Silent No More

I’ve previously read A Throne of Glass by this same author, and while it was fairly well done, I didn’t continue the series. So I balked when I saw she wrote a new series, and didn’t get around to starting it. But I was recently in the mood for what I thought was a “simple fluffy read” and instead got something quite different. And I was glad for it. 

This is a reimagined retelling of Beauty and the Beast (for which I’m glad I didn’t know when I first picked it up, because I probably wouldn’t have started it in the first place). And while it loosely resembles the fairy tale, it is far more than just a retelling. Feyre is a human, living close to the wall that has divided humanity from the fae. She supports her father and two sisters with her hunting, and her family has fallen from wealthy to destitute because of an injury her father has sustained. She has been forced to provide for them, because her sisters had no desire to do so, and her father, instead of using his injury to spur him on to learn a new trade or craft to provide, has instead sat back and done nothing. From the outset, I wasn’t all that invested in her family and their outcome, since I was so annoyed. They eventually grew on me, for various reasons, but Feyre was instantly likeable. She had a “won’t take bullshit” type of attitude. She was a problem solver, willing to do what was necessary for those she loved even though she didn’t get this in return. She was noble, and smart, and courageous. 

She comes across a wolf in her hunting and was forced to kill it so she could have the deer she needed to feed her family. She unknowingly killed a shape-shifing fae. This sets her on a trajectory of being taken beyond the wall into the kingdom of the fae, which is split into factious kingdoms ruled by a tyrant queen. 

Tamlin is a fae who must live his life with a mask on. Yes, quite literally a mask. And although most of his face is hidden, he is predictably handsome and brooding and Feyre, again quite predictably, falls for him. He keeps her sequestered on his estate in luxury. From the outset, it’s a but confusing exactly why he allows her to live, and in splendor at that. The punishment of being taken from her family isn’t quite the punishment its made out to be, since they didn’t get along to begin with and she resented them for making her provide for them while they sat back and did nothing. This bothered me, but it eventually made sense, but perhaps not in as satisfactory a manner as I would have liked. Still, it IS explained. So there’s that. 

Feyre went from being an awesome badass to quite annoying, at first. Why did she allow this to happen? What happened to the “won’t take bullshit” I initially saw in her? And although Tamlin first comes across as genuine and kind, this still didn’t satisfy the questions I had about her abrupt character change, or the reasons he had for keeping her alive. Still, I was invested enough in what would happen to her that I kept reading. I was glad I did. 

Tamlin. Ah, Tamlin. There was a side to him that I just. Didn’t. Like. I couldn’t put my finger on it (well, besides the fact that he was keeping her mostly against her will). He had an edge of being overbearing, and of course, characters can’t be perfect because then they don’t seem realistic. Although I liked him, there was something about him that didn’t quite rub me the right way. This gets more clear in the second book, but at the end of this one, his actions drove me insane. Well, I suppose, it was mostly his inaction, actually. 

Then there is Rhysand. Feyre meets him a good bit into the story. He is dark, and handsome, and from a neighboring court that is known for being brutal, evil, and mysterious. Again, I could see from a mile away that there would be something between them, and I was left scratching my head about it right through the end of the book. More is explained in book two, but I would have liked to have seen something more cohesive in this one, something that made it make sense. 

There are things about this story that are predictable. Feyre facing off with the evil queen. Feyre falling for Tamlin, the golden fae. Feyre trying to figure out exactly her place in this new world, and seeming to do so a little too easily. Characters that brood and flex their jaws and muscles, and walk lithely, and are amazing fighters, who are inexplicably drawn to Feyre, and a few other tropes. 

The writing was good. Quite good, in fact. You can clearly ascertain Maas’ growth as a writer from the Throne of Glass series until this new series. It flows, and the descriptions put you right there with the characters. You fall in love with the protagonists, flaws and all. This is what makes a good story, right? People who change, who are fluid, who each have their motivations, and the reasons behind why they do what they do. This is where Maas shines. The worldbuilding was phenomenal, and made up for what the plot lacked. The magic system, while a bit simplistic, was intricate enough to keep me reading. The politics were fantastic. I love a good story with political machinations and complex cultures, with in-depth history, complicated structures… A Court of Thorns and Roses would make a great TV adaption (which apparently we are going to get!) so I’m a happy reader. 

And Rhysand? Let’s just say, by the end of this story, I was fully over Tamlin and invested in a Feyre/Rhysand relationship. I didn’t have to wait too long, for the follow-up to this book was sitting on my shelf and begging to be read. Which I did. Right away.

3.5/5 stars