A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses) Paperback – 16 Feb. 2021

How do I start to describe how amazing this book is?Sarah did it all, a breath-taking plot, an awe inspiring subplot, overly loveable characters, the best romance EVER, and something every reader could connect and fall in love with.ACOMAF is the second book in Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses trilogy. Sarah’s writing is as amazing as ever, it took me a few chapters to get sucked in but after chapter 3 I could put the book down, even to eat (And that’s saying something for me). I’m slightly bias seeing as Sarah is my idol but THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ!There’s not much non-spoilery stuff i can say as this is a second book but seriously guys if you’re not on this bandwagon you need to be.Okay spoiler time!We continue virtually where we left off in ACOTAR. Feyre is back in the spring court planning for her wedding to Tamlin, learning to live as a High Fae. She is trying to ignore that she still has the deal with Rhysand, a week spent with him in the Night Court each month. Feyre and Tamlin’s relationship is rocky from the get go and neither of them really talk to each other. What they wen’t through in ACOTAR has really put a bump in the road, neither of them want to talk about it but Tamlin takes this to the extreme and keeps Feyre trapped away (literally) and out of danger. With everything going on around her and Feyre just having to go along with it and not question anything, you can tell Feyre feels abandoned. As Feyre walks down the aisle at her own wedding to Tamlin we encounter Rhys for the first time and this is where the story takes an amazing turn for the better.As the story develops everything gets more and more fantastic. Feyre goes on missions and adventures to find a way to kill the King of Hybern, the way Sarah has Feyre slowly learn and develop her magic is so brilliant, we get to know her frustrations when she fails and her excitement when she does something well. I loved that. We see her develop as a person as well as a High Fae with all the powers of the High lords.Feyre and Rhysand’s relationship develops in what I feel is a realistic way, their feelings are admitted slowly, they don’t jump straight into love and sex, they have to become friends first, yes there is always a small amount of sexual tension, but that’s norma when there’s a guy like Rhys in the situation!Rhys’ character is one of my favourites in the series, he’s so complex and intriguing and I adore that about characters. He has a vulnerable side and a hard exterior and that makes him one of the most interesting characters I have ever read. Aside from Rhys my other favourite character in the book is Mor, her backstory was heart breaking and scaring but the way she was able to live with it and stay strong throughout was inspiring. I always think Sarah’s characters are fantastic and ACOMAF didn’t disappoint, everyone was so interesting and had something about them that made you want to know more.Favourite Quotes:Sarah’s books always have so many amazing quotes and it was extremely difficult to pick just 5.‘There are good days and hard days for me, even now. Don’t let the hard days win.’ ~ Mor, giving me a quote to live by.‘it had filled my time – given me quiet, steadfast company with those characters, who did not exist and never would, but somehow made me feel less… alone.’ ~ Feyre, explain how we all feel about book characters.‘To people who look at the stars and wish. To the Stars who listen and the dreams that are answered.’ ~ Feyre and Rhysand, it’s just such a beautiful quote.‘I blinked. I’d forgotten – I’d forgotten that strength in my panic. Just like with the Weaver. I’d forgotten how strong I was.’ ~ Feyre, finally realising she is a lot stronger than she thought, a lot stronger than Tamlin made her feel.‘I closed my eyes at the whisper of a kiss… And all around us, as if the world itself were indeed falling apart, the stars rained down.’ ~ Feyre, starfall was one of my favourite scenes and this quote is just so gorgeous.Another brilliant book from Sarah J. Maas. I simply cannot wait from ACOTAR #3Rating: 5/5 GO AND READ IT AND THEN COME AND DISCUSS IT WITH ME!

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!

Well, that was a bit of a surprise!“He thinks he'll be remembered as the villain in the story. But I forgot to tell him that the villain is usually the person who locks up the maiden and throws away the key. He was the one who let me out.”After really enjoying A Court of Thorns and Roses, but coming away feeling slightly snarky towards Feyre for being a bit of a wet blanket, I was basically expecting this second book in the series to be disappointing. The standard middle book syndrome. The typical mushy romance to fill in the middle part of the series. Oh no, no, no. Maas just smashed those expectations out of the park. The Feyre you knew, she's the dead girl Under The Mountain. This Feyre, she's some awesome sort of bad ass Faerie. And I LOVE her.ACOMAF carries on basically straight after the events of the first book. Feyre and Tamlin are all loved up, Lucien remains to be a friend and support to both Tamlin and Feyre and the ever-cunning but also pretty sexy Rhysand still has that pesky deal which means Feyre has to spend some time with him when he says so. Does anyone else love Rhys? Oh my. And he's about ready to cash in on that deal; this book sees that unfold and Feyre's opinion of him vastly switches. We're also provided with a heck of a lot of truly well written world-building and secondary character development just to kick things up a further notch.I love that Feyre has become bigger and better than before. Gone is the meek, blinded by love girl with only a fiesty streak. Now, she has seen through Tamlin's possessive nature and is on to pastures new. I know what you're thinking, there's going to be a love triangle. I thought so too. But what I love the most about this series now, and what I hope Maas doesn't later go on to destroy, is that it truly seems like Feyre has just had a change of heart. An awful lot has happened to her over the course of the first book, compared to many similar characters, so it's not surprising she might be seeing things clearer now. And thank God for that; she's all the more interesting a character for it. I honestly think Maas is demonstrating that a young girl has just changed her mind, which we rarely ever see in this genre, and seen things differently and moved on. This is so refreshing and much much better than a drippy romance with another controlling male lead who we know is the one she will end up with eventually.Which brings me on to Rhysand. If you love Tamlin, I'm afraid you might not like this book. He features in barely 10% of it. This, I was glad for. But for fans of Tam, you've been warned. If you prefer dark, complex characters like Rhysand who are damn sexy to boot then you will adore this book. This is the book of Rhysand. I absolutely loved getting inside his head, figuring out what caused him to portray such an evil character when sometimes we see glimpses of goodness. This book is full of his history, stories of his family and some truths about his relationship with Tamlin. I honestly think Rhys might just be one of the most exciting characters in YA writing at the moment.Relationships within these sorts of books are often dominated by couples dribbling over each other and gushing about how great they both are. What I loved about Rhys and Feyre's more unusual relationship was that he gives her ample space to make her own decisions. She is not trapped as she once was with Tamlin and she is most certainly not lesser than him. I think this is a great new take in this genre and I really hope it becomes more commonplace.The world building in this book is fantastic. We find out so much about the history of Fey, the wars between Fey and the humans and I absolutely loved the little tales about each of the secondary characters. Often with characters like the ones in this book, it can become difficult to connect with them enough to care because we just never know enough about them, particularly if there are lots of them. This isn't the case within this book. Each of Rhysand's friends and family became very real to me and I liked some of them almost as much as I loved Lucien in the first book.My only complaint, aside from a cliff-hanger resulting in a very long wait until the next book, were the more intimate scenes. I'm not sure what it is about Maas' writing style, because I do really like the way she writes, but her sex scenes are so awkward sometimes. She does an awful lot of describing, and telling us what's happening, rather than letting you work it out for yourself. Flirtatious dialogue though, she is a master of and I found this much more exciting than the sex scenes themselves. Also - something to keep in mind for younger readers!Overall, I can't believe how much I liked this book. I fully expected to be really disappointed, and maybe even slightly irritated by Feyre by the end of it. But I should never have worried. Maas has created a world I love to live in and characters I can't get enough of with some really exciting, and refreshing, forks in the road to keep us readers guessing. A wonderful addition to YA book shelves. I'm barely suppressing the urge to throw it under all my friends noses and demanding they fall in love with it as much as I have!