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A Court of Thorns and Roses #3
A Court of Wings and Ruin
Goodreads Choice Award
Winner for Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2017)FEYRE WILL BRING VENGEANCE.
She has left the Night Court - and her High Lord - and is playing a deadly game of deceit. In the Spring Court, Tamlin is making deals with the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees, and Feyre is determined to uncover his plans. But to do so she must weave a web of lies, and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.
As mighty armies grapple for power, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords - and hunt for allies in unexpected places.
BUT WHILE WAR RAGES, IT IS HER HEART THAT WILL FACE THE GREATEST BATTLE.
THE THRILLING THIRD BOOK IN #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING FANTASY SERIES FROM SARAH J. MAAS.
She has left the Night Court - and her High Lord - and is playing a deadly game of deceit. In the Spring Court, Tamlin is making deals with the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees, and Feyre is determined to uncover his plans. But to do so she must weave a web of lies, and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.
As mighty armies grapple for power, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords - and hunt for allies in unexpected places.
BUT WHILE WAR RAGES, IT IS HER HEART THAT WILL FACE THE GREATEST BATTLE.
THE THRILLING THIRD BOOK IN #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING FANTASY SERIES FROM SARAH J. MAAS.
705 pages, Paperback
First published May 2, 2017
About the author
Sarah J. Maas
94 books412k followersSarah J. Maas is the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the Crescent City, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and the Throne of Glass series. Her books have sold more than twelve million copies and are published in thirty-seven languages. A New York native, Sarah lives in Philadelphia with her husband, son, and dog. To find out more, visit sarahjmaas.com or follow @therealsjmaas on Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109,631 reviews
April 29, 2018
202.
That’s the number of times that the word “mate,” in any of its hellish forms, is used in this book.
TWO.
HUNDRED.
AND.
TWO.
https://emmareadstoomuch.wordpress.co...
That statistic alone should be enough to justify this one star rating. If you feel satisfied enough to just remove yourself from this review, run with that feeling. Because I have, like. Seven pages of sh*t to complain about.
That’s if I’m efficient.
And I’ve never been an efficient reviewer. Once. In my life. I counted two hundred (and two) uses of a word over seven hundred pages. That shouldn’t scream “rational and in control of her passionate fury” to you.
So buckle up, buttercup. We’ve got some categories to run through.
DISCLAIMER : This review is teeming with spoilers. It is also X-rated, due to the strength of my anger and the copious sex scenes in the source material.
I HATE THESE CHARACTERS
Rhys makes me cringe harder than Renee Zellweger in Bridget Jones’ Diary. (At least that movie has both Colin Firth and Hugh Grant to distract me from Renee viciously critiquing her own body and, like, spilling coffee all over herself or whatever.) He is capable of two actions, like a mildly impressive Ken doll: 1) sex person and 2) valiant hero trying to kill himself in the name of his friends constantly. Either he is full on f*cking Feyre (sick alliteration, Emma) or he must be actively prevented from jumping in front of poisoned weapons with the half-hearted motivation of Heroism To Save My Family (even if it’s not at all clear why doing this would save them, because whatever none of the plans in this book make a lick of sense anyway).
Because, as if this book weren’t fun enough, it rivals the Fast and the Furious franchise for use of the my-real-family-is-the-one-I-made-not-the-one-I-was-born-with cliché.
Like Rhys, Feyre also manages to find time in her packed schedule of sex scenes and repetitive dialogue to be incredibly, incontrovertibly dumb. For example, when she traps Ianthe and ties her up or whatever, she spends an unbelievable amount of time indulging an evil-villain-revenge rant. Just enough time for her to be CAUGHT BY THE DAEMATI (a Cassandra Clare-esque douchey term that pretty much means “species of bad guy,” to the best of my recollection). So much of this book was me silently screaming.
Speaking of the aforementioned schedule, it’s no wonder that that thing Feyre used to do called “painting” is dropped like a hot potato. She never does it, but it’s mentioned a handful of times in the beginning of the book. And then forgotten. And then, suddenly, almost at the merciful end of this suffering: “The movement so perfect that I knew I’d one day paint it.” We’re still pretending that Feyre paints? Between the same diverse selection of identical sex scenes, identical training scenes, identical war discussion scenes, I don’t think she has time for something so banal as a singular interest or hobby. Idk if we’ll have time; I think she’ll have to get to third base with Rhys in a perfumed bath later.
At least Feyre is brave and strong, though. Which is why she’s “too tired” to do anything after a loooong day of watching other people fight in a battle, followed by Mor winnowing her home. So courageous. How does she do it.
Plus, she’s a brilliant friend. Which is why, when Morrigan confronts her for lying, leaving, making her and everyone else fear she has died and also making Mor responsible for it, Feyre’s response is “OH YA??? WELL YOU HAVE A CRUSH ON AZRIEL.”
Truly a depiction of a powerful woman for the ages.
And I don’t get Lucien’s appeal. Do we like him out of the same reason we like Draco? (I’m saying “we” as if I like either of those characters.) Is it an omg-he’s-just-trying-to-do-right-he-didn’t-know-any-better type situation? Because Draco is a child trying to impress a father who doesn’t love him and I still don’t totally buy that. I’m still not a Draco fan. And Tamlin is not Lucien’s daddy, although...maybe a more interesting book if he were.
Cassian and Azriel are both flat and boring. Amren is characterized so inconsistently that it’s impossible for me to know whether I like her or not. (I’m going to say “not” - seems like a safer bet.) Nesta is almost cool, but the whole I Am Mean And Hard And Damaged thing goes too far. And Elain just floats around and lets things happen to her.
Morrigan, never all that interesting, now just represents the worst bisexuality rep I’ve ever read.
It’s never a good sign when you’re praying for characters to die in battle just so you can catch a f*cking break.
But guess what. None of them do.
THE WRITING SUCKS, ON BOTH A COPYEDITING LEVEL AND A SUBSTANTIVE LEVEL
I truly believe that whatever team of sad sacks was assigned to copyedit this book was physically unable to attentively read it. And I cannot blame them. But it does allow for some hilarious mistakes to make it through these dull, dull pages.
Example: “She did not avert her eyes from the Morrigan.” That pesky “the” makes her seem like a pro wrestler, or someone with a fun nickname, rather than the personification of the worst bi rep ever to grace young adult pages. But we’ll get to that.
There are so many ellipses and dashes and italicizations and...other - ways: of breaking up the TEXT that it actually gave me motion sickness. On top of everything else this book has made me suffer through.
Maybe if a copyeditor had found the strength to make it through this book, they could have stopped the way SJM insists on using the term “Hybern.” IT MEANS SO MANY THINGS. “Hybern” is used as the nomer of the evil king, the word for his people, the name of his kingdom, and the title of the land it’s situated on. That is just...basic bad worldbuilding, no?
Also, a monster creature thing described as having no eyelids narrows its eyes. This inspired a fifteen minute long discussion with my roommates on whether eyes can narrow without eyelids. We came to a unanimous consensus: no, they cannot.
Also, as Val pointed out in her amazing review of this book, the words “vulgar gesture” are used over. And over. And over again. WHAT DO THESE USES MEAN. WHY DO THEY CONSTANTLY INSPIRE LAUGHTER IN WHATEVERGLORIFIED PROP CHARACTER WHO HAPPENS TO BE NEARBY. IS THIS TACTIC SUPPOSED TO REPLACE ACTUAL JOKES OR BANTER? Because it doesn’t. It just makes me angry, and also confused, which makes me even angrier.
And who thought that was even possible.
WHAT IS THIS ATTEMPT AT HIGH FANTASY LANGUAGE
Except then, y’know, Rhys and Feyre and the Gang are also so hip and cool and up to date that this book uses the word “fuckable,” a word so slang-y that my laptop recognizes it as a typo for “suckable” or “faceable,” whatever the hell those words are.
Otherwise, the only other remarkable attempt at making this any different from the way humans speak in 2017: the use of the word “male.”
Women are sometimes called “females” in this, but are also called women and girls and whatnot. Men, on the other hand, are absolutely only called males. There’s an amazing moment when SJM refers to Rhys as a man, and then instantly, like, corrects herself. So it reads on the page as “man - male -”
It makes no sense. I love it.
It’s truly the little things.
THE END OF THIS BOOK IS JUST A LISTING OF CLICHES
As the war we’ve waited for finally arrives, and so does the time for motivational speeches and tragic goodbyes and other things that fail to make me feel something, SJM loses it entirely.
Nearly every line of dialogue in this section is just a cliché, and so I will copy and paste them here, for your perusal and accompanying amusement.
“Leave this world…a better place than how you found it.”
“One life may change the world.”
“I believe everything happens for a reason.”
“It is the family you make, not the one you are born into, that matters.”
“Light can be found even in the darkest of hells.”
“The great joy and honor of my life has been to know you.”
“I wasn’t sure if in the entire history of Illyria, there had ever been such a discussion.”
So bad. And, therefore, so good.
LET’S LAUGH AT DUMB THINGS
The moments when this may or may not be attempting to instill some sort of entertainment or amusement in its reader do not work at all. Luckily, we have something much better: Really dumb stuff. It is much more fun (and nourishing to the very soul, like a bowl of chicken soup - so pretty much the series of books “Chicken Soup for the Soul”) to laugh at something unintentional and dumb than it is to laugh at a cheap joke. This is why the show America’s Funniest Home Videos has been on for twenty-eight seasons, and like a thousand interchangeable bad sitcoms are canceled every year.
For example, this passage. Feyre and Rhysand are apart, blah blah blah, it’s the tragedy of the century (or millennium, since these boring ass people live for infinity, because there is no justice in this world). Unsurprisingly, they use their mind control powers for a saintly motivation: sexting. Which is already so hilarious. But it gets even better, because:
“I sent back an image of me sticking out my tongue at him.
My clothes were back on when his answer arrived.
Like mine, it was wordless, a mere image. Like mine, Rhysand’s tongue was out.
But it was occupied with doing something else.”
I choose to interpret this statement the same way a middle schooler interprets the existence of performer Marilyn Manson based on a shady rumor he once heard about a surgery to remove three ribs. I believe that this is incontrovertible evidence that Rhysand can suck his own d*ck. WHAT ELSE COULD HE POSSIBLY BE DOING. WHAT COULD IT POSSIBLY BE OCCUPIED WITH. SJM I JUST WANNA TALK.
But just as often as I was making myself laugh by making Rhys my YA fantasy version of Marilyn Manson, I was being equally amused by seemingly innocuous lines. Like when Eris, scary villain/abuser extraordinaire, was bidding The Night Gang adieu and said, “See you at the meeting in twelve days.” I MEAN. WHAT. WHO SPEAKS LIKE THAT. Even dialogue is just an opportunity to force an info dump. You guys, seriously: this book is so poorly written.
LET’S SCREAM ABOUT DUMB THINGS
Sometimes, or most of the time depending on how you look at it, I do not want to laugh at the dumb things. Sometimes I am incapable of it, because this book is an ungodly length and so much of it is long-term stupidity.
Chapter 45, for example. Or, as I like to call it, “That Meeting in Twelve Days Finally Happens.” Yes, this book is so boring that we are expected to anticipate an actual, literal meeting. Sure, it’s a meeting between high lords to talk about war, but it’s still a sit-down political discussion. And also it’s just the same endless repetitive cycle of insult dialogue feat. fun moments of The Night Gang being the least convincing people on the entirety of the Earth.
There’s an especially great moment in that adrenaline-inducing conference. For the 800 pages leading up to it, Rhys is all, “Ok, Feyre. Listen up. Number one thing - just don’t show your powers, k? Long story short the Powerful Men are going to get pissy and then…well y’know these negotiations are the most important thing to happen in hundreds of years, which I should know because I’ve been alive for that long, even though you’re, what, fresh outta adolescence? Anyway just the only thing you should do is not show your powers.” To which Feyre’s response is, “Got it. *shows powers instantly*”
YES. Feyre shows her powers at the meeting!! So quickly!!! She doesn’t even try all that hard, and, as promised, it almost derails the nonstop excitement of this much-anticipated civilized forum! Almost. Except then everything works out, as it always does, by Feyre saying something totally normal, 6/10 at best, and everyone being like “wow omg...who is this girl...she is so smart and brave and honest and we respect her so much” so that Rhys can be like “that’s my mate lol.”
IRRELEVANT COMPLAINING
The only way to make the experience of reading a deeply unpleasant, extremely long book worse is to publish that book with goddamn tissue paper pages. This was like reading the Bible but without the action. And with a whole lot more smut.
I’m tucking this quote in this section too, because I don’t know if I’m being persnickety, but at one point, it’s said that “Only a madman would wield the might of his army just to get revenge on three women.” And my question is, why use the word “women”? Why not “people”? Is it more insane if it’s women? Why is that? TELL ME WHY. REALLY I JUST WANNA TALK.
PLOTLINE? WHAT PLOTLINE
This book is just...so boring.
There are countless info dumps, which, I mean. There’s no excuse for that in a third book. This was going to be the last book in the series, when there was still hope in the world and I prayed that somehow SJM actually was writing these books for some sort of artistic fulfillment rather than money. How, I ask you, would there still be so much sh*tty worldbuilding in the last book in a series?
OH YES, THIS BOOK IS DEFINITELY WOKE AND NOT THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE OF THAT ENTIRELY
SJM has been getting a lot of sh*t lately for her white/straight/cis narratives. So it’s no surprise that she would try to get those pesky activists off her back this time. Unfortunately, she does a remarkably bad job.
This book is all straight people except for LGBT+ relationships based on sex alone, or in an unequal relationship wherein one person has authority over another. (Examples: a high lord whose bisexuality extends purely to the fact that he’s into threesomes; a military captain dating his high lord/commander/boss.)
Plus, there’s bisexuality rep so terrible it took me hours to make it through a handful of pages. But that gets a category of its own.
I also shouldn’t be surprised at the redemption of abusers in this book. Because Tamlin, in ACOTAR, was just a Nice Guy. Fine. But the fangirls loved a certain bad boy guest star with purple eyes. So, instead of creating a love triangle or transitioning between love interests like a normal person, SJM made him into an actual abuser. A villain.
That’s also fine. But you can’t just redeem him like you could redeem the unloved side of a love triangle. Because you made him into a genuinely bad person.
Unfortunately, SJM must have missed that memo. She must have missed it three times, actually, because Eris also gets redemption (and a throne!). As does his enabler brother, Lucien. Wonderful. Abuse apologists for the win.
But this book is totally, definitely feminist, right??? I mean, female protagonist! War plotline! It must be, by default! So when Cassian says “I told you that the moment we started letting females into our group, they’d be nothing but trouble”, and woke king Rhys responds, “You actually said you needed a reprieve from staring at our ugly faces, and that some ladies would add some much needed prettiness for you to look at all day.” it’s totally fine!
So it’s an utter shock that this narrative also lives nearly entirely within the bounds of gender roles. Reading about men (Rhys, Cassian, Azriel, all the high lords) fighting in battle while the women (Feyre, Mor, Elain, Nesta, Cresseida) watch and tend to the wounded later is so refreshing. Doesn’t make me want to blow my brains out at all.
And no, Mor being assigned to babysit Feyre later on, only heading into battle because Feyre tricks her into fighting so she can sneak away does not make it better, thanks.
This is definitely, certainly the feminist YA fantasy you’ve been waiting for, folks.
THE WORST BI REP EVER TO HIT THE SHELVES, WHICH IS INSANE BECAUSE WHEN IS THERE E V E R GOOD BI REP
But I haven’t mentioned the most unforgivable thing yet. The thing that made this book my first SJM one-star, after giving every other book I’ve read by her two stars. The thing that actually made me feel real hatred and fury and, worst of all, sadness.
Truly, the worst bisexual representation I have ever read comes in the final chapters of this book. I’ve read a lot of bad bisexual rep. And it’s endlessly upsetting. But none of it felt quite like this.
Apparently, Sarah J. Maas decided in the third book that she wanted to stop getting sh*t for her heteronormativity. So she decided to take a character who had been established as straight, and make her bi.
So she took this character, Morrigan. She makes Morrigan cry. She writes Morrigan’s impassioned speech to Feyre. This is Morrigan’s coming out, for the first time. Morrigan says that she prefers women. To the point that she is only capable of feeling romantic love for a women.
But occasionally, she will force herself to sleep with a man. In order “to keep people from looking too closely.” Instead of telling the man who has been in love with her for centuries that she doesn’t love him back, won’t ever love him back, she forces herself to sleep with men when he’ll know that she’s done it, so that she still seems straight but he’ll know she doesn’t love him.
And the author dubs it bisexuality.
I hate that she felt entitled to use this underrepresented, misunderstood sexuality as a playing piece in her own quest to be well-liked. I hate that the hundreds of thousands of people who read this book have been given this depiction of bisexuality. And I hate that Sarah J. Maas will keep writing wildly successful books. Books in this very series, depicting this character in this way and calling it “bisexuality.”
It’s unfair. It’s awful. And I am never, never, never going to forget that it happened.
Bottom line: I didn’t expect to like this book. But I also didn’t expect it would become one of my least favorite books I’ve ever read.
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pre-review
I did it.
Everyone told me I couldn't do it. Just DNF it, they said. You're being insane, they said. Why would you force yourself through 700 pages of misery? Actually, didn't you hate the second book? Why did you even pick up the third book, you f*cking fool?
And you know what? They were right, because that was stupid.
But also THEY WERE WRONG, because I FINISHED THIS GODDAMN NIGHTMARE OF A NOVEL.
It may have taken me eight months. But it's over.
Review (of a lifetime) to come
----
currently-reading updates
THIS MONTH IS THE MONTH WHEN I FINISH THIS BOOK.
----
150 pages in and already bored as hell.
Cauldron help me make it through
That’s the number of times that the word “mate,” in any of its hellish forms, is used in this book.
TWO.
HUNDRED.
AND.
TWO.
https://emmareadstoomuch.wordpress.co...
That statistic alone should be enough to justify this one star rating. If you feel satisfied enough to just remove yourself from this review, run with that feeling. Because I have, like. Seven pages of sh*t to complain about.
That’s if I’m efficient.
And I’ve never been an efficient reviewer. Once. In my life. I counted two hundred (and two) uses of a word over seven hundred pages. That shouldn’t scream “rational and in control of her passionate fury” to you.
So buckle up, buttercup. We’ve got some categories to run through.
DISCLAIMER : This review is teeming with spoilers. It is also X-rated, due to the strength of my anger and the copious sex scenes in the source material.
I HATE THESE CHARACTERS
Rhys makes me cringe harder than Renee Zellweger in Bridget Jones’ Diary. (At least that movie has both Colin Firth and Hugh Grant to distract me from Renee viciously critiquing her own body and, like, spilling coffee all over herself or whatever.) He is capable of two actions, like a mildly impressive Ken doll: 1) sex person and 2) valiant hero trying to kill himself in the name of his friends constantly. Either he is full on f*cking Feyre (sick alliteration, Emma) or he must be actively prevented from jumping in front of poisoned weapons with the half-hearted motivation of Heroism To Save My Family (even if it’s not at all clear why doing this would save them, because whatever none of the plans in this book make a lick of sense anyway).
Because, as if this book weren’t fun enough, it rivals the Fast and the Furious franchise for use of the my-real-family-is-the-one-I-made-not-the-one-I-was-born-with cliché.
Like Rhys, Feyre also manages to find time in her packed schedule of sex scenes and repetitive dialogue to be incredibly, incontrovertibly dumb. For example, when she traps Ianthe and ties her up or whatever, she spends an unbelievable amount of time indulging an evil-villain-revenge rant. Just enough time for her to be CAUGHT BY THE DAEMATI (a Cassandra Clare-esque douchey term that pretty much means “species of bad guy,” to the best of my recollection). So much of this book was me silently screaming.
Speaking of the aforementioned schedule, it’s no wonder that that thing Feyre used to do called “painting” is dropped like a hot potato. She never does it, but it’s mentioned a handful of times in the beginning of the book. And then forgotten. And then, suddenly, almost at the merciful end of this suffering: “The movement so perfect that I knew I’d one day paint it.” We’re still pretending that Feyre paints? Between the same diverse selection of identical sex scenes, identical training scenes, identical war discussion scenes, I don’t think she has time for something so banal as a singular interest or hobby. Idk if we’ll have time; I think she’ll have to get to third base with Rhys in a perfumed bath later.
At least Feyre is brave and strong, though. Which is why she’s “too tired” to do anything after a loooong day of watching other people fight in a battle, followed by Mor winnowing her home. So courageous. How does she do it.
Plus, she’s a brilliant friend. Which is why, when Morrigan confronts her for lying, leaving, making her and everyone else fear she has died and also making Mor responsible for it, Feyre’s response is “OH YA??? WELL YOU HAVE A CRUSH ON AZRIEL.”
Truly a depiction of a powerful woman for the ages.
And I don’t get Lucien’s appeal. Do we like him out of the same reason we like Draco? (I’m saying “we” as if I like either of those characters.) Is it an omg-he’s-just-trying-to-do-right-he-didn’t-know-any-better type situation? Because Draco is a child trying to impress a father who doesn’t love him and I still don’t totally buy that. I’m still not a Draco fan. And Tamlin is not Lucien’s daddy, although...maybe a more interesting book if he were.
Cassian and Azriel are both flat and boring. Amren is characterized so inconsistently that it’s impossible for me to know whether I like her or not. (I’m going to say “not” - seems like a safer bet.) Nesta is almost cool, but the whole I Am Mean And Hard And Damaged thing goes too far. And Elain just floats around and lets things happen to her.
Morrigan, never all that interesting, now just represents the worst bisexuality rep I’ve ever read.
It’s never a good sign when you’re praying for characters to die in battle just so you can catch a f*cking break.
But guess what. None of them do.
THE WRITING SUCKS, ON BOTH A COPYEDITING LEVEL AND A SUBSTANTIVE LEVEL
I truly believe that whatever team of sad sacks was assigned to copyedit this book was physically unable to attentively read it. And I cannot blame them. But it does allow for some hilarious mistakes to make it through these dull, dull pages.
Example: “She did not avert her eyes from the Morrigan.” That pesky “the” makes her seem like a pro wrestler, or someone with a fun nickname, rather than the personification of the worst bi rep ever to grace young adult pages. But we’ll get to that.
There are so many ellipses and dashes and italicizations and...other - ways: of breaking up the TEXT that it actually gave me motion sickness. On top of everything else this book has made me suffer through.
Maybe if a copyeditor had found the strength to make it through this book, they could have stopped the way SJM insists on using the term “Hybern.” IT MEANS SO MANY THINGS. “Hybern” is used as the nomer of the evil king, the word for his people, the name of his kingdom, and the title of the land it’s situated on. That is just...basic bad worldbuilding, no?
Also, a monster creature thing described as having no eyelids narrows its eyes. This inspired a fifteen minute long discussion with my roommates on whether eyes can narrow without eyelids. We came to a unanimous consensus: no, they cannot.
Also, as Val pointed out in her amazing review of this book, the words “vulgar gesture” are used over. And over. And over again. WHAT DO THESE USES MEAN. WHY DO THEY CONSTANTLY INSPIRE LAUGHTER IN WHATEVER
And who thought that was even possible.
WHAT IS THIS ATTEMPT AT HIGH FANTASY LANGUAGE
Except then, y’know, Rhys and Feyre and the Gang are also so hip and cool and up to date that this book uses the word “fuckable,” a word so slang-y that my laptop recognizes it as a typo for “suckable” or “faceable,” whatever the hell those words are.
Otherwise, the only other remarkable attempt at making this any different from the way humans speak in 2017: the use of the word “male.”
Women are sometimes called “females” in this, but are also called women and girls and whatnot. Men, on the other hand, are absolutely only called males. There’s an amazing moment when SJM refers to Rhys as a man, and then instantly, like, corrects herself. So it reads on the page as “man - male -”
It makes no sense. I love it.
It’s truly the little things.
THE END OF THIS BOOK IS JUST A LISTING OF CLICHES
As the war we’ve waited for finally arrives, and so does the time for motivational speeches and tragic goodbyes and other things that fail to make me feel something, SJM loses it entirely.
Nearly every line of dialogue in this section is just a cliché, and so I will copy and paste them here, for your perusal and accompanying amusement.
“Leave this world…a better place than how you found it.”
“One life may change the world.”
“I believe everything happens for a reason.”
“It is the family you make, not the one you are born into, that matters.”
“Light can be found even in the darkest of hells.”
“The great joy and honor of my life has been to know you.”
“I wasn’t sure if in the entire history of Illyria, there had ever been such a discussion.”
So bad. And, therefore, so good.
LET’S LAUGH AT DUMB THINGS
The moments when this may or may not be attempting to instill some sort of entertainment or amusement in its reader do not work at all. Luckily, we have something much better: Really dumb stuff. It is much more fun (and nourishing to the very soul, like a bowl of chicken soup - so pretty much the series of books “Chicken Soup for the Soul”) to laugh at something unintentional and dumb than it is to laugh at a cheap joke. This is why the show America’s Funniest Home Videos has been on for twenty-eight seasons, and like a thousand interchangeable bad sitcoms are canceled every year.
For example, this passage. Feyre and Rhysand are apart, blah blah blah, it’s the tragedy of the century (or millennium, since these boring ass people live for infinity, because there is no justice in this world). Unsurprisingly, they use their mind control powers for a saintly motivation: sexting. Which is already so hilarious. But it gets even better, because:
“I sent back an image of me sticking out my tongue at him.
My clothes were back on when his answer arrived.
Like mine, it was wordless, a mere image. Like mine, Rhysand’s tongue was out.
But it was occupied with doing something else.”
I choose to interpret this statement the same way a middle schooler interprets the existence of performer Marilyn Manson based on a shady rumor he once heard about a surgery to remove three ribs. I believe that this is incontrovertible evidence that Rhysand can suck his own d*ck. WHAT ELSE COULD HE POSSIBLY BE DOING. WHAT COULD IT POSSIBLY BE OCCUPIED WITH. SJM I JUST WANNA TALK.
But just as often as I was making myself laugh by making Rhys my YA fantasy version of Marilyn Manson, I was being equally amused by seemingly innocuous lines. Like when Eris, scary villain/abuser extraordinaire, was bidding The Night Gang adieu and said, “See you at the meeting in twelve days.” I MEAN. WHAT. WHO SPEAKS LIKE THAT. Even dialogue is just an opportunity to force an info dump. You guys, seriously: this book is so poorly written.
LET’S SCREAM ABOUT DUMB THINGS
Sometimes, or most of the time depending on how you look at it, I do not want to laugh at the dumb things. Sometimes I am incapable of it, because this book is an ungodly length and so much of it is long-term stupidity.
Chapter 45, for example. Or, as I like to call it, “That Meeting in Twelve Days Finally Happens.” Yes, this book is so boring that we are expected to anticipate an actual, literal meeting. Sure, it’s a meeting between high lords to talk about war, but it’s still a sit-down political discussion. And also it’s just the same endless repetitive cycle of insult dialogue feat. fun moments of The Night Gang being the least convincing people on the entirety of the Earth.
There’s an especially great moment in that adrenaline-inducing conference. For the 800 pages leading up to it, Rhys is all, “Ok, Feyre. Listen up. Number one thing - just don’t show your powers, k? Long story short the Powerful Men are going to get pissy and then…well y’know these negotiations are the most important thing to happen in hundreds of years, which I should know because I’ve been alive for that long, even though you’re, what, fresh outta adolescence? Anyway just the only thing you should do is not show your powers.” To which Feyre’s response is, “Got it. *shows powers instantly*”
YES. Feyre shows her powers at the meeting!! So quickly!!! She doesn’t even try all that hard, and, as promised, it almost derails the nonstop excitement of this much-anticipated civilized forum! Almost. Except then everything works out, as it always does, by Feyre saying something totally normal, 6/10 at best, and everyone being like “wow omg...who is this girl...she is so smart and brave and honest and we respect her so much” so that Rhys can be like “that’s my mate lol.”
IRRELEVANT COMPLAINING
The only way to make the experience of reading a deeply unpleasant, extremely long book worse is to publish that book with goddamn tissue paper pages. This was like reading the Bible but without the action. And with a whole lot more smut.
I’m tucking this quote in this section too, because I don’t know if I’m being persnickety, but at one point, it’s said that “Only a madman would wield the might of his army just to get revenge on three women.” And my question is, why use the word “women”? Why not “people”? Is it more insane if it’s women? Why is that? TELL ME WHY. REALLY I JUST WANNA TALK.
PLOTLINE? WHAT PLOTLINE
This book is just...so boring.
There are countless info dumps, which, I mean. There’s no excuse for that in a third book. This was going to be the last book in the series, when there was still hope in the world and I prayed that somehow SJM actually was writing these books for some sort of artistic fulfillment rather than money. How, I ask you, would there still be so much sh*tty worldbuilding in the last book in a series?
OH YES, THIS BOOK IS DEFINITELY WOKE AND NOT THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE OF THAT ENTIRELY
SJM has been getting a lot of sh*t lately for her white/straight/cis narratives. So it’s no surprise that she would try to get those pesky activists off her back this time. Unfortunately, she does a remarkably bad job.
This book is all straight people except for LGBT+ relationships based on sex alone, or in an unequal relationship wherein one person has authority over another. (Examples: a high lord whose bisexuality extends purely to the fact that he’s into threesomes; a military captain dating his high lord/commander/boss.)
Plus, there’s bisexuality rep so terrible it took me hours to make it through a handful of pages. But that gets a category of its own.
I also shouldn’t be surprised at the redemption of abusers in this book. Because Tamlin, in ACOTAR, was just a Nice Guy. Fine. But the fangirls loved a certain bad boy guest star with purple eyes. So, instead of creating a love triangle or transitioning between love interests like a normal person, SJM made him into an actual abuser. A villain.
That’s also fine. But you can’t just redeem him like you could redeem the unloved side of a love triangle. Because you made him into a genuinely bad person.
Unfortunately, SJM must have missed that memo. She must have missed it three times, actually, because Eris also gets redemption (and a throne!). As does his enabler brother, Lucien. Wonderful. Abuse apologists for the win.
But this book is totally, definitely feminist, right??? I mean, female protagonist! War plotline! It must be, by default! So when Cassian says “I told you that the moment we started letting females into our group, they’d be nothing but trouble”, and woke king Rhys responds, “You actually said you needed a reprieve from staring at our ugly faces, and that some ladies would add some much needed prettiness for you to look at all day.” it’s totally fine!
So it’s an utter shock that this narrative also lives nearly entirely within the bounds of gender roles. Reading about men (Rhys, Cassian, Azriel, all the high lords) fighting in battle while the women (Feyre, Mor, Elain, Nesta, Cresseida) watch and tend to the wounded later is so refreshing. Doesn’t make me want to blow my brains out at all.
And no, Mor being assigned to babysit Feyre later on, only heading into battle because Feyre tricks her into fighting so she can sneak away does not make it better, thanks.
This is definitely, certainly the feminist YA fantasy you’ve been waiting for, folks.
THE WORST BI REP EVER TO HIT THE SHELVES, WHICH IS INSANE BECAUSE WHEN IS THERE E V E R GOOD BI REP
But I haven’t mentioned the most unforgivable thing yet. The thing that made this book my first SJM one-star, after giving every other book I’ve read by her two stars. The thing that actually made me feel real hatred and fury and, worst of all, sadness.
Truly, the worst bisexual representation I have ever read comes in the final chapters of this book. I’ve read a lot of bad bisexual rep. And it’s endlessly upsetting. But none of it felt quite like this.
Apparently, Sarah J. Maas decided in the third book that she wanted to stop getting sh*t for her heteronormativity. So she decided to take a character who had been established as straight, and make her bi.
So she took this character, Morrigan. She makes Morrigan cry. She writes Morrigan’s impassioned speech to Feyre. This is Morrigan’s coming out, for the first time. Morrigan says that she prefers women. To the point that she is only capable of feeling romantic love for a women.
But occasionally, she will force herself to sleep with a man. In order “to keep people from looking too closely.” Instead of telling the man who has been in love with her for centuries that she doesn’t love him back, won’t ever love him back, she forces herself to sleep with men when he’ll know that she’s done it, so that she still seems straight but he’ll know she doesn’t love him.
And the author dubs it bisexuality.
I hate that she felt entitled to use this underrepresented, misunderstood sexuality as a playing piece in her own quest to be well-liked. I hate that the hundreds of thousands of people who read this book have been given this depiction of bisexuality. And I hate that Sarah J. Maas will keep writing wildly successful books. Books in this very series, depicting this character in this way and calling it “bisexuality.”
It’s unfair. It’s awful. And I am never, never, never going to forget that it happened.
Bottom line: I didn’t expect to like this book. But I also didn’t expect it would become one of my least favorite books I’ve ever read.
----
pre-review
I did it.
Everyone told me I couldn't do it. Just DNF it, they said. You're being insane, they said. Why would you force yourself through 700 pages of misery? Actually, didn't you hate the second book? Why did you even pick up the third book, you f*cking fool?
And you know what? They were right, because that was stupid.
But also THEY WERE WRONG, because I FINISHED THIS GODDAMN NIGHTMARE OF A NOVEL.
It may have taken me eight months. But it's over.
Review (of a lifetime) to come
----
currently-reading updates
THIS MONTH IS THE MONTH WHEN I FINISH THIS BOOK.
----
150 pages in and already bored as hell.
Cauldron help me make it through
December 20, 2020
*Do I need to remind you to be civil? No, I don’t. Good kids.
“You High Lords really do love your melodrama, don’t you?”
(As if I hadn't got enough ammo already.)
For honesty's sake, the last two thirds of the book I could only bring myself to skim through (and I'm quite proud of myself for managing even that). The first third had accurately enlightened me as to what I was to expect, and my (abysmally low) expectations were met point by point.
We girls of the SmutClub weren't able to do a proper buddy read as we did last year with ACoMaF due to real life kicking our asses. However, I'm sure you don't want to miss Sarah's and Reyes's reviews, and Emer's call for honesty and good sense when it comes to the target market of this series (and of the Throne of Glass series too, at this point) perfectly highlights a problem I haven't been able to wrap my mind around since it first arose.
•First of all, I'd like to take a moment to answer a question that no one asked but that I think it fair to take into account nonetheless, said question being, "If you evidently don't like Maas's books, why do you keep reading them?"
Very good point indeed.
I used to consider her books a guilty pleasure until, well, yesterday. The word "pleasure" in that expression, though, baffled me very much even before. More correctly, reading her was an experience akin to getting your first period at school and noticing too late (mortally embarrassing), while ranting about it later was an honest if inclement exercise in snark, just as reading other people's reviews with previous knowledge of the book was pure amusement, be them positive or negative, and this latter reason is probably what always convinced me to suffer a little for the greater fun. Sometimes I also enjoyed some parts, so mine wasn't all sadism, after all. But A Court of Wings and Ruin? (I still have no clue about what this absurd title is supposed to mean.) This one was sheer torture. A bore. Like having a pitchfork repeatedly shoved in the eyeballs.
(I should refer you to my review of A Court of Mist and Fury, which already contains many, if not all, of the issues I had with this final installment too, because since I've read that book with way more attention than I did ACoWaR, you'd probably find that one more specific and generally accurate.)
•The writing gets worse. It's a miracle -or whatever its opposite would be called. Saying that it's melodramatic doesn't begin to describe it anymore; admitting that its basic rule is emotional manipulation would be such an understatement, my fingers itch. Everything is amplified, everything is exaggerated, everything makes twice the noise that it should make proportionally to its dimensions. Which is to say, everything becomes grotesque. Ridiculousness abounds, especially when matters of the heart (you have no idea how much I struggled not to use some other word that would have been more fit to the case at hand there) are concerned. I'll make just two quick examples both taken from chapter 14. The examples may contain mild spoilers.
To spell it out, what Feyre's voice is implying here is that one point in the never-ending list of reasons why Rhysand is worth worshipping is that he is able to keep it in his pants ten minutes longer so that she can go say hello to her sisters, whom she hasn't seen in more than a month and who, last she saw them, had just undergone a devastating trauma. It is evident that Maas is still shoving in our faces that we must absolutely love Rhysand... a pity she is still picking all the wrong reasons, because what I think when I read a scene like this is "Someone please lock him away" (and I'm being kind).
Example number two (trigger warning: this one's rather disgusting. I for sure gagged once or twice.), this one to show what I mean by "overwritten" and "grotesque" and "ew":
You see what I mean? Maas tries so hard to write steamy, sexy moments that she stopped noticing that the way she writes them became (a long time ago I dare say) utterly ridiculous. What sane person in their right mind would ever say "I’d like to see you attempt to lick off a week’s worth of dirt, sweat, and blood off me?"
Many, many, many, if not all, of the problems this book has are linked to the writing, silly, childish, bloated, cheesy. It sours everything.
•Not totally disconnected from this, there is also the insistence with which Feyre's bliss with her Court of Friends and Family is continually trotted out, especially if there's the opportunity to describe it through someone else's point of view, as it happens with Lucien's in the first part of the book. There is a reason if one of the axioms of storytelling is that talking about happiness is difficult: it's uninteresting, poor of nuances, syrupy: people don't want to hear about happiness. “Happy families are all alike,” after all.
•One of the main points of Feyre's character arc should be her discovery of independence and of her inner strength, of the fact that she doesn't necessarily need anyone, especially a man, to guide and direct her every step. A shame the impression we get from the whole series is the very opposite: Feyre's character growth (not automatically meant as an upward trajectory) seems to be irreversibly connected to the "male" who is (even virtually) at her side. In this book, she and Rhysand are pretty much a single entity. Can I feel a tinge of outrage at this, please? We women are very able to be complete on our own, thank you very much. The whole "mating system" (I can't even, it's too ridiculous) has me not exactly convinced in this regard too. Various characters throughout the book keep having this attitude, especially towards Feyre, that implies a vision of women as mere objects of sexual interest, pawns in a purely male game of lust and authority, and they are never challenged because their brain is full of crap, but simply because they insult Feyre–and not even Feyre as herself, but Feyre as Rhysand's mate, like during the meeting of the High Lords in chapter 46, when someone calls Feyre "human filth" and Rhysand's reply is physical violence plus a laconic
Again, everything, even on the level of language, revolves around a man and the girl's relationship to said man. I fail to see the women's empowerment in this.
•I've never seen such a cheesy ending. It felt like I had just swallowed a monumental bucket of melted sugar and I couldn't even breathe because the very air got stuck to the sticky back of my throat. Basically it made me finally understand that Maas's main interest was to make sure none of her precious babies got so much as a scratch.
➽ I was trying to find a way to be tactful and diplomatic about this, but there is none. The first book was nice and very entertaining, the second was still entertaining but way less nice, the third is ignoble. Bottom line: this series is crap. Don't read it (and if you know me and my reviews, you know I never once recommended not to read a book, nor do I think I shall ever do it again, because the fact that I don't like something doesn't mean that nobody would or should. Besides, I don't really believe in second-hand opinions. So the fact that I think this book will actively damage your brains and that I'm warning you off it should really speak volumes in itself). There are far more worthy books out there waiting for you.
“You High Lords really do love your melodrama, don’t you?”
(As if I hadn't got enough ammo already.)
For honesty's sake, the last two thirds of the book I could only bring myself to skim through (and I'm quite proud of myself for managing even that). The first third had accurately enlightened me as to what I was to expect, and my (abysmally low) expectations were met point by point.
We girls of the SmutClub weren't able to do a proper buddy read as we did last year with ACoMaF due to real life kicking our asses. However, I'm sure you don't want to miss Sarah's and Reyes's reviews, and Emer's call for honesty and good sense when it comes to the target market of this series (and of the Throne of Glass series too, at this point) perfectly highlights a problem I haven't been able to wrap my mind around since it first arose.
•First of all, I'd like to take a moment to answer a question that no one asked but that I think it fair to take into account nonetheless, said question being, "If you evidently don't like Maas's books, why do you keep reading them?"
Very good point indeed.
I used to consider her books a guilty pleasure until, well, yesterday. The word "pleasure" in that expression, though, baffled me very much even before. More correctly, reading her was an experience akin to getting your first period at school and noticing too late (mortally embarrassing), while ranting about it later was an honest if inclement exercise in snark, just as reading other people's reviews with previous knowledge of the book was pure amusement, be them positive or negative, and this latter reason is probably what always convinced me to suffer a little for the greater fun. Sometimes I also enjoyed some parts, so mine wasn't all sadism, after all. But A Court of Wings and Ruin? (I still have no clue about what this absurd title is supposed to mean.) This one was sheer torture. A bore. Like having a pitchfork repeatedly shoved in the eyeballs.
(I should refer you to my review of A Court of Mist and Fury, which already contains many, if not all, of the issues I had with this final installment too, because since I've read that book with way more attention than I did ACoWaR, you'd probably find that one more specific and generally accurate.)
•The writing gets worse. It's a miracle -or whatever its opposite would be called. Saying that it's melodramatic doesn't begin to describe it anymore; admitting that its basic rule is emotional manipulation would be such an understatement, my fingers itch. Everything is amplified, everything is exaggerated, everything makes twice the noise that it should make proportionally to its dimensions. Which is to say, everything becomes grotesque. Ridiculousness abounds, especially when matters of the heart (you have no idea how much I struggled not to use some other word that would have been more fit to the case at hand there) are concerned. I'll make just two quick examples both taken from chapter 14. The examples may contain mild spoilers.
“Where are my sisters?” The thought clanged through me, jarring as a pealing bell.
Rhys paused, hand slipping from my hair as his smile faded. “At the House of Wind.” He straightened, swallowing—as if it somehow checked him. “I can—take you to them.” Every word seemed to be an effort.
But he would, I realized. He’d shove down his need for me and take me to them, if that was what I wanted. My choice. It had always been my choice with him.”
To spell it out, what Feyre's voice is implying here is that one point in the never-ending list of reasons why Rhysand is worth worshipping is that he is able to keep it in his pants ten minutes longer so that she can go say hello to her sisters, whom she hasn't seen in more than a month and who, last she saw them, had just undergone a devastating trauma. It is evident that Maas is still shoving in our faces that we must absolutely love Rhysand... a pity she is still picking all the wrong reasons, because what I think when I read a scene like this is "Someone please lock him away" (and I'm being kind).
Example number two (trigger warning: this one's rather disgusting. I for sure gagged once or twice.), this one to show what I mean by "overwritten" and "grotesque" and "ew":
“You have a choice,” he murmured against my cheekbone. “Either I lick every inch of you clean …” His hand grazed the tip of my breast, circling lazily. As if we had days and days to do this. “Or you can get into the bath that should be ready by now.”
I pulled away, lifting a brow. “Are you suggesting that I smell?”
Rhys smirked, and I could have sworn my core pounded in answer. “Never. But …” His eyes darkened, the desire and amusement fading as he took in my clothes. “There is blood on you. Yours, and others’. I thought I’d be a good mate and offer you a bath before I ravish you wholly.”
I huffed a laugh and brushed back his hair, savoring the silken, sable strands between my fingers. “So considerate. Though I can’t believe you kicked everyone out of the house so you could take me to bed.”
“One of the many benefits to being High Lord.”
“What a terrible abuse of power.”
That half smile danced on his mouth. “Well?”
“As much as I’d like to see you attempt to lick off a week’s worth of dirt, sweat, and blood…” His eyes gleamed with the challenge, and I laughed again. “Normal bath, please.”
You see what I mean? Maas tries so hard to write steamy, sexy moments that she stopped noticing that the way she writes them became (a long time ago I dare say) utterly ridiculous. What sane person in their right mind would ever say "I’d like to see you attempt to lick off a week’s worth of dirt, sweat, and blood off me?"
Many, many, many, if not all, of the problems this book has are linked to the writing, silly, childish, bloated, cheesy. It sours everything.
•Not totally disconnected from this, there is also the insistence with which Feyre's bliss with her Court of Friends and Family is continually trotted out, especially if there's the opportunity to describe it through someone else's point of view, as it happens with Lucien's in the first part of the book. There is a reason if one of the axioms of storytelling is that talking about happiness is difficult: it's uninteresting, poor of nuances, syrupy: people don't want to hear about happiness. “Happy families are all alike,” after all.
•One of the main points of Feyre's character arc should be her discovery of independence and of her inner strength, of the fact that she doesn't necessarily need anyone, especially a man, to guide and direct her every step. A shame the impression we get from the whole series is the very opposite: Feyre's character growth (not automatically meant as an upward trajectory) seems to be irreversibly connected to the "male" who is (even virtually) at her side. In this book, she and Rhysand are pretty much a single entity. Can I feel a tinge of outrage at this, please? We women are very able to be complete on our own, thank you very much. The whole "mating system" (I can't even, it's too ridiculous) has me not exactly convinced in this regard too. Various characters throughout the book keep having this attitude, especially towards Feyre, that implies a vision of women as mere objects of sexual interest, pawns in a purely male game of lust and authority, and they are never challenged because their brain is full of crap, but simply because they insult Feyre–and not even Feyre as herself, but Feyre as Rhysand's mate, like during the meeting of the High Lords in chapter 46, when someone calls Feyre "human filth" and Rhysand's reply is physical violence plus a laconic
“Don’t ever,” Rhys said, hands sliding into his pockets, “speak to my mate like that again.”
Again, everything, even on the level of language, revolves around a man and the girl's relationship to said man. I fail to see the women's empowerment in this.
•I've never seen such a cheesy ending. It felt like I had just swallowed a monumental bucket of melted sugar and I couldn't even breathe because the very air got stuck to the sticky back of my throat. Basically it made me finally understand that Maas's main interest was to make sure none of her precious babies got so much as a scratch.
➽ I was trying to find a way to be tactful and diplomatic about this, but there is none. The first book was nice and very entertaining, the second was still entertaining but way less nice, the third is ignoble. Bottom line: this series is crap. Don't read it (and if you know me and my reviews, you know I never once recommended not to read a book, nor do I think I shall ever do it again, because the fact that I don't like something doesn't mean that nobody would or should. Besides, I don't really believe in second-hand opinions. So the fact that I think this book will actively damage your brains and that I'm warning you off it should really speak volumes in itself). There are far more worthy books out there waiting for you.
August 19, 2021
3.75 stars
It's the worst feeling in the world when finales don't match up to their predecessors. I liked A Court of Thorns and Roses, I loved A Court of Mist and Fury, I am frankly disappointed by A Court of Wings and Ruin.
First, the writing. It's in desperate need of another round of editing. It's unpolished, full of unnecessary repetition and lazy placeholder sentences.
Maas can write. She's proved it over and over again, which makes ACOWAR seem almost criminal. I think the strain of writing two novels a year finally caught up with her. ACOTAR AND ACOMAF don't really count because they were written long before Throne of Glass was published. All she had to do was clean up. But ACOWAR was written back-to-back with Empire of Storms, which was a beefy number on its own.
Fervent as I was for ACOWAR, I wouldn't have minded waiting another year if it meant getting quality content.
Second is the ending.
Another thing that bothered me is how unbelievably powerful Feyre is. There is feminism, which is an underlying theme for her character, and there is what-the-fuckery. Near the beginning of the book, she is able to take on two daemati (powerful fae) who have a thousand years of fighting experience over her. Later, after she accidentally ingests a drug that strips her of her powers, they still magically flare back to life to help her triumph over two seasoned High Fae fighters.
Right, I think I've bitched enough about the bad. Let's get to the good.
I love the characters. The Inner Circle, Lucien, Nesta, Elain... they are a huge part why I rated ACOWAR as high as it is. Feyre and Rhys—in this book and this book only—aren't as interesting. Their story in terms of conflict was finished in ACOMAF and although I enjoy how Maas explores how normal couples argue and make up, I'm not as invested in them as before. There are too many other stories begging to be told: Lucien's, Elain's, Nesta and Cassian's, Mor's, Tamlin's.
Yes, Tamlin. This fandom is too hard on him—and too forgiving of Rhys. I will never forget what he did in ACOTAR. Yet because the story is filtered through Feyre's perspective, Rhys becomes a hero who makes mistakes and Tamlin becomes a monster who commits unforgivable sins. He genuinely thought the woman he loved had been abducted and was likely being tortured. I'm not excusing his abusive behavior, but we have to remember he was suffering from PTSD too. He was trying to protect Feyre the best he could—just like Rhys by forcing Feyre to make that bargain with him way back in ACOTAR, fyi. Why does Rhys deserve dozens of free passes and not Tamlin? Hating the High Lord of Spring just because Feyre does is a disservice to the complexity of his character.
I also like that Maas seems to be pulling away from the whole "mates" concept. Multiple characters within have strong romantic relationships without the mating bond, and those that do may not necessarily be right for each other.
The pacing is good, too. There aren't as many sex scenes as the previous book, which I was happy about, though not due to any misguided sense of propriety. I simply found myself bored reading about Rhys slamming his shaft up to the hilt or what not. While I liked them in ACOMAF, there are more important things going on here, like the war or the other courts.
Final verdict? Bring on the spin-offs.
My review of A Court of Thorns & Roses
My review of A Court of Mist & Fury
My review of A Court of Frost and Starlight
My review of A Court of Silver Flames
"Rhys stepped off the stairs and took my hand.
Night Triumphant—and the Stars Eternal.
If he was the sweet, terrifying darkness, I was the glittering light that only his shadows could make clear."
It's the worst feeling in the world when finales don't match up to their predecessors. I liked A Court of Thorns and Roses, I loved A Court of Mist and Fury, I am frankly disappointed by A Court of Wings and Ruin.
First, the writing. It's in desperate need of another round of editing. It's unpolished, full of unnecessary repetition and lazy placeholder sentences.
Maas can write. She's proved it over and over again, which makes ACOWAR seem almost criminal. I think the strain of writing two novels a year finally caught up with her. ACOTAR AND ACOMAF don't really count because they were written long before Throne of Glass was published. All she had to do was clean up. But ACOWAR was written back-to-back with Empire of Storms, which was a beefy number on its own.
Fervent as I was for ACOWAR, I wouldn't have minded waiting another year if it meant getting quality content.
Second is the ending.
Another thing that bothered me is how unbelievably powerful Feyre is. There is feminism, which is an underlying theme for her character, and there is what-the-fuckery. Near the beginning of the book, she is able to take on two daemati (powerful fae) who have a thousand years of fighting experience over her. Later, after she accidentally ingests a drug that strips her of her powers, they still magically flare back to life to help her triumph over two seasoned High Fae fighters.
Right, I think I've bitched enough about the bad. Let's get to the good.
I love the characters. The Inner Circle, Lucien, Nesta, Elain... they are a huge part why I rated ACOWAR as high as it is. Feyre and Rhys—in this book and this book only—aren't as interesting. Their story in terms of conflict was finished in ACOMAF and although I enjoy how Maas explores how normal couples argue and make up, I'm not as invested in them as before. There are too many other stories begging to be told: Lucien's, Elain's, Nesta and Cassian's, Mor's, Tamlin's.
Yes, Tamlin. This fandom is too hard on him—and too forgiving of Rhys. I will never forget what he did in ACOTAR. Yet because the story is filtered through Feyre's perspective, Rhys becomes a hero who makes mistakes and Tamlin becomes a monster who commits unforgivable sins. He genuinely thought the woman he loved had been abducted and was likely being tortured. I'm not excusing his abusive behavior, but we have to remember he was suffering from PTSD too. He was trying to protect Feyre the best he could—just like Rhys by forcing Feyre to make that bargain with him way back in ACOTAR, fyi. Why does Rhys deserve dozens of free passes and not Tamlin? Hating the High Lord of Spring just because Feyre does is a disservice to the complexity of his character.
I also like that Maas seems to be pulling away from the whole "mates" concept. Multiple characters within have strong romantic relationships without the mating bond, and those that do may not necessarily be right for each other.
The pacing is good, too. There aren't as many sex scenes as the previous book, which I was happy about, though not due to any misguided sense of propriety. I simply found myself bored reading about Rhys slamming his shaft up to the hilt or what not. While I liked them in ACOMAF, there are more important things going on here, like the war or the other courts.
Final verdict? Bring on the spin-offs.
My review of A Court of Thorns & Roses
My review of A Court of Mist & Fury
My review of A Court of Frost and Starlight
My review of A Court of Silver Flames
May 5, 2017
I wish so much that I could tell you I loved this book... but I just didn't.
After thinking A Court of Mist and Fury was such a huge improvement from A Court of Thorns and Roses, I was really excited for this third installment. I even preordered it. But I really struggled to get into the book from the very start. From pacing issues to awkward sex scenes that did nothing for me, it was one disappointment after another.
I've said this before but I really dislike Maas's sex scenes. At her best, she writes them strangely with words like "branding" and "claiming", but here they were just plain icky. With all the talk of "mates", "growling" and "purring", and the climaxing from stroking one another's wings, I felt like I'd walked in on two animals rutting in the mud. Ugh.
And another thing-- Feyre and Rhysand are already mated and loved up to their eyeballs so there was no sexual tension, no will they/won't they, which made the sex scenes so boring.
What's strange about these sex scenes is how they manage to somehow be both graphic and coy at the same time. Maas never actually uses explicit words. If a young kid picked up this book, they might assume Rhysand and Feyre were dancing or playing an instrument.
And her vagina is usually described as "there" or "where I want him". Then, at the same time, these scenes are weirdly overwritten, with her orgasm (obviously not called that) leaving her “skin glowing like a newborn star in its wake”. It's just really not my thing.
I was disappointed with the writing in general, to be honest. Maas seemed to write a lot more "tell" and a lot less "show" than usual. I was especially disappointed at the wasted opportunity for some underhanded manipulation in the first part. After how the last book ended, Feyre was kind of "undercover" at the start and in a position for lies and sneakiness. Except it was mostly her swanning around and quietly seething to herself about how much she hated Ianthe and how much of a douche Tamlin is. I thought this whole part was boring when it should have been extremely tense and exciting.
But I think the worst thing was the overall pacing. It's a long book, but I can normally sprint through Maas's works in a day, yet here it was such a slog. Especially the first half. It's taken up with a lot of character conversations and strategizing for the upcoming war with Hybern. It lacked a pull, a sense of urgency, some kind of tension to make me need to know what happens next.
I cannot believe they've announced another four books for this series. Why??? I can only hope they are some kind of spin-off series because, otherwise, either a) we will have to suffer through who the fuck knows how many more awkward, unsexy Feyre/Rhysand sex scenes, or b) Maas will destroy Rhys's character and hook Feyre up with yet another hot fae dude. I'm not sure which is more likely.
The later chapters of this book picked up in pacing, but I think it was too little, too late. This is a whopping 700-page monster and it obviously didn't need to be. I will say that I liked how things were left with Tamlin, but seeing as that part was only a few sentences long, it doesn't make up for everything else.
I'm thinking this is where I drop out of this series.
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After thinking A Court of Mist and Fury was such a huge improvement from A Court of Thorns and Roses, I was really excited for this third installment. I even preordered it. But I really struggled to get into the book from the very start. From pacing issues to awkward sex scenes that did nothing for me, it was one disappointment after another.
I've said this before but I really dislike Maas's sex scenes. At her best, she writes them strangely with words like "branding" and "claiming", but here they were just plain icky. With all the talk of "mates", "growling" and "purring", and the climaxing from stroking one another's wings, I felt like I'd walked in on two animals rutting in the mud. Ugh.
And another thing-- Feyre and Rhysand are already mated and loved up to their eyeballs so there was no sexual tension, no will they/won't they, which made the sex scenes so boring.
What's strange about these sex scenes is how they manage to somehow be both graphic and coy at the same time. Maas never actually uses explicit words. If a young kid picked up this book, they might assume Rhysand and Feyre were dancing or playing an instrument.
His touch turned different. Exploring. Broad strokes and feather-light ones, arches and swirls and direct, searing lines.
And her vagina is usually described as "there" or "where I want him". Then, at the same time, these scenes are weirdly overwritten, with her orgasm (obviously not called that) leaving her “skin glowing like a newborn star in its wake”. It's just really not my thing.
I was disappointed with the writing in general, to be honest. Maas seemed to write a lot more "tell" and a lot less "show" than usual. I was especially disappointed at the wasted opportunity for some underhanded manipulation in the first part. After how the last book ended, Feyre was kind of "undercover" at the start and in a position for lies and sneakiness. Except it was mostly her swanning around and quietly seething to herself about how much she hated Ianthe and how much of a douche Tamlin is. I thought this whole part was boring when it should have been extremely tense and exciting.
But I think the worst thing was the overall pacing. It's a long book, but I can normally sprint through Maas's works in a day, yet here it was such a slog. Especially the first half. It's taken up with a lot of character conversations and strategizing for the upcoming war with Hybern. It lacked a pull, a sense of urgency, some kind of tension to make me need to know what happens next.
I cannot believe they've announced another four books for this series. Why??? I can only hope they are some kind of spin-off series because, otherwise, either a) we will have to suffer through who the fuck knows how many more awkward, unsexy Feyre/Rhysand sex scenes, or b) Maas will destroy Rhys's character and hook Feyre up with yet another hot fae dude. I'm not sure which is more likely.
The later chapters of this book picked up in pacing, but I think it was too little, too late. This is a whopping 700-page monster and it obviously didn't need to be. I will say that I liked how things were left with Tamlin, but seeing as that part was only a few sentences long, it doesn't make up for everything else.
I'm thinking this is where I drop out of this series.
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May 27, 2021
The Written Review
Just published my latest BookTube Video - so excited to share it!
After that ending only one quote can adequately sum up my feelings:
Something thumped in front of me. A bottle of wine. “It’s fine if you drink directly from it,” was all Mor said.This book ensared me - body and soul - and the last hundred pages? Whew. Talk about stress - like actual heart-pounding stress.
For those who don't know me, I stress-bake. I was 18 cupcakes and double-batch of cookies deep by the time I reached that end. Man-oh-man. My apartment is now a bakery.
“She is High Lady of the Night Court. She may do as she wishes.”Feyre, now ruling the Night Court with Rhysand, is about to go to war.
King Hybern's army is set to march into the human world - ready to slaughter and enslave.
The only chance to save her people is to unite the seven courts and mount a resistance. Only, the odds could not be more against them.
Mile after mile. A kingdom of the rotting dead. And still I looked.Every direction they turn, the King is two steps ahead - already butchering and torturing anyone who stands in his way. His army - limitless, his powers - fueled by the very Cauldron itself.
The more Feyre and the Night Court resists, the more likely it seems like they'll lose. Not only the war, but everyone they hold dear.
I repeated their names silently, over and over into the darkness. Rhysand. Mor. Cassian. Amren. Azriel. Elain. Nesta.And yet, despite all the pain and the sorrow flowing around them, one thing remains steadfast. One thing remains absolutely certain.
I would have waited five hundred more years for you. A thousand years. And if this was all the time we were allowed to have … The wait was worth it.Whew. This book was the most stunning of the series so far.
Sarah J. Maas juggles so many unique personalities - from the sweetest human to skin-crawling monsters - without them blending into caricatures (Every time, she astounds me with her creations).
Her world has such depth that I'm constantly amazed by the little, reoccurring details (I feel like I could walk the city of Velaris without being lost for a moment).
Her characters feel real - their personas, their movement, their banter - I felt like they were right in front of me, rather than words on a page (how is it possible to fall in love with so many characters in one book?).
I could not be more impressed right now.
The 2018 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge - A past Goodreads Choice Awards winner
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September 30, 2023
4 Stars
Before I say anything, I must say this:
What the fuck is this "vulgar gesture" that has been mentioned over and over and a-FUCKING-over again throughout all this series, which all the characters seem to gift each other with?
No for real, I would love to know.
Are they all giving each other a different "vulgar gesture" every time, or is it ONE single gesture.
And if so, which one?
This one?
This one?
How about this one?
No?
How about the ever tried and true?
Or, perhaps, MY personal favorite:
No?
Well, whatever. I would love to know.
Anynotawave, if you follow my reviews, you know that I didn't particularly love book one and two of this series like most people did. And, conversely, most people who adored books one and two seemed to be less...enthused with this book.
So, of course, leave it to me to be the complete opposite of everyone else.
Because, even though I wasn't OMG in lurve with books one and two, I found myself really into this one.
Maybe it just took books one and two to really dig my heels into the series - who knows - but I was really digging the characters in this one.
Obviously, I loved the relationship between Feyre and Rhys...
The group love and loyalty of the Night Court inner circle...
And the connection between Feyre and her sisters...
But - and I know this is not the case with most people - I am REALLY loving Nesta's story.
I have been oddly drawn to her and her cold bitchiness since book one and I REALLY loved the growth she displayed in this book, the dynamic between her and Cassian, just everything.
And of course, RHYS. Who can not love Rhys?
In fact, this book actually made me really appreciate books one and two more.
I might go back and read them again.
But until then, I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
And I also just obtained the Throne series, so hopefully I will enjoy that one from the onset.
Before I say anything, I must say this:
What the fuck is this "vulgar gesture" that has been mentioned over and over and a-FUCKING-over again throughout all this series, which all the characters seem to gift each other with?
No for real, I would love to know.
Are they all giving each other a different "vulgar gesture" every time, or is it ONE single gesture.
And if so, which one?
This one?
This one?
How about this one?
No?
How about the ever tried and true?
Or, perhaps, MY personal favorite:
No?
Well, whatever. I would love to know.
Anynotawave, if you follow my reviews, you know that I didn't particularly love book one and two of this series like most people did. And, conversely, most people who adored books one and two seemed to be less...enthused with this book.
So, of course, leave it to me to be the complete opposite of everyone else.
Because, even though I wasn't OMG in lurve with books one and two, I found myself really into this one.
Maybe it just took books one and two to really dig my heels into the series - who knows - but I was really digging the characters in this one.
Obviously, I loved the relationship between Feyre and Rhys...
The group love and loyalty of the Night Court inner circle...
And the connection between Feyre and her sisters...
But - and I know this is not the case with most people - I am REALLY loving Nesta's story.
I have been oddly drawn to her and her cold bitchiness since book one and I REALLY loved the growth she displayed in this book, the dynamic between her and Cassian, just everything.
And of course, RHYS. Who can not love Rhys?
In fact, this book actually made me really appreciate books one and two more.
I might go back and read them again.
But until then, I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
And I also just obtained the Throne series, so hopefully I will enjoy that one from the onset.
May 4, 2017
I’m wrecked. Because a Court of Wings and Ruin was the BEST CONCLUSION I could ever hope for.
I want to shout THANK YOU SJM for this incredible adventure. Thank you for letting us dream and travel across the stars if only for a short time.
I have been a massive fan of the ACOTAR series since the first book so I was highly anticipating ACOWAR. I was afraid I wouldn’t like the third book as much as I loved the second one but hell, I was so wrong. I swear, I don't know how many nerve cells this book cost me.
Not only is the book thrilling and well-written. But it added a lot more complexity than I'd expected. Both in the characters and the plot. The progression brings about so many new faces (Have five to Helion, my second favourite High Lord), each of them unique in their own way.
When Feyre was in the Spring Court, she was so over-powered like she is a goodness and no one can stop her - I was getting some unwanted Aelin’s vibe here – but the plot was pretty well-driven after that, allowing each character to have its share of glory in Hybern Battle. And thank god for incredible plot twists or else I would have died a thousand times.
The other thing that I really enjoyed is the fact that the book was unpredictable. I got all emotional because the story has a way of being built up and simply torn down piece by piece by a certain event and you are like “What the hell just happened?” and then being rebuilt once again.
I literally went mental in one of the last scene – YES, THIS SCENE – my parents were actually concerned because of my change of emotions. I cried during the emotional moments, I got stressed during the battle scenes, I laughed so hard in others, I blushed during the bold sexy scenes, but most of all, I had – and still have believe me - embarrassing fangirling moments over the characters.
I have a lot of favourite scenes. Like a lot especially those where a potential couple interact – You should have seen me during NESSIAN SCENES, I was a FANGIRL MONSTER – but one scene particular brought me to tear and that was RHYS’s SPEECH BEFORE the FINAL BATTLE.
Overall, it was an EPIC BOOK closing an AMAZING trilogy with immensely ENTERTAINING STORYLINE, characters TO LOVE and a DETAILED fantasy WORLD.
Very much worth your time.
What are you waiting for?
I want to shout THANK YOU SJM for this incredible adventure. Thank you for letting us dream and travel across the stars if only for a short time.
I have been a massive fan of the ACOTAR series since the first book so I was highly anticipating ACOWAR. I was afraid I wouldn’t like the third book as much as I loved the second one but hell, I was so wrong. I swear, I don't know how many nerve cells this book cost me.
Not only is the book thrilling and well-written. But it added a lot more complexity than I'd expected. Both in the characters and the plot. The progression brings about so many new faces (Have five to Helion, my second favourite High Lord), each of them unique in their own way.
When Feyre was in the Spring Court, she was so over-powered like she is a goodness and no one can stop her - I was getting some unwanted Aelin’s vibe here – but the plot was pretty well-driven after that, allowing each character to have its share of glory in Hybern Battle. And thank god for incredible plot twists or else I would have died a thousand times.
The other thing that I really enjoyed is the fact that the book was unpredictable. I got all emotional because the story has a way of being built up and simply torn down piece by piece by a certain event and you are like “What the hell just happened?” and then being rebuilt once again.
I literally went mental in one of the last scene – YES, THIS SCENE – my parents were actually concerned because of my change of emotions. I cried during the emotional moments, I got stressed during the battle scenes, I laughed so hard in others, I blushed during the bold sexy scenes, but most of all, I had – and still have believe me - embarrassing fangirling moments over the characters.
I have a lot of favourite scenes. Like a lot especially those where a potential couple interact – You should have seen me during NESSIAN SCENES, I was a FANGIRL MONSTER – but one scene particular brought me to tear and that was RHYS’s SPEECH BEFORE the FINAL BATTLE.
Overall, it was an EPIC BOOK closing an AMAZING trilogy with immensely ENTERTAINING STORYLINE, characters TO LOVE and a DETAILED fantasy WORLD.
Very much worth your time.
What are you waiting for?
December 9, 2017
Yay! Another one of my books won 2017 GR award ❤️
OMG!THIS BOOK!I LOVED IT SO MUCH! AND IT MADE ME CRY! THE FEELS!
I'm NOT even going to hint at any spoilers or go into too much in the book because there are a million people reading it right now.
I must say I loved A Court Of Mist And Fury as my favorite and now this one is my new favorite.
I love Rhys, Feyre, Cassian, Azriel, Lucien, Nesta, Elain, Mor, Amren and some random others.
They all have to fight in the war, trying to defeat King Hybern who is evil to the core. I won't tell you what happened there but it's amaze balls.
Tamlin also did one thing that made me happy. All is forgiven for now with something that he did.
Feyre's sisters, Nesta and Elain are trying to make their life with Feyre and what they are now. It was hard to read but things somewhat settled in.
I think there are some more love interests coming up. I really hope so.
The war and things were brutal and bloody and I thought we were going to lose some so many times. There were some loses and that's all I'm going to say.
Feyre and Rhysand's love is so powerful and strong and wonderful, it makes my heart ache. And when . . . I can't even.
There were revelations about certain things and certain people. There was love and loss and forgiveness and hatred. I think this book covered them all.
I love this book so very much! I'm so happy with what has happened so far but I'm terrified that there is going to be three more books. Who will die? Will anyone? I can't take it! And I'm also excited to have three more books. *Sob* I don't know.
If you love this series so far then you will love this book!
OMG! LOOK AT MY BEAUTIFUL BOOKMARK I BOUGHT MYSELF FOR MY BDAY FROM MY SPECIAL BOOKMARK PLACE!
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
OMG!THIS BOOK!I LOVED IT SO MUCH! AND IT MADE ME CRY! THE FEELS!
I'm NOT even going to hint at any spoilers or go into too much in the book because there are a million people reading it right now.
I must say I loved A Court Of Mist And Fury as my favorite and now this one is my new favorite.
I love Rhys, Feyre, Cassian, Azriel, Lucien, Nesta, Elain, Mor, Amren and some random others.
They all have to fight in the war, trying to defeat King Hybern who is evil to the core. I won't tell you what happened there but it's amaze balls.
Tamlin also did one thing that made me happy. All is forgiven for now with something that he did.
Feyre's sisters, Nesta and Elain are trying to make their life with Feyre and what they are now. It was hard to read but things somewhat settled in.
I think there are some more love interests coming up. I really hope so.
The war and things were brutal and bloody and I thought we were going to lose some so many times. There were some loses and that's all I'm going to say.
Feyre and Rhysand's love is so powerful and strong and wonderful, it makes my heart ache. And when . . . I can't even.
There were revelations about certain things and certain people. There was love and loss and forgiveness and hatred. I think this book covered them all.
I love this book so very much! I'm so happy with what has happened so far but I'm terrified that there is going to be three more books. Who will die? Will anyone? I can't take it! And I'm also excited to have three more books. *Sob* I don't know.
If you love this series so far then you will love this book!
OMG! LOOK AT MY BEAUTIFUL BOOKMARK I BOUGHT MYSELF FOR MY BDAY FROM MY SPECIAL BOOKMARK PLACE!
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
January 15, 2024
4th reread.
“And I wondered if the road ahead—the road to true peace—would perhaps be the hardest and longest one yet.”
There aren’t many books that revert me back to my teenage self, or have me fangirling like an absolute idiot, but this series does that to me. Sarah J. Maas just does that to me.
———————————
Reread x 2.
My heart is in pain and full of love for this series.
I don't know what else to say, other than I had the BEST time reading this with my partner in crime, Lena!
We're obsessed with this series and it doesn't get better than fangirling with someone about a book/author you both equally love as much. ❤️
And now I'm in this mess where my heart feels hollow, drained and I cannot stop replaying certain scenes of this book in my mind.
I'm so happy, so goddamn happy that we're getting more of this world and these characters.
Now, I need time to mourn all of this.
------------------------------------------------
Post-Mourning review:
And it's the day after I finished this beautiful, exhilarating book. I don't think I'm going to bother writing a review, simply because I wouldn't do it justice. Neither would it showcase how much it means to me. Other than to say that I feel this sense of loss and wonder that I felt when I finished reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. This series has become that ingrained in me. And I couldn't be more appreciative and grateful for these books. So, thank you, Sarah J Maas, our High Lady. 😆
Thank you for creating such incredible characters that mean the absolute world to me and world I never wanted to leave. This is the exact reason why I read.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
And I thought it couldn't get better than ACOMAF...
Sarah J. Maas, my goddess of everything, you have obliterated me. Shattered my soul and healed it. Words will not do justice in me expressing how much I adore you, your books, and the extend of what this book means to me. The expectations I had for this book were met above and beyond and I think this book is part of your soul laid bare...
I cannot recall crying this much over a book, ever. And now heart feels heavy and sick with love whilst simultaneously grieving over these characters, a set of characters and world I’m never going to forget.
I cannot thank you enough for writing this story!
*forever in a book hangover*
“And I wondered if the road ahead—the road to true peace—would perhaps be the hardest and longest one yet.”
There aren’t many books that revert me back to my teenage self, or have me fangirling like an absolute idiot, but this series does that to me. Sarah J. Maas just does that to me.
———————————
Reread x 2.
My heart is in pain and full of love for this series.
I don't know what else to say, other than I had the BEST time reading this with my partner in crime, Lena!
We're obsessed with this series and it doesn't get better than fangirling with someone about a book/author you both equally love as much. ❤️
And now I'm in this mess where my heart feels hollow, drained and I cannot stop replaying certain scenes of this book in my mind.
I'm so happy, so goddamn happy that we're getting more of this world and these characters.
Now, I need time to mourn all of this.
------------------------------------------------
Post-Mourning review:
And it's the day after I finished this beautiful, exhilarating book. I don't think I'm going to bother writing a review, simply because I wouldn't do it justice. Neither would it showcase how much it means to me. Other than to say that I feel this sense of loss and wonder that I felt when I finished reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. This series has become that ingrained in me. And I couldn't be more appreciative and grateful for these books. So, thank you, Sarah J Maas, our High Lady. 😆
Thank you for creating such incredible characters that mean the absolute world to me and world I never wanted to leave. This is the exact reason why I read.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
And I thought it couldn't get better than ACOMAF...
Sarah J. Maas, my goddess of everything, you have obliterated me. Shattered my soul and healed it. Words will not do justice in me expressing how much I adore you, your books, and the extend of what this book means to me. The expectations I had for this book were met above and beyond and I think this book is part of your soul laid bare...
I cannot recall crying this much over a book, ever. And now heart feels heavy and sick with love whilst simultaneously grieving over these characters, a set of characters and world I’m never going to forget.
I cannot thank you enough for writing this story!
*forever in a book hangover*
December 5, 2017
Congratulations-winner of Best Young Adult Fantasy 2017!
Initially I was so wrapped up in needing closure to this part of the story that I was grabby grabby for anything I could get my hands on, but I can’t stop thinking about how many issues I had with this book. Was it enjoyable? Sure! I loved jumping back in with my old friends and seeing what was going on, but after a very lengthy intro I found it wasn’t quite what I had hoped for.
I won’t rehash everything in detail; there are enough reviews that have already done a much better job than I can, but I feel it’s worth noting them all the same. The tedious pacing, the lack of tension (and lets be honest action as well), along with the awkward, singular attempt at diversity, I just can’t give it more than 3 stars. I wholly respect what SJM was trying to do here, and it was enjoyable, but not mind blowing. I’m still over here anxiously awaiting more ACOTAR stories though, so it must not have been all that bad.
Initially I was so wrapped up in needing closure to this part of the story that I was grabby grabby for anything I could get my hands on, but I can’t stop thinking about how many issues I had with this book. Was it enjoyable? Sure! I loved jumping back in with my old friends and seeing what was going on, but after a very lengthy intro I found it wasn’t quite what I had hoped for.
I won’t rehash everything in detail; there are enough reviews that have already done a much better job than I can, but I feel it’s worth noting them all the same. The tedious pacing, the lack of tension (and lets be honest action as well), along with the awkward, singular attempt at diversity, I just can’t give it more than 3 stars. I wholly respect what SJM was trying to do here, and it was enjoyable, but not mind blowing. I’m still over here anxiously awaiting more ACOTAR stories though, so it must not have been all that bad.
February 12, 2021
In these early days after the release, I'll say little and spoil nothing. This is wholly because I'm considerate and benevolent and not at all because I'm incoherent.
Suffice it to say, however, that after all the sentiment holds true:
Welcome to A Court of Pain And Feels.
Review to come when I deem hints acceptableand gather my wits and reason about me. In the meantime, you can (try to) find me in Velaris.
Suffice it to say, however, that after all the sentiment holds true:
Welcome to A Court of Pain And Feels.
Review to come when I deem hints acceptable
May 4, 2017
Glorious, thrilling and completely enthralling -- ACOWAR was everything I hoped for and then some. This is how you end a series -- with love and hope and happiness painting the grand finale. Maas deserves thunderous applause yet again.
Review to come.
Review to come.
April 19, 2024
Words fail me. I have always been more of a fan of Sarah J Mass fan, but more towards her Thrown of Glass series. I think this is her best book so far. This book just has everything. Great characters, great story, secrets, betrayal, redemptions, ACTION!!!! You name it, it is here. 700 pages and not a line wasted. Hell, I would have been happy with another 700 pages of this standard. The character are great, but there is such great character development that no one is one dimensional the character are conflicted and complex with their own strengths and issues. Every time I learned something about one of the characters, I wanted to know more. Every character had their moment to shine in this book, and every character in this book could very easily star in their own book. That is the depth of the character in this story. Espicallly Rhysand, and anyone in the Court of Dreams.
Since the last book, Feyre has returned to the Spring Court to destroy it from within. This is not Feyre crushed by her truma, suffocated by overprotection, or the powerless girl in a world of monsters/guardians. This is the angry, powerful, deadly calculating woman. I like the fact that Rhysand is every bit her match. I am actually interested to see which of them is the more powerful. So far, with centuries of experience behind battle, tactics, and studies, he seems to be a step ahead, but time will tell. However even with all this going on War is coming to Prythian and with all the High Lords in agreement (with their history of grudges and betrayal this is next to impossible ), they are still way out numbered against the King of Hybern and the power of the Calderon. Once again, it falls to the Court of Dreams to lead the charge not only against their enemies but the very thinking of many Prythians as well.
This is just an awesome book. I don't think you have to read the other book in the series to love this book, but I would definitely recommend reading the whole series, but I definitely read this one. The more I read, the more I wanted to read. It took me through every emotion, the anger of betrayal, the pride in overcoming adversity, to the election of victory. I honestly do not think SJM could fit anything more into this many pages. Let's see if she can do 1000 pages of this standard.
Since the last book, Feyre has returned to the Spring Court to destroy it from within. This is not Feyre crushed by her truma, suffocated by overprotection, or the powerless girl in a world of monsters/guardians. This is the angry, powerful, deadly calculating woman. I like the fact that Rhysand is every bit her match. I am actually interested to see which of them is the more powerful. So far, with centuries of experience behind battle, tactics, and studies, he seems to be a step ahead, but time will tell. However even with all this going on War is coming to Prythian and with all the High Lords in agreement (with their history of grudges and betrayal this is next to impossible ), they are still way out numbered against the King of Hybern and the power of the Calderon. Once again, it falls to the Court of Dreams to lead the charge not only against their enemies but the very thinking of many Prythians as well.
This is just an awesome book. I don't think you have to read the other book in the series to love this book, but I would definitely recommend reading the whole series, but I definitely read this one. The more I read, the more I wanted to read. It took me through every emotion, the anger of betrayal, the pride in overcoming adversity, to the election of victory. I honestly do not think SJM could fit anything more into this many pages. Let's see if she can do 1000 pages of this standard.
December 10, 2023
1.) A Court of Thorns and Roses ★★★★
2.) A Court of Mist and Fury ★★★
[2023 reread] ★★★
this has been a journey rereading these books, but i am happy to report back that acowar was even better than i remember. maybe that is because of having read more in this series, finishing throne of glass, and reading the first two books in the crescent city series, but this truly exceeded my expectations.
i loved seeing feyre continue to heal, continue to love, and continue to demand her own agency. I loved seeing the inner circle and easily falling even more in love with them. i am obsessed with the suriel, weaver, and bone carver, even if one of those broke my heart all over again on this reread. i am not sure if this is a spoiler thing to say, but i just have such a bigger curiosity and respect for these old gods… all the old gods.. and i’ll give sjm a lot of credit for the weaving of them into this story. back in the day, i thought the ending with feyre’s dad was foolish and i am here to report that it still feels foolish to me in 2023. and this book is still too long, and should have had 100+ pages edited from it.
overall, i really did have such a fun time with this last book, and it really did have so much in it that i didn’t appreciate or pick up on before. tiktok make me remember the “extra” girl feyre saves at the war camp when rescuing her sister and my mind is forever blown (and so curious) about that now.
trigger + content warnings: war, death, murder, violence, gore, blood, incest implied, ptsd, nightmares, mentions of abuse in past, abuse in present, torture, mind manipulation magic, assault, drugging, depression, implication of sexual assault, physical assault, vomit, talk of sexual assault in past, kidnapping, captivity, verbal abuse, talk of infidelity in the past (not mcs), loss of a partner, loss of a parent, questionable talk of sex work.
[2017 first read] ★★★
♡ old review on my blog
blog | instagram | youtube | kofi | spotify | amazon
2.) A Court of Mist and Fury ★★★
[2023 reread] ★★★
this has been a journey rereading these books, but i am happy to report back that acowar was even better than i remember. maybe that is because of having read more in this series, finishing throne of glass, and reading the first two books in the crescent city series, but this truly exceeded my expectations.
i loved seeing feyre continue to heal, continue to love, and continue to demand her own agency. I loved seeing the inner circle and easily falling even more in love with them. i am obsessed with the suriel, weaver, and bone carver, even if one of those broke my heart all over again on this reread. i am not sure if this is a spoiler thing to say, but i just have such a bigger curiosity and respect for these old gods… all the old gods.. and i’ll give sjm a lot of credit for the weaving of them into this story. back in the day, i thought the ending with feyre’s dad was foolish and i am here to report that it still feels foolish to me in 2023. and this book is still too long, and should have had 100+ pages edited from it.
overall, i really did have such a fun time with this last book, and it really did have so much in it that i didn’t appreciate or pick up on before. tiktok make me remember the “extra” girl feyre saves at the war camp when rescuing her sister and my mind is forever blown (and so curious) about that now.
trigger + content warnings: war, death, murder, violence, gore, blood, incest implied, ptsd, nightmares, mentions of abuse in past, abuse in present, torture, mind manipulation magic, assault, drugging, depression, implication of sexual assault, physical assault, vomit, talk of sexual assault in past, kidnapping, captivity, verbal abuse, talk of infidelity in the past (not mcs), loss of a partner, loss of a parent, questionable talk of sex work.
[2017 first read] ★★★
♡ old review on my blog
blog | instagram | youtube | kofi | spotify | amazon
October 17, 2019
Maybe I’m on crack but I was surprised to find this book better than the first 2. The pacing was better, the side characters had more roles and personality, and I appreciate that Feyre and Rhysand were depicted as a power couple that were both supporting and challenging each other. That being said, the writing is still a hot mess, but at least it was kinda funny (i.e. the excessive usage of mating bonds, the random gay monologue at the end, the haphazardly rushed conclusion, etc.)
September 6, 2017
BIBLIOBABBLE- https://youtu.be/y5UVdj8avvs (review & discussion)
4.5*
I DID THE THINGGGGG!!!
4.5*
I DID THE THINGGGGG!!!
Read
May 10, 2016When the book you're highly anticipating has no cover, no title, and no synopsis:
And a May 2017 release date:
And a May 2017 release date:
July 17, 2023
✨my favorite book of the series deserves an infinite number of stars ✨
this. this right here is why i read.
this book made me forget i was even reading. i cried, i mourned, i smiled. i had to actually force myself to put this down and get some sleep.i even started to kind of like Nesta?
it’s been 3 minutes and i already cannot wait to re-read this.
this. this right here is why i read.
this book made me forget i was even reading. i cried, i mourned, i smiled. i had to actually force myself to put this down and get some sleep.
it’s been 3 minutes and i already cannot wait to re-read this.
May 3, 2017
I. CAN'T. HANDLE. THIS. WHAT???
RTC
------------------------------
May 3rd 2016
Step 1: DENIAL
It can't be a year there must be some mistake. Maybe it will come out before that .....
Step 2: ANGER
A year? WHY UNIVERSE WHY? A friggin year! I'm being punished.
Step 3: BARGAINING
Is there a land where it is possible for me to read it beforehand?
No?
Step 4: DEPRESSION
SCREW ACCEPTANCE!!
November 15, 2023
5/5 ⭐
Full review on my Blog: The Dacian She-Wolf 🐺
Somehow, this book turned out to be very Sarah J. Maas-ish in a way that did not surprise me but still made me terribly emotional. It wasn’t the ACOMAF-emotion, it wasn’t the EoS-emotion, it wasn’t the KoA-emotion, it wasn’t the HoEaB-emotion.
This book has had its own emotion, I swear. It was tough, but somehow it was milder than the others previously named.
Except for what happened on page 666.
I cannot forgive that.
I almost had both a heart attack and a stroke at the same time. And I am still not over it and I still feel like SJM pulling shit like this on me is exactly why I might need therapy.
After the pure emotion of the previous book in the series, A Court of Wings and Ruin shows the final battle and all its raw and powerful emotions and actions. The dirty and the bad and the ugly – there are all of them there.
This battle though is also freedom. No one is above scheming anymore. One must do everything they have in power to win because the cause is holy. There are sacrifices that must be made and plans that must be developed.
This battle is also about unity and the book shows us how important this is. When there is a common goal at stake, then pride must be left outside when entering the war-tent. And true masters of war know that. Everyone must work together because victory is in the numbers.
Aside from the compelling emotions that charge a book deeply powered by the promise of war, there is another facet of the plot.
The characters discover alter-egos, personalities that they did not know they had. Or they knew and they tried to reprimand them as hard as possible. Everyone has to overcome their own selves and that is a battle too.
Every character has their own secret that springs out with the tiniest occasion it gets to have. We see different angles of Cassian and Azriel, of Mor and Amren, of Nesta and Elain, of Tamlin and Lucien. They all fight two battles – of freedom and of self.
Rhys and Feyre get to discover and unravel themselves too, but where Feyre finds her vengeful self, her strong and determined essence of a ruler, Rhysand shows us his vulnerable, soft side. The side that determined him to sacrifice himself to keep the ones he loved free.
In this book, Rhysand is his ultimate selfless self. And honestly, nothing in this world would make me not love this hell of male.
Sarah hit the jackpot with this gem, I’m telling you.
If I had to get through absolutely every single emotion this book gave me then I’ll need something stronger than infused water to keep me going, a big cone of chocolate ice cream and probably a re-read of the whole ACOTAR series just to be sure I get everything right.
I love how cunning and ruthless does SJM get when writing her books and even though sometimes there is no need for something like this, ACOWAR had to benefit from that. How else could such a mesmerising story end but in tears of frustration and raw feelings, I’m asking you?
I honestly fell so hard for this series it became one of the things I think I’ll love in my life forever and ever. Glad I could read it and right now, writing this sorry of a review, I am considering so hard re-reading all of the books because damn, this helps my mental health in so many weird ways I can’t even seem to understand it myself.
If you haven’t read the beauty of the ACOTAR series, please just go for it. Your life will be complete and you’ll probably thank me later ;)
Full review on my Blog: The Dacian She-Wolf 🐺
“I would not have known what it is to truly hope, even when the world tells you to despair.”
Somehow, this book turned out to be very Sarah J. Maas-ish in a way that did not surprise me but still made me terribly emotional. It wasn’t the ACOMAF-emotion, it wasn’t the EoS-emotion, it wasn’t the KoA-emotion, it wasn’t the HoEaB-emotion.
This book has had its own emotion, I swear. It was tough, but somehow it was milder than the others previously named.
Except for what happened on page 666.
I cannot forgive that.
I almost had both a heart attack and a stroke at the same time. And I am still not over it and I still feel like SJM pulling shit like this on me is exactly why I might need therapy.
After the pure emotion of the previous book in the series, A Court of Wings and Ruin shows the final battle and all its raw and powerful emotions and actions. The dirty and the bad and the ugly – there are all of them there.
This battle though is also freedom. No one is above scheming anymore. One must do everything they have in power to win because the cause is holy. There are sacrifices that must be made and plans that must be developed.
This battle is also about unity and the book shows us how important this is. When there is a common goal at stake, then pride must be left outside when entering the war-tent. And true masters of war know that. Everyone must work together because victory is in the numbers.
Aside from the compelling emotions that charge a book deeply powered by the promise of war, there is another facet of the plot.
The characters discover alter-egos, personalities that they did not know they had. Or they knew and they tried to reprimand them as hard as possible. Everyone has to overcome their own selves and that is a battle too.
“It’s a rare person to face who they truly are and not run from it – not be broken by it.”
Every character has their own secret that springs out with the tiniest occasion it gets to have. We see different angles of Cassian and Azriel, of Mor and Amren, of Nesta and Elain, of Tamlin and Lucien. They all fight two battles – of freedom and of self.
Rhys and Feyre get to discover and unravel themselves too, but where Feyre finds her vengeful self, her strong and determined essence of a ruler, Rhysand shows us his vulnerable, soft side. The side that determined him to sacrifice himself to keep the ones he loved free.
In this book, Rhysand is his ultimate selfless self. And honestly, nothing in this world would make me not love this hell of male.
Sarah hit the jackpot with this gem, I’m telling you.
If I had to get through absolutely every single emotion this book gave me then I’ll need something stronger than infused water to keep me going, a big cone of chocolate ice cream and probably a re-read of the whole ACOTAR series just to be sure I get everything right.
I love how cunning and ruthless does SJM get when writing her books and even though sometimes there is no need for something like this, ACOWAR had to benefit from that. How else could such a mesmerising story end but in tears of frustration and raw feelings, I’m asking you?
I honestly fell so hard for this series it became one of the things I think I’ll love in my life forever and ever. Glad I could read it and right now, writing this sorry of a review, I am considering so hard re-reading all of the books because damn, this helps my mental health in so many weird ways I can’t even seem to understand it myself.
If you haven’t read the beauty of the ACOTAR series, please just go for it. Your life will be complete and you’ll probably thank me later ;)
“Maybe one day, when the earth had grown old and died, when the stars had vanished, too…maybe then, we would return to this place.”
May 24, 2017
4.25/5 stars
I want to print off a picture of this cover and keep it in my wallet. Just in case anyone asks me if I have children, I can just show them this.
Because all these assholes are my children.
I don’t even know where to start with this review. I’ve been writing things and then deleting them for weeks. Every combination of words just isn’t the right combination I need to right the perfect review. Sarah J. Maas always releases not one, but two gigantic books a year and I don’t even know how to write a thousand word review? Actual proof that SJM is a writing goddess. We have been blessed from the heavens.
So anyways, I've decided to write whatever the hell comes to my head. So this entire review is one huge train wreck. It's an unorganized mess. I'm gonna apologize for that right now. It also contains unmarked spoilers because it is almost three thousand words long and I don't have time to go through and mark every single spoiler.
ACOWAR had the unfortunate luck of having to proceed the epicness that was A Court of Mist and Fury. It’s like being given $1,000,000, spending it all, then being given only a $100,000. Both amounts of money are nice to have, but obviously the million is the better option. Or like watching Beyonce perform live in concert, then having to watch a youtube video of Beyonce. Both are nice, great options, but there is always going to be the preferable one. I actually feel sorry for ACOWAR. It didn’t deserve to be a follow-up to A Court of Mist and Fury, but it really didn’t have an option. ACOWAR is better than ,A Court of Thorns and Roses but if you were to look up the definition of “prefection” in the dictionary, there will be a picture of the ACOMAF cover.
Let me just get some of my thoughts & feels written down real quick. Beware, some might be spoilery. Please proceed with caution.
A COURT OF THOUGHTS & FEELS
1. Rhys is actually the best fictional character ever and I love him
2. Feyre is actually the best fictional character ever and I love her
3. Mor is actually the best fictional character ever and I love her
4. Lucien is actually the best fictional character ever and I love him
5. Amren is actually the best fictional character ever and I love her
6. Azriel is actually the best fictional character even and I love him
7. Cassian is actually the best fictional character ever and I love him
8. Tamlin is actually the worst fictional character ever and I hate him
9. I hate him so much
10. Seriously
11. Who okay’d Tamlin as a character?
12. They should be fired
13. Ianthe sucks too
14.
15. We could have done without the sex scenes though.
16. Remember when they were in the library? And all they wanted to do was have sex and not read. Talk about unrealistic.
17. Rhys is the most dramatic character in YA…...pass it on
18. The beginning, when Feyre was at the Spring Court, was actually my favorite part of the entire book? I loved it.
19. I was just like yaaas Feyre girl you destroy those losers
20. Also when Feyre and Rhys were reunited that was cool
21. I wanted that scene to be longer though with a lot less sex
22.
23. Also who approved the term “vulgar gesture???” They should be fired too.
24. Also if I ever hear the word "mate" again I'm gonna spontaneous combust
25. Cassian + Feyre = A friendship you will never have
26. Mor is gay and all is okay
27.
28. Also Amren is the best thing to come out of this book
29. If the sequels aren’t about her I’m sueing.
30. Also does anyone know why we were fighting this war? I don't remember.
31. And also does anyone remember how the high lord powers work and why they all happen to be the most powerful people their courts but they get their position through genetics? Because if I haven't learned anything from YA literature, at least I've learned that there will always be a chosen one who's more powerful than any ruler. So why hasn't that happened?
CHARACTERS! cHARACTERS
Feyre. Feyre is the best? She has evolved so much since the first book. And she's so loyal to those she loves. But if she hates you, you are dead. There is no way to save you.
Rhys. I don't know if you knew this, but in certain countries it's agaisnt the law to hate Rhys. He's the best.
Tamlin. Remember that time when you used to like Tamlin? Hahahaha he's an asshole.
Mor. But she's the best.
Amren. I want to be her when I grow up. She's the best.
Lucien. I am just so glad that Lucien found God in this book.
Cassian. I just love Cassian? I just want him to wrap me up in his wings. He's the best.
Azriel. I would leave my boyfriend Kaz for Azriel. He's the best.
SUMMARY AND COMMENTARY
I’m going to do something I never done before in a review. There are so many scenes that I just want to talk about, that I’m gonna summarize a lot of this book so I can talk about them. This entire thing is spoilery so please don't read unless you've read the book.
So we start off at hell the Spring Court and Tamlin is being is douchebag self like always. He’s just hanging around, doing his meninist things. Not realizing that Miss High Lady of the Night Court over there is slowly taking down his court.
Hamilton would be disappointed.
I’m going to be honest here. I didn’t really understand how Feyre took down the Spring Court? Like I know she did it by gaining the people’s trust. But I didn’t understand that sunlight scene or all the uneventful trips to the wall. Also Ianthe didn’t die in the first part which was disappointing. BUT IANTHE DOES GET HER HAND SMASHED INTO LITTLE PIECES BY FEYRE WHICH IS SO FREAKING BRUTAL I screamed the entire time like wow I don’t like the bitch either but did she really deserve to have her hand continuously smashed? I am a good person who has morals and part of me is still like “yeah she deserved that”
Anyways Feyre is eventually like #byelosers @ the Spring Court and leaves. She takes Lucien with her which is really cool because Lucien deserved better than those assholes. So Lucien and Feyre flee the Spring Court, which at this point is burning.
In fact I have an actual, never before seen picture of the spring court taken shortly after Feyre left
Some stuff happens and there's fighting because it’s a high fantasy novel and not having any fighting would probably make it a contemporary or something. But anyhow, Cassian eventually comes and helps Feyre and Lucien with the fighting. And the Cassian/Feyre reunion is the best reunion in this book? Like what Feyre/Rhys reunion?
Honestly, that scene was the absolute best? Like after that, the Feysand reunion was so underwhelming. It happened just a few pages later but it wasn’t cute dialogue and hugs and ***friendship*** Their meetup was crying on the floor then having unnecessary explicit sex.
SJM is great and all, but her sex scenes are the worst. I understand that sex is a thing that exist and Feysand participates in it, but I just don’t care about the details. I would rather have more Amren dialogue.
So at one point during all this reunion sex, Feyre tells Rhys that he likes a dramatic entrance which has just won an oscar for “understatement of the year”. Because obviously, Rhys did not crash Feyre’s wedding in ACOMAF
The next part of the book is just like plotting and stuff. It’s kind of boring. I honestly almost fell asleep during the next two hundred pages? I mean I didn’t though because this is a SJM book but I could have. There was no action. No suspense. At least I had Amren and her I-don’t-give-a-shit attitude to keep me awake.
There is the library scene which is the worst scene in the entire book. So Feyre and Rhys are in this gigantic ass library surrounded by books which is like life goals right? If you don’t want to be surrounded by books then gtfo of my review. But anyways, instead of appreciating the luxuries they have in their life, Feyre and Rhys spend the entire time flirting with each other? This annoyed me so much. It was the most unrealistic scene in this entire series. I don’t care if my High Lord mate was there with me. If I was in a library surrounded by books, then he doesn’t freaking exist in that moment.
Also there is a giant monster thing that lives in the basement of this library that everyone is afraid of? #goals
So the greatest thing ever happened during this meeting? And I’m not talking about when Feyre destroyed Tamlin when he was being a prick. No, I’m talking about how Amren isn’t returning her ruby that marks her for death? She’s so iconic. I want to be Amren when I grow up.
Then, while all these high lords were in the same place and wasting time fighting with each other, donald trump the King of Hybitch Hyburn brings down the wall that they were all trying not so desperately to protect. And again, they were all surprised.
Like are you fUCKing kidding me? How did you not see this coming???? You are standing around, doing pratically nothing. Wasting all the time in the world. AND YO UARE SUPRISED THAT HYBITCH IS ACTUALLY GOING THROUGH WITH HIS PLANS. YOU KNOW HE WAS TRYING TO BRING THAT WALL DOWN. he WAS GONNA DO IT AND YOUR BIRTHDAY PARTY WAS THE PERFECT OPPURTUNITY. Honestly, I am surprised he didn’t succeed earlier than this?
So noW that the wall has been destroyed and is never coming back, all these high lords realized that if they are going to win this war, they are gonna all get off their asses to do something.
Also what even are we fighting for? All I know about this war is that the King of Hyburn is bad and the Night Court Squad is good. How did this war even start? What did Amarantha have to do with anything? Who even is Myriam person and what does she have to do with anything? I know it was probably explained in ACOMAF but that was a year ago and I was too busy placing my attention on Rhys to pay any attention. So at this point I’m 469 pages into the last book of this trilogy and I don’t even know what we are fighting for? I’m emotionally invested in a war I know nothing about. Is this what politics are like?
Anyways, the squad and their newly found high lord allies go to take down Hybitch.
So then Feyre has this brilliant idea to go find out good friend the Suriel. I forgot the Suriel even existed tbh. He’s so creepy that I am sure my brain purposely block him out from my ACOTAR memories. So we go find Mr. Suriel and he is near the Weaver’s cottage. I also blocked the weaver out from my memories so, if you are like me, this is when you bust open your ACOTAR coloring book, flip to the picture of the Weaver, and then pretend to remember.
So the Suriel is kinda helpful but unhelpful as always. But Feyre still cares about him becasue why would’t you care about the creepy monster that doesn’t even have a proper name and you've only met like three times? So Suriel, that unhelpful yoda, is in the middle of giving Feyre vague advice when THAT BITCH IANTHE SHOWS UP AND JUST SHOOTS HIM WITH AN ARROW FOR NO GOOD REASON. Obviously having a crushed hand hasn’t affected her aim any.
Someone should just kill that bitch already. Which is exactly what Feyre does. And she isn’t even easy on her. She takes Ianthe into the Weaver’s cottage and the weaver like eats her. Gross. I would have atleast chosen a less graphic demise. And something that kills her a lot longer.
How fortunate are we that we caught the impossible-to-catch Suriel for the third time right near the cottage of a monster thing that likes to eat bitches? We are soooo fortunate.
And if I’m honest, this all could have been avoided if Feyre wasn’t so dramatic and just asked the Suriel to coffee or something.
Oh also, I just happened to have stumbled upon this picture of Feyre that was taken one time after someone was shocked she caught the Suriel
More stuff I don’t care about happens blah blah blah and then Feyre’s sister, Elain, is somehow kidnapped by the cauldron. Also making a cauldron the most powerful object in all the universe is the stupidest thing I’ve ever read. How did the Cauldron kidnap Elain? I don’t know it is never really explained how that inanimate object does anything. Remember, I still don’t know why the crap we are at war here. Anyways, Feyre gets really upset so she goes undercover as Ianthe and infiltrates the Hyburn army and saves Elain. Feyre goes through maybe one obstacle along the way and then returns to her mate Rhys.
Also, if you are a person who participates in drinking games, then here’s a fun one for you while you read the book. Every time the word “mate” is said you drink. And get drunk during the first chapter. You'll be in the hospital by the third chapter. So actually don’t play that drinking game.
And was I the only person who felt this entire thing was so unneeded? This is a 700 page book and we are nearing the end and now we are going on missions that run a little too smoothly? Like I know Azriel gets hurt but he’ll heal perfectly fine because we live in a world of healing magic that works on bat wings but not bitch’s hands.
More fighting. There is a lot of fighting that happens. It’s like they are at war or something.
Oh remember Feyre’s father? Yeah, I don’t either. But he comes back. I didn’t know he was gone but he came back with ships named after his daughters and Odette from Swan Lake but instead of a Swan, she’s a firebird which might just be a stupid name for a phoenix, oh and he name isn’t Odette. Anyways, her father finds this queen they just happened to be looking for even though there’s no way he could have possibly known that because he has been missing for 37297843 years. So obviously, because of this all his past sins are forgiven instantly. Then her father eventually dies because of Trump Hybitch and we are suppose to be sad about it but I’m still standing here like
Then, on page 666, because Sarah is in fact the devil, the unthinkable happens. MY BABY RHYS WHO IS SUPPOSE TO BE PROTECTED AT ALL TIMES DIES. YES DIES. AND AT THIS POINT I’M CRYING IN THE CORNER AND WANTING TO THROW THE BOOOK INTO A VOLCANO
And I’m just like, “If he ficking stays dead then at least all 700 pages of this book will make great kindling to warm my now cold heart”
But then I remember ACOTAR and how Feyre here died and then was brought back to life so I start looking at the other high lords who happen to be near us at this moment and I’m just “Hey do a girl a favor here AND BRING BACK MY BOYFRIEND.”
But then I also remember there’s a certain asshole who is also a high lord who has to help and I Start FREAKING out but then he comes through and he’s just like “Be happy, Feyre,” and SAVES RHY’S LIFE
You still an asshole Tam, but maybe just a little bit less.
ANd I’m just crying in the corner even harder than before.
Then somehow they defeat the King of Hybitch and Feyre and Rhys live happily ever after. Both are alive. The #NightSquad is still alive. Beause that is super realistic.
Looks like the only person who is dead here is me. Oh well.
CONCLUSION
So while ACOMAF is still the best, this is still a great novel and I loved it? Being with all my children again is all I have ever asked for in life and I 'm just glad that they all ended up happy.
"Remember that you are a wolf. And you cannot be caged."
I want to print off a picture of this cover and keep it in my wallet. Just in case anyone asks me if I have children, I can just show them this.
Because all these assholes are my children.
I don’t even know where to start with this review. I’ve been writing things and then deleting them for weeks. Every combination of words just isn’t the right combination I need to right the perfect review. Sarah J. Maas always releases not one, but two gigantic books a year and I don’t even know how to write a thousand word review? Actual proof that SJM is a writing goddess. We have been blessed from the heavens.
So anyways, I've decided to write whatever the hell comes to my head. So this entire review is one huge train wreck. It's an unorganized mess. I'm gonna apologize for that right now. It also contains unmarked spoilers because it is almost three thousand words long and I don't have time to go through and mark every single spoiler.
ACOWAR had the unfortunate luck of having to proceed the epicness that was A Court of Mist and Fury. It’s like being given $1,000,000, spending it all, then being given only a $100,000. Both amounts of money are nice to have, but obviously the million is the better option. Or like watching Beyonce perform live in concert, then having to watch a youtube video of Beyonce. Both are nice, great options, but there is always going to be the preferable one. I actually feel sorry for ACOWAR. It didn’t deserve to be a follow-up to A Court of Mist and Fury, but it really didn’t have an option. ACOWAR is better than ,A Court of Thorns and Roses but if you were to look up the definition of “prefection” in the dictionary, there will be a picture of the ACOMAF cover.
Let me just get some of my thoughts & feels written down real quick. Beware, some might be spoilery. Please proceed with caution.
A COURT OF THOUGHTS & FEELS
1. Rhys is actually the best fictional character ever and I love him
2. Feyre is actually the best fictional character ever and I love her
3. Mor is actually the best fictional character ever and I love her
4. Lucien is actually the best fictional character ever and I love him
5. Amren is actually the best fictional character ever and I love her
6. Azriel is actually the best fictional character even and I love him
7. Cassian is actually the best fictional character ever and I love him
8. Tamlin is actually the worst fictional character ever and I hate him
9. I hate him so much
10. Seriously
11. Who okay’d Tamlin as a character?
12. They should be fired
13. Ianthe sucks too
14.
15. We could have done without the sex scenes though.
16. Remember when they were in the library? And all they wanted to do was have sex and not read. Talk about unrealistic.
17. Rhys is the most dramatic character in YA…...pass it on
18. The beginning, when Feyre was at the Spring Court, was actually my favorite part of the entire book? I loved it.
19. I was just like yaaas Feyre girl you destroy those losers
20. Also when Feyre and Rhys were reunited that was cool
21. I wanted that scene to be longer though with a lot less sex
22.
23. Also who approved the term “vulgar gesture???” They should be fired too.
24. Also if I ever hear the word "mate" again I'm gonna spontaneous combust
25. Cassian + Feyre = A friendship you will never have
26. Mor is gay and all is okay
27.
28. Also Amren is the best thing to come out of this book
29. If the sequels aren’t about her I’m sueing.
30. Also does anyone know why we were fighting this war? I don't remember.
31. And also does anyone remember how the high lord powers work and why they all happen to be the most powerful people their courts but they get their position through genetics? Because if I haven't learned anything from YA literature, at least I've learned that there will always be a chosen one who's more powerful than any ruler. So why hasn't that happened?
CHARACTERS! cHARACTERS
Feyre. Feyre is the best? She has evolved so much since the first book. And she's so loyal to those she loves. But if she hates you, you are dead. There is no way to save you.
Rhys. I don't know if you knew this, but in certain countries it's agaisnt the law to hate Rhys. He's the best.
Tamlin. Remember that time when you used to like Tamlin? Hahahaha he's an asshole.
Mor. But she's the best.
Amren. I want to be her when I grow up. She's the best.
Lucien. I am just so glad that Lucien found God in this book.
Cassian. I just love Cassian? I just want him to wrap me up in his wings. He's the best.
Azriel. I would leave my boyfriend Kaz for Azriel. He's the best.
SUMMARY AND COMMENTARY
I’m going to do something I never done before in a review. There are so many scenes that I just want to talk about, that I’m gonna summarize a lot of this book so I can talk about them. This entire thing is spoilery so please don't read unless you've read the book.
So we start off at
A nightmare, I’d told Tamlin.I was kinda hoping for more telepathic interactions? I wanted Feyre to say something like, “Oh Rhys was just terrible to me.” and Rhys to just pop up and be like, “Terribly good in bed.” or something like that. But that never happened. SJM really threw away her shot.
I was the nightmare.
I’m going to be honest here. I didn’t really understand how Feyre took down the Spring Court? Like I know she did it by gaining the people’s trust. But I didn’t understand that sunlight scene or all the uneventful trips to the wall. Also Ianthe didn’t die in the first part which was disappointing. BUT IANTHE DOES GET HER HAND SMASHED INTO LITTLE PIECES BY FEYRE WHICH IS SO FREAKING BRUTAL I screamed the entire time like wow I don’t like the bitch either but did she really deserve to have her hand continuously smashed? I am a good person who has morals and part of me is still like “yeah she deserved that”
Anyways Feyre is eventually like #byelosers @ the Spring Court and leaves. She takes Lucien with her which is really cool because Lucien deserved better than those assholes. So Lucien and Feyre flee the Spring Court, which at this point is burning.
In fact I have an actual, never before seen picture of the spring court taken shortly after Feyre left
Some stuff happens and there's fighting because it’s a high fantasy novel and not having any fighting would probably make it a contemporary or something. But anyhow, Cassian eventually comes and helps Feyre and Lucien with the fighting. And the Cassian/Feyre reunion is the best reunion in this book? Like what Feyre/Rhys reunion?
I met those laughing, fierce hazel eyes.
Cassian’s smile softened. “Hello, Feyre."
My throat tightened to the point of pain, and I threw my arms around his neck, embracing him tightly.
“I missed you, too,” Cassian murmured, squeezing me.
Honestly, that scene was the absolute best? Like after that, the Feysand reunion was so underwhelming. It happened just a few pages later but it wasn’t cute dialogue and hugs and ***friendship*** Their meetup was crying on the floor then having unnecessary explicit sex.
So at one point during all this reunion sex, Feyre tells Rhys that he likes a dramatic entrance which has just won an oscar for “understatement of the year”. Because obviously, Rhys did not crash Feyre’s wedding in ACOMAF
The next part of the book is just like plotting and stuff. It’s kind of boring. I honestly almost fell asleep during the next two hundred pages? I mean I didn’t though because this is a SJM book but I could have. There was no action. No suspense. At least I had Amren and her I-don’t-give-a-shit attitude to keep me awake.
There is the library scene which is the worst scene in the entire book. So Feyre and Rhys are in this gigantic ass library surrounded by books which is like life goals right? If you don’t want to be surrounded by books then gtfo of my review. But anyways, instead of appreciating the luxuries they have in their life, Feyre and Rhys spend the entire time flirting with each other? This annoyed me so much. It was the most unrealistic scene in this entire series. I don’t care if my High Lord mate was there with me. If I was in a library surrounded by books, then he doesn’t freaking exist in that moment.
Also there is a giant monster thing that lives in the basement of this library that everyone is afraid of? #goals
“If you hadn’t stolen my bride away in the night, Rhysand, I would not have been forced to take such drastic measures to get her back.”So Rhys and Feyre and the rest of the squad decided to throw a party. By party I mean, they decided to get all the incredibly powerful, opinionated fae in one place and try to come to an agreement. This is such a smart idea. Just wow. They also invite Tamlin to be nice and then they act surprised when he shows up??? Like you guys sent him an invite to your birthday party??? It would be rude of him not to come???? Why would he turn down free cake like that?!?!?!
I said quietly, “The sun was shining when I left you.”
Tarquin took him in. Then me. And the others. “I rescind the blood rubies. Let there be no debts between us.”
“Don’t expect Amren to return hers,” Cassian muttered. “She’s grown attached to it.”
So the greatest thing ever happened during this meeting? And I’m not talking about when Feyre destroyed Tamlin when he was being a prick. No, I’m talking about how Amren isn’t returning her ruby that marks her for death? She’s so iconic. I want to be Amren when I grow up.
Then, while all these high lords were in the same place and wasting time fighting with each other,
Like are you fUCKing kidding me? How did you not see this coming???? You are standing around, doing pratically nothing. Wasting all the time in the world. AND YO UARE SUPRISED THAT HYBITCH IS ACTUALLY GOING THROUGH WITH HIS PLANS. YOU KNOW HE WAS TRYING TO BRING THAT WALL DOWN. he WAS GONNA DO IT AND YOUR BIRTHDAY PARTY WAS THE PERFECT OPPURTUNITY. Honestly, I am surprised he didn’t succeed earlier than this?
So noW that the wall has been destroyed and is never coming back, all these high lords realized that if they are going to win this war, they are gonna all get off their asses to do something.
Also what even are we fighting for? All I know about this war is that the King of Hyburn is bad and the Night Court Squad is good. How did this war even start? What did Amarantha have to do with anything? Who even is Myriam person and what does she have to do with anything? I know it was probably explained in ACOMAF but that was a year ago and I was too busy placing my attention on Rhys to pay any attention. So at this point I’m 469 pages into the last book of this trilogy and I don’t even know what we are fighting for? I’m emotionally invested in a war I know nothing about. Is this what politics are like?
Anyways, the squad and their newly found high lord allies go to take down Hybitch.
So then Feyre has this brilliant idea to go find out good friend the Suriel. I forgot the Suriel even existed tbh. He’s so creepy that I am sure my brain purposely block him out from my ACOTAR memories. So we go find Mr. Suriel and he is near the Weaver’s cottage.
So the Suriel is kinda helpful but unhelpful as always. But Feyre still cares about him becasue why would’t you care about the creepy monster that doesn’t even have a proper name and you've only met like three times? So Suriel, that unhelpful yoda, is in the middle of giving Feyre vague advice when THAT BITCH IANTHE SHOWS UP AND JUST SHOOTS HIM WITH AN ARROW FOR NO GOOD REASON. Obviously having a crushed hand hasn’t affected her aim any.
Someone should just kill that bitch already. Which is exactly what Feyre does. And she isn’t even easy on her. She takes Ianthe into the Weaver’s cottage and the weaver like eats her. Gross. I would have atleast chosen a less graphic demise. And something that kills her a lot longer.
How fortunate are we that we caught the impossible-to-catch Suriel for the third time right near the cottage of a monster thing that likes to eat bitches? We are soooo fortunate.
“Feyre Archeron,” the Suriel said again, gazing at the leafy canopy, the sky peeking through it. A painful inhale. “A request.”So after murdering Ianthe, Feyre goes back to the dying Suriel and I have The Hunger Games flashbacks to Rue’s death scene. I was kind of expecting Feyre to gather flowers to place around the Suriel. And obviously, even though we are in a world surrounded by magic, there is no way to save the Suriel. He dies. I’m devastated. You are devastated. I still vaguely remember the Suriel from the past two books.
I leaned close. “Anything.”
Another rattling breath. “Leave this world...a better place than how you found it.”
And if I’m honest, this all could have been avoided if Feyre wasn’t so dramatic and just asked the Suriel to coffee or something.
Oh also, I just happened to have stumbled upon this picture of Feyre that was taken one time after someone was shocked she caught the Suriel
More stuff I don’t care about happens blah blah blah and then Feyre’s sister, Elain, is somehow kidnapped by the cauldron.
And was I the only person who felt this entire thing was so unneeded? This is a 700 page book and we are nearing the end and now we are going on missions that run a little too smoothly? Like I know Azriel gets hurt but he’ll heal perfectly fine because we live in a world of healing magic that works on bat wings but not bitch’s hands.
More fighting. There is a lot of fighting that happens. It’s like they are at war or something.
Oh remember Feyre’s father? Yeah, I don’t either. But he comes back. I didn’t know he was gone but he came back with ships named after his daughters and Odette from Swan Lake but instead of a Swan, she’s a firebird which might just be a stupid name for a phoenix, oh and he name isn’t Odette. Anyways, her father finds this queen they just happened to be looking for even though there’s no way he could have possibly known that because he has been missing for 37297843 years. So obviously, because of this all his past sins are forgiven instantly. Then her father eventually dies because of
Then, on page 666, because Sarah is in fact the devil, the unthinkable happens. MY BABY RHYS WHO IS SUPPOSE TO BE PROTECTED AT ALL TIMES DIES. YES DIES. AND AT THIS POINT I’M CRYING IN THE CORNER AND WANTING TO THROW THE BOOOK INTO A VOLCANO
And I’m just like, “If he ficking stays dead then at least all 700 pages of this book will make great kindling to warm my now cold heart”
But then I remember ACOTAR and how Feyre here died and then was brought back to life so I start looking at the other high lords who happen to be near us at this moment and I’m just “Hey do a girl a favor here AND BRING BACK MY BOYFRIEND.”
But then I also remember there’s a certain asshole who is also a high lord who has to help and I Start FREAKING out but then he comes through and he’s just like “Be happy, Feyre,” and SAVES RHY’S LIFE
You still an asshole Tam, but maybe just a little bit less.
ANd I’m just crying in the corner even harder than before.
Then somehow they defeat the King of Hybitch and Feyre and Rhys live happily ever after. Both are alive. The #NightSquad is still alive. Beause that is super realistic.
Looks like the only person who is dead here is me. Oh well.
CONCLUSION
So while ACOMAF is still the best, this is still a great novel and I loved it? Being with all my children again is all I have ever asked for in life and I 'm just glad that they all ended up happy.
January 6, 2024
I loved how this was simply a continuation of ACOMAF. It picked up right where the second book left off and I felt like I was reading one long book. I guess I just described what a series is actually. The last battle scene almost had me checking into the nearest psych ward. Really curious to see how Nesta and Elain’s characters develop. Onward.
March 24, 2019
4.8/5 Stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Let me talk to you about this book. This book KILLED ME. This book DESTROYED ME. This book ANNIHILATED ME. This book OBLITERATED ME. This book ELIMINATED ME. This book WIPED ME OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH. This book EXTERMINATED ME. This book ERADICATED ME. I will never recover. How can I function after this fucking book? I was supposed to read it slowly because A Court of Frost and Starlight will arrive here after a week and I have had serious issues waiting for those books in the past, but I couldn't stop. The last 300 pages were marvelous, they gripped me by the balls and took me with them on this amazing journey. I was reading till 6am yesterday. No regrets. The feels are always heightened this ungodly time of day. And I'm so happy I read this book at that time. But let's start from the very beginning.
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.
This book started off strong enough. I was extremely excited about Feyre infiltrating Tamlin's Court and taking him down. She would be such a badass. I expected this part of the book to be bigger, to be honest. About 250 pages, to be exact. I really enjoyed the scheming, the planning, the cleverness of Feyre, how she turned everyone against one another so brilliantly. I hated Tamlin and Ianthe more in this part of the book, obviously. They were both manipulative, controlling and toxic. They truly deserved each other. Lucien gained some respect from me in this part of the book. I was really disappointed in him in A Court of Mist and Fury.
Afterwards, the pace of the book gets a bit slower than I would have wanted. I expected it to happen, because the "format" of these books is always the same, for me at least. A very powerful beginning, then the pace lags a little bit and in the end the true BAM! But it was different for me in this book. I didn't feel the same excitement its predecessor gave me (till page 400). And I understand why. The previous book opened up a whole entire different world to me. From the Spring Court and everything we thought we knew was right, everything changed. And we start off getting to know everything in the Night Court, and it was all exhilarating. As much and even more as it was getting to know the entire world of everything in the first book. Getting to know Rhysand and his true incentives, the inner circle, the world, seeing the romance bloom between Rhysand and Feyre. In this book, everything is settled. We know everyone, the world, the romance is stable. There aren't as many new things happening, except when we get to page 400. Till this page, I would have given this book 4 stars, which is low for this series for me, because I LIVE FOR IT.
I'm going to talk a bit about the first 400 pages, before my favorite part of the book starts. After Feyre arrived in the Night Court with Lucien, everything took a certain pace. We got to feel Velaris again, the inner circle, Rhysand, the conflict, the problems. A gargantuan War is coming, and they had to deal with it. Gather allies, forge a plan, make actions, bargains. This entire chunk of the book was about the war and how they would end it. And I truly enjoyed that but it didn't keep me on my toes, you know? Till page 400.
PAGE 400. THAT'S WHERE THE REAL SHIT STARTS. And then we got to page 400. When the meeting starts. This is the part I couldn't leave the book down. The part where if anyone commanded me to leave the book down, I would have killed them. Like fucking Feyre would. This meeting was so enthralling. The tension was keeping me enraptured the entire time. I'm content that we got to know the other High Lords of Prythian, we got a better understand of the world and its people. They were all truly incredible characters (except Beron), especially Helion. I loved his humor, his swag and that he's bisexual. I noticed something very important in this book. There was more representation. Not enough but more. We got to see black characters, bisexual characters, gay characters, lesbian characters (MOR I LOVE YOU SO MUCH, I'M SO PROUD OF YOU GIRL). This series isn't known for its diversity, but it was nice to see some more examples popping up. It was refreshing.
But anyway, let's continue with the meeting. I was so proud of all my Night Court babies, how they handled it. Each question a challenge that was met brilliantly. IF I COULD I WOULD STAND UP AND APPLAUD AZRIEL FOR ATTACKING ERIS. FUCKING ERIS. And also my Queen Feyre, who showed her true powers without fear of the High Lords. Of so many High Lords, who could easily kill her. And then Tamlin enters the Dawn Court room. I thought there was a limit to how much I hated him, but he surpassed that. His crude, distasteful and inappropriate comments were so unnecessary. Dude, we know how fucking butthurt you are that your girlfriend left you for a better man than you, but we're here to discuss how to prevent the War, your comments are fucking irrelevant. Be a better man for once and show some restraint. Now wonder even Lucien left you. Lucien. Oh man. Helion is Lucien's father. I was so fucking astonished. This book bestowed many plot twists for us, and this was one that gripped me tightly. I don't even know the reason, I just really like Lucien all of a sudden. More than I liked him in the first book. And I genuinely appreciated how he trusted Feyre, and how he acclimated himself to the Night Court. How he saw good in Rhysand and his people, after all the propaganda of the latest hundreds of years. How he wanted to be useful and help do something significant for the War.
I WANT TO DISCUSS HOW FEYRE IS SUCH A SHIPPER, IT HURTS. Feyre is like us. She ships her friends with each other and tries to make the ship happen. I'm so proud of her. I'm so proud that she actively participates in her friend's happiness. She ships everything I ship, and I couldn't not notice it, it's so obvious. I want her to succeed. I want her to find the best fucking girlfriend for Mor, cause my girl deserves happiness. They all deserve it, but her more, in the relationship factor. I'm very sorrowful that in this world, a lesbian woman can't thrive. It mirrors our own world, to be exact. Some people have the resources and the family behind to support them, and some people just, don't. Mor has been so unlucky in the romance department, with her cruel family stopping everything that she does. I want her to come out, and I want Feyre to be beside her and support her.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT NESTA AND CASSIAN. NESTA AND CASSIAN. The ship I was rooting for since the previous book. The ship that is killing my heart slowly and painfully. THEY HAVE TO BE MATES. PLEASE TELL ME THEY'RE MATES. And even if they're not, their dynamic is so strong. Their scenes so utterly powerful, even them staring at each other had me dying in my seat. I want them to thrive. They are my favorite couple, after Rhysand and Feyre, and I want them to prosper. There was such a gradual progress with them. Sarah handled this couple's dynamic amazingly. How we started seeing, little by little, how Nesta started caring more about Cassian. How gentle he was with her, with her feelings. He didn't push her, he didn't drive her to the edge. I want more of them, I want them to take over the world. Nesta is such a favorite character of mine. Strong, unyielding, snarky, flawed, raw, true. She is perfectly flawed, the way I like my characters to be. This book series doesn't favor flawed characters. Most of them are impeccable, outside and inside. But Nesta isn't. She still shows her humanity and I love her for it.
We talked about Nesta... now we have to talk about Elain. Useless, needless Elain. I didn't like her in this book. I loathed her moping around, her extremely extravagant sensitivity, her outmost obsolescence. I couldn't stand everyone defending and protecting her, all the fucking time. Oh poor little Elain, how bad must it be for you to be immortal, young and beautiful forever, aw I feel so sorry for you. She did something in the end by stabbing The Hybern King, but not something miraculous. Nesta integrated the action. I just didn't enjoy her character in this book, she was utterly annoying to me.
This War man... this War. It was the most tit gripping thing I have read in a very long time. The adrenaline was high up in heaven. It was jaw dropping, breathtaking, awe-inspiring. When the hope was lost, there would be hope, and when there was hope, it would be taken harshly out of our grip. There was so much shit happening, so many characters appearing, to help, to condemn. Strategies being thrown our the window, plans succeeding, failing, bargains breaking. There was just.. so much happening. I couldn't keep track of everything. The action was astounding, the plot twists out of this world, the thrill spectacular. I devoured these chapters in a heartbeat. I wasn't even looking at the pages or chapters, or even time, I was just reading. This book was a true and amazing ending to an incredible series. I'm so happy I picked these books up. This series made me love fantasy again. I have stopped being a fan of fantasy for many many years, and these books reintroduced me to its virtues. I WANT TO READ MORE FANTASY BECAUSE OF THESE BOOKS YEAH.
RHYS'S DEATH GUYS. It happened in page 666, how convenient. I didn't feel a heartbeat for a minute. I know he would survive because he's in the next book, but you know how it is. I was utterly heartbroken by Feyre's reaction. She made me feel what she was feeling. I cried. Literally. And hear me out a bit. This is a huge deal for me. I never cry with books. The only books I have ever cried about are the Harry Potter series and the Outlander series. Which are my all time favorite books of all the fucking universe. When I started crying, I was so surprised at myself. I was so happy I did. Because Rhys has become one of my all time favorite characters, and seeing his demise broke me. Like Feyre's heart was broken. And then Tamlin gives his last speck of light and saves him. Let's talk about him and his redemption arc.
You have seen my feelings about him in the fist part of this review. In the end, they shifted, just a bit. I truly appreciated how he helped Feyre, how he saved her. And how he saved Rhysand's life. I don't like him, but I value how he got over his grudge, and actually helped everyone, for the good of Prythian. I forgive you, Tamlin, you're still a piece of shit of a character with many unsolved issues, but as Feyre said
I have written 12000 words for this review. And 8000 are left. I will surpass Goodread's character limit. Lmao. I had so much to say about this book, the ending of a marvelous series. I couldn't help myself and I'm very sorry for this chaos of a review. My feels are still raw and unedited. And if you're reading this right now, you're a true hero for going through all of this shittone. And I love you for it.
To sum it all up, this book was a truly magnificent journey and an incredible ending to a wonderful series. I'm literally speechless, and I will think about this book a lot. For a very long time. Nothing else more I can say, this review explains it all. I will crawl now to my bed and die peacefully of the feels. And till the next one... K BYE!
7500 characters left out of 20000. LMFAO.
“Only you can decide what breaks you, Cursebreaker. Only you.”
Let me talk to you about this book. This book KILLED ME. This book DESTROYED ME. This book ANNIHILATED ME. This book OBLITERATED ME. This book ELIMINATED ME. This book WIPED ME OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH. This book EXTERMINATED ME. This book ERADICATED ME. I will never recover. How can I function after this fucking book? I was supposed to read it slowly because A Court of Frost and Starlight will arrive here after a week and I have had serious issues waiting for those books in the past, but I couldn't stop. The last 300 pages were marvelous, they gripped me by the balls and took me with them on this amazing journey. I was reading till 6am yesterday. No regrets. The feels are always heightened this ungodly time of day. And I'm so happy I read this book at that time. But let's start from the very beginning.
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.
This book started off strong enough. I was extremely excited about Feyre infiltrating Tamlin's Court and taking him down. She would be such a badass. I expected this part of the book to be bigger, to be honest. About 250 pages, to be exact. I really enjoyed the scheming, the planning, the cleverness of Feyre, how she turned everyone against one another so brilliantly. I hated Tamlin and Ianthe more in this part of the book, obviously. They were both manipulative, controlling and toxic. They truly deserved each other. Lucien gained some respect from me in this part of the book. I was really disappointed in him in A Court of Mist and Fury.
Afterwards, the pace of the book gets a bit slower than I would have wanted. I expected it to happen, because the "format" of these books is always the same, for me at least. A very powerful beginning, then the pace lags a little bit and in the end the true BAM! But it was different for me in this book. I didn't feel the same excitement its predecessor gave me (till page 400). And I understand why. The previous book opened up a whole entire different world to me. From the Spring Court and everything we thought we knew was right, everything changed. And we start off getting to know everything in the Night Court, and it was all exhilarating. As much and even more as it was getting to know the entire world of everything in the first book. Getting to know Rhysand and his true incentives, the inner circle, the world, seeing the romance bloom between Rhysand and Feyre. In this book, everything is settled. We know everyone, the world, the romance is stable. There aren't as many new things happening, except when we get to page 400. Till this page, I would have given this book 4 stars, which is low for this series for me, because I LIVE FOR IT.
I'm going to talk a bit about the first 400 pages, before my favorite part of the book starts. After Feyre arrived in the Night Court with Lucien, everything took a certain pace. We got to feel Velaris again, the inner circle, Rhysand, the conflict, the problems. A gargantuan War is coming, and they had to deal with it. Gather allies, forge a plan, make actions, bargains. This entire chunk of the book was about the war and how they would end it. And I truly enjoyed that but it didn't keep me on my toes, you know? Till page 400.
PAGE 400. THAT'S WHERE THE REAL SHIT STARTS. And then we got to page 400. When the meeting starts. This is the part I couldn't leave the book down. The part where if anyone commanded me to leave the book down, I would have killed them. Like fucking Feyre would. This meeting was so enthralling. The tension was keeping me enraptured the entire time. I'm content that we got to know the other High Lords of Prythian, we got a better understand of the world and its people. They were all truly incredible characters (except Beron), especially Helion. I loved his humor, his swag and that he's bisexual. I noticed something very important in this book. There was more representation. Not enough but more. We got to see black characters, bisexual characters, gay characters, lesbian characters (MOR I LOVE YOU SO MUCH, I'M SO PROUD OF YOU GIRL). This series isn't known for its diversity, but it was nice to see some more examples popping up. It was refreshing.
But anyway, let's continue with the meeting. I was so proud of all my Night Court babies, how they handled it. Each question a challenge that was met brilliantly. IF I COULD I WOULD STAND UP AND APPLAUD AZRIEL FOR ATTACKING ERIS. FUCKING ERIS. And also my Queen Feyre, who showed her true powers without fear of the High Lords. Of so many High Lords, who could easily kill her. And then Tamlin enters the Dawn Court room. I thought there was a limit to how much I hated him, but he surpassed that. His crude, distasteful and inappropriate comments were so unnecessary. Dude, we know how fucking butthurt you are that your girlfriend left you for a better man than you, but we're here to discuss how to prevent the War, your comments are fucking irrelevant. Be a better man for once and show some restraint. Now wonder even Lucien left you. Lucien. Oh man. Helion is Lucien's father. I was so fucking astonished. This book bestowed many plot twists for us, and this was one that gripped me tightly. I don't even know the reason, I just really like Lucien all of a sudden. More than I liked him in the first book. And I genuinely appreciated how he trusted Feyre, and how he acclimated himself to the Night Court. How he saw good in Rhysand and his people, after all the propaganda of the latest hundreds of years. How he wanted to be useful and help do something significant for the War.
I WANT TO DISCUSS HOW FEYRE IS SUCH A SHIPPER, IT HURTS. Feyre is like us. She ships her friends with each other and tries to make the ship happen. I'm so proud of her. I'm so proud that she actively participates in her friend's happiness. She ships everything I ship, and I couldn't not notice it, it's so obvious. I want her to succeed. I want her to find the best fucking girlfriend for Mor, cause my girl deserves happiness. They all deserve it, but her more, in the relationship factor. I'm very sorrowful that in this world, a lesbian woman can't thrive. It mirrors our own world, to be exact. Some people have the resources and the family behind to support them, and some people just, don't. Mor has been so unlucky in the romance department, with her cruel family stopping everything that she does. I want her to come out, and I want Feyre to be beside her and support her.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT NESTA AND CASSIAN. NESTA AND CASSIAN. The ship I was rooting for since the previous book. The ship that is killing my heart slowly and painfully. THEY HAVE TO BE MATES. PLEASE TELL ME THEY'RE MATES. And even if they're not, their dynamic is so strong. Their scenes so utterly powerful, even them staring at each other had me dying in my seat. I want them to thrive. They are my favorite couple, after Rhysand and Feyre, and I want them to prosper. There was such a gradual progress with them. Sarah handled this couple's dynamic amazingly. How we started seeing, little by little, how Nesta started caring more about Cassian. How gentle he was with her, with her feelings. He didn't push her, he didn't drive her to the edge. I want more of them, I want them to take over the world. Nesta is such a favorite character of mine. Strong, unyielding, snarky, flawed, raw, true. She is perfectly flawed, the way I like my characters to be. This book series doesn't favor flawed characters. Most of them are impeccable, outside and inside. But Nesta isn't. She still shows her humanity and I love her for it.
We talked about Nesta... now we have to talk about Elain. Useless, needless Elain. I didn't like her in this book. I loathed her moping around, her extremely extravagant sensitivity, her outmost obsolescence. I couldn't stand everyone defending and protecting her, all the fucking time. Oh poor little Elain, how bad must it be for you to be immortal, young and beautiful forever, aw I feel so sorry for you. She did something in the end by stabbing The Hybern King, but not something miraculous. Nesta integrated the action. I just didn't enjoy her character in this book, she was utterly annoying to me.
This War man... this War. It was the most tit gripping thing I have read in a very long time. The adrenaline was high up in heaven. It was jaw dropping, breathtaking, awe-inspiring. When the hope was lost, there would be hope, and when there was hope, it would be taken harshly out of our grip. There was so much shit happening, so many characters appearing, to help, to condemn. Strategies being thrown our the window, plans succeeding, failing, bargains breaking. There was just.. so much happening. I couldn't keep track of everything. The action was astounding, the plot twists out of this world, the thrill spectacular. I devoured these chapters in a heartbeat. I wasn't even looking at the pages or chapters, or even time, I was just reading. This book was a true and amazing ending to an incredible series. I'm so happy I picked these books up. This series made me love fantasy again. I have stopped being a fan of fantasy for many many years, and these books reintroduced me to its virtues. I WANT TO READ MORE FANTASY BECAUSE OF THESE BOOKS YEAH.
RHYS'S DEATH GUYS. It happened in page 666, how convenient. I didn't feel a heartbeat for a minute. I know he would survive because he's in the next book, but you know how it is. I was utterly heartbroken by Feyre's reaction. She made me feel what she was feeling. I cried. Literally. And hear me out a bit. This is a huge deal for me. I never cry with books. The only books I have ever cried about are the Harry Potter series and the Outlander series. Which are my all time favorite books of all the fucking universe. When I started crying, I was so surprised at myself. I was so happy I did. Because Rhys has become one of my all time favorite characters, and seeing his demise broke me. Like Feyre's heart was broken. And then Tamlin gives his last speck of light and saves him. Let's talk about him and his redemption arc.
You have seen my feelings about him in the fist part of this review. In the end, they shifted, just a bit. I truly appreciated how he helped Feyre, how he saved her. And how he saved Rhysand's life. I don't like him, but I value how he got over his grudge, and actually helped everyone, for the good of Prythian. I forgive you, Tamlin, you're still a piece of shit of a character with many unsolved issues, but as Feyre said
“I hope you find happiness, too.'
"And I did. Not just for what he'd done for Rhys, but...Even for an immortal, there was not enough *time* in life to waste it on hatred. On feeling it and putting it into the world.
So I wished him well -- I truly did, and hoped that one day...One day, perhaps he would face those insidious fears, that destructive rage rotting away inside him.”
I have written 12000 words for this review. And 8000 are left. I will surpass Goodread's character limit. Lmao. I had so much to say about this book, the ending of a marvelous series. I couldn't help myself and I'm very sorry for this chaos of a review. My feels are still raw and unedited. And if you're reading this right now, you're a true hero for going through all of this shittone. And I love you for it.
To sum it all up, this book was a truly magnificent journey and an incredible ending to a wonderful series. I'm literally speechless, and I will think about this book a lot. For a very long time. Nothing else more I can say, this review explains it all. I will crawl now to my bed and die peacefully of the feels. And till the next one... K BYE!
7500 characters left out of 20000. LMFAO.
May 25, 2017
You know you're a dedicated fan when you mark an untitled book set to release in 2017 as a "want to read". Who cares if it doesn't come out another 2-3 years anyways?
EDIT 1/28/17: ahh that cover is so beautiful! Not much longer now!
EDIT 1/28/17: ahh that cover is so beautiful! Not much longer now!
July 1, 2019
symptoms - sweaty palms, increased heart rate, calling everyone 'mate.'
diagnosis - rhysand withdrawals.
treatment - rereading this book.
diagnosis - rhysand withdrawals.
treatment - rereading this book.
March 16, 2022
A Court of Wings and Ruin is the third book in the ACOTAR series by Sarah J. Maas, and it's wild. The book starts with Feyre spying on the Spring Court for Rhys, pretending to be Tamlin's faithful wife again so she can undermine his Court from the inside.
I absolutely adored the first part of the book. I love how clever Feyre was, setting up the destruction of the Spring Court while no one knew what she was planning. The way she tricked Tamlin was gold.
After she returns to the Night Court, war breaks out between Hybern and Prythian. She goes on a quest to find the Cauldron, an ancient source of magic that might just stop the war. But not all of the Courts are willing to help her, and she will have to call on other magical creatures and forces to aid her in her search.
I didn't like this part of the book as much. It felt very aimless to me, and drawn out for so long that the plot points lost all meaning. I wasn't bored, exactly, but the plot just felt wrong to me, as if something were missing. It was pretty straightforward in the beginning—find the Cauldron, destroy Hybern—but then a bunch of subplots were introduced. Feyre had to make deals with spirits and gods, she had to avoid Hybern—it was just... a lot, and yet too little at the same time. What do I mean by "too little?" Well...
The pacing was dreadful. That doesn't mean I was bored.
The plot built up far too quickly. Unlike in Throne of Glass, where the plot built gradually and climaxed in KoA, the plot here came out of nowhere. The villain, the King of Hybern, was so one-dimensional and uninteresting. His motives didn't make sense, the little history that was thrown in was so random and didn't help make him a better character at all, and his death was so unsatisfying. The character who killed him... well, I'm not going to spoil it, but I don't think they were the right character to do the job. See the spoilery section for more on that.
This series would have been better as just a regular romance, without all this... plot. I only really cared about the Inner Circle anyway. If it were just a faerie romance with great side characters and a found family, I would. Not. Care. That's all I want. Adding a whole epic plotline to the story just drags it down. I much preferred the more introspective ACOMAF.
I really, really loved Feyre in ACOMAF, and now? Not so much. She has too many powers. She can do everything the High Lords can and more. I love how she's the first High Lady, but honestly, she has every power and it gets annoying when she can do basically anything.
However, there are still times when I like Feyre more than Aelin. She's more mild and less overbearing, and I like that in a protagonist. She's persistent when she needs to be, and determined to learn. She understands the meaning of responsibility.
Rhys before the mating bond is superior to Rhys after the mating bond. For one, he was less protective in the beginning of ACOMAF versus ACOWAR. I'm tired of overprotective, aggressive male characters. I miss the Rhysand of ACOMAF, the one with a sharp sense of humor and patient respect for Feyre. He still has some of the traits he exhibited earlier, but they're dimmed in the face of his overpowering maleness that can sometimes turn into toxic masculinity. Thank you, next.
🚨🚨🚨SPOILERS AHEAD, PROCEED WITH CAUTION🚨🚨🚨
Elain killed the King of Hybern and I am angry.
She's incapable of doing anything useful and everyone, including the other characters, consistently forgets she exists. How am I supposed to believe she sneaked up behind the big baddie and stabbed him? How is she the hero here? Okay, maybe this is her big moment, when she overcomes her fear and does something awesome, but... where's the buildup?
I have a theory that NoBrain Elain is actually whip-smart and pretends to be meek and helpless just to manipulate everyone around her. And I have evidence.
1. One of Elain's only lines of dialogue is, "I hope they all burn in hell." And everyone is shocked because she likes gardens and flowers and she hardly ever talks so they all think she's weak. But what if this is just Elain's true side showing through?
2. She holds all of the characters in the palm of her hand. Nesta is obsessed with protecting her. Azriel is in love with her. Feyre will do anything to save her when she gets captured, and so Rhys likes her too just because Feyre does. They risked all of their lives just to sneak into Hybern's camp and save her, despite the fact that she has done nothing useful this entire book. What if she's manipulating them all, using them for her own gain?
That's my wild theory. Have fun with it.
At the end of the book, Amren sacrifices herself to destroy Hybern. This had the potential to be a really powerful, touching moment. But no. She got brought back from the dead because no one EVER dies in fantasy books. And this makes me mad. Her sacrifice lost all of its pain because there were literally no consequences.
🚨🚨🚨SPOILERS HAVE ENDED🚨🚨🚨
NoBrain Elain
Written by Sofia
NoBrain Elain puts me in pain
Her stupid shenanigans make me mad again
She's a pointless character who does nothing
But add to my unending suffering
She never talks, but everyone loves her
Maybe it's trauma, but I still suffer
She gets into trouble and everyone cries
I just smile and hope she dies
She belongs with Tamlin, that much is true
If she ends with Azriel, I will sue
Nesta may be angering, but at least she's not this
I would banish Elain from this earth with my last wish
Elain, Elain
NoBrain Elain
Nobody cares about your pain
This may sound harsh, but rest assured
The whole book community thinks you're absurd
3.5 stars
ACOTAR review
ACOMAF review
credit
I absolutely adored the first part of the book. I love how clever Feyre was, setting up the destruction of the Spring Court while no one knew what she was planning. The way she tricked Tamlin was gold.
After she returns to the Night Court, war breaks out between Hybern and Prythian. She goes on a quest to find the Cauldron, an ancient source of magic that might just stop the war. But not all of the Courts are willing to help her, and she will have to call on other magical creatures and forces to aid her in her search.
I didn't like this part of the book as much. It felt very aimless to me, and drawn out for so long that the plot points lost all meaning. I wasn't bored, exactly, but the plot just felt wrong to me, as if something were missing. It was pretty straightforward in the beginning—find the Cauldron, destroy Hybern—but then a bunch of subplots were introduced. Feyre had to make deals with spirits and gods, she had to avoid Hybern—it was just... a lot, and yet too little at the same time. What do I mean by "too little?" Well...
The pacing was dreadful. That doesn't mean I was bored.
The plot built up far too quickly. Unlike in Throne of Glass, where the plot built gradually and climaxed in KoA, the plot here came out of nowhere. The villain, the King of Hybern, was so one-dimensional and uninteresting. His motives didn't make sense, the little history that was thrown in was so random and didn't help make him a better character at all, and his death was so unsatisfying. The character who killed him... well, I'm not going to spoil it, but I don't think they were the right character to do the job. See the spoilery section for more on that.
This series would have been better as just a regular romance, without all this... plot. I only really cared about the Inner Circle anyway. If it were just a faerie romance with great side characters and a found family, I would. Not. Care. That's all I want. Adding a whole epic plotline to the story just drags it down. I much preferred the more introspective ACOMAF.
I really, really loved Feyre in ACOMAF, and now? Not so much. She has too many powers. She can do everything the High Lords can and more. I love how she's the first High Lady, but honestly, she has every power and it gets annoying when she can do basically anything.
However, there are still times when I like Feyre more than Aelin. She's more mild and less overbearing, and I like that in a protagonist. She's persistent when she needs to be, and determined to learn. She understands the meaning of responsibility.
Rhys before the mating bond is superior to Rhys after the mating bond. For one, he was less protective in the beginning of ACOMAF versus ACOWAR. I'm tired of overprotective, aggressive male characters. I miss the Rhysand of ACOMAF, the one with a sharp sense of humor and patient respect for Feyre. He still has some of the traits he exhibited earlier, but they're dimmed in the face of his overpowering maleness that can sometimes turn into toxic masculinity. Thank you, next.
🚨🚨🚨SPOILERS AHEAD, PROCEED WITH CAUTION🚨🚨🚨
Elain killed the King of Hybern and I am angry.
She's incapable of doing anything useful and everyone, including the other characters, consistently forgets she exists. How am I supposed to believe she sneaked up behind the big baddie and stabbed him? How is she the hero here? Okay, maybe this is her big moment, when she overcomes her fear and does something awesome, but... where's the buildup?
I have a theory that NoBrain Elain is actually whip-smart and pretends to be meek and helpless just to manipulate everyone around her. And I have evidence.
1. One of Elain's only lines of dialogue is, "I hope they all burn in hell." And everyone is shocked because she likes gardens and flowers and she hardly ever talks so they all think she's weak. But what if this is just Elain's true side showing through?
2. She holds all of the characters in the palm of her hand. Nesta is obsessed with protecting her. Azriel is in love with her. Feyre will do anything to save her when she gets captured, and so Rhys likes her too just because Feyre does. They risked all of their lives just to sneak into Hybern's camp and save her, despite the fact that she has done nothing useful this entire book. What if she's manipulating them all, using them for her own gain?
That's my wild theory. Have fun with it.
At the end of the book, Amren sacrifices herself to destroy Hybern. This had the potential to be a really powerful, touching moment. But no. She got brought back from the dead because no one EVER dies in fantasy books. And this makes me mad. Her sacrifice lost all of its pain because there were literally no consequences.
🚨🚨🚨SPOILERS HAVE ENDED🚨🚨🚨
NoBrain Elain
Written by Sofia
NoBrain Elain puts me in pain
Her stupid shenanigans make me mad again
She's a pointless character who does nothing
But add to my unending suffering
She never talks, but everyone loves her
Maybe it's trauma, but I still suffer
She gets into trouble and everyone cries
I just smile and hope she dies
She belongs with Tamlin, that much is true
If she ends with Azriel, I will sue
Nesta may be angering, but at least she's not this
I would banish Elain from this earth with my last wish
Elain, Elain
NoBrain Elain
Nobody cares about your pain
This may sound harsh, but rest assured
The whole book community thinks you're absurd
3.5 stars
ACOTAR review
ACOMAF review
credit
December 29, 2022
I think this might be my favorite book in the series so far! I loved the romance plot in the second book but I LOVED the politics in this book. I found it so interesting. I wasn’t bored for a second in this book
March 30, 2021
H.O.L.Y. -
Just when I thought that a book couldn't be honed to absolute perfection, Sarah J. Maas wiped that sneer off my face and proved me wrong. Again.
A Court of Wings and Ruin is a work of art that will make you run out of proper adjectives to describe all the pandemonium, magic and apocalypse it entails. The kind that will pull at your heartstrings right from the get-go and hold you with its sharp claws, imploring you to devour it.
Intense action, delicious romance, backstabbing, ferociously deadly creatures, raw brutality, lies and disguise are all ornately woven into a tale that will cocoon you into the Fae world and soothe you, leaving you anchored by nothing but a tempest in your lungs.
There was darkness and light, storm and calm, despair but also hope. You will see battles mired with savagery and viciousness, harsh and regrettable decisions and nerve-wracking adventures in a world where humans are perceived as weak and easily destroyable.
Sarah J. Maas's world building is so exquisite that I felt detached from my own body, incapable of focusing on anything else happening around me, only flipping the pages with an acute yearning of what's about to happen. She delivers plenty of magic and mayhem, with a knack for perfect pacing of the story and character reflection.
Characters
The Inner Circle, my favourite squad ❤
I love their devotion to each other. Their ability to be kind in spite of harsh circumstances, their ability to love despite enduring a millenia of cruelty. They're all so full of light, it makes we want to smile and simultaneously tear up at their unconditional loyalty. I was so attached to them, like I was bound to them by an invisible, irrevocable tether. When they struggled, I struggled. When they were hurt, I was hurt. I could feel their rage, loyalty and honour coursing through my veins, like a shrieking void.
High Lords
I don't think I would have enjoyed this book at all if not for them. I'm glad that Sarah J. Maas showed them in a new light, something readers haven't seen in the previous books.
As amusing as their banter was, I also feel deeply moved by their actions, their unwavering faith in one another during the battle despite their iffy past.
Be it Helion, the Spell Cleaver; Thesan, the healer; Tarquin, the sympathetic and thoughtful leader; Kallias, the snow/ice manipulator and Beron, ..... Never mind, I didn't really like him; I loved them with every echoing heartbeat. (Beron being the exception)
Oh and Tamlin . I apologise if I've been harsh to him after reading A Court of Mist and Fury, but I have a new found respect for him. Despite his impropriety initially, the fact that he finally rises to be a better man by not dwelling on petty vengeance and retribution hit me in the gut and made my eyes burn with warm tears.
I feel weighed down by the intensity of this composition and I vow never to let it slip even from the deepest clutches of my mind ❤
Just when I thought that a book couldn't be honed to absolute perfection, Sarah J. Maas wiped that sneer off my face and proved me wrong. Again.
A Court of Wings and Ruin is a work of art that will make you run out of proper adjectives to describe all the pandemonium, magic and apocalypse it entails. The kind that will pull at your heartstrings right from the get-go and hold you with its sharp claws, imploring you to devour it.
Intense action, delicious romance, backstabbing, ferociously deadly creatures, raw brutality, lies and disguise are all ornately woven into a tale that will cocoon you into the Fae world and soothe you, leaving you anchored by nothing but a tempest in your lungs.
There was darkness and light, storm and calm, despair but also hope. You will see battles mired with savagery and viciousness, harsh and regrettable decisions and nerve-wracking adventures in a world where humans are perceived as weak and easily destroyable.
Sarah J. Maas's world building is so exquisite that I felt detached from my own body, incapable of focusing on anything else happening around me, only flipping the pages with an acute yearning of what's about to happen. She delivers plenty of magic and mayhem, with a knack for perfect pacing of the story and character reflection.
Characters
The Inner Circle, my favourite squad ❤
I love their devotion to each other. Their ability to be kind in spite of harsh circumstances, their ability to love despite enduring a millenia of cruelty. They're all so full of light, it makes we want to smile and simultaneously tear up at their unconditional loyalty. I was so attached to them, like I was bound to them by an invisible, irrevocable tether. When they struggled, I struggled. When they were hurt, I was hurt. I could feel their rage, loyalty and honour coursing through my veins, like a shrieking void.
High Lords
I don't think I would have enjoyed this book at all if not for them. I'm glad that Sarah J. Maas showed them in a new light, something readers haven't seen in the previous books.
As amusing as their banter was, I also feel deeply moved by their actions, their unwavering faith in one another during the battle despite their iffy past.
Be it Helion, the Spell Cleaver; Thesan, the healer; Tarquin, the sympathetic and thoughtful leader; Kallias, the snow/ice manipulator and Beron, ..... Never mind, I didn't really like him; I loved them with every echoing heartbeat. (Beron being the exception)
Oh and Tamlin . I apologise if I've been harsh to him after reading A Court of Mist and Fury, but I have a new found respect for him. Despite his impropriety initially, the fact that he finally rises to be a better man by not dwelling on petty vengeance and retribution hit me in the gut and made my eyes burn with warm tears.
Where A Court of Mist and Fury was romance heavy (not that I'm complaining), A Court of Wings and Ruin was action-packed and was cluttered with twists and magical intrigue and SJM definitely didn't let the romance aspect of the book obliterate the subplot, deftly exploring all the details.
I feel weighed down by the intensity of this composition and I vow never to let it slip even from the deepest clutches of my mind ❤
November 23, 2017
“Be happy, Feyre,” he said quietly.
Actually it's not a 5-star rating, more like 4.5678-star for me. But this book, this blessed book brought me to tears and my heart nearly exploded through it. RHYS. I breathe him in and don't want to let him out. I longed for ACOWAR since it didn't even have the title and promised myself that I couldn't die before I got my hands on it. I can't gather the words to express how I am feeling right now. Everything is just right. EPIC. PERFECT. EXQUISITE. RHYS I loved him with every bit of my heart. And Feyre, her development shocked me. As you know, she's High Lady of the Night Court, and when I was certain that her pesona couldn't get any better from ACOMAF, I was wrong because she slays and slays and slays. I even saw Aelin in Feyre when she leads her people and makes a vital decision at the end. Don't do that to me ever again, Feyre !
Tamlin. I don't hate him at all. I always see him as an ordinary human. He raged. He blamed the others. He made wrong decisions. But eventually, he is what he is. In this book, I can see the reason why Feyre hasn't been his match. Tamlin loves her. Rhysand loves her. A huge difference between these guys is how they treat her, while Tamlin treated Feyre like she's made of glass, Rhys forged her into a weapon she was born to be. And Tamlin has done everything wrong from the moment he lost her. Although he declared that it came from his love, I saw a fine line between love and possession. They're not the same.
“I see all of you, Rhys. And there is not one part that I do not love with everything that I am.”
Cassian, Mor, Azriel, Nesta, Elian, and Amren are the best supporting characters ever. They stand out and have their important roles to play. Cassian is reckless. Mor is easy-going but her heart... Azriel is complicated. Nesta is virile, she has proved herself so much in this book. Elian. Sweet Elian is literally multilayered characters. If Nesta was fire, Elian would be an ember set to burn hotter than fire.
SJM pulled off every piece of the story amazingly. The twists are subtle and profound. High Lords are all intruging and different from one another. I felt the changes through the three parts of this book. The first part and the third are the best, IMO, I loved the first ten chapters the most where Feyre is at the Spring Court. Everything she's done are so appeased.
“Because I can’t stay away.”
I listened to many songs while I was reading this book, though. One of my favorites is https://youtu.be/tgvbhxb9yk8 It healed my soul whenever something happened and I couldn't prevent myself from crying over for the pain I felt.
Though ACOWAR is not the best of the series (I think the best is ACOMAF as it's so emotional and deep), I still liked the most of it, especially the war and strategies these characters manage to plan out.
Moreover, ACOWAR is the longest book of the series but SJM somehow wrote and wove every part of the details into the whole perfect picture immaculately. She's a queen of expanding her books and universe yet she can control her stories not to spin out of control.
“Leave this world … a better place than how you found it.”
I loved this series because of the world-building and romance of the characters. The concept of the Wall dividing two worlds is interesting and the ending is real and what it's supposed to be from the beginning. I'm so glad to know and read this series. It never fails me, never one.
FEYRE FOR LIFE. TAMLIN FOR NOW. RHYS FOR FOREVER.
“You belong to all of us, and we belong to you.”
My favorites : 1) ACOMAF 2) ACOWAR 3) ACOTAR
Note : Why didn't I give ACOWAR 5 stars ? Why 4.5678 ? Ummmmm, I know the big part of me enjoyed this book wholeheartedly regarding this is the end to this arc (there're more books to come, though) and the most anticipated of this year. But the small part of me felt some things in ACOWAR were too coincidental and easy. Yet SJM ended this thoroughly, and I can't wait to see her finish the ToG series in 2018.
Buddy read with Laurie and Maddie
Blog https://goo.gl/aVlsE6
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March 20, 2024May 3rd, 2017
I'm just overall very happy with my reading experience even though I yet again got no sleep from reading this beast of a book (I know some people judge me for doing that and not fully "enjoying" the book by taking my time but hell no, once I start I don't stop).
I don't know what else to say that won't be spoilers so I'm just gonna die happy knowing that I got to FINALLY read this beauty.
Expected publication: May 2th 2017
*internally screaming*
I'm just overall very happy with my reading experience even though I yet again got no sleep from reading this beast of a book (I know some people judge me for doing that and not fully "enjoying" the book by taking my time but hell no, once I start I don't stop).
I don't know what else to say that won't be spoilers so I'm just gonna die happy knowing that I got to FINALLY read this beauty.
Expected publication: May 2th 2017
*internally screaming*
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