I enjoyed reading this book. It was a fun story in a fantastical world with a rich history. Faeyre is a complex character and her quirks keep the story moving forward at a steady pace. Though a lot of things just happen, the build-up to the reveals were well done and never felt unearned.

The plot follows Faeyre, a poor girl from a family that has fallen from grace. Through some missteps on her father’s side, after the death of her mother, he lost their entire fortune. Living in a ramshackle shack, Faeyre learned how to hunt to support them (her father and two sisters). While out hunting she kills a wolf, unsure if it’s a fairy in disguise or not. (It is.) Because she killed a fairy, one of its brethren seeks her out. He is none too pleased and forces her to leave her family and come back to their land as penance. The fairies control the northern part of the territory and are generally seen as ruthless in nature. Faeyre expects to live in constant terror once she is abducted, but it’s politics and even romantic drama that awaits her. The setup here raises many questions, like why even take Faeyre? Why not just kill her? Well there’s a treaty that the fairies and humans signed after a war centuries ago that depicts how these scenarios must be played out. Because of the treaty, Tamlin (the fairy man) is not allowed to enslave or kill Faeyre. He begrudgingly allows her to live with him, but she cannot leave the fairy realm for the rest of her days. Faeyre learns of a “blight” infecting the faeries that affects their powers. She also learns of ceremonies they perform alongside the political state of their affairs. Through her eyes, we learn about the fairy realm and watch a love story bloom. It’s a premise that leaves a lot of questions unanswered until about the halfway point. The story takes a turn there and I really preferred it to the first half. It’s romanticized a lot, but it feels a little off initially. I didn’t feel the attraction between the characters until the midway point when it becomes a driving force rather than the only thing going on. It’s not the main focus of the second half and I think the story is better for it.

Faeyre is a teenager that, externally, acts older than she is, but internally, she’s still a little immature. Her most recent years saw her hunting in the woods alone, so her people skills are not great. This is understandable and makes her interactions with the fairies more interesting. They’re usually taken back by her brazenness as most humans fear their power wholeheartedly. She’s a little reserved at first, until she learns about the treaty, then her headstrong traits present themselves. Faeyre is quick on her feet, but sometimes stumbles with dialogue. Her faults give her a certain charm that can be a bit frustrating at times. I always root for the underdog though and she never goes too far for me to hate her.

Her family is broken and the way it affects Faeyre is the most interesting part of it. They don’t get a lot of exposition and when they’re involved, I’m usually disinterested. Nesta, the eldest, has the most development time and I don’t think it’s enough. I like that not all of her emotions are explored fully and her depiction is very reserved. There are a couple moments between her and Faeyre that shine just enough light into her true self that made me more interested in her. The other two, not so much.

Tamlin and Lucien, the fairy men, are generic “good guys.” Though their initial secretiveness is frustrating, the reasoning why helps justify their actions. Tamlin is a bit of a black sheep in the fairy community and Lucien is in a similar position. They were both expected to be like their predecessors, but found kinship with one another. Their relationship isn’t the focus of the narrative, but it’s the backbone of why they are the way they are. I felt like I truly understood Tamlin, while Lucien was slightly more elusive until the second half of the story. Regardless, I think both characters are written well.

The blight has a “character” of its own that I’m not going to spoil here, but the reasons behind it are justified. Some truly dark stuff went down, and while the blight is ruthlessly terrible, I can understand why. Revenge is a driving force that anyone can get behind, but this blight does go too far.

A Court of Thorns and Roses surprised me with how it progressed. The first half was slow for me as I’m not one for romance, but it makes sense within the context of the story. The second half picked up in a way I didn’t expect which was surprising for someone like me who can usually predict what’s going to happen next. I’m not sure I want to continue the series as this book wraps up nicely, but maybe at some point I’ll want to jump back into the world.