To help make sure that I can keep up with reviews and cut down on burnout, my Review Roundups will consist of a handful of books I’ve read recently. Usually, these will consist of stand-alones or sequels in a series I’ve already started reviewing. ARCs will still get their own posts, so these will either be new releases or backlist titles.

Enjoy the mini-reviews!

A Court of Frost and Starlight

And in the end, though, we’d saved each other. All of us had.

A Court of Frost and Starlight

Title: A Court of Frost and Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3.1)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing, May 1, 2018
Pages: 229
Intended Audience: New Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Sub-Genre/Tropes: Fantasy Romance, Fairytale Retelling, Fae, Soulmates, Found Family, Holidays
Pacing: Fast
Moods: Emotional, Hopeful, Lighthearted
Content Warnings: PTSD, Alcoholism, Grief, Anxiety
Spice Scale: 🌶🌶

Feyre, Rhys, and their close-knit circle of friends are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly changed world beyond. But Winter Solstice is finally near and, with it, a hard-earned reprieve.

Yet even the festive atmosphere can’t keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, she finds that those dearest to her have more wounds than she anticipated—scars that will have a far-reaching impact on the future of their court.

A Court of Frost and Starlight was precisely what I needed after A Court of War and Ruin. It was a quick read of pure holiday fluff that set up Nesta and Cassian’s arc in the next book in the universe and gave us a low-stakes glimpse into the lives of the Inner Circle.

I loved getting to read the POVs of characters we don’t typically hear from, which allowed for a lot of character development and a look at how everyone was handling their post-war grief and PTSD.

There are only two things that I had conflicting feelings on: the fact that I started to kind of feel bad for Tamlin—which felt weird after two books of despising him—and the Inner Circles treatment of Nesta’s PTSD. She was not coping well and causing harm and hurt, but just because her trauma was messier doesn’t mean it was any less valid. She needed help, not to be yelled at.

But overall, I loved ACOFAS. It read much like a slice of life fanfiction, except it’s canon. And I genuinely mean that in the best way possible because those are my jam when it comes to fanfiction and is a story structure I miss in traditional publishing.

A Court of Silver Flames

And in the end, though, we’d saved each other. All of us had.

A Court of Frost and Starlight

Title: A Court of Silver Flames (A Court of Thorns and Roses #4)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing, February 16, 2021
Pages: 757
Intended Audience: New Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Sub-Genre/Tropes: Fantasy Romance, Fairytale Retelling, Fae, Soulmates, Found Family, Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity
Pacing: Slow
Moods: Adventurous, Dark, Emotional,
Content Warnings: PTSD, Violence, Blood, War, Death, Kidnapping, Sexual Assault Mention, Rape Mention, Abuse Mention, Alcoholism
Spice Scale: 🌶🌶🌶🌶

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.

I think A Court of Silver Flames is my favorite of the series so far. I tend to prefer third-person POV for fantasy and always prefer dual POV for romance, so that was a big part of why I enjoyed this book. But I also enjoyed how much of it was character driven. There was a plot, and it was well-paced throughout, but the main focus was on character development.

I absolutely adore both Nesta and Cassian. Their chemistry was fantastic, and the witty banter was one point (especially from Nesta). The exploration of Nesta’s grief and trauma was well done, and I loved the relationship she built with The House, Emerie, and Gwyn. I especially loved the romance book club they started. It was a fun detail in a book that focused so heavily on trauma.

The only thing I didn’t like was the Rhys and Feyre subplot. They both felt entirely out of character. I hated how Rhys treated Feyre, and while I get that some of that may have been Nesta’s hatred of him coming through her narration, even in Cassian’s sections, I found myself wanting to smack Rhys upside the head to knock some sense into him.

But overall, I really enjoyed ACOSF, and I’m interested to see where the plot goes from here. I’m just a little sad because now I’m caught up and have to wait for the next book with everyone else.