A Court of Thorns and Rosesis one of those epic fantasy series that is really hard to put down after the first book ends. Sarah J. Maas accomplishes this effect by writing compelling, interesting, and dynamic characters that show tremendous growth over time. Beyond the characters, Maas also spends the entire series crafting intricate, high-stakes plots that leave us fully invested in the outcomes. Although theevents of theA Court of Thorns and Rosesbooksset up for an epic television series, critics suggest there are still elements of the book that the show can improve upon.
The source material of this series is captivating, butHulu’sACOTARshowhas a chance to shine in ways the book didn’t. One part of the story that seems to be lacking on the pages is Maas world-building. For many reasons,namely choosing to prioritize developing character dynamics and plotlines over world-building, Maas leaves a lot up to the imagination. This may be just the edge the upcoming show needs; now it can improve upon the story and differentiate itself by dedicating time and incorporating visual elements to the once lackluster world-building of theACOTARuniverse.
A Court Of Thorns & Roses World-Building Presents A Harsh Reality For The Books
There’s A Lot Of World-Building Missing From The ACOTAR Series
While Sarah J. Maas may have wovenACOTAR’s interconnected web of characters and plot twists perfectly,her world-building throughout the series has faced criticism for not being very thorough.A Court of Thorns and Rosesjumps right into the action with a high-stakes romance between Feyre Archeron and Tamlin, dominating the narrative for the entire first book. Due to Maas’ focus on developing the love story between Feyre and Tamlin and laying the groundwork for plotlines that eventually carry to the next book, she left theACOTARworld a bit underdeveloped.
This tool may have provided us with Feyre’s basic understanding of the Fae world, but her limited scope of Prythian also limited how much world-building could really be told through her eyes.
As the series progresses, Maas reveals more about the lore of this fantasy world through Feyre’s perspective. This narration is used as a tool to describe Prythian through the eyes of an outsider, making it the perfect way to inform us about Prythian for the first time, too. This tool may have provided us with Feyre’s basic understanding of the Fae world, buther limited scope of Prythian also limited how much world-building could really be donethrough her eyes.
If Maas utilized Feyre’s narration to reveal everything about theACOTARworld, it would risk seeming like information dumping and be way less interesting to read. Instead,small pieces of lore are given to Feyre (and in turn, the audience) over time; these details build out the lore of this series more significantly. However, even after dedicating multiple books to world-building slowly over time, most details about the world itself are still murky and go unaddressed in the books.
ACOTAR’s World-Building Problems Could Work In The Hulu Show’s Favor
The Lack Of World-Building Gives Hulu Creative Freedom
The criticism that Sarah J. Maas’A Court of Thorns and Roseshas faced regarding the lack of detailed world-building might not be received quite the same way in Hulu’s upcomingACOTARadaptation. In fact, the lack of world-building in the books might actually be great for show creators sinceit will grant them the freedom to make this story truly optimal for the screen. For one thing, the world-building won’t be overwhelming for anyone new to the series, even without previous knowledge aboutanything that happened in theA Court of Thorns and Rosesbooks, because there isn’t much of it.
A Court Of Thorns & Roseswas published on July 02, 2025.
TheA Court of Thorns and Rosesshow also has another advantage: it won’t be confined to world rules that don’t exist yet in the books. Oftentimes, on-screenbook adaptations must jump through hoops to remain within guidelines set by the author; this is not the case for this series. Unlike on-screen adaptations such asGame of ThronesorThe Witcherwhere show creators must always remember the rules and laws baked into the lore, theACOTARshow can be creative and take the liberty to explain anything that has raised curiosity throughout the books.
One Court Of Thorns & Roses Change Would Give Hulu’s TV Show More Longevity
The A Court of Thorns & Roses TV adaptation could use a key character frustration to its advantage, creating a longer run with a compelling cast.
Luckily, Hulu’s adaptation has the creative freedom it needs to explore elements of Prythian that could play into future plotlines as well. With so much world-building left to be desired,theACOTARshow can spend time explaining underdeveloped historical details or untapped loreto keep the story fresh and extend its longevity. Even those with extensive knowledge of the book series will be able to tune into the show to gain new context about potential brewing tensions or conflicts in Prythian that will be eventually shown on screen.
How Hulu’s Court Of Thorns & Roses Series Can Finally Expand On Sarah J. Maas' World
The Show Can Finally Address Any Unanswered Questions
The lack of guidelines set by Maas in theACOTARbooks gives Hulu a great opportunity to bring crucial elements of the story that readers have always wanted to see to life. Likely, the television series will explore the extensive lore and history of the Fae world, alongside more complex political dynamics between the seven Courts; which is what’s missing from the books.There’s so much untapped potential due to the curiosity Maas has generated surrounding theACOTARworld– the show simply needs to capitalize on it by providing information about things like past wars, alliances, or the origins of the Courts.
Even while detailing elements of the story Sarah J. Maas hasn’t, the show will still be able to capture the essence of the books because all the lore revealed will only further our feelings of connection towards the characters. By enriching the lore, the audience will gain a greater understanding of the motivations and tensions within this world while also getting to experience it visually for the first time. TheA Court of Thorns and Rosestelevision showneeds to lean into world-building to provide exciting, new content and fill in gaps left by Maas in her books.
A Court of Thorns and Roses
Based on theA Court of Thorns and Rosesfantasy novel series, A Court of Thorns and Roses is a television adaptation that follows Feyre Archeron, a young woman dragged into the world of faeries after slaying one of their kind. The series will follow her journey through the lands of Prythian and her relationship with one of its lords, Tamlin.
