A Court of Frost and Starlight
Ratings813
Average rating3.5
I liked this, but I was so hoping for more action. This is all about the feelings and how the group has progressed since the last book.
₊˚⊹♡ pre-reading
all I have thought about is this universe i'm so excited i couldn't stay way, my may TBR has gone out the window and I'm not even sorry about it
︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶⠀୨♡୧⠀︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶
may tbr:
ಇ. salt to the sea
ಇ. powerless
ಇ. house of earth and blood
ಇ. everyone in my family has killed someone
ಇ. bride
ಇ. listen for the lie
ಇ. she's not sorry
ಇ. love on the brain
ಇ. the familiar
ಇ. a court of wings and ruin
+ a good girl's guide to murder
+ the clinic
+ a court of frost and starlight
A short quick read. It was different being in each persons POV. But it wasn't actually. It was still third person just different stories. It was kind of a pointless holiday special. Cute I guess but nothing exciting happened. I wish we got some more passion or smut even in this one.
Summary: A very special Solstice (Christmas) edition.
I am of an age where we lived through “very special episodes” not just made fun of them. After a TV show had a hundred episodes and could go to syndication, then it would have a couple of seasonal episodes that would always be shown out of season during syndication. I kept waiting for this the purpose of this book and I never really found it.
The book is overshadowed by recovery from “the war.” But the war was really a couple of battles. We know from previous discussions that 500 years ago there was a war that had lasted for years. And we know that the Rhys and others had been captured for nearly 50 years. I am not asking for more war narrative, but three battles without a real peace settlement doesn't feel to me like the end of the war is here. So the whole premise of the book, Feyre and others trying to come to terms with the trauma of the war, seems off.
Most of the story revolves around the solstice celebration and buying or gifting presents. And people hanging out and being a bit overcrowded in the townhouse and there still being tension between Feyre and her sisters. In the end, Feyre find some purpose and vocation in helping other with her art. And not everyone else has started healing their trauma. But nothing else really moved.
This is a forgettable book that didn't add to the story and feels like an add on after the previous trilogy. And nothing about it makes me want to bother picking up the next book.
originally posed on my blog at https://bookwi.se/a-court-of-frost-and-starlight/
perfect Christmas “episode”, cute and full of warmth and it gives a sweet ending to Rhys and Feyre, even if they are present in the last book
This volume in the series was still an “ok” book, but felt like an intermission, or interlude. Like... wait... we know you're waiting and we're trying to get everything together backstage as quickly as we can!
This was a great break in the series. I absolutely loved getting the different character pov's! I am so excited to see what's in store for the next book.
better read around christmastime but very lovely, love the concept of life going on for these characters past the end of the book bc yes im attached by now
Unfortunately, I really struggled to get through this book. I thought Maas couldn't do any worse than the last book (which I thought was just OK.), but I felt like this book on its own was pretty unnecessary. The biggest thing is that there is no plot. It's just all the characters celebrating the solstice, deciding what they're going to get everyone as gifts, painting, and a little bit of Feyre in conflict with Nesta. Secondly, I'm just not a fan of the character perspectives changing every couple chapters, especially when some perspectives are in the first person and some are in the third person. Because of this, I had a hard time keeping track of what was going on. I will say it was nice at times to see what happened beyond Feyre's perspective, and I understand why Maas chose to write the book this way, but I think there were several chapters that could have been written from Feyre's perspective as more of a rehashing to limit the confusion of going back and forth. The last negative that I have - and this is something that I've had a problem with throughout the series - is that the magic system seems to have fewer and fewer rules. In the first book, it seemed like there were very specific abilities that very specific individuals were able to possess, but as time has gone on, the magic has become too convenient with people able to make things appear and disappear, move, and turn on and turn off with only a simple thought. I wish Maas would have gone into more detail at this point to explain the boundaries of the magic system so that I could better suspend my disbelief.
Now, some pros, because there had to be some if I didn't DNF the book. Maas, as always, did a wonderful job of writing extremely vivid scenes with multi-dimentional characters. Also, while there wasn't much of a plot, there was still some conflict between characters that allowed for further character development which I think will set things up nicely for the next book. Granted, I did feel like there was lots of dialogue that was forced and just didn't feel natural, but the characters' personalities and values remained consistent throughout. Lastly, one of the reasons I absolutely loved ACOMAF was Maas' ability to show trauma in her characters, and she certainly carries that through in this book as well. I loved the developments on Nesta, and I'm looking forward to reading more of her story in the next book.
I appreciate that the conflict here is interpersonal and community based instead of worldly. Yes it's a break, but it's also a totally different type of turmoil. Part of war is rebuilding, acknowledging the aftermath, and fostering better relationships with your friends, family, and community. While this could've used a bit more drama, it's still very interesting to me. At the same time, I'm not sure if the prose was good enough for this to be worthy of its own book. Stuck to the intro of another book, this might work because it felt like one of those sections in Sarah J Mass books that's just downtime for the obvious tragedy and drama that's coming soon. But we never get the drama that's coming soon. There's honestly a lot of resolution here to say a 700 page behemoth comes next.
The smut was unnecessary but not bad. And it set up the Cassian/Nesta thing very well. Ultimately this was decent and not as bad as people made it seem!
This is also not skippable in the series. **spoiler part* Things you'll miss: new homes!, nesta and cassian relationship, tamlin just in general, feyre's place in velaris community (new character as well) and more.
I don't know why people are so upset. This book fulfilled it's role as a filler very well, and acted as an epilogue of sorts for Rhysand and Feyre. It wasn't supposed to be plot heavy at all, so it's unfair to judge the book for the lack of it.
Just barely 3. Barely.
Nothing much happens & it's so short compared to the other novels that it feels rushed and unnessecary. Sure it's still enjoyable to read but it's definitely the most boring of the series.
Here's two things that drive me nuts about this whole series:
1.) everyone is barring their teeth. It's such a common phrase here but like.... why?
2.) I hate the word mate and I roll my eyes every time.
For once we get to enjoy the heroes getting a chance to just live their (mostly happy) lives after a hard won victory! This was a cute, cozy read!
It was nice to get a chance to get into the heads of some of the other Dreamers, but I did find myself sometimes forgetting who's POV I was in because either I wasn't used to the voice, or it was too similar to Feyre's.
I can't wait to see everything River House will be!
this was a christmas special.
nothing boils my blood like christmas specials.
trees were murdered to fuel this literary injustice. #savethetrees
I know that many found this boring, but this is what I always wish for when I finish a series or stand alone. I want to see what happens after, when there is no crisis. I want to see the every day stuff. There's still some tension and conflict here, but it's only slightly touched upon. It was just a sweet break from war.
Sweet and short novel to have in between the two massive books.
I really liked it as it's own little insight of what happen after ACOWAR.
I feel that nesta is such a complex character and I can't wait for ACOSF!
3 ⭐️ it was nice but it's pretty much just a bridge between the first trilogy and the second trilogy. kinda boring, but at least it was fast
Took me a little longer than I wanted to read, mostly cause I was so busy with things. But the end had me happy tearing up and smiling. A cute little Christmas special indeed.
I don't know how to rate this - it reads like fanfiction in every way. Also as much as I love Rhys, if I have to read about Feyra's curling toes one more time, I'm out.