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A Court of Thorns and Roses

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A Court of Thorns and Roses
  • A Court of Thorns and Roses (2015)
  • A Court of Mist and Fury (2016)
  • A Court of Wings and Ruin (2017)
  • A Court of Frost and Starlight (2018)
  • A Court of Silver Flames (2021)
AuthorSarah J. Maas
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreRomance, fantasy
PublisherBloomsbury Publishing
PublishedMay 5, 2015 – present
Media typePrint

A Court of Thorns and Roses is a fantasy romance series by American author Sarah J. Maas, which follows the journey of 19-year-old Feyre Archeron after she is brought into the faerie lands of Prythian. The first book of the series, A Court of Thorns and Roses, was released in May 2015. The series centers on Feyre's adventures across Prythian and the faerie courts, following the epic love story and fierce struggle that ensues after she enters the fae lands. The series has sold over 13 million copies. There are currently 5 novels in the series, and a sixth installment, confirmed by Maas, in the works.

The series is a New York Times Best Seller and has been optioned by Hulu for a television series adaptation by Ronald D. Moore.[1] Although the future of this project is unconfirmed, Variety magazine reported that the project was still in development at Hulu, the development just wasn't currently active.[2]

Books

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Main

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No.TitlePublication dateCountsISBN
1A Court of Thorns and RosesMay 5, 2015130,423 words[3] / 432 pages[4]9781619634442
Nineteen-year-old Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, and a beast-like creature demands punishment for it. She is taken to the land of the faerie, Prythian, by her captor, Tamlin, who is an immortal faerie. She comes to live with him at his estate in the Spring Court. Feyre learns that he is a High Lord of Prythian, and eventually realizes that what she has previously learnt about the dangerous faerie world is false.
2A Court of Mist and FuryMay 3, 2016186,220 words[5] / 640 pages[6]9781619635197
Feyre survives the trials of Amarantha and becomes High Fae, but she remains human inside and must come to terms with the awful acts she performed to save Tamlin's people. To save them and herself, Feyre made a deal with Rhysand, the High Lord of the Night Court, and has to honor it. Feyre begins learning about the politics and power of Prythian, and that even greater evil looms.
3A Court of Wings and RuinMay 2, 2017199,464 words[7] / 720 pages[8]9781619634480
Feyre returns to the Spring Court and Tamlin to spy on him, as well as the King of Hybern and his invading forces that want to take over Prythian. She must play a game of deceit and lie to those closest to her to achieve her goals. As war surrounds her and her allies, Feyre must decide whom can be trusted regarding the High Lords of Prythians, her family, and her closest friends.
3.5A Court of Frost and StarlightMay 1, 201857,763 words[9] / 240 pages[10]9781547600502
Months after the war for Prythian has ended, Feyre, Rhysand, and their friends rebuild the Night Court after the attack from Hybern. Winter Solstice is approaching, and the court prepares for the festive season. As Feyre continues adapting to her role as High Lady of the Night Court, she must navigate around the scars that the war has inflicted upon them all.
4A Court of Silver FlamesFebruary 16, 2021210,289 words[11] / 768 pages[12]9781526620644
After being forced to become High Fae, Nesta, Feyre’s sister, struggles to find her place in the Night Court, following the tragic war that has left her and her powers lost and confused. Meanwhile, Cassian, General of the Night Court, adjusts to the new life that constantly puts him in Nesta’s presence. Together, to defeat new evils, they must confront their past, present, and wavering future.

Companions

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  • A Court of Thorns and Roses Coloring Book (2017)[13]

Development

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Maas initially intended the series as a retelling of the fairy tales Beauty and the Beast, East of the Sun and West of the Moon, and Tam Lin. These tales inspired the finished series, though it was not ultimately a dedicated retelling.[14]

She began writing A Court of Thorns and Roses in early 2009, with the first draft taking about five weeks to complete.[15]

A Court of Mist and Fury's first draft was written entirely in a split point of view between Feyre and Rhysand.[16] The second book went through multiple name changes, including A Court of Wind and Stone, A Court of Calm and Fury, A Court of Stars and Smoke, A Court of Wings and Stars, A Court of Venom and Silver and A Court of Stars and Frost.[17] Like the first novel, the second is based upon multiple fairy tales and myths, including Hades and Persephone, with the Greek mythology-inspired characters such as Rhysand and Feyre and their home in the Night Court.[18] Other fairy tale inspirations include Hansel and Gretel, which spawned the character of the Weaver,[17] and the Book of Exodus, which loosely inspired parts of the backstory for Miryam and Drakon.[16]

The final cover of A Court of Wings and Ruin was designed by Adrian Dadich, with the dress pictured on the cover originally designed by Charlie Bowater and later adapted by Dadich.[19]

On July 12, 2016, Entertainment Weekly reported that Maas was writing five new books for the series, that would include two novellas and three further novels which would be set before and after the first trilogy.[20][21]

In 2020, the series was reprinted and published by Bloomsbury with new illustrated covers.[22] A Court of Thorns and Roses has existed between the Young Adult and New Adult fiction categories since the publication of the first book.[23] At the time A Court of Thorns and Roses was published, the New Adult categorization had not caught on the way publishers hoped it would. Maas agreed to publish the book as YA so long as her editor did not censor any of the sexual content.[23] The A Court of Thorns and Roses series is now classified as New Adult.[24]

Reception

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Awards

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Year Award Category Book Result Ref
2017 Dragon Awards Best Young Adult / Middle Grade Novel A Court of Wings and Ruin Nominated [25]
2015 Goodreads Choice Awards Best Young Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction A Court of Thorns and Roses Nominated [26]
2016 A Court of Mist and Fury Won [27]
2017 A Court of Wings and Ruin Won [28]
2018 A Court of Frost and Starlight Nominated [29]
2018 Best of the Best A Court of Mist and Fury Nominated [30]
A Court of Wings and Ruin Nominated
2021 Best Fantasy & Science Fiction A Court of Silver Flames Won [31]

Accolades

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Year-end lists
Year Publication Work Category Result Ref
2015 Bustle A Court of Thorns and Roses The 25 Best YA Books Of 2015 9 [32]
2015 BuzzFeed A Court of Thorns and Roses The 32 Best Fantasy Books Of 2015 7 [33]
2018 A Court of Wings and Ruins 28 Of The Best YA Books Released In 2017 9 [34]
2018 Cosmopolitan A Court of Frost and Starlight The 71 Best Books of 2018 33 [35]
2021 Business Insider "A Court of Thorns and Roses" Series The 23 best fantasy book series to read right now — [36]
2021 A Court of Thorns and Roses The 21 best young adult romance books to read in 2021 — [37]
2015 PopSugar A Court of Thorns and Roses The Best YA Books of 2015 22 [38]
2016 A Court of Mist and Fury The Best YA Books of 2016 13 [39]
2017 A Court of Wings and Ruin The Best YA Romance Books of 2017 11 [40]
2021 Wired A Court of Thorns and Roses 36 of the best fantasy books everyone should read — [41]

Censorship in the United States

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In 2022, according to the American Library Association's Office of Intellectual Freedom, A Court of Mist and Fury was tied for the tenth-most banned and challenged book in the United States. In 2023 a school district in Mason City, Iowa, made international news when they banned the book from library shelves after running a list of books through ChatGPT and asking it if the books, "contain a description or depiction of a sex act."[42][43][44]

In 2023, the Central Media Advisory Committee for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in North Carolina voted to ban A Court of Frost and Starlight, the fourth installment in the series. The committee declares responsibility for the "review and removal of books" as a result of material that is "educationally unsuitable, pervasively vulgar or obscene, or inappropriate to the age, maturity or grade level of students." The book is still accessible online, but students can be denied access due to parental controls.[45]

In February 2024, individuals in the Rutherford County Schools (RCS) library system in Tennessee were "...quietly instructed by higher ups to remove 20 books from all RCS library shelves", with the entirety of this five-book series being included among those twenty selections; an internal review by RCS determined that two of those twenty titles did not meet the standard for obscenity as defined by Tennessee state law and were accordingly allowed to remain upon school shelves. The removal of the eighteen remaining books occurred without seeking input from librarians and without due process policy for the school system being applied; as of mid-March 2024, all of those eighteen books (still including this entire series) remain off RCS shelves.[46] The Rutherford County Library Alliance, a nonprofit organization whose mission statement defines them as being "...dedicated to safeguarding the principles of intellectual freedom and unrestricted access to information within the public library system of Rutherford County, Tennessee",[47] is in the process of challenging this censorship.

In 2024, all five books in the series were among 13 banned from all Utah public schools by the state school board for allegedly containing "objective sensitive material." One additional Maas book, Empire of Storms, was also banned.[48]

Adaptations

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A Court of Thorns and Roses was optioned by Jo Bamford's and Piers Tempest's Tempo Productions in November 2015.[49] The producers revealed in 2018 they had hired Rachel Hirons to work as the movie's screenwriter.[50][51]

In March 2021, it was announced that A Court of Thorns and Roses series had been opted for a television adaptation by 20th Television for Hulu. The series is set to be developed by Ronald D. Moore alongside Maas.[52] In an interview with The New York Times, Maas confirmed that she was developing the project with the writers and the showrunner as the executive producer of the adaptation.[53] As of December 2023, no cast had been set, but writing for the script has continued for the adaptation.[54] In February 2024, it was announced by TVLine that the adaptation has been scrapped and will not be shopped to other networks;[55] however, Variety reported that these reports were inaccurate.[56]

References

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  1. ^ Ferme, Antonio (2021-03-26). "Ronald D. Moore to Develop 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' Series Adaptation at Hulu". Variety. Archived from the original on 2021-11-11. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  2. ^ Steves(1) Tynes(2), Ashley(1) Jacqueline(2) (July 30, 2024). "Everything We Know About the 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' TV Series".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ "Accelerated Reader Bookfinder US - Welcome". www.arbookfind.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-03. Retrieved 2019-09-03.
  4. ^ "A Court of Thorns and Roses". Bloomsbury Publishing. Archived from the original on January 3, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
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  9. ^ "Accelerated Reader Bookfinder US - Welcome". www.arbookfind.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-03. Retrieved 2019-09-03.
  10. ^ "A Court of Frost and Starlight". Bloomsbury Publishing. Archived from the original on January 3, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  11. ^ "A Court of Silver Flames". Accelerated Reader Bookfinder. Archived from the original on May 1, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  12. ^ "A Court of Silver Flames". Bloomsbury Publishing. Archived from the original on September 23, 2021. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  13. ^ "A Court of Thorns and Roses Coloring Book". sarahjmaas. Archived from the original on January 28, 2022. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
  14. ^ "Interview: Sarah J. Maas, author of 'Heir of Fire' (and 2015 cover reveal!)". USAToday. Archived from the original on 2014-10-24. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
  15. ^ "The cover for A Court Of Thorns And Roses is here! (Now in hi-res! And with some TOG4 info!)". October 24, 2014. Archived from the original on November 6, 2014. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  16. ^ a b Gallucci, Kelly (June 27, 2016). "Sarah J. Maas Teases What Readers Can Expect After A Court of Mist and Fury". Archived from the original on January 1, 2017. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  17. ^ a b "A Court of Mist and Fury is on sale today 🎉". us11.campaign-archive.com. Archived from the original on 2023-05-01. Retrieved 2019-09-03.
  18. ^ "Persephone". World History Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 2021-04-14. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  19. ^ "Sarah J. Maas on Instagram: "Annnnd here it is!! The US cover for A Court of Wings and Ruin!! 🎉🎉🎉 It's my favorite yet--partially because of the gorgeous (High Lady)…"". Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-24.
  20. ^ "Sarah J. Maas adding to 'A Court of Thorns and Roses,' 'Throne of Glass' series". EW.com. Archived from the original on 2019-09-03. Retrieved 2019-09-03.
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  22. ^ February 04, David Canfield; EST, 2020 at 11:00 AM. "Exclusive: Sarah J. Maas unveils new covers for 'A Court of Thorns and Roses'". EW.com. Archived from the original on 2020-02-05. Retrieved 2020-11-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  23. ^ a b Orlando, Christina (2019-10-05). ""Lots Of Cursing And Sex": Authors Laurell K. Hamilton And Sarah J. Maas On Pleasure & Violence In Paranormal Romance". Tor.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
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  26. ^ "2015 Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction". Goodreads. Archived from the original on 20 December 2018. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
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  29. ^ "Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction". Goodreads. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  30. ^ "Best of the Best". Goodreads. Archived from the original on 20 April 2021. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  31. ^ "Best Fantasy". Goodreads. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  32. ^ White, Caitlin (December 10, 2015). "The 25 Best YA Books Of 2015". Bustle. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  33. ^ "The 32 Best Fantasy Books Of 2015". Buzzfeed. December 9, 2015. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
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  35. ^ "The 71 Best Books of 2018". Cosmopolitan. October 9, 2018. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  36. ^ Fiorillo, Katherine (August 10, 2021). "The 23 best fantasy book series to read right now, from classics to new releases". Business Insider. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  37. ^ Fiorillo, Katherine (August 30, 2021). "The 21 best young adult romance books to read in 2021". Business Insider. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  38. ^ White, Hillary (March 11, 2016). "The Best YA Books of 2015". PopSugar. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  39. ^ White, Hillary (March 11, 2016). "The Best YA Books of 2016". PopSugar. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  40. ^ White, Hillary (March 11, 2016). "The Best YA Romance Books of 2017". PopSugar. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  41. ^ "36 of the best fantasy books everyone should read". Wired. October 28, 2021. Archived from the original on December 9, 2021. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  42. ^ "AI Is Being Used to Ban Books From School Libraries". Gizmodo. 2023-08-15. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  43. ^ Paul, Andrew (2023-08-14). "School district uses ChatGPT to help ban library books". Popular Science. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  44. ^ Exman, Bridgette (2023-09-01). "Opinion | This Summer, I Became the Book-Banning Monster of Iowa". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  45. ^ https://www.businessinsider.com/sarah-j-maas-acotar-series-book-banned-north-carolina-schools-2023-11
  46. ^ "[PUBLIC STATEMENT] (Rutherford County Library Alliance)". Facebook. 2024-03-11.
  47. ^ "Rutherford County Library Alliance". Rutherford County Library Alliance. 2024-03-11.
  48. ^ Nesbitt, Carmen. "It's official: These 13 books are now banned from all public schools in Utah". The Salt Lake Tribune. No. 2 August 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  49. ^ Jaafar, Ali (November 11, 2015). "Tempo Productions Options Sarah J Maas' 'A Court Of Thorns And Roses'". Archived from the original on August 13, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
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  52. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 26, 2021). "'A Court Of Thorns And Roses' Series Based On Fantasy Books In Works At Hulu From Ron Moore & Sarah J. Maas". Deadline. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  53. ^ Egan, Elisabeth (4 August 2022). "Sarah J. Maas's Life Sounds Like Pure Chaos — in a Good Way!". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 13 August 2022.
  54. ^ Norman, Dalton (2023-08-25). "A Court Of Thorns And Roses: Everything We Know". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
  55. ^ "'A Court of Thorns and Roses' TV Series Scrapped at Hulu, Will Not Be Shopped Elsewhere". Variety. 12 February 2024.
  56. ^ "'A Court of Thorns and Roses' TV Series Still in Development at Hulu for Now, Despite Report — but Future is Murky". 12 February 2024.

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