A Court of Frost and Starlight

A Court of Frost and Starlight demonstrates both the painful difficulty of healing after trauma and loss and the sense of hope that can grow in the aftermath of trauma and loss. At the beginning of the novel, several months after the end of the war with Hybern and perhaps a year out from the traumatic events under Amarantha’s power, most of the characters rely on the power of work and busyness to push through the effects of their painful experiences. Feyre notes that working on rebuilding Velaris and building more lasting peace has helped both her and Rhys and that she sometimes “dread[s] the quiet, idle days when all those thoughts snare[] [her] at last […] Perhaps one day, even the work wo[]n’t be a battlement to keep the memories out” (3-4). Feyre, Rhys, and their closest friends understand that work will not keep their trauma at bay forever, especially since they’re all still haunted by memories of what they have endured. Feyre admits that such memories “[d]r[a]w [her] from sleep; dr[a]w [her] from a conversation, a painting, a meal” (3), and Azriel experiences his own sudden trigger when Cassian rushing to eat before Elain joins the table reminds Azriel of how his mother was mistreated.