House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas Book Review

Title: House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City Book 2)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Mystery, Romantic Fantasy
Year of Publication: 2022
Date of Publication: February 15, 2022
Pages: 805 (Hardcover, US ed.)
ISBN‑10: 1635574080
ISBN‑13: 978‑1635574081

Our Rating of This Book

Summary of House of Sky and Breath

House of Sky and Breath (HOSAB) is the second book in the Crescent City series. It follows House of Earth and Blood. Although the book continues Bryce’s story, it opens up with a girl named Sofie Renast trying to escape captivity from a death camp with 12 children, including her brother named Emile.

We learn that Sofie, who easily passes off as a human, possesses a rare thunderbird power. Most thunderbirds have been hunted down by the Asteri as they were seen as a threat and have since gone extinct. Emile, who is only 13 years old, was captured three years ago and sent to the death camp. Sofie is part of Ophion and she convinces them to assist with the rescue of her brother with the belief that he has a more powerful version of her power and could be vital to the rebellion. For this reason, they agree.

At the start of the book, Bryce and Hunt are trying to live a quiet life as instructed by the Asteri. But when Tharion is sent by the River Queen to find Sofie, he discovers a series of emails between Sofie and Danika, and this leads him to approach Bryce with questions. This information leads to a series of events that pull Bryce, Hunt and the rest of their friends into a not so quiet life.

In addition, a new governor is appointed to replace Micah and new members join the 33rd triarii to Hunt’s dismay. A lot of the story centers around Bryce and the rest of her allies seeking to find Sofie and Emile, Ithan finding his place in a new world and Bryce learning more about her powers. If you are a fan of A Court of Thorn and Roses Series, you will definitely love the ending of this book.

Main Plot & Characters

Bryce Quinlan, Hunt Athalar, and Ruhn Danaan: All three of them return in this book.
Sofie Renast: She escapes the Kavalla Death Camps and leads a daring rescue of children, including her brother Emile.
Tharion Ketos: A mer prince and River Queen’s emissary. He is allied with Bryce and is now entangled in her cause.
Ithan Holstrom: A wolf shifter from the Prime’s bloodline. He grapples with loyalty to his pack and his own path.
Celestina: She replaced Micah as governor.
Mordoc: He is a dread‑wolf and serves as the second‑in‑command to The Hind. He is also Danika’s father.
Cormac: A Fae prince and time-walker. His role becomes critical as the stakes rise. He is Ruhn’s cousin.
Morven Donnall: He is a Valbaran Fae king and the ruler of the Avallen Fae. He is also the father of Cormac Donnall.
Baxian: A member of the Asteri’s 33rd Legion, with hidden motives. He is also known as the Helhound.
The Hind (Lidia Cervos): She is a deer shifter and one of the dreaded Asteri agents. Her true allegiance is a major revelation. She also used to be part of Sandriel’s triarii.
Aidas: A powerful demon prince of Hel with mysterious interests in Bryce’s destiny. Aidas is also known as the Prince of the Chasm
Jesiba Roga: She is Bryce former employer and an antique dealer.
Hypaxia Enador: The Queen of the Witches, an ally to Bryce and Ruhn.
The Asteri: The ancient beings ruling Midgard. Their true nature and goals drive much of the book’s conflict.
Lehabah: The fire sprite who sacrificed herself in Book 1; her memory continues to shape Bryce.
The Under-King: Ruler of the Bone Quarter, keeper of the dead.
Rigelus: One of the most powerful of the Asteri. He usually likes to appear as a young boy.
Pollux: He is nicknamed the Hammer because of how brutal he is. He used to be part of Sandriel’s triarii.
Apollion: Also known as the Prince of the Pit.
Pippa Spetsos: She is a rebel leader with her own agenda. She is known for her Lightfall missions.
Declan Emmet: Tech genius in Ruhn’s inner circle.
Tristan Flynn: Ruhn’s loyal friend, one of the Fae royal circle.
Sandriel: She was an Archangel and Governor of the northwestern quadrant of Pangera. Her twin sister, Shahar was in a relationship with Hunt. Shahar was killed during a rebellion. She blames hunt for luring her twin into the rebellion. She was Hunt’s former owner before Micah.
Naomi Boreas: She is part of the triarii and the only one who is not enslaved.
Ephraim: He is an Archangel and appointed Governor of Rodinia. He chose to take over the northern Pangera territory once ruled by Sandriel.
The Harpy: She used to be part of Sandriel’s triarii but she later joins Ephraim’s group.
Sabine: Danika’s mother and the ruthless Alpha of all wolf shifters.
Ophion: A rebel organization fighting against the Asteri’s rule.
The Astronomer: He is a sorcerer who sells information and access to the dead.

Back of the book House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas

Writing Style

Sarah J. Maas tells the story using a narration style with a focus on multiple perspectives and that definitely adds to the tension and suspense. While the book is huge, it is unbelievably still very fast-paced and makes you feel like you are watching a moving instead of reading a really big book!

Maas flushes out a lot of the characters from the first book especially Ruhn, Tharion and Ithan, but also gives us even more characters to love. But even better than giving us characters to love, the author gives us a lot of characters to hate like Pollux and Mordoc.

“The most brutal, sadistic asshole to have ever walked Midgard’s soil. Motherfucker Number One.”— Hunt’s reflections on Pollux Antonius

The humor and the banter in the book is really great. The romance was OK although some of it was a little over the top. In terms of action and suspense, Maas definitely keeps readers engaged and given the size of the book that is not a small task.

Memorable Quotes

“Light it up Bryce.”— Hunt Athalar
“Light it up Hunt.”— Bryce
“Swords could mean hope, resistance, strength. Guns mean death. They were to be respected, but only as weapons of killing, even in defense.”— Bryce remembering the words of Randall Silago
“I thought you agreed to marry me because of my winning personality.”— Bryce response to Cormac
“You need me to tuck you into bed, too?.”— Hunt to Baxian after giving him a tour
“Sorry for sexiling you, Ithan.”— Bryce
“A place where the weary souls find relief from their suffering”— Tharion, Bryce, Hunt, all reflecting on Danika’s words

“I love you. I wish I’d said it more. But I love you, Quinlan, and… Our love is stronger than time, greater than any distance. Our love spans across stars and worlds. I will find you again. I promise.”— Hunt Athalar

Impact of House of Sky and Breath

This sequel continues the Crescent City universe and sets the stage for House of Flame and Shadow. Like most Sarah J. Maas books, it continues to be a topic of discussion online and in many book clubs.

**Have you read House of Sky and Breath? What did you think about that ending?**

Authors

Nathaniel Adebayo

Nathaniel is a Media Content Specialist at Verayea, where he specializes in curating content and gathering data for the company’s extensive book library. He is also dedicated to writing insightful reviews, offering thoughtful perspectives on a range of media. His work ensures that Verayea’s library is comprehensive, well-organized, and informative, providing valuable resources for its audience.
Ufuoma Akpotaire

Ufuoma Akpotaire is a passionate book, movie and music reviewer with a love for travel and culture. She combines her enthusiasm for storytelling with her experience exploring new places and stories. Through her reviews, she celebrates creativity and inspires readers to appreciate the connections between books, movies, music, travel, and global cultures.