Book Review: A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas is stuck in my head

A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series by Sarah J Maas is a fiction series that delves into the world of Fae. The series is reminiscent of fairytales, but brings its own unique characters and plotlines, heart-melting love-interests and especially following the first books in the series, a growing focus on sm*t.

In fact, when I was picking up my copy of the fourth book in the series from my local bookstore, the clerk told me that they were selling copies left, right and centre - and that people were buying 'A Court of Silver Flames' (ACOSF) without reading the other novels in the series first, all because of the lure of steamy scenes.

However, ACOSF is my favourite book in the series and the one I just can't get out of my head. This is because the latest edition to the ACOTAR series by Sarah J Maas is a compelling tale of mental health recovery following trauma. There is a fair amount of sm*t tossed in too - but I found this overshadowed by the portrayal of strong female friendships, and character development.

**Spoilers Ahead**

The fourth book in the ACOTAR series is 'A Court of Silver Flames'. The book, unlike previous books in the series, focusses on Nesta Acheron instead of her younger sister, Feyre. Nesta is more stoic and reserved than Feyre, to say the least, but is battling some demons left over from her experiences earlier in the series.

Through this book, we see Nesta's character grow significantly. She is forced to face her weaknesses and pushed into improving herself by those around her. Although the lack of independent initiation of this - and the fact that there were ultimatums made by the other characters in the book - left me feeling a little queasy, it was good to read about a character who battled their demons and utilised real-life techniques to begin a journey towards bettering themselves.

Nesta is forced into an exercise regime and work within the library that doubles as a sanctuary for women in need. As the book continues, Nesta begins to accept these changes and build on them herself. Nesta forms some strong friendships in Gwyn, an acolyte of the library, and Emerie, a female Illyrian, and also reaches out to help others at the library, believing that all women should gain the knowledge that she is gaining through her training sessions.

Nesta's exercise regime gives her a physical outlet, and her work in the library gives her a purpose, which is later usurped by her purpose to help other women. Moreover, Nesta learns mindfulness techniques, which are genuine techniques that are taught in therapy and psychological practice. Nesta's friendships are also uniquely her own, and are not shared by her sisters. Nesta, in this way, also gains independence from the other people - her original supports - in her life. Nesta also mends her relationships with those around her by the end of the book, something that she makes clear will still take some time to do following this conclusion to the book. This portrayal of mending relationships is quite realistic and makes for a more dimensional read.

One of the most important aspects of Nesta's journey throughout the book is that, although we can see her making progress, this progress isn't always linear. Nesta still makes mistakes and her trauma still effects her, even as she is improving her mental health.

Conclusion:

Although I could not put the entire ACOTAR series down, and although I was enthralled by the character of Feyre Acheron throughout the first 3.5 books in this series, I cannot get ACOSF out of my mind and am utterly enthralled by the portrayal of trauma recovery in this book. It's still easy to read and each of the characters is captivating - especially Nesta.