Book Review: A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3)

Release date: May 2nd 2017

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's Books

Pages: 699

Source: No one sent it to me. I just love SJM.

Rating: 5 out 5 beautiful silver stars

Summary

From Goodreads:

*Spoilers*

Looming war threatens all Feyre holds dear in the third volume of the #1 New York Times bestselling A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's maneuverings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit-and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.

As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords-and hunt for allies in unexpected places. 

In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the earth will be painted red as mighty armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy them all.

Review

Holy moly. I'm dead. And I have been for the past two days and a half. 

I can't believe I'm going to say it, and I might deny it in the future but, I think I love this trilogy more than the ToG series. 

Okay, that's the end of the review.

JK.

Where do I even start? I guess with the non-spoilery part?

This book was such a journey and it was so different from the previous 2 books. We get to see our fave characters mature, we get to see some old faces and some new ones, and most importantly, we finally get a diverse group of characters!

Sarah definitely lived up to the expectation and delivered a fantastic conclusion to Feyre and Rhys's journey. 

Not everything was perfect, but it was quite close. 

Spoilers ahead!

Can we take a minute to talk about how badass Feyre was at the Spring Court? A small trick here, another one there, man, the Lucien one killed me. And then the twins were the cherry on top. 

I think the most nerve-wracking moment for me in the whole book was the chase between Feyre-Lucien and the Autumn Court. That was until, of course, our angel Cassian came in to save the day.

Plot wise, I think this was, as usual, fantastically planned. So much happened and so much was solved. I still can't believe how it all worked out. I honestly thought someone from the gang would have to die. 

Since we brought death up, let's talk about how great the death of lil' King of Hybern was. Elain, gurrl, I didn't know you had it in you.

I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that this was entirely war-driven. It was filled with tactics and plans and yet the sarcastic banter we all love was still there. I hope we get something like this in the ToG books.

I want to highlight two very important points from the novel:

Diverse characters. I love, LOVE, the diversification of characters. We finally have people of different ethnicity and sexuality. The only thing I'm sad about is how long it took for her to include them. It was great to meet all these new characters with different backgrounds and stories. It gave the novel so much depth. It was also fantastic to know a bit about a certain character's dilemma (you know who I'm talking about.)

Character development. I was so surprised to see how far Feyre had changed, how much confidence she had gained. The whole scene with the high-lords was fantastic! If Feyre's change was a surprise, then Tamlin came in like a wrecking ball. I was so glad, that Sarah gave him a little room for redemption. Does it wipe all the shitty stuff he did? Definitely not, but it was a small step. So many people shocked me in this book! Elain, Nesta, Lucien, Mor, Jurien.

Now let's talk about everybody's favorite topics: SHIPS

I was so glad that the Feyre-Rhys relationship remained untouched. I was seriously concerned that the book could get ruined by adding some tension into the relationship. But fortunately, that didn't happen. If only, it grew stronger with each passing second.

You might think I'm crazy, but I'm happy that the Elain-Lucien ship is not really working out. Well, at least I think it's not. Plus, do you think it's a coincidence that we learned about how a bond can be rejected? I think not. My bet is on the Elain-Az ship. And I will sink with it. I don't really like Lucien. I hate that he just ignored everything that happened at the Spring Court. And I can't forgive him for it. No matter what he does.

Nesta and Cassian? Yep. Definitely mates. Can't deny it. 

A mating bond is suppossed to be very rare. Acomaf felt like the Oprah show. You get a mate, you get a mate. So I'm quite content with how everything is going.

I want to address a more serious and controversial topic. When the first 8 chapters were released, there was a big commotion over a phrase in which, allegedly, Sarah J. Maas was implying that asexual people were soulless. You have to be quite dumb if that's what you took out of it. “perhaps any sort of physical passion had long ago been drained away, alongside their souls.” I hate it when people just go ahead and jump to conclusions. After having read the book, I can say that it was nothing like that. She was definitely not implying that you had to be soulless to be asexual. In context, it's really easy to realize that she was referring to how war had left them soulless and maybe all the horrors they'd faced had made it impossible to feel attracted to someone ever again. So please, just wait to get the full picture before opening your mouths.

As I said before, it was a monumental (literally and figuratively) conclusion and I can't wait till the novellas are released. So Sarah, can you hurry up, please? Thanks.

The big question is: is it better than A Court of Mist and Fury? In my opinion, I don't think it is. But it's almost there.

Rating

5 out of 5 stars

Rating System

I have no more words or energy left. I need a year to recover from this roller coaster.

Sorry about the amount of gifs. Actually, no, I'm not sorry. I know you love them.

I'll see you on the next one!

How on Earth are we supposed to live after that? Any suggestions? What were your thoughts on all the controversy surrounding the book? Let me know!

Red Carpet Book Tag

Well, award season is over and we have to give the crown to the Golden Globes... oh wait, it seems there's been a mistake, the crown goes to the Academy Awards. Whether you think it was staged or not, no one from the audience saw that grand ending coming.

My mom and I love watching red carpets together; we love criticizing what people are wearing, it has become a hobby after so many years (I blame it on Project Runway). And after seeing all those great and not so great looks I decided to create a book tag: the Red Carpet Book Tag. Sounds fancy, right?

All you have to do is pick your favorite looks from this year's red carpets and pick a book that goes along with each outfit. It could be a look that reminds you of a scene, a character, or just the cover itself.

Let's get straight into it!

1) Ruth Negga

I remember the old days, when I started watching Marvel's Agents of Shield. I remember Ruth, who played the role of a lady in a flower dress for many episodes. Well, flower dresses no more, it's the Golden Globes, baby!

The first thing that comes to mind when I look at this dress is robots. Or the 2016 Met Gala. Is this appropriate for the Golden Globes? I don't know. I'm not Tim Gunn, but I like it. And for the robot theme, I picked Cinder by Marissa Meyer. I know I know, Cinder is a Cyborg, not a robot... details.

2) Kirsten Dunst

I've always liked Kirsten, there's something about her face that, depending on her make up choice, makes her look like a sweet angel or a straight up demon that's looking for revenge. When it comes to fashion, she may not always make the best choices... but, she did quite good with this one.

It's easy to find a cover with a girl in a dress, especially in YA. So I just picked one of the many many options: Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins. This is the sequel to Sweet Evil, which I actually read but don't remember a single thing about. 

3) Taraji P. Henson

Everybody loves Taraji, literally. I bet you can't name 5 people who don't, come on, I dare you. Isn't she amazing on Hidden Figures? I haven't seen it yet, but that's what I've heard. This woman can do no wrong, and it applies to fashion. She's always one of the best dressed, in my opinion. Simple and classy (some people could learn a thing or two from her).

When I look at this dress all I can think about is: Angelina Jolie. And when I think about Angelina, I think about spies, and Brad Pitt, but mainly spies. I can't think of spies and not think about Casino Royale by Ian Fleming. Plus, the dress matches the cover quite nicely.

4) Karlie Kloss

No matter what she's wearing, whether it is a garbage bag or her grandma's old curtain, Karlie always looks flawless. Of course, that has a lot to do with the fact that she's, you know, a supermodel. Her taste in fashion is impeccable. Hey, Karlie, I know I'm lacking a few inches but do you think I could join the T-Squad? No? Okay.

Do you know who Karlie reminds me of? Ianthe from ACOTAR by Sarah J. Maas. Now, I'm not saying she's a b**** or anything. It's just that she always looks like she's plotting something. She's always squinting her eyes, maybe they're like that, but it makes me uneasy. Since Ianthe is a *spoilers* manipulative piece of sh** who's always plotting something *end of spoilers*, I thought it was quite fitting. Also, the cape. 

5) Zoe Saldana

We haven't seen Zoe in many red carpets, and when we have, she didn't really impress with her choices. I hope that this dress is the first of many good choices. I think this is fresh and untypical. It reminds me of those throw pillows that change colors when you rub them in a certain direction.

I bet you're starting to see the pattern here, I love simple and well-fitted outfits.

This dress was quite easy for me to relate. I already had the cover of Pierce Brown's new book, Iron Gold, on the back of my mind.

6) Lily Collins

Oh, Lily Collins, look at you being nominated among Meryl Streep. I really like her, she seems like a very down to earth girl, so good for her. She usually wears unconventional and edgy outfits, which I love. This time, she channeled her inner Snow White from Mirror Mirror. And it looks stunning.

As soon as I saw this dress, my mind went "what's the name of that book with the girl in the dress upside down?". Of course, googling "girl in dress book cover" didn't help. Finally, it came to me: The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski. It's like the same dress, almost. On point, Martina. Oh stop it, you're too sweet.

7) Evan Rachel Wood

I remember watching Evan when she was little (I promise it's not creepy) in Little Secrets. I watched that movie 15 times, at least. Look at her now, in big shows like Westworld, doing great. I admire her for staying true to herself and not giving a sh** about other people's opinion. And in doing so, she still manages to look awesome. 

"You don't have to wear one (a dress) if you don't want to," ... "just be yourself because your worth is more than that." With that said, Evan reminds me of Celaena from the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. Not only because she's badass and strong, but also because she isn't afraid to be herself.

8) Mandy Moore

Who didn't cry while watching a Walk to Remember? You're lying if you say you didn't. And remember how her character always wore those ugly sweaters? Those days ar far behind cause Mandy looks BOMB in this dress. Also, I've heard her show This Is Us is doing really good, so congrats, Mandy.

Yes, I know, I already used Acotar, but doesn't her dress look a lot like the one on the cover? Without the scales and the fur/feathers and the tattoo, she looks just like Feyre. If someone ever buys the rights to these books, I think Mandy has a good chance of playing her.

9) Meryl Streep

What can I say about Meryl that hasn't already been said? She's one of the most talented, inspiring and amazing woman in Hollywood. Do you know what's more incredible than that? Meryl has been to countless awards and she still rocks every red carpet, in heels might I add.

Now this is a good one, I promise. Everyone can see the resemblance right? The shade of blue, the embellishments, etc. But here's the metaphorical resemblance: can you see the pants under the skirt? Barely, right? They're trying to deceive you, create an illusion. They're pretending to not be there, just like a magician would in his tricks. Yeah, I know that Caraval by Stephanie Garber is about a circus. But, from what I've heard, it seems like once you enter, you can't tell what's real and what's not. Dun dun duuun.

10) Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds

Blake and Ryan have always been my favorite Hollywood couple, but they were shaded by Brangelina. Unless you've been living under a rock for the past year and a half, then you know that B+A no longer exists. It's Blyan's (Rylake?) turn to shine. Aren't they perfect?

Why am I pairing them with a book about 12 year-old demigods, might you think? Well, I think Percabeth (Percy and Annabeth) from the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan would look just like them in the future. Not just in looks, we all know how sassy, smart and essentially hilarious P & A are so... I think it's a perfect match. Don't you?

You could probably end it here if you like even numbers, but I'm going to add a bonus. 

11) Queen Emma Stone

Emma has come a long way since her Superbad and Zombieland days. She's made us laugh in the House Bunnies and Easy A (my all-time favorite chick-flick) but also made us think in the Help. She has not only won an Oscar and several other awards, but also the honor of beating legendary Meryl Streep. What's also impressive is she always looks flawless and ethereal. The Golden Globes were no exception.

"Ugh, here she comes again with SJM." Okay, but hear me out. I think Emma in this Lanvin dress is straight-up taken out of the Velaris starfall scene from ACOMAF by Sarah J. Maas. No more words needed.

She even got her Oscar from LEO DICAPRIO. So lucky.

I really hope you enjoyed my rambling as much as I enjoyed writing it cause, boy, it took me a while.

Do you agree with my choices? Am I not the first to do this tag and I look like a complete fool right now? What would you have picked? Let me know in the comments.