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

adventurous dark funny lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

“I threw myself into that fire, threw myself into it, into him, and let myself burn.”

Girl, just read it. It's worth it so far.

The characters are so well developed I really felt a connection to a lot of them, and strong hatred for others haha. Going into this story with no spoilers is tricky, and I definitely knew a few things I shouldn't about both plot and characters when I started reading. That wasn't fun and led to a few disappointments because I just sat there wondering how shocked I would've been if I hadn't known what was coming, but this is my own fault and definitely doesn't distract from the fact that Sarah J Maas is a genius with her writing and imagination! So if you're thinking of watching or reading a plot explanation, or getting lost scrolling TikTok edits about ACOTAR, STOP RIGHT NOW. Pick up the book and let yourself be shocked and excited about each new thing that happens, because this story is crazy.

The characters have my heart and I'm already dreading the day I finish the series and have to say goodbye to them. Lucien is a FAR superior man to Tamlin but both do have their moments, that being said so far I'm almost seeing the appeal for Tamlin over Rhysand, and personally haven't found many 'Tamlin red flags' at all (so far). Lucien is hilarious and really creates a 'found family' aspect.
Trust me when I say there are mashable characters in this story, and this is just the first book.

It's clear that this book is the first in the series as a lot is set up and there's A LOT of world building, especially in the first half. It took me a fairly long time to read (I'm a slow reader who annotates) but largely because the start is very slow and I did find myself thinking 'okay when is the actual story going to happen'. But the world is so detailed and there's clearly far more to be introduced and explored which is crazy. It's exciting when little pieces of information are introduced at unexpected moments, so I was glad I had my highlighter for 'important/theories/lore' because that book was FILLED.
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