My second "What the hell did I just read?" of the year. Only this time, it was a far cry from the champion that had turned me chilled and unsettled for a few days. House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas gave me chills alright, but it was the different kind of chills that was caused by a Midgard-shattering plot that had taken place in 800 pages.
After all that happened in the spring, Hunt and Bryce are ready to put the past behind them for good. First, they have to lie low as per Asteri's demand—no one needs to know that they are the men behind the two Archangels' death. Second, they decided to start things casually. Get to know each other deeper before diving into something more serious.
True to their words, the Asteri leaves them alone. But between the rebels brewing deep in Crescent City and an arranged marriage for Bryce with a distant cousin, it's hard not to get too involved and just lie low. Especially when they realize the important truth about everything.
Whoa... I was astonished. For three days straight, this book had been leading me into something so big that even my wildest dream couldn't imagine. Starting off a bit slow, House of Sky and Breath buoyed me with its haziness. I seemed to think that no twist would surprise me now that almost everything seemed to be out in the open. But boy was I wrong. Every little thing meant something—there was certainly no aimless turn along the characters' paths. After I had overcome the twists that I definitely hadn't seen coming, this book still managed to catch me by surprise. I didn't know how.
While slow, it proved that the plot was building up something important. Even if the first book was still my favorite among the current two, this particular installment had stolen my heart with its amazing side characters. Let's not talk about Hunt and Bryce—"the couple deserved the spotlight" would be as far as I planned to elaborate. Let's talk more about the golden trio instead: Ruhn, Flynn, and Dec; about how amazing their friendship was; or about how supportive Ruhn was towards his sister. Or we could talk about Ithan and Prince Cormac instead, who gradually grew on me.
It's hard not to like this book when Maas had gone to great lengths to make sure that we understood each of them well enough. Every character got their own narrative, their point of view to set things clearer for us readers. It's also probably why I felt like a mess upon finishing this book. What a wild ride it had been.
But it's even harder to close the epilogue to find out that the third book would most likely come out next year. How I wish it could come out sooner. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of House of Flame and Shadow.
Actual rating: 4.5★
