A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas - Review

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.

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Oh boy. Sorry this is really long. If you didn't know, Sarah J. Maas is my favorite author and I love all of her books. While I loved A Court of Thorns and Roses, I didn't love it in the same way I loved her Throne of Glass series. I am happy to announce, though, that A Court of Mist and Fury has solidly placed Sarah's second series on the same favored pedestal. 

I don't even know how to start this review. A Court of Mist and Fury is, in my opinion, the perfect sequel. I am always in awe of Sarah's ability to develop characters so deeply in a way that is believable and interesting and really drives the plot. The changes in not only Feyre but everyone around her is apparent after the events in ACOTAR and the fear, paranoia, and tensions following the dramatic and traumatic ending of book 1 is really taking its toll. Feyre is feeling confined and babied by Tamlin, who loves her almost too deeply, showing that even relationships filled with love can become toxic. 

And with that, I think it is where this book really shines. Relationships. Relationships - between friends, lovers, fathers, rulers, subjects, Fae, humans - and how they change and the characters survive and suffer, learn and remain ignorant, grow and, sometimes, regress. Feyre's relationship with herself and her own conscience is brought to the forefront, her struggle with her actions Under the Mountain and the way that she is being coddled by someone she loves (and who is supposed to love her back). Sarah's exploration of Feyre is wonderful to read - she is a warrior and survivor and yet remains incredibly vulnerable and sensitive. Balancing her emotions and instincts is such a relatable thing to found in such a fantastic story. 

We of course learn more about Rhysand and not only his time with Amarantha but before, when he was a High Lord over a mysterious kingdom. We learn more about court machinations between the many High Lords and the rulers before them, as well as the Queens in the human realm that have their own agenda. I don't know if anyone will be surprised by the path Sarah reveals with Rhys's character, but the way that Feyre's own opinions are questioned and reformed and questioned again, develops not only his character but her own. I love, love, LOVE the fact that Sarah pulls no punches when it comes to love interests - as characters change, so do their relationships. 

We also get a whole slew of new characters, courtesy of the Night Court. Rhys's friends and court from old are introduced and they are a fantastic cast of complicated, hilarious, snarky, troubled Fae. I loved how these characters immediately jumped off the page. I also liked how, while they are all completely independent characters on their own, they work to reveal more about Rhys and Feyre, as well as how they reveal the relationship between the Fae and the human realm.

But Jasmine? Can you do anything but gush over this book? Well, no, no I can't. As a person who really liked ACOTAR and thought it was a very good book, I didn't really fall in love with Feyre or the world of Prythian until A Court of Mist and Fury. Everything is heightened - the stakes, the emotions, the writing just has a sense of...fury. I honestly can't think of another word for it - it just seems like Sarah laid her heart out on the page and I just rolled around on it with my feelings.

Bottom line: I thought A Court of Mist and Fury was fabulous. I think it's a great book in it's own right, full of action and romance and wit and, most importantly for me, a strengthening and growth of Feyre's mind and character. I think it's an absolutely stellar sequel, expanding in all the right areas while leaving some points to be touched on further in later books without feeling like she was leaving anything out. The pace was good, the dialogue fantastic (RHYS, GOOD LORD *fans self*), and the writing was great. Sarah always writes such strong female characters, but being able to get inside Feyre's head with the 1st person point of view really gives ACOTAR and ACOMAF its own style and feel. I cannot wait to see where Sarah and Feyre take us next.

You did it again, Sarah. I bow to you. 

A Court of Thorns and Roses Review

Check out more about Sarah and her works here: http://sarahjmaas.com/about-sarah/

Sarah J. Maas is the author of the New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling Throne of Glass series–Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, Heir of Fire, Queen of Shadows, and the series’ prequel, The Assassin’s Blade–as well as the New York Times and USA Today bestselling A Court of Thorns and Roses and its sequel A Court of Mist and Fury. She wrote the first incarnation of the Throne of Glass series when she was just sixteen, and it has now sold in twenty-three languages. Empire of Storms, the fifth Throne of Glass novel, will release on September 6th, 2016

A New York native, Sarah currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and dog. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Hamilton College in 2008 with a degree in Creative Writing and a minor in Religious Studies.

Happy Reading!

Jasmine

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A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas - Review