Rating: 8/10
I struggled giving this book a rating, I know that I'm rating it lower than ACOTAR but I'm conflicted over whether I truly like it less. My rating is more from a content standpoint, in terms of entertainment I give it a 10/10 but the content felt a bit more clichéd and as if there was more downtime. Don't get it twisted though ACOMAF? Great book! I'm continually impressed with Sarah J Maas and the books she writes. I know that I'm late to the SJM party, but I'm still having a great time. This series has hooked me completely. I can't wait to get into a Court of Wings and Ruin (though I will wait a second because I'm getting too attached). Though my feelings regarding Tamlin have definitely shifted (I'll get into that separately at the end of this review) I still like Lucien and I will stand by that. My feelings for Rhysand though? Beyond this world, I will protect him with my life and that's final.
ACOMAF is the sequel to ACOTAR and it continues where the last book left off with Feyre and her relationship with Tamlin. She is happy to have her love back, but nightmares and fear from Amarantha have been plaguing them both. To put it simply, Feyre is a mess. She can't sleep or eat and Tamlin has become overbearing. He's so afraid of something happening to her, that he has essentially become her jailer. He will not let her participate in any of the meetings going on. In fact, he won't really let her out of the house unless she's being protected by sentries. She isn't even allowed to train the new powers that are manifesting within her. As she was created by all seven high lords of Prythian, so she has gained bits of all of their powers. It creates tension between them. She is expected to behave as a proper lady of court whilst planning her wedding to Tamlin. Of course everything doesn't go as planned with the wedding. And it ends her up in the Night Court with Rhysand who has come back to make good on their agreement for the first time in the three months after being Under the Mountain. In the Night Court, she makes some difficult decisions for her future. War is coming, and she has to choose her loyalties and hope that she's able to make the correct decisions.
Once again, Sarah J Maas has done a great job with the characters and their environment. I found myself completely enrapt while reading. I also couldn't help but get attached to the characters being presented (except Ianthe, I never trusted her and I still won't). Feyre's struggles in the first half of the book are throughly unsettling, she's become a ghost of herself. She's become so incresingly depressed and has some serious PTSD regarding the events Under the Mountain. It makes it even worse that nobody in the Spring Court seems to care enough to do anything to help her. So, she keeps drifting further and further into the darkness inside of her. Rhys takes in upon himself to try to bring her out of it in her time spent at the Night Court. He is still the sarcastic, snarky, playful thing from ACOTAR. The reader is really able to see his true personality in this book. He's evolved from the cold, snide High Lord that he was Under the Mountain. He did what he had to to survive Amarantha. The bond between him and Feyre, from their bargain, allows him to read her thoughts and emotions (provided that she doesn't guard against him). He is able to see how crushed her soul as become and he wants to help her. As I said, I will protect him with my life. The story is cut through with plenty of humor, but it also has some very serious parts woven throughout. Rhys had to make some hard decisions in his time Under the Mountain and it shows. Seeing him develop into someone who is more open is amazing. Once a captive, now able to be the strongest High Lord in Prythian.
The scenery described by Maas is wonderfully constructed. No small amount of thought went into the different areas of the courts. Getting a look into more of the different courts was exciting. I was interested the whole time and eager to read more. Learning of some of the history and characters within them was also truly interesting. Differences in the climate and scenery were very well explained and displayed throughout the story. Thought I have to say it: the Summer Court sounds like a themed motel in Florida. Listen, as someone who lives near Florida. The whole place felt very Florida-cliché. The Night Court and Valaris, however, sound amazing. Also, the things these characters have done to protect Velaris from the world is very heart-warming, but also very sad. So much sacrifice that will always go unseen by the majority of Prythian. I love the inner circle too, every one of them. Azriel gives me major Nikandros (Captive Prince) vibes in his general loyalty to Rhys and also his general exasperation. Amren is a great time, I loved how they always compared her to a firedrake that likes to hoard treasure. Cassian is the kind of cocky, warrior that is impossible to resist. And Morrigan is just a good time. They all have a way of providing great comic relief at times. Not to say that they aren't serious as well. They've all been through so much in their lives.
My chief complaint in this book lies within the clichés and the general downtime of the book. I'm fine with the cliché of Feyre being very powerful now, I mean you don't get that much power from all of the High Lords and feel nothing. I don't get why Rhys needs to be the "strongest High Lord in Prythian" though. Making him overpowered for her felt kind of meh. And let me say that for finding mates to be like rare and sudden. It was thrown around all over this book. Took some of the importance out of it, felt too convenient. I understand that the downtime was necessary, but it didn't make it any less boring. There was just a lot of time spent traveling around and talking. Of course this developed the characters and added to their backstories, but it felt like it breached on too much. There was an awful lot of pointless arguing between characters. We all know Tamlin isn't going to listen and being mean to Rhysand doesn't change anything either. Made everything feel mopey at times. Mopey characters aren't that fun.
I feel like I can't close this out without including my thoughts on Tamlin. I know that people really grew to hate him in this book. I don't hate him. I don't like him either. I see where everyone is coming from. You go from seeing him as this character who would do anything for Feyre and his people, to someone who doesn't seem to care about her at all. He treats her as a thing to be coveted and kept locked away. In no way does he see her as his equal. Then there's also that whole betrayal thing that I won't get into (have to read the book to understand ;) ). But I don't see him as an awful person. I think he's just misguided and also has some serious PTSD from everything that happened. That and he's really just a weenie. He doesn't ever want to fight for anything, he's content to take what he has and keep it close. Definitely not a gambling man. So, I don't hate him for being a weenie. But I'm never going to like him very much either. He's just too much, he can't grasp Feyre's needs because he's too selfish. Lucien though? I still like Lucien. If he doesn't get some sense in that head though, I will be mad.
All of that goes to say that I did really enjoy the book. The series is unwrapping nicely. Despite the downtime, there is still a lot of action in and around the plot of the story. The characters are great (I'm too attached already). Plenty of exposition to keep the whole thing moving swiftly. I buddy-read this book with my friend @kortnireads (instagram) and we read it in like six days. That was only because we limited ourselves. This book was about 200 pages longer than ACOTAR, but it read super fast. I'm thoroughly invested in the series and what is going to happen. I'm going to read something else in the meantime, but rest assured, I will be returning to the next book once I've had time to calm down. The end of this book was WILD and I need a second to gather myself. I don't need my heart broken right now. If you weren't sure if you were going to continue the series after ACOTAR, I think you should. This book takes some of the things from the last and turns them a full 180 degrees. The events to come are wild and so incredibly fun.
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