“A Court of Thorns and Roses” // Book Review

Hey there!

While everyone is freaking out with “A Court of Silver Flames”, I just finished reading “A Court of Thorns and Roses” a few days ago, and I can finally say that I get all the hype surrounding this series. However, because my expectations were so high, I turned out to be a little bit disappointed, but we’ll get there.

For now, let’s get into some basic information 🙂

Basic Information

Title: “A Court of Thorns and Roses”

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children

Number of Pages: 419

First Published: May 5th 2015

Genre: Fantasy

Synopsis: Feyre’s survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price …

Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre’s presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.

The Short

Writing: 3.5 stars

Characters: 4 stars

Plot: 4 stars

Originality: 3.5 stars

OVERALL: 4 STARS

The Long

ACOTAR was recommended to me by a friend, I was really hyped and my expectations were really high, so maybe that’s why I was a little bit disappointed with a few aspects of the storyline.

First, I would like to highlight that I struggle to consider this book a YA novel because it definitely isn’t. It contains a few sex scenes as well as some violence, which means this isn’t a book you would give to a 13-year-old.

Now, let’s get into the positive points of ACOTAR, which are, fortunately, quite a lot! First, I loved the clear influence the tale “Beauty and the Beast” has on the story, although in a very subtle way. “Beauty and the Beast” is my favorite tale, so its association with Acotar made me love the book even more.

One of the things I enjoyed the most was the vivid descriptions of the environment as well as the amazing imagery. I felt like me, as a reader, was discover everything about the Faerie’s world at the same pace Feyre was, which I think was super interesting. It definitely has a pretty good worldbuilding and I was also fond of the interesting geography. The division between Mortal lands and Faerie lands, as well as the way the second ones were organized (Night Court, Day Court; Night Court; Winter Court, Summer Court, Autumn Court and Spring Court) was really unique.

The romantic plot was developed very smoothly, which I absolutely loved. I was afraid things would be rushed, but I’m glad Maas gave Feyre and Tamlin’s relationship time to develop naturally. I know that most people kinda hate Tamlin (I have no idea why), but I really love their dynamic as a couple, not to mention their beautiful scenes (their swim in the pool of starlight, for example).

Finally, I enjoyed pretty much all characters, but my absolute favorite was Lucien. His sarcasm and personality made me fell in love with him since his first appearence. I really wish he could appear more often, I love him!

Now let’s get into the negative aspects. I felt like the first five characters were developed quite slow, I wasn’t feeling hooked or interested in the story (of course that changed throughout the book). I was also feeling really confused about the trade Tamlin presented to Feyre. It didn’t make that much sense, so I predicted from the very beginning that there was something behind it, which was correct. This made the plot slightly predictable, but still enjoyable.

I had trouble with a few chapters, especially chapter 31, in which the action was developed extremely fast. I felt like things were a little bit thrown over the place. The final chapters also made me feel like the plot was rushed, which disappointed me a bit.

Regardless, It was a really enjoyable fantasy that made me buy the second book right after I finished the first. Can’t wait to read more about Tamlin, Feyre, Rhysand, and Lucien!

What about you? Have you read ACOTAR yet? If so, who is your favorite character?

Stay safe,

Favorite Quotes

“Be glad of your human heart, Feyre. Pity those who don’t feel anything at all.”

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

“I love you,’ he whispered, and kissed my brow. ‘Thorns and all.”

“We need hope, or else we cannot endure.”

“I threw myself into that fire, threw myself into it, into him, and let myself burn.”

“I was as unburdened as a piece of dandelion fluff, and he was the wind that stirred me about the world.”