Review:
Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #1
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publication: May 5th, 2015 by Bloomsbury Childrens
Format: Hardcover
Source: Local Independent Bookstore
Genre: YA; Fantasy; Romance; Retelling
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.
Thoughts:
When I found out that Maas was writing another YA fantasy series, I was over the moon. Even though I’m the worst serious finisher ever (but more on that another time) I really did enjoy both Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight. There was a ridiculous amount hype up until this book came out, and with the (surprising) number of ARCs floating around the YA book world was intensely read for this book.
As per usual, I didn’t pay a lot of attention to the blurb. And when I say that I mean I don’t even think that I read it. As we opened the book, first I had to stop and appreciate the map. Not only is it visually appealing, but it also proved useful when I was getting confused about logistics (struggles of a visual learner). For the first portion of the book Maas spent time setting up an established normal for the characters. This is pretty typical for most books, but I think that Maas had an eclectic way of going about it. Everything from the dynamic between the protagonist (Feyre) and her two sisters (Nesta and Elaine), to the backstory on adolescent responsibility, to the insignificant village boy Isaac, was presented with purpose.
Maas also spent this time gently introducing the magical Fae that would, of course, become a major aspect in this book. The same fear and animosity surrounding the Fae in the eyes of the characters is slowly instilled in the reader as well. Things of course change when the Fae and Feyre inevitably collide. Our cast of characters shift from Feyre and her family to Tamlin and Lucian, the Fae that Feyre is forced to live with. The following bit of book is stuffed with magic, spooky creatures, and subtle acknowledgments to a larger problem within the Faerie realms.
As usual, things sort of fall apart, and Feyre loses control in her life. When given the chance to earn it all back, Feyre displays the same cunning courage and selflessness that she had been exhibiting throughout the book on a much more public platform. The conclusion wraps up the plot, with the promise of an unfinished story, which is the way that the first book in a series should end.
Throughout A Court of Thorns and Roses Maas’ protagonist Feyre remains surprising and undeterred in her stunted version of life. Each background character was given a feasible backstory without excusing or truly explaining their actions. Tamlin and Lucian remain both mysterious but thoughtfully imagined characters. In addition to being thrown into a creatively thought up world a la Maas, the book has a solid base in addition to a pleasing plot.
Final Thoughts:
A Court of Thorns And Roses is both edgy and sexy, dragging in high fantasy romance with characters that you want to pull from the pages. Going off with a bang, this book zooms on with a fiery passion that can only come from a detail oriented author. For fans of Maas’ first series, or even just YA Fantasy in general. If you enjoyed either The Daughter of Smoke and Bone or Shadow and Bone be sure to pick up A Court of Thorns and Roses. Also (#majorfail) I didn’t know that this book was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast! I hadn’t noticed any similarities as I was reading it, but after finding out and reflecting it all become so obvious. lol
Other Opinions:
Aimee’s Review | Deadly Darlings
Jamie’s Ten Reasons Why You Should Read ACOTAR | The Perpetual Page Turner
Cait’s Review | Paper Fury
