A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Rating: 4.5/5

There are books that you read and forget. Some make you have strong opinions about fictional characters who can't hear you yelling at them. The second is definitely a Court of Thorns and Roses.

Maas's take on the familiar Beauty and the Beast tale by putting together a story full of faeries, curses, betrayal, romance and secrets. It is the tale of Feyre, a young huntress who slays a wolf in a forest, but learns that it was a faerie. She is transported across the wall to Prythian as punishment. In Prythian, she falls for the High Lord of the Spring Court, Tamlin.

I was just so in love with Tamlin in the beginning. He was enigmatic, protective, strong and I understood why Feyre had fallen for him. They gradually got closer and closer together in their relationship and I was very into it. Unfortunately, by the end, Tamlin had me questioning everything I had previously liked about him. The more he wants to protect Feyre, the more it becomes his driving force and I had to think, “Tamlin, stop.” I could see why he was afraid and what he wanted to do, but loving someone doesn't always mean knowing how to love the right way.

Comes Rhysand!

I was in love with Rhysand and Feyre. Rhysand is very arrogant, sarcastic, enigmatic, and hard to understand. He was kind of fascinating at first since I didn't know if I could trust him. There was always something under the surface going on. The romance between him and Feyre was also fresh as he challenged her rather than trying to 'guard' her. Their chemistry and banter was most certainly one of my favorites in the book.

I enjoyed Mor and Amren too. Mor was warm and confident and Amren was the walking warning sign.

But Nesta is another matter.

I really did not like her in this book. I thought she was ungrateful. I mean when Feyre was giving her life for their family, she did not appreciate her. I know Nesta has her own issues, but I was thinking to myself, “Girl, your sister is keeping you alive.” I hope I might change my mind as the series goes on, but for this book... I don't like her.

I did really like the world building in the story. Prythian is both beautiful and dangerous, and things turn black when Feyre is captured Under the Mountain. The trials, the curse and the feeling of danger really changed the atmosphere of the book. In the final section I found myself flipping pages faster than I anticipated.

I would like to say that some parts dragged on and I would have loved to spend a little more time with some characters and events at the end. There were moments that seemed rushed. There were moments I needed more emotional aftermath especially at the end.

Would I give it a recommendation?

Absolutely.

Do I believe anyone in Prythian?

Absolutely not.

So, would I love to go back to that world?

Please pass me the next book in the series.