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adventurous
emotional
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I had so much fun reading this. I didn’t want it to end, but was also dying to know what was going to happen. I love the world that is built in the book. I love the vibes of the spring court. The first part of the book felt cozy and happy and I wished I could be in the world with Feyre. The last 120 pages of the book were a wild ride. I am rooting for Feyre and Tamlin and hope no more outside forces come in between them. The writing was very descriptive and seemed to have a lot of similies/metaphors. I wished to see Feyre with a little more emotion. I connect with characters through their emotions. I plan to read the rest of the series and will get the next book soon. Such a gooooood book.
Update: 1/31/2024
I updated to 5 stars. I can’t stop thinking about this book and I smile every time I think about it. 5 stars, not 4.
Update: 1/31/2024
I updated to 5 stars. I can’t stop thinking about this book and I smile every time I think about it. 5 stars, not 4.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Violence, Vomit, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, War
Moderate: Cultural appropriation
Minor: Vomit
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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
This is what I’m into right now, and listening to this recently … I flew right through it.
*** spoilers ***
A Court of Thorns and Roses gets 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me. Were there a lot of predictable moments in this book? Yes. Did that lessen my opinion or experience with it? No. I enjoyed the world building, the adventure that comes on fairly quickly, and the themes of ignorance, prejudice, bias and vulnerability and love that unfold throughout this first volume.
I enjoyed the relationship building between Feyre and Tamlin. And I grew to love Tamlin and believed in the Spring Court misconceptions about some of the other high fae *cough* * cough* *Rhysand* so overall, I thought the storytelling was wonderful.
Sarah Maas tells the story, and pretty much always gives the reader the outcome that’s hoped for, which I enjoy right now. (Though there are some much appreciated twists and turns that I don’t always foresee.)
Probably the most obvious mystery that I solved immediately was guessing the answer to Amarantha’s riddle. However, I still enjoyed all the under the mountain struggles and events. And again, the presence of some predictability wasn’t a negative for me. (I think I’m in a mood lately where I don’t need a heightened sense of anxiety with some absolutely, outrageously novel fantasy story. This is hitting the spot for me where I’m at right now, in a stressful chapter of life.)
✨🧚✨
*** spoilers ***
A Court of Thorns and Roses gets 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me. Were there a lot of predictable moments in this book? Yes. Did that lessen my opinion or experience with it? No. I enjoyed the world building, the adventure that comes on fairly quickly, and the themes of ignorance, prejudice, bias and vulnerability and love that unfold throughout this first volume.
I enjoyed the relationship building between Feyre and Tamlin. And I grew to love Tamlin and believed in the Spring Court misconceptions about some of the other high fae *cough* * cough* *Rhysand* so overall, I thought the storytelling was wonderful.
Sarah Maas tells the story, and pretty much always gives the reader the outcome that’s hoped for, which I enjoy right now. (Though there are some much appreciated twists and turns that I don’t always foresee.)
Probably the most obvious mystery that I solved immediately was guessing the answer to Amarantha’s riddle. However, I still enjoyed all the under the mountain struggles and events. And again, the presence of some predictability wasn’t a negative for me. (I think I’m in a mood lately where I don’t need a heightened sense of anxiety with some absolutely, outrageously novel fantasy story. This is hitting the spot for me where I’m at right now, in a stressful chapter of life.)
✨🧚✨
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Violence, War
Minor: Misogyny, Torture, Vomit, Alcohol, Classism
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
One of my rare ratings below a 3-star. I have enjoyed stories like this before ('Land Of The Beautiful Dead" by R. Lee Smith, a Beauty & The Beast inspired romantasy with a brooding death god MMC in a mask and the feisty YA FMC protagonist who just wants him to stop with the zombies, already – which made me weep by the end, and "Spinning Silver" by Naomi Novik – which was a fantasy romance take on the Rumplestiltskin fairytale with well-written and well rounded female protagonists and a similar "taken to live in a fantasy world" plot), so conceptually I wasn't opposed to a romantasy or fantasy romance rendition of an old folk or fairytale – certainly the Cupid & Psyche or Beauty & The Beast stories, I have been known to have an affinity for.
It's unfortunate that I feel I ultimately wasted the strength and willpower it took to get through this book.
I went into it knowing quite a lot of the opinions surrounding it – good, yes, but mostly bad. It did colour my perception somewhat going in, but a lot of the thoughts I developed were my own.
For one, my immediate impression was that the writing style both over-the-top and underdone, flipping between the past and the present day in the opening scene, giving an exposition dump without a lot happening for a while.
It got worse for me as it went; the logic in it felt flawed and inconsistent as the main character was so contrary that she at multiple points disregarded what was not only common sense but advice given to her for her survival – which is not to mention how I found several components of the story ethically questionable at best (e.g. the significant age and maturity gap in the main relationship, the scenes that either bordered on being or outright were sexual assault), and the major villain more than severely lacking. The most momentum the story had to me was nearer the end, but I ended up wondering why Feyre was still alive at all by that point, and why a lot of it had to happen at all, if not for sheer plot convenience.
I could understand why somebody might like it, as the atmosphere of the world felt like it had a distinctive character, which is hard to achieve. It had its sexier moments, too, which I know appeals to some, and there were some side characters that even I engaged with (I'm a Alis girl first and foremost – then my allegiance goes to that one kindhearted buff lady mercenary, then to Lucien, whose orange flag was not sleeping or being overly sexual with a teenager, and generally medium green flags having some good banter and development with Feyre, and getting her out of trouble on more than one occasion – plus minimal reference to the state of his abs or his eye colour). To me, however, I feel sad to say that none one of this felt like it was enough to make up for the rest of what I didn't like.
I'm undecided on whether I want to continue with the series, to see if it improves or falls even flatter for me. For now, the idea feels a little draining, but I may revisit it.
It's unfortunate that I feel I ultimately wasted the strength and willpower it took to get through this book.
I went into it knowing quite a lot of the opinions surrounding it – good, yes, but mostly bad. It did colour my perception somewhat going in, but a lot of the thoughts I developed were my own.
For one, my immediate impression was that the writing style both over-the-top and underdone, flipping between the past and the present day in the opening scene, giving an exposition dump without a lot happening for a while.
It got worse for me as it went; the logic in it felt flawed and inconsistent as the main character was so contrary that she at multiple points disregarded what was not only common sense but advice given to her for her survival – which is not to mention how I found several components of the story ethically questionable at best (e.g. the significant age and maturity gap in the main relationship, the scenes that either bordered on being or outright were sexual assault), and the major villain more than severely lacking. The most momentum the story had to me was nearer the end, but I ended up wondering why Feyre was still alive at all by that point, and why a lot of it had to happen at all, if not for sheer plot convenience.
I could understand why somebody might like it, as the atmosphere of the world felt like it had a distinctive character, which is hard to achieve. It had its sexier moments, too, which I know appeals to some, and there were some side characters that even I engaged with (I'm a Alis girl first and foremost – then my allegiance goes to that one kindhearted buff lady mercenary, then to Lucien, whose orange flag was not sleeping or being overly sexual with a teenager, and generally medium green flags having some good banter and development with Feyre, and getting her out of trouble on more than one occasion – plus minimal reference to the state of his abs or his eye colour). To me, however, I feel sad to say that none one of this felt like it was enough to make up for the rest of what I didn't like.
I'm undecided on whether I want to continue with the series, to see if it improves or falls even flatter for me. For now, the idea feels a little draining, but I may revisit it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Blood, Vomit, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Some books are like a comforting bowl of spaghetti and red sauce. Some are like sushi. This is more like a bag of chips you keep eating while low key respecting yourself less with every bite.
It’s marketed as violent and sexy - the violence was definitely there, a lot more than I expected actually. Sexy scenes were few and far in between, unless you count sexual violence as sexy, which I very much don’t. I thought Feyre was an idiot most of the time, but she was feisty and loyal. To me, Tamlin didn’t have that much personality. Lucien was a little better and Rhys was the most fleshed out, which is still not saying much.
On one hand I would like to get to know these characters better in the next books, on the other hand the violence, especially the sexual violence, is really turning me off
It’s marketed as violent and sexy - the violence was definitely there, a lot more than I expected actually. Sexy scenes were few and far in between, unless you count sexual violence as sexy, which I very much don’t. I thought Feyre was an idiot most of the time, but she was feisty and loyal. To me, Tamlin didn’t have that much personality. Lucien was a little better and Rhys was the most fleshed out, which is still not saying much.
On one hand I would like to get to know these characters better in the next books, on the other hand the violence, especially the sexual violence, is really turning me off
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Blood, Vomit, Death of parent
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
There’s some corny bits sprinkled in but they pale in comparison to the story surrounding them. Such a wild ride.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Confinement, Genocide, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, War
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Vomit
Minor: Slavery, War
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Slavery, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Blood
Minor: Sexual assault, Vomit, Death of parent, Abandonment
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was a wonderfuly crafted world and story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood
Moderate: Animal death, Murder
Minor: Torture, Vomit, Death of parent, War
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, Kidnapping, Alcohol
Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Gore, Torture, Vomit, War