Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - A Court of Silver Flames

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.

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ariel_bloomer's review

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adventurous dark medium-paced

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

2.5

If you look at book reviews of series, you’ll typically see that by books 3, 4, and further, most ratings below a 4 have steeply dropped off. This is because the only people who have continued reading into the series are predisposed to like the books.

Anyway, this book 4 is a shitshow that screamed MoneyGrab to me. Like an author and publisher had seen the money rolling in from the first books and going “can’t we just… keep going and add some more?” This book seemed far less thought out, and doubled down on the sexy bits while shoehorning in some plot here and there. (Hence feeling very much like pandering)

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emmagf's review

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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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kristinamj's review

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adventurous emotional fast-paced

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

4.75

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hxlleann's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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suzyvee91's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-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

4.0

Spoiler

I loved the grumpy-sunshine slow burn part of the story, the blossoming relationship between Nesta and Cassian, a lot. To finally see Nesta’s POV, her insecurities, and how her character developed was really great.
Quotes: Cassian about Nesta, p. 468: ‘She was a wolf who had never learned how to be a wolf, thanks to that cage humans called propriety and society. And like a maltreated animal, she bit anyone who came near. Good thing he liked being bitten. Good thing he savored the bruises and scratches she left on his body every night, and that her unleashing when he was buried in her made him want to answer it with his own.’
There were some inconsistencies: Cassian pushing his wing against Feyre’s shoulder, but then couldn’t kiss her cheek because of the shield that’s all around her? Also the King of Hybern is sometimes just called ‘Hybern’, when speaking of the person, like it’s his name. But they never specified his name. Surely he can’t be called ‘the King of Hybern’ - Hybern being the country - and simply ‘Hybern’. I also found it strange the lost Autumn Court soldiers were in Oorid. As whatever lurks there would have already obliterated/eaten/savagely killed them?! And after their return from Oorid, Amren states ‘if the Cauldron had truly been destroyed…’ she’s studied the book, knows everything there is to know about the Cauldron. Surely she knows it cannot be destroyed as life would have seized to exist?! If not from her extensive studying then surely Feyre and Rhys would have told her why they had to remake the Cauldron? And during the Blood Rite Emerie was wedged in between Nesta and Gwyn on a big branch in a tree, but when they slept, Nesta was leaning into Gwyn’s warmth. How could that be if Emerie was between them? Unless she left the branch for her watch, but that wasn’t specified. I just háte inconsistencies or things that are not properly explained in books. I like to fully immerse myself and the above took me out of the story.
There were also points of the story I didn’t understand, like or left me with more questions than were answered: I didn’t really like the explanation of the dread trove objects and magic. It’s ‘wild’ magic? Ok. What does that mean? And why weren’t other Illyrian women invited to train with Cassian and Azriel next to Emerie? The pregnancy part and the shield Rhys made around Feyre really let me down as well. Like pregnant people are fragile or precious enough to shield just because they’re carrying a fetus? Okay… I don’t like pregnancies in books in general, but this was worse. On p. 246: ‘Cassian gave her a feral, purely male smile.’ Wtf is a purely male smile?! And why is Cassian reproductive organ often named (c*ck), but Nesta’s isn’t? It’s just called ‘her s*x’. Very disappointing.
The pacing in the series is a bit off as well. The first half of every book is too slow, the second too fast. They all need some rebalancing. I felt Ramiel was coming, but Even though their training sessions were talked about a lót - maybe too much - throughout the book, I feel not enough was explained about their actual fighting skills, survival skills, weapon making skills, any skills actually required for the Blood Rite, except for the Mind Stilling. The Valkyries were Mind Stiller, sisters, fierce women ánd warriors. That last part, I feel, was only shown through the ribbon cutting. They didn’t spar enough, I feel. And the explanation of the eight-pointed star was a bit too vague to my liking.
4 ⭐️ It still immersed me enough to give it a high grade, but I would like to see some more editing done to and better pacing in next books.

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banscout's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

if there is one thing that sjm can do incredibly well, it is writing mental health, it is writing the worst lows that have no apparent end and how those lows do not have to be constant. how suffering does not have to be experienced alone. that all of it begins when you come to that grave realisation that something is terribly wrong, and that there is a life we are all worthy of experiencing. that there is hope, and that hope will guide us, through whatever it is that we battle. no battles are fruitless, and nesta is the embodiment of that. whilst trauma will lay upon us open wounds, those open wounds will one day scar. and those scars that may never fade with age will only be just that - scars. this book is a symphony for those who one day thought they'd never make it. but you did. there will always be another tomorrow. the sun will always rise again. so breathe.

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sarahbeth97's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful fast-paced

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

4.0

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