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Over the previous year, Feyre Acheron’s life has been marked by war and conflict. In order to save the lives of her loved ones, she has undergone serious trials and faced deadly enemies. Now, the war with Hybern is over, and Feyre’s new challenge is to adjust to times of peace and a more relaxed pace of life. A Court of Frost and Starlight explores the new challenges that arise when the dust of war has settled and a new, tentative peace emerges.
As those living in Velaris slowly begin to rebuild their lives, Feyre throws herself into her new responsibilities as High Lady of the Night Court. Instead of leading armies or defeating powerful foes, she learns to listen to the needs of her subjects and to inspire hope in others. At first, Feyre struggles to strike a healthy balance between attending to her own personal needs and her duties as a political leader. Through art, however, Feyre finds a way to connect her passions to her mission to improve the lives of those around her. During the war, painting seemed like an unnecessary extravagance. After Ressina recognizes her as a fellow artist, however, Feyre reconnects with an aspect of her identity that she has long neglected. At first, she paints in private as she does not want others to see the messy and complicated feelings that will emerge in her art. As she loses herself in her work, she rediscovers what drew her to art in the first place. Through painting, she processes the feelings and emotions that she is not comfortable sharing with others and does not understand herself. The novel, then, emphasizes the therapeutic aspects of artistic creation and suggests that art can play a significant role in the processes of healing from grief and trauma. Though art is, for Feyre, a private activity, she feels that others would also appreciate its value. Her plan to offer art lessons to children who have been traumatized by the war allows her to use her own skills and interests to help others.
Though Feyre makes notable progress in her goal of improving the lives of her subjects, she finds it much more difficult to help her own loved ones. Family, in this novel, can be a major source of strength but also a site of strife and conflict. While Elain has made great strides in her progress of recovering from the trauma of her transformation, which she did not consent to, Nesta has withdrawn further into herself. When confronted by Cassian, her mate, Nesta insists that she wants nothing to do with the new life and new family that Feyre has so carefully fostered. Privately, she acknowledges that she no longer feels anything at all, not even anger or sadness. Feyre is, in both her role as High Lady and in her personal life, a natural leader whose tendency is to motivate others. It is difficult, then, for her to accept that there is nothing for her to do, at present, for Nesta. Though she knows that she must give Nesta more time to heal, waiting proves to be a particularly difficult challenge for Feyre due to her action-oriented nature.
While Feyre focuses on helping the people of Velaris, Rhysand’s attention is drawn to other areas of Prythian. After hearing reports that Tamlin has not secured the border to the human realm that falls within his territory, Rhysand pays a reluctant visit to the Spring Court to visit Tamlin, whom he has long regarded as an enemy. There is little love between the two men, and Rhysand blames Tamlin not only for the deaths of his own mother and sister, but also the mistreatment of Feyre. While Rhysand finds it easy to forgive those who have wronged him, he finds it much more difficult to offer forgiveness to those who have wronged his loved ones, reflecting his tendency to prioritize others over himself. Though he hates Tamlin, he understands that his responsibilities as a leader must come before his personal feelings and helps his long-time rival get back on his feet in order to maintain stability in Prythian. In negotiating for troops to secure the border and assuming responsibility for Tamlin, Rhysand begins to serve not only as a leader of the Night Court, but of all Prythian.
The relative calm in Prythian provides opportunities for other characters to reflect upon their pasts and make plans for the future. Cassian, for example, returns to the village of his birth, which is now little more than a pile of rubble and ash. As he looks around the ruins of the village, he recalls the social prejudices that lead to his unwed mother’s mistreatment. Where in the past he was motivated to avenge her through acts of violence, killing those whom he held responsible for her death, he now attempts to reform Illyrian society, which he still feels a strong connection to despite opposing the sexism that is deeply entrenched in Illyrian culture.
Though Feyre, Rhysand, and their loved ones know that there are many challenges, both old and new, to address in the future, the novel concludes with a strong message of hope. A handful of young Illyrian females have enrolled in combat training, signaling the possibility of real progress in their extremely sexist society. A formerly shuttered studio now hosts groups of children who learn to better understand their feelings through art, and a new house will be built on the estate of a manor that was once destroyed. Feyre and Rhysand affirm their faith in one another, and in the future, in their decision to have a child and start a family despite the risks that may lie ahead.
