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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
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
The Beauty and the beast.i don't feel the tension in this characters.
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-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
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.
slow-paced
The sex scenes are the only thing that got me through this
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
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
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
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Sexual content, Violence
Moderate: Torture, Blood, Murder
Minor: Slavery, Vomit, Death of parent