Book Review: „A Court of Thorns and Roses“ by Sarah J. Maas
Why ‚A Court of Thorns and Roses‘ will captivate your imagination: A deep dive into Sarah J.
Maas’s enchanting bestseller series.
„A Court of Thorns and Roses“ (ACOTAR) by Sarah J. Maas is the first book in the series
that blends elements of romance, fantasy, and adventure. Published in 2015, this novel
introduces readers to a richly imagined world where humans and faeries coexist in moderate
balance.
The Beauty and the Beast-like fantasy drama tells the story of Feyre Acheron, who finds
herself entwined with faeries after unknowingly killing one. When the 19-year-old mortal
huntress 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, a powerful immortal faerie lord who once ruled
their world. She becomes embroiled in a dark curse threatening the faerie lands.
Maas’s world-building is vivid and immersive, drawing readers into a land filled with magic,
danger, and intrigue. The book’s fairy tale roots, inspired by „Beauty and the Beast,“ are
evident in its themes of love, sacrifice, and redemption. Feyre’s journey from a struggling
hunter to a key player in the faerie world is compelling, with her character development
standing out as a highlight of the novel. The author still gives us swoon worthy gents and a
strong leading female. Her skillful storytelling and imaginative world make this a must-read
for fans of the genre.
While the first three books of the Acotar series can be read as an independent trilogy the
story continues with the fourth book but with new main characters and new secrets and
mystery to explore. Readers are encouraged to continue with the series to fully appreciate
the intricate storyline and evolving relationships. But it is not a must, it can be stopped after
book three, because this is also when the story of the main character and couple is mainly
ending. The following main characters and plots will leave readers eager for more. The right
reading order for the full experience is: A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and
Fury, A Court of Wings and Ruin, A Court of Frost and Starlight, A Court of Silver Flames.
For me this book/series was a highlight because our leading hero is Feyre, and man oh man
did I love her. I loved that though she is strong she isn’t doing it for herself or because that’s
who she is, she’s doing it because it’s what needs to be done. This is what made her
character for me. She does everything for everyone and expects nothing in return. Her
character starts as a strong huntress and turns into something more. She has the head
strong will of a warrior and the heart of an artist. I loved that Maas gave her so much depth
and let us get so deep into her brain that her feelings become your feelings. As for Feyre’s
love interest, she gives us the push-pull-love-hate-relationship with Tamlin. He is the Beast
thorough and thorough. Emotional, caring, lonely, cold, defeated, melancholy. And I feel so,
so sorry for him, because he’s trying. Trying to help, trying to do right. But he fails, because
he can’t communicate; can’t talk, can’t listen, can’t understand. He is less considerate and
more controlling, doing what he thinks others want and need without asking, and what if he is
wrong? What if his assumptions and his forceful behavior hurt rather than help? The evil
queen in this book was the perfect amount of mystery and you will hate her. To not spoil the
most dramatic parts, I won’t talk more about her but it’s shocking and phenomenal. The last
100 pages of a Sarah J. Maas book are always the most adrenaline filled parts of the whole
reading experience.
And then there’s Rhysand. There’s not much to spoil about him, but what should be said is
that even when Maas gives characters you’re supposed to hate, you still end up falling in
love with them. That’s also the case the other way round. While Rhysand deliberately
presents himself as the villain of depravity, he is not who is portrayed as. The identity he
projected in his time in the book, and the tradeoffs he made, were to protect his citizens and
keep his beautiful city hidden.
Rhysand embodies the notion that darkness can be what you make of it: comforting and
peaceful or threatening and dangerous. His inner world is complex. Although he appears
cocky and irreverent, Rhysand is vulnerable because he believes that if anyone gets close
enough to him to see through his many masks, they will walk away. During the narrative, he
learns to open to Feyre and show her his authentic face. Its good to not get to know every
thought of him straight at the beginning of the book.
A quote I would like to add is:
„Be glad of your human heart, Feyre. Pity those who don’t feel anything at all.“
I added this because the book is full of hidden hints, secrets and details that make sense the
more you continue reading and when everything comes together it feels like a magical boom.
There are so many vivid details, so many beautifully painted scenes, and so many perfectly
peeled layers. I was never once left to question what the world or characters looked like.
The plot is action packed. We have this heavy start to the book, a world building middle, and
a jam slammed action-packed ending. I loved this book because it was not only a steady
state going storyline where you could expect the ending, no! When the secrets and
questions come together, and everything is slowly shown you will be tossing your book in the
air or punching your kindles in their faces. You will freak out! It’s like the end of a fairy dream
where everything was perfect with the happiness overload but then the dream is collapsing
and everything just falls together for this epic ending! Even the things you know are coming
will still rock you to the bones. Sarah J. Maas gives you this heart filled, gut wrenching, wow
ending that I couldn’t have been happier about. There are many lessons given in the series
about family issues, friendships, trust, love and manipulation. It’s still not overwhelming but
just in the right amount. There are a lot of characters I’m sure you can see pieces of your
own self in them. I never read something this beautiful and heartwarming also shocking, and
it has the best plot twists I could never guess myself. The side characters add the last spice
and sweetness to the whole story because the dialogues are so refreshing and the hints for
bigger secrets are always given. It’s not getting boring at all. You must read mindfully to put
the little pieces together. This book series is a must read for everyone wanting to start with
fantasy romance because the world building is easy to understand, it’s not too complex to
read and the writing style makes you fly through the pages. For everyone wanting to escape
into another world this is the right book to start getting to know this genre.
All in all, I strongly recommend reading this book or the whole series because it brings you
into a world of broken magic that heals the longer you spend in it. The plot and world building
in this book are beyond what a lot of other authors would have given us. It captures what it
means to be tricked, to be in love, to be broken, and to heal. It shows how life doesn’t end
happily ever after. Sometimes… that’s just the start.
Text: Dilara Demirag
