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A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

624 reviews

owlly17's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad 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

Content Warnings

emmalaure's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I finally decided to read this book to see what the hype is all about. It's not as good as I was expecting. To put it simply, the love interest is not at all interesting, the romance feels superficial, and there is no action for two thirds of the book. Why am I giving it 3 stars then? Because the ending was actually good. The last third of the book had lots of action, it had our heroine in peril and having to fight for her life and the lives of others, and the villain turns out to be quite terrifying.

The first two thirds of the book are centered on the romance. Feyre is captured and is forced to live with Tamlin, one of seven High Lords of the fae courts. Although she initially tries to escape, Feyre quickly gives up on finding a way out and settles into a life in a grand home with faeries. Tamlin's character fell flat for a love interest. He does not disclose any information about his life, his hobbies, his passions, except for the fact that he did not want his role as High Lord. He keeps a great many secrets from Feyre, and all he really does is keep her safe and give her supplies so that she can paint. This lack of personality made him very superficial to me, and the romance even more so because of it. It is implied that the two spend a lot of time together, but as a reader, I was not given any information on Tamlin that resulted in affection for him. I truly was not convinced by their relationship,

much less that Feyre had actually and truly fallen in love with him. Additionally, given the fact that he manipulated her to lift his curse, I cannot help but wonder if Tamlin actually loves Feyre or if it's all just an act to him.

Feyre's character was not great either. She was raised to put others above herself, but while she does so without complaint, she still spends a lot of time feeling sad over it. And because she's been raised this way, she has no backbone at all.

Upon discovering that Tamlin lied to her, her initial reaction is not to be upset that the man he loves had been lying about a great deal of things, but instead that she let him and many others down because she did not say 'I love you' to him.

It's great for a main character to be selfless, but Feyre ignores a lot of red flags. Even if Tamlin had his reasons

and he still tried to tell her without being able to, this does not excuse the initial and biggest lie of them all,

that she was indebted to him and was forced to live the rest of her life with the faeries.

So yes, he tried to tell her about the curse, but he still manipulated her.

I will read the next book, so I hope that in the next, her confidence in herself grows, and that consequently her self-worth grows as well. I hope she'll be able to tell when a relationship is toxic or built on poor foundations. She deserves better, especially after all she has endured.

To give credit where credit is due, however, the last third of the book was actually entertaining and--dare I say--captivating.

Feyre goes to rescue the Spring Court and ends up facing Amarantha, an evil queen who seeks to control all of the fae courts. In this part, Feyre actually shows how intelligent and resourceful she is. She comes across many hurdles, but still manages to get through them with some help but, more importantly, sheer will and determination.

Poor girl goes through a lot and she definitely deserves a rest, but to me this part of the book really was a redeeming arc for her character. Suddenly she was no longer the helpless and self-pitying girl, but instead a strong and tenacious young woman.

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

pewpewnicorn's review against another edition

2.25

adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-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

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

ddrap's review against another edition

4.0

medium-paced

Content Warnings

hanhuff's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

karlin0336's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous dark emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This was a reread for me (it's been so long that I decided to stop reading A Court of Wings and Ruin and go back through these so everything's more fresh in my mind). My original rating was 4.25 stars, but I definitely enjoyed it more the second time around. Not at all a fan of the amount of spice in this series, but this one is quite a bit more tame than the others. (Definitely skippable if you want to go that route.)

If you're a fan of books about the fae, you will love this. Worldbuilding and characters are great. The story from start to finish is captivating. The ending is mind-blowing. Plus, it's a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but with fae! What could be better?

Content Warnings