A Court of Wings and Ruin: A Court of Thorns and Roses, Book 3

Gore, sex, epic battle against evil in twisty faery tale.
Parents say
Based on 3 reviews
Kids say
Based on 24 reviews
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that, as with previous books in this series steeped in lust and gore, A Court of Wings and Ruin features lots of sex, murder, dismemberment, monsters, crude language, and people behaving badly as our morally conflicted heroes wage epic conflict to save their world from dark magic. That, of course, is a big part of the appeal for author Sarah J. Maas' huge fan base as they eagerly turn the 699 pages through intrigue, dark magic, epic clashes, mortal combat, and corpse-strewn battlefields. Along the way, characters develop and form bonds that play a crucial role in the outcome, and there's a fair amount of redemption mixed in with the blood and betrayal.
Community Reviews
Good book, but not for kids
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Pure bad. Garbage.
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What's the Story?
Following the events in Book 2, A COURT OF WINGS AND RUIN opens with Feyre, having allowed herself to be "rescued" from her mate Rhysand in the Night Court, back at the court of former lover Tamlin, playing a dangerous game as a spy. Rhysand, meanwhile, is trying to rally the quarrelsome, intrigue-ridden faery courts into joining forces against the evil king of Hybern, who, one way or another, has been responsible for most of the previous books' troubles and is now preparing to violate an ancient treaty and enslave humans (like Feyre's birth family). Murderous rampages, bloody battles, treachery, redemption, and tangled relationships ensue.
Is It Any Good?
Series fans will be in heaven as the hot faery romance of Feyre and Rhysand continues, an epic battle against evil forces looms, and lots of action and plot twists keep the 699 pages turning. Along the way, many intriguing characters continue to develop -- and while the Feyre/Rhysand tale winds up, at least for the time being, the stage is set for more tales from the world of Prythian, starting in 2018. Author Sarah J. Maas is a compelling storyteller with a lively narrative style and an imagination that's won her lots of fans -- but readers should know that violence and brutality are constant here and accepted as routine, as in this passage:
"No, even as my body hesitated in the kills, my magic did not.
"The two soldiers nearest me had feeble shields. I tore through them with a sizzling wall of fire. Fire that then found its way down their throats and burned every inch of the way.
"And then sizzled through skin and tendon and bone and severed the heads from their bodies.
"Mor just killed the soldier nearest her with a good old-fashioned beheading."
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the faery world in A Court of Wings and Ruin. Why are fairies a popular storytelling subject? What's the appeal? And how does the version presented here compare with others you know about?
Many stories, including this one, deal with human characters transformed into some other type of being, often immortal. If you could change into something else, what would it be?
Do you think series like the Court of Thorns and Roses have any relevance to our real world, or are they just an escape?
Book Details
- Author: Sarah J. Maas
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Princesses, Fairies, Mermaids, and More, Adventures, Brothers and Sisters, Friendship, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
- Publication date: May 2, 2017
- Number of pages: 699
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: July 23, 2018
Our Editors Recommend
For kids who love fantasy romance and adventure
Themes & Topics
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