Author: Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Spoiler Warning
This is my Cover to Cover discussion of A Court of Thorns and Roses. That means everything is fair game. If you haven't finished the book yet, this is your warning because we're talking spoilers!
SJR Quick Take
⭐ Overall: 5/5
🌶️ Spice: 3/5
💔 Emotional Impact: 4/5
📖 Would I Read Again? Absolutely
💬 Would I Recommend? Yes
Feyre & Her Family
Now that I've finished Book 1, I loved learning about Feyre and her family, especially her sisters, Nesta and Elain. I can't remember if they ever say their dad's name, but I could see why Nesta hated him. I'm not sure about her anger toward Feyre, but maybe it's just a sibling rivalry thing. Nesta is the oldest, but she knows they need Feyre to survive.
We learn how the family lost everything and that their dad wasn't very good with his money. That's how he ended up with a bad leg, and with the loss of their mother, he never really bounced back. We also get more about the town and the Children of the Blessed, who basically worship the Fae. Let's be honest, they were 100 percent getting eaten by the dark and scary ones escaping into the Spring Court.
I liked hearing how they thought certain things would kill fae or hurt them but weren’t sure, like the warding her father got for the door and the iron bracelets her sister wore. We also learn about ash and how dangerous it is to the Fae, but I kept wondering: who actually came up with that information?
Feyre is definitely a Fae hater, but how could she not be, with everything humans have been through with them and are still dealing with after the war. At the end of the day, she shot that wolf knowing it was probably a Fae. She did what needed to be done to feed her family, and I could see why.
The Mercenary
I was wondering about the mercenary and whether maybe she was a plant by the Fae since she was so willing to help Feyre, especially when she saw the wolf pelt. She also gave Feyre information about the Fae that others hadn't ever disclosed, which made me even more suspicious of her. But nothing out of the ordinary happens right away, and Feyre goes home thinking everything is fine.
Then here comes Tamlin in all his glory to scare the hell out of these poor people. Feyre shows she's ready to fight for her family, but he just wants her. She's mortified because all she can think about is her family starving to death and the promise she made to her mother going unkept.
The Spring Court
Once Feyre leaves with Tamlin, we see how easy it is for a human to be spelled when he uses magic to keep her asleep or out of the way during the journey. Then she wakes up in this beautiful Fae world, but beauty doesn't mean safe.
I loved the descriptions of everything and how Feyre was immediately thrown into the mix without really knowing what was going on. She wasn't sure about the masks, and I wasn't either, but I figured eventually we would learn.
I give her credit for trying to get back home. She didn't listen to the Fae warnings at all, but I don't know if any of us would if we thought our family was in danger or could starve.
Then we learn that the Fae had been hidden from her this entire time. Lol. I could imagine them laughing and chuckling at her, thinking she's slick while she's moving around thinking no one is there.
Lucien & the Courts
Then we've got Lucien. I might like a little bad-boy energy, and especially when we learn his true story, I felt bad for him. These courts ain't no joke, and I would never want to be a Fae. Damn. Family fighting family, siblings fighting for power, being slaughtered for fun, and breaking hearts for fun.
We start learning more about Tamlin too, and little by little, we get a better idea of what his court is actually like.
The Curse
I liked how Feyre thinks she's eavesdropping on conversations, but they're actually trying to get her to see the bigger picture and learn about the curse. I was starting to think, how is she this smooth? Because I KNOW they can hear her and smell her. I liked how they gave her space to learn and make mistakes, but some of those mistakes almost got her killed.
Tamlin did his best not to manipulate her, but he was also all in on saving his court while trying to do right by Feyre as a Fae who sympathized with humans. I wish he would've told her sooner that her family was fine, but at the same time, how would she have known he was telling the truth? Taking her back could've also been way too tricky.
I liked how he tried to be understanding even when Feyre was being very pushy. And Lucien? Lol. He wasn't having it either. But they did at least try to get to know her, befriend her, and build a relationship with her.
The Festival & Solstice
Now, the festival? They should've told her what was going down, and she would've stayed inside. Lol. A giant Fae sex party... Yeah, probably best to stay in. Now, I'm not going to lie. I might've snuck out to see what this party was about and hear some good music, especially drums. I would've enjoyed the bite too.
And the solstice with the drinking and dancing? Not so bad in my opinion.
The Threat
As the story continues, we learn more about the threat and the possibility of war, and why it's so important for Feyre to stay close. I was a little surprised to hear how many of the kingdoms had already been dominated, but I guess you just never know who to trust.
Then we finally learn the truth about the “blight.” There is no blight. It's Amarantha, the High Queen of Prythian, also known as the Deceiver. She's the one taking over the courts, stealing their power, and cursing the Fae. Sadly, no one could fight her. I was also glad Feyre was smart enough to give the wrong name earlier in the story. That was hella smart.
But damn, I felt bad for that town girl once we learned what happened because of it.
Feyre Goes Home
Then Feyre goes home and, damn, Tamlin wasn't lying! Her family is living the life. He really did set them up, but the bigger surprise for me was learning that Nesta didn't get glamoured and actually tried to find Feyre. Then Nesta understands when Feyre decides she wants to go back and save her prince. I wasn't expecting that from her after everything between them at the beginning.
Back to the Spring Court
Feyre goes back and finds destruction, and my heart broke a bit too. I was like, oh no... Then we learn the full truth about Amarantha, the curse, and what she's done to Tamlin and the other courts. Eventually, Feyre is led Under the Mountain, where Amarantha gives her a choice: beat three trials or solve the riddle. Now, I was guessing wealth, love, or even truth, but I knew it was something close to the theme of the novel.
The Trials
Damn, Feyre has got balls, and she handles those trials like a champ.
The first one? Hunter skills on lock.
After that first trial, Feyre is badly injured, and that's when she makes her deal with Rhysand, High Lord of the Night Court. He heals her in exchange for her spending one week every month with him in the Night Court, and the bargain leaves her with the tattoo covering her hand and arm, with the eye in the middle of her palm.
Then comes the second trial. Thank God she had made that deal with Rhysand because she was not going to win that one, even if she could read. And the third one...
Oh man. I felt so bad for her. I thought it was going to be Lucien under the third one, not Tamlin. Then, when she kept replaying everything she had heard, I was like:
YES!!! Do it! You won!
Well, damn.
That bitch was ruthless. I was like, someone help her! But I get it. They were scared and not a full power. Then Feyre solves the riddle... And we watch her die. I was like: ARE YOU SERIOUS?! NO!!! She can't be dead! NO!!!
Feyre's Transformation
Then we see everyone start trying to heal her. I was like, damn right! A human just saved y'all. You better do something to help that damn girl. But I did not see Feyre becoming a Fae. That completely took me for a loop! I'm glad she saved the Spring Court, but I have a feeling that now that she's Fae and still has that bargain with Rhysand and the Night Court, stuff is about to get real weird.
Final Thoughts
I loved the world-building, the characters, and the visuals. I spent the book guessing and trying to figure out if there was more going on with the curse and the court, and I'm glad I finally dived into this series.
⭐ Overall: 5/5
🌶️ Spice: 3/5
💔 Emotional Impact: 4/5
Count me in for the rest because this is going to be a fun ride!
Would I Recommend?
Yes.
Would I Read Again?
Absolutely.
Until the next chapter,
Happy Reading,
S. J. Robinson
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