A Court of Frost and Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #3.5)

“A year ago, I’d been stuffed into fine gowns and jewels, made to parade in front of a preening court who’d gawked at me like a prized breeding mare.”

Feyre’s memories of her time at the Spring Court, being used as a symbol, highlight the multi-layered nature of her trauma. She has poverty-related trauma from her adolescence to cope with, alongside the trauma of how Tamlin and his followers treated her, the trauma of her time in Amarantha’s court, and trauma from the horrors of war. This quote speaks to the theme of Healing After Trauma and Loss.

“I clenched my fingers into a fist, breathing in through my nose, out through my mouth, until the lightness in my limbs faded, until the walls of the room stopped pressing on me.”

This first moment in the book, when Feyre feels the effects of trauma, reveals the important role that healing plays in the narrative. Her careful breathing demonstrates that she has already done important work in her healing journey; she has come a long way from the fae woman who was wasting away in A Court of Mist and Fury.

“I didn’t mind the work. I loved the work, actually. This territory, its people—they were as much my heart as my mate. Until yesterday, nearly every waking hour had been packed with helping them.”

Feyre acknowledges here the strong sense of belonging that she has developed in Velaris, Rhys’s home city. She has a real home for the first time in her life, and she dedicates herself to caring for its inhabitants. This quote speaks to the theme of The Power of Love and Friendship in Overcoming Adversity.