How I Got on the ACOTAR Hype

First of all, SPOILER ALERT! You probably already figured that, but just in case you haven’t read every Sarah J Maas book under the sun yet and want to, you have been warned. This article will largely focus on the books A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, A Court of Wings and Ruin, A Court of Frost and Starlight, and A Court of Silver Flames.

Okay, so if you’re here -THANK YOU! – but also you have probably heard of the controversy surrounding SJM and her writing. While I admit I find a lot of the points raised as worthy of attention and criticism, I am by no means an expert. I am not here to debate the views of the author or information outside the writing. This is simply my opinion of the story, characters, and what it has personally meant to me.

Now back in 2021, I had to move back in with family in a set of bizarre circumstances – as I’m sure everyone has a covid story or two. It was one of the lowest points I've experienced, and I struggled with not only moving states, but having to transfer a teaching license and continue subbing. To get to the point, there was a lot going on. Reading was the last thing on my mind, and even as I acknowledged my love for it and desire to read, I couldn’t seem to get over a barrier. That is, until I came across A Court of Thorns and Roses series that everyone seemed to talk about on TikTok. Fantasy has always intrigued me in digital media. I am unapologetically a huge fan of franchises like Harry Potter, Marvel, Star Wars, etc. However, I had never really ventured into the realm of high fantasy books. Fae – fantastical worlds – ancient evils.

I checked it out from the library and thought

“well, nothing will probably come of this. It is for an audience much younger right?”

How wrong I was. Everything drew me in. The world building and characters so vivid in my mind. I cried when they did, and felt the first blossoms of love with them. Now, was it a literary masterpiece? Of course not – that would be a pretty high bar. But something about it hooked me and hasn’t let go. A world of magic, of strong women willing to give everything to save their lands and people even while understanding that they shouldn’t have to when a blissfully long life with their mate beckoned. Over and over it didn’t seem fair. And that resonated deeply with the personal struggles I was experiencing. In a way, reading Feyre get back up repeatedly in the trials against Amarantha or Nesta tackle the enormous 10,000 steps made it easier to face the day. I fell in love with reading again. I found a new genre to fully immerse myself.

Now for the counterarguments. As more time has elapsed since finishing the series and awaiting the next possible installment – we’re all ready for an Elain book am I right?? – I firmly see the glaring plot holes, blurry character motivations, and overused tropes. Tamlin not least amongst the characters who seemed, to me at least, to not deserve all the hate and character assassination he receives. Check out my future story on him specifically for more information! I don’t know if I will ever believe in soulmates in real life, but it can be hard as a single woman to feel like any relationship will ever measure up to the mystical sjm mating bond. Although we still don’t know exactly how it works, it would be rather interesting to see someone reject the bond in favor of someone of their own choice – someone who is shown to be better for them? Maybe an unpopular opinion, but they missed a great opportunity for this kind of thing in the A Court of Silver Flames Nessian story. I mean, they were at each others throats the whole time until the mating bond really started rearing its head. But I digress. Feyre is by no means my favorite heroine. That honor certainly goes to Aelin of the wildfire - more on that in the future. But I have to admit that if it weren’t for Feyre and the spring court high lord, I don’t think I would’ve read as much as I have in the past two years. And for that, I am grateful.

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