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Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'
A Court of Thorns and Roses (Parts 1 & 2) [Dramatized Adaptation] by Sarah J. Maas
56 reviews
qatkatcat's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
READ THE NEXT BOOK EVEN IF YOU DIDNT LIKE THIS ONE (trust me!)
ACOTAR is a slow stepping stone to a much better second book (ACOMAF). The Beauty and the Beast influence is very beautifully written into the series as a whole, but the leaning on the sexual content in this first novel to create positive appeal for an otherwise unattractive Tamlin came off as a cheap knockoff of the Beauty and the Beast story.
That being said, while this first book in the series involves a lot of important world building details and therefore can be slow at times, the tense and exciting last few chapters of this book is really where Maas’s writing and world building development begins to shine. Maas has an incredible knack for writing characters that have depth, secrets and hidden motivations, as well as beautifully writing conversations in a way that makes the politics of the book/series absolutely intriguing. (Also, if you happen to be familiar with Irish/Celtic folklore, there are some very entertaining nods to some classic folktales scattered throughout the series, and most if not all of the character names come from traditional Irish/Celtic influence.)
After initially reading this first book, I was on the fence as to whether or not to continue with the series, and decided to make the jump and buy ACOMAF. And let me tell you, it only gets better from here. Read the next book!!
ACOTAR is a slow stepping stone to a much better second book (ACOMAF). The Beauty and the Beast influence is very beautifully written into the series as a whole, but the leaning on the sexual content in this first novel to create positive appeal for an otherwise unattractive Tamlin came off as a cheap knockoff of the Beauty and the Beast story.
That being said, while this first book in the series involves a lot of important world building details and therefore can be slow at times, the tense and exciting last few chapters of this book is really where Maas’s writing and world building development begins to shine. Maas has an incredible knack for writing characters that have depth, secrets and hidden motivations, as well as beautifully writing conversations in a way that makes the politics of the book/series absolutely intriguing. (Also, if you happen to be familiar with Irish/Celtic folklore, there are some very entertaining nods to some classic folktales scattered throughout the series, and most if not all of the character names come from traditional Irish/Celtic influence.)
After initially reading this first book, I was on the fence as to whether or not to continue with the series, and decided to make the jump and buy ACOMAF. And let me tell you, it only gets better from here. Read the next book!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death
pjbu's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Loved this book. Intro to fantasy. VERY violent. I’d prefer less violence and no more torture please.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism
bear_ridge_tarot's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is a very popular fantasy book and I was expected it to be as good as advertised. While ACOTAR was an overall enjoyable read for me, the book had a few very glaring things it lacked. I enjoy a thick book with a lot of world-building, and this one fits that description. There is a rich history in the lands of Pyrthian, that I want to know more.
But I don't like lackluster characters, and the MCs are lacking in depth. Their relationship also sorely lacks, and while it's obvious to everyone around them it is being forced, the allusion to a Beauty & Beast trope didn't work for me. I found the supporting characters of Lucien and Rhysand were more interesting to me than Feyra and Tamlin.
This book also comes with a number of trigger warnings for me, including toxic/abusive relationships, ablism, Stockholm syndrome, and violence of multiple kinds. I will at least give the next book a chance to further develop the depths of the characters before washing my hands of the series, because I loved the world the story is set in so much.
Content Warnings
Minor: Body horror, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, and Classism
indyyxoxo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Blood, and Colonisation
Moderate: Ableism, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Murder, and War
Minor: Body shaming, Child death, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent
dreamwrapt's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.5
Where to begin... this was just horrible. Literally a remix of Twilight. I don't get why this is popular. Read something better written, please.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Drug use, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Gaslighting
lqne's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Vomit, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, and Excrement
quietlex's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I enjoyed the story, despite being fairly predictable and on the nose. Things work out a bit too conveniently, in a way that you know all the main characters will be fine, and there’s rainbows and sunshine at the end.
I mean come on, she leaves just DAYS before the curse runs out of time, if only she had said those three little words to him at ANY point since she already knew she loved him. She wouldn’t have made it past the second trial without Rhys secret help. She happens to figure out the riddle the second before being killed, then she’s magically brought back to life by a special never seen before golden goo that all the High Lords have! Where have you been loca style, she’s all pretty and shiny like a new vampire now.
Also, Feyre is an idiot. Makes it really hard to love her character when she continuously makes the worst decisions over and over.
Also, Feyre is an idiot. Makes it really hard to love her character when she continuously makes the worst decisions over and over.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
jesus_wept's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
mary_grace_van_der_kroef's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
A Court of Thorns and Roses is the same time magical and heartbreaking. A romance twisted within the intrigue of the fae court, a human thrust into a world she was never supposed to experience.
I can see why so many people find this story addictive, but it left me a bit disappointed. The story is well written, and the setting magical, but it's let down slightly by a few scenes that are only there to appease readers looking for "spice" within their romance. Some of it fits well within the story, and some of it doesn't.
The ending is emotional and dramatic and tugs at heart heartstrings while giving nodding at what's next. The characters are enjoyable, a good blend of realistic and fae, wonderful and wounded. But the end 'solution' is more than a bit cliché. Still, we love those clichés don't we? It's why they exist.
Overall its a good story and an interesting look into fairy tale of the Fae. I am interested to see where the story goes in book two.
I can see why so many people find this story addictive, but it left me a bit disappointed. The story is well written, and the setting magical, but it's let down slightly by a few scenes that are only there to appease readers looking for "spice" within their romance. Some of it fits well within the story, and some of it doesn't.
The ending is emotional and dramatic and tugs at heart heartstrings while giving nodding at what's next. The characters are enjoyable, a good blend of realistic and fae, wonderful and wounded. But the end 'solution' is more than a bit cliché. Still, we love those clichés don't we? It's why they exist.
Overall its a good story and an interesting look into fairy tale of the Fae. I am interested to see where the story goes in book two.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, and Sexual harassment
bookishchef's review
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Mixed feelings.
Was really enjoying the story up until about 45% even though the original Beauty and the Beast themes were mostly gone. After all, Feyre isn't learning to love Tamlin *despite* his appearance at all. (She isn't learning to love him despite his race either. She overcomes her racism within no time).
There's no "this is the moral" moments because I don't think this story has any morals at all, unlike the original Beauty and the Beast.
SJM hits the story beats of both the original La Belle et la Bête and the Disney adaptation. But again, doesn't go into the themes surrounding those stories at all. So this is more a Beauty and the Beast backdrop or AU-setting than a retelling.
Regardless of that, the story was fun entertainment. It wasn't high literature at all. Everything was easy for the main character, almost everyone was nice to her[(despite her murdering someone!) So yeah, this story just screamed dumb fun.
And the voice acting of the audio drama I was listening to, was insanely good. Even though the actors moaning at every slightly sexual scene made me uncomfortable. Actually. All of the sex scenes kind of sucked.
It would have been an unserious 4 star read. But then the issues started. The truly bad issues. Here's a list of them:
1. Sexual Assault
Around the 45% mark, Feyre (almost) gets SAd twice. Once by a random group of men. Once by Tamlin. And we're supposed to find the latter romantic? I'm supposed to be rooting for this relationship?
Worst of all, when she tells Tamlin and Lucien that she didn't like being SAd, they laugh at her. They tell her she should have expected it because she was out late at night and told to stay indoors, so it was her fault. Jesus H. Christ?!
A few pages later we're supposed to find Tamlin's and Feyre's relationship romantic again? I truly don't know what the author was thinking here.
Multiple times, it is mentioned that Tamlin "just can't help himself" or "can't stop himself". This is seen as normal and Feyre just accepts it outright. I fucking hated it.
Around the 90% mark Rhysand, kisses her against her will. There's a plot reason for this. He does it to cover for her and Tamlin. But it's so so so icky.
2. Inconsistent characterisation
Tamlin is inconsistent and goes from being a bloodthirsty warlord, angry at Feyre for murdering his friend, to head over heels for Feyre within paragraphs. He SAs her, then keeps on being romantic with her. He tells her she cannot leave, and then tells her to leave him (which works in the original because The Beast goes through character development, but Tamlin does not develop at all, so this feels weird.)
It is later revealed that Tamlin let Andris get killed on purpose. That it is all part of Tamlin's curse and his plan to let his friends get killed only for a chance of breaking his curse (which does NOT make him likeable). But then his and Lucien's anger does not make sense! Tamlin breaks down Feyre's door and permanently mentally scars her family in the beginning of the story. So is he angry and vengeful? Or does he not give a shit about Andris because he just needs a human girl to marry him?
Lucien's character, while being the best, is also inconsistent. He goes from vomiting at the sight of blood to cleaning up decapitated heads without an issue, without any significant character moments which could cause that development.
He starts off hating Feyre for killing his friend. Almost gets her killed by omitting important information and not coming to her rescue despite promising to do so. And then, he out of nowhere starts bantering with her and protecting her from Rhysand. What? Did Lucien care about Andris or not? Does he want Tamlin's curse to be broken or not?
Nesta starts off a complete bitch who refuses to help Feyre in feeding their family. To the extend that she doesn't even chop wood for a fire because she doesn't care. She is peak laziness and an awful sister and person, just like the sisters in the original La Belle et la Bête.
But then, when the riches come back. She suddenly cares about Feyre? She goes after her? She tells Feyre that she couldn't have helped more? And starts painting with Feyre? Literally a complete retcon of her character within 1 book.
Amarantha is incredibly evil and cruel throughout the book (or at least after we finally meet her). It makes no sense with her characterisation for her to give Feyre an 'out'. To give Feyre that riddle that will instantly save Tamlin. You're telling me, that someone THAT ruthless would leave a gap in her plan like that? Especially since she apparently does care about semantics with the whole ""immediately" only applies to the riddle not the trials"-bullshit".
Feyre doesn't escape the inconsistencies either. Sometimes she wants to escape, sometimes she doesn't. Sometimes she cares about having killed Andris, sometimes she doesn't. Sometimes she believes her family is horrible and wants to leave them forever, sometimes she crawls back to them and loves them again. Sometimes she wants to find information about the Blight, sometimes she just wants to suck and fuck Tamlin. Sometimes she rightfully wants to kill Rhysand, sometimes she kind of wants to suck and fuck him too.
Sigh.
3. Bad writing
While being threatened by Rhysand, Feyre gives him a fake name. Instead of giving her own, she gives the name of one of her sisters' friends: Claire.
This is the first time we hear of Claire. We have never heard anything about her or her relationship with Feyre's sisters before. She has never been relevant before, she has had no speaking lines and has literally never been on page.
Then, Rhysand burns down Claire's house. And Claire's family dies. Again, this does not happen on page and we, the reader, have never met Claire or her family. Instead, we hang out with Feyre's sisters, who also BARELY seem sad that Claire's family is dead. Despite apparently being her friends.
When Feyre eventually goes to save Tamlin, Feyre sees Claire's tortured corpse. She died because Feyre gave her name instead of her own.
And I do not give a flying fuck.
The reader hasn't spend any time with Claire, we know nothing about Claire, not even Feyre's sisters cared about Claire. Nobody cares about Claire. So why should I?
The reveal of Claire's corpse is supposed to be a big moment, but it just rings hollow because there hasn't been any setup.
This is just an example of some of the issues in this book.
Maybe if SJM had made Claire an actual character earlier on. Maybe if we had actually seen Claire chat with Nesta or Elain. Maybe if we had been SHOWN any sign of Claire before. MAYBE I would have given a shit.
And this isn't just a Claire issue. Half of the characters are bad or useless.
- You have Alis. Who is only there for exposition and is barely a character beyond that.
- And Elain, who has a flower garden. And that's her entire characterisation.
- And Feyre's dad, who has a messed up leg. And that's his entire characterisation.
- And Isaac, who is there to be Feyre's ex. And for her to compare Tamlin to. And that's it.
So, most of the characters do not have characterisations and the ones that do are inconsistent. Great.
4. Show don't tell violations
- We hear about Claire being kidnapped and murdered. But we don't get to see it. (Hell we don't even get to see Claire while she's alive)
- We hear about Isaac and Feyre having a complicated relationship, but we don't get to see it.
- We hear about Tamlin having to whip Lucien, which almost breaks both of them. But we don't get to see it.
SJM doesn't show us the most interesting parts of the book.
5. Repetitive writing
The "so [insert adjective] I couldn't paint it" or "I could never paint that" shit when Feyre saw or experienced something nice was extremely overused. I counted 6 seperate times before the 60% mark. It got annoying fast.
6. The fucking curse
The curse is so overly complex and has so many (sub)clauses. It's fucking ridiculous.
Tamlin has to find a human girl willing to marry him and then the curse will be broken. Okay got it. That makes sense.
HOWEVER
- This human girl has to hate fae enough that she first has to kill a faerie.
- This faerie can't be any faerie, it had to be one of Tamlin's men.
- And the human girl can't murder out of self defense, she had to kill the faerie unprovoked.
- The human girl has to tell Tamlin to his face that she loves him, and mean it
- Tamlin, nor anyone else, is allowed to tell the human girl about the curse during any of this.
- Tamlin and his entire court, forcibly get a mask attached to their faces so that the human girl can't be impressed by their beauty and therefore fall in love with Tamlin.
Bitch. Why the fuck does his curse need SIX different clauses? Why is does this curse read like a legal contract?
Also why does the entire court need to wear a mask? Only Tamlin needs to have his beauty hidden, right?
Also, Alis first says that Tamlin needs to marry a human girl, but then says that the curse would have been resolved if Feyre had just told him she loved him. So which fucking is it?
7. Rhysand
Oh my fucking God. This is the worst Aaron Warner situation I've ever encountered. I know this cunt becomes a love interest in the next book and I literally cannot accept that.
He treats Feyre extremely cruelly because he wants to anger Tamlin enough for him to kill Amarantha. Thing is, I think Tamlin is already PLENTY angry.
Or idk? Kill fucking Amarantha yourself after the curse has been lifted? She literally sexually abused you? I'm sure you're plenty angry yourself. Why shift that responsibility to Tamlin?
This is especially an issue since Rhysand does actually try to kill her when Tamlin can't do so and the curse doesn't lift right after the trials. So he didn't even need Tamlin to begin with! (And even when the curse does lift and Tamlin kills Amarantha, I don't see why Rhysand couldn't have done that. Or why Tamlin needed to be angered more. He was already furious!)
And angering Tamlin also doesn't excuse the fact that Rhysand also treats Feyre horribly when Tamlin isn't even fucking there. He messes with the bones in her broken arm, constantly sexually harassed her, and licks away her tears while they're in the privacy of Feyre's cell. Why do that if you're just trying to anger Tamlin?
He literally objectifies Feyre and abuses her the whole time. He only treats her okay-ish when she turns into a fae at the end.
There is no way, and I mean, absolutely no way that he can be redeemed.
Now these 7 sins don't mean I didn't find any enjoyment in this book. It was still dumb fun sometimes (although I hated the ending. Truly wished Feyre died to be honest).
The issues with this book were so glaring that I can't give this more than 2 stars.
Was really enjoying the story up until about 45% even though the original Beauty and the Beast themes were mostly gone. After all, Feyre isn't
There's no "this is the moral" moments because I don't think this story has any morals at all, unlike the original Beauty and the Beast.
SJM hits the story beats of both the original La Belle et la Bête and the Disney adaptation. But again, doesn't go into the themes surrounding those stories at all. So this is more a Beauty and the Beast backdrop or AU-setting than a retelling.
Regardless of that, the story was fun entertainment. It wasn't high literature at all. Everything was easy for the main character, almost everyone was nice to her
And the voice acting of the audio drama I was listening to, was insanely good. Even though the actors moaning at every slightly sexual scene made me uncomfortable. Actually. All of the sex scenes kind of sucked.
It would have been an unserious 4 star read. But then the issues started. The truly bad issues. Here's a list of them:
1. Sexual Assault
Worst of all, when she tells Tamlin and Lucien that she didn't like being SAd, they laugh at her. They tell her she should have expected it because she was out late at night and told to stay indoors, so it was her fault. Jesus H. Christ?!
A few pages later we're supposed to find Tamlin's and Feyre's relationship romantic again? I truly don't know what the author was thinking here.
Multiple times, it is mentioned that Tamlin "just can't help himself" or "can't stop himself". This is seen as normal and Feyre just accepts it outright. I fucking hated it.
Around the 90% mark Rhysand, kisses her against her will. There's a plot reason for this. He does it to cover for her and Tamlin. But it's so so so icky.
2. Inconsistent characterisation
It is later revealed that Tamlin let Andris get killed on purpose. That it is all part of Tamlin's curse and his plan to let his friends get killed only for a chance of breaking his curse (which does NOT make him likeable). But then his and Lucien's anger does not make sense! Tamlin breaks down Feyre's door and permanently mentally scars her family in the beginning of the story. So is he angry and vengeful? Or does he not give a shit about Andris because he just needs a human girl to marry him?
Lucien's character, while being the best, is also inconsistent. He goes from vomiting at the sight of blood to cleaning up decapitated heads without an issue, without any significant character moments which could cause that development.
He starts off hating Feyre for killing his friend. Almost gets her killed by omitting important information and not coming to her rescue despite promising to do so. And then, he out of nowhere starts bantering with her and protecting her from Rhysand. What? Did Lucien care about Andris or not? Does he want Tamlin's curse to be broken or not?
Nesta starts off a complete bitch who refuses to help Feyre in feeding their family. To the extend that she doesn't even chop wood for a fire because she doesn't care. She is peak laziness and an awful sister and person, just like the sisters in the original La Belle et la Bête.
But then, when the riches come back. She suddenly cares about Feyre? She goes after her? She tells Feyre that she couldn't have helped more? And starts painting with Feyre? Literally a complete retcon of her character within 1 book.
Amarantha is incredibly evil and cruel throughout the book (or at least after we finally meet her). It makes no sense with her characterisation for her to give Feyre an 'out'. To give Feyre that riddle that will instantly save Tamlin. You're telling me, that someone THAT ruthless would leave a gap in her plan like that? Especially since she apparently does care about semantics with the whole ""immediately" only applies to the riddle not the trials"-bullshit".
Feyre doesn't escape the inconsistencies either. Sometimes she wants to escape, sometimes she doesn't. Sometimes she cares about having killed Andris, sometimes she doesn't. Sometimes she believes her family is horrible and wants to leave them forever, sometimes she crawls back to them and loves them again. Sometimes she wants to find information about the Blight, sometimes she just wants to suck and fuck Tamlin. Sometimes she rightfully wants to kill Rhysand, sometimes she kind of wants to suck and fuck him too.
Sigh.
3. Bad writing
This is the first time we hear of Claire. We have never heard anything about her or her relationship with Feyre's sisters before. She has never been relevant before, she has had no speaking lines and has literally never been on page.
Then, Rhysand burns down Claire's house. And Claire's family dies. Again, this does not happen on page and we, the reader, have never met Claire or her family. Instead, we hang out with Feyre's sisters, who also BARELY seem sad that Claire's family is dead. Despite apparently being her friends.
When Feyre eventually goes to save Tamlin, Feyre sees Claire's tortured corpse. She died because Feyre gave her name instead of her own.
And I do not give a flying fuck.
The reader hasn't spend any time with Claire, we know nothing about Claire, not even Feyre's sisters cared about Claire. Nobody cares about Claire. So why should I?
The reveal of Claire's corpse is supposed to be a big moment, but it just rings hollow because there hasn't been any setup.
This is just an example of some of the issues in this book.
Maybe if SJM had made Claire an actual character earlier on. Maybe if we had actually seen Claire chat with Nesta or Elain. Maybe if we had been SHOWN any sign of Claire before. MAYBE I would have given a shit.
And this isn't just a Claire issue. Half of the characters are bad or useless.
- You have Alis. Who is only there for exposition and is barely a character beyond that.
- And Elain, who has a flower garden. And that's her entire characterisation.
- And Feyre's dad, who has a messed up leg. And that's his entire characterisation.
- And Isaac, who is there to be Feyre's ex. And for her to compare Tamlin to. And that's it.
So, most of the characters do not have characterisations and the ones that do are inconsistent. Great.
4. Show don't tell violations
- We hear about Isaac and Feyre having a complicated relationship, but we don't get to see it.
- We hear about Tamlin having to whip Lucien, which almost breaks both of them. But we don't get to see it.
SJM doesn't show us the most interesting parts of the book.
5. Repetitive writing
The "so [insert adjective] I couldn't paint it" or "I could never paint that" shit when Feyre saw or experienced something nice was extremely overused. I counted 6 seperate times before the 60% mark. It got annoying fast.
6. The fucking
The curse is so overly complex and has so many (sub)clauses. It's fucking ridiculous.
Tamlin has to find a human girl willing to marry him and then the curse will be broken. Okay got it. That makes sense.
HOWEVER
- This human girl has to hate fae enough that she first has to kill a faerie.
- This faerie can't be any faerie, it had to be one of Tamlin's men.
- And the human girl can't murder out of self defense, she had to kill the faerie unprovoked.
- The human girl has to tell Tamlin to his face that she loves him, and mean it
- Tamlin, nor anyone else, is allowed to tell the human girl about the curse during any of this.
- Tamlin and his entire court, forcibly get a mask attached to their faces so that the human girl can't be impressed by their beauty and therefore fall in love with Tamlin.
Bitch. Why the fuck does his curse need SIX different clauses? Why is does this curse read like a legal contract?
Also why does the entire court need to wear a mask? Only Tamlin needs to have his beauty hidden, right?
Also, Alis first says that Tamlin needs to marry a human girl, but then says that the curse would have been resolved if Feyre had just told him she loved him. So which fucking is it?
7. Rhysand
Oh my fucking God. This is the worst Aaron Warner situation I've ever encountered. I know this cunt becomes a love interest in the next book and I literally cannot accept that.
He treats Feyre extremely cruelly because he
Or idk? Kill fucking Amarantha yourself after the curse has been lifted? She literally sexually abused you? I'm sure you're plenty angry yourself. Why shift that responsibility to Tamlin?
This is especially an issue since Rhysand does actually try to kill her when Tamlin can't do so and the curse doesn't lift right after the trials. So he didn't even need Tamlin to begin with! (And even when the curse does lift and Tamlin kills Amarantha, I don't see why Rhysand couldn't have done that. Or why Tamlin needed to be angered more. He was already furious!)
And angering Tamlin also doesn't excuse the fact that Rhysand also treats Feyre horribly when Tamlin isn't even fucking there. He messes with the bones in her broken arm, constantly sexually harassed her, and licks away her tears while they're in the privacy of Feyre's cell. Why do that if you're just trying to anger Tamlin?
He literally objectifies Feyre and abuses her the whole time.
There is no way, and I mean, absolutely no way that he can be redeemed.
Now these 7 sins don't mean I didn't find any enjoyment in this book. It was still dumb fun sometimes
The issues with this book were so glaring that I can't give this more than 2 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Sexual assault, Torture, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Vomit, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent