I absolutely loved the world that Sarah J. Maas created. It was well described and although there was an element of politics around the court system it was well explained and I never felt confused. It honestly felt like I could have been there. This book put me in such a daze that it was all I could think about when I wasn't reading it.

This novel is supposedly based on the well-known story of Beauty and the Beast and although I can definitely see that, it didn't feel like a straight retelling. I enjoyed that it had some elements of that fairytale; Feyre ends up living somewhere she is told she can never leave, her captor turns into a beast and there is a spell, but really there were so many other things going on that Beauty and the Beast wasn't at the forefront of my mind whilst I was reading. It was so much more than a Beauty and the Beast retelling, just calling it that, I don't feel, does the novel enough justice.

The characterisation within the novel was so strong and I loved them all. Each one had such unique traits and personalities that it really set this novel apart from just another fantasy novel about faeries. Feyre is a strong female protagonist. I loved Rhys and I hope to see a lot more of him in the next book because I'd love to learn more about his character.

If you are going to give this series a try I would recommend getting the second one at the same time because now I am impatiently waiting for the next one to arrive! I am desperate to jump back into this world and find out what happens. From what I understand it is a direct continuation.

I genuinely loved this novel and it is a great way to get into fantasy novels in general. I know this has been marketed at young adults but I really feel that a reader at any age could enjoy this novel as the relationships between the characters are mature. This is definitely a book to get you out of a reading slump!