Vengeance, War and the Women Who Decide Prythian’s Fate
After finishing A Court of Mist and Fury, there was obviously no stopping. I immediately returned to Prythian with A Court of Wings and Ruin, the third installment in Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses series, and once again this reread completely pulled me into a world I have visited so many times before.
But things have changed dramatically. Feyre is back at the Spring Court. Her bond with Rhys has been broken. She has returned to Tamlin.
Or has she?
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #3
more Volumes: A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, Epic Fantasy, Fae, Magic, New Adult, Romance, Suspense
Published on 02. Jun 2020 by Bloomsbury
Pages: 699
Format: Paperback
ISBN-13: 9781526617170
Language: English
Source: Amazon
Link to Goodreads
My rating: | Spice:
FEYRE WILL BRING VENGEANCE
She has left the Night Court – and her High Lord – and is playing a deadly game of deceit. Her former lover Tamlin is making deals with Feyre's enemies and she is determined to uncover his plans. But can she make him believe she has come back to him when every fibre of her being yearns for Rhysand?
As mighty armies clash, Feyre will discover she is not the only one hiding something. And as the web of secrets, lies and betrayals is revealed, fighting for the truth may cost Feyre and her court the ultimate price.
Buy here: Amazon*
More Books by the Author: The Assassin's Blade, Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, Heir of Fire, Queen of Shadows, House of Earth and Blood, House of Sky and Breath, House of Flame and Shadow, A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury
Find the Author: Website, Facebook, Goodreads, Bookhype, Amazon, Instagram
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A Court of Wings and Ruin ♦ Sarah J. Maas
A Review
Opinion
A Wolf Among the Spring Court
The beginning of this book is probably one of my favorite parts of Feyre’s entire journey because we finally get to see just how cunning she has become. Tamlin believes he has Feyre back. He tries to be on his best behavior and seems determined to convince her that things will be different this time. But is he actually sorry for everything that happened? I certainly had my doubts. Especially because his reaction to Ianthe’s betrayal leaves a particularly bitter taste. This woman was directly involved in dragging Nesta and Elain into the conflict and delivering them into Hybern’s hands, yet Tamlin doesn’t seem nearly as furious about that betrayal as I would have expected.
And Feyre remembers everything. She has returned with a purpose, and while Tamlin thinks he has rescued her from Rhysand and the Night Court, she is quietly preparing her revenge. But Tamlin and Ianthe aren’t the only ones she needs to watch. Hybern’s first cronies arrive at the Spring Court, accompanied by Jurian, and suddenly Feyre’s game becomes much more dangerous. One wrong move could expose everything. Her revenge has to be calculated carefully because she isn’t merely trying to hurt Tamlin. She needs information about Hybern and its king’s plans.
Watching her manipulate the situation piece by piece was incredibly satisfying. And yet, not everything goes according to plan.
An Unexpected Ally
Lucien was perhaps the biggest surprise during this part of the story. When Feyre finally brings her plans for the Spring Court to fruition, I didn’t expect him to become such an important part of her escape. Nor did I expect him to genuinely fight for her and protect her as they make the dangerous journey back toward the Night Court.
Their journey together also gives Feyre a chance to see Lucien differently. He made mistakes, certainly, and he failed her when she desperately needed someone to stand up to Tamlin. But there is more to him than blind loyalty to his High Lord. And, of course, Lucien now has a very personal reason for wanting to reach the Night Court. Elain.
Prythian Must Stand Together
Once Feyre returns home, the story changes gears completely. Revenge is no longer enough.
Hybern is coming, and if Prythian has any hope of surviving, its courts need to stand together. That means alliances between people who have spent centuries mistrusting, insulting and occasionally fighting one another.
What could possibly go wrong? The meeting of the High Lords remains one of my favorite sequences because there is so much history and tension packed into that room. Old wounds are ripped open, secrets are revealed, accusations fly, tempers explode, and everyone has their own interests to protect. But Hybern does not care about their rivalries. War is coming regardless.
And Sarah J. Maas makes it increasingly clear that defeating Hybern will require more than the armies of the High Lords. Other forces have to be brought into the fight. Ancient powers are needed. Bargains are made with creatures most people would rather never encounter at all.
Every possible piece has to be placed on the board before Hybern finally unleashes hell upon Prythian.
This War Belongs to the Women
And the war is brutal. There is nothing clean or glorious about it. The losses are colossal, the desperation grows with every battle, and just when it seems as though the characters might finally have gained an advantage, another twist sends everything tumbling into chaos.
Yet one thing stood out to me more than ever during this reread: It is the women who win this war. Feyre. Amren. Nesta. Elain.
Again and again, it is their courage, their decisions and their willingness to act that change the course of events. And Nesta and Elain’s roles become especially heartbreaking after the King of Hybern murders someone close right in front of them.
That entire confrontation is filled with rage, grief and desperation. The sisters who were once almost completely removed from the dangers of Prythian are suddenly standing at the very center of its war. And they refuse to remain helpless. I absolutely loved that.
When All Hope Seems Lost
The final part of A Court of Wings and Ruin is an emotional avalanche. There were moments when I knew exactly what was about to happen and still found myself hoping that maybe, somehow, I remembered it incorrectly. Allies appear when hope is already disappearing. Characters I had nearly given up on return when they are needed most. Old debts matter. Previous choices suddenly have consequences. And seemingly separate storylines finally collide on the battlefield.
Then comes the ultimate sacrifice. One warrior gives everything. And for a few terrible moments, nothing else matters. Even on a reread, even knowing the answer to whether he will actually stay dead, those scenes still hurt. Sarah J. Maas allows the emotions to become raw and ugly: grief, disbelief, terror, desperation and that horrible emptiness when Feyre realizes what victory might actually have cost her.
Five Stars, Once Again
A Court of Wings and Ruin is enormous in scope compared with the first two books. What began with a human huntress killing a wolf in the woods has become a war involving High Lords, Fae armies, ancient creatures, monsters and powers capable of changing Prythian forever. And somehow, beneath all of that, the emotional heart of the story remains intact.
This installment is about vengeance and forgiveness, loyalty and betrayal, sacrifice and survival. It is about people putting aside centuries of hatred because something larger than themselves is at stake. And it is about discovering that help can sometimes come from the very people you had already written off.
Even after multiple visits to Prythian, the twists still work. Some of the smaller revelations caught me by surprise again, and knowing what happens later only made certain details even more interesting. But above everything else, this book reminded me why I love these characters so much.
Conclusion
Feyre entered this series simply trying to keep her family alive. Now she stands beside armies, bargains with monsters and fights for the survival of an entire world. And when Prythian needs its heroes most, it is her, Amren, Nesta and Elain who help decide its fate. 5 out of 5 stars.
Brutal, emotional, surprising and absolutely impossible for me to put down, even when I already knew exactly how the war would end.
A Court of Thorns and Roses
Heptalogy
| A Court of Thorns and Roses (#1) | A Court of Mist and Fury (#2) |
| A Court of Wings and Ruin (#3) | A Court of Frost and Starlight (#4) |
| A Court of Silver Flames (#5) | A Court of Splintered Harmony (#6) (tbp 27th Oct ’26) |
| A Court of Forgotten Melody (#7) (tbp 12th Jan #-’27) |
About Sarah J. Maas
Sarah J. Maas is the bestselling author of the Throne of Glass, Court of Thorns and Roses, and Crescent City series. Her books have sold millions of copies and have been published in 38 languages. She lives with her family in New York City.
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