Book Review: ACOWAR
**This is a spoiler free review.**
I have a confession to make that might upset some people in this fandom. I bought A Court of Mist and Fury when it came out, decided I needed to know the ending all at once, so didn't read it until about a week before ACOWAR came out. Looking back, I'm not sure if I made the right decision because while I did not have to wait a year for the final book in Feyre's story, I think I might have needed a year to recover from the emotional trauma that was ACOMAF.
If you haven't read this series, the first book is called A Court of Thorns and Roses, and I suggest you cancel any plans you may have for the next couple days and go read it. Seriously. Because this series is one of the best I have read in a long, long time. It will consume you and get you invested in the characters before you can even process what's happened. If you're looking for a book in which to escape, you just found it.
I bought this book, sat down and read for 8 hours until it was finished, and it was a rollercoaster. There were so many things I was expecting from this book, and while I loved it there just wasn't enough room in its 700 pages to answer all my questions. Surprisingly, I'm ok with this because I am assuming these story lines will take up her next book set in this universe, as Rhysand and Feyre will no longer be the main characters moving forward.
Things I loved:
Feyre and Rhysand's reunion. While I've heard some wanted it to be longer and more emotional, I think there was something really powerful in the way a look was all it took. I won't say more as I do not want to spoil anything.
Sarah J. Maas taking steps towards being more diverse is also a win. While it may not have been done in a way that everyone felt was appropriate, my hope is that she will reach out to the communities she is writing about, providing a platform for their voices and experiences in her future stories.
Meeting all of the High Lords. Seriously. How long have we been waiting for that? So many personalities and so many unanswered questions. I think I was most interested in Helion, and Kallias, so really hoping the next set of books focuses on them.
The inner circle. All the feels! I almost couldn't keep track of what was going on with all of them, but really enjoyed their banter. The dynamics here are so well written and I'm sad that they will no longer be the focus moving forward.
Feyre. Is. So. Badass. This woman is just so unbelievably amazing. She goes through so much and is such a complex character. I didn't know until I met her, but I've been waiting for a character like Feyre to appear in a book.
My major critique is just that there are SO MANY QUESTIONS. My mind is left developing new theories and what-ifs and I do not know how I am going to make it until ACOTAR #4 (official title TBD) is released. I won't get into them too much here as I want this review to be spoiler free, but feel free to message me if you want to talk theories, questions, and more.
Overall, I would say you must read this book. You will not regret it and it will forever have a place on my list of all time favourite reads. I can't stop thinking about it, which to me is always the sign of a great book. I'm definitely struggling with a book hangover, as I try to pick up and engage in another book without thinking about this one.
Rating: 9.5/10 stars
You'll like this book if you enjoyed:
The Grisha Trilogy (Leigh Bardugo); Seraphina duology (Rachel Hartman); Queen of the Tearling trilogy (Erika Johansen); Eon duology (Alison Goodman); Abhorsen (Garth Nix); Cruel Beauty (Rosamund Hodge); Lunar Chronicles (Marissa Meyer)