Wednesday 6 May 2015

A Court of Thorns and Roses, Sarah J Maas

Pages: 416
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release Date: 7th May 2015
Edition: UK proof, review copy


Feyre is a huntress. She thinks nothing of slaughtering a wolf to capture its prey. But, like all mortals, she fears what lingers mercilessly beyond the forest. And she will learn that taking the life of a magical creature comes at a high price…

Imprisoned in an enchanted court in her enemy’s kingdom, Feyre is free to roam but forbidden to escape. Her captor’s body bears the scars of fighting, and his face is always masked – but his piercing stare draws her ever closer. As Feyre’s feelings for Tamlin begin to burn through every warning she’s been told about his kind, an ancient, wicked shadow grows. Feyre must find a way to break a spell, or lose her heart forever…

I knew before I started A Court of Thorns and Roses that I would enjoy it and yet it still rose far above my expectations. Easily one of my favourites of 2015 so far.

Sarah J Maas manages to balance a high fantasy containing faeries with a reimagining of Beauty and the Beast wonderfully. Beauty is a classic and beloved fairytale with a very distinctive storyline, but I love how it was approached in this. It was subtle, with just enough nods for a fan of the original tale to notice and gesture wildly at the page when they show up. It felt like a genuine reimagining rather than a retelling. The take on fae lore was also really cool. I loved that the cruelty, horror and awe of the fae was carried across and rather than immediately fall in love with deadly High Fae, I felt the same apprehension as Feyre. There were lots of nods to what I see as traditional lore – an aversion to iron and an inability to lie – some kept, and other nuggets turned inside out. Very well done!

And what better protagonist to carry the story such a wonderfully crafted world than Feyre. Just like Celaena, she has a less-than-perfect past, is endlessly loyal to those she loves, and is beautiful, badass and brilliantly complex. And most importantly, for me, she’s nowhere near perfect. She makes mistakes with Tamlin and she takes risks, some which pay off and others that don’t, and I really admired her. The dynamic between Feyre, Tamlin and his emissary, Lucien is wonderful. I love the banter and the gradual friendships and respect; it just worked, and there was no hint of a love triangle which was rather glorious!

Sarah J Maas is a master storyteller. Her writing is exquisite; her characters complex, flawed and endlessly relatable and worlds all-consuming – A Court of Thorns and Roses needs to be on your shelves.

Thanks to Bloomsbury for the review copy!


Sophie 

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