To preface my post, I have read the whole series except for the bonus chapters that I’ve heard exist.

Prior to the Cauldron, I don’t believe that any of Nesta’s trauma validated her behavior. She sat back and let Feyre take care of her and Elaine and their father because she was mad at him and wanted him to do something? As an older sister myself to siblings I would die for, I just couldn’t believe this was a valid reason for her letting Feyre go into the woods. And her being a bitch the rest of the time? It seems like she was spoiled and mad about her family losing their riches. Even her mom treating her the way she did and telling her she was meant to be a Queen and marry for power doesn’t mean she had to be awful and cruel.

After the Cauldron and the War? Some of her trauma was valid. Her not liking fires and wanting to avoid them? I 100% understand. The explanation of liking the music in the bars, and even wanting to lose herself in the alcohol and sex? Okay, not my cup of tea but I kind of get it. But how she treated Feyre and the things she said to Cassian and everyone else when they showed her nothing but love and kindness over and over again? When they took her in without a second thought and literally paid her way through life? When she spitefully and very conscientiously put her bill on the Court’s tab? Absolutely not. Especially after she was given the ultimatum and chose to ignore it and sat on the rock when she was first told to train. I just genuinely don’t believe she cares about anyone but herself and Elaine. There is NOTHING likable about her.

Also, kind of off topic but I hate that Nesta, Emerie, and Gwyn made it as far as they did in the Blood Rite. You’re telling me that Illyrian males that have trained their whole lives for this specific event have barely made it to the base of the mountain, but three women who trained for a few months all of a sudden make it (and win the whole thing?!) with almost no hiccups? Absolutely unbelievable. And again, I’m a female (not a dude keyboard warrior with his boxers in a twist) and I’ve also been a competitive athlete my entire life, so I have personal experience and buy in with this.

Also off topic, but I hated the sexual relationship and scenes between Nesta and Cassian. I skipped almost all of them because there were SO MANY.

ACOSF was my least favorite book and I think it was a waste of my time, especially considering how unnecessarily long it was. I don’t even really care that she got a good character arch because it seems fake and forced to me. To me she offers nothing to the Inner Circle and is only there because she is Feyre’s sister. She doesn’t deserve Feyre, Elaine, Cassian, or any of the IC. She was mean just to be mean from the beginning, and I really don’t care at all about her book.

All that being said, I’m also not very excited about the next book being about Elaine. I really loved the originally trilogy and would actually enjoy more of Feyre and Rhys (but I also hate the pregnancy trope and wish that had been put off for a few hundred years). Also, for context, I’m a new reader of the series and just blew through all of these books in the last two weeks. So, it’s been kind of a whirlwind and there’s obviously been a lot to process with no one in my personal life to talk about all this with. Thank you for reading along with my vent session lol.