House of Flame and Shadow- Sarah J Maas

The all out showdown to end all wars!

I actually don't know where to start with this, it took me a few days (and a palate cleansing read) to even begin to process everything that's happened and that this is likely the conclusion to Bryce's story. There have been so many theories about this book flying around on social media and I'm so happy so many of them made it into the book but as usual SJM managed to throw a fair few curveballs too.

The book opens with Bryce being discovered by the ACOTAR crew, namely Azriel and Nesta. Nesta was rightfully distrustful of Bryce to start with, I mean she's a literal stranger who doesn't speak their language just dropped in the middle of their world, but I was not too keen on how much Bryce screwed over and put both her and Azriel in danger just to get what she wants. In her desperate bid to find out why she's ended up there and not in Hel and to get back home, Bryce's behaviour came across as quite immature at times and this cropped up a few times throughout the book which felt like a real step backwards in her character development as I really liked her in the previous two books. Nesta had some really tender and beautiful moments in this book but my absolute favourite was when Ember hugged her and touched her face before returning back through the portal to Bryce; Nesta really needed that mum hug and I'm so glad Ember was there to be that figure for her. I felt this scene also set up for a fifth instalment in the ACOTAR series really nicely with the return of both Truth Teller and the Starsword/ Gwydion to hopefully work out why Nesta also has the eight pointed star tattoo.

There was so much lore revealed throughout this book, particularly the whole history surrounding High King Fionn, Queen Theia, Silene, Helena and Pelias which was much darker and more corrupt than I expected. It really felt like throughout history those in power always managed to damn their own people in their thirst for more and I'm still reeling about who Silene and Helena turned out to be as a result.

The best part of this book by far was the final chapters detailing the all out battle scenes. SJM is the master of epic imagery and I felt like I was right there in the thick of it all, experiencing everything from the bloodshed to the fire and destruction. My heart completely bled dry for Lidia and the lengths she was willing to go to in order to protect her loved ones, in particular her sons. She is the epitome of a strong, independent woman and an incredibly loyal and powerful companion who I really hope gets a larger role in the next book. I did feel that the downfall of the Asteri was maybe a bit too easy and convenient however the build-up and tension created by the ongoing fighting definitely made up for this. I loved the amalgamation of all the characters previously befriended by Bryce and her crew coming together to wage war against the Asteri and coming out on top.

Often when a book has such a neatly tied up ending, I am left wondering: what does 'happy ever after' look like in this world for these characters? Personally, I would love to read a HOFAS- style novella exploring the life afterwards for Bryce and her friends and how they rebuild their lives. I think seeing how Ithan reorganises the wolves or how Tharion and Sathia move on as married couple through dire circumstances would be really interesting to explore, especially as this novel felt like a fitting conclusion to Bryce's story.

Overall, a beautifully vivid and colourful showdown and overthrow of a corrupt power by the underdogs and a highly thrilling read!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐