#tbh i was thinking of selling rowan for a while

[cursebreaker-lilith]

HC List #1-Electives

So this is a little series where basically I just...talk about my various headcanons on a certain topic lol Just a thing to keep all my ideas in one spot because I’m forgetful.

I’m writing my year 3 rewrite and in it, unlike hogwarts mystery lol, I’m following HP canon. So, since everyone isn’t just in every elective, I decided to make a list of who took what electives in my verse and my reasoning why!

under a cut because looong

Rowan

Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and CoMC. This is mainly tied to my MC tbh, they compromised on classes so they could have the same schedule. Arithmancy and Runes because they’re very brainy subjects, CoMC because that’s what Lili wanted. In a more generic verse, I would imagine that Rowan is the type of person who would try to take all the electives because they’re a nerd (affectionate).

Ben

Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. These are the least terrifying options (CoMC with its scary animals? Divination with the terror of the future?) and ones he’s unfamiliar with because Muggle Studies is not scary but also...he knows Muggles. It’d be a boring class for him, and he is a good student who likes learning new things.

Penny

Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. I also believe that Penny likes being academically challenged, and these two are apparently two of the harder classes at Hogwarts. I can see her considering Divination, because she seems like the type of person who would be into like astrology lol, but not taking it because of Trelawny. I can also see her possibly taking CoMC to coo over cute animals.

Merula

Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and CoMC. It’s canon Arithmancy is needed to be a curse breaker so that. I also headcanon that Runes is needed because well...I’d imagine there’s a lot of curses written in ancient runes? It seems useful. So those plus CoMC because she seems to like animals.

Bill

Divination, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies and CoMC. I believe it’s canon he took all five main electives so. Yea.

Tonks

CoMC, and Muggle Studies. Easy classes that are also fun. She’d get a hoot out of CoMC and Kettleburn, and I feel she’d be genuinely interested in Muggle Studies unlike most others who take it.

Tulip

Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Divination. Tulip is another one who likes a challenge academically so I can see her taking the two hardest classes, plus Divination which has a reputation for being difficult for non seers.

Barnaby

Divination and CoMC.  I feel these two probably have a reputation at Hogwarts for being ‘joke’ classes you take when you don’t want a genuinely hard workload alongside the core classes, so they’re probably good for someone who isn’t as academically strong like Barnaby. Of course, he’s genuinely interested in CoMC, and I feel he would take Muggle Studies but would be afraid of his family finding out somehow.

Ismelda

Divination and CoMC. She just wants to have the same schedule as Barnaby tbh. Though I do see her genuinely interested in both.

Charlie

Muggle Studies and CoMC. CoMC is a given, and considering his dad, I can see him being interested in taking Muggle Studies.

Andre

Divination and Muggle Studies. He doesn’t strike me as someone super into animals so no CoMC. And while he’s smart, I don’t see him as a challenge seeker looking for difficult classes. His skills lie outside academia and he knows it so he doesn’t go looking for challenge there.

Jae

Divination and CoMC. He finds Trelawny hilarious and that’s the sole reason he took the class. He also low key steal things from CoMC in order to sell them later. And, even though he’s a very smart kid, he likes having no expectations and takes the easy classes.

Badeea

Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Divination. lbr Badeea would be all over Divination considering the astrology-astronomy connections. And she’s another who likely wants challenging and more cerebral classes.

Liz

Divination and CoMC. Not taking them because they’re easy, but because she loves magical creatures and because her mum is a seer and told her to take Divination (which is such a cool detail imo!).

Diego

Divination and CoMC. The easy classes tbh. Diego doesn’t seem like the type of person who is interested in any of the others and take the two options that are even mildly interesting to him.

Talbott

CoMC, Ancient Runes, and Divination. Ok, according to everything from the in game Divination classes he apparently hates the class and finds it stupid, but I can see him taking it thinking it’d be interesting and being so disappointed lol. I imagine he likely pulls a Hermione and storms out at some point.

Chiara

Divination, Muggle Studies, and CoMC. She likes animals (borf!), seems genuinely interested in divination from in game text, and comments from the Lone Wolf quest paint her as being interested in Muggle culture (rollerblades and punk!) so these were all no brainers to choose.

Bea

Divination and CoMC. She doesn’t really enjoy Divination, but she needed a second choice. Does really enjoy CoMC though and spends lots of time playing with puffskeins when class isn’t going on.

Skye

Divination and CoMC. Yeah, she’s taking the easy classes so she can focus more on Quidditch.  

Murphy

Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Muggle Studies. Considering all his numbers talk, of course he’s in Arithmancy which is apparently like magic math. And he also falls in the likes a challenge squad, so I added Runes and a third class. Chose Muggle Studies because I don’t think he’d like the wishy-washy-ness of Divination.

Orion

Ancient Runes and Divination. He’d be......so into Divination lol. You know him and Trelawny would get along swimmingly. Then Ancient Runes because it’s...essentially a languages class I guess, and he seems the type to be into knowing different languages?

[a-bear-at-hogwarts]

!! I was tagged by @mervinamoonishere​ , thank you so much!! ^-^

I’m not very good at tags sorry nlkjbh so I’ll tag two folk and anyone else who’d like to do this!! @carmilla-the-bird​ and @gayandvibin​ if y’all would like to ^-^

Character opinions - under a read more because it’s a bit long!!

Favourite Gryffindor: ooo hm, ,  I think I’d have to go with Bill for this one!! The older brother figure mc really needed throughout the ordeal that is the vaults njkbhu - he’s supportive and tries his best to be there for the younger kids, even post graduation!

Least Favourite Gryffindor: Tyler for sure, she’s just, , eesh. What’s her damage?? Why’s she so concerned with a girl two or three years younger than her being popular?? Why’s she so hell bent on making life worse for everyone else?? 

Favourite Hufflepuff: I’ll have to go with Chiara for this one!! She’s such a fun character, invested in healing and helping others despite her isolation and fear - I’m often at odds with the pushiness of the mc, but I’m glad she’s got a friend she can trust now at least <3

Least Favourite Hufflepuff: I don’t really have one tbh? They’re all at least vaguely endearing nkjbh

Favourite Ravenclaw: Talbott!! I love all the Ravenclaw kids tbh, but Talbott’s one of my favourites - he’s awkward and alone, and the slow friendship that builds is really lovely imo ^-^

Least Favourite Ravenclaw: lnkjbhuv like I said, I love all the ravenclaw kiddos so I don’t really have one of these either ^-^

Favourite Slytherin: Merula - I’m basic I know nlkjbhiv. I just think she has so much potential to grow, and she seems to genuinely want to do better!! I love her!! But I also love Liz, , and Barnaby, , honestly I adore most of the slytherin kids too njkbhj 

Least Favourite Slytherin: I have to say Ismelda here - I do think she has the potential to grow as well!! But she never seems to want to which bothers me. That said her character is interesting af, and while she’s not a character I love so much as Merula she’s still got a really interesting potential arc!!

Favourite Quidditch Character: Rath, 100%!! I love Murphy too, but I’m gay and I both love Erika and project onto her highkey nlkjbh

Least Favourite Quidditch Character: I know this is far from an unpopular opinion, but probably Skye ^-^’ I do understand in part why she might be the way she is but... the rumour thing? And how she responded to it? She doesn’t even seem to acknowledge what she’s done is wrong. Fair enough if you like her!! l know she has the potential for a great arc, it’s just not one that appeals to me ^-^’

Favourite Teacher: McGonnogal!! Professor Sprout is a close second ^-^

Least Favourite Teacher: Severus. Biggoted prick

Favourite Non-Teacher Adult: Madam Pomfrey!!

Least Favourite Non-Teacher Adult: Rita Skeeter - her writing in the books is problematic tbh, but setting that aside she really needs to stop bothering people and writing such horrible stories about folks. “It sells” isn’t an excuse

Rate Rowan on a scale of 1-10, 1 being “Why are we even friends?” and 10 being “BFFs for Life!”: solid 8!! Dahlia’s close to them, and while they’re not the closest of their friends they’re the first, and hold a special place in her heart.

Rate Jacob on a scale of 1-10, 1 being “You’re dead to me” and 10 being “Love you forever, big bro!!”: Setting aside jammy’s god awful writing, Dahlia goes between a 4 and a 9 at any point in time!! Leaving them behind?? Bad, rude, you’re an idiot. But also she’d die for him y’know?? And she can’t mourn him again

Rate MC and your similarities on a scale of 1-10, 1 being “MC is nothing like me” to 10 being “MC is ttly a self-insert lol”: Oof, probably about?? 4ish?? Like I yote my hair on her, and my body issues to try and trick myself out of them njkbh, but in terms of height and general temperament and family situation she’s completely different!! She’s also got elements of my own hyper empathy and learning style!

Favourite Side Quest: Hm, I think, , probably the Werewolf ones!! It’s got potential story stuff for my mc what with her family’s complex relationship with werewolves and the likes, and also allows you to meet Chiara!!

Least Favourite Side Quest: The fairy one. I’m still not done jnkbhvgh

Your Ideal Ending for Patricia Rakepick: Jail! Jail for one thousand years! jkghivu though she might end up dying in my telling of the story ngl, Dahlia’s not the most stable in regards to her :,)

[rowancrowe-blog]

[rolls out from the trash] hey :) so this past couple of weeks were a roller coaster, and i see i missed a lot. but i’m back and i finally have a plot page, so if anyone is interested i have some ideas down the cut for both my girls!   [if you like any of the ideas/have a similar one/have a plot you’d like to do and think either rowan or willow can fit it, feel free to like this and i’ll be on your IM’s :) ]

FOR WILLOW 

NEW POETRY-- “you might be the death of me. suffocating, please let me breathe. kiss, kiss. lights out. i’ve got to. we’ve got to.”  (OPEN TO 1)

-Willow and MUSE hate each other’s guts. However, it seems that whenever things get heated between each other, they get seriously heated. The only time they ever agree with each other is when they’re tearing each other’s clothes off. aka hateship.

AUF ACHSE-- “you see her, you can’t touch her. you hear her, you can’t hold her. you want her, you can’t have her. you want to, she won’t let you. she’s not so special, look what you’ve done.” (OPEN TO 1) 

-For some reason Willow has found an interest in this person. Her true intentions are unclear even for her, but she seems to linger around wherever MUSE is. MUSE thinks Willow only wants to get then in bed, and she lets them think so. aka unrequited crush. (TAKEN BY JACKIE SAMPSON)  Alternate:  -MUSE has an interest in Willow, and she founds that funny. Often teasing them about it. She might give in or not, only time can tell.  aka Willow is trash. 

-church acquintances. (open to everyone forever) they hate her. they are afraid of her. they feel uncomfortable around her. they think she lost her way and they want to help her see the light. anything, tbh just give me these connections. 

-neighbors. (open to everyone in peregrinis forever) “TURN YOUR FUCKIGN MUSIC DOWN WARREN. !!1!1!!!11!”  So Willow absolutely pays no thought on how thin the walls can be, so she has her music turned up 24/7. That’s only bound to annoy people. Unless someone actually thinks she had nice taste lmao (Taken by Carmen de la Cruz.) 

-other students that major in business or anything related to that. (Open to multiple) maybe they teamed up a couple of times. either things went good or bad. (spoiler alert: underneath all that trash, willow is lowkey a nerd) (Taken by Park ‘Dani’ Dan Hee)

-trash friends. people wonder how they can even function. they probably would sell each other for a corn dog. (plot twist: they’re actually ride or die.) (open to 1 or 2) 

-actual trash friend. there really isn’t a friendship. it’s more fake than anything. who’s gonna sell out the other first? (open to many)

-soft friend. this person is so different to willow. the kind of person she’d just love to toy around with. however, she ends up toning herself down when she’s around this person. probably would fight someone if anyone does anything to this person. (open to 1) 

FOR ROWAN

NEVER SAY NEVER-- “i might like you better if we slept together.” (OPEN TO 1) 

While her personality and interests stay the same, Rowan usually adapts to other people. However, she simply can’t get well with MUSE. There’s just something about them, and MUSE doesn’t make it any easier as they don’t seem to get Rowan either. They don’t hate each other but their conversations always end up in bickering. Maybe there is one way to solve that tension. 

IS THIS LOVE-- “you're hiding under other people's skin, but it's way too thin.“ (OPEN TO 2)

Someone who sees right through Rowan. Either because they are the same way-- Just putting on a mask to go through life. Or maybe because they knew someone like that. Maybe they were like that. In the end, they just want to help her, or at least be a comforting shoulder. Alternate: Rowan knows what its like, to put on a smile when you feel all lost in the world. Maybe she’s a hypocrite for trying to help, maybe she’s not. All she knows, is how awful it can be-- And wouldn’t wish the same on anyone else. 

CHLORINE-- “i’m so sorry i forgot you. let me catch you up to speed.” (OPEN TO 1)

Despite having friends, Rowan isn’t really good at keeping them. Some of her friends are used to her simply dropping off the face of the Earth only to come back as if nothing has happened. But MUSE didn’t take it lightly-- They felt betrayed or hurt by her suddenly stopping talking to them. Rowan feels guilty about this and wants to fix it, the question is how? (Could be platonic or romantic) 

-ex. Bonus: also connected to Tatiana. If anyone is interested in this, we can definitely plan out more. But basically, they were dating and MUSE cheated on Rowan with Tatiana. (the reasons behind it, or how it happened are utp) (OPEN TO 1)

-other architecture majors!!

-people that thinks she had it out for tatiana: (open to multiple) and she lets them think so. probably doesn’t help her own case. at all. (Taken by Jackie Sampson)

-polar opposites. who knows how they started as friends? MUSE is bubbly or outgoing, or just everything Rowan isn’t. Somehow, they aren’t shyed away by Rowan’s apparent indifference, and Rowan simply rolls with whatever crazy thing MUSE says or does. (Taken by Logan Myoui, Sonny Thompson and  Mina Bae)

[goforwardgreenwriter-blog]

The Worm Reads: Empire of Storms, Ch 71-72

These goddamn chapters are so long I want to d ie

The Queen of the Fae was exactly as Aelin remembered. Swirling dark robes, a beautiful pale face beneath onyx hair, red lips set in a faint smile

Of course Maeve is also drop dead gorgeous. Somebody gotta put a cap on the amount of beauty in SJM’s novels, it’s becoming too much.

With [Maeve’s] attention elsewhere, Lorcan took up a place at Aelin’s side—as if they were somehow allies in this, would fight back-to-back. Aelin didn’t bother to say anything to him.

I mean, Lorcan being on your side gives you a much better chance of rescuing Elide, but sure Alien, be like that.

That ripple of Lorcan’s power the day Ansel’s fleet had closed in … [Aelin]’d known it was a summoning. The same way she’d summoned the Valg to Skull’s Bay. She’d refused to immediately explain Ansel’s presence, wanting to enjoy the surprise of it, and he had summoned Maeve’s armada to take on what he’d believed to be an enemy fleet. To save Elide.

This seems kinda weird to me? Elide has stated to Lorcan numerous times that she’s on Alien’s side, so wouldn’t Maeve consider her a threat and an enemy? Why would Lorcan summon her to save Elide, then? But whatever, the less time we dwell on shitty writing, the quicker we get this shitshow over with.

Elide was trembling; every bone, every pore was trembling

Every pore??? Lmfao is SJM just giving up at this point?? She can’t shoehorn in sexual references when her protag is confronting the villain so she wants to just get it over with.

Lorcan betrays them and Alien is shocked, but like... why are y’all surprised Lorcan was literally only with you guys for Elide, he has no reason to like anyone else in Alien’s group of jackasses.

Flame danced at Aelin’s fingertips. No. Her magic had been emptied, still hovered near burnout.

Maeve kick her ass please I am begging you, wipe the fucking floor with her

Maeve returned Aelin’s smile. “(...)Of course, the fools didn’t realize that when you had drained yourself on their armies, I’d be waiting. You were already exhausted after putting out the fires I had my armada ignite to tire you on Eyllwe’s coast. It was a convenience that Lorcan gave your precise location and saved me the energy of tracking you down myself.” A trap. An enormous, wicked trap. To drain Aelin’s power over days— weeks.

Alien’s tiny mind is fucking blown by this but no fucking shit!!! You’re a dumbass who thinks wasting her magic on shooting fireworks out of her ass is a good idea, of course someone would notice and take advantage of you!! Does Alien even have a goddamn brain???

“The armada was a precaution. Just in case the ilken didn’t arrive for you to wholly drain yourself … I figured a few hundred ships would make for good kindling until I was ready.” To sacrifice [Maeve’s] own fleet—or part of it—to gain one prize … This was madness. The queen was utterly insane.

I mean. Maeve is an evil bloodthirsty monster, but she’s way smarter than any of these dumbasses. Honestly, I’m starting to root for her. She figured out her enemy’s weakness and used it against them, which is more brain power than Alien is capable of.

Flame slammed outward, red and golden—just as a wall of darkness lashed for Aelin. The impact shook the world. Even Manon was thrown on her ass.

Love how SJM tries to make this showdown all ~epic and uhmayzing~ but then throws in Manon falling flat on her ass. The rivalry between Maeve and Alien is barely developed so I’m hardly excited for Maeve to kick Alien’s ass. Makes me wish I could be reading Death Note instead, now there’s a good power play between rival characters.

Lorcan grabs Elide while Maeve and Alien duke it out and he tries to get her to run.

[Elide] would not. She’d sooner die than flee like a coward, not when Aelin was going to the mat for all of them, when—

Going to the mat? Wtf??? Yes I know it’s an expression of struggling/fighting until defeated or victorious, but this completely threw me out of the story when I read it. This is a (supposedly) medieval setting, and this saying just seems out of place in this setting.

A whip of black sliced into Aelin. She went down. And Elide thought the impact of Aelin Galathynius’s knees hitting the sand might have been the most horrible sound she’d ever heard.

Elide was literally enslaved in a tower and abused by her uncle but seeing some stupid queen she barely knows getting the shit kicked out of her is the worst thing she’s ever witnessed. Okay, SJM, okay. Elide deserves so much better than to be reduced to a fangirl to splooge over Alien.

Aelin crawled backward, blood sliding from her right nostril. Dripping on her white shirt.

*clenches fist* fragmentsssssss. A comma or the word and would’ve sufficed better there.

Aelin tried to rise. Tried, but her legs had given out. The Queen of Terrasen panted, fire flickering like dying embers around her.

I’ll admit, I rather like the symbolism of the embers dying out around her, highlighting how she’s utterly failed and gotten her ass whooped. Very nice.

Fenrys and Gav roll up to the party while Maeve continues to beat Alien. I know it’s cruel to say, but I’m rather enjoying Alien getting her arrogant ass whooped after unfairly winning literally every confrontation with no effort in this novel.

But Maeve let the darkness around Aelin part. She was curled on her side, bleeding from both nostrils now, more blood dribbling from her panting mouth.

Considering she’s getting whipped and stabbed by black magic, I think she should be bleeding from actual wounds than having just a nosebleed lmao. Maeve starts grilling Gav.

“Did I or did I not tell you to execute Lorcan on sight?” “There were … circumstances that prevented it from happening. We tried.” “Yet you failed. Am I not supposed to discipline my blood-bonded who fail me?” Gavriel lowered his head. “Of course—we will accept it. And I will also take on the punishment you intended for Aelin Galathynius.”

NOOOOO I SWEAR TO FUCKING GOD SJM IF YOU KILL OFF GAV FOR ALIEN TO LIVE I WILL FUCKING FIGHT YOU

So Maeve kicks Gav out of her court and dishonors him, but he lives, thank god. If Gav ends up dying in this series I’m gonna have to have a long angry chat with SJM. Gav basically disappears for the rest of the scene even though he’s right there? Whatever spares him from the agony of this shitty book I guess.

Elide splooges about what a badass assassin Alien was and how she’ll wait for the right moment to strike, before Maeve removes all of Alien’s weapons for that exact reason. My sides hurt from the fucking cackling I did at that. Can’t believe I am about to stan Maeve, but she’s a ruthless, badass, calculating villain who is capable of thinking about things other than sex. Nothing but respect for my evil queen.

“What a powerhouse you two would be—[Aelin] and Prince Rowan. And any offspring of that union …” A vicious smirk. “You and Rowan could rule this continent if you wished. But your children … your children would be powerful enough to rule an empire that could sweep the world.”

Ungh, c’mon Maeve, I know you’re just fucking with Alien, but don’t make me read that garbage. Can’t wait until there’s a sequel series to Thr0ne of glass about Alien’s goblin kids being even more uber powered special snowflakes than their mother. C’mon, you know SJM would.

“It was so easy to tug on the right psychic thread that day Rowan saw Lyria at the market. To shove him down that other path, to trick those instincts. A slight altering of fate.” (...) Maeve said, “So your mate was given to another. And I let him fall in love, let him get her [pregnant]. And then I broke him. No one ever asked how those enemy forces came to pass by his mountain home.”

Great, so Lyria was nothing but a plot point to get Ratlin together now? Fuck off SJM, stop reducing your other characters as nothing but plot points for your precious OTP. Lyria deserved so much better than this.

“[Rowan] took the blood oath without question. And I knew that whenever you were born, whenever you’d come of age … I’d ensure that your paths crossed, and you’d take one look at each other and I’d have you by the throat. Anything I asked for, you’d give to me. Even the keys. For your mate, you could do no less. You almost did that day in Doranelle.”

Lmfao I love how one of the main selling points fans use for this series were “it depicts love accurately, Alien has more than one love interest!1″ and SJM fucking killed any chance of using that as a positive of the series hahahahaha I am actually fucking dying. Chaol, Dorito, and Sam didn’t mean shit because her one true love was Rowboat all long. Couldn’t have written a shittier plot twist if I tried, SJM, hats off to you. That deserves a slow clap.

Maeve ignored [Elide pleading]. “Well? When did you know [Rowan was her mate]?” “At Temis’s temple,” Aelin admitted, glancing to Manon. “The moment the arrow went through his shoulder. Months ago.”

Nothing turns me on more than my abusive boyfriend almost dying by an arrow to the shoulder. I know, I know, the mating bond in AC0TAR is different than the ones in T0G, but still.

Maeve shrugged. “If it’s any consolation, Aelin, you would have had a thousand years with Prince Rowan. Longer.”

Go tf off, Maeve!!!! I’d read an entire book of Maeve just ripping Alien a new one tbh

Turns out Alien is due to Settle in five years or so. What a relief, SJM’s precious Mary Sue won’t ever have to grow, god forbid, old and ugly! Phew, really dodged a bullet there!

Maeve calls out Cairn, the asshole dude Lorcan brought up many chapters prior.

A handsome, brown-haired warrior walked toward them from the cluster of escorts. Handsome, if it weren’t for the sadistic cruelty singing in his blue eyes.

So is he handsome or not, SJM? These two sentences are so contradictory. Maeve gives Alien a choice whether to come willingly or to refuse and let Elide be dragged along. Alien is a selfish shitlord, but she cares about Elide despite barely knowing her, so we all know which she’ll probably choose.

Next chapter, finally, holy shit that one was so long I had to skim most of it.

Aelin’s body hurt. Everything hurt. Her blood, her breath, her bones. There was no magic left. Nothing left to save her.

It’s funny how this is framed as we’re supposed to feel bad for poor Alien but I’m laughing my ass off. Act like a little shit, get hit, Alien.

Aelin simply nodded at the Fae Queen. Her acceptance and surrender.

Surprise, surprise. I’ll at least give Alien a little credit for considering the safety of somebody else besides herself or Rowboat’s Fae peen. Man, the bar is set pretty low, eh?

And because she had won, Maeve even loosened her power’s grip on Aelin’s bones. Allowed Aelin to turn to Elide and say, “Go with Manon. She will take care of you.” Elide began crying, shoving away from Lorcan. “I’ll go with you, I’ll come with you—”

Wtf Elide, no, you’re smarter than this!!!! Alien is sacrificing herself so you can be free, you run and get Alien’s comrades and then you have a chance to free Alien afterwards!! Goddamnit SJM you’re making me repulsed by Elide because all she is now is a tool to fawn over Alien dhfkhfksdh I'm so goddamn mad

Aelin’s soul splintered as she saw the iron box the escorts now carried between them. An ancient, iron coffin. Big enough for one person. Crafted for her.

Oof, so there’s the coffin bit I’ve been hearing about. Can’t really say I’m sorry for Alien. Yeah I know that’s mean, but she’s a massive unlikable selfish asshole who gets everything handed to her without her doing any work, so forgive me for not feeling bad when she finally gets a good deserved kick in the bottom.

“And tell Rowan,” Aelin said, fighting her own sob, “that I’m sorry I lied. But tell him it was all borrowed time anyway. Even before today, I knew it was all just borrowed time, but I still wish we’d had more of it.”

Again, good concept, just wasted on an absolute shit tier ship. Someone write an AU of this but with a good ship, yeah? And, y’know, rewrite most of the plot so it makes sense.

Maeve lowered the mask and drawled to Aelin, “Rumor claims you will bow to no one, Heir of Fire.” That serpentine smile. “Well, now you will bow to me.” She pointed to the sand. Aelin obeyed.

I shouldn’t be enjoying this as much as I am, but ahhh feels so good to read Alien get taken down a peg or two after being so irritatingly arrogant! Feels good, feels organic.

“Take off your shirt.” Aelin tugged her shirt out of her pants and slung it over her head, tossing it in the sand beside her. Then she removed the flexible cloth around her breasts.

So.... a bra, essentially? Is she wearing a bra? Or was SJM unsure of whether or not medieval women wore bras and was like “Ehhhh I’ll describe it as just a cloth, that way nobody can point fingers at me for shitty world building!”

Aelin didn’t fight as [the Fae warriors] each gripped her by an arm and hauled her up. Spread her arms wide. The sea air kissed her breasts, her navel.

Man, given how there’s only a few chapters left, this may be the last unnecessary focus on a female character’s breasts we get in this novel. And it’s right before our main character endures a harsh whipping. Oh SJM, you never disappoint.

Cairn halted. [Aelin] felt him studying the tattoo on her back. Rowan’s loving words, written there in the Old Language. Cairn snorted. Then she felt him revel in how he’d destroy that tattoo.

Evidently, SJM never learned what nuanced characters are. Cairn whips Alien some until Maeve orders them to chuck Alien into the iron coffin. Manon peaces out with Elide, and I hope SJM lets them run away with Abraxos to a better novel.

Time—[Aelin] was grateful Elena had given her that stolen time. Grateful she had met them all, that she had seen some small part of the world, had heard such lovely music, had danced and laughed and known true friendship. Grateful that she had found Rowan. She was grateful.

Another good example of good concept that’s wasted on a shitty character. This should be breaking my heart, but it’s about Alien and I fucking hate Alien more than almost any other fictional character. So alas, I’m left just feeling hallow and tired.

So Aelin Galathynius dried her tears. And did not fight when Maeve strapped that beautiful iron mask over her face.

Seems odd Alien would describe what is essentially an object meant to torture her as beautiful, but alright. We’re almost done folks, buckle up for the final leg of this shitstorm of a journey.