“I’m sick and tired of people using girl as an insult.”
“It is on Avallen, and females are not allowed beyond the lobby of the archives.” “Yeah, our periods would probably get all over the books.”
“I should write that on my business card: Bryce Quinlan: Better than expected.” (House of Flame and Shadows, by Sarah Maas)
I was a bit wary of reading this book. The first was so phenomenal, and the second such a muddle, that I worried the third book might be a flop. I’m happy to say that all of my worrying was for nothing. The third book is so fantastic that it is, hands down, even better than the first. There’s no slow scenes, no moment where Maas drops the ball, no point where she could’ve brought more excitement or drama. It even makes me want to return to her Thorns and Roses series, because any author who can bring it for a conclusion like this must have done it before. If it were a longer series, I’d compare it to the complete wonder and devastation of the last book of HP or WOT.
In fantasy, it’s pretty common for a male character to be a cunning strategist. Less common (I can’t think of many other examples, even WOT’s Egwene was harsh and serious) is a female strategist who is also casual, vulnerable, and cuttingly sarcastic. Oftentimes, women fantasy leads are still very reactive (think fourth wing, etc). Bryce, however, is a wonder. She’s always three steps ahead of everyone else (including the reader), while examining her nails, flipping her hair, wearing t-shirts, leggings, and her feelings on her sleeves. Even while loving everything about this conclusion, my only wish would be that the series could be longer so we would get to spend more time with her.
This is whole trilogy is great recommend for adult fans of The Fourth Wing – more mature, with more complex world building, but with the same fast pace and intimately known characters, and, of course, just as spicy.
Book Lion 