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A review by stewartj0421
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

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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