Reviews with content warning for Physical abuse - A Court of Thorns and Roses

Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

487 reviews

hypnoty's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous dark lighthearted mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Feyre entering the world of Fae and learning about after giving up everything to save her family. The world building done just right and you know their surroundings from the first page.
I couldn’t give it a 5/5 because her visit home just felt rushed but it could just be how I read it.
The time under mountain was morbid at times and challenging but the depth this part of the story cannot be faulted.

Content Warnings

lagoralka98's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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: No

Content Warnings

kirstenraangs's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

4.5 Stars — Third Time’s the Charm!

A Court of Thorns and Roses and I had a bit of a rocky start, I actually tried to read it twice before and couldn’t quite get into it. But then I decided to give the audiobook a shot... and I’m so glad I did! The narration completely brought the story to life, and once I was immersed in the world of Prythian, I couldn’t stop listening. Feyre’s journey is emotional, tense, and full of beauty, and Sarah J. Maas’s rich storytelling shines even brighter when it’s read aloud. There were a few slower parts, but overall, the magic, the romance, and the stakes kept me absolutely hooked. An enchanting beginning to a series I can’t wait to continue!

Content Warnings

podiii's review against another edition

1.5

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

The best thing about this book is the mystery, I wanted to know what was this mysterious cause of the chaos and troubles the characters found eachother in.

Unfortunately it falls way short for me with most other regards, the worldbuilding is vague and barely built outside of the immediately relevant locations, and the characters seem smarmy and obtuse to an irritating degree.

I also found a lot of inconsistencies in Feyres character development, one step of progress, and then a regression within the same scene purely to inject a sense of conflict with the love interest, or provide a reason for not communicating anything with anyone.

Also, the ending was very disappointing for me.

WARNING MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK:

The entire time Feyres humanity was touted as something special, and what gave her such a unique perspective and place in the story. For her to die and be brought back as an arch fey just because? Felt like she was losing something instead of it being a satisfying end. Plus, that riddle was SO corny...

Also, I read up on the further novels, as I did enjoy some of the fluffy romance elements of it, and fair warning it sounds like any pretense of a healthy relationship goes down the toilet for shock, dark romance (read, abuse), and the sake of creating more plot.

Content Warnings

elaine_fdes's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Introduction (Basic Info and Summary)

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Genre: Fantasy Romance / New Adult Fantasy

Series: First in the ACOTAR series

A Court of Thorns and Roses is a lush, romantic fantasy that blends elements of a Beauty and the Beast retelling with fae mythology and political intrigue. The story follows Feyre Archeron, a mortal huntress whose life changes forever when she kills a wolf in the woods and is taken across the wall into the land of the fae as punishment. What starts as a slow-burn romance soon unravels into a darker tale of curses, manipulation, and survival, set in a richly imagined world of courts, magic, and ancient threats.

Initial Impressions

TikTok made me buy this entire series—and while I was hesitant at first (especially midway through book one), I’m glad I stuck with it. This was my first fantasy series since reading Harry Potter as a kid, and as a reader in my 30s, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The physical copy from my library drew me in with its beautiful cover, and by the end, I found myself emotionally invested. It has flaws, but the escapism it provides is undeniable.

Writing Style + Plot & Conflict + Characters

Sarah J. Maas writes in a lyrical, accessible style through Feyre’s first-person POV. The worldbuilding is immersive, though early chapters can feel repetitive or meandering. The pacing fluctuates—slower in the first half and rapid toward the end. The plot is straightforward with some familiar fantasy-romance tropes, but there’s just enough mystery to keep you intrigued.

Feyre is a determined lead, though her decision-making can be frustrating. Tamlin, the love interest, starts off compelling but ultimately feels flat. Lucien adds flavor with his sarcasm, and Rhysand—though a side character here—steals the spotlight whenever he appears. The antagonist, Amarantha, lacks depth and feels more like a plot device than a fully realized villain.

Themes, Symbolisms, Trigger Warnings

Themes include love vs. duty, survival, power dynamics, and freedom vs. control. Symbolism tied to masks, courts, and Feyre’s trials adds depth, though some themes are more developed in later books.

Trigger Warnings (Moderate): Emotional abuse, physical violence, captivity, torture, implied sexual assault, and toxic relationships.

Strengths

Immersive worldbuilding and detailed faerie lore
Romantic tension and slow-burn development
Strong visual and atmospheric writing
Memorable secondary characters (Lucien and Rhysand)
Exciting, high-stakes final act

Weaknesses

Uneven pacing, especially in the first half
Underdeveloped villain
Predictable plot (especially if familiar with the Beauty and the Beast structure)
Tamlin’s characterization lacks complexity
Frustrating character decisions from Feyre at key moments

Personal Reflections & Takeaways

Despite some early regrets about buying the full series before reading book one, I’m genuinely glad I continued. This book didn’t blow me away, but it gave me just enough magic, mystery, and romance to keep going. As a returning fantasy reader, it reminded me of how much I missed escaping into another world. It’s not perfect—but it’s addicting, and I see why it has such a huge fanbase.

Recommendations + Who Best For + Skip If
Recommended for: Fantasy romance fans, new adult readers, those looking for an accessible re-entry into the fantasy genre.
Skip if: You dislike slow pacing, fae lore, or predictable retellings.

Rating: 3.75 / 5

Content Warnings

abuehler12's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I think my expectations from the hype of this series ruined the first 75% of this book for me…not in a terrible way, just in a underwhelming, thought it was slow-moving, and uneventful way. But it might also have been because of the slightly confusing storyline that did a bad job at foreshadowing anything for the reader to figure out but instead threw it all together at the back end of the book…BUT I highly enjoyed the story when the plot picked up at the last 25% and found myself liking more side characters than main ones and loving how so many different characters impacted the progress of the plot! I agree with a lot of the reviews critiquing this book and with the ones in love with this book. A solid 3.5 ⭐️ book for a majority but again, the ending was enjoyable and held my attention to finish in one sitting that I pushed it up to 4 ⭐️

Content Warnings

allisonjoytimpe's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

evelynnnn33333's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous challenging emotional 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

Content Warnings

ruska_777's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad 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: No

Content Warnings

oxian_d's review against another edition

3.25

dark emotional hopeful mysterious slow-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

Finally, I have finished this book, been delaying it for quite some time now. I don't know, maybe it's too romancy for me that I got bored along the way or perhaps it's too predictable. I almost, not want to finish this book. It's just so similar to the Beauty and the Beast story, well only on the first part. Although, it was interesting, emotional, even the words were written well. And love the creatures, colorful to imagine, the scenery too with the painting and the magic lake, and I even felt for their love story for a bit but it's too predictable. Falling in love with her captor, is crazy. The beast tamed the beauty? I thought she was a hunter, where did that go? Falling for the first rich guy she saw is just lame. I'm sorry to say women are not weak and dependent. It's just so disappointing and with the theme: good vs evil, rich and poor, the usual stuff. To make it worse it felt too dragging. But at least I enjoyed the itsy bitsy twist in the end with the involvement of the fae kingdoms to make it different.

I just don't like how the beast named Tamlin tamed the hunter Feyre even if it was a prophecy in the story so it seemed. She wasn't a hunter anymore but a girl, an ordinary girl who loves beauty and fell for a guy or the next who helped her. So typical. It's too predictable. Even the evil queen was too lenient to her. The fantasy ended but they made this into a series can you imagine. I think her face was a history, a reminder of someone and this will be revealed next like who wouldn't guess. Together with the love triangle scenario, she will marry one of them for sure and the looming war with humans is at the brink. A story reminiscent of what was and what will be. That is why this is predictable and boring.

Content Warnings

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