One of the most classic book series of the YA Fantasy universe has fallen into my hands: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. After constantly reading what sensational YA series it is for two years straight, I got caught at last.
But scorned, I become a difficult beast to defeat.
Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses (#1)
Genre: YA/ NA Fantasy
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publish Date: 5th May 2015
Pages: 416
Personal Rating: 5/10
Alone the fact that the first installment of Sarah J. Maas' new series was published in 2015 and I got to read it in 2018 says enough. Three years later it ultimately ended up in a huge, red box set in front of my door all wrapped up in a parcel, placed there by the delivery dude who - as usual - doesn't bother ringing the bell. - Rude.
It's rather awkward how I actually came to buy it and even funnier that A Court of Thorns and Roses was in fact not the first book of the series I bought. Yeah, tell me about risky moves. So... Without knowing if the series was actually complete shit or an entertaining, tacked pile of paper I went right for the novella of the series and bought it for 17 bucks - no judgment needed, thanks. Why I got hooked on that story despite the horribly lame and non-informative synopsis is another story to tell.
However, back to the first book of the series, here I am and I read that bit within two days.
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.
Before I unleash my thoughts on A Court of Thorns and Roses, or rather as everyone is accustomed to call ACOTAR, upon you, here are three reason why you should read it.
ACOTAR is a great pastime and good for anyone who's been suffering from a reading fatigue.
No matter what your opinion on the first book is, you have to read it before you can move on to the second installment, which is definitely worth your time and money, believe me. There is sadly no path past, folks, but to read the first one first. Sorry.
Great, enviable faeries.
Hence the whole fuss about this book, my expectations were really high when I started reading. I was anticipating thrilling action, a well-elaborate plot, great relationship development and a heartbreaking and life-ruining ship. Instead I caught myself wrinkling my nose and rolling my eyes a little bit too often. The plot moves a little bit too fast and too slow at the same time. Characters act as if they've known each other since forever and you just don't know how it happened and at the same time the main plot doesn't move forward at all and you get boring fillers.
Let's just say: High expectations, low outcome.
Although this might sound as if the book was a complete waste of basically everything - it's not. On the whole it's a great start of the series, there are witty characters and the plot looks promising and assures entertainment. Sarah J. Maas definitely knows how to write a YA book and to grip her readers, and the world building is surely going to get better the more books we read. ACOTAR is definitely an in-one-go-read. At this point I may add that many consider this book not as a YA (Young Adult) but rather as a NA (New Adult) book - you've been warned in advance.
Everyone who's into faeries, romance and some fun in reading - it's a match.
From here on, unspoilt readers, keep reading on your own account.
A Court of Thorns and Roses aka A Court of Food Porn and Daftness or To Kill a Faerie and Get Rich
Plot. So apparently, when you kill a faerie in disguise of a huge ass wolf you get punished by living in a huge manor, eating the best food-porn-material, wearing the finest clothes and basically living like a royal and, in addition, a High Fae courts you like crazy shit. Huh... How?
Feyre Archeron knows exactly how. *it's cold winter and Feyre is the only one without a lazy ass and goes to the woods for hunting*
*Oh, there is a deer.*
*Man, now there is even a wolf. Let's kill it, let's fling that bitch onto the ground.*
Said, done.
*One day later another wolf comes bursting into the Archeron's hovel and roars "The one who's killed him has to come with me to pay the debt *cough* come with me and live like a princess *cough*."*
*Feyre leaves and gets everything shoved up her ass.*
That's how.
The non-sense of punishment aside, there is actually a reason why the living with her "captor" Tamlin turns out to be candy. Ladies and Gentlemen there is a curse. There is a freaking curse and... other stuff which is basically copied from the storyline of Beauty and the Beast. There has to be one who hates the faeries but falls in love with Tamlin and say the magical three words so the curse can be unmade and the masks which are attached to their oh-so handsome faces fall off.
So after we read half of the book about what foodgasmn Feyre has, read about boring table talks that are yawning gaps which contribute nothing to the plot or what other hideous painting she makes, she's sent back home by Tamlin - her new found love or so - right before she could have lifted the curse. Wow, give me the time to clap for you all. Tamlin you are a true genius.
But because Feyre's love for Tamlin is burning so brightly she goes back to Prythian and finds a ransacked manor and a pissed maid which bitches at Feyre for not knowing about the curse. I beg your pardon? There is like zero way to blame Feyre for not knowing, especially, because that curse was made so no-freaking-body could figure it out and that girl is - goddammit - a mortal girl who is thrown into the faerie world. Please excuse her if she doesn’t unravel all the sneaky secrets and the curse going on in Prythian for half a century by half a millennia old hot dudes!
However, if you thought that was it, no, no, it's getting even better. An eighteen-year-old human girl has to save those ethereal, mighty and handsome faeries of whole Prythian from the mad lady Amarantha since supernatural powers apparently aren't enough. And she even succeeds those stupid tests with dying but don't worry she comes back as a faerie so everything is perfectly alright and she can now happily ever after live with her love Tamlin. Quite...
Characters. Thanks heavens there are going to be sequels so the characters can be improved, developed and deepened because at the end of book one you have no idea who is who and what defines them.
Feyre. Fey-rahhhhh. The protagonist of ACOTAR is eighteen years old and the youngest of three sisters but at the same time the one with the hunting skills and who looks after the two other brats. My, my, my. What a hard time I had to finally come to like her a bit. Many of her actions were so foreseeable and most of the time she acts with her brain inactive, which resulted in a flat palm against my forehead more often than I liked. Her thoughts are non-comprehensible sometimes and her basic need to say to every goddamn action I’m sorry and thank you really tempts me to slap myself in the face with the hardcover.
An eternity, to face what I'd done, to face what I shredded into pieces inside myself.
Tamlin. There is this T-guy - weird ass name, don’t like it to be honest and when he came barking into the hovel I already knew "This must be him." *dammit* There are some things that simply disturb me about him.
Firstly, the way he tries to court her and make conversation is just cringy even for a hardcore-cheesy-supporter like me. It becomes even more abstruse when Feyre even falls for it. Like in whose reality, gal?! Secondly, I can't get over that T-guys name. Just can't do it. Let's face it Tamlin doesn't even make it to the bottom of the top one hundred hot dudes' names. Just imagine when- No. Scratch that. We don't want to imagine anything when it comes to Tamlin. Thirdly, why I am zero intrigued by that golden locks guy, he's just not what I look for in the heroine's love interest and I think it's neither Feyre's. Sarah J. Maas really wants me to believe that that T-guy is supposed to be the hot dude of this series? Make me laugh.
Ok... hold on the laughing right there.
Two questions here: Firstly, where is the black haired hot dude with the asshole attitude who's breaking hearts in YA novels? Secondly, why is that guy not even witty or smug?! This can’t be THE guy?! It just cannot be him! Please, let it not be him.
T-guy, a word or two addressed to you: Sorry, dude, but I need a little bit more asshole/ bad boy spirit and you - to put it decently - have none. Flick that mothering bitch from the table surface. - Bye Felicia!
*insert here any interesting non-existing quote or passage of Tamlin*
Rhysand. Reeeee-sand. And then when I was all hopeless and disappointed, with my hopes for a decent YA heartthrob asshole-guy all crushed, a real lad turned up. Woah, woah. Formality check: Black hair? - Check. Asshole attitude available? - Check. Eyes that are sooo world-crushingly special? - Check. Ahh, we’re good then, folks. All clear! Ladies and gentlemen, our beloved black-haired-asshole-with-a-great-name-guys list got a new member: Rhysand-freaking-asshole in da hood! Wicked, asshole-y, smug, shady and dark. In English - a hot catch and so my type. Feyre's certainly nodding in agreement. I'd bet my money on that they'll end up together in the end.
I could do nothing as his mouth met with my cheek, and he licked away a tear. His tongue was hot against my skin, so startling that I couldn't move as he licked away another path of salt water, and then another. (...) He smirked, sitting against the wall. "I figured that would get you stop crying." "It was disgusting." I wiped my face again. "Was it?"
Lucien. He's T-guy's best friend and my salvation in the midst of the boring and dull life on the premises of the golden locks guy. In contrast to the High Lord he's witty, makes the unbearable time in the manor of doing completely nothing a tiny little bit enjoyable. And he's the only one who pushes Feyre. Furthermore I love guys with red hair and god forbid red eyes. I don't really know how that is possible but since he's a faerie I want ask any further details about the DNA of this red guy.
He jerked his chin at the knife. “It’s yours. Don’t bury it in my back, please.”
All in all a succeeded book that has a lot of unexploited potential and better have another hard-core ship. Tamlin-Feyre just don't match, deal with it.
"Are you going to put down that poker, or can I expect you to start swinging soon?"
My expectant words for the next installment.
What is your opinion on ACOTAR?
Read my 3-star review of A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas on Goodreads and follow me there to check out the books I've read and are on my to-do list.
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