Read more: http://www.sarcasmandlemons.com/2015/06/review-court-of-thorns-and-roses-by.html in short It seemed fitting to post my review of ACOTAR during Something Strange and Deadly week, given that Sarah and Sue are uber-besties. I will preface by saying: I have a huge blind spot when it comes to Sarah Maas. There were bits of this book that might have bugged me more if it had been another author. That said, ACOTAR stands solidly on its own. It's older than Throne of Glass, more mature, but without traipsing into drug store romance territory. The whole atmosphere is ridiculous with magic and fairy gorgeousness. You enter the world and immediately are steeped in its legends. You meet Feyre, a sharp-tongued badass who taught herself archery to feed her family. She's a firebrand and I love her. One wrong move has her whisked away to faerie-land to live with Tamlin, sizzlingly handsome faerie Lord and certified mental eye-candy. The relationship between them heats up slowly and burns bright. But there's a darkness as well, a plot that threatens both of their worlds. I wish that the evil part of the plot had been more prominent and taken up more space; I also found the ending turn a little eye-rolly. However, I still gobbled it up. ACOTAR transported me as a good fantasy should, and left me impatient for more. in depth in this loose beauty and the beast retelling, Meet Feyre. Once a gentlewoman until her family's fortune was lost, she now lives with her father and two sisters in a quaint cottage. She's the definition of fierce. With her father a self-made invalid, her proud and idle sister Nesta, and her naive and lazy sister Elain, she's the family's sole hope. She's scrabbled her way from starvation to survival, teaching herself to use a bow, to trade, to adapt. So she's smart enough to recognize a fae when she sees one, and to kill it. In a twist on the original tale, it's Feyre whose crime has brought doom, and she is given a choice: death, or life in the faerie realm, away from all she's ever known. Obviously, she chooses the non-dead version. She's brought to a magical castle where the Beast's curse is reimagined: masks that can never be removed, and a sickness in his magic. there are hearts at stake, It's a little less obvious why Tamlin might need a girl than the Beast, but stick with it. You'll be rewarded with a sweet, slow-moving romance. I'll admit: I found Tamlin a little boring. He's broody, tortured, and has some magical rage issues that beg a nuanced dialogue around healthy relationships. I preferred Lucien, who's witty and petulant. But in the end, I came to appreciate Tamlin's kind and gentle nature. His romance with Feyre is built on a rocky beginning; she hates and fears him, and longs for escape. But of course, they come to know each other more deeply, to appreciate each other's quirks and passions. I'd have liked more conversations between them, but we do get plenty of steaminess. And I'll say it: I usually find sex scenes laughable, but Maas avoids ridiculous euphemisms and actually gives her steamy scenes some emotional power. In other news, I'm hoping that the Rhys thing doesn't become a triangle thing, because unbalanced power dynamics aren't sexy. but also the fate of a magical world. Alas, the lovers cannot be in peace, for there is a curse upon the Courts of the faerie land. Magic is becoming weaker and more unpredictable. Dangerous creatures lurk beyond their borders, creatures that feed on fear and soul. It soon becomes clear that the land is being corrupted from within--and its collapse could mean devastation for mankind. Feyre isn't complacent. She's reckless, for sure, but she's determined to find out what Tamlin can't tell her. Along the way she meets Rhys, a seductively wicked fae lord who may be her aid--for a price. Her curiosity leads her into a twisted game of intrigue, revenge, and evil. It's a thrilling mystery that kept me on my toes. It all leads up to a do-or-die moment, when Feyre must show her own power and become a savior. there are a few instances of flimsiness. I did have my issues. ACOTAR didn't feel as tightly plotted as Throne of Glass. Some of the character motivations seemed flimsy. There were also few positive female characters--at least not any who stuck around for more than a few pages. I really wanted more of Nesta and Elain, particularly as Nesta was so dynamic across the plot. The villain, in particular, came off flat. Not to mention a couple moments of victim blaming that made me squirmy. But my main disappointment was with the trials Fayre faces to save Tamlin. They were so freaking cool, but they came towards the end of the book. As a result, they felt rushed and I felt skeptical that so much had been accomplished so soon. Fayre does have a habit of doing crazy things that should probably kill her. But maybe the most frown-worthy part involved a riddle. I guessed the answer within the first two lines, so the final reveal was more meh than gasp-worthy. even so, sharp and atmospherically written, Despite these missteps, ACOTAR is a fabulous example of craft. Maas' writing has always had a fairy tale quality to it; that's used to advantage here, where everything she describes seems extra mystical and chilling. She's concocted a fabulous fantasy world. Her fae are old gods, held back from ruling humanity only by an ancient treaty. They live within seven courts--such as Dawn, Summer, and Night--that tensely coexist. For some reason, I really geeked out about the courts. It felt like a detail ripped from Grimm, but all Maas. This is also a dangerous world, and I would have liked to see more of it. There are nightmare creatures who lure you in with their seductive telepathy, goblins and ghouls, man-eating monsters who foretell the future. It's a fairy land with a deliciously dark edge. it's the new adult we've all craved and deserved. I usually avoid new adult. I have it on good faith that they're all much the same. College girl meets boy. Hatred. Brooding. Sexy times. OMGLOVERAINBOWS. It's just stupid. But many adult books deal with marriage and kids, things I can't yet relate to. So it's about freaking time that new adult diversified, just as young adult has done. With ACOTAR, you get all the steam and romance, but you also get an exciting adventure story. I can only hope that Maas' success will pave the way for other NA with actual plots. in a sentence A Court of Thorns and Roses is a fairy tale with the volume turned up: more dangerous, more romantic, more seductive. It's yet another example of Maas' enthralling imagination.

Okay so... I might lost some of my favorite critics over this because I know a lot of you weren’t a fan of this book. And I have some pretty intense feelings about some of the biggest criticisms lmao. I will talk about some flaws with the book still, as no book is perfect. But for the most part I really loved it. There will be rants. I have ALOT to say. Sooo here we go before I lose my nerve lmao. My main petty annoyance: the fact that tamlin uses his paws the same way a human uses hands even when he’s in beast form lol. There I said it. Now let’s move on to hopefully not my most controversial review ever. I feel like I’m supposed to hate MAAS and her writing. But I don’t. I really love what she did here. Characters: Feyre: I really don’t get the hate. Maybe she gets worse later. Maybe. But people hate her in this book too and I don’t get why. She was meh to me. I admired her in some ways and hated her in others. I loved her heart, and how often she let it guide her even if it resulted in her ignoring everything anyone told her. Which yes- did annoy me sometimes. But it wasn’t that bad. now we get to the fun part. Tamlin and rhyes (similar thoughts on both)- Oh my god. The reasons you guys hate this dude are absurd in this book. Every single thing I was told to look out for and that would start me into hating him was ridiculous. I genuinely believe you guys just don’t ship him and feyre so that makes him immediately sooo horrible. Same for the rhyes haters. You guys have to stop inserting in a fantasy setting and acting like any of the decisions made are simple. Both of them are great in their own way- and both had feyres interest in mind in my opinion. The questionable things they do, because yes there are some...Are either for show to SAVE feyre and everyone else. It’s all so obviously calculated and here you guys are trying to critique it like they’re events that happened over tea in a totally normal world with nothing intense or life threatening going on around them. Just why. I’m team Rhys just because I like him a little more- and I love the way he thinks and speaks. But I also love tamlin and am still rooting for him to be happy. I think they’re both fleshed out brilliantly and have many layers that I can’t wait to uncover. They both have scars and they BOTH have really unfortunate situations that are eating away at them that make them who they are. I’m just saying... think about the alternative that could happen if they didn’t make some of their questionable choices. They wouldn’t have done half the stuff they did for this one human... if they didn’t truly care. Villain- Well she’s like not very nice lol so of course I don’t like her and I’m not rooting for her but...idk I put her here because I did kind of have a problem with how stupid she seemed to be for someone who was supposed to be cunning. She let certain people get away with way too much, and didn’t seem to notice or care. It was strange because then she would just randomly turn into a brutal witch out of nowhere but then let certain things happen other times. I’m sure some of it was her calculating but... still. It seemed a little weak. She’s bitter, brutal and interesting. The ring, will probably haunt my nightmares. She just wasn’t as developed. Lucien- I don’t want him with feyre but I just wanted to say... despite me liking tam and rhyes... Lucien will forever be my babe. I love him the most. He’s so complex and he’s been through so much. He’s witty, intelligent, and overall just cares about people even when he pretends he doesn’t. I want nothing but greatness for him lol. His story is heart breaking as well. The rest- this story is filled with intriguing, misunderstood, and terrifying creatures. No complaints there. Her family- feyres family is on my poop list. But I don’t hate nesta even now as some of you seem to. Maybe I’m a mean bitter person... Idk. The plot- Like every plot it has both weak and strong points. I loved seeing the world unfold, and getting to see a good chunk of it before the action started. I did think the twist with the masks and how convenient all of the events were was well... convenient....while it did lead to the most exciting parts, I felt like the point of it was kinda glossed over and the explanation for why things were how they are wasn’t too important to the story. But it came over decently- and the ending wasn’t terrible. So I’m happy. I still got the magical yet unsettling experience I wanted. And I can’t wait to see more of this world. I really feel like it’s just the cool thing to hate maas and these books now. But I don’t see them as problematic as a lot of people seem to. I had an incredibly enjoyable time reading them, and I saw the reasons behind the words . Think what you want about me because of that lol. I will not defend myself for not seeing the issues other people see. I will be continuing.

I was completely swept away by Sarah J. Maas's "A Court of Thorns and Roses." From the opening pages, I was immersed in the richly imagined world of the fae and the gripping story of Feyre, a brave and resourceful heroine. Feyre's journey from a tough huntress in the human realm to her unwilling entry into the dangerous faerie lands is thrilling and suspenseful. The author does an excellent job of slowly revealing the complex and layered world of the faeries, with its ancient feuds, shifting alliances, and hidden powers. What really makes this book shine is the character development. Feyre is a complex and relatable protagonist - tough and pragmatic on the outside, but with a well of emotion and vulnerability underneath. Her growing relationship with the enigmatic faerie lord Tamlin is by turns hostile, wary, and ultimately sizzling with chemistry. The world-building is simply stunning, with vivid descriptions that bring the faerie realm and its inhabitants to life. From the lush Spring Court to the sinister Weaver's lair, every setting is richly imagined and integral to the story. While the book starts a bit slow, it builds to an action-packed and emotionally charged climax that left me eager for the next installment. If you love fantasy romance with a strong heroine, a brooding hero, and a dash of danger, you'll be utterly enchanted by "A Court of Thorns and Roses." I can't wait to see what happens next!