Sarah J Mass beautifully intertwined supernatural elements with modern-day elements in this new epic fantasy.
THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS
Release date: March 2020
Date read: March 2020
“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.”
Tell me Connor's death isn't the saddest thing to happen.
A synopsis:
"Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life—working hard all day and partying all night—until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She’ll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths.
Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose—to assassinate his boss’s enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he’s offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach."
- taken from Goodreads.
Mass's writing continues to impress and her imagination knows no bounds. The CC world is so beautifully and carefully crafted and so similar but so different to her other novels. Whilst her previous novels nod towards the classical fantasy setting, CC brings in the element of contemporary whilst still cleverly establishing itself as a fantasy novel.
Within the book, you can find classic SJM tropes (brooding males, strong females and all the usual elements of the fae) but also things that aren't classically SJM. The lack of an intimate scene between Byrce and Hunt surprised me considering this is classed as a mature book compared to Chapter 55 (you all know what I am talking about) and early deaths left me drained of all emotion - something that SJM isn't well known for (think the thirteen).
There are many elements that make this book exceptional. From Byrce's character development and the deep theme of grief to the impressive and unique world-building, but I want to focus on something that really stood out to me.
As a huge extrovert and sociable person, partying and clubbing for me is the next best thing to reading. Any possible night of the week I can be persuaded to go out and I will party hard. It was refreshing to see this element in CC and Byrce not apologise for her behaviour. All too often I am presented with female protagonists who consider themselves 'worthless' or 'plain' or 'innocent' - it is probably one of my biggest pet hates when reading. I want a character who is strong-headed, free-willed and does not care for judgement. SJM didn't fail to deliver on that front. And further to this, the theme of drug use and the stigma around it was brought to light in this book. The whole social/party setting in this book is a very subtle social commentary towards drug use in today's society, especially towards young adults. Like Byrce, I know people who use drink, drugs and sex as an escape and immediately get judged for defying social norms and made to feel guilty for having pleasures in life. In CC, however, Mass takes the opportunity to explore the psychological effects of pressure young adults today face. In modern-day society, young people have social expectations placed upon them from a young age. Throughout the teenage years, we are expected to work hard and perform well. And when all exams are over we are left with a degree and the stress to find a foothold in the world's fast-paced lifestyle. Bryce also suffers from this and is expected to dedicated her life to working and not much else. Therefore, I really appreciated the small understanding that Mass has towards the social pressures of life on young adults.
Whilst there are obvious elements that don't make this book quite the perfect 10/10 (lack of diversity, and what I felt was a very two-dimensional covering of LGBTQ+ characters) I thoroughly enjoyed the book with the finally 200 pages keeping me on the edge of my seat. Moments such as Danika taking the drop with Bryce, made me sob hysterically and the satisfying moment when Byrce receives one more drop of power than her fae father - these moments made me feel everything.
Overall, it is not often that I am left gasping after a book and it is even less often that I immediately reread the book (I did in this instance). I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am excited to see what Mass brings next. It is a perfect book for you to get completely immersed in during a rainy day during isolation. It breaks female stereotypes and focuses on platonic friendship and the importance of it whilst being beautifully written.
One more thing - Aidas and Byrce are end game. I can feel it and fight me on that.
J xo
Comments