If you don’t recognize the acronym, don’t worry. ACOTAR stands for the series A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. This is not my usual genre by any means, but a friend of mine who also doesn’t read romance fantasy told me she got hooked so I decided to give it a try.
5 books later…..
If you have not read this series yet, it might be a good idea to start with her first series, Throne of Glass. That was written in 2012 and initially was targeted to YA (young adults). I started with ACOTAR, but knowing what I know now I would have read the Throne of Glass series first, mainly to get familiar with the idea of her characters and the concept of fae which was new to me.
That said, I read Throne of Glass after ACOTAR and even though it is technically less adult in writing (at least in the initial book), the series was really outstanding and I think I shed more tears on the final book that I did with ACOTAR.
What’s So Good About ACOTAR?
Like I said, I’m not sure I’ve read a fantasy novel since I was forced to read The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe in grade school and I remember hating that book. So I was VERY skeptical that I would like ACOTAR.
Book 1 – A Court of Thorns and Roses
The book starts out with main character Feyre (I believe it is pronounced Fay-Ruh) killing a wolf in the woods during a cold winter night. By Chapter 2 you are starting to get a feel for the character and her somewhat desperate situation. By Chapter 4, things start to get interesting and the fantastical characters get introduced.
I never found myself thinking that it was corny (which I fully expected to do). It was just fantastical enough to be interesting. I didn’t get lost with the vocabulary of fantasy novels which may have turned me off. The concepts were introduced at the right pace. I felt the use of Magic was plausible enough to keep reading. The plot kept moving. And then hot warriors guys start showing up. The prelude of steamy romance began to take shape but not in a cheap romance novel way. I kept reading.
When you start flipping this book open, you will find a map. Take a look at it but don’t pay too much attention. It will be something you look back on much later.
Book 2 – A Court of Mist and Fury
And just when you think Feyre will live happily ever after with her hot warrior, things take a turn. No worries, there are other hot warrior guys to keep her attention.
Make no mistake, while their is enough steam to make things interesting, this is not a trashy romance novel. By now you have made friends with some of the characters and you are bought it to seeing how they move through the conflict in this book.
Book 3 – A Court of Wings and Ruin
This book has the most tension and conflict. But more characters are introduced. There is still steaminess, but this book has a lot of plot to cover.
Book 4 – A Court of Frost and Starlight
This book is a bridge to the final book in the series (for now!). It is definitely the weakest in the series, but the good news is that it is short. You don’t have a choice so just deal. It will all be worth it in the end.
Book 5 – A Court of Silver Flames
Take your time on this one. Because I promise you are not ready for it to be over. So happy that the final book was worth the journey.
And guess what???? Sarah J. Maas has announced that there will be not one but TWO more books to this series and the first comes out later this year. You can pre-order on Amazon. My pre-order says it will arrive in October.
In the meantime, you will want to go ahead and read the Throne of Glass series to tide you over. You still have time to read the entire ACOTAR series again before the next book comes out!
Click the image above to read about the Throne of Glass series, also by Sarah J. Maas.
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