The hunger takes over your stomach, freezing snow nips at your skin as your consciousness begins slipping away. When a sliver of salvation throws your senses into fight mode, as your prey passes your eyes. It  is when you remember why you are subjecting yourself to these inhumane conditions: the hunt. Suddenly, a creature in the form of a wolf appears, disturbing your hunt, attempting to take your prey. You have two options: forgo your meal that will surely last your family through the rest of winter, or contest the creature. 

The main character of “A Court of Thorns and Roses,” Ferye Archeron, faces this dilemma. Fueled by the promise to her late mother to take care of her nagging, useless sisters and father. She decides to face the beast, she thinks could be one the infamous magical immortal bodies, the faeries. As a result, one of the high fae storms into her house and steals her away to live in faerie territory, Prythian, as punishment. The rest of the story follows Feyre in her terrifying exhilarating life in Prythian with her new housemates. 

The 19 year-old huntress finds herself locked in an unfamiliar castle with the presumed fabled race, that she is not exactly comfortable with. With hostility all around her and the promise that none of the faeries, who are upset at her both for being human and killing their friend, are allowed to hurt her. Boredom strikes and she faces her own insecurities as well as her flaws. She is told she is allowed to roam the castle grounds, yet is still a prisoner to the land, which she soon discovers is for her own good. However, guilt consumes her as she believes she has left them to fend for themselves and the promise to her mother shackles her, leading her to attempt to escape multiple times.

“A Court of Thorns and Roses,” is the first book in a current five book series with more planned for the future written by fantasy novelist, Sarah J. Maas. Published in May of 2015, the story quickly flew off the shelves and continuously increased in popularity. Maas’ world building is what many of her readers fell in love with. Maas is considered the number one New York Times and internationally best selling author of Throne of Glass, Court of Thorns and Roses, and Crescent City series. Her books have sold millions of copies and are published in 37 languages. 

The overwhelming chemistry between the main characters Feyre and Tamlin is what draws many in. Specifically, the enemies to lovers trope leaves readers on their toes on how their relationship will progress. A turn of events makes readers envious of Feyre, while some moments have them unable to stop themselves from rooting for her. Many readers try to put themselves into Feyre’s shoes. However, the notion of not being able to trust one’s own senses makes it all the more exciting. 

“Because your human joy fascinates me – the way you experience things, in your lifespan, so wildly and deeply and all at once is…entrancing,” chapter 19, page 172, Tamlin. 

One of the most enchanting characters is Tamlin, a high fae with the ability to shapeshift. He brings Feyre into his land after she unknowingly breaks a treaty by killing a faerie.He attempts to make Ferye comfortable during her life sentence and serve essentially as the beast character. He, like all of the faeries in the spring court, dawns a mask covering his eyes and the bridge of his nose. A strong and silent warrior who unlike many other faeries is kind to the humans.

Lucien, Tamlin’s best friend, also lives in the castle Feyre is confined to. This snarky character constantly sets Feyre up in dangerous situations as she tries to escape captivity. After he slowly warms up to her, he becomes a fan favorite, described as clever, honest, and loyal to a fault. His elongated features, red hair, and gold artificial eye has readers questioning if he is deeper than he seems. 

When reading this book, the emotions I felt were wide and varied. The way that Maas introduced her characters from their storylines down to their character traits was phenomenal. In my opinion, I felt as if this book deserved an 8/10. The world building was exceptional and the plot twist physically had me jumping out of my seat. Maas was able to take elements of “Beauty and the Beast,” yet twist it into something else entirely. I particularly appreciated how she was able to frame the action scenes. 

The beloved story of beauty and the beast yet retold. This original spin on a classic tale is what made people love this story. From dramatic fight scenes to passionate romance this fantasy has a bit of everything for everyone. The lovable and relatable characters as well as Maas’ ability to frame them is what makes this story entrancing. For more stories with Maas’ incredible diction and storytelling, continue with the next book in the series “A Court of Mist and Fury.”