#feyre and rhys are characters who are so full of themselves

[arson-09]

Tamlin is actually such an underrated character in acotar. Because of feyres very biased narrative she forces readers to ignore the complexity of his character and man. its sad

Tamlin is a character who is genuinely GOOD at his core. He changed so much of the spring court for good, eliminating slavery within the spring lands and mortals having more protection. Hes a morally good character that made a few mistakes and is boiled down to just those mistakes. Locking feyre in the house and the magical/emotional blow up, which are both pretty decent fuck ups (i dont think siding with hybern fully counts as he was a double agent all along and tamlin was decently justified in thinking feyre was being kept against her will. lets be fr here) and even after he’s extremely fucked over by the nightcourt, his lands and court burned to shit, he still saves rhysand. Saves rhysand and tells feyre to be happy, even when he has every reason to NOT do that!

Hes a character that clearly holds himself to a higher standard. throughout acotar he puts lucien and feyres safety above his own, even sending feyre away when she was the only one who could save him. Even though what he did to her wasnt great its not completely irredeemable, rhysand did much worse things to feyre and other people but hes living his best life while Tamlin seems to find himself unworthy of being a person (acosf wheres hes been in beast form for roughly over two years) hes a perfectionist who now doesnt even think he deserves anyone because he accidentally hurt the people he loves most.

Sjm accidentally created a beautifully rich and morally righteous character who is so extremely fucked by the narrative. Which doesnt even work half the time as sjm cant seemingly commit to making him a full villain (seemingly by accident again she gave him quite a reasonable explanation to everything he did ‘wrong’ but still chooses to make him a punching bag)

If Tamlin was genuinely a morally evil character he wouldnt have NEARLY the amount of fans as he does. Hes a character that requires the minimum amount of media literacy and comprehension to understand and i LOVE him.

[ladydeath-vanserra]

tbh I hate hate hate that I have so much loathing for some of SJMs books bec it was the throne of glass series that got me through my mom dying. As annoying as SJM is with her books I was able to deeply relate to characters like Nesta and Aelin and Manon. To the incredibly angry characters who aren't perfect victims

and I think to an extent my beef with SJM doesnt... *completely* have to do with the characters themselves. It's the narrative *around* the characters. Especially Rhysand. I could tolerate him or even like him if he was ever put in his place or faced genuine, lasting backlash for his actions

The way Nestas book was written wasn't just messy, it *hurt* me. like. Nesta is arguably one of SJMs most complicated characters in all her books but she was done such a *painful* and *humiliating* disservice that only triggered me and made me *hate* this series because it just proved Rhysand will never be held accountable the way he should be. Nesta will just remain a punching bag for him and the other IC members because she is not and never will be a full member of their stupid little clique. she will always be judged and isn't allowed to just BE like Feyre was given the ability to be

There's something about the unblinking fearlessness of some of these characters that just has my heart but she! is! ruining!! her own damn books!!! by making certain characters unable to meet backlash!!!!!

at LEAST Aelin had repercussions for her secrecy and ended up a damn captive for Maeve. Rhys just gets put in the right over and over again

[silentmes]

Hi, I get where you’re coming from and honestly, props for sticking with your ship from the start. But just because you’ve been there since day one doesn’t mean the story can’t take a different turn. That’s kind of how books work, things change, characters grow, and what seemed obvious early on doesn’t always end up being endgame.

Yeah, the older books haven’t changed, sure. But the story isn’t over. And the bonus chapter? That didn’t show up out of nowhere. It gave us a real look at Azriel’s feelings and the mess he’s in, it wasn’t just for drama or fake-out purposes. SJM loves her plot twists, and if you’ve read her other stuff, you know she’s not afraid to steer the story somewhere unexpected.

If we’re being real, there’s a good chance Az’s actual love interest hasn’t even gotten her spotlight yet. SJM has a habit of playing the long game, she introduces characters early on, lets them simmer in the background, and then boom: they’re suddenly central. Think about how Nesta was just “the difficult sister” until she became the heart of ACOSF. So maybe Az’s story hasn’t really started yet in the romance department. Maybe Gwyn and Elain are there to reflect parts of his journey, healing, temptation, restraint but the person who truly matches his depth, shadows and all, might still be waiting in the wings. That’d fit his whole vibe too: the quiet one whose story takes time to unfold. It would be the ultimate twist if all the ship wars were for nothing because his real match was never even in the ring yet.

Look, Gwyn’s a great character, resilient, hopeful, and full of light after everything she’s been through. She’s got this bright, bubbly, almost sunbeam-like presence that’s always trying to uplift and move forward. Az, on the other hand, is the quiet storm. He’s layered, heavy with guilt and responsibility, and tends to internalize everything. He is not going to change completely. Gwyn could be great for helping him heal in the short term, but long-term? That mismatch might start to show. She’s got this optimistic fire, while he lives in the shadows, literally and emotionally. It’s not that opposites can’t work, but sometimes being too opposite means one person is always overcompensating, or one starts to dim themselves just to match the other’s wavelength. Gwyn deserves someone who can meet her in the light, not someone still working through decades of darkness. And Az might need someone who doesn’t just contrast him, but understands the weight he carries because they’ve carried something similar themselves.

Hi! Then it’s mutual, because I also understand your perspective. We’re readers, and we’re not in control of what the author decides to do, that’s a fact. She can always change the course of what she’s written and come up with a major plot twist. However, I don’t believe for even a second that this is her plan (which doesn’t mean I control her decisions). It’s true that Sarah likes to surprise her readers - for example, I’m rereading TOG right now and I can imagine how Rowan’s introduction must have felt for readers.

But something that stands out in Sarah’s writing, especially when it comes to couples, is the hints she leaves throughout her books... we knew Nesta and Cassian would be endgame, right? We even had a strong sense about Rhys and Feyre after that first impactful meeting between them. Hunt and Bryce were also clearly meant to be from the beginning and, speaking of TOG, I always understood that Chaol would never be Aelin’s person (nor Dorian). But why? Precisely because the author leaves important clues about what she’s developing for her characters. Her couples are known for having early and significant build-up, chemistry, a certain spark, something different that doesn’t happen with non-canon ships.

And that’s where Gwynriel comes in, because that’s exactly what she did with the two of them. Sarah purposefully tied Gwyn’s past to Azriel, and throughout ACOSF, she gave us countless interactions that didn’t need to be there unless she wanted to make a point. In the bonus chapter, she cemented what had already been shown in ACOSF: she included her signature “mate language” between Gwynriel.

Now, about what you mentioned - that Gwyn wouldn’t work with Azriel in the long run because she’s “happy, cheerful,” and so on - I have to disagree. I’ve mentioned this on my other account, but there’s SO much more to Gwyn that Sarah already made clear in ACOSF and will likely explore further in the next book (if it’s Gwynriel’s). That “darkness” that follows Azriel due to his trauma isn’t exclusive to him. On the contrary, Gwyn went through something I’d argue is more extreme and violent than what most characters have experienced. She’s the character who saw her own sister be decapitated (I repeat: decapitated) right in front of her, and then she was raped while her sister’s body lay on the ground beside her.

You see? There’s no way that could happen and not have deep, lasting implications for who she is and how she feels. Gwyn is a character who lives in darkness (and that’s emphasized by the library), who has nightmares, fears, insecurities, deep trauma, and probably a lot of rage and guilt. Does that remind you of anyone? She’s not Azriel’s opposite. She’s someone who can understand him, who walks through that same place of pain. The only difference might be how they choose to face situations, and that’s not a problem — none of SJM’s couples are alike in terms of personality or worldview. If they were, that would be boring.

[bluiela]

You are literally setting yourself up for failure, like who tf bases their entire ship on a "spark" it means nothing you idiotic people

Especially a spark that was used between:

Aelin and Lorcan

Tamlin and Feyre

Cassain x Nyx's Baby Wings

And not used in other couples.

Gonna have fun when you loose.

Huh?

First off Idiot would be a person sending these types of anons on a daily,

Secondly,

What Lorcan felt for Aelin was command it is literally written in canon,

"The command sparked in him",

Feyre feeling a spark for him was written to show romantic feelings Feyre initially had for him.

Where tf cassian felt a spark for nyx's wings?

"And then there were the tiny wings, which Cassian had never realized were so delicate, so perfect, until he touched their velvet softness. The claws atop them would grow in much later, along with the ability to use the wings themselves, but … He stared at the bundle in his arms, his heart full to bursting, and said to where Feyre and Rhys sat on the bed, neatly remade with clean linens, “You have no idea how much trouble this one is going to get into.”

This is all what cassian felt for nyx's wings but yeah, no spark, I think you got some wrong book.

And then I don't know if you read the newest book HOFAS or not, but Ruhn a character feels spark for his mate, (won't give any more spoilers), So yes, the spark is really used in other and new couples.

So yes, spark is either used to signify romantic feelings or just mates in other couples, and no I'm not biasing my entire ship on this there are many other reasons other than this, but this is just a cherry on top.

[onlymexsarah]

Alright why tumblr is full of anti Feyre and anti Rhys? Guys, really? We all agree that ACOSF ruined them, but we should all agree that it was SJM to ruin them, and not the characters themselves…?

Like, seriously? I bet the people who hates Feyra and Rhys are the same who defended Nesta from page one because “sHe iS sO CoOl! ShE wAs huRtIng!”, but this is just a guess.

[bookbitchx]

Hello again 😊 I knew i was gonna love chatting with u hehe

These are things that makes me wish anyone else would've written ACOTAR tbh. Her lack of planning and her retconning of characters so that she remains politically correct in current political climates is gross. It's been a pattern I've noticed, but it makes sense considering shes a zionist, but anyway 🥱

I do enjoy the world that she made and I think its an interesting concept to view a centuries old clusterfuck like the IC through a 20 yearold lense. But I wish it had a morsel of taste. Each of the books in this series left me wanting more, especially rereading as an adult.

So to compensate for the parts of the books I hate I just pretend its not upsetting me by psychoanalyzing the characters 😂 Rhys is one that I have a love/hate relationship with for that reason. He is genuinely one of the worst love interests ive seen be this popular in a long time and he has made the worst choices i have ever seen written and then defended by the author.

Feyre however, I would argue is his perfect partner for how awful he is after SF and CC3. But I wish a better author had written this book so we could've seen a decent redemption or a proper Rhysand villain arc. I think this series would've been so much more interesting crossover wise if it had been with tog and had been a mock feysand villain arc. Maeve has daemati powers, so making her an ancestor of Rhysand's through the HL bloodline would've made sense. Hybern could've been a mock villain to lure the reader into a false sense of security and think maybe the NC ARE good guys?

Nesta and Elain join Aelin's circle to take them down after they attempted to seize the dread trove for themselves under Amren's advice, (they dont like her having it clearly). And the emotional climax of the series is Feyre leaving him and joining her sisters, which leads Rhys to pull a tamlin by in turn going to koshei. Could even get Bryce quinlan in to fullfill a life debt to Nesta by using the horn and Feyre's fire powers to give Aelin her magic back somehow, and nesta never has her magic taken back by the cauldron?????? The cauldron had Amren in it and it should've been written that she had to sacrifice her true Daglan immortality to be with Varian. Boom full fucking circle.

But nope, we have Miss Maas.

thanks janet for ruining what couldve been my favorite thing >:^(

but a part of me hopes the Elucien book will include Tamlin's side of the story and Elain confronts Feysand for their *waves arms* everything. And taking Nesta and the Valkyries with them, they deserve better. it wont happen tho, so I'll read fanfic instead.

-🤠

Heyy again!

I get where you're coming from. I liked book 1, the way Feyre (and us, in a way) was discovering the SC and a little bit of Prythian as a whole, and I liked Feyre, who was this badass huntress, who had her own opinions, doing what needs to be done, etc... I mean, she went UTM knowing full well she wasn't coming out alive, but she still did it bc it was right, and she wanted to save her man.

Where THAT Feyre went, I'll never know.

As you said, It's an interesting concept seeing everything through a 20 year old's eyes, or it would've been for me if she hadn't started taking everything they said as truth.

Even though I haven't read any CC books yet, my friend spoiled CC3 that Nesta didn't actually lose her powers? That it was more of a bargain with the Couldron, but yeah, it would've been interesting to see crossovers between the series. I think Aelin, Manon, and maybe Lysandra would absolutely despise Rhysand. I would a 100% read a fic with what you described.

As for the Elucien book, like I hope she does good by Lucien because he, out of all the characters, deserves it.

I'm not holding my breath on Elain ever confronting Feysand bc as Rhysand once said, 'Elain is Elain', but a girl can hope.

Also, if Nesta and the valkyries ever become one of Rhysand's legions, I'm pulling a one woman riot before burning the book.

On another note, feel free to DM if you want to continue the conversation or if you're more comfortable this way, I don't mind that either.

🫰🏼

[offtorivendell]

She was … doing something, learning something.

Elain stood between Nuala and Cerridwen at the long worktable. All three of them covered in flour. Some sort of doughy mess on the surface before them.

The two handmaiden-spies instantly bowed to Rhys, and Elain—

There was a slight sparkle in her brown eyes.

As if she’d been enjoying herself with them.

Nuala swallowed hard. “The lady said she was hungry, so we went to make her something. But—she said she wanted to learn how, so …” Hands wreathed in shadows lifted in a helpless gesture, flour drifting off them like veils of snow. “We’re making bread.”

Elain was glancing between all of us, and as her eyes began to shutter, I gave her a broad smile and said, “I hope it’ll be done soon—I’m starved.”

Elain offered a faint smile in return and nodded.

She was hungry. She was … doing something. Learning something.

-🌸-

Working with theclever.crow was an absolute joy, and something I've been wanting to do for a while. Thank you, Katie, from the bottom of my heart; for taking my ideas, adding your own, and then bringing our vision of Elain and her (as yet hypothetical) powers to life in this gorgeous piece of art. Your passion for both Elain and your work is clear as Night. Please show Katie some love on IG! 🖤

Characters belong to @sjmaas ACOTAR series.

This piece is for Day 1 of @elainarcheronweek - Powers.

-🌸-

Throughout the ACOTAR series, Elain Archeron has demonstrated a love of learning. Beginning in book one, Feyre noted both her love of gardening - it made her come alive - and intention to learn how to grow vegetables, which continued in book three, where learning to cook and bake brought a sparkle to her eye, all the way through to book four, where - though she spent a lot of time in the background - Elain showed her desire to contribute to the search for the Dread Trove by dusting off the powers she hasn't used since ACOWAR (as far as we know).

I've always thought that Elain becoming either a potions mistress or apothecary would neatly marry her desire for knowledge with her love of gardening and baking/cooking. We already know Elain is a Seer - and Amren suggested the possibility of at least one other power in ACOSF - so, given her strong associations with life/rebirth and light, as well as her status as a Cauldron-Made faerie, I wouldn't be surprised if she could give her plants and potions a bit of a boost when required, and that her brews may be highly sought after from all around Prythian.

As a bonus, there are some Easter Eggs hidden in this art - as nods to both Elain's potential powers and future plot - and I'll reblog with all the details once people have had a chance to have a guess themselves. Katie outdid herself here, so please look carefully, and let us know what you can See!

-🌸-

This piece of art is dedicated to everyone who loves Elain, and who values her different sort of strength, whether you see yourself in her or not. 🖤

Please do not repost this art! If you want to find it on Instagram or Twitter, check out theclever.crow and the Elain Week accounts respectively.

-🌸-

Easter Egg Spoilers... coming soon.

-🌸-

Further reading on Elain and her possible future with potions or witchy powers if you're interested...

Elain has a secret garden full of useful plants that she uses for potions (a headcanon).

Can Elain Make plants/have powers of growth, or does she have a link to the Mother?

Could Elain be a witch?

[acourtofthought]

Hi! Are Lucien and Elain the only mates who can hear each other’s heartbeat? I don’t remember Feysand or Nessian mentioning something like that. I feel like this may be SJM pointing out how strong their bond is. Like Lucien tried to protect her even before she became High Fae and the bond snapped as soon as she was out of the cauldron.

I don't think the other characters shared anything quite like that but in Feysand and Nessian's defense, they were less connected to their inner emotions the way Elain and Lucien seem to be and Feyre and Nesta are pragmatic where Elain is a bit more romantic / dreamy.

Though I do think the "I can hear your heart" is pretty poignant on Elain's end because the first time she says it, it sounds different than the second time which is, "I can hear your heart beating through the stone".

It's just my interpretation but I think anti's aren't understanding the context of that text and what Lucien was responding to.

Now, no other fae except Elain seems to be able to hear another fae's heart beating through the halls of the HOW. Earlier, she comments to Feyre how she can hear all the way to the sea to which Feyre responds they are much too far for her to actually hear the sea. I don't think this is necessarily a Seer vision, I think Elain literally has enhanced hearing (which would go along with her being an owl shifter).

Elain and Lucien's bedrooms aren't next to each other so when she asks the question, "When I sleep, I can hear your heart beating through the stone, can you hear mine?" I think that's what Lucien is responding to. Because no, he can't literally hear someone's heart beat through the stone walls of a house and down the hall. Neither can Rhys, neither can Feyre. The Fae might have excellent hearing but only Elain seems to possess the ability to hear something from that far away. So I don't think people acting like Lucien and Elain are terrible mates just because he can't hear her heartbeat because with that question, he doesn't think it's metaphorical. He's answering her literal "can you hear my heart-beating through the stone?"

But the first time Elain says what she says, I think it's more metaphorical. She says, "I can hear your heart," she said quietly. Which I think is "I can hear what is in your heart, I can see what's in your heart" meaning she sees him. His sadness, his loss, his desire.

But again, when she asks Lucien her question, she doesn't phrase it in a way that asks him, "can you see who I am inside?" she phrases it like, "how good is your hearing?" and that's what he answers. But the reason I think she meant it differently is her response to what he said is, "No one ever does. No one ever looked - not really."

So I do think on Elain's end, this shows a pretty powerful connection between them because she is able to see the depth of him very early on. I think it was fairly early that Nesta sensed who Cassian was too but I don't think Feyre got the full picture of who Rhys was for awhile.

As far as the Cauldron scene, that's definitely a point in favor of how powerful their bond is. The fact that Lucien felt the need to reach out for her the very first time they had ever met AND he broke through a spell that was unbreakable for the others (with a power he wasn't even aware of having) in order to get to her is iconic.

And the fact that Elain seemed to begin her recovery within two days of Lucien's arrival at the HOW.

Maybe it's not that Elucien is all around the better, more powerful of the mating bonds so much as the fact that Elain and Lucien are more emotional and intuitive characters (more than Feyre, Rhys, Nesta, and Cassian were). Elain and Lucien might present themselves in a reserved and quiet manner but they are very deep thinkers and I think that almost opens their minds up to seeing one another in a way that the other couples weren't able to right from the start.

[theladyofbloodshed]

After reading your and a few other Neris and LucNes fics, I feel that SJM saying she wouldn't work with an Autumn Boi is a strict cop out and refusal to provide valid character dynamics, character growth and plot intrigue. Instead she throws all the sisters together in the NC and expects them each to just be happy because Feyre is (she hasn't but that's another rant). It reflects poorly on an authors ability to challenge themselves. Minor character or no, she gave Nesta an entire book and she truly shined dancing with my sweet, he who can never do wrong, fire Boi and even then it was a ploy by Feyre and Rhys.

Now, I love me a good Nessian fic and story, especially groveling and redemption ones, but I think Neris will forever be my Ship. SJM really dropped the ball on what could have been incredible!

I have two theories why Nesta and Lucien didn't happen.

SJM's writing of couples ACOMAF was released in 2016, by which point she had established a few couples in her series: Rowaelin - full of sexual chemistry and arguing Manorian - full of sexual chemistry and arguing Lysaedion - full of sexual chemistry and arguing Feysand - full of sexual chemistry and arguing The only couple that doesn't really have this is Elorcan so I think SJM just didn't really know how to write a couple that didn't have that hence why Nesta ended up with Cassian because the moment they came together, they could be arguing. ToD was released after ACOMAF and I think that Chaorene and Nestaq didn't have this formula to a degree. Chaorene had arguments but they weren't playful, Yrene just downright didn't like him - and Sartaq was star struck from the moment he met Nesryn. I feel like if Lucien met Nesta, he wouldn't argue with her - even if she tried to instigate it - because he would recognise that she is hurting and blames him. He has a very small role in ACOMAF so it leaves only Elain or Mor to establish a new relationship to be explored. At this point, Moriel was supposed to be endgame so Mor is off the table. Elain and Cassian just would not work. They lack any chemistry - whereas Nesta can have chemistry with pretty much any character, good or bad.

They would escape the Night Court The only thing keeping Lucien as the Night Court's emissary is Elain. He clearly has lots of contacts, he's good at making friends, and would be an asset to many courts. Feyre isn't a good friend, so seeing Elain is the main reason why he returns to Velaris. Nesta might look good in black, but she looks good in everything. She is not suited to the Night Court. Take away a link to Cassian, and the only thing keeping Nesta there is the Valkyries really. She wanted to explore the Continent previously. If Nesta and Lucien were a couple, I firmly believe that they would likely leave the Night Court. It might take Nesta a while to warm to Lucien, but they have similar social backgrounds, they have quick wit, he has good manners, his dad has a crush on her. SJM could not tie to them the night court any other way than by having Nesta be with Cassian and Elain with Lucien.

[acourtofthought]

It's apples to oranges.

Feyre was reborn as a fae with the power of all 7 High Lords.

Lucien has not come into his full power yet, he's been under the impression his powers as they are are all he has. He doesn't even know who is real father is so he's not aware of what powers he has to train (that will be revealed in his book). And training doesn't bring about your powers, remember, Feyre's powers were displaying themselves in Spring before she ever trained. Once they realized she had them, that's when Rhys trained her.

We can't compare Feyre coming into her own in the book she accepted her mating bond or Feyre in her "finale" book to Lucien who hasn't had his POV yet.

He's going to reach his full power and potential in his book, not someone else's, otherwise SJM wouldn't have made it so it's all been a mystery. Had his powers developed before his book because he tried to "force them" with training (which isn't how a High Lords powers come about anyway) then he would have known Beron wasn't his father and that someone from Day was. It makes sense that an author would want to wait for that kind of revelation when we have Lucien's pov, not in Feyre (otherwise SJM would have already had her tell him about Helion) or Nesta or Az's. I doubt Lucien would even play any sort of major role in an Az book considering they aren't friends.

And:

He’d been trained, he once told me—at the Autumn Court and at this one. Like Rhys, he usually opted for words to win his battles, but I’d seen him and Tamlin in the practice ring. He knew how to handle a weapon. How to kill, if need be.

“Easy,” Lucien said. Cassian snarled. “Easy,” Lucien repeated, and flame sizzled in his russet eye. The flame, the surprising dominance within it, hit Cassian like a stone to the head, knocking him from his need to kill and kill and kill whatever might threaten—

He's already halfway there, he doesn't need to be all the way there before his book.

And of course his talent was wasted in Spring because Tamlin was High Lord and calling the shots. Lucien didn't have the luxury of demanding Tamlin follow his orders.

Lucien isn't so cocky to assume that he knows better and has respect for the order of things, the people that are in charge. Just like he was respectful while in Rhys's court, offering assistance but trying not to overstep. He's humble which is probably one of the reasons he's so well liked across courts.

Lucien becoming more authoritative will change in his book but again, not before. SJM isn't going to give him his "home" before his POV, therefore he's always going to be waiting to reach his full potential until then. That's how SJM writes her characters. Nesta didn't reach her full potential until her book, Feyre didn't reach hers until she was in the NC. Lucien is no different. And right now, all courts have a high lord, someone needs to step down or be killed so he has his time to "take charge" or at least find the home he belongs in so he can step into who he's meant to be.

But he already demonstrates his ability to be a leader, like when he helps the humans, tries to keep the peace between others like Vassa and Jurian and even Feyre, Rhys and Tamlin in the novella, reminding them not to kick the male when he's down they may need the Spring Court as an ally before all is said and done. He's never gone after Az or Graysen and that is worth more in leadership than someone's ability to fight. With that said, Lucien made it through the war with no real injuries to himself so it's clear he's holding his own even now.

And if we are really comparing carelessness than what about Az being ready to risk the entire stability of the courts over a hookup? Az starting fights in High Lord meetings? Az trying to argue with Rhys and Feyre's orders? Az not being willing to talk about Mor?

SJM can easily resolve these problems when either Az or Lucien gets a book but to me Az is way more careless than Lucien at this point so your argument that Lucien isn't ready to be with Elain would technically be more accurate for Az, that he's still not mature enough and he's still too careless to be with Gwyn.

SJM would have no problem telling whatever story she wants to tell next, but if it really comes down to who is "deserving" of a female or ready to be the right male for her at this point, I'd say Lucien wins by a landslide.

Lucien needs to evolve

I was almost Elriel and in the best of cases I see Elain either alone or with another couple but only because I think Lucien will evolve in an incredible way and all the clues along the way are that I stay with Elucien

Lucien was lazy almost his entire life , he settled for ephemeral pleasures, good female company, being the second in command of a great lord. Lucien wasted the enormous potential that resides in him for an easy life. Being a trained pet.

Feyre

“Then why not tell him? You were his faithful dog in every other sense.”

“And that’s why you’re here. Not because it’s right and he’s always been wrong, but just so you can get what you think you’re owed.”

“How are you not winded,” he panted, hauling himself onto the flat top.I shoved back the hair that had torn free of my braid to whip my face. “I trained.”

"You enjoyed its pleasures and diversions. But don’t pretend you weren’t made for something more than that.”

Lucien himself

“As the youngest of seven sons, I wasn’t particularly needed or wanted. Perhaps it was a good thing. I was able to study for longer than my father allowed my brothers before shoving them out the door to rule over some territory within our lands, and I could train for as long as I liked, since no one believed I’d be dumb enough to kill my way up the long list of heirs. And when I grew bored with studying and fighting"

The idea that Lucien's relationship with Elain is the last to be resolved seems right to me. In the third book, Lucien honestly did not deserve Elain, he did not deserve a partner because marriages carry responsibilities that Lucien denied during his life. He now has something to fight for, a reason to mature, now he can be someone with enough judgment to make the right decisions.

Elain was still shivering on the wet stones, her nightgown shoved up to her thighs, her small breasts fully visible beneath the soaked fabric. Guards snickered.Lucien snarled at the king over the bite of the magic at his throat, “Don’t just leave her on the damned floor—” There was a flare of light, and a scrape, and then Lucien was stalking toward Elain, freed of his restraints

Lucien needs to be strong and independent, he needs to strengthen his soul and spirit and only then can he deserve to have a relationship, a family of his own. I look forward to its evolution

[bookishfeylin]

I just wanted to let u know ur posts and analysis' about Tamlin has softened a lot of my very strong hatred for him. He reminds me a lot my step-dad in a lot of ways and i was incredibly resistant towards Any kind of sympathy or anything else towards him

I have been 100% aware it's full on projection on my part lol but ur posts have put a lot into perspective on Tamlin, and I think a lot of it is is bec u don't try to justify any of his actions or tear anyone down to lift him up. You don't even need to slander Rhys to do it, either

you've presented so many of ur posts very eloquently without a lot of bias imo and I know a large part of my sheer hatred of Rhys is due to the Fandom and the books themselves justifying his every action. and I think bec u actively do not do that to Tamlin I was able to hate him a little bit less

so thank u

- queenofshadowsandflame

Hello! Thank you so much! This was such a lovely compliment!

I'd consider myself a book1!Feyre stan and a Feylin stan of course, and although I really, truly love my ship, but I also want to be cognizant of the fact that many people find half of my ship (Tamlin) a triggering character, so I've always attempted to advocate for my ship whilst not undermining what he becomes later on, because as someone who finds Rhysand reminiscent of my abuser I know what it's like for people to undermine my feelings about a character being triggering and I'd hate to do that to others.

I've dissected his abuse all throughout my 'tamlin's abuse' tag, but I wrote my most thorough breakdown of Tamlin's and Rhysand's abuse here using the National Domestic Violence Hotline if you're interested and I talk about his red flags in book one in comparison to the bat boys here as well. I'm glad that I've managed to remain balanced in my discussion of his character and not let it be clouded by my love for my ship that my analyses were written tastefully and objectively enough to not bother you. This honestly really made my day :)

[merymoonbeam]

With all due respect, I’m not the one who needs to get a life. There is a large amount of gwynriel fan art - especially of that scene where Azriel rescues Gwyn. However, there has only been one creator who has depicted Azriel as shirtless. And, of all the countless (!) gwynriel shippers, only a select few people have made comments calling the scene ‘passionate’ (keeping in mind that for many, English isn’t their first language…)

And, even if you do have an issue with how this particular scene is being portrayed by some people in the fandom - why can’t we simply have a conversation about it? Especially given that the people elriels are ganging up on (who are real life people - not fictional!), could very well be SA survivors themselves. But instead, and as always, the default mode for elriels is aggression and hostility. I actually used to ship elriel myself, but couldn’t stomach being part of a community that is full of so much hatred.

You are also incorrect in saying that the comparison I made is like “apples and pears.” Literally just google search ‘Feyre and Rhys Under the Mountain’ to see COUNTLESS art pieces of Feyre dancing over Rhys’s body, or any other scene from the first book (which was incredibly traumatic for Feyre, and something that Rhys himself acknowledges was awful) but is instead made to look like this super sexy scene between the two of them. I’ve seen art of Rhys twisting Feyre’s broken arm as he winks, or art of Rhys drugging Feyre, and kissing her as tears fall down her face in disgust. Yet, I don’t hear the same outcry. As far as I can tell, gwynriels aren’t producing art of Gwyn being assaulted… yet there’s a myriad of art pieces of Feyre being assaulted (which is then also romanticised! By other elriels too!)

As for your point about Gwyn (potentially) being a morally gray character - sure, no one’s denying that. Anything is possible in SJM books. But, the lightsinger theory, by extension, suggests that Gwyn is lying about her past. It’s also in poor taste to suggest that the character who has endured extreme sexual violence is ‘luring’ Azriel as a means to get between him and another girl. If elriels care so much about how Gwyn’s SA is portrayed (to the extent that they’ll go after gwynriels who don’t paint it in a way they deem appropriate), then why doesn’t that apply to your theories as well? Or even how you all talk about Gwyn online…?

Do you care (or even listen) when gwynriels and other people in the fandom have spoken out about how so much of the discourse elriels engage in is actively harmful to SA survivors (and spreads a really gross and incorrect rhetoric?) Or, is it just another chance to dog pile on, and demean people in the fandom who just so happen to have a different shipping preference to you…?

let's go bit by bit again shall we...

TW: SA

With all due respect, I’m not the one who needs to get a life.

you are the one who is sending me anon defending the romanticizing of Gwyn's SA...so yeah. get a life.

There is a large amount of gwynriel fan art - especially of that scene where Azriel rescues Gwyn. However, there has only been one creator who has depicted Azriel as shirtless. And, of all the countless (!) gwynriel shippers, only a select few people have made comments calling the scene ‘passionate’ (keeping in mind that for many, English isn’t their first language…)

so you accept that you guys use that scene to show "gwynriel"? the scene that didn't happen in the book but you are altering the scene to show gwynriel? Did I get that right?

there is so many of that scene where azriel is naked. I see them daily. Like come on... don't lie. He is shirtless in nearly 90% of them.

and english being their or any ones second language doesn't give them the right to be careless about their language. English is my second language and I use Google translate when I don't know a meaning of the word or to check if I'm correct about the meaning and use it correctly. So get out of here with that mindset. they can use Google translate like me or any other translator. that is not an excuse to use that word or doesn't give them any right to be so careless. and passionate is not a hard word to know like...it is a word I learned early on when I started learning english so...

Especially given that the people elriels are ganging up on (who are real life people - not fictional!), could very well be SA survivors themselves. But instead, and as always, the default mode for elriels is aggression and hostility. I actually used to ship elriel myself, but couldn’t stomach being part of a community that is full of so much hatred.

the fact that when elriels speak up about a fanart being triggering for SA survivors beeing seen as ganging up on a real person is...just weird.

And there is this stigma that when a person is from a country or from an ethnicity or have some type of trauma that doesn't mean whatever they do or say about that situation is right. When other people who is from that country or ethnicity or have that trauma as well say that thing is wrong or triggering it should be listened not get their comments deleted or get blocked. and this case that artist is deleting comments and blocking people who is spoken about that art being triggering or any other situation closer to this.

and I don't see elriels as hostile sure there is bad apples in every fandom but where is your standart against gwynriels who bullied artists out of the fandom or bullied people to closing their accounts or people who got ban from gwynriels reporting their fanarts? Why are we not talking about that? if there is 3 elriel bad apples there is 100 of gwynriels bullying elriels left and right. but bc of their numbers they are more heard bc they are louder. when we raise our voice about something, we are shown as "ganging up on the artist or whatever".

You are also incorrect in saying that the comparison I made is like “apples and pears.” Literally just google search ‘Feyre and Rhys Under the Mountain’ to see COUNTLESS art pieces of Feyre dancing over Rhys’s body, or any other scene from the first book (which was incredibly traumatic for Feyre, and something that Rhys himself acknowledges was awful) but is instead made to look like this super sexy scene between the two of them.

I googled. only saw one. other fanarts are with either the twins nuala and cerridwen or Feyre as alone. and those other fanarts with feyre sitting on rhys' lab is from acomaf lol. Get that right.

and if there is anything else I have never seen them.

I’ve seen art of Rhys twisting Feyre’s broken arm as he winks, or art of Rhys drugging Feyre, and kissing her as tears fall down her face in disgust. Yet, I don’t hear the same outcry.As far as I can tell, gwynriels aren’t producing art of Gwyn being assaulted… yet there’s a myriad of art pieces of Feyre being assaulted (which is then also romanticised! By other elriels too!)

I didn't see it. and if you did why are you not talking about it in your blog? coming to me using this to defend romanticizing gwyn's sa...LIKE ???????

I only saw one fanart of Rhys' holding Feyre's arm and it was done way before I joined the fandom. What do you want me to do about that? Go talk about a fanart that was done years ago when I didn't have any clue who sjm was?

and the issue is not about gwyn's assult being show...it is Gwyn's trauma is being used as a way to get a point for gwynriel. Literally this is what I'm trying to explain but you don't get it and trying to justify it to me by using Feysand fanarts that I can't seem to find.

As for your point about Gwyn (potentially) being a morally gray character - sure, no one’s denying that. Anything is possible in SJM books. But, the lightsinger theory, by extension, suggests that Gwyn is lying about her past. It’s also in poor taste to suggest that the character who has endured extreme sexual violence is ‘luring’ Azriel as a means to get between him and another girl. If elriels care so much about how Gwyn’s SA is portrayed (to the extent that they’ll go after gwynriels who don’t paint it in a way they deem appropriate), then why doesn’t that apply to your theories as well? Or even how you all talk about Gwyn online…?

lying about her past? lmfao. Lightsinger theory doesn't say or show that. I don't get it. WHAT? I'm confused. It is a theory to explain why she is glowing when she sings or shadows singing in answer to her breath like nesta's power did. that's all about it. where did you get that for real?

maybe it isn't to get between the girl and the guy but there is an another reason. literally you guys made yourselves believe that gwyn is a love interest for azriel and when we theorise she could be a lightsinger you are saying we are making gwyn be in between azriel and elain. lol no. That's not it at all. it is just that we are theorising why this girl glows when she signs and all those singing reference in the bonus. I can literally give two shits about gwyn coming in between azriel and elain.

Do you care (or even listen) when gwynriels and other people in the fandom have spoken out about how so much of the discourse elriels engage in is actively harmful to SA survivors (and spreads a really gross and incorrect rhetoric?) Or, is it just another chance to dog pile on, and demean people in the fandom who just so happen to have a different shipping preference to you…?

do you mean when we said Gwyn might not be ready bc she hasn't shown anything about being ready and at the end of the book went back to library which is the place she went in the first place bc of her trauma and Gwynriels started assuming about her being ready and drew her in extreme sexual positions(I'm talking bdsm and all) and other SA survivors also talked about how we shouldn't assume she is ready and then we were made villains bc gwynriels twisted our words to "elriels say gwyn can't have sex bc she is SA" if you are talking about that...READ THIS AGAIN. I explained. you are not the one who is dog pile on for shipping another "couple"...we are.

Okay. Bye now.

[bookofmirth]

hi!!

I've seen a lot of posts lately that say Feyre is an unreliable narrator. And usually that Nesta's perspective is more true or more reliable. Can I have your thoughts? Because while Feyre's perspective is one interpretation of events, I never thought she was actually unreliable so now I'm not sure

Hello!

Yeah, the idea that Nesta herself, as a character, is more "reliable" than Feyre, doesn't make sense to me. I can't help but wonder if people are using this as another "here is why Nesta is better than Feyre" argument, since people gotta be pitting them against one another.

(I haven't really been on tumblr the last 4-5 days so idk who is making these arguments or what they are like, just to preface this. I also got some new nails so typing on my laptop is fun!)

Characters could be unreliable for two reasons:

They don't have all the information or have been lied to, or

They are intentionally misleading the reader

#2 isn't true, I think we can all agree on that, while #1 was true for both Feyre and Nesta. Neither of them are trying to lie to the reader, and neither of them have the full truth at any one time; all of us are always inherently restricted to seeing the world through our own perspective.

The main issue here is the voice acotar is written in. Feyre's books are written in first-person, which inherently restricts us to knowing what she knows - although, really skilled writers can still tell the reader more than what the character knows, without the character actually knowing it. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine is one of those books. Anyway, SJM has written Feyre in first person in a way that makes her knowledge of the fae world limited. That doesn't make her unreliable in the sense that she is lying to us, she just doesn't know things. And for acotar-war, that works - we get to learn about the world as Feyre does.

acosf was written in third person close. That means that we are not limited to what Nesta experiences and knows. That is not necessarily better, it's just different. That also doesn't mean that what Nesta feels and experiences is necessarily "more" true. It's just that the scope of what we know is wider.

Think of it like this: first person is like watching a movie in full screen. Third person close is like watching a movie in widescreen. It's not that we are seeing things completely differently, we just get more from third person close, including things that the main character might not notice themselves. Maybe a better comparison would be watching acotar through Feyre's GoPro, where Nesta's book was filmed in widescreen. They are both the truth, it's just that acosf gave us more.

I wonder, are people trying to say that Feyre is biased? Because that doesn't make sense either... we are all biased to some extent. Nesta being more critical of the IC doesn't make her smarter, or more savy, or whatever. It's just a function of who she is and the way that she encountered the Night Court. If she saw the IC as people who had saved her from an abusive romantic relationship, she would have the same positive view of the IC as Feyre does.

Sorry this got long, I just can't help but wonder - do people think that Nesta being critical of the IC is inherently better? Because criticizing something/someone, or seeing flaws, doesn't necessarily mean that someone has thought more, or been more objective. Maybe the IC has problems, but um. Hello, hi, the Autumn Court? Spring Court? idk, this idea that finding flaws makes someone a critical thinker drives me crazy because it's just not true.

We all come to things with our own perspectives. There is no avoiding it. And I just don't see how we could say that Nesta's perspective is more true - it's just her perspective, which yes differs from Feyre's perspective, but do we really expect a sister-in-law to view her sister's husband in the same way her sister does? Cuz yikes. Weird. Just because Feyre loves Rhys, doesn't make her view of him untrue. If we were to accept that, then we'd also have to say that Nesta's view of Cassian is "untrue", etc. When the irony is that those feelings come from our "biased" perspective in the first place! Of course we see people we love more positively than people we dislike, but that doesn't mean we are blind to who they are, or lying to ourselves about them. Maybe we offer them more forgiveness or grace than we would offer other people. But again, that doesn't make our perspective "wrong" in any way.

[stargirlfeyre]

“Thank you so much for this. Lucien is my favorite, I’m waiting for his book. I get that Feyre felt betrayed by him for not stepping in more, but he was trying. He really did try to steer Tamlin in the right direction, but he was walking a fine line between her and his best friend who was really the only family he had. The mistrust they treat him with in WaR and then Feyre’s ugliness toward him in ACoFaS really made me not like her. This poor guy can’t catch a break.”

“There are many reasons that Feyre is my least favorite character now, but my number one reason is the way she treats poor Lucien. That just sealed the deal for me in this run through. I would never expect for someone I knew for .2 seconds to sacrifice themselves for me after I murdered and skinned their friend, much less get MAD at them for not doing it. Ugh.”

“Omg YES I'm sorry but he experienced horrific trauma, had his friend murdered, risked everything to help Feyre UTM, was tortured for helping, and then was for whatever reason expected to put his life and world at risk to get her away from his best friend?? All for someone he BARELY knew. And now, his whole life is in shambles, he was taken away from the place he knew, and is treated like crap for what? Not sacrificing his life for some a girl he owed nothing to? I'm just over the Lucien mistreatment 😭😭 I wish I didn't reread this bc now I dislike Feyre and Rhys”

“I forgot about the Andras part but that makes it even worse!! He knew Feyre for like 2 seconds before UTM and he STILL tried to help her even tho she killed and skinned one of his friends. Rhys mentioned before how some of his questionable actions were for the sake of his court and people melt over it but for some reason, Lucien can’t do the same. Even when, in my opinion, he hasn’t done anything nearly as bad. It’s just ridiculous how people will absolutely love one character and hate the other when they’re all morally grey. I’m personally not a fan of Feyre or Rhys after SF but I can understand why they did most of the things they did but I will never forgive them for the way they treated and continue to treat Lucien”

“I definitely agree, I made a post a couple days ago about Tamlin because I think even he is treated unfairly by Feyre, Rhys and everyone in the IC. And if I were Lucien, I wouldn't betray the one person who saved my life and took me in for someone I barely knew, for someone who killed my friend and hated everything I was just a couple months ago. Not to mention, he did try to help at one point and got shut down by Tam immediately. Idk why he was expected to give up everything for somebody he wasn't even friends with, let's be real.”

Just a little taste of why I could give 0 fucks about Feycien..His whole fanbase is trash minus the few Tamlin and Feyre stan’s that still simp for him. This is a new post full of comments JUST like these ones. This is a daily thing for Lucien stan’s just like Nesta & Tamlin stan’s Feycien girlies..Like him no matter what but his fans could give two fucks about Feyre

“Feyre’s ugliness toward him in ACoFaS really made me not like her. This poor guy can’t catch a break.”

“but my number one reason is the way she treats poor Lucien.”

“then was for whatever reason expected to put his life and world at risk to get her away from his best friend??”

“I made a post a couple days ago about Tamlin because I think even he is treated unfairly by Feyre, Rhys and everyone in the IC. And if I were Lucien, I wouldn't betray the one person who saved my life and took me in for someone I barely knew, for someone who killed my friend and hated everything I was just a couple months ago.”

Oh these people are fucked in the head. They can’t be serious. For all their talk of “not babying the inner circle because they’re centuries old and they should have been more knowledgeable about how to handle Nesta” they sure do love to blame a 19 year old girl for the actions of centuries old men. These are the same people who say anything Nesta says or does to the inner circle shouldn’t be taken seriously by them because “she’s a 25 year old child🥺”

“Poor Lucien” this nigga isn’t a baby. What’s this obsession with infantilizing him? They say we infantilize Feyre by calling her Nesta and Elain’s “baby sister” (even though she is. Feyre is the youngest making her the baby of the family) but they’re out treating this 300+ year old man like a child who’s been wrong by the world.

“And if I were Lucien, I wouldn't betray the one person who saved my life and took me in for someone I barely knew” do these people realize that they’re admitting that they would sit back and watch someone be physically abused if they’re friend was doing it? They’re seriously it a “betrayal”?

The saddest thing about this is I know a lot of the people behind the accounts saying this are women. Grown ass women at that.

[hellacioushag]

acotar characters as animated good guys

this is dumb af, enjoy.  

rhys: jack frost (rise of the guardians)

both hot af, both have painful pasts resulting in losing a loved one(s), both appear to be cold and flippant, but deep inside feel the need to make the world a more beautiful and wonderful place to be. jack constantly struggles through his movie to be seen for who he truly is and rhys felt that same pain until he and feyre healed together. 15/10 they can nip my nose anytime. 

feyre: robin hood (robin hood)

my girl feyre is the living embodiment of robin hood. she knows what it’s like to have to fight for survival so now she’s always looking out for those in need. both kickass archers, both say eat the rich, and both would risk their necks for their true loves. 14/10 feyre and robin hood can fucking get it. 

amren: archimedes (sword in the stone)

archimedes and amren are both wise and gruff sidekicks. they see everyone else as children barely able to speak full sentences and have no problem laughing in at their shenanigans. 12/10 would let them lecture me for hours 

cassian: flynn rider/eugene fitzherbert (tangled)

flynn falls in love with rapunzel after being beaten with a frying pan and dragged into enemy territory so she can watch the lanterns, not realizing if caught he would for sure to arrested and killed. what other himbo would risk everything he is for a woman who would beat him up on the regular? 15/10 no one does it like my bois flynn and cassian.  

nesta: anastasia (anastasia) 

ana and nesta both have sass for days, neither would run from a fight, and both end up being the hero of their own stories. ana and nesta also have that tough outer exterior that only becomes softened when they grow to love and trust their significant other. 16/10 would fight a zombie sorcerer for you any day

elain: aurora (sleeping beauty)

i love both elain and aurora, but we barely know either of them let’s be real. aurora has maybe 18 minutes of screen time in her entire film and now we’re 4.5 books into a 6 book series and know little to nothing about what makes elain tick. 12/10 they both deserve better than underwhelming development and fuck bois. 

lucien: hercules (hercules)

while lucien is a lot more clever than the himbo hunkules they both know the pain of feeling like they don’t belong, both have secret daddy reveals, both may not be very smooth but are sweet as fucking pie, and both would go to hell and back for their true loves. 14/10 would fight a hydra for both and that is the gospel truth. 

azriel: elsa (frozen)

both elsa and azriel do not deal with their emotions and instead bottle them up until they explode out in a force of power beyond their control. like elsa, azriel needs to learn to love himself before trying to get with anyone. he needs to deal with his trauma and pain, he needs to heal. 11/10 i’m never letting go

gwyn: rapunzel (tangled)

gwyn and rapunzel both lived very sheltered lives and desire the strength to take those first steps from their confinement and face the world with all it’s unknowns. they both have so much joy and wonder about life. while naïve about some things they have both proven they are determined, brave, and true. 18/10 you are my new dream

mor: mulan (mulan)

mor and mulan and both fierce warriors who struggled to be able to be their authentic selves. they would do anything to protect their loved ones, even if it put themselves in harms way. honorable, kind, and fierce they are the strongest gals i know. 14/10 they are a girl worth fighting for

emerie: moana (moana)

these girls do not need a man to save them. they are strong, fierce, and compassionate women. they didn’t always have strong support systems, but both girls persevered and followed their own path. both moana and emerie are brave and kind and know they do not need to be anything other than themselves to get the job done. 13/10 these girls know the way to my heart

helion: tinkerbell (peter pan)

both the hottest in any room, both full of sass, both full of light and clever plans, and both will die if they don’t get enough attention. 14/10 clap if you want to smash

tamlin: derek (the swan princess)

derek is the OG tool. 2/10 derek walked, so tamlin could run. 

[nikethestatue]

It's very weird that those stans always end up finding anti g*yn/g*ynriel & anti vals posts even if the post is tagged correctly. One just can't talk about how they don't like these characters in peace without them throwing a tantrum over it.

We can't dislike g*yn or even make a theory about her being a LS because she's a victim, we can't hate l*cien because he's been through so much but they can hate on elain, feyre, mor and rhys (all of whom are survivors) all the time.

Also where's this sexual tension and chemistry between e/ucien? Elain can't stand him and they call this romance lmao

I think that Gwynriels are really deluding themselves when they think that SJM couldn't make Gwyn a negative character. Just like she could potentially do with Elain.

'Always bad'--probably not. Somewhat bad? Totally. Enchanted. Possessed. Influenced. Absolutely.

This think that her SA is like a cart blanche--she is infallible and could never be made into anything other than a perfect person. SJM pretty much takes almost every messed up character and makes them even worse, before she makes them better.

Tamlin was abused--he is still a dick.

Dorian was possessed.

Danika died and turned out to be a liar, who couldn't tell her own BF anything about what she was doing. Even that she was mated.

Tharion--sold his soul to a witch.

Lucien was physically and sexually abused--still was willing to use force on Feyre and bring her back to his abusive friend Tamlin.

Manon was abused, but ended up killing her own sister.

Chaol--severe parental abuse and still was a dick to Celaena.

Eris--abused, still a dick.

Even Merrill--hangs out in the Library, full of abused women, still a dick.

Rhys--severely abused, but some of his methods are questionable at best.

I can go on and on.

There is a reason SJM is making Gwyn an LS. And if her fans think it's because she is going to be singing duets with Azriel, that would be very incorrect.

It's okay to be grey and interesting. No one wants to read about 'perfect' characters.