Rascal Reviews: A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Mist and Fury picks up 3 months after the events of A Court of Thorns and Roses. Tamlin and his court have been fighting to keep the Spring Court safe, but Feyre is told to stay at home and continue making wedding plans. No one has forgotten the bargain Feyre made with Rhysand while she was under the mountain. Forced to spend time at the Night Court, Feyre begins to question Tamlin, herself, and everything she thought she knew about the faerie world.
We learn about the faerie world’s rules, and discover that they are rather primitive - everything is based on instincts instead of brains and it is assumed that no one can control themselves. This leads to a lot of sexual content to the point of where it feels like a piece of erotic fan fiction rather than a novel. Issues regarding domestic abuse are brought up, in part because women are viewed as so inferior that, for example, there is no such thing as a ‘high lady’. I am tempted to spoil something Rhysand does to combat this, but you’ll just have to find out for yourself.
"No one was my master— but I might be master of everything, if I wished. If I dared. "
- Sarah J. Maas
I have a few critiques for the character development in the novel, but before I begin, I noticed another issue. There was a lack of diversity in all of the characters we are introduced to - they are all white and straight except a few very minor ones in the summer court. Rhysand’s character development is unexpected and probably the most interesting part of the novel, but it was done far too quickly, and the excuses given for the way he acted in the previous novel were flimsy and cliche. Feyre develops powers and new skills at an unrealistic rate. Her flaws are completely erased, and she becomes another skilled, kick-ass heroine, akin to Celaena Sardothien if you’ve read the Throne of Glass series. Aside from these developments and the hasty insta-love/romance, the pacing was good. The severity and importance of events escalated until they reached a climax at the end of the novel.
Furthermore, the writing in this novel was mediocre. I liked some of the descriptions purely because they made me visualize something aesthetically pleasing, but other parts were subpar. At the end of the novel, Feyre ends up in a situation that makes me want to read the next book purely for the sake of curiosity.
Rascal Rating: 3 stars
Almas Khan is a fifteen-year-old artist, aspiring author, and avid consumer of dark chocolates. She lives in a small Canadian city where she spends most of her time with her nose in a book, battles the patriarchy, longs for a kitten, and does schoolwork. Find her on Tumblr and @itsalmaskhan.
