#adding to the list of questions I have for SJM

[acourtofquestions]

I just realized… do TOG characters not have middle names?

Aelin Ashryver Galathynius (despite Google saying her middle name is Ashryver I disagree, it’s her mothers maiden name and more of a hyphen) and I really think if she had one she would’ve said it in the whole “I am Aelin Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius” moments

Rowan Whitethorn (Galathynius later on is again a hyphen)

Manon Blackbeak (is Rhiannon part of her name?)

Lorcan Salvaterre (Lord Lorcan Lochan tragically does not make his first name Lord and middle name Lorcan)

Yrene Towers (plenty of opportunity for her to mention it if she had one)

Elide Lochan

As I think on it do ACOTAR characters even? Feyre Nesta & Elain Archeron, we don’t even have last names for the bat boys…

But we know CC does (which makes sense it’s more modern urban) like Bruce Adelaide Quinlan

[lovemyromance]

your posts are literally the elriel bible, I don't think i've disagreed with a single one.

In general, elriels agree on a lot of things which is why it's so odd to find EL/GAs fighting with themselves over "elriels say elains gonna be a warrior" and "elriels say elain's gonna save illyria" because I have never EVER seen a single elriel say such a thing. I saw a long post from some elucien about how elriels self-insert and then they listed a long list of things about what canon elain is - except i don't think elriels would even disagree with what they were saying?

It got kind of muddy when they started trying to claim that "canonically azriel only lusts after elain" but whatever - you get the point. Why are they putting words in our mouths?

Thank you :) I know I always excessively post about elriel (because I'm pretty sure I have the attention span of a squirrel), but some days these petty arguments really make my eye twitch.

Idk why antis seem to think Elriels want Elain to be some warrior, savior of Illyria, High Queen type character. I thought we've all been pretty vocal in wanting to keep her femininity and her kindness and finding strength in her compassion.

If it's because the fanarts....well I think we've all established that nobody is really claiming fanarts to be canon. I think that goes without saying when we have fanart of an Elriel family with Illyrian offspring - or when Eluciens have fanart of Elain looking happy around Lucien lmao. Both are not canon. Who cares - it's fanart? It's not like we really going to pretend that all their fanart is canon either?

Because canonically - Elain can't stand Lucien. Canonically, Azriel has literally never touched Gwyn.

There are basic traits to these characters that nobody can deny. But the antis always have a way of adding additional, personal bias into things. They say Elain's not a warrior - cool, that's true, that's canon – but then they take it a step too far and try to claim its canon that she abhors all violence and she would never touch a dagger and she would hate Azriel because he's a warrior.

Canonically, Elain killed the fucking King of Hybern. She might not crave violence (oh- also what an odd thing to claim - that ANY character loves violence, btw), but she has already proven to be violent when needed.

Canonically, Elain does use a dagger. Not just any dagger - Truthteller.

Nobody's saying she out here training as a Valkyrie at the HOW - but she's not just sitting here in frolicking in a meadow while the rest of her friends and family go to war. She was literally taken AWAY from the main battle in ACOWAR and she still showed back up to pull the most badass move in the books, saving everyone.

Idk what about that is so hard to understand. No Elriel has said she's gonna save Illyria (lol), no one has claimed she's going to be Enalius the Second, nobody is out here waiting for her to take part in the BR and also become a Carthyian.

Elriels like Elain as she is. And even though she's not a warrior, even though she doesn't enjoy violence, even though she isn't a Cartyhian – Azriel still adores her. Azriel still wants her enough to question his religion. That's literally in the books. I can give you the exact page number and quote. I don't need to do any "extra analysis"

You want to talk about canon? Let's talk about how Elain is so perfect that she has even the most brooding warrior falling for her. Let's talk about how Azriel was willing to fight in a blood duel for her. Let's talk about how she was so ready to have a tryst with the Spymaster under everyone's watchful eyes.

We don't need to change anything about Elain, certainly not to have her end up with Azriel. Elriel having feelings for each other is already canon. Elriels did not have to change a single thing about them for them to find each other. That was SJM, so take it up with her.

I mean - she kind of ate when she summed up their relationship in ACOWAR with that scene in the garden...they might not make sense on paper but there's something poetic about them

[shardminds]

2024 Fic Writer End of Year Roundup

Answer and then tag three or more creators to keep the game going! (i did not get tagged but i wanted in on the action!)

1. How many words did you publish on AO3 in 2024?

81k, if you can believe that!

2. How many fics did you complete this year?

8!

3. How many in progress or ongoing fics did you start this year?

2... hell & sacrifice. 2025 will be your year.

4. What was your favorite thing you wrote?

excluding freak week entries (i love them all like they are my children), i think full moon, white honey. i love her so much & i miss her. can't wait for shardminds bday fic 2025!!!

5. What piece was your most experimental or different from your usual style?

probably jawbreaker! not experimental in terms of style but defo in terms of content. it held a lot of first for me! first collab between my dearly beloved & i, first organised event (even if it was just us holding hands, playing dead), first fic over 20k— i had so much fun with it as a whole! i loved rhys being a fucked up little freak, i loved diving into feyre's headspace, i loved exploring the whole fic in a safe little space and all the important conversations we had along the way. I hope marissa can say the same!

6. Did any fics surprise you - either while writing or their reception?

listen through the wall. it was my first jump into acotar fic before i found my footing and it wasn't even intended FOR a pairing as such (well... unrequited elriel, really) but i loved azriel being down abysmal and acting it out on a nameless stranger, and so did everyone else, apparently. it has the most hits out of all my fics from 2024.

7. Do you have a fic you wrote and loved that went under the radar? (This is your sign to reblog/repost it!)

corpse until sunrise. i shan't elaborate... ok, i will. i love that fic so much. i loved writing it, i love how much it fought us, i love how disgusting and depraved it is and how the loml and i spent the whole time writing it kicking our feet, giggling, in love with gwyn. i love how thin the line was for that one. i love azriel and i will torture him in everything i write. hope that's okay.

8. Who is an artist that inspired you?

@velidewrites, no question (velide, i love you so much! u insipre me every day!)

9. Who is an author that inspired you?

i cannot remember all of them off the top of my head but i read some banging fics this year / recieved some incredible advice from @damedechance, @separatist-apologist, @iftheshoef1tz @crazy-ache, @tunaababee and many MANY more. i wish i could list them all. i wish i'd kept a list!

10. Who is a new author you discovered?

please see above. i only started reading acotar fic this year after re-reading all of sjm's works in advance of hofas release. most impactful discovery was obvi my heart and soul, damedechance. did you know my first fic of hers was spare your blade? did you know she unprivated things mid-rewrite so that i could read it? did you know my first message to her on discord was GWYNRHYS RISE UP!!!!!!? is everyone sick of us yet?

also ao3 user yooijo. if you didn't know, now you know.

11. Did you do any collaborations? How did it start?

DID I!? freak week took over our lives for like three months. and it will continue to take over our lives into 2025. (hell, we WILL finish your ass!) but writing with marissa was a dream. she gets me, i get her, it truly is a freak on freak alliance. i love her, truly. it was so FUN to write with her, and it continues to be! she's added so much colour to my life in the almost year of our friendship slash marriage slash codependency slash experiments in telepathy.

it was also a great excuse to send her a 2k bag of jawbreakers in the mail.

12. What accomplishments are you proudest of?

freak week, for sure. we wrote about 50k in a little less than a month!

13. What did you learn about writing or creating this year?

i learned to be a freak with it! to be a little strange and off putting! to write what i want to read and be okay with that!

i also learned that it's ok to propose in ao3 comments after reading 2 fics by an author, and also be a scoundrel in the tumblr tags. sometimes, it gets you a wife.

14. Any advice you’d like to share with new or aspiring writers?

people will read what you write or they wont, but the most important question is did YOU enjoy writing it? does it bring YOU joy? i hope so!

15. What are your creative goals for 2025?

finish hell

write & post witcher au part 2.

collab with wifemine again (jawbreaker squeakquel, broken hearts club, az/feyre, or anything from the damedechance wip library. love u, mars ♥)

get a little weirder with it

tagging @damedechance (duh) and anyone else that wants to take a crack at this! it's fun!!

[princessofmerchants]

Nesta and the Cauldron 💫 - a list of questions and puzzle pieces post-HOFAS

"... Wrapped in black eternity, Nesta and the Cauldron twined, burning through the darkness like a newborn star."

—from "Beginning," the prologue of A Court of Silver Flames

(HOFAS spoilers after the break)

I began rereading ACOSF post-HOFAS and boy was I shocked and delighted by what I found in the very first scene of the book, which is also one of my favorite scenes in all of SJM canon...

Here's a screenshot of the last part of the prologue to ACOSF, called "Beginning".

After reading HOFAS, and learning what we did from the Starborn Princess Silene, along with the events of that book as well as those in ACOSF and going all the way back to ACOMAF,

I have new questions!

What could it mean that Nesta and Elain, both humans, were submerged in the Cauldron in the same way the magical objects of the Fae like Gwydion, Truthteller, and the Dread Trove items were? Does the fact that they were alive themselves first, and human at that, make a difference? (We know from the Blood Rite magic that Nesta is not recognized as a Made magical object in the Rite because her magic is suppressed like everyone else's...)

Was the Cauldron in Hybern different (more corrupt, perhaps from Fionn's death and his potential link to the health of the world in which Prythian resides), than it was when it Made Gwydion, Truthteller, and the Trove items? Or was its corruption (wrongness) the same kind that originates from the Daglan poisoning it before Gwydion and the Trove were Made?

When Nesta stole a large portion of the Cauldron's "raw power," was there more to the power besides its connection to Death, that somehow ties in to either the Starborn power that originates and thrives in the island of the Prison, or perhaps instead to the ancient Fae power that predates the seasonal and solar elemental power affinities that evolved after the time of High King Fionn? Is it similar or different to the way the Starsword/Gwydion and its imbued Made power has an affinity for the Staborn line of Fae?

We know at the end of ACOSF and from HOFAS that the Mother prevents all of Nesta's stolen power from leaving her when she bargains with the Cauldron and the Mother to save Feyre - and here in the ACOSF prologue Nesta and the Cauldron together are described as a newborn star. In being Made by the Cauldron, then first stealing its power but later being gifted back with some of it by the Mother - is there a connection or affinity here also to the power of the land on which the Prison sits that was forged through this process?

Regarding Nesta's bargain tattoo, which was an eight pointed star, the symbol of the Starborn power and its people - is the Mother (Urd in Midgardian parlance) the source of bargain magic in Prythian? As Bryce asks to Nesta - Why was Nesta's bargain tattoo with Cassian an eight pointed star? And also, why do the Illyrians (who were created by the Daglan but led by their ancester Enalius in alliance with the Fae in defeating those same Daglan) have a sword technique and sequence that takes this shape too? And what do any of these details have to do with 1) Gwydion and its Making in the Cauldron, and/or 2) Nesta and HER Making in the Cauldron?

And don't think I've forgotten about Elain - the longtime question of What happened when she went in the Cauldron? remains but with the added layer of how her own experience in the Cauldron and its gifting of Seer powers may or may not be similar or different to not only how the ancient Fae Made objects were imbued with power but also how her sister Nesta was imbued with (that same?) power?

Put differently, is this newborn star imagery (experience?) of Nesta and the Cauldron unique to Nesta because of the amount (and kind) of raw power she took, or is it shared among all humans who have been immersed in the Cauldron (of which we know of three - Nesta, Elain, and Briallyn, though Briallyn is now Unmade - and Jurian we can assume was brought back using the Cauldron with his eye but from what we can tell he has come back human and not Fae, and so we can presume while he was brought back from a terrible half existence, he wasn't Made, at least we have no evidence he has been...)

I'm just really, really interested in the following puzzle pieces:

-Gwydion, Truthteller, and the Trove were Made in the Cauldron

-Nesta and Elain were also Made in the Cauldron, but when Nesta was made she stole raw power from the essence of the Cauldron itself, enough to disable it for a time

-This transfer of power from the Cauldron to Nesta reminds me of how Silene talks about the power of the ancient Fae of Prythian including the Starborn power, and the material way Theia's Star power gets divided into three parts that are reunited by Bryce but that had actual physical locations for thousands of years (pointing out as well that the Cauldron has also always had a physical, material location throughout history)

-The Mother gifted Nesta with some of the power she had stolen then offered back in a bargain to save Feyre - we see that gifted power in action in HOFAS to great effect

-Nesta's bargain tattoo with Cassian was the symbol of the Staborn people and their power and also the symbol of an Illyrian sword technique

-Bryce, Starborn Heir, thinks these things connect Nesta to Gwydion, which was Made by the Cauldron just like Nesta was and which can be wielded by those who possess the Starborn power in some capacity

-Nesta can move through the wards in the Prison in a way no one else in Prythian seems to be able to, and in a way Bryce (Starborn line descendent) could too

I'm not going to actually predict any concrete theories from all of this. But we also know SJM committed to the existence of a multi-verse when KoA was published, after which HOEAB was published, followed by ACOSF....lots of time to think through how she was going to describe Nesta stealing power from the Cauldron in this scene.

I think there's meaning in this ACOSF prologue we are only just beginning to understand, about what the consequences of this tangling between Nesta and the Cauldron will in fact be. 💫

(And, it's the year of our Lord 2024 and there are new things to write and think about Nesta and the Cauldron - what a time to be alive 💃)

[acourtofthought]

Message sent from @sanfangirl

“So I was thinking on Lucien’s buildup and how it will eventually relate to Elucien, when I noticed something. Now I borrowed the books from a friend and wasn’t able to reread or quote much, but I remember noticing how Feyre is constantly hinting as Lucien’s inferiority. Like, not in a bad way, but when she talks about Lucien winnowing in ACOMAF she says “Lucien couldn’t winnow as far as Tamlin or Rhys, but he was fast” or something along those lines. But she’s saying he’s not as powerful as these other High Lords. And later on in ACOWAR she was totally planning to leave Lucien behind despite knowing he was desperate to meet his mate and she should have been able to sympathize, since she was missing her own mate quite strongly. My slight issue with Feyre and Lucien’s friendship aside, Feyre doesn’t see Lucien as very powerful until he’s able to break free of his chains, and even that is kind of dismissed as a freak accident. But to me this draws a parallel of how she also sees Elain. Elain was always portrayed as weaker compared to Feyre and Nesta. And then she’s Made by the Cauldron and comes out a powerful Seer. Interestingly enough, her mate, her soul bonded equal, discovers or is unknowingly able to tap into a wealth of spell breaking powers that break through Hybern’s chains and it turns out his daddy is actually very powerful, knowledgeable, charismatic Helion and he’s a High Lord’s heir. Now again sadly I don’t have the books at hand right now but hadn’t Lucien compared his power to his brothers (or at least Eris) before? And been found lacking? Do I need to point out that with most of his potential somehow locked away his power was still plentiful enough it was clear he was a powerful High Lord’s son (just, you know, not that one). And we have already seen hints of Elain being stronger and more powerful than people give her credit, I mean, stabbing the King of Hybern, talking back to Nesta, being willing to scry for the Dead Trove, need I go on? I hope in Elucien’s book we’ll be able to see their true potential bloom, and the IC’s reactions to the polite pair’s scary powers will be fun 😂”

My response to the above (for some reason it didn’t give me the option of “Answering” this, only “editing”.  I didn’t change anything from your original submission though, I’m just adding here at the bottom.

For only having read through the series on borrowed books, I’m really impressed!  I don’t think I picked up on anything my first or second reads, I was just sitting there thinking that SJM told me all I needed to know not realizing she was putting clues throughout. 

I know Lucien mentioned that he wasn’t particularly wanted or needed in Autumn and no one paid much attention to him which gave him the opportunity to train as long as he liked.  But that even with that, no one worried he’d bother killing his way up the long list of heirs.  And I know he previously acknowledged that Tamlin’s powers were much greater than anything he could do (since he’s still in the dark as to being Helion’s heir and doesn’t seem to realize it would be possible for him to display the markers of being a High Lord).  

But yeah, there are many examples of Feyre and the others thinking Lucien could never measure up to the IC.  That he may have trained but the IC would wipe Lucien off the face of the earth in a single blow.  She seems surprised that he doesn’t back down from Rhys or the Illyrians staring him down.  Questions whether he’d sell them out.  Az thinking he’s not good enough.  Nesta having problems with him for awhile. 

And the exact same thing can be said of Elain’s character.  Anytime she does anything, people are shocked.  She helped save Briar, helped save Az, saved Nesta and Cassian by stabbing the King yet they still think she needs protected and handled with kid gloves.  

I think it’s pretty purposeful on SJMs part though.  That the entire narrative surrounding Lucien and Elain is the people around them doubt them as capable, that they’ll always be secondary to the “real” warriors.  I think that makes them perfectly suited as Mates because it’s a struggle they can both understand.  And just because they aren’t as outspoken or fighters in the traditional sense doesn’t mean they can’t play a role that’s just as important to anything the IC has done and doesn’t mean they aren’t just as powerful.  

[yabai-korra]

The reasons why we're getting Manorian book

There has been a lot of speculation whether SJM is going to favor us with book/novella about Manon Blackbeak and Dorian Havilliard, recently I saw some fans doubting it, so here's a list of logical reasons why it's happening.

1. It's SJM

This woman writes two 500+ pages books per year, for her it would be a piece of cake.

2. There have already been books focused on side characters

a) Chaol and Yrene - Chaol was one of the most unpopular characters before Tower of Dawn (which made me love him hehe) and she still wrote a 600+ pages long book about him, just imagine what she'd do with the most popular character (Manon) and one of the most popular ones (Dorian).

b) Nesta and Cassian - this is ship is the closest to Manorian equivalent in ACOTAR series, aka starting from a physical relationship that develops into a sentimental one. Also 6th ACOTAR book will be focused on a new characters (most probably Elain)

3. Favoritism

SJM has talked multiple times about her love for these two. When asked about her favorite TOG character, she said Aelin, but Manon was a close second place and she said that she absolutely loves writing her.

In another interview, when asked who she would go on a book tour with and a few similar questions, she answered Dorian.

Now, I haven't seen all of her interviews ever and I'm not sure how much she loves Nessian and Cahorene (seems to love Nessian a hella lot tho), but it's definite that Manorian are some of her favorite characters and it's just logical that she would write about them.

4. Unfinished story/Unresolved feelings

Ships at the end of TOG:

Rowaelin - married

Elorcan - engaged

Lysaedion - engaged

Chaorene - married with a baby on the way

Nestaq - engaged

Manorian - hug and "we'll see"

All the ships basically got engaged in the last chapter (it's not like I didn't like it hehe) and their stories, romantic-wise, were pretty much finished and they have no unresolved tension between them. Manorian on the other hand, have enough of it for all the ships lol.

KOA spoilers ahead!

Keep in mind, Manorian relationship was mostly a sexual one, and they don't quite yet have a way of communicating their feelings properly. So there is a lot of unaddressed between them, even though they obviously care a lot about each other.

The unresolved things between Manon and Dorian:

"“And if I asked you to stay?” / “I’d need a very convincing reason, I suppose.” / “Because I don’t want you to go.” - they just fucked and Dorian left for Morath later, which impacted Manon a lot but they haven't discussed it

"I even care about you." - Manon got up and left

"There is only one witch who will be my queen." - Manon doesn't know about this

Manon saved Dorian from Valg demon even when Aelin couldn't. It was the worst thing to happen to Dorian and he still bears scars from it, yet he didn't have an appropriate situation to thank Manon for it

Dorian knows that Erawan lusted after Manon, which got him pissed of course, and he didn't have a chance nor time to ask Manon about it. It might be nothing, but if I were Dorain and my girlfriend who doesn't show feelings was locked up with a crazy guy who has a thing for her, and have seen the way he treats women, I'd be concerned. Erawan was a Valg king, a tough opponent even for Manon. If he had done something to her, and he had plenty of means and opportunities and wish to do so, Manon would never openly tell anyone (maybe Asterin) about it, because it would imply opening up and being weak, which is Manon's worst fear. Again, SJM, as the Queen of Foreshadowing, wouldn't just randomly throw in the main villain having a thing for an important character, everything in her books always has a meaning and purpose.

"Would you miss me if I didn't [come back]?" - Manon didn't reply

This is how SJM described Manorian marriage: "She would be his wife, his queen. She was already his equal, his match, mirror in so many ways. And with their union, the world would know it." - and you're telling me it's not deserving of its own book? Not just that, Manon asked Dorian for marriage and they, again, just had sex, with Dorian loving the idea but deep down knowing that Manon would feel caged in a marriage. And that attitude won't just change out of the blue. It takes time and development which is something SJM writes amazingly.

With the Thirteen gone, beside Abraxos Dorian is the only creature Manon cares about.

Dorian's mortality (although as you'll see in point #6 I'm sure he's not human)

The dreaded "You could just marry each other." / "We'll see." (Thanks Yrene :)

5. Foreshadowing

Listen here, SJM IS THE QUEEN OF FORESHADOWING. She thought of a detail (Dorian's dad's name) in the first book that would matter in the last book. Of course, there are many many many more examples of that, but if we got "We'll see." then we'll fucking see it happen.

6. Unresolved things about Manon and Dorian as individual characters.

Manon and Dorian and both pretty broken at the end of KOA.

Manon lost the Thirteen, the only people she cared about. That is a huge trauma that needs to be addressed, especially with someone so reluctant to show feelings and heal like Manon.

Dorian can't be human?? He has fae abilities due to his relation to Gavin and Elena even though he's not even called a demi-fae. He possesses powers no one else does, phantom hands for example, which he didn't steal like shape-shifting. And Maeve pointed out that due to his father being possessed by Valg when Dorian was sired, it's possible he got some of the Valg abilities. (Also she said that he's stronger than Aelin) The main villain, especially written by Queen of Foreshadowing, wouldn't just let drop it there and that's it. Also not to mention Dorian's own struggle with depression and self-worth.

They have both just become rulers of their kingdoms, completely new to it. Dorian has spent a big part of KOA imagining what kind of a king he wants to be (one that will have a witch queen hehe) and it was a major point of his character. And addition to that affecting them as characters, the future of Adarlan and Witch Kingdom could make a good plotline.

7. Other TOG characters

Although pretty much all the readers would die to see Chaorene baby, Lorcan in Perranth, Aelin and Rowan ruling Terrasen, Lysandra and Adeion officially adopting Evangeline, Nesryn and Sartaq becoming Khagan and Empress of Antica, all of these don't make enough of a plot on its own. They are great side-plots.

We know all of these characters love each other and are happy together, there isn't that much to be added to their personal stories other than kids. (same way Feyre and Rhys got a baby in Nessian book) Manorian however, they haven't even kissed without it leading to sex, they hugged at the end of KOA and it was the pique of their relationship. Their relationship is merely at the beginning, whereas others have pretty much reached their ultimatum (ofc SJM can decide to add some drama with betrayal, kidnapping, pregnancy etc. but for now everyone is good and settled beside Manorian)

Not to mention the way other relationships would affect them. Chaol, Dorian's brother, and Yrene, Manon's wannabe bestie and Manorian shipper, would bring their baby to meet his/her uncle Dorian and aunt Manon, and imagine Manon with a baby lol.

SJM loves Aelin and other characters way too much not to give us an insight on them as married couples, but since her books are huge and it's her, it needs a plot with drama, addressing traumas, repressed feelings, worldbuilding, and sex, and Manorian's got all of that.

8. Abraxos

We need more Abraxos, that's just a fact.

Wow that was a long one. Anyways, in conclusion, we're getting that Manorian book. Pretty sure it's gonna a book rather than a novella (TOD was also planned as a novella but then guess what) because there is just SO MUCH possible content.

[moodymelanist]

Paint it Red Chapter Five Sneak Peek

happy Wednesday everyone! it's nice and warm near me so if the weather is nice for you too, I hope you're enjoying some sunshine<3

chapter five is all set to post on Saturday, and we're going to have a split Cassian/Nesta POV in this one (along with chapters six and seven). I can't wait to bring you all this one -- I think this chapter is my favorite other than the last one hehe ;)

read chapters one through four on ao3 here!

Nesta hated that she didn’t know quite what to say in that moment – she’d never been the person with all the right words. Instead, she hesitantly moved the hand she had on his lower back and wrapped it around him, leaning her head on his shoulder to let him know that she was here for him. She knew she was playing a dangerous game with her self-control, but comforting him was much more important than her feelings right now.

Cassian surprised her by leaning into her embrace, wrapping a huge arm around her back and pulling her close enough to lean his head on top of hers. They remained like that for a few minutes, Nesta listening to the sound of his heart as if it were a lullaby, his breathing eventually slowing the longer they relaxed against one another.

She could tell something changed when his heart started beating slightly faster and he started breathing a little quicker, like he was steeling himself to do something. Her silent question was answered as he slowly started rubbing circles into her back.

“Nesta,” he whispered, shifting so he had enough space to look at her. God, even the way he said her name did things to her, caressing each syllable like she wished he would do to her skin. She knew she shouldn’t be thinking about him like that when he was worried sick about his brothers, but it wasn’t her fault when he was looking at her like that.

“Cassian,” she replied just as quietly. She didn’t move as he leaned in and touched his forehead to hers, her eyes fluttering closed as he gently pressed his lips to hers.

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[vidalinav]

Why? Why? WHY? Rant 2.0

ACOSF is very interesting to me, because there was absolutely no reason to have any of them be so antogonistic to Nesta when she was at rock bottom unless it’s to set up that they’re still going to be problems with Nesta in later books. That’s what SJM set up whether she meant to or not and only time will tell. But If the IC and the sisters had said nothing and were more neutral and the plot stayed the same... it would have been a better book. If they showed an ounce of compassion, it would have been a fantastic book. If there was a mixture of different views on the matter, it would have been a realistic book. Except in the narrative we got, the amount of antagonism is too strong for what didn’t happen to negate that, which is also why I have such a bad feeling about this healing arc. Let me explain.

Let’s say they said nothing. They told her about the intervention. Nesta agreed albeit still feeling a bit betrayed because she wanted more time to heal. Rhys was quiet, not sneering. Mor didn’t say anything. Amren was civil maybe business like. They were a bit pushy about using her powers, but Nesta conceded after learning about the baby. They were never directly antagonist. Elain stayed away, but we’d obviously know why from Nesta’s POV. We would also know why Feyre is not there, because Nesta doesn’t want to see her. Cassian would then be there to segment the romance and be the person she leans on, when she is healing. Maybe she’s a bit mean, but he takes it. He challenges, eventually he shows the more caring part of himself and the romance begins. Everything else can stay the same, mostly Cassian too. IF that all happened, then I would be more inclined to believe that the intervention was necessary, that Nesta had a skewed perspective, that they all might have tried to help at some point but Nesta was the one pushing them all away and did so up to this point. She would have her revelations, her epiphanies, and realize hey perhaps she is mean sometimes, or she would still have her personal hatred, and it would be about accountability, but no one is actively proving her right about her skewed perspective. The consequence is then not that she is being shamed into healing, but that without healing, she would lose her relationships and she wants them. She grows to want them. I would then be inclined to believe that the IC were waiting her out, possibly having Feyre or Cassian in their best interest if not Nesta, and that they were minding their own business until they directly needed Nesta involved. Not hostile, but wary perhaps. And then when Nesta did start healing and opening up, then their reactions would have made sense in that they were lightly friendly but not close, and it was up to Nesta to really fix those relationships. And when she did sacrifice her powers, then it would have been purely internal, that Nesta was proving to herself and to others that she’s open for love and that she loves them, particularly Feyre. The entire healing arc then would have been more internal because it focuses on Nesta and not the IC’s involvement with Nesta, and the outcomes and the ending are still the same. 

Opposite wise, let’s say that the IC/sisters were empathetic, as in the arc that would be more external. Healing not just for Nesta but for the relationships. A reciprocal sort of love. Feyre would tell her that they’re intervening, but because they care for her and she’ll learn in due time. Rhys would maybe be more hard-pressed, but we would see instances where he understands the darkness, the hollow feeling. We would have Amren who looks deeply concerned for Nesta, because she had been her friend at some point. We’d have Elain, who would come to the library desperately seeking comradery and even though she cries at what Nesta says, she understands that Nesta is hard-pressed and only recently started healing. Cassian would possibly be getting frustrated, but there would always be this internal monologue of I want Nesta to heal. I want that girl back. I understand as a soldier if nothing else. Having this deep sorrow in his chest from perhaps not being able to do anything but wait. Mor wouldn’t have to be nice, but she would see how Nesta fits in the library, know the pain of growing up in a gilded cage, would perhaps see Feyre and Cassian and feel compassion for her friends and want to perhaps help for them, so she offers to teach Nesta how to dance. Nesta then would slowly open up to them, open up to love, and all of the ugly parts of herself, the hateful, angry parts would then be juxtaposed with the action of everyone else, with the love that she needs to feel for herself, the love that came even at the last moment with her father. And when she sacrifices her powers, it’s just proof again, that she loves, and she wants to love, and she’s willing to be hurt for love, because she wants to feel it all. And then the relationships at the end would then be open to be made, to be healed more completely, but then I would understand this hopeful sort of ending where her story is complete, but also just beginning. 

Third option, is that we could get a bit of everything, because why does everyone have the same opinion as it seems in the book? Perhaps it’s Feyre and Cassian who completely show compassion, empathy. Elain could still have the problems, but either show empathy, or completely be antagonistic. Azriel is fairly neutral, Rhys is maybe more neutral where they’re waiting it out, but there are no bad opinions towards her. The antagonists could be Mor and Amren. Any of these people could be switched in that role, but the point would be that a few are neutral and more business like or minding their own. A few could possibly have bad intentions and it would be clear. And some would be undeniably empathetic, and I don’t mean to be kind--I mean that they understand, they have viewed Nesta through her eyes, and understand what she is going through and are unwilling to give up on her. The empathy would be the important aspect. But the point would be that none of them change their characteristics. The antagonists would still be fairly antagonistic. The mind your own’s would be open to a friendship, but the friendship would need work but there is a foundation for it. The empathetic would be completely close to the main, because they have stood by her, they have fought, and Nesta would realize this in her own personal journey. They have segmented a bond. The plot would be the same, except we’d now see that some characters suck more than others, and there’s definitely character arcs and growth that need to be made, but it would lead to future books that that might be highlighted and therefore leaves the door open for the rest of the series. 

HOWEVER, what we got is very odd. 

Because all of these characters start off antagonistic. All of them have some comments that are goading (except for Azriel). We have Feyre who makes the embarrassment comment, Rhys who... is antagonistic in many places. I won’t list them all. We have Mor and her lines. We have Amren and her lines. We have Elain and her lines. And no variation with anyone. Nesta gets proven right about her wrong perspective. She has an internal healing arc that seems to just morph into another odd perception, because she’s never proved wrong about herself, but she’s proven right about how good Cassian is (rolls eyes). She notes that she might like who she's becoming by the end, but how? Why? What has occurred to disprove her irrational thoughts? At the end, she is still very much irrational. Nesta still thinks too highly of Cassian, and she thinks too highly of everyone, and very little for herself. She is ripped wide open emotionally though, but that happens after the solstice scene where life suddenly looks very good. She apologies to Amren, who probably least deserved the apology, and to Cassian who also makes comments, but keeps making comments until the end where he means to apologize but doesn’t get the chance to by plot. Oh wait, she does apologize to Feyre about telling her about the baby, I think, but that situation is just swept under the rug for how dramatic it ended up being. Her not wanting to exist is also one and done. The necessity of the intervention is never highlighted, so the reader questions if it was necessary. I question if she might not need an intervention from them. Some of them stay the same throughout (Azriel, maybe Elain... maybe Feyre). Some of them miraculously change to neutral, even if nothing happens to change their mind (Mor). Some of them just change completely (Amren). Some of the relationships are only really fixed because of the baby plot (Rhys and Feyre). And Cassian is probably the only one who has the most reasonable scenario on why that relationship blooms, but it’s questionable if it was truly satisfying because ultimately the only person who really had growth was Nesta even though there are two POVs. And at the end, no one still has shown empathy. Well actually Gwyn and Emerie showed empathy, so perhaps the motivation in healing with Nesta was just added friends, a mate, and distraction. Which I guess... but why then involve so much of the opinions of the IC/sisters if they don’t mean too much? Why emphasize the danger of Nesta, the badness of Nesta, the problems with Nesta, and not negate any of these in scenes with the people that are perceiving her like that. Especially if the goal of this is not to just heal but to heal relationships, as it seems like that was the goal or should have been the goal if the perceptions of others were emphasized. So the end was almost too happy, too hopeful for an arc that started off with such deep trauma and every relationship seemingly failing to a point where the others are antagonistic, and who the narrator received the bare minimum at best to facilitate change... It’s a balance issue I’m telling you.

And, I am making general statements about what happened for good reason. I am trying to show how this could be more satisfying, if the aspects of the story was changed just a teeny bit. I have never read a book so deep in good and bad things. So easily arguable and all it took was how other people affected the narrative. So, I ask why? Why not make the IC/sisters empathetic or neutral or a strong variation of all three (empathetic, neutral, and antagonist). Why have all of them start fairly antagonist, very obviously antagonistic actually, and then have no major scenes of disproval? Because if you start that dramatic you need dramatic scenes throughout to facilitate the dramatic ending. If you start very low or very angry and the ending is suppose to be higher than rock bottom, the middle scenes should be a tug of war. So where was it? Why do it? 

WHy? why? WHY???????

[starbornvalkyrie]

Hey meg! Congrats on 300!! Can i request a firstprince proposal???

hey babe! thank you so much! i might have gone a smidge over 300 words but i hope you enjoy!

come celebrate with me

“He’s late.”

“He’s always late,” Bea pointed out from the other end of the call, and Henry had to resist rolling his eyes. He didn’t bother telling her she was right. She knew. It didn’t stop the Prince of Wales from pacing the length of the balcony he had rented in this restaurant looking out over the city of Rio. “Trust me, H. He’ll be there.”

Henry mumbled his response and hung up, returning to the edge of the balcony. He stared out into the city he first met Alex Claremont-Diaz all those years ago at the Olympics. He reflected on the years they spent at odds until ultimately being forced--quite literally--into each other’s arms at his brother’s wedding.

A wedding he hoped to best if only Alex would show his bloody face at the restaurant.

Henry was so lost in his own thoughts, the tickle of fear threatening to invade his mind, when a familiar presence joined him at the railing. Henry turned to his boyfriend and best friend, his breath taken away by the sheer beauty of Alex in a tailored suit, freshly shaven face, and unruly hair set to perfection. He’s seen Alex in a suit before, but this felt different. With the lights of the city illuminating his face, a smile meant just for him, the last thread of Henry’s fears disappeared.

“Hi,” Alex said. Henry wasn’t sure who moved first, but then Alex’s lips were on his and almost immediately, the string quartet he hired began playing. They pulled apart slowly, Henry’s heart racing as he gauged the First Son’s reaction. It seemed as though Alex was doing the same to him, his smile bright but nervous.

Deciding it was now or never, Henry took a deep breath and got down on one knee.

In front of him, Alex did the same.

The shock in Alex’s eyes must have been mirrored in his own because he barked out a laugh. “You have got to be kidding me. June?” he questioned.

Henry joined in his laughter. “Of course,” he replied. “Bea?” Alex only nodded, grinning widely.

Of course their sisters were the true masterminds behind this. No doubt, Nora and Pez assisted them. Thinking back, as soon as he told June of his intentions of proposing, she took over the planning. He should have known.

“I have a speech prepared,” he told Alex.

“So do I,” he smirked in reply. A challenge sparked in his eye: who’s going to ask first?

They stared at each other for a beat, then-- “Will you marry me?” they both blurted at the same time.

“I said it first,” Alex taunted him, and Henry couldn’t help the grin that overtook his face.

He rolled his eyes, “Hardly. But yes, Alexander Claremont-Diaz, I will marry you.”

“You better, Henry Fox Mountchristen Windsor,” he grinned. Together, they rose, wrapped in each other’s arms, and looked out over the city again.

Together, they looked into their future.

---

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[bookstantrash]

A/N: Here it’s folks! Final part of my Queen inspired AU. I wanted to post it yesterday but got busy with school, sorry for the small delay. I hope you enjoy it! ☺️

Somebody to love — Part Two

Cassian knew something was wrong. He just didn’t know what.

He had received Nesta’s break up text three days ago out of the blue, and had been trying to reach her ever since.

She had blocked his contact. Had left her apartment.

So he contacted Emerie, which also didn’t answer any of his questions.

He didn’t have much luck with her sisters either.

His friends knew something had happened between him and Nesta, but hadn’t pried after seeing Cassian’s distressed face.

He hadn’t wanted to go out today. Specially after Azriel — Azriel of all people — suggested they go to the karaoke bar.

But he didn’t want to worry his friends any longer. And it had been an awful long time since they had gone out with Mor.

However, when they walked in and he heard a familiar voice — her voice — he wanted to grab Azriel and kiss him in gratitude.

Cassian couldn’t take his eyes off of her. Couldn’t stop listening to her sing.

He had always loved her voice. And when they had come here for their first date and he heard her sing... that was it for him.

When Nesta sang it was as if the whole world stopped to listen. She connected with the song, the way she felt everything so intensely giving a deeper meaning to the lyrics.

‘That’s my chance’ he thought while Nesta finished the song ‘I’m going to talk to her right now’

But when their eyes met and he saw how pissed she became, and how she started to argue with Feyre — no doubt thinking her younger sister had spilled the beans to Rhys, who in turn told him — he knew he had to act fast. So he did the first thing he thought of.

He got on the stage.

And decided he was going to win her back by redoing their first date, although with some slight changes.

“Nesta Archeron?” Cassian said on the microphone, hoping his voice didn’t give away how nervous he was.

He saw her nod in the crowd, and almost released a sight of relief. He had caught her off guard, good.

“This song is for you”

He just hoped she stayed long enough to hear what he had to say.

This thing called love, I just can't handle it

This thing called love, I must get round to it

Cassian had been head over heels for Nesta Archeron since five years ago when he met her at Feyre’s birthday party.

He became friends with her.

He had teased her.

He had shamelessly flirted with her.

Until, after much pestering from his part, she finally agreed to go on a date with him.

I ain't ready

Crazy little thing called love

In their first date, he had sang “Treasure”, by Bruno Mars.

He had been nervous as hell. He had this super elaborate plan on his head that went flying out of the window when he heard her sing.

He knew she must feel at least something towards him, if the way she reacted to his flirting was any indication.

Or the way he had caught her glancing at him when she thought nobody was looking.

This thing (this thing)

Called love (called love)

It cries (like a baby)

In a cradle all night

Still, Cassian couldn’t help but think that he had misinterpreted her.

Maybe all of that was just his mind playing tricks on him. Just wishful thinking of his.

But Cassian sang the damn song, and when he got off stage and came face to face with an expressionless Nesta, he felt his heart stop beating.

It swings (woo woo)

It jives (woo woo)

It shakes all over like a jelly fish

I kinda like it

Crazy little thing called love

Yet it went back to normal just fine after Nesta gave him the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.

And she kissed him.

Grabbed his T-shirt and pulled him towards her, smashing her lips against his.

Cassian thought if he died right then and there he would have been the happiest man to have ever lived.

There goes my baby

She knows how to rock 'n' roll

Deciding to spice things up a bit, Cassian jumped from the stage. And started to dance towards a very much shocked Nesta.

She drives me crazy

She gives me hot and cold fever

Then she leaves me in a cool cool sweat

He was singing for her. Only her. Screw the rest of the bar. Screw his friends who were probably filming it all.

Nesta Archeron was the only one right now who deserved his attention and thoughts.

I gotta be cool, relax, get hip

And get on my track's

Cassian grabbed her hand with his free one, pulling her closer to him.

And then he was dancing with her.

Take a back seat, hitch-hike

And take a long ride on my motorbike

Cassian could swear he saw the corner of Nesta’s mouth turn up in a tentative smile.

He cheered internally.

She hadn’t punched him yet. That was a victory.

Until I'm ready

Crazy little thing called love

He stopped dancing. Stopped singing.

Never mind that there was still two verses left. He had to take his shoot now.

Cassian blindly gave the microphone to a guy standing near them.

“You” he said, not taking his eyes or hands away from Nesta “It’s your turn. Go on now”

Taking the hint, the guy grabbed the microphone and went to the stage, Feyre, Elain and Emerie also taking the opportunity to leave them alone, going to greet their friends.

But that small moment was enough to make Nesta snap back to reality.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she said, snatching her hand and taking a step back from him.

“Nesta” he breathed “Talk to me sweetheart. What happened?”

“Her” she answered, pointing at where their friends where standing “Her is what happened. How could you? How could you bring her here!”

“Wait, you’re talking about Mor?” to say Cassian was confused was an understatement. He was completely lost.

“Oh, so she has a name.” Nesta snorted, but Cassian knew her. He knew she was hurt. But he didn’t see why.

“Nesta, explain what this is all about. Because I’ve no damn idea what’s going on.”

“I saw you. With her. I finished my book before the deadline and wanted to make a surprise for you” she stopped to take a deep breath, and Cassian could see she was trying not to cry “I saw both of you on the sidewalk when I stopped at a traffic light. And you looked so happy, so carefree.”

“Nesta—“

“You have been so nervous around me these past weeks. I thought—I thought you were cheating on me. That you were trying to break things up but couldn’t bring yourself to do it. So I did it first” she bit her lip, and Cassian didn’t know if he should hug her for all the pain she must be feeling or shake her for thinking he could cheat on her.

“Mor is Rhysand’s cousin” he began, trying to appeal to her “She has been living abroad these past years as a diplomat, that’s why you never met her”

Nesta opened her mouth to say something, but Cassian beat her to it.

“She’s a childhood friend. I was happy because we haven’t seen each other in ages” he pointed at the redhead that was chatting animatedly with Rhysand “And because we both had rather good news. Mor is engaged to Vassa. She came back to visit and invite us all to the wedding.”

“Oh” Nesta opened her mouth in surprise, her cheeks pinking in shame.

“Oh indeed” Cassian laughed, shaking his head.

“But you just said that you ‘both had great news’. What do you mean?” it was Nesta’s turn to be confused.

“This is the good news” Cassian said, getting down on one knee “I have been nervous and quiet these past weeks because all I could think of was how to come up with a perfect plan. I thought of asking you after you finished your book, so you’d be less worried and we could celebrate both things in style”

He took a small velvet box from his jacket and Nesta’s eyes widened in shock.

“Cassian—”

“I have been carrying this with me for a long time now” he prayed she didn’t notice how his hands were shaking as he opened the small box “I love you Nesta Archeron and I want you to get through your tick-head that you are the only woman out there for me. You have ruined me for everyone else”

“I— Cassian, you don’t have to do this because of my insecurities”

“Did you not hear me woman? I absolutely adore you. I worship the ground you walk. I’m doing this because I want to. Because I want to do like Beyoncé said and put a ring on what I like. So please say yes, because I won’t be able to suffer anymore heartbreak than what I’ve felt these past three days” he took a deep breath “Be my wife Nesta Archeron. Be my wife and fight me, flirt with me and love me”

“Yes. A thousand times yes” happy tears were running down Nesta’s face as Cassian placed the wedding band on her finger — a single gold ring adorned by a single round-cut blue stone, the exact colour of her eyes.

“It was about bloody time” he growled, getting up to kiss Nesta, pouring all of his love and adoration for her in that kiss.

They were so focused on each other that they did not notice the bar applauding them, Feyre and Emerie crying, Rhysand filming it all while Mor and Vassa watched everything with curiosity, or Amren raising her drink in a silent toast.

And they didn’t see Azriel and Elain high-fiving each other, both of them smiling with self satisfaction.

•

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[sobaboyos]

"you want to kiss me where" + jurdan?

Jude blinked once, twice, several times. He had to clearly be drunk making such a notion. Such a declaration and in front of everyone. Her sisters, his friends, her friends, and at least half of the students at Insmire College. There he stood on the stage his stance swaying ever so lightly. As if he was desperately attempting to stand straight. The stage behind him adorned with red, white, and blue decorations, in big letters shined Insmire college fifth annual Fourth of July barbecue.

The audience was still and silent that one could hear a pin drop into the blades of grass. Cardan stumbled down the steps. Knuckles turning white clutching onto the microphone as he made his way to Jude. He was thankful for the liquor coursing through his veins. Giving them the courage to speak his mind. He just wished his mind said something like date or I like you. He would have even taken an embarrassing I love you. No, his mind and heart settled on this. Now he only wanted to bury himself six feet under. 

After his confession, Jude's face bore no emotion. He knew her. Better than he knew himself. Inside her heart was racing, she was panicking and that did nothing to ease his worry. He wished to have another bottle of wine to numb the fear that he screwed up. And gravely so. There was no coming back from this. He was going to lose his best friend and he'd never forgive himself.

When he stalked to her slowly, the crowd parted watching and waiting with bated breath. Jude walked to him matching his pace. Her lips pressed in a thin line. Lips he's longed to kiss for years and now everyone knew.

"You want to kiss me where?" she questioned him in a way that sounded like she didn't believe what he said. As if the very notion of Cardan wanting to kiss her anywhere but her brow or her forehead was a foreign concept.

"I believe what I said was your lips, Jude. I wanted to taste them and see if they fit mine. The way you are the other half of my heart."

She swallowed deeply and was sure everyone could hear her very heart racing. Jude took a step and then another. Bronzed eyes zeroing on his plush lips, glimmering with the wine he downed before climbing on stage. Cardan stood still like a statue like his very movement would scare her away.

"I wish you would've asked in a less public place."

It was his turn to blink for several moments, "What?"

"Just," she sighed. Closing the remaining distance in between them, "I'm going to kill you for this you know."

The corner of his lips turned into a sly smirk, his arm wrapping around the curve of her waist, "So as long I kiss you first."

"Then kiss me you idiot," she demanded her tone challenging him.

And so he did. Cardan cupped her cheek. A thumb brushing along her lips trailing to her cheek, lightly pressing his lips to hers. Basking in the taste of her and how surprisingly soft her full lips where as she parted them. Cardan wasted not one moment to twine his tongue with hers.

Jude could hear Vivi, Kaye, and Liliver gave a whooping victory cry. One them shouting, "fucking finally," to which Jude displayed a vulgar gesture their way. Then she wrapped her arms around the base of Cardan’s neck. Smiling into the kiss, as it deepened.

*********************************************

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[g-perla]

The ACOTAR Series is a Romantic/Gothic Horror Stage and Only Nesta Got the Memo

Not even SJM knows what’s going on.

Ok, this is going to seem off the rails but bear with me.

So I'm a big fan of Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (top 5 books and all that jazz) and I was thinking about it because it deals with themes of the Other and the supernatural, Nature as Character, the overlap of the animalistic and human, blurring of established binaries...fun, Romantic shit like that. Interestingly, this overlaps with how SJM illustrates her world and characters a lot of the time, hence why I was considering it while working on my Nesta project. I’ve mentioned before that Nesta really gives me Byronic heroine vibes and that’s a character construct of precisely this literary tradition.

I started thinking about Heathcliff and Cathy and how they're ridiculously extra and just feel the most intense emotions towards each other but also towards literally everything (nothing half-assed ever, this is a Romantic novel after all). I then remembered how so many people ship them, but like in earnest, in a totally aspirational way. It's not a #cursed ship to them at all. It's...romantic to them not Romantic. I even read often that people quote it at their weddings, specifically the infamous "two souls" quote.

Then I had an epiphany. I was like "wait, what if SJM is one of those people?? What if she has the energy of a Cathy/Heathcliff earnest shipper and that's why all her ships are messy??" Because if that is the case, my friends, oh boy oh boy would it explain so much. I will post some sections from Wuthering Heights:

Doesn’t the acotar series seem like a 1/50 dilution of that energy?? And that is barely a taste of all the spiciness this book has to offer. To illustrate further: SJM gave us the F/eysand suicide pact and the near-death battlefield Nessian scene. One is certainly more outlandish than the other, but both are the result of intense emotions. To that Emily Brontë raises the following: Heathcliff asking the sexton to dig up Cathy’s grave to see what’s up because her ghost has been haunting him since he personally dug up her grave 18 years prior and she has been haunting him ever since. He later demands to be buried in the same exact grave when he dies so they can decompose together. They both married other people though which only adds to the mess. (I am not lying to you the Romantic tradition really gave us these gems lmao. As an aside, Mary Shelley was also a writer of the Romantic tradition and she confessed her love to husband Percy Bysshe Shelley on her mother’s grave. Her mother was liberal feminist icon Mary Wollstonecraft by the way which only makes this even more amazing. Additionally, biographers believe that the Shelleys also had sex there. Talk about Romantic 😉.)

Then I had ANOTHER thought! (Dangerous)

If we read the series from the point of view of just another YA high fantasy things might get a bit boring because the world-building is honestly lazy and the magic system is pretty soft, which isn’t a pre-requisite in high fantasy (The Lord of the Rings has a soft magic system) but it's not the norm and it doesn't pay off in this series. Not to mention that the plot is pretty lackluster and derivative. To add to that the romantic and sexual relationships are questionable in their healthiness and consequently are the source of much argument in the fandom. 

But, dear reader, if we think about the ACOTAR series as being a sort of thematic and ideological 21st century YA homage to the Romantic tradition of the 19th century (within which Gothic Horror also lives), things get REALLY, REALLY SPICY.

No longer do we just have a romance fantasy with messy, hyper-emotional, animalistic characters who constantly partake in morally grey situations rife with dubious dynamics. No longer does plot really matter. No longer do we require quasi-scientific descriptions of the world and the magical system. No! All that matters now are the characters and the mood. Now we have potential! Add a lot of Nature ambiance: expanses of dark woods, great mountains, the unknowable and sublime energy of the ocean, a violent rainstorm/hurricane/tsunami, an impending snowstorm whose intensity reflects the growing emotional intensity of the characters as the story goes along (I’m looking at you impending snowstorm in acofas that curiously matches the growing complexity of Nesta’s emotional state). Blur the lines between any imaginable category: life and death, human and animal, known and unknown, Self and Other, beautiful and monstrous, good and evil, masculine and feminine, the list goes on. Most importantly make your readers uncomfortable by frustrating their desires to sort things into easy binary categories and don’t apologise for making them question their assumptions about the world, morality, gender, and any other kind of previously constructed Order. 

Basically write the story with Dionysus-in-a-Greek-tragedy energy and bring to us mere mortals artful Chaos.

Once that is done we can have a literal Romantic/Gothic Horror story.  The Acotar series could have been this unapologetically, with the added element of being told through the eyes of the "Cathy" character instead of through the lens of a third person getting second-hand accounts about what went on. This whole series is honestly enough of a chaotic mess of Byronic-like heroes and heroines and cursed familial relationships that it could have been that. That alone is peak entertainment. The problem, however, and the main reason why I can’t really say that this series truly delivered this wackiness is that SJM committed the act of not fully committing to the bit (very un-Romantic of her, I know). Now, I am not saying that SJM actually intended this. I’m just saying it really could have accidentally been this genius with some tweaks. Unfortunately, she made the crucial mistake of trying to justify too much, trying to make things too neat, too tidy, too sensical (in other words: the reason we really can’t have nice things). 

I could end this here, lamenting the potential of what SJM had set-up for us were it not for one element, one gift:

Nesta 

OHOHOHO DO THINGS GET GOOD HERE SO BUCKLE UP

Most of the characters refuse to fully commit to the bit in their desire to satisfy modern sensibilities, by which I of course mean they want ridiculous things like political power, to conquer lands, to be a Girl Boss, to get married, have kids, celebrate holidays, converse about mundane things, be relatable, etc. You know, pretty pedestrian stuff that only requires a bit of genetic luck, a sprinkle of energy, and the right circumstances within the world of Acotar. I would like to reiterate the beginning of this paragraph: most of the characters. 

Let’s say you’re stubborn and you decide to still read the series through the lens of the Romantic/Gothic tradition, what happens then? 

The most hilarious thing (for the Nesta stans that is. The antis would probably hate this)

Nesta, based on what we know about her through Feyre and the limited amount of other scenes, is the only character who really takes the performance seriously. She's the only one that SJM hasn't managed to confine through justification. Nesta just shows up and simply refuses to make sense (her POWER what a queen 👑). She is endlessly fascinating because she just exists in her world on her terms, established categories be damned, and in this manner she frustrates not only the sensibilities of the characters in the stories but those of the reader as well. This double duty is, I suggest, the result of the other characters not fully inhabiting the nebulous world of Romantic characters and thus being a little too plausible and understandable even if they are not justifiable. 

Ok, you may say, but I relate so much to Nesta. I do understand her. I don’t justify all of her actions, but I understand where she is coming from. (You’re not alone, friend. I like to think these things too. Alas, we are but plebs).

To that I reply; Nesta does things, certainly, and we can spend hours trying to explain through extrapolation, educated guesses, and personal experience why she did those things, but the fact is we really don't know why. We are never explicitly told. Our insight into who she is and her motivations comes predominantly from the understanding of her youngest sister and from our own interpretation of the actions she takes. I must make clear that our own interpretations are rooted in pre-established assumptions about what is sensical and orderly in our own world and in our own lives. We cannot interpret with the tools available to us that which may be, by definition, unfathomable. It is simply paradoxical. Nesta, as we currently know her, is a construct derived from a limited number of scenes and our interpretations and projections of these scenes. Even the scenes where we get third person narration don’t explicitly tell us her motivations and her logic. For all we know there really is no comprehensible reason for her actions and that is endlessly amusing to me in how utterly Romantic it is. Acosf may and likely will change this of course, but as it stands, Nesta is a whole Romantic character. Her divisiveness in fandom and in the narrative could be due in part to her refusal to fit the discrete categories available in her world and ours. 

Isn’t that wonderful?

To illustrate this a bit more I will share some details SJM gives us about her/ elements she sets up that fit in with the characteristics of the Romantic tradition (these are not exhaustive by any means):

The absolute pettiness (and extra-ness) of being so angry at her father’s inaction that she is willing to starve to death to see if he does something.

How in Acowae she is described as shifting between emotions as if she were changing clothes and feeling everything too strongly (probably to the point of destruction)

She is constantly being compared to animals, even when she is still human. Granted, SJM compares everyone to animals, but that strengthens the blurring of lines between usually discrete categories. It is still most powerful when used as a comparison when she is human because it dehumanises Nesta.

Often, SJM describes her characters as forces. Forces of nature, for example. Acofas is full of details like this in relation to Nesta. There is a storm brewing leading up to the solstice party and it is in full swing when she arrives at the townhouse. The language used there suggests that Nesta herself may be the storm (against the onslaught of Nesta). It really adds to the Maleficent energy tbh.

She is often associated with death post her transformation

She is Other even to Others. She was Made like Elain, Feyre, and Amren in a sense, but the process of her specific transformation differentiates her greatly from the others. As it is, she doesn’t fit in anywhere

Her intense attachment to her femininity and its expression are at odds with the ideas and assumptions about the performance of womanhood and a woman’s role in her world and even in ours. She is unapologetically feminine in her physical presentation, but her character, her thoughts, and possibly even desires transgress the unwritten rules of acceptable femininity (unfortunately there still are abject expressions of femininity in our ‘”progressive” mileux

She displays in many of her actions a disrespect towards authority and to the status quo. This is particularly notable when her intensely polarised sense of right and wrong is aggravated.

Her self-destructiveness. This is referred to most strongly in Acofas, but I would say she was remarkably blasé about self-preservation in Acowar as well

She is described as intelligent, cunning, ruthless, attractive, and prone to debilitating extremes of emotionality. All of these are characteristics of Byronic heroes, a subtype of the Romantic hero

Here are a bunch of quotes that touch on many of the elements that I have discussed above:

“I looked at my sister, really looked at her, at this woman who couldn’t stomach the sycophants who now surrounded her, who had never spent a day in the forest but had gone into wolf territory...Who had shrouded the loss of our Mother, then our downfall, because the anger had been a lifeline, the cruelty a release. But she had cared--beneath it she had cared, and perhaps loved more fiercely than I could comprehend, more deeply and loyally.” 

--Acotar, emphasis mine, note the strong emotions. This is a recurring element for Nesta.

“Cassian’s face went almost feral. A wolf who had been circling a doe...Only to find a mountain cat wearing its hide instead.” 

--Acomaf, animal comparison

“Nesta is different from most people,” I explained. “She comes across as rigid and vicious, but I think it’s a wall. A shield--like the ones Rhys has in his mind.” “Against what?” “Feeling. I think Nesta feels everything--sees too much; sees and feels it all. And she burns with it. Keeping that wall up helps from being overwhelmed, from caring too greatly.”

--Acomaf, emphasis mine

“I knew that she was different [...] Nesta was different [...] as if the Cauldron in making her...had been forced to give more than it wanted. As if Nesta had fought after she went under, and had decided that if she was to be dragged into hell, she was taking the Cauldron with her.”

--Acomaf, Nesta had her own plans for the Cauldron what a queen

“Something great and terrible.”

--Acowar, referring to her eyes. Oooh, spooky Nesta 👻

“The day she was changed, she...I felt something different with her [...] like looking at a house cat and suddenly finding a panther standing there instead.”

--Acowar, a two in one here: difference + animal comparison. Boy does SJM really go heavy when establishing Nesta as Other.

“‘Not in flesh, not in the thing that prowls beneath our skin and bones...’ Amren’s remarkable eyes narrowed. ‘But...I see the kernel, girl.’ Amren nodded, more to herself than anyone. ‘You did not fit--the mold that they shoved you into. The path you were born upon and forced to walk. You tried, and yet you did not, could not fit. And then the path changed.’ A little nod. ‘I know--what it is to be that way. I remember it, long ago as it was.’

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’“

--Acowar, show don’t tell gets thrown out the window here, but it is useful for the present purposes

“What if I tell you that the rock and darkness and sea beyond whispered to me, Lord of Bloodshed? How they shuddered in fear, on that island across the sea. How they trembled when she emerged. She took something--something precious. She ripped it out with her teeth. What did you wake that day in Hybern, Prince of Bastards?

What came out was not what went in [...] How lovely she is, new as a fawn and yet ancient as the sea. How she calls to you. A queen as my sister once was. Terrible and proud; beautiful as a winter’s sunrise.”

--Acowar, who knew rocks, darkness, and the sea were such gossips, but look how many connections to nature! To be compared to the sea, a significant example of the sublime, is peak Romanticism. If any of you have read Moby Dick, think about what the ocean and the white whale might have represented there and how that might relate to Nesta.

“I think the power is death--death made flesh.”

--Acowar, Feyre referring to the possible nature of Nesta’s power. Alluding to her powers possibly being related to death is quite significant because that is something most of us cannot comprehend, nor can most of the characters. For Nesta, a “reborn” but very much living character to have death associated with her is a strong blurring of the lines. The case of her being labelled a witch is similarly significant as it solidifies the elements of the supernatural while simultaneously comparing her to pretty much the only exclusively female-coded monster in western pop culture. I will touch more on this when I do my study of Nesta through the framework of Barbara Creed’s Monstrous Feminine.

“I am not like the others.”

--Acowar, we love a self-aware queen.

“Nesta took in his broken body, the pain in Cassian’s eyes, and angled her head.

The movement was not human.

Not fae.

Purely animal.

Purely predator.”

--Acowar

There are a lot more details and quotes that support this interpretation, but I didn’t write them all down in my archived notes. This post is obscenely long, however, so even though there is more to be said, I’ll leave it for another day. If you made it this far you really are an MVP and probably love Nesta to a concerning degree like me. Please rest your eyes if you’re actually reading this 😂

I’d love to read about any other takes and thoughts that might have come to your minds after reading this monstrosity,

G

[maoist-mizer]

for the ask game: 1, 17, 39 and 44!

1 - who are your favourite bands/artists?

In no particular order: 5SOS, Alphie Templeman, Arctic Monkeys, Avicii, Billie Eilish, BTS, Conan Gray, Denzel Curry, Girl in Red, Gorillaz, Higher Brothers, Hozier, Joe Hisaishi, Joji, Juice WRLD, Kasabian, Labrinth, LoveLeo, Maná, Megan Thee Stallion, MGMT, Rich Brian, Rina Sawayama, Roddy Ricch, Stray Kids, SUNMI, Superorganism, TOKYO’S REVENGE. (Most of this is just the ppl I follow on Spotify)

17 - If you had to pick one movie to erase from your memory, what would it be?

The Good: I’d erase Spirited Away from my memory just so I can experience it all over again.

The Bad: although Hereditary and Midsommar were good films, they honestly scared the crap out of me too much and were so disturbing so I just wish I never knew anything about them (e.g. the blood eagle 😰).

The Ugly: the After film. Just ew stop. Honestly, if they went ahead and make SJMs books into films, I wouldn’t be surprised if it played out like After 🤢

39 - What are some of your unusual pet peeves?

I don’t think many of these are unusual but imma just put them here anyways (I’m sorry this is a VERY long list and I’m doing this at 3am so there is a lot to think about):

“Do you really have [x,y,z] issue? Prove it.” HOW BRUV, DO U WANT MY X-RAYS, OR MY DOCTORS CERTIFICATE?¿

“So do you speak Uruguayan?” 🙃🙃🙃 sis I—

“Why are you so white tho?” HMmmMmm I’ll give you a hint, it rhymes with ‘white colonialists’.

“Can I try on your glasses? *tried them on* wow you really can’t see!”

The sound of metal touching each other scraping

the sound of fingernails clicking together

the sound of blow-dryers

the sound of lawnmowers (idk a lot of sounds irritate me idk why)

People that answer questions in a specific way so that you ask them something they really want to talk about (it’s usually about themselves)

People that destroy perfectly fine makeup/food/objects in general for content

People that give their opinion on something without having any knowledge on the situation whatsoever

People that think you have to love your blood family/relatives even if they’ve wronged you/ are abusive/ are prejudiced towards you/ etc

People that think you have to debate something with them if you disagree (fun fact: it’s easier to walk away)

People that just like irritating people for the fun of it

People that start arguments for fun

People that think prejudice/hate speech is okay because it’s “just an opinion”

People that are either too far left or too far right

People that judge others on their clothing

People that call themselves woke

People that call you “brave” or “courageous” if you’re a minority/marginalised group when all you’re doing is living life normally so it just sounds weird/condescending

People that don’t take into consideration context before they “call people out” on “problematic” behaviour

People that try to call out “problematic behaviour” from years ago even after the individual has apologised/become a better person (disclaimer: it’s fine to mention those things because yes they did happen and it probably was bad, but there’s no point in keeping a grudge forever)

Cancel culture

“I’m not like other girls” riiiight okay, or even better, “you’re not like other girls” 🤢

“I only hang out with guys, because girls are too much drama” just say you internalise misogyny and move on

White feminism (wiki definition: feminist theories that focus on the struggles of white women without addressing distinct forms of oppression faced by ethnic minority women and women lacking other privileges)

People that oversexualise minors but then when called out say, “teens have sex it’s normal so it’s okay” ?¿ those are two very different things

People thinking they deserve a pat on the back for “being inclusive to minorities/marginalised groups” like bruv, I appreciate it but it doesn’t make you very special to just be a decent person

Colourism

Ads/shows/films/the media capitalising on marginalised groups

People that think free healthcare is a bad idea

People that think it’s okay for the rich/ certain organisations (e.g. religious groups) to not pay tax

People with certain religious views that think they can say certain things and get surprised when some ppl are offended

Christians that act like they’re a marginalised group (disclaimer: this isn’t an attack on Christianity because I’m more or less Christian myself, it just pisses me off a lot that the biggest religion in the world comprising of over 2 Billion people think they’re deserving of the same sympathy as a minority)

People that think they’re unique for having edgy opinions; no, it just makes you look like an asshole

People that think no one should be offended by edgy jokes (disclaimer: you can say any type of joke you want, but that also means the audience can have any type of reaction, so they’re entitled to be offended)

People that think climate change is fake

People that only talk to you because they want something from you

People

Sorry this became longer than I initially thought it would be 😅

44 - how has your music taste changed over the past 10 years?

When I was younger I think my music was leaning more towards commercialised pop/EDM because that’s when all the top tier stuff came out (e.g. Avicii), but then I got into my various phases: first it was trap music in 2014/2015, and a bit of edgy early 2000s rock in 2014 but I grew out of that hella fast, then it became classic rock 2015/2016 (lol when I started watching Supernatural), now my music is a bit of everything, as seen in question 1 lol (except for screamo because I still don’t like the genre, although I can respect anyone that can do a vocal fry)

I think I just stopped caring about what other ppl were listening to, and I ended up finding different genres I was really into. :D

Anyways, this became a loooooong post.

THANKS FOR THE ASK 💓

[wellsjahasghost]

I think you're the greatest writer ever and I'm just wondering which published authors inspire you? I know you do fic recs, so maybe you wouldn't mind doing a book rec?

okay first of all wow thank you for saying that, it means a lot! Secondly, this is a fun question and I would love to throw a few authors/their books at you! This is by no means an extensive list of books I love, but these are a few of the ones that I’ve re-read/read recently and therefore I can say with confidence that I recommend now. (I linked to their Goodreads summaries)

1. The Airborn series by Kenneth Oppel: THIS is number 1 because it’s severely underrated. Out of all the books I re-read/read this summer, this series was the one that was able to hook me so intensely that I really literally could not put it down. i highly recommend this unique series if you’d be open to light sci-fi and swashbuckly adventure with pirates, hilarious banter, and really well done fun romance between the two main characters: a cabin boy and a high society girl (STILL ONE OF MY BIGGEST BOOK OTPs). This series is easy to read and it’s for everyone, although it starts out a little more middle grade because the series follows the MCs on adventures through their early to late teens together.

2. The Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead: VA was the first YA book I ever read and everything else has been held up to a pretty high standard because of that. I really like Mead���s writing style– she doesn’t spend a lot of time on detail but she knows how to write incredible dialogue and fast-moving plots that keep me absolutely hooked. If you like urban fantasy, vampires, hilarity, amazing characters, and romance you can root for, give it a shot.

3. The A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas: I have some issues with SJM’s un-diverse world-building but sue me, I love this trilogy. It put me close to tears ( in good ways!) more than once. Before ACOTAR, I’d never read a book about fae that I liked. Amazing and HELLA steamy romance/sexy scenes for YA, so if you’re a sexy-romance kind of person, and you love angst and fantasy, you’ll probably like this.

4. Perfect Chemistry but Simone Elkeles: THIS YA contemporary book has a lot of cliches but it was written like ten years ago so. And it still holds up. it’s seriously laugh out loud hilarious, the romance is hot as hell, and it’s another one that I can’t put down once I start reading.

5. The A Great and Terrible Beauty Series by Libba Bray -  Plus Going Bovine and Beauty Queens and– Just read anything Libba Bray. Her writing style is the one I read when I was 13 and was like, ‘wow, I want to write like her.’ Every time I closed one of her books I felt that delicious empty feeling and like that book had CHANGED ME and altered my perspective and I love that.

6. Graceling by Kristin Cashore: UNIQUE FANTASY WORLD BUILDING. AMAZING AND SOMETIMES ANGSTY ROMANCE. GRIPPING PLOT. I have to confess that I haven’t read this one in a long time but my heart just Knows. it Knows I would still love it (and I’m gonna hopefully do a re-read of it soon enough)

7. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han: Contemporary YA, which I initially didn’t think I’d like /that much/ because contemporary isn’t really my favourite genres usually. But this is just such a cute and funny romance, and there were so many passages that really touched me and made me feel nostalgic. The way Han writes is just so… genuine? I don’t know how to describe it, but I finished this book feeling really warm inside. If you like contemporary YA romance, well, you’ve probably already read this, but if you haven’t, try it out!

- EDIT WHERE I KEEP ADDING BOOKS I ENJOY: -

8. The Winner’s Curse series by Marie Rutkoski: YA Fantasy trilogy with heavy romance elements. one of THE best book romances I’ve read in fact; the main couple will fuck you up HARD from beginning to end. I’ll admit the first book in the series was heavy-handed with it; however, the other two books WERE FUCKING PHENOMENAL WITH HANDLING IT AND BLEW ME AWAY. Beautiful angst, incredible sexual tension, gorgeous, almost fanfic-like prose, smart plot, and a female protagonist who’s a fucking MASTER STRATEGIST !! hoo sign me the FUCK up

9. The Hating Game by Sally Thorne: contemporary (adult) romance. It’s a FRESH take on enemies -> lovers, is fucking hilarious, incredibly steamy sexual tension (in a classy way!), and just such an amazing office romance book. I really deeply fell for the main characters. The slow-burn was amazing and so organically developed. And there were also passages in this book that tugged on my heartstrings in a way that cute contemporaries don’t usually do. All that besides, it’s just really well written ?? like i devoured this book in 5 hours straight when i had only been planning to read a few pages. it was just so entertaining. and at the end of the day, that’s all i ask for out of a book.

10. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas: there’s a reason this YA contemporary has been #1 on the NYT Bestseller List for over a year yall. I originally did start reading it because I was interested in the social issues it was addressing– namely, the black lives matter movement in the USA– and it does that EXTREMELY well, but I also wasn’t prepared for how much i LOVED the characters, how much this book entertained the hell out of me. These characters felt so real and I wish I could hang out with them tbh ? Can Starr’s family adopt me so I can watch them interact with each other forever? thanks !

11. The Cruel Prince series by Holly Black: This is a YA contemporary fantasy about fae–but if you don’t like fae books, I highly, highly still recommend you give this a shot. It’s not flowery, it’s ruthless; full of political intrigue and scheming and betrayals and JAW DROPPING TWISTS. Jude, the main character, is the definition of morally grey, unreliable narrator MC and I LOVE her. And her man sworn enemy, Cardan? He’s not too shabby either. ~Also by Holly Black if you like vampires: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

12. The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang: just based off this first two books of the trilogy, I stan. I’m seriously floored that this was a debut novel. It’s masterful. Usually high fantasy takes me a while to get into– but it’s just THAT GOOD. This book just delivered an incredible, entertaining, often dark, but always gripping story. And I would die for Rin (the MC) and Jiang and like… all the other characters tbh. Also: if you like Eragon, I def feel like it has those vibes, so! *warning: this series doesn’t flinch away from the horrors of war so check trigger warnings on Goodreads before you start*

13. The Bride Test by Helen Hoang: an adult romance. Came for the (awesome) romance, stayed for the amazing MC Esme who is an immigrant from Vietnam who just wants to make a better life for her daughter. Really hit home for me because I relate so hard as a child of immigrants myself. This book has so much heart and is delightfully real and genuine and doesn’t shy away from the awkwardness of first relationships and misunderstandings and all that. I love it. A great fun romance read!

14. Scythe by Neal Shusterman: I can’t begin to explain how cool, gripping and thought-provoking this sci-fi trilogy is. In a future where immortality has been achieved, a group of people called scythes are tasked with controlling the world’s population. Unfortunately the scythedom is becoming corrupt lol. The story follows Citra and Rowan, two scythe apprentices, and the series expands to include others. It is seriously such a unique story with amazing characters including an all-seeing all-knowing AI that is… NOT evil!

15. The Mediator series by Meg Cabot aka Jenny Carroll: highkey this series is very problematique 2000s YA but the inherent angst/sexiness of a girl who can see ghosts, falling in love with the ghost who haunts her bedroom is a serve. their romance is a slow burn over the series and there’s several delicious character dynamics in this series as well that are just highly entertaining. and it’s got a very lighthearted tone for those who enjoy that, while still being angsty. plus the ending still makes me emo (in a good way).

16. A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi: A YA romantic story of a Muslim girl post-9/11 in her American high school, and the school’s golden boy who’s a basketball star, falling in love. and the trials and racism they have to go through because of that. It’s so rare to see well done hot, loving romances with brown girl characters. I also just really love the MC. She’s… intimidating. And not at all what you expect, in the best way.

17. Not Here to Be Liked by Michelle Quach: A YA romance in which a girl gets snubbed for the editor-in-chief position at her school paper, and instead a guy with no qualifications gets elected. Naturally, this pisses her off and it starts this whole movement about feminism at her school, centered around calling the boy to step down. Except… she starts falling for him. And no one can know, or she’ll be seen as a hypocrite. The romance in this is everything I love in a YA; the chemistry is A+ and their relationship is beautifully developed.

18. Legendborn by Tracy Deonn: A YA urban fantasy that really feels like the ones I used to DEVOUR as a teen. A fresh, modern take on the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. A book that is gigantic and yet I read it in under 24 hours. Action that leaves you breathless, characters that make you fall in loveeee. ;) Yes, the roman(ce)/(tic undertones, more interestingly) are crazy good. The sequel was also amazing. Waiting for the next book!

19. Seven Days in June by Tia Williams: an adult romance about two writers that had me PANTING. just so so good. you know how some books are hotter even when they have less explicit-ness because of how good the writer is? yeah. just go read it idc

Other books I love which I think people mostly already know about but that really shaped me: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Harry Potter by JK Rowling, A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket.

[haleyfury]

It’s been a few weeks (okay, three) since I’ve done a book tag, so I was very excited when Alexandra of Reading by Starlight nominated me for the Sunshine Blogger Award. This award brings attention to bloggers who bring sunshine- positivity and optimism (okay, throw some sarcastic bookish remarks in there too)- to the community. Typically, nominees answer 11 questions from the previous nominee and then create another 11 questions for 11 more nominees.

I’ve done the Sunshine Blogger Award three times- Alexandra also nominated me two times!- but I love both Alexandra’s blog and her questions too much to pass up the opportunity to do this award post again!

What is your favorite Sarah J. Maas book and what makes it your favorite?

This is never an easy question, but I’m going to go with Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4). If you’re curious, my #2 is Tower of Dawn because Chaol Westfall, and House of Earth & Blood might be stealing #3 (which is always a toss up between A Court of Mist and Fury and Empire of Storms). Anyways, Queen of Shadows is my favorite because I love the balance of the many different perspectives. This installment also has such a huge emphasis on the friendships and romances, with many of them finding their start in this one and dealing with the battles ahead.

Who is your favorite bookish sidekick?

It’s probably because I’m still on the House of Earth and Blood/SJM reading high, but I’m going with two new favorite sidekicks, Lehebah and Sprinx.

Create a quick, five song playlist for any book.

I am going with a playlist for a recent read, Marisa Kanter’s What I Like About You:

“Keeping a Secret” by Bleachers

“Breathe” by Taylor Swift

“Island in the Stream” by Dolly Parton

“It’s Nice to Have a Friend” by Taylor Swift

“Run Away” by Ben Platt

Name a book and series you think is criminally underrated.

I don’t know if it’s necessarily criminally underrated, but I have much love for Jenna Evans Welch’s Love & Gelato series. I think YA contemporary series don’t get as much attention as YA fantasy/sci-fi series, and I can’t wait for everyone to re-dive into this world with the third book, Love & Olives, coming this summer.

Who’s your favorite superhero and why? 

Spider-Man because I’ve enjoyed all the Spider-Man films (yes, all three series and yes, Tom Holland is my favorite) and they’ve all been there during different parts of my life: Toby McGuire during childhood, Andrew Garfield during high school, and Tom Holland during college.

Where is your dream holiday/vacation destination?

I’m already ready to go back to Ireland and I definitely have more countries and states on my bucket list, but lately I’ve been craving some warm weather, so for today, let’s go with California! I really want to explore San Francisco, and I can’t go any place that’s near the ocean without hitting the beach.

You’re stranded on a deserted island, you have five characters with you. Who are they?

Chaol Westfall (Throne of Glass), Levi (Fangirl), Birdie (Serious Moonlight), Lara Jean (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before), & Lennon (Starry Eyes)

Tea or coffee?

Coffee, always coffee. Again, I think I’m just ready for warm weather, but I’ve been on a slight iced coffee kick again- and caramel is also an added bonus.

What’s your favorite holiday destination/vacation and why?

Hershey, PA has always been my family’s go-to vacation spot, and I fall in love with it more and more with every visit. Visiting the hometown of Hershey’s Chocolate just fills me with such nostalgia and I always make the best memories with my family while I’m there. While yes, it is a bit of a tourist destination, the crowds and tourist-atmosphere are never too overwhelming and I find that part of Pennsylvania to be so pretty.

If you could save one character from their death in any Harry Potter book who would you save and why? 

Wow this is such a difficult (& good) question! There are honestly so many possibilities, but I’m going to go with Sirius Black because he’s one of my favorite characters and I wish at least one of the (good) Mauraders would have been a little bit longer for Harry’s sake.

What are you currently bingeing on Disney+?

I absolutely love this question because I love diving into Disney+! I’ve been on a bit of a Star Wars kick in 2020, so over the past few months, I’ve been bingeing all the Star Wars films. I also binge-watched The Mandalorian over spring break and absolutely loved it! I am not-so patiently waiting for The Rise of Skywalker to hit Disney+ (which unfortunately likely won’t be until the summer).

What are you binge-watching on Disney+ right now? Who would you bring on a deserted island? Share your responses to any of the questions I answered in the comments!

Star Wars, SJM, & Sidekicks: Sunshine Blogger Award Part 4 It’s been a few weeks (okay, three) since I’ve done a book tag, so I was very excited when…

[sobaboyos]

Little one chasing down the pet to rest their head on them and hold them tight. Manorian

It was seven am on a Saturday. Manon wanted nothing more than to lay in bed for just a little longer. Her five-year-old, Stella, seemed to have other plans requesting french toast, berries, and bacon for breakfast. At first, she was preparing to tell her no. Exactly like Dorian, Stella knew how to make her mother cave. Climbing on top of her in bed, pursing that tiny mouth full of sass and sweetness out. Round eyes, like two small sapphires, glimmered with wetness, The five-year-olds brows slightly arched. Manon hated that this was all it took for her to cave and give in to her daughter's desires. Especially when she adds in, "Daddy loves french toast too, and don't you love us."

When she agreed, the little girl shrieked with excitement running out of the room.

Throwing up her moonlight hair into a sleep riddled mess of a bun, she didn’t care nor would her husband who's seen her in every ridiculous state imaginable. Quietly, Manon slipped out of her bed, careful not to wake Dorian who was still sound asleep. 

Stella busied herself on the couch, tablet in her hands, lounging on their white and grey fur-coated pitbull Abraxos as she hummed to herself. The girl laid about as if she personally owned the couch. Manon chuckled under her breath at the image. Not only did Stella look like her father, but she also acted like him too. Perhaps that's one of the many reasons she could get her mother to cave so damn quickly.

Manon got to work in the kitchen. Pulling out the assortment of berries, bacon, and everything she needed for the French toast. Including the powdered sugar for her sweet tooth husband. "One could never have enough sugar." He always quipped. As a dentist, she debunked this. Daily. It never stopped his childlike sweet tooth. Before she started on anything, she pulled down two coffee mugs, both ivory and etched in black font. One saying Queen of my heart, the other much of the same only King replaced it. She recalled roughly a month ago when they went to a tacky gift shop at Adarlan Amusement park. Dorian insisted they needed them. Citing Stella couldn't be a true princess without royal parents, and besides Manon was his queen, he pulled his charming smile and then they owned cheesy couple mugs. 

Soon after the Kitchen came alive with the sound of sizzling bacon and the scent of freshly brewed coffee. If the heavy footsteps of Dorian didn't give him away. The shriek of daddy! And an equally enthusiastic reply of Good Morning Princess did. She could feel Dorian’s gaze upon her as she busied herself flipping the brioche bread in the pan. It took but a few moments for him to cross the threshold to her. Dorian encircled his arms over around her waist, towering over her as he rested his head on top of Manon's. Manon leaned into his touch moving to the bacon flipping that over. His mouth moved to her throat, rumbling out a good morning.

"Did you sleep okay?" She asked as he nuzzles into the nape of her neck

 

"Like a baby. French toast Mmm my favorite," his hands squeezing her hips, swaying with her movements.

"Thank Stel for that one. She asked. I'm almost done."

He laughed into her silvery strands, "She pulled the look huh?" Manon’s little snort then silence gave him the answer, "Let's eat on the deck. I'll take them outside so you can finish up."

Manon turned to face him, the exact expression on his face Stella had earlier. Minus the threat of tears. She sighed, "A foot rub after though. And you're cleaning up. The dishes and Stella."

Dorian settled his mouth over hers, planting a fleeting kiss, "Deal."

He left the kitchen calling out to their daughter who was more than excited about eating outside. It took Manon roughly twenty minutes before breakfast was ready. Three plates set with french toast, bacon, and berries. Dorian's double the powdered sugar, Stella's all cut up on a lilac divider plate, and Manon’s with a dust of sugar, an extra helping of bacon. Her feet padded along the hardwood floor to the sliding glass door. Watching as Stella in her star patterned Jammies ran back and forth chasing Abraxos all over the yard. Gripping the handle she pulled open the door. Dorian turning to met her gaze.

"What is she doing?" Manon questioned as their daughter kept shouting at Abraxos to stay still. 

"She said they needed relax time. Whatever that means. Abraxos doesn't seem to care."

"Oh I know," Manon stepped down the stairs, bare feet touching the soft blades of grass. Dorian followed suit as she whistled at the pit. Abraxos came charging at them panting, pink tongue hanging about, "Sit you mongrel."

Abraxos obeyed plummeting into the grass. Stella's cheeks were tinted pink, small harsh ragged breaths emitting from her, as she came to a stop. Her onyx hair hanging out of her ponytail. 

"Finally. Thank you, mommy," She collapsed next to Abraxos, wrapping her tiny arms around his massive body. Burying her face into his coat. They watched on as the girl's fingers ran through the sleek coat glistening against the sunlight. 

No matter how many times Manon witnessed the bond between two, it still made her heart flip. Before Dorian came into the picture, it was her and Abraxos. To see her daughter connect with him the way she did, never failed to warm her heart. Even on her most trying days. Dorian slipped his hand into hers, squeezing it as he turned to face Manon. 

"Let's set up breakfast while they have relax time."

Manon nodded as they turned to the house.

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