A Court of Silver Flames book review | 4 star read

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.

A super quick reminder that I am still here. Motivation and timing are not being my friend and my reading has completely slumped. I just don’t have it in me to read and grow the small human being all at the same time apparently. A Court of Silver Flames is the first book in a long time where I finished it and actually wanted to write a review for it. Which is a nice change.

I was really excited about the continuation of the series. I wondered how they were going to transition from Feyre’s story over to Nesta’s. Although I enjoyed this book and the story it wove I wasn’t as invested as I was in the original trilogy. The characters are definitely interesting and the connections to the original were strong. I do wish that there had been less happening overall.

Characters in A Court of Silver Flames

We follow Nesta and her life after the fall of the King of Hybern in A Court of Silver Flames. It becomes apparent that the effects of the battle and war have had a long-lasting effect. The Nesta we meet at the beginning has lost all control of everything around her and she’s spending her time drinking and sleeping with males. It begins with her filled with bitterness and anger. As someone who wasn’t a massive fan of Nesta, I thought this story arc was the right way to go. It gave some grit to a story that could have turned into another sappy romance.

What I will say is although I understood the emotion, I struggled with how much it dominates the story and overshadows everything else. Which would have made sense if there wasn’t another war imminent and a whole load of other things happening. I think there was too much else going on that meant Nesta’s story kind of became an afterthought.

I think the one thing that this series has become known for is the hot and steamy romances. It’s not a spoiler to say that this book follows Nesta and Cassian and their burgeoning relationship. One thing that bothered me about the way this came about was the sex. The situation or setting doesn’t impact when sex is used. It didn’t necessarily fit in with the emotions and what was happening at the time. I would have loved for there to have been more of a slow burn when it came to the pair of them. It would have made the entire thing more believable for me.

Good and the bad

Everyone will agree when I say there are just some aspects to Maas’ writing that have become repetitive. I have yet to finish the Throne of Glass series. I feel the similarities between the two series are becoming harder to distinguish. The use of the strong male type and the ‘mating bond’ is something which is a little overdone for me. I wish it wasn’t the case, I would have loved to see something different from Maas but it lingers.

The good for me was the introduction of new and interesting characters into the ‘Court’. I loved meeting them all and learning more about the world through their eyes. I think some of the information in A Court of Silver Flames really enhances the other books. It is well connected and makes a great addition to the series. It makes me really interested to see where the next book goes, this was the perfect stepping point and it set up a lot of different plot points for the coming stories.

Recommendation

I would say if you’re already a fan of this series you won’t be disappointed. There is definitely remnants of Maas’ classic writing style and it reads very much like the other books in the series. I think there was a lot more grit and emotional trauma in this one, which could be triggering. So watch out for that, but there is a lot of redeeming characters and so much to be learned about Velaris and the characters.

Let me know if you’re a fan of Maas and if so what is your favourite book?