Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses series has been banned in various states across the U.S. for various questionable reasons. Often, novels face bans and are restricted in schools on a state level, due to imaginative settings paired with mature content. Young adult and fantasy books are a common target of book bans in more conservative states, as they often deal with more adult, mature themes. For example, Lord of the Rings was banned for reasons ranging from alleged promotion of witchcraft to violence and moral ambiguity.
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That is to say, the trend of banning books that young adults would otherwise enjoy reading is not new; when the Harry Potter books were banned, students were not happy. However, due to the nature of fantasy novels challenging societal norms or addressing taboo topics through allegory, they are extremely vulnerable to censorship. Lately, the genre has been particularly targeted thanks to the romantasy subgenre, which often includes explicit and erotic scenes. After A Court of Thorns and Roses' recent ban in Utah, it made history as part of the first-ever statewide list of prohibited books.
The Court Of Thorns & Roses Books Have Been Banned For Sexual Content
These Books Raise Important Questions About Sexuality In Literature
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Sarah J. Maas’ series has been banned in the state of Utah for its sexual content and portrayals of mature relationship dynamics. Sexual relations between characters like the Archeron sisters and their male partners are scrutinized for the way they address heavy themes of unequal power dynamics and sexual situations. While it is valid that some parents may want their children to hold off on reading these books until they reach a certain age, ACOTAR’s ban highlights the increased scrutiny on the romantasy genre thanks to its "spicy" or sexually explicit scenes – in particular, because these books are aimed at young women, and the sexuality of women and girls is always unfairly policed.
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Sarah J. Maas’ ACOTAR suggests Fae children are rare, yet many characters have siblings. This contradiction sparks questions about the lore.
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It is within the nature of romance books and plotlines in adult literature to contain sexually explicit content, but this is exactly what is critiqued in these popular YA fantasy books. However, the relationships in ACOTAR all contain powerful emotional connections and complex themes of self-discovery within the respective romance; these are important for young readers to experience in a safe way, through books. In A Court of Thorns and Roses, when Feyre Archeron is trapped Under the Mountain, she is put in compromising, explicit situations, but these chapters provoke real conversations about power dynamics, consent, and women's safety and power.
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ACOTAR Continues The Trend Of Banning Fantasy Books & Series
Fantasy and Romantasy Books Are Often The Target of Bans
When fantasy books are banned, it brings greater awareness of the potential overreach and censorship. In recent years, there has been an uptick in the rates at which books are being banned, an attempt to create a society in which students in the U.S. today have fewer options for reading materials than ever before. In fact, according to Columbia University, “The American Library Association reported a record-breaking number of attempts to ban books in 2022— up 38 percent from the previous year.” Book bans limit the messages students are introduced to, and fantasy themes often challenge authority, adding additional context to these bans.
Scholars from Columbia University state that stripping away students' rights to read fantasy series like these threatens their free-speech…
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Fantasy series including Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and His Dark Materials, to name just a few, have all been the target of book bans like the one facing A Court of Thorns and Roses. Historically, people banning books have not been on the right side of history. Book bans, however, have a way of creating the opposite desired effect, with people going out of their way to buy or check out the banned books to see what the fuss is all about. Reading provides young people with the ability to access a broad range of ideas and experiences in a safe way; it’s an outlet for exploration and new ideas that shouldn't be limited based on geographic location, political ideology, or religious censorship.
A Court of Thorns and Roses (2015)
- Publisher(s)
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Publication Date
- 2015-05-05
- Franchise
- A Court of Thorns and Roses
- ISBN#
- 9781619634442
- Author(s)
- Sarah J. Maas
