A COURT OF MIST AND FURY: Review
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
Rating: 5/5 Stars.
Strengths: Plot, Characters, World building
"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."
I have finally [partially] emerged from my emotionally wrecked crying fest after finishing this book. The second I closed the book, the only thing I could think of was GOD DAMMIT.
As I was reading, I critiqued a little but also really enjoyed it... so I thought I'd probably just give it maybe 4 stars. But then, the book picked up and the last chunk was spectacular and great. Events and happenings and revelations rolled in one after the other. By the end I was:
After reading the first book and hearing that the sequel is much better, I had high expectations for it. My best friend had also spoiled something huge in the book for me (because I begged her to) so I was also quite scared. ACOMAF met the hype that surrounded it and expelled my fears.
Which. makes. me . so . happy.
Sarah J. Maas really stepped up her game with this sequel. ACOMAF is much better, and so much more constructed. The world building increased in quality and quantity. More characters make an appearance, giving more depth to the book.
However, it was not free of faults. There were a couple of things that irked me.
Let us go over them, shall we?
*Note: If you have not read the first book yet, it probably wouldn't be the best idea to read this. Up to you. No pressure*
1) Length: Do books with 600+ pages make me happy? Yes. And this book made me happy. But, I felt like there were some things that were just unnecessary, especially in the beginning. Some parts were too drawn out.
2) Repetition: Sarah J. Maas has a tendency in writing that has been quite consistent in all her books so far: repetition, specifically repetition exalting the main character. The use of "I am/was [insert noun here]" was quite overused. Feyre has probably been almost every state of life and thought. I even began playing the "how many different things can Feyre describe herself as" game. It exceeded 10, I'll tell you that much.
There's also a repetition in the use of comparing red paint or red something, to blood. Every time she sees red paint she thinks of blood. It's a nice comparison for imagery, but not when used repeatedly.
3) Tamlin's Character: This is the first thing I noticed. Tamlin made a complete 180 in the transition from the first book to the sequel. Yes, I get it. There's a reason and purpose to why he's like this. Yet the way everything played out was kind of... confusing. Looking at it holistically, from the events of both books in the series, it doesn't add up. For plots to progress, a character should not be changed to be unlike themselves or the way they were portrayed to be. It undermines the character's involvement in past events.
A lot of times I understood why things were happening the way they were, especially in terms of the Tamlin/Feyre dynamic. I just can't comprehend why this character change had to happen the way it did. Usually a person's trait, regardless of their motives or actions, will bleed through to the surface at some instances. If the Tamlin that we see in ACOMAF made small, sudden, fleeting appearances in the Tamlin of the first book, then Tamlin's character would be considered consistent, only unmasked.
4) Nasty fingers pointing blame at Lucien. What is with characters (and readers) putting blame on one character (or a couple) for consequences in the book. Reprimanding Lucien? Seriously? How about we all understand that a character's actions isn't a reflection of who they are or why they are acting that way?
Why didn't people point fingers at Rhys for a lot of the actions he took? Because we had insight into Rhy's character and the reasons that were behind them.
Bam. Exactly.
If we (and characters) had any insight on Lucien, then every body would be swallowing the swords of blame that they're throwing at him.
Jumping so quickly to judge.
Chill.
5) Feyre's father. Well, his lack of presence thereof. He had quite a presence in the first book so I found it weird that it seemed like he wasn't of much significance this time around. Is his lack of appearance a temporary thing, or permanent? Perhaps I'm thinking ahead, but it's a thought.
6) Absence of flaws. Oh God damn, everyone is so perfect. Gets tiring. I admit, character flaws do exist so I won't hold onto that but...physical flaws. Where? (I'm speaking specifically about the main characters, the one's we're exposed to most)
This is one of the reasons why I love Lucien (other than his awesome self), he has a metal eye. In Fae world, he's basically deformed.
"Oh well it's because they're Fae, it's a necessary characteristic for them," you might argue. Well then, even the humans, the mortals, the not Fae, are described as beautiful. Also, for arguments sake, if the Fae in this world can lie, then why can't they also not be absolutely flawless?
Also, they're all white. As much as I adore these characters, a diverse character list is still needed. Diversity in fantasy is also important.
Whew, that rant is over. Sorry.
Moving on to better stuff.
Breakdown
WRITING: As usual, SJM's writing is beautiful, easy and enjoyable to read. The language is also quite mature throughout. It's a new adult book, so obviously. But it was much more than in the first book. It suit the overall atmosphere of the book though.
PLOT: THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN THIS BOOK. HAVE MERCY.
Things happen, secrets are unveiled, pasts are explained, and plot twists. Oh, it was glorious. This was the determining factor for my rating to reach 5 stars for this book.
Well done Sarah J. Maas. Well done.
WORLD-BUILDING: One of the aspects that heavily improved from the first book. In ACOTAR we got a small scope of the world. In this book we get the full picture. The descriptions were much more immaculate. Sarah really gave time to creating and explaining the world that we, readers, get a strong feel of the world. After this book, I fell in love with the Courts (specifically the Night Court). The uniqueness of every Court - from scenery to inhabitants- was so interesting. The intricacy of details was spectacular.
CHARACTERS:
Oh, yes, I'm going to have fun.
FEYRE: Feyre went through a tremendous amount of growth. She struggled to understand her feelings, her importance, and her place in that world. I particularly liked that Feyre realized it. She was able to identify the fact that throughout the events that had occurred, she had grown. She shows that change is okay. She's stronger, less dependable, and contributed more. I really like that she is also level-headed.
RHYSAND: h e a r t p a l i p i t a t i o n s. Rhysand is just such an amazing character. We get more insight as to what happened in the previous book, of Rhy's past, and the reasons behind his actions. He demonstrates so much strength, especially emotionally. He endured so much. He's loyal, caring, and a great leader. He's also incredibly good looking and irresistible. He's just...
CASSIAN: One of the "Night squad". He's literally so perfect. He's always joking around and laid back, but then he's also stoic and intense when he needs to be. He is loyal and has a big heart. He livens the whole Court. I love his relationship with the others in the group. I didn't know I needed a Cassian in this book until he happened. He might have been bumped up to my favorite character.
AZRIEL: Quiet, stoic, mysterious. We don't get much out of him throughout the book, but when he does speak he makes us fall in love with him. His friendship with Cassian is absolutely adorable and heartwarming (and both of them to Rhys). I feel like there's something about him that is yet to be unlocked.
MORRIGAN: I love her when I didn't expect to. When she was first introduced, my reaction was, "Okay, whatever." But as we begin to understand more about her and about what she had to endure, I couldn't help but admire her. Then she became a source of support for Feyre (yes! Women empowering other women). Her strength, her power, her confidence. Adore.
AMREN: Another mystery character. We don't know what she is. All that we know is that she is awesome (have I been saying that a lot? Well then). She exudes so much power that she terrifies everyone. I love that she is hardcore and has a dominant presence. Also, her physical description is quite interesting. Of course, her protecting the other females in the group and calling out the men on all their BS is just 100%. If I was a Fae, I would want to be her.
Tamlin: I think I already expressed my thoughts before hand. Basically, he's not the same.
LUCIEN: Still my baby. He didn't appear as much in this book, but I anticipate his appearances in the future.
Ianthe: Not cool. Two sided, poisoned sword of a person. Enough said.
NESTA: You see, I like her, but she confuses me (for a reason I can't say because...possible spoiler). She's fierce and protective and that's admirable.
ELAINE: Oh the sweet one of the sisters. She elicits a reaction from me the same way one would react to a cute little puppy.
These characters are an important part of the book. Specifically, the Night Court squad (Cassian, Azriel, Mor, and Amren). Those four made me enjoy the book so much. Without them I probably would not have enjoyed the book as much. I need a novella for each one of them.
I know this was long and if you got this far then I love you.
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