Spoiler-Free Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

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Synopsis:

    A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas is the first new adult fantasy book in the series of the same name. It follows a 19-year-old girl named Feyre Archeron who kills what she assumes to be a wolf near her home for sustenance. When a beast-like creature captures her and takes her to a fantastical land as revenge for this act, she soon finds out that the creature is actually one of the immortal faeries that once ruled over humanity.

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   Before diving into my review, please note that it is based on my opinion of the book. As you consider my thoughts, remember that you are allowed to have different feelings about this book. If you haven't read it yet, feel free to pick up a copy and form your own opinion on it. 

Content Warnings: Death, Illness, Existential Crises.

Note: This book contains some mature topics specifically conversations about life and death, please proceed with caution.

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Review:

    I finished this book a few months ago back in December of 2020 and am finally getting around to writing this review. First off, I want to acknowledge the fact that the ACOTAR series has a lot of controversy surrounding it. It has a lot of problematic representation especially with how toxic male relationships appear to be promoted and there is a blatant lack of representation for the LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities. I have also been told that the existing BIPOC representation in this series is very harmful, but I really direct you to read Own Voices reviewers if you want to learn more about that. About a week ago, an ACOTAR tv adaptation was announced and a potential actress who was being considered for the part of Feyre received so many rude and cruel comments saying that she was too fat to play Feyre, this fatphobic behavior is alarming and absolutely disgusting. I do not condone these kinds of comments and I felt it was necessary to point all these things out as part of my review.  

    Anyway, the book starts off with a pretty slow start, it really takes a while for things to really start moving with the plot. For the first maybe two-thirds of the book, I was pretty bored with the story and wasn't invested in the plot, the world, or the characters. I just felt a complete disconnect between myself and the story and I only became intrigued and curious in the last 100 pages or so of the book. I absolutely hated how Feyre is mistreated by her family (don't worry this isn't much of a spoiler it happens right at the beginning of the story). The fact that she is the ONLY one interested in keeping her family alive was infuriating to me. Honestly, I think her dad and sisters would have died long before the start of the book if she wasn't there. The absolute ingratitude and even sometimes abusive behavior they display towards her after she goes hunting the entire day to bring home food is despicable. My heart really went out to Feyre and I loathed her family all the way through.

    I didn't like the fact that there were patterns of abuse that cycled throughout the book, including after her capture and through some of the major events of the story (which I will not go into detail about to avoid spoiling it). I understand that this was important to the story progression but I really didn't care for it. Most of the book is quite unmemorable to me until they went Under the Mountain, it was just a lot of Feyre not being allowed outside and painting with the exception of a few crucial events. The scenes with Tamlin were giving me major Stockholm Syndrome vibes and I really struggled to read through it. Romanticizing abusive partners and relationships is absolutely unacceptable in my personal view. 

    Up to this point, I've mainly mentioned things I disliked about the story, so I wanted to briefly discuss what I thought worked well. I thought that the main villain of the story was quite intriguing and compelling. They had an aura of mystery that kept me hooked which is part of what made the ending of the story so engaging. Things were happening so quickly at the end that I could not put the book down for a moment. The ultimate climax and falling action of the story almost made the long wait worth it. I definitely need to read the next installment of the series to see what happens next. 

    Overall, I generally liked Feyre's character and a few other side characters, even though it took me a while to feel connected to the story. I loved the idea of a fantastical fae world, the magic system, the villain's mysterious persona (although I would have appreciated more development), and the climax and conclusion to the story. However, I had a hard time swallowing the toxic and abusive relationships in this story and the plot seemed to drag out for ages. While things were happening in the first two-thirds of the story, they were pretty unmemorable. With everything considered, I liked the story but it was definitely problematic and I don't think I can safely recommend this series. Proceed with caution. 

Rating: 3/5 stars (on the lower end, with the caveat that this book is problematic)

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Genre: New Adult Fantasy 

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing