Courtly Surprise
For long time, I've heard the buzz about Sarah J. Maas and her books. I figured it was time to give her a try, so this week I picked up A Court of Thorns and Roses, the first book in a trilogy. While I was a bit hesitant as first, I ended up being pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed ACOTAR (as the cool kids call it).
Our heroine is Feyre, a poverty-stricken human girl. The sole provider for her family of a father and two sisters, she hunts in the woods to keep them off the harsh edge of starvation. One particularly brutal winter day, Feyre encounters a wolf in the woods. But with whispers of faeries crossing the wall and attacking humans, Feyre takes the risk, killing the wolf even though it may be a faerie in disguise. The next day, a vengeful faerie rips her from her home, taking her across the wall to Prythian, the land of the fae. Alone in a strange land, surrounded by those who could kill her in an instant, Feyre is constantly on her guard and fearing for her life. But as the days go on, and she learns more about her captors, things change. Without the weight of caring for her family, what could Feyre achieve? The rising and falling of Feyre's fate turns every day.
Honestly, I was skeptical of this book. So many people rave about it and maybe I'm a bit of a book hipster. Also, its faerie-fantasy-romance style is not my favorite genre. It's been so overplayed in recent years, I didn't know how it could not manage to sound kitschy. But Maas pulled it off. While I don't think ACOTAR will be in my top ten books or anything, I did enjoy it. The world is excellently constructed and Maas' descriptions are marvelous (if a bit graphic for my taste at times). I found Feyre whiny and tiring at times, but overall she was a well-written and strong heroine. I loved Lucien and his wit. Tamlin was a bit of a traditional tragic, forlorn hero but that didn't make him unlovable.
I'm looking forward to the next two books in the trilogy. I have no concept of what could happen next so I think I will be pleasantly surprised with anything.
All in all, A Court of Thorns and Roses was a good read. It's chock full of adventure, romance, plot twists, and a beautifully created world. While a bit predictable at times, I appreciated the shades of references to classic fairy tales interwoven with the thoroughly original characters and storyline. ACOTAR is a book with everything a reader could want.
Plot: A-
Characters: B+
Overall: A-
Our heroine is Feyre, a poverty-stricken human girl. The sole provider for her family of a father and two sisters, she hunts in the woods to keep them off the harsh edge of starvation. One particularly brutal winter day, Feyre encounters a wolf in the woods. But with whispers of faeries crossing the wall and attacking humans, Feyre takes the risk, killing the wolf even though it may be a faerie in disguise. The next day, a vengeful faerie rips her from her home, taking her across the wall to Prythian, the land of the fae. Alone in a strange land, surrounded by those who could kill her in an instant, Feyre is constantly on her guard and fearing for her life. But as the days go on, and she learns more about her captors, things change. Without the weight of caring for her family, what could Feyre achieve? The rising and falling of Feyre's fate turns every day.
Honestly, I was skeptical of this book. So many people rave about it and maybe I'm a bit of a book hipster. Also, its faerie-fantasy-romance style is not my favorite genre. It's been so overplayed in recent years, I didn't know how it could not manage to sound kitschy. But Maas pulled it off. While I don't think ACOTAR will be in my top ten books or anything, I did enjoy it. The world is excellently constructed and Maas' descriptions are marvelous (if a bit graphic for my taste at times). I found Feyre whiny and tiring at times, but overall she was a well-written and strong heroine. I loved Lucien and his wit. Tamlin was a bit of a traditional tragic, forlorn hero but that didn't make him unlovable.
I'm looking forward to the next two books in the trilogy. I have no concept of what could happen next so I think I will be pleasantly surprised with anything.
All in all, A Court of Thorns and Roses was a good read. It's chock full of adventure, romance, plot twists, and a beautifully created world. While a bit predictable at times, I appreciated the shades of references to classic fairy tales interwoven with the thoroughly original characters and storyline. ACOTAR is a book with everything a reader could want.
Plot: A-
Characters: B+
Overall: A-
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