A Court of Thorns and Roses
by Sarah J. Maas
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #1
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Genres: Fantasy, New Adult
Source: Goodreads
Rating: ✪✪✪✪✪
Amazon Goodreads
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.
If you're a follower of the blog, you know by now that Sarah J. Maas is one of my favorite authors EVER. When I found out that she was doing a retelling of one of my favorite fairy tales, Beauty and the Beast, my excitement transcended words!
Having provided for her family for most of her life, Feyre is used to hardship and having to earn everything herself. Although she is jaded, she never loses sight of the natural beauty in the world (even though she has little faith in humanity). Her character was relatable and I easily slipped into her mind as the narrative progressed. Even though the story was a bit predictable (it is, after all, a retelling) I didn't find myself banging my head against my pillow at the leading Lady's stupidity, as I normally do when I can anticipate bad turns. Her story will no doubt grip the reader and have them laughing and sweating along with her as she faces her many trials.
The world-building was immersive as well, providing a peek into the Faerie realm and all of it's courts and politics that draws in the reader and leaves them thirsting for more. The rich history surrounding Fae and human actions provides a violent backdrop to the budding romance of the leading characters, adding an element of the star-crossed variety that makes their relationship all the more riveting.
On the point of relationships, I found that the love story between Feyre and Tamlin rang true in a way that many of the NA books I've read recently fail to (perhaps this is because I'm a classicist and think that Beauty and her Beast stories are the best). And ALL THOSE HOT MEN!!!! Tamlin and Lucien and Rhys OH MY! The Faery men are hotter than tamales on a July afternoon! Don't worry about overly tense love triangles though. Feyre's devotion to her Beast remains steadfast throughout the novel (although some tension is hinted at towards the end due to choices Feyre has to make to help her lover).
While Beauty and the Beast is the most obvious influence to this book, it was also loosely based off of the fairytales of Tamlin and East of the Sun and West of the Moon. If you are familiar with any of these stories, you probably already know what is going to happen in this book. ACOTAR almost is purely a retelling, although the world provides a new setting and the blending of all the tales provides new and exciting challenges for the characters. This book is only the first of a trilogy though, and the ending sets us up for a new and exciting storyline to come.
I can't wait to see where Maas takes the series!!!!
What to read next?
If you really enjoy this book and are looking for other Beauty and the Beast retellings, I highly recommend those by Robin McKinley. She currently has three retellings, Beauty, Rose Daughter, and Sunshine (Sunshine is not an outright retelling, but twists the original story into something completely new). Newcomers to Robin McKinley's style of writing may want to stick to the first two. She also has a retelling of Sleeping Beauty which I have never read, Spindle's End.
