Take a photo of a barcode or cover
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-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:
Complicated
I have a lot of thoughts on this novel
TW: Sexual assault, violence, ableism, branding of a person, emotional manipulation
First, I did not love it, I did not hate it, simply fell in the middle for me. I think Tamlin and Feyre are cute together, but I did not feel a fiery passion in their love or connection. I truly sympathize with Feyre's situation in having the immense pressure to be the sole provider for her family and having to parent her father instead of her being cared for should not be the case for a 19 year old.
I recognize the problems of this work in the themes not matching up with today's ideal views and understand why it is controversial. My problem with this book was not only the casual use of ableism when discussing her father as "weak" or "crippled". I did not like how SJM tackled the subject of sexual assault in this book, along with branding.
SPOILERS- I kept thinking in my mind how can are they going to make Rhysand so redeemable that we throw away all the trauma and cruelty he put on Feyre. This High Fae literally sexualized and branded her to him and I don't care if it was part of his plan in the plot, it was just painful to read and is unforgivable in my mind. I see the charm with Rhysand and definitely think he is an interesting character and I like the dynamic he brings with Lucien and Tamlin.
Feyre for me made horrible decisions at times due to her pride, and you know what she is a 19 year old trying to survive, so I understand, but it was painful to read. I slapped my palm so many times when Lucien or Tamlin would tell her not to do something for her own safety, AND SHE WAS LIKE NOPE I DO MY OWN THING
Favorite Parto HOW COME NO ONE EVER MENTIONS THE ENTERTAINMENT OF FEYRE GETTING CHASED BY A WORM, HIGHLIGHT FOR ME HONESTLY
My favorite character is Lucien and we will soon see if that changes
I liked SJM's writing style and how it flowed, but I wish she would show intricate details of the story plot slowly instead of just having a three page character monologue of explanation.
Honestly a solid start to a series and I am intrigued to see how it continues!
TW: Sexual assault, violence, ableism, branding of a person, emotional manipulation
First, I did not love it, I did not hate it, simply fell in the middle for me. I think Tamlin and Feyre are cute together, but I did not feel a fiery passion in their love or connection. I truly sympathize with Feyre's situation in having the immense pressure to be the sole provider for her family and having to parent her father instead of her being cared for should not be the case for a 19 year old.
I recognize the problems of this work in the themes not matching up with today's ideal views and understand why it is controversial. My problem with this book was not only the casual use of ableism when discussing her father as "weak" or "crippled". I did not like how SJM tackled the subject of sexual assault in this book, along with branding.
SPOILERS- I kept thinking in my mind how can are they going to make Rhysand so redeemable that we throw away all the trauma and cruelty he put on Feyre. This High Fae literally sexualized and branded her to him and I don't care if it was part of his plan in the plot, it was just painful to read and is unforgivable in my mind. I see the charm with Rhysand and definitely think he is an interesting character and I like the dynamic he brings with Lucien and Tamlin.
Feyre for me made horrible decisions at times due to her pride, and you know what she is a 19 year old trying to survive, so I understand, but it was painful to read. I slapped my palm so many times when Lucien or Tamlin would tell her not to do something for her own safety, AND SHE WAS LIKE NOPE I DO MY OWN THING
Favorite Parto HOW COME NO ONE EVER MENTIONS THE ENTERTAINMENT OF FEYRE GETTING CHASED BY A WORM, HIGHLIGHT FOR ME HONESTLY
My favorite character is Lucien and we will soon see if that changes
I liked SJM's writing style and how it flowed, but I wish she would show intricate details of the story plot slowly instead of just having a three page character monologue of explanation.
Honestly a solid start to a series and I am intrigued to see how it continues!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Sexual harassment
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoyed it. It was a good book. However I didn't like the ending. I just personally felt it was lame. But I'm going to continue this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Sexual harassment
Minor: Violence, War
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Rysand is the bare minimum. Hated how Sarah J. Maas didn't address the problematic things that Tamlin and Ryhsand did to feyre for thier own gain. I hate that thier actions were romanticized and not show in the true light of negativity that it was. Feyre deserved better and just because a dude taught her how to read and treated her like an equal human being didn't make Ryhsand a feminist it made him the bare minimum and the bar isn't in hell it simply doesn't exsist. I feel that we can simply at least try to address these things and not romantic them and instead show what these problematic theses are are negative and not good and the reason onto why problematic and hurtful things are to be addressed is becuase the books are consumed by mass media's of people and teenagers children even. It is not something that they should normalize as normal, good, the standard, and to be expected from thier future partners. She normalises an incredibly sexist dynamic that has men universally characterised as possessive, violent and dominating, and women as passive objects to be fought over. In the case of Feysand, this is repainted in ACOMAF as a narrative of undying and ‘true’ love. Even if you enjoy the books, you *cannot* ignore these implications. At this link and resource that I used for my own review you may go check out this creator more in depth review about this book which helped me realize exactly how problematic this book truly was and to which I am truly greatful : [ *https://howlsmovinglibrary.tumblr.com/post/160130108614/the-relationship-between-misogyny-and-romance-a *]
*[also: problematic gender portrayal, problematic tropes - traditional alpha male behaviour, such as possessiveness and animalistically coded desire, issues of iffy (and in cases utterly absent) consent, reinforced heterosexuality.]* She can do a much better job depicting trauma without sensationalizing it.
*[also: problematic gender portrayal, problematic tropes - traditional alpha male behaviour, such as possessiveness and animalistically coded desire, issues of iffy (and in cases utterly absent) consent, reinforced heterosexuality.]* She can do a much better job depicting trauma without sensationalizing it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Stalking, Sexual harassment
Normalized abuse and toxic relationships trope.
This book rightly deserves 1 star but I respect my rating system and I did finish the book so.... 2 stars it is.
I have many issues both large and small with this book. I literally just want to move on and never think about this book again, so here's braindump of a few reasons I thought this was just complete trash.
•TW (assault): On fire night, Tamlin assaults Feyre. He pushes her up against the wall, trapping her there, and kisses and bites her neck. She was uncomfortable and afraid. I feel like many people are letting it go because he doesn't force her to have sex, but he admits that he would have if he had found her earlier in the night. You do not need to fully penetrate someone for it to be considered sexual assault. Also, the book paints this encounter as at least partially Feyre's fault for wandering around the house and that is some ridiculous victim-blaming logic and a horrible message, particularly in a YA book. I have ZERO patience for any "he couldn't control himself bc of the magic" bullshit, so don't start that in the comments. The encounter is also framed as somewhat romantic which is hugely problematic as well. Feyre was clearly not enjoying what was going but there are references to the fact that she finds Tamlin handsome. Later in the book, while she and Tamlin are kissing consensually, she thinks (in a positive way) that it was like Fire Night when he bit her. It's really a shameful beginning to a relationship and a horrible example for YA readers.
• Another issue I have with Tamlin & Feyre's relationship is that it's based on manipulation. I understand that Tamlin is trying to save his people but he brought her to his court with the express intent of having her fall in love with him. They were operating with different levels of knowledge about the situation which means they cannot have equal power. He essentially groomed her into this relationship.
•This book really doesn't offer anything new but instead just shuffles a few YA tropes around and hopes it works (spoiler alert: it doesn't). I could describe the ENTIRE book as a retelling if beauty and the beast but Belle is actually Katniss Everdeen who (instead of the hunger games) as to do a Triwizard Tournament-esque 3 trials to save her love.
•Even people who enjoy the book seem to agree that there is a pacing problem. The book is kind of long (more than 400 pages) and very little happens until you get about 70% of the way through the book. It's a slog.
•The title doesn't make any sense or connect to the book at all. Feyre makes one passing comment about being thorny but it's not a motif that's carried throughout the book. And the roses only come up once or twice as well.
•The writing is technically pretty weak. It somehow comes across as choppy even though it's run-on sentence after run-on sentences. And done even get me started on how she's miss-using em-dashes
•A lot of the characters are just so inconsistent. Feyre is painted as a self-starter, clever though uneducated, and resourceful. Yet she puts her self in ridiculous and dangerous situations one after the other. She has some very strong plot armor apparently. Tamlin is a brute but also kind? We're supposed to just like Feyre's sisters now? You literally wouldn't even chop firewood to help your starving family and now your besties... okay
I have many issues both large and small with this book. I literally just want to move on and never think about this book again, so here's braindump of a few reasons I thought this was just complete trash.
•TW (assault): On fire night, Tamlin assaults Feyre. He pushes her up against the wall, trapping her there, and kisses and bites her neck. She was uncomfortable and afraid. I feel like many people are letting it go because he doesn't force her to have sex, but he admits that he would have if he had found her earlier in the night. You do not need to fully penetrate someone for it to be considered sexual assault. Also, the book paints this encounter as at least partially Feyre's fault for wandering around the house and that is some ridiculous victim-blaming logic and a horrible message, particularly in a YA book. I have ZERO patience for any "he couldn't control himself bc of the magic" bullshit, so don't start that in the comments. The encounter is also framed as somewhat romantic which is hugely problematic as well. Feyre was clearly not enjoying what was going but there are references to the fact that she finds Tamlin handsome. Later in the book, while she and Tamlin are kissing consensually, she thinks (in a positive way) that it was like Fire Night when he bit her. It's really a shameful beginning to a relationship and a horrible example for YA readers.
• Another issue I have with Tamlin & Feyre's relationship is that it's based on manipulation. I understand that Tamlin is trying to save his people but he brought her to his court with the express intent of having her fall in love with him. They were operating with different levels of knowledge about the situation which means they cannot have equal power. He essentially groomed her into this relationship.
•This book really doesn't offer anything new but instead just shuffles a few YA tropes around and hopes it works (spoiler alert: it doesn't). I could describe the ENTIRE book as a retelling if beauty and the beast but Belle is actually Katniss Everdeen who (instead of the hunger games) as to do a Triwizard Tournament-esque 3 trials to save her love.
•Even people who enjoy the book seem to agree that there is a pacing problem. The book is kind of long (more than 400 pages) and very little happens until you get about 70% of the way through the book. It's a slog.
•The title doesn't make any sense or connect to the book at all. Feyre makes one passing comment about being thorny but it's not a motif that's carried throughout the book. And the roses only come up once or twice as well.
•The writing is technically pretty weak. It somehow comes across as choppy even though it's run-on sentence after run-on sentences. And done even get me started on how she's miss-using em-dashes
•A lot of the characters are just so inconsistent. Feyre is painted as a self-starter, clever though uneducated, and resourceful. Yet she puts her self in ridiculous and dangerous situations one after the other. She has some very strong plot armor apparently. Tamlin is a brute but also kind? We're supposed to just like Feyre's sisters now? You literally wouldn't even chop firewood to help your starving family and now your besties... okay
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Torture, Blood
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Sexual content, Violence
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Torture, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Body shaming, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Excrement
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I gave this book 4 stars but to be honest I really didn’t like it until the last 1/4. However the next two books are so fun that it’s worth it to see it through. Persevere if you like fast paced easy read fantasy with a dash of spice and the plot of following books is nice and compelling.
Trigger warning for s/a in this book
Mild spoilers
.
.
.
The beauty and the beast thing was just so dull if my friends hadn't told me to keep going I would have stopped reading about halfway. I can see what the author was trying to do with setting up the twist but it takes so long to happen that I wasn’t buying any of the tamlin love story at all and was just bored.
Trigger warning for s/a in this book
Mild spoilers
.
.
.
The beauty and the beast thing was just so dull if my friends hadn't told me to keep going I would have stopped reading about halfway. I can see what the author was trying to do with setting up the twist but it takes so long to happen that I wasn’t buying any of the tamlin love story at all and was just bored.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual violence
Minor: Sexual assault
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Murder
Moderate: Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, Sexual harassment
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Enjoyable enough to read, but the worldbuilding and character development seem not fully thought out. The main character changes her behavior without too much explanation leading to irritatingly dumb actions. This is obviously to make the plot work out but should have been worked out a lot better. Details like time passing and minor inconsistencies are often glossed over and left to the reader to figure out.
The plot itself isn't terribly original or exciting, but interesting enough to make me read the whole book once I had started.
The plot itself isn't terribly original or exciting, but interesting enough to make me read the whole book once I had started.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture, Violence
Minor: Sexual content, Sexual violence
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Alcohol