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

I know I’m like 10 years late to reading this but I was totally fine being ~not like the other book girlies~ and refusing to read this series because everyone else was obsessed with it. And for what? To act like that somehow made me better? Perhaps for a time it soothed me to roll my eyes at talk of faerie romance and all the tedious world building of courts and magic and such… except why? Literally why. Why do I do this to myself. I love Twilight, The Hunger Games—I jumped on those bandwagons early on, so why did I put this one off for so long just to inevitably devour it??

Yeah fantasy isn’t usually my thingggggg but people change!!!

✨ she’s a High Fae girly now!!!!! ✨ (Please read this next line in that one voice from Shrek) ANYTHING FOR YOU, MY LORD!!!

Anyway, Feyre is an awesome protagonist and I’m so looking forward to what next awaits her in Prythian…

Content Warnings

lqne's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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lizzye33's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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quietlex's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I enjoyed the story, despite being fairly predictable and on the nose. Things work out a bit too conveniently, in a way that you know all the main characters will be fine, and there’s rainbows and sunshine at the end.

I mean come on, she leaves just DAYS before the curse runs out of time, if only she had said those three little words to him at ANY point since she already knew she loved him. She wouldn’t have made it past the second trial without Rhys secret help. She happens to figure out the riddle the second before being killed, then she’s magically brought back to life by a special never seen before golden goo that all the High Lords have! Where have you been loca style, she’s all pretty and shiny like a new vampire now.

Also, Feyre is an idiot. Makes it really hard to love her character when she continuously makes the worst decisions over and over.

Content Warnings

thegrandmafriend's review against another edition

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adventurous dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Content Warnings

chococaptain's review against another edition

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dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

1.5 🥱

TW: mentions of non consensual sexual advances

long story short: I’m literally nursing a headache as I read the last few chapters. why I’m having a headache, you might ask? well… (ellipsis totally intended)

(nah jk my toothache is making my headache but damn did this book make the pain worse)

the book was a difficult read in so many different aspects. the writing style was so bad, the plot was too predictable, and the characters were extremely flat.

- writing style -

MY GOD the amount of ellipses and em-dashes in this book is so??????????? like why???? SJM has an editor but why are there… so… many… ellipses—and even more em-dashes that don’t make sense!!!!! maaaan this would NEVER pass a basic creative writing class in my uni. it’s unbearable. I swear every time I see an ellipsis or em-dash aged me. why does SJM use it so much? for emphasis? jeez everything is emphasised then. for suspense? it’s just too predictable.

also, “parameter” instead of “perimeter”? really? AND WATERY BOWELS? girl is your stomach ok?

- plot -

“it’s a modern retelling of beauty and the beast.” retelling? you mean a poorly paraphrased beauty and the beast???

it’s SO beauty and the beast. a curse, handsome prince, servants cursed (as furnitures or as mask-wearing faes), evil witch/queen, i love you, and the non existent rose. like, why is the title of this book A Court of Thorn and Roses? I don’t even remember any meaningful reference to thorns and roses? at least Beauty and the Beast had an actual rose.

but wait! there’s a twist! it now becomes a retelling of Cupid and Psyche! 2 sisters, “hidden” lover, a goddess who got pissed and gave her humanly impossible tasks! *snores*

I know stories are inspired by other stories but this one is just too… (why am I using an ellipsis? HELP) unoriginal.

another thing that annoyed me is how everything was just so easy for Feyre (more on this later).

rags to riches? check. family taken care of? check. all these as “punishment” for her k wording a faerie.

my god.

LAST THING UNDER THIS! the plot is slower than my brain when faced by a math problem. my work friend asked me about the book when she found out I was reading it. I told her “I’m around 50% but nothing major yet.” and then I realised that dang I’m already halfway and there’s nothing cool happening yet?!

the story only starts moving during the last quarter. you can skip so many chapters and you’ll still understand the story because everything from Feyre killing the faerie wolf then living with Tamlin to her going back to her family are boring and won’t make sense until Alis’ monologue. honestly, just search for Alis’ monologue if you don’t wanna waste time. it’s basically the story and of course a happy ending after that.

- characters -

yep, the characters are flatter than a plywood. Feyre is dumb (everyone: “Feyre, don’t do this.” Feyre: “sorry can’t hear you!”) Tamlin is manipulative and lowkey a sexual predator??? so is Rhysand.

taking advantage of Feyre just because she’s drugged wtf

Lucien is honestly the only likeable character in my opinion. Alis is alright. Amarantha was a bad bitch but she’s annoying. Feyre’s sisters are also annoying and the story doesn’t even need them hahahaha

I also feel like Isaac Hale is not needed.

he’s like the opposite of Chekhov’s gun. I thought he’ll play a part in the love triangle but what’s the point of mentioning his sexual relationship with Feyre if it doesn’t do anything at all??? JUST REMOVE IT GAAAAAH

I already scheduled the rest of the series for my august tbr but uhhh……….. idk.

wow this is the longest review I’ve ever done (not counting the papers I had to write for my lit classes lol). I didn’t like this book but would totally recommend so I can have more ppl I can rant to about this book 😆

Content Warnings

jmeier's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious sad tense

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.5

the protagonist is incredibly unlikeable. the other characters are poorly fleshed out, and the plot is absurd.

3/4 of the way through this incredibly slow beauty and the beast adaptation, there's suddenly a hunger games plot? completely bizarre shift. We are also supposed to empathize with a character who threatens sexual assault, and to forgive the torture and murder of a bunch of innocents for the "greater good" . the greater good being the protagonist getting to have sex.

sex scenes were a bit silly, but still somewhat stirring.

Content Warnings

georgie_mb's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Okay okay, I totally get the hype around this now.

Even though it took me a while to read as it was on my kindle, whenever I picked it up I was hooked!! Loved everything about Feyre, with such brilliant world building and a beautiful love story. The second half of the book had me going through so many emotions, and seriously levelled this up in my mind from your usual YA fantasy.

I did guess the riddle straight away, but I’ll let our girl off, she’s not exactly super read up.

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