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A review by craftysnailtail
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
Listen. I'm not the biggest SJM fan. But you cannot look me in the eye and say this book needed to be 750 goddamn pages.
The change from 1st person to 3rd threw me off at first, but I quickly got used to it. I really liked Nesta until ACOFAS. Getting a good look at why she suddenly became nasty was interesting, but that's kind of... the ONLY thing I found interesting.
I appreciate what this book was meant to be- an honest look at what depression and trauma can be like, especially for women. This was a fantasy novel written to include modern women. Specifically, the type of woman who tends to like this series. These women are romance novel and music lovers. Most of them are sick of men, especially the many who have hurt them. They band together to become physically and mentally strong and I do think it's a lovely message. The indepth look at meditation was also appreciated.
But this novel felt so incredibly unpolished, I simply couldn't get over it. To be frank, all of her novels remind me of fanfiction, but this one especially so. If I have to hear about how cold, freezing, icy, and dark the cauldron's waters are one more time, I'm going to lose my mind. And for the love of all that is holy, can we please agree that SEED is not a sexy word? Can a man orgasm in this novel without ROARing?? I will pay any amount of money to not have to hear about everyone smelling everyone else's arousal ever again in my life.
This novel could've been 1/5 the length and it would've been an infinitely better story. As it stands, I'm rating it for the depression representation, not the "one ring" plot she had the audacity to feed us again. Just because the all powerful objects are smaller than a hot tub this time does not make it a whole new plot, Sarah.
The change from 1st person to 3rd threw me off at first, but I quickly got used to it. I really liked Nesta until ACOFAS. Getting a good look at why she suddenly became nasty was interesting, but that's kind of... the ONLY thing I found interesting.
I appreciate what this book was meant to be- an honest look at what depression and trauma can be like, especially for women. This was a fantasy novel written to include modern women. Specifically, the type of woman who tends to like this series. These women are romance novel and music lovers. Most of them are sick of men, especially the many who have hurt them. They band together to become physically and mentally strong and I do think it's a lovely message. The indepth look at meditation was also appreciated.
But this novel felt so incredibly unpolished, I simply couldn't get over it. To be frank, all of her novels remind me of fanfiction, but this one especially so. If I have to hear about how cold, freezing, icy, and dark the cauldron's waters are one more time, I'm going to lose my mind. And for the love of all that is holy, can we please agree that SEED is not a sexy word? Can a man orgasm in this novel without ROARing?? I will pay any amount of money to not have to hear about everyone smelling everyone else's arousal ever again in my life.
This novel could've been 1/5 the length and it would've been an infinitely better story. As it stands, I'm rating it for the depression representation, not the "one ring" plot she had the audacity to feed us again. Just because the all powerful objects are smaller than a hot tub this time does not make it a whole new plot, Sarah.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Misogyny, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Minor: Physical abuse, Rape, Torture, and War