[theladyofbloodshed]

Don’t bother with your intricate theories because they are pointless and she’s dismissive of the fans who have given her way too much credit

[yugen-ikigai]

That interview was so eye opening (if I had my eyes closed) to how little she cares? She vibe writes and yall made her a millionaire

[theteaqueendom]

It's the fact that SJM once again has proven that it's not actually feminism she's promoting. She does some superficial women are powerful claim and slaps that label on, but is it really?

Not once do we actually properly acknowledge the power balance here (Rhys over Feyre, Cassian over Nesta, etc.) beyond "I demand being an equal from my husband." Like you say that then we see Rhys who "perhaps made a bad call" aka abusively withholding reproductive information from his mate, we see Cassian with power over Nesta and then pursuing a sexual relationship, I could go on. Never once are we talking about how the depiction of that, and then the "we love Rhys" and "he's so hot" actively reinforces harmful misogynistic tropesand gender roles that are being romanticized. She is of course entitled to her trauma and processing it but your book that you're making $$$ off of has an impact. Especially when you talk so much about the role of Tamlin for DV survivors. But we're not going to talk about how Rhys' actions are also triggering and harmful beyond "it was a mistake"?

Then we get to the powers. How women are not weak for losing their powers. Of course women are still badass even though they lose their powers. It's the fact that the men keep them. It's the fact that now that imbalance is back. It's an exhaustive excuse and a cop out.

Overall just an exhausting experience that reinforced my belief that SJM's writing reinforces misogyny in a fake feminism kind of way more than combats it, which is deeply confusing and frustrating when paired against her own experiences both in motherhood and in her career and just as a woman.

What she's preaching is not actually being reflected, and that is where it chafes the most.

[yugen-ikigai]

│Then we get to the powers. How women are not weak for losing their powers. Of course women are still badass even though they lose their powers. It's the fact that the men keep them. It's the fact that now that imbalance is back. It's an exhaustive excuse and a cop out.

And it freaking matters when this is a magical world, with magical creatures, and then it's only ever the women who give up on their magic? It could be commentary about how women are often the ones sacrificing themselves for "the greater good" but its not what she's doing.

[atundratoadstool]

Imagine if you will a complete inversion of a boorish American on St. Patrick’s Day. Imagine an Irishman who aggressively celebrates the Fourth of July with unabashed gusto, who desperately tries to claim the significance of some alleged 1/32 American heritage, who wears a shirt with an eagle turning into an American flag and who drinks a specialty red, white, and blue novelty beverage until he collapses in a pool of tricolor vomit. Imagine some guy so invested in a superficial, touristy version of Americaness that he will nervously call the side with his $20 “authentic” hamburger “freedom fires” out of fear of offending. Imagine a guy who upon meeting any American will try to strike up a friendly conversation by asking them what their favorite gun is and talking about how personally inspiring he finds Abraham Lincoln.

You must understand, as you prepare to read the May 24th entry of this novel, that this Irishman is Bram Stoker.

[yugen-ikigai]

recommending a book to someone is the most stressful thing because you want them to LOVE it and if they don’t it feels like I committed a crime against them

[ladydeath-vanserra]

ALSO THE SAME GUYS WHO LET WOMEN IN ILLYRIA AND THE HEWN CITY ROT?????

[yugen-ikigai]

OP NEVER said they would fight to maintain or improve women's rights, they could've meant they would fight for women's rights to be taken away.

[theladyofbloodshed]

The funniest thing pro rhysand people say is that he surely rescues all the girls who approach the ic for help, just like mor was helped. Yeah well they have a 'mask' and a reputation of being sadistic torturers there why would any girl approach them for help at all?

I have many issues with the library:

there's not a single mention of any of the women having wings so clearly none are illyrian

can these women actually leave? can they say thanks for rescuing me but i want to go home

what if they don't want to stack books and become priestesses? what if they want to be part of society rather than sheltered away - is that an option for them?

none of these women have children or families? they're just plucked like daisies away from their abuser and put in the library like a trophy so the ic can say look how good we are

the rampant abuse of women in the hewn city and illyria but these women need to suffer for their mask - yet the hewn city are also scared of rhys and the ic????

[yugen-ikigai]

Is the library a haven for women, or is it like a sanatorium where “hysteric” women are sent to in order to keep their society free of women who’d accuse men or their crimes?

[ladydeath-vanserra]

sjms zionism comes out when you really put into perspective how she treats populations based off the collective actions of the few people who are in positions of power. The Ilyrians. The people of the CoN. The wolves and fae in CC. like there are regular ass people who suffer in all these places and SJM paints them all with broad strokes and paints them very poorly based on the select actions of the people in power

and what makes it wild is you really only ever see the main characters (Feyre, Rhysand, The IC, Bryce) who are also in positions of power interact with *just* the people in power

Bryce, herself, point blank says she hates the fae and judges them on collective action like she isn't a member of the ruling class (participant or not), isn't surrounded by *just* people in positions of power, aside from like Ithan and Hunt

and then you have, in acotar, the CoN and Illyria treated as barbarians or backwards and cruel and left to the rule of people who abuse their powers while the IC do literally nothing to stop it And they vilify the entire population

[yugen-ikigai]

I've posted this on the curse of death buddy reading community, but I genuinely can't put into words how much I LOVE the prologue in COD. If you've read Game of Thrones by George RR Martin or Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, then you know the style.

I just LOVE prologues that feel a bit random and like it's not making sense while still setting the vibe and actually making sense later on.

It's the kind of prologue I feel like would've made ACOTAR and Throne of Glass THAT much more interesting from the get go?

[yugen-ikigai]

this could just be me speculating but I have a feeling that the night court is the type of place to openly have both slaves and child soldiers in it, and both would be treated as completely fine by the narrative.

In a way, isn't that what the Illyrians are?

They're more of a property of the night court than a member of it; they aren't treated like citizens, but they abide by laws that don't benefit them or their interests.

And their children begin training really young. I believe the bat boys participated in the blood rite in their 20s, but that doesn't mean it's the minimum age to participate (and given their long life span, 20 IS A CHILD in the grand scheme, even if SJM doesn't think so).

I think people tend to forget things aren't often named what they are even if they have that essence; for example, the US prohibits slavery and "involuntary servitude" with the exception of it being used as punishment for a crime. People rarely consider this to be slavery even though it's forced labor with insubstantial pay.

So SJM doesn't need to outright say something is slavery or that there are slaves in the Night Court for there to be hints that those things exist in the Night Court.

[ladymjay]

Just thinking about how Feyre burned the Lady of Autumn in her temper tantrum. The same lady who is known to be abused by her mate and all Feyre can say is oops and mouth sorry. This is worse when you remember that she helped Feyre UTM. Feyre is so full of herself that she can't even bring herself to admit her wrong and openly apologize. Feyre really is such a bitch.

[lady-selenee]

I saw someone saying that Feyre is not an unreliable narrator, that this is a theory created by the fandom, and that the books are written in first person because it's Sjm speaking to us, so it's the truth.

So, are we going to stop thinking?

[extremely-judgemental]

Feyre is a decent, reliable narrator who narrates exactly how she experiences her world.

However, she is an unreliable person with an unreliable memory.

[yugen-ikigai]

what if sjm is just a shitty writer and that's why her characters are such convoluted mess?

[theladyofbloodshed]

I’ve had enough

[yugen-ikigai]

the way this could be fanart for lauren asher and ana huang characters and lets not forget the shitty representation that is really just xenophobia and racism

[theladyofbloodshed]

If nesta had stuck to her principles and not had sex before marriage then nessian wouldn’t exist as there is no way Cassian could hold back his lust and respect her wishes without imposing his horny self on her. Their relationships exists on a foundation of lust and sex. Can you think of more than one scene where they spend time together without any sexual underpinning or without one of them in danger? Can you think of a moment where they simply enjoy the others company?

[yugen-ikigai]

Buddy Reading: Curse of Death by Ellie Owen

Join Curse of Death Buddy Read • Community on Tumblr

Buddy Reading Curse of Death by Ellie Owen

I started a community to buddy read Curse of Death by Ellie Owen! It comes out May 8th so if anyone wants to join in on the buddy read please do!

It will be so much fun!

[nestaians]

today’s game is count how many times cassian tries to make nesta say it when she clearly didn’t want to and even said “no” yet he still pushed her😀 look at his reaction and how it progresses when she doesn’t

[fenrysmoonbeamswife]

he's such a piece of shit

[yugen-ikigai]

can we take a moment to appreciate how romantic it is to hear "All I wanted to do was fuck you for a week straight" like god, sjm truly knows how to write a porn story—I mean, love story

[the-future-is-fowl]

Im too exhausted to support this statement right now, but I’d love to hear your takes on it:

I think Feyre really embodied this sense of toxic masculinity from “traditionalist views”, that while everyone suffers at the hands of her doing so, people like her sisters, Lucien, Tamlin, the women in her court, etc, suffer the most.

We all know she’s not a girl’s girl until it comes to Mor. It even gave me the biggest ick the first time I read Feyre think “I’ve never had a female friend before”. Like what do you mean??? You were rich for eleven years, there were women in the village to talk to as well- you didn’t start hunting until you were fourteen- what were you doing for nineteen years? Are you that unlikeable that not a single woman will befriend you?

And I’m of the full belief that Feyre coming home after hunting, tracking her dirty ass clothing through the house with no care, belittling her sisters who do domestic labor because she doesn’t view it as valuable, demanding she gets a bath immediately and overall being a fucking verbally abusive menace is exactly the same vibe as a 1950’s husband coming back from work.

I apologize but I’ve literally never hated a character more in my entire LIFE than Feyre Archeron, and it baffles me that there are people who like her. HOW.

[depsidase]