A Court of Silver Flames: The latest book in the GLOBALLY BESTSELLING, SENSATIONAL series (A Court of Thorns and Roses) Paperback – 26 May 2022

Reviewing any book from the esteemed ACOTAR series feels like a daunting task, especially when it comes to this astonishing, heart-rending, and utterly brilliant instalment. While I'm sure countless reviews have been penned on this tome, each perspective offers a unique insight, so here's mine.Let's address the elephant in the room: the star rating. This book unequivocally earns five massive and brilliant stars from me. It has swiftly ascended to join the ranks of my favourites, standing shoulder to shoulder with A Court of Mist and Fury.I'll admit, my expectations weren't sky-high for this book. The prospect of delving into the miserable and acerbic world of Nesta Archeron didn't exactly fill me with excitement. Initially, I found myself recoiling from Nesta's caustic demeanour and refusal to take accountability for her actions. In fact, I didn't want to delve into it at all, wanting to hold onto the image of Feyre and Rhysand a little bit longer. However, as Nesta's character began to evolve and unfold, my perception of her gradually softened.Nesta's journey of growth and self-discovery is depicted through a lens of unparalleled realism. The portrayal of mental health in this narrative is nothing short of exemplary. Her healing process is anything but linear, mirroring the erratic nature of real-life struggles. The story eloquently illustrates how unhealthy coping mechanisms and self-sabotage can manifest in the face of adversity, driving home the importance of empathy and understanding.As I delved deeper into Nesta's story and peeled back the layers of her character, I found myself relating to her character and loving her wholeheartedly. I realized that my aversion to Nesta may have stemmed from a recognition of my own shadow self within her—a revelation that has profoundly impacted me.One of the most poignant themes of the book is the resilience of strong female characters in the face of grief and trauma. The portrayal of female camaraderie and empowerment, particularly through Nesta's relationships with Gwyn and Emerie, struck a chord with me. These bonds serve as a powerful reminder of the strength found in sisterhood.The infusion of lots of spice, increased focus on certain characters, and incorporation of contemporary themes demonstrate Maas's responsiveness to her readership.Now, let's talk romance. While the relationship between Nesta and Cassian may not fit the traditional romance mould, its intensity and passion are undeniable. The unabashed celebration of female sexuality and sensuality is a welcome departure from societal norms, and Nesta's unapologetic ownership of her desires is both refreshing and empowering.That being said, I couldn't help but feel that the abundance of steamy scenes detracted somewhat from the emotional depth of the relationship. While Cassian's unwavering support undoubtedly aids in Nesta's healing, their connection occasionally feels overshadowed by physicality.In conclusion, A Court of Silver Flames captivated me from start to finish. Its 768 pages held me rapt, and I found myself yearning for even more. This instalment is a testament to Maas's storytelling prowess, seamlessly blending steamy romance, heart-pounding action, and poignant themes of empowerment and resilience. If the next book focuses on Azriel, as I hope it does, I'll be eagerly awaiting its release. Simply put, A Court of Silver Flames delivers on every front, leaving readers craving more of this enchanting world and its captivating characters.

I'll admit that although I was excited for the release of this book, I was unsure of whether I'd truly be able to enjoy it as Nesta wasn't a character I particularly liked. I found her to be spoiled, entitled, and selfish to say the least and it wasn't until a few weeks before the book's release date that I tried to understand Nesta and the reasons for her actions. I want to make it clear, I still wasn't fond of her but I began to understand that there is no textbook way for grief and the effect of trauma to express itself, and for Nesta, drinking, sleeping around, and pushing away others using her signature biting remarks- this was how she coped with it. Nesta was mentally unwell. Of course, this doesn't excuse her previous or current behaviours but it allowed me to open my mind and not just see her as this evil sister who doesn't deserve the love of Feyre and the rest of the Night Court (which was wrong because she does deserve it, especially after the ending of the book).This is where A Court Of Silver Flames comes in and completely upturns my emotions. If you were contemplating whether or not to buy the book, let me tell you right now that you definitely should. And if that still doesn't convince you, maybe the fact that I finished the entire book in just over 24hrs will. You heard it right, I read all 750 pages in under 2 days because I just couldn't bring myself to stop. I first fell in love with Sarah J Mass's writing years ago with the first Throne of Glass book so I knew she was a phenomenal writer and it wasn't a surprise to find that the worldbuilding and plot were sensational. What did surprise me is how natural the character development of Nesta was- it wasn't an immediate "fix" that I realise now I would've found extremely disappointing, but instead a gradual climb as she began to heal herself and confront emotions she'd been trying to avoid for so long.I love how Sarah J Mass explores the topic of mental health and pulling yourself out of a bottomless pit you thought you'd never escape from. Of course, I also love the relationship between Cassian and Nesta (which also surprised me as I initially thought Cassian deserved someone "better"). However, although this is Cassian and Nesta's story, it also involves the rest of the Court of Dream characters which I will never complain about (I could read about Feyre and Rhysand all day) as well as new characters that also help with Nesta's healing and quite frankly, seeing that friendship form and the scenes between those 3 girls made me insanely happy to the point I shed tears.If you've read this far, I don't know how you did it but thank you so much and I hope you found it somewhat interesting. I just want to end my review with this final note: whilst this story is being sold as the love story of Cassian and Nesta, it's so much more than that. It's about the importance of friendship, family and ultimately, loving and forgiving yourself.All in all, it was a fantastic book that I would definitely recommend (maybe not to younger viewers though due to some of the more explicit scenes).

I really really loved this book. I did go into this book as a massive Nesta fan anyways (and Cassian). I loved their story in the first series and was really excited to see where it went.Sarah told us that this book was going to be about healing and self discovery, and that's exactly what it did. We saw a different side to both Nesta and Cassian, a side that was never completely visable from Feyre's first person perspective.I loved the character development and the whole process of Nesta's recovery (as much as one can recover from trauma/ptsd), as well as the comaradie that we saw between Nesta and the other women who had been through terrible things. I think that this book was really important and had to be written very carefully and with a lot of consideration. And I truly believe that Sarah delivered that.I found the book to be highly amusing, often humorous, with the perfect mix of angst, anger, love, and consideration. Nothing really seemes to rushed, but it was amazing to see into both Nesta and Cassians minds and perspectives. It really gave a massive insight into those characters, their story, and their past. I loved the new characters that were introduced, and I am really excited to see how they will fit into the next book.Overall, I would easily say that this is my favourite book from Sarah, and it is interesting how she said that it took a lot from her own history and feelings... Which makes the book so much more meaningful. 🥰🥰🥰