Book Review- A Court of Thorns and Roses

About the Author

Sarah J. Maas is the author of many bestselling books such as Crescent City, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and The Throne of Glass series. I’d heard about her books but hadn’t picked one up until I did this month on a whim because I didn’t have anything else to read. Yet. She’s a New York Native and lives there still. You can learn more about Sarah J. Maas on her website HERE.

Book Genres

Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Fae, Magic, Retellings

Book Format

This is not an Owlcrate book but was on my reading list after someone mentioned the book to me. The edition I bought was a rerelease in 2020 which also included a Hardcover version. The covers aren’t anything fancy but they are relevant to the story. “A Court of Thorns and Roses” is red and has a wolf on the cover. Fitting, considering Feyre kills a fae wolf and suffers the consequences.

The first publication was in 2015 and it sported a really nice cover.

The version I purchased was Paperback, mostly because I didn’t like the gray of the Hardcover books.

It’s 416 pages, 419 including the acknowledgments, and has 46 chapters.

Fable Book Club

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Check out Fable HERE and check out my club THE BOOKISH FAE!

The Story

The story is about a nineteen-year-old girl named Feyre. Her family used to be wealthy but a deal gone wrong has rendered them penniless. It’s a struggle to survive every day and even worse, Feyre’s family is absolutely useless. Her Father has a bum leg from the assault he suffered at the hands of the collectors. However, he just wallows in self-pity leaving the caring and feeding of the family to Feyre who is the youngest of them all. Her middle sister Elain is too airheaded to realize they are poor, and the oldest sister Nesta, thinks Feyre just pulls food and gold from thin air.

Feyre is out on a hunt and spots a large deer, but there is also a wolf. A big wolf. Despite warning bells going off she uses an Ash arrow she acquired months before and shoots the wolf in the eye.

Turns out that the wolf was in fact fae and his murder sends another fae demanding retribution for that kill. Because of a treaty between Fae and humans, Feyre is offered a choice, die or live with this strange Fae man in Prythian. That’s the name of the fae lands. She reluctantly chooses to live with him in his court, with ideas of trying to get out of it.

The book tells the story of that meeting, day-to-day life, and the romance that somehow buds between Feyre and Tamlin.

It introduces some of the lands in the book such as the courts. Spring Court, Summer Court, Autumn Court, Winter Court, Day Court, Dawn Court and the Night Court. All have a part to play in the story, however small, though we only see a small glimpse in this first book.

Their day-to-day interactions are so snarky, and I love the backstory that Feyre has concerning the fae. Since she was a child, she’s been taught that the fae were evil and wanted to do nothing but hurt them. That is true for lesser fae beings, but the many other fae and High Fae that live in Prythian have nothing against humans. She’s surprised when she finds that these fae are not the bloodthirsty murderers she had grown up thinking they were.

Eventually, she finds herself in love with Tamlin, but can’t say it. He saves her a few times, and those moments between all of them are really lovely to read. Feyre has a lot of growth in the book, her character arc which continues into Book 2# and onward I assume, is really well thought out.

The guilt, anger, rage, and despair that Feyre feels during this book will make you angry, cry, and question the ultimate ending of the story.

There’s a reverse harem vibe in this book, where several men like/love one woman/girl. She ultimately loves only one man, but the men have feelings for the girl whether it be love or friendship. This book gives that same feeling between Feyre, Tamlin, and Lucian to start. Rhysand does come in later, but his feelings are more protective than friendship or love.

Characters

Feyre Archeron- Main Protagonist, brave, self-sacrificing, caring and kind. Feyre has devoted herself to keeping her family alive. She’s sacrificed her own happiness to learn to hunt and feed her family. The youngest of the sisters, she’s been handed the whole responsibility with her father being utterly useless.

Nesta Archeron - Nesta…. If looks could kill. She scowls more than she smiles. I think Nesta has no problem being taken care of and has no issue with making her father feel more like a hated individual.

Elain Archeron - Airhead, pretty, a daydreamer, and completely oblivious to her family’s situation. Like Nesta, Elain has no problem prying money from Feyre’s hands and begging for new shoes or cloaks.

Father or Mr. Archeron - He’s a broken man, who has crawled inside himself to escape whatever reality he doesn’t want to deal with. He doesn’t talk much and when he does it’s weak and faulting. The only time he has anything worth saying is when he’s begging for Tamlin to not take his daughter.

Andras - Very little is known about Andras except that he was Tamlin and Lucien’s friend, and he made an ultimate sacrifice by being the wolf that Feyre murdered.

Tamlin - A Golden-haired High Lord who at first seems like an enemy, but turns out to be something entirely different from a beast. He’s kind, sweet, patient, and protective.

Lucien - Snippy, smart, and challenges Feyre to do things she is uncomfortable doing. He also shows very little care for her actual safety and even forgets to save her once.

Rhysand - Dark, brooding, snippy, and flippant is how I would describe Rhys as he’s also known in the books. Enemy turned frenemy, turned ally??

Amarantha - Evil incarnate. Just…. Ugh. She’s absolutely despicable, wicked, diabolical, and monstrous.

Thoughts

I haven’t been this invested in a book series since Julie Kagawa’s “The Iron King” book from the Iron Fey series was published. The characters, dialogue, and story all read like a manga but without the pictures. Reverse harem, meets Beauty and the Beast, meets romantasy all rolled into one.

I absolutely love Feyre who is a smartmouth, kind, caring, and loyal young woman, who would do anything for the people she loved and her friends. I love books that have a young female protagonist who has a “powerful” character arc without hating on men as some of these “Girl Boss” books sometimes have.

Tamlin is kind, loyal, and thoughtful. He represents what you would want in a caring leader. The interactions between him and Feyre in the beginning are thought-provoking, light-hearted, serious, and heart-wrenching all at the same time.

This book isn’t without its slow moments, there are a few where it gets a little tedious to read.

There is one pretty detailed sex scene in this book and it goes into detail. It’s definitely graphic. I’m not a fan of those in books, but it’s easy enough to just skim and skip if you choose to do so. There’s another at the end of the book but it’s less detailed and more just described.

Spoilers

This is another article where I will not reveal any spoilers about this book. I would be doing you a huge disservice if I did. I will say, the trials that Feyre goes through in the end will break you. I cried at many parts and if you have suffered any abuse, or trauma or are sensitive to those types of situations I would tell you to err on the side of caution in reading this book. Things get pretty darn grim by the end. If you’re not sensitive to those events then you’ll enjoy this read and I highly encourage you do read it. It was a great book.

Happy Reading and may you walk the road less traveled!

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