#let nesta say fuck 2021

[casuallivi]

I posted 1,895 times in 2022

That's 1,792 more posts than 2021!

135 posts created (7%)

1,760 posts reblogged (93%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@nikethestatue

@fawnandshadows

@thefangirlofhp

@sydneymack

@impossiblescissorspeachpaper

I tagged 1,461 of my posts in 2022

Only 23% of my posts had no tags

#elain archeron - 188 posts

#elriel - 137 posts

#elriel fanfic - 130 posts

#elrielmonth22 - 117 posts

#azriel - 63 posts

#elriel fanart - 59 posts

#elriel month 22 - 45 posts

#lol - 44 posts

#elain x azriel - 32 posts

#my writing - 27 posts

Longest Tag: 124 characters

#🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀😀😀😀

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Remember when back in ACOMAF Feyre thought Azriel was the safest to strike a conversation with, even if he probably wasn’t??! (reminds you of another archeron?😏)

Yet, Azriel didn’t answer her, silently urging Cassian to talk about it.

Rhys and Cassian go on telling Feyre the story of how they’ve met, but Az is silent, tense, entering in a loop caused by the mention of his past, illyria, even Mor is worried with his frozen state.

See the full post

150 notes - Posted April 10, 2022

#4

Them: Azriel needs a chalenge! A fucking-strong-extrovert-warrior to teach his ass to be better!

Azriel: *crushing on Mor but perfectly content in letting golden-retriever-Cass entertain her loud-and-sexy-blond-ass for 500+ years*

Azriel: *takes four centuries to go clubbing with her*

Azriel: *meets lovely friendly flower girl*

Azriel: I like this one

Azriel: *glues his ass to hers for the next three years*

Everyone: 👁️👄👁️

Azriel: what?

155 notes - Posted May 23, 2022

#3

See the full post

156 notes - Posted May 22, 2022

#2

See the full post

206 notes - Posted April 5, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Rhys: agrees to be Feyre's distraction and give her body release, not offering anything else for fear she will shut down.

Readers: omg, that's so romantic! 😍 So hot 🥵

Cass: offers to be Nesta fuck buddy because he knows how she is pushing away from her feelings.

Readers: omg, he loves her so much! 😍 So hot 🥵

Az: gifts Elain with a especial necklace made for her, softly caresses her neck because he can't help it, ventures to kiss Elain after she gives him offer and permission, doesn't allow himself to think what comes next because she has a mate (who happens to be upstairs during said attempt!), but still dares to question the gods, implying he feels a connection so strong he can't understand why she is mated to another.

Some Readers: ew, fucking pervert! 😠 He clearly doesn't care for her 🙄 he wants to use her for perverted sex 😑 he's just saying that because she is the third sister 🙄 he doesn't even like her, who do this without a plan? How dare him not plan their next 500 years before that kiss?! 😒 Lazy bitch 😒

236 notes - Posted August 2, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #would you look at that #elriel fic writers: exist #me: and you get a reblog! and you get a reblog! and you get a reblog! #is this what a pyramid scheme looks like? #lol #the year was fun! #I should start posting about other books too #since elain's book will leave me hanging till I'm a granny... #😅😩😭

[libraryofnesta]

Tied to Ruin

ao3 link

Summary:

Cassian and Nesta were lovers, partners in crime. They did everything together. That is until tragedy strikes, causing Nesta to run away, far from everything she once knew.

Over five years later, Nesta is living life to as full as it can get. It’s not until an incident occurs that drags her into far more than she bargained for.

Notes:

thanks so much for reading. i'm a huge hoe for exes to lovers, so i have like 20 ideas in my head, and this is one of them. It's multichapter. i'm not sure how long this is gonna be, but definitely over ten chapter. this fic has two timelines. One will show them from when they're kids to teens, and one while they're adults. Both will occur at the same time, so things will start to unravel as you read.btw! velaris is gonna be like a super small town in new york. like no one knows about it.

TW: implied domestic violence, nothing graphic.

Chapter 1: lonely beds, different cities

Words, how little they mean

When you're a little too late

I stood right by the tracks

Your face in a locket

Good girls, hopeful they'll be and long they will wait

-

Sad Beautiful Tragic

Taylor Swift

2016, Small Town Velaris

“Please,” she whispers, voice hoarse. Nesta is practically begging at this point, but she has nothing else to relent to. “We can get out of here.” She swallows hard when he doesn’t reply. “We’re still young Cassian, we can still-”

“Nesta.” He says. It's one word, but it makes her pause. He rarely calls her Nesta. It’s always ‘Nes’ or ‘Sweetheart.’

“I can’t.”

Their lives have changed so drastically over the past few weeks. Nesta’s whole childhood is here. Everything she’s ever known. She’s not sure how much more of it she can handle now.

She’s well aware of the tears streaming down her face. Nesta doesn’t know what she can say to convince him, so she says the one thing that she’s been repeating over and over.

“You can…”

Cassian’s face seems to harden. The look he gives her makes her take a step back. He hasn’t looked at her like that in years. “Go ahead and leave Nesta.”, he says, voice rising. “Go live that picture perfect you always wanted. I won’t stop you.”

“Not everyone wants what you do.”

2021 New York, Manhattan

Something about leaving Valkyrians still makes her feel at odds. She’s not as resistant to the sight of blood anymore, and she’s not sure if she can ride a motorcycle as well as she used to. There are still parts that linger though. She still remembers how to throw a punch. A damn good one too. She still feels uneasy when someone walks in the same direction for too long though. It might be the worst part of it all.

Nesta doesn’t do much for fun.  She doesn’t dance as much as she likes. The amount of books she reads has decreased. Her days consist of work and eating, even though she skips more meals than she should. But she’s free. That’s what really matters, doesn’t it?

The muscles in Nesta’s body ache. She just finished a seven hour shift, and got a promotion that pays much better. Nesta wants to celebrate. She wants to talk to someone. It’s been so long since she’s talked to anyone. The fear of someone finding out about her past is lodged so deep in her head it caused her to isolate. The simple way of putting it is she has no friends.

Coworkers are the only source of non-work related conversation she engages in. It’s always small talk too. Just as Nesta is about to fall asleep, she rubs her eyes and forces herself to stay awake. Getting up from the lumpy couch, Nesta walks to her cabinet, grabbing a random mug and pouring wine into it. Once she gets a better look at the mug, she can’t help but scoff.

It’s ironic. Complaining about being lonely. It’s almost like she chose loneliness. She loves the quiet. When she was younger, all she wanted was alone time. She dreads it now. Nesta gets up after finishing her glass.  She’s a bit drowsy, and is way too tired to walk all the way to her room. Instead Nesta walks back over to her couch. She lies horizontally, staring into the abyss until she eventually falls asleep.

She dreams of seeing him that night. It’s a regular occurrence. It’s lessened over the years, but never fully disappeared. The image of him is blurry. It’s not as precise as it used to be. She hates still thinking of him. It doesn’t stop her from reminiscing a little though.

Her being upset makes sense of course. They’d known each other for over ten years, hating one another at first. Eventually, he began to grow on her. Their bickering had become playful, before they once again became estranged.

“Cassian?”

The figure turns around, and he knocks the wind out of her. His hair is out of it’s usual bun.  He gives her that familiar boyish smile, walking towards her and putting an arm on her.

“Missed me Sweetheart?”, he says, ruffling her hair a bit. Nesta scrunches her nose in response.

“You wish.”

He rolls his eyes. “Yeah yeah whatever.” He talks for a while. Nesta’s barely paying attention. It’s just nice to hear his voice again. He asks her what she’s reading, and she replies the same every time. It’s silent after a while. They’ve talked themselves out. It’s a nice silence though. Her favorite silence.

Cassian stares at her for a few seconds, giving her a soft smile and pushing a loose hair behind her ear.

“Come back,” he whispers.

Her breath stutters. “It’s been five years, Cass,” she mutters, breaking eye contact. Her eyes flicker between the ground and his face, gauging his reaction.

He doesn’t stop looking at her.

“I didn’t want to leave,” said Nesta. There’s a lump in her throat.

He scrubs a hand over his face. “Yet here we are.”

“You know why I left.”

Her eyes feel like they’re beginning to water. “I asked you to come with me. You’re the one who didn’t.”

Cassian looks to the side. He looks impassive, yet also emotionless. “You’re the one who ran away, Nesta.”

“I didn’t run away.”

He scoffs in response. “Keep telling yourself that.” Cassian starts walking away. It’s cloudy and has no solid ground or sky. At that moment she remembers where she really is. Nesta stands there, waiting until he fully fades away. It always feels too real.

The dreams always end like that.

Nesta can barely pry her eyes open when she wakes up. She has the next two weeks off. Her boss, Helion, had insisted she take a week or two off, since the bar was under a small renovation. She checks her phone and it reads 12:03. Jesus, she really had overslept.

In all honesty Nesta had no idea what to do with her free time. Maybe she’ll finally finish that book she started months ago. But in reality Nesta knows all she’ll do is go to a bar and let a stranger fuck her into oblivion until she kicks them out or leaves.

By the time Nesta leaves her house it’s around 3:00.  She goes to the coffee shop next door. She orders a coffee and sits in the corner of the room. Nesta somehow feels like the center of attention. It’s an empty shop, but it feels like all eyes on her. The room feels too cold.

The feeling follows her when she goes to the local bookstore. It’s crowded, but the area is quiet. Nesta browses through the shelves, sticking to the romance section. She holds a few books. It’s not until Nesta drops one, people begin to look at her. It makes a loud thump hitting the floor. Several pairs of eyes turn to her. The cover is of a shirtless man too.

Fuck , she thinks, This is embarrassing. Nesta purses her lips, hand curling into a fist as she puts the book back on it’s shelf.

It’s around 5:00 when she takes the train home. Nesta spent the rest of her day at the park, not wanting to stay at home. It doesn’t feel like home as much as she’d like it to though. Finally, Nesta makes it home.

She’s in an empty parking lot. The area she lives in is pretty small.  Nesta knows basically everyone in her apartment complex. It’s a tiny place. She never talks to anyone, but they do acknowledge each other. Barely anyone has a car either, herself included. So it is a bit weird to see an unrecognizable car. It’s odd, but Nesta thinks nothing of it. It’s probably just someone visiting.

Nesta goes into her apartment, before leaving once more to go to the bar that’s the second closest to her apartment. She’s usually working at this time, flirting with customers and taking them home when her shift ends.

The bar is crowded and loud. Lights are flashing, voices yelling, bodies moving. It’s out of her comfort zone. She’s been doing this for years and is still isn’t used to it. She sits on one of the stools where the drinks are served. A girl approaches her. Nesta never approaches anyone. She can’t see clearly in the light. The girl’s hair is brunette, though her roots are dark. Her brown skin illuminates in the flickering light.

“Hey”, she says “I’m Nora” Nora extends her hand to her. Nesta smirks in response, resting her elbow on the counter grasping her hand with the other.

“I’m Mila,” she says. No matter what she does, Nesta will never use her real name. Nora’s eyebrows raise. Nesta can see her lick tongue move as it pushes on her skin.

“Pretty name.”

They talk for around five minutes. It’s all small talk. They drink while they talk. Most of the things she responds with are lies anyways. Nora grasp’s her arm with her hand. “Wanna get out of here?” she asks. Her words are slurred, and Nesta has to restrain herself from flinching.

Something in her head tells her not to let anyone in her house though. Something is wrong, but she can’t put her mind on it. The idea of letting a stranger in her house sends goosebumps across her arms. Before, she’d never question it twice. Now that she thinks of it, doing this practically screams stranger danger. Especially with her past, this person could be anyone. Nesta slowly probes herself from the girl.

“I’ve gotta go”, she says. “Sorry, but there's something I need to do.” The girl doesn't seem to mind, either too drunk to care, or only looking for a one night stand. She nods, before introducing herself to someone else. Nesta feels her chest lighten, exiting the crowded bar to call an uber.

Whenever it’s quiet, she always reminisces.

2006, Small Town Velaris

Nesta wakes up and finds herself stranded. She has no idea where she is. She’s lying in a bed inside a mostly empty room. There’s only a few pieces of furniture, a stool and a drawer. It’s relatively small.  The last thing she remembers is being in a car with her sisters and parents. She hears voices outside of the room yelling.

“You expect me to leave-”

“Her father is-”

“She’s nine what would she-”

“So what if she’s young!”

“-s innocent so what if-”

She hears a loud smack. The silence after is deafening. The voices are quiet after, whispers. Afterwards, Nesta hears footsteps approaching. She scrunches her eyes shut, trying to pretend to be asleep. Nesta hears the door open and close. A hand lays on her forehead. As the person removes it, a calming voice talks. “Are you awake?” Nesta slowly looks at the person, opening only one eye, then another. She sees a woman with black hair and tan skin. Her cheeks are flushed and she has a small smile on her face.

The woman squats down so she’s the same height as the bed Nesta is laying on. “Hi,” the woman whispers, voice solemn and comforting. “My names Aurora,” she says. Nesta squishes her lips together. She’s confused and feels like crying. Nesta doesn’t cry though. She’s pretty sure her eyes water though, because Aurora strokes her hair and whispers, “It’s okay to cry.”

Nesta gasps and shakes her head. “Mommy says I’m not supposed to cry.” Aurora seems to be shocked silent. The silence makes Nesta become aware of everything that is happening. She slowly sits up. Once her feet are off the bed, Nesta quickly sprints to the door, opening it and running out. She has no idea where she’s going.

Suddenly, Nesta is hit with a hard impact, and falls down on her butt. She looks up and sees two boys. They’re both around the same height. They have the same dark hair too, except one is longer than the other. Nesta gets up and brushes off the dust on her leggings.

She notices it then. The leggings. She’s never worn pants before.

It’s also when she notices the juice smeared across one of the boy's shirts. It’s the long haired one’s. He drops the red cup to the ground and makes an angry noise. “That was my favorite shirt.”

Nesta feels sheepish as she whispers a quiet, “Sorry.”

The one with longer hair whispers to the other boy, obviously meaning for her to hear too. “She’s probably not even double digits.” The other boy is quiet, looking at the ground. He seems nervous and shy.

Nesta feels a sense of outrage course through her. She pouts, crossing her arms. “I’m almost ten. I’m nine and a half” The boy crosses his arms too.

“Well I’m ten and a half,” he says.

“Cassian,” Aurora scolds. “Play nice.” She puts a hand on Nesta’s shoulder and bends down. “I need to talk to…” She doesn’t continue.

Nesta turns towards her, and realizes she needs her name. “Nesta,” she says.

Aurora smiles, “That’s a wonderful name.”

Cassian still seems angry. “I think it’s stupid.” Aurora sighs and gets up. “Azriel”, she says to the other boy. He hadn’t talked the whole time, Nesta almost forgot he was there. “Make sure he stays out of trouble. And Cassian, please change your shirt.” The two (stupid) boys walk away. Once they’re from a far enough distance, Aurora looks back down at her. “I have to talk to you about something.”

2021 New York, Manhattan

Nesta walks into her apartment tired and half asleep. Once inside her apartment, she changes into more comfortable clothes, sweatpants and a grey t-shirt.

Nesta’s about to go to bed, until she hears the sound of glass shattering and liquid spilling. She freezes, thinking about the mug of wine she left out.  

No.

Nesta scrambles towards the kitchen and grabs a flashlight from a cabinet, flashing the light to the ground. The mug is shattered to pieces, and she can still see little droplets of wine. The words aren’t visible anymore, letters broken and unreadable.

There’s no way it could’ve fallen on its own. It was in the middle of her counter. Unless...

Suddenly it all makes sense. The unrecognizable car in the parking lot. The uneasy feeling in her stomach. The constant nagging in her head, telling her that something is wrong.

She thinks about calling the police but goes against it. Years in a fucking biker gang taught her better then to trust those scumbags.

She always kept a gun in her house. Just in case. She really hates how no matter what she does. she’ll always be connected to this.

The person inside her apartment most definitely knows where she is. Nesta grabs a broom, sweeping the glass shards into an empty bag. She can fix it later. Tying it up, Nesta leaves it on her counter.

There's a wall blocking the entrance to her bathroom. She walks towards it, opening and closing the door so it seems she went inside. Grabbing her gun from the small drawer, Nesta lays her back against the wall, barely peeking out the wall, but just enough so she can see them as they crawl out from behind her couch.

The figure moves stealthily, back turned towards her. If she weren’t directly staring at it, there would be no way of knowing it was there. The moves look familiar, but she can’t put her mind on it. The moonlight shines on them so she can see the most obvious features. It’s not until the floor creaks the figure turns towards her direction. Nesta turns back to face her bathroom door, hands drawn to tight fists. There’s no way they hadn’t seen her. She moved too slow. Nesta peeks her head out to look again.

It’s not until she sees a familiar pair of scarred hands in the moonlight, it all comes together.

“Azriel Night?”

In dreams

I meet you in warm conversation

We both wake

In lonely beds

In different cities

And time

Is taking its sweet time erasing you

And you've got your demons

And darlin' they all look like me

PSA!! go to ask’s to be added to tag list

#nessian #nessian angst #nessian au #nessian fanfic #nessian fanfiction #nessian modern au #nessian trash #nessian supremacy #nessian headcanons #nessian headcanon #nessian masterlist #nesta archeron #nesta #nesta x gwyn x emerie #nesta x cassian #cassian x nesta #cassian #cassian acotar #cassian acosf #acosf #tied to ruin

[live-the-fangirl-life]

Surprise Rides

Nesta Archeron x Cassian - Motorcycle Oneshot

Cassian plans a surprise for Nesta

Written for Nessian Month 2021 @illyrianet

Prompt: Motorcycle

Masterlist | Read on Ao3 | Art by @mehx1000

1802 words

*******

Nesta’s phone chimed again with a new notification. Rolling her eyes, she tried to get back to her book. She was sitting on her couch with an old romance novel and a glass of wine. It was her favorite way to relax after a long day—and today had been one hell of a long day. All she wanted was to immerse herself in her book for a few hours and go to sleep.

Her phone chimed again.

It seemed her boyfriend wasn’t going to let her have her relaxing night alone.

To be fair, he didn’t know how exhausting the day was. All she’d told him when he called earlier asking if she wanted to go out that night, was to say she was tired and that she’d see him tomorrow.

Another chime.

Sighing, Nesta placed her bookmark before closing the novel and reaching for her phone. There were a dozen notifications, all from Cassian. The first few texts were asking if she was sure she didn’t want to go out and then a few suggesting they could stay in while offering movie suggestions and take-out offers. Then there a few texts asking if she was alive because she wasn’t responding.

The next text came almost immediately after with the realization that she was probably busy with something and not to worry about texting back right away. An hour after that he tried calling and the voicemail was a string of "are you okay?", "I know you said today was long, do you need anything?", and "You're probably curled up with a book right now so I'll stop calling."

Nesta couldn’t help but smile at the messages. In another circumstance, she may have felt overwhelmed or smothered by the number of messages, but she knew Cassian only meant well. And usually, when she felt the need to be alone she gave him more of an explanation than she had today.

She was about to respond to his message when she was startled by a loud knock on her apartment door.

Tossing her phone down and moving the blanket off her legs, she grumbled at being interrupted as she walked over to her door. Without bothering to look in the peephole, she yanked the door open and stopped short.

Cassian was leaning against her doorframe, arms crossed over his chest, with a boyish grin spread over his face. He was wearing his usual: worn jeans, boots, black t-shirt stretched deliciously across his hard chest, and his worn leather jacket. His hair was pulled away from his face in a messy bun atop his head and he had the start of a five-o’clock shadow along his jawline.

“Hey Nes.” He grinned as she stood there open-mouthed. It wasn’t the presence of her boyfriend that left her speechless, it was his appearance. Because on top of his clothes, he was covered in leaves, twigs, and grass stains.

His smile turned almost sheepish as she took in his disheveled appearance, and he raised a hand to rub the back of his neck.

“Cassian,” She looked back at his face, and although he has the barest hint of a blush, he still looked very pleased with himself. “I...what...what happened to you?”

He smiled again and swooped down to kiss her before answering. Pulling back, he seemed even more pleased that it took her an extra second to open her eyes after his kiss.

“Guess what I did today.”

He seemed really excited, but Nesta was still trying to understand why he looked like he tumbled down a hill.

“Nothing stupid I hope.” She answered with a skeptically raised brow. She tried her best not to smile as he scoffed and shook his head at her mocking tone.

“Of course not! Who do you think I am?” He asked indignantly.

She rolled her eyes at him but stepped aside so he could come into her apartment. Closing the door behind him, she crossed her arms and made an exaggerated scan over his body.

“I think you’re someone who would do something stupid.”

He rolled his eyes but looked around to see her discarded blanket, book, and wine glass. Turning back to Nesta, he grinned. She knew he was pleased that he guessed her nightly activities correctly.

“I have a surprise for you.”

This time she looked at him surprised but asked, “What?"

"I have a surprise for you," Cassian repeated, stepping closer to her so he could wrap his hands around her and slip both his hands into the back pockets of her jeans. "You said you had a long day, so I wanted to surprise you with something that will hopefully make it better."

Nesta melted into his touch and smiled softly at the gesture. But when she went to wrap her arms around his neck, her hand snagged on a twig clinging to his collar and she looked at him skeptically.

"What is it?”

He walked towards her coat closet and started rummaging through it before pulling out the thing he was looking for.

“Ah, put this on. And I can’t tell you, Nes, or it wouldn’t be a surprise anymore.”

She just stared at the leather jacket he held out to her; the one she’d bought months ago when she was out with Cass. He insisted that if she was going to ride with him on his motorcycle, then she needed a good jacket to wear.

And they both wanted her to keep riding on his bike.

As long as she’d known Cassian, his bike had been a part of him. She was more surprised than anyone when she started dating the leather-wearing, motorcycle-riding, tattooed, man standing in front of her. But despite his outward appearance, he was the kindest, most sincere, and compassionate man she had ever dated.

And it only took one ride on the back of his bike, with the wind in her hair and the heat of him pressed against her as she hugged him from behind, to show her that she, too, loved the feeling of riding on a motorcycle.

His motorcycle.

During one of their rides up the coast, Cassian insisted that she needed a good leather jacket for their longer rides. When she tried this jacket on, the one he was still holding out to her, he had just stared at her unblinking and insisted she buy it. In his words, she looked “so fucking sexy in the leather” that as soon as they got home he asked her to wear nothing but the jacket and showed her exactly how much he loved it.

Accepting the fact that her relaxing night in wasn’t going to happen, and more than a little curious about what the surprise was, she grabbed the jacket and slipped it on. She didn’t miss the way his eyes lingered on her body as she zipped it up; the leather clinging to her curves. Ignoring his darkened eyes and the way he bit his lip, she rolled her eyes but smirked as she turned to grab her purse.

“Fine. Let’s go.” Nesta followed him out the door, making sure the lights were turned off and the door locked.

“You don’t need to sound too excited.”

She rolled her eyes but handed her purse to his outstretched hand as they got to his parked bike. Lifting the seat, he took out the spare helmet and handed it to her as he tucked her purse into the now-empty storage space.

“Maybe I’d be more excited if my boyfriend wasn’t taking me wherever it is that made him look like he just jumped into a pile of leaves.”

He laughed and expertly put his own helmet on. “Have a little faith in me, Nes.”

Nesta rolled her eyes again but smiled and climbed on the bike behind Cassian. He revved the engine and she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, pulling herself as close to him as she could. She raised the visor on her helmet briefly to tell him, "You know I do."

She flipped her visor back down and leaned her head against his back as he quickly squeezed the hands she had around his waist. He kicked up the stand on the bike, pushed on the gas, and drove away.

***

Nesta could easily get lost in the feeling of riding. It felt like flying; it was fast, exhilarating, and she never felt safer than when she was with Cassian.

They rode for almost twenty minutes on the main road before he turned down a more secluded path, covered by a canopy of trees that made the stretch of road feel like their own personal tunnel. Cassian turned again, this time along an unpaved path and she held him tighter as he maneuvered over the uneven ground. Soon, he stopped at the edge of a clearing and Nesta lifted her face from his back to get a better look.

“So? What do you think?” He asked, sounding a little nervous as if she wouldn’t like it.

But how could she not like it? A large blanket was set up in the clearing with a picnic basket and pillows. And lights had been strung up along the branches, creating a glow around the space.

“Cass…” She swallowed the lump in her throat and lifted her helmet so she could press a kiss to the underside of his jaw. “It’s perfect, I love it.”

She felt him grin and she kissed him again.

He turned the motorcycle off and helped her climb off the back. Then he grabbed her hand and led her over to the blanket. She could see now that more blankets were laid out beside the pillows.

He let her look around and when her gaze fell on him again he was grinning at her surprised look.

“Told you I had a surprise for you.” He grinned, pleased with her reaction.

“I can’t believe you did all this.”

“I may have had a little help.” He admitted, “But they’re long gone now, you don’t have to worry about anyone interrupting us.” He winked and wiggled his eyebrows at her.

Nesta threw her head back and laughed. Cassian’s smirk widened into a large grin at the sound of it. He grabbed her hand and tugged her down onto the blanket landing on his back and pulling her on top of him.

She leaned up to kiss him as his hands held her waist.

“Thank you,” Nesta murmured against his lips moments later.

Cassian smiled and kicked off his shoes. She did the same and fell back against him, tucked into his side as they watched the lights twinkle above them.

As they laid there, content in each other’s company, Nesta realized she much preferred this over her book and wine. This time.

***

Taglist:

@acourtofsnakes @allthebooksunderthemoon @astra-ad-mare @becarefuloflove @bisexual-genderfluid-loki @booklover41802 @charlizeed @cookiemonsterwholovesbooks @danibutterr @doubt-less @emily-gsh @enormousbooklover @foughtconquered @fromthelibraryofemilyj @hakunamatatazz @i-have-but-one-brain-cell @in-love-with-caramel-macchiato @jorjy-jo @lemonade-coolattas @mariamuses @mayhemories @midsizewitch @miserablesmusings @morganofthewildfire @nehemikkele @rowaelinismyotp @rowansfirebringer @sayosdreams @sheharahu @sleeping-and-books @stardelia @story-scribbler @superspiritfestival @surielandiareendgame @swankii-art-teacher @tomtenadia @westofmoon @whimsicallyreading @ladygabrielli1997

#nessian #nesta #cassian #nesta x cassian #cassian x nesta #nessianmonth #nessian fic #nessian fluff #motorcycle #nesta archeron #cassian and nesta #nesta and cassian

[nestaswhore]

I posted 170 times in 2021

68 posts created (40%)

102 posts reblogged (60%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 1.5 posts.

I added 796 tags in 2021

#nesta archeron - 126 posts

#acosf - 98 posts

#acotar - 86 posts

#nessian - 79 posts

#cassian - 78 posts

#nesta - 75 posts

#a court of silver flames - 72 posts

#acowar - 65 posts

#acomaf - 62 posts

#pro nesta - 55 posts

Longest Tag: 55 characters

#she’s just out here living rent free in everyone’s mind

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

I never understand why the IC is so obsessed with being mean to Lucien. He literally just minds his own business and they trash him for no reason.

same. i especially can’t understand where rhys and feyre come from in the way they treat lucien. rhys can’t forgive lucien for the way he treated feyre UTM but lucien was the only person that helped feyre without drugging/degrading/sexually assaulting/physically assaulting her. lucien is also a victim of amarantha and a victim of tamlin and ianthe. why isn’t he given the same sympathy as feyre? give this man a break.

it’s strange because feyre is automatically friends with anyone that rhysand approves of and likes ie. the inner circle. but anyone that rhys dislikes, like lucien, she also begins to dislike, make fun of and deem untrustworthy. even though he’s helped her multiple times and has literally gotten punished for it.

unfortunately, knowing miss sarah janet and her very predictable bias for worshipping feysand every few sentences, they will never apologise to him or be held accountable in how horrible they continue to be to him. and he’ll continue to grovel at their feet for their friendship and will eventually be a powerful ally to them once he becomes high lord.

someone save lucien from sarah janet and the inner circle.

220 notes • Posted 2021-09-01 19:30:01 GMT

#4

feyre to nesta : “it is about how it reflects upon me, upon rhys, and upon my court when my damned sister spends our money on wine and gambling and does nothing to contribute to this city! if my sister cannot be controlled, then why should we have the right to rule over anyone else?”

meanwhile also feyre : doesn’t contribute to her city unless building herself and her friends a 6th mansion counts, has literally no right to rule over these people anyway, ignores all other areas of the night court except velaris etc etc etc (and the list goes on and on and on)

who the fuck cares about nesta archeron drinking and fucking when women are literally getting tortured and crippled in YOUR COURT like let’s focus on things that really matter here babe 👍

there are genuinely so many issues in the night court and the most pressing to feysand was getting nesta under control? nesta drinking and sleeping around was the most embarrassing thing to them? i just have to laugh, i mean, have they seen the state of their court?

and technically 😌 nesta was contributing to the city by supporting small businesses and giving back these business owners some of their tax money 💀💀💀💀💀 ok i’m kidding but still

sarah janet really thought this was a girlboss move on feyre’s part but really it’s just embarrassing and continues to highlight how bad rhys and feyre are at their job

247 notes • Posted 2021-10-06 17:22:44 GMT

#3

the way rhys, cassian and azriel have been banging girls left right and center for 500+ years and have no secret babies is beyond me

i’m 99.9% sure that young horny bat boys don’t give two shits about protection considering they banged girls in the same room as each other?

you can’t convince me that one of them hasn’t accidentally impregnated some random one night stand girl and then just lost contact with her forever and have some hundred year old kid running around in another court

268 notes • Posted 2021-12-04 18:06:02 GMT

#2

when people say “b-b-but feyre HAD to lock nesta in a house because she was embarrassing her and rhys”

seriously?

mor, azriel and cassian all canonically slept around and drank their weight in alcohol for CENTURIES and it’s not embarrassing? cassian publicly banging someone against a wall is less embarrassing than nesta privately bringing guys home?

feyre destroying a court when she’s supposed to be a high lady is less embarrassing than nesta drinking and keeping to herself?

feyre breaking the rules of the high lord meeting and using her powers to attack court officials is less embarrassing than nesta drinking?

feyre and rhysand banging in the sky over velaris is less embarrassing than what nesta was doing?

feyrug and riceman designing their 6th mansion while their citizens are struggling after the war is less embarrassing than what nesta was doing?

feyre saying that nesta was embarrassing her is so funny to me because feyrug, rhystrash and the inner circle have single handedly embarrassed themselves so much 😭😭😭 anyways, let’s finally admit feyre pulled a tamlin on nesta and move on 👯‍♂️

332 notes • Posted 2021-09-24 12:45:14 GMT

#1

why does SJM never follow up on or stick to anything she writes?

nesta says fighting isn’t the only strength that exists and now she’s a ✨warrior✨

nesta says she wants to go travel the world and see what it has to offer and now she’s ✨stuck in a house where the only way out is to either take 10,000 steps or ask someone to get her out✨

feyre says she doesn’t want a child and wants to experience life and next thing you know ✨she’s a mother✨

386 notes • Posted 2021-09-19 19:21:20 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

#my 2021 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

[gracereadstoomanybooks]

answering questions I’ve been asked on TikTok✨

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.

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QUESTION: how did you get into reading?

So, when I was in middle school (many moons ago) we had this thing called AR Testing. Basically, you read a book and take a test on it—the questions were things that happened in the book, it was really simple. If you got a good grade, you got points. The more points you earned, the more eligible you were for the reading party at the end of each semester. Me, being the nerd I am, got top of my class because I went through 8th grade level books like it was nothing. The librarian at my school brought me books from the high school to read since everything was easy for me, and alas, my addiction began. And now that I have adult money, it’s a true addiction. Also, telling my father “I’m bored” and his response being, “go read a book or something” so thanks dad.

QUESTION: what’s one book you ALWAYS recommend to people?

This one is tough because I’ve read THOUSANDS of books, but if I had to choose one, it would probably be Confess by Colleen Hoover. I fell in love with her work in high school when I first read Ugly Love, but Confess is the type of book that pulls at your heart strings, y’all. It has everything people love: humor, sexual tension, drama, love. GO BUY THE DAMN BOOK. Or honestly any book by Colleen Hoover—she’s a fucking amazing author.

QUESTION: outside of making TikToks, what do you do for a living?

I currently work at a restaurant and hate every second of it. If anyone tells you to become a server, DONT. It’s not worth the hassle, I promise you. Sure, you can make decent money but the amount of rude customers and shitty tips you receive each shift is very disheartening. If you really need a job, do anything BUT work in the food industry.

QUESTION: what’s your wattpad story about?

First question: which one? I have about 30 drafts sitting there waiting to be posted. But, I’m going to assume you’re talking about the Harry Styles fan fiction I’ve been working on for the past 4 years and haven’t had the courage to post. I’ll tell you a little about it: Elaine Aldridge is forced into a betrothal to a man she’s never met & loathes. She goes to his court and realizes things aren’t what they truly seem. And the guard her future husband sticks on her??? None other than Mr. Harry Styles. Add in some magic & deaths and you’ve got my story— The First Prince. (Honestly, that’s an extremely shitty description so if you wanna check it out go to my wattpad account)

QUESTION: how old are you?

Ahem. . . twenty-one.

QUESTION: what is your dream career?

Being a published author and having people rave about my books. That’s all. Or, an editor for a publishing company. Imagine reading all day and being paid for it🤩

QUESTION: what was your least favorite read of 2020?

I already KNOW I’m gonna get shit for this but....... the wicked king. YALL I LITERALLY COULDNT GET THROUGH IT IM SO SORRY, I STILL HAVENT FINISHED IT

QUESTION: current favorite author?

Sarah. J. Maas. I don’t know what it is about her writing style, but it’s addicting. Throne of Glass is hands down the best series I’ve ever read. A Court of Thorns and Roses is the first book I’ve EVER reread. Her stories truly suck you in and hold onto you—you get lost so easily in her writing and it’s like once you’re done with a series, nothing will compare. Or, at least that’s how I felt after finishing Kingdom of Ash. Honorable mentions: Jennifer L. Armentrout, Penelope Douglas, L.J Shen, Elle Kennedy and Kennedy Fox.

QUESTION: any recommendations/tips to give to a new reader?

I’ve always given this advice to people who want to get into reading: find what you like and start with that. If you like romance, I’ve got a list for you to choose from. Mystery? Another list. Sci-fi? I GOT YOU. Fantasy? Yes! Sports fiction? It might take me a second but I’ll find you a book. Nonfiction? I’m zero help in that category, honestly. The point of the matter is that you’re never going to enjoy a book if you aren’t interested in the underlying topics.

QUESTION: do you ever find yourself comparing your life to fictional life?

Yes. All the time. I daydream about being apart of the Inner Circle and living in Terrasen with Aelin and Rowan. I think about what it would be like to have real powers and a mate. It drives my boyfriend crazy—but he loves me anyway.

QUESTION: what are your most anticipated books of 2021?

Here’s a list:

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

The Crown of Gilded Bones by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Gods and Monsters by Shelby Mahurin

Crescent City 2 (Untitled) by Sarah J. Maas

A Vow So Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer (I just ordered this one & it arrives tomorrow)

Blessed Monsters by Emily A. Duncan

QUESTION: why did you start a Tumblr?

Honestly, I used to love tumblr when I was in grade school (way too young to be on here then but what else is new). I like having an extra space to get my questions and comments out without having to compress it into a 60 second video for TikTok to see. Tumblr is a good place to blog & post things like this.

QUESTION: what’s your favorite song right now?

I’ve listened to Carry You by Novo Amor every day for the past two months and I cry each time.

QUESTION: why write Harry Styles fan fiction?

Simple: I love Harry Styles. I’ve been a fan of him and One Direction since they were on X FACTOR. Read that again. X. Factor. I used to watch their performances on YouTube before WMYB even came out. Of course, I love all of the 1D boys but I was always a Harry gal. And I look up to him in a way—I’ve read things about people wishing they knew him personally and honestly? I would never want to meet him. I like the version of him I’ve cooked up in my brain over the past 10 years. I like the symbiotic relationship I have with his music. Fine Line is a ✨masterpiece✨. HS1 is a ✨work of art✨.

now, some topics I’ve been asked way too many times and want to finally get to:

QUESTION: political views?

the saying “anyone but trump” has been in my brain for the past four years. No, I’m not a republican. No, I’m not a democrat. I like to think of myself as a progressive (ahem, liberal) Did I vote for a democratic candidate? Yes, and I’d do it again and again until the US isn’t one of the worst countries—I’m sorry, businesses— to be apart of. I wanted Bernie but got Biden, and I’m alright with that. And my girl Kamala🥳

QUESTION: how did you feel about the BLM protests?

I went to multiple BLM protests and donated a lot of funds to BLM & other organizations. It’s 2021, people... stop being fucking RACIST. And don’t be afraid to call racist people out! Black Lives Matter, even if no one is posting about it anymore.

QUESTION: thoughts on abortion?

your body your choice, queen! not my uterus, not my problem.

QUESTION: there was a comment on an old video of yours talking about r*pe, why did you delete the comment?

I made a video when I first started my account on TikTok about reading in public and feeling “turned on” by it. Go watch it if you don’t know what I’m talking about. BUT, some ignorant male decided to comment and say “this is how girls get r*ped”. Whew. So. I deleted the comment because ....

I am a victim of sexual assault. Along with a lot of other women. 1 in 5 women have been victims of sexual assault. Talking about being r*ped isn’t funny.

No one else needed to see his comment. I reported it immediately and his account was shut down.

I never got justice for what happened to me, and the fact that some random male—who had never even met me or seen me before my video showed up on his FYP—had the nerve to comment that? Unacceptable.

this question isn’t as controversial but

QUESTION: what’s the best way to get out of a toxic relationship?

okay, let me just start off by saying that the people around you who love and support you are going to be your backbone. Leaving a toxic situation is hard, and every situation is different, but my best piece of advice to offer you is don’t be afraid to ask for help. Your loved ones are going to be there for you when you need them, even if you don’t believe they will. If you explain what’s happening, someone you know and love will drop whatever it is their doing to make sure you get out safely. good luck my babes.

now, back to our regularly scheduled program:

QUESTION: any tips on making tiktoks?

Literally none. I post what I think is funny and relatable and if anyone agrees, I’m satisfied. Even if it’s one view, it’s good enough for me. So I guess my one tip is to not base your life off of an app and followers.

QUESTION: favorite Harry Styles fanfic?

DONT MAKE ME CHOOSE. Duplicity is up there, along with Stall 1&2, and Kiwi. After? Absolutely not.

QUESTION: favorite WEBTOON?

y’all already KNOW. LORE OLYMPUS BY USEDBANDAID. Rachel is a genius and I have reread the series a million times. Hades is my soulmate and Apollo can rot in the fiery pits of the Underworld. also, if we’re talking about other webcomics, reading Walk on Water on mangadex...🤫

QUESTION: favorite movie?

Howls Moving Castle. I will be getting my “a heart is a heavy burden” tattoo very very soon.

QUESTION: I read your Elain theory on tumblr, can you explain a little more?

I thought I was pretty straightforward but I’ll say it again: she is always the “good” one and it’s too suspicious. SJM has already given one Archeron sister a happy ending, Nesta’s is obviously inevitable, but Elain? She has too many options for a happy ending. Lucien, who is her “mate”. Azriel, who is intrigued by her slightly. Her human guy—I don’t remember his name—who is disgusted that she’s not human anymore. Or, alone, planting flowers all day. BUT! My point is that she’s not truly happy. She was forced into the Cauldron just like Nesta. She was ripped away from the life she loved so dearly and didn’t want to give up. The man she was going to marry now hates her guts because she’s a High Fae. She has the perfect set up for a villain plot line and I’m all here for it.

well, that’s all I feel like doing tonight. hope you enjoyed my little q&a! be kind, and talk to you later! byeeee!

#a court of silver flames #acotar #harry styles #one direction #sarah j maas #throne of glass #wattpad #tiktok #elain archeron #howls moving castle #lore olympus #q&a time #walk on water #persephone #lore olympus hades

[lightwormlol]

ACOFAS REVIEW -INC SPOILERS

4.5 stars.

Okay, so! This was the first book I was able to finish in 2021. I've kinda been in a reading slump, and struggling to get past the 30-50% of books. I think its because I took essentially 3 months off my normal (daily) reading schedule and have been prioritising other things (health, fitness, job applications etc) - I think it's a testament to how addicted I was to this that I finished and consumed this at the rate I did! I recently went back and added some things to my ACOWAR review. To briefly summarise, I feel that, at the time I read it, it kind of gave me what I needed, but it definitely isn't getting a re read - my love for feysand has definitely lessened over time, but honestly i'm not that mad at sarah for this, as I find that whenever I've passed the sexual tension part of relationships in books, I tend to get bored of the domestic bliss. Like, leave that shit for an epilogue and keep it at that? As someone generally averse to relationships, but there is definitely a grace period for how long I can actively be smitten with a couple... before it becomes sickly. Taking all this into account, I honestly was nervous for this book, its release date totally took me by surprise, and I read it on a whim. As a Nessian shipper (I mean we didn't really have a choice after acomaf but to delve into the world of fanfic to keep us going) - this book gave me most of what I wanted and needed from them! I think,(some) kudos to SJM, for not disappointing in their relationship. This was definitely a character > plot driven story. In terms of the plot, I wasn't really invested until around the 38% mark? I'm not sure if I was adjusting to the writing style (lots of dramatic. sentences. that. are. so. abrupt. Nesta Archeron. Death etc) - or if it was bc I hadn't read an SJM book since the novella, which I basically skimmed. I was obviously reading for Nessian, but I didn't really feel intrigued by the wider plot (death gods, the human queens? Given I had lost my previous obsession with the world/ have outgrown 'fandom' culture, that made me actively update my knowledge, I couldn't remember a lot!) I think its clear that SJM excels character driven stories, but I think her worldbuilding and execution is significantly better in the throne of glass franchise. Now, I did say this was a character driven story. This is mostly regarding Nesta, Cassian and Azriel. I loved pretty much any interaction they had! I love a good training montage. Ngl though, I think, unless you possess an ardent love for Nessian, you're not going to be particularly wowed by this, if you've read heir of fire, or even acomaf. I obviously am never going to be able to be objective, because I've loved nessian so much from 2017-now, but I loved the dynamic those two (and three - friendship wise between nes/cass/az). One of the highlights of ACOWAR for me was the snippets of Az, showing tenderness, and opening up to the newer members of the inner circle (and i'm excluding any hint of an Elriel ship because FUCK THAT LOL) For me, the tip with SJM books is: once you outgrow them/the particular mode of narrative style, is to not anticipate anything other than a character driven story, albeit one riddled with smut. I personally am a romance heavy reader, so I'm honestly deconditioned to it at this point, (like, when I see reviewers scandalised I'm like... wow, the amount of trash I have consumed in the last five years loool.) While I disagree with the fact SJM marketed this series as y/a (or maybe it wasn't her per se, but the key booksellers definitely did this for her) - I think its clear enough now she's descended into the adult/borderline erotica genre.(very mild imo). I personally like to adopt a policy of skimming sex scenes when I find the dialogue cringy (most the time it is lets be honest any talking is v second hand embarrassment). Cassian and Nesta were definitely better than Rhys and Feyre post chapter 55 though! I was so glad there weren't a million moments of Cass/Nesta betraying their arousal with their scents, in front of everyone (like feysand, the voyeuristic pda pricks they are). I found the slowburn ish nature of their relationship great, and I actually think if you're a virgo/emotionally stunted reader, you will be happy with their relationship dynamic. It contrasts with the daemati sexual snark of acomaf, but it felt right, and authentic. This book was a journey of personal growth, for Nesta. It is clear SJM loves books about strong women, and maybe thats what makes me love this book so much. I think, out of all the archeron sisters, I love Nesta the most. This is for my Rose Calloway fans, my misunderstood, somewhat cold/left out girls, who are less receptive to being vulnerable. If you're a slowburn fan, it's not Mariana Zapata levels of slowburn, imo it's the perfect combo. Addictive enough that I don't want to put it down, but not so fast moving that I couldn't believe it. I loved the sex without emotion relationship they had!! This is honestly never done in mainstream n/a fantasy, unless its a caricature of a 'slut' that normally rivals the main character, lmao. Even if their inner conflict was p transparent, this gave me everything I needed! I know this is vapid lol but I also love the physical dynamic between the two, they just look so good together, the amount of fanart I'm going to reacquaint myself with after this review!! I adored seeing Nesta grow, (even if towards the end I kind of resented her sudden acceptance into the inner circle, i get SJM loves her and just wanted a fluffy ending, but, as a Nesta like character, it's awkward and stilted on her end to adjust to the inner circle like this - i mean, hugging rhys, really??)

I think, if I had to compare this to any other SJM book, I would say Chaols book (though I obviously preferred this). That being said, I felt less attached to new characters in this book than I was in even Chaols book (and even then ngl I remember nothing?) Obviously I loved what it represented, as a trio of traumatised women. I just, didn't love this the way I loved other inner circle members! I get that they gave Nesta exactly what they needed, a family that doesn't hold the history of her sisters, who she doesn't have to worry about holding preconceived notions of disappointment. I loved this for her! Even then.. I just wasn't attached to either of them. I found their interactions cute - but boring. Towards the end, when their stories/pasts are revealed, I couldn't help but cringe slightly, I can't put my finger on why, but I just didn't buy it. Maybe it's the brit in me but I couldn't be moved by this slightly forced bonding moment.. which was so anticlimactic. My 'aww how cute' tolerance is defo deserved for characters whose tropes I love. Maybe they just didn't fit into this list. Maybe I'm just being a cow here?

Now, let's speak about the real star of the show.... A FUCKING MAGICAL HOUSE FRIEND??? YESSSSSSS. IF YOU ARE AN ILONA ANDREWS INNKEEPERS CHRONICLES FAN, U WILL LOVE! How was the animation of this somehow more touching than all of nesta's other friendships combined? Exactly what I ordered, thank you. This trope somehow touches more than any material bonding!! The cute witch x house dynamic (also maybe howls moving castle vibes?) I loved the trying to reach the target of 10,000 steps (a little Celaena HOF). I think this, heir of fire and acomaf are my favourite SJM books for this reason. Gripes: I definitely had some personal gripes with how other members of the inner circle treated Nesta (rhys i'm looking at you. Disappointed doesn't even cover it.) I inherently take offence to any elain scene, as i'm so over bland characters whose existence is reduced to wanting to fucking plant flowers?? like?? really? To go from moriel to that is such a downgrade, even if I fell out of love with Mor due to the way she snubbed Nesta (you're a 500 year old being and you can't see someone is clearly traumatised?). I adore Az so much, but if it aint polyamorous, I cannot see any pairing with Elain making me happy. (wouldn’t mind gwyn though) I think the whole mating bond that I do not want is a good dynamic, but I really hate that everyone has to be mates in this world. I don't think we were that surprised, but it would've been nice if the somehow, idk, developed a strong bond over time, without it being preordained? Like, even if they do not all actively stay with their mate, given how disproportionate mates are among the general population, what's the likelihood 6 members of the inner circle (including lucien) have mates?

My advice? Read this book if you love nessian and the acotar world in general, but don't expect the world building to be consistent with greater fantasy series'. This style of story is obviously what to expect. She writes what she likes, and if her fantasy is this - then who are we, as readers, to expect otherwise?

Final rating: 4.5 (no, i'm not objective, but objectivity does not exist if you are a real, human being, lol)

Original Characters: 5/5 (nessian/az/house wise) 1/5 (feysand - really over how they essentially take over the very end of the book - ugh, I wanted nesta's arc to be wholly separate from them) Writing style: 3.5 Cringe Scale: Low, with the exception of some dialogue. New Characters: 2 Plot: I went into it with a 2 and came out with a 4. Not in terms of complexity, but in terms of how addictive and enjoyable this reading experience was! (less)

#acofas #sjm #sarah j maas #acotar #nesta #nesta archeron #nessian

[blurrypetals]

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas - blurrypetals review

originally posted feb. 22, 2021 - ★☆☆☆☆

This is not Sarah J. Maas's worst book, not by a long shot, but it is definitely her least fun, most unnecessary effort, and we're talking about an author who also wrote Tower of Dawn and A Court of Frost and Starlight. I have a terrible, sordid history with Maas. I started off as a fan of Throne of Glass who was then spurned for being a fan of the story and characters she started with and, ever since then, I have never been able to view her as anything more than an amateur stumbling her way through high fantasy concepts, leaving nothing but wreckage in her wake. I really hate what Throne of Glass became and consider it to be a pretty perfect What Not To Do guide as far as writing diverse yet consistent characters, writing a satisfying, sweeping narrative, and many, many other things. This series, however, seemed at first to be a strange outlier. The first three books might be overlong, trite, and have a lot of the same issues with diversity and tryhard feminism as Throne of Glass, but at the very least, they are fun. Despite all their flaws, and despite how much shit I enjoy talking about Sarah J. Maas, the first three books are an okay guilty pleasure. I think they are disgustingly overrated and too many copycats are trying to emulate it, but they're...fine. I think the novella is unnecessary and weird, but it's mostly just fanservice that seemed to wrap up Feyre and Rhysand's story, so even if I didn't like it, it at least was short and fluffy for the most part. I think there were a lot of critical mistakes made with this book, which is a shocker considering just how definitely totally competent our author is! But seriously, past the fact that this book exists at all, the biggest mistake Maas made was putting it in the third person. I think the biggest strength of the original three books was that we were in Feyre's head, experiencing things right alongside her. One nice trick of the first person perspective is that there's a sort of built-in empathy that's sort of difficult to fuck up and it really helped sell Feyre's journey. Here, we are not necessarily far from Nesta and Cassian's heads, so it genuinely confounds me that Maas decided to change that. Why not have an alternating first person POV between the two? I just don't understand. But let's get into the meat of things. What do I mean when I say this book feels unnecessary? Well, not only does it feel a bit like we're picking open a story that felt like it wrapped up pretty nicely, but everything new that does happen feels like a foregone conclusion. It was pretty readily clear from the middle of A Court of Wings and Ruin, perhaps earlier, that Nesta and Cassian are mates. I personally have never been a fan of the whole fated mates thing in this stuff, since it sucks out any semblance of romantic tension out of things, and while I never expect Maas to do the interesting or unexpected thing, it would have been nice to have maybe one couple get together who just got together despite not being mates. That said, it isn't as if the romance would have been made better by that. These two have a little bit of chemistry that isn't so bad, but it's overshadowed by their near constant and frustratingly repetitive fucking. It's actually insane how much unsexy sex is in this book. I mean, there's something to be said for Maas finally ditching the idea that she is at all trying to write for younger readers, but at what cost? Another plot point that carries a lot of the so-called tension in the novel is that of Feyre's pregnancy with her and Rhysand's son, the truly poorly named Nyx. Everyone is certain Feyre is going to die because the baby has wings and her vag is not prepared for it (I wish I was kidding) but this is another thing that feels like a foregone conclusion on arrival because A, we know Sarah J. Maas doesn't have the fucking guts to kill anyone off, let alone her precious Feyre and definitely not Rhys, who also dies if Feyre dies, and B, we already know that their son is going to be okay because of all the business with the Bone Carver. And, other than some business with a crown, a mask, and a harp, the rest of the plot centers around Nesta recovering from her PTSD. I'll begrudgingly admit, her PTSD is actually not poorly written. That said, it is very poorly handled. In the original trilogy, Rhys is upheld as this extremely kind and generous and wonderful dude who helps the broken, has trauma of his own to reckon with, and in this book, he is a fucking cunt. It is legitimately, truly shocking how disgusting and awful he is to Nesta. Yet again, we experience Sarah J. Maas's brand of so-called character development by way of performing a personality transplant that serves the half-assed plot rather than the established character. Now, where have I seen that before? Aelin? Tamlin? Chaol? Nah, can't be. Rhysand isn't the only one who treats Nesta terribly, though, it's the entire inner circle, even her fated mate, of course! The way they all treat this grieving, traumatized, abused woman is utterly sickening, and they all are treated as if they're in the right for it! It's absolutely nuts. Even though I've never cared for Nesta as a character, no one and I mean no one deserves to be treated the way Amren, Rhysand, Mor, and the rest all treat Nesta in this book. I've said this many times before, but I'll repeat what I said in my review for the last Sarah J. Maas book I read, Kingdom of Ash and it's this: Sometimes it is better to be spectacularly, hilariously awful than it is to be utterly boring and leave your reader feeling indifferent and, while this one did make me angry at points, I was mostly just bored and tired. Apathy is the worst feeling you can leave a reader with and this is not the first time Sarah J. Maas has done this to me. I know a lot of people think Sarah J. Maas hung the moon, but I am just so tired, I just do not get it. I once understood what made her books fun, but when she shits out trite excuses for romance and fantasy such as this, I can't understand why anyone could enjoy such a mediocre example of thinly veiled porn as this. Do us all a favor, Sarah, and do better. It's just sad at this point.

#a court of silver flames #a court of thorns and roses #sarah j. maas #2021 #goodreads mirror #blurrypetals