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A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

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Published: June 25th, 2020
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Format: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle, Audio
Genre: Fantasy

I read this book as part of a readalong with Tandem Collective. Thank you to them for the invitation to take part and Bloomsbury for the gifted copy of the novel.

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.

The start of a sensational romantic fantasy trilogy by the bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series.

MY REVIEW:

 “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.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

Sarah J. Maas by Beowulf Sheehan

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Sarah J. Maas is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series, as well as the A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

Sarah lives in Bucks County, PA, and over the years, she has developed an unhealthy appreciation for Disney movies and bad pop music. She adores fairy tales and ballet, drinks too much tea, and watches an ungodly amount of TV. When she’s not busy writing, she can be found exploring the historic and beautiful Pennsylvania countryside with her husband and canine companion.

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