#rhys stans stay the fuck away from her

[thetwistedbeauty]

So there’s some double standards we need to talk about, the WHOLE Inner Circle drinks in every scene we get of them, and understandably Nesta shouldn’t have been drinking as a coping mechanism but for Feyre to go ahead and stage an intervention, kick her out of her apartment, lock her away, and force her to train is not okay. It’s not okay for Cassian to sexualize Nesta when she has been starving herself, when she’s beaten and bruised, I don’t care if they were ‘helping’ her but that’s not how you do it no matter what. You don’t take away a person’s options until all they have is you and Nesta could not have gone back to the Human Lands because Feyre and Cassian wouldn’t have let her so I don’t want that excuse. Nesta shouldn’t have used drinking and sleeping around as a coping mechanism but it was a COPING mechanism. Y’all get so mad when Nesta slut shamed Feyre but when Feyre and Amren did it to Nesta it’s okay??? And let me bring up the fact that her mate and the whole Inner Circle have been alive for 500+ years … so let’s think about some things. Nesta shouldn’t have been mean I can agree with that because she said some rude things, should she have helped in the cabin more? Absolutely! But when the Inner Circle turns around and does the same thing is rude and doesn’t help Nesta in the way that she needs where are you all speaking then? Do you guys not see the double standard that you all hold towards the Inner Circle?

[feyres-divorce-lawyer]

found this again in my camera roll

context: a tiktok abt rhys and feyre under the mountain with the “do you feel bonita? i feel fucking violated” sound. these were the comments. y’all disgust me fr

[careblairxoxo]

So I made a TikTok about how Nesta’s trauma isn’t an excuse for her behaviour and this is one of the comments I got, so I just wanna elaborate that although Nesta’s trauma was terrible there is absolutely NO REASON to abuse everyone around you because of your trauma, you cannot justify hurting anyone else because you are hurt that is just Fucked up. And that got me thinking if Nesta stans want to justify her shity actions on her trauma why can’t we justify other characters actions on their trauma,

So here is Rhysand’s trauma

Rhysand’s Trauma

* Was thrown into a war camp at eight years old when he was sent to the Illyrian war camp for training by his mother, Where he was brutally beaten up and stripped of his clothes (After his mother tended to his wounds, he noticed one of the boys that beat him that day going into a cave to sleep, he had enough decency at EIGHTH to go ask him if he wanted to stay with him)

* After years of hard training, he entered the Rite where he had to fight his way through Illyrians who wanted to kill him for being a Half breed, to find his brothers who he didn’t know if they were still alive or not.., he then had to slaughter most of the Illyrians because they were trying to kill his brothers too

* He constantly had the mental weight of having to know that he has to become the HL without ever having a choice in what he wants. And always wanting to be better then his forefathers.

* He was told his whole life by partners that no one wanted to shoulder the burden of being his lady as it was too risky for them. Therefore he believed he could never be loved.

* The First war happened where he was separated from his brothers, by his jealous father.

* After every battle went through EVERY SINGLE DEAD ILLYRIAN to make sure they weren’t his brothers.

* Rhys was captured by Amarantha

* Rhysand’s wings were bolted and chains to nullify his high fae powers during that time. And tortured him as well.

* Rhys was forced to watch the slaughter of Jurian as Amarantha ripped him apart for days.

* Rhys felt guilty when being rescued by his father but not being able to be at the final battle due to healing his wings. He was forced back by his father.

* His ABUSIVE father wouldn’t let the healers heal his wings as punishment so he was sent to the cabin to wait until his wings were healed BY HIMSELF, it was there he got the news of the war ending and a peace treaty being made where Amarantha and the King of Hybern were let go with no responsibility for the atrocities they committed.

* Rhys and the other bat boys had ptsd after the war (they all changed). He felt so angry that Amarantha didn’t get any consequences for what she had done thanks to the treaty after the war. Even his father ordered him to let it go but he never forgave Amarantha.

* He was sent his mother and sisters heads in a box down the river, by Tamlin and his family,

* He was also supposed to be there so the immense amount of guilt he must have felt not being there to protect them from that atrocity…

* He was never able to to find their wings constantly thinking Tamlin still kept them as trophies just like Tamlins father had.

* His father in seeking revenge for his wife and young daughter was slaughtered in front of Rhys

* He was now left with responsibility of being High Lord of the Night Court after losing his entire family a family a few days prior

* He felt a little smug when Tamlin’s father was killed since he was Amarantha’s friend it was a small consolation for what she had done to his soldiers. (Including this to show how much his soldiers meant to him).

* When Amarantha returned he and Tamlin were the only one’s mistrusting her, and thanks to how close Tamlin knew Amarantha he knew she hadn’t changed so he decided he’d kill her to protect Prythian and to claim revenge, that’s why he went UTM. He didn’t tell anyone about it

* His powers got stripped away again from Amarantha during the party UTM like all HL’s. But before losing all his powers to wipe the minds from the men from court of nightmares to protect Velaris. “I threw the shield around Velaris, binding it to my friends so that they had to remain or risk that protection collapsing, and used the last dregs to tell them mind to mind what was happening, and to stay away. Within a few seconds, my powers belonged wholly to Amarantha.” (S.520, chapter 54).

* Amarantha then slaughtered half the court of nightmares right then and there. He tells why looking haunted and bleak and he knew that he would do anything to keep her from looking towards his court again or the people he loved.

* He let her sleep with him so she could get her revenge on his father’s ghost and to let her from looking toward his loved ones.

* He wanted her dead everytime he was inside of her but he hid that from her by giving her more pleasure so she started to trust him.

* Everyone sneered at him calling him whore and other cruel names when he did it all to protect his family.

* “I hated myself, but I was glad to do it. (missions for Amarantha) After a decade, I stopped expecting to see my friends or my people again. I forgot what their faces looked like. And I stopped hoping.” (S. 521, chapter 54).

* It was only when he starts to see images of feyres life that he stared to have hope of a normal life again. When he saw feyre and she looked at him he realise she didn’t knew him that he might have seen her dreams but she hadn’t seen his. He realised he had to let her go before Amarantha found out anything about her so he walked away. He knew they would do unspeakable things to her if they found out she was his mate so he didn’t even dare thinking it. But deep down he knew. He was thinking feyre be glad to get rid of him (p. 522).

* “There you were. Living in my second-most enemy’s house. Dining with him. Reeking of his scent. Looking at him like…like you loved him.” (P.523).

* Rhys went into feyres mind to scare her enough to go home and he did the same to Tamlin so he would send Feyre home. So Feyre wouldn’t break the curse because Amarantha would kill her.

* After he left he threw up.

* He thought feyre made up Clare’s name and was shock the girl was real.

* So when Amarantha tortured and killed her he took away her pain. But after a week of seeing her tortured he couldn’t let them them continue so he went into her mind and ended it. She didn’t feel any pain.

* And Rhys admits he still see Clare’s face, his men’s faces and the others that he killed for Amarantha. (P.524)

* He never felt a horror like he did when Feyre made her bargain with Amarantha. He had to watch the disgust and hatred in Feyre’s face when she looked at him. So he pretended, always pretended to be the person that Feyre hated.

* The fact Amarantha saw Rhys getting jealous when Tamlin kissed Feyre UTM and he had to service her right after for longer than usual?!

* When she tortured feyre after the final trial the mating bond snapped and he wanted to kill Amarantha or die with Feyre. “I knew right then what you were. I knew you were my mate, and you were in love with another male, and had to destroy yourself to save him. (P 526.)

* He talked to all HL to save Feyre as she died and all agreed to save her only to see her being held by Tamlin and kissing her. He wanted to go home straight away but he had to stay and see that she was okay.

* On the balcony the mating bond became permanent since feyre had become fae. But he knew if he freed her from the bargain Tamlin would lock her away and he never see her again.

* He left Feyre so he wouldn’t take her with him because he knew she was going to hate him then.

* He told himself Feyre would be better without him and that she hated him so he was going to let her be happy and marry Tamlin. Even if it killed him.

* “It killed me, Feyre, to send you back. To see you waste away, month by month. It killed me to know he was sharing your bed. Not just because you were my mate, but because I…I knew I was in love with you the moment I picked up the knife to kill Amarantha.” (P. 528.).

* He decided to not let her out of the bargain right away because if there was a chance she’d love him, she would be taken from him like the rest of his family had.

* He then had to watch as that same man slowly started killing her again through is neglect and controlling behaviour.

* He was ready to watch the love of his life marry the man who killed his family if that brought her happiness

* He never told her they were mates because he didn’t want her to shoulder the burden of being with him as he thought he was unworthy after 50 years of 🍇 and what his other partners told him

* Feyre said Rhys doesn’t feel like he deserves someone like feyre that he doesn’t deserve love at all.

* He had to watch as his mate went back to her abuser so he could save her sisters and his brothers

* He died because he wanted his friends and family to have a better chance at life even if he never saw it

* Even after a year of being together Rhys still believes Feyre deserves better and can’t believe she actually loves him “it's hard sometimes," I admitted, staring toward the snow. coated field outside the house, the training rings and dwellings beyond it, "to remember that she picked it. Picked me. That it's not like my parents, shoved together."

* Learned that his mate would die from childbirth along with him.

* Shouldered the burden of that pain so Feyre could enjoy the pregnancy they wanted more then anything

* The man who bows to no one but his kingdom was on his knees begging Helion to save Feyre.

* He still wakes from nightmares about what happened to him UTM and now nightmares of what will happen in the future with Feyre dying again with him along side her

[wolfnesta]

Im critical of Cassian as many Nesta stans, there’s so many acosf moments I have to skip over in order to stay on the ship which makes it sad that he’s the one IC member that put in some effort for Nesta. I know they’re all just words on a page so you could say I’m being sjm critical.

Anyways, emphasis on atleast because he’s the only IC member to show an inkling of care for Nesta not care as a byproduct for Feyre or anyone else. And sad at how low the bar is for Nesta. Also sad that because of this Sarah has essentially caused a replica of hateful behavior from some fans towards Nesta when it’s quite obvious, as all Nesta stans know, that each and every character has done awful things.

Emphasis on for because he’s the only one saying things like ‘What did Elain say to set you off’ in comparison to Rhys who right away gets all hissy towards Nesta when he sees Elain crying. Not only that but Cassian is quick on figuring out setting a boundary for visits when Nesta wants. Also ‘It’s not right to use Elain as a tool to manipulate Nesta into scrying’ again atleast someone in the IC cares about Nesta’s treatment. ‘Elain can’t be exposed to the Trove ‘but Nesta should?’ tiny sentence symbolic to how the IC treats Elain vs Nesta and he’s the only one who says anything. Then he encourages her idea to train the Priestesses and goes as far as to tell Rhys to fuck off when he has the audacity to warn Nesta in regards to Gwyn after Rhys knew it was her idea and not only that but Gwyns presence meant Nesta was successful— ‘I’m angry you refuse to believe one good thing about her’ yes thanks Cassian atleast you’re telling Rhys to fuck off here. And the biggest highlight of all when Cassian tells Rhys ‘let them sort their shit out’ when Rhys is again trying to insert himself in Feyre and Nesta’s business 🤌 thanks Cassian bud you had to fuck it though

[stargirlfeyre]

Someone said that Nesta would beat up Rhys if she knew what he did to Feyre UTM. Then in the comments saying that he never apologized for it (This is from a Nesta Stan account)

And said that if Feyre had kept the money over the sister’s head then it would have been financial abuse cause she was the breadwinner of the family 💀

So Feyre not giving away money SHE worked for is now financial abuse? Telling someone that you won’t pay their rent unless they give you something as basic as respect is not financial abuse😭. It’s literally just the norm. Most people who are providing for someone else demand at least a thank you. The mental gymnastics these people do to try and justify Nesta’s actions and paint Feyre out to be the villain.

And honestly Nesta wouldn’t beat Rhys’s ass for how he treated Feyre because one Nesta doesn’t give a fuck who hurts Feyre and two Nesta is all bark and no bite. This girl makes a lot of threats but she rarely ever backs it up. Didn’t Rhys offer to fight her and she stayed silent? Okay.

[rosenecklaces]

I'm gonna take one for the team and say that many gwynriels don't give a fuck about azriel like they say they do, the only aspects they like of him are headcanons or made up bullshit that they think is canon

First was the he feels so off in the last book and in the bonus,like Sarah forgot who he is

No . She didn't forgot, shes giving us an insight of how azriel has being feeling and about who.

He's still polite as always,attentive to his family and helping them in what they need You guys aren't his personal friends to be this bold and say "this isn't how azriel is" lmao we barely know things about him and even less what he thinks, what your talking about?

The biggest difference in his pov is that now we know more of how he feels for elain, the fact he's being yearning for her to the point he watch her gift all night and that he's frustrated and confusing of why lucien is her mate and not him when they obviously like eachother...thats all. We also have a set up for the next book since the discussion with rhys that is pretty obvious he would not follow his order of staying away from her

Second they came with the actually is kinda predatory how he thinks of elain in my opinion...like makes me icky how he sexualized her and that's why I can't ship them, and she also haves a mate! how he could not care about that? That's not Az! he gives me toxic vibes-blahblahblah

I hate hate HATE this takes and i think any actual azriel stan do too. sighhh okey idk who came with this stupids takes first, if eluciens or gwynriels, i don't care but like?

This types of opinions come from people that either doesn't know how attraction works, doesn't know how sjm writes about male characters, doesn't have reading compressions or all three lol

This has been said before by elriel and azriel stans: is completely normal that men gets horny about their loved one,is normal they think of them sexually, jerk off and have fantasies of wanting to sleep with them is NORMAL even in those fae books. Especially in those fae smut romance books ( examples: rhys,cassian)

So coming back to what i said: how the fuck do you like azriel but choose to ignore completely that this is a 500+ man, who is intelligent, so by now he knows what he wants and when he likes someone, that even had sexual partners before? he obviously isn't the type to not think sexually of someone he's attracted to.

I dare say he desires elain like no other i mean ( an pardon my french) bitch have you read how he was thinking about her? like did you actually did?

He would beg on HIS knees for a taste of it,he wants to see her face of PLEASURE and let's not forget his hands shaking when he was putting the necklace on her How is any of this creepy or toxic behavior? He even thinks of HER pleasure first i-

This is a man so beautiful that he would get who he wants if it was just lust what he feels for her, so is pretty damn insulting to his characterization to think he only would see elain as a sexual partner when he spend a lot of time with her,is protective of her and they both shared glances and little touches all this time

Azriel is not a fucking child, he KNOWS the difference between being horny and genuinely liking someone for fucks sake

And with the elain being mated? She doesn't want lucien and neither he she, so this whole "do you guys want him to be a homewreker?" is pure bullshit also

Wrong. it was so wrong. HE DIN'T CARE gotta remark the last part because giving even the chance that elain was with lucien as a couple he wouldn't give a fuck anyways at least while she likes him back!

Then there's this az deserves a mate,he even vocalize that he wants one! he haves to fall for someone that offers him pure love and loves him for who he is, and isn't afraid of what he does so gwyn is perfect to be his mate so he could feel truly loved ~eww, I hate this one as much as the az being toxic one

Let's unpack all this...

1. He wants ELAIN as his mate,not a MATE perse. Also with context you should already know that he said the "yet why isn't she my mate?" because he obviously is upset that his brothers are with archerons yet the archeron he wants to be with is mated to another, simple. He's questioning "what if the cauldron was wrong?" since that said archeron doesn't want anything with his mate, yet she responds to azriel touches,looks and knows him for some time so she definetly likes him back is perfectly normal that he's confused about the cauldron decision

2. What's the obsession of some gwynriels of az having a "pure love", what the fuck that even means? Elain is a good person,soft but with character and friendly so I don't understand how can az being in love with elain inpure? Is it because she haves a stupid mate? Because we already talked about that...

3. Elains already knows what he does and loves the way he is (to her and to his family) enough said

4. Just because azriel haven't being in a romantic relationship doesn't mean he isn't loved and i hate when people says that with gwyn he will feel loved for the first time in his life, while he already is! He haves friends and his brothers. Also elain is his romantic interest so miss me with that bullshit

Is very clear to me that most gwynriels shippers completely erase parts of az to make gwyn fit with him just so elain gets out of the picture. They claim to love him and understand him and yet forget who he is as a person and as a man

Azriel has made very clear he wants elain, he's a grown ass man of 500+ and he knows already that he haves feelings for elain and now he and we know she also haves them for him

He haves a family that loves him so hes not some desesperate man who needs a mate to give him love or he dies

Azriel deserves to be loved romantically? Yes, but most importantly he needs to be chosen by that person and i don't think a mating bond to gwyn will be considered being chosen by the person you love, but rather a cauldron doing it for him

Hes not a baby or stupid, stop invalidating his feelings

So my doubt is, how is it that people who said all that about az and treats him like a kid who doesn't know what he does or wants, like him? How can you ignore how he feels and for who and claim you like him?

Don't make me laugh...

[captainninej]

my literary analysis of a rhysand stan/apologist got deleted, so here it is again bc i'm proud of it lol

lets pick this apart shall we

Before Feyre accepted the mating bond, Rhys was extremely upfront about why he did, what he did UTM. there were no lies or anything.

rhys being upfront about why he did what he did does not change the gravity of his action. a murderer confessing to murder isn't suddenly absolved of their crime - they still killed someone. the same principle applies here. he can be all moany and wishy washy as he likes, but he still did it.

He said 2 important things: the first was "I made the bargain so u wouldn't fuckin die and I needed Amarantha to think that you were my play thing" and the second was "I wanted to make Tamlin angry because he's the reason my sister and mother were slaughtered" and TBH??? Same bitch??

i see this around a lot, that rhys made the bargain with feyre so she would survive. but this falls apart pretty quickly when you start to wonder: how did parading around feyre and drugging her so she vomits and dressing her in pretty much nothing help her survive?? would she have died if he hadn't done that? probably not. none of it was necessary - not the clothes, not the drugging, not the trauma, not the twisting her broken arm. also, rhys didn't do it to save her life - in the same monologue you're talking about, he literally says he made the bargain 'to get back at [tamlin] for my mother and sister, and for...having you.' and that feyre was so hateful of him, somehow this meant he 'knew he had done his job well.' what job???

think about it. why did he need amarantha to believe feyre was his plaything? what did this prove? what did it contribute to freeing them?

If my mama and sister were slaughtered because of you I would literally do anything in my power to make u suffer??? Even if that meant parading your bitch around as my own?? Might I mention that Rhys didn't make Feyre do anything more than dance for him??

umm...

i'm not going to pretend any of us will know how we would act in that situation. but that's another conversation - what matters here is feyre. FEYRE DOESN'T KNOW ANY OF THIS. SHE IS AN INNOCENT THIRD PARTY HERE. regardless of personal history, rhys has no business implicating an innocent HUMAN girl in his beef with tamlin. that's between them, and it does nothing to change the ugliness of how he treated feyre. 'parading your bitch' hi the misogyny is showing

also 'rhys didn't make feyre do anything more than dance for him' and that's okay?? oh as long as it didn't go further than roofying, lap dancing without consent and dressing in cobwebs, it's fine?? i worry for you

Because like if I'm being completely honest I'd probably do worse??

i'm not even sure what to say to that

And Rhys was actually protecting her from more of Amaranthas weird ass punishments?? Like idk guys if you're anti rhys maybe ACOTAR just isn't for you and you can leave it at that.

was he? i would argue going through what rhys put feyre through was a form of punishment in of itself.

also, so if i don't like rhys acotar isn't for me...got it, acotar is for people who think this behaviour is acceptable. i'll make a note to stay away from them and keep them away from young children.

just a tip: when someone picks up a book, especially a popular one like this, they don't know what's in it before they read it. can you imagine a rape survivor reading through these books, seeing what rhys did to feyre, and then have to go through his explanations justifying all of it?? and have feyre forgive him?? what kind of message does that send??

Another point that's brought up a lot within the fandom is "choices" and how Tamlin didn't give Feyre choices, but Rhys did. And while I think that might be a point stressed in the novels, I don't think Feyre falling for Rhys is supremely entwined with "choices". I think what Rhysand gave Feyre more than Tamlin did was a voice and knowledge.

someone saying 'it's your choice' over and over while not giving you a choice doesn't make it any more true. just saying. you can say that rhys gave her knowledge and a voice, but two things: rhys only told feyre what he wanted to if it would serve his own purposes, see: him not telling her that he was using her as bait for the attor in acomaf, him not telling her about the mating bond, him not telling her that her own pregnancy will kill her. and the second: feyre doesn't need to be 'given' a voice. she has one. a voice is not something a woman needs to be given by a man, especially not some 500 year old creepo with a god complex.

Rhysand would tell her straight up, "look I can't tell you this unless you do this" and that's more an ultimatum than a choice. And we can go over the dynamics of ultimatums but Rhysand never bullshitted Feyre (ACOSF isn't canon oops) and ALWAYS heard her out. Rhysand always told her the dynamics of a situation. And more importantly, it was Feyres fuckin decision, and also it's fucking fiction so just be honest and say u don't ship it rather than trying to tank Rhys as a character.

um...and that's better than a choice? the fuck? think of the power in that sentence, that he wouldn't tell her something unless she did something. why does he have the right to withhold information from her?? why does she have to earn it, if they're such a pOwEr cOuPLe? rhysand's entire ARC is bullshitting feyre. he never once apologised for his behaviour. he only justified it while crying into soup. so if you don't want acosf to be canon, you know that rhys bullshitted feyre. you know that hiding medical information from her was a dick move. but it was completely in character for him if you notice the patterns in his behaviour right from the beginning of their relationship.

when did rhys tell her the dynamics of the situation?? when he traumatised her to beef with tamlin when she was human? when he made her agree to a bond for eternity when she was canonically with tamlin and was in no place to say no to the bargain? when he didn't tell her they were mates but told all his friends? when he used her as bait for the attor? when he hid her OWN PREGNANCY INFORMATION from her and told all his friends?

And more importantly, it was Feyres fuckin decision, and also it's fucking fiction so just be honest and say u don't ship it rather than trying to tank Rhys as a character.

you literally just proved yourself wrong in one sentence. 'it's feyre's decision and also it's fucking fiction' my dude you're right feyre is not a real person so you know who's making these decisions? the author. you know what the role of fiction is? to tell a story and spread messages, even unintentionally. people are reading this relationship and are guided to think that it's okay when it is literally textbook abuser behaviour. this shit has consequences. i read these books at 13 and didn't see a flaw in rhys' behaviour because the author told me not to and because i was too young to have any experience with relationships. i'm 19 now and i'm horrified to look back on these books i once loved.

you sound a lot like rhys there, 'it's feyre's choice'. no it wasn't. it was the author's choice to depict the relationship like this. all of us are being honest you fuckwit this is more than not liking a ship, it's pointing out alarming behaviour from a character who is portrayed as a hero.

i don't need to tank rhys as a character. the author and the fandom did it for me.

[aelingalathyniusrailme]

describing the dynamic of every major friendship in acotar pt 1?

mor x feyre- when the big sister and little sister legitimately become best friends. Like they love each other and they will tell each other everything but the fact that one of them is older is a factor in their relationship. so mor will always give advice and occasionally insensitively pulls out the age card

feyre x cassian- the “I can bully you but no one else can.” they tease and bully each other all the time especially cassian to feyre but if anyone else tries it he’ll hurt them. in a platonic she’s my best friend back the fuck off kind of way of course

mor x cassian- I’m calling this the “will and grace friendship.” where they dated/had sex when they were younger but now their just best friends who are each others family and they get into all these shenanigans and are probably a little too close but like who gives a fuck? they flirt a lot but there’s a very clear mutual understanding that they are going to stay friends. but in this case obviously mor is will (gay for those who haven’t seen the show) and cassian is grace and their vibe is the exact same

azriel x mor- the “I’m in love with my ‘oblivious’ best friend”/”the duo in the friend group is who isn’t allowed to be alone together.” I feel like this ones self explanatory but they’re the duo of the friend group that actually can’t be left alone and constantly needs a third or more for it to be allowed

feyre x azriel- the underrated comfort friendship. like you wouldn’t think they compliment each other but they do. they can be alone together and when they are with each other they are always very comfortable, stable and predictable. they love each other but they will never be the others first choice. 

azriel x nesta- the platonic version of “I see you and I will not walk away” or in other words “I see you but I’m also shitty but in a different way so your shittiness doesn’t bother me.” simplified to “when two shitty people find each other” very very chill and lowkey friendship, doesn’t need a lot of words. will always be a drinking buddy for the other. 

the bat boys- when two conflicting extroverts adopted an introvert against his will. I also think this one is very self explanatory. 

the valkyries- the human equivalent of gasslight, gate keep, girlboss. nesta is our gasslight as she is the one with venomous words. gwyn is our gatekeep she works in a library so I feel like this is fitting, and emerie is our girlboss, while they are all girlbosses emerie is the one who is a female running her own shop (a literal girl boss) in one of the most misogynistic, sexist colonies ever. 

gwyn x azriel- I’m a hopeless gwynriel stan what can I say. they are the kind of friends who are always in a competition and highkey act like their dating or at least in love with the other one but you can’t tell if they’re actually together until finally they just say fuck it and make out in front of everyone

gwyn x rhys- this is me manifesting but I hope that their friendship will be like cece and winston from new girl where they are always getting into shenanigans and are incredibly silly together 

there are more but i’m tired so that’s all for this post

[cassianfanclub]

It is so sad that nesta’s stans hate so much cassian for literary no reason and even call him abusive even tough he was the only one that reached out for her until the end, and it is pretty clear that she loves him and feels safe with him. Part of the fandom treat both elain and cassian as the middle kids of the family as they are. They are totally forgotten and always the one to be the least powerful or completely powerless even tough they did so much for the family. Cassian as the typical muscular guy with no brain and elain as the gardener with no brain. I just want to see in the next book some nice moments between them.

Hi anon,

Nesta’s most vocal fans scare me, so I stay away from them and their tags so I don’t see a ton a Cassian hate, thankfully.

From what I have been able to observe about some in that fandom is, instead of seeing all the growth Nesta achieved in ACOSF (all be it a bit shallow IMO, but that’s on SJM, not Nesta) they just want bitchy Nesta to hate everyone. Hate her sisters for not putting up with her abuse and trying to help her. Hate Cassian for challenging Nesta and not letting her drink herself to death. Hate Rhys for not tiptoeing around her bad behavior and not continuing to let her take advantage of him and Feyre. Hate Mor for not wanting her friend to end up with someone as cruel as Nesta, etc.

Was Cassian a saint in ACOSF? No, he did and said some incredibly hurtful things and it irks me to no end that there was never any resolution to calling her a bitch, gaslighting her about their mating bond, etc. It’s like SJM just made sex the solution and we were all left like “uhhhh I feel like they need to talk about this…”

I also wish we had actually gotten more of Cassian’s story. Shown him in action as General and head of the NC armies instead of sidelining his career so he can give yoga lessons and fuck Nesta. Show him strategizing, delegating, executing his battle plans. I do think a lot of Cass’ character was sacrificed in ACOSF to let Nesta shine as the MC, but it made Cassian feel very one dimensional when I know he’s a hell of a lot more nuanced than that.

ACOSF is my least favorite book in the series because of the lack of plot and things moving forward at a snails pace until the very end and then it was all so abruptly over. Which sucks because I loved ACOWAR Nessian. Loved. I hope we get to at least see glimpses of that Nessian in Elriel’s book.

[dawninlatin]

My thoughts while reading ACOSF

This will obviously be full of spoilers below the cut:) There is also me trying to be funny, and an excessive use of emojis...you have been warned

-Elain isn’t a virgin?!? Good for you, hun👏I’m so proud of you my bean👏Ngl, I’m lowkey starting to stan her

-I knew Feyre was pregnant from the second Cass said Rhys’ shield masked her scent. 10/10 detective skills

-Also don’t you DARE take away Feysand’s happiness, Sarah🤺🤺🤺

-Cass being allergic to pollen is my new favourite thing😂 I have never felt so seen...

-Nesta x The House BROTP!!!!!

-When she broke down on the hike😭😭😭 You deserve the world, my girl❤️❤️❤️

-Rhys, just take a nap or something, please

-«She could barely wrap her hand around him...» Girl, how big is Azriel then?!?!😳

-Not me bursting into laughter bc of a «yo mama» joke

-I am loving all this smut, but once they admit they love each other it’s over for all of us

-NO DON’T FRIEND ZONE HIM NESTA

-«And I’ve always-» You’ve always WHAT????

-Lanthys I hate you but WERE YOU ABOUT TO REVEAL THAT THEY’RE MATES?!?

Mor x Emerie? I’m here for it!!!

The House is my new favourite character, and if anything happens to it, i swear to god-

-Cassian secretly taking dance lessons- I-

-Nesta and Azriel hugging<3

-Also him giving Cassian beef jerky for Solstice😂 I love him so much

-Oh, Cassian...😭

-OH, NESTA...😭😭😭😭

-Not me crying over a fucking sex scene😭

-But holy shit, that was BEAUTIFUL😭❤️

-The girl gang is having a sleepover!

-FRIENDSHIP BRACELETS

-Honestly, healthy female friendship is something we need more of in books

-«You’re the new ribbon, Az.» I ship it. I ship it so much.

-Nesta and Amren😭

-«THEY’RE MATES» I squealed, as if we all didn’t already know😕

-I wanna hurl Cassian into the Sidra!!! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO FUCK IT UP?!?

-If they don’t win the Blood Rite I will throw hands

-Is this gonna turn into the Hunger Games now? Nice

-Rhys and Feyre, I love you, but you have like 1 horny braincell combined

-She fucking stabbed him in the balls...what a QUEEN

-There are less than fifty pages left...HOW CAN THIS POSSIBLY END WELL?!?!

-40 pages left and I’d forgotten that Nessian still hasn’t declared their love for one another. I! AM! PANICKING!

-«Because my mate taught me well» fjdhsiaujwjwh

-CASSIAN NO

-SARAH IF YOU DO THIS I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU

-YES NESTA KILL THE BITCH

-I don’t even have words at this point😭😭

-HAVEN’T THEY SUFFERED ENOUGH?!

-Nyx, I already love you, even if you have caused me enough stress to have a heart attack

-And I think Rhys will have one too, if someone doesn’t give him a fucking break soon

-«You...You’re ready for a baby?» Jesus Cassian, let the poor female breathe

-«I love you.» 😭😭😭😭

-I need a moment-

-Forget that I need a lot of moments

-What does it mean, Eris? WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?!

-There is a temple on the river house’s grounds?! how big is this place...

-Them just being sisters, loving and supporting one another😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️❤️

My overall thoughts: I don’t care if this is a controversial opinion, but I can’t find a single thing I didn’t like about the book. It exceeded all my expectations, and went far beyond what I could imagine. Nesta, I love you and your sassy personality so much. Thank you for sharing your journey of healing and self-love with me, it will stay with me forever<3<3 

[dreaminginvelaris]

nessian analysis

im not sure if this qualifies as an analysis? It's basically me just explaining why I didn't like the nessian relationship, what it lacked, what sjm should have done.

I will be using the “anti-nessian” tag bc there are many softies here on Tumblr who get pissy whenever you have some things to say abt a beloved character or relationship that dont paint them as gods even though i dont hate them. I DO NOT hate nessian, I am not the biggest fan of them, im not entirely fond of them, I personally think we were robbed of a much deeper and flushed out relationship, but I do not hate nessian whatsoever. 

also please for the love of god don’t get butthurt and start talking about how feysand is the boring one, how feysand is so vanilla, in retaliation. stop. it makes you look childish. if you hate what i have to say abt your ship, move on. you don’t need to come on a nessian post and start talking about other ships. yes i realize i mention feysand, and rowaelin, but it was to compare how sjm usually writes her main couples.  

with that being said, let's move forward. 

sjm in the past has done an amazing job when writing romantic relationships. She's so wonderful at establishing a friendship, at establishing an emotional connection, before any romance takes place. like with rowaelin, we got to see rowan and aelin forge a friendship, from hating one another to respecting each other. before it was romantic love, it was friendly love first, it was love and respect for their friendship that made aelin threaten that bitch who i forgot the name of but who wouldn't stop touching rowan and aelin bathed her in fire until she stopped. it was the love and respect for their friendship that made rowan fight against his cadre to go save aelin, it was that love that made aelin go to maeve, threaten her ppl so Rowan could be free. 

all of this built up to the amazing relationship that is Rowaelin. it took establishing an emotional connection between the two to make what is their relationship now. the romantic/sexual part of their relationship is amazing as well, but it wouldn't have been amazing were it not for the trust their relationship was built on first. 

it's the same thing with feysand, their relationship built on trust first, on friendship, on emotional talks, on sharing their thoughts and feelings, on sharing hard truths with one another. on feyre trusting rhys with how she felt abt the whole tamlin situation, it built on rhys sharing his past, on sharing some of those horrific moments of UTM, it built on them fighting with one another, it's what made chapter 55 so amazing because it built up. it wasn't just sex right off the bat, it was forging a connection much more powerful than sex. 

which brings me to my main point, that nessian definitely lacks all of this. before it even starts, i know there are ppl who might say “but nessian was building during acomaf/acowar?”  yes, it was, we knew that there was something between them. but can you really call it an emotional build up btwn them? i mean we saw it through the eyes of feyre, so we didn't really see much of substance. we saw them exchange glances, nesta insult cass, cass tease nesta, even that one bonus chapter, but that wasn't enough buildup. because even in that bonus chapter we mainly just got to see cass corner nesta to a wall and learn how he was so turned on by her. nothing of depth and substance. 

you would expect sjm to bring this to their book. but it didn't happen. perhaps she as well thought that was enough of a build up to them, i wouldn't put it past her, her writing skills definitely are questionable in this book.

but where were the talks? where was nesta confiding to cassain abt her mother? abt her life being groomed for marriage? abt the years during the poverty, abt how she felt disgusted by herself for what she had done to feyre. for what she had not done for their family? for what she felt with her fathers death, how she felt abt elain, how she was coping?

where were the talks in which cassian confided in nesta? in where he talks abt his years in the illyrian camps, in what happened in those moments when he murdered a whole illyrian village, in which he learned he would never be able to bury his mother. the talks where he tells her how it felt to be separated from his brothers, how he felt when rhys was trapped, how it felt when feyre was taken, how it felt when he thought him and nesta were to die, at hybern and at the war. 

where was the teasing? the laughing? the pinning each other down during training, the talks during training. where was the friendship being built? just because cass tells nesta he was always her friend doesn't mean it’s not important to see it.

instead all we got was training and fucking and fucking and training. instead we got nesta jacking off cassian 200 pages in? i mean thats so out of character of nesta. this fiery woman who spent three books pushing cassian away, who made it known she ‘despised’ cassian, who made it clear she would not touch or even try to interact with cassian during her stay at the house of wind, but all of a sudden she just loses that and jacks him off? i mean the fact that nesta kept pushing cassian away was such a great opportunity for sjm to take and make it slow burn. teasing touches, never going too far but enough it made the other shiver. i mean that when the pinning each other down in training would have come in handy. but instead sjm just decided to change nestas character just like she changed cassians as well. 

(note: i am not slut shaming nesta, before any of y'all try to twist it that way, i am merely stating how in my perspective that was not something nesta would have done with cassian.

not to forget how cassian would literally leave nesta after their sexual encounters! please tell me i’m not the only one who notices that the cassian from acomaf/acowar/acofas would not have done that. this man has practically been in love with nesta since day one and he just straight up says “thanks for the ride” and leaves? uhhhh what? the cassian i knew and loved would not have done that. i mean him staying after those encounters would have been the perfect opportunity for them to have deep talks, for them to get to know one another. i mean they both claim to know each other, but do they really? 

the mating revelation was soo underwhelming too. i wanted passion, i mean thats what i was promised no? from both sjm and the nessian stans. so where was that passion during the mating revelation? i mean sjm had aelin realize rowan was her mate after rowan was shot, and she felt the fear of losing him. had rhys know fully when feyre was dying and he was trying to get to her. had ferye realize when they professed their love for each other, and she realized she had healed with him. even goddamn lucien and elain knew in such an intense way as well. and nessian? on a sidewalk. with cassian demanding nesta say it, and nesta robotically denying it. 

all im saying is that we were robbed. i like sex between two characters as much as the next person but sex doesn't matter unless there is a deep emotional connection between the two, its what makes chemistry between two characters amazing. 

also lets mention how cassian didn't even say i love you to nesta. PLSSS WHAT WAS THAT

the only part in the whole 700+ page book that actually felt deeper and much more stronger between the two of them was when nesta broke down and admitted she hated herself and cassian consoled her. but that was what? 3 pages and then they proceeded to continue to fuck during their “healing hike” nah that aint it

all im saying is that nessian was much more fun and sexy when it was through feyre’s perspective. 

[wingsandembers]

Acosf review (with spoilers)

The story started out strong, like really strong, the best work from SJM so far. I cried multiple times, I felt so strongly for my homegirl Nesta.

But the story fizzled out towards the end imo, Cassian and Nesta was having too much sex for no reason at all. Like the first three or four times, IMMACULATE. feysand could never. But then towards the end they were becoming feysand 2.0.

Not always a bad thing, coz they’re a better written version of feysand, but in one of their sex scenes, like the one on the table, it felt more like feysand than nessian. They corrected course eventually, during solstice, but at one point there they were in the feysand rabbit hole.

There was also a lot of fan service in the last part, especially with Nesta participating in blood rite. I also didn’t like how much feysand we got in this book especially in the end and the whole pregnancy plot was just cringe.

There were things I waited so long to be addressed but they weren’t addressed, but coz of how the story unfolded, it didn’t matter anymore really, but I still wished they did.

Like almost everything from last solstice was addressed except for when Cassian said he didn’t understand how his sisters still love her & Cassian realizing he was so wrong about her bullshiit behavior. But then they were also indirectly resolved or addressed, only not to my satisfaction.

I did like and respect SJM for allowing the IC especially Rhys and feyre to be terrible, coz omg I know I’m biased but even if you liked them, you had to recognize how shitty they were most of the times in this book. And I also didn’t like how much they took over the story that was supposed to be about nesta and Cassian.

I honestly still dunno what Amren and Nesta fought about except for some bs reason that Amren chose feyre when everyone did choose feyre she was the high lady

Ugh elain, fucking elain. I hate her more than I do feyre. I was right about her and so glad she was called out on her bs multiple times. While the chasm between elain and nesta wasn’t resolved like with nesta and feyre was, I’m glad it wasn’t coz if the next book is about her and Azriel, elain has a lot of shit she needs to work out as well.

I still think that the fact Nesta is more powerful than anyone and can rule entire world not just pyrthian, they need to thank who they need to thank that nesta still has low self esteem even after everything that she’s just happy to have Cassian and the house of wind at the end of all this.

Give her time tho...give her time tho...😏

Cassian, I get it, to him feysand is relationship goals, not that he wants to be them but wants to feel deserving of what they have too. But boy is obsessed. I love how he defended and protected Nesta from the IC, and he was gonna die for her so there’s no questioning his love for Nesta, but at the same time, he was never really presented that conundrum or had to prove where his loyalty lies, is it with his mate or his high lord and lady

At best he played referee and stayed neutral and got in between them, but pushed come to shove, who will he defend and protect? My heart says nesta but logic dictates it will be Rhys or feyre.

The thing with Mor also never really addressed, even if nesta admits she’s jealous of her and her history with Cassian.

Basically Cassian got away with a lot of shit that should’ve been addressed but at the same time he also did a lot of things that proved himself and that those things didn’t seem important to address anymore, idk.

I still think it’s bullshit how IC decided to finally help Nesta, but I did like Nesta did the work all on her own afterwards and Cassian just needed to start listening instead of forcing her to do what he wants

I get the whole physical training thing and her leading her own army of female warriors I approve of that, but she never really trained her actual magical powers, like it was just assumed the physical training also helped with her magic but those are two different things??

I loved her friendship with emerie and gywn, I totally stan, one of my favorite things that happened to her. And the HOUSE.

Nesta smiling. Laughing. We got it multiple times. I loved it.

Did I love how Nessian was ultimately resolved? I did. The only parts I didn’t like about it was feysand stealing moments from them, like especially towards the end. They just admitted to themselves they’re mates couldn’t we savor that a little bit more but no I have to read about feysand stupid bargain and her bleeding.

I am iffy about the deserving storyline part, coz hate it but I also get it. I didn’t like that burden was all on Nesta, and that she didn’t deserve to be loved. Coz lbr none of these fuckers deserves her anyways, but it’s what she wanted, Amren’s friendship, her sisters forgiveness, Cassian’s everything, & honestly gaining Rhys respect and acceptance coz she might not like him but the people she loves does.

I did like that she resolved her issues with feysand without having to directly apologize to him or feyre, and she has Rhys kneeling and at the palm of her hand by the end of it, coz it’s not about Rhys it’s about the people they both love needing them to get over whatever it is they hate about each other.

While she did give back what she took from the cauldron, the mother still let her keep enough of it that she could still easily handle the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter rip off). So that still makes her more powerful than most if not all of IC. She is still a death goddess who chose life.

I deserved to see their mating ceremony tho, like we couldn’t have an epilogue or one more chapter to show that

LOVED: nesta, the house, emerie, Cassian, Azriel, Gwynn

HATED: Elain, Amren, Mor, Rhys, Feyre, the tacky river house

DIDNT CARE: Lucien, Eris, the human queen, koschei, honestly the villains were bland I couldn’t care about the threat they posed, they were merely plot devices

[highqueenofelfhame]

acowar reread thread

so i think i’ll update this post every few chapters unless anything super major happens that i want to immediately react to, that way you get my commentary but i’m not totally flooding and flooding and flooding your feed with a super super long post. i think i’m going to edit it under the cut and reblog it every time it gets updated and i’ll also number every update so it’s easy to find where i left off. if you guys prefer the other way i’ll transition back to the other way for acofas.) this is super fun i’ll start doing this for more books if you’re interested, including books i read for the first time. (after acofas, crescent city is next and it’ll be my first time reading it!)

UPDATES UNDER THE CUT.

1) chapters 1-5 I’ve read up through chapter five and so far my favorite thing is just how DONE feyre is with literally everyone in the spring court. the amount of times she’s had to like look away and not roll her eyes is just hilarious, her dry inner monologue, she just made a comment about having to remind herself to laugh and not strangle tamlin while they were dancing at the summer solstice and it just is so funny to me. 

i miss rhys. but the few times they’ve spoken through the bond is enough to tide me over. he told her he loved her once and i sighed out loud. i’m such trash for this bitch. 

feyre hijacking the summer solstice ceremony is COMEDIC GOLD. like you kNOW ianthe was fuming and furious and trying to save face the best she could but like hats off to feyre man. her character development from book one to where we’re at in book three is fantastic. she’s not a simpering little girl anymore, she’s a bad bitch and she kNOWS she’s a bad bitch and it’s just.. fucking great. 

i also, as much as i don’t want to, feel for lucien A LOT. i think a lot of his behavior is heavily influenced by how he’s been treated by tamlin for most of his life and i feel genuine remorse from him and the fact that he can like tell something is up but isn’t saying anything just shows, to me anyway, how much remorse he’s genuinely feeling. 

also alis knowing that something is up is just a testament to how attentive she is as a faerie and a friend and i really love that about her.

“I was the nightmare” YAS BITCH. FUCKIN YAASSS.

2) chapters 6-10 feyre is so goddamn clever. the entire time she’s bringing down the spring court she’s witty and fierce and clever and really just iS THAT BITCH, HUH? 

i don’t like jurian but the fact that he still has compassion within himself for his kind despite being literally insane for being just AWAKE and aware for like 500 years is... nice and pleasantly surprising because i feel like you wouldn’t think that of him being that he’s siding with hybern so that he thanked feyre when she tried to get the children of the blessed out of there... i don’t know why i’m bringing this up, it’s just something that stuck out to me and that jurian also vouches (to feyre) about rhysand’s character and how decent of a person he found him to be. it’s just very interesting and i feel like speaks leaps and bounds about rhysand as a person. 

feyre pushing tamlin to explode again... just CHEF KISS. like she really thought of everything. she thought of everything to internally make his sentries doubt him and then completely hate them by orchestrating the ianthe vs sentry debacle. she made herself seem very compassionate and kind and and showed tamlin and ianthe for what they were by doing genuinely so little. like all she did was make them show their true colors on their own and it didn’t take tOO much manipulation. idk feyre is just incredible in the spring court. 

forcing ianthe to hurt herself and molding her mind to make her think she’s always afraid is so much better than just outright killing her.. (if i remember from my last read, it doesn’t hold up, but the thought is there and it’s genius) I also think that this shows a lot about feyre and her character because despite everything she couldn’t just leave lucien alone with ianthe and the unwanted advances. she stayed and fought for her friend (and by extension her mate) even when lucien wouldn’t really fight for her and so feyre is just a fuckin real one like... she’s the kind of friend that you want in your corner. 

killing the hybern twins: glorious. such badassery from lucien and feyre both. 

and i think it’s nice that she let lucien come along with her on her journey back to the night court despite maybe not wanting to but i also think that she knew if she left him behind he could get in serious trouble or wind up dead and so again, i think it says a lot about her character as a person. 

3) chapters 11-15 i’m kind of reading and recapping every 50 pages or so which typically ends up being 4-5 chapters and it’s a good system so far so we’re gonna keep it up! 

the first thing of like, real substance to comment on is lucien saying his father will kill feyre for wielding his power but feyre just responding with “he can get in line.” like her sass is sO GOOD In this book, especially in the spring court chapters.

uhhh big fuck you to eris, i don’t know why people want him to have a redemption arc, he is literally a fat sack of shit that deserves to burn and i’m not sorry for saying so. he’s abusive and cruel and doesn’t deserve like, anything at all. although i will say good on him for balking a bit when feyre revealed she’s high lady. 

CASSIAN AND AZRIEL SUPERHERO LANDING ON THE ICE AND KICKING ASS!! I remember vividly the relief i felt when cassian showed up and was able to fly and i still felt so much victory when it happened again. it’s one of my favorite moments of the book so far and just really gets me. also feyre just dropping the “I’m high lady of the night court” bomb is DELICIOUS and i can’t get enough. i read it like six times. because you know as soon as the illyrians yielded to her that the autumn bitches were like “shit.”

“My love.” kILLS ME. you guys, i’ve only read this book once but i’ve reread their reuniting multiple times because it’s just so soft. rhys is so goddamn soft. he loves her so fucking much. i want rhys to call me my love and lick my tears away. goddamn. 

something i think about a lot is how in acotar when tamlin had feyre alone after months of torture he just tried to fuck her despite knowing things weren’t safe. however, knowing she was home and safe, rhys didn’t try for that immediately. like yes, they kissed, but there was so much conversation before they fucked that it just, says a lot about their relationship. tamlin also always demanded to know everything about feyre’s visits as soon as she was back, not even bothering to kiss her hello but rhys was like ‘that shit can wait’ AND THEY’RE ABOUT TO GO TO WAR. rhys loves her so wholly that he wanted to make sure she was okay before he ever bothered to ask about the spring court and how everything unfolded the last few weeks. idk i’m trash for rhysand, y’all. let’s make that a shirt.

the way that rhys threatens lucien, “i won’t bother to explain it again, and i will rip out your fucking throat.” is so sexy. like how casual it was, so sexy.#ripmythroatoutrhysand

amren being a bedtime story but irl is just a cranky aunt lmao.

nesta’s ferocity is, yes, frustrating, but also so heartbreaking to me. for a very long time i had a really rough relationship with my sister and i can see my own sister in nesta (who, by the way, would murder me if she found out i said this so, kara, if u see this, i love u endlessly and i love nesta with my whole heart) especially nesta’s behavior more so in acofas which i’ll talk more about when we get there. but i just, i feel for her man. she’s been traumatized and life as she knows it has been ripped away from her and some people respond to trauma with bite. and i know it doesn’t make it right or okay but it still just makes me feel for her.

cassian and nesta’s banter just gODDAMMIT SLAYS ME. i cannot wait for an entire fucking book of this shit and an entire book of their back and forth. i think nesta loves him and doesn’t know what to do with it because she’s scared so she’s acting like a cornered animal. like nesta is a snake that will strike when cornered and threatened and i just god i can’t wait for their book. 

elain... broke my heart a lot more than i remembered. as someone in the midst of my worst depression i find myself able to relate to that hollow and empty feeling like...all too well and it struck a cord and i almost cried at how empty she was. 

4) chapters 16-29 there is the whole meeting at amren’s apartment and cassian defends nesta, saying that he understands her actions, her snark, why she is the way she is, and it just honestly reinforces my love for cassian. i don’t have much to say about it but that i just really love the respect that he has for others. more cassian things: feyre brings up again how even broken and literally bleeding out and on the ground with his wings completely shredded he was still crawling toward nesta and reaching for her and trying to get to her. “because i can’t stay away.” fucking cracks my heart open every time. 

i love everything about the first family dinner back together. i love all the banter, i love that nesta sat in and even contributed to dinner conversation a little bit. lucien being so uncertain of the dynamic is hilarious. amren like opening herself up in a way to nesta and telling her that they’re the same, and to make sure her eruption is felt across worlds, i love it. i’m marking a lot more from amren than i thought i would. cassian at one point, he points to az and says “don’t try to blend into the shadows” and it actually made me chuckle to myself because hE DOES THAT. and it’s funny that cassian calls him on it. 

i don’t think nesta gets enough credit (for like anything, we all been knew i’m a slut for her and stan her with my life) but even as broken and angry as she was she did still offer to help explore magic that she doesn’t want and got as a result of trauma so that she can try to help. she isn’t completely useless. and i like that she has backbone and isn’t just a pushover little bitch. (that isn’t directed toward elain. like i previously mentioned, i’m finding that i relate a lot to her in her current state.) i just mean that i’m glad she sticks up for herself and doesn’t just like, do what people tell her to do. ya know?

rhys being so open to feyre pushing back on him about things like, again man. tamlin erupted and got angry, rhys is like “hell, i deserved it.” just, the differences in their relationships and the toxicity that comes from tamlin and the devotion rhys has for feyre is (say it with me) DELICIOUS.

i also like that just because feyre is high lady that the IC doesn’t just like flop over and bend down and take shit (i’m looking at you, spring court.) like cassian isn’t afraid to be like “you pissed me off by sacrificing yourself.” because he cares. LIKE, AGAIN WITH HIS DEVOTION. his loyalty is just so pure. it isn’t blind but it is pure and i just, god i love it. 

also everyone forgets that azriel has a dry ass sense of humor and i don’t see any of y’all writing it into your fics. “In order to fly, you’ll need wings” he said drily. IT’S DELICIOUS. dry humor is some of the best. and i like that feyre is learning more and getting to spend more time with him. 

5) chapter 20-27 this one will be a bit of a dump because i accidentally read too much today so far to try to catch up from my lack of reading yesterday so... oops. 

“Let’s see what names you call me when my head is between your legs, Feyre darling.” ugh. i wish a mans would say that to me. not really. i wish rhys would say that to me and only rhys. maybe rowan. or aaron warner. or cassian. or -- you get it. 

amren is SO FUCKING FUNNY without doing it on purpose. like genuinely hilarious. “she’s fine. stubborn as an ass, but as you’re related, i’m not surprised.” rOAST THEM. also amren makes nesta almost smile and she makes her laugh all in the span of like ten seconds AND nesta almost smiles when amren brings up cassian. coincidencE? i tHINK NOT.

again with rhys soothing her nightmares. like god it’s so good i dont even have to say anything else abt it.

feyre realizing that the bone carver is her and rhysand’s son. SO GOOD. like SERIOUSLY SO GOOD. and this doesn’t matter at all rn but i think that rhysand’s son has the potential to be more powerful than even him but that’s a thing to get into for another time.

EVERYTHING THE BONE CARVER SAYS ABOUT NESTA. also that it’s directed at cassian is very interesting and i think the bone carver knows they’re mates. like i wonder if cassian is seeing what feyre sees: his own son. WOULDN’T THAT BE INTERESTING. “How she calls to you.” also the comment about “what did you wake that day in hybern, prince of bastards?” what did cassian wake. the wording here is interesting and i have... a lot of questions. does anyone else just also really fucking enjoy the bone carver as a character? like he’s excellent i’ve never read anything quite like him.

“nothing about nesta could frighten me” UGH MY NESSIAN HEART CAN’T FUCKING TAKE IT.

also cassian stepping it later when nesta is furious with rhysand about the flying. like, one when he sighs and says she’ll never fly again is just... funny and adorable but how nesta was charging for rhys and he casually stepped in front of her and he talked her down. “It was amren’s fault, of course, but no one believed me. and no on dare banish her.” like just babbling a bit to bring her back down to earth. absolutely fascinating and delicious that it worked, wouldn’t you agree? ;)

court of nightmares is always a pleasure. fuck eris. 

also later at the town house when amren and mor and rhys are kinda going at it a bit and cassian gets nesta’s attention and nesta sidles over to him without questioning it... like. god if they aren’t endgame i’ll never read an SJM book ever again and i wholeheartedly mean that.

so i’ve seen the posts about amren being an angel i’m not sure if you guys have but yeah i think that’s a really solid theory. i think she very well could be a biblical angel because she mentioned that according to some they were perfect, that they laid waste to twin cities (sodom & gamorrah if this theory is correct) and she also mentioned yielding her grace and that she would fall. she also says she was a messenger and soldier assassin for a wrathful god ruling a young world and all of that, in my opinion, lines up with a lot of what is in the bible and what christians believe to be true. so i really really like this theory, i doubt it will ever be outright confirmed, but i think this is going to be my canon tbh. 

elain is.... out of her mind. it’s fucking weird everything she says is so cryptic and odd. like it’s just weird. i don’t think she’s insane and i can’t remember exactly where elain’s storyline goes in this book but like... rn it’s just weird and cryptic and a little unsettling and also interesting that she only really responds directly to azriel because everyone else she kinda ignores but she talks to him. interesting. 

6) chapters 28-49 clearly i accidentally read A LOT so we have a lOT Of ground to cover. 

NESTA WAS TOTALLY CHECKING CASSIAN OUT AND THAT’S ALL I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT.

azriel has fucking jokes, man. page 303 (hardcover us edition)  “That pine tree wasn’t there a moment ago.” “Judging by its size, i’d say it’s been there for ... two hundred years at least.” feyre even notes that he has a dry sense of humor and it comes out more when they’re alone. i can’t get enough of it. i wish he talked more. 

“Cassian finished the muffin, licking his fingers. I could have sworn nesta watched the entire thing with a sidelong glance. He grinned at her as if he knew it too.” i just love nessian so much i’m going to point out all of their cute reactions this is turning more into a nessian reaction thread SUE ME.

I think that nesta has a lot of regret and guilt over her life.over how she treated feyre because it comes out when nesta brings up to feyre that she didn’t know she couldn’t read (and again at the high lords meeting when she says they would have starved if it wasn’t for her.) i think she feels deeply and just doesn’t know what to do with it, doesn’t know how to express it. 

When they almost get taken in the library, and cassian gets there and nesta “launches herself at him.” my heart. she was scared and she didn’t care she was just so relieved. like fuck me up that’s the shit i like.

nesta asking where cassian is the moment they get back from the battle in adriata and she was worried and scared for him. later when she does see him i think this is when the mating bond clicks into place. it’s page 398 and she says “You didn’t come to -” and then cuts herself off. they have a really fucking intense moment. cassian takes her hand and laces their fingers and they don’t really say anything for a beat until he says “Next time, emissary, i’ll come say hello.” but his voice is low and rough when he says it. “The world seemed to go utterly still at that interrupted sentence, nothing and no one more so than cassian.” i think this is when it clicks for him. maybe not for nesta but definitely for cassian. 

RHYSAND RIPPING TAMLIN’S ABILITY TO SPEAK AWAY LIKE YES WE STAN A MOTHERFUCKING KING. fuck tamlin. fuck eris. and fuck beron. also nesta defending cassian in the high lords meeting (page 438, because beron calls him a bastard.) again, i’m just saying, she’s defending her fucking mate i can’t deal. feyre also exploding in the meeting and rhys just being like “You’ve proved your point, my love.” SO DELICIOUS. “I made her high lady because i love her. her power was the last thing i considered.” like fucking hELL that is how you treat your woman.

after the meeting, helion being like “You handing eris’s ass to him will be my new fantasy at night, by the way.” DELICIOUS. fucking hilarious. 10/10 recommend helion as a high lord and a mans we love to see it. 

also cassian being so concerned when nesta starts to have that feeling about the cauldron being used before the wall gets shattered.he didn’t doubt her feelings for a second, i mean no one did, but he was completely unyielding when he sensed her fear and immediately looked for any sign of an immediate threat.

nesta saying she’s never worn pants and cassian saying “i have no doubt you’d start a riot if you did.” he’s thinking bout that ass. also cassian giving her a quick lesson in defense before they yeet off to the human lands to see graysen and his family. IDK I REALLY LOVE NESSIAN OKAY?!

7) chapter 50-the end. i accidentally finished the book. oops. 

super intersted in nesta’s powers and if she is a witch. i can’t remember acofas at all and if nesta’s powers manifest in that book but i’m eager to see if the fracturing of the cauldron didn’t effect whatever powers she took from it. i think that could also be part of what ultimately is wrong with her on top of all the trauma. 

nesta helping cassian after that first battle when his wrist is hurt. she didn’t take no for an answer and helped him and it was just really soft until mor showed up and cassian pulled his hand away. i’m conflicted about what it means to be totally honest. what it means for his feelings for nesta and what it means where mor is concerned. i don’t love how morrigan treats nesta and cassian’s... relationship? but i don’t dislike mor. i think she’s dealing and coping and has her reasons that we will likely find out about. 

“Only you can decide what breaks you” is something i’d like to get tattooed. i dont really have anything else to add to it. 

i was sobbing during rhys’s battle speech to everyone. i dont rlly have anything else to say about it other than i’m emo. 

nesta saving cassian. again i don’t have shit to say about it other than like it makes me so emotional.  she just started blinding screaming, hoping that he would come. i can’t even begin to think what his death would have done to her.

the bone carver smiling at feyre before he did hits a very specific piece of my heart and i’m not sure why or what but i had chills all over my body. 

cassian telling rhys to let him return the favor/repay the debt. HURT. another thing i cried over. like shut the fuck cassian AIN’T NOBODY DYIN TODAY. 

tHE Nessian moment to end all nessian moments when they would die together. like big fucking wow. you can’t tell me they’re not mates. that they don’t love each other despite how complicated all of it is. like cassian is so soft in the most unique way for her because he knows she bites and he lets her and he bites back and i just think it’s what he needs.

“tell the high lord to leave out a cup for me” AMREN SHUT UP. like fucking christ i teared up then too because i really really love her character. she’s unique and funny and dry and cranky and i just love her so much. 

i’m tired of rhys sacrificing himself. there, i said it. i cried like a fucking baby and of course he woke up being a snarky little shit.

i love the end of this book. i don’t know what i’ll do with myself until january when the next one comes out. i’ll probably go back to the other format for my next read through because it’s easier and less longwinded and i think you guys liked the other way better. anywho, thank you for coming along on this lil journey!!

[jacnaylor]

romance book recs!!

romance is my feel good genre, and it’s also usually somewhat easier to read during stressful times, so here’s a list of some books that are either romance or have a romance element i feel like mentioning.

(EDIT: I STAYED UP TILL 2 AM DOING THIS HELP. this is why some of the comments. don’t make any fucking sense.)

romance books and authors:

CONTEMPORARY:

1. The Bromance bookclub series by Lyssa Kay Adams (A group of men form a bookclub dedicated to romance books in order to understand women, improve their relationships and become better men. It’s funny, cute, and all about dismantling toxic masculinity one romance book at a time)

2. Mariana Zapata books (The queen of slowburn romance. The only book I’ve read by her is ‘Under Locke’, but ‘From Lukov with love’ and ‘Kulti’ have rave reviews. There is so much build up and SO much sexual tension with a great pay off)

3. Milly Johnson books (A uk author whose books are primarily set in the north, these are total feel good books. Not so much graphic and more romantic, but her characters are great and her plot lines really hook you in.)

4. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren (Super cute, quick enemies-to-lovers story about a bridesmaid who has to go on a honeymoon with the best man when the bride and groom get food poisoning. Obviously this means the holy of holies: fake relationship!)

5. Well met by Jen De Luca (Oh my gosh! Super fun, the characters are just wonderful especially our heroine. A hate-to-love romance set at a renaissance fair! All about overcoming the limits you set on yourself and rethinking your first impressions.)

6. Katherine Center books (My personal favourites are ‘How to walk away’ about a woman who falls for her PT after a near fatal plane crash. And ‘Happiness for beginners’ about a woman taking part in a wilderness trail with her brothers annoying best friend. She writes such great plots and you really feel all the emotions!)

7. Mhairi Mcfarlane books (my personal favourites are ‘Here’s looking at you’ about a woman who comes face to face with her high school bully years later - only he doesn’t recognize her. And he’s not awful? Don’t worry. I know how that synopsis sounds. He’s not excused his actions, but you also understand how he’s grown and changed. It definitely gets you in the feels though. As does ‘You had me at hello’ Which is about a couple from university meeting again years later. God this woman can write angst and yearning!!)

8. A part of me by Anouska Knight (On the same day she and her husband have been accepted into the adoption process, their marriage implodes. This has such a cute romance which follows hate-to friends- to love and it’s v funny)

9. Southern Eclectic series by Molly harper (Just as it sounds. Southern small town romance with a great, quirky cast of characters)

10. Maggie’s man by Lisa Gardner (writing as Alicia Scott) (An escaped convict kidnaps a woman from the courthouse to act as his hostage whilst he tries to prove his innocence. Surprisingly funny and warm. Maggie as a heroine is an absolute joy. They’re sort of chaotic together and it’s a wild ride.)

11. The Mister by E.L James (LISTEN OK - SIT BACK DOWN - It’s not winning awards but it’s actually decent! I was skeptical, but I will admit I was won over. I mean parts are cheesy but it’s so addictive. Basically a rich man falls for his cleaning lady - but it’s also about the yearning. It’s also quite action packed as there’s danger, drama and a chase across europe to get the girl.)

12. RECENT Colleen Hoover (Now, you may enjoy older CH books. Personally I find them very problematic. Now I’ve really enjoyed her recent books though. Especially ‘Without Merit’ and ‘It ends with us’ and ‘Regretting you’. High angst, high drama, dark topics for all of her books. But you can tell she’s matured with her writing. She isn’t for everyone but they’re addictive, fast paced reads.

13. The Austenland duology by Shannon Hale (You might have seen the Austenland movie - The cutest, cheesiest, sweetest, campiest movie ever. Well there’s a book! It’s about women who go on a holiday and live their own Jane Austen story with actors. The first book leans towards Pride and Prejudice and Mansfield park. The second book is more Northanger abbey and Emma.

14. Brigid Kemmerer contemporaries (She is an auto-buy author for me, especially her contemporaries. She writes the best teenage characters, the best teenage boys I’ve ever read about. Her characters are real, she writes about kids trying their best, struggling, and being good, and kind, and the world not being kind to them. Usually the books have a pov from both the female and male love interest. I would rec any of them tbh. ‘Letters to the lost’ comes before it’s companion novel ‘More than we can tell’. I loved ‘Call it what you want’ with has modern Robin Hood elements!!!! seriously she is my favourite YA contemporary author.

15. Sophie Kinsella books (If you haven’t picked up her stand alone novels then what are you doing???? she is the queen!!!! Personal favourites are ‘Can you keep a secret’ and ‘I’ve got your number)

16. A quiet kind of thunder by Sara Barnard (I love her ok. Her books are short and sweet but she packs a punch. TBH these aren’t primarily romance, they’re more just about teenage girls but this one has a good romance element so I’m putting it on here. It’s about Steffi, a selective mute who sometimes communicates with basic sign language who is assigned to look after the new boy at school Rhys, who is deaf.)

17. Meet me at the museum by Anne Youngson (GORGEOUS! moving, tender. A lonely housewifes strikes up a correspondence with a widowed museum curator in Denmark. Oh gosh. I just love this one. It’s about friendship, love, grief, second chances, the choices we make. Seriously love this one and it’s not that long.)

FANTASY:

1. Sorcery of thorns by Margaret Rogerson (Elisabeth has grown up in the great library, protecting grimoires with powers and fearing sorcerers. When a dangerous grimoire is released, she’s forced to team up with an enigmatic sorcerer and his demonic servant in order to save the world.)

2. Sky in the deep duology by Adrienne Young (A viking inspired story about a warrior who is captured by the tribe she is at war with. Such good tension and it’s also got a lot of action. Battle couple romance! Mutual respect! Hate to love!)

3. The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley (I’ve reread this book once but will end up reading it again. It’s a time travel romance about a woman staying in cornwall dealing with the death of her sister who is transported back and forth to the 17th century. It’s a favourite. The romance is wonderful but the stakes are really high too. I also love ‘Belleweather’ by the same author)

4. An ember in the ashes series by Sabaa Tahir (Oh god, the romance. THE ROMANCE! it’s so much. The angst, the pining, the longing. The first book follows Laia, part of a slave class in a roman inspired world. She begins spying in the top military academy and meets Elias, a reluctant soldier. This is a proper fantasy series with only the first three books out, but it’s so great.)

5. Alias Hook by Lisa Jensen (Let me just copy the blurb ok: “Meet Captain James Benjamin Hook, a witty, educated Restoration-era privateer cursed to play villain to a pack of malicious little boys in a pointless war that never ends. But everything changes when Stella Parrish, a forbidden grown woman, dreams her way to the Neverland in defiance of Pan's rules.” I MEAN COME ON. a gorgeous adult fairytale with love and redemption at the center.

6. The Mediator series by Meg Cabot (Obviously Meg Cabot is the most iconic and we stan. But this series is my absolute favourite by her. About Suze Simon, a kickass, no nonsense mediator - Someone who helps ghosts move on to the other side. Sometimes by force. She has to move house and ends up sharing her room with a 100 year old hot ghost named Jesse. The tension. The angst. THE BANTER!!!!)

7. House of Earth and Blood by Sara J Maas (a half fae half mortal girl tries to solve a murder with the help of a fallen angel. It’s a LONG book, but for me personally it flew by. It’s a big new fantasy world but the romance has a great build. Overcoming grief! Being normal together! Being in danger together! THE UST! the characters are so good. I ahven’t been this impressed by a new series for a while)

8. Cursebreakers series by Brigid Kemmerer (yep, she gets another mention. This one is a beauty and the best retelling about a man forced to relive the same season over and over, becoming a literal beat, until a girl from our world can break the curse. The second book, following secondary characters, is my fave so far. But both feature kickass ladies and those small romantic moments BK is so good at)

9. A court of thorns and roses series by Sara J Maas (a fae inspired beauty and the beast retelling. The only time you support a ship switch. Also the secondary ships are getting their own books and oh my god. I’m so excited.)

HISTORICAL/CLASSICS/MILLS AND BOON

1. Jane Austen (The original rom com queen, obviously. Pride and prejudice and Emma are faves. Also I have a major soft spot for the alwayc chaotic and underrated Northanger Abbey)

2. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (Actually might be my favourite classic ever. Often described at an industrial p&p. Margaret, from the south, comes face to face with the harsh reality of the world when she moves up north and comes face to face with a brooding millowner. There’s obviously a lot more nuance than that but. THE PINING!!!!!! THE MISCOMMUNICATION! THE DRAMA!)

3. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer (You might have seen the film. Please also read the book. Told entirely in letters. The sharp witted author Juliet Ashton falls in love with Guernsey and it’s characters whilst researching what happened there during the war. Funny, moving and romantic.)

4. The Veronica Speedwell series by Deanna Raybourn (A butterfly hunter foils her own kidnap and is paired together with a reclusive natural historian. They solve mysteries together. They can’t admit they wanna sleep together. The tension.......unbearable. See also the Julia Grey mysteries by the same author)

5. The warrior knight and the widow by Ella Matthews (So last year I discovered Mills and Boon and I have no shame about it whatsoever. This is a medieval beauty and the beast retelling about a woman being escorted to her fathers estate by an enigmatic and scarred knight. She’s hoping to convince her father to let her steward her own lands, and of course trying not to fall for her escort.)

6. The bareknuckle bastards series by Sarah Maclean (A badass, brooding trio of siblings who rule the underbelly of Covent Garden fall for smart, beautiful women. Opposites attract, Good girl/bad boy, strong women, banter. Super fun historical romance)

7. Redeeming the reclusive earl by Virginia Heath (I just read this and it was seriously cute!!!! And book where the hero blushes even once is a good book in my opinion. Basically aspiring antiquarian named Effie barrels into the life of a new earl - who really just wants to be left alone to be grumpy and sad and disfigured. ALONE. But Effie wants to dig on his land. And she won’t take no for an answer. She also talks A LOT.

8. A family for the widowed governess by Ann Lethbridge (Technically this is part of a series but you don’t need to read them in order and this is the best one. A widow who is being blackmailed accepts a governess post. She can’t tell her employer about the blackmail especially when she starts falling for him.)

9. The bedlam stacks by Natasha Pulley (I read watchmaker and didn’t like it but you might like it. This one also FEAUTRES A M/M ROMANCE. I know this list was super straight im sorry. Anyway this is about a botanist falling in love with a priest in the jungle.

10. The wilderness series by Sara Donati (Think outlander without the time travel and also not set in scotland. Basically Last of the Mohicans fanfiction about Hawkeye’s grown up son. An english woman moves to america when her father promises she can be a school teacher there. Little does she know he actually has plans to marry her off. Things get more complicated when she falls for Nathaniel Bonner, a white man raised native american and who’s daughter and extended family is Native American. Like outlander there’s romance, adventure, history. But unlike the outlander books the love interest is a decent guy (i say as if i don’t love the tv show)

STUFF THAT REALLY ISN’T ROMANCE AT ALL. BUT I SHIP A SHIP.

1. The Lacey Flint series by Sharon Bolton (Lacey Flint is a police officer who becomes involved in the hunt to catch a Jack the ripper copycat. There actually is a strong romantic element with the other lead police officer.)

2. The last hours duology by Minette Walters. A novel about the black death and a closed estate lead by a woman who’s trying to protect her people. There’s also a kind of murder mystery. But she also has a close relationship to one of the surfs that I got super invested in.

3. The Strike series by J.k Rowling (I know we don’t stan anymore but. This series about  PI and his assistant slowly growing closer? Becoming best friends and partners? Not acknowledging any feelings for each other?

[depeche-inof]

Torchwood: Outbreak - First Listen Stage 3 - Invasion  - Kill

Who’s this arsehole

W ha t

Torchwood haven’t wiped each other out

The frig does inoculation mean

I recognize it

the action of inoculating or of being inoculated; vaccination.  I googled it during the theme tune, remember hearing it in science 

Le gasp

Using Jack to cure people, ah

Welsh newsreader lady!

Oof people getting through the ring of steel

This is intense, i do not like

C h i l d r e n

RHYS

Gwen and Rhys at a fair, I think it’s a memory 

Yas Gwen shooting with her eyes shut

OH FUCK

Gwen you good?

RHYS STAY AWAY FROM HER

“I’m going to make the light die in your beautiful eyes.”

IANTO

Doing it the hard way, eh?

“If you’re gonna tie someone down, at least do it properly.”

ANDY

Miracles……………

“I’ve had to lock my lab assistant in the cupboard to stop her murdering me.”

It’s I need to find my wife guy

Ianto better not get the virus

Ooh they breaking in

Oh fuckity fuck

Gwen’s gonna kill Rhyyyyyyyyyysss

“Mostly it’s a hot spot for underage drinking when the weathers bad.”

Strong boi Ianto

“No rats, the weevils ate them.” HSHAH

NO NEWSREADER LADY HAS THE VIRUS

OH DAMNNNNNN

FRANCIS IS HIS WIFE

I thought they didn’t have a vaccine

My ears feel weird

Who’s snoring

W T F

There’s 40 minutes left how are they gonna fix this

“Together they fight crime.” UIABSUIDBSAIABHD

S c r a t c h i n g 

BTC?

Oh fuck, man

Provictus … 

“I got lost on a school trip here once.”

God this guys is so much like Clem

W h e e z i n g

Bad thinking citizen 

Damn they really leaving these bitches to die

Is that a Scottish accent?

Is Andy sleeping again?

Andy still has a bullet just like in him

S I R E N H E A D

Oh fuck she bett-

She did it

What are they doing? 

Ah it was a sedative, thought so

Nurser Jack and Doctor Larson, I like this duo

“There’s a hole in my shoulder.”

THEY’RE HANGING PEOPLE???

RUN

“Shitarse!”

Clocks gun “I’m getting us a car.”

Don’t kill Ianto, please

“They can’t shoot all of us, can they?” wellllllll

“Shut ya face.”

Gwen, I don’t know if that’s going to work.

Oh fuck, it’s mind control 

N O R T O N

Okay I don't really know what Jack’s done but vibes 

People are so demanding

This bitch is lying ain’t she

“You’re adorable.” he really is, isn’t he?

“Yeeaaaayyyyy.”

“Surpriiiiisssee!”

“Heya Gwen, it’s my birthday, would you like a balloon?”  I love him so much

Oh dear, Gwen

No, no it isn’t a great day for Cardiff

Jack and Ianto reuniting :)

Now kiss

“All the better for seeing you.”  “Likewise.”

Scream

Gwen, get off them, you're infected, though I stan her love for her best friends.

“That’s our Gwen.”

“Balls.”

Hit the ground running

“It is not a mind control drug.” wellll 

Norton blackmailed Jack?

This data technology nanovirus shit is too smart for my brain

Oh shit

Things are unravelling

OHHHH DAMN

What the fuck 

SHE SCRATCHING

What the fuck man i’m so confused

YOU TELL THEM GWEN

“Shush, Jack, Rhys is sleeping.” I love this man

I do not like this Francis person

AHAHHAHA THEY PUT LUKE IN HER CAR AHDUAGSDVSAGYHDVJJ

Cuties

They’re at the fair, I’m scared?

‘Ianto Jones’ is playing, I’m going to cry

Ianto’s a fighter

“You’re amazing. kiss My hero.” “A very quiet hero.” “There are many kinds of heroism. And Ianto Jones, I like yours.”

AAAAA THEM!!!

Torchwood: Outbreak - Closing Thoughts

Well that was...wow. I’ll need to listen again because that was a lot. But damn Ianto and Jack do be in love though. Gwen being a badass as usual. Norton being that bitch. Rhys being Rhys and we love him for it. AND ANDY!

[guccifloralsuits]

hi we were talking about books yesterday and i was wondering if you have any good fiction recommendations? 😇😇😇

Yes, I have so many! I broke them down into relative categories, so there’s a little mix of everything. Please read the actual synopsis before diving in though, as some have major trigger warnings.

Books considered “classics”

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston: a book which I come back to in hard times of my life. There’s something so…necessary about this story. Prose style was great. I would rec this book to every person I know.

Mrs. Dalloway by Virgina Woolf: I read this when my life seemed to be changing faster than I could keep up. Beautifully written. Came at a time when I needed it.

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys: written as a prequel to Jane Eyre and a modernist masterpiece honestly. THE original meditation on the ideal of a Manic Pixie Dream Girl

The Color Purple by Alice Walker: you’ve probably heard this name from the adaptation. Let me tell you. This book deserves all of its acclaim. I think I’m gonna re-read soon.

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austin: this is super mainstream for The Literary Circles but it’s for good reason, this book is just? Fun? An honestly enjoyable read? plus when I was taking my SATs way back when they had an essay section, I could use this book for literally any prompt they gave

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë: this book is wild. Everyone is a messy bitch who lives for drama & I love it. I just finished it and omg

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath: my emo teen- girl rebelling ass ate this shit up back in high school. Is this book overrated? I don’t care. I love it for nostalgic value anyways

The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood: startling beautiful lines. I have almost half this book underlined. A popular read in recent times, with good reason.

A picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde: I fundamentally disagree with everything written in this book. That is exactly the point. About being gay & sinning. I would not recommend this as a ‘light’ read though. Easy to get swept up in Wilde’s sharp wit & not catch the intentional malice behind what he says, underneath.

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez: I just. Love this. That’s all I have to say. Yeah.gif

All The King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren: The nihilism of Oscar Wilde but set to a political backdrop in the 30’s with stylistic prose akin what you’d read from Hemingway. Probably not for everyone’s taste. But right up my alley in terms of political intrigue. If ur a stuffy English Major with who likes books about corruption, you’ll like this.

Popularized books that are worth the hype they had:

The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls: there’s something so…engaging about the way this is written. It’s pretty much about kids who have to act like adults for their shitty parents. I couldn’t put this down though.

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn: as with all her novels, this gets dark. This gets ugly. An absolute thriller, & I can’t recommend her books enough. (You might know her from Gone Girl & Sharp Objects. This story follows similar tone). Honestly I rec anything by Flynn.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman: you’ve probably heard of or seen this movie. Well guess what? the book is even better.

YOU by Caroline Kepnes: aka the adapted Netflix series where dan from gossip girl plays plays joe, who is basically Dan but Unhinged. But like, the books are great. “Hidden Bodies” which is the sequel to this is even better, in my opinion. Just plz don’t romance Joe cus you saw penn badgley in a Netflix poster & were thirsty 4 him

Lesser Known/underrated books which could use your love:

A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley: A reimagining of King Lear, set on an Iowa farm in the late 1970s. Powerful and disturbing

The Gold Bug Variations by Richard Powers: specifically for classical music lovers. Basically a long meditation on supernal mysteries of music, specifically Bach’s intricate Goldberg Variations (you’ll wanna have the Glenn Gould recording to hand), & those of the DNA molecule (especially as a code to be broken) It gradually dawns on you that the two couples listening to the music and studying the molecule are themselves engaged in something strangely molecular and musical. You won’t always understand this book, but it keeps taking your breath away.

Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn: did I buy this book solely because of this tumblr post? Yeah. But it was easily one of the best decisions I’ve made. The way he manipulates letter-language is wild. Woah. Highly recommended.

The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window & Disappeared by Jonas Johnson: a 100 year old dude escapes his nursery home a steals a suitcase full of drug money then goes on a giant crime spree. HIGHLY entertaining. We stan a King

The Sellout by Paul Beatty: probably the greatest satirical comedy written within the last 50 years. I said what I said.

Children’s/teen/YA books you should absolutely read

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster: wonderfully creative, beautifully told. Takes abstract constructs and turns them into concrete beings and landscapes in amazing, engaging ways. Please read this. One of my all-time favorite books. Takes the protagonist, Milo, on a fantastical adventure borne through boredom on what he though would be another average day. Seriously. I love this book. So much.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman: another beautifully creative foray into a parallel universe where something Not Quite Right lurks beneath a pretty surface. If you’ve seen the movie adaption - great. Still read the book. It’s absolutely worth it.

Love that Dog by Sharon Creech: technically free verse poetry from the perspective of a young boy dealing with the loss of his pet dog who has to write poetry for a class assignment from his teacher. This is…so good. Oh my god. Oh my god? Poetry for non-poetry people.

The Giver by Louis Lowery: Listen. I know you were forced 2 read this in primary English. I know you probably hated it on principle. But this shit was all that kept me going, when I was younger. It made me feel so understood, before I could define trauma or the meaning of depression. This book made me feel seen.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky: ya know what? Fuck 2013 tumblr for dumbing this book down into a basic ass Grunge Anthem. I have never seen a book so adequately grapple with how awful romanticizing trauma can be. This book goes into the horrible side of adolescence in a way that’s genuine, and in a way which doesn’t put trauma/mental illness on a pedestal. I needed that shit, when I read it. I still love this book today. The lines will stay with you forever, after you read some of them.

All the Bright Places, by Jennifer Niven: this was another one of those books that I read in an essential time, which lodged into me afterwards. About two teenagers who meet while standing on the bell tower of their school, both contemplating suicide. Highly recommend. Prepare to cry.

You didn’t ask for Poetry but I’m including some because I am poetry TRASH:

Rice by Nikky Finney

A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver

One Big Self by C.D. Wright

LOOK by Solmaz Sharif

Poetry for people who think poetry is inaccessible to them:

New American Best Friend by Olivia Gatwood

Our Numbered Days by Neil Hillborn

Depression & Other Magic Tricks by Sabrina Benaim

There are literally SO SO SO many books I could also add, but these are the ones that came to mind. Bolded ones are those I especially love. Happy reading!