Reader Rayna

Title: A Court of Frost and Starlight
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #3.5
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publish Date: May 21, 2019
Genre: Adult Romantasy Fantasy Romance
Pages: 229
Format: Hardcover

New in the #1 New York Times bestselling Court of Thorns and Roses series, A Court of Frost and Starlight is a glimpse into the lives of Feyre and Rhys as they begin to recover from the war that changed their world.

Feyre, Rhysand, 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 a far-reaching impact on the future of their Court.

As this is a sequel, there might be spoilers!

Going into this novella, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I found both charm and tension mixed into a story surrounding the upcoming Winter Solstice festivities in the fey realm. This story felt like a bridge between books three and four, providing some insight into what happened after the war at the end of ACOWAR, while leading into some of the details of what we could expect in ACOSF.

This novella managed to follow several points of view, though the primary ones were, of course, Feyre and Rhysand, as it was still their story and following along primarily in their relationship and goings on. However, we did get a few view points from Mor as she made some decisions for herself regarding her own life, as well as Cassian, showing a brief look as to what we could expect in the next installment that would follow him and Nesta for their story.

The plot, overall, was about family and coming together, of what happens after catastrophe and how coming together with others can be a truly healing experience – depending on where you are mentally, yourself. There were moments I found heartwarming, others devastating, some frustrating, but always wanting to see what would happen next, how everyone would eventually come together as a group to celebrate together while dealing with bigger things outside of them: new threats from various corners of the world looming ahead.

I felt that I got a good look into the meaning that was being driven home in this novella, while also seeing what the world outside of the group has also been dealing with, the lives lost and the lives that keep going. I think that Maas does a great job exploring mental health in these stories as she goes, and this one, though short, was no exception. It was subtle, but it was there.

And as I said, this was a bridge between two books. We got a glimpse as to what could be expected in the ACOSF, and boy oh boy am I glad I just continued on into the next book because I don’t think I could have waited long after that. We got to see just what war can wrought in a person – good and bad – and how a person might act and react as a result of it.

I felt so many emotions in this short story that I am definitely glad to have read it. If you’ve been reading the series and heard to “skip this one,” please don’t. I think that it has enough substance to stand on it’s own as the novella it’s meant to be, while also providing enough to look forward to in the continuing story to come.