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Review

5 “Light it up” stars

Sarah J. Maas creates the most incredible fantasy worlds, and this time she’s delivered a contemporary urban fantasy full of magic, lore and mythical beings that I could not get enough of. Blending it effortlessly into the human world to create a complex but fabulously developed setting for a mystery/action/romance story that kept me captivated and stole my breath!

Bryce Quinlan is a half human/half fae woman living in thriving Crescent City. She has a solid (if boring) job, great friends, and well-earned reputation as a party girl, enjoying all the booze, drugs and men that she can handle. She’s happy with her wild life, until the brutal murder of her closest friends rips her world out from under her, and she is left reeling. Two years later, and she is a shadow of who she used to be, when the Governor taps her on the shoulder to assist in searching for the being responsible for a recent death in the city – quite possibly the same being responsible for the murder of her friends. Seeing it as an opportunity for the vengeance she craves, Bryce eagerly accepts.

She is teamed up with the mysterious Hunt Athalar, a powerful fallen angel with a tragic backstory of his own. He is a slave to the Archangels who rule the city for his role in a failed revolution, and he is feared city-wide as a legendary assassin. He is assigned to be Bryce’s partner and protection, with the promise of freedom from his slavery put firmly within his reach should they succeed.

Together, Bryce and Hunt traverse the city, following clues and meeting all manner of supernatural beings in their hunt for a murderer. Following a trail of mysterious demon summonings and brutal attacks, they uncover all kinds of nefarious goings on, and we are introduced to a wonderfully developed world of creatures along the way. With friends and enemies constantly intruding on their investigations, there’s a fabulous cast of side characters – some you will love, and some you will hate – who bring so much depth to the story. And with a missing magical artefact thrown into the mix, there’s a whole lot of mystery to be uncovered.

There are a whole lot of different dynamics at play between these characters, and I loved exploring them all. From Bryce’s friends and many enemies, to her strained relationship with a secret half brother, to the mythical beings that are a part of her daily life, I loved watching her interact with them with her trademark smartassery. And then there’s Hunt. Initially unhappy with his presence, the two of them grow to become friends, and then more. It’s a slow burn that only just manages to get off the ground, but the chemistry, the anticipation, and their ever-deepening feelings for each other make this an absolutely beautiful love story, with the potential for so much awesome to come.

“I’ve got you,” he murmured. “Sweetheart, I’ve got you.”

The story builds in excitement and anticipation, and kept me guessing the whole way through. And then we get to one of the most intense climaxes I can remember reading. The final parts of the book twist and turn into so many unexpected places, keeping me on the edge of my seat, and through it all my heart was pounding, and I felt like a barely took a breath! I gasped, I cried, I laughed and cheered, and I could not put it down.

“That’s the point of it, Bryce. Of life. To live, to love, knowing that it might all vanish tomorrow. It makes everything that much more precious.”

I listened to this as an audiobook, narrated by Elizabeth Evans (who also narrates the Throne of Glass series), and she does a phenomenal job! Each character has their own voice, and she brings so much personality to each and every one – from sassy, to evil, to spooky, to seductive, some of the lines in this book gave me shivers, and others brought me to tears with the way she delivers them, and it was an absolute delight to listen to.

A breathtaking, exciting, mysterious, suspenseful, adventurous, funny, emotional and romantic story, this is a really long read, but I was captivated all the way through. I loved losing myself in this world and cannot wait to continue on with the series.

5 huge stars!

 

Crescent City

 

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