A Court of Thorns and Roses | Let's Chat, Dragons

Let's dive into the world of Dark Naga's, Jokester Bat boys, Moody High Lords and an evil red headed wanna be queen. This is Prythian. Once they all lived in harmony, now split between the humans and the Fae.

We are going to deep dive into the first few chapters of A Court of Thorns and Roses, today. Break down why we may have had to stop the book and come back later on, why we hated the way this book started off, and even the fact that we turned pages to see when she ends up in the spring court before we even got to those pages.

Did I hate the first book? Absolutely not. Did I wish it didn't make me restart five different times? Yes. Was it boring in the beginning? Maybe, but let's be honest, most origin telling's are. There are questions left unanswered, causing more questions to be created and leave, again, unanswered. So let’s try to answer them with this series of investigations. 

It starts out with a starving Feyre hunting in the snow north of her home in the mortal realms. Something that stood out to me was something that was explained later on, but when she said that Color and Darkness whirled, eddying my vision. Was this Tamlin nudging her? 

SPOILER ALERT- It is said later on that Tamlin influenced the decision for her to fire the ash arrow, but how true was that? She hated the Fae, but she was well conscious enough to know that if she killed a Fae that she would probably end up dead as a result. She also was told that the wolf was sent out to find the person that would eventually kill him. Which was meant to be Feyre. Andreas didn’t attack Feyre because she was supposed to kill him. 

After she gets back home, sloppily slamming the tools and her kill down on the dining room table. Her useless father staring off into nothing while her sisters, Nesta and Elaine just do their own thing. Brooding and complaining about the work that they have to put into their lifestyles most of all. 

The sisters all go to a market to sell the pelts and get some money when they run into the children of the blessed, whom Nesta promptly ticks off by showing off her iron jewelry. Of course, we find out later that that stuff doesn’t work, but the Children of the Blessed are activities at best. Acolytes at the highest of ideals. 

But Feyre is attracted to one mercenary, though Feyre tried to sell her the pelts, the mercenary named her price. Apparently it was overpaying for some giant pelts that even the expert merc said it wasn’t likely to be Fae. So why overpay? She said that someone once did the same for me and mine. Figured it’s time to repay what is due. 

Was she someone that was supposed to be important later on? Was this merc from Prythian? 

After selling the pelts, drying the meat, and so forth, they all return home to discuss a bunch of different strategies and the hopelessness of a future when the door is broken down. It wasn’t the Martax, which is what the Merc had explained to Feyre was the size of a bear. The thing growled and demanded to know who killed the wolf, because of reasons. 

Feyre immediately started to sass the threat. 

Okay pull the record…. This is where I love and hate Feyre. I don’t care how big of a Billy bad ass you are, you aren’t going to demand a giant beast that you’ve never seen before in your life to just get out of your house without some fear churning in your throat. But I digress… 

The beast whirled on me. “Who killed the wolf?” 

I stared into those jade eyes. “I did.” 

This is what started it all. The beginning of the end- the beginning of a new life for Feyre and the beginning of what truly mattered. 

A life for a life- the beast brutally reminded the mortals, and this is where Feyre’s hardass shield cracks. She had a shaky voice. Requesting for her to be slaughtered like swine outside and away from her family. Accepting her fate like a badass, but she still feared it. 

Willing to accept your fate so easily?... For having the nerve to request where I slaughter you, I’ll let you in on a secret, human: Prythian must claim your life in some way, for the life you took from it. So as a representative of the immortal realm, I can either gut you like swine, or… you can cross the wall and live out the remainder of your days in Prythian. 

Uhm, excuse me? 

When I first read this I was appalled. Like who would just allow someone who murdered one of your own into your land, on your territory and roam freely like they’re a citizen there? I wouldn’t. There’s a reason for walls. I think the beast could’ve been in the right for killing Feyre right then and there, but then that would be the entire story. It would end at chapter four. 

So to Prythian we go. 

Her father tells her never to return. Never to come back to her home if she ever were to escape Prythian. It confused me honestly, but her father may have known something we didn’t? I mean, we still don’t know what deal she made with her mother before she died so I suppose it could be something along those lines. Who knows?! 

Anywho. They travel to Prythian… and that’s where we will stop for now. 

Chapter five to ten will come soon! If you want to discuss further into more detail on the first couple of chapters, check out our discord server. The link is on the homepage!