The reading experience

Romance

Moderate

Spice

3 out of 5

Tone

Romantic, Tense, Funny

Pacing

Moderate

Tropes

Found family, Slow burn, Fated mates

Series

Ongoing series

A Court of Mist and Fury Review: The Book That Made Me Obsessed

Spoiler-free review first, followed by a spoiler-filled discussion of Book 2.
No spoilers from later books.

It took me three attempts to get into A Court of Thorns and Roses.

Three.

Apparently, I needed to start the same book repeatedly before my brain finally decided that an entire fantasy world full of faeries, magic and emotionally complicated immortal men was worth paying attention to.

I finally got into ACOTAR in June 2024. Then July happened. I read A Court of Mist and Fury, followed by Books 3 and 4, all within that same month. I was OBSESSED.

Whatever difficulty I'd had getting into the first book had completely disappeared. Suddenly, I couldn't get enough of Prythian, its characters or the increasingly ridiculous situations they kept finding themselves in.

And the best part? I hadn't seen a single spoiler. I went into this book knowing absolutely nothing about what was coming. Which, considering some of the things Sarah J. Maas decided to do to these characters, was quite an experience.

What is A Court of Mist and Fury about?

A Court of Mist and Fury, often shortened to ACOMAF, is the second book in Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

The story picks up after the events Under the Mountain. Feyre survived Amarantha, but she's struggling with everything she endured. She's now High Fae, trying to adjust to her new life in the Spring Court while dealing with memories she can't simply leave behind.

Her relationship with Tamlin is becoming increasingly difficult, and the magical bargain she made with Rhysand, the mysterious High Lord of the Night Court, hasn't gone away.

Meanwhile, a new threat is emerging, and Feyre begins discovering that the world of Prythian is much bigger and more complicated than she originally believed. There's romance, danger, political intrigue, new characters and enough secrets to make you question absolutely everything you thought you knew from Book 1.

This is where ACOTAR became an obsession

I enjoyed the first book enough to give it five stars, largely because it introduced me to an entire genre I now love. But A Court of Mist and Fury was different.

The first book had taken a little effort to get into. This one made me want to keep going. The world suddenly felt so much bigger. Instead of spending most of our time in the Spring Court, we begin exploring different places, meeting new characters and discovering the politics and history behind the magical world.

And the character relationships become considerably more interesting. One thing I particularly loved was how the book made me reconsider things I'd previously accepted. Characters I'd thought I understood suddenly had other sides to them. Relationships changed. Motives became clearer.

It's the sort of storytelling that makes you want to go back and reread earlier chapters to see what you've missed. Which is particularly satisfying when you've managed to avoid spoilers.

Why I refuse to look up a series before finishing it

There's a reason I went into ACOMAF completely unprepared. I now have a very strict rule about books.

I do not look up a series on the internet or Reddit until I've finished it, unless I'm fully prepared to encounter spoilers.

Not character discussions. Not fan theories. Not innocent-looking Pinterest pictures. Nothing. Because the internet has absolutely no respect for somebody who's only on Book 2.

You can be trying to find out how to pronounce a character's name, and suddenly somebody's profile picture has revealed a major plot twist from four books later.

Wonderful. Thanks for that.

Going into ACOMAF blind was one of the best parts of reading it. There were moments that genuinely caught me off guard, and I got to experience the twists exactly as they happened.

No advance warning. No fan theories telling me what to expect. Just me, my headphones and an increasingly suspicious collection of fictional characters.

The characters and relationships are so much better developed

For me, one of the biggest improvements in ACOMAF is the character development. Feyre isn't simply the human girl discovering a magical world any more. She's somebody who's survived something horrific and is trying to work out who she is now.

That gives the story much more emotional depth. It also changes the way you look at the people around her.

Some relationships that previously seemed romantic become more complicated. Other characters reveal sides of themselves that you might not have expected. And the new characters bring a completely different energy to the series.

There's more humour, more friendship and a greater sense of belonging.

I loved that the book wasn't solely interested in who Feyre might fall in love with. It also explored what it means for her to have independence, discover her abilities and find somewhere she genuinely feels comfortable.

The humour caught me completely off guard

One thing I wasn't expecting was how funny parts of this book would be. The conversations between Feyre and Rhysand, in particular, provide some brilliant moments of humour. Their sarcasm, constant arguments and ability to irritate one another are genuinely entertaining.

I remember listening to certain scenes on Audible while doing completely ordinary things around the house and suddenly laughing out loud. Which is an interesting look when you're standing next to the washing machine wearing headphones. Nobody else can hear what you're listening to.

As far as they're concerned, you've just found something absolutely hilarious about putting a load of laundry on. But those little moments are part of what made the book so enjoyable for me. It isn't all romance, danger and dramatic revelations.

Sometimes it's simply two characters winding each other up, and apparently that's enough to make me laugh at household appliances.

Is A Court of Mist and Fury spicy?

Yes, and noticeably more so than the first book. ACOTAR is comparatively gentle when it comes to explicit romance, spending more time establishing the world and developing the central relationship.

ACOMAF introduces stronger romantic and sexual tension, with more explicit scenes. But I wouldn't describe it as a book where the spice replaces the story. There's still plenty of world-building, danger, character development and political intrigue.

The romance feels more central and emotionally intense, but the wider fantasy plot remains important. If you enjoyed the romantic elements of ACOTAR and wanted more, you'll certainly find that here.

Is A Court of Mist and Fury better than A Court of Thorns and Roses?

For me, this is where the series really found its feet. I still have an enormous amount of affection for ACOTAR because it was my introduction to romantasy. But ACOMAF delivered the sort of reading experience that made me completely lose track of how much time I was spending in a fictional world.

The characters became more compelling, the romance more interesting and the twists far more surprising. The story also has more emotional weight. It deals with trauma, control, recovery, trust and the difficult process of figuring out what you actually want from your life.

And somehow, amongst all that, it still manages to be funny.

I can see why somebody looking for a fast-paced fantasy adventure might find some of the political discussions or character development a little slower. But I loved the way those moments built towards the bigger revelations.

My final verdict

A Court of Mist and Fury is the book that turned my interest in romantic fantasy into a genuine obsession. I'd gone from needing three attempts to get into ACOTAR to reading three more books in the series within a single month.

Quite the turnaround.

It made me laugh while doing the washing, caught me completely off guard with its plot twists and introduced characters and relationships I couldn't stop thinking about. Most importantly, it proved that the fantasy world I'd discovered in June 2024 was only just getting started. If you've finished ACOTAR and aren't sure whether to continue, I absolutely recommend giving Book 2 a chance.

Because if you thought the first book was dramatic, you haven't seen anything yet. And if you're planning to read it without spoilers, do yourself a favour.

Stay away from Reddit.

Trust me.

---

🌙 SPOILERS BELOW: LET'S TALK ABOUT A COURT OF MIST AND FURY

STOP HERE IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED BOOK 2.

We're discussing the wedding, Tamlin, Rhysand, the mating bond and that absolutely outrageous ending.

No spoilers from Book 3 onwards.

Tamlin. What on earth happened to you?

Can we just discuss how quickly Tamlin went from the romantic hero of Book 1 to somebody I wanted Feyre to get as far away from as possible?

Because honestly. This is the man she literally died to save. And now he's controlling where she goes, refusing to let her train and making decisions about her life as though she's a particularly fragile piece of furniture.

I understand that Tamlin is traumatised too. He watched Feyre suffer Under the Mountain, and his fear of losing her again is understandable. But there's a rather enormous difference between wanting to protect somebody and deciding they no longer get to make their own choices.

And the more Feyre struggles, the more controlling he becomes. It was such a dramatic shift from the way I'd viewed him in the first book. You spend ACOTAR rooting for their relationship, only to discover that surviving the villain doesn't automatically mean the romance is going to survive too.

Then, of course, we arrive at the wedding 👀.

THE WEDDING. RHYSAND. EXCUSE ME?

I cannot explain how completely unprepared I was for this moment.

Feyre is standing there, clearly panicking at the thought of marrying Tamlin.

She's trapped in a situation she doesn't want, surrounded by people who aren't recognising how badly she's struggling.

And then...

Rhysand turns up.

At the wedding.

To claim his bargain.

WHAT? 😆🙈😳

I genuinely had one of those moments where I needed to mentally rewind what I'd just heard.

We're not even that far into the book, and Sarah J. Maas has already decided to throw the entire expected romantic storyline out of the window. And the fact that Rhysand, of all people, is the one who gives Feyre a way out? Brilliant.

At the end of Book 1, he's still mysterious, dangerous and morally questionable. Now he's turning up to interrupt a wedding while Tamlin stands there absolutely furious. I'm sorry, but the drama is exquisite.

The reading lessons had me laughing at the washing machine

This might be one of my favourite smaller parts of the book. Feyre arrives at the Night Court, and Rhysand decides she's going to learn how to read. Which is entirely sensible.

She's now an immortal High Fae with mysterious powers, political responsibilities and a rather alarming number of enemies. Being able to read seems like a reasonable skill to acquire. But Feyre is having absolutely none of it.

And I was getting such intense second-hand embarrassment from how awkward and defensive she was about the whole thing. Rhysand, meanwhile, is essentially saying, "You're here for the week anyway. You might as well do something useful, you dingbat."

Obviously not his actual words, but that was the energy.

And then he starts making her practise with sentences that are clearly designed to annoy her: "Rhysand is the most handsome High Lord. Rhysand is the most delightful High Lord. Rhysand is the most cunning High Lord." The teasing. The sarcasm. The fact that he's supposedly helping her while also making the entire experience as irritating as possible.

I was listening on Audible while putting the washing on, and some of those sentences genuinely made me laugh out loud. Standing in my house. Headphones on. Completely losing it over a fictional faerie teaching somebody to read. What an entirely normal hobby I've developed.

But I loved those scenes because they established such a different dynamic between Feyre and Rhysand. And instead of treating her like somebody who needed to be protected from everything, he encouraged her to become more capable.

Even if his teaching methods involved being an absolute menace.

Then Tamlin actually locks her in the house

As if his behaviour hadn't already been concerning enough, Tamlin eventually uses magic to imprison Feyre inside the manor. And that was the point where his fear had become something genuinely frightening.

Feyre has repeatedly explained that she needs freedom. She needs to train, to leave the house, to do something other than sit around being protected. And his response is to take even more of her independence away. Her panic attack and loss of control over her powers make it painfully clear how much she's suffering.

Then Morrigan arrives to rescue her on Rhysand's behalf. Once again, the characters we'd originally been encouraged to distrust are the ones helping Feyre escape. I loved the reversal, but I also appreciated that the story gave Feyre a chance to recognise what she needed and begin making decisions for herself.

Velaris and the Inner Circle: I get it now

When Rhysand introduces Feyre to Velaris, the City of Starlight, the entire Night Court suddenly becomes something very different from what we'd imagined. We've spent so long hearing about Rhysand's frightening reputation that discovering this beautiful, protected city changes everything.

He's been keeping it hidden from Amarantha and the rest of Prythian. And then we meet the Inner Circle.

Cassian, Azriel, Mor and Amren.

Finally, a group of people who feel like an actual family rather than a collection of suspicious faeries withholding important information. Although, to be fair, they still have plenty of secrets. I loved the way Feyre gradually became part of their world. Her training, her growing confidence, the friendships and those moments where she finally begins enjoying life again.

And Starfall?

What a beautiful moment in the middle of so much chaos.

There's something lovely about watching Feyre begin to experience happiness again after everything she endured. Not because all her problems have magically disappeared, but because she's finding reasons to want a future.

The mating bond. THE MATING BOND.

Right.

This is where going into a series completely spoiler-free really pays off.

Because the moment the Suriel reveals that Rhysand is Feyre's mate?

Excuse me?

EXCUSE ME? 😱😳

Suddenly, so many little details start falling into place. That mysterious reaction Rhysand had at the end of Book 1. The way he behaves around Feyre. The things he's been hiding. And the fact that he's known about their connection without telling her.

Being somebody's mate is rather significant information to withhold, however Rhys is like DYING and nearly DEAD with Feyre being like "don't care, I'm off cause you annoyed me, don't disturb me in my cabin". But I also loved Rhysand's explanation. The fact that he'd dreamed about her before they met, and that he wanted her to choose him without feeling forced by the mating bond.

It brings so much more meaning to the relationship. And when Feyre finally chooses him? Swoon.

What I particularly like about this reveal is that it isn't simply about discovering they're magically destined to be together. It's about the fact that Feyre has already begun falling in love with him through their friendship, their arguments, their shared experiences and the way he treats her.

The magical bond adds another layer, but it isn't the only reason the relationship matters.

Tamlin making a deal with Hybern. Surely not?

Just when you think we've had enough revelations for one book, we arrive at Hybern. And discover that Tamlin has made an arrangement with the King of Hybern to get Feyre back. I'm sorry, WHAT?

We've gone from controlling boyfriend to making deals with the enemy because he refuses to accept that Feyre has chosen to leave. He believes Rhysand has manipulated her, but the consequences of his decisions are enormous.

Then we discover that Nesta and Elain have been captured. And Ianthe has betrayed them. Of course she has 😫.

As if there weren't already enough reasons to distrust the woman.

Nesta and Elain going into the Cauldron was horrifying

The scene with Nesta and Elain being forced into the Cauldron is genuinely awful. They've spent their lives as humans, and now they're being transformed into High Fae against their will. After everything Feyre has done to protect her family, she's forced to watch her sisters suffer.

And Nesta? Even in the middle of something terrifying, she's apparently determined to make the Cauldron regret ever meeting her. THE FINGER POINTING 🫵👀.

The suggestion that she manages to take something from it is particularly intriguing.

Then Lucien suddenly realises that Elain is his mate. Because naturally, we needed another enormous revelation while everybody's lives were falling apart. Could someone please give these people five minutes to process a single event?

AND THAT ENDING. FEYRE, YOU ABSOLUTE GENIUS.

I genuinely love how this book ends. Feyre appears to surrender. She claims Rhysand has been controlling her mind and convinces Tamlin to take her back to the Spring Court.

From Tamlin's perspective, he's rescued his fiancée from the terrifying High Lord of the Night Court. He's finally got her back. Lovely 🤬. Except he hasn't 😆. Not even slightly 🤣.

Because Feyre has already chosen Rhysand. They're mates. They're secretly married. And she's been made High Lady of the Night Court.

She's going back to the Spring Court as a spy.

TAMLIN HAS ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA 😬.

What makes this ending so satisfying is how far Feyre has come.

She began this book struggling to make decisions about her own life, trapped in a relationship where somebody else controlled almost everything she did. Now she's making an incredibly dangerous decision entirely for herself. She's not simply waiting to be rescued. She's taking control of the situation.

And poor (not poor 🥴), oblivious Tamlin thinks he's finally won. Honestly, the sheer audacity of that man. I can completely understand why I immediately carried on with Book 3.

How could I possibly have stopped there?

Final thoughts: The book that changed everything

Looking back, A Court of Mist and Fury is where my ACOTAR reading experience really changed. It made me laugh, surprised me repeatedly and completely transformed how I saw characters I'd already grown attached to. I loved the emotional development, the relationships, the world-building and the fact that Sarah J. Maas managed to make me reconsider so much of what I'd believed after the first book.

And because I hadn't seen any spoilers, I got to experience every ridiculous twist without knowing what was coming. Which is exactly why I now avoid looking up unfinished series online. I have absolutely no intention of letting Reddit ruin the next fictional emotional catastrophe I'm about to experience.

If ACOTAR opened the door to romantasy for me, ACOMAF was the book that made sure I wasn't leaving.

Now I need to know: did you see the mating bond coming, or were you as completely unprepared as I was?

And, more importantly, at what exact point did Tamlin lose you?

• ACOTAR
• ACOMAF
• Sarah J. Maas
• Romantasy
• Fantasy Romance
• Book Reviews