If you’ve not read the previous books go check out my reviews on the first two books in this series by Sarah J Maas.
Now on to book three! ACOWAR is, in my opinion, wraps up all the arcs set up in the first two books quite nicely (however it is not the end of this series). This book certainly has more of an epic story arc to it and things really get real in this book. There are losses and wins, political twists and turns and a real epic battle. Expect tense moments, sad moments and gripping moments of suspense. All of course with those super spicy moments I know you all love carefully woven in. There are big life changing moments for a lot of the characters.
This book picks up right where the last left off, Nesta and Elain, Feyres sisters, have been made Fae by the king of Hybern, following Tamlins betrayal, this male just does not know when to quit and cut his loses, women are not possessions Tamlin, come on. Feyre has planted herself back in the spring court, with the plan of taking it down from the inside, she has had enough. Following Feyre along in her deception in the first part of this book really shows how the character has changed and grown. She is no longer a person who has things happen to her. She has started to slip in to her role as a politician if you can call it that. I personally enjoyed watching her take down Tamilin and found it to be quite satisfying. However I did not enjoy his ongoing brooding and self pity, I really have grown to loathe the character. There is a little bit of atonement but the character is far far from redemption.
With Rhysand, I do feel like I would have liked just a little more from him, something seemed a little lost in this book. I miss the old Rhysand a little bit but watching him and Feyre act in their politician roles and prepare for the war fleshes out the characters as more than just pretty faces and hopeless romantics. I think there is just a little bit of his banter that is lost in this book, I can’t quite put my finger on it.
We do get to see far more of Elain and Nesta in this book, seeing their adjustment to this world is a stark contrast to the way Feyre sort of slipped into it. Their reactions are a little more relatable, Maas really leans in to almost personifying different stages of grief, denial and anger. The way each sister reacts creates quite and interesting commentary on their characters that I really enjoyed reading. Little seeds are also sown throughout the books with the possible romances for each sister. Cassian and Nesta clearly have something going on, and whilst we know Lucian is Elains mate, there seems to be a little love triangle building with Azriel. Personally I’m team Azriel, Tamlin really seems to have dragged Lucien down, and it would be interesting to see someone reject their “fated mate”. Somehow I don’t think we will ultimately see that play out, despite Azriel and Elain being a good match. I think we will see them develop a close friendship I’m not so sure about the romance.
On the topic of sowing seeds what’s great about this book is realising all the little hints and foreshadowing Maas has intertwined into the earlier books. It’s fun to see those things play out and reach an epic conclusion, which is what this book feels like, a conclusion, it could easily of been the last book. I really feel like it’s a happy ending to Rhysand and Feyres rather epic love story and there was not a moment I was bored.
All in all this was a brilliant edition to the story and I feel like Maas’ storytelling has gotten better and better with each book. I have been really sucked in to this world and have not been able to put the series down. I am a little sad moving into the next books, as I understand there is a companion book and then a book focused on Nesta. I will miss being back seat to the Feyre and Rhysand romance and I will miss that perspective however I am very excited to get to know the other characters a little better.
Written by Clarissa.