A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Rating: 4/5
So if you have read my review for Throne of Glass by the same author, you would know I wasn’t a big fan… so this book took me FOREVER to actually pick up. Like, I just kept putting it off because I didn’t want to be disappointed by a book literally everyone seems to like. BUT I ACTUALLY LOVED THIS.
When my friends recommended this, they failed to mention that this was a twist on Beauty and the Beast! Like… the moment I realized that I was SOLD. The first chapter or two took me a while (mostly because, again, I had a bad experience with ToG and was very hesitant about this) but once the actual plot started I was unable to stop reading!
Fantasy for me is usually hit or miss, but this one was great! I loved the twist on the classic tale, and enjoyed the witty banter and mystery behind the Spring Court. Usually when a narrator is out of the loop and unreliable (due to lack of knowledge), I don’t particularly enjoy the narrative, but this story was told perfectly even though I felt just as lost as Feyre!
For the ones that haven’t read the book, it’s about a poor (poor meaning not-rich, not insignificant) girl named Feyre who kills a Faerie and has to pay the price by becoming prisoner to the High Fae of the Spring Court. It’s a land full of magical creatures (good and bad) and tons and tons of secrets.
Feyre is the main character and I really liked her. She wasn’t stupid even if she was out of the loop most of the time, and I really admired her perseverance and her loyalty to her family (even if they didn’t seem to care for her). I LOVED the character development in both Feyre and Tamlin (the High Fae, aka “the Beast” in this scenario). Like, I’m a sucker for GOOD character development and this was some GOOD character development!
I just really enjoyed the scenes where Feyre let go of her fears and hatred and was just happy. And seeing Tamlin’s affection grow for her and seeing that change was just BEAUTIFUL. Also can I just say Lucien and Feyre’s friendship (alliance?) was great? I honestly loved their interactions!
Another reason I was interested in this book was because everyone kept going on about Rhysand and I was very confused when he wasn’t her captor? So I’m going to be honest and say part of me kept reading to figure out who the heck Rhysand was. I was not disappointed by what I found! Since I don’t want to spoil anything, I will just say that I’m really excited to dive into the rest of the series and see all the character development and where the story goes.
I was definitely surprised by how the story progressed, especially because there was a point where I thought “Oh, this is where the story could end” and then BAM didn’t see that coming! Sarah J Maas does an excellent job making this retelling her own and the way she tells the story lures you in like magic! I didn’t want to put the book down!
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys fairy tale retellings (so for fans of the Lunar Chronicles, this is a cool new twist!), a little magic and a little mystery, witty, strong empowering female characters, and dark and mysterious men (wink wink).
NOW FOR THOSE THAT HAVE READ THE BOOK:
I was so surprised with Nesta’s character! Like I immediately disliked her but afterwards I was very impressed!
I immediately knew who Rhysand was the minute she was introduced to the most beautiful man in the world hahaha but it was so INTERESTING to see his character especially in final scenes! I’m definitely interested to see how Feyre and Rhysand’s relationship progresses in the rest of the series, since she has to be the Persephone to his Hades (which, if you don’t know, Hades isn’t a bad guy. Just got stuck with a bad position!).
Also I knew the answer to the riddle immediately? I mean I’m not saying Feyre would’ve been able to figure it out since she’s illiterate and she was a bit preoccupied to really open her mind and understand it… but it wasn’t a surprise for me. And that’s okay. I kind of enjoyed the little cheesiness.
Star is All Booked Up 