Must-Read: A Court of Mist and Fury

A Court of Mist and Fury is an excellent sequel to A Court of Thorns and Roses. In fact, it’s even better than the first book. The romance is crazy-hot, the new characters are great, and the world Sarah J. Maas continues to build is stupendous.

Feyre returns to the Spring Court and Tamlin after surviving Amarantha’s deadly clutches, but not without being changed. Now, with the powers of High Fae and a debt to Rhysand, Lord of the Night Court (she must spend one week every month at his court, and he is not the deplorable man that he originally seemed to be), Feyre is not the sparkling, happy girl she once was. Struggling with major PTSD, Feyre struggles to find herself again. As Tamlin tries to keep Feyre safe in his home and prevent a repeat of anything as nasty as Under the Mountain from happening to her again, Rhys tries to help Feyre heal her fractured soul. Amidst all of this, the threat to the human world only grows…**SPOILERS AHEAD**

Let’s start with the thing that really could have been better in this book: Maas’s total reversal of attitude on the Spring Court (namely, Tamlin). I really loved Tamlin in the first book. Feyre fell for him hard, and so did I. I was even hesitant when Rhys was introduced in A Court of Thorns and Roses because I could tell some sort of love triangle was probably going to be introduced (I HATE love triangles). Tamlin was a complex character with issues to be worked through, but his Spring Court was a safe haven for Feyre. Lucien, his best friend, was also a delight, and he was good to Feyre.

All of that changed in A Court of Mist and Fury. Tamlin suddenly became the bad guy. He lost the depth to his character and became a caricature (controlling, superior, and rageful). Turning him into that was a disservice to the character Mass created in the first book. Poor Lucien lost all his sparkle, too, and became pretty cowardly. Everything about Tamlin and his Spring Court could have been handled much better.

Aside from that, everything else was fantastic. Once Rhys becomes the main male character, you can’t help but love him. He cares deeply for his people, he loves Feyre with intensity and thoughtfulness, and, he is pretty darn sexy. I mean, this exchange is swoon-worthy:

“To the people who look at the stars and wish, Rhys.”
Rhys clinked his glass against mine, “To the stars who listen—and the dreams that are answered.”

Additionally, the steamy sex scenes between Feyre and Rhys in this book definitely were amped up compared to the scenes with Tamlin in the first book; in fact, it was hard to believe they were scenes allowed in a YA book!

The new characters–Rhys’s comrades–were all engaging and quickly became beloved. Azriel, Cassian, Mor, and Amran were loyal, feisty, and lovable. It’ll be cool to see if we dive into more of their storylines in the next book. They are just all written so well.

Finally, Maas’s world building skills are just incredibly meticulous and descriptive. They bring to life every little thing, and you feel like you can easily step into Feyre’s world. The Court of Dreams was by far the most dazzling place in the series.

Maas’s way with words–especially when setting up a romance–really are what makes this book so addicting. It’s the belief in love to heal, strength, and help a person grow that really shines through in this book. A Court of Mist and Fury is one you’ll want to keep on your bookshelf so you can re-read it over and over again!