Category: New Adult

A Court of Frost and Starlight

~ Hillary Rose ~ Leave a comment

Title: A Court of Frost and Starlight
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses series, a novella
Genre: Fantasy, NA, Romance, YA
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release Date: May 1st, 2018

Note: This post reviews a novella of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. You may like to read the first three books in the series, A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, and A Court of Wings and Ruin before reading this review. 

Additional Note: I would like to emphasize that this series is written more toward the New Adult genre than the Young Adult genre. Because the NA genre focuses on protagonists in the 18-30 age range, the content, especially the sexual content and the language, is much more mature than the average YA novel. 

Let me begin by saying that I really do like this series. But this novella was disappointing.

What bothered me about A Court of Frost and Starlight was the utter lack of plot.

I’m serious. Nothing. Happened. When I think back to this book, I remember the characters planning a party, shopping for gifts, exchanging gifts, having conversations, and – oh yeah, it’s Maas – having sex. I do not think this makes for a good book, not even a good novella. There was no tension, no suspense, no plot.

The one thing this book had going for it was – the best part of this series! – the characters. I love Feyre, Rhys, Cassian, Nesta, and the rest – but… having great characters who simply interact with each other on the page, no matter how much we love them, is not enough.

Having said this, if you plan to continue with the series, you should probably not skip this novella. It sets the reader up – barely – for what is to come, mostly concerning Nesta. The last ten pages of the book – the sneak peak of what is to come – offered more to the reader than the 250-page novella.

If you enjoyed this review, please consider following Reads & Roses. It would mean the world to have you on my team!

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Hello, 2018!

~ Hillary Rose ~ 5 Comments

Happy New Year, everyone! I’m sorry I didn’t make my weekly post on Monday (and I haven’t missed a Monday since I started about 16 months ago!), but at least I am posting this week. I was partying too hard welcoming in the new year. (And when I say “partying” I mean “Disneying!”)

As we all turn our attention on the new year, I wanted to share with you some of the books that I am anxiously awaiting to hit the shelves this year. Here are my top YA books for 2018!

A Court of Frost and Starlight, book 4 of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series – May 2018

War Storm, book 4 of the Red Queen series – May 2018

The Orphan’s Wish, book 8 of Hagenheim series – June 2018

Throne of Glass book 7 (Untitled) – Fall 2018

Are any of these books on your To Read list too?

Reads and Roses is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

A Court of Wings and Ruin

~ Hillary Rose ~ 2 Comments


Title: A Court of Wings and Ruin
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses series, book 3
Genre: Fantasy, NA, Romance, YA
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children’s 
Release Date: May 2nd, 2017

Note: This post reviews the third book of the A Court of Thorns and Roses Series. You may like to read the first two books in the series, A Court of Thorns and Roses and A Court of Mist and Fury, before reading this review. 

Additional Note: I would like to emphasize that this series is written more toward the New Adult genre than the Young Adult genre. Because the NA genre focuses on protagonists in the 18-30 age range, the content, especially the sexual content and the language, is much more mature than the average YA novel. 

Feyre is back in the hands of Tamlin. In his rage and desperation, Tamlin made a deal with the King in exchange for Feyre, as if she were a possession he was trying to get back. Feyre plays the part of the submissive female at Tamlin’s side, all the while working as a spy. She cannot stomach how he stooped so low as to work with the King of Hybern (previous book), and then involved her sisters, Nesta and Elain.

Feyre returns to the Night Court with Rhys, where they prepare for war – Hybern is coming to Prythian. Feyre continues to train with Cassian, and to learn to fly with Azriel, but her sisters refuse to join in. They hate what has been done to them, hate that they are now Fae. A resistant romance develops between Cassian and Nesta (in between their verbal sparring) as well as a could-be romance between Elain and Lucien. The Archeron sisters become more important than ever in the war against Hybern.

I love this series as a whole. Sarah J. Maas is a captivating writer, despite her love scenes feeling a bit on the redundant side.

If you enjoyed this review, please consider following Reads & Roses. It would mean the world to have you on my team!

  

Reads and Roses is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

A Court of Mist and Fury

~ Hillary Rose ~ 4 Comments


Title: A Court of Mist and Fury
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses series, book 2
Genre: Fantasy, NA, Romance, YA
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Release Date: May 3rd, 2016

Note: This post reviews the second book of the A Court of Thorns and Roses Series. You may like to read the first book in the series, A Court of Thorns and Roses, before reading this review. 

Additional Note: I would like to emphasize that this series is written more toward the New Adult genre than the Young Adult genre. Because the NA genre focuses on protagonists in the 18-30 age range, the content, especially the sexual content and the language, is much more mature than the average YA novel. 

Feyre is not the same girl we met in A Court of Thorns and Roses. She committed unspeakable horrors when she went Under the Mountain to save Tamlin. And even though she was able to free Tamlin from Amarantha’s curse, something in Feyre broke. She is unhappy with her life at the Spring Court, and cannot forget what she has done. It doesn’t help that Tamlin, afraid of losing her again, practically keeps her under lock and key. He does so out of an overwhelming need to protect, but ultimately drives her away – to the last place, and person, she thought she would find refuge.

Her agreement to spend a week of every month with Rhysand, the High Lord of the Night Court, turns into so much more than their original bargain. Instead of the selfish, arrogant monster that she had always thought him to be, Feyre finds a selfless, kind High Lord who will do anything to keep his court – and the one woman he can’t live without – safe. And with the impending attack from the King of Hybern across the sea, all seven courts have reason to be protective of what is theirs.

Feyre, no longer a weak mortal, but a Made fae, comes into her own in this book. She is no one’s pet, and no one is her master. She finds her strength in equality. Because she was Made from the powers of all seven High Lords, she possesses some of each of their individual powers, making her, perhaps, the most powerful Fae of them all.

It took me a very long time to accept the new direction of this sequel, but in the end it was impossible not to approve of the shift in Feyre’s emotions and beliefs. We see an even truer love story in the second book than we did in the first, and it satisfies the reader in every possible way.

If you enjoyed this review, please consider following Reads & Roses. It would mean the world to have you on my team!

  

Reads and Roses is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

A Court of Thorns and Roses

~ Hillary Rose ~ 3 Comments

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses series, book 1
Genre: Fairytale, Fantasy, NA, Romance, YA 
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Release Date: May 5th, 2015 

 

Note: I would like to emphasize that this series is written more toward the New Adult genre than the Young Adult genre. Because the NA genre focuses on protagonists in the 18-30 age range, the content, especially the sexual content and the language, is much more mature than the average YA novel. 

Feyre supports her struggling family by hunting for meat and skins to sell. But now it seems she has gone too far. Feyre must answer for the life she took, even though it was only the life of a wolf. But when another wolf comes to claim her life in exchange for the life she has taken, she realizes it was not only a wolf, but one of the faeries from north of The Wall.

Her captor, Tamlin, turns out to be not just another faerie, but the High Lord of the Spring Court, one of the seven courts of faeries: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, Dawn, Day, and Night. This High Lord, like the others, can shape-shift from human to animal form whenever he wishes. Even though Feyre has been raised to hate the faeries, after their long history of violence and cruelty toward humans, Tamlin shows her that not all faeries are alike. A friendship slowly forms between Feyre and Tamlin, and it does not take long for them to be swept off into a passionate romance.

But all is not well in the Spring Court. Feyre sees that some kind of curse hangs over Tamlin and the faeries of his court. She desperately wants to help him, but does not know how. By the time she unravels the mystery hanging over the Spring Court, it may be too late to break the curse. Will Feyre be able to save Tamlin? Will she find a way to break the curse over him and his court?

In this breathtaking, heart-racing retelling of the classic fairytale Beauty and the Beast, Sarah J. Maas grabs ahold of you and doesn’t let go till the end.

If you enjoyed this review, please consider following Reads & Roses. It would mean the world to have you on my team!

   

Reads and Roses is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.