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A Court of Thorns and Roses #1
A Court of Thorns and Roses
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2015)When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world.
At least, he’s not a beast all the time.
As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.
From bestselling author Sarah J. Maas comes a seductive, breathtaking book that blends romance, adventure, and faerie lore into an unforgettable read.
At least, he’s not a beast all the time.
As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.
From bestselling author Sarah J. Maas comes a seductive, breathtaking book that blends romance, adventure, and faerie lore into an unforgettable read.
419 pages, Paperback
First published May 5, 2015
About the author
Sarah J. Maas
99 books421k followersSarah J. Maas is the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the Crescent City, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and the Throne of Glass series. Her books have sold more than twelve million copies and are published in thirty-seven languages. A New York native, Sarah lives in Philadelphia with her husband, son, and dog. To find out more, visit sarahjmaas.com or follow @therealsjmaas on Instagram.
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April 18, 2023
(Note from 4/17/2023 So someone reported this for unmarked spoilers even tho I prefaced it lol so the spoilers will be marked where they are, even though they really aren't spoilers at all because they do not significantly affect the plot in any way but oh well. It's either do this or have the entire review hidden bc of spoilers)
(Note from 2/21/2023 because I apparently have to spell it out: For those of you who don't read comments or check dates read, I read and reviewed this book in 2018. It has been about 5 years; as I have stated in a number of comments, I will not continue this series. In the intervening years since reading this, my feelings on the matter have not changed nor have I desired to continue. Please refrain from commenting about how I need to continue the series or that I did not understand the book. I receive too many of those comments and I'm tired of replying the same thing over and over again. This review is for me first and foremost, not you. Please move on if you do not like my take.)
Me to Sarah J Maas:
Oh dear, this is awful.
The Writing
The title of this book is stupid. It's stupid and flashy and unrelated to the actual content of the book. It's solely for the ~wow~ factor. The quotable line, "I love you... Thorns and all" is wholely ineffective because "thorns" had not been established as a motif and was only used in that context in that very scene, more than halfway through the book. The word "thorn" was only used a grand total of 9 times in this book. The original Beauty and the Beast story had established rose motifs—you can't borrow good writing, even for a retelling. That's just lazy.
The writing itself was inconsistent and poorly done.
Are you aware of the definition of "slick", Sarah J Maas? I do not think it means what you think it means.
Besides that, Amarantha's hair drastically changed color after about 90 pages:
Which is it, Maas? It can't be both unless she has unmentioned magical hair dyeing abilities.
The atmosphere and the opening chapter were excellent and I was intrigued by the idea that was offered me, but the actual book did not deliver at all.
This next point is a spoiler, but because I am disgusted with Sarah J Maas for including this, I amnot going to mark it as such, since everyone should know what kind of morals this book is supporting before they read it especially when they are as filthy and vulgar as this was.
The attempted of Feyre by Tamlin was brushed off as no more than a mere romantic, steamy encounter to further their lukewarm love story. The only conclusions I can logically draw from this are all rather victim blamey, tbh—she was warned several times to stay inside with the doors locked until dawn, but she leaves her room not once but twice before dawn because she ~wants to go to the party~ and then later, after she almost gets gang-raped and is saved and then creeped out by Rhysand the sociopath, she thinks she is totally safe to go eat a bunch of cookies because, well the drums stopped, so it's probably okay now, and then she gets by Tamlin, who was
Before, during and after the , she's thinking, Wow, he's really hot. I'm kinda uncomfortable with this, but I guess it's okay that he's drunk on lust magic, because I wanted to sleep with him anyway. That is a very wrong and dangerous way of thinking. No matter what, it is never okay for anyone to make someone else sexually uncomfortable or afraid, especially when they've given verbal disapproval. This entire scene left a bad taste in my mouth.
And then there's Rhysand's behavior. He repeatedly violates her personal space and comfort, drugging her and forcing her to for him in front of a large crowd for weeks on end after stripping her all but naked. Like all Fae males, apparently, he uses brute force to get her to comply with his sexual wishes.
"But he didn't actually touch her; he kept his hands just on her waist!" you say. Yeah, but did she say he could touch her at all? Did she actively encourage him to touch her? No, she did not.
I would not have such an issue with this if Sarah J Maas didn't give the impression that she supports such behavior. That is what I find unconscionable.
Besides that, the plot made no sense, even after exposition-Alis gave us the lowdown—in fact, it almost made less sense then. It was cheesy and cliché and frankly, boring. The "riddle" was extremely easy and only proved that Feyre is an absolute idiot with no logical abilities, as I was able to figure it out before Amarantha had even finished saying it, and I'm notoriously bad at riddles.
The sex scenes were almost Empire of Storms levels of bad, cringey, and gross. I think Sarah J Maas doesn't know what YA means and isn't aware she's actually writing for NA.
The Worldbuilding
The Fae were, for one thing, almost exactly the same (primarily in appearance and personality) to the ones in the Throne of Glass series, and tbh I was disappointed. They're not even cleverly unique faeries. They're just Tolkien-esque elves that are actually vampires: fangs and biting, immortality, aetherial beauty, animalistic tendencies, superiority complex. They don't have any distinct differences from humans in their thought processes or emotional capacities—only the same degree of variety that exists in humans.
The religious system and creation story was very interesting and I really liked that aspect.
The Characters
Faerie aka Belle: Sarah J Maas decided to try something new and have a first-person fixed perspective, but it didn't really work, because Feyre was a bland complacent character without much substance passed the surface level, and most of the interesting action took place where she couldn't see it. She suffered, like Celaena did in Crown of Midnight, from what I call Nehemia syndrome: the character that the MC has grown to trust, despite obvious suspicious behavior, turns out to be manipulative, and yet the MC completely overlooks that fact in favor of idolization of their lying friend. In this case, everyone in Prythian is keeping secrets from her and after almost getting her questions answered by the Suriel, Feyre decides to "Stay with the High Lord. He will keep you safe," and just completely forgets that she wants answers about the blight. Also, whereas Belle left the Beast in the original story because her father was in mortal danger, in this book, Feyre leaves because She is not an active protagonist. Also, her painting skills aren't a part of her characterization; it just feels tacked on to make her ~cool~ and ~unique~
Tampon aka the Beast: I don't even care about this guy tbh. He's a confusing character who just feels like a Chaol-Rowan merge on steroids. He's violent, obsessive, and abusive, but also sweet, understanding, and caring, because that's not a contradiction. There's a difference between a complex character and a poorly written character.
Lucien aka Lumiere/Cogsworth (his steampunk eye suggests Cogsworth but his personality suggests Lumiere): So apparently he "hates" Feyre even though I almost shipped them more since they consistently had better chemistry than her and Tammy, and that's saying a lot, because they didn't have chemistry.
exposition-Alis aka Mrs Potts: She was okay. Just okay. She was fine.
Reese's Cups aka also the Beast and kinda Gaston too: Is he supposed to be her love interest for the rest of the series or something, because the fan art definitely suggests that, but, uh, did everyone forget that he's a dangerous sociopath with a history of violence?? He has no regard for her emotional well-being and sees her body as literally nothing beyond a sexual plaything. He's a horrible person.
Amarantha: Why did there have to be a "big bad evil Faerie Queen" in this at all? There's already one in the Throne of Glass series and I can only take so much female-against-female hate from a supposedly feminist fantasy writer. Amarantha was bland and predictable, and her motivations were extremely surface-level.
Her fam: Nesta was like, supposed to have some kind of implied character arc but lol it wasn't very good. Elain was nice and I liked her. The dad was okay, I guess. Pretty forgettable tbh
Isaac Hale aka fake-out Gaston: This character wasn't important at all, but I just wanted to say that I think this is the dumbest name choice in a high fantasy book that I've ever seen. Isaac Hale?? Really, Sarah J Maas? Really? That's the Jason of fantasy names. This is a the-guy-who-went-to-high-school-with-my-older-sister kind of name. It's not a fantasy name.
Conclusion
While I managed to read it fairly quickly, I had to dnf it for several days before deciding to trudge through. It was horrendous. I may pick up the sequel at some point, idk, but for now, from what I predict and understand from various spoilers I've encountered on the internet, I don't really care about this series very much. Frankly, it's not good.
(Note from 2/21/2023 because I apparently have to spell it out: For those of you who don't read comments or check dates read, I read and reviewed this book in 2018. It has been about 5 years; as I have stated in a number of comments, I will not continue this series. In the intervening years since reading this, my feelings on the matter have not changed nor have I desired to continue. Please refrain from commenting about how I need to continue the series or that I did not understand the book. I receive too many of those comments and I'm tired of replying the same thing over and over again. This review is for me first and foremost, not you. Please move on if you do not like my take.)
Me to Sarah J Maas:
"Do you lie awake at night to come up with all your witty replies for the following day?"
Oh dear, this is awful.
The Writing
The title of this book is stupid. It's stupid and flashy and unrelated to the actual content of the book. It's solely for the ~wow~ factor. The quotable line, "I love you... Thorns and all" is wholely ineffective because "thorns" had not been established as a motif and was only used in that context in that very scene, more than halfway through the book. The word "thorn" was only used a grand total of 9 times in this book. The original Beauty and the Beast story had established rose motifs—you can't borrow good writing, even for a retelling. That's just lazy.
The writing itself was inconsistent and poorly done.
I pushed and pulled, but the mud was too slick, and held fast.
Are you aware of the definition of "slick", Sarah J Maas? I do not think it means what you think it means.
Besides that, Amarantha's hair drastically changed color after about 90 pages:
Her red-gold hair
Her black hair
Which is it, Maas? It can't be both unless she has unmentioned magical hair dyeing abilities.
The atmosphere and the opening chapter were excellent and I was intrigued by the idea that was offered me, but the actual book did not deliver at all.
This next point is a spoiler, but because I am disgusted with Sarah J Maas for including this, I am
The attempted of Feyre by Tamlin was brushed off as no more than a mere romantic, steamy encounter to further their lukewarm love story. The only conclusions I can logically draw from this are all rather victim blamey, tbh—she was warned several times to stay inside with the doors locked until dawn, but she leaves her room not once but twice before dawn because she ~wants to go to the party~ and then later, after she almost gets gang-raped and is saved and then creeped out by Rhysand the sociopath, she thinks she is totally safe to go eat a bunch of cookies because, well the drums stopped, so it's probably okay now, and then she gets by Tamlin, who was
I was about to pass out when he grabbed me, so fast I didn't see anything until he had me pinned against the wall.
"Let go," I said as evenly as I could.
I [pushed] him away. He grabbed my hands again and bit my neck. I cried out as his teeth clamped onto the tender spot where my neck met my shoulder. I couldn't move—I couldn't think.
Before, during and after the , she's thinking, Wow, he's really hot. I'm kinda uncomfortable with this, but I guess it's okay that he's drunk on lust magic, because I wanted to sleep with him anyway. That is a very wrong and dangerous way of thinking. No matter what, it is never okay for anyone to make someone else sexually uncomfortable or afraid, especially when they've given verbal disapproval. This entire scene left a bad taste in my mouth.
And then there's Rhysand's behavior. He repeatedly violates her personal space and comfort, drugging her and forcing her to for him in front of a large crowd for weeks on end after stripping her all but naked. Like all Fae males, apparently, he uses brute force to get her to comply with his sexual wishes.
"But he didn't actually touch her; he kept his hands just on her waist!" you say. Yeah, but did she say he could touch her at all? Did she actively encourage him to touch her? No, she did not.
I pulled away, but his hands were like shackles.
I would not have such an issue with this if Sarah J Maas didn't give the impression that she supports such behavior. That is what I find unconscionable.
Besides that, the plot made no sense, even after exposition-Alis gave us the lowdown—in fact, it almost made less sense then. It was cheesy and cliché and frankly, boring. The "riddle" was extremely easy and only proved that Feyre is an absolute idiot with no logical abilities, as I was able to figure it out before Amarantha had even finished saying it, and I'm notoriously bad at riddles.
The sex scenes were almost Empire of Storms levels of bad, cringey, and gross. I think Sarah J Maas doesn't know what YA means and isn't aware she's actually writing for NA.
The Worldbuilding
The Fae were, for one thing, almost exactly the same (primarily in appearance and personality) to the ones in the Throne of Glass series, and tbh I was disappointed. They're not even cleverly unique faeries. They're just Tolkien-esque elves that are actually vampires: fangs and biting, immortality, aetherial beauty, animalistic tendencies, superiority complex. They don't have any distinct differences from humans in their thought processes or emotional capacities—only the same degree of variety that exists in humans.
The religious system and creation story was very interesting and I really liked that aspect.
The Characters
Faerie aka Belle: Sarah J Maas decided to try something new and have a first-person fixed perspective, but it didn't really work, because Feyre was a bland complacent character without much substance passed the surface level, and most of the interesting action took place where she couldn't see it. She suffered, like Celaena did in Crown of Midnight, from what I call Nehemia syndrome: the character that the MC has grown to trust, despite obvious suspicious behavior, turns out to be manipulative, and yet the MC completely overlooks that fact in favor of idolization of their lying friend. In this case, everyone in Prythian is keeping secrets from her and after almost getting her questions answered by the Suriel, Feyre decides to "Stay with the High Lord. He will keep you safe," and just completely forgets that she wants answers about the blight. Also, whereas Belle left the Beast in the original story because her father was in mortal danger, in this book, Feyre leaves because She is not an active protagonist. Also, her painting skills aren't a part of her characterization; it just feels tacked on to make her ~cool~ and ~unique~
Tampon aka the Beast: I don't even care about this guy tbh. He's a confusing character who just feels like a Chaol-Rowan merge on steroids. He's violent, obsessive, and abusive, but also sweet, understanding, and caring, because that's not a contradiction. There's a difference between a complex character and a poorly written character.
Lucien aka Lumiere/Cogsworth (his steampunk eye suggests Cogsworth but his personality suggests Lumiere): So apparently he "hates" Feyre even though I almost shipped them more since they consistently had better chemistry than her and Tammy, and that's saying a lot, because they didn't have chemistry.
exposition-Alis aka Mrs Potts: She was okay. Just okay. She was fine.
Reese's Cups aka also the Beast and kinda Gaston too: Is he supposed to be her love interest for the rest of the series or something, because the fan art definitely suggests that, but, uh, did everyone forget that he's a dangerous sociopath with a history of violence?? He has no regard for her emotional well-being and sees her body as literally nothing beyond a sexual plaything. He's a horrible person.
Amarantha: Why did there have to be a "big bad evil Faerie Queen" in this at all? There's already one in the Throne of Glass series and I can only take so much female-against-female hate from a supposedly feminist fantasy writer. Amarantha was bland and predictable, and her motivations were extremely surface-level.
Her fam: Nesta was like, supposed to have some kind of implied character arc but lol it wasn't very good. Elain was nice and I liked her. The dad was okay, I guess. Pretty forgettable tbh
Isaac Hale aka fake-out Gaston: This character wasn't important at all, but I just wanted to say that I think this is the dumbest name choice in a high fantasy book that I've ever seen. Isaac Hale?? Really, Sarah J Maas? Really? That's the Jason of fantasy names. This is a the-guy-who-went-to-high-school-with-my-older-sister kind of name. It's not a fantasy name.
Conclusion
While I managed to read it fairly quickly, I had to dnf it for several days before deciding to trudge through. It was horrendous. I may pick up the sequel at some point, idk, but for now, from what I predict and understand from various spoilers I've encountered on the internet, I don't really care about this series very much. Frankly, it's not good.
May 5, 2021
That was both horrible and incredible at the same time, and my thoughts are a whirlwind.
Note: The first part of this review is spoiler-free, but the second half is most definitely not. The spoilery section is blocked off by siren emojis (🚨). Skip to the end for bonus content, including an ACOTAR rap written by yours truly.
This is the story of a mortal girl, Feyre, who kills a Fae in the woods one day. She’s whisked away to Prythian, home of the Fae, where she will live the rest of her days as punishment for murdering the wolf.
Whoever said this was a Beauty and the Beast retelling is clearly not okay. This is far from a retelling, because it takes all the important themes out and leaves just the bare plotline:
1. The Beast (Tamlin) is not ugly or even a beast at all. He just has a mask stuck to his face forever as part of a curse that I will get into more in the spoilery section.
2. We are not aware of any good reason for Tamlin to keep Feyre until the very end, and it’s still a flimsy reason (this relates back to the curse).
The problem with the plot is that the foreshadowing is so faint. The plot in the beginning and up until the 75 percent mark makes no sense at all. Tamlin takes Feyre to live in luxury, with good food and nice clothes and freedom, because she killed his fellow Fae? It’s just nonsensical. How is that a punishment at all? She no longer has to care for her spoiled sisters, she’s away from the poor village.
However, it does make sense in the end, but Feyre is very naive for believing all of this. Something doesn’t add up. People who DNF this book will be very confused indeed.
In Beauty and the Beast, we know of the curse beforehand, so we can find a good reason for the Beast to be kind to Belle. But Tamlin? It’s a mystery.
So anyway, Feyre gets taken to a land of luxury to live out the rest of her days in comfort as “punishment,” but she’s still not happy because for some reason she misses her sisters, even though they treated her like dirt.
She falls in love with Tamlin, which was expected because he’s not a Beast. There’s no barrier to overcome here. She isn’t forced to look past his ugly exterior because he has no ugly exterior.
Along the way, another Fae named Lucien conveniently reveals everything Feyre needs to know right before it happens. This is supposed to be foreshadowing? I think? But in the end, he makes things so easy for Feyre and there’s no conflict whatsoever. The only problems arise from Feyre’s own stupidity.
Their exchanges basically go like this:
Lucien: The Suriel are super dangerous and even hard for the Fae to trap so stay away.
Feyre: *makes simple snare* *kills chicken* oOpS I caught one, what a coincidence!!
Everything is far too easy for Feyre.
She’s supposed to be a responsible hunter, but instead she makes stupid, reckless decisions that don’t line up with her character. She follows an illusion of her father despite being told it’s fake, she goes outside on Fire Night, she chases the Suriel, she goes after Tamlin… etc. If you tell her not to do something, she will do it.
Lucien: Stay in your room, it’s dangerous.
Tamlin: Stay in your room, it’s dangerous.
Literally everyone ever: Stay in your room, it’s dangerous.
Feyre: *gets a midnight snack*
Feyre is trying to figure out the details of this blight that’s supposed to be taking over Prythian, but luckily for her, Lucien and Tamlin give everything away with no struggle whatsoever.
The result is that the danger does not feel genuine. It feels like a cheesy way to add angst to the relationship between Feyre and Tamlin.
Speaking of Tamlin, everyone hates him so much but he’s such a sweetheart. I know that he gets worse in ACOMAF, but there’s nothing wrong with him in this book. He may be a little bland, but he’s much better than Rhysand. More details in the spoilery section.
And then we have the writing, which is just bad. “...” is used in every other sentence, the poor em dashes are abused, and Feyre’s bones bark. A lot. Like, every time she falls down, she describes her barking bones. And what’s up with the phrase “my bowels turned watery?” It’s used at least twice and I don’t like it at all. This is not Shatter Me.
🚨🚨🚨SPOILER ALERT🚨🚨🚨
So, what’s up with Amarantha?
I really do like her. She’s a compelling villain because she’s (somewhat) realistic. Sure, she tortures people for fun, but her backstory makes this seem (somewhat) reasonable. (Somewhat.)
Basically, she kidnaps Tamlin and Feyre runs after them because she has no self-preservation instinct. She challenges Amarantha, and in return, she is given three trials. If she wins them all, she and Tamlin will be free and his powers will return. If she loses… well, Amarantha keeps saying that there wouldn’t be enough left of Feyre to burn.
However, Amarantha gives her a different option. She could solve a riddle.
This is when things go downhill. First of all, why would Amarantha bet all her power and might on a simple riddle? It’s not even that hard to solve. The riddle itself is bad. The rhyming pattern isn’t great. And worst of all, the answer?
It’s love.
The answer is love.
How does this make sense? Amarantha is a brutal, sadistic villain, so why would she write such a cliche, cheesy riddle? She should have made it oddly specific so Feyre would never get it.
Anyway, Feyre answers it correctly at the last minute, Amarantha loses all her power, and Tamlin kills her.
It was far too easy.
Moving onto Rhysand. I hate him with a burning passion. He’s a greasy, crusty, dusty, musty old man. I can’t believe Feysand is the endgame ship. I’m suing. This is ridiculous. I don’t understand how people love him. He’s abusive, uncomfy, and weird.
People keep telling me that I will love Rhysand in ACOMAF and hate Tamlin. First of all, I highly doubt it.
Second of all, if you have to rely on making one character a villain just to get people to like the other character, that’s bad writing.
Finally, the curse is so specific and random. Tamlin has to fall in love with a mortal girl who hates the Fae so much that she killed one in cold blood, and he has to wear a mask, and she can't know it's a curse.
🚨🚨🚨END OF SPOILERS🚨🚨🚨
In conclusion: Feyre is an idiot, Tamlin is precious, and Rhysand deserves to rot in a hole.
Also, I wrote a rap. It’s called *prim coughing fit* Feyre Darling. Slight spoilers for ACOMAF.
Feyre Darling
By Sofia
I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding
Rhys's hair is black but Tam's is golden
Will my bones bark or will they meow
Come along Suriel and sing with me now
My name is Feyre
Feyre
And I'm a standard YA MC
What stupid things will I do? Let's see
You tell me one thing and I'll do the other
I left my common sense back in the gutter
There's a blight going ‘round but I don't care
Tamlin follows me everywhere
I think he might like me but idk
I can have Rhysand any day
I like to paint but who knows what I'm painting
At the slightest touch from Tamlin I'll be a-fainting
Oh no he's abusive what will I do
Good that Rhys says it's a choice for you
I can't read but that's okay
Tamlin will save me anyway
My name is Feyre
Feyre
And I'm a standard YA MC
What stupid things will I do? Let's see
I shot a shifted fae with an ash bow
Lucien tried to kill me but Tamlin said no
Amarantha is being pretty suspicious
Rhys killed a fae, that's a little too vicious
I could marry Nesta off with one of these dishes
Tamlin's eyes look like greenish grass
Nesta thinks I'm pretty crass
My name is Feyre
Feyre
And I'm a standard YA MC
What stupid things will I do? Let's see
Sometimes... I... talk like... this...
That won't stop me from taking big risks
It's Fire Night? I'll walk outside
Maybe if I'm lucky I'll nearly die
My name is Feyre
Feyre
And I'm a standard YA MC
What stupid things will I do? Let's see
2.5 stars, a true guilty pleasure
My review of ACOMAF
My review of ACOWAR
___
I'm having major FOMO so I guess it's time to read this? 🤷 Anyway, I need a good cry, so SJM is the right way to go.
Note: The first part of this review is spoiler-free, but the second half is most definitely not. The spoilery section is blocked off by siren emojis (🚨). Skip to the end for bonus content, including an ACOTAR rap written by yours truly.
This is the story of a mortal girl, Feyre, who kills a Fae in the woods one day. She’s whisked away to Prythian, home of the Fae, where she will live the rest of her days as punishment for murdering the wolf.
Whoever said this was a Beauty and the Beast retelling is clearly not okay. This is far from a retelling, because it takes all the important themes out and leaves just the bare plotline:
1. The Beast (Tamlin) is not ugly or even a beast at all. He just has a mask stuck to his face forever as part of a curse that I will get into more in the spoilery section.
2. We are not aware of any good reason for Tamlin to keep Feyre until the very end, and it’s still a flimsy reason (this relates back to the curse).
The problem with the plot is that the foreshadowing is so faint. The plot in the beginning and up until the 75 percent mark makes no sense at all. Tamlin takes Feyre to live in luxury, with good food and nice clothes and freedom, because she killed his fellow Fae? It’s just nonsensical. How is that a punishment at all? She no longer has to care for her spoiled sisters, she’s away from the poor village.
However, it does make sense in the end, but Feyre is very naive for believing all of this. Something doesn’t add up. People who DNF this book will be very confused indeed.
In Beauty and the Beast, we know of the curse beforehand, so we can find a good reason for the Beast to be kind to Belle. But Tamlin? It’s a mystery.
So anyway, Feyre gets taken to a land of luxury to live out the rest of her days in comfort as “punishment,” but she’s still not happy because for some reason she misses her sisters, even though they treated her like dirt.
She falls in love with Tamlin, which was expected because he’s not a Beast. There’s no barrier to overcome here. She isn’t forced to look past his ugly exterior because he has no ugly exterior.
Along the way, another Fae named Lucien conveniently reveals everything Feyre needs to know right before it happens. This is supposed to be foreshadowing? I think? But in the end, he makes things so easy for Feyre and there’s no conflict whatsoever. The only problems arise from Feyre’s own stupidity.
Their exchanges basically go like this:
Lucien: The Suriel are super dangerous and even hard for the Fae to trap so stay away.
Feyre: *makes simple snare* *kills chicken* oOpS I caught one, what a coincidence!!
Everything is far too easy for Feyre.
She’s supposed to be a responsible hunter, but instead she makes stupid, reckless decisions that don’t line up with her character. She follows an illusion of her father despite being told it’s fake, she goes outside on Fire Night, she chases the Suriel, she goes after Tamlin… etc. If you tell her not to do something, she will do it.
Lucien: Stay in your room, it’s dangerous.
Tamlin: Stay in your room, it’s dangerous.
Literally everyone ever: Stay in your room, it’s dangerous.
Feyre: *gets a midnight snack*
Feyre is trying to figure out the details of this blight that’s supposed to be taking over Prythian, but luckily for her, Lucien and Tamlin give everything away with no struggle whatsoever.
The result is that the danger does not feel genuine. It feels like a cheesy way to add angst to the relationship between Feyre and Tamlin.
Speaking of Tamlin, everyone hates him so much but he’s such a sweetheart. I know that he gets worse in ACOMAF, but there’s nothing wrong with him in this book. He may be a little bland, but he’s much better than Rhysand. More details in the spoilery section.
And then we have the writing, which is just bad. “...” is used in every other sentence, the poor em dashes are abused, and Feyre’s bones bark. A lot. Like, every time she falls down, she describes her barking bones. And what’s up with the phrase “my bowels turned watery?” It’s used at least twice and I don’t like it at all. This is not Shatter Me.
🚨🚨🚨SPOILER ALERT🚨🚨🚨
So, what’s up with Amarantha?
I really do like her. She’s a compelling villain because she’s (somewhat) realistic. Sure, she tortures people for fun, but her backstory makes this seem (somewhat) reasonable. (Somewhat.)
Basically, she kidnaps Tamlin and Feyre runs after them because she has no self-preservation instinct. She challenges Amarantha, and in return, she is given three trials. If she wins them all, she and Tamlin will be free and his powers will return. If she loses… well, Amarantha keeps saying that there wouldn’t be enough left of Feyre to burn.
However, Amarantha gives her a different option. She could solve a riddle.
This is when things go downhill. First of all, why would Amarantha bet all her power and might on a simple riddle? It’s not even that hard to solve. The riddle itself is bad. The rhyming pattern isn’t great. And worst of all, the answer?
It’s love.
The answer is love.
How does this make sense? Amarantha is a brutal, sadistic villain, so why would she write such a cliche, cheesy riddle? She should have made it oddly specific so Feyre would never get it.
Anyway, Feyre answers it correctly at the last minute, Amarantha loses all her power, and Tamlin kills her.
It was far too easy.
Moving onto Rhysand. I hate him with a burning passion. He’s a greasy, crusty, dusty, musty old man. I can’t believe Feysand is the endgame ship. I’m suing. This is ridiculous. I don’t understand how people love him. He’s abusive, uncomfy, and weird.
People keep telling me that I will love Rhysand in ACOMAF and hate Tamlin. First of all, I highly doubt it.
Second of all, if you have to rely on making one character a villain just to get people to like the other character, that’s bad writing.
Finally, the curse is so specific and random. Tamlin has to fall in love with a mortal girl who hates the Fae so much that she killed one in cold blood, and he has to wear a mask, and she can't know it's a curse.
🚨🚨🚨END OF SPOILERS🚨🚨🚨
In conclusion: Feyre is an idiot, Tamlin is precious, and Rhysand deserves to rot in a hole.
Also, I wrote a rap. It’s called *prim coughing fit* Feyre Darling. Slight spoilers for ACOMAF.
Feyre Darling
By Sofia
I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding
Rhys's hair is black but Tam's is golden
Will my bones bark or will they meow
Come along Suriel and sing with me now
My name is Feyre
Feyre
And I'm a standard YA MC
What stupid things will I do? Let's see
You tell me one thing and I'll do the other
I left my common sense back in the gutter
There's a blight going ‘round but I don't care
Tamlin follows me everywhere
I think he might like me but idk
I can have Rhysand any day
I like to paint but who knows what I'm painting
At the slightest touch from Tamlin I'll be a-fainting
Oh no he's abusive what will I do
Good that Rhys says it's a choice for you
I can't read but that's okay
Tamlin will save me anyway
My name is Feyre
Feyre
And I'm a standard YA MC
What stupid things will I do? Let's see
I shot a shifted fae with an ash bow
Lucien tried to kill me but Tamlin said no
Amarantha is being pretty suspicious
Rhys killed a fae, that's a little too vicious
I could marry Nesta off with one of these dishes
Tamlin's eyes look like greenish grass
Nesta thinks I'm pretty crass
My name is Feyre
Feyre
And I'm a standard YA MC
What stupid things will I do? Let's see
Sometimes... I... talk like... this...
That won't stop me from taking big risks
It's Fire Night? I'll walk outside
Maybe if I'm lucky I'll nearly die
My name is Feyre
Feyre
And I'm a standard YA MC
What stupid things will I do? Let's see
2.5 stars, a true guilty pleasure
My review of ACOMAF
My review of ACOWAR
___
I'm having major FOMO so I guess it's time to read this? 🤷 Anyway, I need a good cry, so SJM is the right way to go.
June 17, 2015
Clearly I'm in the minority here. DNF at 30% because I just got fed up with things moving at a snail's pace and NOT MAKING SENSE AT ALL. This was one of the most uncompelling versions of Beauty and the Beast that I have ever read. The writing is nothing outstanding, there was nothing that moved me. I felt Cruel Beauty among other B&B retellings I've read this year and last have done a far superior job at moving me emotionally.
Look, I'm sure by the end of the book, all the things tie together and everything's just dandy and things will make sense, and I'd be like "ooooooh, so that's why ____." Me, I don't care. Ain't nobody got time for that. I have so many questions and I'm just fed up. This is not a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. This is a book about a girl who gets to live an easy life with a guy who's implied to be a gorgeous Fae underneath his mask.
The original story makes sense: here's roughly how it goes. Handsome prince is cursed to be ugly unless he gets a chick to fall for him. Flash forward, there's Belle's dad. Belle's dad wanders into Beast's castle and touches his stuff. Beast doesn't like the fact that Belle's dad touched his stuff. Beast is going to kill Belle's dad unless he gets Beast some pussy. Belle's valiantly steps in to save dad, Beast is as nice to her as much as a hairy ugly, self-conscious, socially ostracized monster can be. Belle is treated like a princess because Beast really, really fucking needs her to save him and his people before the curse runs out!
There's a reason Belle is treated like the queen! Things make sense! They have to learn to trust one another. Things are slowly developed an built over time. There is a hideous beast who is scarred emotionally, and a beauty who needs to look past the exterior. There is a point. Not so with this book. Things are far, far too easy with this book.
Now here's this version of Beauty and the Beast, a retelling that tries to be bad-ass and fails completely, from the little that I have read.
There's Feyre who has a pretty crappy life with an absentminded, worthless, spineless dad, and two of the most bitchy, ungrateful sisters in the entire world. She slaves for them, she hunts food for them, she works her ass off for them. Without her, their family would starve. They don't care. I feel some pity for her, but she acts like so much of a martyr that there's only so much I can take.
While hunting one day, Feyre kills a wolf, well, surprise, surprise, that wolf turns out to be a Fae in disguise. In return for this kill, Feyre is taken by a wolf (who's a Fae in disguise) away from her family.
“What is the payment the Treaty requires?”A life for a life! Oh, no! Is she going to die?! That's what a life for a life means, right? WRONG. Feyre is taken off to magical Fairyland to live in luxury for the rest of her life while her family is taken care of back in their little village.
His eyes didn’t leave my face as he said, “A life for a life. Any unprovoked attacks on faerie-kind by humans are to be paid only by a human life in exchange.”
“Some would say it’s unwise to insult a Fae in his home,” Tamlin ground out. “Some would say you should be grateful for me finding you before another one of my kind came to claim the debt, for sparing your life and then offering you the chance to live in comfort.”So what?! Why?! This makes no sense at all. Feyre kills one of their kind. A beloved brother. In exchange, there is absolutely no punishment whatsoever. She gets to live in a fantastically fabulous castle, waited on by servants. She gets beautiful clothes and delicious food.
Another useless answer. I dug into my breakfast, savoring each rich sip of tea, and she slipped into the bathing chamber. When I was done eating and bathing, I refused Alis’s offer and dressed myself in another exquisite tunic—this one of purple so deep it could have been black.Clearly there is some kind of a setup involving The Treaty, since there seems to be a lot of secrecy between the Fae...but wait, whatever information she wants, the Fae reveals...they're revealing their own weakness to Feyre, who is constantly plotting her own escape. It doesn't make any sense!
“There is … a sickness in these lands. Across Prythian. There has been for almost fifty years now. It is why this house and these lands are so empty: most have left. The blight spreads slowly, but it has made magic act … strangely. My own powers are diminished due to it. These masks”—he tapped on his—“are the result of a surge of it that occurred during a masquerade forty-nine years ago. Even now, we can’t remove them.”Over and over and over, the Fae reveal their secrets to her, including one that might help her escape.
“So there are faeries who will actually answer any question if you trap them?” Maybe they’d know how to free me from the Treaty’s terms.And then pretty much the next chapter, she goes out AND IMMEDIATELY FINDS THESE MYSTERIOUS CREATURES. WHAT THE FUCK.
“Yes,” he said tightly. “The Suriel. But they’re old and wicked, and not worth the danger of going out to find them.
I do not like it when things come so easily to a main character, and everything comes easily to Feyre. There is no consequence whatsoever to her actions. There is no punishment to her deed of killing. The Fae are supposed to hate her...it doesn't feel like it, because she is "inconsequential." In fact, they're more of her playmates than her wardens. The Fae seem to have no other things to do besides play with her and hunt with her.
“My morning work was postponed,” he said. Indeed, his usual tunic was off, the baldric gone, and the sleeves of his white shirt had been rolled up to the elbows to reveal tanned forearms corded with muscle. “If you want a ride across the grounds—if you’re interested in your new … residence, I can take you.”And teach her how to read and write...because Feyre cannot read or write, an ironic twist to the Disney Belle's love for reading.
“I could help you write to them, if that’s why you’re in here.”Feyre is irreverent, ungrateful and insulting to her wardens...in a way that gets her no punishment whatsoever.
“Do you ever stop being such a prick?” I snapped back.As I said, I'm sure this book improves in the end, but from what I've read, this book makes no sense, the writing is emotionless, the characters are flat, the main character unrealistic, and I do not care to continue.
Dead—really, truly, I should have been dead for that.
But Lucien grinned at me. “Much better.”
September 19, 2015
INITIAL REACTION: WILL UPDATE WITH REVIEW LATER BUT KNOW I LOVED THIS. IT KILLED ME AND BROUGHT ME BACK TO LIFE Y'ALL.
A REVIEW IN GIFs :
Me when I received the book:
When I started reading:
When Feyre was introduced:
When Tamlin as introduced:
FEYLIN/TAMEY:
LITERALLY ME WHENEVER THEY SPOKE TO/LOOKED AT EACH OTHER:
THE PLOT WAS BASICALLY EVERYTHING I WANTED IT WAS...
THEN THERE'S CHAPTER 27!!! AND I DIED SEVERAL TIMES
Amarantha,
Also Rhysand:
(more like get off my SHIP, am I right??)
Feyre's character development was ON POINT:
BASICALLY THIS WAS ME AFTER READING IT:
A REVIEW IN GIFs :
Me when I received the book:
When I started reading:
When Feyre was introduced:
When Tamlin as introduced:
FEYLIN/TAMEY:
LITERALLY ME WHENEVER THEY SPOKE TO/LOOKED AT EACH OTHER:
THE PLOT WAS BASICALLY EVERYTHING I WANTED IT WAS...
THEN THERE'S CHAPTER 27!!! AND I DIED SEVERAL TIMES
Amarantha,
Also Rhysand:
(more like get off my SHIP, am I right??)
Feyre's character development was ON POINT:
BASICALLY THIS WAS ME AFTER READING IT:
May 11, 2015
2 1/2 stars. Maybe my rating comes as a surprise or even - if you care - a disappointment, but let me assure you: no one is more surprised or disappointed than I am.
I've had this book on my TBR ever since it appeared on Goodreads without a title, cover or description. I started reading it as soon as it became available and the array of positive reviews from my friends and strangers alike made me feel sure I would love it. But I didn't. It is possible I expected all the wrong things from A Court of Thorns and Roses, and maybe my review can prevent others from doing the same.
Here's what I expected: an intricate fantasy world, supernatural politics and alliances, fast-paced action, a sensual romance - perhaps similar to Cruel Beauty and other Beauty and the Beast retellings, and a flawed but likable heroine.
But this book is, if you ask me, nothing more or less than softcore erotica. Which is fine, if that's what you're looking for.
I personally thought that the fantasy aspect felt like trimmings around a story that was all about a romance between Feyre (the narrator) and Tamlin (a High Lord of the Fae). There are some titillating scenes where Tamlin bites Feyre's neck and they have sex - undoubtedly the best bits of the book and I won't pretend I didn't feel a little hot under the collar myself. But the "ancient wicked shadow" promised in the blurb is only really a source of more romantic angst for Feyre and Tamlin.
However, I *do* like a good romance as much as anyone, so there are other reasons this book didn't quite work for me. In order to express what I mean, I'm going to compare A Court of Thorns and Roses to Cruel Beauty, which is, in my opinion, a better book.
In CB, I felt the chemistry between Nyx and Ignifex as soon as their loaded banter started to fill the pages. They were sexy together, Ignifex was an evil ruler (which was a real problem for their relationship) with blood-red eyes, and the supernatural part of the book was creepy, weird and completely unique. Despite enjoying the actual non-PG scenes in A Court of Thorns and Roses, I never felt any real chemistry between Feyre and Tamlin or any realistic challenge to their relationship.
What makes Beauty and the Beast such a compelling romance? One that demands to be told over and over again in so many different ways? I'll tell you what it is: it's the obstacles, the challenges, the improbability... how can a young woman come to love an ugly beast? We ask. I'll prove it's possible! The author replies. That's why readers fall in love with the beast again and again, even when he is furry and has horns like the Disney version. I loved the Disney beast.
Tamlin is not a beast.
“Even as he bit out the words, I couldn’t ignore the sheer male beauty of that strong jaw, the richness of his golden-tan skin.”
Oh my, how could a poor young woman ever love a pretty-faced, golden-haired, completely not evil Fae prince? How weird.
Maas is a good writer and the beginning - before Feyre is taken to the Fae world - made me believe a great book was on the way. When Maas writes action, she writes action really well. But there was far too little of it in this book. It came in behind the descriptions of beautiful Fae men and the Fae palace.
In short: It just wasn't nasty enough. In truth, this felt more like an extended Cinderella retelling than what it was supposed to be. A girl lives in poverty and looks after her rather annoying sisters until one day she is swept up by a prince who takes her to his beautiful palace (after about three chapters). I just find it hard to recommend this when I think Cruel Beauty is similar and yet so much better.
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I've had this book on my TBR ever since it appeared on Goodreads without a title, cover or description. I started reading it as soon as it became available and the array of positive reviews from my friends and strangers alike made me feel sure I would love it. But I didn't. It is possible I expected all the wrong things from A Court of Thorns and Roses, and maybe my review can prevent others from doing the same.
Here's what I expected: an intricate fantasy world, supernatural politics and alliances, fast-paced action, a sensual romance - perhaps similar to Cruel Beauty and other Beauty and the Beast retellings, and a flawed but likable heroine.
But this book is, if you ask me, nothing more or less than softcore erotica. Which is fine, if that's what you're looking for.
I personally thought that the fantasy aspect felt like trimmings around a story that was all about a romance between Feyre (the narrator) and Tamlin (a High Lord of the Fae). There are some titillating scenes where Tamlin bites Feyre's neck and they have sex - undoubtedly the best bits of the book and I won't pretend I didn't feel a little hot under the collar myself. But the "ancient wicked shadow" promised in the blurb is only really a source of more romantic angst for Feyre and Tamlin.
However, I *do* like a good romance as much as anyone, so there are other reasons this book didn't quite work for me. In order to express what I mean, I'm going to compare A Court of Thorns and Roses to Cruel Beauty, which is, in my opinion, a better book.
In CB, I felt the chemistry between Nyx and Ignifex as soon as their loaded banter started to fill the pages. They were sexy together, Ignifex was an evil ruler (which was a real problem for their relationship) with blood-red eyes, and the supernatural part of the book was creepy, weird and completely unique. Despite enjoying the actual non-PG scenes in A Court of Thorns and Roses, I never felt any real chemistry between Feyre and Tamlin or any realistic challenge to their relationship.
What makes Beauty and the Beast such a compelling romance? One that demands to be told over and over again in so many different ways? I'll tell you what it is: it's the obstacles, the challenges, the improbability... how can a young woman come to love an ugly beast? We ask. I'll prove it's possible! The author replies. That's why readers fall in love with the beast again and again, even when he is furry and has horns like the Disney version. I loved the Disney beast.
Tamlin is not a beast.
“Even as he bit out the words, I couldn’t ignore the sheer male beauty of that strong jaw, the richness of his golden-tan skin.”
Oh my, how could a poor young woman ever love a pretty-faced, golden-haired, completely not evil Fae prince? How weird.
Maas is a good writer and the beginning - before Feyre is taken to the Fae world - made me believe a great book was on the way. When Maas writes action, she writes action really well. But there was far too little of it in this book. It came in behind the descriptions of beautiful Fae men and the Fae palace.
In short: It just wasn't nasty enough. In truth, this felt more like an extended Cinderella retelling than what it was supposed to be. A girl lives in poverty and looks after her rather annoying sisters until one day she is swept up by a prince who takes her to his beautiful palace (after about three chapters). I just find it hard to recommend this when I think Cruel Beauty is similar and yet so much better.
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November 24, 2023
4.45/5 ⭐
Full review on my Blog: The Dacian She-Wolf 🐺
This book’s mood song match – Fix You by Coldplay
mum: *enters kitchen at 3 am* What the hell are you doing?
me: *with a bowl of ice cream in one hand and ACOTAR in the other* I'm starting another SJM series
mum: Hang on, I have a bottle of vodka here somewhere
*
And if this is not some relatable shit when facing Sarah J. Maas’s books then I don’t know what to tell you anymore. You puzzle me.
So, there you go – another great universe erected by SJM just in front of our humble eyes. She is building her own fucking multiverse and we are here to witness the power of a goddess at work. I will make three sacrifices for that.
This is, so far, for me, the best Beauty and the Beast reimagination.
HER EXECUTION STYLE IS THE AIR TO MY LUNGS.
And this one is not even the best of her works.
“Magic – everything was magic, and it broke my heart.”
Mainly, our action is happening at the Spring Court where our main character finds herself in front of a new intriguing life. Or at least as intriguing as a Court of flowery gardens can be.
As I always say about SJM’s books, the characters are the ones who make the action. It’s like they are the very engine of a plot.
I kind of like Feyre. She definitely has her own personal issues, mainly because she is broken and lonely and desperate to beat her status. She is human and miserable, mainly because her family is horrible. Her whole family was created to look like the typical fairytale family – an absent coward of a father, an uninterested mother, a sister full of wicked hatred and another one caught up in her own world, sensitive and naïve. Until her sisters do something worthy of my affection, I ain’t changing my mind about them.
Lucien (the Emissary of the Spring Court), I must say, I liked from the very beginning, but he somehow managed to grow on me. There was something likeable about him at first and he only proved that to me more as the action went on.
Tamlin, the High Lord of the Spring Court, on the other hand, seemed a bit stiff the whole book, even though I sometimes appreciated the occasional softness of his heart.
But full-on honesty now – the best thing about this book, the one thing that made it 110% better was Rhysand. He won for this book a full star from me with all of his domineering prick moves. He played the bad boy role so good that my traitorous heart enjoyed him whole. I might have a problem but oh, what a perfect problem he is.
“His voice was a lover’s purr that sent shivers through me, caressing every muscle and bone and nerve.”
Sexy.
Rhysand and Feyre certainly have a sort of total chemistry that it seems Feyre doesn’t have with Tamlin; not even after they supposedly fell in love with each other. I don’t buy that love for more than a second and by the end when everything seemed to try to make me believe their relationship I was still not convinced.
I recognise fabulous chemistry when I see one and that ain’t it. Rhysand, you’d better act up, love, I have expectations. You’re more than just a cruel, beautiful ruffian, I know it.
There’s a certain cruelty in this book, so very Maas. I sometimes feel like I’m reading the words of a psychopath, but then I remind myself how much I enjoy this cruelty in these books and I temperate myself.
That crazy wretch Amarantha is definitely the embodiment of cold murder and torture in this book and this is visible when it comes to how much her actions affect the other characters’ moods and movements. It’s terribly interesting though to see how terrified all of them can become when facing her.
But by the end, there was this sliver of hope that lingered. And that broke the evil to pieces.
“This wasn’t music to dance to – it was music to worship, music to feel in the gaps of my soul, to bring me to a place where there was no pain.”
Even though I think this is not the best of SJM’s works, I still believe is so very good that just makes you want to know more. It leaves you craving. And in my humble opinion, that’s a bonus factor in books.
All and all, my first step into the ACOTAR universe has been a success. More steps to come. Until I fall in love. Wholly and irrevocably.
Full review on my Blog: The Dacian She-Wolf 🐺
This book’s mood song match – Fix You by Coldplay
mum: *enters kitchen at 3 am* What the hell are you doing?
me: *with a bowl of ice cream in one hand and ACOTAR in the other* I'm starting another SJM series
mum: Hang on, I have a bottle of vodka here somewhere
*
And if this is not some relatable shit when facing Sarah J. Maas’s books then I don’t know what to tell you anymore. You puzzle me.
So, there you go – another great universe erected by SJM just in front of our humble eyes. She is building her own fucking multiverse and we are here to witness the power of a goddess at work. I will make three sacrifices for that.
This is, so far, for me, the best Beauty and the Beast reimagination.
HER EXECUTION STYLE IS THE AIR TO MY LUNGS.
And this one is not even the best of her works.
“Magic – everything was magic, and it broke my heart.”
Mainly, our action is happening at the Spring Court where our main character finds herself in front of a new intriguing life. Or at least as intriguing as a Court of flowery gardens can be.
As I always say about SJM’s books, the characters are the ones who make the action. It’s like they are the very engine of a plot.
I kind of like Feyre. She definitely has her own personal issues, mainly because she is broken and lonely and desperate to beat her status. She is human and miserable, mainly because her family is horrible. Her whole family was created to look like the typical fairytale family – an absent coward of a father, an uninterested mother, a sister full of wicked hatred and another one caught up in her own world, sensitive and naïve. Until her sisters do something worthy of my affection, I ain’t changing my mind about them.
Lucien (the Emissary of the Spring Court), I must say, I liked from the very beginning, but he somehow managed to grow on me. There was something likeable about him at first and he only proved that to me more as the action went on.
Tamlin, the High Lord of the Spring Court, on the other hand, seemed a bit stiff the whole book, even though I sometimes appreciated the occasional softness of his heart.
But full-on honesty now – the best thing about this book, the one thing that made it 110% better was Rhysand. He won for this book a full star from me with all of his domineering prick moves. He played the bad boy role so good that my traitorous heart enjoyed him whole. I might have a problem but oh, what a perfect problem he is.
“His voice was a lover’s purr that sent shivers through me, caressing every muscle and bone and nerve.”
Sexy.
Rhysand and Feyre certainly have a sort of total chemistry that it seems Feyre doesn’t have with Tamlin; not even after they supposedly fell in love with each other. I don’t buy that love for more than a second and by the end when everything seemed to try to make me believe their relationship I was still not convinced.
I recognise fabulous chemistry when I see one and that ain’t it. Rhysand, you’d better act up, love, I have expectations. You’re more than just a cruel, beautiful ruffian, I know it.
There’s a certain cruelty in this book, so very Maas. I sometimes feel like I’m reading the words of a psychopath, but then I remind myself how much I enjoy this cruelty in these books and I temperate myself.
That crazy wretch Amarantha is definitely the embodiment of cold murder and torture in this book and this is visible when it comes to how much her actions affect the other characters’ moods and movements. It’s terribly interesting though to see how terrified all of them can become when facing her.
But by the end, there was this sliver of hope that lingered. And that broke the evil to pieces.
“This wasn’t music to dance to – it was music to worship, music to feel in the gaps of my soul, to bring me to a place where there was no pain.”
Even though I think this is not the best of SJM’s works, I still believe is so very good that just makes you want to know more. It leaves you craving. And in my humble opinion, that’s a bonus factor in books.
All and all, my first step into the ACOTAR universe has been a success. More steps to come. Until I fall in love. Wholly and irrevocably.
July 18, 2015
I cannot remember ever being this conflicted over a book. There are parts of A Court of Thorns and Roses I really loved, but a lot of parts I really hated.
I went into this book fully expecting to love it. Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite fairy tales, and I was interested to see how SJM made the story her own.
First off, my biggest problem with this story was Feyre as a character. I have never been so irritated. Her character development and personality, for the most part, didn't make sense to me. She was the caretaker of her entire family for years, supposedly a hunter with a strong survival instinct. And yet, she proceeded to make the stupidest decisions and put herself in danger time and time again. I didn't get the sense that she did this out of bravery, but more out of stupidity. It didn't mesh with what her character was supposed to be. Examples of these idiotic choices:
In addition to all of these idiotic choices, she also is incredibly inconsistent. She'll go from hating Fae to sympathizing with them to loving them back to fearing them at the drop of a hat. These inconsistencies are probably the most irritating, as there are scenes that I absolutely adore with Feyre, but then she goes back to doing the next pain in the ass thing on the next page.
I also found her relationship with Tamlin to be problematic. Yes, I do enjoy problematic things (especially ships from time to time) but there were a lot of things I couldn't excuse with them. Again, more inconsistencies in characters' behavior. Tamlin's hot and cold behavior was eventually explained, but not until 70% of the way through the book. It was too little too late. Also,
The world building I found to be lackluster in a lot of ways. While I really enjoyed the wide variety of Fae creatures we got to see, I thought that a lot of the back story was revealed in a lazy way. Instead of having Feyre figure anything out for herself, important things are told to her through long monologues from a number of characters throughout the book. This happens numerous times.
Additionally, few side characters have any development and most felt like blank slates. With that being said, the ones that were developed I adored. Lucien and Rhys saved the book for me in a lot of ways. I found them both to be complex and interesting characters.
The last 10-15% of the book saved it for me. I found the plot to finally be interesting, and I found Feyre's decisions in those chapters to actually make sense. A lot of things were set up for future books that have me very intrigued, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. Many things that I disliked in this book, may in fact be remedied due to some of the occurrences in this last small section of the book.
Overall, I was disappointed by this first installment. While there were elements I really enjoyed, they didn't make up for the elements I didn't. I'm hoping future installments will prove to be better.
I will also be doing a full video review and spoiler-filled discussion on my channel in the future if you want to know more of my thoughts.
I went into this book fully expecting to love it. Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite fairy tales, and I was interested to see how SJM made the story her own.
First off, my biggest problem with this story was Feyre as a character. I have never been so irritated. Her character development and personality, for the most part, didn't make sense to me. She was the caretaker of her entire family for years, supposedly a hunter with a strong survival instinct. And yet, she proceeded to make the stupidest decisions and put herself in danger time and time again. I didn't get the sense that she did this out of bravery, but more out of stupidity. It didn't mesh with what her character was supposed to be. Examples of these idiotic choices:
In addition to all of these idiotic choices, she also is incredibly inconsistent. She'll go from hating Fae to sympathizing with them to loving them back to fearing them at the drop of a hat. These inconsistencies are probably the most irritating, as there are scenes that I absolutely adore with Feyre, but then she goes back to doing the next pain in the ass thing on the next page.
I also found her relationship with Tamlin to be problematic. Yes, I do enjoy problematic things (especially ships from time to time) but there were a lot of things I couldn't excuse with them. Again, more inconsistencies in characters' behavior. Tamlin's hot and cold behavior was eventually explained, but not until 70% of the way through the book. It was too little too late. Also,
The world building I found to be lackluster in a lot of ways. While I really enjoyed the wide variety of Fae creatures we got to see, I thought that a lot of the back story was revealed in a lazy way. Instead of having Feyre figure anything out for herself, important things are told to her through long monologues from a number of characters throughout the book. This happens numerous times.
Additionally, few side characters have any development and most felt like blank slates. With that being said, the ones that were developed I adored. Lucien and Rhys saved the book for me in a lot of ways. I found them both to be complex and interesting characters.
The last 10-15% of the book saved it for me. I found the plot to finally be interesting, and I found Feyre's decisions in those chapters to actually make sense. A lot of things were set up for future books that have me very intrigued, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. Many things that I disliked in this book, may in fact be remedied due to some of the occurrences in this last small section of the book.
Overall, I was disappointed by this first installment. While there were elements I really enjoyed, they didn't make up for the elements I didn't. I'm hoping future installments will prove to be better.
I will also be doing a full video review and spoiler-filled discussion on my channel in the future if you want to know more of my thoughts.
December 9, 2020
The Written Review :----------
If you've ever wondered which literary world would be the best to live in, wonder no longer, cause there's a BookTube Video to answer that!
Update - 12/6/19
Should I cross the insurmountable TBR? Or reread this series again?
I think you know the answer
----------
Here's the original review:
Feyre is hunting in the middle of the woods to keep her useless starving family alive (Hunger Games, anyone?).
A chance encounter with a wolf - who wasn't entirely a wolf - leaves Feyre on the wrong end of an ancient treaty.
She is forced to go to the fairy realm to live out the remaining years of her human life - no friends, no family and no freedom.
“Has anyone ever taken care of you?” he asked quietly.At first, she cannot think of anything but escape. Slowly (but surely), she is swept into the fairy realm - in its magic & intrigue, in its danger & hopelessness, and in its wonder & glory.
“No.” I’d long since stopped feeling sorry for myself about it.
“Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, Dawn, Day, and Night,” it mused, as if I hadn’t even answered. “The seven Courts of Prythian, each ruled by a High Lord, all of them deadly in their own way. They are not merely powerful—they are Power.”Feyre lands in the Spring court - which is under a masquerade curse for nearly fifty years.
The court is being attacked by all manner of terrible creatures and there is a blight upon the land .
This blight will soon cross to the human realm - threatening everyone Feyre holds dear.
The first half sucks but keep reading
There's no way around it. From page 1 to about 200, Feyre is annoying and obstinate.
I nearly put this book down half a dozen times (it was like reading Red Queen).
BUT, there was something about it that kept me interested.
AND THANK GOODNESS FOR THAT.
Because wow. Seriously wow.
Midway through the book, things turned around magnificently. It was like a whole new book.
Sarah J Maas is a devious little thing.
Suddenly, all the plot holes, nonsensical actions of her fairy captors (Tamlin and Lucien) and Feyre's complete idiocy flipped on their heads.
Everything makes sense now. I literally could not put this down.
Though, and maybe it's just me, but the Tamlin-Feyre arc felt a bit rushed/forced. Her constant love declarations really had me questioning their relationship. But then again, I had a friend who accidentally spilled the beans on that one.
Without giving any spoilers, I sure hope book 2 does a complete character shift on you-know-who (NOT voldemort) because I am not pleased with the way the love interest was hinted at during the end of the book. (He's such a jerk!)
Overall, I am amazed by how much effort Sarah J. Maas put into constructing this story. I'm this close || to rereading the book solely to better appreciate all those little clues that I must have passed over.
So, if you pick this up and just aren't feeling it - keep reading - trust me.
The Finer Books Club - 2018 Reading Challenge: A book recommended by a friend
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March 29, 2019
4.8/5 Stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
I'm speechless. What am I supposed to say after this? Am I supposed to write a coherent review with vital points as to why this book WAS FUCKING AMAZING??? I CAN'T EVEN TALK RIGHT NOW I'M SPEECHLESS. I WANT THE SECOND BOOK IN MY HANDS BUT MY ORDER STILL HASN'T COME. I'M READY TO GO TO FUCKING ENGLAND MYSELF AND PURCHASE IT. KIDS I'M LITERALLY DYING HERE.
The Beauty and the Beast-esque fantasy drama tells the story of Feyre, who finds herself entwined with faeries after unknowingly killing one. When the 19-year-old huntress kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin, one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world. Feyre must find a way to stop it or doom Tamlin and his world forever.
I'm not a fantasy fan. I love fantasy in film and tv but not in books. I picked up this book cause I wanted to use it for my thesis for uni (don't even ask) and now after I graduated I decided to give it a go. My favorite genres to read are historical fiction and contemporary, and fantasy falls on a very different category. But the fantasy in this book man... it gripped me tight and didn't let me go.
First I started off this book a bit confused. The language confused me a bit, the terms, all the information. I'm reading books in English while my native language is Greek so fantasy fell a bit harsh on me. As I said, I'm not a fantasy fan, and with fantasy comes many weird words and shit like that. But I kept going and after a while I got used to everything and started to enjoy the plot and the characters. I enjoyed very much the factor that there weren't many characters in this book. I don't like when a book is crowded with characters, it doesn't give me the space to love them all. This book succeeded in making all the characters lovable for me... even Rhysand. I fucking love Rhysand man. Unexpected feelings happening.
The world Sarah J. Maas created is so rich and dark and gloomy but also happy and hopeful and full of light, I truly enjoyed reading about it. I always get bored, to be honest, with descriptions and politics of different worlds but this one excited me. Even the fucking politics were exciting. I want to delve more into this world wHEN MY FUCKING BOOK ARRIVES.
Now to the juicy shit... the romance. Holy fucking shit. I ship these two so hard I can't even breathe. When he sent her away I wanted to scream! He gave her a good fucking and left her hanging. Why am I laughing at this? But honestly, the romance was amazing. At first, I felt like the entire book was only gonna be about the romance and I didn't quite enjoy that but after all the revelations and the twists in the plot, the romance was used wisely. And I didn't expect that, because I have heard lots of things about this book. And now we have Rhysand... this dark, handsome motherfucker who has a gloomy past. This will become a triangle, I can feel it in my bones. But I'm here for it, for some reason. I love the heat Maas's romances convey in me.
To sum it all up, this book took me a while to get into but it was all worth it. Maybe after this book I will start reading more fantasy. Maybe. Maybe not. As I'm waiting for the sequel to arrive, I will drawn my sorrow into crying about how amazing this first book was. Or maybe reread some parts. Maybe. Anyway, till the next one K BYE!!!
“Don't feel bad for one moment about doing what brings you joy.”
I'm speechless. What am I supposed to say after this? Am I supposed to write a coherent review with vital points as to why this book WAS FUCKING AMAZING??? I CAN'T EVEN TALK RIGHT NOW I'M SPEECHLESS. I WANT THE SECOND BOOK IN MY HANDS BUT MY ORDER STILL HASN'T COME. I'M READY TO GO TO FUCKING ENGLAND MYSELF AND PURCHASE IT. KIDS I'M LITERALLY DYING HERE.
The Beauty and the Beast-esque fantasy drama tells the story of Feyre, who finds herself entwined with faeries after unknowingly killing one. When the 19-year-old huntress kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin, one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world. Feyre must find a way to stop it or doom Tamlin and his world forever.
I'm not a fantasy fan. I love fantasy in film and tv but not in books. I picked up this book cause I wanted to use it for my thesis for uni (don't even ask) and now after I graduated I decided to give it a go. My favorite genres to read are historical fiction and contemporary, and fantasy falls on a very different category. But the fantasy in this book man... it gripped me tight and didn't let me go.
First I started off this book a bit confused. The language confused me a bit, the terms, all the information. I'm reading books in English while my native language is Greek so fantasy fell a bit harsh on me. As I said, I'm not a fantasy fan, and with fantasy comes many weird words and shit like that. But I kept going and after a while I got used to everything and started to enjoy the plot and the characters. I enjoyed very much the factor that there weren't many characters in this book. I don't like when a book is crowded with characters, it doesn't give me the space to love them all. This book succeeded in making all the characters lovable for me... even Rhysand. I fucking love Rhysand man. Unexpected feelings happening.
The world Sarah J. Maas created is so rich and dark and gloomy but also happy and hopeful and full of light, I truly enjoyed reading about it. I always get bored, to be honest, with descriptions and politics of different worlds but this one excited me. Even the fucking politics were exciting. I want to delve more into this world wHEN MY FUCKING BOOK ARRIVES.
Now to the juicy shit... the romance. Holy fucking shit. I ship these two so hard I can't even breathe. When he sent her away I wanted to scream! He gave her a good fucking and left her hanging. Why am I laughing at this? But honestly, the romance was amazing. At first, I felt like the entire book was only gonna be about the romance and I didn't quite enjoy that but after all the revelations and the twists in the plot, the romance was used wisely. And I didn't expect that, because I have heard lots of things about this book. And now we have Rhysand... this dark, handsome motherfucker who has a gloomy past. This will become a triangle, I can feel it in my bones. But I'm here for it, for some reason. I love the heat Maas's romances convey in me.
To sum it all up, this book took me a while to get into but it was all worth it. Maybe after this book I will start reading more fantasy. Maybe. Maybe not. As I'm waiting for the sequel to arrive, I will drawn my sorrow into crying about how amazing this first book was. Or maybe reread some parts. Maybe. Anyway, till the next one K BYE!!!
March 12, 2019
I approached this book with an open mind and wanted to enjoy it. Despite not being a fan of the superfluous writing style or the lackluster world-building, I was still willing to rate it 3 stars by viewing it as an easy guilty pleasure romance book. The relationship seems harmless and I still don't see how it's as problematic as people dramatize it to be. The first half of the book is a standard Beauty and the Beast retelling — not awful, but not special either — and then the second half really dips in quality, which lowered my rating to 2 stars.
A couple glaring issues that stood out to me:
1) The background story of the curse is literally told instead of shown via a side character's lengthy monologue. This was disappointing since I was intrigued to find this out by piecing clues together, not by being told it straightforwardly like a regurgitated wikipedia article.
2) The main character seems relatively smart but consistently has leaps of logic that are clearly there for the sake of plot. 9 out of 10 times she won't follow the advice of another character.
3) The antagonist is SO cartoonish — like mustache-twirling cartoonish. She gives a bunch of arbitrary challenges and rules for no reason other than for the sake of stringing along a story. It feels like she's hosting a game show or some overly complex scavenger hunt. There's no reason why she'd bother setting up any of these superfluous rules. I think this is the worst antagonist I've ever read.
I'm willing to overlook the writing style and bland romance, but once I got to the part where Feyre answers the riddle, I had to drop it down to 2 stars because it was so ridiculous and lazy. I've heard that the sequel is much better though, so I am willing to give it another try, just not any time soon haha.
A couple glaring issues that stood out to me:
1) The background story of the curse is literally told instead of shown via a side character's lengthy monologue. This was disappointing since I was intrigued to find this out by piecing clues together, not by being told it straightforwardly like a regurgitated wikipedia article.
2) The main character seems relatively smart but consistently has leaps of logic that are clearly there for the sake of plot. 9 out of 10 times she won't follow the advice of another character.
3) The antagonist is SO cartoonish — like mustache-twirling cartoonish. She gives a bunch of arbitrary challenges and rules for no reason other than for the sake of stringing along a story. It feels like she's hosting a game show or some overly complex scavenger hunt. There's no reason why she'd bother setting up any of these superfluous rules. I think this is the worst antagonist I've ever read.
I'm willing to overlook the writing style and bland romance, but once I got to the part where Feyre answers the riddle, I had to drop it down to 2 stars because it was so ridiculous and lazy. I've heard that the sequel is much better though, so I am willing to give it another try, just not any time soon haha.
September 7, 2023
First read: May 2015
Second read: May 2016
Third read: April 2017
Fourth read: February 2018
Fifth read: June 2019 — I think this is my most read series alongside Harry Potter and Mistborn.
Sixth reread: Feb 2021
Seventh reread: September 2023
Every reread of this book has somewhat differed but nothing too drastic. It’s still my least favourite in the series. There’s nostalgia involved since this was my first book by Sarah J Maas. I’ve become really familiar with these books now. Or maybe I should say attached.
It’s a great Beauty and the Beast retelling. It’s a great setup for the books to come, especially where Feyre is concerned and her character development, which is where Maas excels at.
I quite frankly hated how loyal Feyre was to her family, though it’s understandable. But it’s this level of loyalty without any concern for her own well-being that leads to her downfall. Her loyalty to Tamlin when it came to the events that happen towards the end of the book destroy her. It was uncomfortable to read and see Feyre come to this realisation herself.
This seems to straddle the line of YA and NA fantasy, which is why I’m assuming the world-building feels so lacklustre, and at times, juvenile. Amarantha read like a spoiled child, though she’s the villain. I just didn’t care for the magic and world-building in this book because of how underdeveloped they felt.
Thank the stars this improves leaps and bounds in the sequels. Everything improves drastically in the sequels.
Second read: May 2016
Third read: April 2017
Fourth read: February 2018
Fifth read: June 2019 — I think this is my most read series alongside Harry Potter and Mistborn.
Sixth reread: Feb 2021
Seventh reread: September 2023
Every reread of this book has somewhat differed but nothing too drastic. It’s still my least favourite in the series. There’s nostalgia involved since this was my first book by Sarah J Maas. I’ve become really familiar with these books now. Or maybe I should say attached.
It’s a great Beauty and the Beast retelling. It’s a great setup for the books to come, especially where Feyre is concerned and her character development, which is where Maas excels at.
I quite frankly hated how loyal Feyre was to her family, though it’s understandable. But it’s this level of loyalty without any concern for her own well-being that leads to her downfall. Her loyalty to Tamlin when it came to the events that happen towards the end of the book destroy her. It was uncomfortable to read and see Feyre come to this realisation herself.
This seems to straddle the line of YA and NA fantasy, which is why I’m assuming the world-building feels so lacklustre, and at times, juvenile. Amarantha read like a spoiled child, though she’s the villain. I just didn’t care for the magic and world-building in this book because of how underdeveloped they felt.
Thank the stars this improves leaps and bounds in the sequels. Everything improves drastically in the sequels.
January 17, 2024
An illiterate 19 year old straight up kills a guy and is outraged when there are consequences. Her punishment is living in a mansion with a hot mayor and hanging out with his friend, the nicest guy in the world and the only character I care about in this series. This is a tragic turn of events for Feyre, as it separates her from her life as an indentured servant to her shitty family. Who’s going to take care of her deadbeat dad, her personality-proof younger sister, and Nesta, Satan’s apprentice? One day a generically handsome man appears and all of BookTok developed a bat fetish overnight. Some stuff happens as Feyre ends up in the Tri-Wizard Tournament from hell where she has to outsmart a worm. Feyre struggles but eventually triumphs due to severe interference from outside sources. This goes on for five books. The fanbase for this series is the size of a large-ish army and if you say something negative about Cassian, they will hunt you down and ruin your life. And honestly, good for them.
1/17/24:
I have just reread this book and stand by my 3 stars with the addition of how on earth did she figure out the Tamlin-heart thing and not the riddle, which could have appeared on a Bazooka Joe wrapper meant for children? And she fell in love with Fiddle Boy when Lucien is RIGHT THERE? HE’S RIGHT THERE. Whatever Feyre, learn to read.
1/17/24:
I have just reread this book and stand by my 3 stars with the addition of how on earth did she figure out the Tamlin-heart thing and not the riddle, which could have appeared on a Bazooka Joe wrapper meant for children? And she fell in love with Fiddle Boy when Lucien is RIGHT THERE? HE’S RIGHT THERE. Whatever Feyre, learn to read.
March 31, 2015
4.5 stars Tamlin is going to set your loins aflame. Phew! My cheeks are still flushed.
I'm also fairly confident this book is going to help change the face of new adult fiction. How awesome to see gifted writers shaping non-contemporary stories that have the coming of age/youthful perspective and vibe of YA books and combine that with the freedom that writing for an older target audience affords them. If you liked the mood and romance of (the excellent) CRUEL BEAUTY but perhaps mourned the missed opportunities of such a seductive premise, ACOTAR more than satisfies.
Plus stunning action and gorgeous imagery and interesting characters, including a fascinating anti-hero I'm looking forward to learning more about. Serious Darkling vibes, my friends.
Maybe more of a review closer to release. If I can calm my racing pulse before then.
I'm also fairly confident this book is going to help change the face of new adult fiction. How awesome to see gifted writers shaping non-contemporary stories that have the coming of age/youthful perspective and vibe of YA books and combine that with the freedom that writing for an older target audience affords them. If you liked the mood and romance of (the excellent) CRUEL BEAUTY but perhaps mourned the missed opportunities of such a seductive premise, ACOTAR more than satisfies.
Plus stunning action and gorgeous imagery and interesting characters, including a fascinating anti-hero I'm looking forward to learning more about. Serious Darkling vibes, my friends.
Maybe more of a review closer to release. If I can calm my racing pulse before then.
December 8, 2022
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the
What you need
∙ a copy of ACOTAR
∙ an alcoholic beverage of your choice
∙ one or more friends to play with (seriously, don't do this alone)
How it works
Drink every time you read the words:
∙ a shiver went down my spine
∙ my knees buckled
∙ in a heartbeat/a heartbeat later
∙ I would never be able to paint it
∙ male/female
∙ smirk/snarl/prowl/purr
Take a shot every time:
∙ Tamlin or Rhysand's overwhelming sexiness is mentioned
∙ the word 'claim' is used in connection to sex
∙ Feyre uses ableist slurs or blames her dad for being disabled
Bonus - finish your drink when:
∙ Feyre is harassed by Tamlin or Rhysand (but in a sexy way, so it's okay)
∙ Feyre complains about how difficult that ridiculous riddle is
Feel free to add new rules as you go! Enjoy the game, and drink responsibly.
ACOTAR Drinking Game
What you need
∙ a copy of ACOTAR
∙ an alcoholic beverage of your choice
∙ one or more friends to play with (seriously, don't do this alone)
How it works
Drink every time you read the words:
∙ a shiver went down my spine
∙ my knees buckled
∙ in a heartbeat/a heartbeat later
∙ I would never be able to paint it
∙ male/female
∙ smirk/snarl/prowl/purr
Take a shot every time:
∙ Tamlin or Rhysand's overwhelming sexiness is mentioned
∙ the word 'claim' is used in connection to sex
∙ Feyre uses ableist slurs or blames her dad for being disabled
Bonus - finish your drink when:
∙ Feyre is harassed by Tamlin or Rhysand (but in a sexy way, so it's okay)
∙ Feyre complains about how difficult that ridiculous riddle is
Feel free to add new rules as you go! Enjoy the game, and drink responsibly.
April 7, 2017
SPOILER FREE REVIEW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Psls2...
*Reread April 2016
Took me centuries to reread this but it was worth it!
TEAM TAMLIN
THIS WAS FABULOUS
s j maas can do no wrong i swear to god
*Reread April 2016
Took me centuries to reread this but it was worth it!
TEAM TAMLIN
THIS WAS FABULOUS
s j maas can do no wrong i swear to god
May 19, 2015
This was a solid start to this new series! I'm really interested to see where things go. I did find a few things to be a bit questionable, but I can't say what they are because HELLO SPOILERS. I'll be doing a full review/discussion on this sooooooon!
February 6, 2024
wow. Just wow. Sarah has done it again! This book was amazing! The romance was borderline new adult which I loved but it was also greatly paced. The plot was so well thought out and executed as well. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES!
June 9, 2023
OOOoOOOOOh sooooOOooooo gooooOOOOoooddd
May 13, 2023
Another day, another SJM reread to escape reality.
January 26, 2020
i'm just gonna stick with my 2017 rating. i am a girl of simple, slutty tastes.
June 1, 2020
I take back every bad thing I've said about Rhys.
October 27, 2021
I’m a second away from dousing myself in gasoline and lighting myself on fire just so I never have to look at this book again.
November 19, 2023
rhys really just said: i could be a better boyfriend than him
May 12, 2022
this is howl’s moving castle fanfiction and no one can convince me otherwise
May 18, 2018
2.5 Stars
Once again, I find myself the odd man out when it comes to a massively popular book...
I went into this really excited and and really wanting to love this thing.
After seeing this book and its successors paint my feed with its courts and thorns and wings and ruin, I knew there was a lot of hype surrounding this series in general.
And this first installment just didn't live up to it for me, sadly.
There, there, Court Thornians...
Quite frankly, the first 60% of this book dragged like a U-Haul trailer with no wheels.
Nothing really happened and the things that did didn't even make sense until after the book was over.
And I'm just not a fan of that. I like to enjoy books while I'm reading them, not only for the last 25-35% when everything that was murky throughout the whole book becomes clear.
I also found myself WAY more interested in Rhysand than the actual love interest, Tamlin. Whoops!
THAT SAID.
I did enjoy the writing and the ending.
And while those things aren't enough to prompt me to rate this thing any higher, I AM going to read the second book.
I trust my peeps and all of you are saying that, while the first book drags, the second book is "OMG amazeballs." And I have faith in ya'll.
Plus, I am getting it free from the library, so why not, no?
Once again, I find myself the odd man out when it comes to a massively popular book...
I went into this really excited and and really wanting to love this thing.
After seeing this book and its successors paint my feed with its courts and thorns and wings and ruin, I knew there was a lot of hype surrounding this series in general.
And this first installment just didn't live up to it for me, sadly.
There, there, Court Thornians...
Quite frankly, the first 60% of this book dragged like a U-Haul trailer with no wheels.
Nothing really happened and the things that did didn't even make sense until after the book was over.
And I'm just not a fan of that. I like to enjoy books while I'm reading them, not only for the last 25-35% when everything that was murky throughout the whole book becomes clear.
I also found myself WAY more interested in Rhysand than the actual love interest, Tamlin. Whoops!
THAT SAID.
I did enjoy the writing and the ending.
And while those things aren't enough to prompt me to rate this thing any higher, I AM going to read the second book.
I trust my peeps and all of you are saying that, while the first book drags, the second book is "OMG amazeballs." And I have faith in ya'll.
Plus, I am getting it free from the library, so why not, no?
August 28, 2023
i did it, i finally did it! i have officially lost my sarah j maas and ACOTAR virginity! i can’t believe i put this off so long.
wow, just wow. i'm obsessed withfaerie men this entire book. give me the next book immediately and let me have my heart ripped out.❤️
"i gave myself again to that fire, threw myself into him, and let myself burn."
wow, just wow. i'm obsessed with
"i gave myself again to that fire, threw myself into him, and let myself burn."
June 11, 2022
Oh my God I want to cry this was so bad and that cringey Tamlin made me want to double cry.
"I was as unburdened as a piece of dandelion fluff, and he was the wind that stirred me about the world.”
Get outta here, dumbass.
"I was as unburdened as a piece of dandelion fluff, and he was the wind that stirred me about the world.”
Get outta here, dumbass.
March 22, 2017
This is it. This is the stupidest book I've ever read.
October 5, 2023
SARAH J MAAS DOES IT AGAIN!!!! KNOCKED MY FREAKING SOCKS OFF AND WITH A STORY RE-TELLING?!!!!
I hate story re-tellings!!! I hate them but this, this master piece is no Beauty and the Beast. I'm just gonna jump right into everything and just a little warning: I'm so sorry if this seems like I'm frantically flapping around on my keyboard, but I'm just that excited.
I was so worried that this book would have a plot too close to Throne of Glass and that the characters would also suffer that same fate... But thank the literary gods above that didn't happen. Yes, Maas still gives us swoon worthy gents and a strong leading fem, but they are not at all like the cast of ToG. Our leading lass is Feyre, and man oh man did I love her. I loved that though she is strong she isn't doing it for herself or because that's who she is, she's doing it because it's what needs to be done. This is what made her character for me. She does everything for everyone and expects nothing in return. Her character starts as a strong huntress and turns into something more. She has the head strong will of a warrior and the heart of an artist. I loved that Maas gave her so much depth and let us get so deep into her brain that her feelings become your feelings. As for Feyre's love interest, she gives us the heart twist-swoon worthy-deep-thoughtful-man candy that is Tamlin. Oh Tamlin will have you weak in the knees and have your loins aflame (seriously blushed so much during this book). He literally has so much weight on his shoulders and still stands tall. He is willing to give up everything to make sure she's okay. I kid y'all not I never ever use the word "ship" for couples, but as they say there's a first for everything and.... I SHIP THEM!!! I SHIP THEM SO HARD! YOU SEE THAT SPOT OVER THERE IN THE DISTANCE THAT IS THEIR SHIP AND IT IS SAILING!!!
Can't stress enough how much I loved their relationship. I love that this book is based around it and its growth. They have such a push and pull. I love that one has everything and one is holding on to anything. How they play off each other is so well written. Also had my brain rocked by how Maas stepped up her sexy game in this book... Because it's like a sauna in there! Whoosh, so good! *Round of applause* .The sub characters like the rest of the story are so well done. Lucien, Tam's best friend, has got to be one of my favorites in this book. His loyalty won me over. Plus he isn't so bad on the eyes if ya get what I mean... At one point I even remember saying "I don't know who I like more, Teen Wolf or the Sexy Fox with one eye"... Yeah, Maas makes having one eye even sound hot! The evil Queen in this book was the perfect amount of mystery and you will hate her. And then there's Rhysand... There's not much I'll say about him, but what I will say is that even when Maas gives you characters you're supposed to hate, you still end up falling in love with them.
“Be glad of your human heart, Feyre. Pity those who don’t feel anything at all.”
The plot and world building in this book are so beyond what a lot of other authors would have given us. There are so many vivid details, so many beautifully painted scenes, and so many perfectly peeled layers. I was never once left to question what the world looked like (or characters), and I was thankful for this. Sometimes I do like to fill in the holes with my own ideas but not when it comes to high fantasy reads like this one. The plot is action packed. We have this heavy start to the book, a world building middle, and a jam slammed action packed ending. Because let me tell you when everything comes together and everything is slowly shown you will be tossing your book in the air or punching your kindles in their faces... You will freak out! It's like the end scene to Inception where that heavy DOM DOM music starts playing and the dream is collapsing and everything just falls together for this epic ending! Even the things you know are coming will still rock you to your bones. Maas gives you this heart filled, gut wrenching, wtf ending that I myself couldn't have been happier about. I ate this story up!!!! The plot is just as strong as the characters, and I'm so glad this wasn't a let down. Maas perfectly blends both the YA and NA worlds into this one book. This is a book that will make your heart race and make you want to lose those precise few hours of sleep just to snag a few more chapters... And it'll be worth it too!
A Court of Thorns and Roses was the tits.
Originally read April 2015
Re-read: April 2016
July 2022
July 2023
I hate story re-tellings!!! I hate them but this, this master piece is no Beauty and the Beast. I'm just gonna jump right into everything and just a little warning: I'm so sorry if this seems like I'm frantically flapping around on my keyboard, but I'm just that excited.
I was so worried that this book would have a plot too close to Throne of Glass and that the characters would also suffer that same fate... But thank the literary gods above that didn't happen. Yes, Maas still gives us swoon worthy gents and a strong leading fem, but they are not at all like the cast of ToG. Our leading lass is Feyre, and man oh man did I love her. I loved that though she is strong she isn't doing it for herself or because that's who she is, she's doing it because it's what needs to be done. This is what made her character for me. She does everything for everyone and expects nothing in return. Her character starts as a strong huntress and turns into something more. She has the head strong will of a warrior and the heart of an artist. I loved that Maas gave her so much depth and let us get so deep into her brain that her feelings become your feelings. As for Feyre's love interest, she gives us the heart twist-swoon worthy-deep-thoughtful-man candy that is Tamlin. Oh Tamlin will have you weak in the knees and have your loins aflame (seriously blushed so much during this book). He literally has so much weight on his shoulders and still stands tall. He is willing to give up everything to make sure she's okay. I kid y'all not I never ever use the word "ship" for couples, but as they say there's a first for everything and.... I SHIP THEM!!! I SHIP THEM SO HARD! YOU SEE THAT SPOT OVER THERE IN THE DISTANCE THAT IS THEIR SHIP AND IT IS SAILING!!!
Can't stress enough how much I loved their relationship. I love that this book is based around it and its growth. They have such a push and pull. I love that one has everything and one is holding on to anything. How they play off each other is so well written. Also had my brain rocked by how Maas stepped up her sexy game in this book... Because it's like a sauna in there! Whoosh, so good! *Round of applause* .The sub characters like the rest of the story are so well done. Lucien, Tam's best friend, has got to be one of my favorites in this book. His loyalty won me over. Plus he isn't so bad on the eyes if ya get what I mean... At one point I even remember saying "I don't know who I like more, Teen Wolf or the Sexy Fox with one eye"... Yeah, Maas makes having one eye even sound hot! The evil Queen in this book was the perfect amount of mystery and you will hate her. And then there's Rhysand... There's not much I'll say about him, but what I will say is that even when Maas gives you characters you're supposed to hate, you still end up falling in love with them.
“Be glad of your human heart, Feyre. Pity those who don’t feel anything at all.”
The plot and world building in this book are so beyond what a lot of other authors would have given us. There are so many vivid details, so many beautifully painted scenes, and so many perfectly peeled layers. I was never once left to question what the world looked like (or characters), and I was thankful for this. Sometimes I do like to fill in the holes with my own ideas but not when it comes to high fantasy reads like this one. The plot is action packed. We have this heavy start to the book, a world building middle, and a jam slammed action packed ending. Because let me tell you when everything comes together and everything is slowly shown you will be tossing your book in the air or punching your kindles in their faces... You will freak out! It's like the end scene to Inception where that heavy DOM DOM music starts playing and the dream is collapsing and everything just falls together for this epic ending! Even the things you know are coming will still rock you to your bones. Maas gives you this heart filled, gut wrenching, wtf ending that I myself couldn't have been happier about. I ate this story up!!!! The plot is just as strong as the characters, and I'm so glad this wasn't a let down. Maas perfectly blends both the YA and NA worlds into this one book. This is a book that will make your heart race and make you want to lose those precise few hours of sleep just to snag a few more chapters... And it'll be worth it too!
A Court of Thorns and Roses was the tits.
Originally read April 2015
Re-read: April 2016
July 2022
July 2023
July 12, 2022
Feyre in Faerieland.
In the Mortal Lands, young Feyre accidentally kills a Fae while hunting in the woods to feed her desperately starving family. By Treaty Laws Feyre’s fate is now forfeit and must surrender the remainder of her life to Prythian, the magical Kingdom of the Faeries, where not so long ago, humans were enslaved and killed purely for sport.
Finally I can see what all the hype was about! Sadly I cannot say this was one of my personal favorites, but I do think much of the books praising is very well deserved. It takes its time for things to finally start happening, but after a certain point the plot becomes quite engaging and gripping. Superb worldbuilding and character development.
For some reason I couldn’t deeply connect with Feyre and that made everything else somewhat lacking. That said, I must say I really enjoyed pretty much most of all of the other characters. Unlikable at first, but changed over time. I specially loved the unfolding relationship with Nesta, and highly enjoyed all the banter with Lucien and Alis; and even Rhys sometimes. The slow burn with Tamlin was amazing; and I must confess the enemy to lover trope always gets my motor running. Not to mention, enemies to friends with almost everyone else lol. I’m left with a plentiful amount of quotes and moments to remember by. Feyre is certainly one tough cookie, and hopefully I can grow to like her more during the rest of the series. Or less?
By all accounts, a must read fantasy book. If only to see what all the fuss is about. And I can definitely see it becoming a movie or mini-series sometime soon.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[2015] [448p] [3.5] [Fantasy] [Almost Fav] [Recommendable] [Distrustful Feyre] [Mighty Tamlin] [Unpredictable Lucien] [Snappy Alis] [Stonehearted Nesta] [Chaotic Good Rhys] [TW: Excessive purring]
["Take this knife Feyre. Please don’t bury it in my back."]
-----------------------------------------------
Feyre en Hadalandia.
En las Tierras Mortales, la joven Feyre accidentalmente mata un Hada mientras cazaba en los bosques para alimentar a su desesperadamente hambrienta familia. Por las Leyes del Tratado, el destino de Feyre queda sellado y debe entregar el resto de su vida a Prythian, el mágico Reino de las Hadas, donde no hace mucho los humanos eran esclavizados y asesinados sólo por deporte.
¡Finalmente puedo ver de qué se trataba todo el escándalo! Lamentablemente no puedo decir que ésta fue una de mis lecturas favoritas, pero sí creo que muchas de las alabanzas de este libro son muy bien merecidas. Se toma su tiempo para que las cosas finalmente empiecen a suceder, pero alcanzado cierto punto la trama se vuelve muy atractiva y atrapante. Magnífica construcción de mundo y desarrollo de personajes.
Por alguna razón no pude conectar profundamente con Feyre y eso hizo que todo lo demás se volviera algo faltante. Dicho eso, debo decir que realmente disfruté mucho de casi todos los demás personajes. Desagradables al principio, pero que cambió con el tiempo. Especialmente amé como se desenvolvió la relación con Nesta, y altamente disfruté casi todas las interacciones con Lucien y Alis; y hasta Rhys a veces. El ardor lento con Tamlin fue espectacular; y debo confesar que el tropo enemigo a amante siempre hace arrancar mi motor. Sin mencionar, enemigos a amigos con casi todos los demás jaja. Me quedo con una abundante cantidad de citas y momentos para el recuerdo. Feyre es ciertamente una galletita dura, y con suerte tal vez pueda llegar a quererla más durante el resto de la serie. ¿O menos?
A todas cuentas, una lectura debida de fantasía. Aunque sólo sea para averiguar de qué trata todo el alboroto. Y definitivamente puedo verla convirtiéndose en una película o serie en un futuro cercano.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[2015] [448p] [3.5] [Fantasía] [Casi Fav] [Recomendable] [Desconfiada Feyre] [Poderoso Tamlin] [Impredecible Lucien] [Enérgica Alis] [Descorazonada Nesta] [Caótico Bueno Rhys] [TW: Excesivo ronroneo]
["Tomá este cuchillo Feyre. Por favor no lo entierres en mi espalda.”]
-----------------------------------------------
In the Mortal Lands, young Feyre accidentally kills a Fae while hunting in the woods to feed her desperately starving family. By Treaty Laws Feyre’s fate is now forfeit and must surrender the remainder of her life to Prythian, the magical Kingdom of the Faeries, where not so long ago, humans were enslaved and killed purely for sport.
Finally I can see what all the hype was about! Sadly I cannot say this was one of my personal favorites, but I do think much of the books praising is very well deserved. It takes its time for things to finally start happening, but after a certain point the plot becomes quite engaging and gripping. Superb worldbuilding and character development.
For some reason I couldn’t deeply connect with Feyre and that made everything else somewhat lacking. That said, I must say I really enjoyed pretty much most of all of the other characters. Unlikable at first, but changed over time. I specially loved the unfolding relationship with Nesta, and highly enjoyed all the banter with Lucien and Alis; and even Rhys sometimes. The slow burn with Tamlin was amazing; and I must confess the enemy to lover trope always gets my motor running. Not to mention, enemies to friends with almost everyone else lol. I’m left with a plentiful amount of quotes and moments to remember by. Feyre is certainly one tough cookie, and hopefully I can grow to like her more during the rest of the series. Or less?
By all accounts, a must read fantasy book. If only to see what all the fuss is about. And I can definitely see it becoming a movie or mini-series sometime soon.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[2015] [448p] [3.5] [Fantasy] [Almost Fav] [Recommendable] [Distrustful Feyre] [Mighty Tamlin] [Unpredictable Lucien] [Snappy Alis] [Stonehearted Nesta] [Chaotic Good Rhys] [TW: Excessive purring]
["Take this knife Feyre. Please don’t bury it in my back."]
-----------------------------------------------
Feyre en Hadalandia.
En las Tierras Mortales, la joven Feyre accidentalmente mata un Hada mientras cazaba en los bosques para alimentar a su desesperadamente hambrienta familia. Por las Leyes del Tratado, el destino de Feyre queda sellado y debe entregar el resto de su vida a Prythian, el mágico Reino de las Hadas, donde no hace mucho los humanos eran esclavizados y asesinados sólo por deporte.
¡Finalmente puedo ver de qué se trataba todo el escándalo! Lamentablemente no puedo decir que ésta fue una de mis lecturas favoritas, pero sí creo que muchas de las alabanzas de este libro son muy bien merecidas. Se toma su tiempo para que las cosas finalmente empiecen a suceder, pero alcanzado cierto punto la trama se vuelve muy atractiva y atrapante. Magnífica construcción de mundo y desarrollo de personajes.
Por alguna razón no pude conectar profundamente con Feyre y eso hizo que todo lo demás se volviera algo faltante. Dicho eso, debo decir que realmente disfruté mucho de casi todos los demás personajes. Desagradables al principio, pero que cambió con el tiempo. Especialmente amé como se desenvolvió la relación con Nesta, y altamente disfruté casi todas las interacciones con Lucien y Alis; y hasta Rhys a veces. El ardor lento con Tamlin fue espectacular; y debo confesar que el tropo enemigo a amante siempre hace arrancar mi motor. Sin mencionar, enemigos a amigos con casi todos los demás jaja. Me quedo con una abundante cantidad de citas y momentos para el recuerdo. Feyre es ciertamente una galletita dura, y con suerte tal vez pueda llegar a quererla más durante el resto de la serie. ¿O menos?
A todas cuentas, una lectura debida de fantasía. Aunque sólo sea para averiguar de qué trata todo el alboroto. Y definitivamente puedo verla convirtiéndose en una película o serie en un futuro cercano.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[2015] [448p] [3.5] [Fantasía] [Casi Fav] [Recomendable] [Desconfiada Feyre] [Poderoso Tamlin] [Impredecible Lucien] [Enérgica Alis] [Descorazonada Nesta] [Caótico Bueno Rhys] [TW: Excesivo ronroneo]
["Tomá este cuchillo Feyre. Por favor no lo entierres en mi espalda.”]
-----------------------------------------------
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