Sunday, July 19, 2015

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas - Review

A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Timesbestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

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

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!



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I have a confession to make. I...am a Sarah J. Maas addict. 

But actually. 

I absolutely adore Sarah J. Maas. She's funny, her friendship with Susan Dennard cracks me up, and her books never, EVER fail to disappoint. 

A Court of Thorns and Roses is a faerie retelling of Beauty and the Beast and a slew of other stories, and while I felt those influences heavily throughout the novel, the world and characters that Maas has created speak for themselves. I fell headfirst into the fairytale land of Prythian and fell in love almost immediately with the fiery, incredibly strong Feyre. If there is anything that Maas does well, other than her wonderful world building, it is creating absolutely amazing characters. Feyre, Tamlin, Lucien, Rhysand - none of the them disappoint and they are all so complex and interesting. 

I loved seeing all the different lore and fairytales interwoven. I loved the touch of East of the Sun and West of the Moon and Beauty and the Beast. I thought Prythian was wonderfully developed and the political tensions really added another element of danger to the story (other than, you know, killer faeries and such). 

Oh, and Tamlin. Tamlin, Tamlin, Tamlin. And Lucien. And Rhys. Man oh man does Sarah know how to make a hunk of a guy. I loved seeing each character grow as Feyre herself grows. I loved her relationship with Tamlin and Lucien. I'm not too sold on Rhys yet, though, but I feel like he's going to have a big part to play in the second book. The romance is just as believable and great as the world building and much swooning was happening. This is a New Adult novel, not strictly YA, so there were sexy times. I really loved the maturity of this book, though, and thought it was handled beautifully. 

The thing that I respect most, though, about Sarah is her desire and ability to make amazingly strong, complex female characters. Feyre is a warrior, through and through, and seeing her realize her flaws, weaknesses, and feminine side (well as her feelings towards certain characters) is glorious thing to read. ACOTAR is told in the first person, unlike the Throne of Glass series, and I feel like we got to see a new side of not only Feyre, but Sarah, and it was just as beautiful and heartbreaking and inspiring as I could have ever imagined. 

Now all I have to do is wait for September and Queen of Shadows *dies*

Brava Sarah!

Find out more about Sarah and her books here: http://sarahjmaas.com
Also, I highly recommend her Pinterest page: https://www.pinterest.com/sarahjmaas/

Sarah J. Maas is the New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series (Queen of Shadows, the fourth book, will release globally on September 1st, 2015) and the A Court of Thorns and Roses series (out starting May 5th, 2015). She currently resides with her husband and loyal canine companion in Pennsylvania. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Hamilton College in 2008 with a degree in Creative Writing, and a minor in Religious Studies. Sarah is represented by Tamar Rydzinski of the Laura Dail Literary Agency.

Happy Reading!

Jasmine

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