Book Review

⭐ A Court of Thorns and Roses Book Review

📚 Book Details

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Series: ACOTAR #1

Format Read: Physical + Audiobook (Graphic Audio)

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, New Adult

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️ (light–moderate, mostly later)

See my ⭐ & 🌶️ rating system here →

CW/TW Warning: Violence, trauma, captivity, physical torture, manipulation.
→ For a full list of content warnings, click here.

🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿❧🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸

📖 Book Synopsis

Feyre is a huntress. And when she sees a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she kills the predator and takes its prey to feed herself and her family.

But the wolf was not what it seemed, and Feyre cannot predict the high price she will have to pay for its death…

Dragged away from her family for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding even more than his piercing green eyes suggest.

As Feyre’s feelings for Tamlin turn from hostility to passion, she learns that the faerie lands are a far more dangerous place than she realized. And Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.

🏹✨🏹✨🏹✨🏹✨🏹✨🏹✨🏹✨🏹✨🏹✨🏹✨⋆⋆✨🏹✨🏹✨🏹✨🏹✨🏹✨🏹✨🏹✨🏹✨🏹✨🏹

📝 Story Summary (Spoiler-Free)

A poor human girl hunts to keep her family alive… until one split-second choice catapults her into a world of fae courts, ancient magic, and dangerous bargains.

In Prythian, Feyre discovers that the fae aren’t the monsters she grew up fearing—and that her captor, Tamlin, is hiding a truth that could destroy them all. As Feyre adapts to a world of enchantments, shifting loyalties, and lurking threats, she becomes tangled in a fate far bigger than herself.

Heroism, romance, politics, and sacrifice collide in this beautiful, atmospheric opening to the ACOTAR world.

🐺🌙🐺🌙🐺🌙🐺🌙🐺🌙🐺🌙🐺🌙🐺🌙🐺🌙⋆❀⋆🌙🐺🌙🐺🌙🐺🌙🐺🌙🐺🌙🐺🌙🐺🌙🐺🌙🐺

✨ My Review

First Impressions:

I first read A Court of Thorns & Roses back in 2024 and really enjoyed it. This book is an exhilarating start to a beloved series, and Sarah J. Maas has done an incredible job crafting such a vividly immersive universe. The lush court system, magical creatures, and layered politics kept me hooked.

Let’s Talk Tamlin:

Our beastly Fae Lord.
It didn’t take long for him to be added to my book boyfriend list. There’s just something about a brooding, powerful male with a tragic past, a soft spot for his people, and—oh yeah—the ability to shift into a wolf (forever #TeamJacob 🐺).

His quiet strength, unwavering loyalty, and emotional restraint made him dangerous, yes, but also deeply vulnerable—and that combination? Utterly irresistible.

Feyre: Our Fierce Survivor:

I adored how resourceful, independent, and protective Feyre is. Whether she’s hunting to feed her family or navigating faerie politics, she constantly fights for those she loves—often at her own expense.

Her journey isn’t just about survival; it’s about discovering her power, voice, and worth in a world that demands perfection. She’s unapologetically human, flawed, and stubborn—one of my favourite things about her.

Also… the map??:

That cheeky little layout shaped like the UK?! I gasped.
Where I live sits right on the border between the Summer & Spring Court, and I will never stop bragging about it. 😂

Overall Thoughts:

This book mixes love, survival, sacrifice, and inner strength in such a rich way. Even knowing where the story goes in later books, I’m still excited to relive the beginning of Feyre and Tamlin’s journey.

🎭❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋🎭

🎧 Narrators (Audiobook Section)

Full cast audio — Graphic Audio production

This time around, I listened to the Graphic Audio edition, and OH. MY. WOW.
This wasn’t just an audiobook… it was an experience.

With a full castcinematic sound effects, and a sweeping musical score, it genuinely felt like a movie playing in my ears.

Honestly? I now want every book I love to come out in Graphic Audio format.

❂✧❂✧❂✧❂✧❂✧❂✧❂✧❂✧❂✧❂✧❂✧❂✧❂✧❂✧❂✧❂✧❂✧❂✧❂✧❂✧❂✧❂✧❂✧❂✧❂✧❂✧❂✧❂✧❂✧❂✧❂✧❂

💗 Tropes, Vibes & Favourite Quote

Tropes:

  • Beauty & the Beast Retelling
  • Forced proximity
  • Curse
  • Human × Fae romance
  • High Fantasy Court Politics
  • Protective love interest

Vibes:
Enchanted forests 🌲️ • Slow-burn tension 🔥 • Masked magic 🎭 • Ancient curses 📜 • Atmospheric fantasy mist 🌫️ • “I’ll protect you” energy 🛡️

Favourite Quote:

“I love you,’ he whispered, and kissed my brow. ‘Thorns and all.”

(One of the lines that hits harder on reread!)

༄🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿❀🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿༄

✨Fun Aesthetics

📸 AI Realistic Polaroid:

🎧 Spotify Playlist

📌 Pinterest Board:

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👍 Would I Recommend It?

Absolutely.
If you love romantic fantasylush world-buildingslow-burn chemistry, and just a sprinkle of chaos… ACOTAR is a must-read.

It’s an easy entry point into the SJM universe and a perfect blend of fantasy + romance.

🌲✨🌲✨🌲✨🌲✨🌲✨🌲✨🌲✨🌲✨🌲✨🌲✨🌲✨🌲✨🌲✨🌲✨🌲✨🌲✨🌲✨🌲✨🌲✨🌲

💬 Final Thoughts + Come Chat

ACOTAR is one of those books that grows with you. Whether it’s your first read or your tenth, you’ll always find something new in its magic, characters, or world.

Have you read ACOTAR? Was Tamlin your first love or did another fae instantly steal your loyalty? 👀
Let’s chat in the comments!

Come Say Hi!