#Acotar read another book challenge

[separatist-apologist]

If you're thinking about writing a post about sexual assault as it relates to the characters in your favorite piece of media and you don't have that expertise, can I suggest:

✨ shutting the fuck up✨

Now with the added benefit of NOT harming ACTUAL people to prop up your favorite character!

[elrielsgarden]

Elriel’s 1st Meeting/Interactions Parallels with Feysand’s & Nessian’s

And Every Elriel Moment in the Scenes Otherwise

In an effort to demonstrate that Elriel has existed since Az and Elain first met, I will draw parallels between Elriel’s first interactions and those of Feysand and Nessian. (Please see here a post that quickly discuss SJM’s switch from Nesta/Lucien to Nessian.)

It is important to note that in all of Feysand’s interactions, we are reading in Feyre’s head, and for the other two we are observers through Feyre’s eyes. Feysand’s first meeting and interactions occur in A Court of Thorns and Roses, and Elriel’s and Nessian’s are in the same set of scenes in A Court of Mist and Fury.

First Reactions

Feyre's first thoughts upon hearing and seeing Rhys is that his voice is sensual and he's the most beautiful male she's ever seen.

Let's compare these observations with how Nesta and Elain react to seeing/meting Cassian and Azriel for the first time.

While this is from Feyre's perspective and not through their own eyes, we can easily understand that in a similar way to Feyre upon seeing Rhys, Nesta and Elain are taken aback by the beauty of Cassian and Azriel. It is also important to note that they specifically stiffen at Cassian and Azriel; Rhys is only referenced at the end of the sentence.

Thus, we see that Feysand's, Nessian's, and Elriel's first meetings carry similar themes that hint toward their relationships.

Appreciating Their Character

Whether this appreciation is in challenge (Nessian, I'm looking at you) or not, we see this from all three Bat Boys toward the Archeron sisters.

For Feyre and Rhys, the most obvious moment of this in the early stages of their knowing each other is Under the Mountain.

Rhys already seems to know and appreciate Feyre's style of strategy, and we only see this strengthen as the story continues.

Nesta and Cassian need a pretty long quote, because their banter and arguing is so prominent here-just like their personalities are louder than many others.

I just love how the two of them see themselves in the other. Yes, both Cassian and Nesta are furious with each other, but it very clearly sets up the stage for their love story, especially if you read the deleted scene with the two of them from ACOMAF. If you're interested, this scene is titled 'Wings and Embers' and is readily available on the internet in pdf format.

My favorite moment of this kind of appreciation for Elriel is in this little moment:

This moment makes me giggle, because we yet again see Elain's personality shine out. And very clearly, Azriel quite likes who Elain is.

Asking Questions

Another parallel between Feysand and Elriel is that in their first interactions both as each other questions, ones about things that matter to them.

In their final exchange at the end of ACOTAR, these exchanges occur. Let's compare that to Elriel.

This parallel could not be any clearer to me. These questions are far from surface-level, and would only be asked by someone genuinely interested in the person they're asking the question of.

All the Other Elriel Moments From the First Time They Meet

This is a direct parallel that's demonstrated several times in these scenes as well as later on in the series. Elain and Az share this skill, and it also hints at a spy plot for Elain in her book.

We know that Nesta and Elain were quite scared of the Bat Boys when they first saw them, and I think here Az is doing his best to mitigate that, especially since he can scent her fear, using those manners I just mentioned. And we see that it works, because Elain realizes a bit after Az essentially reassures her.

This is a short little parallel but an important one. Elain is wearing a cobalt dress the first time she meets Az. And what color does Feyre say Az's siphons are whenever she describes them? Cobalt. This is a small yet incredibly obvious and intentional detail.

The last parallel, and perhaps my favorite from these scenes is this:

Ugh, this moment is so cute! After having just met, Elain trusts Azriel already. If this isn't Elriel foreshadowing idk who to trust anymore.

Long story short (yes, I'm a Swiftie), Feysand, Nessian, and Elriel share aspects of their first meeting and first interactions that clearly define and foreshadow these romance storylines. 🌸🦇

[swansworth]

The Handsome Stranger

Rhysand x Priestess!Reader

Summary: You had fallen for the High Lord, it was inevitable. However, he was clearly in love with another, and now he had come to ask you the one question you had dreaded to hear. 

Warnings: brief mention of abuse, mild angst with a happy ending, a big misunderstanding, believed-to-be unrequited feelings, friends-to-lovers

Word Count: 3079

Author Notes: This was inspired by one of my favorite television series, The Vicar of Dibley. The show is much more comedic than this story is, but it still helped me formulate this. The story title is borrowed from the episode that inspired this. Some of the dialogue towards the end is as well, and some of it has been re-worded to fit ACOTAR more seamlessly. Special thanks to @azsazz​ for encouraging me to write this. 

Not many ventured to the temple, too afraid of what peace they would disturb. It was a benefit in your mind; it meant that you could read and take care of your daily duties without anyone bothering you. Usually your days were spent in a comfortable quiet, though it appeared today would not be such a day. 

“Hello?” A voice like velvet asked, causing you to sigh. You had just sat down to start the next chapter in the book you’d been reading and had really hoped to avoid dealing with anyone. You closed your book and moved to the sanctuary, doing your best to smile and give off an air of warmth and kindness. The smile on your face faltered when you noticed a beautiful fae standing before the altar, his blue-black hair tousled and his eyes closed in what appeared to be prayer. 

Part of you wondered whether you should leave him to his privacy but then he asked, “Are you one of the priestesses here?” He’d noticed you. You opened your mouth to respond then abruptly shut it when his eyes opened and orbs that were almost violet in color met yours. “Well?” 

His tone implied that he was annoyed and you wondered whether it was really worth your time to get involved with him. Unfortunately, it was your duty as a priestess to aid any who came to the temple asking for assistance. “Yes I am,” you answered at last, “Was there something I could help you with?” 

“We’ll see.” Oh, you did not like the arrogance that rolled off of this male. The two of you stared at one another in an unspoken challenge to see who would speak next. “Shall I get to the point?”

“If you’d like me to assist you, I think that would be wise.” A look of amusement flickered across his handsome face and you did your best to keep your own expression neutral as he continued to stare at you. 

“You’re very direct.” His statement left you unsure; was it meant to be an insult or a compliment? Regardless, you still held his gaze, waiting for him to state his reason for being at the temple in the first place. The silence stretched on, but you refused to be the first to break it. 

Stubborn too, I see. I could use that.  

The stranger’s voice crawled its way through your mind and your eyes widened. How had he done that? All at once you felt a stab of fear. He was a daemati; he could tear your mind apart with ease if you weren’t careful. 

Clever girl.  

It was almost taunting you, the voice, but you held firm, kept your gaze fixed on the handsome stranger. There was only one being in the Night Court who this could possibly be, and though you knew decorum instructed you to at least bow your head, you did no such thing. “Lord Rhysand,” you said, “What did you need assistance with?” 

“So it’s lord now is it?” He sounded almost amused and your shoulders sagged in relief as his expression softened. “I have a friend in need of sanctuary. They were badly hurt by their former lover and have nowhere to go. I would offer them a room with me, but they were adamant that they did not want my assistance.” 

There were rooms in the temple for requests such as these; cozy, private chambers that offered a sense of safety and peace while the people residing in them healed. The smallest room was unoccupied and had a fresh change of linens on the bed. “We have a room they could stay in for a time, if you feel they would be open to that.” 

Rhysand’s answering smiling was blinding and left you feeling almost breathless. He truly was incredibly handsome. No wonder all the other priestesses swooned whenever his name was mentioned. “I’ll bring them here at once. Thank you, priestess.” 

You gave your name and watched as that smile grew impossibly brighter. He repeated it back to you and your heart pounded in your chest at the way your name fell from his lips. It was almost a purr, soft and sensual. ‘Mother preserve me.’ It was a thought that you had often, a silent mental prayer in an effort to keep yourself calm. Rhysand’s smile turned into an amused grin as he turned to take his leave and you knew that he had heard it. Blasted daemati. 

═══*.·:·.☽✧    ✦    ✧☾.·:·.*═══

You had believed that once Rhysand’s friend had settled, the High Lord would go back to his daily duties, whatever those were. Oh, how mistaken you were.

Rhys’s presence was a constant, nearly daily, thing.

At first, it had been to ensure that his friend truly was comfortable and safe. You couldn’t help but admire that unwavering loyalty. There were many stories and rumors about Rhysand, but the gentle smile he wore when he spoke to his comrade made you wonder how much truth lay within them.

It turned, quicker than you could have anticipated, into social visits. He came less and less for his friend and more and more for you. In the course of a few months, the two of you had formed a budding friendship and you could admit that the smile that tugged at your lips whenever he entered the temple was genuine and warm, full of the growing affection you held for him.

You hoped that the affectionate look you saw in his eyes was just as sincere.

Part of you also hoped that what you interpreted as flirtation truly was. You couldn’t speak for Rhysand, but you knew that your feelings for him had shifted to romantic rather than platonic. It was foolish, you knew, to hope that the High Lord of the Night Court would fall for a priestess such as yourself. And yet your heart raced wildly each time he stepped into the sanctuary, looked at you with those intense violet eyes, and asked with a grin, “Miss me, darling?”

“Always,” you replied easily.

As his arm slipped around your waist, pulling you close so he could converse with you about everything and anything, you sighed in content. In those moments, everything was perfect and right with the world.

That perfection ended when you saw Rhysand walking arm-in-arm with a beautiful, blonde, high fae.

You didn’t leave the temple often, but you had learned that it was Rhys’s birthday in a few weeks and you were out looking for materials to make him something. As a High Lord, you suspected that there wasn’t much you could buy him that he would need or want, and truthfully, you didn’t have much money to buy gifts with. So, you had settled on making him a token; something small he could keep with him for luck and protection. That was when you saw them.

The blonde with him was as beautiful as the goddess that you served. Grace rolled off of her in waves and you felt your knees tremble at the sight of her. She had eyes that reminded you of honey, a deep rich amber that was warm, but still intense. Everything about her was perfection; she was exactly the sort of fae someone of Rhys’s standing would be expected to be with. Your heart sank. You had always known it was foolish to hope and dream, but secluded in your temple, it was easy to imagine. Facing reality, seeing how you paled in comparison, hurt more than you would have ever thought possible.

“You’re a moron, Rhys. It’s a good thing I like you so much,” the blonde teased.

“Thanks Mor, I love you too.” Rhys laughed as he spoke and you watched as the blonde playfully jabbed him in the side with her elbow. You slipped away then, not able to see or hear anymore.

He was a High Lord. You were a priestess. It had been nothing more than a dream, and the dawn had finally come.

═══*.·:·.☽✧    ✦    ✧☾.·:·.*═══

“Hello?” An all too familiar voice called out from the sanctuary. You cussed under your breath at the sound of it. Seeing Rhysand again was inevitable but you had hoped that you’d have more time to process and heal before having to engage with him. Though you had tried to fight it, you had fallen helplessly in love with him. Each smile, each gentle touch and warm utterance of your name had bewitched you. Seeing Rhysand meant facing your heartbreak head-on, and you weren’t sure you were ready for that. 

You heard him call your name and swallowed. There was no way you would be able to avoid him forever and perhaps dealing with the issue now would be wiser. Yes, putting it off wouldn’t solve anything. You took a deep breath, lifted your head and headed out into the sanctuary. 

“Lord Rhysand, how are you?” How you had managed to form words when he was standing there looking as handsome as he had the day you met, you had no idea. 

“So it’s lord now, is it?” You didn’t meet his gaze even though you could feel the weight of his on your face, trying to make out your expression. There was a faint poking at your mind, but you kept your walls in place. If he saw the swirling emotions warring within you he would certainly reject you entirely. Rejection would be worse than ignorance. 

“I suppose I may as well come straight out with it?” He formed it as a question, encouraging you to answer him. You turned your head to look at him and gave him a nod, a silent urgence to continue. His brow creased in what almost looked like worry. “I’ve thought about it quite a lot, talked about it a lot. And I came here to ask you a rather important question.” 

“Well, go on then,” you said. 

“Perhaps, we could find somewhere a bit more secluded? I hadn’t intended on asking you in the middle of the sanctuary.” 

“I don’t see why here isn’t as good a place as any.” You could have sworn that you saw his eye twitch as he stared at you. His hands clenched and unclenched by his sides and you could tell that he was trying to stay calm. He let out a breath and refocused his gaze on your face. 

“Will you marry me?” Damn. You had suspected that he and the mysterious blonde — Morrigan you learned her name was — were close, intimate even, but you hadn’t realized how close. It was your duty, as a priestess, to assist in mating and marriage ceremonies, you had officiated nearly a hundred. This, however, was one ceremony you were uncertain of. 

You stared up at Rhysand, looked deep into his violet eyes and saw the almost pleading expression hidden in their depths. He looked hopeful and eager and you knew that no matter how much it would hurt you to do as he asked, you would. You would because you loved him and his happiness was ultimately what you wished for him, more than anything. With a sigh you replied, “Well, yes of course. I’d be delighted to.” 

The smile that broke out across Rhysand’s face was so radiant that you felt as if you were staring directly at the sun. ‘If only I could make him so happy.’ The thought flickered through your mind and you did your best to squash it down. “That’s wonderful news!” He took a step toward you as if to hug you and you stepped back. No, you couldn’t. You would melt against him as you always did and it would be harder to maintain the professionalism the situation required. 

“Have you thought of any dates?” You asked as casually as you could, though a hint of annoyance found its way into your tone. 

“Don’t you think we should discuss that?” 

“Very well. I would suggest a time near Starfall. That’s always a romantic time of year.” If you were to ever marry, that would be the time of year you’d want your ceremony to fall on. It was cooler, the nights longer, but the stars shone clearer and on some nights looked as if they were close enough to reach. “Though, I would have to check the temple diary to be sure we can hold the ceremony at that time.” 

You moved to the adjoining room, where a few small tables and bookshelves remained for the priestesses to use. The temple diary was an easy enough book to find. Once you had retrieved it, you flicked through the pages to the calendar. Sure enough there was an opening two days before Starfall. You relayed the information to Rhysand who nodded and said, “That’s perfect.”

“Excellent! I’ll jot it down then. Listen, while you’re here, we should probably start getting some of the other forms done. Save some time.” You wrote the date down before standing to find a large pile of documents on the corner of one of the tables. The temple really needed a better organization system, but that was a problem for another day. The first part of the form needed Rhysand’s name, which you wrote . The next…

“All right, what is the name of the lucky lady in question?” 

At that, Rhysand looked visibly confused. “Rhysand, you shouldn’t marry someone if you don’t know their name. I feel that goes without saying.” 

Rhysand’s voice sounded mildly worried as he replied with your name. You paused in your writing and looked up at him. “Pardon?”

“It’s you. I’m asking you to marry me.” 

The silence was deafening. You stared, eyes wide in disbelief. “Are you out of your senses?”

Rhysand’s visible confusion deepened. “I feel Amren would say I am. She thinks it’s too soon; though I find in affairs of the heart, she’s not always the best being to turn to.”

“I might agree with her! What about that other female you’ve been spending so much time with? Morrigan, the gorgeous blonde one! What about her?” 

Frustration rose within you. Was this some kind of joke to him? He charmed his way into your life and then started spending all his time with Morrigan, and now he was asking for your hand in marriage? You opened your mouth to add your own two-cents regarding his judgment, but were rendered speechless by Rhysand’s reply. “You mean my cousin?”

All at once you felt all the confusion and anger of the last few weeks coming bubbling up to the surface and you shouted, “What?!”

“She’s one of my closest friends; I consult her about nearly everything.”  He still looked confused, but you found you didn’t really care. In that moment, you needed clarity. 

“What?” 

“We’ve been walking Valeris together trying to decide if it was too rash or too soon or, perhaps, too stupid. But, I finally decided I must follow my heart. And my heart is saying that you are the being I wish to spend eternity with, the being that I am destined to be with until death comes and claims me.” 

There was a look of burning passion, strong and intense adoration, in his eyes and your heart began to beat wildly in your chest at the sight of it. Oh. He loved you. Gods, you felt so foolish, but how could you have known. His words from before, his proposal, flashed in your mind again and when you opened your mouth to speak, to say that you felt the same, all that came out was a garbled noise. 

Both you and Rhysand looked surprised by the sound and you tried, once again in vain, to say what was on your mind. The noise was worse the second time. "Will you excuse me?" It was asked with some effort, but you managed. You didn't wait for him to answer and instead hurried off to the secluded meditation room around the corner. Once there you took a series of steadying breaths, trying desperately to calm your racing heart and wrap your head around the truth Rhysand had just shared with you. 

It all seemed almost too good to be true. Rhysand, the High Lord, wanted to marry you? You had hoped he loved you to that extent, and would gladly say yes if he meant it. The whole situation felt like a fantasy, like a scene from those books you used to read as a child where the handsome prince would save the princess and they'd live happily ever after. Could such a thing happen in real life? You inhaled and exhaled twice more and then moved back to the sanctuary where Rhysand waited, a nervous look on his handsome face. 

"Let me be sure I've got this absolutely right," you said as you approached, "You are asking me to marry you."

“Yes.”

That ungodly sound worked its way out of your mouth once more and Rhys’s lips quirked into an amused smile. His arms, so strong and warm, wrapped around your middle and pulled you to him. One of his hands slid up your spine to the back of your head before entwining in your hair. 

“I have loved you from the very moment I laid eyes on you. And I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are meant to be together.” His breath was warm against your face as he tilted his head down and leaned forward. “Marry me, darling?”

You didn’t hesitate, your answer required no consideration. You leaned up, closing the little distance between the two of you, and your lips dragged against his as you replied, “Yes.” 

There was a heat to the kiss. It was as if the dams you’d both built to preserve your emotions had crumbled and the flood of your love and adoration for one another had rushed forward. There was so much to think about and plan for. It wouldn’t be easy figuring out your place within his court and what his expectations would be; and you’d have to address your own for him. All of that would come, all of that could wait. In that moment, all that mattered was the feeling of Rhysand’s warm body pressed against you as he held you close, sipped kisses from your lips, and vowed to love you, and only you, until the end of time. 

[a-court-of-moonlight-and-ire]

Okay, second post, this ones mostly about Feyre because honestly, as of chapter 3 I havent really noticed Tamlin being out of character and from what Ive heard his character assassination was supposed to happen very quickly. Idk, right now he just seems like the same guy but traumatized although I'll fully admit that I didnt care that much for him outside of the Feylin romance (which was pretty sweet but too boring for me) so maybe I just didnt pay enough attention to him to fully grasp his character

Feyre is frustrating to me right now because I dont think shes out of character either, right now shes also just the same woman but traumatized, but like, I already know the extent to which her character will be bent for the sake of Rhysand. In these first three chapters she literally thinks something along the lines of "What's there for me to do but sit at home and spend Tamlin's money" Tell me, what does she end up doing in the night court huh????

Another thing thats frustrating is that Feyre clearly has issues communicating her feelings and wants, I know because I also had issues with that, and instead of learning that very valuable skill of telling others about your inner world and trying to work on her relationships (with both Tamlin and with her sisters), shes just gonna end up with a guy who can read her mind so theres no need for her to challenge herself and grow in any way. Yay. One thing especially stuck out to me in this regard was her attituide towards wearing dresses. Feyre does not like wearing dresses, its not like she never got to wear them back at home even though she wanted to, she just doesnt like wearing them in her day-to-day life, but she feels like she has to because she thinks its what Tamlin wants and because she thinks that if she wears pants its gonna somehow signal to the citizens of the spring court that something is incredibly wrong. But again, she doesnt tell anyone this, she doesnt ask Tamlin if he can just explain to everyone that everything is fine and that Feyre just has an unconventional way of dressing, which he would probably be fine with if its still the same guy from the first book. And it doesnt even seem like Tamlin directly made any kind of comment to her about the dresses she wears, she just saw that he was happy when he saw her wear them, which couldve well been him being happy to see her in general but she doesnt even consider that

Theres also the fact that its very unclear what she wants/what her problem is. Now, this actually isnt something that bothers me that much on its own, Feyre is traumatized and lost, obviously she doesnt know exactly what she wants at this point beyond "the situation Im in sucks and makes me feels bad, I want to get out", I think what bothers me is mostly the knowledge that Tamlin is gonna get blamed for a lot of this stuff when its really not his fault.

And I do want to make it clear that I dont think hes doing a great job handling this situation, I know a lot of people in the acotar critical sphere find his actions understandable and justifiable from his perspective and thats true, but hes still doing a bad job handling Feyre's emotional state. Like, one of your beloved's main issues is that she feels horrible because she feels trapped at home, for the love of god just let her go outside on her own. Maybe send her to village thats far inland or close to the border to the mortal realm, surely those monsters are not gonna manage to come that far if youre all going on patrols to kill them as soon as possible. And even if they do, the people of any village are gonna bend over backwards in order to protect their capital c Cursebreaker, shes gonna be fine

But, to get back to my original point, even if Tamlin was a daemati or whatever like Rhys and could read her mind the way she needs it to be read, he would still not be able to figure out what exactly Feyre needs right now because she doesnt know it herself! I literally read all of her thoughts and I dont know! Does she want to help others and be responsible for a whole bunch of people because its what shes always known to do? Does she want to avoid resonsibility for now because she wants to recover from her traumatic childhood of having the responsibility of keeping her family alive on top of all the new UTM-trauma? Its hard to say and that makes sense for Feyre at this point in her life, but she cant just blame people for not understanding her when she doesnt properly understand herself and refuses tl verbalize her feelings

Anyway, thats it for today, hope you enjoyed this

[hopelesslyhopeful11]

Monty Python and the Holy Grail: SJM vs Elriel, the Black Knight

{enjoy this rewriting of the infamous scene but as our favorite fated mates author taking on people who are against fated mates}

SJM simply existing in the world doing interviews and writing.

Elriels: Who dares to challenge the Black Knight?

SJM: I do not challenge you. I am Sarah Janet Maas, author of ACOTAR. I seek to write about fated mates with happily ever afters!

Elriels:

SJM: As you can tell, I intend to write two more books featuring one couple per book with one story following Azriel and Gwyn where the other follows Elain and Lucien. Would you like to read it?

Elriels: Never.

SJM: You make me sad. But so be it. Come Gwynriels, Eluciens, and casual readers.

Elriels: None. Shall. Pass.

SJM: I have no quarrel with you, brave Elriels, but I must get writing with the rest of the series.

Elriels: Then I will threaten to kill you, your child, and your dearest friends until you confirm Elriel.

SJM: So be it!

SJM writes ACOSF and approaches Elriels. Elriels throw their argument that Elain is perfectly suited for the night court and fits right in. SJM fires back with Cassian and Nesta stating Elain in Night Court black is ridiculous.

SJM: Now stand aside worthy adversary.

Elriel: ‘Tis but a scratch. What does Cassian know about fashion?

SJM: A scratch? It was an entire paragraph and Nesta said the same thing!

Elriel: I’ve had worse. Come on you pansy!

Elriels lob the theory about how Azriel will help Elain with her powers and he respects her. SJM counters by writing that Elain wants to use her powers and Azriel shuts her down to the point where Amren scolds him for it.

SJM, sinking to her knees: Victory is mine. I will thank thee readers by giving you the bonus chapter showing Gwynriel is endgame…

Elriels, kicking her in the head: that’s a red herring.

SJM: You are indeed brave, but the fight is mine. You haven’t gotten any theories left!

Elriels: Course I have, it’s just a flesh wound.

Elriels throw out the theory that Gwyn is an evil lightsinger, luring Azriel with her singing and that’s why his shadows responded to her. SJM writes the HOFAS bonus chapter where Azriels shadows dance for his singing too.

Elriels: I’ll do you for that. Come here.

SJM: what are you going to do? Threaten me again?

Elriels: I’m invincible. You wore a Bambi shirt and gave Elriel five books of build up!

SJM: You’re a looney!

SJM talks in an interview with the today show that sometimes she might plan to have two characters get together and will get them to kiss and then they just won’t and then another character comes along and it’s *snap* which was verbatim what happens in the bonus chapter.

Elriels: We’ll call it a draw.

SJM: come on, Gwynriels, Eluciens, and Casual Readers.

SJM et. al. continue on knowing they are right and Elriels are a lost cause.

Elriels: Running away huh? You Gleeriels, come back and take what’s coming for you. Elains book is next and Guilty as sin is Elriel coded!

[ae-neon]

Regarding the sex pet introduction. I remember reading this post from The Lady Of Bloodshed and it was an ask about Feyre standing in the Spring Court VS Night Court. I think it was an old post, please forgive me if I recall it wrong. Please correct me if i got it wrong.

But yes, it also disturb me the fact Rhys introduce her as a whore VS Tamlin introduce her as the "next SC lady". I remember Tamlin set the party and everyone was joyous, respectful to Feyre. Mind you, Tamlin introduce Feyre to his close circle, his childhood friends and we know this friends has influence in SC political structure and dynamic. Tamlin trusted her and I would say he respect her and want the SC to respect her too (Credit to Tamlin from Acotar 1).

But rhys? Suddenly out of nowhere he bring a whore to the Hewn City event/party? No introduction, no proper gathering, no introducing Feyre who is who in HC. Suddenly, Feyre a whore.

If you see this from HC people POV, wont they be disgusted with Rhys and especially Feyre? "The HL kidnapp a Spring Court bride and made her a whore in our court" and of course HC people hated Feyre. Their position os vulnerable because of their HL kidnapped another HL bride. This is emphasize by Cressida when they visit Summer Court.

I get Feyre will be clueless of this but Rhys? It was as if he wanted to isolate Feyre and control Feyre narrative of other. All other court they visited or have history is bad IF rhys think they are bad. Spring Court,? Bad history and suddenly Feyre destroy the court. Summer Court? Rhys somehow dont like them and lie to them and have Feyre stole the book. Autumn? Yeah, they got beef in the HL meeting and Feyre accidentally burn the Lady Autmn hands and then proceed to bully,make fun Lucien and his band.

Urghh I hate the whole thing Rhys introduce him as a sex pet. Feyre was a mortal that got through the trial and can be seen as hero to Prythian but now she is a whore, kidnapped bride from SC and your man dont even do a public marriage with you. It really make me itch thinking Rhys did not do a proper wedding with Feyre. He is a HL, establishing a proper ceremony with his wife is important. It legitimaze Feyre position and guarantee safety of his future heir from being ostracize in the succession line. It would be silly for a 500 years old male not knowing of this.

While all this thing of wedding, confirming Feyre position is not done by Rhys. Tamlin at least acknowledge this thing and were ready to handed it to Feyre.

Yeah yeah, I get Feyre dont want to this docile pretty pretty Wife. But the narrative of her position can be set up and change later after she got married (Though it dont happen because tamlin got paranoid). The least was, she will be wed to Tamlin and recognize as Lady of SC. Any attempt to hurt her is seen as hurting SC overall and challenging Tamlin as HL. Now, Feyre introduce as whore in Night Court. No one would careless if she die why? No paper work, no ceremony,no legitimazation frkm the HL himself.

Thats all, thanks coming to my Ted talk. I shall go lunch and back to Email Factory

Hello Email Factory anon

it's morning for me, I already typed a long reply to this, but Tumblr is fighting me, so I had to get out of bed and fetch my laptop.

(keep in mind i have not read SF and likely never will)

For many fans, Feyre's status of High Lady isn't something they question. Acotar Elon Musk aka Riceball said it is, so it is.

For some antis, they question the validity of it. the argument being: The HL title is not something the current High Lord can pass or share with whoever he chooses, HL is chosen by the land. there is no evidence, lore wise, that supports Riceball being able to make Feyre HL.

my personal theory is that Feyre could actually be HL of ANY or ALL courts due to her having a part of their magic. my evidence being that she was able to bypass the security of that temple in Summer because the magic recognised her as Tarquin. i think Feyre essentially has a skeleton key to every court.

and i think Rice knew that.

i think he recognised not only the threat, but the potential there and not just isolate her, as you pointed out, but fool her too. by having a private ceremony in which he makes her think it was him who granted her the status of HL.

I also think, to varying degrees of intention, he then went on to undermine her authority in each section of his court

The title of Cursebreaker, which should have been the key to his diplomatic strategy in MAF and WAR, was instead replaced

in Velaris:

Feyre could have easily secured lots of love and respect from her actions as the Saviour of the Rainbow. But fast-forward and post war all she has done is a little bit of philanthropy, have sex in the sky, build a 5th house and paint.

Im not sure what she could do for Velaris but what we do get is more about herself and the ic than the people

in Illyria:

Lets start with the fact that because the only Illyrians Feyre knows personally are Rice, Casserole and Adzuki Bean - she should have a more positive or at least optimistic view of Illyrians. but she wastes no time in absorbing and identifying with their racism. and sjm's racist narrative is not going to confront Feyre even when Illyrians only actions on paper are fighting and dying in the war against Hybern.

the books and it's fans will cite the fgm-like cultural practices but not confront that Rice and Co. have done nothing to actually stop or punish it, and admit to needing Illyrian's as fodder - something that is only possible when the society is kept at the brink of anarchy and war, necessitating the continued brutalization of its women and children

Feyre should have gotten the Valkyrie plot. yea, it's a white saviour trope but she is the official ruler of these people so the least she can do is help them, immerse herself in their culture (instead of just wearing their skins willy nilly) and maybe even adopted some kids idk

in the Hewn City:

first we need to set straight that the HC - not Velaris, a secret city - is the offical capital of the Night Court and the seat of it's HL. the people who live in it are the nobility. in a world of eugenics and lesser classes like acotar, this matters

we have already seen that the HL title can skip a royal line and fall to not directly in the line of succession, regardless of gender. (in Summer, the title skipped not just Princess Cresseida but also Prince Varian, to pass to their cousin, Tarquin)

we have also seen that age, even within the direct line of succession, is not a determining factor. (With Tamlin it skipped his older brothers and with Lucien, though we know he is not Beron's son, his older brothers legitimately believed him to be next in line)

given all of this, it is entirely possible that someone from the HC might be next in line. and yet Rice makes no attempt to truly bridge the gap between his Court of Dreams and Court of Nightmares. he introduces the person he knows is his mate to them as a pet.

Again, she's not just a stolen bride of spring but THEE CURSEBREAKER, she could have shown her off like a trophy or a token of his power if he really wanted to tie her power directly to his but no, he introduces her like a thing he owns, a thing that is beneath him.

it doesn't matter that later he says she is HL or that he puts a throne besides his, the narrative is already set: she is what she is, because he said so

a better idea would have been to throw a ball with her as the guest of honour, for her to stop Riceball from tormenting his subjects - would he listen to her? probably not so nvm

in contrast, Tamlin - who given his personality and attitude towards being HL in book1 - might not have wanted a grand ceremony but understood it would be good for his diplomacy and his court

he wanted to publicly marry Feyre - someone who was not his mate - tying them together in front of his court so they could all acknowledge their bond both personally and politically

he wanted her to be recognised and respected as the Lady of Spring even if he didnt think she could be High Lady of Spring

ignoring the similar situations of control and abuse Feyre faces in both - doesn't matter if she decides she likes Rice's, it's still control and abuse

it's kind of undeniable that Rice went about things in a way that is at best stupid and at worst manipulative

sjm tries to walk many lines between politics and love stories but she not every good at either so it just turns into a mess

though i will say: Rice would at least be interesting if he was doing all of this on purpose but so far sjm seems too in love with him to let him be intentionally heinous towards his love interest

[starsreminisce]

The Shadow Cabinet by Juno Dawson

Again, I love seeing little bits of Elucien in the books I’m reading. The idea of a home is not really a new concept in literature, but it's another one that SJM loves exploring: how home is also a person.

Feyre came back through her mating bond with Rhys, whom she called home. She ended ACOTAR by saying to Tamlin, "Let's go home," and then spent the rest of ACOMAF finding that she truly belonged in the Night Court with her mate.

This theme was expanded further in HOFAS as Bryce tried to find a way back to Midgard until she concluded that she would always make it back to Hunt because Theia and Aidas found their souls across worlds. They were mates, each other's home.

It's interesting that both Elain and Lucien are adapting to the Night Court as their new home, but Lucien has better luck when he isn't in Velaris. He thrives as an emissary in environments where he can use his skills effectively. He lives with humans now, helping to "humanize" the Fae, and is permanently stationed in Spring, a court where he is seen as someone who sets the example.

In ACOSF, Elain struggles to make Velaris her home. She wasn't considered when searching for the Trove, and even when she offered to help, she was used as a carrot-on-the-stick for Nesta. She had to insist on coming to Hewn City for their celebrations, and even then, her wearing black visibly showed that she was not truly part of the court, no matter what she said.

Sometimes it's not the person who should adapt to their surroundings. Sometimes the environment just isn't suitable for the person.

I wonder if this is something Lucien will help Elain with, challenging her idea of what a home means. Will it be a place where she tries hard to fit in, or will it be somewhere that feels easy and natural?

And how long will it take for her to connect the dots that Lucien is the sunshine she has been looking for?

[spidersmiceandeverythingnice]

Ya know what tbqh I'm having a lot more fun interacting with SJM since deciding to hash tag stan tamlin but also what grinds my gears!?!? What butters my fucking croissants!?!?!

Tamlin has HOBBIES.

No no. Seriously. I have a point. Listen:

We know the following pieces of information about the Spring Court/Tamlin in ACOTAR: Most of the government falls squarely on Tamlin's shoulders because most of the old guard and the former sentries are dead, because they left the Spring Court to search for a "cure." He and Lucien actively patrol their borders and hunt for monsters that threaten humans and faeries alike. Taxes are collected once a year via the Tithe, but Tamlim absolishes the Tithe during Amarantha's rule. There are no cities. There is almost no distinction in the Court between High Fae and "lesser fae." He was a victim of abuse via his father and two much older brothers. Human slaves used to be common, but Tamlin finds his family history abhorrent and considers himself a protector type. He personally took Lucien to another Court for healing after Amarantha damaged his eye in a way that Tamlin himself could not fix. A faerie dies in his living room and Tamlin personally buries him. Tamlin takes refugees from other courts. The most important holiday is Calanmai, wherein Tamlin sacrifices his bodily autonomy and gets possessed by a god (?) in order to generate magic during the changing of seasons. He can be grouchy but he has a sense of humor; he writes silly poems for fun and plays music well enough that Feyre thinks he could make an actual career of it.

A lot of this gets re-conned, re-framed as "conservative" and sometimes actively ignored in order to attribute more positive qualities to Rhys - who in ACOTAR, is shown to be a manipulative liar who commits murder for fun and drugs/assaults Feyre. Tamlin clearly suffers from PTSD in ACOMAF but his symptoms are not "noble" or cute like Feyre. The narrative postulates that while Feyre needs to learn that she's worthy of love and freedom and that her dark past doesnt define her, Tamlin needs to be "redeemed" because his trauma is not as important or as valid as hers, and he can't be worthy of help until he repents for his "crime" of acting in ways that are - from his perspective- completely logical, and based in genuinely good/loving intentions.

In ACOWAR, Feyre states that she begins implanting/altering the memories of Tamlin in other people's heads to make them abandon him. She also steals a gift (presumably, a gift from Rhys to Tamlin) because she doesn't feel he deserves it, and contemplates burning down the rose garden which is pretty much all Tamlin has left of his mother.

This... does not make me hate Tamlin in the slightest. I read these books and actively struggle to hate him the way the narrative wants because everything about him is legitimately just tragic and pitiable.

While all this goes on the narrative goes on to reposition Rhysand - the guy who caused a lot of the main heroine trauma - as the best guy who ever lived. He's cruel to be kind, deeply misunderstood and hurting in silence. A martyr whose pain is just like the heroine's, who is an immortal ancient warrior king more powerful than any other person in the world but still somehow the narrative equal of a barely literate 20 year old woman. That sure is a choice and ya know what fine, whatever, I accept that this is the story I'm reading. But back to my earlier point:

What hobby does Rhysand have other than sex and fighting?

Answer me. Quickly.

The retcons with Tamlins character are annoying on their own because SJM clearly thinks her audience is too stupid to remember book one of her own series. But it's especially annoying for me given that Rhysand is a boring mouthpiece for the author to moralize her faerie books. As a character he's incredibly bland. There's nothing about him that's compelling because everything "bad" that he does is justified and righteous, and he can't be challenged or hurt because that would make Feyre (the other author mouthpiece) very sad. :(

Anyway remember to stan tamlin, send tweet.

[sunnybyler]

my thoughts on the first throne of glass book

so i finally started reading throne of glass two days ago and i just finished it and i rlly loved the first one! i didn’t start with assassin’s blade because i’m following the reading order sjm herself suggested. but i figured i’d give my thoughts on the book just for funsies. this isn’t like a review really just what i’m feeling abt the series thus far.

for quality i’d give it a 6/10 but for how much fun i had reading i give it a 9/10 and i care WAYYYY more about entertainment personally lmao. so overall i’d probably give it like an 8/10.

spoilers under the cut, obvi (including some from later books bc i know some spoilers)

• why are there so many exclamation points

• so i’m gonna be honest i’m beyond confused about celaena’s name. bc everything i’ve ever seen about tog talked about some chick called aelin. now i’m just kind of assuming they’re the same person somehow but i have no idea what’s going on in that regard

• it was an enjoyable read but you can def kinda tell it was written when sjm was younger lol. but i know the writing is just going to continue to get better so it didn’t bother me THAT much, though i must say i’m anxious to get to the later books for that reason

• this book was FUNNYYYY omfg dorian and especially celaena had me laughing out loud at times. i hope the books stay this funny

• I LOVE CELAENA SM. like that’s my girl fr fr. thus far feyre is still my fav sjm fmc but honestly celaena has potential to change my mind

• i also love dorian and chaol and i’m not gonna lie i lowkey ship her with both of them (which is a rarity for me usually i’m very passionate about one or the other in a love triangle). but that may be because i’m aware i should not get attached to either ship LMAO

• speaking of chaol i spent half the book pronouncing his name as chowl in my head which made him very hard to take seriously. but honestly i feel like that is 100% sjm’s fault bc the fuck you mean chaol is pronounced kale!? how was i supposed to know that

• i’m curious when more magic elements are gonna show up. like i thought this was another fae series am i wrong there? i mean elena was fae so. maybe i just need patience (but i’m gonna be sad asf if some sort of fae plot twist erases my bffs dorian, chaol, and nehemia from the story)

• okay but seriously once again what is up with the exclamation points. why are they so many. like it was genuinely jarring in the first few chapters. idk if it faded later in the book or if i just got used to it but it genuinely bothered me for a while. pls tell me this isn’t a thing in the later books bc i don’t remember it being an issue in acotar

• i think challenges and shit in books are so fun so i loved that the whole book was centered around it, lowkey wish we saw more of the challenges tbh

• that freak monster that cain was summoning is the stuff of nightmares. i already forgot what it was called but i made the grave error of googling fanart of it and it was actually terrifying

anyways that’s all i can rlly think of for now but i’m excited to keep reading! i’m super curious about celaena’s past because i can tell there’s sooo much we don’t know yet, but assassin’s blade (which i believe is at least partially her past? but maybe i’m wrong) isn’t until after crown of midnight so i’ll just have to keep wondering lol. but i’m very excited for crown of midnight i feel like shit is about to get very messy with her being the champion

[iamheadcanontrash-deactivated]

Hey I saw your matchups and I wanted to give it a try. Interested in getting a male from ACOTAR.

I'm 17, 5'7, brown hair and brown eyes. I'm (ISTJ) introvert, pretty observant and reserved especially around new people. Pretty selective of my surroundings. I come off as mean and upfront. Also sarcastic.

I'm very organized and self-conscious. Chasing my goals,' I am success-driven and a perfectionist. Also I'm very self confident.

However I'm very impatient and I lose my temper fast. (impulsive and aggressive)

I'm insensitive. I often hurt more sensitive types' feelings. It's hard for me to open up, tend to bottle up my emotions and ignore them. Major trust and commitment issues. Find it hard to maintain relationships. On top of that I'm the very tubborn and proud. I would rather lose the person rather than hurt my ego. Pro at ghosting.

Nevertheless I'm loyal, protective and caring. But expressing emotional affection isn't one of my strong skills. My love language is definitely physical touch and quality time. (cannot say ily)

My hobbies are reading, watching movies and listening to music. Im also the sporty type. I love nature. Prefer mountains though.

Thank you 😊

Hi, anon!

Wow, I could kind of relate to a lot of this! 😅

I have two potential matches for you:

CASSIAN

He definitely would have the patience for your impatience, and although he comes off as rough-and-tough, he can be a very loving, respectable male. 

While he may be tough, and a literal GENERAL, maybe don’t purposely hurt his feelings just because that can be upsetting for anybody and he’s had a kinda rough past. 

He’d take you on a hike through the mountains until you crack and you are able to let out all of those emotions. Would sympathize with you, would be willing to fight for you, would be willing to prove that you are worthy of love. 

He would admire your loyalty and protectiveness

He loves, loves, LOVES that quality time. (Couple hours in the training ring, anon?) 

BUT I could also see this personality going along with…

ERIS

(Pls keep in mind I hc that he’s not actually evil; he puts up a front, just like Rhysand did in the beginning of the book. He’s got an abusive father, and he’s shown to be protective of his mother. I need him in a way that is concerning to feminism.)

He would really vibe with the sarcasm. He likes a little bit of a challenge, FOR SURE. 

If you come off as mean and upfront, you would probably definitely be able to stand your ground against his brothers when they try to mess with you. He appreciates that, he needs someone that can fight for herself if needed.

This male has FIRE IN HIS BLOOD. He can relate to you being impatient and losing your temper, and he could probably show you some techniques he’s learned through his years to help you calm down, but if shit ever were to hit the fan, he would tell you to use that temper to your advantage. (Ex., another war, his brothers pick a fight with you, monster in the woods…)

If you were this man’s mate, YOU WOULD NOT SHAKE HIM. He wouldn’t be scared of you if you were to try and push him away. Sure, he’d probably give you space. But once he’s thought you’ve cooled down, he’d gently go back into the fire to try and make things work. He’d show he’s worthy of your trust. 

He’d probably love the physical touch. Let’s be honest, the man’s probably touch starved. Run your hands through his hair ONCE and he’s melted. 

WOAH I had a lot to say ab Eris 😂

I hope you liked it, anon! Thanks for your request!

[darklove9314-blog]

Archeron Sisters Week Day 1: Different Strengths.

Hello everyone and happy Day 1 of Archeron Sisters Week! Today we’re focusing on the Archeron sisters different strengths, which I’m glad we have a day dedicated to, because I feel like every individual has different sets of strength and sometimes they’re not always plain to see, so I’m happy we get to focus on that aspect for The Archeron sisters on day 1. 

First, it wouldn’t be an ACOTAR event if we didn’t focus on the main character, Feyre Archeron first. Now I rarely talk about Feyre on my page, butt ACOTAR wouldn’t be ACOTAR without Feyre, so it’s only fair to focus on the younger Archeron sister first. 

For Feyre I think one of her biggest strengths is her bravery. Feyre braves a lot of challenges throughout the narrative, and it’s definitely something I can appreciate about her, because I know if I was in a fantasy world I wouldn’t be able to brave half the stuff that she did. 

She’s not afraid to fight for those she cares about, which I can relate to a lot. Also to add to Feyre’s skill set, I can’t paint, so I always enjoy reading about hobbies that characters have that I can’t do in my own life and I think painting portraits is a skill set that requires a lot of time and effort so I appreacate that too. 

For Nesta, She’s always been my favorite of the Archeron sisters, her book was an inspiration for me and a lot of others, it takes a sort of strength to pull yourself up from a terrible place and to rectify your past faults, which i a strength in itself. 

Nesta is also very smart, she’s very good at maneuvering around all these court politics and though reluctant at first, took to her training and helped revive the Valkyrie, which I can’t wait to see where that goes in the future. 

I also think Nesta shows a lot of her strength in ACOWAR, and not everyone acknowledges it. Nesta played a key part in the war, she was one of the very few people who kept professional at the High Lord’s meeting, She not only openly defended Cassian at the High Lord’s meeting, but she also persuaded a lot of courts to help them in the war with her speech. She turned a lot of people in her favor, including Cresseida and Viviane. She also seemed to gain respect from the Autumn Court at that meeting (with the exception of Beron, because Beron is Beron) and a lot of things would have gone south without her. 

We also shouldn’t forget her contribution to the war, she willingly distracted the King of Hybern so Feyre and Amren could get to the cauldron even though she knew she was putting herself in immediate danger by doing so. and she also saved Cassian’s life during the cauldron blast as well as beheaded the King of Hybern. 

Another strength is her bluntness, she’s not afraid to speak her mind and to stand up for what she thinks is right no matter who it pisses off. She also took power from a cauldron, which was unheard of, and she was one of the very few characters who stood up for the humans, despite the fact that they would not do the same for her if they were in her place. Which is a strength in itself that I love the most about her. 

And last, but certainly not least, we have Elain. Now Elain get a bad rep in the ACOTAR fandom for being weak and useless, which I disagree with. Elain just has a different sort of strength that doesn’t align with Nesta’s or Feyre’s. She’s not weak just because she’s not the warrior type. Her strength lies more in her compassion and willingness to see the good side of things despite what she’s been through. 

Feyre herself even claims that Elain has a different sort of strength, Elain made the best out of their situation in the cottage and she was also the one who convinced Nesta to help Feyre out in ACOMAF. 

Her powers are also nothing to scoff at, she’s not only the cauldron favored, but her visions have helped out on numerous occasions. She’s also very observant in nature and being observant helps out in a lot of cases and is considered a strength, so it only makes sense that she was made a seer, and I can’t wait to see how that plays out in her book and whether or not her observant nature aids her with her visions, because I feel like being observant is a key part of having that power. 

Elain also is very good of convincing people to do things, both Feyrre and Nesta have observed this. 

She’s also the one who made a killing blow to the King of Hybern, so I feel like in her book Elain is going to surprise us with the different type of strength she has and I can’t wait. 

So in closing, all three sisters have different strengths that I feel like we should appreciate and I’m glad SJM wrote three sisters who are different in nature so we can appreciate different types of strength from different angles and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for all of them. 

@archeronsistersweekofficial

[nikethestatue]

As an Elriel, who thinks the books have clearly been setting up Elain and Azriel since ACOMAF I am worried about this prolonged break from ACOTAR and the switching of the next series released to CC3 instead of ACOTAR5.

I have read some posts about the reasoning behind this and I wanted to get your opinion.

Do you think this SJM and BB strategy is because:

she changed her mind with ELRIEL and is trying to write Elain and Azriel out of a couple situation?

She realized Azriel’s bonus POV was a mistake for accidentally setting up G and Azriel, and BB and her need to fix it so there is less blow back. (Putting another book between Elain’s book to clearly set up ELRIEL)

SJM thinks that this shipwar is making her money/ publicity and is trying to get ACOTAR fans to read CC series by backpacking it onto the ACOTAR series.

Or

They done fucked up and do not know what to do?

You may think something else. I just don’t see how she can fix this without dividing the fandom more and alienating one side.

Also love your fanfics and writing ❤️kings’ wife fan!

I honestly don’t think anything really has to do with Elriel.

I think there are a few things:

She might have overcomplicated her own writing, and with the crossover, which looked cute on paper for one chapter, she now needs to connect dozens and dozens of dots. 

Honestly, it’s not easy to do. Combining all these books, potentially bringing TOG’s world in, and making sense of everything is a pretty monumental task, so she has to write a CC-centric book, with large chunks of ACOTAR thrown in, plus all the lore that she created for all of these worlds.

I think she might also be challenged by BB and editors to write something that would increase interest in CC in general, because it’s her least well-selling series. While she doesn’t like it, they might have sent her to do re-writes and edits. 

She has to compete with a flood of widely-read authors now, who weren’t around 5-6 years ago. A lot of them write darker, sexier, more intense stories, and she might have to do something like that too. Her YA crutch might not be working for much longer for, IF she doesn’t want to remain YA. 

She is also a publisher-tied, and not a self-published writer. I think self-published writers have a LOT more leeway. They can just write and publish whenever they want to. Sometimes, 5+ books a year. She is very dependent on BB and they dictate everything, and it’s a long process between writing, editing, publishing/printing, advertising, etc. And BB isnt going to invest any money in something that’s not being published yet. Hence, there is no advertising or anything of substance in terms of engagement. If there is ever any announcements, it’s all about some new covers or re-releases. Something that generates money for them. Not something that engages with the readers.

I honestly don’t think BB gives 2 shits about the actual books--aka, they aren’t going to press her to write Gwynriel vs Elriel vs Elucien. I think she has that freedom and I don’t think she’ll be swayed or pushed into writing something she doesn’t want to. I think they want her to write in a way that’s going to sell more books. They know that casual readers don’t care about Gwynriel vs Elriel--they expect Elriel--but i think she will write a darker, more violent and more sexual book.  

I anticipate that we’ll hear an announcement next month about the next book. Feb/March, after the new TOG re-releases with the ugly covers. 

Oh, AND she might also be setting up spin off novels for CC too.

Anyway, I don’t have any worries about Elriel. 

I think BB are capitalizing on the shipwar for now, until the release of the next book. 

PS thank you! i am slowly writing the next chapter of the Kings’ WIfe. I know it’s been a while, but it’s coming. 

[the-type-a]

ACOTAR Series quotes that just scream Duncney:

Duncan: Be glad for your human heart, Courtney. Pity those who don’t feel anything at all.

—

Duncan: And for three months… for three months I tried to convince myself that you were better off without me. I tried to convince myself that everything I’d done had made you hate me.

—

Courtney: You sent music into my cell. Why?

Duncan: Because you were breaking and I couldn’t find another way to save you.

—

Courtney, annoyed: So I’m your huntress and thief?

Duncan, serious: You are my salvation Courtney.

—

Courtney: You seemed to enjoy yourself plenty last night.

Duncan, mad: I didn’t take her to bed. She wanted to, but I didn’t so much as kiss her… I waited for you at breakfast, but you slept in. Or avoided me, apparently. And I tried to catch your eye this afternoon, but you were so good at shutting me out completely.

Courtney: Is that what got under your skin? That I shut you out, or that it was so easy for Trent to get in?

Duncan: What got under my skin is that you smiled at him.

Courtney: You are jealous.

—

Courtney: To the people who look at the stars and wish, Duncan.

Duncan: To the stars who listen— and the dreams that are answered.

—

Duncan: Someone thinks mighty highly of herself.

Courtney: Why shouldn’t I? You seem to have difficulty not staring at me day and night.

Duncan: Am I supposed to deny that I find you attractive?

Courtney: You’ve never said it.

Duncan: I’ve told you many times, and quite frequently, how attractive I find you.

Courtney: Well, maybe you should do a better job of it.

Duncan: Is that a challenge, Princess?

Courtney: Is it?

—

Duncan: She’s mine, and if any of you lay a hand on her you will lose that hand. And then you lose your head. And then when Courtney is done killing you I, I will grind your bones into dust.

—

Courtney seeing only one bed:

Duncan, already with his hands up: I asked for two.

Courtney, sighing: If you can’t risk using magic, then we’ll have to warm each other. — Body heat.

Duncan, smirking: I’ll try to keep my hands to myself.

—

Duncan: I think I fell in love with you the moment I realized you were cleaving those bones to make a trap for the Middengard Wyrm. Or maybe the moment you flipped me off for mocking you. It reminded me so much of Alejandro. For the first time in decades, I wanted to laugh.

Courtney: You fell in love with me because I reminded you of your friend?

Duncan: I fell in love with you, smartass, because you are one of us— because you weren’t afraid of me, and you decided to end your spectacular victory by throwing that piece of bone at Scarlett like a javline. I felt Alejandro’s spirit beside me in that moment and could have sworn I heard him say, “If you don’t marry her, you stupid prick, I will.”

—

Duncan: Ready for some flying, Princess?

Courtney: Don’t call me that.

—

Duncan: Tonight, I want you to wear that crown to bed. Only the crown.

Courtney: Scoundrel.

Duncan: Always.

—

Courtney: I see all of you, Duncan. And there is not one part that I do not love with everything that I am.

—

Duncan: I would have waited five hundred more years for you. A thousand years. And if this was all the time we were allowed to have… The wait was worth it.

—

Courtney: Eat the food first.

Duncan: Then I’ll eat you after.

Courtney: Did you eat at all today?

Duncan: I had an apple this morning.

Courtney: Duncan.

Duncan: I was busy.

Courtney: Duncan.

Duncan: Princess.

Courtney: No one is too busy to eat.

Duncan: You’re fussing.

Courtney: It’s my job to fuss.

—

Courtney: I don’t want anything from you.

Duncan, arching an eyebrow: You sure about that, sweetheart?

—

Duncan: How shall it be, mate?

Courtney: Hard enough to make the pictures fall off.

Duncan: Hold on tight, then.

—

Duncan: You’ll be staying in your old room. My room’s a level above that.

Courtney: Why would I need to know that?

Duncan: In case you have a bad dream and need someone to read you a story.

Duncan, smirking now: Maybe one of those smutty books you like so much.

—

Courtney: If you think this training nonsense is going to result in you climbing into my bed, you’re delusional. I’d sooner let in a mangy street dog.

Duncan: Oh, it’s not going to result in me climbing into your bed. You’ll climb into mine.

Courtney: I’d rather not.

Duncan: We’ll see.

—

Courtney: That’s supposed to be mine.

Duncan: Then take it from me.

—

Duncan: I’ve never seen you with your hair down.

Courtney: It’s a nuisance when it’s down.

Duncan: It’s beautiful.

—

Courtney: Why are you here? You made it clear enough that last night was a mistake.

Duncan: I never said that.

Courtney: You didn’t need to. I saw it in your eyes.

Duncan: The only mistake was that I came before I could taste you. The only mistake was that you ran off before I could get on my knees.

Courtney: Won’t your friends tell you this is a mistake?

Duncan: My friends have nothing to do with this. With what I want from you.

Courtney: What about training?

Duncan: This stays out of training.

Duncan: Courtney.

Courtney: This stays out of training— and everything else. This is just sex.

Duncan: Just sex

—

Duncan: I thought you were dead today.

Courtney: So did I. I thought you were dead too.

Duncan: You must have been happy.

Courtney: It did not make me happy.

—

Duncan: Put your hands on the headboard. Hold on tight

—

[thelittlepalmtree]

I've really started to see more of the toxic acotar fandom. There's a lot of people being mad about good writing. So just a reminder here are some of the things that makes the series GOOD

Character development. She does a very good job of having her characters learn from their mistakes. But in doing that, they have to make mistakes. So, yeah, characters are going to do shitty things. One thing Maas does really well is having characters struggle with the same thing multiple times. Aelin runs from her responsibilities multiple times before accepting them. She hurts her relationships through self-sacrifice before learning to tell the truth and rely on others. This is good because that is real life. It also adds dimension an nuance to the story because the same concept is explored through multiple situations. Growth is not linear and Maas does a great job of portraying the effects of trauma and violence realistically even though the story is fantasy

Perspective. Maas uses perspective in a way that honestly amazes me as a reader. She moves through multiple perspectives in a way that gives us so much insight into the characters while also withholding pivotal information. Sometimes this is like Bryce or Aelin being the main characters but us not knowing the full extent of their plans until they play out. Sometimes it comes in the form of Feyre hating Rhys until she learns about Velaris. Again this reflects real life. There are always reasons for the actions people take. There are always things we don't know. Maas challenges the reader's preconceived notions. Every narrator is unreliable, every character has more to reveal. This makes value judgements not only difficult but entirely missing the point. I truly believe if you're keeping score of good things and bad things the characters do, you're missing the point.

Difficult choices. Much like in life, Maas's characters face choices without good options. And like in life, hurt is inevitable. All of Maas's protagonists genuinely seem to be doing the best they can with the hands they were dealt. Rhys had the option to further risk Feyre's life by telling her the truth or lie to her. He made choices based on who he is--he sacrificed his feelings to protect her. Was it a good choice? No. But he has made bad choices before, when he didn't tell Feyre he was her mate. (See item 2) We don't know what their conversation really was but I'm sure there is more to that story. Bryce having to choose between her integrity and her safety is another difficult choice. Aelin having to choose between her kingdom and Arobyn is another difficult choice. You could argue that in both cases they made the wrong choices morally but that doesn't really acknowledge the humanity in the choices they made. This makes the books more interesting and challenges the reader's preconceptions notions of neat resolutions.

As you read I hope you will take a step back and remember no one is asking YOU to date Rhysand, Nesta is a deeply flawed character but that does not make her evil, all the characters will have and do have their purpose within the story. These are not your friends, they are not supposed to be. If you find yourself disliking something ask yourself (in good faith) why that creative decision was made. Assume every choice made is made because Maas is trying to write a good book that challenges the reader and reflects humanity.

[stormhearty]

Hi, I'm back :)

You're a great writer and I know you'll deliver something wonderful. And gee, it must be challenging and fun to write about characters while you haven't finished the books yet!!!

I loved playing The Sims. I remember playing an old version where I couldn't go out to catch a catfish properly and my sweetheart would die from an exploded bladder! I was like 😭😭😭 it was a monster punishment for her to go through so much humiliation choosing to eat or go to the bathroom (sometimes the poor thing didn't even make it).

Of the books you mentioned, I only got to watch the movies😭 and now it's kind of tradition to watch HP at Christmas time.

The annoying thing about growing up and maturing is that we end up finding books we used to like predictable. That's why there are books we read when we were teenagers that we thought were incredible and which are now impossible to read, because it would totally ruin the emotional memory of our experience at that time. It's another book to read once in your life and never reread. Haha

ACOTAR works miracles in reintroducing. Judge me, I never finished ACOTAR, hehe.

I'll definitely add it to my list here ;) ahn, I've heard of these books and "divine rivals" is on my list too!

I've heard the rumors surrounding the author too, and they weren't good. Well, it's not entirely the plot, but a part that involves it, but the book itself was fine, since I knew what I was getting into when I went to buy it and I think it did what it set out to do.

Welcome back! 💜💜

Thank you so much for your supporting words! I was able to post one of the two fics I was struggling with earlier today. And I totally scrapped the other one and wrote it from scratch again. It is a total challenge because I have yet to fully grasp their characteristics, that's what I believe.

In all honesty, I only do interior and exterior design 🤣🤣. I have yet to fully gameplay it. And I should probably do so one day.

Oh goodness, HP is a tradition to watch during Christmastime. I actually watch it during Halloween and Christmas! Such an iconic movie. The books are great, much more in-depth than the movies of course.

Oh yeah, I could never re-read those books again, I wouldn't be able to get the same experience as I did with the first read-through. I could never re-read a series or a book if I finished it. Mostly because I start to remember what the heck happened. 🤣🤣 I was going to try to re-read LOTR, since that book was so thick and plot-heavy and has so much lore that I forgot most of it. So that might be on the TBR re-read list.

Is there any books that you might want to re-read mostly because you've forgotten more of the lore?

I do not regret reading ACOTAR. Like you said, a great reintroduction series to read again. And that's like my friend! I tried to get her to read ACOTAR, just the first book, and she was like, "I keep getting distracted. My attention span is so short." I understand, that getting through the first book is difficult.

I'm excited to read that duology, in all honesty. When Target had the buy one, get 50% off, I legit was like BUY DIVINE RIVALS. 🤣🤣🤣

So, I'm guessing it wasn't that bad of a read?

[notproofread]

A Court of Mist and Fury pt. 2

or You were good, I'm waiting for you to be great

hi & hello fellow book-lovers and/or fans of the ACOTAR/ACOMAF-series. and welcome back to me rambling about ACOMAF even though no one asked :) Just like I said in the first part this is my personal opinion on the characters/the story/etc. but you are more than welcomed to tell me your thoughts on the matter. I'd love to hear other peoples opinions hehe (also no hate to Sarah J. Maas in here)

After reading through ACOMAF I can't help but find Feyre a bit inconsistent and sometimes annoying, especially as the story continues. While I really, really liked her character in the first book and the beginning of ACOMAF, where she showed compassion, was brave, intelligent and fierce but also vulnerable, lonely and warily, she is starting to feel a bit less of all those things with every new chapter in this book. I can't quite put my finger on it but I will try to explain more about what irks me.

I really appreciate Sarah J. Maas actually showing how her characters are hurting from their time Under the Mountain and Amarantha's reign in general, because all of the things that happened even before Feyre went out to save Tamlin had been horrible on the Faes and their usual lifes. And thus seeing Feyre struggling with painting, with being locked inside, being left out really hits hard and makes her an interesting character. She is still compassionate and brave and fierce but it is all buried under layers of trauma and self-doubt/self-hate. I wanted her to heal and work through her fears, especially after arriving at the Night Court (for good) because that was a place where she would be able to do so. However continuing the story I sometimes couldn't shake the feeling that her trauma got lost in the other plotlines (romance, upcoming war, new powers) just to resurface again when the plot demanded it to.

I also didn't like the way her "transition" (for the lack of a better word) from Tamlin to Rhysand was handled. It feels like Sarah J. Maas is trying to come up with reasons to make Feyre (and by conclusion us, as readers who follow Feyre's story) feel less guilty about leaving Tamlin and falling for Rhysand, when all of the reasons to understand Feyre's decision are already there. Tamlin wasn't able to understand her after the events Under the Mountain, shutting her out of court decisions and locking her in the house, leaving her in her own sorrow and trauma, while not being able to overcome his own demons. All of this was already enough (for me) to no longer support FeyrexTamlin at this point, because they were no longer a good fit for each other (as it was acknowledged by Feyre herself later in the book), especially when considering they both needed different people in their lifes to be able to heal. Personally I wholeheartedly already supported Feyre moving on from him. And Rhys gave her exactly what she needed, while acknowledging that he himself is far from being perfect.

And besides all of this I was really confused about some "social" world-building aspects, mainly the whole mate-thing. So here is a quick thought about that because it is tied to Feyre's story after all (but I will talk more about mates in another post): As I understood it Fae are able to immediately tell when someone is their mate (see Rhysand and Lucien). For Tamlin and Feyre it was a different story because of Amaranthas weird challenge but why wasn't Feyre able to identify Rhys as her "true" mate when she was actually spending so much time with him? Did I understand correctly that she was afraid of being seen as two-timing? But by whom? Literally who in the whole Court of Dreams would have had any thoughts like this? And while she may would not want to admit her attraction to Rhys because of her feelings for Tamlin in the beginning that should have become less on an issue after the locked-in incident in the Spring Court. Or am I overlooking something here? Also I didn't really like how Feyre was so hurt by finding out that Rhysand knew that they were mates. I also wished he would have told her (and everyone else for that matter) sooner, but then Tamlin defecting to the enemy wouldn't be justified anymore, right? But Rhysand had his reasons and damn good ones might I add. This fight as well as their fight after their visit to the Court of Nightmares was such a cliche not-communicating-the-right-way issue that it was simply frustrating to read through. remember how i said "a quick thought" and now this has become the longest passage of this post lmao

All in all Feyre has, because of her (back)story in A Court of Thorns and Roses, so much potential to be an interesting character, a female character that is actually more than her romantic interests in male characters. And while the beginning of ACOMAF delivers on that Feyre's personality seems to get lost a bit in the later half. I wonder how she will work her way through the time at the Spring Court, without her support system from the Night Court at her side in the next book(s?). As for now I don't know where I stand with her.