A Court of Mist and Fury

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
It was a bit slow the first half but then the story unraveled in a marvelous, mind-blowing way. I just have to start ACOWAR right away!

It is more of the cotidianity after Under the Mountain, yes there are some secrets revealed and I love the banter between Feyre and Rhys, and the last half was stunning, brilliant, and sets everything in motion for ACOWAR (I just read a few chapters)... but I find the first half way too long to get to that point. Some bits are moved fast-forwardly but others are -to me at least- unnecessarily very detailed or repetitive.

It would have been a 5 star if not for this, it took me way too long to want to put the book up again and continue my reading, couldn't get past 10 pages at once for the first half. I even started and finished another one in parallel to keep me motivated, ended up choosing to finish that other book instead lol...

Maybe once I get to ACOWAR I will find those bits necessary or, at least, making sense. I have learned after the end of this book that SJM doesn't leave crumbs without a purpose, so... I am open to be amazed and change my mind ✨️

this was so much better than the first book. first book was fine, this one was a masterpiece.

I fell in love with every single character. the last 80 pages of the book had my eyes filling with tears, over and over again, for the horror, the bloodshed, the hopelessness, and ultimately, the overpowering love of it all.

that is how you write romantic fantasy.

“The Court of Dreams. The people who knew that there was a price, and one worth paying, for that dream. The bastard-born warriors, the Illyrian half-breed, the monster trapped in a beautiful body, the dreamer born into a court of nightmares ... And the huntress with an artist's soul.”

After I started writing book reviews a few months ago, it has never happened that I couldn't find enough words to write about a book. But this book left me dumbfounded with all sorts of feelings swirling in my head and heart.

ACOTAR was a fine book but it felt nothing like the hype that surrounded it. I only started enjoying it through the last 100 pages which intrigued me enough to continue the series. I didn't expect anything different from this sequel too, but this book blew me away. The standard of ACOMAF is way way above ACOTAR that sometimes, I can't believe it's written by the same author, especially because I haven't read any other books by Sarah J. Mass. This book is now going to be my standard against which I will compare any romance novel in the future and I don't see many coming close to it.

The book deals very well the character of Feyre, her pain, guilt, nightmares, claustrophobia and PTSD. She endured unbearable torment and had to do unspeakable things Under the Mountain to save her love and his lands. She actually died before being resurrected. Now months after the ordeal, she is trying to deal with her pain but has no one to support her. Tamlin has his own fair share of nightmares and doesn't want to think about any of them, Lucien wants to help but can't go against Tam's orders, Ianthe just wants Feyre to be a model wife and Lady of the Spring Court to provide hope and stability to the people. No one bothers to see what Feyre really needs. She is disintegrating in front of their eyes but they are blind to it. Tam's all consuming need to control everything about Feyre leads him to do stupid things that finally push Rhys to save her and whisk her away to the Night Court.

Rhys is nothing like the mask that he presents to the world. He does everything possible to let Feyre know that she can get through her trauma and pain. He shares his own past and his nightmares, shows her a side of himself that no one knows, so that she can believe that she too can learn to live again. He introduces her to his Court of Dreams, his amazing friends that become her strength and support at a time when she needs them the most. Mor's cheerfulness, Cassian's steel, Azriel's silence and Amren's otherworldliness – all mask a past full of pain but they have gotten through it and made themselves into a close knit loving family – and that's what Feyre starts to love. Each of them provide her the friendship, stability and confidence to move through her guilt and start feeling again.

Feyre and Rhys's relationship is probably the best romantic pairing I have read in recent times. It's just so beautiful and I don't have enough words to describe it. It's built on trust, honesty, equality, partnership and most importantly a deep friendship. Their relationship evolves from hateful words to cheerful flirtation to being great friends, that their love never feels forced. They treat each other as equals and trust each other's choices and decisions so implicitly that it feels like a relationship worth emulating. I never stopped pitying Tam but he was just too broken himself to help Feyre with what she needed to heal herself.

There is so much more I want to write but then, it won't be a review anymore. I have so many feelings that when I started writing down all of them, it came to around 9 pages which I don't think I should reproduce here. I can just say that this book is beautiful, the characters are so amazing that I want to go live in the city of Velaris among all of them because I feel they are all my friends now. And Rhysand... Rhysand... Rhysand... there are no words to express my feelings about him... Just nothing... I just wish there are many many many books featuring him because I don't want him to go away so soon from my life.

“He thinks he'll be remembered as the villain in the story.” She snorted. “But I forgot to tell him,” I said quietly, opening the door, “that the villain is usually the person who locks up the maiden and throws away the key.” “Oh?” I shrugged. “He was the one who let me out.”

3.3.21 update: I forgot how fucking fantastic this book is. I think ACOFAS ruined my memories of just how good this book is. I'm in awe. My mind is in pieces. My thoughts are unfathomable. I am going to need a minute to process everything. Original Review from 5.15.16: 5+/5 stars I like to start of this review by saying that I hate [a:Sarah J. Maas 3433047 Sarah J. Maas https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1582137198p2/3433047.jpg] I hate her books. I hate how she manages to flawlessly develop her characters. I hate how she always rips my heart out of my chest and crushes, burns, destroys it. And I especially hate how she only releases like two books a year. Stop it Sarah. I hate you. Obviously, I'm joking. At least I think I am. It's going to have to depend on how [b:Empire of Storms 28260587 Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass, #5) Sarah J. Maas https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1463107108l/28260587.SY75.jpg 25272004] ends and if she tears my heart in half there too. In all reality, Sarah J. Maas is one of my all time favorite authors. And this book just adds to the reasons why. This book is by far one of my favorites of the entire year, of my entire life, and I am craving more. I remember when I read [b:A Court of Thorns and Roses 16096824 A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1) Sarah J. Maas https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1546406962l/16096824.SY75.jpg 21905102] last September that I couldn't stand Rhysand. I thought he was arrogant and unrelatable. I wasn't even wrong, but I was in a whole different universe. He is arrogant, I was right about that, but he's sweet adn caring and perfect and another reason why I hate Sarah. I fall in love with her characters too easily. Also another reason why I hate SJM, she isn't afraid to branch out with her books even if her ideas are insane. She always makes it work. I mean, compare [b:Throne of Glass 7896527 Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1) Sarah J. Maas https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1495278054l/7896527.SY75.jpg 11138426] with [b:Queen of Shadows 18006496 Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass, #4) Sarah J. Maas https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1441230104l/18006496.SY75.jpg 25272067], and you get two completely different stories, and compare ACOTAR with ACOMAF, the exact same thing. I can't even gather my thoughts right now to write an honest review. I'll work on it tomorrow after I sleep on it. If you are reading this Sarah, then there is a way to buy my love. I want copies of Empire of Storms and ACOTAR #3 in my hands yesterday. Maybe I'll reconsider.

I really enjoy the writing style of Sarah J. Maas. I will definitely be reading her other books. I loved this book. It felt easier and flowed better then the first partly because the relationship with Rhys was more natural than Tamlin. Tamlin locking her up had me so heated. I was shouting I knew it when Tamlin and Lucien were working with Hybern. I would like to move to Velaris. It sounded like the epitome of peace. I found a new villian to hate the human queens collectively. I like that Feyre has come into her powers and is stronger then many know. I loved that her kindness to the wraith was paid back by saving her life. I hated how this book sent her babk to Tamlin. I am eagerly anticipating reading the next book to see if Cassian and Nessa have a thing, what becomes of Lucien and Elain since they are mates, what comes of the war with Hybern, and I pray Feyre gets her revenge on Tamlin. Side note: I am so sad for Feyre, Nessa, and Elain's father. He now has 3 fairy daughters and he doesn't even know yet.

Goodreads will tell you that I've read this book twice. That is what they call in my country a whole ass lie. Pick a number, any number and that is how many times I've read it. I've love the whole series but this book will forever be a book that will come to mind when people ask what my favorite book is ( Side note: stop asking bookworms that question. I don't know about the others but my brain melts LOL).
First of all, Rhysand. The title of BOOK HUSBAND ( yes all capitals. Always) applies to him and only him. Even being the strongest High Lord in Prythian history, he never belittled his Inner Circle. He never treated them as subjects and he trusted and loved them so much that he endured hell Under The Mountain so they wouldn't have to. But most importantly, he helped bring Feyre back to herself.
Now as oh so magnificent as Rhysand is...the star of this show is Feyre. As a woman she is such an easy character to root for. So young she learned that life was a cruel bitch and she fought back to survive. And that helped shape her even more in this book. She lost herself a bit, she doubted herself some, she had some major ptsd...but like the bad ass warrior queen she is she came back from all that and then some.
NOT TO MENTION the greatest Inner Circle ever.. Amren, Mor, Cassian and Azriel. I'm hoping that SJM has their books planned. They NEED their own books. And I need to read them.

This one was harder for me to get through, despite the fact that this seems to be everyone's favorite book in the series. I love the MMC and some of the side characters. Again, I felt like all of the interesting things happen closer to the end of the book, and it was really hard for me to stick through this to get there, but I eventually finished.

Update as of 9 June 2019: Well. It was a third reread. I have my issues with Sarah J. Maas writing, but the story in A Court of Mist and Fury is so... moving.

It even made me contemplate reading Empire of Storms. But honestly, I have no idea if I will.

//End of update//

It is a magnificent novel. Magnificent. I'm just a little without words at the moment. That was a freaking rollercoaster and not a novel. And that ending. It just broke something in me, but it was epic nonetheless.

The beginning was hard. After everything that the characters had endured, they deserved happy ending for themselves, but there wouldn't be the second book if everything was so simple. Everyone dealt with the aftermath of Amarantha at best they could. Well, someone couldn't and it broke everything. Honestly, the first part of the book was the hardest for me. Tamlin avoided the problem and look where it got him. Spoiler: nothing good.

The second part of the book was way too entertaining. Don't get me wrong - there were hard moments, enough of them. But there was also hope that everything can be righted. I really loved new characters and what they brought to the story. There were a lot of moments where I was ready to burst with happiness and laughter. And I love this book for that.

Ther third part was bittersweet. I knew all too well that it couldn't be that good for too long. So many things had gone wrong. So many things could be different if only one was changed, but we got what we got. What is there to say? The ending was a bit cruel but just so dramatic. And I'm glad that the author hadn't left it as an absolute cliffhanger (just a little one).

One of the things, that I loved the most about this book is that it was told wholly from one perspective. I do enjoy when there are two POVs and more, but that way there is always one or couple that I like less.

Right now, I would love nothing more than to dive into the third book right now (I really anticipate the moment when one High Lord realizes what he's done), but, most unfortunately, I need to study for my exam.

I read this last year, but I wanted to refresh my memory before starting a Court of Wings and Ruin, so I read it again. I remembered loving this book but I think I loved it even more the second time. I also remembered hating Tamlin so much the last time I read it...and this time I hated him even more. My only regret with this book is that it makes me annoyed with myself for thinking Tamlin was so great on the first book, when he's really such an assclown.

Actual rating: 1000000/5 stars

Spoiler Reading Vlog 2021

2019: 10 out of 5 damn stars. I freaking loved this book and at this moment my mind is shattered and I have no comprehensible thoughts besides amazing.

2021: THIS BOOK IS STILL THAT BITCH! I love this book with my whole soul and I honestly feel like it's a part of me. I know everybody hates on Ms. Maas and says her characters and basic and her writing is trash but I love both dearly! Re-reading this book felt like coming home. It was literally a warm hug and I honestly just want to re-read it again rn but I'll refrain lol

I love finding a book that makes me gasp and squeal with excitement and shock. Although I certainly find parts of the writing ridiculous, (the overuse of the word feral anyone? A billion half smiles? Feyre going off again about how she's a stupid human trapped in a fairy body? There are certainly parts that irk me.) the way this book had me hooked and needing to know more was such a thrill. I have been listening to the books. I started the first book on Tuesday and finished it Thursday. I started this one Thursday night and finished it this Sunday morning No, I haven't been getting enough sleep. Yes, I have been telling my fiancé that we're joining the court of dreams.

Feyre's pain was so relatable and although her time with Tamlin was brief, I was... I could feel the fear of someone you loved betraying your very spirit. The way he dominated her life and how she shrunk to fit it. Undoubtedly, they are both severely traumatized by the events under the mountain, and how he handles it by asking her to still be weak, to be weaker than before...I was so angry and happy she got away. The way Maas described how Feyre felt the words “protect” with every thrust has haunted me.

I appreciated the illustration of finding and loving the thing that you need and want, but then, after the mountain and how it changed her physically and mentally, needing something different. The disappointment when Tamlin refused to grow with her.

Quick gush:

OMG! MY CRUSH ON RHYSAND IS A LOT. Then again, I absolutely love the trope of bad guy who's actually good guy and btw, he's hot. I love it. I know it's a trope and I can understand why people find it forced, but it's the trope I love and I was more than willing to accept it. Also, the sex scenes with Rhysand are hotter.