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A review by smnthstrrlwd
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
tense
fast-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
5.0
I am leaving my character/plot question answers as-is. I populated those fields after my first read of A Court of Thorns and Roses but the rest of this review is being written after a re-read of ACOTAR so IYKYK! I feel like I was such a sweet summer child back then (a whole month ago – haha) when I put down A Court of Thorns and Roses for the first time. I loved Maas' series so much that as soon as I finished A Court of Silver Flames I returned to page one of A Court of Thorns and Roses and started the series over.
All-in-all, Sarah J. Maas has rekindled a dying spark for fantasy novels that was inside of me. As someone who loved the genre as a kid, I don't know what part of adulthood beat that draw out of me, but I am so grateful for SJM's writing which led me to rediscover the genre.
Drawing hugely from Beauty and Beast, while calling on other folktales and fairy tales throughout, A Court of Thorns and Roses has everything a fantasy reader needs to enjoy a well-written story that lays a solid foundation for the rest of the ever-growing series. With an instantly loveable main character and a story that takes off from page one, ACOTAR follows a proven-to-work plot formula that culminates with a dramatic event and ends with a cliffhanger that leaves the reader wanting more immediately.
During my re-read, oh, how my opinions changed. When I first read the book, I flew through it and didn't annotate one page; however, I came armed to my re-read with my tabs and a pen which was an exciting experience. And I love that my experience with the book was completely different.
Tamlin and his character arc fooled me. During my re-read, it stood out that most of the situations Feyre and Tamlin found themselves in that I read as romantic, endearing, or just cute the first time around gave me a major ick. A lot of situations also stood out to me the second time I read the book including the fact that Lucien straight up drugged Feyre when he abstained from telling her about the mushrooms then Tamlin just laid down beside her passed-out body and slept with her in the field. LIKE, WHAT?
As I continue my re-read, I am excited to see how my opinions continue to evolve. And I think the ability of a book to do that speaks volumes. It's not just about picking up on small details that I missed during the first read-through but having differing opinions on entire character arcs and plot devices. During my re-read of ACOTAR, I felt like I was reading an entirely different book than I did the first time. And that is proof of a great piece of writing and a talented author.
All-in-all, Sarah J. Maas has rekindled a dying spark for fantasy novels that was inside of me. As someone who loved the genre as a kid, I don't know what part of adulthood beat that draw out of me, but I am so grateful for SJM's writing which led me to rediscover the genre.
Drawing hugely from Beauty and Beast, while calling on other folktales and fairy tales throughout, A Court of Thorns and Roses has everything a fantasy reader needs to enjoy a well-written story that lays a solid foundation for the rest of the ever-growing series. With an instantly loveable main character and a story that takes off from page one, ACOTAR follows a proven-to-work plot formula that culminates with a dramatic event and ends with a cliffhanger that leaves the reader wanting more immediately.
During my re-read, oh, how my opinions changed. When I first read the book, I flew through it and didn't annotate one page; however, I came armed to my re-read with my tabs and a pen which was an exciting experience. And I love that my experience with the book was completely different.
As I continue my re-read, I am excited to see how my opinions continue to evolve. And I think the ability of a book to do that speaks volumes. It's not just about picking up on small details that I missed during the first read-through but having differing opinions on entire character arcs and plot devices. During my re-read of ACOTAR, I felt like I was reading an entirely different book than I did the first time. And that is proof of a great piece of writing and a talented author.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Violence, Animal death, Blood, Death, Murder, and Sexual content