A Court of Mist and Fury

I have rather mixed feelings about this book. ACOMAF wonderfully expands on the world that Maas crafted in ACOTAR; the world of Prythian was much more immersive as we got to visit other courts and encounter new beasts. Those scenes were my favorite part of ACOMAF because they offer tidbits of lore that give the world more depth (and fans plenty of material to go wild with). Also, I just like Eldritch beings a whole lot.

I am of the firm belief that Maas is a solid action writer. Her fighting scenes are fun to read and they help propel the plot forward which is much needed in a book this long. Even the heist scene in the middle had me captivated. But the fantasy? It honestly left me desiring more. Brandon Sanderson writes in his blog that what makes a magic system compelling is its limitations and I wish ACOMAF did more of this. Sometimes magic felt like a crutch used to solve problems or enhance a scene. Some skills like mind-reading and winnowing are explored in-depth, but so many other skills could’ve been fleshed out especially since a large portion of ACOMAF is spent with very powerful fae. Maas already has the writing chops to construct a fabulously rich world – why should its magic system be left out?

Overall, I think the character development is fine. Sometimes the dialogue is witty and well-paced, but there are a few times where it slows down. One particular chapter irked me because it was just a background dump. That information could have been scattered throughout the book a little better. The chemistry between our leads is there, but it took a long time for the payoff so strap in for a slow burn. Similar to ACOTAR, the end of the ACOMAF is packed with action and left me wishing there was better pacing in the first third of the book.

Did I love the book? No. But did I enjoy it? Yea I did. 10/10 would want to live in Velaris because damn does Maas write lovely descriptions of the city. I would recommend ACOMAF if you’re willing to invest in the series and love romance. Maybe pass if you’re looking for a true fantasy, because this is definitely more romance than fantasy.

Anyways, I will probably read the next book because I need justice for Tarquin.