Review: A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

Release Date
February 16, 2021
Rating
9 / 10

After a very long wait, the next installment of the A Court of Thorns and Roses is finally here! I had mixed feelings about this upcoming book for a lot of reasons. Not only is the main character my least favourite character of the entire series, but I could have written an essay about all of the reasons that I absolutely despised this character. If you haven’t guessed already, this book is about Nesta Archeron. What I’ll start with is the fact that I am really glad that this book series has been re-classified as adult and it allowed Sarah J. Maas to explore a depth of character in this story that I genuinely wasn’t expecting, and not only that, but to find a mirror reflected there, showing us some of the darkness that lurks within us as well was surprising. I’m glad I was forced to be home because of a winter storm as it allowed me to enjoy this under the cover of the snow and by the warmth of a fire.

As this is part of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series, it’s best to read this book as part of the series. While I think people could try to pick it up without reading the rest, you’d be missing a lot of nuances and tidbits from the previous books that could make this more enjoyable. I encourage you to pick up the rest of the series if you really enjoy a smutty fantasy chock-full of fae.

Nesta Archeron is a woman full of thorns and pride, and she’s quick-tempered and slow to forgive. Since becoming High Fae against her will through the Cauldron, she’s struggled with finding a place for herself in this new world. She also can’t seem to move past the horrors of Hybern and the war. No one sets her off more than Cassian, whose rank in the Night Court keeps him firmly entrenched in Nesta’s orbit. It’s not just a temper that flares between them though, there’s an underlying passion that burns every time they get close to one another. As the human queens begin to scheme a new alliance and threaten the courts, Cassian and Nesta will both have to face their haunting pasts in order to both survive what’s ahead and ultimately, find healing that might allow them to move on.

I’m going to tell you right now, I was ready to chuck this book a few chapters into it. I was absolutely FURIOUS with Nesta. Everything about her personality and just genuine behaviours rubbed me the wrong way for four books. For every show of vulnerability, she shut down even harder in the next moment. Maas deliberately wrote someone that was seemingly irredeemable, and it was so easy to go into this book feeling that nothing would change. What I genuinely wasn’t expecting was the exploration into just what made Nesta this way. I honestly can’t believe I’m about to make this comparison, but it’s almost like Shrek, Nesta’s personality (and story) is just like an onion with it full of layers and for every page we see progress, there will also be chapters that are absolutely rough to get through.

Nesta’s relationships with everyone is being seriously affected by her mental health. She has gone through horrific things, and has been traumatised by the events of the war. Rather than reach for help though, she retreats within herself, which was hard to read, and I was in tears a few times in this book. When she’s forced to face the beast of her own creation as well as the one lurking behind her power, I think readers will make a connection with her.

Of course, we also have to talk about Cassian, who I felt for immensely. He works perfectly as a catalyst and buffer for Nesta’s growth, while also showing his own vulnerability and strength. My favourite scenes are the ones he shares with Rhys and Az, which I wasn’t quite expecting in this story. While the story is mostly in Nesta and Cassian’s points of view, there are small winks of other characters as well.

If you’re reading this book because you’re also wanting that signature Maas smuttiness, then be prepared for some intense scenes. I mean, I thought the previous books were quite a lot, but this one definitely took the cake! These scenes are steamy, and VERY detailed.

There’s definitely some aspects of the book that I’ve never really cared for like the territorial fae male stuff, but I do feel like Sarah toned it down in this book. Not completely, but less. This is in part because I don’t think it would really mesh with Nesta’s story at all, but also because there’s also a greater story at play here to do with the Illyrians.

A significant portion of this storyline centers around Nesta’s power, which I was really interested in. We were teased about it in A Court of Wings and Ruin, and I loved seeing the reveal of it. I can’t say too much about it, but let’s just say that it’s certainly befitting of her.

At a whopping 800 pages, I was hoping to see more of a conflict, but at the same time, this story was definitely more about healing. I think the bigger conflict is still to come, but this story certainly served to set up a new part of the series. There’s a new villain, and I’m dying to know more about this new enemy.

Maas teased some other storylines that we might get to read eventually, and I can honestly tell you the one I’m looking forward to the most is Elain’s.

So, love her or hate her, Nesta is going to be a character that I think might change readers’ minds at the end. I definitely encourage people to pick this book up if they’re lovers of the series, and if you’ve read it and disagree, let me know, I’d love to discuss! It’s a 9/10 for me, and of course, I can’t wait to see where the next book will take us.

A Court of Silver Flames is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.

Will you be picking up A Court of Silver Flames? Tell us in the comments below!


Synopsis | Goodreads

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.


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