Book Talk | A Court of Mist and Fury

I was completely infatuated with the first book, A Court of Thorns, so I didn't want to wait too long to read the next book. I was hoping for a good sequel, well, some people will say ask and you will receive. This rang true for this sequel, A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Mass. SPOILERS AHEAD! 

 

A Little Bit About the Author

Sarah J. Maas is the prolific, #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the Throne of Glass, A Court of Thorns and Roses and Crescent City series, which have sold more than 70 million copies in English worldwide and are published in thirty-eight languages. Maas is one of the most successful authors of the modern era, generating a far-reaching and ever-growing fanbase of readers, as well as a TikTok phenomenon, with the hashtag for her A Court of Thorns and Roses series having several billion views.

A Little Bit About the Story

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 just 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.

  

A Little Book Talk

 

Ya'll, she played us! I was completely fooled by Tamlin in the first book and I feel a little...shame? However, I want to emphasize that the moment Rhysand entered the scene in ACOTR, I knew he was going to play a bigger role and from how they described him, I knew that once I learned more about his character, I would probably fall for him at the end. Much like Fayre, with Tamlin, it was purely lust, but with Rhysand, there's so much more. Let's get into it a bit.

I don't know about ya'll, but I literally wanted to throw up when I was reading the parts where Tamlin was just taking Feyre to bed in anger and possession, while she was clearly in a deep depression. I was disgusted by his whole character, and frankly, it had me looking back and searching for all the signs that were there from the first book. And they were there, subtle, quiet, disguised as protection, but they were there. Our author does a fantastic job of throwing a curve ball and having the readers turn on Tamlin, and root for the guy who was pretending to be a beast. 

 

I loved the overarching theme of allowing yourself to change your mind. We see our main character give in to this theory that she needs to stay with Tamlin because she went through so much to be with him. We can also theorize that she wanted, or more so felt that she needed to stay with him to justify her killing the fairies in the last book. But just because she saved whole kingdoms for Tamlin, does not mean she has to stay in an abusive relationship with him. She is, like we all are, allowed to move on from situations and people that no longer serve us. 

 

With this book, we get to experience more of this fantasy world come to life. I enjoyed getting to know more of the creatures that live in this world and learning about the people and life in the Summer Court. And of course, we get to dive into the beautiful city of Velaris, a place I would definitely put on my bucket list to travel to in a heart beat. Our author paints us a very beautiful picture of this city, one that I will hold in my imagination for a lifetime.

 

One gripe is that I didn't feel like the concept of mate was not really explained or explored before Feyre realizes that she is mates with Rhysand, at least that I can remember. Therefore, her reaction to finding out the truth seemed to be an overreaction. After some reflection after that chapter, I did see how she could be more-so upset because it was kept from her knowledge, but when I first read it, that's not how it felt. 

 

Other than that, there seemed to be less cliches than in the last book, which now looking back, I feel might be intentional. I will say that this is a slower-paced book. Things do happen, but a slower pace, which might annoy some people, but I didn't mind. Readers can appreciate a good slow-burn. 

 

Overall, this is probably how Bell and the Prince ended up in Beauty and the Beast. The spell the witch was castes on the people in the castle turned them into their true colors, and the prince was always a beast on the inside. I enjoyed where Feyre's story has gone and I am looking forward to continuing the story soon. Let me know your thoughts about this book.

 

                                               Until next time, Happy Reading!