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

 

Summary (from the publisher): 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.

Review: In this fifth installment in the series, the story moves from its original central character Feyre to now focus on her sister, the fiery and stubborn Nesta. Made High Fae against her will, Nesta has struggled to find a place for herself in the new world she finds herself stuck in. Consumed by guilt and trauma from the war, she drowns her sorrows in alcohol and random encounters with whatever man she finds. Eventually, her sister and Rhys intervene and force Nesta to train with Cassian, who has always had chemistry with Nesta. With the backdrop of constant threats to their world, Nesta slowly begins to find her place. She makes friends, builds her skills as a warrior, and finally opens up enough to begin to let Cassian in. 

I was absolutely gripped by this novel while I listened to the audiobook but in hindsight, it really failed to deliver on multiple marks. Maas has done a spectacular job of building tension between Nesta and Cassian and this book is steamy. It was the romance alone that kept me hooked. The author teased at these two finally getting together for hundreds of pages and it really worked.

Short of the steamy love story, this book struggled. The world in which these characters live is poorly developed at best. The apparent enemies just appear out of thin air with limited explanation. The rules are constantly evolving and make it hard for it to seem believable. In many ways, this is just a love story set in a poorly set up fantasy world. 

I also really missed hearing from Feyre in this novel. She has been the main point of view for the whole series and her eventually become a mother has been teased in the last couple books. Now that it might possibly become a reality in this book, the reader is robbed of these tender scenes between her and Rhys. I think the book would have been stronger if some chapters had still been written from Feyre's point of view, although I did love the expansion into Nesta's story in this book. 

Despite my quibbles, I eagerly listened to all 26 hours of this audiobook. I hope that Maas continues Nesta's story in another installment in this series and I would also love to see sister Elaine's story explored in another book. 

Stars: 3

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