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Man, I feel so dumb. Eris sending his baby brother to beast land when peaceful Summer and Winter exist? Tamlin adopting the runt no questions asked or conditions whatsoever? Tamlin killing his brothers making an enemy out of Autumn only to protect one little homeless baby? Tamlin and Eris definitely fucked at some point. Like, literally no other reason to do all this.

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Just going to leave this gem of a comment here.

There are characters in authors' works who just start to exist in their own right, regardless of the role the author wrote for them. Tamlin is such a character. A well-crafted character who just happened to be there.

@dedolubka on Tamlin

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When did enemies to lovers trope turn into abusive to still abusive but now with pretty words and sex trope?

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Long Post

I’m starting to feel people don’t understand what espionage truly means. I recently came across this post that said Tamlin was never a double agent and was only playing the good guy to save himself, and there was a list supporting the claim. So, here we go.

Fair warning: this is needlessly elaborate, includes many tangents and requires thinking from perspectives outside of the explicit narrative.

Before we begin, let’s get one thing clear, just because Night flaunts Azriel as their spymaster, it doesn’t mean that’s how spies operate. Revealing their identity risks compromising future missions and the people close to them. IRL spies lead double lives for decades for this very reason and only a select few are trusted with the knowledge depending on who they report to or who serve as their getaway.

‘Even Lucien was in the dark.’ Dagdan and Brannagh are daemati. Involving more people in the plan means more sources for the twins to exploit and more possible leverage for Hybern. Lucien could be held captive or threatened with death to force Tamlin into furthering the war. Their friendship was taken advantage of by Amarantha twice before. It isn’t a matter of trust but of protection, the way Feyre isn’t involved either. Besides, if Tamlin is compromised and found plotting against Hybern, the first step would be to check Lucien’s mind, leaving with no one in power left to protect Spring.

‘Tamlin let Hybern settle in Spring.’ Tamlin grants access to a troop to survey the Wall, which is different from allowing a whole army into his territory. With his defences intact, he still has the upper hand. Managing and controlling the movements of a troop within his borders is much easier than stopping an army, which is exactly what Lucien does—accompanying Jurian and the twins to the Wall. It is after Feyre destroys Spring that they are left vulnerable, allowing the rest of the Hybern’s army camp there. Moreover, denying access to his lands would be suspicious, not letting them inspect the Wall would be suspicious. It is part of the act, playing a willing participant in upholding his end of the deal.

‘Tamlin didn’t warn the other courts.’ After Amarantha’s reign, while the other High Lords are rebuilding their courts and making allies, Tamlin is invested in freeing Feyre from her bargain. Among the six courts, one is Spring’s enemy for harbouring Lucien, one steals Feyre every month, and two are fairly new High Lords Tamlin doesn’t know. And if Night’s visit to Summer is common knowledge, Tarquin ‘allows’ Rhysand to parade Feyre again after witnessing everything Under the Mountain. Clearly, Tamlin doesn’t know who to trust.

Considering he chooses to warn them, a ‘Hey, Hybern is coming for us all’ isn’t useful enough when it’s already expected after Amarantha’s reign. In fact, it would have encouraged Hybern to act before the courts could recuperate or even unleash the Cauldron in whatever capacity. This is evidenced by the attack on Velaris when they attempted to gain the mortal Queens on their side. Hybern has been amassing armies for years, centuries even. In order to win, Prythian needs more than a ‘warning’ which Tamlin manages to obtain.

Moreover, the battle of Adriata occurs right after Feyre returns to Night (iirc a week or two). Since Spring is in tatters, Tamlin isn’t in a position to help anyone, especially as Hybern attacks from the seas and not Spring lands. Also, his emissary, Lucien, and every other powerful player on his side are removed from the board.

Besides, who would believe his words when not long ago he was running around like a depraved lunatic to save the woman he loves, and none of them cared? Who would believe it’s more than his paranoia or even a ploy to get her back without concrete proof?

‘Spring was already broken.’ From the beginning, it is clear that Tamlin has his people’s loyalty. His sentries beg to be sacrificed to free him from the curse. When the lands grow dangerous with not many left to defend it, the people flee. After the curse is broken, they all return—one of them being Alis. Despite the reduced population, with Amarantha’s cronies still at large and creatures roaming wild, Spring is recovering and the people are happy. Feyre herself notes how content they are to be in Tamlin’s presence.

When Feyre is kidnapped, Tamlin kills the sentries on guard, which is meant to turn everyone against him. But it’s not that simple. Feyre would have officially become Lady of Spring if she weren’t ‘stolen’ during the wedding. The sentries are entrusted to protect their Lady—whom they love and respect. They are aware of the bargain. They are aware Feyre was killed once. They are aware Feyre is a target—as an asset or Tamlin’s weakness. It is under their watch that she is taken from their home. When they couldn’t even stop his third-in-command from walking in, disarming everyone, and carrying Feyre away, how are they expected to protect her from the most powerful High Lord of Prythian?

And, Rhysand is not just an enemy of Tamlin. He has been the villain of Prythian for five centuries and possesses powers to twist someone’s mind. One outburst from Tamlin isn’t enough to make him a monster in the eyes of his sentries when Feyre is now Rhysand’s hostage. The people didn’t abandon Spring when Tamlin made a deal with Hybern because they knew there was no one to help them.

Everything that happens after Tamlin, Feyre and Lucien return from Hybern’s castle is a calculated move. Feyre admits that it is her goal to destroy everything Tamlin has, including his court and people. She never opens up about how she’s treated in Night, even during the one-week stays. Later, she accuses Rhysand of raping her over the past months and tricking her with the fake mating bond. She even takes the dramatic route with ‘if you peer into the darkness long enough, the darkness peers back’ (paraphrased) saying this to Lucien. There is no reason for anyone to doubt Tamlin’s actions when Feyre proves every one of their fears true.

Feyre doesn’t stop there. She exploits the people’s faith in her and manipulates them. During the Summer Solstice, she positions herself as more valuable and blessed than the people already claim her to be. With these new beliefs she creates, she becomes a bigger prize for the likes of Rhysand, Beron, and even Hybern. She constantly interrupts the conversations and corners Tamlin into decisions that are less than ideal, which he complies with to put on a united front. She exploits Tamlin’s trauma, abuses him, and pushes him to a breakdown in order to play his victim. She knows of Ianthe’s plans and lets the nagas attack using that to her advantage.

The lashings are pivotal in revealing who Tamlin is to the people, but there is a flaw in the narrative. Feyre was stolen from the mansion more than once. Rhysand and Morrigan proved that the mansion is not safe enough. Now, it is not even guarded against a few nagas and the sentry loses the keys after falling asleep? This is a question of their competence and loyalty. Even then, Tamlin waits till the morning to execute the punishment and Feyre controls the sentry’s memories until the very last minute, ensuring Tamlin has little chance to back out. She twists the scenario as Tamlin’s cruelty, when it is a High Lord’s home breached and their enemies are on their lands. Feyre exploits Tamlin’s fears, pushing him to take drastic measures and playing the saint who expected him to prove his goodness. If she cared so much about the sentry, why didn’t she force Ianthe to confess? Ultimately, she goes as far as manipulating them into believing that Tamlin let the twins hunt her. She breaks their trust in their High Lord. Everything Feyre does or says is a lie until Tamlin cracks (if you want to draw parallels, it’s exactly what Rhysand claims to have done Under the Mountain).

This is often ignored or used as proof of Tamlin’s failings. But, Alis leaves Spring because she knows that Hybern is not the only threat. Though she doesn’t hate or blame Feyre, she understands that soon Spring will fall because of her and Night.

So no, Spring was not broken. It was more put together than Night, where Rhysand has to threaten one half of his army and buy the loyalty of the other with false promises. Spring is loyal to their High Lord and their court until Feyre manipulates them. She admits to ‘priming Spring to fall’ and ‘baiting Tamlin’. She even wants to take over Spring with Night’s army after she destroys it. She is the reason for their downfall, not Tamlin, who is stuck in a no-win situation with everyone working against him—Ianthe, Feyre, Hybern, and even Lucien after a point.

The real question: Why is Night not held accountable for Hybern’s invasion, but Tamlin is?

Rhysand is aware of Hybern’s movements long before Tamlin makes the deal. He doesn’t trust other courts or warn them or ally with them—exactly what Tamlin is condemned for. Rhysand betrays Summer by stealing their most valuable relic and weapon. It’s only after he fails that he reaches out to other courts for support. In fact, his failure fast-tracks the war—Hybern was counting on Inner Circle’s martyr complex which they all played right to the T.

Even forgiving all this as good intentions, they still keep everything under wraps. None of the courts are warned, including Summer and Autumn, who share their borders with Spring, which Hybern is taking over first. For two months, all they do is wait for Feyre. For two months, they don’t attempt to unite other courts to stop Hybern or make Feyre’s escape easy. They don’t even rally their Illyrian and Darkbringer armies until Feyre arrives. They have the best spymaster and the best network of spies, but they also have the habit of always pulling his sources out at crucial times. They have the most powerful daemati who never uses his powers to find who his potential comrades are but has no problem invading minds to assert his dominance. In the two months, Night comes to the tough decision to hold a High Lords meeting after Feyre returns.

Besides, Feyre claims to spy in Spring but finds nothing useful about Hybern’s plans, which is proved in the meeting. Feyre is a High Lady who can’t keep her emotions in check and destroys the one court that shields the mortal lands from the rest of Prythian, leaving both sides vulnerable to Hybern. Tamlin could have stalled the infiltration with his army, exchanged information with the twins or Jurian, or negotiated his people’s safety in exchange for more access to his lands which would have been the strategic move here. But Feyre undermines every single leverage Spring has in this situation.

Tamlin siding with Hybern is similar to Rhysand working for Amarantha. No one knows of his intentions until the very end either. There’s no proof Rhysand was in favour of Prythian. He is the one who told Amarantha about the human girl in Spring only days before they ran out of time to break the curse. He is the reason Tamlin sends Feyre back to the mortal lands. He is the reason Feyre is abused, tortured, and killed Under the Mountain. None of his actions support his words. Then, why is it hard to believe Tamlin who delivers what he promised? He keeps his cover until Feyre is in danger again. He brings Beron’s forces to join the war. If he was merely playing a hero, he didn’t have to do any of this. Tamlin was a double agent and he did a better job than Feyre, who managed to notify her Inner Circle about the twins she killed anyway.

See, the issue is not with the character but the structure of the plot. Did SJM plan it thoroughly? No. Was it executed well? No, there isn’t enough foreshadowing to convince the readers. Despite this, it still works to some extent because Feyre is an unreliable narrator. When she arrives in Spring, she is determined to ruin Tamlin’s life and expose him as a monster. She nitpicks every one of his choices, words, and actions. She glosses over his good deeds and reassures herself that they are his manipulative tactics. Even if Tamlin laid his plans out to her, she wouldn’t believe it—that’s how far she is in her rage and vengeance.

The entire espionage arc doesn’t exist to redeem Tamlin, but it is a device for Rhysand and Feyre to magically have everything they need. Tamlin is not a character SJM cares about. He is a villain and will always remain a villain. Had it been someone she wanted to redeem, there would be a 12-page monologue in the High Lords meeting with tears and a sob story.

None of this is favouring one point of view over the other, but it’s important to consider the mentality of other characters in such situations instead of believing every word from the chosen narrator. This is a major problem in this fandom where readers take Feyre and Rhysand’s views at face value and treat it as absolute truth when the situation is much more complex. SJM doesn’t respect her readers’ intelligence and writes with complete abandon. As long as you lap up whatever she offers and glorify her books, she has no reason to write a better story. Instead of hating on the characters like Tamlin, maybe you should be questioning the writer for such an unconvincing and subpar plot.

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Why is there no account of Battle of Adriata in Summer wiki? I don't know it seems like a major event to be left out.

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Although reading about SJM’s clear villains being written as heroes and how they seem to be able to do nothing wrong according to the narrative makes me feel nothing but rage. Even so, the inner circle particularly Rhysand and Feyre have served as inspiration as the villains for the graphic novel I’ve been working on.

Oh, I agree. Amarantha and Hybern who are meant to be evil dictators fall short compared to Rhysand and Feyre. None of their goals seem barbaric when Night is already living it. It would have been easier to see these two as flawed if other character are allowed to hate them or oppose them. Tarquin forgives Feyre. Tamlin still wants to atone despite everything. Lucien and Nesta end up accepting them. Which makes these two more villainous than they truly are since they never face consequences for their actions. Feyre destroys everything she touches and Rhysand flaunts his powers for no reason but they are the heroes.

And I'd love to know more about these Rhysand-inspired villains since ACOTAR Rhysand slayed and we are never getting him back.

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At this point I'm just incapable of saying anything here without it turning into a rant. Thought of taking a break only for my brain to come up with new rants. What is this curse? Is this how y'all are stuck in this limbo?

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Skipped straight to bonus chapters of HOSAF. Why are y'all mad at Rhysand when he's a fucking clown?

You might not answer directly to me, but you will answer to every being here for what you did.

Babygirl, who did your mate answer to when she tore down Spring? How did you answer to Tarquin when he accused your Feyre darling for the attack on Adriata?

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Rhysand simps for Cassian. Cassian simps for Azriel and Rhysand. Azriel simps for Morrigan. Cassian and Morrigan fuck. Feyre fucks Rhysand and simps for Azriel. Nesta fucks Cassian and simps for Azriel. Elain and Azriel are simping for each other.

For the love of god, let Elain end up with Lucien and Azriel with Gwyneth for their own sanity.

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Skipped straight to bonus chapters of HOSAF. Why are y'all mad at Rhysand when he's a fucking clown?

You might not answer directly to me, but you will answer to every being here for what you did.

Babygirl, who did your mate answer to when she tore down Spring? How did you answer to Tarquin when he accused your Feyre darling for the attack on Adriata?

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You know what sucks? We got half a book in Cassian's POV and never found out how the fuck he sleeps at night with those big ass wings. How does he share his bed with Nesta? How does he change positions without flinging Nesta off the bed? What if Nesta rolls over his wings? Or does he sleep like dragons on his stomach instead? What if the talons poke her eyes out?

I have so many questions and I will never know.

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This is the kind of healing Tamlin deserves!!

I have a Tamlin bittersweet headcanon that won't leave my mind, so of course I'll share it here:

So, I absolutely love the idea of Tamlin having children no matter how many boys or girls. But, I find myself thinking all the time: what if Tamlin ended up having a family configuration exactly like his own??? By that I mean he meets his own mate (I so hope for that), she becomes Lady of Spring after their marriage, and they have 3 sons.

After his last boy is born, he finds himself wondering how ironic it is that he ended up having a family structure indentical to his former one. Only now he is no longer the kid, he is the father and the husband, and this is such a bittersweet thought because just now he realizes the extent of his father's cruelty and his mother's omission. Because only now that Tamlin has his own family does he understands how so very simple it is to treat his sons with care and kindness, how so very natural it is to treat his wife with respect and tenderness, how so so very easy it is to love all four members of his little and precious family with the full power of his heart. And only in that moment all things really come full circle, and a long cycle of neglect and violence is appeased. His wife is not going to meet the fate of his mother and his sons will not know his sorrows.

He is not his father.

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'Rhysand is morally grey' Dude is a basic asshole at best.

Have you met the Mikaelsons though?

PS they are EVIL but never sa'd anyone

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Feyre plays monkey for three months jumping through hoops for Amarantha. She is SA'd by Rhysand for two months . But yes, talking about Keir who nailed his daughter reminds of her sister who mouthed off to her when they were kids.

Rhysand's hatred? Dude only knows what she told him.

Nesta's FAILINGS? Babygirl, maybe don't tell half-ass stories to others and play victim all the time.

why is this the first thought feyre has after rhys tells her about how mor's parents tortured her? what does any of that have to do with nesta? surely she's not implying that nesta being mean is in any way comparable to what keir did. right?

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Looking back to the little details, I don't know how I put up with these books. Remember the scene where Feyre jokes if she sends a naughty image to Tarquin then he might forgive them for the looting?

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I just finished watching Perfect Blue for the first time and boy, I wasn't prepared for it. My mind is so disoriented right now.

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I've been reading your Acotar critical posts and they are so good.👍

Thanks!♥️ It's my way of purging my soul of ACOTAR ick and I'm glad it's entertaining you.