Book Tour Review & Giveaway: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Genre: fantasy, retellings
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #1
Pages: 416
Published: expected May 5, 2015
Source: received from publishers for review
Rating: 5/5

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!

We all know Sarah J. Maas can write. The evidence is abundant if you've read her other series -- you may have heard of it -- a tiny thing called Throne of Glass? Watching her talent improve and evolve through that successive series of books has been a reward in and of itself but even more so when that growth is reflected in her newest authorial effort, the mix fantasy and fae and retelling that is A Court of Thorns and Roses. If Throne of Glass is good, and Crown of Midnight amazing and Heir of Fire perfection, then A Court of Roses is absolutely on par with Heir of Fire. It's brash and bold, dark and twisty, swoony and full of feels. It's the launchpoint of a new series and one of the best series openers I've had the pleasure to read. 

A Court of Thorns and Roses boasts a fantastic premise, tip top execution, masterful characterization and nearly flawless writing. It's moody and atmospheric from the start -- a feeling that only intensifies as the story progresses along with the main characters Feyre and Tamlin. The beginning eases the reader into a fantasyish world that soon emerges as a place of beauty, danger, and unpredictability. This world is entirely Maas's own and her stamp is aaallll over it, from the visual descriptions to the enveloping feel omnipresent throughout the novel.The worldbuilding is clever and well-rendered without verring into info-dump territory. Prythian and its various fae Courts come alive almost as much as the people who populate the island.

Feyre, the first person narrator for A Court of Thorns and Roses, is a far cry from Celaena or Aelin or Manon or any of Maas's other (and deservedly well-loved) female characters. She's prickly and stubborn, foolhardy and clever. Her mix of virtues and flaws easily coalesce into a living, breathing person. She feels -- and reads -- so real; she lives and breathes on the page. Her struggles, from the mundane to the supernatural, may be foreign but they help the reader connect and identify with her. Tamlin, her love interest and counterpart, is just as well-defined. His characterization humanizes him without losing the otherworldly edge that should be present for a High Lord of the Fae.

Apart Feyre and Tamlin are excellent characters;; together, they are even better. The both compliment and challenge one another. They -- and often Lucien -- provide great foils for one another as they try to reconcile their different ways. And the ship in this book -- prepare to board, y'all. This is one hell of a ship. Maas makes the reader work for it. The hints and subtle allusions build and build until you want to yell "JUST KISS!" at the two of them. It's one of the most well-developed romances in YA fiction. It reminded me somewhat of what Rosamund Hodge did with Cruel Beauty. Maas takes these two damaged characters and makes them work together as a unit so veyr well. If you don't ship well before halfway through the novel, I would be honestly surprised.

The side characters are also developed into more than background pieces. Even Feyre's two sisters, who appear somewhat one-note at first in A Court of Thorns and Roses, become much more than that first impression would have you assume. Lucien, Tamlin's friend and Emisssary, becomes far more than what is first assumed. The antagonist, though an off-page threat for a lot of the novel, has a lot of presence despite that fact. When [they] do appear on-page, it definitely lives up the hundreds of pages of foreboding that came before.

If you love fairy tales, retellings, fantasy, or swoony books, A Court of Thorns and Roses is your next favorite read. It's rich and atmospheric, engaging and horrifying and amazing. Feyre and Tamlin will imprint on your brain and make it impossible to forget them and desperate to find out what happens next for them. Sarah J. Maas has once again proved that she is a force to deal with -- from writing to plotting to execution, there's no beating her. A Court of Thorns and Roses is a magnificent introduction to this world an these characters and I cannot wait to see whats he does (and how she breaks my heart) going forward. 

 

A Court of Thorns and Roses Blog Tour Stops 

May 5: Perpetual Page Turner – Blog Tour Kick Off with Sarah!

May 5: Lili’s Reflections – Top Five Fairytale Retellings

May 5: Words Read and Written

May 6: Bookish Broads – Lightning Round

May 6: Dark Readers

May 6: Fiction in Fiction in Fiction

May 7: Paper Riot – An Interview with Sarah

May 8: Polished Page-Turners – Would You Rather…

May 8: So Many Books, So Little Time

May 8: Behind the Pages

The Masquerade Ball!

May 11: Novel Sounds & Alexa Loves Books – The Soundtrack

May 12: Icey Books & That Artsy Reader Girl – The Decorations

May 13: Jenuine Cupcakes & Writer of Wrongs – The Food

May 14: What Sarah Read & Andi’s ABCs – The Clothing

May 15: Fiction Fare & Belle of the Literati – The Casting Call

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Review: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Crown of Midnight
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Genre: fantasy, young adult
Series: Throne of Glass #2
Pages: 434
Published: August 27 2013
Source: publishers via NetGalley
Rating: 5/5

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?

THIS BOOK. This book right here. It just... It wrecked me. It played with my emotions. It gleefully tossed me form the height of happiness to the depths of despair. You know that saying "heart wrenching"? That is Crown of Midnight in two words. I get it now. I am wrenched; my heart is so wrenched it may never recover.  

I wasn't expecting to have such an emotional, visceral reaction to this book. I readily admit that I went into it with a lot of trepidation. Though there were things I enjoyed from Throne of Glass (Chaol, strong female characters, hints of magic, Chaol), there was a lot of room for improvement as well. Celaena herself was a bit of trope, she didn't assassinate nearly enough people to back up her incredible arrogance, the mystery tied into the plot was overt and way too obvious, and don't even get me started on the love triangle. But, here in the series' second outing, almost none of those issues reappear. Maas has grown into a much more deft and subtle author; I understand and can empathize with her characters better; Celaena's romantic life is an important facet of the story but not a main focus.

Crown of Midnight may not be technically perfect. I can see some of the technical issues others will have, but my rating is 4 stars for the writing, plot, characters and another star for how much I was engrossed and captivated by the entire novel. This book left me feeling so very many things. Vindication because I called it - a big reveal. Despair because Maas whiplashed me from joy to despair so many times in just 440 pages. Anxiety because I don't have a sequel in my hands waiting to be read. Excitement because Celaena kicks so much more ass in this installment. Hope because I refuse to give up. Envy because this book is so good and I know I will never write like this. Worry because I absolutely can't predict where the story will go from here.

The plot of the novel is more straightforward than the murder mystery/race to the finish at the heart of Throne of Glass. There are some minor questions that Celaena has to work out, but she does, and not dozens of pages after readers have already figured it out. The mysteries are less intrinsic to the plot, and the more subtlety Maas writes with, the less predictable her books and plots become. The solid hints about Celaena's past are also woven into the story with more care, and though I had that figured out before the start of the book, the big reveal at the end was set up very neatly and works well to hint at future plots in the next books.

Celaena was a big obstacle for me in Throne of Glass. I didn't exactly sympathize or identify with her before. Thankfully, I was directed to read the four prequel novellas before embarking on this heartbreak of a book (thank you, Gillian!), and it really adds to Celaena's depiction. I understood her better going into Crown of Midnight, and Maas took more time to flesh out her protagonist into a truly three-dimensional person. I like a flawed, human character better than any paragon of perfection, and oh boy is Celaeana flawed. She's stubborn, arrogant, tends to underestimate anyone without the last name Sardothien, and she makes a lot of mistakes. However, for all her imperfections, this is a great, strong female character. She might make mistakes, but she learns from them too.

Let's talk about love triangle, because it's still hanging on here in Crown of Midnight. Happily, Maas doesn't jerk her main character from love interest to love interest as she did before. Both Dorian and Chaol may have tender feelings for the deadly Celaena, but for all her flaws, the girl isn't indecisive. She makes a choice, and though there are complications between the two, it isn't about what man Celaena wants to be with. I can't say the love triangle is entirely dead (this is YA, after all) but Maas handles it with maturity and I didn't mind how it was used for tension amongst the three principles.

I may have been a tepid fan before, but no longer. I'm fully on board this ship (and the Chaol + Celaena ship), and will be buying copies of this series. I was so entertained by this actiontastic thrill ride; I was heartbroken at some of the twists and turns; I was emotionally whiplashed as Maas kept the reveals and betrayals coming. For better or worse, I am invested in this series, these characters, this world. It's going to be a long hard wait for book three, but I am counting down the days. This is an author that has grown into her story and really impressed me with her sophomore effort. 

 If you're on the fence like I was, if you liked but didn't love Throne of Glass -- don't give up. Read the prequels. And then read the second because you won't be disappointed. Crown of Midnight is the rare sequel that exceeds expectations and surpasses its predecessor. This is YA fantasy - with a female main character! - done so right.

Two Minute Review: The Assassin and the Empire by Sarah J. Maas

Title: The Assassin and the Empire
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #0.4
Genre: fantasy, young adult
Pages: 102
Published: July 2012
Source: purchased
Rating: 4/5

Celaena Sardothien is the assassin with everything: a place to call her own, the love of handsome Sam, and, best of all, freedom. Yet, she won’t be truly free until she is far away from her old master, Arobynn Hamel; Celaena must take one last daring assignment that will liberate her forever. But having it all, means you have a lot to lose . . . 

   

I have a hard time rating novellas - of any length - more than three stars. As fun, interesting or detailed they might be, I always find them to lack real depth, emotion or plot.

That said, The Assassin and the Empire, the last of the the four prequel novellas, deserves those full four stars. (Which is, amusingly, more than I gave Throne of Glass.)

I had read and moderately enjoyed the first full length Celaena Sardothien novel last year. I didn't love it - I wanted more assassinating, less love triangle; more strength and less indecision - but I was curious enough to keep my eye out for the sequel. When Gilly B said the prequels add to the experience of reading Crown of Midnight, I bought all four.

And I am glad I listened. These short stories, full of murder and betrayal, and exposition have helped me to like Celaena a lot more than I did at the close of Throne of Glass. I maybe even understand her better. I don't begrudge her her liking for fine things, or her arrogance, because now I can see there is more to the character than that. I can see where she has come from, what she has gone through, and what she has learned in order to become the person she is during the full-length novels.

The mystery angle is a bit obvious and predictable, and needs work. It's a consistent problem for Maas to write with subtlety, and it shows in all four novellas and especially in Throne of Glass. That said, these prequels, the last especially, show a marked improvement in Maas's writing ability, both in terms of plot and character. Celaena especially comes across more vibrantly, and the chance to see Sam as real character, rather than a memory, provided real depth and emotion to Celaena's grief for him.

I sped through all four ebooks in one day, and it was a great way to get pumped up and excited for Crown of Midnight.

There had just be copious amounts of Chaol. That's all I saying.

Team Chaol!

(Also, all four ebooks are under $2. A worthy investment for fans of the series.)

Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Throne of Glass

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Genre: fantasy, young-adult

Series: Throne of Glass #1

Pages: 350 (Nook ARC edition)

Published: expected August 7 2012

Source: publishers via NetGalley

Rating: 3/5

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 kings 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.

Hype is a strange beast, and one that is certainly no stranger to this long-anticipated fantasy novel geared towards young-adults. It can prime the pump for a well-deserved novel, or it can drag down an otherwise entertaining but not very well executed novel with unfulfilled expectations, as is the case here for my read of Maas's Throne of Glass. Advertised as a "Game of Thrones"  for teens meets an assassin version of The Hunger Games, the similarities and comparisons to other young-adult fantasy novels (particularly Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder -be sure to check out Amanda's great comparison review!) are unavoidable and lamentable. In addition to the misplaced hype and the whole "been-there-done-that feel", Throne of Glass suffers from a wide array of issues that kept me from loving this. I've had several days to digest and work out my-not-so-happy feelings towards this (and vacillate on my rating!), and while I will inevitably pick up the sequel, I do think Maas has a lot to learn about the fantasy genre, writing a credible romance, and crafting a better method of authorial sleight-of-hand.

Celaena Sardothien is a complex character, that is without a doubt, but one that is a little too enamored of her own looks, instead of worrying about, oh I don't know, LIVING. Even Katniss, for all her faults and flaws, doesn't worry about her good-looks when confronted by the people who ruined her life, and oppressed her people. I think Celaena will be divisive among readers: some will respond to her hard-edged confidence and others will be much less enthused with her inability to look at the bigger picture. There are many sides to her personality, and I will admit that she is admirably flawed and realistic for a YA protagonist. She's a strong, smart, capable, and decisive young woman, while only slightly suffering from Special Snowflake Syndrome. She's also arrogant beyond belief (though I didn't start to dislike that aspect until her arrogance about her skills was never backed up by her actions! One sparring match does not a Master Assassin make! And, after all, how many times, exactly, can Dorian sneak up on Celaena before she loses all credibility as The Greatest Assassin Ever?), cunning, deadly, and way, way, too invested in the superficial facets of Court life. The sheer amount of time clothing, especially Celaena's and Dorian's wardrobes, are described, lusted after, and compared is simply exhausting and dry.  

Another main issue I had while reading this was the clear and present focus on romance, a love triangle and angst instead of THE ASSASSIN-TASTIC DEATH MATCH. It's supremely frustrating to be told that Celaena is an amazing assassin and then see no proof of it, outside very few isolated events. What is the point of a Hunger Games death match between assassins if it's all offsides and offscreen? For almost the entirety of reading about the tournament, I was thinking "KILL SOMEONE, DAMNIT. Prove you're what you've been so enthusiastically saying about yourself." It's too much telling about Celaena's prowess, and far too little actual "showing" on Maas's part. The Tests and trials are glossed over, or focus on the least-actiontastic events (a poison ranking? Really? Harry Potterish much?) to the overall detriment of what was actually the most compelling aspect of the whole novel. Instead, the author ignores the good stuff in favor of awkward flirting, and endless descriptions of what every character is reading. It's a shame and a glaring misstep for any novel that seeks to be compared for the bloody and dark Game of Thrones.

Maas is a capable author, but sadly not one readers will be able to call subtle after reading first-in-a-series Throne of Glass. Celaena's mysterious past and real identity are both easy to suss out, and it's remarkable that none of the other characters manage to do so in the 400+ pages of the final edition. The super-obvious obvious plotting and writing, the easy-to-spot red herrings, and not to mention the heavy-handed approach to the love-triangle that takes up 75% of the novel, make for a very predictable novel. The "mystery" of who is behind the competitors death...isn't. It's both obvious from the start and then subsequently, hilariously frustrating how long it takes Celaena to cotton on to the real culprit. <SPOILER> Celaena's whole "Nehemia has a secret! Therefore, she must be the killer or maybe just politically savvy. Never mind that I've been lying the entire time we've known one another!!1!" subplot is particularly dumb. Be smarter than that, Celaena. Respect your readers more than that, Maas!</SPOILER>  

Third-person omniscient makes it easy for the POV to rotate around Celaena, Dorian, the Crown Prince of Ardalan, and Chaol Westfall, the earnest and awesome Captain of the Guard and show a wider view of the world.It also caused me to feel distant from the characters and kept me from fully investing. (Exception: Chaol. MOAR PLEASE.) Were the other two perspectives really needed? No, but nor do they detract from the narration. The love triangle manage to do that allll on its own. You can see it forming from the first chapter, and Maas never makes it worth reading about. It's all overwrought glances and touching, with little real emotion to back up the overused trope. It's not used to illustrate that Celaena is torn between two men who genuinely appeal to vastly different sides of her character, but rather to show how beautiful and alluring she is. No, thank you. The writing itself can be bloated with overdescription (the clothes! the glass castle! WE GET IT!), but Maas does reign it in occasionally to let a plot emerge.

Fun, but very flawed is my final verdict. Great ideas need great execution and that is not at all what happened here with Throne of Glass. Though Throne of Glass has been grossly overhyped and is quite often amateurish in its presentation, I can't deny that there are moments of great entertainment... but, sadly, they are not enough to earn this novel more than 3/5 stars.