“Through love, all is possible.”
This is the first book in a long time that has brought tears to my eyes. For those of us who are fortunate enough to have a friendship that lasts a lifetime, Bryce and Danika’s story is going to hit hard.
Yes..there is incredible romantic tension and unique storylines outside of this bond, but the author, Sarah J. Mass, brings everything full circle by the end of Crescent City.
Bryce Quinlan is a new favorite of mine. She has a complexity that makes her appealing and weirdly relatable. She loves hard and is loyal to death and beyond. She’s the type of friend any of us would be lucky to have.
Hunt Athalar is a fallen angel, enslaved by the Archangels and feared by all. Except for Bryce. As with any SJM story, you can expect loads of snarky bantering that evolves from disgusted hatred to admiration and love.
Since her initial series TOG, SJM has shown maturity and growth in her writing. But with multiple attempts to move on from the YA genre, I’m still not convinced she has firmly established herself as an ‘Adult’ fantasy writer.
The first was with her wildly successful ACOTAR series, looked upon as “New Adult” but still classified as YA.
With Cresent City, SJM chose to amp up the strong language and sexual content-enough that her publisher shelved this one beyond YA altogether.
I absolutely love her, no matter what genre her work falls into. However, CC has all the familiarity of a YA title without the classification for readers who only read YA. For readers who only read Adult fantasy..this is perfect for you too!
This brings me to the first location of importance: The Gates
‘I believe it all happened for a reason. I believe it wasn’t for nothing.’
There are so many memorable characters within the 800 pages of Crescent City. Aside from the leading players: Bryce, Hunt, and Danika.
I promise you; they are not the only ones that will fill your soul with love, agony, resentment, and anger.
There’s Jesiba Roga-a 400 yr old enchantress born a witch and defected-who is also Bryce’s boss. Look out for her-she’s more than what she seems.
Ruhn: Bryce’s half-brother, prince of the Fae-who, hates the Autumn King as much as she does.
He has a crazy protective streak and is rumored to be the only one who can find the Horn-the missing Fae artifact that holds more importance than first thought.
Micah-one of the Archangels Hunt is enslaved to and forced to do the unthinkable within his city.
And of course, there’s the Viper Queen, Syrinx, Lehabah, Fury, Juniper, the Pack, and even Bryce’s Mom and Stepdad!
This brings me to the Second location of importance: The White Raven
“That’s the point of it, Bryce. Of life. To live, to love, knowing that it might all vanish tomorrow. It makes everything that much more precious.“
Before Bryce’s world was turned upside down, The White Raven was a second home.
It’s where she met with Danika, Fury, and Juniper to escape the stress and constraints of their jobs and shake off the pressure that comes with being special.
However, after Danika’s death and the controversy surrounding the Raven, Bryce remained committed to frequenting the club.
Why?
Maybe it was to hold onto the memories of what she lost. Or perhaps it was to escape the reality that her person was gone. Whatever the reason, The White Raven is a crucial location throughout the entirety of CC.
RECOMMENDED LINKS
If you’re interested in learning more about this Young Adult/Adult Fantasy Crescent City and its author Sarah J. Mass or would like to purchase the book, please check out the links below
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Goodreads
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Author Website
If you liked this post, please follow the link to my other YA Fantasy book reviews.
