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Buckle up, everyone! Today we are diving into A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, a sequel to A Court of Thorns and Roses. If you haven’t read the first book yet, stop reading this post and read my review of A Court of Thorns and Roses. As I dive into this review of book two, there will be book one spoilers, especially the ending!
Hello!
For those of you joining us for the first time, hello, I’m Emily! I’m the founder and do-everything person of The Book Nanny. I’m a mom of two. I have a nine-month-old who is almost walking and refuses to sleep through the night and an independent three-year-old who loves dressing up her stuffed animals in her clothes.
The Book Nanny was born because I wished there was a place to find out the nitty-gritty about a book. A.K.A. whether there were sex scenes and how much I needed to skip, how must language was in it, and what kind of violence to expect. Books are a fantastic place to begin discussions about sensitive topics like racism, abuse, moral issues, etc. However, these touchy topics can be triggers for some people. I created The Book Nanny as a safe place to explore these complex issues, while also warning about possible triggers. Now let’s dive back into A Court of Mist and Fury!
Disclosure: I am an Amazon affiliate. If you click on a link and decide to buy something, I will make a commission for referring you. This doesn’t change the price for you. It just helps me make a few cents for doing what I love.
A Court of Mist and Fury Synopsis
Feyre endured so many trials and hardships in her life. More than one person should carry. She is haunted and hollow after what she faced under the mountain trying to save Tamlin and his people. Looking at eternity as one of the High Fae, she has to figure out what she wants.
Her marriage is approaching, but the closer it gets, the more divided she feels. Part of her wants to uphold her bargain with Rhysand, the High Lord of the Night Court, and the other part wants to float through life with Tamlin in the Spring Court. Through it all, Feyre learns how to weave through the deception, intrigue, great power, and evil looming on the horizon. Feyre might be the key to saving them all again, but before she can save anyone, she has to put the fractured pieces of herself back in order and master her new gifts.
Parent Guide
Language: R for more than one use of the f-word and plenty of other vulgar words; 27% of pages have foul language
Violence: PG-13 similar to a Marvel movie; Multiple murders, some gory battle scenes, misting
Adult Content: X; Multiple sex scenes some are very descriptive. A breakdown of the sex scenes is below.
Trigger Warnings
- Suicidal Thoughts
- Emotional and Physical Abuse
- Stalker
- PTSD
- Depression
- Nightmares
- Anxiety Attack
First thoughts of A Court of Mist and Fury
I really enjoyed the story in this book and the deepening of all the characters involved. This might be my favorite book in the whole series. The A Court of Thorns and Roses series just sucked me in. Honest, I could have done without the explicit sex scenes, but I didn’t mind the crude humor sprinkled throughout. This book isn’t the most well-written, but if you suspend disbelief or read fast, you can get swept up in the world that Maas has woven.
The first book, A Court of Thorns and Roses, is just an introduction to the characters and a prequel to the true story of Feyre. Because of how much explaining happens in this book, you could potentially skip the first book altogether. You will miss a bit if you skip book one, but the vital parts are recapped. I recommend reading book one so you understand more of the backstory.
A Court of Mist and Fury has a lot of heavy moments in it. Feyre is working through the trauma of what happened in Under the Mountain. She has to come to terms with murdering the fae at the end and realize that her happily ever after might look different than she initially imagined. I appreciated this new emotionally heavy side compared with the first one, which felt a little flat and boring at times.
Feyre’s Character Development
Feyre deals with a lot of PTSD in this book. She doesn’t overcome it completely, but that is to be expected. It was portrayed in a realistic way allowing the reader to connect with Feyre and what she is going through. We also experience the depression she deals with. I appreciated the moments where the author explores the trauma that Feyre deals with and the thoughts going through her head.
Those moments give greater depth to the character and help us better understand why Feyre is acting and reacting the way she does. And the tension!! If Maas didn’t show us the thoughts inside Feyre’s head, the inner conflict of choosing between Tamlin and Rhysand wouldn’t have given me the same roller-coaster of emotions. She brought us on quite the journey. It is the classic enemy-to-lovers trope that we saw in A Court of Thorns and Roses but brought to a new dimension.
I also really like seeing Feyre’s self-discovery as she overcomes her past. She develops a new level of confidence and strength that carry her through the conflict hinted at throughout The Court of Mist and Fury.
What role does sex play in The Court of Mist and Fury?
First, there is more sex in this book and in the previous one. In book one, there is one paragraph to skip over. In The Court of Mist and Fury, there are many more sex scenes to skip and quite a few steamy scenes. The third book also had a significant amount of sex, with the fourth being filled with random steamy flashbacks in the middle of a serious exchange.
Sex is used as a ruler in The Court of Mist and Fury to show the differences between Feyre’s relationship with Tamlin and her relationship with Rhys. Feyre and Tamlin use it like glue while attempting to save their relationship. Whenever they start to fall apart, they use sex to try and pull the pieces back together and go back to normal.
Feyre and Rhys have a different relationship. When the mood needs to be lightened or they need to be distracted, they joke about sex or flirt with the other person. I appreciate that sex isn’t the storyline of A Court of Mist and Fury, and it isn’t the sole thing that either relationship is based on. You could probably take all the sex scenes out and not miss anything.
Breakdown of the Sex scenes in The Court of Mist and Fury
This section WILL have spoilers! If you don’t want any spoilers, please skip to the next section. Below is a list of locations of each steamy moment and how long they are. This list doesn’t include all the innuendos thrown around because there are so many.
Each drop-down has a short description of what is happening when to start skipping, how far to skip, and any vital information in the skipped section. The spoilers are hidden within the tabs. So you can open up each tab as you go, or you can open all of them now. It depends on what you want!
I read all of my books digitally, so there are no page numbers here. Instead, each location is described by chapter number and what is happening in the scene.
Chapter 2 – 3rd section; Multi-page sex scene
In the third section of chapter 2, start skipping when Tamlin comes out of the bathroom and unbuttons his pants. Skip 23 paragraphs until “I’m sorry about earlier.”
An important quote from skipping: “two hearts beating as one, and I promised myself it always would be that way…”
Chapter 11 – 5th section; One sentence mention
In the fifth section, in the end, there is one paragraph, well, one line. It starts with “Protect, protect, protect.” Just skip the first sentence, but you can skip the paragraph.
Important happenings: Tamlin is trying to mark his territory via sex and being very territorial.
Chapter 38 – 1st section; multi-paragraph steamy fantasy
Feyre tries to cheer Rhys up by joking about letting him go lingerie shopping with her. He sends her a detailed fantasy of their supposed shopping trip mind to mind. The fantasy gets steamy. There is no nudity, but she is standing there in lingerie. It stops when his touches get hot and heavy.
The fantasy starts with “I could almost see what would have happened.” Skip 6 paragraphs to “I swore as I slammed…”
You miss nothing by skipping this scene.
Chapter 38 – 2nd section; Non-descriptive Nudity and no sexual tension
Rhysand has a nightmare, and Feyre helps him snap out of it. He is nude, but it isn’t described. There is no sexual tension in this scene. We get a deeper look into Rhys and the trauma he is working through.
I suggest reading the whole section, but if you aren’t comfortable, skip to the end of the chapter.
Chapter 42 – 5 paragraphs; Non-graphic discussion of sex with wings
There is tension in this section, but they try to keep it light. Feyre touches Rhysand’s wings a few times. He explains that it is similar to someone lightly brushing an ear.
I suggest reading this part because it brings a new depth to the relationship between Feyre and Rhys, but if you aren’t comfortable, skip a couple of paragraphs to “Something dark and fast…”
Chapter 42 – 2nd section; multi-page PDA with lots of touching
Feyre and Rhys are in the Court of Nightmares. They are distracting everyone so others can steal something. Feyre is in Rhys’ lap, and he is mostly touching her thighs and midsection. No fondling, but very steamy. There is heaps of suggestive banter in this scene, and both get carried away.
Start skipping when Feyre sits on his lap and start at the next chapter. Or you can read the last five paragraphs starting with, “I made myself keep walking…”
Important happenings: “You are good, Rhys. You are kind. This mask does not scare me. I see you beneath it.” Feyre realizes she is attracted to Rhys and is sickened because she just broke things off with Tamlin. When she leaves Keir makes a backhanded comment, and Rhys breaks his arm multiple times as punishment. She feels like she is waking up. Feyre also discovers that she isn’t afraid of Rhysand’s vast dark power or his wrath.
Chapter 48 – Multi-page snuggling that turns steamy
They snuggle on a small cold bed. Rhys’s hands roam but it is “just a distraction”. It isn’t a full-sex scene because there isn’t enough room on the small bed.
Start skipping when Rhys scoots closer to give “just body heat.” Skip to the next chapter.
Important happenings: Not missing much. Just some pillow talk of the various fantasies Rhys has of Feyre.
Chapter 55 – 1st Section; multi-page sex scene
In the first section, skip when they start kissing at “Mate–my mate.” Skip to the next section.
Important happenings: Rhys kneels before Feyre because she is “his mate” and “his equal”. “I felt and saw and smelled that bond between us, until our scents merged, and I was his and he was mine, and we were the beginning and middle and end.”
Chapter 55 – 2nd section; Non-descriptive nudity, followed by more sex
The beginning of this section is a shared bath, but they get clean. It gets really steamy when they finally get out. A lot of information is shared between the two during the bath part.
Start skipping at “Smoke and mist and dew” after they get out of the bath, or when things get too much for you. Skip to the next section.
Recap of important stuff from bath onward: “I was never afraid of the consequences of being with you… You are worth it.” Rhys lays out lots of options of what to do next: be declared mated by a priestess, celebrate with friends, be married. Lots of mushy talk about how they thought the other was most beautiful on Calanmai in the first book. The Queens are visiting the next day at her family’s estate. Feyre’s skin glows when she is happy.
Chapter 55 – 3rd Section; One sentence flashback
Start skipping when it begins “We barely made it into the kitchen.” Skip to the beginning of the next paragraph. After the first paragraph, they discuss their sex life and what it means to be newly mated. A few topics are wanting to stay in bed all day, potential jealousy, pregnancy precautions, and expectations about children.
Chapter 56 – 2nd section; whole section
Just skip the whole second section. Rhys comes in from fighting Cassian. Rhys and Feyre have sex then they go home.
Book 1 vs Book 2
I came into A Court of Mist and Fury with expectations that the content would be similar to A Court of Thorns and Roses. Probably lots of violence similar to the Hunger Games, with maybe a few steamy paragraphs that I could skip over. Plus, a storyline loosely based on fairy tales. I enjoyed the unique plot and the development of Rhys and Feyre’s relationship. A Court of Mist and Fury is a unique mix of the Black Cauldron, The Firebird, and others. It also sets us up for a much longer drawn-out conflict with King Hybern. One thing that really surprised me was the amount of adult content. I’m glad the story doesn’t revolve around it, but why put it in if you can use those pages to show something else?
A Vulnerable Feyre
Something I missed from the first book is Feyre’s vulnerability. She had huge disadvantages, like being human and illiterate, that set her at a different level from the villain she was trying to overcome. But now she has access to massive amounts of power and is stronger than all the other High Lords, except Rhys. Instead of a physical handicap, she is working with a mental block and the trauma from the first book. I’m glad she isn’t perfect all at once, but why does she need to be the most powerful or the most whatever.
Feyre has some vulnerabilities, but I think it was worked through or “made better” too quickly. Trauma doesn’t go away when you are in a new relationship. Even in a stable situation, it takes a while for your brain to unlearn your triggers if it ever does.
I would have liked to see her struggle more with learning her powers or her powers failing her at a critical moment due to whatever trauma is triggered. It would have brought another element of uncertainty to the story and deepened the inner and outer conflicts.
My Frustrations with A Court of Mist and Fury
Pacing-wise, this book was a bit slow in the beginning. Later, there are more slow parts where they spend more time sitting around and planning versus the time they spend following through with the plan. Yes, I know Feyre needs to heal, but why can’t she heal through action?
Whenever the plot moves quickly, the innuendos and steamy scenes vanish because all the characters have better things to do. There are points where I forgot that they are at war. Feyre and Rhys go off and take a couple of days, or a week, quarreling instead of strategizing and doing actionable things to create momentum for the war.
Rhys has a different personality than in A Court of Thorns and Roses. I don’t know how to feel about Maas’ explanation of his about-face. It was a little too convenient of an answer. Rhys is a massive jerk in the first book. Now all of a sudden, he isn’t a jerk, except when he wants to be. Surprise! It was just an act because of he was protecting others… With that one move, Maas both deepened and cheapened his character. I’m still working through my feelings on this one. What do you think?
Recommendations
A Court of Mist and Fury is not for teens or anyone sensitive to adult content. This book is definitely 18+ due to the adult content. It should not be in the teen section or a high school library. The storyline is unique, but steamy scenes seem to pop up all over the place when you least expect them. The amount of adult content increases the further you go in the series. So if you aren’t looking for that, stop reading this series after the first book.
If you want to read something similar but with less steam, try Shadow and Bones, A Curse so Dark and Lonely, Graceling, and Throne of Glass. There are some steamy parts later in the Throne of Glass series, but they are much easier to skip!
If you enjoyed the first book and are okay with some steam, go for it! I hope that you enjoy reading A Court of Mist and Fury.
Happy Reading!
Emily
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and decide to buy, I make a small commission for referring you. This helps me make a few cents for doing what I love.
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