Warning: This post contains spoilers! So if you haven't read ACOTAR yet, and you want to, come back after you do. I'd love to know your thoughts. Otherwise, continue on.
The answer according to Alycia is "YES". A thousand times, with the largest capital letters. I cannot express my love for all things Sarah J. Maas has written deeply enough. Her mind is one of the most impressive and magical places I've been. Sarah has written two other series: "Throne of Glass" and "Crescent City". I have read all eight "Throne of Glass" books, and the first installment of "Crescent City". I'm waiting until book three comes out in January 2024 to finish the series. I plan on posting a review of each book in the weeks leading up the release, before challenging myself to read book three in twenty-four hours. P.S. Check out the newly released cover of Crescent City: House of Flame and Shadow. It's absolutely stunning!
Anyway, back to ACOTAR. If you're at all bookish, like me, you have likely heard of ACOTAR. They're the bright pastel paperbacks you see at Target and Barnes & Noble. I haven't completed the collection, which you'll see in the picture I place here. Among some other books, you'll see "A Court of Thorns and Roses", "A Court of Mist and Fury" (the BEST one), "A Court of Wings and Ruin", and "A Court of Silver Flames". I am missing the novella, "A Court of Frost and Starlight", but I read it on my Kindle (Who else has an emotional support Kindle?).
Moving on to the review!
Synopsis
Okay, here we go. I love Feyre. She's freaking amazing, right from the start. An illiterate pushover, absolutely, but amazing all the same. The book starts off with Feyre being her BA self and killing a giant wolf with an ash arrow. She's debating if it's really a Fae disguised as a wolf, but come on. As the reader, it obviously is. It's a book about Fae.They must be present. Anyway, she's able to sell the pelt for some decent coin, which her selfish and lazy sisters, Nesta and Elaine, immediately spend their share of. Feyre literally carries the Archeon family on her back. She's the only reason her sisters and Daddy Archeon eat. She's nineteen, but she's been doing it since was fourteen! I could never.
The family is quietly eating dinner when a beast breaks down the door and demands to know who killed his friend. I was immediately excited when I realized the "beast" is Fae. He takes Feyre away from her family, to his Spring Court estate in Prythian where she learns about the curse that's plaguing the lands. Definitely some Beauty and the Beast vibes. Feyre begins to adjust to her new life on the other side of the wall, and over time, develops feelings for the beast, who is named Tamlin. During a festival called Calanmai, we're introduced to a new character, who doesn't have a name yet. But he rescues Feyre from some Fae with poor intentions and lets her go home. Later on, you find out his name is Rhysand, and if you know anything at all about ACOTAR, you know he is everyone's morally grey obsession.
Rhysand decides to pay Tamlin and Feyre a visit, and threatens Feyre's life. You learn why later on, but the goal was to get Tamlin to let her go. It worked. Tamlin sends Feyre home and tells her to forget about him and never go back. But of course, Feyre loves Tamlin so she doesn't stay away for long. By the time she returns, Tamlin is gone and is at a place they call "Under the Mountain". Under the Mountain is where Amarantha resides, along with Rhysand. She is the self-pronounced Queen of Prythian, and the cause of the curse that befell the Spring Court. Because Tamlin couldn't break the curse within 49 years, he now belongs to Amarantha and serves her, along with Rhysand.
Feyre makes her way Under the Mountain, where she demands Amarantha lets Tamlin go. Amarantha says no of course, but strikes a Fae bargain with her. Feyre can either solve a simple riddle, or survive three terrible trials. If she does either one, Tamlin will be let go and the curse will be lifted. Feyre can't figure out the riddle, so instead she chooses the trials. She survives trial one, although she ends up in poor condition, and she makes a bargain with Rhysand to save her life. Rhysand heals her, in exchange for one week with her every month once the trial is over. I wonder why he does that....
She goes on to win the other two trials, with Rhys continuing to help her cope with what's happening and win the trials. After she completes the last one (which was emotionally damaging because she had to commit murder, including "killing" Tamlin), she demands Amarantha let Tamlin go, as promised. However, Fae bargains are tricky, and Amarantha added a loophole. Tamlin would only be immediately released if she solved the riddle. Otherwise, it's on her time. The spectators were as outraged as Feyre, and began making demands themselves. During the commotion, Feyre shouts out the answer to the riddle, which frees Tamlin and breaks the curse over the Spring Court. Amarantha loses her crap and attacks Feyre, while Rhysand and Tamlin are trying to fight back. Feyre dies when her neck is snapped, and both Tamlin and Rhysand are distraught. Tamlin regained his power, and ends Amarantha in his rage by stabbing her, and ripping out her throat. Very violent and epic.
Feyre is resurrected by the seven High Lords, and becomes High Fae. She goes home to the Spring Court with Tamlin, where they try to rebuild the court, and cope with their trauma.
What I loved
Everything. I loved everything about this book. I finished it in around four hours, and immediately went on the next book in the series, which blew me away even more. A Court of Mist and Fury is actually my favorite book, as it centers around how Feyre regains her BA personality and learns how to use her newfound powers. There's also way more romance, which I'm a huge fan of.
What I didn't love
This is hard. There's not much I didn't love. If I had to pick something, I wish more back story about her mother was included, and maybe some on Amarantha. I think it would've made the story a bit more cohesive and added some value. But I had to try really hard to think of something.
Overall rating of A Court of Thorns and Roses
I don't do this often, but FIVE STARS. If I could read it for the first time again, I would give almost anything. This book helped me get back into reading, and regain my love for books. I recommend to this to everyone I know who enjoys fantasy, and although there is romance, I think even men would enjoy this story.
Let me know in the comments what your thoughts are. I'd love to discuss them with you all!
xx-Alycia
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