100 % Spooky

I’m going to make some predictions for the book so possible SPOILER warnings and appropriate tags to follow:

1. There will be some connection to the the Throne of Glass books- as I mentioned in my other post the books makes it a point to talk about how riceman built some space calendar thing to like ponder other worlds and stuff so like I’m sure it will come up or be mentioned since we already got like a brief scene of Ae/lin like flying over Velaris (can’t remember what book that happened in)

2. The book also lets us know that it may be possible to fix clipped wings it would just take complicated magic or something so I suspect Nes/ta is going to somehow find that she has the power to fix the wings and she will form some kind of female flying battalion

(This post will contain spoilers for the A Court of Thorns and Roses series, including A Court of Mist and Fury, A Court of Wings and Ruin and A Court of Silver Flames. There will also be frank discussions of sex, pregnancy, sexual violence and alcoholism.)

The ACOTAR series has long been lauded for its allegedly strong heroines, uplifting romances, sex positivity and explorations of female empowerment. I have often found these claims dubious at best and outright contradictory at worst, as past forays into the series have shown me little progress has been made in the genre of paranormal romance wherein dominant, alpha male love interests conquer and claim the female lead whether or not she is willing. The only thing that appears to have evolved is the thin veneer of illusion that she has a “choice” in the matter and yet the forces of fate and narrative combined will determine to push her into the eager arms of this brutish man regardless. Resistance is futile. Alternative paths are closed. There is no escape from the shackles of traditional femininity and heteronormative gender roles.

The series originally follows Feyre Archeron as she is taken from the human lands to the fae society over the Wall as penance for killing a fae disguised as a wolf. The fae society in this world is a martial one filled with warriors and a more primitive approach to gender relations. The words “male” and “female” are often used to refer to fae men and women. There are mystical forces that predetermine sexual partners and misogyny is rife. Feyre soon goes from the arms of one hypermasculine fae male known as Tamlin to another known as Rhysand and after a war with a neighbouring fae territory is resolved they are left to settle into their Happily Ever After.

In this instalment of the series, the romantic storyline follows Nesta Archeron, the elder sister of Feyre, and Cassian, the general of Feyre’s mate, Rhysand. Up to now Nesta has been grappling with being forced to turn into a High Fae by the series’ prior nemesis, the King of Hybern, whom she later killed during his war to claim the fae territories of Prythian across the channel. The ordeal has left her traumatised and angry at the world, engaging in increasingly spiralling behaviours until Feyre and Rhysand forcibly intervene.

Until I read this book I had never felt I was being peddled outright conservative agendas from Sarah J. Maas. Yet with each passing chapter, I was met with another in an extensive line of worrying implications and disturbing scenarios to a point I grew fearful I might not even be able to fit it all into this one review. Let us try, therefore, to take it step by step. I am going to be focusing on a few of the aspects that bothered me most. That is, the Heroine’s Journey itself, the Romance, the Sex (which will surely need its own section) and the Reproductive Trauma. Thus without further ado, let’s delve right in…

I’m going to make some predictions for the book so possible SPOILER warnings and appropriate tags to follow:

1. There will be some connection to the the Throne of Glass books- as I mentioned in my other post the books makes it a point to talk about how riceman built some space calendar thing to like ponder other worlds and stuff so like I’m sure it will come up or be mentioned since we already got like a brief scene of Ae/lin like flying over Velaris (can’t remember what book that happened in)

2. The book also lets us know that it may be possible to fix clipped wings it would just take complicated magic or something so I suspect Nes/ta is going to somehow find that she has the power to fix the wings and she will form some kind of female flying battalion