A Court Of Thorns And Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Book Blurb
Feyre is a huntress, but when she kills what she thinks is a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor, Tamlin, is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal Fae.

And there’s more to the Fae than the legends suggest.

As Feyre adapts to her new home, her feelings for Tamlin begin to change. Icy hostility turns to fiery passion that burns through every lie she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But shadows are creeping in, and Tamlin has a dark secret that he cannot share. Fate brought Feyre to Tamlin for a reason, but saving him from the darkness that threatens his world will lead her down a path that she can never return from.

My Review
A Court Of Thorns And Roses was origionally published in 2015 but it has had a huge resurgence last year due to Instagram and Tik Tok. I have had the set of five books on my bookshelves for a while so decided to read the first book due to the hype and the fact that that my daughter in law loved these books and wanted me to read them so we could discuss them. Did it live up to the hype? read on and see my thoughts.

I already knew that A Court Of Thorns And Roses was a slow burner and because of this not everyone’s favourite book of the series. I actually liked the slower pace and saw this book as setting the scene for the subsequent books. There was a lot of world building, creating the fae realm of Prythian and it’s different courts and the handsome High Faes who rule these courts. Sarah J Maas’s world is rich and seductive, with beautiful descriptions and a magical aura that drew me in; the beautiful gardens, the festivals celebrated, and also the darkness of the woods. Her different genre of fae are intriguing and imaginative, the stunning High Fae and the fae that are to be avoided, that can torture, kill and cause untold damage to a human, where death would be a relief.

The main character is Feyre, taken to the Fae Realm after killing a fae disguised as a wolf. She maybe young at nineteen but has spent the last few years hunting to feed her father and two elder sisters, willing to get her hands dirty and fight for survival. Kinapped by Tamlin, a High Lord of the Spring Court, golden and handsome and suprisingly kind to Feyre. Both Tamlin and Lucian, his Emissary, are cursed to wear a mask over the top of their faces keeping some ambiguity as to their true likeness; this adds a frison of otherness, and air of mystery to their characters. Opposite to Lucian’s golden good looks is Rhysand, from the Night Court, dark and mysterious, who takes a shine to Ferya; I’m looking forward to learning more about him in the next books, to see if he can turn Feyre’s head. I found myself really loving these different characters and becoming invested in their lives, their secrets, their fates, and their relationships.

Whilst A Court Of Thorns and Roses is a slow burner I found it to be the perfect introduction to what I’m hoping to be a phenomenal series. I feel that I now know the characters, their traits and secrets ready for the next book. Sarah J Maas is a beautiful writer, her descriptive prose brought Prythian, its beauty and darkness, the good and evil to life, whilst her story of a young woman, kidnapped from her family and taken to a world she fears, had me gripped. Did it live up to the hype? maybe a bit early to decide but it’s an amazing start to this series, and shows lots of promise in the subsequent books.