A Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) - Sarah J Maas

*I try to avoid spoilers, but still read with caution!*

(Link to book here).

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🌶️🌶️🌶️

419 pages

Genre: High fantasy/Romantasy

_________________________

Tropes and themes:

🌹Beauty and the beast retelling

🌹Slow burn

🌹Forced proximity

🌹Fae and humans

🌹Dark secrets

🌹Enemies to lovers

________________________________

This is the first book in the ACOTAR - A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J Maas. Books 1-5 have already been released. The sixth book is in process as of 16th May 2025, with no release date having yet been announced.

My favourite quote: "Be glad of your human heart, Feyre. Pity those who don't feel anything at all".

Characters: This story follows Feyre, a human who is kidnapped and taken as a prisoner to the fae world, Prythian, after killing a fae in wolf form. Feyre is a strong and independent FMC, who is the primary caregiver for her family (father and two sisters, Elain and Nesta). The MMC is Tamlin, a fae who holds dark secrets and is responsible for dragging Feyre into the fae world and into danger. Tamlin is a clearly powerful, strong and protective figure. I loved Feyre, was not too sold on Tamlin in this book - there was just something about him.

Plot: The plot was fantastic. The first half moves relatively slowly, focusing more on Feyre's early experiences in the fae world; however, the second half is fantastic - fast paced, drama, trials, life or death situations, high stakes. I had no idea where this book was heading based on the first half, so the second half was a pleasant surprise.

Emotions: So many emotions. In all honesty, even though I enjoyed the first half, I did get a little bored, but I am so glad I persevered. The second half was so full of tension, anger, joy, confusion, and shock. Sarah J Maas threw so much emotion into her writing, I fully experienced what the characters were feeling.

World-building: The first half of this book is full of world-building, hence why it moves a little slower. It provides a deeper understanding for what happens in the second half, and the further books. I would say this book has a complex world-building system, but it is worth the dedication.

Ending: Huge cliffhanger! Like - what just happened?! It left me ready to dive straight into the second book. I would recommend purchasing the second book once you are around the 75% mark and are enjoying the story!

Spice: This was a slow burn romance, with well-written, semi-detailed open door scenes. They weren't overly repetitive, which I liked. Main spicy scenes can be found at chapters 21, 27, 42, and 46.

Overall, this book was a 4 stars for me, with three spicy peppers.

Please bare in mind that the above notes are my opinion and that your experience with A Court of Thorns and Roses may differ to mine. That being said, I hope you enjoy this story as much as I did.