History YMMV / ACourtOfThornsAndRoses

** The series' depictions of mental health and trauma recovery. There are some who praise Feyre's recovery arc after ''A Court of Thorns and Roses'' and appreciate [[spoiler:Rhysand]]'s a well (especially for subverting the notion that men can't be sexually assaulted). However, some have also argued that Feyre's trauma is still heavily romanticized as she had resolved herself to suffer in silence before being taken to the Night Court, with a lot of her episodes tend to happen behind closed doors where no one can see and where Feyre can't lash out at anyone so no one else is caught in the crossfire. Compounding it further is that [[spoiler:Rhys]] ends up being the one to provide the tools she needs to recover, and it's one of the reasons she falls for him, playing straight into the problematic notion of 'needing' a boyfriend to save you from your mental illness. Detractors would also argue that afterwards Feyre's trauma is cured just like that, as opposed to her learning to live with it and work her way through the good and bad days.

* {{Narm}}:
** Feyre's title as the "Defender of the Rainbow". To some readers it sounds more like something out of ''WesternAnimation/BarbieFairytopia'' than this much darker series.
** Some of the sex scenes in ''A Court of Mist and Fury'', due to things such as [[spoiler: Feyre]]'s vagina glowing, and [[spoiler: Rhysand]]'s climax shattering a mountain.
** The term "vulgar gesture" is used often in the books. However, it's never once described what this gesture ''looks'' like and why it's so vulgar. The most anyone can figure is that it's simply FlippingTheBird. Which begs the question of why it's never described as such from a book that throws around [[AnachronismStew "pissy" and "prick"]] just as often.
** The constant uses of "male" and "female" to refer to the gender of a character has been mocked, (especially the term ''gentlemale'') alongside the sheer number of times "mate" appears from [[spoiler: Feyre realizing Rhys is her mate]] on.
** In ''A Court of Frost and Starlight'' it's mentioned that [[spoiler:Rhysand and Feyre]] had sex [[MakingLoveInAllTheWrongPlaces in the sky while flying over Velaris]]. And that they were so passionate they nearly crashed into someone's roof. The whole situation conjures up some hilarious imagery, especially considering it's such a wildly impractical location to get it on and the likelihood several citizens would have spotted them.
** The phrase "I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding" or slight variations thereof crops up repeatedly. Some readers find it annoyingly repetitive and improbable, with a few joking it makes it seem Feyre has respiratory problems. It doesn't help that the line is considered overused to the point of cliche in fiction, ''especially'' in YA fiction.
** For some, the Inner Circle's utter horror over how much Nesta spent at a bar ("500 gold marks") can become this considering that in the same chapter, it's stated that Feyre and [[spoiler:Rhysand]] have ''five'' houses ''and'' just finished renovating a gargantuan riverside mansion.

** Nesta and Cassian's romance is divisive, especially after the fifth book where their relationship is dealt with directly and forms a major subplot [[spoiler:culminating in them becoming an OfficialCouple]]. Some like the idea of them as a couple, finding their differing personalities to be complimentary in an UptightLovesWild kind of way and enjoy their BelligerentSexualTension slowly developing into love. Others aren't so keen; they find that their bickering comes off as too hostile to be genuinely sexy or endearing and that neither of them seem to respect or even like each other beyond sex. Some felt that Cassian was good for Nesta in a ToughLove sense and like that she worked to improve herself to be truly worthy of his love; others feel Cassian comes off as unsupportive of Nesta while she's in the depths of a mental breakdown (especially compared to Rhysand when Feyre was going through something similar) which includes telling her she's unlovable, and thus find the idea of them genuinely falling for each other contrived. On a related note, some like the highly sexual nature of their relationship, while others thought it went overboard in this area.

** DesignatedMonkey: Lucien, especially in the third book. He's constantly being shat on by everyone and dismissed as a pathetic YesMan to Tamlin. This is despite going through a major TraumaCongaLine which includes: growing up in an abusive home, witnessing his fiancée's murder, nearly getting killed by his brothers, having his eye ripped out, being cursed for fifty years, being tortured and nearly killed Under the Mountain, being sexually assaulted by Ianthe and Feyre taking advantage of his trauma to manipulate Tamlin into thinking they're having an affair (which he later learns was all part of her plan to [[spoiler:destroy the Spring Court]]). Feyre calls Lucien out on not doing more to help her but Lucien a) did actually try to persuade Tamlin to give Feyre more freedom (but can only do so much given Tamlin's in a position of authority over him) and b) is in a difficult position firstly because he genuinely loves and trusts Tamlin as the only family he has and later because Tamlin starts to view him with distrust (which Feyre helped stoke). And when Lucien does turn on Tamlin, gives up his home and risks his life to help Feyre escape, she not only lets the Inner Circle bully and threaten him, she's also lets him stand around in filthy clothes while she hooks up with [[spoiler:Rhysand]] and only later feels mildly bad about it. When Lucien tells Feyre he's found comfort and support with someone other than the Inner Circle, she even mocks him over it and for feeling unwelcome at the Night Court. Gee, I wonder why he would ever feel that way?

** A complaint of the later books (reaching a nadir in ''A Court of Frost and Starlight'') is the tendency to focus more on Feyre's love life than the large-scale conflicts. The first book had Feyre's romance with Tamlin take most of the spotlight; the conflict with Amarantha doesn't become prominent at all until the last third. This was more forgivable for readers because Tamlin wanting to romance Feyre and thus break the Spring Court's curse is the whole reason Feyre gets involved in the plot, and Feyre's confrontation with Amarantha occurs largely ''because'' she's fallen in love with Tamlin, so it's understandable the book devotes a lot of pagetime to their relationship. However, in the subsequent books the conflict shifts to Hybern threatening to invade both Prythian and the human realm after Amarantha's defeat (and Feyre learning to cope with [[spoiler: being turned into a High Fae]]); Feyre's romantic relationships no longer play a central part in this, so for some readers it's less justifiable that they're focused on so much.

** Secondly, because 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.

** Azriel, particularly in regards to his love life. Is he a socially-awkward DoggedNiceGuy who doesn't really understand how to navigate romantic relationships beyond devoting himself to the object of his affection and just hoping she reciprocates one day? Or is he more of an obsessive StalkerWithACrush who acts entitled and possessive over any woman who shows him affection (even if it's not intended as romantic) and ignores obvious hints she doesn't feel the same?

** The series depictions of mental health and trauma recovery. There are some who praise Feyre's recovery arc after ''A Court of Thorns and Roses'' and appreciate [[spoiler:Rhysand]]'s a well, subverting the notion that men can't be sexually assaulted. However, some have also argued that Feyre's trauma is still heavily romanticized as she had resolved herself to suffer in silence before being taken to the Night Court and a lot of her episodes tend to happen behind closed doors where no one can see and where Feyre can't lash out at anyone so no one else is caught in the crossfire. Compounded further is that [[spoiler:Rhys]] ends up being the one to provide the tools she needs to recover, and it's one of the reasons she falls for him playing straight into the problematic notion of needing a boyfriend to save you from your mental health. And they argue that Feyre is instantly healed, her trauma is just cured, as opposed to learning to live with it and work her way through the good and bad days.

** The series depictions of mental health and trauma recovery. There are some who praise Feyre's recovery arc after ''A Court of Thorns and Roses'' and appreciate [[spoiler:Rhysand]]'s a well, subverting the notion that men can't be sexually assaulted. However, some have also argued that Feyre's trauma is still heavily romanticized as she had resolved herself to suffer in silence before being taken to the Night Court and a lot of her episodes tend to happen behind closed doors where no one can see and where Feyre can't hurt anyone. Compounded further is that [[spoiler:Rhys]] ends up being the one to provide the tools she needs to recover, and it's one of the reason's she falls for him playing straight into the problematic notion of needing the romance to save you from you mental health.

* FranchiseOriginalSin: A complaint of the later books (reaching a nadir in ''A Court of Frost and Starlight'') is the tendency to focus more on Feyre's love life than the large-scale conflicts. The first book had Feyre's romance with Tamlin take most of the spotlight; the conflict with Amarantha doesn't become prominent at all until the last third. This was more forgivable for readers because Tamlin wanting to romance Feyre and thus break the Spring Court's curse is the whole reason Feyre gets involved in the plot, and Feyre's confrontation with Amarantha occurs largely ''because'' she's fallen in love with Tamlin, so it's understandable the book devotes a lot of pagetime to their relationship. However, in the subsequent books the conflict shifts to Hybern threatening to invade both Prythian and the human realm after Amarantha's defeat (and Feyre learning to cope with [[spoiler: being turned into a High Fae]]); Feyre's romantic relationships no longer play a central part in this, so for some readers it's less justifiable that they're focused on so much.

* 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. The Inner Circle even balks at the thought of letting Hewn City civilians shelter in Velaris from Hybern's forces because they're so 'savage and backwards' in comparison (Feyre herself called Rhysand out on Velaris' isolationist policies in ''Mist and Fury'', but changes her tune by ''Wings and Ruin''). 

** After ''A Court of Silver Flames'', many readers are starting to jump ship with [[spoiler: Rhysand/Feyre, as Rhysand increasingly shows characteristics of a groomer and abusive partner. In ''Silver Flames'' Rhysand's actions are scarily similar to Tamlin's in ''A Court of Mist and Fury'', such as locking Feyre up without her consent, withholding info from her because he thinks she's not strong enough to handle it (even when said info is about keeping her alive) and making decisions regarding her well-being without consulting with her. He also flaunts Feyre before his male peers and makes disgusting comments about their sex life but grows irrationally angry if she dares to speak to another man. Some readers have noted that although Rhysand acts like she's on equal footing with him politically to keep her placated, he appears to be the one calling the shots]]. The author goes through leaps trying to prove they're the superior ship but for some it's getting harder not to see their relationship as destructive and toxic. Many readers that went through abusive relationships feel that [[spoiler:Rhysand]] is better at gaslighting and controlling his lover than [[spoiler:Tamlin]] ever was.

** Is Feyre and [[spoiler:Rhysand]]'s relationship an ideal romance between equals, or is it just as unhealthy as Feyre and Tamlin's relationship, albeit in a different way? While [[spoiler:Rhysand]] isn't ''blatantly'' controlling and emotionally abusive the way Tamlin is, he can arguably be controlling and manipulative towards Feyre in more subtle ways, and he's not above hiding important things from her and violating her boundaries if he thinks it's 'for her own good' or it serves his own purposes. He coerces her into [[spoiler:spending one week every month with him]] in exchange for saving her life, so their romance starts out as an abduction much like her romance with Tamlin. Although he insists she gets to make her own choices, she notably never makes any major choices he doesn't already agree with. And though he makes Feyre High Lady of his court, many point out that it's really a hollow gesture because Feyre has shown little political know how and no power. Confounded in the novella and ''Silver Flames'' where despite Feyre supposedly being his equal, [[spoiler:Rhysand]] is ''very much'' the one in charge. Their romance is depicted as helping them heal from trauma, though one could argue they're actually [[LivingEmotionalCrutch co-dependent]].[[note]]when they get together they've both ''just'' come out of abusive relationships and Feyre goes so far as crediting [[spoiler:Rhysand]] with her recovery from PTSD, referring to him as "My lover who had healed my broken and weary soul"[[/note]] They even make what is essentially a magical suicide pact as they can't bear to live without each other. Readers have noted that despite Feyre's aversion to being a consort whose only contribution to the Court is producing heirs, this is exactly what ends up happening in later books, the only difference being [[spoiler:it's with Rhysand instead of Tamlin]]. The age-gap and power dynamics between the pair have also raised some eyebrows; during their initial courtship [[spoiler:Rhysand]] is over 500 years old and an experienced [[spoiler:High Lord]], while Feyre is barely out of her teens, has lived in Prythian barely a year and is extremely vulnerable.

* ProtagonistCenteredMorality: As the series goes on the books go out of their way to excuse Feyre, the Inner Circle, and ''especially'' [[spoiler:[[CreatorsPet Rhysand]]]]'s actions despite being hypocritical to down right morally reprehensible while other characters guilty of doing the same thing are treated as scum of the earth. [[spoiler:Rhys]] actions in particular range from hiding the danger's of Feyre's [[spoiler:pregnancy]] ''from her'', drugging and molesting her for days Under the Mountain for the flimsy excuse of stoking Tamiln's rage, shaming Morrigan for being triggered when he reveals her safe space to her abusive father, repeatedly keeping Feyre in the dark when he has a mission for her, making rather disgusting comments about their sex life, but you better not be a man who's not him while talking to her.

* RomanticPlotTumor: It's argued that the Amarantha plotline and the war with Hybern are put on the back-burn to focus on Feyre's relationship with Tamlin [[spoiler:and later Rhysand]] during the first two books. The third arguably alleviates this by being more focused on the war efforts, though for some readers Feyre's romantic relationships are still given too much pagetime. Their romance even starts to encroach on the fifth book's plot, which is supposed to be focused around Nesta, to the point that the book's climax is devoted to solving the issues threatening their relationship.

* NeverLiveItDown: Many readers believe that Tamlin's lowest moments i.e. [[spoiler: locking Feyre up in his manor and allying with Hybern]], define him as a character and previous characterization present in ''A Court of Thorns and Roses'' was just a facade.

** 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.

** In the third act of ''A Court of Thorns and Roses'', Feyre must either answer a riddle or partake in three gruelling tasks to break Amarantha's curse. She must go through the tasks because she can't figure out the riddle until she dramatically comes up with the answer at the last moment. Several readers have noted the riddle is pretty easy to figure out (especially given the context of Feyre fighting for her lover, that fact the whole thing ''started'' because Tamlin refused Amarantha's advances, that her sister was murdered by her lover, and the fact it's a ''romance'' novel), so it deflates much of the tension because Feyre is being so dense. Other readers argue that it may not have been obvious to ''Feyre'' specifically, given she hasn't received much love and affection over her life.

** Firstly, just about everyone - including [[spoiler:Feyre's own husband]] - think it's a good idea to hide from the 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.

* IdiotPlot: The whole situation surround [[spoiler:Feyre's pregnancy]] in ''A Court of Silver Flames''.

* 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 questionable prose, problematic depictions of romantic relationships, and hypocritical messages around abuse and trauma. 

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids: The series is described as "young adult" fantasy and is often found in the teen section in bookstores and libraries. However, the sexual content is a ''lot'' more [[ExplicitContent explicit]] than the average young adult novel, to the point that some printings come with {{content warning}}s advising reader discrection on the cover. From ''A Court of Silver Flames'' onwards the series is now marketed more as "New Adult" fiction (typically aimed at readers aged 18-25 rather than younger teens) for this reason.

** Tamlin as the series goes on. The series never had an issue with calling Tamlin out on his worst character aspects and for his actions in ''A Court of Mist and Fury''. However as time goes on [[spoiler:''Rhysand's'']] flaws are becoming far more apparent, even to the point where he makes similar actions... but Feyre/the narration/Maas will jump through hoops to excuse [[spoiler:Rhys]] despite being guilty of the same thing ''and worse''. While many of his actions are not justifiable, several readers point out that he's likely suffering from PTSD after [[TraumaCongaLine everything that happened]] and lacks a strong support system, nor does it help that he's being manipulated by [[ChildhoodFriend Ianthe]]. He also appears to have good intentions rather than acting purely from malice and still does some heroic things in the third book, yet everyone acts like he did it all ForTheEvulz and deserved to [[spoiler:have his entire court destroyed]]. Instead of making Tamlin out as merely an abusive {{jerkass}}, he's starting to come across as more as a highly traumatized tragic figure given absolutely no chance to properly cope. Even readers who don't much like Tamlin felt some pity for him in ''Frost and Starlight'', as he appears to be deeply depressed and possibly ''suicidal'', and thought Rhysand was out of order for mocking and ranting at him.
** Nesta in ''A Court of Silver Flames''. While she can be a rude, standoffish jerk to the Inner Circle and needs to find better coping mechanisms for her trauma, the way everyone acts like she's the worst person ever for this comes off as disproportionate.[[note]]Especially coming from people who've done things like torture, murder, and starting civil wars for petty reasons[[/note]] Nesta's behavior is a largely self-destructive response to PTSD, yet the Inner Circle treat her with utter contempt and debate exiling her into hostile territory [[note]]either the human lands where she'd never fit in, or the Court of Nightmares[[/note]], just because they personally dislike her and find her "embarrassing", also taking the time to mock and slut-shame her when she's at her lowest. They're also aware Nesta has powers she can't fully control, yet seriously consider abandoning her in a place she could endanger both herself and others. Feyre's solution is to lock Nesta up in the House of Wind and force her to train in [[HeManWomanHater Illyrian]] [[NoWomansLand war camps]] against her will. [[note]]Nesta's told it's a choice but it's really not; she can't leave unless she's willing to walk down 10,000 steps, it's made clear she wouldn't be welcome back in the safety of Velaris, and Feyre at one point says she'll have Nesta physically dragged there.[[/note]] She's also forced to be around Cassian, which she's made clear upsets her. Considering that one of the things Nesta ''does'' value is her ability to choose for herself, it's hard not to pity her now that this has also been taken away, and how little everyone around her seems to care for her. It doesn't help that she was completely right to tell Feyre [[spoiler:her pregnancy was extremely high risk]] when everyone else hid the truth, for which Rhysand threatens to ''kill her''.

* RomanticPlotTumor: It's argued that the Amarantha plotline and the war with Hybern are put on the back-burn to focus on Feyre's relationship with Tamlin [[spoiler:and later Rhysand]] during the first two books. The third arguably alleviates this by being more focused on the war efforts, though for some readers Feyre's romantic relationships are still given too much pagetime.

** Nesta's [[DefiantToTheEnd fiery spirit]] and HiddenDepths marked her as a fan-favorite, which only escalated when [[spoiler:the sheer depths of her anger ''unnerved [[BigBad the king of Hybern]]''.]] For readers who find Feyre, Rhysand and the Night Court's Inner Circle to be increasingly insufferable from the fourth book onwards, they also like that Nesta pushes back against them and frequently calls them out.

* HypeBacklash: ''A Court of Thrones 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 questionable prose, problematic depictions of romantic relationships, and hypocritical messages around abuse and trauma. 

** There are some who claim the series is a FeministFantasy with a kickass lead who is on equal footing with her male partner. But other's are quick to point out that everything Feyre has is because a [[NeverASelfMadeWoman man gave it to her]]. Her powers as High Fae, her title, her newfound literacy were all given to her by men. As the series continues it's even difficult to say she's on equal footing with [[spoiler:Rhys]] as she's rarely seen doing any political work and becomes a passive trophy wife as soon as she get's pregnant. Which was a major issue with [[spoiler:Tamlin]].

*** The series usage of sexual assault and sexual violence as [[RapeAsBackstory a backstory]]. On the one hand, there are fan's who believe Maas has handled the subject maturely and avoided the pitfall of "men can't be sexually assaulted." However, other's have noticed that the it ''still'' happens far more often to the female characters than the male and that Maas isn't really saying anything deeper than "thing bad," barely explores the trauma or healing process and is only using the subject as a crutch for easy sympathy or easy HateSink.