"So live, Nesta Archeron.”

Growth. Friendship. Female empowerment.

I actually finished this book a while ago but it has taken me a while to write this out. I wanted to wrap my head around everything I just read and to give it the review it deserved. This book wasn't my favourite in the series but I can honestly say I really enjoyed this book and I'm very excited to see what comes next.

From here on out there will be spoilers- you've been warned...

This book was told from Nesta and Cassian's points of view which I loved. Nesta has always been a character who stood out to me. For a secondary character, she always had a lot of depth to her. We last saw Nesta in a dark spiral of heavy drinking in sketchy bars, meaningless hookups with strangers and pushing away everyone who cares about her. Well, her family and friends have finally had enough. They decide they are cutting her off financially and sending her up to the House of Wind to live with Cassian and Azriel. She is to work in the library and train in the Windhaven Camp with Cassian. If she wishes to partake in her previous endeavors, she will have to walk down all 10,000 steps into Velaris.

Nesta's growth as a character is the main focus of this book. She becomes the strong, powerful women she was always meant to be. Healing is the core of the novel. Nesta's long road of individual healing while helping others heal beautiful to read. Her journey was raw, the struggles were relatable and overall it was emotional while still being consistent with her character. I think her journey overpowered other plot points in the book but by the end I was satisfied with the development all the characters but specifically hers.

My favourite part of the book was the friendship between Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie. These women all are suffering from traumatic events in their past and it brings them together and creates a very strong, emotional bond. They understand each other in ways no one else will. I think these women are amazing role models to women all over the world and an inspiration for those dealing with their own issues. They embody female empowerment which is so refreshing in today's society. I'm a little disappointed that the three of them didn't get to win The Rite together the way Rhys, Az and Cassian did years before them. However, I think Nesta sacrificing herself for her friends was a huge step in her character development and truly shows how far she has come since A Court Of Thorns And Roses. I love these ladies so much and am very excited to see the Valkyrie kick ass in the upcoming novels.

Also, it finally happened. Cassian and Nesta are mates.

Now that we have talked about all the important things, let's talk about what I didn't love. Feyre's pregnancy and the Valkyrie's had great rhythm but many of the other plot lines felt a little underdeveloped and rushed to me. As the book got closer to the end it didn't appear that there would be enough time to deal with Braillyn and The Rite. I thought Nesta going after the Harp and Mask was setting up a battle with the Queen for the next book. I assumed the girls would finish The Rite and find out Cassian had been abducted by Braillyn and the next book would be about that. So needless to say I was I was shocked when Nesta encountered her and Cassian towards the end of the novel. I enjoyed the book but I think it needed more scenes regarding to the plot and a lot less sex.

In my A Court Of Thorns And Roses review, I talked about how Sarah did an amazing job balancing the plot and the steamy scenes. I feel like she lost the balance a little bit in this one. There was a lot of sex and it was really descriptive. I understand that her YA readers who started with her in 2018 are adults now but I think that she took it a bit too far. Her spicy scenes in the other novels were sprinkled throughout and they became memorable like that paint scene! I think Nesta and Cassian deserved those moments after everything they have been through together instead it felt like they were hooking up in some way every single chapter. The scenes are cruder than her usual style which I didn't mind because it fits with their personalities compared to Rhys and Feyre. Overall, it just seemed like it took away from the rest of the book. I'm not saying I don't want spice, I'm just hoping in the future the balance is restored.

This wasn't a reread this time around but I know when the time comes I will be happy to do so. A Court of (insert name here)... I'm waiting for you <3