I enjoyed this retelling of Beauty and the Beast. ( )

Truly unlike anything else I've ever read. A captivating and non Mary Sue female protagonist? Yes please. The world building and the plot was so intriguing and interesting! It's been a very long time since I gobbled a book up so quickly like this. Am very excited to see where the rest of the series is going and I'll be starting the next book asap! ( )

Review will follow ( )

Dornen und Rosen ♦ Sarah J. Maas | Rezension
Dieses Buch und seine Folgebände standen, nun lange genug auf meinem SuB und ich hatte jetzt so richtig Lust auf ein wenig Fantasy. Doch ich bekam mehr. Dies ist der Beginn eines Epos, welches mich mit solch intensiver Farbenpracht und Gefühlsachterbahn überrascht hat, dass ich, ehrlich gesagt, direkt weiterlesen muss.



Rezension

Cover

Das Cover des vorliegenden Hardcover – Formates finde ich unglaublich schön. Aber das liegt nicht an der jungen Frau im roten Kleid (eher finde ich diese vielen Frauen/Mädchen-in-Kleidern — Cover echt nervig), sondern an dem durchsichtigen Einband. Was für eine tolle Idee ❢

Inhalt/Setting

Es beginnt ganz langsam, mit vielen Erklärungen und Einsichten zur Gesamtsituation um die Menschen, auch oft als Sterbliche bezeichnet, und die Fae, die unsterblichen Wesen im Reich der sieben Höfe, auch bekannt als Prythian.
Doch bevor ich die Fae näher kennenlernen konnte, entführte mich Frau Maas in das Leben von Feyre und ihrer Familie. Feyre, die Protagonistin, wird durch viele verquere Umstände schon in jungen Jahren zur Haupternährerin ihrer Familie.

Während Feyre auf der Jagd ist, um ihre Familie für eine weitere Woche im kalten Winter über die Runden zu bekommen, tötet sie einen übernatürlich großen Wolf. Sie vermutet es, aber erst später erfährt sie, dass sie einen Fae getötet hat und nun muss sie ihre Schuld, ein Leben für ein Leben, begleichen. Dies geht aus einem Jahrhunderte alten Vertrag zwischen den Menschen und den Fae hervor.

In Prythian angekommen muss sich Feyre wohl oder übel ihrem Schicksal ergeben, auch wenn sie anfangs immer wieder, mehr schlecht als recht, versucht zu fliehen. Frau Maas hat eine Welt erschaffen, die farbenprächtiger und gewaltiger nicht sein kann und sie hat ein super Gespür dafür, was die Leser:innen in den Bann zieht. Jede Szene hat ihre eigene fulminante Atmosphäre, die mich immer wieder in Stauen oder auch Entsetzen versetzte.

Der heulende Wind schwächte sich zu einem leichten Säuseln ab. Der Schnee fiel jetzt träge, in dicken, großen Batzen, die sich in den tiefen Fluren und hohen Baumwipfeln gleichermaßen niederließen. Betörend, diese eisige, sanfte Schönheit des Schnees.
Dornen und Rosen, S.12 - Sarah J. Maas

Meinung

Dornen und Rosen von Sarah J. Maas ist ein Epos, welches sich gut und gerne neben Epen, wie „Herr der Ringe“ oder „Game of Thrones“ einreihen kann. Für mich war dieses Buch der erste Maas überhaupt, obwohl noch viele weitere in meinen Regalen schlummern.

[…] einen Augenblick lang wünschte ich mir, ich könnte Mitleid mit dieser toten Kreatur haben. Aber das hier war die Wildnis. Und es war Winter.
Dornen und Rosen, S.17 - Sarah J. Maas

Authentische Charaktere

Sarah J. Maas hat solch eindrucksvolle Charaktere geschaffen, die irgendwie alle einen inneren Kampf mit sich ausführen und doch entwickeln sie sich, jeder für sich, weiter und all das in einem außerordentlich passenden Tempo, dass der Story nichts vorweggenommen oder zurückgelassen wird. Jedes Gefühl, jeder Gedanke und jedes Handeln der einzelnen Protagonisten war schlüssig und überzeugend. Ob es sich nun um die Protagonisten Feyre, Tamlin, Lucien oder eben auch die Antagonisten Amarantha oder Rhysand dreht, selbst die Nebencharaktere um ihre Familie waren authentisch dargestellt.

Energie der Gefühle

Richtig gut, hat mir auch die Energie gefallen, die durch Legenden einen Hass auf beiden Seiten der Mauer, die zwischen dem Land der Sterblichen und Prythian liegt, hat wachsen lassen. Und dass dieser Hass in Verständnis und Mitgefühl, ja sogar Liebe, für die andere Seite wandelt, sobald frau* mehr Einblick in deren Situation hat.
Dies ist auch gut auf unsere Realität anzuwenden, und würde unsere Gesellschaft weiter voranbringen, anstatt gegen einander zu kämpfen.

Die Worte klangen so erstickt, dass sie kaum mehr als ein Flüstern waren. »Ich bedaure, dass in meinem Herzen ein solcher … Hass war. Ich wünschte, ich könnte es ungeschehen machen … und … es tut mir leid. Es tut mir so unendlich leid.«
Dornen und Rosen, S.185 - Sarah J. Maas

Wie oben bereits erwähnt, beginnt die Handlung langsam und das ist auch gut so. Denn es benötigt all die erwähnten Handlungen und Dialoge, die beim Lesen erst unnötig erscheinen, aber dem gesamten Werk und seinem Ausgang so viel mehr beimessen. Das letzte Drittel sorgt ordentlich für Pageturner after Pageturner. Ich konnte das Buch einfach nicht mehr aus der Hand legen.

Schreibstil

Maas hat einen Schreibstil, der mich von Anfang bis Ende in ihren Bann gezogen hat. (Sollte dies fortbestehen, wird sie wohl zu einer meiner Lieblings Fantasyautorinnen werden). Das Gesamtpaket, des locken leidenschaftlichen Schreibstils und des Worldbuildings, haben eine dickes fettes Awwww bei mir hervorgerufen.
Die Ich-Erzählung aus der Sicht von Feyre ließ mich als Leserin sehr intensiv miterleben, wie sie all ihre Eindrücke, Erlebnisse und Gedanken, ja auch Selbstzweifel, durchläuft.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Fazit

Dornen und Rosen von Sarah J. Maas ist ein phänomenaler Auftakt eines bildgewaltigen, farbenprächtigen und emotionalen Fantasyepos. Voller Spannung, die mich gefangen genommen hat. Voller authentischer Emotionen, die mich in jeder erdenklichen Weise eingeholt haben. Der flüssige Schreibstil von Maas zieht einen erbarmungslos in ihren Bann.

Zusätzliche Zitate

Die Hand an meinem Hals rutschte dorthin, wo mein Herz toste, vor unbändiger Freude und unerklärbarem Leid und einer überwältigenden Demut. Demut vor dieser großartigen Kunst.
Dornen und Rosen, S.200 - Sarah J. Maas

»Weil mich deine menschliche Freude fasziniert ‒ die Art und Weise, wie du die Dinge erlebst und wahrnimmst in deiner Lebensspanne. So wild und tief und intensiv, das ist … bezaubernd. Ich fühle mich davon angezogen, obwohl ich weiß, dass ich es nicht sollte, obwohl ich versuche, mich dagegen zu wehren.«
Dornen und Rosen, S.205 - Sarah J. Maas

Ich weinte stundenlang. Um Tamlin, um mich selbst, um die Tatsache, dass ich eigentlich tot sein sollte, und doch überlebt hatte. Ich weinte, um alles, was ich verloren hatte, um jede Kränkung, die ich erfahren hatte, jede Wunde, jeden körperlichen und seelischen Schmerz. Ich weinte um diesen lächerlichen Teil von mir, der einst so voller Farben und Licht gewesen war und jetzt hohl, dunkel und leer in mir verdorrte.
Dornen und Rosen, S.422-423 - Sarah J. Maas

Diese Rezension findet ihr auch auf meinem Blog: Kommt gerne vorbei. ( )

It’s just very mid. It’s SO YA that it’s annoying. This was a struggle to finish and I don’t know why people like it so much. I get that book one is slow and I came into it knowing it wasn’t a fav for the fans of the series even…. But this was an absolute struggle to finish. I hated the MC, absolutely hated her and all her woe as me bullshit. I don’t know if I’ll manage to get into book two or not…. ( )

3.5 stars The first 3/4 of the book was great but the "action" part fell flat for me. ( )

Sort of Georgette Heyer meets Laurel Hamilton. Spunky girl gets thrown into the household of a nobleman, who she initially despises. Eventually nature takes its course and the two hook up. Except the setting is a quasimedieval England fantasy world and the nobleman is Fae. Said spunky heroine, Feyre, gets all sorts of good advice about how to behave in the fairy world and promptly ignores it, leading to dramatic rescues by her Fae inamorata, Tamlin. Four more novels in the series which I will have to read to satisfy my OCD. ( )

Grunhindo devido ao peso, peguei as pernas da
corça e dei uma última olhada para a carcaça
fumegante do lobo. O olho dourado que lhe
restava encarava o céu, agora carregado de neve,
e, por um momento, desejei ter capacidade de
sentir remorso por sua morte.
Mas aquilo era a floresta, e era inverno.

I actually enjoyed this more than I thought I would. It’s still a little more romance than what I usually read so that took some getting used to, but I’m not actually hating the story. It does suck that my library doesn’t carry this book, yet I also don’t want to but it…I read this because I just wanted to know what all the hype was about ngl- also, my friends raved about this. ( )

The time has come; I have joined the ACOTAR community! I went into this book with a bunch of nerves. I know how loved this series is, and I was concerned that I would be let down by it. I have a habit of staying away from some of these overly hyped books/series, but this one made me feel like I was missing out on something.

I will start off by saying this book was truly a tale of two halves. I purposefully purchase my books to encourage me to not waste money, finishing every book that I buy. Honestly, it was that reason as well as the love of this book that pushed me to get to the midpoint of the book. The first portion just gave me Beauty and the Beast feels, and was honestly just kind of slow. I didn't really connect with any of the characters, and struggled turning each page.

Then Feyre returns from the mortal realm! I must have read the second half in 2x, if not more, faster than the first. This was the action and tension that I wanted from the whole thing! I understand the need for setting up the scene, characters, and world, so I am not too mad at it. I just would have liked a little more action thrown in there. The wandering around day in and day out got a little repetitive for me.

Boy o boy though, when she went under the mountain!!! (wide eye face!) I could not find out what happened fast enough. Side note though... that riddle was not hard to figure out. I was a little disappointed that I knew the answer when I first read the riddle.

I have a love-hate feeling on how the book ended. Do I still have a few questions that I would like answered, sure. Do I want to know if Feyre got the ending that she deserves, yup. But could I have just as easily finished this book and moved on? Also yes. I think the biggest pull for me to continue on with the series is how much everyone says the next one is even better. (I hope so). Most importantly though, I want to know what happened to make everyone flip on who they like and who they despise. Booktok has me thinking one thing, but the first book has me liking someone completely different. My curiosity has me continuing.

Overall, not a bad book! I enjoyed it, but it wasn't one of my favorites. I liked it enough to give the second one a go, and am interested to see what happens next. ( )

It took me forever to finally start this series. To be honest, YA isn't my thing, but a friend of mine who happens to be an English teacher, kept recommending this series, and I'm glad she did. This book was certainly better than any YA I could have expected. To be clear, I'd probably list it under "new adult," to be on the safe side, but in the library I work for, we have it in our teen section.

The story is about Feyre Archeron and one decision she makes hunting in the woods one day that will ultimately save her family from starvation, but will see her kidnapped and taken into the Fae realm, where humans are despised and a curse is all around. It's a very interesting take on the whole "Beauty & the Beast" (my favorite) story. However, the characters are well written and certainly have a lot of depth to them, and the world building is incredible. Not once while reading this book did I feel it was too "young" or "childish" for me. In fact, I couldn't wait to read the rest of the series after I finished. I think what I also appreciated about this book was the dialogue. Too often, I come across books where the dialogue is absolutely ridiculous, and by that, I mean the characters (usually the main female characters) sound like they're reality TV stars. They sound completely uneducated and immature. This series was different, the female characters were strong and well spoken, and even though they found love, a male was not required for them to break free from their chains. I think this series is great for young women, espeically those who value strong female characters. ( )

Love love loved this book so much! I can't wait to read the next ones!! I love how the banter isn't corny it's like an actual relationship developing. I love how SJM keeps you on your toes too. I hated how it ended though because now I need to start the next one. ( )

I would've made this a 4 if I hadn't known how the rest of the series went because I was really rooting for Feyre and Tamlin haha. The moment I finished this book I found out quickly Tamlin was, in fact, the worst guy ever.

Therefore this got pushed down to a 3 because, don't get me wrong, this is a great retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" with the interesting combination of the Scottish ballad of "Tam Lin" (wherein Tam Lin is captured by the Queen of the Fairies, and his true love comes and rescues him). But I felt Feyre lacked a lot of things in this book - plus, all that effort to save a man not worth saving! ( )

While I love this series overall, A Court of Thorns and Roses was a miss for me. I did not feel attached to Feyre or Tamlin until late into the book, but ultimately this makes sense after reading the second book in the series. This was my first romantasy book every and I think it is the perfect introduction to the genre for anyone interested! ( )

Is it worth the hype? Yea"," kinda. Quick read and enjoyable. Moving on to the next one. ( )

The author is well read in folklore, romance and fantasy. The book is a compilation of other authors' ideas, characters and story lines. ( )

Feyre kills a wolf in the woods. She's trying to feed her family and keep them alive. Her father has fallen from wealth. The wolf was Fae and according to an old treaty she now is dragged to a magical land she knows nothing about. She's soon embroiled in power struggles and ancient grudges while she stays with Tamlin, with whom she has improbably fallen in love. Action packed, survival challenges, and flipping allegiances. A compelling story and read. ( )

Okay so a series that ate me alive starts with a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, the rest of the series leaves this behind, but let’s talk about the parallels. Her father was a rich merchant who lost his fortune on three ships. She’s in an enchanted castle with a cursed beast, and there’s an exceptional rose garden (though she’s not especially interested). She’s the youngest of three sisters, and (we’ll put the spoiler warning here), she returns home to them without breaking the curse. That’s where things take a sharp turn. She realizes that going home was a mistake and that she wanted to be with the beast she loved, but she’s too late to break the curse the first way. She decides that she’ll do whatever she has to in order to fix things. This ends up pitting her against a dangerous challenge. She’s not just a frail beauty (even though her name is Feyre), she’s a huntress. She has to use her skills, her wit, and her allies to break the curse. Small acts of kindness on her part save her more than once in this series. ( )

4.25 stars ( )

Cuenta la historia de Feyre, una joven cazadora que se adentra en un mundo de magia y peligro. Obligada a vivir en la corte de primavera por el asesinato de un basallo fiel a lord Tamlin, señor de esta misma corte. Feyre se ve envuelta en una lucha por salvar a todas las cortes bajo la amenaza de Amarantha, la villana que tiene embrujado a casi todos los ciudadanos de este mundo mágico. ( )

So many people told me they loved this book that I was sure I would at least like it. Unfortunately, I found it really boring - I kept reading, because I heard that the beginning is slow, but then it gets exciting. For me it didn't. Maybe it was because I really, really didn't like the main heroine, she was so whiny and seemed kind of stupid and I couldn't understand half of her choices. I'm sorry, but I kind of hated this book and I don't understand why so many people are enchanted with it. ( )

Having been in a reading slump, not having the ability to connect to a story - this story and its characters have become my absolute favorite. ( )

Slow burn took me a while to read not really my cup of tea couldn’t quit get into it ( )

i listened to the audiobook and it was pretty horrendous lmao. poor writing and worldbuilding, uninteresting characters, and about 200 pages longer than it needed to be. ( )

*Everything is coming from my local libraries and I have not spent any money on Sarah J. Maas and refuse to do so.*

Pretty much what I thought it was going to be. Sarah J. Maas seems to really suck as a person, also. This isn't really my thing to begin with, but I will be continuing the series because I want to fit in with my library co-workers lol.

The absolute worst part of this were to LEAPS in logic. I was retelling the entire plot to my husband every few chapters, and the amount of "for whatever reason, Feyre decides to..." moments were plenty!

Look, I had fun. I did not take this seriously, I will not take it seriously moving forward. I can be highly critical of this extremely popular book and still continue on for the sheer enjoyment I get from explaining everything to my husband and talking about it with my co-workers. ( )