LIKE SARAH J. MAAS? TRY THESE 🧝‍♀️

Sarah J. Maas isn't necessarily an author whose works are exactly fitting my taste. However, I think there is no doubt that she's had an enormous impact on fantasy as a whole, on fantasy romance.

This I would say feels so much more fairytale-esque. I think this author's writing is very lovely and it just is somewhat whimsical in nature. I think she captures that feeling of the fake court being very different from how humans operate.

So, I think the world building in this one has that, and I just really enjoyed the character interactions. I feel like the pacing was just so fun and fast-paced, but there's just a general tone to it, and also the character and how she behaves.

I think this one branches out into its own thing a little more I would say, with more uniqueness, perhaps, than some of the others on this list, and its sequel actually follows a different character, and it explores different stories, cuz I'd say they both feel like, in some ways, retellings, but I think For the Wolf is the one where, because of the very obvious kind of combination of Little Red Riding Hood and the Beauty and the Beast retelling aspect of it, there are obvious parallels to ACOTAR, even though it goes into its own direction.

I think of all the books on this list, The Northwind is actually the one that I think there are the most obvious parallels to as it is very much a Beauty and the Beast retelling, which is what A Court of Thorns and Roses originated as.

So at the beginning of the story you are seeing that she is a human among the fae who are truly wicked. They have so much more power over her as far as their control of magic and the fact that they live long lives. The only thing she has against them is that she has the ability to lie.

But, how she decides to capitalize on every little moment or every little interaction is actually quite entertaining to follow.

So if you're looking for maybe an A Court of Thorns and Roses like story, but ACOTAR light, where it's a little more compulsively readable, it's a little faster, and maybe you could even argue a little bit more fun, then These Hollow Vows is probably going to fit your taste.

I'm going to describe her as a less annoying Celaena, because I'm sure we all know if you've read any Throne of Glass, that character has a really high level of what I think she would consider swagger, but also sometimes it's a little much, you know?

There are certainly world building elements to this that stand on their own, but I think so much if you've read Throne of Glass and ACOTAR. So many of the plot points and certain scenes they feel very reminiscent of Sarah J. Maas's works. There are still enough pieces of When the Moon Hatched that I think it's able to tell its own story.