It has been nearly a decade since Sarah J. Maas’A Court of Thorns and Roseshit bookstore shelves, and some aspects of the first novel haven’t aged well. An outstanding weakness (or welcome subversion) of this installment is that it is mostly setting up the events of its sequels.A Court of Thorns and Rosesdepicts the events that lead to Feyre being pulled into the intricacies of the fae country of Prythian,falling in love with a High Lord, and becoming Fae herself.
Release date
A Court of Thorns and Roses
2015
A Court of Mist and Fury
2016
A Court of Wings and Ruin
2017
A Court of Frost and Starlight(novella)
2018
2021
A Court of Thorns and Rosesbook #6
TBC
Some of the issues with the first novel in Maas' sophomore series affect the rest of the story,presenting somechallenges for theA Court of Thorns and RosesTV show. Meanwhile,Tamlin’s characterization in the first book is a harsh realityfor the show to contend with, when the story is headed toward Feyre ending up with Rhys.A Court of Thorns and Rosesintroduced readers to a new alluring faerie world, but it is not without its flaws.
10Feyre & Tamlin’s Relationship Feels Destined To Fail
There Are Some Red Flags In Feyre & Tamlin’s Relationship, Even In Book One
A Court of Thorns and Rosescommits itself to theBeauty and the Beastretelling, depicting Feyre falling in love with Tamlin and breaking the curse that afflicts him and his people. Their relationship then crumbles in the second book, causing Feyre to flee the Spring Court for the Night Court. However, whilethe firstA Court of Thorns and Rosesbook works as a standalone, it’s clear thatFeyre and Tamlin’s relationshipwas always going to fail.
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Tamlin demonstrates a lot of red flag behaviors in the first bookthat become more extreme and cause Feyre to leave him in the second. He is controlling, possessive, and occasionally violent, based on the excuse that he can’t control his fae instincts. Readers might have noticed these things but dismissed them based on genre conventions until they become unforgivable inA Court of Mist and Fury— when they shouldn’t have been permissible to begin with.
9Feyre’s Family Is Awful, Which Is Resolved Quickly Later
Feyre Swiftly Forgives Her Sisters & Her Father In This Book
A Court of Thorns and Rosesstarts with a pernicious dynamic between Feyre and her family,something else taken straight from theBeauty and the Beastsource material. Feyre’s father makes little effort to provide for them; her eldest sister Nesta refuses to help out of hatred for their father; the middle sister Elain is clueless as to how she could contribute. This leaves Feyre, the youngest sister, with the bulk of the work to keep them from starving.
The family’s problems are resolved with a couple of apologies in later books, and nothing else. Ironically,Nesta’s negligence is probably handled the best because the books at least dive into her mentality without condoning her— yet Elain offers up more of a genuine expression of regret. However, the swift turn of the sisters becoming likable characters is shaky when revisiting the first book.
8The World-Building In A Court Of Thorns & Roses Could Be Better
A Court Of Thorns & Roses Glosses Over Some Of The Magic System
In retrospect,A Court of Thorns and Roses’world-building is a little strange.It all takes place on one island, where there are seven fae territories governed by different seasonal magic and one sliver of human-inhabited lands. There are other massive countries in this world, but the story keeps its focus on this one strange island. The reasons for Prythian existing the way it does are not fully explained.
Other supernatural beings just randomly crop up as Maas keeps extending the series past her original vision.
The hierarchy of magical powers also isn’t completely delved into. The High Lords are supposed to be themost powerful characters inA Court of Thorns and Roses, but other fae who can outmatch them exist with vaguely defined magic.The first book promises a rich world surrounding Prythian,but even the additional exposition on it in the sequels isn’t completely satisfying. Other supernatural beings just randomly crop up as Maas keeps extending the series past her original vision.
7A Court Of Thorns & Roses Doesn’t Know What To Do With Lucien
Lucien Can’t Be The Love Interest Because Of The Demands Of The Story
Lucien inhabits unsteady space in the first book, and given the later dynamic between him, Feyre, and Tamlin, his relationship with the budding romance is manipulative. Lucien actually adheres to more of the typical romantasy love interest tropes, as a witty and sarcastic noble entertaining himself by verbally sparring with Feyre. However,both Lucien and Tamlin understand that Feyre needs to fall in love with Tamlin for the curse to be broken,so he keeps his distance.
A Court Of Thorns & Roses' Overlooked Lucien Story Would Make A Great Novella Before The Next Book
This largely overlooked Lucien story from the original trilogy would make a great novella before the next A Court Of Thorns & Roses book comes out.
Lucien’s an extra character in the basic framework of the first novel’s plot,who livens things up in the Spring Court and contributes to Tamlin’s otherwise bland characterization. He goes off on unseen, undetailed missions so Feyre and Tamlin can be alone. Lucien also isn’t going to be any help when Tamlin gets more abusive in the next book, so his reasons for being there are flimsy.
6Rhysand Is The Most Interesting Character In A Court Of Thorns & Roses
Rhys Distracts From The People Who Are Supposed To Be Important In This Book
A Court of Thorns and Rosesmaybe includes Lucien for the sake of having a more interesting supporting character, but Rhys dominates the story.Rhys' role in the first book makes more sense retrospectivelyas it lays the groundwork for his and Feyre’s romance. However, without this context, he is a completely distracting supporting character who underscores that Feyre and Tamlin are kind of boring.
Rhys’ aesthetics are all dark and dramatic; he is characterized as intensely alluring and charismatic; andhe is clearly playing a much more complicated game with Amarantha than Tamlin and Lucien are remotely capable of.Ultimately, Rhys overshadows what is supposed to be the first book’s main storyline. While readers at least get more time with him in subsequent novels, he emphasizes that the first one doesn’t have much going for it.
5A Court Of Thorns & Roses' Title Didn’t Age Well
“A Court Of Thorns & Roses” Condemns Roses After One Book
The title ofA Court of Thorns and Rosesrefers to the simultaneously lovely and dangerous setting of the Spring Court,which is characterized by an overwhelming number of roses. This title also became the catchy acronym"ACOTAR,“which works as a casual term for the whole series. However, the title of the first book doesn’t actually work for the series as a whole, a common problem with lengthy fantasy book series referred to by the name of the first book.
Ironically, everyone is still calling the series by a title associated with these things.
Pretty much within 100 pages ofA Court of Mist and Fury, the story isn’t about the Spring Court anymore. The overall aesthetics of the series are now about soothing darkness and glittering stars, whileroses and the sickly-sweet smell of the Spring Court are painted as abominable.Ironically, everyone is still calling the series by a title associated with these things.
4A Court Of Thorns & Roses' Fae Don’t Need To Be So Toxic
The High Fae Are Awful In A Court Of Thorns & Roses
A Court of Thorns and Roses’fae are terrible, upholding a deeply patriarchal and even violent social hierarchy. In the isolated environment of the depleted Spring Court in the first book, it doesn’t go into this too much — it’s not as if Tamlin and Lucien are going to suddenly stop the conversation to tell Feyre, who they are trying to win over, about how they treat women as secondary citizens. However,it gives some examples of this, with Alys relating how she fled her homeand mentions of the treatment of"lesser"faeries.
This setting is in service of the storyline of women’s empowerment, whereFeyre becomes Prythian’s first High Lady.However, going back to the first book, some may be inclined to ask how much of this was really necessary. Elements like a non-optional mating ritual and Feyre being sexually threatened within minutes of going to the Calanmai celebration just so Rhys can rescue her aren’t absolutely needed.
3Feyre & Rhys Under The Mountain
Later Books Move Past Rhys' Actions Under The Mountain
Rhys reaps the benefits of being immensely preferable to Tamlin, but his actions in the first book also don’t present a picture of a wholly consensual relationship.Feyre and Rhys find themselves in the highly volatile situation of surviving Amarantha’s court,where Rhys (allegedly) must make it look like he is tormenting Feyre, so Amarantha won’t suspect a genuine alliance. This includes forcing her to dress in scraps, getting her drunk on faerie wine, and having her lounge on his lap all night.
Rhys' later explanation was that he thought it would be easier if Feyre didn’t remember much of what happened. Additionally, to cover up that Feyre and Tamlin almost had sex in the corridors of the mountain,Rhys forcefully kisses Feyre to explain to Amarantha why she looks disheveled.Even if Feyre and the readers accept his explanation of trying to keep her alive, the main couple’s first kiss not being consensual doesn’t sit well.
2A Court Of Thorns & Roses Has A Lot Of Downtime (It’s All A Placeholder)
The First Book Is Set Up, Just Like Throne Of Glass & Crescent City
A Court of Thorns and Rosesmoves slowly because, essentially,the entire novel is a placeholder until the reader gets to Feyre becoming a part of the Night Court in the second book.This is something of a standard for Maas' writing when she spends two books setting up theThrone of Glassseries before Aelin sets out on her quest to reclaim her throne. However, these still aren’t thebestThrone of Glassbooksand are arguably better than the firstA Court of Thorns and Roses.
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Whenthe first book is mostly about Feyre and Tamlin sitting around the Spring Court and getting to know each other,it has to keep coming up with threats and action to pick up the pace. This includes Feyre going after the Suriel, monsters arriving at the manor, and Rhys crashing a meeting in a characteristically dramatic fashion to threaten them all. The last one is more essential to the plot, but it’s clear the book has to contrive ways to fill up pages.
1Amarantha’s Riddle Was Way Too Easy
All A Court Of Thorns & Roses Fans Guessed The Riddle’s Answer
“That riddle was so easy"is a running joke for theA Court of Thorns and Rosesfandom.Amarantha challenges Feyre with surviving three tasks spaced out over three months but also gives her a winner-take-all riddleto bypass the whole thing. The obvious answer to this riddle which also plays withBeauty and the Beastthemes is"love.“If Feyre gets this riddle right, all the High Lords instantly get their powers back:
“There are those who seek me a lifetime but never we meet,
And those I kiss but who trample me beneath ungrateful feet.
At times I seem to favor the clever and the fair,
But I bless all those who are brave enough to dare.
By large, my ministrations are soft-handed and sweet,
For though each of my strikes lands a powerful blow,
When I kill, I do it slow…”
Part of the immersion technique is Feyre not knowing that she is in a YA novel, the context of which makes the answer even more blatant. However, Amarantha’s obsession with Tamlin and manipulating people’s emotions might have clued her in. Because Feyre misses it or doesn’t want to risk getting it wrong,she and everyone else endure three more months of Amarantha’s regime.Of all the harsh realities about the firstA Court of Thorns and Roses, this is the one that has become the most of an unfortunate running gag.
