Thorny but Sweet Bunny

And my girl deserves so much better than Cassian. That man literally described a life with her as one in shackles. Like, Nesta, girl, you deserve better.

Feyre broke the wards in Hybern to let the IC get away but had to pull an act to sell it and ensure no one would come after them, so she pretends to have been mind controlled by Rhysand and saved by Tamlin. "You freed me" referring to the bargain tattoo with Rhysand that she begged the KoH and then Tamlin to break.

Tamlin is slightly sceptical so she tries to appeal to what she thinks he wants most - the sense of relief, pride, duty fulfilled - successfully accomplishing what he was trying to do all along since UtM, find a way to break the bargain.

But Tamlin doesn't accept the credit, instead saying "You freed yourself". He (mostly) believes that she broke free of Rhysand's mind control by herself, by mastering a part of her new powers. More importantly I think it signals a shift in their dynamic - Tamlin knows he messed up before in the way he handled their relationship and tried to do what he thought was best for her. It marks the end of the protector/protected roles they had once had, and he recognizes that she's capable of defending herself to a certain degree now.

He's not perfect still, he tells her to "rest" (how could he, he should have given her a choice) but he seeks out Ianthe to tell her off which is NOT something he did earlier on in the book.

Even though Feyre is trying to manipulate Tamlin here (and I do believe he doesn't realize it), he genuinely does not take the bait and chooses to compliment her ability and self-sufficiency instead.

nesta wishes feyre happy birthday, she thanks elain for her gifts, and sits quietly, allowing them to continue with their presents. meanwhile mor gives cassian silk boxers that match the lingerie set he got her. nesta even kisses elain on the head before she leaves. she is 100% polite.

the next chapter is Cassian's pov and it starts with "he'd had enough. enough of the coldness, the sharpness. enough of the sword-straight spine and razor-sharp stare that had only honed itself these months"

Tamlin dismantled his father's old ruling structure, got rid of slavery, welcomed refugees and included their traditions in the yearly celebrations of his subjects, walked among and played for his people, didn't enforce rank, had both male and female sentries and gave more options to people who can't pay a tithe instead of enforcing traditional hunting

Spring Court citizens are very accepting of new traditions and are sexualy liberal. They welcomed refugees as one of their own, gladly celebrate their traditions with them and they don't see orgies and open sexual acticities as something strange or immoral. Spring Court also doesn't have brothels which indicates there is no need for them in a society so accepting of casual sexual relationships

It's bizzare how the narrative in acomaf tries to reframe it as conservative, how it ignore all the previous informations presented to the readers in the first acotar book.

Instead it gaslit readers into believing that isolated, segregated, slums having, brothels having, female mutilation performing Night Court is somehow less conservative and traditional. As if IC didn't shame and punished Nesta for sleeping around, as if Rhysand didn't constantly enforce rank on other people, as if the ban on wing clipping wasn't enforced

Feyre in the Spring Court run around in tunics, rode horses, visited villages and hunted.

Feyre in the Night Court was imprisoned in a palace and a bubble, forced to wear sexy dresses Rhysand choose for her, got pregnant at very young age and was paraded around with heavy belly and skimpy dress do satisfy her husband's male pride

I'm sorry are we talking about the same woman who used her terrifying, cauldron given magic to turn a house into a friend who gives her chocolate cake and smutty books? The same woman who nearly cried because Ember stuck up for her?

I want to see the sisters struggling, taking steps back for every few forward and lashing out at each other. I want there to be some tension between Feyre & Elain and Emerie and Gwyn, because of how close the later are to Nesta, and how well they understand her on the Archeron sisters part, but out of protectiveness of Nesta on the Valkyrie's part. And more tension with the IC, with Feyre, Elain and the Valkyries blocking them from trying to use Nesta's trauma for their benefit, or blame her or anything else. Let's see Feyre actually see the IC, or parts of them, for who they are. Let her desire to protect Nesta and make amends with her sisters put strain on her relationship with her found family. In a 'words that can never be taken back, changed the friendship forever' kind of way.

I just want the sisterly reconciliation to be the slowest of slow burns. I want it messy, and hard, and full of each of them learning that they deserve better than what they were given, acknowledging their roles in harming each other, not just Nesta. Like, think Feyre pushing the Lucine thing, Elain being a bitch to Nesta when she visited her in the HOW, and even how they react to the Kelpi. Like, Feyre's been SAed before, by her husband. Let the girls help each other recognise abuse, and trauma, and perhaps see a therapist.

But in the end, I want Feyre and Nesta to ride for Nesta as hard her stans do. I want them clocking the BS when they see it, from each other, from Cassina, from the rest of the IC. All of it. And I want them understanding the true meaning of family, even if what they become isn't what they thought family was meant to be. I beg of you, someone please write this.

Rhysand having a 500 year old building torn down to force Nesta into rehab.

I won’t even get into every single detail, but there are two major points that really bothered me.

First, it bothers me that the High Lords were treated like ordinary faeries. The Night Court constantly acts with this sense of superiority over the others, as if they don’t owe any respect to fellow rulers. The entire scene made the other High Lords look weak, which is absurd. And where the hell were the consequences for attacking people during the meeting? We already know there were protections against that in place.

Second, the way Beron was reduced to a complete joke.

Through Lucien, we know Beron is a terrible person, manipulative and untrustworthy. But he’s also the oldest High Lord. His age should give him advantages — experience, political intelligence, knowledge, the ability to position himself strategically. Nobody stays in power that long by being an idiot. He should’ve been ACOTAR’s Tywin Lannister.

Instead, the meeting made him look pathetic.

Feyre attacks him and he suddenly seems intimidated by her. Rhys destroying his chair felt like some childish middle school prank. And while I like Tamlin, him grabbing Beron by the throat also felt ridiculous to me.

When Tamlin had to make a woman profess her love for him in order to save all of Prythian at the risk of her getting harmed, he sent Feyre home.

Eris literally warned Nesta that if she stayed with the Night Court, she’d risk her ruin… and honestly the narrative keeps proving him right.

JUST A REMINDER THIS HAPPENED AT HER OWN HOUSE :

“face was nearly vacant”

“She sounded thin, brittle”

“Nesta had that look, too. Like she was processing a lot of things.”

“Nesta’s shoulders tensing, her head bowing.”

“her fingers surprisingly cold”

“that bruised look lingered in her eyes”

“The pain in her eyes-the guilt-seemed to deepen.”

“A muscle ticked in her jaw. Like she was holding back a giant wave of raw emotion. Only a wall of steel kept it at bay.”