After waiting many months for its arrival, romance-fantasy readers were met with the second book of the Crescent City series, “House of Breath and Sky” by young adult author Sarah J Maas. While the steamy romance expectations were met, in 800 pages, nothing else was.

Maas fans and readers are used to the crazy twists and turns the author throws our way. We endured enough in the eight rollercoasters of books in the “Throne of Glass” series to be prepared for anything. When given this brick of a book, expectations were set high and fear for our favorite love interest set in.

The book follows the main characters from the first book — Bryce Quinlan, a half-human and half-fae princess, Hunt Athalar, a fallen angel, Ruhn Danaan, a fae prince and Bryce’s half brother. It also follows Holstrom, a werewolf and Tharion Ketos, a merman who works for the river queen. They work together to figure out the rebel mission of Quillain’s late friend, Danika Fendyr, a werewolf.

In the first book, we learn that Fendyr was not the party girl Quinlan knew her to be, and instead had her own secrets and mission, which involuntarily involved Quinlan. In this book, readers and characters learn that they did not learn the full story of what the werewolf’s mission entailed. After a chaotic spring, the team does not receive the quiet following months they were hoping for.

As we are introduced to another fae prince, Cormac Donall, the team and supporting characters are thrown into a hunt for a rebel named Sofie Renast and her brother. This of course, in usual Maas writing fashion, is only the tip of the iceberg of the story.

The plot of this book was amazing and we were introduced to many new characters and a deeper plotline for the Crescent City storyline. With how nicely the last book tied up, I wasn’t sure how Maas would continue the world. The ending was everything I could have asked for and more.

In terms of disappointments, readers were shoved through the story and there was a lot of “fluff” added. I am usually able to get through a Maas book in a couple days because I am so drawn into the story and writing, but this one took months for me to get through and be truly invested in it.

A good chunk of the first 400 pages could have been cut, and it felt like she was rushing to meet a word count and get the book out. The writing felt sloppier than in previous books, and lacked what readers usually see from her writing.

Was it bad enough that I want to have my Crescent City tattoo removed? No. Did I think about it? Maybe. All I can say, without spoilers, is that the ending made up for everything else and I’m eagerly counting down the days for the third book.