As winter break approaches, many of us are looking forward to a few weeks of hard-earned relaxation. And if you’re anything like me, you’re adding book after book to your ‘to-be-read’ list, or TBR. Eagerly mentally organizing which ones you should read first when you finally have the downtime to read something other than what your professors assign. Well, I’m here to give you a series to put at the very top of your never-ending TBR, and beg you to dive into the fantasy world of ACOTAR.
A Court of Thorns and Roses, ACOTAR, by Sarah J. Maas, is the first book in the series that currently sits at four books and a novella. Now, you’re probably thinking “An entire series? Who has time for that? It can’t even be that good.” Oh yes, it can. And trust me, you’ll make time. The first book is a retelling of ‘Beauty and the Beast’. Our main character, Feyre (pronounced fay-ruh) is the youngest of three daughters and is the main provider for her family. A previously wealthy family, the Archerons now live in a poor village and rely on Feyre to hunt in the dangerous woods to provide food to eat and furs to sell. These woods are especially treacherous, because just beyond a wall that was built hundreds of years ago, lives a different species: Faeries. These aren’t Disney’s fairies; these are immortal, beautiful, human-like creatures who live in a different realm beyond the wall. Before the War, humans were enslaved to the Faeries. But after the humans won the war for their freedom (with the help of some Fae) they signed a peace treaty and built the wall to separate the mortal lands from Prythian, the realm of the Faeries. Before we dive into the plot, I’d like to make it clear that the first book is very much a stepping stone in this series. Essentially, the first book is like watching the pilot episode of a new series; the fun doesn’t really start until the later episodes and seasons. Now, I’m not at all saying that ACOTAR is boring or unnecessary, but if you think the first one sounds like a good read, you have no idea just how good it’s going to get.
Our story begins with Feyre in the woods, hoping to find anything with meat on its bones so that her sisters and father don’t starve. Her oldest sister, Nesta, never really came to terms with losing their fortune, and Elaine is about as ferocious as a baby bunny. This leaves Feyre to brave the dangerous woods with her bow and arrow on her own. Against her better judgment, Feyre brings down a wolf so large and graceful, she suspects it to be a Faerie in wolf form. Faeries have many different powers, and they’re a reflection of where they’re from, as well as their strength as Fae. Some can shapeshift into animals, some have the power of darkness or the light of the sun, but all of them are gifted with magic. After Feyre brings the wolf back to her village, she sells parts of it and keeps the rest for her family. That night, the house is woken by a beast breaking down the door, demanding to know who killed his friend. Feyre admits her guilt and she’s given the choice to either face the consequences of her actions, or she can go live with the beast as his property for the rest of her mortal life. Obviously, our girl chooses door number two and gets whisked away by the beast to Prythian.
In Prythian, there are seven courts, each ruled by a High Lord. Think of them like the districts from The Hunger Games or the factions in Divergent. Soon Feyre finds she’s been taken by Tamlin, the gorgeous High Lord of the Spring Court, and brought to his estate. Slowly Feyre adjusts to life with Tamlin and the others who live in the mansion. She begins to learn that everything she knew about Faeries was wrong, and despite all rational thought, she’s starting to fall for her captor. But who can blame you when your kidnapper has hair as gold as the sun, and eyes as green as the grassy hills of his estate? Not to mention that he’s totally ripped, wealthier than her human mind could ever imagine, and one of the most powerful High Lords in Prythian. A little bit of Stockholm syndrome never hurts, right? However, things in Prythian are anything but fine, and Feyre can tell Tamlin is barely keeping this mysterious threat away from his lands and those he loves. Eventually, the threat becomes too much for Tamlin to handle, and he sends Feyre back to the mortal lands. Back in the mortal realm, Feyre decides she cannot bear to stay away from Tamlin and rushes back to Spring to demand that she be allowed to stay by his side through whatever comes. But when Feyre returns, Tamlin is nowhere to be found, and the mansion is empty, save for one servant who tells Feyre where she can find her man. The place where Tamlin is being held is not somewhere any mortal should dare go, but Feyre ignores all warnings and takes off to get him back. Eventually, she finds her way to Tamlin, but getting their happily ever after will be no small feat.
If you know me, this series is near and dear to my heart. My best friend gave me her copy of ACOTAR back in 2020 when lockdown had us all going out of our minds with worry and boredom. ACOTAR gave me something else to focus on; a different world to live in when ours got to be too much. This series also gained popularity on TikTok in lockdown, specifically taking over BookTok. There, I found a community of people who loved this series as much as I did. The #ACOTAR tag on TikTok has around 8 billion views, a clear representation of just how beloved this series is. After reading the first book in one sitting, I immediately ordered the rest of the books on Amazon and counted down the days until they arrived. I have, of course, spread the ACOTAR fever to my other friends, including a fellow HerCampus author, Lauren Smith. When I asked her what reading this book was like she said, “ACOTAR is like all of my Hunger Games/Divergent dystopian favorites in one book, but for adults. Spicy fairy romance seemed like it wasn’t up my alley, but once you start, it’s impossible to stop reading”.
I hope this winter break you treat yourself to a new book and choose to discover the fantastical world of ACOTAR.