Okay, I know I said I was done with this romantasy bull, but I came back.
I was on a weekend away with friends, lamenting how much I despised the first of the ACOTAR novels, particularly Tamlin. I really, really, really hated Tamlin. You can read my first review if you’re so inclined. But they all convinced me to give the second novel a try. After a lot of berating and a great deal of frozen alcoholic beverages, I agreed.
So I followed through on my promise and, I’ve got to say, they were right. A Court of Mist and Fury is a whole lot better than the first novel.
It is a little bit sexier, but not a lot. If that’s what you’re here for, I would find another romantasy series to quench your lusting thirsts. But as far as female-led, heroic, fairy-business novels go, it’s pretty good. It’s actually pretty compelling.
Feyre is back to life, resurrected by all of the High Lords (look, sorry, I’m probably not using the right names. Apologies to diehard fans) after she defeated the very nasty lady from the first novel (whose name I cannot pronounced in my head or out loud). What they didn’t realise was that, in bringing her back, they’d each given her a little bit of their own fancy gifts. So now she’s quite pumped up with freezing powers and blowy powers and dark powers and fire powers and, you know, she’s got some stuff going on.
The problem is that she doesn’t really know how to use any of it, and in Tamlin’s Spring Court, she’s not encouraged to learn. In fact, she’s not encouraged to do much of anything beyond being thin and quiet. Tamlin continues to be a total jerk. I hate this guy so much. He’s the worst High Lord ever.
But, as my friends rightly pointed out, the second novel doesn’t hide this fact anymore. It actually makes it a plot point. In this novel everyone finally catches up that she’s better off without him. So, yay.
Eventually, Feyre leaves the Spring Court and Tamlin behind. Actually, she leaves him at the altar, which is just the best. Chef’s kiss. No notes on that move, Feyre. Good choice.
She ends up in the Night Court, where Rhys, or Rhysand, or however you say his name, is the High Lord. And he’s just the High Lord of good times. He’s got wings, he’s sardonic, they tease each other, his Court has good restaurants, and he treats Feyre like an actual person rather than something to be locked away for safekeeping.
Feyre, meanwhile, is all broken and messed up from dying, as you would be, and Rhys gradually helps bring her back to life by, you know, mostly just being who he is. He gets one of his crew to teach her how to fight, encourages her to figure out her new powers, and gives her the space to make her own choices. She gets to wear pants again! Slowly but surely, she starts to return to herself. And you can probably see where this one’s going.
All told, I’m really glad I came back. If it tells you how much I liked it, when I finished the second novel I immediately bought and started the third one. Clearly this series has finally got its hooks into me. It just took a couple of books to get there.
So much better than the first.
Four falling stars out of five.
