Things that annoy me about Acotar (2/5)
(Warning: I will be disscussing many sensitive topics, which include abuse, mental dissorders, ptsd, trauma, slavery, torture, self-harm, alcoholism, nonconsent, sexual assault, medical abuse, and lots of other topics) These warnings apply for all of my rants. Also not that this has shitty spelling and gramar, good luck.
LETS GET INTO POLITICS AND POLITICAL WORLD BUILDING!!
It doesn't even have to be in depth or the main focus of the book to be an important aspect of world building. People fucking hate it when others say that SJM is shit a writing politics, and argue that its not the point. But when you base a book based off of war, alliances, and ACTUAL POLITICAL BODIES wich are the court system of highlords, THE POLITICS BECOMES A REAL BIG POINT OF THE STORY. Wich is why its inconsistant af, the world building falls appart, things don't add up, and don't get me started on the sheer amount of plot holes. Lots of those are caused by shity politics. If you are going to write politics then make its completly irelevant, then you really need to sit right back down and take the time to flesh it out. Example of shit politics: CONSEQUENCES DON'T FUCKING EXIST IN THIS WORLD. As @pitohiu wrote "Also, what genius bans something and then doesn’t set up consequences, or people to make sure that law is followed. Apparently Rhys." This is a prime example of shit political planing in characters.
Unfortunetly its was so horribly written that the incosistancies cause plot holes, and derails characters writing. The entire Acotar univers is unbalanced because of this and Il tell you exactly why.
FEYRE AS A HIGH LADY:
This is the most horrible decision on a political stand point. Not because she has the title "High Lady" but because she is directly involved in the political system that she doesn't understand. These fae have been alive for hundreds of years, and know a lot more about what it means to be fae, how fae minds/politics/culture/legal system works.
Feyre is essantially just starting to be a teen in fae years. Do you know how concerning that is? The problem other highlords have with her participating in politics, isn't because shes a woman, but a litteral fucking child in their eyes. That and she is not fit to be a highlady. If she can't come to the conclusion that destabelizing the entire Spring court, because she's getting revenge on Tamlin, isn't a good idea and actually opens up potential issues in the long term, what makes you think she should have that much political power??? Not only that Feyre does nothing to help her people. Sure the citizens of Velaris, but news flash! When y'a have a territory that big, you have other citizens to look after. Aka Hewin city and the Illyrians. Does she? no. Why? because she is going through at trauma respons called fauning, and she also believes every fucking thing Rhysand and IC believes/tell her to believe.
THE POLITICS AIN'T ADDING UP:
So wheres the consequences??? I reread all the books and it is hella rocky. I don't care if its not the main focus, or obscure. If you put it in, you should probably stick to it.
Because the only thing thats been consistant, is that if you commit an act of war, it doesn't mean shit and you can get away with it no problem. Theres many areas where consequences arn't happening or even mentioned at all. The amount of times Night court does something considered Ilegal, gets caught or does it in front of witnesses, nothing fucking happens.
Feyre quite litteraly attacks the Vanseras, in the higlord meeting. That is an act of fucking war right there. Clear as day. But because Berons character sheet must have been lost, and his character writting is so poorly planed, Beron doesn't do shit. Make that make sense, because you cant.
Also theres supposed to be a spell that forces them all to not use their powers to attack eachother without a steep cost. Did anything happen to Feyre? no.
When Azriel attacks Eris doesn anything happen? no.
This alone would and should cause war or a break in any alliances/ trades between Night and Autumn.
and don't get me started on the summer court situation... because that was a pathetic display of consequences right there. But at least there was one.
DO LAWS NOT EXIST?????
This is self explanitory. Theres an obvious lack of checks and balances.... no wonder theres still slavery.
RHYSAND:
For this political context fuck him. Rhysand is not the most progressive, nor is he a good highlord. He boasts about having Velaris. That he had to do everything in his power to hide and protect Velaris but not his main court, the court of nightmares, or the Illyrian (which is supposedly a key element in their military)
Like, conrgats honney you a have one little functioning city... whats the big deal???
You should be having a functioning COURT, not a single city. Notice how all the other courts are advanced in their technology and powers? Thats because they have competent Highlords who don't discriminate against their own people (except Autumn)
Rhysand still keeps the court of nightmares trapped under their own mountain. Its litterally where amarantha got the idea. Yet dispite having gone through what he put his own citizens through, doesn't bother trying to make it better for them.
He believes everyone in Hewing city is evil, wich means the children are evil, the babys are born evil... That's not pogressive thats litterally the begining steps of genocide.
This isn't just happening in Hewin city but in the Illyrian mountains too. Though through the form of cultural slavery, forced marriage, child marriage, forced childbearing and that sort of thing is the complete opposit of pogressive.
I don't care if hes "Trying" he quite litteraly has the power to stop it. Did we forget Rhysand conviced the highlords to save Feyre's life by using his power. A power that can alter the mind??? and befor you go "Thats taking away their rights!" "Thats not morally right!" Then convincing the Highlords to save Feyre is also morally wrong, as it takes away their right to make their own decisions.
Also Since when was Rhysand ever moral, and he takes peoples rights away on a daily basis. Realistically, applying everything we know about the ACoTaR univers, Rhysand should have been deposed or multiple attempts to have him remouved from power by the citizens, should have already happened.
BERON:
fuck him, and fuck everyone for not finding a way to get rid of him. Considering he has lived this long and everyone doens't want to deal with him, it kind of shows who considered more terifying.
The fact that Autumn court is still alive and well is impressive as fuck, and i would not be surprised if it was actually Eris doing the work. Fixing trade deals befor it goes wrong, paper work, everything.
Beron is more powerful yet gets bitched into joining the war?
The Autumn court is so under developed as a political, geographical, and influencial stand point its concerning. Anyways if Beron was ACTUALLY TRUE TO HIS CHARACTER, Autumn court and Night court would be at war. Because Feyre attacked the vanserras, and essentially challenged Berons pride, power and ego. Let's take the time to remind everyone that, outside of autumn and Winter, ALL THE COURTS ARE FUCKING FLAMABLE. THEY WILL BURN.
The forrests? Burning. The buildings? made of wood and metal? GONE The Fae citizens? BURNING ALIVE The animals? BURNT AND GONE Why are people forgetting the fact that fire can and will win in magic and sword fight? Especially considering the fact that Beron is smart enough to genuinly set fire to Night court without having to step foot inside.... Fun fact minerals, metals and soil found in mountains can become dangerously toxic if burned, especially during really bad forest fires, and in extreme heat. (cough cough night court)
Let me introduce to you:
THE PANDORA BOX OF CONSEQUENCES BECAUSE OF A SINGLE COURT:
Its distribution time. We shall use every inconsistancy, plot hole and consequences that magically vanished, in the political world building to showing you just what happens when you apply them. This is a lovely theory based on nothing but the future with the applications of plot holes but consequences finally come into play. Enjoy this chaotic hell.
news flash, no court is spared.
SPRING COURT:
This pisses me off.
because this opens up a pandoras box of problems. With everything being so distablized that Tamlin hasn't been seen in his fae form for a long ass time.
That means if he's not there to rule, no one else ruling in spring. Oh boy.... so if calanmai doesn't happen I wonder what that means for the citizens... will they have enough food to harvest? and the monstors that Tamlin protects them from, are they just going to invade the spring court?
This creats a weak boarder. And I mean WEAK. If people haven't noticed Tamlin was litterally boarder control for the rest of Pyrithia. If theres an invasion, Spring court is not going to be fixing it. thats everyones problem now.
Immigration. Oh this is going to go horribly wrong. Fae are already incredibly classist so having a large wave of Spring fae citizens moving out to other courts is going to cause a problem we as humans already face. If you don't know what im talking about take a look at how we humans historically treat immigrants and refugees. for and even more relevant example, take a look at the lovely USA.
Famin is eminent. If you think Autumn court can harvest enough to feed Pyrithia without spring harvest you are very mistaken. And since Tamlin is insane, its safe to say the land is going to fucking die, and the balance in Pyrithia is about to get tossed into a container and shaken.
Economic crash is going to be a really big problem with courts who are dependant on spring and autumn.
Medicin. Spring = plants, plants = medicinal properties. Spring 100% exports medicinal plants and herbs. Especially to courts like Day and Dawn.
Spring is now unregulated wich means the human lands and solar courts either have unreliable springs. weeks and months of constant rains, crops failing, plants not growing or growing way to fast. Or spring just doens't exist at all.
Let's not forget that Feyre turns Tamlins people against him, causing them to leave and rebel. Whos runing the government right now?? people with a vendeta or the few left to run the place... yeah Springs government if screwed.
Lack of food and a sudden intake of spring fae..... hmmm
If you think the political world is better after that, you are horribly wrong.
Please welcome the next victim of poorly writen world building politics.
WINTER COURT:
My poor babies.... not only are they actually trying their best and are the most normal couple, they are about to become victims to the censquences they didn't commit the crime of.
With spring going down hill, they are going to be forced to rely on Autumn court for harvest. Medicin will be harder for them to get because Spring won't be able to provide them with it.
Winter court is the most reliant on the wellbieng of the other seasonal courts. The people depend on imports, the livestock, everything alive depends on their seasonal allies. SUMMER COURT:
Man, first Feyre STEALS the book of Breathings making the night court mortal fucking enemies, but now Summers bordering cour Spring is fucking dying???? Poor Tarquine... He deserves a crashout.
Summer is extremely hot, so it makes sense that they too have a lot of different food imported from Spring. Of course they also have plenty of other sea based food sources but it still hurts a little.
I think Tarquine would not only be pissed at the possibility of a famin across pyrithia, but extremely pissed that its the other courts suffering the stupid consequences of Feyres making.
At that point, Tarquine would possibly break off any lingering trades that remained after declaring them mortal enemies. He'd probably have them pay damages and hold them accountable.
If Tarquine has enough balls, a highlord meeting will 100% take place to make the Night court suffer the consequences of their many idiotic and politicaly stupid actions. The book would definetly be brought up and he would try his damn hardest to get it back since it belongs to Summer.
man, night court has fucking problems
AUTUMN COURT:
This isn't going to end well despite being one of 2 main food exporting court. Because demand will go up, their economy will be booming. BUT that also means they need more land, more workers, more labour everything. On top of that, they'll have Spring fae moving to Autumn because it is the closest, in terms of season, to Spring.
If Beron is still alive, we will see the mass exploitation of autumn citizens but also spring citizens. They wont be able to keep up with demand, and with worsening labour conditions, there will 100% be helping Eris in plotting and executing a coup d'etat.
And you know that if the workers start getting exploited, wages go down, more people die because of working conditions. No one will have money to buy anything, including necessities. Which will most likely bring their economy way back down.
honestly Autumn won't be able to handle the damand at all, or will just out right refuse to help the other courts out of sheer petttyness THE SOLAR COURTS:
they too rely on food imports, though Night is the only one that relies on it as much as Winter court.
Welcome the cause of those problems, the first solar court NIGHT:
People know its Feyre that caused this whole situation, and night court is going to find themselves on alot of peoples boycott list. Politically they will face a lot of disstrust and if things go way south, the end of lots of alliances.
In fact other courts might make them clean the whole mess up wich is going to take money, time, care, effort, and compitance (which only Ameren, Azriel, and Nesta has. Maybe Elaine too)
They are really playing into the court of nightmares aspect, because their rulers have done nothing to help its people, and have caused nothing but problems in other courts.
Night will most likely have to pay damages caused to courts they have directly caused damage to, mainly Spring and Summer. (Im starting to notice a partern, a very seasonal pattern) Paying for the aid of Springs citizens, and court aids/funds Tamlin has in place for his people.
Such as providing food for family's in need, paying for childrens education, funding education, stuff like that.
Why? because Spring court is in shambles, the people by his side have left, wich mean few people are governing right now.
Though other courts would help chip in.
No court would trust Night to send patrols to gaurd the boarder. But Night will be required to build back up Springs court, under the strict and direct supervision of Day, Dawn, Spring, Winter, and if they give enough fucks, Autumn.
Though it will likely be Dawn.
Night courts economy will crash hard. Alliances being called off, trade agreements being reviewed and possibly ended, boycotts from fae outside of night, businesses no longer making deals there. Things are not looking up in the future.
Rhysand, Feyre and the IC will most likely be investigated and their rule put under question. With all the shit they've pulled they should not be ruling the court.
DAY & DAWN:
The courts least affected, the only problem is economic. That shit is going to fluctuate up and down like a fish on land. If surrounding courts go through a possible famin and economic crisis, the ripple affect will hit them sooner or later. Since Thesan and Helion are competant highlords they know that, and will do everything to help the seasonal courts. That will strengthen their good graces and reputation alot, and will open more opertunities in the future. Even if Thesan and Helion are the most neutral courts, with the severity of this shit, neutrality is fucking gone. Dawn would have to host another Highlords meeting because if things keep going south, a war is breaking out on their doorstep and its all going to directed towards Nightcourt. Helion would be most dissapointed with Rhysand and IC, and honestly, Helion would not help them out this time, no more cover, no more trust. Maybe their alliance (if they have one) would stand, but its gonna be awkward and strained. Thesan, is more worried about keeping Pyrithia from collapsing. Doing everything to find a way to restor Spring and like the seasonal courts, FIND TAMLIN. Those two deserve a nice glass of wine (that fills up with whatever they want) for dealing with everyones bullshit through the years. They would honestly be the only ones trusted to help nurture and rebuild Spring courts governing systems. With the help of fellow seasonal courts Summer and Winter. Minus Beron because he is the opposit of a functional government. This theory is a mess I know, but can you see how the small plot holes and lack of concequences towards the main character could lead to fucking political horrors?
If the plot holes and lack of regard for the few political details SJM made the CONSCIOUS DECISION OF ADDING where to actually have affect, it would probably look a little like this. Mind you this was done entirely based off of the acotar univers, logic, and a basic understanding of politics, famin, economics end so on. If i were to make this even more in depth it would and up a lot worse than what it is now. And thats just from having almost no details on the politics of the acotar univers, this is bad enough. But you know, keep glazing guys.
