The reading experience

Romance

Heavy

Spice

3 out of 5

Tone

Heartbreaking, Tense, Funny, Romantic, Bittersweet

Pacing

Fast

Tropes

Found family, Fated mates, Who did this to you, Touch her and die, Fae

Series

Ongoing series

A Court of Wings and Ruin Review: The Book That Broke Me

Spoiler-free review first, followed by a clearly marked discussion of Book 3.
No spoilers from later books.

By July 2024, I'd gone from needing three attempts to get into the first ACOTAR book to being completely obsessed with the series. And when I say obsessed, I mean I read Books 2, 3 and 4 in the same month.

Apparently, once my brain had finally decided Prythian was worth visiting, it had absolutely no intention of leaving. A Court of Mist and Fury had already delivered enough romantic revelations and plot twists to keep me thoroughly entertained.

Then I started A Court of Wings and Ruin. And Sarah J. Maas apparently decided we'd all had quite enough happiness. I went into this book completely spoiler-free, as I'd done with the previous books. No Reddit theories, no character discussions, no suspiciously revealing Pinterest artwork.

Nothing.

Which meant I experienced every shocking revelation, unexpected alliance and devastating moment without knowing what was coming. And there were quite a few. I laughed, I got goosebumps, I developed some extremely strong opinions about certain characters, and I cried.

A lot.

Honestly, at some point, reading stopped being a hobby and became an emotional endurance event.

What is A Court of Wings and Ruin about?

A Court of Wings and Ruin, usually shortened to ACOWAR, is the third book in Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses series. The story follows Feyre as she navigates the growing threat of war between Prythian and the King of Hybern. The stakes are considerably higher than in the previous books.

Instead of focusing primarily on Feyre discovering the faerie world or navigating her relationships, the story expands into political alliances, ancient magic, military strategy and the question of whether the different courts can put aside their differences long enough to survive.

Feyre has also changed enormously since we first met her. She's no longer the frightened human girl who killed a wolf in the woods and found herself taken to a magical court. She's now powerful, experienced and capable of making some rather dangerous decisions of her own. And she's surrounded by a cast of characters who are increasingly difficult not to become attached to.

Which is lovely. Until the author starts putting them in mortal danger.

This book made Prythian feel enormous

One of my favourite things about the ACOTAR series is how much the world expands with each book. The first introduces the Spring Court and the mystery surrounding Tamlin. The second opens up the Night Court, Velaris and the Inner Circle. By the third, we're dealing with High Lords, ancient magical creatures, political tensions, military alliances and a full-scale war that threatens everything we've come to know.

And I loved that progression. The world no longer feels like a beautiful fantasy setting built around a romance. It feels like somewhere with centuries of history, old grudges, complicated loyalties and people who really should have learnt to communicate properly by now.

Watching characters who clearly cannot stand each other attempt to work together is particularly entertaining. There's something wonderful about an emergency so enormous that even the most powerful immortal beings have to stop arguing long enough to acknowledge they might actually need one another. Although, naturally, they still find plenty of time to argue.

The characters are what make the story

By this point in the series, I wasn't simply invested in Feyre and Rhysand. I cared about the wider cast. Lucien, Cassian, Azriel, Mor, Amren, Nesta and Elain all have their own personalities, histories and complicated relationships. Some characters provide much-needed humour. Others make you want to reach into the book and give them a very firm talking-to. And then there are the ones you wish you could protect, despite knowing perfectly well they're fictional.

I particularly love Cassian's personality. Amongst all the politics, impending disaster and immortal brooding, his humour brings a welcome bit of relief.

The friendships and found-family relationships have become just as important as the central romance. And I think that's one of the reasons the more emotional scenes hit so hard. By Book 3, these aren't just names in a fantasy novel. You've spent enough time with them to care about what happens next. Which is precisely when Sarah J. Maas becomes dangerous.

The war raises the stakes considerably

ACOWAR is much more focused on conflict, strategy and survival than the earlier books. There's still romance, but this isn't simply another story about two people discovering their feelings. The wider world is in danger.

Different courts have to negotiate alliances, powerful enemies threaten everything they've built and characters are forced into decisions with enormous consequences. I enjoyed seeing the political side of Prythian become more important.

It's interesting watching the High Lords try to work together when they have centuries of grudges and very different ideas about what should happen. And the battles bring a completely different level of intensity to the series.

There are moments when the scale of what's happening feels genuinely enormous. Not just because of the armies, but because of the extraordinary magical forces involved.

The book also has a darker emotional weight, with grief, sacrifice and the consequences of war taking centre stage. It's definitely not a light, cosy romantic fantasy. Unless your definition of cosy involves catastrophic magical warfare and occasional emotional devastation.

Is A Court of Wings and Ruin spicy?

There are explicit romantic scenes, but ACOWAR places much more emphasis on war, danger and the wider fantasy storyline. The romance remains important, particularly the relationship between Feyre and Rhysand, but it isn't the main source of tension throughout the book.

If you're reading purely for romance and spice, you might find the political discussions and battle preparations less appealing. But if you've become invested in the characters and the world, there's plenty here to keep you interested. For me, the emotional relationships, friendships and family connections are just as compelling as the romantic moments.

Is A Court of Wings and Ruin worth reading?

Absolutely, particularly if you've enjoyed the first two books. But I'd say this is a book you appreciate most when you're already emotionally invested in the series. The first two books spend time making you care about the characters and their relationships.

ACOWAR puts those relationships under extraordinary pressure. It also rewards readers who've paid attention to the wider magical world, bringing back characters and creatures who might initially have seemed like smaller pieces of the story. And it has some genuinely spectacular moments.

The sort that make you stop whatever ordinary household task you're doing because you suddenly need to concentrate on every word. Although I would recommend having tissues nearby. Quite a few tissues, actually.

My final verdict

A Court of Wings and Ruin took everything I'd grown to love about Prythian and made the stakes feel much bigger. There were shocking revelations, wonderful character moments, extraordinary battles and scenes that left me genuinely upset. I loved the unlikely alliances, the humour and the way characters I'd grown attached to continued to develop. And I particularly loved the moments when the story reminded me just how powerful and mysterious this fantasy world could be.

But the emotional scenes? Those were something else. By the time I'd finished, I was completely invested in these characters and their lives, and I had absolutely no intention of leaving the series behind. The book that originally took me three attempts to begin had somehow led me here. Reading three sequels in a single month and getting genuinely emotional about imaginary faeries.

What a perfectly reasonable use of my time.

If you've finished the first two books, I'd absolutely recommend continuing with A Court of Wings and Ruin. Just don't expect your emotions to emerge entirely unscathed.

⚔️ SPOILERS BELOW: LET'S TALK ABOUT A COURT OF WINGS AND RUIN

Major spoilers for Book 3 from this point onwards.
No spoilers from Book 4 or later.

Right. We've got quite a lot to discuss. Because between Lucien, the Suriel, the ancient monsters and the final battle, I genuinely don't know how this book expected me to remain emotionally stable.

Lucien leaving with Feyre was absolute gold

Can we start with Lucien? Because watching him leave the Spring Court with Feyre was one of my favourite developments. After everything that happened with Tamlin, I was delighted to see Lucien finally making a decision that took him away from that situation. Their journey through dangerous territory, particularly with Lucien's brothers hunting them, adds some brilliant tension. And I love that this isn't a straightforward, comfortable friendship.

There's history between Feyre and Lucien. He was loyal to Tamlin, and he didn't always do what Feyre needed him to do when she was suffering. But he's also someone with his own painful past, divided loyalties and very good reasons to want to reach the Night Court. Watching them work together again was so satisfying.

And then Cassian and Azriel arrive to help. Beautiful. A rescue involving two of my favourite Illyrian warriors is always going to improve the situation considerably.

Keir is an utter jerk. Cassian is a hoot.

Two completely different opinions, both of which I stand by. First, Keir. What an utterly unpleasant man. The way he treats Mor, the cruelty, the manipulation and that general air of being deeply impressed with his own awfulness. I cannot stand him.

I appreciate that the political situation forces characters to negotiate with people they despise, but that doesn't make Keir any less of a dreadful human being. Well, faerie being. You know what I mean.

And then there's Cassian. Cassian is a hoot. I absolutely love how he brings humour into situations that would otherwise be suffocatingly serious. He's powerful, loyal and an exceptional warrior, but he's also capable of being gloriously ridiculous. His interactions with Nesta are particularly entertaining because she gives absolutely nothing away easily.

Two stubborn personalities, an enormous amount of tension and neither apparently interested in making life simple. Wonderful. I could happily read considerably more of their arguments.

LUCIEN IS HELION'S SON?!

Excuse me? Lucien isn't Beron's biological son? He's Helion's?

HELION. THE HIGH LORD OF THE DAY COURT.

What?! I love a well-placed family revelation, and this one completely caught me off guard.

Lucien has spent his life believing Beron is his father, enduring the cruelty of the Autumn Court and struggling with his place in the family. And then Feyre and Rhysand begin putting the pieces together.

Helion and the Lady of the Autumn Court had a relationship. Lucien's appearance and abilities suddenly make a lot more sense. And the implications are enormous. It also makes me look at Beron's treatment of Lucien differently. If Beron suspects that Lucien isn't his biological son, could that have contributed to his resentment and cruelty? It certainly offers another possible explanation for the hostility. Not an excuse. Absolutely not.

Beron's behaviour towards his wife and children is appalling regardless of who Lucien's biological father is. But it does add another layer to an already horrible family dynamic. And the fact that Lucien doesn't even know? Honestly. Somebody in Prythian needs to start a family revelations newsletter because the secrets are getting completely out of hand.

The Suriel's death absolutely broke me

I wasn't ready for this. Not even slightly. The Suriel had been such a strange, fascinating part of Feyre's journey. At first, it seemed like another potentially dangerous magical creature she needed to outsmart. But over time, it became something much more meaningful.

A source of answers, unexpected guidance and some of the most important information Feyre receives throughout the series. And then Ianthe attacks it. The Suriel is dying, and Feyre stays with it.

I cried. Properly cried. There's something particularly heartbreaking about losing a character who isn't one of the central romantic heroes or warriors, but who has quietly become important to the story.

The Suriel helped Feyre repeatedly. And knowing that it was prepared to risk its life to give her the answers she needed made the scene even worse. It was such a tender, sad moment amongst the enormous events happening elsewhere in the book.

The Bone Carver, the Weaver and Bryaxis. GOOSEBUMPS.

There are certain moments in fantasy books where everything becomes so enormous and dramatic that you can practically feel the soundtrack building. The appearance of the Bone Carver, the Weaver and Bryaxis during the war was one of those moments. Actual goosebumps. Pimples on my arms.

Because these aren't ordinary soldiers turning up to join the fighting. These are ancient, terrifying creatures we've already encountered in completely different circumstances. Creatures so powerful and mysterious that even the people of Prythian are frightened of them. And now they're being brought into an actual war. It's such a brilliant payoff to earlier world-building.

Suddenly, those strange encounters and unsettling conversations have become hugely important. I loved the sheer scale of it. The idea that the situation has become so desperate that everyone is prepared to unleash some of the most frightening beings in existence.

And then the Bone Carver dies. Because apparently the Sarah hadn't finished upsetting me.

Feyre's dad turning up. I WAS NOT PREPARED.

This. This absolutely destroyed me.

For so much of the story, Feyre's father has been a complicated, often disappointing figure. At the beginning of ACOTAR, Feyre is the one keeping the family alive. She's hunting, providing food and carrying responsibilities that should never have fallen entirely on her shoulders. Her father isn't the person she can rely on. And then, during the war, when things are looking desperate...

He arrives. With ships. With reinforcements. He's actually come to help his daughters.

And that moment alone was enough to make me emotional.

Because after everything, he finally shows up when they need him. It's a beautiful, unexpected act of love. And then the King of Hybern kills him. In front of Nesta. I was SOBBING again. Absolutely sobbing.

It's heartbreaking because he's finally taken action to protect his family, and just as we see that different side of him, he's gone. It doesn't erase the years when Feyre had to provide for everyone. But people can fail the people they love and still be capable of doing something meaningful. And the fact that his final act is to help save his daughters makes the loss so much more painful.

Nesta, Elain and the King of Hybern

After their father's death, the confrontation with the King of Hybern becomes even more emotional. Cassian is terribly injured. Nesta is facing the man who has just murdered her father. And the situation looks absolutely hopeless.

Then Elain appears with Truth-Teller and stabs the king through the neck.

ELAIN?!

The quiet, gentle sister who spent so much of the story struggling with her transformation?

I did not see that coming.

And then Nesta finishes him. It's brutal, dramatic and completely fitting for the emotional intensity of the scene. I love that the sisters, who have each been through such different experiences, end up playing such significant roles. They're no longer simply Feyre's family waiting somewhere outside the main story. They're powerful characters in their own right.

And Nesta's grief adds another layer to everything she's already endured.

Rhysand dying was just cruel

At this point, I genuinely thought we'd experienced enough emotional devastation for one book. Apparently not. Because after everything they've survived, Feyre and Rhysand attempt to repair the Cauldron. And the effort kills Rhysand.

RHYSAND.

Seriously? We've had the war, the deaths, their father's murder, and now this?

I was not emotionally equipped for another sacrifice. Thankfully, the High Lords eventually help bring him back. And one of the most interesting details is that Tamlin contributes his power. After everything that's happened between him, Feyre and Rhysand, he still helps save Rhysand's life.

I actually appreciate that the book doesn't make Tamlin completely one-dimensional. He's made terrible choices, and that doesn't disappear simply because he occasionally does something decent. But his actions during the war and his decision to help resurrect Rhysand make his character more complicated. And I think that's far more interesting than everybody being neatly divided into heroes and villains.

My final thoughts: What an emotional rollercoaster

A Court of Wings and Ruin gave me some of my favourite dramatic moments in the series so far.

Lucien leaving the Spring Court.

Cassian being Cassian.

The revelation about Helion.

The ancient creatures arriving for battle.

The Suriel.

Feyre's father.

Honestly, just thinking about some of those scenes brings the emotions back.

I loved how enormous the world had become, but it was the smaller character moments and personal losses that really stayed with me.

Now I need to know: what broke you more, the Suriel's death or Feyre's father arriving with the ships?

Because I'm still not entirely recovered from either.