A Court of Thorns and Roses - Review

A Court of Thorns and Roses #1

By: Sarah J. Maas

Published: May 5, 2015 by Bloomsbury USA Children's

432 pages

Source: Personal Kindle Library

(Goodreads / Amazon)

Summary:

A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

MY REVIEW:
This was my second series to begin of Maas. The first being the Throne of Glass series. I have come to expect great things with her writing in the fantasy genre! Borderline between Young Adult and New Adult due to mature content, this book pulled my imagination right in from go. As any new series starts off, the beginning is world building as told through the point of view of the main character, a human 19 year old girl named Feyre. World building is important especially when the characters are as colorful and numerous as these Fae are.

Let me start briefly with the name of Feyre. In the Kindle copy I was reading there is a pronunciation key but it's at the very back, after the acknowledgments! So for the first 3% or so (less than 13 pages into the book) I was saying her name like "Fey-ER" much like these words in the English language: pasture, acre, puncture. Phonetically this is what her name should sound like. A friend of mine pointed out the correct pronunciation explained by the author and thankfully around page 13 of my Kindle copy the MC explains how to say her name. "Fay-ruh". I had a hard time getting on board with this at first because it didn't jive with English grammar. Minor frustration.

I highlighted a lot! But it wasn't for the purpose of favorite quotes. It was because there is so much rich information being given that I didn't want to forget anything.

Oh the feels! I was feelin' alright! From the cloud of darkness the human girl literally finds herself in, the confusion of this new world she's forced to live in, to the friendships that develop, and later the sexual tension that's formed between Feyre and Tamlin which leads to passion and loyalty. I even experienced a couple teary-eyed moments.

Here's what you need to know if you're interested to read this story. Feyre is the youngest daughter of three living with their widowed father. Having once been wealthy and now the poorest among their village, she alone goes out to hunt for food to keep them alive. She has reached the point where she will do anything it takes to feed herself and her family. One night hunting she kills both a deer and an extremely large wolf. She sells the pelts for coin and they now have enough food to last a week or two and money to buy more supplies as needed. What she doesn't realize is that the wolf she killed was no ordinary wolf. A massive beast comes demanding payment for a life debt. Feyre being the one to have killed the wolf, the beast offers her two choices. She can either be killed by him, or come to live beyond the wall with him. But what lies beyond the wall is Prythian, a land extremely dangerous to humans as it is ruled by faeries and other creatures. Due to a battle some 500 years ago, there is a treaty in place to keep the Fae and the humans separate so each can live in relative peace. As Feyre comes to live with and get to know these Fae she develops friendships and feelings for them all. What she had always heard in childhood stories to keep humans away from the wall, is not at all like what she is experiencing first hand. She also learns of a curse that has taken over the Fae lands and it threatens to spread over the wall and harm her family as well.

Feyre is strong-willed, sharp-tongued, determined and stubborn. She's a fighter! She is definitely someone to root for!

Part of the story had me reminiscing of Beauty and the Beast. Don't be mistaken though, it's only a few similarities, not actually a retelling.

I can't write up my review without mentioning the side characters that I thoroughly enjoyed! Lucien and Rhysand are at the top of that list and I'm very curious to see what more happens with them.

The somewhat surprising thing to me is that the book doesn't end in a killer cliffhanger. I would say it's a small taste of a happily-ever-after before the next major obstacle hits. I actually sort of liked this and that I wasn't strung along to wait to know what happens next. I enjoy the occasional cliffhanger but it was nice for this one to not end like I was used to the Throne of Glass books ending.

Fans of YA/NA fantasy with romance will definitely want to give this series a read! I owned book one for longer than I realized before I got around to reading it...about a year. I should NOT have waited that long!

Top Favorite Quotes:
"Against slavery, against tyranny, I would gladly go to my death, no matter whose freedom I was defending."

"Because I'd want someone to hold my hand until the end, and awhile after that. That's something everyone deserves, human or faerie."

"Because when the legends get written, I didn't want to be remembered for standing on the sidelines."

Language Rating: 1 (light)
Mature Content Rating: 2 (medium)
Final Rating: 4.5 stars