Kara's Book Cravings: ACOTAR Series

 

So, I have finished all five books in the A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES Series by Sarah J. Maas. If you want to catch up on my thoughts about book 1 and book 2, you can do so HERE and HERE. All set? Okay, then let's move on to books 3-5, and boy do I have some thoughts...

In book 3--A COURT OF WINGS AND RUIN--we get a lot more fantasy aspects with the Fae courts and politics and the eventual big war. While the pacing was good and I was fully engaged, something about this book fell flat for me. In the first two, we're just learning about Rhys and Feyre and becoming invested in their love-hate relationship. In this book, they are fully mated and together. From a story telling perspective, I get the need for that, but as a reader, I really missed the tension between them that had been so strong in the first two books. 

The 4th book--A COURT OF FROST AND STARLIGHT--is a really short companion book that takes place after the war and shows Rhys and Feyre settling into their lives. This also focuses a bit more on Feyre's sisters, Elain and Nesta, which leads into the fifth book. While this was a quick read, it wasn't my favorite. It lacked any real conflict and romantic tension. 

A COURT OF SILVER FLAMES, the fifth and (so far) final book in this series is a beast. It's by far the longest, and it took me a while to get through it. Not because it was bad, but because we shift from Feyre and Rhys's story into Nesta and Cassian's story. The shift took a big of adjustment, but once I got into it, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. 

Nesta gets a lot of hate from a lot of people, and with good reason, but she has the best character arc, in my opinion. The amount of change she goes through, both internally and externally, is astounding. I came to really like her by the end of this book, and I was rooting for her.  She knows she hasn't been a good sister, or person overall, but she works hard on herself and by the end, this book had me in tears. I'd venture to say this final book was probably my favorite of the entire series. And the romance between her and Cassian --- wooooo! Make sure you have a fan handy. Or access to a cold shower. 

Kara's Book Cravings: A Court of Mist and Fury

 

After being very pleasantly surprised by how much I loved A Court of Thorns and Roses, I immediately jumped right into the second book, A Court of Mist and Fury. 

This is one big book, coming in at over 600 pages, so it was a little intimidating at first. But then I started reading it... and I couldn't stop! I finished this entire book in 3 days flat. 

ACOMAF is definitely much better than ACOTAR, but the reason for that, in my opinion, is that we get a lot more Rhysand in this book, and he's my favorite!

We learn so much more about him and why he's so misunderstood. We also learn more about Tamlin, and as I mentioned in my last review, my suspicions about him are confirmed. He's not as great as he's portrayed in book 1. I don't hate him, and he's not really a villain, but he makes some really dumb decisions. 

Feyre, our heroine, becomes a lot stronger in this book as well, and while I find some of her reactions annoying, she's a solid character, and I like her more and more. 

The ending of this book had my jaw on the floor, though, and then I couldn't stop smiling. Maas is a master of the plot twist, and she's damn good at the enemies-to-lovers trope, too. I hope to one day be as good as she is. 

And now, I will dive into book 3, which is even longer than this one. I hope I'm not disappointed. 

Kara's Book Craving: A Court of Thorns and Roses

 

After reading and enjoying Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, I decided to really give romantasy (romance + fantasy) a shot, and so I asked in several groups for recommendations on other series to try, especially for someone so new to the genre. And let me tell you... I got a LOT of great recommendations! 

The one that seemed to come up more than anything else was the A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES (ACOTAR) series by Sarah J. Maas. People warned me that the first book isn't all that great, and that it's slow, but I really need to push through to get to the second book, and then the series is one of the best they'd ever read. 

And so, I dove in head first...

I'm still very new to this genre, but I know that Fae are huge within fantasy, like vampires are in paranormal. I've never liked Fae, though. I don't know why, but something about them--especially as leads and heroes--just never set right with me. Maybe it's the pointy ears... 

Anyway, this series is all about Fae and the various courts they rule. The heroine is a human, and she's unwillingly sucked into this world. 

Was this book slow like everyone said? Yes. Did I skim read a lot of sections that were heavy with descriptions? You bet I did! But I don't think this book was as bad as people say, nor do I think it's a weak start to the series. Is the second book better? Without a doubt! Still, I really enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would! 

I'm sucked into the world Maas has created and the politics with all the various Fae courts. How the human world clashes with the Fae is really intriguing, too! I liked Tamlin, though something about him felt off at times, and my suspicions were confirmed in the second book. 

Rhysand -- who is portrayed as the "bad guy" is a heck of a lot deeper and more complicated than he appears, and I absolutely adore him! He's my new Xaden from Fourth Wing. lol. I seriously love Rhys, and I can't wait to read more of him.

Overall, this first book did its job and sucked me in. I'm hooked and will continue to read the rest of the series. 

Anyone else read this? 

What did you think?