Reading ACOTAR for the First Time | Chapters 16–31

Reading Progress

📖 Book: A Court of Thorns and Roses

📍 Chapters: 16-31

🚫 Spoilers: Through Chapter 31 only

Initial Thoughts

Oh boy do we have a LOT to discuss after reading these chapters... The mystery that hooked me in the first fifteen chapters has officially turned into complete obsession. I keep thinking I have the story figured out, and then Sarah J. Maas throws in another twist that completely changes everything.

These chapters made the world of Prythian feel so much bigger. Instead of just learning about the Spring Court, we're finally starting to hear about the other Courts, the politics between them, and just how dangerous the blight really is. It definitely feels like the stakes have gotten much higher, and I'm starting to realize that Tamlin and Lucien have been protecting Feyre from much more than she understands.

I also wasn't expecting to become this emotionally invested. Between heartbreaking backstories, sweet moments, and several scenes that had me cursing at the book, I think it's safe to say I'm officially all in.

Character Check-in

These chapters introduced a few new faces and completely changed some of my opinions about the characters I’d already met. As of Chapter 31, I’m officially attached to certain characters, deeply suspicious of others, and questioning almost everything I thought I knew.

returning faces:

• Feyre: I continue to love Feyre as a main character. Watching her slowly let herself enjoy painting, explore Prythian, and open up emotionally has been really rewarding. At the same time, she has absolutely no sense of self-preservation because she keeps wandering directly into dangerous situations.

• Tamlin: Okay… he has definitely grown on me. The gallery scene, bringing Feyre paints, and encouraging her to create again were all really sweet. I also loved learning more about his past and seeing that he genuinely seems to care about her happiness. However, he is still keeping a lot of secrets, and the decision to send Feyre away absolutely broke my heart. I understand why he did it, but I’m still upset about it.

• Lucien: His backstory was heartbreaking, and it added so much depth to the sarcastic personality we’ve seen so far. The fact that Tamlin protected him from his brothers makes their friendship even more interesting. Also, the jeweled hunting knife gift? Elite. The banter between Lucien and Feyre continues to be one of my favorite parts of the book.

• Alis: Learning about Alis’s family completely changed the way I viewed her. She has been through so much, and it made me appreciate her protectiveness toward Feyre even more.

• Nesta: I owe her an apology...I genuinely did not expect this turnaround. Finding out that the glamour didn’t work on her, that she hired the mercenary, and that she actually went to the Wall to try to find Feyre changed everything for me. I still think she can be incredibly harsh, but now I understand that a lot of that anger is covering up grief and fear.

• Elain: She seems sweet, but we need MORE. she's not really giving us too much just yet.

• Papa Archeron: I’m still conflicted about him. The fact that he clearly cares about Feyre and worked to rebuild their fortune is meaningful, but Nesta’s explanation of why she resents him made me question him all over again. My feelings toward him are somehow both softer and more complicated than before.

new faces:

• Rhysand: HELLOOOO tall, dark, and handsome. That was quite an entrance. I get that Temlin is the love interest in this book, but Feyre claiming this male to be the most beautiful person she's ever seen??? I have absolutely no idea what to think about Rhysand yet. He’s terrifying, manipulative, and clearly incredibly powerful, but every scene with him was impossible to look away from. The fact that he protected Feyre at Calanmai and then later threatened her family has me experiencing emotional whiplash. I don’t trust him at all… but I’m also fascinated by him.

• Amarantha: We haven't seen much of her yet, but based on everything I've learned so far, she seems absolutely terrifying. The more I hear about her, the more I understand just how much danger Prythian is actually in.

• The Attor: Nope. Absolutely not. Every time this thing shows up, I immediately get uncomfortable. It's creepy, cruel, and one of the few characters I genuinely don't want to see again... although I have a feeling I will.

Favorite Moments:

• Feyre's Encounter with the Suriel: I was so excited when the Suriel made another appearance because it was one of my favorite parts of the first fifteen chapters. This encounter somehow answered a few of my questions while introducing even more. The Suriel has quickly become one of the most fascinating characters in the series, and every conversation with it leaves me wanting to know more. I thought it was very interesting how the Suriel told Feyre to "stay with the High Lord."

• Tamlin Showing Feyre the Gallery: This scene completely melted my heart. Seeing Tamlin encourage Feyre to paint again after everything she's been through was such a sweet moment, and it felt like one of the first times she was truly able to reconnect with a part of herself she'd lost. The gallery itself also sounded absolutely beautiful.

• Calanmai & Rhysand's First Appearance: This entire scene had me on the edge of my seat. From the mystery surrounding Calanmai to Rhysand casually walking in and completely changing the atmosphere, I could not stop reading. I still have absolutely no idea what to think about Rhysand, but he definitely knows how to make an entrance. I also CANNOT get over Feyre calling him the "most beautiful man [she'd] ever seen."

• Rhysand Making Tamlin Beg: The tension in this scene was unreal. I remember reading it thinking, "What is happening?!" Rhysand immediately established himself as someone with incredible power, and watching Tamlin forced into that position made me realize just how dangerous the political situation in Prythian really is.

• Feyre Telling the Wounded Faerie His Wings Would Heal: This was such a small moment, but it really stuck with me. Feyre chose kindness even though she had every reason to be afraid of the Fae. It reminded me that one of her greatest strengths isn't just her bravery, it's her compassion.

• Nesta Revealing She Came After Feyre: I don't think any scene surprised me more than this one. After spending the first fifteen chapters convinced Nesta didn't care, learning that she resisted the glamour and actually went looking for Feyre completely changed my perspective. It made me realize this series is going to challenge a lot of my first impressions.

• Returning to the Destroyed Manor: This ending was heartbreaking. Watching Feyre return only to find everything in ruins completely shifted the direction of the story. Just when I thought the Spring Court had become a safe place, Sarah J. Maas reminded me that nothing is ever that simple.

Things I'm Curious About

These chapters answered a few of my questions from the last check-in, but they also left me with a whole new list of things I can't stop thinking about. I'm officially at the point where every answer seems to create three more questions, and I have a feeling I'm only scratching the surface.

Here are the thoughts currently taking up space in my brain:

• Rhysand. Is he actually as cruel as he wants everyone to believe, or is there another side to him that we haven't seen yet? Every interaction with him leaves me more confused than the last.

• Tamlin's decision to send Feyre away. Was there truly no other option? I understand he wanted to protect her, but I can't help wondering if keeping her in the dark is going to make things even worse.

• The curse. I feel like I know just enough about it to realize I know almost nothing. There has to be a bigger piece of the puzzle that we're still missing.

• Amarantha. We've mostly heard about her through other characters, but she's already become such an intimidating presence. I'm curious to learn more about who she is and what exactly happened to put Prythian in this position.

• The relationship between Tamlin and Rhysand. There is clearly so much history there, and I need to know what actually happened between them.

• The other Courts. Every time another Court gets mentioned, I want to know more. I'm so curious to see what makes each one different and whether we'll get to explore them later in the series.

At this point, I've accepted that Sarah J. Maas isn't going to hand me the answers anytime soon... and somehow that just makes me want to keep reading even more.

My Predictions 🔮

Time to make some more predictions! A few of my theories from the last check-in are starting to feel stronger, while others have completely changed. I’m writing these down now so Future Logen can either congratulate herself... or laugh at how confidently wrong she was.

• Rhysand is secretly helping Feyre: I do not believe Rhysand is on Amarantha’s side. My prediction is that his cruel, arrogant behavior is a mask he uses to survive Under the Mountain. I think there is a reason Amarantha trusts him, and I think he is secretly looking for a way to undermine her power. I also predict that he knows more about Feyre’s role in breaking the curse than he has admitted.

• Rhysand and Tamlin have a much more complicated history than Feyre knows: The tension between them feels deeper than just “two powerful faeries who dislike each other.” I think something happened between them before Feyre arrived, possibly involving Amarantha or the other High Lords. My prediction is that Feyre will eventually learn that Tamlin and Rhysand were not always enemies.

• Tamlin is not telling Feyre the truth because he thinks the truth will put her in danger: I don’t think Tamlin is hiding things because he doesn’t trust Feyre. I think he knows that if she understands the full situation with Amarantha, she will try to help and put herself at risk. My prediction is that Tamlin knows there is a specific way to break the curse but has not told Feyre because it would require her to do something dangerous.

• Nesta’s resistance to the glamour was a clue about her abilities: I think Nesta’s reaction at the Wall was not just because she is stubborn. My prediction is that she has some natural ability to sense faerie magic or see through things other humans cannot. I don’t think she was simply unaffected by chance.

Final Thoughts (For Now) ✨

These first thirty-one chapters have completely pulled me into this world. I expected a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but Prythian already feels so much bigger and more complicated than that. Every time I think I understand a character or situation, something happens that makes me question everything.

Feyre has become one of my favorite parts of the story. I love how stubborn and determined she is, and I’ve enjoyed watching her perspective on faeries slowly change. I’m still unsure how I feel about Tamlin because I believe he cares about her, but I also feel like he is hiding something important.

Right now, Rhysand is the character I’m most curious about. I cannot tell if he is someone Feyre should fear or someone she should trust, but I have a feeling there is much more to him than what we’ve seen so far.

Overall, I have way more questions than answers, but that’s what is making me want to keep reading. I need to know what happens with the curse, Amarantha, and all the secrets everyone seems to be keeping. Thirty-one chapters in, I’m officially invested.