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

adventurous challenging emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Overall, I really enjoyed this story even though the first third of the book was a little bit too slow compared to what I usually read. The slow pace is understandable as the worldbuilding is much more complex in the fantasy genre than in others. After the part with Calanmai, the story was much more interesting and I couldn’t put this book down. The writing was so good and made it easy to picture the descriptions and events. 

Regarding the characters, I loved Feyre. She was so determined and altruistic (sometimes maybe too much? She feels the need to help every person that she comes across even if it means putting herself in danger). Let’s not forget to mention that she’s practically the only reason why her family is still alive. 

Even if I had my suspicions on Tamlin at the beginning (I mean, treaty or not, his actions were suspicious after what she did to his friend…), I still liked him with Feyre until the big reveal that left me conflicted. 
I enjoyed the moments between Rhysand and Feyre, I look forward to reading ACOMAF and learn more about this character. I may have missed something, but I hope we get an explanation on what the stumble at the end of the book means. 
I can’t even begin to explain the tension during the last chapters. I mean, Feyre really took her time to solve that riddle, but I’m glad that it ended well.

 

Before reading this story, I didn’t know that it was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast but the fact that it was a really loose one didn’t make it repetitive at all. Also, this may be a stretch but I liked the (possible) hints at Greek mythology.