Let me just say this upfront: If someone had told me in my 20s that I’d be sitting here, decades later, obsessing over a romantasy book about a painter-turned-savior stuck in a fairy soap opera, I would have laughed. But here I am, rooting for Feyre like she's my own reckless, slightly emo kid.
Feyre: The Overworked Millennial of Prythian
Feyre is what happens when the youngest sibling shoulders way too much responsibility and ends up hunting for dinner while her family sits at home, doing the medieval equivalent of scrolling TikTok. Honestly, she deserves better. She’s dragged into the fae world after killing a wolf who, surprise, was not just a wolf. Turns out, the poor girl has to pay the price of her mistake by living with Tamlin, a High Fae with serious Beauty and the Beast vibes.
Beast Mode, but Make It Romantic
Tamlin starts off as your typical brooding, cursed fairy lord. He’s all golden hair, masks, and smoldering looks, but emotionally? He’s about as complex as a baked potato. Feyre falls for him, which makes sense if you’re into the whole “sexy protector who doesn’t talk about feelings” thing. But Tamlin’s version of “protective” starts to feel more like “controlling boyfriend who won’t let you leave the house,” which, red flag, girl!
The Snarky Sidekick We Deserve
Enter Lucien, Tamlin’s bestie and the snarky comic relief we all need. His sarcastic banter kept me sane when the Tamlin brooding hours got a little too heavy. He’s basically the fairy version of the friend who side-eyes your bad decisions but helps you survive them anyway.
Enter the Dark and Sexy Chaos
Ah, Rhysand. If Tamlin is the baked potato of fae lords, Rhysand is the spicy dark chocolate lava cake that shows up to steal your heart and ruin your diet. He makes his entrance dripping in swagger and bad-boy energy, but there’s something about him that screams “complicated love interest.” At first, I wasn’t sure if he was helping Feyre or just messing with her for fun. Spoiler: It’s both. But let’s be honest, we all knew he was going to be trouble in the best way.
The Queen of Drama and Doom
And then we meet Amarantha, the unhinged fairy overlord who could give Disney villains a run for their money. She’s beautiful, terrifying, and petty enough to curse an entire land because she didn’t get her way. Her Under the Mountain challenges are basically “Survivor: Sadistic Fairy Edition,” and watching Feyre scrape her way through them is as stressful as it is satisfying.
The Unlikely Friend You Can’t Ignore
Rhys really shines Under the Mountain, where he walks the fine line between reluctant ally and manipulative mastermind. He paints Feyre (sometimes literally) into corners, but you can tell he’s got a soft spot for her—like a cat who pretends not to care about you but secretly follows you everywhere. By the end, you’re left wondering if he’s Feyre’s savior, tormentor, or something in between. (Spoiler: It’s the third one. And I’m here for it.)
Final Thoughts: Feyre’s Glow-Up
The ending? Let’s just say Feyre goes from “girl with a bow” to “girl who could stab you and make it look poetic.” Her transformation feels like a victory for every woman who’s ever had to deal with toxic relationships, impossible challenges, and annoying riddles. She earns her stripes, and I’m already reading the sequel because I need to know more about Rhysand.
If you’re over 40 and ready to embrace a little fairy smut, A Court of Thorns and Roses is a spicy escape with just the right mix of angst, romance, and deadly trials. It’s like a glass of wine: smooth at first, with a kick at the end, and you’ll probably want another. Cheers to Feyre, Rhys, and the wild world of Prythian!
XOXO,
Viv
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