A Court of Thorns and Roses

The 28 Best Young Adult Books for All Ages

115 Best Young Adult Books of All Time | Reedsy Discovery

A Court of Thorns and Roses, Book 1

Nineteen-year-old Feyre, a huntress and sole provider for her impoverished family, finds herself in a precarious situation when she kills a wolf during a hunt, which turns out to be a disguised faerie named Andras. Under the conditions of a treaty between humans and faeries, she is given two options by a golden beast, the faerie Tamlin: die or spend the rest of her life in the faerie land of Prythian. Choosing life, she follows him to Prythian where she learns that Tamlin is the High Lord of the Spring Court and that all the faeries there are cursed with permanent masks due to a condition called the blight. Despite her initial plans to escape, Feyre acclimates to the faerie realm, learning about its history, magic, and that her misconceptions about the faeries are inaccurate. A romantic relationship develops between her and Tamlin, who ensures her family's well-being. However, after a threatening visit from another High Fae, Rhysand, Tamlin sends her back to the human realm for her safety.

Back in the human realm, Feyre finds her family thriving under the illusion of her taking care of a sick relative. Her sister, Nesta, who was not affected by the faerie glamour, reveals her anger towards their father for not trying to save their mother's life. Spurred by this revelation, Feyre decides to return to Prythian to fight alongside Tamlin against the blight. On her arrival, she finds the Spring Court in chaos, with Alis, her lady-in-waiting, being the only one left. Alis discloses that the blight is, in fact, Amarantha, the High Queen of Prythian who forcibly took control of the realm, stole the powers of the High Fae, and cursed Tamlin. The curse can only be broken if a woman who despises the fae confesses love for him. Since Feyre never confessed her love for Tamlin, the curse remained unbroken.

Feyre progresses to Amarantha's court to save Tamlin, where she becomes captive. She is given the opportunity to save him by completing three tasks or solving a riddle. Feyre triumphs in the first two tasks with the help of her hunting skills and Rhysand, who she agrees to spend a week with every month at Night Court. For the final task, Feyre must stab three faeries in the heart. She kills the first two, but the third turns out to be Tamlin. She stabs him, believing his heart is literally of stone, while correctly interpreting a couple of conversations. However, Amarantha refuses to break the curse and beats Feyre to death. Feyre solves the riddle with her dying breath, breaking the curse. Tamlin and Rhysand kill Amarantha, and the High Lords resurrect Feyre, transforming her into a High Fae. Now free, Feyre must reconcile with her new life and the lives she had to take.


A Court of Thorns and Roses Books in Order (5 Book Series)