The novel House of Earth and Blood written by Sarah J. Maas is the first novel in the series Crescent City. This novel centers around the main character Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar.
Bryce is half Fae and half human. She is overlooked in this world filled with shifters, witches, Malakim (angels), elementals, sprites, mer, nymphs, vampyrs, dragons, etc. However, this does not bother her, not when she has her best friend Danika Fendyr, an alpha of the Pack of Devils. One night, Bryce was partying all night long and came home to witness the massacre of the entire pack and Danika as well. Bryce felt devastated, not only was she out partying while her best friend was getting slaughtered, she didn’t respond to her texts, which were from Danika. When the murderer is behind bars, but the crimes contiue to occur; there was one conclusion Bryce could make: that man behind bars is not the killer. After two years without Danika, Bryce finds herself in the heart of the investigation. She just couldn’t give this up and as she investigates she learns things about Danika that her best friend never told.
Orion “Hunt” Athalar is a well-known fallen angel who has been enslaved by the Archangels he once tried to overthrow for a rebel cause. His ability and power is unique compared to the paranormal world. He is known as the Umbra Mortis, which means shadow of death in Latin. His job for the Governor was to kill people who are not cooperating. However, with a demon causing havoc in the city, he’s offered an appealing deal: if he can assist Bryce identify the murderer, he’ll be set free. He of course takes the offer, it was too good to resist, and braces himself to work with Bryce.
Bryce and Hunt both discover a terrible force that threatens everything and everyone they care about as they delve deeper into Crescent City’s underbelly, and they discover a connection like nothing else. As they go through this journey, they learn more about themselves, the case, and gain friendships. The plot is complicated in all the right ways. It was a beautifully crafted novel.
Written by Julia, Teen Volunteer
CBPL Reviews 