ACOTAR Week: "A Court of Silver Flames" by Sarah J. Maas
“A Court of Silver Flames” by Sarah J. Maas
Welp, this is definitely a case of something I would have never done without being an active follower of other Bookstagram accounts, but here we are. ACOTAR week! The reviews of each of the individual books will be spoiler-free (I got to read them without spoilers, so you should, too!), but I do plan on doing a wrap-up of my thoughts of the series as a whole that will include spoilers.
Synopsis: Nesta Archeron has always been prickly-proud, swift to anger, and slow to forgive. And ever since being forced into the Cauldron and becoming High Fae against her will, she's struggled to find a place for herself within the strange, deadly world she inhabits. Worse, she can't seem to move past the horrors of the war with Hybern and all she lost in it.
The one person who ignites her temper more than any other is Cassian, the battle-scarred warrior whose position in Rhysand and Feyre's Night Court keeps him constantly in Nesta's orbit. But her temper isn't the only thing Cassian ignites. The fire between them is undeniable, and only burns hotter as they are forced into close quarters with each other.
Meanwhile, the treacherous human queens who returned to the Continent during the last war have forged a dangerous new alliance, threatening the fragile peace that has settled over the realms. And the key to halting them might very well rely on Cassian and Nesta facing their haunting pasts.
Against the sweeping backdrop of a world seared by war and plagued with uncertainty, Nesta and Cassian battle monsters from within and without as they search for acceptance-and healing-in each other's arms.
Rating: 4
Review: After a tonally inconsistent Book 4, “A Court of Silver Flames” brings the heat and tension back to the series I didn’t know I was missing — we’re back, baby.* Excitingly, this novel isn’t another recitation of Feyre and Rhys’ story; instead, it’s about Feyre’s sister Nesta and her gradual acceptance of the Fae life.
Don’t worry, Feyre and Rhys are still important auxillary characters in this novel. As I mentioned in my review of Book 3, I really felt like Sarah J. Maas’ wrapped up their story in that book in a satisfying way, and I’m happy that their “happy ending” wasn’t super derailed by her desire to continue the series. That said, there is still some drama around Feyre that brought some Bella/Edward/Renesmee vibes,** and I didn’t find that side plot totally engrossing. I understand the impulse, but I also think there were more interesting stories to tell around their relationship.
Okay, to the actual plot: long story, very short - Nesta is in a bad place following…literally everything that has happened to her over the course of this series…and her big sister/Lady of the Night Court decide to force her to get her shit together. This involves training, learning how to use her powers, and not indulging in any of her vices. Enter: Cassian, her trainer, her tormentor, and of course, her eventual lover. We all knew that was coming from the first time she snapped at him in Book 2. There has been a lot of sex in this series so far, but even so, I was blushing at some of Nesta and Cassian’s interludes. It is incredibly descriptive and …well, I feel like I should warn you that it is graphic.
While yes, the romance is at the center of the story, the better part of the book for me was watching Nesta heal and find her people in the same way that Feyre found hers in earlier works. Emerie and Gwyneth are the friends that Nesta needed, and their quest to become Valkyries is my favorite part of the book. I appreciated that Sarah J. Maas connected this book to the earlier conflicts related to Hybern, but it didn’t feel as essential to Nesta’s story as it did to Feyre’s. It was an interesting plot device, but honestly, I could have read just about the Valkyries and been fully content.
Beyond that, I really enjoyed learning more about the Illyrian culture and myths. We had touched on it in earlier books, and by spending so much time with Cassian and Azriel, we get to learn a ton more about this warrior clan. The last part of the book on Ramiel was so interesting, and I wish it didn’t read as so rushed. We spent a lot of time getting to the emotional climax, and then all of a sudden, it was just done. In that way, the book was a bit uneven to me.
In all seriousness, I really enjoyed this return to Prythian; I feel like it was a natural extension of the earlier parts of the series. It was enjoyable to revisit this world that I have come to join, but it also progressed the lives of the characters in a way that felt realistic. I wouldn’t mind seeing what happens next for Nesta (or quite honestly, let’s get Lucien and Elain’s story…), and I think there’s still enough action in the broader ACOTARverse that could be resolved.
*I regret typing this, but what can you do.
**IYKYK
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