OHHHH MYYYYY GOOOODNESSSSSS! I loved this book so so much I could cry! I absolutely hate having to write reviews for books that I didn’t end up enjoying, it makes my fingers ache and my brain bleed because my body simply rejects the notion of sending out those negative vibes into the world. This is why I am so relieved to be able to write this review, because my body is vibrating, for all the right reasons!

I can’t believe it took me so long to actually pick up the second book in the Court of Thorns and Roses series. I really enjoyed the first book, which is great because Sarah’s Throne of Glass series just didn’t mesh with me the way I hoped that it would. I guess the size of ACOMAF scared me a little and I didn’t want to be disappointed after enjoying the first book so much. I am happy to report however, that the second book was much much better than the first! I didn’t think I’d ever be able to say that about a series haha.

I want to start by mentioning all of the things I did enjoy which was EVERYTHING!

Literally, the characters were amazing! I loved the way Sarah wrote about this big group of friends and even enemies. You’d think that they would simply be filler characters, there to add onto the story of Feyre, our MC, but no they all had their own lives filled with as much love, hate, pride, anger jealousy and despair and I loved every piece of story that she weaved into the book. I could never really see what was about to happen when it came to the plot or the characters because they were as unpredictable as actual living beings, not two dimensional card board cut-outs of what some people think a character is. Rhys was hands down my favourite character, aside from Feyre ofcourse who turns out to be a complete bad ass from start to finish.

Feyre’s journey in ACOTAR was so real and brutal that I had to like her for the way she reacted and grew in relation to everything that she was put through. I enjoyed the fact that the book started out with her not being completely happy. I know that sounds strange but I needed to see that “after the happily ever after” element of the first book being challenged. True, this was explored in the Shatter Me series by Tehereh Mafi so it’s not completely new, but I still really enjoy it when authors do that. No one meets their perfect love the first time they show any sort of emotion toward another being. We all make mistakes and we’re all blinded by first love in a sense that we don’t usually see what is good or bad for us. Feyre had to go through that in ACOMAF. She needed to realise that she was still becoming who she was meant to be and that sometimes when you move forward or when you grow, you have to leave people behind. Some people don’t grow with you and instead they try and hold you back because they’re afraid of what might happen once you become better or stronger than what you thought you could be. This is really explored in the book and it happens gradually, it’s even better that most readers could see this coming from the first book even though Feyre was convinced that she had indeed met the love of her life.

It was only when Feyre went with Rhys after panicking at the wedding that she started becoming herself, which is the strong warrior with undeniable powers that we get to know the rest of the book. She made friends who became her family and who were so easy to fall inlove with for me. I really loved the strong female ensemble of Mor, Nesta, Amren and Elaine. They were all so fierce and funny! Mor’s goofy snide remarks at Amren’s expense were hilarious. Their friendship was perfectly executed.

The boys were just as great, Cassian, Rhys and Azriel are friendship goals! They honestly made me laugh out loud more times than I could count, which was a big contrast to the relationship that Tamlin and Lucien had. I have to admit that it made me sad being able to compare the courts. I felt as torn as Feyre at some parts where we were falling inlove with the falseness of the Spring court in ACOTAR and looking beyond that false veil in ACOMAF. It was disorienting seeing everything different as the secrets were unveiled by Rhys as the story went on.

I definitely give this book a five out of five stars overall, there was nothing for me to complain about. I got exactly what I had signed up for and much more! I actually can’t wait to see what hell Feyre unleashes in the third book! I know it’s going to be a crazy ride, I don’t look forward to her and Rhys not being together for a long time so I hope that won’t be the case. She should just leave the Spring court as quickly as possible after getting the in tell they need and leave Tamlin in the dust, where he belongs!

There is literally so much I want to talk about in this already too long of a review, I didn’t even touch on the plot of the story or the stupid human queens who literally dug their own graves by helping the king get the ward/wall to the human world down. Like, are you kidding me? Do they not have any brains??? Anyway, I hope they die in the first half of ACOWAR. I am looking forward to seeing Nesta and Elaine get accustomed to their new bodies though. I have a feeling that Nesta is going to turn the world upside down if anyone tries to test her patience haha.

But let me summarise my thoughts quickly:

Let me know what you thought about ACOMAF! Or if you haven’t read it yet, please do yourself a favour and pick it up! I know it’s heavy and there’s so much to get through but when you start you won’t be able to put it down!