Review:

Preamble

It's getting to the point with the series and, indeed, with this author, that when you scroll BookTok or Bookstagram for more than 5 minutes you're guaranteed to see someone grinning away, holding up their copy, having just fallen victim to its charms. You lovingly roll your eyes at them because of course. Of course, you loved it. Of course, it's your new favourite thing you've ever read. "We've got another one!" we collectively cry.

It was strange for me, however, to see the surge in popularity in recent times. Particularly on BookTok. Because I first read this back in 2017 - and loved it, of course. Obsessed over it, even. But it was an entirely solitary endeavour as it just wasn't "a thing" back then.

But then I get a TikTok account and suddenly it's everywhere! That amazing book series from 5 years ago and I'm like, oh cool! I read that too! And then people start talking to me about it and I quickly realise I can't remember a single damn thing about it other than the most MAJOR of plot points. Character names? Never heard of them. Under the mountain, what now?

Which leads me to now: My first re-read to see if it lives up to its current hype and my own fond memories.

****

Sarah J. Maas has in recent times confirmed that this first instalment in the ACOTAR series is based on Beauty and the Beast. I have to say this is so obvious when you know but I didn't actually realise it on my first read-through. 🙈

The story follows Feyre, a young girl from a formerly well-off family that's fallen on very hard times and it's been left to Feyre, the youngest member, to make sure they survive. She hunts for her two sisters and her father otherwise they wouldn't eat. She's had to teach herself everything she knows because she was the only one to step up to the plate. 

You'll have very conflicted feelings towards Feyre's family in this book because Feyre, as the narrator, clearly loves them, but to the outside observer, they're infuriatingly useless and entitled. A very annoying combination. 

The book opens with Feyre accidentally killing a member of the Fey while out hunting. An action that triggers an ancient Fey curse that forces her to relinquish her life in the human realm, as miserable as it was, and spend the rest of her life in the Fey realm away from everything and everyone she's ever known or loved.

Hopefully, that's enough of a lure to get you intrigued to read this book if you're one of the 3 people that have yet to do so.

So why does everyone love this series? Well as fabulous as this first book is, I think people's true obsession only fully sets in when they get to the second and third books because there's quite a big development that happens that is the key to all that follows. That's not to say this isn't a great book in its own right, because it is. It's fully fleshed out and has a great story arc and world set-up and breadcrumbs dropped here there and everywhere for what's to come. 

However, I have to say it was a VERY different experience reading it the second time knowing what I know. Ignorance was bliss the first time and you'll never be able to read this first book the same way again once you know.

Because if you know, you know.

I hope the level of fangirling this series engenders hasn't put anyone off because I know that can happens sometimes with super popular books. Having watched seasoned readers, brand new readers, readers but not of this genre, readers and many more fall prey to its allure, I feel confident in saying that nearly everyone ought to give it a go because it hits waaaaaaay more than it misses.

Hope you enjoy it if you do decide to give it a try, and I envy you that first read-through feeling that I'll never get again!

5 Stars ★★★★★

Find it on Goodreads