TBR Thursday

Kimberly @ Kimberlyfaye Reads started a new weekly feature that I'm excited to join in! This feature is to showcase what's on your to be read shelf (or eReader, or Audible library) and see what others think of it. Have you read it? Should I read it or put it back on the shelf? It's a way to dust off the books on your self and decide if they're worth reading!

Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.

I liked the first book well enough, but haven't felt any burning desire to pick book two up (mainly for the love triangle). I've tried to start it a handful of times and haven't gotten past the first chapter, plus I just saw on Goodreads that there's going to be a total of six books in this series. Whether or not that's true I'm not certain, but six books? Seriously?! 

#StrugglesWithSeries

I actually like series, but only if I'm late to the game and they're nearly finish, so I can properly binge read.

That tangent aside, should I try again with this? 

TBR Thursday

Kimberly @ Kimberlyfaye Reads started a new weekly feature that I'm excited to join in! This feature is to showcase what's on your to be read shelf (or eReader, or Audible library) and see what others think of it. Have you read it? Should I read it or put it back on the shelf? It's a way to dust off the books on your self and decide if they're worth reading!

Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights. 

I read A Court of Thorns and Roses last year and liked it, but have been hesitant to pick up this one since there's a switch in the love interest (I don't know whether it's a love triangle, exactly) and that's one of my biggest pet peeves. I can think of a whopping two books/series where it didn't infuriate me, so I'm very cautious here. I know it's a beloved book though. 

Thoughts?

{Mini Review} A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Timesbestselling 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! 

4 "I Am Very Conflicted" Stars

This will be a short review today! I had a lot of thoughts on this one, but my poor dog broke her tooth over the weekend, so we're off to the vet's today. She's not feeling too good right now. :(

A Court of Thorns and Roses was a well written and intriguing retelling of Beauty and The Beast, and is a refreshing and exciting addition to the new adult genre. It was definitely a hyped novel, and in a lot of ways I can see why. In others...well, I'll just do a pros/cons list and keep it simple. ;)


On the one hand, I love:

- Tamlin. He was an enjoyable character, if slightly one-dimensional. I enjoyed how he did not push Feyre into anything, his loyalty and protectiveness of his people, and he's admittedly pretty sexy.

- Tamlin's best friend, Lucien. That man was hilarious, and I want to see more of him! He and Feyre had some awesome banter.

- The world building is just gorgeous. Rich, vivid, and thought provoking, but thankfully didn't enter the realm of "I have no fucking clue what is going on" high fantasy.

- The Fae were interesting! I've been intrigued by fae since reading Karen Marie Moning's Fever series, and it's always interesting to see another author's perspective. This cast of characters was slightly different from anything I've read before.

- The last 10-15% blew my mind. The action was heart pounding, emotions ran high, and I felt like I was right there with them.

- After the first 70 pages or so, it was incredibly addictive and I didn't want to put it down.

- Despite having more of fade-to-black sex scenes, this was a surprisingly sensual novel!

- I feel it could be read as a standalone without problem.

- The audiobook is pretty decent!




I wasn't as big a fan of:

- Feyre. First of all, I bought the audio version just so I could figure out how the hell to pronounce her name. I was thinking something along the lines of Fay-re, Fear-re, ect, but nope. Her name is pronounced Fair-uh. Never would've gotten that.
Second, I didn't really care for her as a heroine. She's just okay; a bit bland, not too well defined. She wasn't much of anything, good or bad.

- I have a sneaking suspicion that there will be a love triangle. I really, really hope I'm wrong.

- Like I said, it took around 70 pages to get into the story.

- The pacing for the book was a little weird to me. Nothing so hugely, glaringly obvious that I can pinpoint and say "that's what's wrong with it", but more like a nagging little something that set it off as odd to me.

- The romance. This was my biggest disappointment for me, especially because it's a Beauty and The Beast retelling and that storyline needs a romance that is all consuming. This one...wasn't. It was just okay. I wanted, needed to be completely enthralled with their romance, needed to believe in it one hundred and ten percent. The entire plot is revolves around love, and I didn't fully buy Tamlin and Feyre's love.

Overall though, it was an enjoyable read and I look forward to the next!

- Amanda, aka The Bibliophile Babe