Review: 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."

~Sarah J. Maas, A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES

Fair Warning: A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES is a BOOK KILLER. It will give readers a huge book hangover and leave the next book read--whatever it may be--with a dull, lackluster finish. It's that good. I literally held the book and hugged it for a couple of minutes after finishing--and I never cuddle my books. It was so tough for me to pass my review copy on to someone else the next day! Since that first initial read, I've re-read the book, and still adore it. I'm highly anticipating the release of the final book in the trilogy this spring.

The best part about A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES, despite it being the first in a trilogy? NO CLIFFHANGER!!!

Even though this is the first in a series, it reads as a stand-alone and readers are left with warm fuzzies upon finishing. Feyre's journey continues, and the second book, A COURT OF MIST AND FURY, *does* have a crazy cliffhanger, but this first book is just a delicious fairy tale!

I was so afraid to read A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES. When I first read THRONE OF GLASS, I'll admit it: I was a little disappointed. I'd wanted to read it for so long, and I'd been promised a story of Cinderella with assassins. There was, however, very little fairy tale present in the text (I've since come to love the series for being an amazing high fantasy adventure). I'm so in love with Beauty and the Beast, and I was so happy that A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES was based on the tale's lore. But how much?

Let's just say...

A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES is now one of my all-time favorite retellings of Beauty and the Beast. ALL-TIME. It is amazing and wonderous and so completely new and different. It holds up against my other all-time favorite retelling of the tale HEART'S BLOOD by Juliet Marillier remarkably well.

Feyre is no beauty. Her father never stole a rose. But the way she winds up a captive of a High Fae named Tamlin in the land of Prythian is so unique and works so well. The curse has new twists and turns, and the climax is dazzling and intense, impossible to put down. I also really loved the way "Beauty" wasn't in love with books. (In fact, she can barely read!) Instead, she has a deep love of painting and color. I love this fresh take, and also the way Maas writes through an artist's eyes, allowing me to see things differently. The way Feyre loves color reminds me of the way Celaena from the Throne of Glass series loves fine clothing; it's a writer's quirk that helps define Mass' signature writing style.

Maas also has a beautiful way with words. She makes me wish there were truly such things as ponds made with starlight and waterfalls brimming with rainbow beams. She makes you swoon and sigh, hold your breath in wonder and amazement, turn pages in terror and dread. With each new book, her writing prowess grows, and I'm so glad I've been following her journey since the very beginning.

AND THE ROMANCE!

Let's stop and talk about the ROMANCE. Talk about a slow burn. It has everything I love about the Beauty and the Beast tale (without the Stockholm Syndrome, really, since she's never truly a prisoner). What's interesting is how much the characters evolve and change and grow in the sequel, and I can't wait to see everyone's final outcome when A COURT OF WINGS AND RUIN releases in May. But if you're looking for a self-contained Beauty and the Beast

There aren't enough words to convey just how much I love this book.

Just know that it is fantastic and you will want to be buying this one.

IT'S A KEEPER!!!

A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES by Sarah J. Maas was published on May 5, 2015 by Bloomsbury.

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