A Court of Mist and Fury Review: Feyre

Book: A Court of Mist and Fury
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #2
Genre: YA fantasy (it really should be marked NA)
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 640
Release: May 3rd 2016

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.

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This, hands down, is one of my favourite books of 2016. I enjoyed it so much better than A Court of Thorns and Roses, which I thought couldn't be possible! I have a lot of feels, so kudos go to those who read this start to finish.

Before we begin, I want to send a huge thank you to my friend Meghan, who so very kindly took mercy on my agonizing soul and provided me with a way to skip the wait line for my copy. You have my ever-lasting thanks, and I will be more than happy to deliver poisoned apples to your enemies for you. Thank you thank you THANK YOU.

This book picks up three months after the ending of A Court of Thorns and Roses. Feyre has been made into a High Fae, and is now spending her time with Tamlin, living in peace after the horrors done to both of them by Amarantha in Under the Mountain. But Feyre's bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the Night Court, has yet to be collected, and before long, she finds herself joining Rhysand in his court to uphold her end of the bargain. But what she discovers there will change the future of Prythian...

Feyre was such a dynamic character. After the events of the ACOTAR, I started out wary, knowing the book would begin with Feyre consumed by guilt. But what surprised me was the depth of her emotions, how the things that were left unsaid spoke complete volumes. I truly enjoyed how steady her character grew from there. She grew into such a great protagonist as the story went on: becoming stronger, learning to accept what she's done, and how to understand not only herself, but others around her. And her power as High Fae! I absolutely loved the development of her magic and strength, how she learned to rely on herself to get out of--or triumph over--situations. Her loyalty to protect the Night Court and her new friends through any and all means, even if it required playing terrible roles, spoke of the sacrifice she was willing to give, and ultimately, of her selflessness. Feyre is the very proof that from the ashes, one can rise and surpass everything.

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.

Rhysand, oh Rhysand. He was absolutely phenomenal, smashing right through my expectations and going light years beyond. I knew we'd be getting more backstory on him, but I was not prepared to get such a beautiful and heartbreaking story. Rhysand was literally defined by the word sacrifice; he gave up so much, not only to keep his court safe, but his friends, and Feyre safe, all at the cost of his own reputation. He let the world see him as a cruel monster, incapable of caring for anyone other than himself, when the reality was that it was done to keep others from realizing how deeply he cared about his friends and his court. Rhysand's heart shone true with Feyre; he never gave up on her, even when she had given up for herself. I loved how he let Feyre be her own person, to let her grow and learn to protect herself. And he always gave her the choice to say no, never once forcing her to do anything. If this doesn't make him the epitome of being considerate, kindhearted, and loyal, I don't know what does. Rhysand is just too precious, and powerful, to put to words <3

He paused mid-bite, then lowered his fork. "I heard every word between you. I knew you could take care of yourself, and yet..." He went back to his pie, swallowing a bite before continuing. "And yet I found myself deciding that if you took his hand, I would find a way to live with it. It would be your choice."

I sipped from my wine. "And if he had grabbed me?"

There was nothing but uncompromising will in his eyes. "Then I would have torn apart the world to get you back."

In ACOTAR, I was torn between shipping Feyre with Tamlin or with Rhysand, but after the first 50 pages of this book, I shipped her with Rhysand. But, like in most books, I still somewhat shipped her with Tamlin, sort of a "I wouldn't be too upset if she ended up with Tamlin again". Yet as the book progressed, my opinion of Tamlin constantly decreased, until the though of ever being for Tamlin was pure folly. There is absolutely no part of me that is for the Feylin ship. And there never will be. At this point, I wouldn't be overly upset if Tamlin meets an unfortunate ending. I am 100% on the Feysand ship, and will be outraged if she ends up with Tamlin. It would be sacrilegious, completely unacceptable, because FEYSAND IS LIFE <3 

"We deserve each other. And we deserve to be happy."

The plot was rich and filled with such beautiful complexity. It also wasn't romance driven, which provided a very distinct change of pacing from the first book. I noticed that the author so cleverly left out key bits of information in initial explanations, only to bring them back later in the plot in the most surprising and dramatic way. For example, take what Rhysand saw at the end of ACOTAR. I'll be discussing it more in the spoiler section, but DAMN that was one hell of an reveal. Though a certain someone (hi Cody) and I have been speculating about it for months now, and going out of out minds trying to puzzle together explanations. But nothing could have prepared me for the events that occurred. Even if I thought I knew the direction the plot was going, something always threw me off and made me doubt myself. The plot couldn't be trusted to remain stable, with the possibility of anything or everything changing in a mere moment. I was always on edge, danger and threats never too far, which only made me savour those rare peaceful. It was so good!

Rhysand's Inner Circle--Mor, Cassian, Azriel, and Amren--were an absolute delight to the story. They each were their own complex character, and added such a richness and support to the plot. I loved each and every one of them, loved their stories, loved their friendship and loyalty to Rhysand, and loved how welcoming and supportive they were to Feyre. You can't not love them, and everything they stand for. They are a true family together, each relying on one another to support them. Honestly, every person should be jealous of the tight-knit friendship those five (six, including Feyre) have. I know I certainly am! And I also know that I am terrified, terrified, that one of them will die in the next book. Please no, please please, please no. They are my heart and I will die if any of them die. But who am I kidding, there's a war in the next book, so there's bound to be a death. 

Because I knew--deep in my bones--that Cassian might push and test my limits, but the moment I said no, he'd back off. And I knew that if...that if I had been wasting away and Rhys had done nothing to stop it, Cassian or Azriel would have pulled me out. They would have taken me somewhere--wherever I needed to be--and death with Rhys later.

One of favourite moments (though let's be honest, practically every scene was my favourite) was when Feyre was training with Cassian, and finally admitted her guilt and shame. There were so many beautiful things going on in that moment: how caring Cassian and the rest of Rhysand's Inner Circle are, the beginning of Feyre's healing, and Rhysand's compassion. That scene...it was so touching. Truly.

Maas's writing was so definitely icing on the cake for this story. Not just the characters and story, but her descriptions of Velaris were absolutely breathtaking, and painted such a vivid image in my mind. Who do I talk to/steal from/kidnap/permanently replace to get in? The contrast between the Court of Nightmares and the Court of Dreams was done exceptionally well, and you can't help but simply marvel at how different each court was. Every place they visited and character Feyre met had it's own unique mood and backstory, and all together, nothing felt repetitive in any way. It was amazing.

Rhys clicked his glass against mine. "To the stars who listen--and the dreams that are answered."

***The rest of this review will be contain spoilers. Skip to the bottom for my final thoughts and rating***



*****




****




That ending that ending that ending. THAT. ENDING. It was the best ending I've ever read. Cliffhanger, but not quite. I am devastated at everything that happened, with Feyre's sisters being Made, the bond being broken, and Feyre going back to the Spring Court. But there's just one tiny detail that changes everything: Feyre is the High Lady of the Night Court. I am freaking out, because a) it shows how much Rhysand values and loves Feyre and thus makes her his equal in every and all ways--so much different than his father and Tamlin b) Feyre sacrificed herself not just for her friends, but for her own court. How's that for an epic first action as High Lady? c) she's an official enemy of the Spring Court, now in the Spring Court, completely undetected (except for Lucien, who suspects, of course). *drags in a deep breath* Can we please just take a moment to appreciate how devious and cunning and brilliant that is? Feyre sacrificed her bargain with Rhysand to protect her court. Tamlin and the king of Hybern think they liberated Feyre by giving her back her freedom, when the reality is that Feyre sacrificed her true freedom to go with Tamlin to play spy.

"The Court of Dreams. I had belonged to a court of dreams. And dreamers.

And for their dreams...for what they had worked form sacrificed for...I could do it."

Tamlin. Tamlin! I can't believe the beginning! Warning bells were going off in my head when Tamlin didn't so much as react when Feyre was having her nightmares. And then he didn't let her do anything! First off: after a trauma, you cannot just throw someone back into a boring life and expect them to be fine. Feyre fought for her life, and now you want her to sit around and plan unnecessary things like a wedding guest list? How insulting is that? She's a warrior, and though she may be scarred, you can't just dismiss her strength. Add this to the fact Tamlin didn't think it was necessary to let Feyre explore the extents of her powers. And the fact that he had violent fits of rage, fits he couldn't control, fits that terrified Feyre. ARGH, Tamlin. I loved you, trusted you </3 But all this being said, it makes complete sense that Feyre would go from Tamlin to Rhysand; it was a natural, and logical decision. It becomes very clear that choosing Rhysand is the right thing to do. Because with Tamlin, Feyre was just being oppressed, fearful of his temper. And that is not okay, which Feyre realized. She deserves much more than that.

"But I forgot to tell him," I said quietly, opening the door, "that the villain is usually the person who locks up the maiden and throws away the key."

"Oh?"

I shrugged. "He was the one who let me out."

Rhysand's true court, The Court of Dreams, was pure magic. I loved what Rhysand did, not valuing birth or social status to be in a position of power; rather, he chose his inner circle on accordance of their hearts, those who shared the same dream as he did of a world undivided. Remember his court's values? To defend, to honour, and to cherish. Not power. Not victory. But loyalty and love. Need I say more?

I did not see Elain and Nesta's transformations happening. At all! The Cauldron turning them into fae brings a whole bunch of questions--what court are they? What powers do they possess? Are they different than normal fae, or stronger? Elain, who finds out her mate is Lucien. Nesta, who makes a curse, a promise, against the King of Hybern. Those two are far from being done, their character arcs only just beginning. And what of their relationships with Feyre, now that they're fae? Will they blame her? All I can say is that fate seriously screwed up any mundane plans the daughters of the Acheron family had. 

*****




****




End of spoilers!

Okay, this is long enough. It goes without saying that this book gets all the stars in the world, and beyond. Absolute perfection. Read this if you enjoyed ACOTAR, and read it if you didn't. This book is nothing like ACOTAR, and will blow you away by how much better it was.

Now, the biggest question of them all: how on earth am I supposed to wait an entire year for the next one??? Agony. Can I just sit here and stare and cry until next May?