a little delulu

He's not.

Morally grey characters do not get an entire chapter of monolgue where they can explain(badly) their actions. Morally grey characters do not explain and justify their actions at all. Because their morals do not align with the general public.

Tell me one morally grey character in fiction who got an entire chapter dedicated to explain and justify themselves. Even then his explanation is...lacking, it's justified with "he had to protect Velaris and his family" not the Night Court, his citizens but Velaris. Chapter 54 of acomaf is written to make us feel bad for him and see where he was coming from, but once again his explanation is horrible. (Or at least is it if you can look past his moderately sad background). And both the text and the characters tell us that yes his actions were justified and there's nothing wrong with him, he's not bad.

Morally grey characters are not written like that.

Sjm told us via page that Rhys is not a bad person and that every one if his actions are justified instead of letting us decide. And because of that he's not morally grey.

Like suddenly it stops being a problem once she’s only sleeping with the one guy everyone (the characters not the audience) wants her to end up with.

Either cassian is completely toxic because he definitely knows all about nutrition or sjm is genuinely fucking dumb. No sugar on oatmeal? For a person with ED? Seriously?!?

Not to mention the training?!? She was malnourished and traumatized and mentally unwell and instead of getting her a therapist and some fucking space to breathe, they locked her in a house with a person, who sexually harrassed her multiple times, and forced her to train and eat by a set plan which she had no say in.

It also fits with Rhysand's powers as a mind manipulator, his abuse never leaves physical marks and is invisible and therefore not real. It is a pretty harmful view on abuse imo, to only view it as physical manifestation, be it malnutrition or wounds. It is repeated over and over again: lucien is abused bc he is seen wounded even though we never see how it happened, nesta is healed bc she is eating again, tamlin only registers as hurt in the narrative once he is physically thinner and unkempt.

D20 On a Bus - romantasy version.

No, really, think about it. The entire ACOTAR series is a printed game of "yes and" with no rules except the ones you make up on the spot - or also take away on the spot.

Feyre was once a traumatized young woman who had some compassion for others? Well, now she's traumatized and entitled to everything and everyone around her.

Shouldn't Rhysand and the IC make a more diplomatic approach to Tarquin to get the Book of Breathings? Nope, theft it is.

Should Rhysand and the IC really rely on a glass orb that shows you stuff without context or sound to human queens who have no reason to trust them? Eh, it works out mostly.

Mates are likely just the universe trying to get the next powerful child out of a couple, but that won't stop people from hoping the partners they're with will be mated to them.

Hey, cool, a new antagonist! I wonder what they'll do? What are their motives? Oh, they're killed off pretty quickly.

The fact that Illyrians allowed him to be educated, without anyone advocating for this bastard child (under like five years old) doesn’t make any sense. Furthermore, the IC claim that the Illyrians value status, BECAUSE noble bloodlines have strong offsprings and they value strength/power… Then why do they still not respect Cassian, Rhysand, and Azriel? We’re told on multiple occasions on how powerful they are and that they’re the most powerful Illyrians within the past few centuries.

Additionally, if they’re so against bastards— why did they allow three to train simultaneously? I understand Rhysand being allowed to train because well he’s the High Lord’s son. But Cassian and Az? Well, Az does have super special powers, which also doesn’t make sense for Illyrians to care about… because no one can train him. Illyrians don’t have any other magic abilities except power beams. 🧍

And because of my issues with… plot holes and murky cultural values— I head cannon that Lord Devlon, the Illyrian who trained the bat boys, was the one to advocate for Cassian and put him in training. I think Devlon may be the closest thing to a father figure Cass had. It’s a messy relationship, and Devlon isn’t nice by any means… but like— the Illyrians very much make me think of the actual military. And soldiers are usually not very nice to each other. But no matter how mean someone is, they are still professional enough to work towards a common goal. And Devlon being as experienced as he is saw potential in Cass and put him to training— or maybe he knew his dad.

Also as a side note: Why can’t any character have decent parents? I swear every character in ACOTAR has shitty parents and hate them. 😭 can there not be nuance? I’m feel like these characters hate too easily. Or that the parent is so polarized. I for one also head cannon that Rhysand’s dad actually loved him. Maybe he messed up a lot, or was so very busy, but overall he loved Rhysand. Just, in his own way which again isn’t healthy and confused the hell out of Rhys. But I think these relationships shouldn’t be so cut and dry.