#acotar fandom lament

[highlordofkrypton]

Too many people to tag in my mutuals, but I used to envy canon shippers because you guys get more engagement, content, etc. but now that I see the battles some of y’all be fighting, you guys truly are the strongest soldiers 🙏

10/10 could not be me I’m good deep in the rarest pairs, it’s just me alone in my tag or the two other writers on AO3 😂

It’s very peaceful, you are all welcome in my house for a break from the fighting!!!

[highlordofkrypton]

I completely agree that ACOTAR needs a shit ton more empathy and positivity in this fandom; it's been my message from day 1, but that keeps falling on deaf ears, though.

I do have one question, and this isn't necessarily for OP but for whoever comes across it but your post made me think of it:

Why is the ACOTAR fandom so attached to canon?

I don't mean this as a criticism at all, but it's been something I've noticed ever since I joined the fandom. Fanon, crackships, etc. are looked down upon and the posts that get the most notes are just... arguing about canon. Since there hasn't been anything new to canon, people are just finding new ways to fight and personally, I think that comes from lack of new stimulation? It's like picking at something, it only gets worse. Plus, the arguments keep going in circles and circles.

Personally, I've never relied on canon to make new fan content because I enjoy things my own way, but it feels like a crime in the ACOTAR fandom to do that. I've been in other fandoms who argue about canon, but I've never been in a fandom with this much vitirol, hate and victim complex.

I want to hear people's wildest headcanons and I crave rarepairs because the dynamics can be so new and fun, but with the way this fandom will hunt you down because you do something they don't like is gross. I saw the way this fandom lambasted official licensed art because it wasn't to their liking and they felt entitled to having correct art.

I've seen this fandom attach legitimacy to fanon content depending on how much money you're willing spend on commissions to 'prove' that you actually like what you're headcanoning.

I just think that once you can see the humour, the creativity and the imagination that lives in the wildest fanon, the fandom will finally start to heal.

Let go of canon. Canon doesn't make you any more or any less valid. Do what makes you happy, and celebrate others being happy. That's real positivity.

(Plus, why does the ACOTAR fandom act like multiple ships can't exist at once?)

Truthfully, I have gotten so exhausted with the fanbase drama and I have only been active in the community for roughly four months. My favorite character is Nesta and I get told on a daily basis that I’m an abuser, I’m toxic, I am a walking red flag, I receive death threats, et cetera. I ship Elucien and Gwynriel and Jassa and I have been continuously harassed and bullied and doxxed over my analysis posts and videos. Will I ever change my mind on either? No.

As a community, we need to do better. We all may claim that we are correct, but until SJM drops the book announcements, we are all going in circles. I come on here a few times to the same arguments being made every single day—the same quotes from the book, the same interactions, the same types of analysis, et cetera. The books have been read inside and out and the lack of any new information is leading to making any sort of new content tedious and boring. How many ways can we possible all say the same thing?

We are all pointing fingers, we are all talking about each other in group chats, we are all getting into senseless arguments, and we are all feeding into the toxicity that festers in this fanbase. Of course, there is behavior on both sides that borderlines extreme and I hold both sides accountable—myself included. At the end of the day, we all read these books because we enjoy them and I think we should celebrate that instead of tearing others down for not sharing the same opinion.

There is joy in engaging with others who like the same things that you do—sharing fanart, fanfictions, theories, etc cetera. Consistently being negative every single day diminishes that joy and creates an echo chamber and a cycle that truly never stops.

[acotarmemes]

ACOTAR polls // fandom

This poll's going to be a little different! As some of you have noticed, I've been a bit quiet lately... on top of many offline things, I've been experiencing a bit of fandom fatigue and I was wondering if it was just me.

This community has been so wonderful to me and I'm so happy to have such positive engagement from you all. If you're feeling a bit tired these days from the discourse, please know that I see you and I feel you.

[juliafairchild]

• Current hyperfixations

EPIC: The Musical

Dungeon Meshi

Wetsand

• Recurring hyperfixations:

Shadowhunters

Cowboy Bebop

Cookie Run Kingdom

Good Omens

Netflix Castlevania

Pokémon

Our Flag Means Death

Fullmetal Alchemist (Brotherhood)

Avatar: The legend of Aang

Avatar: The legend of Korra

Winx Club

W.i.t.c.h.

Mermaid Melody

Bridgerton

The Witcher

Red Dead Redemption 2

Studio Ghibli

Disney

Acotar

Jojo

Stranger Things

It

Attack on Titan

Arcane

DC/Marvel Universe

Haikyuu

Blood of Zeus

• Old content, still in the fandom:

Teen Wolf

The Musketeers

Divergent

Versailles

F.r.i.e.n.d.s.

Given

Banana Fish

Dickinson

Fleabag

Netflix Lucifer

• Various pieces of media I appreciate are mentioned few times due to lack of content (canceled or long finished tv series, old movies, niche or unfinished comics and manhwas)

• Some things I haven't read or watched yet, just picked an interest upon:

Voltron

Siren's Lament

The Raven's Cycle

The Young Elites

ToG

Many classic novels

Sailor Moon

TSoA

Grishaverse

The Arcana

• Some things I like, but not enough to spam about

• Other fandoms I lost interest in:

The 100

BnHA

[highlordofkrypton]

I think the fandom is lacking sillier/broaders appreciation weeks, like I wanna pull up with my homies and just have fun collectively with the fandom but we all know people are gonna complain anyway.

Like just imagine people from all sides of the fandom, pulling up to participate to 'push ur silly headcanon agenda week' bc you know I'll just be writing about the Himbroship that is Tamlin and Cassian being best friends.

Or or 'really specific prompts' week where day 6 is 'lying has just been invented' how does everyone react???? 'cONSPIRACY THEORY WEEK' maybe it was ALL JUST A DREAM but you gotta CONVINCE UR PEERS or 'powerpoint week' where u just pull up with the randomest set of slides about ur fandom favs and their correlation to being very lorge

What about rarepairs and crackships week, only pairs that have less than x amount on AO3, or that its just you and your 5 friends repping.

What about 'OC and Crossovers in Prythian' week??? We shove the canon characters to the side and dump all our fav blorbos

hUH WHAT IF WE DID THAT WHAT THEN??? WE'D HAVE TO BE A COMMUNITY

[highlordofkrypton]

I want to add, from the reader's point of view: this is an exercise in empathy.

One thing the ACOTAR fandom has taught me is there is a need for things to be spelled out in canon, such as who is 'good' and 'bad', and who is worthy of consequences and not. The fandom takes that rule as absolute and disallows any other character any hope, redemption and healing.

I shouldn't have to be told x did this because they're going through it and it was necessary, therefore they are absolved for consequences. I, as a human being, have a duty to extend empathy while holding people (and/or characters accountable for their actions).

The difference is that SJM is writing entirely from one character's point of view, so even if Feyre thinks Nesta and Tamlin's traumas are invalid, it's really weird to me that a lot of the fandom can't read between the lines that trauma presents differently, and that not everyone is equipped to deal with every level of trauma. People forget that.

I will never stop talking about how SJM isn't able to write trauma and ptsd properly. She writes extremely traumatized characters to make you sympathize with them but never follows up on how their trauma actually affects them.

The only time she really showed what ptsd does to a person was after Feyre came back from UTM, but ultimately, it was just to further paint the narrative that Tamlin is a shit boyfriend and doesn't care about her (even though he also went UTM, not to mention had trauma previously caused by his men literally going over the wall to die).

Her ptsd is so severe she can't even be around Lucien because his red hair reminds her of Amarantha and can't look at red roses because they remind her of blood, but she goes to the NC and Mor's red dresses don't trigger her? Going to the Hewn City (literally under a mountain/what Amarantha modeled her "court" after) doesn't trigger her?

That's why the whole "we have to act scary to intimidate the CoN" plot is so stupid to me. She's not fine with Tamlin dressing her up and parading her around the Spring Court, but is fine with Rhysand fondling her on the throne while she wears nearly the same dress she wore when she was SA'd by Rhys UTM?

And then we have Rhys. I'd assume 50 years of getting SA'd would affect a person greatly, but SJM just glosses over that. We get one scene of Rhys having a nightmare, and then his trauma isn't talked about ever again (in depth).

The only two people whose trauma is actually shown to alter them are Nesta and Tamlin. And they're (surprise) two of the most hated characters. SJM can either write nothing regarding the characters' trauma, or she writes it so extreme that people loathe the characters.

I feel like if she paid more attention to these things, people would find it easier to connect to the characters. Trauma isn't something to be romanticised. I know SJM shouldn't be seen as this great writer as she is inconsistent, but like... don't write what you can't write?

[bookofmirth]

Some people in the shipwar really need to chill and stop thinking that everything in the books has some holy meaning behind it. I mean.. people made awesome theories about what could've been in the box that Cassian threw away, yet it turned out to be some tiny book. We all thought Nesta will master her cool af powers, yet the only goddamm thing we know about is that it's "death". Sjm didn't even mention the fact that Nesta went to the forest to find Feyre in acotar. My god- Sjm fricking changed some things that happened in acowar. I always have to laugh when people say "Sarah is the queen of forshadowing!" because no? She isn't. Her villains are obvious, the endgame ships are also kind of obvious if you look at the language that Sarah uses for literally all her couples. The magic system is sh*t, there are plotholes, most things in the previous books get ignored and the upcoming books could also just be full of sex scenes like Acosf.

Making theories about Illyria, or Koschei, or the troves, or the other courts etc. Is alright because these plots are the most talked about or they’re at least said to be threats. But come on... y'all really think Sarah would remember or give a sh*t what color Elain wore in acomaf? That she thought of Gwynriel when choosing the colors for Gwyn's frienship bracelet? fricking "bread and roses"?!?

thinking that Elain will be the high lady of the dusk court or has something to do with it is so absurd because when reading Acosf I did not find anything that connects Elain to that plot. Elain and the dusk court weren't even mentioned in the same sentence. Being an archeron doesn't mean she gets to be everything or do everything- especially when making Elain a high lady could overpower Feyre and Sarah wouldn't allow that. The only characters that have a connection to that plot are Nesta, Bryce, Danika, Sophie (there might be more but I'm only sure about those 4). I was so surprised when some people yelled about how Elain will rule a court that doesn't exist. Remember when some people thought that Elain will be the one to find the last trove? Yeah, thanks to hosab it's pretty clear that the last trove is tattooed on Bryce's back. Sarah didn't make Nesta a high lady or at least a queen, she rather took away most of her powers- you really think she will make Elain so powerful? (It's not just the dusk court but Elain as the high lady of spring or day is too much as well)

The only sjm series that was well planned (to me) was the Throne of glass series.

omg SERIOUSLY

This isn't new to the ship war, @aelin-godkiller and I have been lamenting the way the fandom makes mountains out of molehills for a long, long time.

But it's seriously not that deep, Sarah is not a genius, she does shit on a whim because she feels like it, she does put hints to things on occasion but that's so normal? That's something you could find in literally every book. If chapter 30 isn't connected to chapter 1 in some way, then you got yourself a big ol' mess so YEAH there are connections???

She literally said in one of the events last summer that the Valkyries' bracelet colors were just a vibe, that it's just what she felt like went with each of them. It had nothing to do with ships asdljaljdad Kinda like how Elain wearing cobalt means literally nothing since Feyre and Helion also wear cobalt at some point. Guess that means Az/Helion endgame!

Her villains are obvious, the endgame ships are also kind of obvious if you look at the language that Sarah uses for literally all her couples. The magic system is sh*t, there are plotholes, most things in the previous books get ignored and the upcoming books could also just be full of sex scenes like Acosf.

THIS ^^^^^ She retconned Lucien's whole ass race and daddy in acowar, and then Ruhn's eye color in hosab, so please. Many people think she made Mor queer after the fact. I think there was an inconsistency with Gwyn getting rescued, like with Mor being there or something. Also something to do with Lucien and Papa Archeron going to get Vassa was changed? She changes stuff all the time and to me, the only thing that remains consistent is the characters' personalities.

Look, I'm here personally because I got emotionally invested in the characters and now I can't find my way out. I'm like a goddamn Sim who built a house without doors and is wandering around shrugging at regular intervals.

Sarah writes whatever she feels like in the moment and people blowing random shit out of proportion is... well, honestly it's amusing, a lot of the time. But she is not the author I would count on to follow through on whatever word people closed their eyes and pointed to at random and decided was meaningful.

[g-perla]

The ACOTAR Series is a Romantic/Gothic Horror Stage and Only Nesta Got the Memo

Not even SJM knows what’s going on.

Ok, this is going to seem off the rails but bear with me.

So I'm a big fan of Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (top 5 books and all that jazz) and I was thinking about it because it deals with themes of the Other and the supernatural, Nature as Character, the overlap of the animalistic and human, blurring of established binaries...fun, Romantic shit like that. Interestingly, this overlaps with how SJM illustrates her world and characters a lot of the time, hence why I was considering it while working on my Nesta project. I’ve mentioned before that Nesta really gives me Byronic heroine vibes and that’s a character construct of precisely this literary tradition.

I started thinking about Heathcliff and Cathy and how they're ridiculously extra and just feel the most intense emotions towards each other but also towards literally everything (nothing half-assed ever, this is a Romantic novel after all). I then remembered how so many people ship them, but like in earnest, in a totally aspirational way. It's not a #cursed ship to them at all. It's...romantic to them not Romantic. I even read often that people quote it at their weddings, specifically the infamous "two souls" quote.

Then I had an epiphany. I was like "wait, what if SJM is one of those people?? What if she has the energy of a Cathy/Heathcliff earnest shipper and that's why all her ships are messy??" Because if that is the case, my friends, oh boy oh boy would it explain so much. I will post some sections from Wuthering Heights:

Doesn’t the acotar series seem like a 1/50 dilution of that energy?? And that is barely a taste of all the spiciness this book has to offer. To illustrate further: SJM gave us the F/eysand suicide pact and the near-death battlefield Nessian scene. One is certainly more outlandish than the other, but both are the result of intense emotions. To that Emily Brontë raises the following: Heathcliff asking the sexton to dig up Cathy’s grave to see what’s up because her ghost has been haunting him since he personally dug up her grave 18 years prior and she has been haunting him ever since. He later demands to be buried in the same exact grave when he dies so they can decompose together. They both married other people though which only adds to the mess. (I am not lying to you the Romantic tradition really gave us these gems lmao. As an aside, Mary Shelley was also a writer of the Romantic tradition and she confessed her love to husband Percy Bysshe Shelley on her mother’s grave. Her mother was liberal feminist icon Mary Wollstonecraft by the way which only makes this even more amazing. Additionally, biographers believe that the Shelleys also had sex there. Talk about Romantic 😉.)

Then I had ANOTHER thought! (Dangerous)

If we read the series from the point of view of just another YA high fantasy things might get a bit boring because the world-building is honestly lazy and the magic system is pretty soft, which isn’t a pre-requisite in high fantasy (The Lord of the Rings has a soft magic system) but it's not the norm and it doesn't pay off in this series. Not to mention that the plot is pretty lackluster and derivative. To add to that the romantic and sexual relationships are questionable in their healthiness and consequently are the source of much argument in the fandom. 

But, dear reader, if we think about the ACOTAR series as being a sort of thematic and ideological 21st century YA homage to the Romantic tradition of the 19th century (within which Gothic Horror also lives), things get REALLY, REALLY SPICY.

No longer do we just have a romance fantasy with messy, hyper-emotional, animalistic characters who constantly partake in morally grey situations rife with dubious dynamics. No longer does plot really matter. No longer do we require quasi-scientific descriptions of the world and the magical system. No! All that matters now are the characters and the mood. Now we have potential! Add a lot of Nature ambiance: expanses of dark woods, great mountains, the unknowable and sublime energy of the ocean, a violent rainstorm/hurricane/tsunami, an impending snowstorm whose intensity reflects the growing emotional intensity of the characters as the story goes along (I’m looking at you impending snowstorm in acofas that curiously matches the growing complexity of Nesta’s emotional state). Blur the lines between any imaginable category: life and death, human and animal, known and unknown, Self and Other, beautiful and monstrous, good and evil, masculine and feminine, the list goes on. Most importantly make your readers uncomfortable by frustrating their desires to sort things into easy binary categories and don’t apologise for making them question their assumptions about the world, morality, gender, and any other kind of previously constructed Order. 

Basically write the story with Dionysus-in-a-Greek-tragedy energy and bring to us mere mortals artful Chaos.

Once that is done we can have a literal Romantic/Gothic Horror story.  The Acotar series could have been this unapologetically, with the added element of being told through the eyes of the "Cathy" character instead of through the lens of a third person getting second-hand accounts about what went on. This whole series is honestly enough of a chaotic mess of Byronic-like heroes and heroines and cursed familial relationships that it could have been that. That alone is peak entertainment. The problem, however, and the main reason why I can’t really say that this series truly delivered this wackiness is that SJM committed the act of not fully committing to the bit (very un-Romantic of her, I know). Now, I am not saying that SJM actually intended this. I’m just saying it really could have accidentally been this genius with some tweaks. Unfortunately, she made the crucial mistake of trying to justify too much, trying to make things too neat, too tidy, too sensical (in other words: the reason we really can’t have nice things). 

I could end this here, lamenting the potential of what SJM had set-up for us were it not for one element, one gift:

Nesta 

OHOHOHO DO THINGS GET GOOD HERE SO BUCKLE UP

Most of the characters refuse to fully commit to the bit in their desire to satisfy modern sensibilities, by which I of course mean they want ridiculous things like political power, to conquer lands, to be a Girl Boss, to get married, have kids, celebrate holidays, converse about mundane things, be relatable, etc. You know, pretty pedestrian stuff that only requires a bit of genetic luck, a sprinkle of energy, and the right circumstances within the world of Acotar. I would like to reiterate the beginning of this paragraph: most of the characters. 

Let’s say you’re stubborn and you decide to still read the series through the lens of the Romantic/Gothic tradition, what happens then? 

The most hilarious thing (for the Nesta stans that is. The antis would probably hate this)

Nesta, based on what we know about her through Feyre and the limited amount of other scenes, is the only character who really takes the performance seriously. She's the only one that SJM hasn't managed to confine through justification. Nesta just shows up and simply refuses to make sense (her POWER what a queen 👑). She is endlessly fascinating because she just exists in her world on her terms, established categories be damned, and in this manner she frustrates not only the sensibilities of the characters in the stories but those of the reader as well. This double duty is, I suggest, the result of the other characters not fully inhabiting the nebulous world of Romantic characters and thus being a little too plausible and understandable even if they are not justifiable. 

Ok, you may say, but I relate so much to Nesta. I do understand her. I don’t justify all of her actions, but I understand where she is coming from. (You’re not alone, friend. I like to think these things too. Alas, we are but plebs).

To that I reply; Nesta does things, certainly, and we can spend hours trying to explain through extrapolation, educated guesses, and personal experience why she did those things, but the fact is we really don't know why. We are never explicitly told. Our insight into who she is and her motivations comes predominantly from the understanding of her youngest sister and from our own interpretation of the actions she takes. I must make clear that our own interpretations are rooted in pre-established assumptions about what is sensical and orderly in our own world and in our own lives. We cannot interpret with the tools available to us that which may be, by definition, unfathomable. It is simply paradoxical. Nesta, as we currently know her, is a construct derived from a limited number of scenes and our interpretations and projections of these scenes. Even the scenes where we get third person narration don’t explicitly tell us her motivations and her logic. For all we know there really is no comprehensible reason for her actions and that is endlessly amusing to me in how utterly Romantic it is. Acosf may and likely will change this of course, but as it stands, Nesta is a whole Romantic character. Her divisiveness in fandom and in the narrative could be due in part to her refusal to fit the discrete categories available in her world and ours. 

Isn’t that wonderful?

To illustrate this a bit more I will share some details SJM gives us about her/ elements she sets up that fit in with the characteristics of the Romantic tradition (these are not exhaustive by any means):

The absolute pettiness (and extra-ness) of being so angry at her father’s inaction that she is willing to starve to death to see if he does something.

How in Acowae she is described as shifting between emotions as if she were changing clothes and feeling everything too strongly (probably to the point of destruction)

She is constantly being compared to animals, even when she is still human. Granted, SJM compares everyone to animals, but that strengthens the blurring of lines between usually discrete categories. It is still most powerful when used as a comparison when she is human because it dehumanises Nesta.

Often, SJM describes her characters as forces. Forces of nature, for example. Acofas is full of details like this in relation to Nesta. There is a storm brewing leading up to the solstice party and it is in full swing when she arrives at the townhouse. The language used there suggests that Nesta herself may be the storm (against the onslaught of Nesta). It really adds to the Maleficent energy tbh.

She is often associated with death post her transformation

She is Other even to Others. She was Made like Elain, Feyre, and Amren in a sense, but the process of her specific transformation differentiates her greatly from the others. As it is, she doesn’t fit in anywhere

Her intense attachment to her femininity and its expression are at odds with the ideas and assumptions about the performance of womanhood and a woman’s role in her world and even in ours. She is unapologetically feminine in her physical presentation, but her character, her thoughts, and possibly even desires transgress the unwritten rules of acceptable femininity (unfortunately there still are abject expressions of femininity in our ‘”progressive” mileux

She displays in many of her actions a disrespect towards authority and to the status quo. This is particularly notable when her intensely polarised sense of right and wrong is aggravated.

Her self-destructiveness. This is referred to most strongly in Acofas, but I would say she was remarkably blasé about self-preservation in Acowar as well

She is described as intelligent, cunning, ruthless, attractive, and prone to debilitating extremes of emotionality. All of these are characteristics of Byronic heroes, a subtype of the Romantic hero

Here are a bunch of quotes that touch on many of the elements that I have discussed above:

“I looked at my sister, really looked at her, at this woman who couldn’t stomach the sycophants who now surrounded her, who had never spent a day in the forest but had gone into wolf territory...Who had shrouded the loss of our Mother, then our downfall, because the anger had been a lifeline, the cruelty a release. But she had cared--beneath it she had cared, and perhaps loved more fiercely than I could comprehend, more deeply and loyally.” 

--Acotar, emphasis mine, note the strong emotions. This is a recurring element for Nesta.

“Cassian’s face went almost feral. A wolf who had been circling a doe...Only to find a mountain cat wearing its hide instead.” 

--Acomaf, animal comparison

“Nesta is different from most people,” I explained. “She comes across as rigid and vicious, but I think it’s a wall. A shield--like the ones Rhys has in his mind.” “Against what?” “Feeling. I think Nesta feels everything--sees too much; sees and feels it all. And she burns with it. Keeping that wall up helps from being overwhelmed, from caring too greatly.”

--Acomaf, emphasis mine

“I knew that she was different [...] Nesta was different [...] as if the Cauldron in making her...had been forced to give more than it wanted. As if Nesta had fought after she went under, and had decided that if she was to be dragged into hell, she was taking the Cauldron with her.”

--Acomaf, Nesta had her own plans for the Cauldron what a queen

“Something great and terrible.”

--Acowar, referring to her eyes. Oooh, spooky Nesta 👻

“The day she was changed, she...I felt something different with her [...] like looking at a house cat and suddenly finding a panther standing there instead.”

--Acowar, a two in one here: difference + animal comparison. Boy does SJM really go heavy when establishing Nesta as Other.

“‘Not in flesh, not in the thing that prowls beneath our skin and bones...’ Amren’s remarkable eyes narrowed. ‘But...I see the kernel, girl.’ Amren nodded, more to herself than anyone. ‘You did not fit--the mold that they shoved you into. The path you were born upon and forced to walk. You tried, and yet you did not, could not fit. And then the path changed.’ A little nod. ‘I know--what it is to be that way. I remember it, long ago as it was.’

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’“

--Acowar, show don’t tell gets thrown out the window here, but it is useful for the present purposes

“What if I tell you that the rock and darkness and sea beyond whispered to me, Lord of Bloodshed? How they shuddered in fear, on that island across the sea. How they trembled when she emerged. She took something--something precious. She ripped it out with her teeth. What did you wake that day in Hybern, Prince of Bastards?

What came out was not what went in [...] How lovely she is, new as a fawn and yet ancient as the sea. How she calls to you. A queen as my sister once was. Terrible and proud; beautiful as a winter’s sunrise.”

--Acowar, who knew rocks, darkness, and the sea were such gossips, but look how many connections to nature! To be compared to the sea, a significant example of the sublime, is peak Romanticism. If any of you have read Moby Dick, think about what the ocean and the white whale might have represented there and how that might relate to Nesta.

“I think the power is death--death made flesh.”

--Acowar, Feyre referring to the possible nature of Nesta’s power. Alluding to her powers possibly being related to death is quite significant because that is something most of us cannot comprehend, nor can most of the characters. For Nesta, a “reborn” but very much living character to have death associated with her is a strong blurring of the lines. The case of her being labelled a witch is similarly significant as it solidifies the elements of the supernatural while simultaneously comparing her to pretty much the only exclusively female-coded monster in western pop culture. I will touch more on this when I do my study of Nesta through the framework of Barbara Creed’s Monstrous Feminine.

“I am not like the others.”

--Acowar, we love a self-aware queen.

“Nesta took in his broken body, the pain in Cassian’s eyes, and angled her head.

The movement was not human.

Not fae.

Purely animal.

Purely predator.”

--Acowar

There are a lot more details and quotes that support this interpretation, but I didn’t write them all down in my archived notes. This post is obscenely long, however, so even though there is more to be said, I’ll leave it for another day. If you made it this far you really are an MVP and probably love Nesta to a concerning degree like me. Please rest your eyes if you’re actually reading this 😂

I’d love to read about any other takes and thoughts that might have come to your minds after reading this monstrosity,

G

[highlordofkrypton]

Seconded and adding to your excellent points--

What happened to using art as a creative outlet and participating in a community? Art, no matter the medium, is a way of people to work through some emotions including trauma and the way some of the responses you've had on the original discussion boil victimhood down to 'she must be protected from all harm, and x are abusers and deserve to cease to exist' energy is... not it.

Art has always allowed me to work through trauma, especially through nuanced characters, but in the discourse we're seeing, apparently there are very clear cut lines about victimhood, healing, etc, etc. that I was not informed of.

And disclaimer, I also don't care about Tamlain, either. It's the principle.

Sorry for jumping on your post, I'll continue my ramble separately, but you're 100% right.

This is going to be my last post about this but I was talking to someone who said that “oh all character weeks and ship weeks do this where they don’t allow certain ships or characters involved. Banning Tamlain from Elain week isn’t something new”.

I literally went to Feyre week and there was no rule about banning Feytam specifically from Feyre week. Feyre, who was canonically hurt by Tamlin. People who ship Feytam also know it’s not the place to post Feytam on Feyre week because the shippers actively understand their ship and are comfortable with it for their own reasons.

Edit: And Elain hasn’t even INTERACTED with Tamlin, why do you care if people ship her with him?

You don’t have to like certain ships or characters. So don’t have to see eye to eye with the people who like Tamlin or explain his actions and have sympathy for him. But stop putting your own personal experiences and beliefs onto others because these are FICTIONAL CHARACTERS! Tamlin isn’t real, Elain isn’t real, etc etc.

What up with dictating what people like? Having this weird policing of fanon and art and fanfics that people create? It’s weird as hell. I swear some of you people have never been in a fanbase before this.

[rayonfrozenwings]

Rayonfrozenwings Masterlist and Explanation.

Updated 16th September 2018.

::: Find the list below the intro:::

:: Intro ::    

These Fan theories have been released from after EOS as that is when I joined Tumblr, I lurked for a long time in the fandom, only liking and not re-blogging, then I started adding comments to other people’s posts, eventually re-blogging them. I was a serial lurker. haha. There is some amazing theories out there especially if you look for ‘tog6 theory’ in the fandom on older blogs - a time before we knew ��Tower of Dawn” was going to be a full book. 

I have tried to source other Url’s in my theories if I expand on a point or want to give credit for the fact that they also had this type of theory, coz it's not cool to take other peoples ideas if you know they are out there (same ideas unknowingly being shared are ok because we can draw the same conclusions - I’m just sharing how I work and I like to give credit where it is due).  

As different books came out my theories changed.

As I re-read for the third or fourth time, my theories changed.

Some of my Theories I like.

Some I have drifted away from, like a friend you no longer see because you’re too busy.

Some I think might still be valid - if only a small proportion of them.

I write theories with an open mind. I put them out into the world with the hope that people will discuss them with me when I do that. Some of my theories weren’t really seen by others because I was/am a small blog and I’m ok with that. And some theories blew up because a few big blogs shared it and i’m ok with that too.

If you disagree with the Erilea post I have written, I keep an open mind to all possibilities.

And The reason I choose not to fully believe SJM’s tweet about ACOTAR and TOG being linked is because of three reasons. The first is that she said they could live in the same multi-verse (so a “sliders” style parallel universe perhaps?). The Second is that she used a winky face! A winky face in the tweet. What does that mean!!!! And the Third is that I read another book series by Terry Brooks and he said his series were not linked for the longest time. Then years later he said -oh yeah, they are linked and this series is kinda a prequel but I couldn’t tell you that at the time, because “spoilers”. And I think Sarah would twist the truth to keep us from looking too closely and ruining our own enjoyment of her books. Also it is just a theory. Does it really matter? Pretend its an AU type of thing :P.

However some of them I really really am invested in (e.g. my Truth Teller theory because it just feels so right to me and the Weavers Lament because it feels right too). And I just really really want to be told that I have something right!

::So without further ado ::

I’m making a Masterlist of my work. Mostly Theory but I dabbled in some fic writing as well, it just depends on my mood. So I have also included some of those pieces. Theories tend to come thick and fast when a new book is released and discussed. Or when we all re-read before the next book comes out - as you will see by my published dates. Have a browse - I’ve left the this as Url’s rather than hyperlinks because it makes it easier for me to keep track of what I do and don’t have listed. I may change it later if I feel like it. :D

I hope I found everything, sifting through my long ass blog is annoying.

*** THIS IS NOT SPOILER FREE: I AM CURRENTLY UP TO DATE WITH ALL SJM’s BOOK RELEASES (except Kingdom of Ash - as it hasn’t come out yet). I TALK ABOUT BOTH SERIES IN POSTS. IF YOU HAVE ONLY READ ONE SERIES I CANNOT GUARANTEE THAT THE THEORY WILL BE SPOILER FREE FOR THE OTHER ONE. ESPECIALLY WHEN I HAVE CROSSOVER THEORIES. ***

:: RAYONFROZENWINGS MASTERLIST ::

Posts are in Order of Date Published on Tumblr. 

Most Recent First. (NEW) September 16th 2018 - The Interconnection of ACOTAR and TOG and what this means for Kingdom of Ash.

https://rayonfrozenwings.tumblr.com/post/178126351358/the-interconnection-of-acotar-and-tog-and-what

May 5th 2018 - Renee’s crazy amalgamation of theories - Part 2.

https://rayonfrozenwings.tumblr.com/post/173589912933/part-two-an-addition-to-renees-crazy-theory

May 4th 2018 - Renee’s Crazy Amalgamation of Theories after reading ACOFAS. 

- https://rayonfrozenwings.tumblr.com/post/173572241063/renees-crazy-amalgamation-of-theories-after

March 5th 2018 - Maeve as Lani the Goddess of Dreams

https://rayonfrozenwings.tumblr.com/post/171540195098/fan-theory-maeve-as-lani-goddess-of-dreams-and

And https://rayonfrozenwings.tumblr.com/post/171540160743/what-if

the quick summary of that theory. Maeve as the first embodiment of desire in the universe.

March 5th 2018 - Creepy Foreshadowing in HOF (Also here is a link to a fan fic based on this topic written by someone else - it can also be found in the reblogs of my post as I didn’t know it existed before writing mine.)

https://rayonfrozenwings.tumblr.com/post/171528748258/guys-there-is-some-creepy-foreshadowing-in-heir-of

Feb 20th 2018 - A New Acolyte, a tiny fan fic.  

https://rayonfrozenwings.tumblr.com/post/171084627053/a-new-acolyte

Jan 6th 2018 - The Weavers Lament - A Poem based on my Theory assumptions. (most of these theory assumptions were made on my acc ‘reneestowerofdawnspoilers’ because I was trying to keep my freak outs contained to a side blog after reading TOD).

https://rayonfrozenwings.tumblr.com/post/169363770928/the-weavers-lament

Nov 6th 2017 - Truth Teller and the Subtle Knife https://rayonfrozenwings.tumblr.com/post/167176210028/truth-teller-vs-the-subtle-knife

A Theory about Azriel’s Blade Truth Teller, and how Elain was able to kill the king of Hybern.

Nov 4th 2017 - Part One and Part two on The Archeron sisters, their possible link to the fates and the origins of their family.

PART 1 - The Archeron sisters as the fates.

https://rayonfrozenwings.tumblr.com/post/167094350393/the-archeron-sisters-as-the-fates-moirai-part

A Theory about the sisters as fates - Lachesis as Nesta, Clotho as Feyre, and Atropos as Elain. This then moves into part 2 …

PART 2 - Speculation on the Archeron Mother

https://rayonfrozenwings.tumblr.com/post/167094408403/speculation-on-the-archeron-mother

Where the mother is possibly linked to the Mercenary in ACOTAR and a goddess.

Nov 3rd 2017 - Starfall and the Wild Hunt

https://rayonfrozenwings.tumblr.com/post/167067744473/starfall-and-the-wild-hunt-a-acotartog-fan

An ACOTAR and TOG Crossover Theory, involving why Amren is so afraid of Starfall, the importance of Wyrd Gates and Wyrd Keys, The hounds of Erawan.

Nov 3rd 2017 - Galaythanius - name stuff

https://rayonfrozenwings.tumblr.com/post/167074118023/ok-so-i-posted-a-theory-about-starfall-and-the

Just me jumping to conclusions about a link between a name that sounds like galaythanius and Artemis.

Oct 19th 2017 - Erilea

https://rayonfrozenwings.tumblr.com/post/166565225118/erilea

A Theory about a possible crossover of Erilea and Prythian..

Have a look at the gif I made to see if you want to read it... >.<

Some of my Older Theories below have the assumption that ACOTAR is based on a bible based world or at least some of the characters are. However my thoughts have changed since writing these theories. I didn’t understand how much from all mythologies and religions around the world cross-over, so It's possible this is still true, or that SJM drew some ideas from it; but it's equally possible that she drew from greek/ roman/ norse/ egyptian/ jewish/ christian / folk tales etc etc. it is very hard when theory is an ever evolving process involving lots of discussion and viewpoints. So I still love these theories but I do recognise that anything is possible. Also comparative theology would be freaking amazing to study and I kind of wish I was still at uni.

Oct 14th and 15th 2017 (A collection of theories based on the Bible)

- The Story of Prythian

https://rayonfrozenwings.tumblr.com/post/166412696743/the-story-of-prythian

- Feyre as Jesus Christ and Saviour

https://rayonfrozenwings.tumblr.com/post/166412698178/feyre

- Angels - Fallen Angels and The Prison, Amren, Bryaxis, The Bone Carver and Styrga.

https://rayonfrozenwings.tumblr.com/post/166412699068/angels

- Angels continued - High Lords as Descendants

https://rayonfrozenwings.tumblr.com/post/166412700453/angels-continued

- Origins of the Illyrians - The fall of the Watchers

https://rayonfrozenwings.tumblr.com/post/166412701713/origins-illyrians

- Predictions based on this series of theories

https://rayonfrozenwings.tumblr.com/post/166412704178/acotar-fan-theory-predictions-past

and i’m done.. for now. Acofas is only 2 more sleeps away, so i’m  sure I’ll think of something else soon. >.<

[highlordofkrypton]

aside from my occasional complaints on here, I think I do a pretty decent job at creating a fun, positive and "safe" environment for the fandom. (those who know, know.) if you disagree, scroll along.

here's some ACOTAR fandom tips on creating a positive experience:

lead with positivity instead of replying to questions with shade and complain the responses are dramatic

allow other fandom members to behave like the adults they (supposedly) are and let them cater their own experiences -- it is no one's responsibility to protect you but yourself (and if you need help, please find it without taking it out on others)

dictating how anyone participates is not how you create a 'positive' environment, it's exclusionary no matter how you reason with it -- idc if you think any fictional character is x

honestly, just call it what it is, its not an appreciation week, it's a wide net request page for content you want and nothing else

I genuinely hope that everyone who rides on a moral high horse about fictional characters finds healing for their trauma, empathy for others as human beings and most importantly, never fall off said horse. If they do, I hope you are never met with the same hate and disdain you spread, especially under the veil of protecting others.

[highlordofkrypton]

It makes me wonder if we don't have enough whimsy and silliness in the ACOTAR fandom to enjoy together. Everything is so serious 😭

Acotar fandom: elriel vs elucian.

Acotar fandom: Let's just gloss over the SA if you still hold that against Rhys you're a shitty person

Acotar fandom: Tamlin needs to be drawn and quartered

...

WoW fandom: here's fanart of Sire Denathrius using a cpap machine.

[highlordofkrypton]

I remember when I was an innocent person (until an hour ago) who wanted to try and create content for every appreciation week, not just for myself but to give as much to the community I thought was just having fun.

I'M GOOD, I WILL BE SELFISH THANKS AND ONLY SHARE W/ THE SIDES OF THE FANDOM AND PEOPLE WHO ARE NICE AND INCLUSIVE

INCLUDING THE SMUT AND I WRITE GOOD SMUT!!!

[highlordofkrypton]

I KEEP SAYING I'M DONE, AND I KNOW IF I SAY I'M DONE AGAIN i'll end up just making about about the misuse of 'feminism' and 'misogyny' in this damn fandom

[highlordofkrypton]

re: my last posts about the dc fandom

I kind of wish the ACOTAR fandom was like my experience with the DC fandom; the fact that I enjoy x character in x ship does not mean that someone else's enjoyment threatens the validity of my ship.

Yeah, so I do Superman x Batman, but I think Clark x Lois is legendary, and Bruce x Selina is iconic -- fuck, without Bruce x Talia, or Clark x Lex (😂) we wouldn't have Damian and Kon!!!!!!!!!!!!

Personally, I get more out of the characters when I see the different (non-hateful) interpretations of them, even the ones that hold characters accountable for their actions. As a fan, I have a clearly more positive view of my fav, but someone who isn't might bring up a well-spoken point about something I didn't think of, and I love think pieces that bring up good points

In terms of the ship wars, I think it's wonderful to see how a single character can act differently towards different partners, and to me, it adds depth to the characters.

I still consider myself tangientially in the ACOTAR fandom vs. how much I seek out in the DC fandom, but I think if at least 50% of the ACOTAR stuff that pop on my feed was less angry, I'd be more willing to do/seek stuff out.

[highlordofkrypton]

Really weird take for someone to take issue with a complaint on YOUR blog while saying make your own event ON TOP if saying of you don't like something, ignore it.

I do think it’s a little insane to host an event week and then limit what ships people can post about.