Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: May 5th, 2015
Pages: 416
Song I Played While Reading: Red Lips by GTA
Rating- 4.5 stars
When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only 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 Feyre dwells on his estate, her feelings from Tamlin transform from icy hostility to 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 over the faerie lands is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it- or doom Tamlin- and his world- forever.
WHERE DO I EVEN BEGIN WITH THIS BEAUTIFUL BOOK. I can sum it up in one sentence, and I guarantee it'll pique your interest; the always wonderful and amazing Sarah J. Maas wrote it, its a beauty and the beast retelling, and its NA (aka you get some sexy time).
This book was stunning, from the eloquent writing, to the breathtaking world, characters, and romance. The plot, admittedly a little slow for me at some points, really took you for a ride, making you feel ALLLLLLLLLLL the feels. There was a huge twist I didn't see coming and I absolutely loved the direction the story went once we find out the revelations. I couldn't put it down!
The characters were an absolute JOY, even the evil bastards. Sarah has such a fantastic way with making you feel everything the characters feel. You laugh, you cry, you gasp. You feel. It's how I am with ToG. Either I love a character with a fiery passion, or I hate them with my entire being.
And speaking of the feels.. prepare to fan your face, ladies and gents, because we get some sexy times. And I mean sexy. It was absolutely delicious. Every scene with Feyre and Tamlin just had me itching to flip the pages to see if they would finally kiss; the sexual tension was phenomenal, and their relationship flowed. It wasn't too rushed, but nor was it too slow.
I really enjoyed the complicated family dynamic in this book. It made everything more realistic and gave Feyre a sense of purpose, which in turn made her feel more believable to me. They weren't perfect, and definitely had their fair share of ugliness and competition, just like normal families do.
Overall, another kick-ass book by the fantastic Sarah J. Maas. Get your hands on this sucker PRONTO. Even if you didn't like Throne of Glass (how this is possible is beyond me but no judging!), give this book a try. You just might love it.
Spoiler-y Section
WHAT DID RHYS SEE IN FEYRE'S FACE I NEED TO KNOW!!!!!!!! Seriously what an unexpected reaction! Did he see her future? Does she have a cool power? Does she have some kind of mark on her forehead à la Celaena in ToG? That was the final straw for me. I snapped. "CURSE YOU, SARAH J. MAAS!!!!" was what had my mom running into my room looking rumpled and pissed off. She was napping apparently.
I can't get over the sexiness of this book. I just can't. It's so unfair to leave ToG out of the NA loop. It's plenty sexy on its own, but not ACOTAR-level sexy. And thats just unfair (flash back Chaeolaena scene of them on his desk...? It was hinted in HoF, you can't blame me for dreaming). Feyre and Tam were such a sweet couple, and definitely one of my favorite scenes (besides the obvious lust ones) was when they were at the summer solstice party and he was playing the instrument while she danced around him. It was so innocent and precious.
The supporting characters really kicked ass in this story too, especially Lucien and Rhysand.
I couldn't get over how great Lucien, Tam, and Feyre were. I kept getting, "We're the three best friends that anyone could have!" stuck in my head from The Hangover. I can't wait for more scenes with them living in the house, they're just too awesome.
Rhysand was a character I initially did not like at all. I didn't understand why everyone was so obsessed with him. We really don't see much of him until the ending in the wickedly cool/scary Under The Mountain part. And then I fell in love with him. As I usually do with most of the male characters Sarah creates (she's a freakin genius). They're taking over my heart! And I CANNOT wait to see how the whole Rhys/Feyre connection is going to work out in the next book. Tam is going to be so jealous and him and Rhys are going to keep biting each others heads off *cries in excitement* I CANT WAIT!!!
Quotes
"Don't feel bad for one moment about doing what brings you joy."
""You look... better than before."
Was that a compliment? I could have sworn Lucien gave Tamlin an encouraging nod.
"And you hair is... clean."
"He brought his lips to my ear. "I would have been gentle with you, though." I shuddered as I closed my eyes. Every inch of my body went taut as his words echoed through me. "I would have had you moaning my name throughout it all. And I would have taken a very, very long time, Feyre."
"“Would you like me to grovel with gratitude for bringing me here, High Lord?"
"Ah. The Suriel told you nothing important, did it?"
That smile of his sparked something bold in my chest. "He also said that you liked being brushed, and if I'm a clever girl, I might train you with treats."
