Maybe being kidnapped by a faerie is a good thing? My thoughts on A Court of Thorns and Roses

A Court of Thorns and Roses is a high fantasy Beauty and the Beast retelling by Sarah J. Maas. Even though this is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, I think that the story is incredibly unique. It starts as a retelling, but then kind of takes on a life of its own. Feyre, a human woman, is hunting in the woods when she stumbles upon a faerie in the shape of a huge wolf. She kills him in cold blood. Tamlin, a faerie male of the Spring Court comes to collect a life debt from Feyre in the form of her coming to live in the faerie realm with him for the rest of her life. Leaving her family and the human world behind, Feyre is thrust into a new world of danger and politics that she doesn’t quite understand. As she slowly warms up to Tamlin, she realizes that the things that he tells her may not be the entire truth. 

This book brought me out of a years-long reading slump. Seriously. I really struggled with reading consistently until I picked this book up. I could not praise this series enough. What starts off as a simple and unique Beauty and the Beast retelling turns into so much more as the series goes on. If for some reason book one isn’t your thing, I highly encourage you to stick it out until at least book two and then decide because that’s where, in my opinion, all of the good stuff starts. 

The characters in this book are beautifully written. Feyre is strong, independent, and badass, and yet she still finds ways to be soft, human, and full of love. She’s very three dimensional and I feel like she was fleshed out nicely. I’m a sucker for a strong female MC in fantasy. I feel like I don’t see that enough. Tamlin and Lucien are also both really well written characters. Their backstories are full and offer so much insight into why they do the things they do. Character traits are consistent and they just make sense. I also just really felt like I could connect with the characters, especially Feyre. I truly felt the pain of her poverty and her subsequent guilt for living lavishly while her family suffers. I won’t say that I know what she was going through, but after reading her POV I feel like I have a better understanding of what it’s like. 

The world building is exceptional in this series. This book, and all books that come after in the series, comes with a map, which makes keeping all of the courts in order in your head. I love a good map. It really helps flesh out a world. Aside from the map and the geography of this world, I really think that the rules of magic are done especially well. The limitations are clearly laid out, nothing feels super OP, and everyone is subject to the same rules. I hate a world that makes exceptions for characters just to make the story work out nice and neat. I felt like I really understood the rules of magic in this world, and it made keeping up with the story a lot easier. 

If I could give this book, and in turn this entire series, more than ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars, I would. They’re just so good. It is everything that I look for in fantasy. It’s got an interesting world, a strong female MC, a fully rounded out love interest, and a twist so good that I can’t even say anything without ruining the entire series for you. Sarah J. Maas, keep doing whatever it is that you’re doing in writing these amazing books. I will probably do a review on her other work in the future because I am just obsessed with everything she has ever written.

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