Nesta Archeron from A Court of Silver Flames might just be one of the meanest characters I’ve ever read AND one of the best characters I’ve ever read, and if that’s not a reflection of Sarah Janet Maas’s ability to write a damn good redemption arc, I don’t know what is.
A few years ago, I was severely apprehensive to start reading A Court of Silver Flames after finishing A Court of Frost and Starlight (a book that is literally amazing and doesn’t get enough credit, but that’s a blog post for another day lol). Like many, I absolutely fell in love with Feyre’s journey while also becoming completely enamored by Rhysand—aka. The most handsome High Lord. I wanted so desperately to stay in that Lavender Haze.
But I had yet to read an SJM novel I didn’t love and obviously I had to continue reading the series that made me fall in love with the fantasy genre as an adult. So I soldiered on! And I was not disappointed. I went into it thinking I might not enjoy it as much as the other books, but when I came out on the other side, I knew it would be a story that would stick with me forever. I officially became a Nesta convert.
Remember in Mean Girls when what’s-her-face was like “One time, she punched me in the face—it was awesome.” ? THOSE ARE THE VIBES that so accurately align with the tug I felt between hating Nesta and being absolutely in awe of her.
I talked about this a little bit on my Instagram stories when we did a restock of our Valkyries design last week, but when I first read this book, I was not in a great place mentally. I’m not saying that reading ACOSF completely turned that around for me (Sertraline is largely to thank for that lol), BUT this book came to me at a time when I could really use some lessons on self-discovery and female empowerment in my life. Like Nesta, I had a habit of keeping good things and people at arm's length because of the nagging voice in my head telling me I wasn’t deserving of them. I was talking to someone on Instagram the other day who said “I swear this book comes to you when you need it most,” and I know that’s a sentiment so many of us can relate to. I hope you are in a good place mentally, but if you’re not, please know that there are a whole host of resources out there that can help you—whether they are fiction books, self-help books, therapy, exercise, medication, or just talking things out with a friend, I hope you find your Ataraxia.
Thankfully we don’t have to climb thousands of stairs, get kidnapped by a bunch of angry males who are freaked out by periods, and be forced to participate in a bloody competition by said males in order to get some mental clarity and peace. Nesta, Gwyn, and Emerie walked so we could RUN!!!
Last but not least, I’m going to leave you all with some of my absolute favorite quotes from A Court of Silver Flames:
*resists the urge to type out entire book*
“I cannot survive without reading.”
“Keep reaching out your hand.”
“That's the key, isn't it? To know the darkness will always remain, but how you choose to face it, handle it... that's the most important part. To not let it consume. To focus upon the good, the things that fill you with wonder." She gestured to the stars zooming past. "The struggle with that darkness is worth it, just to see such things.”
“I am going to tell you that you will get through it. That you will face this, and you will get through it. That these tears are good, Nesta. These tears mean you care. I am going to tell you that it is not too late, not for any of it. And I can't tell you when, or how, but it will get better. What you feel, this guilt and pain and self-loathing- you will get through it. But only if you are willing to fight. Only if you are willing to face it, and embrace it, and walk through it, to emerge on the other side of it. And maybe you will still feel that tinge of pain, but there is another side. A better side.”
“She was a wolf who had never learned how to be a wolf, thanks to that cage humans called propriety and society. And like any maltreated animal, she bit anyone who came near.”
“Your story is worth telling, you know.”
“The world was beautiful, and she was so grateful to be in it. To be alive, to be here, to see this. She stuck out a hand over the railing, grazing a star as it shot past, and her fingers came away glowing with blue and green dust. She laughed, a sound of pure joy, and she cried more, because that joy was a miracle.”
Keep climbing your mountains, Valkyries.
Until next time,
