#acotar critical analysis

[achaotichuman]

Tamlin and his brothers

This is an analysis of Tamlin's relationship with his lost brothers. For Day 1- Prompt: Heir of Spring

Tamlin's brothers are two unnamed characters that we see very little of, but here is what we know from mentions of them.

Both of them are older than Tamlin.

They are cruel and belittling towards him, in a similar manner the Vanserra brothers are cruel towards Lucien.

Both of them wanted for the throne, enough that Tamlin knew if he took on the High lord's power, they would kill him.

They went along with their father to kill Rhysand's sister and mother. In revenge, Rhysand melted both their brains in their skulls.

That is about all we know of them, and they are never otherwise mentioned.

It is very interesting when we talk about these two characters, for simplicity I will refer to them as the names I gave them in my fiction A Court of Song and Desolation, Baile (the eldest) and Aletris (the middle).

When the reader thinks of Baile and Aletris it is a never in a good light. In the first book it is because it is implied they were cruel towards Tamlin, and in the following book it is because they helped in murdering Rhysand's family.

What I think is an important detail in this respect is that Baile and Aletris never have any specific abusive/cruel act tied to them. Everything they do is an extension of their father, whom I will refer to as Elvin (also from my fiction).

Elvin is the one who was said to be worse than Beron himself, whom we know actively tortures his eldest child. Elvin is the one who is specifically said to have abused Tamlin, taken him and introduced him to Amarantha, and was the one who orchestrated the killing of Rhysand's family.

Baile and Aletris are only said to have been complicit in the abuse and murders. They weren't the ones who started it.

We also know that Tamlin was favored by his mother, and in Lucien's case, we know that favoritism from his mother caused Lucien's brothers to resent him. The same can be said for Tamlin.

As the youngest and their mother's favorite. There was some subconscious resentment towards Tamlin already, which would have fueled their dislike for him.

So, now to what you're probably thinking. Chaotic, why are you listing all this about two unnamed characters who are spoken of like twice in the books?

Because I believe that Tamlin's relationship with his brothers runs deeper than what we are led to believe it is.

(Too note, I do not believe SJM will actually plan anything out in regards to Tamlin's past relationships, these are my personal theories)

Tamlin ran for the War Camps the second he could to escape his abusive situation. As the youngest and the third spare son, he has more freedom than that of his elder brothers. As they are more likely to inherit the throne. Especially Baile, as the eldest.

Like we know with Eris, he is willing to put on a mask of pure cruelty, even to Lucien whom we know he has a weak spot for.

I think it is similar with Baile, and Aletris.

We don't know what happened in the Spring Court manor when Tamlin wasn't present, we barely know what happens when he is there.

We don't know if Elvin tortured Baile and Aletris. We do know he mistreated his wife and abused all his sons. Possibly Baile the worst, as the eldest of Spring.

Which leads me to wonder if their relationship was always so cruel. Could it possibly have been tender but soured with time? Did Baile and Aletris actually want to go with Elvin to kill Rhysand's family, or were they forced too? Was their cruelty for their own sadistic pleasure or out of built up trauma and eventually blowing up?

Imagine, times when Tamlin was a small child and Baile letting him try to put on his armor and barely being able to pick up the breastplate. Baile putting his helmet on Tamlin's head and Tamlin falling over from the weight of it, laughing.

Times where Aletris taught Tamlin to climb trees effortlessly. Knowing where to put his foot and how to pull himself up. Showing him how to get up to the secret treehouses he and Baile built when they were younger.

Times where Elvin was on a rage, and Baile, Aletris, Tamlin and their mother hid in a closet, trying to wait for the storm to calm. Baile and Aletris exchanging stupid jokes and made-up funny stories to make their little brother laugh and cheer up their mother.

Times where Aletris and Baile taught Tamlin sword fighting, how to hone his fighting abilities and how to tame the feral beast he had. How to use his wild side to his advantage.

Times where Baile ruffled Tamlin's hair and called him "Feral kid.

Times where Aletris picked up and threw Tamlin over his shoulder whenever he came back from the war camps to prove he could still pick him up like when he was a baby.

Times when they would all sit on the rooftop and watch the stars, dreaming of a time when none of them had the responsibilities they had, and simply lived as peasants tending to their own personal lives.

Times when tenderness abounded, and they still had softness between them.

Before it was choked out by times when Baile would snap and rage like their father, and Tamlin would hide.

By times, when Aletris would throw things and they would shatter and cut his youngest brother.

By times when they would make fun of him relentlessly until he was sobbing. Insulting everything about him until he broke.

By times when their father beat him and they did nothing but watch with cruel laughing eyes.

By times that were bitter and cold and hateful, that overshadowed the good times they once had.

I think Tamlin and his brothers have a deep, complicated relationship. I think it would be reflected in his grieving, from going from hating them so ruthlessly and glad that they are dead.

To seeing their names engraved into the trunks of trees and breaking down into sobs about their death.

To seeing the scars still their from their abuse.

To seeing the armor that Baile left him.

To remembering the hateful words that he still carries.

To remembering the stories Baile and Aletris made up in that closet.

Their story is messy, frustrating, miserable. It's also tender, comforting and warm.

It will never get closure, because they died before Tamlin could even try to reconcile with them. The chapter will never close and Tamlin will always be left with the grief of losing his siblings.

The blood of the covenant may run thicker than the water of the womb. But nothing will ever feel the aching emptiness of Tamlin's lost sibling love.

@tamlinweek

#acotar #pro tamlin #tamlin #tamlin's brothers #tamlinweek2024 #tamlinweek #acotar moodboard #acotar rant #acotar critical analysis #acotar au #acotar headcanons #day 1- prompt: heir of spring #i know day 1 is gone #but i just came up with this idea

[novaricewrites]

If Magic Chooses-

So we know the magic in Prythian ties the land, Courts, and the High Lords and can be vaguely sentient (as with the Cauldron).

It's unclear how it chooses the High Lords but the magic seems to be deliberate and adheres faithfully to whoever it chooses. Even Amarantha couldn't fully access it despite all that she did - she could only prevent the Lords from using it against her.

So imagine if this was explored.

E.g: The time when Feyre and the IC stole the Book of Breathings from the Summer Court as guests - literally committing a crime worthy of a magical death sentence. This then left the Summer Court open to Hybern's invasion, further enabled by what Feyre did in the Spring Court.

This didn't just harm the High Lords. It harmed the Courts in a major way. The very land and the people living in there were devastated by it. And it must have caused mass turmoil that even the magic sensed.

So imagine because of this intricate connection to the land, the people and the High Lords - it caused Feyre's bond to the Spring and Summer magic to become hard to control or even the magic rejecting her.

The kernels of magic are technically still the High Lords'. They're not Feyre's magic but were gifted like handing her a scale off their essence. And it would make sense if the magic reacted to the state of the High Lords (and deeper the courts themselves) if they experienced deep, visceral emotions & damage thanks to Feyre.

Magic being fickle about who wields it would sort of suit the capriciousness of Faeries. It would also require Feyre to use her wits and sense to navigate situations instead of resorting to the Feysand tactics of Lie, Steal and Justify.

It would give actual consequences and gravity to her actions, and add depth to why her being a Made Fae is a big deal. She is now attached via these kernels of magic to the land in a way that she can't run from. Just as High Lords (even those reluctant like Tamlin are).

Just the plot potential and character development. And the internal conflict over actions that we never got.

#acotar #acotar analysis #sjm critical #anti sjm #anti feyre archeron #but not really cause I wanted to like her in the beginning #anti rhysand #he still and always sucked though #anti inner circle #anti ic #anti amren #we were robbed #a court of thorns and roses #feyre critical #pro tarquin #summer court #spring court #pro spring court #tamlin

[theweeklydiscourse]

What Makes Feyre’s Pregnancy Plotline in A Court of Silver Flames so Upsetting?

The answer is that the events and outcome concerning Feyre’s pregnancy speak to a fear of one’s loss of autonomy, specifically one’s reproductive autonomy. Furthermore, this plotline demonstrates Maas' consistent prioritization of her male characters at the expense of her female characters. Multiple factors make this subplot feel particularly uncomfortable and upsetting, but I can condense them into three main points that converge to create one frustrating scenario.

1. Rhysand and the Question of Choice

From ACOMAF onwards, the reader is made aware of Rhysand’s unusually progressive politics and his attention to the autonomous choices of women. This is demonstrated through his selection of counsel, appointing Mor and Amren in roles of authority, and eventually crowing Feyre as High Lady of the Night Court. In addition to this, we are shown his emphasis on choice through his interactions with Feyre. Rhysand repeatedly reminds Feyre that she can choose, that she can make an autonomous decision that he will respect. So, it is these positive features of Rhysand that make the pregnancy subplot of ACOSF so disturbing.

He, and the Inner Circle by extension, purposefully omit the information that Feyre’s pregnancy will turn deadly and never volunteer the information to her. During Cassian’s meeting with Rhysand and Amren, we are shown their thought process behind withholding information from Nesta (and Feyre by extension) According to Amren, it is not lying because they are technically not telling lies in the traditional sense, only withholding information.

While this is about Nesta, the reader can see the parallels between both cases. The choice to lie by omission reveals that both Amren and Rhysand are aware of the dishonesty of their actions, choosing to mitigate it slightly on a technicality. It feels distinctly like a loophole in Rhysand’s previous promises to Feyre, making this act feel more deceitful while demonstrating Rhysand’s willingness to undermine Feyre’s authority as High Lady. If Rhysand had a condition or illness that would eventually kill him, informing him of it would be certain, you wouldn’t even consider the possibility of not telling him. However, because Feyre is pregnant, she is not afforded the same autonomy.

Wanting to keep Feyre in blissful ignorance is not a sufficient reason, especially when Feyre is still of sound mind and can advocate for herself. Rhysand’s reasoning sounds noble, but in reality, it is just benevolent sexism. It doesn’t matter if he thinks it will cause Feyre stress, she NEEDS to be aware of what’s going on and the fact that the news will ruin her peaceful pregnancy is of little consequence when her life is on the line. Rhysand prioritizes his feelings and implicitly gives himself executive authority over Feyre’s pregnancy, demonstrating his disregard for her autonomy and choices. This action directly contradicts the progressive beliefs Rhysand stated in previous books and is a betrayal for the reader as well as Feyre.

2. The Infantilization of Feyre

The omission of this critical information, good intentions or not, is based on a belief that Feyre would not be competent enough to handle such a pressing situation in her pregnant state. Amren claims that the stress and fear could have physically harmed Feyre, but such a claim assumes that Feyre would not have the fortitude or ability to handle the situation.

Amren's explanation demonstrates a belief that Feyre's input on the matter would be irrelevant and pointless because it prevents Feyre from offering any. It is a plan that assumes Feyre will not be able to add anything meaningful to the solution and that it would be less harmful to her if she was kept out of it. This is infantilizing and paternalistic because Feyre has proven herself to be capable of coping under pressure and happens to be an unprecedented magical anomaly. Feyre’s access to pertinent medical information should not be revoked and it is insane that Madja her physician, actively misleads her with Rhysand’s consent.

This infantilization of a pregnant character echoes how pregnant women have been infantilized throughout history. It is a terrifying thought to imagine that your bodily autonomy could be stripped from you in the name of serving your supposed best interest. Rosemary’s Baby is one of the most famous horror movies of all time and it explores this exact topic, the same is true for the short story The Yellow Wallpaper, both stories capture the horror of reproductive/medical abuse that still happens to women today.

3. The Aftermath & Prioritizing Male Rage

Lastly, one of the most disturbing elements of this subplot is the way the text consistently prioritizes and coddles the violent rage of male characters at the expense of female characters. This is on full display when Rhysand flies into an intense rage after Nesta reveals the truth to Feyre. Although Nesta can be faulted for her harsh phrasing, let it be known that even Feyre felt that she did the right thing and was expressing her anger at the paternalistic and unjust practices of the Inner Circle. However, Nesta is still subjected to severe physical and emotional punishment in the form of a grueling hike where she is left to stew in her guilt and suicidal ideation despite Feyre ultimately not faulting her.

Feyre admits that Rhysand “majorly overreacted” and that she wanted Nesta back in Velaris. And yet, Nesta is still punished. But why? Will Rhysand or any of the Inner Circle be punished for betraying Feyre? Why, if Feyre agreed that Nesta was right to tell her, would she ever need to be subjected to a severe punishment when she was justified in what she did?

This is a particularly telling detail that compels me to ask: is this punishment about Feyre’s feelings or Rhysand’s? Why is it that Rhysand’s “overreaction” needs to be assuaged by punishing Nesta? What I observe from this passage is the characters prioritizing the feelings of a male character and placating him with the suffering of a female character, even when he wasn’t the one who was hurt in that situation. Feyre asks Cassian to tell Rhysand that the hike will be Nesta's punishment as though it isn't truly a punishment, but it undoubtedly is.

Throughout the hike, Nesta is in a silent spiral of guilt and self-hatred, Cassian never tells her that Feyre is alright and that Rhysand overreacted, letting her dwell in it alone. He hardly speaks to her, he pushes her to the point of exhaustion and is somehow surprised that Nesta shows signs of suicidal ideation.

This isn't constructive at all, it is not evidence that Cassian cares about Nesta's well-being, and the scenes of Nesta internally repeating that she deserves to die and that everyone hates her are nothing but gratuitous and disgustingly self-indulgent. The text basks in Nesta's suffering, even when she was in the right and this hike only happened to placate Rhysand who wronged Feyre in the first place.

Hindsight am I right? Fuck off. A more productive resolution to this matter would be for Feyre and Nesta to talk it out ALONE. Feyre could express her feelings to Nesta directly and they could find a solution together, that way Feyre’s situation could be centered on the two sisters working together. Cassian can see that Feyre is alright, she’s obviously upset, but she didn’t crumble like he expected and that makes it completely baffling that he would punish Nesta anyway. It’s a solution that prioritizes his and Rhysand’s feelings as opposed to Feyre’s, making it not about a perceived transgression against Feyre, but against Rhysand.

In Conclusion

This topic has already been discussed at length by many people in the fandom, but it is a topic that still stays on my mind with how upsetting it is. It is a stunning example of the misogynistic undertones in Sarah J Maas’s writing and makes reading a very straining experience due to her obvious bias towards certain male characters. Not even her main character matters when Rhysand is factored into the situation, his emotions are always centred by other characters and is permitted to betray his wife and get off scot free.

Feyre’s reproductive autonomy is violated, and Maas doesn’t bat an eye. But when Nesta rightfully reveals the truth to Feyre, everyone loses their mind. Both Nesta and Feyre have their autonomy stripped away from the, by way of the Inner Circle’s paternalism, and when Nesta advocates for herself and Feyre, she is punished severely. Being put in her place as the hierarchy is strengthened.

#a court of silver flames #acotar #nesta archeron #acotar meta #feyre archeron #amren #rhysand critical #rhysand #cassian #sarah j maas #acosf meta #anti nessian #close reading #acotar analysis #anti sarah j maas #anti sjm #anti inner circle

[bookishfeylin]

People do realize that ACOTAR cannot simultaneously be a feminist series discussing domestic violence, abuse, mental health and red flags AND a dark romance right. Pick and choose one. Either this is a dark romance and no ship or love interest can be critiqued for their toxic behavior OR this is a feminist series discussing complex issues and all love interests need to be evaluated by real world standards.

#someone save me please #acotar analysis #anti acomaf #anti acotar #sjm critical #anti sjm

[mathiwrites]

honest question - ACOTAR & Mass Appeal

(ur welcome for not making a Maas pun)

From reader/writer's perspective, and even just a study in trends, what elements made SJM's ACOTAR series such a massive hit?

I've read it and there are characters that I enjoy, clearly, but what made this series specifically the biggest romantasy series compared to other romances?

Another way to phrase it would be: for those who's favourite series is ACOTAR, what characteristic of this series made it become your absolute favourite compared to others?

If anyone knows posts, discussions or articles that cover this topic, or even Twilight, please send them my way! The question has been on my mind for a while now.

#acotar #discussion #reading community #writers #twilight #critical analysis #books and reading #books #writer asks

[szalonykasztan00]

Me and Tumblr trying to find and fix all of the S/JM plotholes in the ACOTAR series

#anti sjm #anti acotar #anti acomaf #anti acowar #anti acofas #anti acosf #acotar critical #acotar analysis

[danaedanette]

Final review of ACOTAR

Sooooo. I finished ACOTAR. Disclaimer, the pages referred here are from the French translation.

It's a massive review, (9k caracters and 3 hours, I really didn't think I would write something this long) so I put it under this "read more" thing.

I already mentioned in another post the book is really slow paced during, like, 70%, because it’s focused on Feyre and Tamlin relationship and budding romance. It’s not necessary a bad thing, but it get a little boring after a while. But I already read the book once ; I knew what was going to happen, and it certainly played a part in my boredom (is it the right word ??) so I’ll be indulgent about the pacing.

I picked up one little inconsistency toward the end of the book : on page 452, Tarquin is described as having “almost white hair, striking cristal blue eyes and warm ebony skin” (an rough translation back to English by myself lmao). And later on page 508, he is described having “tanned skin, a blue and green tunic, a roses crown on his blond hair” (still a rough translation). Honestly, it isn’t too bad, Tarquin isn’t an important character yet (or at all), he isn’t even named, only called “Summer High Lord”. I picked it up because Tarquin is more present in the following books and I frowned on the description page 508, and I remembered that he made another short appearance sooner in the book so I checked it up.

So onto the characters and what I thought about them !

Let’s begin with Rhysand, at least it’ll be done faster. No surprise here, I didn’t like him. I’ll admit all the seeds for Feysand are planted here so it's smoother on the next book, something I hadn’t saw on my first reading 7 years ago. But alas, Rhysand is desesperatly Rhysand, so all the signs of abuse that will (in my opinion) define the character and the Feysand relationship are all here too. Nothing new : the forced deal with the broken arms, the drugging and dancing, the eye that spy on Feyre,… I know it’s all explained (and immediately brushed under the carpet) in the next book, even if I don’t remember the details, and obviously Feyre forgives him, but I simply can’t condone Feysand with a history that heavy between them. Especially as we know that there will be… questionable actions on Rhysand’s part later on. Either he doesn’t learn of his past mistakes or they’re not mistakes at all and he knows perfectly well what he’s doing. I think (to no one surprise) that the latter is true, and here an example why : the first time Feyre is painted in preparation for her nightly dances, Rhysand shows her how, when the paint is damaged by contact, he can fix it with his magic. And later on, when Tamlin and Feyre are kissing and Rhys interrupts them, Tamlin has paint on himself and Rhysand made it disappear. Or maybe Tamlin does it himself, but either way it doesn’t matter, my point still stand : Rhysand can fix the paint on Feyre, he doesn’t have to kiss her to explain that the paint is blurred when Amarantha comes in the room. So Rhysand lied to kiss (read : sexually abuse) Feyre. He’s a dick. (Or it’s another inconsistency on Maas part, who knows ?)

Still, I liked him better in this book that I will in the next, because here we don’t have the narrative and Feyre telling him that he’s a poor, poor baby who never, ever did anything wrong in his life (or else he was forced and he didn’t want to do it :( ). Here, he’s still a villain/really morally grey character. (I keep making assumptions about what I’m gonna find in ACOMAF, and I should stop because I want to go in with an open mind.)

Amarantha is caricatural. That's all she inspired in me.

Then Lucien, because I wanna keep the two main protagonists for last. I remembered that he was one of my favorite characters, and so I was quite disappointed with my rereading. He is not nice with Feyre – which, understandable. She killed Andras, who was his friend, and he had to be at least helpful/civil toward her because they needed her to break the curse. That’s a horrible situation to be in. But all the times he insulted her… It was, at least 50% of the time, insults about her being mortal. To me, it feels like Lucien’s hostility toward Feyre was born of racism, and not of a personal history (her killing his friend). He did helped her UTM, but honestly with how their relationship was before that, I interpreted this help as him doing a favor to Tamlin/helping the only person who had a chance at freeing them from Amarantha. I do think that SJM intended for Feyre and Lucien to be friends, I just don’t think I read the book the way she wanted it to be read. And also, to be fair, Lucien wasn’t exactly really developed. Even his relationship with Tamlin was lacking, in my opinion. Lucien was sometimes (rarely) making fun of Tamlin, as friends do, or he was doing his report about sentry duty. Aaaand… that’s it. Tamlin reacted most of the time by being like “shut up, Lucien” and growling menacingly, which is, for one, not nice to threaten a friend, and two, all the time ? Come on, I understand the situation is really complicated, but be nicer to your friend, talk and joke with him, you’ll feel better Tamlin !

This will be our transition on Tamlin. He was quite nice during the majority of the book. I’m not exactly sure about UTM, but more onto that later. It was nice reading about all the efforts he kept making to get to know Feyre, and hilarious how bad he was at it. The Summer Solstice was one of my favorite scene, Feyre was so free and happy, and the idea of Tamlin playing violin for her on his knees… Yeah, I melt just thinking about it. He was a lot more anger-proned that I remember, but never toward Feyre, and she never felt threatened, and even if Tamlin did threatened Lucien, well,…  Lucien always came back to annoy Tamlin, and when Feyre, talking about Lucien’s eye, asked if Tamlin did it, Lucien was quite shocked, almost horrified, that she would think that. So I take it Lucien wasn’t feeling threatened or afraid of Tamlin, and therefore, despite being angry most of the time, Tamlin knows how to keep his temper under control until he can explode safely. (It’s still not nice to threaten people, especially friends).  About UTM, I don’t know what to think. Tamlin does know how to control his temper… to a certain point. He was never violent toward anyone during the book, but he did have difficulties to hide his anger, notably his claws which were almost always threatening to break out. And yet, UTM… nothing. He gives strictly nothing. No claws poking, no growling, nothing. I’m REALLY conflicted about it. Is it, as Lucien said, a way, as small as it is, but the only possible thing Tamlin can do to protect Feyre from Amarantha ? But then if it is, is it in character for Tamlin, who doesn’t seem to struggle to keep his poker face, even when he was an open book the whole time ? Was he so open with his emotions during the book because he was at home, with people he trusted and in a place where he was in control ? And so does it mean that UTM he wore a mask to protect himself and Feyre ? (this one should appeal to Rhys’s fans.) I DON’T KNOW. Maybe I think too much and it’s just an inconsistency/retcon on Maas part to justify Feyre leaving in the next book because “you did nothing to help me UTM”.

Either way, I liked Tamlin (and Lucien) less than I remember liking them the first time. But I have a theory : it’s quite possible that the unfairness and retcon that they both suffer in the two next books had me so offended on their behalf that I decided I would love them twice as much for every character who would treat them unfairly based on strictly nothing.

AND FINALLY FEYRE. Even if…, to be honest, I don’t really know what to say about her. She really is quite the typical YA female protagonist. She slayed the first challenge, it was one of my favorite scenes. And the last challenge was really poignant. Even if it was MORE than time that she used her brain. Seriously, this riddle was easy. Or maybe I read too much fantasy books, I don’t know. She was too complacent (not sure this is the right word, but nice is not right either soooo) with Rhysand. A guy that treat me like that, I hate him with all my guts, no matter what “helps” he gives me in the middle of all the abuse he inflicts on me. But well. Seeds for Feysand and all that. On that note, I think I read somewhere on Tumblr that Rhysand knew as soon as he met Feyre for the first time (on Calanmai) that she was his mate ? Not sure tho. In any case, it can’t be true because during their last conversation, just before they leave UTM, Rhysand says goodbye, then freeze s and looks at Feyre with, uuuh, big surprise (stupeur in French). Sorry, my brain is melting, I have worked on this review for way too long. So I guess this is the moment Rhys knows she’s her mate. Which, now that I think about it, is really weird that he would be nice to her before that because let’s be real : Rhys don’t give a fuck about people not close to him. Oh, well. Either it’s a retcon, an inconsistency, or anything else, I’m done with this book. Next step : ACOMAF. Maybe I’ll find some answers. Maybe I’ll find more questions, more retcons, and a sudden want to cry. (Open-minded, Danette, remember that you must be open-minded).

To conclude, I was not surprised about Feyre and Rhysand, they were pretty much what I remembered/expected. Lucien and Tamlin were a little disappointing, but honestly not by much, because I knew my memories might be askewed and I know not to expect too much from SJM. This was a very mid read. Not too bad, not good either. 2, 2.5 stars.

Oh, and sorry for any mistakes. This post was long and I really don't have the strengh right now to proofread it. Maybe later, but probably not. I hope it's not too hard on the eyes.

#anti acotar #sjm critical #anti rhysand #feyre archeron #tamlin #acotar reread #acotar analysis

[theshadowsingersraven]

Why Azriel Suddenly Seems More Like Lucien

HOFAS SPOILERS

Also, DO NOT MAKE THIS ABOUT THE SHIPS/ START UP SHIP ARGUMENTS. I JUST WANNA TALK ABOUT MY BOY. 

I've been seeing a lot of people talk about how Azriel’s behavior seems out of character/mimicking Lucien. And I don't really blame anyone for having these takes, truly! Azriel is very understated, and if you're not actively looking for it (as I suspect most people aren't, I didn't even notice these seeds until I started analyzing him to write him properly. Genuinely no shade to anyone who didn't notice what I did.) it's very easy to miss. 

First, let's look at how similar Lucien and Azriel actually are, even before HOFAS:

Lucien grew up in an abusive household where his father held some type of power within the community. His mother was abused, and his half-siblings treated him poorly. 

Lucien was able to escape his family, having to kill one of his brothers in the process, and found family ties to a friend in a position of power. Lucien actively plays a part in his Court. His position requires him to gather intel and was noted to have spy-like responsibilities. 

Lucien seems to not have a true “home”, especially after ACOFAS. He doesn't seem to “fit” or belong anywhere other than with the Band of Exiles. He's often “othered” or seen as an outcast. 

Azriel grew up in an abusive household where his father held some type of power within the community. His mother was abused, and his half-siblings and stepmother tortured him. 

Azriel was able to escape his family and was noted by Rhys to have done something to his brothers for revenge. He found family ties to a friend in a position of power. Azriel actively plays a part in his Court. His position requires him to gather intel, as he is the spymaster and also a torturer.

Azriel doesn't seem to “fit” or belong anywhere per his admission to Feyre in ACOMAF.

“I don’t really know where I fit in anymore,” I admitted, perhaps only because the wind was screeching around us and Rhys had already winnowed ahead to where Cassian’s dark form flew— beyond the wall. “I’ve been alive almost five and a half centuries, and I’m not sure of that, either,” Azriel said.

So while these are general character beats, they are also major ones. All of these aspects play a huge role in how both characters are being/will be developed. 

Now, the moment in ACOMAF when Azriel confesses to Feyre that he doesn’t know where he fits in, subtle as it is, is a huge character moment in my opinion. This is a pretty big admission from someone normally reserved/who doesn't let his feelings show. Rhys even mentions in his POV in ACOFAS that he and Cassian could spend hours trying to get Az to crack and tell them what he's thinking/feeling, and he doesn't. 

Why is this situation different?

Because Azriel is good at recognizing people's needs due to his empathy. 

He's willing to open up to people when he can see they need encouragement. He can lower those guards to help other people.

This is exactly what happened in the Truth-Teller scene with Elain, he parted with something he normally doesn't/something he finds comfort in having because she needed something that made her feel safe. (And if anyone understands how necessary it is to feel safe through not having that comfort, it’s Azriel.)

“It has never failed me once,” the shadowsinger said, the midday sun devoured by the dark blade. “Some people say it is magic and will always strike true.” He gently took her hand and pressed the hilt of the legendary blade into it. “It will serve you well.”

Additionally, this is the second instance in which Cassian volunteered to help Elain in some way, and either he was shot down or refused, and thus Azriel stepped in. 

In the first instance, Azriel had been internally debating when he said "I'm getting her back", per Feyre's observation of how his voice sounded. He knew it was risky, but it was also apparent that if Azriel didn't act or step in, then who would?

This aspect of his character was already hinted at earlier in ACOMAF by Feyre.

Azriel just shook his head. “I’ll go. The Prison sentries know me—what I am.” I wondered if the shadowsinger was usually the first to throw himself into danger.

This is then cemented by his decision to go into Hybern’s camp and rescue Elain. Cassian was shot down by Nesta. Rhys is a High Lord, he can't risk an infiltration mission like that. If Hybern captured him, they'd all be fucked without his power on the battlefield. Azriel is a shadowsinger, his skill set perfectly compliments stealthy rescue missions.

Saving people is a major part of Azriel’s character psychology. 

Why is that? 

Well, who saved Azriel from his father's cell in the basement? Who got him out?

No one.

Azriel was never rescued, he was released. Those are very different things, especially when his next living place was the brutal environment of an Illyrian war camp.

With his trauma and empathy, regardless of where you stand on ships, it makes sense he would risk his life to rescue someone. Especially someone vulnerable or in an environment they cannot escape on their own like he was as a child.

Furthermore, Azriel went with Mor to rescue the priestess’ at Sangravah. Azriel murdered every male that had touched Gwyn, and then covered her with his cloak after her brutal assault. He also knew not to touch her since she had just been violated by males, so Mor carried her out. 

Azriel saved Mor from dying when she was left at the Autumn Court border.

It’s not a coincidence that all of Azriel’s love interests, confirmed or highly suspected, are people he had a hand in rescuing. 

It’s also not a coincidence that the two females he’s confirmed to have an attraction to are both unwillingly tied to Beron’s sons. 

It wouldn’t surprise me at all if it’s later revealed that part of Azriel’s draw to Elain is founded on him trying to “redeem” his “failure to save Mor” from Eris. Lucien being Eris’ brother is enough for Azriel to unfairly believe them to be similar enough to warrant his disdain. He could very well unconsciously be trying to “save” Elain from Lucien as he incorrectly expects something similar to happen.

I hope that at some point, Azriel does have a moment where he realizes that he is unfair to Lucien and that they are actually quite similar and could get along very well. Because if there’s anyone who should know that just because you share blood with your half-brothers, it doesn’t mean you’re like them, it’s Azriel.  

And I hope that happens because, despite his disdain and unfair view of Lucien, Azriel is also generally shown to be thoughtful as well as empathetic.  

A faint smile bloomed upon Azriel’s mouth as he noticed Elain’s fingers whiteknuckled on that fork, but he kept silent…Elain cast pleading eyes on Rhys, then Azriel, such mortal fear coating her features, her scent. “We are raised this way. We hear stories of your kind crossing the wall to hurt us. Our own neighbor, Clare Beddor, was taken, her family murdered …”...Elain said, “It’s all very disorienting.” “I can imagine,” Azriel said. Cassian flashed him a glare. But Azriel’s attention was on my sister, a polite, bland smile on his face. Her shoulders loosened a bit. I wondered if Rhys’s spymaster often got his information through stone-cold manners as much as stealth and shadows.”

“I was still sore enough the next day that I had to send word to Cassian I wasn’t training with him. Or Azriel.  A mistake, perhaps, given that both of them showed up at the door to the town house within minutes, the former demanding what the hell was wrong with me, the latter bearing a tin of salve to help with the aches in my back. I thanked Azriel for the salve and told Cassian to mind his own business.” But Azriel only took Elain’s heavy dish of potatoes from her hands, his voice soft as night as he said, “Sit. I’ll take care of it.” Rhys was frowning, Cassian and Mor were both grimacing, and Azriel … It was pity on his beautiful face. Pity and sorrow as he watched my sister. Azriel plucked up the small folded silver wand within and unfurled it. One end held a clip, the other a small glass sphere. “You can attach this to whatever book you’re reading, and the little ball of faelight will shine. So you don’t have to squint when you’re reading at night.” Nesta touched the glass ball, no bigger than her thumbnail, and faelight flickered within, casting a bright, easy glow upon her lap. She tapped it again and it turned off. And then she jumped to her feet and flung her arms around Azriel. The room went silent for a beat. But Azriel chuckled and squeezed her gently. Cassian smiled to see it— to see them. “Thank you,” Nesta said, quickly pulling away to marvel at the device. “It’s brilliant.” Azriel blushed and stepped back, shadows swirling.

He also has his sharp-tongued, witty moments as well.

“…when Azriel clarified, “Cassian also excels at pissing everyone off. Especially amongst our friends. So, as a friend of Rhysand … good luck.” “No word on Bryaxis, I take it.” I peered toward the marble beneath my boots, as if I could see all the way to the library beneath this mountain and the now-empty lower levels that had once been occupied. Az studied the floor as well. “Not a whisper. Or a scream, for that matter.” I chuckled. My brother had a sly, wicked sense of humor. Azriel straightened a sagging section of garland over the windowsill. “It’s almost like you two tried to make it as ugly as possible.” “Pick on someone your own size,” Cassian said to Amren, shoveling roast chicken into his mouth. “I’d feel bad for the mice,” Azriel muttered.

And he proves his worth to himself and others by what he can do for them. 

When Rhys was done, his spymaster said, “I’ll contact my sources in the Summer Court about where the half of the Book of Breathings is hidden. I can fly into the human world myself to figure out where they’re keeping their part of the Book before we ask them for it.” “No need,” Rhys said. “And I don’t trust this information, even with your sources, with anyone outside of this room. Save for Amren.” “They can be trusted,” Azriel said with quiet steel, his scarred hands clenching at his leather-cladsides. “We’re not taking risks where this is concerned,” Rhys merely said. He held Azriel’s stare, and I could almost hear the silent words Rhys added, It is no judgment or reflection on you, Az. Not at all. But Azriel yielded no tinge of emotion as he nodded, his hands unfurling.

So, for me, as someone who writes Azriel's POV and studied all these scenes before doing so, the things Azriel did/said in HOFAS seem in the realm of possibility/believability for his character to me.

However, I don’t think that means that we had a smooth transition into this version of Azriel though. I’ll compare the scene with Nesta and the Mask and my own writing in the hopes of illustrating what I mean (and yes of course I’m going to take an opportunity to plug my fic lol)

Don’t worry, it’s a platonic interaction. 

HOFAS:

“Cassian’s waiting for you, Nesta,” Azriel said—tone gentling. “Take off the Mask.” Nesta stayed silent, Ataraxia ready in her hand. One swipe, and Azriel would be dead. “He’s waiting for you at the House of Wind,” Azriel went on. “At home.” Another blink from Nesta. The silver fire banked a little. Like whoever Cassian was, and whatever the House of Wind was … they might be the only things capable of fighting the siren song of the Mask. “Gwyn and Emerie are waiting,” Azriel pushed. “And Feyre and Elain.” The silver flame flared at that. Then Azriel said, “Nyx is waiting, too.” The silver flame went out entirely. The Mask fell from Nesta’s face, clattering on the stone. Nesta swayed, but Azriel was there, catching her, bringing her to his chest, scarred hands stroking her hair. “Thank the Mother,” he breathed. “Thank the Mother.”

My fic: (ACOSAR)

Azriel hummed, taking it all in. His shadows flickered in response to the animated wave of Solara’s hands, appearing to listen intently. "She sounds remarkable," he said, his tone sincere. "She is," Solara confirmed, a soft smile touching her lips. “I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye. Well, properly, at least. I wrote to her, letting her know I was leaving.” “She'll understand," Azriel reassured her quietly. "If she's anything like you say, I'm sure she won't hold it against you." "I know she'll understand," Solara agreed, deflating slightly. "But it's not really about that." Her normal vibrance flickered like a candle in a breeze, eyes turning downcast as she folded her arms across her chest… …Azriel took a step closer to her, his wings stretching slightly. The closest to Solara curled around her, bathing in the light; the veins visible through the membranous flesh. "Then what is it really about?" he pressed gently, coaxingly. His eyes bore into hers, pleading with her to let him help. …Solara could not return to Exandria.  "We'll find a way for you to see her again," Azriel said. As if of its own volition, his hand found her bicep. The light touch of his hand seemed to banish the tension from her almost instantly. She never shied from his touch despite the vile, warped skin of his hands…"...I promise."... …"I think... I think I'll be okay here." Solara said quietly, her gaze meeting his again... ..."I think you will thrive here," Azriel agreed. “Prythian may not be as wondrous as Exandria, but it is a place full of beauty. And I know one thing for certain; we will never leave you. We all have hundreds, if not thousands, of years ahead of us. You will never be forced to outlive those you care about ever again.”  With another reassuring squeeze of her arm, Azriel gently guided her forward as he strode towards the entrance to the manor.

I wanted to point this out mainly because in my writing, that’s after ten chapters of seeing their relationship develop. His reactions to Nesta and my OC are similar. And I wrote that in May of 2023, well before I read HOFAS.

I'm not putting it there as an example to say my writing is as good as SJM's (obviously), but more so saying it is a fair assessment of his character's potential growth and behavior further down the line. If I picked up on it from what she wrote thus far, before HOFAS, I think it's probably where she plans for him to go.

With Az and Nesta, while we know they get along and likely could become closer, we don’t see the build-up to this level of closeness in HOFAS. 

Unfortunately, it likely happened in those six months between ACOSF and HOFAS, and I don’t know if SJM plans to expand on that at all.

So, to sum everything up, essentially:

Do I think Azriel’s treatment of Nesta is in-character? Yes.

But do I think the execution is there for it to make sense that he's developed to this point? No.

I don't believe SJM is making him "mimic" Lucien because they're already similar in key aspects. Azriel does have tendencies to be caring yet smart-mouthed. I think SJM skipped a bunch of steps with Az’s development. Which makes me very sad, and I hope we do get to see it. 

Anyway, thanks for coming to my TED talk!

#azriel #azriel acotar #pro azriel #ship neutral #azriel x oc #sjm critical #azriel analysis #long post #long post warning

[whitedemon-ladydeath]

sjm: brings up poverty and taxes and systemic oppression via class Warfare abd has Rhys enact violent methods of class Warfare when he decided to build 5 houses, demolish Nestas home and displace people, has Cassian HAND OUT BLANKETS to the Illyrians but then... vilifies Tamlin for... taxes

me: gets mad about how she handled a topic that affects me on a personal day to day level and makes posts about how harmful that shit is especially from a middle class white woman

this fandom: doesn't like that

#im sorry i went home sick today so my threshold is Not It #classism in acotar #i also enjoy making posts about critical analysis. maybe i just enjoy being a hater 🥴

[nightlyteaandpaper]

TW: Abuse

I can't be the only one who finds the amount of a*use in these books a little disgusting? I mean, every single character, especially all the women, has had some trauma against them. They have been SA'd or almost SA'd, and I know this happens in real life, but there is something almost insidious when one actively makes all the good guys in the book victims of trauma and the bad guys be the one ones causing the trauma.

It is almost like SJM uses trauma to draw a line. If you have had trauma, you are good, if you have not had trauma, you are bad. I don't know what Im saying, Im just saying things.

#writing #commentary #book community #book commentary #analysis #sjm books #sjm critical #anti sjm #sjm #acotar #a court of thorns and roses #sarah j maas #traumaporn #trauma #tw abuse #anti acomaf #anti acotar #anti feysand #why are all the good guys the ones who suffer? I just want one normal family.

[ae-neon]

the acotar REWRITE : chapter 1-4(send help)

I cannot for the life of me picture what sjm means with the Archerons' home territory.

Feyre calls it a town and says there are rich nobles with big houses with walled groves who hire mercenaries to protect them from fae

She also says it's a small village where village elders have political control and Isaac Hale is the son of the only well off farmer and every one is starving to the point she thought she might have to kill Tomas when they crossed paths after a hunt

They moved there 3 years before they were truly broke so it can't be that bad.

Also everyone knows whole neighbouring towns are being obliterated over night and no one seems worried?? There have been frequent attacks for 50 years (which while short to a Fae is longer than most people ever lived in the past) but the town has no military or tax funded mercenary group??

And the village elders allowing the Children of the Blessed to walk around wearing silver and preaching about Fae? They would be robbed and killed by noon.

#acotar #acotar analysis #acotar reread #the REWRITE #sjm critical #anti sjm #feyre archeron #children of the blessed #acotar : the rewrite

[novaricewrites]

Rant: Anyone bothered by Amren?

I have a lot of gripes when it comes to SJM and her POC characters. Amren is one of them. In particular, I genuinely dislike her as a character - both for her shitty behavior, unnecessary presence in the plot and for the fact that she feels like a bunch of East-Asian stereotypes.

Her character premise in the beginning that she is an otherworldly and monstrous being that drinks blood to subsist. Immediately she is characterized as something that is 'Other' and Made.

She pretty much fits the "Dragon Lady" stereotype commonly assigned to East Asian women in media. The Dragon Lady is strong, deceitful, dominating and mysterious and there is usually some aspect of fetishization around this archetype. It's old, overused, and racist.

Amren is one of the first and more prominent side characters in the book who is commonly East-Asian coded with the generic descriptor of angular eyes, tanned skin and straight black hair. (Also love how she specifically is described as plain among all the drop dead gorgeous WHITE female characters in the IC)

All of the points combine to essentially make her the worst example of potential East Asian representation. Whether intentional or not, this is the effect

This rant was fueled after I saw a YouTube Shorts about ACOTAR fancasts and the person in the video talked about factors in choosing Amren's actress.

Basically the person said that they should "bring in a foreign born actor for 'financial reasons' & drawing in a different market" and she wouldn't mind if they had an accent because Amren is 'Other' compared to the rest of the Night Court. It just felt tone deaf and lowkey embodied the disregard of problematic treatment of POC often seen in the ACOTAR fandom.

I wonder if I am just petty and reading too much into this or if other people also feel the same.

#anti sjm #sjm critical #anti feysand #anti inner circle #anti amren #acotar analysis #character criticism #why do we have to be happy with scraps and stereotypes for representation #acotar

[darling-archeron]

Why the Court of Nightmares Should be Disbanded

My current reread of ACOMAF has given me lots of thoughts on the Night Court’s culture outside of Velaris. I’m not the biggest fan of how SJM wrote the setup of the Night Court, and I think there are a lot of issues with it. For the record, I adore ACOTAR and Rhysand, but this is going to be an SJM critical post, so if that’s not your thing, feel free to keep scrolling.

The story we’re told in ACOMAF is that Rhysand’s ancestors, and now Rhys, created Velaris to be a place of goodness, while still allowing the Court of Nightmares to exist as a façade to protect Velaris. There’s a similar story to be told with the Illyrians – they’re cruel and backward, but they’re the Night Court’s main army, and unless Rhys wants to deal with a full-on uprising and uproot tradition, he can’t override all of their old ways.

Outside of these three locations – Velaris, Hewn City, and the Illyrian villages, we never visit any other major settlements in the Night Court, so it’s difficult to say which way they skew in terms of progressiveness. However, based on what we’ve been shown, it doesn’t seem like anywhere outside Velaris is a particularly wonderful place to live.

I could write paragraphs on everything happening with Illyria, but for this post, I’ll be focusing on the Court of Nightmares. In my opinion, the Court of Nightmares should be disbanded going forward. I would argue that it would not only be a good thing to do, but should be Rhysand’s (and now Feyre’s) duty as leaders.

The main purpose of the CoN is to serve as a cruel and intimidating façade for the rest of the Night Court. However, now that Velaris is known to the world, they have less and less of a purpose in this regard. After Rhys died for Prythian and Velaris became known, I’m assuming it became more general knowledge that the Night Court isn’t quite as terrible as everyone has been led to believe. (Or, at least, that parts of it aren’t.)

Feyre points out in ACOWAR that they aren’t going to win many allies by being the terrible manipulators everyone expects, and she’s right. Rhys takes a risk at the meeting with the High Lords, shows more of his hand and his wings, and it pays off. While this strategy won’t work on everyone, the Inner Circle is strong enough power-wise to back up their threats without the added dramatics of the Court of Nightmares. You take away their personas, and Azriel is still a spy and torturer, Cassian is still a commander of armies, Amren drinks blood, etc.

The need for a formal meeting place that isn’t in Velaris makes sense. The IC uses Hewn City as a meeting place with Eris during ACOWAR-ACOSF. However, I don’t think the two extremes should have to be a place of untarnished goodness and a hellish, misogynistic nightmare court. I think it’s perfectly reasonable to have a formal court outside of Velaris, but have them be considerably less terrible.  

Another big reason for keeping the CoN around is the need for the Darkbringer legion. I know nothing about military strategizing so I don’t have a good answer for this one. All I can say is that, generally, people should be worth more than their army (This should also apply to the Illyrians).

In addition to the CoN’s growing lack of purpose, letting them continue is…kind of senselessly cruel. I’m not here to debate the morals of a fantasy series, but there is a definite line. Everyone there is born into a horrible cycle of abuse. Of course, at some point, individuals become responsible for their actions and complicit, if not actively participating, but most people there don’t have a way out as Mor did. It’s reasonable to assume that there are other young girls there in her shoes.

Rhys also isn’t doing much to stop perpetuating this culture, because he benefitted from projecting this version of the Night Court to the rest of the world. Yes, he breaks Keir’s arm for calling Feyre a whore. Yes, he has told Mor that she can get rid of Keir any time she likes. These are both examples of incidents involving his family. But what would he have done if these things were happening to someone random? I’d like to assume that he or Mor steps in when things get too out of hand, as I can’t imagine either of them wanting to perpetuate things like forced marriage, but this isn’t something the reader is shown. It's also a given, in my book, that there are assault and abuse survivors there. Are any of them given the chance to rehabilitate in the House of Wind’s library?

Lastly, disbanding the Court of Nightmares could inject some much-needed plot into the series. There currently isn’t much going on with them conflict-wise, aside from Keir generally being a terrible person and wanting into Velaris.

One of the biggest reasons I don’t want to see Rhys becoming High King (another whole post I could write) is because they have enough to deal with fixing the Night Court’s problems. They don’t have room for all of Prythian.

Disbanding the CoN could provide some interesting dilemmas. For example; what to do with everyone. Some people just need to be *ahem* taken care of, but there are probably others like Mor who deserve the chance to be free. Others have probably done some bad things but could deserve a second chance.

This could also provide an opportunity to tie into Mor’s story and help her overcome her trauma. After all, she’s technically in charge of Hewn City, but it’s pretty obvious that she’s still afraid of her father and that he barely respects her. It also doesn’t seem like she’s there that much - not that I blame her. Rhys making a deal with Keir to let the CoN into Velaris is another example of him working with them when it suits his purposes.

Hewn City may be full of terrible people, but it feels bizarre to keep them around, continuing to perpetuate these terrible cycles when there are other solutions. Despite how this post might make it sound, I do like Rhys as a character, but when you look at his behavior outside of Feyre’s PoV, it changes things.

Rhys is the most powerful High Lord in Prythian’s history, and according to ACOSF, Feyre doubles his strength. The things that happen in the Night Court are their responsibility. If the Court of Nightmares is representative of the mask we see Rhysand wear for so long, I hope, like his mask, we finally get to see it come down.  ACOWAR told us that change is coming to Prythian, and it would be wonderful to see more of it in future books.

#sjm critical #acomaf #rhysand #acotar #court of nightmares #kate talks #my analysis #kate rereads acomaf

[bookishfeylin]

The selective application of real world standards in the ACOTAR fandom is truly the most bizarre thing I have ever seen. When discussing Nesta's behavior or Lucien's actions or Tamlin's style of leadership or... anything Tamlin does, really, we have to use real world standards and ignore the circumstance and context, ignore that this is a fantasy world and hold them accountable by our values. They cannot act like they are in a world that is fantasy, and if they do they are faulted for it. They cannot act on the knowledge they know and have of their circumstances, and if they do they are faulted for it. They cannot merely exist within the broken system that is Prythian's power hierarchy, rather they are faulted for not attempting to better things and make their world mirror ours. But the minute those standards are applied to Feyre and Rhysand or anyone else, suddenly we need to keep in mind again that this is fantasy and to not judge by real world standards. Feyre and Rhysand are praised by the narrative as progressive leaders attempting to change the system of power. They objectively aren't, because you truly cannot be progressive while actively upholding the system that oppresses others and, for example, leaving brown women and children to rot in the places you dislike because you've stereotyped all the brown men as savages too dumb and uncivilized to change whew the racist writing of the Illyrians jumps out, nor is it progressive to remove your wife's bodily autonomy by keeping information about your wife dying in childbirth from her. If you get upset at that being pointed out because ~it's fantasy~ then you can't exactly write 10-paragraph long essays about how horrible other High Lord's feudal systems are, now can you? After all, it is fantasy. Feyre and Rhysand are adored for their "healthy" relationship, despite that being woefully not true by any real-world metric. Hell, with having the male get so jealous when other men look at his mate that he feels the need to fight them, break the bones of people who call her a whore, and have the couple become incredibly co-dependent once they mate, mating bond in and of itself is wildly unhealthy by real world standards! If pointing this out bothers you because ~it's fantasy~ and you believe you can't use real world standards to judge a relationship between two magical creatures in a retelling of a Greek myth, then you can't write essays about the healthiness or unhealthiness of any other relationship in ACOTAR. After all, it is fantasy. Feyre and Rhysand are excused for their atrocious actions that harm and displace tons of innocents because they are "acting for the greater good" or lack the information to wait at a later time for revenge, despite the dire consequences their objectively horrible actions. If this bothers you because ~it's fantasy~ and they don't need to act by real world standards and every horrible thing they do can be excused with "it's for the greater good" or "they didn't have enough information at that time", then you can't critique other characters who don't abide by real world standards of what behavior is ok and not because they canonically have limited information or are doing something for "the greater good." After all, it is fantasy.

Either everybody is critiqued by real world standards, including the faves, or no one is, including the characters you hate the most. You can't hold a certain group accountable by real world standards and be surprised when people do the same right back.

#acotar analysis #anti sjm #sjm critical #anti acomaf #anti acotar #anti rhysand

[corcracrow]

I think a lot of the debate about whether characters are truly good (or evil) in sjm’s books is caused by a flaw in consistence.

sjm will establish at the start that her characters are fae, and not bound to human norms, then proceed to write them exactly as if they were human, while still excusing their ‘fae’ actions.

It makes it difficult to excuse a fae for behaving like fae, when they’re written in all other respects (except for their morally grey or outright evil actions) like a human.

It also makes the line between ‘villain’ and ‘hero’ heavily blurred, because if the hero can do awful things and be excused by the narrative, why can’t the villain?

And I get that it’s probably difficult to write truly fae feeling fae and still make the characters relatable, but that is sort of a curse brought on by herself, isn’t it

#and it’s frustrating for the reader too #you’ll be blatantly told to support a character even as they do awful things #and then to hate a character even if they have done good things #it just gets to me #and i think it leads to a lot of the debate and bitterness surrounding certain characters #because if you try to analyse several of the characters on any level other than ‘fun fantasy/romance books!’ you will be disappointed #anyway #this is not meant as a slam against the author it’s just an observation #sjm critical #(not anti) #(i just think these books don’t really stand up to most forms of literary analysis) #(and we should stop taking them as seriously/treating them as if they do) #acotar #throne of glass #crescent city

[szalonykasztan00]

ACOTAR BOOK 1 Slut-shaming scene in cottage.

Sorry for mistakes English is not my first language.

We on the Internet talked already about slut-shaming scene in cottage in ACOTAR. That happened between Feyre and Nesta. In the context of Nesta being assaulted by Thomas, cultural prejudice put in Nesta by their mother and grandmother, just being mean and not konowing how to have a healthy, normal  conversation.

I want to present (I hope) a new view of that scene.

We all know that both of Archeron's sisters can’t really talk about a sensitive topic. They assume a lot and react with anger and hurtful words (the intensity of it depends on the sister). So, we can assume that:

Feyre PROBOBLLY never got THE talk about birds and bees. That includes all forms of contraception and how to prevent pregnancy. 

Nesta didn’t do it. Her or Feyre would mentioned if that would heppend  because it most likely would be a disaster. And their father is in that scene embarrassed enough for Feyre to really notice it, so he as well is out. And Elain is well…. Let’s say that she probably wasn’t the One to take that responsibility on her.

We know she knows the basic mechanics because she had sex and live in the proximity of farms and forests. Which means animals having sex. But she never in her internal monologue think about contraception or pregnancy in general. (At least I didn’t spot it. If I’m wrong, please let me know) + look how fast she falls pregnant with Rhysand.

That post a question what if Feyre would fall pregnant with Isaac Hale? What are her options and consequences for everyone involved?

1.      Both we and Feyre and Nesta know that Isaac is not going to marry her. Either because of his parents or it will be his decision. So that option is out.

2.      She may have an abortion but:

A)     Would she want to have one?

B)     Could they can afford one?

C)     Do Isaac and his family sponsor one?

3.      If Feyre kept the baby would Isaac and his family help Archeron somehow? Would Archerons take the help?

4.      Feyre is only or primary breadwinner of the family. What will happen if she, for at least 3 to 4 months, can’t hunt? (let’s say from 5 or 6 months of her pregnancy, at best) We are not counting the months or weeks that would take her to go back to full health AFETR childbirth.

5.      They can’t afford a doctor or midwife. We don’t know ANYTHING important about their relationship with other women in the village so we can’t know if they would want to help. (If the Archerons would even ask for that help or take one that would be offered?) But what if Feyre dies or is seriously hurt from pregnancy and childbirth?

6.      What if Feyre has a miscarriage or stillbirth? What would be the impact of that on her body and mind?

7.      If Feyre delivers a healthy baby that another mouth to feed, right? And for 1 or 0,5 years, she needs to be almost always at home. Just for feeding. So again, no hunting in full ability.

8.      Who going to care for that baby when Feyra hunts? Change diapers (and that are the old diapers that must be washed, boil and ironed), look for the baby, play with it, stay up late because they have colic or the first teeth etc. A disabled father that doesn't care for his own daughters, much less his potential grandchild? Elain that in Feyre's eyes is more or less still a baby herself? Nesta? That will probably feel in that moment like Feyre is dumping on her the consequences of her reckless behaviours.

9.      They would need to have a baby staff cradle, diapers, clothes, toys, and food. So, the need to buy either the things or materials for it-- so money.

10.   Children especially young can be sickly. Would they be able to afford doctors and medicine for them? And that assuming that that child would not have a chronic illness or some form of congenital disability etc.

11.   And I'm not even starting on marriage prospects for sisters and the potential social consequences of that for everyone.

Feyras pregnacy would be economic disaster for Archerons.

So my theory is that in that scene, for Nesta could be as much about their survival in case of Feyra geting pregnant as it was for biting back at Feyre for comments on Thomas, cultural prejudice put in Nesta by their mother and grandmother, just being mean and not konowing how to have a healthy, normal  conversation.

But what are you thinking?

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Special ask to :

@nestaismommy

@astrababyy

@ae-neon

@acotardeservesbetter

I most often see your posts with analysis and thoughts on acotar series so I tag you all. (I love them btw)

#anti sjm #sjm critical #anti acotar #feyre archeron #feyre acotar #nesta archeron #nesta acotar #nesta and feyre #elain acotar #elain archeron #archeron sisters #mama archeron #papa archeron #acotar analysis