A Court of Thorns and Roses explained

A Court of Thorns and Roses
Author:Sarah J. Maas
Country:United States
Language:English
Genre:Romance, fantasy
Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing
Pub Date:May 5, 2015 – present
Media Type:Print

A Court of Thorns and Roses is a fantasy romance series by American author Sarah J. Maas, which follows the journey of 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 is a New York Times Best Seller and has been optioned by Hulu for a television series adaptation by Ronald D. Moore.[1]

Books

Companions

Development

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.[3]

She began writing A Court of Thorns and Roses in early 2009, with the first draft taking about five weeks to complete.[4]

A Court of Mist and Furys first draft was written entirely in a split point of view between Feyre and Rhysand. 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.[5] 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.[6] Other fairy tale inspirations include Hansel and Gretel, which spawned the character of the Weaver, and the Book of Exodus, which loosely inspired parts of the backstory for Miryam and Drakon.[7]

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.[8]

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.[9] [10]

In 2020, the series was reprinted and published by Bloomsbury with new illustrated covers.[11] A Court of Thorns and Roses has existed between the Young Adult and New Adult fiction categories since the publication of the first book.[12] 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.[12] The A Court of Thorns and Roses series is now classified as New Adult.[13]

Reception

Awards

YearAwardCategoryBookResultRef
2017Dragon AwardsBest Young Adult / Middle Grade NovelA Court of Wings and Ruin[14]
2015Goodreads Choice AwardsBest Young Adult Fantasy and Science FictionA Court of Thorns and Roses[15]
2016A Court of Mist and Fury[16]
2017A Court of Wings and Ruin[17]
2018A Court of Frost and Starlight[18]
2018Best of the BestA Court of Mist and Fury[19]
A Court of Wings and Ruin
2021Best Fantasy & Science FictionA Court of Silver Flames[20]

Accolades

Year-end lists
YearPublicationWorkCategoryResultRef
2015Bustle A Court of Thorns and RosesThe 25 Best YA Books Of 20159[21]
2015BuzzFeedA Court of Thorns and RosesThe 32 Best Fantasy Books Of 20157[22]
2018A Court of Wings and Ruins28 Of The Best YA Books Released In 20179[23]
2018CosmopolitanA Court of Frost and StarlightThe 71 Best Books of 201833[24]
2021Business Insider"A Court of Thorns and Roses" SeriesThe 23 best fantasy book series to read right now[25]
2021A Court of Thorns and RosesThe 21 best young adult romance books to read in 2021[26]
2015PopSugarA Court of Thorns and RosesThe Best YA Books of 201522[27]
2016A Court of Mist and FuryThe Best YA Books of 201613[28]
2017A Court of Wings and RuinThe Best YA Romance Books of 201711[29]
2021WiredA Court of Thorns and Roses36 of the best fantasy books everyone should read[30]

Censorship in the United States

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."[31] [32] [33]

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.[34] 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",[35] 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.[36]

Adaptations

A Court of Thorns and Roses was optioned by Jo Bamford's and Piers Tempest's Tempo Productions in November 2015.[37] The producers revealed in 2018 they had hired Rachel Hirons to work as the movie's screenwriter.[38] [39]

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.[40] 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.[41] As of December 2023, no cast had been set, but writing for the script has continued for the adaptation.[42] In February 2024, it was announced by TVLine that the adaptation has been scrapped and will not be shopped to other networks;[43] however, Variety reported that these reports were inaccurate.[44]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ferme. Antonio. 2021-03-26. Ronald D. Moore to Develop 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' Series Adaptation at Hulu. 2021-11-11. Variety. en-US. 2021-11-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20211111164839/https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/ron-moore-a-court-of-thorns-and-roses-series-hulu-1234939139/. live.
  2. Web site: A Court of Thorns and Roses Coloring Book. sarahjmaas. en-US. January 29, 2019. January 28, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220128062751/https://sarahjmaas.com/books/a-court-of-thorns-and-roses-series/a-court-of-thorns-and-roses-coloring-book/. live.
  3. Web site: Interview: Sarah J. Maas, author of 'Heir of Fire' (and 2015 cover reveal!). 2020-06-09. USAToday. en. 2014-10-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20141024194017/https://www.usatoday.com/story/happyeverafter/2014/10/24/sarah-j-maas-interview-court-of-thorns-and-roses-cover-reveal/17728463/. live.
  4. Web site: The cover for A Court Of Thorns And Roses is here! (Now in hi-res! And with some TOG4 info!). October 24, 2014. September 3, 2019. November 6, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141106093810/https://sjmaas.livejournal.com/413269.html. live.
  5. Web site: A Court of Mist and Fury is on sale today . us11.campaign-archive.com. 2019-09-03. 2023-05-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20230501204011/https://mailchimp.com/about/mcsv-static. live.
  6. Web site: Persephone. 2020-11-23. World History Encyclopedia. 2021-04-14. https://web.archive.org/web/20210414084933/https://www.worldhistory.org/persephone/. live.
  7. Web site: Sarah J. Maas Teases What Readers Can Expect After A Court of Mist and Fury. Kelly. Gallucci. June 27, 2016. September 3, 2019. January 1, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170101155921/https://www.bookish.com/articles/sarah-j-maas-interview-a-court-of-mist-and-fury/. dead.
  8. Web site: 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)…". https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/BPsN0s5joNI . 2021-12-24 . registration. Instagram.
  9. Web site: Sarah J. Maas adding to 'A Court of Thorns and Roses,' 'Throne of Glass' series. EW.com. 2019-09-03. 2019-09-03. https://web.archive.org/web/20190903013628/https://ew.com/article/2016/07/12/sarah-j-maas-court-thorns-roses-throne-glass-sdcc/. live.
  10. Web site: Dymocks - The ultimate guide to the world of Sarah J. Maas. www.dymocks.com.au. 2019-09-03. 2019-03-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20190311121523/https://www.dymocks.com.au/blog/july-2016/july-2016/the-ultimate-guide-to-the-world-of-sarah-j-maas. live.
  11. Web site: February 04. David Canfield. EST. 2020 at 11:00 AM. Exclusive: Sarah J. Maas unveils new covers for 'A Court of Thorns and Roses'. 2020-11-17. EW.com. en. 2020-02-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20200205164824/https://ew.com/books/2020/02/04/sarah-j-maas-court-of-thorns-roses-new-covers/. live.
  12. Web site: Orlando. Christina. 2019-10-05. "Lots Of Cursing And Sex": Authors Laurell K. Hamilton And Sarah J. Maas On Pleasure & Violence In Paranormal Romance. 2021-11-11. Tor.com. en-US. 2021-12-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20211215040317/https://www.tor.com/2019/10/05/lots-of-cursing-and-sex-authors-laurell-k-hamilton-and-sarah-j-maas-on-pleasure-violence-in-paranormal-romance/. live.
  13. Web site: New Adult Books. 2021-11-11. www.goodreads.com. 2021-11-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20211111164839/https://www.goodreads.com/genres/new-adult. live.
  14. Web site: 2017 Dragon Awards Shortlist . The Verge . 4 August 2017 . 13 October 2021 . 20 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190520153243/https://www.theverge.com/2017/8/4/16094656/dragon-award-dragoncon-sci-fi-fantasy-books-sad-puppies . live .
  15. Web site: 2015 Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction . Goodreads . 12 October 2021 . 20 December 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181220045826/https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-young-adult-fantasy-books-2015 . live .
  16. Web site: The votes are in: Goodreads reveals 20 best books of 2016 . Monica . Nickelsburg . . December 6, 2016 . December 22, 2023 . December 22, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231222105538/https://www.geekwire.com/2016/votes-goodreads-reveals-20-best-books-2016/ . live.
  17. Web site: 2017 Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction . Goodreads . 12 October 2021 . 8 October 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211008163127/https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-young-adult-fantasy-books-2017 . live .
  18. Web site: Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction . Goodreads . 12 October 2021 . 26 October 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211026095959/https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-young-adult-fantasy-books-2018 . live .
  19. Web site: Best of the Best . Goodreads . 12 October 2021 . 20 April 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210420220208/https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-of-the-best-2018 . live .
  20. Web site: Best Fantasy . Goodreads . December 12, 2021 . December 14, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211214043329/https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-fantasy-books-2021 . live .
  21. Web site: White . Caitlin . The 25 Best YA Books Of 2015 . Bustle . December 19, 2021 . December 10, 2015 . December 19, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211219192211/https://www.bustle.com/articles/116096-the-25-best-ya-books-of-2015 . live .
  22. Web site: The 32 Best Fantasy Books Of 2015 . Buzzfeed . December 19, 2021 . December 9, 2015 . December 19, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211219211008/https://www.buzzfeed.com/awesomer/best-fantasy-books-of-2015 . live .
  23. Web site: 28 Of The Best YA Books Released In 2017 That You'll Want To Read Immediately . Buzzfeed . December 19, 2021 . December 10, 2017 . December 19, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211219214014/https://www.buzzfeed.com/farrahpenn/the-best-ya-books-of-2017 . live .
  24. Web site: The 71 Best Books of 2018 . Cosmopolitan . December 19, 2021 . October 9, 2018 . December 19, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211219082902/https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/books/g14532734/best-books-of-2018/ . live .
  25. Web site: Fiorillo . Katherine . The 23 best fantasy book series to read right now, from classics to new releases . Business Insider . December 12, 2021 . August 10, 2021 . December 12, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211212022637/https://www.businessinsider.com/best-fantasy-book-series . live .
  26. Web site: Fiorillo . Katherine . The 21 best young adult romance books to read in 2021 . Business Insider . December 12, 2021 . August 30, 2021 . December 12, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211212022636/https://www.businessinsider.com/best-young-adult-romance-books . live .
  27. Web site: White . Hillary . The Best YA Books of 2015 . PopSugar . December 19, 2021 . March 11, 2016 . December 19, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211219193514/https://www.popsugar.com/love/photo-gallery/39246392/image/39248115/Court-Thorns-Roses . live .
  28. Web site: White . Hillary . The Best YA Books of 2016 . PopSugar . December 19, 2021 . March 11, 2016 . December 19, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211219203329/https://www.popsugar.com/love/photo-gallery/40940805/image/40940826/Court-Mist-Fury . live .
  29. Web site: White . Hillary . The Best YA Romance Books of 2017 . PopSugar . December 19, 2021 . March 11, 2016 . December 21, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211221073049/https://www.popsugar.com/love/photo-gallery/42978415/image/42986829/Court-Wings-Ruin . live .
  30. 36 of the best fantasy books everyone should read . Wired . December 9, 2021 . October 28, 2021 . December 9, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211209105636/https://www.wired.co.uk/article/best-fantasy-books-novels-series . live .
  31. Web site: 2023-08-15 . AI Is Being Used to Ban Books From School Libraries . 2023-09-06 . Gizmodo . en.
  32. Web site: Paul . Andrew . 2023-08-14 . School district uses ChatGPT to help ban library books . 2023-09-06 . Popular Science . en-US.
  33. News: Exman . Bridgette . 2023-09-01 . Opinion This Summer, I Became the Book-Banning Monster of Iowa . en-US . The New York Times . 2023-09-06 . 0362-4331.
  34. Web site: 2024-03-11 . [PUBLIC STATEMENT] (Rutherford County Library Alliance) ]. Facebook . en.
  35. Web site: 2024-03-11 . Rutherford County Library Alliance . Rutherford County Library Alliance . en.
  36. News: Nesbitt . Carmen . It’s official: These 13 books are now banned from all public schools in Utah . 3 August 2024 . The Salt Lake Tribune . 2 August 2024.
  37. Web site: Tempo Productions Options Sarah J Maas' 'A Court Of Thorns And Roses'. Ali. Jaafar. November 11, 2015. September 3, 2019. August 13, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190813135304/https://deadline.com/2015/11/tempo-court-of-thorns-and-roses-piers-tempest-jo-bamford-sarah-maas-the-journey-im-global-paisley-mcguinness-1201618575/. live.
  38. News: Armitage . Helen . A Court Of Thorns And Roses Updates: Is The Sarah J. Mass Movie Happening? . 16 September 2020 . ScreenRant . 12 August 2020 . 3 November 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211103142134/https://screenrant.com/court-thorns-roses-movie-updates-release-date-story/ . live .
  39. Web site: White. Peter. Constantin Film Preps Young Adult Fantasy Feature 'A Court of Thorns and Roses'. 2021-01-15. Deadline. 23 March 2018. 2021-01-21. https://web.archive.org/web/20210121213422/https://deadline.com/2018/03/constantin-film-preps-young-adult-fantasy-feature-a-court-of-thorns-and-roses-1202352446/. live.
  40. News: 'A Court Of Thorns And Roses' Series Based On Fantasy Books In Works At Hulu From Ron Moore & Sarah J. Maas. Andreeva. Nellie. March 26, 2021. Deadline. March 27, 2021. April 13, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210413084003/https://deadline.com/2021/03/a-court-of-thorns-and-roses-series-fantasy-books-hulu-ron-moore-sarah-j-maas-1234722918/. live.
  41. News: 4 August 2022 . Sarah J. Maas's Life Sounds Like Pure Chaos — in a Good Way! . en-US . The New York Times . Egan . Elisabeth . 13 August 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220813103414/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/04/books/review/throne-of-glass-sarah-j-maas.html . live .
  42. Web site: Norman . Dalton . 2023-08-25 . A Court Of Thorns And Roses: Everything We Know . 2024-01-18 . ScreenRant . en.
  43. News: 12 February 2024 . 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' TV Series Scrapped at Hulu, Will Not Be Shopped Elsewhere . en-US . Variety .
  44. Web site: 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' TV Series Still in Development at Hulu for Now, Despite Report — but Future is Murky . 12 February 2024 .