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It took me several years (yes, years), but I finally read A Court Of Thorns And Roses! This book is a cornerstone of the bookish community, so I was intimidated and worried it would not live up to the hype. Here are some of my thoughts!
Overview:
⭐⭐⭐ 3 out of 5 stars
Themes: Faerie, courts, enemies to lovers, curses, and love triangle.
Spoiler Free Review:
I was not as in love with this book as I thought I would be. Getting through the book's first hundred pages was challenging, but the ending was great! The characters were interesting and fit standard archetypes in fantasy books. I will definitely be reading the next book because I have heard it only goes up from here, and I plan to see for myself. If you enjoy reading series with exciting plot twists and intricate worlds, this may be the book for you!
***Spoilers ahead! Read at your own risk :)***
Plot:
The plot of A Court Of Thorns And Roses (ACOTAR) is very familiar. The young female protagonist, Feyre, is pulled away from her family and thrown into a world she must save, even though nobody believes she can. Classic tropes and scenes throughout the book made me understand why everyone loves it as much as they do. I loved everything that happened in the scenes during the Night of the Calanmai and the part where Feyre had to tend to Tamlin’s wound. There was never a point where I felt the plot was cringy. It flowed well and remained true to the fantasy genre.
My main complaint would be the pace. I slogged through the first 100 - 150 pages. A lot of world-building had to happen to explain the courts and the relationship between humans and faeries. Usually, I appreciate it when an author takes their time and introduces things naturally rather than all at once, but in this case, it was very slow. There was a pattern where Feyre was told not to do something, would do it anyway, and then stumble upon a convenient piece of information. It got repetitive, and I felt it could have been presented better.
It took me forever to read the first two-thirds of the book, but as soon as Feyre left the Spring Court, I was hooked! The plot picks up, things actually start to happen, and I finally felt more invested in the story.
Characters:
Since this is the first book in a series, many characters are introduced, and they all play important roles in ACOTAR. The book is told through Feyre’s point of view. She grew on me as the book went on. Feyre was stereotypical and reminded me of characters like Katniss Everdeen and Jude Duarte. I thought it was believable that she could have gotten herself roped up in this world. I thought she had significant character development by the end, especially once she sacrificed her morals for the sake of the world she now lives in.
Tamlin gives me bad vibes. I don’t know how else to explain it. He is the mysterious love interest in the book and takes Feyre into his home in the Spring Court at the very beginning of the book after she kills a faerie as punishment. While a lot is revealed about his motive for keeping Feyre in the Spring Court and his dark past towards the end of the book, I still wasn’t the biggest fan of this character. The fact that he lied to Feyre about the curse and the real reason she was there made it difficult to trust him, and how he handled the trials did not help build that trust.
I have a love-hate relationship with Rhysand. I liked him when he saved Feyre from the faeries before I even knew who he was. I didn’t love him when he left the head in the Spring Court or at the beginning of the trials, but then he helped Feyre heal her arm and risked his life to do so. Then he ruins it by tricking her and getting her drunk every night (for both his entertainment and her protection?), which is not a great look for him. It was just back and forth, but I will say I liked him more than Tamlin, and I am rooting for him. He is the perfect amount of morally gray.
I wanted more of Lucien! I am so intrigued by his character that I simply want a whole book of his backstory. It is so tragic and heartbreaking that I felt like he deserved better. I could say the same about Feyre’s sister Nesta. I really wanted to see more of her. I hope that she makes an appearance further along in the series.
Final Thoughts:
I was not in love with ACOTAR, but I do understand why it is so popular. I had to force myself to keep reading it at first. I probably would not have finished it if it was not as popular as it is. I am happy I stuck it out in the end because it got so much better. Did I go buy the second book after I finished? Yes, yes, I did. Did I go off and purchase every Sarah J. Maas book? No.
If you have difficulty getting into a series, I would stay away from this one; however, if you like fantasy and have the patience and dedication to get through the first part of this book, I would recommend it!
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