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

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

3.75

I really expected this book to be garbage. I generally cannot stand first person narration so I listened to the audiobook which helps me focus on the plot and not the writing. It was enjoyable! Definitely worth the read if you like an easy fun fantasy romance. Sometimes things are popular for a reason! I had only ever heard these books described as “fairy porn” but the sex scenes were only a step or two above fade-to-black. There is a lot of icky sex used as a policial ploy and a lot of coercion and objectification of the main character. Despite it technically being YA, I would not recommend to young people who still fall into the trap of romanticizing that, because I don’t think the book does enough to condemn the abuse of power dynamics like that. Also it barely passes the bechdel test, and is definitely a Stockholm syndrome scenario. But in a world where game of thrones is the gold standard, I think this book deserves a fraction of the flack it receives. Let women enjoy things. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings