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fantaxzia · 4 days

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"No shadows at his ear, no darkness ringing his fingers as he extended a hand."

I've seen there's some discussion in the Elriel tag about the meaning of Azriel's shadows vanishing. I know the idea of them vanishing having negative implications for Azriel is pushed a lot and somehow it seems a lot of people have accepted this as somehow rooted in canon. It isn't. Now, I absolutely don't want to police how people engage with canon, it is a work of fiction and it is totally fine to take creative liberty in how we engage with it. That is not an issue. But I don't like to see people be made to believe that what they've read didn't happen, or to see obvious misrepresentations of canon be pushed as canon if it is to the point that people seem to worry or be confused. I hope this explains my intention with this post. We should all feel free to keep engaging creatively with works of fiction.

I've written a longer post where I explore the behaviour of Azriel's shadows (here). But I wanted to post the section about his shadows vanishing in a separate post, so here it is:

We don't really need an explicit explanation what it means for Azriel for his shadows to vanish to tell the circumstances under which they do, because SJM has quite clearly showed us (which in my view, for my reading experience, is a preferred narrative technique because I it makes me actively engage with the text).

It is true that there is very little overall consistency in the depictions and descriptions of his shadows behavior. One pattern is that if they move around a lot or gather closer to Azriel, he is usually in some form of emotional and/or physical distress. However, this pattern is not entirely consistent. They sometimes do when he is seemingly not in distress.

But there is one pattern of behaviour that is entirely consistent, meaning it is so consistent we can say with certainty that given the current status of canon - we know under what circumstances this happens. The only entirely consistent pattern about the behavior of his shadows is that they are only described as vanishing, fading, or lighting up when he is happy, content, and relaxed. In all five books, this has to my knowledge only (as in, being explicitly mentioned) happened around Feyre, Elain, and Mor.

[When Feyre first meets the IC] Mor patted Azriel on the shoulder as she dodged his outstretched wing. “Relax, Az—no fighting tonight. We promised Rhys.” The lurking shadows vanished entirely as Azriel’s head dipped a bit—his night-dark hair sliding over his handsome face as if to shield him from that mercilessly beautiful grin. (ACOMAF)

[Feyre, about Azriel] Yes—Azriel, who kept a step away, whose shadows trailed him and seemed to fade in her [Mor’s] presence. (ACOMAF)

[Feyre, flying with Azriel] Then we tilted, shooting straight. Azriel’s body was warm and hard, though those brutalized hands were considerate as he gripped me. No shadows trailed us, as if he’d left them in Velaris. (ACOMAF)

[Feyre introduces Cass, Az, and Rhys to her sisters during their first meeting] “Cassian,” I said, inclining my head to the left. Then I shifted to the right, grateful those shadows were nowhere to be found as I said, “Azriel.” I half turned. “And Rhysand, High Lord of the Night Court.” (ACOMAF)

[Banter during dinner with the IC] Cassian only grimaced at Rhys and Azriel. “I told you that the moment we started letting females into our group, they’d be nothing but trouble.” “As far as I can recall, Cassian,” Rhys countered drily, “you actually said you needed a reprieve from staring at our ugly faces, and that some ladies would add some much-needed prettiness for you to look at all day.” “Pig,” Amren said. Cassian gave her a vulgar gesture that made Lucien choke on his green beans. “I was a young Illyrian and didn’t know better,” he said, then pointed his fork at Azriel. “Don’t try to blend into the shadows. You said the same thing.” “He did not,” Mor said, and the shadows that Azriel had indeed been subtly weaving around himself vanished. “Azriel has never once said anything that awful. Only you, Cassian. Only you.” (ACOWAR)

Azriel arrived first, no shadows to be seen, my sister a pale, golden mass in his arms. He, too, wore his Illyrian armor, Elain’s golden-brown hair snagging in some of the black scales across his chest and shoulders. (ACOWAR)

[During flying lesson with Feyre] Azriel only sat on his heels and offered me a hand up. My flesh burned as I gripped his fingers, a mortifying number of pine needles and splinters tumbling off me. My back throbbed enough that I lowered my wings, not caring if they dragged in the dirt as Azriel led me toward the lake edge. In the blinding sun off the turquoise water, his shadows were gone, his face stark and clear. More … human than I had ever seen him. (ACOWAR)

[Azriel at the town house with Feyre, Cassian, Nesta, and Elain] Cassian’s dark brows narrowed. I dragged a hand over my face before going to Elain and touching her too-bony shoulder. “Can I set you up in the garden? The herbs you planted are coming in nicely.” “I can help her,” said Azriel, stepping to the table as Elain silently rose. No shadows at his ear, no darkness ringing his fingers as he extended a hand. Nesta monitored him like a hawk, but kept silent as Elain took his hand, and out they went. (ACOWAR)

[Solstice night] Elain sucked in a soft breath that whispered over his skin. His shadows skittered back at the sound. They'd always been prone to vanish when she was around. (Azriel’s BC)

I think the above examples show his shadows’ behaviour is consistent with the idea of the shadows being there to protect him, by shielding him and informing him (in the longer post I explore how we need to know what the shadows provide to know what it means for them to vanish, see the longer post for excerpts from the books).

If the above is accepted as true. What does it mean for the shadows to vanish? It means there is no need to be shielded, and there’s no need to gather information. Because there’s no need for protection. He is safe and content. The shadows vanish when he is safe and not under any form of emotional or physical distress. This view seems entirely consistent with canon (as seen above).

It is also true, if we look at canon, that Azriel's gentle and soft traits come out the most around Feyre and, even more, around Elain - two of the only three people in whose presence his shadows are described as vanishing or fading (again, there are excerpts from canon in the longer post that show this). To say that his shadows vanishing is somehow indicative of the shadows not liking that person, or that person being evil or bad for Azriel is simply not aligning with canon. Canonically, the shadows only vanish when the opposite is true.

Shadows vanishing coincide with Azriel being able to express his caring and gentle side, not needing to be stone-faced and shielded. As such, his shadows vanishing cannot be described as anything other than positive (meaning Azriel is in a positive situation). Not needing his shadows is character development for Azriel, as it seems to mean he is letting go of being unreadable and guarded and constantly informed of his surroundings. He is joking and connecting with Feyre by the lake during her flying lessons (shadows vanished). He is relaxed, happy and content (and smitten, to put it lightly) around Elain (shadows vanished).

To conclude, who is the only person around whom the shadows are described by Azriel himself, the one the shadows keep company, as “prone to vanish” (Azriel’s BC)? Elain. It now becomes quite clear what it means for his shadows to vanish.

[Azriel flies Elain to the town house] Azriel arrived first, no shadows to be seen, my sister a pale, golden mass in his arms. He, too, wore his Illyrian armor, Elain’s golden-brown hair snagging in some of the black scales across his chest and shoulders. He set her down gently on the foyer carpet, having carried her in through the front door. Elain peered up at his patient, solemn face. Azriel smiled faintly. “Would you like me to show you the garden?” She seemed so small before him, so fragile compared to the scales of his fighting leathers, the breadth of his shoulders. The wings peeking over them. But Elain did not balk from him, did not shy away as she nodded—just once. Azriel, graceful as any courtier, offered her an arm. I couldn’t tell if she was looking at his blue Siphon or at his scarred skin beneath as she breathed, “Beautiful.” Color bloomed high on Azriel’s golden-brown cheeks, but he inclined his head in thanks and led my sister toward the back doors into the garden, sunlight bathing them. (ACOWAR)

[Elain and Azriel in the garden] Elain sat silently at one of the wrought-iron tables, a cup of tea before her. Azriel was sprawled on the chaise longue across the gray stones, sunning his wings and reading what looked to be a stack of reports—likely information on the Autumn Court that he planned to present to Rhys once he’d sorted through it all. Already dressed for the Hewn City—the brutal, beautiful armor so at odds with the lovely garden. And my sister sitting within it. (ACOWAR)

With the two quotes above, I want to tie this to the symbolism of light and dark surrounding Elain and Azriel. So I will now perhaps speak a little in symbolic terms: Azriel relaxes in the presence of light. His shadows vanish. There is peace and quiet in the presence of light. He suns his wings where there is light. Why? We know how defensive Illyrian males are about their wings. Rhys didn’t let anyone so much as touch his wings for 500 years. So, what could it mean for an Illyrian male to be so relaxed as to sun his wings in someone’s company? There is only one reason any Illyrian male would be so lax about their surroundings as to sun his wings. To sun your wings is to be safe. His shadows, who shield and protect him, do not need to do so where there is light.

Around whom do his shadows vanish? Around whom are they even “prone to vanish” (Azriel’s BC)? Around the one with whom he is the most gentle and soft, because she inspires it and that is who he is when he is not in distress. Around the one who is consistently described as the very manifestation of light and sunshine. She is “like a summer dawn” (ACOMAF), “full of light”, like a “blooming spring” (ACOWAR), a “bloom of color and sunshine” (ACOFAS), “glowing like the sun at dawn” (Azriel’s BC), with a smile “as bright as the setting sun” (ACOSF).

Elain.

The lovely fawn, blooming spring vibrant behind her.

I think Feyre was partly wrong. At least, she only got half of the equation right. She said Elain would cling to Azriel for some peace and quiet (ACOMAF). From what we have seen, it goes both ways. Azriel clings to Elain for peace and quiet. In doing so his shadows vanish. Because he is safe, content, and himself.

And then, shadows vanished, he suns his wings.

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fantaxzia · 4 days

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Fact is, we don't know enough about Azriel's shadows yet to understand why they were acting weird with Gwyn. It is very likely that it will be revealed in the next book.

If it's something shippy and SJM puts her full pussy into it, I'm very curious to read it.

But I'm just curious in general as to why they didn't warn him of her presence when he wanted to be alone. Or why they seemed to respond to her singing and chattering.

So far we can only theorize and interpret based on the canon text.

But one thing is clear from it, that his shadows don't hate Elain or are afraid of her. Why they disappear around her is also something that would be explained in the next book, but they do react to protect her whenever it seems that she's hurt. To construe it as something negative is an extreme reach.

Also, elriel anties need to understand that his shadows doing or not doing something doesn't prove or disprove a ship. That's Azriel's decision to make, through the author's will.

#elriel #azriel shadowsinger #elain archeron #pro elriel #elain x azriel #azriel x elain #azriel acotar #gwyneth berdara

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fantaxzia · 4 days

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You know what ends a romance?

When she pulls away and says 'no'.

When he stops mid-kiss and decides that it's not working for him and tells her 'this is a mistake'.

An irate High Lord who is stress eating and is suffering from his wife's pregnancy-induced insomnia screaming 'I'll make you regret it!' doesn't stop a romance.

He encourages it.

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fantaxzia · 4 days

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Friendly reminder that Azriel and Elain have known each other longer than any other SJM couple prior to getting together.

They’ve had 2 years of falling in love, of friendship and being family. They are not rushed and don’t try to tell me they are.

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fantaxzia · 5 days

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It’s #nessianweek2024!! Day 1: Banter Spicy-sparks-flying banter? Sure, fine 👍 “The book is about a book”? ✨ICONIC✨ Then Cassian, eager to relate the Nesta, seeks out a fiery book about books. The house delivers and a crusader against literary censorship is born ✅📣🆓 (Bryaxis and Nesta both approve) 🖤

#lmao

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fantaxzia · 5 days

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they’re beautiful. 🥹🌸

this piece is a depiction of what might have happened when Azriel asked Elain, “would you like me to show you the garden?” i have forever adored tpiola_’s Elriel piece commissioned by emilysbookishtales, and so for my first official Elriel commission i commissioned tpiola_ as well. every part of this artwork is flawless, and tpiola_ absolutely nailed their expressions: Az looking down at Elain like she hung the moon and Elain gazing happily at her garden, both of them just enjoying spending a quiet moment together.

art by tpiola_ on Instagram

commissioned by bookish.biologist on Instagram (me!)

likes, comments, and shares appreciated!

please do not repost without permission from me!

thank you 🫶

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fantaxzia · 5 days

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I think Azriel and Elain are perfect for inhabiting a ddlg relationship. Big scary looking dude who's a gentle protective Daddy to his little flower girl. 🥰🌺

#elain archeron #elriel #azriel shadowsinger #pro elriel #elain x azriel #azriel x elain

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fantaxzia · 5 days

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Also why is it Azriel's (or even Cassian's or Emerie's) responsibility to help them? Their societal fabric is rotten from its core, with misogyny rooted deep inside it. Changing their ways and beliefs is going to be a big task and it needs some support from within their people, especially those powerful generals.

So far it has been shown that the Illyrians really don't accept Azriel or Cassian as their own. They're both bastards and looked down upon because of their circumstances of birth. Why would they be open to suggestions from them?

It's honestly a ridiculous and unrealistic thought.

The only person who can do something about reforming them is actually Rhys. He is their high lord, even though even he isn't fully accepted by them. He can start with passing certain laws and policies (like he did with training girls and stopping wing clipping I think? Someone jog my memory lol). Still, implementation is a going to difficult.

“The Illyrians are pieces of shit”

Well damn Az tell us how you really feel. Lmaooo

Honestly, people theorizing that he will focus his story on Illyria don’t know much about him. They wouldn’t even welcome him into their camps to “help heal” 😂 them. They’re scared of and hate him and his power.

He may eventually make peace with his heritage but he won’t go out of his way to help them. If anyone did it would be Cassian and/or Emerie.

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fantaxzia · 5 days

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There's grace in accepting that a ship isn't canon but you hope it could be, or you just like to vibe with it irrespective of its canon status. Certain section of this fandom lacks that grace.

I think there is a difference between hoping Elain doesn’t end up with Azriel, and believing that’s what SJM has planned.

For readers that have not seen the bonus chapter; there is still no explanation for:

• why Az prefers to stay at the HOW

• why his shadows swarmed him after hearing about Elain’s fight with Nesta

• why they gathered again when Nesta offended Elain

• why he’s been exercising at night

• why his gaze on her was charged

• and why he couldn’t go near the fire during Solstice

If SJM decided to end Elriel in the same (bonus) chapter she confirms it, a portion of readers are still left with this mysterious and unanswered subplot.

I also wonder— why include it at all? Why make the most obvious connections between these two characters in a book and have them move on in a (bonus) chapter of the same book?

I get that some readers don’t want them together (objectively), but I don’t understand how ACOSF has been interpreted to support that. It does the opposite I fear?

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fantaxzia · 5 days

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I do understand the concept of a red herring. And by Gods I'd accept it with grace if I'm proven wrong.

As I said, I was initially very ready for elucien to happen. Everything was going in favour of elucien initially. The mate bond reveal, the running off with Feyre, landing in night court just in time to save Elain from self destructing (after all a mate can sense what's wrong!).

But in all honesty it feels like elucien is the red herring here, because to me, as someone who had gotten into ACOTAR without any online fandom exposure, elucien was the obvious to-be-canon ship at the end of ACOMAF.

Then Azriel suddenly swooped in and started having all these romantic tender moments with Elain... and I was blown away. THAT was the twist, IMHO.

Anyhow, it's SJM's world and we're just interpreting it. We can only observe the narrative thus far and predict the future based on it. Let's see how things go in the next book.

You know what, I was so damn ready for elucien the moment he had stated that she was his mate.

I was all "Yes, time for lulu to switch sides!"

And then he didn't.

Then, when he was finally running off with Feyre and coming to the night court, I was like "Yes, now he'll finally change his attitude, make amends and work towards wooing Elain. Why else would SJM write him accompanying Feyre to the night court, where his mate is?"

I was stoked for the tension and the redemption and the healing. It was almost set up to be a romance where the human hating fae fell for the once human girl and the once human girl learned that the fae weren't monsters, that this fiery fae male was ready to do anything to win her affections, to help her heal. Etc etc....

But that didn't happen!

Imagine my surprise when it was Azriel who carried Elain into the townhouse bridal style... Azriel who took her to the gardens... Azriel who figured out that she was a seer and not going cray cray.

SJM could've easily written Elain getting sick like Nesta, running away from Az the moment they landed at the townhouse. She could've written Lucien helping her to the gardens instead. She could've made Lucien guess what was 'wrong' with her. It would've been perfect!

But she didn't.

Why?

Lucien was right there in the night court, finally with his mate. Their relationship could've started right there. Instead, SJM wrote Azriel into every scene that had Elain improving or responding positively. And in every scene that featured Lucien with Elain, she added uncomfortable feelings, doubt on both ends, and stunted conversations.

Why?

From doylist perspective, SJM had every chance to infuse the buds of a romance between Lucien and Elain. They were no longer apart, he could've very well taken residence in the night court and stayed there.

But SJM didn't write anything resembling a budding romance between them. Instead Azriel was suddenly there in every soft and gentle scene, helping Elain get clarity on what was going on with her, offering a quiet friendship and company.

I, the reader, was poised to accept the elucien romance, because yeah, there was a bond, and bonds are powerful and magical and we already had Feysand, blah blah. But SJM added this plot twist, where the bonded 'couple' actually cannot stand to be in each other's company, she deliberately wrote those super uncomfortable scenes between them, where I was actually cringing going through them.

SJM then wrote about the vision Elain was getting, featuring the firebird queen. That was the catalyst to send Lucien on a quest to find the firebird, effectively sending him away from Elain. Why would SJM deliberately write a scene that pushed them apart? The groundwork for building their relationship was already there.

But SJM steered Lucien away and sent him off continent on his own journey. Meanwhile she wrote Azriel building a relationship with Elain. Not just that, in the pivotal scene where Elain's life was in fatal danger, SJM didn't write Lucien rescuing her. She could've done it in any manner, bringing him back, having him sense the danger through the bond. Just imagine, a desperate, frantic fae male coming in hot to save his mate. That would've been perfect for the elucien romance setup.

Instead SJM wrote Azriel sensing Elain's absence in the camp. She wrote Azriel declaring, repeatedly at that, that he was getting Elain back. She wrote Nesta being scared and warning him that he'd die. She deliberately wrote him ignoring the possibility of death to rescue Elain. (Like, it's understandable that Feyre goes in to rescue her sister, but what connection does Az have to Elain? Enough to make him declare--not ask--that he was getting her back no matter what? 🤔)

SJM went and wrote Azriel rescuing Elain with Feyre, when anyone else would've been apt. She deliberately made that choice as the author.

All the events in the books were written by SJM, including the situations which prevented Lucien from being close to Elain. One can argue about why those situations arose, within the story's universe, till the cows come home. That's the watsonian perspective of looking at it, and it's not the whole picture.

Because the truth is that the author is the God of the story universe, she drives the situations and the characters and their actions. She makes the rules therein. That's doylist perspective--the author making these rules or choices. That provides us the complete picture.

SJM chose to write the situations which put more distance between Lucien and Elain. She wrote Azriel into those scenes where, as Elain's mate, Lucien would've made more sense to be present, had the bond acceptance been important to her. SJM made deliberate choices to put Azriel there, to make him interact with Elain, to build their friendship, to make Azriel rescue Elain.

That reordered the expectations in my mind; from rooting for elucien I went full on elriel. Because the auther herself steered me in that direction with her narrative choices. Every time some eluciens argue that Lucien couldn't do this or that for Elain because of some in universe impediment, I just think "Well, SJM didn't remove this obstacle for Lucien, she didn't write their interactions as romantic. Nothing was stopping her, because she controls the ACOTAR universe. She put Azriel in Elain's path instead. It's obvious why she made these choices; the answer doesn't lie within the watsonian perspective but in the doylist one. SJM doesn't want elucien to happen."

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fantaxzia · 5 days

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I felt the same. Agreed.

No offense to Nesta, but I don’t think I could read another 700 page book centered around her. And I specially wouldn’t read a 700 page book with Gwyn as the main character. I could be in the minority, but I almost DNF Silver Flames.

I hear ya. I liked ACOSF, but it lacked action. There was more focus on Cassian absolutely chafing for Nesta and Nesta training, instead of having anything actually happen plot-wise.

The troves and Eris/soldiers part was interesting, but the BR seemed kind of rushed. It's SJM fantasy, so of course I knew all three women would be fine in the BR, and there would be no stakes. I liked Nesta, I liked Cassian, I liked Gwyn, I liked Emerie.

I wasn't a part of this fandom when I read ACOSF, and so I like to think I read it 'as the author intended'. Meaning, I had no preconceived bias about ships or characters. I thought it was necessary for Nesta to go to HOW rehab, I thought she definitely fucked up in the way she told Feyre about the pregnancy issues but I understood why she did it, I thought Rhys was kinda a dick but I understood why he was like that, I thought it was badass when Nesta put on the mask, I thought her and Cassian being so down bad for each other was hot, I absolutely loved Cassian and did think he was deserving of Nesta, I thought Nesta giving up her power to save Feyre was the ultimate show of her love for her sister–

Imagine my surprise, when I come into this fandom and I see people being Anti-Rhys. Anti-IC. Anti-Feyre. Anti-Cassian. I see people saying Nesta's going to break the mating bond with Cassian to go be with Eris. I see people saying she's going to overthrow Rhys and become High Lady of the NC.

Oh, and Azriel suddenly is mates with Nesta's friend, Gwyn – even though he's trained her every day and they had maybe exchanged 2 sentences in the entire book? It was....bizarre to say the very least.

Like ACOSF in my head was NOT good enough to garner this level of ride or die fans. I don't know WHY people have latched onto Nesta & Gwyn so hard that they're now saying everyone else in the books is bad and an abuser or whatever in comparison to them. It's just so weird. Weird. Weird. Weird.

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