Book Review: A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
“Only you can decide what breaks you, Cursebreaker. Only you.”
Title: A Court of Wings and Ruin
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series? A Court of Thorns and Roses (#3)
My Rating: ★★★★
Genre(s): Romantasy, Fiction
Age Range: Young Adult
Publication: 2 May 2017 (Bloomsbury USA Childrens)
CW: blood death, mentions of emotional abuse, mentions of rape, sex, violence, war
We have reached the end of the road, my friends.
Honestly, I didn’t want this series to come to an end. I guess it hasn’t totally concluded, given that there is still A Court of Frost and Starlight left to read. However, putting down this book felt like putting away one of the most marvelous stories I’ve had the pleasure of reading.
A Court of Wings and Ruin marks the climactic finish to the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. The characters prepare for war as Hybern secretly assembles its forces and the Night Court attempts to rally the support of the other High Lords of Prythian. The stakes are high and Feyre is willing to risk everything to save her people — those of the human realm, from whence she came, and the faerie realm, which she calls home.
SPOILERS AHEAD: If you haven’t read A Court of Thorns and Roses and A Court of Mist and Fury, you have been warned!Welcome (back) to the Spring Court, Feyre Archeron.
Whomp. Whomp. The story begins and Feyre is back at the Spring Court. A few chapters of this sent my anxiety into overdrive. As much as I hated that she was back within Tamlin’s grasp, playing the role of demure and feeble Feyre, I also kind of loved it, too.
Feyre enters the Court as a wolf in sheep’s clothing, easily convincing basically everyone that she was free from Rhys’s “spell”. Every step Feyre took was calculated, every movement sophisticated, and every word laced with subterfuge. To the readers, she was a High Lady with a mission. To the Spring Court, she was reunited with her one and only love. Gag.
I cheered with glee when Feyre got the hell out of there and made her return to the Night Court. This part dragged on for what felt like ages. Yes, I enjoyed seeing a walking tour of Prythian, particularly stretches to which we had not previously been introduced in the first two books. But by the time she was reacquainted with her chosen family, there was an audible sigh of relief on my part.
The war against Hybern rages on.
Let me be clear: this novel is very war-focused. There is romance and humour and all that jazz. It is a Maas novel, after all. But battle was the name of the game this time around. Not many romps in the gardens — unless you count a tent in a war camp a garden (IYKYK). I’m not a huge fan of battle in media; it just doesn’t pique my interest. But for these characters, I gave it my all.
The battle scenes were generally well-written although I wasn’t thrilled with how the fighting was narrated to the audience. By removing Feyre from the action, it made it confusing to understand and even boring at times. It reminded me of how Bella Swan is isolated from the battle in Eclipse. In both cases, the female protagonist largely witnesses the battle through the “eyes” — either figuratively or literally — of their male partner.
Overall, I most enjoyed reading any scene that took place at or in relation to the Night Court. Most entertaining was the interaction between the Inner Circle and the High Lords of the other courts. Finally, readers are introduced to the High Lords which really expanded the fictional world in my eyes. If you’re interested in a little political intrigue, this will be up your alley, too.
The best part of this novel — depending on your definition of “best — is Nesta.
Feyre’s sister, Nesta, is phenomenal in this series conclusion. By reading and watching other bloggers, I can tell I’m not the only one who thinks so. Nesta completely transforms in multiple ways in A Court of Wings and Ruin. Not only does she possess new and often mysterious powers that pose an interesting element to the story, but she is also a strong character in a way that is very different from the other female characters.
While Feyre completely assimilates to her new life as High Fae, as though destined to become one of them, and Elain clings to her mortal life, Nesta is stuck hanging in the balance. Her priorities are solely focused on protecting Elain. But she also fights an internal battle with herself which you get to see play out as the plot progresses.
To me, A Court of Wings and Ruin didn’t quite hold up to the rest of the books in the series, particularly its predecessor. For that reason, I gave it only a four-star rating. There were a few aspects of the plot I found a bit rushed, especially in the last 100+ pages. In the end, the strings were tied up and everything fell into place. And that’s all I’ll say about that!
A Court of Wings and Ruin was a wonderful finale which conclude Feyre’s story while allowing for further exploration of Prythian and the supporting characters.
Synopsis: Looming war threatens all Feyre holds dear in the third volume of the #1 New York Times bestselling A Court of Thorns and Roses series.
Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin’s manoeuvrings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit – and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.
As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords – and hunt for allies in unexpected places.
In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the earth will be painted red as mighty armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy them all.
Did A Court of Wings and Ruin meet your expectations? Let me know in the comments below!
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