First off, this is NOT a young adult book. I repeat this is not a young adult novel, it is an adult romance. I wouldn’t call it erotica, but it is quite a big step up from the pervious books in the series when it comes to explicit sex. On top of that, the book does largely center around themes of self harm, self destructive actions, mental health, and to a degree rape.
There is some great action in the book that the series has been known to deliver, but mostly a Court of Silver Flames is about Nesta’s journey dealing with the drama, guilt, shelf hatred, need for control, and rage she has not only from the events that took place in the original trilogy but before Feyre even shot the arrow that brought the fae into their lives. Most of your actions is going to be in the last third or so of the book but it is well worth the wait and is made that much more meaningful because of the character development in the rest of the book.
I started out this book absolutely hating Nesta. I ended this book still disliking her but understanding her and her reasons behind her actions better. I think never actually falling in love with her as a character stems from the fact that while I can absolutely empathize with her trauma and ptsd over the events up to and after her forced transformation in the cauldron, I can not overlook her actions before anything with the fae transpired. The way she treated her father and Feyre after they lost their wife/mother and then fortune was absolutely deplorable. She was just a crappy person all around. Yes she was dealing with trauma even then but she wasn’t even trying to deal with it or understand those around her where as well. That said everyone deserves the chance for redemption and grace given for past mistakes. I’m in the minority but I even hope Tamlin receives the same shot at redemption that Nesta got, because she was equally is not even more overtly toxic beforehand. People deal with trauma in their own ways. Accepting someones apologies and allowing them to redeem themselves doesn’t mean their destructive behavior was ok or that it was any less hurtful. It just means we are all worthy of being given the chance to make a change. This book was Nesta making that change.
Relationships where a big thing in this book. Not only between Nesta and Cassian, but between Nesta and her new found friends Gwyn and Emerie. Through a shared past of trauma and healing the 3 women forge an unbreakable friendship that helps them all with healing from their own individual pasts. Just seeing them find solace in each other and finding more in life with each other than the pain, loneliness, and fear that they had was moving. The slumber party scene was such a fun break in the drama and a nice emotional relief point in a book that was big on heavy emotions. I want a magic house for my next girls night out for sure. Of course Nesta’s relationship with Cassian is the star of the show. He was so patient with her, and knew when to help her and when to let her help herself. He understood the struggle dealing with self hatred over past actions on a personal level, and gave her grace while she dealt with it. The verbal sparing between them was some of the best dialogue in the book.
We of course get to see a good bit of Feyre and Rhys throughout the book. I loved being able to see what was next for them within the frame of Nesta’s story. There are plenty of sweet moments between them that remind me why I fell in love with the ACOTAR world in the first place. It was enough to satisfy my cravings for more Feysand without having a whole book devoted to them.
The ending was absolutely perfect and while it gave us an idea about where the overall story is headed we are not left with a major Mass cliffhanger for the next year or two while waiting for the next installment of the series.
