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

Published: May 3, 2016

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 624 (Hardcover)

My Rating: 5.0/5.0

Synopsis:

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.

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I don’t remember what rating I gave to A Court of Thorns and Roses, but I take it back. That book should have been like a 3.5 or something, because A Court of Mist and Fury was SO MUCH BETTER. ACOTAR was good purely for the fact that it evoked a great deal of emotion- the plot was okay, the characters okay. A Court of Mist and Fury was 110% better in every way – it’s like SJMaas took the plot from the first and decided she was really going to change things up and added a big dose of adrenaline or dynamite or something.

WARNING: SPOILERS, SPOILERS EVERYWHERE

I was preparing for disappointment from this book when I picked it up because I half expected it to be predictable, generic, or be standard fare YA (even though it’s more like New Adult). I kind of hated Feyre at the beginning- I thought she was over-exaggerating the whole PTSD thing, but I kept reading and it was actually very convincing and I was pulled back into the story. Within a hundred pages I loathed Tamlin and was tentatively in support of Rhysand, just because he seemed to understand Feyre on a level that Tamlin was unable to achieve. Tamlin really infuriated me because he was just so oblivious to her feelings!!! I really hoped she would raze his house and crush Ianthe because she was SO patronizing and practically smothered Feyre with her overbearing attention, while simultaneously taking advantage of her clearly compromised state. I was ecstatic when Rhysand rushed in to rescue her before she was beyond his reach (I shrieked and possibly laughed maniacally) it was so perfect and Rhysand plays casual so well.

SJMaas is great at creating world that are magnificent and sure, they lack the subtleties and complexities of my very favorite fantasy novels, but her stories are far more character and event-centric and the story isn’t lessened from this shifted focus. The Night Court however…. This was beautiful. History and culture were clearly more central to the who, what, and why of this Court than the Spring or Summer Courts. The city of Velaris is the true heart of Rhysand’s people and is a reflection of his true nature – it’s a city of dreams and the Night Court is more a Court of Dreams than Nightmares as the rest of the world believes. The façade they put up is so thorough that not even Amarantha was able to uncover the truth during her 50 year reign. It’s just beautiful and the darkness suits Feyre more than a Court of flowers and pastel dresses.

The whole storyline of A Court of Mist and Fury had me in suspense- I was reading as fast as I reasonably could without missing any good details because I was desperate to see what happened next. I actually stayed up pretty late finishing this, despite having work in the morning. This is rare for me as I find sleep to be precious and I don’t give it up lightly, so a book has to be truly spectacular for it to keep me up. There’s just so much to say about ACOMAF that I can’t seem to fit it all in! I loved Rhys’s inner circle – they were each so different, but they fit into a more perfect whole. Their dynamics were fun, but the group was 100% serious about doing what was best for their people, no matter the personal cost. Feyre fit in very well with them after she began to unwrap the guilt from her heart. Did I mention that Feyre’s a powerhouse now? She comes a very long way from a wraith of skin and bones by the end of the book and she turns into the perfect weapon and this time it’s her choice.

A Court of Mist and Fury was a paradigm shift and the series is now going in a direction that I did not anticipate. I LOVE SURPRISES! The ending still has me feeling rather smug (well played guys) and it’s totally going down in the next book. Also, RHYSAND + FEYRE guys! They are a thing now and I’m so happy! I had a love/hate thing going on with Rhys in ACOTAR and I couldn’t decide what his motives really were, but now he’s great! I can’t wait to see what other courts are introduced in book 3 and I’m already thinking about a re-read and I’ve been looking at fan art and its getting ridiculous. If you didn’t care for the first book, I implore you- give this one a chance because it’s a totally different direction from the first!