A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas | book review

✧ This review is spoiler-free! ✧

Never again would she be weak. Never again would she be at someone’s mercy.

A Court of Silver Flames, Sarah J. Maas

Title: A Court of Silver Flames
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses, #4
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Published: Feb. 16, 2021
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Category: adult
Genre: fantasy, romance
Pages: 757
My Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5)
Goodreads page

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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.

[ This synopsis was taken directly from Goodreads. ]

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Thoughts

Before I get into my thoughts on A Court of Silver Flame, I want to point out that there are some things in this book that could trigger people. There is talk about mental illnesses (specifically depression), trauma, and sexual assault. If any of those things are triggering to you, please do not read this book until you are ready.

I wasn’t sure how much I was going to like this book because Nesta wasn’t my favorite character in the first three, but like I said in past posts, I was going to give ACOSF a chance because I think Nesta has a lot of room for character growth.

I really enjoyed this book, and I related to Nesta more than I thought I would. I liked how Nesta wasn’t your typical heroine. In fantasy, I think we’re very used to having the perfect, goody two shoes protagonist. Nesta is far from perfect, but it makes her much more relatable. The way she acts while she is depressed is very similar to the way I act when I am feeling at my lowest. A lot of media and entertainment tend to depict depression as having no energy and not being able to get out of bed, but Nesta shows that there is more than one way to experience depression. She lashes out and is nasty to others and herself. Because she knows its wrong but doesn’t know how to stop it, it makes her feel guilty, which furthers her depression. It’s a vicious cycle, but there is an overall message of hope in ACOSF.

This book is long (757 pages!). Usually, I don’t have a problem finishing a 600+ page book by Sarah J. Maas, but ACOSF felt super lengthy. It took me about a month to finish it. The short chapters helped make the story fly by much faster, though. If you’re hesitant to read ACOSF because of its length and you felt neutral/didn’t like the first three books, I wouldn’t recommend this for you. The book is T H I C K, and it’s a huge time commitment. If you liked the first three books, then I’d say go for it.

Overall, I liked how we got to see more of the old faces but also focus on new characters outside of Feyre and Rhysand. ACOSF is a long book, but I think it’s worth a read. I liked how the author addressed some serious topics like mental illness and trauma. Also, if there was one thing that I thought while reading this book is that men are trash. Take that as you will.

[Also, also, can we talk about this cover? You guys, this cover is not that bad. Sure, it’s not like the original ones, but I think it looks good. I am still seeing readers be nasty about it on Instagram, and the cover was revealed in September 2020. It’s been half a year, and people are still angry about it. I’d understand if the cover art was offensive, but it’s not (to my knowledge). Hate fuels hate, and I think the internet has enough of that as is without all of us adding to it. You’re allowed to have your judgements and opinions, but whether or not you put them on the internet is your choice.]

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Conclusion

I give A Court of Silver Flame 4.5 stars out of 5!

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Have you read/are planning to read ACOSF?
If you have read it, what are your thoughts on it?
Do you want more Feyre/Rhysand content, or do you like that the series is starting to follow other characters?

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Stay awkward and amazing!