Characters: 6/10

Feyre is supposed to be this hardened survivor, but the second she steps into fae territory, she turns into a lovestruck deer in headlights. Tamlin is about as exciting as a wet sponge—broody, protective, and shockingly bland. Lucien at least has a personality (and some sarcasm), but the rest? Nesta is violently unlikable, Elain is a walking flower arrangement, and Amarantha is so cartoonishly evil she might as well be twirling a mustache. Would it have killed Maas to add some real depth to these people?

Atmosphere/Setting: 7/10

Prythian should feel like a rich, immersive world, but instead, we get the most Pinterest-core Spring Court imaginable. Enchanted woods? Check. Fancy dresses? Check. Brooding fae lord with a tragic backstory? Triple check. The setting has moments of brilliance—especially under the mountain—but it leans heavily on generic fantasy aesthetics without really making them fresh.

Writing Style: 6/10

Maas loves describing things. A lot. And then she describes them again, just in case you missed it the first time. The prose is easy to read but bogged down by overused phrases, dramatic ellipses, and some truly questionable word choices (mate, anyone?). The dialogue sometimes sounds like it came straight from a fantasy soap opera, and the attempts at sensuality feel like they were written for someone’s teenage self-insert fanfiction.

Plot: 5/10

The first half of this book is Beauty and the Beast, but make it fae. The second half suddenly remembers it needs stakes and throws Feyre into a random set of "deadly" trials. The pacing is all over the place—too slow in the beginning, too rushed at the end, and full of filler in between. Also, the big twist? Laughably predictable. If you’ve read literally any fantasy book before, you’ll see it coming from a mile away.

Intrigue: 6/10

Did I need to keep reading? Not really. Did I? Yes, but mostly because I was waiting for something interesting to happen. There are intriguing elements—the fae courts, the mystery of the blight—but they take a backseat to a romance that has the chemistry of a damp matchstick. The last third of the book finally wakes up and throws in some action, but by then, I was already side-eyeing the plot holes too hard to be fully invested.

Logic/Relationships: 5/10

Feyre and Tamlin’s relationship is basically “he’s hot, so I forgive the major red flags.” Lucien deserved better than being a sidekick with occasional sass. The world-building makes no sense—we’re told humans fear fae, yet Feyre is just casually hunting in their territory? The magic system is conveniently vague, and the Treaty’s "kill a fae, live in Prythian forever" clause? Literally fabricated. Turns out Tamlin was just kidnapping a human woman to try and break his curse. It’s not even a plot hole, just insultingly contrived.

Enjoyment: 5/10

Did I have fun? Sure, but in the way you enjoy a trashy reality show—you know it’s a mess, but you can’t look away. It’s the kind of book you read when you want romance with fantasy elements, not fantasy with romance elements. If you’re into angsty fae boys and don’t mind the occasional eye-roll, go for it. If you want something actually groundbreaking, maybe look elsewhere.