I was drawn to this book because of the hype and was curious as it’s not a genre I would usually read. I did find this book a little bit slow but understood after the first half that it’s because the reader is being introduced to a new world. Really interesting characters, reminded me a little bit of Beauty and The Beast. The ending had me immediately reaching for the second book. I ended up really enjoying ACOTAR and have since continued of read the other books in the series.
Thank you for the copy!

When Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, she unknowingly murders a faerie and is subsequently dragged to the fae lands to live amongst them in retribution. As time passes, Feyre’s hostility towards her captor, Tamlin, melts into a fiery passion that overrides every story and warning she has been told about the dangerous world of the fae. But a darkness is spreading over the fae lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it before both the fae and human worlds are overtaken by evil.

I really, really don’t get the hype around this book. It’s pretty standard in terms of young adult fantasy, and is decent enough as a Beauty and the Beast re-telling of sorts, with enjoyable magical elements and a spunky female lead, but that’s about it. This is, above anything else, a love story, but the romance between Feyre and Tamlin felt really forced to me, and I know from reading reviews and fan comments that Feyre is going to end up with Rhys later in the series, which undermines her relationship with Tamlin in this book completely. I just don’t get it (and I’m not going to read further into this series, so I guess I never will).

Although it didn’t do much for me, ACOTAR is set in a richly detailed world and I know a lot of readers absolutely adore this series, so I would still recommend it to fans of YA romantasy. Just don’t expect to be blown away by it.

This is not my usual genre but I really enjoyed this book
I loved the way the author builds such a magical world.
The writing style is easy to understand the story.
Can’t wait to carry on with the series

This earc was unreadable, so will likely just purchase it for myself in the future. Thanks anyway for accepting my request.

3 - 3.5 stars

I had low expectations going in, because I typically don't read YA (especially YA romance) and have heard that this is quite smutty, but I was interested to see the beauty and the beast retelling would play out and overall I found this an enjoyable read, more so than I expected.
There were lots of things that I didn't like - I DNF'd this book twice after reading the first few chapters, but perservered after a friend told me it improved. My main issue is that so many of the characters seemed poorly developed, particularly the female protagonist who I found boring. Her motivations throughout made very little sense, the first person narrative from her perspective was cringe-worthy YA - eg she's so tough and independent, she's so selfless and does everything for her family, she's not like other girls etc. Equally, the love interest is one-dimensional and the villain who is built up throughout is completely underwhelming.

There was less smut / romance than I expected, though there was a kiss scene with some questionable consent. There is also a lot of emphasis on male and female in ways that I found cheesy and distracting - "why does any male need a reason to enjoy the presence of a female." Oh dear. I thought the writing was generally servicable but it seemed like there were a list of stock phrases being repeated throughout. It could definitely have benefited from a good edit.

However, I stuck with it I thought the world building seemed original and the fantasy plot was en0ugh to keep me interested (despite several plot holes). Pacing was very slow to start, and then the majority of action occurs in the last 1/3. At this point, a side character gives a several page exposition so that all everything is explained, though things still seem highly implausible.

Overall, despite everything that I didn't like above, this was a light read that was entertaining for a few hours and I can understand why people like it. As someone who doesn't really enjoy YA writing, especially YA romance, this was better than I expected, if very cringe-worthy.

Im sure there is much already said about this book and a lot of my thoughts won't be new. However I found this book hard to get into initally and felt there was a lot of things waiting to happen. I was beginning to wonder what the hype has been and why it seemed to be a 5 star read for so many people as I found the start of it to drag and not really much that made me want to invest into the characters and plot. I pushed through and was an enjoyable read but found it even better in audio book version which I have since also purchased. Definately a book I would recommend for fans of the fantasty romance genre and this writing style. Will be continuing with the series at some point.

I've read this book a couple of times now, and each time I enjoy it more than before.

Even if you don't enjoy ACOTAR, it's worth it just to get to ACOMAF which is arguably the best book in the series!

This is one of the best books (and series) I've ever read. Initially picked this up as a loose retelling of beauty and the beast but Sarah J Maas worldbuilding and characters quickly immersed me.

I wasn't a fan of Feyre as a character at start, but she soon came into her own. It is so easy to become invested in each of the characters and see the journey through Feyre's eyes and the ending.....

Full of fae, magic, adventure and strong characters this is a story not to miss out on.

The general hype of this series is why it’s taken me so long to pick them up. I didn’t have high hopes.

A Court of Thorns and Roses is my introduction to Maas, and I was satisfyingly pleased with how adsorbed I soon became.

The first half of the story is slow-paced. Feyre is a feisty, determined heroine giving all the right signals for being able to carry the series. But the beginning felt like a Beauty and the Beast retelling, where there was limited character growth.

Despite being set in a ‘court’ there are only a handful of characters altogether. Given the new world we’re being introduced to, this worked surprisingly well. The book could’ve done with more development for some of the characters, though.

The second half is much stronger. The tension increases, the danger becomes paramount, and the pacing picks up, despite the in-book time spanning a few months. It’s clear from the writing who Maas is invested in as her favourite characters due to their complexity compared to the development of the classic love interest.

There seems to be a complete lack of rules for the magic in this world, only that it’s restricted. Somehow, Maas gets away with it: there’s a few convenient magical interventions that keeps the plot moving forward, but nothing that feels like a cheat. It’s easy to accept what they do, even if you don’t know the limits of their power.

I look forward to more!

This series is so freaking good!! I want to pick the books up again immediately. I love all the characters and the world building. And basically, Sarah J Maas can do no wrong.

A court of thorns and roses - Sarah j. Maas

I’m sorry I didn’t get to read this title and so it expired therefore I cannot give an accurate review. Sorry

I'd never read a Sarah J Maas book before I read this one, and I had no idea what I was missing!
I really enjoyed A Court of Thorns and Roses. It's exciting, mysterious and sexy.

I've always been a big fan of anything fae, and this played right into that. From the start, they're presented as something other, something mysterious and absolutely something dangerous. There are hints at a greater history, that left humans scraping a living behind a wall, always at risk from fey hunters. Some of that history is elaborated on through the novel, but there's still a lot left mysterious that I hope gets addressed in later books.

After killing a fey in the woods, Feyre, our heroine, is taken by a fey lord beyond the wall to his crumbling estate after he makes a very dramatic entrance indeed! As she resists her new life, and slowly, begrudgingly settles in, there are definite elements of Beauty and the Beast at play, but it's not a straight retelling, more like a thematic influence, as A Court of Thorns and Roses tells its own story. Like Feyre, we slowly uncover mysteries and secrets and the whole thing is enticing and enthralling, as anything fay should be!

It's also very sexy! Everyone is brooding, dark and dangerous, and I was quite won over by it. It's steamy, nothing too explicit, but definitely left me wanting more!

I thought I'd give this a go after read a House of Earth and Blood unfortunately I think i will be sticking to her adult series

A Court of Thorns and Roses is a best-selling fantasy novel, just not one for me. Possibly I have read too many variations on the theme of Beauty and the Beast to truly enjoy it. The world-building is good, but I felt the characters were a little predictable, Fayre and Tamlin in particular. Lucien was more interesting but was a less important character.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read the book.

I don't know where to begin with reviewing this book.

The characters are all fantastic and I want to know them in real ife.

A very good re-telling of Beauty and The Beast.

Can't wait to read the next in the series.

I was granted an ebook copy of this novel on Net Galley. I originally requested it because of Instagram – I have seen this book and this author ALL OVER Instagram. #ACOTAR was trending everywhere I turned and I was beginning to feel a sense of FOMO, something I don’t normally feel as I’ve never really been one to follow the crowd. However, when so many people recommend a particular author, I do become intrigued and want to assess the hype for myself.

The story begins with a strong sense of world-building, humans have now been outcast to the Southern lands to rule in their own way and the Fae and magical creatures rule the North, with a magical divide in the middle to separate the two kingdoms. Humans are not faring well from the deal, struggling for food and living in poetry. Fayre lives with her two sisters and father, after promising her dying mother she would look after them, she frequently hunts to keep food on the table. However, her life is transformed when one day she accidentally kills a wolf that turns out to be a Fae and must pay the price of a life for a life. Tamlin, the Fae who turns up to claim her, shows mercy and allows her to live out her days north of the border with the Fae. Feyre gets to live a life of seeming luxury, despite having to put up with smouldering, grumpy Fae men. The narrative is supposed to be a retelling of Beauty and the Beast however, I really did not get those vibes from the characters, Feyre is not a damsel that requires saving as she lives in comfort and is free to leave the grounds should she wish to risk it and Tamlin although beast-like and moody, is kind to Feyre from the beginning and never really feels like a threat to her or an enemy. Also, Tamlin does not have an ugly exterior that Feyre has to look past to see the good in him, he is simply trapped by a magical mask and can sometimes shapeshift into a beast but is otherwise pleasing to look at.

The opening felt very Hunger Games to me with the snowy, poverty-stricken setting and the first ten chapters or so felt like a very slow burn, with Fayre learning more information about the Fae and their histories and present chaos. I was anticipating a climax at some point to really kick start the narrative. Things seem to happen far too easily for Feyre and she ignores all advice from other characters which is very frustrating in a main protagonist. However, as soon as Feyre encounters her first horrifying Fae creature in the woods and begins to unravel the secrets of the Fae, the narrative takes a fierce kick in the right direction. From then on the writing is fast-paced, riveting and sexy. We have to talk about the steamy scenes, wow – they are something else and definitely push this book more towards ‘Adult’!

I am now itching to go and buy ‘A Court of Mist and Fury’ and continue my way through the series. I am glad I listened to the hype and I’m glad I kept reading the novel even when I wasn’t sure because I am now an ongoing fan!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the ARC to review.
After so much hype, it seems I ​can't push myself to get through this book.
As a new reader of fantasy books, I admit it's not my favourite genre. But I was excited to see what the fuss was about with this series.
The start was intriguing, and I enjoyed reading about the family and their lifestyle.
But man, this book was SO slow, it took forever for the story to get going. But when something finally happened, I'd already lost interest. Too many books in my TBR not to enjoy one, but I so wanted to enjoy this!
The writing was good, great in places, and the characters too, but the plot lacked too much for me.
Also, serious question. If all the other readers acknowledge that the first book dragged but the second book is where it really takes off, why would people even want to pick up the next book in a series if the first book was not good? This makes me intrigued about the second, but I'm unsure if I'm motivated enough to read it.
I kept pushing through waiting for the changing moment, but I don't want to waste my valuable reading time.

A brilliant read. I can't wait to get my hands on the rest of the series. The characters are intriguing, the world is beautifully crafted and the story flies along

Quite a slow start but generally a good, solid fantasy with characters to get invested in and an exciting fairytale twist

I love Sarah J Maas.

Oh, you want more than that for a review - well, OK.

I love Sara J Maas. She writes books that are deceptively simple, but contain some beautiful prose that is just so captivating. She conjures emotion in her characters so carefully and so vividly that I could read her all day.

The story is reminiscent of a vampire tale - a man who is strong and lethal and perfectly beautiful and a mere human is entirely at his mercy. So far, so 'Twlight'. But Maas conjures a backdrop of war and carnage, humans struggling in the remnants of a broken world while the fae carry on with their cruelty all under the dubious regulations of The Treaty. None of those awkward blood-sucking moments, and although I can see very clearly what Maas wanted to do, she does it differently.

She may never go down as a master of her craft, but Sarah J Maas has a talent that means I will happily read her over and over. A novel that was over 6 hours long, and I read it in under two days.

Loved it.