Book Review: A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

BOOK REVIEW ON ‘THE COURT OF SILVER FLAMES’

Sarah has always pushed the border between YA, New Adult, and Adult with her content, but A Court of silver flames is 100% adult, no doubts about it. It is not for the faint of heart or introductory fantasy readers. I know everyone has their own levels of tolerance and knowledge, but please note this book contains explicit adult content.

ACOSF takes place after the devastating war with Hybern, which left Prythian in a precarious peace between the High Lord’s territories, human realms. In the midst of attempting to secure stability across the lands, the human queens have formed a threatening alliance, a threat that may only be thwarted by Nesta.

I really enjoyed the ideas revolving in the background of Nesta’s journey towards recovery after the terrors of the war.

In spite of the storyline involving the human queen and the challenges Nesta and Cassian have to undergo in order to combat her being powerful and unique, it felt incredibly rushed. Much of the main and subplots of this story felt underdeveloped or shoved quickly into the last 200 pages or so of the book.

This book, at its heart, is rooted in Nesta’s healing alongside Cassian. Her road to healing and helping others heal was the core of the novel and struck deep and true. I loved her struggle and the way Sarah portrayed her trauma and consequential transformation.

Nesta reflected many of the inner struggles a lot of readers also confront in their lives and the portrayal of her battles felt real and impactful.

Overall, A Court of Silver Flames is Nesta’s journey, not a tale about the Inner Circle or the fragile realms. It focuses on our new, incredible set of characters whom Nesta encounters, as well as her faults, powers, and growth as a person. This book is carried by Nesta’s strong personality and developing relationship with Cassian, which delivers every promised aspect of tension, steam, and utter heartbreak.

I highly recommend A Court of Silver Flames because seeing Nesta’s point of view is so important not only in terms of the story but for the mental health representation Nesta embodies to readers. You will swoon and cry and feel your heartache throughout the story and feel yourself become more connected to a character you previously were distanced from.

-Sushma Akilan