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onemustalwaysbecarefulofbooks · 10 months

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Why I Dislike Rhysand, Part 2: #NotMyHighLord

Part 2 in the rant I have suppressed for the past several years. Rhysand Stans, be warned, this is not for you. Be prepared to see critiquing of SJM’s writing as well. Proceed at your own risk!!

I feel like this section of the rant is going to be the one that most people have seen, heard, or expressed themselves already. I myself have seen many posts and takes on this before. There will probably be the least amount of original ideas in this post. Nonetheless, I can’t turn down an opportunity to finally say it in my own words.

In Part 1 of my rant (and many other posts), I discussed how Sarah J Maas blatantly has an insane sort of obsession with Rhysand. It is impossible not to notice and acknowledge if you read the series from start to finish. All it takes is about 2 minutes listening to her speak about anything related to him for you to see it as well. He is unequivocally Her Favorite and she has demonstrated that by deeming him to be THE MOST of many different things, especially in comparison with others. I made a post last summer about how I really struggle to define what I think of Sarah as an author overall. She has given me some of my favorite fictional characters of all time, written scenes and exchanges between characters that I carry in my heart and soul and overall provided me with an endless amount of entertainment. On the other hand, a GLARING fault I find there to be with her is that she often writes in an extremely puzzling and contradictory way: beating us over the head with something about a character she presents as being true, verbally stated through the dialogue of characters or through the narrative of the story, while having these characters act and behave in a totally OPPOSITE way to the way they are being described by everyone. And this obviously contradictory behavior is never addressed by anyone in the story--or if it is, the ones calling attention to it are vilified and shown in a negative light, even though they are providing commentary on actions carried out canonly by these characters.

In the simplest form, it’s like this: The author creates a character who others routinely say is the most kind, unselfish, loving, and generous person to grace the planet. An opportunity will NEVER be lost to state these things, through the narrative and through the dialogue of other characters. The fandom comes to accept these things as totally canon traits. You hear the author repeat these same beliefs. The character becomes a favorite of the fandom, who praises him/her for being so kind and selfless. You get excited to read about such a character and open the book yourself. . .only to find scene after scene where the character acts in a way that is cruel, selfish, and arrogant. All while everyone else continues to laud them for being so wonderful. There is a direct contradiction between what you’re seeing and what you’re being told. Tons and tons of readers seem to find nothing unusual about this. You’re left with the feeling that you’re in some kind of insane asylum where nothing makes sense but no one questions it.

This is the feeling I get whenever I hear about what an amazing High Lord Rhysand is.

As we’ve established, SJM is obsessed with Rhys. Therefore, she automatically makes Rhys the best at whatever he does. One day I’d love to do a drinking game where we take a shot every time someone reminds us that Rhys is The Most Powerful High Lord In Prythian’s History (he should really just get that phrase trademarked at this point). But in addition to that, we are also often reminded about what a good, just, fair, and progressive beloved ruler he is.

Rhys as High King: he could think of no other male he’d trust more. No other male who would be a fairer ruler than Rhys. And with Feyre as High Queen. . .Prythian would be blessed to have such leaders. (Cassian, ACOSF, page 451)

There are a lot of ACOTAR lines that provoke actual visceral anger and disgust in me. This is probably in my All Time Top 3.

Yeah, Rhysand is SUCH a great High Lord!! Didn’t you know. . . there are no slums in Velaris!!

There’s just, you know, female mutilation going on in the mountains!

Where to even BEGIN unloading?

I guess I’ll begin here: One of the reasons I strongly dislike Rhysand as a character is because he’s a terrible High Lord.

(And what makes me infuriated and passionately dislike Rhysand is the fact that we are beaten over the head by what an exceptionally wonderful High Lord he is despite the glaring faults shown in the text).

I really really fail to understand how anyone can believe any differently, when it is canonly stated that two thirds of Rhysand’s court are hellish and terrible places. Women are oppressed and mutilated, people who are brutal and cruel are basically given free reign to do as they please, there is not an ounce of respect given to their so-called true ruler.

And Rhys, “The Most Powerful High Lord in Prythian’s History” has done. . .nothing. Nothing to truly change either of these places.

Let’s start with Illyria.

We all know how horrible life is for Illyrian females. They are forbidden to train, are viewed as vessels for breeding, and have their wings clipped at a young age so they can’t fly. Cassian’s mother is raped by an Illyrian warrior and then worked to death, when her body is dumped off a cliff. Azriel’s mother has her young son taken from her by the male who sired him and relies on his mercy as to when he can be released from his literal prison cell to see him. Rhys’s mother was starving herself so she wouldn't get her period, which is when her wings would have been clipped when she was saved from her fate by his father’s mating bond. Emerie and her mother are horrifically abused by her father, resulting in her mother’s death. Emerie tells Nesta and Gwyn that he would slam her head into walls, crunch her fingers in doors, and that he broke her fucking back. Like most females, her wings are clipped so she’s unable to fly. Upon her father’s death, she gains control of his store much to the displeasure of her male family members who frequently harass and threaten her about it.

It’s plain to see that these are not randomly occurring isolated situations. Abuse can happen anywhere, with anyone, but there is CLEARLY a cultivated system of abuse and oppression among Illyrian females. Rhys tells us that he has banned the clipping of Illyrian female wings and is slowly working towards implementing changes that will allow women to have more freedom and choices. He tells Feyre that the Illyrians are “slow to change” and that it will take a long time to completely undo the way they’ve lived their lives for centuries.

I’m sorry, I call BULLSHIT.

The attempts we’ve seen towards this so far in the story have been half-assed at best. Rhysand makes these laws but doesn’t put anything into place to actually enforce them. In ACOMAF, we get this from Devlon, the war lord who rules over the Windhaven camp:

“Another inspection? Your dog,” he jerked his chin toward Cassian, “was here just the other week. The girls are training.”

Rhysand’s strategy to prevent female wing clipping: Tell the violent sexist males with all the power in the camps that it’s banned. Send Cassian in once a week to check up on it.

That’s it.

Allow me to demonstrate how utterly ridiculous and contradictory this is.

In ACOMAF, we have the scene where the IC visits the Court of Nightmares (oh don’t worry, we’ll touch on this place in a bit). Right before their departure, Keir insults Feyre and calls her a whore. (Sidenote: no one should ever be called a whore and I am no way in the SLIGHTEST defending Keir but honestly, I don’t know what Rhys expected. It’s like when Rhys goes out of his way to act evil and do evil things and then everyone takes offense to people calling him evil. He dresses Feyre up in skimpy revealing clothing, has her sit on his lap on his throne, and proceeds to basically finger her in front of an entire throne room of people. It’s stated a million times that fae can sense and smell arousal, and both her and Rhys are both completely turned on by this. Feyre calls HERSELF his whore: “The High Lord’s whore. Who I’d become Under the Mountain--who the world expected me to be. The dangerous new pet that Mor’s father would now seek to feel out.” Like. . .buddy, you have her play and act the part of “The High Lord’s whore” and make a public scene in front of a man who has no respect for women, and then are enraged when he calls her a whore. What did you think he would do?? How did you think he would respond?? It’s almost like he was purposely trying to goad Kier into a reaction so he could punish him for it, honestly).

ANYWAY. . .Keir calls Feyre a whore. And Rhys loses his shit:

Night exploded into the room.

People cried out. And when the darkness cleared, Keir was on his knees.

Rhys still lounged on the throne. His face a mask of frozen rage.

“Apologize”, Rhys said. My heart thundered at the pure command, the utter wrath.

Keir’s neck muscles strained, and sweat broke out on his lip.

“I said,” Rhys intoned with such a horrible calm, “apologize”.

The Steward groaned. And when another heartbeat paused--

Bone cracked. Keir screamed.

And I watched--I watched as his arm fractured into not tow, not three, but four different pieces, the skin going taut and loose in all the wrong spots--

Another crack. His elbow disintegrated. My stomach churned.

Keir began sobbing, the tears half from rage, judging by the hatred in his eyes as he looked at me, then Rhys. But his lip formed the words, I’m sorry.

The bones of his other arm splintered, and it was an effort not to cringe.

Rhys smiled as Keir screamed again and said to the room, “Should I kill him for it?”

No one answered.

Rhys chuckled. He said to his Steward, “When you wake up, you’re not to see a healer. If I hear that you do. . .” Another crack--Keir’s pinkie finger went saggy. The male shrieked. “If I hear that you do, I’ll carve you into pieces and bury them where no one can stand a chance of putting you together again.”

Keir’s eyes widened in true terror now. Then, as if an invisible hand had struck the consciousness from him, he collapsed to the floor.

Rhys said to no one in particular, “Dump him in his room”.

Now. . .does this in ANY way, shape, or form seem like a man who has trouble getting people who are opposed to him to do what he wants them to do?????????

Rhys doesn’t even move off of his throne and he has Keir groveling on the floor with his arm shattered into pieces. It takes no effort whatsoever on his part. He is, after all, The Most Powerful High Lord in Prythian’s History, in case you’d forgotten. He later laments to Feyre about how ashamed he is for her to see “that side” of him. Feyre says:

“You’re my friend--and I understand that you’re High Lord. I understand that you will defend your true court, and punish threats against it.”

DO YOU SEE THE RIDICULOUSNESS AT PLAY HERE.

Sarah. You can not have it both ways. You can not have Rhys claim that he is “doing all he can” to defend the Illyrian females and protect them from the violent males in their lives and then simultaneously give us this scene. Keir hates Rhys’s guts and I’m sure would gladly not only refuse every order he gave him, but also run him through with a sword. Does it seem like any bit of this matters in this moment?

One of the responses to this I stumbled across on Reddit literally floored me. Someone brought up this very argument, that Rhys had more power to control the situation in Illyria if he really wanted to, and I saw several people respond with: “Well, if he literally tried to control them, either through physical intimidation or mind control, then he’d be a tyrant, and that’s not who Rhys is. That’s not who he wants to be. Is that really what you’re suggesting?? You want him to be a tyrant who controls people???”

Um. . .YES???

Like. . .do these people hear what they’re saying??? Do they understand the concept of “context matters”????. Do I want Rhys to walk around flaunting his power over innocent law abiding citizens of the Night Court who are minding their own business and not hurting anybody? Obviously no. But do I want him to use his power in a meaningful way to punish people who are physically mutating and beating women to death??? Hello??? The lengths some people will go to to defend this man is incredible.

What is the POINT of Rhysand having all this power if he doesn’t use it to defend the good and the innocent??? What is the POINT of him being “tHE mOsT poWERful HiGH lORD in PryTHIAN’S hIsTorY” if he sits on his power while innocent people in his court are being abused under his watch???

Spoilers for Queen of Shadows: To me, this is like someone saying Lysandra shouldn’t slit Arobynn’s throat in his sleep because it would make her a murderer. Is that what I want??? For Lysandra to be a murderer?? Does the average person deserve to have their throat slit in their sleep?? No. But does Arobynn?? YES.

These Illyrian males, if they are behaving in the ways we hear about in the story, DESERVE to have their asses handed to them by Rhysand! They DESERVE whatever punishment comes their way! Don’t want your arm shattered into a million pieces?? Don’t fucking mutilate and beat your wife!!! Easy as that!!

For real change to come about in the Illyrian camps, there needs to be a zero tolerance policy, with public punishment and humiliation, to send a message to everyone that this kind of thing will no longer be tolerated under any circumstances. There needs to be trustworthy people from Rhys’s court stationed there at all times to actually enforce this. I’m not saying that there wouldn't be things that slip past the enforcers, or that Rhys and the Inner Circle have the power to actually change the will and opinions of the males who do this kind of thing. They almost certainly won’t gain any respect from these males. But at the end of the day, it’s very simple. You don’t have to like it, or us, but you WILL stop partaking in this behavior. If you don’t, your consequence is going to be so severe you’ll spend the rest of your life regretting it.

One might ask, This seems pretty straightforward, why hasn’t Rhys attempted anything like this already?? If these males are willing to commit such evil deeds, why even waste his time at all with them? Who CARES if they go rogue and refuse to fight for him anymore? Could it possibly be because he needs the Illyrian soldiers as the main component of his armies? He doesn’t want to outwardly anger these war generals so strongly that they no longer cooperate or associate with him?

So, what you’re saying is. . .Rhys turns a blind eye to female abuse in his court . .because he needs the might from these people in his armies.

If I’m wrong and you have a rebuttal, I’m all ears. But I’m not really sure what other conclusion I’m supposed to arrive at. Rhys CAN control, humiliate, and intimidate powerful people who go against him. But he’s choosing not to do it here. . .why? Because controlling and intimidating people is bad?? Even if it’s directed towards those who are killing and mutilating innocent people?? I don’t understand and I don’t think I ever will.

Honestly, I thought the reason Illyria was being left as such a mess was deliberately done, because that was what Nesta’s story and arc was going to revolve heavily around. When they announced in that teaser way back in 2018 that she was going with Cassian to train in the Illyrian mountains, I was fully convinced that that was how she was going to “find herself”, by changing the lives of the Illyrian women and empowering them. I thought she would be a major catalyst in whatever happened there. And. . .that’s not what happened. Maybe that part of the story is still yet to be told, maybe she’s saving it for Azriel’s book or something. . .who knows. For the time being, I guess it’s just there for aesthetics, so the Bat Boys can have a tragic backstory. Still, even if it DOES change in later books, I would still be left wondering why Rhys, who Sarah claims is as different from the other High Lords as humans are to fae, didn’t do something about it sooner.

On the subject of Illyrians, let’s talk about Feyre and her shape-shifted Illyrian wings for a minute. I’m sure everyone knows what I’m going to say, and you might argue that this is a critique of Feyre’s character and not Rhys’s. I both agree and disagree with that and to explain my reasoning, we’re going to have to back up a little bit.

I made a post a couple years ago about how Feyre’s title as High Lady holds no real weight in the ACOTAR world and is nothing more than a fancy title and a sign of respect from her husband. Which is admirable in it’s own right, but it’s not truly what all the stans make it out to be. It’s stated as canon fact in the series that the High Lord is determined by whoever this mystical force (is it supposed to be The Mother? I don’t even know) in each court chooses. It’s not a monarchy. If I don’t like my High Lord, I can’t go out and kill him and declare myself the new High Lord. The magic of the court decides who it is. That’s how you end up having people like Tamlin, who have no desire to be High Lord become one.

Anyway, all of this means that Feyre is NOT equal in power to Rhys, no matter what title he gives her. Let’s pretend their dumb-ass suicide pact doesn’t exist and Feyre can live on if he were to die. If Rhys were to die, Feyre wouldn't continue on as the magical High Lady ruler of the Night Court, while they all just did without a High Lord. The magic would select someone else to be the High Lord, with no regard for her. Feyre is only “High Lady” because Rhys says she is. She has no magical tie to the Night Court. She is a ruler in title only.

Don’t like it? Doesn’t sound very feminist?? Yeah, I’d agree. And for some insane reason, TAMLIN is blamed for the lack of High Ladies in Prythian rather than, uh. . .the woman who created the magic system that made it this way!!!

(Seriously, the fact that Tamlin is shit on for telling Feyre there are no High Ladies is asinine. Tamlin is not giving personal commentary, he is stating fact. Remember how shocked everyone is when the IC shows up to the High Lord’s meeting in ACOWAR and Rhys announces that Feyre is High Lady? There AREN’T any High Ladies of Prythian! But in ACOMAF, SJM has Rhys tell Feyre that there absolutely are. This is what I mean when I say SJM makes Rhys say and do completely nonsensical things simply for the sake of inflating him as a character. Logic doesn’t have to enter the conversation, if it makes him look good, that’s all that matters. Even if it directly contradicts something SHE wrote!!! It’s mind blowing, honestly).

Wow, I got REALLY side tracked!! Anyway, you get the point: Feyre’s role as High Lady is really just a fancy title with no true magical tie behind it. But despite this, she is still Rhys’s wife, and therefore a certain level of respect is expected to be given to her.

And if I were an Illyrian female, I’d find it REAL hard to conjure up any of that respect.

In my opinion, SJM is guilty of not truly writing these characters with the scope that their immortality entails. Feyre is physically mature and an adult by human standards. But what constitutes an “adult” by fae standards? The IC is collectively thousands of years old. I find it hard to believe that they wouldn't have a hard time seeing someone in their early twenties as someone super young and naive. Especially if this someone wasn’t born a fae and was only transformed into one within the past couple years.

Think about it. . .how many times have you had a conversation with someone who is older than you, maybe by generations, maybe by just several years and they’ve made comments about how young you are, or how “one day you’ll feel differently” or “one day you’ll understand”. They speak with a wisdom that they claim comes from simply existing longer and going through phases of life you haven’t reached yet.

Now imagine somehow being over 500 years old and interacting with someone who is 21. They’d be an infant to you!!

My point in saying this isn’t necessarily to say that I think Feysand’s relationship is creepy because he’s so much older than her. It’s really to say that, as I’ve stated, you can’t really hold Rhys and Feyre accountable in the same way as far as being high fae leaders goes. She hasn’t been alive even a fraction of the amount of time he has and she wasn’t born a fae. This isn’t her fault and I don’t think it’s something she should necessarily be disrespected for. She’s definitely smart and capable of making her own observations and decisions but at the end of the day, I don’t think you can really argue that it falls back on Rhys to help to guide and navigate her through this political life they lead. Rhys had been leading a country for 500 years by the time Feyre was shitting in diapers. Their experience is NOT the same.

So at the end of the day, I think that Feyre’s use of Illyrian wings says as much about Rhys as it does about her.

Imagine the pain and the anger you would feel as an Illyrian woman to see your so-called “High Lady” flaunting the wings you were born with and using them to escape to the freedom of the skies, something you had been denied of against your will. She knows nothing of the trials and tribulations you face each day, the abuse you endure. She was not born into your culture, nor does she take the time to try and help you, or get to know you, or learn about you. But she shifts the Illyrian wings onto her back and takes to the sky to do really important things like have sexual intercourse with the High Lord above the most populated city in the court, while you remain trapped on the ground. Imagine the anger you’d feel at your so-called High Lord, who allows his new wife to flutter around Velaris on perfect un-maimed wings, while claiming he wants to advocate for and protect you but does the bare minimum.

To be clear: I most certainly hold Feyre accountable for this thoughtless decision. She is more than capable of deciding for herself what she feels is right and wrong. But as I’ve stated, I have a really hard time not also putting part of the blame on Rhys here. As I established, Feyre was not born into fae culture and she is a child compared to most of the fae living in the Night Court. Rhys, on the other hand, is over 500 years old, has Illyrian culture in his bloodline, and has been living among these people, leading them, for almost his entire life. I’d like to think he’d have the foresight to pull Feyre aside and explain to her that while she may not have initially considered it, it could be viewed as disrespectful and offensive for the Illyrian women to see her gallivanting around with Illyrian wings when most of theirs have been clipped.

If I were an Illyrian women, I think it would be nearly impossible for me not to feel a strong bitterness towards Feyre and Rhysand. One could make the argument that Feyre is young and naive and doesn’t truly understand Illyrian culture. The same argument could NOT be said about Rhys.

So thanks, High Lord, for flapping around shiny happy Velaris with your wife and her fake Illyrian wings, having kinky Illyrian wing sex, while doing the bare minimum to help and protect the women who were actually BORN with Illyrian wings.

Alright, moving on from that mess, let’s touch on the Court of Nightmares.

Now, a lot of what I have to say here is going to be the same as what I said about Illyria. But honestly, I feel like this place gets the even shorter end of the stick.

One of the most truly bizarre things to me in the ACOTAR series is this idea that the people of Hewn City/the Court of Nightmares are somehow just all evil malicious wicked people who are happy to live sequestered in this underground kingdom. This is a super weird notion and I’m not sure at all how Sarah validates it. Especially when a character like Mor exists. You’re telling me she was the only “dreamer” born into the Court of Nightmares? No one else is suffering the way she was? I don’t get it.

I’ve heard the argument made before that it’s quite possible that this kind of wickedness is specific only to Mor’s family. I’ve heard people say that we’ve never really seen anything in the Court of Nightmares other than the household she grew up in. So it’s actually quite plausible, people say, that the rest of the court is just a normal court, there’s no evidence to suggest that this kind of abuse is happening among the entire group of people. (They claim we are “reaching” for things to blame Rhys for).

Yeah, NO. Sorry, that’s just a willfully stupid take. Here’s what we hear about this place from ACOMAF:

“The nobility of the Night Court fall into one of three categories: those who hated me enough that when Amarantha took over, they joined her court and later found themselves dead; those who hated me enough to try to overthrow me and faced the consequences; and those who hated me, but not enough to be stupid and have since tolerated a half-breed’s rule, especially when it so rarely interferes with their miserable lives.”

“Are they--are they the ones who live beneath the mountain?”

A nod. “In the Hewn City, yes. I gave it to them, for not being fools. They’re happy to stay there, rarely leaving, ruling themselves and being as wicked as they please, for all eternity.”

That was the court he must have shown Amarantha when she first arrived--and its wickedness must have pleased her enough that she modeled her own after it. (pages 175-176)

Not enough to convince you? Here’s Mor explaining it in her own words:

“In the Court of Nightmares,” she went on, that voice falling soft and a bit cold once more, “females are. . .prized. Our virginity is guarded, then sold off to the highest bidder--whatever male will be of the most advantage to our families.”

‘I was born stronger than anyone in my family. Even the males. And I couldn’t hide it, because they could smell it--the same way you can smell a High Lord’s Heir before he comes to power. The power leaves a mark, an. . .echo. When I was twelve, before I bled, I prayed it meant no male would take me as a wife, that I would escape what my elder cousins had endured: loveless, sometimes brutal, marriages.”

“But then I began bleeding a few days after I turned seventeen. And the moment my first blood came, my power awoke in full force, and even that gods-damned mountain trembled around us. But instead of being horrified, every single ruling family in the Hewn City saw me as a prize mare. Saw that power and wanted it bred into their bloodline, over and over again.”

Is everyone sufficiently convinced now? Okay great.

And Rhys, by his own omission, allows them to “rule themselves” as a reward for not being foolish enough to challenge HIS authority.

But do they REALLY rule themselves?? Take a second and scroll back up to read the excerpt I already included where Keir calls Feyre a whore and Rhys absolutely wrecks him. Who does it seem like is really in charge here?

I’m sorry, I get viscerally angry over this. In the Court of Nightmares scene, Keir is written 100% completely and totally as Rhysand’s groveling little bitch. He is literally nothing compared to Rhys. Rhys is total power and domination. Seriously:

He led me the few steps onto the dais--to the throne. He sat, smiling faintly at his monstrous court. He owned every inch of the throne. These people. (page 409)

Before Rhys, Keir was nothing more than a sullen child. Yet I knew Mor’s father was older. Far older. The Steward clung to power, it seemed.

Rhys was power. (page 411)

This entire scene honestly disgusts me and is so stupid. Rhys swaggers in and the entire throne room drops to one knee in submission. It’s told over and over that he exudes raw power that no one there can even hope to compete with. We’re told he “owns” the people, that Keir is nothing more than a child compared to him. He snaps his fingers and orders Keir to bring Feyre wine and he does it! Mor calls Rhys “Your High Lord” when speaking to Keir. Keir “grovels” when Rhys suggests that the wine he brought them is poisoned. And then the ordeal where he starts shattering bones in his arm one at a time, forbidding him from seeking any healing on pain of death, eventually knocking him out.

SO IF THIS IS THE CASE. . .WHY. TOLERATE. KEIR. AT. ALL????????????????

If this is how easy it is to control this man, why on EARTH is he given one INCH of control in this place???? The whole scene loses its meaning entirely. . .why do they need to STEAL this orb from him?? In ACOWAR, why does Rhys need to BARGAIN with him about the use of his armies??? (at the expense of Mor’s feelings and security!!!!) Why are these people ALLOWED to treat females the way they treated Mor??!?

There are two answers here and both of them are shitty:

Option 1) SJM just wants to write scenes to fulfill her dark!Rhys fetish. She needs the Court of Nightmares for her Rhys aesthetic. That’s where the true reason for scenes like this begin and end. She wants to write scenes where we all marvel and swoon at Rhys’s “raw power”. We don’t need logic, it has no place here. We’re supposed to ignore everything else and just swoon over Rhys, as usual. We’re not really supposed to think too hard about Keir because he’s literally just a prop that is there for the purpose of having Rhys flex his power. It’s the epitome of wanting to have your cake and eat it too. She wants all aspects of what makes Rhys sexy and doesn’t care how she makes it happen. She wants the hot, powerful, wicked High Lord we got to see in ACOTAR, but she also wants the saint she made him out to be in the rest of the series. So we’re just supposed to ignore the fact that in making it plainly obvious that he is able to control these people means that he should be able to apply this to making innocent people’s lives better down there but isn’t.

Option 2) Rhys is deliberately allowing the wickedness and evil behavior to continue to put on a front for the rest of the world. He says that the Court of Nightmares is the version the outside world gets to see of the Night Court. It’s how Amarantha came to design her own court with it as an inspiration. It’s why everyone has such a negative view of the Night Court. Rhys is praised by the IC and pitied by much of the fandom for the “sacrifice” he makes in putting on this evil front and lets the world believe of him, in order to protect his “true” court--the Court of Dreams, the City of Starlight. I’m sorry, what sacrifice???? What is Rhys sacrificing of himself by doing this? He sits on his throne in total control and power while others grovel at his feet. I’m supposed to feel sorry for him that his reputation is being tarnished by the rest of the world seeing this while people like Mor are having nails driven into their bodies because they went against their family’s wishes regarding their virginity and marriage??? No, I’m sorry. The only people I feel sorry for are the people he is doing this on the backs of. Because the fact of the matter is: Rhys needs an evil court to put on this show for the rest of the world. And you can not have evil people without evil deeds. And you can not have evil deeds without victims. Evil people are evil because of their actions to other people.

So Option 2 is. . .Rhys is allowing people to be abused in the Court of Nightmares and not putting a stop to it because he needs an “Evil Court” smokescreen to protect his REAL court.

Again. . .do you see why I have such a hard time liking him???

Also, after ACOMAF the whole world knows about Velaris anyway. So there’s no need for a smokescreen evil court anymore. But has anything changed?? NOPE.

Not only that. . .but if this is the face he puts on for the people of the Hewn City, this is who most of the people there probably believe him to truly be. If another female, or anyone else really, is in a horrible situation like Mor’s, what would make them think that Rhys is someone they could approach or reach out to for help? They're probably terrified of him! The whole situation is just so fucked up and awful.

What’s also fucked up and awful is the fact that while all of this exists in both Illyria and the Hewn City, Rhys has a shelter/sanctuary in Velaris for abused women. Sorry, get your fake feminism out of here. You can’t stick that detail into the story and expect it to erase blatant abuse of women happening in two thirds of Rhysand’s court. . .under his watch!!!!! When he has the power to stop it!!!

I’ve heard many people try and make the claim that Rhys is written to be contradictory in this way to prove that he is a “morally gray character” and to that, I call total bullshit. For one, allowing the blatant abuse of women when you have the power to stop it isn’t “morally gray” , its borderline irredeemable. And two, I’ve said it before. . .listen to SJM talk about Rhys. Read the ACOTAR series. This woman is so far up his butthole, I’m wondering if he somehow offered her her own riverfront mansion. She honestly believes him to be God’s gift to humanity!!

So again, we’re back to my same age-old question: Is SJM a good writer or a bad writer?? I don’t really think it’s as simple as sticking one word on her writing to label it one way or the other. As I said, I’ve gotten immense enjoyment out of some of Sarah’s work and have been blown away by the places she takes her characters and stories. But in this case. . .it’s objectively awful. You’re giving me this character who you’re constantly telling me is good and righteous and incredible, beating me over the head with the level of worship he gets by the narrative, but then you’re making him do things that are like really blatantly terrible. And he faces NO accountability for it! Like???? You are the author??? You can control the things he does?? If you really believe that he’s that great, why don’t you just write him that way??? Why beat us over the head with how great he is, only to make him do awful things and then completely ignore them?? I’m telling you, it’s almost bizarre. . .like she’s seeing just how far she can go with what people will excuse. It's mind boggling!!

(Honestly what’s even more mind boggling is the sheer number of people who lap this up and accept it completely. For the life of me, I can not understand how people are so blind to this stuff!)

You can’t have it both ways, Sarah. You can’t tell us Rhys is the most powerful high lord ever born and expect me to believe that there’s nothing more he can do for Illyrian females and the “dreamers” of the Court of Nightmares. Especially when we’ve seen him demonstrate otherwise! Like I said earlier. . .if he’s not using his power for good, what is even the point of it??

So, to sum up: We are told over and over again how utterly powerful and incomparable Rhys is as well as what an honorable and giving High Lord he is. We see raw power displays from him where he swiftly and forcefully exerts brutal punishment on those who offend or go against him without so much as breaking a sweat. Despite this, he adopts a passive view on the Illyrians, banning wing clipping and the mistreatment of females but not doing anything to really enforce it, and continues to allow females in the Court of Nightmares to be abused and brutalized because he needs his evil Night Court aesthetic to protect the IC and Velaris.

My Ick Factor is OFF THE CHARTS.

And let me just end by saying….try and picture our Queen and Savior, Aelin Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius allowing the mutilation and abuse of women in Terrasen because “change is slow to happen”….and she needed some armies. AELIN WOULD NEVER.

It is a dream of mine to see her humble Rhys.

So, yeah. . .Rhys is a terrible High Lord. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

Part 3 is probably my most highly anticipated rant---we’ll call it “Let’s Talk About Tamlin”. Coming soon!

#acotar critical #acomaf critical #sjm critical #anti rhysand #illyrians #court of nightmares #morrigan

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romanticatheartt · 29 days

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acomaf - ch. 29:

They had never played a piece like it Under the Mountain—never this sort of music. And I’d never heard music in my cell save for that one time. “You,” I breathed, not taking my eyes from the musicians playing so skillfully that even the diners had set down their forks in the cafés nearby. “You sent that music into my cell. Why?” Rhysand’s voice was hoarse. “Because you were breaking. And I couldn’t find another way to save you.” ~ “I saw the Night Court.” He glanced sidelong at me. “I didn’t send those images to you.”

When Rhysand sends music into her cell to stop her from breaking, not only does he save her, but it makes her see the place where she belongs. The place where her mate belongs. He didn't send her those images, but her soul did. The soul which is connected to him. So she subconsciously saw her found family and a life with her mate. In the same scene where they talk about music, we get more confirmation on them being mates.

acosf - ch. 58:

“What is it?” “Touch the top. Just a tap.” Throwing a puzzled glance at him, she did so. Music exploded into the room. Nesta leaped back, a hand at her chest as he laughed. But—music was playing from the silver orb. ~ Those golden threads between their very souls shone with the words, as if they formed a harp strummed by a heavenly hand. For it was music between their souls. Always had been. And his voice was her favorite melody.

Nessian bond is much more connected to music than Feysand. It's mostly because of Nesta's love for music and dancing. So in the same scene when Cassian gifts Nesta the orb, their mating bond also snaps for them. "For it was music between their souls." just like Feysand. Which was the reason Feyre saw those images from NC/Velaris.

acosf - Azriel's bonus chapter:

She angled her head, hair shining like molten metal. "Do you sing?” He blinked. It wasn't every day that people took him by surprise, but…"Why do you ask?" "They call you shadowsinger. Is it because you sing?" “I am a shadowsinger--it's not a title that someone just made.” She shrugged again, irreverently. Az narrowed his eyes, studying her. "Do you, though?" she pressed. "Sing?" Azriel couldn't help his soft chuckle. "Yes." ~ Azriel entered the warmth of the stairwell, and as he descended, he could have sworn a faint, beautiful singing followed him. Could have sworn his shadows sang in answer.

Gwynriel is going to have even more connection to music since both of them sing. Again Sarah used the same mating bond language she uses for her mated couples. Just like Feysand and Nessian, the exact scene when they talk about music or hear it, there's a mention of their connection between their soul aka mating bond...

Mhmm... I see a pattern here...

#pro gwynriel #gwynriel #pro feysand #feysand #pro nessian #nessian #this is messy #but I had to write it down #People probably mentioned this before lol #But really music is such important element in mating bond language

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bittermuire · 5 months

Note

Promot:

Mor makes a move on Nesta while teaching her how to do formal Night Court dances in acosf.

let it be said that this is one of my favorite scenes in acosf😩 mor was just so cute in it! 98% of her character was terrible in that book but this scene singlehandedly made me a stan I fear

unfortunately neither of them makes much of a move. but they're both thinking about it <3

“No,” Morrigan says. With her arms crossed she’s cold and blonde and frustrated. There’s no hint of a smile on her face—nothing, Nesta thinks with relief, like how this whole lesson began. “You’re still thinking like it’s a waltz. It’s one-two-one-two-one-two, not one-two-three-one-two-three.” She snaps her fingers for emphasis. “You’re lingering, you’re too slow.”

Nesta sighs. She pushes her hair back from her sweaty forehead. “I get the picture.”

“Then do it right this time.” She holds out her hands. “Ready?”

Nesta takes hold of her hands. The grip is strong and warm; Morrigan’s fingers are long and slender, her knuckles wide, callouses on her palms. Nesta finds that she never noticed it before until this afternoon in the ballroom. It’s empty except for them. The sounds of their heels echo into the vaulted ceiling.

It’s a unique thing, this dancing together, this learning. Morrigan uses every part of her body to correct Nesta’s. Ankle to calf. Arm to waist. Hand to neck, fingers to chin.

“Be strong, Nesta,” she said, near the beginning. “Forget the world. The world is you and your partner. You are the world.”

That’s ridiculous, she remembers wanting to say. Dancing is a calculating, analytical act. You smile politely and step in time, endure hands that dip too low or high, watch the room for the person you require most. She almost said it. But Morrigan was not smiling anymore. There were no sweet smiles, no honeyed niceties—no longer. And Nesta was fascinated.

Morrigan wears a simple black dress that catches occasionally on her thighs when she makes a dramatic step. She’s braided her hair and small tendrils have come loose, curling tightly around her heart-shaped face. She is, Nesta thinks, the loveliest woman she has ever seen.

But she’s not a woman, is she?

She is fae.

The music begins. Cassian’s gift. Morrigan tugs her close.

“Closer,” she says. “There is no space for modesty in this dance.”

Nesta steps closer. Morrigan’s eyes are close and glittering. Beads of sweat have collected on her nose, beneath her lower lashes. “How is this?”

“Better.”

They move and sway. Rise on their tip toes and lower again. Their heels click and tap.

“Don’t slow down,” whispers Morrigan, and they whirl together, clutch each other close. “Don’t even think about it.”

The music swells. Their noses brush.

“Good,” she says. Her braid whips from shoulder to shoulder.

One-two-one-two-one-two Nesta’s heart is hammering, or is that Morrigan’s, or is it both? One-two-one-two-one-two. Don’t slow down. Don’t even think about it.

thank you for the ask!

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vulpes-fennec · 1 year

Text

Shadows Tell Me (If He Really Cares) (2/4)

Summary: For someone whose job title is “spymaster of the Night Court”, Azriel Shadowsinger is surprisingly oblivious to Gwyneth Berdara’s heavy-handed flirtation this Winter Solstice season (or is he?). What will it take for these bumbling fools to get together before the night ends? A mish-mash of Gwynriel holiday fluff (set post-ACOSF).

A gift for @shadowsxgwynriel via @acotargiftexchange!!

Notes: I made a Youtube playlist to go with this fic! Also, I don't live in a snowy place so the sledding scene might be a bit clunky, oops!

Read: Chapter 1 | AO3

❄One week before Solstice❄

“How are you not cold?” Gwyn was asking Cassian. It was the first snowfall of the year, and their little group had plans for a Velaris outing—Gwyn’s first winter visit to the city below. The House of the Wind was so far up that all one could see from the training ring was a flurry of snowflakes and a blanket of mist.

Cassian and Azriel both wore casual black pants and jackets, their crimson and cobalt Siphons glimmering in the morning light. The priestess herself was bundled up in a winter-appropriate pair of black pants, a thick teal coat, knitted teal hat, and creamy white scarf.

Our Valkyrie looks adorable today, Azriel’s shadows tittered in his ear. But she still looks cold. Go hold her hand, Azriel.

Enough, he scolded them. It’s her first proper visit to Velaris, so I don’t want to see shenanigans from ANY of you.

Shadowsinger is so stressed, the shadows snickered. He needs to relax around our priestess. They drifted over to Gwyn, who gave them a small smile as they sat on her shoulders.

“Did Nesta ever tell you how I lived a bastard’s life, before Rhys took me in? When you’ve had to survive Illyrian winters with only tattered clothes on your back, this is just a little breeze.” Cassian shrugged at the frigid winds whipping his hair while Gwyn shivered and stamped her feet.

Nesta appeared behind Gwyn, bundled up and rolling her eyes. “Just because you survived as a child doesn’t mean you won’t get sick in your old age. Gwyn, I hope you haven’t had anything to eat yet, because we’re stopping by my favorite bakery in Velaris.” Nesta jumped into Cassian’s arms, ready for flight.

“Aye, aye, captain.” Cassian gave them a salute before sailing into the mist.

“Ready?” Azriel asked, extending a scarred hand towards Gwyn.

“Ready,” she affirmed, stepping into his arms. It was not Azriel’s first time flying with Gwyn, but he savored every bit of it. Her quiet breathing against his ear. Her arms that tightened around his neck. Her scent of water lilies in the dead of winter. As Gwyn leaned against his chest to shield herself from the cold, Azriel prayed she didn’t feel how quickly his heart was beating.

Velaris had transformed into a winter wonderland. Personalized wreaths hung on doors, and garlands of holly and citrus criss-crossed the cobblestone streets. Soft white mounds of snow piled up in front of houses and blanketed roofs. The streets were bustling with cheery residents running errands and doing last minute Solstice shopping.

Gwyn let out a fascinated gasp as her boots crunched on the snow upon touching down. “I’ve never seen so much snow before. Sangravah was too close to the sea to experience snowfall,” she explained. The priestess picked up a clump of snow and held it up to her face.

“What are you doing?” Azriel asked, amused.

“Did you know that no two snowflakes are the same? But they’re too small for me to see.” She tossed the snow away and slushed through the fluffy material.

“It’s more clear when snow is falling down,” Azriel explained, following her. “When they’ve been on the ground for too long, they compress and can turn into ice.”

Gwyn’s teal eyes widened and she began walking gingerly, arms out for balance. Azriel laughed. “Don’t worry, Berdara. I don’t think there’s any ice on the streets right now”

“I think you just want to see me fall on my ass, Shadowsinger,” Gwyn retorted. “So I can’t make fun of you for what happened at Windhaven last week.” Fuck, she still remembers that. Azriel cringed inwardly at the embarrassing memory.

“Here. If you fall, I’ll catch you.” As he offered Gwyn the crook of his arm, a soft emotion flashed across the priestess’s face.

“Who knew the shadowsinger could possess such good manners?” Gwyn smiled as she looped her arm through his.

“I always have good manners around priestesses,” he responded.

Keeping up with the good manners, Azriel held the door open for Gwyn as they walked into a brightly lit bakery on the corner of the street. Scents of cinnamon, sugar, and pumpkin wafted through the warm air. And Gwyn’s face filled with wonder at the range of fresh-baked pastries displayed proudly on the front counter.

Azriel selected his usual order: a plain croissant with cheese. “This is to cover whatever she’s getting,” he whispered quietly to the attendant as he dropped a silver coin into her palm. The adolescent male nodded in confirmation.

If Azriel had to guess, Gwyn would go for the chocolate glazed doughnut. There were other chocolate pastries, but the doughnut was by far the biggest one. And he was correct. “I’ll have that one, please.” The priestess pointed to the doughnut and fished in her pockets for payment.

“Oh no,” the attendant said, handing her the pastry. “He already paid for you.” He nodded to Azriel, who was standing quietly off to the side.

“Oh! Thank you,” Gwyn smiled at him, sending flutters down to his belly. “I owe you one, Shadowsinger.”

Azriel smiled back. “Don’t worry about it, Gwyn. My treat.” The pair rejoined Nesta and Cassian, who were already waiting outside. Cassian was ripping into a huge loaf of bread, while Nesta was chowing down a large egg tart.

Gwyn eagerly bit into her buttery chocolate pastry, eyes fluttering. “Gods, it’s so good,” she sighed blissfully.

Cauldron boil me. The satisfaction and pleasure laced in Gwyn’s voice imprinted in Azriel’s mind, giving him unholy ideas. Ideas about what she would sound like soaking into a hot bath after a grueling training session. Or what she would sound like if he took his time pleasuring her.

Azriel feigned interest in a shop down the street, and began walking away quickly. Nyx’s vomit. Blaring music at Rita’s. Stinky bog water. Moldy cheese. Azriel imagined his least favorite things in the world in order to suppress his dirty thoughts.

Sure, sometimes he fantasized about kissing Gwyn’s soft lips. And cuddling her with his wings as she read a book. And maybe gently combing his hands through her silky red hair. But thinking about having Gwyn in his bed? Off limits, especially if she only viewed him as a good friend.

Azriel frowned. Wasn’t he supposed to be thinking of stinky cheese? Or was it moldy bog water?

Approximately four months ago, he and the priestess had been laying out in the training ring, chatting in the balmy summer night. One minute he was bantering with his friend, the next minute he was rendered speechless by the way she smiled at him.

After that, Azriel could no longer unsee how her teal eyes brightened at familiar constellations. How happy she was when she received new book deliveries. He thought endlessly about her beautiful voice, singing quietly whenever she thought she was alone.

He’d never been seized by such feelings before. Mor was his first love: he had loved her ever since she walked into Windhaven when they were just teenagers. But the innocence of first love had soured into obsession and overprotection, and finally, rejection. Elain Archeron was another female he desired greatly. But his hunger for the prettiest Archeron had abated ever since she returned the rose necklace last Solstice.

Azriel knew he should have nipped his feelings in the bud months ago, but it seemed like his affections for the priestess only grew by the day. It was getting harder to pretend, not just to others, but also to himself, that Gwyn was just a friend.

A shadow floated up to him. If she’s always on your mind, Azriel, why don’t you just try? You are a handsome male…she would undoubtedly be attracted to you.

Nope. Azriel gently pushed his shadow out of the way. Let’s not presume what the priestess wants. She can flirt all she wants, but she said very clearly last week that we are friends. Besides, our friendship will SHATTER if she knows I like her. We keep this a secret, alright?

❄

“Did you see that?” Nesta elbowed Gwyn sharply. “How does that make you feel?”

Gwyn glanced at Azriel walking ahead with Cassian. “I don’t feel weird about it,” she tried to say nonchalantly. “It’s just Az.”

Nesta scoffed. “Okay. Just Az. Getting turned on by you eating.”

Gwyn blushed, swatting at Nesta lightly. “Nesta, we are just friends. Now, before I go talk to him again, do I have any chocolate on my face?”

Now, Gwyn hadn’t seen many males in her 28 years of existence, but she had read plenty of romance books. And Azriel’s beauty put all of her favorite male characters to shame. But she knew she wasn’t the only one who fancied the Night Court’s spymaster. Several of the priestesses would giggle about their handsome trainer between the library stacks. And Gwyn had overheard Cassian and Nesta discussing how Elain Archeron, the most beautiful Archeron sister, had shown an odd interest in Azriel last year. Even though Elain was mated to another male.

At first, she’d brushed off the possibility that Azriel could see her as anything more than a student or a good friend. But his shadows’ friendly behavior and his excessive glances towards her over the last few months pointed towards…something else.

Gwyn started flirting with the shadowsinger several weeks ago with heated stares and teasing banter to test the waters. And Azriel’s flustered responses were promising.

But when Gwyn cranked up the heat by dishing out overt compliments and initiating physical contact, like hugs and small touches, nothing happened. She’d thought about giving up, that maybe the spymaster only thought of her as a good friend, but then Windhaven happened.

Emerie had whispered conspiratorially to her after the event: “Azriel was staring at you, Gwyn. I saw it all. He didn’t even see where he was going when he crashed into the table.” That gave Gwyn some hope.

She caught up to Azriel, whose shoulders looked strangely tense and his ears were numbingly red. His gloved hands were shoved deep into his pockets. Gwyn frowned. “Shadowsinger, the tips of your ears are practically frozen,” she tsked. “Hold on.”

She tip-toed to place her knitted hat squarely on his head, squashing his black hair across his forehead. Gwyn boldly brushed it out of his eyes, delighting at how nice his hair felt. Before the shadowsinger could object, Gwyn unraveled her teal scarf and quickly wound it around his neck and shoulders.

“It does feel nice,” Azriel admitted with a tentative smile. “Thank you.” A hint of red stole across his brown cheeks, and Gwyn hoped it wasn’t because of the cold.

A large city park emerged as they rounded the corner. Fae children and adults were playing in the snow, building snow sculptures, having snowball fights, and sledding down packed mounds. “How does everybody feel about sledding?” Cassian grinned and pointed to the massive hill up ahead. Only a few brave souls were spotted sliding down the white-powdered slope.

“Sure, but we don’t have sleds,” Nesta objected.

“We don’t need to bring our own. The city usually has sleds available for public use.”

“I’ve never gone sledding before, so I’m down!” chirped Gwyn.

“That’s the attitude I’m looking for! Let’s go!” Cassian and Gwyn led the way, trudging up the steep hill.

Gwyn was panting by the time they reached the top. The hill was no Ramiel mountain, but the multiple layers she was wearing made her sweat. “Couldn’t you and Azriel have flown us up here?” she complained.

“Just because we can doesn’t mean we want to,” Cassian replied. “Our wings get cold flapping around.” Gwyn rolled her eyes. These males are Illyrian babies indeed. Sure enough, there were several large sleds available for use at the top of the hill. “We take one sled each,” Cassian said, dragging the sleds over. “Ladies, use the ropes to steer the sled as you go down.”

The four friends sat in a line: Nesta with a black sled, Cassian with a red one, Gwyn with a green one, and Azriel with a blue one. “My shadows will give us a push,” Azriel declared. “Is everybody ready?”

At her affirmation, the little shadow gave Gwyn a solid push. She let out a loud whoop of excitement as she began to coast down the hill. Gwyn gripped the ropes tightly, too nervous to steer one way or another. Nesta was screaming at the top of her lungs somewhere behind her.

“Stop swerving, Nesta!” Cassian was shouting. Gwyn glanced back to see Nesta erratically making her way down the slope. Cassian swore, yanking his ropes when Nesta almost crashed into him.

Meanwhile, Azriel had artfully maneuvered his way towards Gwyn. She could sense him watching her intently, but she was too focused on the steep blanket of white before her to return his gaze. Brutal wind whipped her hair, but it was exhilarating, the way she coasted over soft snow and had a full view of Velaris before her.

Gwyn used both her feet to slow down sporadically, attempting to prolong the ride. Azriel sped past her, wings tucked in to streamline his journey. He reached the bottom first, going so far as to stand on the sled until it slowed to a stop. “Show off,” Gwyn muttered, rolling her eyes.

“Need a little help, priestess?” Azriel held out a hand when her sled ride concluded. He hauled her to her feet with a solid grip.

“Move, move, move!” Cassian was roaring. The Illyrian general was sliding down the hill at full speed with Nesta clinging to him like a monkey. Azriel and Gwyn scrambled to get out of the way.

“What happened to Nesta’s sled?” Azriel asked when Cassian and Nesta slowed to a stop next to them.

“I fell off and I think a child stole it,” Nesta grumbled. “Can’t we share a sled?” She gave Gwyn a pointed look.

“Yes, we should share a sled,” Cassian added his words loaded with meaning. He gave Gwyn a wink behind Azriel’s back. These busybodies, Gwyn rolled her eyes.

“Sleds are not meant to be shared,” Azriel chided responsibly. Cassian gave him an incredulous look. “What? I thought our plan was to go racing down the hill. And having two people on one sled wouldn’t work out.” The Night Court general sighed in exasperation.

“Racing?” Gwyn asked, perking up.

Azriel straightened at Gwyn’s interest. “Yes, racing. I’m the best out of Rhys and Cassian when it comes to snow sports.”

“Hmmm.” Gwyn raised an eyebrow skeptically at him. “Well, we shall see about that!” She grabbed her sled and began marching up the hill again.

“You?” Azriel chuckled, following her. “You just went down a hill the first time. I don’t think you’ll be beating me anytime soon.” Gwyn could’ve sworn she heard Cassian mutter “they’re hopeless fools” to his mate.

“Are you saying Cassian is the more worthy opponent?” she demanded, spinning around. Nesta threw her hands in the air behind Azriel, shaking her head.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying. If we race, we race to win.” Challenge glittered in Azriel’s hazel eyes, but Gwyn could not take him seriously when he was wearing a fluffy hat and scarf. She simply snorted, and continued her trek.

Gwyn found a large stone on the ground and rubbed it on the wooden runners. “What are you doing?” Azriel asked, puzzled. He was standing close by, his breath clouding in the winter air.

“Smoothing this down so I go faster.”

Azriel’s brows wrinkled. “You’re supposed to use wax, not stone.”

“Okay, shadowsinger.” Gwyn rolled her eyes. “You won’t be saying that when I beat you to the bottom.” Azriel’s shadows swarmed her hands, trying to stop her from sanding down the wood. “Wow, really? You send your shadows to sabotage me?”

Azriel gave her an odd look. “I don’t control them when it comes to you.” He clambered onto his sled, with Cassian next to him. The general had gamely joined them, for Nesta had decided to play judge. “Alright little shadows. Give us a push.” Nothing happened. The shadows bobbed in the air anxiously.

“Whatever. We go on the count of three: one, two, three!” Gwyn shouted as she leaned forward, tipping the balance of the sled downhill.

Gwyn zipped over the snow, watching the world move past in a blur of white. Perhaps it was her imagination, but smoothing down the runners did make her go faster.

Smack! A small snowball hit her back. Gwyn glared at Azriel, who was several feet behind her and grinning wickedly. “Prick!” she yelled. Scooping up a snowball would only slow her down, so Gwyn gritted her teeth and leaned forward, gaining more speed.

Because she was smaller and lacked the drag of Illyrian wings, Gwyn was on the road to victory. She was about halfway down the hill when four Fae children on sleds zipped past her erratically. “Whoa!” Gwyn shouted as she swerved to avoid hitting them.

Doing so put her onto a well-trodden path of packed snow, which meant she went even faster. Any attempts to breathe were ripped away as she sped down the hill. Gwyn began to feel nervous at how quickly things were moving.

“Gwyn, watch out!” She heard Azriel shout. Gwyn’s sled suddenly coasted up a crest. Oh no, this is the ramp for skiing! The ramp ended abruptly, sending Gwyn shooting into the sky, airborne.

Pure fear made Gwyn’s stomach drop when she realized she was going to land on the ground. She screamed, flailing her arms as she sailed through the air. Do the roll! Do the roll! Remembering her training, Gwyn tucked her knees to her chest at the last moment, taking the brunt of the hit on her side. The snow was deep enough to cushion Gwyn’s fall, but it was definitely icy.

A solid figure slammed into her a split second later. Azriel.

Gwyn recognized the spymaster by his scent and the familiar feel of his body. The two of them rolled down the hill, with Azriel cradling her to his broad chest, his leathery wings shielding her from the snow.

“Shit! Gwyn, are you alright?” Azriel asked frantically when they came to a stop. Gwyn lay on top of his chest limply, listening to him breathe hard. She was still stunned by her fall, but this felt nice. Comfortable. “Oh, no. No, no, no, no.”

“Oh gods, I was too late.” Azriel’s voice broke as he ripped off his gloves to find her pulse. His equally agitated shadows moved Gwyn’s coppery hair out of her face. The little wisps dusted over her chilled cheeks, trying to wake her up.

“It’s okay,” she croaked, trying to sit up. “I remembered to do the roll.” Azriel and his shadows sagged with relief. The spymaster was lying in the snow, Illyrian wings splayed out behind him. He looks like a snow angel, Gwyn blinked, dazedly drinking in the sight of him below her.

“I’m so sorry.” Azriel’s hazel eyes were filled with anguish and guilt. “I shouldn’t have pushed you to race. I said I would catch you if you fell and I didn’t. I was too late.” The male was absolutely distraught.

There was no reason for Azriel to beat himself up like this over a fall. Especially when she was relatively unscathed. But the miserable expression on his handsome face told Gwyn all she needed to know.

Oh. He’s talking about Sangravah.

“Hey, hey,” Gwyn said soothingly. “I’m okay, Az. Hey! I need you to look me in the eyes and realize that none of it was your fault. It’s not your fault.”

Azriel nodded, trying to take deep breaths. “Alright. Alright.” The worry in his hazel eyes melted away as Gwyn clutched his shoulders, steadying him.

“I wanted to race just as much as you did. It’s okay, Az.”

“Gwyn! Gwyn!” She was aware of Nesta and Cassian running over to check up on her. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine!” Gwyn’s mouth twitched as she climbed off her friend. “I told you I was capable of going faster, didn’t I?”

“Mother’s tits, Berdara, don’t joke like this.” Azriel sighed as he attempted to check her for any injuries. “Don’t stand up too quickly! Can you move all your fingers? Your toes? Can you rotate your neck?”

“Az, I’m fine!”

Read: Chapter 3

#gwynriel #gwyn berdara #azriel shadowsinger #gwyn x azriel #gwynriel fanfic #gwynriel fluff #acotar solstice #acotar gift exchange #acotar secret santa #acotar secret santa 2022

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offtorivendell · 1 year

Note

What’s your favorite obscure acotar theory? One that’s lesser known or not as hyped as others that you really enjoy or really hope will play out in the next book?

Firstly anon, I'm sorry this took me well over a week!

Spoilers: ACOTAR, CC and TOG series to date, mostly discussing witches.

This is a personal crack theory that I've had for more than a year now, which I haven't - as far as I can remember - mentioned publicly before, because it goes off more "the vibe of the thing, your honour" than solid evidence that I've seen in the text (at this point I've lost the motivation to research for new, giant metas, so this is apparently how you'll get it).

What if lightsingers were "rebranded" as witches in Prythian's world?

Here me out.

Koschei the sorcerer has shadow (dark light?) powers.

What if ACOTAR witches had light powers?

I've theorised before that Koschei may be Prythian's oldest shadowsinger, but it's interesting to note that he is also an accomplished sorcerer. This made me wonder, how do sorcerers differ from witches, if at all? I've had similar thoughts about shadowsingers and lightsingers, and I do still mean to write about that topic, but to sum up, I suspect that lightsingers and shadowsingers are two sides of the one coin, based on one of two things:

They are the same species, and the colour of their magic is dependent on mood or emotions (more likely), as I outlined in this post about Azriel's shadows and their response to Elain Archeron and his happiness/comfort in general.

There is possibly a male/female divide. This is less likely, but SJM established the following in HOSAB: "Two intersecting triangles. Male and female, dark and light, above and below … and the power that lies in the place where they meet." To many of us, this has a clear parallel with the Truth-Teller scene between Elain and Az in ACOWAR - "Elain looked up at Azriel, their eyes meeting, his hand still lingering on the hilt of the blade. I saw the painting in my mind: the lovely fawn, blooming spring vibrant behind her. Standing before Death, shadows and terrors lurking over his shoulder. Light and dark, the space between their bodies a blend of the two. The only bridge of connection … that knife." - but I digress.

* @wingedblooms has already written a fantastic post about why she believes Elain could be a lightsinger, and another hypothesising that Elain could be a witch (though we're both thinking and hoping that all three Archeron sisters are witches - and who knows, they were born in and slept on an ironwood bed in their cottage...); keep an eye out for wingedblooms' upcoming witch post! @silverlinedeyes has written similarly, wondering if Elain could be another sort of Singer, perhaps one that we haven't seen before. I highly recommend reading all of those posts.

There are - imo - similarities in the text between lightsingers, whose powers are not yet established beyond an apparent ability to lure people to them in some way, and ACOTAR witches, who are said to amass power beyond their natural reserves. We shouldn't, however, forget the witches from Midgard (CC) or Erilea (TOG, of which there was more than one sort: Ironteeth and Crochan).

The Ironteeth witches could be very beautiful, however, similarly to rumours of lightsingers in Prythian, they had keen predatory instincts, could change their teeth and nails to iron fangs and talons, and it wasn't uncommon for them to hunt for sport, as Cassian said of lightsingers in ACOSF. Other parallels exist, but as I said this is not just a crack theory, but a lazy theory as well, so I cbf going into it all. Sorry, but to quote @merymoonbeam, I'm in an it's in the text mood. 😅

Basically, it boils down to this: Koschei has shadow powers and can cast spells. Rhys has shadow-type powers and can also cast spells. Can Azriel, likewise, perform magic of his own? Do his shadows give him this power, or is it something more innate... does he have a hidden light? He can heal, of a sort, which we haven't seen from Cassian. Can lightsingers perform magical feats of their own? And if they are what are currently known as witches in some form, are they the sort that Mor spoke of, or Cassian? Or are they more similar to TOG or CC witches?

Witches in Prythian - the "human kind" that I assume Mor was talking about in ACOWAR (though this is unconfirmed) when Nesta asked the difference between a faerie and a witch - as I mentioned earlier, "...amass power beyond their natural reserve,” Mor answered with sudden seriousness. “They use spells and archaic tools to harness more power to them than the Cauldron allotted—and use it for whatever they desire, good or ill.”

As in TOG, Cassian seemed to hint, in ACOSF, that there was more than one type of witch, and he went straight into discussing lightsingers right afterwards: “What else dwells here other than kelpies?” “Some say witches,” he murmured. “Not the human kind,” he added when she raised a brow. “The kind that used to be something else and then their thirst for magic and power turned them into wretched creatures, banished here by various High Lords.” “They don’t sound so bad.” “They drink young blood to fill the coldness the magic left in them.” Nesta winced. Cassian went on as she scanned the bog, “There are lightsingers: lovely, ethereal beings who will lure you, appearing as friendly faces when you are lost. Only when you’re in their arms will you see their true faces, and they aren’t fair at all. The horror of it is the last thing you see before they drown you in the bog. But they kill for sport, not food.”

Witches, apparently, were also wretched creatures, banished to the Middle. This sounds eerily in line with what I suggested in this post, where I posited that lightsingers might not truly be evil after all, but they had possibly copped a bad rap after (and this is also a crack theory) siding with Theia against Fionn, and so, after the fallout, became an entire species of scapegoats to the misled public for that "betrayal." After such an historic event, it would make sense for the surviving lightsingers to rebrand themselves as witches, especially if they could pass for one sort, in order to escape the retribution that almost certainly would have followed. Has this disguise stuck over the millennia? Or, as I have often wondered, do they occasionally get caught out and then targeted, perhaps leading to a need for sanctuary in a library full of their own kin, run by someone who has her own unique brand of magic?

Again, I know that none of this is really well thought out, and I apologise for that, but I hope you get the gist of it, at least.

#acotar theory #acotar crack theory #lightsingers and shadowsingers #lightsinger #shadowsinger #lightsinger theory #shadowsinger theory #azriel shadowsinger #rhysand #koschei acotar #pro lightsinger #lazy theory #it's in the text #it's the vibe of the thing #why yes that is a reference to the castle #but whether this crack theory ends up in the pool room or sjm tells me i'm dreaming only time will tell #witches and lightsingers

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brieq · 1 year

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I posted 2,360 times in 2022

That's 584 more posts than 2021!

59 posts created (3%)

2,301 posts reblogged (98%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@faeriebambula

@theladyofbloodshed

@isterofimias

@gwynesta-archive

@cascadingmoon

I tagged 1,096 of my posts in 2022

#gwynriel - 89 posts

#elucien - 75 posts

#feysand - 75 posts

#nessian - 64 posts

#nesta archeron - 51 posts

#jassa - 37 posts

#lucien vanserra - 36 posts

#rhysand - 35 posts

#my asks - 34 posts

#azriel - 28 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#she couldve really used the fact that he has these regressions to connect to traumas in his past and have him criticized by feyre or someone

My Top Posts in 2022:

can i knee rowan whitethorn in the balls? i’m still going to give him a chance but holy shit bro. what crawled up your ass and died?💀

13 notes - Posted July 12, 2022

I forgot to share this gem from my autocorrect💀

15 notes - Posted August 15, 2022

Favorite sjm character?

oh damn…this is actually hard.

i hope this isn’t cheating but

TOG: Dorian and Yrene

ACOTAR: Rhys and Nesta

i can’t pick just one😩

16 notes - Posted August 5, 2022

I had a thought...

You know the scene right after Feyre gave birth where Rhys and Nesta have that little moment of reconciliation?

It obviously was a powerful moment because they finally seem to be laying their weapons down with each other and they finally see each other as in-laws in that moment. But I also think there’s some symbolism in this moment too.

Rhys gets on his knees and bows to Nesta because he is obviously extremely grateful to her because his wife and son are no longer in danger. But then Nesta bends down too, I’ve seen some people interpret this as her bowing to him but I don’t think so. She’s going down to him to look him in the face, it says in the book that she studied what layed in his expression when she took his face in her hands. I saw it more as her getting down to face him then bowing. (Also why would she need to bow in this scene?💀)

I think it’s symbolic in the sense that they are literally on the same level (both on the ground facing each other) which correlates them into finally seeing eye to eye metaphorically now. They see each other differently now and now their dynamic is going to be different in future books (hopefully). I think this would make sense because in the last 2 chapters we see they are finally having more comfortable convos (or at least alluding to that) when he asked to see parts of the rite and gave her and Cassian the House of Wind.

18 notes - Posted February 4, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

my acotar unpopular opinions

I got bored so, i decided to make this, with some of these i use the word “unpopular” lightly

i love all the archeron sisters

nesta is my favorite archeron sister

i love feyre on her own and w/ rhys however, i do think acosf did her dirty at times

speaking of acosf...feysand was done dirty in this book. like what was the point of putting them through more emotional turmoil, especially feyre. it also went back on both feyre and rhys character decisions made in maf and war (im not saying that were acting ooc though) feysand deserved a peaceful pregnancy, which couldve happened in the background while nesta’s story still happened.

which leads me to my next point, nesta deserved to not have her story be overshadowed by that shit baby plot

the intervention scene should’ve only been nesta and her sisters

my favorite characters are nesta, rhys, gwyn, honorable mentions are lucien, eris, cassian and feyre

this is probably rlly unpopular after acosf but my favorite bat boy is still rhys

azriel is my least favorite of the bat boys

i dont think tamlin is a bad person and id like to see him get better for himself and others. i think he should get an arc

technically all the acotar characters are morally grey (well maybe except gwyn, emerie and tarquin..lucien too i guess)

i know there’s debates on whether rhys can be considered one but I think he is. the issue is sjm wrote the acotar world very black and white. sometimes she picks and chooses when her characters are allowed to be morally grey and this happens a lot with rhys (honestly with tamlin and nesta..etc. practically where we see odd double standards) this honeslty does a disservice to rhys’s character and the others as well

i’m not saying that tamlin didnt abuse feyre because he did but it’s pretty clear that he gets over demonized a bit

rhys may be one of my favs but im fully aware that he’s been abusive at times and isnt not a perfect character (clearly). i dont think he was ever meant to be technically.

i feel like a lot of the male characters trauma gets swept under the rug. (Lucien, Rhys, Cassian and even Tamlin) idk about azriel yet tbh

for some reason im obsessed with vassa and jurian..honestly the band of exiles in general. i cant wait to see more of them

i hope elain ends up with lucien and the band of exiles

i know a lot of ppl hate the idea of nesta or gwyn getting to some degree with rhys but i think it’ll be good for him bc they’d give it too him straight (maybe even elain tbh)

you know how cassian and feyre have special friendship as well as nesta and azriel...i’d like to see that with rhys and someone (most likely gwyn, i think she makes more sense than elain..plus they have more in common)

im not anti any characters. i like all of them but ill still call them out on their shit when warranted

my least favorite character in general is amren tho

the most believable friendships in the IC are the bat boys (rhys, cassian and azriel) and cassian and feyre (maybe feyre and mor)

i do think azriel and rhys are in a rough patch atm tho (doesnt mean that they dont love each other tho)

id like to see feyre make friends outside of the IC (im not saying that mor has been terrible to her but she should branch out)

the valkyries definitely have a healthier full group

19 notes - Posted July 2, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022

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belabellissima · 5 months

Note

AO3 wrapped: 15, 18, 19, 29, and 30

alright this took me several days but in my defense i went home to visit family and then saw one of my favorite bands (Voila) live for the first time so please forgive me lol😅

15) What WIP are you taking into next year with you?

The Gwyn Time Travel AU! I've been writing this on and off since june of 2022 i think, but really only wrote the fun scenes that inspired it, so I'd love to go through and fill in all the connecting bits and finish it! Luckily it won't be super long (hopefully🤞🏻), bc it really only follows ACOTAR and ACOMAF. But I did write myself into a corner with Nesta so I'm figuring out how to fix that right now

18) The character that gave you the most trouble writing this year?

Probably Azriel? It's hard to judge considering I didn't write a lot of him, but I did sit down and try, so going by my lack of success with his scenes he'd be the winner. (on the other hand Rhys and Gwyn came so easy)

19) What’s one pairing you want to explore next year?

Gwynessian! (I'm a huge Gwyn fan if it wasn't kinda obvious😅) and while I love Nessian I also think Nesta was 100% in love with Gwyn (and Emerie tbh) too. So I hope to combine them in two different fics next year, one in my State of Grace series and one as a potential acosf retelling!

29) Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

Probably this scene from Put Your Lips! Ace!Elain and the way she thinks hits close to my heart and this passage was kind of the main point of the whole fic:

“You don’t love me, though,” Elain said. “You barely even know me, thanks to me.” Lucien studied her for a long moment. “Perhaps,” he finally allowed. “But I could.” “Know me?” “Love you. I think it would be easy to love you.” Just as she felt about him - that he would be easy to fall in love with if she only let herself. And she deserved to let herself.

30) Biggest surprise while writing this year?

How many people responded to my writing!!! 🥰This is by far the most involved fandom I've been in, and everyone has been sooo so nice! I was coming off a few years of not creating a lot of fic/ writing but not posting anything and finally posted one fic not expecting much, and the amount of love the fandom has given gave me such a boost in motivation and ideas!

Thank you for sending this in! 💜

#ask game #bela talks

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feyredarlinq · 2 years

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nesta: shadows darkened his eyes, full enough of pain that she couldn’t stop herself from touching his shoulder. letting him know that she understood why he stood in the doorway, why he wouldn’t go near the fire. his secrets to tell, never hers.

#hands down my favorite scene in acosf #they're so endgame pls #elriel #azriel #elain archeron #elain x azriel #pro elriel #acotar #acomaf #acowar #acofas #acosf #acotar edit #elriel edit #litedit #mp

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onceupona-chaos · 3 years

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Cassian and Azriel's reactions to the Archeron sisters

Everything will be supported by the text. English is not my first language, so sorry for any possible mistakes. Be kind and respectful!

I will begin this post with the scene that was the starting point of my thoughts.

The two Illyrians paused their inspection of me long enough to note my sisters finishing up breakfast, Nesta in a pale gray gown that brought out the steel in her eyes, Elain in dusty pink.

Both males went a bit still. But Azriel sketched a bow—while Cassian stalked for the dining table, reached right over Nesta’s shoulder, and grabbed a muffin from its little basket.

Very often Azriel and Cassian show the same reaction to the sisters (in this case, they go still). The scene above is a perfect example of that and of how SJM is always very faithful to the differences between the couples: there's a difference of personality, which will be the one I'll focus here, and of "romantic status". Differently from Nessian, Elain and Azriel were in love with different people when they met each other. We don't know what was their first impression of each other yet, but with this in mind and considering their personalities, makes sense that they needed to get close first, trust each other, and then develop feelings (SJM writes slow burns after all).

Cassian was sizing up Nesta, a gleam in his eyes that I could only interpret as a warrior finding himself faced with a new, interesting opponent.

“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.

In their very first meet, the males were paying attention to each Archeron, but the way they were focusing on them is different. Look at the wording:

sizing up, warrior, opponent;

attention, polite smile;

While Cassian and Nesta "size each other up like opponents" and are loud/rough in terms of personality, Azriel and Elain are both quieter and acting like peacemakers. Here, please remember Feyre noticing how their personalities are similar:

Though she’d probably cling to Azriel, just to have some peace and quiet.

Basically while Cassian is always provoking Nesta, Azriel puts Elain at ease, because there's a difference of personality. It makes perfect sense that one of them is "enemies-to-lovers" and the other is "friends-to-lovers". Let's go back to the first scene:

“I can help her,” said Azriel, stepping to the table as Elain silently rose. No shadows at his ear, no darkness ringing his fingers as he extended a hand. Nesta monitored him like a hawk, but kept silent as Elain took his hand, and out they went. Cassian finished the muffin, licking his fingers. I could have sworn Nesta watched the entire thing with a sidelong glance. He grinned at her as if he knew it, too. “Ready for some flying, Nes?” “Don’t call me that.” The wrong thing to say, from the way Cassian’s eyes lit up.

Even though Cassian and Azriel's first instinct is the same (they go still), how they proceed is again different (Azriel extends his hand like a gentleman and Cassian is all cocky grins).

Cassian pressed one of his knives into Nesta’s hand. “Ash can kill you now,” he said with lethal quiet as she stared down at the blade. (...) “I told you to come to training,” Cassian said with a cocky grin, and strode off.

“This is Truth-Teller,” he told her softly. “I won’t be using it today—so I want you to.” (...) “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.”

Just like Cassian, Azriel offered a blade to an Archeron sister so she could defend herself. Again, let's look at the wording:

Cassian pressed the one of his knives;

Azriel pressed the hilt of the legendary blade;

And again, Cassian: cocky, provokes Nesta; Azriel: softly, gently, puts Elain at ease. Of course, in the TT scene there's much more imagery (Light and Dark/ Death and the Fawn/ the fact that TT is not just one of Azriel's blades), but still both males have the same reaction when Nesta and Elain are about to face danger: they need to be able to defend themselves, so the males provide a blade.

From the shadows near the entrance to the tent, Azriel said, as if in answer to some unspoken debate, “I’m getting her back.” Nesta slid her gaze to the shadowsinger. Azriel’s hazel eyes glowed golden in the shadows. Nesta said, “Then you will die.” Azriel only repeated, glazing that stare, “I’m getting her back.”

They were speaking, Azriel with some urgency, but Cassian didn’t hear him, heard nothing but the roaring in his head before he said to no one in particular, “I’m going after them.”

They also have the same reaction when the sisters are in danger. As I said before: their first reaction is very similar or even the same in some cases. The major difference here is that we have Cassian's PoV and not Azriel's, but the similarities are so clear:

Unspoken debate = said to no one in particular

I'm getting her back = I'm going after them

Firstly it seems the males are lost in thoughts, so concern about the females, and then they declare they're going to rescue them.

“Do you know,” Cassian drawled to her, “that the last time I got into a brawl in this house, I was kicked out for a month?” Nesta’s burning gaze slid to him, still outraged—but hinted with incredulity.

“What did you see,” Azriel said, and I tried not to flinch as I found him at my other side, not having seen him move. Again. Elain paused halfway up the stairs. Slowly, she turned to look back at him.

It is also very interesting to notice how Cassian and Azriel are the ones that can intervene when the females are "experiencing" their powers. It's like Nesta and Elain use them as some kind of anchor - they both are "lost" in their powers, but can focus on Cassian and Azriel. If Cassian can help Nesta do a scrying, it's Azriel who listen and gets that Elain is a Seer.

Now one of my favorite parallels:

“Are you … happy?” Shadows darkened his hazel eyes. “I’m getting there.” A halfhearted answer. (Cassian, ACOFAS)

Shadows darkened his eyes, full of enough pain that she couldn’t stop herself from touching his shoulder. (Azriel, ACOSF)

Exact same wording. In ACOFAS, Cassian was struggling with his situation with Nesta, and in ACSF it's Azriel who is suffering because of his situation with Elain.

Speaking of ACOFAS, let me highlight this moment:

Nightmares about the moment when Cassian was near death and Nesta was sprawled over him, shielding him from that killing blow, and Elain—Elain—had taken up Azriel’s dagger and killed the King of Hybern instead.

I just find very interesting how the two biggest moments between the couples are brought up here. SJM could had just said Elain killed the king with TT, but she chose to associate that moment with Azriel (she does that very often). Anyway, moving on...

Amren drained her wine and said to Cassian, “Nesta has a week. One more week to find the Trove with her own methods. Then we seek out other routes.” She threw a nod toward Azriel. “Including Elain, who is more than capable of defending herself against the darkness of the Trove, if she chooses to. Don’t underestimate her.”

Cassian and Azriel looked to Rhys, who merely sipped from his own wine.

Here, we have the males reacting to the females getting involve with the Trove (Azriel stiffened/ Cassian growled); then Amren speaks with Cassian about Nesta, and with Azriel about Elain; then both males look to Rhysand

And of course (I'll be brief because there are lots of posts about these lines):

Stupid, stupid, stupid— He didn’t care. Didn’t give a shit as she rose up on her toes, her mouth nearing his—

It was so wrong. He didn't care. He needed to know what her skin tasted like (...) Rhys's voice thundered through him, halting him mere inches from Elain's sweet mouth.

In both bonus chapters, Cassian and Azriel "don't care" about the possible problems and struggles, all they care about is the female before them. Not only the wording is the same, but in both cases the couples almost kiss.

That's the formula right there.

(Her scent) It hit him in the gut so hard he could barely focus, and it took five centuries of training to make himself meet her eyes rather than let his own roll back into his head.

Her arousal drifted up to him and his eyes nearly roll back into his head at sweet scent.

Basically the way these two are affected by the Archeron sisters is practically the same in both bonus chapters. Speaking of that:

I assumed seeing Nesta went about as poorly as could be imagined, because my lesson the following morning was longer and harder than it’d been in previous days. I’d asked what, exactly, Nesta had said to him to get under his skin so easily. But Cassian had only snarled and told me to mind my own business, and that my family was full of bossy, know-it-all females.

Three days passed with no word from Cassian. He’d been replaced in training by a stone-faced Azriel, who was more aloof than usual and wouldn’t even give her a smile.

Cassian in the next morning was still affected by what happened in Wings & Embers, and Azriel - three days later - was still affected by what happened in his bonus chapter. Not only that: these are the only direct references to the bonus chapters in the actual books. The major difference here is that SJM wrote Elain as Azriel's secret, so only the readers that have access to the bonus chapter know why he couldn't even smile (very similar to "Cassian only snarled"). Naturally there's a difference of personality, too: Cassian snarling, totally pissed off/ Azriel more aloof, stone-faced.

It's very clear the direction SJM is going.

#elriel #pro elriel #elriel meta #the shadowsinger and the fawn #pro elain archeron #azriel shadowsinger

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brightbeautifulthings · 2 years

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A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

"Nesta pointed at Tamlin. The ground shook. Cassian swore behind her. Tamlin shrank from her outstretched finger, claws digging into the earth. 'Put that finger down, you witch.' Nesta smiled. 'I'm glad you remember what happened to the last person I pointed at.'"

Year Read: 2022

Rating: 5/5

About: There are spoilers ahead for the ACOTAR series. The Night Court is slowly healing from the war against Hybern, all except Nesta who can't seem to move on from the death of her father and being forced into the Cauldron to become High Fae. Fed up with her behavior, her family exiles her to The House of Wind to dry out and train under Cassian. She's always found his arrogance infuriating, but she can't deny the heat between them. Meanwhile, the human queens have formed a dangerous alliance and unrest continues to stir now that the wall is down. Nesta and the Night Court are seeking out a set of ancient weapons that might prevent another war--or start one if they fall into the wrong hands. Spoilers for ACOSF are under the cut. Trigger warnings: In 700+ pages? Almost everything. Parent death, mentions of rape, violence against women, war, severe injury, trauma, childbirth, alcoholism, sexism, grief, guilt, self-loathing, slut-shaming. NSFW content.

Thoughts: I was pretty lukewarm about Nesta in previous books, and I had no strong feelings about any ship besides Feysand, so I never expected to love a novel from her perspective so much. I put it off for its main character and its size, and I'm sorry I did. For as often as I complain about fantasy novels that are too long, I was never once bored or losing interest in 750 pages, and that's a major achievement all by itself. Of the ACOTAR series, this one reminds me most of Mist and Fury (my favorite) because it's a meandering mix of character development, dealing with trauma, plot, new characters, and faerie smut, and I was pretty equally interested in all of them. Also, in the middle of all that, the series has some of the most terrifying creatures I've ever seen, and I practically live on horror. The scene with the kelpie is downright chilling. Maas doesn't linger on any one thing long enough for it to lose its flavor, and I found myself moving quickly through the pages.

As I said, I wasn't expecting to love Nesta so much, and I really like the direction Maas takes with her character. There's no hand-waving here to excuse her past actions, no trying to retroactively make her seem like a better person. Nesta's been a brat for most of her life, and nobody hates her more than she hates herself. In terms of character development, it's an excellent place to start, and I loved watching her work through all the messy parts of trauma and self-loathing, both from the war with Hybern and from a lifetime of poverty and parental neglect. She's by no means a perfect character, prone to lashing out at the people who love her most, and that's what I love about her: all her flaws are on clear display, and nobody is more aware (or less forgiving) of them than she is.

It's also fun to get an outside perspective on the rest of the Night Court, and it cracks me up how much she hates Rhysand. (I love Rhys, but he is an asshole sometimes.) Nesta doesn't find the same sense of family with them that Feyre did, and I like that the novel gives her the opportunity to build her own family with women who have suffered the way she has. I also love all the Cassian in this book, since I've always been fascinated by him and Azriel. His development shows itself in smaller ways, but then, he doesn't have as far to go as Nesta does. If I had no particular feelings about their relationship before, I'm all for it now. Cassian is so loyal and good; he never gives up on her, and he's the only person to try to meet Nesta on her level even when she's at her lowest.

The novel is less concerned with plot than it is with character development and dealing with the traumas of the past books, and I like that about it. What plot there is kicks in slowly, and it's by no means as high stakes as the war with Hybern. A major part of it is Nesta learning about the power she took from the Cauldron, which is fascinating both in the ways she reacts to it and how other people, even her family, treat her for it. There's also her training with Cassian, which took some unexpected turns, and I really enjoyed the ending, as it’s tense and gives her an opportunity to show off all this new development. There's enough plot and thematic closure here to wrap up the novel, with a few threads left open to return to in the next books.

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS. TURN BACK BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE.

If there was something I didn't like about the novel, it's the way it spends a lot of time feeling out Nesta's new power and helping her feel comfortable with it, only for most of it to vanish by the end of the book. The problem with Feyre and Nyx is, frankly, a little contrived, and it seems more like a plot device to keep Nesta from becoming overall too powerful for the series. It feels a little like a cop-out to me, but I get that having characters with godlike powers isn't always great for the story. Still, I would have liked to see her learning to live with a level power that scares even her with its temptation.

#book review #a court of silver flames #sarah j maas #adult fantasy #fantasy #5/5 #rating: 5/5 #2022

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icedflames · 3 years

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What are your top favorite Elriel moments

Eeee!! I have so many! My personal favorites are these:

Azriel arrived first, no shadows to be seen, my sister a pale, golden mass in his arms. He, too, wore his Illyrian armor, Elain’s golden-brown hair snagging in some of the black scales across his chest and shoulders. He set her down gently on the foyer carpet, having carried her in through the front door. Elain peered up at his patient, solemn face. Azriel smiled faintly. “Would you like me to show you the garden?” (ACOWAR, Chp. 24)

I MEAN COME ON!!! Her pretty gold hair just sprawled across his black armor!!! He carried her through the door!!! She peered up at him!! Azriel smiled and asked if she wanted to go to the gardens.

This was probably the scene where I was like ok yes I like this, I want this.

MY GOD. Azriel is the first to notice Elain is gone. Azriel, on his own volition, said he would get her back, even if he dies in the process. He is angry and full of rage. It honestly sounds like mate-like behavior.

But I strode to my seat—nestled between Amren and Mor—in time to see Elain say to Azriel, “Hello.” Az said nothing. No, he just moved toward her. Mor tensed beside me. 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.” Elain’s hands remained in midair, as if the ghost of the dish remained between them. With a blink, she lowered them, and noticed her apron. “I—I’ll be right back,” she murmured, and hurried down the hall before I could explain that no one cared if she showed up to dinner covered in flour and that she should just sit. (ACOFAS, Chp. 12)

Azriel just moved towards Elain and took the dish form her. Like it's such a simple and mundane thing but you can feel the romantic tension and I'm swooning. And so is Elain. Clearly.

I made to move toward her, but someone beat me to it.

The shadowsinger was clad in a black jacket and pants similar to Rhysand’s—the fabric immaculately tailored and built to fit his wings. He still wore his Siphons atop either hand, and shadows trailed his footsteps, curling like swirled embers, but there was little sign of the warrior otherwise. Especially as he gently said to my sister, “Happy Solstice.” (ACOFAS, Chp. 19)

Again we have Azriel initiating contact with Elain. He's so gentle with her. It hurts.

“Because of the shit with Elain?” Azriel stilled. “What happened to Elain?" Cassian waved a hand. “A fight with Nesta. Don’t bring it up,” he warned when Azriel’s eyes darkened. (ACOSF, Chp. 19)

Azriel thinking that Elain was hurt gets him all riled up. Eeeeeeee.

Elain just linked her arm through Nesta’s and led her toward the family room, where Azriel stood in the doorway, monitoring them. As if he’d heard Elain’s sharp laugh and wondered what had caused it.

“I was just checking on dessert,” Elain explained as they approached the doorway and Azriel. Nesta met the shadowsinger’s stare and he gave her a nod. Then his gaze shifted to Elain, and though it was utterly neutral, something charged went through it. Between them. Elain’s breath caught slightly, and she gave him a shallow nod of greeting before brushing past, leading Nesta into the room.” (ACOSF, Chp. 58)

And this is my latest and greatest favorite moment. Like can we talk about this for a second?

Azriel followed the sound of Elain's laughter and wanted to see what brought her such joy.

Elain and Azriel locked eyes and even Nesta noticed that something charged went through it, between them. She noticed the sexual tension and romantic chemistry between them. It was so palpable that even thought it was utterly neutral, it was still enough for a different character to notice it. And Elain's breath caught. PLEASE.

Az tried not to look at his scarred fingers as they took the gift. She hadn't bought her mate a present. But she'd gotten Azriel one last year -- a headache powder he kept on his nightstand at the House of Wind. Not to use, but just to look at. Which he'd done every night he’d slept there. Or attempted to sleep there. (ACOSF, Azriel Bonus Chapter)

And finally, finally. If we were all wondering if Azriel had the same feelings for Elain...

Elain didn't get her mate a present. But she got Azriel one. And that made him feel special.

He looked at the present EVERY night. Every night. Meaning, her gift, Elain, was the last thing on his mind before he slept. Like jeeeeeez louise. I can't, I can't.

Honestly though, I could add the moment Elain gave him the headache powder and Feyre remarks that she had never heard a sound so joyous (Azriel's laugh) and Azriel's eyes so bright. Or the part where Elain looks at Azriel's hands (or siphons but probably his hands) and breathes, "Beautiful." Or the part where Azriel gives Elain Truth-Teller and Rhys says that Azriel has never let anybody touch that knife. Or where Azriel is the one to discover Elain is a seer. Or the multiple occasions where Azriel gets jealous of Lucien. Or the part where Azriel's shadows want to strike Nesta for the percieved slight against Elain. Or where Azriel is just as protective over Elain as Cassian is over Nesta when it came to scrying. Or the part where Azriel had to stand by the door during solstice because it physically pained him to be near Lucien and Elain. And the list goes on, and on, and on.

#asks #elriel #read more because I got carried away and couldn't pick just one or two #eeeeeeeeeee

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yazthebookish · 3 years

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Happy reading 🤍

I just want to state this because it's my own opinion and to address a few important points:

Gwynriel would likely happen.

What we had so far in ACOSF is good enough to set them up in the next book.

There was no reason for Sarah to create these connections and little moments between Gwyn and Azriel if she didn't want to hint at something and she did say it's obvious who the next book is about. It's a speculation but I mean.. it's obvious.

El/riel has enough obstacles that Gwyn was not needed to be thrown in the middle of it if Sarah wanted to take that road. Gwyn could've stayed Nesta's friend and didn't give Gwyn and Azriel those "moments" just like there were no moments or interactions between Emerie and Azriel.

Let's remember that: Gwyn is a SA survivor, she saved children, she had a significant role to play in Nesta's healing journey, she has her own trauma and healing journey to deal with. She's a fan favorite. Sarah invested more in Gwyn than Cassian in terms of character development even though he is the MC/LI. Why? she could've put in more for Cassian because I still believe Cassian needed more character development and I'm a little disappointed in his arc.

SJM may have problematic issues within her books, but I am 100% sure she wouldn't go that far and use a SA survivor as a plot-device or turn her into a villain. Especially with her talking about what women go through in one of the podcasts. It's unlikely she is using Gwyn to throw people off from predicting El/riel because Gwyn is there as a new LI.

So, why create some chemistry and banter between them? Why make Az Gwyn's new ribbon, that is not a platonic crumb, the ribbon is something exclusive to Gwyn, it symbolizes her goal/challenge. Why make Azriel the one who saved Gwyn in Sangravah? Why give a scene where Gwyn keeps glancing at Azriel a few times and highlighting it and the same for Azriel? Why not make Emerie and Gwyn equally interact with Az if he is only their mentor as to not make Gwyn's scene with him stand out for the reader? Why include her in his POV chapter chapter and end that chapter with him thinking of her smile and the end line being "A thing of secret, lovely beauty" in reference to the image of her joyful reaction.

Sarah loves using symbolism. Sarah connects two elements exclusive to those two: Azriel being declared as Gwyn's new ribbon and on the other hand we have Azriel's shadows being drawn to her, dancing and singing for only Gwyn. That is a major connection, it is not some coincidental connection, she made it for them.

Gwyn's white ribbon and Azriel's dark shadows.

No, not only that. We have his shadows reacting to someone differently for the first time ever. That what stood out the most to many readers that made them go "oh, something is going on here." and the scene did not come off as suspicious, but actually sweet with his shadows being curious, dancing with her breath and then calmed around her.

There are so many parallels and similarities that connect these two and I mentioned them in a post previosuly. I do believe Gwyn was introduced to be Azriel's future love interest because her journey would compliment his.

I try as much as I can to draw out these info from the canon text, I add in more from my theories and speculation but I try to stay as close as to what's present in the canon.

If it makes some readers feel better about their ship by overlooking Gwyn and Az's moments no issue with that, but don't deny its existence when it's in the text. SJM's couples do not necessarily have to start out as romantic in order for them to be endgame, we have seen that with many SJM endgame couples.

These thoughts were lurking in my head, so I had to write them down here.

#gwynriel #acosf #acosf spoilers #azriel #gwyneth berdara

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thereyouareivebeenlookingforyou · 3 years

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ACOSF Thoughts - SPOILER WARNING

(ACOTAR series, ACOSF, and Kingdom of Ash spoilers are all below along with my thoughts after finally finishing A Court of Silver Flames!)

Was SJM trying to get me to hate Rhysand in this book? And kind of Elain and Amren? Even a teensy bit Feyre? Don't get me wrong- I love Rhys. ACOTAR and ACOMAF Rhys is one of my favorite characters and my literal favorite book boyfriend EVER. So could someone please draw me a map to where the hell he went because that Rhys was NOT IN THIS BOOK?!?!?

Rhysand in ACOSF was every bit the territorial fae bastard in this book that Tamlin was in ACOMAF. He lied to Feyre about something HUGE. Nesta shouldn't have told her like that, but someone needed to tell her. And the way he treated Nesta sucked.

And Feyre was every bit the pretty bride who blushed and had lots of sex and had a male who shielded her from what was really going on (you know, her impending death?) that she accused Tamlin of wanting to make her into. What the fuck was happening with them in this book? It's great to make Feyre a High Lady, but then she should be treated like one, not lied to?!? It's fine to make her more domestic, she deserves peace and happiness, but not at the expense of her autonomy.

And while we're on it, I kind of hated Feyre's pregnancy storyline. The thing about writing immortal characters is that you have so many chances to play with time. There is no reason that 500+ year old Rhys and 21 year old Feyre who were together for like one year?!?!? needed to have a pregnancy story here. They are IMMORTAL. Why can't they have time together, just the two of them, before introducing a pregnancy? What's the rush? They are immortal High Fae who will be alive for CENTURIES to come. Forget years, give yourselves a few decades together first! Your whole relationship so far has been 50% trauma-recovery and 50% saving the world/trying not to die!!!!

Feyre's pregnancy felt like the author showing through and overshadowing the characterization—I have to think some of this is SJM becoming a mother in the last few years and wanting to write that into their story, but still. (SJM also did this with Yrene and Chaol in Kingdom of Ash - is the eve of a huge war really a great time for a pregnancy? Wouldn't a healer know how to not get pregnant accidentally?) I also didn't love that a Feysand pregnancy was this huge part of Nesta's story. Can she not have five minutes of the spotlight? Feyre already got 3 books. (Sorta kidding.) (You know what I'm not kidding about? Not liking the name Nyx at all...but who cares I guess.)

If it's so well-known that Illyrian baby delivery is basically a death sentence for High Fae females, why would Rhys not be like 'omg Feyre, yes, let's have a baby, but let's not have sex while you're in that form which is optional for you like is he this 'the most cunning high lord' or not?!) (Also they wouldn't even have Feyre try shifting her body to give her Illyrian hips when otherwise she would FOR SURE DIE like try it?!) All that magic and no one's invented the cesarean?!?

(On a separate pregnancy note, y'all realize the Kingdom of Ash scene where Aelin falls through the worlds and sees a 'heavily pregnant' fae whose mate throws his night-like power towards her to slow her fall have happened during the timeline of this book, right?!? Wild.)

I love Nesta. I love her. I love her arc. I've loved her this whole time, but her coming to terms with herself was great. Her finding peace was great. I was already in the she doesn't need a redemption arc, she needs a therapist and time to herself away from her sisters camp before reading ACOSF, and I only feel more strongly after reading it.

I honestly think time away from her sisters and Rhys with people who weren't constantly judging her (Cassian, Azriel, Gwen, Emerie, Clotho, the House) was just as healthy and necessary for Nesta's healing arc (NOT a redemption arc, a healing arc) as giving up some of her more harmful vices like nonstop drinking and complete isolation was.

So much sex. Like as one of my friends put it, 'this book is filthy, y'all!' It was kind of overkill, like I was already sold on their relationship, but sure, why not. But if nearly all those scenes cut away instead of getting super descriptive, I would have liked this book just as much. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The part with the Mask and the kelpie was so good! It was crazy, and creepy, and her rising up with this army of the dead was so great. Also when they went to the prison for the Harp!!! So good.

A couple weird 'repeats' from ACOMAF... 1) Nesta 'knowing' that Cassian 'needed to hear' her say the exact phrase "You're mine" which is right out of the mating bond acceptance chapter from ACOMAF stuck out to me, especially combined with hearing that Nesta had never told another person she loved them as we found out in the scene where she saved Feyre at the end. I was expecting 'I love you,' especially with them starting out in a 'just sex' relationship. 2) That 'just sex' thing and how obviously Cassian was into her and she was into him but she says she wants 'just sex' also reminded me ACOMAF, when Rhys and Feyre are at the inn and she disappoints him/lies to herself let's be real by telling him she wants just "fun."

Loved getting more of the Night Court palace on top of the Hewn City mountain. Dream house. That bathtub. Swoon.

I may really be in the minority here, but I did not like that Cassian and Nesta are mates. Tamlin tells Feyre in ACOTAR that it's rare for people to have mates at all. And honestly, I see why accepting the mating bond was so hard for Nesta as someone who didn't want to be fae in the first place, and I do not think she needed Cassian to be her mate to choose him forever. I wish they had CHOSEN each other and not also been mates. I think it would have been just as strong, and healthier for Nesta. (And also...if not everyone is mates, why can't they just fall in love? He won her heart, she chose him. I was fine before they were mates. I also think that would have nicely set up Elain rejecting the mating bond later, which she clearly wants to do/has basically done (did y'all read the Azriel extra chapter?! Anyway)

At the end of the day, the Inner Circle (except Cassian/Azriel) bothered me with their treatment of Nesta, even the intervention at the beginning. Was Nesta in need of help? Yes. Were they kind? No, especially not Rhys/Amren. Elain was just as traumatized/self-destructive for a while. She hardly ate, she spoke to no one, she lay in bed all day, Nesta checks that the high windows don't open because she thinks Elain is suicidal, etc. Nesta is also traumatized, but her trauma presented more angrily, less beautiful/sad woman lies around being beautifully sad (like Elain in ACOWAR or Feyre in ACOMAF), and she's entirely condemned by the IC for it (and by a lot of this fandom, let's be real).

I love Cassian. Love him. Looooove him. He stood up to Rhys for Nesta, defended her, was honest with her, accepted her, forgave her for what she actually did wrong (belittling him for his background/hurting him on purpose), but told her she herself was not wrong or broken (@ Rhys, @ Amren, @ Feyre, @ Mor, are y'all taking notes? Cassian and I said she was not broken. Not in need of fixing or redemption.) He kept reaching out his hand.

Plot wise, I also loved that Nesta/Gwen/Emerie ended up doing the Rite! That twist surprised me in a good way. Devlon and any other Illyrians who doubted them can suck it. VALKYRIES!!!

And finally, I LOVED the Nesta/Gwen/Emerie friendship. It made the book (it Made it, y'all. Pun intended). I loved reading about Nessian and I love Cassian, but these three and their friendship was my favorite part of the book, hands down. So great. I love female friendship - it's so underrated as a concept - and this one was amazing, and I'm glad it was such a focus of the story.

This was long, so thanks for sticking with me if you did! Not really interested in angry/anon discourse, but I'd love to hear y'all's thoughts!!!

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