A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

Sarah J. Maas is back with another sexy, action-packed instalment of her hugely popular A Court of Thorns and Roses series. For the first time, we do not see the story from the viewpoint of Feyre and her High Lord of the Fae husband, Rhysand. A Court of Silver Flames breaks from the previous books in the series to focus on Feyre’s older sister, Nesta.

Nesta is damaged. She lashes out at those she cares about in cruel and unforgivable ways. Yet, like Feyre, Nesta is beautiful, powerful and immortal. She has devoted sisters, a safe home and a budding romance with an alluring Fae warrior. For fans of Maas, this all might sound familiar and welcoming. It should be easy to slip into this story and enjoy the romances, friendships and battles. However, there is one major issue.

Nesta is, and always has been, a thoroughly unlikeable and unsympathetic character. And she does not do much in this book to negate that image. It is difficult to empathise with a protagonist who has been deeply and cruelly unpleasant towards almost every other character in four previous novels. There is little to connect most readers to Nesta. Her personal growth and the progression of her story is at the core of A Court of Silver Flames, but this 700+ page interlude only serves as a distraction from other, more beloved characters.

Maas has clearly intended this to be a redemption story, with Nesta presumably joining the cadre of heroes we already know, in future books. But for many readers, it will be too little, too late. A Court of Silver Flames reads as the sexy romance Maas wanted to write, rather than a novel that advances the world of Feyre and Rhysand in any meaningful way. A Court of Silver Flames could function easily as a standalone romance novel rather than the middle book of an expansive fantasy series. Fans of Maas will always read and enjoy another offering of her hugely popular writing. Just don't expect much in the way of plot or story progression.

Themes: Family, Sisters, Romance, Trauma, Grief, Warriors, Fae.

Rose Tabeni