Review: A Court of Wings and Ruin

A Court of Wings and Ruin is the third book in the ACOTAR series. To be honest, when I started the first book, I never expected to like the story and the characters so much. I don’t think words can describe how much I loved the first two books, and this one was no exception.

Here’s the synopsis: 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.

So far, the books I’ve read in the series have had a good balance between being character-driven stories and fast-paced plots. A Court of Wings and Ruin is even faster-paced than the previous ones since there’s a war unleashing. And not everything is what it seems. The unpredictable turns and twists of events made it a remarkable read.

I loved getting to know new characters. Some of the High Lords from the other courts were briefly mentioned in previous books, but they finally took shape and form thanks to the detailed descriptions of both their appearances and personalities. We also get to know more about Tamlin’s motives. As much as he’d hurt Feyre in the past, I believe Tamlin deserves redemption. All the characters have made poor choices one way or another, and Tamlin’s isn’t much worse. He’s not my favorite character either, but he’s certainly no longer the villain and his actions in this book are proof of that.

Another aspect I enjoyed was getting to know Nesta more. I despised her in the first book, she seemed selfish and obnoxious. But here we realize that it’s just a wall she’s been putting up. I’m not saying she’s the opposite, the coldness is inherent to her, but she’s not a bad person either. I cannot wait until I read a Court Of Silver Flames. In this book, you can tell already that there’s a ton of chemistry between Nesta and Cassian — only that chemistry likely seems to be rather explosive.

Last but not least, Feyre and Rhysand continue to surprise me. No wonder they’re mates, they think just the same and are willing to sacrifice themselves while at the same time do whatever it takes to save each other. They’re not trying to win for glory, they’re following what their heart dictates. They both gave me Gryffindor vibes in that aspect — the type of bravery that doesn’t go unnoticed.

In the meantime, I’ll be taking a break from ACOTAR. I know there are two books I have yet to read, even though the main trilogy finished with this one. The next books focus on other characters, and I’m looking forward to reading them. However, I want to get my hands on physical copies of English editions. And since local libraries currently don’t have them in stock and Amazon is doing limited shipping to my country, I’ll just have to wait.

If you haven’t read the series yet, I hight suggest you do. Not to mention, the author Sarah J. Maas recently shared on Instagram that the ACOTAR series will be made into a TV show. It’s worth that hype, that’s all I can say.

Overall rating: 5/5

“It’s a rare person to face who they are and not run from it – not be broken by it.” 

Sarah J. Maas, A Court of Wings and Ruin

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Review: A Court of Mist and Fury

I am still in awe, this book left me completely speechless. A Court of Mist and Fury, which is the second in the saga, begins with Feyre back at the Spring Court after surviving Amarantha. But she’s not the same — besides being an immortal, she’s anything but happy at her new home. Feyre is suffering from PTSD, and the most unexpected person (faerie) might be able to help her recover and realize that she can decide how to shape her future. Yes, that unexpected individual is Rhysand.

I know this is a fantasy novel, but the PTSD symptoms were portrayed accurately. The dynamics in the relationship between Feyre and Tamlin are also realistic if you of course remove Tamlin’s supernatural powers. But the red flags are the same, and I’m sure many women can relate to Feyre. I loved seeing the way she matured and transformed, both mentally and physically. I won’t get into details because that would imply sharing spoilers (and I want to keep this spoiler-free). But the plot keeps getting more intertwined and previous events start to make more sense.

It’s everything I would’ve expected and more. I laughed, I cried, got angry, and everything in between. This book made me feel all the feels, and I’m not exaggerating. It felt like being on a roller coaster, which was amazing. The only bad thing is that the book I’ve started after finishing this one feels more like a walk in the park and it’s not as thrilling (though I’m sure if I hadn’t read ACOTAR I would be enjoying it way more). So props to the author for even allowing this to be possible. It’s been so long since I’ve felt this involved with a book.

I even created a playlist inspired by it, you can listen to it here. I’ve ordered the third book in physical because the iPad was starting to strain my eyes a bit. As soon as I get the chance, I’ll buy the entire collection.

Rating: 5/5

“To the people who look at the stars and wish, Rhys.” Rhys clinked his glass against mine. “To the stars who listen— and the dreams that are answered.”

Sarah J. Maas, A Court of Mist and Fury

Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses

By now, most of the bookstagram community has read the ACOTAR series. I’ve seen it everywhere since I first started my account, which was back in 2018. I felt like I’d outgrown both the YA and fantasy genres long ago, so I was never really attracted to it. However, this year something shifted, something I can’t precisely explain (perhaps Rhsyand could help me find an answer by digging inside my mind). About two weeks ago, I bought the kindle version of A Court of Thorns and Roses to read on my iPad. The only explanation I told myself was that I wanted to read books outside my comfort zone, and out of so many fantasy books available, I had to chose that one. And you have no idea how glad I am that I did!

Quick FYI, the ACOTAR series is actually considered New Adult, which is different than Young Adult. Though they do share plenty of similarities, the audiences they’re aimed at are not the same. I wouldn’t recommend this to pre-teens; it would be more appropriate for a 14+ audience.

Anyway, the last book that got me turning pages and staying up ’til late at night was Midnight Sun. Yes, another fantasy book. So perhaps I was just kidding myself when I thought I’d outgrown the genre. I was so wrong, and I take it back.

It got me hooked from the beginning. It begins with Feyre being out on a hunt. Winter is coming and she knows that if she doesn’t hunt something, she and her family won’t have much to eat. So when she spots a deer about to be attacked by a wolf, she cannot resist. But to kill the deer, she must also kill the wolf. And everything comes at a price. Shortly afterward, she’s dragged to the magical kingdom of Prynthian for murdering a faerie. Feyre soon starts to learn more about her captor and his world, her feelings of hate vanish and are replaced with passion. But love can’t conquer all, or can it? Feyre must break a powerful curse or say goodbye to him forever.