Book Review: A Court of Mist and Fury

About the Author

Sarah J. Maas is the author of many bestselling books such as Crescent City, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and The Throne of Glass series. I had read her first book in the ACOTAR series and was jonesing for book 2# A Court of Mist and Fury

She’s a New York Native and lives there still. You can learn more about Sarah J. Maas on her website HERE.

To keep up with book-related news check out her Instagram HERE

Book Genres

Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Fae, Magic and High Fantasy

Book Format

This is not an Owlcrate book but it was on my reading list after reading the first book “A Court of Thorns and Roses” The edition I bought was a rerelease in 2020 which also included a Hardcover version. The covers aren’t anything fancy but they are relevant to the story. “A Court of Mist and Fury” is almost turquoise green and has a raven on the cover. A tip to Rhysand, The Illyrians, and the Night Court.

The Original cover had a pretty silhouette of Feyre in her Illyrian Battle Armor. In the long run, it might have given too much away though. Still, the cover is very pretty and this new one which is more illustrated is also very nice.

The version I purchased was Paperback, mostly because I didn’t like the matte gray color of the Hardcover books.

This is a big book, boasting a whopping 624 pages, 626 pages including the acknowledgments.

69 chapters with a sneak peek at “A Court of Wings and Ruin”.

Fable Book Club

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I read the Owlcrate Monthly Book Box Book, so if you get that too you can join in!

Check out Fable HERE and check out my club THE BOOKISH FAE!

The Story

Feyre now returned to the Spring Court finds herself mentally suffering from the horrors she experienced at Under the Mountain. She finds herself feeling stifled and coddled, even weirder is Tamlin seems oblivious to her pain and suffering. She’s losing weight from being physically sick every night, and she’s losing her will to continue on through the fog. She’s become complacent, and docile to the whims and pleas of Tamlin and his priestess friend Ianthe. Still in the back of her mind, Feyre gets chills when she thinks about Rhysand and their bargain. Nothing good has come from the Night Court and it’s said to be… well scary.

Tamlin has gotten in the habit of fiercely protecting Feyre to the point of almost suffocating her and giving her very little freedom. She’s stuck on a repeating cycle, a loop if you will with no glimpse of reprieve.

It’s finally wedding day, and Feyre is beginning to feel like she’s making a mistake. Right in the middle of walking down the aisle, in front of hundreds of faces, Feyre begs for relief, begs for someone to save her. Rhysand makes a surprise visit and whisks Feyre away before Tamlin can do anything.

The book highlights the moments between Rhysand and Feyre but also delves into Tamlin’s insecurities. Turns out Rhysand can feel and sense things through their bond, because of the deal they made together Under the Mountain. It’s weird but Tamlin shows less regard for Feyre’s well-being than Rhysand. In Feyre’s words/thoughts, it’s like he got what he wanted, the curse broken, and now he was just going through the motions.

Rhysands care for Feyre is gentle and even with his smartass comments and challenges, Feyre realizes in the end it is to keep her wanting to live and not to give up. Feyre is ready to give up, even going so far as to think she isn’t worthy of Tamlin or to be alive.

The story of Feyre’s recovery, her future in the Spring Court, her time in The Court of Nightmares, and where she belongs has been my favorite of the series. It’s wonderful to see Rhysand’s perspective and I wasn’t expecting any of the twists or referrals to the first book.

Her mastering of the "Gifts" she received has also been a pleasure to read.

Characters

Feyre Archeron- Suffering from the trauma of what happened Under the Mountain, and now caught in what appears to be an obsessive relationship devoid of true love.

Tamlin- I had such high hopes for this guy, but he’s awful. He got what he wanted, freedom from the curse and did anything he had to do in order to break it. The number of times I wanted to strangle this guy…. There were many. He’s obsessive, protective, but can’t clearly see the effect the trauma is having on Feyre and even worse, does very little to remedy the way she feels.

Lucien- I thought he was Feyre’s friend and maybe he is, but he also controlled by his requirement to serve his High Lord Tamlin. This means Lucien often argues on Feyre’s belhalf but because Tamlin is a stubborn alpha male, he doesn’t listen.

Rhysand- Deceptively dark and that’s all I will say or I risk spoiling it.

Morrigan “Mor”- Cousin of Rhysand.

Cassian- Second to Rhysand and a strong Illyrian soldier. Often referred to as Rhysand’s brother though its more in “best friend” mode than biological.

Azriel- Same as Cassian, brother to Rhysand in spirit and Spymaster.

Ianthe- Almost like Amarantha reincarnated but maybe worse as far as crafty spying goes and manipulating.

King Hybern- …. Just cruel. He wants to join all the courts together and rule them as a singular unit. But he means to win through war and death.

Julian- Yet to be decided but supposed to be evil.

Thoughts

Even though I love this book, I do wish it didn’t have such Graphic Sex scenes in it. Granted there are only a few, but still they are extremely explained. Even so, the scenes are easy enough to skip and you can clearly tell where they end and begin.

For those who like spicy romance, this delivers on all fronts. You’ll get explicit, detailed sex scenes, drama, and love like you never thought possible.

The plot of this book is so deep, and I thoroughly enjoyed the read. My not enjoying the sex scenes didn’t damper this book one bit and it is every bit as dramatizing and epic as I was told to expect.

The characters have lovely arcs and their progression through the story is wonderful. Sarah J. Maas has this odd talent of packing like 400 pages worth of action into 200 pages and it hits hard every time.

You will not want to pass up this book.

Spoilers

There are none!! HA! I love this book sooooo much that I wouldn’t dare spoil it for you. The only thing I will say is this, “To the people who look at the stars and wish, Rhys."Rhys clinked his glass against mine. “To the stars who listen— and the dreams that are answered.”- A Court of Mist and Fury (Feyre to Rhys)

Happy Reading and may you walk the road less traveled!

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