Scan barcode
A review by bree_h_reads
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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
0.5
I will give A Court of Wings and Ruin this, I did find it slightly more enjoyable than the first two books in the ACOTAR series. I do genuinely believe I could find myself coming to care more about the characters and plot if I weren’t stuck in the head of someone in love with Rhysand. That said, this book overall was not super great.
I will start out with what I liked and admit the book had some merit. I found the opening to be pretty well done. It seemed to capture very quickly the sort of environment Feyre found herself in and conveyed how she felt about it. The descriptions and narrations of Feyre’s rage and how it motivated her were also very effective early on. In the beginning the book also made it feel like the characters were very clever and I think it had the potential to be great with a bit more polishing.
As always I loved Nesta, my beloved, and her going off on Rhysand/the main group was a delight. I also didn’t mind the way Eliane’s depression and coping with events from the last book was written even if I felt the reason was a little weak and lacking in complexity. I also really appreciated and enjoyed Amrin and Nesta’s dynamic and it very quickly reminded me of why I enjoyed them both so much in the last book.
Finally, I did really like the budding dynamic and relationship between Elaine and Azriel. I HOPE in future SJM will continue that thread and explore the idea that just because two people are “mates” (gag) doesn’t mean they should be together or are good for each other. I just don’t feel like Lucien and Elaine would be any good together.
Also I did enjoy the narrator, I think she did a pretty good job with the book.
Now, I will try to keep this part brief because my previous two reviews have practically been novels and I don’t want to drag this out too much. This is also where I tend to get into SPOILERS so be warned.
Consistency, once again, is a serious problem in this book. It’s too dangerous to throw away a paintbrush BUT Feyre can light it on fire. Rhysand can’t talk to Feyre beyond day one with Tamlin, but he’s been keeping her up to date on battle plans. Feyre’s tattoo showing her commitment to Rhysand is glamoured over in the spring court, but then she has no tattoo, but then she does because Tamlin sees it, but then she doesn’t again. This could just be a problem of the narration not conveying the information in a clear way and some of my issues weren’t inconsistencies. However, that’s still a flaw that needs fixed.
I feel like I’m really starting a to see Tamlin’s character assassination in this book more too. While last book a lot of his acts felt in character, far too many in this one didn’t. And he wasn’t the only one I felt acted out of character. Mor and Cassin also stand out in my mind as having out of character moments.
As for the plot, it generally felt very all over the place. I COULD explain it all, but at the same time it just felt constructed in a very strange way. Like SJM bit off more than she could chew. I didn’t feel like any of the subplots were cohesive and I frequently forgot some existed.
There was also far too much repetition. We’re told the same information over and over and over and over again in just slightly different ways. It gets old and frustrating. Especially when the lines are almost identical. There’s also extremely repetitive word and phrase choice. “Barked”, “if I could paint the scene”, “down the mating bond”, “tugged on the mating bond”, ect. I feel like it hindered the narration and how the story could be be conveyed.
Now for Rhysand and Feyre. I do not like them and I think they’re relationship sucks. I find them to both be wildly hypocritical and it doesn’t feel like Feyre is a person outside of Rhysand anymore. Feyre was revelling in the chaos she sowed in the Spring Court and believed she was justified in what she did. But then in the last portion of the the book is all weepy as if she didn’t happily cause that. Rhysand is all about choices for victims and respecting people, but doesn’t warn Mor about her abusers or that he’ll be giving them access to her until it’s happening. Then he’s frustrated when she gets upset. (Also callback to when I said it Rhysand had to make a deal with the enemy it would he framed as a needed thing no matter how many people it hurt.) He makes a safe haven for victims of SA and then almost hookups with Feyre in it. I just couldn’t bring myself to enjoy them as characters at all.
Finally the ending. I’ll keep this part brief, unlike the book. It dragged out for FAR too long. It should have ended at MINIMUM a chapter before it did if not two. I was painfully bored during it and it was a drag.
Overall, I didn’t enjoy it much. I can see why people like it, but I personally just find it overwritten and poorly thought out. We’ll see if any of my opinions change once I get to read A Court of Silver Flames.
I will start out with what I liked and admit the book had some merit. I found the opening to be pretty well done. It seemed to capture very quickly the sort of environment Feyre found herself in and conveyed how she felt about it. The descriptions and narrations of Feyre’s rage and how it motivated her were also very effective early on. In the beginning the book also made it feel like the characters were very clever and I think it had the potential to be great with a bit more polishing.
As always I loved Nesta, my beloved, and her going off on Rhysand/the main group was a delight. I also didn’t mind the way Eliane’s depression and coping with events from the last book was written even if I felt the reason was a little weak and lacking in complexity. I also really appreciated and enjoyed Amrin and Nesta’s dynamic and it very quickly reminded me of why I enjoyed them both so much in the last book.
Finally, I did really like the budding dynamic and relationship between Elaine and Azriel. I HOPE in future SJM will continue that thread and explore the idea that just because two people are “mates” (gag) doesn’t mean they should be together or are good for each other. I just don’t feel like Lucien and Elaine would be any good together.
Also I did enjoy the narrator, I think she did a pretty good job with the book.
Now, I will try to keep this part brief because my previous two reviews have practically been novels and I don’t want to drag this out too much. This is also where I tend to get into SPOILERS so be warned.
Consistency, once again, is a serious problem in this book. It’s too dangerous to throw away a paintbrush BUT Feyre can light it on fire. Rhysand can’t talk to Feyre beyond day one with Tamlin, but he’s been keeping her up to date on battle plans. Feyre’s tattoo showing her commitment to Rhysand is glamoured over in the spring court, but then she has no tattoo, but then she does because Tamlin sees it, but then she doesn’t again. This could just be a problem of the narration not conveying the information in a clear way and some of my issues weren’t inconsistencies. However, that’s still a flaw that needs fixed.
I feel like I’m really starting a to see Tamlin’s character assassination in this book more too. While last book a lot of his acts felt in character, far too many in this one didn’t. And he wasn’t the only one I felt acted out of character. Mor and Cassin also stand out in my mind as having out of character moments.
As for the plot, it generally felt very all over the place. I COULD explain it all, but at the same time it just felt constructed in a very strange way. Like SJM bit off more than she could chew. I didn’t feel like any of the subplots were cohesive and I frequently forgot some existed.
There was also far too much repetition. We’re told the same information over and over and over and over again in just slightly different ways. It gets old and frustrating. Especially when the lines are almost identical. There’s also extremely repetitive word and phrase choice. “Barked”, “if I could paint the scene”, “down the mating bond”, “tugged on the mating bond”, ect. I feel like it hindered the narration and how the story could be be conveyed.
Now for Rhysand and Feyre. I do not like them and I think they’re relationship sucks. I find them to both be wildly hypocritical and it doesn’t feel like Feyre is a person outside of Rhysand anymore. Feyre was revelling in the chaos she sowed in the Spring Court and believed she was justified in what she did. But then in the last portion of the the book is all weepy as if she didn’t happily cause that. Rhysand is all about choices for victims and respecting people, but doesn’t warn Mor about her abusers or that he’ll be giving them access to her until it’s happening. Then he’s frustrated when she gets upset. (Also callback to when I said it Rhysand had to make a deal with the enemy it would he framed as a needed thing no matter how many people it hurt.) He makes a safe haven for victims of SA and then almost hookups with Feyre in it. I just couldn’t bring myself to enjoy them as characters at all.
Finally the ending. I’ll keep this part brief, unlike the book. It dragged out for FAR too long. It should have ended at MINIMUM a chapter before it did if not two. I was painfully bored during it and it was a drag.
Overall, I didn’t enjoy it much. I can see why people like it, but I personally just find it overwritten and poorly thought out. We’ll see if any of my opinions change once I get to read A Court of Silver Flames.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Blood, Sexual harassment, Death of parent, Death, Sexism, Violence, and War
Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Rape