Book Review: A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
“Your power is a song, and one I’ve waited a very, very long time to hear, Nesta.”
Title: A Court of Silver Flames
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series? A Court of Thorns and Roses (#4)
My Rating: ★★★★★
Genre(s): Romantasy, Fiction
Age Range: New Adult
Publication: 16 February 2021 (Bloomsbury)
CW: assault, sex, death, mentions of abuse, mentions of rape, mentions of miscarriage, mentions of suicidal thoughts
Welcome back to Velaris, dear reader.
Returning to this magical world and the characters felt like a security blanket. As I dove into A Court of Silver Flames, I was admittedly concerned about the drift away from Feyre’s narrative. I’m sure a lot of people can relate to the discomfort of leaving something so familiar. However, I fell into Nesta’s story almost instantly.
Following the events of A Court of Frost and Starlight, Nesta is sequestered in the House of Wind for bad behaviour. Subjected to days of training with Cassian and working in the depths of the library, Nesta is forced to come to terms with the darker parts of herself — and learn how to live with grief and trauma.
After the novella, I was a bit apprehensive to continue this story.
If you don’t remember my review of A Court of Frost and Starlight, make sure to go get a quick refresher. Don’t worry, I’ll wait…
Okay, let’s continue. In that review, I talked about the controversial depiction of Nesta which effectively reversed her original character development. I wondered if Sarah J. Maas’s decision to turn Nesta into a colder and crueler version of herself was an intentional device to set the scene for this book. Thankfully, I was right. Nesta’s character development takes centre stage in this novel.
This book deviated quite a lot from A Court of Thorns and Roses and its sequels, but in a good way. I didn’t want a replicate of Feyre’s story; I wanted something fresh and new. There are similarities to Feyre’s journey, particular her struggles with mental health. But Nesta’s trauma is far more pervasive. Her story felt deeply personal and Sarah J. Maas has alluded to pulling from her own experiences in crafting Nesta’s story.
Nesta’s story is a difficult but important read.
The primary difference between A Court of Silver Flames and A Court of Frost and Starlight lies in the depiction of Nesta. In the novella, readers aren’t given many reasons to sympathize with Nesta. After three books of falling in love with the characters, Nesta is acting out against them for reasons unknown. It’s a hard pill to swallow!
Enter: A Court of Silver Flames. Reading Nesta’s perspective allows you to understand her internal struggle, her thoughts about the war, and the self-hatred that has consumed her. Nesta’s PTSD felt very real — so real that I often forgot I was reading fantasy. What made Nesta’s story so irrevocably different from Feyre’s was that Nesta still clung to her humanity in a way that Feyre never did.
Can we take a moment to appreciate Cassian?
I feel like Nesta’s character development was so strong and centralized in this story that it sometimes overshadows Cassian. But Cassian’s story is no less captivating. I was intrigued when I heard that A Court of Silver Flames would be dual perspective because this was new territory for the series. And I think it turned out well!
The most important criteria for a dual perspective in my books are: 1) distinct voices for each character and 2) value from both perspectives. If you give a character a point of view that provides nothing to the plot, it’s not worth reading to me.
However, we got Nesta’s mental health journey, her interactions with new characters outside of the Inner Circle, and her personal and physical growth, while also reading Cassian’s experiences with the Inner Circle — who don’t often interact with Nesta — as well as his backstory and role as courtier.
As an aside, it’s worth mentioning that this book has stepped into “mature” territory. In other words, it’s a lot spicier than the original trilogy and novella. That being said, I would advise against recommending or purchasing this book to young adults — particularly pre-teens! — without knowing the contents.
While I missed Feyre and Rhys, I enjoyed this new perspective and thought it was a great new direction.
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.
Did you enjoy this continuation of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series? Let me know in the comments.
Enjoyed this review? Check out my other book reviews next!
