As a side-note, does anyone else feel like a lot of authors have been doing this recently? Leigh Bardugo, Veronica Roth… let me know down in the comments’ section). Maas has never been one to shy away from the dark stuff, but the end of this book really took me by surprise (and yes, I know that the blurb of the book gives this away, but I was still shocked, okay?).

I am also incredibly excited because NO ONE writes romance like Maas does, seriously no one - this lady has had me crying because I have loved characters and couples so much, and this book appears to be no exception. I am really intrigued by the romance that appears to be budding from this excerpt, what it means when considering the blurb, and I am <em>beyond</em> curious to see how it all develops - particularly given how the excerpt ended. Little information about me, my ultimate guilty pleasure read is something to do with werewolves and shifters, that sort of thing… I don’t know what to tell you, I just love it. Given how this book is looking, it feels as if Maas has reached into my soul and is going to deliver exactly what I want (and then she will break my heart into a thousand pieces because that is what Maas does best).

From an excerpt, it is hard to say whether or not the world is fully developed. Not going to lie, there are still parts of the world that confuse me and that I need to know more about before really speaking on it, but again, it is just an excerpt. I like what I have seen so far, but I don’t feel like I have seen enough to fully speak on it.

The one teeny tiny thing that I will say that maybe I am a little, ahem, concerned about (FORGIVE ME QUEEN MAAS BUT I MUST BE HONEST) is that I am not loving the main character, Bryce, yet. I know I know, I want to take it back but I am just telling you my first impression given the excerpt. SPOILER YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. Her boyfriend in the beginning of the book was not a nice man, but Bryce was not exactly kind in return - like, yeah, okay, he’s a dingus, but just her overall mentality, when she was thinking about him, wasn’t exactly sympathetic, and it kind of put me off her END OF SPOILER. Fingers crossed that I just haven’t gotten to know Bryce yet, and I have complete faith in Maas. Also, given the ending of the book, I think it's fair to expect that there will probably be a lot of character development.

Fantasy mixed with urban fantasy mixed with Sarah J. Maas, I am beyond thrilled to have read the excerpt and cannot wait to read the full book! Which, as I am posting this, should be arriving at my door any second because you bet your sweet behind that I preordered a copy.  

4.5 / 5, rounded up to 5.