Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (ARC)

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Release Date: May 5, 2015
Acquired Via: Around the World ARC Tours
A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling 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!

My Review

Whoa.

Seriously. Whoa.

Okay, let me start off by saying that A Court of Thorns and Roses is outstanding. I don't know if Sarah J. Maas could write a bad book if she tried. I loved Throne of Glass so much that it was also difficult to put to words, but obligation requires me to tell you guys about this book. So I shall. Prepare for gushing.

It wasn't until after I read A Court of Thorns and Roses that I realized that it was being classified as New Adult by a lot of bloggers, and it makes sense because there are some very adult scenes in the book that I would not put in the hands of younger teenagers. Unless they asked. You know, being a librarian and all. Anywho, there was some sexytimes that included the silly romance metaphors (I'm looking at you, "sheath".) and penetration. The characters are also a little bit older than what is typically found in YA. Okay, Feyre is a little bit older and the Fae characters are a LOT older.

Speaking of Feyre and the Fae, I could not have been happier with the characters in the book. I've read books based on the Tamlin character before, but A Court of Thorns and Roses takes the cake. He's not exactly like the Tamlin in other tales or even the beast (this is also a Beauty and the Beast retelling), which is great because he is something completely his own in this book. Feyre is also one of my favorite heroines that I've read in a long time. She's tough without being off-putting to me as a reader or the other characters. She's also written in such a way that I wanted to know more about her, and I was invested in her story. I had to see what was going to happen to her next. And the slow burn between the love interest in the story... Whew... That's exactly how romance should be written.

As for the world-building in A Court of Thorns and Roses, I could not get nearly enough of it. The story was different enough from those that Maas obviously drew inspiration from that I never really knew what was going to happen next - especially in the last third or so of the book. I literally stayed up all night reading after the halfway point of the book because it was impossible to step away from Feyre and Tamlin. Before getting to that point of A Court of Thorns and Roses, it was addictive learning about the world. There is this fear and hostility toward the Fae on the human end and a disdain for the humans from the Fae. Seeing how the world worked and then the character interactions once that was in place was so good. I really hope there are prequels to this like with Maas' Throne of Glass series.

While I wouldn't really compare A Court of Thorns and Roses to George R. R. Martin's work as it states in the description, it is just as addictive as A Song of Ice and Fire. I cannot wait to get my hands on anything else that comes along in this series, and you should definitely pick up a copy of this book as soon as you can.

- 5/5 Stars -

Pre-Order Links
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Fishpond | Indiebound


To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received an advance copy of the book briefly for reviewing purposes through Around the World ARC Tours in exchange for an honest review. The book was likely provided to the tour by the publisher or author, which has in no way affected the outcome of my review. All opinions expressed are rambling, honest, and completely my own.