5 "Why I Haven't I Read This Before?" STARS
The thing with fantasy novels is that a lot of times the author gets lost in the world they created and forgets to put even more depth and detail in the characters so that the reader (Me) can form an emotional connection not only to the situation but also the characters...
Congratulations Sarah J. Maas! You have successfully created a unique and terrifying world with characters who have the necessary depth and emotion that make reading enjoyable.
Side note: I love books that have a kind of Beauty and The Beast re-telling woven into the plot, and this book definitely brings that little extra element I love to discover.
So yes, this book does follow a Beauty and the Beast theme, but its done in such a way that is unique, interesting, and deadly (at least for the book characters...). The best thing about this theme is the ability for authors to go completely off the beaten track and yet still stay relevant to readers because this is a story they grew up with. I loved the fact that the fae were also used in this book because there was definitely an irony in having the most beautiful beings characterized as "beastly" and most definitely deadly.
Feyre is just a human girl doing everything she can to keep her family alive after they lose all of their fortunes. Yet when she mistakenly kills what she thought was a wolf, Freya is dragged across a wall and into a realm filled with danger, intrigue, and a wide assortment of beings who would love to see her dead. What I really appreciated about this book was the fact that Freya was human (and therefore pretty powerless) and remained human throughout the novel. The only thing that got her through the various trials was her own determination and strength (although there were some fae interventions).
What makes this book even better than the usual twist on Beauty and the Beast lies in the option for there to be a love triangle in the future novels. (Once you read this book you'll see what I'm talking about). Let's just say I always love the "bad" guys and I can definitely see a whole Peeta v. Gale situation going down throughout the series.
But honestly, this book was so freakin' fantastic and it actually upsets me to think that I knew about Sarah J. Maas and never picked up any of her books until now. So not only am I salivating over this series, but I also recently started her Throne of Glass series and am super psyched to nab the rest of the series!!! Definitely a great book for any fantasy lover or even anyone who just likes the story of Beauty and the Beast (or mythologically the story of Eros).
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 over the faerie lands is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin--and his world--forever.
