I seriously don't even know where to begin with this review because all I want to do is fangirl so hard over how much I ADORED this book! Seriously people...every single word, every single scene is so gorgeously written and breathtaking that I had to stop multiple times while I was reading just to admire and appreciate what I just read. This book was absolutely excellent on so many levels that no words can do it justice (but I'm going to try because this is a review after all haha). I don't think it's any secret that Sarah J. Maas is an amazeballs author, but in case you need a reminder, just read this book and you will see the supreme talent this woman has. She could write a phone book and I would read it because somehow even that would be an amazing read. I've only said this about 1 or 2 other authors, but it's completely true. “There are different kinds of darkness,” Rhys said. I kept my eyes shut. “There is the darkness that frightens, the darkness that soothes, the darkness that is restful.” I pictured each. “There is the darkness of lovers, and the darkness of assassins. It becomes what the bearer wishes it to be, needs it to be. It is not wholly bad or good.” This book made me feel so many different things at once, and literally it has it ALL! There are amazing twists, snarky banter, beautiful writing, and just plain badass, awesome characters that you want to be best friends with. After finishing this book all I want to do is be in the Night Court and be apart of Rhysand's inner circle. It's probably unhealthy how badly I want this to happen right now. But even more, SJM wrote scenes bursting with heart-pounding action, swoonworthy romance (which be warned, will leaving you squeeing), and female empowerment...GAH! I NEVER wanted to stop reading. But you know what I loved the most? Even though this story is a romance, it is also a story of self-discovery. “I was not a pet, not a doll, not an animal. I was a survivor, and I was strong. I would not be weak, or helpless again I would not, could not be broken.” Feyre goes through so much and is incredibly strong. She is extremely relatable because even though she loses herself for a bit, she finds that inner fire that she once had and it causes a spark to ignite within her. She becomes even more amazing than her character was previously, and finds herself on her own. Feyre is such an admirable and relatable character. I mean who among us hasn't felt lost at one point or the other in their life?? Feyre shows everyone that you have to look inside yourself and find your own inner strength to rise above and accept the past, and never let that thing that caused you to be lost define you. We need to embrace the pain and the anguish that came with the hand life has dealt, and choose to move forward in life...or we will remain lost. The character development for Feyre was seriously one of the best character development's I have ever read, and I think SJM deserves a HUGE round of applause for giving all readers this character. She becomes stronger and more determined than ever to accomplish what she has set out to do. All the while she remains the stubborn and sassy character we love. “I was not prey any longer, I decided as I eased up to that door. And I was not a mouse. I was a wolf.” Rhysand...literally I have no words for my love. My heart (and ovaries) were literally bursting with every word he said. He broke my heart multiple times, and there was one scene in particular where I was gross sobbing when he was revealing things to Feyre. He still remains that mysterious Dark Lord, but we are able to understand and see so much more of him than ever before. Like Feyre, Rhys grew so much in this novel, and I loved watching how he became a little less broken due to Feyre's presence in his life. Feyre provides a nice balance to Rhys, and they're banter is like no other. We all know how shameless a flirt Rhys is, but boy does he step it up in this book...and I loved every single second of it. He had me laughing so hard countless times, and I can't even tell you how much I love him. The world that SJM has created is simply phenomenal, and I seriously don't know how she came up with her ideas, but let's just thank whoever that she did. There is so much to this world that we didn't know, and I loved learning so many new things over the course of the book. We visit more courts and see different races. We see the political uneasiness that ultimately exists in this world, and how alliances can change at the drop of a hat. And then comes the ending...it is brutal and ripped my heart out, but it left me begging for more! For the entire conclusion I basically had my jaw permanently dropped and then my heart torn out because of the events that SJM wrote. But all I know is that I can't wait to see where she takes this series in the next book because there are truly endless possibilities! “To the stars who listen—and the dreams that are answered.” If you couldn't tell already, you need to read this book as soon as possible because this is the best book of 2016 so far! Happy reading :)

A Court of Thorns and Roses was one of my top books of 2015 - possibly even my number one. I have been (not-so-patiently) waiting on A Court of Mist and Fury literally since book one ended and obviously preordered a copy as soon as I could! Upon receiving it in the mail, I quickly started reading but didn't want to read it too quickly. This is one of those books you also want to savor! Especially knowing that I'll have to wait an entire year for the final book in the series. Before I jump into this review, let me say that I do not think Sarah J. Maas can do no wrong. I read the first two books in her Throne of Glass series before giving up on that one. But THIS series... In this series she can do no wrong because every single word of this book was perfection. This book picks up where the first left off, with Feyre, Tamlin, and Lucien back at the Spring Court working on getting the Court back to its former glory. With all that she has been through, Feyre has been left a shell of her former self. Unfortunately, everyone seems to be more worried about keeping up appearances than making sure their Cursebreaker has what she needs to heal and live with her actions. Where A Court of Thorns and Roses was a love story about a girl risking all to save her Love, A Court of Mist and Fury is a story about a girl learning to respect herself, finding out who she really is after a huge trauma, with a love story weaved in. Feyre's character growth in this novel was incredible. I said in my review of ACOTAR that she was an unlikable character who I came to really love. Now I can honestly say that Feyre is an amazing, strong female character and the kind of role model I wish teens could read more about (as opposed to the weak female characters who allow a man to define them). As I'm sure you have probably gathered, in this book Rhysand gives Tamlin a run for his money. As the synopsis says, Rhys has not forgotten the bargain he made with Feyre under the mountain and he plans to make good on it. While I did like Tamlin in the first book, I have made it abundantly clear over the last year that I did not know enough about Rhys to choose a "team" and would have to wait until the next book was released to decide. I can now say I am firmly #TeamRhysand at this point and I don't see that changing. Rest assured, there is no love triangle in this book whatsoever, which is a huge relief considering that's what most YA fiction gravitates towards. I actually loved almost every character in this book, whether I loved them because they were so perfectly wonderful or horrible. The villains are just as terrible as they should be (although Amarantha is going to be damn hard to beat) and the new characters that Feyre aligns herself with grew on me as the story progressed. Surprisingly, I came to like Nesta much more than Elain, which is the exact opposite of how I felt about them in A Court of Thorns and Roses. One of my favorite things about A Court of Mist and Fury (and honestly, there are so many) was the world building. In book one, we only got to see the Spring Court, Under the Mountain, and the human realm. This time we I got to travel with Feyre all over Prythian and, obviously, my favorite was the Night Court, which was anything but what I expected! Sarah J. Maas' beautiful writing style contributes so much to the love I have for this gorgeous world. I think a lot of other authors would have a really hard time making me care as much as I care about every single location Feyre visits. I'll admit, I usually skim when I get to descriptions of cities and such, but here I took my time to take in every single word on the page. And then there's the story. Oh, the incredible, beautiful, heart-wrenching story. I loved every single agonizing minute of it. As I've already said, this book is about Feyre discovering who she is after Under the Mountain and she is stronger than anyone realized. There are multiple conflicts for her to deal with - mentally, in her personal relationships, and with a potential war brewing. The journey this book takes over 600+ pages is brutal and extraordinary and heart breaking and I adored it. I was actually a little worried that over 600 pages would be too much, that the story would get bogged down or that it would lag, but it didn't. There wasn't non-stop action, but everything that happened was relevant and I couldn't name anything that served only as filler. Something to definitely keep in mind is that this book has significantly more sexual content than the first, but I'm totally okay with that. As a 28 year old lover of YA, I was thrilled for the authenticity this little bit of extra explicitness brought to this story. I mean, when characters are talking about marriage and are fighting wars, it's not out of the question that they're probably going to be having more adult relationships. But I do think it's important to point out for those readers who perhaps don't want to read steamier scenes. (I'm sure you could easily skip past them.) As you can probably tell, I loved this book. I don't have a single bad thing to say about it, which is unusual for me, even when I rate a book five stars. I loved Feyre, I loved Rhysand, and I loved their constant bantering back and forth. I loved that Feyre learned to respect herself. I loved the gorgeous writing and world building and storytelling. I honestly cannot go on without becoming a total fangirl so instead I'll leave you with what I have dubbed Rhysand's theme song (you're welcome): [...]