This guide for A Court of Thorns and Roses is a helpful resource as you read Book 1 of the ACOTAR series! While it includes world-building and basic character info from the entire book, it is free of plot spoilers.
ACOTAR world, history, and characters to better understand the world-building in Book 1 of the A Court of Thorns and Roses Series.
While this guide is intended to be spoiler-free, please note that basic lore throughout the series is included.
Characters
Fae & Human Characters
- Feyre: Protagonist, 19yo human
- Nesta: Oldest sister, human
- Elain: Middle sister, human
- Father: “Prince of Merchants” before poverty, human
- Tamlin: High Lord of the Spring Court, High Fae
- Lucien: Emissary for the Spring Court, High Fae
- Alis: Servant in Spring Court, Urisk faerie
- Andras: Tamlin’s sentinel killed by Feyre, High Fae
- Isaac Hale: Feyre’s casual fling, human
- Tomas Mandray: Nesta’s almost-fiance, human
- Clare Beddor: Nesta’s friend, human
Spoilers for 2nd half of ACOTAR
- Lady of the Autumn Court: Lucien’s mother, wife of High Lord of Autumn Court, High Fae
- Rhysand: High Lord of the Night Court, High Fae
- Amarantha: Hybern commander, High Queen of Pyrthian, High Fae
- Clythia: Amarantha’s deceased sister, High Fae
- Jurian: Warrior, Clythia’s lover, human
- King of Hybern: Ruler of Hybern, High Fae
- The Suriel*: All-knowing and answers truthfully when ensnared
- The Attor*: Evil, bat-like faerie
* Considered characters and creatures
Faerie Creatures
- The Puca: Shape-shifter that tricks its victims
- The Naga: Monstrous, serpentine-like faerie
- The Bogge: When acknowledged, becomes real and is deadly
- The Martax: Vicious, shreds humans
- Will-o’-the-Wisps: Spirits of air and light
- Middengard Wyrm: Gigantic worm-like monster
Hierarchy
There are seven High Lords who rule the Courts. High Fae are Prythian’s ruling nobility and may possess unique powers. “Lesser” faeries are all other species of faeries with a wide range of appearances and powers.
Humans live without magic, mistrust Fae, and do not go across the wall.
Children of the Blessed are humans who worship the Fae and are shunned by the rest of society.
Brief History
Humans used to be enslaved by the Fae, until 500 years ago when there was a war to free them. The Treaty helped end this brutal war and ensure peace between the Fae and mortals by separating them and their lands. Divided by a wall, Fae live in Prythian and humans are (supposed to be) left alone in the Mortal Lands.
World
Prythian
Prythian is one of the Faerie realms in the world and is divided into seven courts. Its southern border is the Mortal Lands. The island of Hybern is to the West, and the Continent is across the sea in the East.
Solar Courts
Night Court:
The Night Court is known as a violent place with individuals who follow their own morals.
- High Lord: Rhysand
Day Court:
The Day Court is known for its knowledge and its people are known for their gift of inventing.
- High Lord: Helion
Dawn Court:
The Dawn Court is known for their specialization in tinkering, clockwork, and healing magic.
- High Lord: Thesan
Seasonal Courts
Winter Court:
The Winter Court is known for their well-trained forces and use of great white bears and courier foxes.
- High Lord: Kallias
Summer Court:
The Summer Court is known for their passion, warmth and its people are skilled seafarers.
- High Lord: Tarquin
Autumn Court:
The Autumn Court is known to be a beautiful, cutthroat, and highly competitive court of foxes.
- High Lord: Beron Vanserra
Spring Court:
The Spring Court is known for their love of art, music, and beauty.
- High Lord: Tamlin
- Notable Spring Court locations:
- The Manor – Personal residence of the High Lord of Spring. It sits on a large plot of rolling green land, complete with a throne room, stables, and a beautiful rose garden.
Mortal Lands
The Mortal Lands are south of the wall that separates the Fae in Prythian from the humans. This story begins in the Mortal Lands. The wall is also across the sea on the Continent, dividing its Fae and mortal territories.
In these Mortal Lands south of Prythian, there is no monarchy. However, there are established social classes and nobility (ex: lords).
Notable Mortal Land locations:
- Archeron’s Cottage – Where Feyre’s family lives in poverty.
- Mortal Village – Lower class, close to the wall (two days’ journey).
Other Locations
The Wall: The magical and invisible division between the Fae and mortal lands.
The Middle: Neutral territory in Prythian that separates the solar courts and seasonal courts, where Under the Mountain is located.
Hybern: Fae-only island west of Prythian.
Divine Entities
The Mother: Spilled the Cauldron’s content that creates the known world.
The Cauldron: Powerful magical artifact that created and creates life.
Dark Mother: Evil counterpart of the Mother.
Need More?
We’ve got 100+ hours of podcast episodes deep diving the entire ACOTAR series with a segment at the end of episode where we dive into EVERY Maasverse connection but don’t worry we give a massive spoiler warning before this segment so if you haven’t read Throne of Glass or Crescent City you can still listen to our ACOTAR coverage!
