grace and her mozz sticks

ask about the book I published | 18+ | main fandoms: ACOTAR, ST, all things Marvel

[talesfromthecrypts]

Putting all my interests on one blog like

[nymphpriestessvalkyrie]

No romance is “forced love,” that is not a thing.

But so many of the most beloved romance tropes are some kind of version of “forced PROXIMITY.”

Fated mates

Marriage of convenience

Fake dating

Best friend’s sibling

Only one bed

Snowed in

Accidental pregnancy

The story is “stick two characters in an inescapable situation together and watch as they fall in love despite and because of it.” The whole POINT of the book is to watch what happens BECAUSE two people had to figure out a way of coexisting.

The set up is not the ending. But the set up is enjoyed by the audience. We like the tension. We like drama. We don’t want “they met, nothing happened, they fell in love, the end.”

Fated mates is just a magical “forced to work on a group project together and they must pass the class.” The love between mates is NEVER forced. It is always the thing that develops because the bond forces them into proximity. Mates always choose each other.

[pinkfuneral7]

One of the biggest problems of this fandom (and society in general) is thinking in absolute and forgetting the multiple things can be true at once.

The Valkyries can have a focus in the next book AND Elain can still have her story too (even if it’s not in the next book).

The books can be about the sisters AND other strong female characters like Gwyn, Emerie and Mor.

Fans can be excited for Gwynriel AND be excited to see more about Nesta and Emerie.

People can love Feyre AND Nesta AND Elain

People can be excited to read more about the Valkyries AND be disappointed if Elain and Lucien’s story is pushed to the last book.

Let’s remember this going into the title announcements and remember fandom is supposed to be fun!

[good-old-lover-girl]

Fun fact: Illyrian women so far have a 100% success rate for reaching Carnythian in the blood rite 👏

[starbender25]

For the intellectuals

[sun1ightfawn]

Elain has had the most well-written story buildup out of the sisters but some of y’all aren’t ready for that conversation yet...

See the thing is Elain is not ok... she just hides it better than anyone else. She smiles, gardens, bakes, and says she's fine. But throughout the books we're given hints that she isn't.

With Feyre, her suffering was visible from page 1... she starving, hungry, exhausted, hunting.

With Nesta, her spiral was unavoidable... she was self destructing loudly

Elain has been written differently... she hides her suffering. She's learned that if she smiles, people relax. That being agreeable keeps the peace.

I think its also interesting to note that because she’s so good at pretending, even the people around her start believing she’s okay or at least when they do notice that she's not actually ok they don't push for more cause she doesn’t make it look serious from the outside. She isn’t destructive. She isn’t loud or visibly falling apart. She doesn’t look “concerning” enough. So her pain gets dismissed. Elain survives by keeping herself composed, by making herself quiet and manageable and because of that, no one realizes just how much she’s actually carrying. I've even seen a number of readers who believe that she’s okay. That she doesn’t need a story. That her place is to be “left gardening and baking.” As if having a hobby is a bad thing...

Feyre likes to paint

Nesta likes to dance

Elain likes to garden and bake

What's so wrong about enjoying something that gives you joy and brings you peace?

I don't think Elain lacks depth... I think she lacks the space to be seen for who she is. For who she TRULY is.

[acourtofthought]

The Elain blames Lucien for her change argument is the only thing I keep seeing from that side. She blames Lucien for what happened, when we as readers (apparently not all) know he’s not at fault. The reason she is so “introverted” now is bc of Lucien… but even when he’s not around, giving her space, she’s still not her old human self. That got my thinking, do we think the blame extends? Do we think Elain blames everyone (minus Nesta) for her change? She wouldn’t be in that situation if Feyre didn’t leave the SC to be with Rhys and started an uproar of fae politics. I definitely could see her holding onto that resentment toward her sister.

I don't think Elain wants to blame anyone for what happened but I do think she's struggling with that fact. It's clear she felt guilty for what happened during their time in the cabin, that she feels they failed Feyre, and as a result I think she's afraid to consider the part Feyre may have unintentionally played in the sisters being brought into the world of the fae. It's like "I feel so guilty about failing you and now even though you made choices that led us all here (despite what happening not being your intention) I don't have any right to be mad because I'm still trying to make amends for the past." That repressed emotion has to come out somewhere though and I think Lucien makes for an easy target. Graysen rejects her? Blame Lucien. She's been turned fae because Feyre told Ianthe about her sisters and then deceived Tamlin and Lucien about Rhys / Velaris making them think she was being tortured which then led to them making the decision to play double agent with Hybern? Blame Lucien. Elain is feeling things that are out of her control even though those same things are out of Lucien's control? Blame Lucien. I think he is the easiest scapegoat for her to place the blame for everything she's feeling because she didn't know him and she doesn't have past feelings of guilt towards him the way she does her sisters. It's also convenient to push away the person you have the closest connection to. You can't pretend as well with a mate since they're supposed to be a reflection of yourself, the other half of your soul. There is a vulnerability to the connection she has with him and I don't think she wants to face that at this point since that means she needs to confront everything she's feeling and she's definitely hiding from that anger. I do think we'll see Elain express frustration in her book but it will rightfully move on from the frustration being taken out on Lucien and will be directed at the lies and scheming Feyre participated in that did indirectly lead her to where she's at. Of course we're meant to root for Feyre's HEA but that doesn't mean she doesn't have things to still apologize for (not only what was mentioned above but of the way she left an entire court of innocent people without true leadership).

[catchymemes]

[eat-battery-acid]

Fun fact: Bunnies can levitate.

[wormonthesidewalk]

Guys do you think BB is gonna reveal a sliver of the covers, like it looks like paper ripping down the middle to reveal a sliver of the center of it, then dip out again until October?

[nicnacsnonsense]

I feel so bad for Eris Vanserra; he keeps correctly reading the situation and then having people get mad at him for doing what they wanted him to do.

Mor sleeps with Cassian in the hopes of that ending her engagement with Eris. Eris hears about it and is like, she slept with Cassian? I am ending our engagement. For all we know he gave Mor a fucking wink and thumbs up from across the room as he said it; I doubt she would have noticed or cared regardless.

Mor gets dumped on the Autumn Court border by Keir (and it’s weird that all the blame and anger about this situation seems to be directed at Eris and not Keir, you know the one who actually tortured her). And Eris is like don’t touch her or she’s our responsibility. Hey Mor, checking in, you don’t want to become our responsibility and be forced to live in the Autumn Court, right? And Mor is like I’d rather die, asshole. And Eris is like, got it, roll out boys. And given that we know Eris sent an anonymous tip to Tamlin when Lucien went on the run, it does not seem crazy to assume that after the encounter with Mor, Eris might have secretly sent Azi a note like come get your girl.

And then we have the plan to have Nesta seduce Eris at the ball in order to strengthen his commitment to their alliance. And after he dances with her he goes to Rhysand and is like, hey, I noticed you had Nesta come seduce me and yes, I am in, let’s discuss marriage alliance.

And yet somehow he’s the asshole in these situations. Poor guy.

[wormonthesidewalk]

Chat do we think Sarah simply forgot?

Like the title reveals were due back in like the beginning of April and the girl just forgot? Bloomsbury isn't reminding her because the preorders keep coming in regardless. Girlie has had the announcement post in her drafts for 2 months and simply got distracted.

[birthdaylobotomy]

i want magic to be real. not in the loud, soaring way, with dragons and elves. i want it to exist in the quietness of overgrown garden, small sleepy faeries that slumber within the cups of blooming tulips, ghibli-like spirits that aid a lost child in the darkness of a forest, ghosts that hide under old floorboards and reach out to tickle the family pet. i want it to be mystical and inviting, never fully known and gone before you even realize it was ever there

[wormonthesidewalk]

The ship wars bore me now. Give me more Eris

[baojaeh]

I’m getting more and more sick of this fanbase.

I usually stay out of ship drama because most of the time it’s childish.

But here, a whole group is harassing, insulting, and mocking someone. Then one of them lies and pretends to be the victim, sparking another wave of harassment.

A group of human beings is attacking and harassing another human being over some fucking words on a piece of paper!!

What the hell is going on here?? Is this middle school?

If you feel the urge to hurt someone, you need to take a step back and disconnect for a bit.

I’m so angry and saddened by this situation. My brain just can’t wrap its head around why an ENTIRE group is encouraging this behavior (and I’m not talking about all elriels, just the toxic ones).

WTF. This isn’t even about the book or ships anymore. It’s about decency and basic human ethics! Damn, all this toxic ship war brings out the worst in some people. It’s terrifying.

[thingofsecretlovelybeauty]

I’m sorry but if Lucien reminds Elain of her trauma and therefore cannot be together or it’s immoral or misogynistic to even ship them, what on EARTH does that make Rhys and Feyre??

[totootss]