A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

Publication Date:  May 3, 2016 
Publisher:  Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Pages:  640
Series:  A Court of Thorns and Roses #2
Genre:  Fantasy
Synopsis:  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.

Review:  It's a common cliche that sequels are worse than the first installment, yet when it comes to Sarah J. Maas, that is just not the case.  A Court of Mist and Fury is leagues above its predecessor.

A Court of Thorns and Roses was a whirlwind romance and a tiny glimpse into the intricacies that make up the faerie courts.  But A Court of Mist and Fury takes all you know about this strange world and builds on it until you can't believe that you ever liked ACOTAR half as much.  You see much more of the world and its history, fleshing it out so much that sometimes you feel like you are actually living the story.

The writing is addictive.  Once you get sucked in there's no going back.  This is one of those cases where you pick up the book, saying "just one chapter" and then the next thing you know it's five in the morning.  It is so entertaining and spellbinding that you only really notice flaws in retrospect.

To the stars who listen—and the dreams that are answered.

The plot is more balanced in every sense of the word.  The pacing is better and the romance no longer outweighs the actual story.  However, I often get the sense that the adventure is just a side show for the romance that takes place.  On a similar note, while I enjoyed every scene, I did not see the point of all of them being included.

Feyre is the least interesting character there is, which is a tragedy since she happens to be the protagonist.  While I appreciate the seemingly accurate portrayal of her PTSD, she lacks depth in every other aspect.  The plot moves her around, as do other characters, but she herself never takes action until the last chapters.  There is so much talk about her being strong and independent that you begin to believe she has undergone this fantastic character arc, yet you never actually witness her doing much to support that.

Rhysand was my favorite character from the first book, and while I still like him, he's a bit washed out.  Everything morally ambiguous about him was erased and replaced with anecdotes that made him into a perfectly respectable but almost unrecognizable version of who he was before.  He is basically Tamlin 2.0 (except sassier), while Tamlin's character (who I now viciously dislike) was just thrown away to make room for the new relationship.  Speaking of, I really like the slow build of the relationship in this book and it makes for a far more intriguing match.  

When you spend so long trapped in darkness, Lucien, you find that the darkness begins to stare back.

On the surface there is more depth and a better developed plot, yet I almost feel as if it is extremely well written fan fiction.  I loved it to pieces while reading it, and yet underneath I see all these flaws.  It's such an odd thing to claim to love a book and yet to simultaneously point out where it went wrong.

However my biggest gripe is that A Court of Mist and Fury is nothing new.  I've read a hundred other books just like it, and while Sarah J. Maas spins her tale very well, it is a tale as old as time (ha). 

To clarify, I enjoyed this book and I wish I could go back in time and read it all over again because I had such fun the first time around.  And yet, in all honesty, it isn't perfect.  It may be good read, but it isn't a great book.  If that makes any sense whatsoever outside my own peculiar mind.