A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J Maas Book Review
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Blurb
A tender addition to the #1 New York Times bestselling Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas, bridging the events of A Court of Wings and Ruin and upcoming books.
Feyre, Rhysand, and their friends are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly altered world beyond, recovering from the war that changed everything. But Winter Solstice is finally approaching, and with it, the joy of 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, her concern for those dearest to her deepens. They have more wounds than she anticipated-scars that will have a far-reaching impact on the future of their court.
Bridging the events of A Court of Wings and Ruin with the later books in the series, A Court of Frost and Starlight explores the far-reaching effects of a devastating war and the fierce love between friends.
Triggers
There are no triggers listed for this book. Here are some of the triggers I observed while reading:
- Alcohol/Alcoholism
- Death
- Death of a Parent
- Depresssion
- Eating Disorder (negligent eating habits)
- Grief
- Mental Illness/Health Concerns
- Misogyny
- Pregnancy (mention of)
- Profanity
- Sexually Explicit Scenes
- Torture (mention of)
- Violence
- War (mention of)
Ratings
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There are possible **SPOILERS** beyond this point!
Overall Rating
4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Court of Frost and Starlight is the bridging novella to give us insight into what is happening in the world after the Great War of ACOWAR. This novella is mostly a holiday tale about the Winter Solstice which is also Feyre’s birthday. We get to see the Inner Circle prepare for the holiday as they are also recovering from the tragic events that impacted all of them.
Feyre was still the main narrator though we also get chapters from Rhysand, Cassian, Morrigan and Nesta. I really appreciated Feyre’s POV because I really like her as a character and the way that she sees the world. However, I wish that we had more chapters from the other main characters in the books prior to this one. It was a refreshing change and I feel that the story really needed that variety to make this book interesting. We’re given a new experience entirely by seeing these characters at a baseline instead of the high-stress circumstances in which we met them. ACOFAS felt like a big cozy hug after all the trauma we endured and then unpacked in the prior 3 books. I smiled more in this book that I thought I would and I’m happy I didn’t skip this one.
Feyre is faced with a big choice after the war is over. Her life as High Lady and as a friend, sister, and wife are all different because of what they had to do to survive Hyburn’s attack. We get to see how she makes choices on her own and not because it is life-or-death consequences. The Feyre we meet in this book is wholly different from the Feyre we met in ACOTAR. I love them both and am just so happy to see the progression.
Rhysand’s chapters were probably the most interesting to me. I think his POV is probably the one I really wanted more of. He is the only character who reveals more about Tamlin’s place in the world after the war. It felt very strategic to use the High Lord of the Night Court to communicate with us about Tam. I feel like it’s setting something else up because it would completely unnecessary otherwise to check in on that scum bag. I don’t care; I don’t like him, still.
I’ve liked Cassian since we met him in ACOMAF but I knew his bold personality had so much more behind it. His professional struggles and his personal struggle are definitely weighing on him. We finally get to see a glimpse of what lies behind the joking exterior. I nearly shed a tear for him in his last chapter.
I don’t like Nesta. That’s all I have to say on that for now. I’m still gonna try to hear her out in ACOSF but I still can not stand her.
I’ve felt rather indifferent about Morrigan so I wasn’t immediately excited about her POV. I think she has a big problem with self medicating like we’ve seen from her in previous books but it felt more prevalent to me in this book. I know there is much to learn about her but it seems that she is maybe trying to change her current trajectory. I do want to learn more about her after hearing her voice here.
Spice Rating
3/5 🌶🌶
This book does have an open door scene that doesn’t last very long but their is innuendo throughout.
Setting / World / Universe
I really loved Velaris for the Winter Solstice. It was as dreamy as any other time of year but that kiss of winter festiveness made it so beautiful to me. We get our usual Maas world building to create a pretty clear look and feel of the time there.
Genre & Tropes
Genre
Fantasy Romance
Favorite Quotes
“Stars flickered around us, sweet darkness sweeping in. As if we were the only souls in a galaxy.”
“To the blessed darkness from which we are born, and to which we return.”
“I think my heart knew you were mine long before I ever realized it.”
“You were meant to be at my side from the very beginning.”
Intrigued?
Check out A Court of Frost and Starlight on Amazon here.
