Beauty and the Beast has always been one of my most favorite fairytales of all time. It was also the first ever Disney animated movie I saw on the big screen so expectedly, it has earned a special place in my heart. Any rendition, remake or deconstruction of it, then I’m definitely in. Now, I’m happy to report that A Court of Thorns and Roses quite pleased me too.
How many spin offs could you really make out of the classic fairytale? (I haven’t read Cruel Beauty yet but I’m looking forward to reading it.) But already, I’m impressed at how Sarah J. Maas managed to make something new out of it. I find the entire story, characters and elements a really effective combination of a successful deconstruction.
That the human heroine is considered the “beast” in the realm of faes who are supposed to be the monsters/the beasts in the eyes of humans is I think a very creative input from the author. Also, the additional twist that reminds me of the Greek myth about Cupid and Psyche added further entertainment and buildup. It also helps a lot that the male High Faes are so dang gorgeous and that several scenes managed to make me plug in the fan because they did get sooooooo hawt.
Perhaps my only complaint is the slow pace. The story did start with a “bam!” but a few chapters later, I couldn’t seem to fully put all my attention on the book and had to close it several times to find other (completely clean and wholesome-lol!) ways to wake myself up or in other words, I read another book so I could regain and refocus my curiosity on the world of ACOTAR . The story did become fully interesting though during the latter half and it was then when I was fully committed to the novel.
P.S. I do love Tamlin but Rhysand has become a really, really strong contender. I want more of them!^^
Your lovely review intrigued me AJ… I have a confession to make. The only Sarah J Maas book I’ve read was Throne of Glass and I thought it was OK. I thought it was enough to make me read book 2, but up until now, I haven’t. So I am having second thoughts reading Maas’ other books/series. But based on the hype and reviews of other IGers, Maas’s ACOTAR series is well-loved. I have a soft spot for Beauty and Beast fairytale and retellings, too, so I believe this one’s good for me. I promise to read this first thing in January! 🙂
Thank you, Ate Claire. I’ve really missed you. I rarely see you around GR nowadays. hehe. I wasn’t crazy about Throne of Glass either and I have no plans of ever finishing the series. Lol. I gave ACOTAR a chance though and surprisingly, I liked it better. I think you will too, Ate. ❤
Thanks AJ.. I’ve been reading rave reviews about this, so I’ll give this a chance, too 🙂 Miss you!
I have been SERIOUSLY dying to read this, and this review has helped, thank you! Haha, by the way, I have a very random question: how do you get the snow? I know there are plugins for it, but is there another way?
Aw, I’m glad my review somehow helped. hehe. Also, I’m so sorry I couldn’t answer your question because I have no idea how the snow suddenly appeared on my page. Lol.