#so when the SA happened I was like obviously this is Amarantha's doing

[lunamond]

While I'm not at all a fan of Sjm (I only read Tog, Acotar and dnf'ed Acomaf) and overall strongly dislike almost everything I know about her and her writing, I do have a strange fascination about the Acotar series in particular, partly because despite the bad writing there is so much untapped potential in this series.

One of the things I've been thinking about recently is how easily Sjm could have fixed a lot of the issues with Feysand, while still indulging in her super fucked up SA kink with one simple tweak in book 1.

Instead of having Ratman Sa Feyre "for her own good" Utm, just have Amarantha order him to do this as a way to further punish and humiliate Feyre. This immediately shifts the coupability onto Amarantha (the actual villian) while giving the opportunity to explore Rhys' guilt and the ways in which his actions under duress Utm impact his reputation as a bad guy.

It would also give us sth more concrete to explore as far as Rhys sexual trauma goes compared to canon where Sjm only uses his trauma to shield his character from any sort of criticism.

It would also change the very problematic "romantic" dynamic between Feyre and Rhys from victim/abuser to 2 people with shared traumatic experience (Yeah trauma bond).

It would also make the switch between love interests much more compelling and allow for actual nuance.

But instead we got Feyre being handed off from one hot immortal fey highlord who kidnapped, gaslight, and locked her up to a totally different hot immortal fey highlord who kidnapped, gaslight and locked her up but it's ok because this time he has dark hair and batwings.

#anti sjm #acotar critical #anti feysand #anti rhysand #this of course wouldn't fix everything #but if sjm really intended to make ratman endgame from the beginning this is such a easy fix #it would literally change zero plot #like I even remember reading acotar when I was 16 #and I already could tell the bat would end up a romantic rival based on his description #so when the SA happened I was like obviously this is Amarantha's doing #but nope #the text literally specified that Amarantha didn't like that Rhys was bringing her to the party #he literally just did because he wanted to make Tamlin mad #and Sjm has the audacity to then turn around and say the the Riceman is the better romantic option

[theladyofbloodshed]

But did riceman killed winter court's children or not? In the book it is said he didn't but his actions and the way it is said sounds more like a lie. My theory is that he did, but lies to feyre.

I think sjm did write it as rhys doing it then changed her mind and retconned it (as usual) as killing children crossed her line? SA your mate is obviously fair game. Quotes under the read more.

ACOTAR we hear that their high lord was killed 40 years prior for trying to rebel against her then later Lucien discovers from a contact their children have been killed.

“The blight,” Lucien said tightly, softly. “It took out two dozen of their younglings. Two dozen, all gone.” He swallowed. “It just … burned through their magic, then broke apart their minds. No one in the Winter Court could do anything—no one could stop it once it turned its attention toward them. Their grief is … unfathomable. My contact says other courts are being hit hard—though the Night Court, of course, manages to remain unscathed. But the blight seems to be sending its wickedness this way—farther south with every attack."

Rhys is the only one we know of who can use daemati powers. Night Court is not touched - he must be a fantastic lover. I know at one point in the series it mentions some Illyrians do serve Amarantha.

During the High Lords meeting in ACOWAR, Tamlin questions Kallias over how he can even trust Rhys after what happened to the children:

Rhys said softly to them, to everyone, “I had no involvement in that. None.” Kallias’s eyes flared like blue flame. “You stood beside her throne while the order was given.” I watched, stomach twisting, as Rhys’s golden skin paled. “I tried to stop it.” “Tell that to the parents of the two dozen younglings she butchered,” Kallias said. “That you tried.”

Rhys then goes onto explain that he tried to stop Amarantha from killing Kallias.

But Rhys went on to Kallias, “She backed off the idea of killing you. Your rebels were dead—I convinced her it was enough. I thought it was the end of it.” His breathing hitched slightly. “I only found out when you did. I think she viewed my defense of you as a warning sign—she didn’t tell me any of it. And she kept me … confined. I tried to break into the minds of the soldiers she sent but her damper on my power was too strong to hold them—and it was already done. She … she sent a daemati with them. To …” He faltered. The children’s minds—they’d been shattered. Rhys swallowed. “I think she wanted you to suspect me. To keep us from ever allying against her.”

I really don't know on this one. Rhys tried to protect Kallias but that inadvertently resulted in the children's murder - likewise you could argue the rebels' action caused it.

It would make sense to frame him so that Kallias would suspect Rhys. If she had multiple daemati why didn't she use one to break into Rhys' mind and extract all of his secrets if his power was limited by her curse?

Personally, I think she wrote it as Rhys doing it originally then scrapped it so backtracked.

#anon asks

[bookofmirth]

TW: SA

Do you think we'll ever get a passage in the next ACOTAR books with Lucien discussing how he was forced to participate in the Calanmai Rite with Ianthe to help the SC? Because I'm just wondering if other characters would sympathize with him, especially Rhysand who has been in a similar situation where he performed sexual acts to protect his Court.

I also wonder what their reactions would be to what Lucien has endured in SC. They saw some of it when Lucien asked permission to give his ideas and they seemed shocked, but at the same time none of them did anything to help Lucien when he returned with a black eye after getting physically abused by Tamlin.

I can't help but especially wonder what Elain's reaction will be too because Lucien specifically asked Feyre to not tell Elain about what happened during Calanmai. I just really want a scene where everyone understands that Lucien has been through some shit and has had just as hard of a life as they have too, possibly even worse because at least everyone there had someone to look out for them.

Hello thanks for hurting us all

Do I want it? Honestly... idk. Do I think it will happen? Probably not?

I'm not sure if I want it to happen, because I don't think that Lucien should have to expose his every trauma to get people to sympathize with him and stop treating him like an errand boy. He told Feyre because they were already "friends" and he didn't want it to get out to Elain. The IC is already sending him to work with Tamlin, even though they know that he comes back with bruises, like you mentioned. They already know about his situation with Autumn and Beron, and losing Jesminda (I'm assuming here, that would have been some big news in the courts, that a High Lord exiled his son and killed his son's lover). They know he lost an eye to Amarantha. If they don't have sympathy for him at this point - and to be fair, it seems that Feyre and Cassian do, from what I remember - then knowing about his sexual assault won't help, and I personally don't think he should have to make that public in the effort to gain their trust.

So in that sense, no, I don't want anyone else to know because it's none of their business and they should already recognize what he has lost and have basic empathy.

Sidenote - it honestly makes me gag a little bit that this is also the conversation where Feyre said that she was such a better friend to him than he was to her, just because she said that she won't tell Elain. That's basic ass courtesy, to not spread news of someone's assault, not her being a super good friend. As if he wasn't one of the only two (2) people who tried to help her during the trials with Amarantha, and as if she didn't fuck him over when they were in Spring like the day before, and as if he never tried to stand up for her with Tamlin. But I digress.

But in terms of Elain, yes, I hope that Lucien does tell her at some point. He was very adamant that he made the intentional choice to be with Ianthe, but... he didn't. Not when he also says this:

Ianthe insisted, Tamlin was in a bad spot, Tamlin refused, Lucien did his duty... all excuses. It's a lie he tells himself for multiple reasons, but Feyre recognizes that. This is clearly something that he has to work through and identify as being Not Okay.

Perhaps his decision to tell Elain what happened will signal that shift in him. I'm not sure why he doesn't want her to know - it happened before he knew they were mates - and there could be many reasons. Maybe he doesn't want it to seem like he was unfaithful. Maybe he is ashamed (not that he should be, obviously) and using Elain as an excuse not to have it be common knowledge. Maybe he doesn't want to have to explain it, and therefore think about it and end up deconstructing the lies he has built around it. I'm very curious how it will be dealt with. I do have faith that it will be handled well.

#lucien #lucien vanserra #ask #acotar #cascadingmoon

[bookofmirth]

Isn't Lidia a SA survivor too?

She might have said yes to sex with Pollux, but she hates it. Hates him, is disgusted of him and fears him. Not to mention that he hurts her during sex. She had to do it just like Rhys had to do it with Amarantha.

I mean- Rhys had to bed Amarantha for 50 years, but it was never really consent and he hates her as well.

I can just imagine the bruises she has on her body from Pollux. I hope Ruhn and Lidia beat the hell out of that a**hole in the next book. CC3 should be the last book, right? So he obviously needs to die.

Also- it clearly debunkes the "Gwyn can't have sex cause of her trauma" (this crap was already debunked when it first showed up, but people are still going with it). Lidia is a SA survivor and still she was all fine to having sex with Ruhn in the same book. She wanted to do it with Ruhn and loved it.

I would say yes - it is definitely dubcon, if not outright sexual assault. Her situation with Pollux also mirrors what Lucien put up with with Ianthe. Did they want to be with Pollux or Ianthe? Not at all, they seem disgusted in fact. Do they do it for the greater good? Yes, and try to convince themselves it was worth it. And yeah, like Rhys too! And Feyre explicitly said that even if Lucien "consented" to being with Ianthe, a horrible line had been crossed. SJM knows what these scenarios are. She's very aware of rape culture and values consent.

I cannot wait for Pollux to die horribly, can't wait for Lidia to cut his head off like this.

Also- it clearly debunkes the "Gwyn can't have sex cause of her trauma"

I have zero fucking respect for anyone who still uses this argument, tbh. Not only has it been proven absolutely incorrect IN THE SERIES, with multiple characters, but it's just a gross excuse to try to sideline Gwyn's character. Run out of reasons to say that gwynriel won't happen? At the end of your rope and know gwynriel is going to happen? Let's throw some offensive ideas out in the fandom! I respect anyone who doesn't want to see it, and yet that's a personal preference and has nothing to do with what other people can or should or will see in the series or in fanfiction/fan art.

#gwyn berdara #lidia cervos #hosab spoilers #spoilers #hosab #crescent city #cw sa