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

Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

128 reviews

ailoda's review against another edition

2.5

adventurous inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

As with a lot of fantasy books, I always feel that the premise and world are interesting enough to pull me in, but the execution always falls short of expectations.

Feyre, despite elements suggesting a strong and mature FMC, fell short in a lot of ways. I understand the juvenile nature comes from her age, but I found her hard to sympathise with. Tamlin felt like the typical red flag, domineering MMC in every romantasy series ever—which may well have been deliberate, but no less hard to read.

The book felt like watching paint dry for the first 3/4 of the book. It’s only towards the end where things get interesting. If it wasn’t for the knowledge that the second book gets better, and to see what happens following the end of this book, I don’t think I’d have continued with the series.

Content Warnings

filipa_maia's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense 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: Yes

If you told me that SJMAAS hates this main character, I would believe you. I've never seen so much gaslighting and victim-blaming towards a character as was done to Feyre. None of them deserves her. Not her family and definitely not Tamlin (I'll probably change my mind later, this is just the first book).

The story drags on in the first half of the book, but then it becomes so engaging that it is worth it. Amarantha is such a great villain!

I loved all of this. I can't wait for the next book - 4 stars!

Content Warnings

mld12's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous dark mysterious 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: No

Ok I liked this more than I thought I would and don't think it deserves all the flack.

Content Warnings

hedonistic_hunger's review against another edition

2.25

mysterious slow-paced

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Things I liked: the fantastic World itself, it's not too complicated to understand, the concept of the courts is interesting and enticing; you won't get bombarded with tons of different characters and place names and whatnot at once; the character Lucien and his platonic bond with Tamlin

Things I didn’t like: I think my biggest criticism of this book is how dull, obstinate, fatuous and arbitrary the female Protagonist acts and thinks. Her reaction to things that happen to her or how she gets treated made me often times roll my eyes. This is very much linked to her two male love interest. Horrible characters. I don’t want to write an essay, so I’ll keep it short. One of them assaults her and then tries to gaslight her the following day by saying “I […] told you to stay in your room”. She also thanks him for not enslaving her although he kidnapped and assaulted her. It’s later revealed that he kept her at his court out of specific reasons, but these reasons do in no way excuse his behavior towards her. The other one sexually assaults her while pinning her down and basically makes her choose between her death or having to spend one week every month at his court. Which in my opinion also accounts as a form of kidnapping and blackmail. There’s a lot of talk about “owning someone” when it comes to the romantic relationships between the female lead and her two love interests, which I absolutely hated; The characters are not diverse at all, the male characters are basically the same handsome guy but with a different hair and eye color. I also really didn’t like how all the main female characters were described as thin and the only thicker woman, who was described as plump, appeared in a couple of sentences and has no further mention. The only character of color was killed within two pages. There are no queer characters either. The story is very much built on gender essentialism which I find very boring and irritating.

If you like Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard and/or Selection by Kiera Cass chances are high you might like this one as well. If you like The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare and/or Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, chances are high you WONT like this one.

Content Warnings

deathbyathousandpapercuts's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

feyre was truly just so annoying to me. the writing style and the world building overshadow that so i do think it was a good book but god i hope she gets better throughout the series

Content Warnings

alexvn003's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 74%

trigger warning - sexual assault/harassment that isn't tagged at all in the book (multiple instances, including with the main love interests)

*sigh* That was the first and last time I take any recommendations from romantasy BookTok without checking goodreads or something first.

Let’s start with the writing. I've heard this book/series be constantly specifically praised for it’s writing (particularly against Fourth Wing), but it really isn't good. In fact, it was bad enough to break my immersion several times (which RARELY happens with me, I was raised by Wattpad, I have low standards).

Feyre was a boring and dumb MC, the plot was predictable, the worldbuilding was the only somewhat interesting part for me, but there was barely any of it.

Even the title was poorly chosen - this was a very bad "retelling" of Beauty and the Beast, and has barely anything to do with the original theme/messaging, it’s obvious this decision was made for marketing and aesthetic purposes only.

The first half of the book bored me to death, almost DNFed at 40% but I pushed through because so many people praise this series to heaven and back and said the ending/other books would be worth it, after that it (finally) started picking up.

The borderline abusive behaviour from Tamlin being completely glossed over made me roll my eyes, but since I knew he wouldn’t be endgame, it didn’t bother me much and I continued. But then I got to the Midsummer party scene. That scene includes clear SH/SA in it. It got completely glossed over by everyone including the MC. The book itself has no trigger/content warning and I never heard anyone mention it when recommending the book.

I couldn't make it farther without researching spoilers to know if there were going to be any other scenes like this, or worse ones, there are:
Spoiler
Later on in the book, Rhysand literally admits that he would have taken Feyre when she was under the effects of those drugs (aka, non-consentually, duh) if it weren’t for the fact that Tamlin would want to battle him if he did:
"Feyre, for Cauldron's sake. I drug you, but you don't wonder why I never touch you beyond your waist or arms?"
Until tonight-until that damned kiss. I gritted my teeth, but even as my anger rose, a picture cleared.
"It's the only claim I have to innocence," he said, "the only thing that will make Tamlin think twice before entering into a battle with me that would cause a catastrophic loss of innocent life. It's the only way I can convince him I was on your side. Believe me, I would have liked nothing more than to enjoy you-but there are bigger things at stake than taking a human woman to my bed.”

on top of that (which was more than enough), he continuously harasses and objectifies Feyre:
- encourages to rub her tattooed eye on “certain body parts” to summon him faster
- literally admits to using the eye to spy on her when she was naked
- makes references to her breasts to other powerful male fae

I wish people who love this series (and the author herself) didn't completely gloss over the sexual harassment and abusive behaviour in it / pretend there isn't any / try to justify the characters' behaviour / claim this is good representation of SA victims (don’t even want to get into that last one jfc

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