A review by this_momma_is_booked
A Court of Thorns and Roses (1 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation] by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

I first read the physical copy of this book in March 2021, and here is my original review: 

WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG TO READ THIS BOOK?!

I'm in a buddy read with a few friends from Bad Bitch Book Club and I thought, "well, this is great! I'll finally get to read this book at a slow enough pace that it won't overwhelm me." Reader, the joke's on me because I couldn't put it down. I breezed through it faster than the schedule we had sped up and I'm already on book two.

This book had such fantastic world building. Everything is close enough to the human world to feel believable but fantastical enough to have the escape a fantasy novel usually brings. The banter was great, we have an "unlikeable" heroine - it really is such a great story and I cannot wait to see where Feyre's journey takes us.

Also, there's a very believable love triangle forming here and I AM HERE FOR IT. The twist on Beauty and the Beast, whether intentional or not, is well-executed. Rhysand is a great antagonist because you kind of root for him while recognizing his many faults.

I have a feeling this series is absolutely going to wreck me and I can't wait.

Favorite Quote:
"Don't feel bad for one moment about doing what brings you joy.” 

Now that I've had over a year to sit with the book before I listened to this audio version, I stand by most of my review, with a few caveats: Sarah J Maas really could have done so much more to increase the diversity in this book on all fronts. In a world where she is literally creating the rules, customs, and beliefs, it's really quite UNBELIEVABLE that there would be no characters of color or of differing sexualities. Like, you literally had the chance to make this an ideal work, Sarah. Do better. 

With that said, the Graphic Audio version of this book is fantastic. It annoys me because this full cast recording is happening in large part because she is a successful white author - we never see this happening for authors of color (I mean, could you imagine Legendborn on Graphic Audio? I NEED IT.). But I can't deny that this definitely elevates the experience and I think this is how I will choose to read the rest of the series. 
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