Thursday, July 9, 2015

Book Shelf: A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1) by Sarah J. Maas

A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!


More info on Goodreads......


Review:

A Court of Thorns and Roses is a sublime fantasy retelling of the Beauty and the Beast classic by bestselling Throne of Glass author Sarah J. Maas that proves once and for all what a phenomenal writer she is and that this woman certainly isn’t a one trick pony!

Sensationally written, detailed and paced, A Court of Thorns and Roses follows nineteen year old Feyre, a talented huntress whose life is forever altered when she kills a wolf in the woods one day, only to soon discover that it was in fact a faerie and that by doing so she has broken the Treaty that that existed between the Fae and humans for centuries. Despite being the sole provider for her family, Feyre is whisked away by a formidable beast by the name of Tamlin to his manor estate in a magical land as punishment, ordered to live out the remainder of her life for her crime.

As the days and weeks pass, Feyre’s mistrust and dislike of faerie’s slowly diminish as she begins to see their world through new eyes. Beginning to discover a whole new side to Tamlin, Feyre finds herself unexpectedly being drawn to the fierce warrior who is brutal and beastly but surprisingly gentle and honest. As the burning feelings she begins to feel for him slowly develop into a passionate and powerful love affair, Feyre must fight to learn the truth about the curse that encompasses Tamlin’s land if she ever wishes to save the man she loves….

After discovering such a lush world in Maas’s Throne of Glass series, I was so excited to read this new novel from her. At its base, the tale of Beauty and the Beast is such a beautiful one to behold and what Sarah J. Maas manages to do within this novel is nothing short of spectacular. A Court of Thorns and Roses is an incredibly written novel; rich, vivid and magical. Maas’s writing is lyrical and descriptive and perfectly weaves together this fantasy tale that is in no way lacking with its perfect blend of danger, romance, magic and thrilling character relationships that is interwoven into the story with humour, wit and passion.

The characterization within this novel is absolutely perfect in my eyes. All the individuals we met throughout the story were vividly described, personable and very unique. Feyre and Tamlin were understandable stand outs. Lucien, Alis, Rhysand and more were wonderful supporting characters, bringing such personality to the story. Maas does a great job with her setting, both in the human world and the Fae worlds Feyre explores. I loved the descriptive nature of this story and the magical picture it paints that is both dangerous and wild, but infinitely beautiful.

Feyre is an absolutely wonderful main character to follow in this story. She’s everything I love in a fantasy heroine; strong, capable, tenacious and willing to fight for what she believes in and those she loves. Feyre begins the novel as a strong individual, yet she still manages to undertake massive amounts of growth in terms of her mindset towards the Fae and her understanding of their world. She makes some hard choices but I was right there alongside her for every one of them; feeling it all and cheering for her.

Tamlin was such a luscious male lead and love interest for Feyre. As a High Lord and one of the Fae, he was expectedly beautiful and sexy looking, but it was the protective and caring aura Sarah J. Maas manages to weave around him throughout the pages of A Court of Thorns and Roses had had me going all gooey for him. Tam was strong and powerful and extremely charming. Sure he had his grumpy moments but as you begin to learn what he’s been though he makes a lot more sense I found it impossible not to love him as much as Feyre.

Prominent amongst the fantasy and danger within this novel is the romance between Feyre and Tamlin. Plain and simple, I loved how Sarah J. Maas as written their relationship. There is a wonderful love affair within The Court of Thorns and Roses that Maas writes perfectly. Though they are from different worlds, Maas sensationally develops the relationship between Feyre and Tamlin and explores the connection between them in a way that is impossible not to feel. The passion and desire that builds from their easy friendship was wonderful to read about and I felt every moment shared between them. I burned for them. I wanted them to be together and enjoyed every moment of their developing romance.

My only fear with this series is the introduction of Rhysand. Rhysand was charming and cheeky and really likable, but I don’t want him to be a love interest of sorts for Feyre and I fear that this could be the case. I’m honestly very much over love triangles and considering how much I adore Feyre and Tamlin as a couple, I would hate anything to come between them.

Lyrical, descriptive and wonderfully expressed, A Court of Thorns and Roses is quite possibly the best fairy-tale retelling I have ever read. Sarah J. Maas details a retelling not to be rivalled with her lush, powerful and perfectly paced novel. For fantasy fans and fairy-tale fans alike, this is one not to be missed!

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by Bloomsbury Australia (Thank you Sonia!)
Format: Paperback
Buy it: Bookworld | The Nile | The Book Depository | Amazon
My Recommendation: This is an absolute MUST READ for fantasy and fairytale fans!
Cover: I think this cover is stunning. The red is so striking and it just burns!
Will I read sequel/continue with series: YES!

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