A Court of Thorns and Roses, explained (2024)

A Court of Thorns and Roses is a young adult high fantasy series by Sarah J. Maas. The saga begins when Feyre Archeron, a 19-year-old huntress, is kidnapped and brought to the faerie lands of Prythian after she kills a faerie wolf. Her kidnapper is Tamlin, a High Fae and one of the seven High Lords of Prythian. The series follows Feyre and Tamlin's story as Feyre spends time in the world of the fae and discovers that everything she thought she knew about faeries is absolutely wrong.

Sarah J. Maas started writing her first draft of A Court of Thorns and Roses, the novel that launched the series, in 2009. She initially imagined the story as a retelling of the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast with elements of the Norwegian folktale "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" and the Scottish legend of Tam Lin. The novel eventually went in a different direction but still draws inspiration from these stories. Subsequent novels in the series draw inspiration from other fairy tales and myths, including "Hansel and Gretel" and "Hades and Persephone," as well as the Book of Exodus.

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

What happens in A Court of Thorn and Roses?

A Court of Thorns and Roses

The story begins with Feyre Archeron hunting in the forest in harsh winter weather. She relies on her hunts for food to survive. So, when she sees a wolf in the forest chasing after the deer she had targeted, she kills it—even though she suspects the wolf might be a faerie. Her suspicions prove correct, and killing the wolf ends up coming at a high price. Feyre is kidnapped and dragged into the faerie realm of Prythian to pay for her crime. Prythian is divided into seven courts, each ruled by a High Lord. When she arrives in Prythian, her captor transforms from his beast form to reveal himself as Tamlin, a High Fae and the High Lord of the Spring Court. Feyre does not trust Tamlin at first. But as they get to know each other, she begins to warm to him.

Eventually, Feyre is given an opportunity to return to the mortal world to see her family again. Before she leaves the Spring Court, Tamlin tells her he loves her. Upon returning home, Feyre is happy to see her family has been cared for in her absence. Still, she can't stop thinking about Tamlin and how she didn't tell him she loved him too. When she tries to return to Prythian to see him, she learns that Tamlin has been imprisoned. To free him, she is forced to face three trials. Although Feyre completes the trials, she sacrifices her life, freeing Tamlin with her last breath. Later, she is resurrected as a High Fae.

A Court of Mist and Fury

Feyre and Tamlin are engaged to be married, but that doesn't mean everything is happily ever after. While Feyre now has all of the powers of a High Fae, her heart remains human—and the human side of her cannot forget the horrible acts she performed to save Tamlin and his people. Furthermore, Feyre has made a bargain with Rhysand that means she must go with him to the much-feared Night Court. When she becomes a part of the Night Court, she realizes it's not as frightening as she imagined. Rhysand teaches her how to read and guides her in using her new powers.

With Rhysand, Feyre learns things about the faerie world that had been kept from her up until now. A war is coming, and the Wall that separates the Fae from mortals is threatening to fall down. The King of Hybern wants to reclaim the human world as his own, and Feyre fears for her family. When Feyre returns to the Spring Court, she reveals her new power: she can infiltrate others' minds. Despite Tamlin's protests, Feyre focuses on learning to harness her gifts in preparation for fighting in the upcoming war. She might be the key to stopping the King of Hybern. But the more Feyre learns through her mind reading, the more she comes to doubt and mistrust Tamlin. At the end of this novel, she leaves Tamlin and the Spring Court behind to become the High Lady of the Night Court.

A Court of Wings and Ruin

Feyre returns to the Spring Court as a spy to gather information about Tamlin and the king who threatens to invade Prythian. Performing a glamour on herself to disguise the tattoo that marks her as the High Lady of the Night Court, she begins to establish herself as a significant figure in the Spring Court. Meanwhile, she's been quietly breaking apart the Spring Court from the inside. When her job is done, she leaves and allows the Spring Court to crumble in her absence. But back at the Night Court, war has broken out and a new treaty between the human and faerie lands must be forged.

This novel also introduces Feyre's sister Nesta and her relationship with Cassian, a member of Rhysand's inner circle. It all starts when Nesta is thrown into the Cauldron by the King of Hybern and emerges transformed into a High Fae.

A Court of Frost and Starlight

Winter Solstice is approaching, and Feyre, Rhysand, and their friends are working to rebuild the Night Court. The Spring Court has fallen, and Tamlin has no army with which to defend his kingdom's borders. Rhysand offers to help, but Tamlin refuses. Rhysand tells Tamlin he deserves everything that has happened to him.

The novella also expands on the story of Nesta and Cassian. Nesta is depressed, grieving the loss of her father and struggling to come to terms with her new life as a High Fae. Cassian does his best to cheer her, but she rejects him. He attempts to give her a Winter Solstice gift, but she refuses it. He throws the gift in the Sidra.

A Court of Silver Flames

This is the first novel to feature Nesta and Cassian as its main characters. Nesta is still struggling to find her place in the world of the Fae. After a falling out with Feyre, Nesta is sent to live in the House of Wind. When she learns that the house is sentient, she sets out to make it her friend and asks it provide her with smutty books to keep her entertained. She also makes several attempts to escape, but to no avail. Cassian starts to visit Nesta at the House of Wind and trains her to use her new powers. The two slowly form a relationship, which they agree will be strictly sexual and not romantic. Over time, however, their feelings for each other develop into something more.

Sarah J. Maas announced in 2016 that she would be expanding the series, starting with the novella A Court of Frost and Starlight, which would serve as a prequel for the spin-off novels to follow. A Court of Silver Flames is the first of those novels, and two more should be coming, along with another novella. Further details have yet to be announced.

Who are the main characters of A Court of Thorns and Roses?

Feyre Archeron

• Feyre is the High Lady of the Night Court and the first-ever High Lady of Prythian. She is known for her stubborn personality and rebellious nature. At the beginning of the series, Feyre is just 19 and a mortal. She is pulled into the world of the Fae after she kills a wolf. As a High Fae, she developed many powers: shape-shifting, water manipulation, fire manipulation, ice manipulation, air manipulation, darkness manipulation, healing, and mind reading. She is tall and slim with blue-gray eyes and golden-brown hair.

Tamlin

• Tamlin is the High Lord of the Spring Court and the one who initially brought Feyre into the faerie realm. Tamlin seems like the quiet type, but he has a short temper. He's not very good at socializing and feels like his major strengths are all in battle. Tamlin is known for having super strength and his ability to shape-shift. Not only can Tamlin change his own appearance—he can manipulate the appearance of others. He also has skills in glamouring, wind manipulation, and winnowing (the ability to transport oneself to a different location). He is tall with tan skin, golden hair, and green eyes.

Rhysand

• Rhysand is the High Lord of the Night Court and the most powerful High Lord in the history of the fae. Rhysand knows exactly how powerful and handsome he is, which often t makes him come off as arrogant. But underneath his swagger is a sensitive and kind man who is very good at hiding his true emotions. He has an extreme amount of power, including the following abilities: darkness manipulation, mind reading, memory manipulation, flight, winnowing, misting (the ability to turn enemies' bodies into mist, killing them almost instantly). Rhysand has violet eyes and short blue-black hair, compared to the color of raven's feathers.

Lucien

• Lucien is a former emissary to the Spring Court and current emissary to the Night Court. He is the illegitimate son of Helion, the High Lord of the Day Court, and the Lady of the Autumn Court. Lucien is clever and very perceptive, able to intuit the emotions of others. He uses sarcasm and his charismatic personality to cover up the trauma and sadness he truly feels. He's also extremely loyal, perhaps even to a fault. He has crimson red hair and a scar that runs from his brow to his jaw from a wound inflicted by Amarantha.

Amarantha

• Amarantha is a former general of Hybern who names herself as the High Queen of Prythian. She is relentlessly cruel and finds joy in torturing others, both physically and mentally. She holds hatred for mortals and even keeps mortal slaves that she routinely tortures. After Amarantha stole power from the High Lords of Prythian, she became extremely powerful, with the ability to control other faeries and even the High Lords themselves. She has pale skin, red hair, deep red lips, and slightly pointed ears.

Nesta

• Nesta is the eldest of the Archeron sisters. Like her sister Feyre, she used to be mortal, but after being thrown into the Cauldron by the King of Hybern, she is made into a High Fae. Also like Feyre, Nesta is stubborn. Her personality is guarded and stoic. She's very direct with her thoughts and unafraid to speak her mind. The extent of Nesta's powers is still unknown, but she stole many powers from the Cauldron as revenge and is considered to be a Death Goddess, reincarnated. Nesta has golden-brown hair and blue-gray eyes, and she's known for her regal posture.

Cassian

• Cassian is Rhysand's childhood friend and a member of the Night Court. He is tall with black, shoulder-length hair and hazel eyes. He also has wings, and, yes, he can fly.

Where is A Court of Thorns and Roses set?

Prythian

Prythian is the continent where most of the story of A Court of Thorns and Roses takes place. The continent is made up of seven courts: the Summer Court, the Autumn Court, the Winter Court, the Spring Court, the Night Court, the Day Court, and the Dawn Court. The Mortal Lands lay south of Prythian, and the only thing separating the two lands is the Wall.

• Spring Court: Tamlin is the High Lord of the Spring Court, a beautiful green land of forests and clear lakes. The Spring Court borders the Wall that separates Prythian from the Mortal Realm. To the north of the Spring Court is the Summer Court and the Autumn Court. During the war, when Tamlin's father was the king, the Spring Court allied with the King of Hybern to keep humans enslaved. The Spring Court also holds a biannual Tithe, where subjects are forced to pay a tribute.

• Night Court: The Night Court is a larger Court divided into two sub-Courts: the Court of Nightmares and the Court of Dreams. Rhysand is the High Lord of the Night Court and Feyre is the High Lady of the Night Court. The Night Court is a mountainous land that boasts beautiful, breathtaking nights. It's bordered on the south side by the Day Court. The Night Court used to be a violent place, ruled by a High Lord from the Hewn City. But a coup was staged by an ancient High Lord who envisioned the Night Court as a happier, peaceful place. The High Lord got rid of the evil citizens of the Night Court and built Velaris, a city that became known as the Court of Dreams.

• Court of Dreams: The Court of Dreams consists of Velaris, or the City of Starlight. Velaris has been kept a secret for generations. There are many spells cast on the city to protect it. Velaris is known for its artists' quarter, called the Rainbow of Velaris, filled with performing artists: musicians, dancers, actors. It is also where the House of Wind resides, which is Rhysand's house for official business and later where Nesta is sent to live.

• Court of Nightmares: The Court of Nightmares consists of the Hewn city and is located under the mountains of the Night Court. The residents of the city are known for their violent and cruel nature. The Hewn City is traditionally where the High Lord of the Night Court lives and governs, but Rhysand prefers to stay in Velaris and the Court of Dreams.

Mortal Lands

The Mortal Lands are south of the border of Prythian. A Wall was established after the war to separate the human world from the faerie world. Before the Wall, humans had no protection and were often harassed and even killed by the Fae. Now, those in the Mortal Land hate the Fae and do their best to keep their distance. However, there is a small group of humans who worship the Fae and believe they have done nothing wrong. These humans call themselves the Children of the Blessed.

Hybern

Hybern is an island kingdom to the west of Prythian. No known humans live here, and it's current ruler is also unknown. During the war, Hybern fought alongside the faeries to attempt to keep humans as their slaves. When they were defeated, Hybern's inhabitants killed every human left on their land rather than set them free.

What can we expect from the upcoming Hulu adaptation?

There is a television adaptation of A Court of Thorns in Roses in the works for Hulu. The TV series is currently being developed by author Sarah J. Maas and Ron Moore, who also adapted the Outlander book series for TV. Around June of 2021, it was announced that the script of the series had been completed. As of now, there is no information about casting or when the show will be released. Still, it seems like the project is moving along, so stay tuned for more details to come.

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