A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas is a whimsical romantic fantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast with a dark twist. Feyre’s job is to hunt and provide for her impoverished family, but this job comes with its dangers. The forest bordering her cabin is the only thing separating her village from the land of the Faerie, which makes it exceedingly dangerous.
When Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying beast shows up at her door to demand retribution. With no choice but to join him, Feyre is whisked away to the unfamiliar lands beyond the border. Feyre has no knowledge of these lands besides the fairytales she’s been told as a child, which warn her to keep her wits about her and to fear the Fae. However, against her strongest desires, her hostility towards her captor transforms into something else entirely. With a great darkness stirring in the faerie lands, Feyre must decide where her loyalties lie and whether she should try to help her faerie captor, Tamlin, or doom his lands and the entirety of the Fae forever.
The Pros: Sarah J. Maas writes in a way that is truly whimsical. Her descriptions are so vivid and beautiful that you cannot help but feel like you have been transported to a different world entirely. The best part of this book by far was the second half, which kept me so intrigued that I could hardly set down the book. Maas knows how to unravel a story in a way that will make your jaw drop with each twist and turn. The second half of this book has to be one of the most entertaining things I have ever read.
The Cons: The only reason I did not give A Court of Thorns and Roses a 5-star rating was because of how slow it starts. For the first 150 pages or so it was hard for me to stay interested because, so little was happening. The worldbuilding is definitely something you have to push through, but it is totally worth it. By the end of the book, you’ll be hooked, and everything will become so much less confusing. However, if you are someone who really struggles with slow and complex worldbuilding this book might not be for you.
Overall, A Court of Thorns and Roses receives a strong 4-star rating for its beautiful writing and fantastic twists at the end. Anyone who loves fantasy with heavy romance should definitely give this book a read.