A Court of Mist and Fury: 2 (Court of Thorns and Roses) Paperback – 2 Jun. 2020

(Review taken from my blog)5 Star Sequel to ACOTAR, I adored this book. Sarah J.Maas is a new addition to my favourite writers. Her writing is both beautiful and heartbreaking in places and she has the ability to really make readers emotionally connect not only with her characters but with the entire fantasy world she has created.Characters -Rhysand is a character which seems to be both loved and hated, for me? I love him. I liked him in ACOTAR because even though his behaviour could of seemed a little odd it was clear that he was trying to help Feyre and protect her in the little way he could. ACOMAF really throws us into Rhysand’s character and his court, as the story progresses I feel like we get to see his character develop or perhaps the truth about his character be revealed to show he isn’t evil.Feyre – Feyre really becomes her own in this book I think, she asks herself what she wants from her life and what she doesn’t want and she makes decisions which are best for her. Feyre is a really strong female character and I like how she doesn’t just accept her situation, she strives for more.So i’ll take this moment to applaud Sarah J.Maas on her complex character development, none of her characters feel flat to me. They all have a story to tell and her descriptive writing style means I am able to picture them perfectly in my head. In terms of her writing of Rhysand and Feyre, boy is their some tension present and it’s wonderfully exciting and swoon-worthy.And now well Tamlin…I won’t reveal anything major but I will say that their is a shift in Tamlin’s character and the book leaves it on a sense of mystery for me because I wonder if Tamlin’s actions were out of fear or if they were really because he is being manipulated by the Priestess. I guess we have to wait until 2017 to see what Sarah J.Maas has in store for us.Setting -If you have read my previous review for A Court of Thorns and Roses you will remember that I commented on Sarah J. Maas’ amazing world building and that continues into ACOMAF. Within this book we are introduced to some of the other Faerie Courts such as The Night Court, Valaris and The Summer Court and they are all described beautifully and in such great detail. Seriously I want to live in Valaris now please?Sarah J.Maas descriptive writing style is something I really enjoy, it’s made it possible for me to fully immerse myself into the book and feel as if this fantasy world is real and it does in-fact draw similarities with our own world in the sense that their is a hierarchy to society. High Fae over Low Fae and then in terms of the Mortal Courts the rich over the poor.I will also just mention that we get to experience the Mortal Courts on a greater scale in this book with the introduction of the Mortal Queens, I don’t really know how to describe them other than some of them being selfish b*#£!s… They really infuriated me in this book, they showed a sense of ignorance and looked down their noses at the Faerie Courts, I was mentally screaming ‘just listen to them’ in one moment or two.Plot =So as you may know ACOTAR is a little bit of a slower pace, this is because the action and the drama come towards the halfway mark of the book. The beginning is where we were introduced to the Faerie Realms and basically it was a whole bunch of mystery. Well now in ACOMAF, Feyre is part of the Faerie community so you can bet their is a ton of action to go alongside this shift and the pace is significantly faster.I definitely felt like my heart was in my throat at numerous points of this book, it really keeps you on your toes and it also definitely includes a-lot of change. As a reader I feel like we are fully put through the ringer in this book especially as book 1 leaves you on a hopeful or at least lovely note in relation to Tamlin and Feyre. Then the book takes on some changes which are a shock but they are actually welcomed, Feyre experiences new freedoms and I really wanted these to happen. In the beginning of the book Feyre can’t do much due to Tamlin’s fear that anything will happen to her so you experience her suffering symptoms of PTSD whilst being stuck inside the Spring Court, once these changes arise we get to see her at her leaning towards her full potential and she is full of surprises in this.One thing I really liked about this book was how each character seemed to be suffering symptoms for PTSD, I liked this because it added a realistic element to this fantasy world. All these characters went through such traumatic events under the mountain and instead of being like ‘YAY, WERE FREE WE CAN BE HAPPY’ like most fairytales or some YA books do, it instead focuses on how those moments still plague them and they will remain a part of them forever.Any Wishes?I wish that the moments Feyre was away from Tamlin we were able to see how he was, his reactions and just his general behaviour. Towards the end we are shown some of what he was obviously doing but I would of liked to see it alongside Feyre.Overall I adored this book more so than the first one if that was possible, I actually finished it a few days ago but it has taken me this long to string together some coherent thoughts other than ASNIUBGNBOJIUBHG SO GOOD.

“To the stars who listen– and the dreams that are answered.”Have you ever read a book that impacts you in a way you can’t even put into words? It ruins you for all other books for a long time afterwards. It leaves you feeling such a wide range of emotions that you find it difficult to put those emotions – and your thoughts – into any sort of order. Have you ever read a book that just resonates with you in a way that you don’t even know how to express?Well, A Court of Mist and Fury was that book, for me. It’s been two weeks, and I still haven’t read a page of another book. I physically can’t bring myself to do it, because I just cannot stop thinking about this profoundly beautiful story that Sarah J. Maas has created. It’s the only book I’ve ever read in my entire life that I considered reading again the second I’d finished it.I’ve spent the past fourteen days trying to work out how to put my feelings about this book into words, and I haven’t had a great deal of success. I think, if I was to really do so, and really give this awe-inspiring novel the justice it deserves, then I’d probably end up writing a novel myself… So, instead, I’ve decided to write a brief(ish) list of reasons as to why you should read this book right now. (With some quotes because I highlighted so many great ones, and I can’t not include some of them!)HERE GOES.— FEMINISM. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book in this genre that was so openly feminist and, let me tell you, it was so refreshing. And exciting. And just great. Seriously, a female protagonist in this genre who is treated as an equal by all of the males in the novel! A female protagonist who is physically powerful, but who is also soft and feminine – since, you know, you can actually be both at the same time! I genuinely felt empowered reading this novel. Thank you, Sarah, for giving young women a book with such a strong, feminist message running throughout. We need more books like this.— A Hades and Persephone retelling!! Need I say more??— FEYRE. Oh, Feyre. I am so proud of her, I can’t even put it into words. Feyre’s growth was just incredible. I liked her in ACOTAR, don’t get me wrong – but I fell head over heels in love with her in this novel. At the end of ACOTAR, Feyre fell to pieces. In ACOMAF, she slowly puts all of those pieces back together and, in doing so, maps out her own future in such an awe-inspiring way. Feyre becomes someone who is wild and brave and compassionate and completely astounding. I can say with absolute certainty that she’s now one of my favourite book heroines ever. Honestly, I am so in love with her. Ahhh.“No one was my master — but I might be master of everything, if I wished. If I dared.”— The world-building. Oh. In A Court of Thorns and Roses (the first novel in this series), we barely glimpsed the incredible world that Sarah J. Maas has created for this series. Every part of this world has been crafted so elegantly. I was completely lost in it all. The Night Court and The Court of Dreams, especially. Hell, even The Court of Nightmares had me dreaming up the most deliciously dark images in my mind. And back to Velaris. Oh, man. I fell in love with this city. Like, so much. I don’t want to do spoilers, but there’s part later on in the novel… I was so sad and angry and eurghhh. I don’t think I’ve loved a fictional place this much since Hogwarts.— Love as a main theme – but not just romantic love. All kinds of love. The lengths we are willing to go to for love. The sacrifices we are willing to make. The way that love can change and shape us – for better, or for worse.— While we’re talking about love… Healthy relationships. And not only that, but the process of moving from an unhealthy relationship, to a healthy one. Of realising that someone you love isn’t right for you just because you love them, and the various emotions that wrack you when you begin to fall for someone else who is. Maas shows us that sometimes, we grow up and, in doing so, grow apart – and that there’s nothing wrong with that. It doesn’t make you a bad or cruel person. It just happens. And it might not be easy, but it’s okay.— RHYSAND. High Lord of the Night Court. Powerful. Feminist. Dreamboat. I always suspected that there was a lot more to Rhys than what we found out about him in ACOTAR. I mean, I was madly in love with this character even then, but after his character development arc in this novel, coupled with the revelations about his past, it’s safe to say I’m a goner. We see Rhysand remove all of his carefully constructed masks in this novel, and the man beneath them… I don’t want to do spoilers, but ahh… Yeah, I’m definitely a goner.“My mate. Death incarnate. Night triumphant.”— THE ROMANCE. Seriously… The relationship between Feyre and Rhys was one of the most beautiful and touching romances I have ever read. Ever, ever. The way Rhys inspires Feyre, and supports her every decision, and encourages her to be her best self… It was just so touching to read. I ugly cried so many times reading about these two. Even during the happy parts. I don’t want to say much more, because I’ll end up giving away a lot of spoilers via ridiculous levels of fan-girling, and I don’t want to do that… But I am seriously in love with this relationship, and I am so glad that Sarah has incorporated a romantic relationship into her novel that is not only this touching and beautiful, but also sends a really good message to girls about how you should be treated by someone who really, truly loves you. Someone who wants you to be the absolute best version of yourself… But who is also there to support you when you can’t be that. Someone who lets you take the lead when you need to, but is willing to take the lead when you can’t. Everyone deserves that.— The “secondary” characters. It feels weird even calling them secondary characters at this point. The character development in this novel was astronomical. Like, wow. I am so in love with Amren, Mor, Azriel and Cassian. I don’t remember the last time I read a book with secondary characters with so much depth. My heart tugged for them just as much as it did for Feyre and Rhys, and that’s really saying something. Like I said earlier, this novel is about all of the different kinds of love, and the friendships that formed between all of these characters was such an absolute joy to read. Also, as a side note: I NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT AMREN. Like, right now.— This was supposed to be brief and it’s really not brief at all, is it?— Everything else I need to say involves spoilers and squealing and lots of incoherent noises.— Seriously, just read this book, okay.Honestly, I’d go as far as saying that this book is one of the best things to happen to me in so long. I was going through a pretty bad time when I read it, and it managed to fill me with hope and love and happiness so far from what any book has filled me with for as long as I can remember. It touched my heart in a way that anything rarely does, and I don’t think I’ll ever get over it.I really hope you’ll read A Court of Mist and Fury, and I really hope it will touch your heart in the same way that it touched mine.Thank you so much for this beautiful novel, Sarah.Let me leave me with my favourite quote:“I wonder if some part of me knew what was waiting for me. That I would never be a gentle grower of things, or someone who burned like fire — but that I would be quiet and enduring and as faceted as the night. That I would have beauty, for those who knew where to look, and if people didn’t bother to look, but to only fear it… Then I didn’t particularly care for them, anyway.”

A Court of Mist and Fury: A Five-Star MasterpieceSarah J. Maas has truly outdone herself with A Court of Mist and Fury. This book isn't just a sequel; it's an absolute whirlwind of emotion, action, and breathtaking romance. The character development, especially for Feyre, is phenomenal – she transforms into a force to be reckoned with. The world-building expands in ways I never imagined, pulling you deeper into the intricate lore of Prythian. And Rhysand? Let's just say he's solidified his place as one of the most compelling love interests in fantasy.The plot is relentlessly engaging, filled with twists and turns that will keep you glued to every page. Maas masterfully weaves together themes of healing, self-discovery, and the fight for justice, making this much more than just a fantasy romance. It's empowering, heart-wrenching, and utterly addictive. I laughed, I cried, and I cheered. If you loved A Court of Thorns and Roses, prepare to be absolutely captivated by this brilliant continuation. An absolute must-read!