A Court of Thorns and Roses - Sarah J Maas

Feyre's survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price ...

Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre's presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.

Hi there! So, this is my first read from Sarah J Maas and with A Court of Silver Flames being released earlier this week I decided to jump on board and read the series, starting with A Court of Thorns and Roses. 

 

Something I love about Maas, and something I hear a lot of her fans say, is her descriptions of the world she’s setting up for us readers. She really builds up the world and adds plenty of layers and imagery so as you read if you close your eyes you really can see the world. I felt this book had A LOT of that, and that the action went really quickly (and was at the end). I hate to say “the first half sucks” because it doesn’t, it sets a really great picture of who Feyre is and of her family dynamic. We see why she thinks the way she does and acts the way she does. I certainly think that Maas pushed her ‘selfless’ nature a bit too much but I have a feeling that in this cruel world of Prythian this trait is going to make her desirable. 

 

Character wise, because this is the first book, I personally believe there is a lack of depth to pretty much everyone except Feyre and honestly Nesta, she definitely catches readers’ attention and at first, it’s definitely in a negative light but then it’s up to the reader to either continue to see the bad or to see past the roughness. And let me tell you, I already know I love Nesta, I will fall in love with Rhys, and I do like Lucien. Tamlin, well, he’s a lot. Firstly, not manly enough for me, I understand why he acted the way he did but if I was dating someone who, under similar circumstances, acted this way, I’d be done with him pretty much immediately. Feyre I am enjoying but I can’t tell if I love her or just like her. I’m hoping I develop a deeper connection with her because she does have something to offer, she is full of love and strength but I think I get distracted by just how easily she gave her heart to her suitor. 

 

Overall, I went into this knowing that the first book is not the best and that it WILL get better from here out. I am excited for that and looking forward to seeing more of the characters I already like, as well as meeting the characters I see all over Instagram and TikTok.

 

Rating: 3/5