After encouragement from a friend (she literally sent me home one day with all five books), I decided to delve into the world of ACOTAR. I was hesitant. Do I really want to commit to a series with five books? Do I really like fantasy, or was Fourth Wing a one-off?
With the encouragement of some bookstagram friends, I started the series. I came up for air two weeks later after I had finished the entire series. Y’all. I knew I would enjoy it, but I had no idea just how much.
Perhaps you are like me and are behind the times on this series. If that is the case, I wanted to share my full thoughts. And this review will be spoiler free–so no need to fret ☻.
Series Premise
The series takes place in a time where humans and faeries live in the same world. They used to live together, but after a war 500 years ago, a treaty was established and a magical wall was built that keeps the faeries away from the humans. Presently, humans harbor great hatred towards the faeries and live in fear of them coming through the wall to harm them. (And yes, this is pretty much a map of England and Ireland).
Our female main character Feyre is a human living in poverty who has to hunt to make ends meet for her family (it’s giving Katniss Everdeen). One winter day, Feyre is out hunting when she slays a giant wolf. It turns out that the wolf was a faerie (big yikes). A faerie in beast form appears at her door and explains that because she has killed a faerie, he can either kill her or take her back to live with him forever. This is apparently part of the treaty established 500 years ago. Feyre chooses to go and live with him, and thus our story begins.
Breakdown of Books
I did not understand the organization of the books when I first started reading, so let me break it down for you. A Court of Thorns and Roses (#1), A Court of Mist and Fury (#2) , and A Court of Wings and Ruin (#3) are a trilogy. Then, A Court of Frost and Starlight (#4) is a short novella that takes place after the events of ACOWAR. Finally, A Court of Silver Flames (#5) focuses on some different characters that we met along the way in the previous ACOTAR books. ACOSF takes place after ACOFS and builds on the plot of the novella.
Overall Thoughts/Details
- This series in classified as “new adult.”
- The premise of the first book (ACOTAR) did not really intrigue me when I read the synopsis on Goodreads. This was part of what deterred me from reading sooner. If this is you, just trust me and take the leap.
- This series is fantasy romance (aka romantasy) with plenty of spice. 🖤
- The world building is not too complex and is usually pretty easy to follow. I did have to go back and reread some of the more expository parts to refresh my memory, but overall it was ok.
- My favorite book of the whole series was A Court of Mist and Fury. The first book is good, but the second book is AMAZING. This book is what solidified my love (ahem, obsession) with the series.
- The books are action-packed. I devoured the first three books at an alarming pace (in just 10 days!) because I was so invested.
- The stories portray a lot of people dealing with PTSD, anxiety, depression, and abuse, so please know this going in.
Ratings
- A Court of Thorns and Roses: ★★★.5
- A Court of Misty and Fury: ★★★★★
- A Court of Wings and Ruin: ★★★★
- A Court of Frost and Starlight: ★★★★
- A Court of Silver Flames: ★★★★
Criticisms
Without giving away too much, I did have a few critiques.
- The writing is by no means exquisite; however, the story and characters are what draw you in.
- We never learn the king of Hybern’s name. Why?? I forgot at times that Hybern was the name of the land, not the person.
- I thought the ending of ACOWAR (book #3) was a little bit too perfect.
- ACOSF (book #5) was very similar to ACOMAF (book #2) in the way that the main characters in each of these books has to process trauma. ACOSAF seemed a little bit like a copy/paste in that way which I found a little disappointing.
So, is this series perfect? No. Does it deserve the hype? In my opinion, YES. If you are looking for a great romantic fantasy, then I strongly encourage you to pick this one up ASAP!
You can buy a copy by clicking here or by visiting your local bookstore ☻.