With Sarah J. Maas’s third installment of the Crescent City series, I was sent on a wave of emotions!
To start off, for the first 500 pages of HOFAS, I was struggling. It took me about two months to complete 500 pages. I felt as though Maas’s work for the first half of the book lacked depth and clarity in its story-telling. I was struggling to continue as I read and like it flip-flopped between characters so suddenly. (We’ve watched Maas do this successfully in KOA with pacing so I was unsure of why it felt so long in HOFAS.)
Bryce became an unreliable narrator. I don’t know how to feel about it yet as I’m writing this review because in her first two novels of CC, we saw a little more into the reasons why she did what she did. For this book, we got her thoughts once she did the thing she did and really took home the title of “AWOL” in this book.
However, once I hit halfway, I knew Maas was going to unleash some fire and shadow onto her pages! Truly, she’s one of the only authors I know that is capable of sweeping me off my feet in ten pages and I won’t be able to put it down until it’s finished.
In one breath, Maas had me thinking that everyone was going to die in this book. And in the next, gave me something to want to fight for these characters. The last 400 pages of plot development started to make sense and she got me again.
Lidia and Ruhn’s spice in this book really drove it home for me to fulfill the Maas spice needed for me, whereas in Bryce/Hunt’s spice was a little lackluster. (sorry BrycexHunt stans). I was a little upset because I wanted so much spice. But honestly, can you blame ANY of these characters for not getting it on. I can’t.
I did cry towards the end at this scene*. I don’t know why but it broke me just about as much as The Thirteen in KOA. IYKYK. That’s the last I’ll say on that.
I am so happy that Azriel has finally said more in one book than the entirety of his own universe. It’s hysterical.
Please turn away from spoilers and stop reading now if you want to avoid. Just my final thoughts on where the Maasverse is going to go.
**PERSONAL THEORY**
Bryce does in fact open up a Dusk Court and I do think Elain or Nesta will become the High Lady of this court. What Bryce did absolutely had to have an effect at what I presume (the tunnel system/prison) to be the dusk court summoning, by summoning the Blue Court in Midgard. Maybe a certain type of magic in this world will call to Elain and Nesta and they can go on their own personal journey with the Starsword and Truth-teller. Even though Nesta’s storyline could be done because ACOSF IS KING, we know she’s badass enough for more. And I would LOVE to see it. Feyre and Rhys need their break with Nyx. But, I do think we will see our fall of Cassian (MAYBE). But now we know we can bring the dead back and necromancy is possible in the Maasverse so anything can happen.
I want to see Maas wipe a major and favorite character. Will she ever do it? As much as I don’t want it.. I can see Nesta and Cassian taking a hit somewhere. Their storyline seems to be a little bit more driven in HOFAS due to where one of the final scenes leave us in the ACOTAR world and Bryce’s mother ensuring Nesta that she will find her way.
I love a happy ending, but I also love a true ending. Maas is kick-ass and I would just love to see her do something different in future books so not all endings are predictable. But I know that I am truly in the minority in thinking like that LOL.
* Scene where Bryce and Connor are waving and she hears Light It Up. (I personally love this as a nice little motivator for her! So cute tbh)
4/5 STARS ! – Committing to the TBR
Committing to the TBR 
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