A Court of Wings and Ruin (Court of Thorns and Roses, #3)

by Sarah J. Maas

A gorgeously written tale as lush and romantic as it is ferocious ... Absolutely spellbinding - New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Bracken

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's manoeuvrings and the invading king threatening to bring her land 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. And her heart will face the ultimate test as she and her mate are forced to question whether they can truly trust each other.

Sarah J. Maas is a global #1 bestselling author. Her books have sold more than nine million copies and been translated into 37 languages. Discover the sweeping romantic fantasy for yourself.

Contains mature content. Not suitable for younger readers.

• ISBN10: 1619635208
• ISBN13: 9781619635203
• Publish Date: 1 May 2018 (first published 2 May 2017)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 7 April 2021
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
• Imprint: Bloomsbury YA
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 736
• Language: English

Reviews

[Emma (SCR)]

This review was originally posted on Star Crossed Reviews After the cliffhanger ending of A Court of Mist ad Fury, I instantly started this book.

I don't really know where to start with this review. So much happens in this book and I'm just not sure anything I can say will do this book justice. I'm going to give it a go.

Tamlin betrayed Feyre in the worst way possible and for that, she will never, ever forgive him. What she does do is return to the Spring Court in order to gather information in order to help the Night Court and its allies. I hadn't actually read the blurb so I was very shocked that she would go back after everything that happened. I thought Feyre was very brave to do this.

We also learn a lot about the other members of the night court in this story. I really enjoyed learning about these characters. They have so much to tell us and I feel there is so much more that they could tell us. I really hope Sarah does some novella's so that we can hear more from these. There are also quite a few shocks in this book that you DO NOT see coming. I really love it when an author shocks me and Sarah does this a few times in this book.

This was a really good ending to the main trilogy. It's a harrowing journey and it will take every part of you to get through it. However, it is worth everything you give it. I would highly recommend this series if you haven't read it.

[sstaley]

I liked the ending to this trilogy. I know some people didn't, but I felt she ended things with characters in a good way. She also left things open for other characters to continue on with more books. I love Feyre and Rhys together. I never liked her with Tamlin because it all felt fake to me. So, I was happy with the ending. I need to read her other series now.

[Vicki]

4.5 stars

[leahrosereads]

Nov 2019 Update

This is getting the extra star outta me. It was better the second time around, and easily my favorite of the trilogy. Feyre wasn't as annoying in this book, and of course, I wish there was more Rhysand (and Azriel). Decent conclusion. Tried to read the novella, but I DNFd that.


This almost got a four star out of me, but that ending fell flat for me. At the end of the day, I need consequences for actions in stories to really enjoy a book to its full potential, and this book lacked any consequences for anything at all.

Also, what was Lucien's character even for? I thought he'd be of more importance, but he's really just there to serve a very specific narrative and that's it? Do more for your characters, or don't create them. Lucien wasn't necessary in any real meaningful way. Now, I get that there's another trilogy or whatever coming, so maybe he'll be in that and make a difference there. Who knows? Real fans probably do, but I'm never going to look it up.

This series gets a lot of 5 stars, and I can kinda see why. It's fun, fast paced, and Rhysand is probably worth 5 stars on his own. I've given individual stars out for characters in the past, and I would for him too, if it weren't for all the other parts of these stories that I just couldn't get behind.

Mainly consequences. I need them. I thrive on them. I don't need happy endings that are tied up so sweetly. I need grittiness and mourning and heartbreak.

And there's none really here.

[Joni Reads]

I couldn't read this book fast enough. I feel like we really got a good look at Feyre's character and just how brave she is. Her time with Tamlin at the beginning of the book was fascinating, seeing how to made everything work to her advantage. I thought I was going to dread it at first but I should have known better. The fighting scenes are rich with detail, I could see it all in my mind as I read. I was so happy to see a return of the Suriel. I also loved seeing and finding out about the other High Lords as well as seeing some of the other Courts. The last half of the book had me breathless. I was laughing and then crying and then on the edge of my seat and then that awkward relief laughing that turns to tears. I felt it all.

Now to wait for ACOFAS. I keep telling myself its not a long wait but it already feels endless.

[liz089]

This was, once again, a great read.
I think I loved the second book more... but this one was most certainly awesome too.
I loved reading about the Dream Court family again, they are amazingly well-written, they feel so real.
The story was very exciting, and there were even some plottwists that I did not expect !

Curious what the next book will be about !!

[alindstadtcorbeax]

Star Rating: —> 5 SHIMMERING, BRILLIANT STARS!

[tellemonstar]

This review was originally posted on book reviews with the blogmonstarWell I gotta say, girl knows how to write a story doesn't she? A Court of Wings and Ruin was freaking awesome! If you haven't read this yet, then run away right now. SPOILERS AHEAD!



When we start A Court of Wings and Ruin Feyre is pissed off with Tamlin and rightfully so. He pretty much plays right into her trap because he's too blinded by the fact that he still actually loves Feyre (or who he believes Feyre is anyways) and believes he's done the only thing he can to 'save' her from Rhysand. And of course he's also too blinded by Ianthe's sweet temperate priestess act to see her for what she truly is.

I'm not sure I would have had that restraint not to gut Ianthe the first time I saw her again, unlike Feyre who played her oh-so-well. I definitely would have murdered the bitch in her sleep though. Nobody messes with my sister. Her eventual ending was well-deserved and pretty much perfect, that greedy bitch.

Also, those creepy siblings/twins were evil. I was glad Feyre and Lucien sent the Bogge after them. They well and truly deserved it. They should have obeyed her orders purely has lady of the household. Tamlin should have backed her up on it and then her and Lucien wouldn't have been forced to take such drastic measures. Of course, when they'd spiked her and Lucien's food with faebane, that was just the icing on their death-cake.

I wasn’t sure I’d been born with the ability to forgive. Not for terrors inflicted on those I loved. For myself, I didn’t care—not nearly as much. But there was some fundamental pillar of steel in me that could not bend or break in this. Could not stomach the idea of letting these people get away with what they’d done.

Lucien won himself some more points in A Court of Wings and Ruin. Even though Elain is his mate, I liked that he kept himself very restrained and just stayed mostly in the background away from her whilst she eventually became much more of herself again. And, speaking of Elain - the Cauldron gifted her with something extra when it Made her because it liked her - which is a little bit disturbing really. Although, Elain being a seer did come quite in handy several times once they all figured it out.

Elain had always been gentle and sweet—and I had considered it a different sort of strength. A better strength. To look at the hardness of the world and choose, over and over, to love, to be kind. She had been always so full of light.

The most beautiful story arc (apart from Rhysand and Feyre's relationship) in the whole ACOTAR series is the relationship between Rhys, Mor, Azriel, Cassian, Amren and of course, Feyre. Rhys' speech just before the really big battle is a key point of that relationship. How each of those people helped make him what who he is now, instead of whom he might have been if he had never met any of them. Cassian taught him resilience, loyalty, honour and strength, and how those things can make the best of a person. Azriel taught him that's it's the family you choose, rather than the one you are born into that really matters, and that you can still find hope when the whole world is telling you to despair. Mor taught him that light can be found in the darkest of places if you have the ability to find it, and that kindness can exist even amongst the worst cruelty. Amren taught him how to keep his power from consuming him completely. And of course, Feyre is his mate - the missing piece of him.

“The great joy and honour of my life has been to know you. To call you my family. And I am grateful - more than I can possibly say - that I was given this time with you all”

The whole theme of ACOTAR is that dreams can be very powerful things - for both good or bad. Rhys had a dream of living in a peaceful land and he began trying to make that happen. Feyre had a dream of a better life - she went through the wall and although her life with Tamlin wasn't the once she dreamed of, it did lead her to Rhys and all of the others. Even the monsters have dreams - in Feyre's last conversation with the Suriel, it asked her to leave the world a better place than she found it.

Now, I am not one to cry over a book - in fact the last time I remember getting properly teary out a book character was in Harry Poter and the Deathly Hallows. However, I had to wipe the eyes clear twice in A Court of Wings and Ruin. You know what I'm talking about. First Sarah J. Maas stabs you sharply in the heart with Cassian, and the knife is pushed deeper with Nessa. Then of course, Elain comes along and Sarah J. Maas takes her great big dagger out of your heart, closes the wound and pats you on the head. Not too much later she presses on the still-healing wound with Amren and her princely fellow Valeran (sp?). Then she rips your heart out out of your body, stomps on it and kicks it around for good measure with Rhys. Then of course, because she does still love us in her sick, twisted fashion, she dusts our hearts off so their clean, and then shoves them back inside our chests. My god woman, stop trying to kill me!

as I am clearly a glutton for punishment I can't wait for the next book.

[Kate (Blogging with Dragons)]

This review originally posted at Blogging with Dragons.

This review contains marked spoilers.


Unfortunately, I can’t help but to consider this book a disappointment. After the empowerment, sweeping romances, and intrigue of A Court of Mist and Fury (ACOMAF), A Court of Wings and Ruin just felt lacking. The book was disappointing from the get-go and failed to deliver on what the last book promised, and actually lacked a bit of pacing in some parts. I also didn’t like that one of my built-up ships was sunk, the many perfectly timed coincidences, or the overly happy ending.

 

ACOMAF ended with Feyre returning to the Spring Court as a spy, in order to feed information back to Rhysand and the rest of the gang at the Night Court. I expected tension, high stakes, plotting, and maybe even a forced seduction of Tamlin. What I got was Feyre acting like some kind of a saint to undermine Tamlin’s authority and likability (honestly not sure how this would be at all effective considering how little anyone in the Spring Court cared about her well-being in ACOMAF or how little everyone liked Tamlin already). Instead of a top-secret mission to save everyone at the Night Court, Feyre was really just locked in a middle school-esque manipulative battle against the Priestess Ianthe, and spent most of her days pretending to paint happy flower pictures, wearing pretty dresses, and making Tamlin even more jealous (as if that were somehow even possible). It was so lackluster and anti-climactic, that I was quite relieved when Feyre decided it was time to leave (even though it really didn’t feel like she gained any mind-blowing information or wreaked damage enough to warrant her going home, but I digress), and she murdered a couple of people before raging in battle with others!  What a relief.

 

But when she finally returned home to Rhysand and the Night Court, things died down again. Instead, it was more of the same, dealing with a heartbroken girl, (Elain instead of Feyre this time) and her spurned/pining mate; translating an ancient book; visiting the Bone Carver and the Court of Nightmares; summoning the Suriel; meeting with other Courts in hoping to form alliances; training as Illyrians; gathering an army of weirdos (which smacks of Aelin in Empire of Storms). Yawn. Been there, done that.  As much as I love Sarah J. Maas, her formula was starting to feel a little old to me—I’d like to see her branch out a bit from these tried and true trappings that are also present in Throne of Glass, her other series.

 

Though that wasn’t to say the book isn’t worth reading. There were some good parts in it. I loved the revelation about Lucien’s father; Ianthe getting her just desserts and fitting end at the hands of the Weaver; Elain becoming a Seer and managing to stab Hybern, allowing her sister Nesta, to twist the knife deeper. It suited Elain’s character perfectly and hinted that there was a formidability about this deceptively frail Archeron sister. I predicted a love triangle between her, Lucien, and Azriel in the future, since Maas frequently hinted at some Fey putting aside their Mating Bonds and choosing another person.

 

Plus, I had to hope for something, after the author effectively murdered my Azriel x Mor ship, in a very painful and sudden way that I did not see coming. I certainly had no problems with Mor preferring the company of women, but keeping it a secret from her friend for centuries, fully knowing that he was desperately in love with her, was just intolerably and crushingly disappointing after three whole books of buildup. While I fully understand that Mor was just afraid to hurt him or anyone else, her silence definitely made me like her less as a character as a result.  All I could hope was that Elain, or some other deserving female, treats Azriel better in the rest of the series.

 

But one thing I especially liked about this book was how Maas handled Tamlin. She crafted the Spring Court Lord as pitiable and understandable, despite his controlling and abusive ways, and in the end, made him believably redeemable . I actually felt proud of him when he played a double agent, saved the gang from Hybern’s forces, and even chipped in to resurrect Rhysand in the first unselfish and ultimate act of love for Feyre.  I was really stunned that Tamlin willingly gave his power to help revive someone he hated so much. And honestly, with the amount of times he was spurned, I am not sure that I could have done the same thing if I were in his position. Regardless, Tamlin was a truly flawed and complex character throughout the series—a vision of Maas at her best—and  Feyre was not alone in wishing him happiness. After all, hasn’t the guy been through enough? And admittedly, he did a better job at being a double agent than Feyre, despite all of his flaws.

 

Though I liked how Maas handled Tamlin’s part in bringing back Rhysand from the dead, coming full circle to Feyre’s own resurrection in the first book at the hands of the High Lords, I disliked that he even came back at all. I was horrified to read this book because I saw spoilers that Rhysand died and I couldn’t bear the thought, but when I actually read that he came back to life—and managed to grab Amren out of the Cauldron and save her from her own willing sacrifice at the same time—I really didn’t think it was happening. Instead, I thought Feyre, in her grief and shock, was hallucinating. I kept waiting for her to snap out of it and realize that Rhysand and Amren were still irrevocably dead.

 

Their resurrections just all seemed very Brady Bunch and too good to be true—just like Feyre’s mortal dad showing up with a human army at just the right time, Jurian coincidentally being against Hybern, Tamlin happening to save Feyre at Hybern's camp, and Drakon and Miryam arriving with yet another miraculous army out of nowhere. I wanted to beg Maas to stop with the perfectly timed saves—they were just unbelievable! The main cast’s sacrifices, which had been pretty heartbreaking—yes, I cried a bit—were simply immediately rewarded with a second chance at life instantaneously! It felt like a flip of a switch, effectively rendering their earlier selfless actions meaningless.  I hadn’t even had time to truly grieve their deaths, before they were alive again. The book put me to mind of a car crash where the person walks away without a scratch—it happens, but it’s really not likely. And when car crashes and zero injuries keep happening, it’s really not plausible or remarkable. I couldn't help but feel Maas only brought these characters back from the dead for future books in the series, and not for the sake of a well-written story.

 

As much as I wanted Feyre and Rhysand together, I couldn’t help but feel that it would’ve made for a stronger ending, if Feyre had to move on without Rhysand. In turn, Feyre could have realized her full potential, truly coming into her own as the High Lady of the Night Court, soaring on her Illyrian wings, and protecting the city of Velaris and everything her Mate had built with her own personal strength. She might have even been able to help bridge the gap between other courts, uniting them with her powers that were born from each of the High Lords of those courts. Or, perhaps she could’ve even discovered she was pregnant after Rhysand died and raised their child as a High Lord or Lady. To me, any of those scenarios would have made for a stronger and more emotional ending that clearly displayed how far Feyre had come from the little human girl in the first book.

 

Despite not enjoying this book as much as the others in the series, there were still enough things to keep me interested, and I planned on giving the next book in the series a try. Admittedly, my expectations definitely will not be as high as they were for the this book, but I still wanted to know what becomes of the rest of the characters in the series—even though Maas has said that Feyre and Rhysand’s stories are over. I hope that future entries in this series stray from Maas’s formula of mates, coincidences, misfit groups of friends of supernaturally gifted characters, etc.. While I love these concepts to a certain extent, I was starting to fear that I was reading the same series and that one day Maas would announce that Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses was actually in the same universe or something—I don’t think I could take it! So while I’m sticking out this series for future entries, and the book is certainly worth reading—especially for Maas fans—to know what happens, don’t expect greatness.

[Mercy]

Por fin pude terminar esta reseña y sí terminé de leer el libro en primer lugar, luego de dos meses de haberlo empezado porque más aburrido no pudo ser, fue principalmente gracias a Nina, Carol y Mercè, con quienes estuve comentando la lectura y fue lo único bonito que me dejó porque vaya si nos reímos. Gracias niñas ♥

Esto es casi una exacta descripción del libro:

Una de las razones por las que me decidí a leer este libro fue porque tenía la esperanza que Sarah J. Maas iba a arreglar ciertas cosas que se fueron al garete en el segundo libro, pues había una situación con un personaje que me enojó mucho y yo esperaba que lo redimiese, pero no fue así, o sea, aparentemente lo hace pero sólo porque conviene a la trama y a la protagonista cambiar a dicho personaje. También mientras leía, llegué a considerar darle 1.5 estrellas o incluso 2 pero el final fue tan desastroso que no se pudo salvar de la hoguera. El libro es un desfile de contradicciones que les aseguro que si leo con atención línea por línea descubriría que la historia no se sostiene por ningún lado, pues cosas que supuestamente quedaron establecidas en el libro uno y dos, de pronto son totalmente olvidadas. Sarah manipula al lector para que se quiera a los personajes que ella decide y la narración es repetitiva y es tan lento, que a pesar de leer una cantidad considerable de páginas, sentía que nunca iba a llegar al final.

Y lo peor de todo son los Deux Ex Machina usados en demasía; ¿qué es un recurso que muchos escritores usan? lo sé, ¿qué puede ser muy funcional usado adecuadamente? también lo sé; pero Sarah J. Maas abusa de esto y, sí desde el principio del libro hay unos pocos, a partir de la mitad su uso se multiplica. Los personajes son lo más perfecto del mundo, los buenos son unos angelitos y los malos son el demonio personificado, "hay guerra" pero les queda tiempo de sobra para comer, pasear y follar. No se siente el peligro inminente, hay cero táctica y estrategia y las benditas reuniones que hay cada dos por tres sirven para lanzarse pullas los unos a los otros o chismorrear sobre quién quiere con quién. Hay situaciones y personajes que podrían haber sido más aprovechados y desarrollados pero se queda sólo el intento. Una lástima.

Es una novela con muchos fallos que presenta un mundo interesante y una trama que debió haber sido mejor aprovechada, la autora se va a las soluciones fáciles y hay cambios que no parecen haberse hecho de forma premeditada sino sobre la marcha y de esa manera, obviando cosas que se habían establecido en los dos libros anteriores. Yo creo que bien pasan por tres historias completamente distintas. Creo que es una historia donde ninguno de los personajes se quedaron conmigo, ni siquiera Lucien y por eso no voy a leer los libros que siguen.


Reseña completa: https://thebooksaremylife.blogspot.com/2017/07/resena-court-of-wings-and-ruin-sarah-j.html