#feysand critical

[s1rsh4rks]

what a loser

[my-acotar-thoughts]

ACOWAR Rant…

AHHHHH!!!! The blowjob scene!!! I hate it! How can Rhys have a boner when they both can hear the cries and screams and the injured and dying in the background?! Why is she horny?! Stop it you crazy weirdos! If I heard people screaming in pain and dying, I’d be drier than a desert. There is something beyond wrong with that scene and honestly makes them feel more morally bankrupt. First almost getting it on in a library sanctuary for SA victims and now this. SJM, why?!?! 😭😭😭 This isn’t sexy! This is psychotic. I don’t know how to describe how uncomfortable this is. Especially since I’m listening to it with the graphic audio. And you know some poor solider probably heard cause it’s in a fucking tent! God, I hate Feysand as a couple. They’re gross.

[ennawrite]

cannot get the idea of Nyx falling in love with a fae from the Hewn City and the heartbreaking moment that comes when he finds out she’s never seen the Night sky—or any sky for that matter— out of my head

[msbrownwithacrown]

Characters who have lost their temper and had an unexpected Outburst of magic:

1. Feyre, High Lords Meeting. LoA injured.

2. Tamlin, Study, office destroyed, Feyre injured.

3. Aelin, Nehemiah's death, Chaol injured. (Not a magical outburst but fae blinded rage, yes) .

4. Dorian, in the healers office, Sorscha injured.

5. Bryce, interrogation room, room is ruined. Shielding was required.

Characters who get called abusive because of this:

1. Tamlin.

[limeandorange]

Feyre in ACOMAF: "I can eat, drink, fuck, and fight just as well as I did before. Better even."

Feyre basically barges into her sisters’ (human) house, bringing along three huge winged Illyrians, and they’re trying to be hospitable—Nesta offers them food (good food that Feyre herself admits she would’ve loved when she was human).

And what do they do? They don’t eat it because "It tastes like ash in my mouth."

And when Nesta, rightfully offended, asks if they’re “too good for their food,” THIS is what Feyre says??? What the actual fuck, Feyre?

Where are your manners when Elain and Nesta are just trying to be good hosts???

[spore-loser]

Why feminism and critique are important :

Something I noticed, being in this fandom – from discussions about Rhysand sexually and physically assaulting Feyre UTM, to Elain and Nesta being thrown into the Cauldron, to Nesta being forced into the HoW and training, to the IC lying to Feyre in ACOSF, to the IC ignoring 2/3rds of the NC's women living in oppression – is that many readers underestimate the importance of bodily autonomy. 

ACOTAR is not marketed as a Dark Romance, and some people even recommend it as a "feminist" story, so criticism of how SJM handles storylines concerning bodily autonomy and trauma are valid. Concern with fan reactions downplaying things is valid. What isn't needed is calling analysis of literature "hating" on characters or their author, or saying "It's not that deep" simply because it's a work of fiction. Real people are affected by idealizing Feysand and the IC, so discussions about why they shouldn't be idealized are clearly something needed.

[poltergeisbookworm]

I do not very much like Feyre, but I‘m still sorry for the girl, like — her hubby is obsessed with his and her ex + his best friend (Cassian) is in love with her hubby

[wingsdippedingold]

If y’all wanna argue that Rhysand keeping Feyre’s pregnancy from her was out of character and just there to give Nesta a plot and make people have sympathy for her, then I want to argue that Tamlin saying weird crass things about Feyre was out of character and just there to make it hard to feel sympathy for him 🤷‍♀️

[lunamond]

I know most people are thinking about the Ghibli movie, but it's so uniquely hilarious to me when Acotar fans, Feysand stans specifically, are comparing Rhys and Feyre to Howl and Sophie. As if Howl in the book isn't literally a dumb green-eyed blonde, who carries around a guitar everywhere, and Sophie Hatter, a stern older sister, who is also a mean hardass.

Like sure, these characters might have some passing resemblance to some Acotar characters, but they sure as hell aren't Rhys and Feyre.

[reblogandlikes]

Paraphrasing, but the general idea of, "Oh my gosh, Rhysand let's Feyre breathe and go wherever she wants and can make her own choices in Velaris, whereas Tamlin’s stripped her of all her autonomy. He's so abusive and doesn’t listen to her."

Bruh, Velaris is a literal secret city no-one knows of and has a fucking state of the arts super shield around it that requires the help of the bloody Cauldron to break. Plus, the Lord of Bloodshed, the Shadowsinger, the Morrigon, the Otherworldly creature trapped in fae form, and the self proclaimed all Most Powerful High Lord reside in this single space. Of course, Feyre suddenly feels like she has "Freedom." There's no need for surveillance (even though she's always accompanied by one of them) and is basically living in an impenetrable bubble away from all possible dangers.

Then there's Rhysand who can literally feel and hear everything she doesn't express, whereas her and Tamlin had the silly unspoken rule of not talking, but instead carry on - push forward which ultimately resulted in her growing resentment, but she was quite literally a participant in this just as much as he was, while refusing to believe him when he said it was dangerous or that the towns people wouldnt want her help because they were so grateful or getting mad because he had to be an active HL. Hybern were actively looking for her; there's literal monsters roaming his land. Of course, she needs to be protected because the girl is literally in danger. And then the one time she did go out to hunt or whatever, and look, she froze.

To tamlin, she's in danger from Hybern and their monsters, in danger from Rhysand who has been nothing but a known menace to Prythian and she's in danger from the HL's if they ever realise she has powers she's not meant to possess. Plus, the act of rebuilding his court and strengthening relationships via those "parties" he's not allowed to smile at and ensuring the safety of his people. Dude has a lot going on at once, nevermind his own trauma that's being repressed and trying to become reacquainted with his HL powers.

Now these are very huge differences in environments. One in a controlled setting and another that isn't. Similar when Feyre was in the Moon Palace because that's controlled too. Now, what if Feyre was in Hewn City or Illyria instead? Yeah, all that "Freedom" she loves would be cut real quick.

Hell, she was placed in a literal bubble when pregnant while wholly safe in Velaris for...reasons. But, "Rhysand is just being Rhysand 🤭✨️ hee hee," I guess.

Feyre with Tamlin and Feyre with Rhysand are not comparable when the situations during a time of internal turmoil for her are vastly different. And despite this obvious observation, somehow it doesn't register as the beginning of turning Tamlin into the antagonist despite never once getting his POV beneath the surface.

[merwgue]

Sarah J. Maas: The Queen of Broken Women and Savior Men — A Deep Dive into Internalized Misogyny and Bad Writing

Sarah J. Maas is often hailed as one of the most popular fantasy writers of our time. Her series A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) and Throne of Glass have millions of devoted fans, and it's not uncommon to see her name thrown around in discussions of "strong female characters." But when you take a closer look, a disturbing pattern emerges: almost every female character in her books is traumatized, broken, or impoverished, and it’s always the men who swoop in to fix them. There’s an underlying current of internalized misogyny that not only seeps into her stories but actively shapes the narrative. What’s worse? She can’t seem to write a truly independent woman character. Let’s break down why Maas’s writing is, at its core, problematic, unoriginal, and deeply flawed.

The Argument: Internalized Misogyny Wrapped in Fantasy

First, let’s address the root of the problem: Maas seems to believe that a woman can’t be strong unless she’s been torn apart by life in the most brutal ways. In her books, trauma is a prerequisite for strength, but only if a man is there to help the heroine overcome it. This trope is not only tired but also harmful. Maas constantly reinforces the idea that women need to be broken down to their lowest points in order to be "worthy" of a male savior.

When you strip away the fantasy elements, what you're left with is a pattern that closely resembles an old-fashioned, patriarchal narrative where women must endure suffering before being saved by a knight in shining armor. The "knight" might take the form of a High Lord, a warrior, or an assassin, but at the end of the day, Maas's female characters can never truly save themselves.

Feyre Archeron: The Poster Child of Trauma and Savior Worship

Let’s begin with Feyre Archeron from ACOTAR. She starts as a poor, broken young woman who sacrifices everything for her family, only to be thrust into a world of fae politics and violence. Feyre's trauma begins with the infamous “beast” Tamlin, and continues under the thumb of Amarantha, who tortures her in unimaginably brutal ways. But as if that weren’t enough, Maas ensures that Feyre's psychological scars run deep, so that Rhysand can swoop in and heal her. Oh, and let's not forget her trauma-induced depression after being trapped under the Mountain and made into High Fae against her will.

Sure, Feyre finds strength eventually, but only after Rhysand pulls her from the brink of despair. He doesn’t just help her heal—he remakes her. Feyre's arc quickly becomes about how Rhysand’s love, protection, and endless patience help her find herself. It’s through his intervention that she becomes powerful. Where is the agency? Where is the true independence? Feyre is never allowed to rise on her own—her entire arc is built on the shoulders of a man’s intervention.

Her “strength” is conditional, tethered to a man’s support. Without Rhysand, who is Feyre? Apparently, no one of consequence.

Nesta Archeron: The Angry, Broken Woman Who Needs a Man to Save Her

If Feyre’s story wasn’t enough, let’s talk about Nesta Archeron, who is possibly the most obvious example of Maas’s inability to write a truly independent woman. Nesta starts off as angry, bitter, and deeply traumatized by her experiences. She’s lashing out at everyone, and in A Court of Silver Flames, we see her spiraling into self-destructive behavior.

So how does Maas handle this? By sending Nesta off to be “fixed.” Cassian—ever-patient, ever-ready to rescue the broken woman—steps in as her savior. He helps her train, helps her heal, and becomes the crutch she needs to finally face her demons. The message here is clear: Nesta cannot save herself. She needs a man, a warrior, a male who can handle her anger and tame it.

What’s infuriating is that Nesta is never allowed to be strong on her own terms. Instead, Maas reduces her arc to one of forced rehabilitation, where male intervention (and sex) is the ultimate cure for all her pain. Cassian’s constant hovering, watching her every move, isn’t empowering—it's infantilizing. Once again, Maas reinforces the tired trope of the broken woman who needs a man to show her the way.

Aelin Galathynius: The Assassin Queen Who Still Needs Saving

Now, let’s shift to Throne of Glass. Aelin Galathynius is arguably Maas’s most “powerful” female character. She’s a queen, an assassin, and one of the most skilled fighters in the realm. And yet… Maas can’t seem to let her be powerful on her own. Aelin spends much of her time in Queen of Shadows and Empire of Storms either being captured, tortured, or emotionally crippled by the weight of her destiny. For all her strength, she’s constantly needing Rowan—her male savior—to guide her, protect her, or just plain save her from herself.

In Kingdom of Ash, Aelin is literally chained and tortured for months. And while this is meant to be a testament to her resilience, it’s just another example of Maas putting her female characters through hell so that men can come to their rescue. Rowan is once again her knight, her protector, the one who will fight to free her. Even when Aelin saves herself, it’s with the help of a man or because of the love a man has for her.

What happened to the assassin queen who was capable of taking down armies? Oh, right—she’s been reduced to a woman who can only triumph if a man is at her side.

Bryce Quinlan: Party Girl Turned… You Guessed It, Traumatized Heroine

Bryce from Crescent City is another classic Maas creation. She’s a party girl, carefree and wild, until trauma strikes, and she’s forever changed. Cue the entrance of Hunt, her male protector who steps in to help her navigate her grief, her trauma, and the dangerous world she now inhabits. Bryce may have a sharp tongue and fierce attitude, but Maas makes sure that she is broken enough to need a man to save her.

Hunt becomes the anchor in Bryce’s life, and once again, the pattern repeats itself: Bryce cannot face her demons alone. She cannot be strong without a man by her side. Her trauma is the driving force behind her character development, and Maas wastes no time in ensuring that Hunt is always there to steady her when she falters.

Villainous Women: The Ones with Power Get Punished

Let’s also talk about the women in Maas’s books who do have power—Amarantha, Maeve, Ianthe, the list goes on. These women are almost always villains, and what makes them villainous? They’re powerful, independent, and don’t need men to define them. Amarantha, for all her cruelty, is a ruler in her own right. Maeve, a queen, is feared and respected. And what does Maas do to them? She tears them down, punishing them for their independence, for daring to claim power in a world where only men are allowed to hold it without consequence.

These villainous women are never given depth beyond their cruelty, and they’re almost always defeated by men. Maas’s treatment of powerful women in her books reinforces the idea that a woman’s strength, when unchecked by a man, is dangerous and unnatural. It’s not just lazy writing—it’s deeply misogynistic.

Conclusion: Sarah J. Maas, the Fantasy Author Who Can’t Write Women

So, what’s the takeaway? Sarah J. Maas is a writer who consistently undermines her female characters’ independence and autonomy. Her female leads are traumatized, broken, and only find true strength when a man steps in to save them. The pattern is clear, and it’s damaging. Maas’s world is one where women are only allowed to rise if they have a male savior by their side, and any woman who seeks power independently is punished for it.

This is not empowerment. This is not feminism. This is internalized misogyny at its finest, wrapped up in a pretty package of fae magic and romance.

Maas’s inability to write an independent woman character is a glaring flaw in her work, and it’s time we stop praising her for perpetuating harmful, outdated tropes. If she ever wants to write truly strong female characters, she needs to stop leaning on trauma as a crutch and allow women to find their own strength—without a man’s help.

Until then, Maas’s writing will remain a problematic ode to broken women and their savior men, with little room for genuine female empowerment.

Inspired by @extremely-judgemental , I loved their post!!! Please check it out meringues❤️❤️

[theweeklydiscourse]

The concept of true mates in sjm's series honestly grosses me out like I prefer freedom of choice when it comes to a love interest not some fated bs. But when it comes to this series sjm's track record she is proven she is fine with robbing her character's of choices and autonomy.

The whole fantasy of “Mates” is that you have to put in no effort to be desperately loved and desired. Many people find the idea of automatic/preordained attraction to be a very appealing fantasy that doesn’t require much specificity on the part of the characters. Feysand embodies this through the fact that fact that Rhysand fell for Feyre before he even knew who she was and had no idea about the specifics of her character. He “fell” for her with no idea about her values, personality or likes and dislikes, because the mating bond is the product of biological design. Compatibility? What’s that? Clearly Maas only thinks to portray compatible relationships by slapping a “fated mates” label on them.

Her attempts to discuss choices and personal freedom in her writing were found gunned down in a ditch. Admittedly, this take is party influenced by my personal distaste for the conventions of omegaverse-esque romantasy. Part of the draw with the mating system in ACOTAR is the fact that it makes male fairies uncontrollably lustful to the point of aggression (and insanity tbh), and such aggression is excused by the narrative. Personally, I’ve always hated that trope because it removes the male lead’s agency and ensures that there is zero accountability for his actions. The possessiveness is a major source of appeal for many readers, but I personally dislike it because I hate even the mere idea of a man telling me what to do. The possessiveness exhibited by the male leads in ACOTAR often results in her female characters being robbed of their autonomy (ex. The shield during Feyre’s pregnancy or Nesta being forcefully placed in the HOW). SJM’s themes of “choice” are totally superficial and it’s embarrassing that any readers take it seriously.

[my-acotar-thoughts]

Amarantha and Feyre…

I feel like after book 1, Feyre becomes an extension of Amarantha. I’ve probably mentioned this before but when I look at A Court of Thorns and Roses as a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, Amarantha magically curses Tamlin and his court. There’s the classic time limit, the need for true love, the witty side characters helping things along, and even a dance scene.

But…

I think aesthetically, the curse continues through Feyre. When she goes back to the Spring Court in book 3, she destroys it. The Spring Court is now in ruins while in book 1 under the curse, it was still vibrant and beautiful. Tamlin is now in his beast form, just like the prince is stuck in beast form. Book 1 Tamlin still had hope, still had love. He was angry at his situation but he wasn’t beastly, he was charming and awkward and sweet. Now, Tamlin is broken, jaded, hurt.

Continuing why I think Feyre is an extension of Amarantha now. Amarantha modeled Under the Mountain after Hewn City. She ruled over it with fear and bloodshed. Despite the horrors Feyre experienced UtM, she somehow is okay with the existence of Hewn City. It’s the OG UtM and yet Feyre will proudly sit with Rhysand as citizens suffer. She’ll tell these people that they have enough when they are literally trapped in a mountain. She’ll mimic Mor and wear skimpy outfits to Hewn City as a person “F U”. I will never understand how Feyre could sit on that throne and allow people to suffer like this when she’s experienced that suffering first hand with Amarantha.

Feyre was always morally grey in book 1 to me. She had a very self-serving mindset when she and Tamlin talked about their moral ideals. While he would always fight tyranny, she would fight for the side that kept her and her interests safe. After becoming fae, those selfish, arrogant tendencies amplified. Especially with Rhysand’s encouragement. And she actively doesn’t want to face consequences for her actions. If she’s told she’s done something bad, she’ll turn it out just like she did when faced with the reality of the Spring Court’s destruction.

The only difference is Amarantha actually held the power herself. Feyre, on the other hand, has the illusion of power. The Night Court belongs to Rhysand. Her title of High Lady is an honorary gift bestowed upon her by a man, not the magic of the land. Rhysand’s inner circle will always look to Rhysand’s orders, not hers, and will put Rhysand’s interests first. But even with the lack of true power, Feyre has become a watered down version of the villain she fought to defeat.

[ennawrite]

Tamlin: *is personally targeted by Amarantha to be her lover, denies her advances & gets cursed, spends the next 50 years sending his sentries out to ultimately die (something he feels extreme guilt for and tries to stop), actively takes in refugees from other courts, spends a majority of his time hunting down Amarantha’s monsters from his lands so they can’t harm his people, gets a human woman to fall in love with him but sends her away so she won’t be in danger, goes UTM, basically becomes Amarantha’s lap dog, somehow holds all of his emotions back because ANY sign of ANY emotion would get Feyre killed (did I mention how down-bad Amarantha is for Tamlin? Yeah.)(Also, Rhysand somehow finds it suitable to parade Feyre around like his own personal whore because…he wanted to rile Tamlin up? Which would have lead to Feyre’s death…🤔), ends up killing Amarantha*

Rhys:

jesus man, I know you hate him but give roses where roses are due. Tamlin did A LOT, but I guess doing Amarantha’s personal tasks (like killing children) is the only thing that holds any merit to the High Lord of the Night Court 🫤

[1800naveen]

Nah because I have not seen a person say that they enjoyed a court of frost and starlight (not yet at least)

This novella feels like filler to me (it kinda is).

Feyre saying that she wanted Rhysand even under the mountain? Uhh...what the hell?

Feyre and Rhysand taking credit for killing Amarantha when Tamlin quite literally ripped her throat out and stabbed her?

Cassian following and harassing Nesta even though she didn't do anything at solstice and just sat there.

Rhysand going to bother Tamlin some more even though he's all alone in his court and just wants to be left alone? (I even saw Tamlin haters say that's too much and Rhys is wrong to do that, wild.)

RHYSAND BUSTING A NUT TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON? Where are the editors at? AND SOME PEOPLE ACTUALLY DEFENDED IT??

[maybeiwasjustjade]

The High King theory truly makes me ill.

And knowing SJM and her obsession with making certain characters superior and/or have some kind of divine right to rule, I know she’ll try to make it happen at the expense of literally everyone else.

Moreover, I don’t see how it can happen without a major war. They just got out of 50 years under Amarantha, I doubt the courts are itching for another incompetent warlords’ attempt at HK/HQ.

Who exactly would bow to Feyre and Rhysand? The High Lords meeting showed that barely anyone tolerated them, nor did they have any actual allies that wasn’t Helion. And I doubt Helion would be so forgiving when he finds out about Lucien. Tamlin and Eris would never, so they’d have to die. Neither would Tarquin or Kallias agree, so that’s a given war with the Seasonal Courts. Dawn would stay neutral, or end up the rebel court. It really is the only toss up.

And even with Gwydion (which rightfully belongs to Nesta alongside the Trove) as some kind of divine symbol, feysand genuinely sucks at ruling. Conquer Prythian—yes, conquer because the other HL would never submit if they asked nicely—when they can’t even rule or play nice with their own people. Enough with the HK dreams, Amren; Rhysand would be lucky if Illyria and Hewn City don’t band together soon to stage a massive uprising.

(Y’know I’m not surprised nobody in the IC can empathize with the CoN citizens. They were all trapped in Velaris for fifty years, where they were free and the sun still rose. Imagine if they’d been UtM with everyone else; maybe then they’d get it. That life where even the sun and trees and anything worth living is out of reach at the whims of a dictator is no life at all.)

And I’ve seen theories floating around that the HK plot is set up for Nyx instead, because he’s destined to inherit all seven powers of the court. Yeah, that’s equally terrible. Divine right to rule and conquer is bullshit. Balance is something that should exist but doesn’t in Acotar. If it did, Feyre wouldn’t be as powerful as she is. 7 drops is not a lot of magic; so tiny and miniscule that each HL didn’t even really notice they lost it. It doesn’t make sense that she could go toe to toe with them with just a singular drop.

Which is baffling when the same author wrote ToG. Everything that was given was scraped together and fought for miserably, and even in all that power, they had to sacrifice so much. Aelin Settled and got her kingdom back, but at the price of losing almost all her fire and getting to keep one drop of water. Dorian still has most of his magic, but at the price of being made a demon slave, committing fratricide, and having the sole responsibility of redeeming his kingdom ala Zuko. Manon fulfilled the prophecy and united her people, allowing them the chance to return home for the first time in 500 years. All it took was losing the Thirteen, who would never see that dream come to life.

Nothing came without cost.

And while yes, Feyre deserved to be remade after her death saving Prythian, the amount of magic she wields is the issue. Nesta having so much magic made sense given she stole most of it; we have yet to really see how much is left. But where’s the balance if Feysand does end up HK/HQ, or Nyx does. What have they given up that makes them more worthy to rule the entirety of Prythian than literally any other character? Because I can argue that they’ve lost a lot lesser. Whatever rights feysand believes they have is no more than a lot of other characters.

And the bloodline of Theia? Yeah, I’m pretty sure the important ones are her female descendants, like Bryce. And Bryce gave Gwydion to Nesta for a reason. If SJM wanted me to believe Feysand was the best choice, she should’ve made Nyx be born full Illyrian. Or better yet, mostly High Fae but with no magic. That would’ve been a much more interesting story to follow, given that Nyx might not be the next inheritor of the Night Court. And what it would mean for the Hewn City. She’ll never do it of course, but it would be fun.