Reviews tagging 'Torture'

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

158 reviews

jnterhune's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny inspiring tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This story has everything you would ever need and want to look for. One billion starts, this book had given me laughs, tears, shocks, turns. It’s just amazing. The story is well written the characters are developed and beautiful very diverse. The story is unpredictable and that’s a lot coming from me. The overlapping and story overall is just beautiful. The suspense is amazing. I want to say this is my favorite in the series so far and probably my top book of all time now. Highly recommend can’t give it enough stars and words. Love love!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and War

Minor: Alcohol, Torture, Sexual content, and Sexual assault

Like review says just so amazing at a loss of words can’t not fathom how great this is and best book of all time for me.

shaylnm's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I truthfully loved this book just as much as mist and fury. They do feel very different reading. This book is action packed and brimmed with love. Tamlin felt like watching a tennis match with how much he was swinging in his decentness. Absolutely love Mor and her story explored more in this book. I was surprised with how heavy there seemed to be focusing on Nesta and Cassian, but I didn’t mind it either. This book completely took me along the ride with emotions. I was vengeful with them, sad with them, scared with them, and unbelievably happy with them. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War and Death

Moderate: Gore, Vomit, Gaslighting, and Torture

Minor: Kidnapping

rivierareads's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Ok. Good book. But didn’t wow me the way that ACOMAF did. I loved how it started, I live for the scheming and court drama. And I think the book had great pacing and overall the plot was gripping. But… at the end it just felt a bit shallow. Nothing was really gained or lost.

Everyone lives (miraculously) except the father you don’t really care about. All of these sort of random events conspire for the good guys to come out on top.

The Tamlin subplot was logical and emotionally interesting but wasn’t really explored. My other beef with this book is that

the revelation that Mor is gay

felt forced. Can’t she just..

not love him like he loves her? Why does she have to “prefer” females?

. Don’t get me wrong I love a

gay character to add to my representation roster

but it just felt like something Sarah J Maas came up with and then forced to happen, not something natural for the plot/characters. Overall, an enjoyable book worth reading. However, book 2 felt much more natural and realistic than this one. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Physical abuse, Death, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, War, Rape, and Blood

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Torture

mmgreen23's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful inspiring tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, War, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Torture, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Grief, Infidelity, and Xenophobia

barbarianmissy's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Wowee! Feyre was really in her side quest era in this book! From Tams court, to talking to Suri, to the mirror, to the Byraxis, to Elain, to flying, SHES BUSY! 

The first 500 pages made me think this book was gonna be 4 stars, cause it was a smidge slow, but the last 200 really made up for it. Every time my parents tried to converse with me during that time, I had to tell them, “Can’t talk, I’m at war.”

Those pages made me verbally scream “WHAT?!”, “YAY!”, “OH MY GOD!”, “NO!!!!!!” And lastly, “HUH??!”

Twas a very fun rollercoaster! The lore in this world is crazy! 

Overall, I felt like the last book was essentially the love story of two characters and in this book, I felt like it was a different kind of love story. Like it was focused on the love they shared, but also the love that they hold for their people, their family, and their dreams for what their world could become. 

I LIKED IT, DAMMIT! 

FROST AND STARLIGHT IM COMING FOR YOU NEXT!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Murder, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death, Sexual content, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, War, Classism, Torture, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, and Grief

mediocrebest's review against another edition

adventurous emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, War, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Grief, and Torture

melist6's review

adventurous challenging emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Murder, War, Grief, and Violence

Moderate: Kidnapping, Torture, Medical content, and Sexual harassment

calyssat's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, War, Genocide, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, and Grief

Moderate: Classism, Death, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Blood, Sexism, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Murder

Minor: Torture, Slavery, Toxic friendship, Biphobia, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

chaos_and_chapters's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Violence, Death of parent, Death, Blood, and War

Moderate: Misogyny, Homophobia, Torture, Kidnapping, Sexism, and Outing

Minor: Vomit, Alcohol, Slavery, Sexual harassment, and Physical abuse

florecita_lectora's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

I enjoyed this book a lot more as a re-read, which could've been due to either my lower expectations (in comparison to my first reading of it back in 2020) or a willingness to get swept up in Maas's story despite all the redundant scenes

–e.g. three visits to the Bone Carver in the Prison. Was that really necessary or interesting? I think not.–

and convenient resolutions

–at least 5 different heroes attempt to/succeed in saving the day during the final battle in the final 50+ pages, including Feyre's father, Vassa, Drakon and Myriam, and Amren (who is conveniently unbound from her (im)mortal body, turns out to be this otherworldly angel, then is presumed dead, and finally is reinstated & reborn into her former body by the powers of the Cauldron?...come on, I was trying hard not to roll my eyes at that!). The stakes were so low for this war given that no major characters died (and stayed dead) and the main villain, the King of Hybern, was such a one dimensional mustache-twirling character that the resolution ended up coming across as anticlimactic and not believable

.

Anyway... to go over some of the positive things about this novel, my favorite character interactions or scenes took place between 1) Feyre and the Suriel

–his passing still guts me (excuse me while I wipe my tears), especially as Feyre realizes that he was such a big help to (and dare I say fan of) her. He was definitely a dreamer!

; 2) Lucien and Feyre (only at the beginning of the novel)

, I thoroughly enjoy how she makes it seem like they are having an affair and how she sets her multiple traps up for Tamlin's downfall. Her entire revenge scheme upon the Spring Court is epic, if slightly short-sighted hehe, but fuck Tamlin!

and finally, 3) Nesta and Cassian

–all their reluctant but mutual pining (slow burn much?) and Nesta screaming for him in order to save him from the Cauldron's deadly blast. Although I need a moment of silence please for the 1,000 Illyrians that did not make it. And later, how Nesta held the King's head after the killing blow (*chef's kiss*), thus enacting the promise she made him earlier–with that accusatory finger–right before she was transformed into High Fae by the Cauldron. I was definitely here for that entire scene!

.

I confess, I really do hate Elain. Can somebody explain to me the point of having this inane character??

P.s. My use of the many ellipses, mostly in the spoiler bits, was in Maas's honor ;)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, War, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Mental illness, Grief, Lesbophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Torture, and Violence