"A Court of Thorns and Roses"

A tale as old as time with some fantastical, gruesome and spicy twists.

Summary:

In a small village on the edge of the wall between the human realm and the faerie menace, Feyre struggles to feed her starving family, killing a massive wolf for the payoff of its pelt. But destiny comes calling when a Fae arrives at Feyre's door, demanding her life as payment for the disguised faerie she slaughtered. She is spirited to the Spring Court to live out the rest of her days in exile. This new world might offer more possibilities than Feyre imagined if she can overcome her prejudice, but it could offer more dangers. A magical blight has stricken realm and threatens to spill to Feyre's homeland too, and she may be the key to stopping it.

Verdict: 8/10

I barely read the synopsis as I wanted to go in surprised. And I found myself reading a new version of Beauty and the Beast! The main aspects of the plot mirror the fairy tale, so it was familiar if a bit predictable, but the fae lore and potential war differentiated everything just enough to make it thrilling and suspenseful. Maas paid homage to the original story instead of simply copying it, exactly what you want in a rendition. And there were clever nods to other tales sprinkled throughout, which made great Easter eggs.

I flew through the first half of the book and was already dying to buy the series and keep going. The second half wasn't as enticing, with the trials to prove Feyre's love drawing out the drama unnecessarily. But Maas brought real heart into the action and romance. I loved the characters... except for the main heroine.

Feyre was depicted as being tough but it came off as overly stubborn. Headstrong doesn’t have to mean doing the opposite of what everyone says, a quality that made Feyre seem willfully stupid. She was a typical dysotopian damsel, where she should have stood out as unique. If an author has to keep pointing out how different their lead player is, then the character's traits aren't really speaking for themselves.

I was also reminded of the main trope that made me fall out of love with the sci-fi/fantasy genre: the money-grab to lengthen the story. The author feels like they need to go further and add more, either through rebellion or a love triangle or both. So I didn't appreciate the direction Maas was taking towards the end. If the 'true-love' romance is the central driving force of your entire novel, why push for a love triangle in the next? I'm worried switching the romance will make Feyre seem even more flighty and ruin the story.

I would have preferred a standalone romance with this particular plot... but I'll still read the next ones. I'm too hooked and can overlook the cons. A great read and world to get lost in.