A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas – Review

Published: May 1, 2018

Publisher: Bloomsbury YA

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #3.1

Pages: 272 (Hardcover)

My Rating: 2.5/5.0

Synopsis:

Feyre, Rhys, and their close-knit circle of friends are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly-changed world beyond. But Winter Solstice is finally near, and with it, 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, she finds that those dearest to her have more wounds than she anticipated–scars that will have far-reaching impact on the future of their Court.

I wouldn’t consider this series to be one known for its depth, so my expectations for the novella weren’t all that high. This was purely a “junkfood” read and it was satisfying when viewed through that lens. A Court of Frost and Starlight deals with the aftermath of the first three books and is intended to be a bridge story to prepare for a new set of books set in this world. I’ll be honest, I’m pretty excited for some more full length books featuring these characters especially given the snippet of the next book that was included.

I feel like this goes without saying, but this will probably contain spoilers for the first three books and I wouldn’t recommend reading this without reading those first.

Feyre is growing accustomed to being High Lady following the events of ACOWAR and she and her circle are all dealing with events differently. Nesta and Elaine are newly made fey and Nesta is still being such a monster about everything. I seriously wish someone would just punch her lights out, but apparently she’s just too scary. She treats everyone so poorly and Elaine can’t seem to get over her old life either, despite the fact that there’s nothing left for her there. Feyre accepted becoming one of the fey with so much more grace. Also, I have to admit I just don’t care for the Illyrians as a whole (Cas and Azriel are great).

Overall, this was a super quick yet entertaining read. It wasn’t a masterpiece and it was certainly nothing to rave over, but I’d say it’s an essential read if you’re a fan of the series. It deals with the PTSD effects that come from being in crisis situations and seeing lots of people getting chopped to bits. Just remember, you’ll enjoy this book more if you have no/low expectations.