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

adventurous tense fast-paced

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

1.5

 I related to Feyre the most when she gave her jewels to the poor Fae, even when it meant defying Tamlin. However, I found it odd that she left Tamlin just for being overprotective of her - I don’t think I would have; I was too attached to Tamlin by then. We would’ve worked through it together. I’ve also never understood why SJM makes her female characters unnecessarily so hostile to each other – it makes no sense, especially if they’re being portrayed as feminine beauty. I came to love Rhys too, when I came to learn the truth about him, but that still doesn’t explain why he once made Feyre dance in a drugged state against her will! And if Rhys was holding her hand throughout the time, what was so terrible about that visit to the Bone Carver? And did Feyre even ask the Weaver’s own story and how she came to be so bitter and isolated? Reading ahead <spoiler ahead>, SJM also does odd pairings – Tamlin is protector, Elain is meek and gentle… anyone could’ve seen they’d have been perfect mates.  And I’m surprised Nesta and Cassian didn’t rub against each other the wrong way. Loved how the sisters later defeated the King of Hybern together, though! <end spoiler> With Rhys’ continuous array of kill-or-die tests for Feyre, I’m not sure he cherished Feyre as much as Tam did, despite the latter’s overprotectiveness. The Cauldron seems rather a bossy disappointment, considering how random and unevenly distributed everyone’s fates are – I thought fantasy was supposed to be a just form of escapism? We also had no proof Ianthe was mal-intentioned; how dare Rhys treat her like that, and why would Feyre not ask her side of the story? She’s believing hearsay (which SJM seems to rely a lot on, throughout her books so far), without directly investigating all parties impartially for herself. That’s it. I’ve lost patience with SJM, despite the good pace of her novels. It’s as if she herself needs to grow up! :o