“So I’m your huntress and thief?”
His hands slid down to cup the backs of my knees as he said with a roguish grin, “You are my salvation, Feyre.”

A Court of Mist and Fury

Feyre has undergone more trials than one human woman can carry in her heart. Though she’s now been granted the powers and lifespan of the High Fae, she is haunted by her time Under the Mountain and the terrible deeds she performed to save the lives of Tamlin and his people.

As her marriage to Tamlin approaches, Feyre’s hollowness and nightmares consume her. She finds herself split into two different people: one who upholds her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court, and one who lives out her life in the Spring Court with Tamlin. While Feyre navigates a dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms. She might just be the 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 in turmoil.

I was a little underwhelmed with the first book, but now I’m really starting to understand the hype around this series.

After the events Under the Mountain, Feyre does her best to live as if everything is normal. But adjusting to her new life as High Fae proves difficult, especially with the nightmares that plague her on a nightly basis. It also proves difficult to do when Rhysand insists on holding up her end of the bargain they made Under the Mountain.

Now she’s split between two worlds: one with Tamlin, her absent fiancé, and Rhys, the High Lord of the feared Night Court. And despite defeating Amarantha, the threats to Prythian are still coming, and Feyre’s new powers seem to be the key to stopping them.

I can officially say that I am hooked on this series. A Court of Thorns and Roses was a little slow as I was reading it, but now I realize how well it sets up the events in A Court of Mist and Fury. The book builds well on the world and introduces a majority of the lovable characters I was looking forward to meeting when I picked up the series. I loved the Inner Circle and the introduction of Velaris, which I wish existed because it sounds like a beautiful place to visit. ACOMAF also handles the complexity of PTSD and trauma in a realistic and careful way.

But what stole my heart was the slow-burn romance between Feyre and Rhys. I wasn’t the biggest fan of his at his introduction in ACOTAR, and I’m still not quite happy with the dismissal of him essentially assaulting her Under the Mountain even if it was for her protection, but he completely grew on me. I loved the juxtaposition of his cocky exterior with his soft, caring interior. It’s obvious how deeply he cares for Feyre, paying attention to her wellbeing and giving her agency in her life when Tamlin won’t.

Overall, I’m loving this series, I can already tell that this is going to be a series I go back to re-read. I’m starting to understand series inside references like Chapter 55 (although chapter 54 got me more because I can’t help loving a good love confession) and the hatred of Tamlin. ACOTAR is such a big part of the bookish social media community, and while some of my complaints about the previous book still stand (mostly the writing style and lack of diversity), I understand why people love it. The plot and the characters totally gripped me, and every time I was reading, I didn’t want to put the book down. I’m invested.