A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2)

 

Summary (from the publisher): 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: In book two of the series, Feyre has survived Amarantha and freed Tamlin's people. But now that she is back at the spring court, neither she nor Tamlin can forget what they have suffered. And Feyre must uphold her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the Night Court. As Feyre navigates the shifting currents of her life, a larger evil is beginning to threaten her world and only her gifts may be able to stop it. 

After reading the first book, this took me by surprise and was unexpectedly good. I don't think I have ever read a second book in a series that I enjoyed more than the first but, in this novel, Maas has done it. But it wasn't without virtually undoing the story told in the first book. In this novel, a new and greater love story unfolds, and Feyre emerges as the powerful, independent woman hinted at from the opening scene in book one when we see young Feyre bravely fighting for her family's survival. The Feyre in this novel has significantly more agency and the plot was just more interesting overall. 

The slow build up to the love story in this book was the true star of the show. The attraction from the two characters is teased at over the course of the whole novel and Maas certainly did a great job of building suspense for the two finally getting together. But from a fantasy perspective, this novel is not deserving of the four-star rating I'm awarding it. The details of the imagined enemies and rules to the imaginary world are lightly sketched out at best. I also didn't like how characters from the first book are redefined in this book and turned into stereotyped villains. 

Ultimately, I enjoyed this as a romance embedded in a fantasy world. I love Feyre and Rhysand and their friend's story and absolutely will be back for book three. 

Stars: 4

Related Title: 

• A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas