A review by arpellis
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I panned the first book, A Court of Thorns and Roses, for being dull and derivitive, with a forced romance plot. I was right about that, but in fairness to Maas, she really turned it around for the sequel. 
The book is still a pale shadow of a hundred better books and even fanfictions (from which it borrows so many tropes) but this book's plot, romance elements, and world building were all vastly better than the first book. I kept feeling proud of Maas for
actually turning the limp love triangle I thought she was setting up in the first book into a more interesting romance story, and dumping dull Tam to the side
nonetheless, Feyre remains extremely unlikable, self-involved, constantly bringing up her own attractiveness and sexual tensions, and goading other characters into complimenting her at the weirdest times. Read the room girl. Rhysand in this book has a touch of the too good to be true, and everyone in it is blessed with unnatural deus ex machina at every turn. 
Still, the story was more interesting, more compelling, and it is fun to read Feyre working out her powers, even if she seems to develop them without trying. Including the reading and writing part which she seemed to pick up idly over the course of a few weekends of light work. 
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