• House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City Book 1) by Sarah J. Maas
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House of Earth and Blood Book Cover House of Earth and Blood
Crescent City Book 1
Sarah J. Maas
Action Adventure, Paranormal Shifter Romance
Bloomsbury Publishing
March 3, 2020
Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook
816

Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life-working hard all day and partying all night-until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She'll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths.

Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose-to assassinate his boss's enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he's offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.

As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City's underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion-one that could set them both free, if they'd only let it.

How does an author top two amazing series?

If you are Sarah J. Maas you start a third.  Maas is the widely popular YA paranormal author of the Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses series.  With 2018 being the last time SJM has published books in either series the release of House of Earth and Blood, the first book in her new Crescent City series, has been highly anticipated.  There is no doubt that the expectations for a Sarah J. Maas series is high.  Her works are epic in nature with complex and elaborate plots wrapped around imperfect characters that endure tragedy and suffering who are able to overcome unimaginable odds through their tenacious will and the unexpected discovery of that one being who is the love of their life.  House of Earth and Blood is no different and definitely does not disappoint!!

Bryce Quinlan is half-human/half-Fae and considered a low-life of Vanin society, barely above the humans.  When her best friend Danika, the heir apparent wolf-shifter, and the Pack of Devils are viciously murdered in Bryce and Danika’s apartment by what appears to be a conjured demon from Hel itself,  Bryce’s life spirals into the depths of despair.  For two years she is barely going through the motions, when another brutal demonic killing puts her on the radar of the governing archangel, Micah.  Micah also controls the life of the fallen angel, Hunt Athalar, the Umbra Mortis or Shadow of Death, and uses him as his enforcer.  When Micah decides that Bryce and Hunt will work together to solve this escalating mystery little do they know that their lives have just embarked on a course that will either bring them the peace they have all but written off or totally destroy them.

In a totally new and unique story-line, Maas nails it with her first book in the Crescent City series!  In typical SJM style she creates a fascinating paranormal world for the story of Bryce and Hunt.  She slowly peels back their layers with one unexpected twist after another, revealing characters that you can’t help but fall in love with and who keep you glued to the pages.  Their relationship is authentic: a blossoming friendship along side a developing attraction, a balance of personalities aligning with a goal, a healing balm for the pain and hurt of the past, and the thing that makes them look forward to the future – “Through love, all is possible”.  Maas brings enough resolution to House of Earth and Blood to ramp down your emotions and bring solace to your mind while leaving lose ends to make you anticipate the second book in the Crescent City series.

**Shadow of Death: The Valley Soldier credit Carpenter’s Quill by Jess Carpenter