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

After buddy reading many books, Christina of Booklover's Teaparty and I decided to do something different and do a co-review.

Title: A Court of Wings and Ruin
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #3
Publication: May 2nd 2017 by Bloomsbury Childrens Books
Genre: Fantasy ~ New Adult
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Kobo
Rating: 5/5

A nightmare, I’d told Tamlin. I was the nightmare.

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.

Was there anything that stood out with the storyline to you?

Stephanie:  I felt like it focused more on several characters than just Feyre (although Feyre is still the lead of the book.) Her sisters played a huge part the story. We also learned a lot more about some of the secondary characters.

Christina: A lot going on in this book. So much happened, which is no surprise compared to how big it is.  Felt as if we had more characters in the spotlight so to say, BUT something I am very happy with is that it still didn’t change the POV from Feyre. It was still Feyre’s POV and her seeing the other characters and being around them. An Feyre has definitely grown a lot since the first book.

What are your thoughts on Feyre and Rhys in the book?

Stephanie:  I can't say anything but LOVE LOVE LOVE THEM. They're a OTP of mine for a reason. Their bond and connection is really strong and continued to be so in the book. 

Christina: Loved them! I like how we don’t have to have the added romantic drama between them, if there’s problems they work on them and talk about. Really shows how deep their bond is. So yeah love them and root for them, always!

How would you describe the book in one or two words?

Stephanie:  I can't really think of one particular moment without spoiling the story but I thought that Nesta especially had a lot of amazing moments. I loved her. 

Christina: I feel like with these books, the title says a lot as well.. so other than those two words I guess revelations and love maybe.

What's your favorite quote of the book?

Stephanie: "Two Illyrian males making me sweat in one morning. What’s a female to do?"

Christina: “Remember that you are a wolf. And you cannot be caged.” 

How was this book compared to others in the series?

Stephanie: I definitely felt different from the others. But I also think that all books are pretty different from one another. ACOMAF is still my favorite if I have to choose between them but I did love this one as well. And it has my favorite cover. Felt like I should mention that. 

Christina: Like the others I loved this one. It really shows how far they have all come. Feyre has grown so much since the first book which was more obvious due to the strong presence of her sisters in this one. Huge huge book with so much happening.

What are your overall thoughts?

Stephanie:  Just like the first two books, I loved A Court of Wings and Ruin. I loved how detailed it was and how we found out more about several of the characters, not just Feyre and Rhysand. Although they're still my favorite characters. Especially Rhys! The story stopped my heart a few times (damn you SJM!) but I loved every single moment of it. It was perfect!

Christina: Overall I absolutely loved it! Also gave us a lot more to be revealed about other characters as well, which I am still wondering about and so eager to find out. I spent half the book wondering what was up with this and that character and how it would play out. And gotta mention those amazing moments with just Rhys and Feyre, I seriously loved those whenever they were there. 

Sarah J. Maas is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series and A Court of Thorns and Roses series, as well as a USA Today and international bestselling author. Sarah wrote the first incarnation of the Throne of Glass series when she was just sixteen, and it has now sold in thirty-five languages. A New York native, Sarah currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and dog. Empire of Storms, the fifth Throne of Glass novel,is available now.

She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Hamilton College in 2008 with a degree in Creative Writing and a minor in Religious Studies.

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Review: A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

Title: A Court of Mist and Fury
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #2
Publication: May 3rd 2016 by Bloomsbury Childrens Books
Genre: New Adult ~ Fantasy
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Google Play | Kobo
Rating: 5/5

Feyre is immortal.

After rescuing her lover Tamlin from a wicked Faerie Queen, she returns to the Spring Court possessing the powers of the High Fae. But Feyre cannot forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people - nor the bargain she made with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court.

As Feyre is drawn ever deeper into Rhysand's dark web of politics and passion, war is looming and an evil far greater than any queen threatens to destroy everything Feyre has fought for. She must confront her past, embrace her gifts and decide her fate.

She must surrender her heart to heal a world torn in two.

I have so many words coming to mind when I think back to A Court of Mist and Fury — Brilliant. Thrilling. Steamy. Heartbreaking. Tragic. Radiant. Seductive. Well, I could go on and on. Because it was all that and so much more!

So this is my third book by Sarah J. Maas tha tI have read. I read Throne of Glass, which didn't sit very well with me. Last year I gave A Court of Thorns and Roses a shot and it ended up being so amazing but with A Court of Mist and Fury it was a thousand times more amazing than that one was. 

During the first part of the book I felt so very bad for Feyre because let's face it, after everything she went through in the last book she was more than a bit depressed and Tamlin (I'm so not a fan of his...) wasn't helping a lot with that either, in my opinion. But I gotta say that the way the author wrote all that was pretty impressive. Because who wouldn't be depressed after going through what Feyre went through.

Enter Rhysand! *cheers* Honestly, I already loved him in ACOTAR but oh my goodness he has turned into one of my top favorite characters ever and definitely my favorite fae character ever. Everything he has done for those he loved and everything he did for Feyre in this book. JESUS CHRIST. 

I also absolutely loved Rhys's friends. Mor, Cassian, Azriel, Amren... what a varied bunch they were. I loved them all! 

And let's not forget the totally amazing writing. Action, creepy, romantic, angst — this author can do it all. Especially the creepy scenes... I swear to god some of those scenes will give me nightmares.

What more can I say? I loved A Court of Mist and Fury so damn much. I can't even express enough how incredible this book was. The feels, man, the feels! 

       About the Author:

              Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram

Sarah J. Maas is the author of the New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling Throne of Glass series–Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, Heir of Fire, Queen of Shadows, and the series’ prequel, The Assassin’s Blade–as well as the New York Times and USA Today bestselling A Court of Thorns and Roses and its sequel A Court of Mist and Fury. She wrote the first incarnation of the Throne of Glass series when she was just sixteen, and it has now sold in twenty-three languages. Empire of Storms, the fifth Throne of Glass novel, will release on September 6th, 2016

A New York native, Sarah currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and dog. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Hamilton College in 2008 with a degree in Creative Writing and a minor in Religious Studies.

Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #1
Publication: May 5th 2015 by Bloomsbury Children's
Genre: New Adult ~ Fantasy
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Kobo
Rating: 5/5

A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it... or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

As far as fairy tale retellings go, A Court of Thorns and Roses is one of the best ones I've read so far. The whole story sucked me right in and I just couldn't get enough of this world. The story continued to surprise me at almost every page and I loved the twist on faeries. 

The story is about Feyre, who's pretty much the sole provider for her family. One day while hunting she kills a wolf, who's actually a faerie in disguise. This starts a chain of events that Feyre never saw coming. When she's forced by a beast to choose between death or living her life out in Prythian, the land of the faeries that she hates so much, to pay for the life of his friend, she goes with him, having every intention of escaping and running which doesn't prove all that easy.

I thought Feyre was a really great character. She wasn't perfect by a long shot, which is good because perfect main characters are really boring. In fact, Feyre was illiterate so she certainly had some weaknesses. I also loved that she was totally human but she still took risks and was very brave. 

Tamlin (a.k.a the beast) was interesting for sure. At the start I wasn't actually sure if I liked him or not but somehow he snuck up on me and before I realized it, I started really loving him. Especially when it came to Feyre. They really had some hot chemistry going on. Lucien was also a character that was awesome. A friend and courtier to Tamlin + his tragic backstory made me love him fairly fast. 

But the guy I loved the most was Rhysand. At first I was not certain where he stood and it's more towards the end that I really got to read more about him, but oh once I did, there was no going back. I instantly adored him. And I hope the next book will let us get to know him better. 

The romance was amazing, I loved how Feyre and Tamlin slowly but surely fell in love. There was no insta-love or any of that crap so that was a breath of fresh air for me. There was also a lot of action and danger in the story, which kept me at the edge of my seat at all times.

A Court of Thorns and Roses was beautifully written, featured intriguing and complex characters, had heartstopping romance and action + the magical world of the fae took my breath away. In one word: Perfection!

       About the Author:

       Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram

Sarah J. Maas is the author of the New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling Throne of Glass series–Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, and Heir of Fire, and the series’ prequel, The Assassin’s Blade–as well as the New York Times and USA Today bestselling A Court of Thorns and Roses. She wrote the first incarnation of the Throne of Glass series when she was just sixteen, and it has now sold in twenty-three languages.

A New York native, Sarah currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and dog. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Hamilton College in 2008 with a degree in Creative Writing and a minor in Religious Studies. Queen of Shadows, the fourth book in the Throne of Glass series, will release worldwide on September 1st, 2015.