From the Bookshelf of Nothing But Reading Challenges…

A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1)

Sarah J. Maas

Start date: June 22, 2015

Finish date: June 30, 2015

Discussion: Books of the Month

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What Members Thought

May 27, 2015 Heather - hturningpages rated it it was amazing

Shelves: loved-it, retelling, amazing-series, favorites, bookclub

Gahhh my reread of this was even better than the first time I read it a couple years ago! Knowing how the series ends, and particularly what happens in book two makes me appreciate so many subtle things during my reread, I highly recommend it!

Rating: 5/5 sleeve tattoos of Rhysand's making

Format: softcover. You better believe I marked the heck out of my copy with stickies on my favorite passages.

What's it like: It's pretty much unlike everything else on my favorites shelf haha It's steamy, it's Gahhh my reread of this was even better than the first time I read it a couple years ago! Knowing how the series ends, and particularly what happens in book two makes me appreciate so many subtle things during my reread, I highly recommend it!

Rating: 5/5 sleeve tattoos of Rhysand's making

Format: softcover. You better believe I marked the heck out of my copy with stickies on my favorite passages.

What's it like: It's pretty much unlike everything else on my favorites shelf haha It's steamy, it's smart, it's got all kinds of amazing description, sass, and bloody gore. It is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but only if you took that tale and added in some Outlander level sexy bits and gore, and then some Rosamund Hodge level fantasy elements and world building.

What I loved: The descriptions are lush yet pointed and powerful. We are so immersed in Feyre's mind and her point of view, you feel everything she feels, and SHE FEELS A LOT. I found Feyre really relatable too, she has flaws but the things she cares about I immediately cared about too, which made me really invested in her fate. Without going into spoiler zone, I loved the unfolding of the mystery of the spring court's curse, and the realizations Feyre has about it during the last third of the book. The realizations just keep coming and are layered so nicely into the plot that's it's almost impossible to put the book down.

What was meh: There was some serious info dumping just before the last third of the book, that is pretty crucial to what happens next, but it still feels like an info dump.

Who I'd recommend it to: anyone that wants some ya/na fantasy that isn't just fantasy, isn't just romance, or just adventure, but all of those in one!

Favorite quotes: waaaaay too many lol
I had become the music and the fire and the night, and there was nothing that could slow me down.

"When you healed my arm...You didn't need to bargain with me. You could have demanded every single week of the year." My brows knit together as he turned, already half-consumed by the dark. "Every single week, and I would have said yes." It wasn't entirely a question, but I needed the answer.
A half smile appeared on his sensuous lips. "I know," he said, and vanished.

"Be glad of your human heart, Feyre. Pity those who don't feel anything at all." ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Nov 30, 2016 Michelle rated it it was amazing

Shelves: re-read, 2016, 2020, favorites

I've had this book on my TBR list for months, even though I really didn't know anything about it. Two things tipped me over the edge - I read a review that said it was a retelling of the Beauty & the Beast story and a friend decided to reread this book and it's sequel because she said they were the best books she has read in a long time. She wasn't wrong. This book was so good. I was hesitant at first, but it quickly lured me in. I highly recommend this one and can't wait for the next book to be ...more

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Sep 22, 2017 Ama rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: teen, 2017, fantasy, fiction-adult, romance-erotica-adult, classic-retellings, new-adult, ez-rat, ez-pifm, romance-teen

In this retelling of the traditional Scottish tale and ballad of Tam Lin (not Beauty and the Beast, which was written AFTER Tam Lin), Feyre, the youngest of a once-prosperous merchant’s three daughters, has ensured her family’s survival for the past several years. While hunting, she kills a giant wolf – knowing that he was likely Fae. The wolf’s friend comes to avenge him, and takes Feyre to his home beyond the wall between their lands – the Spring Court.

For the first time in many years, Feyre i ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Jul 06, 2016 Beth rated it really liked it

Shelves: wobble, vaginal-fantasy

I am too old for first person teen books but I made it through.

1 like · Like · see review

Apr 05, 2021 Avigail rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobook, audible, physical-book, 2021, own

ACOTAR is a series. I heard a lot of good and not-so-good things about it. But I want to judge based on my own reading. The truth is I just finished the "A Court of Thorns and Roses" and the truth I like for now. I know that I will continue with the series. The plot was fairly typical, but this didn’t really take away from the story.
I really enjoyed the way Maas made faeries so acutely, unlike traditional ‘fairy’ images. The raw, animal nature of the Fae characters was fun to read, and I liked ...more

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Jan 02, 2017 Amanda rated it really liked it

Shelves: 4-stars

I really loved this book, and enjoyed the turned and twisted version parallel to the Beauty and The Beast. Looking back this will, probably, stay my favorite books in the series.

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May 27, 2015 Lauren added it

Shelves: i-give-up

I tried to read this for 2 weeks and it never took off for me. Pretty disappointing because I really wanted to rave with everyone else. Maybe another time...

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