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

“Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre’s presence at the court is closely guarded and she begins to learn why.”

Wow. Just wow. Reading these two books back to back (or rather, listening via Audible) was quite the rollercoaster. The first book (A Court of Thorns and Roses) was all right but I did not fully appreciate it until I read the second book (A Court of Mist and Fury) and a whole new depth of story was created as I started to see just how intentional a lot of the stuff in Thorns and Roses was. Some seriously crafty planning on Maas’ behalf. I’m kicking myself now though, having to wait another year for the third and final instalment. It has taken me the best part of a week to stop thinking about the characters and the story-world.

What I loved about these first two instalments is how the main character, Feyre, escapes the clutches of abuse. First stumbling upon Sarah J. Maas and the ACOTAR series, I didn’t actually know that this was going to be such a key focus of the story, but I was pleasantly surprised with how it was weaved into more storyline than one. I loved how Feyre was able to take herself out of the grips of an abusive relationship and then stumble through a realistic journey to recovery. The way that Maas grew Feyre as a strong feminine character kept me hooked, cheering her on, wanting to see what she was capable of next.

What I didn’t like about the series is how hot around the collar some of the scenes left me – for a supposed children’s book (published by Bloomsbury USA Childrens) – it was a bit too graphic, and unnecessarily so (to the point that I actually fast-forwarded through some of these scenes). It is a shame really, because if I had daughters, I would have put this series on their reading list had it not been for the long and descriptive sex scenes that placed pleasure too high on the characters’ priorities. Being a married woman in my late twenties myself, I’ll still venture to book three despite this.

Although the story is riddled with typical fantasy tropes and races like Wraiths, Naga, Suriel, and the Attor, she’s mashed mythology and fantasy to create her own breed of beings, birthing a story-world that is unique, intricate, and fantastical.

Title: A Court Of Thorns and Roses Series (A Court of Thorns and Roses; A Court of Mist and Fury)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Type: Fiction
Category: Fantasy
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Publication Date: 2015; 2016
Edition: First Edition
ISBN: 978-1619634442; 978-1619634466