Reviews - A Court of Thorns and Roses

123k reviews for:

A Court of Thorns and Roses

Sarah J. Maas

3.98 AVERAGE

velancia's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Definitely enjoyed the graphic audiobook reread more than my initial read of the book.

aurora_rl's review against another edition

2.75

slow-paced

The sex scenes are the only thing that got me through this

madilawson_'s review against another edition

4.5

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

theins103's review against another edition

3.0

Super slow to start but picks up toward the end. Some of the writing is kind of strange and the reveal is a bit convenient

petrinaj's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

pbraue13's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This book has a reputation that very well precedes it. For years I’d heard about this series as the fae fantasy-romance (and these books have sat on my shelves), with plenty of spice and swoon-worthy tension. But diving into the first book, I was surprised to find that there’s actually far less sex and steam than I’d expected, at least compared to what the fandom’s reputation might suggest.

The story follows Feyre Archeron, a mortal huntress who kills a wolf in the woods only to discover it was a faerie in disguise. As punishment, she’s taken across the wall into Prythian, where she lives under the watch of Tamlin, High Lord of the Spring Court. Their relationship forms the backbone of the book, but there’s also the looming threat of a deadly curse, the politics of the faerie courts, and Feyre’s desperate attempts to prove her strength and save those she’s come to care about.

For me, though, the book was quite uneven. The first two-thirds felt drawn out, heavy on romance tropes and repetitive interactions, while the real tension and urgency didn’t arrive until the last third. Once Feyre faces Amarantha’s trials Under the Mountain, the pace finally picks up and the stakes feel genuinely gripping. I can see why so many fans describe this book as “the tax you have to pay to get to the good stuff.”

Overall, “A Court of Thorns and Roses” is an okay start, but not the breathless, steamy fantasy I’d been led to expect. It does, however, plant the seeds for bigger conflicts, more layered characters, and (presumably) the spice the series is known for in later installments. I’d call it more of a 3-star prologue than a fully satisfying novel in its own right.

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