I realised I always talk about ACOTAR but I've never actually reviewed the books (woops!) so, with me having just reread them I think it's the perfect opportunity to!
Feyre's survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price...
Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre's presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever. (Goodreads blurb)
ACOTAR is loosely based on the Beauty and the Beast, albeit darker and more brutal. I don't love retellings because usually they are essentially the same as the original, but with ACOTAR it's very subtle and, like I said, a LOT darker.
I love the story - a woman hunting for her family to survive and is forced to leave her home to unknowingly help break a decades old curse. There's a slow burn romance, friendships and a lot of action! They way certain clues are thrown in is great, you are having to figure out what this 'blight' is, and the mysterious 'she'. The last half of the book is my favourite, mainly because of the trials and Feyre's journey through them. The ending is the best part of the book (yeah I say that a lot but its true) and it's perfect - there's a little twist but you aren't quite sure what actually happened.
I absolutely love how each character is written and their growth (or lack of growth) throughout the books is fabulous and this is one of the things that has kept me hooked throughout each book. Feyre is my favourite - she is feisty and so strong-willed. She has so much personality and I loved getting to see her grow away from her family, as well as finding love. Yes, she makes some very stupid and reckless decisions but I feel like that's just part of her finding who she is without the responsibility of her family over her head
I've never liked Tamlin. Every reread, my hate for him seems to intensify because I pick up more red flags each time. When I first read ACOTAR, I always had this bad feeling about him and some of the things he said was quite cruel, especially when he speaks with Feyre. I hate him the most when they get a chance to speak near the end of the book and he's not interested in talking.
Lucien, I love and don't like. It depends on the situation - I do like his personality though. He's loyal and quite funny. I wish we did get to see a bit more of him, or switch Tamlin and Lucien around. That would have been a great pairing (yeah I know why but still, I like to dream)
Rhysand, the illusive High Lord of the Night Court is a mystery. He has a 'Don't mess with me' vibe and bla bla bla. We love a bad boy so of course when he's introduced it makes the book all the more interesting, because why would he care about Feyre? Under the Mountain we get to know him slightly better and he treated Feyre way better than Tamlin did. I can't say too much more without spoiling this review or the next books so we'll leave him to be mysterious for now.
So, all in all, I loved ACOTAR, the ending is *chefs kiss* and the writing is good - it's a little fluffy but can be forgiven! I highly reccomend ACOTAR for any fantasy fan
Rating: 5 Stars
Would I Recommend: yes
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