A Court of Silver Flames Book Review

Maas’s first installment of her standalones in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series! We get to see the long awaited story of Nesta Archeron!

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.

Overall Thoughts:

I just finished this beautiful story and I am absolutely, wholly, completely wrecked. In the best of ways. I’m a huge Sarah J Maas fan (unsurprisingly), but I really resonated with Nesta’s story. Much more than I did with Feyre’s. Watching Nesta bottle and battle her demons and then to heal and find her people and well-deserved happiness — my heart shattered for her.

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

I will never understand people that hate Nesta. Yes, she wasn’t the most pleasant character in the previous books. But she’s so complex and flawed and the best type of character, in my opinion. Her story is … I don’t even know the right words. Seeing the things she faces and her determination and who she became in the end … I’m just in awe of this book. The character development was flawlessly done, and even though there won’t be any more books specifically about Nesta, I could read about her endlessly.

“The first time I saw that look on your face, you were still human … and I nearly went to my knees before you.”

It was also interesting to see Maas embracing the adult fantasy genre — while there’s spice in the previous books, you can definitely see a change in the language of her writing style as well. It was an adjustment at first. I assumed this book would be written similarly to the other Court books, but I was really enjoyed reading something new from her. Her writing style has changed and adapted in so many ways over the years. I obviously highly recommend this book.

“Power lay in her hand. Death gripped her by the other.”

“That’s the key isn’t it? To know the darkness will always remain, but how you choose to face it, handle it… that’s the important part.”
Sarah J Maas

About the Author:

Sarah J. Maas is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series and A Court of Thorns and Roses series, as well as a USA Today and international bestselling author. Sarah wrote the first incarnation of the Throne of Glass series when she was just sixteen, and it has now sold in thirty-five languages. A New York native, Sarah currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and dog. Empire of Storms, the fifth Throne of Glass novel,is available now.

She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Hamilton College in 2008 with a degree in Creative Writing and a minor in Religious Studies.