A Court of Thorns and Roses

[Shan5474]

I was looking for a sexy fantasy book and this seemed really popular but I’m almost halfway through and I don’t think I can actually carry on! (Small spoiler but not really below)

The writing style isn’t to my taste anyway but I’ve just got to the bit where she essentially fantasises about being forced, is sort of assaulted and then wears a pretty dress for the assaulter the next day.

I’ve tried a few sexy books recently and they seem to have similar themes of female submission, predator/prey, Stockholm syndrome etc. which I’m personally finding a bit problematic. I know MN has lots of feminists and women who’ve experienced SA but I guess these themes must be common fantasies so I wonder if I’m in a minority for not liking this book

Yup. She can't write for shit either.

P.C Cast has some interesting shall we say fantasy novels with strong female leads. It was years ago that I read it, but the Divine trilogy is good. Starts with a woman at a car boot sale buying a vase and being transported to another realm where she is a godess.

The Zodiac Academy books as mentioned upthread are good, but pace yourself. I was lent them by a friend and literally flew through 1-7 and gave up half way through 8 as I'd just read and read. Needs to be broken up by other story's or you will get a book hangover

Not so much sexy fantasy but the Caraval and Once Upon A Broken Heart series' by Stephanie Garber are fantastic

The Kingdom series by Keri Maniscalo is really good, that's basically the 7 deadly sins are the prince's of hell and it has witches and lots fun. Actually all of her books are enjoyable the Stalking Jack The Ripper series is fun.

A Curse So Dark And Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer is a Beauty And The Beast style but she's strong and the subsequent books in the series pull away from Beauty And The Beast and give a bit more meat.

I've just finished Belladonna by Adalyn Grace, she is a woman who can't die and eats Belladonna seeds to meet death and they fall in love just waiting on book 2 to arrive and book 3 to be released in paperback.

Lightlark and Nightbane by Alex Aster are on my tbr as are Bitterthorn by Kat Dunn, The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten, Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller and A Touch Of Darkness by Scarlett St Clair which has been mentioned upthread.

I've yet to read any S.J Maas but a couple of friends highly recommend.

You know when people come on MN saying they just don't get Taylor Swift. That is me with ACOTAR. I just don't get the hype. It's terrible. I gave up half way through the second book. The relationship dynamics are awful. It's clear she wrote it when she was young and I can imagine other young people who haven't got tired and jaded by 25 years of unhealthy relationships love it. Meanwhile, I want to scream at the main character to bin off all of the men in her life and get on the freedom programme!!

Has anyone read Divine Rivals? It's a lot sweeter, but I really enjoyed it.

Yeh I feel like maybe I actually would’ve liked it until I was about 22 and stopped lusting over older men and/or became more of a feminist. I read a couple more chapters in the end and gave up, it just made me feel icky!