Feyre has undergone more trials than one human woman can carry in her heart. Though she's now been granted the powers and lifespan of the High Fae, she is haunted by her time Under the Mountain and the terrible deeds she performed to save the lives of Tamlin and his people.
As her marriage to Tamlin approaches, Feyre's hollowness and nightmares consume her. She finds herself split into two different one who upholds her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court, and one who lives out her life in the Spring Court with Tamlin. While Feyre navigates a dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil loom. She might just be the 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 in turmoil.
My thoughts:
04.26.2024: If this is anything like the last book, I already know I am going to really enjoy reading it. But I do recall seeing a lot of Tamlin hate and Rhysand love staring through social media concerning this book so we shall see if I still love Tamlin or not when I finish reading.
04.27.2024: I am nearing the halfway marker of this book and holy shit, so much has happened! I now understand the dislike thrown towards Tamlin, well sort of. I am about to play devil's advocate for a second in the defense of Tamlin because I don't find him to be a terrible monster like everyone wants to make him out to be. With that being said, I am only on page 247 of book two, so again a lot of things can change.
Let's go on with it shall we? Firstly, I understand why Tamlin is trying to shield Feyre from well everything going on with Hybern and all that craziness. Look at it from this point of view and remember the stories told to Feyre when she returned to the Spring Court to rescue him from Amarantha. The curse he was placed under gave him a time span to find a human girl with so much hatred in heart that she would fill a fae without provocation. Tamlin sent his own men out into the world of man to be slaughtered in the hopes a single woman would kill them so he could in theory make her fall in love with him in the hopes of breaking Amarantha's blite.
After so many useless deaths it had broken Tamlin, so he stopped sending them over the wall and focused on only protecting the court who stayed by his side during all of it. Years and years passed, and his soldiers began to beg and beg him to start sending them back over the wall, he did it, and Feyre was found to kill Andreas one of Tamlin's last warriors and his friend.
Not only did Tamlin fall deeply in love with Feyre but she too fell in love him so much, so she put her life at risk to save him. She fought fucking worm and killed two innocent people to get him back. But in the same sense we weren't the ones watching from above helpless, Tamlin was. Yes, Lucien and Rhysand were able to find a way to visit her in her cell. I know, but think, Amarantha had Tamlin on a short leash, and he knew it. So risking Feyre just so he could see her wasn't an option he thought good enough. Instead, he did the only thing he could do, watch, wait and hold on to the faith that the woman he loves would live and free him.
After it was all and done with, he no doubt has some form of PTSD just like Feyre does, but he doesn't know how to help himself, and in turn doesn't know how to end her suffering. Yes, he locked her in the house, yes, he had explosions but look at it from his stance, he was breed and trained to protect, yet he was unable to protect Feyre when she needed it most, no one was. So why is he getting so much hate? No, I wouldn't want to be locked away in the house, but I also wouldn't stand there and try to save face when I was in so much pain. If he was the one I loved, the one I wanted to tie myself to for the rest of my life, I would confide in him over and over again.
With that being said, I think also, a lot of his behavior was fueled by Ianthe and her motives (as I suspect she has been working with Hybern since Amarantha took hold of the fae world.) So, in the end. I see the bad and I see the intentions of good while they weren't held together very well or handled properly. So, I do not hate, nor love Tamlin, he is just there for me right now, simply existing in story full of better people.
Now, on to the rest of the story! I am in love, with, Azriel (most likely like all the other woman in the ACOTAR world) I can see the appeal of Rhysand, but he doesn't do it for me lol. Azriel though, his calm demeanor, his story and just all around everything about him makes me swoon. All the while Amren scares the shit out of me lol! She also intrigues the mind and makes me want to go purchase the other books connected to this world.
Now, for the bone carver and the weaver, holy shit and no fucking thank you. The bone carver was polite enough, but I wouldn't wanna go into a room with him only to tell me darkest secrets. My self-preservation wasn't made to fight a war or save anyone. And the weaver, yea no sorry Rhysand's mother that ring would still be in the hut covered in human/ fae hair.
The meeting of Nesta and Cassian, yea they are for sure mates a fun loving and outgoing dude is the perfect match for a stuffy overprotective Nesta. Love that so much!
Also, note, while it makes me cringe to say this, I felt terrible for the Attor, his fall from grace and the punishment he received at the hands of Azriel was rough but necessary to witness.
Seeing the way Cassian is being a true and understanding friend for Feyre is refreshing, now that isn't to say Mor and the others aren't doing the same, it is just something about their relationship that makes me all warm and cozy.
Finding yourself in the summer court would be hell (unless sunlight and warm weather is your thing) for me, it would be like moving back to southern arizona, the only place I hated and that for me is the summer court. While yes the high lord is kind and gentle (from what I know at the moment) I feel as though that place would be just as suffocating as the spring court and it's keeper. As for the court of nightmares, yes no I wouldn't fit there either, the cruelness for the fun of it would make me sick, and knowing what Kier did to Mor, his own daughter had my gut twisting in the worst of ways. The only good I found out of that whole part was the lusty fire Rhysand lite in Feyre and her in him. It was a moment I wished took a turn for something more, but alas it did not.
I wish to know who fired the ash arrows...
I wish to see the stars, to feel the moment of magic in the hold of people who love me for me. I envy the moments of starfall, if there was a singular wish granted to me, it would mirror the moment Rhysand smiled and celebrated without a care in the hold of people who loved him.
In the Lilirian camp, seeing the hatred they have towards Az and Cassian is also sickening, the hatred for something that doesn't fit into your world is terrible, it is a cold reminder that our own world holds the same hatred.
For Feyre to learn the truth, the cold truth of Tamlin and his cowardice actions broke me, only to rebuild me when the desire to paint returned to her. But of course, this tender moment was turned light when Rhysand said "Nude would be best."
Well well, Lucien finally comes back into play when the book is nearly over. Asshole. While I do not hate Lucien, I don't think I ever could, his blind faith in his Lord is nauseating at best.
Oh gods I love it! "The human girl you knew died Under the Mountain. I have no interest in spending immortality as a High Lord's Pet." Fuck yes Feyre! Get that fire girl! Also though, love the wings Feyre Darling.
Fucking hybern, the dude needs a swift reality check and then to bound in those beloved chains of his. Thankfully, Rhysand has made our Feyre a machine of woman!
Holy chapter 50! That Suriel just dropped a bomb (all of us knew was coming by the way he reacted and treated her) on Feyre and I am here for the chaos she is about to throw his way. One thing about Fae Feyre is she doesn't back down and she hates when things are withheld from her. Alright, even though I knew it was coming, and I understand her anger the point of view from Rhysand is hard to stomach. He spend decades as a play toy and when Feyre said she only wanted fun it struck him to his core. So it is understandable why he didn't outright tell her who she was to him. Her anger is warranted, but she should also stop and think, right now she is acting on emotion just like her form captor does.
I am adding the house of mist to my christmas list.
Ahahaha! She painted Amren's eyes!! And the best part Mor hates it! That is hilarious. But I am happy Feyre is painting again, thought still pissed she broke her word, she walked away from him when she said she never would.
I am crying, she loved the stars and didn't know why, it was because Rhysand she them to her. He showed her the one thing he loved most through a bond barely there in his darkest of times. For him Feyre was the light, the hope that kept him strong. Yes his people also drove him in the same but I think it was her, truly her that made it possible for him to survive under the mountain for those last few years. Ahhh! Stop! "There you are, I've been looking for you."
He convinced them to save her, give apart of themselves to bring her back knowing she would go back to Tamlin. He selflessly loved and protected her in the only he could, all the while silently breaking bit by bit at seeing the two of them looking at one another with such love and passion.
His confession in the house of mist, is everything and so much more. To have an undying, unyielding love like that would be a treasure to behold, far more valuable than any gem carved from a mountain.
'Slowly I turned around, to where the soup was now boiling, and laddled it into a bowl. He watched every step I took to the table, the steaming bowl in my hands. I stopped before him, staring down. "You love me?" Rhys nodded. And I wondered if love was too weak a word for what he felt, what he'd done for me. For what I felt for him. I set the bowl down before him. "Then Eat." ' stop it right now!! I am a blubbering mess as it is!
Of course its Cassian who has to ruffle the leather of Rhysands wings, but that is who he is and none of us would change him for the world. In the same it makes me hope I am right in thinking he and Nesta are mates!
Okay, so the golden queen, she gave a warning, one that leads me to believe Hybern has convinced or allied himself with the mortal queens and that is a rather unsettling thought. And now that Valeria is being attacked it confirms there are alliances outside of the wall within the mortal land. May the golden queen rest in peace.
I don't know who or why Jurian is back but in this moment I with Amarantha was still around to play with her toy.
I am done!!! SO DONE!
Fucking fucker fuck shit! Lucien really your are going to step so lowy for your master? Throw his bone and server your ties to him, he is nothing more than a beast with sweet words! I knew it! That lying priestess is nothing but twisted words and lies. She and the rest of them desire wrath like no other.
Okay, I don't like the king but I love that someone finally put a leash on Tamlin, now someone just needs to find those fancy chains the King loves so dearly, wrap them around Tamlin and throw him into a well for all eternity.
Ah, yes, Lucien is Elain's mate, and now that she is Fae it will be stronger and harder to avoid. Now for Nesta, the thought of finding her wrath in fae for brings a smile to my face, I hope Nesta and Feyre burn the Hybren castle to the ground.
Feyre is smart, that was heartbreaking, but she is smart and with a little thanks her family and friends, her mate and world will understand what she did was all to save them, nothing more and nothing less. A selfless act of pure love and a sprinkle of desperation I suspect.
Feyre cursebreaker, spellbreaker, and high lady of the night court. What a wonderful ring it has to it.
Many many pages later and I am on the ledge of hating Tamlin, taking back everything I had said before... I should just erase it, but that would feel like lying, because for a moment, a singular moment I held the hope he would redeem himself, that the Tamlin in the beginning was truly him inside. This was shattered into a thousand pieces.