Wings, War and Mating Bonds....The Bookbabe Reviews A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

Last month the third installment in Sarah J. Maas A Court of Thorns and Roses series was released. I didn't jump right into the book because I had a lot going on and frankly I wanted to take my time with the novel. This book starts off with Feyre back at the spring court awaiting a time to ruin Tamiln's life make him pay for the betrayal of her and her family to Hybren.
Throughout her time at the Spring Court she is attempting to keep Tamlin and Lucien at arms length. She plays this well; its an Oscar winning performance, at least where Tamlin is concerned. Lucien, however, is expecting something. He is suspicious of her from the moment they leave the Cauldron and King of Hybren to come back to the court. It's not until Dagdan and Brannagh (the niece and nephew of the King) that Feyre is able to spring her trap and escape; but not before the pays back Ianthe for her role in the betrayal and for her constant in wanted sexual advances on Lucien and several other males around her. Feyre and Lucien escape to the court of Night together. Lucien only leaves with her because he wants to see his mate; Elain, who happens to be Feyre's sister. As they escape the run into characters from the winter and autumn courts that will play a much bigger role in the storyline as we go on. Once they are back in Velaris Lucien quickly comes to understand that all he thought and knew about Rhysand and his court is untrue. Rhysand is more caring and loving and honorable then Lucien has been made to believe and the leads him into becoming a reluctant ally of the Night Court. During the book we see a love hate relationship start between Nesta and Cassian. We also see Azriel and Mor's relationship become more strained; and most of that is Mor's doing. She is sitting on a secret that she needs to share with Az. We also find out the Amren has a love interest who lives in another court; we also find that she will betray Feyre and her friends in order to save not only the court but their world.
Amren's betrayal was frustrating for me; I found myself cussing her when I read it. I truly did not see that coming and she had put Feyre in danger. However, Maas cleans it up and the end and we find that Amren is still a friend of the group and is still within the courts ranks at the end of the novel. If the betrayal was not bad enough Maas could not resist harming Rhysand; but this one moment was also a chance for Tamlin to redeem himself. This did not change my views of Tamlin. I still don't like him; but it does mean that we will see him in the future. We will also see Queen Vassa in the upcoming novels, however, I have a feeling that her tale is going to be full of drama and danger. I think this queen is going to be a piece of work; something tells me she's putting on a front to those around her so that she can be freed from the man that holds her captive. There is so much that went on in this book and its way to much to discuss without spoilers.

Best Scenes:
Death of a really bad character at the hands of Nesta and Elain.
Amren lives.
We have a LQBT character

Worse scene:
Cannot tell you due to chance of spoiling it - sorry!

I gave this book 5/5 stars on goodreads.

Quotes that I loved:

To fall in love with Night itself....The Bookbabe Reviews: A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

Sarah J. Maas has stolen my heart with this book. I usually wait until the next day to write my reflections (review) of most of books; but, I just couldn't with this one. A Court of Mist and Fury (ACOMF) has everything we fanasty YA nerds want. Great world buliding, fabulous writing, bad ass characters and maybe just a little bit of a romance. She delivered all that in more with the pages of this book. 

In ACOMF, Maas takes us back to the Spring Court and back into the relationship that has been developing between Tamlin and Feyre. They have just returned to the Spring court after their almost life ending experiences Under the Mountain. One would think with all the hardships, torture, and death they witnessed Under the Mountain that they would have a closer bond. But, they don't and Tamlin is not being the guy we meant in A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTR); he is withdrawn, on edge and seems content to allow Feyre to waste away. He ignores her unhappiness and the changes in her. He is selfish, and only thinks of himself and putting on show of strength and force to his people. 

The only relief Feyre seems to get from him is her trips to The Night Court; which were forced upon her by its High Lord Rhysand. At the Night Court she is free to do what she likes. Rhysand comes off with his usual arrogant bravado but you can sense something deeper there. Especially any time Feyre mentions Tamlin; Rhys just seems to bristle at simple mention of the High Lord. It would take the wedding ceremony and Tamlin locking Feyre in the Spring Court Manor home for Rhys to really step in. 

Once he rescues her, basically frees her, he allows her as much time as she came to become what she was before she went Under The Mountain. Rhys is giving Feyre something Tamlin can't....freedom! It's no surprise that during all this her feelings towards both Tamlin and Rhys shift. 

She begins to see Tamlin as very self serving, uncaring, maybe even a little emotionally abusive and possessive. Rhys is Tamlin's complete opposite - he is kind, patient, caring and attentive. Even though he has it in her head and has been told by others at the Spring Court that he can not be trusted; that he is dangerous. Against her better judgement she makes a decision to cut Tamlin off completely, and stay on in the Nighy Court so that she can learn to use her powers and learn to fight. Something that Tamlin had no interest in letting her do at all. 

Slowly Feyre begins to feel something for Rhys that was never there with Tamlin....Rhys also does not reveal until the book is almost at an end that he and Ferye are mates. And that he has known for sometime. He attempted to separate himself from her but...he could not so he made up ways to see her and to misdirect the attentions of that witch from Under The Mountain away from Ferye. During all of this Ferye and Rhys and his court are trying to stop am invasion of a long hated and very dangerous King. They almost have it under control when several betrayals come to light; and at the worse possible time. It's in these betrayals that the majority of the plot twists happen. The most surprising one of all coming right at the end. 

Maas wrote this book so well, waving in just the right amount of mystery to make you want to speed read to the ending. I think ACOMF has replaced The Girl with all the gifts as my favorite book read so far in 2016. 

I gave it 5/5 stars on Goodreads.com

Favorite Quotes:

"There are different kinds of darkness, there is a darkness that frightens, the darkness that soothes, the darkness that is restful. There is the darkness of the lovers, the darkness of assassins. It becomes with the bearer wishes it to be, needs it to be. It is not wholly bad or good."

"No one was my master – but I might be the master of everything, if I wished. If I dared."

"He luck to you up because he knew – the bastard knew what a treasure you are. That you were worth more than land or gold or jewels. He knew, and wanted to keep you all to himself. (Rhys)"

"He did - does love me" (Ferye)

"The issue isn't whether he loved you, it's how much. Too much. Love can be a poison." (Rhys)

"To the stars who listen – and the dreams that are answered."

"Truth is deadly. Chances freedom. Truth can break and mend and and bind."