From A Series I Didn't Want To Pick Up, To A Series I Can't Put Down: ACOTAR

 

A Court of Thrones And Roses 

By Sarah J. Maas

  In Which The Reader Resists

  As I mentioned in my last post, I have been reading. A lot. I've been reading YA fantasy series, the most. One series I had been genuinely trying to avoid was the A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas. There are several reasons you may guess as to why I was avoiding this universe. 

Sarah J. Maas has come under fire recently as a problematic author due to a lack of diversity among her characters and inclusion of toxic relationship tropes in her work. That wasn't what made me stay away.

I've recently fallen in love with Maas' other series, Throne of Glass, and wasn't sure this other universe could hold a candle to that one. That wasn't what made me stay away.

    While these are valid reasons to stay away from a book series, the main reason I stayed away from this universe was it's reputation for being "spicy." Now for those of you who aren't on BookTok constantly, a book with "spice" is one with intense romantic relationships and...romantic situations *wink wink*. Now before you go calling me a prude, I'm totally ok with relationships and romantic scenes in books IF they add to the plot of the story. I'm not really here for the plot of the story being "spice" itself. I definitely let myself be swayed away from these books because of the hype they got online. 

In Which The Reader Gives In

    Armed with my assumptions and my doubts, I picked up the first book. I was pleasantly surprised with how quickly I flew threw it. And how often I wanted to pick it up. Maas has definitely crafted a Fae world that is unique from others that I have read. She has created an independent protagonist that doesn't seem to be trying TOO hard to fit the trope of a Katniess Everdeen. The last third of the book definitely has Maas' break neck pacing that I've come to love from her. But I closed the book and thought I have no need to continue reading this series. Maas ties the story up in a way that I was satisfied to end it right then and there. I had other books to read and not enough money to spend. Book two didn't make it on my TBR list. 

In Which The Reader Buys In

    As mentioned, I was not planning on continuing this series. However, through a stroke of luck I came into possession of the second book for free. Free is my favorite. Free is awesome. In this case, free was the best. The second book in the series, A Court of Mist and Fury, definitely starts out a little slow for my taste. We see our main character diminished to nothing but a "damsel in distress" that cannot handle being asked to play that role. Characters you love in Book One (the main character included) quickly become disagreeable and unlikeable. But our main character Feyre finds herself leaving the home she comes to find at the end of Book One for the Night Court. From there things took off, literally and metaphorically. 

    I now totally understand why this series is hyped on the internet now. Maas was back at it with a pacing that had me reading 60 to 100 pages at a time. She developed the universe immensely, introduced characters that are far more likeable and dimensional than in the previous book, and introduced a relationship full of romance, tension, and dare I say it, spice. I was totally hooked by this book and immediately started the third book, to the disappointment of my ever growing TBR pile. 

    There is a novella and another book that takes place in the same universe, but I'm not sure I'll continue with those. We'll have to see where this third book takes me. All in all, I have to admit that I was wrong about this series. If you like fantasy, adventure, and romance, definitely check this YA series out. It's approachable, yet dense enough to feel yourself really investing in the universe Maas is creating.