A Court of Thorns and Roses— Is it Worth the Hype?
If you happen to stumble upon #BookTok, you more than likely have seen Sara J. Maas’ series A Court of Thorns and Roses. First published in 2015, this novel quickly rose to the New York Times Best Seller list, receiving a 4.2 rating on Goodreads. The real question is, does this coveted series deserve all of the hype?
Seeing as everyone continually raves about the series, I decided to strap in and read the first book, and needless to say, it definitely did not disappoint. This illustrious series surrounds the life of a young girl named Feyre Archeron whose world had been divided into two—the human realm, and the faerie realm called Prynthian—after a gruesome war between the two realms.
After her previously wealthy family fell into financial ruin due to a bad investment made by her father, Feyre had taken up the responsibility of keeping her family alive. One day while hunting, Feyre had spotted what seemed to be a wolf, and decided to kill it. This, however, would soon be revealed as a major mistake.
According to the writer of the novel Sara J. Maas, ACOTAR originally started off as a retelling of Beauty and The Beast, though quickly emerged as its own identity and storyline. When you read it, you can definitely pick up on the subtle references to the “tale as old as time.”
The first book in the installment does start off a tad slow, but the climax quickly propels you into a mystical fantasy as you follow Feyre’s story. The pacing stays consistent throughout the read and rarely has moments that feel dragged out. Towards the end of the book especially, it becomes nearly impossible to put it down.
As for the characters, Maas did a fantastic job of making them both lovable but flawed in their own specific way. Each character has their own backstories and tramas, that shine through their personality and make them feel real.
The romantic aspect of the book will single-handedly have you blushing right along with Feyre, not to mention all of the tastefully spicy scenes sprinkled within the book. Pro-tip for those of you readers who like to Google the characters they read about: skip out on looking up this series if you don't want to spoil anything for yourself (seriously, there are so many spoilers you'll run into from a simple search).
Overall, I definitely see why every bookworm is obsessed with this fantasy series. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to get into reading but doesn't want a slow-paced read. And if reading isn't your thing, don't sweat it! Hulu is currently in the process of adapting the novel into a television series, so anyone will be able to appreciate this work of art.
Did you enjoy this series? Leave a comment below.