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Reading: "A Court of Thorns and Roses"
Reading: “A Court of Thorns and Roses”

“To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life.”

–W. Somerset Maugham

I don’t know about you, but real life is not impressing me lately. Between the news of the terrible conflicts roiling our world, the increasingly dire manifestations of climate change, and the fact that it is February, I needed to escape. Although I’m not usually into YA, romance, or fantasy, I decided to try something new, and ventured into A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. This skillful retelling of Beauty and the Beast turned out to be just what the doctor ordered.

In addition to a captivating journey into a realm of magic and romance with nods to Celtic and classical mythology, Maas offers readers a deeply feminist story.  When the main character kills a wolf who turns out to be a faery, she must pay for his death by becoming a prisoner of the Spring Court, presided over by the handsome and intriguingly volatile Tamlin. Although she has hard time dealing with the intricacies of her new world and its politics at first, Feyre shows herself to be resilient and resourceful. Eventually, she takes centre stage in rescuing Tamlin, showcasing her bravery and turning the old fairy tale tropes on their head. Moreover, Maas challenges traditional notions of romance by presenting a love story that defies stereotypes and puts female agency front and centre.

This is the first book in a five-part series, so there’s plenty more escapism available if you’re so inclined. I’ve only just started the second book, and so far it’s living up to its promise.  And no matter what, it never hurts to try something new once in a while, especially when the world is offering up the same-old same old.

Captives
A psychological mystery that explores the aftermath of a brutal abduction and the secrets that haunt the survivors.

Three years ago, Samantha Gilchrist and her friends Amanda, Kaylee and Maria forged an unbreakable bond when they survived a brutal kidnapping in Kandahar. Sam wrote a best-selling memoir about their ordeal and moved on to a great new career as a journalist and a happy relationship with Dave, a handsome intelligence officer she met in Afghanistan. Still, she can’t help wondering about the reasons behind their capture.

On their way to Maria’s remote Gatineau cottage to commemorate the anniversary of their escape and rescue, Sam and Kaylee hear news reports about a missing Afghan diplomat. Then, they think they see Ali, their former interpreter and the mastermind behind the hostage-taking, who was supposed to have died during their rescue. When Amanda’s lifeless body is found the next morning, the friends’ suspicions lead them down a dangerous path that uncovers dark secrets and hidden motives.

The narrative alternates between the present day and the version of events presented in Sam’s memoir, as she and her friends struggle with their grief over the loss of Amanda and lingering trauma and jealousy over their differing fortunes in the aftermath of the kidnapping. As tensions rise and secrets are revealed, Sam starts to question everything she thought she knew about her friends, her lover, and herself, not just in the past, but in the here and now. 

Full of suspense, complex characters, and unexpected twists, Captives will cause fans of mystery and psychological thrillers to make irresponsible decisions about their sleep. 

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