#anti azriel acotar

[achaotichuman]

ACOTAR Rant

Hot take, Azriel is just as bad as Cassian and Rhysand, it's just that he so happens to be an introvert while Cassian and Rhysand are extroverts.

Just because it's quiet doesn't mean his participation in Nesta and Feyre's abuse is any less impactful.

He didn't tell Feyre about the pregnancy.

He was in active participate in punishing Nesta in the hike from hell by purposefully packing her bag to be as heavy as possible.

When he saw Nesta's bruises from falling down the stairs, he assumed they were from Cassian pushing her and smiled at that.

He was a bystander as Cassian controlled Nesta down to her eating habits.

And I have plenty of reason to believe he was not placed with Cassian as one of Nesta's prison guards to make sure they didn't fuck, he was there to make absolute certain that Cassian did not let Nesta out.

He was just the only one who didn't say anything to her face, therefore he was the only member of the Inner Circle that Nesta could stand to be around. It doesn't make him a better person, he's just as bad as the rest of em.

Azriel started proclaiming his undying love to a woman who had been tortured and was currently sitting on enemy territory.

He regifted something made for a woman he sexually fantasized about and tried to fuck, to an SA survivor.

Azriel is creepy, and weird, and just as horrible as the rest of them, that's why he's Rhysand's friend.

Now, do I obsessively write about him with Eris? Of course I do! I love taking characters with the personality of a upside down goldfish in an empty tank and turning them into the object of my creative desires.

But at the end of the day, he still sucks just as much as the rest of them.

[hrizantemy]

It’s genuinely amusing how Tamlin is painted as the ultimate villain in the narrative, yet before the chaos with Feyre, his entire court was ready to lay down their lives for him. Meanwhile, it’s almost comical that two-thirds of Rhysand’s court, the very individuals he relies on for military support, harbor such animosity toward him that they actively want to see him dead.

[the-darkestminds]

just another day thinking about what a disaster the high lord’s meeting was for the night court. the spymaster was smashing chairs and choking other delegates. the high lady was setting fire to innocents. the high lord was treating his ex boyfriend like his personal puppet. the human emissary was vomiting in the reflection pool. and yet. somehow, against all odds, these messy idiots convinced 5 other courts to join their cause. a miracle, really.

[judypooveysgf]

Nesta Archerons story should have ended with her running away with Eris and escaping the wild bullshit of the inner circle

[infiniteetcetera]

One of the most annoying things to me about the “poor Cassian he’s just a sad little brute of a warrior and Nesta makes him feel so inferior” arc in ACOSF is that it’s literally ALL CASSIAN’S OWN FAULT. Yes, his early childhood is especially traumatic and unfair but he was taken in by Rhys and his mother young enough (even earlier than Azriel) that he was given far more luxuries than any of the other Illyrians. The timeline is a bit screwy for the bat boys early days but Rhys took power relatively young after the war and Cassian was immediately put into a high ranking position of political power. He has all the money/power/luxuries he could want and also he’s FIVE HUNDRED+ YEARS OLD.

This man is not some poor sad underdog being belittled by a LITERAL TWENTY YEAR OLD WHO SPENT MOST OF HER LIFE IN POVERTY. Even the foil they try to do between him and Eris for sympathy is ridiculous. Yes, Eris is politically strategic, well dressed, knows how to dance and be diplomatic but CASSIAN COULD BE THOSE THINGS TOO and we know that not just because it’s obvious from his standing (which again he’s had for centuries) but because LITERALLY AZRIEL IS.

Azriel is described as the politest one constantly (even better at it than Rhys), Azriel knows how to dance expertly with Nesta (without needing sudden training from Mor), Azriel knows how to handle Eris and general diplomacy and AZRIEL HAD THE SAME UPBRINGING AS CASSIAN IF NOT A WORSE ONE. Again, the weird dichotomy they try to create between Cassian and Nesta about their social standing is ridiculous enough because it misrepresents Nesta but also the victimization of Cassian as if it’s somehow the worlds fault for his behavior and vilifying of people like Eris and Nesta for calling him out on it is insane.

[silverflameataraxia]

Az spent 500 years pining after Mor because he thought she was his mate. She's not.

Then when Feyre and Nesta were mated to Rhysand and Cassian, he thought Elain should be his mate because she's the third sister and he's the third brother. She's not.

Meanwhile, Az's mate - Gwyn - is right there bantering with him, challenging him, teasing him, causing his shadows to sing and dance, and Az is...totally oblivious to it.

I cannot wait for their book because I want to see how long it takes Az before he starts to realize that Gwyn may be his mate 🤣

[l1ghts1nger]

AC: ellyness5 and mistilteinnart

I saw this meme format and I just had to 😌

[oristian]

ELUCIEN | GWYNRIEL — MAASVERSE SPOILERS

I tend to see posts and videos from a multitude of people who seem to be reluctant to accept foreshadowing in the ACOTAR books—specifically regarding the endgame couples to finish out the overall series. As this post is simply beating a dead horse down, I find that it is very much needed as a specific group of people lack the capacity to understand the books.

Foreshadowing is not meant to be obvious. There are, of course, cases where it is relatively obvious, but only within the parameters of back-to-back scenes. Foreshadowing is meant to be picked up on, but to be fully understand later on in the story when everything comes to fruition. Examples of foreshadowing include color descriptions, specific use of language, emphasis on certain scenes, emphasis surrounding specific objects, et cetera. If something happens obviously and you can read the scene as-is, it is not foreshadowing.

I see many people who ship Elriel claim that there is buildup across the entire series that foreshadows why they will be endgame. As the books do not support that claim, it is outlandish and a spread of misinformation. Allow me to disprove this theory using the books alone:

— 🌸 ACOTAR: Zero interactions between Elain and Azriel as Azriel had not been introduced as a character yet. This book highlighted Feyre surmising that Elain would thrive within the Spring Court, that her sister enjoyed typical emissary work, and instead introduced Lucien as a character.

— 🦢 ACOMAF: This is the first book where Elain and Azriel met, as is this is where many Elriels like to claim that the Elriel build-up begins. However, this book says otherwise. Elain and Azriel’s first meeting is neutral, quiet conversation to ease a tense situation as Nesta/Feyre/Cassian/Rhys were creating an uncomfortable atmosphere and Elain meant to ease it. This book highlighted how in love Azriel was with Mor and how Elain was engaged to Grayson. Many Elriels also claim that the color of Elain’s dress in this first meeting—being cobalt—is indicative of endgame between she and Azriel. However, cobalt is also the signature color of Grayson’s family crest. Their interactions die out after that first meeting and instead focus on Feysand again. The throne room scene in Hybern also showed the beginning of Elucien and their mate bond, while Azriel was on the floor reaching for Mor. (I go more into this on my Tik Tok page: @oristian)

— 🔥 ACOWAR: When Feyre returns to the Night Court after her month in Spring, she finds that Elain has been within a catatonic state for the entirety of that month and has shown no signs of recovering—that is, until Lucien came along. Elain began eating and moving around once he came and after tugging on the mating bond, her visions first started showing. themselves. Everyone likes to credit Azriel for most of this, but all that Azriel did (take her to the garden) was suggested previously by Lucien. Lucien, who was not able to be alone with her due to Nesta and Feyre. Next, everyone tends to say that Azriel “saw” Elain when he named her power. “What we need is …” Contradicts such a thing. Naming a power does not cure someone of their trauma. Lucien is also canonically the first character to take Elain’s visions seriously and went in search of Vassa, ultimately finding Papa Archeron and creating an even deeper connection into the Koschei plot arc with Elain. This is also where we get the iconic half-step on the stair scene.

Elain is now kidnapped by the cauldron portraying itself as Graysen—Elain wanting so badly to be with her previous lover. This is a scene where many Elriels claim that it is supportive of Elriel being endgame. However, it is within character for Azriel to save someone, especially people close to him. Certainly, Elain being appreciative of being saved and kissing him on the cheek is cute, but that is not enough “foreshadowing” for an endgame. Next, Azriel hands her Truth Teller after Elain refused other weapons. Elain is hesitant and only agrees to take it once Feyre chimes in that she will not have to use it. Juxtapose this with Elain immediately giving it back after the battle is over, not saying a word, and instead falling into conversation with Lucien. Lucien, who is canonically the only character to credit her for assisting with ending the King of Hybern.

— 🌨️ ACOFAS: This is the buffer book that was meant to do two things: Establish Nessian as the next couple for the following book, and establish a clear love triangle between Azriel/Elain/Lucien. Elriels use this book to drive the idea of an Elriel endgame. While this book has scenes between Elain and Azriel, there is unfortunately no foreshadowing present enough to support that claim. This novella emphasizes, from a conversation between Rhys and Feyre, that Azriel may be inclined towards Elain due to her having traits that may remind him of his mother (Freud). We also have Solstice where Lucien brings Elain a gift—a gift that fully reflects her interests—Elain brings Azriel a gift, but Azriel does not bring Elain a gift. Azriel even questioning beforehand if he has to get the sisters a gift at all. Elain’s gift being superficial and more of a joke than anything truly meaningful to them as a relationship.

— 🗡️ ACOSF: The book that ended Elriel. We have this book set up as PRE-BONUS CHAPTER | BONUS CHAPTER | POST BONUS CHAPTER. In the pre-bonus chapter, we have a few scenes between Elain and Azriel that is a glance, or a very small interaction. The infamous scene that Elriels like to use to “prove” that his shadows actually like Elain is the scene where Cassian says that Nesta upset Elain and his shadows seemed poised to strike. His shadows reacted to his anger, not to Elain. Next, the Solstice scene where Azriel refused to be within the room due to the mating bond between Elain and Lucien and Nesta seeing that he was interested in Elain—which is never brought up again, however we do get a scene post bonus chapter of Nesta encouraging Gwyn and Azriel by calling him the “new ribbon.”

The bonus chapter ended Elriel officially as endgame. The chapter is told from Azriel’s POV and documents his lustful thoughts of Elain and how he wants a mate, hurt and confused why his brothers had two of the Archeron sisters and the third was given away to another male. Rhysand even asking Azriel what his plans are after seducing Elain and Azriel having none “past the fantasies he pleasures himself to.” This is also a chapter where Elriels like to claim that Elriel is a forbidden romance. ACOWAR Rhys clearly objects to this being the case. (I have a video on my Tik Tok going over this @oristian) The bonus chapter then moves to Azriel finding Gwyn, his shadows not warning him of her presence at the HoW. His shadows are curious about her and dance with her breath. Azriel then finds out that Elain rejected his necklace—the only Solstice gift that he has gotten her, and one he expressed as “nothing extraordinary”—and the next morning finds him re-gifting such to Gwyn. Azriel can picture her eyes lighting up at the gift and he smiles—this is also where mate language is used to describe the spark in his chest at the thought of her and the glow of the thought. “A thing of secret, lovely beauty.” A line that was used twice—one to describe the necklace, and another time to describe the thought of Gwyn.

Post bonus chapter has zero interactions between Elain and Azriel. The interactions between Azriel and Gwyn are charged and witty. Energetic. This is also where we see Azriel’s siphons glowing darker at the thought of the Valkyries in the Great Rite—the first instance that this has happened.

Next, we go into the last two remaining plot arcs: Koschei and Dusk Court. Both ACOSF and HOFAS have set Nesta up as the driver for the Dusk Court arc, with Azriel as the character to follow. With SJM’s Bloomsbury contract slating her to have two more main books with dual POV romantic interests, the Dusk Court arc book would only make sense having Gwyn and Azriel as the FMC and MMC of that arc. The Koschei arc has been carefully crafted for Elain and Lucien to be the FMC and MMC of that book, with both of them being set up for this since ACOWAR. Elain with her visions of Vassa, the lake, and Koschei’s black box, and Lucien being tied to Papa Archeron and Vassa and the mortals. (I have a video on my Tik Tok that goes more in depth with this @oristian)

— SUMMARY: Elain and Azriel do not have multiple books of foreshadowing, a Gwynriel and Elucien endgame is not fanservice, and the remaining two plot arcs do not support an Elriel endgame. If you have any problems with that, take it up with SJM.

[lainalit]

Azriel in his bonus chapter💀

artists: lucien: mftfernandez | azriel: dominiquewesson

[ladydeath-vanserra]

every now and then I think about Rhysand and Cassian joining forces after hating each other simply so they can gang up and beat on a kid who was fresh out of childhood torture. and then SJM decided that's the pinnacle of brotherhood? siblings dynamics in this book series are so fucking weird

[elainemg97]

Azriel Bonus Chapter- Annotated Part 1

I’ve seen this trend going around so I decided to do it as well. These are my reactions to the first part of Azriel’s bonus chapter 🤭🤭 enjoy 💗

Needless to say, the Elriel buildup for their book is so delicious!

[hrizantemy]

My genuine reaction when Rhysand revealed that he plays the role of the evil High Lord, acting like he joined Amarantha willingly, while also hunting down Illyrian soldiers who sided with her:

So… you’re telling me that Rhysand, who expects everyone to believe he was a double agent under Amarantha, turns around and hunts down Illyrians who did the same to survive? The mental gymnastics required to justify that are wild. It’s okay when he does it, but anyone else? Straight to the executioner’s block. The hypocrisy is off the charts.

[winterinvelaris]

and if i said elain's attraction to azriel is rooted in the fact that she feels less for him than she did for graysen and that makes her feel less guilty about it. what then. and if i also said that elain is avoiding lucien because she feels too much for him and she can't handle that guilt yet. what then. AND IF I SAID THATS EXACTLY WHAT FEYRE DID WITH THE TAMLIN-TARQUIN-RHYSAND SITUATION. WHAT THEN.

[lovelygwyneth]

I love how poetic it is that Elain is represented as the spring/flowers and they bloom with the sun (Lucien) but die in the darkness (Azriel).

While Azriel's shadows run away from Elain, but dance and are happy with Gwyn's presence.

Mates are made to be complementary, their essence brings life to their mate, not erases it.

[shadowqueenjude]

Wild take to hate the freedom fighter for killing a slave owner and making a crude joke while playing double agent but loving the guy who sexually assaulted his mate, the guy who laughed when his mate fell down the stairs, and the guy who literally tortures people for a living.

[catboyjamesbond]