A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
If you’ve been somehow following my fangirl ramblings for the past month or so, you may remember I had some struggles with A Court of Thorns and Roses. I couldn’t get into, I wasn’t invested or in love with any of the characters, and I got super upset because I wasn’t shipping the right person. Therefore, I had an epic DNF, and I thought I was forever done and was donning my book hipster hat.
But then a great deal of lovely bloggers convinced me to give it another try. And somehow, the moment I picked it back up, I was invested. I was propelled by the storyline and couldn’t stop reading. Now, I ended up giving it 3 stars at the end since I did find it to be problematic in areas, but trust me, I was very entertained within those three stars.
I went into A Court of Mist and Fury, knowing I was going to encounter one of two things thanks to advice from the lovely blog community again: I was either going to loveeeeeeeeeee it or find myself bored and disconnected due to the characters. And I have to agree – this is a very character driven novel, and while it does have a lot plot and action involved, if you’re not invested in the characters and didn’t love them, there’s a good chance this book might not be for you – and even though I didn’t enjoy them in the first novel, I actually really came to grow ridiculously invested in them by the end of this book and I’m now in the worst book hangover ever and just want my ships to sail so badly.
Once Upon a Time…
(There may be some spoilers in this summary for those that haven’t read the first one. Be careful 😉 )
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.

This book reminded me of a soap opera – actually, more specifically, why I enjoyed soap operas and became addicted to them. There was Drama (yes, with a capital D), problematic characters, and all sorts of madness – yet I loved every second of it. It was so dishy and soapy, and I think that was how I managed to binge this practically in three sittings. It was like I was catching up on my daily soap.
Now, I’m going to try and do this spoiler free since I know a lot of people have yet to start to the series but I’m going to detonate when there is spoilers!
I wasn’t really a fan of any of the characters in the first book. I never connected with Feyre, Tamlin, or anyone else. I liked Lucien probably the best but I still was kind of eh about him. Anyway, I wasn’t holding out much hope for me to fall in love with any of the characters in this book, but goodness, I was wrong. Now, I still have some issues with Feyre, but I actually really enjoyed and liked her in this book compared to the last. I actually rooted for her at points, and I do believe she grew a lot from the first book.
I actually really enjoyed the new characters we meet in the book. I loveddddd the Night Court crew, and omigosh, there were a lot of new ships for me that I couldn’t handle it. I just want them alllllllllll to sail. Like, pronto. THE FEELS. MY HEART. But each of these characters were fun, and the friendship that they had really entertained me. I didn’t hate or dislike any of the new additions, and I can’t wait to see where they all go next.
Because I never got into Feyre and Tamlin, I never got into the ship either. ***SPOILERSSSSSSS: Probably since I knew ahead of time that Feyre was going to end up with Rhysand, I had already committed to their ship. Therefore, I didn’t have a bad reaction to Tamlin’s characterization going INSANELY off the rails and Feyre ending up with a certain broody, Night Court leader. I was already invested in their ship before I read the books, so getting the validation of it in this one made me a happy swooner. I was 120% for Rhysand and Feyre and the feels were so real. I’m still feeling them now. XD But seriously, though, Tamlin’s characterization 180 turn was insaneeeee. I didn’t fully believe it, but remember, I was thinking of this as a soap opera, and I may or may have chopped all of Tamlin’s crazy behavior to him having his crazy, evil twin take over. THAT was believable. 😉 END OF SPOILERSSSSSS***

The plot was…interesting? I mean, there was one at some points, but the book totally lost it at others. I would just sit there going, are they supposed to be searching for something? Because they really aren’t searching. They kind of suck at it. XD As I said, it’s a very character-driven book and you have to want to be focused on that to really enjoy it. I did loveeeeeee them visiting other Courts, though. I’m really hoping we get to seem more of them in the future one. ME WANTS OTHER PRETTY COURTS.
Overall, this was a totalllllllllll turnabout for me from the other book. I blew through this one, and it gave me the most drastic book hangover ever. I’m still in it, and I won’t be satisfied until I get the third book. I’m so into this series now: for the characters, the world, the feels, the ship, EVERYTHING. It can be a little soap opera trashy at parts and problematic, but there is just so much enjoyment. I have to say, the sequel was soo much better than the first – and isn’t that so weird?
Five crown rating and a Tiana and Rapunzel rating!
Check it out:
What do you think? Have you read this series? What were your thoughts? Have you ever had a sequel totally change your mind about a series? Let’s discuss in the comments below!
I’m planning to read both ACOTAR and this one this month. I really hope I enjoy them! Great review 🙂
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Oooooh, I can’t wait to see your thoughts! Hopefully you enjoy. And it will be perfect timing because you will be desperate for the third. Thanks so much! 🙂
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That was an awesome review Mandy!!! I completely agree that the sudden character change in Tamlin was a bit far fetched but you will find that Maas tends to do so in most of her novels. Anyway the good parts of the story were able to make up for the slight mistakes and I am soo happy you enjoyed it!!!!
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Thank you, Ava!! Lol okay, so I should probably prepare myself for this in future Maas books? XD but yes, I am too although my book hangover does not. XD
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The author does this a lot in ToG. She’s very unpredictable that way. And you’re welcome! 😊
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That’s either very good or very bad. XD I will know to guard my feels from her then. XD
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Yay I’m glad you liked ACOMAF!! Sarah J Maas loves turning things on their head, and she definitely did that with Tamlin. I never really got into the first book, Feyre really annoyed me and the whole romance was bleh. I love Rhysand and the crew…not long til ACOWAR!!!
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Lol I’m starting to see that XD but yes, I’m glad I’m not the only one since I saw so many felt differently. But I super agree! Yes! I can’t wait until May!!
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I also set this one down the first time I picked it up. What was happening to Feyre just made me so angry I couldn’t handle it. I was reading it at the same time a friend of mine was who said to just stick with it and all will be explained. And, like you said, I threw myself into this book so hard the feels were too much! The Night Court crew is everything! This is one of those series that will make you SO crazy until you know the whole story. I can’t wait for May 2nd to get book 3!!! I’ll be rereading this series this month to prepare for book 3 and I wonder what I’ll think of it now that I know the whole story
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I agree! It was a huge change that I really didn’t see coming. But you really don’t realize how invested you become in it, as you said. The feels are far too much. It’s just mean of the book. XD Yes, I can’t wait to see what you end up thinking of it with the reread!! And hopefully May will come soon enough!!
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I haven’t read any of the books yet, I’m not sure if I will.
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Yeah, it seems like it’s a hit or miss book for a lot of people. 😦
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Haha I’ve read this book a few times now (I’m obsessed) but I remember re-reading it and thinking the same thing about the plot. I loved the book, but sometimes I was like… nothing is happening or it takes them 200 pages to complete one task! I looooved my Feyre + Rhys time though 😊
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LOL, yes! I enjoyed every second of it, but I’m like…weren’t they searching for the book? Wasn’t there a book? Eh, who cares, I’ll ignore the book like them. XD But yes, Feyre and Rhy time was the best ❤
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Yay great review! I skipped over your spoiler section…despite my initial temptation to sneak a peek. But I held through! I[m excited to read this! I mean I probably won[t read until after I meet Sarah J Mass…but who knows! I might surprise myself! The ships and this night court people are really popular. I don’t know everything…but I know some stuff! I need to read these to fangirl!!! Book hangovers are the worst but that is how you know you’ve read a really good one! 😉 Best of luck on your waiting for the next one!
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Lol, yay! XD They weren’t terrible, terrible, but if you didn’t know a certain thing, it was best to skip. I went in knowing very little of the series (well, as little as you can with being in the book blogging world XD) and it was best that way. But yesssssss! It might be smart to wait until after the third book comes out, because it’s sooooooo rough right now, Rendz. Will you be meeting Maas in May? But thank you, Rendz, I’m going to need help with this waiting. XD
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Oh I know a lot about it too hehehe. Spoilers everywhere…some you just can’t miss. But I also don’t know any “whys” or ‘”hows”. The best thing to do is stay off Pinterest and Tumblr! SPOILERS E V E R Y W H E R E! Yes, I’ll be meeting her in May! Hopefully by then I will be caught up on the ToG series…though the possibilty is unlikely! 🙂
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Lol, yesssssssss. Thankfully, as you said, on the blogs there is at least spoiler alerts but I’ll definitely stay away from those two. XD Woooooooooo!! It shall be great. 😀 😀 I’m hoping for you, though. XD How many do you have to go?
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One and like 30% of another one. I’m close, but that fifth one is long! It’s a daunting read…I might not like it 😬 We sh
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Ahhhhhh cool. At least there isn’t a lot, but oh gosh. Big reads are scary. How many pages? D: AND NO, WORDPRESS. DON’T CUT OFF, RENDZ. THAT IS JUST MEAN.
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700 pages. *Tun tun tuuhh* That’s over 2000 iPod pages if I get the ebook >.< It's a lot , but I CAN DO IT…hopefully.
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………………um, wow. Just wow. That’s even more than this book, and I had a hard time dealing with that. Poor, poor Rendz. XD
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Wow I got caught off…😂 Oops. The last bit was “We shall see”
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Apparently I thought Feyre was stupid, but I liked her in general in the first book. Other than that, your review is pretty similar to my thoughts on both books.
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LOL. She did make some pretty idiotic decisions. XD But yay for same thoughts! 🙂
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Yay! The review I’ve been waiting for, and it’s so well done, Mandy! I am so, SO glad that you ended up loving this book. I didn’t realize that you knew Feyre ended up with Rhys going into reading ACOMAF. I can definitely see how know that would make you completely disconnected from that book, because, like you said, these books are totally character driven and romance focused. I’m so glad you gave this one a shot! Now we can fangirl together in May when ACOWAR comes out!!!
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Thankies, Krysti!! And yes! I think that was my main issue with the first book. I knew that Tamlin was not the man I was supposed to be in love and ship Feyre with so it’s like…I just wasn’t feeling it and I think that’s where I went wrong the first time. XD I literally knew nothing about the series other than it was a Beauty and the Beast retelling, fairies, and don’t ship her with Tamlin. XD But yessssss, we should definitely be fangirling then. 😀
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I read the series immediately after bing reading the throne of glass series and I was afraid that it was going to let me down after how much I loved SJM’s other series. I fell more in love with Feyre as the book went on, but I totally agree hands-down the Night Court characters are the best.
I didn’t really register it at the time but I completely agree about the 180° change in Tamlin’s behavior. I was pro-Tamlin’s at in the first book and then he went all crazy and Rhysand was just this wonderful oasis that I was drawn to. Now it’s, Tamlin who?
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Ooooh, glad to know I will be insaley in love with Throne of Glass as well. XD But yessss to the Night Court group. They are literally so much fun. 😀
Lol so true. Poor Tamlin. But yeah, at the end of the book when he came back, I just kept blinking and going oh, yeah, we were supposed to be in love with you in the beginning of the book. Now we hate you. XD
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Tamlin deserves all of the frying pans to the head. Literally, once Feyre leaves, I hope it just rains frying pans in the Spring Court. Lucien deserves it too. I loved the 180. I feel like Sarah is always thinking 20 steps ahead and it’s mind blowing.
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Lol, yeah, Lucien so deserved them too. And yes! I kind of didn’t like it for a while, but then I was like, OMG, this is kind of epic. I was very happy with the results. The ending was insaneeeeeee.
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The ending was epic. I feel like Nesta is just going to murder every problem she comes across and everything is going to be fine and dandy from then on. Or at least that’s how I hope it goes.
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Ahahahaha. I super agree. I feel like she is just going to kick so much butt and it will be wonderful. XD
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Oh my, a Rapunzel rating? A RAPUNZEL RATING? You just confirmed my suspicions, Mandy. This book will be my everything XD
I still need to read the first one but I actually feel like I’ve already read this series so many times hahaha Because everyone keeps mentioning it and I keep seeing it everywhere and I know so much about it already… I need to pick this up. I NEED TO.
So little time, so many books 😥
Great review, Mandy! You couldn’t have made me more excited to read this XD
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Ahahahahaha. I know what you mean! XD You probably could skip to the next one. XD But no, there actually were some things that I had no clue about so I was surprised. But you really do, Sophie. I was SO hesitant before and it ended up being a very smart decision.
And yayyyyyyyyyyy! 😀 I’m glad. *hopes and prays I sent you in the right direction*
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Great review and rating system (sooo cute!!). We too struggled somewhat with the first book – but this book is just fabulous!! FEYSAND!! Tamlin the Tool so deserves more than a ‘few’ frying pans to the head. Cannot wait for ACOWAR (we need our cure to ACOMAF’s book hangover!!)
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Thanks so much!! I really appreciate it. 😀 I totally agree! The first one was a bit questionable in some parts, but I SO AGREE. I so did not think this I would enjoy it SO much, but Feysand just made it so wonderful. And lol, yes, definitely more than a few. Maybe a swarm? XD And yessssss! I’m so worried that I won’t be able to recover from the ending. XD But I’m so with you! XD Just two more weeks, thankfully!!
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Hopefully Cassian gets his wings repaired!! And hopefully after 500 years of waiting Moriel can finally happen!! Fingers crossed 🤞🏻
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Omigosh, YES. I’m in so deep with Moriel and I’m like, literally all they really did was look at each other and I was gone. XD But definitely for poor Cassian.:(
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