Spoilery Book Reviews

A Court of Etcetera by Sarah J Maas

Back of the book

Feyre is a huntress.

The kin of a wolf would bring enough gold to feed her sisters for a month. But the life of a magical creature comes at a steep price, and Feyre has just killed the wrong wolf...

Taken prisoner by a High Fae Lord, Feyre learns that her masked captor is hiding even more than just his piercing gaze suggests. But as Feyre's feelings for Tamlin begin to burn through every warning she's heard about his kind, a shadow is falling across the land. And if Feyre cannot fight it, she will lose everything.

My thoughts

I like this book, despite its flaws. While reading I tend to ignore or just skip right over them. It's when I reflect on the novel afterwards to write a review, that I see all the problems.

It's been long enough since my last SJM read that I'm not bored of the tropes she employs. I picked this to read next because I wanted to read about a brooding, dark and evil love interest. Fourth Wing encouraged my appetite for book sex and I know the further into the series I get, the more will be delivered (*cough* Silver Flames).

Age gaps will always be problematic, and the way this type of immortal character is written is highly unrealistic. I know it's a fantasy series, but I want an explanation for why 500+ year old characters can be as immature – or even more so! – than the 19-year-old protagonist. Their body refuses to age and apparently so does their mind. While reading I totally ignored the age factor because when you actualise it, a 500 year old immortal wanting to jump into bed with a 19 year old is terribly uncomfortable. Should I mention we are only shown examples of much older males wanting to get into the bed of much younger females? SJM's heteronormativity is an issue for another paragraph.

Feyre's change of heart is a stretch, and it feels like Stockholm Syndrome. Firstly, regretting killing Andras. In the situational context, starving and hunting for her next meal, when a wolf appeared it was a perfectly sensible course of action to kill and skin it. Eat or be eaten; kill or be killed. Even with her suspicions it was Fae, Feyre has only heard bad things and that Fae are more dangerous to her than a wolf. Furthermore, Lucien and Tamlin never elaborate upon Andras as a person, to build him into a real character that is missed. Feyre's later regret over killing Andras is an obvious manipulation of the reader, to open the door for loving Tamlin.

I don't see how or why Feyre falls for Tamlin other than she's supposed to for the plot. At best it is painted as a pity attraction, 'you have a hard life too.' Feyre confuses freedom from responsibility, and her lust for Tamlin, for love. Tamlin is not very present around the manor and very occasionally engages in acts of kindness. Once the full extent of the curse is revealed to Feyre, and that her killing Andras and staying at Spring Court was a set-up, it would make more sense for her character to despise Tamlin for the set up. Feyre does not like to be fooled, lied to by omission, but in this circumstance she accepts, forgives and then dives Under the Mountain. I understand that Tamlin's motives will always not make sense to the reader until the curse is explained, but Feyre should have better reasons.

Two more points:

Pacing – Under the Mountain was the best part of the book and I wish it had been more like that.

Small comparison – when Fourth Wing tried to talk about sex it seemed a little forced and out of place. I knew from the language it was opening the door to the characters engaging in sex. When SJM leads us down that path, it feels very natural, although her wording was disappointing compared to Fourth Wing. SJM finds every possible way to not directly say: she orgasmed.

ACOMAF

I devoured this book much too quickly to have any critical thoughts about it. While the first book was fluffy nonsense until under the mountain, this book did have actual events and action throughout, but did still fall into long detail sharing that was hard to swallow all at once. I enjoy characters suffering but I felt bad for Tamlin being shifted to the villain with no subtlety.

My other major gripe was magic in this series is inconsistent and always serves whatever purpose SJM needs it to. For someone who has dabbled in fanfiction, this makes it terribly tricky because there are no clear rules to follow.

I loved the twist ending where everything actually went wrong for them. Now that I have read the third one, I know this one is my favourite. The pacing was consistent enough to ignore the infodumps throughout the place and we get to unveil all the secrets that were hinted at before. Feyre suffering and beginning her healing journey, while engaging in side adventures and flirting with Rhysand kept me very entertained.

ACOWAR

Choppy writing really bothered me in this one. I understand there was a lot of action,

And separating your sentences.

Creates drama.

Suspense.

It didn't need to be all written like that. Lost its effectiveness when it felt like the whole book followed that choppy pattern. Another overused feature I didn't mention from the previous books, was how much Feyre vomits, or is nauseous. SJM needs to find a new way to show feeling other than Feyre vomiting her guts up every time she is upset, uncomfortable or suffering a flashback.

This book had an uncomfortable focus on sex. Firstly, sex scenes or sexual suggestions at wildly inappropriate times. These were not a 'reprieve' from the stress but an uncomfortable shift in the mood. Secondly, Feyre's obsession with who everyone else is banging. She spends so much time analysing the dynamic between Azriel, Mor and Cassian. These characters have known each other for CENTURIES, so they've had a long time to sort their shit out. Hard to believe their trio has so much tension when they are firm friends and have been for HUNDREDS of years. Surely at some point they would have sorted out their differences. Much to Feyre's delight, she also has her sisters to intrusively speculate about who they like. I did not enjoy her intrusive observations regarding Nesta, Cassian, Elain, Azriel and Lucien. Get your nose out of other people's business.

Thirdly, the sex insults. When all the High Lords meet to discuss the war, it devolves into arguing, and all the insults are sex-shaming. Calling Rhysand a whore, calling Feyre a whore, Tamlin calling her 'spoiled goods' and other variations of humiliating each other by what occurs in the bedroom. I detested that tone, it felt childish and cheap. Were sex-insults the only rift SJM could imagine between all these powerful High Lords? For a series that contains a lot of sex, I was uncomfortable with all the slut shaming and the message that sends.

My last few gripes are about inconsistency. I don't remember which book it was but Feyre sees a physically old looking Fae. This makes no sense as Rhysand is 500+ years old and looks youthful so what does it say about the age of the Fae she saw... I have too many questions. Magic continues to work however SJM wills it without laws. Can Feyre and Rhysand talk mind to mind because they are Daemati, because they are mated, or from the bargain bond they made? Can all mates talk mind to mind? Feyre being a High Lady we were told was impossible but is now magically possible because it shits on Tamlin for not making her his equal.

In conclusion, I enjoy reading this series, so please don't be discouraged by the negative tone of this review. A fantasy series with a stunning setting, battling racism between humans and faeries, war, and a female lead discovering her strength and freedom.

ACOFAS

A tiny, fluffy epilogue/prequel. The little novella has no substance, makes the characters seem shallow and foreshadows all of the things to come: pregnancy, Cassian and Nesta, female Illyrian training. Not worth a read unless you really are desperate to spend more time with all these characters.

TL:DR

I criticised the shit out of these books but I actually really like them. If you don't think too hard while reading these books are great.