Actaully I’m not down talking about it so here are some thoughts, queries, things I wish were included etc in ACOTAR:
DISCLAIMER - I haven’t read any of the books past ACOWAR and that was like six seven years ago so maybe some of these things have been touched upon since then :3
- fae who look like fae. Fae who act like fae. Give me some furry ears, fangs, tails, animal eyes etc. the fact that only the lesser fae have that is so boring!!! Where are the pixies sprites gnomes dryads nymph sirens etc etc how much more interesting would it be if there were other things lurking apart from rabid dogs and horny men? Missed opportunity. I want to be enthralled and enchanted by this world instead of being told over and over again how fuckable everyone is and that they all look like Ford supermodels. You think a tail and some horns is gonna stop me? Elain and Nesta were literally made in a cauldron which has been around since the dawn of time or whatever and they just came out prettier with perkier boobs? Fuck you.
- more unhingedness and just a general sense of unease. Not just from the villains. You’re telling me these mfs live CENTURIES and are mentally stable? Baby I’d be doing things you could only have nightmares about. Where the trickery? Where’s the camp? Where are the riddles and spells and oddness that comes with a place that’s been stagnant for hundreds of years. You ever been in an old ass forest? The energy there is different. I want to be unnerved!!! Why are these faeries going by a human moral code of right and wrong!!!! Morally grey doesn’t mean smug bastard, I want them to be fucked up actually. Let them steal babies for plot reasons.
- marriage, relationships, love etc. bound to one person for 500 hundred years? What are you catholic? Your telling me divorce just isn’t a thing. That two people didn’t get sick of each other after a century and say fuck it? Be so fr. Poly relationships? No relationships? Wheres the variety. And on that topic why are they all straight and cis? And why is it implied to be a problem if they’re not? Why would they care? Because babies? We already know that babies are rare so why bother?
- powerful women who aren’t just described as powerful. Can u like show me please? And then can that power not be taken so they’re more palatable for a man? Or because they’re deemed ‘dangerous’. Notice how many of the female rulers are either killed, evil and then killed or cursed? Wack as fuck.
- whilst we’re on the subject, why high lords? And why all men? It’s been shown that women can and DO have power that rivals men so why the fuck would the ‘mother’ not allow the power of governance to a women? In what world does that make any fucking sense? Tarquin who was practically a baby got the power of the high lord but Cressida the one who was protecting and ruling summer for decades didn’t? IT MAKES NO SENSE.
- just the sexism in general. I’m really over it tbh. These are non human beings who live hundreds of years and wield unimaginable power, why are they living by Victorian patriarchal codes? If you want to add turbulence and urgency to the plot or a sense of unjustness and drama there are sooooooo many things which would be touched upon instead of wamen inferior man stronk. It’s just so uncreative.
- I can’t remember where it is said but apparently the humans don’t have religion and thus don’t celebrate religious festivals…………. There are entire CONTINENTS and KINGDOMS and your telling me everyone speaks English and doesn’t have any set of beliefs. I mean seriously. I know I’m asking a lot out of a white women to add some flavour to her book but come on now. It’s so easy. Humans were enslaved by fae, fought for their freedom and what? They just rotted away for five centuries waiting around doing fuck all. Five hundred years of freedom and governance, invention, art, architecture, language, scholarship, religion, culture, food etc. so much potential for world building wasted.
- We know so little about these human kingdoms ran by women (notice how may of said women are bad evil meanies who are power hungry wenches boohoo whilst the majority of the high lords are good and strong and soooo cool. Die) and we’re just expected to role with it. From the sounds of it there is a major kingdom war going on over there, one queen has been kidnapped, two others were murdered and we just know nothing? WHATS GOING ON???? HOW ARE THEY COPING. WHAT ARE THEY DOING? WHAT IS THE STATE OF THEIR WORLD RN? Or are we just gonna get another ‘faeries will save us all whilst we sit around like ducks’.
I can’t think of anything else rn but I hope you get the jist of what I’m saying. No more flavourless YA novels for the love of god. Feel free to add your own thoughts I’d love to hear them 🫶🫶🫶
