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A review by qatkatcat
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
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