Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses - Sarah J. Maas

Summary

 

"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." (Goodreads)

Stepping Outside of the Genre Box

Much like my deep dive into the Shadowhunter world, reading ACOTAR was a step outside of the norm for me. On top of the fantasy/supernatural aspects, the book takes place in a world presumably in the way, way past (like many fairy tales) and that's not really my thing either. I'd heard so many great things about it, though, and with the release of the sequel, which is getting even better reviews (including raves from people who didn't particularly like the first one!!), I had to give it a go. I've noticed a pattern when I'm reading something I'm iffy on: I either read the book so slow that I eventually give up or I read large chunks at a time to try to get to a point where I am comfortable in the book. I did the latter with this one. Though it still never fully clicked in the way that other books do for me, I was able to get into it and follow along.

Feyre

In the first chapter, our narrator Feyre is hunting for food to feed her family. She lives with her father (who has a crippled leg) and two sisters, but Feyre is the one who hunts for meals and who sells what she can to provide money for the family. I got major Katniss vibes right off the bat and they didn't really stop until the "romantic" parts of the book. Katniss is a great character but, obviously, she already exists. I needed something to make Feyre stand out. I appreciated her strength and her compassion, but I also felt like I never really got to know her. And she was the one telling the story! Hoping for more in the sequel.

The Other Characters

Much like my feelings with Clary Fray in TMI, I started to care more about the side characters in the novel than about Feyre. Tamlin is only a step above Feyre for me. He is secretive and angry, but also gentle and sexy. Still, I don't know him. It's characters like Lucien, Tamlin's emissary, that I cared for. Lucien has a complicated past, a snarky sense of humor, and the ability to steal a scene. Kinda wish he was in all of the scenes! As for the introduction of Rhysand, I know my heart will likely pull in his direction as the story continues. 

I'd like to get to know more about Feyre's family, especially the cold, cruel Nesta, and I'm worried I won't get to. Fingers crossed, because I feel like she has some major potential to bring out a side of Feyre that I'd like to see. 

Tale as old as time...

ACOTAR is 100% okay with being a Beauty and the Beast re-telling. If you know that story, you know the basic idea of ACOTAR and will be able to make accurate predictions as to where the story will go. I did admire some of the twists and turns that the story took in order to stay original, and I especially enjoyed that the book takes place in a world of Faeries. Faeries don't get a lot of attention. They're terrible, so that's probably why, but I find them fascinating. Also, they aren't all terrible. But the terrible ones are REALLY terrible. The Fae Folk, man. Ya can't trust 'em. 

Overall

3 Stars

This is my first Sarah J. Maas book and I know that people love her and her writing and I get why. Unfortunately, it took nearly half the book for me to really care about what was going to happen. I am not drawn to these types of stories, so I am coming from the perspective of someone who is pretty fantasy-illiterate. Despite the rough patches I endured reading this, I am 100% picking up ACOMAF. I really want to see where this story goes and if it really is much better than the first! #hype#highexpectations#settingmyselfupforfailure?