A Court of Thorns and Rosesby Sarah J. Maas (Goodreads, Website, Twitter)
Published by Bloomsbury Children's on May 5th, 2015
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Retelling
Format: Paperback (432 pages)
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A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.
When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre 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—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.
As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it... or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.
Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!
I just can't wait for the day I would speed through a fantasy novel and not spend a month and a half trying to crawl my way out. Truth be told, I'm not a fantasy reader. I may or may not have been in the
A Court of Thorns and Roses is not like any Beauty and the Beast retelling I've ever read (though I haven't really read many). The only consistency to the original story line were the basics; the maiden, the scarred prince and the curse, and Maas has brought to life a beautiful yet grotesque romantic fantasy. Do not mistake this for the classic. In fact, do not even compare these because they are of different worlds, and unless you're looking for singing and dancing silverware and a Gaston wannabe, you most definitely won't find that here.
"Be glad of your human heart, Feyre. Pity those who don't feel anything at all.”
Sarah J. Maas introduced her heroine, Feyre, as a crude, pitiful character—fueled by hatred and anger towards the world, and at the same time, love and selflessness for her family. A strong, willful character; she woud do whatever it takes for the sake of a loved one: a strength and a weakness. Frankly speaking, Feyre is not fearless; she's vulnerable and terrified for her life and her loved ones, but what amazes me is how strong her determination and perseverance is.
Her beast, Tamlin, isn't exactly described as a gigantic furry animal, per se, however, his magic does allow him to shapeshift into a beast-like creature. Maas created her own beast, in the form of a High Lord Faerie and in which the cause of the curse is not by his wickedness but by an evil form.
The romance, although a la Beauty and the Beast is more intense rather than romantic, which I truly enjoyed reading about and definitely takes a different turn from the typical PG romance. It's steamy, sexy and raw. It's not all magic and dancing and starry nights. Feyre and Tamlin's happy ever after isn't something they can walk away with, whistling a happy tune. There's bloodshed, pain and torture (and I'm totally not talking about BDSM, just to clarify, so get your head out of the gutter).
Sarah J. Maas is an author I'm not very acquainted with, but her large fanbase has encouraged me to pick up a book of hers, and A Court of Thorns and Roses was it, and this author has earned a quasi-fan in me. Granted, this book may not have been able to grasp my full attention but past the slow burn, it grabs at you, unsuspectedly, especially with certain characters that will surely grab your full attention
I'm a little late to the party, but nonetheless, this novel is not something to be taken lightly—there are cliches, unfortunately, but A Court of Thorns and Roses will keep you intrigued—but is definitely a highly recommended novel. If you haven't read this, you need to pick this up before the next book comes out, fantasy addict or not.
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