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

Sarah J. Maas

Start date: June 1, 2018

Finish date: June 30, 2018

Discussion: Book of the Month

Why we're reading this: Voted as our "Most Popular Books Published in May 2018" June BOM…more
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What Members Thought

Jul 30, 2018 Susan rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 03, 2024 Paula Phillips rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This series and author is one of my reading goals for 2024, I am aiming to complete all of her titles and I have been given from a fellow bookstagrammer, a reading order that combines all three of her series as some of them interweave and have crossovers of characters. In ACOWAR, I didn't go into this one with high expectations as unfortunately book #2 felt a bit of a slog reading for me. I got there but it wasn't a favourite, especially after reading the first book which was a 5-star read. This ...more

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Sep 25, 2023 Katyana rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fae, fantasy, ya-na

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. If I understand correctly, this book wraps up the main story with Feyre and Rhysand ... and then there's a shorter 3.5 book that transitions to a Nesta/Cassian story. So that means I'm going to review this as if it is the wrap of a trilogy. And it works that way - the primary story threads are tied up, with just some minor dangling ends (like the Queens) that could possibly span more story, but don't really feel like they threaten the HEA of the characters in the trilogy either way.

Overall, I li If I understand correctly, this book wraps up the main story with Feyre and Rhysand ... and then there's a shorter 3.5 book that transitions to a Nesta/Cassian story. So that means I'm going to review this as if it is the wrap of a trilogy. And it works that way - the primary story threads are tied up, with just some minor dangling ends (like the Queens) that could possibly span more story, but don't really feel like they threaten the HEA of the characters in the trilogy either way.

Overall, I liked Feyre better in this book. It felt like she took a giant step forward at the end of book 2, and started to become someone I respect ... and that played well in this book. She's come into herself. She was still melodramatic or bitchy at times - I guess everyone backslides a little bit - but for the most part I thought she was pretty great.

My primary point of criticism is about Tamlin. I honestly don't know that his story holds up ... and I don't like that Feyre and Rhys didn't challenge his narrative at the meeting with the High Lords. I'll talk about that first.

Tamlin came in bitching that Feyre shredded his court, and that he was victimized by Evil Woman who planned his downfall. That narrative is BULLSHIT, and I wanted to throttle her for not challenging it. Every fucking thing that happened to Tamlin was the result of his own choices and actions. Feyre wouldn't have accomplished a thing if he didn't act like his typical asshole self ... something I really appreciated about her time at his court. Basically, he could have saved himself at any time if he did the right fucking thing for once. But no. He had a tantrum and exploded his office, injuring her just because she was totally fairly questioning something. And his people judged him for that. All she did was NOT SHIELD, so that he had to see and live with the consequences of his actions. And then there was Ianthe. Ianthe set up the naga attack so she could be the center of attention, stealing the keys and arranging the invasion. And standing there in the aftermath, everyone knew it. Even Tamlin. And she throws down this shitty gauntlet - are you going to believe a lowly sentry over a high priestess - and Tamlin decides to shit on his loyal sentries in favor of a bitch who has already backstabbed him repeatedly. He whips that sentry, right in front of everyone, at Ianthe's direction. And that's when his sentries lose faith in him. Feyre begs him to not. She didn't set up this naga attack, she just stole a little of Ianthe's thunder at the solstice and this is how Ianthe reacted. NONE of this was on Feyre. ALL of it was on Ianthe and Tamlin. And then after the whipping, Feyre tends the guard, checks on him, helps him... and we see that Tamlin NEVER does. Whips someone who he knows is innocent, and then leaves him bleeding. Tamlin is disgusting and is solely responsible for fracturing his court. Feyre should have thrown all that in his face, along with the FACT that the day she fled, the reason Lucien was with her was because she stopped fucking Ianthe from RAPING him - she had him chained with magic-nulling shackles, for fuck's sake! Ianthe, the poison Tamlin welcomed to his court and allowed to destroy it.

Feyre accepts all his accusations, that she shredded his "innocent" court and he was a victim. Fuck. All. Of. That. It was hugely fucking unsatisfying.

And also, the whole "Tamlin was ALWAYS working as a spy against Hybern" plot doesn't hold up at fucking all. At all. Because of Ianthe. She was clearly in Hybern's pocket - Tamlin knew that from the moment Ianthe handed Feyre's sisters over to him - and yet Tamlin let her run rampant through his court and do things like I mentioned above, destroying his relationship with his people. Tamlin has the spine of a wet dishrag and he is totally driven by his ego and temper - hence the numerous times he rage-blasted a room in his fucking house - and he is also quite frankly not that smart. It was not a planned double-cross. He threw in his lot with Hybern out of temper - he wanted his possession back, and he wanted her to pay ... he never gave a shit about humans. We know who Tamlin is. He's the guy who helped murder the mother and sister of a man who befriended him and helped train him, because he was too weak to stand up to his father. Or maybe because he was too pathetic to not take the chance to look good - he knew where they were, and telling his father was a nice way to earn some credit. He participated in their slaughter, and then had the fucking BALLS to act like Rhys was his enemy, when Tamlin was the betrayer here. Rhys and his father came to kill Tamlin's family AFTER they killed his mother and sister, not before. Tamlin's family was killed for JUSTICE. But fucking useless dipshit Tamlin likes to pretend that he's always the victim ... even though everything that happened was the direct result of his choices and actions. Just like with Feyre and his court. She loved him. Until he ruined it, mistreated her, abused her. Every single thing that happened was because of him. And he's not a victim in any way, shape, or form ... and I fucking hate the way they allowed him to spin things.

I did love the story. I'd give this one 4.5 stars, honestly. The battle was fucking stressful, I really didn't think they all were going to make it. Though I will say daddy popping up for a dramatic death at the end was ... weird. Like, do not give a fuck about this guy, but okay, sure, I guess someone from Team Good has to die. /shrug

Also, I still think Nesta and Elain are just useless and awful. I'm glad they killed Hybern, but ... ugh. They are terrible. I don't know if I'm going to read Nesta's book. I may get suckered into it for glimpses of characters I like, but I feel like it is going to piss me off hugely. ...more

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Jul 11, 2017 Roshio rated it really liked it

Shelves: favourites, characters-i-love, wish-it-never-ends, couldn-t-put-down, adorable-hero, fae

Sarah J. Maas has figured out the right ingredients to make a full fantasy novel just the way I like it. She makes me *feel* for her characters and that's all I care about. 8 hours later and I still remember bits I loved or that touched me with a faint twist of the heart. (I do adore Rhysand)
Is it perfect? Nope. Did I roll my eyes a few times? Yes. Did I snort at the climax with its ridiculous tropes? You bet. (Seriously the ending could sometimes read like my 14 year old self would have written ...more

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