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Was really enjoying the story up until about 45% even though the original Beauty and the Beast themes were mostly gone. After all, Feyre isn't
There's no "this is the moral" moments because I don't think this story has any morals at all, unlike the original Beauty and the Beast.
SJM hits the story beats of both the original La Belle et la Bête and the Disney adaptation. But again, doesn't go into the themes surrounding those stories at all. So this is more a Beauty and the Beast backdrop or AU-setting than a retelling.
Regardless of that, the story was fun entertainment. It wasn't high literature at all. Everything was easy for the main character, almost everyone was nice to her
And the voice acting of the audio drama I was listening to, was insanely good. Even though the actors moaning at every slightly sexual scene made me uncomfortable. Actually. All of the sex scenes kind of sucked.
It would have been an unserious 4 star read. But then the issues started. The truly bad issues. Here's a list of them:
1. Sexual Assault
Worst of all, when she tells Tamlin and Lucien that she didn't like being SAd, they laugh at her. They tell her she should have expected it because she was out late at night and told to stay indoors, so it was her fault. Jesus H. Christ?!
A few pages later we're supposed to find Tamlin's and Feyre's relationship romantic again? I truly don't know what the author was thinking here.
Multiple times, it is mentioned that Tamlin "just can't help himself" or "can't stop himself". This is seen as normal and Feyre just accepts it outright. I fucking hated it.
Around the 90% mark Rhysand, kisses her against her will. There's a plot reason for this. He does it to cover for her and Tamlin. But it's so so so icky.
2. Inconsistent characterisation
It is later revealed that Tamlin let Andris get killed on purpose. That it is all part of Tamlin's curse and his plan to let his friends get killed only for a chance of breaking his curse (which does NOT make him likeable). But then his and Lucien's anger does not make sense! Tamlin breaks down Feyre's door and permanently mentally scars her family in the beginning of the story. So is he angry and vengeful? Or does he not give a shit about Andris because he just needs a human girl to marry him?
Lucien's character, while being the best, is also inconsistent. He goes from vomiting at the sight of blood to cleaning up decapitated heads without an issue, without any significant character moments which could cause that development.
He starts off hating Feyre for killing his friend. Almost gets her killed by omitting important information and not coming to her rescue despite promising to do so. And then, he out of nowhere starts bantering with her and protecting her from Rhysand. What? Did Lucien care about Andris or not? Does he want Tamlin's curse to be broken or not?
Nesta starts off a complete bitch who refuses to help Feyre in feeding their family. To the extend that she doesn't even chop wood for a fire because she doesn't care. She is peak laziness and an awful sister and person, just like the sisters in the original La Belle et la Bête.
But then, when the riches come back. She suddenly cares about Feyre? She goes after her? She tells Feyre that she couldn't have helped more? And starts painting with Feyre? Literally a complete retcon of her character within 1 book.
Amarantha is incredibly evil and cruel throughout the book (or at least after we finally meet her). It makes no sense with her characterisation for her to give Feyre an 'out'. To give Feyre that riddle that will instantly save Tamlin. You're telling me, that someone THAT ruthless would leave a gap in her plan like that? Especially since she apparently does care about semantics with the whole ""immediately" only applies to the riddle not the trials"-bullshit".
Feyre doesn't escape the inconsistencies either. Sometimes she wants to escape, sometimes she doesn't. Sometimes she cares about having killed Andris, sometimes she doesn't. Sometimes she believes her family is horrible and wants to leave them forever, sometimes she crawls back to them and loves them again. Sometimes she wants to find information about the Blight, sometimes she just wants to suck and fuck Tamlin. Sometimes she rightfully wants to kill Rhysand, sometimes she kind of wants to suck and fuck him too.
Sigh.
3. Bad writing
This is the first time we hear of Claire. We have never heard anything about her or her relationship with Feyre's sisters before. She has never been relevant before, she has had no speaking lines and has literally never been on page.
Then, Rhysand burns down Claire's house. And Claire's family dies. Again, this does not happen on page and we, the reader, have never met Claire or her family. Instead, we hang out with Feyre's sisters, who also BARELY seem sad that Claire's family is dead. Despite apparently being her friends.
When Feyre eventually goes to save Tamlin, Feyre sees Claire's tortured corpse. She died because Feyre gave her name instead of her own.
And I do not give a flying fuck.
The reader hasn't spend any time with Claire, we know nothing about Claire, not even Feyre's sisters cared about Claire. Nobody cares about Claire. So why should I?
The reveal of Claire's corpse is supposed to be a big moment, but it just rings hollow because there hasn't been any setup.
This is just an example of some of the issues in this book.
Maybe if SJM had made Claire an actual character earlier on. Maybe if we had actually seen Claire chat with Nesta or Elain. Maybe if we had been SHOWN any sign of Claire before. MAYBE I would have given a shit.
And this isn't just a Claire issue. Half of the characters are bad or useless.
- You have Alis. Who is only there for exposition and is barely a character beyond that.
- And Elain, who has a flower garden. And that's her entire characterisation.
- And Feyre's dad, who has a messed up leg. And that's his entire characterisation.
- And Isaac, who is there to be Feyre's ex. And for her to compare Tamlin to. And that's it.
So, most of the characters do not have characterisations and the ones that do are inconsistent. Great.
4. Show don't tell violations
- We hear about Isaac and Feyre having a complicated relationship, but we don't get to see it.
- We hear about Tamlin having to whip Lucien, which almost breaks both of them. But we don't get to see it.
SJM doesn't show us the most interesting parts of the book.
5. Repetitive writing
The "so [insert adjective] I couldn't paint it" or "I could never paint that" shit when Feyre saw or experienced something nice was extremely overused. I counted 6 seperate times before the 60% mark. It got annoying fast.
6. The fucking
The curse is so overly complex and has so many (sub)clauses. It's fucking ridiculous.
Tamlin has to find a human girl willing to marry him and then the curse will be broken. Okay got it. That makes sense.
HOWEVER
- This human girl has to hate fae enough that she first has to kill a faerie.
- This faerie can't be any faerie, it had to be one of Tamlin's men.
- And the human girl can't murder out of self defense, she had to kill the faerie unprovoked.
- The human girl has to tell Tamlin to his face that she loves him, and mean it
- Tamlin, nor anyone else, is allowed to tell the human girl about the curse during any of this.
- Tamlin and his entire court, forcibly get a mask attached to their faces so that the human girl can't be impressed by their beauty and therefore fall in love with Tamlin.
Bitch. Why the fuck does his curse need SIX different clauses? Why is does this curse read like a legal contract?
Also why does the entire court need to wear a mask? Only Tamlin needs to have his beauty hidden, right?
Also, Alis first says that Tamlin needs to marry a human girl, but then says that the curse would have been resolved if Feyre had just told him she loved him. So which fucking is it?
7. Rhysand
Oh my fucking God. This is the worst Aaron Warner situation I've ever encountered. I know this cunt becomes a love interest in the next book and I literally cannot accept that.
He treats Feyre extremely cruelly because he
Or idk? Kill fucking Amarantha yourself after the curse has been lifted? She literally sexually abused you? I'm sure you're plenty angry yourself. Why shift that responsibility to Tamlin?
This is especially an issue since Rhysand does actually try to kill her when Tamlin can't do so and the curse doesn't lift right after the trials. So he didn't even need Tamlin to begin with! (And even when the curse does lift and Tamlin kills Amarantha, I don't see why Rhysand couldn't have done that. Or why Tamlin needed to be angered more. He was already furious!)
And angering Tamlin also doesn't excuse the fact that Rhysand also treats Feyre horribly when Tamlin isn't even fucking there. He messes with the bones in her broken arm, constantly sexually harassed her, and licks away her tears while they're in the privacy of Feyre's cell. Why do that if you're just trying to anger Tamlin?
He literally objectifies Feyre and abuses her the whole time.
There is no way, and I mean, absolutely no way that he can be redeemed.
Now these 7 sins don't mean I didn't find any enjoyment in this book. It was still dumb fun sometimes
The issues with this book were so glaring that I can't give this more than 2 stars.
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Sexual assault, Torture, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Vomit, Alcohol, Sexual harassment
Minor: Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder
Moderate: Confinement, Sexual content, Abandonment
Minor: Drug use, Vomit
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, War
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Excrement, Vomit, Death of parent
Reseña en español e inglés. / <b>review both in English and Spanish</b>.
⚠️<b>ESTA RESEÑA CONTIENE SPOILERS</b>⚠️
Wow, qué libro. Me ha sorprendido muchísimo, no esperaba para nada que fuera a gustarme tanto.
Llevo viendo esta saga por todas partes (tiktok, tiendas de libros, aquí en goodreads, etc.), y en principio no tenía pensado leerlo, pero al final una persona a la que quiero mucho (Helen ily) me convenció de leerlo y aquí estoy.
Este retelling de <i>La Bella y La Bestia</i> nos cuenta la historia de Feyre (la protagonista), que, intentando cazar para alimentar a su familia, acaba matando a Andras (un inmortal) y como castigo, Tamlin la lleva a Prythian, concretamente a la Corte Primavera (donde él es el alto lord) para que esta pueda pagar por su delito. A medida que va pasando la historia, vamos conociendo más acerca del mundo donde estos inmortales habitan, así como siete Cortes diferentes (Corte Otoño, Corte Invierno, Corte Verano, Corte Primavera, Corte Día, Corte Noche y Corte Amanecer) en las que su tierra está dividida. Aunque este libro está más centrado en la Corte Primavera, la autora explica de una manera preciosa cómo esta Corte es, como por ejemplo los jardines, la mansión donde viven, las plantas, las lagunas, etc. y me ha encantado. A medida que el tiempo pasa, Feyre disfruta más y más de estar ahí, rodeada de magia, bailes y nuevos sabores, y poco a poco se va enamorando de Tamlin, quien es víctima de una maldición. La protagonista, para salvar su nuevo hogar y los de más allá del muro donde residen los inmortales, se expone a la oscuridad para salvar a todos los habitantes de Prythian de la maldad que lleva décadas amenazándolos, a la vez que rescata al amor de su vida.
<i>Te amo. Con espinas y todo</i>.
<u>Feyre</u> es increíble, me ha encantado. Al principio se notaba que su pesimismo era lo único en lo que se basaba, pero, cuanto más cosas le pasaban, mejor actuaba. Es un personaje fuerte, totalmente decidida y que no se rinde jamás, dispuesta a luchar por lo que quiere hasta conseguirlo. Además, después de los mil fanarts que me ha pasado mi amiga, puedo decir con certeza que es PRECIOSA, tanto por fuera como por dentro.
<u>Tamlin</u>… ay, Tamlin, te tengo un amor y un odio increíble. No es un mal personaje pero tampoco me ha gustado mucho su manera de actuar en muchas ocasiones (aka morderle el cuello a Feyre sin su consentimiento).
<u>Lucien</u> me ha sorprendido también, no sabía que me iba a caer tan bien. Su amistad extraña con Feyre me ha parecido muy buena y es un buen personaje.
<u>Rhysand</u> dos palabras: cásate conmigo.
<u>Amarantha</u> eres una puta loca, me encanta.
La verdad es que me ha encantado. Me ha tenido enganchada desde el primer capítulo y no hacía más que mejorar. Me ha gustado la manera en cómo Sarah J. Maas describe Prythian (como si ella misma estuviera viviendo allí) su pluma me ha parecido muy buena, porque me ha transmitido unas emociones/sensaciones indescriptibles. Como he dicho antes, me ha sorprendido muchísimo y no me lo esperaba para nada. Después de haber leído unas cuantas malas reseñas sobre el libro, la verdad es que le tenía miedo, así que cuando lo empecé mis expectativas eran totalmente neutras. Y eso ha sido mejor, ya que me ha encantado y sigo flipando de lo mucho que lo ha hecho.
Como siempre, el punto negativo en este caso, a mi parecer, sería:
1. El síndrome de Estocolmo que tiene Feyre no es ni medio normal (Tamlin NO te merece).
2. No me ha gustado para nada como, en ocasiones, trataban a Feyre como si fuera un juguete.
Poco más que añadir, salvo que no puedo esperar más a seguir leyendo la saga ACOTAR y seguir fangirleando muchísimo (sí Helen, contigo), y no puedo esperar a leer más sobre Rhysand, que se ha convertido en mi crush definitivo desde el momento en que aparece.
Si te gusta la fantasía con romance este es tu libro, engancha muchísimo y los plot twists son muy buenos. Aún así, siempre aconsejo buscar información sobre los <b><i>trigger warnings</i></b>, ya que pueden haber cosas que para algunas personas puedan ser fuertes (rapto, muerte, gore, alcohol, no hay mucho <i>smut</i> pero sí un poco, violencia, tortura, agresión sexual, etc.).
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⚠️<b>THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS</b>⚠️
Wow, what a book. It surprised me a lot, I didn’t expect at all that I would like it so much.
I've been seeing this series everywhere (tiktok, book stores, here on goodreads, etc.), and at first I wasn’t planning on reading it, but a person who I love very much (<b>Helen ily</b>) convinced me to read it and here I am.
This retelling of The Beauty and the Beast tells us the story of Feyre (the main character) that, trying to hunt to feed her family, ends up killing Andras (an immortal) and as punishment, Tamlin takes her to Prythian specifically to the Spring Court (where he is the high lord) so that she can pay for her crime. As the story progresses, we learn more about the world where these immortals live, as well as six other different Courts (Autumn Court, Winter Court, Summer Court, Day Court, Night Court and Dawn Court) in which their land is divided. Although this book is more focused in the Spring Court, the author beautifully explains how this Court is, such as the gardens, the mansion where they live, the plants, the lagoons, etc. and I loved it. As time passes, Feyre enjoys being there more and more, surrounded by magic, dances and new flavors, and bit by bit she falls in love with Tamlin, who is the victim of a curse. The main character, in order to save her new home and those beyond the wall where the immortals reside, exposes herself to the darkness to save all the people of Prythian from the evil that has been threatening them for decades, while rescuing the love of her life.
<i>I love you. Thorns and all</i>.
<u>Feyre </u> is amazing, I love her. At first you could tell that her pessimism was the only thing she relied on, but the more things happened to her, the better she acted. She is a strong character, totally determined and never gives up, willing to fight for what she wants until she gets it. Also, after the thousand fanarts that my friend sent me, I can say with certainty that she is BEAUTIFUL, both on the outside and the inside.
<u>Tamlin</u>… oh Tamlin, I noth love and hate you. He's not a bad character but I didn't really like the way he acted on many occasions (aka biting Feyre's neck without her consent).
<u>Lucien </u> surprised me too, I didn't know I was going to like him so much. His weird friendship with Feyre seemed was really good and he is a good character.
<u>Rhysand</u> two words: marry me.
<u>Amarantha</u> you are a crazy bitch, I love it.
The truth is that this book is incredible. I was hooked since the first chapter and it just kept getting better. I like the way Sarah J. Maas describes Prythian (as if she herself were living there). The way she writes is so good, she made me feel indescribable emotions/sensations. As I said before, I’m totally surprised and I didn’t expect that at all. After reading a few bad reviews about the book, the truth is that I was afraid of reading it, so when I started it my expectations were totally neutral. And that was good because I am still freaking out at how much I’ve loved it.
As always, the negative point in this case, in my opinion, would be:
1. Feyre’s Stockholm syndrome is not even normal (Tamlin does NOT deserve her).
2. I didn’t like at all how sometimes Feyre was treated by everyone as if she were a toy.
Little more to add, except that I can't wait to continue reading the ACOTAR series and keep fangirling a lot (<b>yes Helen, with you</b>), and I can't wait to read more about Rhysand, who has become my ultimate crush from the very moment he appears.
If you like fantasy with romance this is your book, it is very engaging and the plot twists are very good.
I always recommend looking for information about the <b>trigger warnings</b> before reading <u>(tw such as: kidnapping, death, gore, alcohol, there is not much smut but a little, violence, torture, sexual assault, etc.)</u>.
(English is not my first language, if you find any mistakes please let me know).
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug abuse, Grief, Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Nachdem eine Freundin seit mehr als einem Jahr versucht hat, mich davon zu überzeugen, diese Reihe zu lesen, habe ich mich endlich überzeugen lassen.
Es gab ein paar Kleinigkeiten, die mich gestört haben,
Now for the English readers: I picked this up from a friend after she tried to persuade me for over a year to read it.
There were some things I didn't like very much,
But I liked Maas's writing style and after reading the second book I can confirm that this is mostly a really long introduction to the real series, but it's worth it.
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Sexual violence
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Blood, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Alcohol
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Gore, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Fire/Fire injury