Wander & Wonder

Sarah J. Maas

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Definitely worth the hype

I was ultimately convinced by my sister to join the trend of reading A Court of Thorns and Roses. Although I was reluctant to embark upon a series because, as you know, it requires quite a bit of commitment, I am happy to report that it was indeed the right decision.

This book had every element I enjoy in a book: first-person narration, vivid descriptions, imaginative characters, and a plot full of suspense, making it hard to put the book down because you genuinely want to know what happens next.

Then there is the fact that I love the genre of fantasy, with Game of Thrones being my favorite show of all time, and of course, Harry Potter being the best book and movie series of all time. I really loved being transported to the world of the Fae. While I know it is make-believe, there were enough realistic elements to truly make it feel authentic. And it is precisely this that makes a good fantasy book truly great: when it remains believable despite describing the unbelievable.

Sarah Maas’ writing style is truly captivating; I could vividly imagine every intricate detail of the characters and scenery. Most of the characters, even the minor ones, are layered and complex, which I really appreciated, and I am excited to get to know them more in subsequent books. Also, I found out that the author was in her early twenties when she wrote this…so impressive!

Alas, it wouldn’t be a fair review if I did not mention my critiques, but bear with me I will keep it brief! First, I didn’t love the main antagonist of the story. I felt this character was too obviously “evil”. I prefer villains who you can find some sort of angle to sympathize with. Although I can see how the author attempted to do this, I felt like this character was purely despicable and completely unlikable. My second minor critique is that I found many elements were too clearly inspired by other well-known tales. The relationship between Feyre and Tamlin, for instance, heavily resembles Beauty and the Beast, and Feyre herself has countless similarities to Katniss from The Hunger Games. Some of the scenes Under the Mountain reminded me of Narnia, and the map of the Faerie realm brought The Witcher to mind.

However, perhaps this is also what makes the book so captivating, as the author draws upon nostalgia from these great works. Indeed, when I finished reading, I was left with a sense of longing, almost sadness, because the experience of reading this book was such a joy. I felt so engaged while reading this book, so much so that when I finally looked up, I would momentarily forget where I was.

I have already ordered the second book in the series and will start reading it tomorrow. I didn’t want to reveal too many spoilers in this review, but for the next books, I plan to discuss my opinions on the plot and characters in greater detail (as I will assume you will have already read the first book)!

Although I can’t yet vouch for the series as a whole, I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves feeling transported to a magical land with relatable yet intriguing characters. Who says that fairy tales are just for children?