House of Sky and Breath audiobook vs book: which should you choose?
The second Crescent City novel picks up three months after the first and widens the story beyond Bryce and Hunt.
Short answer: for the House of Sky and Breath audiobook vs book choice, we say either works (50% confidence, close call). At about 800 pages it is a very long book, which favours audio. The print edition has a map, with no PDF for listeners, which favours the page. Reviewers describe a growing cast with several characters carrying the story, but no source names them, so the two sides come out level.
Either works
Read it for the map, which only the print edition has, and to keep a growing cast straight on the page. Listen if a book of about 800 pages is easier to finish by ear, with Elizabeth Evans reading all 27 hours 42 minutes.
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Confidence 50%, which puts it in the close call band. Bands run from close call at 50 to 64, through leaning at 65 to 79 and clear at 80 to 94, up to clear cut at 95 and above. Is listening the same as reading? See what the research says.
The audiobook at a glance
| Recording | UK edition, our verdict | US edition |
|---|---|---|
| Narrator | Elizabeth Evans | Elizabeth Evans |
| Length | 27 hours 42 minutes (27h 42m), unabridged | 27 hours 42 minutes (27h 42m), unabridged |
| At 1.5x | about 18h 28m | about 18h 28m |
| At 2x | about 13h 51m | about 13h 51m |
| Audio publisher and date | Audible Studios, 15 February 2022 | Audible Studios, 15 February 2022 |
| Audiobook price | £20.20 on Audible UK | $29.63 on Audible US |
| Kindle price | £5.70 on Amazon UK | Not confirmed |
| Bloomsbury paperback, 801 pages, 2023 | Bloomsbury hardcover, 805 pages with a map, 15 February 2022 | |
| Listener rating | Performance 4.82 from 553 ratings | Performance 4.90 from 27,214 ratings |
Elizabeth Evans reads both editions, with the same publisher, length and date, so the UK edition is scored. Whether they are one recording or two is not confirmed.
Ratings and prices checked 2 November 2026. They change often. Amazon US does not show Kindle prices outside the US, so US Kindle prices are not given.
Lengths checked 2 November 2026. Speed times are calculated.
House of Sky and Breath
Sarah J. Maas
- Genre
- Fantasy
- Series
- Crescent City, book 2
- First published
- 15 February 2022
- Length
- About 800 pages
- On audio
- 27 hrs 42 mins, Elizabeth Evans
On this page
Why we reached this verdict
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions. They are based on research into what most people find easier to follow in each format, not on whether the book is any good.
Listening: long book (3), 3 points. Reading: maps, family trees or footnotes (3), 3 points. The confirmed points are close to even (50% listening), so either format works, at 50% confidence.
The recording in detail
- Scored
- Elizabeth Evans, Audible Studios, 2022, 27h 42m, unabridged
- Critic review
- None found
- Alternatives
- GraphicAudio dramatised adaptation, in two parts (not scored)
- What you miss
- The map in the print edition
What this book actually is
House of Sky and Breath is the second Crescent City novel by Sarah J. Maas, published in 2022. It picks up about three months after House of Earth and Blood (T. L. Branson), and Maas gives more of the story to supporting characters such as Ruhn (Lair of Reviews).
Kirkus calls it “quite the fantasy soap opera” with a constant stream of twists, and says it ends on a cliffhanger “that will have readers reaching for Book Three”. How it ends is not covered here.
The case for reading it
The story spreads across a growing cast, and Kirkus says “the cast of characters could use trimming”. One narrator reads every character, so in print it is easier to keep track of whose chapter you are in.
The US hardcover has a map, and no PDF comes with the audiobook.
The case for listening to it
At about 800 pages it is a very long book, and audio takes it in 27 hours 42 minutes, or about 18 hours 28 minutes at 1.5x.
Listeners rate Elizabeth Evans’s performance 4.90 from 27,214 ratings on Audible US, and she reads all three Crescent City books, so the voice stays the same if you listened to book 1.
The audiobook in detail
Audible Studios publishes the recording on both stores, read by Elizabeth Evans at 27 hours 42 minutes (15 February 2022). Whether the UK and US editions are one recording or two is not confirmed.
GraphicAudio has a full-cast dramatised adaptation in two parts (12 hours 15 minutes and 11 hours 51 minutes, 2024). It is an adaptation rather than a reading of the full text, so it is not scored. No PDF companion is listed.
Who should ignore this verdict
Lean towards audio if you listened to House of Earth and Blood and want the same voice for the next 27 hours. Lean towards print if you want the map to hand and an easier way to keep a big cast straight.
Read differently from most people? The app, coming soon, will let you switch off any of the thirteen checks. Get notified →
Related verdicts
Crescent City: every book in order
Every book in the series, with its verdict, narrator and length on one page.
House of Flame and Shadow
The next book in the series.
House of Earth and Blood
Where the series starts.
A Court of Silver Flames
Same author, also a close call.
Start hereHow we decide
The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.
Questions people ask
Who narrates the House of Sky and Breath audiobook?
Elizabeth Evans, on her own, on Audible UK and US.
How long is the House of Sky and Breath audiobook?
27 hours 42 minutes. At 1.5x speed it takes about 18 hours 28 minutes (calculated).
Is the House of Sky and Breath audiobook abridged?
No. The Elizabeth Evans recording is unabridged; the GraphicAudio two-part version is a dramatised adaptation.
How many pages is House of Sky and Breath?
About 800: the UK paperback has 801 pages and the US hardcover 805.
Do I need to read ACOTAR before House of Sky and Breath?
T. L. Branson recommends reading the first five A Court of Thorns and Roses books before House of Sky and Breath if you want to avoid spoilers.
Is there a fourth Crescent City book?
Sarah J. Maas has said one is planned, but there is no title or date (as of November 2026).
Should I read or listen to House of Sky and Breath?
Either works, at 50%, a close call. The length favours audio and the map in print favours the page, and nothing else could be pinned down either way.
Do you agree with this verdict?
We said either format works. One tap, no sign-up.
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How this verdict was reached
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions, set in advance and applied identically to every title. They are based on research into what readers and listeners generally find easier to follow in each format, not on personal preference, and they are published in full so you can check the reasoning yourself. Verdicts are never paid for, sponsored or influenced by affiliate partners.
- The criteria: read the thirteen questions in full.
- What we checked for this book: Audible UK and US, Amazon UK, Kirkus, The Nerd Daily, T. L. Branson, Lair of Reviews, Bookstacked, the Crescent City fandom wiki, a US library record via LibraryAware, Open Library and Wikipedia.
- Verdict last reviewed: 2 November 2026. Editions and narrators change, so verdicts are rechecked annually.
- Prefer different criteria? The app, coming soon, will let you change which of the thirteen questions matter to you.
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