I am thrilled to be writing this review; as of the end of April, I have finished the ACOTAR series. Maybe to all the fast readers reading this, that doesn’t seem too much of a big deal, but to me, this series took me a while to finish — partly because I read so many books in between.

But I finally did it! 🎉 I loved this series; it brought me so much joy especially during a season when anxiety was at an all-time high. This series brought a nice escape into a world filled with faeries, high Fae, romance, forbidden love, enemies-to-lovers, action scenes, and so much more. While I am thrilled to finally be done with this series, a little part of me feels sad to part with these amazing characters. (Azriel!!!)

And now, a review of A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas.

Synopsis

Sarah J. Maas's sexy, richly imagined series continues with the journey of Feyre's fiery sister, Nesta. 

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.

Order on Bookshop.org and Amazon.

My Review

Initially, I wasn’t too keen on reading from the POV of Nesta. In the earlier books, I always thought of her as cold and unlikeable and not relatable — I was much more interested in hearing more from Feyre, Elain, and even Rhysand. I was looking forward to reading the POV of Cassian, as I always loved him, but Nesta? Not so much.

However, I’m glad I kept reading. Because Nesta’s POV, although at some parts slightly slow, was very fascinating and exciting to read. I found her to be personally relatable and got to know why Nesta is who she is. I loved her character development — honestly, I think it’s one of the best character developments that I’ve read in a long time.

The book was very long (750 pages!!). Don’t let that stop you from reading this series (and book), however. Because the author truly captured Nesta in a way that can be relatable for anyone, especially young women dealing with significant self-worth and self-esteem and trauma. (Potential spoiler ahead!!!!) Nesta, in her own experiences, felt that she wasn’t good enough and didn’t deserve a whole lot, partly due to her cold-hearted nature. But in the end, it was herself (with the help of new friends, including a new love interest in Cassian) that convinced her that she was good enough and is loved.

One thing that I wish the book went more into is the Archeron family, specifically the mother. I wish that the author created more of a subplot around the mother and maybe she was connected to High Fae world after all. But that wasn’t included, and I can’t argue with that decision. I just wish we read more background information on the Archeron family pre-Fae.

In Conclusion…

Overall, I think it was an amazing and incredible conclusion to the ACOTAR series — not only for Nesta and Cassian, but for the entire list of characters as well. Do I think that Mor needs a proper ending? Yes. Do I want more of Amren and Vassian? Sure. Do I want to know what happens to Elain and Lucien? Absolutely. But that’s what’s great about books: the author leaves it to the imagination.

Rating: 4/5