Crescent City 1: House of Earth and Blood

This video discusses the book Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood. We will be breaking down the plot, discussing character growth, analyzing themes, and going over questions I have about book 2. I hope you enjoy this video and happy reading

Chapters

• 0:17 Plot
• 4:24 Characterization
• 10:23 Friendship
• 12:30 Freedom
• 14:00 Identity

Transcript

This book is a ride. So far SJM’s books haven't included deaths of major characters, but this book has the death of not one but 2 major players. I'm so excited to jump into this book.

Now on this channel I try not to spend too much time summarizing books, so if that's what you need right now you might want to save this for later. What we will be analyzing in this book today is the plot, characterization, themes, and discussing questions I hope are answered in book 2. 

So let's start with the plot. It is hard to say which conflict is the main conflict because there appear to be two main conflicts. However I think the central question is who is Danika? Now you could say that the central conflict is the hunt for the horn and the demon hunting it but at the center of all of that is Danika.

So the exposition of this book is absolutely heartbreaking. Mass kills one of the coolest characters she has ever written in the first 50 pages 🤯. This is heartbreaking but it is also ingenious. It is a great use of pathos used to engage the reader and help us empathize with Bryce. It also engages the readers logos because something about this death doesn’t quite fit.

Now there is a lot of building action. Bryce and hunt searching for the horn. Ruhn and his friends joined in. Meeting characters like Ithan, the serpent queen, and tharion. Also Bryces friends fury and juniper which ps is the cutest faun name. There is way too much building action to cover but I think that the pacing of these events is perfect. We are given tidbits of information about Danika, terrifying action scenes with the krystalos demon, and tasteful spicy scenes. Even though it's a long book, maas keeps us engaged with sub plots such as tracking down synth and dealing with the Viper Queen.

So let's go to the climax. And in proper maas fashion this one is a doozy. Now you would think that the climax of the book is when Bryce fights michah. Which is an amazing fight!! In which we lose lehlabah 😭 when she sacrifices herself for Bryce. Such a touching moment. However, in her fight with michah, michah uses synth on Bryce to awaken the horn and open the gates to the underworld. So even though she just took out an archangel, her fight is not over. She takes to the streets to help people, saves Ithan and gains points with the wolves, and while all this is happening fury and hunt are in a helicopter trying to save Bryce. Now Bryce is doing all this fighting mind you while she is mortal and hasn't made the drop. That brings us to the most beautiful part of the whole book. Bryce is running low on batteries and she needs to make the drop to close the gates. This is normally done with someone to help bring you out of the drop but Bryce is desperate. She she holds onto the rails that help communication happen throughout the whole city and who should answer the call but her good friend Danika. This is such a beautiful moment since they planned on dropping together. I cried buckets of tears as she made the drop and Danika coaches her through it. Then she closes the portal and Hunt saves her from total bomb annihilation. Man what an epic ending!!! 

Resolution: the resolution gives us a look into what Bryce and hunts life will be together but leaves us with so many unanswered questions!! The park bench scene with Adias and jesiba is very important to understanding where book 2 or possibly 3 is going. First we learn that Bryce has first light which is going to be important. We know that ruhn has it but that's about all we know. Second there is a hint about hunts father who he doesn't even know. Is he a demon? I guess we will have to wait and see 

Character Analysis:

So let's jump into character analysis. Starting with Bryce Quinlyn. From the beginning of the book to the end of the book Bryce goes from a party girl without a care to one of the most powerful being in her universe, so you can definitely argue that bryce is a dynamic character. This story arc makes Bryce Quinlyn my new favorite SJM heroin. She is brave, she is feisty, and she worthy of our adoration. Now Maas has given bryce many layers. First her childhood. Being half fae half human gives a chip on her shoulder because she doesn’t really fit in with either group. Also her biological father is a King of the Fae, so not only he is powerful but he is a complete ass. Her mother balances this out because she teaches Bryce how to navigate the world and see it through different lenses. Considering that she is SJMs only mother character so far, she is awesome. I really hope to see more mother daughter dynamics in her books in the future. Also, as part of royal fae culture, Bryce receives a reading from the oracle, and this gives her a total complex since the oracle clawed out her eyes upon seeing bryce. This makes the ending of this book make sense since Bryce is literal light.

However, I think Bryce’s most important growth comes from figuring out who she is now that Danika is gone. Danika was such an important piece of Bryce’s life that losing her and Connor was soul crushing for her. It makes sense that in the three years after losing Danika that bryce hasn’t made much forward progress in her life. Looking for the horn gets her using her hard earned detective skills and connections to help her find what she really needed, peace with Danika’s death. Now, even though at the end of the book Bryce is still questioning who Danika really was, Bryce is able to heal. She is able to make new connections with Hunt, the “nurse”, Ithan, as well as her brother Ruhn, make her see that there is something still worth fighting for in this life. I am excited to see Bryce step into her role as light bringer. Her and Hunt are going to be unstoppable. 

Hunt Athalar

Hunt to me hunt to me is a pretty static character. He has some character growth at the very end of the novel, but I assume we will see more character development with Hunt and a deeper dive into his history in the novels to come. 

Now Hunt and Bryce. I am sorry but I am not sure that SJM can write anything but enemies to lovers. If you can name a none enemies to lovers relationship I will give you a gold star because you know the universe much better than me. However, I really love Hunt and Bryce together. They are stronger together and Hunt helps bryce to overcome much of her trauma. I am glad that Maas has declared them as endgame because they are perfect and I am going to talk more about them when we discuss themes.

Danika:

Moving onto my favorite character in the whole book, Danika Fendyr. Danika is such a cool character. However what do we really know about Danika? Here are the facts according to book one. Danika was one of the strongest wolves to ever wolf. She was slated to take her mom’s place and that’s why Sabine looked like a great candidate for horn snatcher. Danika is also sympathetic to the humans. As we see she helps that revolutionist and steals the horn. It seems like she knows something that Bryce doesn’t. Now the most interesting thing we learn about Danika this season is that she is truly the one responsible for killing the rest of her pack because of her abuse of synth. Now this seems very suspicious, seeing that Juniper told Bryce that Danika told bryce that she has to stay away from synth at all costs. We know that Danika is a party girl, but she doesn’t have any of the signs of a synth addict. However, this story line does lead to the tension between bryce and Sabine which I love. So even though Danika has passed on she seems to be a dynamic character because what we know about her changes so much from beginning to end.

Ruhn: Now I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about Ruhn. He is a great comedic relief in this book, but he is also more than that. He is a great brother to Bryce even though he really has not reason to be. We also know that he is a starborn fae which seems important to the narrative. He and his friends are ready to help Bryce and hunt on the quest for the horn and while each of them is important to the Fae they are all a bit rebellious. Maybe it is because they are young or maybe it is because they are excited for change. I am really hoping for more character development and story lines from Ruhn, but for right now he is a static character.

Themes:

Friendship: Danika and Bryce’s friendship is the pillar of this book, but there are multiple types of friendships explored in this book. First of all there is Bryce and Juniper, Bryce seems to have pushed many of her friends away but Juniper is always there for her. Her loyalty and friendship ultimately help to save bryce and I am sure she has saved Bryce’s life multiple times. There is also bryce and lelabah. This friendship is more of a co worker situation, but it is clear that lelabah had become family to bryce when we find out that Bryce had bought her freedom as well as the chymera? Also, lelabah’s sacrifice for bryce shows true friendship and loyalty. 

And then later when she says: “I am a descendant of Ranthia Drahl, Queen of Embers. She is with me now and I am not afraid. My friends are behind me, and I will protect them.”

I love that last part my friends are behind me and I will protect them. This moment proves that all lives are important. Even the small ones.

The ultimate show of friendship for me in this novel is when Danika completes the drop with Bryce. This was a moment I didn’t know I needed. It was beautifully written and inspiring. I tried to find just one quote that capture my feelings in this moment but I cannot find just one. For me in this moment we come full circle. We see the young woman that Bryce started as and we see the mask she wears fade away as her and Danika race for her to come back from her drop. 

I think that there are many lessons that we could take from the friendships from this book, but for me the big take away is that true friends are willing to do anything for you; and that true friends become your family. 

I am excited to learn more about Bryce and Danika’s friendship and see how she develops more friendships in book 2

The next topic I would like to discuss is freedom. There are many characters in this book that are enslaved, but there are two I would like to focus on and they are Hunt and Lelabah. Now because of Hunts crown, I feel like we have yet to see his true potential so I am really excited about that, but let’s dive into Hunt a bit more. Now Hunt is a rebel. He was enslaved by the system for his rebellion which we know he is deeply hurt by but why? 

Now to talk about lelabah and her freedom. Here is a scene I would like to discuss:

Quote:

“Bryce sobbed, "I bought you, and now I set you free, Lehabah."

Lehaba's smile didn't falter. "I know," she said. "I peeked in your drawer."

And despite the monster trying to break loose behind them, Bryce choked on a laugh before she begged, "You are a free person- you do not have to do this. You are free, Lehabah."

Yet Lehabah remained at the foot of the stairs. "Then let it be known that my first act of freedom was to help my friends.”

I think that in this moment we can see what Maas is trying to teach us about freedom. I don’t think she is making a deeper social commentary about slavery but more reminding us that our freedom isn’t something that we should take for granted. That being free to make your own choices is the most important freedom that we have. 

Self Exploration and Identity:

Bryce is in her 20s in this book and for all of us who have lived through our 20 we know that our 20s is a time of self exploration and this is no exception for beings that can live forever. As previously mentioned Bryce doesn’t really have a place in this world since she is neither full fae or full human. Bryce found a home with Danika and her pack and when they are rudely ripped away from her, Bryce has to refind herself and her purpose. At the beginning she is working a job she doesn’t love, avoiding the people and things she used to love, and it is clear that she is very lost. This is clear from this quote from the ending “Fury didn’t stop her prep. “Bryce was a ghost for a long while, Hunt. She pretended she wasn’t, but she was.” The helicopter finally pulled into the air. “You brought her back to life.”

What I see in this quote is that Bryce and Hunt’s relationship is able to open up Bryce. Though it is possible to find yourself with out a partner or a friend, it is always nice to see yourself through someone else’s eyes. To have someone else to bring out the best in you and to give you purpose, and that is what Bryce and Hunt do for each other.

I also love that even though bryce lost herself for a minute, she never really gave up who she was at her core. This is clear from this quote: There's nothing wrong with a party girl. I don't get why the world thinks there is...Its easier for me---when people assume the worst about what I am. It lets me see who they really are

Bryce is confident enough in who she is that she isn’t afraid of people thinking the worst of her. She is motivated by what other people and she is unabashedly herself. This is what makes her such a compelling character

I think that what maas wants us to take away from this book about self discovery and identity is tied to love and I am going to talk more about that when I talk about love

But I think a lot of what we learn about this book and finding yourself comes from this quote “Look toward where it hurts the most. That’s always where the answers are.” True change is hard, but with the help of those who love you, you can find your purpose again.

Love: 

There are many different types of love that we see in this book. There is familial love, friendship, and romantic love. I feel like I have covered friendship already so I would love to focus on families and of course we will finish up with Bryce and Hunt

Now no ones family is perfect and Bryce is no exception. She seems to have a great relationship with her mother and her human family but her fae family is complicated. Especially her father. However, Ruhn is an awesome brother to her. Though it does seem like ther has been distance between them lately just like with Bryce and everyone else. However, them working together on the horn case brings them back together and makes them realize how much they need each other. Bryce also finds family in the people around her. She has her chimera, her friends, and eventually hunt. These people are so supportive of her, even though she is messy. I not sure if there is an over all take home from this but I think it is important to understand that you can find family in the people that you love. Even if they aren’t your birth family.

Now for the main event. Let’s talk about romantic love with Hunt and Bryce. Now what I love about Hunt and Bryce is that they seem to genuinely make each other happy and they build each other. It’s always good to see a healthy and supportive relationship in a romantasy series because you don’t always get that. Here are some of my favorite quotes that highlight this genuine relationship:

I see you, Quinlan, he silently conveyed to her. And I like all of it. Right back at you, her half smile seemed to say.”

“Only sorrow lay there. And something like understanding. Like she saw him, as he'd seen her in that shooting gallery, marked every broken shard and didn't mind the jagged bits.”

The angel’s gaze met hers, so full of agony she thought it was what her soul must look like.

Both of these characters have been to Hel and back and they are both still trying to find out who they really are. I love how they compliment each other. I think that Maas is trying to show us through Hunt and Bryce’s relationship that true love can heal you and that true love builds you and your partner. I love how both of these characters grow together and I look forward to seeing them build each other up in the books to come.

So as promised here are some questions I have that I hope are answered in the books soon.

My number one question is why does a prince of Hel care so much about Bryce? 

My next quesetion comes from this quote“It is a symbol – and symbols will always wield power of their own.”

There are so many symbols in this book of bondage and slavery and the horn is one of the symbols of freedom. It is clear to me that Hunt and Bryce will join the rebellion but what is the government really up to? There is definitely something suspicious going on there.

Is hypoxia the night nurse? If so we know Ruhn is already head over heals for her and I hope for him that their union will be a happy one.

What more will we learn about being starborn?

I am very excited for this book 3 coming out on the 31st! If you liked this video stay tuned. The next video for Crencent City two will be coming out next week! 

Thanks for listening to according to  your English teacher. If you enjoyed this video, you can find more on Tiktok and instagram by following according to your English teacher. I am also on Good reads under Sam Gunther according to your english teacher. Also if you want to see more content like this please support me by giving this video a like, leaving a comment, and hitting that subscribe button. With your support I can continue to make more content like this. I would like to leave you with my favorite quote from the book:

Danika grabbed her hand again. “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.”

Thanks for listening to according to your English teacher and as always happy reading.