A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas is a companion tale for A Court of Thorns and Roses series. The events take part after the third book.
(Warning: there are spoilers here for the other books in the series).
Feyre, Rhysand and their friends of the Inner Circle are recovering from the events in the last book. Feyre’s sisters have moved to Velaris, and together they are trying to build up the pieces of themselves, their city and their world. They are preparing for Winter Solstice (similar to our Christmas), trying to feel content while taking the rest they deserve. Feyre is learning her place as High Lady and finds her own way of helping the people of Velaris to heal, as well as herself. The friends take to shopping and gift-giving to celebrate that they are alive, but many shadows loom in the future and the evidence of more dark times are all too clear.
The Good:
- This book may tie with first as my favourite of the series. It is unique in the way that it shares the character’s lives in the months after was—how they are picking up the pieces. So often in other series or books, the war ends, and there may be a satisfying amount of wrapping up, but this takes it one step further. It conveys healing in the minor and major scale.
-The world and characters are so intricately entwined. Everything is real in a way I haven’t found anywhere else. There are so many breathtakingly human and creative moments. It was perfect.
-There were many positive, meaningful moments, and so many hilarious ones. This book contains some of my favourite scenes in the series so far, such as: What do Rhysand, Azriel and Cassian get up to every Winter Solstice morning? How is Amren going with eating proper food, and how does she spend her time? What happens when Rhys and Feyre are truly connected in not just body but mind? What’s the real deal between Mor and Azriel? Morrigan was already one of my favourite characters but is so much more now.
-Despite the festivities, not all things are mended. There is a sense of unrest creating a desire to want to read the next book straight away (but it’s not published yet!).
-One of the significant things I took away from this book was the inspiration to follow your heart. For creative types out there, this was food for the creative soul or those beginning new ventures. I loved what Feyre decided to do for her new people.
The Bad:
- Not a personal complaint, but I’ve read reviews where people were unhappy that this book didn’t have a strong plot. There were side plot type events such as hoping that Nesta will turn up for Soltice, or Feyre’s journey of navigating her new life. But I liked that it was relaxed and to see the characters when they weren’t saving the world. The characters deserved it. This book was important as every character has something personal to work through within themselves and with each other, ranging from the events in the last book or from hundreds of years earlier. This book explores many of these things and sets up events for the continuation of the series.
-There was a lot of shopping, but it was Winter Solstice! And this shopping was an initiation for many of the critical events to happen. It also created a more in-depth portrayal of the characters, both principal and fleeting.
Quotes:
“High Lady of the Night Court, Defender of the Rainbow and the…Desk.”
“You were born on the longest night of the year…You were meant to be at my side from the very beginning.”
“In his stare, I could have sworn galaxies swirled. In the shadows between his wings, the glorious depths of the night dwelled.”
“…and decided to hell with waiting. Putting life off didn’t make a lick of sense. I knew what I wanted, There was no reason to delay.”
5 Stars
Read: February 2020
Published: 2018
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