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billiemae721 's review for:
A Court of Silver Flames
by Sarah J. Maas
be warned. spoilers ahead!
This book made me like actually viscerally mad. The first thing I want to talk about is Nesta. I used to have mixed feelings about her, but now she’s my favorite character. Not even because she’s a good person or did anything extraordinary; everyone else SUCKS. I feel so bad for Nesta throughout the entirety of this novel. Before, she seemed so needlessly cruel, but now that I understand her better, it’s incredibly easy to relate and empathize with her. The way her family and ‘friends’ treat her is appalling. They let her stew in her PTSD for a whole year before finally deciding to do something about it—only after she gambled 500 gold pieces on drinking and gambling. According to the last book, Rhysand is super rich, so why was that the catalyst to make them act? Their decided method of helping Nesta is to tear down the rundown apartment building she’s living in….but what about the other tenants? Do they have to find somewhere else to live now, or are they homeless because their High Lord demolished their home to punish his mate’s sister?
Every character’s hypocrisy made me want to fist-fight them all. Everyone babied Feyre when she was suffering through all her trauma from her time Under the Mountain, yet Nesta isn’t gifted the same courtesy. Since she’s more difficult to deal with, they decide to be harsher with her intervention. Not only do they tear down her home, but they give her two choices(which is not even a choice at all)—she can go back to the human world, where she would undoubtedly be shunned or killed by the humans because they hate faeries or she can essentially be a prisoner in this magical house with another man who has been lusting after her since he met her. Never mind that while she’s living there, she’s forced to go to an incredibly sexist war camp where they clip women’s wings and see them as nothing more than broodmares. Nesta is also detoxing from copious amounts of drinking, and considering the faeries can get hangovers, I would assume that Nesta is going through severe withdrawal. Yet she’s forced to do these rigorous exercises anyway. Like, sorry, that’s not how you get someone sober.
They lock this poor girl in this house that’s legit, like on the top of a mountain or something, and there are 10000 stairs leading down to the bottom. And Nesta, who is withdrawing and incredibly out of shape, physically cannot walk down those stairs. But she’s so desperate to get out, so she starts forcing herself to do it anyway. Meanwhile, as she diligently works on those stairs, she’s slowly conditioned to like living in the magical house. The house is sentient, and her friend. It gives her anything she wants. It provides her with food and romance novels to read. She’s also trapped with Cassian, who has been thirsting after Nesta. They naturally get into this weird sexual relationship when Nesta has no business having sex with anyone right now, considering she was using sex with strangers as another coping method for all the sexual trauma she already has. (It’s revealed a past suitor attempted to rape her, and I think there was another instance.) By the time she makes it down those stairs and steps outside into the open air…she doesn’t want to leave. She turns right around and goes back up the stairs. Like, that sounds like Stockholm syndrome to me. It’s written to indicate that Nesta realizes she doesn’t have to drink, but there are more things in the city to do than drink! There’s that whole Rainbow art district…Nesta likes music; she likes art. Why not see that as a reward for walking down 10,000 steps? But no, she’d rather go bone Cassian and his monster schlong.
This whole book is a gross narrative on healing and PTSD. I don’t understand Nesta’s interest in super smutty novels. It’s weird to me that a bunch of women who have trauma caused by men(2/3 of these women have sexual trauma from men) would want to read a bunch of novels with graphic sex with men. It doesn’t compute. Like, I would want nothing to do with men at all. I’d want time and space away from men so that I can heal. You’d think these women would like to focus on something other than sex so they can recover, but no, this SJM doesn’t understand the concept of a time and place for things. The times the characters choose to have sex make no sense to me.
Rhys and Feyre bone immediately after ruining Nesta’s life lmao. Cassian makes Nesta hike for five days and five nights as punishment until she passes out and has an emotional breakdown because she hates herself. Cassian also makes her carry this super heavy pack and claims he can’t do it because of his wings, yet Emerie can take Gwyn on her back when her wings are disfigured—so he’s full of crap. But anywho, after Nesta breaks down, Cassian and Nesta bone for two days beside the lake instead of comforting her like a normal person. Because…that is entirely logical.
It would seem that SJM was looking for any reason to heap sexual trauma onto Nesta. There was the thing with Tomas. The kelpie that appeared just to attempt to rape Nesta. Lanthys showing Nesta a vision of them having graphic sex. Rhys guilting Nesta into seducing Eris on the dance floor. Nesta gets forced to participate in the Blood Rite and is almost assaulted several times there….like, why is all of this needed?
Next, let’s talk about Cassian. I used to like him until I read this book. He cannot look at Nesta without wanting to bone her, and it’s gross. It is possible for a man to not only think about a woman because they want to sleep with her, like my god. Cassian looks at Nesta when she is severely malnourished and underweight, and he thinks about how skinny she is, but damn, does she have some big titties and a fat ass that he wants to worship? (Literally, how?) Nesta says she’s not interested in Cassian in the book’s first half. The readers know she’s lying, but Cassian doesn’t, yet he continues to lust after her. All the faeries can smell when they’re turned on; it’s gross. People are getting horny in political meetings where things are meant to be serious, but we’re just constantly told how horny these faeries are.
I shouldn’t be surprised that all of these love interests can’t understand the meaning of ‘no’ at this point. Cassian tells Nesta that everyone hates her, that he didn’t ask to be ‘shackled’ to her, and makes her go on that torture hike…like, I’m sorry, Cassian is as bad as Rhys. He gets borderline violent if Nesta says anything negative about precious perfect Rhys. Yet he never defends Nesta, his mate, half as much as he does with Rhysand. Also, he’s 500 years old but can only do a 5-minute plank—weak sauce.
Also, I want to say about the sex scenes--SJM, IT IS OKAY TO USE THE WORD CLIT. The word cock is used plenty. For the love of god, stop calling it a bundle of nerves and call it what it is. Why is she incapable of using the word vagina? If you want to get nasty about it, call it a cunt. But if I have to read about a bundle of nerves one more time, I will lose it. Also, my toes have never curled when I get turned on. Never. The whole edging thing they had going on forever was so juvenile and tiresome. I don't care about Cassian's big fat cock, okay?
Next, I’ve got to talk about Morrigan. She was essentially useless in this book, but her minor parts made me dislike her even more than ACOWAR did. SJM also seems to have forgotten entirely about the random bisexuality plot device she created around Morrigan. The way she treats Nesta is so horrible. She wants to throw Nesta into the Hewn City and condemn her to the fate that Morrigan herself would have had. You would think she wants to protect women who have gone through a similar trauma as she has but nope. It shows that she is no better than the people she thinks she is so above.
Then there's Amren. Nesta had to bow down and beg Amren's forgiveness, which made me sick. Amren is slut shaming and body-shaming Nesta constantly. Amren tells Nesta she's not worthy of her power. Amren became utterly useless when Rhysand snatched away her sacrifice. Amren is nothing more than a sex toy for Varian now. She is powerless and pointless. SJM has a habit of making her women characters useless; it would seem.
Feyre has been reduced to a housewife. It showed in the last book and is even more prevalent here. I knew the second Rhys had that shield around her; she was pregnant. How did she get pregnant so fast? I thought it was supposed to be incredibly difficult for High Fae to procreate? Yet it only took like seven months for Feyre to get pregnant? She is just the MOST SPESHUL EVER. How dare she not have a single picture of Nesta in her house and make Nesta feel like she has to earn a spot? I hate how they all make Nesta think she has to work to be deserving of their love and friendship.
This is the character that I hate the most, so hold onto your horses, guys. This is going to be a wild ride. I HATE Rhysand. I have hated him since ACOTAR, and I hate him even more now. He can suck Cassian's huge schlong for all I care. Everyone kisses the ground he walks on like he is a gift to this earth, but he's a big steaming pile of donkey poo in my eyes. One of our first introductions is him twisting Feyre's broken arm bone until she agrees to enter a bargain with him.
Great introduction, but okay. The way he treats Nesta is absolute trash. I hate how he regards her as this toxic threat without taking the time to understand or know her. Like why is Elain so much better than Nesta in his eyes? He says, "I can forgive Elain because she's soft and uwu, but I can't forgive Nesta because she stands up to me" That's it. That's the reason. He doesn't like women who stand up to him. Feyre barely stands up to him, but it's hot because he'll bone her later until she agrees with him. Why does he think Feyre is so much better than Nesta? One of the fundamental differences between Feyre and Elain vs Nesta is that the former were both given their power. They didn't earn it. Feyre was given every power ever because she's the most SPESHUL, and now she's the most SPESHUL High Lady with the most SPESHUL High Lord mate and the most SPESHUL baby. Elain was given the gift of Sight because she's soft and uwu. Nesta clawed and fought tooth and nail for her power and her strength. But it's constantly overshadowed by Rhys and Feyre and how amazing and perfect they are.
Rhys and Feyre got into this monster fight because he kept it a secret from her for almost a year that they were mates. And now, yet again, he thinks he has the right to hold the fact that giving birth will kill her. That is her body. That is her life. Their stupid suicide pact is so DUMB. But Rhys thinking he has the right to keep that a secret from her shows how little he’s learned. And then them having a vote on whether to tell Nesta about her power...and him having the audacity to threaten to kill her when she tells her sister the truth.
His whole 'you always have a choice' mantra is fake. Oh, you can either go to the human lands where you'll have nothing and no one and most likely get killed, OR you can be imprisoned in this house with the one dude who's been thirsting after you since the beginning while training in a sexist war camp against your will. Also, you will be forcefully dried out from alcohol while being made to do these rigorous exercises because that makes a lot of sense. Then it's, oh well, either you can scry or the sister you would sell your body for can scry. And your sister got kidnapped the last time you scried, but you know it's your choice. Then it's, oh, either YOU can seduce Eris even though you have more sexual trauma than anyone in the book aside from Morrigan, OR we can have sweet, perfect Elain seduce Eris. WHAT IS IT GONNA BE, NESTA? WHAT CHOICE ARE YOU GONNA MAKE?
I like the friendship between Gwyn, Emerie and Nesta. I like that they all learn to defend themselves, and I like that they win the Blood Rite, but at the same time, they should not have won the Blood Rite. It makes no sense that they achieved something that takes all these super-strong warriors years and years to train for. Sure, it's empowering, but logically it doesn't make sense. Also, WHY did they all have to be dropped into the Rite in nothing but skimpy nightgowns?
Here's a little section for things I was annoyed by.
•"Round-spiky-ball-on-a-chain"--CALL IT A MORNING STAR DUDE.
•SJM has three insults she likes to rotate through. Prick, busybody, and asshole. Sometimes bitch is thrown in for fun if she's feeling wild.
•Emerie says to Nesta that it's "nice to meet another female not obsessed with baby-making", but by the end of the book, Nesta has changed her anatomy so that she can bear an Illyrian baby without dying. big LOL
•FAERIES HAVE ALLERGIES? I'm sorry, faeries in most lore are usually NATURE SPIRITS. It is asinine to have faeries allergic to the very thing they’re meant to commune with.
Also, like you would think, being in a LAND OF FAERIES, they would eat something other than roast chicken and vegetables all the time. Where are the fun faerie foods? The faerie drinks? What period is this? I have no idea if this is meant to be like the middle ages or the 1800s. Toilets and lace undergarments exist? They wear high-waisted pants and crop tops and leggings and like ugg boots. I don't understand anything.
Nyx is such a stupid name. I despise Nesta giving up her magic to let Rhys, Feyre and Nyx live. Like, are you KIDDING me? She was so cool, but nobody can be as cool as Rhys or as SPESHUL as Feyre. And then, the book ends with Cassian and Nesta getting married after their super messed up relationship for only three months.
Personally, Gwyn and Nesta would’ve made a better couple than Cassian and Nesta.
This book made me like actually viscerally mad. The first thing I want to talk about is Nesta. I used to have mixed feelings about her, but now she’s my favorite character. Not even because she’s a good person or did anything extraordinary; everyone else SUCKS. I feel so bad for Nesta throughout the entirety of this novel. Before, she seemed so needlessly cruel, but now that I understand her better, it’s incredibly easy to relate and empathize with her. The way her family and ‘friends’ treat her is appalling. They let her stew in her PTSD for a whole year before finally deciding to do something about it—only after she gambled 500 gold pieces on drinking and gambling. According to the last book, Rhysand is super rich, so why was that the catalyst to make them act? Their decided method of helping Nesta is to tear down the rundown apartment building she’s living in….but what about the other tenants? Do they have to find somewhere else to live now, or are they homeless because their High Lord demolished their home to punish his mate’s sister?
Every character’s hypocrisy made me want to fist-fight them all. Everyone babied Feyre when she was suffering through all her trauma from her time Under the Mountain, yet Nesta isn’t gifted the same courtesy. Since she’s more difficult to deal with, they decide to be harsher with her intervention. Not only do they tear down her home, but they give her two choices(which is not even a choice at all)—she can go back to the human world, where she would undoubtedly be shunned or killed by the humans because they hate faeries or she can essentially be a prisoner in this magical house with another man who has been lusting after her since he met her. Never mind that while she’s living there, she’s forced to go to an incredibly sexist war camp where they clip women’s wings and see them as nothing more than broodmares. Nesta is also detoxing from copious amounts of drinking, and considering the faeries can get hangovers, I would assume that Nesta is going through severe withdrawal. Yet she’s forced to do these rigorous exercises anyway. Like, sorry, that’s not how you get someone sober.
They lock this poor girl in this house that’s legit, like on the top of a mountain or something, and there are 10000 stairs leading down to the bottom. And Nesta, who is withdrawing and incredibly out of shape, physically cannot walk down those stairs. But she’s so desperate to get out, so she starts forcing herself to do it anyway. Meanwhile, as she diligently works on those stairs, she’s slowly conditioned to like living in the magical house. The house is sentient, and her friend. It gives her anything she wants. It provides her with food and romance novels to read. She’s also trapped with Cassian, who has been thirsting after Nesta. They naturally get into this weird sexual relationship when Nesta has no business having sex with anyone right now, considering she was using sex with strangers as another coping method for all the sexual trauma she already has. (It’s revealed a past suitor attempted to rape her, and I think there was another instance.) By the time she makes it down those stairs and steps outside into the open air…she doesn’t want to leave. She turns right around and goes back up the stairs. Like, that sounds like Stockholm syndrome to me. It’s written to indicate that Nesta realizes she doesn’t have to drink, but there are more things in the city to do than drink! There’s that whole Rainbow art district…Nesta likes music; she likes art. Why not see that as a reward for walking down 10,000 steps? But no, she’d rather go bone Cassian and his monster schlong.
This whole book is a gross narrative on healing and PTSD. I don’t understand Nesta’s interest in super smutty novels. It’s weird to me that a bunch of women who have trauma caused by men(2/3 of these women have sexual trauma from men) would want to read a bunch of novels with graphic sex with men. It doesn’t compute. Like, I would want nothing to do with men at all. I’d want time and space away from men so that I can heal. You’d think these women would like to focus on something other than sex so they can recover, but no, this SJM doesn’t understand the concept of a time and place for things. The times the characters choose to have sex make no sense to me.
Rhys and Feyre bone immediately after ruining Nesta’s life lmao. Cassian makes Nesta hike for five days and five nights as punishment until she passes out and has an emotional breakdown because she hates herself. Cassian also makes her carry this super heavy pack and claims he can’t do it because of his wings, yet Emerie can take Gwyn on her back when her wings are disfigured—so he’s full of crap. But anywho, after Nesta breaks down, Cassian and Nesta bone for two days beside the lake instead of comforting her like a normal person. Because…that is entirely logical.
It would seem that SJM was looking for any reason to heap sexual trauma onto Nesta. There was the thing with Tomas. The kelpie that appeared just to attempt to rape Nesta. Lanthys showing Nesta a vision of them having graphic sex. Rhys guilting Nesta into seducing Eris on the dance floor. Nesta gets forced to participate in the Blood Rite and is almost assaulted several times there….like, why is all of this needed?
Next, let’s talk about Cassian. I used to like him until I read this book. He cannot look at Nesta without wanting to bone her, and it’s gross. It is possible for a man to not only think about a woman because they want to sleep with her, like my god. Cassian looks at Nesta when she is severely malnourished and underweight, and he thinks about how skinny she is, but damn, does she have some big titties and a fat ass that he wants to worship? (Literally, how?) Nesta says she’s not interested in Cassian in the book’s first half. The readers know she’s lying, but Cassian doesn’t, yet he continues to lust after her. All the faeries can smell when they’re turned on; it’s gross. People are getting horny in political meetings where things are meant to be serious, but we’re just constantly told how horny these faeries are.
I shouldn’t be surprised that all of these love interests can’t understand the meaning of ‘no’ at this point. Cassian tells Nesta that everyone hates her, that he didn’t ask to be ‘shackled’ to her, and makes her go on that torture hike…like, I’m sorry, Cassian is as bad as Rhys. He gets borderline violent if Nesta says anything negative about precious perfect Rhys. Yet he never defends Nesta, his mate, half as much as he does with Rhysand. Also, he’s 500 years old but can only do a 5-minute plank—weak sauce.
Also, I want to say about the sex scenes--SJM, IT IS OKAY TO USE THE WORD CLIT. The word cock is used plenty. For the love of god, stop calling it a bundle of nerves and call it what it is. Why is she incapable of using the word vagina? If you want to get nasty about it, call it a cunt. But if I have to read about a bundle of nerves one more time, I will lose it. Also, my toes have never curled when I get turned on. Never. The whole edging thing they had going on forever was so juvenile and tiresome. I don't care about Cassian's big fat cock, okay?
Next, I’ve got to talk about Morrigan. She was essentially useless in this book, but her minor parts made me dislike her even more than ACOWAR did. SJM also seems to have forgotten entirely about the random bisexuality plot device she created around Morrigan. The way she treats Nesta is so horrible. She wants to throw Nesta into the Hewn City and condemn her to the fate that Morrigan herself would have had. You would think she wants to protect women who have gone through a similar trauma as she has but nope. It shows that she is no better than the people she thinks she is so above.
Then there's Amren. Nesta had to bow down and beg Amren's forgiveness, which made me sick. Amren is slut shaming and body-shaming Nesta constantly. Amren tells Nesta she's not worthy of her power. Amren became utterly useless when Rhysand snatched away her sacrifice. Amren is nothing more than a sex toy for Varian now. She is powerless and pointless. SJM has a habit of making her women characters useless; it would seem.
Feyre has been reduced to a housewife. It showed in the last book and is even more prevalent here. I knew the second Rhys had that shield around her; she was pregnant. How did she get pregnant so fast? I thought it was supposed to be incredibly difficult for High Fae to procreate? Yet it only took like seven months for Feyre to get pregnant? She is just the MOST SPESHUL EVER. How dare she not have a single picture of Nesta in her house and make Nesta feel like she has to earn a spot? I hate how they all make Nesta think she has to work to be deserving of their love and friendship.
This is the character that I hate the most, so hold onto your horses, guys. This is going to be a wild ride. I HATE Rhysand. I have hated him since ACOTAR, and I hate him even more now. He can suck Cassian's huge schlong for all I care. Everyone kisses the ground he walks on like he is a gift to this earth, but he's a big steaming pile of donkey poo in my eyes. One of our first introductions is him twisting Feyre's broken arm bone until she agrees to enter a bargain with him.
Great introduction, but okay. The way he treats Nesta is absolute trash. I hate how he regards her as this toxic threat without taking the time to understand or know her. Like why is Elain so much better than Nesta in his eyes? He says, "I can forgive Elain because she's soft and uwu, but I can't forgive Nesta because she stands up to me" That's it. That's the reason. He doesn't like women who stand up to him. Feyre barely stands up to him, but it's hot because he'll bone her later until she agrees with him. Why does he think Feyre is so much better than Nesta? One of the fundamental differences between Feyre and Elain vs Nesta is that the former were both given their power. They didn't earn it. Feyre was given every power ever because she's the most SPESHUL, and now she's the most SPESHUL High Lady with the most SPESHUL High Lord mate and the most SPESHUL baby. Elain was given the gift of Sight because she's soft and uwu. Nesta clawed and fought tooth and nail for her power and her strength. But it's constantly overshadowed by Rhys and Feyre and how amazing and perfect they are.
Rhys and Feyre got into this monster fight because he kept it a secret from her for almost a year that they were mates. And now, yet again, he thinks he has the right to hold the fact that giving birth will kill her. That is her body. That is her life. Their stupid suicide pact is so DUMB. But Rhys thinking he has the right to keep that a secret from her shows how little he’s learned. And then them having a vote on whether to tell Nesta about her power...and him having the audacity to threaten to kill her when she tells her sister the truth.
His whole 'you always have a choice' mantra is fake. Oh, you can either go to the human lands where you'll have nothing and no one and most likely get killed, OR you can be imprisoned in this house with the one dude who's been thirsting after you since the beginning while training in a sexist war camp against your will. Also, you will be forcefully dried out from alcohol while being made to do these rigorous exercises because that makes a lot of sense. Then it's, oh well, either you can scry or the sister you would sell your body for can scry. And your sister got kidnapped the last time you scried, but you know it's your choice. Then it's, oh, either YOU can seduce Eris even though you have more sexual trauma than anyone in the book aside from Morrigan, OR we can have sweet, perfect Elain seduce Eris. WHAT IS IT GONNA BE, NESTA? WHAT CHOICE ARE YOU GONNA MAKE?
I like the friendship between Gwyn, Emerie and Nesta. I like that they all learn to defend themselves, and I like that they win the Blood Rite, but at the same time, they should not have won the Blood Rite. It makes no sense that they achieved something that takes all these super-strong warriors years and years to train for. Sure, it's empowering, but logically it doesn't make sense. Also, WHY did they all have to be dropped into the Rite in nothing but skimpy nightgowns?
Here's a little section for things I was annoyed by.
•"Round-spiky-ball-on-a-chain"--CALL IT A MORNING STAR DUDE.
•SJM has three insults she likes to rotate through. Prick, busybody, and asshole. Sometimes bitch is thrown in for fun if she's feeling wild.
•Emerie says to Nesta that it's "nice to meet another female not obsessed with baby-making", but by the end of the book, Nesta has changed her anatomy so that she can bear an Illyrian baby without dying. big LOL
•FAERIES HAVE ALLERGIES? I'm sorry, faeries in most lore are usually NATURE SPIRITS. It is asinine to have faeries allergic to the very thing they’re meant to commune with.
Also, like you would think, being in a LAND OF FAERIES, they would eat something other than roast chicken and vegetables all the time. Where are the fun faerie foods? The faerie drinks? What period is this? I have no idea if this is meant to be like the middle ages or the 1800s. Toilets and lace undergarments exist? They wear high-waisted pants and crop tops and leggings and like ugg boots. I don't understand anything.
Nyx is such a stupid name. I despise Nesta giving up her magic to let Rhys, Feyre and Nyx live. Like, are you KIDDING me? She was so cool, but nobody can be as cool as Rhys or as SPESHUL as Feyre. And then, the book ends with Cassian and Nesta getting married after their super messed up relationship for only three months.
Personally, Gwyn and Nesta would’ve made a better couple than Cassian and Nesta.