When I was first really into reading, moving on from "kid" books like The Magic Treehouse and Junie B Jones, I was big into series that had me flipping pages faster than I could read them - The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, Divergent (just to name a few). I was obsessed with stories that were fast-paced and moved quickly. These dystopian stories turned to fantasy, and I became a big Percy Jackson kid, after the obvious Harry Potter obsession, and I, like many other kids my age, got very into The Mortal Instruments series.
Now, if you follow me, you might notice that I seem to only talk about romance books, and there's not a fantasy book in sight. At some point in growing up, I moved away from fantasy books I loved (like the Queen of the Tearling series, which is still a favorite of mine) and moved onto books full of love - and a lot less sword-wielding. I blamed it on the fact that I "couldn't find a fantasy book I was into," but the truth is that romance novels tend to be quick, easy reads, and as I grew up, I seemed to have less time to sit and read. For me, most fantasy novels take a lot of concentration and remembering, and, especially when I was in college, there would be days or weeks that would go by where I wouldn't read, and jumping back into a romance novel was much easer than jumping into a fantasy novel, where I would've forgot half of the world-building already.
When I graduated college three years ago, I got more into reading again, and eventually started my Bookstagram, which has been an absolute joy. By joining Bookstagram (and eventually Booktok as well) I was exposed to so many more books, and people with similar tastes, leading to me discovering books I don't think I would've picked up if not for this. Thus, leading me to the series that was all over these book spaces — A Court of Thorns and Roses, or, more fondly referred to as ACOTAR.
The first times I had seen it, I wrote it off completely as something I wouldn't enjoy. I wasn't into fantasy anymore, I told myself. I won't like it. Then, a friend of mine had told me to read Throne of Glass, set in the same universe as ACOTAR. SO I bought the book, but just never got around to reading it. But I kept seeing snippets on Tiktok and Instagram, and became more and more intrigued, so, finally, in 2024, I bought the first book in the ACOTAR series. However, in the first months of owning it, it simply collected dust on my shelf. But finally, I took the plunge, starting the book in August of 2024, and made it a whopping ten pages. So, I picked up some other books, finished those, chalked up my inability as a reading slump, and picked it up again in September. I only made it two chapters in.
I was about to give up and decide that it really wasn't for me, but I tried one more time in mid-September, and was finally into it. Around the time that I started it for the third time was Broadway Flea, where I would in fact meet ACOTAR King (and unofficial spokesperson) Jordan Fisher, who was so excited that I had brought my copy for him to sign, and proceeded to ask what Court I was, which at the time, I did not understand. He proceeded to tell me how he had gotten all his friends hooked, and even Maia Reficco, who was seated next to him (which she then shared how she finished the whole series in two weeks, while also doing eight shows a week on Broadway. What a queen). After meeting them, I was more determined than ever to finish the series.
I became hooked. I read the books at every chance I got, and although it didn't take me two weeks (I still don't know how she did it), I finished the series in January of 2025, and then proceeded to rave about it to everyone I could. Suddenly, I was obsessed. I bought another book written in the same universe, Crescent City, but was told I should read Throne of Glass first, so I haven't gotten there yet. But now I was itching for more fantasy, and I was in luck, since the newest craze was hitting the book spaces - Fourth Wing.
Once again, I devoured the books, flipping pages faster than I could read, and I remembered why I loved fantasy books so much in the first place. Since January, I've read more fantasy books than I have in the past five years, and I only have ACOTAR to thank.
And if you have any recs.... please share. My fingers are itching for more....
all my love,
gab <3
PS: I will get to Throne of Glass soon. I swear.
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