This book was so much better than the first in the series. Maas has broken away from the boring Beauty and the Beast re-telling and instead we get to see more of what was good about : Feyre fighting for what she cares about.
A Court of Mist and Fury picks up about three months after the events of A Court of Roses and Thorns. Feyre is planning her wedding but life isn't exactly a fairy tale. She is plagued by the horrors she experienced Under the Mountain. Tamlin is distant and overprotective.
This was a fast-paced page-turner—part fantasy romance; part action heist.
While romance was a part of the story, the main plot was much more about Feyre finding herself (and an anciet relic) than her finding love. A Court of Mist and Fury is much more character-driven drama than it's predecessor. The darkness in this world is no longer a mystery. Feyre now understands that war is coming and for the first time the characters around her are empowering her to do something about it. More importantly, Feyre learns that not all darkness is a bad thing. A large part of why this is such an elevation from is that Maas does a great job of balancing moral ambiguity in the characters. We find that sometimes right and wrong are relative terms.
“There are different kinds of darkness,” Rhys said. I kept my eyes shut. “There is the darkness that frightens, the darkness that soothes, the darkness that is restful.” I pictured each. “There is the darkness of lovers, and the darkness of assassins. It becomes what the bearer wishes it to be, needs it to be. It is not wholly bad or good.”
The first book in the series introduced us to the world but we were essentially trapped in Tamlin's mansion with Feyre. This sequel lets us explore the world with Feyre. Their search takes us to the Night Court, Autumn Court and even Hybern. The new characters delight and also expand the world that Maas is building with different factions, family feuds, and cultural heritages. This is such a drastic deviation from ACOTR's retelling of beauty and the beast. I can't wait to see how some of the other characters continue to develop and what other parts of the world we get to see in the rest of the series.
If you're here for the romance, don't worry, there is still plenty of romance. It's flirtatious and fun and sexy. The romance in A Court of Mist and Fury builds to a place that feels gratifying without being the entire story. Maybe it's just because Rhysand is more of my book boyfriend type, but I love their relationship so much more than hers with Tamlin. He is not only more attractive in all the best dark and dangerous ways, but also he gives Feyre the freedom and space to find herself and be true to that person.
Overall, I really liked this book. I can't wait to continue on the series. It even makes me retroactively appreciate reading ACOTR more. I'm glad that even with it's faults it brought me to this place. If you're into fantasy romance with some spice, pick this one up.
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