EDITED I'm back up to 5 stars. Despite me standing by everything I said in this review I still loved this book. My issue is more so with SJM and her obvious attempts at a wow factor that the story itself. I was aware what it was in the story but I loved it anyway. *shrugs* I am ACOTAR trash and I'm not sorry. I read a review where someone discusses being aware of flaws but still being able to love a story so thats what I'm going with!!!

original review:
After coming down from the high from finishing this, I’m a bit disappointed to say that it has dropped from a 5-star read, to a 4.

If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be incredible. It was so unlike it’s prequels and was still full of the familiar characters, relationships and places that I love. It was an emotional ride from start to finish, and not in the way that ACOMAF was with the aspects of healing and love woven throughout the storyline. This was emotional just because the characters were going through hell. The plot was action packed, there wasn’t too much filler. I felt like basically everything that happened was either important to the war or just to the character’s well-being.

If I was just rating this on the plot alone, or the characters alone (even just on the emotions alone that this book made me FEEL) I think it would stay at 5. But something about this story made me start to understand the controversy surrounding SJM. Her stories are amazing, but the writing just…isn’t. It isn’t bad (lord knows it is 100 times better than anything I could manage), and I don’t know how to describe it but something about the actual writing of this one just didn’t do it for me.

Major spoilers are put under a tag, but there are some minor that are untagged, sorry!


The good:
One of my favorite things about ACOMAF was the realness of it, the things that happened in the story affected the characters rather than just having them remain the same throughout, and the same can most definitely be said of ACOWAR. We see the toll that war is taking on the characters both emotionally and physically (even though pretty much every physical part can be magically healed and there is no lasting damage, which kind of makes me wonder what exactly, was the point?). The war and the decisions made while strategizing, puts a strain on relationships and we get to watch the characters work through it, which definitely tugged on my heartstrings on multiple occasions (LOOKING @ MORRIGAN, NESTA, AZRIEL, ELAINE and pretty much everyone – but mainly them).
The impact this book had on my emotions. I mentioned it before, if I was rating this book on that alone it would deserve more than 5 stars. From start to finish this book DELIVERS, it had me catching my breath, physically reacting to the things that these characters were dealing with. I was happy for them, devastated for them, and afraid for them. I can’t really explain how much this book impacted me emotionally without giving anything away soooo here are a lot of kinda half thoughts that will make sense if you read it, and might just confuse you if you didn’t but also might give something away idk…

Spoiler

Watching Feyre get revenge on the people who wronged her GAVE ME LIFE. Seeing—no, feeling, her relief at being back at the night court surrounded by the people she loved BROKE me. Watching her sisters struggle with their new lives, and understand the power that they held had me on edge, wondering what would happen with them and how it would all play out. Mor, if you read this you know exactly what I’m talking about when I say that she had me feeling some type of way. Watching Lucien redeem himself and work on being patient and accepting in regards to Elaine had my heart breaking. Feyre and Rhysand’s love for each other, still warmed me just as much as it did in ACOMAF. AMREN on multiple occasions—training Nesta, Varian, the END…yeah totally fucked me up. Also because I haven’t mentioned it enough FEYRE, everything about her had me (for a lack of words to express how I’m feeling) !!!!!. The end with Feyre’s father, tears. Rhysand trying to protect everyone also tore at my emotions. And of course the bone carver, or rather who Feyre saw with the bone carver. IANTHE getting what she deserved. The suriel. The full circle-ness of Feyre repairing the Cauldron to help start a new world much like the origin story of this world, was so incredibly appreciated.

Seeing other courts, even if it was brief, was delightful! I loved meeting the other high lords and parts of their courts. I just wish we got some more of it because at times it felt a bit messy/confusing. I had to reread a few sections just to make sure I could tell the high lords apart. Wish we got more of them, but I really loved what we were given!


the bad
There wasn’t one single case where I was like “wow this is not good!!!” It was just the consistency of the story? In ACOMAF Feyre learns to read and can read full novels and write notes back and forth with Rhysand and then in this one she is struggling with it again, but only around her sister? Also, when did Feyre learn to master all of her powers/magic? She was still learning so much at the end of book two and suddenly she can manage it all just like that. She struggles with her flying lessons for the entire book, struggles to escape via flight when she needs it most, but then manages to fly romantically off into the sky with Rhys at the end? (I mean don’t get me wrong I loved every minute of it – the struggle, the training, the romantic sail off but what was the point of it all)
I mentioned earlier the physical things that were easily healed. On multiple occasions people are hurt in this book, in what should be fatal/crippling instances and are fine in a few pages because of the healers. Which makes sense in this world but got a bit old? I can only be concerned about Cassian or Azriel shredding/hurting their wings so many times before it loses its effect. Also

Spoiler

TWO CHARACTERS DIE, JUST TO COME BACK TO LIFE. Which was A) already done before in this series, and B) just completely unnecessary. Maybe bring back one, but both is excessive IMO. Despite it breaking my heart, it was so clear that it was just thrown in there for a “wow factor”

Things I’m not sure how I feel about (very, very spoilery down here)

Spoiler

Feyre figuring out Lucien’s parentage was so unnecessary it was just acknowledged and then never brought up again. Nothing significant came from this discovery. I’m HOPING this is an indication of a Lucien focused book, so that we get to see more of him and his court but if not then it was just pointless.
Jurian & Tamlin BOTH playing the double agent roll was just kind of ugh to me. I understand how easy the redemption arc was for both but much like the death issue I mentioned earlier, was it necessary for both? And if it was then why wait until the end to reveal it? Either could have played double agent & established better terms with the Night Court earlier on.
Also the last battle was anticlimactic. Help comes to save them and instead of focusing on that, we just get to see some drama with the king and then some more drama with the cauldron. I don’t want to write these things off, because they were INCREDIBLE HELL YEAH ELAINE WITH THE KILLING SHOT & NESTA FINISHING THINGS LIKE SHE PROMISED. FUCK YEAH AMREN FOR GETTING FREEDOM AND SAVING THE DAY but it just totally distracted from these other characters joining the battle and I find myself again questioning what was the point? We had ~maybe~ 50 pages with these characters we had heard so much about and most of the time we get with them was literally just acknowledging that they were there and not actually getting to know them.

Despite what this review may seem like, and despite my back and forth I honestly loved every single part of this book. I could not have imagined a better ending for this. I just feel like there were quite a few things thrown in just because SJM could without enough of an explanation, and just to make people react which leaves a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. But according to about 40% of goodreads this I just classic SJM so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.