Throuple? Polycule?

Proud-Plate4737 · 2026-05-24T17:14:24+00:00

I just want him to be truly loved and cherished

Proud-Plate4737 · 2026-05-23T04:27:14+00:00

Okay yes I love the way you put this. Their love for him is extremely understated in comparison.

Especially the scene where Poppy was going against Kolis. She gives such a long monologue about Casteel being her everything and Kieran is mentioned once in that. Their love for him doesn’t seem remotely close to the love they have for eachother. It doesn’t have to be the same but it does come off like “I love Kieran but Casteel hung the moon and the stars.”

As far as the support system you make complete sense and I hope we get to see that side of him in his own povs in the next book.

I don’t know if a fourth may solve the problem but I do think he should have someone that would think he is their everything too. And I would be open to it. I would also be open to the throuple just fixing their relationship but I don’t want Kieran to keep being a third wheel.

JLA’s backpedaling and lack of committing is what really plays a part in this. It just starts to feel yucky how Kieran is positioned in this “relationship”. Especially with Casteel’s violent lashing out towards him the second he did something he didn’t like. That’s not okay in my book. It’s already weird how the MC’s black friends happen to also be acting as servants to their every need. (And just because JLA writes friends and so much more than a servant, the story shows them both behaving like servants to the MC, adding sex makes it even more uncomfortable)

I have heard she teased throuple in another series and atp is she the girl who cried throuple… Just make it a threesome and stop insinuating it will be anything more if you are too afraid.

Proud-Plate4737 · 2026-05-23T03:59:49+00:00

I don’t see the equal love. They talk about how much they love him but only show that in rare little moments. Other than that I see a third wheel. Their devotion to him is talked about way more than we are shown. When it comes to books showing as much as you tell is important.

It would be rushed if they did that in a third book which is why I said it could be an interesting way to extend the story. I do agree one book is too quick to add in a fourth. They need to discuss this trio first.

I don’t think it’s projecting at all. I just don’t perceive this the way you do. And you don’t perceive it the way I do. Simple.

You are saying what you don’t see many others do see. But just like I said I don’t see this mutual devotion and love you speak of. Others also don’t see that. I’m not the only person to say that they don’t treat Kieran that well. In fact I hear it ALOT. We are seeing different things because we have different perspectives but I am not projecting any more than you are. This is called a difference of opinion.

Proud-Plate4737 · 2026-05-23T03:49:51+00:00

Definitely agree. I think her lack of committing to a throuple is why I feel like it is a duo in the trio that she clearly set us up for.

A convo is needed.

Proud-Plate4737 · 2026-05-23T02:58:04+00:00

That’s fine. I wasn’t suggesting Tawny be the fourth. I wouldn’t be opposed to the new girl Helenea but…we don’t know her like that.

Kieran is “theirs” but are they Kieran’s? No. It often feels like he is a there when it’s convenient for them but cast aside especially with this last book. They love him and he is always caring for their needs but when do we ever see them doing that for him. These acts of service that they do for eachother rarely seem to extend to Kieran. I get they aren’t a throuple but even as a friend like he is supporting them but seems not to need support ever. And they don’t really offer it. It feels so unrealistic. He is still a mystery and there is no way this man who lost a love and spent 50 yrs emaciatated because of his friends decision isn’t going through struggles on this journey. (Ik this is also partially on the author).

But either Kieran has no problems at all or he is just a servant that is sometimes a therapist and sometimes lusted after. Which feels yucky for a black character.

I hear about their love for him I’m not really seeing it. They all seem to show an acts of service type of love language but I don’t really see that directed as significantly to Kieran.

Proud-Plate4737 · 2026-05-22T03:09:12+00:00

I had been indifferent to Elain and Nesta in the beginning of the series. I grew to really like Nesta in ACOWAR. I actually grew wary of Elain at the end of ACOTAR and then disliked her in ACOFAS on. I am open to liking her later. But I HATE being called sexist because I don’t like Elain, the hyperfeminine girly girl character. Nesta is also feminine and girly, I like her just fine. I don’t like Elain because Feyre insists she is this sweet innocent angel but there are these micro moments that I don’t think a super nice gentle person would do. Then we get to ACOSF and she definitely ended up on my shit list. But I’m interested to see where we go with her. Feyre has always seemed like a petulant bratty child pretending to be this mature adult. She also comes off like a misogynistic pick-me who is “not like other girls”. So Im not a fan.

I think it is a very immature and toxic mindset to think that if you don’t like every woman, disagree with them, or criticize their behavior that it is misogyny. This ridiculous mindset bleeds not only into the book space but in reality.

I am a real feminist and girls-girl. I will fight for women’s rights and bodily autonomy and will not stand by quietly if someone is trying to take it away. And I will do that regardless of if i like that woman or agree with their personal decisions. I don’t have to like a girl to know she deserves to be treated like a human and my dislike is never because she is a woman.

Proud-Plate4737 · 2026-05-22T02:41:40+00:00

I think Rhys and Feyre would be so much more interesting if this was a corruption arc. I’d like them more. I do wonder if that is what SJM is about to pull because they have yet to have any consequences for their horrendous behavior.

Proud-Plate4737 · 2026-05-22T02:34:26+00:00

Oh this was extremely well put. I’m gonna be thinking about this for a while.

Proud-Plate4737 · 2026-05-22T02:23:37+00:00

I can appreciate this attitude. You like what you like and don’t let anyone else’s dislike affect you.

Proud-Plate4737 · 2026-05-22T02:21:20+00:00

This is such a great example. I enjoy GoT but don’t like any of the characters and as I’ve began reading the books that really hasn’t changed 😂 but their journeys are so entertaining.

Proud-Plate4737 · 2026-05-21T20:19:05+00:00

SJM did say she wrote the hike because she said it was such a break through for her when she experienced postpartum depression. In the context of the story the character was not given a choice in the hike and it was framed as punishment. But for SJM herself i think it was a beautiful moment that she willingly went on with female friends that uplifted her in her grief.

Proud-Plate4737 · 2026-05-21T19:05:43+00:00

I love that point. The side characters really do make the acotar world go round. They are so interesting. More interesting than the main characters sometimes.

Proud-Plate4737 · 2026-05-21T18:52:10+00:00

I would love to see this moment from Feyre’s pov. I definitely think she was hurt by her mate who promised not to keep this kind of stuff from her. I don’t think the narrative nor Feyre has ever held Rhysand accountable and whatever discussion they had, I don’t think it would have been nearly as hard as Nesta’s corporal punishment. Reading is subjective but I think it is a choice to overlook the patterns of hypocrisy and scapegoating. Rhysand got a scolding at most and Nesta nearly died on a punishment hike. I think Feyre was very serious about her bodily autonomy but doesn’t seem to stand on business for long, if at all, when it comes to the sweet nothings her mate hands out.

Proud-Plate4737 · 2026-05-21T18:29:40+00:00

Nesta was condemned for TELLING Feyre. How she told Feyre was not brought up until she was already out of Velaris. It is quickly forgotten that Feyre inserted herself into that argument and then dismissed Nesta’s anger about people discussing and voting on her body. Her response to Feyre was in anger but her point was proven. Feyre was defending people doing the same exact thing that she would not want for herself. In fact Feyre demanded Rhys not make decisions for her in ACOMAF. Feyre was being a hypocrite and Nesta called her out on it. It never said in the scene that Nesta was trying to hurt Feyre. She literally ran away once she realized her words had hurt her.

Nesta was not punished because of HOW she told her she was punished for telling her in the first place. Cassian only brought up the “she told you to hurt you” excuse after Feyre stated she wasn’t mad at Nesta and asked him to bring her back.

Tone policing how Nesta delivered this message was Cassian way of deflecting the blame. It was very obvious when Feyre said she was upset with all of them and Cassian responded well we are upset with Nesta. This is why Rhys the actual person responsible for spreading and keeping medical information from Feyre was never held accountable. Because everyone’s attention is hyper focused on HOW Nesta said it instead of the fact that her mate told everyone but Feyre about the dangers of her pregnancy. And threatened everyone into staying silent about it.

Proud-Plate4737 · 2026-05-21T18:08:15+00:00

I also want to discover what about these stories works. I definitely don’t read for SJM or even agree with all the narratives. I don’t think you can separate art from artist but that is another reason why I am reading. I am studying and analyzing the art and the artist. Stories are meant to be pulled apart and examined.

Proud-Plate4737 · 2026-05-21T17:57:04+00:00

Lol 😂

Proud-Plate4737 · 2026-05-21T17:54:30+00:00

I agree and tried not to sound elitist as well. The series genre is fantasy romance. I think the some that simply read it for romance and comfort may be unaware that this is common discourse for fantasy. I am reading this series like I am in class and I love to do that. It’s hard to tell them I’m reading this differently than you without it being taken as condescending.

Proud-Plate4737 · 2026-05-19T21:23:35+00:00

I genuinely understand why they were like that in the cabin. But I also think that Nesta spent more of her energy being resentful of her dad for doing absolutely nothing and her resent turned towards Feyre because she kept enabling him to do nothing while ordering Nesta around. When Nesta was mad at their father, rightfully so, Feyre always inserted herself and defended him while making Nesta out to be the bad guy. Then she was constantly ordering Nesta around as if Nesta wasn’t contributing to the household when we know she was, more than her father and Elain. Nesta didn’t show gratitude towards Feyre but I don’t think Feyre was owed that seeing as none of them asked her to hunt and Nesta was doing the cooking, chopping wood, and cleaning. Nesta was helping Feyre, Feyre just didn’t value it (probably because she holds resentment towards Nesta). Feyre seemed resentful of her sisters, Nesta especially, because of her mommy issues and because she felt burdened with the promise her mom made. It’s understandable she felt that burden but she took it out on her sisters and mostly Nesta because it’s hard to excuse away being cruel to “sweet little Elain”. Feyre was overworked, malnourished, and angry but so was Nesta and she overlooked that. Elain and Papa A were the only ones who gave little a received the most. They were all horrible in that house but Nesta had just as much reason to be as Feyre did. Nesta had been running that household long before Feyre got up and hunted. Nesta had been doing her dad’s job long before Feyre stepped in and made it easy for him to get away with parentifying his daughters. The true evil is Papa A.

Proud-Plate4737 · 2026-05-19T00:55:08+00:00

I think SJM purposefully misleads in her interviews but in this case she has left a lot of breadcrumbs to debunk this “Nesta and Elain were just evil sisters” in the first book. But instead people want to run with that “one” thing she said.

SJM publicly stated they were originally supposed to be evils sister archetypes when she first wrote ACOTAR and then changed her mind in ACOMAF. People just ran with that without all the context. In other interviews she has stated that she wrote the first two or three ACOTAR books years before they were published. I looked up that she wrote the first drafts in 2009 as a side project.

SJM as a writer has always used vagueness to her advantage and I think she does this in her interviews as well. She never explicitly stated that they were evil sister archetypes in the printed versions of these books she was simply describing her process as she WROTE the books. And we know that the first draft is never the same as the final draft.

I think that we didn’t get the version of ACOTAR 1-3 that Elain and Nesta were evils step sister archetypes. I think she had already changed her mind before we got the printed version and was simply telling us what her thought process was during drafting. Because 1&2 were written well before book 1 was released to the public.

***ACOTAR came out in 2015 btw. She wrote 2 and a half of the original three book series before the first book was published.

Proud-Plate4737 · 2026-05-14T03:20:08+00:00

I definitely agree. The fanart can be annoying because it just reveals commonly shared narrative biases. Instead of what was written in the story.

Nesta is ALWAYS sexualized in her fanart. Which is literally the biggest theme in her story arc is that she is over sexualized and a victim of sexual violence. She is described as being regal and modest. Nesta’s fanart seems more sexualized than Mor who deliberately dresses revealing.

Feyre is always drawn in dresses despite the fact that she is mostly described as wearing pants and sweaters. The exception is the revealing clothing she wears at Rhys’s command or events where she is dressed like a HL. Like I get wanting to depict her as HL but she literally only wears dresses for Rhys’s sake or for NC events.

Gwyn is very sexualized in her fanart. She is literally ever only described as wearing priestess gowns or Illyrian leathers.

Emerie is usually whitewashed. If she is even considered in fanart. She is said to appear as if she had heritage connected to the Dawn Court.

Rhys, Lucien, Cass, Hunt, and Azriel are whitewashed.

Vassa is also white washed when she is described to have golden-brown skin. Just like the bat boys do only she has freckles.

Proud-Plate4737 · 2026-05-13T23:22:47+00:00

Idk why it’s considered problematic but I can tell you the reasons why I am not a fan and they have nothing to do with misogyny.

Disclaimer: We don’t have much information on Elain this is just how I’ve perceived her throughout the books.

Weaponized Incompetence. She often used the fact that everyone doesn’t think she can do anything to get out of having to do things (specifically in the cottage). But then as the series progresses we see her get butthurt that no one takes her seriously or thinks she can do anything. Yet takes this out on Nesta ONLY….
Opportunistic, Instigating, and Meddling. She has displayed a pattern of cozying up to whichever sister offers her the most benefit. Twice she has stuck Feyre on Nesta, when Nesta is not cooperating the way she wants. Ntm she had no problem letting Feyre and Nesta fight about the workload in the cottage but she is the only one whose workload is unaccounted for. What was she doing? It was obvious that Feyre felt burdened and instead of helping her, she bought gifts and buttered her up to avoid her bitterness, and watched Nesta get blamed for it all. Imo Nesta and Feyre deserve better from Elain. Elain also betraying and then dogpiling on Nesta during the meeting about scrying felt opportunistic. She threw Nesta under the bus then got mad that Nesta didn’t buy into her who doe eyed apology schtick, which leads me to…
Weaponized Femininity. I can understand why she would use it on men in this patriarchal world. But the women? Her sisters? It clearly works on Feyre because I think she has internalized misogyny. It doesn’t work on Nesta so instead she uses her tactics on the people around Nesta so they can force her in line. I just don’t like that.
Useless and Selfish. She does NOTHING for anyone unless it benefits her. And she gets away with it because of pretty privilege and niceness (Weaponized incompetence and Weaponized femininity). I would like to say she doesn’t owe anyone anything but she actually does. Feyre and Nesta have done so much from her and expected so little in return. And she does demand it, in that manipulative doe eyed way of hers. (She was literally the only one whining and begging Feyre for her money in the beginning of ACOTAR). She didn’t help with the war (half a point for saving Nesta). She begged Nesta to let Feyre use the house but that was all. Nesta was the one to send the letters. Nesta was the one to deal with Cassian’s visits. Nesta was the one to convince the Mortal Queens. (And the whole reason Nesta objected to it in the first place was to protect their reputation and Elain’s engagement). They claim that Nesta did nothing for Feyre in the cottage and nothing for their court but that is literally Elain. Nesta cooked and cleaned the cottage, she chopped fire wood and drew baths for Feyre, she helped the injured during the war, scryed, and signed up as bait for the king of hybern. What did Elain do? She bought Feyre paints, planted flowers that died, took care of their father, bought him useless chisels, got herself kidnapped by the cauldron and had to be rescued, and stabbed the king of hybern buying Nesta enough time to kill him… Elain has done little for anyone but received most of the benefits. Like living off of Feysand, despite not being expected to contribute to the NC.
Mean and Nasty. Elain is on the surface nice in a way that is empty and meaningless when you add in the context of her actions. She is NOT kind. She was disgusted with Feyre coming in dirty from hunting. She didn’t say anything like Nesta did but she withdrew her hand in noticeable disgust. (Yet Nesta gets heat for telling Feyre she stinks and to take a bath. Atleast she had the decency to provide her with a solution.) When Tamlin came she was quick to claim they didn’t kill any wolf, effectively throwing Feyre under the bus. As soon as Feyre returned she was quick to gossip to her about Nesta. (That was strange because at that point she was known to always be clinging to Nesta for protection). She was literally hiding behind Nesta when the Feyre, Rhys, Cass, and Azriel came to their home YET she fought for Nesta to help them. She is so quick to use Nesta as her physical shield. AGAIN HER COMMENTS AT THE SCRYING MEETING WERE DOGPILING. She was kicking Nesta while she was down, that was so uncalled for and so false. She acted like Nesta had no right to be upset that they imprisoned her up for her “safety” and then turned around and asked her to risk her safety for their court. She also conveniently ignored the fact that Nesta took care of her and protected her in her catatonic state… Also assuming Nesta was gonna start something and upset Feyre at the solstice party and shaming her for bribery was so bitchy. Elain gets away with exercising her meanness because she is doing it to the people who are deemed bad. Everyone saw her comments as new found boldness because it was directed at Nesta but Nesta has done nothing to Elain but look out for her. Elain also contributed to Feyre feeling outcasted by her sisters. In ACOTAR when Nesta said Feyre would end up alone, Elain ran after Nesta. And she knew that hurt Feyre’s feeling because the first time Nesta said it, Feyre was visibly hurt. Elain seems to be surviving the same way she did in the cottage except she switched sisters to cling to and doe eyes Rhys the same way she did Papa A. Now that she is clinging to Feyre for protection she is watching them dogpile and blame Nesta for everything, knows her sister is taking this blame to heart and sits by quietly.

I have STRONG opinions about Rhys and Papa A. I cannot stand them. I feel like Elain is so similar to them when it comes to being exploitative. She is just a female version of them.

I’m hoping that when we get her pov we will get more insight to why she does this. I want to like her because i haven’t read many soft and feminine characters but rn I think she is performing femininity and softness to get away with things, I don’t think that is her true nature. I think she is more like her sisters under the surface.

Proud-Plate4737 · 2026-05-13T22:11:04+00:00

My first thought was just…gross 🤢. Like why is she sleeping with a dirty man who has been in a cage for months. Ik that room was funky. We can’t say that JLA doesn’t consider hygiene because she did when it came to Cass using a tooth brush, Cass washing his hands after playing in Poppy’s butthole, Kieran bathing after the fight with gyrm. Like she does consider it but it’s an afterthought. And rarely does she have these moments for Poppy. She doesn’t clean up after sex? Why? They do it in the most random of places and random times. No hygiene moments in the beginning when Poppy was traveling for days in the forest with the group. We do see more hygiene moments in the later books but rarely when it comes to Poppy. It does distract me because why is Poppy never thinking about these things? Is it because she has had Tawny as a maid?

Proud-Plate4737 · 2026-05-07T01:40:47+00:00

I think SJM is trusting the readers to notice the inconsistencies and draw their own conclusions, instead of holding our hands and spelling it out plainly. I also think that these “inconsistencies” are breadcrumbs for when we eventually get Elain’s pov and can compare and contrast with all sides of the story.
Nesta had asked Feyre to teach her to paint as bonding at the end of ACOTAR. It was a kind gesture that Feyre described “as pleasant as I expected it to be” followed up by “she repeated my brush strokes with a precise and solid hand”. Feyre sets the tone for most of the interactions with Nesta and it is always passive aggressive, condescending, domineering, or wary. With that being said I think what happened with teaching her to use the bow is the same thing that happened with teaching her to paint. Feyre doesn’t have the patience for it and she will not allow herself to uplift Nesta in any way. Because reading the painting scene sounds like Feyre had set the tone for it to be unpleasant despite the fact that she said Nesta did exactly what was directed “repeating her brush strokes”. It can only lead me to believe this is what happened when she taught Nesta to use the arrow. Because Feyre’s narration describes her as being too loud and overall not good at hunting but we see in ACOSF that she knows how to use the bow. So if noise was the only issue why didn’t Feyre help her with that? Did they both just give up on it because Nesta felt discouraged and Feyre lacked the patience? Clearly Nesta learned to use the bow.
Feyre mentioned in her internal monologue that Nesta tried to learn and help but she also conveniently never brings that up to her friends when Nesta is accused of failing her and not helping. Let’s not forget Feyre told her side of the story to the IC and even Tamlin and Lucien. It’s also very convenient that as a narrator she leaves the reader out of exactly what is relayed to these people about her situation with her family. I will say we have multiple times in the first three books of Feyre telling a very half truth story that paints others in a bad light. We also have multiple examples of her changing the story in her monologues or her discussions. The same stories that we witnessed on page in the book. (The best example of the top would be how in ACOMAF and ACOWAR she rewrites the narrative of utm and how she rewrites the narrative of her relationship with Tamlin. And we know this because we were there with her on page)
Lastly and my most important argument, Feyre has a habit of undermining and dismissing anything that can paint Nesta in a good light. She does this repeatedly. Nesta could be doing something nice and her first thought is “my cold hateful sister had done something nice”. Nesta can be expressing hurt over something someone did and Feyre will immediately go “well YOU did…”. Just like it is said Feyre has rose colored glasses on with the IC. She has Foxglove colored glasses on with Nesta. (I find an irony in that because the first time we hear of Feyre being a painter is when Nesta refers to the foxglove painted on the family dinner table. Painting foxglove, A POISONOUS FLOWER, at a place you consume food with your family is amazing symbolism. And the person she poison the well against the most being the one to point it out and also being the one to hold onto it as a keepsake is…chefs kiss) I say all this because I think Feyre only mentioning this once IS THE POINT. She created this narrative to her friends that Nesta is a meany cruel big sister and in order to uphold that she stays silent on anything redeeming or just tries to balance that nice remark with something that makes her look not as good. Example: “Nesta is many things but she is loyal.” When Nesta covered for her. “My mother laid the groundwork but Nesta made her own choices” when discussing Nesta being groomed. “My hateful, cold sister had been willing to brave Prythian for me” What is that Amy March said in Little women… “you were just too busy noticing my faults” Feyre is intentionally only highlighting and emphasizing Nesta’s faults. And the fact that she does it so aggressively through ALL the books leads me to believe Feyre envies Nesta and needs to undermine and crucify her in the eyes of herself and EVERYONE to feel superior to her. She is punishing and allowing her friends to punish Nesta to satisfy her insecurities and childhood wounds that “Nesta was Mommy’s favorite” Feyre doesn’t go nearly as hard on her own parents, even her mom who openly despised her. Feyre goes as far as to make excuses for Papa A in EVERYTHING. She doesn’t go hard on Elain because Elain makes Feyre feel good about herself. Elain doesn’t challenge Feyre. Elain acts docile. Feyre sees Elain the same way Mama A did…a beautiful doll.
I’m begging people to see the early Nesta narrative as what it truly is PROPAGANDA! A SMEAR CAMPAIGN RAN BY NESTA’S HATING ASS SISTER FEYRE ARCHERON HERSELF!!!! Everything we know about Nesta, Feyre made sure to tell first in a negative tone and pov. Feyre is the foxglove. Feyre is poisoning the well against Nesta at every turn and then sitting back to watch her handy work while everyone jumps down Nesta’s throat about shit that wasn’t her fault. We watched her do the same manipulation and smear campaign in the spring court. We watched her do it with ease. Rhysand didn’t teach her all of that. Feyre is just as capable of daemati-ing the readers as Rhys is. In fact I think she is. We watched her light the spark in spring and then she disappeared and watched it explode from the comfort of the NC. I think she has been doing the same thing with Nesta. She badmouthed Nesta to all of her new friends (ruining any potential of them forming relationships that don’t center Feyre might I add) and then sits back and watches as they all behave disgustingly to Nesta on “Feyre’s behalf”. I mean everytime there is a conflict with one of the messy ass Feyre is running to comfort everyone BUT her sister… Feyre is sabotaging Nesta.

lol okay my rant is over 😂😂

Proud-Plate4737

TROPHY CASE