A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas

 

"Stars flickered around us, sweet darkness sweeping in. As if we were the only sounds in a galaxy."

Release Date: May 1, 2018

Genre: High fantasy, romance, fiction

Rating:

Summary:

A TIME TO HEAL

Feyre, Rhysand, and their friends still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly altered world beyond, recovering from the war that changed everything. But Winter Solstice is finally approaching, and, with it, the joy of a hard-earned reprieve.

Yet even the festive atmosphere can't keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, her concern for those dearest to her deepens. They have more wounds than she anticipated - scars that will have a far-reaching impact on the future of their court.

Bridging the events of A Court of Wings and Ruin with the later books in the series, A Court of Frost and Starlight explores the long-lasting effects of a devastating war and the fierce love between friends. 

Review:

A Court of Frost and Starlight - a comfy filler novella that wraps you up in a warm embrace while the snowstorm rages on outside the window. (I definitely had winter ambience videos playing in the background reading this to really set the mood and distract me from the 115 degree weather in Arizona). 

It felt *literally* impossible to pick up this book and continue reading, I'll be honest. I started reading it directly after A Court of Wings and Ruin but I had to stop. There was just such a marked difference from the masterpiece that was ACOWAR to then reading ACOFAS. I read a few palette cleanser books in-between then set back on my determined path. Taking that break was EXTREMELY HELPFUL. I was able to power through! I thought it was a very cute book...for a filler. There isn't much more to say about it. Simple, sweet, completed. Time to move on to A Court of Silver Flames! I am SO STOKED! 

Quotes:

"Stars flickered around us, sweet darkness sweeping in. As if we were the only souls in the galaxy."

"The weaver went on, "I have to create, or it was all for nothing. I have to create, or I will crumple up with despair and never leave my bed. I have to create because I have no other way of voicing this." Her hand rested on her heart, and my eyes burned. "It is hard," the weaver said, her stare never leaving mine, "and it hurts, but if I were to stop, if I were to let this loom or the spindle go silent..." She broke my gaze at last to look at her tapestry. "Then there would be no hope shining in the void."

"To the blessed darkness from which we are born, and to which we return."

"You were born on the longest night of the year." His fingers again stroked down my back. Lower. "You were meant to be at my side from the very beginning."

"I think my heart knew you were mine long before I ever realized it."

"I will never stop being grateful to have you in my life, either, Feyre darling. And no matter what lies ahead"--a small, joyous smile at that--"we will face it together. Enjoy every moment of it together."

"You look like an angry snowball."

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

 

"I'll say whatever I please. I'm not a lady, I'm a pirate!"

Release Date: February 28, 2017

Genre: Fantasy, fiction

Rating:

Summary:

There will be plenty of time for me to beat him soundly once I've gotten what I came for. 

Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map-the key to a legendary treasure trove-seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.

More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the map: her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate, Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King. 

Review:

Ahoy there, me hearties! (Yes, pirate slang is 100% appropriate). Let me start by saying, this was SUCH a quick read. I literally read it in one day. I don't often read books in one sitting so that was surprising for me. It is a smaller book though with large font so it was also pretty easy to do. However, simply because I finished reading this book in one day, does not mean it was a glorious read. 

I truly wanted to like this book; I had heard wonderful things about it. Expectations vs reality though right? 

When I started writing this review, I would have given it 3 bunnies but after completing my review, I will say this book gets 2 out of 5 bunnies for me. 

I absolutely LOVE the concept of this book. I think the idea of it was phenomenal. The delivery fell flat and left a lot to be desired. 

I overall didn't mind Alosa, I did enjoy her ambition and her sass. I love the idea of her pirating an all-female ship. Feminism, always. I really enjoyed Enwen and Kearan's characters. I would have loved to spend more time really fleshing out her character, as well as Riden. I think these two characters have the potential for marked character development but only witnessed glimpses of that in this book. 

However, I do find it extremely distasteful and concerning that the main character is 17 years old. She is a child. I understand that this is set in a different time period but it shouldn't have been acceptable then and it is certainly not acceptable now. I felt that the book and the character were hypersexualized. It would have been so easy to age up this character; why leave her underage but then have such sexual tones and themes throughout this book? 

I adore sirens and mermaids; I think they have to be my ultimate favorite mythical creature. I do feel that the siren concept materialized out of thin air; it was very rushed and not thoroughly developed so it felt forced. The confusing story of her birth (being half-siren, half human), switching in and out of her siren powers, the siren powers themselves...they just felt very comical and unrealistic. 

Am I going to be scrambling to pick up the sequel to this book? No. 

Will I read the sequel down the road to continue the storyline? Possibly. 

Quotes:

"I'll say whatever I please. I'm not a lady, I'm a pirate!" 

"Lass, you've the face of an angel but the tongue of a snake." 

"I am me because I choose to be me. I am what I want. Some people say you have to find yourself. Not I. I believe we create ourselves to be what we want."

"Everyone has something dark in their past. I suppose it's our job to overcome it. And if we can't overcome it, then all we can do is make the most of it." 

"I value brilliant minds, honest souls, and those with long endurance. I forge relationships based on trust and mutual respect, not fear and control."

"Imagine that you traveled all over the world, looking for happiness, looking for thrills to pass the time. Imagine seeing everything there is to see and still not finding happiness. Well, that would give you a very bleak outlook on life, would it not?"

"Yes, we should all worship the stars. They are as useful as they are beautiful. Some never change position. They are constants in the sky. Without them, we would be lost." 

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

 

"I wish you could see yourself the way I see you." 

Release Date: September 14, 2021

Genre: Contemporary romance, fiction

Rating:

Summary: 

When a fake relationship between scientists meets the irresistible force of attraction, it throws one woman's carefully calculated theories on love into chaos.

As a third-year Ph.D. candidate, Olive Smith doesn't believe in lasting romantic relationships - but her best friend does, and that's what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees.

 That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor-and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford's reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. And when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive's career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding...six-pack abs.

Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope. 

Review:

I have finally finished reading The Love Hypothesis! I have been dying to read this ever since I finished reading Love on the Brain! I am 100% aware that I went out of order here but I don't want to hear it! No judgement! 

I know I distinctly remember saying in my previous book review post that it was a rare occurrence that I read a book with a fake dating trope...well, clearly, I lied. I've done it again, two books in a row. Who am I? This book delivered the fake dating trope tastefully. I didn't experience my normal rage when reading about the tangled web of lies.

While I do normally loathe the fake dating trope, one trope I will NEVER get tired of is grumpy x sunshine. This book literally is the embodiment of grumpy x sunshine. Adam is "antagonistic and unapproachable" at first but then becomes UTTERLY SWOONWORTHY. "I wish you could see yourself the way I see you." Such a sweetheart. I would adore a book a POV book with Adam pining after Olive for the past 3 years and throughout the timeline of The Love Hypothesis. That would be divine. ALSO, THAT BONUS CHAPTER Y'ALL?! That was scrumptious, finger-lickin' good. 

I also need more books with women in STEM. I am here for the strong, intelligent feminist icons. Anh is such a badass. "Carry yourself with the confidence of a mediocre white man." Yes, queen!

I had two complaints about this book 1) that the summary of the book was misleading. I felt that the summary that was written does not accurately describe the story. The story was obviously way better than the description. 2) The book is not long enough. This is always a complaint of mine for a spectacular book though. I never want the story to end!

I cannot decide if I prefer Love on the Brain or The Love Hypothesis more. I think both books are absolutely amazing. They were such wonderful reads that I didn't want them to end. I may have to do a dual book review with these two going head-to-head to see which one comes out on top! 

Quotes: 

"Carry yourself with the confidence of a mediocre white man."

"I wish you could see yourself the way I see you."

"You can fall in love: someone will catch you."

"I'm going to kill you," he gritted out, little more than a growl. "If you say another word about the woman I love, if you look at her, if you even think about her - I'm going to fucking kill you."

"This might be inappropriate but...Olive. You are really...You are extraordinary." 

Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter

 

"Enemies-to-Lovers-it's our trope, Buxbaum."

TW: Death of a family member 

Release Date: May 4, 2021

Genre: Young adult fiction

Rating:

Summary:

Liz Buxbaum has always known that Wes Bennett was not boyfriend material. You would think that her next-door neighbor would be a prime candidate for her romantic comedy fantasies, but Wes has only proven himself to be a pain in the butt, ever since they were little. Wes was the kid who put a frog in her Barbie Dreamhouse, the monster who hid a lawn gnome's severed head in her little homemade neighborhood book exchange. 

Flash forward ten years from the Great Gnome Decapitation. It's Liz's senior year, a time meat to be rife with milestones perfect for any big screen, and she needs Wes's help. See, Liz's forever crush, Michael, has just moved back to town - and horribly, annoyingly - he's hitting it off with Wes. Meaning that if Liz wants Michael to finally notice her, and hopefully be her prom date, she needs Wes. He's her in.

But as Liz and Wes scheme to get Liz her magical prom moment, she's shocked to discover that she actually likes being around Wes. And as they continue to grow closer, she must reexamine everything she thought she knew about love - and rethink her own perception of what Happily Ev er After should really look like. 

Review:

This book ABSOLUTELY blew me away. It is, in fact, better than the movies. 

I connected with Liz instantaneously for our love of romantic comedies. Always waiting for the picture perfect "meet cute", that screen worthy moment. Also our affinity for dresses.

The references to different timeless rom coms throughout the book AND a curated playlist for the book? Absolutely obsessed. Lynn Painter knows how to win my heart.

Enemies-to-lovers is one of my all-time favorite tropes. This book showcases this trope so beautifully. Wes is absolutely swoon worthy. From the first mention of Wes Bennett, I was absolutely infatuated. Heart eyes all the way. Wes gives the PERFECT Mr. Darcy/Mark Darcy vibes.

Fake dating is one of my least favorite tropes. I have never been a fan. I do not like the deceit and the mess of lies. HOWEVER, this book was able to make me enjoy the fake dating trope. I didn't find myself getting horribly annoyed or frustrated as easily like when I read other books featuring this trope. Now, do not expect me to continue reading books with the fake dating trope! This is a rare occurrence! 

I finished this book so quickly, lightning fast. Now I am upset I didn't take more time with it. I think a re-read of this knockout is an absolute must!

Now excuse me while I listen to the book playlist on repeat. 

Quotes:

"Because of things like car accidents and lost loves, life and death and broken hearts, we should grab every moment and absolutely devour the good parts."

"My inheritance was the knowledge that love is always in the air, always a possibility, and always worth it."

"You look best when you're you."

"Be brave enough to go big."

"Sometimes we get so tied up in our idea of what we think we want that we miss out on the amazingness of what we could actually have."

"She's not you." "What?" "She. Isn't. You."

"She's pretty, but her face doesn't transform into sunlight when she talks about music.: He did that clench thing with his jaw and said, "She's funny, but not spit-out-your-drink-in-astonishment funny." It felt like my heart was going to explode as his eyes moved down to my lips under the glow of the buzzing streetlight. He moved his face a little closer to mine, looked into my eyes, and rumbled, "And when I see her, I don't feel like I have to talk to her or mess up her hair or do something - anything - to get her to swing that gaze on me."

"I fell in love with teasing you in the second grade, when I first discovered that I could turn your cheeks pink with just a word. Then I fell in love with you."

"Enemies-to-lovers-it's our trope, Buxbaum."

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

 

"Night Triumphant - and the Stars Eternal. If he was the sweet, terrifying darkness, I was the glittering light that only his shadows could make clear."

TW: Abusive relationship, blood, death, war, murder, rape (past, referenced)

Release Date: May 2, 2017

Genre: High fantasy, romance, fiction

Rating:

Summary:

A world on the brink of war

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's actions and learn what she can about the invading king threatening to bring her land to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit. One slip could bring doom not only for Feyre but for everything - and everyone - she holds dear.

As war bears down upon them all, Feyre endeavors to take her place as one of the High Fae of the land, balancing her struggle to master her powers - both magical and political - and her love for her court and family. Amidst these struggles, Feyre and Rhysand must decide whom to trust among the cunning and lethal High Lords, and hunt for allies in unexpected places. 

Review:

Are you ready to feel your heart pounding out of your chest?

Are you ready to be on the edge of your seat?

Are you ready to laugh?

Are you ready to cry?

Are you ready to fight?

Are you ready to love?

A Court of Wings and Ruin had me experiencing the entire spectrum of emotions; there was laughter, there was rage, there was tears, there was pure joy. It was gut-wrenching, heart-wrenching, and had me at the edge of my seat the entire time. I thought I knew how the entirety of this book would play out; what a fool to think I could never guess what was to happen next. I was on a magical rollercoaster that I never wanted to end.

It is becoming increasingly more difficult, no, utterly impossible for me to pick a favorite book out of the series so far. I was unbelievably convinced the second book, A Court of Mist and Fury, would be my favorite. Now after finishing A Court of Wings and Ruin, I HAVE NO IDEA WHICH IS MY MOST BELOVED. I have only read three books out of five but I am wholly consumed by this book series. I cannot wait to finish them all. I will begrudgingly admit, it took me the longest time to finish this book, nearly a month! The world stupidly kept getting in the way of my reading time. Doesn't the world know that I need to disappear into my romantasy novel?

Sarah J. Maas is truly a master wordsmith. The way she wields words on the pages is a complete masterpiece. She truly has perfected the delicate balance between eternal romance, friendship, betrayal, found family, epic battle scenes, heartbreak, and more. It never gets boring, and it is never too much, the perfect harmony.

I really struggled in the beginning of the book with Feyre having to return to the Spring Court. It made me anxious: walking on eggshells, chewing on my fingernails, rocking back and forth. I was so worried, and it was a bit triggering, to see what would happen while she was in the "deceptively perfect" Spring Court. How I once was charmed and swooned by Tamlin absolutely eludes me. It was so difficult reading as Feyre pretended to be that woman again. She did it masterfully though. She played her role beautifully and for a good cause. I can only imagine how difficult that was for her but she is the embodiment of strength. Lucien had me completely outraged the time she was at the Spring Court; what happened to him and does he ever get redemption? Answer: he absolutely does. Thank goodness. I really liked Lucien in the first book but that damned Spring Court was tainting him!  

THE FOUND FAMILY IN THIS BOOK. My heart absolutely melts and swoons for the undying love between Rhysand and Feyre. However, the relationships between Rhys and his chosen family…then Feyre being adopted by said chosen family…THEN to see the budding relationship form between Feyre and her sisters, and the fleeting moment with their father…UGH. MY HEART. I cannot take it.

I absolutely adored getting to visit the different courts and meet all the different High Lords. I would love a book on all the different courts and High Lords, Sarah. Thank you so much.

Also, I know these characters are classified as "evil" but my heart absolutely WEEPS for the Suriel and the Bone Carver...even the Weaver. Every character in these books has so much DEPTH. The profundity in all of these characters she has conjured is magnificent and I am constantly in awe. 

Once again, I am was such a fool for taking this long to start this series. I never believed it could be as amazing as everyone said it was. How unbelievably wrong I was. I will never be able to make up for all that lost time that I could have been entranced by this magical world and its characters. But I will never make that grave error again. Onto the next book in the series! 

 

Quotes: 

"Remember that you are a wolf. And you cannot be caged."

"It's a rare person to face who they are and not run from it - not be broken by it."

"You do not fear. You do not falter. You do not yield."

"When you erupt, girl, make sure it is felt across worlds."

"But for my home, for Prythian and the human territory and so many others...I would clean my blades, and wash the blood from my skin. And I would do it again and again and again."

"Leave this world...a better place than how you found it."

"It is the family you make, not the one you are born into, that matters."

"The great joy and honor of my life has been to know you. To call you my family. And I am grateful - more than I can possibly say - that I was given this time with you all."

"I have no regrets in my life, but this. That we did not have time. That I did not have time with you, Nesta. I will find you in the next world - the next life. And we will have that time. I promise."

"I see all of you, Rhys. And there is not one part that I do not love with everything I am."

"Night Triumphant - and the Stars Eternal. If he was the sweet, terrifying darkness, I was the glittering light that only his shadows could make clear."

"I would have waited five hundred more years for you. A thousand years. And if this was all the time we were allowed to have...the wait was worth it."

"I didn't know how long my sisters and I lay there together, just like we had once shared that carved bed in that dilapidated cottage. Then - back then, we had kicked and twisted and fought for any bit of space, any breathing room. But that morning, as the sun rose over the world, we held tight. And did not let go."

" Be happy, Feyre."

"And will you come with me; on this adventure - and all the rest?" "Always."

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

 

"To the people who look at the stars and wish, Rhys."

"To the stars who listen - and the dreams that are answered."

TW: Forced sex work, sexual assault, PTSD, physical & emotional abuse, child abuse, murder, torture 

Release Date: April 22, 2016

Genre: High fantasy, romance, fiction 

Rating:

Summary:

A love born of darkness.

Feyre has undergone more trials than one human woman can carry in her heart. Though she's now been granted the powers and lifespan of the High Fae, she is haunted by her time Under the Mountain and the terrible deeds she performed to save the lives of Tamlin and his people. 

As her marriage to Tamlin approaches, Feyre's hollowness and nightmares consume her. She finds herself split into two different people: one who upholds her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court, and one who lives out her life in the Spring Court with Tamlin. 

While Feyre navigates a dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms. She might just be the key to stopping it, but only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future - and the future of a world in turmoil. 

Review:

Is it socially acceptable to finish a book then immediately start reading it all over again from the beginning? That is my immediate urge after finishing A Court of Mist and Fury. I feel this insatiable desire to immerse myself in the masterpiece that was this book all over again. However, I must advance on in this stunning series, so I will have to save that for another time.

Once again, I am absolutely kicking myself and cursing my name because I started this magnificent series so late. I really thought there was no possible way this series could be as amazing as everyone says it is but IT ABSOLUTELY IS. I knew that the second book in the series was beloved by so many readers so I had been most looking forward to reading this one and IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT. 

After finishing this book, I feel transformed in the best way possible. I feel as if I have been enveloped in a warm embrace from the starry-night sky. I feel safe in the dark shadows. I feel whole. I almost refused to finish the book because I did not want it to end. I didn't want to get to the last page and realize that this was not reality, not my reality. That I would have to leave this magical land of Prythian. 

My love for this book, these characters, the city of stars, this story, is wholly encompassing. This love knows no bounds. There are no words in any language to truly describe my feelings for this book.

The characters are uniquely complex, and the character development is immense (and this is only the second book). I really enjoyed Feyre in the first book, and I loved her even more in the second. I am truly adoring read as Feyre discovers her sense of self, her new powers, her independence. I have not been turned into an immortal fae and locked away by a High Lord in the Spring Court, but I do sadly know the pain of being controlled, being tamed. This hit very close to home. The strength Feyre has been able to muster, not because she has new powers from being fae, but because she is Feyre. She is ever enduring. Then to read as Feyre finds the love of her life, her mate. She is EMPOWERED by this unconditional, unyielding love, not confined by it. It is truly awe-inspiring.

The Inner Circle is utterly exceptional. Mor, Azriel, Cassian, Amren...they are so unique and so special. They are family. I felt like I was a part of this beautiful friendship while reading this book. Without even knowing, these characters made me feel like I was part of this beautiful friendship, of this family.  The Inner Circle made me feel so valued, protected, and seen. This story is emboldened by the sense of found family. 

Rhysand, sweet Rhysand. I did not know that such a beautiful being and soul existed, even on paper. Even in the imagination. I fell in love with Rhysand very early on in the book but chapter 54 completely melted my heart. I am just a puddle of indescribable feelings and emotions after reading chapter 54. 

*Smoking hot chapters: 48 and 55*

Sarah J. Maas truly transforms words on a page into a beautiful masterpiece but does it in such an effortless manner. There is such a delicate balance between all the elements: character development, battles, romance, etc. It feels like a symphony, marrying the music between the lively, upbeat tempos to the slower, more melodic and romantic tones, to the final crescendo with speed and excitement that has the audience rising to their feet for a standing ovation.

I did not want to see this book end at all, but I cannot wait to continue my adventure with Feyre. 

Quotes:

"To the huntress who remembered to reach back for those less fortunate."

"And I realized - I realized how badly I'd been treated before, if my standards had become so low. If the freedom I'd been granted felt like a privilege and not an inherent right."

"I was not a pet, not a doll, not an animal. I was a survivor, and I was strong. I would not be weak, or helpless again. I would not, could not be broken. Tamed." 

"No one was my master - but I might be master of everything, if I wished. If I dared." 

"I was not prey any longer, I decided as I eased up to that door. And I was not a mouse. I was a wolf."

"I'll say this once - and only once. You can be a pawn, be someone's reward, and spend the rest of your immortal life bowing and scraping and pretending you're less than him, than Ianthe, than any of us. If you want to pick that road, then fine. A shame, but it's your choice. But I know you - more than you realize, I think - and I don't believe for one damn minute that you're remotely fine with being a pretty trophy for someone who sat on his ass for nearly fifty years then sat on his ass while you were shredded apart."  

"I once lived in a place where the opinion of others mattered. It suffocated me, nearly broke me. So you'll understand me, Feyre, when I say that I know what you feel, and I know what they tried to do to you, and that with enough courage, you can say hell with a reputation. You do what you love, what you need."

"A queen who owned her body, her life, her destiny, and never apologized for it."

"There are good days and hard days for me - even now. Don't let the hard days win."

"He thinks he'll be remembered as the villain in the story. But I forgot to tell him that the villain is usually the person who locks up the maiden and throws away the key. He was the one who let me out."

"I wonder if some part of me knew what was waiting for me. That I would never be a gentle grower of things, or someone who burned like fire - but that I would be quiet and enduring and as faceted as the night. That I would have beauty, for those who knew where to look, and if people didn't bother to look, but to only fear it...then I didn't particularly care for them, anyway. I wonder if, even in my despair and hopelessness, I was never truly alone. I wonder if I was looking for this place - looking for you all."

"To the people who look at the stars and wish, Rhys." "To the stars who listen - and the dreams that answered." 

"I was his and he was mine, and we were the beginning and middle and end. We were a song that had been sung from the very first ember of light in the world." 

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

 

"Because your human joy fascinates me - the way you experience things, in your life span, so wildly and deeply and all at once, is...entrancing. I'm drawn to it, even when I know I shouldn't be, even when  I try not to be."

TW: emotional abuse, kidnapping, drugging, murder, physical abuse, torture, violence

Release Date: May 2015

Genre: High fantasy, romance, fiction 

Rating:

Summary: 

When ninteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world.

At least, he's not a beast all the time.

As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it or doom Tamlin - and his world - forever. 

Review:

I finally caved.

I gave in to temptation, and I thank my lucky stars that I did. 

I finished the first book: A Court of Thorns and Roses. 

One of the first things I noticed when joining bookstagram was that the ACOTAR series was a beloved staple in the bookish community. I was actually shocked to find out the first book came out in 2015! It has been around for a considerable amount of time but has such a cult following. 

Admittedly, I can be quite a hipster. I'm not proud of it in the slightest. I can find myself very standoffish to anything that is popular or trending. The subconscious thought behind it is that I don't want to have such high expectations only find myself utterly disappointed. That leaves me in a position where I miss out, a lot. But there has to be a reason this book is so well-loved and such a classic, right?

 

I completely understand it now and I curse myself for not giving in to this temptation much sooner. 

From the first page, I was absolutely entranced by Sarah J. Maas with her intricate, and imaginative writing style as well as her magical storytelling, and this is only book one! The world building in this first book is one of the best I have ever read. I find that when you are creating an entire world for the reader, it can be a bit dry or slow but Sarah did this in such a masterful way. I was fully immersed in this magnificent world. It was so hard to put the book down once I was fully sucked in. Then having to return to reality? Such a disappointment! Give me a land of handsome fae men and magical powers, thank you! As for the handsome fae men, I absolutely loved Tamlin, Lucien, and Rhysand. They were all such wholly different, unique characters that I thoroughly enjoyed their interaction with each other as well as our main character, Feyre.

Feyre is, by far, one of the best female leads in a book that I have read thus far. I connected with her so deeply. I really loved getting to know her in the human world and also in Prythian. I cannot wait to go on more adventures with Feyre. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Amarantha is a wretched, foul creature but she truly is a bad bitch. Suffice to say, no matter the alignment of the character, I absolutely loved them because they were so multi-dimensional and well-thought out. 

This beautiful world, the multi-faceted characters and thrilling adventure had me utterly consumed. Thorns and roses wrapped themselves around my heart and I never want to go back. We must only progress forward! I will be picking up the next book in this series, A Court of Mist and Fury, and I absolutely cannot wait! 

If you were like me and were hesitating to pick up this book and to start this series, DO NOT BE A FOOL LIKE ME. This is your sign to get started! You will not be disappointed! 

Quotes: 

"Because your human joy fascinates me - the way you experience things, in your life span, so wildly and deeply and all at once, is...entrancing. I'm drawn to it, even when I know I shouldn't be, even when I try not to be."

"Don't feel bad for one moment about doing what brings you joy."

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

"We need hope, or else we cannot endure." 

"He brought his lips to my ear. "I would have been gentle with you, though." I shuddered as I closed my eyes. Every inch of my body went taught as his words echoed through me. "I would have had you moaning my name throughout it all. And I would have taken a very, very long time, Feyre."

 "Because when the legends get written, I didn't want to be remembered for standing on the sidelines. I want my future offspring to know that I was there, and that I fought against her at the end, even if I couldn't do anything useful." 

"Because," he went on, his eyes locked with mine, "I didn't want you to fight alone. Or die alone."

"Because I'd want someone to hold my hand until the end, and awhile after that. That's something everyone deserves, human or faerie."

"I love you," he whispered, and kissed my brow. "Thorns and all."