A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

 

A Court of Thorns and Roses is the first of a five-part new adult high fantasy series about Feyre Archeron. In this first installment, Feyre, a 19-year-old huntress is captured and taken to the faerie land of Prythian after killing a faerie wolf in the woods. Feyre quickly learns that her kidnapper, High-Fae Tamlin, is one of the seven High Lords of Prythian. As she lives with Tamlin in the Spring Court, she comes to learn that everything she knew about the faerie world is a lie.  

A Court of Thorns and Roses, not to be mistaken for young adult, is well suited to older fans who enjoy romantic subplots, magic, witty, well-developed characters, and found family. Fans of George R.R. Martin will find themselves especially entertained by the action-packed plot, and fans of Kristin Cashore will enjoy the complex world-building. Though the beginning of the book is a bit slow, everything you are told in the first half is flipped on its head midway through, and from that part on, the book is fast paced with plot twists that will leave you guessing. The characters are memorable, empowering women and condemning toxic masculinity every step of the way. They are nuanced and stray from inherent good or bad, once again reinforcing the maturity of the author's writing. Overall, Maas' first installment is a solid introduction into this new world that I'm sure will be just as wonderful as it continues to be fleshed out in the following books.