Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Dark faery romance sequel filled with sex, gore, magic.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 29 parent reviews
Based on 137 kid reviews
Kids say this book offers a captivating plot filled with strong characters and a mix of romance and darker themes, but many reviewers caution that it contains graphic sexual content and violence, making it more suitable for mature teens, ideally 14 and older. While some readers found the explicit scenes not overly problematic due to their exposure to such themes, others felt the level of detail was inappropriate for younger audiences and suggested that parental discretion and individual maturity should guide the decision to read it.
- mature themes
- graphic content
- strong characters
- parental guidance
- age recommendation
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Following the events of Book 1, heroine Feyre is now an immortal faery who retains a human heart. She's wracked by guilt for the horrible deeds she's been forced to do to save faery lord Tamlin and many other faeries and humans. She's also preparing for her wedding to Tamlin, the love of her life -- or is he? He says he loves her and will do anything to protect her, but that seems to mean keeping her confined in his castle, suffocated in party planning, pretty dresses, and court intrigue. Then, on the big day, Rhysand, the fearsome High Lord of the Night Court sweeps her off to his realm, which turns out be be quite different from what she expected. So does dark, snarky Rhysand, with whom she soon discovers intense sexual chemistry. But an evil faery lord is plotting an invasion that will destroy both human and faery lands, and Rhys and his friends are the only obstacle in his path. Worse, Tamlin is mortally offended by Feyre's defection and plans war. Meanwhile, Feyre discovers she's acquired remarkable powers since her transformation and struggles to learn to use them.
Is It Any Good?
Sarah J. Maas delivers magical mind melds, hack-and-slash violence, ethical hand-wringing, emotional angst, and lots of hot faery sex in this hefty series installment sure to delight her fans. She also throws both heroine Feyre and the reader a bit of a curve, turning Book 1's romantic hero Tamlin into a control freak and sinister Night Court lord Rhysand into Feyre's new love. Whether the subject is a glorious night sky, a character's gory injuries, or raging lust, the skillfully crafted descriptions grab your attention.
A COURT OF MIST AND SHADOWS will please fans who like their romantic fantasy dark, violent, and convoluted. It's action-packed and loaded with complex, shifting cosmology, as well as real-life issues that resonate with teen: friendship, changing relationships, love gone wrong, family, loyalty, and more. For some, the oft-repeated hand-wringing and internal debate, as well as the dialogue's tendency to veer from medieval to millennial and back, may get old; for others, it's part of the charm.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about stories that put their heroes in impossible situations, where all their available choices have terrible costs. What other examples do you know?
What do you think of the level of sex and violence in A Court of Mist and Fury? Is it necessary to the storytelling and the characters, or is it excessive? Is there a different standard for fantasy books than realistic fiction?
If you were suddenly reborn as an immortal being, what would you find the hardest thing to get used to?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Superheroes , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Bloomsbury Children's Books
- Publication date : May 3, 2016
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 18
- Number of pages : 640
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate