#sarah j maas i am begging

[acourtofquestions]

Golden flame danced between her fingers.

Elide recoiled, and the fire vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

"My name is Essar," the female said softly. "I am a friend--of your friends, I believe."

Elide said nothing.

"Cairn is a monster," Essar said, taking a step closer. "Stay far from him."

"I need to find him."

"You played the part of his mistreated lover well enough. You have to know something about him. What he does."

"If you know where he is, please tell me." She wasn't above begging.

Essar ran an eye over Elide. Then she said, "He was in this city until yesterday. Then he went out to the eastern camp." She pointed with a thumb over a shoulder. "He's there now."

"How do you know?"

"Because he's not terrorizing the patrons of every fine establishment in this town, glutting himself on the coin Maeve gave him when he took the blood oath."

Elide blinked. She had hoped some of the Fae might be opposed to Maeve, especially after the battle in Eyllwe, but to find such outright distaste...

Essar then added, "And because my sister--the soldier you spoke with--told me. She saw him in the camp this morning, smirking like a cat."

"Why should I believe you?"

"Because you are wearing Lorcan's shirt, and Rowan Whitethorn's cloak. If you do not believe me, inform them who told you and they will." Elide cocked her head to the side.

Essar said softly, "Lorcan and I were involved for a time."

They were in the midst of war, and had traveled for thousands of miles to find their queen, and yet the tightness that coiled in Elide's gut at those words somehow found space. Lorcan's lover. This delicate beauty with a bedroom voice had been Lorcan's lover.

"I'll be missed if I'm gone for too long, but tell them who I am. Tell them that I told you. If it's Cairn they seek, that is where he shall be. His precise location, I don't know." Essar backed away a step. "Don't go asking after Cairn at other taverns. He isn't well regarded, even amongst the soldiers. And those who do follow him... You do not wish to attract their interest."

Essar made to turn away, but Elide blurted,

"Where did Maeve go?"

Essar looked over her shoulder. Studied her.

The female's eyes widened. "She has Aelin of the Wildfire," Essar breathed.

Elide said nothing, but Essar murmured, "That was... that was the power we felt the other night." Essar swept back toward Elide. Gripped her hands. "Where Maeve went a few days ago, I don't know. She did not announce it, did not take anyone with her. I often serve her, am asked to... It doesn't matter. What matters is Maeve is not here. But I do not know when she will return."

Relief again threatened to send Elide crumpling to the ground. The gods, it seemed, had not abandoned them just yet.

But if Maeve had taken Aelin to the outpost where they'd lied that the Valg prince had been contained...

Elide gripped Essar's hands, finding them warm and dry. "Does your sister know where Cairn resides in the camp?"

For long minutes, then an hour, they had talked.

Essar left and returned with Dresenda, her sister. And in that alley, they had plotted.

Elide finished telling Rowan, Lorcan, and Gavriel what she'd learned. They sat in stunned silence for a long minute.

"Just before dawn," Elide repeated. "Dresenda said the watch on the eastern camp is weakest at dawn. That she'd find a way for the guards to be occupied. It's our only window."

Rowan was staring into the trees, as if he could see the layout of the camp, as if he were plotting his way in, way out.

"She didn't confirm if Aelin was in Cairn's tent, though," Gavriel cautioned. "Maeve is gone--Aelin might be with her, too."

"It's a risk we take," Rowan said. A risk, perhaps, they should have considered.

Elide glanced to Lorcan, who had been silent throughout. Even though it had been his lover who had helped them, perhaps guided by Anneith herself. Or at least had been tipped off by the scent on Elide's clothes.

"You think we can trust her?" Elide asked Lorcan, though she knew the answer.

Lorcan's dark eyes shifted to her. "Yes, though I don't see why she'd bother."

"She's a good female, that's why," Rowan said.

At Elide's lifted brow, he explained, "Essar visited Mistward this spring. She met Aelin." He cut a glare toward Lorcan. "And asked me to tell you that she sends her best."

Elide hadn't seen anything that came close to pining in Essar's face, but gods, she was beautiful. And smart. And kind. And Lorcan had let her go, somehow.

[highlordofkrypton]

SUMMARY: A short drabble about a vision that saved young Amarantha's life, and gave her purpose.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Ahh, my first entry into @sjmvillainweek! I want to give special thanks to @watcherintheweyr for the amazing poetry provided to use for the prophecy. You are leagues better than I am, and I am honoured that you trust me with your writing!

TW: Blood and Violence, Near Death Experiences, Child Abuse

RUBIES

I am dying.

Blood pools around her head, and dribbles from her lips. It frames her head, like a crown bleeding into the dirt. She could have been great; she could have been horrible. None of it matters now. Just a girl, her life is snuffed out beneath a mountain where all children are born. She rejects her weak body; too young, too delicate, too pretty and too weak.

The only ones who know of her are her sister, an even younger girl who emerged from her ruby cocoon shortly after her, and her killers. To live is to survive. To live is to fight tooth and nail for food, resources, and warmth. 

Her eyes flutter shut—so desperately willing to go. 

She has only ever known darkness, save for that chamber with a kaleidoscope of gems encrusted in the walls. Inside each one, a living being curls upon itself and grows, grows, grows until the gem cannot contain it anymore. Sapphires, emeralds and onyxes—each one imbuing the children with properties to make them better than the others. There have only ever been two rubies. 

There has only ever been one diamond, and his skin glimmers beneath the single sliver of light that filters in through a crack in the stone when he presides over all of them. His eyes are made of black, and his crown… his crown is made of gold . She had wanted it, once upon a time, but now… now she is so tired.

There’s no point.

Her sister shakes and begs her to get up. The chaos of fighting fades, more and more, into nothing. What is there to fight for? What is there to wake up for? Her sister will have one less mouth to feed; her sister is just as clever and cruel as she is. (But is she just as tired ?) Only a handful of them will make it out, such is the King’s will. Only the strongest, and the most vicious will earn their survival.

(And then what?)

Her head lulls, and she runs willingly to the light.

It comes as a whisper, a hot breath against her cooling skin.

It slips into her mind, and drowns out everything.

The world goes quiet, but purpose—purpose comes to her like a roar.

Listen now and heed to me, each word, a punch through her chest to keep her fading heart beating.

Listen now and heed to me,

for only this will set the red queen free.

The crown, the crown, oh how it weighs on her head. It glows against the red of her hair. Her joy at the thought makes her feel so light . Death is a gift, it is a fantasy that she has earned through tooth and claw. She has never felt so warm in her life, surrounded by people. They do not need to love her, only yield—they do not need to love her, only feed her hungering belly. She picks at her teeth; she wants a taste for it all.

Most of all, she wants to be free.

Beside her, beside her—

Soul of beast 

and heart’s song bold 

will put an end to stone’s cold hold.

The answer sets her ablaze . She must find him —her beast; he will free her.

A prophecy, she has seen a prophecy.

Her black eyes flick open.

[ohanthonytomallamadingdong]

OOOOOHHHHH MY GOODNESS OMG OH MY LORD IN HEAVEN MY GOD ALMIGHTY I NEED HELP I HAVE I MEAN I CANT I MEAN WHATTT IS HAPPENJNG EVERYTHING IS OCCURRING WHT THE FKKKKK HOLY GUACAMOLE HOLY SHIIIIIIITTTTT

ok so now that that’s out of the way: thoughts on Queen of Shadows through chap 65

- Lorcan: “All those years we worked together, killed men and bedded females together?” ???????? together??????? bed- together?????

- on that same note— confirmed bisexual Lysandra AND Aedion!!!!!!!! my loves

- ((a continuation of my fav characters always either giving hella bi vibes or being canonically bi))

- they’re gonna end up together and be the “bi woman who prefers women and bi man who prefers men end up together to everyone’s confusion including their own”

- SHAPESHIFTER LYSANDRA

- knew there was no was she was a basic bitch human

- no hate to my basic bitch human Nesryn Faliq *kisses her on the head and tucks her in*

- Chaol FINALLY realizing Aelin was kinda right but JUST WHEN we as readers realize DORIAN IS STILL THERE!!!!! HES THERE I PROMISE WAIT GIVE HIM A MINUTE PLEASE

- Manon’s eyes

- they have Power

- Manon and Dorian have a lil smth smth but i can’t tell if it’s just bc these two seem to have a lil smth smth w everyone or bc they actually have a lil smth smth

- the entire bit w Dorian and Manon and then the 13 vs the Squad and then Rowan saving Aelin but getting hit and then Aelin and Manon’s fight and then Aelin saving Manon and ASTERIN’S SCREAM

- i am— ded

- ASTERIN

- ASTERIN PLZ

- no but fr that line about Asterin’s heart and her wildness being born of despair so deep actually is living rent free i haven’t been able to stop thinking about it

- and Manon FINALLY having that come to Jesus moment where she realizes she has to Do Something about her grandmother and it being bc of Asterin is something that can be so personal

- Aelin saving Manon bc of Asterin’s scream and how she couldn’t bear to take someone away who was cared for that deeply hits so hard like I’m getting the same feelings from Aelin lately that i got when reading The Assassin’s Blade

- Aelin being dark and broody and mean and cold when she needs to but despite that always always ALWAYS being kind and warm and supportive and HUMAN, freeing slaves and comforting children like Evangeline and saving Lysandra (both from imprisonment and from Clarisse) and telling Chaol she’s sorry and he deserves to be happy

- speaking of Evangeline I’m OBSESSED w how Aelin was like “go forth young hellion and bother Aedion and Rowan, two very large, very powerful, very scary fae warriors, with your eleven-year-old sass” and Evangeline DID SO HAPPILY

- Rowan picking up Evangeline and comforting her and Evangeline immediately turning into him for comfort despite his intimidating presence

- like that’s their CHILD

- by “their” i mean everyone

- Evangeline has four parents thx

- Lysandra’s reaction to being freed of her debts!!! her relationship w Aelin is so *chef’s kiss* i LOVE GENUINE SUPPORTIVE BEAUTIFUL FEMALE FRIENDSHIPS YAAAAAASSSS

- two queens getting together and discussing how to maximize their joint slay INDEED

- please get Manon in there i BEG

- anyway onto other Very Important Things:

- THE GOLD NIGHTGOWN I- WHAT- WHAIFIW I CANT HELP /&/&; PLEASE OMG—- I NEE I MEAN WHAT!????!!??!?

- AND THEN THEY JUST *light peck* *goes to sleep* WASAASATTR???? *SHAKING THE BARS OF MY CAGE* SARAH J MAAS I HAVR BONE TO PIK W YUO

- on a calmer more sane note i love the way Aelin and Rowan’s relationship is being built up

- like it’s not them denying denying denying and pushing it all down only to explode in a fiery mess of passion all at once

- instead they’re going into all this very deliberately and softly

- they’re so open and connected that they’re able to communicate that they want each other but also recognize when it’s the right time to move forward and they don’t let it overwhelm them because they’re so secure in each other they KNOW they’ll still be there for each other in another hour another day another week another year so there’s no need to rush other than the imminent danger they’re facing but they’re going slow so each next step is a promise that they WILL SURVIVE because they HAVE TO because they WILL TAKE THAT NEXT STEP

- anyway yeah i have Feelings

[thequeenofnightmares]

“I don’t want to fight,” it was barely more than a whisper, but the plea in Nesta’s voice was evident. She reached up to lace her fingers around the back of Cassian’s neck. They both closed their eyes, letting their foreheads rest against each other. For a long moment, they breathed together.

Then Cassian said, more calmly now, “I don’t know that I would have made the same decision.”

Nesta opened her eyes, but didn’t speak. Cassian just shook his head, an incredulous look on his face. “You are my mate,” he said, his voice hoarse. “But Rhys is . . . .” He paused, searching for the words. “I’m sworn to protect this court. This territory. What you did . . . . jeopardized all of that. Rhys has every right to be angry.”

“I’m not asking anyone not to be angry.”

“Then what are you asking for? What is it that you’re asking of me?” His eyes were sad as he cupped her face in his hands.

“Understanding.”

“I do understand. I told you—I would want someone to help—”

“No,” she shook her head. “I don’t mean for my decision to give Bryce the Mask. I don’t regret it. And I would do it again.” His eyes flashed, and he dropped his hands.

“Then what do you mean.”

“I want you to respect my ability to make my own decisions,” she snapped, unable to keep the bite from her voice as her anger flared again. “I want you stop treating me like a child who went against some kind of rule—”

“Then don’t act like one,” he growled.

Nesta’s nostrils flared.

Breathe. Breathe.

“I will tell you the same thing I told Rhysand. The Trove answers to me. I command it.”

“And we all answer to Rhys,” he barked back. “That’s what you don’t understand. You don’t understand that you cannot make decisions like this without consulting him, without consulting Feyre—”

“Rhysand and Feyre have both made plenty of decisions without consulting the rest of you,” she said icily. She saw the hurt flash in Cassian’s eyes. An old wound. Perhaps more than one. But she went on, “they have both hatched dangerous, impulsive plans and not informed anyone. And yet you don’t look at them the way you’re looking at me now.”

“That is different, and you know it. Rhysand is my High Lord. He is a ruler—”

“And I am your mate!” she was practically screaming now. Cassian’s face was inches from hers; the fury rippling off of him like steam from the bath.

“Being my mate does not mean that you can do whatever the fuck you want in this court—to this court, and that I will blindly agree with you.”

“Again, I don’t care about your agreement. All I want is for you not to look at me with disgust. To give me the same grace that you give to Rhysand, to Feyre, to everyone else in this gods-damned court except, apparently, to me. I want you to tell me that you don’t agree with me, and you still love me despite it. To think about what it would be like if you were given the choice between blind loyalty to your court and something you loved even more—”

“There is nothing I love more than this court,” he roared.

Utter silence fell. Cassian’s eyes widened, the words he’s spoken settling in the space between their bodies.

Nesta took a step back, staring at Cassian. Trying to make sense of what he’d just said.

Say you didn’t mean it, she silently begged him. Say that you were angry.

Cassian’s throat worked like he might say something.

Only he didn’t.

Nesta stared, disbelief creeping like hoarfrost along her skin. Her chest hurt as realization sunk in.

He hadn’t spoken only out of anger. He really felt that way.

And his eyes—still wide and pleading—betrayed the truth.

Nesta felt her heart break.

My interpretation of the events that occurred between Nesta and Cassian after the argument with Rhys, during the Ember & Randall bonus chapter. Read the entire chapter on AO3!

[checkoutmybookshelf]

I Beg Your Pardon...WHAT Was That Cliffhanger!?

Sarah J. Maas is seriously going to make me sit through Chaol's Desert Adventure before she resolves the cliffhanger of this book, and quite frankly? That is just RUDE. Let's talk Empire of Storms.

This is your SPOILER WARNING and I'm going to spoil the end in like the first sentence after the cut, so if you're not through this book, this is your last chance to scroll by.

Holy gods Aelin is good at 4D chess and thinking on her feet in a clinch, because despite Maeve putting her in an iron box, she kept the wyrdkeys, Elide, and Terrasen's future safe. (I told you I was going to spoil the end.) Girl figured out that because Elena screwed up, she would have to die to keep the world safe from Erawan and the Valg, so what does she do? She secures her kingdom's future, gives Aedion and Rowan and army with which to win the war, and even gets Lysandra involved to give Terrasen a royal bloodline. Like...I am seriously impressed by what Aelin managed to pull together. And she did it without help or input from her court because she's so tied up in it only ever being her who pays the price.

A price that Maeve is bound and determined to add one hell of a tax to...Faerie Queens are historically somewhat fraught figures, but this Maeve is one hell of a stone-cold bitch. She is also damn good at identifying wounds and applying pressure to them, so pretty much everyone who loves Aelin is absolutely devastated at the end of this book. There is an impending war, a deception to uphold, a rescue to enact, and a Valg king to destroy. And yet I still have to sit through Chaol's book before ANY of that and I am so salty about it. (Yes, I was aware of the tandem read option. I chose not to because that is so much unnecessary effort.)

Empire of Storms was super plot-heavy though; SO MUCH happened in this book. So let's dig into that a bit, and try to take it peice by peice.

Elorcan

Ok, so if I thought Elide was a bit damp in the last book, she got BADASS this book. This poor girl was abandoned, locked away, and finally given a chance to escape at the cost of Kaltain's life.

And I'm just going to take a second here to say that Kaltain got one hell of a raw deal. Girl was a bit of a bitch and out for money, but she absolutely did not deserve to end up at Erawan's mercy like that. Kaltain absolutely deserves justice. It's not just the stabby and stubborn girls who deserve to be treated with respect and care.

But Elide runs into Lorcan early in this book, and the two of them sort of...quietly accidentally fall into a relationship. It's one of those where you kind of have to tilt your head and squint, because its just...I mean if it works for them, then fine, but wow these are two deeply traumatized people and the trauma bond to relationship pipeline is SUPER odd.

We have Lorcan ceding authority right off the bat and letting Elide lead, he uses his magic to brace her bad ankle, she is giving him crap every five minutes, he's tearing up his shirt to make her pads, and ultimately they work to keep each other safe. Right up until Lorcan fucks it all up by summoning Maeve and handing Aelin over. Which Elide is taking SUPER personally because her mother died buying Aelin time to get out when Terrasen fell. And also because Lorcan lied to her. It's really fucked up in the BEST way, because it's clear that Lorcan and Elide are down BAD for each other, but Lorcan still thinks he's in love with Maeve. Who then immediately kicks him yo the curb because she can see what's plainly out in the open in front of her eyes, even if Lorcan can't.

I actually really enjoyed watching Elide and Lorcan figure out crossing paths with Aelin. He's grumpy and traumatized AF, and pretty much against his will and better judgement, he gloms onto this little lost girl. And his confidence and support gives her the courage and feeling of safety to actually grow into her own badassery. It's adorable, which makes his betrayal make me want to headdesk into oblivion. Like...Lorcan. SIR. You put all your plans on hold, walked into danger, and killed multiple people to keep Elide safe and happy. You seriously think Maeve is still the most important woman in your life???

Lorcan desperately needs therapy, but my god it's fun to watch him ruin his life.

Manian (and Also the Witches Generally)

Dorian and Manon are in the running against Aedion and Lysandra for best couple in Throne of Glass, especially since they're both deeply prickly, deeply wounded, and deeply ready to hop into bed with each other instead of dealing with the prickles and wounds.

Dorian is already protective as hell over Manon, despite his all-too-recent losses, trauma, and the fact that he's currently a king in exile. Which actually I think he's handling decently well--his little chat with Rowan about losing a loved one worked beautifully, and he is smart enough to ask for help with his magic. Although if the bigass battles with the Ilken and Maeve's fleet at the end are any indication, he's fine. He's just a fire hydrant of power, similar to Aelin.

Manon is...having a ROUGH TIME this book. Her grandmother keeps trying to murder Asterin, she keeps having this really inconvenient conscience, and it finally comes to a head when her grandmother disowns her after coming within about a quarter inch of disembowling her. It's really lucky that Abraxos is as smart as he is darling, because finding Aelin is pretty much the only reason Manon survives. And Abraxos gets all the wildlflowers he wants for being the goodest boi. He not only saves Manon's life, he also tracks down the thirteen and reunites everyone.

These parts of the book were honestly just delightful to read, and I am a fan of Manon and Dorian.

Aedion's Daddy Issues

Hoo boy, ok. Aedion has every right to have a METRIC TON of trauma, given his life. So to add daddy issues to his childhood, teenage, and adult trauma, his stress about not having an army or allies, and some feels for Lysandra is a LOT. And even Aedion is surprised by the depth of the emotion of his reaction to Gavriel showing back up in his life.

Thing is, though? Even if it's largely background and subtextual, we do get Gavriel and Aedion getting...if not reconciled, then accustomed to each other, and they work well together. I'm actually massively curious to see how their relationship continues to evolve now that Maeve has severed the blood oath to Gavriel and Aelin has been captured and Aedion has found out that she volunteered him to make babies with Lysandra to pass off as the Terrasen heirs and royal family.

Which...I get why she did it. But AELIN. DARLING. Guys have bodily autonomy too, and you can't just VOLUNTEER your cousin and your best friend as stud and brood mare, respectively.

My guess is Gavriel has some experience with serving a powerful, capricious woman who doesn't always tell you the whole plan, so if we don't get that conversation at some point, I will riot.

Lysandra Being the Best Ever

Lysandra is the best secondary character in these books, full stop. Our girl has really come into her own with her shape shifting, as we see in both Skull Bay and the battle with Maeve's fleet. She has to figure out a truly unique magic basically on her own, she is asked to go into battle in shapes she hasn't had a whole hell of a lot of time to practice with, and yet by the end of the book, she is MIXING AND MATCHING TRAITS to create an effective murder form that is capable of taking out fae ships.

And this is WHILE she is backing up Aelin's 4D chess shenangins, periodically messing with Aedion, supporting Aedion emotionally, and getting over her own trauma. Lysandra is the unsung queen of this series, and frankly she deserves 1000% of the credit for everything she does. Especially the popping up over random people's shoulders as a ghost leopard. Because I too would use that ability to scare the ever-loving shit out of people for funsies. We have to find our fun where we can during a war.

NOT TO MENTION that Lysandra is entirely willing to take not one, not two, but SEVERAL for the team. Aelin fully asks Lysandra to 1) impersonate her for the rest of Lysandra's life, 2) be fake married to Rowan and help rule Terrasen, 3) let Aedion impregnate her multiple times with children she will have to pass off as Rowan's to give Terrasen a legitimate bloodline, and 4) deal with Rowan and Aedion's lifelong grief and trauma over losing Aelin. That's a SIGNIFICANT ask, and Lysandra is full-on over here like, "Yeah, I'll do that, and sure, I'll also keep this plan secret from Rowan and Aedion until you're dead or as good as dead." Lysandra does not get enough credit for her role in this book, and this is me giving her all the credit.

Aelin Playing 4D Chess

Aelin gets so much credit for being stupid competent as an assassin. She gets weirdly less credit for her ability to play 4D chess. Because the LITERAL MINUTE she realizes that she's doomed to die to win the war and yeet Erawan back into whatever void he came from, she is calling in every chip and favor she can to get Terrasen an army that has a chance of winning the war. But she's also thinking long-term. She knows that for Terrasen to survive, it needs a royal family and legitimate bloodline, and she wrangles that too by legally marrying Rowan, and roping in Lysandra and Aedion to produce the crotch goblins that will pass as "hers" and Rowan's.

In addition, she is clocking Lorcan's betrayal and planning around it, ensuring that she can keep the wyrdkeys safe, and getting her people out of a REALLY Bad situation. Quite literally, Aelin's competence is just insane and I love that she is allowed to be this competent. It should get talked about more.

Seriously, That Ending

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the last 200 pages of a Sarah J. Maas book will contain approximately 70% of the plot and 85-95% of the emotional angst of the story. That holds EXTREMELY true for Empire of Storms. The entire showdown with Maeve and its aftermath was devastating for everyone, reader included. I full-on got teary when Aelin told Elide that her mother would be proud of her, and wanted to deck Lorcan SO HARD. Gavriel is going to need SO MUCH THERAPY after that nonsense, and I think Aelin and Aedion are going to need to literally just fight it out once she's safely retrieved.

Also, the "Rowan and Aelin were married for like two days" reveal was...a whole thing. Like...it potentially could feel a little contrived, but honestly I'd be lying if I said I wasn't invested and kicking my little feeties in joy over the angst. So as an ending, HELL YES. As a cliffhanger with a WHOLE OTHER BOOK before I get resolution on the Maeve and the iron box thing? JAIL. JAIL FOR SJM FOR 1000 YEARS.

We Just Briefly Need to Talk About Ripping Off Tolkien and Robert Jordan

Siiiiiiiiiiiiigh. Y'know guys... The bare amount of credit I am willing to give here is that clearly SJM has done her reading. You can't rip off the giants of the fantasy genre without READING the giants of the fantasy genre, and she's clearly read Tolkien and Robert Jordan. I just... she didn't even bother RENAMING the dead marshes. It's just...hotter and missing the phantom bodies. It's almost like she mashed up the dead and midgewater marshes but make them tropical.

And then we come to the box. The iron box in which the bad guys keep the super magical chosen one. Which is quite literally what happens to Rand Al'Thor in Lord of Chaos. Which like...I'm low-key over here going "WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY????" Because now I'm just expecting the last book to be Dumai's Wells in Throne of Glass drag.

I realize that homage and allusion are standard in literature. And honestly it's fine. Except that I have been around the block with SJM enough to be DEEPLY SUSPICIOUS of this. So we'll see.

[gwynrieldreams]

You know who shipped Gwynriel first? Italians because they got access to the book before its release date. The Italians didn’t even have the bonus content, there was no one to influence them with theories or posts, nobody even knew about Gwyn before, yet as soon as they read the book before the rest of the world, they were already buzzing and excited about the potential between a priestess and Azriel. Elriels lost their mind. We still have screenshots of many of their instinctually reactions when they did finally read the books, and many elriels jumped ship.

There was an Elriel who only shared the first half of the bonus and begging people on IG not to jump ship and have faith (it sounds like a cult) but did she think nobody else in the entire fandom wouldn't have the bonus. She claimed later that Tumblr wouldn't let her upload so many images, then do a part 2? It was the lamest excuse. 😂

The only person who has the power to create such a huge following in Gwynriel is Sarah J Maas, because it really is that obvious and Elriels can play ignorant all they way, gaslight all they way, but we remember how they were reacting in private DMs and publicly before they decided to come up with a theory to gaslight themselves and others a few weeks later.

I didn't know that because, even though I read acotar like eight years ago, I wasn't active in the fandom until recently. I shipped gwynriel since I read the book and the bonus was the cherry on top. The theories I read later on just confirmed or added to what I already believed myself. I'd like to see those reactions, though, it must have been so funny.

I heard about that incident with the incomplete chapter. It screams insecurity. I translated the bonus chapters in my native language but didn't feel the need to change anything. People can believe whatever they want, who am I -or anyone- to dictate how they feel. Purposefully changing or "hiding" part of the original text in order to influence others. That's literally propaganda, that's why they never escape the cult accusations.

[twostepsfromtemerant]

When I judge the Booktok people for reading Sarah j maas and Jennifer Armentrout and any of those romances with the pastel cartoon covers, I’m not judging them for reading erotica. I’m judging them for reading bad erotica

There is much better stuff out there! Not even just a better writing quality from a craft standpoint, but better porn. More interesting and adventurous porn! Read something that would cause the English in the 19th century to write a whole new book of indecency laws!

I am begging the people on TikTok to continue reading erotica, just find some better stuff. Humans have been writing porn since humans invented writing. You don’t have to stick with Tessa Bailey I promise

[djouzaherondale04]

We can't stay silent now. Millions of pal0stinians are being ki%led in the most horrific ways, and so many people are being silent about this, does there lives not matter to you???.

I am so ashamed by so many authors that are defending the oppressor, Sarah j Maas, Rebecca Yaros, Victoria Aveyard and so on. I am so disappointed by them. How dare they write about freedom and wars, about tyrants and oppression, when they are litteraly defending the oppressor in the real life. Their characters would have been so disgusted by them, Aelin would have been so much disappointed and ashamed by Sarah.

And the authors who chose silence , let me tell you this, you can't not take a side in this . This is no conflict, this is a massacre commited by Israelis on the palastin/ans. Staying silent is the same thing as encouraging them. And we will not forget this, nor will we forgive.

I am calling the whole booktok community, who grew up reading books about rebellions and freedom, about wars and fictional kingdoms being clenched around the claws of tyranny. You have the power in you, to stop this propaganda, and use your voice , your platform to save lives. Even if you change only one person's opinion of this issue, it would still matter.

P#lastinians have been suffering for Nearly a century. They grew up watching their loved ones being k#lled for no other reason than the fact that they are Arabs.

I am begging you to educate yourself on what is truly happening in Gaza, b0mbs are raining everyday, more than 800 children were k((led this week. We can't and we mustn't turn a blind eye into what is happening. Israel is not defending themselves, they are saying that palastinians were the first who started it but there is NO Evidence of Hamas's work, nothing but generated AI pictures. They are exterminating a whole nation, and we are doing nothing to stop them.

Please, please, do. Not ignore this, do not ignore their lives. They should matter to you, they are humans life

It's not an Arab or Muslim issue anymore, it's a human issue!! Let s not fail them

free palastin!

[royai]

“why would the girls by emma cline have a lower star rating than a court of thorns and roses by sarah j maas” oh well that’s because people who read critically read things like the girls and people who don’t read critically read things like acotar and that’s fine all literature has a place and a purpose (please read better books) and liking something like acotar (god i am begging you please) generally means you’re reading for fun (think and read critically) and not trying to read the next best literary novel (please god please)

[bookishfeylin]

I am BEGGING people to stop with the "Sarah J Maas books are feminist!" rhetoric. PLEASE. STOPPPPPPPPP

If a work doesn't have WOC it's not feminist.

If it brutalizes, stereotypes, or sidelines it's WOC, it's not feminist.

If the only people "empowered" by a work are white women, IT'S. NOT. FEMINIST.

[the-shadowsingers-whore]

a court of wards and shadow

chapter five

series overview

summary: aelis' meeting with the high lord reveals some shocking news that leads to a fight between her and azriel

length: 4.3k

warnings: (18+ mdni) angst, anxiety, depression, mentions of suicidal ideations

disclaimer: this fic in no way represents any of sarah j. maas' work or ideas, it is for purely fictional/personal entertainment purposes

masterlist /// next chapter >>

i reach up to knock on the door, but my hand freezes midair, unable to actually follow through with the action. i know what waits for me on the other side of the door. i have spent the last few hours grieving and weeping and finally accepting my fate. but it’s so much harder to face when it’s right in front of me.

taking a deep breath to muster every tiny scrap of courage i have remaining, i knock gently on the door. after only a moment it swings inward on a breath of magic.

“ah, aelis, come in,” the high lord says from where he sits behind his desk. he sets down the pen he’s holding and leans back in his chair. the top few buttons of his shirt are undone and a few stray hairs fall messily across his forehead. he looks so casual, so at ease. and so unlike the prim and proper high lord i’ve grown accustomed to seeing glimpses of over the last few months. i’m not sure what to make of it. how he can be so relaxed when crush my soul by sending me back. i never took him as someone who could be so casually cruel.

i stop a few feet away from his desk, clasping my hands behind my back so he can’t see the way i fidget with my fingers. “you requested to see me, my lord?” my voice comes out even quieter than i intend and i look to the ground, too nervous to make eye contact.

“yes, i have heard in reports from nesta, emeria, and gwyn that you have been excelling in your training. in fact even azriel has mentioned on several occasions how quickly you have improved these last few months.”

they’ve been talking about you to the high lord? but, why? unless they report out on everyone in training. but, that wouldn’t make sense either. the high lord has much more important matters to deal with than the training progress of some priestesses and a refugee serving girl. 

even more confusing is why he’s discussing my training? if he is trying to soften the blow of the inevitable news, then i wish he wouldn’t. it would be easier if he just sent me on my way than to continue to remind me of all the ways i flourished while i was here.

but he is a high lord and i am just, me. so, instead of begging him to dispense with the compliments and formality, i meekly reply, “they flatter me, my lord. all of the successes in mine and the other priestesses’ training would not have been possible without the excellent instruction of our teachers.”

“oh no need to be humble,” he says with a wave of his hand, “if the stories i’ve heard are true, then despite being months behind, you quickly caught up and surpassed a good portion of the priestesses in training. that is no simple task, especially where azriel and cassian are concerned.”

i feel redness begin to creep up my neck at his praise and my eyes dart around the room daring to look at anything but him. the high lord must sense my discomfort and embarrassment because he continues without waiting for a response. 

“all of that being said, i have a request to make of you.” a request? must he really try to be so kind with all of this? i wish he would just spit it out and get it over with instead of dragging the whole matter out like this. but i simply nod politely, trying to hide the deep breath i take as i brace myself for the words that will be my undoing.

“we need your help with a mission.” what? “i hate to ask this of you as you have only just gotten here, but i’m afraid you are the best, and frankly only, option for the situation given your….past occupation. and azriel assures me that with a month or so more of training, he believes you would be ready for--”

“pardon my interruption, my lord,” the statement leaves my mouth of its own volition, my brain too scrambled to keep up with what is happening. “but i… must have missed something. to what are you referencing?” the words come out polite and calm, but every inch of my body is tense with nervous anticipation.

i watch as he registers the clear confusion written across my face. “ahhh, yes, my apologies. allow me to explain. i’m sure you have a heard a rumor or two floating around about an illyrian general by the name of brekkan?”

“well, yes i heard some about his uprising while back in the day court and i have heard murmurs of his goings on during my time here, but…..i’m sorry…..are you not sending me away?” i blurt out the last words, unable to handle the ever-rising panic for a moment longer.

his eyes spark with surprise and a choked laugh leaves his throat. “send you away? why ever would i send you away?”

“well, because…” his shock at my words leaves me stunned, my mouth fighting to form a response. “because of what you said when i first arrived. about my stay here being temporary….”

confusion clouds his expression, his head tilting slightly as he continues. “i told azriel months ago that you could stay permanently. back when he came and asked me for permission to allow you to join the priestesses in their training. he didn’t tell you?” his voice trails off as his eyes flick over my face, realizing the truth. “my deepest apologies, aelis. truly. i would have never called you here for this meeting with no warning as i did had i known you were unaware.”

“so…. i can stay?” i feel like i’m in shock, my mind spinning to catch up with everything he has just said.

“yes, of course you can stay. regardless of the fact that i see no reason at all to send you away, i think i would have a riot on my hands if i so much as suggested it. in case you haven’t noticed, several of the others have grown quite fond of you.” he offers me a soft smile and my heart squeezes painfully in my chest. i hadn’t realized that anyone else truly cared whether i was here or not. “is that truly why you thought i had called you here?”

i nod gently in response, too overwhelmed to form actual words.

“ah, i see. well, i had very different reasons for requesting your presence this evening, but they can be discussed another time. judging by the look on your face, you could use some time to process all of this. how about we come back tomorrow and discuss what i actually called you here for?”

“um, yes…uh….thank you. I appreciate your consideration and grace.” the polite words come out of instinct, my mind running on autopilot as it goes numb with this new life-changing information. “my deepest apologies, my lord.” 

“no need to apologize, i’m sure this comes as a great shock to you. oh and none of that ‘high lord’ nonsense. please, call me rhysand.”

“yes, my lor--” he quirks an eyebrow at me and heat floods my cheeks as i nervously correct myself. “i mean, yes, rhysand.” now that’s going to take some getting used to.

he smiles softly before gesturing towards the door. “now go have some dinner and get some rest. we will continue this conversation later.”

* * * 

the second i leave the high lord’s--rhysand’s--office, all of the fear and confusion and shock i felt during the meeting transforms and narrows into one emotion, anger. I rush through the house in a blind rage towards the training arena. i don’t know if azriel is still there, in fact the odds of him being there at this time of the night are slim to none, but i don’t care. 

the mother must be with me tonight because when i reach the doors of the training ring, i see the silhouette of a singular winged male throwing daggers at a target illuminated by the light of the just rising moon. i can instantly tell it’s azriel by the shadows alone and i waste no time storming across the arena towards him.

“how dare you,” i say right before i reach him. surprise colors his features for a mere moment before i’m shoving his chest so hard he stumbles back a step, surprising even myself with my sudden outburst.

“aelis, what--”

“how could you?” i don’t wait for him to respond before slamming my hands into him again. no longer caught off guard, he stays steady, his firm chest absorbing the blow. and it only infuriates me further. when i rear back to push him again, he catches my wrists, holding them tightly when i try to keep shoving him.

“aelis, wait. stop. what’s going on?” his voice is so gentle despite my attack and i feel my throat constrict. tears start to prick my eyes as the whirlwind of emotions i’ve felt over the last several hours threatens to overtake me entirely. 

“why didn’t you tell me i could stay?” my voice cracks, a sob threatening to break loose. 

realization registers on his face and he loosens his hold on my wrists. he starts to run his thumb gently along my skin, and i shudder at the contact. but not because i’m repulsed by it like i normally am by any physical contact. instead it’s because despite my anger, i find the gesture oddly soothing and that bothers me more than i care to admit right now.

“i’m so sorry, aelis. i asked rhys almost every day for weeks to let you stay here permanently. the day he finally agreed i came right to you, fully intending on sharing the good news. but when i came to the library, clotho told me you were somewhere in the depths cleaning, just as she had said every other day when i checked in.” azriel had checked in on me during those first few weeks? my heart races as my mind stalls, unsure of what to make of that information. 

“when i found you that day deep in the library, cleaning books and shelves no one had touched in decades, i knew you needed to train with the priestesses. i couldn’t tell you exactly why, but i knew you needed it. and i also knew that if i told you rhys had said you could stay, then you would have agreed. but only because you felt like you were indebted to us and had to train out of gratitude and not because you really wanted to. and i needed you to want to train.”

everything he says makes sense, and i can’t argue. because he’s right. if he had told me rhysand had agreed to my staying and then asked me to train, i would have agreed purely out of obligation. but something still doesn’t make sense. “and what about after i agreed to train?”

i watch an emotion i can’t quite name roll flit across his face for just a moment before he schools his expression into its usual neutrality. 

“i wanted to tell you. i swear i did. i almost just blurted it out every single time i noticed you in training. but then i would see how well you were doing. how focused you were. how hard you were working. how you were thriving. and i was scared to break that. i was so afraid that if i told you, all you would do would be spend your time trying to say thank you or make it up to us for allowing you to stay. and i wanted you to keep training. i wanted you to keep thriving. 

“but i never meant to hurt you like this aelis.” his hold on my wrists tightens every so slightly as he moves closer and the smell of fresh rain and cedar washes past me for a moment. “i swear it.”

the intensity in his eyes right now confirms that everything he’s saying is the truth. and i know he’s right. i know everything he said is exactly what would have happened. but i still hate it. i hate that he seems to know me better than i know myself. and i hate that just like every other time in my life, i wasn’t given an option.

i’m too overwhelmed by everything to formulate a thoughtful response. i have centuries of practice maintaining my composure in tense, emotionally heighted situations. i am an expert at remaining calm no matter what. but right now all i can focus on is the aching of my heart, the stabbing pain in my chest that only gets worse with every passing moment. 

“you may not have meant to hurt me azriel, but you did.” i barely get the words out before i feel the first sob crack my chest and tears start to roll down my cheeks. i turn to leave without waiting for a response, desperate to escape and lock myself in my room.

* * *

the following morning i knock on the high lord’s door once again. 

“hello, my lor--rhysand. i would like to apologize for my behavior yesterday and thank you for being so gracious as to meet with me again.” i drop into a low bow, still in disbelief that i have somehow found myself in a private meeting with a high lord for the second time in twenty-four hours.

“oh nonsense. none of that formality is necessary. i know it’s probably a hard habit to rid yourself of, what with centuries of repetition, but i do insist that it truly isn’t necessary. we prefer things here to be a lot more….casual… i suppose is the right word for it. we are more of a family, than a court to be quite honest. so don’t trouble yourself with all of the bows and flowery words. now please, sit.” he gestures to the chair across from him and i obey, awkwardly settling myself into the seat.

“thank you….rhysand.”

he smiles softly at my use of his name before continuing. “now, the real reason i requested your presence yesterday was to discuss the matter of an upcoming mission my court is to undergo. now i don’t mean to frighten you with this news, but i’m sure you have probably heard most of it anyways. an illyrian general by the name of brekkan is plotting to overthrow the night court, eliminating myself and the rest of my inner circle in the process. he plans to do so by freeing an ancient and terribly powerful beast.”

“yes…..i overheard most of this when the high lords met with lord helion and i have gathered other bits and pieces during my time here. but i must ask, what could this possibly have to do with me?” it feels bizarre to be having such a conversation with a high lord. this is the kind of information i learn about through eavesdropping and kitchen gossip, not during a direct meeting. and certainly not in a meeting where a high lord is requesting my assistance.

“i cannot reveal much more unless you agree, i’m sure you understand. but just know that if you do agree, your help could be crucial to the success of our mission. while i cannot give you more details than that, i will try my best to answer any questions you might have.”

my brain works on overdrive while i try to imagine any situation where i could possibly be useful a group of some of the most powerful fae in prythian. i can’t think of anything, so i simply ask the first question i can think of. “what sort of mission would it be?”

“nothing too intense, or outright dangerous. just some…..reconnaissance work with azriel.”

the mention of his name makes my spine go rigid, a fresh wave of hurt washing over me. i take a breath, clenching my fists to help steel myself against the emotion starting to claw at my throat. if this is my reaction upon simply hearing his name, then it will be impossible for me to do whatever rhysand is requesting of me. no matter how much i wish i could help.

“with all do respect, high lord--i mean rhysand, i don’t think i can help you.” he nods simply in understanding and i give him a slight bow before leaving.

* * *

i don’t go to training that afternoon.

or the next.

or the next.

i instead fill my time by returning to the dark recesses of the library, removing decades of cobwebs and dust from the various tomes. i would have assumed no one noticed my absence in training if it weren’t for the pointed looks clotho gave me daily or the stray shadow that would appear to dance briefly around my ankles before disappearing throughout the afternoons while i worked. 

* * *

it has been thirteen days since my conversation with azriel in the training ring. during that time i’ve replayed everything he said over and over and over again in my head. the longer i think through it all, the more i start to understand the choices he made. the hurt remains, but it lessens a little more with every passing day. but, there is still one part of what he said that i can’t seem to understand.

i have been around azriel enough over the last six months to know that he tends to be more on the quiet side. he knows his role in his court and he plays it with no complaints. from what i know of him it seems out of character for him to pester the high lord about anything, especially something as trivial as allowing me to stay here. and yet that’s what he claims to have done. by his account, he bothered rhysand almost every day about my residence here. and i need to know why.

the drive of that question alone is what finally pushes me towards the training arena in the early evening of the sixteenth day. 

i find cassian putting away the equipment from the afternoon’s training sessions and a quick scan of the ring proves he’s the only one here at the moment. his head flicks to mine as he hears my approach, surprise coloring his features. “aelis! it’s nice to see you again, but you are a bit late for training,” he teases, his mouth quirked up into a light grin. 

“ah yes, i’m sorry about that. i’ve been…..uh….busy.” 

“well i know how much you love my plank and sit-up circuit and i’m sure it’s been plaguing you something fierce that you’ve had to miss it. so i guess i’ll just have to make you work twice as hard next time.” he winks, his smirk turning slightly devious, and i can’t help but smile in response, knowing that he will make good on that threat if i ever decide to come back to train.

“how could i refuse such an offer? but, umm….at the moment i actually need to speak with azriel…about…..our private training sessions. is he here?”

cassian’s smile fades for a moment at my question. he quickly recovers but i don’t miss how his smile no longer reaches his eyes. “he has been…….otherwise occupied recently.”

“i really need to talk to him.” 

he nods slightly as if he can hear the underlying urgency in my voice. “i will find a way to relay the message to him. as soon as i can.”

“thank you cassian, truly. thank you.”

* * *

i cough at the cloud of dust that invades my nose as i swipe my rag across the shelf. i’m deeper in the library than i’ve ever been, deeper than i think most, if not all, of the priestesses have gone and the inches of dirt and grime covering every surface are only proof of that. 

i returned to the library immediately after my brief conversation with cassian and just started heading down. i went down flight after flight of stairs until i was sure no one would be able to come find me. and then i went down a few more.

i don’t know how long i’ve been down here, i only know for certain that it’s well past the sun going down. the other priestesses have surely gone to bed by now and the utter silence that has filled the library over the last hour only proves my assumption. but i keep cleaning, unable to bear the thought of returning to my room to sit alone with my thoughts while i wait for dawn to arrive and a new day to start. 

i hear a shuffling a few shelves behind me, a book being pushed into place, and i whip around, scanning the dimly lit library to find the source of the disturbance. i see the shadows flitting about before i see the broad figure emerge from between the stacks of books and my racing heart slows, realizing who it is.

“azriel?” i whisper, my voice still sounding loud in the silent library.

“hi,” he replies simply as he moves closer. “i heard you were looking for me?” 

“ummm, yes…. i just….” i have to swallow the lump in my throat before continuing, suddenly nervous now that i’m actually in his presence. “it’s just that something you said the last time i saw you has been bothering me.”

i note how he winces slightly, as if my words physically wound him. “aelis, i’m so sorry, i never--”

“no, wait. that’s not what i meant. yes, what you admitted hurt me, but that’s not what i’m talking about right now. i’m referring to something else.”

confusion washes over his face and i continue before he has a chance to voice his question. “you said that you went to rhysand almost every day to ask him to let me stay permanently. why? I was nobody to you. just a random serving girl from another court. just another fae on the endless list of females you have saved. so why would you go to so much trouble to find me a place here?”

he hesitates for a moment before replying.

“because i saw something in you. i don’t know how to explain it, but ever since the first time i saw you fighting like hell against that bastard on the mountain, i knew you had a fire in you. and i wasn’t about to let anyone, including my own high lord, douse that fire by sending you away.”

his mention of the mountain leaves a bitter taste in my mouth and my gaze drops to the floor, unable to make eye contact as i respond. “you and i both know why i went up to rontuwan that day. i schemed and lied and snuck my way into a group of fae ready to die to protect and defend their court because i had given up. so please don’t try and make me sound like some brave heroine. i’m a pathetic coward and we both know it.”

“aelis.” his voice remains soft, but i can hear the underlying command in his tone. i refuse to look at him.

he slowly takes a few more steps closer until he’s right in front of me. i feel his strong fingers gently grip my chin and tip it up until my eyes reach his again. i don’t shudder at his touch.  

“aelis, listen to me. i saw you fight that day. that bastard was three times your size and had you by the shirt and you still kicked him in the balls so hard it almost brought him to his knees. so, no. i don’t believe you’re pathetic. or a coward. or that you had truly given up. because no matter what brought you to the mountain that day, no matter what your intentions were, when it came down to it, you fought. i saw it back then and i still see it now. so don’t give up on me aelis.” his fingers on my chin tighten ever so slightly. “not yet.”

my eyes flick between both of us, desperately seeking out the truth in his words. i didn’t realize how badly i needed to hear those words until just now when he said them. i’m still fighting. after everything that’s happened, after everything i’ve done, i’m still fighting. 

“please, aelis, promise me you won’t give up.” his voice breaks, a hint of desperation in his tone, and i realize only then that i have yet to respond.

“okay,” i reply, so quiet i’m not even sure he can hear me. but then he releases a breath and i know he did. “i promise.”

“thank you,” he whispers. i stare up at his devastatingly beautiful face, wrought with more emotion than i have ever seen there before. i can feel my heart break and put itself back together again in a single beat while i gaze at him. the silence of the empty library wraps around us as we simply watch each other for a moment, hidden in our own little world between the stacks of ancient books.

his gaze flicks to my lips for half a second. and then, before i can even blink, he’s releasing his gentle hold on my chin and stepping away. 

“i’ll see you tomorrow in training,” is all he says before turning and walking back into the darkness of the library.

next chapter>>

thanks for reading and lmk what you think! i love hearing all your feedback!!!

taglist: send me an ask to get added to the taglist! (i only ask that you follow me and pls pls pls interact with my fic)

©️ the-shadowsingers-whore - plagiarizing, reposting, and translating is not permitted

[mistfuryandink]

April 3: the sound of red satin sheets at 2 am

what is it that you want?

I want pleasure

I want touch

I want

skin to skin

teeth against earlobe

lips hovering over my neck

fingers stroking

my stomach

my hands

my breasts

the lazy caress

the ache of it all

breathless begging roaming arching

building

more more more

I want more

and beneath the satisfaction

a little bit of love

found poem from Maas, Sarah J. A Court of Mist and Fury. pg 472

[acourtofquestions]

Reading Crown of Midnight:

(No spoilers please) Thoughts & Theories as of right now (starting Chapter 24):

— Okay this is just me thinking out loud (or I guess typing lol) but I have a new theory with 0 proof but I like guessing sometimes —

Aedion Ashryver was just introduced. We’ve (gonna use plurals lol) been wondering who is giving the king all this “info” on rebels (as it isn’t Chaol THE CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD) and someone is “advising” / giving him names for Celaena to “dispatch”. … The book has been dropping hints, telling us to look for that character (as Celaena does). And suddenly after those hints, along with another Aelin mention, a new character is thrown into the mix; a character that somehow survived the fall of Terrasen; begging the question of how. They could very easily be a traitor (hence the survival) & rebel destruction, OR an inside man for the rebels all along.🤔

NOW (without spoilers cause I’m trying not to ruin this for myself) I don’t know who Aelin is. Not officially, all I know is I’m pretty sure it’s Celaena… cause I unfortunately had this series HEAVILY in my feed prior to reading & pretty much every fan art that looks like Celaena is named Aelin… so I’m going to guess it’s her (whether she knows it or not)… though I’m trying not to think of it cause I’m guessing it’s a big plot. … With that said I mention it as it’s another reason why I think if Aedion was THAT character it would move that plot along too… possibly in helping her claim her new name… or adding some danger if he was bad & knew Aelin was alive (if she is Aelin to begin with). P.S. don’t confirm this, but if I’m right then the entire Dorian having met Aelin as a wild child & the whole “if Aelin had survived she might’ve been my bride” line becomes a thousand times more hilarious & heartbreaking.😅😅

P.S. P.S. why is there no ship content for Chaol and Celaena??? I try to avoid looking things up but sometimes I want inspo, fan art, aesthetics & right now I love them so much🥹… and I am so scared, something must go horribly wrong for there to be nothing (no content), and I may regret these posts of loving them but I want THEM to be ENDGAME😩… maybe I’ll get lucky and he has another name too and that’s why🤞… UGH book problems I JUST LOVE THEM TOO MUCH!!! And I know Sarah J. Maas writing, she’s gonna twist the plot and destroy me😂

[teienei]

Books to read

So, last post I talked about books I want to read/books that are on my list. 

1. Rise and Ruin by Leigh Bardugo - Currently, I am working through the Shadow and Bone trilogy. On a long flight the other day I finished Siege and Storm and I am already 100 pages into Rise and Ruin. 

2. King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

3. Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo - Need to read the duology focusing on Nikolai (tbh he is the only real reason I keep reading Shadow and Bone lol). 

4. Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert - I want to finish the second DUNE before the movie comes out in November.

5. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas - Trust me, the Crows books in the Grishaverse are on the list. However, I will put those on hold for a while, because my bestie is practically begging me to read ACOTAR. Not certain how far I will get in those books, as there are like 5 or 6 books and all are like 400 page, but I will try. 

6. The Secret History by Donna Tartt - Gift from my friend for Christmas, and it looks like the perfect autumn read.

7. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - I think I might read this a bit sooner, as I associate books heavily with seasons, and this seems like a perfect spring and summer book. Eventually I want to read Emma as well.

8. The endless collection of J.R.R. Tolkien books I have - finish the Silmarillion, Beren and Luthien, The Fall of Gondolin, The Fall of Numenor, Tales from the Perilous Realm. 

9. I also neeeed to finish Game of Thrones. 

The issue with my reading habits is that I lose steam - I will have a great non-stop reading weekend, then I get distracted by a different book or a different project. This list could take me 5 years to get through honestly. 

Another thought - I would love to give my takes on these books. I’m by no means a reviewer, but being more analytical about these fantasy books could really help me develop my own writing and ideas. 

[meltotheany]

hi hi friends! i hope you’re all doing well. june was a little bit of a whirlwind for me, but i was still able to read six things that i can’t wait to talk about with you! june is also my army anniversary with bts, and this year was the fifth! which feels very insane to type! but jimin also dropped a song the exact day, so the month for sure is ending on a happy note! but let’s get into the six books i read this month! 💜 ✨ Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 04 by Gege Akutami ⭐⭐⭐ ➛ vol. 1 ★★★★ ➛ vol. 2 ★★★ ➛ vol. 3 ★★★ i really am loving every itadori and sukuna interaction/moment. honestly, sukuna was my favorite character in this fourth installment, and im not sure what that says about me, but here we are. my heart @ junpei, fully and utterly. mahito, after my fave scene with sukuna, thinks up a new mission to steal some remaining cursed fingers of sukuna. but besides that, we get to see the start of the good year event, which is a team battle of different schools, where the most exorcisms win. but obviously, itadori is a target all on his own. so, so, so excited to continue on, probably extra because of the cliffhanger ending feeling of this, too! trigger + content warnings: fighting / battle, violence, blood, gore, death, talk of bullying ✨ One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware ⭐⭐ i feel like i really can’t talk about this book without getting into a little spoilery territory, so please skip over this review if you wish to know nothing about this thriller! (and i do say thriller and not thriller mystery because there really isn’t much mystery to this story whatsoever, which is also probably a reason i didn’t enjoy it as much!) but i picked this up because 1) i have enjoyed ruth ware in the past and 2) the girls were saying survivor meets love island and i will always be here for that set up! But instead of love island and survivor, we get lord of the flies and men’s rights activists. our main character, lyla, reluctantly agrees to go on a reality tv dating show, set on a secluded island, because her boyfriend is an actor and really begs her to do it because it could be very good for his career. lyla’s lab contract is up next month, and the funding renewal isn’t looking too good, so she also agrees under the condition that she can work on her paper and that she can only be on the island for two weeks. but after filming for only 24 hours, a big storm comes that is not only deadly but has completely made the people on the island not be able to contact anyone to come save them. And then she and the rest of the people are trying to survive while… red pill lord of the flies ensues. i really do respect making the villain who it was, and i respect the talk of the manosphere and the following these mens right activities accumulate on youtube and other platforms that also leads to the perpetuation of violence against women. but oh my god, i just hated reading about this man with all the sum of hate i have in my body. after that storm, that man would have been GONE by me and me alone and i would not have… done what they did at the end (even though that’s an important discussion too, and it does make sense, but again – i just hated reading about it!) i hope if you pick this one up, you have more fun reading it than i did, friends! trigger + content warnings (these will content some plot spoilers so please use caution or do not read if you do not need to know any tw/cws): extremely bad storms, talk of fear of water, extremely abusive relationships, blood, death, drowning, talk of loss of parent in past (one sentence), suicide mentions, not having the insulin that you need, grief, depression, loss of partner, grooming in past, and discussion of men’s rights activists throughout (always in a negative light but it is a lot) ✨ Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass, #3) by Sarah J. Maas (reread) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ “You cannot pick and choose what parts of her to love.” listen, 2015 melanie gave this two stars and i am 99% sure that was just because i shipped celaena...

[feysandfeels]

129. The fae kings be like when you, a looser, find another looser, to maximise your limp dick energy.

130. I kneeeeeeeeew this asshole had Dec and Flynn!!!! I KNEWW IT! There is nothing I do not know!! I! AM! UNSTOPPABLE!

131. “Ruhn decided to do her a favor and asked, ‘Wanna come in for a minute? Just to talk’” SUREEEEEEEEEEE JAN.

132. Honestly I did not think Pollux was the father but thank fuck he isn’t.

133. Because I’m yours, Day, I’m fucking yours. I do not have the words. When will a man love me like this?!

134. Her touching were his lip ring was and his brow one… and him replying “I’m here. We made it. I’m here” SARAH J MAAS I AM COMING FOR YOUR THROAT BUT THANK YOI FOR THIS I AM YOUR FOREVER FAN THANK YOU THANK YOU.

135. Whenever you feel you are unqualified for your job just remember Bryce went “Well someone has to lead” when she hasn’t show an ounce of leadership qualities jajajajajaja like babygirl you are the girl that lives in delusion.

136. Not her telling Hunt that at least she is not swallowed by guilt and fear… and why might that be?? Huh I wonder… anyone care to take a guess? Oh wait, I know MAYBE IT WAS BECAUSE YOU WERE NOT IN THE FIRST REBELLION AND DON’T HAVE TRAUMA!

137. It’s the fact that you let your friends in the hands if the fae kings… just saying

138. Okay so this place wasn’t built by Pelias… but ny Helena. The plot thickens

139. Bryce I am begging you right now! Where is the HOEAB YOU? Queen I know you are in there.

140. I do think Bryce is correct in telling Hunt he needs to do more than just go with it, but it is big of her when her commitment to this was mainly because she wanted to feel Danika closer… and it is even worse because she is not seeing things from Hunt’s perspective, and the why he is rightfully hesitant to commit to this.

141. Did he just call him son?! Like son-father-son? What?! Huh okay yeah… oddly enough not the worse parent to have in this series.

142. Wait another daddy? What?

143. If we get a third on we can Mamma Mia this shit out.

144. Lidia I TOO WANT RUHN ALL THE TIME. BESTIE SAAAAAAAAMEEEEEEEEE. You are so valid for that.

145. NOT HUNT BEING THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. I - JAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJJAJAJAJAJA

146. AND HERE COMES THE THIRD FATHER

147. Hey we are the princes of Hel and this is our start up: we help rid YOUR PLANET 🫵🏼 of Ghastly creatures. Follow us on ig @/HelofaSolution. I am Adias, I am Apollion and I am Thanatos, and we are ✨THE PRINCES OF HEL✨ call 666666666 to hear out special offer of the day.

148. Aidas is such a babygirl character. Even with all of this on the line he is like “choose each other, live” …. “Live, Manon, live”… I - damn I need a moment.

149. Omg no waaaaaaay Bryce is overcoming her hatred of the Fae! Who would have thought?! Took you long fucking enough but like finally Bryce, a win! A win! Omg

150. RUUUUUHN OH MY GOD WITH THE STARSWORD OH MY GOD OH MY FUCKIN GOD THAT IS MY MAN! THAT! IS! MY! MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!

151. THE MAN THAT YOU ARE RUHN DANAAN CROWN PRINCE OF THE VALBARAN FAE (iykyk)

152. You are going to live, Ruhn, and you are going to live fucking well without him.

153. DAMN FUCKING JESUS CHRIST BRYCE. Okay no. i have to give credit where credit is due and her “for the moment, I’m queen. I’m judge, jury… and I’m your motherfucking executioner” ATEEEEEEEEEEEEE YES GO BRYCE!!! NOW WE ARE FUCKING COOKING! OWN UP TO YOU POWER AND THE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT COME WITH IT AND CHANGE THE WORLD FOR THE BETTER! GO BRYCE! JUEPUTAAAAAAA SE PRENDIO ESTA GONORREA.

154. avallen truly said

155. Man what a chapter for Bryce… what a chapter.

156. Hunt Athalar🫵🏼 you 🫵🏼 remain The MOST PERFECT MAN ✨🫶🏼 I AM NEVER NOT IN AWE OF YOU 🫵🏼 I LOVE YOU 🫵🏼🫵🏼

157. Gotta love that Helena tied the last of her mother’s power to the land. That is one solid little motif I will always love.

158. The asteri truly said: lol you freed an island, that’s cute *drops bombs on their own fucking subjects *. YOU CAN’T SEE A BAD BITCH (team fuck you forever) THRIVE

159. ithan being like how will we get in with Morven… BOY! Do I have a surprise for you.

160. Gotta give it SJM, she truly delivered the most coherent character ever in Fury. A bitch (affectionate) said “I’m taking my gf and we’re dipping” and she was never heard of again.

161. Bryce apologising to Hunt now that she has faced a similar loss… okay growth.. I see you. Good of you to finally show up.

162. “I’ll get the mop and the bucket.” AND SHE CAN BRING THE VACUUM!!!!

163. Wait hold on is Bryce going back to Prythian to get the mask and use the army of the souls of everyone to fight the Asteri??? To see Connor fighting alongside his brother? Before he is gone to finally finally rest after the Asteri have been defeated? Because if this happens I will cry until I have drowned the world in my tears. CONNOR HOLSTROM I CARRY YOU WITH ME FOREVER! SAM CORTLAND I ALSO CARRY YOU WITH ME FOREVER! Different series but I just had to remind… the fictional character… that I love him…. Oh god this is why I’m single isn’t it?

164. I love Ithan but this whole Fendyr business is so pointless.. I mean probably hinting at the possibility of him getting a book… and this is the groundwork and blah blah blah…but I’m sure a more productive plotline could have been found for him. Like literally they are saving the world and Ithan is all… yes but I need to bring back this one person.

165. Ay :( the gang is separating again :(

166. I need to bend the rules of time and space again to give Ithan a kiss on the forehead and tell him he is good.

167. Baxian’s usefulness being determined by the fact that he was the one who got them the *checks notes* stables to sleep in ? Like JAJAJAJAJAJAJAJA okay fair is fair.

168. Just because I haven’t said it in a while, but Lidia is such a fucking badass!

169. But also QUEEN BEHAVIOUR because she is now turning him on when they are in such a crowded place jajajajajajajajajajaj go off queen!

170. FLYNN JAJAJAJANAJANAN PLEASE DON’T FUCK RIGHT NEXT TO US JAJAJAJAJAJAJA YOU ARE VALID BESTIE.

THEY TOOK OUT RUHN’S LIP PIERCING?! THEY! TOOK! OUT! RUHN’S! LIP! PIERCING!!

SOMEONE HOLD ME. SOMEONE HOLD ME RIGHT NOW. I AM ABOUT TO BREAK THE RULES OF TIME AND SPACE AN REALITY AND MAKE THEM PAY

MAKE THEM PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY