A review by edrickashay
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous dark hopeful lighthearted mysterious tense 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? Yes

3.5

I’ve decided this book is a great introduction to fantasy for adult readers - and a decent introduction to the realm of faeries. Fast-paced though a little repetitive, with better writing and less smut than booktube made it sound like (that’s a good thing), this book was an enjoyable read. 

I loved the inclusion of dark and horrifying fae with hints of gore and horror that were appropriate and not for shock value, and Feyre being appropriately affected by everything she’s endured. Along with good pacing and magic, easy world building, romance, a bad-boy, and a little mystery for the reader to figure out, this book is a good time. Perfect for a weekend trip or to read between heavy and dense reads. 

Will be reading the second! 

My qualms include the repetitiveness that occasionally sounded like just trying to get word count higher (like, feyre just thought that thought two seconds ago, she doesn’t need to think it again), and the lack of connection between Feyre and Tamlin. She felt to have better dynamics, vulnerability, and connection between Lucien and Rhysand than Tamlin. I can also maybe appreciate taking typical fae-lore and changing it (these faeries can lie?) but as someone very interested in faery I did wish the world-building and mischief of faeries with their weird rules was included a little more. It also bothered me (as someone who went to art school) how the art was described; it didn’t show any true knowledge or appreciation of art - which yeah, maybe Feyre wouldn’t know…but yeah. Just a little bothersome. 

Nothing to awful to make this a DNF or a lower rating.