“A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J Maas – also known as ACOTAR to Tumblr users and the author alike – was released about a year ago and reviews for the new adult book were remarkable. I heard nothing but good things about it and so, upon browsing around, I finally decided to pick it up this past week and absolutely loved it; here are some of my thoughts on the book. Firstly, I’m going to discuss the synopsis for the book, and then I’ll dive into the spoilers. But don’t worry! I will be marking where the spoilers start coming into play.

“When 19-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 over the faerie lands is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin--and his world--forever.” – From Amazon.com

This is the easiest way to explain it. Sarah J Maas also likens it to a ‘retelling’ of the classic Beauty of the Beast, and it totally is like that. That’s all for the non-spoiler-y section guys; you’ve been warned!

First of all, can we talk about the character names? Our main protagonist, Feyre, pronounced “fay-ra” is pretty unique, even given that it’s a fantasy new adult novel. I also appreciated that, from the start, Feyre is a strong and badass female character. These are my favorite types of characters.

Going into the book, I assumed there’d be more Beauty and the Beast aspects; for example, unlike Belle, Feyre can’t read; later in the book that comes into play as a really powerful message when her life depended on the ability to read.

Also, Amarantha; even though she’s a villain, I love to hate her. In addition to that, it’s awesome to still see some badass headstrong female characters in the YA genre because it’s really empowering to see regardless of your gender. As for Tamlin, Lucien, and Rhysand, I can’t tell you just how much I love the diversity of character’s cast throughout this book.

We have so many fantastic things that it’s really hard for me to pick a favorite part of the book. If you like romance, it’s got it. If you like politics, there’s plenty of fae politics going on in here.

All in all, if you’re a fan of fantasy, I’d highly recommend it. If you like a good fairy tale retelling, it’s also pretty heavy in that department. If you don’t happen to like the first book – how could you not? – then I would still definitely recommend checking out A Court of Mist and Fury, the sequel which just released a couple of weeks ago.

Be sure to tell me your favorite parts of the book in the comments section below!