A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1)
               by Sarah J. Maas

Publication Date: May 5, 2015
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Genre: High Fantasy
Age Group: Mature Young Adult
Source: Physical ARC received via the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 416 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 5/5 stars

A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

 

 

Upon finishing A Court of Thorns and Roses, I knew it would stay with me for quite some time. I read this in December and I STILL have ALL THE FEELS. Not only has this become one of my new favorite books, but I honestly think it will become an ALL TIME favorite. It is THAT good. I loved every minute and I was beyond devastated when it was over. I wanted more. No, I CRAVED more. I am already a huge Sarah fangirl so waiting for her books is the most painful kind of torture.

 

I actually didn't realize this was a Beauty and the Beast retelling until I was done. Hah. I finished and was not only reminded of Beauty and the Beast, but I caught a hint of the Persephone myth in here too! (I don't know if that was intentional or not. I think I'll ask Sarah tonight!) I loved the way Maas crafted this story, developed the characters and their relationships, and made me feel I was right there in Prythian experiencing everything as Feyre did.

 

I loved Feyre. She isn't a kickass warrior like Celaena, but she has her own strength and resilience. And she's got a hell of a lot of heart.  I really admire her for taking care of her family the way she did, especially with the way they acted. She has become hardened by the life she lives and lives in the now. She doesn't daydream like her sisters or act as if things are going to magically get better. She's a realist through and through. She is not happy about the arrangement to go and live with Tamlin in the Faerie Lands, but she is without a choice. She must cross into enemy territory if she wants to live and there, she must adjust to her new life among these ethereal masked faeries.

 

Let's talk about my new book boyfriend, Tamlin. I am so in love with him, it's kind of scary. Even though he is angered and upset over the loss of his friend to Feyre's hands, he still shows her compassion and kindness. He made me swoon so very much and I loved watching them warm up to one another. This is the best kind of hate-love relationship. He made my toes curl and my stomach flutter and I was flailing by the time we got to some of the more steamy scenes.

 

I really liked Lucien as well, Tam's best friend. He ended up being a great friend to Feyre as well and I loved that he provided some comedic relief. Now, Rhys on the other hand... I know tons of people love him and I think I would too.... had I jumped into my time machine and read the next books. LOL. I have no idea where Sarah is going to take her story next, nor her relationships, especially after the events that transpired at the end of the book. Where Tam is light, Rhys is dark. He's definitely got that bad faerie vibe going on, but I am curious about him. We got to see some of his vulnerability, so I am interested in seeing how this storyline will play out. And terrified because my heart might not survive this series.

 

To sum up my somewhat erratic thoughts and feelings, I loved this book to pieces. I love that Sarah isn't afraid to be bold and make things happen. The steamy scenes had me in full swoon mode and I am almost embarrassed at how many times I reread them. (Almost, but not quite.) I am so invested in these characters and their lives, as well as the story she has created. If you're a lover of high fantasy, then I definitely recommend this one and I hope it captivates you with its beauty as much as it did me.

 

Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3)
    by: Sarah J. Maas

Publication Date: Sept. 2, 2014
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Genre: High Fantasy
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: e-ARC received via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 565 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 5/5 stars

Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his own toughest enemy.

While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love?

 

 

*Spoiler free review*

  

 

"Wake me up inside, wake me up inside,

call my name and save me from the dark,

Bid my blood to run,

before I come undone,

save me from the nothing I've become...."

 

As soon as I finished reading Heir of Fire, I couldn't help but think about this song by Evanescence because it is SO Celaena! For those of you who have read Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight, be prepared: Celaena Sardothian is NOT the same girl she once was. After everything that was revealed by the end of Crown of Midnight, how could she be?

 

Sarah J. Maas really blew me away with Heir of Fire. This book is told in multiple point of views, but with 3 main, coinciding storylines. One of them was very unexpected, but I actually really enjoyed it. It makes me very anxious to see how this particular storyline is going to weave into the main one, concerning Celaena.... It is quite a long book, but I found myself immediately drawn back into the world Maas has created. There are so many pivotal scenes in this book that set the stage for what is to come and will undoubtedly change the course of the future for all our characters.

 

The character development we have seen in this book alone is astounding. We do have several new faces in this book. I only want to briefly discuss one, as I just can't NOT talk about him! He is Rowan Whitethorn and I did NOT like him at first. He was cold and unfeeling, and he was all about the hard truths. However, he actually ended up playing a major role in resurrecting Celaena. He became her mentor, her friend, and I would go as far as to say he was her savior. He really surprised me and I am glad his character grew in the way he did, because he is a powerful ally to have.

 

Celaena's character is the one that I saw the most development from. We have a very broken, very apathetic woman, who is just trying to get by. There is no life in her, no spark- only bitterness and anger. Her spirit has been broken almost beyond repair, and my heart just ached for her. She needs someone to pull her out of the depths and reignite the flame that once burned so brightly, as she cannot do it alone. Celaena is still young and she needs guidance and wisdom. She needs someone to believe in her, as well as show her some tough love because she can be quite resistant.

 

By the end of the book, there is a completely new dynamic. Lines have been drawn, allegiances have been broken and reformed, and it's time to stand up and fight! Honor, loyalty, good, and evil will all play key roles in the continuation of the series and I am dying to get my hands on the next book!

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2)
    by: Sarah J. Maas

Publication Date: Aug. 27, 2013
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Genre: Fantasy
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Received from Literary Lushes ARC Tours
Page Count: 420 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 4/5 stars

An assassin’s loyalties are always in doubt.
But her heart never wavers.

After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.

Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice.

Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for?

 

 

Gosh. I am completely torn apart right now. This book shattered me in every way. I will be honest- I did struggle getting into this book. I think the main reason for this was that it had been so long since I read Throne of Glass. I had a lot of trouble remembering who some of the minor characters were (like Nehemia) and remembering the magical aspect of the novel with the wyrdmarks, etc. While there are still things I don't recall from the first book, I was able to find my groove and not read through the book with a look of confusion on my face.

Celaena, the famous Adarlan's Assassin, is now the King's Champion. She has been tasked with taking care of people that the King suspects traitorous and part of a secret movement to dispose of him. However, Celaena is playing a very dangerous game. Instead of killing those the King suspects, she fakes their deaths and presents appendages too mutilated to truly identify in their place.

Let's just say it now and get it over with. Celaena is a badass. She just is. She is strong, cunning, precise, but in this book we see a ruthlessness to her that had me cringing. I spent the last half of the book really pissed off at her and irritated because damn the girl can hold a grudge. And I didn't like that. I understand that betrayal is a slap in the face, and that withholding information from her for her own good is NOT ok with her. But to completely do a 180 and act like she did? I get it, but I didn't like it. Not one bit. I wanted to throttle and shake her so many times and tell her to get the eff over it already. Find acceptance and offer forgiveness. She sort of heads in that direction toward the end, but I'd better see it hardcore in the third book! Celaena is a woman who has known more loss and suffering than any person should. She has lost people dear to her and continues to do so. I feel like she is at such a crossroads in this book. She may have won the battle to become the King's Champion to avoid being sent back to the mines, but unbeknownst to her, her work is far from over. She must decide where she stands: whether she is going to let evil win out or if she will step up and find out the truth about the King and the wyrdmarks and how the two are connected.

I really liked seeing how Maas brought everything together in this novel. She has carefully constructed every detail to make the story flow seamlessly and is definitely setting us up for something much greater in the third book. The magical aspect and how the Fae ties in is brilliant and Maas, while didn't leave us with a cliffhanger per say, definitely left us with an "oh snap!" ending that had me craving more.

In Throne of Glass we had two men that had both grown to care for Celaena: Dorian and Chaol. Dorian, the Crown Prince of Adarlan, is not your typical smug, haughty, playboy prince. He is kind and sweet and really cares for Celaena. His role in this book is the beginning of something so much greater and I get chills just thinking about it.

Chaol Westfall, Captain of the Guard, is a stoic character, who we really get to see shine in this book. I like Dorian a lot, but at the end of the first book I knew Chaol had a much larger role to play in Celaena's life. Watching these two become so comfortable in their friendship was absolutely heart-warming to me. I loved their easy banter together and then watching them long for more nearly killed me. Chaol knows there's a line that he shouldn't cross when it comes to her, but sometimes lines blur and what can you do? There aren't a whole lot of romantic moments in this book, but I felt those we did get are so subtly placed that they made my heart jump and skip a beat every time.

I don't want to give anything away, but my heart cried out for these characters and I hated how their growth and development had to involve so much heartache and pain. All of the characters seem to be at war with themselves over what is expected, what is right, and what they cannot live without. Seriously. I've been shattered into a million pieces over this book. With that being said- if you're a fantasy fan- you need to read this series. If you have read Throne of Glass, but haven't picked up Crown of Midnight- get on that!

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1)
     by: Sarah J. Maas

Publication Date: Aug. 7, 2012
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Genre: Fantasy
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Borrowed from Library
Page Count: 404 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 4/5 stars

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

                  -goodreads.com description

Wow. This book was so great. I was immediately swept away into Maas's fantasy world and its characters.

First off, how cool is it to read about a girl, who is a notorious assassin? Celaena is such a badass. I love it. She's smart, witty, and fierce and you can't help but love the way she doesn't take any crap from the Prince or the Captain of the Guard. Set in a medieval world, Celaena walks to the beat of her own drum. Yes, she must be careful, as she does not want to be sent back into slavery, but I love her attitude and spunk.

Watching her interact with the males is such great fun.

Chaol, the Captain of the Guard, is a stoic character, who is very wary of Celaena. Dorian, the Crown Prince, is your typical arrogant, fun-loving, playful prince who ends up being quite taken with Celaena.

If you are a fan of fantasy and medieval settings, this book is awesome.