Reviews with content warning for Medical trauma - A Court of Silver Flames

An absolutely stunning read, and I fell in love with Nesta more than I already had. She's a stunning example of self growth and learning to face your past and fight through it.

The relationship between her and Cassian is beautiful, but im just upset that nobody was shocked at their mating bond being revealed. I suppose the others must have already known and let the pair of them come into it themselves, but I feel like they deserved to reveal it to the rest of the court on their own terms, not have it be a truth universally known.

I found it was very easy to align with Nesta, I see a flame in her that I could only hope to possess, I only have a bad imitation. But all her anger, her grief and darkness I felt it so easily through her. And I am VERY glad that she fought back. I HATE when characters just collapse to others whims, but I should have known Nesta had more steel to her than most. She fought every step of the way, first herself and then the obstacles thrown at her.

Even though the larger plot was weaker than expected, I loved following Nesta's journey more than I could ever have guessed.

Content Warnings

calpal90's review against another edition

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emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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evawithane's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Starts out slow. I personally wasn't a fan of the main character until about halfway through the book due to the way she was portrayed in the earlier books - and by the end I found myself relating so much to her and rooting for her.

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shansbookjournal's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Content Warnings

ohhotdamnjm's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

seholder's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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stewartj0421's review against another edition

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dark hopeful sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

An explosive release of the spicy, destructive tension that has culminated throughout the first four books.

In A Court of Silver Flames, Nesta Archeron continues to battle against traumatic events so harrowing, she refuses to even think about them, let alone recount her experience to anyone else. This book is our first look at the inner turmoil that has plagued Nesta's mind ever since - and perhaps before - the Fae irreversibly encroached upon the lives of the entire Archeron family.

In this fifth iteration of the ACOTAR universe, Maas forces the reader to confront an equally-as-ugly side of the war that has brewed and boiled over since the start of the series. Readers have already seen battles of love, abuse, and neglect through Feyre's eyes, but in this novel that is no less than an epic saga, the reader must confront two dirty truths: that victims of abuse can become perpetrators, and that healing is never linear.

Nesta is a notoriously controversial character, representing the imperfect victim. It is often challenging to see the light at the end of her tunnel because of how frequently she self-sabotages. She has often been portrayed as mean-spirited and selfish, opting for vicious spite where her sisters are compelled toward love and forgiveness, if not their own versions of self-centered behavior.

Yet it is not difficult to pinpoint Nesta's insecurities and her own neglected childhood as catalysts for her fiendish persona, and in this novel, the first chance at experiencing Nesta in the first person, we learn that our initial perceptions of the character may have been skewed through Feyre's lens in past books.

ACOSF is a reconciliation between Nesta's outward conceit and her deep-seated inner conflict. Through the support of new friends and flames, yet with plenty of fresh hardships, she begins to truly face the reality of her past and the trajectory of her future, taking steps forward instead of moving eternally into the past.

The end of the book did not necessarily leave me a new fan of Nesta's, but I certainly have an understanding of and appreciation for her journey in a way that I never imagined possible for this character. I am proud of her effort to mend relationships and forge new pathways, and I hope Nesta's redemption arc is fulfilled the next time we meet her.

Book originally reviewed on Discovery: https://reedsy.com/discovery/book/a-court-of-silver-flames-sarah-j-maas-91b932d6-c307-4de5-99e8-9db4e5eaa4ec/user-reviews/a-court-of-silver-flames-jordan-stewart

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