i knew little else, but i always knew you.

Mysterious, sarcastic fictional men with sharp wit and killer smiles are my weakness. Sucker for good love stories.

[duarteegreenbriar]

One of my most favourite parts of The Queen of Nothing

is that hug. THE HUG. that mfing hug. Only the devil knows how long I've waited for this and how MUCH I wanted Jude Cardan to hug the hell out of each other. Yes ofcourse they've done alot more than hugging but they always brushed it off as attraction. But a hug? That's the softest.. no way you hug someone and say you did it to get them out of your system lol and we got it and I'm just—

because Jude REALLY said fuck everyone and everything and ran straight into Cardan's arms. My girl followed her instinct and I'm so proud (all the more because entire Elfhame witnessed it)—

This is also the first and only hug my baby Cardan ever got in the trilogy and it makes it all the more special my heart is in ruins.

I gave this book an extra star just for that hug, hell yeah!

PS - Hope they're cuddling as I type this 🤗

[cordeliaxcortana]

Ignifex using Nyx as a pillow since literally the first time they met is the cutest thing ever

[spicy-dabbles]

"Where you go, I shall go; where you die, I shall die, and there will I be buried."

--------

Book aesthetic: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

[disappointedandsurprised]

Though mountains melt and oceans burn

The gift of love shall still return

- Cruel Beauty

[daffodilofdawn]

→ 𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓟𝓸𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻

And I was his delight and he was mine.

[duarteegreenbriar]

A summary of majority of my book OTPs

[lunamond]

Cruel Beauty Reread (ch13-15):

Ignifex is genuinely so refreshing as a love interest.

Aesthetically, he fits a lot of the popular tropes; he's regarded as the villain and feared by everyone, morally grey, super powerful, and has shadow related powers. But, from his first introduction on he immediately acts different from the usually broody gravelly emotionally constipated tortured mmc.

Ignifex is very much a trickster character. He's silly and unserious. He's fully aware that Nyx is out to kill him, but he just doesn't give a shit. In fact, his literal reaction to Nyx telling him she will murder him to avenge her mother and free her people is "completely understandable, please try again" (he's also into it).

Also, I need more fictional men who lay their head on the fmc's lap. It's cute.

[bookcentral101]

I need everyone to read Cruel Beauty for Beauty and the Beast retelling meshed with arranged marriage, demons, greek mythology, and an excellent dynamic between the beauty and the beast. The writing is great, and I now want to edit them but don't even know which great quotes to use-

[amrubrum]

Cardan Greenbriar:

[jo-doesdumbshit]

Y’all ever think about when Cardan says

“do not touch her”

And Randalin says “she’s-”

Cardan starts with “She’s my wife…” and not that she’s the High Queen, he cares more that she’s his than the fact that she holds just as much power as him. He started with the fact that if anyone touches her they’ll answer to him not only as High King but as Jude’s husband.

Just a thought.

[zinniax]

Underrated things Cardan has said in QON

{Cardan smiling with satisfaction that he knows it’s Jude and not Taryn but doesn’t want her to know that he knows it’s her} Cardan- “As you wish. Then I suppose I will have to examine you alone in my chambers”

<>

Cardan- “… And who did I find in her little dwelling but Taryn? We all had quite a lot to say to one another”

<>

Cardan- “do not touch her”

<>

Cardan- “Your father sent me a message. It was very unfriendly. He seems to blame me for the death of his daughter”

Jude- “Ah”

<>

Cardan- “I assume you weren’t actually trying to shoot me since the note was in your handwriting”

<>

Jude- mortals are fragile

Cardan- “Not you, You never break”

<>

Cardan-“…. And yet {grabbing Randalin throat forcefully🙂} there are still some things I would say to him”

<>

{cardan raises a globlet welcoming all the courts cuts his gaze to Jude}

Cardan- “To you, I offer honey wine and the hospitality of my table. But to traitors and oath breakers, I offer my Queen’s hospitality instead. The hospitality of knives”

<>

Cardan- “Lord Madoc, traitor to the throne, murderer of my brother, what brings you here? Have you come to throw yourself on the mercy of the crown? Perhaps you hope the Queen of Elfhame will show you leniency.”

<>

Jude- “I love you”

Cardan- “because I’m clever and funny {he says smiling} You didn’t mention my handsomeness”

<>

Randalin-”Sire, Surely you have something to say about all—

Cardan- “Silence, Jude was just getting to the  interesting bit”

<>

Vivi-“This is your cash from Bryern”

Cardan-“What did you do?”

Jude-“Beat Grima Mog in a duel”

Cardan-“he ought to have paid you in gold”

<>

Last but not least

{Cardan smiling staring at his wife & found family💕}Cardan-“and scheming great schemes”

[starrynightsxo]

'"Do not touch her."... "She is my wife," Cardan says, his voice carrying over the crowd. "The rightful High Queen of Elfhame. And most definitely not in exile."'

Cardan Greenbriar, The Queen of Nothing

[sweetvillainjude]

rereading queen of nothing and nothing beats that moment after jude slays the serpent and cardan returns when she runs straight into his arms while everyone’s watching and he just holds her back, shaking. and later when she asks him what it was like and he says it was like being in the dark, alone, knowing nothing—except jude, because cardan would always know jude. “i knew little else, but i always knew you.”

[angelmxlk]

the way i was gagged for days like okay this man changed SPECIES and his love consumed him regardless???????

[duarteegreenbriar]

…. The way it’s almost going to be one decade and I’m still as gagged as the first time. I’m never going to be free of them, I’m afraid

[sweetvillainjude]

rereading queen of nothing and nothing beats that moment after jude slays the serpent and cardan returns when she runs straight into his arms while everyone’s watching and he just holds her back, shaking. and later when she asks him what it was like and he says it was like being in the dark, alone, knowing nothing—except jude, because cardan would always know jude. “i knew little else, but i always knew you.”

[xcruelprincessx]

I feel like the fandom really mischaracterizes Cardan sometimes, and it’s honestly frustrating. People love to paint him as weak, dumb, or completely reliant on Jude, and it’s just… not true.

First of all, Cardan isn’t weak. The man survived an absolutely hellish upbringing—abuse from his family, neglect, and being treated like he was nothing—and still came out on top. He may not be a sword-swinging warrior like Jude, but he’s got his own kind of strength. He’s clever, manipulative when he needs to be, and knows how to play the long game. Jude might be the strategist, but Cardan is the one who can pull people to his side with words alone.

And let’s talk about this ridiculous idea that “Cardan probably wouldn’t be able to pick up Jude.” I saw someone saying that under a fanart of Cardan carrying Jude. Like, have you read the books? He’s described as tall, lean, and fit. Just because he’s not a muscle-bound tank doesn’t mean he’s not strong. The man is Faerie, which means his physical abilities are likely leagues above a mortal anyway. Not to mention, we’ve seen him hold his own in fights when it comes down to it (he killed half an army)

Here are some paragraphs where he does in fact pick up Jude.

What bothers me the most is how some people ignore the layers to his character. He’s not dumb or helpless—he’s strategic and emotionally intelligent in ways that complement Jude’s tactical mind. He might not plan ambushes or train for battle, but he reads people better than almost anyone.

Honestly, the whole “Cardan is weak and silly” take feels like such a disservice to his character. He’s a survivor and a very complex character, a king who learned to wield his power in his own way, and yes, I fully believe he could (and would) sweep Jude off her feet—literally and metaphorically.

[duarteegreenbriar]

THIS ‼️‼️

[xcruelprincessx]

We all talk about how obsessed Cardan is with Jude. But she's just as down bad and that needs to be acknowledged. Girlie went to the palace after getting stabbed and fell down on the table just to save his ass, even though she thought he hated her and might get her killed.

[rbfannee]

this is my roman empire.