Ahead there be Spoilers.

Full review and analysis:

Genre:

As mentioned in my 1st impressions, this book is long. 800 pages long. That’s Game of Thrones long. Actually, it’s longer than GOT which sits at 720 pages, or less depending on your edition. So to have the 1st book in a new series be that long is bold. Ambitious even. Especially considering the genre where it sits. First books in popular Urban Fantasy series tend to stick around 370-390 pages.

•         The Lunatic Café by Laurell K Hamilton is 384.
•     Angel’s Blood by Nalini Singh is 372 pages
•         Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison is 372 pages
•         Dark Fever by Karen Marie Moning is 382 pages

Why this is important:

SJM has a large and loyal fan-base who love her style and her characters. While every reader is different—some sticking to one genre or type of story, others jumping genres and books based on their moods—this may be a pretty big leap for many in the fan-base.

From Young Adult (or really New Adult) to Adult

From a semi-traditional Fantasy style to Urban Fantasy

From fae-centric world-building to—well. Everything but the kitchen sink.

Those are some big leaps for die-hards of the other worlds SJM built. For readers who are already fans of Urban Fantasy, however, they will enjoy the gritty urban feel, the technologies and culture, the interesting integration of magic into modern society. The approach to world building sometimes feels closer to epic fantasy than fans of UF may be used to, however. 

This isn’t a bad thing. I think genre-bending and blending is great and can introduce us to new ways of telling stories. But, I can’t deny it’s a risk. Some readers are averse to trying new things. And when you do something as well as SJM, people might get mad when you deviate. Many people just want more of the same.

Another deviation is in the language of this novel. The filter is off, and SJM let’s the F bombs fall where they may. This doesn’t bother me at all personally. Where they are sprinkled seem appropriate to the character or situation. It also fits the urban setting and tone of the story so I don’t consider it a detraction. I don’t tend to notice profanity anymore. Although I would never use such a dirty word myself (Hi Mom.)

For readers sensitive to profanity, however, just be aware it’s there.

Worldbuilding: SPOILER! Seriously. I’m going to start talking about stuff now.

The first 100 pages of the book are thick. Not in page thickness but in content. There’s a ton of world building and backstory happening and honestly, it’s a little bit of a trudge to get through.  A good chunk of time is spent laying this foundation to establish Bryce’ character arc, but also key elements of the plot. It does feel like a lot of time spent on characters who aren’t physically present at the end of the book. Because SJM went into this book swinging like George RR Martin. No one was safe. She makes you fall in love with Danika and Connor and crew and then BAM! They’re gone.

There are a ton of threads in this book, leads and misleads, as Bryce tries to piece together the mystery of her friends’ death. There’s the missing horn, the mysterious drug, the mystery of Danika’s death, the complicated relationship with Rhun and her father, Hunt’s background and his job. It’s a lot to keep track of. I’m honestly not sure that I caught on to all the threads and the whys and wherefores in the first read-through. Although they all tie together in the end, I feel I might need to reread to appreciate and understand the weaving together.

Another thing there is a lot of in this book is, well, everything. Fae, shifters, vampires, witches, sorceresses, sprites, sphinx, chimera. Reference kitchen sink comment earlier. I love all these things, but I think one of the challenges in this book is balancing all these things in one story line.  

Characters:

I did end up falling in love with Danika and Connor and crew. Which made their death harder for me as a reader and gave me more empathy for Bryce.  Connor and Bryce had chemistry, and I felt more for him initially than I did for Hunt. But, Hunt’s brooding character and tragic backstory won me over, as they do.

As with all SJM fiction, there are plenty of attractive men to crush on. If you prefer the brooding Angel of death, you have Hunt. For those with a preference for a Rebel without a cause, the disenchanted and disenfranchised Fae Prince, Ruhn. There are shifters and mermen and angels galore to love.

Hunt and Bryce have a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers type romance. They butt heads and misunderstand each other in the beginning but the sexual tension quickly becomes palpable. As their relationship evolves and their defenses lower, however, a twist sends them spinning apart. This twist definitely had me racing to the finish. But if you’re looking for some ACOMAF Ch 55, you will be waiting a long time. There are some juicy moments between our pretty duo, but we will have to wait and see what SJM has in store for these characters in the next installment.

Party Girl Apologetics: Bryce

One of the themes I found interesting is the defense of the ‘party girl.’ While I certainly don’t think SJM condoned the risk-taking behaviors (i.e. drug taking) featured in the beginning of the book, she takes a sympathetic approach not only to Bryce, but also her friends. Though Bryce starts out as less serious and mature than she ends up, throughout her character development it is clear she has hidden depths. It’s easy to dismiss the pretty popular girl popping pills (see what I did there) but SJM doesn’t let us do that. She highlights Bryce’s loyalty, vulnerabilities and strengths, intelligence and humor to our attention again and again until Hunt is not the only one ashamed of making assumptions about this stereotypical girl.

Another facet of this is Bryce’s sexual life. [SPOILERS FOR HER OTHER SERIES READ AT YOUR OWN RISK] 

SJM has chosen to imbue her female characters with what I perceive as a fairly typical sex life for modern women. There is no shame in their exploration of or desire for sex. Feyre had a partner as a teen, consensual though not emotional, before Tamlin and eventually Rhys. Aelin had Sam before Chaol and then Rowan. SJM displays different kinds of sexual interactions here too—contrasting the casual hookup with intimacy, physical pleasure with emotional bonding. For modern women, or girls growing up into this modern world, I think it is both beneficial and appropriate to show heroines who are exploring and learning from their relationships especially regarding sex.

For Bryce, she is a sexually active young woman. She doesn’t always pursue sex in a healthy way: we see her using it as a distraction both when she does not know how to handle her changing relationship with Connor and when she wants to push back the memories at the club when she goes there for a business meeting nearly 2 years after the murders. But, despite portraying the guilt Bryce feels and the complications that arise from her choices, SJM never shames Bryce for the act of having sex. 

 

Conclusion:

Overall, House of Earth and Blood was an enjoyable and thought provoking read for me. The beginning, I admit, is a trudge. But by the time you get to the 2nd half you’ll be racing to the end. SJM has crafted this story with the intricate threads and compelling characters she’s best at. So, despite jumping into a new genre and tackling an ambitious project, SJM proves she’s the Queen once again.