5/16/2016

A Court Of Thorns And Roses by Sarah J. Maas

I know Sarah J. Maas from her TOG novels and actually, read this book out of curiosity. A Court of Thorns and Roses is completely different from her other series and to be honest: I never expected such a story or the way she´s written it, from the author. A Court of Thorns and Roses is the first book in her new series. Usually, I am not a big audiobook fan, but this one I started as audio and was hooked from the first tone I heard. The protagonist has a fine sense of irony and after I listened to a few chapters I turned to the book and finished it with growing empathy and fascination not only towards the characters but the plot itself too.

A Court Of Thorns And Roses

by Sarah J. Maas
A Court Of Thorns And Roses Series #1
Publisher Bloomsbury on May 5, 2015
Genre Fantasy
Pages 432
Format Hardcover
Source Purchased
Goodreads

✶✶✶✶½

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only 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 Feyre dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility to 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 over the faerie lands is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it ... or doom Tamlin - and his world - forever.

Story

Prythian is split. The land, in which Feyre and her sisters were born, is not what it used to be. The humans fear the Fae, and they torture the humans as they please. Since her father lost the family fortune, Feyre is the one who takes care of herself and her sisters. During one of her hunting trips, she kills a wolf. And with that kill, everything changes. Not only for her but for her family as well. The High Fae claim that the Treaty has to be fulfilled, and so Feyre has no other choice but to follow the monster, that showed up on her threshold. What she then discovers behind the wall, is a world of mystery, magic, and secrets. Some of them are wonderful, some of them cruel and soon she learns that it takes all that she is, has and will be, to save her love and the lives of those who are connected to it.

Style

The author has a unique fantasy. Her language is clear, full of emotions and especially the way how Feyre thinks, speaks and behaves is really thrilling.

Written in the first-person narrative, the reader has a very intense and intimate look at the protagonist and insight of her. The life she has to live wasn´t her choice. And she certainly doesn´t enjoy what she has to do, to keep herself and her family alive. But she does it without complaining. She holds herself back, and even in those moments, where she faces the pure Fae evil she stands strong and with her chin held high. Feyre shows a mix of courage, self-doubt, and self-pity. But when it comes to the moment where it counts she won´t back down.

Good, there are a few scenes in A Court Of Thorns And Roses, where I had my problems with the way how they were described (for my taste way to kitschy), and sometimes I couldn´t quite follow the logic the author had put into her lines. But all in all, I really enjoyed it and had a great time.

Characters

Sarah J. Mass created in her new series a great bunch of different characters. And with that, I not only mean the difference between Fae and humans. Endless hunger for revenge, the thirst to let others bleed and suffer tremendous pain, cruelty, passion in every form and compassion are among those characters as well.

It was a wonderful thing to see how all those emotions, feelings and reasons why they did what they did unfold during the story and with every page I turned I became more and more captivated by Feyre and Tamlin. And not to forget Alis; she has a very unique way to bring the world of the Fae closer to Feyre.

But to be honest, at some point I could have yanked Nesta against a wall and would have loved to give her some hand language! I mean hello?! Wants to have a warm meal and sit by a hot fire, but she´s too lazy and vain to either go hunting or clean or even go outside and chop some wood. Her coldness, her way to treat her younger sisters – at least Feyre – was a shame in my eyes. Okay, later on in the story the reader gets some kind of insight about how she ticks and why she acts like she does, but still, I couldn´t really get warm with her.

Conclusion

This book provides an emotional rollercoaster for both parts; the figures and the reader as well. And everyone who´s a fantasy fan and likes to read something that´s a bit out of the ordinary will find here a wonderful read. Yes, there are a few scenes in it in which I had my problems to follow the logic of the author and where I thought ouch, that´s a bit too kitschy, and made me give this novel four and a half stars. But in the end, I was stunned and needed a few days to come clean with my mixed feelings. And now I am looking forward to the arrival of the second book.

Happy reading

Sarah J. Maas

Sarah J. Maas grew up in Manhattan and lives with husband and dog in Pennsylvania. Already with the first design to Throne of Glass she caused sensation. With sixteen she published “Queen of Glass” (the title back then) in an online forum for authors and initiated with that one of the earliest online phenomena worldwide.

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