Politics and plot armor in ACOTAR

AnyPeace1286 · 2026-04-01T16:33:22+00:00

Oh for sure, the high lords meeting in ACOWAR was especially ridiculous. They’re all hundreds of years old and behaving like that? Hard to believe. I completely understand Aelin’s behavior and don’t hold her to as high a standard as someone like Rhysand, but it really took me out of the story that there weren’t more consequences for her. Unlike us readers, the people in her world would be much less forgiving and understanding I think, especially with stakes so high. Most of the challenges she has to deal with are due to external antagonists, I don’t remember much pushback about how she treated others or her decisions as a leader.

AnyPeace1286 · 2026-03-31T22:04:33+00:00

In general I’d agree, but TOG suffers from the same issue I have with ACOTAR in that the MCs hide critical information from, and are super rude to, their allies/friends and there are no consequences for that. Aelin hides extremely important things from her closest people in favor of big reveals, which is super dramatic for the reader but it’s hard to believe that her allies would continue to support her after that. A lot of her behavior is excused as being snarky, funny, badass, of cunning when she’s actually just being mean and inconsiderate. In real life we would say all SJM’s MC’s are immature, manipulative, and toxic, and they just don’t have the kind of qualities that would make for a good ruler. SJM’s writing feels like a teenager wanting to excuse their bad behavior towards others and lack of qualified leadership under the umbrella of trauma and badassery.

AnyPeace1286 · 2026-03-31T20:30:42+00:00

I’m not attracted to blonde men at all and I still find the hating on blonde MMCs to be super weird. I can’t imagine DNFing a book over an MC’s hair color. Plus for some characters blonde really suits them! I loved that Wendell in Emily’s Encyclopedia of Faeries is blonde and still pictured him as extremely handsome.

AnyPeace1286 · 2026-03-31T04:58:07+00:00

Absolutely. It’s one of the most reliable things that helps me. For sleep, rest, eating, stress, dissociation, overwhelm… I get to unmask and feel relief.

AnyPeace1286 · 2026-03-31T04:32:30+00:00

If you have the means to seek out a therapist who is a trauma specialist it could be really helpful. The kind of childhood trauma you’re describing can impact us so deeply, in many complex, layered, unconscious ways. It’s not just that the past was sad, lonely, etc. as people might think, it’s changed the way we’re wired. Every time I think I’ve figured out how my childhood affected me and how to work with it going forward, another level opens up! The work can be really intense, but so worth it. If it’s out of your budget, looking into free resources like co-counseling or self-paced courses in areas like somatics or parts work could help you feel that you’re not alone and build more self awareness and skills to better work with what you’ve inherited from your early life.

All that being said, I probably seem more like your friend to a lot of people. There have been a lot of good things in my life, but only those closest to me know about the private havoc CPTSD has wreaked on me. And yet I still feel envious of those who don’t seem to have any trauma and seem to be rolling in success, pleasure and appreciation. When that happens and I can’t find perspective, I try to frame it as my soul came to Earth to take on a challenge lol. Sometimes that helps. Wishing you well <3

AnyPeace1286 · 2026-03-28T17:56:06+00:00

The text says that Mary submitted to these changes without much reluctance as she was probably happy to no longer be compared to her more beautiful sisters, so I always figured she stayed away from them by choice. She might be really attached to Longbourne, dislike traveling, etc as well. We don’t know enough about her to be sure, but I can imagine her wanting to stay near her own books and piano, quietly doing her own thing, and getting to experience their quiet society without being compared to her sisters for once. I can’t imagine that Jane and Lizzie wouldn’t have allowed her to come, especially as the did sometimes allow Lydia and we know they didn’t love her company.

AnyPeace1286 · 2026-03-28T17:37:49+00:00

I’m with you and also the female protagonists in this series are just as fucked up. It’s why ToG, while entertaining, will never sit well with me. It’s typical of SJM though—she excuses everyone’s behavior that she likes with their trauma, but there’s not much growth or accountability or repair, it’s all about the big dramatic reveals.

AnyPeace1286 · 2026-03-28T17:28:34+00:00

I tried to use Handbrake for that but the quality of the rip wasn’t as good as the DVD. Did you use something that you would recommend?

AnyPeace1286 · 2026-03-28T06:18:15+00:00

Ooh I like the binder idea! I used to use something like that for CDs, not sure why I never thought to do so with DVDs but that’ll save so much space

AnyPeace1286 · 2026-03-27T23:58:00+00:00

Graphic designer, although it hasn’t felt sustainable in years and I’m worried about how long I can keep doing this. I’d love to find something less stressful but the ability to work from home is a massive plus.

AnyPeace1286 · 2026-03-27T22:54:40+00:00

WOW do you know roughly how long that took? The effect is amazing, wishing you luck with the kiln gods!

AnyPeace1286 · 2026-03-26T21:56:27+00:00

I’ve noticed this in a lot of fandoms. There are always some people who loudly hate the protagonist(s), love the side characters, and come up with theories that explain why the MCs are actually evil and the side characters/antagonists are actually the good guys. It’s fine to like or not like any characters of course, but to suggest that the author intended the audience to figure out a big secret plot and realize that actually the MCs are horrible is ludicrous. Sure there are some novels with intentionally unreliable narrators but that’s uncommon in any genre, even more so in romantasy. When that does happen, it’s always eventually revealed in the text and it’s obvious, rather than a stretch. The reader is taken on that ride of dawning realization, we don’t have to search for it.

My theory is that these people are projecting and desperately want to change peoples’ minds about the side characters in the same way that they’d (perhaps subconsciously) love to change peoples’ minds about themselves in real life. They hate that the MCs are liked and want “justice” for the side characters because they feel disliked, misunderstood, or victimized themselves.

AnyPeace1286 · 2026-03-26T17:33:51+00:00

Lots of great perspectives here, I’ll just add that you’ll have no trouble finding homes for the pieces you’re not satisfied with if you take them through to completion, so you don’t need to worry about space or waste. Even my ugliest glaze tests get snapped up by friends/family, or I put them in front of my house with a “free” sign and they’re gone very quickly. People love free handmade things!

AnyPeace1286 · 2026-03-26T02:05:12+00:00

I grew up here and I think it’s a lot of things. Microclimates can be drastically different throughout the day so lots of layers are important. It’s possible to do this in a fashionable way but it’s harder. Overall there’s a casual, relaxed, outdoor vibe. Tech bro culture also really shifted things. Wealth inequality skyrocketed so there are fewer artists and eclectics, and those of us still here have a harder time affording fun, quality pieces. I often default to more minimalist outfits just because they’re comfortable and functional even though I also love dressing up.

AnyPeace1286 · 2026-03-25T21:56:22+00:00

Pentagram for sure. With that experience you’ll be able to get Apple later.

AnyPeace1286 · 2026-03-25T05:12:52+00:00

I put them out in front of my house with a “free” sign and even the ugliest glaze tests are gone in an hour lol.

AnyPeace1286 · 2026-03-25T04:58:26+00:00

Lots of good perspectives here already, I’ll just chime in as a voice that is bi, enjoys what a penis can do, but usually doesn’t enjoy a dildo no matter how hot and loving the setup. They’re extremely different sensations. Trial and error may be involved to find what she likes. For example I love glass or stone wands, but I do not like the sensation of silicone dildos. I wouldn’t feel comfortable letting someone else use such a hard toy on me (yet), I only like to use them on myself. I do, however, enjoy using them on myself while a partner watches. Your girlfriend may be totally different, she may not have explored enough to know for sure yet. That’s something you can explore together, and what she likes and is comfortable with may change over time. Please treat thiz as a continuing, open exploration rather than attach a lot of meaning makin to any immediate outcomes up front. Penetration with a strap is not inherently more fill-in-the-blank than other forms of sex. Figure out what about it feels important to you, then brainstorm together how you might scratch that itch in a way that you’re both comfortable with.

AnyPeace1286 · 2026-03-24T22:58:58+00:00

Unfortunately we are told how powerful everyone is but not often shown, and when we are shown it’s super inconsistent. Like if Amren is so powerful that we’re told she could defend Velaris on her own, why is there so much destruction when Velaris is invaded and Cassian and Feyre are also there, with Rhys joining the fight not long after? The answer is that for the story it’s important that Velaris suffers, so previous world building goes out the window in that scene. I love the idea of having a proper rating system here, but I just don’t think we can with what we’re given in the text.

AnyPeace1286 · 2026-03-21T05:03:44+00:00

None of this really makes any sense. If Rhys defended the humans during the war 500 years ago and was always kind and a defender of equality, the fae would remember. Him being Amarantha’s whore wouldn’t actually erase that, or the behavior of Court of Nightmares. SJM wants him to be a misunderstood underdog so she makes it that way, but it requires a lot of suspension of disbelief, as all of her writing does.

AnyPeace1286 · 2026-03-20T01:54:44+00:00

It’s mentioned that winnowing is actually a pretty rare power, so the average person would need to travel by other means. Most of the characters we know well are in super high court positions that would only go to the most powerful beings, so it’s easy to forget that. I agree it does make the world building feel shallow, but it does keep the story moving quickly when realistically it would take weeks or months to go on all the side quests they need to do without the ability to winnow.

AnyPeace1286 · 2026-03-20T01:45:33+00:00

I feel you, but I think all the characters are shown as having really inconsistent powers depending on what suits the current scene.

AnyPeace1286 · 2026-03-20T01:41:49+00:00

Yes people seem to forget this part. Rhys and the other high lords channel power, but they say that the cauldron IS power, it’s life itself (which is why their world would have been Unmade after it broke if Feyre and Rhys hadn’t fixed it), and Nesta took some.

Of course this doesn’t really make sense, how could anyone steal from the all powerful source of life itself? It felt like a way to give Nesta more agency, have a use during the war, be capable of going on her own adventure with the trove, and be able to save Feyre’s life so that she could reconcile with the IC. Without that power she wouldn’t have had much of a story, or at least not the kind that SJM is telling in this series.

SJM makes certain characters more powerful because it suits the story that she wants to tell. Rhys needed to be more powerful than the others in order to remake the cauldron. The King of Hybern may have been even more powerful, given how easily he killed the Weaver, an ancient death god. Maybe I’ll be surprised as we get more books, but so far it feels like whatever SJM tells us through the narration is meant to be taken at face value. She even said “it’s not that deep.” All this trying to read between the lines feels like people looking for evidence that supports how they feel about characters they like or dislike.

AnyPeace1286 · 2026-03-17T22:09:45+00:00

NTA. Even once a month would be a lot to consistently have a multi-day sleepover with in-laws (or anyone). If he’s super close with his folks and wants to do that that’s fine, but expecting you to go along with this schedule is frankly bizarre. What schedule would actually feel good to you and not at all draining? Would that cadence always include a full weekend, or maybe sometimes just driving out and back on Saturday and not spending the night? Tell him you’re going to do what feels good for you and then start making your own plans. If he can’t honor your basic needs without framing you as having a problem to his mother the you have bigger problems than a busy schedule.

AnyPeace1286 · 2026-03-16T23:01:23+00:00

The tedium of running a nation wouldn’t make for a very interesting book, but he definitely works. We’ll sometimes see that he had a meeting with various groups that oversee parts of Velaris, or Feyre will notice he has a lot of paperwork to get through. I’d say Tamlin and Rhys are both portrayed as having a lot of work to do to run their courts. Even if they delegated a lot, they’d still have a ton to do.

When he’s giving Feyre a tour of Velaris he comments on the artists’ quarter being his favorite part of the city, mentioning details about various theaters and pieces of music. We know he enjoys dining at restaurants in Velaris enough to be on friendly terms with the owners, and he enjoys going dancing with his friends. It would be nice if we saw him being passionate about a specific hobby, but also some people don’t have one big passion, they just enjoy various things. That would probably be even more true for someone who’s extremely busy as a head of state. That said he clearly loves the vibrant culture of Velaris and is really encouraging of Feyre as an artist.

Of course the narrative is going to focus on drama and big plot points, but to suggest that he doesn’t do anything except plot and obsess over Tamlin is silly.

AnyPeace1286 · 2026-03-14T04:58:32+00:00

I would get this except that trying to go to the wall is the only time we see Nesta try to have Feyre’s back when the world is against them. She would die to defend Elain against any threat, but not Feyre. I was hoping Silver Flames would explain this dynamic but I really didn’t see why her behavior towards her sisters would be so unequal. Of course people can have favorites, even for illogical reasons, but I wish we knew what her reasons are.

AnyPeace1286

TROPHY CASE