SJFWrites

What annoyed me most is that lack of time given to Bryce/Hunt in general. The start of this book sends them both down completely different roads. Bryce discovering that she’s basically the only one how can defeat the Asterie and Hunt reliving the worst shit.

I get why Bryce is so keen to push on (the fate of the entire world has been put on her shoulders and they literally have no choice at this point, there’s no bowing out of the fight unless they escape to another world)

and I get why Hunt can’t see a way to continue watching the people he loves die.

how do you say goodbye, you know? it’s not an unfriend and block kind of situation. but you watch the people you once loved go on and have a life and you’re outside of it. and it’s bittersweet because of course it’s okay that you’re both thriving. but she used to be who you’d call if you needed to cry. she used to be who’d you’d be binge watching the new series with. you used to be hers, in a way, even if that way wasn’t permanent. and now she’s someone else and so are you and your friendship is clicking heart shapes next to pictures where she smiles next to people you’ve never met. you know where her birthmark is. she knows where you’ve buried your dead.

tbona (spoilers!!):

I just finished ACOSF about a week ago, and then I found out about the Azriel bonus POV chapter. Full disclosure, Azriel is my favourite character of the series, and I have fallen into reddit rabbit holes on people’s takes. We’re going through point by point on why people think he’s an asshole/gross and explaining why he’s not.

- Lets get this out of the way, most people in this world have sexual wants and needs in the privacy of their own mind and home. As long as it doesn’t get anywhere near illegal, and doesn’t affect the world around them, that is fine. Az is allowed to have sexual desires. It does not make him a bad person (or Fae in this case)

- He is jealous of his brothers because they have found the people they will spend their lives with, and he is just him. Again, jealousy is a normal feeling as long as it doesn’t cause anyone else harm.

-Az and Elain got each other gifts, and as far as we are aware, she did not get one for Lucien.

-WHILE WE ARE HERE: LUCIEN IS MATED TO ELAIN, BUT ELAIN IS NOT MATED TO LUCIEN. She does NOT have to reciprocate his feelings, give him attention, or even enjoy his company. I love his character too, but people need to remember the mating is seemingly (as of right now) one sided.

- Elain knows Azriel is attracted to her and doesn’t recoil or avoid him like she does Lucien.

- She asks Az to put the necklace on her. And I’m sorry, but that is romantic AF and a super tender moment between the two. She invites him closer and asks him to help her wear the gift he got her. 

-Elain shivers at his touch, which can also be seen as her desire towards him. It’s a romantic fantasy, Feyre has also shivered at the gentle touch of Rhys. This is a normal reaction, especially if your sexual desire/drive is heating up towards someone.

- Again, this whole scene with the necklace is supposed to be romantic with sexual undertones. He’s getting aroused by being near someone he has feelings for, and based on her reactions, she’s feeling the same. Again, romantic fantasy with spicy scenes. Az sexually aroused. The difference here is with people with a penis, when they are aroused it shows. Elain’s actions/reactions suggest she may be too (the shivering) but as people who don’t have a penis really don’t have identifying signs of arousal, her’s is more hidden.

- This isn’t even the most crude thing SJM has written towards arousal. Cassian and Nesta were horndogs their whole book but no one cared.

- We’re human, most of us have wondered what sex with someone we’re attracted to would be like. Again, normal. Again, spicy romantic fantasy.

-Elain is biting her lower lip, another sign of sexual arousal, she also is free to leave but chooses not to.

- HE CAN SENSE HER AROUSAL 

- Again, she shudders, same as shivers at his touch. The chapter says she’s so close to him that one breath would have her pressed up against him. She looks up at him hopeful and trusting. SHE WANTS HIM TO KISS HER.

- SHE IS INTO THIS INTERACTION

- When he holds her and goes in to kiss her, again, spicy romance, hair holding is spicy, she parts her mouth and her eyes fluttered shut, fluttered in the sense of consensual romance is flirty. This interaction is CONSENSUAL.

- Rhys ruins everything.

- When Az says the whole thing is a mistake she looks hurt and confused. She thought he wanted the interaction too. She apologizes because she thought she misread the situation.

- He takes responsibility for the whole thing

- The Caudron is their creator, Az is questioning faith and fate not claiming ownership in anyway. Same with the three sisters for three brothers. He’s questioning their worlds driving force. 

-Sidenote: I write, I write a lot. From a writers perspective, yeah Azriel and Elain plot wise makes much more sense than Az and Gwyn or Lucien and Elain. Is it basic and predictable? Yup. Does that make it bad? Not at all. Anyway…

- Rhys is the one suggesting Az thinks he deserves her, is his answer great, no, but Lucien definitely thinks he deserves Elain so why don’t people think that is wrong?

- Running into Gwyn when he leaves and their little back and forth was cute and I don’t mind them together, more on this later.

- The necklace. I hate that thing. Az drops it off to Clotho and after saying give it to Gwyn, and not to say it’s from him, he does say, “If there is another priestess here who might appreciate it, give it to them. But I am not taking that necklace with me when I leave.”

- It sounds more like he just wants to see someone happy to have it and not having that awkward, embarrassing moment returning it to the store and Gwyn came to mind. If it fair to Gwyn? Absolutely not! Is it fair to Elain? No! It would feel awful for both of those women to know about the whole situation. 

- His final thoughts on her being happy and something sparking in his chest DO suggest something between the two but honestly I don’t see how their relationship would send the plot forward.

Final thoughts:

On Elain: At the end of the day, Azriel is an idiot, and that is what this bonus chapter proves. He and Elain clearly have sexual desire/attraction for each other, and his interaction with her was consensual. His feelings of arousal are normal behaviour, it’s a normal feeling, and as long as what piques someone’s sexual interest isn’t illegal, then why are so many people hating on this? Think of your significant other (if you have one.) Did they arouse you when you started dating? Even eventually for all my demis out there. Did you wonder what sex would be like with them? Did you think of them when you were aroused? Congratulations, you are some sort of human.

Elriel or Gwynriel: Could swing either way. I prefer Elriel for plot purposes, I also think 3 brothers to 3 sisters makes sense. I don’t see how a Elain/Lucien plot would move the series along, it would remove the story from the IC and Velaris to places and to people we don’t care as much about.

Moriel was all out in the open, everyone knew about Azriel's love and desire for Mor, there was no secret around it. There were impersonal gifts and inside jokes. And yet, with so many eyes on it, so many opinions, so many hopes pinned on 'maybe, soon' it was always empty and hollow and one-sided.

Elriel is so quiet. It's soft and intimate, and no one really knows. Some suspect, but no one knows for sure. Yet, there is a tempest of emotions simmering underneath the calm facades. Elain, quiet and demure, with her secret glances, and Azriel, silent and aloof, with his head brimming with desire, with his soft touches.

Elriel is about a journey yet to be had. Secret gifts and forbidden love, stolen moments and clandestine meetings.