Tag: ACOTAR

Ranking Sarah J. Maas’s Series

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I shared in my A Court of Silver Flames or House of Sky & Breath reviews that it was soon time for me to do an updated Sarah J. Maas review. As you likely know, I have been an avid SJM reader since 2015 – yes, I was indeed reading A Court of Thorns & Roses in my high school library before school and during study hall. If reading fantasy romance in that setting is my claim to fame, I am so here for it. Fun fact that my Top 5 SJM Books post I wrote in 2020 is one of my most popular posts on the blog – I definitely owe some of the attention to the increased popularity of SJM thanks to ACOTAR love on BookTok. 

While I am tempted to do an updated ranking since I do think that A Court of Silver Flames and House of Earth & Blood might just be among my top five favorites (I’m thinking of doing a top ten because let’s be honest, if though I have my FAVORITES, I LOVE all of SJM’s work), I thought I’d go in a different direction and rank the Throne of Glass, ACOTAR, and Crescent City series, based on the first 2 Crescent City books. 

1. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas – Yes, let the controversy rain over me. Maybe blame it on the fact that it was my introduction to Sarah J. Maas,  but Throne of Glass owns my heart. I think Throne of Glass is the most fantasy of SJM’s books, in the sense that we don’t get a ton of steam/romance, at least until the last three books. Yes, a large part of that is because Throne of Glass is considered YA, but my theory is that those last few get a little steamy because they were written along side A Court of Mist & Fury and A Court of War & Ruin, ie when ACOTAR really established the romance. Crescent City is of course SJM’s most high fantasy, but I think its setting that borrows a lot of elements from the modern world makes it less of an intimidating fantasy read than ToG (aside from the page numbers of course). While there is that connection to ACOTAR within House of Sky & Breath (trying to be save with spoilers/as non-spoilers as possible).If you’re a reader that has started with the Crescent City series and want to explore more of her backlist, while ACOTAR is the obvious choice, I would recommend reading Throne of Glass if you like the fantasy of SJM more than the romance. Throne of Glass as a series has a similar effect to the transition from ACOTAR to ACOMAF, in the sense that everything you know and expect based on the first two books, Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight, gets blown up by the end of Heir of Fire and the series goes into a new direction with my personal favorite SJM book, Queen of Midnight. Throne of Glass begins as semi-Cinderella inspired retelling, as assassin Celaena Sardothien is selected to compete to be the king’s champion, earning the attention of the crown prince, Dorian, and captain of the guard, Chaol Westfall, along the way.  

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House of Sky & Breath Review & Rambles

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916mwrmq6JLSummary (from the publisher): Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar are trying to get back to normal―they may have saved Crescent City, but with so much upheaval in their lives lately, they mostly want a chance to relax. Slow down. Figure out what the future holds.

 

The Asteri have kept their word so far, leaving Bryce and Hunt alone. But with the rebels chipping away at the Asteri’s power, the threat the rulers pose is growing. As Bryce, Hunt, and their friends get pulled into the rebels’ plans, the choice becomes clear: stay silent while others are oppressed, or fight for what’s right. And they’ve never been very good at staying silent.

In this sexy, action-packed sequel to the #1 bestseller House of Earth and Blood, Sarah J. Maas weaves a captivating story of a world about to explode―and the people who will do anything to save it.

My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

My Thoughts: 

Yes dear reader, it only took me 5 days to finish the 8-5 page beast that is the second book in Sarah J. Maas’s Crescent City series, House of Sky & Breath. Warning that I am going to be using this review as a way for me to process my thoughts on the book. I am going to do my best to not share specific spoilers for House of Sky & Breath, but there may be slight spoilers for the first book, House of Earth & Blood below. I actually haven’t read too many reviews that include spoilers for House of Sky & Breath. Plenty of the bookish people I follow across social media have simply said that they love this book & have alluded to its shocking ending. I also highly recommend listening to Fated Mates’ podcast non-spoiler episode with Sarah J. Maas about HOSAB.  I also plan on listening to SJM’s interview on the B&N Podcast this week. In this review, I am going to talk about my thoughts on the book & my relationship with SJM’s books overall..and yes, my reactions to THAT ending.

Nowadays, I don’t even really consider myself a fantasy fan aside from the occasional 1-2 books from fan favorite authors that I read (like Leigh Bardugo or Victoria Schwab) and of course, SJM. There’s just something so intricate yet somewhat – emphasis on somewhat because I don’t think I have the complete political details of HOSAB down just year & probably need a reread to do so – easy to understand world-building that just gets me every single time. I especially love HOSAB and the Crescent City series because I love how it blends the modern world and fantasy elements. And yes, again dear reader, this book is the most STEAMY out of SJM’s books, on an entirely new level from event A Court of Silver Flames). I really think HOSAB is way more fantasy romance than just high fantasy/adult fantasy compared to other books. There’s really no limit to the more mature content of HOSAB compared to SJM’s books. I know while it’s not every reader’s cup of tea, I love the fluff and the banter of these books and don’t mind the length of the novel. 

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A Court of Silver Flames Review & Rambles 

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My Rating: 5/5 Stars

My Thoughts:

Almost two weeks after finishing A Court of Silver Flames, the time has finally come for me to share my thoughts on Sarah J. Maas’s latest release. As I draft this review, I’m jumping from idea to idea to try to capture everything I want to say about the fourth installment in the ACOTAR series – I’m getting major flashbacks to my House of Earth & Blood review last March. It’s just a given now that my Sarah J. Maas book reviews are triple the size of my normal book reviews, which is fair being that I break my habit of reading 250-350 page contemporary & romance books to immerse myself in her 700+ page fantasy beasts. 

There will be no spoilers for ACOSF within this review, but there will be spoilers for the first three books in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. 

I don’t think people have necessarily complained about it, but a few of my bookish friends & reviewers that I follow have pointed out that ACOSF is likely the most character-driven book out of all SJM’s novels. For a fantasy read, the plot definitely takes a back seat to Nesta’s personal journey and her relationship with Cassian. I think that ACOSF acts a little bit of a ACOTAR world reset for the upcoming books in the series, in that the world building & plot sets the stage for the rest of the series. 

However, you likely know this about me if you’ve caught on to my reading tastes, but the combination of character growth and plot in ACOSF was the PEFECT blend of relationships meets plot for me. Honestly, I’ve read less and less fantasy over the past two years because I’ve realized that I care way more about character development and relationships in most of my fantasy reads than I do plot and trying to navigate between action and connecting the plot points.  My love for ACOSF and SJM’s books as a whole really results from the fact that while there are complicated magic systems & plots involved, she just makes it so digestible and easy to understand. 

You likely know this from my reading tastes too, but it’s no surprise that my favorite part of ACOSF was Nesta and Cassian’s relationship…and yes that includes all the romance. I was putting books on hold from the library a few nights ago and was curious to see how many people had put ACOSF on hold – side note that I bought my own copy of the Barnes & Noble edition and that all 10 county library copies were either checked out or being transferred to patrons – and I was shocked to see that ACOSF is listed still as YA. As a side note, ACOTAR and ACOSF are now being marketed as adult fantasy, which has been made helped the book’s cover changes. As per usual with some of SJM’s covers, I like ACOSF’s cover a lot more in person and it makes sense given the plot in the book, but it’s still not necessarily a favorite book cover of mine and leaves me wanting something more? I think in general even the first three ACOTAR books shouldn’t be considered YA (hellooooooo chapter 55 of ACOMAF), but ACOSF IS NOT YA because of the romance scenes. 

But again, let’s be clear: I loved the romance scenes and honestly any scene involving Cassian and Nesta! Their sarcasm and ease with one another was so fun to read, alongside their more serious moments involving some conflicts. I really think that SJM has really nailed the balance between romance and relationship development between ACOSF and House of Earth and Blood alone. This balance is definitely seen in the first 3 ACOTAR books and the Throne of Glass series as well, but SJM’s latest two releases have a more mature take. Read More »

My Top 5 Sarah J. Maas Books

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After reading House of Earth and Blood back in March, I started thinking about which book I consider to my favorite book by Sarah J. Maas. I considered ranking all the books across Throne of Glass, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and now Crescent City, but I think that would require another full reread of all her books. I’ve read the first five ToG books twice and the first two ACOTAR books twice. I decided to at least rank my top five favorite SJM books in honor of the potential that ACOTAR #4 will be out in January 2021. This is unconfirmed, but as Kristin of Super Space Chick points out in her latest News & Stuff video, the book’s release date is set for January 26, 2021, on retail sites like Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

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My Top Five Sarah J. Maas Books

#5. A Court of Mist and Fury (ACOTAR #2)

812Iu6GMZSLAs I was writing this post, I went on Goodreads to revisit my reviews for all of these books. I noticed that A Court of Mist and Fury is both SJM’s highest rated and most read book on Goodreads. This really isn’t a surprise to me because ACOTAR is way more well-read than Throne of Glass outside of the fantasy bookish community and/or readers who don’t normally read YA or adult fantasy and tend to read romance. ACOMAF is definitely the strongest installment in the ACOTAR trilogy. It’s obvious that this book completely sold me on Feyre and Rhysand (hellloooo Chapter 55), but it makes the series into something more than a Beauty and the Beauty retelling or what we might’ve expected after the first book.

A sidenote, by after my second reread, I realized that ACOMAF really should’ve made ACOTAR be considered as an adult or at least new adult fantasy series. You likely I am so much more of a romance reader since I reread ACOMAF – contemporary romance is my current favorite genre- but I think the genre name for this series needed to switch before ACOTAR #4, which Sarah has said will be considered adult fantasy.

#4. Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5)28260587

Empire of Storms could have easily been a ‘middle book’ between Queen of Shadows and Kingdom of Ash, but SJM completely nailed this one. The fifth Throne of Glass book features some of my favorite scenes and quotes in the entire series. Although it might not be a favorite amongst readers who love action in their favorite, I personally loved it because of all the plot and world-building and stage-setting for Kingdom of Ash. At the end of my reread back in 2018, I retitled this book as ‘Empire of Tears’ thanks to its ending.Read More »

Top Five Wednesday: Reading List for Film Adaptation Class

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It’s every college student’s favorite time of year: textbook shopping time! Yes, it’s time to buy books that you’ll maybe or maybe not use over the next three and a half months. Maybe you’ll get money back for them in a few months or maybe they’ll become really nice, expensive doorstops. Luckily, as an English major, I don’t spend an extreme amount of money on textbooks. Bless you my STEM major friends for your insanely priced books.

Just in time for back-to-school, today’s Top Five Wednesday aks us to create a reading list based on a class of our chouce. I’d love to take a class on YA books one day -not just because I would so buy those books instead of rent them and add them to my personal collection. However,I took a class on graphic novels last semester, which influenced me to add a new minor and of course pick up some more graphic novels!

I’d especially love to take a class about books that were turned into film adaptations, featuring the 5 books below. I think it would be really fun to read the book, watch its adaptation, and compare and contrast. While there are SO many books and movies to choose from, I’m going to be focusing on some of my favorites from my own read pile. Syllabus to come next week.

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A Court of GIVE ME MORE: A Court of Frost & Starlight Review

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Welcome back to the Night Court, reader darling.

A Court of Frost and Starlight is the first novella and fourth installment in Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses trilogy. ACOFAS acts as a tie-in to the upcoming books in the series, and follows the Night Court’s first Winter Solstice together after the events in A Court of Wings and Ruin.

While there was some confusion over if ACOFAS was technically the fourth book or just a novella (after all SJM’s Tower of Dawn was supposed to originally be a novella…), the size of ACOFAS alone indicates novella status for SJM! Not including the sneak peek, ACOFAS clocks in at 229 pages, which is pretty short in the ACOTAR world—ACOWAR was 699 pages itself. Despite everyone talking about its length on bookstagram (*insert angst about my copy not coming until 6 days after release date when I preordered it back in February HERE), even I was shocked by its size! However, I have now have plenty of room to give it in a home (aka squeeze it amongst my SJM books) on my shelf.

ACOFAS sky

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Top 5 Wednesday: Favorite Minor Characters

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Happy Wednesday! I’ve recently decided to participate in Top 5 Wednesday. If you haven’t heard of Top 5 Wednesday, it’s a huge collaborative group of book bloggers from any platform who post list of their top 5 favorite things every Wednesday. The category for each week changes, and for this week it’s favorite minor characters. My top five minor characters are from a mix of different mediums.

Dol from Vicious by V.E. Schwab – Dol is the perfect sidekick because HE’S A DOG AND HOW COULD YOU NOT WANT A DOG AS YOUR SIDEKICK? Sydney and Dol just make the best team in one of the best books ever- sorry, but I will not stop screaming my love for Vicious from the rooftops.

Alis from the A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas – Alis is one of the best components of the Spring Court. She has a quick wit and was one of the few members that actually helped Feyre in the long run.

Samuel Seabury from Hamilton– “Farmers Refuted” is one of my favorite songs (frankly, I love every song from the show) in the first act of Hamilton. I love how Samuel Seabury goes back and forth with Hamilton throughout the tune, and seeing his character come to life when I saw the show made the song even better.

Tigris from Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins– I loved seeing Tigris come to life in Mockingjay: Part 2, and I really enjoy learning about her part in the resistance. Having a The Hunger Games movie or reread marathon is a must for me this summer!

Jean Ralphio from Parks and Recreation – I’ve been re-watching Parks and Recreation a lot lately (when am I not is the true question), and my love for Jean Ralphio has only grown. I love his interaction with Ron the most, as Jean Ralphio’s humor and Ron’s bluntness makes for some funny scenes. It’s weird to think that the creators of Parks and Recreation considered making Jean Ralphio a love interest for Leslie!

Who are some of your favorite minor characters? Share in the comments below!

What I Read In April

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April was the most demanding month of my life. Between classes and papers and finals and meetings and work and trips and friends, the month completely flew by. That being said, I’m so happy with past me for reading 5 books! My semester/freshman year ends tomorrow (internal screaming), so here’s to some much needed time off with ALL the books!

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J.Maas (4/5 Stars)- This was my second time reading ACOTAR, as I was anticipating the release of A Court of Wings and Ruin, the final book in the trilogy (I know that there are more books coming out in the ACOTAR world, but I’m considering the first three books about Feyre a trilogy). While I enjoyed my reread, I was not as enchanted with ACOTAR this time around, especially knowing what happens in the second book. However, I was reminded of Feyre’s strength, and I also noticed more of the Beauty and the Beast elements this time around. I posted a reread review of ACOTAR a few weeks ago as well.

Wires and Nerve, Volume #1 by Marissa Meyer (4/5 stars)- As a fan of The Lunar Chronicles, I was so excited to get my hands on the series’ first graphic novel. I loved seeing the characters the way Marissa Meyer envisioned them, and I enjoyed having Iko as the main protagonist. I always wanted her point of view in the original four books (Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter) to begin with. However, I wish Wires and Nerve had taken place after Stars Above, the TLC novella bind-up, instead of taking place before the final novella in the book. I’m also a bit disappointed about the next volume not coming until 2018.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (5/5 stars)- Between Angie Thomas rocking the New York Times Best Sellers List since The Hate U Give’s release in February and all the hype surrounding this book in the YA community, I was so excited to get my hands on this 2017 release. If there’s one thing (there were many things, don’t worry) that stood out to me while reading THUG, it is its contemporary relevance. THUG is based on the Black Lives Matter Movement, as our main protagonist Starr witnesses her childhood best friend die at the hands of a police officer. I haven’t rated a book 5 out of 5 stars in a while, and I have a full review of THUG up on the blog.

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas (4.5/5 Stars)– In addition to rereading ACOTAR, I reread A Court of Mist and Fury this month in anticipation of ACOWAR. I enjoyed my reread of ACOMAF a lot more than ACOTAR, as I loved being reunited with the Court of Dreams and Velaris. My biggest issue with this read was most of the romantic elements set in the novel, which I discuss in my reread review of ACOMAF.

South of Sunshine by Dana Elmendorf (3/5 stars)– South of Sunshine follows Kaycee, a high school senior living in Sunshine, Tennessee. Kaycee does her best to hide that fact that she is a lesbian in her small, Christian town, until Bren shows up and turns Sunshine and Kaycee upside. I really enjoyed the setting of this book, and it made sad that Kaycee felt that she couldn’t be herself around her friends and family. However, I felt a big disconnect with this book , as I did not enjoy the writing style and often grew frustrated with the characters.

Favorite Book: The Hate U Give. THERE ARE HARRY POTTER AND HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL REFERENCES PEOPLE!!!

What books did you read in April? Share in the comments below!

A Court of Mist and Fury Reread Review

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Happy A Court of Wings and Ruin Release Day!!With Sarah J.Maas’s A Court of Wings and Ruin’s finally out, I knew I had to reread A Court of Thorns and Roses and A Court of Mist and Fury before starting the last book in this trilogy. ACOMAF was one of my favorite reads of 2016, again hailing Sarah J.Maas as the queen of fantasy. While I really enjoyed my reread, I wasn’t completely memorized by ACOMAF this time around. Without going into spoilery detail, I was not too enchanted by the romance in this novel, as I was more focused on the characters’ backstories, action, and world-building. Despite my dislike for the romantic elements, I cannot wait to get my hands on ACOWAR once my semester is over! I preordered the book from Barnes & Noble and completed the preorder promotion for a map of the ACOTAR world!

**Warning:This review contains ACOMAF spoilers. **

What I Liked :

  • Learning more about the Court of Dreams– My favorite part of ACOMAF are the members of the Court of Dreams– Rhysand, Cassian, Azriel, Mor, and Amren. While I don’t mind Feyre as the main narrator, I enjoy reading about the members of the Court of Dreams so much more. They all add their own character to the story, and I love the humor and Cassian and Mor often bring. I laughed out when Mor hopes that Feyre isn’t dead when she checks in on her at the cabin.
  • The world-building– I loved going to the Summer Court and meeting Tarquin and his court. I have a feeling Tarquin will definitely make an appearance or two in ACOWAR, as the Summer Court and Spring Court are allies. I also fell in love with the city of Velaris. I love the contrast between the darkness that comes with being labeled as the Night Court and the rainbow and color that is Velaris. I was screaming during the battle over the city.
  • The ending– The court’s trip to Hybern comes shortly after the Rhysand and Feyre are mates/let’s have sex and celebrate scenes, so I was looking for more action as the pages dwindled.  AND SARAH J. MAAS COMPLETELY DELIVERED. Between the appearance of Jurian, the arrival of the Spring Court and Feyre’s sisters, and all the drama and tension in that scene, I was again having all the fangirl feels.
  • Remembering scenes that I had forget about- I think by just focusing on the ending of the novel and thinking about what’s to come in ACOWAR, I forgot a lot of the plot details and scenes in the novel. For example, I forgot about the mortal queens’ involvement with the Book and Lucien’s hunt for Feyre.

What I Disliked:

  • The emphasis on the romance– Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy Feyre and Rhysand as a couple and I understand that their bond is a key element to the novel’s plot. However, I hated how almost every scene had to have some sort of detail about their feelings and how hot one looked with their Illyrian wings. I just felt like it took away from the novel’s action and suspense.
  • The sex scenes– In my opinion, the sex scenes in ACOTAR and ACOMAF place the series into the new adult genre instead of the young adult genre. Personally, I do not enjoy the sex scenes because I find them a bit unnecessary and a bit too detailed. I understand Feyre and Rhysand have these deep feelings for each other, but I don’t need to know about what Rhysand wants to do his mate laying on the kitchen table.

What are you most looking forward to in ACOWAR? Let me know in the comments below!!

A Court of Thorns and Roses Reread Review

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As I began to anticipate Sarah J.Maas’s A Court of Wings and Ruin more and more, I knew I had to reread A Court of Thorns and Roses and A Court of Mist and Fury before ACOWAR comes out on May 2nd. I was even more motivated to reread the first two books in the trilogy when Kristin from SuperSpaceChick, Alexa from Alexa Loves Books, and Cristina from Girl in the Pages announced that they would be hosting a A Court of Thorns and Roses Reread. Below, you’ll find my own non-spoilery thoughts of my ACOTAR reread.

ACOTAR Summary: When nineteen year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf, the last thing she expects is a beast-like creature to come and knock down her family’s door. The beast demands a life for life, dragging Feyre to Prythian, the land of the faeries and magic. Feyre’s kind have come to fear and hate the faeries, and Feyre’s own hatred grows when she learns that her captor is not a beast, but Tamlin- one of the powerful, immortal High Fae. As she adjusts to living in Prythian with Tamlin, Feyre’s feelings transform from hatred to passion, and she must find a way to help Tamlin stop a magical being from taking over the faerie lands.

My Reread Feels (warning: there are some minor spoilers about plot details below) 

My favorite part of rereading this book was noticing more of the Beauty and the Beast elements. A Court of Thorns and Roses is a loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast, and the two stories hold many similarities and differences. One of the differences I noticed in this reread is between our two female protagonists. While Belle is obviously a huge bookworm, Feyre is unable to read. The coolest similarity I noticed was the physical element of the curse. In Beauty and the Beast, all of the Beast’s servants transform into objects. In A Court of Thorns and Roses, all of the people in Tamlin’s court, including himself, are stuck wearing masks. I thought it was so cool of Sarah J.Maas to incorporate this physical element in her book.

I really love the world-building throughout this series, and I’m so excited to refamiliarize myself with the rest of the courts in A Court of Mist and Fury. While I enjoy Feyre as our main protagonist, I enjoy interacting with the side characters so much more. Lucien, Alis, and Rhysand add such character and humor  into the story. Rhysand is a much bigger character in the second novel, so I enjoyed rereading his parts  and how he helps set up the plot for ACOMAF. This book also reminded how strong of a character Feyre is. She totally held her own while living in the human realm and living beside the faeries. However, in this reread, I went from loving Tamlin to holding a lot of animosity against him. Without being too spoilery, Tamlin feels that he has to have complete control over Feyre’s whereabouts and knowledge, which was completely unnecessary and too controlling at times.

Are you rereading A Court of Thorns and Roses & A Court of Mist and Fury in anticipation of ACOWAR?Share your non-spoilerly ACOTAR thoughts and feels below!