Candyqueenreads

Moodboards and book edits - ACOTAR supremacy

[fairdale]

justice for elriel

already said this, but i feel like some people haven’t read the same books as me regarding elriel. and i don't particularly mean them as a ship, i mean that because of ships some people refuse to acknowledge the amazing characters that are these two (and how well they go together). i love them so much.

some talk of elain as plain, boring girl who is fragile and useless and i just don't get it. the poor girl has her life turned upside down not once, but twice. and yes, she doesn't react the same way feyre or nesta do, but she also fights. she helps them in the war. for the love of god, nesta and cassian are alive because she stabbed the king (with azriel's most special dagger that he never lent anyone but her, mind you). i'm sorry but that don't you touch my sister was one of the top moments for me.

and not only that, but i've seen people hate her. how can you hate her?? i just don't get it. she's growing out of her shell, she's blossoming into a strong, fearless woman. feyre herself said she believed elain to be the strongest because she remained hopeful even in hard times. and she sees the good in people.

sure, in acowar she was still processing everything, but in acofas and acosf you can see her being comfortable around everyone and more sure of herself, bolder, as cassian said. her hobbies may be quieter than her sisters', but that doesn't make her less interesting. plus it's obvious that she doesn't wanna be babied. she was willing to scry and help them fight the queen. she's ready to fight, to use her powers. to show who she really is.

and talking about azriel, i just can't believe some people talk about him as the "sad guy" and nothing else. they talk as if the whole inner circle and the archeron sisters weren't in love with him. he fights with everything he has for his people. he didn't care about the bad condition his wings were in during the last battle, he wanted to fight along his brothers.

he taught feyre how to fly because he understood the fears she may have. he never once judger her. he's always there for everyone. he may not be expressing himself with words easily, but you can see it in his actions how much he cares about his family.

he's also so smart and i love that. for me, he's one of the most interesting characters in the whole series, maybe even the most interesting one. he has such a hard past, but he overcame it. he despises the illyrians, but he loves his brothers and is one of the best three fighters they have. he has a lot of control, but he didn't hesitate to defend mor against eries or to go rescue elain. he cares, a lot.

(and please don't even get me started on the be careful how you speak about my high lady. this man is HOT)

and last but not least, elriel. these two have so many moments, even if they are subtle. you can't deny the connection they have from the second they met. elain inmediately felt more at ease in his presence and she asked him multiple questions. and he was so so kind to her, making sure she didn't feel uncomfortable. and let me remind you her dress was the color of azriel's siphons. i can't let that go.

in acowar, azriel is the one who says elain doesn't need anything when others talked about her as if she needed to be fixed. and he's the one who understands what is happening with her, that she's a seer. i think it's so important that he didn't doubt her. he trusted that she was capable enought to help, to grow, to be.

when elain gets kidnapped, he's the first one to say i'm getting her back. he didn't hesitate for one second, even when the rest told him he would die. he was getting her back. and he did, and they didn't want to let go of each other.

and elain kissed his cheek without caring about whoever or whatever that was going on around them.

and as i said before, azriel lent her truth-teller so she would be able to defend herself. he doesn't cut her wings. i feel like some people misunderstand his words acosf when he didn't want her near darkness. he was worried, but he never, once, tried to order her or tell her what she could or couldn't do.

he's also one of the few people who treats her as a capable, adult woman who is strong and clever. he encourages her, and so does she.

i also need to talk about elain saying his hands are beautiful. his hands, that he feels are always dirty and unworthy of touching something precious. she has never judged them or him.

oh, and please let's talk about them getting each other gifts for the winters solstice. multiple times. they're whipped. they're just so so cute to me.

offer and permission.

and no, i don't think azriel would be bad for elain or stop her growth. i don't think he would slow her down because he also needs to grow in his confidence.

and no, i don't think elain is bad suited for azriel because she may not be interested in fighting as her sisters are. elain is ready to fight her battles, to be an active part of her court. just because she chooses to do so differently, it doesn't mean is not important.

so, basically, these two are iconic and they're wonderful characters who deserve all the love and appreciation and i honestly think they have crazy chemistry and could have an epic (love) story. they're awesome, together and individually and i can't wait to be inside their minds. i really hope the next book is about them because the possibilities are endless.

they are that good.

[gracieart]

“Then his gaze shifted to Elain, and though it was utterly neutral, something charged went through it. Between them. Elain’s breath caught slightly.”

The fact that this was written proves that something is guaranteed to happen between Elain and Azriel. It doesn’t even have to be romantic but this line alone is enough to tell us that he will play a part in her story, or her in his. It’s literally their book next.

There’s no line like this that would in any way connect Azriel to Gwyn just sayin 🤷‍♀️

[dreamofdusk]

Gwynr*els say that Gwyn and Az are mates because of the shadows dancing to her singing but meanwhile every time someone insults Elain the shadows be like:

[cassianfanclub]

I will never understand how we see his shadows defend Elain in the *exact* same way they defend Az and people are like “oh yeah that shadows fucking HATE her”

Give me a break.

[nikethestatue]

Shadows ‘like snakes ready to strike’ when Elain is insulted and playing wingman over her gift and watching after her when she was upset and went upstairs is apparently ‘shadows hating Elain’. 

ONE shadow darting out to dance with Gwyn’s breath because it heard some silent music is apparently ‘shadows love Gwyn’. 

Okay. 

[duskcowboy]

““And I think Elain—Elain would like it, too. Though she’d probably cling to Azriel, just to have some peace and quiet.” I smiled at the thought—at how handsome they would be together.”

♡ 🎨 by @/alessias_artt on insta ♡

I was gifted this commission from Alesia through her recent giveaway and I cannot emphasize enough how grateful and appreciative I am towards her. She was so wonderful to work with and truly brought my vision to life. Please enjoy!

[rosesfox]

gwynriel and elucien’s fandom are very creative, i give them that. they create all possible scenarios to invalidate the canonical moments that elriel has and still try to manipulate shippers into thinking that there is no reason to ship elriel. they live off headcanons and even so feel entitled.

it’s really annoying how they take an obviously elriel moment and say “how can you think there’s romantic overtones to that??!”, and when we get to see the scene it’s literally azriel showing elain affection.

[katsum50]

Arguments against Elriel I wish we could leave behind in 2022.

1. Lucien will be hurt, and I want him to be happy. —uh, he doesn’t seem to into Elain TBH and prefers to spend time with a human queen, so….

2. Elain isn’tworthy of Azriel, she can’t have his babies, she’s just a baker, Gardner, etc.—stop, just stop. Elain is actually a really interesting character who has done quite a bit for the IC including killing the King of Hybern and saving Nesta and Cassian. She is kind, and it is clear the IC likes and cares about her.

3. Three brothers x three sisters is lazy writing and too cliche. —first off I don’t think most of us are enjoying this series for its “amazing writing”. Second- this is a fantasy story and a fairy tale, three brothers three sisters makes literary sense. You know what’s boring and cliche? Another obvious mating bond or warrior training romance with witty banter.

What else would you like to see left behind?

[merymoonbeam]

idk...it's the way people trying to act like Elain is not important when she is a cauldron made seer, an archeron sister, one of the two characters to use—touch—TT which is twin blade to legendry sword gwydion, and stepped out of a shadow and killed KoH with it, has powers—plural—we don't even know about, only other character who can find the fourth dread trove also narben, cauldron has some kind of obsession with her...probably more things I couldn't remember rn. but yeah sure she is not important. keep lying to yourself.

[kopfkino-o]

One of the saddest things to me about all the Elain hate is not that it tears her character down, but that it also tears down all the women who see themselves within her character too. 

Women who are softer and more feminine, women who are polite and kind and use manners as a weapon, women who have more traditionally feminine hobbies and interests. The bakers and the gardeners and the girls who like to wear pretty dressy and tend their gardens and bake beautiful cakes for their loved ones. Women who aren’t the typical “sword-swinging girl boss”, who are not loud with their struggles, women who like to observe and use their brains rather than their brawn.

We are not useless. We are not weak. We are not boring. We are not “braindead gardeners” or “pretty, mindless bakers” who have to become villains to have worth. We are strong, we are dreamers, we forge our own way through the world, make our own choices, and determine our own fates. We are brave and kind and fiercely loyal, and we are every bit the warrior and badass as all the Feyres and Nestas out there. 

We are the Elain Archerons of the world and there is a different strength, a better strength, within us that will never be dimmed. ❤

[nikethestatue]

For every comment about Elain being ‘boring and useless’ and ‘not developed to be the next MC’ I need to understand how Azriel is not boring and how HE is ‘developed’ to be the next MC?

What’s he done other than chaperone Nessian (badly) that would elevate him to MC status? He has a magic dagger and a mom somewhere plus the shadows. He’s had all of those things since ACOMAF. In what way has he moved from ACOMAF other than the ONE thing that’s changed in him–and that’s Elain?

Elain on the other hand, went from a cowering girl to someone who volunteers to go on a dangerous assignment, with a stop over at the battlefield and killing the King. And SHE has no development??

Furthermore, Elain is a Seer–what has she Seen?!?!–connected to Koschei, connected to Vassa, to Lucien, to the Cauldron, has untapped, unexplored powers, has been prophesized about by a Death God, who likely Saw the Rift being closed back in ACOWAR, in a storyline that now bleeds over to the Crescent City universe. All of these, by the way, are her own powers and abilities–not because she is someone’s daughter, or wife, or mate, or whatever. Just like Nesta, she is unique and exists on her own–she doesn’t need a sidekick, a lover, a mate or anyone else, to carry a book. She certainly doesn’t need fucking Tamlin! She doesn’t need flowers, spring, or black dresses to be fascinating. 

I don’t even understand who is readier to be an MC than Elain? Whose story is more interesting? (perhaps Vassa, who is still connected to Elain!), but there is no one else in the ACOTAR universe who can drive the story forward except for Elain. 

I feel sorry for people who don’t understand Elain and her character, and the potential that she has. 

[rosesfox]

just to think that gwynriels think that azriel is going to get over elain in less than 24 hours is funny (because yes, it is shown more than once and in more than one scene that the two have romantic feelings for each other.) sjm spends several books building a relationship between azriel and elain to change everything in one scene? doesn’t seem right to me. and there are so many theories for so few interactions between az and gwyn that just doesn’t make sense. we have so much to believe that elriel is endgame and the person chooses not to see it because they hate elain and want azriel with a secondary character. 

these are my thoughts about gwynriel, it doesn’t make any sense and i will never, ever understand why this fandom has strength if not out of hatred for elain.

[silverdreamscapes]

I truly don’t understand the argument that Azriel still being in love with Mor is somehow good for Gwynriel. Like, at all. Because supposedly, he’s “still in love with Mor”. But then also had whatever is going on with Elain. Which unlike Moriel, is actually reciprocated and we actually get his thoughts on Elain.

Things like thinking of her every night, keeping her gift on his nightstand to look at, wanting to taste her, not being able to be in the same room with her and Lucien because of the mating bond, having thoughts about Elain that are so painful they feel like razor blades across his skin, wondering what she looks and sounds like when he penetrates her for the first time.

So even if he’s still in love with Mor after 500 years, he has intense feelings for Elain that would need to be addressed as well (and again, she actually reciprocated Azriel’s feelings unlike Mor). And we also know it’s one couple per book. So what Exactly is Azriel going to do? Go from Mor to Elain and finally to Gwyn in the same book finally realizing she’s his one true soul mate after he’s been pining for two other women before her? What romance author would write that lol. It makes him look skeevy and Gwyn like a third choice, especially when you take into account that Azriel is only staying away from Elain because he was ordered to.

So he can’t have Mor. He can’t have Elain. But whoops don’t worry Azriel the bond will snap in place with a character you weren’t attracted to and didn’t even consider a friend. He’s just going to go from one woman to another resolving all the issues and tension between them until h finally settle for Gwyn, not because they actually had anything between them to begin with, but because of a magic mating bond. The reason couples like Feysand and Nessian worked is because they had a connection and chemistry and attraction before the bond snapped into place and was accepted. Gwynriel and elucien don’t have that. How is any of this romantic?

[tessachaos]

I hate when people say “Azriel deserves better than Elain.”

You mean the woman who noticed his headaches and got him a specialty made medicine ? (which he looks after every night before bed)

The woman who made him burst out laughing in joy? The male whose always quiet and stoic, tipping his head back laughing deep and joyous. (And Feyre saying she’s never seen his eyes so bright.)

The woman who made him blush? Yes, the scary torturer spymaster blushing!

The woman whose smile lights up his shadows?

The woman one who looked at his biggest insecurity that he’s so ashamed of and called it beautiful?

I think they would truly make a beautiful, caring and loving couple.

[mayi-lau]

✨If Azriel doesn't end up with Elain, the person who is with him will have to know that before there was a woman to whom he gave his most precious dagger for the first time, there was a woman who called his scars "beautiful" before she did, there was a woman for whom he risked his life without hesitation, there was a woman who gave him one of the best smiles of his life, there was a woman who could illuminate his shadows with her smile, there was a woman he saw and heard before her mate , there was a woman that he freed with his discovery and understanding,

there was a woman with whom he felt so much peace and tranquility to talk until 3 in the morning, there was a woman who gave him such an invaluable gift that he will always treasure in his bedside table, there was a woman he questioned the assertiveness of the cauldron, there was a woman that he needed so much to the point of not being able to sleep, there was a woman for whom he begged on his knees, there was a woman who was light in his darkness, there was a woman...

There was a woman and she liked flowers 🌸🌸✨

(IG) Art: sage. and.other.herbs

[shadowsandbloom]

And y‘all still think Gwyn is getting a book before little miss flower queen? Sjm begs to differ😉

[candyqueenreads]

Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas

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[kimsnnn]

Elriel is just *chefs kiss*

Personally because it’s a love that was unexpected. It’s something I didn’t know was something I wanted until it was right there. Azriel was head over heels for mor and elain was human/newly fae, engaged and eventually mated. And yet….. there they were walking through gardens together. Alone. Gifting each other gifts. Seeking one another. Protecting each other. Exchanging charged looks. Paying attention. Respecting each other’s boundaries. Their story will be saved for their book. But the hints and touches here and there so far feel sweet and valuable. It’s sweet but the word sweet is not accurate enough. The word in mind when I think of elriel (&Vassein), is a word you may feel when you hear ‘your grandparents are high school sweet hearts or the whole love at first sight story or even best friends who married each other’ . The word is wholesome. Absolutely lovely and completely lucky. They (elriel) were supposed to be enemies and yet they never were and never treated one another like that. Then we were generously handed the forbidden trope on a silver platter from SJM and it became more clear to me. It’s not about how they maneuver each other and their world. It’s how they handle/maneuver themselves and their world to be with one another. For once as much as I love the trope it’s not another story, from sjm, from the same series, of two individuals that dislike/hate each other.

Feysand was a match that unexpectedly fit.

Nessian was a match that was challenged to fit.

Elriel is match that was waiting to fit. Hoping to fit.

[nikethestatue]

Friendly Reminder!

Azriel’s POV is not the end of ACOSF. It takes place in the middle of the book, at Solstice. 

It is followed by 4 more months, which included the Blood Rite and Nyx’s birth. What they did NOT include is any development of a Gwynriel relationship or romance. The last conversation that Azriel and Gwyn had was during their training for the BD obstacle course. That’s it.

Having played her role in Nesta’s healing, Gwyn returned to the Library.

Nesta found her mate, her happiness and reconciled with her sisters. 

Azriel was the last male to hold Nyx. 

Elain was the last female to hold Nyx. 

New beginnings. New journeys. 

it’s not rocket science.