A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas
(Format used for this read: Audiobook)
I started this second book in this series IMMEDIATELY after the first one. If you missed my review on that one, click below to read it:
I can now officially say this is ANOTHER book series I am completely OBSESSED WITH, yall.
Are you losing count on how many series that I am addicted to that involve magic in some way, shape or form? Me too 😁
Here is the official summary:
“Feyre has undergone more trials than one human woman can carry in her heart. Though she’s now been granted the powers and lifespan of the High Fae, she is haunted by her time Under the Mountain and the terrible deeds she performed to save the lives of Tamlin and his people.
As her marriage to Tamlin approaches, Feyre’s hollowness and nightmares consume her. She finds herself split into two different people: one who upholds her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court, and one who lives out her life in the Spring Court with Tamlin. While Feyre navigates a dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms. She might just be the 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 in turmoil.
I told yall that the first book was pretty racy. And I was warned that the raciness not only continues as the books progress, but multiplies.
And yalll………I was told NO LIES about this.
I mean, I KNEW it was going to go this way….but DAMNNNN.
This book goes REALLY into the details of the raciness…and the author goes right in (so to speak 🤣) by Chapter 2.
It did calm down for awhile and there are quite a few chapters that are a tad more tame…but when it starts back up again…WHEW!
I was literally sweating while I was listening on my headphones…made mopping my kitchen floor a hell of a lot more interesting than it usually is. 😄
Now, I have said before that I am not a HUGE fan of super detailed and graphic love scenes in books…I generally prefer a vibe of tameness.
BUT…I definitely prefer to read them when they are written by a female bodied and female identifying author. Because she TRULY “gets” how my own body works, functions and what I generally respond to in a way that male bodied and male identifying authors just can not ever fully grasp. Not only in regards to physical connection and satisfaction, but also to the emotional and mental connections as well.
Which I fully claim as my own personal opinion and feelings and DO NOT think for one second applies to all female bodied and female identifying people.
(I wanna take a sec to state that I fully recognize that there are SO SO SO many layers to sexuality and sexual expression. Every single person has their own journey in that regard and I honor and respect all of them. I don’t diminish the truth that another human being in a female presenting body may feel 1000 percent differently than I do in what their own body responds to and is attracted to and may not be affected or bothered to read love scenes written by others who identify differently. )
So…maybe I really AM a fan of racier books if they are written in the way I prefer…. I’ve just been reading the wrong ones all this time.
Time will tell 😂
I will say that there are times the author DOES drag out the sexual tension between characters in this book almost to a point of extreme irritation. There are times where it’s just like “FOR THE LOVE…just let them GET TOGETHER! The build up is ENOUGH already!!”
This book isn’t JUST filled with intriguing love scenes though.
The story is SO SO SO much more than that…those are just a fun detail that add to the exciting plot.
In the beginning of this story, Feyre is learning things about Tamlin that she realizes she ain’t too crazy about.
She now feels trapped and stifled living with him…and she is frustrated and disappointed in how he really rules his kingdom.
Feyre is in the mindset of “OMG….WTF did I DO here?!?”
Her monthly obligation with Reys she agreed to in the first book started as an enraging and punishing committment she had to follow thru with…but it gradually becomes more of a welcoming escape. The visits also become a place where she receives helpful training for her newly revealed powers that Tamlin has not encouraged her to uncover or unleash.
What she felt for Tamlin was probably more of a fierce lust type of situation…one that convinces a person that it is INDEED love they are feeling. But then…when the newness fades and reality sets in…hard realizations dawn in heart and mind.
As Feyre gets to know her new self and her new strengths as Rhys and his posse start to train her, she realizes who she truly is and what she truly wants.
She went for years longing for someone to care for her and protect her as she did for her sisters and fathers for YEARS. But then….she awakens to the fact that what she TRULY wants isn’t a dominant protector who locks her away for safekeeping, but someone who sees her as EQUAL. Who loves and cares for her but ALSO lets her grow and find more of herself and gives her the freedom to do just that.
YAAAASSSS, girl.
I was NOT expecting the turn the plot lines take in this book….but it was a very welcome surprise and I am so pumped to see where it all goes in future books.
One point of irritation for me though was how the fairies call their destined life partner their “mate”. I don’t know why in the world it got under my skin so much, but it TOTALLY did. I told a friend (who is also a fan) that it sounds like what you would call two breeding horses or something. 🤣 Not very mystical or romantic in my opinion…but I have no idea what I would replace it with. “Soulmate” is too human like….”partner” is too boring. I’ll let yall know in future reviews if I come up with an appropriate substitute!
The ending of this book had me internally yelling “WHAAAAAAATTTT?!? NOOOOOOOOO!!!” And if I would have had a physical book in my hands, I would have thrown it in frustration across the room.
Not because it was a bad or disappointing ending, but because it is NOT what I wanted to happen to these characters after all they had been going thru pages before.
It made me want to start the next book RIGHT AWAY.
I loved it.
The point of view the story is being told from changes up at the end too…I’m curious if that will continue in the next book and was a preview of sorts.
I loved that also.
While I am DYING to get going on the next book, I can’t do it QUITE yet.
I have my very last book club meeting next week and I have GOT to get going on our book selection! I won’t be sad to leave this damn area AT ALL when we move in a couple weeks….but I will miss those fellow book adoring ladies SO MUCH! I hope I can find another amazing group when we get settled in our new place.
But….the second I am done with our book pick….I am jumping into Book 3 with the quickness! I have GOT to see what happens next……