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4.36 AVERAGE
4.36 AVERAGE
adventurous
slow-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
After a clumsy first book (A Court of Thorns and Roses), which couldn’t quite decide whether it wanted to be a retelling, a romance, or a fantasy, and a second one (A Court of Mist and Fury) that flipped the board by smashing the pieces rather than developing them, I still had a little faith. I expected A Court of Wings and Ruin to be the real test: a promised war, unstable alliances, internal tensions to resolve. In short, the perfect occasion to give depth to the worldbuilding and close the trilogy with a bang.
And yet.
The biggest issue is the absurd length: almost 700 pages, but without the substance to fill them. The first half is a drip-feed of repetitive dialogues, tactical plans that change every other page, and court dynamics that could have taken fifty pages instead of three hundred. The pacing collapses, and the tension promised by the opening (Feyre infiltrating the Spring Court!) fizzles out into nothing. When the war finally arrives, it lasts about forty pages and is about as epic as a copied school essay: predictable, without real losses, without real twists. Everyone survives, everyone comes back, everyone is miraculously saved.
And then there are the sex scenes. Disclaimer: I’ve read hundreds of them in Harry Potter fanfics, so it’s definitely not the element itself that bothers me. The problem is that here they just don’t work. They’re never truly sensual, they spark nothing: only repetitions of sighs, wings brushing, and sudden growls that strip away any credibility. With Feyre and Rhysand already an established, perfect couple, the tension is completely gone. The result isn’t erotic—it’s just boring and, at times, downright grotesque.
As for the characters, there are a few bright spots, but many more shadows. Lucien, Cassian, and Nesta remain the most interesting, capable of livening up a scene. Mor, who in ACOMAF was witty and lively, is here reduced to a bundle of resentment and forced choices. Azriel is used as a narrative accessory (a mix between Wikipedia and the eternally friendzoned best friend). Rhys, meanwhile, has become the ultimate fantasy prince charming: omnipotent, morally flawless, the perfect lover, the feminist role model… so much so that he feels more like a walking manifesto than a character. Too impeccable to feel human, and therefore not very engaging. Feyre, despite having more powers than a goddess, remains a pawn for the plot and just as inconsistent as ever.
The writing doesn’t help: overblown sentences, inflated descriptions, endless repetitions. Whole paragraphs read like copy-paste. It almost feels like an unedited draft that somehow went straight to print.
So, to sum up this trilogy:
ACOTAR was an imperfect but mildly entertaining guilty pleasure.
ACOMAF was long, artificial, and blatantly tailored to please, but at least it had a few sparks.
ACOWAR is nothing but boredom, forced sex, and far too many pages.
That said, I’ve only got a novella and one more book left to finish the series. At this point, I might as well see how far this trash fire goes.
And yet.
The biggest issue is the absurd length: almost 700 pages, but without the substance to fill them. The first half is a drip-feed of repetitive dialogues, tactical plans that change every other page, and court dynamics that could have taken fifty pages instead of three hundred. The pacing collapses, and the tension promised by the opening (Feyre infiltrating the Spring Court!) fizzles out into nothing. When the war finally arrives, it lasts about forty pages and is about as epic as a copied school essay: predictable, without real losses, without real twists. Everyone survives, everyone comes back, everyone is miraculously saved.
And then there are the sex scenes. Disclaimer: I’ve read hundreds of them in Harry Potter fanfics, so it’s definitely not the element itself that bothers me. The problem is that here they just don’t work. They’re never truly sensual, they spark nothing: only repetitions of sighs, wings brushing, and sudden growls that strip away any credibility. With Feyre and Rhysand already an established, perfect couple, the tension is completely gone. The result isn’t erotic—it’s just boring and, at times, downright grotesque.
As for the characters, there are a few bright spots, but many more shadows. Lucien, Cassian, and Nesta remain the most interesting, capable of livening up a scene. Mor, who in ACOMAF was witty and lively, is here reduced to a bundle of resentment and forced choices. Azriel is used as a narrative accessory (a mix between Wikipedia and the eternally friendzoned best friend). Rhys, meanwhile, has become the ultimate fantasy prince charming: omnipotent, morally flawless, the perfect lover, the feminist role model… so much so that he feels more like a walking manifesto than a character. Too impeccable to feel human, and therefore not very engaging. Feyre, despite having more powers than a goddess, remains a pawn for the plot and just as inconsistent as ever.
The writing doesn’t help: overblown sentences, inflated descriptions, endless repetitions. Whole paragraphs read like copy-paste. It almost feels like an unedited draft that somehow went straight to print.
So, to sum up this trilogy:
ACOTAR was an imperfect but mildly entertaining guilty pleasure.
ACOMAF was long, artificial, and blatantly tailored to please, but at least it had a few sparks.
ACOWAR is nothing but boredom, forced sex, and far too many pages.
That said, I’ve only got a novella and one more book left to finish the series. At this point, I might as well see how far this trash fire goes.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
amazing in every way bare ikke like bra som mist and furyy
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
For me, this book was like a wave - I was into it at first, then it slowed down and kind of dragged for me until it picked up at the end. Thankfully, once it picked up, it really picked up and I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would. However, I am quite over the use of the terms "vulgar gesture" and "my mate".
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-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:
No
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Book three in the megapopular smutty fairy series. I’ve got the next two in the chute (on hold with the library). I’m powering through the series so I can check it off the list. I’m too deep in it now to stop, and I’ve made it through far less impressive series. They’re not unpleasant reads (reading them doesn’t feel like a chore; I’m having a good time), but they’re not rocking my shit. I’m pretty consistently rolling my eyes at some of these schmaltzy lines and wishing the writing was more elevated. When everyone and everything is rich and gorgeous… it falls flat for me. Side rant: no one in this book has brown eyes, and it makes me livid. The eyes are all luscious green, bright purple, and startling blue. BROWN IS BEAUTIFUL TOO, GODDAMN! AND A MAJORITY OF THE WORLD HAS THEM! Rant over. These books have a huge following, and I’m pretty sure a movie series is coming at some point. Very long books, so it’s quite a commitment. Lots of characters, a ton of world building, a lot of overlaying storylines. An impressive amount of work went into writing this series, which I can appreciate. This author has another huge series (completed) that I think I’ll avoid, mostly out of not wanting to commit the time and energy. If you like fantasy romance, you’ll probably really enjoy these.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes