Hey guys!
I *finally* read the latest ACOTAR book! I’m only two years late to the party!
The Plot (according to Goodreads):
Nesta Archeron has always been prickly – proud, swift to anger and slow to forgive. And since the war – since being made High Fae against her will – she’s struggled to forget the horrors she endured and find a place for herself within the strange and deadly Night Court.
The person who ignites her temper more than any other is Cassian, the battle-scarred, winged warrior who is there at Nesta’s every turn. But her temper isn’t the only thing Cassian ignites. And when they are forced to train in battle together, sparks become flame.
As the threat of war casts its shadow over them once again, Nesta and Cassian must fight monsters from within and without if they are to stand a chance of halting the enemies of their court. But the ultimate risk will be searching for acceptance – and healing – in each other’s arms.
The Rating:
I binge-read the first three books, I devoured the novella. I was so excited about A Court of Silver Flames coming out and then it was here and I forgot about it. Oopsie. Well, I finally picked the novel up, and boy there are a lot of things to talk about.
First of all, I enjoyed that this book was such an intriguing study of mental health, of trauma, and of healing. Maas did a good job showing that the journey to get better isn’t linear, some days are better than others, some are worse. It also shows quite well that you have no way of knowing what goes on in another person, why they behave the way they do.
Getting better is a struggle, and I think she also captured well that is not just a struggle for the person going through it but also for those around her. There is someone you deeply care about and you want to help them, but you don’t know how to best go about it. They might resent your help, might not understand it. There is also a volatile balance between trying to help someone and taking away their own agency and ability to make decisions. Nesta was hurting, herself and others. Her coping mechanisms weren’t healthy, and she was running herself into the ground. Standing by and watching someone you care about to that has to be hell. Yet the only way to get her to stop was to impose strict rules and essentially upend her life.
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