A Court of Silver Flames

Nesta's family and friends have had enough of her wallowing and give her an ultimatum: live in the House of Wind where she'll train with Cassian in the mornings and work in the Library for the rest of the day or return to the human lands where she'll essentially be an outcast. Nesta is angry but settles into her new routine finding friends and bonds in the least expected places. But old and new enemies lurk on the borders and threaten everything Nesta holds dear.

The temptation to summarize this as "How Nesta got her groove back" is high. Out of the whole ACOTAR series, this one is the best written (don't get me wrong, there were still some bits that had me sending snarky texts to my friend). Nesta is a complex character and watching her show more heal is compelling. I also was so pleased to finally see a female character with female friends and Maas writes that really well. There are enough plot threads dangling that if Maas writes another ACOTAR book, I'll probably pick it up because I like the characters enough. But I will NOT be diving into the rest of Maas' bibliography, because there's only so much hate reading one can do, lol. show less

I- why on earth would the last book in a 5 book series rush the ending so horrifically? I hit chapter 69 (nice) and wondered how on earth all the ongoing plot threads could possibly be pulled together in the last 11 chapters in a satisfying way, and unfortunately the answer was that they weren't. It's so rushed and to have the war that's been built up for the entire series just be summarily ignored in favor of a /they got married (sorry, /mated/) and had lots of sex/ kind of ending is... like I'm aware this is a romance series but there's an entire herd of elephants in the room that need addressing there. Never mind that the baby Fayre wasn't even planning until mid way through the 4th book only exists as a reason to nerf both her and show more Nesta in the end. All that build up, getting actually invested in these characters, only to turn around and pair them off in such an about-face felt like a slap to /my/ face.

That's not even getting in to the outright hamfisted way the war (you know, the main plot of the rest of the series) interfered with the rite, when it would have made more narrative /and/ thematic sense to have said interference be from the same hide-bound jerks who claim the presence of women (sorry, /females/) defiles the rite. This absolutely ridiculous turn lead directly into the incredibly rushed ending, so. Gonna be mad about this one for a while, tbh. show less

Nesta Archeron, Feyre's sister who wrested powers from the Cauldron, is living - but barely. She drinks and has casual sex and shuts out those who love her, and her family is sick of it. Finally, she's given an ultimatum: go back to the human world, or train with Cassian. Nesta resents every moment, but as she and Cassian are in close contact, she starts letting her guard down.

I love the first two books in this series especially. Maas has an incredible way of pulling seemingly disparate strands of a story together, creating twists that I don't see coming but also fitting perfectly with everything that's happened in the story. And at this point, I've come to really love these characters and enjoy spending time with them. That is why I show more kept reading when the first 150 pages or so of this 750 page tome were really slow going setting everything up, and while Nesta was at her least likable. But as the story continues, more political machinations in the Faerie courts reveal trouble bubbling under the surface even as Feyre and Rhys want to promote peace after the war with Hybern. This is as much a romance as a fantasy, as Cassian and Nesta's relationship develops and - whew! those sex scenes - this is definitely an adult book. It's still a humongous book and I probably wouldn't read it again as a standalone but it, and Nesta, won me over in the end. I teared up, burst out laughing, and enjoyed the read immensely. show less

5 / 5

THAT’S RIGHT BABY! me, the biggest goodreads snob alive, is giving this book FIVE STARS. FIVE OF THEM. this was such a slay, you have no idea. i loved it, loved it, loved it - SARAH J MAAS has come so unbelievably far with her writing abilities, her skill in writing interesting characters, her ability to craft a good plot. she ate this shit UP.

nesta, nesta, nesta. NESTA ARCHERON. man i hated her so so much in the first four books of this series - i thought she seemed entitled, BITCHY, ungrateful, volatile, and nasty as nasty comes. so it was really REALLY brave of SJ MAAS to dedicate this book to her - arguably the longest in the series (but don’t fact check me on that okay). she verrry easily could have lost readers between 4 show more and 5. it’s such a left turn from the action we’re used to - we have to learn about nesta from a totally new perspective, we have a new love interest, new supporting characters - this book could have TANKED the series. but instead? it waS MY FAVORITE ONE! and i’ll tell you why:

nesta is FAR FAR FAR more interesting than feyre. where feyre is gentle and empathetic, nesta is unyielding and malicious. nesta is downright UNLIKEABLE. so it is one hell of a fucking accomplishment that she turns out to be my favorite character by the end. this book is way more feminist, way more understanding of trauma - the way nesta’s past comes out, the way we see her uphill climb towards recovery … IT’S SO GOOD?! it’s so much more nuanced and complex than feyre’s and rhys’s story. it’s the essence of the antihero: unlikeable bitch of a character gets BIG and STRONG and learns to LOVE THEMSELVES and how to treat other people kindly. nesta’s redemption is so unbelievably satisfying - the fact that she recovers with the help of two female friends? who also heal and grow from their trauma together? THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY BESTIES! eSPECIALLY for women. i saw real female friendships reflected in nesta’s relationships with gwyn and emerie.

the end?! OH MANN THE ENDING?! best ending of the series. so much drama. no holds barred, just BAM! ACTION! I loved it, i thought it was honestly very moving and incredibly satisfying. i may have cried?! i just love female empowerment so much and i Loved how the male characters take a backseat for much of this book. sure, cassian is a main character, but he honestly doesn’t occupy much space besides the sex (which… best sex of the series, EASILY).

it has been so fulfilling to read this series and just watch it kEEP GETTING BETTER. SARAH J MAAS just blows the doors down in this one - she went for the jugular. she is conniving, PLOTTING, and she’s got me wrapped around her teeny little finger. the only thing i didn’t like was the villain, but (as we know) this series has never been great with its villains. as far as i’m concerned, A COURT OF SILVER FLAMES is the best book in this damn series and no one can change my mind. FIVE STARS!!! show less

This book? A masterpiece. I gave it 100 stars because it was that good. Like, I knew it was gonna be intense going in, but I wasn’t ready for how deep, emotional, and powerful it actually was. It’s not just a fantasy romance, it’s a full-on healing journey, and it hit me right in the heart over and over again.
The character growth in this book is next-level. Watching Nesta face her pain, her past, and her own self-worth had me tearing up and cheering her on all at once. It’s raw and honest and written in such a real way. And don’t even get me started on the romance. It’s slow-burn, spicyyyyyy, and filled with so much tension and chemistry, I was living for every scene.

Also, the sisterhood, the friendships, the strength and show more softness woven together? So good. The training scenes, the emotional breakthroughs, the little wins, it all builds into something powerful and unforgettable. A Court of Silver Flames is easily one of my favorite reads ever. It’s fierce, emotional, empowering, and everything I didn’t know I needed. show less

Maas done wrote a character that hates herself so much she wants to die and I have never felt more seen. I'll spare you the 600 word spiel I wrote up in my notes app the other day and just tell you that grief looks different on everyone. I mean, think about a time where you were So Extremely Sad. Maybe you have healthier coping mechanisms, but for me, I feel so powerless in my sadness. Everyone around you is angry at your attitude when you're just fighting everything within reach to survive. For Nesta, I think the decision to lock her up in the House of Wind was a decision filled with hatred (rhys), embarrassment (feyre), selfishness (cassian), and a desire for control. Despite whatever your frustrations are with her, she's a grown show more woman who should be allowed to drink wine and fuck whoever she wants. And I think that was the MOST frustrating part...she was essentially stripped of her bodily autonomy. (why couldn't this woman just get a job and pay off her debts instead?). It's definitely convenient that Nesta thinks of his time as really self destructive (like she's not worthy of having friends because she had casual sex?). If I had to compare it to anything, it felt like the edge of seventeen. That one movie where everyone keeps telling this 17 year old girl that she pities herself too much and no one likes her and then she has to apologize to everyone at the end for some unknown reason. Except maybe the apologies Nesta gives out are kinda valid! ONE LAST MESSAGE ABOUT NESTA: A lot of you have darker fucking spirits and make deeper cuts than her. AND A lot of you want the complex, morally grey characters but can't even stomach a woman who drinks too much wine and says mean things to her sisters. If you never intended to extend empathy towards her, you never should've asked for more POVs. I DIGRESS NOW.

The smut in this book was SICKENNINGGG! My metaphorical dick was twitching. It started slow and got downright nasty at times. Mrs. Maas, I see your growth. I don't think we needed AS MANY as we got though. It made me wonder at times if they even liked each other.

The introduction to these troves and new antagonists is smart and helped keep the story fresh. Wasn't sure how Maas was going to continue the series after the war but she somehow created new turmoil, gave us new history lessons, and extended this world so much farther that I ever could've imagined. While I do think this works, a part of me does get the feeling that all this newness was a desperate attempt to keep things going? I LIKE the newness, but is obvious to me that the newness reworks the series into something completely different than it was before. Especially since none of these tools and creatures were ever mentioned in previous books. I guess I'm just a sucker for foreshadowing and wished we'd been introduced to some of these things earlier. Still, I think it worked out well so I can't say too much about it!

This is my favorite in the series for the SHEERRRR FACT that it made me cry the most. I felt so seen, as someone who's always filled with anger. I get payback in arguments by saying the mean stuff and regret it. I have a hard time apologizing. And it makes me hate myself! (Which like, fair!) Nesta lowkey showed me that there is a way out of that toxic behavior (literally just meditation and good dick?) 🫶🏽

Gonna be honest, I'd take a lot of this with a grain of salt because I only vaguely remember Nesta in book 1 and 2 because I read them over a year ago. But from 3 and on, none of her behavior was so irredeemable to me.

Finally here are two lines I liked so much I had to type them up:
"It was a blessed relief, to be nothing and no one" 499
"No amount of driving her body into the earth would make her good." 500

This is a 4.5 star book for me. show less

This book is not good and I’ll tell you why. Nesta’s presented as a character with serious trauma and her coping methods are sex, music, and alcohol.

Surprise! She starts having sex with Cassian. Now, the sex scenes are disgusting and borderline savage (and not presented as romantic at all). But ya girl could get down with the kinks IF Cassian wasn’t basically abusing her by taking advantage of her vulnerability and one of her only coping mechanisms. This is presented as romantic because Cassian is so head-over-heels for her that he can’t keep it in his pants long enough for her to have a little character growth.

Add on to this the fact that Nesta is horrible to literally everyone and this book becomes unreadable. She literally show more is not given a single redeeming quality and her behavior crosses the line from “Kind of nasty but wounded” to “I don’t care about anyone and I’m going to hurt everyone no matter what.” There is not enough character development within the first half of this book to bother with reading the second half. Don’t waste your money and just stick to the first three books. show less