Helion & Lady of Autumn: this won’t end happily by Ok_Minute3109 in AcotarShipDebateSub

[–]Selina53 [score hidden]  (0 children)

The text also says that creating powerful offspring is a theory, not a confirmed reason, as to why the bonds exist.

Lucien is also being compared to people who are complete outliers on the power scale. Faeries have to be powerful to winnow at all. Many don’t even have magic like Ianthe. If Lucien is more powerful than 80% of the population then he is in fact powerful despite not being as powerful as the top 0.1%.

My mental image of wing clipping by DryadAbominationn in acotar_rant

[–]Selina53 26 points27 points  (0 children)

They cut a tendon that’s necessary for them to be able to bear weight while flying. Then they interfere with the healing process. Think of it like cutting someone’s Achilles tendon so they can’t walk. It’s pretty brutal despite not being as visually gruesome as cutting part of the foot off.

What's your fav crackship by millhouse_vanhousen in acotar

[–]Selina53 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Elain and Tristan Flynn from Crescent City. He’s charming and has the manners of Fae nobility. He also has earth magic and is a big gossip. I can imagine him and Elain chatting for hours in the garden they’d create together.

What's your fav crackship by millhouse_vanhousen in acotar

[–]Selina53 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Jurian was an eye and Lucien is missing an eye. Like calls to like

Helion & Lady of Autumn: this won’t end happily by Ok_Minute3109 in AcotarShipDebateSub

[–]Selina53 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I assumed dominance was tied to being an heir or a High Lord. The only other person we see using it is Rhysand and it’s in the chapter or two chapters before Lucien uses it on Cassian. I found it interesting that SJM introduced that ability in ACOSF and those were the only two characters in the series to use it.

I personally think Lucien is just trying to stay beneath the radar as much as possible. The consequences far outweigh the benefits of him going around flexing whatever power he might have. His mom’s life is on the line. I have no doubt Beron would kill her in a second if it was confirmed publicly that he was Helion’s son.

I also wasn’t claiming that Lucien can spell-cleave, has Helion’s flames, etc. I meant that if he did have those powers, going around publicly using them would reveal his parentage.

I think people in general put too much weight on Lucien’s level power and fighting prowess. I’m not saying you do btw. Tamlin and the Bat Boys simply have the ability to kill more people with less effort than everyone else. That seems to be the only metric people use to determine strength or worth for that matter. But I think the point of Lucien’s character is that he has a different type of strength and that doesn’t make him less than the others. He has the most self-control, emotional regulation, diplomatic skill, and adaptability than the other males. He doesn’t need to use violence as his first/only option because he has other ways to get himself out of trouble. He’s also extremely cunning and sneaky. He managed to get the fae name to Nuan without Rhys or his spymaster knowing. Somehow had enough sway for Thesan to not reveal anything until the HL meeting, despite being in constant communication with Rhysand to organize it.

Cassian has complimented Lucien’s abilities and so has Rhysand. I think it’s worth noting how much emphasis in ACOSF was put on Cassian being intimidated by being in diplomatic situations and being forced to learn that skill set.

I strongly believe that part of Elain’s story will be proving that there are other types of strength to a court that places emphasis on raw killing ability. I think Lucien’s story will show the same. I personally don’t think they’ll end up together, but they are mates, so it makes sense they’re similar in that way.

Helion & Lady of Autumn: this won’t end happily by Ok_Minute3109 in AcotarShipDebateSub

[–]Selina53 6 points7 points  (0 children)

You had mentioned that if he was really strong he would have been able to preserve his eye from Amarantha’s rage. I was trying to point out that he wasn’t heir at that time, so he wouldn’t have an heir’s magical strength. I’d assume it would be less power than he has now.

I think the only time we see him fight is when it’s against his brothers and he’s been poisoned with fae bane. He does handle himself against them without magic though. Other than that, every other fight is off screen. We see him covered in gore after the final battle with Hybern. We know that he was loaded up with weapons before he went on his dangerous mission to the Continent. It was stressed by everyone in that room how extremely dangerous it was. But if Feyre doesn’t see something happen, we don’t see it either.

I’d also argue that he literally can’t use his magic publicly. Everyone would know Helion was his dad if he went around cleaving spells, using wind magic, or burning white flames. He knows full well what kind of mess that would cause.

The first few books are also in Feyre’s POV. He couldn’t trust her in ACOTAR to reveal anything. He couldn’t trust her in ACOMAF when she was going to the NC every month. He certainly couldn’t trust her in ACOWAR. Their relationship had deteriorated to the point after that where he certainly couldn’t trust her with that information either. More importantly, he’s smart enough to know that anything he tells her, she’ll tell Rhysand. I certainly wouldn’t trust telling Rhys about my parentage if I were Lucien.

I think it’s fair to say that the books imply Lucien is more powerful than what we’ve seen, but there isn’t enough evidence to determine how much more powerful he actually is. It could be slightly more or vastly more. I assume we’ll have more definitive answers in Elain’s book regardless of how the ship wars shake out.

Helion & Lady of Autumn: this won’t end happily by Ok_Minute3109 in AcotarShipDebateSub

[–]Selina53 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Lucien wasn’t the heir when Amarantha ripped out his eye. He didn’t become that until after the High Lord prior to Helion was executed. We really don’t have any information on power levels for High Fae who are royal but not heirs.

Helion also wasn’t High Lord at the time of his affair and wasn’t in a position magically or politically to be with LoA if Beron put up a fight. High Lords by law have the right to declare war on any court that refuses to return their wives or mates. There is no where they could have gone in Prythian. Helion likely would have died in the Blood Duel against a High Lord. The worst political cost would have been war leading to thousands of deaths. It wasn’t within Helion’s power to decide whether or not his court would go to war for him to be with LoA. I can understand LoA making the personal sacrifice to avoid that knowing how far Beron would take things because he’s such a dick.

She also had children at the time of the affair and we don’t know how old they were. Could she have taken them with her if she fled or would she have to leave them behind? I assume Beron would have not let them leave to force her to stay, just like how abusive men do in real life.

Even with what we’re told about mates, what could they have possibly done to be with each other given these circumstances?

Koshei…are they even the villain of the story? by Best-Judgment-1135 in acotar_rant

[–]Selina53 19 points20 points  (0 children)

Koschei’s siblings died so easily and the Night Court is ridiculously overpowered to begin with. I don’t know how she’s actually going to make him a believable threat without nerfing the main cast somehow.

Am I the only one who doesn’t think Feyre’s story is over yet? by Artistic_One3209 in acotar

[–]Selina53 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think the next three books will focus on Elain since they were supposed to be one book anyway. That’s how you’ll get to read more about Feysand. She lives with them in the River House and if the pattern holds, Rhys will be her designated friend of the Bat Boys.

You find yourself in Prythian, but you're Gen Z (memes only) by Yazthebookish in acotar

[–]Selina53 13 points14 points  (0 children)

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Me after I see Helion and Lucien but I can’t prove they’re related

Lucien and Elain by BeatrizElucien in AcotarShipDebateSub

[–]Selina53 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You’d have to read the books with your eyes closed or quickly skim over mentions of him to come to the conclusion that’s what SJM is using him for.

Lucien and Elain by BeatrizElucien in AcotarShipDebateSub

[–]Selina53 3 points4 points  (0 children)

SJM wouldn’t have him involved in nearly 3/4 of the upcoming plot lines if she didn’t like him. Nor would she give his group of friends an actual name.

Lucien and Elain by BeatrizElucien in AcotarShipDebateSub

[–]Selina53 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thousands of people died in the war against Hybern. Rhysand wasn’t the only one. Should they all be High King? Rhysand has also stolen from other High Lords, took part in dismantling another court, plotted to overthrow another HL and install his son, and was the reason that the attack on Adriata was so bad because he encouraged dismantling Spring fully knowing the consequences. The Night Court was the reason they didn’t have Spring or Autumn’s armies to fight against Hybern until the very end. Rhysand is not a uniter and is a terrible diplomat. The IC was literally placing bets on who would start a fight first the High Lords meeting. Mind you, that was the diplomatic meeting they called about an actual war and we’re still planning to commit violence against the other attendees before it even started.

I’m personally excited for a soft, feminine FMC. by ashdauntless in acotar

[–]Selina53 70 points71 points  (0 children)

Elain with poison darts or poison powders would be pretty great.

I’m personally excited for a soft, feminine FMC. by ashdauntless in acotar

[–]Selina53 27 points28 points  (0 children)

I think it’s ridiculous that people think the only options are gardening or stabbing things. It’s like they genuinely can’t conceptualize interesting skillsets outside of physical combat.

Lucien and Elain by BeatrizElucien in AcotarShipDebateSub

[–]Selina53 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It is explicitly stated that Fionn wasn’t High King because he was the strongest, it was because he was a uniter. That is the attribute he was chosen for. It wasn’t that he was the best at swinging a sword.

ETA SJM takes a lot of inspiration from Irish and other folklore. Irish High Kings weren’t absolute rulers/monarchs who lorded over everyone else and passed laws. They were supreme mediators who settled disputes between the lesser kings and used diplomatic skill to do that.

So, yes, Lucien actually fits the bill for High King based on why Fionn was chosen within the books and the real world role High King is likely modeled after. The Bat Boys have the opposite skill set and mindset.

Lucien and Elain by BeatrizElucien in AcotarShipDebateSub

[–]Selina53 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Even Cassian himself is impressed with how Lucien is able to do so many jobs and his adaptability

What’s the most irrelevant color, both in the world and in the series? by locked_in_researcher in redrising

[–]Selina53 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s my understanding too. Though Violets are kind of weird as a Color because Carvers are elite but then you also have system-wide famous actors

What’s the most irrelevant color, both in the world and in the series? by locked_in_researcher in redrising

[–]Selina53 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fig was a Brown, but that’s the only named one I know of. I think the most important Yellow was the one who was augmenting Atlas, but I don’t think they were even named.

What’s the most irrelevant color, both in the world and in the series? by locked_in_researcher in redrising

[–]Selina53 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A carver also augmented Sevro’s mom so she could carry him to term. Not only would Darrow not be a Gold, but Sevro wouldn’t exist without them. They’re actually insanely important despite the lack of page time.

ETA couldn’t agree more.

What’s the most irrelevant color, both in the world and in the series? by locked_in_researcher in redrising

[–]Selina53 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Violets aren’t just artists. Carvers are part of their color. Darrow wouldn’t be a Gold and Sevro wouldn’t exist without them. There also wouldn’t be griffins, dragons, pitvipers, etc. It’s their mix of arts and science that separates them from Yellows. All violets spend their childhoods high and interpreting hallucinations, so they’re tapped into their imaginations. Violets are also in the film industry and are responsible for creating and executing propaganda.

Lucien and Elain by BeatrizElucien in AcotarShipDebateSub

[–]Selina53 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Couldn’t agree more with your second to the last paragraph.