This may cause people to throw tomatoes at me or whatever, but I'm going to say it anyway: I like this series more than Throne of Glass. I have read the first two in both of the series, and I am just more in love with this series. So maybe this is a skewed sample, because I'm not caught upon Throne of Glass, but this story and these characters have taken over my heart and my life.

I did not know what to expect with this sequel. A Court of Thorns and Roses wrapped up really well; so well that it could have easily been a standalone. So I had both high and low expectations. But this blew me away. It was over 600 pages long, yet not a single page fell out of place or unnecessary. It was smart and captivating and oh so steamy.

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.

Feyre grew a lot in this story. She was strong and lost in the first one, but this one she was strong and lost and powerful. She didn't want to stand on the sidelines anymore, waiting for Tamlin or anyone else to save her and protect her. She now has an eternity to live, and she wants to live it on her terms. This story was really about this: Feyre and her desire to be useful and help.

Now, let's be honest, we all want to talk about Rhysand. He blew up our brains with his awesomeness and sexiness and Rhysandness (that's a new word, by the way--I'm going to use it to describe people who have that quality that turns me into a swoony pile of mush). He was the star. He was powerful and intimidating, yet very vulnerable and silly. He had a connection with Feyre that she just didn't have with anyone else. He understood her; because a lot of the emotions she felt, he was feeling them too--or had before.

But if we are talking about Rhysand, we need to talk about the switch of this novel. Was I mad about it? A little. But did I care? Not in the slightest. I loved Tamlin in A Court of Thorns and Roses. And I shipped the two of them SO DAMN HARD. So I was disappointed that he became "the bad guy" in this sequel. But it didn't feel forced, and it made sense for the character, and I loved Rhysand. So all together, it dulled the sting of losing Tamlin.


Since I already discussed the characters and their relationship, I'm going spend this section talking about HOW MUCH I LOVED THE ROMANCE. Cue flailing and squealing. It was a slow, inevitable burn that had me dying...in a wonderful way, of course. And spoiler, there is sex. Like--a lot of it. And it's graphic. But in my opinion, that doesn't revoke the fact that it's YA. Just because there was sex and it was described, doesn't automatically change the genre. It's still shelved with the YA books; ask Bloomsbury, and I'm sure that in their inventory system, it's designated as YA; even look at the price point: It's YA. I don't know why many individuals want to change that. I think it's wonderful. It's a nod to the fact that YA is a growing genre that's not just for Young Adults anymore, and it shows that *whispers* some teens have sex *whispers*. GASP! Who knew!?! I'm going to write a whole post about sex in YA in the near future, but I digress. These two had a chemistry that was sexy and trusting, and I devoured their scenes together.


As I said earlier, this book is a monster, yet it was perfectly written. It didn't drag, it wasn't trying to hard to go in a particular genre, it wasn't rushed. Every scene and every character had their place. Even the side characters. They may have not been "important" but I felt like I really got to know them and their backstories. So when something bad happened, I felt the pain. It wasn't pushed on me when I didn't care. And I feel like that can be an issue with books with a lot of characters; but it wasn't here.

Once again, I bow down to Sarah J. Maas. And excuse me while I get caught up on Throne of Glass and reread my favorite scenes ad infinitum.