#it’s not. that’s the whole point of acosf

[spiritedstars]

The idea that some people still think Nesta’s main traits are supposed to be bitchy, mean, and a hater…idk what to tell you but the whole point of her healing journey is to not be those things because all it did was hurt everyone around her and herself.

[nymerhias]

please explain how cassian can have his guts hanging out in one book and survive and yet they can’t perform c sections in this story.

[unhealthyfanobsession]

Reasons there should have been a minimum 10 year gap between ACOFAS and ACOSF:

Makes way more sense if everyone is done with Nesta’s spiralling and the intervention would seem more genuinely concerned for her if it had been a damn DECADE like yeah ok baby girl time to get it together

Cassian would not be a hypocrite for telling Nesta she can have time to spiral if she needs it

Pregnancy storyline is better both in terms of Feyre being ready and maintaining the plot point that fae fertility is challenging

Elain and Nesta’s frayed relationship and Elain’s frustration with her sister makes way more sense

It actually makes sense that the Illyrian rebellion has been dealt with - Cassian could have a whole backstory and character development here and we could actually learn something about his as a character

Give everyone some time to cool down after the war before throwing them back into chaos - for character development and juxtaposition

Reasonable that Nesta could have run through her own money from the war by then so fair’s fair on the being cut off point

Is Cassian going a bit insane from the mate bond not being accepted? Maybe and that’s FUN and would excuse some of his unhinged behaviour

[nessiandefenseattorney]

omg yes!!!!!

The main characters are what makes this series what it is!!!!

I still don’t understand how people are anti the main characters, anti the whole series and even anti the author itself…and still have a “fan” account for the series and it’s side characters…and then complain about the main characters having more content than the side characters and attacking everyone who loves the main characters…like jesus christ. just read another series at this point. Like why are you putting yourself through such mental strain over all of this when no one is forcing you to read it? Acotar isn’t the only fantasy series out there. Just move on already and stop acting so pathetic. Damn!!!!!

[titaniaqueenoffairie]

the Inner Circle’s Treatment of Nesta: Hypocrisy and Double Standards

I can never understand how readers still worship the Inner Circle after ACOSF (I’ve never really gotten it throughout the whole series, but let’s leave that aside for now). Before I got into the ACOTAR series, I always heard how the IC was hailed as the pinnacle of love, friendship, and understanding. But after reading it, especially in ACOSF, I couldn’t stand them and their behavior toward Nesta. I mean, their actions toward Nesta tell a much darker story—one of hypocrisy, double standards, and selective compassion. These are just a few points I can write about.

Nesta vs. Rhysand’s Trauma Rhysand went through unimaginable horrors Under the Mountain, and rightly so, the IC (and the fandom) shower him with empathy. But when it comes to Nesta? Suddenly, compassion has a limit. Nesta endured severe trauma during the war, was forced into a transformation against her will, and carried the guilt of her father’s death on her shoulders. Instead of receiving support, she was ostracized, judged, and treated as a burden. Why does Rhys get to grieve on his terms while Nesta is vilified for doing the same?

Weaponizing Morality The IC consistently acted like Nesta’s choices were morally reprehensible. Yes, she coped in unhealthy ways—drinking and isolating herself—but let’s not forget Feyre and Rhys’s questionable behavior (cough hiding Feyre’s pregnancy risks cough). The IC’s constant moral superiority over Nesta is exhausting when they’ve made their own fair share of dubious choices.

Cassian’s Enabling Behavior Cassian claimed to love Nesta but often enabled the IC’s mistreatment of her. He watched as Rhys exiled her to the House of Wind and stripped her of autonomy. If he truly cared, why didn’t he stand up for her? Love isn’t just about attraction—it’s about advocacy, and Cassian repeatedly failed to advocate for Nesta when she needed it most. (that, and won't talk about his behavior in CC3 because i didn't read it yet but i heard a lot of awful things)

“Tough Love” or Just Cruelty? Rhysand and Feyre framing their treatment of Nesta as “tough love” is laughable. Exiling her to a location where she had no escape and forcing her into training wasn’t love—it was control. The IC claimed to want Nesta to heal, but healing doesn’t come from stripping someone of agency. It comes from offering support, compassion, and the choice to heal at their own pace.

The Double Standards Around Amren Amren....... aaaaah Amren who’s often just as cold and abrasive as Nesta. But unlike Nesta, Amren is respected for her attitude. She’s seen as a “badass” who doesn’t take nonsense, while Nesta is labeled as cruel and ungrateful. Why is Amren allowed to be harsh without judgment, but Nesta is demonized for the same behavior?

[falsemneme]

ACOSF, Ch. 37. The Inner Circle tortures two obviously ensorcelled Autumn Court soldiers. ("Rhys had tried to get into their heads but found nothing but fog and mist.") Feyre introduces ethics, an uncomfortable topic for a group of people who were just a second ago happy to watch Azriel torture those prisoners for a solid 10 minutes without question.

NOTE how Cassian "knew" that Rhys is mentally apologizing for "making Feyre witness even the ten minutes Azriel had worked" [emphasis mine]. NOT apologizing for torturing two people who are not fully in control of their own minds and bodies for a whole ten minutes, but apologizing for making Feyre watch Azriel torture two people who are not fully in control of their own minds and bodies for a whole ten minutes. FFS.

(Orange was just me highlighting how Feyre seems to accept his apology at face value. There's no push for meaningful change. If they get their hands on another set of soldiers, they're going to get tortured too because as I pointed out in this post, that's just what the Night Court fucking does.)

How Mrs. Human-Heart could've withstood watching ten whole, gruesome minutes of torture WITHOUT piping up in defence of the prisoners is... interesting. It's like SJM wants me to see Feyre as this compassionate person who cares about how others are treated, but Feyre just let them get tortured for 10 fucking minutes before bringing up that this is not ethical and... they just LEAVE them there. She doesn't call for Madja to come heal their wounds??? That's not included in the text???

I just... look, they don't need to be good people, right? But it feels like SJM wants me to think they're good people instead of incompetent, unfeeling leaders with the decision-making skills of a despot. Their compassion is activated only after they've Done The Thing(TM) and even then all they do is stop. They don't fix, they don't mend or make right, they don't change. They are the Court of Nightmares. It's just the nightmare is having them as rulers.

Editing to add like a petty person how quickly Helion assesses the Autumn Court soldiers without attempting torture even once. Man was in and out in like two minutes.

[cheekashmeeka]

i have been thinking about rhy$ putting that shield around feyre

okay, right off the bat, if tamlin had done the whole bubble trap thing to feyre, the fandom would have had issues. i could stop here.

alas, i will not.

this whole plot point is particularly worrying for f3ysand because of how important physical freedom and autonomy is to feyre. i mean, it’s a massive part of her character arc/story!!

it’s like rowan calling aelin a monster after she confides in him about chaol saying the same thing! (i’m not a chaol hater don’t worry xxx)

acosf displays multiple violations to feyre’s very valid boundary by rhys4nd himself. (shield and lying about the baby.)

and for those who say the bubble was not limiting her freedom…

feyre says herself on page 129,

“he’s a pain in the ass…” “…i haven’t figured out how to BREAK FREE of it…” “…rhy$ is perfectly happy to leave it on.”

look, i don’t even like the girl that much. BUT, feyre did not enjoy being trapped inside. she was actively trying to get out, but rhys4nd was HAPPY to keep her in it.

do with this information what you will🚨

[yazthebookish]

Why is the whole "Gwyn is a child" topic is being discussed again? Sarah killed it in May 2021 by confirming Gwyn is a "fully grown woman". She left no question about it.

Cassian calling her a girl is irrelevant because Rowan called Aelin both a girl and a child, that didn't stop him from ending up with her because we know Aelin is already almost an adult at 19.

Sarah retconned (which is not something new) the aging process of Fae in ACOMAF. The bat boys and Mor fought in the Great War in their mid-20s, are we to believe the Night Court is sending children as soldiers? Mor and Lady of Autumn were betrothed/engaged at 18, would SJM promote child marriages? Gwyn tells Nesta she didn't get a chance to lie with a male during the Great Rite, meaning she was already old enough to have sexual relations with others.

The books have enough hints that High Fae are already adults once they reach their 20s. If people didn't complain about Mor and the Bat Boys joining a war as "children" in their 20s, then there's no point in arguing about Gwyn's age over something that was retconned in ACOMAF not ACOSF.

Her being bubbly has nothing to do with maturity, if you don't have a bubbly adult in your life it's probably dull. Also, it's not like she's bubbly and unserious 24/7, she's vigilant about her work and is quite empathetic and helps Nesta understand her own feelings.

This argument has been dead for 3 years and a half, let's put it to rest.

[elrielffs]

There are 3 things that make me know for a fact that Elriel is endgame:

Truth-Teller:

Azriel didn't even let Mor touch Truth-Teller for all he was supposedly in love with her for 500 years.

Azriel figuring out what was wrong with Elain when Lucien couldn't after Madja says point blank a mate would know :

(this is actual foreshadowing for the antis out there)

Feyre:

And Hybern rescue:

Antis can try to twist and misconstrue these scenes all they want but it is in your face.

Bonus:

There is just no coming back from these scenes. Not only are they explicitly romantic in nature that antis want to copy them for their ship but even if their ship DOES do it, Elriel did it first and it has now lost it's impact and importance and becomes lackluster for the other ships. That is like if Rhysand already got on his knees for another woman then did it for Feyre when it was a big deal for him to do that.

An author would NEVER describe their MMC from his POV to be so down bad for another woman just to move on to another and especially cause someone told him to for political reasons.

Antis cay try to disregard these scenes cause they don't like what it means but for the readership at whole, for the actual narrative to make sense, SJM cannot backtrack or ignore these scenes that she has written (not that she wants to but you know how antis say she changed her mind, sure she can do that but it's to undermine her own writing.) it’s one reason antis also like to say that only ACOSF matters now (even tho Azriel’s story still revolves around Elain.)

The next book is written. The announcement is upon us. All articles, interviews, book canon text point to one couple. The time for others to be introduced as a solid possibility has passed. There needed to be actual scenes and not word associations that don't mean anything without substance to back it up.

[donnadiddadog]

the reaper pt 1

Summary: Y/N is a member of the Inner Circle, and there is a decision to have a suicide mission that would help win the war against Hybern - and Y/N has to take charge of it. Azriel cannot let Y/N go just like that.

Word Count: 1.9K ish

Warnings: Mentions of death and soldiers being harmed in war, slight cursing (if any tbh i don't think so). If anything is left out, let me know below!

a/n: First Person (but I use Y/N as a character, not an OC), I am going to convert this into a series cuz I have an idea (this is going to be slightly based on Nesta’s whole spiral in ACOSF in the next few parts). All credit for the prompt and the inspiration of the first half (loosely based on the story part 1) to “Farewell my love” (written by @allthehopesforlove) - you should check it out, too. It's pretty well written (sending you much love @allthehopesforlove<3). Also, the concept of the Eight is based on Manon from the TOG series! I' 'll upload the next few parts by Jan end (I have finals in two days what am I doing here????)

14th Jan 2025, Writing 3

There is no way that the war can be won without this move. That was the consensus as we stood around the replica of the battleground - Rhys was motionless as he assessed the situation and Cassian kept pacing around the tent that swayed with the wind. Mor was leaning against the chair, her injuries preventing her from standing up straight. I looked at Azriel as he stared at the map and tried to figure out.

The move was simple - a 300 soldiers in a formation that would cleave the Hybern army at the centre, at the weakest point. With the seperation of the army into fragments, the Spring, Autumn and Day Court Armies could take over the upper flank and the Winter and Dawn Court Armies taking over the lower flank; the Night Court attacks from the back to prevent anyone else from escaping. The Summer Court would join the 300 soldiers after they had seperated the army and prevent them from joining again which would turn the tide of the war against Prythian.

All 300 would most likely die. A 95% chance according to me, Cassian agreed with that figure, if not implying that the danger was higher. Feyre was watching her mate, I think she was just scared that he would choose to be the one to lead the soldiers now nicknamed the Regiment 300. The final stand.

There were arguments made in favour and against, Rhys and Cassian at each others throats, Azriel trying to calm the whole situation down. I stood there watching them all fight and try to figure it out while the clock ticked. Hybern would not stop their planning, their tactics just because we couldnt get our shit together. The other High Lords were aware of this plan, it was Beron who had assigned the final duty of choosing the Regiment 300 from the Night Court rather than any other Court. He deemed it fair - that it was us who had to shed the final blood. Meant it as an insult but it was right.

I dont remember much because it was a blur. I had slammed my fists into the table, looked them dead in the eye and explained why it couldnt be any of them. How if Morrigan rode out, she wouldnt make it ten steps before falling dead from her horse. How Feyre could not go to war because she was not trained enough yet. How Rhysand cannot go to war because he is the High Lord and his death would mean a constitutional crisis. How Cassian and Azriel cannot go to war because they had to lead the Night Courts attack with Feyre assisting. How Amren was not going to since she had to figure out the Cauldron’s final secrets. And that only left me.

I wasn't exactly a military person, like Cassian was. I was a strategist, I knew the military tactics but nothing more. I wasn't interested in the training part of it. But I was a damn good leader, people listened to me and I could hold my weight for a while in battle if it came down to it. I could do it, I had to do it. It was the only option left and I knew that I would have to do it. If only to see my family, the Inner Circle, see the sunrise day after tomorrow.

Azriel spoke almost as a whisper, “You cannot possible think that I would allow you to go and do that. To go and kill yourself.” Before Rhys could agree with him and argue with me, I looked Azriel dead in the eye and asked him to find another individual to sacrifice then. And he had stopped breathing, his mind turning. But he wouldnt accept it, his eyes betryaed that he would have rather tied me down than let me go. That is the male I know, the one who cannot bear to accept my demise. Oh Azriel, if only you knew how much I hate this decision of mine. Sweetheart, we were supposed to have a lifetime together.

Further arguments were made but I turned to Rhys and spoke to him mind to mind. He turned to me, face to face, man to man. And I reminded him of that phrase that all good monarchs were supposed to live by. I bent the knee, bowed my head and waited for him. He took a sharp breath in and spoke in his regal voice, “Y/N, you have been given command of the Regiment 300. Ride in the name of the High Lord of the Night Court and make your last stand. Defend Prythian and may the Mother be with you.” I rose and bowed to my High Lord as I turned.

I left the tent before Azriel could grab my hand, before he could see the tears drop. Cassian held him against his will and I could hear Azriel bellowing out my name, cursing the gods for letting this happen, attempting to hurt Cassian to reach me in any way, in any form. Feyre held Mor as she mumbled about this not being fair.

The decision was made, I would lead the Regiment 300 tomorrow at dawn. I had summoned the Eight - my military advisors but more than that my closest friends, we had grown up together, seen each other do things that we thought weren't possible, reaching positions and training to higher levels. My most trusted souls. Pieces of my heart each of them. They were going to join me in the suicide mission and I had to see them all one last time before dawn.

I went to my tent to prepare my armor and set my affairs in order. I told my sentry to prepare my horse and get the men together, I would address them as Commander about their suicide mission. That I would join them in their deaths would be my greatest honor. The last stand would be made. And we would win.

I remember the taste of blood in my mouth, the feeling of sweat dripping, the tightening of my hands on the spear. I remember the feeling of my horse running forward, looking to my right and my left to see my friends, my chosen few, surging forward through the mud. I remember it all.

And I remember waking up in that godforsaken tent with that male looking at me with hazel eyes full of concern and I knew what had happened. I had forsaken my soldiers, the regiment had been abandoned. I led them into war and I deserted them to die.

Slapping his arms away and throwing it off me, I ran out of the tent. Running to see that the sun was almost setting. We had set out at sunrise, it was now sunset. No, this cannot be true. Where are they? Please don't let it be true. I gasped at the sudden pain in my side, noticing that I had an injury to my left flank. The arrow hit me when we first made contact with the army.'

The battleground was barely half a kilometer away, clutching my side to prevent any bandages from falling, I ran the distance trying to see what had happened. I heard Azriel calling out to Rhys and the rest. They were alive but I didn't care about that right now, I had to check on the Eight, my regiment. It was mostly a downhill journey, with a few slips due to loose rocks. I kept my head down to not see what was ahead, I didn't want to lose hope, and I didn't want to accept what had surely happened.

I smelt it before I saw it. I didn't hear it because they were all dead with spears and arrows jutting out of their bodies. No, that is a lie - I did hear it. I listened to the vultures and crows in the sky and on the ground. Feasting. I reached the base of the slope and I looked up at the battleground. A crematorium. A graveyard. The site of my greatest failure.

And I tried catching my breath, looking at the bodies, at the mangled flesh and bone, at the blood that soaked the mud as my bare feet made contact with it, at the horses whose legs had been twisted and intestines hanging out, at the soldiers with cracked skulls, one with his leg blown off, and another completely impaled on a spear.

I couldn't feel anything, my face was numb, and my hands were numb. I was numb. I trudged along because I had found my entire regiment dead but I had to check on the Eight. I had to see their dead eyes so I could tell them that I would join them soon. That is my punishment, that is the price for this mistake. Blood will appease blood.

So I walked to the start of the bloodshed, the site where the regiment hit the Hybern army for the first time. Where I was supposed to lay dead and broken. I was the leader of that regiment, the commander who had told them that this was our last stand. Yet I was alive and they were dead. I stepped on something and I heard a crunching noise. I took a second, hyperventilating before I looked down and saw it. I saw her.

I had found what I was looking for - the Eight lay together in a small circle, almost as if they were trying to hold each other’s hands in their last moments. It seemed that they had tried to create a triangle to penetrate the defense. It had worked but it worked because they fought to the death. The rest of the regiment must have gone through breaking the army from the inside out and the move worked. The Summer Court must have shortly followed. And they didn't stop until they had won the war.

I fell onto my knees, into the mud, and I was shaking, with grief, loss, and despair. And I picked up her body to try to bring it close to mine, to try and hold her one last time. She was long gone but it seemed as if this would help, somehow reduce her pain and make it easier for her to go. I can only imagine what it was like when she had to go, how alone she felt, how betrayed and disgusted she felt that the Commander had been saved, not them.

If I could I would have saved you, I am sorry, it should have been me, I should have died. I don't deserve to live, I will join you.

I screamed those words into the air as I held her and crawled to the rest, begging for them to wake up, to not forgive me but to punish me, telling them that I would join them. That I was the betrayer, the reason for their deaths. That they should never forgive me.

I cried into the mud with their bodies next to me. My wound had already been bleeding profusely and I thought it to be poetic justice that I, too die next to them from a wound I received at the battle that they died in. Except they would die a warrior’s death and I would die a coward’s death. Right next to them.

This is what I deserve. And there was only one person to blame for this.

Azriel.

[saraannereads]

Who is Elain Archeron?

Elain is the seer for the Night Court, as well as sister to the High Lady, Feyre Archeron, sister-in-law to the High Lord, Rhysand, and sister to Nesta Archeron, warrior.

She is one of 2 cauldron made individuals in the entirety of Prythian and the mortal lands.

She is someone who sees the good in everyone, volunteers to help others, lives with kindness, and embraces change.

She works to help others after the second war with Hybern in an effort to bring more joy to the world through teaching people how to cultivate and tend to gardens.

She offers a helping hand and nurtures others, such as when she saddles up Feyre's horse in ACOTAR and packs supplies for her.

She welcomed Feyre back home despite the fact that Feyre was now high fae, and Elain had been taught to fear high fae her whole life.

She is humble, despite being noted as a great beauty, and is gracious towards others, often making friends everywhere she goes.

She is highly observant and makes use of her observations in important moments such as when she encouraged Feyre to be kind about Winter Solstice and noted that people had died to preserve the right to have those traditions.

She is thoughtful and on several occasions goes out of her way to get gifts for people that she thinks might help them or make their lives better, such as when she gives the twin wraiths, Nuala and Cerridwen, plush blankets in ACOSF. She also gives Nesta a book from her favorite bookstore and gives Azriel headache potion, which she had made for him, based on her observation that everyone always gives him headaches.

She is also able to meet the moment when needed. She was the one who convinced Nesta to help Feyre and the IC during ACOMAF and allow them to meet the human queens at the Archeron Manor.

She is the one who shouted a warning to Feyre during ACOMAF that Tamlin was trying to forceably take her and winnow away despire the great danger she was in and fear she felt.

She was the one who offered to go to Grayson to ask for his help in providing safe haven for the humans in her former village, despite the pain of seeing him.

She used her visions to kickoff the search for Vassa, who was integral to winning the war.

She was the one who offered to use her sight to find the Suriel to help Feyre during the war in ACOWAR.

She kicked the hounds off of Azriel despite being chained and encouraged Briar to jump on his back to escape the war camp.

She was the one used her visions to prevent Hybern from killng Cassian and Nesta by stabbing him in the neck using Truth Teller. She may have also wielded shadows and used Truth Teller to its full capabilities in order to clear the battlefield and make it to Nesta and Cassian in time.

She shows her love and care for her family, even when they are unkind or when it is difficult for her. She often prepares meals for them, and she designed Feyre's birthday gift and made a point to acknowledge Feyre's role as the foundation of their family, which further shows her observation skills and humility.

She volunteered to continue scrying to help the IC find the Trove despite the Cauldron luring her away to danger in ACOWAR because she wants to help her family and her court. Even after Nesta interfered to disallow it, Elain confidently asks that they find her when they are ready.

She is brave and has shown a willingness to act for herself, take the reigns of her own life, be independent, and free herself of patriarchal traditions that dictate she is another fae male's property due to a mating bond she did not ask for and actively does not want. And she does this all while recovering from being groomed by her mother and trained to be a people pleaser.

She will not let a mystical, corrupted cauldron control her life or make her choices and will take risks to live her life on her terms.

She processes her trauma, her pain, and her sense of loss after being turned against her will and having her bodily autonomy violated by taking her time to feel her emotions and grieve in her own way. She healthily makes it out on the other side of her pain and settles into her new life even though it is not the one she chose for herself.

Her visions about heartbeats are widely believed to be about the Dusk Court, and her visions about a black box are theorized to be about Koschei, both of which will be integral to future ACOTAR books.

She has shown a keen ability for stealth and secrecy, both traits that are highly prized for spies and by the spymaster of the night court.

She is not afraid of people's darkness and often makes friends with people who are surrounded by shadows.

She can make Azriel feel seen, calm, and understood without needing to say anything, and even he notes that she knows how he feels and why he does the things he does without him needing to say. She makes him laugh with a joy and fierce happiness in his eyes that one of the people closest to him had never even seen.

She brings light and joy to his eyes, and he has stayed up all night to listen to her talk and has chosen to sit with her in companionable, comfortable silence. She is who he wants, who he thinks of at night, and who he will choose.

She makes Azriel question his religion, his customs, and his high lord.

She is who he will beg on his knees for. She is who he will fight for.

She is the woman that calms his shadows and makes him feel safe and brings him peace.

She is the one he will choose, his chosen mate and life partner, and together they will change their culture and their lives.

And that my friends is facts. Sorry but a ribbon and a sassy one-liner is not erasing this.

Elain Archeron, kindness incarnate and Azriel's future.

Art by Termesart

[velarisvalkyrie]

My problem is not Rhysand being upset with Nesta. Half of the time he has a right to be upset with her. My problem with Rhysand is he ends up either screaming in her face or threatening to kill her (even if he wouldn't actually do so it's still a very aggressive statement to make to someone who is attached to your family whether you like it or not) and if he isn't threatening to kill her then he's threatening her with some sort of physical consequence. It also doesn't sit well with me that he finds some satisfaction in her being afraid of him at times.

That is where Rhysand's toxic traits come out and that is where I have issue with him.

Nesta is not perfect - not even close - however Nesta is around 25 years old? She's still learning a lot about herself and how to heal and change for the better. She's still adjusting to life of the Fae just like Elain. Feyre is even still adjusting although her circumstances have made her somewhat quicker to adapt.

Rhysand has been alive for centuries. I will always respect his character for what he went through with Amarantha and what he did to protect his friends and Velaris. He is allowed to have traumas and make mistakes. However, I would expect more maturity in communication during disagreement and conflict, especially when the person you are having that conversation with is going to be within your family circle.

Nesta is Feyre's sister and Cassian's mate. Whether Rhysand likes it or not Nesta is most likely always going to be somewhere within his life. Feyre and Nesta have their own understanding that they are working on. Cassian is her mate and she has claimed him as such at this point.

Rhysand does not have to agree with Nesta or even like her but he needs to find ways to get his points across that still show her basic respect without relying on her being afraid for her physical safety or saying things to kick her down.

And before anyone jumps down my throat: Yes, I am fully aware Nesta has purposely said awful things to hurt others but the whole point of ACOSF is Nesta recognizing her flaws and wanting to try to change for the better. Everyone is all "People need room to grow." And can't even give a fictional character the opportunity to do so.

Anyway, that's just my opinion I needed to get out somewhere.

[silverflameataraxia]

Gwyn's comment about Cassian being a good and honorable male strikes me as odd because, up until that point, she hadn't met him. If she wanted to talk about Az being a good and honorable male since he rescued her in Sangravah, I could understand that. But Cassian?

I'm not criticizing Gwyn at all, but rather this entire narrative that Cassian is the Mother's gift to females everywhere, while Nesta is this fucked up mess. It doesn't help that the entire IC think the absolute best about Cassian and think the absolute worst about Nesta. They're constantly reinforcing to her that Cassian is Mr. Perfect and she's Mrs. Wicked Monster Who Can Do No Right. She should be lucky that he is her mate because no one else could possibly love her.

If anything is wrong with Nessian, it's always Nesta's fault. She needs to change herself to be a better mate for him, but he doesn't need to change a single thing about himself because if Nesta sees a flaw in him, it's because she's at fault.

It's bad enough that Nesta puts Cassian up on this pedestal, while simultaneously thinking she's abhorrent. He lashes out and hurts her feelings, and she's the one wanting to apologize for "what she did to him". We never see Nesta angry at Cassian, but more than once we see him the most furious with her. Nesta has Cassian set as some high standard that she'll never be able to obtain, no matter how much she sacrifices and tries to earn his love, she never will. And the IC are constantly reinforcing that she doesn't deserve his love because he's good and honorable and she's not. But Cassian's not a good and honorable male.

A good and honorable male would choose and prioritize his mate. A good and honorable male would stand up for his mate, and defend and protect her. A good and honorable male would never allow another male to come into their home and threaten his mate. Cassian's a monster, and I really hope Gwyn is the one to call him out for it.

The whole Nesta/Cassian dynamic reminds me of Emerie and her father. Everyone was constantly telling Emerie how good and honorable her father was, and how lucky she was to be his daughter. To the point that Emerie questioned If his abuse of her was even real. It was, but everyone else just turned a blind eye to it.

The IC spent the entirety of ACOSF turning a blind eye to Cassian's mistreatment of Nesta. Cassian gaslit Nesta into dismissing his mistreatment of her. Nesta covers up his mistreatment of her to Gwyn and Emerie because she doesn't think she deserves to be treated any better.

I really hope Gwyn and Emerie get to see through Cassian's smiling facade. I would love to see them call him out and hold him accountable for his actions. I know I'm being delusionally optimistic, but there's too many parallels between Cassian's treatment of Nesta and Tamlin's treatment of Feyre for SJM to just sweep everything under the rug. Nesta needs to be around people who will love her, and Cassian needs to be around people who will hold him accountable.

[maybeiwasjustjade]

Things I wished SJM had done instead regarding the Night Court post-ACOFAS (which has been exactly 1 book, but we all know she won’t be heading in this direction anyway):

1. Have ACOSF be about Nesta, and Nesta alone.

Make it about her healing journey + the formation of the Valkyries, instead of being a book about Stockholm Syndrome and essentially beating a woman into submission

If the Dread Trove needed to be in the book, let it be a byproduct of Nesta’s journey in exploring her magic. She can’t heal if she’s still terrified of its existence, and the Dread Trove primarily calls to her.

2. Have Nesta learn healing magic

Make and Unmake; Life and Death. Two sides of the same coin. If Nesta is Lady Death, why can’t she also be the Mistress of Life?

Feyre’s pregnancy: having Nesta learn healing magic ties in to Feyre’s pregnancy problems. It gives her a goal and a reason to explore the many facets of her abilities that isn’t just its manifestation as silver flames (that she eventually lost anyway)

Which brings us to issue number 3

3. A Court of Silver Flames should’ve been about, you guessed it, the silver flames

Why was Nesta forced to become a warrior instead of being taught to hone her magic? Amren couldn’t do it, but that doesn’t mean she was the only option. SJM literally had every means necessary to circumvent the story to find a way to make Nesta learn proper magic. It’s not like the physical training was consensual; they should’ve given her another option.

Eris: the random throwaway plot involving Eris just to make it about Cassian’s many many insecurities. Let’s be fucking for real right now. It should’ve been about Nesta—especially if they were going the route of what Nesta wants vs how she was raised. And lemme tell ya something really funny: Cassian’s hardly any different than Eris, status-wise.

Eris vs Cassian: SJM should’ve had both of them train her. Cassian can remain as her yoga instructor for nonconsensual boot camp, but have Eris teach her fire magic. At least then the whole Neris plot/proposal has an actual point, and it’ll give Nesta some reprieve from her forced proximity to Cassian. Eris is also fortunately in a position to understand her quite well.

4. Nyx should’ve been a daughter and not a son

Oh that would fuck with them alright. Have Feyre and Rhysand conceive a son because of the vision….only for the child to not only have wings (that were conveniently missing, how strange) but also be a girl. So not only is the child more Illyrian than High Fae, she also can’t inherit the magic

And even if she could, do we honestly think Feysand would know how to raise a daughter to be the heir? Feyre doesn’t even know how to rule or do taxes or make policies 😂. Chances are, Nyx would grow up to be another Mor—who does nothing involving her job and just runs around having fun like a stereotypical rich daddy’s girl.

Which, sorry to say, means that more than likely Feysand will want to try for another child soon. Remember, these are the same idiots who willingly conceived a child knowing that they made a death pact. They are in fact, reckless and selfish enough to do this.

And finally, in preparation for the clusterfuck that will be book 6:

5. Nyx having wings and no magic

My favorite theory truly, is having the child that Feyre and Rhysand nearly died for due to their own stupidity, be absolutely powerless and incapable of inheriting the HL magic. Genetics is funky for a reason; Nyx can be born primarily Illyrian and it still would be possible. We don’t know what having Night Court magic does to Feyre’s genes after all or if shapeshifting also fucks with DNA (like it does in Animorph).

Having an Illyrian heir would be absolutely hilarious because it would be a complete mindfuck for the IC aka the people who absolutely look down on and LOATHE the Illyrians. Despite you know, having three of them in the group. And Illyrian Nyx means they have no choice but to confront the issue that is Illyria. Feysand would never let their precious son go through the training or the Blood Rite or the poverty. Nevermind that they couldn’t care less when it’s someone else’s sons and daughters, but I digress. Either they fix it, or they ignore it and watch as it bites them in the ass in about 20 years

[pastelpinkkadan]

I love Nesta, but it drives me absolutely bonkers how some people think ACOSF was SJM telling us the IC is toxic and Nesta was always right.

Like…did y’all READ the book?

SJM makes it so incredibly clear that the things Nesta said/did were wrong. That the IC tried to help (even though they didn’t know what was wrong, since Nesta never told them and the IC are not mind readers Jesus) but that the training was the LAST resort. Nesta changed by the end of ACOSF. She grew, healed, and saw where she had messed up. If she had “always been right and the IC are just toxic”, she wouldn’t have changed. She’d have stayed the same. But by the end she wasn’t.

ACOSF is both a healing and redemption story.

Unlike so many of Nesta’s stans, SJM acknowledges Nesta’s trauma response, but she doesn’t excuse them when it comes to her behavior. That is never more abundantly clear then when Amren calls Nesta out, in my opinion.

People will talk all day about “unreliable narrator” when it comes to Feyre, but not about Nesta when she was at her LOWEST? Somehow, how she viewed the IC at the beginning of ACOSF is just pure facts?

Y’all missed the whole point and it kills me.

[elrielbaby]

I don’t understand what isn’t clear about elriels set up.

1. We have clear foreshadowing for elriel in the form of the dinner scene with the bat boys & the Archerons, and the comment from Feyre about Elain & Azriel as she removes arrows from Rhys.

2. In ACOWAR, we have Azriel carrying Elain from the house of wind, carrying her over the threshold of the town house and being so gentle with her, her calling his scars beautiful & them sitting outside together, where Azriel, the person we are told almost never relaxes, is observed essentially relaxing.

3. We have Feyre questioning mate bonds and the cauldron over them.

4. We have Madjas comment about a mate sensing what is amiss, and then having Azriel, not L*cien, being the one to figure it out.

5. On a smaller note, we have both males (Cassian & Azriel) go still at the sight of both Elain & Nesta, plus Azriel continues to take Elain out in to the garden and sit with her.

6. We have an approximately, 2-3 chapter rescue scene. All insanely romantically coded. From the Elain devouring the sight of Azriel to ‘you came for me’. From Azriel setting Briar down but continuing to hold Elain until he is taken from him by someone he trusts. To Elain kissing his cheek in thanks. I’m probably forgetting some stuff there it’s packed full.

7. We have Azriel offering Elain his most prized possession - a knife he has never let anyone else so much as touch, including the female he’s supposedly been in love with for centuries.

8. Literally all of ACOFAS. There are an incredible amount of scenes in that book, it’s really a whole post just on its own.

9. We have Azriel, in ACOSF, get visibly upset at the mere suggestion that Elain may be hurt in some way.

10. We have confirmation from Cassian that Azriel seems to have moved on from Mor.

11. We have Azriels shadows poised to strike in her defence.

12. We have a charged glance between the two of them, we have Azriel standing by the doorway because the smell of E*uciens bond is so upsetting to him that he needs to be able to leave if it gets too much.

All of that - without mentioning the events of the bonus chapters (the feysand one is very Elain heavy, and the Azriel POV let’s us know in no uncertain terms that they both have romantic feelings for one another and want to act upon them). I feel like I make a post like this periodically when I see someone say Elriel haven’t been set up to be a couple or that they see them as something other than a romantic pairing and honestly it feels like throwing my head against a brick wall at this point - these people will not see it until their book is announced and they get their happy ending.