(A Court of Thorns and Roses Book #3.1, By: Sarah J. Maas)

SUMMARY:

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.

Published May 2018 by Bloomsbury YA

REVIEW:

Note: If you have not read the first three books in this series (A Court of Thorns and Roses & A Court of Mist and Fury & A Court of Wings and Ruin), there will be mild series spoilers below.

I gave this book 4 stars. This world and these characters are still at the top of my favorites list, so I generally enjoy anything to do with them. That said, this book was especially refreshing to me, since I felt that the third book in the series ended a bit abruptly. I wanted more time with the characters - and this novella (it is a novella, so don't go in expecting a full length novel!!) allowed me to have that extra time. 

This book really focused on tying up some loose ends from the third book. You get to go home with the night court characters and experience their post war life and how they are recovering, as well as see glimpses at what their futures might look like. Because of this setup, not a lot actually happens in this story. You don't have an intense plot that is taking up the action and attention. Instead, you sit back and bask in the glory of all of the relationships that Sarah created in the first three books. That's not to say there isn't drama to keep things interesting, but I rather enjoyed the slower paced, friendship and love focused aspects of this story as the final Feysand installment. 

Speaking of...I could read an impossible amount of books about Feyre and Rhysand and never dull of the epicness of their love story. I will always hold a place in my heart for their love and it was fun to get to spend time in that fairy tail for a few more pages. While I would always take more, and always feel there isn't enough of their story, I enjoyed what was here. If you are new to the series or unfamiliar, keep in mind that Sarah's romantic writing is more New Adult, and there are detailed sex scenes. As an adult, I love this aspect, but as a young teen looking to read a YA book her descriptions could be a little intense. 

Luckily, this book also perfectly sets up for the coming books that will be a spin off to this series. While I'm sad that we are leaving the High Lord and Lady of the Night Court behind for the future books, I honestly can't wait to follow the other characters around and see what is in store for them. This story allows you to really get a glimpse at what some of those stories might be about, and allows you to feel even more connected to and interested in those characters. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and thought it did a wonderful job at both drawing a well rounded finish to one story, while also opening up doors for new stories in the future. 

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Have you read this book? Let me know what you think in the comments below!

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