Action-Packed And Entertaining || Review Of A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

After my little break from the fantasy genre, I'm back with a continuation of the ACOTAR series—book three titled A Court Of Wings And Ruin. I can't say which book is more captivating between this one and the second book, A Court of Mist and Fury. The author weaves the story in this book that keeps your eyes glued to the pages until the last, without taking a break!

If you're new to this series, it's a high fantasy set in a world of faeries and mortals. A young girl, Feyre, is taken to Faeland (Prythian) to save her family from death. This faeland is split into different courts ruled by High Lords. Feyre is engaged to Tamlin, High Lord of Spring Court after helping to break a curse but later becomes mated to Rhysand, High Lord of Night Court.

Tamlin is furious with Rhysand and in his haste to get back his ex-fiancee, he leads an enemy to their doorsteps. The only way for Feyre to save her new family from this enemy is to return to Spring Court with Tamlin.

Synopsis

Just like in the previous books, the author doesn't let time pass. She continues this book right from where A Court of Mist and Fury ended. Feyre returns (with Rhysand's consent) to Spring Court with Tamlin and Lucien to avoid any more pain to her family in the Night Court. Tamlin is relieved that Feyre is back with him but Lucien, his closest friend, sees through her lies.

The king of Hybern is putting together a strong army and with the magical powers of the Cauldron that is as old as time, he's determined to pull down the Wall separating Prythian (faeries) from humans so he can rule as the ultimate power.

Feyre's mission:

Help lead you in the wrong direction. Help bring you and your court to your knees, and take down Jurian and those conniving, traitorous queens. And then tear Ianthe into tiny, tiny pieces and bury them in a pit no one can find.

Due to Tamlin's alliance with the king of Hybern, Feyre must uncover their war strategies and the only way to achieve this without arousing suspicion is to play the innocent, confused and meek ex-fiancee. But it seems Lucien is onto her deception. Will she succeed in her undercover scheme to help the other courts defeat the nefarious king?

Review

I remarked about how captivating and addictive the first two books are. Well, this third book is even more entertaining. The author takes readers back to Spring Court where the main plot begins but things are different. Feyre is no longer the same naïve human featured in book one. Now, she's a High Lady (of Night Court) operating undercover in Spring Court and Tamlin and Lucien are none the wiser.

We see political scheming and magic at work in this book. But the end game is to win the war against a wicked king who is ready to kill both faeries and humans so he can rule.

This book is compelling and held me in its tight grip for two days straight. Getting to the last page, I did not want it to end. The author immersed me in every action and adventure. The book begins at a fast pace right up to when Feyre returns to Night Court after dismantling the Spring Court.

The pace slows a bit as Feyre and members of her Court prepare for the battle. Then the pace picks up again as alliances are forged with sweat and blood and the final battle rages on a vast, grassy plain.

Tarquin barked an order far ahead, and our unified army came to a halt, like some mighty beast pausing. Summer, Winter, Day, Dawn, and Night—each court’s forces clearly marked by the alterations in color and armor.

The best parts of this book for me are the war scenes. They are well-crafted, action-packed and captivating. I admire how the author covered every angle of the battlefield, including those who fought in the air, from the shadows, with magic, swords and spears. The flow of blood and the clash of weapons and powers pumped my adrenaline.

This book pays more attention to all the courts, their leaders and their powers, strengthening the worldbuilding of the series. I enjoyed the intrigue, twists and turns, and romance. There's no dull moment. We're also introduced to the budding romance between Nesta and Cassian and a potential love triangle between Elain, Lucien, and Azriel. I'm wondering how that will work later on in the next book.

Again, like the first two books, A Court of Wings and Ruin is told in the first-person narrative from Feyre’s perspective which makes it captivating. I like that this character has matured and taken up the position of a leader. I can't wait to see what the author has in store for her readers in the next book.

I have nothing negative to say about this book. It's that good! And entertaining. I'll give it 4.5 stars out of 5. If you love high fantasy, you must read this series.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Check out my previous reviews:

Intensely Gripping || Review Of A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) by Sarah J. Maas

Addictive And Compelling || Review Of A Court of Mist And Fury by Sarah J. Maas

^{_{Thumbnail Image: Book cover is from my e-library and edited in Canva
Image credit: Diversicat
Note: Quotes in this post are excerpts from the book}}