MisanthropicReader

Follow up to this post

All right! Here are my husband's thoughts after finishing ACOWAR.

[Laughs]. "This Drakon guy is roasting Lucien. He didn't even find Vassa!" [More laughter]

"Lucien's interactions with Vassa were pretty telling. He doesn't act like that around Elain. His interactions with Elain were lukewarm at best. Those two just aren't into each other."

"The biggest threat to Azriel isn't Lucien, but Graysen. Graysen isn't a threat at all really, but you can tell Elain mourns for the life she lost. If Lucien weren't her mate, he wouldn't factor in at all."

"Honestly, Lucien isn't terrible, but he's just an unserious guy. He's not ambitious. If he could choose, I don't think he would choose to be the son of a High Lord."

"The three brothers and three sisters thing is pretty obvious. Those last few scenes reiterated them spending time together and hinting at the future."

It's performative BS that's actually about wanting Elain to leave the Night Court so she's far away from Azriel, her canon love interest. Then, she can follow around a man she doesn't want while he tries to figure out his purpose. Because of the bond. Because of HIS happiness.

It's not happening.

Follow-up to this post

He just finished reading the scenes where Azriel saved Elain and gave her Truth Teller.

"There was no pushback about Azriel going on a suicide mission to save Elain...even though he's one of the most essential warriors...and it's right before a massive battle where he's needed."

"The group had this whole cost benefit analysis discussion that made it seem like not everyone was worth saving...some of them would've left Briar behind. But they saw the value of saving Elain." It's almost like...she's integral to the future of the story and has an important place within the IC, and not just as Feyre's sister.

"Azzy boy gave Elain Truth Teller and then told her she wouldn't need it? [Laughs] He's still going to find a way to protect her even if he's injured. He's obviously into her."

"If it was just platonic, why not give Truth Teller to Nesta? Or Feyre? Like if it didn't mean anything, then why did he give it to Elain specifically?" Indeed.

"I know that Cassian and Nesta will obviously end up together, but I think the author has done even more to set up Elain and Azriel. There has been so much in this book to connect those two together, from him realizing she's a Seer to the rescue scene to giving her Truth Teller."

Bonus: I asked him what's on the cover of the book.

"Um, Truth Teller, shadows, and Elain's flowers?"

When I told him some people don't think it's Truth Teller, he said: "Is there definitive proof that it's Truth Teller? No. But a reasonable person would assume that it is because that was such a pinnacle scene in the book."

Just embracing my dark side by understanding author intent and supporting my opinions with canon 🦹🏻‍♀️😈

Elain, on the other hand, cannot be replaced. SJM has given her traits that make her indispensable to the plot and the trajectory of the story.

Made and able to wield the Dread Trove

A Cauldron made seer who is loved by the Cauldron

An Archeron sister

"Wow. His shadows just disappeared around her."

"What do you think that means?"

"He's comfortable around her. The shadows hide him literally and figuratively, but they leave around her. He's showing himself to her."

Then, he reads the scene where Lucien doesn't know what's going on with Elain, and how he was able to tug on the bond.

"He sounds skeptical that he can figure out what's going on with her. Like his voice is unconvinced. And then he's surprised that he could tug on the bond and something was actually there. It's like he knows that it's off or something. And really, when you think about the Cauldron, it all felt like a science experiment, like no one really knew how it would turn out and Elain and Nesta were just guinea pigs, so the whole thing had some positive effects but seems to have some negative ones too."

Then, he reads the scene where Az realizes Elain is a seer.

"He's a badass spy who is the ears of the Night Court and she's a seer? The ears and eyes? Talk about a power couple."

He has been cucked, emasculated, exiled, etc. Some things are legit sad, and for that, I feel bad for him.

But many of these are prime examples of why he won't be a MMC.

Let's consider:

He talked back to Amarantha and she took his eye.

Beron killed his first love and possible mate

He left the Autumn Court

Rhys made him kneel and called him "Fox Boy"

He is no longer welcome in the Spring Court

Feyre saved him from Ianthe

Cassian and Azriel saved him and Feyre from his brothers

Azriel carried him

His mate isn't interested in him

He didn't fit in in the Night Court

He left to find Vassa and stayed in the mortal lands (where Nesta would have been sent to essentially be exiled), thus he's in the Band of Exiles

He lives in Elain's ex's estate

Mor said he can't be trusted

He doesn't appear to have great fitness levels despite being chiseled

His mate shrinks in his presence and does not seem to enjoy his gifts

His mate was aroused by and ready to kiss another male while he was in the house

Despite the power of flame, we have rarely seen him use it, which makes me question how powerful he actually is

He doesn't know that his dad is actually Helion

I'm sure there's far more that I've forgotten.

The point is, he is not being set up for a traditional HEA, and he's not MMC material. SJM doesn't make a habit of emasculating and unmooring the MMC. In a non-fantasy story, he would be the character we would be worried about. The one who would be found in a gutter somewhere, who would meet a tragic end, or who would need surveillance because people are worried he would snap. And I recognize this IS fantasy so he could have a huge turnaround. But consider when Rhys was under Amarantha's control, he still had power. He was sexy and won Feyre over. We did not see him be emasculated. He was cool and cunning. Nesta protected Cassian more than once, but he got injured in the call of duty as a warrior. We didn't see him be emasculated either.

So when we see how the MMCs are treated, Lucien is not being set up to be one. He will not be a High Lord. He will not rule the Day Court. I suspect he will stay in the Mortal Lands with Vassa and become mortal or she will become Fae or be revealed as Fae.

"Lucien loosed a heavy sigh and slid an arm around my waist. The other threading through my hair to cradle my head. 'I'm sorry,' he murmured. 'I'm sorry.' He held me, stroking soothing lines down my back, and I calmed my weeping, those seawater tears drying up like wet sand in the sun."

This doesn't sound like an ass out hug.

How often do you thread your fingers through your friend's hair when you hug?

Do you usually have all of your clothes on?

Also, what about Elain?

Why do they back away "too swiftly to be casual"?

Tamlin didn't end up with Feyre because he would've been rewarded for betraying her family. Same goes for Lucien. He's not going to end up with Elain because he was part of her trauma. SJM SAID SO.

Who showed up for Elain in her trauma? Azriel. He took her to the garden, listened to her talk about her gardening plans, and saved her when she was about to be traumatized (or worse) again.

Remember when Cassian knew that Nesta was his mate, but he waited to confront her about it because he wanted to make sure she was open to it? Even though she was reluctant to accept the mating bond, she wasn't reluctant to accept Cassian himself. She already had, it was fully accepting her new life that was the problem.

Remember when Lucien knew that Elain was his mate, but he didn't wait to tell her? ELs can say he was traumatized all day long. They can say that Elain hasn't fully acclimated to Fae life so there's still time for her to accept him (even though canon suggests otherwise). But SJM very clearly differentiated the EL bond with the other two for a reason. We're supposed to say, hey, something fishy is going on here (couldn't help myself). This isn't like the other two. She all but confirmed it in the CHD interview.

That would be some pretty shitty timing, wouldn't it? I mean, she was with Tamlin, newly Fae, still learning about the history and culture, etc.

It's almost like...a romance that is meant to happen organically...doesn't start with a declaration of staking a claim on someone in a traumatic moment.