History YMMV / ACourtOfThornsAndRoses

* ItWasHisSled: [[spoiler:Tamlin is a RomanticFalseLead for Feyre and she ends up with Rhysand]]. This is extremely well-known by readers, even those who are only just starting the series, especially given [[spoiler:Feyre is with Rhysand for [[LateArrivalSpoiler over half the books]] and the sheer amount of publically-available fanart depicting them as a couple]].

* ViewerNameConfusion: There's a bit of debate amongst readers over how to pronounce Rhysand's name. His nickname of Rhys is a real given name (Welsh in origin) pronounced the same as Reese, so some naturally assume Rhysand is pronounced "reese-and". However, others pronounce it as "rye-sand" or even "ris-and". Eventually, a pronunciation guide was released stating it's pronounced "ree-sand", though some readers still find it confusing or hard to adjust after spending years pronouncing it differently. Funnily enough, a few readers admitted they pronounced his nickname as "''reese''" but his full name as "''rye''-sand". Readers who are unfamiliar with the name Rhys were also known to say it as "rice" or "rise", adding to the confusion.

* ShipToShipCombat: Between Lucien/Elain and Azriel/Elain shippers, with Azriel/Gywn shippers entering the fray too following the publication of ''A Court of Silver Flames''. Lucien/Elain shippers want to them to be together because they're mates and they believe both characters deserve happiness and a second chance at love (Lucien's fiancee was murdered in front of him, Elain's fiance rejected her after she became Fae). Azriel/Elain shippers think they have more chemistry (Elain has repeatedly given Lucien the cold shoulder, with some fans even thinking ''Lucien'' deserves better) and point out that being mates doesn't guarantee a couple's happiness. Others think that Azriel acts overly possessive and entitled towards Elain, and think it's weird or cheesy for the three Illyrian 'brothers' to be paired with the three Archeron sisters. [[note]]Rhysand, Cassian and Azriel aren't biologically related but consider each other BloodBrothers [[/note]] Others don't want Elain paired with either man due to disliking her or thinking both pairings are ill-suited. Amongst some shippers, the debates have reached a point of dissolving into arguments and insults, with there even being reports of death threats and people getting kicked out of online groups for supporting the 'wrong' ship.

** A large group of fans and detractors alike felt let down by ''A Court of Wings and Ruin'', mainly for focusing on Feyre's love life more than the war itself, retcons involving Lucien and Mor, and a lot of DeusExMachina towards the end, especially the arrival of [[spoiler: Feyre's father]] and [[spoiler: Rhysand dying for all of five minutes before coming back to life.]]

** ''The Plated Prisoner'' by Raven Kennedy can be considered this for its similarities to ''A Court of Thorns and Roses'' (face romance with a toxic RomanticFalseLead and an AntiHero romance). On the flip side, there are readers who say Raven Kennedy managed to take the basic plotline and make it ''better''. These readers often say that there's less of a grey area with the RomanticFalseLead like [[spoiler:Tamlin]] dealing with present-day trauma and just being a manipulative bastard. And that the series true LoveInterest being more of a feminist than [[spoiler:Rhysand]] ever was by respecting the heroine's autonomy and using little to no manipulation tactics under the guise of "helping" the heroine. Of course, that being said, there is also quite a bit of FriendlyFandoms at play with readers liking both series ''because'' of their similarities.

** Azriel, to a lesser degree; he's been shipped with Mor, Elain, Gwyn, Lucien and Cassian. Following the release of the fifth book, some readers even began shipping him with ''[[FoeYayShipping Eris]]''.

* FandomRivalry: Some fans of Anne Bishop's ''Literature/BlackJewels'' series don't have the highest opinion of ''A Court of Thorns and Roses'' due to perceiving the latter as [[TheyCopiedItSoItSucks ripping off]] many elements from the original ''Black Jewels'' trilogy. Admittedly, there are some similarities between the two works that seem too alike to be a coincidence and for what it's worth, Sarah J. Maas herself has stated she is a fan of the ''Black Jewels'' series. Some readers don't mind the similarities too much and see it more as Maas just taking inspiration from earlier works she likes (she'd hardly be the first author to do so), but others are less forgiving and see it less as inspiration and more as bordering on plagiarism
* FanonDiscontinuity: A portion of the fandom prefer not to read beyond the original trilogy due to disliking the direction the later books take, in particular Feyre undergoing BadassDecay, certain characters coming off as OOC and/or becoming unlikable in these readers' eyes, Rhysand's questionable treatment of Feyre in the fifth book, and the ever-increasing number of sex scenes (which some readers find distracting more than anything).

** Rhysand. Critics accuse him of being just as bad as Tamlin, if not worse, for his villainous treatment of Feyre Under The Mountain and tendency to manipulate and/or lie to everyone, even those close to him. Fans point out that unlike Tamlin, his treatment of Feyre was ''while he was a villain'' (whereas Tamlin was her fiance´ and so should be held to higher standards) and like him for [[TookALevelInKindness growing kinder and trying to help Feyre overcome her PTSD]]. There are also readers who find Rhysand to be overly-idealized after the first book and having little characterization or depth outside of being the 'perfect boyfriend' [[spoiler:for Feyre]], while others like him for this reason. And then there's Rhysand's actions in ''A Court of Silver Flames'', including [[spoiler:purposefully withholding information about the potential dangers of Feyre's pregnancy '''from Feyre''' because of how telling her would affect ''[[ItsAllAboutMe him]]''. Then he threatened to kill Nesta for telling Feyre, something she has ''every right'' knowing]]. Some readers defend Rhys as just doing what he thinks is right in an incredibly difficult situation, while others think it proves he's no better than Tamlin and are sick of him being let off the hook for it.

** ''A Court of Mist and Fury'' is seen by many fans as an EvenBetterSequel to ''A Court of Thorns and Roses'' (with some fans going so far as to call it the series' peak). Many fans loved Rhysand's characterization and HiddenDepths, especially his support of Feyre [[spoiler:and their romantic subtext becoming text]], as well as the plotline involving Feyre dealing with and overcoming post-traumatic stress disorder, which most readers found to be a nuanced and realistic depiction. Some fans also appreciated that the book averts DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale, instead treating the subject very seriously. That said, there are some readers who took issue with Tamlin's character arc in this book and its knock-on effect upon other characters, and the introduction of a love triangle (which YA fiction tends to be oversaturated in) among other things, with some even regarding it as the 'beginning of the end' for the series.

** ''A Court of Silver Flames''. Many see it as an improvement over ''A Court of Frost and Starlight'' due to having a plot with actual stakes, and enjoy the book's focus on fan-favorite Nesta, her journey of recovery and her relationship with Cassian. However, others have criticized how unpleasant many of the main characters act, especially towards Nesta, and the main villain being considered a weaker antagonist compared to Amarantha and the King of Hybern. The plotline involving [[spoiler:Feyre's pregnancy]] also proved divisive; some enjoyed it and felt it was a great way to complete Nesta's arc, while others unfavorably compared it to ''[[Literature/{{Twilight}} Breaking Dawn]]'' and felt it was disappointing and problematic due to [[spoiler:Rhysand's behavior (which reminded some people of [[DomesticAbuse Tamlin]]), Nesta giving up her powers to save Feyre and her baby, and Feyre becoming rather passive and helpless]].

* ShippingBedDeath: For some Feyre/[[spoiler: Rhysand]] shippers, their actual relationship became tedious to read about after they got together, especially by ''A Court of Frost and Starlight''. The main criticisms brought up is that the story tends to shift the focus to their relationship even though there's other, more important things going on like the war with Hybern, and their relationship itself is mostly devoid of conflict and dramatic tension after the second book, consisting largely of them [[CoitusEnsues hooking up]] and constantly reiterating how much they love each other. Some readers also didn't appreciate the way [[spoiler: Tamlin]] got derailed as a love interest to make way for [[spoiler: Rhysand]]. This only worsened after the fifth book, due to many readers increasingly finding [[spoiler:Rhysand]]'s behavior problematic, while Feyre/the narrative constantly excuses it, making their dynamic come off as toxic.

** There were some readers who shipped Feyre with Lucien over Tamlin in the first book, enjoying their banter and growing respect for each other; it helps that Lucien physically shields Feyre from Rhysand and lies that she's his fiancée to protect her, they both come to each other’s rescue Under the Mountain and Lucien seems just as devastated as Tamlin by Feyre's death. In the second book Lucien also seems more aware than Tamlin of Feyre's mental state and attempts to coax him into supporting her better, with a few readers even getting the impression Lucien would end up as a canonical romantic rival. By the end of the second book though, most shippers realized it was never going to happen because it's made clear Feyre and [[spoiler:Rhysand]] were the OfficialCouple of the series; many remaining hold-outs were subsequently turned off the ship due to Feyre's rather poor treatment of Lucien in the third book, including her tricking Tamlin into believing they were having an affair to manipulate him.

* PlatonicWritingRomanticReading: Mor and Cassian are intended to be LikeBrotherAndSister, but some of their interactions make it seem more like they're romantically/sexually attracted to each other. For starters, Mor ''lost her virginity to Cassian''; although Mor says she mostly did it to get out of her arranged marriage, Cassian was quite willing to go along with it. Then there's Cassian's protectiveness of Mor and her using him as a buffer from Azriel (who has unrequited romantic feelings for her), which frequently includes her flirting with him. Mor also becomes quite possessive of Cassian whenever Nesta is around (whom Cassian is mated to), inserts herself between them and warns Nesta to stay away from him. Cassian himself often acts as if he's done something wrong if Mor catches him with Nesta and he tries to avoid being with her when Mor is about. One could argue Mor is just looking out for her friend given Nesta's prickliness, but the reactions from both of them can make it seem more like a woman being territorial over her crush and said crush not wanting to make her jealous.

** Feyre is not without her detractors. There are those who think her jaded personality from the start was a ClicheStorm, those who like her as a human but think she became less interesting after she became a High Fae, and those who appreciate her character arc in its entirety. Her actions in ''A Court of Wings and Ruin'' have been particularly divisive amongst readers, especially considering she [[KarmaHoudini never really experiences any repercussions for this]]. Her role in ''A Court of Silver Flames'' has created further divisions. Some have equated Feyre forcing Nesta to live at the House of Wind with Tamlin's actions toward her in ''[[DoubleStandard A Court of Mist and Fury]]'' and find that she's unempathetic to her sister's trauma, while others have defended her as giving Nesta ToughLove treatment out of frustration.

* AngstWhatAngst: In ''A Court of Silver Flames'', Feyre doesn't seem nearly as horrified as one would expect when she discovers her mate and friends all conspired not to tell her that [[spoiler:she and her unborn baby are very likely going to die in childbirth; she finds out when her sister blurts it out in a moment of rage (her mate then threatens to kill her sister)]]. Feyre does get upset and later states Rhysand overreacted about Nesta, but she forgives Rhysand and the Inner Circle ''very'' easily despite them lying to her about something so serious and personal to her. Considering Feyre's past trauma around being controlled and left out of the loop by a partner (and that she went nuclear on [[spoiler:Tamlin]] for betraying her trust and hurting her family), her reaction can come off as bizarrely minor.

* IdiotPlot: The whole situation surrounding [[spoiler:Feyre's pregnancy]] in ''A Court of Silver Flames''.
** Firstly, just about everyone - including [[spoiler:Feyre's own husband]] - think it's a good idea to hide from her that [[spoiler:her pregnancy]] is high-risk to the point both she and [[spoiler:her unborn child]] may not survive. Rather than help Feyre find a solution, everyone spends months privately wringing their hands and lamenting the supposed inevitable demise of Feyre [[spoiler:and her child]] while Feyre remains blissfully unaware.
** Secondly, because of the stupid pact Feyre and Rhysand made at the end of ''A Court of Wings and Ruin'' [[spoiler: binding their life-forces]], this means that if Feyre dies [[spoiler:Rhysand is screwed as well]], which could've been avoided if they hadn't been so short-sighted.
** Thirdly, the issue with [[spoiler: Feyre's pregnancy]] boils down to the fact her High Fae body doesn't have enough room for [[spoiler:a part-Illyrian child]]. However, it's established that she could change the shape of [[spoiler:her pelvis]] with her shapeshifting powers. It's claimed this isn't an option because it ''might'' hurt [[spoiler:the baby]], but it's not known for certain. In a worst-case scenario, potentially losing [[spoiler:the baby]] would still arguably be better than [[spoiler:the baby, Feyre and Rhysand ''all'' being doomed]]. There also doesn't seem to be any reason - magically or medically - that [[spoiler:a caesarean wouldn't be an option]], especially seeing as Feyre has access to the best healers in the land, some of whom have demonstrated the ability to heal life-threatening injuries in moments.

* HypeBacklash: ''A Court of Thorns and Roses'' became one of the most popular and bestselling young adult fantasy book series in the mid-to-late 2010s, continuing into the 2020s (alongside Creator/SarahJMaas' other fantasy series ''Literature/ThroneOfGlass''), in particular being praised for its feminist themes and strong female protagonist. However, backlash started to kick in round about when the novella was published in 2018 and intensified after the release of ''A Court of Silver Flames'' in 2021, with readers becoming a lot more critical of the series due to these installments highlighting already-existing flaws. While the books definitely do have a large fanbase still, increasingly readers have been finding the series a sub-standard example of a {{feminist fantasy}} due to issues such as problematic depictions of romantic relationships, and hypocritical messages around abuse and trauma.

* AuthorsSavingThrow:
** The series has been criticized for the lack of diversity (the majority of the main cast are white and straight), which is what presumably prompted Maas to make Mor bisexual with a preference for women (in a rather problematic way) and Lucien more dark-skinned [[spoiler:as Helion's son]], [[RetCon even though the latter had been described in previous books as pale-skinned]].
** Maas arguably handles diversity better than previous entries with the introduction of Emerie as a supporting protagonist in ''A Court of Silver Flames'': she's an AmbiguouslyBrown Illyrian woman (most fanart depicts her as dark-skinned) who is strongly hinted to be attracted to women given her [[ShipTease flustered reaction]] to Mor.

* MarySueTopia: The Night Court, or at least [[ShiningCity Velaris]]. It's a beautiful city that was kept hidden from Amarantha and so was left untouched by her reign. It's one of the most progressive places in Prythian (such as having better opportunities and treatment for women and non-High Fae), almost resembling a modern city in a roughly medieval time period, with shops, cafes, bars, museums, art galleries etc. The Inner Circle are adored by the people and anyone who dislikes or disagrees with them are usually either villains or misguided. Despite being a port city and relying on trade for its economy, no outsiders have ever learned of its existence (which is handwaved by [[AWizardDidIt magic wards]]). That said, there are apparently still issues with poverty and poor housing given Nesta is depicted living in a rundown apartment complex, though the rulers 'resolve' this by evicting everyone, bulldozing the apartments and building a refuge. It's worth noting this apparently applies ''only'' to Velaris; the only other places in the Night Court we get to see - the Hewn City and the Illyrian camps - are misogynistic hellholes that thrive on cruelty and violence, with Rhysand making minimal efforts to resolve their issues despite espousing equality and compassion. Velaris is in fact kept hidden from most of the Night Court as well, so only certain 'elite' Night Court citizens get to live there.

** Amren became this following ''A Court of Wings and Ruin'', and especially after ''A Court of Silver Flames''. Amren was popular amongst readers for her enigmatic nature and "take-no-shit" attitude, so some readers were happy that she [[spoiler:came back to life after sacrificing herself]] at the end of ''Wings and Ruin''. However, other readers weren't so keen, arguing that her [[spoiler:dying in this way was a fitting bittersweet end to her arc and her survival came off as an AssPull]]. The way her character is handled in subsequent books also resulted in even some readers who liked her wishing she'd [[spoiler:stayed dead]]; she's been criticized for being far less interesting after turning into [[spoiler:a standard High Fae]], and doing little but making patronizing or nasty comments to people, especially towards a PTSD-stricken Nesta.
** Nesta, whilst immensely popular with readers, also has her detractors. Some readers can't get over how cold and snappish she is to just about everyone, thinking she uses her trauma as an excuse to be mean-spirited and that she deserved everything that happened to her in ''A Court of Silver Flames''. Others like Nesta despite her sharp-tongue and bad temper, pointing out that her attitude is clearly a reaction to years of trauma, that she does love her family in spite of their hostility towards each other, and sympathizing with her feelings of self-hatred and worthlessness. Her fans tend to think that the Inner Circle is excessive in their vitriol towards her, if not downright callous. There are some who even claim that Nesta's treatment is okay with Nesta because she doesn't believe she deserves happiness, while other's point out that neither did Feyre after Under the Mountain and both the narrative and fanbase coddled ''her'' for it.