A Court of Silver Flames

March 27, 2021 youwanttoreadthistrustmeLeave a comment

Title: A Court of Silver Flames

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Page Count: 757

Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses, Book 4

Publishing Date/Publisher: February 16, 2021

Format: Hardcover

Review: Though the first three books in this series were debatably young adult fiction, there is no doubt that this book is new adult/adult fiction. Sarah has turned up the smut significantly in this installment, and I really don’t see any going back for her. It is clear that new adult/adult fiction is where she really shines.

I loved Nesta’s story arc, probably even more than Feyre’s. She has a lot of inner demons that fuel her destructive behavior as she copes with the aftermath of traumatic events. Her family basically does an intervention that forces her to become introspective and re-evaluate what she truly wants out of life. In many ways it is a redemption story as Nesta comes to terms with her past and rebuilds the relationships she has shattered. As she forges new friendships and kindles a passionate affair with Cassian, she learns to forgive herself for her perceived failures and is finally able to move towards a brighter future.

I like the direction that the series is moving in, and I look forward to seeing whose story Sarah tells next.

Reader: Bekah

Rating:

Fantasy · Fiction · Romance · Young Adult

A Court of Frost and Starlight

August 2, 2019 youwanttoreadthistrustmeLeave a comment

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Title: A Court of Frost and Starlight

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Performer: Amanda Leigh Cobb

Length: 6 hr, 24 min

Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses, Book 3.1

Publishing Date/Publisher: 2018 by Recorded Books

Format: eAudiobook

Review: I don’t know how this author churns out as many books as she does. With both her Throne of Glass series and this one, she has supplemented her series with interspersed novellas. This novella is much shorter and less action packed than the three full-length books that come before it, and it is focused on the introspection of our main characters as they deal with the aftermath of the great battle with Hybern. It reveals more insight into our main characters and offers POVs that were not present in previous books. I did enjoy the book and the reader, but I found this book to be much soppier than the rest of the series. A lot of focus is put on the mating bond between Rhysand and Feyre, and the rest of the book is more of a snapshot in time as our characters prepare to enjoy a holiday together.

Reader: Bekah

Rating:

Fantasy · Fiction · Romance · Young Adult

A Court of Wings and Ruin

July 30, 2019 youwanttoreadthistrustmeLeave a comment

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Title: A Court of Wings and Ruin

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Performer: Amanda Leigh Cobb

Length: 25 hr, 8 min

Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses, Book 3

Publishing Date/Publisher: 2017 by Recorded Books

Format: eAudiobook

Review: This book was very much like the two that proceed it in that the plot starts out slow and then later picks up speed. I was never bored during this story, but it sort of annoys me when things work out too perfectly in the end. Sure there was a lot of bloodshed, but I never truly feared for any of the main characters, because they always seem to come through in the end. I was also a little annoyed that Feyre was all of a sudden some sort of master spy and manipulator; however, I was greatly entertained by the shifting allegiances, political maneuvering, and a couple surprising character reveals. This story certainly keeps you on your toes as friends become enemies and enemies become friends. I don’t see a release date yet for the fourth book, but the Throne of Glass series should keep me busy in the meantime.

I was a little surprised that they changed the reader partway through this series, but was even more shocked at how similar she sounded to the woman who narrated the first two audiobooks. At first I didn’t even realize that the performer was different because she did such an excellent job matching the character voices to how the original reader performed them. Amanda Leigh Cobb is very talented, and the switch did not negatively impact my listening experience in the slightest.

Reader: Bekah

Rating:

Fantasy · Fiction · Romance · Young Adult

A Court of Mist and Fury

July 13, 2019 youwanttoreadthistrustmeLeave a comment

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Title: A Court of Mist and Fury

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Performer: Jennifer Ikeda

Length: 23 hr, 16 min

Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses, Book 2

Publishing Date/Publisher: 2016 by Recorded Books

Format: eAudiobook

Review: This book took the momentum from the first book and catapulted it to even greater heights. Feyre grows so much as a character. She suffers from severe PTSD and much of the book is focused on her journey of healing. She demonstrates how our wants and needs can change as we evolve and that people in our lives can either serve as hindrances or catalysts to this change.

Rhysand fans will be very happy with the events that transpire in this book. The ending was a bit frustrating, but Maas does an excellent job of setting the stage for the conflict that will driving the next books in the series.

Oftentimes the second book in a series is a bit of a bore as it lays the foundation for subsequent books, but I did not feel this way at all with this book. It was emotional, romantic, thrilling, and utterly unputdownable.

My only gripe about this book, and this series in general, is Maas’ near constant use of certain words…male, snarl, growl, etc. It didn’t bother me enough to lower my rating, but I did find myself rolling my eyes from time to time as the words resurfaced over and over again.

Reader: Bekah

Rating:

Fantasy · Fiction · Romance · Young Adult

A Court of Thorns and Roses

July 11, 2019July 11, 2019 youwanttoreadthistrustmeLeave a comment

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Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Performer: Jennifer Ikeda

Length: 16 hr, 7 min

Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses, Book 1

Publishing Date/Publisher: 2015 by Recorded Books

Format: eAudiobook

Review: For diehard fans of Beauty and the Beast *cough**me**cough cough*, this was a delightfully unique retelling. It had a bit of a slow start, very much unlike her Throne of Glass series, and slowly picked up speed until it reached it’s heart-pounding conclusion. I honestly didn’t think I was going to give it more than 3 stars for the first half of the book, but the last 25% of the book was epic enough to make me reconsider my rating. It’s very easy to see the influence of the Beauty and the Beast tale in this book, however, based on the conclusion, the next book in the series will more than likely be moving in an entirely different direction.

My favorite character by far was Rhysand, and it makes me very excited that he will play a central role in the second book. Maas seems to have a thing for building interesting love triangle-y sort of situations, and it does not seem that this series will be an exception. Rhysand is clearly the polar opposite of golden boy Tamlin, which should make for an interesting rivalry.

Jennifer Ikeda is a great reader and I enjoy her narration. I look forward to listening to the next book!

As a side note, my library categorizes this book as Young Adult Fiction, but I think it is more like New Adult Fiction. It is one of those books that hovers in the gray area and is hard to categorize. The sexual content is pretty graphic, which is not typical for the Young Adult Fiction genre, especially in the realm of Fantasy.

Reader: Bekah

Rating: