A Court of Thorns and Roses written by Sarah J. Maas
Publisher Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Publication Date: May 5th 2015
Genres: Fairy Tale Retelling, YA Fantasy, Young Adult
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #1
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 416
ISBN: 1619634449
Rating: 
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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.
Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!
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Don’t want to read the whole review? Click to jump to the Skinny Review.
I’m finally taking the time to review ACoTaR! I mean, it’s been a few weeks since I finished reading this book and I’m still left speechless. Because the LAST FEW CHAPTERS! OMG!
OMG?! What do you mean OMG?!
Well, just what I said. The last few chapters of ACoTaR decimated me. In a good way and a bad way. ACoTaR was a pretty slow start for me. I guess it was because SJ Maas was setting up the whole world.
Oh? So back up. What is this ACoTaR about anyway?
Simply put, it is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. But no, it is not the Disney’s Beauty and the Beast but a VERY DARK Beauty and the Beast.
Feyre is the youngest and after her father lost everything and they became poor, is the breadwinner of the family. Let’s just say she is this bow-wielding hunter, kick-ass angry 17 (maybe 18) year old who killed a wolf. Well, unbeknownst to her, this wolf is, in fact, a faerie.
And the beast?
Enter the Beast, Tamlin. He comes to their cottage and takes Feyre back to the Spring Court as his captive.
Now, you’re talking!
Yes. It’s the classic Stockholm syndrome. And if you think this is the end, think again because this is where SJ Maas throws us a curve ball. Tamlin can turn into a huge wolf at will!
And the curse?
There is a curse. It’s only that everyone in the Spring Court is wearing a mask. Yes. Even Tamlin.
Interesting…
It is. But wait! There’s more! This book is a little bit more new adult than young adult because of the more adult themes. Not that there is anything wrong with that because I certainly was reading adult books at 12 years old! What I’m saying is that it just surprised me, is all. I wasn’t expecting that at all.
I’m going to say it. This book has a lot of steam! There is some chemistry between Tamlin and Feyre View Spoiler »
Anway, I had a hard time connecting with Tamlin and Feyre’s relationship. They weren’t really spending time with each other as much as I hoped they would so I couldn’t connect it to love.
Why are you talking about love?
I’m not going to divulge everything in the book only that when View Spoiler »
You seem to love ACoTaR. Why give it 3.5 hearts?
Unfortunately, with all the awesomeness that is ACoTaR, there were very problematic things that I want to point out. And as much as I liked the story, these were just big issues for me.
- For one, what’s up with Tamlin? All throughout the book, he acted like a jerk and I can’t imagine HOW Feyre could fall in love with him.
- Next, what’s up with love. With Tamlin being a jerk and just an unfeeling ass, I didn’t see HOW Feyre go through all those for HIM? Maybe I’m too self-centered, but NO, just no!
- Abuse. Yes, I said it. There was abuse. When Rhysand gave Feyre something to drink to make her become uninhibited? Well. WHAT DO YOU CALL THAT?! And then freaking Tamlin just WATCHING?! WATCHING?!
Now that I have that off my head. I can relax.
But who is this Rhysand?
Oh, did I forget to mention that there’s this certain anti-hero called Rhysand of the Night Court? Well, he was the only silver lining in this whole book, by the way.
And the villain?
Ha! It’s this really evil queen. EVIL to the nth degree! View Spoiler »
You said the end was OMG-worthy?
Not just the end, THE LAST 3/4 OF THE BOOK WAS AH-MAY-ZING! And that is all I’m going to say.
Recommendations
This book is a must read. But read it with a grain of salt. There are problematic situations in this book.
Books like A Court of Thorns and Roses
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| Overall: | 3.5 |
What do you think of young adult books with more new adult themes?
Have you read ACoTaR? Did you think there was forms of abuse mentioned in the book?
About Sarah J. Maas
Sarah J. Maas is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series (Queen of Shadows, Book 4, will be out in September 2015), as well as the A Court of Thorns and Roses series (out 5/5/15).
Sarah lives in Bucks County, PA, and over the years, she has developed an unhealthy appreciation for Disney movies and bad pop music. She adores fairy tales and ballet, drinks too much tea, and watches an ungodly amount of TV. When she’s not busy writing, she can be found exploring the historic and beautiful Pennsylvania countryside with her husband and canine companion.
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