Hello
happy readers! Okay so last week I had typed up my first review of the new year
just as I finished today's book and being in such need to discuss I almost
pushed ahead. But I needed time to
process my thoughts into a coherent review.
The book in question is A Court of Mist and Fury (ACOTAR #2) by the
wonderful Sarah J. Maas. I love her
books and I am behind. This is a sad
truth. Still it is a fact. But as I am
caught back up one of her series let's discuss.
Also side note this book/series leans more into NA than YA and has much
more adult content in some parts, sexy steamy parts. Enough of this because it's a long one…lots
to say!
Rating: 5 Sets of Painted Eyes
So
if you look at my review for A Court of Thorns and Roses you will see that I
was firmly Team Tamlin. I went into this
book a bit nervous with so many people shipping Rhysand. I couldn't understand that given my temper
towards him at book ones end. I mean
seriously he made that crappy bargain with her that tattooed her out of
nowhere, like first crap deal then surprise a tattoo comes with it and I can
feel you through it, not cool man.
Second my biggest issue was that he drugged her. Yes I get it that he wasn't that evil he had
been playing a part and all, I get that, but no way did I ever think drugging a
girl and parading her around and touching her, albeit restrained, is something
I think of as ship-worthy. Plus afterwards
no apology or anything just did what I had to do would do it again. Huge pet peeve of mine and I went in worried
if anything happened I'd find myself disappointed or angered.
Then
I started reading.
I
was still mad at Rhysand for book one items. Even as he started to grow on me as a
character and I wanted so badly to like him I was conflicted because of my
issues with book one events that had not been addressed to my satisfaction. And his cocky attitude made it worse at
times. But even as I got to know more
about Rhys and he started to thaw me I wasn't completely convinced of any ship
factors even after I was well off the Tamlin ship.
Book
one changed everyone. Feyre is no longer
mortal. She flipping died and was bought
back high fae. That is unheard of. She also killed innocent people. She was pushed to her breaking point,
tortured and held captive. She is broken
in ways she wasn't before and trying to understand and live with that. Tamlin and the rest of the courts have their
power back and the spring court got to lose the masks. He also watched the woman he loved die before
his eyes. Rhys hated by all before and
especially after is finally free and no longer Amarantha's whore, free to see
his family and friends and to fly once more but also to live with the things he has done.
Everyone is changed.
Things
are better with Amarantha gone but things are not yet safe. Greater evil still looms and they must work
to find a way to defeat it while still stuck in her bargain with Rhys. That can put a damper on things with your
husband to be. Feyre is caught between
being a spy for Tamlin in Rhys court and Rhys trying to ready her for what is
to come. Rhys, attitude and all, is
treating her more like she needs than a porcelain doll Tamlin is treating her
as which confuses her head. Her heart
though is broken and shattered from beneath the mountain. As Feyre spends more time with Rhys in the
Night Court she begins to see there are two sides to every story and that
everyone may have misjudged the High Lord of the Night Court for having the
ability to do what they could not to protect his people.
The
whole world is developed more as we get to see more. We know about the Spring Court, where we
start but we get to see the Night Court in both the Hewn City and Velaris as
well as Summer Court. Getting to know
both Courts and see the contrasts was pretty cool plus some other areas I won't
mention. Some things you expect others
just floor you. Prythia is expansive. There are also new powers to
see and understand. Everyone's powers
were pretty limited in book one so now with the release; we are opened up see more of
what they can do. Add to that Feyre was
mortal but now is Fae and gifted with a part of all High Lords this has given
her some unique abilities, harnessing bits of all of them. Seeing what Feyre could do as she learned new
things and understanding other areas we have yet to visit just wowed me. I'd really like to know about the one that
glows….
I
loved getting to know more characters, like Rhysand's inner circle. Cassian, Azriel, Morrigan, and Amren are my
favorite new editions for sure. They
were just on point. Each was unique and
different personalities and traits and a vast history between them all with
many stories that shaped them but one thing they all know is that they are
loyal as they are fierce. The inner mingling
of them, the conversations and such made so much of the book for me. Also plus from the audiobook I know how to
say the names! You want to know more
about them but also want them to find happiness to sooth the darkness all have
faced. We also got to see more of Feyres
sisters living in the human world, Nesta and Elain along with some human
queens. They have come a long way and
Nesta is constantly fierce, back and forth on if I like or hate her sometimes
but no matter what she is fierce and that I appreciate. In seeing the Summer Court we got to meet
their young ruler Tarquin and brother and sister Cresseida and Varian.
The
story did a great job of moving forward developing the world and so many
wonderful and rich characters but also calling back to the previous book. Smaller things you thought would be important
later on, they were! I love when books
do that.
Okay
that's all I can really say without spoilers.
From here on out I'm going to be discussing the spoilery bits because
OMG I need to! So if you haven't read or
finished it yet then you have been warned to stop here.
*****SPOILERS*****
So
my ship. I did jump to team Rhysand
eventually. I was so relieved with how
Maas played it out. It wasn't jump from
one to the other. There was so much
happening between the characters that really made things seem real and deep
rather than flakey. Everyone changed
after book one like I said. Tamlin became an overbearing ass. He no longer treated her like an equal but
like a pet or some pretty face with nothing more to her. He also wasn't as attentive to her in
anything my sex. I understood his
beastly need to keep her safe after watching her die and that held me to him
longer but when he locked her up and made her a prisoner again I was gone. You can't treat someone you love that
way. No excuse.
So
Rhys. He had won me over character wise
from the first bit but the romantic part came later. As he opened up to her and saw more of
him. Book one we didn't see much but the
evil mask he put forth. So seeing him in
the Velaris with his people he loved and his friends just hit you
hard. Especially in contrast to his mask he wears at the Court of Nightmares and his not wanting her to see him like that. However, more than that, he did
apologize. My pet peeve was pushed aside and I let the feels come in. He knew no one would see him as anything but
evil and no amount of apologies would fix that so why bother he would simply
take their hate he felt he deserved but he still was sorry. He hated himself far more than I could have
for the things I hated him for in book one. I'm
still a bit miffed about the tattoo and drug thing even if one of the two is
explained but in the grand scheme of things I understand it and his intentions better. The way he handled her,
handled the one part and explaining it all hopeful yet worried just broke
me. That moment was when he had me. I was officially Team Rhysand.
I
was sad we didn't see much of Lucien in this book because he was one of my
favorite characters in book one. Though
I didn't care for him as much. At the
start he was not helping her even though he knew how she was hurting, more than
Tamlin seemed to but instead did as he was told. Then in the clearing, that scene was on point
as well. I loved it! I was totally digging it. Her words to him. And then later the little bit of guilt I had
for him vanished as we find out what happened.
So many feels there. ALL THE
FEELS. The game they are now playing is
going to be hard but it made me love Rhys so much more. When Amren made her demand, which coming
from her made the impact that much more, and Rhys with his answer was just personification of why I love him. An equal.
I'm
interested to see what happens next. My
small issue would be how Tamlin changed so drastically. Some of it I can understand but I feel there
has to be something more to it and I bet it has something to do with that evil vindictive
priestess which I hope to find out more about. Okay more like I want to watch
her fall. I also want to know more about
mate bonds, they are supposed to be sacred and regarded above all else and rare. Something has to be up with Tamlin for him to believe
she was cool with him when they parted on bad terms and what he did caused so
much pain to people she love.
Anywho
I have so many ideas and theories for the next book but I'm anxious because my
ship is apart and well it's called A Court of Wings and Ruin, hello RUIN does
not sound good. I'd love to hear your
thoughts about this book and any theories for the next book!
Until
next time…
Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass #7) by Sarah J. Maas
