Book Review: “A Court of Mist and Fury” by Sarah J. Maas
Håfa adai! Welcome to my spoiler-free review of A Court of Mist and Fury, the second book of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas.
This book review consists of two parts: a spoiler-free plot summary and my thoughts on the story. In the second part, I give my personal rating and break down the setting and worldbuilding, storytelling, cast of characters, and themes. There may be some lightweight spoilers—such as how characters interact with each other and the world around them—but I will not give away any major plot twists or endings. I want to share my opinions of the book and maybe encourage you to purchase a copy of your own.
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Spoiler-Free Plot Summary
It has been three months since Feyre Archeron defeated Amarantha, the self-proclaimed High Queen of Prythian, and reunited with Tamlin, the High Lord of the Spring Court of Prythian. But Feyre and Tamlin are not experiencing a “happily ever after.” The images of what Feyre was forced to do during Amarantha’s trials haunt her. Her recurring nightmares keep her from sleep and force her to sickness. During the day, she cannot paint anymore while indoors. But she cannot be free while outdoors either. Tamlin’s attempt to protect her now feel like imprisonment. And Rhysand, the High Lord of the Night Court, has not appeared to call on his end of the bargain made with Feyre during her moment of desperation during the trials.
Feyre tries to cope with her trauma while being more and more constricted in the walls of the Spring Court by planning her and Tamlin’s wedding. But something doesn’t feel right. On their wedding day, Tamlin reaches his hand out to Feyre only for Feyre to hesitate. She wants to say no. She screams in her mind for someone to save her. So Rhysand does just that. He appears in the midst of Feyre and Tamlin’s wedding ceremony to initiate his end of their bargain. But Feyre is not Rhysand’s prisoner. He does not prevent her from coming and going. He provides her with the clothes and necessities she prefers. And, while playing out their bargain, she learns of another threat looming over Prythian.
Important Trigger Warning for A Court of Mist and Fury
A Court of Mist and Fury depicts scenes of coercive control. These scenes can be skipped without losing too much context or information for the remainder of the book. If these are scenes that cause you distress or discomfort in any way, then please make sure to take necessary steps to prepare and protect yourself before and after reading this book.
My Thoughts on A Court of Mist and Fury: 3.75 stars
I give A Court of Mist and Fury 3.75 out of 5 stars. Before I go into what did not sit well with me, I want to talk about what I appreciated about A Court of Mist and Fury: the wonderful world building, complexity of characters and the building of tension, representations of trauma, and how attempts to protect someone can quickly turn into abuse. As a side note, scenes of sex and intimacy in A Court of Mist and Fury are graphic, taking literal and explicit approach to describing the physical act of sex. So this story would be more appropriate to readers above a certain age group and/or for those who are more comfortable with such scenes.
Again, Sarah J. Maas’ world building was absolutely captivating. I greatly enjoyed how vivid and detailed the world of the Fae became as I went from chapter to chapter. The scenes played like a movie in my mind, holding my attention from start to finish. I appreciate that Feyre’s sisters play a slightly greater role within A Court of Mist and Fury. The different Courts of Prythian have their own aesthetics and practices. The dynamic between the Courts, as well as between the High Lords and their citizens, shifts to adjust to the new reality of their post-Amarantha world.
The characters we met in A Court of Thorns and Roses are not the same as the ones we see in A Court of Mist and Fury. And this is a good thing. The conflict and context of the first book are starkly different from those of this story, and each character is doing what they believe is best to adjust to their new realities. But each character has a seemingly different definition of what is the best thing to do. Their relationships with each other are not immune to these differences. Some characters grow apart while tension grows stronger between others.
The actions Feyre was forced to take during Amarantha’s trial continue to haunt her. Nearly 49 years of life under Amarantha’s control are not easily washed away from minds of the High Fae. In A Court of Mist and Fury, Sarah J. Maas does not shy away from depicting how unresolved trauma manifests in each character. Feyre cannot paint anymore and cannot stand being kept in a locked space, no matter the size. Tamlin overcompensates for his lack of power during the 49 years with being overbearingly controlling. This story acknowledges that the effects of conflict do not vanish after the conflict ends.
A Court of Mist and Fury shows how unresolved trauma can manifest into coercive control. Tamlin’s behavior, excused as attempts to protect Feyre, are nothing more than abuse. I appreciate Sarah J. Maas’ efforts to depict this ugly and terrifying reality. It would have been too easy for Sarah J. Maas to give Feyre and Tamlin their “happily ever after.” Instead, she chooses to subvert this expectation by showing that sometimes love alone is not enough. Especially when it is working against unresolved trauma and any form of abuse. In one particular scene, Feyre states that maybe she fell in love with the first person who showed her kindness. This line deeply resonated with me.
Although there were aspects of A Court of Mist of Fury I appreciated, there were definitely things that rubbed me the wrong way. In the order they appear, these include: (1) the mating bond, (2) the limitless magic system, and (3) zero deaths. Yes, this third one is technically a spoiler. Maybe it’s a tolerable one? I’m not sure. But it bothered me enough to explicitly mention.
The mating bond made my skin crawl. What do you get when you cross the notion of “soul mates” with beastiality? You get the mating bond! The existence of the mating bond takes away from the specialness of the couples throughout the book. Are they truly choosing each other? Or are they just stuck together? If they are not required to be together if they have a mating bond, then what is even the point of it? The mating was mentioned in the first book, but it becomes more prominent in this book. Sarah J. Maas could completely do away with the mating bond and it would not have any real effect on the story.
Just like in A Court of Thorns and Roses, the magic system in A Court of Mist and Fury is seemingly limitless. Maybe I am naïve or closed minded or stubborn, but I do not like seemingly limitless magic systems. And, just like in the first book, there are no deaths in the second book! Maybe I am cynical or pessimistic or masochistic, but it seems rather unrealistic to me that there were multiple dangerous quests and a battle at this point and no one has died. “I might be getting worked up over nothing. Someone might get killed off in a later book.” I told myself as I finished A Court of Mist and Fury.
I did like A Court of Mist and Fury more than A Court of Thorns and Roses. And I might recommend this book to others. In spite of the things I did not particularly care for, I cannot deny that Sarah J. Maas is wonderfully skilled at world building. She is able to build incredible tension between characters. This book does not shy away from uncomfortable but important topics such as coercive control and the manifestation of trauma. And I really liked how A Court of Mist and Fury ended. This book may not be something I will reread, but I did enjoy and appreciate the experience of it. And there are many people in my life that cannot get enough of this series.
Dångkulo' na' saina ma'åse'! Thank you so much for reading my review of A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas.
Rating Cheat Sheet
4.75 - 5.00 stars: Everyone should read this book! (If you’re into that sort of thing.)
4.00 - 4.50 stars: I appreciated many aspects of this book. I recommend it!
3.00 - 3.75 stars: I liked some aspects of this book. I won’t revisit it, but someone else might really like it.
2.00 - 2.75 stars: There were some things I appreciated about this book, but I do not recommend it.
0.25 - 1.75 stars: I do not recommend this book. I did not enjoy or appreciate the experience of it.
Post Date: 4 November 2024
Published: 3 May 2016
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
