onemustalwaysbecarefulofbooks

[onemustalwaysbecarefulofbooks]

will and jem naming their first borns after each other will never not be iconic

#I CAN'T #the infernal devices #tid #cassandra clare #tda #will herondale #jem carstairs #tessa gray #heronstairs

[onemustalwaysbecarefulofbooks]

If I ever see CC in person she’s catching these hands for giving gracetopher crumbs just to make us THINK that part of the family tree was real before she killed christopher

#bro like it's not funny #i'm livid #anti cassandra clare #chain of thorns #christopher lightwood #grace blackthorn #gracetopher

[onemustalwaysbecarefulofbooks]

No, for real, this is so legit. I'm not being dramatic when I say his death literally ruined the book for me. I'm not opposed to character death, as long as it is meaningful and affects the story in a purposeful way. This was just like "Well this is the finale, the stakes are high, so someone has to die for it to be appropriately tragic". It happened and then we moved past it and it was barely mentioned or brought up again. It felt so entirely senseless. I'm so pissed about it it's not even funny. And I'm sorry, but as a reader, if I'm intentionally manipulated, I'm going to have beef with the author!! We spent 10 fucking years under the impression that the Lightwoods of TMI were the descendants of Christopher and Grace. Then you slowly start giving Grace a redemption arc, making us care about her and sympathize with her as a character, giving her all these adorable moments with Christopher, who is the most pure and precious soul in that entire series (seriously their interactions made me MELT), only to kill him off in a totally random and anticlimactic way and be like "Haha yeah that family tree was made by some crazy girl who basically just made shit up for funsies, it's not real and it doesn't count." Like bro. You really think anyone wanted that?? It's not our fault you put that thing out in 2013 and then decided to expand the universe. That whole explanation is ridiculous anyway, how would Esme Hardcastle even know Christopher and Grace had any interaction whatsoever???? I can't even express what a total and utter waste I felt like this was. As great as the other relationships were, to me, this was the one that felt the most unique, different, and special. I feel like we could have had the opportunity to write something really incredible. I just don't accept it, in my head the two of them grew steadily closer over time, he helped her to overcome her trust issues, she helped to pull him out of his little bubble, and they ended up happily married and passed on the Lightwood name. Not accepting anything else!

I'm gonna be brutally honest, cassandra clare is no longer able to write a final book to her trilogies.

everything was so rushed and at the same time so *slow* in chain of thorns that at christopher's death i decided to stop reading it. I only decided to finish it because I don't like UNFINISHED BUSINESS (you know, cassie, the kind of business you left kit with?), but I was so disappointed in this book that I don't think I'm gonna read TWP when it comes out. I'm tired of creating expectations in my head for them to be completely destroyed once the book is out.

christopher's death was what shattered me. I loved him to bits, he was the only character I really related to, and seeing him gone so unnecessarily made me feel as if I've lost a dear one. I think I'm grieving more than his friends and family, considering how they seemed to get over it so easily except for anna and, somehow, grace.

grace, who is basically considered kit's substitute, both in the lab and in the group! I'm pretty sure she doesn't consider herself that, she would've wanted to keep working with him and who knows, maybe they would've fallen in love (as if they weren't already doing it, you dorks)!

he didn't deserve anything that's ever happened to him in these books, he was treated so poorly that I think cassandra only created him to kill him sooner or later, and in fact, she did.

plus, she killed a character who wasn't functional to her idea of a plot: he did not contribute to the romantic and physical attraction between two characters she so longs for. gracetopher was more of a mental attraction, they were the only ones who truly enjoyed each other's presence just for the sake of being with the one they loved. kit was so into the ace spectrum (and grace, somehow, too) that cassandra didn't think people would like him! but she was wrong about that: maybe he was the one merry thief that people considered less, but he was so loved and so appreciated he didn't deserve the end he got.

I'm open to talk to anyone who wants to share their opinion and, who knows, maybe just wants to grieve with me. let's get each other's mood up, we all deserve happiness.

#chain of thorns #cot #the last hours #tlh #cassandra clare critical #christopher lightwood #grace blackthorn #gracetopher

[onemustalwaysbecarefulofbooks]

Get yourself a person that looks at you the way James and Will Herondale look at their wives

#the standard #the infernal devices #the last hours #tid #tlh #clockwork princess #chain of thorns #cassandra clare #will herondale #james herondale #wessa #herondaisy

[onemustalwaysbecarefulofbooks]

I liked this book. i really did. but i’m not gonna pretned it didn’t have some major problems.

So here’s some of my suggestions on how to fix some of them. feel free to add your own!

1) drop the love triangle. no one asked for it. this series did not need a love triangle. and the fact that it dragged for over 300 pages? and for what?

maybe have james tell matthew and cordelia about the bracelet IN PARIS, but ask them not to tell anyone else because he’s not ready for that yet.

and things can still be awkward between them when they come back because james will feel guilty for ruining their trip, cordelia will feel guilty for thinking james would ever cheat and matthew would feel guilty because he saw that something was wrong but never said anything.

have the herondaisy confession happen before the christmas party so matthew would still be pushed to drink (because he sees how happy they are but he’s still in love with cordelia) and boom! so many annoying scenes are gone.

2) write the scene where herondaisy give each other the second runes. It feels wrong that we didn’t get that since cassie made such a big deal about it in ChoI.

and then when tatiana crashes the party she could say that their marriage was a sham and cordelia could ask the people who believe tatiana if they want to see her marriage runes or are they done listening to the lady with a knife to a child’s throat. 

3) split the second part of the book between London, Edom and Idris. The fact that we didn’t get to see the parents’ reaction to their kids being dead, kidnapped by a prince of hell and trapped with vicious killing machines is beyond me. and the trial? charles finally stepping up and defending his family? bridgestock being fired? I think we deserve to see those moments, not just hear that they happened. 

4) that secrets scene with lucie and cordelia…why? I mean why this late in the book? It was so unnecessary. If she really wanted to test their friendship she could’ve sent them to Edon BEFORE they made up.

Imagine, they have this huge fight about keeping secrets, they don’t talk to each other for a while, but then they have to work together to save james and matthew and just when they think their friendship is going to be ok, the secret demon shows up. but this time cordelia’s secret is that she knew about the bracelet before james told everyone else (because her actual secret was stupid)

5) have one more chapter before the epilogue!!! where we see the character finally grief. sure they didn’t really have time to do that before because of Belial and the Watchers, but once the dust settles they have this moment of “oh, Christopher is dead” and give him a FUNERAL!!!

(the fact that he didn’t get one feels so wrong)

and end the chapter on a solemn note and THEN give us six months later when we see them finally moving on. And you know…give us Will and Tessa finding out about the bracelet!!! (that one is personal)

#THIS #no one asked for this love triangle #the last hours #tlh #chain of thorns #cot #cassandra clare #cassandra clare critical

[onemustalwaysbecarefulofbooks]

i had someone request a young little lucie reading ‘the beautiful cordelia’ to young little cordelia and couldn’t resist - they both burst out laughing after this picture! 📚

characters by @cassandraclare 💛

#the last hours #tlh #chain of gold #chain of iron #chain of thorns #cassandra clare #cordelia carstair #lucie herondale

[onemustalwaysbecarefulofbooks]

@cassandraclare has to be my favourite author! the world she has created truly feels like my home 💛 currently rereading the last hours and was inspired to create this of cordelia and james!

#the last hours #tlh #chain of iron #coi #cassandra clare #james herondale #cordelia carstairs #jordelia #herondaisy

[onemustalwaysbecarefulofbooks]

they’re always up to something in the lab 🧪

characters by @cassandraclare 🤍

#stoppppp #ugh #the last hours #tlh #cassandra clare #christopher lightwood #grace blackthorn

[onemustalwaysbecarefulofbooks]

*MAJOR spoilers for Chain of Thorns in the following images*

Everyone in this book was going through something… but no one’s life was harder than Eugenia’s 😔

These characters are from The Last Hours series by @cassandraclare​ 😊❤️

#i love her #the last hours #tlh #chain of thorns #cassandra clare #eugenia lightwood

[onemustalwaysbecarefulofbooks]

my biggest issue with chain of thorns is that we're told about some big/emotional events but we don't get to see them...

oh! will and tessa cried when they found out their kids were trapped in london! right after finding out their nephew died. but you won't get to read this scene

gabriel and cecily's son died! and they found out when his body was brought to them! but you won't get to read that scene!

will and tessa found out about the gracelet and were upset. but you won't get to read that.

charles confronted bridgestock and came out to the entire enclave in a very brave and dramatic way! but you won't get to read that!

like??? we had to suffer through 300 pages of a bullshit love triangle (i refuse to believe people honestly thought herondaisy won't be canon) but we couldn't get some genuinely important moments???

#YES EXACTLY #all the moments i wanted to see were off page #the last hours #tlh #chain of thorns #cot #cassandra clare critical

[onemustalwaysbecarefulofbooks]

‘One must always be careful of books, and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us.’

will, tessa, james & lucie - the sweetest little family of bookworms 📚

characters by @cassandraclare 🤍

#my loves #the OGs always and forever #the infernal devices #the last hours #tid #tlc #cassandra clare #will herondale #tessa gray #james herondale #lucie herondale

[onemustalwaysbecarefulofbooks]

Tamlin: *is personally targeted by Amarantha to be her lover, denies her advances & gets cursed, spends the next 50 years sending his sentries out to ultimately die (something he feels extreme guilt for and tries to stop), actively takes in refugees from other courts, spends a majority of his time hunting down Amarantha’s monsters from his lands so they can’t harm his people, gets a human woman to fall in love with him but sends her away so she won’t be in danger, goes UTM, basically becomes Amarantha’s lap dog, somehow holds all of his emotions back because ANY sign of ANY emotion would get Feyre killed (did I mention how down-bad Amarantha is for Tamlin? Yeah.)(Also, Rhysand somehow finds it suitable to parade Feyre around like his own personal whore because…he wanted to rile Tamlin up? Which would have lead to Feyre’s death…🤔), ends up killing Amarantha*

Rhys:

jesus man, I know you hate him but give roses where roses are due. Tamlin did A LOT, but I guess doing Amarantha’s personal tasks (like killing children) is the only thing that holds any merit to the High Lord of the Night Court 🫤

#JUSTICE FOR TAMLIN #acotar critical #ACOTAR #ACOMAF #sjm critical #Tamlin #anti rhysand

[onemustalwaysbecarefulofbooks]

RANT TIME

If I see one more person say that the reason Rhys seemed different and less likeable in ACOSF is because we’re seeing him from Nesta’s POV and not Feyre’s, I’m going to go feral.

I’m sorry, I know we find ways to blame Nesta for absolutely everything under the sun, but are we now also trying to claim that she is able to control Rhys’s words, decisions, and actions??? PLEASE BE SO FOR REAL. I do not dislike Rhys because Nesta thinks unfavorably of him and her mental commentary is somehow swaying me. I dislike him because of the things he DOES and SAYS. Nesta does not like Rhys and makes this clear to everyone. But for God’s actual sake…her opinion of him does not control his choices and actions. The story SJM wanted to tell was going to happen, regardless of who’s POV we see it from.

AND, as if that weren’t enough, there are PLENTY of scenes where he acts deplorable and the POV is Cassian’s, not Nesta’s!!! And as we all know, Cassian is so far up Rhys’s butt he can probably see out his mouth. So explain that one to me, please!

Now, does Rhys appear noticeably different in ACOSF than he does in previous books? Absolutely! I am in complete agreement that ACOMAF!Rhys would never handle Feyre’s pregnancy the way he does in this book (The conversation a lot of people are really not ready to have is that Tamlin would be the one to behave this way while Rhys would be the one who swoops in to let us all know how degrading, condescending, and chauvinistic his behavior was and that he would be the one to treat her with agency and respect and would never coddle her and lie to her about her health and her body because she was strong and she could take it).

(Tell me I’m wrong, I dare you!)

So, is Rhys different from how he is in previous books? Yes. But this is not because we are in the POV of someone who doesn’t like him. It���s because SJM’s handling of him is beyond bizarre, and at this point almost has me convinced he is her tool in some kind of social experiment she’s conducting on manipulation and brainwashing in literature. It’s as if she is testing to see how far she can push, how insufferable and hypocritical can she make him behave while still demanding through the narrative that we love and adore him. I used to swear this was not intentional on her part, that she really did think as highly of him as she appeared to, but his behavior as of late has gotten so absurd, it’s honestly beginning to make me wonder if some of this IS intentional and is part of a bigger process. I can only hope that it is.

So no, Rhys does not seem different and less likeable simply because we are seeing him through Nesta’s eyes. He seems different and less likeable because he IS different and less likeable, and a hypocrite to boot. No matter who’s POV we are seeing it from, he does and says insufferable and hypocritical things all throughout the story. But the cult following that this man has is unmatched, and so many people are literally incapable of admitting they feel any kind of distaste for him or that he may have done something wrong. So instead the response becomes “He just seems that way because we’re in Nesta’s POV and Nesta doesn’t like him.”….as if being in Nesta’s head creates some kind of opitical illusion where Rhys’s behavior isn’t real. Whatever makes you feel better, I guess!!

#acotar critical #acosf critical #sjm critical #nesta archeron #anti rhysand #nesta deserves better #acosf #pro nesta

[onemustalwaysbecarefulofbooks]

feyre is such a funny character to me because she gets mad at other people (in her internal monologue) for thinking that rhysand - the guy that portrayed himself as a villain - is a bad guy….while pretending that he tortured her when she was in the night court….girl stand up use your brain

#smh #SJM please explain #ACOTAR critical #ACOTAR #ACOWAR #ACOMAF #SJM critical #SJM #feyre archeron #rhysand #Feysand critical

[onemustalwaysbecarefulofbooks]

Cassian looked over a shoulder, to where Nesta had been asleep for the past few hours, curled into a tight ball against the wall of rock. I think we’ll stay out here for a few days. We’re going to hike.

Nesta has never been on a hike in her life. I guarantee she will hate it.

Then tell Rhys this is her punishment.

ACOSF, page 488

My hands slackened at my sides. “You went after me,” I said. “You went after me-to Prythian.”

“I got to the wall. I couldn’t find a way through though.”

I raised a shaking hand to my throat. “You trekked two days there and two days back—through the winter woods?”

ACOTAR, page 264

#retcon #acotar critical #sjm critical #nesta archeron #feyre archeron #cassian #acosf #a court of silver flames #acosf critical #justice for nesta #anti ic

[onemustalwaysbecarefulofbooks]

“I asked Lucien to escort me, and he’d been more than happy to do so, given that his own status as a mated male made him uninterested in any sort of female company these days.”

Lucien being this loyal and devoted to elain well before he even knew her was so sexy of him.Nothing like a man losing interest in all females because he’s loyal to his mate now.Lucien betraying his home just to see his mate once was also so sexy of him.Lucien would literally worship elain if given the chance just look at him.

“I’m a mated male now.”

This is the sexiest thing lucien’s ever said.Get me a man who will be this committed to me when he barely even knows me pls🙏.

#pro lucien #we don't deserve him #sjm #acotar #acowar #sarah j maas #lucien vanserra #elain archeron #elucien

[onemustalwaysbecarefulofbooks]

I think it’s crazy that rhys is constantly going on about how he can’t ever forgive lucien and he’s still trying to make his peace with him and how he can just about stomach him because what the fuck is he talking about 😍??

Is he forgetting that just a few years ago he was the one terrorizing lucien ,threatening him,demeaning him with stupid nicknames,taunting him with his dead lover and estranged mother every single time he saw him??

Is he forgetting that lucien had his ass handed to him UTM just for feyre—that he saved her life twice and was willing to die/get tortured for her??but sure rhys you’re the one that has to find it in you to forgive lucien.I really need rhys to get his head out of his own ass and realize that nobody likes him lol 🗣️🙏.

#i don't think i've ever despised a fictional character as much as i do rhys #wtf #is sjm ok #anti acotar #anti acofas #sjm critical #anti rhysand #lucien vanserra #pro lucien