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A review by escapinginpaper
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Review also posted on my blog! :)
Ahhhh yes, I finally finished it... and all the feels. This book destroyed me with feels. And twists. And cliffhangers. Waiting for the next book may just kill me. I will be avoiding spoilers for this book, but there will be spoilers for those who have not read the first book.
I felt that this story had so much more to offer than A Court of Thorns and Roses. A Court of Mist and Fury definitely feels more like its own story, and less like a retelling, such as was the case in the first novel. This story also felt much more different to me, in that I thought that it was way more focused on the characters and their relationships, which made it far more rich and fulfilling to read.
At the end of A Court of Thorns and Roses I whole-heartedly shipped Tamlin and Feyre. I won't be specific, but let me tell ya, those feelings were completely flipped on their head. I've never had my opinions about a character do a complete 180 like this! If I can say anything about Maas, she does an excellent job at tricking you into thinking that characters will be a certain way, or will do certain things. In actuality, I had no idea where the story or characters were going for most of the novel.
While on the topic of characters, this novel had so much more character development than its predecessor. I thought Feyre was an alright character in the first book, I liked her enough. In this second one, we see Feyre go so through much, and grow into a fully-formed, mature, empathetic individual. Not only that, but we actually get to see her become a full-fledged badass. But aside from Feyre, we get to know Rhysand better (bless you, Maas), and are introduced to a whole new cast of characters that I'm madly in love with. Another thing that made me happy about this novel – and might seem like a minor thing – was that Feyre's sisters are still included in the story. Personally, I don't enjoy when a character's family members are forgotten about or just swept to the side. It just bugs me!
But not only are the characters more fleshed out, but we get to see more of the faery world! I didn't realize how the last book was so limited to the Spring Court, (and that the Spring Court is pretty boring in comparison to the rest of the world....).
One other thing I really appreciated about this book, was the messages about relationships. After reading it and thinking about it, I realized this book says a lot about what it means to be in a healthy relationship with someone – where you have a partner who loves you, appreciates you, and lets you be yourself. Like I said before, I totally shipped Tamlin and Feyre after I read A Court of Thorns and Roses – but it wasn't until this second book that I realized how Tamlin and Feyre never really got to know each other... they just really wanted to have sex. Just wanting to have sex does have its place, (that's a topic for another day and another blog), but Feyre doesn't realize all the flaws that Tamlin has, because she's so focused on physical attraction. A Court of Mist and Fury shows us how much more fulfilling a relationship can be when you have a connection beyond physical attraction. I definitely enjoyed the slow build up of romance between Rhys and Feyre, and it was surely much more fulfilling than the instalove we get in the first book. One thing that bothered me with Tamlin and Feyre's romance in the first book, was that I didn't feel the chemistry between them. Chemistry is definitely not an issue between Rhys and Feyre, and I believe that's entirely because Maas steered away from the instalove factor. Thank you!
And finally... that ending... soul crushing. I can't believe how the last sixty pages were just a bomb dropped on my feels. How could you Sarah. YET, I have hope!
All in all, I completely loved this book. I've been trying to think of something that bothered me about it – just for good reviewing's sake – but I can't.
Ahhhh yes, I finally finished it... and all the feels. This book destroyed me with feels. And twists. And cliffhangers. Waiting for the next book may just kill me. I will be avoiding spoilers for this book, but there will be spoilers for those who have not read the first book.
I felt that this story had so much more to offer than A Court of Thorns and Roses. A Court of Mist and Fury definitely feels more like its own story, and less like a retelling, such as was the case in the first novel. This story also felt much more different to me, in that I thought that it was way more focused on the characters and their relationships, which made it far more rich and fulfilling to read.
At the end of A Court of Thorns and Roses I whole-heartedly shipped Tamlin and Feyre. I won't be specific, but let me tell ya, those feelings were completely flipped on their head. I've never had my opinions about a character do a complete 180 like this! If I can say anything about Maas, she does an excellent job at tricking you into thinking that characters will be a certain way, or will do certain things. In actuality, I had no idea where the story or characters were going for most of the novel.
While on the topic of characters, this novel had so much more character development than its predecessor. I thought Feyre was an alright character in the first book, I liked her enough. In this second one, we see Feyre go so through much, and grow into a fully-formed, mature, empathetic individual. Not only that, but we actually get to see her become a full-fledged badass. But aside from Feyre, we get to know Rhysand better (bless you, Maas), and are introduced to a whole new cast of characters that I'm madly in love with. Another thing that made me happy about this novel – and might seem like a minor thing – was that Feyre's sisters are still included in the story. Personally, I don't enjoy when a character's family members are forgotten about or just swept to the side. It just bugs me!
But not only are the characters more fleshed out, but we get to see more of the faery world! I didn't realize how the last book was so limited to the Spring Court, (and that the Spring Court is pretty boring in comparison to the rest of the world....).
One other thing I really appreciated about this book, was the messages about relationships. After reading it and thinking about it, I realized this book says a lot about what it means to be in a healthy relationship with someone – where you have a partner who loves you, appreciates you, and lets you be yourself. Like I said before, I totally shipped Tamlin and Feyre after I read A Court of Thorns and Roses – but it wasn't until this second book that I realized how Tamlin and Feyre never really got to know each other... they just really wanted to have sex. Just wanting to have sex does have its place, (that's a topic for another day and another blog), but Feyre doesn't realize all the flaws that Tamlin has, because she's so focused on physical attraction. A Court of Mist and Fury shows us how much more fulfilling a relationship can be when you have a connection beyond physical attraction. I definitely enjoyed the slow build up of romance between Rhys and Feyre, and it was surely much more fulfilling than the instalove we get in the first book. One thing that bothered me with Tamlin and Feyre's romance in the first book, was that I didn't feel the chemistry between them. Chemistry is definitely not an issue between Rhys and Feyre, and I believe that's entirely because Maas steered away from the instalove factor. Thank you!
And finally... that ending... soul crushing. I can't believe how the last sixty pages were just a bomb dropped on my feels. How could you Sarah. YET, I have hope!
All in all, I completely loved this book. I've been trying to think of something that bothered me about it – just for good reviewing's sake – but I can't.
So, suffice it to say, I completely recommend this book, and the first (if only to get a contrast between it and the second one). If there's anything that is bothering me, it's that I have to way until May for the third book... where Maas will surely crush our souls even further. This book was undoubtedly a five star read for me, and one of my favorites of 2016!
Final Rating: ★★★★★
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Confinement, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent