"To the stars that listen - and the dreams that are answered."
After 10 days and a little over 2,000 pages, I have finally finished the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. I'm left feeling both awe and sadness that it's over, at least for now (more about this later).
To start, I just want to say that I enjoy fantasy but I don't read it often. I'm fairly picky about fantasy novels that I will read because some can just be downright cheesy. Bookstagram has had this series front and center as of late, so after finally downloading it, I was surprised to see that ACOTAR was released in 2015! I definitely arrived late to the party but in this case, better late than never!
Synopsis
Feyre's survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price ...
Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre's presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.
Right off the bat, I was drawn to the world that Maas paints within ACOTAR. Each book brought about a unique setting described with such vivid detail, that I felt like I was watching a movie rather than reading a book. I can still see Feyre, the Courts, and all that played out in my head. Her attention to detail continues as Maas writes emotion into each character with such honesty, making it impossible not to feel love, hatred, remorse, and so much more as you read!
“I threw myself into that fire, threw myself into it, into him, and let myself burn.”
The series changes perspectives, a strong strategic decision on Maas' part. The first two books, A Court of Thorns and Roses and A Court of Mist and Fury are told from Feyre's perspective, which I believe was necessary in order to be given the lay of the land in terms of the Courts, the treaty between humans and the immortal, so on and so forth. In book three, A Court of Wings and Ruin, and book four, A Court of Frost and Starlight, are told from Feyre's perspective as well as from the perspective of other characters playing an important part of the storylines unfolding in each. We get a unique glimpse into those who play a huge role in Feyre's development and it gives us a look at the depth of these characters who are not as they seem.
Without going on for another day or two about everything I loved about this series, I'll wrap up the positives by saying that the series begins in a way that seemingly follows the typical fairytale; damsel in distress is taken in by beast, damsel falls in love with beast, and they live happily ever after. NOPE. NOT THIS TIME. Without spoiling anything, just know that as soon as you think you've figured it out, Maas flips the switch and shines light on all that hides in the darkness.
“He thinks he'll be remembered as the villain in the story. But I forgot to tell him that the villain is usually the person who locks up the maiden and throws away the key. He was the one who let me out.”
If there is anything negative to say about this series, it would be that book 4, A Court of Frost and Starlight, fell a bit flat for me in terms of plot development. I didn't realize until after I began reading that A Court of Frost and Starlight is actually book 3.1, with an actual book 4 coming out sometime in 2021. Declaring A Court of Frost and Starlight a novella explains the lack of development and sets it up as more of a bridge between A Court of Wings and Ruin and the upcoming release. Now I just have to count down to it's release date!
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