If you’re not on TikTok – more specifically BookTok – you might not be familiar with the “romantasy” (romance and fantasy) genre. If you are, however, you’ll know it’s been near-impossible to escape Sarah J Maas’s series, A Court of Thorns and Roses (dubbed ACOTAR by its ardent fans).
While other book series in the genre have reached mainstream success, thanks to TikTok (think Rebecca Yarros’s Fourth Wing or Maas’s Crescent City), none have come close to the universal popularity of A Court of Thorns and Roses.
Earning more than 3.3 million ratings on Goodreads (averaging 4.8 stars), the series is brushing shoulders with titles from literary legends Sally Rooney, Percival Everett, Coleen Hoover and Richard Osman on global bestseller lists.
With all this hype over the past year, you’d be mistaken for thinking ACOTAR is a new addition to the canon. In fact, the first book was released nearly a decade ago, with the last one hitting the shelves in 2021. Through word of mouth and TikTok feed domination, however, both Gen Z and millennials have rediscovered the books more recently.
With fairies, magical powers, shape-shifting werewolves and more, the otherworldly adventures hark back to the fiction of my childhood (think The Hunger Games, Twilight or The Maze Runner), and the series has reignited many people’s love of reading.
Add into the mix the age-old good-versus-bad dynamic, enjoyable enemies-to-lovers storylines and a level of smut that’s surprising, considering the series was classified as ‘young adult’ when it was published (it’s now been described as ‘new adult’), the ACOTAR series offers escapism in its purest form.
Just like Fyodor Dostoevsky’s 1848 novella White Nights has recently struck a chord with the social media generation, owing to its themes of isolation and loneliness, so too does ACOTAR. Those on BookTok are cult-like in their talk of complete immersion in Maas’s world, with characters that stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page.
Even anti-fantasy readers have been swayed over to the dark side, myself included. While I’ve always been a huge reader, my genres of choice are classics, historical fiction, satires and romantic comedies. Growing up, I loved The Hunger Games but I hated Harry Potter, and the closest I’ve come to reading fantasy is probably One Hundred Years of Solitude.
However, when my WhatsApp group chats, conversations and social media feeds started to be dominated by ACOTAR, FOMO encouraged me to cast aside my judgment and take the plunge. Five books and 2,896 pages later, I emerged from Sarah J Maas’s world a true convert (my own enemies-to-lovers storyline, if you will). Here’s my full review of the ACOTAR series – there may be spoilers ahead.
'A Court of Thorns and Roses' by Sarah J Maas, published by Bloomsbury
The first book in the series, A Court of Thorn and Roses is all about world-building. It begins in the human realm, with protagonist Feyre killing a wolf, using its carcass to feed her starving family. However, it soon becomes clear the wolf is not what it appears to be.
Feyre is soon stolen to avenge the murder of a fellow faerie, and taken to the faerie lands as a prisoner. As she discovers more about her captor, the high lord of the spring court Tamlin, Feyre develops feelings for her enemy (in true “romantesy” style). Meanwhile, a war is brewing, thanks to Amarantha, the evil and vindictive high queen of Prythian. Plenty of major characters Rhysand (more on him later) and Lucien are also introduced in the first novel.
It does take a while to get used to the writing and descriptive sentences, which are often heavy-handed and unimaginative (words and phrases are repeated throughout). Truthfully, I almost gave up after 100 pages, but there’s something about the way Maas writes about passion and intensity that made me keep turning the page. In the first novel, the wider plot is secondary to the growing attraction between Feyre and Tamlin. At 432 pages, it’s a lot slimmer than the other books in the series but safely locks you in for what is to come.
Buy now £4.27, Amazon.co.uk
'A Court of Mist and Fury' by Sarah J Maas, published by Bloomsbury
This is my favourite book in the ACOTAR series – and most of TikTok seems to agree. Not only is there another enemies-to-lovers plot (spoilers ahead), but the burgeoning war is fleshed out and some of the best characters in the series make their first appearance. It’s also far better written (or maybe I’d just grown more used to Maas’s colloquialisms), with much less repetition and more evocative world-building (the snowy, hidden city of Velaris is vividly imagined).
With the title picking up three months after the events at the end of book one, Feyre is now immortal and being kept like a locked princess in a tower by Tamlin in the spring court. Fearful of harm coming her way once more, he proposes betrothal. But the high lord of the night court, Rhysand, won’t let her forget the bargain they made – she must spend one week, once a month with him at his home.
Just as Tamlin wasn’t all he appeared to be, it emerges that Rhysand might not be the monster everyone believes him to be. As Feyre and Rhysand spend more time together, their connection grows stronger. Maas serves up a masterclass in writing a passionate, love-hate relationship, hooking you in straight away (I tore through all 643 pages in just two days).
The book is less convincing when it attempts humour and levity, with scenes of banter between characters such as Cassian, Azriel, Mor and Amren verging on being cringe.
Buy now £4.50, Amazon.co.uk
'A Court of Wings and Ruin' by Sarah J Maas, published by Bloomsbury
Even heftier at 699 pages, this book has more of an action-packed plot than its predecessors. Again, it picks up where the previous book left off. Feyre has returned to the spring court under the guise of rekindling with Tamlin, but she is actually gathering information to aid Rhysand’s war effort, as Tamlin has sided with the enemy: the King of Hybern.
Maas knows how to keep you turning the page, with most chapters ending on a cliffhanger (prepare for late-night reading sessions). The geo-political landscape of Prythian is also more built-out, giving the reader a greater understanding of the various courts, their relationships to each other and why tensions have developed among the autumn, winter, dawn and day courts. Besides the romance between Feyre and Rhysand, there are other budding romances in the mix between Feyre’s sister Nessa and Cassian, as well as a potential love triangle between her sister Elaine, Lucien and Azriel.
The book reveals events that were foreshadowed in previous novels, too – further testament to Maas’s storytelling and satisfying to the reader who may have picked up on some of her breadcrumbs. If you’re here for the romance, passion and characters, A Court of Wings and Ruin might be slightly less rewarding, as the brutal, gruesome war finally arrives.
Buy now £4.49, Amazon.co.uk
'A Court of Frost and Starlight' by Sarah J Maas, published by Bloomsbury
At an easygoing 272 pages, this novella acts as a palette cleanser before the final book of the series. The story sees Feyre, Rhys and their friends working to rebuild the night court, Velaris and Prythian following the destruction of the war. Taking place around the winter solstice, the characters are more reflective than they’ve been before, with Feyre in particular pondering her future while nursing her wounds.
Serving as a companion piece to the main plot, nothing really happens but Maas’s idiosyncratic writing keeps you turning the page, while her richly drawn characters do the heavy lifting. We get a lens into Nessa and Cassian’s troubled relationship (setting the groundwork for the next novel) and Nessa’s increasingly destructive behaviour. Unlike the previous books, the novella is told from alternating perspectives, from Cassian to Mor.
While not as gripping as the other ACOTAR novels, it’s a respite from the action and a teaser for the next book. The lighter, everyday moments provide extra space for character building. TikTok is right, the people in these pages stick with you.
Buy now £6.99, Amazon.co.uk
'A Court of Silver Flames' by Sarah J Maas, published by Bloomsbury
The final book in the ACOTAR series (for now, at least), A Court of Silver Flames sidelines Feyre and Rhysand’s romance for Nessa and Cassian’s arc. The classic enemies-to-lovers storyline is back (a real treat for fans of A Court of Mist and Fury) as Cassian is charged with helping bring Nessa back from the brink. Scarred from witnessing her father’s death and feeling cast out of Feyre and Rhysand’s circle in the night court, Nessa is drinking enough to blackout and waking up in various men’s beds across Velaris. Staging an intervention, Feyre forces Nessa into lockdown and sobriety.
When a less-than-enthusiastic Cassian is tasked with training Nessa to harness her anger, a connection is forged. More sexually charged than Maas’s other novels, the passion replaces much of the plot. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though, with the protagonist’s love-hate relationship providing plenty of gripping and tense moments. There’s not tons of action but one of the main heart-racing scenes might remind you of The Hunger Games.
The ending feels a little rushed, with Nessa and Cassian’s relationship not entirely convincing (it’s emotionally pale in comparison to Feyre and Rhysand’s). The redemption arc of Nessa is still satisfying, enjoyable and well-developed by Maas. Lacking much of the political drama and fantasy elements that defined the previous novels, it could equally work as a companion piece to the first three books.
Buy now £5.00, Amazon.co.uk
The verdict: ‘A Court of Thorn and Roses’ by Sarah J Maas
I was fully prepared to hate Sarah J Maas’s A Court of Thorn and Roses book series, but it’s made me a “romantasy” convert. While the first book gets off to a slow start, the enemies-to-lovers storyline keeps you wanting more, before A Court of Mist and Fury seals the deal. Yes, the writing can be questionable and the repetition of certain phrases can be jarring but, once you’ve looked past the author’s colloquialisms, the story offers nothing but escapism. If you hate fantasy, there’s enough romance and political drama to keep you on your toes, while anti-romance readers will enjoy the drama and warfare. In short, there’s something for every reader, if you can get past the cringe.
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