A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #1
on 5/5/15
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy
Pages: 416
Format: Hardcover
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Goodreads

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!

Full of magic, brimming with wonder, and bursting with brilliance, A Court of Thorns and Roses is a dream come true.

I love fairy tales. I’ve loved them since I was a little girl, and I can’t see myself ever outgrowing them. There’s something about the magic of the mythical, and the fulfillment of fantasy. I can always count on them to lift me when I feel heavy and to brighten me when I feel gloomy. Even when things are great, a fantastic tale always adds some extra zest to life. A Court of Thorns and Roses adds to that tradition of rich, romantic stories with larger than life characters. Sarah J. Maas creates a wonderful world that I so enjoyed visiting, and I can’t wait to call on once again.

ACOTAR is about a girl, a strong girl who made a promise to her dying mother to take care of her family. She puts herself at risk everyday in order to keep her promise, until one day she makes a choice out of fear and hatred, one that she convinces herself was because of self-preservation, one that ultimately costs her her freedom. That’s the beginning of the story, and that’s all you’re going to get from me. I refuse to tell you anything more because you just have to read it. Read the first word, then the second word, and then the third word until you’re turning the first page, and the next page, till you get to the next chapter and finally then end. After that, thank me.

I bought this book after being told by Vilma, my blog guru, to read this. I think she threatened to kill me if I didn’t, but I can’t remember for sure…minor detail. So I bought it and read it, because I do what she tells me. I’ve already thanked her because A Court of Thorns and Roses was the best recommendation. Now it’s my turn to recommend *cough*threaten*cough* you read this. You won’t regret it.

This story is a love story at its core: familial love, the love of friendship, and romantic love. It’s about the evil in the world that feeds on power and destroying others in order to feel large. In true fairytale fashion, I was swept away as I read of Feyre’s struggle to live in a harsh world, and her growth from a cold, stark, survivor, to someone who not only survives, but lives and is willing to fight for not just scraps, but for the richness of life that she deserves. I loved Feyre, because although this was a fantasy world, her character was very human, and the way she handled herself when tested was very human. I identified with her strengths and her faults.

My favorite part of this book was the romance (are you surprised?) It was absolutely epic (duh, it’s a fairytale!). It was everything. Friendship to lovers. Enemies to friends. The slow build and burn as they got to know each other, trust each other, and find out about each other’s past. The unfolding as they grew to love each other. *Sigh* It was beautiful. I fell hard for Tamlin, deeper and deeper with each heroic action he performed and with every vulnerable revelation. Gah! I just wanted to cuddle him and feed him hot chocolate.

Aside from the romance, which was oh so delicious, ACOTAR was thrilling, suspenseful, lush and very satisfying. Like with any fantasy, the first third or so was world building, backstory, and character development. Don’t worry, it wasn’t too detailed or boring – just the right balance of information and description so that when shit hit the fan, I knew what was what and who was who. This was my first Sarah J. Maas book – I know, I know, I need to read Throne of Glass, and I definitely will now that I know how amazingly talented she is. She is a truly gifted storyteller whose words flowed effortlessly. The pacing allowed for the perfect build up, so that things progressed like a locomotive, building momentum until the wheels were turning at a rapid pace, unstoppable, unputdownable until the very last page.

ACOTAR is the first book in a new series, but it is a standalone. Thank God, because if it had ended in a cliffy like I feared, then I would’ve burned my house down. There were some unanswered questions at the end, and the major players were left with unresolved issues, but the main conflict was resolved, so if you’re anti-cliffy you’ll love this. Read it. If you don’t care about cliffies, then you’ll love it too. Read it. I highly, highly recommend this book because it’s just awesome, and I know you’ll love it too.

P.S. I don’t know how the hell this book is labeled YA, because I don’t agree that it should. This book was sexy. It wasn’t raunchy or XXX, but I wouldn’t want my teenager to read this book. There were inferences to sexual acts, and there were details of sexual acts. I think this should’ve been in the adult romance section in the bookstore, so a heads up to all the moms. But hey, if you’re not a typical YA reader, then you might want to give this one a try.

Overwhelmingly beautiful, heartbreaking, and emotional. A Court of Thorns and Roses is nothing short of perfection.

This book is 100% outside of my interests and comfort zone. At the over the top and not so gentle urging of my friends, I took a chance on it. After all, I figured my reading New Year’s resolution was to step out of the box and I’d yet to even try to do that halfway through the year so… it was time.

To say that I am completely shocked at how much I loved this book would be a dramatic understatement. I never expected to be so utterly drawn in, so captivated by a story so unique and so far from what I’m used to.

Sarah J. Maas is an artist, with a talent and imagination so blindly dazzling that I will struggle to move on from it. She completely obliterated all of my pre-conceived notions and everything I thought I knew about fantasy.

”I love you. Thorns and all.”

I was on the edge of my seat through most of the book; unable to put it down and heartbroken when I was forced to. Feyre and Tamlin’s love story is epic and timeless. They were captivating and I fell in love with their story as they fell in love with each other.

The world and history that Sarah J. Maas creates is awe-inspiring. She writes in a way that you can see, smell, hear, taste, and feel everything as if you were part of the fictional world spun by her wicked imagination. This brilliant take on Beauty and the Beast (which also happens to be my favorite Disney movie!) is one of my favorite books of the year! One of my favorite books ever! I am so blown away.

The one lesson that I learned from this book is that any love story, if told really well, bridges the gap of time, space, and reality. Sarah created a breathtaking masterpiece in this book and I am all but dying for the next book! Please, if you ever take my advice on anything, take it on this. Read this book. Break out of your comfort zone, try something new, buy this book, and read it immediately. I promise your eyes will be opened to a whole new world. And you will love every second of it.

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