A Court of Mist and Fury

Do you ever have those books that, no matter how late it is or how tired you are, you just can’t stop reading? That was me with this book. 

This is the second book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series, and since the first book was extremely boring, I was hesitant to start this one. I'm so glad I did, however, because it quite literally changed my life.

The characters feel like family and fill a growing hole in my heart to replace what I've lost. The main character, Feyre, is so resilient with her past trauma,… show more.

Yes, this book has faeries and magic and a hot enemies-to-lovers romance. But the thing that brings A Court of Mist and Fury from a sexy fantasy adventure to a book I keep thinking about despite having closed its pages is the way Maas includes Feyre’s struggles with depression.

I haven’t seen another fantasy series make learning to overcome the trauma the main character experienced in book one an integral part of the emotional plotline in its sequel, encapsulated by this line Feyre says to Rhysand: “I am broken and healing, but every piece of my heart belong to you.”

This is Book 2 in Maas’s ACOTAR series, where book 1 is sort of a necessary prologue (still good, just not as good as ACOMAF).

Another dark, second world fantasy full of Fae and magic. What makes this book unique is Maas’s character development.

She so easily makes us fall in love with +10 characters over the course of four hundred pages because they all feel real. They have thoughts/feelings/backstories/motivations, and they’re all very likable in their own way.

The enemies to lovers romance takes place over several months in this book. It was fun, well teased out, and very… show more.

This is the kind of book that will drag many emotions out of you. Sadness, anger, excitement… you name it. Although I didn’t like that the romance part was rushed, it inspired me to create my own book, so A Court of Mist and Fury was my motivational read.

A Court of Mist and Fury (or ACOMAF, as fans call it) is one of the definitive books that includes popular tropes, but still manages to draw the reader in. This book inspired me in so many ways, particularly the idea of unique magic systems, which is something that helped me in my own writing. And the “enemies to lovers” trope doesn’t hurt either.

This is the second book in the Court of Thorns and Roses series but I recommend it in particular because it shows the healing process of a deeply traumatized woman and how she slowly mends. Yes, ultimately it is love that mends her, which my romantic heart swoons over, but it does things the right way. The character is not coddled but given the space she needs at the same time, and ultimately that’s what won me over to their love story. There are some swoon-worthy moments, and at the very end we are left seeing that the two love… show more.

Although this is not the first book in the series (it’s the 2nd), it’s my favorite because (spoiler alert) this is where Feyre and Rhysand become an item. Our female protagonist is eighteen years old, while the dashing High Lord of the Night Court is at least five hundred years her senior. Men and their obsession with young women. Am I right? The Acotar books, though sometimes considered YA, are actually adult books because of their quite explicit sexual content. Despite the gratuitous sex scenes, I enjoyed Sarah J. Maas’s world-building. From Velaris to the Night Court and… show more.

Taking place in a world of humans and Fae, the first book in this series is exceptional with its retelling of Beauty & the Beast. Most readers, however, will tell you the real magic begins in this second installment. Paying homage to the tale of Hades & Persephone, protagonist Feyre finds herself indebted to spend one week every month with the villainous High Lord of the Night Court, Rhysand. Even worse, this handsome High Lord decides to start this bargain on the day of Feyre’s wedding…as she’s literally walking down the aisle. Talk about bad timing. Or is… show more.