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mandersdraws's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
I guess I don’t hate it, but I really do not like it.
I’m currently reading the next book in the series, and the further I get, the more I think this book is only here to serve as a prequel. I don’t feel like it stands very well on its own merits, and as it is, I’m wondering if it was all set up just for the sequel to tear down.
Now. The main thread of this book, and one of the most frustrating things about it, is how the main character Feyre is kept incredibly uninformed about the world, its magic, and the people around her.
For most of the novel the characters have reasons or excuses for never telling her important details. But in my opinion, there are plenty of situations in the book where they definitely could have told her more. They could have answered many more of her questions. They could have explained why something was dangerous. Especially when it becomes clear that this girl will not follow a rule or a warning without being given any reasoning behind it. Characters then often blame Feyre for being uninformed about magic or faerie society, which I find to be…well, unfair and kinda slimy. Especially when sex gets involved.
It also means that some of the rules of the magic in the world are just murky and unclear and appear to be inconsistent. The narration is in 1st person so (with maybe a few exceptions) we only know what Feyre knows.
And on the topic of world building, I had a little trouble staying invested when it came to the main villain of this book. They felt a little stereotypical to me in the way they are described. Additionally one of the great challenges they present, that ends up being the climax of the book, just felt a little silly.I mean you’re telling me that this incredibly jaded war lord, for her incredibly high stakes challenge, is going to present a riddle about…love? Besides which, I’ve seen that the riddle is pretty obvious to many readers (I solved it immediately lol I mean come on). I guess we can assume Amarantha doesn’t think humans to be very smart but to stake her power on that assumption? Even though Feyre was genuinely challenged by it, how would Amarantha know that? I dunno girl. It just seemed a little ridiculous.
I also have some thoughts about how the narration deals with class issues in this book. There seems to be kind of a rigid caste structure in this world that doesn’t really get examined.The narrative establishes kind of an innate hierarchy of races and sub-races, and then from that point onwards, the narration seems to almost exclusively care about the lives of the “High Fae,” who basically act as the magical world’s rulers and nobility. Lots of other faeries are described but none really appear to have personalities— the servants even being literally invisible for a large portion of the book — and Feyre doesn’t seem to concern herself with them. She also starts to look down upon her fellow humans at one point. But at the end of the day, I guess Feyre wasn’t a poor girl. She was a temporarily embarrassed rich girl. /s I might be taking this part of the book to seriously, but if you’re one to read your fantasy books through a lens of class consciousness, well. Might not be the one for you.
And the way she gets resurrected at the end? I found myself thinking, not for the first time since starting the book, “that was an option???” I can’t help but feel weird about them resurrecting our white girl romantic lead protagonist and not the literal child that also died at the end. But I guess was kind of necessary to set us up in the next book.
Another point of frustration for me are Feyre’s own feelings about her family. I feel personally like whenever the narrative turns towards her father and sisters that her feelings are inconsistent. And listen. I know feelings don’t have to make sense. But it was a frustrating reading experience, mostly because for the majority of the book, I don’t feel like the narration recognizes the dichotomy in how she feels about them. It just kind of switches back and forth between devotion and resent.
I also feel a little uncomfortable knowing who the fan-favorite love interest ends up being in later books. That character treats the protagonist absolutely horribly in this book, and while there are (again) lots of magical and political reasons for him to treat her that way, if it’s not addressed and reconciled later, I’ll be kind of grumpy about it lol. Of course, this book’s love interest doesn’t treat Feyre great either IMO, and has a fair few red flags himself, but honestly. It’s bad. It’s all bad.
Now here’s what I did like:
I like that Feyre has character growth. It’s subtle and slow, but as a character who hasn’t had the time or privilege for introspection in her adolescent life, I think it makes sense. Feyre is a hunter by trade but the story has her questioning who and what she wants to be.
I like that the love story has our characters finding common ground. That sounds like a low bar I guess, but the narrative is VERY EXPLICIT that they find each other sexy, so it’s nice that spice isn't all the characters have in common lol.
When the book bothers to flesh out other characters than our main couple, I do tend to like them. Lucien is very likable, and I even ended up liking Nesta.
Already I can see the sequel has more characters for us to get to know, and I hope for more development for them and for Feyre.
I’m currently reading the next book in the series, and the further I get, the more I think this book is only here to serve as a prequel. I don’t feel like it stands very well on its own merits, and as it is, I’m wondering if it was all set up just for the sequel to tear down.
Now. The main thread of this book, and one of the most frustrating things about it, is how the main character Feyre is kept incredibly uninformed about the world, its magic, and the people around her.
For most of the novel the characters have reasons or excuses for never telling her important details. But in my opinion, there are plenty of situations in the book where they definitely could have told her more. They could have answered many more of her questions. They could have explained why something was dangerous. Especially when it becomes clear that this girl will not follow a rule or a warning without being given any reasoning behind it. Characters then often blame Feyre for being uninformed about magic or faerie society, which I find to be…well, unfair and kinda slimy. Especially when sex gets involved.
It also means that some of the rules of the magic in the world are just murky and unclear and appear to be inconsistent. The narration is in 1st person so (with maybe a few exceptions) we only know what Feyre knows.
And on the topic of world building, I had a little trouble staying invested when it came to the main villain of this book. They felt a little stereotypical to me in the way they are described. Additionally one of the great challenges they present, that ends up being the climax of the book, just felt a little silly.
I also have some thoughts about how the narration deals with class issues in this book. There seems to be kind of a rigid caste structure in this world that doesn’t really get examined.
Another point of frustration for me are Feyre’s own feelings about her family. I feel personally like whenever the narrative turns towards her father and sisters that her feelings are inconsistent. And listen. I know feelings don’t have to make sense. But it was a frustrating reading experience, mostly because for the majority of the book, I don’t feel like the narration recognizes the dichotomy in how she feels about them. It just kind of switches back and forth between devotion and resent.
I also feel a little uncomfortable knowing who the fan-favorite love interest ends up being in later books. That character treats the protagonist absolutely horribly in this book, and while there are (again) lots of magical and political reasons for him to treat her that way, if it’s not addressed and reconciled later, I’ll be kind of grumpy about it lol. Of course, this book’s love interest doesn’t treat Feyre great either IMO, and has a fair few red flags himself, but honestly. It’s bad. It’s all bad.
Now here’s what I did like:
I like that Feyre has character growth. It’s subtle and slow, but as a character who hasn’t had the time or privilege for introspection in her adolescent life, I think it makes sense. Feyre is a hunter by trade but the story has her questioning who and what she wants to be.
I like that the love story has our characters finding common ground. That sounds like a low bar I guess, but the narrative is VERY EXPLICIT that they find each other sexy, so it’s nice that spice isn't all the characters have in common lol.
When the book bothers to flesh out other characters than our main couple, I do tend to like them. Lucien is very likable, and I even ended up liking Nesta.
Already I can see the sequel has more characters for us to get to know, and I hope for more development for them and for Feyre.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Animal death, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Excrement, Gore, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Torture, Classism, Alcohol, and Confinement
Moderate: Vomit, Abandonment, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Drug use, Drug abuse, War, Alcoholism, and Sexual violence
-Is drinking “faerie wine” alcohol use or drug use? It blurs the line. -Fantasy racism is a big topic in this book. -Additionally while it’s never addressed directly, I think this book is kind of heavy on rape culture.raven9949's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
It’s just mid. You spend the whole time waiting for the MC to finally catch the plot that you realized was gunna hit like 2 hrs before. She’s very woe is me and extremely unlikable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Gore, and Murder
airrhodes's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
This was the second-worst book I’ve read in years. The characters’ motivations were entirely unbelievable, purely convenient to drive the plot forward. I found myself strongly disliking the insipid, self-absorbed main characters and preferring the “despicable” minor characters who at least had some spice and grit. It was also badly written - every phrase and sentence trite and expected, nothing lovely about it. I finished the book merely out of dull fascination that this schlock is so popular — There are much better retold fairytales, romances, adventure stories, whatever aspect of this you might be seeking, there’s a better option out there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Slavery, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Drug use, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, and War
Purportedly feminist but I found it to be quite unfeminist and disempowering of womenkaaaaaaaa's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I give the audio book version .5 more stars because the narrator breathed some life into some tf the otherwise weak lines.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Death, Blood, Confinement, Classism, War, Sexual content, Death of parent, Violence, Drug use, Torture, and Grief
rsagarin's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Forced institutionalization, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, War, Classism, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Alcohol, Drug use, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Murder, Misogyny, Sexism, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Rape, Slavery, Abandonment, Animal death, Blood, Chronic illness, Grief, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Torture
eligru's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Torture, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual harassment, War, and Gore
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Hate crime, Infidelity, Drug use, Slavery, Blood, Vomit, and Death of parent
tabea1409's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Alcohol, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Blood, Cursing, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Gore, Animal death, Violence, Vomit, Genocide, and Grief
ahoyitsjoy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Tamlin is so dull and you cannot convince me he had any chemistry with Feyre. Rhysand and Nesta saved this book from being 2 stars, honestly. I cannot understate how much more I enjoyed this book when Tamlin was kept as a silent prisoner lol.
The author really likes to grab onto a phrase and run it deep into the ground. Tamlin's jaw is always tensed, or tensing. Feyre could never paint that otherworldly, beautiful thing no matter how much she tried. Something scary happened and her bowels became watery. He brushed off a non-existent speck of dust. His eyes flickered. His throat bobbed. On the upside, this is a great book to make a drinking game for.
The author really likes to grab onto a phrase and run it deep into the ground. Tamlin's jaw is always tensed, or tensing. Feyre could never paint that otherworldly, beautiful thing no matter how much she tried. Something scary happened and her bowels became watery. He brushed off a non-existent speck of dust. His eyes flickered. His throat bobbed. On the upside, this is a great book to make a drinking game for.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Murder, Torture, Blood, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Gore, Slavery, and Alcohol
Minor: Rape
beebeewin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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? It's complicated
3.75
This was an enjoyable read! I don't think this book brought anything new to the genre or hit on any deep emotional points, but that is okay because it was just a fun read! I found it slow at the beginning but by the midway point I was sucked in. I appreciate the twist plus the moral gray of all the characters. The world is super fascinating and I think that was part of the draw of the second half of the novel. We were exposed to the wider faerie world and I am excited to explore it more in the upcoming novels. The sexual scenes were fun but be warned that they are decently explicit. I loved all the characters and felt that Sarah Maas did a good job depicting the emotions and trauma response they would have by going through some of the plot points. I would have loved some of the later character developments to be given more time and weight as it felt a little rushed, especially with Rhysand . Not my favorite book ever but would recommend this read to anyone wanting a fun, sexy, and adventurous read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, Drug use, and Sexual content
pwiestess's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
A bit stereotypical character and plot development, but the second part of the book opens a new possibility for other characters to develop both the plot and the main character more. Hopefully the other books in the series will become less predictable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Murder, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Slavery, Torture, Death, Classism, Kidnapping, Violence, and Drug use
Minor: Death of parent, Animal death, Hate crime, and Toxic relationship