I love to read. Unfortunately, I do not have much time during the school year to indulge in my reading, but during summer whenever I have nothing to do my nose is shoved in a book. I am usually big on mysteries and thrillers books. However, this summer I became a little “mysteries” out and to be honest some of them were starting to take a toll on me. I didn’t want to read another sad story and have the anxiety of trying to see if everything would turn out alright. So I knew it was time to broaden my horizons. My sister suggested a few romance books that she liked and they were exactly what I needed, light and feel-good books. However, after a few reads I was a little bored of all the unrealistically positive books.
So I did what any reader would do, and deep-dived into the world of BookTok. Now, I am usually skeptical of BookTok’s opinions because I believe there are so many good books and authors that don’t get enough recognition and some that get way too much, but it was a necessary evil for the time being. Over and over again I kept seeing A Court Of Thrones and Roses. When I looked it up on good reads I noticed it had great scores. However, once I read the description of the book I immediately thought I wouldn’t like it and moved on. The book was very obviously fantasy and I have also strongly disliked the genre of fantasy. I don’t like Harry Potter, I never liked Star Wars, and I fell asleep during each Percy Jackson movie (I know these are hot takes and I am sorry if I have offended anyone with these dislikes).
So I kinda was stuck in a book slump for a week or two. That was until I was talking to another book lover who had a common dislike about fantasy but who said that she loved A Court of Thrones and Roses and that it was her favorite series she has read to date. She told me I must give it a try. So grudgingly I did. I gave it a chance and the first 100 pages were a little rough, but after that, I fell in love with the book.
This series is a true work of art, it makes you laugh, cry, scream, throw the book across the room, and completely lose yourself in the world of ACOTAR. It has complex universes and information that make you need to think and pay attention while still having the feel-good romance that makes you smile. It is the perfect balance of what I was looking for. Not to mention you will fall in love with the characters in this book. Sara J. Mass is the best at creating characters you will love.
After I completed the series (which took me a concerningly short period to finish), I found a bunch of other similar books in the genre coined as “romantasy” that I also loved. So even if you’re like me and don’t think you will books like these I am begging you to give it a try and keep an open mind, I think you would be surprised at how much you like it!
Can’t get enough of HC UMass Amherst? Be sure to follow us on Instagram, listen to us on Spotify, like us on Facebook, and read our latest Tweets!