Why You Must Read A Court of Mist and Fury As Soon as Possible

When we last left Feyre at the end of A Court of Thorns and Roses, she’d just survived a harrowing trial to save Tamlin and the rest of Fae world from a terrible dark fate. Unfortunately for Feyre, that was more of an introduction to her new world than the happily ever after she longed for. Now, with the Fae world still in danger and the bargains of her past coming back to haunt her, Feyre has to learn how to master her new non-human abilities, figure out a complicated political scheme, and draw the human and Fae realms together—all of which seems almost easy when compared to the drama of her romantic life.
But that barely scrapes the surface of why you’ll fall in love with Maas’s new book. Don’t believe me? Here are three major reasons you should read A Court of Thorns and Roses as soon as you can get your hands on it:
1. Feminism to the max. This may come as a surprise—although it shouldn’t, because if we know anything after Throne of Glass it’s that Maas can write a seriously badass lady—but A Court of Mist and Fury is full of strong, powerful heroines who aren’t afraid to go after what they want. At the end of A Court of Thorns and Roses, it may have seemed like Feyre had everything figured out: she’d nearly died to save Tamlin, and now she was going to marry him. Except…things with Tamlin aren’t great. And Feyre isn’t about to just wait it out.
Instead, she does what she can to balance their relationship. And when that doesn’t work, she takes matters into her own hands, pursuing equality, trust, and respect from other quarters. And then she surrounds herself with other buttkicking ladies who know how to talk about things besides weddings and value qualities other than the ability to do what’s expected. And they do it all while still unabashedly embracing the things they love—like, say, drinking blood or painting or dancing their faces off.

2. The characters. It’s very, very possible I’m just unusually susceptible to falling in love with fictional characters, but man, does Maas know how to write ’em. From deliciously dark and mysterious Rhys to troubled and supportive Lucien to strong and warm Mor, A Court of Mist and Fury hosts a full cast that feels like they’re already your friends.
And if you’re anything like me, you’re going to 1) read and reread all the scenes with your favorites, and 2) start begging Maas for spinoffs and backstories for everyone. Literally everyone. Because there’s no way we’re going to get all the information we need in just one more book.
3. So many twists. Almost everything is a spoiler, but let me just say: this book does not go where you expect it to. Even when you think you have Maas’s plotting pegged, she swerves at the last minute, and in the best possible way. When you’re sure a character is going to wallow for a while, they do something awesome instead. When you just know someone is bound to wind up with someone else, well, they just might not.
It’s fantasy YA that’s gritty and full of real, relatable problems and characters who aren’t afraid to address them. At the same time, it’s happy and thrilling and full of moments that will absolutely melt your heart just the right amount, so you’re ready to deal with the next punch to the gut. Which means A Court of Mist and Fury is unexpected in all the right ways, like a surprise party for your bookshelf.
And if Maas can pack that many good, wonderful twists into one book, what will she do in the third? I’m not entirely sure how I’m going to wait to find out. And now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a time machine to build.
A Court of Mist and Fury hits shelves May 3, and is available for pre-order now.