Review: A Court Of Mist And Fury – Book #2 by Sarah J. Maas

Feyre survived Amarantha’s clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can’t forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin’s people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas’s masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.

5+ beautiful, fucking stunning golden stars blasting through my poor overwhelmed heart. 

First and foremost I actually need to give a little shoutout to a certain blogger from The Bibliotheque and her post about this book:  A Court of Mist and Fury or how Rhysand enamored the whole blogosphere. You bugger you, post got me hooked by a book I probably wouldn’t have read for another month, instead I finished within less than a day. You see, on my first review of this book, here, I ended less impressed and enamoured than I wanted to be and it ended up with about a 3-4 star rating instead of the five stars that the Throne of Glass series has.
I still won’t change that rating for my own reasons but man has my mind been blown to the moon and back.

It’s a change in view of a book so strong and unbelievable I don’t think I can really explain and do the feeling justice. Especially since my biggest struggle right now, is not giving any spoilers. This will be my hardest review in that aspect. I will no doubt prepare a rant post chock full of spoilers so those who have already read it, stay tuned for it.

Now let’s get started. First, setting. I was disappointed so I didn’t talk about it nearly as much as  I should have in my first review because I love the setting of this story. It has just the right amount of detail to keep me happy, while avoiding what can happen in books where you need world building, way too much of it. Leave some stuff to the imagination. Maas was absolutely on point in this aspect from day one, slow and steady giving us all of the information we need when it’s actually necessary. In ACOMAF especially, the building of Prythian was spectacular. I loved seeing so much more of that world and experiencing more of it through Feyre. Stunning descriptions paired with Maas’ imagination? Yes please.

I can’t even begin with Feyre for this review. My biggest problem before was problems with her character that I couldn’t agree with. The development experienced in the second book made up for it all tremendously and it also began to all make a lot more sense. With her character, Maas was also able to create a very clear depiction of PTSD and the fact that traumatic events and their effects, aren’t just going to poof away. No doubt my biggest pet peeve is when authors just jump right to “Oh it’s shitty that happened, but I’m absolutely okay now, trauma doesn’t affect me at all”. 

Moving on! Pet peeve pissing me off with the very thought.
I will admit to you all now, I can’t talk about the romance in this book. Literally, I fangirl far too much and it’s beyond my abilities to manage talking about it without giving spoilers. All I will say is yesssssssss. 
More more and gimme more. I was beyond pleased with the turn in romance this book gave me and the story behind it had me fangirling beyond compare. This was probably why I’m so book hungover from this book to be honest. Also, the sex scenes were beyond amazing and I could not get enough. Guilty and happily so.

I mean, how can you not fall in love with a book with lines like this?

“‘To the people who look at the stars and wish, Rhys.’ He picked up his glass, his gaze so piercing that I wondered why I had bothered blushing at all for Tarquin. ‘To the stas who listen—and the dreams that are answered.'” ~Page 337

The plot itself was also fantastic. It developed and flowed and intertwined with Feyre’s own development nicely. The timeline was played just right and man I could not get enough. Even now the ending of it all is killing me because I want more and Maas isn’t giving anything to me until 2017. Man the book life is cruel!
Anyways! (I’m getting sidetracked a lot here aren’t I?) Maas’ writing once again, did not disappoint and my upset from the first book was healed up and bandaged and given lots of kisses by the second book. Everything is made up for now. I’m okay, er sort of. There is very few things I can critique on here. I loved the detail about some of the new characters, it was given so nicely and delivered some harsh truths that relate to our world just as much as Feyre’s.

Even more, the lessons on sexism and the hard truths from that really hit me hard. The world is not kind, in this one or hours and these characters are very honest and harsh with those things. It’s hard for me to not get frustrated and upset when reading about some of the things that happen, but that’s what a good book does. The feminist in me burns so brightly honestly it’s insane because it makes me connect so much more, and more powerfully with the characters. That of itself was enough to pull me in, leave me biting at the bit and let me tell you the ending brings such brilliant closure that it cannot be forgotten.

Memorable and awe-inspiring this book has soared to the top of my favourites list and I’m just going to be waiting until its next book or Empire of Storms can trump it. Who knows if that’ll be possible.

That’s all I can say without spoilers I think.

Thoughts? What are your expectations with the second book to the ACOTAR?
Let me know in the comments!

Until next time,

Shayla