In the novel A Court of Thorns and Roses, Feyre Archeron, a 19-year-old human, hunts to provide for her impoverished family in a world divided by a magical wall separating humans from the faeries of Prythian. Five centuries ago, humans fought against faeries, leading to an ancient treaty that placed humans in the southern part of the world while the faeries ruled the northern regions. Feyre, determined to feed her family, encounters an unusually large wolf near the border wall and kills it, only to discover it was a faerie in disguise. After Feyre returns home, the faerie Tamlin appears and demands retribution for the death of his friend, giving her the choice to either live in Prythian or be killed according to the treaty. Feyre agrees to live in Prythian, leaving her family behind. She travels to Tamlin’s estate in the Spring Court, where she learns that faeries are immortal and that Tamlin, a High Fae, can shift between beast and humanoid forms. Feyre is forced to stay in this magical land, where she faces the complexities of her situation, the mystery of the blight affecting faerie magic, and her growing interactions with Tamlin and his emissary, Lucien. Despite her fear, Feyre begins to uncover secrets about Tamlin, the faerie courts, and the dangerous forces at play in Prythian, all while struggling with her promise to care for her family.
Feyre, still shaken from her nightmare, roams the manor and makes a rudimentary map in case she ever needs to escape. When Tamlin returns from killing the Bogge, injured, he spots the map and deduces that Feyre is illiterate. Though she feels ashamed, Tamlin compliments her for her self-taught survival skills. As Feyre tends to his wound, they bond over their shared commitment to protect others, though Feyre remains apprehensive around him.
The next day, Feyre overhears Lucien and Tamlin arguing. Lucien warns Tamlin that time is running out and that his heart is softening. Feyre interrupts, insisting that Tamlin should hunt with her instead. During their hunt, Feyre admits that she dislikes hunting and requests to see the study. Tamlin questions how she learned to hunt and whether anyone has ever taken care of her. Feyre responds that no one ever has. Tamlin catches Feyre trying to steal a knife, advising her to focus on eavesdropping rather than escape plans. She apologizes, but he doesn't explain further.
Feyre tries to learn to write and send a warning to her family about the blight affecting Prythian. Embarrassed to ask for help, she struggles to teach herself. The study contains a large mural of the seven courts of Prythian, which fascinates her. Tamlin offers to help her write the letter, but she refuses, thinking he might humiliate her. This leads to a discussion about Feyre's distrust of faeries, stemming from their cruel history with humans. Later, Feyre returns to find her stack of papers disturbed.
Feyre then speaks to Lucien about the Suriel, a faerie that answers questions when trapped. Lucien gives Feyre his knife and tells her to use a freshly slaughtered chicken to trap the Suriel. He mentions that Tamlin is away investigating another disturbance.
Feyre successfully traps the Suriel and asks it critical questions. The Suriel tells her that she must remain in Prythian or her family will be killed, and that Tamlin is the High Lord of the Spring Court. It also reveals that the blight originates from Hybern, a kingdom where faeries despise the treaty with humans. The Suriel warns Feyre that naga, deadly faeries, are nearby and urges her to free it and run.
Feyre's encounter with the naga is intense. As they attack, Feyre manages to kill two of them with her arrows and Lucien's knife before Tamlin arrives to finish off the others. Feyre is relieved and surprised that Tamlin, the High Lord of the Spring Court, valued her enough to save her.
Feyre talks with Alis about the possibility of a faerie war. Lucien later teases Feyre at dinner, and they discuss faerie manipulation of words, the effects of ash on faeries, and the history of faeries fighting with humans. Tamlin offers Feyre his friendship and explains that he glamoured her family's memories to protect them. Feyre finally asks for paint, and Tamlin agrees to show her the gallery.
Feyre comforts a dying faerie from the Summer Court, who had his wings ripped off. Feyre holds his hand as he dies, and Tamlin buries him. When Feyre asks why she comforted the faerie, she explains that she wouldn’t want to die alone.
Feyre, Tamlin, and Lucien enjoy a picnic in a beautiful glen. Tamlin takes Feyre to a secluded pool of starlight, a childhood favorite of his. There, Tamlin explains Lucien’s painful past, and Feyre becomes more comfortable with him, teasing and bantering. Lucien gives Feyre his knife as a gesture of friendship after they resolve some tension.
Feyre enjoys the gallery Tamlin shows her. She paints every day, though she keeps her work private. She starts to worry about her family forgetting her. Tamlin senses her distress and shows her a rose garden his father planted for his mother. Later, Feyre accidentally traps Tamlin in a snare while painting, and they share an awkward but intimate moment. Tamlin teases her with limericks and explains that not all High Fae find a true mate. He also shares the tragic story of his family’s death at the hands of another High Lord. Tamlin warns Feyre of the Spring Festival, Calanmai, in two days.
Tamlin cautions Feyre to stay hidden during the Great Rite, an event where faeries mate. Feyre sneaks into the festival anyway and is almost attacked by three male faeries, only to be saved by Rhysand, a dark and alluring faerie. She feels an immediate attraction to him.
Lucien explains that the Great Rite transforms Tamlin into the "Hunter" who must choose a mate for the night. Feyre feels jealousy and confusion. Later, Tamlin finds her after the rite, still under its magic, and kisses her, though Feyre slaps him for assuming her feelings.
Feyre does not hide her bite marks at breakfast. Tamlin refuses to apologize, and Feyre storms off. Tamlin later shows up with roses as an apology. They have a dinner where Feyre opens up and shows Tamlin her paintings, which deeply move him. They talk about Tamlin’s painful past, and Feyre begins to realize her growing feelings for him.
Tamlin and Feyre visit a beautiful glen. Tamlin kisses Feyre on her eyelids, allowing her to see and hear the world as the faeries do. He reveals that he glamoured her senses when she first arrived to protect her from fear. In exchange for increasing her senses, Tamlin demands a kiss, and Feyre playfully kisses his hand. They lie together peacefully afterward.
The next day, Feyre is able to see the faeries of Tamlin’s court in their true forms: insectoid gardeners and Alis’s true tree-human-hybrid nature. Lucien explains that they removed Feyre’s glamour since she has become more comfortable in Prythian.
Feyre discovers the severed head of a High Fae on a stake in the garden, branded with the Night Court’s sigil. Tamlin and Lucien see it as a message from the Night Court, signaling that they know the Spring Court is weakened by the blight. Feyre is disturbed by the violence, and she cannot paint that day.
The threat to the Spring Court continues to grow, and Feyre fears for Tamlin’s safety. On the Summer Solstice, Alis dresses Feyre in a gown and flower headdress for the celebration. Feyre drinks faerie wine and dances joyfully with Tamlin. Tamlin takes her to watch the will-o’-the-wisps at sunrise, where they share a passionate kiss. Feyre begins to understand the feeling of hope.
The following day, Lucien shares troubling news about 24 faerie younglings killed by the blight at the Winter Court. Suddenly, Rhysand, the High Lord of the Night Court, appears. Tamlin and Lucien hide Feyre, and Rhysand and Tamlin trade sharp words. Lucien calls Rhysand “Amarantha’s whore,” revealing that Amarantha is the mysterious figure behind the blight. Rhysand mentions a place called "Under the Mountain" and taunts Tamlin. Rhysand uses his powers to expose Feyre’s feelings for Tamlin and humiliates her. He forces Tamlin and Lucien to grovel in exchange for keeping Feyre’s secret. Rhysand demands Feyre’s name, to which she lies, claiming to be “Clare Beddor.” Rhysand disappears after his unsettling visit.
Tamlin sends Feyre back home, uncertain he can keep her safe in Prythian any longer. Feyre, feeling unlovable, worries about her future, but Tamlin reassures her with his love. They share intimate moments together. In the morning, Tamlin tells her he loves her, “thorns and all.”
As Feyre prepares to leave, she hears Lucien begging Tamlin to give her more time, but Tamlin insists she leaves immediately. Feyre gives Tamlin her paintings as a parting gift, and as he helps her into the carriage, he tells her once again that he loves her. Feyre, afraid of causing him pain, refrains from saying it back. Tamlin enchants her to sleep for the two-day journey.
Back at her family’s new estate, Feyre claims that her wealthy aunt has died and left her a fortune. She learns that her father’s business has flourished after she disappeared, and Feyre knows Tamlin is responsible. Elain is overjoyed at her return, and Feyre’s father orders a ball to celebrate. Nesta, however, remains suspiciously quiet. Feyre recalls the Suriel’s warning to stay with the High Lord and wonders if she made the wrong choice.
Feyre’s father has recovered, and Elain happily tends a large garden. Elain reveals that Nesta tried to visit Feyre but gave up, and Feyre begins to realize Elain’s inner strength. Feyre takes money to visit their old cottage and the village, reflecting on whether the cottage was a “prison” or a “shelter.”
Feyre gives money to the villagers and sees Tomas Mandray and Isaac with his new wife. Feyre is distracted by worry for Tamlin. Nesta reveals that Tamlin’s glamour didn’t work on her, and she remembers everything. Nesta didn’t marry Tomas because she knew he wouldn’t have gone to save Feyre from Prythian. Feyre shares everything with Nesta, and Nesta asks her to teach her to paint. She also expresses that Feyre would never abandon Tamlin as their father abandoned their mother.
At the ball, Feyre thinks only of Tamlin. The next day, her father mentions buying the Beddor family land, and Feyre realizes it’s because she gave Rhysand Clare Beddor’s name. Feyre warns her family about the dangers in Prythian and tells them to sail south if trouble arises. Nesta encourages Feyre to return to Prythian and not come back. Feyre understands that Nesta is calculating but not cruel. Feyre crosses through the wall and returns to Tamlin’s estate, only to find it destroyed and abandoned.
Feyre learns the full story from Alis: Amarantha, a general for the King of Hybern, seeks revenge for her sister Clythia's murder at the hands of her human lover, Jurian, during the ancient war between faeries and humans. After the treaty, Amarantha killed her human slaves instead of freeing them, and she eventually decided to conquer Prythian for herself. She poisoned the seven High Lords and stole their powers, becoming the blight on magic. Tamlin’s family had once been allies with Hybern, making him a target of Amarantha's lust. Tamlin, however, refused her advances, causing her to curse him with a terrible ultimatum: he must convince a human woman to marry him within 49 years, or she will claim him as her consort. Feyre unknowingly became the key to breaking the curse after killing one of Tamlin’s men, and Amarantha enchanted the Spring Court to keep the curse a secret from her. With the other High Lords imprisoned Under the Mountain, Amarantha continues to torment both faeries and humans alike. Tamlin sent Feyre away just days before the curse’s end, and had she confessed her love, the Spring Court would have been freed. Desperate, Feyre convinces Alis to take her to Amarantha’s lair, and the two travel through a hidden passage leading Under the Mountain.
In the depths of the mountain, Feyre is captured by the Attor and brought to Amarantha’s throne room. Amarantha reveals a gruesome sight: the mutilated body of Clare Beddor, whom Tamlin had used as a decoy to protect Feyre. Amarantha offers Feyre a deal: if she completes three tasks to prove her love for Tamlin, they will be freed. Additionally, Feyre is given a riddle, promising that if she solves it at any point, the curse will be broken. Feyre agrees to the deal, but Amarantha has her beaten unconscious. When Feyre awakens, Lucien tends to her injuries, but before he can tell her more, Feyre is summoned for her first trial. In the arena, she faces a giant worm that attacks her in a maze of filth and bones. Feyre cleverly builds a trap and kills the worm, though Amarantha dismisses her victory. Feyre's wounds become infected, and Rhysand offers to heal her if she agrees to spend one week every month with him for the rest of her life. Feyre, desperate to survive and save Tamlin, agrees to the deal, and Rhysand marks her with a tattoo as a sign of their bargain.
Later, Feyre is tasked with cleaning a hallway but is given enchanted water that only makes the floor dirtier. Rhysand's mother, the High Lady of the Autumn Court, magically helps Feyre, and the next day, Feyre is forced to clean lentils out of a fireplace. Rhysand shows up and offers her assistance, also revealing that all the High Lords can shapeshift. Feyre asks him why he didn’t tell Amarantha that Clare wasn’t her, but Rhysand evades the question, instead helping Feyre by magically cleaning the fireplace and halting the guards from giving her more tasks.
Rhysand ensures Feyre is provided with nourishing food in the dungeon and, after a few days, sends two of his female servants to paint her body with swirls and dress her in a revealing gown for the nightly feast. Feyre accompanies him, and Rhysand uses the body paint to monitor if Tamlin touches her, as it would smear. At the party, Rhysand flaunts Feyre in front of Tamlin, who struggles to restrain himself. Rhysand forces Feyre to drink faerie wine, which causes her to black out. Later, Lucien visits her and explains that Rhysand used her while she was drugged to dance provocatively, tormenting Tamlin. Feyre feels humiliated, and Lucien reveals that Amarantha had forced Tamlin to whip him for helping Feyre during the first task. He also explains that Tamlin's stoicism is a strategy to prevent Amarantha from discovering which form of Feyre’s torment hurts him most.
Each night, Rhysand drugs Feyre and forces her to dance, while during the day, she recovers and continues to puzzle over Amarantha’s riddle. One night, Feyre witnesses the execution of a faerie from the Summer Court, realizing Rhysand’s role in what seems to be a mercy killing, hinting at a larger conspiracy. For her second task, Feyre is faced with a deadly riddle and must choose one of three levers to save herself and Lucien from being crushed by a spiked grate. Unable to read the riddle, Feyre guesses, and Rhysand telepathically guides her to the correct lever just in time. Afterward, Rhysand visits her and hints at her attraction to him, though Feyre pushes him away. He agrees not to drug her the following night, and Feyre begins to regain hope.
One night, Rhysand has Feyre painted for another party, and she overhears a conversation between the Attor and an emissary from the King of Hybern. The emissary warns the Attor that Hybern is displeased with Amarantha for putting her personal goals above his war against humans. Another night, Feyre hears music through a vent in her cell, which gives her a vision of nature, making her believe it’s a message from Tamlin, and her hope is reignited.
The night before Feyre’s final task, she and Tamlin meet in secret, desperate for a final moment together. Rhysand catches them and warns Tamlin of Amarantha’s vengeance. Rhysand scolds Feyre for the risk she took, then kisses her when he hears Amarantha approaching. Feyre is humiliated as the entire court, including Tamlin, witnesses the kiss. Later, Rhysand reveals his true intentions: using Feyre to provoke Tamlin into destroying Amarantha. He explains that Amarantha forced him to be her lover due to a past conflict between their families. Rhysand admits he could have forced Feyre to accept his help but chose not to.
For her final task, Feyre is ordered to kill three innocent faeries in cold blood, mirroring her earlier killing of Andras. She kills two, but when the third faerie is revealed to be Tamlin, Feyre realizes the task is a trap. She recalls clues about the curse and stabs Tamlin, knowing his heart is made of stone. Amarantha then declares that the bargain wasn’t specific, and she can free Tamlin at any time. She tortures Feyre, demanding she admit she doesn’t love Tamlin, but Feyre speaks the answer to the riddle—“Love”—just before Amarantha kills her by snapping her neck.
Feyre, now dead, watches the scene through Rhysand’s eyes. She sees Tamlin, enraged, stab Amarantha and tear her throat out. The High Lords of Prythian bestow their magic upon Feyre’s body, and Tamlin kisses her, telling her he loves her. Feyre is resurrected as a High Fae, and the curse is broken. Although she’s torn between her love for Tamlin and the guilt of killing two innocent faeries, she and Tamlin share an intimate moment together. Later, Feyre meets Rhysand on a mountainside, where he confesses his love for flying and his fear of losing what he loves. Feyre, still feeling human despite her transformation, tells him this makes her feel alive. Rhysand vanishes, and Feyre and Tamlin return to the Spring Court, where Feyre looks forward to an eternity with him.
Thanks Super Summary
Comments