A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1) by Sarah J. Maas

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Feyre's survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price ...

Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre's presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.

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I never went to sleep last night! How could I once I started A Court of Thorns and Roses? I felt compelled to read until the very last page, so when I finally closed the book, the sun was already creeping in through my bedroom window. I looked at the time and groaned, because my alarm was set to go off in fifteen minutes. There was no point in trying to sleep, and I wouldn't have been able to anyways. This book left me with so much to think about!

I'm not big on love triangles, but Rhysand blew into this story like a hurricane that left me reeling. At first I thought he was cruel and selfish like all the others, but his actions always seemed to benefit Feyre in some way, or his court and their well-being. He had the ability to be malicious, but I never felt like he enjoyed it. I really hope there's more of him in the second book, because I have so many questions! I sort of hate myself for how quickly I switched sides, especially after Rhysand paraded her around for the amusement of others (and likely himself), but Rhysand. Right?? Please tell me you understand!

I was fully shipping Tamlin and Feyre for most of the book, but once they went Under the Mountain, things changed for me. They're unable to interact with one another, and so their connection felt strained and almost like it never existed at all. Feyre is there for him and his court, but it's possible her feelings fractured along the way. It's not like things were easy for her, and her only reprieve came from an unlikely source. Her relationship with Tamlin was frenetic and wild, but felt more physical than emotional. I know they thought they "understood" each other, and maybe they did, but that didn't mean there was a connection past their primal urges. Also, Tamlin seems to have trouble holding on to his anger, and his outbursts only felt small because his powers were diminished.

This might be one love triangle I can support, depending on how it's handled in the second book. It's not like Feyre feels conflicted between two people at this point, but her experiences with both have been vastly different. Once Feyre's trials started, survival became her main concern, and I feel like one person was more invested in keeping her alive. The other chose to remain indifferent, because they believed that was their best chance at keeping her safe. Ugh, I can understand everyone's actions, which makes this much more difficult. However, only one person tried to save her at the end, and I think that speaks volumes.

The characters were amazing, and I cannot wait to explore their personalities further in the next book. Everyone's circumstances have changed, so it'll be interesting to see how that impacts their relationships. Lucien was hilarious and so fully himself at all times. He never tried to be something he wasn't, and I appreciated how honest he was (most of the time). He's dedicated to Tamlin, but I would like for him to find his own happiness in one of these books. He's been through so much, and deserves to find love again.

I'm already a fan of stories about faeries, and really loved the world Maas created. It's intricate and elegant. Some of the elements were familiar, but also decidedly different. What faeries can and cannot do, the layout of their world, and even their struggles with humans.

Did anyone else get Beauty and the Beast vibes from this book? There's definitely a lot of fur and growling going on... an art gallery instead of a library, and paint instead of books, but the similarities were there. A curse that only love can break? Was this supposed to be a retelling of sorts, or just little tidbits for B&B fans to enjoy?