Nesta’s journey inA Court of Silver Flamessees her character undergo a huge transformation. Not only does she retake control over her life, but deals with her long-suppressed trauma and allows herself to be vulnerable with others throughout the narrative. Nesta’s character arc is one of the best inSarah J. Maas' popular fantasy series, and by the end of the novel she finally accepts Cassian as her mate — even expressing her love for him. However, one problem fans have withA Court of Silver Flames' ending is that Cassian does not say he loves her back.
Given the somewhat anticlimactic conclusion toNesta and Cassian’s story inA Court of Silver Flames, many fans are hopeful that Maas will take the time to rectify this moment in a future book. But as it is widely expected that Maas plans to center thenextCourt of Thorns and Rosesbookaround Elain,it’s unlikely Nesta and Cassian will be a major focus throughout the narrative.However, it’s possible glimpses of their love story will still be seen through Elain or Azriel’s POV, and finally deliver the moment fans of the series have been waiting for.
Cassian Doesn’t Tell Nesta He Loves Her In A Court Of Silver Flames & It’s Underwhelming
Their Romantic Arc Feels Stifled In This Moment
After waiting for over 700 pages for Nesta to accept the mating bond and admit to herself she loves Cassian, the moment she finally tells him is a bit underwhelming — especially when Cassian fails to respond with those three pivotal words.Nesta’s moment of vulnerability was a huge step for her character after hiding much of her true nature behind a cold exteriorand barbed comments for much of the book. Their love story would have been made stronger if Cassian’s genuine, heartfelt response was revealed in tandem with her own.
“Pleading shone in his eyes. Pleading and fear and—and love.
Love she did not deserve, had never once deserved, but there it was. Just as it had been there from the instant they’d met.”
– A Court of Silver Flames, Chapter 74
However, an argument can be made that Cassian’s actions in the novel show how much he truly loves her, which they do. Nesta even explains that she can see the love in Cassian’s eyes at the end of Chapter 74 when he’s being controlled by Briallyn. But for a character who has admitted to feeling unworthy of love on multiple occasions, it would have been nice to hear Cassian say “I love you” back, if only to help heal the part of Nesta that believed she was less than.
The 6th ACOTAR Book Should Fix The Previous Novel’s Ending Problem, Even If It’s About Other Characters
Nesta & Cassian’s Relationship Will Still Be Featured To An Extent
Readers have taken issue withA Court of Silver Flames' ending, and Cassian’s response to Nesta’s declaration of love has been extensively debated online. However,Maas has the opportunity to fix this polarizing issuein thesixthA Court of Thorns and Rosesnovel, even if it’s focused on other characters. As with Maas' otherACOTARnovels, the sixth will center around a single protagonist and their love interests, largely assumed to be Elain, Azriel, and Lucien. However, the novel will still showcase interactions between other characters, similar to how Feyre and Rhys' subplot played out inACOSF.
This will allow Maas to continue Nesta and Cassian’s romantic arc through the narrative’s subplot, and hopefully clear up the issues readers have with their underwhelming conclusion.
This will allow Maas to continue Nesta and Cassian’s romantic arc through the narrative’s subplot, and hopefully clear up the issues readers have with their underwhelming conclusion. It’s clear fromACOSF’s ending that both Nesta and Cassian’s mating ceremony is just around the corner, and if Elain’s story were to kick off around the same timeline, it would provide readers a pivotal glimpse into their relationship. Seeing this moment play out on-page will help to wrap up Nesta and Cassian’s love story nicely, and give readers the ending they’ve wanted sinceA Court of Silver Flames' release.
A Court of Thorns and Roses
2015
A Court of Mist and Fury
2016
A Court of Wings and Ruin
2017
A Court of Frost and Starlight(novella)
2018
2021
A Court of Thorns and Rosesbook #6
