Half human, half fae Bryce Quinlan is enjoying life - working all day and partying all night - until her best friend is brutally murdered. The person responsible is put behind bars but then similar murders start to take place. Bryce is asked to help with the investigation and she doesn’t hesitate, she wants to help avenge the death of her friend.


Hunt Athalar is a Fallen Angel after a rebellion he helped lead was put down. He now serves the Archangels as an assassin and is told to help Bryce with the investigation in order to gain his freedom.


Like with any fantasy, this took about 150 pages for me to figure out the world Bryce and Athalar inhabit. It’s a lot to take in as the world building is rich and complex with detailed magic and political systems. Once everything clicked however, I was 100% in. Bryce is such a relatable character, initially a woman who is just enjoying her life with a job she kinda hates but friends she loves. She’s loyal, smart, funny and absolutely someone I’d like to hang with.


The traumatic event which Bryce endures at the beginning shapes her for the rest of the book and you felt her grief and rage. I loved how grief was such a big theme in this book and how Maas treated it so beautifully.


When Bryce and Hunt team up to investigate the killings I was getting serious buddy cop vibes the way they butted heads at first and didn’t trust each other. The relationship between the two of them grows so naturally and organically throughout the book in a way that makes it so much more believable. Here are two broken people who actually take the time to get to know each other, good parts and bad.


There are a few twists and turns in this book that I didn’t see coming and at it’s core is a fantasy murder mystery which may explain why I loved it so much. Everything about this book was fantastic, it made me laugh, it made me cry and is my favourite Sarah J Maas to date. If you haven’t read it already - what are you waiting for?

How to review a book by an author who is so popular and has sold more than 12 million copies? Having retired as a school librarian in 2014, Maas came to prominence slightly after I left, but as I have kept up my interest and am still involved with various groups promoting reading for pleasure she has been known to me for quite some time as a writer for YA.

When this book came up on netgalley I was keen to see what all the hype and popularity was about as I hadn't got round to reading any of the previous series. Within a few pages I came to realise that this was not a YA book as I had expected, my fault, I should have read the blurb more carefully. How did I know? Every other word out of the main characters mouths is f***. Now I don't mind swearing if the character calls for it but this is so over the top, uncalled for that I really didn't think I could get much further.

I battled on but was then bombarded with every type of mythical creature known to man all living in the same city and all with a backstory. It was information overload. The humans are, of course, at the bottom of the hierarchy. A group of six weird Godlike creatures rule the roost with all manner of regional 'governors', the two main ones are archangels. Each of these then has their own pecking order. Just to give an idea there were Angel's, werewolves, vampires, mermen, witches, all manner of shape shifters in various sizes, fairies..... the list was endless.

Enter our heroine Bryce, part human part fairy, so even lower in the pecking order as a half breed but you know that she will eventually be revealed as a superpower - despite continually insisting that she's just ordinary. If this were her only irritating feature I could just about cope but she's a drunken, drug abusing, foul mouthed, sex obsessed, unlikeable idiot. I can't even be bothered to try to summarise the plot, a lot of which doesn't make sense, other than to say that the book is overlong and would have benefited from some heavy editing.

I don't usually write long reviews but I was so disappointed in this. I'm sure that it will be equally popular and she will probably carry her younger fan base with her as they have grown up with her YA series and will be ready to move on to adult fiction. I'm not keen on censorship but I very much hope that this doesn't end up on school library shelves because staff are under the impression that it is more of the same, as the gratuitous swearing, sex and violence is really not suitable, but more importantly, in my opinion, it's just not a good book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I'm not sure why I was suddenly granted this as I already read the book last year, but I was more than happy to read it again in preparation for the next installment! Maas is a master of suspenseful storytelling, which is a good thing as at 800+ pages, no one is reading this book unless they're gripped by the plot. Bryce and Hunt are great (and sexy!) protagonists, and you really don't see most of the twists coming. A masterpiece in adult fantasy.

The powerhouse author who never disappoints. Brilliant.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

Thank you Bloomsbury Publishing Plc and NetGalley, the timing on giving me access to this arc just prior to the release of House of Sky and Breath was perfect, a re-read totally set me up!
On a second read I was once again completely blown away by this book. There is a huge and very slow build up, which at times left me chewing my nails with frustration, but without this the last part of the book would have been nowhere near as impactful!
I’d forgotten just how long this book was, but at no point, even on a second read did I want to put it down. I relived all those emotions, sitting on the edge of my seat, turning the pages and living alongside Bryce throughout the whole story!
Even on a second read, I was caught unawares, I thought I knew this story, but time and reflection definitely brought more depth, more emotion and more insights into the strong characters. The backstories are just perfect, providing depth and understanding to character’s actions.
The world-building is just perfect and woven throughout the story. I will be honest and say that on a second read there were a couple of small points when I felt like I was being lectured, but these were fleeting and most likely due to memories from my first read.
Overall, this is still a strong, and emotional read that has totally put me in the right place to dive into a House of Sky and Breath, that of course I have pre-ordered!

What’s not to love. Sarah J Maas is a must buy author and she hasn’t let us down with this. Sassy females, Brooding males and some magic. Can’t wait for the next one.

Sarah Maas is wonderful at crafting an engrossing and amazing fantasy tale with top notch worldbuilding and this book is no different. A first of the series it’s the story of Bryce, a half Fae who is living life to the full in nearby Crescent City while working in a gallery until her life crashes around her when her best friend dies and she feels it’s her fault. Two years later she is still finding solace in the deepest corners and darkest nightclubs of the city until events turn her life upside down and Fallen Angel Hunt, seemingly an enemy, enters her life and with it danger is everywhere. The balance of their world is shifting and she is drawn into Hunt’s fight against those that control them all.

With vivid detail and characters who are both intriguing, quirky, compelling and fully realised, and a steamy romance to add extra spice, Sarah Maas has given her readers another tale that will definitely please.

As a fan of S J Maas, i was hoping that her Crescent City series would be just as good as ACOTAR and TOG and I was not disappointed.
Bryce is a fantastically fiery character with enough baggage to keep her interesting without her feeling too 'Mary Sue-esque".
Her life isn't great but she keeps going and I adored her attitude.
Hunt is a wonderful bad boy/ warrior with added sarcasm and a guilty streak a mile wide. A broken bad boy in need of cuddles- obviously we're in love now.
However the best part, for me, was the story itself.
After losing her best friend in an attack and being cast as pariah Bryce is not able to use regular channels to sort out her feelings and find who killed her friends. She feels alone and scared but tough enough to go it alone. Her strained relationship with her brother was all kinds of heartbreaking and did actually make me cry at one point.
I love the little reveals and the twists and, as always, Maas's world-building was spectacular and sex scenes? DAMN!
Can't wait for book two.

This book is easily one of the best urban fantasies I have ever read.

I was hooked from the very beginning. Maas’ writing is addictive and captivating, and I struggled to put it down.

The world of Crescent City is immense. Large scale and beautifully described, you get a lot of information at once and it reminded me of an epic fantasy in the way things were being presented which I loved.

I love Bryce and Hunt. This partnership is one that I’m dying to read more of. The sexual tension? I can physically taste it.

An emotional rollercoaster, I cried more at this than I’ve cried at a book before.

It’s practically perfect and book 2 cannot come quick enough!

I absolutely loved this book. It is an emotional rollercoaster that will leave you bereft and desperate for more. If you love Sarah J Maas this will not disappoint. In the first of a new series we meet Bryce, her best friend Danika. However very quickly things change for Bryce and she ends up stuck with an angel, Hunt solving a crime. There is lots of sexual tension between them leading to some steamy scenes. I do not want to post spoilers for those who haven’t read it but I do know I will be reading the second book as soon as it comes out.

This is the second read of SJM book. The first being a short story in the vampire anthology. It took a little getting used to as the angry, I have to say- emo story style took some getting used to. The swearing seemed to be immature and (coming from someone who swears A LOT) unnecessary and the sexualising of every single character also seemed immature and unnecessary too, but I think this is a very much the higher end of YA or new adult aimed book so I am going to overlook these since I’m not the target audience. But my god this is way too angsty.
So, after this my next attack is that it is WAY too long. Like, its huge. For no reason really.
In essence this is a crime, revenge, mystery, romance book in a fairy-ish tale world, where fairies, sprites, angels, wolves are the main characters in a world where humans have been over ruled and have no power and there are vague insinuations of a war going on between humans and these magical characters.
The main character Bryce is a party girl who has lots of sex, lots of booze, lots of drugs and lots of fun and her best friend who is found in their apartment brutally attacked after a binge night out, and Bryce has no alibi to back up her innocence. Thus ensues, the murder investigation into the darker side of politics and set ups. Unfortunately, this doesn’t happen for a LONG, LONG time and this is where my interest piqued. Again, unfortunately it was too little way too late.
The book was ok, I can see this book being perfect for some people, I’m just not those people, so I’m going to go slap bang in the middle and give it 2.5 stars.
O and in case you don’t hear this enough throughout the book; Bryce is absolutely beautiful who every single person wants to have sex with her and she’s an amazing dancer who could’ve been someone if only she didn’t have those amazingly round breasts and a perfectly pert and peachy butt.

I was granted this as a Wish in January 2022 so this review is late for a reason! Thanks as always to Bloomsbury.

I read this book back when it was released (or rather listened to the audiobook on my commute!) and really enjoyed it. Sarah J Maas books are just SO fun to read. I know they have their detractors but I honestly always have such fun when I'm immersing myself in the worlds she creates.

This book is aimed at the adult fantasy market. With that in mind, it is a lot racier in terms of its content that might be familiar to you if you know Maas from the Throne of Glass series. The book is quite long and takes a while to get going but once it does it doesn't let up. I was legit crying in my car by the end.

The main character, Bryce, does a lot of growing up in the course of the book. I wasn't completely sold on her when I first started reading it but by the end, I really liked her character. Hunt too had hidden depths and I'm looking forward to seeing where these characters go in the next instalment which is due out very soon.

Maas is popular for a reason because her books are just great reads and she creates great worlds. Long may she reign.

Bryce is the ultimate party girl until a demon murders her friends turning her life upside down. She finds herself at the centre of the investigation to find the killer. Hunt is a fallen angel, enslaved and compelled to follow brutal orders without question. He is offered a bargain -help Bryce find the killer and gain his freedom. It's the classic enemies uniting and becoming something very different.

I really enjoyed this, in fairness it isn't a particularly original idea but the world building is very good and character development is great. Bryce in particular is many different things. Hunt seems like the ultimate soulless killing machine but he is also more than meets the eye. Great fantasy.