A Court Of Mist And Fury (A Court Of Thorns And Roses #2) by Sarah J. Maas

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 cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.

My Rating: 4.3/5
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, New Adult

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I never did a proper review of its prequel, ACOTAR. I remember that I finished it sitting at the porch in a warm summer evening, and there was this huge neon display flashing in my mind: "Wish it was more different than crappy Beauty and The Beast retelling thrown in the same bowl with the leftovers of Throne Of Glass...". For the 50% of ACOTAR I was bored, annoyed and dissapointed by a favorite writer. The "Under The Mountain" part patched things up a bit, but still not enough for me to seek and buy A Court Of Mist And Fury when it was published back in May. I am so, so glad that my Goodreads and Booktube friends gave this book a thumbs up and I finally gave it a chance. 

My trust was rewarded. I absolutely loved the story, from ending to beggining, and I didn't even frown when I realized that I had predicted a small sneaky plot twist -Tamlin siding with the Hybern King - which usually irritates me a lot. I loved that we got to see more of Prythian, visit three different courts, and I found myself wishing the City of Dreamers was a place in the real world I could visit. We were also introduced to a winged, humanlike fae race, which reminded me dangerously of World of Warcraft's Illidan without the horns and the hooves but still, they fit in nicely. 

Moving on to the characters... I hope that in the next book Mor, Azriel and Cassian will gain some more depth, but I found all of them promising and likable. Amren was intriguing and fascinating. I loved both their backstory and the dynamics between them. The sisters at last, since ACOTAR, got placed as individual people - instead of the flat, self centered duo which was solely interested in riches and marriage and only bothered to remember Feyre when hungry.  

“  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.  ” 

Feyre is a different story alltogether. She still reminds me annoyingly of Caelena, so much that if unfocused, I'd think I was reading a TOG chapter. She has nothing to do with this self hating, brainless person we met at ACOTAR. The Feyre of ACOMAF is more mature, owns her actions, stands up for her wishes and opinions, and seems to have come at terms with herself. Tamlin - Nothing surprises me in how things went with Tamlin - his character description was obvious from the first book to me - a controlling oaf. I cheer Feyre's decision, although I wish that there was some more depth and explaining to bridge this huge gap between their relationship in ACOTAR and the breakup in ACOMAF. To me it felt like a hastily made-up intro for the main events. Probably that fault lies in the first book, and not the second installment, but still it needed more backstory.  

“ 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. ” 

And here comes the Rhysand part. Wonderful, unselfish Rhysand, he who with all that power he commands chose to endure numerous hardships in order to protect the things and people he valued most. I loved all that passed between him and Feyre, the respect and support and chance to grow he gave her freely, even when she resented him and he expected nothing in return. The romance between them is slow-building and sweet, as they both recover from traumatic experiences and find comfort in each other.  

Concluding, I liked this book very, very much. I'd like it even more if Feyre's narrative voice differed from Celaena's. I will definitely try to get my hands on the third installment as soon as it is published.