Book Review: A Court of Silver Flames

A Court of Silver Flames (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #4)
Sarah J. Maas

Release Date: February 16, 2021

Book Description:
Nesta Archeron has always been prickly-proud, swift to anger, and slow to forgive. And ever since being forced into the Cauldron and becoming High Fae against her will, she's struggled to find a place for herself within the strange, deadly world she inhabits. Worse, she can't seem to move past the horrors of the war with Hybern and all she lost in it.

The one person who ignites her temper more than any other is Cassian, the battle-scarred warrior whose position in Rhysand and Feyre's Night Court keeps him constantly in Nesta's orbit. But her temper isn't the only thing Cassian ignites. The fire between them is undeniable, and only burns hotter as they are forced into close quarters with each other.

Meanwhile, the treacherous human queens who returned to the Continent during the last war have forged a dangerous new alliance, threatening the fragile peace that has settled over the realms. And the key to halting them might very well rely on Cassian and Nesta facing their haunting pasts.
Against the sweeping backdrop of a world seared by war and plagued with uncertainty, Nesta and Cassian battle monsters from within and without as they search for acceptance-and healing-in each other's arms.

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:
5 stars

Epic! 

It was an engrossing roller-coaster ride and is a strong fantasy romance on its own. (I dare say this reads as a stand-alone and not a spinoff, although one would greatly benefit from prior knowledge of these characters and this fantasy world’s lore). There is a lot of emotion and other aspects of the story that are brutal in many ways - Nesta takes a long road in rebuilding her character. I honestly, didn't think I would care as much but to my surprise I quite enjoyed it. To me the love story was not as strong/interesting, as Nesta's journey of coming to terms with herself and carving her own pass in life with her new friends. 

The Blood Rite gave me strong Hunger Games vibes, but I didn't mind. Except for the fact that most of the fast-paced action takes places in the last 10% of the book, while we are taken on a slow, grueling journey throughout could be a bit frustrating in a book of 700+ pages - this book definitely grabbed my attention from the get-go (which is an epic achievement in itself these days for me *wink* and a sign of a good read).

*Side note: I read through some of 1-star reviews and I can certainly agree with some issues that could be glimpsed from the way things are handled - I have mixed emotions on this, but ultimately the story was captivating enough for me and the characters "likeable" to really enjoy ACOSF. Then again, if you found problems with Maas's earlier novels (which had some similar issues) you probably won't pick up this monster volume either. I, on the other hand, am very much looking forward to what's next to come. Hopefully the wait is not unbearably long. 

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