A Court of Wings and Ruin

Jessica’s 12th Epilogue: A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

Today, for my 12^th Epilogue, I’m taking you back to Sarah J. Maas’, A Court of Thorns and Roses series, into the 3rd book of the series: A Court of Wings and Ruin. This was a thrilling and enjoyable re-read for me, this time around, I listened to the audio book and can say, I thoroughly enjoyed this version of the book too. So please, pick your favorite reading method and just go for it!

This book is not for the faint of heart. At 699 pages, this romantasy is packed with spice, war, alliances, betrayals, and the rich worldbuilding that fans of the genre will appreciate. I was once again drawn into a world of High Lords, Fae, and mythical creatures. The story explores both expected and surprising friendships and alliances as Feyre and the Night Court navigate the rising and anticipated danger of war. It begins with Feyre’s calculated return to the Spring Court, where she seeks intelligence on the King of Hybern and tries to determine who can truly be trusted. With Hybern’s army advancing, the Night Court must unite the High Lords and their courts to survive. Along the way, Feyre turns to unexpected allies and creatures as the Fae and humans of Prythian fight to defeat the King of Hybern.

What I loved most about this book was its continued character development and the way so many relationships evolved. At the center, are the three Archeron sisters—Feyre, Nesta, and Elain—they each learn to live with their new abilities. Feyre continues to explore the powers she received from the High Lords and learns to use them in both training and battle. She also grows into a leadership role as she defines her political place within Prythian, and all the while, her kindness and the friendships she has built help the Night Court seek support from across the land. Nesta remains the blunt, fiercely protective sister who will do anything for the people she loves. Elain begins to embrace her life as Fae, bringing a gentle, quiet strength to the trio. Together, the sisters continue to grow, showing loyalty, resilience, and love as they learn to trust and support those around them. Some of my favorite development, though, came from the secondary characters—especially the creatures Feyre has come to know. Their relationships deepened, particularly with the Weaver, the Bone Carver, the Suriel, and Bryaxis, who feel even more vivid in this book than in the previous ones. Their bargains and connections with Feyre are especially compelling and they really do highlight Sarah J. Maas’s imaginative worldbuilding.

Let’s talk about the plot. Even on a re-read, I was completely engaged. This is a classic underdog story: a small but determined army facing an army of thousands. At every turn, the Night Court is up against an enemy that always seems two steps ahead. Whether it was the return of familiar characters and creatures, the tension of the coming war, or my continued disdain for the ruthless King of Hybern, every page kept me on edge. The story moves at a fast pace, and I had forgotten enough plot points to be surprised all over again. This book broke me—not once, not twice, but three times. I’m talking gasps, racing heart, furrowed brows, and yes, tears. I cried through some scenes, celebrated the victories, felt relief at a few twists, and once again found myself loving Feyre and Nesta as they fully stepped into the powerful women that they were meant to be.

This book comes with a few trigger warnings, and I also have one strong criticism. It includes strong language, spice, war, blood, and death, so readers who do not enjoy those elements may want to skip it. That said, the story also offers love, destiny, friendship, bravery, family, and many uplifting themes that help balance the darker moments. If you can look past the heavier content, I think you will still find a lot to love here. My biggest complaint is the repeated use of the phrase “vulgar gesture.” It felt heavily overused and was the one part of the book that made me cringe. I could overlook it, but I still wanted to say: Sarah J. Maas is far too talented to rely on the same phrase so often.

My concluding thoughts and recommendations for, A Court of Wings and Ruin: this will always be a book and series that I recommend. Although this book is not my favorite in the series, it is a much needed, pivotal book that keeps us on our Prythian journey. This time around, I rated it 4 stars. It is currently sitting at a 4.46-star rating on Good Reads, with 2,835,997 ratings. It was also the 2017 Good Reads winner for: Favorite Young Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction. As a reminder, this is book three of the A Court of Thorns and Roses Series and the series order is below. Do not skip books one and two before opening this one.

Check out Sarah J. Maas’ website and pre-order her upcoming books at: https://sarahjmaas.com/

• A Court of Thorns and Roses
• A Court of Mist and Fury
• A Court of Wings and Ruin
• A Court of Frost and Starlight
• A Court of Silver Flames
• TBD- Book 6- Release date: October 27, 2026
• TBD- Book 7- Release date: January 12, 2027