I Read Something Bad Podcast
I Read Something Bad
010 A Court of Mist and Fury (ACOMAF) by Sarah J. Maas
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010 A Court of Mist and Fury (ACOMAF) by Sarah J. Maas

Healing from trauma through the power of restored agency, found family, and being truly seen
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Join Kate, Sarah, and Liz as we dive into A Court of Mist and Fury, where we're discovering that this isn't just about sexy faeries with wings (though we're here for that too) — it's actually a master class in recognizing red flags, valuing your own agency, and finding healing after trauma.

Turns out Sarah J. Maas might be doing more for women's emotional intelligence than all those "Biblical Womanhood" conferences combined. Who knew?

Topics Covered:

  • How Feyre's journey from decorative Spring Court trophy to High Lady of the Night Court is basically a guidebook for recognizing when you're being treated like property instead of a person (and why the "he's just protective" excuse is garbage)

  • Why it takes Rhysand's "wait, you get to make your own choices" approach for us to collectively realize how messed up Tamlin's control issues actually were — and why these patterns are so sneaky in real life patriarchal spaces

  • How having actual power and choice in your relationships dramatically affects your mental AND physical health (nursing school confirms: feeling powerless literally makes you sick!)

  • Why the Night Court's approach to community might be the church model we actually need — where people are valued, differences are celebrated, and everyone gets a voice (even when disagreeing with the High Lord)

  • The uncomfortable truth about why THOSE chapters hit different — they show what happens when emotional intimacy precedes physical intimacy in relationships built on mutual respect (something purity culture conveniently forgot to mention)

Careful, friends! This episode might just have you reconsidering power dynamics in your relationship, seeking out a real "inner circle" of safe people, and realizing that your endless inner monologue isn't annoying — it's just part of processing trauma. The audacity of a fantasy novel teaching us this stuff! 💁‍♀️📚✨

P.S. Remember our famous quote: "If reading these books makes you realize things about your relationship, the books didn't create the problem — they just revealed what was already there. That's like saying the MRI gave you the tumor it discovered." Harsh but true! 🔍

Timestamps:

02:33 Power and Agency in Relationships

20:44 Patriarchy and Feminism in the Story

29:15 Healing from Trauma

35:14 The Pain of Fractured Relationships

35:56 Inner Monologue and Self-Reflection

38:38 Chosen Family and Healing

42:28 Emotional Intimacy and Safe Relationships

57:10 The Power of Storytelling

01:07:16 Jesus and the Importance of Being Seen

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