Why I Won't Be Reading the New Sarah J. Maas Book

For years, Sarah J. Maas has been a staple author in the online book world. She rose to popularity through her Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses series. Due to their addictive and entertaining nature, I managed to read all of these. However, I agree firmly with the camp of people who generally dislike SJM books. I don't think they are horrible but they are certainly not the best. I guess I just don't understand the hype. Therefore, I have decided to boycott her new publication, House of Earth and Blood. (P.S.: if you love SJM, that is great! She is just not my cup of tea).
So why do I not like her books, despite having read nearly all of them? Well, let me provide you with a list. 

1. MAJOR Plotting Issues

I don't even know where to begin here. Both of her series have some serious plotting issues. Let's start with Throne of Glass. The first three books feel like they are from a completely different series than the last four. In my opinion, it has always felt like SJM started off the books with one idea, then changed her mind halfway through and decided to awkwardly alter the plot to fit her new ideas. There is a clear split halfway through the series. Personally, I enjoyed the second "half" better than the first, but that does not change the fact that the transition is sudden and doesn't flow well.

Oh, and SJM also uses convenient excuses to "solve" plot holes. ACOTAR Spoilers: remember when SJM decided to throw in the fact that Mor is gay (without any mention of it further or any respect to the LGBTQ community) to "explain" why she had been stringing another man along for years? I'm sorry, but someones sexuality is not a weak plot device.

2. Too Much Focus on Cringey Romance

This may be a personal opinion, but I am not a romance fan. I don't mind it in a book but I despise when it overtakes the main plot. If your book is fantasy, your main focus should be that plot, not the side romances between the characters. SJM regularly allows the romantic relationships take precedence over the actual story. Oh, and how cringe-worthy and unhealthy are those relationships? Plus the sex scenes are just...awkward. Growling is not attractive. Neither is using the word "mate" in every other sentence.

3. Fake Diversity 

SJM strikes me as the kind of author that adds in "token" diverse characters just to claim that her books are diverse. But in reality, they are not. The main casts are always white, attractive, straight people. I read a review once where they described her novels as "aggressively heterosexual" and I have to agree. All the diverse characters are thrown in as side characters that have little to no meaningful impact on the story. 

4. Misogyny 

I know Feyre and Aelin are self-proclaimed feminists, but nothing about either series reads as feminist to me. In fact, they lean traditionally masculine and patriarchal. The romantic relationships feature some very controlling, stereotypically male counterparts. They are also always described as Males or Females (why???) and are extremely aggressive/overprotective (because they're iN lOVe with their MaTEs). As if that gives them an excuse to order their love interests around? It always rubbed me the wrong way. Why go to such great lengths to create a fantasy world where traditional and harmful misogyny still exists? 

5. Plagiarism 

Okay, "plagiarism" is a rather strong term to use here. What I am trying to get at is SJM's blatant copying of other novels' plots. It is one thing to be inspired by another series, but to essentially take complete names/plots/etc. from another author's work is wrong. The two series I have noticed SJM uses is The Prydain Chronicles and The Lord of the Rings, both of which she openly loves. It is disrespectful to basically rip off your favorite books. I won't go into specifics here because that would take me weeks, but you can find discussions where people point out the MANY exact parallels between SJM books and old fantasy series. Even between her two complete book series, there are many similarities in characters, worlds, and plot. Frankly, I just don't think SJM is too original. 

Okay, okay, I am done being negative. All in all, I do enjoy SJM books most of the time. I find them to be entertaining and easy to consume. But I am frankly done with ignoring the glaring flaws in her books and have decided to simply stop reading them. Yes, her writing is addictive, but that does not mean it is good. To me, her novels read like really well-written fan fiction. Fun to read with some issues and often problematic in nature. 

Do you like Sarah J. Maas? Will you be reading her new book?