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

““I’m fine,” I whispered. “I’m sorry.” I wiped at the blood dribbling down my cheek. No one, not even Tamlin, looked convinced. And if I could have painted that moment, I would have named it A Portrait in Snares and Baiting.”

This review has been a long time coming, but I can still remember every emotion I felt on this book's release date. I was anxious, since it seemed like it would be hard to top A Court of Mist and Fury, but also, this book had so many possibilities. The last book ended with such a cliffhanger, and the plot could go anywhere.

Luckily, Sarah did not disappoint. In a whirlwind of pages, I got to the point where I needed to fly through the book, just so I could be sure my favorite characters were safe. I scanned each chapter with a sense of dread, determined that this would be the chapter where all hell would break loose.

It turns out, the whole book was sort of like that. Each chapter brought a new battle, whether subtle or on a bigger scale. What would be the tipping point? Hybern, Feyre and Tamlin, Rhys, or the human queens? 

One of my favorite parts of the book was the emphasis on the side characters. Up until now, I hadn't realized exactly how much I loved Cassian, Azriel, Mor, or Amren, but from their first appearance, it seemed as if my heart had settled back into my chest again.

This world seems like a political landmine; Feyre creates a ruse of friendship with Tamlin and Lucien, but her pretense seems to keep escalating as the story unfolds. Whether in this situation or others, Feyre, Rhys, and the rest need to be careful, making sure that they can ally with the other High Lords, while not compromising their own beliefs. The battles in this story aren't just fought with swords, but some of them are fought in words and promises. After all, what's a battle without unlikely alliances?

It is the hint of humanity that lives in each character that makes this book so interesting - what motivates you, and what redeems you? Can you be redeemed? In the trilogy's fast-paced conclusion, Sarah delivers a satisfying ending, a hard feat to accomplish in YA series. 

Rating: 5/5

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Release Date: May 2, 2017