Latest news with #ACourtofThornsandRoses
Buzz Feed
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
10 BookTok Romantasy Reads To Read Right Now
If you're even mildly online, chances are you've heard whispers of the ✨ romantasy✨ genre; the magical literary genre that blends fantasy and romance together and has BookTok in a literal chokehold. If you're into… 1. From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout ✨ "Nothing is ever simple when the gods are watching." ✨This is the book that launched a thousand obsessions. Poppy is a badass heroine sworn to a sacred destiny, until a smirking golden-eyed guard ruins everything. Expect: deadly secrets, enemies-to-lovers tension, and one hell of a plot twist. Perfect for fans of steamy slow-burns and morally gray men. 2. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas 🧚 Beauty and the Beast meets 1000+ fan theories and wingspans. 🧚If you're on BookTok, you know that this is just the start of everyone's romantasy journey. Feyre is a mortal huntress dragged into the fae lands, and that's just the beginning. This series has everything: epic romance, ancient curses, court politics, and "the mating bond." Once you meet Rhysand, it's over for you.(Honestly, anything written by Sarah J. Maas will become an obsession and key part of your personality...I don't make the rules. 🤷♀️) 3. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros 🐉 Think Hunger Games meets spicy dragon school. 🐉If you've ever wanted to ride dragons while navigating deadly exams, secret powers, and off-limits lovers, this is your book. Violet may not be physically built like a warrior, but she's no damsel, and her enemies? Yeah, they might be her only shot at surviving. 4. The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen 🗡️ A princess assassin forced to marry the enemy king. What could go wrong? 🗡️This one is for the "stab him, then kiss him" folks. Lara is trained to destroy the man she's forced to marry, but the longer she spends with him, the more she questions everything. Expect slow-burn, political intrigue, and intense emotional payoff. 5. Radiance by Grace Draven 👑 An arranged marriage between a human and a monstrous fae prince…with zero insta-love. 👑This underrated gem is soft, slow, and swoony. Ildiko and Brishen aren't beautiful (or even really nice) to each first. But their respect, banter, and trust build one of the most wholesome (and still hot!) love stories in romantasy. 6. Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin 🧙♀️ A witch and a witch hunter are forced to marry. Cue the chaos. 🧙♀️Lou is chaotic and sassy; Reid is stiff and serious. Watching them clash (and then burn) is half the fun. If you like morally complex worlds with forbidden romance, magic, and cinnamon-roll-turned-problematic men, grab this. 7. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black 🖤 Welcome to Elfhame, where lies are currency and love is war. 🖤 Jude Duarte is a human raised in the cruel fae court, and she's out for power. Cardan is the arrogant, hateful prince who can't stop watching her. It's toxic. It's soooo BookTok. And it' 8. The Savage Lands series by Stacey Marie Brown 🌶️ If you like the ACOTAR vibe but grittier and steamier, this one's for you. 🌶️It's set in a post-war world where fae rule and humans are barely surviving. Brexley (yes, icon name) is thrown into a deadly prison where survival means making alliances, especially with the dangerously beautiful fae warrior who might be her enemy…or her only shot at freedom. 9. The Crowns of Nyaxia series by Carissa Broadbent 🧛♀️ Hunger Games meets vampire court meets epic love story. 🧛♀️ (Clearly, I love the Hunger Games a bit too much.) Oraya is a human adopted by the vampire god of death, and now she has to fight to survive the Kejari, a brutal tournament full of monsters, politics, and betrayal. Enter: a mysterious rival with secrets and sharp teeth. The tension? Unmatched. 10. The Married to Magic series by Elise Kova 🧝♂️ Fantasy marriage of convenience, soft cinnamon roll magic warrior elf king, and cozy romance vibes. 🧝♂️Each book in this series is a standalone with a fresh couple and setting, but they're all connected by a magical world and super romantic plots. In A Deal With the Elf King, a human girl is taken to the fae realm as the next "Human Queen," and her icy elf king husband is not ready to fall in love…until he very much does. BONUS: If You're Craving Something Spicier… What other romantasy books would you add to the list? Let me know in the comments!
Buzz Feed
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
33 Adorable Products That Are Surprisingly Useful
A wireless keyboard and mouse set featuring an aesthetic vibe that might just make you *actually* look forward to spending eight hours at your desk. At the very least your coworkers will be super jealous of how coordinated your workspace looks. A tiny bookshelf that'll quickly become your favorite way to de-stress after a long work day — shake it to send the teeny books flying, then (after a restorative deep breath) put them back on the shelf. My apologies to your rage room membership, this might just be the solution you need. A personalized book stamp you can use to literally make your mark in the novels you typically loan out to your book club buds. Sorry, Stacy-steals-a-lot, we're going to catch you red-handed the next time you try to snatch our copy of A Court of Thorns and Roses. A pickleball set to pay homage to your new favorite hobby! It comes with two paddles, four balls, and a bag that'll ensure you've got the best-looking gear of all your competitors. Glitter-infused highlighters, so the next time you get the urge to annotate your already worn-down copy of Pride and Prejudice, you can do so with the kind of flair Jane Austen deserves. You better believe I'm reserving shimmery red for Mr. Darcy. And a 12-pack of squishy animal-themed gel pens (complete with 24 colorful refills!) that'll look adorable hanging out on your desk. There's enough in the pack that you can graciously pass 'em out to your colleagues, too. A box of 100 tie-dye Band-Aids in assorted sizes that'll make that gnarly papercut you just got look pretty darn *~groovy~*. Saem Iceland Hydrating Eye Stick — it'll reduce the under-eye circles and puffiness you're prone to having if "Sleepy" is your middle name, but you're simply not catching enough Zzzs these days. A big shout out to the glacial waters it's formulated with, amiright? A blackhead scrub stick that'll exfoliate clogged pores and remove excess sebum while being a bit reminiscent of the adorable lil' character from Finding Nemo who said, "You made me iiiiink!" A flower-shaped pill organizer that'll last you a whoooooole lot longer than those supermarket flowers you picked up earlier this week — for a pill organizer it is *quite* aesthetically pleasing, and each "petal" is detachable, so if you're spending a night or two away from home you can pop 'em off and take only what you need with you. 🌸 A "Gracula" garlic crusher to make even the most serious of chefs let out an audible giggle. Unless that chef is, of course, a vampire. They might not find it quite as hilarious — but let them know it can crush nuts up, too! A NeeDoh "Dream Drop," a must-have sensory fidget toy for anyone who can't seem to get their brain to focus on one task at a time. (Too many tabs open both literally and figuratively!) This lil' squish block is super satisfying to play with and reviewers love that it isn't sticky (no gross debris to try to clean off). A heart-shaped silicone ice cube tray because summer is HERE, and so are your chilled bevs! Spruce up your iced coffees and Long Island iced teas with a little love in the form of these cubes 💕. A set of cat-shaped double-sided sponges because why not turn one of your most hated tasks (scrubbing, well, anything) into an adorable experience that'll encourage you to do it *meow* instead of later? A "float-tea unicorn," aka the reusable tea infuser of your wacky dreams. When a summer storm rolls in to destroy your plans of lounging by the pool, you can nurse your cozy cup of tea alongside this festive friend until it passes. A Kitsch microfiber scrunchie to absorb all the water from your post-everything shower hair in a, dare I might say, stylish way. It'll also be *way* less cumbersome, so you can enjoy your deep dive on the ladies of MomTok without a towel falling over your eyes. An emotional support lap pillow holder for your Kindle, iPad, and phone that'll securely prop them up so you won't miss a second of the old season of Summer House you're watching for the tenth time. Reviewers love that it's plush, comfy, and has the perfect spot to stash their snacks. A dimmable flexible clip-on mushroom light so when someone says "I mush ask you a question" you'll be ready to actually see what they're saying. It has five different color-changing LED lighting options you can adjust as needed — ya love to see it. Or a little elephant touch lamp you'll adore so much it might just help you get over the trauma of watching Dumbo be separated from his mother (yikes, sorry, I went there). In all seriousness, it'll be a great lighting option for your bedside table or in a nursery where you're in/out of the room all night. An adorable egg separator to prevent you from saying "Oopsie daisy!" every time you accidentally break an egg yolk before adding it to your recipe. A set of quirky animal-themed hair clips, so fun you'll want to start planning all of your outfits around them. Everyone's going to want to know where you got these playful accessories. Cactus-shaped dryer balls for anyone who is tired of buying dryer sheets — these prickly pals will ensure your laundry dries faster and gets softer with each wash. A ribbon bookmark that'll have you tossing your Kindle aside so you can show off this coquettish beauty in a physical book. Can't you imagine Belle from Beauty and the Beast accessorizing her novel of the day with one of these?! A fan favorite Simple Modern tumbler with a magical twist you can count on to convince yourself to drink more H2O on the go — reviewers love it for the way it fits in their cup holders and keeps their water super cold for long periods of time ✨. And a personalized straw topper that'll hilariously help you mark which cookie cutter tumbler is yours — I'm begging you, please get one made of something extra silly like a cut out of your own face or Nicolas Cage's. A darling paper towel holder with a cat at the top that'll look totally purr-fect hanging out in your kitchen. One reviewer even repurposed it to stash hair scrunchies! The cutest cherry toilet brush — it's leak-and-rust-proof (huzzah!) and will, of course, add some extra pizzazz to your bathroom. You might just start to hate cleaning your toilet a little bit less. 👏 A building block tissue box because chances are if you have kids, someone in your house is a snotty mess right now — might as well make blowing everyone's noses a little more fun, right? A set of LED light saber chopsticks you're going to need to order two sets of so you can share 'em with the Chewbacca to your Han Solo (AKA whoever happens to be who you get sushi with every Friday night). One reviewer even ingeniously used them as hair accessories when visiting Galaxy's Edge! A Hugaround plush — a weighted doll designed with heavy arms so it can "hug" and cling to you like a little stress relieving bestie. It can be frozen or popped into the microwave, making it the perfect pal for helping you relax. A CD mirror for the Millennials who still have a box filled with mixes they burned with Sharpie-written labels on 'em that say "2010s jams" or "Taylor Swift Fearless Tour" despite not owning an actual CD player. Get your nostalgic fix *and* check your makeup with this fun piece of decor. A handmade ceramic fried egg spoon rest to pay tribute to your habit of having breakfast for dinner several times a week. Egg sandwiches at 6 p.m.? Sign me up, Chef! It's also dishwasher safe for easy cleaning (heck, yeah!). And a wildflower-covered Nintendo Switch JoyCon case for any self-proclaimed cozy gamer who would love nothing more than to zhuzh up their most-used gadget with something that feels more "them."
The Advertiser
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Calls for content rating as violence, misogyny found in young adult fiction
Parents of young readers may be shocked to learn that many popular novels marketed to preteen girls contain graphic sexual assault and domestic violence themes. A child safeguarding expert has called for content warnings on young adult (YA) fiction to protect vulnerable kids and teens, as well as an industry-wide book rating classification system. Novels such as the Icebreaker series, A Court of Thorns and Roses, Once Upon a Broken Heart and Lore Olympus included violent or explicit storylines, new research has found. While some novels were not explicitly directed at preteens, they were popular with girls as young as 12 due to the influence of social media. Dr Emma Hussey, from the Australian Catholic University's (ACU) Institute of Child Protection Studies, said the books were often available in school and community libraries, and were easily accessible to children of all ages. "We looked at a range of fantasy, romance, paranormal, and general fiction novels that were being promoted to teenagers and compared the relationship dynamics to real-world warning signs of abuse," Dr Hussey said. "What we found was a pattern of emotional manipulation, jealousy and control being regularly framed as signs of love," the digital criminologist said. "That was really alarming because these are behaviours that we warn about in domestic violence education, but they're being normalised in fiction that young readers are picking up." ACU academics conducted a thematic analysis of 20 novels recommended by BookTok, a literature subcommunity on TikTok, which are popular among young readers. They found that each novel contained elements of domestic and family violence such as sexual assault, torture, grooming, power and control, including dominance and submission. They also found themes of sexual objectification and masculinity tropes, including powerful, dangerous, and handsome male love interests. "Extreme" sexually explicit content was found in 65 per cent of books analysed, and "moderate" sexual content was in a quarter of books. Graphic and extreme violence was also found in 65 per cent of books, according to the research. Dr Hussey described a scene in Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber where the protagonist is restrained by her love interest. The god-like male character's kiss is poisonous to the protagonist, who is in "constant threat" of death during their courtship, the child safeguarding expert said. The love interest denies the main character's autonomy and is able to speak through her body, Dr Hussey said. "If young readers consistently consume stories where love is tied to obsession, jealousy, possessiveness, or control, they may internalise these behaviours as normal - even desirable - in relationships," Dr Hussey said. "We are already facing a domestic violence epidemic. If girls grow up believing these themes are what they should be looking for in a relationship we run the risk of perpetuating this cycle," she said. Following the research by ACU, Dr Hussey is calling for content warnings to be included on book covers. She is also advocating for the adoption of an industry-wide classification system, similar to those seen in film and television, so parents are able to check if their child is reading developmentally inappropriate content. "A rating system is not about censorship. It is about transparency and ensuring books containing themes such as violence, explicit sexual content, and unhealthy relationship dynamics are classified appropriately," she said. READ MORE: Book ban overturned in rowdy council meeting Some publishers include an age rating in small print, others include content warnings, but some "prefer you to go in blind", the digital criminologist said. "The reality is that many parents have no idea what their children are reading," Dr Hussey said. "The time for action is now," she said. "Parents, schools, and policymakers must work together to implement structured guidance that protects young readers while still allowing them to explore and engage with stories in a way that is safe, educational, and developmentally appropriate." Penguin Books Australia and Bloomsbury Publishing were contacted for comment. Parents of young readers may be shocked to learn that many popular novels marketed to preteen girls contain graphic sexual assault and domestic violence themes. A child safeguarding expert has called for content warnings on young adult (YA) fiction to protect vulnerable kids and teens, as well as an industry-wide book rating classification system. Novels such as the Icebreaker series, A Court of Thorns and Roses, Once Upon a Broken Heart and Lore Olympus included violent or explicit storylines, new research has found. While some novels were not explicitly directed at preteens, they were popular with girls as young as 12 due to the influence of social media. Dr Emma Hussey, from the Australian Catholic University's (ACU) Institute of Child Protection Studies, said the books were often available in school and community libraries, and were easily accessible to children of all ages. "We looked at a range of fantasy, romance, paranormal, and general fiction novels that were being promoted to teenagers and compared the relationship dynamics to real-world warning signs of abuse," Dr Hussey said. "What we found was a pattern of emotional manipulation, jealousy and control being regularly framed as signs of love," the digital criminologist said. "That was really alarming because these are behaviours that we warn about in domestic violence education, but they're being normalised in fiction that young readers are picking up." ACU academics conducted a thematic analysis of 20 novels recommended by BookTok, a literature subcommunity on TikTok, which are popular among young readers. They found that each novel contained elements of domestic and family violence such as sexual assault, torture, grooming, power and control, including dominance and submission. They also found themes of sexual objectification and masculinity tropes, including powerful, dangerous, and handsome male love interests. "Extreme" sexually explicit content was found in 65 per cent of books analysed, and "moderate" sexual content was in a quarter of books. Graphic and extreme violence was also found in 65 per cent of books, according to the research. Dr Hussey described a scene in Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber where the protagonist is restrained by her love interest. The god-like male character's kiss is poisonous to the protagonist, who is in "constant threat" of death during their courtship, the child safeguarding expert said. The love interest denies the main character's autonomy and is able to speak through her body, Dr Hussey said. "If young readers consistently consume stories where love is tied to obsession, jealousy, possessiveness, or control, they may internalise these behaviours as normal - even desirable - in relationships," Dr Hussey said. "We are already facing a domestic violence epidemic. If girls grow up believing these themes are what they should be looking for in a relationship we run the risk of perpetuating this cycle," she said. Following the research by ACU, Dr Hussey is calling for content warnings to be included on book covers. She is also advocating for the adoption of an industry-wide classification system, similar to those seen in film and television, so parents are able to check if their child is reading developmentally inappropriate content. "A rating system is not about censorship. It is about transparency and ensuring books containing themes such as violence, explicit sexual content, and unhealthy relationship dynamics are classified appropriately," she said. READ MORE: Book ban overturned in rowdy council meeting Some publishers include an age rating in small print, others include content warnings, but some "prefer you to go in blind", the digital criminologist said. "The reality is that many parents have no idea what their children are reading," Dr Hussey said. "The time for action is now," she said. "Parents, schools, and policymakers must work together to implement structured guidance that protects young readers while still allowing them to explore and engage with stories in a way that is safe, educational, and developmentally appropriate." Penguin Books Australia and Bloomsbury Publishing were contacted for comment. Parents of young readers may be shocked to learn that many popular novels marketed to preteen girls contain graphic sexual assault and domestic violence themes. A child safeguarding expert has called for content warnings on young adult (YA) fiction to protect vulnerable kids and teens, as well as an industry-wide book rating classification system. Novels such as the Icebreaker series, A Court of Thorns and Roses, Once Upon a Broken Heart and Lore Olympus included violent or explicit storylines, new research has found. While some novels were not explicitly directed at preteens, they were popular with girls as young as 12 due to the influence of social media. Dr Emma Hussey, from the Australian Catholic University's (ACU) Institute of Child Protection Studies, said the books were often available in school and community libraries, and were easily accessible to children of all ages. "We looked at a range of fantasy, romance, paranormal, and general fiction novels that were being promoted to teenagers and compared the relationship dynamics to real-world warning signs of abuse," Dr Hussey said. "What we found was a pattern of emotional manipulation, jealousy and control being regularly framed as signs of love," the digital criminologist said. "That was really alarming because these are behaviours that we warn about in domestic violence education, but they're being normalised in fiction that young readers are picking up." ACU academics conducted a thematic analysis of 20 novels recommended by BookTok, a literature subcommunity on TikTok, which are popular among young readers. They found that each novel contained elements of domestic and family violence such as sexual assault, torture, grooming, power and control, including dominance and submission. They also found themes of sexual objectification and masculinity tropes, including powerful, dangerous, and handsome male love interests. "Extreme" sexually explicit content was found in 65 per cent of books analysed, and "moderate" sexual content was in a quarter of books. Graphic and extreme violence was also found in 65 per cent of books, according to the research. Dr Hussey described a scene in Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber where the protagonist is restrained by her love interest. The god-like male character's kiss is poisonous to the protagonist, who is in "constant threat" of death during their courtship, the child safeguarding expert said. The love interest denies the main character's autonomy and is able to speak through her body, Dr Hussey said. "If young readers consistently consume stories where love is tied to obsession, jealousy, possessiveness, or control, they may internalise these behaviours as normal - even desirable - in relationships," Dr Hussey said. "We are already facing a domestic violence epidemic. If girls grow up believing these themes are what they should be looking for in a relationship we run the risk of perpetuating this cycle," she said. Following the research by ACU, Dr Hussey is calling for content warnings to be included on book covers. She is also advocating for the adoption of an industry-wide classification system, similar to those seen in film and television, so parents are able to check if their child is reading developmentally inappropriate content. "A rating system is not about censorship. It is about transparency and ensuring books containing themes such as violence, explicit sexual content, and unhealthy relationship dynamics are classified appropriately," she said. READ MORE: Book ban overturned in rowdy council meeting Some publishers include an age rating in small print, others include content warnings, but some "prefer you to go in blind", the digital criminologist said. "The reality is that many parents have no idea what their children are reading," Dr Hussey said. "The time for action is now," she said. "Parents, schools, and policymakers must work together to implement structured guidance that protects young readers while still allowing them to explore and engage with stories in a way that is safe, educational, and developmentally appropriate." Penguin Books Australia and Bloomsbury Publishing were contacted for comment.
Time Out
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
London now has a new bookshop totally dedicated to romance novels
Being out and about in London, chances are you've spotted someone reading the A Court of Thorns and Roses book series by Sarah J Maas. These fantasy books, filled with faeries, hunters and X-rate scenes, first blew up on a literary corner of TikTok (AKA BookTok), and now you can't catch the tube in the capital without seeing someone reading it. Now London has its first ever bookshop dedicated entirely to these kinds of romance books, as Saucy Books in Notting Hill officially opened at the end of last month. While these kinds of books are often called 'smut' or 'fairy porn' (many of them are packed full of NSFW scenes), they are extremely popular, particularly among young women. According to data gathered from 7,000 British booksellers, in 2024 there were record sales of 'romance and sagas' books, making up to £69 million. Sales of these 'romantasy' books even pushed UK fiction revenue above £1 billion for the first time. 'The popularity of the store speaks for itself,' Sarah Maxwell, the founder of Saucy Books, told the Guardian. 'We even had to ticket our first week and give time slots to customers.' Saucy books even has a corner of the store dedicated entirely to erotic fiction, which Maxwell calls the 'smut hut'. Maxwell told the Guardian that she thinks sexism, as well as 'snobbery and bias', is stopping these books, that are mainly read by women, from being as respected as they should be. 'I think there's an inherent misogyny around it. A lot of the time, the sorts of things that women like across arts and culture tends to get discounted. These books are about the female perspective and female gaze when most media is through the male gaze,' Maxwell said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Saucy Books (@saucybooks) Saucy Books is open at 232 Westbourne Park Road, W11 1EP now. Yungblud is opening a new music venue in central London.
Express Tribune
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Sarah J. Maas gives major update on 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' upcoming books
Sarah J. Maas gives major update on 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' upcoming books Sarah J. Maas has thrilled readers by confirming that she has completed the first drafts of A Court of Thorns and Roses books six to eight. In a video shared to Instagram, Maas closes a notebook labelled 'ACOTAR 6-8,' shuts her laptop, and pops a bottle of champagne. The caption simply reads: 'First drafts DONE.' The moment marks a long-awaited update for fans who have eagerly anticipated news since the 2021 release of A Court of Silver Flames. The bestselling fantasy series, often celebrated for its romance, action, and immersive world-building, has become a literary sensation and a favourite across BookTok. Maas has published five previous titles in the ACOTAR series, including A Court of Mist and Fury and the novella A Court of Frost and Starlight. The latest announcement strongly hints that books six, seven, and eight are officially in development. Fans responded with enthusiasm, flooding the comments with excitement: 'OMG IT'S HAPPENING EVERYONE DONT STAY CALM ITS HAPPENING' and 'SARAH THIS IS THE BEST SATURDAY OF MY LIFE!!!!.' Although the release window for the upcoming ACOTAR books remains uncertain, fans excitedly await further updates on the superhit series.
