A review by howlinglibraries
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous emotional hopeful sad 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

 reread update: jan 4, 2022
This book is better every time I re-read it. I enjoyed it even more during this reading than I did when it first released. I mean, my entire soul aches and I've cried myself into a headache, but... in a good way. IYKYK

ALSO: every moment I spend with Nesta takes me further away from hating her guts and closer to adoring everything about her, prickles and all. Bring it on, ACOSF.

reread update: april 30, 2018

I originally reviewed this right after it came out in May of 2017, but honestly, that review was such a mess of spoilers and rambling nonsense that I decided to redo it after my reread. I know that rewriting entire reviews might seem odd, but the original one was fairly cringe-worthy. I digress!

first read: may 6, 2017

I originally reviewed this right after it came out in May of 2017, but honestly, that review was such a mess of spoilers and rambling nonsense that I decided to redo it after my reread. I know that rewriting entire reviews might seem odd, but the original one was fairly cringe-worthy. I digress!

 “Only you can decide what breaks you, Cursebreaker. Only you.”

First, I want to get a few complaints out of the way. Rereading books that we love often gives us room to step back and view things a little more fairly, and this was no exception: my biggest problem is that this book is long. I don’t mind long books as a rule, but ACOWAR struggles from a lot of filler material and it honestly could’ve been a solid 100-150 pages shorter and packed a bigger punch. My other main struggle is with one of the points of the ending: there’s an event that happens regarding Amren in this installment that I personally found kind of cheap and disappointing, no matter how much I love her as a character. I almost felt as though the ending was written as more of a ‘fan service’ than anything.

 “I believe everything happens for a reason. Whether it is decided b the Mother, or the Cauldron, or some sort of tapestry of Fate, I don’t know. I don’t really care. But I am grateful for it, whatever it is.”

On a more positive note, though, what really gives this series its shine is its incredible cast of characters, with so many complex, lovable little Fae that I hold so near and dear to my heart. 

→ Rhysand, the High Lord of the Night Court and one of the greatest love interests I have read in my entire life. He is so warm, and loving, and fiercely devoted and protective of his little family. His self-sacrificing nature is beyond heartbreaking, and he’s been through so much trauma, but he’s the best little cinnamon roll I’ve ever seen and I could go on for days about what he means to me.

→ Cassian, leader of Rhys’ armies and Illyrian warrior extraordinaire. If I could pick any fictional character to be besties with, it would probably be Cass, with his ridiculous antics and humor and desperate need to take care of his friends.

→ Azriel, the Illyrian spy, who never meant quite as much to me until this book, with his devotion to Feyre and their family, and the lengths to which he will go to end the war ravaging Prythian.

→ Morrigan, Rhysand’s cousin and confidante. She’s been my least favorite member of the Inner Court this entire time, but I’ll admit that I do see her in an entirely different light after the events of ACOWAR.

→ Amren, the jewelry hoarding, blood consuming, terrifying little monster and Rhysand’s second-in-command. Her development was the one that disappointed me the most in this book, sadly, as I had some theories about her character that fell flat, but she’s still fascinating as hell.

→ Lucien, the walking, talking conundrum whom I have loved since the beginning of the series, but who managed to worm his way into my heart even further in this installment (especially with his caretaking of Feyre in the early chapters).

→ Feyre, of course, who has steadily won me over as this series has progressed and she has come into her own as a powerful Fae and High Lady. I loved the bitter thirst for vengeance she displays in ACOWAR, and even if I didn’t think all of her decisions were thought out well, I never stopped rooting for her underhanded methods and ideas.

Finally, honorable mentions go to Helion (my absolutely precious poly baby—and that twist!), Tarquin (I was so happy to see him again, after the events of ACOMAF), Jurian (I didn’t see that coming, but I loved him so much?), Tamlin (still a piece of literal garbage, but I somehow loved his redemptive moments regardless), and the terrifying trio of Bryaxis, The Bone Carver, and The Weaver, all of which I would happily sign up for novellas about because holy hell, they’re amazing.

 “Remember that you are a wolf. And you cannot be caged.”

Lastly, I’ll just say that I love the world that Sarah has created here. I love each of the courts and want to learn so much more about them. I love the lore behind the Cauldron and the mating bonds and the different types of Fae. Despite the few problems I mentioned at the start of the review, honestly, this was still such a solid 5-star read for me and I am so damn grateful that the next novella releases tomorrow, because I cannot wait to get my hands on some new material about my precious little Fae babies. ♥

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