Thank you for the notes about how we talk about ACOTAR / being instinctively defensive. I read these books in the summer of 2021 as we were just starting to emerge from COVID but still having an exceptionally rough time. They got me back into reading for pleasure - I hadn’t wanted to stay up all night finishing a book since I was a teenager. There’s something to be said for embracing things that give us sheer delight.
I absolutely devoured ACOTAR, Crescent City, and Fourth Wing. It's been such a delightful ride these last few months and I'm digging the internet commentary (so so many subreddits). I think some of the critiques are true. CC3 desperately needed more editing. The books aren't deep, but they are FUN.
I don't know how to articulate this better so here it goes. Many of these romantasy books (the uber popular ones at least) were written by conventionally attractive, middle class, straight white ladies for other conventionally attractive, middle class, straight white ladies. In the books they play out the same white woman romance fantasies that have been romance fantasing for years - independence (but still within the patriarchy), sexy times (with a straight hot man who knows how foreplay works), money (but not a job), etc. But this time with pointy ears.
And I'm not mad! Cuz deep down, when the world is mean, sometimes my fantasy is to be a conventionally attractive, middle class, straight white lady. And since I can't be in real life, I like to read about it in a way that doesn't make me feel like the who I am in reality is less than.
When people say the books are bad, I want to ask, “…bad at what?” What do you think they are trying to do, and why do you assume they are trying to do that thing? (Haven’t listened to the podcast yet, but excited to!)
I think the trope of "enemies to lovers" is known to satisfy time and again, but Book #2 taught us that "lovers to enemies" can be equally thrilling (and unfortunately, highly relatable). I felt like such a sucker reading Book 2!!! It's always fun for an author to truly catch you off guard. I do remember reading the first few chapters of Book #1 and rolling my eyes, though. I was like, "Ok Beauty & The Beast, we've heard this one before, wrap it up." How foolish I was! Such a fun journey - SJM repeatedly forces you to discard your favorite character in favor of someone juicier. Each book has you viewing at previous ones like you would a highschool relationship - why was I so into that? They feel juvenille and one-dimensional. If I can somehow like Elain better than Nesta, these books will actually be magic!
Possibly the fastest I’ve ever clicked on any newsletter. Thank you for treating this as something worthy of both admiration and critique! For anyone else who wants to make this their whole personality for a bit but thinks five books (and counting) aren’t enough: SJM has two other fae fantasy series and they collectively get a little Into the Faerieverse
I read all of SJM's first series, initially out of curiosity of what the hell the ruckus was about, and then because it was a train wreck my curiosity refused to let me look away from. I haven't felt compelled to read any of her other books. So, with that context:
1. There are so many other sexy fantasy books out there that handle literally all of the gross parts of SJM's books better. My highest recommendation is for Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey.
2. There are SO MANY gross parts of these books. AHP hit on some big ones, but also - the handling of race and queerness, the ways that appearance is so overwhelmingly important and reliant on Western standards of beauty.
3. The dynamics depicted ultimately serve to uphold existing cultural notions. Sure, expecting better sex is great, but when that comes wrapped up with men who have out of control possessiveness, it's still just the patriarchy.
Ultimately I don't know what the solution is. I'd love for the publishing industry to be/do better - actually require big authors to respond to edits, not throw the biggest marketing budget at things that are just rehashes of what's already a hit and which is problematic (but not overtly enough to get cancelled over). I'd love for SJM to actually listen to what her critics have to say, because I do think at the core she actually is solid at plot and worldbuilding. I'd love for discoverability to be so much better, so that folks branch out and away. I'd love for sexuality to not be so taboo that people feel they can only talk about the sexy books that are already in the public consciousness.
Ok I’m gonna preface this by saying I love fantasy and romantasy and read a lot of both, so this is not coming from some sort of snobby/hierarchical view. But when I was trying to explain ACOTAR to a friend so she could decide if she wanted to read them, I said “I think they’re pretty bad, but also I read them all in a week, one after the other.”
Most of my feelings about the series can be summed up as the “compels me, though” gif from Knives Out
Everyone's points above have been interesting, and I agree with a lot of what has been said. I've read and re-read all of Sarah J Maas's series over the years. I think there's a space for a lot of the criticism of the work, as there should be. At the same time, when I see the valid criticism, I often feel defense of her work. I'm not sure why. Maybe it is because these books helped me get through a lot of health issues, and scary personal situations over the years. Maybe it is because I have been trying to write a fantasy book of my own for some time and I'm imagining what it would be like for so many people to speak negatively about something you've written (not that those things aren't valid, but that so many people adding to the discourse forget that there is a human being behind this in the way they speak and write).
I tend to read (and write) to escape the current situation, whatever that may be. Fantasy worlds remind me that there are other ways of being, not in a sense of "these are versions of utopia we should work towards" but more like "wow, human imagination is fascinating and I'm not alone in themes of the various stories (both "good" and "bad") that I tell myself when I'm bored." Maas's books have, for the most part given me a blissful escape when I needed it and reignited my own love for reading and writing at times when I needed it.
At the same time, I ALSO feel so defensive about my own reading of her books. I feel embarrassed when I talk about these books with other people and sometimes lie when someone asks me what I'm reading. So much to think about.
Thanks AHP, I have never commented on a substack before and this is the one thread that broke the ice for me! Excited for the podcast.
Oh wow, this is when two separate, yet amazing worlds in my life collide!! Woo hoo!! I have been reading fantasy since I was a teen, some romance too, but mostly fantasy. I am not mad at the blending of the two genres creating "romantasy," it is incredibly fun and immersive.
I have been reading SJM since the beginning, and read ACOTAR as each book came out, the wait between each release was agonizing. All the points you have brought up are spot on. In regards to purity and first loves, - I cannot stress enough how incredibly revolutionary SJM's depiction of a non-virgin FMC who sleeps with more than one man was at the time it came out. When I first read it I was like, YES!! FINALLY!! I think it's important to remember that fantasy fiction has largely been dominated by male authors and the male gaze, it's only been in recent years that female authors have gained any traction much to the irritation of many male readers. You should see how these books are trashed in the larger sci-fi/-fantasy online groups that are dominated by men. That's not to say there haven't been incredible female authors, but men dominate the space, and I love that SJM has carved such a large part of it out for herself and women readers.
Regarding the pregnancy trope - she had two kids while writing this series, and I tend to think that influenced her writing. I also had a kid around the same time as one of her's was born and could totally see why and how some of that experience would trickle into the world. I'm so glad you love the series, there is lots to unpack here and I can't wait to listen to the podcast!!!
I'm a bookseller at an independent bookstore and while I'm not typically a fantasy reader and haven't read Sarah Maas' books (yet), I absolutely LOVE how engaged and excited people are about this series, and how willing they are to talk about it and connect with others. When I'm at work, it's not uncommon for me to witness people who have never met before find out that they both read Sarah Maas, and then get deep into conversation about the books and characters. I've also had numerous readers of this series talk to me about how it got them through a hard time (such as an illness or recovery, a break-up, a big change in their life like moving to a new place) and how much they enjoyed the experience of reading these books.
I've been thinking lately about how that immersive experience of reading is really what often what hook people into being readers. Looking for the recreation of that experience, of getting totally pulled into a story, is one of the things that keeps people coming back for more. It's a hard thing to describe, because it seems like some books seem more likely to pull us into that richness more fully, and it also often needs to have that magic overlap with right book / right time / right person. It's a special thing!
As someone who reads an absurd amount of historical romance and a more moderate amount of romantasy, I think it’s fascinating how patriarchal society and relationships (especially when you have an “alpha” hero) are handled in most *modern* historicals as opposed to these popular romantasy series. In many ways the romantasy genre feels more in line with historicals of old (ie the 80s and early 90s) with the territorial/dominant/possessive qualities of the hero being used as a stand in for an emotional connection. I think it helps that most romances make an effort to switch between perspectives more consistently so that you can see how each character is changing as the relationship develops. I start to resent books where the author doesn’t do this and one of the parties remains mostly a mystery and the first ACOTAR was this for me.
I am a DEVOUT reader of fanfiction (AHP, have you read Manacled yet, as per Melody's suggestion??) and I think the thing I find both perplexing and compelling about ACOTAR is that the books are like...iterative fanfiction of themselves? Fanfiction so often serves as authorial wish fulfillment-- I want these characters to pine for each other, be thrust into this ridiculous situation, and also look hot, etc. without having to stick to the prescriptions of what a book is "supposed" to do. And ACOTAR kind of reads like SJM is doing that too! It's so hard to pin down but so predictable at the same time? Idk, still chewing on this thesis.
As a long-time romance reader, my friends and I have constantly joked that all of Nora Roberts' heroes and heroines are actually just painting Thomas Kinkade pieces. I fully believe Feyre is part of the Thomas Kinkade Romance School of Art for Heroes Who Can't Paint Good.
I pretty much only read romance. I enjoyed it as a young/new adult but read other “more edifying” things too. I was a huge reader. Then life/work/kids happened, and I stopped reading for pleasure for a long time. When I felt called to restart I “eased” back into it with romance which I remembered brought me so much joy and laughs, which I really needed.
But I found I was so stressed and emotionally fragile that I didn’t enjoy the emotional sucker punches of a lot of other genres so I’ve stuck to romance.
During very stressful times when I was struggling, romance has been like a port of safety that gave me a place to retreat from the world for a little bit. I’m immensely grateful to the genre. And fantasy romance is just that much more of a relief because when the world is so different it’s just that much easier to lose yourself in it.
All of this is to say ACOTAR is right up my alley and I wanted to LOVE it but I abandoned book 1 about 1/2 way through because it’s was so slow and boring. I wanted the immersive, sexy joy of it but honestly I’m spoiled because when it comes to sexy fantasy the romance genre honestly does it much better.
But I’m still jealous because I’d really like the ACOTAR experience. In light of this thread I will try again and have the book on hold.
I feel like the fantasy/monster romance category is just exploding right now and I’m looking to read more great fantasy/romance (I just learned the word “romantasy”). For anyone interested I’d recommend Ruby Dixon:
Ice Planet Barbarians, by Ruby Dixon. Bonkers is the only way to describe this series but it’s a fun ride. Has a “fated mates” aspect and involves blue aliens who are just the most devoted, grateful partners. This series helped me get thru the pandemic.
Ruby Dixon is/was a self-published author whose books spread through the romance community on IG (and prob tiktok too). It was like a fun, little fire that spread from account to account. Her books were too “out there” for mainstream publishing until just recently. Her books have now been picked up for distribution by a couple of main stream publishers because they are really popular (and perhaps books like ACOTAR have opened up the genre?)
Dark City Omega, also by Ruby Dixon—this is a good entry point to the “omega-verse” (which is also bonkers—do you know what “knotting” is? I had to look it up 😬). It’s another approach to “fated mates” but in a darker, crueler world than IPB.
Super excited to see the newsletter this morning! I also really appreciate diving into ACOTAR since this is something I've spent a lot of time thinking about the past year - my best friend has gone headfirst into ACOTAR and the SJM extended universe. She's successfully gotten a TON of friends into it as well (which I love for them!). I've struggled to get through the series - I pushed through books 1 and 2 because I love her and trust her, and am now stuck in early book 3. She and I have had a lot of conversations along these lines and it's been interesting to try and figure out why it just doesn't click for me the same way it has for her and so many others. I think part of it is because I'm a longtime fantasy and historical romance reader, and many of the romantasy series I've tried feel like they let me down for one or the other. Either the worldbuilding is so thin and just ~vibes~ that I'm left frustrated about how things work and how hand-wavey some of it feels (and I do love a series that feels lived in and well thought out with a good dose of political intrigue), or the romance is predictable and somewhat bland compared to some of the historical romance authors I love (Courtney Milan, Sarah MacLean, etc.). We end a lot of our conversations with "YMMV" (your mileage may vary) - a good reminder to ourselves that each of us has stuff that does or doesn't click and there's no judgment attached to that.
Quick personal favorite recs: I'll second Freya Marske's The Last Binding Trilogy. Also, T. Kingfisher's The Saint of Steel series (angsty paladins find love while being very competent! the protagonists are adults who have creaky knees! one of the paladins knits in his spare time!), the Captive Prince series by C.S. Pacat (true enemies to lovers), and A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland.
Just want to say how much I relate to the “crappy taste hierarchies” issue. I did an honours degree in English over 20 years ago and I’m *still* trying to stop seeing literature as a pyramid, with the classics and poetry near the top, and to start seeing it as more of a buffet—as in an impressively massive spread with no “bad” choices, but rather something there for every taste, mood, time of day. I can’t say ACOTAR is something I want to dig into right now but who knows? Maybe someday I will.
Thank you for the notes about how we talk about ACOTAR / being instinctively defensive. I read these books in the summer of 2021 as we were just starting to emerge from COVID but still having an exceptionally rough time. They got me back into reading for pleasure - I hadn’t wanted to stay up all night finishing a book since I was a teenager. There’s something to be said for embracing things that give us sheer delight.
I absolutely devoured ACOTAR, Crescent City, and Fourth Wing. It's been such a delightful ride these last few months and I'm digging the internet commentary (so so many subreddits). I think some of the critiques are true. CC3 desperately needed more editing. The books aren't deep, but they are FUN.
I don't know how to articulate this better so here it goes. Many of these romantasy books (the uber popular ones at least) were written by conventionally attractive, middle class, straight white ladies for other conventionally attractive, middle class, straight white ladies. In the books they play out the same white woman romance fantasies that have been romance fantasing for years - independence (but still within the patriarchy), sexy times (with a straight hot man who knows how foreplay works), money (but not a job), etc. But this time with pointy ears.
And I'm not mad! Cuz deep down, when the world is mean, sometimes my fantasy is to be a conventionally attractive, middle class, straight white lady. And since I can't be in real life, I like to read about it in a way that doesn't make me feel like the who I am in reality is less than.
When people say the books are bad, I want to ask, “…bad at what?” What do you think they are trying to do, and why do you assume they are trying to do that thing? (Haven’t listened to the podcast yet, but excited to!)
I think the trope of "enemies to lovers" is known to satisfy time and again, but Book #2 taught us that "lovers to enemies" can be equally thrilling (and unfortunately, highly relatable). I felt like such a sucker reading Book 2!!! It's always fun for an author to truly catch you off guard. I do remember reading the first few chapters of Book #1 and rolling my eyes, though. I was like, "Ok Beauty & The Beast, we've heard this one before, wrap it up." How foolish I was! Such a fun journey - SJM repeatedly forces you to discard your favorite character in favor of someone juicier. Each book has you viewing at previous ones like you would a highschool relationship - why was I so into that? They feel juvenille and one-dimensional. If I can somehow like Elain better than Nesta, these books will actually be magic!
Possibly the fastest I’ve ever clicked on any newsletter. Thank you for treating this as something worthy of both admiration and critique! For anyone else who wants to make this their whole personality for a bit but thinks five books (and counting) aren’t enough: SJM has two other fae fantasy series and they collectively get a little Into the Faerieverse
I read all of SJM's first series, initially out of curiosity of what the hell the ruckus was about, and then because it was a train wreck my curiosity refused to let me look away from. I haven't felt compelled to read any of her other books. So, with that context:
1. There are so many other sexy fantasy books out there that handle literally all of the gross parts of SJM's books better. My highest recommendation is for Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey.
2. There are SO MANY gross parts of these books. AHP hit on some big ones, but also - the handling of race and queerness, the ways that appearance is so overwhelmingly important and reliant on Western standards of beauty.
3. The dynamics depicted ultimately serve to uphold existing cultural notions. Sure, expecting better sex is great, but when that comes wrapped up with men who have out of control possessiveness, it's still just the patriarchy.
Ultimately I don't know what the solution is. I'd love for the publishing industry to be/do better - actually require big authors to respond to edits, not throw the biggest marketing budget at things that are just rehashes of what's already a hit and which is problematic (but not overtly enough to get cancelled over). I'd love for SJM to actually listen to what her critics have to say, because I do think at the core she actually is solid at plot and worldbuilding. I'd love for discoverability to be so much better, so that folks branch out and away. I'd love for sexuality to not be so taboo that people feel they can only talk about the sexy books that are already in the public consciousness.
Ok I’m gonna preface this by saying I love fantasy and romantasy and read a lot of both, so this is not coming from some sort of snobby/hierarchical view. But when I was trying to explain ACOTAR to a friend so she could decide if she wanted to read them, I said “I think they’re pretty bad, but also I read them all in a week, one after the other.”
Most of my feelings about the series can be summed up as the “compels me, though” gif from Knives Out
Everyone's points above have been interesting, and I agree with a lot of what has been said. I've read and re-read all of Sarah J Maas's series over the years. I think there's a space for a lot of the criticism of the work, as there should be. At the same time, when I see the valid criticism, I often feel defense of her work. I'm not sure why. Maybe it is because these books helped me get through a lot of health issues, and scary personal situations over the years. Maybe it is because I have been trying to write a fantasy book of my own for some time and I'm imagining what it would be like for so many people to speak negatively about something you've written (not that those things aren't valid, but that so many people adding to the discourse forget that there is a human being behind this in the way they speak and write).
I tend to read (and write) to escape the current situation, whatever that may be. Fantasy worlds remind me that there are other ways of being, not in a sense of "these are versions of utopia we should work towards" but more like "wow, human imagination is fascinating and I'm not alone in themes of the various stories (both "good" and "bad") that I tell myself when I'm bored." Maas's books have, for the most part given me a blissful escape when I needed it and reignited my own love for reading and writing at times when I needed it.
At the same time, I ALSO feel so defensive about my own reading of her books. I feel embarrassed when I talk about these books with other people and sometimes lie when someone asks me what I'm reading. So much to think about.
Thanks AHP, I have never commented on a substack before and this is the one thread that broke the ice for me! Excited for the podcast.
Oh wow, this is when two separate, yet amazing worlds in my life collide!! Woo hoo!! I have been reading fantasy since I was a teen, some romance too, but mostly fantasy. I am not mad at the blending of the two genres creating "romantasy," it is incredibly fun and immersive.
I have been reading SJM since the beginning, and read ACOTAR as each book came out, the wait between each release was agonizing. All the points you have brought up are spot on. In regards to purity and first loves, - I cannot stress enough how incredibly revolutionary SJM's depiction of a non-virgin FMC who sleeps with more than one man was at the time it came out. When I first read it I was like, YES!! FINALLY!! I think it's important to remember that fantasy fiction has largely been dominated by male authors and the male gaze, it's only been in recent years that female authors have gained any traction much to the irritation of many male readers. You should see how these books are trashed in the larger sci-fi/-fantasy online groups that are dominated by men. That's not to say there haven't been incredible female authors, but men dominate the space, and I love that SJM has carved such a large part of it out for herself and women readers.
Regarding the pregnancy trope - she had two kids while writing this series, and I tend to think that influenced her writing. I also had a kid around the same time as one of her's was born and could totally see why and how some of that experience would trickle into the world. I'm so glad you love the series, there is lots to unpack here and I can't wait to listen to the podcast!!!
I'm a bookseller at an independent bookstore and while I'm not typically a fantasy reader and haven't read Sarah Maas' books (yet), I absolutely LOVE how engaged and excited people are about this series, and how willing they are to talk about it and connect with others. When I'm at work, it's not uncommon for me to witness people who have never met before find out that they both read Sarah Maas, and then get deep into conversation about the books and characters. I've also had numerous readers of this series talk to me about how it got them through a hard time (such as an illness or recovery, a break-up, a big change in their life like moving to a new place) and how much they enjoyed the experience of reading these books.
I've been thinking lately about how that immersive experience of reading is really what often what hook people into being readers. Looking for the recreation of that experience, of getting totally pulled into a story, is one of the things that keeps people coming back for more. It's a hard thing to describe, because it seems like some books seem more likely to pull us into that richness more fully, and it also often needs to have that magic overlap with right book / right time / right person. It's a special thing!
As someone who reads an absurd amount of historical romance and a more moderate amount of romantasy, I think it’s fascinating how patriarchal society and relationships (especially when you have an “alpha” hero) are handled in most *modern* historicals as opposed to these popular romantasy series. In many ways the romantasy genre feels more in line with historicals of old (ie the 80s and early 90s) with the territorial/dominant/possessive qualities of the hero being used as a stand in for an emotional connection. I think it helps that most romances make an effort to switch between perspectives more consistently so that you can see how each character is changing as the relationship develops. I start to resent books where the author doesn’t do this and one of the parties remains mostly a mystery and the first ACOTAR was this for me.
I am a DEVOUT reader of fanfiction (AHP, have you read Manacled yet, as per Melody's suggestion??) and I think the thing I find both perplexing and compelling about ACOTAR is that the books are like...iterative fanfiction of themselves? Fanfiction so often serves as authorial wish fulfillment-- I want these characters to pine for each other, be thrust into this ridiculous situation, and also look hot, etc. without having to stick to the prescriptions of what a book is "supposed" to do. And ACOTAR kind of reads like SJM is doing that too! It's so hard to pin down but so predictable at the same time? Idk, still chewing on this thesis.
As a long-time romance reader, my friends and I have constantly joked that all of Nora Roberts' heroes and heroines are actually just painting Thomas Kinkade pieces. I fully believe Feyre is part of the Thomas Kinkade Romance School of Art for Heroes Who Can't Paint Good.
I pretty much only read romance. I enjoyed it as a young/new adult but read other “more edifying” things too. I was a huge reader. Then life/work/kids happened, and I stopped reading for pleasure for a long time. When I felt called to restart I “eased” back into it with romance which I remembered brought me so much joy and laughs, which I really needed.
But I found I was so stressed and emotionally fragile that I didn’t enjoy the emotional sucker punches of a lot of other genres so I’ve stuck to romance.
During very stressful times when I was struggling, romance has been like a port of safety that gave me a place to retreat from the world for a little bit. I’m immensely grateful to the genre. And fantasy romance is just that much more of a relief because when the world is so different it’s just that much easier to lose yourself in it.
All of this is to say ACOTAR is right up my alley and I wanted to LOVE it but I abandoned book 1 about 1/2 way through because it’s was so slow and boring. I wanted the immersive, sexy joy of it but honestly I’m spoiled because when it comes to sexy fantasy the romance genre honestly does it much better.
But I’m still jealous because I’d really like the ACOTAR experience. In light of this thread I will try again and have the book on hold.
I feel like the fantasy/monster romance category is just exploding right now and I’m looking to read more great fantasy/romance (I just learned the word “romantasy”). For anyone interested I’d recommend Ruby Dixon:
Ice Planet Barbarians, by Ruby Dixon. Bonkers is the only way to describe this series but it’s a fun ride. Has a “fated mates” aspect and involves blue aliens who are just the most devoted, grateful partners. This series helped me get thru the pandemic.
Ruby Dixon is/was a self-published author whose books spread through the romance community on IG (and prob tiktok too). It was like a fun, little fire that spread from account to account. Her books were too “out there” for mainstream publishing until just recently. Her books have now been picked up for distribution by a couple of main stream publishers because they are really popular (and perhaps books like ACOTAR have opened up the genre?)
Dark City Omega, also by Ruby Dixon—this is a good entry point to the “omega-verse” (which is also bonkers—do you know what “knotting” is? I had to look it up 😬). It’s another approach to “fated mates” but in a darker, crueler world than IPB.
Does anyone else have romantasy recs?
Super excited to see the newsletter this morning! I also really appreciate diving into ACOTAR since this is something I've spent a lot of time thinking about the past year - my best friend has gone headfirst into ACOTAR and the SJM extended universe. She's successfully gotten a TON of friends into it as well (which I love for them!). I've struggled to get through the series - I pushed through books 1 and 2 because I love her and trust her, and am now stuck in early book 3. She and I have had a lot of conversations along these lines and it's been interesting to try and figure out why it just doesn't click for me the same way it has for her and so many others. I think part of it is because I'm a longtime fantasy and historical romance reader, and many of the romantasy series I've tried feel like they let me down for one or the other. Either the worldbuilding is so thin and just ~vibes~ that I'm left frustrated about how things work and how hand-wavey some of it feels (and I do love a series that feels lived in and well thought out with a good dose of political intrigue), or the romance is predictable and somewhat bland compared to some of the historical romance authors I love (Courtney Milan, Sarah MacLean, etc.). We end a lot of our conversations with "YMMV" (your mileage may vary) - a good reminder to ourselves that each of us has stuff that does or doesn't click and there's no judgment attached to that.
Quick personal favorite recs: I'll second Freya Marske's The Last Binding Trilogy. Also, T. Kingfisher's The Saint of Steel series (angsty paladins find love while being very competent! the protagonists are adults who have creaky knees! one of the paladins knits in his spare time!), the Captive Prince series by C.S. Pacat (true enemies to lovers), and A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland.
Just want to say how much I relate to the “crappy taste hierarchies” issue. I did an honours degree in English over 20 years ago and I’m *still* trying to stop seeing literature as a pyramid, with the classics and poetry near the top, and to start seeing it as more of a buffet—as in an impressively massive spread with no “bad” choices, but rather something there for every taste, mood, time of day. I can’t say ACOTAR is something I want to dig into right now but who knows? Maybe someday I will.