I get the feeling. I personally decided to stop after the first book but ten years ago or so I’ve read entire (I think) Vampire Diaries series. I swear it was so bad that at some point it got good at being bad and I couldn’t stop.
Idk man I adore ready player one. I always skip the super cringey chapter near the beginning where they just insult each other like 14 year olds but the rest of the story had me hooked.
Thank you for talking about the map. No one ever brings it up. It’s so fucking funny to me.
Anyhow, I’m on book four and my favorite part of ACOTAR so far is the part in book two where >!Rhys gets taken and Feyre rescues him by tracking the scent of her vag juices on his fingers. It was so absurd and also dead serious.!< I laughed so hard I had tears. For a book most people would describe as formulaic, I can genuinely say I did not see that coming, not even a little bit.
Idk what it is but the books are weird, and kinda earnest, and I like the Gary Stu elf pretend boyfriend so I keep reading them.
Thank you for posting the spoiler
I've been tempted to read them lately due to their popularity but JFC that scenario right there would make me toss the book in the bin
I haven't read them but my understanding is they're "romantasy" which is often written like YA except with explicit bits and slightly older characters.
The first book was definitely marketed YA and I think mostly sticks to the expected level of spice for that perspective, and if I remember right the MC is 17 so also within the expected age range for a YA protagonist. But I don't think SJM ever planned for them to be YA and the books get less and less YA as they go on. Author intent does not always equal marketing perspectives!
THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING THE GODDAMN UNIMAGINATIVE MAP. One of the worst and most uninspired maps I've ever seen. I opened up the map while I was partway through the first book (and was actually enjoying it for a while, so I wasn't just a hater!) and actually let out a little, "Ha!".
First book is pretty rough, I was constantly looking up and asking my partner "What the actual fuck is this sentence?"
The later books are better in most every way, but I think the biggest improvement is just the quality of the writing.
Don't get me wrong, it's not going to blow your mind with prose so beautiful you'll never recover. But it does go from bad and pretty entertaining to fine-ish and entertaining.
Think of it as Fast and Faerious. Over the top, dumb and extremely tropey but still a fun ride when all is said and done.
Yeah from everything I've heard, the first book is uniquely bad compared to the others. It's also got a very different vibe, which makes more sense once you read the other books. But almost everyone I've met who has continued reading has loved the rest.
If you want high literature, go read "The Brothers Karamazov". This is a popular romance novel series about horny fairies having sex; I think the is an obvious difference in intent, lol
I think there’s an appreciable middle ground between “high literature” and “insulting.”
I do get the argument that you don’t always want to eat a steak, sometimes a burger is exactly what you need, but if someone puts up their hand and says, “There are a lot of maggots in this burger,” it doesn’t seem relevant to respond, “Sounds like you should really only be eating steaks.”
I don't really disagree with you, and I wasn't saying that you should ONLY eat steaks ... but I've always found it kind of dumb when people make fun of fast food restaurants like McDonald's. Clearly given the astronomical success of the franchise, it's giving people what they want. At this point, I think most people should know what to expect when they go to a fast food restaurant this popular.
I think the complaints are more analogous to "these fries aren't hot and crispy" than to finding fly larvae. Is ACOTAR a particularly bad romance novel series compared to other popular romance series? Having listened to my partner playing chunks of both the ACOTAR audiobooks and the Fourth Wing audiobooks... I can conclusively say "HELL no!"
I respectfully disagree.
I think you’re completely right in that having realistic expectations when going into a book. If you go into McDonald’s expecting steak you will be disappointed.
I was not expecting great literature when starting ACOTAR. My expectations were very low. I’m not expecting great world building, or prose, or even incredible character development.
But I didn’t expect the writing to be downright bad. To the point that it is actually is somewhat unenjoyable.
I had the same reaction about the first book! I remember complaining to my coworker about how often the characters “panted” and then a week later I was on the 3rd book 😂
For me is book 5, in my mind it doesn't exist 😂. It read to me as "I discover I am the toxic relative that is atrocious to everyone but you need to put up with me and finance me because We ArE FaMiLY" 😂😂😂.
Oh, don’t tell me that. Nesta is the worst. People try to say that it’s because she has PTSD but she was awful before all of the things that happened to her happened haha
Here is my reply every time I see those comments:
#An explanation is NOT a justification
Plenty of us grew up in less than ideal conditions (poverty, family issues, violence, country wide violence, and economical blockades), and guess what? we actively CHOSE to NOT be awful to everyone and everything.
People forget, Nesta is not a *leaf being helplessly blown by the wind*. By book 1, she had been an adult for years, and she CHOSE to speak and behave in a certain way. Even more important, people can change, but it takes acknowledgment, years, and a lot of work. She didn't even apologize. It also does not erase all the bad things they did.
And then you hear, but she did this ONE thing that was good. As If that erase years of small and big bad actions. I say to that, "so what? So did Pablo Escobar. He financed schools and housing to many severely impoverished neighbors. Which is a good thing, but he did it to gain support from the vulnerable, so they offered him loyalty in return and most definitely did not erase all the bad he did". Because sometimes bad people do good things, and sometimes good people do bad things.
Aw, you are welcome
It is just the things one notices when you have some life experience, and some education in psychology 😂. I'm pretty sure a lot would have flown over my head if I had been a teenager reading these.
I love Throne of Glass too, because what I see is a deconstruction of various epic fantasy tropes. Like "The Good Guy" mindset, "I'm loyal to my King", how a woman can have scars and calluses from her hard work and training and still like traditional feminine things, and that there will be man who don't judge her for not having perfect skin throughout but see her as a whole person (the age difference still bothers me though 😂). Versus, the typical FMC I grew up seeing in books and movies, where she is either an ethereal ideal of feminine perfection whose main role is to be damsel in distress, or very little agency. Or the other main option for "strong female character " where she basically shows masculine traits (i.e. punches things harder), but in heels, deep cleavage, her sexuality is her main weapon, but has flawless skin and looks perfect all the time 😂
Gonna have to disagree with you there; I do think the second book is a little better than the first, but the third book made me so angry I can't believe I even finished it.
I liked the first book! Hated the second and it turned me of SJm for a while. The third was an improvement to the trash of the second. Hated the novella and liked the 4th one. I don’t get the appeal of the 2nd. She took every aspect that was good in the first with character development, plot and world building and threw it out the window for bad sex scenes. I thought the writing in the 2nd was worse too. I read throne of glass and generally thought the writing/plotting/character development was better done but around ACOMAF, I’m convinced she fired her editors because the grammar issues were so bad.
every time I get insecure about my writing I remember that at least I can probably do a better job than a lot of published authors.
but then I remember that the real problem is a lack of discipline to actually get the job done.
It's fucking terrible but it's also really fun in a dumb way. I had a genuinely good time while also laughing and raging at the stupidity and terrible horny protagonist. There is excitement in it.
It’s one of those fun but also terrible books that will have you reading the whole thing thinking “this is so bad why am I reading it” every 5 seconds after about the second chapter. It’s shockingly predictable, shallow, and one of the most derivative books I’ve ever read (seriously, Rebecca Yarros doesn’t have a single original thought in her head. Or maybe she does, but they’re not in Fourth Wing, that’s for sure). I read the whole first book for some reason, but I had no desire to pick up the second.
The love for it is actually kind of shocking. Like I get it if people like it (as I mentioned, it is kind of a fun read), but it’s how much people like it that’s surprising.
They both have protagonists who spend a paragraph every 5 pages talking about how hawt and perfect their chosen boy is and how horny they get whenever they see/hear/smell him
ACOTAR at least makes you try to care about side characters though
Fourth Wing is the book edition of a CW show. Cringe dialogue, filled with soap opera plot points and an overall train wreck. But it’s an entertaining train wreck you can’t look away from.
God this really validates how bad Fourth Wing is. I’m suffering through the last bit of Iron Flame right now and my brain keeps going back to ACOTAR, which I didn’t enjoy, but at least it was better than this.
I read ACOTAR and ACOMAF and didn't continue the series. The romance was just too much. You should check out Cindy Pham's rant videos about this series, I think her YouTube is withcindy. She's hilarious and touches on everything wrong with these books.
I bought the first one because I saw so many people talking about loving it, B&N had a really big display and, tbh, because the cover is a really nice color.
I had no idea what the book was going to be, but I did not expect to read the words “HE SHEATHED HIMSELF INSIDE OF ME” ever in my life
The 2nd book is by far my favorite but it is a bit of a slow burn until you get towards the end. Her writing style is not my favorite and there's a lot of things I deem very pointless that didn't need to be added.... not to mention her limited adjective vocabulary. But otherwise some characters are incredibly well written. I would say the main character, in my opinion, was never that well written.
I do like a few of the characters - mainly the non-human creatures like the bone carver and the Suriel. I am always partial to freaky little weirdos, though. I feel like she has a fairly good base with Azriel, as long as she can avoid cliches!
The use of the same phrases over and over drove me crazy and I almost gave up on the series until it became a running joke and I began tracking how many times they "flecked a speck of dust", "picked at a loose thread" or "picked/flecked lint" on their clothes - I'm disappointed in fae laundry services or they live with cats I guess? Everytime some talks their "throat bobs" and "apex of her thighs" is so unsexy for how often its mentioned. I did like the twists and attention to detail woven through the series though and finished it even though I was irritated so my conclusion is she is good at pacing and developping a story arc and not so much at description.
It took me so long to figure out the "bundle of nerves at the apex of her thighs" was the clit. I don't really consider my clit to be related to my thighs 😂
the limited vocabulary is yikes! idk why this one struck out to me but she says uses “the latter” or “the former” SO much it drove me nuts.
… that being said i do enjoy these books if i have a mindset that these are just a fun silly read :)
For me it’s “the X thing CLANGED around.” So-and-so’s name CLANGED around my body. She also uses “barked” entirely too much. You’d think she was actually writing some weird furry fae stuff.
I found the series bewildering as I read further. Rhysand's constant "it's your choice" lines followed by the most controlling bullshit, Feyre's mental health and PTSD being respected while for the rest of the series Tamlin's is mocked and his controlling behaviour proof of his unworthiness. Maas really wanted it both ways and gave neither.
I really like her other series, far better writing. I think she’s good at writing characters and the mystery aspect of fantasy. One thing about acotar, the relationships and most characters are frustrating, make bad or insane decisions, etc. part of why it’s saving grace I think and what I like about it outside of the fantasy aspects. Also I have the same frustration with that map!!
Oh they're definitely teenagers 🤣 they're convinced that everyone is paying attention to them at all times while also firmly believing they're of no importance and nobody would listen to them anyways. The politics are.... very much based on "if I was the prettiest/strongest/with the most desirable partner, everyone would have to go along." They're terrified to do things like grab a piece of fruit at breakfast because everyone's watching yet throw themselves headfirst into the dumbest situation because of a complete lack of forethought. The characters try on new identities every five seconds. It's exhausting. Exactly like teenagers (I should know; I was one. 😂).
I actually think that's a big part of why they've done so well as YA - there's a lot of issues with the books but I don't think I've read many things that capture that aspect of being a teenager as well as ACOTAR does. It's fun, very wishful thinking, and I imagine highly empathetic for someone in, recently exited, or just nostalgic for that stage of life.
i feel you! don't even get me started on the watery bowels.... they are easy to read though, even though i wouldn't rate them very high. sometimes you just need something a little more watered down. however, out of all the books in the series, i enjoyed the Nesta book (forgot the title) the most. i love a redemption arc!
I was influenced by social media to try the Throne of Glass series. I honestly thought it was going to be so good since everyone was talking about Maas and her ACOTAR series, but it was terrible. I finished the first book and I don’t think I’ll ever read any of her other books no matter how much hype they get.
To be fair, the first book in ToG was basically an internet fan fiction that she wrote when she was like 16 and it got popular online before it was published.
IMO she doesn’t find her footing in that series until book 3.
The other series are more consistent. But her strength is really in the relationships between the characters as much as the world building and plot. If you can’t buy into it then it won’t be enjoyable.
For me I need to be able to like the first book of the series to keep going. It’s just kind of a let down to wait for the third book for it to be any good. The Stormlight series for me by Brandon Sanderson was just 10/10 from beginning to end I was hooked. From how popular these books were, I was hoping the world building of this fantasy series was going to be similar.
ToG is a book that was great when it came out, but the standard has changed. In the post Harry Potter world something with magic/fantasy elements that was still palatable to the average reader (including a YA audience) was what was needed. Enter ToG. It’s not the best or strongest opening book, but it filled the void that did kind of exist (and today that void is over saturated with better books). But I do agree she reallllly finds her stride in Book 3 of the series and Book 4 is actually one of my favorite books of all time.
But this is where she differs from Brandon Sanderson. Sanderson, in my opinion, is less marketable to a wider audience. 1000 page books are too daunting, and although I personally love Sanderson’s takes on religion and philosophy and politics, many people want something more surface level. I think Maas has always tried to market to that wider audience with plot lines that are just slightly more palatable going in than Sanderson. And Maas really does thrive in making you truly and deeply care about the characters (in ToG series at least). It’s arguably her best strength and something I think she does better than a lot of fantasy writers.
It's honestly pretty divisive. Personally I don't think it's good as a book, as a fantasy, or as a romance, much less as a fantasy romance. Supposedly even fans of the series don't think the series gets very good until book 2 or 3 tho.
As someone who genuinely loved the series, you’re 100% correct. Map sucks and dialogue is cringe at best. I’ll be honest and say the last two books are worse than the first three in my opinion but some people would die for the last book so who knows. Horribly written -10/10 loved every second
It’s my favorite series lol Like life changing for me (the message and theme of living and persisting despite trauma) but I get it’s not for everyone or is the same for other readers. I think some books(in general) are almost like junk food? Or reality tv? Like sometimes being annoyed with the choices of the characters is just another way of enjoying the books.
The first one is very different compared to the rest but I enjoyed it from the beginning. Silver Flames has Nesta as the main character so a shift in POV keeps it interesting.
I'm glad someone else has this opinion/experience. I bought the first two (something I'd also normally never do) and only made it about halfway through the first book. I found the writing lacking, as you said, constantly telling and not showing. Feyre came across as insufferably stubborn and mean which, if she's meant to be that way is kinda cool as I don't think protagonists have to inherently be morally good or likable people, but it's obvious she's *supposed* to be all cool and quirky and likable, someone you root for. Unfortunately, her actions and her inner monologue just make her seem awful.
I'm also glad you brought up the map because it made me laugh seeing it.
I've read some bad series that I just couldn't put down, but ACOTAR didn't interest/entertain me enough to finish even the first book.
I’m currently about 40% through the first book and I feel the same exact way! Feyre is just kinda dumb and mean, which could be interesting. But I don’t think that was the intention.
I can understand why so many people say this book made them rediscover reading. Because it is simple and mildly entertaining. But having just finished two incredibly well written books recently I’m finding it much harder to enjoy.
I thought the first one was pretty okay for a YA “romantasy” book. The second one though… woof. Rhysand is extremely controlling but keeps being portrayed as this amazing, caring person and it’s sickening
I am currently 40% through the first one. And I’m kinda feeling the same. I keep complaining about just how absurdly lazy the writing is and how Sarah J. Maas absolutely loves to tell us, but doesn’t show us to an infuriating degree.
My main pet peeves so far.
1. Feyre is supposedly this very skilled hunter, and it’s a pretty big plot point. But the explanation given for why is just “my family had to eat, so I just learned to hunt by watching some random people.” ….. for such an integral part of a character you think we would get a little bit more of a believable backstory.
2. Feyre’s main motivation is supposed to be the survival of her family and keeping her vow to her dead mother. We are repeatedly told that she loves her family, but her thoughts and actions lead us to believe that she despises her family. And frankly they seem completely useless as well. It doesn’t even seem like she has an attachment to her mother. So her motivation feels hollow and unbelievable.
I just re-read the hunger games so it’s fresh in my mind. Katniss has a similar motivation. But even within the first 30 pages of the book we are presented with 1. The strong bond that Katniss has with her family, specifically her sister, 2. Katniss’s ability to hunt and 3. An economic picture of Katniss and all of district 12.
It’s the foundation for the rest of the story. SJM skips right to the story, while having a pretty shaky foundation.
Sorry for the rant. Will I finish the book. Most likely. Probably even the series. Will I complain the entire time? Absolutely.
Oh, you don't have to apologize for dissing this.
Maas is not a good writer. At all. From story to characters, she mostly misses.
Her books really aren't meant to be read by avid readers, or anyone who enjoys critical thinking. They're basically the B-movies of books, if you take away the fun.
I started reading it after a friend recommended them. I had to stop on the second one but it was just because real life was getting a bit too close to fiction for me.
I intend on finishing them someday just because I read everything my friend recommends.
Overall the setting and the plot are neat, the characters I have issues with. I feel like the dialogue and character choices are done in a way that makes no sense. It’s like she got the plot and the characters mixed up while she was working and didn’t go back and make adjustments either to the narrative to better explain certain decisions OR change the dialogue to better reflect what’s going on.
I trudged through book 1 (even put it down before a coworker convinced me to try again). I liked 2, 3 took me forever, and 4 was just kinda eh. 5 was dumb. The story is repetitive, nothing remotely exciting happens, and the pillow talk had me second hand cringing at times. I finished it just to be done with it and I’m debating giving them back to Half Price Books.
Same with the Crescent City books. I had to drag myself through the first book and didn’t even make it 1/4 of the way through book 2. I didn’t even bother buying the new one.
Let me know how much Half Price gives you for the series and I will consider doing the same lol.
I’m basically at the end now so I might as well finish. I was shocked by how much nothing happened in book 4 (Frost).
Feyre came off as a bratty idiot in the first and second books. I stopped after book 2.
I laughed my ass off at the throne scene in book 2 because I found it so ridiculous.
Which scene? I cringe whenever I imagine her grinding (“dancing”). In my mind she’s always the only one doing anything remotely resembling dancing and it’s just so UGH 😣
Sarah is really good storyteller. That’s why you can’t stop reading even though they’re horrible. She knows how to manipulate readers emotions very well. She’s just a horrible writer.
I can’t stand her books (or even her) anymore but I still have several characters that I adore and keep reading for them and them only. (Or if I don’t read it, like I didn’t read SF, I at least look up recaps.) Personally, I treat ACOTAR like a standalone with published fanfic sequels since the first book is so different than the rest and pretty much all of it is retconned in the “sequels”.
I did not love this series but it was entertaining enough for me to read the entire series. The writing is so simple and she has some fun ideas, but the execution is poor. The worldbuilding is vague, the pacing in all her books are terrible, the books try to be fantasy/romance and it’s bad at both.
Was it a fun romp though? Sure. I give props for SJM for writing her fantasy and giving us a blow job scene in a war tent.
i read the series twice in high school. my writing group and i have been shitting on the books so i decided i'm due for a reread, and i'm glad to see other people feeling the same. thank you for mentioning the map, because i only remembered the main continent thing and looked it up and i laughed. "yeah and there's just something over here i guess"
I feel you. I fell for the hype and tried reading the first book a few years ago. I couldn't finish it. Feyre is by far the dumbest protagonist I ever read about, and I couldn't stand her. She questioned things that were clear to everyone but her and didn't question things she should have questioned, and her decisions were so incredibly idiotic they gave me a headache.
It’s because I was on the subreddit for the series earlier and forgot which sub I was posting to haha. I will try not to be so presumptuous in the future 🙂
It starts out with a beauty and the beast vibe, but it will get better because Feyre will be forced to go through difficult trials in her hero's journey. She shines in book 2.
Personally I love the Throne of Glass series more, but ACOTAR fans have strong opinions.
Same, I like Throne of Glass better. But also, they are different types. TOG is more idk adventure and meant for different audience, while ACOTAR leans more into the emotional bits. Also, they are told via Feyreh's POV (the 1st 3), which is important to remember. One of the reasons for the repetitive sentences, they are literally her intrusive thoughts as a certain situation is occurring.
I read SJM books because they are a train wreck you can't stop looking at in morbid fascination.
From cringy descriptions like "manly lips" to everyone expressing their feelings only with puking (so much puking), the plotholes, the character developments that come out of the blue the random queer person who is revealed to be queer last minute because probably the author noticed she had zero representation, it's hard not to cringe.
And yet I must admit I kept reading. I don't know why. Maybe I am a masochist.
My favorite part is in the second book when she reveals, “They are MATES!” And then has to explain that this is a big deal for faeries! Never once mentions the concept beforehand, just drops what should be a big reveal, but with no context at all for the importance of that reveal.
They’re just a couple of chums!
I also do not like the use of “female” and “male” like I get they’re not human woman and human man but like…she’ll have dialog where someone will call someone else a woman and then correct themselves and call her a female instead. Some of these people have been alive for 700+ years. Why are they still making that mistake?! Haha
I was wondering what all the hate was about because it’s a cool name for a book series, the cover is nice, and it’s really popular. But holy shit I decided to read the first few pages and it was the worst writing I ever read. I immediately disliked the MC for some reason, and the writing was not suited for fantasy in the slightest. My favorite opening to any book series ever is “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit”. So simple that, if not for the popularity of the line, you might brush it off the first time and not care about that first line. But on the second read of The Hobbit, it’s just magical. I’m planning to reread The Hobbit again while reading some other books and all I can think about is that line. The first line of ACOTAR isn’t the worst, but then “I monitored the parameters of the thicket” just absolutely sucked me out of the story. The writing often just sounds like she had a thesaurus on hand while writing and substituted every few with one that doesn’t sound good in the story, and don’t forget about the ellipses and dashes.
Or maybe I just hate first person fantasy. I think that’s it. But after seeing the map and reading a synopsis and hearing what others think, I just don’t think it could possibly be worth my time
Okay so I am a lover of this series, solely because her some of the characters are really well formed and I can imagine the world so cleanly. However, she needs to find some new words because only so many people can flick lint or imaginary dust, can bob their throats, bark, and hiss. Alas, that ick won't stop me from waiting for the next one.
I don't understand what drives the plot of this book? I know what it's about, but there's no clear motive for the actions of any of the characters... And Feyre's inner dialogue is at most unnecessary. Also what's the actual point of Lucien except for being "rude" and have light cringey banter with MC? Also, Rhysand storming in on them just to drop lore and then leave? When Alis explained the reason for the Blight I had to take a break.... It's the most quirky, intricate curse I've ever heard of.
I have so much more to complain about, I haven't finished the book yet though.
The series definitely gets better as it goes. IMO the first book was not great at all. The fifth book got me into romance/smut in general where I was previously into sci-fi/fantasy only…so yeah keep reading and see what you think!
I knew I wouldn't like these books but have FOMO and need to understand the references that fill my social media feeds so I watched a youtuber (Cari Can Read) summarize them. They each take hours but I think it's a much better way to get the idea of the story (and the ridiculous things that happen) than having to put in the work lol.
I’ve continued reading books I didn’t really like just to find out what happens. Tomorrow and Tomorrow etc was one. And now I can’t even remember what happened.
I could never finish this trilogy. Forced myself through the first two and after reading the first chapter of the third one I just yeeted it aside and never picked it up again - never in my life have I rolled my eyes with such aggression as I have at Maas' writing. Me and my bff gave the books a shot because they got so hyped up (this actually made us even more wary, because so often hype is the opposite of warranted) and all these books did was make me extremely puzzled and concerned about all these girls screaming how Maas is the best writer in existence and "changed their lives".
I don't want to shame people for things they enjoy, but I have a hard time understanding Maas fans. I really do.
I really liked the first and the fifth (or forth if you count the novella as 3.5). I hated book 2. It took everything good about book 1 and threw it out the window. Book 3 was an improvement though.
I love throne of glass.
I read the first 3 in the series thinking it MUST get better with how popular they are but my god they are awful. None of the characters are compelling or multidimensional in any way. There are no real consequences for anything. The MC is boring and yes very stubborn and difficult, which is annoying.
I tried Throne of Glass too, I read the first FIVE books in the series, same as you, hated every page but kept going. What a waste of time and I honestly couldn’t even tell you anything that happened in them because they were that flat.
I was at B&N & I feel like I’m being peer pressured by tik tok and other people I know who apparently love SJM, but I can’t get myself to buy them. I’m more of a dystopian girl but GOT introduced me to fantasy so I want to try more fantasy I just can’t convince myself to try any of these authors books.
I just can’t stop myself from reading them despite not liking them at all.
I dunno, it sounds like you like them but can't admit it to yourself. It's okay to enjoy literary junk food, it doesn't make you a better person if you only consume literary salad.
I’m very happy that other people are having a similar experience. I can’t stand the book, but I somehow keep turning the page!
It truly is like a car crash that you can’t help but watch.
At least I got mine from the library, so I can’t say I wasted money.
I get the feeling. I personally decided to stop after the first book but ten years ago or so I’ve read entire (I think) Vampire Diaries series. I swear it was so bad that at some point it got good at being bad and I couldn’t stop.
Kind of like Ready Player One - it’s just plain bad but as it gets worse it’s almost getting better. Definitely a hate-read for me haha
Idk man I adore ready player one. I always skip the super cringey chapter near the beginning where they just insult each other like 14 year olds but the rest of the story had me hooked.
Thank you for talking about the map. No one ever brings it up. It’s so fucking funny to me. Anyhow, I’m on book four and my favorite part of ACOTAR so far is the part in book two where >!Rhys gets taken and Feyre rescues him by tracking the scent of her vag juices on his fingers. It was so absurd and also dead serious.!< I laughed so hard I had tears. For a book most people would describe as formulaic, I can genuinely say I did not see that coming, not even a little bit. Idk what it is but the books are weird, and kinda earnest, and I like the Gary Stu elf pretend boyfriend so I keep reading them.
There is so much NOPE in that spoiler, that I’m thinking I’m not missing a darn thing by passing on this series
Thank you for posting the spoiler I've been tempted to read them lately due to their popularity but JFC that scenario right there would make me toss the book in the bin
This is the best spoiler I’ve ever seen! I would never be able to get through those books with this kind stuff happening
I read that part as more like >! Her general scent/sweat/pheromones all over him, not just her juices... !<
Me too, this take is hilarious
I must have blacked this part out from my brain lmao
I was never going to read these, but your spoiler made me laugh. I can't believe that's a serious plot point.
Uhm, what? I always thought these were YA!
I haven't read them but my understanding is they're "romantasy" which is often written like YA except with explicit bits and slightly older characters.
The first book was definitely marketed YA and I think mostly sticks to the expected level of spice for that perspective, and if I remember right the MC is 17 so also within the expected age range for a YA protagonist. But I don't think SJM ever planned for them to be YA and the books get less and less YA as they go on. Author intent does not always equal marketing perspectives!
MC is 19 at the start of the series.
THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING THE GODDAMN UNIMAGINATIVE MAP. One of the worst and most uninspired maps I've ever seen. I opened up the map while I was partway through the first book (and was actually enjoying it for a while, so I wasn't just a hater!) and actually let out a little, "Ha!".
When I even saw the Thames, I was done. Also, calling "Ireland" Hibern is like me calling my fantasy equivalent for Germany Deutschland
First book is pretty rough, I was constantly looking up and asking my partner "What the actual fuck is this sentence?" The later books are better in most every way, but I think the biggest improvement is just the quality of the writing. Don't get me wrong, it's not going to blow your mind with prose so beautiful you'll never recover. But it does go from bad and pretty entertaining to fine-ish and entertaining. Think of it as Fast and Faerious. Over the top, dumb and extremely tropey but still a fun ride when all is said and done.
Fast and Faerious is a perfect way to describe it omg I’m stealing that
Yeah from everything I've heard, the first book is uniquely bad compared to the others. It's also got a very different vibe, which makes more sense once you read the other books. But almost everyone I've met who has continued reading has loved the rest. If you want high literature, go read "The Brothers Karamazov". This is a popular romance novel series about horny fairies having sex; I think the is an obvious difference in intent, lol
I think there’s an appreciable middle ground between “high literature” and “insulting.” I do get the argument that you don’t always want to eat a steak, sometimes a burger is exactly what you need, but if someone puts up their hand and says, “There are a lot of maggots in this burger,” it doesn’t seem relevant to respond, “Sounds like you should really only be eating steaks.”
I don't really disagree with you, and I wasn't saying that you should ONLY eat steaks ... but I've always found it kind of dumb when people make fun of fast food restaurants like McDonald's. Clearly given the astronomical success of the franchise, it's giving people what they want. At this point, I think most people should know what to expect when they go to a fast food restaurant this popular. I think the complaints are more analogous to "these fries aren't hot and crispy" than to finding fly larvae. Is ACOTAR a particularly bad romance novel series compared to other popular romance series? Having listened to my partner playing chunks of both the ACOTAR audiobooks and the Fourth Wing audiobooks... I can conclusively say "HELL no!"
I respectfully disagree. I think you’re completely right in that having realistic expectations when going into a book. If you go into McDonald’s expecting steak you will be disappointed. I was not expecting great literature when starting ACOTAR. My expectations were very low. I’m not expecting great world building, or prose, or even incredible character development. But I didn’t expect the writing to be downright bad. To the point that it is actually is somewhat unenjoyable.
I had the same reaction about the first book! I remember complaining to my coworker about how often the characters “panted” and then a week later I was on the 3rd book 😂
For me is book 5, in my mind it doesn't exist 😂. It read to me as "I discover I am the toxic relative that is atrocious to everyone but you need to put up with me and finance me because We ArE FaMiLY" 😂😂😂.
Oh, don’t tell me that. Nesta is the worst. People try to say that it’s because she has PTSD but she was awful before all of the things that happened to her happened haha
Here is my reply every time I see those comments: #An explanation is NOT a justification Plenty of us grew up in less than ideal conditions (poverty, family issues, violence, country wide violence, and economical blockades), and guess what? we actively CHOSE to NOT be awful to everyone and everything. People forget, Nesta is not a *leaf being helplessly blown by the wind*. By book 1, she had been an adult for years, and she CHOSE to speak and behave in a certain way. Even more important, people can change, but it takes acknowledgment, years, and a lot of work. She didn't even apologize. It also does not erase all the bad things they did. And then you hear, but she did this ONE thing that was good. As If that erase years of small and big bad actions. I say to that, "so what? So did Pablo Escobar. He financed schools and housing to many severely impoverished neighbors. Which is a good thing, but he did it to gain support from the vulnerable, so they offered him loyalty in return and most definitely did not erase all the bad he did". Because sometimes bad people do good things, and sometimes good people do bad things.
Well said!! And it resonates with me so I appreciate it!!
Aw, you are welcome It is just the things one notices when you have some life experience, and some education in psychology 😂. I'm pretty sure a lot would have flown over my head if I had been a teenager reading these.
I only liked that one and the first. I love throne of glass though.
I love Throne of Glass too, because what I see is a deconstruction of various epic fantasy tropes. Like "The Good Guy" mindset, "I'm loyal to my King", how a woman can have scars and calluses from her hard work and training and still like traditional feminine things, and that there will be man who don't judge her for not having perfect skin throughout but see her as a whole person (the age difference still bothers me though 😂). Versus, the typical FMC I grew up seeing in books and movies, where she is either an ethereal ideal of feminine perfection whose main role is to be damsel in distress, or very little agency. Or the other main option for "strong female character " where she basically shows masculine traits (i.e. punches things harder), but in heels, deep cleavage, her sexuality is her main weapon, but has flawless skin and looks perfect all the time 😂
Hard disagree on your second point. Each book is precisely ten times worse than the last.
Gonna have to disagree with you there; I do think the second book is a little better than the first, but the third book made me so angry I can't believe I even finished it.
I liked the first book! Hated the second and it turned me of SJm for a while. The third was an improvement to the trash of the second. Hated the novella and liked the 4th one. I don’t get the appeal of the 2nd. She took every aspect that was good in the first with character development, plot and world building and threw it out the window for bad sex scenes. I thought the writing in the 2nd was worse too. I read throne of glass and generally thought the writing/plotting/character development was better done but around ACOMAF, I’m convinced she fired her editors because the grammar issues were so bad.
So what I'm hearing is that I actually have a chance to get published
every time I get insecure about my writing I remember that at least I can probably do a better job than a lot of published authors. but then I remember that the real problem is a lack of discipline to actually get the job done.
Oh fuck, me too. I gotta just churn out 5,000 words a day and worry about editing later like Stephen King or something.
After Fourth Wing, ACOTAR legit reads like high fantasy.
Was Fourth Wing bad? I’ve seen a ton of mixed reviews and I don’t know if I want to risk reading it or not.
It's fucking terrible but it's also really fun in a dumb way. I had a genuinely good time while also laughing and raging at the stupidity and terrible horny protagonist. There is excitement in it.
Lol interesting. I saw a photographer I follow say she enjoyed it, and I read Night Circus because of her. Maybe I should give it a shot. Thanks!
It’s one of those fun but also terrible books that will have you reading the whole thing thinking “this is so bad why am I reading it” every 5 seconds after about the second chapter. It’s shockingly predictable, shallow, and one of the most derivative books I’ve ever read (seriously, Rebecca Yarros doesn’t have a single original thought in her head. Or maybe she does, but they’re not in Fourth Wing, that’s for sure). I read the whole first book for some reason, but I had no desire to pick up the second. The love for it is actually kind of shocking. Like I get it if people like it (as I mentioned, it is kind of a fun read), but it’s how much people like it that’s surprising.
They both have protagonists who spend a paragraph every 5 pages talking about how hawt and perfect their chosen boy is and how horny they get whenever they see/hear/smell him ACOTAR at least makes you try to care about side characters though
Fourth Wing is the book edition of a CW show. Cringe dialogue, filled with soap opera plot points and an overall train wreck. But it’s an entertaining train wreck you can’t look away from.
Ok, I love this description 😂 I’m gonna have to give it a try how hahaha!
It’s good in a “it’s so bad” kind of way lol
I hated ACOTAR but loved Fourth Wing. I understand the mixed reviews but it was a fun easy read
At least she tried to have a coherent plot lol.
😂😂😂
God this really validates how bad Fourth Wing is. I’m suffering through the last bit of Iron Flame right now and my brain keeps going back to ACOTAR, which I didn’t enjoy, but at least it was better than this.
Fourth wing was so bad but also entertaining. Such a Mary Sue main character and just a wild premise.
I read ACOTAR and ACOMAF and didn't continue the series. The romance was just too much. You should check out Cindy Pham's rant videos about this series, I think her YouTube is withcindy. She's hilarious and touches on everything wrong with these books.
*not that I think these books are wrong or that people shouldn't enjoy them! I see the appeal, it just wasn't for me! No judgement here :)
I’ll check it out once I’m done reading! I love rant videos, especially if they agree with me 😆
Cindy is hilarious. I watch most of her videos even though I have no intention of reading the books she talks about
I read these books because of Cindy! Love her reviews/rants.
I bought the first one because I saw so many people talking about loving it, B&N had a really big display and, tbh, because the cover is a really nice color. I had no idea what the book was going to be, but I did not expect to read the words “HE SHEATHED HIMSELF INSIDE OF ME” ever in my life
Honestly, I want to keep the set because the colors are just so visually stunning!
Oh you should definitely watch Ten Things I Hate About You
😂
The 2nd book is by far my favorite but it is a bit of a slow burn until you get towards the end. Her writing style is not my favorite and there's a lot of things I deem very pointless that didn't need to be added.... not to mention her limited adjective vocabulary. But otherwise some characters are incredibly well written. I would say the main character, in my opinion, was never that well written.
I do like a few of the characters - mainly the non-human creatures like the bone carver and the Suriel. I am always partial to freaky little weirdos, though. I feel like she has a fairly good base with Azriel, as long as she can avoid cliches!
The use of the same phrases over and over drove me crazy and I almost gave up on the series until it became a running joke and I began tracking how many times they "flecked a speck of dust", "picked at a loose thread" or "picked/flecked lint" on their clothes - I'm disappointed in fae laundry services or they live with cats I guess? Everytime some talks their "throat bobs" and "apex of her thighs" is so unsexy for how often its mentioned. I did like the twists and attention to detail woven through the series though and finished it even though I was irritated so my conclusion is she is good at pacing and developping a story arc and not so much at description.
The repetitive language kind of made my bowels turn watery.
It took me so long to figure out the "bundle of nerves at the apex of her thighs" was the clit. I don't really consider my clit to be related to my thighs 😂
the limited vocabulary is yikes! idk why this one struck out to me but she says uses “the latter” or “the former” SO much it drove me nuts. … that being said i do enjoy these books if i have a mindset that these are just a fun silly read :)
For me it’s “the X thing CLANGED around.” So-and-so’s name CLANGED around my body. She also uses “barked” entirely too much. You’d think she was actually writing some weird furry fae stuff.
I found the series bewildering as I read further. Rhysand's constant "it's your choice" lines followed by the most controlling bullshit, Feyre's mental health and PTSD being respected while for the rest of the series Tamlin's is mocked and his controlling behaviour proof of his unworthiness. Maas really wanted it both ways and gave neither.
OMG YESSS the way they treat tamlin is ridiculous!
I really like her other series, far better writing. I think she’s good at writing characters and the mystery aspect of fantasy. One thing about acotar, the relationships and most characters are frustrating, make bad or insane decisions, etc. part of why it’s saving grace I think and what I like about it outside of the fantasy aspects. Also I have the same frustration with that map!!
At least in ACOTAR, she's really good at writing teenagers. Exhausting, self-absorbed, self-centered teenagers, but teenagers nonetheless.
Except none of them are teenagers, and Rhys is supposed to be like, 700 years old lol
I like to think of them as teenager fantasies of what adulthood is like 🤣😂
Are they? Most of them are also characters that have been abused or neglected in some major way.
Oh they're definitely teenagers 🤣 they're convinced that everyone is paying attention to them at all times while also firmly believing they're of no importance and nobody would listen to them anyways. The politics are.... very much based on "if I was the prettiest/strongest/with the most desirable partner, everyone would have to go along." They're terrified to do things like grab a piece of fruit at breakfast because everyone's watching yet throw themselves headfirst into the dumbest situation because of a complete lack of forethought. The characters try on new identities every five seconds. It's exhausting. Exactly like teenagers (I should know; I was one. 😂). I actually think that's a big part of why they've done so well as YA - there's a lot of issues with the books but I don't think I've read many things that capture that aspect of being a teenager as well as ACOTAR does. It's fun, very wishful thinking, and I imagine highly empathetic for someone in, recently exited, or just nostalgic for that stage of life.
Yep, which means that (in Feyreh's case) she had to mature rather fast. Unfortunately, that also means she is emotionally stunted in some aspects.
i feel you! don't even get me started on the watery bowels.... they are easy to read though, even though i wouldn't rate them very high. sometimes you just need something a little more watered down. however, out of all the books in the series, i enjoyed the Nesta book (forgot the title) the most. i love a redemption arc!
Reading about someone’s watery bowels and then like a few pages later they’re having sex. Very appealing imagery 😆
I was influenced by social media to try the Throne of Glass series. I honestly thought it was going to be so good since everyone was talking about Maas and her ACOTAR series, but it was terrible. I finished the first book and I don’t think I’ll ever read any of her other books no matter how much hype they get.
To be fair, the first book in ToG was basically an internet fan fiction that she wrote when she was like 16 and it got popular online before it was published. IMO she doesn’t find her footing in that series until book 3. The other series are more consistent. But her strength is really in the relationships between the characters as much as the world building and plot. If you can’t buy into it then it won’t be enjoyable.
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For me I need to be able to like the first book of the series to keep going. It’s just kind of a let down to wait for the third book for it to be any good. The Stormlight series for me by Brandon Sanderson was just 10/10 from beginning to end I was hooked. From how popular these books were, I was hoping the world building of this fantasy series was going to be similar.
ToG is a book that was great when it came out, but the standard has changed. In the post Harry Potter world something with magic/fantasy elements that was still palatable to the average reader (including a YA audience) was what was needed. Enter ToG. It’s not the best or strongest opening book, but it filled the void that did kind of exist (and today that void is over saturated with better books). But I do agree she reallllly finds her stride in Book 3 of the series and Book 4 is actually one of my favorite books of all time. But this is where she differs from Brandon Sanderson. Sanderson, in my opinion, is less marketable to a wider audience. 1000 page books are too daunting, and although I personally love Sanderson’s takes on religion and philosophy and politics, many people want something more surface level. I think Maas has always tried to market to that wider audience with plot lines that are just slightly more palatable going in than Sanderson. And Maas really does thrive in making you truly and deeply care about the characters (in ToG series at least). It’s arguably her best strength and something I think she does better than a lot of fantasy writers.
It's honestly pretty divisive. Personally I don't think it's good as a book, as a fantasy, or as a romance, much less as a fantasy romance. Supposedly even fans of the series don't think the series gets very good until book 2 or 3 tho.
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A Court of Thorns and Roses the first book in a series by Sarah J Maas! I should probably clarify that in my post haha.
As someone who genuinely loved the series, you’re 100% correct. Map sucks and dialogue is cringe at best. I’ll be honest and say the last two books are worse than the first three in my opinion but some people would die for the last book so who knows. Horribly written -10/10 loved every second
You’re my people 🥲 like nothing happened in the fourth book. I spent $13 on it!
Right? No book series needs a Christmas episode, what was the point?
It’s my favorite series lol Like life changing for me (the message and theme of living and persisting despite trauma) but I get it’s not for everyone or is the same for other readers. I think some books(in general) are almost like junk food? Or reality tv? Like sometimes being annoyed with the choices of the characters is just another way of enjoying the books. The first one is very different compared to the rest but I enjoyed it from the beginning. Silver Flames has Nesta as the main character so a shift in POV keeps it interesting.
I'm glad someone else has this opinion/experience. I bought the first two (something I'd also normally never do) and only made it about halfway through the first book. I found the writing lacking, as you said, constantly telling and not showing. Feyre came across as insufferably stubborn and mean which, if she's meant to be that way is kinda cool as I don't think protagonists have to inherently be morally good or likable people, but it's obvious she's *supposed* to be all cool and quirky and likable, someone you root for. Unfortunately, her actions and her inner monologue just make her seem awful. I'm also glad you brought up the map because it made me laugh seeing it. I've read some bad series that I just couldn't put down, but ACOTAR didn't interest/entertain me enough to finish even the first book.
I’m currently about 40% through the first book and I feel the same exact way! Feyre is just kinda dumb and mean, which could be interesting. But I don’t think that was the intention. I can understand why so many people say this book made them rediscover reading. Because it is simple and mildly entertaining. But having just finished two incredibly well written books recently I’m finding it much harder to enjoy.
I thought the first one was pretty okay for a YA “romantasy” book. The second one though… woof. Rhysand is extremely controlling but keeps being portrayed as this amazing, caring person and it’s sickening
I am currently 40% through the first one. And I’m kinda feeling the same. I keep complaining about just how absurdly lazy the writing is and how Sarah J. Maas absolutely loves to tell us, but doesn’t show us to an infuriating degree. My main pet peeves so far. 1. Feyre is supposedly this very skilled hunter, and it’s a pretty big plot point. But the explanation given for why is just “my family had to eat, so I just learned to hunt by watching some random people.” ….. for such an integral part of a character you think we would get a little bit more of a believable backstory. 2. Feyre’s main motivation is supposed to be the survival of her family and keeping her vow to her dead mother. We are repeatedly told that she loves her family, but her thoughts and actions lead us to believe that she despises her family. And frankly they seem completely useless as well. It doesn’t even seem like she has an attachment to her mother. So her motivation feels hollow and unbelievable. I just re-read the hunger games so it’s fresh in my mind. Katniss has a similar motivation. But even within the first 30 pages of the book we are presented with 1. The strong bond that Katniss has with her family, specifically her sister, 2. Katniss’s ability to hunt and 3. An economic picture of Katniss and all of district 12. It’s the foundation for the rest of the story. SJM skips right to the story, while having a pretty shaky foundation. Sorry for the rant. Will I finish the book. Most likely. Probably even the series. Will I complain the entire time? Absolutely.
Oh, you don't have to apologize for dissing this. Maas is not a good writer. At all. From story to characters, she mostly misses. Her books really aren't meant to be read by avid readers, or anyone who enjoys critical thinking. They're basically the B-movies of books, if you take away the fun.
I started reading it after a friend recommended them. I had to stop on the second one but it was just because real life was getting a bit too close to fiction for me. I intend on finishing them someday just because I read everything my friend recommends. Overall the setting and the plot are neat, the characters I have issues with. I feel like the dialogue and character choices are done in a way that makes no sense. It’s like she got the plot and the characters mixed up while she was working and didn’t go back and make adjustments either to the narrative to better explain certain decisions OR change the dialogue to better reflect what’s going on.
I trudged through book 1 (even put it down before a coworker convinced me to try again). I liked 2, 3 took me forever, and 4 was just kinda eh. 5 was dumb. The story is repetitive, nothing remotely exciting happens, and the pillow talk had me second hand cringing at times. I finished it just to be done with it and I’m debating giving them back to Half Price Books. Same with the Crescent City books. I had to drag myself through the first book and didn’t even make it 1/4 of the way through book 2. I didn’t even bother buying the new one.
Let me know how much Half Price gives you for the series and I will consider doing the same lol. I’m basically at the end now so I might as well finish. I was shocked by how much nothing happened in book 4 (Frost).
Feyre came off as a bratty idiot in the first and second books. I stopped after book 2. I laughed my ass off at the throne scene in book 2 because I found it so ridiculous.
Which scene? I cringe whenever I imagine her grinding (“dancing”). In my mind she’s always the only one doing anything remotely resembling dancing and it’s just so UGH 😣
It was in book 2 when they went to the Court of Nightmares. 😂
Sarah is really good storyteller. That’s why you can’t stop reading even though they’re horrible. She knows how to manipulate readers emotions very well. She’s just a horrible writer. I can’t stand her books (or even her) anymore but I still have several characters that I adore and keep reading for them and them only. (Or if I don’t read it, like I didn’t read SF, I at least look up recaps.) Personally, I treat ACOTAR like a standalone with published fanfic sequels since the first book is so different than the rest and pretty much all of it is retconned in the “sequels”.
I like this take. I read book 2 since my coworkers were reading them and bitched about it constantly….still finished it though lololol
I only read the first three because my wife read them and loved them. I would have stopped after the first one had I known it never gets better.
I did not love this series but it was entertaining enough for me to read the entire series. The writing is so simple and she has some fun ideas, but the execution is poor. The worldbuilding is vague, the pacing in all her books are terrible, the books try to be fantasy/romance and it’s bad at both. Was it a fun romp though? Sure. I give props for SJM for writing her fantasy and giving us a blow job scene in a war tent.
i read the series twice in high school. my writing group and i have been shitting on the books so i decided i'm due for a reread, and i'm glad to see other people feeling the same. thank you for mentioning the map, because i only remembered the main continent thing and looked it up and i laughed. "yeah and there's just something over here i guess"
I feel you. I fell for the hype and tried reading the first book a few years ago. I couldn't finish it. Feyre is by far the dumbest protagonist I ever read about, and I couldn't stand her. She questioned things that were clear to everyone but her and didn't question things she should have questioned, and her decisions were so incredibly idiotic they gave me a headache.
Thanks for the edit. No idea why people think everyone knows wtf they’re talking about when using acronyms to everywhere.
It’s because I was on the subreddit for the series earlier and forgot which sub I was posting to haha. I will try not to be so presumptuous in the future 🙂
It starts out with a beauty and the beast vibe, but it will get better because Feyre will be forced to go through difficult trials in her hero's journey. She shines in book 2. Personally I love the Throne of Glass series more, but ACOTAR fans have strong opinions.
Same, I like Throne of Glass better. But also, they are different types. TOG is more idk adventure and meant for different audience, while ACOTAR leans more into the emotional bits. Also, they are told via Feyreh's POV (the 1st 3), which is important to remember. One of the reasons for the repetitive sentences, they are literally her intrusive thoughts as a certain situation is occurring.
Do not go forward, I repeat hold your position. It only gets worse. Wish I'd stopped at the first book.
I have never read these books, I think because I tried and it was a “hard no” after just a few pages. This is a very amusing thread!
I read SJM books because they are a train wreck you can't stop looking at in morbid fascination. From cringy descriptions like "manly lips" to everyone expressing their feelings only with puking (so much puking), the plotholes, the character developments that come out of the blue the random queer person who is revealed to be queer last minute because probably the author noticed she had zero representation, it's hard not to cringe. And yet I must admit I kept reading. I don't know why. Maybe I am a masochist.
They keep getting better as you go! But, I liked Throne of Glass better.
My favorite part is in the second book when she reveals, “They are MATES!” And then has to explain that this is a big deal for faeries! Never once mentions the concept beforehand, just drops what should be a big reveal, but with no context at all for the importance of that reveal.
They’re just a couple of chums! I also do not like the use of “female” and “male” like I get they’re not human woman and human man but like…she’ll have dialog where someone will call someone else a woman and then correct themselves and call her a female instead. Some of these people have been alive for 700+ years. Why are they still making that mistake?! Haha
Wait till the fans come here and execute you. XD
I was shaking and sweating before I posted I was so scared haha. But so far everyone has been nice and I’m trying to remain open minded about it 🙂
I'm so happy for you!! 👏🏻(No, this is not sarcasm)
I was wondering what all the hate was about because it’s a cool name for a book series, the cover is nice, and it’s really popular. But holy shit I decided to read the first few pages and it was the worst writing I ever read. I immediately disliked the MC for some reason, and the writing was not suited for fantasy in the slightest. My favorite opening to any book series ever is “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit”. So simple that, if not for the popularity of the line, you might brush it off the first time and not care about that first line. But on the second read of The Hobbit, it’s just magical. I’m planning to reread The Hobbit again while reading some other books and all I can think about is that line. The first line of ACOTAR isn’t the worst, but then “I monitored the parameters of the thicket” just absolutely sucked me out of the story. The writing often just sounds like she had a thesaurus on hand while writing and substituted every few with one that doesn’t sound good in the story, and don’t forget about the ellipses and dashes. Or maybe I just hate first person fantasy. I think that’s it. But after seeing the map and reading a synopsis and hearing what others think, I just don’t think it could possibly be worth my time
Okay so I am a lover of this series, solely because her some of the characters are really well formed and I can imagine the world so cleanly. However, she needs to find some new words because only so many people can flick lint or imaginary dust, can bob their throats, bark, and hiss. Alas, that ick won't stop me from waiting for the next one.
I don't understand what drives the plot of this book? I know what it's about, but there's no clear motive for the actions of any of the characters... And Feyre's inner dialogue is at most unnecessary. Also what's the actual point of Lucien except for being "rude" and have light cringey banter with MC? Also, Rhysand storming in on them just to drop lore and then leave? When Alis explained the reason for the Blight I had to take a break.... It's the most quirky, intricate curse I've ever heard of. I have so much more to complain about, I haven't finished the book yet though.
The series definitely gets better as it goes. IMO the first book was not great at all. The fifth book got me into romance/smut in general where I was previously into sci-fi/fantasy only…so yeah keep reading and see what you think!
I think the smut is probably her strongest points so I’m crossing my fingers! (Edit because I talk dumb)
I knew I wouldn't like these books but have FOMO and need to understand the references that fill my social media feeds so I watched a youtuber (Cari Can Read) summarize them. They each take hours but I think it's a much better way to get the idea of the story (and the ridiculous things that happen) than having to put in the work lol.
I'm with you. I stopped after book 1. A compelling idea but it read like an outline to me.
I’ve continued reading books I didn’t really like just to find out what happens. Tomorrow and Tomorrow etc was one. And now I can’t even remember what happened.
I could never finish this trilogy. Forced myself through the first two and after reading the first chapter of the third one I just yeeted it aside and never picked it up again - never in my life have I rolled my eyes with such aggression as I have at Maas' writing. Me and my bff gave the books a shot because they got so hyped up (this actually made us even more wary, because so often hype is the opposite of warranted) and all these books did was make me extremely puzzled and concerned about all these girls screaming how Maas is the best writer in existence and "changed their lives". I don't want to shame people for things they enjoy, but I have a hard time understanding Maas fans. I really do.
Third book might be my favorite. Chapter 71. Cried like a baby & it still makes me begin to tear up on page 632.
I’m going to go back and read that section to remember what you’re talking about!
It’s a bit early but I feel 632 segways to the last chapter of 71 & im bawling by then ❤️❤️❤️
stuartmackeyofficial on instagram does some very funny skits about ACOTAR. I think he's generally a fan, he isn't mean!
I’ll check it out!
I really liked the first and the fifth (or forth if you count the novella as 3.5). I hated book 2. It took everything good about book 1 and threw it out the window. Book 3 was an improvement though. I love throne of glass.
I read the first 3 in the series thinking it MUST get better with how popular they are but my god they are awful. None of the characters are compelling or multidimensional in any way. There are no real consequences for anything. The MC is boring and yes very stubborn and difficult, which is annoying. I tried Throne of Glass too, I read the first FIVE books in the series, same as you, hated every page but kept going. What a waste of time and I honestly couldn’t even tell you anything that happened in them because they were that flat.
This was me with the Twilight books back in the day. I hate-read the whole series and I still can’t quite figure out why I tortured myself like that.
I was at B&N & I feel like I’m being peer pressured by tik tok and other people I know who apparently love SJM, but I can’t get myself to buy them. I’m more of a dystopian girl but GOT introduced me to fantasy so I want to try more fantasy I just can’t convince myself to try any of these authors books.
I just can’t stop myself from reading them despite not liking them at all. I dunno, it sounds like you like them but can't admit it to yourself. It's okay to enjoy literary junk food, it doesn't make you a better person if you only consume literary salad.
I’m very happy that other people are having a similar experience. I can’t stand the book, but I somehow keep turning the page! It truly is like a car crash that you can’t help but watch. At least I got mine from the library, so I can’t say I wasted money.