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checkoutmybookshelf · 24 days

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Don't Fire Your Editors, Kids

When I started reading the ACOTAR series with my reading buddy, my sister started getting all up in my ear going "Throne of Glass is waaaaaaay better, you should read it." My skeptical little brain went, "that is rarely how authorial quality works," and then I picked up the book, read it in two days, and had to eat MASSIVE amounts of crow. Because when I finished the book, my abiding question was, "WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN THIS BOOK AND ACOTAR????" Celaena has a personality, a well-handled and vaguely mysterious backstory that held my interest, her relationships were interesting, and she's damn competent. On top of that, the book was decently plotted and paced, and even the side characters were interesting. This was a pretty decent book, and I admit to being deeply but pleasantly surprised. Let's talk Throne of Glass.

Some light spoilers below the break, so be warned if you haven't read this and want to go in without being spoiled!

So apparently this book was pitched as "Cinderella, but if she's there to kill the prince, not kiss him," but she ended up doing a lot more kissing than killing, despite the fact that she's literally in an assassin's competition to be king's champion. I wasn't mad about it though, because by the time we actually get to the ball, our murder Cinderella has developed real--if somewhat complicated--relationships with Dorian, Chaol, Nehemia, and even Cain and the political actors of the castle that are driving a lot of the character development even as the contest sort of grinds the plot along. Ok, "grinds the plot along" might be ungenerous, because it's pretty clear that the contest isn't the main focus of the book, it's just the plot device that gets Celaena into the castle and back into society, and the fact that it gets pretty aggressively sidelined for actual character stuff isn't a bad thing, but while the character development is compelling, the plot pretty clearly understands that it's not the main character.

And I do enjoy our main character here. Celaena is deeply competent as an assassin, and she is deeply competent at survival. She survived a literal death camp for a full year, and still had her senses of humor and joy on the other side. She's kind of a murder Barbie as well, which I adore, because being a badass should not preclude enjoying pretty, sparkly, girly things like pretty clothes and jewelry, if the character wants to like that. Basically, I'm never going to shame a badass girl for encompassing BOTH those words.

Celaena also enjoys poking at Chaol, which is never ever not fun, and I really do like the slowish burn of Chaol learning that there is more to Celaena than just "best assassin in the world." That relationship is deeply fun, and honestly I prefer it to her relationship with Dorian as far as a romance goes, because while Chaol doesn't have NEAR the experience with brutality and mortality that Celaena does, the two hold more of a shared understanding of things that are hard in the world than she and Prince "My Parents and My Younger Brother Suck" do.

That said though, I think the relationships that I like the most are Celaena and Nox and Celaena and Nehemia. That Celeana was able to find a friend among her competitors speaks wonderfully to contradict our assumptions about her as an assassin. She is kind, she wants friends, and she is willing to not only put herself out to save Nox's life, she is willing to work with him on skills that, whether or not he is successful in this competition, will serve him well out in the world. Celaena doesn't necessarily get anything out of this either; if she loses, she dies in Endovier. If she wins, she's stuck stooging for the king for four years, and she or Nox could die before they ever see each other again. The relationship cannot be permanent, has no long-term guarantees, but they still find each other and help each other and make the best of the time they have. This relationship is super cute and I appreciated that there was more than just aggressive competition with the other dudes in the mix.

Speaking as a cishet AFAB gal, relationships between girls can be CHALLENGING. We don't get hard details about why Celaena doesn't trust other girls in this book, but we do get the lovely realization that actually she can trust other girls and have trusting, meaningful, and positive relationships with them. It's not easy, and the communication is perhaps suboptimal for political and security reasons, but learning that it's ok to trust Nehemia and lean into the feeling that she likes her and have that rewarded is lovely, and given the unfortunate continuing prevalence of girls hating on other girls in books, it was nice to see that addressed directly and directly contravened.

Besides, we still get Kaltain being mind-whammied into mean-girling, and if Perrington doesn't get his ass handed to him for that, we riot.

I will say that the relationships and character scenes are what I enjoyed most about this book, and I'm floored that it's as much better than ACOTAR as it is. This book was clearly well-plotted and well-edited, and I had fun reading it.

#throne of glass #fantasy books #fantasy novel #sarah j maas #books and reading #books #books and novels #books & libraries #book recommendations #book review

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tadpolesonalgae · 24 days

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okay, so this isn't a recommendation or like an attempt to sway what ur planning for the plot of cbmthy... more like, ik this will be very unlikely to happen but i like to ✨️imagine✨️ so treat it more like a silly au thought 🫢🫢

but anyways, i think it would be soooooooooo 🤌 delicious in terms of angst if, in cbmthy, az starts falling in love with reader and he realizes that. but before he can express his feelings or do anything about it, the mating bond snaps between them. bc you Know our insecure & high key depressed girlie is Not gonna ever believe he actually loves her. like i headcanon cbmthy azriel as someone who desperately strives for a romantic partner but he also doesn't think he's deserving of it for his own self esteem issues (and thus probably why he keeps going after "unavailable" females knowing that it will be unlikely to work out). and finally, FINALLY he gets the literal Sign From God™️ that he is meant to love and be loved by someone. and even though there was some.. not so great moments between them he'll still want to Try and make it work bc he's in love with her and they're literally mates.

but in reader's perspective it'll just look like he suddenly has an interest in her bc of the bond and she'll constantly question if he truly loves her (bc even tho i did perceive it as a heat of the moment slip up from him, the "if you were half the female [your sister] is" and "you think you're deserving of me?" comment would haunt me forever if someone said that to me, let alone someone i have a Crush on 😭). like az would do all these romantic gestures in attempting to convince her of his affections and it'll just upset her more. bc to her, the only logical reason he's acting like this is because of the bond, and she's convinced that if his mate was literally anyone else, he wouldn't bat an eye towards her. like.. combined with her insecurity about beauty (comparing herself to mor or elain) that we've alr seen, anything he does will just solidify her disbelief of his love.

can u imagine the devestation of hoping for a lover ur whole life and it turns out the person who was destined to be Exactly That will never believe ur love bc u (whether intended or not) fucked it up.... the mistrust. the miscommunication. the angstttttttt omg.

sorry im literally writing fanfic of ur fanfic at this point lmao 😭😭 anyways ty for listening to my rambling 😔

‘ik this will be very unlikely to happen but i like to ✨️imagine✨️ so treat it more like a silly au thought 🫢🫢’

Girl I’m going to be honest there have been quite a few points where the paths for cbmthy have severely diverged from my original plan and I’ve considered writing aus that explore them just to commemorate them (once cbmthy is entirely finished up, of course 🫣) so I’m delighted getting to hear your ideas on it!!

‘but before he can express his feelings or do anything about it, the mating bond snaps between them.’

Okayyy, so as the actual reader we would know Az’s feelings were true and were already present before the bond snapped into place, but because he hadn’t voiced them beforehand reader/‘you’ would doubt the sincerity of his feelings upon deciding to voice them? Poor reader 😭

‘like i headcanon cbmthy azriel as someone who desperately strives for a romantic partner but he also doesn't think he's deserving of it for his own self esteem issues’

I strongly agree with you there! I’m really hoping sjm treats his mentality well because I think it would also be a good chance not just to address mental health and self esteem issues on their own but also men’s mental health? Chaol’s arc in ToG (ToD) is probably one of my favourite because it felt so genuine to me, so I hope Az gets one like his, or Feyre’s, or Nesta’s 🧡💛

‘but in reader's perspective it'll just look like he suddenly has an interest in her bc of the bond and she'll constantly question if he truly loves her’

Nooo so she’d be living with this constant doubt and on top of all her own problems and she’d have be locked in a perpetual battle with her own mind on how genuine his emotions are? 😭😭

‘bc even tho i did perceive it as a heat of the moment slip up from him, the "if you were half the female [your sister] is" and "you think you're deserving of me?" comment would haunt me forever if someone said that to me, let alone someone i have a Crush on 😭’

He did kind of—intentionally or not—cut right to her bones with those comments huh? 🫢

‘can u imagine the devestation of hoping for a lover ur whole life and it turns out the person who was destined to be Exactly That will never believe ur love bc u (whether intended or not) fucked it up....’

Stop I hadn’t considered the angst from Azriel’s side!! I suppose I write from reader’s perspective so frequently and her and Az have been (in a way) quite cold to one another (maybe awkward is a better word?) that I hadn’t thought what would happen if a mating bond happened and what that would mean for Az 😭

‘sorry im literally writing fanfic of ur fanfic at this point lmao 😭😭 anyways ty for listening to my rambling 😔’

No it’s so fun to hear!! Really it’s such a heartwarming experience that you enjoy cbmthy enough to be so involved with it, it means so much to me so thank you ☹️🫂

Okay, so my thoughts on this—if I’m honest, I think I’m familiar for the most part with how cbmthy is going to conclude? There are still many things I need to fine-tune since there’s a large chunk of story still to tell, but for the most part the different paths I’ve taken up to this point I’ve chosen due to my own writing capabilities (or what I think they are)? Like you said, I think this would be great for a one shot, and it was a path I’d actually considered to some extent, but personally I don’t think I’d be able to successfully write reader recovering if a mating bond snapped before Azriel got a chance to tell her about his feelings which is why that won’t be happening in the main story :)

That being said, I would like to explore those sides of things on a smaller, more controlled level? For example instead of it being a mating bond, now that reader’s magic has come out so obviously I think that’s something reader will struggle with, plus one other subplot that’ll finally come to light at the end of Ch. 15 which reader might speculate is affecting how Az acts around her in future parts!

Either way I’m looking forward to when the next part is finally complete since it’s taking me ages 😭🧡💛 I’m also excited to see how you’ll react to it and what you’ll make of different character’s choices!

#anons <3 #cbmthy #cbmthy chapter 15

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gwyns · 2 months

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E/riel’s acting like lust equals love is so funny to me. You can have a crush on someone or be sexually attracted to a person without it being deep. And that spark, that glow, Azriel felt in his chest where he tucked it down (he literally kept it next to his heart) at the thought of Gwyn’s smile has more importance than Azriel wanting to eat Elain’s cunt, fuck her, and kiss her. I’m not going to blame Elain for this. It’s not her fault.

I never picked up on anything romantic between them. In Frost & Starlight all I got was that maybe (a very very small maybe) that Elain has a tiny crush on Az, but nothing deep. I was taken aback in Silver Flames at the sudden tone change in his bonus chapter. There’s nothing wrong with the sexualness, but the fact the at E/riel’s claim Azriel likes/is in love with Elain, but we didn’t get any romantic feelings from him is a problem. He literally spent a year planning for a damn snowball fight, but couldn’t think beyond the fantasies he pleasured himself to. If he defined his feelings to Rhys, or said he wasn’t in love with Mor anymore, or gave a small hint of romance and not just lust/jealousy, then I would feel different.

Also, there were people who did actually ship E/riel, but after reading that chapter, they hopped off that ship because it gave them the ick. I think it’s very telling if a lot of people in the fandom got uncomfortable/the ick from that bonus chapter, especially from those who use to ship them. There wasn’t even anything kinky about the chapter either, but E/riel’s blame that we can’t handle the “kinkiness.” like no, we can’t handle how potent the jealousy coming from Azriel was. All he thought about was sex and how much he wanted a mate of his own. It wouldn’t have been that hard to add a sentence or even a few words that showed he had romantic feelings for her, but nope. And that’s because it was a mistake.

that's the thing like... even if elain and azriel loved each other (they don't) that ultimately doesn't mean anything. feyre loved tamlin. aelin loved chaol. they ended up not being right for each other and that was it lol. sex means next to nothing in sjm novels, what matters is if they truly see their love interest, and if they push and encourage them. if they want books where sex is the endgame indicator, there are plenty out there! but you're not getting it here

that too, how are they just ok with az thinking of another woman that fondly? that beautifully? oh riiiiight because gwyn is secretly evil and made az feel an emotion for once in his life. i forgot

oh no elain is not at fault at all in my opinion, girlie just wanted a night to let off some steam and instead she got made to feel even worse. like have you ever felt that hot, rush of arousal, you're attracted to this person and they're attracted to you and god you want it so badly but then they had to say something so wrong that it made you feel less than and hurt your feelings and that instantly made all of your previous emotions evaporate like someone threw a bucket of cold water all over you? yeah. i've been there elain and it sucks lol. sorry but as a woman you don't easily get over a guy saying "this was a mistake" in reference to anything. that's a huge romance killer. there's no coming back from that in my opinion

acofas is a bit weird for me, i don't really see their interactions as romantic, it's like there's something... off about them. they're kinda cute at best but it wasn't love, elain has canonically only recently stopped crying over graysen and az was still looking at mor with hunger or whatever in acofas. how is that love on either end? it's kinda sad that e/riels have such a distorted image of it

i love e/riels' arguments against his planning. apparently, in their eyes, he didn't even stop for a second or two to consider a future with the woman he's soooo in love with because he knew he wouldn't be able to have her and it caused him so much pain so he just doesn't think about her at all. poor baby 😩

as someone who has feelings of love, you think about them constantly. even if you feel like you're not worthy of them or that it won't work out. your mind is your safe space to think about the things you truly want, no matter how unrealistic. so the fact that azriel could take a whole year to plan a snowball fight but couldn't spare 5 minutes for elain is... not the romantic declaration they make it seem, i promise you lol

the "you just can't handle kinks!!!" argument is so funny because... do you know what kinks are? they're certainly not the self loathing, jealousy and entitlement az displayed! i've seen multiple e/riels say they couldn't ship it anymore because of how wrong that chapter felt. i even followed a multi shipper and they just straight up said they were over e/riel after that chapter dropped, like it's so evident what sjm was doing, but of course they have their bread and roses blinders on

i saw one reply to bloomsbury uk's acotar tweet earlier today with something like "can't wait for news on e/riel's book!!!!" and i just sat there thinking, "damn. you're going to be waiting a loooonnnggg time"

#sorry it took me so long to get to this!! sometimes i need a bit more time to sit down and answer these longer ones #thank you for sending this in ily #antielriel #anti e/riel #asks #anonymous #long post

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witchthewriter · 8 months

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𝑆𝘩𝑖𝑝 𝑓𝑜𝑟 @perseephoneee.

𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐖𝐎𝐋𝐅

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

𝐼 𝑠𝘩𝑖𝑝 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑖𝑡𝘩 𝑆𝑐𝑜𝑡𝑡 𝑀𝑐𝐶𝑎𝑙𝑙! You two would click so much!!! Honestly, he would feel so comfortable around you. He would support you 100%, and you would DEFINITELY feel comfortable enough around him to let your goofy side out - he would love seeing that side of you.

𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔

You are his everything, girlie, he absolutely ADORES YOU. He thinks you're wonderful, you bring so much joy into his life!

Scott took ages to start calling you pet names, because he didn't want you to think of him as cringey. But when you started getting closer, he felt comfortable enough to call you names like, "sweetheart," "beautiful," "gorgeous."

You're the heart of the group, everyone seems to come to you whenever they have a problem or issue with ... anything. You're like the mother of the group while Scott is the father :')

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈

Take A Chance On Me by ABBA

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔

Aggressively Supportive & Protective Of One Another

Sun (You) x Moon (Scott)

You Confessed Your Love When Thinking He Was Unconscious

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖

He loves how courageous you are - he knows that even when Beacon Hills is infested with dangerous creatures, you don't cower and hide. You face it head on, even if your knees are shaking, you won't back down.

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅

Lydia! But I also feel like Stiles when you get to know him more while hanging out at Scott's place. Lydia and you had grown up together, and while there was a period where you were distant, she eventually came to her senses, and asked to hang out again.

𝐓𝐎𝐆

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

𝐼 𝑠𝘩𝑖𝑝 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑖𝑡𝘩 𝐷𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑛! (I'm sorry I didn't know which gif to use and I kinda like this actor for the role of Dorian anyway-) I was going to ship you with Chaol but I feel like he wouldn't ... get your goofy side. To me Chaol is too stoic. Dorian is flirtacious and mischevious and fun to be around. But he knows responsibility and has that stability you'd need.

𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔

With his magic, he can do amazing things! He likes to show off whenever you're around, even when you've been together for a while, he still likes seeing that astonishment in your eyes

Will listen to you and support you no matter what. Dorian would always make time for you!

Shows you his love through gift giving, physical touch and words of affirmation. He loves holding you, peppering kisses over your face. And you have so many shiny jewels and necklaces and earrings and rings that you have endless choices of what you can wear.

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈

Burning Desire by Lana Del Rey

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔

They probably hate me (You) x Deeply, passionately in love … is terrible at showing it (Dorian)

Bashful (You) x Shameless (Dorian)

Home Is Wherever You Are

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖

Dorian loves that he can be himself around you and not be judged. He hasn't had that with many people - and those that he has ... well they no longer live. When he realised that you're a safe person, he promised that he would protect you no matter what. Nothing was going to harm you.

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅

Lysandra! She would be the best girl best friend ever! She loves sleep overs and brings all your favourite snacks. Even though she lives in Terrasen, she still comes for visits and brings Evangeline and you have a girls' night. It's so sweet!

𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐕𝐄𝐋

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

𝐼 𝑠𝘩𝑖𝑝 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑖𝑡𝘩 𝑃𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟! His personality is a lot like Scott - they both have this need to protect people, to help others and put themselves on the line so others will be okay. They sacrifice. And I think Peter would absolutely love you! I'm serious - he would feel so light around you, like nothing bad could happen to him.

𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔

Most definitely takes you ... swinging? Flying? Oh you know! - the thing with the webs and you cling to him like there's no tomorrow. Yeah, he does that.

Strokes your hair whenever you fall asleep on him (he absolutely LOVES when you fall asleep on him). Even if you snore, or talk in your sleep, he wouldn't care one bit

Whenever he's nervous, you make him dance. Either with you, like hand in hand, or just standing beside each other and doing the most random movements. It really helps him get out of his head.

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈

We're A Team by James Newton Howard

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔

You Fell First, But They Fall Harder

Malewife (Peter) x Girlboss (You)

Forever In Their Honeymoon Stage

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖

He loves your silly side! Peter hates having to think about everything he does, and how he must seem to everyone. He may not seem like the type who cares what people think - but he can't help it. And then you come along and show him that other's opinions don't matter. You teach him things, and that's what he loves about you too.

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅

Kate Bishop! You guys are quite similar, but I think you have a more solid way of existing - even though you don't have an earth sign in your big 3! You'd get into shenanigans with Kate, but help keep her head out of the clouds too much.

#witchthewriter #personal ship #match ups #pair ups

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ae-neon · 1 year

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Reading Throne of Glass (13-15)

Disclaimer

You already know, if you don't, read the previous entries into this series.

Recap for the girlies who haven't read tog (this one's a little long cause it's the first but I'll include little recaps from now on)

Celaena Sardothien is an 18 year old assassin who has spent the last year of her life in a slave mine after being betrayed and arrested.

Training her to take part in the competition to become king's champion is Chaol Westfall - 22 year old captain of the royal guard.

The person who bailed her out is Dorian Havilliard - 20 year old crown prince of Ardalan. A charming prince with a rebelliousness that's putting him at odds with his father.

Dorian's father - Dorian Senior - is the King of Ardalan and lives in a glass castle. Ten years ago he burned Celaena's homeland to the ground as part of his quest to conquer the continent and all its kingdoms.

The world is inhabited by humans, faeries, Fae, witches, shifters etc. But somehow, 10 years ago, the King of Ardalan not only banned magic but actually erased it from the world.

Chapter 13

I like that Chaol is referring to Dorian by his first name, shows he's really relaxing around Celaena. He tells her she stinks but doesn't make fun of her vomiting after the run. When she asks questions, he answers without provoking her and they fall into easy conversation.

Chaol is, as usual, climbing the ranks by being a decent person. Future SJM will forget love interests can do that

The following dawn, (...) Chaol Westfall stopped short when he found the assassin dangling from the beam of the bedroom doorway, repeatedly hoisting herself up to touch her chin to the wooden bar. Sweat soaked her undershirt and ran in rivulets down her pale skin. She’d been exercising for an hour already. Her arms quivered as she lifted herself again. Though she might pretend to be in the middle of the pack, there was no reason to train like it. Even if every repetition made her body scream for her to stop. She wasn’t that out of shape—after all, her pickax in the mines had been heavy. And it definitely had nothing to do with her fellow competitors walloping her at the race yesterday. She already had an edge on them. She just needed it to be a bit sharper.

She didn’t pause her exercising as she smiled at him, panting through her clenched teeth. To her surprise, he smiled back.

I like when Celaena is who she says she is (the irony in this statement, lolol, but you know what I mean)

Also, Chaol's little actions are so attractive.

...a lovely lilac silk dress with pale pink lace accents and pearl beading. If anyone has Celaena fanart in these dresses please link or tag me

Kaltain Rompier!!!

The assassin would have grimaced, but she forgot all about Kaltain as her eyes fell upon her companion. It was an Eyllwe woman. Okay love at first sight

(for the girlies who haven't read the books, most of the slaves in the mines where Celaena had been are people from the country of Ellwye. They are black people.)

She was stunning, long and lean, each of her features perfectly formed and smooth. Her loose white dress contrasted with her creamy brown skin, and a three-plated gold torque covered much of her chest and neck. Bracelets of ivory and gold glimmered around her wrists, and her feet were sandaled beneath matching anklets. A thin circlet comprising dangling gold and jewels crowned her head.

...

The Eyllwe girl was a princess.

Nehemia!!!

Not sjm tryna make Kaltain look racist just so Celaena looks good. Eww.

Chaol bowed low. The princess nodded... Form an alliance, my dear darlings

Celaena knew the name - she had often heard the Eyllwe slaves in Endovier boast of Nehemia’s beauty and bravery. Nehemia, the Light of Eyllwe, who would save them from their plight. Nehemia, who might someday pose a threat to the King of Adarlan’s rule over her home country when she ascended to the throne. Nehemia, they whispered, who smuggled information and supplies to the rebel groups hiding in Eyllwe.

Poor baby has the weight of the world on her shoulders. I wish the only black character wasn't saddled with the "save my people from slavery" plotline.

Celaena dropped into the lowest curtsy she could give without falling and said in Eyllwe, “Welcome to Rifthold, Your Highness.”

Princess Nehemia smiled slowly, and the others gaped. (...) “Thank you,” the princess replied, her voice low. “I imagine you’ve had a long journey,” Celaena continued in Eyllwe. “Have you arrived today, Your Highness?” Nehemia’s guards exchanged glances, and Nehemia’s brows rose slightly. Not too many northerners spoke their language.

What if...I immediately ship this????? (Also low voice Nehemia? I'm instantly seduced)

“What do you make of the castle?”

“It’s the most foolish thing I’ve ever seen,” Nehemia said, EXACTLY

Again, I'm not here for sjm making Kaltain racist just to make Celaena look good, idc

How do you know how to speak Eyllwe so well?” “I”—Celaena thought of a lie—“studied it for several years.” “You use the intonation of the peasants. Is that taught in your books?”

Again, things like this stand out to me so much because not only is it proof that sjm really fleshed out this world and story but also because it's stuff I personally found missing in acotar.

Trying to flesh out the mortal lands in my rewrite had me making languages and even realising that Nesta and Feyre would speak quite differently from each other given their education differences.

The languages or at least the dialects of "modern" humans should be indecipherable to Fae. 500 years is so so so long in language that two people speaking the "same" language would not understand each other.

Back to tog

“If I’m fortunate, I’ll only be here until spring. Unless my father decides that a man from Adarlan might make me a good consort, and then I’ll be here until that matter is settled.”

(...)“Whom would you marry? Prince Dorian?” But Nehemia just clicked her tongue. “That pretty boy? He grinned at me far too much—and you should only see how he winked at the other women in the court. I want a husband to warm my bed, and my bed alone.”

If anyone knows a Dorian and Nehemia political marriage au, let me know

"...in Banjali, the sun burns up everything. And my father’s river palace smells like lotus blossoms.” I want to go there

Nehemia looked toward a rain-splattered window. “Most of our books were burned five years ago, when Adarlan marched in. It didn’t make a difference if the books were about magic”—her voice quieted at the word, even though Chaol and the councilman couldn’t understand them—“or history. They just burned the libraries whole, along with the museums and universities . . .” A familiar ache filled her chest. Celaena nodded. “Eyllwe wasn’t the only country where that happened.”

Okay this is the perfect place to put what I've been thinking: During this talk with Nehemia, Celaena's disassociative habit has disappeared. She has done or said nothing vain, arrogant or distracting. She is being as genuine with Nehemia as she is with herself in her most contemplative moments. Meaning she feels safe.

"Now, most of the books we receive are from Adarlan..." This is called soft power colonialism and it's something the USA actively tries to do in Africa through textbooks.

I really like that Nehemia isn't a perfect, polished, model A princess on the inside. She's pouty and irritated and struggling and frustrated. So human. It's almost insane to think about where SJM is gonna take her.

My rebel princess.

Nehemia said, her eyes bright. “Peace be with you.”

“And with you,” the assassin murmured, watching her leave.

Nehemia and Celaena are Muslim. Ramadan Mubarak to those who celebrate.

After that, she’d sworn never to trust girls again, especially girls with agendas and power of their own. Girls who would do anything to get what they wanted. Sarah, girl, just say you hate women and go

Okay so the king has left on his mysterious journey without any of the guards Chaol suggested and without telling anyone where he's going. Very mysterious.

Not to mention the fact that a few of the royal hounds had gone missing, only to have their half-eaten remains found in the northern wing of the palace. HELLO WHAT THE FUCK

Celaena disparaging women who gossip. This is a friendly reminder that gossip empowers women in their communities, creates networks of information and literally saves lives. Gossip culture in the Philippines is one of the top reasons they have the least serial killers in the world. Know your neighbours, let them know you, know the dangers in your community, protect each other, gossip.

“I just prefer a certain type of woman.” it's me y'all, I'm Chaol's type

There was something great and deadly concealed within her, and he didn’t like it. It's trauma, Chaol, she's traumatized

Chapter 14

Celaena during group training: I will play the middle ground, just enough to not get dissed by Brullo and not good enough to get praise like Cain

Also Celaena: I hate Cain. No one pays attention to how good I'm doing in training. No one is telling me how perfect my form is.

Girl...

Nox Owen from Perranth, which is in Terrasen where Celaena is originally from, I knew he would become an ally.

A large ring of black, iridescent stone glimmered on Cain’s finger... Isn't the gargoyle clock tower thing made from black stone too?

So one of the champions is found dead, ripped open, like the hounds I think. I know who, it's obvious, but whyyyy

Chaol and Dorian are childhood besties, cute. Chaol is from a place called Anielle by some Silver Lake that guards against "hordes" from the White Fang Mountains. (Cain is from here)

Celaena spends so much time thinking about how horrible the genocides committed by Ardalan are, she's literally living with trauma from it. But suddenly she's thankful the people of the White Fang Mountains were among the first wiped out 10 years ago so that Chaol and his people don't have to fight the "hordes" ...Sarah...

The kingdom of Eyllwe has Banjali. The kingdom of Ardalan has Rifthold and Anielle. The kingdom of Terrasen has Orynth and Perranth.

It's not that I'm overly impressed, it's basic worldbuilding really, it's that I'm actually flabbergasted at how she got away with doing nothing in acotar. Like how do you submit a blank map to an editor or publishing house and then even to readers and you're still taken somewhat seriously??

The manor in spring is called The Manor.

The court under the mountain is called Under the Mountain.

The land where mortals live is called The Mortal Lands.

The village where the main character comes from has no name.

On the fan wiki notable places in the mortal land include the barn in Feyre's village and the post office in Feyre's village.

The country shaped like the great British Isle is called Prythian (a name taken from another series but also) after the Welsh - Prydain - the name of the Great British Isle.

The island nation in the place of Ireland aka Hibernia is called Hybern.

The Continent in place of Europe is called the Continent.

I've done a post where I went through all of these lazy names so I won't go on but the icing on the shit show cake is always the Illyrian Steppes:

Steppes are a flat, un-forested grassland. The Illyrian Steppes are a forested, mountainous area.

Back to tog

Chaol has a brother, to whom he abdicated his title.

There was a ghost of a smile on his face as he watched the sky melt into a smear of tangerine. I suddenly understand how sjm brainwashes her readers into falling for these men, why is this so dreamy

Celaena had to break her own right hand to learn to swordfight with her left, she has been through so much. She doesn't need to be Queen, she needs to retire to a small town and get regular therapy

The actual first test is tomorrow. The competition is finally starting.

Chapter 15

Okay, so the first test is archery but all the sponsors are sitting up in the mezzanine, including the crown prince. One troll or criminal bought off by rebels or a scheming courtier could change the future of Ardalan with an arrow through Dorian's neck

They're making fun of the youngest assassin Pelor for not being strong enough to draw a longbow and he says he's more specialised in poisons. Brullo laughs.

Irl Giulia Tofana killed over 600 men in less than 20 years with poison she sold to their wives. She would never have been caught if one of them didn't rat her out.

Pelor is probably one of the most proficient killers in that room.

Celaena is surprised by Nox Owen's skill but he literally told her he was better at archery than knife throwing during their practice. Poor information retention on her part.

Cain has to be on something. We're given the impression the men from the White Fang Mountains are brutes but he's basically a super soldier.

Celaena is upset and goes in on the archery, doing best in the hardest shot, showing off a little even though she knows she shouldn't.

It's interesting how sjm plays with Celaena's arrogance. It's not actually arrogance at all. Celaena is bothered when she isn't recognised or given attention for her skill and talent because that's what she survived on. It's what kept her alive. Without the name Celaena Sardothien and all it carries, she will be forced back to that hopeless, homeless child who watched her family die.

Celaena knows she can't stand out or participate to her full abilities but it scares her and she reacts with anger and bravado. Internally cursing that these men don't know who she is and repeating to herself "I am Celaena Sardothien"

Again, none of this came out when she was with Nehemia - even when Celaena talked about her past.

----

Overall, I enjoyed it as usual.

Glad I finally got to meet Nehemia.

Like I said in my first few chapters read throughs, I know the overall story spoilers but I don't know anything about these characters or the plot details. So it was very interesting to learn Nehemia's unexpected personality. I like her. Honestly I like all of them. These core 4.

It makes me a bit worried, knowing the quality of the series declines with time but for now, I'm happy

#sjm critical #celaena sardothien #nehemia ytger #chaol westfall #dorian havilliard #ae read #throne of glass #ae read throne of glass

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chichikoi · 1 month

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Throne of glass fandom... help out a fellow acotar girlie who's is reading crown of midnight with a burning hatred for chaol... please tell me he's not endgame 😭

#♔ — spam !#throne of glass #Help me togblr #i can't do this #i do not like chaol #please help im going insane #tw spoilers

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fusillisarah · 4 months

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2023 Reading Roundup (44 books, Predominately Romantasy)

I graduated from university and started my big girl job this year, take a look at what I was reading as I passed these milestones! I read FOURTY FOUR books this year and I’m so proud :)

Vampire Academy Series: Richelle Mead

Vampire Academy, Frost Bite, Shadow Kiss, Blood Promise, Spirit Bound, Last Sacrifice

10/10. Comfort books. Love the arc, love the direction. Slow burn mentor/student. Set in modern day. Romantasy.

Dune & Dune: Messiah: Frank Herbert

Dune is a 10/10. Incredibly worldbuilding. Anyone with any interest in sci-fi should read. Messiah went a lot quicker, less complicated and fleshed. 5/10 I didn’t really enjoy it. Maybe I’ll push through one day…

King of Scars Duology: Leigh Bardugo

King of Scars, Rule of Wolves

I love love love Six of Crows, and I didn’t feel like reading Shadow and Bone just yet, so read King of Scars. 7/10 I probably should have read Shadow and Bone but now I probably never will, basically got the gist of it. Didn’t have a lot of background but the story is rly good. Love love love Zoya!!

A Court of Thorns and Roses Series: Sarah J Maas

A Court of Thorns and Roses, a Court of Mist and Fury, a Court of Wrath and Ruin, a Court of Frost and Starlight, a Court of Silver Flames

12/10. Perfect down to the last minute detail. Epic fantasy, worldbuilding that had my jaw on the floor. Must read.

Fourth Wing: Rebecca Yarros

9/10 quick and easy read. Loved the dragons in this one. I’m a sucker for Enemies to Lovers so I basically exactly what i signed up for. Little scared for series though… ahh!

From Blood and Ash Series: Jennifer L. Armentrout

From Blood and Ash, Kingdom of Flesh and Fire, Crown of Gilded Bones, a War of Two Queens, a Soul of Ash and Blood

4/10. First 2 books were really interesting, third one actually totally lost me and in the middle of the fourth I ended up reading all of the Cruel Prince books in the middle of it lol. Determined to not have a DNF this year so I came back, finished it, and read the god-forsaken Soul of Ash and Blood. 0/10 I hated every second of that book. It’s a complete retelling with maybe 2 or 3 chapters that are actually interesting. Yes, I know I read all 5. No, I have no technical regrets. Take that as you will.

The Cruel Prince: Holly Black

The Cruel Prince, the Wicked King, the Queen of Nothing

Good, no spice obvi and super popular but I loved Jude’s character and was obsessed with the politics. Super intriguing I blew through these. 8/10

Verity: Colleen Hoover

6/10, read it in like a day and a half but I don’t rly like thrillers, they scare me lol. It was good tho and my first Colleen Hoover book, not sure if I would read another one but I did really like this one and the ending was super crazy. read it as a palate cleanser after Cruel Prince. I’ve realized if I don’t have a non-high fantasy palate cleanser I fall into a reading slump lol.

Once Upon a Broken Heart Series: Stephanie Garber

Once Upon a Broken Heart, The Ballad of Never After, A Curse for True Love

OUABH is 9/10, honestly such a wonderful book, perfectly captures the hopeless romantic of Eva and allure of Jacks, but TBONA is SHOWSTOPPING!!! 12/10. So amazing, love the storyline, never bored, such good romance it’s the most well written romance I’ve read in a while- screeching halt for ACFTL- I’ve put my thoughts on this blog but it felt so empty compared to the lifeblood in the first 2 books in the series. Definitely worth the read though.

Throne of Glass Series: Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, Heir of Fire, Queen of Shadows, Empire of Storms, Tower of Dawn, Kingdom of Ash

Nothing to be said that’s not already been said. Amazing. I love sprawling epics. Not a ton of romance and tbh I’m not a Rowan girly. Defending Chaol til I die tho. 10/10

Twilight: Stephanie Meyer

6/10. I’ve written about this one but I just felt like it was super juvenile for my tastes, I was expecting to like it more and it was just kinda eh. Needed a little more something something but that is of course a me problem. I just think I am not a big fan of YA anymore.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue: V. E. Schwab

Wonderful story, totally lust for life after reading, made me so excited about the ending. I felt like there was so much more to be told which is like exactly how I wanna feel reading a book. 8/10

Divine Rivals: Rebecca Ross

At first I was not rocking with the pacing, I feel like this book could have been a lot longer. But when I finished it I actually was more on board with the speed and it was super sweet. Good found family aspect. 7/10 will for sure be reading the next one.

Plated Prisoner Series: Raven Kennedy

Gild, Glint, Gleam, Glow, Gold

I love love love LOVE these books! Pacing is amazing, you can see exactly how Auren’s trauma affects her character, Malina has gained a fan, just huge fantastic series here. Cannot wait until the last one is out. 10/10

Thanks for reading! Feel free to drop me a book review for 2024! Happy new year everyone!

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shallyne · 2 years

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I still don't get how Celaena chose Chaol when Dorian was right there but okay

Go off, girly

#throne of glass #Tog #celeana sardothien #celaena sardothien #dorian x celaena #chaol x celaena #dorian havilliard #chaol westfall

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calcium-makes-ur-bones-weak · 7 months

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throne of glass

you just did this so i would publicly embarrass myself talking about the worlds worst book series. i hate you.

Favorite character: i refuse to choose between rowan whitethorn and manon blackbeak.

Second favorite character: god this is actually hard because there isnt a character that doesnt somewhat infuriate me. probably elide lochan.

Least favorite character: lorcan lochan. elide could have done so much better. i remember reading queen of shadows as like a nine/ten year old thinking that elide and manon were like. so totally gay. the way that sjm describes the mating bond, and in turn how the crochan witches choose their pseudo mates is like exactly how i interpreted manon and elides relationship. the parallels of them sleeping together and rowan and aelin in heir of fire?? insane?? THE FACT THAT MONON ''CLAIMS'' ELIDE AS HER OWN???? AND THATS NOT GAY??????? sorry anyways i feel like lorcan was just thrown in there. his relationship with elide felt so inorganic. also hes a cunt. like an irredeemable cunt. which i would have been fine with if sjm didnt try to redeem him like girlie he almost doomed an entire continent. for some girl im 100% convinced thought they were beards.

The character I’m most like: petrah blueblood. shes just like me fr. im not going to elaborate you just have to trust me.

Favorite pairing: okay not canon but like chaol and dorian were so gay. boyfriends ass arcs. not even going to delve into how when chaol got married he chose a woman who was so much like dorians dead ex. and how above all else he devoted himself to dorian. theyre so gay.

Least favorite pairing: aside from elide and lorcan, which i think i already covered. whoops. lysadeon never really clicked for me. i just always liked lysandra and adeon independently of each other. and i think their big fight in kingdom of ash really put me off of them. he threw her, naked, into the snow. what a cunt move.

Favorite moment: i really loved the moment where abraxos and manon make the decision to save petrah, despite the fact that, as the heir to the blueblood clan, she is their enemy. its the first crack we see in manons mask and i felt for keelie who knew she was going to die, but tried so hard to keep herself upright so that her rider might survive the fall. god it just.

Rating out of 10: atrocious 1/10. this is my favorite book series i hate it.

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aelinsattitude · 2 months

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I will always be an Aelin and Rowan girlie but ngl I’m re-reading the books and yeah.. I still love Chaol and what they had before she left I don’t care.

#tog reread

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deathsweetblossoms · 1 year

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I’m considering a third attempt to read Crown of Midnight but I can’t stand Chaol. I couldn’t even stomach getting through this book the first time because he was such a turnoff and I was a Dorian girlie from the get go.

But the library doesn’t have the the next TOG books after that, so I’m conflicted …

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charincharge · 4 years

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jealous rowan pls that's all I have to say

I Don’t Want To Wait, Part 2

rowaelin high school bff AU masterlist

There was one day of the year that Aelin was a complete control freak about – and that was her birthday party. She spent most of the year scheming and planning for her next big bash; Aelin’s birthdays were like prom and a wedding combined into one. This year’s theme was a masquerade ball, and Aelin was not skimping at all.

So it was no surprise that she was running late, trying to micromanage everyone.

“No, that streamer needs to be lowered one inch more,” Aelin groaned at Rowan, who stood with his arms awkwardly above his head, trying to accommodate his best friend’s wishes.

“Ace, it’s perfect where it is,” Rowan insisted, his arms tired from holding up decorations and taping them to the wall. “And don’t you need to finish getting dressed?” Rowan nodded at Aelin, whose hair was still in large curlers and wearing a sweatshirt and leggings.

Rowan’s Aunt Maeve came bustling out of the kitchen, her hair tied back in an elegant chignon and examined her restaurant, which had been transformed by her nephew and his best friend. The restaurant patio was glittering with curtains of twinkle lights, looking like stars. They’d cleared out the tables to make room for a dance floor, and red and purple streamers hung in long strands, connecting the heat lamps dotting the corners of the room.

“Oh, Aelin, it looks magical out here,” she said, sweeping Aelin into a giant hug. Aelin smiled, proud of her hard work on display. “But Rowan’s right. You need to finish getting ready.”

Maeve ushered Aelin to the large powder room where Aelin’s perfect dress was waiting. She’d saved up all her babysitting money to afford the gorgeous deep violet ballgown. She let Maeve help her put it on, stepping into the strapless contraption and arranging the large skirt so it flared all around her. Maeve tied up the corset laces in the back of the dress tightly. That was Aelin’s favorite part. Mostly because when it was all properly done up, it made her look like she had some boob to spare, rather than her usual barely there curves.

She pulled the rollers from her hair as Maeve helped her apply a light dusting of makeup. She examined herself in the mirror. Aelin didn’t usually think of herself as beautiful, but tonight…

“Wow,” Rowan called from the doorway.

Aelin blushed as his dark green eyes perused her dress, pausing just slightly on her unusually ample chest.

He raised an eyebrow and motioned to his own chest, back and forth. “Those are new.”

Maeve had the decency to smack her nephew’s arm as she made her way out of the bathroom, departing with a loaded glare. He rubbed his arm and pouted.

“What are you doing in here, Buzzard?” Aelin was planning a grand entrance to the party, and no one was supposed to see her until she decided she was good and ready.

Rowan grinned roguishly. “I need your phone. To connect to the speakers. Unless you want me to play my music…”

“Don’t you dare,” she warned him, going through her bag and handing him her phone.

“See you on the dance floor,” he said with a wink, and disappeared again. Aelin sat and combed her fingers through her golden waves, pinning the top half up, and finally put on the piece de resistance, the gorgeous black lace mask she’d ordered.

Perfect.

The night moved along just as Aelin had planned – she got her dramatic entrance with lots of ooohs and ahhhs, people milled around the patio, looking stunning in their formal wear and masks, and the playlist was the perfect mix of up-tempo and slow songs to dance to. Aelin had greeted as many people as she could, but every time she took a few steps, she was stopped by yet another person, thanking her for the invite. This is what she got for inviting the whole sophomore class, she supposed.

She kept looking over her shoulder at the small table of her friends, who’d congregated together. Mostly, she couldn’t take her eyes off of Rowan, who despite being thoroughly annoyed with her birthday extravaganza, had still dressed up in a suit and silver mask.

With a slow song playing overhead, Aelin finally thought it was time to take a break and join him, when a hand tapped her on the shoulder.

Despite the elaborate green mask covering his face, Aelin would know Chaol Westfall’s shining copper-brown eyes anywhere. She sat next to them in almost every class this year.

“Chaol!” Aelin greeted him with a warm hug. “Thank you for coming.”

He smiled in return and held out his hand. “I was hoping you would dance with your favorite lab partner.”

Aelin looked around. “Oh, is Dorian here already?”

“Ha ha,” Chaol deadpanned, and Aelin couldn’t help but laugh softly.

Aelin nervously accepted his hand, and let him walk her out onto the dance floor. Chaol awkwardly placed one hand onto her side and kept the other lifted between them. A proper dance carriage. Aelin was impressed as he led them in a waltz, in time with the music.

Aelin’s lips formed a small ‘o’ as he blushed. “My mom put me in dance lessons when I was little,” he admitted. “I rarely have a reason to use them.”

“Color me impressed,” Aelin said, and Chaol lowered her into a low dip, smiling widely. As he lifted her back up, Aelin giggled in a way so unlike her she couldn’t believe the noise came out of her mouth. She sounded so girly.

Chaol moved them effortlessly across the floor, gliding from spot to spot, and Aelin couldn’t believe her own feet. She had no knowledge of the waltz herself, but she just followed his lead. As the song came to a finish, Chaol bowed slightly and pressed his lips to her hand.

“M’lady,” he said, thanking her for the dance. Aelin turned, finally ready to join her friends, when she crashed into a solid body with an oomph.

She looked up too see a frowning Rowan, his eyes dark with displeasure. But he wasn’t looking at Aelin, he was glaring across the floor at Chaol. Aelin poked his side, trying to get his attention, but Rowan didn’t even crack a smile.

“What’s up, buttercup?” Aelin asked, and Rowan shrugged, clearly annoyed by something.

“Just wanted to see if you needed help.”

“With what?” Aelin asked, confused. She looked over her shoulder at where Rowan was still glaring and put it together. “Oh, with Chaol? No, he’s nice. And who knew that he could dance so well?”

“I can dance,” Rowan muttered, and Aelin quirked her head at her best friend. In the twelve years she’d known Rowan she didn’t think she’d seen him dance once. Not even at his cousin’s wedding after sneaking two glasses of champagne.

“Do you want to…” Aelin asked, nodding her head towards the dance floor, expecting him to turn her down immediately. But he surprised her and nodded stiffly. “Okay…”

Aelin wanted to tell him he was being super weird, but she held it in. Instead, her nervous heart beat faster as she led Rowan onto the dance floor. Her palm was sweaty in his, and she realized that everyone would be looking at them. Rowan seemed to sense her nerves and finally took the lead. He wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her close, and she lifted her arms to rest on his wide shoulders. It was a far cry from the formal hold Chaol danced with her in. As Aelin exhaled a shaky breath, Rowan’s grasp on her tightened, as if he were pulling her into a hug. Except they’d never hugged for this long before.

They swayed, side to side, as the music continued, until Rowan finally broke the silence.

“Did Chaol get you a present?”

Aelin had no idea. She hadn’t gone through the tall stack of presents on the side table yet.

“I’m sure whatever he got me isn’t nearly as good as my breakfast cake,” Aelin said with a smile, and that finally got a small smirk out of Rowan.

“That’s because I know you best,” Rowan said resolutely, and Aelin tipped her head back and craned her neck to look at her best friend’s face. She lifted her hand and poked his cheek, turning his frown back into a smile.

“You do, weirdo.”

“Happy birthday, Ace,” Rowan whispered, and Aelin shivered as his breath ghosted across her ear. Rowan disappeared off the dance floor and held court as his table for the rest of the night with the rest of his cadre, but Aelin rode the high of that dance until she was crawling into bed that night.

She touched her ear where Rowan’s lips had almost touched and smiled into the dark.

~*~*~*~

tags: @hizqueen4life @df3ndyr @keshavomit @aknymph

#rowaelin #aelin x rowan #high school au #charincharge writes

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