A Court of Wings and Ruin

Disclaimer: spoilers for A Court of Thorns and Roses, and A Court of Mist and Fury

A Court of Wings and Ruin was undeniably my most anticipated read of 2017. Its release however, coincided with exams so I was forced to painfully stare at it as it sat on my bookshelf, fight the longing to pick it up and race to its end, and face the difficult task of avoiding spoilers for three months. The latter was the hardest. But I can proudly say that it was bloody well worth the waiting, avoiding the whispers of spoilers, and the hours spent devouring it.

A Court of Wings and Ruin picks up where A Court of Mist and Fury left off; with Feyre in the Spring Court, playing her deadly game of deception to destroy the stronghold it has in the looming war against Hybern. As she infiltrates the Court of her former lover and tears it apart from the inside out, she is fighting against the clock to save her newfound home in Prythian, and the mortal world that has been sentenced to destruction in the King's long-awaited, brutal conquest to rule a Fae Kingdom. In the war of her time, making dangerous bargains with equally dangerous creatures and forming allies with the lethal High Lords across Prythian and their Courts, with whom a bloody history marks them as enemies, Feyre finds herself playing with fire, and she is not the only one at risk of being burnt to the ground...

A Court of Wings and Ruin was the finale that this series deserved. The scheming, the plot twists that I truly did not see coming, the flawless blend of action, intrigue, and romance, all of it was executed perfectly. It had everything that its predecessors had - the slow burn romance between some of our favourite characters, the humour and entertainment, the world-building, the focus on significant themes such as friendship, family and sacrifice that weave seamlessly into the storyline - and yet it also delivers so much more, from the backstories of so many of the characters and a highly complex plot that builds up to a thrilling climax, to the inspiring exploration of strength, bravery, redemption...and the depths of the wounds that love, loss and war are capable of inflicting. 

|   Rhys stepped off the stairs and took my hand. 

    Night Triumphant—and the Stars Eternal. 

   If he was the sweet, terrifying darkness, I was the glittering light that only his shadows could make clear.

Where A Court of Mist and Fury was a whirlwind of love and mystery with its slow, mesmerising introduction to the Night Court, A Court of Wings and Ruin flings you straight onto the battlefield with an intense rush of conspiring, games of deceit and the bloodshed of war that keeps you on your toes throughout. It branches out into Prythian, away from the familiarity of the Spring and Night Courts and into the fascinating unknown of the others; there are so many new, exciting characters that we're introduced to with their facades and dynamics and hidden motives and stories that have me dying to want to know more. I could have book after book exploring the other Courts and never get bored. 

This book was everything I hoped and imagined it would be, and more. My heart caved at the end of Chapter 76, but emotional torture at the hands of a book is our guilty pleasure, right? There's no denying that S J Maas is a queen in fiction; she creates broken and flawed characters that we can't help but fall in love with, magical worlds that we can't help but want to be a part of, and tales of love and war that we can't help but be drawn to. 

A Court of Mist and Fury will always be my stand-out favourite - as it is for 99% of the fan base, let's be honest - but ultimately, this series is something so special and while I'm sad to see Feyre's journey come to an end, I'm excited to see what S J Maas delivers next in this world because there's still so much to delve into! Too many loose ends, so many unanswered questions...and not enough pages to fill a book. I can't wait to see what comes next. I can believe it will be something epic.