Published by Bloomsbury May 1, 2018
Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult, New Adult, Romance
Pages 229
Hope warms the coldest night.
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.
“To the readers who look up at the stars and wish”
When I picked up A Court of Frost and Starlight, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The cover was slightly different than the previous three books, dark like the night sky with lacework designs and star motifs. Feyre’s dress is one any reader would recognize, her Starfall dress. Between the cover image and Sarah J Maas’s dedication, I found myself suddenly expecting a whimsical and romantic story, possibly with friendship, but also fanservice.
I can say I was right, but I was also disappointed.
A Court of Frost and Starlight was not really a story, it was more like the ending I was missing from A Court of Wings and Ruin. It was the epilogue and closer to Rhys and Feyre’s story that should have been there and wasn’t. That dampened the reading for me. I enjoyed the novella and smiled more than once and teared up once at another part, but it was not something that should have been its own book. This novella was an ending to a story and a bridge to what will come, while also having odds and ends thrown in - almost like deleted scenes form a DVD. It was too much in one book, messy bits and pieces, jumps in time.
The book opens with plenty of reflections from characters. Particularly Feyre, whose point of view dominates the chapters, with Rhy’s coming in a close second. While I enjoyed seeing her come to terms with her new role, fully embracing it and the Velaris community, that could have easily been in the third book to end her story. Rhy’s chapters could have easily been part of an epilogue for A Court of Wings and Ruin, as well. If not, then a part of Cassian’s future story because Cassian is a major component to the conflict brewing in Rhy’s chapters. Also, unpopular opinion, I can easily say I will be happy if I never read another sex scene between Feyre and Rhys again. The number of intimate scenes, thoughts, and innuendos was total fanservice and toed the line at smutty fanfiction material. I need something different from them, I need a break.
“Spreading his wings wide, Cassian took a final glance around the camp he’d razed to the ground. Another reminder, too: of what he was capable of when pushed too far.”
While Cassian only had two chapters to himself, they were some of the most important chapters and I am a little sad they were put into this to serve as a bridge to a new story in a later book rather than being held to make that later story even better. The same with Nesta’s appearances throughout the novella. The aftermath of the war and its affect one could have easily been part of an ending to A Court of Wings and Ruin and then started the next novel.
“The king—he had done this. To Elain. To Cassian.
And to her.
The icy water bit into the soles of her feet.
It was a bite of venom, a bite of a death so permanent that every inch of her roared in defiance.
She was going in, but she would not go gently. She would not go bowed to this Fae king.”
Luckily, we receive a teaser for the upcoming book at the end of the final chapter. Within a few lines I realized how excited and ready I was for a new story following different characters. I also realized just how much I didn’t love this novella. A teaser that was less than 5 pages long had me more excited and on the edge of my seat in anticipation than this novella did.
Overall, this is a 2 out of 5. It was a fast and okay read, but it wasn’t great. This is what should have ended the last book or just been released as free short stories online like countless other authors have done with their side stories and bits and pieces. In the end, it was a great marketing opportunity, but I want Mor to come to terms with who she is and eventually work towards forgiveness towards those who have wronged her. I want to see Cassian let go of his past while Nesta overcomes the horrors and pain she is experiencing. I want Azriel and Elain’s friendship to grow and see Elain come to accept her new life. I even want to see Tamlin develop beyond the character he is currently now that his storyline has more potential depth. I didn’t really get much of that in this story, I was hoping for more.
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