a review: a court of mist and fury by sarah j. maas

*All reviews are spoiler-free unless otherwise specified.*

"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." - Sarah J. Maas, ACOMAF

If you enjoyed A Court of Thorns and Roses, you'll absolutely ADORE A Court of Mist and Fury (trust me, I did).

Sarah J. Maas' second book in the ACOTAR series take the already complicated plot lines and twists them up even further, leaving you with a deep love and appreciation for certain characters and, well, a powerful hatred for others.

ACOMAF kicks off right were ACOTAR left off, with Feyre returned to the Spring Court, preparing for her wedding to Tamlin. However, the trauma of what she endured at the hands of Amarantha weighs heavily upon her, and Feyre finds herself feeling suffocated under Tamlin's watching and controlling gaze. Thus, the bargain she made with Rhysand to spend a week a month at the Night Court, upon being called in, becomes a sort of refuge for Feyre, and she finds herself with an unexpected friend. As her relationship with Rhysand strengthens, so does her resilience and determination (as well as some pretty awesome powers). She finally finds the strength within herself to begin healing and to discover a new life. But with war looming on the horizon, Feyre's struggles are far from over.

I loved this book for SO many reasons, but most of all because it is highly feminist. It sparks an interesting conversation about female independence and male preoccupation with being "protectors." Maas displays this amazingly through the dichotomy between Tamlin and Rhysand.

Both want to protect, but do so in completely different ways, with Tamlin opting to keep Feyre caged in and coddled, while Rhys trains her to protect herself. He knows she is entirely capable of being an independent bada**, and has zero qualms about training her to get there. Feyre and Rhys are two independent people who compliment each other, rather than one being more dominant and the other dependent (as is the case with Feyre and Tamlin). This story is an excellent display of women sticking up for women and men sticking up for women. It's something we don't see very often in books--men giving up their egos to being entirely equal with women.

That being said, prepare for an overwhelming number of pros and severely underwhelming number of cons. ;)

Pros:

Rhysand. I have never loved a male character in a book as much as Rhys. He is literally perfect in all the right ways. He's a character that has a huge heart and capacity to love, but at the same time encourages Feyre to be independent and take care of herself. He doesn't coddle her or attempt to control her. He is truly a partner who would be willing to live life 50/50.

Rhys and Feyre's relationship. Similar to what I said above, Feyre and Rhys compliment each other in a way not often found in YA novels. They are equals in every way, and each just wants to support the other. It's fantastic and refreshing.

The Night Court. Alright, this book allows us to delve further into the Night Court and, with that, the Court of Nightmares and Court of Dreams. I already thought the worlds we were introduced to in ACOTAR were amazing, but they seriously pale in comparison to this one. I love that one court can have such opposite cultures, yet both serve a purpose.

The Inner Circle. Best. Characters. Ever. A group made up of friends who rely on trust, intellect, and courage to lead and defend their home. Each one brings something valuable to the group, and each one is incredibly interesting as an individual. I would honestly be thrilled for further books from the POV of these different characters. I only found myself wanting to learn more about them.

Feminism and themes of independence. I covered this pretty thoroughly above, but will say again that this was by far my favorite theme presented in the book. Seeing men support women to be their equals is not only refreshing but encouraging, and the best part is that they know the women could rise up as leaders regardless of their support. Look at it in terms of chivalry--a man can open a door for a woman, sure, but he better damn well know she doesn't need him to do so. True, honest support. Something rarely seen and critically important.

Cons:

LOL you thought there would be cons? That's funny. Nope, no cons. Moving on.

This is my new favorite series, and I'm sure it will be yours too if you are a lover of fantasy like me. I definitely recommend it. The first book is fantastic, but really pales in comparison to the second (and third), so if you're not immediately hooked, stick with it. It's worth it.

Sidenote: I would NOT recommend this series to young YA readers. The explicit sexual detail is definitely ADULT, and the second book goes even further than the first. Just saying.

Rating: 5/5 stars