House of Sky and Breath- Sarah J Maas

OMG THE ENDING!!!!

Okay, wow, it's taken me almost a week (and the third instalment of the series) to decompress and process this book because of the amount of twists and dramatic reveals. This entire book, in particular the last 100 pages, felt like a complete whirlwind and the last page left me so shook- I was so glad the next book was released the next day to out me out of my misery!

I particularly enjoyed how much the side characters from the first book really came into their own and developed in this book. From Tharion's struggles and tough decisions to Ithan being cast out of the Den and being welcomed with open arms into Ruhn, Flynn and Dec's gang- their personal journeys are nothing short of commendable. The exploration of Bryce and Hunt's deepening relationship was also especially beautiful. I loved their endless sarcastic banter, unshakeable loyalty to one another, sizzling chemistry and easy companionship throughout the book; I really hope their relationship is built to last and doesn't fall victim to SJM's usual trope of getting her readers attached to one guy only for another to come along and win the FMC. There was definitely a lot more spice and steam in this book compared with the first, and I am not complaining! SJM has a real flair for writing spicy moments without turning her works into porn with a plot or completely unrealistic that it turns the reader off entirely.

I did feel that Danika as a character/ plot device did become a bit unbelievable at times in this book simply due to the sheer amount of plot twists that were linked to her 'secret second life'- I mean the girl was only 23 when she died, how much could she have realistically uncovered by then? It seemed like there were so many things that SJM wanted to introduce and uncover in order to drive the storyline but didn't know how to, so just made them part of Danika's dangerous research and called it a day. I really felt for Bryce every time she learnt something new about her deceased best friend although I could totally understand why Danika had to keep her discoveries so locked down and I bet she was waiting for the right moment to tell Bryce but never got the opportunity to.

My favourite subplot was the developing closeness between Ruhn and 'Agent Daybright'. I loved all the little Easter eggs hinted at the possible identity of Day but still manages to be the second biggest plot twist in the whole book in my opinion. I really felt for Day feeling forced to be two completely separate people in order for both herself and everything she stands for to survive at complete detriment to herself no matter what. Now we know who she really is, I really hope we get to see her real self shine and a real relationship with Ruhn in HOFAS- poor girl really deserves the chance to heal and just to finally be able to live her life.

Two words: THE. ENDING. What in the SJM multiverse is that last line??? Please tell me we are going to get an epic Infinity War style SJM crossover showdown against the Asteri in HOFAS because that would be incredible!!

Overall, with an endless supply of plot twists and mic drops, this book is a jaw-dropping page turner with a strong supporting cast and sizzling tension, leaving your reeling long after the final page.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐