Hey, everyone! Today’s review is for Sarah J. Maas’s fantasy romance, A Court of Silver Flames!
About the Book
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 (via Goodreads).
Review
I’ll start off this review by saying that A Court of Silver Flames was my most anticipated release of 2021. Truthfully, I’ve been anticipating this book for years once it was announced that SJM was going to write more in this world. Back in 2018, I completely devoured the sneak peak that we got at the end of A Court of Frost and Starlight. And ACOSF in its finished stage did not disappoint!
This book was Sarah J. Maas at her best. I definitely expected to enjoy this since I love everything about the ACOTAR series, but A Court of Silver Flames was amazing in the most unexpected way.
First off, I loved that SJM went full on fantasy romance in this one. It’s mature and it’s steamy! But along with that came the most beautiful journey of growth and healing that I’ve ever read. I cried so much while reading the last stretch of this book because I couldn’t help but get emotional over Nesta’s character. I knew I had the potential to like her; let’s be honest–I don’t think SJM would have written an entire Nesta book if she didn’t have something extra special in store for her character. And it was extra special, indeed :’). I loved being in Nesta’s head and seeing how, overtime, she made changes for herself. This book was just as much heartfelt as it was heartbreaking because Nesta had A LOT to work through, and I seriously could not get enough.
I also really enjoyed the way that the romance took the front seat in this book (as it seemingly will in all of the books from here on out!) because Nesta and Cassian were everything to me. They were written so distinctively, and with such complexity and care. Their love story was vastly different from Rhysand and Feyre’s, but it felt different in a way that was so authentic to their personalities and to their unique dynamic. Cassian had such a soft spot for Nesta, but he also pushed her to be the best she could be, and I loved that so much.
The fantasy plot of this book also really kept my attention. I re-read A Court of Wings and Ruin to prepare for this book, and I appreciated the fantasy plot line and court politics in the third installment a lot more during my second read. I think that prepared me well my reading experience with ACOSF. I loved reading about how Nesta overcame obstacles while attempting to gather each of the objects, and I think it played well into the theme of her self-growth and healing.
Honestly, the best way that I can describe this book is that it was an emotional experience. And I can’t wait to experience it all over again when I re-read it. SJM outdid herself, and I’m so excited to see what she does next!
My Ratings
Star Scale: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 stars)
Grade Scale: A+
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