A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas Book Review

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Genre: Romantic Fantasy, Adult Fantasy
Year of Publication: 2015
Date of Publication: May 5, 2015
Pages: 416
ISBN-13: 978-1635575552

Summary of A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

In A Court of Thorns and Roses, 19-year old Feyre Archeron is shouldering her family’s survival. Her family used to be wealthy but when her father, a former merchant, makes a risky investment in foreign ships, the deal goes bad. His creditors, unhappy with his inability to pay break his knee, leaving him permanently injured and unable to support the family. With Feyre’s mother gone, she takes on the responsibility to provide for her dad and her two elder sisters, Nesta and Elain.

But everything changes one day when Feyre, running extremely low on food, goes hunting in the woods. She kills a creature known as a faerie believing it to be a large wolf. Faeries and humans do not live together and they can only be killed by an ash wood arrow. They are separated by an invisible wall, which humans typically cannot pass through. The land the faeries live is called Prythian. When Feyre kills the faerie, she proceeds to feed her family with some of it and sells the rest of it, unaware that this action would have serious repercussions.

Feyre shortly learns that the penance for killing the Faerie, was either be killed or she must be taken to Prythian to live out the rest of her days i.e. a life for a life especially when the attack is unprovoked. There, she finds out that Faerie who took her from her home and brought her to Prythian is named Tamlin. He is from a noble family and is the High Lord of the Spring Court.

The story follows Feyre’s journey as she adjusts to this new world that is filled with magic, danger, and hidden curses.

Main Characters

• Feyre Archeron – A young woman whose promise to her family drives bold and often risky decisions.
• Tamlin – He is one of the faeries who is under a curse and becomes Feyre’s eventual love interest.
• Lucien – He is Tamlin’s closest ally and his emissary and trusted friend. Known for his witty sarcasm, fox-like appearance, and a magical mechanical eye, which replaced the one he lost in a fight. Lucien is the youngest son of the Autumn Court High Lord, but he left his court due to family conflict and found refuge with Tamlin in the Spring Court.
• Rhysand – Is introduced much later in the story but he definitely leaves an impression behind. He is the High Lord of the Night Court and makes a bargain with Feyre while she is imprisoned under a Mountain. He is also responsible for placing a tattoo of a stylized eye on her palm.
• Amarantha – She is a self-proclaimed High Queen of Prythian . She is nicknamed “The Deceiver” because tricked her way into ruling Prythian under a brutal rule for 49 years.

Writing Style

Sarah Maas creates a world filled with new creatures, romance, action and magic. There is a beauty and the beast element to some parts of the story but half way through the book she switches it up to be more action packed and very intense. The characters are very likeable, there is good dialogue and humor as well.

The author tells the story from Feyre’s perspective but as a reader you almost wish you could listen to the point of view of the other characters. With that said she does an excellent job with describing the events from Feyre’s point of view.

Favorite Quotes

• “Bruises are harder to conceal than Poverty.”— Feyre Archeron
• “Give her a greeting wordy of my hall.”— Amarantha
• “Everything I love always had the tendency to be taken away.”— Rhysand

“There are those who seek me a lifetime but never we meet,
And those I kiss but who trample me beneath ungrateful feet.
At times I seem to favor the clever and the fair,
But I bless all those who are brave enough to dare.
By large, my ministrations are soft-handed and sweet,
But scorned, I become a difficult beast to defeat.
For though each of my strikes lands a powerful blow,
When I kill, I do it slow.”— Amarantha's Riddle

Impact of A Court of Thorns and Roses

Boasting over 13 million copies sold and several Goodreads Choice Award nominations, the novel has ignited a powerful BookTok fandom and expanded the “romantasy” genre. Discussions around its romantic intensity and mature content have fueled both adoration and criticism. There were discussions at a point to make it into a TV adaptation but it was scrapped.

What are your thoughts on this book? Have you had a chance to read it? Let us know in the comments!