A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2) eBook PDF

User Reviews

Simona B

Rating: really liked it
When I finished this book, the mountains trembled.

*Do I need to remind you to be civil? No, I don’t. Good kids.

Thanks to my wonderful friends Emer, Reyes and Sarah (click to read their reviews) who helped me up this calvary, with whom I shared joys and sorrows, and who made me laugh so much I probably won't need to swing by the gym for the rest of my life.
And a special mention goes to Katerina, Nastassja and Vera (again, click and be delighted by snarkiness), who ranted with me in the comments of more than one update.
Thank you. <3
(I told you reading this book was so much fun.)
---

➤ The book, in brief:

“Stop comparing. Stop comparing me to him.”

Because do you know what it is called when you keep and keep and keep comparing the previous love interest to the current one, and each single one of these sugary, clichéd, obvious and trite comparisons invariably leads to the conclusion that the ex is a prick while the newcomer is a Perfection Milkshake?
No, Maas? I thought so.
Oh well.
I’m going to say this just once: it’s called manipulation.
Now look at me, Maas. Do I look like a reader who enjoys being manipulated to you?
No? Why, I thought so.

To all those who still have to start this series and are intentioned to: don’t read A Court of Thornes and Roses. Spoil yourself a little of what happens there and start with this one. Because -and this is the truly sad thing, as someone else said before me- A Court of Mist and Fury could even be enjoyable if the first book had not happened before.

•I won’t go so far as to say that what we have here is a case of lack of “show” and an excess of “tell”, because the first chapters do show that Tamlin, whether for some PTSD or because he has always been a scumbag, undeniably acts like the worst man on the planet. I am even willing to forgive how caricatural his behaviour appears. But, throughout the book, every occasion is a good occasion to throw in a comment to overturn completely also all the positive parts of him that are showed in the first book.
(In this regard, I should say that in A Court of Thornes and Roses I did not care for Tamlin in any way, so I am not speaking out of frustrated adoration.)
In this scenario, Tamlin is the epitome of all evil, while Rhys, of course, the epitome of all good: Tamlin cares for hierarchy, Rhys cares for family and nothing more (ugh); Tamlin wants her caged, Rhys want her free; as it turns out, (view spoiler), and so on. I am not in any way saying that a man shouldn’t give freedom to his woman (it’s not that he should; he must, uncompromisingly), or that a plot-twist like the one I mentioned isn’t a good turn of events, even in terms of characterization, but everything is just so stereotypical and trite and sickly sweet.
All of this, in the name of a ship. I think Maas should understand that falling out of love is just as normal as falling in. People fall out of love for normal reasons even if their exes don’t suddenly turn into maniacs. I am sick of this device, courtesy of Queen of Shadows, and I don’t need the new love interest to be pushed on me: I am perfectly able to decide for myself.

•I’ve seen some reviews in which these two characters are described as complex and multifaceted on the basis of their role reversal. Allow me to say that, in my opinion, nothing about them, in this book, is complex nor controversial. Maas did nothing more than switch their places and their personalities with them: Tamlin was the good one and turns out to be the villain; Rhysand was the villain (somehow, and indeed the Rhysand of the first book is the one I can honestly call intriguing) and now he is nothing short of a Fae Prince Charming. Simple as that.
Besides, I liked Rhysand in this book, but I deeply missed the more wicked, morally grey part of him that we saw Under the Mountain. He’s hot, sure, but he also comes off as flat and, at times, pathetic.

•It was a dick move (view spoiler), yes. And yet, I can’t wrap my mind around Feyre’s fickleness, considering that two chapter later she says this:

“I'm thinking that I was a lonely, hopeless person, and I might have fallen in love with the first thing -thing? Now he’s a thing?- that showed me a hint of kindness and safety. And I'm thinking maybe he knew that- maybe not actively, but maybe he wanted to be that person for someone. And maybe that worked for who I was before. Maybe it doesn't work for who- what I am now."

She had every right to leave the mansion and let him stew for a while, but if that is the result of months and months of undying love, well. He stopped being worth of her love maybe, but I don’t think she fought for it that hard either, especially if he really was dealing with some PTSD. I think love is also about trying to fight for the other person even when they don’t seem to fight for us, to give them time, to give them chances, even though at one point we have to stop. It just would have been nicer and more enjoyable if Feyre’s affection’s shift hadn’t been so swift, that’s it.

•All the contradictions. Feyre leave her abusive boyfriend, but then falls in the arms of a man who breaks every bone of a guy who called her names. Uh-uh. And if you say “He did that because he called her ‘whore’, and he’d been called whore too, and the trauma”, I say: how do you know Tamlin’s behaviour wasn’t due to his trauma too. Maybe he just needed time. But it’s okay if it’s Rhysand that does that because epitome-of-perfection, remember? His being all possessive is okay. He can say things like “She’s mine” and snarl at people who so much as look at her. And don’t get me started on indecent exposure.

•The new characters are all nice and pretty and invariably haunted by a dark dark past. It’s nice to read about them and to witness their banters, but they don’t stand out as particularly well-written or sophisticated.

•The plot is even weaker than Maas’s usual. And contrary to what I usually do, I’ll sum it up for you: Feyre flees. The ~~My Little Ponies gang~~- ops. I meant the Court of Dreams’ defenders (I know, the ponies were cooler) look for Things. Which do Stuff. Precisely, destroy Taran’s Black Cauldron and defeat The Horned King, minus the fluffy Gurgi.
Well, wrong story, but that's basically what happens. In more than 600 pages.

•People purr. Normal cats, thank God, ordinarily talk like freaking civilized beings.

•The first time (view spoiler). I refuse to comment on this thing, and if it was me who had written such embarrassing idiocy, I would be hiding my head under the sand. Moreover, all the sex scenes are very cheesy, dramatic and over-written.

•Lucien and(view spoiler)[ Elain’s mating bond (hide spoiler)]. I swear on my heart I have never, ever read anything more ridiculous than this scene (oh, no, wait: the mountains). The passage from normal, rational person to mad caveman takes less time than a spark to burn. I almost expected he started hissing “My preciousss”.

•And yet, I enjoyed it, or better, I enjoyed Rhys, Rhys, his long, sappy, teary declaration/explanation (I have a thing for this trope; it could have been a thousand times worse than it actually is, and still I would've loved it. I am such a softie, I know. My fault), the ending, and Rhys. The other things I pretty much despised. I also appreciate the fact that at least the author tried –and at some length, I think, even succeeded a tiny bit- to conceive a scenario in which Rhys’s cuddliness actually makes some sense.
I still prefer him wicked.

➽ To sum it up, what can I say? I read it with with ease because of an extremely fluent, even though not particularly sophisticated, writing style, and, as we all know, idiocies and mushy stuff can also be enjoyable, and truly, this book take the concept of guilty pleasure to a whole new level. Nonetheless, I am sorry, but I can't overcome the irritation that Maas's little games cause in me. She used the same lame and unprofessional trick twice now; my trust in her is gone, and I'm wondering if we should expect a third time too.

EDIT 29/03/16: Ok, so I read the excerpt -as usual, unforgivably late, but this time the delay is due to the fact that I didn't know whether to read it or not. If you want to join the club, you can find it here.
What do I think of it? I simply think that making a protagonist go OOC with three plain lines does take an inconceivable amount of talent. Because apparently the whole Queen of Shadows mess wasn't enough.
Respect, Maas. Really.

EDIT 14/01/16:
*braces herself for the incoming tomatoes*
I don't like the cover!
*runs away as fast as she can*

Claudia Ramírez

Rating: really liked it
LET ME START MY REVIEW BY QUOTING MY PRE-REVIEW, THE ONE THAT I WROTE BEFORE THIS BOOK CAME OUT:

Written in September 2015:
Now that I've read Queen of Shadows I don't know what to expect from this one. I AM SCARED. I'm totally open to the whole Feyre/Rhys thing, but I love Tamlin so much and I don't want him to be ruined by Sarah J. Maas! Can someone please tell her that she can make us love a character without ruining another character?

Because really, I ship Feyre and Tamlin, but I will not be mad if SJM handles Rhys's and Feyre's relationship with cleverness.

PLEASE SJM, DON'T RUIN TAMLIN.
.
.
.
And of course, WHAT DID SJM DO? RUIN TAMLIN!

I tried to write my review without major plot spoilers, but there will be some minor spoilers about how the characters were handled. And warning: my emotions over this book are a mess, you'll se how contrary they are!

Anyway... let me begin:

OH, I was mad! I was so angry when I started reading this book, because it is in the first chapter that you notice that Tamlin has changed and not for good. Now he's an asshole. He's insensitive and controlling, I couldn't stand him! So congrats, SJM, you made me despise my (now former) favorite character in this series.

I read a few reviews that said that Tamlin was always like that (a possessive piece of shit), but NO. HE WASN'T! He was caring and protective, not a control freak. I feel that Tamlin changed because of everything that happened with Amarantha. Everyone comments on how Feyre had PTSD and Tamlin didn't try to understand her, but I think Tamlin also had PTSD. What he went through with Amarantha (and with almost losing Feyre) had a huge toll in him. I can accept that he changed because of that, but no one acknowledges it, not the readers, not Feyre, not even SJM. So that must mean that he just changed because he's an asshole (I'm not buying it).

My problem is that SJM wanted to force Rhysand on us, like she wanted to force Rowan on us in her Throne of Glass series. Excuse me, miss, but I don't need the love interest to be pushed on me. I can decide by myself. And the thing is... I FELL IN LOVE WITH RHYS IN THIS BOOK! And I think I would've fallen for him even if Tamlin hadn't been the piece of shit he was.

Before this book, I couldn't imagine any possible reason that would make Feyre leave Tamlin and fall for Rhys. Not after everything she went through to save Tam, he was the love of her life and her feelings for him were genuine. But then of course, the author put a lot of effort in ruining Tamlin, just so Feyre could fall out of love. What SJM doesn't seem to understand is that falling out of love is normal. It's perfectly fine. You don't have to turn a character into a bad guy for that to happen. Sarah turned Tam into a villain, and that was not necessary.

I also hated the comparisons Feyre was always making between Rhys and Tam, so frustrating! They were so obviously put there only to make sure that the reader understood that Tamlin was evil and Rhysand was good:
- "Ugh, Tamlin doesn't let me go anywhere. But Rhys lets me do anything I want!"
- "Ugh, I had my nightmares and Tamlin never woke up to confort me. But Rhys is always there for me when that happens!"
- "Ugh, Tamlin only cares about hierarchy. But Rhys cares about family and about his people!"
- "Ugh, Tamlin doesn't let me enter to his room. But of course Rhys invites me to his!"
...I MEAN, SERIOUSLY? We can notice that by ourselves, but Feyre kept comparing and comparing during the whole book.

Have you read the Shatter Me series? It was as if Feyre was Juliette, Tamlin was Adam and Rhysand was Warner... the very same pattern! First Tamlin was a cinnamon roll and suddenly he becomes a bad guy who only thinks about himself and is obsessed with Feyre. And Rhys was the evil guy in the first book but then you discover that he had really good reasons to do everything he did, and he's a good guy incapable of commiting any evil. Gosh, I really liked Tamlin, but now I simply can't stand him. SJM succeeded!

And I had other issues with this book... but that was my main one. I'm afraid this has become the modus-operandi of SJM.

Let me talk about those other issues... starting with Rhys. His character really intrigued me in the first installment of this series, he seemed evil, and I knew there was more in him than what he let us see. I knew he had his reasons to act the way he did, and of course I wanted to know why. BUT THIS WAS JUST RIDICULOUS. He's not just not evil, he is too good, bordering in perfection. He's a saint, he's "Saint Rhys". There is too much goodness in him. He's also the "most powerful Fae ever born", see? It's unnatural to be that perfect.

Another issue was that Rhys seems to be the only High Lord that cares about peace and prosperity. He's literally the only one trying to stop the King. The other High Lords don't care about humans! The other High Lords are stupid! I feel like SJM did this just to add more perfection to Rhysand's character: Obviously he's the only considerate Fae that cares about the poor humans, the other High Lords are nothing compared to him!

Now let's go to the other side of my review (this will be drastic): Despite eveything, I LOVE RHYS SO MUCH! UGH, SARAH! You did it, you made me fall in love with him! Maybe it's his good nature. Maybe it's his perfection. Maybe it's because he reminds me of Warner. I don't care anymore... I'm just really rooting for him. I don't know how Sarah does it. Even with everything that bothers me about his character, I couldn't help falling for him.

And it is rare when I change my ship in a series, but I did in this one because there's no way I'd still ship Feyre and Tamlin after everything that happened in this book (which is sad, because I really shipped them in the first book). Now I can only say that I ship Feyre and Rhys SO. MUCH. Their relationship development was beautiful, everything they went through made their love more real, made it stronger. There is no love triangle here, there are no teams, there are simply Feyre and Rhys and I NEED them to be together.

There were only two things I didn't like about their relationship. 1) (view spoiler) ...Cliché, cliché, cliché. 2) The "YOU ARE MINE" parts. I mean, Feyre left Tamlin because he was possesive and controlling, but all those "you are mine" are not exactly different, right? I don't like that kind of love. It should not be about belonging to someone, it should be about belonging together.

I also love Cassian and Azriel. Everything that happened at the end with them made me a sobbing mess! I just hope Cassian recovers (view spoiler), because if not, I'll just go to a corner and cry forever.

Now let's talk about Feyre. Sometimes she infuriated me because of all the comparisons she made and because she was always complaining about Tamlin not trying to understand her, but she didn't really try to understand him, either. Sometimes she was really unfair with him (view spoiler). AND NO, I don't want them back together (NEVER), it's just that she made me really mad sometimes. But in contrast, I think she really grew as a character in this book, she blew me away! The scene with the water wolves was AMAZING. Also (view spoiler) ...I couldn't stand it, it was painful to read. But back to Feyre, I like the directon her character is going.

I can't wait to read the next installment! I know Tamlin doesn't have a chance of forgiveness (I myself can't ever forgive him), but I'd like to see redemption in Lucien, he's a character with great potential and in this book he was just too weak.

The world building was great, a total A+! I'm still a little confused about the whole Jurian ordeal, but I hope he gets killed soon :). All in all, this book was GREAT, I think that maybe it was better than the first one, and that's saying a lot, because I loved ACOTAR. But since I had way too much issues with it, I could not give it 5 stars. I don't know how Sarah does it... she makes me love her and hate her in every book she writes! But it's more love than hate, I am SJM trash. She's QUEEN.

Katerina

Rating: really liked it
I've never been this manipulated in my life.
I was stripped off my free will until there was only a shell left behind, a puppet complying with her master's whim. This is the most vulgar thing Sarah J. Maas could do.

Allow me to elaborate.
•In order to be candid, I have to admit that I enjoyed A Court of Mist and Fury more than I expected, and found some redeeming traits that prevented me from rating it lower. However, I can't hide my rage and utter disappointment since everything we read in A Court of Thorns and Roses vanished into thin air. Remember the sweet love story between Tamlin and Feyre that defied immortal tyrants and resulted in great sacrifices in the name of their love? Well, forget about it. We were warned that this would be a Hades and Persephone retelling, meaning the romantic relationship between Feyre and Rhysand would be inevitable. The way, though, Sarah handled the transition was feeble and infuriating to say the least. I don't think there has ever been a character more mistreated than Tamlin, with Lucien following suit. We get it, Sarah cares about her precious baby Rhysand, but her real talent as an author would be to make me choose him because I found something unique in him, not because she forced him down my throat. Tamlin's inexcusable behaviour suffocated Feyre, and I felt drowning and suffocating along with her. Since I couldn't possibly wish for her to stay in a mentally abusive relationship, Rhysand was the deus ex machina, the only one to save the damsel in distress, given that her friends abandoned her and her fiance suffered from split personality. Sarah dangled Rhysand in front of me, and every reader, saying pick him pick him pick him. She had Tamlin and Rhysand facing identical situations, only for Tamlin to do the wrong thing while precious Rhysand was the impersonation of right, of all that's good in the world. Tamlin locked Feyre? Rhysand set her free. Tamlin forbid Feyre from participating in his activities? Rhysand would always have her by his side. Tamlin extinguished the fire burning in Feyre and left her a hollow version of herself? Rhysand fueled that fire, and so on, so on. Now, I've been on the losing side of a triangle before, but always both love interests had some good qualities. In this case, though, Sarah served you the answer on a silver platter by annihilating the opponent and erasing everything that made the relationship between Feyre and Tamlin good and healthy. Rhysand was always so thoughtful and considerate and knew what Feyre needed, he was her salvation. Of course he was, there was a freaking magic bond between them that allowed him to read her thoughts. Even the lesser fae servant in the Day Court would understand her needs if they were bonded. In every chapter she would chant Rhysand is so gorgeous, Rhysand is so sexy, Rhysand is the most powerful High Lord in the history of Prythian yada yada. We.Get.It. Don't even get me started on the repetition of the word mate, I rolled my eyes so many times I fear I might have a permanent problem.

•Lucien losing his backbone and Tamlin turning into a psycopath a-hole were not the only character mistreatments, though. Rhysand was the victim of his own creator's adoration. In order to make him the perfect match for Feyre, she made him too perfect. Gone is the wicked, morally grey, complex character that intrigued us in A Court of Thorns and Roses. While unveiling this Rhysand, instead of finding shadows and darkness and lust for power, we found a sappy and fluffy bear asking for love and affection. Everything he did was out of love for his friends, for Feyre and his country, and I fail to accept his reasoning behind his actions Under the Mountain. If you don't want the villain to know how you feel about Feyre, you can simply ignore her. But no, why not drug her, grop her while drugged and humiliate her instead?

•Now let's get to the relationship between Feyre and Rhysand. For more than the first half of the book I liked them, with their banters and flirtation and the pent-up tension. But from attraction and friendship Feyre suddenly jumped to declarations of love and then mountains trembled and she started glowing and their sex scenes varied between steamy to cringe-worthy and more eye-rolling ensued (I seriously need to see an ophthalmologist).

•Plotwise, I can't help but notice that some things were very convenient. You suspect the King of Hybern is preparing for war? Let's ask the monstrous ancient creature, who in the span of five minutes will give us all the answers, including the means to defeat the King and the exact location of the weapons to nullify his powers. Wanna convince the mortal queens to give you what you need? Write a mushy letter about your love for Feyre. The result is guaranteed. I mean, really?

•Why three stars then, you may wonder. Well, I became very fond of the secondary characters. Mor, Azriel, Cassian and the ultimate Queen, Amren, were funny and caring and loyal, and I was actually more invested in their stories (which, to be honest, were all sob stories). I also enjoyed Sarah's lush descriptions, you could feel and breathe and walk the streets of Velaris, and the Summer Court. But most importantly, I admire the way Feyre's trauma from her experiences Under the Mountain was depicted. The guilt, the sorrow, the self-loathing were tangible, and the healing was slow and realistic. Her wounds would be there, and she learned to live with them. Feyre became a strong woman who embraced her gifts, her powers, her sensuality and ferociously claimed her place alongside men. She rose from her ashes.

“When you spend so long trapped in darkness, you find that the darkness begins to stare back.”

•A Court of Mist and Fury had great potential, but I can't say I loved it. I'm partially sad because I lost some of my respect for Sarah, for shredding to pieces the characters I loved only to show her own favorites are better. I don't know whether I'll read A Court of Wings and Ruin. Before the last chapters it was a big no, but that final confrontation was the book's highlight for me and now I'm considering to dwelve into the third instalment to find out the end of this story-arc.
To all my friends who loved this book, and I know there are many of you, please don't be harsh on me. The magic of reading is precisely the fact that we all read the same book but get something different from it. ❤️

You can find this review and more over at BookNest.eu!

Emily May

Rating: really liked it

I was not a pet, not a doll, not an animal.
I was a survivor, and I was strong.

Oh damn. That was so unexpectedly good. And to think I almost didn't take a chance on this after not loving the first book...

So, here it is: I present to you 7 reasons why this book is a million times better than A Court of Thorns and Roses.

1) Less romance.

Oh, don't worry, there's romance. There's lusty, slow-build, flirtatious romance that somehow manages to be completely absent from the first book, even though romance was more central to the plot. But there's also so many other things here. It's a fantasy with romantic elements, not the other way around.

I always say I tend to become more invested in love stories when they're subplots and the book itself is not actually about the love story. I like it when the characters come together around and between all the rest of the action and drama. That's what's happening here. Because there is a whole shitstorm of other things going on - which, by the way, has led to better world-building, more exciting action and reveals, and a fascinating overarching story.

2) Feyre's growth and development.

And, in fact, the growth and development of many characters. Maas spends some quality time on character histories and backstory to strengthen our understanding of them. I absolutely love it when characters show realistic growth over time and I think that's especially important with Feyre here.

Feyre is not the character she was during A Court of Thorns and Roses. How could she be after the events of that book? Naturally, she has changed and found that her needs and aspirations have changed too. Once upon a time, back when she was weak and starving, she longed for a strong protector like Tamlin. Now she is strong, and she needs freedom to train her newfound strengths.

3) I hate Tamlin.

Honestly, if you happen to be a diehard Tamlin fan, I can see this book being a huge disappointment. Luckily for me, I pretty much despised him. He's never been anything but a pretty-faced control freak. I'm glad Feyre has seen that and rebelled against it.

I should warn you that Tamlin is absent for about 70-80% of this book. And that was just fine by me!

4) I love Rhysand.

I foresee the "oh no, it's a love triangle" comments rolling in, but I really don't think it is. I actually think this is a great book about growing up and discovering that you're a different person who longs for different things. I don't get the sense that Maas is trying to play out the Tamlin/Feyre/Rhysand angst; she is merely showing a young woman having a change of heart.

AND can we just talk about how much better Rhysand is. There's all the superficial stuff like he's exciting, flirty, dangerous and I love the story behind him. He's more fun than Tamlin and I like fun. His banter is wonderful. But I'm also talking about a more important level. Rhysand is, despite being the "bad boy", thoughtful and selfless. He doesn't want to stifle Feyre's strength and lock her away for her own protection - he wants her at his side, an equal, a partner in crime. And I love that so much. I like men who see value in strong women.

5) Less sexual.

I'm sorry, you horny readers, but I just need to put this out there: I really dislike Maas' sex scenes. Maybe Tamlin had something to do with it but, in general, I think they're overwritten and melodramatic. I also think she does a lot of "telling" you that it's hot, instead of "showing" how it is, which is a common writing mistake, but is far worse when in a sex scene. It's unconvincing.

And by "overwritten", I mean that she describes kissing as "branding", thrusts as "breaking", and sex moans as "prayers". Literally none of those things are sexy. She gets the flirtations and banter right - that bit is hotter than the actual sex - but I start to cringe when the clothes come off.

A brush of his tongue against the seam of my lips had me opening fully for him, and he swept in, claiming me, branding me.

Also, is it really necessary for the male characters to "growl in approval" during sex? Not just once - and arguably one growl is one too many - but several times. I'm supposed to be fanning myself with desire and all I can think about is Roy Orbison's Pretty Woman. Mercy. Rawr.

6) New characters.

A Court of Mist and Fury introduces many new characters, and the difference between this book and the first is that I found them all memorable, not just the main three characters. Maas has definitely not neglected her characterization and character detailing here. Everyone who comes in and out of the novel has an important purpose, is fleshed out with personality and history, and makes an impact.

My favourite was Amren, but I also loved Cassian and Azriel. Our brief introductions to the Bone Carver and the Weaver were highlights too.

7) The ending.

Take note: this is how to ensure your reader needs to get their hands on the next book. It's not a cliffhanger, but it is still EVIL. In the best possible way. I loved everything about it. It's the kind of emotional high that leaves you somewhere between wide-eyed horror and smiling gleefully. How will I last a whole year?

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Miranda Reads

Rating: really liked it

Seven of my favorite Bookish Villains in one BookTube Video!

The Written Review

I am broken and healing, but every piece of my heart belong to you.

Hole. Lee. Shh. This sequel is stunning.

I have not been this entertained and enthralled with a series since my high school Twilight craze.

And I realized—I realized how badly I'd been treated before, if my standards had become so low. If the freedom I'd been granted felt like a privilege and not an inherent right.

How could so much happen in one book? How am I in love with every character she creates? Why am I wasting my time writing a review when I have book 3 on my end table just waiting for me? (come to me Mirrrrrandaaaaa. Readdddd meeee *deep breaths* I must be strong. I must tell the world so they can read and join us.)

I don't even know where to begin. I can't. I literally can't summarize over 620 pages into on cohesive review. There's too much that happened and (whew) I am just wholly overwhelmed with everything.

We last left Feyra as a broken shell of a girl - she survived trials and the hardships but her mind wasn't the same. Tamlin deals with this through a cuddle and coddle method but her fears won't go away.

Then, on the day of her wedding - someone saves her and despite her vehement disapproval - she realizes that she's in need of rescuing.

He thinks he'll be remembered as the villain in the story. But I forgot to tell him that the villain is usually the person who locks up the maiden and throws away the key. He was the one who let me out.

I love how Sarah J. Maas is able to just spin together these inspiring and unforgettable characters.

Take the Suriel for example - he has what, maybe 10 pages of the entire book? I absolutely adore him. He's such a delightful gossiper that I'm desperately hoping for a reappearance in the third book.

Or the Weaver - such a mind-blowingly creepy character - who will (undoubtedly) be long-standing in my memory. She only appears once but that moment her face is revealed - wow. Just wow.

And the big reveal? I nearly died. (Fair warning. It's a big one - if you've read already - click it. If you haven't - STOP and pick up the book already)

(view spoiler)

Somebody had to say something - this ship needed to sail. Get it gurrrrrrl!

Okay. I've said enough. Book 3 is calling my name and I'm sure as hell not going to keep it waiting.

“To the people who look at the stars and wish, Rhys."

Rhys clinked his glass against mine. “To the stars who listen— and the dreams that are answered.”

Kainat 《HUFFLEPUFF & PROUD》

Rating: really liked it
1/2 star

This was a buddy read with these awesome ladies:

If you think I'm being unfair and this book is all kinds of awesomeness, Jenn is your girl.

And if you agree with me on this series being overhyped for no apparent reason, Mary is our girl. Mary and i agree on so many things, it's ridiculous!

First of all, this is marked as "High Fantasy"? You have got to be kidding me. Brandon Sanderson and J.K. Rowling are somewhere sipping tea, and laughing at this bullshit.

So, I've skimmed through the entire book, i still have no clue why this is so popular.

-A Court of blah blah is boring as hell.

-Characters are infuriating, and tiresome.
They possess no unique or remarkable qualities. Quite on the contrary actually.

I think we all agree, it's just plain wrong if a middle-aged man tries to get into a teenager's pants. But it's all hotness if you stretch the age gap from decades to centuries?

-Sex scenes were laughable AND cringeworthy. I call this erotica for children. Don't look at me, I'm not the one who wrote it.

-The writing was monotonous. I don't even want to think about this.

-Plot... was there any?
Whatever it was, i found it painfully predictable.

-Surely I can't be the only one who finds the term "mate" utterly ridiculous. I was dying laughing every time it was mentioned. Just couldn't take it seriously. Sorry, not sorry. There also seems to be a new trend in SJM's book. I wonder what goes on in her head. I bet something like this: hum my snowflake already have 12 love interests, how can I possibly add another to this never ending list? Oh, there is a clever idea! If he is her "mate" no one will dare question me. *pats her own back* I really am a genius!

-I called all of those "shocking" twists before the book was even out. Deep down i was hoping this would prove me wrong, but sadly i remain right.

This is the most overrated piece of crap I've ever attempted to read. I mean do people really find this appealing?
Oh, well, i tried.

But there is a good news!!
This book was a gift which means i didn't spend a penny on this, but my local bookstore is willing to trade this for Gemina. I was going to write a long ass rant about how terrible this book is, but i just don't have the time. Gotta go pick up my baby! Hanna, don't disappoint me, girl. Here i come.

UPDATES:

What's with everyone "snarling" all the time? Who has an ebook? Someone look up how many times the word "snarl" was used.

Someone actually checked, and it was used 50+ times!!
I mean, you do the math.

_______________________

Oh, give me a fucking break already. The main character be like, I live in a castle with my super hot fiancé, who LOVES THE SHIT OUT OF ME! Ugh!! And now I'm super beautiful and strong and shit. COULD MY LIFE GET ANY WORSE!?! Oh my god, she is so annoying. If I were Tamlin, I'd throw her ass back on the streets.

About Rhysand, he hasn't shown up yet. But if he sees any potential in this chick... I don't know man.

Jillian

Rating: really liked it
well last year i made an acotar gif review so now here is my acomaf one because people kept asking

Where do I even begin?

feyre and her ptsd:

tamlin:

basically me,

tamlin’s actions:

second,

tamlin and feyre?? i’m done with this ship

rhysand:

the inner circle:

rhysand’s development and overall story arc

but also,

rhysand and feyre//feysand

but my FAVORITE PART IS FEYRE’S DEVELOPMENT
basically…

and i basically want her to destroy everyone and everything that has it coming in book 3 evil queen style

and the ending:

the wait for book 3 will be long and hard…how will i survive…idek

Mirou

Rating: really liked it
Fair notice: Lot of fangirling/feelings ahead.
This was basically me during the whole book:

And now I finished and I’m moping around, thinking over and over: PERFECT. BEAUTIFUL, HEARTBREAKING AND SO MUCH MORE.

This book makes me feel so many different things at once that I have to just stop and think until I can get my head straight.

Because ACOMAF has it all – Beautiful writing, twisty plot turns, SNARKY BANTER that made me laugh out loud, PURE FAE AWESOMENESS specially from the NIGHT COURT CREW, heart-pounding suspense, CRAZY ACTION SCENES, WOMEN’s EMPOWEREMENT, and a SEXY ROMANCE that me made blush and swoon SO HARD.

Because the story is not only about love, but also self-discovery. It’s about Feyre finding who she is and what she wants. We feel how broken she is, relentlessly blaming herself for the deaths of those ferries she killed and hunted by the horror she witnessed Under the Mountain.

"The power did not belong to the High Lords. Not any longer. Ot belonged to me - as I belinged only to me, as my furure was mine to decide, to forge"

Her character development is simply PHENOMENAL, because through her new adventures, she grew able to accept and embrace all that pain. She became stronger and more determined than ever, while she is still the same stubborn and brave character we love. And the least I can say is:

GO. FEYRE. CURSEBREAKER. DEFENDER OF THE RAINBOW AND (view spoiler). GO.

Because Rhys - did I mention how much I love his character? - broke my heart more than once as we got to know who truly he is. SJM made me feel his love, his losses, his pains and overall his passion for his people and Court.

"I stared at up at him, breathless, while he smiled. The smile the world would likely never see, the smile he's given up for the sake of his people, his lands. He said softly, "I am... very glad I met you, Feyre""

He remains Rhysand the mysterious dark high Lord, sexy as hell, playful and shameless flirt but we discover the sensitive Rhysand who feels too much and who is constantly doubting himself when it comes to his family and court.

"Rhys still knelt, wings drooping qcross the white sheets, heqd bowed, hos tattoos stark against is golden skin. A dark, fallen prince"

Because I want desperately to be part of the NIGHT COURT and ITS MAGIC. The world-building was unique and SJM draws an interesting world of political relationships, uneasy alliances, and different races.

Because the last few chapters left me jaw-dropping and the cliff-hanger at the end leaves us with so much potential for the next and final book. THANK YOU SJM FOR THIS BOOK.

Can I say one last thing? NEW SHIPS ARE SAILING, guys. YES TO NASSIAN AND MORIEL.

Verdict: SEXY, ROMANTIC, and INTENSE. I DARE . YOU TO STOP READING.

Cindy

Rating: really liked it
Update: The more I think about it, the more I realize I didn't enjoy anything about this book at all so it's more suited to be a 1 star.

---

This book was 600+ pages of slog to get through. I understand how people would consider the sequel to be an improvement since the main character shows more agency and certain tropes are reversed, but the development was very on-the-nose and came at the expense of turning other characters into cartoonish villains. The writing suffered a lot from telling and not showing, especially when it came to the dialogue, where it mostly consisted of the main character asking questions which would result in the other faeries answering via several pages of monologues in order to tell the exposition and characters’ background stories. This would be fine if I cared about anything in the book at all, but I don’t. People hyped this book up to be some trashy erotica, but there were only 2 sex scenes towards the end; otherwise, the book is just a very boring fantasy story.

Pang

Rating: really liked it
WOW!! WOO HOOOO!!! Feyre is rock!! This book is rock!!!!

Bwahahahaha Feyre!! My girl, that's it! that's it! YESSS!! *dies* the next book! *dies!!* Rhys RHYS!! My... MINEEEE!!!! Love it! Romance! Night Court!! This Book!!! Yes YES! <3

description

Whitney Atkinson

Rating: really liked it
reread in 2022

i've typed and deleted this review for the past ten minutes. it's hard to review this book in a way that doesn't give too much credit to sarah j maas because i cannot emphasize enough how deeply troubled i am by her massive fame despite her problematic stances. all i can say is that i'm troubled by how much i enjoyed it.

--

Probably one of the most game-changing books I have ever read. My love for Rhysand might be usurp my love for Warner.

update january 2018:
nevermind lol

jessica

Rating: really liked it
reread this just so i could say with the upmost confidence and truth that chapter 54 is the greatest chapter ever written in the history of literature and no one can convince me otherwise.

________________________________

'to the people who look at the stars and wish… and to the stars who listen and the dreams that are answered.'

i wish rhysand was real. i wish rhysand was real. i wish rhysand was real. i wish rhysand was real.

c’mon stars, you better not let me down!

↠ 5 stars

Sasha Alsberg

Rating: really liked it
This could, quite possibly be, one of my favorite books I've ever read. Truly an amazing, magical and ethereal read that I really didn't want to end!
In depth review coming soon to my YouTube channel!

Regan

Rating: really liked it
This book was outstanding! I don't even understand how SJM was able to make this jump from book one. I mean, this book is leagues above the first in this series.

Damn.

Damn.

So. Good.

Mikee (ReadWithMikee)

Rating: really liked it

❝I was not a pet, not a doll, not an animal. I was a survivor, and I was strong. I would not be weak, or helpless again. I would not, could not be broken. Tamed.❞

A Court of Thorns and Roses was one of the first books I started reading that got me into Fantasy and reviewing books. Way back when this series, the Throne of Glass series, and Sarah J. Maas, herself, wasn't hyped up like there's no tomorrow. It was the first book I've read by Sarah J. Maas and the reason I picked up the Throne of Glass series because I just needed more SJM in my life.

I was satisfied with the way things ended in ACOTAR so when I heard that some "changes" were going to be made in A Court of Mist and Fury, I was a little disappointed. I was NOT a fan of the changes that were made in the Throne of Glass series which was why I haven't picked up Queen of Shadows yet even though the book has been sitting on my shelf since the day it's been released. That's just my opinion. I know some SJM fans are going to start pouncing because they sincerely believe that Sarah could absolutely do no wrong. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE SARAH J. MAAS. She is an outstanding author. I love her writing, her characters, and the world that she brings to life. It was her books that changed my perspective on Young Adult Fantasy, but I honestly wouldn't say that I agree with every direction that SJM takes with her books.

I suppose the questions to ask now are: what was my stance at the end of ACOTAR and how did I perceive the changes that were made after reading ACOMAF?

Let me address the most important aspect of Sarah J. Maas's books, this series, and probably the thing that majority of readers care about the most: THE ROMANCE. Since A Court of Thorns and Roses was a loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast, my ship of course was none other than Tamlin and Feyre. I loved them as individuals and I loved them even more as a couple. AND I loved Rhysand. Just not as a love interest. I felt like Feyre wasn't worthy of the enigma that was Rhysand. But knowing the trend that SJM follows in all of her books, I figured a change in love interests was inevitable. After all, a book isn't written by Sarah J. Maas if there isn't some character butchering and changes in love interests involved.

But after reading A Court of Mist and Fury, I actually found myself accepting the transition in love interests much to my surprise. As much as I wanted Tamlin and Feyre to stay together, I knew it wasn't going to happen. These two people that survived weren't the same people that were Under the Mountain. They're relationship became such a nightmare and so unhealthy. It was two damaged lovers waiting for a disaster to happen.

In the beginning of this series, I understood where Tamlin was coming from and why he was so protective of Feyre. It was for Feyre's own good and nobody wants to lose the people they love and/or care about. But he took it way too far. He became too overbearing to the point where he was holding Feyre back. We all understood the trials and suffering that Feyre had to go through but I feel like people don't acknowledge what Tamlin had to go through as well while they were Under the Mountain. It was nothing close to what Feyre had to go through but Tamlin had to watch the person he loved suffer and die. He couldn't protect her the way he wanted and he didn't fight for her as he knew he very well could have. He was helpless and a coward. I think he realized this, which was why he tried to make up for it afterwards by protecting her now to the point where she's being suffocated. It still doesn't excuse what Tamlin does in this book but he's just another damaged character like Feyre and Rhysand. He's just hurting in different ways and expressing that pain in a way the he views would make up for his shortcomings in the first book. Tamlin loves Feyre, that much is evident. He just loves her too much, and that is the tragedy.

As for Rhysand, all I can say is that I loved him in ACOTAR and I loved him even more in A Court of Mist and Fury. I loved that we finally get a good understanding of Rhys as a character, the secrets he's kept, and the sacrifices he's made for the good of his people and his court. He was everything that Tamlin was not and twice the man and High Lord that Tamlin will ever be. I'm not completely sure if I'm 100% on board with Feyre and Rhysand yet but I love their chemistry, friendship, and the way they just understand and respect one another. I think I would've been head over heels in love with Feyre and Rhys instantly as a couple if ACOTAR never happened and I didn't get so attached to Feyre and Tamlin. But I no longer ship Tamlin/Feyre and I'm slowly, but surely, beginning to fall in love with Rhysand and Feyre little by little.

With romance aside, everything about A Court of Mist and Fury turned out every bit as great as I anticipated a year ago. Sarah J. Maas did not disappoint. I was preparing myself for the worst but instead I got the best. Sarah really knows how to capture her audience with her writing, worldbuilding, and characters that she has created. Of all the new things that were introduced in this book, the new characters of the Night Court were definitely my favorite. I thought the Spring Court was great in ACOTAR with characters like Lucien and Alis but the Night Court was at a whole new level with Cassian, Azriel, Morrigan, and Amren. BADASS is literally an understatement describing these new characters.

Besides Rhysand and Feyre, ACOMAF introduced so many new ships and I can't handle all the perfectness that everyone is. I now ship Mor and Azriel with all of my being, just putting it out there. XD And Cassian and Nesta. And Lucian and Elain. None for you Tamlin.

Overall, I was glad I waited to read A Court of Mist and Fury because as a result, I was able to dive into the story with an open mind about the changes that were going to be made in terms of romance and the direction that Sarah J. Maas was taking the series. Love her or hate her, Sarah can write one hell of a story and is such an outstanding author. Although there were some parts of the book that went by a little slow, I think A Court of Mist and Fury was even better than ACOTAR in more ways than one. Sometimes I find that sequels may suffer "middle book syndrome" but ACOMAF amplifies that momentum knowing that Sarah is preparing to hurtle anticipation and suffering our way for the conclusion of the A Court of Thorns and Roses trilogy.

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A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2)

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