A Court of Thorns & Rosesmakes a major change to the series' storytelling approach during Nesta’s book, anda great theory aboutA Court of Silver Flamesmight explain why. Thefirst threeACOTARbooksunfold from Feyre’s perspective, as does Sarah J. Maas’A Court of Frost & Starlightnovella. That’s because these books chronicle Feyre and Rhysand’s story, as well as the aftermath of the war between Prythian and Hybern. The fifthACOTARnovel,A Court of Silver Flames,begins a new narrative that puts Nesta at the center of the story.
This is a big shift, as Nesta and Feyre are very different characters — andMaas goes so far as to change the perspective ofA Court of Silver Flamesto drive that point home.A Court of Silver Flamesis told from a third-person point of view, which is a big shift from its predecessors. Feyre’s books are told using first-person narration, and it’s interesting that the author makes the jump to third-person after four books. One brilliant theory chalks this up to Nesta’s characterization.
Brilliant Court Of Thorns & Roses Theory Explains The POV Change In Nesta’s Book
Nesta Keeps Other Characters & The Readers At A Distance
AReddittheory aboutA Court of Silver Flamesseeks to explain why Nesta’s book is told from a third-person perspective when Feyre’s novels are all in first-person. The first fourACOTARbooks place readers directly in Feyre’s head, giving them access to all her thoughts and feelings. WhileACOSF’s third-person POV doesn’t totally remove us from Nesta’s experience, it does put readers at a distance. And Reddit user Hot-Volume-8082 posits that Maas' choice to use a third-person perspective stems from the fact thatNesta’s mind isn’t easy to penetrate.
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We see this inA Court of Thorns & Roses,when Tamlin takes Feyre away and places a glamour on her father and sisters. This is supposed to prevent them from remembering what happened, but this trick doesn’t work on Nesta. It’s not clear if there’s something that makes Nesta special in this regard or if this is just the result of her strong-willed personality. Either way,Tamlin can’t get into her head as easily as the others'. And we see throughout the series that even her family and friends don’t always pick up on what she’s going through or thinking.
By placing a distance between readers and Nesta, Maas drives home the fact that Nesta isn’t as open or mentally accessible as Feyre.
TheCourt of Silver Flamestheory suggests that the book’s perspective change is meant to reflect this, extending this element of Nesta’s personality to the readers. By placing a distance between readers and Nesta, Maas drives home the fact that Nesta isn’t as open or mentally accessible as Feyre. It does make sense given their characterizations, and if this theory is true, it means thesixthACOTARbookcould return to a first-person POV.
This Theory Could Mean A Return To Form In The Sixth ACOTAR Book
If The Next Book Is Elain’s, It Could Feature A First-Person POV
If thisCourt of Thorns & Rosestheory proves correct, it could mean a return to form in Maas' next addition to the series. The author has already confirmed that another book is on the horizon, and many readers believe it will tell Elain Archeron’s story.Elain is nowhere near as closed off as Nesta, so a novel featuring her as the main character could embrace a first-person POV.
There’s currently no release date for the nextACOTARbook, but Maas confirmed it’s the next project she’s working on afterCrescent City 3.
Assuming the perspective change is an intentional choice on Maas' part,it would make sense to use whichever one best fits Elain’s personality. Elain is more emotive and compassionate than Nesta, so a first-person POV could work well for her. Only time will tell if Maas goes this route, or if she simply uses a third-person narration style for anyA Court of Thorns & Rosesbook that doesn’t follow Feyre.
