My rating is a 4 because it is way better than the first book. You get more details about what is happening and why certain things happened in the first book. You dive deeper into the characters and their struggles, and they show how they become how they are. They go over how they've healed from the trauma and how they cope with it every day. The characters are more fleshed out. As you would guess, Feyre is spiraling because of the trauma she went through in the underground the mountain. She also brings up the trauma of how she slowly realizes Tamlin controls her and it's a horrible feeling. She brings it up to him and he disregards her. This book is a midpoint between the three books but it's so good! Feyre finally takes time to see what she is interested in and how she can learn to cope with the trauma she experiences. Every chapter is a new learning point of why Rhys did what he did in the mountain. The love story with Rhys was wild and beautiful.
It was irritating that she was so mad finding out that Rhys was her mate and she had to take like 4 days to calm down. I can see why she would need to be alone but for 4 days. It is interesting how Rhys has been with her from the beginning. Like the Darkness in her mind when she's hunting the wolf and when she sees the lady with red hair, it was her looking through Rhys's eyes. You can tell in her writing that she hints at things that will happen or are in the next book. I kind of get why Rhys made Feyre dress basically naked when she was trapped in the underground world, but I do still think it was too much. Especially reliving someone's body to the whole world. It doesn't seem like Feyre minds being nude in public but the idea of being an object and unaware of what she's doing freaks her out more. Which is valid but to not feel self-conscious at all idk. I do Love Rhysand and how she taught her to read and protect herself, but still gave her the freedom to live her life. He knows her trauma and he doesn't do anything to make her feel trapped or lonely even if it kills him inside. Just like when he was going to honor her loving Tamlin and wasn't going to ruin her marriage until she said she didn't want to marry him. Rhys is a great character, and you see how he puts on different faces to deal with his trauma. Lucian did annoy me because he seemed like he would do anything for her, but then he watches her be in so much pain. Also, when he's trying to capture her in the woods. He just dismisses her pain and gaslights her to think she is manipulated Then He all of a sudden calms Elaine when she doesn't know who he is and it's the second human he Loves. He seems to be just like Tamlin. claiming that she's his and he doesn't care how she feels. Also, Tamlin just seems like he got what he wanted without doing anything about it. Like paying her off by taking care of her family. He did nothing for her in Amarantha's court and then as soon as he could just tried to have sex with her. After she was reborn, he just treated her like a trophy to have sex with and live his own separate life. It annoyed me that he didn't have her learn to read, or terrain to protect herself. I love how Feyre's mental health is revealed, she can't see the color red, yet they put red flowers in her wedding. And how she can't feel confined, and he locks her in the house. She is sickly thin, and Tamlin doesn't say anything. and at the end, he says, " I Don't care that she's your mate, she's Mine. Is disgusting and just shows how he doesn't care for her, and he wants his prize. He would destroy the rest of the world for his trophy. The new characters are great too because they all have great trauma but come together as a family and respect each other. They are all so different but welcome Feyre into the family and don't see her for loving Rhys. I love Cassian because he seems like a very supportive character. They all seem pretty mature, and Feyre is still only 20 so they handle her emotions very well and don't talk down to her like everyone at Tamlin court. Nesta seems like she's a good person who just has her walls up and cares for her family, but she's also very selfish. She spent all their money growing up and let her baby sister hunt for them. She also pissed off the queens when they didn't want to. Elaine seems like a ditsy princess who doesn't care what goes on around her. Especially because she was going to marry someone who hates fairies and gave her an iron ring. She didn't care about whether her sisters cared or not. And she's just an innocent lamb who doesn't know what's going on. I love Mor and I think her upbringing and suffering make her stronger and just a lovable character because she has beautiful confidence. It was weird at eh ending scene because it seemed all over the place. Cassian just declares his mate and Lucian. It seemed like She just wanted to pair everyone up to keep their storylines together. But I feel like the king would've just made Elaine a fairy and that is it. He was just testing if it would work. It all seemed a little odd. I feel like Tamlin didn't buy Feyre "coming out of the spell." but he got his prize, so he doesn't care. Overall Love this book and am ready for Tamlin to die.