A ​Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

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.

Kindle Edition, 768 pages

Published February 16, 2021

 by Bloomsbury Publishing

4.5/5 stars

This was my first time reading A Court of Silver Flames, after the quiet little interlude of A Court of Frost and Starlight, it was time for Nesta to finally get her own story.

Nesta has never been an easy character to like, at the start of this book she’s in a dark place after everything the war took from her. Sent off to the House of Wind to train with Cassian, she’s forced to face both her past and herself, along the way she finds unexpected friendships and a strength she didn’t know she had.

It’s a long book and there were a few dry patches where I found my attention drifting. Fair warning, the spice level is right up there, which is pretty much par for the course with Maas. The world building is still growing. Just when I thought I knew Prythian, she adds another layer. I'm glad that I read this just before book 6 was released.  Everything is still fresh in my mind.

A Court of Silver Flames is not just a story of Nesta's journey, its a story of friendship, of family and getting that second chance but boy what a journey that is. This might be my new favorite of the series, it showcases determination, true grit and getting back up again and again and again.  Also opens the door for what is to come.

   

This book was part of my 2026 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge. #45