by Sarah J Maas
My Rating
Summary
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 Review
This book is the most enjoyable high fantasy novel I’ve enjoyed in a long while. I am a big fan of Richard and Kahlan’s love story in The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind, although let’s not talk about the TV series based on those particular books; that was…a world of cringe.
Anyway, moving on – I spent too much time procrastinating and avoiding other errands, even skipping doing the dishes to snuggle down on the sofa and read A Court of Thorns and Roses. Several sweet cups of tea and a late-night ensued, and I had demolished the whole thing before I knew it!
Our main character is Fayre (it is pronounced Fay-Ruh, I had to look up how Sarah J Maas pronounced it herself) is a caretaker, a hunter, a provider. Before I continue, I should mention that I didn’t read the book’s synopsis. I initially believed Fayre was a boy! I know, I know, I’m a silly Fae!
Feyre is a strong individual who has to take care of her family after losing their fortune and end up living in a run-down cottage. Her father is next to useless, one sister is nothing but snarky, and the other painfully inadequate and whimsical. One day while hours into hunting, she comes across a deer. With hunger gnawing at her belly, she positions to aim with her bow and arrow but realises a giant wolf is also stalking her prey.
Forced to decide, eat or starve, she kills the wolf as it grabs at the deer, with the sturdiest arrow she has to avoid it turning on her. She skins the wolf, knowing she will fetch an excellent price at the market for it and heads home with the deer carcass.
At this point, I did feel as though the start was a little slow. Even with all the wolf-slaying action, I had to remind myself that it is high fantasy, it is to be expected, the world-building is a lot more in-depth than most stories, and I needed to relax and let it come together. After a couple of years of reading many Kindle Unlimited books, you get used to simple descriptions, simple wordage, and quick reads. It’s pretty superficial world-building in those cases.
Feyre’s bounty is enough to feed the household for several days, and the price she fetches for the pelts of both animals is enough to replace both of her sister’s clothing. The evening following market day, a gigantic wolf bursts through their little cottage door screaming, “MURDERERS!”
The wolf that Feyre had killed had been Fae, and she was now on the wrong end of an Ancient Treaty between the Fae and humans. After years of war between the two races, it had been put in place and created an uneasy peace that has lasted hundreds of years. For killing another Fae, the punishment was a life for a life. But, this particular wolf gave her a choice – die or live in the Fae lands forever.
His eyes didn’t leave my face as he said, “A life for a life. Any unprovoked attacks on faerie-kind by humans are to be paid only by a human life in exchange.”
Tamlin, the wolf.
Stolen away into the night and magically induced to sleep, Fayre awakens two days later as they cross the magic border wall into Fae lands. Finding herself now living in luxury but having zero contact with anyone other than a High Lord of the Fae, Tamlin, and his emissary, Lucien, Fayre has to work through feelings of guilt and find things to do with her newfound lifetime of nothingness.
“Has anyone ever taken care of you?” he asked quietly.
Tamlin
“No.” I’d long since stopped feeling sorry for myself about it.
Towards the end of the book, Feyre has to complete three trials and hoo-boy; they are noteworthy. With gory, challenging, and outright creative world-building I haven’t seen in a long time, I couldn’t put this down.
However, the love story that builds between Feyre and Tamlin was sweet and felt a little contrived.
Of course, she will fall for the first person who pays her a little bit of positive attention; her life has been one big mess of others creations. I felt that she fit much better with Rhysand, and I’m looking forward to reading book two hoping that something develops there. Maybe the fabled ‘mate’ connection. I know it is likely that Feyre and Tamlin will stay together for the rest of the books, as they went through hell to be together, but a girl can hope. Right?
Feyre, as a character, is annoying, mulish, and a bit of an idiot for the first half of the novel. It is unlikely that you’ll like her too much. But stick with it because the second half turns the whole of the first on its head!
Where to buy
Available at the following websites
Book Depository | Amazon | Waterstones | Audible
About the Author
Sarah J. Maas is the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the Crescent City, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and the Throne of Glass series. Her books have sold more than twelve million copies and are published in thirty-seven languages.
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