Week in Review (Nov 21 – 27, 2021)

What have I been doing this week? I’m glad you asked! Here’s what’s been on my watchlist this week:

*Note: My reviews usually contain spoilers. You have been warned. Proceed at your own risk.*

Books

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas – Ch 28-46

After about 16 month, I finally returned to this book, and I understand a little bit why I left off where I did when I last put the book down. The second half of ACOTAR isn’t nearly as intriguing as the first, and I was rather disappointed at all the convenient coincidences that aligned into place for Feyre. Not only does she get a long expositional speech and a shortcut to Under the Mountain from Alis, the only remaining person at the Spring Court, she is also given not one, but two ways to free Tamlin and in turn his people and the entirety of Prythian as a result. To top it all off, she manages to get turned into one of the High Fae so she can live happily ever after (in theory) with Tamlin.

While I did have issues with the pacing of the book, the overall world-building was very impressive. A lot of the faeries who occupied Prythian clearly had roots in mythological creatures, and the story itself followed quite closely to Beauty and the Beast, ACOTAR’s original inspiration. However, there is a newness to the way that it is presented, and the way that elements are combined to create something fresh and fascinating.

Going forward, I’m sure the books will be much more story-driven now that Maas has an established universe for her characters to run wild in and I’m interested to see how Feyre is going to navigate the challenges that are bound to come from her new body and status. I’m also hoping to see more of the other courts and its people, especially the mystical Rhysand since he seems to have more insight into Feyre than she seems to have of herself at the moment. I’m also intrigued to see what improvements Maas makes as a writer, and hope that some of the pacing issues will be ironed out going forward.