A Court of Wings and Ruin

Hey guys,

Today´s post is going to be like last week´s post. Is going to be one of those reviews that is made in two parts. In the first part you will have a spoiler free review, and then in the second part I will totally lose my head and become a crazy fangirl.

I guess you al know what book I am going to be talking about today, as it´s one the title of the post and I will most likely guess you are here because of that. In case you don’t know, I will be talking about A Court of Wings and Ruin (ACOWAR) by Sarah J.Maas.

This first part will be a spoiler-free review, but as it´s the third book in the series you might find some spoilers with regard to the first, ACOTAR and, second book, ACOMAF, so check my reviews for those by clicking on their titles if you are interested in this series but haven’t yet read the previous books.

And now whitout further ado, let´s jump into the review.

After what happened in Hybern, Feyre left with Tamlin making he believe that Rhys have somehow enchanted her and that the one that she loves is him. That everything that had happened was just a nightmare, but the real nightmare is her and she is going to destroy the Spring Court from the inside, all because he sell her sisters and betrayed Prythian.

With the synopsis you just get a mere glimpse for what it is to come, but in my case it was enough to make me want to read this book. And I am so happy I did it. I have highly enjoyed and I will recommend if you like high fantasy that you read this series, because it´s constantly improving.

As I have already mention in my previous reviews of the first two books in this series. I was not happy with the first book, I was kind of disappointed because everything happened in the last 100 pages of the book. And I did not like the main love interest in that first book. For the very beginning I disliked Tamlin and consider him to be abusive and an idiot.

I said that I loved the second book because finally Feyre found someone who truly respects her and I still saying that. I love Rhys and I want one like him for myself. And since I disliked Tamlin from the very beginning I think I deserved Rhys.

The best thing about this book is how there is constantly something going on. You wont have time to be bored as for the very fist page the scheming starts and the plot twist and everything. It´s a highly entertaining book.

The writing was on point, making, if possible, the need to read the book more strong. Sarah J.Maas is a great author, even when she has some ups and downs.

The world building was almost non-existed in this book. All the expansion that happened within this book is thanks to the addition of new characters than in some cases are more likeable than in orders. Also we get to met a little bit deeper some characters that we already met in the first book but just in a quick mention and some of them are really interesting and I am looking forward to know if they will appear in the next book.

If I have any problem with this book is with regard to the end of it. But I will explain this in further detail in the spoilery section of this post.

Overall I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars and will recommend for you to pick it up cause I have really enjoyed this story once I passed the first book. And now I am looking forward to read more books by this author.  

To those who are leaving now before the spoilers starts, see you all next Friday.

SPOILERS AHEAD PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK

From now on you will find a lot of spoilers of the plot and the content of ACOWAR so this is your second warning. Do not held me responsible if read some spoilers before you have read this book because I have warn you twice.

So one of the things that I have like the most is the fact that during the whole book we are somehow remembering all the story as structure wise is quite similar. First we are on the Spring Court, then the Night Court, then the Prision, Summer Court, Human Realm and so on. But I have enjoyed this mostly because as I read it was way easier to remember what it needed to be remember in each part of the book.

When Feyre is on the Spring Court was my least favourite part of the book. From day one I said I did not like this setting or its inhabitants very much. Tamlin, despites all that he has done and the big cost that it´s action have bring to him on the past still remains the same. I have come to think that he still a spoil-little-abusive-High Lord. Seriously guys I don’t like him. And everything that happens with him and his court he have it coming.

Ianthe is such a bitch and he put her first, believe in her words before than in the words of those means who not longer than a year ago were willing to risk their lives for him, so he could break the course. And then, he is violent. Of course Feyre could have defended herself but she should not be in that position in which she need to defend herself.

When they are scouting the wall and Feyre is leaving and so she hurt Ianthe and then kill the nephews of the Hybern king in order to save Lucien is definitely one of my favourite parts of this book. It was fun to see that action starting so early on the book. Within the first 100 pages of ACOWAR you have more action than in the entirety of ACOTAR.

Once both Feyre and Lucien have left the Spring Court they begin a journey towards the Night Court, but is not a pleasant journey as the brothers (or should I say half-brothers) of Lucien go after them until luckily Cassian and Azriel go into the Winter Court and rescue both of them. Everything because Feyre has being taking some kind of drug called faebane that makes the powers of the Fae disappear until the effects of it are gone. Of course she has not being taking it on purpose, but she should have notice the effects sooner, I mean she was having trouble communicating with Rhys through the mating bond so, something must have been wrong.

This picture was taken from here

After the rescue, Feyre and Lucien arrived in the Night Court and I really loved the meeting of Feyre and Rhys. But they have so much to deal with so they cannot remain together as much as they want to. So they go to meeting and trying to discover with the help of Amran and the Book what to do in order to destroy or nullify the powers of the Cualdron.

This picture was taken from here

It´s really interesting to see a different type of mating bond, mostly through Elain and Lucien. Elain was in love with her human fiancé, and she did not want to become fae; neither did Nesta, but nonetheless the second is dealing with it way better than the first one. Elain is in such condition that everyone thinks that she has lost her mind. And she does not wish to be around Lucien, in fact he somehow forces his present at first until somehow she become tolerant to him. I don’t know how Sarah is planning on continue with this story, but I will like to see Elain ending with Azriel instead of Lucien. I think the Illyrian warrior have become attached to her in some ways and I think Elain is what he need to be over his crus on Mor (a crush that has last over 500 years).

Feyre and Cassian visit the Prision, again with the intention of meeting with the Bone Carver, and God I swear he is such an interesting character that if not for his end I will like a book about him (maybe a prequel Sarah?). But learning that he appears to Feyre as his yet non-born soon is nice even when in some ways give you away the ending. I mean despite Rhys death I was sure he would be resurrected somehow.

Other of the things that I have liked are the visits to the Court of Nightmares. Mor´s father, Kier is such an asshole, but he is really intelligent and he knows that Rhys have been punishing for such a long time, most likely for what he did to Mor, that when he had the chance of bargain he did so. But the fist visit is key to what will happen later on the story. Feyre asks for the Oroburos and he told her that if she dares to look into it she can do whatever she pleases with it, if she remains sane after it, of course.

So know Feyre has to decided whether she wants to take the risk of look into the Oroburos or if she will risk to go into the war without this powerful ally. But while she still debating if the cost is worth the price the whole group learn about an attack on the Summer Court and so they go and help them. And this kind of scenes, the battle scenes in this book, are very powerful, and very entertaining. They are very well written and mostly brutal. I think in that matter is probably one of the best things in this book.

After that they return to Night Court cause Tarquin still mad at them for stealing the book.

And then many things happen, like another visit to the Bone Carver in witch he ask again for the Oroburos in exchange for his help. And Then Rhys relied what is it that Feyre sees when looking to the Bone Carver and is so sweet.

This picture was taken from here

So they manage to get all they High Lords to meet. And this scene is really cool. You see how the dynamics between the Courts have been for centuries, and how the resentment amongst some have been happening for a very long time. But the best is how Rhys makes Tamlin shup the hell up when he is about to insult Feyre once more. And of course, how nobody trust him, I mean he had it coming.

But not only that Azriel defending Mor´s honour. And the very best when Feyre gets so mad with Beron, the High Lord of the Autumn Court, for insulting Rhys that she almost killed him. But in the process she shows them all how powerful she is. And then we discover that Beron is not Lucien’s father after all.

And from that point on is just plot twist after plot twist. I just going to mention a few cause otherwise this post will be way too long.

I don’t remember if this happens after the meeting or before the meeting, but some soldiers attack Feyre and Nesta in a Library and Feyre remembers that whatever it is that lays at the bottom of such library is something that scared Cassian and so she makes a bargain with it. Because she has never ever been told that she should not make bargains. And then Rhys and Cassian arrive and save both of them.

And after all it turns out that Jurian is not the bad guy. I mean he even help Feyre getting out of the Hybern camp when she went there to rescue Elain and decides to save other human girl. And Tamlin helping her is nice too, but it does not make me like him.

And of course because of my huge dislike for Ianthe I was so happy when she has killed by the Weaver.

Rhys speech before the final battle is so sweet and make me think that I want I guy just like him as I have been saying for quite a while now. And then both Feyre and Rhys have mating presents and have bring the Weaver, the Bone Carver, and Braxis (the thing that was laying at the bottom of the library). And Feyre told Rhys that she faced the Oroburos and that at the end she has come to love herself for all of the horrors that have been shown to her in it about herself.

And then Amran treason but then it was not a treason. And Tamlin appears with an army and also Myriam and Drako and also Feyres dad. The latest being killed only two pages after.

This picture was taken from here

But the worst of it was when Rhys dies, if I have a problem witht his book it would be this one. I mean I am happy that at the end he was safe and sound but, also Amren was save and everyone gets their happily ever after. It does not make too much sense. Hybern was a vicious enemy, they have all the chances to win and so people died in the war but all the characters that we love stay alive, and of course Tamlin “redeems” himself (not in my opinion, but whatsoever) by saying Feyre that he want her to be happy. In  my opinion was too much of happy ending, I think that somehow the author was kind of coward for not killing any character.

As I said I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars and I am looking forward to read the next book in the series even when they will be following other character than Feyre.

See you all next Friday. 

And this is not related with this post except for the characters on it. But I just needed to share it. This would by Rhys if he had Snapchat

This picture was taken from here