REVIEW: a court of thorns and roses, by sarah j maas

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #1
on May 5th 2015
Pages: 416
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A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre 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.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it... or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.


A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES was a very hyped book that i thought was merely okay. there wasn’t anything i particularly disliked about it, but there also wasn’t anything really special. however after finishing the second novel, i feel that this was more of a prequel and the series is DEFINITELY worth reading/continuing. this is more of a starter book and things make more sense after book two.

the beginning started slowly. the story didn’t start picking up until maybe… halfway through the book? but the plot was like a roller coaster ride that continued to go faster and higher, and by the end there was no turning back. i love the way sarah j maas retold beauty and the beast and still remained true to the original storyline, but also added a lot of her own twists. i forgot the majority of beauty and the beast (girl somehow falls in love with a beast? uh, sounds about right) but reading ACOTAR made me remember other vital parts of the original story.

“Don’t feel bad for one moment about doing what brings you joy.”

the characters were my least favorite aspect of this novel. it’s not that they were bad or annoying or flat; i just couldn’t decide what to make of them. i liked them, but i didn’t LOVE them. i felt feyre, our main protagonist, had potential to be more fleshed out (BUT IT GETS BETTER IN BOOK TWO!). as for the love interest(s?), i was pretty neutral about it. the romance escalated too quickly and there were some parts that made me feel questionable about them. there’s kiiiiinda a love triangle, but not really? (BUT IT GETS BETTER IN BOOK TWO!)

ACOTAR was a good preview for the series. i couldn’t find anything really REALLY exceptional about this novel, but i know IT GETS BETTER IN BOOK TWO. if you wanted me to judge as a standalone novel (because with the way it ended, it almost could be a standalone), i’d say the plot is interesting enough but the characters and relationships could’ve improved. but since i know it’s part of a series, i’d highly recommend it those who enjoy fantasy, fairy-tale retellings, and romance. keep in mind, there are scenes that could be a bit mature so if you’re uncomfortable with steamy romance, i’d pass.

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