" I hadn't realised I was a villain in your narrative"
A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES BLURB:
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.
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THERE IS A BRIEF SPOILER FREE REVIEW OF EACH BOOK, FOLLOWED BY A REVIEW OF THE SERIES AS A WHOLE, SPOILERS HAVE BEEN HIDDEN.
You will like this series if you like:
~ Fantasy
~ Fae
~ Beauty and the Beast Retelling ( with a twist)
~ Fated mates
~ Adult romance
To Note: These are not standalone stories within a series and therefore MUST be read in order.
For the series:
PLOT: 5/5
CHARACTERS: 5/5
WRITING STYLE: 4/5
PERSONAL ENJOYMENT: 5/5
OVERALL RATING: 19/20
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BOOK ONE REVIEW:
A tale of two halves; a very slow start, the characters especially Tamlin felt very under-developed. While Feyre's sisters almost seemed cliches in the way they were portrayed. One bitter and angry (though the reasons given for the cause felt tenuous at best, the reaction did not feel in proportion to the 'trauma' ) while the other was a delicate flower that needed to be shielded from all aspects of life at all costs. The story really picks up in the second half of the book when a new situation and more characters are introduced. The story finally takes on a more interesting narrative. I am glad I stuck at it as the second half completely makes up for the beginning of the book. And gets you excited to get to book 2.
~Rating: 3.75/5
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BOOK TWO REVIEW:
I enjoyed this book from the get go, there was a lot that happened at the end of book 1 that left me forming theories that I needed to know if I had guessed right. Book 2 deals with the aftermath of what has happened. We get to explore the cost at a personal level on the people involved and what the bigger repercussions will be to the land of Prythian and the human realms. We see the unraveling of a relationship due to the trauma suffered by both. It left me with the old refrain of " why wont they just TALK to each other?'' but as the story moves along we realise communication is the least of their problems! There are a lot of big revelations and major plot twists in this one. Overall I enjoyed this book far more then book 1.
~Rating: 5/5
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BOOK THREE REVIEW:
This one was an epic read, so many characters and so many story arcs! I enjoyed hearing the backstories of the main characters. The complex relationships are explored further. The author packed a lot of action and elaborate story telling into the final book. which was a welcome surprise. Our characters are forced to make some hard decisions. Even though the main story arc was resolved, there are enough loose ends and tantalising hints left unanswered that I feel a few more books could be written.
~Rating: 4.75/5
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NOVELLA REVIEW:
I know this book divides fans. But I view novellas as extended epilogues or as a slice out of time in the life of the characters. As such I was not disappointed, I really enjoyed getting a taste of how everyone was faring after a particularly traumatic event. It shows how after the initial euphoria of surviving as well as the old feelings, insecurities surfacing, characters have to deal with all the consequences of their decisions. There is survivors guilt and PTSD to deal (not deal) with and old strained/ awkward relationships to be navigated. But with that being said we also get to see the characters get together and spend time as a family. This novella also gives us tantalising glimpses into what is in store for our characters.
~Rating: 4/5
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SPOILER FREE SERIES REVIEW:
This was a series that I was reluctant to pick up as there was so much hype around it I wasn't sure it could live up to it. I also had a few assumptions that I had made about it; the series would read too young and that there would be nothing too drastically different from the Beauty and the Beast format. I felt I would be disappointed and so I passed over this series time and again for other books.
Well I am scolding my past self because this series as a whole was brilliant, I really liked how it starts as a Beauty and the Beast retelling and then takes a fantastic twist and turns into a whole different entity! The world building, though not as detailed as some fantasies I have read, still encompassed enough to make it an immersive experience.
There were many characters each with their own extensive backstory, it helped us to understand them better and explained the dynamics in the entangled relationships that existed. All this made for a rich story and I loved it. The characters themselves illicit so many emotions from me. Some I hated outright and could not find any redeeming qualities AT ALL. While others I had a lot of compassion for even when they were making really bad and I mean unjustifiably bad, decisions!
I had slight issues with certain things some characters did; as it felt at odds with the rest of their personality or past actions. But in general I thought all the characters were well rounded with complex personalities and thoroughly believable. My absolute favourite characters were Amren, Cassian, Azriel and Rhysand. Amren because of her blunt, cutting (you feel the burn even as a bystander) remarks. Cassian for the comic relief, Azriel for his sad backstory and how quietly sweet he is. Rhysand because with everything he goes through he is strong enough NOT to go down the path others went down. Also because of his capacity for love.
The writing style was simple and easy to follow and it suited the story perfectly as so much was happening especially from ACOMAF onwards, that I appreciated not having to struggle through difficult and unwieldy prose.
I enjoyed this series so much that I wish I had read it sooner, I would highly recommend these books.
The following section contains some of my thoughts and gripes and will contain spoilers so please read at your own discretion:
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Favourite quotes
“I love you,’ he whispered, and kissed my brow. ‘Thorns and all.”
“We need hope as much as we need bread and meat,” he interrupted, his eyes clear for a rare moment. “We need hope, or else we cannot endure.”
“If it grieves you," he said, the words caressing my bones, "then I don't think it's absurd at all.”