Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Author: Sarah Maas
Genre: Fantasy, Romantasy
Published: 2015
Pages: 416 (Kindle Edition)
Goodreads Rating: 4.20
Rating: 6/10
“Why should I trust a word you say? You’re all masters of spinning your truths to your own advantage.”
In A Court of Thorns and Roses, prepare yourself for an enjoyable rendition of Beauty and the Beast. Meet Feyre… a poor, scrawny girl trying her best to keep her family alive. When a beast demands retribution for a crime she didn’t realize she’s committed, she is hurled into a new life full of unknown danger and political intrigue. In the faerie realm, nothing is as it seems. How is a human supposed to survive in this Fae world? How is her family supposed to survive without her?
Pros:
Prythian Fae realm details
We didn’t get too much insight into the fae realm through Feyre’s POV. But what we did learn was very interesting. The territories, variety of creatures, and the stunning scenery were all creatively thought-out.
Beauty and the Beast vibes
A Court of Thorns and Roses seems to be heavily influenced by Beauty and the Beast and I’m not complaining.
Magic system
The Fae realm is packed with a variety of magical abilities depending on the creature or faerie that you’re dealing with. And we only got a taste in this book. I’m very much looking forward to learning about other creatures’ and lords’ powers and seeing them at full strength.
Connected to some of the characters…
I quickly became a fan of Lucien and his sarcastic personality. As the book progressed, I eventually connected to Feyre’s oldest sister and Tamlin as I learned more about them.
Cons:
…But didn’t connect to all of the characters
I’m disappointed to say that I didn’t connect to Feyre at all. Her ignorant perspective at the start of the book quickly grated my nerves and her ongoing behavior didn’t leave me with much to admire.
Cringey start
When the beast storms into Feyre’s hut to demand retribution, it was easily one of the most cringey scenes I’ve ever read. Especially as we get more context regarding the beast’s situation, it just layers on the cringe as I look back on that initial interaction.
Poor writing in 1st half
The cringey start led into a poorly written first half of the book. If you can push to the second half, it improves a bit.
Overall…
A Court of Thorns and Roses was an enjoyable read – a solid 6 out of 10. I hope the series continues to improve from here.
Caroline’s Library 