A Court of Thorns and Roses

A Court of Thorns and Roses

• Genre: Fiction; Young adult fantasy romance
• Originally Published: 2015
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 880L; Grades 9 and up
• Structure/Length: 49 chapters; approximately 419 pages; approximately 16 hours, 7 minutes on audiobook
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: The story follows Feyre Archeron, a young woman who is drawn into the dangerous world of the faerie lands after killing a wolf in the woods, only to discover that it was a faerie in disguise. She is taken to the faerie realm as punishment and becomes entangled in the political intrigues and conflicts of the faerie courts, especially as she grows closer to the High Lord of the Spring Court, Tamlin. The central conflict revolves around Feyre’s journey of survival, self-discovery, and her involvement in the rising tensions between the human and faerie realms.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Intense fantasy violence; mature themes; sexual content 

Sarah J. Maas, Author

• Bio: Born 1986; began writing the Throne of Glass series at age 16 and became a New York Times bestselling author; known for creating intricate fantasy worlds with strong heroines; passionate about storytelling and character development; explores themes of love, power, and resilience in her works
• Other Works: Throne of Glass (2012); Crown of Midnight (2013); Heir of Fire (2014); Queen of Shadows (2015); A Court of Mist and Fury (2016); Empire of Storms (2016); Tower of Dawn (2017); Kingdom of Ash (2018); A Court of Frost and Starlight (2018); House of Earth and Blood (2019)
• Awards: Goodreads Choice Award for Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2015); Goodreads Choice Award for Best Young Adult Fantasy (2016); Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance (2016); ABA Indies Choice Book Award for Young Adult (2016)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• Sacrifice and Moral Compromise as the Duty of Love
• Consent and Power Dynamics in Sexual Intimacy
• Hidden Truths and Subverted Expectations

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Develop an understanding of the social and literary contexts regarding the use of original source material and human relationship that impact the narrative structure and development of A Court of Thorns and Roses.
• Study paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of Sacrifice and Moral Compromise as the Duty of Love, Consent and Power Dynamics in Sexual Intimacy, and Hidden Truths and Subverted Expectations.
• Plan, organize, and create a “one-pager” that conveys the main themes, character traits, and novel motifs, based on text details.
• Analyze and evaluate themes, motifs, and character details to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding character motives, intentional author choices in regard to narrative structure, and other topics.