A Court of Frost and Starlight

This section of A Court of Frost and Starlight observes Feyre, Rhys, and their friends and family several months after the defeat of Hybern in A Court of Wings and Ruin. Each character struggles with memories of the war and the past—highlighting the theme of Healing After Trauma and Loss—while rebuilding their home city of Velaris, preventing conflicts within their own court, and creating a more lasting peace between all the fae courts. These alliances also protect humans across the border, who are at risk from hostile fae after the protective magical wall fell during the war. This section provides exposition not only for the stories of Feyre and Rhys but also for the journeys of Cassian and Mor.

Feyre’s inner journey of healing and discovering her true purpose is set up in this section as she meets Ressina. Feyre notes that, despite feeling satisfied with the vital work she does to help rebuild Velaris, she feels that there is “more that [she] could do to help. Personally. [She] just ha[s]n’t figured it out yet” (7-8). Feyre feels that something is missing, and part of her knows that she should perhaps turn to her art, but she feels guilty and selfish in this desire. In the post-war environment, many fae are suffering, and High Fae like Feyre and Rhys can help the wounded and unhoused. Though Feyre craves a release, she only lets herself watch the snow fall or briefly read a book rather than returning to painting. However, when Feyre observes one of the abandoned homes, meets Ressina, and is invited to join a group of artists at a nearby studio to paint together, her return to art is foreshadowed, as well as the healing art practices that she will establish for children. Feyre thinks about painting often after this meeting, turning artistic expression into an important part of her character. This suppression of her artistic expression creates tension in the text and demonstrates the severity of Feyre’s post-war guilt: She feels like she must only give. Feyre also briefly describes the task of stepping into her role as High Lady more fully, recognizing that she loves her new home and wishes to make it as much a part of herself as Rhys. Despite this sense of belonging, Feyre feels an even greater responsibility to help the Velaris fae before helping herself.

Rhys’s character arc involves finding the best ways to support his family as he copes with his own lingering post-war emotions, revealing the ways in which he, like Feyre, is focused on the needs of others before his own. The couple’s home is cluttered because they aren’t prioritizing themselves, which shows their good character but suggests that they will learn to take the time to heal. Both Rhys’s and Cassian’s perspectives introduce Cassian’s attempts to make things better among his people, the Illyrians, as well as his lingering rage and pain over how they treated his mother. Cassian’s experience also demonstrates a strong sense of justice toward Illyrian women, which Rhys supports, highlighting The Power of Love and Friendship in Overcoming Adversity. Mor similarly struggles with her own distant past, as she was tortured by her family and betrothed to an emotionally abusive man, Eris. However, rather than fully blaming her family or Eris, Mor feels the burden of guilt, freezing in a memory until Rhys pulls her back to the present. This presents an opposite approach to Cassian, who angrily fights for justice before stepping away to calm himself. Both Cassian and Mor, however, are dutiful and loving friends to Rhys, urging him to find some peace even if they cannot. In this sense, the characters look after each other in the wake of a brutal war.

The Importance of Tradition for Community becomes a clear theme through the emphasis on the Winter Solstice holiday. Feyre encounters the importance of the holiday to the Velaris community when she describes having been shooed away from charitable work and told to “go home and enjoy the holiday” (7). Rhys also insists that Cassian take time away from his responsibilities at the Illyrian camp and celebrate the Winter Solstice with everyone. The Solstice becomes an event of major importance to Rhys, who is determined to create time for rest and joy for his loved ones, who have suffered so much. In ensuring that others rest, Rhys also inadvertently guarantees his own restoration, particularly if he can help Feyre relax with her sisters.

This section introduces the struggles of the characters in healing after trauma and loss. Feyre and Rhys illustrate that they have found a balance of support and space that works for them: “It had been our unspoken bargain from the start—to listen when the other needed, and give space when it was required” (49). Feyre still struggles, but it is clear that she and Rhys are taking the steps they need to heal and lean into the power of love and friendship in overcoming adversity. However, the couple feels far apart in their post-war emotions, sharing sadness with each other but no joy. Some of the other characters appear to struggle more, like Mor and Cassian, but Rhys and Feyre must reconcile with the betrayal of Tamlin, who aided Hybern after they spied on him. Additionally, Tamlin was Feyre’s first love, and the complexities of these relationships have had no time to resolve because they first faced Feyre’s trials and then war. However, despite their pain, most of the characters lean into the support of their loved ones to help them move on. The character struggling the most, however, is Nesta, and Cassian asks Rhys if she will be at the Winter Solstice festivities. Feyre worries for both her sisters, who were forced into becoming High Fae through torture at the hands of Hybern, and Rhys is determined to stop Nesta from hurting her sisters by shunning them. This is a major conflict of the novel, although it is not resolved in A Court of Frost and Starlight.