Reviews with content warning for Emotional abuse - A Court of Wings and Ruin

Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

71 reviews

alexicass's review

adventurous dark funny tense medium-paced

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

4.5

After the negative things I hear about this series including this book I assumed wrong. I actually very much enjoyed this book it’s started off slow but her writing does improve more with each book. The story is very character driven and it’s actually the first book to make me feel emotions for these characters. This series finally got me back into reading ACOMAF was very good I would say that MAF is hard to beat but this book is one of my close favorites so far. Loved it!

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xx_coco's review

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful sad tense slow-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

4.75

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ayeshat98's review

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adventurous dark tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.5

Really did not like this book. That being said, the war/action scenes were really well done

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sylvestra's review

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adventurous emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.75

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jetske_vdw's review

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funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

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

1.0

(I should actually rate the other books also lower, but when reading those I still had hope this series was going to give me something. This will be both a book review and a review of what I thought of the whole series till now).
So... I'm trying to be nice while writing this review. But like the star rating says, I didn't have a great time reading this book. (I actually wanted to give 2 stars first, but that one stated "it was ok" and this book was definitely not just "ok") This might also be because of the reading slump this book gave me, but I won't be reading it again to see if my opinion differs...
First some nice things. This book did have some cool scenes and places, like the conference in Thesans home, the meeting with the Carver (I had the audiobook on with these scenes and the narrator really enhanced the creep factor), Cassian throwing a spear to a commander and at last the scene where Feyre and Azreal save Elain. Now these scenes were great, but it's definitely not worth reading the rest of the 650 pages of BULLCRAP that make up this story. I tried to put up with it, as this is a romance-fantasy (not fantasy-romance, but romance-fantasy, there's a clear difference). So I was trying not to be too hard on the weak worldbuilding. But this book is just vague and contradicts its own story!

The characters
The romance between Rhys and Feyre was great, but their individual characters... They're horrible hypocrites. In the beginning they're like: “We'll be honest with each other, we'll tell each other everything - down the bond if necessary" Next, they don't tell each other anything. Like Rhys casually traumatizes his cousin by suddenly bringing Eris to a meeting, releases the weaver from her binding not caring about the possible consequences or possibly bringing this idea up??? (also I thought the weaver hated the Carver, but she was hurt by his death?? Okay, that was another vague worldbuilding aspect). Feyre goes to get the Ouroboros, which has been mentioned for 500 pages and is supposedly impossible to get without losing your mind/being heavily traumatised. SHE GETS IT IN A WHOPPING 3 PAGES!! Like, it should just have been put out of the story. Also Feyre promises not to enter anyone's mind, because she feels guilty and realizes it’s bad. Then she just does it again, by her sister? Who has said she didn’t want that happening! Like dafuq?? Also, she’s supposed to be High Lady, but her leadership skills suck so hard! Mor is angry at her, and she doesn’t like it, then instead of apologizing or talking about that, she just attacks Mor about something that’s definitely NOT her business and super random (I’m not even talking about a Mor being forced to come out, I’m just talking about Feyre not apologizing or owning up to her actions). And when they talk it out, it’s mostly Mor being sorry and explaining, and Feyre barely reflecting on her own behaviour).
My favourite characters were still Nesta and Lucien (the latter which was gone 2/3 of the book tho) and Eris joined that squad, because he seems to be the only well-written morally Grey character (Or maybe it was because he was too irrelevant for me to realize how bland his personality was for the role the played lol). Nesta being the only one with a personality strong enough to actually call it a personality and sticking to it. Lucien just having an interesting/detailed enough backstory. Oh, and the Suriel also joined the squad. I mean, if it hadn’t been killed, it probably would’ve broken it’s back from carrying the plot. Oh wait, the plot is so thin, it would probably just feel like carrying a feather -.-
Also Elain just randomly stabs the king of Hybern. Like, the whole book she was just weak and scared to death for everyone and everything that could be remotely used for violence, and suddenly she's like: Yeah, let me stab the guy. Okay, I guess....Wtf... What led up to her suddenly gaining courage? (But also, her characterization actually was so weak that she didn't really have a character arc... Let alone that there was attention paid to her growth)

Plot
This book promised war, but that only really starts around page 500. So it takes 500 pages to build anticipation of how bad everything will be, but then there is actual war and none of the characters with an actual name really die. And in the end battle some get really critically wounded, but it doesn't matter cause they're up and dancing in just a few days. I guess that’s the “faerie way of life”, but it didn't really make me feel any dread for the characters. Furthermore, when Rhys dies, Feyre is like: "Heal him like you did me!" and then one of the high lords says: "It doesn't work that way" and then it exactly works that way.... WTF????
Something that really irritated me about the final battle is, these beast are at least 100 years old, three of them are war veterans of the previous war and you're trying to tell me that they fell for the easiest trick in the book!?! Like, I don't really get how that final battle got set up. First of all, why let Hybern chose the battlefield??? They had already ravaged the human land on the island, so what's there to save by quickly following them??? But then you winnow to the beach and let then have the cliffs??? I DON'T GET THIS AND JUST CAN'T WRAP MY HEAD AROUND IT???? Like they must have winnowed past the Hybern army first to go to the land between the inner land (where Hybern is) and the beach. While you already know Hybern has a navy, they come from the western island. And then you get surprised they circle you in??? None of those High Lords got military strategy????? Also, from the dialogue that’s being spoken, after Rhys, Tarquin -the youngest of the high lords- seems to be the next high lord leading the army. Why not Helion??? But okay.
Next, you're trying to convince me Cassian is high commander of Rhys’s army (and Drakon is like: yeah, you can have my army as well. While Cassian knows barely anything about this army lol...) But then Nesta is unable to stand for a moment and he's just like: okay, fuck this all, war doesn’t matter anymore. (I'm not criticising that he came for her, but more that after that he doesn't want to go back and he already gave up winning this war. Yeah, right, that’s the kind of mentality I want to put my fate in guys.
Also why didn’t they just drag Nesta and Elain along. They’re strong enough and getting to the Cauldron was the only solution etc etc. And Feyre didn’t mind if they dragged her along. GET YOUR PRIORITIES STRAIGH!!!
Also that part that Feyre was overlooking the battlefield via the Cauldron was just sooo obviously used as a plot device to be able to show how the battle went, whilst sticking to Feyre’s perspective. And it was just sooo long!! It wasn’t even necessary for the spell to free Amren, so why did it have to be written like this???? Also her father appearing -With an army???- for the final battle and then getting killed after being away for 2,5 books, just didn’t do it for me. No feels about that, he was already dead for me.
I said I would try not to be too hard, because this is a romance-fantasy. So what I want you to really take out of this is that the characters are just really flat and unconvincing/unlovable and the plot really thin. Like I said, I loved the romance, but the parts about the relationship could just as well be set with different characters/in a different world and I wouldn't mind. Like, I love the concept of the relationship/romance, not the relationship itself. (hope this is clear enough lol)

Worldbuilding
The whole world building is trash to its core. I can’t explain how Amren and the other ancient gods work in relation to the world and such, but it seems to be a huge part of worldlore. But it was just soo vague that I can’t understand it enough to talk about it. Also, in the first book Faerie are described like these bloodthirsty beast, while in this book they're pretty reasonable guys apart from the blatant misogyny and inability to ignore an insult that's dripping from them. Like, you're going to tell me that these ancient beast are really childish enough to get every insulting remark get to them??? They all act as if they’ve only grown younger mentally by the years…
furthermore the whole lore around the Cauldron is just a mess. It’s mentioned in the final battle it isn’t sentient, but before that it seemed to have chosen Hybern’s side by whisking Elain away. And it seems to have an actual crush on Elain cause it feels hurt by Elain protecting Nesta, after Nesta stole from it. And gifting her something etc etc.
Also, just basic characteristics of characters are being kept vague. Like Lucien’s eye. It can see past glamours and spells, but he’s somehow still surprised when Feyre betrays the spring court and turns back to her mate Rhys. Isn’t he supposed to see behind the glamour??? Also how had he not discovered Velaris yet then or seen Rhys’s wings??? (The last part is just a lore discussion, people say he either also uses shapeshifting magic or a glamour. But this shows just how something quite vital to a working plot doesn’t get explained well enough).

conclusion
All in all, this book (or the first three at least) seem to overuse certain statements and overexplain basic things, but they say nothing about the things that really matter or should be explained better which leaves us with a vague something of a plot which contradicts itself at every corner. As if Sarah J. Maas couldn’t be bothered to put more work in it. Has she even read through her writing as she finished?
I know there is a lot of discussion about diversity and such and that Sarah J. Maas is problematic. I haven’t digged deep enough in this discussion, so all I’ll do is add my own opinion on this statement. If the concept of “Men writing women” could be appointed to a female writer, Sarah J. Maas is a perfect example for this. Her male characters are bland. With every character I just imagined the same mannequin -with maybe a different haircolour-. But I almost couldn’t differentiate between the characters.
Also a lot of people said this work was feminist. I disagree, as Feyre seems to do nothing against or to change the patriarchal Fae and human society. Even when it’s about herself, she seems to put in minimal effort. The only way she achieved her position is because a man allowed it. Correct me if I’m wrong, but she doesn’t even really criticize the misogynistic comments of other high lords etc.
To conclude, I won’t recommend this book and the whole series actually. This book tries to be more than it is and it’s irritating and disappointing. I mean, if you wan’t smut, just read Ice Planet Barbarians or something, those books are a lot shorter.
Before beginning this book I wanted to at least read A court of silver flames also. But I think I'll just stop this series here, cause after three books, it's still feels bland, and I'm afraid Nesta's character will just be ruined in that book. Also, there are plenty of other books who have strong female characters, most with more personality and a better plot.

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holthmsn's review against another edition

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adventurous 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

4.5

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chocolatemonkey's review

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Let me say first, if you don’t care about critical thought and are okay with being spoon fed almost everything in a NA/adult book series that contains adult content, then you probably will enjoy the series. Also if you’re okay with poor representation for literally everything… I understand a ton of people really enjoy(ed) the series/individual books, I am not one of them and my review will not go over anything I enjoyed about the series because I really only enjoyed about twenty pages in the first book and nothing else after it.

Genuinely badly written and boring. Feels like a semi okay fan fiction level of writing but SJM spoon feeds almost everything to the reader to the point where, if it wasn’t for the sex scenes, it would feel like it was written for middle grade readers who haven’t learned how to do critical thought while reading and need the tone/mood to be laid out word for word for them by the author.

I also feel that Feyre is overly powerful for no reason other than because SJM could make her overly powerful. She also tries to disguise it by portraying Feyre as a strong female character but power alone doesn’t make someone strong, their flaws/weaknesses are what make them strong characters, and Feyre seems to have a bit of a “not like other girls” complex where she dislikes her sisters for being more feminine/wanting to get married and puts them down for not being like her. After two and a bit books I can’t really explain what type of person any of the characters are because they all seem to change on a whim without much thought or reason behind it, their past experiences don’t seem to play any role in their character development other than for like two seconds and then never again.

Definitely would not recommend to anyone who wants a adult reading level book where they have to fill in the gaps of what the characters actually mean vs what the characters say. An example of this is

(pg.167) “Who knows what Hybern promised them — lied about?” When is obvious to any reader/adult that whatever Hybern promised the mortal queens is a lie because he’s the villain and a manipulator by nature who hates humans and wants to get rid of them. SJM really didn’t need to include that extra bit of insight because it’s fairly obvious that the promises were all likely lies.

This is what I meant by spoon feeding the reader so that no critical thought it necessary. Also her continuous (and slightly obsessive) use of both “male” and “—“ are eye sores and are hard to make reading the books enjoyable. I understand that fae aren’t human but if they’re going to be having sex with humans (and are therefore mostly biologically compatible) then I think characters like Rhysand and Lucien can be referred as “men” or literally any other word similar other that only ever their name or “male” because after a while it starts to feel intolerant towards people who don’t fit into the “traditional” societal roles (ie female=woman, male=male and nothing else exists). The use of “—“ is so extreme because of how much information SJM is trying to spoon feed readers that it makes run on sentences and choppy reading. The books might be significantly better in my opinion if every time she uses “—“ is removed, along with all the extra info given with them.

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