#acowar cassian is a completely different character

[oristian]

So how come we can tell that Elain wants azriel and is attracted to azriel but Eluciens claim they need Elain's POV to confirm she doesn't want Lucien??

Idk it's almost like thoughts and acts and verbal things she has said matter?? It's almost like... we don't need everyone and their mother's POV to tell very basic information??

Y'all acting like she is a complete black box just because we don't have her POV yet 😭😭

What if I said "oh we need Lucien's POV to tell he actual feels a bond and didn't orchestrate a fake mating bond to claim an Archeron sister after she got made?"

"But he wouldn't do that"

How am I supposed to know he wouldn't!! We don't have his POV either 🤪 he could be Koschei for all we know 🤷🏻‍♀️

And nobody better fucking bring up Feyre hating Rhys or Nesta kicking Cassian in the balls. Their words differed from their actions. They might've SAID they hated their love interests at the time, but their ACTIONS differed. Anyone who genuinely thought Feyre hated Rhys or Nesta hated Cassian is literally just lying atp because come on what do you mean you didn't pick up on that?? Nesta was willing to die for Cassian and Feyre was literally thinking Rhys was the most beautiful man she had ever seen. Be so fr.

Elain's actions match her words. We don't need her POV to know that.

Good morning! This might be a long response, so hope you enjoy!

Elain Archeron is a book character. Books follow standards enacted by the stricture of narratives, and how stories are told overall—in short, the reader is being told something through a book. A story is told through settings, dialogue, characters, et cetera. While the reader may be able to create their own theories, pick up on literary devices, and generate predispositions, until the reader is fully informed by the intent of the author on page, it is speculation.

When people claim that we need Elain’s POV to understand how she is feeling towards Lucien, that is very much true. There is a plethora of reasons as to why she shifted her composure around him between ACOWAR and ACOSF. From asking if he is alright and inviting him to Velaris, to shrinking around him? Until we are in her inner monologue and seeing what she is seeing, the reader can only speculate. Is she now very horny for him, is the mating bond chafing when he’s around, did she have a vision of their future, is she wildly attracted to him, et cetera? The same way that people claim she is in love with Azriel is the same way we claim we need her POV—neither is true until Elain confirms it herself with her own thoughts, feelings, and words.

Now, I want to bring up “thoughts, actions and verbal things,” because, more often than not, it is misconstrued. The only instance where the reader might be swayed to believe that Elain feels anything for Azriel is the almost kiss in the bonus chapter. However, we only had Azriel’s POV. Compared to Wings and Embers bonus chapter with Nessian, the reader was lacking the female’s POV. With Nesta and Cassian, we read that both were feeling the pull towards each other in that chapter. In ACOSF, we were limited to just Azriel—why is that? As for the other lines of dialogue that are seemingly connected to Elriel, those are regarding Graysen. “I don’t want a male,” would also be applied to Azriel, no? “And that love would trump even a mating bond,” is about Graysen.

I have been asked before how I can confidently ship Elucien when Elain seemingly lost her “newfound boldness,” and, “shrunk in on herself,” when Lucien came during Solstice. While I do understand how some people can read that as a negative for the ship, I once again have to say that we do not know why either of those actions happened. There has been zero indication that Lucien is forcing himself on her, is bad for her, and/or is disrespecting her wishes, so why has Elain suddenly started acting like this? This is why we claim that we need her POV for all of these unanswered questions.

Essentially, Elain is a blank sheet of paper. Could she stay this newfound meek personality and live all her days in a small cottage with a garden, or will she revert back into her old personality and become the socialite that she once was? While the reader can understand some of her character, she is still more shifted towards the background and is lacking the substance that a fleshed out POV and aligned character development would offer to her. This is one of the reasons why so many people seemingly dislike her character, because she has not been able to explain her actions. This was similar to Nesta.

The example you brought up with Lucien and the bond needing clarification actually was solved very quickly in ACOMAF. When Feyre unleashed Helion’s spellcleaving magic and broke the bonds in Hybern, she would have broken any fake mating bond tied to Elain and Lucien. Feyre has also been inside of Lucien’s head while he was experiencing the tug of mating instincts. Elain has felt the tug of the bond and Lucien was able to experience her from the inside due to the bond. They both have experienced mating behavior towards each other. The reader has had a snippet of Lucien’s POV.

Feyre, Nesta and Elain are all similar in how they were reluctant to accept the bond at first—the only difference is that Elain is fully aware of the bond before she accepts it. Feyre and Nesta were stuffed into forced close proximity with both of their mates, which also differs from Elain, and her sisters also had access to their mates before they turned fae. Elain met Lucien the night she turned fae and had very little alone time with him. Feyre and Nesta both experienced firsthand the chaffing of the bond while being so close to their mates for so long, but Elain has not. Elain was in love and engaged to Graysen and was now suddenly tossed a fae male as her mate, while simultaneously losing her humanity? It is only reasonable that she would not be jumping for joy over this new revelation.

SJM is an author that uses similar patterns across her entire body of work. To say that we cannot compare how she wrote Feysand and Nessian to Elucien in the same series makes no sense to me. Now, I do believe that you have contradicted yourself in your paragraph regarding Feyre and Nesta. I agree, while they may have claimed that they wanted nothing to do with their mates, their actions showed the reader otherwise. Elain is similar with Lucien, however, she has not once said that she hated him, wanted him gone, wanted to reject the bond, et cetera. Anything she has said against wanting a fae male was because she wanted Graysen and to return to her mortal life. Her actions towards Lucien have included worriment for his safety, relief that he is alright, inviting him to Velaris, keeping all of his Solstice gifts, the half step, et cetera. Someone who planned on rejecting the bond with their mate would not have done any of the above.

If the reader does not need Elain’s POV, why would she need an entire book? If her thoughts, feelings, and actions are fully explained from another’s POV, why would she need to explain herself in her own inner monologue? She already has hobbies, friends, a lover, a home, joy, purpose, and family—what would be the point of her having a book?

I so hope I managed to answer your question. Have a good day!

[the-darkestminds]

it's not Cassian's job to force feed Nesta water or food. he remains by her side throughout despite the abuse he's experienced from her. he took her away from Rhys so she wouldn't get hurt. you pro Nesta Stans ignore all the good stuff about Cassian for your arguments

not his job? bro nesta is supposed to be the love of his life. making sure she drinks water on their days-long death march is just common decency. anon don't make me post my super long list of all the reasons Cassian sucks cuz i'll do it. sjm butchered his character in acosf

[gwandas]

Idk where this Nesta vs. Feyre empathy discourse came from but anyway here are my two cents

I think something to remember is that there is a difference between compassion and empathy.

Empathy is specifically a demonstrated understanding of what another is feeling.

Compassion is characterized by the desire to take action to help someone who is suffering. Compassion often involves empathy, yes, but an understanding of why another person is suffering isn't a requirement for compassion.

In my opinion, Nesta has high empathy and low compassion while Feyre has low empathy and high compassion. To be clear, they've both exhibited both empathy and compassion at times, I just think each character favors one over the other.

Feyre at her core is a fixer. She has always seen people's problems and wants to help—it's a core tenet of her character. Successfully being able to identify when people are struggling and wanting to help is compassion. Some examples of this are:

hunting in the cabin

giving jewels to the wraiths in Spring

desperately wanting to train and do more to help Tamlin rebuild Spring

her interference in Mor and Azriel's relationship

her interference in Elain and Lucien's relationship

dealing with Nesta after the war

starting the art studio for the kids, etc.

At the same time, she has trouble putting herself in other people's shoes—even in moments where she really should've been able to—which are examples where she is unempathetic.

not understanding or caring of why her sisters are apprehensive towards letting fae into their home and what that would mean for their lives (she hated the fae too)

pushing Nesta into sharing her cauldron story

jealousy of Nesta’s friendship and confiding in Amren over her

not understanding why Lucien doesn't want to be in Velaris

not understanding why Nesta was angry about the vote (she herself was angry when she learned about her mating bond)

not understanding why the CoN wants out from the Hewn City (UTM, enough said)

in general her relationship with Nesta is lacking in empathy—something that comes to mind is making Nesta’s attitude in ACOWAR all about her and the IC and completely disregarding Nesta’s actual trauma. (and it goes the other way around as well, like Nesta thinking Feyre doesn’t care about her, those girls do nooot understand each other at all)

There are times where she is empathetic too! A lot of her empathy goes towards Rhys, she understands Elain's apprehension towards Lucien, she connects the priestesses experiences to her own with Tamlin, and the jewels she gave to the wraith and the art studio are also both examples of empathy as well as compassion.

Nesta from the very beginning of her POV in ACOSF (and arguably before too) displays a deep understanding of how she is perceived and why, in addition to more general examples of empathy.

calculating the ships + crying at the thought of humans dying in the war with Hybern

her general awareness of the effect her presence has (ACOWAR dinner scene, ACOFAS solstice)

understanding while Rhys and Mor hate her

when Cassian was sad about being bested by Eris (really all the examples of her empathizing with his bastard insecurities, of which there are many—also Cassian acknowledges the dick sucking (ew) as an act of empathy)

understanding instantly why Cassian shut down while talking about his mother

softening her tone towards Gwyn when she remembered why the library was created

Feyre's comment to Cassian about how Nesta feels more deeply than others... literally the definition of empathy

understanding why the Illyrians were afraid of her (the children should be afraid of her comment or whatever it was)

if we're being real, her ability to pinpoint other people's insecurities is twisted example of empathy since it requires an understanding of how the other person feels and what would cause them pain

giving the Mask to Bryce after hearing about the murdered humans on Midgard because she understands that drive to protect humans

Something that's notable as well is that she not only understands the feelings of others, but also that she doesn't blame others for disliking her. She consistently justifies and agrees with the way she is spoken to and treated because she is empathetic towards how her mistakes have impacted other people.

Nesta however, for all her understanding, has a lot of difficultly taking action when seeing others suffering, which comes out as a lack of compassion

We know she's always harbored guilt over Feyre hunting, but never stepped in to take over that burden

She knows humans will be affected by war, as we see when she cries when the human queens say they won't help, but is reluctant to help (both in ACOMAF dinner scene and ACOWAR when Feyre wants her to share her story)

Knows what everyone wants from her after the war—Amren wants her to train, Cassian and Feyre want her to deal with her trauma, but she prioritizes going about it her way instead of the way that would make them happier (showing up to stuff and being happy?)

She knows full well what sitting on that rock means for Cassian but chooses her own discomfort and rebellion over alleviating his embarrassment

Doesn’t want to scry until threatened that Elain would if she wouldn’t, was also fine with Feyre taking on the danger if it meant she didn’t have to

This isn’t pro or anti either of them. Feyre always wants to help, but sometimes can’t see when it isn’t wanted and can’t understand the other person’s perspective in order to help them the way that they need. Nesta feels and understands a lot but has a lot of trouble outwardly expressing that empathy towards others either in the form of words or actions. This causes her to come off as cold and unfeeling when… in her POV we can tell she’s not.

[bxriles]

On Rhysand and Eris:

I saw a post that said Rhysand and Eris were the same exact character and it low key implied that it’s hypocritical to like Eris while hating Rhysand (among other things lmao), so I wanted to give my two cents as someone who fucking hates Rhysand with every fiber of my soul but who also likes Eris. No hate to the person who made that original post. I’m just using it as an excuse to ramble and avoid the work I should be doing right now.

More below the cut:

I’ll start off by saying that Eris and Rhysand are DEFINITELY similar characters. I wouldn’t say they’re the same though. I would say they’re foils of each other instead. They both wear masks, but one of them has a support system while the other is completely isolated. But I want to go deeper than that.

I think the key difference between Eris and Rhysand lies in the reason they both wear a mask.

Rhysand. I cannot for the life of me understand why Rhysand wears a mask. Amarantha maybe? But that doesn’t make sense. He’s been wearing that mask for way longer than 50 years if his treatment of the Illyrians and the CON is anything to go by. Is it because he wants to seem powerful? Well, he already is, isn’t he? He’s ThE mOsT pOwErFuL hIgH lOrD eVeR. So it’s not that. Maybe he’s wearing the mask because he wants to keep a tight leash on Illyria and the CON? Fine, but I don’t think he’s wearing a mask at all when he interacts with Illyria or the CON. I think he actively hates them and treats them as such. If he actually gave a shit about the Illyrians, he would enforce the wing clipping ban. If he actually gave a shit about the CON, he would work harder to find the “dreamers” who are trapped down there. What does he do instead? He has Cassian bark orders at the Illyrians and actively torments the CON by torturing Keir and parading Feyre around as his own personal, glorified slut. (And no, I don’t think that’s what Feyre is, but it CERTAINLY is what Rhysand portrays her as when they’re in the Hewn City. Especially in ACOSF where he fetishizes her pregnancy…) So it doesn’t seem like he’s wearing a mask when he interacts with 2/3rds of his court. It reads like he straight up hates them.

Okay, well maybe he wears the mask to protect Velaris from outsiders? No, that doesn’t make sense. Velaris was already hidden from the rest of Prythian. No one was going to discover it. The only reason it got discovered was because Rhysand made a gamble on telling the human queens about it and it backfired.

Fine, maybe he wears the mask around the other High Lords to seem more intimidating. That seems plausible, but I don’t understand why he would do that. Coming off that way means the other HLs will never want to ally with him (as we saw in ACOWAR). And if we’re being honest with ourselves, Rhysand’s actions while wearing his mask do not do him any favors with the other HLs. In all likelihood, he killed those Winter Court children (and no, I’m not taking arguments on this point. If this mysterious other daemati really did exist, why didn’t they out Feyre and Rhysand’s alliance UTM? That daemati may not have been able to get into Rhysand’s mind but they easily could have gotten into Feyre’s or Clare Beddor’s mind instead), he stole an ancestral artifact from the Summer Court when he could have just asked for it, he allowed his wife to burn the Lady of Autumn (I know Beron didn’t gaf about that but if we’re talking alliances, hurting Beron’s wife is a great way to make sure they never work together for the greater good), and he regularly gallivants around the Spring Court when he has NO BUSINESS being there. Sooo wearing the mask around the other HLs may make him more intimidating, but it hasn’t yielded him any positive results. If anything, his behavior should have alienated him more.

So then what’s the reason for Rhysand wearing a mask? Because I haven’t figured it out. He’s just… Wearing one for shits and giggles, I guess? (We all know the real reason he’s wearing that mask is so SJM can justify him sexually assaulting Feyre UTM and twisting her broken bone.)

Eris. Eris’s reason for wearing a mask is a lot less convoluted than Rhysand’s. If Eris doesn’t wear the mask, then Beron will kill him. It really is that simple. In the HL meeting, Feyre notes that when Eris spoke up, he chose his words very carefully, which clearly implied he was trying not to provoke his father. It was even confirmed in ACOSF that Beron tortures Eris. So if Eris doesn’t wear a mask, he gets murdered. The difference is that he doesn’t have the IC sucking him off and telling him what a good guy he is because he’s wearing a mask. Eris has nobody.

I also want to note the other MASSIVE DIFFERENCE between these two characters. Consequences.

Rhysand. This mf does not face any consequences for his actions. Ever. He steals an ancestral artifact from the Summer Court? Yes, he gets the blood rubies, but those are rescinded one book later. He barges into the Spring Court all the time (Specifically ACOTAR, but also ACOFAS and ACOSF) and Tamlin never whoops his ass for it even though he would have every right to. He locks Nesta up in a house with a man she DOES NOT WANT TO BE AROUND after he crucified Tamlin for doing the same thing to Feyre? He’s NEVER challenged on this. He straight up lies to Feyre about her life-threatening pregnancy and then has the entire IC lie to her as well, and that’s that. He’s never held accountable for those lies. He sexually assaults Feyre, defiles her body with paint (the thing she LOVES), and twists her broken bone when she’s likely already septic and what happens? Nothing. It’s never brought up again. He gets away with all of it.

Eris. Eris is a great example of talk shit, get hit. He makes some hateful ass comments to Mor at the HL meeting and what happens? Azriel beats the ever loving fuck out of him. He leaves Mor on the Autumn Court border (he did NOT nail the note to her womb, as a lot of this fandom likes to pretend) and the Night Court holds a grudge bigger than the state of Texas against him for it and they bring it up every single chance they get. Eris goes after Lucien and Feyre in ACOWAR when they (illegally) cut through the Autumn Court? He gets his shit clocked by Azriel and Cassian. If there is one thing about Eris that I like, it’s that while he may dish out a lot of shit, he can also take it.

So is it hypocritical to like Eris while hating Rhysand? I guess you could say that if you still believe they’re the same exact character, but I personally don’t think they are. I also wonder if the people who think it’s hypocritical to like Eris while hating Rhysand also think it’s hypocritical to hate Eris while loving Rhysand. Just some food for thought.

[acourtofthought]

Nesta taking full credit for killing the King in ACOWAR and SF, claiming that it was "luck" feels like someone bragging they stole something from someone only for you to later find out that someone was a deaf and blind man or their claims they climbed Everest while leaving out how a helicopter dropped them off 100 feet from the top.

Sure they could make the claim and it would technically be true but at the same time, leaving out very important parts of the story does change the perception someone would have if they knew the full story.

It would be like Feyre taking full credit for repairing the Cauldron though Rhys gave his life to assist her.

It would be like Yrene taking full credit for killing Erawan though Dorian lent his magic to assist her.

These things could not have happened without the other and Nesta could not have beheaded the king without Elain, she'd be dead without Elain. The difference is those other characters would never take full credit and I think it's strange how people don't find it problematic that Nesta did not share the credit with Elain, not even in her own thoughts. That she does not once acknowledge Elain for delivering a fatal blow to the King, allowing Nesta to easily walk up to him while he was on his knees clawing at the knife in his throat, dribbling blood from his mouth. To even thank her sister for saving her and Cassian's life. Sarah created enough nuance in what happened that it would make sense for Nesta to share in the credit considering both Lucien (and those who told Lucien) and Rhys (who can see into Feyre's mind as Feyre witnessed what happened) acknowledge Elain's contribution, since the readers read what happened as it happened. It doesn't matter that some are trying to debate down to the very seconds, what the official time of death was and who held the knife at that moment because that moment was only made possible because of a team effort.

If this were a soccer game, Elain not only managed to pull the goalie completely out of the net but she also sent the ball rolling towards the goal and Nesta jumped in and kicked it harder to make sure it made it in there quicker yet Nesta went around after taking full credit for that goal.

In this situation Nesta acted like a shitty teammate by taking all the glory for herself.

I do think that comes down to Nesta and her perception of Elain, her relationship to her sister and how she's struggling with the thought of Elain not needing her. I think it's something we'll see addressed in Elain's book.

[lovemyromance]

What stands out to me about that old facebook post "confirming elu///cien" is that SJM says "Elain was somebody I and Lucien didn't see coming". It's like Lucien is the MC and she is thinking about elu///cien with his perspective in mind (you know, like all elu//cien shippers do). I do wonder if she really paired them up initially based on vibes and aesthetics but at that moment didn't delve into their relationship too deeply (with Feysand and Nessian being her priority at that time). At that point Lucien was probably more of a character to her (with Elain being on the background of 2 books) and she thought Elain would suit him well. But then the more she worked on ACOWAR and the more she understood what kind of character was Elain, she found out that Elain just would not ease up to Lucien (with him being complicit in her trauma) but had natural chemistry with Azriel instead. Basically, that's my theory that SJM paired them up based on what she thought would be good for Lucien but then, when she started writing more of Elain, found out that it just doesn't work out from her perspective at all.

I agree. I fully believe she wasn't even planning for Elain & Nesta to have their own stories (given how they were first introduced to us as the "evil stepsisters" trope) when she wrote ACOTAR.

Lucien was one of her main characters, until she wrote the Bat Boys in ACOMAF and decided she wanted to tell their stories first.

SJM has said it herself: she is a pantser, not a plotter. Meaning she doesn't outline or do some crazy mapping flowchart to plot out the entirety of her books. She writes first, then builds the plot around that. Which is why I think she's changed her mind dozens of times throughout the books. Which is why I don't believe in old interviews from before ACOWAR.

She might've originally planned for Lucien & Nesta, then delved further into Nesta's character and realized Nesta would immediately reject any bond she didn't want.

Then she paired Lucien up with Elain, because she wanted him to get his happily ever after - only to realize they don't fit either. But it took her writing ACOWAR, and delving into the characters of Elain & Nesta further to fully understand them. In the first two books, they were simply "Feyre's sisters" but by ACOWAR they were now 3D, real characters. Complex. Unique individuals.

I look at what she has written from ACOWAR onwards, and it's like a completely different story than ACOMAF.

Suddenly Lucien is absent for most of the book.

Nesta has her own big scenes

Elain has her own pivotal moments

Mor + Azriel seems to be no longer a thing

Cassian & Nesta are constantly bickering yet you can tell they care for each other

Azriel goes out of his way to help Elain, be near Elain, protect Elain, rescue Elain.

The entire story seems to shift. Suddenly the focus isn't only Feyre/Rhys. It's all these other characters too.

I think as readers, we can easily see that ACOWAR was the turning point for SJM. We got to know the characters a bit more, and SJM did too in the process of writing them. She began to form that innate writer mentality when one gets comfortable with their characters enough to know that "Oh this character would never say that, they're too polite" or "Hm, this character doesn't seem suited for that one."

That's when things changed for SJM, and I see that clearly reflected in her writing. That was when she scrapped Elucien and began to write Elriel instead.

[spore-loser]

ACOTAR Ask Game:

Thanks for tagging, @sunbrightheart 😁

Who is your favourite ACOTAR character?

Lucien for fav male and Nesta for fav female.

Who is your least favourite character?

Readers hate Nesta for things she said, but Amren is wildly worse. SJM’s writing of her in ACOSF makes no sense to me. She told Cassisn to keep reaching out his hand but did nothing herself except demean Nesta. Also, she showed that she ultimately only sees the Archeron sisters as pawns for the IC, talking about how they could make Rhysand high king - something he didn’t even want.

Say something nice about your least favourite character?

No. 😐

Ok, just kidding. She made a sacrifice to save everyone.

Who is your favourite high lord?

Tarquin for his convictions and ambition to make a difference. 

Tamlin for his coming through several times in ACOWAR, saving Feyre and co. at the camp and then dragging in Beron against Hybern.

Favourite minor character?

Gwyn for her optimism and determination. Emerie for her fortitude and resilience in a culture that demands her subservience. Eris for his actual moral grey-ness that Rhys stans wish he has.

Favourite ship?

For canon: Book One Feylin

For fanon: Neris

For upcoming: Elucian

Favourite court?

Autumn has the scenery of my fav season and very much intrigued me with its huge royal family and Eris’ plotting against Beron. SJM not giving the Lady of Autumn a name (and so many besides) is just 😑

Make up a brand new court - No prep, just vibes!

An undersea court? 🐡🐙🦑 With merfolk and other oceanic aquatic beings.

What relationship would you have liked to see more of in the books?

The Archerons! Wish there were sister bonding moments instead of what we got 💀 If we don't see Lucien and Eris *Vanserra Bros* moments in an upcoming book I will be so annoyed.

What is your unpopular opinion?

For Pro-Nesta spaces: that she verbally abused Feyre in their cabin days. (I know they were described as at each other’s throats but we weren’t shown Nesta internalizing things the way Feyre did.)

For Pro-IC spaces: basically everything. I don’t think of Azriel except for his relation with others (Gwyn or Eris). Cassian was rude to Nesta first, became a stalker who ignored her boundaries, then became a horrible partner. I don’t consider Elain IC because she is infantilized and kept out of everything they do. Feyre’s character post-Book One completely changed. Mor is inconsistently written and was out of line with how she treated Nesta because of Cassian. Rhys is neither a ~feminist king~ or morally grey, he is an unintentional walking red flag 🚩 on SJM’s part that had intended softboi moments which were only cringe to me.

What is your favourite headcanon?

That “Sellyn Drake” is Helion’s pen name. ✍️🏾

If you were swept away to Prythian, what’s one thing you would want to do?

See what an Autumn Equinox celebration is like. 🍁🍂🍺

If you could have one faerie ability seen in the books, what would it be?

Winnowing for instant travel is the best to me but Tamlin’s shapeshifting is a close second. It would be so cool to fly as a bird 🦅 and swim as a fish 🐠 and all that.

Tagging: @blueinkn, @ennawrite, @gwandas, @jon-snows-man-bun, @msbrownwithacrown, @washmchineheart, @wingsdippedingold

[sjmgirlie]

I find it interesting that Feyre mentions how her father and Elain had a bit of a deeper bond. Both are shy, both are seen as not contributing (which is true in the human lands for sure), both don’t speak up.

And how in ACOWAR, regardless of their passive actions previously and just the overall consensus that they are useless, that Elain and Papa Archeron both actually end the war.

Their father finds Vassa and brings her ships (and his) to their aid. That he finds Miryam and Drakon.

That Elain steps out of a shadow and stabs the King of Hybern in the neck, saving both Nesta and Cassian, as well as ending the war.

Feyre and Rhys together reform the cauldron which saves Prythian. But papa Archeron and Elain are the characters that end the war and Hybern.

That regardless of their nature and being non-confrontational, that they do show strength in an hour of need. That they will not let evil win and harm their family.

This is a different type of strength.

P.s. Do I think papa Archeron completely redeemed himself? No. His lack of action for his daughters was not redeemed. But he did show them before he died that he did love them. That he would not let them go through the war without doing everything he could to protect them. To give them help. He was not a good father to them when they needed it. But his final act did show that he did love them. His final words to Nesta acknowledged that he failed her, that he knew why she treated him the way she did, that he deserved it. And that he wanted to leave their world with her knowing that regardless of her hate, that he loved her and always would.

[colorlesschristmastree]

I hope I’m not being annoying but I just really need to rant about my hope that SJM puts feyre in a more prominent role in the next ACOTAR book. I thought her page time was a bit disappointing but not terrible in ACOSF (I mean, ideally I want her on every page. But seeing as that book was all Nesta Nesta Nesta and hardly any Cassian even…and with how bad a book it was, I’m fine with her staying away from whatever that was). But I was heartbroken over the fact she wasn’t in HOFAS at all!? After SJM teased her being there!? I mean, I get it wasn’t a big crossover and Nesta and Azriel were the highlights. But I can’t help but feel embarrassingly bitter that Nesta was highlighted so much in ACOWAR to the point it took away a bit from Feyre’s finale; Nesta was also the topic of conversation in ACOFAS and was at least a quarter of what Feyre-and other characters-were thinking about the whole book. Then the whole of ACOSF she had a terrible arc and her head is a nasty place to be, she was horrible to feyre the whole book and had that cheap ass lame ass “savior” moment at the end… I thought we could finally be free of her and see Elain shine, and get more Feyre. But then SJM put Nesta at the center of the crossover too?? And ended it by seemingly giving Nesta even more plot for her to do next ACOTAR book??? Ugh! I’m just so mad and I feel embarrassed complaining about my favs getting less page time and someone I hate getting too much spotlight but I’m just so mad. I really sincerely hope that while they were doing the crossover in HOFAS, Feyre, Elain, and maybe even Mor were doing other things that we will see in ACOTAR. And I hope feyre gets the respect she deserves. :/

You're not being annoying at all anon! Sorry for responding to this so late. I completely understand your frustrations. It was definitely annoying when I read bits of hofas and saw that despite SJM teasing a lot more acotar character content and acting like there would be more than there is there really wasn't much at all and everything we got was boring as shit. I feel like the way she presented this book and what we got were two very different things.

I definitely agree that the amount Nesta's character is being shoved down peoples throats is getting obnoxious at this point. She got her spin off book and her little story and I really don't think she needs more. Tbh though I wouldn't be too stressed about it since SJM in recent books can't follow through on a plot to save her own life. So many things brought up in CC1 and CC2 that either went absolutely nowhere or just were lightly touched on but didn't have the important it seemed like they would. So I honestly doubt the end of hofas is going to become as massive as we think it is, more likely than not the resolution to that is going to come from a pages long info dumping session where we find out the why but it doesn't actually get it's own plot and story... I mean that's basically how 90% of the mysteries established in the prior two CC books and a bit in ACOSF were handled in HOFAS. I honestly predict the same for the next acotar book lmao.

I also super desperately miss Feyre.. she's the main character and the heart of the acotar series and honestly such a comfort! I wouldn't worry too much though babe, I mean the crossover was basically worthless and just info dumping, I'm glad Feyre wasn't involved in that mess. I still think Elain's book is going to be next and I'm excited for that, Nesta will have a role and that's whatever ig but I'm not going to let a boring character whose book was bad ruin my enjoyment of Elain's book.

The main acotar series where Feyre was still our narrator and protagonist will always be the best in my eyes and these are just spin off books that let us see her sisters stories and they aren't gonna dampen my love for the main series. I'm actually doing a reread of the main series right now with the discord server and we're just raving about how much we adore Feyre and her pov. I love how plot filled these books are, every scene and page actually feels important and contributes to the overarching plot of the book and there are no massive scenes of unnecessary info dumping like certain.. other books.

Love u nonnie and every SJM book that strays from Feyre's holy light is progressively worse written which just says something about our girls story.

[theladyofbloodshed]

SJM is a feminist qwueen.

Elain is Elain felt wrong at so many levels. Couldn’t understand why. But here’s my reason for hating it.

Elain is Elain means that Elain is not much. Not worth considering a threat or an opportunity. Not a villian, not a hero, not useful, just not much. Why would that be? What’s different? Nesta and Elain are both made by the cauldron. She’s eager to help (in ACOWAR).

She’s not doing what males do in SJM fantasy world. Not swinging a sword (like Aelin and Mor). Not rude and dismissive of authorites (like Feyre in the high lords meetings). She’s being normal and wearing dresses. And that’s completely fine.

But apparently not by SJM, the feminist queen and her fans. Because guess what, that’s not feminism. That’s internalized misogyny. You only like feminist heroines when they do something that males do. How dare she stay in the house and bake? Be queit and proper like a lady. Wear dresses!??? Go put on some fighting leathers and swing a sword. Only then will we value you. We are feminists. Can’t have a girl acting all girly and expect people to think she has some good qualities. Qualities worth appreciation. Nope, we will value you when you fight, put on some muscles and ditch those dresses. And get out of the kitchen!

Until then, Elain is just Elain.

Never tell me that young girls reading this are not getting a bad impression. I saw a 14 year old pick up this book today. SJM and her internalized misogyny, that the fans label as feminism ✨ is going to shape some young minds into believing a lot of fucked up things being right. Forgiving your abuser and sexual assualter (Aelin-Rowan, Feyre- Rhys), mistreating people with trauma (Nesta being locked up) and of course, the smaller problem discussed above. I am not old enough to have children yet, but I regret the fact that I read this crap and I beg all you fans out there to never have your children read this crap. It is honestly surprising that these books have not been deemed inappropriate yet. I have read a lot of dark romance and this is not it. The theme is clear in dark romance. Characters in those books are held accountable for their actions. The constant cycle of making the fans beleive that Rhys, Rowan, Cassian etc. are not wrong and you should want a partner like that..now that is harmful.

P.s. English is my third language. Idk if I made any mistakes, but do let me know if I did so I can take care of it next time.

It was such crap. If Rhys was actually held accountable for his words then yeah, okay, he can say that. But if Feyre ever questions him, it happens once then it's waved away by Rhys. Within a few minutes of meeting the sisters, he dismisses Elain as unimportant and Nesta is Illyrian at heart and he can never forgive her - for something that never ever involved him.

For me, it wasn't really about the fact that Elain is typically more feminine. Beyond the colour of their dresses where Elain favours pink, I'd say Nesta is also very typically feminine (for the time period). She doesn't like pants, her hobby is reading, she was saving herself for marriage. To me, what Rhys said aligned with Feyre's view of Elain from the first book where she said that it wasn't that Elain was being mean and not helping, she just didn't grasp that she might actually get off her ass and help. And Rhys is fine with that. Elain can be oblivious but that's okay and he won't ever push her <3 It's so hard not to compare how Elain and Nesta are treated. Both lived in the cabin. Nesta said mean things, Elain didn't. Nesta helped, Elain didn't.

At the end of it all, these men should stay far away from these women. The men all need therapy and should be taught how to be a better partner <3

p.s. your English is brilliant

[nikethestatue]

I have a hard time understanding the following:

The same people that blame Feyre and Elain for “bullying” Nesta are completely OK with Nesta bullying Cassian, and treating him like dirt. I wonder if the gender of Cassian and Nesta were reversed , would Cassian be praised as much as Nesta was after ACOSF.

I have always had a problem with their relationship after ACOSF, because of the above. I often think, if there was no mating bond, would Cassian care about Nesta? Would he put up with her shit? It’s not like they grew to love each other, as far as the emotional romance in her book, it was lacking. Cassian just kept at her until Sarah choose to write her as a better person. I wonder if her sisters or Cassian did not intervene, she would go down that path to recovery?

This is different from Feyre and Rhysand’s relationship, and even Elaine and Azriel’s relationship, because those relationships are written as mutual attraction and appreciation for the other person, and a solid friendship, not a mating bond.  I don’t understand people who like Cassian and Nesta’s relationship after ACOSF, maybe I am just too traditional?

The way SJM wrote Nesta in my opinion was terrible. Essentially she was just really nasty, met some people who didn’t know her backstory and got validated by them (so i guess the reader is supposed to think she is good then, lazy) and then saved her sister and everything was forgiven. Why not work on the relationships that she currently had, not just make her and Cassian’s relationship about sex, show us more of her friendship with Amren, for heaven sake’s have her actually talk to her sisters about real things. I don’t know how Sara got away with writing ACOSF the way she did.

I don’t know when it became OK to rationalize/absolve someone’s behaviour because they have mental illness or are going through a tough time. You are still responsible for your actions. Having trauma or mental health issues is an explanation for your behaviour, but it does not remove the responsibility of how your behave and the repercussions to your relationships (family /friends).

There is a pervasive theme in the SJM fandom and how she writes her characters that being a “ victim” and take responsibility for doing terrible things to people cannot occur at the same time. They are not mutually exclusive. It’s very odd and I would even say dangerous way of thinking.

Thank you for your thoughts. I am in love with “the agreement” and look forward to Thursdays because I know a chapter is coming out.❤️

I generally agree, however, I remain in the ACOWAR state of mind for Nessian. If we look at how they were, at what they did for each other, at how they grew to admire and support one another, you can definitely see that there was attraction, interest and growth without the bond.

Nesta in ACOWAR was understandable--her anger, her resentment, her unhappiness, especially in the beginning, were all legit, because her life was drastically changed, her whole existence altered, her sister's life also ripped out from her grasp. But then we saw Nesta's growth, her willingness to understand her powers, her willingness to help however she could, her willingness to to to the HL Meeting, and then to the front. Her growing affection towards Cassian was also obvious--despite her fighting it, she was still so into him. She trusted him, she sought him out.

ACOSF is a hot mess express and there is no other way of putting it.

Did I want Nesta to find friends and have that independence from the IC? Absolutely! But the whole 'oh they are my sisters!' or 'oh they are my family!' is such BS.

I've noticed that in general, SJM doesn't know how to write female relationships. Whether it's friendships, parental relationships, sisterhoods. It always comes out bizarre. Aelin and Lysandra=weird. Danika and Bryce=forgetaboutit. Mor and Feyre=what is that even? Maybe Manon and Asterin? But they are also unequal and are beating the shit out of each other. Nesta and Emerie and Gwyn had the beginnings of a great relationship, but SJM chose to make it over the top to the umptieth degree. Like she doesn't understand that both love AND friendships could be just that--strong, powerful, intense, intimate relationships outside of familiar ties. You don't NEED to call your friends 'family'. You can choose your friends, and you can create a relationship with them in a way that is beneficial to you. They don't need to become your 'family' to be falid.

Same with love--you can just love someone, without having a mate bond with them. The bond, in my opinion, often cheapens the relationship, because it sort of negates the growth and the feelings. Thinking back to Rowan and Aelin--did they really need the bond? No. Not at all. There was so much between the two of them that the bond was completely superfluous. The only time the bond made sense and needed to be there was for Feysand--it was their tether, it was the reason why Rhys was able to save/hear/feel Feyre. It made sense. It should've been the only bond. But no. SJM is gonna stick bonds on everyone, like Oprah giving out cars.

ACOSF happened and now we have to live with it. Nothing we can do. I hope she knows to add something in the future that would make the Nessian relationship better. Offer some insights and additions that would make it more palatable.

Also, thank you! :)

[cassianandfenrysaremyboyos]

What is your favourite acotar friendship? 💜

Oohhh how do I choose!

Maybe Cassian and Mor. They have such a fun, loving friendship and I love how acosf showed us just how much Cassian loves Mor and how highly he thinks of her, it made my heart melt! Also they're both my fave characters so I've got an obvious soft spot for them.

But I also love Cassian and Feyre! And I love that it's a friendship in it's own right. It's not he's my partners friend, so he's my friend by extension. The two of them have their own relationship, where just the two of them spend time together. They go to the rainbow, they go to the theatre together, they sit together and talk. And they have that shared understanding of living in poverty and knowing what it's like to have nothing that also bonds them. Like they just get each other. Also them getting drunk and making the most piss poor effort at putting up the solstice decorations will always be a fave moment. I just love them!

And, this one might be a bit unexpected or a bit of an unpopular opinion... but also Azriel and Mor... in theory. In Acomaf they had this really beautiful, close friendship. The way Mor was the only one Az would even slightly open up to, the way Mor would wait for him at the House of Wind to return from missions. They had a relationship that seemed to have a closeness and intimacy that was so special and so different from the friendships they both have with Cassian and Rhys. And then acowar came along and completely annihilated their friendship, to the point where Mor can't even be in a room alone with him without a buffer :( (and it not only ruined Az and Mor's relationship but also the entire dynamic and closeness of the inner circle as a whole. But that's a whole nother thing) So anyway I wanna see them get that closeness and that friendship back. I wanna see them talk everything out, and get to a really comfortable place, and get back what they lost and just be really great friends. They deserve more then what acowar gave them

[vidalinav]

One thing that I think acosf kept consistent was that in previous books Nesta made a difference in everything. She was significant even when she was not the main character or had an active role in any decision making. 

Feyre in the first book references Nesta more than anyone. Albeit not for good reasons, but when she learns that Nesta tries to go after her, that makes a significant difference in Feyre’s next move. She goes back and continues with plot because of what Nesta says. She shifts the narrative. Outside of this, she’s also singled out by being the one’s who favored by their mother, the one who can withstand glamour, and the one who chooses to risk her life for Feyre if she’d actually gotten past the wall. She’s the person who is “made different.” 

In acomaf, the person who immediately goads at Cassian, who is referenced to have some future altering affect on the relationship between Mor, Cassian, and Azriel which existed for years is just the introduction of Nesta. Just her complete devotion to keeping the humans safe is enough for Cassian to lay his life to her cause. Later, Nesta is not the only one to be dipped into the cauldron, but she’s the only one who takes. The only one who’s vendetta, her risen middle finger, scares the King of Hybern. She makes two enemies that day. She again shifts every plot point later, because of this power and experience. 

In acowar, she’s the one who literally does nothing and we have Amren who says “when you erupt, make sure it’s felt across worlds.” The Bone Caver speaks of her, of the imminent power. Just the mention of an insult from Rhys, is enough to make an argument between Feysand. Later, Nesta saves them all. If not by telling her story to the high lords, but by being the distraction. That’s her plan. She doesn’t stab the King of Hybern, but Hybern would not be dead at all, there would be no opportunity to even get that close, if Nesta had not decided to tell them to use her as a distraction, knowing full well that it was some sort of sacrifice. 

In acofas then, her depression irritates them. She’s in like 10 pages of the whole book and yet she is the person they discuss over and over again, because her attitude affects them all. They can’t leave her alone because none of them can be completely happy, when Nesta is not happy. That’s her power. Nesta makes Elain, and Feyre, and Cassian upset and unsatisfied which means that anyone related to them like Mor or Rhys or Amren or even Azriel are also not satisfied. Their group also functions with compliance, so no matter what she is the deviant. She is the singular. 

So in acosf, this continues, because literally all Nesta does is start training and she convinces priestesses who don’t leave the Library to come train with her. She convinces Emerie, the first willing Illyrian female to fight. She is the reason Gwyn leaves for even a moment. She helps the IC once, not even because she really wants to, and she’s not using very much power and yet she begins to find three of the most dangerous items in Prythrian and then makes three more. She  went to the prison and just killed a death god when Cassian’s fully certain he’s probably going to die. She is the reason why her friends make it to the top to Ramiel. They would not have without her. Even in terms of like minutia of everyday life, Cassian knows this blacksmith all of these years and only Nesta gets him to be a little softer. Only because of Nesta, do we become aware of a Illyrian male who goes against the norm. Eris immediately knows that Nesta is the true prize as much as Lanthys and the Bone Carver. Nesta is the only one Mother Blessed. The only who has and can stop time and who saved all of their lives once again. 

So in conclusion, Nesta is literally the main character of this whole series. She plays the Aelin or the Bryce. She is the “chosen” one. It’s not technically anyone else. They may get a pov, they may steer plot, and we may like them a lot and their romance, but the person who plays that typical role of the hero arc and who influences the story in its entirety is Nesta Archeron. 

[house-of-galathynius]

Things from the SJM online event

Sarah started the book years ago

When she was writing ACOTAR Sarah realised that there was more to Nesta than just the “bitchy older sister”

ACOWAR was meant to be the end of the series, but Sarah wanted to explore Nessian more and she wrote aorund 200 pages and couldn’t get it out of her head and drunkenly pitched it and they went for it 

Sarah didn’t want her to be the perfect loveable sister, she wanted her to have baggage to then explore how she can grow as a person and heal 

Each of her characters get a part of her, but she thinks Nesta got the biggest chunk out of all of them, she got a lot deeper into the head of Nesta compared to any other character

She loves writing about the IC as a group and as individuals and loves writing about their histories together 

There were lots more parts of the ACOTAR world she wanted to write, including different characters and different courts 

Even though she loves Rhys, she sort of loved writing Nesta’s hatred towards him, she liked showing his actions through someone else’s eyes who isn’t going to swoon over him 

She was going to have Rhys and Feyre perspectives throughout the book but because they were in 1st person not 3rd so it was confusing to read. But also her editor said it was a distraction from Nesta’s story

The friendship between Gwyn and Emerie is one of her favourite friendships she’s written in all of her books 

Their friendship was also just as important as the relationship she had with Cassian

Sarah’s best friend was lot of the inspiration for the friendship between Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie

She doesn’t think Nesta’s story is complete, and she could’ve written another 1000 pages on Nesta just doing stuff. She will also have a major role to play in the future 

She was with a physical trainer (pre-covid) and she asked him to give her some basics on how to use and train with swords and so she drew from a lot of that for the scenes where Nesta is training 

Ever since release day she’s been trying not to think of any of her family reading this book because of the “steamy parts” 

Before the book came out she would explain that ACOSF is in the vein of ACOMAF, in so much they’re both healing stories in their own way 

The House of Wind came from her middle school days where she wanted Cher’s house from Clueless and took inspiration, and that she wanted a house that could cater to her every need and that’s where she got the ideas for the House of Wind from 

She loved the idea of Nesta connecting with something that isn’t actually alive, but making that connection nonetheless and knowing she isn’t alone

She wants someone to make art of Nesta’s black dress because she loves it. She was partly inspired by the Black Swan for that dress. 

The whole scene of her wearing that dress was her coming into control of herself again

Tchaikovsky does inspire some of the book, various movie scores

Stay Together for the Kids by Blink 182 actually helped her get into the head of Nesta- that song gave her the inspiration of how Nesta felt about her dad and family 

Sarah has to write at home because she get’s so into her scenes and characters she needs the privacy. But now shes a mum, she kind of writes wherever she can

She thinks Clare from Outlander would get along with Feyre and Nesta to some extent, and wonders what it would be like if Clare and Jamie fell through into the ACOTAR world 😂

She’s currently in edits on the second Crescent City book, and rivals ACOSF for sex scenes and steamy moments

She knows who’s story she wants to write for the next ACOTAR book, but doesn’t want to give anything away just yet 

[acourtofthought]

Is it possible sjm changed her mind since that interview long ago about elain and lucien healing together? I noticed that ACOWAR showed clear signs that sjm was still going for elucien and that azriel barely had any setup as a character. Yes, we got a lot of him, but he was not a prominent character in a way Lucien was. With Lucien, we learned about his heritage and a bit more of his past. We even got inside of his head. But in acofas, there was a shift. We went from Elain defending Lucien in front of Graysen and smiling at Lucien's joke to her ignoring him and avoiding him completely. Azriel also gained a lot more prominence while it feels like Lucien faded into the background in a way. This sounds silly, but the idea of sjm abandoning a perfectly good Day Court plot in favor of a forced forbidden lovers storyline between Azriel and Elain is honestly terrifying.

It's definitely possible!

But since in the same interview she spoke of Nessian ending up together and they did in fact end up together, it's also possible Elucien is endgame as she once envisioned them to be.

I do agree with you that Lucien got a whole lot of buildup in ACOWAR (even before that, his character has been prominent since book 1) and we had a lot less of him in ACOSF but there is a logical reason for that.

Lucien doesn't belong in the NC. He glanced at Elain / "I'm not needed here. I'll fight if you need me to, but..."

And though he went back to Velaris because Elain invited him at the end of ACOWAR, we find out that she's regressed in the novella and no longer engages with him so again, he's got no reason to stick around as he was really only there for her.

Even that's not a big deal because Nesta pretty much confessed her feelings for Cassian in ACOWAR then started ignoring him and got together with many other males in the novella. Elain sharing a few glances with Az and a near kiss is tame compared to what Cassian had to accept as Nesta worked through things.

But with that said, why would Lucien be prominently featured in a Nesta and Cassian book when neither of them are close to Lucien? In fact, prior to SF, Nesta was very antagonistic towards him.

A book set in the Night Court with members of the IC are going to feature.....mostly Night Court characters and members of the IC.

And yes, Az got a lot of build up in SF because he's Cassian's best friend. Is there any other male that would make sense to be as heavily featured in Cassian's book than Az? Especially when Rhys's arc is technically over?

And if you think about it....how much more buildup could Lucien have before he actually gets a book?

When you look at the the buildup Az had in the novella and SF it boils down to:

Az has a mother he visits, we're reminded that he hates the Illyrians even though he is one of them and always will be, there's more to Az than what we originally thought ("Az is different in a lot of ways"), the fact that he wants a mating bond and is struggling with feelings of low self worth, feeling guilty for the things he does, and a hinted at (but not confirmed) mating bond with Gwyn.

The buildup Lucien has had since book 1 is:

His father and brothers were responsible for the death of Jesminda and though he pretends he has, he's never forgotten what they did to her. / He's not allowed into Autumn to see his mother (and he's her favorite child). / Beron abuses his mother and his brother and once again sent his others sons out to attack Lucien while he was fleeing Spring / SJM tells us Eris is looking at Lucien with sadness and regret in ACOWAR. / The big reveal that Helion is Lucien's real father. / That Lucien is not only Helion's sole heir but is showing the dominance associated with a High Lord coming into power. / Lucien no longer has a real home to call his own, he's basically a drifter between the human lands, Spring and the NC and feels sadness over Spring not turning out the way he expected. / His friendship with Tamlin that's in limbo. His SA from Iantha that he hasn't gotten to address / A bond that snapped but has been unaccepted for two years and something that causes him actual suffering while always having to fight his instincts. / Feeling like he's "nothing".

We've got Lucien needing a home, needing to discover his heritage, needing an answer on his mating bond, needing to discover his powers, needing to reconnect with his mother and his brother, needing to restore his friendship with Tamlin, etc. The only thing left to do with Lucien is to resolve all these open ended plots for him and that can't happen until his book (it's not going to happen in a NC book).

When you add all of that into the clues SJM left for Elain belonging in Spring with her scent like Spring, with NC Black sucking the life out of her no matter how much she claimed to be part of the court, with members in the NC trying to prevent her from doing the things the offered to do, I think it's fairly clear that Elucien is on track as scheduled.

[azriellie]

something i deeply appreciate about elain and azriel is how they like each other. whether you think they have something romantic between them, or if they are just supposed to be friends, or family (which, admittedly, is a little after knowing what he wants to do to her) it’s impossible to deny that elain and az simply like each other as individuals.

in that regard, i always see their relationship much closer to what feyre and rhysand have rather than what nesta and cassian have. all throughout the og trilogy and acofas, it is impossible to deny feyre and rhysand’s love for each other— they are completely devoted to each other, a true interpretation of what actual soulmates are. but, beneath all that love, there is something very basic about their relationship: they like each other as individuals. rhysand likes who feyre is, and feyre likes who rhysand is. if they weren’t a couple, they would still have an incredibly beautiful friendship (it’s an elriel post and yet i can’t help but highlight how much i love feysand). the whole liking aspect was something that i personally felt lacking with nesta and cassian— i would read acosf and be sure that they had chemistry and a different type of love than feyre and rhysand, but there were so many parts of that book that i wasn’t even sure if those two characters simply liked each other.

elain and azriel, since the very beginning, have liked each other— they have always had respect, fondness, and loyalty to each other. again, whether you think that is a sign of them falling in love (cough cough it is) or that this is just an indication of them being friends, it’s impossible to deny that that liking is there.

the very first time azriel and elain interact, despite the fear she had and the extremely uncomfortable dinner they were having, the two of them immediately had some sort of connection. let’s be honest, azriel does not look like the safe bet, but he was the one who elain strated a conversation with to break the ice. even when feyre first met azriel she was a little hesitant, but elain has had a certain level of trust in him since the beginning. 

still on that dinner, you can see more trust when elain feels comfortable enough to relax  only when she sees that indication coming from az. the same happens books later in acofas— even though cassian, rhys, and mor reprimand amren, elain only seems to relax and regain some of her light when azriel jokes about it

they are also very appreciative of each other as people. there is absolutely no fear in their relationship— which is something huge for elain. she had fears that were cultivated since childhood, was thrown in that world she knew only horrible things about, and interacted with this man who was quite unsettling, but she never feared him. a scene that i love to demonstrate this is when they arrive at the camp in acowar and elain sees a full display of azriel’s power with the shadows and instead of being afraid, she’s simply wide-eyes— as if she’s simply awed by him

they care so much for each other too. azriel going to hybern’s camp to save her is an obvious demonstration of this, but my favorites are the two that come after that. when azriel comes back with elain in his arms and even though he’s extremely hurt and certainly needs help, the first thing that comes to his mind is that they have to take the chains off her. and elain, who was definitely traumatized and so tired, instead of simply breaking down, stopped to give azriel a kiss on the cheek

he was the one to notice her missing when the was captured. the one to understand what she was when even her alleged mate couldn’t. he was the one who spent time showing her the garden, sitting outside doing his work there so that she would have company. he’s the one who made everyone wait for her to come to the table before eating. he was the first to wish her a happy solstice 

one of my favorite scenes is when azriel and elain sit together at the living room later at night, both of them just sitting there while elain talks to him about gardening and her plans for it with her new tools. the truth is that azriel probably doesn’t understand shit about gardening, and in any other case he wouldn’t give a fuck, but because it’s elain he just listens to her

elain’s extremely thoughtful gifts. they get so much cuter when you realize they are for azriel and azriel alone— if she had given any of them to anyone else, it wouldn’t have made sense. she spent her time thinking about him, about what would make him laugh, and went to get it. you can see that her gifts to him are much more personal than the gifts she gives to other people 

there are so many other cases but these are the ones that come to mind rn. the point is, although i am 101% sure they are falling in love hard, even if they aren’t these interactions don’t lose their meaning. azriel and elain are two people who can be so similar but also have nothing in common. yet, they find comfort and fondness in each other to a level that they have their own little world. it’s beautiful. they simply like each other— they like who the other person is even if there is nothing more involved