A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses series #1)

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Page Count: 416
Rating: B
Keywords: Fairytale retelling, Beauty and the Beast, romance, Fae, good vs. evil
Genre: YA Fantasy
Younger Readers: this would probably be closer to new adult than young adult, sex scenes are present and more detailed than the general fade away scenes present in younger YA, not a full blown romance novel though

Synopsis from Goodreads:

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!

Review:

   I originally bought this book simply because it was by Sarah J. Maas, the ruling goddess of YA fantasy at the moment. I love her Throne of Glass series and was excited to see another of her stories. The beautiful cover (which is reminiscent of Sansa from HBO's Game of Thrones) was another draw for me. My "B" rating of the book is not so much about the book, but more my expectations built upon the fabulous Maas.
   This is a Beauty and the Beast retelling with a faerie twist (let it be noted that these faeries differ from those present in her Throne of Glass series). As a retelling it was highly enjoyable. I could easily pick out the inspiration from my favorite fairytale but it was unique enough that it did not feel redundant and tired. Tamlin (our Beast) is a faerie with a curse causing a mask to be permanently adhered to his face and Feyre (our Beauty) is a human huntress who cannot read. The magical land where the faeries live is very interesting with its complex hierarchies and customs. I really enjoyed the way that their culture was developed over the course of the work.
   I really enjoy Maas ability to introduce characters in a harsh light and then almost force the reader to love them. She did this for Manon in Heir of Fire and she did it for a few characters in this book as well. Lucien is a part of Tamlin's court. He is initially presented as antagonistic towards Feyre and his hostility makes him mildly repulsive. However, he does begin to grow on the reader and there is no denying warm fuzzy feelings for the fox masked faerie. Rhys/Rhysand is another of these changeable characters. He grows from pure evil to sort of manipulative to actually likeable. I have some theories about his closing scene in this book and where it will lead in the rest of series but I don't want to spoil anything. Do not fear though. There is a truly evil villain, Amarantha, who is exceptionally fun to hate with a passion as she makes our heroine's life a living hell. Her back story explains her enough without making the reader feel sympathetic or conflicted over hating her. The blend of questionable characters and clear cut villains was enjoyable and kept up the momentum of the story.
   When I was perusing reviews prior to reading I noticed a theme. Many people loved the book but "romance", "smut", "steamy", "swoon" and "hot" were words used frequently. These are not what I would typically expect from a YA novel and for the first half of the book I did not see what the other reviewers were referring to. Now after completing the book I will say that it makes more sense. Our heroine, Feyre, is not a virgin nor is she treated as being an innocent and ignorant girl. There are sex scenes present. I probably would not let my young cousins (under the age of 12) read this but I would not tell all teens to avoid it. The maturity and comfort level of the reader should be the real determining factor. It is a step above average YA but nowhere near the levels of detailed sex scenes present in A Bronze Horseman or true romance novels.
   It should also be noted that this novel felt very much like a standalone. This is not the case, however. A Court of Thorns and Roses is actually the first installment in a projected trilogy. I fully intend to stick with the series.
   Overall, a fun and fast paced read that will cure boredom with ease. This is not a heavy fantasy read. I read it in two days during finals week at university. It's not perfect but it is more than readable. I highly recommend it if you like fairytales, love stories, fantasy, and masks. Oh my, the masks.

Also Recommend:

If you love Beauty and the Beast like I do, I would recommend checking out Beauty by Robin McKinley. One of my favorites from years ago!