I need to get this out of my head but I don’t know where to go with it so I’m going to put it here
I read ACOSF back in February and it’s almost October now and I still can’t shake off the feeling that all the previous books have been leading up to this one. Like this isn’t a spin-off but the main event. Like everything that happened with Feyre was child’s play to prepare for Nesta’s takeover not as the FMC but as the High Queen. Hear me out.
I’m sure Nesta will build the Valkyrie. She already has the mightiest general of Illyria at her side. She has Gwyn and Emerie who, let’s face it, are the strongest baddest females of the series. If Azriel ends up with Gwyn (fingers crossed) she’ll have him and his shadows too. If Mor and Emerie do become a thing, she’ll have her too. The main forces will naturally shift to her. All Rhys will be left with is powerless Amren and Elain and her gardens. Not to mention a baby and a birth-weakened Feyre.
But more importantly than all of that, it was Nesta who executed every life or death moment when it mattered even before the proper character development.
It wasn’t Rhysand who killed Hybern. Nesta did.
It wasn’t Rhysand who killed Briallyn. Nesta did.
It wasn’t Rhysand who defeated the cauldron, Nesta did.
It wasn’t Rhysand who the Dread Trove revealed itself to, Nesta was.
It wasn’t Rhysand who made the Great weapons, Nesta did.
In ACOSF when the blacksmith brings the weapons to Rhys and Amren tries to convince him to use them, he says “I was born with my powers. I didn’t earn them.” I wholeheartedly agree. He never done anything to earn him his position. Whereas Nesta is actively building herself (to become a leader imo). She said she doesn’t want to be a weapon for someone else. That she wants to wield her power herself and lead others—presumably the Valkyrie. She’s constantly learning and discovering and leading from literal scratch. Worse than scratch. She’s starting from dust particles.
On top of all that, while Rhys’s abilities are impressive and all that, his is merely fancy magic. Nesta, on the other hand, is basically god. She TOOK from the cauldron with her teeth and imbued herself with their gods essence. Nesta is the only character in the series who has a personal one on one conversations with the Mother. She *negotiates* with the gods directly. They all pray and hope. She has a direct hotline to them.
All of this can’t be meaningless.
This is just my theory but I’d be so disappointed if SJM reduces Nesta to a mere weapon for Rhys because this fandom is horny. Nesta Archeron has the potential to be the greatest feminist icon ever written only if SJM doesn’t heed the Feysand cheer squad.
janainaart
theartofmadeline
snowghoul
germansingergirl
