Pages: 626

Format: Paperback

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Release Date: May 3, 2016

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

~ GoodReads Synopsis ~

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.

~ ~ ~ ~

     Ok, so as I’m writing this, I literally just finished the book and flicked open my laptop. My hands are kind of shaking and my emotions have been brutally toyed with this evening so stay with me here. I’ll cross out the text if it may contain spoilers, so skip that sentence if you’re trying to avoid any spoilers.

First of all, you all know where I have to start… with these freaking boys. ACOTAR had me totally invested in Tamlin and I wanted nothing more than to be his little prancing faerie girl in the Spring Court. But nuh uh, now I kind of hope he gets a taste of his own medicine. I feel like Feyre is going to make the Srping Court implode and I’m so excited. I can’t believe I even hate Lucien now, like he was such a good guy and I know he still only has Tamlin’s best interests at heart, but Tamlin’s interests are disgusting. I’m really interested in how him and Elain will play out though. I feel like she’s going to want to be with him.

And of course the best of them all, Rhysand. He’s such a sweet person underneath his mask and the pain and torture he faced kills me every time it comes up. I love him to pieces. My favorite scenes of him were probably either when he just saved Feyre from Tamlin, when they were at the Starfall celebration, or when they were in that cabin place with all the paint 😉. I wanted to cry every time he spoke of being broken; he’s the most wholesome and beautiful person in fictional history. As he spoke of his mating bond with Feyre, and he started crying, I emotionally snapped inside. And the way Feyre reacted when she found out broke my soul for Rhysand because it’s not like it was his fault the bond was there, and why was it so bad? She liked him? How could she leave him crumbling, hurt, and in mud.

As for Feyre, she felt so real; she was just so raw. As she was going through her time of emptiness, it just felt like the most real and natural thing I’ve ever read. I actually could feel her sorrow and just plain nothingness, and could feel my heart melt each time Rhysand tried to lighten her and she just sat there, not out of arrogance, but just because so much was taken out of her. And I honestly liked her sex drive, like most YA novels block it out, for obvious reasons since teenagers read them, but it’s just a human feeling and I don’t think it should just be ignored most of the time. It doesn’t have to be descriptive, but just acknowledged because girls feel those things too, ya know?

The plot of the story was also amazing, of course, as it was created by the one and only Sarah J. Maas. There were little to no parts of the story that felt unnecessary, well I would say none of it because everything either built Feyre and Rhys’ relation or developed the story for this book or the next. I loved the snowballing effect that Maas used to build the story, like there was never a dull part because everything just built and built until that final explosion. And I’m disgusted by King Hybern and more so Tamlin for working with him. I cannot wait to see Rhysand and Feyre and their friends destroy both of them.

I am highly anticipating A Court of Wings and Ruin, and the reunion of Feyre and Rhysand. I will definitely have a review up for that one when I get around to reading it!

If you haven’t already, I seriously recommend reading A Court of Thorns and Roses, and then this book. They are both so beautifully written and have so much depth, it almost puts you in a trance.

Thank you so much for reading!

-Taylor