#TOG character analysis

[2-old-to-guard]

Sebastien, Booker, Le Livre

Alright then, let us begin with the sad french one!

*Disclaimer* - this is a long post, buckle up before reading

First Impression:

The first time we see Booker, he's riding a motocyle. Firstly, this serves as a cool visual. But also... all he's wearing on the bike is jeans, a short sleeved shirt and no helmet whilst swerving through the streets. We immedietly see that he's not too concerened about dying which could be foreshadowing his depression.

The second thing we learn about "The book" is that he likes to collect book, badum tish, when Andy gives him a "first edition Don Quixote". This mostly foreshadows Andy's fate (as will be explained in her analysis) but it also shows Booker's rather dismissive attitude towards life. A deleted scene shows Booker using scratch cards. This combined with his alcoholism and his expensive book collection, he uses habits like this to make him feel something.

Relationships:

Unlike Andy with Joe or Nicky, Booker and her don't hug until the Gousanville ambush. They just walk side by side and Andy gives him the book. This makes me believe that Booker doesn't respond to touched whilst Andy seems to rely on touch.

Booker and Nicky seem to have a playful rilvary though there isn't much to work with, they have very little scenes and the ones I can find are mostly about Nicky. But this scene does make me laugh as Booker is clearly enjoying annoying Nicky. It adds complexity to Booker as he clearly has strong connections with the other immortals and clearly loves them.

As I've talked about before, Joe and Booker is the most affectionate of Booker's relationship. Joe celebrates Booker's success in the bet and Booker turns to Joe when celebrating. Further explanation can be find here.

Foreshadowing Betrayal:

Watching the movie multiple times, I became intrigued on the ways they foreshadows his betrayel, focusing on the Sudan Mission.

Firstly, when Andy, Joe and Nicky are reuniting, Booker turns away from the affection. This, combined with "It's a job" cutting the playfull moment short, he's possibly trying to alienate himself from his family as he knows what he's about to do. You can also see something is wrong based on the look Copley gives him after Andy accepts the mission.

During the mission, Booker is the only one who doesn't react to the ambush. He frowns a little but otherwise doesn't appear surprised (gee I wonder why).

After the mission, he's mostly on damage control. Claiming he 'checked' Copley is clearly meant to foreshadow that Booker is on it.

When Nile is discovered, he's the only one who doesn't want to find her. This, while hinting to his betrayal, also shows his complexity. He doesn't want to subject Nile to experiments and so doesn't want to find her.

The Dreams:

Each of the immortals focus on different things from the dreams that show a part of their character.

As the youngest memeber of the group, he cannot see most of the dream and has little to contribute. Furthermore, the only thing he knows for certain is that he "felt her die". This shows Booker's focus on death.

In Nile's dream, all she sees of Booker is him drinking. Make of that what you will.

The Dinner Scene:

Booker's comment is met with laughter from Joe insted of concern. This clearly shows that his nilahism isn't a recent development and is seen as something endearing about his personality. Also justifys why the immortals didn't suspect his betrayel. He's not acting any different than usual. This almost serves as a metaphor for depression as there are usually little signs of people's depression worsening as they are trying to pretend.

I think it's interesting that Booker refers to his death like this. In the comics, Booker tries to desert the Napoleonic War and is hanged for his treason. I wonder if it was meant to be "fighting WITH Napoleon" and if this will be explored in the sequel. This desertion is integral to his character as it shows he wasn't meant to be a warrior and had no wish to fight, which adds another layer of tragedy to him being an eternal fighter.

These small moments, combined with Joe's chuckle earlier, implicity shows the relationship between the three men even though they don't have many scenes together. Booker laughs at Nicky's joke and looks to Joe after Quynh is brought up. He doesn't hate the couple, even though he holds a little bitterness, but he had become some consumed with his greif and sorrow that he doesn't consider what they would want and is willing to sacrifice them to achieve mortality.

This line foreshadows Booker's backstory and shows that he does care about Nile as he wants to protect her from pain.

The Goussainville Ambush:

Straight away, Copley not capturing Booker is suspicious. When you first watch it, you think it's just because he looks dead and the mercenaries don't know he's immortal. But when you rewatch, it's clear this was a plan to ensure that Andy was also captured.

Fan fact, this is the first time Andy and Booker touch and it is driven but the intense emotion of 'oh my god is Booker dead'. It is also directly follows an act of violence (Andy slapping Booker) which is an intresting choice.

This subtle acting choice is really interesting to me. Matthias seems to almost answer Andy's question before remembering that he's ✨betraying her✨ and then goes back to being 'clueless'.

Booker and Nile:

I think it's really sweet that Booker tries to comfort Nile while there's a hole in his chest. It's also incredibley ironic given how much Booker hates immortality. While some people ship the duo, I think it is more of a paternal realationship. It's unique to have the grieving character, especially a man, to be grieving children insted of a partner. Building Nile and Booker's relationship on this ground makes it feel more paternal than romantic to me.

Booker telling Nile his backstory comes in a really organic way, with him trying to convince her not to see her family. This is the first time in the movie that Booker's cynicism is recognised by the script as a bad thing. Up until this point, it's been just a character quirk but they give him the space to fully show the weight of immortality on Booker. Also Matthias slays this scene, ate and left no crumbs.

The Betrayel:

I could do a full analysis on this scene but I'll summerise here:

Andy holds such trust in Booker that she doesn't doubt he would've warned her about anyone arriving therefore, the only person who could be behind her is him. When Andy calls for Booker, he responds instantly with:

Shooting her in the back is such a gut punch, specifically for Andy. He knew he could get away with it because she trusts him so much.

This is the first time in the movie that Booker initiates physical contact with anyone and again, its an act of violence.

This line of dialogue is so beautifully tragic. It puts Booker's despair on full display. He's willing to make a deal with the devil so he's allowed to go to hell. It is also double sided as, of course, Andy is now mortal. But it also holds a level of deceit beacause if Andy wanted to be mortal then why did he feel the need to lie to her and set this up. Surely if she wanted it, she'd agree to the testing. Overall, Booker has allowed his greif to consume him and convince him to do anything to achieve mortality.

Despite that, when he realises that she is mortal, he immedietly tries to save her from the experiments that would kill her. It sort of shocks him into thinking, somewhat, clearly. But by then it's too late. Booker is a really good tragic character and follows the conventions well. He wants to be mortal so he lies, cheats and hurts his family. When he gets what he wants, another twist means that his goal is not what he wants anymore but by then it's too late.

The Lab:

This line is yet another example of Booker's irony. He seemingly forgets that Joe and Nicky KILLED each other when they first met, and for many years afterwards. It took them many years, possibly more than Booker's been alive, to find love. Furthermore, they now have to live and love with the knowledge they will eventually die at seemingly random. Booker combines cynicism with naivity as he is the young member of the group and therefore, doesn't view time as they do. Whilst they have lived long, he fears to.

However, Booker knows he made a mistake and wants to pay for it. At first, he wants to stay in the lab and suffer. But this is most likely guided by his depression as staying in the lab could result in his mortality. Subtly, he's still trying to die. But Andy, maybe seeing through this, shares her newfound mentality and he, feeling guilty, strives to help her.

Now Andy has expressed a desire to live, he honors that and helps her achieve that.

The Final Battle:

Knowing his mistake, Booker puts his all into helping the others.

I like the detail of him using military techniques with Nile (tapping her shoulder to let her know it's clear). It a subtle moment of him showing care for people with actions.

Also, this clip of Booker covering Joe and Nicky almost like he's trying to attone for his actions.

Second to Nicky, Booker runs over to Nile and helps her out of the car. This works as the penultimate climax to their relationship. Instead of just telling Nile to give up on her family, he offers her a new one. Also the expression he gives Andy as she approaches.

Banishment:

Booker's banishement is one of the most controversial parts of the movie but it works fully for me. Of course Joe and Nicky don't want to be around Booker for a while, he betrayed them in the worst possible way (which I'll delve into in their sections). As displayed throughout the movie, they trusted him completley and he hurt them. He knows this and I think that's why he says:

It's almost like wishful thinking. The looks between Joe and Booker break my heart as Marwan and Matthias are so easily able to convey the hurt and anger of Joe and the regret and acceptance from Booker.

This entire scene is heartbreaking tbh. This is the first moment of contact between Andy and Booker that doesn't end in violence. I think this is meant to symbolise the ways they have accepted their immortality or mortality respectively. Also, as Booker doesn't seem to like physical contact, having him initiate a hug almost appears to be him trying to comfort Andy about their new relationship.

Conclusion:

Booker is a really complicated character that is full of contridictions and stupidity but he's a unique part of the characters and adds most of the sorrow of the immortals. He serves to show the toll of immortality in the present insted of just showing it in the past.

All in all, I love the sad little French man and I'm glad he'll be back with the main cast in the sequel. Also Matthias Schoenaerts ate and left no crumbs

[not-your-average-flower]

Aedion Ashryver is a hell of a character. Change my mind.

Aedion Ashryver is an absolute emotional and moral powerhouse of the entire series.

The guy:

is loyal to the point of pain – literally and emotionally. In "QoS" when he knew he would be sentenced to death but still he wanted to die on his own terms and damn it, he almost succeeded! His determination to die with dignity, on his own terms, without mercy, without self-pity, without begging – THAT'S CHARACTER. He knew he had broken the rules of Adarlan. And seriously – he was one step away from leaving with such a bang that only Aelin could stop him at the last moment and change the course of history. And Aelin entered this scene. He had already accepted his fate. He wanted to die like a hero, but he is still alive and our beloved S J Maas allows him to be ridden even more. Now he has to live, fight, love, fail, torment himself… and grow as a human being. Because life is a harder road than death.

Carries tons of trauma with pride and jokes on his lips. 14 years old taking part in a historic battle? Put on his CV. Orphanhood and loss of family? No problem. Despite this, he still listened to others and acted for his beloved cousin even though he didn't know if she was alive at all, he was willing to die for her even before he knew she was alive,

created an internal, silent resistance movement before it was fashionable: LOSS

didn't have time to enjoy time his beloved cousin who definitly will makes his hair turn gray

lost his Blood Oath, Aelin,unknowingly, deprived him of the only dream he had for himself and despite everything he was proud to fight alongside Rowan, even though Aedion himself is a fucking legend

turns out that his mixed heritage is not just a part of his blood but actually half of it! And that from a warrior he's a fan of

met his Old Man, one of the last people connected to him by blood but hated him for leaving his Mother

unconscious humiliation by his beloved Aelin at the end of "EoS" That wasn't a plan. It was a continuation of his trauma - dressed up as "reason". And that with a woman he started to feel something for. Because let's be clear: he didn't want to be the "solution". He wanted to be loved. And what did he get? Duty. Again.

He deserves his own whole trilogy. He wanted to be loved unconditionally and once again he became a sword.

Sarah, for fuck's sake, give him his own book 🐺💔

[serien-grl-22]

Why Kingdom of Ash did Dorian dirty // Kingdom of Ash – Dorian, wasted potential

*Major spoiler waring for KoA! *

KoA was a huge disappointment (at least for me), especially the second half (as soon as the witches arrived at Orynth and Dorian found Aelin.)

Nearly every character went downhill, their development was stopped/rushed because the focus was only on Aelin (e.g. Rowan and Lorcan, strong male characters turned into literary simps). The final battle was rushed and just not comparable to the previous books.

But I will focus on Dorian because technically he was equal to Aelin, (one of) the protagonist(s) of the series, so the loss of character-focus probably hit him the most.

Erawan and Galanthynius/Havilliard

Something that does not really hit Dorian personally (his character for us readers) was the focus of Erawan’s “fear/hate” towards Aelin. It was said that Erawan hated the Galanthynius and Havilliards for arresting him, so why does he only focus on Aelin? Aelin is just Galanthynius, while Dorian is BOTH. And it has been Dorian’s ancestors (Elena & Gavin) who locked Erawan up, so shouldn’t his hate be more towards Dorian? It can’t be the fact that Aelin’s fire can kill Valgs, Dorian has raw magic, so he’s as dangerous to them as Aelin. And if that’s not enough there’s still his name.

Nameless is my price

This was the riddle which accompanied us through all the books. In the end, we found out that it did not mean that Aelin has to scarify herself, no, it was the King of Adarlan. He sacrificed his afterlife. He was the nameless person, because a curse of Erawan made him and the whole world forget his name. Only Erawan remembered his name. And the King himself once, during the birth of his firstborn son who he named after himself. Dorian. Erawan knew all the time that Dorian has a name which shouldn’t even exist. We don’t know if the name “Dorian” was a course for Dorian II or a blessing, but it should make Erawan hate him even more.

The name could also have played a way bigger part in KoA (I repeat, this was the main riddle since the first book if we exclude Assassin’s Blade).

He’s Human

Dorian struggles with the idea, which came up from Maeve, that he maybe is partly Valg. His father was a Valg while he was conceived. Maeve asked herself if Dorian was not also partly Valg. I know, this is more something personal, but it would explain many habits of him:

His two kinds of “dark magic”/phantom hands.

If you read carefully, you realise there are two kinds of his phantom hands. One, where he has to use his hands, his phantom hands are just an extension of himself, he feel’s everything he touches etc. (e.g., while Aelin (Celaena) attacked Chaol in CoM). The other one is similar to Maeve’s (Valg!) magic. It’s not described very well but it’s definitely darker and he does not have to use is hand (e.g., on the island during their campfire, while Dorian protected Manon from an attack in EoS).

Why he gets along with Valg.

He was the only one who was not scared of Manon and her coven, he was raised by Valgs he could handle Maeve without efforts (he never had a mentor or something like this) he killed a Valg inside of him … suspicious, right?

And also appreciable, the long-term effects. If Dorian would be a Valg, Hollin would be one too (Hollin has definitely Valg-habits). And eventually there would be other ones, too. Would they be accepted in society? What would Aelin etc. do if there would be after the end of the war still Valgs left?

Dorian survives

First of all, I love him. He’s my absolute favourite character but sometimes a sadder end is a better one….

Dorian found the third Wyrdkey in Morath and left. But why searched he for Aelin? He didn’t even know where she is, so what were his intention? After he found her, he wanted to sacrifice himself, he did not want Aelin do die. So why did he go to her? There’s no logic behind this action. Dorian suffered from extreme PDST, way heavier than Aelin ever did (this does NOT mean that he went through worse than Aelin, you cannot compare one trauma to another one, it also does not mean that he’s mentally weaker than her, he is just a different person). He had absolutely no will to live left, why did he not end his life? It would change the story extremely, especially for Aelin. Her burden would be taken from her, by (one of) her best friend(s). How could she handle this (again)? (Would also match to point 2)

Another problem, what shall Dorian do after KoA?

Sarah J. Maas books are mainly focused on love-interests so I’m doing this here, too.

There is no doubt that he still mourns over Sorscha’s death, maybe he’ll never fully get over this loss. First thought is, of course, MANORIAN.

I am a hardcore Manorian-shipper, but I do not believe that they will be endgame (sadly), I have another side written why they won’t. For this point it’s enough, that Dorian does not want/can not love another one (he asked himself when looking at her [Manon] would stop feeling like betrayal; he believed that Manon’s proposing was not based on feelings; the whole time he tries to convince himself that there is nothing between them), while Manon on the other side is not suited for a relationship. At least now. Maybe in a hundred years it’s different but currently she has to learn how to feel. Conclusion: Manorian is an unrealistic scenario.

What is left? Dorian falls in love with another woman (with my Manorian-part I probably already have refuted this), Dorian gets an arranged marriage or he dies alone.

Both is a pretty sad idea, especially when we consider, that Dorian was always the romantic one while others said the brain is more important (ToG or CoM). He also refused in ToG or CoM to marry anyone for another reason than love.

PDST

I already mentioned it, Dorian suffered from heavy PDST. What happened to this? It was all barely mentioned through the books (but clear to see), so what is he going to do? He has no partner/mate (like Aelin and Rowan) who could help him. His best friend is married and is going to be a father, so he will be busy. His other friends, Aelin and Manon are pretty far away and that’s it. His family is death or does not like him, also no option.

In the end he feels better because Manon said she could visit sometimes. And Maas wrote this like everything is going to be better for him now. I know, SJM is not the best author in writing traumatized characters, mainly they find a love interest and everything is good, but that is not how it works. A trauma isn’t gone because a person probably will show up sometimes.

I don’t know what I was cooking when I wrote this post over four years ago. Hope you enjoy it anyway it seemed like a waste to not post it.

[otori0]

Ho, Bam and consequences | ToG rant

SPOILERS AHEAD !!!

Disclaimer - I'm reading the manhwa at the same pace I watch the anime so I won't miss anything, and I'm enjoying both equally, I think there's value in both of them. Both will be referenced on this post. Also I haven't finished S1 yet so of course I'm open to changing my mind later on. I might also write a full analysis later on (probably on Ho because as you can see I'm very invested in his writing...such a shame he had little screentime). Additionally, this was written on discord so it's not as fleshed out and coherent as my usual posts.

I loved episode 9 of the anime to death. I loved it, but it feels to me like Ho's death had more weight narratively than for the characters. Especially, I expected his exchange with Bam and Rachel to affect them a lot more than it did, at least so far. Ho's death is important to the narrative because it showcases the gap between the powerful and the powerless, the chosen and the failures, in a more extreme way than the previous dropouts had. Ho's immediate response to his (very naive) plan failing is to kill himself, which hints that he might have thought about it beforehand- Ho saw his plan as his last chance to regain some self-esteem, pride and to show himself that he isn't wrong (and of course, to pass the test). This episode also strengthens Endorsis' despair to survive and aim higher, Khun's arrogance, and in general gives us a more empathetic view of how it feels to climb the tower for a Regular. I think Ho should have lived a bit longer and actually faced his plan failing (might actually write a fic about this), but it's something that would have happened sooner or later to someone, and a pivotal moment that involve two of the most important characters Bam and Rachel and also forces them to interact. At least, that's how it feels, that it should have been pivotal.

It undeniably is, but I can't help but feel that it should have affected specifically Bam more, especially the things Ho says to him. Him saying that the friend list is just lip-service and never meant anything to him should make Bam question the rest of his friends. It's one of the first times, if not the first, that Bam is directly confronted with someone lying to him like that, spitting on his good intentions, and showing him the darker side of people and the tower. Ho directly blaming him (''It's your fault for showing off your power'') should make Bam doubt himself and his power. Ho telling Bam that he's a monster, that he's going to become the same as the one who attacked his family? village? (i don't think we know the details), and that Bam is sure to grow up that way should make Bam reflect on himself, or feel shocked. But here is the thing- through his death and afterwards, Bam doesn't seem all that affected by Ho himself. Instead, the small bits we get of how it reflects on him are much more self-centered.

In the manhwa (and I'll never forgive them for skipping this line), when Ho kills himself Bam says ''Why must everyone always try to run away?!''. This line, this one says a lot. Bam seeing suicide (something he surely has or should have little knowledge of, all he knows is that Ho is dead by his own volition) as running away, something he has never considered of doing but he knows that other people do... He might see Rachel's avoidance as running away too. He might like Khun and Rak because they're two pretty straightforward and ambitious people. ((Or at least, that's how they look from his perspective- We however know that Khun is all but straightforward in his ways and he actually struggles with changing)) Endorsi is the same way. It gives us insight on how Bam sees other people, although so far he always tries to see the good in them. But it also just seems rooted in pure frustration, and I don't believe Bam is blaming Ho here. Once Ho's dead and they do his funeral, it seems like Bam immediately forgets and focuses on the most important thing: Rachel. In a sense, Rachel being injured is the perfect excuse for Bam to again shift all his attention to her. But the thing is- this isn't an inconsistency. I don't know how much SIU has planned this beforehand, but this makes perfect sense, which makes it frustrating. Bam really has mainly only thought about Rachel. Sure, he likes his friends, he cares about them, but he's lacking a basic empathy that people seem to miss, and once Bam actually loses Rachel, he's going to find that he's an empty person because he couldn't see the bigger picture. He's only seeing her and his own goal. His altruism is selfish from the very first episode, and that actually makes it interesting, but it's also sad because it kind of confirms Ho's fears. Ho is forgotten and meaningless and a failure. Up to now, the other dropouts also received this treatment from the cast, so it's not surprising, but it's still upsetting (not to mention, the only person who actually seemed affected by it left...which i completely understand).

We don't see much of Rachel's point of view, so I'm unsure on how she approached this whole matter mentally speaking, but we can tell that she either: 1. Didn't care if Ho actually killed her (most likely option), or 2. Was confident enough to think that she wouldn't die in that situation (can also be likely because there's many reasons why Ho's plan could have failed anyways without Bam being there). She might also be used to experiencing that sort of thing/her negative outlook might influence this.

((Adding to Bam's lack of empathy, there's the fact that he didn't hesitate to fight a Ranker after Ho threatened that he'd kill Rachel if Bam didn't. I won't go as far as saying that Bam would have tried to kill Quant, but I don't think he would have minded it if that meant Rachel survived. I wonder how much does Bam know and internalize about life and death.))

Some other small details that stood out to me that I might include if I write a Ho analysis: It's interesting that Ho brings up God a few times. I wonder how does God work in a universe like ToG's. Him assuming that God must have taken something from Bam in exchange of his powers is also interesting (''What did God take from him in exchange for that talent? I lost everything and all I got was enough power to do some parlor tricks.'') and it makes me wonder if he'll be proven right on this too...

It's upsetting because, in real life, you could argue with someone with this mindset that people's talents aren't given by god, that instead they're a lot of times the result of a lot of hard work. But in the ToG universe specifically, it does work that way, people are chosen and more than once one's hard work doesn't mean anything. So it's really interesting that we could see a character with this mindset.

All in all I really enjoyed that episode, I'm really curious to see if and how will this situation affect them in the future (the lack of effect is also an effect on itself, which was the main point of my rant), and to see how the cast develops. I'm very intrigued so far by the writing, it's very interesting, and I feel like every scene or line tells a lot about each character giving them a lot of personality.

Forever sad that Ho doesn't have more lore or scenes, but I can change that......

[acourtofquestions]

So, I (of course😂) have a LOT of thoughts after finishing The Assassin’s Blade — heading into Heir of Fire, so I still don’t fully know the series… this is current non-spoiler thoughts — but let’s get into it:

First off let’s deal with a big one: Celaena and Arobynn.

…Mostly “big” because their entire relationship is so severely f*ed up it take’s a LOT to understand… However, the biggest thing that keeps sticking out to me is the fact that it does makes sense (I am NOT saying it’s right, or healthy; to be clear it is most definitely NOT) it is a disturbingly realistic portrayal of what THAT kind & level of abuse does to a person.

It is infuriatingly painful to watch; as the reader you can clearly see the issue; you want to scream at Celaena to RUN already, get out, NOW; you feel for Sam’s frustration at times becoming fury & terror at the fact she does not stop him.

Yet, it is not a lack of knowing or agreeing with this that makes Celaena stay; it isn’t even wanting to stay, often she confirms the opposite; it’s the fact that she is utterly terrified. At times Arobynn makes her revert into a terrified state of childlike fawning. All centered around the idea; I can only seem to explain using this quote (because Shakespeare has nothing on Taylor Swift; though the context of this is 100% NON romantic; that question mark on their relationship is utterly skin crawling) “Who’s going to know me?” if not Arobynn who is going to know Aelin Galathynius ever even existed?

… Everything Celaena has become she has been (falsely) taught into believing was “Arobynn given”; even her notoriety as the prized “Adarlan’s Assassin” is not by her mark but by his word. He has ensured at every opportunity that she does not forget it; that she feels small & one breath away from being prey, that she does not feel sure of herself or anything aside from him (and even that is a pendulum) that she is haunted by her past; and never forgets what it is to lose EVERYTHING. She lost everything. In that she had to destroy every piece of the girl she was; the one that had a family she loved; the one that had a home, a country, a purpose; anything she was before the one Arobynn pulled out of the river. And if not him; does anyone even remember? — Does it all cease to be nothing more than forgotten; her grief, her love, Aelin herself; is it any different than if Aelin had drowned in the river?

— This is Celaena’s obsession with being remembered; on the surface it appears shallow, selfish, full of nothing more than pride & arrogance alone; in truth it has more to do with fear (a key point of her character’s driving mindset) & purpose (a key point of humanity/morality).

… How does she make any sense of all she has done & become at Arobynn’s hand; every life she has taken, every terrible thing she has done; if not for him?

And this is why for so long she stays; because she is more afraid of the unknown & so tired of loss; it feels much safer to be known, to know the loss that will come, to hurt with familiar pain, to exist within a tether to his realm; then to feel as if she is risking everything over again.

[moonfawnx]

No matter how much you whine,

no matter how much you spam flower and bat emojis,

no matter if elain and azriel went through an attraction,

no matter how many people ship characters x and y,

no matter how much shade you throw to elucien,

no matter how loud you scream that your ship is endgame,

no matter how many times you say that shipping elucien is misogynistic,

no matter how many times you say that e/riel had more buildup,

no matter if u want elain to “suck azriel in front of lucien”,

no matter how much you hate Lucien,

it will never change this💗

sarah has been an elucien since day one! i know it must be hard to accept that your ship was just a plot device that would eventually lead to two different endgames but no need to get rude over fictional pairings :)

Nothing will ever change the fact that sarah loves elucien. And she has never stated that she changed her mind about them, so don’t come at me with the “this was a long time ago”

“tension, healing and growth together”

she said they’ll be together, and that’s when it was over for all other ships.

I’m Illiterate? I’m just listening to the authors own words!

tog spoilers underneath!

This ship war is the funniest thing ever cause people are acting like no book couple has ever not worked out (Celaena x Chaol, Nesryn x Chaol, Dorian x Celaena)

Yet people are acting like we’re insane for believing that e/riel isn’t endgame (when in the bonus they were VERY similar to nesryn x chaol who also didn’t work out because they just liked the idea of eachother)

PLUS the author straight up telling us that elucien will be together, and their only argument against it is that it was a long time ago. Like pls? Did she ever say “yea i changed my mind in elucien”? nope her words on them have always been positive.

And, the final nail on the coffin, which was Azriel, who was supposedly the “threat” to elucien (was always just a plot device) had a ton of mating signs with Gwyn in only one chapter.

Something SPARKED in his chest!

How her teal eyes might LIGHT UP.

The SMILE she brought to his face.

Same chapter he revealed that he has only ever thought about sex with Elain.

This isn’t even an analysis, i’m just so annoyed at how many times i’ve been called delusional or illiterate because i ship the same people the author does.

[zenkindoflove]

✨ Thank you for being in the fandom! ✨

Being here, you have contributed so much and have made so many people happy and excited. Now, just so we can get to know you better:

What made you first read the books, and which SJM series did you begin with first?

What character across all of her books do you relate to the most and why?

What inspired you to begin contributing to the fandom (i.e., fanfics, artwork, commissions, analysis, all of the above, or something else?)

Are there any accounts that you’d like to shoutout that have either inspired you, or made you feel the most welcomed and loved here?

💕 Thank you again for all that you do 💕

This was a very sweet ask, anon. Thank you!

What made you first read the books, and which SJM series did you begin with first?

It was a mix of seeing them talked about on TikTok and knowing a few of my friends had read them. I had been in a reading slump for a bit and decided to give them a try. I started with ACOTAR in September 2023. Decided to catch up on CC in November 2023 so I could read HOFAS with everyone. Have never gotten far in TOG.

What character across all of her books do you relate to the most and why?

Hmmmm, I think in terms of who do I identify more of my own traits in, I think I'm a decent mix of Elain and Nesta. I'm the oldest sibling, more introverted, and tend to take over/be bossy (Nesta), but I'm also a chronic people pleaser, handle my own emotions and trauma inwardly and try not to upset people, and I'm more of a romantic (Elain).

What inspired you to begin contributing to the fandom (i.e., fanfics, artwork, commissions, analysis, all of the above, or something else?)

After finishing the series and reading a few Elucien fics, I wanted to write my own because I had written quite a lot of fanfiction in past fandoms and felt very inspired to write again. That started my very long journey of writing tons of Elucien fic, and then branching out into my Eris x Alexius journey, with some misc. rare pairs thrown in there.

Are there any accounts that you’d like to shoutout that have either inspired you, or made you feel the most welcomed and loved here?

All the friends I've made on here are amazing, talented, loving, and inspire me all the time. I'm seriously so amazed at how much talent is in this fandom. Fanworks make this often toxic fandom bearable, and I wouldn't be here without the community of people that I've met that focus their efforts on creation or supporting creators in this fandom. I tried my best to name as many people as I could but I know I'm missing people. I'm sorry!

@crazy-ache , @jadedbugart , @bonecarversbestie , @works-of-heart , @thrumbolt , @fierling , @starsreminisce , @themadmorrigan , @the-darkestminds , @yennas-stuff , @olenvasynyt , @spiritedstars , @clarafae , @ethereal-lionheart , @goghwilde , @sapphiresandgold , @teddyhoneybear , @buffy-vanserra , @clockwork-ashes , @lovely-vanserra-sunshine , @jules-writes-stories , @what-about-elvenis , @constantsins , @jon-snows-man-bun , @matrixsss , @highlordofkrypton , @fourteentrout , @fortheloveofbanksy , @shadowhunter2003

[ladydeath-vanserra]

𝙱𝚕𝚘𝚐 𝙱𝚒𝚘 𝚄𝚙𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎:

if ur gonna follow or interact with my blog pls realize I am very critical towards most acotar content, especially if it involves Rhysand. I am more-or-less a Rhys Anti until further notice and I am hard-core side eye towards Cassian until Rhysand is held accountable for being a shitty person for more than like *checks notes* two pages

I'm not a Tamlin Stan, nor do I particularly care for him, but I have been engaging in thoughtful criticisms of his actions often which involves character analysis so you v likely will see that pop up every now and then

ᴀ ᴄᴏᴜʀᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴏʀɴꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴏꜱᴇꜱ

Nesta Archeron

Lucien Vanserra

Eris Vanserra

Feyre Archeron / Anti Feyre Archeron

Elain Archeron / Anti Elain Archeron

The Archeron Sisters

Anti Rhysand

Anti Cassian

Azriel

Anti Amren

Anti Morrigan

Anti Inner Circle

Tamlin

Jurian

ᴄʀᴇꜱᴄᴇɴᴛ ᴄɪᴛʏ

Bryce Quinlan / Anti Bryce Quinlan

Hunt Athalar

Ruhn Danaan

Aidas

ᴛʜʀᴏɴᴇ ᴏꜰ ɢʟᴀꜱꜱ

Aelin Galathynius

Manon Blackbeak

Dorian Havilliard

Rowan Whitethorn

Aedion Ashryver

Anti Chaol Westfall

ᴘʀᴏ ꜱʜɪᴘꜱ:

Neris

Azris

Nezriel

Lucnes

Elucien

Brysta

gwynlain

tamsand

ᴀɴᴛɪ ꜱʜɪᴘꜱ:

Anti Nessian

Anti Feysand

Anti Elriel

ᴍᴇᴛᴀ ᴘᴏꜱᴛꜱ:

Class Warfare + Class Traitors in ACoTaR

SJM + Eugenics + Ableism in her Writing

Inequality + Slums in Velaris

acotar tiktok meta

acotar meta

Classism in Acotar

Eugenics in Acotar

Eugenics in ToG

Yt Feminism in Acotar

Hybern Ireland - the Vilification of Ireland in Acotar

ʜᴇᴀᴅᴄᴀɴᴏɴꜱ | ᴀᴜꜱ:

BPD Nesta

Autistic!Nesta

Slavic Archeron Sisters AU

Scottish!Tamlin

Disabled!Cassian

Justice for Poor Cassian and Poor Archeron Girls

Glasses!Elain Propaganda

aroace lesbian elain

ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ:

Neil Josten

ᴀʟʟ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴀᴍᴇ

ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴜɴꜱʜɪɴᴇ ᴄᴏᴜʀᴛ

Andrew Minyard

Jean Moreau

ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʀᴜᴇʟ ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇ

Jude Duarte

Cardan Greenbriar

Jurdan

Rath Roiben Rye

Kaye Fierch

ᴛᴠᴅᴠᴇʀꜱᴇ:

Can we Stop the Overt Vilification of Esther Mikaelson and the UwUization of Mikael Mikaelson

Stop Hating on Finn hes too Babygirl for This

TVD TikTok Edits

ᴛʜᴇ ᴏʀɪɢɪɴᴀʟꜱ:

Klaus Mikaelson

Elijah Mikaelson

Dahlia Mikaelson

Esther Mikaelson

Finn Mikaelson

Vincent Griffith

Freya Mikaelson

Rebeckah Mikaelson

Kol Mikaelson

Mikael Mikaelson

ᴛʜᴇ ᴠᴀᴍᴘɪʀᴇ ᴅɪᴀʀɪᴇꜱ:

Damon Salvatore

Caroline Forbes

Katherine Pierce

[the-impulse-to-love]

"emergence" and the teeth of god novel

my brain keeps thinking of emergence specifically in terms of the graphic novel so bam. analysis post idk

this is solely gonna focus on looking at it through the teeth of god... i'll post other theories and ideas in a separate post if i get to it

teeth of god spoilers ofc ↓

also heads up not gonna analyze Every Single Line since some of them don't really have Immediate Connections to the graphic novel...

i have a feeling we're close to the end

in the third director's note, he states that "In these final dimming days I know only the solace of a promised end" and goes on to express his desire to "barter one last time with the tangled threads of fate" before going out to directly see the anomaly in the last chapter.

in his first note, he also explains how he dreams of a giant black wave "sweeping forth to herald the end of everything." we see this wave in the last chapter (albeit in his mind/not in reality) as the god mother (tmbte creature) greets him and embraces him as they sink beneath the waves (and he gets transformed in reality).

come on, come on, out from underneath from who you were

in ToG, we know that some of humanity "retreated down into the ground," building an underground facility to take shelter from the anomaly. this is in a more literal sense of course.

the people in the novel were Normal. they're like us -- they are shown to have jobs, go to pubs n whatnot, teach in and attend schools, and more. but then that's all contrasted by the aftermath of the anomaly which shows everything as a hollow husk of sorts, devoid of humanity. the director is shown to specifically lament this: "The ones who survived are those who spat their hubris and hid desperately down in the mud like rats," feeling guilty and ashamed for being forced to retreat underground in the wake of disaster.

as such w/ this idea, "underneath from who you were" would be something like "cornered and without everything that makes you human, emerge" (tying into the next lyric)

you know that it’s time to emerge

to me, this almost reads like the singer (not even sure if lore wise it’d be vessel) beckoning the recipient to emerge and awaken… almost like a twisted lullaby w/ the way he sings it. (like, it feels so warming and accepting almost.) and we all know that the director specifically referred to the the moon incident as the “emergence of the lunar anomaly,” so surely that Has to be relevant especially given the release on the blood moon

one theory i’m p sure exists is that the lunar anomaly is sleep itself. but what if it’s a creation of sleep sewn into the moon + destined to destroy the world and cause eternal silence? sleep as an actual concept is long associated with peace and quiet, so i feel like a deity named sleep wanting everyone to be utterly silent through death/transformation (into the bug guys) isn’t too out of the question. i keep envisioning it as Something beckoning the lunar anomaly to emerge, basically. for what purposes? no idea...

but also, "emerge" can refer to other things. perhaps it's some kinda force (lunar anomaly, sleep, god mother) calling to another (the director or the other people) to "emerge" from down below and accept their fate. this would also tie into "underneath from who you were" in a literal sense.

go ahead and wrap your arms around me

this could be the funky space tentacles/vines. at the end of the gn, the moon envelops the earth with its space tentacles, “wrap[ing]” them “around” the latter.

as to what this would frame the singer of this specific part as, not too sure. off the top of my head w/ this theory, the literal earth would be the one asking. but on a more smaller scale, i feel like it could also be the director or other characters. the vines are shown to emerge from them and take over their bodies, so you could say they're being "wrapped" around them.

it could also be related to the director being pulled beneath the waves by the god mother, as they embrace while doing so.

burst out of my chest and hide out in the vents

asides from the alien reference, there are instances in which tentacles have burst out of people's chest (the director, nameless soldier) in the graphic novel. dunno if they're in the vents, however.

it's midnight in my mind’s eye, drowning out the daylight

something something lunar anomaly. also, "to gaze upon the moon is to die" -- we saw this with the soldier (roy i believe?) in chapter one when we was forced to look at the moon per the blindfolded people. the way it is drawn specifically focuses on One Eyeball as well.

"drowning out the daylight" is pretty self explanatory i think... i mean, the moon just consumes the earth so it'd be pretty hard to get sunlight, yk?

you know the behavior, canines of the saviour

one of the More Direct Things. obviously referring to the teeth of god, but also to the themes of jaws/biting in sleep token's songs. in the end, the director repeatedly writes "i am the teeth of god," in which god can be equivocated to "saviour" (esp in regards to stuff like christianity).

and then there's also what vessel said about the usage of jaws: "Jaws are the tools we have to rend apart. To show our concealed aggression. To take something once hidden and protected, and burst it apart. You know no one until you have seen them destroy something." (i think the whole teeth of god theme deserves its own post tho ngl)

"you know the behaviour" could be referring to Higher Entity (sleep, god mother, lunar anomaly, etc) that is familiar with destruction (metaphorical or literal) caused by the usage of "jaws," or teeth/canines. they know it personally, as they've been the cause of it. conversely, it could be referring to a Lower Entity (director, other soldiers, vessel) either doing the same or being on the receiving end of said destruction.

it's the last step in the universe and you're well versed in the afterlife

"it's the last step in the universe" presents itself very interestingly in terms of the graphic novel. to me, what if this means earth is the final victim of the anomaly? probably a reach, but what if the anomaly had devoured other planets/worlds prior to earth and earth was the last thing to be conquered?

"and you're well versed in the afterlife" while one of my New Favorite Sleep Token Lines, makes me wonder what "afterlife" refers to w/ the novel. i'm thinking it could be life after being transformed into the Flying Bug Guys, a metaphorical death and rebirth perhaps. whoever "you" in this instance is would be familiar with this. i feel like whatever/whoever is specifically driving the anomaly/turning everyone into Flying Bug Guys would be the "you" here, as they'd be "well versed" in seeing the re-emergence of the Flying Bug Guys.

you know that I’m sanctified by what’s below

similar point to "underneath from who you were," assuming the pov of the director, "what's below" could refer to the remnants of humanity underground. he's "sanctified" (purified, cleansed, etc) by what little bit of humanity is left -- he's reminded to fight till the end for their own pride and nature (until they all die. Lmao).

you might be the one to take away the pain and make my mind go quiet

quiet, huh... in the director's crashout (chapter 4 notes) he mentions how "paradise was empty without us there was only silence our blood made the flowers grow" (among other lore filled ramblings). i just wonder, is it quiet in a good way or a bad way? like, are we talking about quiet in a peaceful way or in a lonely way? or even in a dead way? perhaps the pain ends when the people get transformed into Flying Bug Guys, as we don't really know if they're even Really Fully Alive post transformation. maybe they're hiveminded or smth an Can't Think Properly.

--

okay yeah that's all... interested to hear if anyone has other connections tho :::3

[mostlypetty30]

The way SJM has set up her series has me irritated about the direction of the next book.

The next book in the ACOTAR series could force readers into getting the CC series if not also the TOG series. This is nothing but a form of bad writing and comes across as a money grab.

The thing is regardless if it's a singular universe, a multiverse, a parallel universe, etc. If it started out as it's own series then it should remain that way. If you want to merge them in an event then do that with an event novel or a separate series that caters to the big multiverse events. A lot of media does this well. Even then that media makes it to where you get the information you need to understand, but it also has a way of enticing the consumers into branching out to see more works.

If you want to do what CC did and merge some characters into there to open up a Multiverse thing, then give the details needed to understand. Entice them read the other series if they wish, but do not force their hand in order to get major plot line or lore information. That's horrid. Not even the MCU does that to it's viewers. It's not just bad writing but also something that reeks of corporate greed.

The point here is. A series should easily stand on it's own. Regardless of what universal situation it is in. It should contain everything a reader needs for that universe or situation without having to go to a whole other place to get it.

Last thing on this topic. If the series had been preset to be a crossover there probably wouldn't be such an issue. But it wasn't and here we are now.

Let me end this by saying that I don't like SJM and I'm not a fan of her publishing team / company either (I'm tired of people acting like it's just the author here at fault for some of these issues.) I got all of her books for the ACOTAR series secondhand because it was recommended for me to give her a try so that my friends and I could have a discussion over the problematic writing and how we can use this as an example in an effort to help others become better, stronger, storytellers. I talk a lot about this series here because I have frustrations that I need to let out. There is some good in this series, but a lot of it has problematic writing, themes, characters, and more. Which is no surprise considering the author. Eventually, I'll get the multitude of essays over these subjects on here, but for now ... I just need to let it out as I work with these books. No, I will NOT be reading TOG and CC. Not even if SJM forces me to for major lore or whatever. I have put enough time into her work and she's just not the author for me. The only thing keeping me here are the groups analysis and discussing issues with open debate forums (which is actually enjoyable since other fandoms aren't as heavily into doing this at the level that the ACOTAR fandom has produced) and the fan fiction writers who do the hard work of actually fixing a lot of the issues in the text. Bless you both, may your pillows forever be to your liking. May your food always taste pleasant. May your games always run smoothly. May you never lose a sock.

[2-old-to-guard]

Yusaf, Joe, Al-Kaysani

Hi guys, and welcome back to TOG Analysis!! Today we shall be deep-diving into the incurable romantic himself, Joe!! Fair warning, Joe is my favorite character and it hurts my soul that so many people mischaracterise him. So this one is personal!!!

First Impression:

Like Nicky, Joe is mentioned before he's seen. He's used by Booker to convince Andy into agreeing for the mission.

His first scene is quite odd because unlike the other characters, the first time you see him is blurred in the background. This is the most reserved Joe is for the rest of the film. Also, the way that Joe and Nicky move in synch is adorable.

His first proper introduction is hugging Andy. Out of all of Andy's hugs throughout the movie this is most affectionate. Joe picking Andy up makes her laugh and it's clear from the beginning how close they are. Which makes sense, from the little we've seen from Andy in the past they are very similar people so it makes sense they are seemingly the closest immortals. Also his first dialouge is telling Andy, she looks great which is sweet!!

Relationships:

I've done a whole analysis on Joe and Booker's relationship here. But to summerise, from the beginning of the film Joe and Booker are shown to be very close. Even though Booker is doing the bet with Nicky, he looks to Joe as he pulls out the money. Later on, when Booker wins, Joe celebrates with him instead of siding with Nicky. This shows the strength of Joe and Nicky's relationship as Joe is able to confidently tease his husband over his loss.

Unlike Nicky, who is more spiritual when it comes to his immortality, Joe is more of down-to-earth. The first time he mentions Andy's break, he tunnels it through the lens of her missing them as a family. This breaks down Andy's walls and Joe's expression after she agrees is so soft. They share many silent looks of agreement through the movie (I'll bring up a couple) and I believe this is because that Joe is Andy's second in command.

Sudan:

The Sudan mission, pre-ambush, serves to display the skill of the immortals. Like Nicky's double kill, Joe's kills here are meant to show how good each of them are at their given role in their team. The pants clean, like catching the bullet, shows the subtle things each of the team do to ensure the success of the mission.

As the team revive, Joe is shown grabbing his gun before showing his face.

This is the first sign of Joe's protective nature, specifically around his family. His first thought is to grab his gun. He also uses it to prop himself up so he can stand up quicker then anyone else. Finally, he is the first to charge into battle and runs immedietly over to Nicky. This is a reacurring trend of Joe's first nature post-death is to check on Nicky. This is the first hint we get that something is not right with their immortality because if they truly don't die, why is he so scared after dying?

Unlike the rest of the immortals, Joe activly cracks jokes.

I love the fact that his jokes make perfect sense for his character, as of course the artist would note the 'touch' of the ambush. He also looks to Nicky after the joke, clearly trying to make him laugh. On another note, I love the look Booker gives in this shot. He's like 'oh god not again'. But on a deeper level, it's clear that Joe senses Andy's frustration and is trying to descalate the situation and make people feel better.

The Dreams:

Joe is shown in the dream with Nicky, as they are two parts of a single whole. Also, I didn't mention this at the time, but when Joe and Nicky are shown the tempeture of the camera goes from red to blue as the dreams as slowly morphing to Quynh's imprisonment, possibly symbolising that they knew her.

I like the detail of Joe's finger tapping during the dream, as if he's itching to draw her. Unlike the other immortals, Joe grabs a notebook and begins to sketch Nile. As stated previously, Joe is focused on the people involved in the dream recognising their faces. He struggles more with the none people parts of the dream, failing to remember her name. His optimism makes him assume that she is a part of a 'medical team'. Joe and Nicky see more than Booker because they've done this more times than Booker but they still miss important peices.

Joe is the first person to suggest finding Nile. He doesn't do it for any spiritual fate-driven reasons but insted wants to find her to protect her. Again, Joe values his family (even someone he's never met before) and wants to protect them.

The Dinner Scene:

During the dinner scene, Nile asks Joe the most questions.

Like all the immortals, he's very honest about their circumstances but he's quite vague with the details. Nile and Joe are the only people of colour in the room so his immortal life is a lot different than Nicky, Andy or Booker. Joe is the one who can prepare her the most about what to expect. But also, was this a subtle joke about Nicky's time in the crusades? He does look at Nicky before saying in and finishes the line with a smile.

This was a very interesting way to reveal Joe and Nicky's past. Referring to killing each other over and over again as just a meeting shows how far both of the characters have come. And when he talks about that, it's seems more an inside joke then an actual gripe. Even without the romantic angle, Joe holds no rage for what Nicky's done and doesn't hold a personal grudge. Their relationship over the whole is a really unique way to explore immortality as without undeath, they never would have fallen in love. Without meaning to, Joe is showing Nile the way immortality shifts how you view the world which is probally more mind-blowing than anything else.

Quynh:

After the group realise that Nile is dreaming of Quynh, Booker immedietly seems to look to Joe.

There are many ways to interpret this look. The first is pain over being reminded of Quynh showing how much he loved her. The second is realisation that Nile will be dreaming of Quynh over and over for an undefined legnth of time. Both explanations serve to highlight how much Joe loves his family and how strong his empathy is. His empathy is also prevelent in what he takes away from Quynh's story. Without Andy telling him specifically he knows she feels guilt for Quynh, another moment of Joe and Andy' relationship being close. He also expresses empathy to Quynh as he imagines what she is going through:

"Five hundred years in a box... at the bottom of the ocean... would make anyone insane".

The Van Scene:

Joe risks his life, with little care for it, to check on Nicky in the van. His love for Nicky overpowers his self-preservation.

I've decided to do a quick yap on the van monolouge seperatley as I cannot put all of my thoughts in this post. But to put it subsequently, Joe explains his love for Nicky in the practical things Nicky does rather than his physical appearance. His kindness is what Joe loves, a stark contrast to the invader he met 900 years ago.

The Merrick Confrontation:

I think it was a nice choice to have Joe be the one who clashes with Merrick in this scene.

Joe doesn't care about all the things Merrick brings up in this monologue.

"Our work here is all about balance. How do we push the scientific frontiers whilst also turning a little profit?"

Joe doesn't care about scientific frontiers or profit. His primary focus is on his family and Merrick is putting them in danger so he responds violently. It also shows that Joe is very outspoken and voices his anger and disagreements without fear of the consequences. After the stabbing, Joe initiates the headbump to comfort Nicky who is clearly stressed about his almost death.

Having Joe stabbed right after we learn that the immortality isn't infinate works well to build tension and shows how sadistic Merrick is. Merrick is a really interesting character as he is doing the 'right' thing in the wrong way and for the wrong reason. He stands in direct contrast to the immortals, who are doing it right for the right reasons but getting no response (that they know of).

The Lab Scene:

Once again, we have a scene where Joe wakes and his immediate response is to find Nicky.

He checks on Nicky, double-checks on Nicky, then makes sure Kozak isn't hurting him anymore before he relaxes against the table. His next move is to make Nicky laugh, something he has a habit of doing.

Joe, again, is trying to lighten Nicky's mood in a horrible situation. Unlike Nicky, who is trying to disasociate from reality, Joe is grounded in reality but is trying to make the most of it. Possible a microcosm of his approach to immortality.

The Lab Scene Continued:

Like Nicky, Joe is devestated to see that Andy is mortal. His reaction is more dramatic, possibly just because his head is higher than Nicky's but I think it's his more outspoken nature that he is more reactive.

He doesn't talk a lot in this scene because it's discussing the spirtual meaning of immortality, which I have stated he isn't focused on. Instead, he's shouting at Booker for betraying his family.

Joe's line "you are a very pathetic man, Booker" serves to highlight his familial love. Booker viewing himself as alone makes Joe laugh because he understands that not all love is romantic, he's been surrounded by family and therefore he is not alone.

His line in the escape about leaving Booker behind is probally impacted by this notion. 'If Booker thinks he's alone, let him be alone.' But he clearly loves Booker still as he turns towards him and waits for him to get up.

The Final Battle:

This is a quick one but this is the scenes I mentioned of Joe and Andy sharing looks.

Joe double-checking with Andy before making moves show the hierarchy of the team wth Joe being her second. It also shows how much he loves her as he hesitates for the first time in the movie because he is scared she'll get hurt. He cares not for himself but for others (mostly his family).

The Keane Scene:

Joe's scream in this scene breaks my heart everytime I hear it.

I've seen some people act like Joe is this violent man who hunts Keane down and kills him. This grave misunderstanding of Joe's character makes my tummy hurt as it is so much more complicated than that. To start, Keane was being weirdly personal in the fight (kicking Nicky insted of just capturing him). Furthermore, he kills Nicky in a very violent (and controversial) manner. From Joe's P.O.V he's just found out his closest friend is now in danger of being killed, she's currently missing, and the love of his life was just brutally murdered in front of him!!! If he was this violent man, he would've chased after Keane immedietly, but he didn't. He immedietly ran over to Nicky to make sure he's ok.

Credit to Marwan, he conveys Joe's panic and despair followed by immense releif perfectly. You can see Joe's utter terror at the idea that Nicky is gone. Having one member of a couple exact revenge on the murder of their love is a common movie trope and it's PERFECTLY fine then but when Joe who has loved Nicky for NEARLY A MILLENNIUM kills his murderer it's not ok?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Revenge:

Another small detail, Joe seemingly volunteered to jump through the window showing his willingness to put himself in danger to protect his family. Just like in Sudan.

Of course Joe wanted to kill Keane and furthermore, breaking his neck isn't a painful death (though he does do it in a rather dramatic manner). Gina Prince-Blytheood is quoted wanting to explore "What it talks about is that the act of taking a life is as damaging to the psyche as your fear of losing your life for soldiers”. Each of the characters have a moment where they comprehend the violence they have done and this is Joe's moment. He takes no pleasure in killing Keane and Keane had to die as he knew what they were and would come after them.

Booker's Banishment:

While we don't hear what Joe is saying in this scene, it is clear from his previous statements that he wants to banish Booker. He probally pushed for the hundred years. As discussed, Joe and Booker were really close and he feels intense betrayel over Booker's actions.

But the final shot of Joe and Booker is him looking over his shoulder. Joe's familial love outweighs his anger and he will probably forgive Booker during/by the end of the sequel if the group shot in the trailer is anything to go by.

Conclusion:

Overall, Joe shares many of the same motivations and beleifs as Nicky but tunnels them in a different way. Joe's motivations are based on his intense love for people, romantic with Nicky and familial with the others. He puts himself in danger to protect his family. Despite what people believe, he does NOT enjoy violence but will fight and kill to protect his family. All of this is perfectly portrayed by Marwan Kenzari and I hope to see more of him in the sequel.

[lovemyromance]

Idk how I can say this without sounding condescending but

SJM IS NOT A COMPLEX WRITER. Her storylines and character development and all her plot points are great, no doubt, but they are predictable!

There is simply no need to out here digging through TOG for clues on the next ACOTAR couple. There's no need to go digging through ACOTAR even to predict the next couple. You don't have to do any analysis of words and metaphors and foreshadowing.

It is all laid out at the surface level. There is no deeper analysis necessary. Like whatsoever. Nothing SJM has ever churned out has managed to surprise me, except the Elucien mating bond (it just seemed RANDOM) and the ACOTAR crossover in HOSAB.

It's not that hard to understand. This is not your classic english lit class where you had to analyze the effect of iambic pentameter or what the green light at the end of the dock means.

It is obvious that Elain & Azriel are next. It shouldn't require you to read all of SJMs books to come to that conclusion. It shouldn't require you to analyze the shit out of random objects mentioned once in the text to come to that conclusion.

SJM said it was obvious. Because it always has been.

[throneofsapphics]

I was bored and stuck at home so I did a shitty analysis of iconic sjm phrases in acotar vs tog. of course throne of glass is a lot longer than acotar so this is all biased but in case you ever wanted some useless information on unappealing graphs, here you go

and some of the different ways the characters speak

let me know if there's something I'm missing please, for my own curiosity

[jsmelodies]

✨ Thank you for being in the fandom! ✨

Being here, you have contributed so much and have made so many people happy and excited. Now, just so we can get to know you better:

1. What made you first read the books, and which SJM series did you begin with first?

2. What character across all of her books do you relate to the most and why?

3. What inspired you to begin contributing to the fandom (i.e., fanfics, artwork, commissions, analysis, all of the above, or something else?)

4. Are there any accounts that you’d like to shoutout that have either inspired you, or made you feel the most welcomed and loved here?

💕 Thank you again for all that you do 💕

Oh I love getting these! Thank you, whoever you are, for sending these and bringing positivity into our fandom💕

1. What made you first read the books, and which SJM series did you begin with first?

I was in undergrad when I first read them, I remember. I was just getting into my upper level coursework (which was sucking the soul out of me tbh) when the internet said, "hey, you want this faerie romance smut series? Yeah you do."

I started with ACOTAR, then I read ToG and CC.

I've been held captive ever since!

2. What character across all of her books do you relate to the most and why?

In a shock to probably no one, Nesta. Personality wise I don't think we're that similar, but I relate to some of her experiences and the thought processes she's overcome.

3. What inspired you to begin contributing to the fandom (i.e., fanfics, artwork, commissions, analysis, all of the above, or something else?)

I graduated, the job I had lined up fell through, and suddenly I had a bunch of time on my hands while I looked for something else. So I decided to take up writing and started drafting some fanfics (some will forever sit unpublished in my google docs)

4. Are there any accounts that you’d like to shoutout that have either inspired you, or made you feel the most welcomed and loved here?

Of course there are! The list is so, so long because this fandom is filled with such lovely people.

The Nesta girlies inspire me every day (and perhaps enable me a little), you all know who you are!

Special shout out to @c-e-d-dreamer for making me feel welcome in the nessian part of the fandom, and @littedidyouknow for always being my writing buddy!

[acourtofquestions]

One day later and I happily stand corrected

SJM has done it again

All aboard Rowaelin!!!

[nikethestatue]

this fandom might actually be the worst one I’ve seen!! I flip through a bunch of diff ship accounts bc listen, ship whoever you want, personally I am partial to elucien but I can admit there’s a lot of evidence for other ships as well. I like seeing all art for ALL the ships!! But then today I see a post about how we need Gwyn’s book because she is a victim of SA and it would be great to read a book about her healing journey.

Idk maybe it’s just me but I get annoyed when someone is always reduced down to their SA so I pointed out that Rhys & Lucien also had SA trauma and there has been no healing journey for them?? How are we going to fill an entire book for Gwyn?? Like, Sarah doesn’t seem to delve too much into healing journeys from SA (in ACOTAR at least 🤷🏻‍♀️ idk about other series) and tends to use it as a plot point to create a traumatic background character. It’s something that greatly annoys me tbh

And then I got yelled at?? And told to read the books again?? Like yes, I am a new reader, and yes it was a Gwyn Stan account (didn’t know that at the time, I literally just replied for the first time from a post I saw on my for you feed) - but nothing I said was anti-Gwyn (how could it be- she’s one of my favs too???) ?? I vaguely know there’s whatever ship war going on but I didn’t even comment on a ship post and I didn’t mention any other names/ships so I was genuinely confused about why I got yelled at on a post that only mentioned Gwyn.

All I said was I doubt Sarah is going to write an entire book about Gwyn’s healing journey ? It wasn’t even ship related so why did I get so much hate?? no wonder this fandom is filled with such toxicity, nobody new is allowed to join even casually unless they earn their masters degree of 16000 pages of analysis (apparently reading the books isnt enough?) and so it’s just filled with the same bitter people since whenever these books came out

Maybe bc I acknowledged I didn’t see her as a main character - because she’s not? She’s very much a side character but who cares? She’s still a favorite of mine? Two things can be possible at once, people!!!

Anyways, tldr I got a slap on the wrist and told I don’t know SJM if I think Gwyn is a side character and I’m just like ok I didn’t say she couldn’t be one later but based on the one book she is in… she is a side character?

I hate this mf fandom I should’ve stayed out of it. What did I even do?? I even apologized if anything I said about Rhys or Lucien was untrue?? And now I’m just annoyed because I should still be able to debate theories about my favorite books with people even if I don’t spend 24/7 reading PowerPoints on ship wars??

They got mad because you were right. That's it.

SJM doesn't write post-SA healing journeys. Again, you were right.

We've had male and female characters who were SAed, in TOG, Lysandra and Fenrys come to mind, in ACOTAR it's Rhys and Lucien and Gwyn, in CC it was Lidia (similar situation as Rhys/Lucien).

These aren't books for deep exploration of post-SA healing. I am sorry. This is an incredibly tough subject, without a singular answer. SO anything she'd do, wouldn't be taken well. Some will say 'too quick!' others will say 'not quick enough!' and everyone will have an opinion. The only reason Nesta got an extended healing (and not from SA) was because SJM used the same methods she used for her own issues. Working out, meditation, being with friends, balancing the physical and the mental, relying on her SO. Beyond that, all of SJMs 'healing' is training and being in love. Or nothing at all.

Gwynriels cant accept the fact that Gwyn is a secondary character. She is not more important than Emerie, or Mor, or anyone else, who's had terrible trauma. Her main was Nesta. Nesta's healed and Gwyn is secondary to Nesta. Gwyn's healing journey is over. She because stronger mentally and physically, she trained, she reached and conquered her 'mountain'. and that is all she needed to do.

They dont want to understand and accept that no one is interested in an 800 page of Gwyn's post-SA healing journey. Even they aren't. That's the truth. They want her with Azriel. Getting it on, having sex, being mated. They don't want to read any 'healing journey'. They want her going on missions, swinging her sword, being a badass, being with Azriel, having Gwynriel sex and having a normal fantasy heroine book. it's all performative. They just want Gwynriel. Is all.