Reviews with content warning for Blood - A Court of Silver Flames

I really hated Nesta throughout the beginning. The self sabotage and rock bottom spiraling was just too much. But it was all necessary, to watch her climb tooth and nail up that mountain to find true happiness: a chosen family, honest friends, and a burning love. I’ll always love a deadly powerful female ripping at the seams with unknown strengths; Nesta truly lived up to the title “Queen of Death.”

Spoiler

I do wish she was able to unleash herself and her powers more, and learn to hone them to become even deadlier. She finally begins to embrace her true self right when she offers up her stolen power back to the Cauldron. Also, what the hell happened with Mor and Eris! They keep alluding that someone different happened, that Eris isn’t actually this awful male that left his betrothed to die in the woods.

I really enjoyed the friendships that blossomed between Nesta, Emerie, and Gwyn, their pure strength and determination that kept them together and pushing on. The love that they had for each other, no judgement, just acceptance and understanding. Exactly what Nesta needed, just as much as the other women needed it. They are the parallel to Rhys, Cassian, and Azriel.

I’m upset she had to give up a portion of her powers to save Feyre and Rhys and the baby, despite understanding her reasoning. Not just to save them, but also the fact that she never wanted her powers, never really used them at all. I saw another review talking about how instead of a redemption arc, Nesta should’ve been given a villain arc. Really let loose and go feral with all that power of Death. She was truly unstoppable if she could’ve just kept training her magic. I wanted her to go Red Witch style, burning everything in her path with those icy flames of silver. Not give up before she’s even started. Especially not to use her one chance to alter herself with fleeing powers to change her womb for future winged babies. Barf boring lame. I figured one baby was enough pregnancy drama. At least it was only kept to a portion of the book, and we didn’t have to hear whatever insufferable narration would’ve accompanied from Feyre. Sorry but I don’t care about that kid, even if it’s supposed to be something insanely rare. No one even mentioned Mor’s friend being pregnant either. I just felt no connection to that storyline. I wanted Rhys to be High King, not turn into a diaper changing snore.

Content Warnings

eliandherbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.0

This felt hard to rate. I did enjoy having a book about the “unlikeable sister”. Though it needs to be said that I’m not a fan of ACOTAR and the characters. I had issues with this book.
Nesta is portrayed as unlikeable, yes, but there is clear trauma that she’s experienced and is struggling with. This could’ve been a really good book about trauma and mental illness, but it just wasn’t. The other characters were unnecessarily cruel to her and the “just do exercise and you’ll feel better”-thing was really big. But that’s not how mental illness works, so I wasn’t a fan of that portrayal. Some plot-parts I had issues with: the book was SO long, most of it just felt dragged out.

Spoiler

BUT I think the part where they were put into the Blood Rite was really interesting. It did remind me of books like the Hunger Games, so maybe that’s what I liked. Suddenly, everything progressed very quickly and the stakes were high. However, I didn’t understand why the Blood Rite was cut so incredibly short, while the rest of the book was dragged out so much. To me, the Blood Rite was the best part and I would’ve liked to read more about it.
The second thing: I cannot stand the trope of “girl (woman in this case) giving up her powers to save xyz”. I cannot. And, obviously, this happens (or seems to happen) at the end of the book.

In general, I feel like the behavior of many characters was super problematic (looking at Rhysand in particular). Not a fan.

Content Warnings

always_lion's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

sonshinelibrarian's review against another edition

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4.0

I really enjoyed Nesta's journey and the way it showed her working through trauma and PTSD and finding coping mechanisms and dealing with triggers. I loved the development of her friendships with the other girls and the development of her relationship with Cassian. But there is way too much graphic smut that is really not necessary at all to the plot. Things do not need to be described to be present, and it knocked the book down on the rating. While I personally prefer no description, I resignedly can gloss over a scene, but there were a lot and it really just got annoying having to skip forward to actual plot and character development.

Content Warnings

sammymilfort's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

kiwij96's review

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is a love story to women. It touches on friendship, loneliness, love, depression, trauma, family, and life.

This was totally different to the previous books in this series as it focused on Cassian and Nesta. And yes, there is incredibly graphic sexual content in it that even made me blush. But this book is so much more than that. It is the story of strength, perseverance, and of love. Of women who have horrific personal stories to tell, and who are ready to take on their world.

Content Warnings

emmagf's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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