Audio Review: House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J Maas
Narrator: Elizabeth Evans
Series: Crescent City #2
Published by Audible Studios on 2022-02-15
Length: 27 hours and 42 minutes
Reviewing Audiobook from Audible
Rating:
Reading Challenges: 2024 Audiobook Challenge, 2024 Finishing the Series Reading Challenge

Sarah J. Maas's sexy, groundbreaking CRESCENT CITY series continues with the second installment.

Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar are trying to get back to normal-they may have saved Crescent City, but with so much upheaval in their lives lately, they mostly want a chance to relax. Slow down. Figure out what the future holds.

The Asteri have kept their word so far, leaving Bryce and Hunt alone. But with the rebels chipping away at the Asteri's power, the threat the rulers pose is growing. As Bryce, Hunt, and their friends get pulled into the rebels' plans, the choice becomes clear: stay silent while others are oppressed, or fight for what's right. And they've never been very good at staying silent.

In this sexy, action-packed sequel to the #1 bestseller House of Earth and Blood, Sarah J. Maas weaves a captivating story of a world about to explode-and the people who will do anything to save it.

Mind-blown! House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J Maas is the explosive second installment in the Crescent City series. Picking up a few weeks after the end of book one, the story follows Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar as they attempt to live a normal life after saving the city from demons and killing two archangels. With things looking on the up for them, they somehow find themselves at the center of a rebellion against the Asteri. With enemies around every corner, Bryce and Hunt must decide where their allegiance lies.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There were so many twists and turns that I don’t even know where to begin to unpack them all. Bryce is finally at peace somewhat after the events of book one, but that peace doesn’t last. She is still looking for answers about Danika and her whereabouts during the last few months of her life. A lot of what Bryce believed about her best friend turns out to be false. Danika had a lot of secrets, and those secrets lead Bryce and Hunt and their friends to the rebellion.

While the rebellion plot was awesome, I found Hunt’s story more intriguing. Hunt has already been down the road of rebellion in the past. It’s why he is reluctant to start another one. He’s watched his friends be crucified, their wings removed, stripped of the powers, and sentenced to slavery or death under the Asteri. With his newfound freedom, you can’t blame the guy for not wanting to support Bryce or her friends in the rebellion. He wants to hide her away, but that isn’t Bryce. This contention between them drives a wedge and makes them both question their trust in the other.

As much as I love Bryce and Hunt, I adore the side characters. Ruhn is by far my favorite. His growth in this book just made me love him more. Tharion plays a bigger role in this book, and I liked seeing the merpeople and their world more. And then there is Ithan. I disliked him so much in book one, I know he was hurting, but he was such a dick to Bryce. His grief is on display here as well as the loyalty that comes with being a wolf.

Overall, I really enjoyed House of Sky and Breath. I felt there was more world-building and more straight forward answers given in this one than in the first book. But that ending 🤯 I’m totally here for an Avenger’s style mash up Mrs. Maas 😁 If you are a fan of urban fantasy, I highly recommend it.

Audiobook Note: This was my second time reading the book. I somehow forgot to write/post my original review. I wanted to reread prior to book three’s release and chose to listen to this and book one. Elizabeth Evans does a wonderful job narrating. I found myself completely engrossed in the story. Her inflections and subtle voice changes made it easy to keep track of which character was narrating which was no small feat on her part as there were many different points of view. I listened at my normal 2x speed.

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