I love Sarah J. Maas writng. This series is one of my particular favourites posessing twists and turns. Quite adult for the teen market, but now marketed for adults who I think will enjoy it. An excellent additon to the adult fantasy market offering excellent plot lines and characters following the plight of Feyre after one fateful event whcih leads her to for Fae world. Exciting and compulsive it keeps you want more. Adults will delight in following Feyre’s exploits in this amazing world.

I can’t believe I’m so late to the ACOTAR universe. This series is so well lauded I was hesitant to start it. Until about half way through I was still eye-rolling at the adolescent cuteness, like a less cringey Twlight-esque human meets non-human, they fall in love and have to risk their “lives” for everything. Then I found myself getting caught up in the characters and the story and forgot all about it being targeted at YA. I sound scathing, but I’m really not. It was great fun and I’ve already started the next in the series.

I've never really read much fantasy or YA (although that's debatable) so this was a step outside of my comfort zone!

There was a lot of world building and meeting of characters in ACOTAR, understandably. I personally really enjoy this part of books, and the first half of this novel was no exception. The contrast between Feyre's mortal world and the faerie world was really interesting and I lived the back story of the tensions between the kingdoms.

I really liked the character of Feyre, I got definite Katniss vibes but the books are very different. I love how strong she is but willing to change she was. And how much she broke the rules.

I had very little clue how the romantic relationships will play out in future books as there seemed to be a spark between a lot of the characters! I think this will be the reason I end up reading the rest!

I found the end third really gripping. I wont spoil it in case anyone hasn't read but, oh the tension! I couldnt stop reading! It was exciting, different and just a really good read. I didn't want it to end!

This is my first Sarah Maas book and despite some challenging format on the ARC, it drew me right in, Fayre is one of three sisters who live in reduced circumstances after having known a comfortable life. Their mother is dead and their father is crippled and often in a world of his own, because it was some nasty creditors who crippled him in painful ways.

Fayre hunts for food, since the family is destitute. The forest is dangerous, full of hungry wolves as well as fae shapeshifters, and when she encounters a large wolf stalking the same deer she's hunting, she can't be sure which it is. The tension of her attempt to hunt food without becoming prey herself got the story off to a good start.

I wondered many times if this was meant to be a re-imagining of Beauty and the Beast, as there were a lot of similar elements. Fayre is a strong but fearful character, mistrusting the Fae effectively as monsters despite their physical beauty. These are not your fairytale Fae! She encounters some chilling creatures in the course of the story.

The first half kept me riveted, but then it started losing me. The standard gratuitous sex scene that seems to be a feature of New Adult books was better written than most, but still the same old actions. There was some inconsistency in characters and somebody needs to explain to the author that villages don't have 'blocks', an exclusively American term used by city dwellers.

There were also several occasions where the use of a word in a sentence would klunk, just not quite fitting. Despite that, the imaginative encounters with various supernatural characters and especially in the trials Feyre had to face were well done. The end was fairly predictable, but fit the story.

I don't think I'll be continuing the series, but overall I did enjoy the read. 3.5 stars.

This book was amazing! I couldn't get enough of it and bought the second straight away.
If you want to be whisked off to a magical world with a kickass heroine and some rather sexy man folk, then this is the book for you.

The character development is wonderful and I fell in love with the characters too.
I stayed awake well into the small hours with this gem of a book.

Well done!

I loved this book! It is a well crafted fantasy retelling that grips you from the start. The characters are crafted well and fleshed out perfectly. I will definitely be seeking out the next books in this series.

I've put off reading this book for YEARS - I always thought it would be too much fantasy for me, or too over the top, or too something. But clearly I was very wrong - I literally couldn't put it down. I read it on the bus, in shop queues and while brushing my teeth. It's definitely compulsive. Having said that, I do have some reservations about it - I wasn't a fan of the insta love between Feyre and Tamlin, and there were a few times I wanted to throw Feyre out of a window. But none of those things are going to stop me reading the next book in the series as soon as I can possibly get my greedy hands on it.

I’ve spent most of this book not knowing my rating. What I’m about to say is the minority. I know this.
Oh, and Mild spoilers ahead.

It’s a tricky proposition- it’s readable and page turning with some good descriptions and thrilling action - but I found the establishing of the central relationship problematic.

Feyre sort of accidentally kills a fae, and so is taken to live with a Fairy Leader, who doesn’t kill her like he normally would, for you know, plot reasons.
She suffers from the trope of the strong yet relatable female protagonist, (a la Hunger Games/Divergent). She’s self trained enough to seem independent but in other aspects needs rescuing and is hugely emotionally immature.

Don’t even get me started on the love triangle element introduced half way through with a (for me) initially even more unlikeable suitor.

So.....the immortal man, Tamlin, keeps a 20 year old woman at his luxury house full of servants (who don’t mind being servants) by telling her she’s free to go, but if she ever actually leaves him, she will totally die and such.
From there she slowly starts to fall in love and see that he’s not a bad, despite killing stuff at night and having a mask magically welded to his face. As you do.
She begins to appreciate the fae life and not worry so much about her family left behind. Mainly because he’s essentially erased her from their minds and feeds them while the rest of her village is struggling.

Aside from that I think the ideas are brilliant, the magic system and the overarching ‘blight’ plot is intriguing. The different courts could be fascinating, and I like Lucien the male sidekick character, who has layers and what promises to be a great backstory.
If the sequels avoid a love triangle and focus on plot, politics and magic I’m in.... but I suspect I may be disappointed. I am not the target older YA age range, which I understand, but will probably check out book 2 to see what happens

First of all, the new cover is gorgeous.

I read the book in one sitting, and enjoyed it in general as far as retellings go.
However, there was something missing, something I cannot really put my finger on, and maybe because the plot was so predictable I thought the book was just OK.
Nevertheless, Sarah J. Maas, writes pleasing and easy to read book, and this is a fun read.

Ahhhhhh where do I begin! Ok so I actually loved this book. When I wasn’t reading it, I wanted to be! It was carried around the house and in my bag, just incase I’d get the chance to read when I was out. It’s one of those kind of books.

If you were/are a Twilight fan or a Hunger Games fan, you’ll love this EXCEPT this isn’t for the tweens. It’s very much for the grown ups. There’s a few scenes in this novel that are quite adult if you get my drift.

This is a fantasy novel, but it doesn’t stray too far into the genre to not be relatable. It’s a romance story but it’s well written so you’re kept hanging as the main character Feyre tries to survive in the Faerie world which she has gotten herself into unwittingly. I thought the writer did a great job on the supporting characters so that they had enough depth and the faerie world wasn’t too otherworldly (If that’s even a word😂).

I’d completely recommend this. It’s an easy read you’ll get caught up in. I accepted it for what it is, a fantastical read to take you from this world into a completely different one and I loved it!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review..

With the circulation of the new covers, it was finally time to start a series that’s been on my list for years. And let’s just say, I wish I had read this five years ago!

Maas creates a rich and almost immersive Fae universe, as we follow Feyre into the dark legends of Pyranthian after the consequences of her own actions in the mortal world. The relationships and power balance between characters makes this such a compelling read.

The characters are complex are fleshed out over the course of the book. Any uncertainty or queries I had were resolved by the end - and now I need to read the rest of the series!

For a book that started so slowly I almost gave up just a few chapters in. I checked the synopsis, wondering what I had chosen to read and ploughed on wit the thought of how was this anything like Beauty & the Beast. As I continued with Feyre and Tam and their journey together I fell deeply into this book and fell in love with their love story.
The drama, the tense will they / wont they and riskiness of life or death scenario all rolled in to one story was a beautiful story. I can honestly say I became hooked and chose not to do anything until I had read the last word of this roller-coaster experience for Feyre.
And to my delight.... this is just the first in a series, I'm off to read the rest!

The ACOTAR series has many loyal fans so I don’t need to explain every detail in this review. Instead, I will give my thoughts as someone who doesn’t usually read fantasy novels and whether it lived up to the hype.

I was concerned that fantasy novels in general would use lots of ‘flowery’ and made up language and that the way the story was written would make it hard to follow. Actually, the story was very easy to read and as a Welsh speaker I was pleasantly surprised to see that the Welsh language had influenced some of the names – Nesta, Elain, Rhysand, Calanmai

I honestly didn’t know if this book would interest me but it didn’t take long before I was really hooked. I don’t even know why because it was so different to the types of stories I usually enjoy. Something about it was quite addictive and I couldn’t put it down. Certain events towards the end of the book made it very difficult to not carry straight on and read ACOMAF.

I also had a preconceived opinion that I wouldn’t warm to the characters in a fantasy novel. Maybe because I usually read darker novels, I was drawn to Rhysand and Lucien more than the other characters.

Overall I am genuinely surprised with how much I enjoyed ACOTAR. I thought that the relationship between the humans and faeries was really interesting and this actually grabbed my attention more than the love story between Fayre and Tamlin, I hope this is explored more in the next book.

This book is everything I hoped it would be and more. I cannot find fault with it and enjoyed every second of reading this; so much so that after finished the first book, I bought the rest of the series.

The story follows Feyre, a huntress who inadvertently kills a faerie disguised as a wolf. Despite having an inkling that the wolf is in fact a faerie, Feyre doesn’t think of the consequences of her actions as she is desperate to feed her starving family. She learns the hard way that her actions have consequences and they can be dire…

Maas has created an intricate world seamlessly with fantastic characters and a lot of heart. I loved how strong Feyre is throughout the book, as a weak human in a world full of magic, she is fierce and wonderful throughout.

The story felt fairly reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast at times, I’m not sure if it’s meant to be a retelling of sorts but it certainly had some elements of it. The world is divided, the girl is captured by a ‘beast’ like character until she falls in love with him and her dad is out of touch with the rest of the world. It definitely had its similarities!

I cannot wait for the rest of the series to arrive at my door. I have a feeling this is going to be one of my favourite series of all time.

With her family on the brink of starvation, Feyre risks shooting a wolf deep in the forest, with no idea she's about to be dragged into the middle of a faerie nightmare.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Feyre is a human who has always been taught that faeries are tricksy, malicious things, that think nothing of killing people. She never thinks that she would meet one disguised as a wolf, and when she kills it, her life is forfeit to Tamlin, a High Lord of the faerie kingdom.
She gets dragged away to an enchanted palace - but the luxury is only surface-deep. There is a blight on the faerie land, and the powerful immortals who are becoming her friends, can do nothing to stop it.

I did enjoy this faerietale retelling of Beauty and the Beast, with all its little hints and nods to the original and Disney story.
With Alis as Mrs Potts, the roses, and somewhat amusingly, Feyre being illiterate, but a passionate painter.

The first half of the story slowly builds the friendship between Feyre and Tamlin, which gradually becomes more passionate.
I thought Tamlin was pretty bland. He's gorgeous and cares deeply about everything around him, but that's really as far as his character goes.
I much more enjoyed Lucien's scenes, the disfigured best friend who doesn't hide who much he dislikes Feyre. There was a good chunk of the book, where you don't know if he's trying to kill her or help her.

I know she's only one of the side characters, with little time in the spotlight, but I was really impressed with the character arc of Feyre's older sister, Nesta.
At first she's painted very clearly as the spoiled, entitled brat, who would rather let Feyre work herself to the bone, than lift a finger to help. When really, she can see things clearer than she lets on, and has her own motivations.

I thought the book was definitely one of two halves, and I don't know how well they gelled.
The first half is a slow-build romance, with hints of something dark brewing. Feyre has to work out the mystery, and learn what she can about faeries, because the human myths won't help her.

The second half is a lot darker, as Amarantha, the "Queen" of the faeries, comes into play.
Feyre has to hold onto her love for Tamlin, and hope it's enough to see her through what's to come.

Overall, I really enjoyed this, and I look forward to the rest of the series.

"Long ago, the High Fae had been our overlords - not gods. And they certainly hadn't been kind."

Fayre is a mortal who lives with her family in a cabin near the woods. Each day is forced to brave the forest so she can feed her starving family. But after killing a faerie a beast turns up at their door demanding justice and drags her back to Prythian, the faerie realm, to live out the rest of her days. At the opulent house she discovers that her captor, Tamlin, is a High-Fae, one of the Lords of the realm, and that there is much more to him, and the other faeries than the murderous creatures she's been led to believe they are. When he tells her of a magical curse on Prythian that is spreading evil throughout the lands and taking away their magic, Faeyre finds herself fighting beside him as they battle for the survival of both faerie and mortal against creatures darker than she has ever imagined.

"The few stories I'd heard had been wrong - or five hundred years of separation had muddled them. Yes, I was still prey, still born weak and useless compared to them, but this place was... peaceful. Calm."

What. A. Book. I admit that prior to reading I had judged the book by its cover and the genre by my preconceptions and for a long time hadn’t even considered reading it. But when the Tandem Collective announced their readalong and I read the synopsis I decided to take the plunge and read something way out of my comfort zone. I am so glad that I did. This is Fantasy at it’s finest: cheesy romance that you can’t help but love, mythical creatures, magic and heart-stopping tension. And I loved every minute.

"Once it had been second nature to savour the contrast of new grass against dark, tilled soil, or an amethyst brooch nestled in folds of emerald silk; I'd once dreamed and breathed in colour and light and shape."

The imagery in this book is spectacular. Sarah J. Mass has created a world so vivid and evocative that it brings her fictional worlds to life and makes the real world disappear. I felt like I was surrounded by what Faeyre was describing and could picture it all as clearly as if it were on a movie screen. Her characters are memorable and compelling. Fayre is a fantastic protagonist; she is feisty, strong, independent and loyal but also acerbic and spiky. She could be unlikeable but I had a real soft spot for her. I loved her blossoming romance and am excited to see what is next for them as well as to see more of Prythian and the other courts in book two.

Atmospheric, enchanting and addictive, this is the perfect novel to lose yourself in and forget the real world. I am now a total Fantasy convert and can’t wait to not only read the rest of this series, but more of the genre too.

I am shocked to say that I really enjoyed this book! I have read a few of her others and really didn't get what the big deal was but I really liked this one. It is a loose retelling of beauty of the beast. Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this title in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately I tried to persevere through this book but there was no spacing between the words in the formatting and it wasnt possible to change and I couldn't find anyone to contact! Unfortunately due to this I couldn't read nor review it!

I’m not normally a fantasy fan but I thoroughly enjoyed this book, so much so, I have already purchased the other books in the series. The plot was well thought out and executed perfectly with characters that you instantly fall in love with. I highly recommend this book, even if you are not normally a fan of fantasy and I will be purchasing more books written by Sarah J. Maas.
*Many thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Short review: A Beauty and the Beast retelling with few faeries, no beasts and lots and lots of snarls, growls and groans. And a few eye rolls from me.

My advice: if you’re a fan of Throne of Glass, you’ll like this. If not, skip it.

I found it hilarious that the marketing recommends this book to fans of George R. R. Martin. It’s like saying if you love fine wine, you’ll like this Tesco boxed grape juice. Don’t get me wrong, I like me some grape juice occasionally, it can be a fun, light and pallet cleanser after all the genocide, murder and slavery of grimdark fantasy, but there is no comparison here.

Long review, no spoilers:
This book is very uneven. The first 80% of it was plain boring and I was close to DNF-ing it many times, only progressing out of the curiosity to discover why this series is so incredibly popular.
I have to admit the last 20% was an improvement, more action and development of the plot. Entertaining and suspenseful, a popcorn read overall.

Prose:

I will not criticize the abundant sex scenes because I always knew they were included. But the repetitions. Oh lord the repetitions.

Having read the whole trilogy, I am pleased to include the following total word count:

“mate” – used 313 times

“male” – 257

“claim” - 118

 Callused fingers must be a trademark of SJM because she shoved them down my throat every other page.

Plot:

Ferye is taken from her home and kept in a fairy castle because she did something bad and now she has to navigate this court of thorns and roses. I mean of intrigue and mystique.

I don't mind a slow moving story. Somehow this one just felt bland. The romance didn't have that slow burn / fire, so not believable. One day Feyre just decides Tamlin is too steamy and wants him.

The ending was so predictable that it had me laughing out loud..

The worldbuilding is some of the laziest I've encountered in fantasy lit. Everything (magic rules, history, backstory) is introduced via someone TELLING Feyre. The dialogue is basically constant info-dumping. At the end you understand why every time Feyre asked a million questions, answers from the Fae were offered up on a platter, but it could have been done better, more engaging, to keep the reader's interest until the end.

Characters:
Tamlin is quite lacklustre, the whole premise of this book is that it’s meant to be a Beauty and the Beast retelling, which would be charming and tugging at my heartstrings except it’s not that at all. The “Beast” is handsome, with a strong jaw, brilliant green eyes and glistening corded muscles. Eye roll. Who could ever fall in love with this monster?
Feyre is a bit of an idiot. I hated it when she made stupid decisions constantly, even though expressly warned by others not to do something ( Fire Night incident, Suriel incident, going into the forest etc). Everything she's good at she learned only from watching others. There’s no development, no evolution, even towards the end when she must face some trials, she succeeds Mary Sue style.

Rhysand single handedly saved this story. Lucian was hilarious. Her relationship with her family was indeed interesting to see unfold, especially with Nesta, a welcomed complexity.

Overall, this was a soap opera in written form, it had the potential to be something cool, but wasquite amateurish.

My 15 y.o. self probably would have enjoyed this.... probably.

"I could never paint this or that or capture that on canvas" - Yaaaaaawn.