A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas
Published by Bloomsbury on May 3, 2016
Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, New Adult, Romance, Fantasy
Pages 624

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 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 torn apart.

I honestly am not sure where to even begin with this book. Sarah J. Maas has taken an already established story and turned it on its head into something new, different from where we once were and what many were most likely expecting. It certainly was not what I was expecting. 

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

We open with Feyre struggling to adapt to her new life at the Spring Court. After escaping Amarantha’s court, life has moved on. Tamlin has become more protective (actually, let’s call it what it is, controlling) than he was before, keeping Feyre and her new abilities hidden. Lucien and the other court members are walking on unsteady ground with their high lord. Meanwhile, Feyre has become vulnerable, more so than she ever was Under the Mountain. She desires a bit of normalcy, but is faced with exhaustion brought on by constant nightmares, a new immortal body she doesn’t understand yet, a new role in the Spring Court, and the tricky bargain with Rhysand. She is haunted by what she has seen and done to free Prythian, and now feels trapped again by the constant watching and coddling.

In this book, Feyre not only becomes a part of the Fae world, but opens her eyes to everything, and everyone, around her. We see a new level of development in her character. She works to discover who she is now that her past life is over, the horrors she can overcome, the love and friendship that can emerge, and the different forms of strength someone can have no matter what others see and think of them.

“He thinks he’ll be remembered as the villain in the story.”

However, her development and growing insight, is partially due to the other characters that emerge in this novel. We meet members of the Night Court, more of the Spring Court, and even some of the Summer Court. These are not merely support characters, I might add. Each person has their story, motivations and personalities. They are more than shallow support or side characters, they are complex and capable of standing in their own stories should the series ever evolve to that. Each is a critical player in the book and the story to come. A character that get incredibly explored is our High Lord of the Night Court. Rhysand was a character that captured my interest from his very first scene in A Court of Thorns and Roses. He was more than the stereotypical villain, hints of complex mystery and substance apparent from the start. It was wonderful to see him appear and remain for a good chunk, if not all, of this story.

“The issue isn’t whether he loved you, it’s how much. Too much. Love can be a poison.” 

One of the biggest positives about this novel was the change of pace in the romance/relationship department. We view Feyre and Tamlin’s relationship change and evolve, partly due to Rhysand. The romance of this book is not pure grit your teeth perfection from the beginning. It is low burning, flirtatious, and dangerous. It is edged with questions of worth, bitterness, truth and lies. It is real. At its core it is real, not a fairy-tale with a perfect bow. It ebbs and flows, changing as the people change. With well-balanced banter and seriousness, and easiness that outweighs and strengthens one for the harshness and uneasy parts of love. The dynamic between Rhysand and Feyre also calls into question the dynamic involving Tamlin, from questionable motives and consent, to staying with someone out of love versus staying with them because you feel you owe them something. The awful aspects of relationships and personalities were not glossed over or romanticized, but expanded upon and addressed.

However, nothing is this novel would be nearly as good as it was if not for Maas’s writing. Rich, deep and descriptive she carefully crafts a story with a bigger world and deeper characters. Action, character interactions, and relationships were gradually fleshed out. I was pleasantly surprised that with as much detail as was written, the story never became long-winded, bogged down or dull.  Rich, colorful, potent and I fell right in. From chapter to chapter and even the end of the book there were no cliffhangers, but promises. A promise of more to come, more that will possibly be greater than you can handle but that you will wait at the edge of your seat for. This book did not have a plot in the traditional sense of lots of action with complications and resolutions, rather is focused on and was driven by the characters and their personal stories and growth.

If A Court of Thorns and Roses was a shotgun wedding with the honeymoon phase, this story was what comes after the glow fades. It is harshness, betrayal, and cruel reality. But it is also growth and future. Strength and encouragement.

This book is the epitome of what someone wants and feels. It is what it means to be alive. To hope. To dream. To love and fall out of love. To hate and despise and loathe only to work towards forgiveness and moving forward. This book is what it is to grow and help others while understand them and yourself. It is sacrifice and reward, low burning joy and sorrow, full of humor, friendship, bravery and love that mixes with everything that is opposite. It is alike and unalike, balanced and true.

Overall, I must give this book a 5 out of 5. A Court of Mist and Fury is completely different from its predecessor and, honestly, better than it as well. A Court of Thorns and Roses was the twisted fairy-tale we wanted, filled with twists turns and romance, but it left unanswered questions. It left a desire for more. A Court of Mist and Fury recognizes that and gives it to the reader, although it is not what we are expecting. It is even more twists and turns, danger, romance, betrayal, and complexity. The second novel shatters our thoughts and rebuilds what we thought we knew into something more, something better and something with much more potential. We find pieces of the story fit in a much better manner than originally thought, no loose ends. It is amazing how painstakingly detailed the stories are and how they connect, how moments and characters appear and then change. It is an emotional ride and leaves me craving the next book and counting down until I can get my hands on it.