#acotar discourse

[deathbealady]

wait a minute

was it ever explained how Brannagh and Dagdan are daemati and magically never fucking realized that Jurian was playing the King of Hybern like Tamlin playing a fiddle?

you mean to tell me that the sadistic and gross Brannagh and Dagdan never bothered to go into Jurian’s mind, not even just for shits and giggles because they like to torture humans??

I know SJM explains that Rhysand (and Feyre for that matter) didn’t think to check, but that’s also kind of a really stupid excuse. Yeah sure he’s gonna be mentally/emotionally/physically scarred from all the bs he’s been through, and it might’ve made him crazy in any number of ways, but he’s clearly of sound enough mind to be acting on behalf of Hybern in some capacity. Changing loyalties to turn against his own people is out of character to say the least, but certainly not outside the realm of possibility

Also, Jurian knew of daemati and expected them to do daemati things. He told Rhysand he figured he would’ve read his thoughts and known where his true loyalties lay. I don’t recall mention of him having mental shields, and as a human, how would he have known how to put any up? Doesn’t it require magic? And just assuming he could do it despite being human, how effectively would he be able to maintain such shields as a human, especially if he’s up against a more powerful and practiced daemati, let alone two??

Related: it’s established that daemati are not only able to read minds, but manipulate memories and essentially brainwash/control the minds of their targets. Why the fuck wouldn’t Rhysand check to see if Jurian hadn’t been brainwashed into serving the king of Hybern??? Especially after knowing that Hybern had at least 2 daemati rolling with Jurian, who could monitor and control his behavior in the Spring Court.

And for THAT matter, how did Brannagh and Dagdan not notice that Tamlin was also biding his time to double cross Hybern? I may be misremembering, but wasn’t there a whole-ass scene where Feyre had to go in and create mental shields for Tamlin and Lucien to protect them from Brannagh and Dagdan?? She protected his mind then, but it was also a lot of strain on her magic that was being sapped by the faebane. And in any case, it’s not a stretch to think Tamlin wouldn’t have met them before

It’s already stupid enough that a high lord like Tamlin and the son of a high lord like Lucien, somehow do not have training to protect themselves from daemati. It’s an especially stupid plot hole for Tamlin, who was once friends with Rhysand, and likely would’ve known about Rhysand’s abilities given their history. You mean to tell me that if he didn’t learn how to protect himself from daemati before or during their friendship, Tamlin just never thought “hey maybe I should learn to protect myself from daemati just in case”??? And especially not after the big falling out he’d had with Rhysand?!?!

This was honestly supposed to be a quick shower thoughts level post about Jurian but the more I thought about it, the more I realized NONE OF IT MAKES SENSE! These books truly do such terrible disservices to the most interesting characters and it is so painful to watch it happen

[feyres-divorce-lawyer]

Ni because regarding the Tamlin slavery thing it's so funny how she like. Stops giving a fuck about humans once feyre isn't one and therefore feels fine being Weird as Shit about this. But because this coincides with the books becoming feysand oriented she just like transitions from anti slavery love interest to both siding love interest which is HILARIOUS

srsly, like fine i can deal with completely dropping the humans cuz that’s just the loss of a far more interesting plot, but to then put the both sides dude on a pedestal and act like what he said wasn’t the least bit problematic is…..😬😬

[flat-neines]

>be me

>be really into fgo, world of darkness, etc. and start actively looking for fantasy with unique takes on creatures and stuff

>accidentally stumble upon a series called acotar and you look into it

>something seems familiar...

(I'm not trying to inspire discourse but- the parallels in those storylines are there and I can't unsee it)

[acourtofcriticalthinking]

i constantly see posts from antis that i can't even formulate replies for because they have no substance.

they write entire essays where they just talk in circles and use social justice buzzwords that give the entire post the vibe of a high school student trying to meet the word count. and because they're often in their own little echo chamber (stay there please) they're hyped up as these massive intellectuals. and then people add even more paragraphs filled with buzzwords and nothing until it's a novel's length of buzzwords and nothing.

i don't even read the entire posts anymore, i just clock the nonsense and move on.

[iocaisaint]

I don't know how to explain but one thing I'll always love about Nesta is her accomplishments and how she's seen in the eyes of canon vs how they genuinely don't register to her (like not in a humble way she genuinely just never thinks about)

like she's able to circumvent a high lords glamour through pure strength of will

she then treks on a 4 day round trip through wolf country in the dead of winter to go get her sister back, simply because it wasn't right she was taken when the family has only benefitted from that

this leads into ACOMAF where Feyre thinks about asking Rhysand if he can force Nesta's hand if she doesn't agree to host (daemati powers) and then questions if he could even do it to Nesta

We've got literal gods talking about some Nesta "you're the one the wind whispered about" in ACOWAR

her having the King off Hybern scared as a human simply because she pointed a finger at him

Then there's the king slaying obviously

Then at some point between ACOFAS & ACOSF she manages to deal with her terror of bathtubs through pure exposure therapy and no outside help

Then there's the weapons she made

Not being able to be contained by Rhys at the height of her power (+ him admitting that she scares)

Kelpie slaying, dread trove, pure death etc.

Then there's the mother imbuing her power into Nesta's friendship bracelets? This one was genuinely crazy

Her managing those 10,000 steps that were difficult for even the bat boys on nothing but strong thighs and spite!

This is one I hate but the IC just throwing her at any single man (Helion & Eris) in Pyrthian to get what they want and it working

Holding the pass for Gwyn & Em, murdering Briallyn, stopping time, making a deal with a soup pot, having a one on one with the mother and saving Nyx, Feyre and Rhys in one morning

Then HOFAS she's calling up the dread trove through universes and slaying the wyrm, getting Gwydion and going down as saviour of another universe

This entire moment>>>>>> "Rhys nodded without looking at the warrior, and focused all his fury on Nesta. To her credit, the female stood stiff-backed, chin high. Imperious and unbending. Ember couldn't help but admire her.

Rhysand’s violet-blue eyes guttered into pure darkness at the challenge in Nesta’s expression, her stance. A predator recognizing a worthy opponent—and unsheathing its talons. His hands curled at his sides, as if invisible claws were forming."

Then we get into Nesta's pov and her only desires are to go home to her man, hang out with Emerie & Gwyn, get her hands on a pegasus, read smutty books and eat chocolate cake 😭

I may not like how her story went but I'll always appreciate that this part of her stayed the same

[deathbealady]

Y’ALL. I had a very important revelation while yelling about ACOTAR with a friend today

I’m sure everyone has realized this already but please humor me bc I’m simply raging from this revelation

So, remember how in ACOMAF or ACOWAR (sorry I forget which, but I know it’s one of them), Feyre had told Rhysand that she wanted to live and enjoy her new immortal life with Rhysand before they went on to try for kids? And then, in ACOFAS, she immediately changed her mind and decided she wanted to have Rhysand’s baby? That old thing?

Well, my friend and I were talking about how we didn’t like this change of mind for Feyre and thought it was stupid and unnecessary. I mean, sure Feyre is allowed to change her mind but like, stay with me for a moment on this

Feyre specifically changed her mind because she met that lady who lost her husband and said she didn’t even have kids to have that part of him left. Yes, I can understand how hearing the woman’s story can hit hard. It was very sad, and I get how Feyre would hear that and be like “I’m so lucky to still have my husband” and “we should make the most of any and all time we left have together” and that’s why she decides they should have a baby right now after all, bc omg what if Rhysand dies again????

Except… Feyre literally never has to imagine a world where one is left behind with no part of the other left, because they fully had a conversation that went: “hey. if I die, you die?” “bet”

They made that irresponsible AF death pact at the end of ACOWAR, so they have nothing BUT time in the world together! They will literally never have to live without each other!! Which makes the whole plot point of Feyre rushing into having kids even stupider than it already was, because Feyre made the decision based on a literally impossible hypothetical situation

Feyre:

This kind of bs is what I’m talking about when I say Feyre is so dumb it’s embarrassing. It’s really so fucking sad because (like so much else in the ACOTAR series) she could’ve been really great, if only SJM would get out of her own way 🙃

[moonstrck]

Rereading ACOSF and Nesta and Cassian’s first sex scene ended in such a fucked up way, imo.

Despite obviously feeling a connection and saying he was “beyond lies right now” after calling her “sex” beautiful, Cassian immediately switches up and stonewalls her. She had said “just sex” at first when they began messing around, yes, but you can tell he pulled this just to spite her and leave her reeling.

Especially how when complimented she said “no one’s ever called it beautiful before”, showed him her genuine self and shared that the experience was “too good”. Almost like she knew it was too good to not end with some kind of punishment and pain, like everything in her life had up to that point.

I just found this so… ick. I’ve been in a position like that where someone just changes their demeanor and shows complete loss of interest in you after they’re satisfied and it’s such a disgusting feeling of being used. She even said she felt empty afterwards. And she had been self harming via sex before this (WHICH WAS ONE OF THE REASONS SHE WAS LOCKED IN THE HOUSE OF WIND!!!) and he did this. Again, ick

[deathbealady]

Spitballing here, but I think there’s something to be said about the current mated pairs and how they compare to/mirror the previously mentioned mated pairs in the series:

Feyre and Rhysand are Tamlin’s parents: Feyre is completely devoted to her man the way Tamlin’s mother was to his father, despite both males being shitbags

Nesta and Cassian are Rhysand’s parents: Absolutely a terrible match, should not be together

I think Lucien and Elain are poised to be the ideal match, perhaps like Drakon and Miryam? Kallias and Vivianne?

I simply find it very hard to believe Nesta could ever be happy with someone that loyal to a man who hates her

[littlefeltsparrow]

No please, tell us more about how unpopular you supposedly are for hating Nesta. I’d love to hear about how unique that opinion is and how brave you are for speaking up about it. Damn we really live in a society where people are punished for simply speaking their mind…2024? More like 1984…can’t even be an indulgent hypocrite in peace these days.

These poor Nesta haters are SILENCED! SILENCED I SAY! Won’t somebody please consider their brave attempts to regurgitate the same idiotic, popular, fandom talking points? The people are dying to hear about how Nesta somehow wasn’t punished enough for being a bad sister and needs to be thrown into the dungeon for 1000 years.

[copypastus]

Sign me up for the tithe in the Spring Court I hear rent prices in Velaris went up again.

[gwandas]

SJM doesn’t get whacked enough for fridging. Only people in ACOTAR who are allowed to die and stay dead are the nameless women created as a pathetic attempt to make Cassian and Rhysand interesting

[deathbealady]

One day I have to have a whole TED talk about this because Feyre is nowhere near my favorite character but I truly feel so so bad for her and how the story has destroyed the character she was in favor of jerking off Rhysand at every turn

I think probably the saddest thing about Feyre is that she genuinely has no friends of her own. Her "friend group" was loyal to her husband hundreds of years before she was born and have proven more than once that they still defer to him over her. The one friend she might have had (Lucien) has been completely estranged from her. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the Feyre in ACOSF is living ACOTAR Feyre's worst nightmare.

[theweeklydiscourse]

It’s not even Rhysand’s actions that I have an issue with, it’s what he represents. He’s such an aggressively…safe love interest who masquerades as something way edgier than he actually is. He’s for the readers who think they like villains, but don’t actually care for the moral complexity that they bring. They like the dark, villainous aesthetic more than the real thing, which is why Rhysand is so damn popular. It’s a reflection of the way Maas has him go through the motions of a sexy villainous love interest, but then walks it back and defangs him when it’s time for the obligatory found family coffee shop au fluff moments. This only makes him more irritating because when he actually does do something villainous, the text wraps him a blanket and gives him a cup of warm milk instead of addressing his actions for what they are.

[separatist-apologist]

Hey uh... is everyone okay?

[herrinarte]

Everyone is always talking about WHO Elain is going to end up with in her book but never HOW. Please give us Elain growing flowers and gifting them to her special someone 💕🌺 I want her to be putting on the moves! Give me Elain fumbling over pick up lines! Literally ANYTHING

[deathbealady]

nobody in this series is ever taken to task for the terrible things they say or do to others except Nesta and Tamlin and it really fucking sucks

keep waiting for the part in silver flames where Nesta was like “yeah, fuck it, let elain do it” when the ic kept holding it over her head that if she didn’t find the trove or do xyz for them elain would have to. like this girl packed up your shit behind your back and sent you off to the house of wind before coming up there, provoking you, and then acting surprised and playing victim when you understandably snapped at her, crying about some “she’s not trying hard enough” let elain lie in the bed she made i beg of u