Do you ever look for that one book that’s essentially just a giant piece of fan-service? Well, A Court of Mist and Fury felt like that, and in the best possible way. We have alpha males, bad-ass bitches, a treasure hunt, love and betrayal. What more could we ask for?
I will say that this is a SPOILER FREE review unlike my previous blog post on A Court of Thorns and Roses. I had a lot unload after reading the first book and there was just no stopping me. However, I will avoid spoilers going forward for those who (like me) are late to the ACOTAR game.
Book Blurb
Feyre has undergone more trials than one human woman can carry in her heart. Though she’s now been granted the powers and lifespan of the High Fae, she is haunted by her time Under the Mountain and the terrible deeds she performed to save the lives of Tamlin and his people.
As her marriage to Tamlin approaches, Feyre’s hollowness and nightmares consume her. She finds herself split into two different people: one who upholds her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court, and one who lives out her life in the Spring Court with Tamlin. While Feyre navigates a dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms. She might just be the 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 in turmoil.
A Court of Mist and Fury
What I Loved
Feyre’s Growth
At the end of book one, Feyre has been put through the ringer. That’s possibly an understatement. She has been to hell and back though. I enjoyed seeing her changed due to these circumstances. I certainly wouldn’t be the same person coming out of that as I was going in. And just like real life, sometimes when we change like that, not everyone changes with us. It can cause conflict, tension, and the need for space.
I don’t know about you all, but I’ve personally went through some some stuff where it left me mentally, permanently changed. I wasn’t the same. And people who pretended that everything was okay, and that I was the same person, just pissed me off. They left me feeling like I was going crazy.
It’s a relatable situation and one that Maas does a superb job of painting. For those who’ve experienced something similar, and even those who haven’t.
World-Building
Maas did an amazing job of bringing Prythian to life in book one. In A Court of Mist and Fury we see Maas’s talents honed in to a particular section of the map for a good part of the book. She fleshes it out in such a way, between the buildings and people we meet, I wanted to walk in and live there myself.
I wonder what the rates are like for houses there? 🤔
In the same way, she fleshes out Prythian even more than book one. Now that everyone is free from the evil queen, Amarantha, we get eyes on other Courts in a little more depth. And I must say, it was eye-opening to see the difference between the Spring Court and new regions we get to see for the first time.
I know this series is pretty character driven, but Maas’s world-building is pretty top-notch. She gives us enough to understand the workings of the world, without going on describing food for paragraphs or pages.
Suspense
This book, compared to A Court of Thorns and Roses, doesn’t have the same sense of urgency. However, there is still something we are being led to, something that’s being built up throughout the 624 pages of book two.
With each chapter, that sense of foreboding grows. Plot elements are coming together, the severity of past events are coming out of the darkness, and another evil is coming into the light. I was enraptured by new relationships this book offered, but I loved the interwoven elements that led us to the jaw-dropping end.
All I can say is that I cannot wait to see what Feyre does in book three, A Court of Wings and Ruin.
What I Didn’t Love
Can I say nothing?
Because honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing about this book. There are parts that made me upset, but it wasn’t anything bad about the book or how it was written. I just couldn’t believe the audacity of some characters, but I believe that’s the point.
So, nothing. I have nothing for this section. 😂
In Conclusion
If you loved A Court of Thorns and Roses you’re going to fall even more head over heels for this series. Book two builds on book one and takes it up not one, but several notches in intensity. This book will make you feel elated, pissed off, enthralled, and in awe. It’s the best rollercoaster a lover of Fantasy Romance could want. I didn’t know this series could get better…I loved A Court of Thorns and Roses…but I’m even more in love and invested than before. You will not be disappointed.
What is book three going to do to me?!
I gave A Court of Mist and Fury,
Until next time,
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