A Court of Mist and Fury, the second book in the ACOTAR series. This was where we got to truly enter the world most of us have fallen in love with. It was where everything changed. Let's take a closer look at it!
Did you know the book itself was inspired from Greek mythology’s Hades and Persephone? In this situation, Rhysand is our Hades and Feyre is Persephone. If you aren’t familiar with the lore, Persephone has to spend six months of each year in the underworld with Hades. Of course, in A Court of Mist and Fury, our Heroine only has to spend one week (seven days) in the Court of Night every month per a deal with Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome. Just a friendly bit of advice, don’t take deals from Illyrians (or even half illyrians who are hiding their wings).
However, before Feyre can cash out that deal of hers, she is in the Spring court and trying to accommodate to what is her new life now and the changes that came with it. Not only is she suddenly a High Fae now, but she is also dealing with issues such as depression and PTSD all at once. If that wasn’t enough on one’s plate, she’s also dealing with an overbearing and overprotective fiance. One might think that with accomplishments such as defeating the Middengard Wyrm and Amarantha, you’d be given more leeway and be able to do things such as going out to the marketplace or taking a walk outside. Right? Wrong. Dearest Tamlin, with his golden flax hair and brooding expressions, is determined to keep Feyre contained inside. It seemed A Court of Mist and Fury exposed his true intention and nature, which Feyre takes notice to as well.
What is the best thing to have when you’re dealing with a mountain of mental issues? A wedding, of course!!!! And there most certainly is a wedding in A court of mist and fury! Luckily, Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome came to the rescue to steal the soon to be bride from the High Lord of Spring. This is in fact where the infamous shoe throwing scene comes from.
Now she has to try to figure out if she is going to be the person Tamlin wants her to be, the person Rhysand wants her to be or the person she wants herself to be. She’s at a crossroads.
A deal is a deal. After the seven days are done, Rhysand reluctantly brings her back to the Spring court where she is heavily interrogated about her time there.
While there is not much to report however, she is taught two important skills by Rhysand that will be important later on: reading! (yes, did you forget our beloved main character is illiterate?) and being able to use her mental shields.
The start of Tamlin and Feyre’s relationship startling to crumble is when he refuses to help her learn how to use her powers (for a bit of clarification, in the first book she was brought back to life by the seven high lords and in doing so, she received a small amount of power from each one. How lucky is that?)
A court of mist and fury is also the book where we're introduced to an ongoing and bigger problem: the King of Hybern has started a war and he plans on destroying the wall that separates the fae from the human.
Over time, a month has passed in the book, meaning that she has to stay another week in the Night Court. It’s during this time that Feyre learns about Velaris and is brought along with Rhysand to go on a mission (something Tamlin would absolutely throw a hissy fit about if he were to know).
While she is brought along with him, she is given an important task. The first to ask the Bone Carver about the King of Hybern’s plan, in this meeting there is a lot of useful and beneficial information that can be used.
With the new information that is learned, Feyre and Rhysand go to the home she used to know as a mortal, where she sees her two sisters. The goal of this visit is to try and persuade her sisters to have a meeting with the mortal queens.
If that’s not enough adventure, a trip to the Summer court is also where something important is stolen by the duo team of Feyre and Rhysand.
During this time, the mortal queens agree to have the meeting. But it ends up coming with a cost. In order to have their participation, he has to reveal something that has been hidden for a very long time and is important to him: Velaris.
As tensions with the ongoing war continue, it goes to show something big is on its way from Hybern. Rhysand soon learns that all too well as he is shot down midair by poisoned arrows and captured by the Hybern’s forces. That’s enough to put a damper on anyone’s day, really.
Of course, Feyre rescues Rhysand. Big surprise there. And then she goes to ask her bff, the Suriel, how to heal him. With that information, she does exactly what is needed and saves him BUT in doing so, reveals far more information than she bargained for.
Homeboy and homegirl are mates. BIG shocker there. I mean come on, she has a whole fiance back in Spring Court… Or does she?
A Court of Mist and Fury is also the book where the infamous (and infuriating to me) painting of the cabin scene comes in! What better thing to do than go to your sudden new boo’s cabin and paint on his walls?!
They complete their mating bond, somehow Rhysand isn’t bothered externally by the painting of his home? And he then goes to tell her about the Mortal Queens wanting to meet again. Unfortunately, the meeting gets them absolutely nowhere because the Mortal Queens are refusing to cooperate (except for one queen that helps them on the downlow).
If that’s not enough damage, the mortal queens also told Hybern of Velaris, which ended up getting attacked. Feyre, Rhysand and the inner circle do their best to defend their beloved city.
The attacks from Hybern only encourage the night court to fight and so they continue to search for the Cauldron. Which, by some luck, they do. A Court of Mist and Fury is also where they meet Jurian (he’s important later in the series) and it is also the book where both Feyre’s sisters are thrown into the cauldron and turned into High Fae. Big deal. Major.
All in all, a lot of chaos is going on all at once. The short version is that Feyre pretends she still loves Tamlin, who for some reason was there too?, and begs him to take her back. Feyre also begs for the King to break her bond with Rhysand, which he does (or at least he thinks he does).
To end a wild story of events, Feyre goes with Tamlin back to Spring court. Meanwhile, Rhysand goes back to the Night court with both Elain and Nesta. He continues preparing for war. And as all of this happens, it was revealed that Feyre has been and became the High Lady of the Night Court (THE FIRST EVER HIGH LADY AYO) and essentially a spy.
ACOMAF is the book that really introduces us to the world that we love and because of that it's widely adored. What's your favorite part of ACOMAF?