#hofas rant

[tothestarsinvelaris]

I finished HOFAS (finally oh my goodness) and honestly .... I'm so glad its over

(a long and ranty post with spoilers fyi)

best parts of hofas and crescent city in general (the bonus chapters were honestly so good):

Nesta and Azriel being badass, seeing more of their powers and fighting

Azriel enjoying club music and heavy metal

Nesta asking Bryce to show them how the phones worked and implying that the IC sat there with the phone for who knows how long trying to figure it tf out

Ember not being scared of Rhys at all and standing up to him, her scolding him for giving Nesta such a hard time, her starting to heal Nesta's mommy issues.

Ember seeing Nesta through the portal and saying "is that one of the princes of Hel??" (lmao I laughed so hard tbh)

Any scene at all that involved Ruhn. Specifically Ruhn and Lidia

RUHN AND LIDIA'S BONUS CHAPTER!!!! Ruhn being a little soft boy crying and just being so in love ugh

Lidia's sons being impressed by Ruhn and making sure he would take care of their mom

Lidia threatening to shoot Ruhn in the head if he got in the way of her saving her sons (tbh, facts)

the rest of that book was ..... not good I fear 😬

bc I'm sorry, you're telling me that she opened a black hole to eat another black hole; Hunt was able to stand at the edge of it without getting sucked in, then gets into a mechsuit and can just jump in and save her. Then all their friends use their magic and love to keep the portal to the black hole open while Hunt carries Bryce out of it; Bryce dies but oh look at that, Hypaxia showed up out of nowhere and used her extra cool magic powers as the new Head of House of Flame and Shadow to pull the ol' switcheroo and trade Bryce's soul (somehow) for Jesiba's and then poof Bryce is alive again and cracking her chessy, not funny jokes immediately when everyone is literally sobbing around her bc she was dead????? hello ???

and when Tharion showed up with the water and Hunt's lightning is apparently ineffective because of the water, but the HOSAB he was afraid to use his lightning in the water because it would have fried everyone that was in it????

and Bryce ditches Azriel and Nesta to fight the wyrm and then is confused why they're mad at her and don't trust her fr?? she doesn't explain anything to them and is confused when they figure out the power she has and that she has the horn tattooed in her back and want to bring her to Rhys to talk?? she lets a creepy Asteri woman out of her 15000 year old tomb to ask her questions and is then mad when Nesta kills her bc she wanted to ask more questions?!?! she steals the Starsword from Azriel and is confused when they draw their weapons on her too?! She steals Truth-Teller and then opens a portal back to her own world and is like "oops, hope they'll forgive me! teehee!" ?!?!?!?!?! and then has the audacity to assume that Nesta will just give her the damn mask of death because she asked nicely!??! shit, she's lucky she got Nesta when she was alone and used her parents as bargaining chips to somebody with mommy and daddy issues bc anyone else would have either killed her or told her to fuck off.

we had like 8 really uncomfy and not good sex scenes between Bryce and Hunt where their magic was exploding and combining all over the place and it lasted like 4 seconds, but they're both just like "wow this is the best sex that has ever sexed!! we're so cool and special and anyone else who has sex is icky and gross!!" 😬

we could have taken away half of their scenes and replaced them with more detail on much more interesting characters such as Ruhn, Lidia, Ithan, Tharion, etc etc.

Especially more Ruhn and Lidia bc they were so damn cute and the only emotional investment I had in this entire series. I am a crier when it comes to books. Like, I sobbed during a lot of the emotional scenes in both TOG and ACOTAR. The only time I cried at all during the entire CC series was when Ruhn is trying to sacrifice himself to Pollux to save Lidia's sons and mind speaks to her that he loves her and that his soul fell in love with her and that his soul will find her in the next life. Like hello?? that's adorable and heart-wrenching and we deserved more of them!!!

And like....

Bryce honestly just wasn't it. She was so impulsive, so childish, so sassy and cocky and we didn't get enough background on her at any point in the series for it to make sense. We didn't get to see times where her sassiness and cockiness were challenged or proved useful to her in any way, we didn't get to see any backstory that made it make sense why she built up that exterior to protect her vulnerability. She does impulsive things and endangers the people around her, that she cares about the most, and then gets confused or upset when they aren't happy about it. She goes around acting like she's smarter than everyone else, is entitled to what she wants, and then gets irritated if people try to challenge her or don't want to go along with what she's asking.

I have really liked all of sjm's other female characters, Nesta and Aelin included, but Bryce just... wasn't it.

Nesta is a good comparison too bc I went back and forth on her as a character, then read ACOSF and didn't like her at all for the first 1/3 to half of the book, then realized that I was the problem and that she was coping with things in her own way and it wasn't my place to determine how someone can heal from their traumas, which lead to me really liking her as a character and respecting the strength she has.

Aelin I liked the entire time, but she also had a reputation to back up her behavior and personality, she had a backstory that we learned about that explained why she came off as impulsive and didn't share her plan with the people around her, she proved over and over again how badass she was, so when she was cocky it just made sense.

We didn't get any of those things with Bryce which made it really difficult to relate to her and not find her kind of annoying the majority of the time.

Also...

I never want to read the word "alphahole" ever again.

I never want to read a character unironically referring to themselves as the "Super Powerful and Special Magic Starborn Princess".

I'm just... so glad its over.

[this-is-madnesss]

Reading hofas and yeah...thank God it's a crescent city story because I can't stand n.esta, she's being as arrogant and stupid as she was. Did the end of acosf even happened?

[jemdeserveslove]

⚠️HOFAS SPOILERS ⚠️

THIS IS ABOUT HOW MUCH I LOVE LIDIA CERVOS AND HER SCENES ✨✨✨

My favorite scenes in hofas, by far, were all of Lidia’s scenes!!

SUCH A GOOD CHARACTER!! Like, literally everything about her is perfect ✨ the layers, the flaws, how we know she actually did some terrible things, but is now trying to be better, HOW SHE’S A MOTHEEER too!! And her being a mother worked so well with character and everything we knew about her. She was already really complex and that added one more layer and it was just *chef’s kiss*

Her scenes with Ruhn (my favorite) were amazing to me! I liked how Ruhn was mad at her at the beginning and how she just expected him to understand her, but he was reluctant … all of that was necessary in my opinion and it just made their whole arc better. They’re my favorite couple in Crescent City and I just want them to happy!!! I could read a whole book about them just living together 😭 (with Lidia’s children too)

NOW LET’S TALK ABOUT LIDIA’S BEST SCENES IN THIS BOOK

- The attack on The Spine and freeing Ruhn, Hunt and Baxian >>>>>>> THIS WAS EVERYTHING!!!!!!! I seriously felt like I was watching a movie. The tension? Amazing. The planning? Excellent. The vibes? Immaculate ✨

Lidia is just so amazing! And seeing her pov on her process to plan the whole thing was everything I needed (and I didn’t know I needed). Her tricking Pollux, making a deal with Queen Irithys, burning the witch, HER TALKING WITH RIGELUS TO GET THE QUEEN!!! HER CARRYING RUHN!!!!!!!! It was awesome. And the way the scene grew to the point she was jumping from that cliff into her death…

THAT’S CINEMA YOU GUYS! CINEMA!!

- My other favorite scene is when she and Ruhn were rescuing her children 🥲 I loved that whole segment! The way it contrasted with the Lidia from the previous scene, who was so scheming and in control of herself and, by consequence, the situation. I loved how she was a huge mess and couldn’t pull herself together, because we don’t expect people to be calm in a situation like that and liked that she wasn’t. She was very human. I mean, how FERAL she got with Ruhn, that was >>>>>

There is a rawness and an ugliness to that. And it’s so human and so filled with different emotions. The fear for her children, the anger towards Pollux, the anger towards herself for not being able to do more. And there were so many things on the line that day, but she was about to throw everything to hell just so she could save her children. I MEAN, WHEN SHE PULLED THE GUN ON RUHN I WAS SCREAMING (in a good way)

AND THE WAY IT ENDED WITH HER BURNING POLLUX???? CINEMAAAA

Thanks Sarah for making Lidia 🤧

[bookofmirth]

I've never cared about sjm as a person, in the sense of, I don't care what she's up to on a daily basis and I don't care what her favorite color is, I don't care what moisturizer she uses or if she likes Indian food. I care about the books she writes and that's it.

But lately I am actively annoyed at the way she's trying to turn into a brand. All of this time and energy is being put into branding and I. Don't. Give. A. Fuck. I don't care about that and so it seems easy to just ignore, right? Except... we're getting silence on the book front. If they tried to brand her at the same time as they made it clear that she or her publisher (or publicist or whatever, apparently) gave a shit about people who have been around for years, then I would just ignore the stuff I don't care about and enjoy the stuff I do. But we can't! They're acting like she's so important and so amazing that she's... too good to interact or connect with her readers? That's... a choice, I guess.

Anyway I've always said, since the beginning of my fandom days, that I would never turn anti. I find it a waste of time that could be better spent elsewhere. But jeezum eff criminey, the way that BB and she (I guess) are "handling" the next acotar release and trying to make her into a brand is pissing me off. I think the utter mess that was hofas set me off. All this hush hush and ~cool new branding~ for.... that???? okay.

[room217prayer]

I love how Ember stood up to Rhysand for Nesta, I really do, but I found it so funny how SJM has to give something to him anyway.

When Ember says that "humans are seen as cattle" or something like that and Rhysand say "not here, we respect humans" and she thinks that something in him makes her believe it's true I'm like: why? What does? After everything you've seen/hear him do/say what makes you believe that?

I just know this was SJM way to try and not villanize too much Rhysand in this bonus story, but boi it fails greatly.

At least to me.

[certifieddorianandcassiansimp]

Bryce Quinlan

okay. I don’t think I’ve expressed my dislike for the main female of Crescent City enough. Here are my reasons and a little bit of ranting and comparisons.

Bryce Quinlan is SPOILED. She always gets what she wants for the consequences be damned.

Bryce refused Connor for so long only to promise a date THE DAY she breaks up with her boyfriend and he dies.

She acts like Danika couldn’t have kept anything from her and continues to be hurt over it when she was a rebel. Danika had the right to keep things and didn’t do anything wrong.

She ignores everything, not just advice, but common sense. In HOEAB, she basically doesn’t listen to anyone who says anything to her, she also doesn’t shy away from literal demons trying to kill her. (This is a common case of MCS but still.)

she’s a terrible mate. This is shown mostly in HOFAS when she dismisses Hunt over and over again, when his fears are very much valid.

she doesn’t take responsibility. Bryce Quinlan murdered two Fae kings and basically said that she didn’t want the kingdoms and all fae should suffer except her small group of people because of her father. That’s petty.

She doesn’t have a sense of urgency, she turns everything into a joke. And yes I know humor is a coping mechanism but you’re seriously going to stand there and joke about dying to your mate? After treating him like shit, and saying you’d come back to him when you knew you were going to sacrifice yourself, that’s not okay. And yes I know that Rhys basically did the same thing, but he never made such promises.

She is too stubborn to talk about her feelings with her own mate. Her mate begs for communication when she doesn’t give it and expects Hunt to repress his feelings as well. That’s just toxic.

She practically orders the queen of the underworld to make an antidote for a problem that’s been here for about 15,000 years in about an hour. That’s just not realistic.

Those are some reasons in general, but now I’m going to ramble about the first half of HOFAS when she was with Nesta and Azriel.

10. Bryce KNEW she was leading a deadly creature to strangers who were allowing her to live and explore as she pleased. I can’t fathom how angry this made me reading it, not just for the beloved ACOTAR characters having to do it, but it’s just unkind to your very kind captives.

11. Bryce listened to the story of Silene (I think that’s her name) with Azriel and Nesta beside her, and still didn’t trust them. 12. Bryce joked around with them, trying to understand them, but kept herself guarded, while yes, knowing your enemy is a great survival tactic, you could tell they didn’t think of her as a threat. 13. Bryce Adeline Quinlan awakened an Asteri in Prythian (or the prison, idk it’s been a while since ACOTAR.) and she didn’t even know how to kill it. In fact, she couldn’t kill it. Nesta, her badass self, slayed the crowd and the asteri. (not a complaint but I have to add the part where Az legit says ‘stick em with the pokey end!’ Love that part.)

14. After (not) defeating the asteri, she STEALS Azriel’s dagger and LEAVES. One, she stole from shadow baby and that’s never okay, two, she didn’t have plans to return it, and three, she didn’t even know how to wield it.

I also feel like Bryce should have to give something that’s a part of her up. In Feyre’s case, she gave up being human. In Aelin’s case, she gave up 90% (if not more) of her power. But then you have Bryce Quinlan. Around 24 years old, all three parents alive (until book three), and has nothing sacrificed. She should be shot down.

Okay I think I’m done now. But I have to say that after all of this I’d like to point out that I love the Maasverse and Crescent City, but I personally think it would be best without Bryce Quinlan as the main character. Thank you for coming to my Blab-Tok, goodbye.

[stargirlfeyre]

‘Nesta will rule the dusk court’ ‘Nesta will become the first official high lady’ ‘the land and mother will choose nesta’

Girl the dusk court isn’t even a thing bffr 💀

I think a lot of people forget that it’s actually just barren land that houses terrible monsters and has been passed down from High Lord to High Lord (in the Night Court).

The Dusk Court is an interesting topic to me because it’s fun to think about if we aren’t applying too much logic to it. Yeah it’s cool to say xyz character is going to rule it but in actuality, there’s nothing to rule. There are no people there, no government, no wildlife, no magic system, nothing. Compared to the other Courts it’s literally just uninhabitable.

Not to mention the Death Gods that take residence there. If someone does become ruler of that Court how is that going to be dealt with? If Nesta becomes High Lady of this dead Court what is she going to do with the hundreds of monsters that have been living there for thousands of years? What is going to happen to the Prison that is blood bound to Rhys? Is Nesta going to go from cell to cell slaughtering everyone simply because she wants to make that Island her home? Are they going to be set free?

See what I mean? When you really think about it…the Dusk Court plot can’t happen😭. I wonder if Sjm realized this halfway through and that’s why she turned everyone’s attention to the High Rulers plot instead. Cause as of Hofas, the Dusk Court is now connected to the High King and Queen plot-line which is connected to Feysand.

[lunainfortuna]

I realllyyyyy wanna ask you guys (gwynriel people) how are you feeling about HOFAS coming soon. And I wanted to talk to you as well because I feel like I'm not the only one who is a little anxious. But unfortunately, here is not a safe place for us to discuss our feelings without having to deal with haters. Anyway hahaha.

[justreallybored]

little hofas thoughts

I'm listening to the HOFAS audiobook to see if I missed anything in the boring cave scenes(absolutely nothing),

and hearing how Sigrid becomes an absolute menace because of Ithan's bumbling cracks me up so bad. He's really just *pikachu face meme* every time she's around. 😂

Also rediscovering how much I dislike mcs who always have a secret plan that always goes the way they want it to. It makes Bryce's parts so boring because you know she's already figured it out and is never in any danger(so no intrigue). It'd be okay if there was an occasional hiccup in her plans, but no, it's always a quick wrap-up and honestly feels lazy.

One mc that comes to my mind that this scheming works for is Jude in TCP. You're there for the ride, you follow her secret scheming and it feels intense because it does go wrong sometimes- not just an "AHA! I knew this was going to happen so I did this to foil you!" and then bam its over.

I also think this works better for other characters instead of the mc. Like Rhys, although he's not a great example because his shit goes sideways all the time. Feyre is probably a perfect mix for me, she doesn't scheme all the time but when she does it's usually to hilarious effect(like getting caught with Lucien).

[gwyns]

"we need more angry and complex female characters!" you guys can't even handle bryce quinlan

[biggestqiblifan]

Ruhn watched her beautiful, perfect face. Watched as determination set her features.

No matter how much he tried to hate her, he was completely smitten.

He wants to so badly go after his girl...

The world seemed to hold its breath as the elegant doe walked up to Ruhn and gently, lovingly, nuzzled his neck. Ruhn didn’t so much as move. Not a blink as Lidia pulled away, those golden eyes lingering on his face—just a moment longer. Then she bounded off into the trees, a streak of sunlight that was there and gone. Like she’d never been.

Ruhn scanned the forest where Lidia had vanished, his hand rising to his neck. The skin there was warm, as if her touch still lingered. “Right,” Athalar grunted, stooping to reach for Ruhn’s legs. “On three.” Baxian tightened his grip under Ruhn’s shoulders. Wings stirred, and Ruhn stirred with them. “Lidia,” he croaked. But Athalar and Baxian jumped into the skies, both males groaning in agony, the world tilting—and then they were airborne, Athalar holding Ruhn’s legs, Baxian at his shoulders. Ruhn hung like a sack of potatoes. His stomach flipped at the dizzying drop to the arid ground far below. The mountain rising before them. The glittering blue sea stretching beyond. Behind them, shooting among the olive trees like a bolt of lightning, raced that beautiful, near-white doe. A hind. To reach the sea, she’d have to ascend through the hilly groves, and then right up the rocky mountain itself. Was there a way down on the other side? She’d only mentioned an aerial landing when she’d spoken to Dec. Not a sea rescue. Or a land rescue. Lidia wasn’t coming. The realization clanged through Ruhn like a death knell. “Oh fuck,” Athalar spat, and Ruhn followed the direction of the angel’s gaze behind them. A pack of two dozen dreadwolves streamed like ants through the forest. All headed straight for that deer. A wolf larger than the others led the pack—Mordoc. Closing in fast on Lidia as the hills slowed her. “Stop,” Ruhn rasped. “We have to go back.” “No,” Athalar said coldly, his grip tightening on Ruhn’s legs. Which was faster—a deer or a wolf? If they caught up to her, it’d be over. Lidia had known that, and gone anyway. “Put me down,” Ruhn snarled, but the malakim held him firm, so hard his bones ached. The wolves narrowed the distance, as if the hills were nothing to them. But Athalar and Baxian had caught an air current and were soaring swiftly enough now that Lidia rapidly shrank in the distance— “PUT ME DOWN!” Ruhn roared, or tried to. His voice, hoarse from screaming, could barely rise above a whisper. “Aerial legion from the east,” Baxian announced to Hunt. Ruhn looked up, following Athalar’s line of sight. Sure enough, like a cloud of locusts, soldiers surged for them. “Fuckers,” Athalar hissed, wings beating faster. Baxian kept pace as they swooped toward the sea. Farther from Lidia, who now neared the top of the towering mountain. That was the last Ruhn saw of her as they soared over the arid peak. Open ocean spread before them. Ruhn twisted, trying to keep an eye on Lidia.

[elains]

This was something I was talking with da friends™️ on discord, but it's something I kinda want to post here to.

I have always had issues with most Sarah J. Maas protagonists. Aelin post HoF and especially after EoS was insufferable for me; I grew disappointed in Feyre post ACOMAF, in part because how centered Rhysand is in her narrative. Which... Has only grown worse with ACOSF and HOFAS. Feyre deserves better.

Mind, my problem in part comes from the framing of the narrative and the ridiculous amount of protagonist centered morality present.

Bryce is one of the most egregious cases. All through the book, I'm supposed to think she's smart, brilliant, a force who can do everything — a party girl, but more. The thing is... it doesn't land. She comes off a spoiled, petty, arrogant brat who is entitled and rude to everyone, yet still somehow would be a great Queen. Are you for real?

It's so cringe. She doesn't read like a mature adult, but rather a rebellious teen with a bone to pick with the entire world. Her character development is a MESS. Oh, so now that the Asteri are revealed to be parasites and leeching off everyone... you care? They must be taken down now that it concerns her?

I have no problem with nominal heroes, morally grey characters and villain protagonists when they're portrayed by such. Bryce is, however, touted as a hero and savior of all, including the Humans who... are there, I suppose. You forget Bryce is demifae because it matters SHIT to her character.

And the thing is that Sarah's handling of her protagonist has only gotten worse through time. The books are less tightly edited now than they were before, so it's bound to get more noticeable with thr MCs. The side characters are given more room to breath and are, therefore, more complex and hell, consistent. As a certain book hoarder astrological friend said, the plot armor is less impervious.

Take Tharion, for instance. Yes, I know plenty dislike him, but his character is surprisingly consistent and his progression makes sense. His flaws keep returning to bite him in the ass and that's nice. Nesta too: the fact that she didn't start off as a protagonist has made her so much more interesting to me, and I fear what's to come.

[thequeenofnightmares]

CC HOFAS RANT POST.

I, like everyone else, am eagerly awaiting the release of House of Flame and Shadow. At the same time, SJM agreeing with Bloomsbury to release not one, not two, but FIVE different editions at FIVE different retailers is the lousiest capitalist move I’ve ever heard of. I will be sticking to the purchase of my (already overpriced) single copy and hoping that some hero posts the four other editions’ extra bonus chapters online for the rest of us to enjoy. And when the day comes that I manifest my dreams and publish the fantasy novel I’ve been working on for the last year, I promise not to gatekeep my content just to make a few extra bucks on top of my already heaping millions.

[ninainthetardis]

⚠️⚠️⚠️ HoFaS Spoilers ahead ⚠️⚠️⚠️

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Just a bunch of things about this finale that I wanted to get off my chest. I will start by saying that I found it overall underwhelming, unsatisfying and anticlimactic, so you can guess it's not going to be a positive rant here. This is the part of my GR review I haven't posted there.

Please, do not come at me under this post or the others. This is just my opinion, and I won't be answering any rude comment. I have the right to express my own disappointment. Those who want to have a constructive and respectful conversation are always welcome, though.

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• The crossover ended up being reeeeally underwhelming, and the whole Ruhn/Rhys thing that built the entire hype for this book was explained in the lamest way possible (and at a certain point even forgotten by the characters). Also, what the hell were those references to ToG that were just dropped there without further explanation? We know how the Fae from Prythian got to Midgard, but what about the ToG ones? How is it that Lidia has knowledge about her ancestors from the other world? Also, how could Lidia know she had fire magic even when Danika was alive if elemental magic had been hidden and kept dormient in every Vanir for centuries?

• I am not a big fan of Azriel and Bryce, and I am definitely not on the list of Nesta's fans, but you know what? This trio worked. For some reason, I liked to see them interacting, and I actually found Azriel and Nesta's dynamic an element that could be interesting if explored in the following acotar books. Maybe it's just that I didn't care about any of them enough to be bothered by the things I usually find annoying (Bryce), triggering (Nesta), and irritating (Azriel) in such characters.

Too bad Nesta screwed it up with the mask thing (which I have already discussed here) and in Ember/Randall's bonus chapter with the return of her spiteful, ungrateful, behaviour/attitude. I guess the best I can hope for when it comes to Nesta is to be civil to her and nothing more, just like it happened with post ToD Chaol. Slightly less even. Like, maybe she could stop triggering me every two pages. That would be progress and beyond any of my expectations, really. It would make the next acotar books much easier to read, though I cannot forget how she's been in the past.

• I didn't like the info dump both in the final part of the crossover and in the part with the Princes. I would have preferred some flashbacks showing what happened to the "tell don't show" technique SJM chose here. And finding out what happened in the First War, for me, was the most interesting point of the whole book, so that execution disappointed me.

• Why was everything resolved so easily? Bryce got everything she needed provided for, or told by someone else, she somehow managed to master new skills within a range of few seconds (the same can be told for Lidia and the other characters when freed of the infection) and the most interesting aspect of her character - her being so underpowered in comparison to the Asteri - Was totally nullified by the ridiculous amount of power she got along the way. Literally, all they did/tried to do, worked first try. Where is the struggle? Where is the pain KoA made me feel? Where are the emotions? The only moment I felt something was that "Light it up, Danika!" At the end of the book. Just that.

And where is the characters development? Ships development? Also, the always absent talking about traumas is really getting on my nerves. I'll be making examples about this later.

• What the hell was that recycled finale? It resembled KoA's finale. It even had the "Rhys is dead" plot twist, but with Bryce and with the same resolution. Also, what was the point of having characters killed in books 1 and 2 if Hypaxia could've just resurrected them within a couple of minutes? I hate the resurrection theme, especially when overused. It diminishes everything.

• I am apparently one of the few people who's given Hypaxia some consideration. She's been one of my favourites ever since the first book, but... in HoFaS she's just doing miracles, resurrecting people, and developing an antidote out of the blue in a couple of hours (really?), which brings me back to the fact that in this, everything happened too easily.

• So, SJM is trying to tell me that the Asteri were so clever to submit a population of powerful Vanir people for 15000 years, meanwhile keeping hidden form them that they were limiting and stealing their magic, - and even eating their dead's - but then failed to imagine Bryce's real plan because they were too arrogant? Wtf was that? Am i supposed to believe that Rigelus just underestimated her when in book 1, he was the one trying to keep her calm and content because he recognised how dangerous she was, after all she had done?

• What was the point of introducing Ariadne?

• I can't say I am totally disappointed in Jesiba's character, I just don't understand why the most powerful characters for magic or combat skills were kept away from the battle against beings as powerful as the Asteri lol Her arriving only at the end of the battle, Fury and Baxian being away... meh, everything was just kind of disappointing.

• Also, black holes? 🤨 no insights about the battle and the Princes fighting? All we got was literally: "The Princes killed the other Asteri, yay!". Did I mention that it was all so disappointing and anticlimactic?

• Now, let's move on to specific characters:

- Tharion "the funny one turned into Mr Boredom".

I have to say it. He was the king of repetitive povs in book 2, and just one of the many characters in this series who started off as being interesting only to become almost annoying by the end of it. But he's the friend who can't do anything right to the point you end up thinking your own bullshit is not that shitty. Repetitive povs and excessive whining (he was supposed to be the funny one sigh) aside, I kind of still care about him. And him and Sathia are unexpectedly interesting as a couple, but we'll see if they become an actual one. I also liked his sort of friendship with Ariadne. And the one with the Aux and Ithan, "the pack". Please, let him sort his shit out and be fine because he's such a mess I cannot even hold it against him, lol

- Bryce the Fa(k)e Woke Queen-lan

I won't say that Bryce's character was butchered here because there was nothing to butcher according to me, she's always been like this. It just became more evident.

From HoSaB to the end, she's been annoying. Though she had some moments of glory along the way, I have to admit that. But why was she convinced that she could be Aelin all of a sudden? She was never a strategist nor a planner (and her plans ALWAYS failed, except her plans in HoFaS? How's that?). Her most successful moments were due to improvisation, - prompted by survival instinct - and luck. Now she's suddenly an entitled overpowered mastermind lol

She has zero respect for others feelings/traumas, as usual she's always right and anyone who disagrees with her is just an alpha asshole, she's better and knows better than anyone else (and I am still trying to figure out why she's supposed to be any of those things) and she's constantly criticising anyone else... for things she does herself too. Great. Like, in the crossover she literally complains about Nesta and Az manipulating her while.. she was doing the very same thing to them? Just like in book 1, when she was complaining all the time about Fury not talking to her while she did the same thing to Ithan.

And what the hell were her plans, anyway? She was so desperately trying to be Aelin, but she never even had a chance. Leaving Baxian and Fury in a naturally protected place and not taking them to battle? How is that smart? Not calling Jesiba, the powerful witch, to join the battle? HOW IS ANY OF THAT SMART?

She had a whole conversation with Nesta before Rhys arrived, his shadows announced pages before? (Wtf?)

She bloody endangered Prythian, almost freed and unleashed an Asteri on Prythian's soil, and Nesta GAVE HER THE MASK? (WTF I-don't-even-know-which-part-this-is-anymore)

Now, should I comment on Bryce's total disrespect for her mate's trauma and past while he's always been thoughtful when it came to hers? I do not ship them AT ALL, and it's not because Hunt is boring as someone claims, but because Hunt deserved better, tbh and I loved them in book 1! Worst SJM main female character, really.

Also, please tell me again why she was supposed to be the queen of a species she literally hated and didn't want anything to do with. She was Queen of generalisation in that sense. I loved how Baxian called her out and made her realise that she was only considering what was convenient and conform to her prefixed, biased ideas (the speech where he compares wolves and fae). I mean, she was right about fae nobility, but there were innocents among the fae too and she was talking about how the whole species deserved obliteration, while claiming wolves were better (when statistically there was a huge amount of wolves who judged her just like the fae and did nothing to help during the attack, just like the fae... because they obey to their leaders, and Sabine was just as bad as Morven and the Autumn King. Wolves were not all like the Devil's pack, Ithan and Danika, just like fae were not all like the Autumn/Avallen king). All while not considering the fae among her group and treating Declan and Flynn like shit for absolute no reason. Or giving those shitty answers to Sathia about her plans for the fae people... she was a victim of the system more than Bryce tbh Bryce's wokeness would have been so much more believable, useful and coherent if she wasn't biased as the ones she accused or an alpha asshole herself.

I am sorry, but I just cannot stand her hypocrisy. And I cannot stand generalisation.

- Hunt "the powerbank" Athalar

He was literally conceived to be Bryce's powerbank first and later his shadow (Umbra Mortis?!) who follows her everywhere without even being given the chance to have a say in what they are going to do. Otherwise, he'd be acting like an alpha asshole. Just to be told not to make a fuss about being held captive and tortured with his friends. I'm so pissed for his arc, because he was so interesting in book 1, only for his povs to become repetitive and sometimes boring in book 2 and almost non existing in book 3, like he didn't have any inviduality other than being Bryce's mate and anchor. Also, how could he blame himself for anything when Bryce didn't even listen to his warnings/complains/objections, leaving him with no other choice but following her to get at least the chance to protect/help her?

And then she's like "I don't want you to just follow me, I want that you want to do this" (wtf?)

Bonus: being son of Apollion or Thanatos instead of somehow created by them in terms of powers would have been so much more interesting.

I liked his friendship with Ruhn and Baxian though, and missed him and Isaiah/Naomi.

- Ithan "I don't even know what I'm doing" Holstrom

Why was Ithan so damn sure Sigrid would be a good leader for the wolves is beyond me. He didn't know her. Literally, it was just because she was a Fendyr. That was his only argument in support of his theory. As if Sabine wasn't proof that being a Fendyr didn't automatically make you a good leader. As if Sigrid didn't act entitled and reckless and dominant and selfish and despotic the whole time. It's all she's done, really, and he did not expect that she was not that good as he wanted her so desperately to be? SHE AIMED TO KILL HIM IN THAT PIT! Him, the very person who risked everything to save her, the only person who ever cared about her! A person who was not trying to harm her despite the circumstances. She was not going to try and find another way even though she knew all those lives depended on the group getting out the Viper Queen's hands... it was self defense and I truly get his struggle to accept what happened BUT defeating the Asteri was the priority and the fact that she came back 5 seconds later as a creature that could not be killed and known for being dangerous, when it is known that messing with the dead usually leads to no good... did not exactly make me empathise at all with this whole arc. And after that, he was still whining about Sigrid instead of fully focusing on fighting the Asteri...

It's a pity because I really liked him before this Sigrid thing. But I'd be willing to give him a second - or should I say third? - chance. I think Perry may be his mate, anyway, and I am kind of curious about that.

- Ruhn/Lidia

I was totally unimpressed by them as a couple after book 2, but I thought they were getting interesting at the beginning of book 3. Then somehow Lidia felt entitled to be pissed at Ruhn because he was struggling to accept that Day was the Hind (wtf) and then Ruhn felt entitled to be pissed at Lidia for not talking to him about her past (wtf part 2). Only to forget/postpone all of their issues because they were horny and about to go to battle against the Asteri. That's not ship building/development. Ruhn shooting her was too much, even if he was trying to protect her and sacrifice himself. But that idea made no sense and had literally no use or purpose. Why did SJM think it would be a good idea? Adding some drama/shock value element that was totally uncalled for and that only resulted in diminishing a ship that wasn't even well developed to begin with? Because it served nothing and it was dumb. Leaving Lidia wounded and vulnerable. One of the best assets they had in that battle - and they didn't bring many with them. Just like clockwork hadn't been for Tharion, they would have all been dead five seconds later.

To think that the fact that Lidia already had two kids was such an interesting and unexplored arc for mates... sigh, I am disappointed.

I am happy that it was Ruhn to deal with the Autumn King in the end, though. He deserved closure and to free himself of that monster. I am quite sad that his character never had the chance to fully come out.

Lidia carried the whole book. I loved her.

- Baxian/Danika

They truly were the most interesting ship in this series. I hope there will be a flashback book/novella about them. I swear I would love it. Their dynamic is also interesting, and I'd love to get to know Baxian better. But maybe, we will?

To sum up, this series left me absolutely nothing. I do not care enough about any of the characters, I didn't get particularly affectionate to any of them. Its major strength was the focus on friendship, but after the first book, it was almost absent, the principle only slightly reminded by Ruhn, Dec and Flynn/Hunt, Rhun, and Baxian. The premises of the story in general were so good (HoEaB), but the execution through book 2 and 3 was so poor it disappointed me. It's not a bad series, it is entertaining in its own way... it's just a bit "undertone" if compared to the other SJM series, it lacked of emotions, plot/characters/ships development and impact, I don't know how to say it. I hope the next books will be better. My guess is on Ithan, Tharion, Flynn next. Or even Sathia, considering that SJM prefers female povs. I wish we'd seen Fury and Juniper a bit more, and Dec and Marc, but they are established couples, so I don't think we'll see any of them as main. Flynn has that slightly hinted thing with Ariadne, who was introduced and forgotten, so maybe she'll be important later? I want to stay optimistic lol

I wished there was a better development for Ruhn and Lidia as a couple, though, and Ruhn as a character because I think they'll be side characters from now on. Also, why on earth was their marriage in a bonus chapter? That's not extra content. That's the ending for two of the main characters. It's not fair!

Btw, imo the only memorable characters in this series so far are Danika, Baxian, Aidas, and Lidia.

[professionalbooklover]

i've been having thoughts about nesta, the IC and how different characters actions are viewed by the fandom and i need let them out so here we go lol.

nesta was iconic in hofas and i love her, but idk why this entire fandom seems to think she is beyond reproach? i feel like the point of nesta is that people are complicated and make mistakes but are still worth loving and fighting for. but that doesn't mean that her choices and behaviour can't hurt other characters, and that they don't also have the right to react to that/have feelings about that. i just think sometimes people overlook that if she has the right to be hurt, to lash out, to react and act in ways informed by her trauma, then other characters do too. and putting her on a pedestal and acting like she never makes mistakes or does anything wrong cheapens her character imo.

i just don't get why the IC is viewed as this clique of bullies that hate, mistreat and exclude nesta for no reason and nesta is perfect and can do no wrong when that is 1) not the case and 2) the situation is nuanced from both sides!!! its not like either party is perfect or hasn't made any mistakes - both have. imo you can’t just acknowledge one characters complexity and humanity while not doing so for the others. if nesta can lash out at others, so can the rest of the acotar crew and vice versa. idk if any of this makes sense but i had to get it off my chest.

[acoraf]

CC, House of Flame and Shadow.

Page 653:

*SPOILERS*

Omg Ithan!!! Take a damn hint!!! You ARE the alternative to Sabine!!!! Ffs!!!

Just tell him already Jesiba, the wolf is an idiot!!!!! Arrgh!

😂📚🐛🫶