A Court of Silver Flames

Former human Nesta Archeron struggles with her new identity as High Fae.

The first four young adult books in the Court of Thorns and Roses series focus on Feyre and her adventures in the world of the fae. This novel brings the series to an adult audience and focuses on Fayre's sister Nesta.

Nesta is grieving over the loss of her father from the war described in the previous books and losing her humanity and becoming one of the High Fae. She tries to cope by getting drunk and having sex with any Fae male she can find until Feyre puts a stop to her sister's destructive behavior.

Nesta's punishment is to live in a palace with thousands of stairs, which she cannot leave because she's out of shape. Her assigned activities are training with warrior Cassian in the morning and working at the library in the afternoon.

The book follows Nesta as she struggles to find her place in a foreign world and come to terms with the power she has, even though no one understands the power she wields.

The main draw for this series is Feyre's story, and it feels odd to be in a world where she is a minor character. Without a looming villain, the story lacks uncertainty and urgency. The novel reads like a character study within a fantasy world, as it lacks the epic part of epic fantasy.

The action starts in the final chapters of the book but getting there is a slog. If the story had been more focused on the action than Nesta's development, it would have been a much more exciting addition to the series.

The shift from YA to adult makes the story feel different from the rest of the series. The characters cuss more frequently and use worse curses, and the sex scenes are much more frequent and descriptive.

Recommended for fans of the other Court of Thorns and Roses novels who want more of the story.

Sarah J. Maas is a bestselling YA and adult fantasy author who studied creative writing at Hamilton College. She's a native of New York currently residing in Pennsylvania.

Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses, #5

Publisher: Bloomsbury (print); Recorded Books (audio)

Narrator: Stina Nielsen

Running Time: 26 hours, 5 minutes

Length: 756 pages

Release Date: February 16, 2021