Tag: murder mystery
New Adult Romance, Paranormal, YA Fantasy
My Review: The Kingdom of the Cursed (Kingdom of the Wicked #2): by Kerri Maniscalco
November 1, 2021 November 30, 2021 nicholasjgoodsell
Publish Date: October 5th, 2021
Publisher: Little Brown & Company
Genre(s): Paranormal, New Adult Romance, YA Fantasy
***Warning!! This review contains spoilers from this book and the previous in the series, so continue reading at your own risk! You've officially been warned!***
To see my review of book #1 – Kingdom of the Wicked – Click HERE
To see my Fancast/Dreamcast of the series so far – Click HERE
Total Star Rating: 4.5 Stars
'Tell me,' he whispered, his voice sliding like silk over my flushed skin.
'What?' My own voice came out breathless.
'I am your favorite sin.'"
– Kerri Maniscalco, "Kingdom of the Cursed"
The official blurb:
After selling her soul to become Queen of the Wicked, Emilia travels to the Seven Circles with the enigmatic Prince of Wrath, where she's introduced to a seductive world of vice.
She vows to do whatever it takes to avenge her beloved sister, Vittoria… even if that means accepting the hand of the Prince of Pride, the king of demons.
The first rule in the court of the Wicked? Trust no one. With back-stabbing princes, luxurious palaces, mysterious party invitations, and conflicting clues about who really killed her twin, Emilia finds herself more alone than ever before. Can she even trust Wrath, her one-time ally in the mortal world… or is he keeping dangerous secrets about his true nature?
Emilia will be tested in every way as she seeks a series of magical objects that will unlock the clues of her past and the answers she craves…
One sister.
Two sinful princes.
Infinite deception with a side of revenge… Welcome to Hell.
I sincerely apologize readers, as I'm typing this review, I'm noticing how much longer it's taking me to post more often here on my blog…all I can really say to explain myself is life is crazy, I'm really tired a lot, I'm trying to have a social life because sitting at home in bed with depression doesn't help, I've gotten back into drawing. I've started a bookstagram account (@goodyreads) and actually because I've been reading up a storm for the last few months too! Like I can't even keep up with typing up reviews with all I've read so far! But anyways, onto my review…
The Kingdom of the Cursed is the sequel in this series, but the second book syndrome is (thank god) NO WHERE to be found…in fact, it's the total opposite because I loved this book way more than the first one! It's so much deeper and richer and sexier, and I'm so glad that the author decided to go the more New Adult path for this story instead of keeping it in Young Adult. I think it serves the story so much better!
We start off immediately how book 1 ended, and that was such a big cliffhanger so you're right back in the thick of it as Wrath and Emilia travel to Hell together. Emilia is still feeling the sting of betrayal at how Wrath seemingly tricked her and made her soul the one he needed to free himself from the Devil and give him a bride…BUT she can't help but still feel very much attracted to him, even if she has to do all she can to hide that little tidbit for what it's worth…
As they get into Hell, there's the preparation of a celebration that they must attend at some point, and it's not exactly confirmed right away, but Emilia will most likely be the guest of honor. In order to get into Pride's manor and learn if he's for sure who's behind her sister's murder, she reluctantly turns to Wrath to train her on all mind-games and mental/emotional abuse the other princes may take upon, but let's just say things get pretty heated in more ways than one….
Everything about this book is just bigger when compared to the previous book…and no, it's not just about what Wrath is packing underneath his breeches. The plot thickened so very much, as did the sexual tension between our two main characters, it was a surprisingly hot read! And there's so much more mythology and lore explored this time around surrounding Emilia's lineage to add as well!
The plot itself may feel slower at some points, especially with the training and Emilia's repetitive inner monologues about either finding her sister's killer or how much she either hates Wrath or wants to get naked with him, but it is more character-driven this time around, and I personally didn't have a problem with it, but I can see others might. Either way, it was a perfect book for spooky season!
You see a shift in both characters and definitely some growth; Emilia has definitely grown some thicker skin and isn't as naive and innocent; she's kind of turned into a scheming Slytherin-esque heroine if I do say so myself. Wrath also shows a lot more emotion this time around as he fights his own urges and admits to his attraction at some point or another, but isn't afraid to be a cold and ruthless ruler of his realm all the same!
There are lots of twists at the end of this book, some you may be able to guess, but some I honestly wasn't expecting, so the surprise of it all definitely adds to my appreciation of this book. And of course, it ends on an even bigger cliffhanger in multiple ways that I won't spoil (duh) and that you'll have to read to find out for yourself!
Your longings will taunt and tease you into oblivion if you can't control them. This is a realm of sin and desire."
The Mature NA Shift! I am sooooo glad that the author decided to up the maturity on this story and make it a more New Adult level of reading because, let's be honest, Wrath is WAY too sexy to stuck in Young Adult, and this book DEFINITELY proves that! Sexy Demon Prince can freakin' get. It!
How Much Thicker The Plot Got! I was surprised at how much deeper this mystery goes and how the story went from being a simple murder mystery to what exactly are Emilia's abilities, what do they mean, and raises plenty more questions about her lineage as a witch too! The author also helps this by diving deeper into the mythology and lore behind this world and the history of the seven realms of hell, the first witch, and the 7 princes of hell!
Wrath & Emilia's Sexual Tension! Holy….shit! This book was freakin' hot! I mean, it wasn't as smutty as a Sierra Simone or Lorelei James novel, but I wasn't expecting the amount of spice this book had! Kudos to the author on upping the sex appeal in this regards! It makes me think how well other YA authors would do if they decided to write more mature content…
All the Secrets and Mistrust! One thing that continues to drive this story is all the intrigue and all the omission of truths that Wrath and Emilia keep from each other…I mean, it makes sense since they've gone from enemies-to-lovers-andbackto-enemies in these books, and it is oh so juicy to see them at each other's throats (and other body parts here and there 😉)
Why Are The Demons So…Non-demonic?…So there's a couple side characters in this book who are all demons of Hell, and part of me was a little turned off at how…civilized it all was! Call it cliché, but I was hoping for more chaos and monstrous creatures to fight against or outsmart. There weren't even werewolves and vampires like in the previous book! Fauna is an excellent example; she seemed just way too sweet and innocent to be a demon in all honesty…she was pretty much just the voice in Emilia's head to remind her of how good Wrath could be when she was particularly upset with him about something.
Overall, I really enjoyed this sequel tremendously more than the previous book by a long shot! The romance was added much heavier and much more steamier too, which I am incredibly happy about, but even the plot got much deeper too and with an ending like this one, you can bet there are LOTS of questions I have for what can happen next! It showed how little we truly know as an audience, and I'm only sad I have to wait another year to get more answers!
If you love the romance dynamics of Poppy and Casteel in A Kingdom of Flesh & Fire, or Feyre and Rhysand in A Court of Mist and Fury, you'll devour this book!
Tagged book review, enemies to lovers, fantasy series, Kerri Maniscalco, Kingdom of the Cursed, Kingdom of the Wicked, KOTC, KOTW, murder mystery, New Adult, New Adult Romance, Romance, seven demon princes, wrath and Emilia, YA Fantasy, ya fantasy novel, YA romanceLeave a comment
My Fancast/Dreamcast: The Kingdom of the Wicked series by Kerri Maniscalco
October 21, 2021 October 21, 2021 nicholasjgoodsell
Image courtesy of Bookstagram account: @xenatine
I'm back with another Fancast article, this time it's a demonic, witchy series that has become a favorite of mine in 2021 as I started reading it, "Kingdom of the Wicked" is a spooky delight with enemies-to-lovers and (surprisingly) amazing food prep descriptions that may add on to my quarantine 45!
The story revolves around Emilia, whose family is full of witches who must keep it a secret from witch hunters, they live among the mortals of their island town. Her twin sister, Vittoria, is mysteriously & brutally murdered, and Emilia goes looking for answers, and reluctantly joins forces with one of her mortal enemies: a demon Prince from hell. They rule the kingdom of the wicked, and Prince Wrath may be incredibly easy on the eyes, but never before has a witch ever formed an alliance with demon royalty, but as they dig deeper into this murder mystery, they discover there are much more malicious forces at work, and dark prophecies may soon come to light…
I am making this Fancast/Dreamcast as I've recently finished the second book that's released – Kingdom of the Cursed – as I'm typing this. I'm so relieved that Kerri Maniscalco decided to go in more new adult direction with this series; Wrath was WAYYYYYYYYY too hot to stay in YA!
Anyways, not everyone has been cast yet, but not to worry! I plan to add characters as I find a face to the name, so refer back to this post as books release and it'll be updated as quickly as possible!
Here's My Official Fancast/Dreamcast:
Emilia/Vittoria di Carlo: Sophia Miacova
She isn't an actress, but this model definitely has the look I imagine these magical twins having! She's got the Latin looks, even if I'm not entirely sure if she ethnically matches up to the characters.
Nonna Maria: Stevie Nicks
Again, I'm not getting an A+ on authenticity because Stevie Nicks doesn't have any Italian descent in her blood, but there's no doubt that she has a witchy, haunting vibe to her…hell, she played a witch in "American Horror Story" when she's made surprise appearances!
Antonio Vincenzu Bernardo: Rafael Silva
I love Rafael in Fox's "9-1-1: Lone Star" and he has such boyish good looks that I imagined Antonio having! Who wouldn't have a crush on a face like that if they grew up with him like Emilia?
Prince Wrath: Clayton Brannon
Okay, but Prince Wrath was easily the hardest to cast because this is going to sound shallow, but who could possibly be good looking enough to play this sexy demon Prince from Hell?!?! Luckily, I remembered I follow this model on Instagram and I do believe he is an excellent choice even if he's not an actor, he's who I picture as Wrath!
Claudia: Jeanine Mason
I first saw this actress in a season of "Grey's Anatomy" and she's also in the show of "Roswell, New Mexico" but also who I picked to be Emilia's cousin in these books.
Prince Envy: Mario Zabal
Again, apparently demon princes from Hell are sexy AF, because here's another model who matches up to this Prince of the green sin…he's got sharp features that I think really encapsulate the prince's ethereal beauty!
Prince Greed: Daniel Gillies
So if you've seen my other Fancastings, you know I love "The Vampire Diaries" and for some reason, "Elijah" here came to mind when it came to the demon Prince who ran an underground speak-easy/casino to lure the weak minded into losing everything…
Prince Lust: Clint Mauro
Clint Mauro is someone who I consider to be one of the sexiest men in existence, so why not have him play the Prince of Lust! I even found a picture of him shirtless on a beach because a beach is where we first met him! You're welcome!
Alexei: Jarred Blakiston
So this actor is obviously wearing a wig, but seeing him in full costume in the Netflix show "The New Legends of Monkey," he looks like an evil elven Prince, or in this case, a certain vampire who does the bidding of Prince Envy!
Anir: Charles Michael Davis
I was struggling to find someone who wasn't Ne-Yo or Tyson Beckford in who has both an African and Asian background since that's how the character is described, but I found out that Charles is part Filipino, so it fits! Another TVD favorite who played Marcel!
Fauna: ???
I'm struggling to find someone who looks like what I imagined this character looking like….stay tuned!
Prince Gluttony: Darren Criss, or Adam Brody
This Prince is not a larger sized guy like you might think, in fact even Emilia describes him as not appearing how she expected either. He's described as being shorter with brownish-maybe dark red hair and hazel eyes, so I pictured either of these actors playing the Prince of not eating too much, but simply enjoying ALL of life's pleasures in excess!
Prince Pride: Adam Demos
Prince Pride finally makes an appearance in KOTC, and as soon as we figured out what he actually looks like, I pictured this hot Aussie actor to play him and continue to heat up the screen you're viewing this post on! If he looks familiar, it's because he's on the hit Netflix show "Sex/Life."
Celestia: Kristin Bauer van Straten
She played the dark queen Maleficent in ABC's "Once Upon a Time" and also just so happens to play this character who works as a medicine woman down in hell who's way more than meets the eye…
Remember: this Fancast/Dreamcast will be updated as more books release for this series, and as I figure out more characters, so come back over time to see any new additions.
Tagged Charles Michael Davis, Clayton Brannon, Daniel gillies, demon Prince, Emilia and Wrath, enemies to lovers, fancast, fantasy romance, fantasy series, Jeanine mason, Kerri Maniscalco, Kingdom of the Wicked, kingdom of the wicked Fancast, murder mystery, New Adult, New Adult Romance, New Adult Series, paranormal romance, Rafael Silva, romance novel, Sophia miacova, Stevie nicks, YA romanceLeave a comment
New Adult Romance, Paranormal, Romance, YA Fantasy, YA romance
My Review: Kingdom of the Wicked (Kingdom of the Wicked #1): by Kerri Maniscalco
March 16, 2021 March 16, 2021 nicholasjgoodsell
Publish Date: October 27th, 2020
Publisher: JIMMY Patterson
Genre(s): YA Fantasy, New Adult Romance, YA Romance, Paranormal Romance
Total Star Rating: 3.75 Pages
'There are victors and victims. Decide who you want to be. Or the choice will be made for you, witch. And I doubt you'll like it.'
I threw my head back and groaned. 'It's a game of scopa, not a battle between life and death. Are you always this dramatic?'"
– Kerri Maniscalco, "Kingdom of the Wicked"
Kingdom of the Wicked was a slow burn of a book for me; the beginning started off like any other YA Fantasy title, but once you get further into the story and discover more and more myth and lore in the world that the author of the Stalking Jack The Ripper series has created, I can really say that the book takes off with a jolt in some witchy delight!
This is actually my first novel by Kerri Maniscalco, and after reading it I can say I'm definitely more and more interested in reading her other series I mentioned above because there are still some familiar themes of murder, mystery, romance, and historical settings to make the reader engaged and wanting to stay up late to see what happens next. What I'm noticing with this newer series, however, is that the author seems to have more room for fun and creativity to take her story even further!
The romance was a huge draw for me, and for the most part, it certainly didn't disappoint! I easily got into the chemistry that oozed between the two main characters, Emilia and Wrath, and loved their whole dynamic; I never get tired of an enemies-to-lovers dynamic. While both characters weren't anything brand new or entirely unique to the genre, I can say they're still fun to read as they argue and (attempt) to ignore their growing attractions for each other as they work together to solve a murder mystery.
It wasn't a perfect read; The the overall pacing with the chapters and how they're set up was a little strange for my liking, and some of the ending needs to be clarified for me—or I need to go back and reread it for myself and make sure I pay more attention!
Two sisters…
One brutal murder…
A quest for vengeance that will unleash Hell itself…
And an intoxicating romance…
Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are streghe—witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family's renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin… desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister's killer and to seek vengeance at any cost—even if it means using dark magic that's been long forbidden.
Then Emilia meets Wrath, one of the Wicked Princes of Hell that she has been warned against in tales since she was a child. Wrath claims to be on Emilia's side, tasked by his master with solving the series of women's murders on the island. But when it comes to the Wicked, nothing is as it seems…
'One day you might beg me to kiss you.' He stepped close enough for me to stab him."
The Many Food Descriptions! Several other reviewers pointed this one out, but there are some seriously delicious italian dishes that get mentioned in this book since the main character's family owns and operates a restaurant. Cannoli's are amazing, and I had some major cravings for some once I arrived to that part within the story…yum!
The Romance Between Wrath and Emilia! This book is a great addition to the enemies-to-lovers romance trope as Wrath and Emilia have some immediate sexual tension that builds and builds between them as they reluctantly work together to solve the murder of her twin sister. They irritate each other and start verbal lashings from each other, but underneath it all is an obvious attraction that neither can ignore the closer they become. Their dynamic also grew rather realistically as they slowly begin to trust each other—at least until certain things happen—and rely on each other's strength into a begrudging respect for one another.
The Worldbuilding! I actually liked the class systems of demons the author presented us, there are also the seven demon princes of hell representing the seven deadly sins, the witches living amongst the normal folks and the witch hunters who are secretly members of the church, even werewolves; it's all mixed together to create an interesting world that may or make this series an incredibly memorable one!
The "Whodunnit" Murder Mystery! I always love a good mystery where the main character is on the hunt for a killer who leaves a bloody trail of bodies behind.
The Beginning Felt Very Generic…This book was pretty boring at first and felt like any general YA Fantasy title out there, but once Emilia and Wrath run into each other and meet for the first time, that was when things really begin to take off!
Not Enough Steam…I know this is a YA Fantasy book so the sexual content (a.k.a. smut) is supposed to be very limited, but really do feel like this story would be even better if there were more steamy scenes. I mean like let's see truly how "wicked" Prince Wrath can be *wink*wink.* Maybe there'll be more scenes like this in later books, but again, I know it can only go so far within the YA reading level.
The Ending…Okay, so this one may be on me because I maybe wasn't fully paying close enough attention and missed something, but part of the ending kind of went over my head. For most of the book, it felt like a pretty light read that didn't require my entire attention, but then all of a sudden SO MUCH was happening at the end and I blinked and missed some vital information I think…if someone sees this review and wants to message me to fully explain it all to me, you'd officially be my favorite person!!
The Short Chapters…Some chapters were only like a page and a half long, and I was wondering to myself why a single conversation was sometimes three whole chapters when it could've been just one? It was weird pacing to me and kind of annoying at times…
This is my first Kerri Maniscalco novel, and this book really does make me interested in reading her Stalking Jack The Ripper series that put her name on the map!
Like the romance between the two main characters in this book, the story was a slow burn that definitely left me interested to keep reading on once the next book arrives later on! It wasn't the next binge-worthy series for me to become obsessed with, but this book shows that the series has a whole lot of potential to become a huge fan favorite among the many other incredibly popular YA Fantasy series most of us readers know and love!
A reckoning awoke in me. The more I gave, the more he returned. We traded kisses like blows. And if this were a fight, I wouldn't know who was winning. I understood why some thought kissing one of the Wicked was addictive. Each time his tongue touched mine, it felt as if the ground beneath me quaked. Like we were a cataclysmic event that shouldn't be."
I recommend this book to those that really enjoyed other titles like Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin or the Folk of the Air trilogy by Holly Black; the dynamic between Wrath and Emilia for sure gave me some impressions of Jude and Cardan with the whole enemies-to-lovers, then back to enemies dynamic!
Tagged Cardan Greenbriar, Emilia and Wrath, enemies to lovers, Historical Fiction, Holly Black, Holly Black The Cruel Prince, Holly Black the Queen of Nothing, Jude and Cardan, Jude Duarte, Kerri Maniscalco, Kingdom of the Wicked, Kingdom of the Wicked Kerri Maniscalco, Kingdom of the Wicked review, murder mystery, New Adult Romance, paranormal fiction, paranormal romance, Romance, Romance Tropes, Serpent & Dove, Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin, Serpent & Dove Shelby Mahurin, Shelby Mahurin, Stalking Jack the Ripper, Stalking Jack The Ripper series, The Cruel Prince, The Folk of the Air, The Folk of the Air Series, The Queen of Nothing, The Wicked King, The Wicked King Holly Black, Who Dunnit Mystery, YA Fantasy, ya fantasy novel, YA Fantasy Romance, ya fantasy series, YA romanceLeave a comment
My Review: The Guest List: by Lucy Foley
October 22, 2020 March 9, 2021 nicholasjgoodsell
Publish Date: June 2nd, 2020
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre(s): Mystery/Thriller
There's something about the season of Autumn that just gets me in the mood for a juicy murder mystery novel! the changing of the leaves, the crisp air, the warm drinks, and making the shift from t-shirts and shorts over to sweaters and jeans just gets me in the mindset to want to get into a creepy story that makes my mind race and keeps me guessing until the bloody climax. I'd maybe even say it's similar to those who really enjoy having horror movie marathons during the months of fall; with Halloween just around the corner, why not be spooked a little bit for your amusement? I've never been a big fan of horror in both book or movie form, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't drift away from what I usually enjoy reading and turn to something with a much more sinister vibe to it, at least for the sake of a good story!
The Guest List is the most recent release from author Lucy Foley, who's written another suspense/thriller/mystery titled The Hunting Party, which I haven't read yet, but it's definitely on my radar! With the gorgeous cover design, and my interest in a murder mystery story piqued during the fall season, I wanted to give it a try and see how I liked it. It wasn't a bad book at all, in fact it's actually set up in a creative way of mixing the past with present day, but I just wasn't as excited as I'd hoped I'd be. I was curious enough to want to keep reading on and see who was behind it, and I also wasn't disappointed at the big reveal at the end, but I just wasn't mind-blown or completely shocked out of my whit by this story.
There are some incredibly noteworthy things I want to address about this book, as I don't like to only leave my negative thoughts known in my reviews: I loved how the author had this story told from multiple perspectives, how unpredictable the story overall was and how I didn't know who the killer was until they revealed themselves, and Will Slater ended up being an incredible character for the sake of the story!
Even though I'm lukewarm about this book, I'd still easily recommend it to those who love books within the genre it belongs to. I think just because I didn't fully get out of it what I wanted, I can still see how others could really get into this story and enjoy it much more than I did.
The bride ‧ The plus one ‧ The best man ‧ The wedding planner ‧ The bridesmaid ‧ The body
On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one. The groom: handsome and charming, a rising television star. The bride: smart and ambitious, a magazine publisher. It's a wedding for a magazine, or for a celebrity: the designer dress, the remote location, the luxe party favors, the boutique whiskey. The cell phone service may be spotty and the waves may be rough, but every detail has been expertly planned and will be expertly executed.
But perfection is for plans, and people are all too human. As the champagne is popped and the festivities begin, resentments and petty jealousies begin to mingle with the reminiscences and well wishes. The groomsmen begin the drinking game from their school days. The bridesmaid not-so-accidentally ruins her dress. The bride's oldest (male) friend gives an uncomfortably caring toast.
And then someone turns up dead. Who didn't wish the happy couple well? And perhaps more important, why?
It's Told From Multiple Perspectives! I really do like a story told through the views of multiple characters, it can make a story feel so fresh and more interesting that way, and it really added to this book to see how the timeline developed. You see one event happen within the day leading up to the wedding; some actions were more shocking than others, or a character was acting strange, and then someone else's perspective has an assist in explaining it afterward. You have Aoife (the wedding planner), Jules (the bride), Johnno (the best man), Hannah (the plus one), and Olivia (the bridesmaid). Each of them have their own secrets and baggage that seem to have followed them to the island where this wedding is taking place.
It Kept Me Guessing! I love to be unsure of who the killer is in a whodunnit-style mystery, and this book truly had me trying to figure it out up until the big climax of the story and the killer is revealed!
Will Slater. It's not that I liked the character, in fact you'll like him less and less as you read on, but the way the author integrated him into the story and had him be such a pivotal character despite how he's not one of the character's who's telling the story, I had to make a note about him and how on the outside he seems like the Hollywood "golden boy" but has so much more going on beneath the surface. Definitely keep your eye on him when you read this book!
It's a Real Slow Burn…I'm not exactly sure what the perfect way to set up a murder mystery like this would've been, the author technically checked off every major aspect to include in the set up: have a cast of characters, give them all terrible secrets and some sort of connection to each other, put them all in an isolated environment and have their means of communication cut off from the outside world so they're trapped. What really slowed this book down in the middle was getting to know the characters and getting a sense of who they were. As it went on, the characters did get more interesting as secrets slowly began to reveal themselves until suddenly everyone had a motive to be the killer, but it was just so slowly drawn out that this book was a little hard to initially want to keep reading.
Don't Know The Victim Until The End…The story is told in a way that has it constantly switching back and forth to the night of the wedding and the day before when the bridal party and the close family members arrived. The night of the wedding, it's implied that someone has been killed and a small search party goes out in search of whoever it may be. Switch back to the day before, and things slowly escalate to make you have two questions: who's the victim, and who killed them? Personally, I like the murder mysteries where the killer takes out multiple people one-by-one. I'll admit the way this whole story was told was cleverly done and was pretty creative amongst the many other murder mystery stories out there, but I personally find that I just like the stories with multiple murder victims: they're just more exciting to read in my opinion.
A clever, well written whodunnit-style murder mystery that will truly leave you wondering who could possibly be behind it until the very end. A perfect fix for anyone who likes to get into the suspense/thriller in the fall like I do, I think anyone who enjoyed books like And Then There None by Agatha Christie and An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena will enjoy this book!
Overall, I thought The Guest List was an okay read but didn't love it, but lately any sort of suspense/thriller hasn't really hit me like they used to. Believe it or not, but they just aren't thrilling enough for me, ironic enough. I'm always happy to hear recommendations from anyone interested, so if you have one that you think I'd enjoy, I'd love to hear it!
Tagged Agatha Christie, And Then There Were None, And Then There Were None Agatha Christie, Julia Keegan, Lucy Foley, murder mystery, murder mystery review, Shari Lapena, The Guest List, The Guest List Lucy Foley, Will SlaterLeave a comment
Fantasy, Romance
My Review: House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1): by Sarah J. Maas
April 1, 2020 January 30, 2023 nicholasjgoodsell
Publish Date: March 3rd, 2020
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Genre(s): Fantasy, Romance
Through love, all is possible."
– Sarah J. Maas, "House of Earth and Blood"
I know, I know…it sounds like a really cheesy quote; like something straight out of a Sailor Moon movie where something flower or heart shaped pops out of Usaki's chest along with some song with those exact lyrics while she saves the world with the help of Tuxedo Mask and the other sailor scouts and everything becomes back to normal…Read this book though, and this quote will have much more meaning to you, along with the characters who say it.
So, it's been a couple of days since I'd finished this behemoth of a book, and with the time away from it, I was able to fully absorb everything that happens and be able to organize my thoughts. I've also been able to get a Fancast for the series going on here as well
You should check out my in-progress Fancast/Dreamcast by clicking the link HERE!
Like any other title SJM has written, I'd gotten completely transported into the story with all its characters, and nothing else mattered to me but finding out what happened next. I know some people aren't really fans of her work—a few who've read this couldn't get past the repetitiveness of her words—but I can't help but admit that I just really connect with her books! The plots, the characters, the twists, and the romance; I just can never get enough of it…Plus, isn't it normal for an author to have similar themes and/or characters in their multiple work projects? If it works for them once, can't it work again? Also, don't readers also have a set of similar expectations whenever they check out the author's other books anyways?
I had many different emotions while reading this book: the first one being confusion because right off the bat there was a TON of world-building info that honestly didn't make a whole lot of sense. The next was the usual overall happiness because theres also a group dynamic amongst the main character, her long-time best friend, and their squad of wolves—not werewolves because they can choose when to change. The next was absolute heartbreak…then that turned back into excitement, and I'm not going to lie, I actually cried six times the last 25% of the book too, and now I need to know what happens next when the sequel doesn't even have a release date yet!
I did have some initial hesitation going in that I thought was worth mentioning. Once I'd read the blurb, I was worried how similar this plot sounded compared to A LOT of other paranormal romance titles/series out there. One in particular that I've become obsessed with in 2020: The Fever series by Karen Marie Moning. They both sounded too eerily similar: both include a young, gorgeous party girl who's easy, party-drug induced world is flipped upside down when someone they care about more than anything else ends up mysteriously murdered. They're thrust into deadly hunt to find some answers with the reluctant help of Mr. Tall, Dark, Gorgeous…and completely broody, cheeky alphahole. Together, they discover the dark workings of an underworld full of demons and other evil creatures, along with many sketchy beings, and make questionable alliances in order to learn the truth and save the world from impending doom. I was thankfully relieved when after I'd gotten a few chapters in at how different the two stories were able to remain amongst each other, especially as it would've looked worse for SJM since the Fever series has been coming out since 2006. She'd dodged the bullet there, and still managed to make another series that's just as binge-worthy.
Bound by blood.
Tempted by desire.
Unleashed by destiny.
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.
With unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and page-turning suspense, this richly inventive new fantasy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas delves into the heartache of loss, the price of freedom—and the power of love.
The Romance Development! So it can't even be considered a spoiler because of the blurb, but there's a romantic subplot that occurs between Bryce and Hunt. I would gladly categorize it under the "Enemies-to-Lovers" romance trope, and it's honestly done to perfection. The two of them become reluctant partners to try and solve the big mystery of the murders, and as the stakes get higher, they grow closer along with the sexual tension rising at a really well drawn out slow burn. Hunt and Bryce really compliment each other well, and as they grow closer and become more vulnerable with each other, they reveal tidbits about themselves and realize how similar they both are. I seriously just loved their relationship, and how they'd come to mean so much to each other in the amount of time they spend together. I really, really hope they're endgame because based off how SJM book romances go, the first love NEVER works out…Hopefully this relationship breaks the pattern.
SJM Called Herself Out! SJM has gotten a reputation for having the same content in her books, but also excluding certain components too: mainly, people get sick of how she doesn't seem to try and include diverse characters in terms of both ethnicity and sexual orientation; she only likes to write characters who are straight + white. They also say her male love interests are complete alphaholes— who gets way too possessive, jealous, and the word mixes the word alpha with asshole for those that couldn't figure it out. He's usually broody, moody, and scowls a lot while being considered an admirable/fearsome leader, and usually has a tragic background and doesn't think he'll ever find love…spoiler alert: he eventually does with the main character. There's more to it, but I think you get the point…Bryce calls Hunt out right as their partnership is officially formed, and I actually laughed as I'd pictured SJM herself flicking off all the haters to show everyone that she sees them..and she beat them to the punch. It felt like SJM listened to the criticism she often receives from some readers, and showed them how she's aware of it all, and honestly made an effort to change it for this book.
Ruhn Danaan! I think he's considered a minor character, but he also feels like a main character because you read his perspective throughout the story, but all I know is, he is by far one of the best characters in this book. He calls himself out on his "chosen one" status everyone has given him as the heir to the Fae throne in Crescent City, but based off his demeanor and how he's gone all tattoos-and-piercings; he rebels against the expectations everyone has given him. His relationship as Bryce's cousin…anyways, it's also quite a treat to enjoy to see how it evolves and uncover hidden depths of its dynamic as you read on, so please enjoy!
The Cover Design! House of Earth and Blood probably has to be her best cover yet! I've loved some of the Throne of Glass covers while not really the Court of Thorns and Roses covers, but this one instantly bops to the top!
The Theme of Friendship! The deepest relationship besides Bryce and Hunt's relationship explored is the friendship between Bryce and her sister from another mister, Danika. Throughout the story, their friendship really goes through the wringer, and is tested as more secrets are unveiled in order to solve the mystery. This was especially shocking because you know about Danika's terrible fate even in the blurb. It's a real emotional roller coaster, especially as you learn how hard it is for both women to actually say the words I love you to anyone else and how they'd literally die for each other and sacrifice everything in order for the other to be happy. Nothing exchanged between these two is insignificant, that's for sure!
The Swearing and the Sex Talk! Honestly, I am here for the amount of swearing there is in this book; it makes up for every "fuck" Aelin wanted to yell but wasn't able to. I swear a lot when I talk amongst my friends or whenever I'm in a casual setting, so this truly resonated with me, and made the dialogue feel so much more natural! SJM has quite of bit of her characters lewdly talk about topics like sex, drugs, drinking, and partying because it's stuff that people actually talk about in today's world. At least, they are amongst my friends and age group of the New Adults aged 18-25. It makes it even cooler that in this book, the people doing it are Fae, Witches, Mermaids, Witches, Wolves, Vampires, and other creatures straight out of fairy tales.
The Evolution of Danika! Like I'd mentioned above, Danika was a huge surprise for this book. Once the inevitable happens, I'd kind of written her off, but her character continued to stay relevant as the plot thickened. It turns out Danika had a lot of secrets to hide, and even has her moral code questioned at one point, only to develop even further, and I was amazed at how SJM was able to do that with a character that was never standing by the rest of the cast in present time. My favorite part of SJM's writing is her character work, by far. She can even make a dead girl one of the most popular characters of the entire book, not to knock any of the characters still alive—just read the book to see what I mean.
Aidas! A character we see only three times, and of course he's the most interesting character to me despite that fact. He's a level-5 demon prince from Hel (not a typo, thats how it's spelled in this book), and since there's only two other princes above his status, he's kind of a big deal. He's partially at fault with how I want the next book, like, NOW! The very last words are uttered by him, and with that, the torturous waiting has begun…
The Massive Info Dump at the Beginning…One of the biggest critiques this book has been receiving is the massive info dump that occurs within the very first few chapters, and I gotta say I'm in total agreement here. 80% of Chapter 1 is an info dump, and it's just way too much too soon, and it hardly made any sense as quite a bit of the information doesn't really come into play until much later in the book. I say, SJM should've spaced it out more to make even the opening chapter less overwhelming for everyone reading it for the first time. I can say, however, once you get past this initial set up, the book gets a whole lot better, and even the last third of the book is balls to the walls amazing! Seriously, if the book is dragging for you, PLEASE wait until the last 200 pages to really give it a chance, because it makes it all so worth it!
The WorldBuilding is All Over the Place! With the info dumps at the beginning, it's also confusing how so many cities and other civilizations are referenced so much in this story, but we don't know where they are, or have any map for reference to help my fellow visual learners make reading it any easier. The only map we get is of Crescent City itself, so that was irksome…Hopefully another map of the whole world will be created soon, maybe even before the next book releases. Hopefully!
Compared To Her Other Work…Not that I didn't enjoy the book, but once people started pointing out certain things, I couldn't ignore it. They're saying she's almost plagiarizing herself with how similar this book is compared to her Throne of Glass series. A lot of the character arcs all seem the same, and I don't feel like going into detail about it all, but I can say that I definitely see the comparison made there.
It's Length…No, not the velvet wrapped steel SJM sometimes mentions in her sex scenes….you filthy perverts can go get your minds out of the gutters! I'm talking about how this is one thicccc book, and for those that are already on the fence about SJM and her books, this one will be a major test to see how you fare with her work because of the length, and how no major twists or revelations happen until after the 500 page mark. Even I can agree that the pages before you hit 500 could've been condensed a bit more in order to make it an easier read for some people. I remember I had a similar issue like this with The Priory of the Orange Tree, but I have other issues besides the length of that title, and I will say something controversial by stating I enjoyed this title more than the standalone literal brick by Samantha Shannon—check out my review in the embedded link to see my reasoning for that.
At this point, I really take a lot of the criticism SJM books receive with a grain of salt. I'm always extremely emotionally invested in her stories whenever I open the pages of my copy of whatever book it is of hers, whether it's for the first time ever or I'm able to squeeze in a reread of the previous book before the next one releases. I just connect with her style of writing so much, and enjoy her work more than so many other authors. I can recognize her faults as a writer too, and still be able to look past them to still be able to enjoy her stories. I just hope some people will learn to go out and find other authors that they can enjoy and praise more instead of wasting so much time and energy bashing her work just because she won't include certain components into her titles. No writer should be forced to do something like that, to change how they tell a story just because certain members of the target audience require X,Y, and Z in order to be able to enjoy a work of fiction. Like I said, if you don't like an author, simply go search for someone else's work to praise instead. SJM has a huge following, her books are always popular, so some negative reviews on Goodreads aren't going to change that anytime soon! Okay…rant over on that, now back to House of Earth and Blood:
Was this book perfect? No.
Is this book my new favorite? I'm not sure, but it's defs up there!
Did I still enjoy this book? Hell yeah!
Did I cry while reading this book? Oh, you bet'cha…
Do I need the next book? Immediately!
I recommend this book to anyone who already enjoys Sarah J. Maas's other books, maybe more her later work that gets more mature themes. Personally, I would be fine if she decides to stay this route and not continue with YA anymore just because I can tell she enjoys the more mature themes, like the swearing and sex scenes themselves that can only get a whole lot better as she keeps writing! I also recommend this book to people that enjoyed titles like the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning; Bryce Quinlan has a lot of similarities to Mackayla Lane that I think fans of both series will immensely enjoy, and might also enjoy comparing Hunt Athalar to Jericho Barrons! Total side note: but wow, their names sound so much more crazy when they're next to each other like that… It's a good thing I'm still crazy about those two alphaholes!
Tagged A Court of Frost and Starlight, A Court of Mist and Fury, A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Thorns and Roses series, A Court of Wings and Ruin, aelin ashryver galathynius, Alpha-Hole, alphahole, Angels and demons, books by Sarah J. Maas, Bryce Quinlan, Crescent City, Crescent City Sarah J Maas, crown of midnight, empire of storms, fantasy novel, fantasy series, heir of fire, House of Earth and Blood, House of Earth and Blood Sarah J Maas, Hunt Athalar, Jericho Barrons, Kingdom of ash, Mackayla Lane, murder mystery, queen of shadows, rowan whitethorn, sarah j maas, sarah j maas books, throne of glass, throne of glass series, tower of dawn, Urban Fantasy2 Comments