Good But Bland || Review Of A Court of Frost and Starlight By Sarah J. Maas

As I have raved in my past reviews on the ACOTAR series, Sarah J. Maas is an incredible writer; an expert at holding her readers’ attention. Once you begin, you never want to stop until you are through with the entire series. After finishing the third book, A Court Of Wings And Ruin, I couldn't take a break. No, sir! I immediately delved into the next book but it turns out it's the author's first novella in this series titled A Court Of Frost And Starlight.

If you're new to this series, it's a high fantasy centred around faeries and mortals. A young human girl, Feyre Archeron, is taken to Prythian (fae realm), ‘made’ fae after facing a series of trials and becomes mated to the high lord of the Night Court. She's now a power, aka, a high lady of the Night Court. But there are forces threatening the peace of the two realms which results in a terrifying war.

This novella focuses on the aftermath of the war. Feyre, Rhysand and their close-knit circle of friends return to the city of starlight, Verlaris, to rebuild it and also prepare for the Winter Solstice festivity. As each of the characters deal with the after-effects of the war, Feyre must confront her fear of Prythian’s future and whether the peace treaties will stand. She meets citizens of her city, glimpses their wounds from the war, their pain and must decide how best to help them.

On the other hand, her sisters, Nesta and Elain, must deal with their demons and loss from the war. Can these characters move forward after their unexpected loss in the Hybern war?

Review

When I started to read this novella, I thought it was unnecessary (perhaps a commercial venture) and could have formed the start of the next book in the series. After finishing it, I understood the need for a breather before A Court Of Silver Flames. This book is more like a bridge connecting A Court Of Wings And Ruin to the next one. It kind of closes the door on Feyre and Rhysand arc and prepares to submerge readers into the plots of Nesta and Cassian and other main characters in this series.

Unlike books one to three that were captivating and addictive, this novella felt like a chore for me. It's just 232 pages but it took me more than three days to finish it. I appreciate that the author takes a dive into the emotions and actions of her characters after the war, but it felt like a drag. There's minimal action in it. Some chapters, especially those of Feyre and Rhysand, are riveting while others are boring.

Sarah J. Maas structures this novella differently from the other books. She gives us a glimpse into the characters’ everyday lives through alternating points of view. There are separate chapters for Feyre, Rhysand, Morrigan, Cassian, Nesta and Azriel. I commend her for this change in narrative style as it lets readers into the mind and thoughts of these characters. We see their pasts and understand the decisions they make in the present.

The romance between our main characters is toned down a little as they busy themselves with the peace treaties but during the solstice celebration, they give us an unforgettable steamy scene. There's a budding romance happening between Nesta and Cassian, and a love triangle between Elain, Azriel and Lucien.

The development of the characters are getting better though I'm not a fan of Nesta at the moment. I like that this book lays the groundwork for the next one and hints at some storylines that could be featured in it such as Morrigan, Azriel and Elain. These characters are unique and interesting, and deserve their stories to be told perhaps in a separate book.

Overall, this novella is good but not as engrossing as the others before it. I'll give it a generous 3 out of 5.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Check out my previous reviews:

Intensely Gripping || Review Of A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) by Sarah J. Maas

Addictive And Compelling || Review Of A Court of Mist And Fury by Sarah J. Maas

Action-Packed And Entertaining || Review Of A Court of Wings and Ruin By Sarah J. Maas

^{Thumbnail Image: Book cover is from my e-library and edited in Canva
Image credit: L_Moonii
Note: Quotes in this post are excerpts from the book}