A Court of Thorns and Roses

I just have to say - this is not a fairy sex book - based on a previous review I saw on this book. The story may start a little slow, but it picks up towards the last 3rd of the book. It is like a damsel in distress who becomes a savior. It builds into a story that I absolutely love. The narrator is my absolute FAVORITE! Her impressions and voices of the characters don't make me cringe like some others do. I think she fits the main character well.

This book is ridiculous.... I feel like a 13 year old wrote this. Horrible characters. Definitely wasted a credit. I've forced myself to listen to about 4 hours of it but I can't anymore. These characters stress me out. DO NOT BOTHER.

Meh. It’s a book about fairy sex. Maybe I didn’t read the description correctly but this book seems appropriate for teenagers. The story isn’t very good, the story telling marginally better. I bought the first two books as part of the audiobooks deal bc I’m into fantasy, and I always force myself to listen to my purchased books.... so I’ll listen to the second book. It’s not bad, but it’s definitely not good, either. Fairy sex. A teenaged-level book about fairy sex.

A delightful retelling of Beauty And The Beast. The fae lore is darker than most, and the description of fae courts is imaginative. There's romance, but it's not too smutty. This is a lovely, entertaining listen.

Have read this series multiple times so had to get it on audio book!

I enjoyed this series very much. A fantastical reprieve from the daily grind.

Terribly written. Constant recycling of phrases. Characters are not believable. Story is bland and shallow. No world-building. Fantasy is my favorite genre and this book was recommended by my best friend, and after reading the reviews I was expecting something exhilarating. This book did not match the hype at all!

This book was amazing! I’m not sure why anyone thought it was about fairy sex. It wasn’t at all and whole the storyline loosely started with Beauty and the Beast vibes, it definitely ended much differently. I was on the edge of my seat and listened to the whole thing in a couple days. Great book.

I love this series so much. I have read the books 4 times and just listened to the audio book for when I'm driving to and from work and loved every minute of it all over again. Sarah J. Maas is a genius and brilliant author. I recommend her to everyone.

Sigh, such a disappointing book for me. I am a huge fan of the medieval ballad of Tamlin, and have read masterful reinterpretations that did justice both to the resilient heroine who takes on the fairy queen to rescue her true love and to the powerful queen herself. This version disempowers both characters and changes the nature of the story so much I wonder why the beloved even needed to be named Tamlin anymore. The author’s concept is indeed intriguing; a mash up of Beauty and the Beast and the ballad of Tamlin. Unfortunately she rolls it up needlessly into stereotypical and overly secualized romance novel tropes that harm the original source material, uses crass 21st century language that doesn’t fit and then adds some completely unnecessary Game of Thrones level violence which obliterates the originals’ battle of mental strength and moral integrity. I just… sigh, hate a stupid heroine. In order to artificially drive the romance novel trope of “huffy heroine can’t recognize how wonderful the man is for chapters and chapters”, Feyre is maddeningly unable to see what the reader is clearly told from the beginning: Tamlin is a good man. Oh, and in this version of Tamlin, he’s not a human man but a fairy himself - which totally skews the narrative into a direction that makes it too hard for the author to connect well with the original stories she’s borrowed from. It drives an ending that, for me, was pointless; an unsatisfying resolution. But back to the stupidity… how often can a heroine ignore all the good advice and warnings and care others take of her before she becomes so tedious that you begin to hate her? I hated her through the first 2/3 of the story, the Beauty and the Beast part, as she wilfully ignores all common sense and guidance . The last chunk of the book moves into the Tamlin retelling. And while the story gets more interesting, not only is the “Tamlin” heroine not wise enough to take good counsel and see truth through deception, but the fairy queen is no longer the all-powerful, natural ruler of her realm but, instead, in this version she’s no more than a vicious military usurper in a fairy world that apparently is rightfully ruled by males. How did a medieval story of empowered women turn into this backwards muck? No, this one does not do the women justice. For well written, romantically satisfying retellings of the wonderful Tamlin story, I still prefer Elizabeth Pope’s Tudor-era version, The Perilous Gard, and Diana Wynne Jones’ contemporary masterpiece, Fire and Hemlock. Both of these keep the heroine smart, as well as brave and determined, and the fairies are still frightening and “Tamlin”’s plight still deadly.

Great book. Caught my attention from beginning to end. Really like the series and already on book 3 and love how the stories connect to each other from book to book. Interesting details and always leaves you wanting more. Highly recommend it!!

Definitely aimed more toward teenagers, but a good story and great storytelling. Lots of twists and turns, I am hooked and about to start the second. I also thought the narrator did a very good job telling the story.

Such a great book!

Absolutely love these books!

Fascinating

Love the narration and story

I loved everything about this book!

I am absolutely hooked on this series! I stumbled upon "A Court of Thorns and Roses" by Sarah J. Maas and was immediately drawn into the world of faeries and magic. The story is beautifully crafted, with a strong and relatable protagonist, Feyre, who is forced to navigate the treacherous land of Prythian. The romance between Feyre and Tamlin is slow-burning and tantalizing, and the world-building is so immersive that I felt like I was right there with them. What I love most about this book is the way it seamlessly blends elements of fantasy, romance, and adventure. The writing is lush and descriptive, making it easy to visualize the characters and settings. The characters themselves are complex and multi-dimensional, with rich backstories and motivations that make them feel truly real. The series has a total of 7 books, and I've already devoured the first three. I'm obsessed with the world and characters that Maas has created, and I can't wait to see what happens next. If you're a fan of fantasy romance, or just looking for a compelling and immersive read, I highly recommend "A Court of Thorns and Roses". Be warned, though - once you start, you won't be able to put it down!

Love love love this narrator. Really brought the story to life. cute romance and fun action

I really tried to like this book, but what a waste of my time & feel the writer insults my short term memory capability by constantly reiterating the same sentences, it reminds me of when I was at school & needing to have 2000 words for my essay..

Definitely didn’t have the experience that the “fairy sex” reviewers on here claim. There are spicy scenes, but barley any and it’s much story based than they imply. The book was very good, character development was great. The first chunk is a bit slow moving but towards the end the story improves x100 and it was so hard to stop listening. I’ve already started the second book and am enjoying it as well!

Sarah J Mass is so good and these are absolutely not teen books.

This book is great! Not sure why some comments say otherwise I enjoyed this book so much I finished it within a day and a half! I will say the narrator could’ve done a little better with the different voices otherwise great book.

fav book ever

The characters in the first book aren’t nearly who they seem, so don’t be fooled. Love this book, and the series so far. The books get more serious the more you read, and the characters develop a lot. The adult parts are not too juicy for the first book, or overly detailed so it was a comfortable read. Love how the story unravels. Just gonna say, if you need a reason to read the second book, screw Tamlin.

excellent book

Yes, it’s a little cheesy but I love it! Good story and enjoyable. Can’t wait to read the others! Everyone said it seemed like a young teen book but I disagree.

Loved this book and the narrator has been my favorite across audiobooks thus far

was a wonder slow burn.

Amazing can't wait to listen to more

Loved the book and the narrator was very good and her voice very soothing. I just had an eye operation and couldnt see for a while so listening to the book made the time fly by.

Just a terribly written story. Complete waste of time. I would have not finished it had it not been for the narrator.

Easy listen... the main character did annoy me at times, I literally caught myself yelling at her, but I thoroughly enjoyed it the story. I finished the listen in 3 days time.

It builds into a story that I absolutely love. The narrator is my absolute FAVORITE! Her impressions and voices of the characters don't make me cringe like some others do

Love both the book and the narrator

couldn't put this book down! this series is a must!

I was so happy to hear that the narrator was Jennifer Ikeda and she did not disappoint, as always! Thoroughly enjoyable listen!

it feels weird reviewing this book after reading other books in the series. honestly though, I love this series and this book got me hooooooked.

Excited to finish book one and get into this series. Narrator was great.

The plot has major logical issues but the story is cute and it helps you through doing house chores or such but that's not quality fantasy.

I’m loving this series. This first book feels is a bit slow, but necessary to paint a good picture. It’s my second fantasy series that I’m reading as someone that hasn’t ever been a fantasy reader and it’s definitely worth it for me. It took me a while to get used to the narrator though.

The entire series is amazing, I think about it daily and I’ve read it multiple times.

Amazing couldn’t stop listening! Already started the second one.

Well, 8 hours into this book and I’m still waiting for something to happen. It is a combination of beauty and the beast, and a harlequin romance without the romance. There seems to be no plot whatsoever. There is virtually no action.

Amazing world building. So excited to continue the series.

captivating, incredibly well read, loved it!

It was my first time reading it or listening I should say. I enjoyed it and am now on the search for book 2.

Not the most original. I enjoyed the characters. Good pacing. Very concerning and delusional depiction of sexual assault.

Very boring and low quality reading…

Loved the narrator and the book, i have heard a lot about this book series and it is said that the first book is not as good as the rest but i absolutely loved this one which means it will only get better from here

I like this book cause it reminds me of my soul

WOW! What an amazing book. the story was enthralling and so unique. I am so excited to continue the series. Consuming book and perfect narration.

I love Sarah J Maas, this book I started listening on a roadtrip. After an hour I had to turn it off and made the conscious choice to physically read this one because of the narration, I didn't like how breathy and winded she sounded. Hoping the book is better in person.

I really enjoy this audiobook. I can listen to it over and over.

This is my least favorite of then series. Seems really slow to start and was hard for me to get into it but towards the end the story developed more and each book gets better. If you find it hard to get through the first book just hang on and keep reading it does get better.

The book is an easy listening young adult novel. I enjoyed the story line.

Just didn’t do it for me but will continue to next book. Maybe it gets better!

Narrator is lovely! Plot is terrible and trite - beauty and the beast with no character development. Second half gets better and is more plot driven. Totally disappointed

Great Bock with a heart warming and at the same time heart wrenching story. Can definitely recommend the book if you're into some magic and stuff.

I enjoyed the story & really liked the narrator. Would lister to this author & narrator again.

Really enjoyable. It starts off a but slow, but improves as you read.

I put off reading only because I do not read this particular genre. I prefer Psychological Thrillers. However........ After a co-worker expressed how much she was enjoying the series and it was like a spicy Beauty and the Beast, I was sold. What little girl doesn't love Beauty and the Beast!?!? And what adult doesn't like a little spice?!?! They say these are for the young adult, but I'm 50 and loved it! Every woman needs to reach in and grab that "young adult" that we have mostly forgotten. I say young adult and not little girl because of the "spice." We all need a little fairytale to grab our imagination!

I loved the book, great story! It only took a couple days to get through it!

Such a great story! At first, the narrator seemed almost like they were forced to read it and didn't want to. She they were better as the story went on. I read it via eReader the first time. It was great to have it read to me this time!

This book is torture. Total waste of a credit. 7 hours into the book, I still cannot understand why a beautiful, powerful and kind high lord would fall for a hostile, heartless and ignorant woman, who does nothing but spitting hatred and pitying herself. She cruelly murders a wolf clearly recognizing human features in it. Is being speared and treated like a princess. But despite all the kindness shown to her she insist on dwelling in prejudices she learned from ignorant village people she lived among. She has not one single sympathetic characteristics about her. It’s impossible to relate to this character. It feels like some cruelly twisted world - where the mediocre, stupid and hostile woman gets the prince, power and happily ever after. (Narrator is brilliant though)

got me completely hooked, couldn't stop listening and now I'm already with the 3rd book. the story is amazing, it has action, drama, love and adventure. it even has amazingly hot scenes that lightens up everything within you ;) i didn't give 5 stars cause the descriptions, or better said the mind talk of the main character sometimes are eternal and the story is so intriguing that I just want it to continue.

Great story

If you are looking for great writing, you won't find it in this book. However, if what you are looking for is fantasy fairy type "get out of reality" thing, then you might like it. I'm glad I got it for free. I'll leave it there.

took a little while to get into but finished strong.

Listen to from blood to ash way better story! Glad this was a free perk book!

A lovely listen. Totally enjoyable. I disagree with former criticism of fairy sex and a teeny listen. I am curious about the next in the series.

Good listen! I don't usually go for the paranormal but finished it

Love the story, the narrator. LOVE

Loved this book. Best series I've started in a while, and I bought the paper version to finish the series myself. I can say I've already read the 2nd book (onto 3 now) and it gets so much better than I expected, especially the characters, including the protagonist.

I love theses books

I enjoyed the gripping storyline. The only thing that bothered me was the explicit sex and swearing. Other than that the book was very well thought out and I enjoyed the interesting characters.

It was good but I think the next book would be better. There were a few gaps in the story where I though things could have gone deeper.

The love story was a lot but it kind of made sense in the end. Not just fae sex as I saw in one review. The fae stuff is pretty dark. It wraps up decently with just a few lingering questions which I’m sure will be answered in the next series. I enjoyed it.

Ooof. I gave this a fair chance for 9 hours but I just can’t keep going. Overrated IMO and childish. SPOILERS…. Ok how did they go so fast from hating her for killing one of them to letting her hang out with them all the time? She’s essentially a prisoner so why is she getting one-on-one meals and so much time with the High Lord and his buddy? I just can’t wrap my head around that. She literally can’t follow a single simple instruction. If she’s ends up being some kind of special mate (I think that was the hint being made?) then it’s taking wayyyy to long to make that point. Also, who is this marketed to? YA would be probably a bit much on the sex, although maybe that’s different than the YA I was reading 15 years ago. If it’s for adults… I’ll stick with Anita Blake for the good smut. Sad I can’t get the credit back for this one!

Ok plot but sooo long winded. Some passages just dragging on and on so repetitively.

Excellent narration- one could actually visualise the scenery and characters and feel poignancy of the emotions. Well done

I really enjoyed this book, it felt so indulgent and fantastical

Ok do I chose this because I read the Crescent City books from the author which I loved. I am on Chapter 20 and I can barely tell anyone what this book is about. I find myself having to go back to hear the parts again because this is so boring I am zoning out. Her other series had me captivated with the story. I fell in love with Bryce Quinlan and the other characters. This series has more books and I thought I would give it a chance. I don’t know if it gets better later in the book but so far nothing in 20 chapters has captivated me enough. I will keep going and see if it gets interesting as we go on.

Dope book

Great escapism and I loved the vivid descriptions of this other world! Beautifully read.

I really wantted to like this iIf there was hope the narration killed it for me. I'm struggling to hear what they are saying half the time. I could only make it through 2 chapters. JR

Personally I enjoyed this book very much. Liked the writing and the narrator. I cannot wait to listen to the second book.

This book is exhilarating and so much fun. It had unexpected twists and romantic tensions between characters. I’m on the second book now and it’s even better than the first!

excellent story

This was very juvenile writing. It’s basically a “my crush kidnapped me and I fell in love with him” trope you find on Wattpad. Very cringe and the narrator sounds really old to be reading in the voice of a 18 year old girl.

I fell in love with this series!! So great

I already knew the book and loved it and I’m really happy with the narrator!

amazing book. can't wait to pick up the second one

Fantasy story where the sensual and sexual references and descriptions tend to be too prominent in the narration. Not my genre.

It's your basic beauty and the beast story. It was meh.

Took several chapters before I found it started to get more interesting. Listened to the book because there were so many great reviews but didn't find it to be that good for myself personally.

I hoped it would get better as it went on but I found it a bit boring. The narrator is also not my favorite. She does a good job but she narrates a lot of the books I listen to and her voice gets annoying book after book.

enjoyable easy listening

Such a good story line, I enjoyed listening to every single chapter and I am already listening the 2 book hehe

loved the book

Great book

Great narrator.

Started out a lot like Beauty and the Beast. Girl doesn’t fit in and falls in love with a “Beast”. But then it takes a fairy turn. Not a bad listen to pass the time. Definitely geared more towards young adults

Great first book in the series. Slow build up and many twists, but finishing it was really worth it.

This is my one of my favorite fantasy series of all time!

Loved most of the characters except the lead, she had potential especially at the start with her fiery attitude and killer instinct and she seemed clever but just wound up being whiny, not a strong female lead, and kept doing dumb frustrating things. definitely liked some of the other masculine characters though. I would still recommend this book however the main character will probably put me off reading the other books in the series, I just don’t find her to my taste. Still love this author though.

Enjoyed the book. Very much enjoyed the narrator. Light reading/listening, story is interesting, keeps you curious. Will listen to book 2. Teens interested in fantasy and fairies should love it

awesome great

Loved this first book, can’t wait to continue the series

Audience for ages maybe 15 to 25. Interesting and light read. Character's skills and drive are admirable but lack of self confidence is a little tedious and over the top. Fairy characters are most interesting aspect of the book.

Not a bad listen and interesting enough to keep listening. Kind of juvenile. Narrator was very good

very good book series and the narrator takes a bet to get use to but dose ok.

I liked it. It is an interesting listen. Have I heard better...... sure. If your really into mistical fantasy fiction that comes from generations of D&D proto-types, you'll like this new spin. Miss Sara L..... if you don't get it, don't bash it. This is a female teen perspective twist. Kudos, Miss Maas... my daughter and I like it and have become your fans.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story! There was enough of the beauty and the beast motifs to recognize the traits of the famous story but the author did an excellent job of making it her own! I had little expectation when I first started but relatively quickly I found that I couldn’t stop listening to it. I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys romantic adventure with strong female characters and excellent descriptive story telling! The narrator also excelled which was plus in my book!

A fantastic book. well written and will nerrated. Kept me on the edge of my seat and had a very exciting climax.

Enjoyable Listen! Characters are interesting and fun, story pace is good no real slow moments. Just enough murder, mystery and live to keep things interesting

Im only a couple hours in. So far, it's a light, easy, entertaining listen.

Well narrated, took a little to get me in but enjoyed the ride.

It is even more mesmerizing than the first one!

IT was OK. The main character comes of a bit weak, and ignorant. She annoys me. But the story was catching. Light entertainment.

Really enjoyed this book. Caught up in the story until the very last word.

Amazing book!

The book was amazing.

Loved it! Best romance/action packed book I've ever read! ?? Sarah J. Maas you are my queen!