#controversial sjm time

[gwyns]

Controversial SJM Opinion: Feyre belongs to us introverts 😌 - all those people calling her a boring MC, and spouting nonsense that she's so "dull" and "uninteresting" unlike Aelin & Bryce can shove it!

As if Aelin & Bryce wouldn't adore and want to wrap up her up in a warm blanket ✨️

BIG AGREE!!!! we are feyre's biggest fans and no one understands her like we do <3

she's such an important mc to me bc she and i are very alike so it's nice to feel seen in a way, you know?? i love her so much and idc about the naysayers 😤

now i need fanart of aelin and bryce wrapping feyre in a blanket omg it'd be soooo cute 😭❤️

[darlingod]

Wait

did I rlly just read a pro t*mlin post that said what I think it just said

It’s not just the fact it’s pro t*mlin. If it was I wouldn’t gaf to post about it. It’s entirely the fact that the points/justifications they are coming up with are alarming and EGREGIOUSLY deluded

[helion-ism]

all I do is have some fun and reread the acotar series (also happened with tog) and post stuff I think is funny or entertaining. and you can clearly see that I like what I’m posting about. yet constantly show up in my notifications talking about how they hate this or that character or plot or whatever. like I’m just here for a good time and not for debate class, leave me alone.

[silverflameataraxia]

This may be a controversial post, but I will never hold it against Nesta that she didn't do the hunting. She went through twelve years of physical and emotional abuse that her sisters did not endure and don't even know about. She protected them and suffered for them. She's done enough. There's no reason Nesta should have gone through twelve years of abuse and eight years of hunting while her sisters did nothing. Nesta has suffered and endured enough trauma.

When it came time for someone to do the hunting, it was time for someone else in the family to step up. It was time for someone to protect Nesta. To take care of her. It shouldn't have been Feyre, but it most certainly shouldn't have been Nesta. As tragic as it is to see fourteen-year-old Feyre go hunting in the woods alone, it is not more tragic than seven-year-old Nesta coming home bruised and bleeding from the latest beating she endured for supposedly "failing" at her dancing lessons.

The original trilogy should have focused on Feyre resenting Nesta for letting her hunt, only for Feyre to learn in ACOSF that Nesta protected her from twelve years of abuse. Then both sisters could have come to terms with their respective traumas and turned their resentment towards their useless, horrid father, who clearly didn't love them because he turned a blind eye to Nesta's abuse and Feyre's hunting.

It's the fact that the narrative gives a free pass to Papa Archeron, the man of the household, while pitting female against female. We're supposed to hate the female child abuse victim in order to make the other female the ultimate victim of the Archeron family. But, in order to do so, SJM has to ignore, undermine, and invalidate Nesta's abuse so the narrative can revolve around Feyre and her suffering.

[theladyofbloodshed]

I’m going to be a little controversial under the cut

Sjm meeting her husband on her first day of college and only loving one man since she was 18 is very evident in her writing. I don’t meant to say it’s a bad thing to only have one relationship, but she writes all previous relationships of her characters as meaningless compared to the current one.

Any previous crushes/relationships of her characters were shallow. Whilst they may have felt like something at the time, in hindsight they pale in comparison to the Great Love. Or she writes them as being wrong, wrong, wrong and has to tarnish it in some way to make the Great Love seem better.

Rowan wanted to marry Lyria and was expecting a child with her then sjm retconned it to be a false bond to manipulate him and has Aelin be the much greater love, disregarding the past. He loved her so much he was going to have a baby with her.

Sam becomes just a memory of a teenage crush because he can’t compare to Rowan for Aelin as they’re mates.

Sorcha is just a servant who Dorian had fleeting feelings for despite her losing her head for getting close to the prince when he was lonely.

Isaac Hale is just a boring tumble in the hay - and not the boy who Feyre shared her worries with and he cared enough to buy the contraceptive tea because she couldn’t afford it.

Tamlin was a walking red flag and Rhys can love her so much better despite the months they spent together happy and falling in love.

Graysen and his father swap roles so the former can bash Elain and treat her cruelly while even his father looks shocked.

Jesminda is murdered but she was just a lesser fae and clearly will matter less to Lucien than his mate.

Shahar gave Hunt an opportunity to be something great then its revealed she just used him for his power and didn’t love him to the same depth - not in the way Bryce can.

It is so odd that she cannot write a couple who realise that they’re not each other’s endgame. She could have written that Feyre and Tamlin struggled greatly after the war and realised that the curse had forced them together but their romance dried up, no hard feelings.

Rowan could have been Lyria’s mate and still loved Aelin just as much 200 years later. Graysen could have said to Elain that he loved her still but could not be a fae rather than insult her.

People can love many times in their life. Just because they don’t end up together forever, it doesn’t mean a relationship didn’t matter.

[olenvasynyt]

Top 3 most controversial acotar takes/opinions, now☄️

Uh nooooo only my top three? Alrighty. These are going to be very harsh:

1. I have read the ACOTAR series at least 3 times since 2021 and I very often skim chapters every week for posts and videos. And I will be fully honest, I never want to reread the series ever again because of Feyre. I dislike her biases, her hypocrisy, her habit of ignoring other people’s POVs and the mistakes she’s made. I hate her excuses and her blindness and selfishness and how she treats everyone who is not in the IC. I hate how she treats Tamlin and Lucien. I physically cannot reread ACOWAR without flinching at all of the stuff she does, ESPECIALLY her taking down Spring out of revenge. I do not like her as an FMC and I’m glad we have moved past her story and onto other characters.

2. I think the fanbase’s hatred for Tamlin is so extreme and it is heavily influenced by Feyre’s own biases, as well as stupid memes on tiktok. If you take a second to look at the story from Tamlin’s perspective, you can easily understand his actions. With Hybern, EVERYONE FORGETS THAT 1. He was not part of the Archeron Sister’s kidnapping, that was Ianthe. It’s literally explained by Hybern in the book. And 2. He was playing as a double agent, which is hinted at many many times and it is something we later discover. I would go into it more but I feel like that’s its own post that many people have made before.

3. I don’t think SJM is the best writer. I know writers can retcon, especially in huge series like this, but she uses retconning as a crutch, and it’s very frustrating. She has so many inconsistencies and plot holes and inconveniences that personally bother me. I think her world building in ACOTAR is so flat and not thought out at all, and her magic system is even worse. Most of her villains, not just in ACOTAR but in her other series, are not that good idk. She also has a habit of the typical villain monologue that I am getting so sick of and I literally skip the part of the human queen during the Blood Rite because I think it’s so badly written 😭😂

And here’s some random ones just for fun with no to little explanation (I couldn’t do just 3 LMAO sorry)

4. ACOTAR would be better in 3rd POV limited and we can still get the mystery of the world, Feyre’s biases, etc. A lot of problems I have would be solved if we got the POVs of other characters

5. I would like Rhys so much more if he was revealed to be a villain

6. Lucien is one of the only characters I genuinely enjoy, and I’m holding out for him. If he did not exist, I would not be reading ACOTAR at all

7. The IC are awful for how they treat Nesta and I DESPISE THE “intervention” they put her through. It was not a real intervention and readers should not try to defend it in that way

8. This fanbase is filled with too many straight normies who have never experienced a fanbase before and refuse to broaden their minds and think beyond canon. Tamsand would be the most popular ship in any other fanbase. There would be more sexuality and gender headcanons. Trans headcanons, trans fanfics, m-preg fanfics, etc etc. But I guess this is a very popular fantasy romance so I get why those aren’t popular but I should not have to explain why it’s okay to ship ships that aren’t canon, and why people often insert their heteronormative fantasies in queer ships (looking at you Azris)

[nightcourtreader]

I am seeing a lot of gwynriels getting hate lately because we’re excited about new character information about Az and a lot of people believing that Azriel’s book is next.

I feel like it’s fair, as readers to point out how the author is deliberately bringing a lot of attention to Azriel at the moment. It’s absolutely fair to believe that Azriel’s book is going to be next. We all know that Elain and Azriel’s stories are going to be told and it’s just a matter of when. A lot of people just think that it’s Azriel next and that’s fine if you disagree, but gwynriels shouldn’t be attacked or called delusional if they think that.

But being called delusional when we think that when SJM has build on Azriel’s character arc purposely since we’ve seen him on page since acomaf, gave him a bonus for acosf, then had him feature in cc3, then have him apart of a bonus again for cc3 is crazy. Especially since we learned more about Azriel in cc3.

Then people are dissing the hell out of Gwyn. Oh she’s just a side character, she isn’t important. Isn’t everyone a side character at the moment besides feysand & Nessian? Since they already had their stories told. And wasn’t Gwyn the one to introduce the valkryie storyline in acosf & became the first valkryie when the valkryie plotline is a huge plotline of acosf to the point where SJM named the different sections of acosf valkryie titles? And SJM could have easily had nesta become the first valkryie.

Gwyn can absolutely have a pov with Azriel in the next book. SJM herself stated she has two more acotar books (I’m not sure if she’s contracted for more). She said for each book, a couple is going to come together. That leaves 2 pov besides Azriel and Elain because we know she’s going to give them one. For Azriel’s counter part, it could easily be Gywn.

Gwyn is still in the library. The valkryies are still training. Gwyn has a autumn court ancestry, no matter how many people claim she doesn’t have a firm claim for it. Gwyn’s powers are a very popular controversial topic in the fandom on the daily. Gywn’s story is left opened and SJM didn’t add all that to Gwyn’s backstory for no reason. She retcon the sangravah story so Azriel was the one to save Gwyn. SJM dropped mate language in her BC with Azriel and Gwyn and yes, SJM references her bonus chapters in text. She did so in acosf when it came to cassian’s & nesta’s bonus chapter for acomaf, titled wings and ember.

Yrene in tog, was really fledged out in tower of Dawn and became a really important factor in the next book in the series, kingdom of ash. Why couldn’t the same thing be said for Gwyn? Just because she was introduced in acosf, doesn’t mean that Gwyn can’t have a pov in the next book.

There are different plotlines for Azriel to go through in his story. It’s not like he has 0 plotlines to filter through. SJM would be the one to decide what plotlines have the sense of urgency for the next acotar book.

CC3 can be used for evidence, because the author herself stated that cc3 will set up future acotar books. You know what acotar 5 is? A future acotar book since it isn’t out yet. From what I’ve seen, since I haven’t read cc3 yet, Azriel is a prominent figure besides nesta in cc3 when it comes to the acotar characters. If SJM herself is stating that cc3 sets up future acotar books, why wouldn’t we use cc3 of evidence for Azriel, especially since nesta’s story has already been told? So yes we can use that as evidence. We shouldn’t be talked down about and called delusional for it.

Yes CC is a separate series. But SJM recently stated that we should read acotar before reading CC now, at one point of time she said we didn’t have to. See how things have changed?

If she’s telling people to read acotar before cc, does it matter if she’s not telling people to read cc before acotar 5, when she’s already stated to read acotar before CC so no matter what readers are understanding what’s going on in both series no matter the order since acotar 5 isn’t out yet? She’s telling us to read both series regardless.

I get it, some people might not want to read the CC and they don’t have to, but I have seen people who said they aren’t going to read CC but are still asking for information about the acotar characters in it, and with people talking about it, they are going to find out about the information of acotar characters in CC anyway, whether they read the full book or not.

And I’m sick of e/riels claiming that since Azriel is being brought up a lot, it’s going to be Azriel and Elain’s next. To the point, when new fans are asking about who’s the next book, they’re “confirming” it’s Elain and Azriel’s. Which is ridiculous. Because when it comes to the two, Elain would be the one to strong hold the book, not Azriel. SJM hasn’t brought Elain to the forefront as she’s doing Azriel lately, if anything, it just shows to me how SJM isn’t going to have a book with BOTH Azriel and Elain together. Just not happening.

But I need people to stop being mad/upset at gwynriels because we’re pointing out things from textual evidence that the author has set up. We could be wrong, I agree, but stop making it like we have no standing, that were dumb & delusional.

[emmitaaa4]

Addressing some fandom BS inconsistencies

Gwyn was shadow mommy, Az was shadow daddy, they were gonna have shadow babies with her extra super pliable bones.

I audibly chocked when I read this @nikethestatue (btw everything said in this post was on point). No but seriously this is how they sound, too many of them insisting that there is nothing wrong with basing the likelihood of a ship on who has the more suitable uterus to be with a man... cause supposedly they're just picking up on the hints SJM wrote for them? She likes babies for HEAs so ofc children are the end all be all of a relationship, plus there's absolutely no way that she could ever write an adoption plot SJM is literally adopted and has done it in other series. Selective reading strikes again.

A minimum amount of critical thinking would tell you that 1) the infamous *magical uterus change* scene was about nessian (& feysand), not about any ship; 2) if SJM had written Nesta changing Elain's uterus, it would have given too much away, not to mention 3) how disturbing/violating it would have been for Nesta to change her sister's reproductive anatomy WITHOUT HER CONSENT?! None of it makes sense narratively; my girl Nes would never, especially given the trauma they both suffered from having their bodily autonomy--and so much more--ripped away by the Cauldron.

This argument is so trivialized that I see it every other day on reddit/tiktok/*insert media app*, and yet elriels are the toxic side of the fandom? The ones whom people are allowed to insult, to ridicule for theories all made in good fun, the women that are villainized over a difference of opinion? Don't get me wrong, there's assholes on both sides and people keep calling one another variations of delulu (and the nastier personal attacks). But by painting this fandom-wide villain there is such a lack of accountability for the plethora of harmful talking points spread by other portions of the fandom. (I've been silently reading the anti-elain & anti-elriel tags for like a year, and I'm on tiktok. Yes, I have self-destructive tendencies).

Anyways.

I never understood either how people ever actually thought (or well still think) that gwynriel would happen BEFORE elucien?? It makes no sense logically, narratively, or in terms of characterization & the arc she's set up for Elain, Azriel, and Lucien. Yet it took one controversial bonus chapter for people to decenter Elain in her own story, that is make her choice of romantic partner--which SJM spent 3+ books setting up--Azriel's. It took one bonus chapter that soo many readers are still unaware of, to brush Elain off as a "sexual object" Az is using to distract himself until his therapist-extraordinaire Gwyn comes in and heals him all up. Because ofc she will: she's badass and not the "passive and weak and boring" Eplain (aka "Plant" or "brain dead gardener"), she fits the YA archetype of the spunky warrior-girl so she can handle his darkness, and SJM supposedly spent time fleshing her out because she wrote her as a LI for Azriel; she's made for him, she is what he needs to grow (I actually enjoyed Gwyn's character btw, just pointing out how silly it all sounds). “Next book is a love triangle between Elain/Az/Gwyn” “Elain will turn evil or is secretly evil”. So you're telling me that SJM would pit Elain & Gwyn against each other in a love triangle over a man... all because of a necklace that was not even mentioned once in the actual books? Please, let's be logical for a second.

All this because instead of reading the bonus chapter in the context of the books, some people are reading the books in the context of the bonus chapter. Which now that I think of it is probably why so many people mischaracterize Az the way they do--because yes we know enough of his character to know half of the stuff the fandom diagnoses him with is questionable. Azriel? Entitled incel x fuckboy hybrid (gotta be the first of his kind, minute slay ig)? Interesting tell me more. No joke I saw a semi-popular post on here where a gwynriel said they read the bonus WITHOUT HAVING READ ANY OF THE BOOKS. I'm sorry, ship wars are silly and believe it or not idc who ppl ship, but it makes it hard to take some of the things they say seriously.

All this to say that the fandom isn't even debating the right thing. If you consider everything SJM has said in her interviews:

(she's been planting seeds for Nesta & Elain's book since acomaf; she knows who she is writing the first 2 books about + is keeping things open for the 3rd one--with 5 different ship options--which automatically rules out "Elain will close the series"; she said she's doing research for Elain's book in the ACOFAS bonus & there's seeds for future bookS in acofas; all she said recently about her beloved *heroines* and the themes of fate/true love/choice she finds *very* interesting & wants to discuss)

and if you also consider all she's written in the actual books (elain's characterization + the overarching plot in general & how she fits into it), then it's pretty evident that Elain's book is next.

The question then would be who is the MMC / 2nd PoV in her book, aka would acotar 5 be an elucien or an elriel story? Because logically, gwynriel was always a consequence of elucien. I honestly do not understand how people don't see that.

Oh and they always think they're gagging elriels with the "obviously Azriel is the next MC" as if elriels aren't saying the same thing? And we're the ones twisting info and not making sense. It's just funny at this point.

---sidenote: I realize that this post generalizes some things, and I just wanted to say that I have interacted with lovely eluciens / people on either side of this headache of a ship war. My hard limit is Elain haters though... back off I say 🤺 BACK OFF 🤺

---sidenote 2: I would have written this as a reblog except im not entirely sure how tumblr works and I get no visibility from them rip.

[rizzoreads88]

Acotar Unpopular Opinion/Rant.

You’ve been warned it’s going to be controversial

Rhysand, Nesta, Aelin, & Tamlin were all abusive by todays standards at different points. This isn’t even opinion. This is a facts. If they were in the real world their actions would be considered abusive at different points.

In my honest opinion I don’t think any of the characters other then the obvious villians are abusers. I don’t hold these characters to todays standards. Fae are not human. Prythian isn’t the real world. Trying to compare them to your exs or your mean older sibling is like trying to compare the Hybern war to ww2. Apples to oranges BUT I see the fandom likes to apply modern day morals and standards to certain characters only…

Why is Tamlin the only character people like refer to as an abuser? Why is he and Nesta the only ones who are “irredeemable”?why are him and Nesta the only ones this fandom holds to todays standards?

*Rhysand-forced feyre to get drunk to the point of vomiting, grabbed her broken bone causing her physical pain to force her into his bargain, made her expose herself even though she asked for more clothing and was ashamed and embarrassed, forced himself in her, kissing her and licking her when he knew she didn’t want him to touch her, withholding life threatening information about her own body and her baby from her ect… Rhysand also explodes a room because he’s angry at nesta in hofas

(Yes i know the Rhys stans will excuse everything he did UTM because he was helping feyre.. ok but no one made him help feyre in those ways. Amarantha was watching tamlin, rhysand didn’t have to help feyre in the ways he did he could have helped her in other ways. )

*Aelin- literally tried to murder her boyfriend and would have if Dorian didn’t magically restrain her,,, physically harms his face

You can’t say well whoever had good intentions and they have trauma so it’s different… besties they all have trauma…in canon text everything tamlin did in his head he was protecting feyre. He had good intentions too but went about them in terrible ways obviously. Abuse is abuse regardless of intent.

At the end of the day you can try to excuse the abuse for your fav characters however you want but it is STILL abuse by todays standards.

SJM herself has said tamlin is not a villian. She has also said there is more to Tamlin then what we see from feyres lense. She has also said he is on his own journey. SJM wrote a whole book of Nestas growth and she changes and literally saves feyres whole little family and still people act like she is the worst.

** I also think it’s important to remember when we in the fandom are talking about tamlin, nesta, rhysand, aelin or whoever we are talking about those characters specifically and their actions within the context of it s fantasy world. We are not talking about whoever they remind you of in real life. We are not talking about what you or I went through we are referring to the story and what’s going on within prythian. **

When people pick and choose which abusive actions they excuse and which abusive person is a abuser and who isn’t it kind seems like you don’t actually care about the abuse rather just who is doing it.

Be consistent. Either all characters who are abusive at times are abusers or their not. Either all abusive actions or wrong or it’s not.

To me I don’t consider any of these 4 characters abusers over all but we’re they abusive at points? Yes. Were all their abusive actions wrong? Yes. Intention does not matter when it comes to abuse. It’s all wrong.

[positivelyruined]

An Interview with Tamlin

If our beloved Tam could speak for himself in our times. As told by positivelyruined for @tamlinweek 2024

Question One — How does the flack from the entire fandom and the world at large genuinely make you feel?

Tamlin sighed and rubbed his temples, “Well, it isn’t pleasant. There are things I’ve read that do give me the urge to track down certain people and transform them into cockroaches; but I think if I were to summarize it, it would be something like, ‘characters are people too.’ Despite our controversies, we do all have feelings. I think that deserves a modicum of respect, don’t you?”

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Question Two — What are your thoughts on SJM and the way she’s written your story?

Tamlin bites his lip and scratches his neck, shuddering to himself. “Here’s the thing…Sarah and I — we used to be friends. Once, long ago; I can’t say that now. In Pyrthian this sort of thing would be handled with a duel over my honor; but perhaps in your world it’s more familiar as…death of the author? I think I heard that phrase somewhere. She and I are no longer on speaking terms. I would truly consider her dead to me.”

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Question Three — Considering you have described your author as dead to you, would you now call yourself a free man?

Tamlin laughed wryly. “Quite honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever live down the damage that was done to my character. There are people out for blood. I’d honestly say it was one of my worst fears to have someone else shapeshift into me and commit crimes. Now, I’m living in that reality. I feel glad that there isn’t a fictional character incarceration program, because otherwise I’d certainly be living there. No — I am definitely not a free man, and I will be content to live the rest of my life as a hermit.”

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Question Four — What can a person do to attract your attention?

He snickered. “By the cauldron, they could start by using my name correctly or generally not referring to me as a feminine hygiene product. Your lordship, or your highness is always appreciated…but for now, I would honestly settle for people just getting my name right.”

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Question Five — People are saying Feyre never loved you and you never loved her. Do you have a response to that?

“I think it says a lot to be willing to sacrifice your life, for someone, doesn’t it?” He softened. “I always believed Feyre was my mate, but I still offered her the opportunity to go — to be safe. She came back for me. Right now…I would do anything to have her here with me; but there are times even giving your all just isn’t enough. All I can do is pray that she is happy. Thorns and all.”

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Question Six — Do you have any fears that you would consider irrational?

Tamlin nods grimly. “Yeesh — caves, attics, any other place inhabited by flying rodents. Whoever decided that rats deserve wings needs a serious reality check.”

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Question Seven — Have you ever been confused with another celebrity?

The High Lord shrugs. “People say I look like several people like Toby Regobo, Luke Eyesner, Legolass — although I’d like to think myself fairly unique. Pretty much, I’m the tall blonde one with an unpredictable face. It is a nice way to remain anonymous.”

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Question Eight — Growing up, what were your favorite childhood games?

“Hide and seek, obviously.” He answers. “With enough practice, I learned how to shapeshift into objects. I was gone for nine hours once. People didn’t notice until they ran into a stepstool that complained about being kicked. It still felt like I won that game — although my brothers would have said otherwise.”

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Question Nine — What do you look forward to in the future? What do you dread?

“Ah. Peace and quiet. The next Autumn festival. Fresh blueberries, and perhaps a nice nap in the sun.” Tamlin smiled, slowly. “What do I dread? Ever having to do this again, and the asparagus that Alis always cooks on Friday.”

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Question Ten — If you could tell your audience anything, what would that be?

“If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say it at all.” He said, then paused to reconsider. “Also, pay attention to what you read. It is all too easy to let another's thoughts become your own. You have a brain. Use it.”

[hrizantemy]

Staying anon bc I’m sick of the vile hate/threats I receive for liking both Nesta and IC, but I get if you don’t want to engage.

I personally feel that there is a portion of the fandom that is so obsessed with hating the IC that they end up destroying Nesta’s character over it. Like because Nesta doesn’t mirror their own journeys perfectly she’s been written wrong, but Nesta’s character can’t account for every single persons journey either. No character can. Or maybe people get so stuck in the fandom that they get so far away from the source material and what’s truly canon v headcanon.

I see so many takes that end up reducing her to this weak, spineless idiot afraid of her own shadow, and I just don’t see her character this way at all. And I don’t mean people who don’t like certain ships or characters or plots that are canon. I mean things like:

I see so many people talk about how Nesta is completely manipulated into the following: being with Cassian, becoming a warrior, going to the CoN to interact with Eris, training, etc when this is the same character that was so strong-willed as a human that a high lord’s glamor didn’t properly stick. The same person who TOOK something from the Cauldron, who made a death promise to Hybern. This doesn’t mean she can’t be scared, bullied or manipulated of course, but why is everything she chooses for herself questioned and dismissed by those “pro-Nesta” readers?

Another thing with her training: Nesta definitely doesn’t initiate the training with Cassian, but saying she was turned into a warrior against her will takes away from her effort, from the peace she starts to find in the exercise and control, but also her formation of the Valkyries. I’ve even seen takes about how Rhys probably planted the idea into her head so he could gain new fighters—can this woman have nothing of her own?

Every time I see a post about how the IC “were horrible to her for no reason” it always either downplays or blatantly disregards the way she spoke to others. Nesta IS a good person, but that doesn’t preclude her from purposefully harming others with her words and demeanor. She can use both like weapons and does when it suits her, often to her own regret: like against Elain and Cassian.

Nesta herself believes she failed her sisters, especially Feyre. Many posts use this as proof that SJM used SF to “remind everyone Feyre is the real victim again” but I feel like this is a very shallow take. I think it’s very telling of Nesta’s character that she went through so much but at her core takes a lot of blame for things that happened in the past. It doesn’t make it *true* that all those things were her fault, but she herself says she would have let them starve just to prove how terrible a father their dad was, and she hates herself for it. How compelling that she has to work through all those emotions and has to deal with *herself* as one of the biggest “obstacles” to overcome.

Nesta resents Feyre for doing what she felt she should have. Nesta didn’t hate Cassian—she couldn’t look at him because she blamed herself for all the Illyrians she couldn’t save. Nesta has to confront and forgive herself, the person who ultimately matters most. Anytime any other character comes close to making this realization (and I think it’s pretty wrong to say the solution should have been to “enter her mind and see”) she shuts down the conversation/changes topic.

I know ‘THE HIKE’ is controversial for so many people, but I also fail to understand how people got out of the book that all of SF was about making Nes apologize to other people (the IC specifically?), but when they talk about forgiveness and Nes says it isn’t that easy, Cassian counters that forgiveness isn’t just about others, it’s also about ourselves. He tells her not to worry about the past, apologize only to who *she* felt she needed to, and then move on. It isn’t about turning her into a personality type like Elain—Elain is probably the biggest outlier in the IC as far as personality types, because everyone else does have that edge and sharpness that Nesta herself has.

The apology she does have with Feyre is not drawn out. Nesta doesn’t know how to say the words out loud but she projects them enough that Feyre hears them—it’s a brief scene, interrupted even due to them dealing post Prison/Lanthys visit, but Feyre forgives her. It isn’t held over her head or made into a spectacle. Nor is this passage about Feyre at all; it’s about Nesta being comfortable in her own vulnerability and believing herself deserving of forgiveness, which is a step in her healing.

And don’t get me started on how other characters are said to be ridiculous for perceiving Nesta as a threat—she 100% is! She’s likely one of the most powerful characters we’ve seen and that’s without her fully knowing what she is/how to harness her power! And that’s her without using tools like the Dread Trove! When Rhys tells Cassian he’s scared of her, I don’t think he’s entirely joking. It’s what makes her coveted by a death god and also feared by so many. It undermines her to act like she isn’t powerful in her own right. It reminds me so much of how so many IC members have acted around Amren—even on their side, her power always *more*, and so were her emotions.

This turned into a ramble that’s likely not even decipherable, so I’m so sorry for that. I don’t even think I’ve made my point all that well at all at this point.

Hey anon, I get what you’re saying, and I do love Nesta! Let’s dive into this by focusing on how many of her so-called “choices” often aren’t really framed as her own decisions, and how that erodes her agency.

One of the biggest issues with how Nesta’s choices are framed is that even though she’s portrayed as a strong-willed character, many of her key decisions are driven by external forces, and that’s where people get frustrated. For example, her training with Cassian. Yes, it’s true she finds peace and strength through it eventually, but the entire setup feels like something imposed on her rather than something she would naturally gravitate towards. Instead of it being framed as a healing process she chooses, it can feel like a punishment or rehabilitation program handed down by others, like Rhysand and Feyre, for her “bad behavior.”

Similarly, her relationship with Cassian, while developed over time, often comes across as something she’s pushed into rather than something she fully embraces. It’s hard to shake the feeling that Nesta was manipulated or nudged into the role of Cassian’s mate, especially when their bond doesn’t initially come from a place of mutual respect or understanding but is mired in a lot of unresolved tension and pain. So, while the narrative may want us to believe Nesta is choosing this relationship, there’s a strong argument that she’s reacting to external pressures rather than truly embracing it of her own volition.

The Court of Nightmares scene is one of the most frustrating moments for me, especially when you take into account everything we know about Nesta’s trauma. Rhysand, who is supposed to be this paragon of empathy and understanding, knew what she had gone through. He knew she was groomed, they had a whole discussion about it. Nesta’s trauma wasn’t just a side note—it was a key part of her character development. Rhysand was well aware of the depth of it, and still, somehow, the solution to dealing with Eris and the Court of Nightmares involved forcing her into that role. The manipulation that occurs in this scene highlights just how little Rhysand actually considered Nesta’s well-being, despite what he claims.

What makes it worse is how Feyre steps in to protect Elain from having to take on that role, because Elain is “too gentle” for something like that. So, because Elain is shielded from having to navigate the dangerous, humiliating space of the Court of Nightmares, it falls onto Nesta? Why is Nesta seen as more expendable in that situation? Just because Nesta is strong-willed and outwardly abrasive doesn’t mean she isn’t carrying immense scars. The fact that Feyre didn’t protect her the way she protected Elain is a major slap in the face, especially when it’s Feyre who knows the toll trauma can take on someone.

It’s clear they all know what kind of emotional damage this role could inflict—after all, that’s the entire reason Elain is kept out of it. Yet it’s Nesta who is pushed forward, almost as if her resilience makes her more disposable, or as if her sharp edges make it easier for people to ignore the vulnerability beneath them. They choose to overlook her history, or worse, to ignore it, because it’s convenient to their plans. There’s something deeply unsettling about that.

To me, this moment highlights the hypocrisy of Rhysand and the Inner Circle. They claim to understand trauma, but only when it aligns with their agenda. They protect Elain and Feyre, but Nesta? She’s strong enough to be thrown to the wolves, right? It’s as if because she presents herself as powerful, she’s expected to endure anything—whether she consents to it or not. This scene strips Nesta of her agency and disregards the very real consequences of trauma in a way that I just can’t reconcile with the supposed moral high ground the Inner Circle often claims to stand on.

In the end, it feels like Nesta was sacrificed to serve the larger narrative of Rhysand’s plan and the Court’s needs, and not given the care or respect her trauma deserved. It’s hard to forgive the fact that everyone involved—especially Rhysand, who knew better—was complicit in putting her in a situation that mirrored the very experiences that left her scarred in the first place. That level of disregard for her emotional state is what makes this scene such a huge problem.

When it comes to Nesta’s attitude toward the Inner Circle, it’s important to acknowledge that she wasn’t the one to initiate the hostility. So many people paint Nesta as this unprovoked villain, but when you look at the interactions closely, you realize that the members of the Inner Circle were often the ones who antagonized her first.

Take Cassian, for instance. He constantly pushed Nesta, both physically and emotionally, right from the start. He knew how to push her buttons, provoke reactions, and he did so repeatedly. While some people might interpret their dynamic as “banter” or tension-filled chemistry, it often crossed a line, especially considering the rawness of what Nesta was dealing with. Cassian would instigate, and when she defended herself or lashed out, she was blamed for being difficult or ungrateful. But was she really supposed to just sit back and take it?

Then there’s Rhysand, who from the beginning didn’t give Nesta any respect. He dismissed her, judged her, and made it clear he didn’t think much of her, all while pretending to be this morally superior, understanding figure. Nesta wasn’t rude to him out of nowhere—she responded to the disdain he had for her. He didn’t even try to understand where she was coming from. Instead, he and the rest of the Inner Circle labeled her as a problem before ever giving her a chance.

Even Mor, who is so often praised for her compassion, was quick to judge and show disdain for Nesta. Mor made her distaste for Nesta known, often using passive-aggressive or outright rude comments to make her feelings clear. And again, Nesta reacted in kind. When someone is constantly on the receiving end of that kind of treatment, it’s only natural to put up walls and defend yourself.

Feyre is a more complicated case because there is love between them, but even then, Feyre often overlooked how the Inner Circle treated Nesta. She prioritized her relationship with Rhysand and the group over standing up for her sister when it mattered. Feyre may not have been overtly antagonistic, but her inaction spoke volumes. She allowed the others to treat Nesta poorly, and by doing so, she contributed to the hostile dynamic.

So when people say Nesta was always rude or difficult with the Inner Circle, I think it’s essential to point out that her responses were largely defensive. They were the ones who set the tone of their relationship with her, and Nesta simply reacted to the treatment she received. It’s a classic case of people pushing someone to their limits and then acting shocked when they defend themselves. Nesta’s attitude wasn’t unprovoked—it was a shield against a group that never gave her a real chance to be part of their world.

The dynamic between Nesta and Feyre in ACOSF feels unnecessarily drawn out, especially when you look back at how things were left between them at the end of ACOTAR. By that point, Feyre had already forgiven Nesta. When Feyre came home for that brief period before Under the Mountain, she wasn’t holding a grudge anymore. She even acknowledged that her sisters, especially Nesta, were products of their difficult upbringing and circumstances. Feyre had moved on, at least emotionally, from the hurt Nesta had caused. The tension between them wasn’t as deep from Feyre’s side as it was from Nesta’s.

So, by the time we get to ACOSF, it feels like the conflict between the two is dragged out far longer than necessary, especially when it’s framed as Nesta needing to apologize or make amends with Feyre. Feyre’s forgiveness was already established—she had forgiven Nesta quietly and without fanfare. She wasn’t holding that grudge over Nesta’s head or demanding an apology. And yet, the narrative makes it seem like this massive, unresolved issue, as if Feyre was waiting for some grand reconciliation. But really, it was never about Feyre needing that closure; it was Nesta who needed to forgive herself.

Nesta’s self-loathing and guilt over her past actions were the real barriers to their relationship, not Feyre’s forgiveness. But because the story keeps circling back to this idea that Nesta needs to mend things with her sisters, it makes the resolution of their relationship feel drawn out. Feyre didn’t need Nesta to grovel or beg for forgiveness, but the narrative almost sets it up as if she did. Feyre had already come to terms with their past, but the focus on Nesta’s need for self-forgiveness and the process she had to go through made it feel like Feyre was somehow still waiting for an apology.

At the heart of it, Nesta’s journey was about coming to terms with herself. The real issue was that Nesta couldn’t forgive herself for what she saw as her failures—failing Feyre, failing her family, and failing in her life. That’s an important story to tell, but the way it’s wrapped up in Feyre’s narrative makes it feel like Feyre is still central to Nesta’s healing, when in reality, Feyre’s forgiveness had already been given. This mismatch between what Feyre actually needed from Nesta and what the narrative focused on makes the conflict between them feel unnecessarily prolonged.

Instead of allowing the story to focus more on Nesta’s internal battle with her own guilt and self-worth, it keeps circling back to her relationship with Feyre, making it seem like that was the key conflict that needed to be resolved. In truth, Feyre wasn’t waiting for some grand apology—she had already moved on, and what needed to happen was Nesta finding her own peace. But the emphasis on their relationship makes it feel like the resolution dragged on when, from Feyre’s perspective, it was already over.

The hike in A Court of Silver Flames is one of the most controversial moments in the book, and for good reason. Many readers defend it as part of Nesta’s “journey” toward healing and growth, but when you look at the scene closely, it becomes clear that this was not about helping her—it was about punishing her. Cassian even says as much, explicitly calling it a punishment, and that’s where the problem lies.

Let’s break it down: Nesta is already emotionally and physically exhausted, having been pushed to her limits time and time again throughout the story. The hike is positioned as this ultimate test of endurance and discipline, something that’s supposedly going to help her in her path toward healing. But from the outset, it doesn’t feel like it’s for her benefit—it feels punitive. Cassian acknowledges that it’s a punishment, and this is where the power dynamics get really problematic. Nesta is put in a situation where she has no choice, and it’s framed as a necessary challenge for her to “prove” something, but what exactly is she proving here? Her physical strength? Her ability to endure pain?

The entire setup strips her of agency, and that’s not how healing or self-discovery should work. It’s one thing to push someone to face their fears or help them break through emotional barriers, but it’s another to force them into a physically grueling task as a form of punishment for their perceived shortcomings. Nesta was being punished for not fitting into the mold that Cassian and the rest of the Inner Circle wanted her to fit into. She wasn’t training on her own terms or exploring her own boundaries—she was being forced into this hike as a way to “break” her down and reshape her.

And Cassian saying it’s a punishment only reinforces this. If the goal was truly to help Nesta heal, to help her find strength and control in her own way, then why was it framed as punishment? Punishment isn’t about growth; it’s about control. Nesta didn’t need to be broken down further—she was already in a place where she felt broken and lost. What she needed was support, understanding, and a safe space to rebuild herself. Instead, she was given a hike designed to physically and emotionally exhaust her under the guise of “tough love.”

People often argue that this hike was necessary for her transformation, but I see it as a form of abuse. Nesta didn’t ask for this, and she wasn’t in a mental or emotional place to handle it in a healthy way. It wasn’t about empowerment—it was about forcing her to fit into a role she wasn’t ready to take on. Cassian’s framing of it as a punishment only highlights the imbalance of power in their relationship and the way the Inner Circle treats Nesta. They constantly push her, punish her, and then expect her to come out the other side grateful for it, when in reality, it was just another way for them to control her.

Healing and growth shouldn’t come through punishment. They come through support, agency, and self-reflection. The hike stripped all of that away from Nesta and forced her into a situation where she had no choice but to endure, not for her own sake, but to appease the people around her. In that context, it’s hard to see the hike as anything other than abusive.

Nesta being perceived as a threat is one of the most compelling aspects of her character, and it’s something that the narrative acknowledges, but with a strange double standard. There’s no denying that Nesta is a force to be reckoned with—her power is raw, unbridled, and tied to death itself, making her a uniquely dangerous figure in a world where power dynamics are constantly shifting. Rhysand even admits to Cassian that he’s scared of her, and others in the Inner Circle are visibly uneasy around her. But what stands out is how differently Nesta is treated for being a threat compared to her sisters, Feyre and Elain, who are also incredibly powerful in their own right.

Feyre, for example, is High Lady of the Night Court. She has access to all the powers of the High Lords, including shaping the world around her with her abilities. Feyre’s potential is enormous, but she’s never seen as a threat in the same way Nesta is. Instead, she’s revered and protected. Her power is something the Inner Circle wants to nurture, and while Rhysand and the others acknowledge how powerful she is, there’s a clear distinction in how her abilities are framed—they are viewed as something beneficial, something to celebrate and protect.

Then there’s Elain, who, despite her softer demeanor, possesses the Sight and could be one of the most dangerous players on the board if her powers were fully developed. Prophecy and foresight are incredibly potent abilities, especially in a world filled with political intrigue and constant warfare. Elain is not a fighter, but her potential threat comes from the fact that she can see things others cannot. Still, like Feyre, no one treats her as dangerous. She is often protected, shielded, even infantilized, because of her gentleness, as though her power doesn’t warrant the same fear or concern.

But when it comes to Nesta, it’s a completely different story. Nesta’s power is terrifying because it’s not understood—she’s tied to the Cauldron, a force of creation and destruction, and she’s taken something from it, something tied to death. But it’s not just her magic that makes her a threat; it’s her will, her sharp tongue, her refusal to bend to the Inner Circle’s expectations. She is someone who resists control, and that, more than anything, seems to scare them. Feyre and Elain are seen as threats, but their power is either useful (in Feyre’s case) or something to be handled delicately (in Elain’s case). Nesta’s power, however, is something they want to suppress, to control, because she doesn’t fit neatly into the mold they expect.

This double standard is glaring. Why is it that Nesta, who has no more control over her power than Feyre or Elain, is treated like a walking time bomb, while her sisters are coddled or revered? Part of it comes down to Nesta’s personality—she’s not interested in being controlled or guided, which makes her harder to manipulate. Feyre has Rhysand, and Elain has people like Azriel and her sisters to protect her, but Nesta has always stood alone, which makes her power feel more unpredictable and, therefore, more dangerous to those around her.

The fear of Nesta’s power isn’t just about what she can do with her magic—it’s about who she is. She represents a challenge to the established order, not just in the court but in her personal relationships. Nesta doesn’t care about appeasing others, and that, coupled with her immense power, makes her a genuine threat. But this fear isn’t fair. Feyre and Elain are just as dangerous in their own ways, yet no one is looking to break them down or strip them of their autonomy the way they try to do with Nesta.

Ultimately, the treatment of Nesta as a threat says more about the people around her than it does about her. Her power is feared because it can’t be easily controlled, but it’s also tied to the fact that Nesta refuses to play by the rules. She’s a reminder that true power isn’t just about magic or strength—it’s about the will to use it on your own terms. Feyre and Elain may have their own incredible abilities, but the difference is that Nesta’s power is something no one else can claim, manipulate, or contain, and that’s why she’s seen as the greatest threat of them all.

I don’t mind rambling at all—in fact, I think it’s a great way to explore and unpack complex thoughts and feelings about characters, relationships, and storylines. Everyone brings their own perspective to the table, and that’s part of what makes discussing books and fandoms so interesting. These are just my views on things, and I don’t expect everyone to agree. We all experience stories in different ways depending on our own life experiences, preferences, and what resonates with us most. So, while I might have strong opinions about certain characters or plot points, I definitely welcome other interpretations. Sharing these different views only makes the conversation more engaging, and it’s always interesting to hear how others interpret the same scenes or dynamics. Feel free to dive into any topic, and don’t worry if it turns into a ramble—I’m here for it!

[gwyns]

[over megaphone] GWYN DESERVES TO TIE AZRIEL UP

HARD FUCKING AGREE. LET MY GIRL TIE HIM UP AND BLINDFOLD HIM!!!!!!

[maingh0st]

thoughts on holly black's tithe

fair warning that this isn't really going to be a book review—I went into this book predisposed to enjoying it, and I generally had a good time. rather than a comprehensive review, I just have some loose silos of thoughts I wanted to share. it's still a long post, but I'm not attempting to cover everything! so without further ado (some spoilers ahead):

let's get this out of the way

Tithe was Holly Black's debut YA novel, and it reads like it. it's a good debut—she's clearly a skillful author even this early in her career—but there are some choices (pacing, phrasing, etc) that read as slightly amateur. one of these choices was, in my opinion, including multiple POVs. maybe this is a controversial take, but I would've enjoyed this book more if Roiben's POV hadn't been included. it would've increased narrative tension, led to more intrigue about his character, and allowed us to get to know him along with Kaye (rather than being privy to his secrets and Deep Inner Turmoil from the jump).

I can't remember where I saw this, but someone said that reading Tithe feels like talking to a teen who's just figured out they can swear & make sex jokes, and yeah, that's accurate—but I also found it strangely endearing. Kaye is a teen, and her ~quirky~ teenager-ish musings on boys, alcohol, fashion, etc feel believable. which leads, unfortunately, to the next thing I've gotta address:

Kaye is 16 years old, and most of the time, she reads like a 16 year old. on the other hand, we're never told Roiben's exact age, but the man has lived a lot of life by the time we meet him. now I'm pretty lenient toward the idea that the Folk age differently than humans, so it's not really an exact number that's the issue, but the sheer chasm in life experience between them. I quite enjoyed both characters on their own, and conceptually, I feel like they work well together on a personality level, but yikes guys. the story even highlights that Kaye hasn't gotten her license yet because of her age; meanwhile, Roiben is waxing melodramatic about how many people he's killed in his years of tortured servitude to his evil queen. this age gap combined with the insta-lovey nature of their relationship* made this book feel... well, about as dated as it is.

*they have great chemistry once they're actually having conversations & getting to know one another! I really enjoyed their banter! but that's well into the book, and well after they've already been acting mutually infatuated

laughs nervously while looking at sjm

okay I'm not going to harp on the above points, I just wanted to get them out of the way. but now let's play a game: let me tell you about a plot from a popular YA novel, and you tell me which book I'm describing.

there is an evil queen with beautiful red hair and pale skin. she holds her court beneath a large hill. the court itself is ghastly—full of bloodshed, debauchery, riddles, and cruel games. unfortunately, an immortal fey man has found himself magically bound to her power, and while he tries to carve out pockets of agency in minor ways, his forced loyalty to his queen requires him to compromise his morals and cultivate a fearsome, bloody reputation.

a young woman who was raised in the human world finds herself swept up in the machinations of this court. the man fears for her, because she is vulnerable, but her presence also makes him feel hope, and her strength and cleverness surprise him. many shenanigans ensue, and they kill the wicked queen.

I mean. there are notable differences, of course, but I just noticed too many acotar parallels. anyways. holly black did it better

reading a faerie's pov

I've already established that I love Kaye, but guys, I really do love Kaye. I love that she takes initiative and moves the plot along (breaking her glamour too early is a great example of this—she could've gone along with the Grand Plan, but her curiosity led her to act faster). I like that Holly allows her to be selfish and think ugly things, but still try to do good and be kind. I know these books have less buzz than tfota, but I find myself fascinated that there's not really Discourse about the Kenny situation (for a tldr: Kenny is Kaye's best friend's boyfriend. Kaye accidentally glamours him to be infatuated with her. when she learns how to remove that glamour, she first takes the time to taunt him publicly and humiliate him with his own desire for her. personally, I like that Holly wrote her doing this and then feeling remorse about it, but it is objectively pretty shitty, both to him and to her best friend).

I also like the way Kaye is believably fey. she's playful and blunt and mostly uncaring about social conventions. repeatedly throughout the book, she'll make a decision without deliberating on it beforehand (which at first, as a reader, feels jarring), but then as she's facing the consequences, she processes her choice and often feels regret or course-corrects in some way. it feels very fae to jump into something because it seems fun, then only once you're in the thick of it realize that Oops, My Actions Have Consequences

threads left undone/questions that weren't answered—or maybe I'm a bad reader

who tried to kill Roiben at the beginning of the book? it's a Seelie arrow, but I thought there would be more plot relevance to this attempt on his life. do Seelie fae often try to murder him? it seemed like a significant one-off event, but as it stands at the end of Tithe, it was just the narrative's way of leading Kaye to find him

Kaye pricked her finger on a thorn in Lloyd's jacket pocket, and I now understand that this was (I guess?) meant to connect Lloyd to Nephamael (the knight with the thorn-lined cloak). but hey, this is a magic book, and I really thought there would be some magical significance to Kaye pricking her finger

is Kaye Fierch her true name? Does she have a true name that she's unaware of? How are true names given / received?

what secrets are guarded by the Court of Termites?? I know this isn't really a plot hole because Kaye is so new to the world of the Folk, but I'm just putting it on the record right here that I really hope we learn some of these Deep and Dark Secrets that were teased

because this post has gotten long, I'm going to create a separate one with bullet points of things we learn about/are reminded of re: how the faerie world works. I kept track of these for the fic I'm currently outlining, but also because it's fun to pay attention to little worldbuilding details :)

[a-court-of-moonlight-and-ire]

Alright, I took a quick nap and Ive decided that I wanna get the UTM reenactment over with as quickly as possible so Im reading chapter 42 and then I'll reward myself with some pain au chocolats and not thinking about this book for the rest of the day and watching the 2002 takarazuka flower troupe production of elisabeth instead. lets go

Chapter 42

here we fucking go with the illyrian wingspan-dicksize correlation, how would Amren even know that isnt she above sex or something. Honestly, I think Cassian would know wayyyyy more about that. on account of all the gay sex hes having i mean. I thought of that joke and then I realized that you could interpret it to mean that he knows about that because hes illyrian and has a dick, but I want to make it very clear that this is a gay sex joke

how come wings are so sensitive that just barely stroking them makes you moan and shudder but you can still fly with them in harsh winds with no issue. My headcanon is that wings arent actually that sensitive, Rhysand and Cassian are just weirdos with a specific kink

This conversation Feyre and Rhys are having about his wings is so weird, its like dirty and yet uncomfortably clinical

oh Rhysand is quicker than death just fucking kill me, im getting so angry again

Syphons are called 'Trichtersteine' ['funnel stones' or 'funnel gems'] in german which is more accurate to how we're actually told they work imo but it sounds pretty lame

Is it just me or is Rhysand being kinda weirdly paranoid rn. I mean granted, they did just get attacked with ash arrows so maybe hes actually doing a good job for once and Im just biased against him

Okay so we finally get some night court fae wearing white, but of course its not for moon symbolism its so they can blend in with the rock of the mountain because this series does nothing but disappoint me

The Hewn City actually sounds really cool, why couldnt this have been the secret city where we spend most of our time, you couldve made it a whole thing about Feyre healing from her trauma UTM through like, exposure therapy or something idk. That wouldve been neat and dramatic, her healing from her UTM trauma in the place that inspired it with the person that inflicted it. I mean, maybe that would be less healthy and even more controversial than Feysand already is but then you could atleast lean into the dark romance of it

I mightve said this already but you knowwww sjm is NOT a painter and consulted ZERO painters because Ive never heard of anyone think about creating art the way feyre does

and Mor is wearing red AGAIN why would you make this a trigger for Feyre just go back and edit it out its not like it matters

God, the description of her outfit is so deeply discomfortingl like it literally is exactly what she wore while she was being drugged assaulted but atleast they left the bodypaint out this time

"[Keir] looked at my face, then my body. I had thought that he would stare and drool greedily but... there was nothing. No emotion. Just ice cold. Shaking internally, - from anger and revulsion - I followed Mor." Im sorry, is she mad that Keir doesnt find her hot????

Theres something uncomfortable about Feyre referring to Rhysand as 'Mor's Lord' especially when we just had a whole paragraph describing her as a proud and empowered queen

"Usually, one Syphon was enough for an Illyrian to to able to steer his urge to kill down the right path." what???

Now shes describing Azriel as dark and beautiful as death and oughhhhhh i knoww im the only who cares about this and its for a pretty stupid reason but I care a lot and it makes me very angry

Feyre referring to a 19 year old Mor as 'barely more than a child' is weirdddddd

of COURSE hes wearing a black tunic for this, I cant believe this is the guy that the fandom has designated the fashion lover when he has two (2) outfits

Feyre describing Rhysand as sooooo powerful and beautiful with a face of nightmares and dreams makes me want to vomit, but more importantly, it makes me yearn to rewatch the 1996 takarazuka star troupe production of Elisabeth with Asaji Saki as Death who unirionically fits all of Feyres descriptors 1000 times better

Not Rhysand using Feyres Cursebreaker title while hes thoroughly humiliating her

Now Feyre is calling him a god, bro youre not gonna be able to have sex if you jack him off this hard hes gonna be all sore

Imagine being a hewn city noble and you all get together because your high lord wants something from you and youre kinda scared because hes the worst, and then you just have to watch him finger some random lady. and you cant leave because then he'll just kill you

I dont like that this is framed as empowering to Feyre, i think its one thing to write a female character who sexualises herself in order to empower herself but the fact that Feyre is doing this at the behest of Rhys automatically renders it non-empowering to me. Like yeah, she obviously consented to this but it wasnt her idea but this was not her idea and this is not something she usually does, the only times shes been sexualized like this is because it was part of some plan that Rhysand came up with

"[Keir] apparently clung to the power. But Rhys was the power." i hate that that sentence made me think of Keir/Rhysand as a ship why am I so goddamn yaoi-brained. And yeah, i know theyre related but according to Rhys himself, he and Mor are only cousins in the most distant sense, so. Man, that would make the IC dynamics so much more fucked up but also so much funnier

Theyre trying so hard to make this hot n sexy but its just so unappealing and dragged out. Granted, sorry if this is TMI, but I did just jerk off so Im all out of horniness for the next little while so maybe I just dont like this because Im not in the mood but idk. theres something so annoying about this, i think its how over-the-top and artificial Rhysands hotness feels, not to mention the fact that he is absolutely not my type

Imagine being Keir rn, just trying to do your job and tell your high lord everything that he needs to know, meanwhile his high lord is sitting in front of him fondling his new sex slave and you just have to keep a straight face. i mean, he sucks ass so i guess he deserves it but man

Presented to you with no further comment: "My breasts became heavy and full, longing, desiring, just like my crotch."

goddamnit, Rhysand just said that he put Feyre on his leash and then Keir made a kinda slutshame-y remark about her clothes and then I thought Rhys was like "maybe I'll put you on a leash too" but it was Feyre who said that. another loss for big gay incest

"He liked this as little as I did" uhhhhh no offense girlie but you actually seem to be having a pretty great time rn

I dont even know what to say about this part where Feyre is like, detaching herself from her thoughts that are calling her a traitor a liar and a whore ?? I think thats whats happening here?? Like, its trying so hard to be sexy but its invoking the imagery of Feyre's (and even Rhysand's) trauma and its just very strange

It took Rhys a fucking eternity to actually touch her pussy

What if Keir developed a voyerism kink because of this. would that be fucked up or what

Its so weird how Feyre thinks about how maybe Rhysand doesnt like sex or being desirable anymore because of amarantha and that certainly sounds like a trauma response he should have but instead it just never matters

"I had been tortured and tormented but my pain was nothing compared to his." YOU DIED

Oh man I cant believe I completely forgot about the absolutely iconic part where Rhysand gets so mad Keir for calling the woman he introduced as a whore a whore that he telepathically breaks his hand about it

what was the point of doing that, Feyre didnt even seem to like it that much

[infiniteetcetera]

Potentially controversial statement here but I swear this is not an attack just a genuine question: why do people assume Lucien will genuinely want/be heartbroken by Elain???

A point I see so often attacking Elain/defending Elucien is that Lucien has “been through too much to be heartbroken again” and “deserves happiness” and “SJM loves his character and wouldn’t just take his mate away” but like…why do we equate mates with happiness and Lucien with liking Elain at all??

Obviously, Lucien is far more willing to try out the bond than Elain is. We know he’s attracted to her physically (but let’s be fr she’s obviously attracted to him too, our fox boy is hot) but beyond that there’s like…nothing to it?? They don’t talk, he doesn’t know her particularly well, the time they spend together is awkward, and Elains initial impression on a lot of people is being simple/boring (I am NOT saying Elain actually is these things, just that’s the vibe she gives off to people as other characters have noted).

I think Lucien is definitely curious about Elain, he grew up believing a mating bond was this big powerful perfect thing and thought he lost his mate ages ago. Elain doesn’t make sense as a mate to him, which seems to make him all the more curious about her. I think there’s also a lot of guilt tied up between them too, we know Lucien feels bad about what he did to Feyre and how he was involved with what happened to the sisters. We also know Lucien is a well bred polite courtier of a man. All these things together make it seem perfectly reasonable why Lucien still tries to speak to Elain, buy her gifts, acts how one would expect a male to act with his mate, is put off by her cold shoulder, etc but I genuinely don’t believe he has real feelings for her beyond the bond (yetttt) because…literally how could he???

Again this really isn’t me hating on Elain, she’s lovely but a pretty private/complex character as well and Lucien doesn’t know her. I’ve seen so many posts lately about how “Lucien would be so crushed to know what happened on Solstice” or “Elain has to grovel for liking Azriel because it’s wrong” or even just the insinuation (which silly goofy characters like Rhys make themselves) that Lucien is ready to blood duel and start throwing hands for Elain and again I just REALLY DONT SEE IT. I think he’s curious about the bond and willing to see the whole mess through but Lucien really has no reason to want Elain any more than she wants him. I know apparently the bonds “effect the males more” or whatever but if Cassian’s ridiculous “I’ll let Rhys threaten my mate any day” self has taught us anything it’s that it’s reallyyyyyy not that simple.

I don’t know I just feel like there’s this weird babying of Lucien’s character I’ve seen a lot in the fandom recently that completely misunderstands him. Like our boy was spitting 10/10 rizz in the first book and gets called hot by 90% of the characters, he is not some underdog here. Elain is not above him and he really doesn’t need her. The love triangle is really more a fandom thing than some actual competition between the characters. Even if Azriel wasn’t involved Elain would still act the same way toward Lucien and I honestly think if he really wanted her/ if they had a connection prior to being told they are mates he’d be handling the situation differently. For now, I think people are assuming he’s a lot more invested than he actually is.

Obviously this is a romance series and there will be drama involving the Elain/Lucien/Azriel love triangle in the next book because that’s been what’s laid out, but if Elain just turned around and said “sorry respectfully I want someone else let’s break this bond” I really don’t think Lucien would be “heartbroken” or “crushed” over it. Again, there’s this whole weird “mating bonds drive males crazy” thing up in the air but I’ve failed to see any real examples in the ACOTAR universe that show me these bonds are a good thing so I’ll believe it when I see it🤧

IDK, overall I know this series is about the sisters but I love Lucien’s character so much and really want to see more of him (and believe there’s a lot to unravel there) and people threatening to not read the rest of the series if next book is Elriel because “Lucien’s been through enough” just seems silly to me because I think his happy ending has nothing to do with Elain. It might involve Elain, yes, but Lucien also has a father, a mother, and a brother out there who are all decent people that would love him which he hasn’t gotten to explore yet. I’m also convinced this man could pull any male or female in Prythian if he wanted so I don’t think just because she’s framed as his big love interest now Elain is his only option.

I know a lot of people feel strongly about their side of the love triangle but I just really want to see all these characters happy and think a lot of people are overthinking it😭 I think SJM has equal probability of making Elucien a great 10/10 ship and ruining their potential and making them Nessian 2.0 so I’m much more concerned with these characters being written well and getting a real happy ending than who that ending is with. I also think ACOTAR has been very limited in scope thus far and Lucien is one of the few characters with the possibly to break out of that mold and get us out of the night court for a bit (yes this is me once again asking for a Lucien TOD book😔✨) . He could still 100% wind up with Elain, but I really just don’t imagine the love triangle/build up to that being as dramatic as people think. Lucien and Az are both decent respectful males and as long as neither oversteps I really just see it coming down to what Elain wants and whatever her choice is I think both characters will respect it and be able to move on perfectly fine.

[maybeiwasjustjade]

The Tragedy that is the Vanserra family

*I just want to preface this by saying that I’m well aware that this might be a controversial opinion. My issue is simply with how that particular pairing was written, because clearly not a lot of thought was put into it when SJM changed canon to fit this pairing in. This was also not written with the intention of victim blaming. Only that this plot genuinely sucks ass because it makes everyone out as uglier than need be.

For such minor characters (sans Lucien, and Eris to an extent), the dynamics SJM has blessed us with paints such an interesting family coated in absolute tragedy. It also doesn’t help that almost all of it was seen through Feyre’s pov—who’s not exactly reliable nor capable of introspection most times.

All we know so far of Beron and his relationship with his children amounts to:

Aside from Helion and Rhysand, Beron’s the only HL that was active during the war 500 years ago.

He abuses his wife, though when it started is still ???

He routinely tortures Eris, and more than likely all his remaining children

He LOATHES Lucien

And it’s so easy to paint Beron as this needlessly cruel, manipulative 2D bastard who only exists to cause pain and carnage over everyone that breathes near him. The male tortures his children and sentenced one of them to death for falling in love with someone ‘lesser’—that alone makes him the worst male to come out of acotar by a landslide.

But there’s an art to Beron’s cruelty that SJM could have fun with. Routinely siccing and manipulating his children against each other, forever ensuring that they’d be too busy fighting and hating each other over him so that they’d be unable to overthrow him. And maybe he does have his reasons. Maybe he thinks that this is the only way possible to raise an heir that would be ruthless and merciless enough to overthrow him and destroy his competitors—probably the same thing Beron did to claim his throne. And if the children are too busy with each other to go after him…all the better.

Show them no compassion. Torture all the disobedience out of them to make them strong. Pit them against each other to please him. Heinous tactics, but evidently it works when Eris and Lucien are the results of it.

But this dynamic only works if that was who Beron is, and how he was raised to be. I don’t suppose we’ll ever really know, not unless a large chunk of Lucien’s future storyline revolves around his roots in Autumn. But knowing sjm and how dirty she did Spring, Lucien’s arc will be about Day.

But back to Beron and the LoA:

Curious how the LoA is still nameless, but SJM purposely and canonically provided a timeline to show how much of a poor victim the LoA is. I want to make it clear that I am not condoning the abuse the LoA is facing from Beron. I don’t think anyone deserves to be abused or tortured the way Berons does his family, nor will anything justify it.

However, I am side-eyeing the way she WROTE Helion and LoA’s affair. I think what she little she wrote yet specifically gave painted them both as absolute fucking morons.

Canonically, we have no idea if Beron knows without doubt that Lucien isn’t his. Hell, we have no proof that he even knew about Helion at all; only that Helion certainly believes so, and what Feyre perceives as the truth. And that truth is ugly.

My opinion is that for the story to work, Beron can’t have known about Helion specifically. An affair perhaps, but not specifically who. Why? Because I wouldn’t doubt Beron would have killed Helion for it the moment he found out. Helion wasn’t High Lord until <50 years pre-Acotar. If Beron wanted Helion dead for having an affair with his wife, I doubt even the previous HL would have stopped Beron from lobbing of Helion’s head. Now assuming Beron knew about the affair specifically, but not about Lucien, I can see canon coming to fruition.

The only issue is Lucien’s features. He needs to look very, very similar to the LoA and not at all Helion. If Beron knew it was Helion, he’d be paying double attention on Lucien’s features to see who sired him. But say he doesn’t care who did it, only that it did. Lucien was screwed from the getgo as a possible affair baby. But that’s hardly the biggest issue with how the affair was written.

According to Helion’s recount of his affair, it started during the war when he rescued the LoA. Sure, rumor has it they met before her marriage, but it wasn’t until then that it became an actual affair. And it lasted decades. We don’t know how old Lucien is. Most have guessed that he can’t be older than ~400 at series starts. Following the timeline provided by Helion, there’s about 130 years age gap between Eris and Lucien, and five sons between. The LoA had at least two more kids born before the war started, leaving three sans Lucien to be born after.

See where I’m going with this?

If the affair only ended because Beron found out, preferably before Lucien was born or he’d be dead at birth, then on-off or no, that affair lasted a century. My question is: did Beron begin tormenting his wife before or after he found out about the affair? And was he already torturing his children before he found out, or was that punishment for what their mother did?

If Beron only began abusing and assaulting the LoA after Helion, then there’s a chance he only started hurting his sons around that time too. It also begs the question on whether or not Helion sired more than one Vanserra child. Even if the answer was no, it’s not like Beron would believe the LoA. Not after she cuckolded him. So he hurts her as punishment, doubling that pain by going after all their children too.

Lucien especially, for being mama’s favorite. I doubt Beron ever had to do much to encourage the torment Lucien faced from his brothers. He never had to; she did it to him all on her own by loving him best. And in a household where everything is a competition and love a weakness, Lucien was weakest by being the most loved. Oh, how they must’ve loathed him for it. His birth was the reason their lives became a living hell. A mother that perhaps loved them, but not enough if she outright favored the youngest, knowing his existence was their punishment.

But that’s the kinder story, if you can believe it. A female who was never happy, who found happiness outside her wedded husband, and was punished for it terribly. Her cold husband turned cruel bastard, who punished her for the crime of finding joy outside of him and their children. She didn’t know this was going to be her future.

Yet, the alternative is so much worse.

Because it implies that Beron already was a cruel and abusive bastard, who already hurt his wife and children immensely, and the LoA went and had an affair anyway. I can’t blame her for wanting to escape from Beron. Perhaps she was actually happy with Helion. But she did it knowing that the punishment would be so much worse if Beron found out, and he did.

Helion couldn’t have protected her. Claiming Lucien as his son would’ve been a death sentence to both from Beron’s wrath. And with a century long affair, there was no proof that Lucien was the only one that wasn’t Beron’s child. Not unless most of the Vanserras look like their father more, and we don’t even know that because they have no names or features described. And even then, the LoA was lucky that Lucien’s skin tone and features favored her instead.

I don’t care that a woman cheated on her abusive husband repeatedly. You do you, and all that. I care that the LoA is written as knowing what an absolute monster her husband already was to their living children, and clearly not thinking of what he’d do to them if she’s caught. This is Beron—he could’ve killed all their children as punishment. The man tortures his son bloody—I wouldn’t put it past him to kill them all and start fresh. She put them in so much danger by having Lucien.

I don’t like the way Helion knows what a bastard Beron is, yet not caring when he had a century long affair with a HL’s wife, knowing that she might be killed if found out. And he would be powerless to stop it.

I don’t like how neither of them even considered that she might’ve gotten pregnant from their affair, especially knowing that the LoA already had SIX CHILDREN.

I hate how their affair is going to be spun into some kind of romance of the ages, mates who were forcibly separated by a monster, when in reality it’s more like the love story of two morons who didn’t spare a single braincell to actually think before going back to each other often enough to have a whole ass CHILD.

Jfc, SJM definitely didn’t think through enough when she decided to add this into the story. Too many plot holes, and not enough sense to justify the absolute stupidity of cuckolding a High Lord with someone who couldn’t even protect her if they were caught. She wanted drama but spared no thought to logic, per usual.