Thank you for the chance to read an excerpt of House of Earth and Blood. I heard this is the author's first foray into adult/urban fantasy. After reading the first few chapters, I think that basically equates to lots of swearing and descriptions of sex, drugs, and partying. It felt like the book was a teenager who drinks to excess, just because they can. There was a lot of world-building info to take in as well, but it is a new series so that's to be expected.

House of Earth and Blood went from one of my most anticipated reads for 2020, to "I'll just wait for it to be available to borrow from the library,' but then I got to the end of the excerpt and well, I had to go out and buy a copy for myself.

This review is based on an excerpt I received free of charge through NetGalley. This is also the first time I have read this author. I found the first few pages a little difficult to follow but once many of the characters had been introduced the story really flowed. There are lot of descriptions of violent scenes. If you don’t like that kind of thing, this book is probably not for you. Since I was reading an incomplete copy, I was greatly disappointed it ended just as I was getting to the part where I didn’t want to put it down. I am looking forward to reading the complete book.

Update 03/09/20: I read the entire book and need to amend my rating. Things drastically improve after the 5th chapter. I am glad that I decided to read my pre-ordered copy instead of divesting myself of it at the first opportunity. My excerpt rating was 2.5, but the book in its entirety deserves a 1.5 star bump. Bryce fully obliterated her vapid shell and emerged as a fiery-haired heroine. She and Hunt traverse a harrowing path, finding solace together, and I fervently hope Sarah J. Maas will not mercilessly tear them asunder. The book resolved cleanly, with no tortuous cliffhanger, but it offered a promise of more adventures for our intrepid pair.

I just finished the first five chapters of Maas’ House of Earth and Blood: Crescent City and I am underwhelmed. It seems I am in the minority here, given the multitude of five-star reviews it received, but I find this first attempt at “Adult” Fantasy uninspired. The initial chapters are littered with info dumps and lackluster characters that only succeed in evoking apathy. Bryce, the protagonist of the story, is especially off-putting. I assume at some point in the tale she will become the heroine, but at this point, she is a mess. I do not mind flawed characters, but there has to be something at the core of them that inspires. Despite this fact, which is certainly problematic, I find myself interested in continuing the story. The stopping point of the excerpt dangles a tantalizing development that I would like to explore. I sincerely hope, however, that it will be worth my time, money, and effort.

***An excerpt of the novel was provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas is so fantastic. This Excerpt had me dying for more. I am so happy to be back in one of the worlds that Maas has created. The elements of her books are just so fantastic. Of course she hooked me immediately.

I enjoyed reading this excerpt. I am a huge fan of SJM. This book starts with a large amount of character and world building , so it took a while to grab my attention. However, I am now about half way through the actual book, and it has hooked me.

This is obviously not the entire book but based on the first 5 chapters I can at least speak about certain aspects of this book.

First of all the world building. I loved how we get so much information in the first chapter. I am aware a lot of people don't like info-dumping but I did actually understand everything and could keep up. However towards chapter three is was really a lot and given that this book is the first in a series and 800 pages long I assume (or better to say I hope) it will be more explained. I still wish it would feel more organic. But what I did understood I actually really enjoyed. A different timeline as ours, various creatures and houses. It is an intruiging concept.

Now onto the things that did not work for me that well. The main character is 23 years old and therefore exactly my age. I had a hard time imagining her to be 23 she seemed foolish and quite stupid for the situation she is in and the world she was born into. Also I have nothing against sex and substance abuse as an aspect of a story however the drugs had no point whatsoever and the character for the most part seems oversexualised especially the main character.

The very start of this was promising and I do really like Bryces best friend and roommate. The werewolf pack that is also a part of this friend group sounds super fun and I would read more about them. But sadly this book is about the main character Bryce and I was eyerolling since chapter 3 about a lot of things she said and did.

If you are a fan of SJM I am sure you will love this book but sadly for me it would be a lot of overlooking flaws instead of an enjoyable read. However I do own Throne of Glass and ACOTAR by her and will give those a shot now to see if I enjoy these maybe.

My current read- as in I bought the book even before I read the excerpt. LOL And when I read the excerpt I was even happier that I pre-ordered and read the excerpt right before the release date.. I do wish a more detailed "dictionary" of terms the author uses and a more detailed map were created because the world building, although interesting, is kind of annoying! LOL Just kind of.

I was really excited to hear of the release for this one and stoked to be able to get a taste of what's to come. However, this was a huge disappointment for me. Some are gonna love this one, but I didn't. There was too much dialogue and unnecessary details all at once. For me, it was literally listening to two teenagers talk and swear to each other for the first 2 chapters. I'm sorry, but this was like bad sex and no orgasm.

Pity..cause the premise sounded like this would be epic.

Title: House of Earth and Blood (EXCERPT)
By: Sarah J. Maas
Published by: Bloomsbury USA
Publishing Date: 03 Mar 2020
Genre: Romance, SciFi & Fantasy
Review on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3215035078


Bryce Quinlan is half-fae, half- human. Though she may not be the most interesting of her group of friends she doesn’t care. Bryce thinks she has her work, play balanced just right. That is until she returns home from partying hard to find one of her toughest friends murdered. Wolves are not easy to kill. This leads Bryce to believe demons are behind it.

Mass’s new world is creature crawling, from fae and demons to wolves and angles. It promises to be a book full of love, loss and passion.

Though I only read the extract this book seems to show not only the difference between genders or forms but also class. Within the first few pages we see how humans have become the lowest class of citizen. Humans become the plaything of every other being, not that all beings are participants in this hierarchy.

The only thing worse than being human is being a Halfling like Bryce. This is a harking to racism and the treatment of those who are of mixed race. It shows how in history other countries have colonized their neighbors. These beings found a way to enslave earth and the human race.

This can be seen in our own history by the colonization of America, Africa, Australia, New Zealand Ireland and many other places. In more modern history parallels can be drawn to the Nazi regime.

I could feel the feminist drive in this extract. Here is Bryce and she was not afraid to dress how she wanted, do what she wanted and date whomever she liked. (Though I personally am Anti-drug use) I felt that she was not someone to be controlled by others. Having said that it was easy to see what her friendship with Danika was like.

Sisterhood is not something many books or the media portray much in the 21st century it seems that it was lost after the 1990’s so it was pleasant to see such relationships in this book.

Unfortunately, I didn’t make it to the romance part as the extract was 70 pages long though I am relieved that Bryce is not with Reid, the embodiment of narcissism.

I have read all of Sara J maas's books and her writing just keeps getting better and better. The sample was only 60 pages, but in that 60 pages you are drawn into the world that Maas has created. You meet Bryce who is best friends with Danika and wolf pack. They are extremely close. One night Bryce's friends Brutally murdered leaving Bryce a shell of herself. The intricate workings of the Vanir (supernatural beings) is so detailed. I think this is her best work yet.

Honestly if the rest of this book is anything like the excerpt, I'm sure it will be a new favorite! I love how SJM isn't holding anything back with the new adult genre listing.

*A full review of this book will be posted to Goodreads and my blog after I finish the full book.

I had to force myself to put this down! It grabs you in from the beginning and doesn't let you go! I only read an excerpt and have since ordered the book so I can read the whole thing and get answers! Amazing characters and plot! Queen Maas does it again!

Perhaps a bit jaded by my thoughts on Maas' previous books, I couldn't really tell from this sampler whether I would enjoy the book. Yes, the cliffhanger at the end of the sampler was mean but judging from her previous storylines, I think I know where the story is going.
I guess I'll just say that fans of Maas will devour this book for sure.

Sarah J Maas has proved time and time again she can do no wrong in my eyes. Her writing is phenomenal, as is her world building and characters. I am super excited to read House of Earth and Blood when it comes out!

Sarah J. Maas's teaser excerpt from her new fantasy series shows the potential for a fabulous read! The world is already being built in the first couple of chapters and the characters - wolves , angels, demons, fae - are beginning to hook the reader with their stories.
Definitely putting this one on my must-read list!

I don't even know where to start. I am happy. I am sad. I am angry. I am broken. I need help. 

I had so much hope going into this book, I absolutely love Sarah J Maas and have loved everything I have read from her so far. I was slightly apprehensive as I wasn't sure how well Sarah was going to fit into the adult world and I feared that I wouldn't love it as much as her others. I had absolutely no need to worry. I ABSOLUTELY BLOODY LOVED THIS BOOK. 

I have already called it. House of Blood and Earth will be in my top 3 books of the year. Who am I kidding? It will be my absolutely favourite book of the year. 

I toyed with writing this review now as I only finished the book an hour ago. I didn't know whether to wait and get my thoughts together first. But I just cant wait, I just want to shout from the rooftops about how amazing this book is. How much everybody needs to read it. 

Right, now for the actual review. I have finished fingerling ... for now. 

Sarah J Maas, has a wonderful way of world-building. Honestly this world is one of the most complex that I have every read. There are so many different hierarchies, so much going on and so much to get your head around. I will admit that the first 200 pages were fairly slow burn and quite difficult to get your head around as everything is just so complex. I recommend that you try and tab the book so that you can go back to parts if you want to clarify points. PLEASE keep going with it, the effort you put into the first 200 ish pages will 100% pay off after. You will find that you take in a lot more than you think and as you get further things will start making sense for you. I think my favourite thing is that any magical being/creature that you think of will be in this book. You name it, I can guarantee it is here and I love that!

THE CHARACTERS. Oh man. Maas really knows how to play with my heart. I love so so many of them, I just don't even know where to start. BRYCE you are my hero and I love you so much. Wow. What a strong female protagonist. From page one I was routing for her and as I got to know her more I just loved her with all of my heart. Every fragment of my heart is attached to Bryce. She may actually be one of my favourite characters ever. In fact, yes she is exactly that. I love how she builds such wonderful relationships with other characters. Danika, oh Danika, I love you so so much. Honestly, my love for you is so strong. She was also a wonderful strong independent character that I just could not get enough of. Her and Bryce's relationship was beautiful, one only every other girl in the world can wish for with their best friend. HUNT. Oh my life. Hunt. You beautiful beautiful man. Ahhhhh definitely my man crush in this book. Before going in this book I always said that I wanted another Rhysand, I NEEDED another Rhysand. Oh I got my Rhysand. I am so pleased. I cant wait to see the character art for Hunt *dribbles*. I love his relationship with Bryce, I just love him as a character. I JUST LOVE HIM. Other honourable mentions go to Ruhn, Tharion, Declan, Fury, Connor, Lehabah. There are so so many I could literally go on for days talking about this. But I won't. 

I will say however, where was the smut? I actually feel frustrated for the characters in this book. Each time I thought a good bit of smut was coming, BAM something happens and its cut off. WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO US SARAH? I mean I don't really enjoy books with smut unless Sarah J Maas has written them and then I enjoy books with smut. I went into this book anticipating  a lot of said smut. But I was left disappointed! Not in a bad way, I'm sure she'll make up for it in the next one. You'll know exactly what I mean if you have read A Court of Mist and Fury, that scene! If you havent read it. Hi, where have you been? Read it now! So I am very much anticipating a smut filled sequel, or a filler book in between with all the smut. Sarah? 

I would argue that this book is no more adult than her other series. Yes it is gory, yes it does explore a few adult topics and yes there are scenes of a sexual nature. But that is the same for all of her other series. The only different I would say is that House of Blood and Earth is a bit more complex than anything else Sarah has ever written. I personally think, and have for a long time that the ToG and ACOTAR have been misrepresented and probably should also be adult fantasy based on the content. 

I have so much more I want to say about this book but I didn't want to end up giving away any major plot points or spoilers. Just know, you will be shocked to your core on so many occasions. I found myself saying, "I didn't see that coming" frequently.

House of Blood and Earth was everything I wanted and so much more. It is currently, and probably will remain the easiest 5 stars I have given in 2020. I am really struggling to fault it. I have never read a book over 500 pages and wanted to immediately start it again. I could dive straight back into this book right away. If you haven't picked this book up then please do. If you are worried that it will not live up to the hype, please don't. This book was so much and I cant wait for the sequel already!

I’ve read all of SJM’s other books, and never once, have I seen her do such amazing world building in the first few chapters. I feel like this world is really unique, and I feel like we will be getting so much more of it as the series goes on. Although, with the character development, and plot, and everything all put into the first few chapters, it is definitely a bit hard to get through the first few chapters without feeling like you are going to forget a lot of details that are probably important. This is why I believe this book would make for a great reread, well, after you’ve read it once before. I really enjoyed how her writing style has grown, and I’m excited to get the full book and see how this story evolves!

I can't believe that this excerpt was only three chapters long. It was so chock-full of Maas's signature world-building and beautiful character development that, information-wise, it felt more like ten! (Honestly, WELL DONE, Ms. Maas, for fitting so much information into so few pages - the setting was so skillfully built; truly impressive!).

I am a HUGE fan of Maas's writing, and this excerpt did NOT disappoint. I'm loving Bryce so far, and Danika became one of my all-time favourite literary characters the moment she appeared on the page (....*sobs uncontrollably*). The setting is beautifully detailed. The world - epic fantasy x urban fantasy x modern reality - is so intriguing!

I picked up a copy of the released novel yesterday, and I cannot WAIT to dive deeper into Bryce's story and find out what happens next.

I'm very conflicted.

The novel centers around a fictional world, with fictional, mythological inhabitants and a melting pot of culture and history so rich it's quite overwhelming - getting to understand terminology, hierarchy and politics of the characters was... interesting. There's definitely a lot of research that has gone into the making of this book, and I'm truly appreciative of the world Maas has created, but I just couldn't seem to really be present consistently throughout.

There were just too many similarities with Mass’s other books and characters for me to ignore them. There are four cities here instead of courts. There was some rebellion and war that the hero took part in. The hero has lost the woman he loved. There is an oracle. Even certain scenes, and the ending itself had stark echoes from A course of Thorns and Roses.

It was an enjoyable story and I am curious to see where it goes.

Disregard star rating as I have to give one.
3.5 stars
As this was only an excerpt this is not a proper review, from what I have read you can definitely tell this is a Sarah J. Mass book. I have liked what I have read but my only concern is with all the character POV's in just the shot amount of book available.