#DON'T TELL MOR OR RHYS I'LL DIE

[se-hos]

eris is such a cunt god i love him

[profound-imagination]

Rose Gardens - Part 3 - Eris Vanserra

A/N: Here's part 3! I hope you enjoy! A massive shout-out to @swansworth for helping me plan this fic! ❤️

T/W: Mention of injury and blood - it gets angsty besties.

Part 1 & Part 2

W/C: 3.9K

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"YOU'VE BEEN WHAT?!" Okay, so maybe asking Cassian for help wasn't your best idea. "Be quiet!!" You hissed at him as you shoved him further into his bedroom and closed the door. "You've been writing to Eris Vanserra and you want my help to sneak you into Autumn so you can go to some festival with him? Have I got that right?" He hissed back, pulling the bun out of his hair and running a frustrated hand through it. "To sneak me to the border, not into Autumn" You corrected him sheepishly as he spun to face you. "Don't get smart." He snapped. You sighed. "Please Cassian?" Some of the rage ebbed from his eyes. "Why? Why Eris Vanserra?" You shrugged and sat on the edge of his bed. "I…I don't know, Cass." He continued to pace the room. "Rhys and Az would kill me!" You snorted. "No they won't. Not if you don't tell them! Besides, Rhys won't even notice I'm gone." He joined you and sat on his bed. "They'll kill Eris though, if they find out." You shook your head. "They won't know I'm gone! Az is too busy scouting for Hybern and Rhys is too busy with his child bride." A warning rumbled from Cassian's chest. "Feyre is not a child. She's our High Lady and you will show her the same respect you show Rhys." You held your hands up. "Please Cass, I want to live before I die in this war that's been started over Feyre." He sighed and ran his hands down his face.

"Fine." Your face lit up but he carried on before you could get ahead of yourself. "But I have conditions." You nodded. "Name them." So he did. "Eris is to guarantee your safety, from himself, from his father and brothers and whatever other dangers lurk in the Autumn Court, you are to be returned to where I drop you off by midnight, where I will wait for you and he will do it in the form of a bargain with me." You raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound like a bargain." He gave you a wolfish grin. "In exchange, I won't kill him. When Mor eventually grants Azriel and I revenge, I won't take it." You shoved his shoulder. "Those are my terms. He accepts them and makes the deal or when you inevitably sneak out on your own, I'll go straight to Rhys." You glared at him and he shrugged. "Take it or leave it."

You wrote back to Eris that evening and told him of Cassian's terms. His reply came almost immediately.

Dear Y/N,

He's smarter than I gave him credit for.

Tell him I accept his terms.

Tell me, which of the dresses did you choose and was the mask to your liking? I ask so I can dress accordingly.

Yours,

Eris.

You hadn't opened the box yet. The contents still a mystery. But Cassian had agreed. He was going to help you and you were going to see Eris again. So you finally opened the box.

Lying inside were three dresses and a mask all carefully wrapped in tissue paper. The smell of burnt sugar, cinnamon & fire wood invaded your nostrils, a smell that was so unmistakably Eris that you knew he'd wrapped them himself. You carefully unwrapped the first dress. A beautiful velvet gown of forest green. Gold thread decorated the neckline and the skirt in swirling patterns. The second was a deep red gown of silk and gossamer. There were no patterns decorating the gown but it was beautiful, timeless. The third was more practical, a cream wool dress with a roll neck and long sleeves. You couldn't help but think how nice it would look with the new boots you brought from the rainbow. Brown, knee high, leather. Comfortable, cute and practical.

The mask, the mask was something else entirely. A bronze coloured metal twisted into a beautiful deer. The antlers formed of twisted maple leaves. A deer you mused. Unassuming. You'd assumed he would've gone for a fox but it seemed he had his ways of taking you by surprise. You hurriedly wrote your response to Eris.

The full moon came quicker than you thought. You'd spent the morning training with Cassian and Azriel. The former kept shooting glances at you that you ignored. The latter still wasn't overly keen on speaking to you after your disagreement in Dawn. When they'd finally relented in your training in favor of Feyre you slunk back to your bedroom, where a note was waiting for you.

My Dearest Y/N,

I simply cannot explain how much I am looking forward to seeing you this evening. I have been counting down the days since you accepted my invitation.

I'll see you at sundown petal.

Yours,

Eris.

You grinned down at the letter and the rose petals that fell out of it when you opened it.

Sighing in contentment as you sunk down into the hot water of your bath, the aches in your muscles ebbing. You picked carefully through the selections of soaps and shampoos on the side of the bath, picking out your favorites to use. Soaking in the hot water, you allowed your mind to wonder what tonight would hold.

By the time Cassian knocked on your door that afternoon you were grinning at your reflection in the mirror. "You look beautiful, Y/N." He smiled down at you and you back up at him. You'd chosen the wool dress and knee high boots. Your hair cascaded down your back in gentle curls. A soft pink blush had been added to your cheeks along with a nude lipstick. You hadn't bothered with eyeshadow or khol due to the mask you'd be wearing. "Are you really sure about this?" Cassian questioned, he knew the answer from the smile on your face. "Yes Cass, I'm sure." He nodded once. "Let's go then, everyone else is down at the town house."

Cassian landed on the border a short time later. A fire had been set up, along with a basket of wine, cheese, bread and dried meats. You grinned up at him. "Looks like you've got an admirer." You teased the general. "I wouldn't go that far." A voice purred from behind you. Cassian tensed as your face split into an ear to ear grin. "Eris." You breathed as you turned around to face him. You suddenly understood why he'd asked which dress you'd chosen. There he was in a cream wool jumper that matched your dress and a pair of dark trousers. Hunting boots on his feet as was Eris' usual style. His red hair hung unbound as it was the last time you saw him and his mask was also of a deer. His antlers were bigger and you made note to make a joke about it later when Cassian wasn't around to hear it.

"Vanserra." Was Cassian's only greeting to the Lordling. "Cassian." Eris greeted him back. "Thank you for doing this Lord of Bloodshed." Cassian crossed his arms across his chest. "I'm not happy about it." He huffed. "You know my terms? She's to be back here by midnight. She's to be back here at the first sign of danger. You are to guarantee her safety from yourself, your brothers and your father and whatever other dangers lurk in this court. In exchange, when Mor gives Azriel and I permission to make you pay for what you did to her, I won't harm you. You'll die, but not by my hand." Eris nodded once. "I accept your terms." Cassian held his hand out to Eris who took it in his own and shook.

Cassian turned you to face him. "Have fun. Be safe. If you feel uncomfortable at any point, you come running straight back here." You rolled your eyes at him. "Yes dad." Cassian's lips didn't so much as twitch at your joke. "I'll be okay, Cass. You trained me, remember?" He nodded and looked at Eris over your head. "You remember that too. I trained her." You stood on your tiptoes and placed a kiss on Cassian's cheek. "Thank you for this. I know you hate it." He met your eyes and whatever he saw there must've given him some comfort that you'd be okay. "Go." Was all he said as he pushed you gently towards Eris' waiting hand.

Eris had pulled you to him and winnowed you a short distance away from Cassian. If winnowing with Rhys was darkness incarnate, then winnowing with Eris was like walking through the fires of hell itself. Not one flame touched you, the sensation was warm and comforting. "You look resplendent." Eris told you when you found your feet and you grinned at him. "Thank you, for the dresses and the mask. I'll return the other gowns." He shook his head. "The gowns are yours to keep, petal." You took his hand in yours. "I'll wear them to Starfall and to Court meetings, see if I can make that vein in Rhys' forehead pop." He laughed, his genuine laugh. "I've been trying to do that for centuries!"

The Lordling led you into a clearing decorated with tents, little balls of Fae light hung in the trees giving a soft glow. A huge bonfire was placed in the middle of the clearing. Fae were throwing pieces of glowing parchment into the bonfire and watching them burn into embers before they floated to the skies. Others were dancing around it. "What are they doing?" You breathed. "Wishes." Was all Eris said.

The tents around the clearing were filled with an assortment of things, spiced cider, hot chocolates, roasted meats, bread, toffee apples. "Do you like it?" Eris spoke softly into your ear. "It's amazing." He gripped your hand a bit tighter. "Would you like a drink, my lady?" You snorted at him. "Stop calling me that!" He smirked. "Never! Now a drink?" You rolled your eyes. "The spiced cider smells incredible." He pulled you towards the tent. "It is, it's my favourite." Eris handed you a cup of the warm spiced cider.

Eris proceeded to pull you around the festival, making sure you'd tried everything on offer, never once did he let go of your hand. When the two of you stood to watch performances or in queues for treats he stood behind you, his front pressed to your back, his arms wrapped around your middle. You were ever thankful for the mask you wore and that it covered the blush that was constantly on your cheeks. The two of you had taken a seat under a big oak tree, drinking hot chocolates and eating the caramels you'd begged him to get from a stall run by some of the children of the court. Your feet sore from dancing with Eris for what felt like hours. Every nerve ending in your body was on fire from how close he'd been, how your body fitted against his like it was made to do so. Your cheeks flamed again at the thought.

You were giggling at some witty comment he'd made, curled into his side, his arm over your shoulder, pulling you closer when a shadow fell over the two of you, blocking out the Fae lights. "Hello brother." The voice purred. One of his brothers. "Fathers been looking for you, The Hunt starts soon." Eris tensed, his spine straightening as he leveled his brother with a gaze. "I'm busy, Hawk." Hawk scoffed. "You and I both know you don't refuse Father. But it seems you've already found your chosen maiden for the night." He said with a vicious purr, one that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. You felt sick as Eris' brother roved his eyes up and down your body like you were some kind of prey. "That is, if you get to her first, brother." Hawk smirked at his older brother, desperately trying to get some kind of rise out of him. "I said, I'm busy, Hawk." Eris' tone had changed, he was back to the cocky, arrogant Lord that the rest of the world knew and feared. His brother held his hands up. "I'm going, I'm going, I'll see you real soon darlin'." He winked at you as he turned and left.

Eris said nothing as he watched his brother disappear into the crowd. He didn't move as he took in his surroundings looking for any other members of his family. "Stupid, stupid." He was muttering to himself. You reached out and touched his shoulder. "Eris?" He flinched slightly at your touch. "You need to go." Was all he said. "What? Why? We have until midnight!" You protested. Eris stood and pulled you up with him. "It's not safe for you here, I never should've brought you here." He breathed as he started pulling you through the trees, back towards Cassian.

You pulled your hand out of his grip just before you reached where Cassian was waiting and stopped. He spun to face you, pulling the mask off of his face as he did so. "Y/N, please!" You took your own mask off. "Not until you tell me what's got you so spooked." You said calmly as you crossed your arms. "And while you're at it you can tell me what The Hunt is." You added. Eris ran a hand through his hair and you tracked the movement. "The Hunt is a ritual that's part of the Festival, the females run and the males hunt them. Once caught they claim each other. It's how we give the magic back, as the heir I'm always expected to start The Hunt but I wasn't going to this year, I was going to show you other parts of the court while it happened, have you far away from it. But then Hawk saw you with me and it all became so much more complicated." You tried, you really did try to stop the laugh that was bubbling in your chest but it escaped anyway. You clasped your hands on your knees as you continued to laugh. "You…you invited me to some kind of magical orgy?" You gasped out. "It's not funny, Y/N! It's not safe for you here, not now Hawk has seen you!" You calmed yourself and straightened. He was reaching for your hand again to keep you moving through the woods but you ignored it. You walked right into him and placed a small kiss on the corner of his mouth. A move that took him by surprise. "You stupid, overprotective male." You giggled your mouth brushing his again as you spoke. He seemed to fight with himself for half a second before his right arm wrapped around your waist, the left curling into your hair as he slammed his lips onto yours. "Have to keep you safe." He murmured between kisses. You separated and you were sure your face was the colour of his hair. "Now please let me take you back to Cassian." You nodded and took his hand.

Something was off with Cassian, you could see it in his body language when you approached him. Before you could open your mouth to ask him what was wrong, shadows shot towards Eris, wrapping around his neck, his wrists, his middle and they slammed him to the floor and Az was on him. "Azriel!" You gasped as Eris' hand was ripped from yours. "Get off him!" You took a step towards the males before a hand caught your wrist and you were enveloped in darkness. When the light returned you were in Cassian's arms. Rhys was leaning against a tree, Azriel was delivering punch after punch to Eris. "What do we have here then?" Rhys purred. He nodded at Az who pulled Eris to his feet, one of his arms wrapped around his neck, the other holding Truth Teller to his ribs, positioned to be a straight shot to Eris' heart.

"I thought I told you to stay away from him, Y/N?" Rhys asked, pushing himself off of the tree. "Then you get Cassian to lie for you and sneak you here?" You didn't answer him, trying hard to fight the tears in your eyes. Rhys nodded at Azriel again and Eris hissed as Truth Teller pushed into his ribs, puncturing the skin. You tried to force down the bile that rose in your throat at the smell of his blood. "Is this to get back at me? For choosing Feyre?" Eris' eyes widened. "What?" He choked out. "Oh yes." Rhys purred. "Has she not told you everything?" He pointed his question at Eris. "Rhys, don't!" You fought against Cassian's grip on you. "She's not what she seems, Eris. You weren't her first choice of High Lord." Rhys continued. "Did she tell you she's a witch?" Eris flinched at the word. Witches weren't something that was openly accepted in Prythian. "She loved me long before she met you, because of the power I have, it makes hers stronger. Just like yours would." Something like betrayal flashed through Eris' eyes and his face gave away everything he was feeling, Rhys had crushed him. You had crushed him. Rhys nodded again and Azriel twisted Truth Teller in his side. "Please!" You sobbed. "You're being used, Eris." Rhys continued. "You've also been working beyond what we've negotiated." Rhys purred at him, a talon scraping down Eris' face, splitting the skin as it went. "That's not something I can let go."

"I'll never see him again!" You thrashed against Cassian. Eris was a mess of cuts, bruises and blood. "Rhys please don't kill him! I'll never see him again, I swear it!" Rhys ignored you. "Azzie, please." Azriel faltered at his childhood nickname, the broken tone of your voice. Rhys turned then and looked at you. "You swear it? Never again?" You nodded. "Never." Rhys hummed. "I will kill him, Y/N." You pushed against Cassian again, he let you go this time and you fell to your knees in front of Rhys. "I swear it, Rhys."

Rhys looked over his shoulder at Azriel and nodded. Azriel let Eris go and he slumped to the ground in front of you. His eyes looked broken, betrayed. You reached a glowing palm towards him and he flinched. "Don't.Touch.Me.Witch" He gritted out. You in turn flinched at his tone, so full of venom and hatred. You felt your heart crack and fizzle into nothing. You hadn't even realised until that moment that you'd been giving pieces of it to Eris Vanserra. Rhys placed his hand on your shoulder and winnowed.

You were on your knees in the dining room in the House of Wind. Feyre and Mor were looking down at you with disdain as you sobbed. Rhys poured himself a drink as Azriel and Cassian walked through the balcony door. "You've ruined everything!" You sobbed. It was Nesta who wrapped her arms around you as you cried. "Come now girl, let's have some tea. It won't seem so bad in the morning." Amren ordered as Nesta pulled you to your feet. You didn't so much look at the others as you followed them out of the room.

Amren had been wrong. It seemed worse in the morning. You didn't go to training. You didn't leave your room or your bed. Crying to yourself, still in the dress you'd worn last night. It still faintly smelt like Eris which cracked your heart even more. You'd written to him, or you'd tried too. The paper never leaving your palm when you thought of him like it used to.

The following week was much the same. Cassian tried to speak to you everyday, to explain. Rhys had began screaming in his head and eventually he had no choice but to tell him where you both were. Azriel had arrived first and it had taken all Cassian had to stop the Shadowsinger from marching straight into Autumn to get you back. Nesta had walked straight into your room on the third day and run you bath. Once she'd coaxed you into it she washed your hair and brushed it out. You'd lost it again when you returned to your room with her and the dress was gone, along with the other two. Power had exploded out of you in a darkness that could've envied Rhysand's. "You tricked me!" You sobbed at Nesta. "Y/N, I didn't! I'll get you the dresses back!" Feyre had burst in then, Rhys on her heels and ordered her sister out and told her not to come back. She leveled you with a glare as she followed Nesta out the room. Rhys stayed.

"Are you really doing this to yourself, Y/N?" He asked, arms crossed. You didn't answer him, nor did you meet his eyes. "You haven't left your room in three days, you haven't eaten or slept. You haven't talked to anyone. Not even Azriel." You scoffed at him. "Are you really going to destroy yourself over this?" Your head snapped up to him. "Don't worry, Rhysand. I'll still fight in your war over Feyre." He bristled at your comment. "You're one to talk about destroying yourself though aren't you? A bit hypocritical. You're many things, Rhysand, but not a hypocrite." He uncrossed his arms. "I'm Rhysand now?" "You're lucky I'm speaking to you at all!" You snapped back. "You want to fight Y/N? Do you want to scream and shout at me? Throw your powers at me? Will that make you feel better?" You let out a humourless laugh. "You aren't worth my time anymore, Rhysand." Darkness crept into the edges of the room. "Even so, I am still your High Lord and you will respect me as such or you can find somewhere else to live." He growled in his most commanding voice. You glared at him as a shadow wound its way around your ankle. Keeping you planted where you were. "Fine. Done. I'll be gone by dinner." Rhys' face blanched for half a second before the uncaring face of the High Lord returned. "I'll see you on the battlefield then, Y/N. Find somewhere else to live but you swore and Autumn won't take you now. I'm sure your undelivered notes told you that." The shadow on your ankle tightened. "Get.Out." You gritted out through your teeth. Rhys turned on his heel and left.

To your surprise it wasn't Azriel that entered your room next. It was Mor. "Why?" Was all she asked quietly. "He makes me feel seen." Was your quiet reply. She hummed. "I know what he did to you, Mor. What you've told me. If I could change it, I would. If I could make it better I would." She wiped a tear off of your face with her thumb. "I can't get him out of my head, my soul. I should hate him for what he did to you but I can't." She held you as you cried. "I've lost everyone, including him." She ran a hand through your hair. "I'm sure you haven't." She tried to comfort you. "Rhys told him I was a witch, that I was using him for his power. Azriel hates me-." She cut you off. "Azriel does not hate you! Azriel hasn't come to see you because he thinks you hate him. For what he did to Eris." You sniffled and then admitted what you hadn't even admitted to yourself. "I felt it, Mor, everything they did to him, I felt it."

[acourtofthought]

"the Cauldron’s blast hit the Illyrian forces. / And where a thousand soldiers had been a heartbeat before …

Ashes rained down upon our foot soldiers.

Seconds after that.......

But the Cauldron did not hit the same spot twice. And Hybern was willing to incinerate part of his own army if it meant wiping out a strength of ours.

An unearthly, female shriek broke from deep in the Hybern forces. A sister’s warning—and pain. Just as that white light slammed into the Bone Carver.

But the Carver … I could have sworn he looked toward me as the Cauldron’s power crashed into him. Could have sworn he smiled—and it was not a hideous thing at all.

There—and gone.

The Cauldron wiped him away without any sign of effort.

And a moment after that:

Nesta wasn’t going anywhere. She could barely stay sitting. And Elain … Amren was holding Elain upright as she vomited in the grass. Not from the Cauldron. But pure terror.

(Previously in the series, Nesta vomited when the Cauldron was used to take down the wall. It's power / vibration is what caused her to be sick: Nesta moaned, body tensing as if she’d vomit again. But then we felt it. A shuddering through the earth. Through air and stone and green, growing things. As if some great god blew a breath across the land. Then the impact came. Rhys threw himself over me so fast I didn’t register wholly that the mountain itself shook, that the building swayed. We hit the stones as debris rained, and I felt him readying to winnow— Then it stopped. Screaming rose up from the valley below. But silence reigned in the palace. Amongst us. Nesta vomited again, and Mor let her sag to the floor this time.

With Elain, it seems to be the deaths that caused her sickness, not the power surge.

A few chapters earlier:

Elain at last slid into the chair near Mor’s, her dawn-pink dress—finer than the ones she usually wore—crinkling beneath her. “Will—will many of these soldiers die?”

Whereas the other characters are bothered by the loss of their soldiers, they seem to accept it as unavoidable.

Nesta is matter of fact when she tells Elain that yes, many soldiers will die.

And while Feyre sends up a prayer for the warriors decimated by the Cauldron and the others begin to discuss what their next move will be, Elain is the only one to have an extremely physical reaction to the deaths that just occurred.

There are some who celebrate "Elain the Kingslayer" but I think we're going to find she's struggling with what she did, taking a life. That she would shun that moniker.

She loves Nesta and would obviously do what was needed to save her but I don't think she's glad to have gotten revenge on the King.

The other characters don't usually blink at taking out someone who harmed their family but I think Elain will always carry an immense amount of guilt for any life she takes, deserved or not. In her mind I don't think it's something she can justify.

Elain begged Feyre not to harm Graysen, no matter what (meaning even if it was deserved).

When Lucien acknowledged her part in killing the King, she immediately turned the attention towards Nesta.

It was very pointed how SJM said Elain returned Truth-Teller and "didn't look back". (Think about what TT is used for, what Elain used it for. It is a tool for death, something Elain walked away from without looking back not to mention possible foreshadowing for Elain walking away from the one who represents death).

The cruelty of the Hewn City specifically bothers Elain. The other characters think it's residents are trash but they embrace the roles they step into while there. They enjoy seeing Kier put in his place. Elain tries to prove she too can belong but it's clearly not something she's comfortable doing.

If Elain vomited from the terror she felt over the lost lives during war (which is pretty much a certainty in battle), then how can anyone honestly think she'll support what Azriel does and the way he thinks?

“If Lucien kills Graysen, then good riddance.”

"I'll defeat him with little effort"

What we did to the Attor wasn’t pretty.”

the quiet voice that had broken countless enemies.

People often made the mistake of assuming Cassian was the wilder one; the one who couldn’t be tamed. But Cassian was all hot temper—temper that could be used to forge and weld. There was an icy rage in Azriel I had never been able to thaw.

“Break its legs, shred its wings, and dump it off the coast of Hybern. See if it survives.” / The Attor was already screaming beneath Truth-Teller’s honed edge when I left the cell.

I held his gaze, though. Held that ice-cold stare that still sometimes scared the shit out of me. I’d seen what he’d done to his half brothers centuries ago. Still dreamed of it. The act itself wasn’t what lingered. Every bit of it had been deserved. Every damn bit. But it was the frozen precipice that Az had plummeted into that sometimes rose from the pit of my memory. The beginnings of that frost cracked over his eyes now.

The way he hesitated before he said learned said enough: he’d tortured it out of someone. Many people.

Azriel leaned against the wall by the lone door, Truth-Teller bloody in his hand

the male bleeding from places Azriel knew would hurt but not kill. Az knew where to slice up a male without letting him bleed out. Knew how to make this last for days.

But Feyre, Cassian knew, had been aware of what she’d see before entering. And well aware that these ten minutes had only been the opening movements in a symphony of pain that Azriel could conduct with brutal efficiency.

Feyre struggled watching Azriel torture. Knowing Elain, does anyone truly think she'd be better at witnessing it than Feyre? She has an inner strength, yes, but she is canonically more gentle and sensitive. Inner strength does not necessarily translate to being fine hurting others.

And the second Azriel sensed that Elain was uncomfortable with what he does, what would be the result?

Azriel leaned against the carved wood footboard at the end of his bed. “Little to add to what you already know.” Smooth, easy liar. Far better than me.

The only character in this series who has been entirely in their right to inflict violence on someone but chose a different route is Lucien.

He would not be wrong in going after Eris (especially early on in the series) or in going after Beron and I don't even think anyone would blame him for putting Ianthe in her place. He could have suggested Rhys take Tamlin out for the way Tamlin has treated Lucien rather than encouraging Rhys to have mercy on him. He could have also easily gone after Graysen.

Yet he has made the choice time and again to avoid violence, only using it in defense.

Elain has not gotten to know Lucien because of the bond, she's using that as her shield and refusing to let her guard down.

But honestly, based on personality and personality alone (and not who wants who at this point because we know that can change), how can anyone think Elucien would not well matched?

[thelov3lybookworm]

You Deserve Better (part 5.2)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

A/n: If you haven't read part five before this, it might not make sense, so I suggest you read that first.🥰

•○🌑○•

Rhys's pov

It took a few moments for the paper he'd sent to Thea to return, and when it did, he couldn't help but chuckle as it hit him straight in his face.

He was standing on one of the balconies. He scanned the page smiling, and he knew he shouldn't have expected anything, but still he felt a little pand of sadness when he realised she hadn't written anything signalling she wanted to meet him. But he could live with that, as long as she was safe and happy.

As he was busy reading the letter, he didn't realise someone was coming his way. He looked up just as Feyre came into view. He talked to her, and then winnowed away to night court as soon as he realised that she was his mate.

•○🌑○•

They were standing just outside their tent, just beyond where the crowd of soldiers saying their final goodbyes stood. Rhys had just finished speaking to the inner circle and was now taking them all in, knowing this could be the last time he was looking at them. But while he was sad about that fact, he would be okay with it.

All he was sad about was his sister. The fact that he wouldn't be able to meet her before the war which could possibly bring his death. The fact that he couldn't give her a bone crushing hug, just the way she liked it. The fact that he couldn't tell her how much he loved and missed her.

Cassian suddenly froze, staring past Rhys's shoulder. "Is– is that..." He trailed off, pointing behing Rhys.

Rhys turned, searching for a few moments before he realised what Cassian was pointing at. Who he was pointing at. A few feet away, standing with her hair unbound and staring at an Illyrian, was his sister.

Althea.

She had tears in her eyes, and seemed to be speaking mind to mind with the male. A tear slipped from her eyes, and the male– who Rhys assumed was her fiancé– wiped it away, kissing her softly before pulling her into his chest. While he rocked her back and forth, she looked back up at him. Her fiancé placed his lips Althea's forehead for a few moments, then he let her go. She said something to him, and Rhys was able to read what it was. Don't die or I'll kill you. He took her left hand, where a ring was resting on her ring finger and twisted it, then smiled at her, nodding. She said a few more words, before turning to another Illyrian who walked up to them. From Rhys's vantage point, all he could make out was his close cropped hair and blue eyes.

She stared at him with teary eyes before throwing her arms around his neck. He hugged her back just as fiercely untill a female Illyrian walked upto them and placed a hand on his sister's back. Althea nodded letting go of the male, who then proceeded to wipe a few tears hrom her face and kissed her forehead. She stepped back and turned away, following the other female towards a healer's tent.Rhys followed her with his eyes till she disappeared behind the tent flaps before turning to the inner circle.

Rhys just nodded at Cassian, answering his earlier question.

"She just abandoned us to start a life with someone else. She–" Mor started.

"Mor." Rhys warned.

"What? She hasn't even written to us in the past sixty years."

"She has." Rhys said quietly, turning to look at his sister's fiancé.

"She has?"

"To me. Yes. Everyday."

"And you didn't think to tell us? If you had, I wouldn't have fought with her." She accused.

It took him a second to realise what she was saying. He whipped his head around to glare at Mor. "You what?"

"Hey, guys. Let's not fight now. We can solve this when we go back home. Yeah?"

Rhys nodded half-heartedly, but knocked on Althea's fiancé's mental walls. He let Rhys in, then turned to look at him. He murmured something to his partner before making his way to the inner circle.

"Casteel." He bowed to Rhys.

"You're her fiancé, aren't you?"

Casteel swallowed before speaking. "Yes. I told her to meet you, but she is scared."

"Scared of what?"

"She's scared she's going to mess things up. She thinks no-one will forgive her. She feels guilty of not being there when you needed her."

Rhys couldn't help but gape. "She– I– why would she think that! She has to know I don't care about all the things that she did or didn't do!"

"You aren't the one she's the most scared about, my Lord." His eyes flicked behind Rhys, and he knew who he was looking at. Mor.

"Why–"

Casteel shook his head. "Its her decision, my Lord. I've tried to persuade her to meet you, but she isn't ready yet. I respect her decision, and I wish you would too."

Rhys took a deep breath before nodding. "Please call me Rhys."

Cassian took a step forward. "You're skyward camp's Lord, aren't you?"

Casteel bowed his head. "Indeed I am, my Lord."

"I've heard Rhys talking about how you let the females train as well. I would never have thought that you would become a part of the family. I can't wait to know more about how you both met. I'm Cassian by the way." He shook Casteel's hand and gave him a huge grin, which was returned.

"If you don't mind, I'll return to my friend."

Rhys clapped him on the shoulder and nodded. He bowed and his eyes again travelled behind Rhys as he straightened, disdain entering them, before he turned around and headed back to his friend. Rhys turned to look at who he was looking at and his eyes met with hazel ones.

Obviously Althea would have told him what had caused her departure. And knowing the guy Althea had chosen for herself loved her enough to see respect her decisions and not like people that hurt her, eased some of the tightness in his chest, because while he may not be there to support her, she still had Casteel.

•○🌑○•

Today was a family dinner at the House of Wind. He didnt know why Feyre had insisted on it, as they always had them in the River house, but he didn't question her. Nyx's was also turning six month old that day.

As Rhys walked into his bedroom, he found his mate frantically scribbling something on a paper with a huge grin on her face and Nyx sleeping peacefully on their bed. Her head whipped up as she realised he was in the room, and she wrote something more onto the paper before winnowing it away.

"Who are you writing to, darling?"

"No one." Rhys raised a brow. "A friend of mine. Um... I was wondering if we could stay here a little longer? After everyone has left? She is coming to meet us with her fiancé and I want to meet her before going to the House of Wind."

"Of course darling."

"Thank you Rhys!"

•○🌑○•

Feyre had given Nyx to Rhys as soon as the doorbell rang and practically flown down the steps to open the door.

He slowly descended the steps, cooing at his son who was trying to grab his hair. Rhys wondered if he'd go bald because of it.

That's when he heard it and froze on the steps. Two feminine voices talking. One of then was Feyre. And the other... he didn't want to get his hopes too high, but that sounded a lot familiar. Like his sister.

He continued down the stairs, his heart beating like a running horse, trying to see who it was. And when he could see who it was, his heart stopped for a moment before again going mad.

It was his sister.

She was hugging Feyre, her eyes rising to meet his, and she gave him a small smile.

He continued on as fast as he could without jostling the baby in his arms, not breaking her stare. Althea pulled away and Feyre turned around to look at Rhys. He handed Nyx to his mother without looking, and pulled Althea in for a bone crushing hug, tears already running down both their faces.

"You're back." He whispered in her hair.

A sudden laugh bubbled up from Althea, and she nodded against his shoulder. "I'm back." She nodded.

They stayed like that for what felt like centuries before pulling apart as she stared up at him, grinning. He grinned as well, his cheeks hurting, but he didn't care. He kissed her forehead before looking at Casteel who was standing smiling at them.

"Look at you. All grown up."

"You say that every time you see me Rhysie." She giggled.

"Aren't you going to introduce us?"

"Do you really need an introduction? I'm pretty sure you know each other. He told me about it."

Rhys rolled his eyes fondly. "Yeah well, you could just say you're lazy."

She slapped his shoulder.

"I'm the one that's supposed to be introduced."

As they stood there, Feyre having handed Nyx to Althea and her babbling along with Nyx, he realised his family was finally complete again. He felt like he was the happiest male in all of Prythian.

He glanced at Casteel, who smiled and turned back to Althea, cooing at the baby in her arms.

"Now what?" Rhys finally dared to ask.

Althea looked up from Nyx and gave him a smile. "Now we have a family reunion."

•○🌑○•

Taglist : @bubybusters @Act1839 @we-were-beautiful

[blodgmonster]

Part THREE of my A Court of Silver Flames reread commentary that absolutely no one asked for.

--Is there a ship name for Mor/Emerie? Even though it's based entirely on Emerie saying she forgot how beautiful Mor is and blushing? Because I ship it.

-- Gwyn having them written into Merril's book about the Valkyries. So SWEET!! "Our stories are worth telling." Damn straight.

-- Nesta facing her fear with the fire. That's my girl.

-- the House showed her its heart!!!

-- kinda fuckin rude of Rhys to give the dagger Nesta Made to Eris. Even if she doesn't want it, it should be Nesta's to give away.

-- I need Nesta, Aelin, and Bryce to form a dance troupe.

-- Eris tells Nesta that what happened between him and Mor after she was savaged didn't go down the way Mor says. He's implied this a few times. I need to know!!! What happened!? Her gift is truth, why would she lie about that?

-- Nesta, teach me how to dance! I need to seduce a man into a marriage proposal in three dances or less.

-- Nesta saying "fuck you" to Elain is priceless

-- Nesta and Azriel's relationship is low key but adorable!

-- Take the gods damned symphonia, Nesta!! Jesus Christ, stop getting in your own fucking way! You two idiots love each other!

-- Nesta and Cassian making love instead of just fucking is...wonderful. It's about damn time. "And warm and safe and home at last in Cassian's arms, Nesta slept." YESSSSSSSS. (Also my work crush walked into the break room when I was right in the middle of this sex scene. I was screaming internally.)

-- the girls are having SUCH a good time in the House and the House is having a good time and they're making bracelets and they're a found family and I love them.

-- VALKYRIES!!!! CUT THAT RIBBON, YOU WONDERFUL FEMALES!!!!

-- "She would not be mastered by anything again. She was the master of herself...And this person she was becoming, emerging day by day...She might even like her." NESTAAAAAAAA

-- I forgot she MADE the House oh my God.

-- "The mood hadn't been helped by a rare red star blasting across the sky one day." SUP, AELIN!!! LOVE YOU MOST

-- "I am your MATE, for fuck's sake!" Oh, Cassian.

-- "Well, I didn't have a choice in being shackled to you, either." CASSIAN, YOU FUCKING IDIOT OH MY GOD.

-- "some things are more important than fear." Gwyn, I love you.

--And I love that Mor agreed to be their Uber. Have a falling out while dealing with the fact that you're mated? Call Mor's Mating Mishap Uber to get you the fuck away from that male.

-- I said it before and I'll say it again. The bargin to die together is so FUCKING STUPID. And inconsiderate to your loved ones. The Inner Court, your sisters, your possible son would be devastated by one death and you bargained to make it a DOUBLE funeral for them. How nice. If Nyx loses a dad, oh no, guess what, he's an ORPHAN. Also, Rhys is waaaaay older than Feyre and would die before her naturally, so this bargin drastically shortens Feyre's lifespan. 'Oh, she doesn't want to live without him.' That's fucking life, isn't it? The people we love the most die on us, and our world falls apart, and then guess what? We keep fucking going.

-- Nesta has made her first kill in the Blood Rite

-- "Emerie was alive. And nearby. And in danger. And this motherfucker wouldn't stop Nesta from saving her." FUUUUUUUUCK YES

-- every time the pov shifts from Nesta to Cassian on the continent I want to scream. I don't give a flying fuck about the rescue mission for Eris.

-- "You came for me."

"Of course. That's what sisters do." * SCREAMING. CRYING, THROWING UP * I love you, Emerie!

-- "I have been broken before...I survived it. And I will not be broken again -- not even by this mountain." FUCK YEAH, GWYN.

-- Gwyn's story and then Emerie telling her "You're not alone." And Emerie's shit father. And Nesta finally, finally telling them everything, letting them all the way into her heart. And they don't cringe away. They love her. I am fucking crying.

-- "'I'll face it with you,' Gwyn whispered over and over again. 'Promise me we'll face it together.'" I love you, Gwyn.

-- "There were no hateful voices in her head. Only the knowledge that her friends lay behind her, beyond the line she had drawn in the earth, and she would not cede that line. She would not fail her friends. She had no room for fear in her heart." I love you, Nesta

-- "my mate taught me well." FUCK YEAH

-- OH FUCK I FORGOT ABOUT THIS PART!!! Cassian showed up, mind controlled. FUCK

-- JESUS CHRIST, HE'S KILLING HIMSELF!! I FORGOT SO MUCH!

-- oh hell. The stupid birth. I have a genuine fear of giving birth so this fucking sucks. For a few reasons.

-- HOW is a C section BEYOND THE POWER OF MAGIC.

-- "so live, Nesta Archeron." Echoes of "live, Manon, live."

-- And thus, my beloved Nesta gets nerfed. WHY must the female protagonist sacrifice her power in order to save the day? Why can't she stay overpowered like Rhys? Like Feyre? It's clear in HOFAS that Nesta still has some power but come on! WHY, SJM, FUCKING WHY!!!!!! Her power is Death, couldn't she use that to tell death to back the fuck off of her sister? Save Feyre USING her power instead of SACRIFYING IT. Ugh. It makes me so mad.

-- you SHOULD bow, Rhys. And you should treat Nesta with the utmost respect, love, and gratitude for the rest of time. But as we see in HOFAS that's not the case, IS IT? This book (and HOFAS) kind of ruins him.

-- Nyx was a goddess. Weird thing to name a boy.

-- Cassian, I am going to need you to say "I love you" back in one of the future ACOTAR books. Do you hear me, SJM, he needs to SAY IT.

-- I'm glad Nesta got the House. And finally a painting of her.

-- I am so glad that Nesta got the peace and love and friends that she deserves. But it does make me wonder why the relationships seemed so off in their cameos during HOFAS. Rhys is being a domineering prick to Nesta, so much so that Ember (beloved) feels the need to step in and defend her and mother her. And Cassian, who clearly loves her and has challenged Rhys before when he was being a dick, just stood there and let it happen. What was that??

[daisychains111]

live "tweet" books with me (via the Goodreads progress bar) pt. 5 A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

(the first two books plus Frost and Starlight can be found in part 4/4.5)

Alis and Lucian don't believe her "I was a prisoner at night court" BS for one second, and I love that for them

I'm gonna miss Alis...I love her 😭😭

I'm a very enthusiastic Lucian and Elaine fan...I want them to work, even if I know they won't

I'm also an AVID Cassian and Nesta fan....SWOON

once again declaring my absolute distaste of using males, females, and "my mate"

"oversized bat who throws temper tantrums" Nesta is an icon

"Eventually, Mor and Nesta are gonna be besties....I can feel it in my soul

would love for feyre and Nesta to finish their sister heart-to-heart

Alis better be alive somewhere bc istg if Sarah killed that sweet lady I'll riot. also, Tarquin needs to get the stick out of his ass

hehe, Nesta's worried about Cassian

BOOO HISSSSS TAMLIN

literally just fuck him, derogatory

see you used man one time and it was grand then you had to go and correct yourself...bitch ass omagaverse simp

Nesta verbally annihilating Tamlin is my new favorite thing

I'm quickly becoming Nesta's biggest fan

feyre you really just showed every single one of your cards.... those old bastards totally deserved it tho so good on you

girl, you're 20 and married...literally stfu

WOOAAHHH AFFAIR BABY LUCIAN

Nesta doesn't give two shits about the high lord title. she'll tell you to stfu if she feels like it

hehe feyre making fun of Nesta for Cassian will never not be hilarious

HA scary overgrown bat men scared of Nesta

I do not believe that Jurian is on their side, lying until proven not a jerk...also FUCK TAMLIN

you better knock it off with this Mor and Cassian tension...gross

good riddance Ianthe you bitch

not you genuinely making me feel sad about the surial....brutal

absolutely not...Mor and feyre will not be fighting about this...I refuse

awwww Amren and the summer court guy (varian)....cutie pop

SARAH IF YOU HURT SWEET ELAIN I WILL MAIM YOU

damn...if tamlin dies rn trying to redeem himself rn, I just might have to forgive him for being a fuckass

hehe sister hug

hehe elain and azriel

how I didn't realize Mor liked girl is absolutely beyond me...my gaydar is EXTREMELY lacking bc fucking duh

awwww they're holding hanndddsssss

if any one of them dies I'm gonna kill you

if Nesta kisses Cassian bc she thinks they're gonna die I'll forgive Sarah of all her sins

YUUUHH FATHER DEAREST FOR THE ABSOLUTE WIN

once again Nesta saying fuck you and your title I do as I please...icon

AMREN WTF

YAY KISSING WHEN WE THINK WERE GONNA DIE...you're not forgiven tho, not til they both live

YES ELAIN YUUUHHH

goddammit Amern 😭😭

I'm like 80% sure that Rhys doesn't actually die BUT ISTG IF HE DIES RN

AYAY RHYS STAYS ALIVE AND YAY AMREN IS NOT GONE AND YAY

shout out to Tamlin...you're officially redeemed

rip the Tamlin and Lucian bromance

(Afterthought in post-production, WTF happened to Alis. She just disappeared from the planet and I'm not amused.)

I'm starting Silver Flames tomorrow so stay tuned for then hehe (even though I literally should just do my how instead of reading lol)

[lia-land]

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

4/5 stars

Spoilers*

I love that the acronym is ACOWAR.

This was a good book, but my hopes were insanely high after A Court of Mist and Fury. This had specific scenes that I enjoyed, like the solstice and the High Lord’s meeting, but I got bored with all the war talk. It’s kind of like Taylor Swift’s Folklore and Evermore albums. Folklore was an amazing album as a whole, and Evermore had a few amazing songs, in my opinion.

The entirety of Feyre’s time in the Spring court was really enjoyable to read about and was a very strong start to the book. All of those chapters were on par with ACOMAF for me. There’s a lot of character development apparent there and I enjoyed SJM’s writing style here im not telling the reader about Feyre’s plans until after she had succeeded. Nothing really caught my interest after that until the conversation in Tarquin’s office, and then the High Lord’s meeting.

The only thing I explicitly disliked was how none of the main characters died. This is not to say that I expect a character to die in every series, but when you have as many main characters as this series has had, it just seems too convenient that they all live. Not just that, but Amren and Rhys did die, only for both to be brought back to life. I have read the rest of the series and cannot see any reason for Amren to have needed to come back to life. The excuse for it was also very rushed over, with Rhys saying that he just found her in the Cauldron when he was dead himself and brought her back. Her death did not surprise me at all as it just made sense and I felt like it was coming, but her revival confused me. Maybe she will have a purpose in future SJM books, but it would have been far more impactful if she had died and remained dead. It might have felt less out of place if Rhys hadn’t also died and been revived a few pages later.

Regarding Rhys coming back to life, I wish there was more justification on why the other High Lords chose to revive him. I can’t see why Beron and Tamlin would ever agree to do so, regardless of diplomatic pressure. Tamlin, I could maybe justify with his love for Feyre being so great, but even then, his character did not seem like the type to make such a sacrifice. I see absolutely no reason for Beron to have given his power. There obviously must have been one and I hope we find out in future books, because as it is now, it just feels like a convenient thing that happened for the sake of a happy ending. Potentially, I can also see why it might have caused some sort of refugee crisis since Rhys didn’t have an heir, but as it’s explained in later books, the Cauldron in unpredictable in how it chooses the next High Lord, so sometimes it's not the son of the previous High Lord anyway. Based on that, I assume the Night Court wouldn’t have been left without a High Lord, so we’re back to square one.

Mor, in general, was a very disappointing character. What even is her power? Her character would have made more sense to me if she didn't had a power, because what was the point if we never see her use it anyway? To be fair, in this regard, all of the characters were disappointing in the sense that we don't actually see their full potential. Feyre, especially, had so much potential with the magic of all seven courts and if this war was not an occasion for her to take full advantage of those powers, then what is? I know we see Rhys' beast form which he says he only resorts to when needed, but I was just expecting more from all of them. This didn't bother me much since I wasn't that invested in the battle scenes anyway, to be honest, so it hasn't majorly affected my rating.

I don't know how I feel about the ending. 1. Rhys and Feyre flying off into the night was a bit cheesy, but I'll live. 2. The death pact. I have manyyyy thoughts on this decision. On one hand, I completely understand that they are two people in love and witnessed each other die and never wanted to feel that pain again, but they are rulers. It is irresponsible and somewhat selfish in so many ways for the only two rulers of a whole court to make that bargain when they had no heir. This causes a paradox because they can either 1. never have kids, and leave the fate of the Night Court uncertain if they both die unexpectedly at the same time or 2. have kids and both die at the same time, whether expectedly or unexpectedly, which can have drastic effects on the child. I wasn't surprised when Feyre proposed such a reckless pact, but Rhys is 536 years old and has been High Lord for at least two centuries and I like to think that if he had thought of it in full, he wouldn't have agreed. (Although this is backed up by the Evil!Rhys theory, which I love to entertain so I'll let it slide for now).

In my review of A Court of Mist and Fury, I mentioned how I thought Rhys’ trauma from Under the Mountain was overlooked and I was hoping it would be acknowledged more in this book, but instead, Lucien faces something similar and that gets overlooked as well. I suppose it is on par with how our society doesn’t always acknowledge men’s trauma, but it would have been significant to have seen some sort of conversation about it.

I'm so embarrassed to say that the Cauldron scares me as of this book. The whole thing with it 'noticing' Nesta and then stealing Elaine in the middle of the night while 'singing' creeped me out.

[c-e-d-dreamer]

I'm so excited about all the wips you mentioned! 😆 especially the howls moving castle one!

I'm a succor for pain, so whats the plan/basic premise for 'untitled angst'?

While I did already answer that one, don't worry. I can still give you pain 😉 so for Cassian Week, I am planning a fic that's currently saved as Choosing Nesta but basically it's Cassian realizing that the IC will never truly forgive Nesta and he chooses her over them. But the angsty part is that the realization comes after Rhys and Mor basically leave her behind on a suicide mission

"Why didn't you go back for her? After you got Mor back to Velaris, why didn't you go back?"

"I just told you, they had ash arrows. I couldn't risk it."

"But you could risk Nesta, right?"

"It's what she would have wanted. You know that. She's always had a self-sacrifice streak."

"Don't you dare! Don't you dare speak of her when you left her to die!"

"Calm down."

"Are you fucking kidding me? What if it was Feyre? What if I left Feyre in the middle of an ambush surrounded by ash arrows. What if I left your mate for dead?"

"Don't."

"That's the difference, isn't it? I would risk it for Feyre. I would go back for her because I know how much she means to you, but you don't care. You've never forgiven Nesta, not really, and now you finally got the chance to wash your hands clean of her."

Send me a WIP title and I'll share a snippet or tell you about it!

[theresthesnitch]

Alright, spoilers for the first three books of the ACOTAR series below.

(the TL;DR is that I obsessively read the books until it was done, but I have some issues with certain points in the book series that knock it down a few pegs for me.)

I'm super torn about the series as a whole. As I said earlier, I devoured the books, but... it's very one and done, and I don't imagine I'll ever reread them. I actually could be very alright just... not reading on. It feels like a fairly susinct ending, even with some loose threads. I think it mostly comes down to these books just *not* being for me, but here are some of my main complaints.

The first two books were very heteronormative and misoginistic--but in the way I sort of expect M/F romance books to be. So, I was prepared to deal with that as I do when I read M/F romance books (I don't have the spoons to go in depth on this topic right now, so I'm hoping this makes sense without me having to explain too much). But it's very much on the "Feyra needs saved by Tamlin/Lucien or later Rhys/Cassian/Azriel" or "High Fae Males are all like..." and then even on to "Rhys is *different* then other Males" in a really weird way. Which, again, is fine and not all that unexepcted in M/F romance books.

But then, Book 3 suddenly had queer characters? It very much feels like she got backlash for the lack of queer characters early on--which, I was disappointed in, especially when I thought that there was a hint of forbidden gay romance between... one of the High Lords and his servent (Tarquin? Maybe?) in book one, but it ended up being just a sabatoge effort. Which, fine, is plot relevant, but was annoying. And then suddenly in book three, they're jsut dropping "The High Lord and his Husband" and the Poly Pan High Lord, and the Nephellum and her wife story and then Mor is gay and.... where was *any* of this in earlier books? Then, Rhys asking Feyra if she wants someone in her bed like another man to ravish her with him, and it's the most, heternormative basic threesome fantasy

Next, I'm very hesitant about Rhys and Feyra's relationship. Like, it's definitely made to be this lovely romance where he's so good to her and she's so good to him..... except they keep lying to each other and hiding thrings, all the way through the battle scene. Like, repeatedly, she's just like "I'm going to sneak away and not tell anyone." When she *narrowly* gets back, they have a discussion about how he isn't going to forbid her from doing things, but they should talk about these things! And they agree, lovely feelings.... and 100 pages later, they're lying to each other again.

I'm... surprisingly disappointed in the ending of the third book. First, she was teasing us for half the book that someone was going to die in this war, one of the main six-ish Family would die in the war, we're definitely not all making it out of this battle repeatedly... and then nothing really happened. Okay, there were two "deaths" but...

Amern should ahve stayed dead. I loved Amren as a character, and even loved that she found love, and that she sacrificed herself for them so they could all survive... but then she didn't die. And that felt like such a weak ending for her. She was dead for like half a chapter. She had a beauitful ending, but then she just... was back.

Rhys - I thought he would die, and then we'd spend half of the next book with Feyra attempting to live without him and subsequently falling to pieces before diving into some ridiculous plan to use th cauldron to bring him back. Instead, he was dead for two pages. And I think I could be okay with him not actually dying if Amren had died, but bringing them both back from the dead in a page and a half was too much. Someone that we cared about should have died. (daddy doesn't count. He was barely a character in the book.)

And then the ending just felt like it dragge don far too long. Too many recovery chapters at the end. It felt like it draged, and I almost DNF 3% before the end of the book because it was just... boring.

I'm saving this last one for the end, and if you've made it this far, congratulations on delving into my madness. But the smut. I know published books are so mild compared to fanfic, but the smut in this is... Eh. I mean, I skimmed most of it every time I came to a smut scene. This is at the end because It could have just been that I wasn't in a smut scene when these came about, so I'm not really holding it against the books. There were a few things that were odd, like her breasts tightening and him watching that, but...

So I finished A Court of Wings and Ruin (ACOTAR #3) last night, and I haven't decided how I feel about it.

More thoughts later, probably. Just. Still digesting, I think.

[viktoriakosci666]

I dont understand HOW sjm has SO many fans! Like, all those celebrities who have done a bad thing (Amber Heard, Chris Brown) or believe in something that is seen as negative and hurts other people (JK Rowling) are terrorised by the media and its people! But sjm? No, she totally didn't do ANYTHING bad or terrible! 😱

It's not like she copied other authors works and implemented them into her own story! It's not like she created the Illyrians, who are POC (apparently) only to HATE on them and make them out to be misogynistic and abusive to females?! Other authors would be getting called racist by now! It's not like she sexualized Nesta being skinny and even body shamed her in the books! It's not like she acts like her MCs are feminists, only to be brought down for a man who then impregnates them and lies to them about their life being in danger! Oh, HOW feminist of you Rhys! How feminist of you Sarah Janet MyAss! She should be getting called a misogynist, but SOMEHOW she isn't? She also makes out that woman can't be powerful unless they know how to fight! Wow. Thanks Sjm, I've always known I was weak during my fight from poverty, but it's ALWAYS good to get an amateurs opinion.

And then there's the whole Mor thing, with terrible LGBT representation. Her own fans were not sure whether Mor was a lesbian or Bisexual because she just didn't explain it well enough when writing that conversation with Feyre, as Mor states that she's attracted to both genders, and YET her reaction to her sleeping with Helion REALLY doesn't show that she's bisexual, as to me personally it seemed like she was scarred from having sex with a man instead of having sex with HELION himself.

And finally. . . 😤 ignoring the trauma of LITERALLY every character except Feyre and Rhys, despite being VERY aware that her series is popular and MANY young adults and teenagers would read these books and think 'Oh, I guess this behaviour is okay', which, it's isn't! Rhys sexually assaulting Feyre, Cassian gaslighting Nesta, Azriel being willing to screw Elain but then ditch her. . . none of that is okay! But young people don't know that and aren't aware of this, so they believe EVERY single toxic and abusive thing that sjm tells them, and THATS exactly why Feysand and Nessian still exists!

Nesta: suicidal, depressed, sexual assault victim, has been body shamed and over sexualized by her mate, has PTSD, may have a food disorder

Lucien: possibly suicidal, sexual assault victim, abused and used by LITERALLY every single person he has ever met

Tamlin: borderline depressed, PTSD, sexual assault victim, may be suicidal

SJM: Oh, that's so sad 😥! But let me just ignore this *wacks away the coloured letters* and I'll forget about it! 😚 Let's focus more on Rhys, Feyre and Gwyn!!

And I'm not invalidating Rhys, Feyre or ESPECIALLY Gwyns trauma. Gwyn SHOULD get a healing arc. But SJM completely forgot about the other threes trauma, especially Lucien and Tamlins, because she knew that if she spoke again about how poor Tamlin and Lucien are, feysand stans would be on her ass being like 'Lucien left feyre to die! Tamlin locked her up!'. But instead of giving the two characters some closure, she just decided to make them the NC's lap dogs (Nesta and the Valkyries too).

And I'm not saying this because I hate Gwyn (Love her, she deserves better than Assriel and having Eris as her grandpapa, Lucien would be a better choice) but SJM DOES kind of make what happened to Gwyn stand out more than the trauma that Nesta and Emerie went through. . . I was rereading Acosf, and I ALWAYS got a bit teary when it came to Gwyn speaking about her trauma, but with Nesta?

The fact that Thomas nearly raped her was basically GLOSSED over and Emerie having an abusive and misogyny family who clipped her was just summed up in one page (if I remember correctly) whilst mentions of what had happened to Gwyn were scattered all over the book, and since this was NESTAS journey, I was surprised at first when I first read the book (acosf), cause I didn't really care about Gwyn then, and I was just hopping from excitement about Nestas trauma being mentioned more often (since I was scared sjm would never mention her trauma again), or even handled better, but it just. . . was a lot of Feysand and Gwyn propaganda, and Nesta slander. Yeah 😭

Sjm EVEN focuses more on LoA and Helion than Lucien, Tamlin and Nesta, who ARE essentially some of the main characters 😭

Anyway, SJM ignoring all this trauma that the characters have or even acting like it isn't important, is going to teach those people that trauma should be ignored and forgotten, that if you're suicidal, NO ONE cares! If you're being body shamed, NO ONE cares! If you're being harassed or sexually assaulted, NO ONE cares! If someone is being racist to you, NO ONE cares!

And I think that THIS is why SJM should just stop WRITING BOOKS! Because people DO care about your trauma, and SJM is going to make you think otherwise. The author may not say it directly, but her work is proven to be misogynistic, racist, sexist, and as they say, 'the words and actions within a book says more about the author than the actual book'.

[separatist-apologist]

I think I started to hate cassian after deleted chapter. Before that I just disliked him. He doesn’t act like a mate he was sadistic to nesta just because she slept with anyone but him. Which is hypocritical because he and mor basically rub their connection in her face. Not to mention his POV was pure lust I didn’t see love at all. Hell at end he doesn’t want to do official mating ceremony and seems embarrassed of her. I can get behind a shit person ( like cruel prince) but cassian I can never because he took pleasure in being sadistic to the max. He even acted like he was going to attack her over her talking about rhys. Nesta’s self respect vanished in book she would of slept with a village just to spite him not fall him his lap

Oof, it really is a no-Cassian appreciation day. I agree, though. I genuinely think Cassian did not like Nesta but DID like the mating bond. Or was compelled to be with her because of it. His POV is so telling because at times he does seem to care if she's miserable...but never enough to like...confess that he loves her. When she's taken by the bog creature (i forget what it's called), he has a moment of panic where he's like, if she's dead I don't know what I'll do but he doesn't follow that up with, "because I'm so in love with her I'd die without her" and it gives the sense that it's the bond driving him and not his personal feelings.

I said it before but I'll say it again. ACOSF definitely made it seem like Cassian did not think Nesta was worthy of him, and "getting" the high born lady as the low born bastard (after dragging her down to his perceived level) was part of what he enjoyed. I think Cassian enjoyed getting Eris back by getting the woman Eris wanted because Eris kept making Cassian feel stupid (which, was a lot of Cassian's own insecurities. I don't think Eris was trying very hard to make Cassian look dumb, Eris was just...treating Cassian like he would have treated ANYONE representing their High Lords political agenda and Cassian, who has his own insecurities, projected that onto everyone around him. Like imagine if Cassian had just shrugged like, okay and? and just met Eris where he was. Eris would have still been Eris of course but it would have rolled off Cassian's back).

The hiking scene is the big no for me. He doesn't speak to her for days??? He's a 500 year old athlete that doesn't recognize the signs of exhaustion? Doesn't care if she doesn't eat/drink? Makes her, untrained, carry their heavy pack? And then when she breaks down he's like, "me, my trauma, you belong to me."

The bad outweighs his moments of sweetness and the mating scene, where he screaming at her in public to acknowledge their bond while she's desperately trying to make him understand how she's afraid to because it's her last shred of humanity stripped away is just...no.

[desertofsnowflakes]

Incorrect Order Chapter 6 (Nessian AU)

A/N: I'm sooo sorry I haven't been updated in more than two weeks. I had exams :/ Also, do inform me if you wanna be added/removed from the taglist! If you happen to find my storyline similar to another fic or one of yours, I'm extremely sorry, I might've just not known. All characters belong to the author Sarah J. Mass. Enjoy!

Summary: Don't first impressions always affect the way you see someone? Well, what more with the Nesta Archeron? Nesta meets Cassian at few unexpected places and to say it didn't go well was a major understatement. Certain circumstances make them become enemies to tolerable company to friends to lovers.

Trigger Warnings: Language

1572 words | Incorrect Order Masterlist | Read on AO3 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The smile Cassian plastered on his face didn’t reach his eyes. His brothers saw that. Feyre and Elain saw that. Mor and Amren knew that. He himself did. But they didn’t say anything. If it weren’t Feyre’s anniversary, he would’ve even gone home. He couldn’t though. He wouldn’t do anything that would hurt his family. So he stayed. Smiled. Joked. Laughed. Did everything he could to keep his mind from straying to a grey-eyed masterpiece.

Az and Rhys saw, he knew. They always seemed to realise everything about each other. Even if one of them had a minor headache, the other two would know. Tonight, however, none of them pushed him. They probably thought he wanted to be alone. But did he? Truly?

He wasn’t sure. He didn’t want to be alone. That would make memories of their lunch rise. Of her shirt splattered with coffee on one day and blood on another. Of her pale form laying on his bed. Of her, enjoying his food. Of their shared jokes. He didn’t think he could take that.

He wasn’t sure he wanted to be around people either. He didn’t know if he could stay around people who laughed and teased. He didn’t know if he could laugh with them and actually mean it. He didn’t know if he could anytime soon.

Cass glanced at the clock. 3.00 a.m. He smiled. Whenever they gathered around in the living room, retiring early was totally off the table. The earliest they dispersed was four in the morning.

To his right, Rhys sighed. “It’s late,” he said, tucking Feyre close to his side. “Gotta go to bed.”

He smirked, but held back the joke on the tip of his tongue. After a chorus of goodnights, Rhys and Feyre told them they could stay here tonight if they wanted to and rose to go upstairs. Feyre laughed at something Rhys said and Cass felt a pang of sadness hit him.

Sadness… and something else. He knew he shouldn’t, but he envied the both of them. How easily they bantered and teased. How smooth their relationship was. He remembered how Feyre locked herself in the cabin after Rhys proposed. He remembered how she asked Mor not to let anyone in, especially Rhys. He sighed. He felt an amount of the jealousy dissipate. Probably Nesta would get together with him after their slight misunderstanding passed. If it did.

He got up to leave when Az stopped him. “You sure you’re going back?” Cass didn’t remember telling Az that he was going back. Then again he didn't need to. Az always saw everything. “You're not that… somber.”

Ah. Cass smiled. “I'll be fine, ” he reassured. Az still didn't let him go. “I'll send you a text once I'm home,” he tried. Az sighed.

“I'll be waiting for it.”

Cass looked at Mor, drunk and blabbering before stepping out of the house. He kept replaying that memory till he reached home, keeping his mind occupied. He was scared of what would happen if he kept his thoughts idle.

He informed Az that he reached home. He didn't know why going back home felt like preparing for a battle. It probably was a battle. Between her and his self-restraint. What was at stake here was his sanity. Cass sighed. He stepped in through the threshold and welcomed the darkness that enveloped him.

***

Stop crying like a baby, Nesta repeatedly reminded herself. Why should she cry? Nothing here was her fault. Nothing.

Not the fact that she let his charmed smiles bring her guards down. Not the fact that she felt alive when he said something stupidly funny. Certainly not the fact that she was slowly falling for him.

None of it was her fault. So why should she cry? Why should she stop herself from attending her own sister's anniversary? When it was all his fault.

She shouldn't be crying. She should be thinking about ways of exploiting his weaknesses. She should think about how she would portray him as the weak one. She should think about how she was going to make him regret everything.

But how could she make him regret it when she never regretted a second of it? She hated that this was where her thoughts went first. To scheming and plotting. She thought she changed. Did she regret her wish to be good? No. She reveled in it. No, she vowed herself, I would not scheme to make him beg. I'm not that Nesta anymore. I'll never be.

She was proud of herself. She never realised her self restraint was this good.

But apparently not good enough. Her thoughts drifted back to him. No, not him. Cassian. Cauldron, it'll take some time to get used to calling him Cassian. Or maybe Cass. Feyre and Rhysand called him that. Probably she would too. She thought about what he called her. Nes. She flushed. That stupid name did stupid things to her. She pretended she didn't like it. In fact, she loved it. Somehow, she wasn't ready to tell him that yet.

***

Nesta blinked open her eyes against the morning light. Her eyes were closed? It was morning already? Huh.

It took her some time for her eyes to adjust. She screamed at what she saw. Nesta scrambled back from the looming figure of Tomas, leering at her face.

“Nesta, Nesta, ” he said in his eerie voice. It became scarier with his sing-song tone. “My Nesta.” He paused. “Though I suppose you aren't mine anymore. You were still mine last time, you know. When you handed me over to the police. ”

She bared her teeth, opened her mouth to say something when his hand closed around her throat.

“But now, I suppose I can't call you mine anymore, can I? That reminds me. Where is your bodyguard? Or is that brute your boyfriend?” He spat the last word. His hand tightened around her neck.

“Do you know what he did to me? Your bastard. Did you know how he threatened me? Did you know that he smashed my bones, that it took me this long to heal?”

Some sort of savage satisfaction filled her. The fact that Cassian did all this… she smirked. It didn't go unnoticed by Tomas. He growled, the sound sending icy fingers ghosting down her spine. She hoped she didn't have to hear it again.

His hand around her throat pushed her farther back on the bed. He drew back, she let loose a relieved breath. A mistake.

His hand cracked on her cheek. He came infinitely closer to her, his hot, rancid breath glancing off her cheeks. His hand kept tightening around her throat and she wondered how she wasn’t dead yet. It was certainly bruised now.

“Look at you. So vulnerable. So killable. I’ve imagined how I would slit your throat. So many ideas. If only I could kill you in all the ways I imagined. But do you know what is the best way I could kill you?”

Nesta let him talk. He loved to hear himself talk. She subtly looked around her room, searching for anything she could use as a weapon. She looked back at Tomas. He wasn’t talking. Did he ask her a question?

“Tell me, Nesta. Do you know what is the best way to kill you?” Nesta shook her head, his hand pressed around her throat. Tomas smiled. She cringed mentally.

“I think the best way to kill you and make it hurt is to kill you slowly. You know what makes it better? Having that bastard watch you die. Let him watch the life seep out of you. And then I’ll kill him too.” he said and she felt the room closing in. Panic was slowly rising in her.

“Now, now,” he said. She supposed he meant to be cajoling but the effect his voice gave was the exact opposite. “There’s no need to panic. I told you I’ll kill you only when your bodyguard is there.”

He pulled out a knife. She gasped and pain erupted around her throat. Her lungs were burning.

“But darling,” he said. She whimpered. She hated this. She hated that she was vulnerable here. She hated that she couldn’t do anything when her death was slowly nearing. “I didn’t say I wouldn’t hurt you.”

Then his knife struck. Nothing hurt at first. Then, fiery pain whipped through her, beginning at her arm. She screamed. Pain. There was so much pain. She screamed so loud she pondered how the whole neighborhood didn’t hear anything.

***

Nesta gasped. Her eyes darted through her room. Nothing. No one. She looked at her arm. No pain. No scars. No blood. She touched her throat. It wasn’t sore. It wasn’t swollen. She got out of bed and looked at her mirror. No bruises. She let out a frustrated sound. It was a dream. A fucking dream. Or she supposed it was a nightmare. Still. It wasn’t real.

It was still five in the morning. Still quite early. She released a breath. She wouldn’t find a cab now but she could walk. It wasn’t that far. She fixed her hair and changed her clothes. She wasn’t going because she missed him. She just didn’t want to be vulnerable again. That’s all. She just wanted to know how to defend herself. Nothing else. So Nesta went to Cassian’s house, hoping that she’s making the right choice.

taglist: @shadowsinger07 @im-someone-i-guess @saltyfortunes @cressjacquine @champanheandluxxury @zemiraa @nehemikkele @angelic-voice-1997 @heartless--aromantic @sv0430 @irenethaleia @deedz-thrillerkilller16 @sjm-things @dontgetsalmonella @ganseys-jane

[books--andt]

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas Review and Spoiler Discussion!!!

Hey everyone!! Raise your hand if you read and devoured ACOWAR and loved every stinking minute of it! *raises hand 1231434241 times*

Ahh the long awaited ACOWAR, the third and final book in this trilogy. But have no fear! SJM has announced that she will be writing more books set in this world, just not from Feyre's perspective. I CANNOT WAIT YOU GUYS.

To give some thoughts for my non spoiler readers... Sarah J Maas is a queen. Her writing is liquid gold. The way she describes courts, weather, clothing--everything was just beautiful. The character development, for not only Feyre and Rhys, but for other characters as well was through the roof and truly, honestly, makes you wish these characters were real because they FEEl real. They feel like they are your own friends and family and I ended up caring deeply for every one of them. And don't even get me started on Velaris. I WISH I LIVED THERE!

Read this book. This series. Read EVERYTHING by the queen- SARAH J MAAS!

***SPOILER TALK AHEAD***

Hey spoiler peeps! SO! Where do I even begin?? Feyre begins her story trapped yet again in the Spring court. I have to say, I really, really despised Tamlin all throughout this book. The fact that he didn't understand that he wasn't making Feyre happy, that he was trapping her, and that she left on her own FREE WILL made me so angry. It wasn't until the end of the book when I actually was like, ok, he's learned, he sort of redeemed himself. We'll get more into this later.

Once Feyre and Rhys were back together my heart grew three sizes. They are just perfect together. They spoke a lot more with their minds, being Daemati, and I thought this showed just how close the two of them are.

I freaking love Nesta. I feel like if you were to tell someone this who has only read ACOTAR they'd be pretty confused, but her character development, and Elain's too was just stunning. I love how Nesta has this tough attitude about her. She's the kind of person who would say, "you can say mean things about me. But insult my family and friends? You're dead."

And don't even get me started on her and Cassian!!!!!!!!!!! I SHIP!!!!! SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!! I was dying at the end of ACOMAF when she was being forced into that cauldron and Cassian was crawling for her, and calling her name. And then I was bawling YET AGAIN when the same thing was happening at the end of ACOWAR, when Nesta is about to kill the king of Hybern, having summoned the cauldrons powers, but is stopped short when the king breaks her fathers neck, killing him, and her powers are snuffed out. Meanwhile, Cassian is laying at her side, crawling towards her, his wings snapped and broken, telling her to leave him, to run, and she tells him that she CAN'T leave him. Oh my heart. When Nesta positioned herself in front of Cassian and he held her back, I was CERTAIN that Hybern was going to kill them and I was NOT ready. I was nearly bawling at this point. But thank the Mother!!! Elain!!!! She is exactly as SJM describes her as; a flower child, with flora in her mind and a hobby for gardening. But then she comes up behind Hybern and BOOM! Stabs him in the throat-- with the blade Azriel gave her nonetheless! This just proves how she isn't just a bystander, how she has faced trivialities, and hardships, and losses, and it has shaped her into who she is. I'm not trying to say that you need to kill someone to prove your strength, god no, but it was just SO SATISFYING when she stabbed the king and then hisses into his ear, "Don't you dare touch my sister." I DIED. And of course, Nesta gives the final twist of the blade that severs the kings head from his body. Just fulfilling that death promise that she made with her vulgar gesture before being fully submerged in the cauldron in ACMOAF. Loved it.

When Amren betrayed Feyre I was pissed, but only because I didn't understand what Amren intended to do. For a second I thought Amren was going to completely turn on her, and say she was fighting with Hybern, and had been this whole time. But then we realize that she just figured out the only way to stop him and his army is if she is transformed into her original body, the one that would make her forget who Feyre, Rhys, and the others are. It was a sad reality, but one they couldn't risk not having.

AND RHYS. OH. MY. GOD. When he died.... I think all of us readers died a little inside too. But it didn't actually hit me as hard as when I thought Cassian and Nesta were going to die. And that is simply because I didn't believe that SJM would kill Rhys off like that. She's a dreamer, and a lover, and I just couldn't accept that she would leave Feyre to live her immortal life without her mate! Where as for Cassian and Nesta... It just seemed like that could actually happen. Thank the Mother it did not!

The part that really killed me was when Feyre realizes Rhys is dead and is shouting, begging, for the other High Lords to do something to, "BRING HIM BACK." I was a blubbery mess. Until Tarquin, the youngest of the High Lords, steps forward and says to him, "For what he gave. Today and for many years before." And he is the first to give him an ounce of his power. This was so touching to me because Tarquin had sent them blood rubies, had thought them to be liars and thieves. But he then sees that it is not who they are, that they want peace just as he does. When all the other High Lords gave their powers I was really holding my hopes high, that Rhys would indeed survive. But then Tamlin... I was afraid he wouldn't give up his powers to Rhys, and poor Feyre Darling was begging him saying she would give him anything. And then my heart just broke further when he said to her, "Just be happy, Feyre." This is where he redeemed himself for me. That he FINALLY sees that Feyre is indeed happy with Rhys, as High Lady of the Night Court. And while he is still bitter about it probably, and is a real man-bitch to Lucien, I'm happy he at least accepts what Feyre desires now, and helped her to continue her happiness. I also thought it was neat to see the High lords give their powers to Rhys, gently pouring a bit of their magical light onto his bare throat. We didn't see this in ACMOAF since Feyre was dead so it was neat. But one thing that I'm questioning is just the whole process...If the seven High Lords can bring back the dead, why don't they do it all the time? I understand for a mortal they would be giving away their powers as they did to Feyre and they don't want that, but for a High Lord... Well, Rhys didn't steal any of their powers. So basically, if they can do this, the High Lords can never die and will always be able to come back to life, so long as they all agree upon it...Interesting. Unless there are some rules about this that we do not know of yet.

When Rhys awoke and Amren too was returned to them- that shocked me! I was-and still am- surprised that not a single one of the inner circle died or was sent back to where they came from. I'm not saying I wanted any of them too, but it all just seemed so... perfect to have them all end up back together. While Amren no longer has her abilities she had before, she is now High Fae and can maybe learn to train and fight as they would- if she even needs it. I also have to admit, that while I adore the little romances, I kind of prefer Amren on her own. She is just so independent and bad ass, so while I liked her with Varian, I'm not sure I want them to be mates.

AND MOR!!! Tell me that scene where she comes out to Feyre didn't kill you on the inside, splitting your heart into 1000 tiny pieces???? It all makes sense. Why she did what she did with Cassian to avoid being married to Eris, why she could never let herself be with Azriel because while it would mean close to nothing for her, as it had with previous men she'd been with, it would mean a lot to him. It just made my heart grow. And what made it grow even more was Feyre's reaction. She let Mor speak, and gave her the absolute most respect, understanding, and acceptance. I especially loved that she told Mor she wouldn't tell anyone, not even Rhys, which is SO important, because a gay or lesbian person should have the full right to declare the time and manner of when and to who they come out. I love that SJM incorporates this kind of diversity in her books. We also have Thesan, High Lord of the Dawn court who is gay and mated to his captain. Then there's Helion, High Lord of the Day court, who is bisexual. I adored these characters and loooooved learning about the courts more and meeting their High Lords. I really loved the descriptions of the Winter Court; the white foxes wearing little vests, the white bears, the long blue overcoats with white rabbit fur at the trims. And of course, Kallias and his wife Vivianne. I really adored them too.

And then we have those three beautiful monsters. The Bone Carver, the Weaver, and Bryaxis. I was SHOOK when Feyre realized that the Bone Carver was being seen to her as her and Rhys' possible future son. SHOOK I TELL YOU! And when Rhys quietly asked what he looked like and Feyre showed him with her mind... *heart breaks 1213344123 more times*

I was sad when he died, surprisingly. I was never attached to the Bone Carver but... Just when Feyre said that she wishes that he goes to wherever it is he imagined, since he was so fascinated by death, and she sent a prayer to him... That part got me.

When Stryga, the Weaver died... Well I was sad but only because she was fighting for the good side. I think that character is so fascinating and creepy and just... That scene in the Weavers cottage in ACOMAF is one I'll never forget for sure. And when Feyre goes back there in ACOWAR, luring Ianthe and that other guy with her, omg SHOOK AGAIN!! Feyre knew not to close the door, knowing well it would lock, and pinned Ianthe inside while telling the Weaver she brought her dinner. What a vicious, deserving death for Ianthe. Good riddance.

And that poor Suriel... I wonder what it's name was. Feyre is honestly like a disney princess, having all the woodland animals like her and get along with her. She was so respectful to ask for Helion's cape and lay it overtop the Suriel. I feel like it is a debt that no other Suriel will ever not know of or forget. And their father!!! When he came with those ships, three of which were named after his daughters my heart was aching. It just bound their bond a bit tighter, since well, there wasn't really a bond between the four of them at all before. It showed that he is sorry for not being the father he wished he could be, but that he loved them dearly, and was now trying to make things right. He was not away on merchant business as they had thought, but had heard of the betrayal of the mortal queens and sought to find Vassa and Drakon and Myriam who Lucien then brought to the battle. When he died... I mean, I wasn't super connected to him, nor were his three daughters I have to say, but it was indeed sad, just because he was there, fighting for them, loving them even as they were Fae.

And Jurian?? Thank goodness he was on the good side. I'd like to learn more about him as well as Drakon and Myriam. Their stories weren't the most interesting to me, but still I'd like to know more!

While this book surely closed some ties- more so with Rhys and Feyre. I am SO happy they live happily together, laying over Velaris. Although I'm sure they will be facing a little more turmoil in the books to come. What with the mortal queens never showing up to war and all.

Gawd I wonder what's in store for us next??? I'm hoping we see more from the inner circle. I want to see Mor happy with a girlfriend, to have her father either accept it or just be completely thrown out of the picture (good riddance again) and to have Azriel know so that he doesn't think anything is wrong with him. MAN I loved him in this book. He's so shy and mysterious and just... *heart eyes* I also hope he finds a lover-not that you need a lover to be happy but... you know. I kind of like him and Elain together... Anyone else?? I mean, he gave her his SWORD!!!! TRUTH TELLER!!! I know that Elain and Lucien are mates and all, but I said in my review of ACOMAF that it seemed to come out of now where, and it certainly didn't seem to click into place in this book. Elain did not accept the mating bond, nor did she make him food, and she hardly ever spoke to him. If anything, I think they could be friends. Perhaps this will be an example of how the mating bond is not always right, since it's somewhat connected to bearing the strongest offspring, but there's waaaaaay more to a relationship than that of course. Maybe Lucien will find some other lover/mate? I've heard others thoughts of him possibly being with Vassa?? I wonder if Feyre will free her of her firebird curse; Firebird by day, normal female by night.

I also want to see what happens with Nesta and Cassian. Because I SHIP IT SO HARD, MAN. I also want to see if Amren and Varian do end up together or not. It did indeed break my heart when Varian was pleading with Feyre and Amren saying no to her going into the cauldron. But still... Amren is so strong and sassy she can be a bad ass High Fae all on her own without any man.

AND UMMM Lucien is related to Helion!!!!!!!!!!! It all makes sense... He doesn't look like any of his brothers or his father, and this would explain why his fathers and brothers hate him so much. His mother had an affair with Helion, who doesn't even know that Lucien is his son!! How will this play out??? Will Lucien find out somehow? Will he be told? Will Helion discover it?? ORRRR!!!!! Will Helion die, and then boom the new High lord of the Day Court is Lucien and he didn't even know.... THAT would be a shock for him to say the very least.

Also can we talk about the glorious fan art???? It's basically exactly as I picture the Inner Circle to look. Charlie Bowater is seriously talented. Her recent work has Cassian in a man bun-- Like Guys COME ON!!! *heart eyes x 1000* I seriously need the colouring books now, both ACOTAR and ToG. I neeeeeed themmmmmm.

And speculation on an ACOTAR movie??? I mean HELL TO THE YES but the casting would need to be spot on AND it would have to be really, really true to the books. Not holding anything back just to make it suitable for all audiences. War is bloody. War is brutal. It can't be toned down. And for the sexy time scenes well... Maybe it would be sort of like an HBO show ;)

WELL. That was a long one. I love Sarah J MAAS' books. I always thought I loved Throne Of Glass so much more... but now they are pretty even. I can't wait for the next instalments, although it is going to be VERY difficult to wait all the way until 2018 for them. In the meantime... Guess I'll just be rereading them and reading up on some theories for the latter books! What are yours??? I've read some theories for connections between the ToG and ACOTAR universe and it's mind blowing guys, mind blowing.

1000/5 Stars on glorious Star Fall in Velaris. *sighs* Now on to bingeing all the ACOWAR reviews, and perhaps buying an ACOTAR universe themed candle, while I remain in what may just be my largest book hangover yet.... although EoS did give me a huge one too.

What are your thoughts on ACOWAR? I'd LOOOOOVEEE to know and talk all about it! Send me a message or reply to this chat!

As always, thanks for reading.

- T