A Court of Wings & Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

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.

Book Review

A Court of Wings and Ruin is Book 3 in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series.  Feyre has sacrificed herself and returned to the Spring Court with Tamlin in a bid to protect her chosen family from the villainous King Hybern.  Her sisters have faced a life-changing trial and Rhys is without his High Lady as Feyre is now in enemy territory on her own.

Feyre has grown into herself.  As she stays in the Spring Court a second time, it is easy to see she has changed.  She is calculating risks, gleans motive easier, and is no longer clueless about the dangers and machinations hidden behind the beautiful Spring Court.  She is different from the Feyre in the first book.  She knows who she is, and what she wants and I found that part of her growth inspiring.

A Court of Wings and Ruin is focused on bringing Rhys and Feyre together as a power couple.  They are High Lord and High Lady of the Night Court.  Their journey starts with Feyre living in the enemy’s camp to get vital information for the coming fight.  The two, Rhys and Feyre, endure a separation. This series has developed a large emphasis on adopting or choosing a family of your own.  None of the people Feyre comes to love as her family is related to her. 

Rhys, Cassian, Azriel, Mor, and Amren have become her true family who now takes on the care of Feyre’s blood sisters. This court has a very strong sense of loyalty and love for each other.  It is also important to note that each of these characters has gone through a trial of their own at a point in their lives.  From Rhys who is shunned by his mother’s people for being a hybrid, Mor has endured unimaginable abuse from her own family in a bid to choose her own life.  The most impressive, Cassian and Azriel, who endured savage childhoods, conquered prejudice, and rose up in the ranks to become the strongest warriors known to their kind.  Amren is constantly in search of where she belongs after having endured horrors in prison. Together, this group of characters becomes a strong foundation, strong family support, protecting and loving each other as only family can. A foundation Feyre knows can now help her support her blood sisters who now need help adjusting to a new world. I found this aspect of a chosen family to be the most endearing part of this series.  A theme that works, that anyone can relate to.

A Court of Wings and Ruin redeems Book One and Book Two for me.  Feyre and Rhys hold the story as they bring different courts together to face down an enemy who could cost them their very lives.  They compromise and open themselves up to potential friendships and allies.  This book becomes the strongest part of this series.  Each character grew and played an important part in the larger plot.  It even managed to redeem Nesta, Feyre’s big sister, who I’ve had a hard time getting to like.

The burgeoning number of characters in this series is its greatest strength and weakness.  Each court has a strong character deserving of a story.  They cannot get it told in a book about Rhys and Feyre, so I felt it was a great weakness. As noted before, Tamlin’s storyline is quite unfair, to him. He suffers from a broken heart, holds a massive power he fights to control, and is perceived as a villain through Feyre’s eyes.  Tamlin goes through the wringer with Feyre and Rhys, I feel from another point of view, he would be better understood.  Characters like Lucian, Mor, and even Amren have stories that are deserving of more. They could each have a standalone book. A Court of Wings and Ruin is also very long, as the war is fought, allies come together and new villains emerge. I wished the ending did not feel like a plan to bring more books ahead. ^_^ This is a problem of late, as series books work to keep their worlds open and with that maybe…for the next book.

It makes sense why there is A Court of Silver Flames after this, a story about Nesta, Feyre’s big sister, and Cassian.  Of which, I will not be going into because I think I’ve had my fill of ACOTAR this month.  I loved the development of Rhys and Feyre’s relationship and their fight at the end was worth the journey.  Their supporting characters are great and I enjoyed getting to know all of them.  However, it is hard to continue with Nesta who is a difficult character to understand through Feyre’s eyes. On her own, I have not done so well and could not finish her story.

A Court of Thorns and Roses Series is written by Sarah J. Maas. She has also written The Throne of Glass series which I truly enjoyed, all seven books and side stories. You can check out more about the Throne of Glass series here.