#aramantha

A Court of Thorns and Roses

SYNOPSIS:

Feyre's survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price ...

Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre's presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.

DISCUSSION:

Feyre Archeon           

Feyre begins by having a strange, cold, withdrawn mask that hides her warmth and compassion. She is very stubborn and keeps her promises, although she is quite a natural at lying. She has a fiery, rebellious, daring side to her that hates rules, and is very curious as to the world around her.

“She stole a life, now she must pay with her heart”

This quote absolutely summarizes all the happenings in the book. It all started when she’s out in the woods, hunting for them to have a meal that day. She found a doe then quietly arched her bow to an aim but then not far away from the doe, she spotted a big wolf-like creature. She realized that the wolf is aiming for the doe also, without thinking she released her aim after the wolf (she thought it is a Fae) lunged for the doe. Suprisingly, the wolf doesn’t even fight, it just stared at her and waited for it’s death. Atleast for some sort of reason, she might be the one to save them all.

The day after she killed the wolf. There was a loud bang at their door and it flew open, revealing a big beast-like creature with claws and horns. It stormed inside, questioning who killed the wolf. Shaking, Feyre confesses and asked for the price. The beast was impressed by her nerve and tells her that she could fulfill her debt by spending her life in Prythian.

She arrives (consciously) in the Spring Court at a nice, seemingly empty manor. She is taken into a dining room by the beast who, with a flash of light, transformed into a blond, young man with a mask. Tamlin.

“I love you, thorns and all”

Living in the immortal world of Faeries, Prythian, it was very hard for Feyre to cope up with the surrounding knowing that Tamlin once warned her by the dangerous creatures lurking at their lands. Slowly but surely, Feyre was really falling for Tamlin’s care and gentleness to her. It was only a matter of three days after Tamlin sent away Feyre back to their village saying his bid of goodbye, which may be the last “I love you, thorns and all” 

Feyre realizes it all when she heard the news of the Beddor Family. She returned to Prythian and found out that Tamlin and all his men was summoned to Aramantha’s throne, now that Tamlin’s cursed has been void and that the entire Spring Court will be now on Aramantha’s ruling.

Feyre made a bargain to Aramantha which Alis strongly advised to her not to make a bargain once she entered the cave. But she still did for her love to Tamlin and the rest of his court. She fought until she managed to complete all the task with the help of Lucien’s healing and Rhysand’s.

Rhysand made a bargain with her, for winning the bet and offered to heal her wounds and fever. Feyre agreed and now is sold to Rhysand (which he tattooed her) for she will spend every week of her soul each month for the rest of her life at the Night Court with Rhysand.

Feyre died at her third trial after she managed to answer the riddle which was given to her by Aramantha before the trial all started. Tamlin’s power returned and lashed out Aramantha’s body. He weeped for Feyre’s body but the other High Lords offered their healing to Feyre and she awoke, becoming an immortal High Fae and will live the rest of the centuries with Tamlin.

This retelling novel of the Beauty and the Beast is truly a High Lit! The writing was so so so amazing which comes along with a seductive romance, it literally made me so eager to read the next book. Can’t wait to know what will happen next. The Court of Mist and Fury here I come~

(c) photos

Finally finished the sketch portraits of all the major ladies of hybern (and ianthe). The portraits goes as follows starting on the third image:

1. Aramantha (right), Clythia (left)— the captain-general of the first army and the (former) lieutenant of said army

2. Moxuan— stewardess to cnoc ah riabh, capital of hybern, patron to all major merchant guilds and unofficial equerry to uther

3. Ianthe— socialite and priestess from rosewood, was not invited to afternoon tea

4. Brannagh (with a rough dagdan in the corner)— the crown princess of modern hybern, is the official equerry of the reigning monarch alongside her twin

5. Ynmyn— court mage and master of executions; runs the entire healthcare system in her spare time and maintains the third army

6. Medb— former crown princess of hybern from a era better known as mythical. Has dead for thousands of years but in recent centuries, finds herself roaming now unfamiliar halls in unlife; giving advice to those who can and are willing to listen

One of the aspects of acotar's world that I think was completely squandered (particularly bc of the hibernophobia).

I feel like it's not really talked about enough that the previous hls felt comfortable wining and dining at the same table as aramantha. You can attribute a lot of this to arrogance that the power given to them by divine right made them invincible is why they didn't take the potential threat seriously, but it's explicitly stated that they fought aramantha (as the major general of all of hybern's forces) during the slave's war. And yes, hybern did lose, but that makes it all the more strange. The previous lords (unless you hc one died interim precanon) should at least be wary or conscious of a general who would rather slaughter her prisoners and slaves en masse over conceding victory. A general, who comes from a nation whose known to employ scorched earth tactics and utilize weapons that turns an opponent's power against themselves.

To add onto this (though it might've been retconned) , aramantha based utm on hewn city. Not hewn city of rhys senior's reign, but rhysand's iteration of hewn. That alone has so many implications for hybern, aramantha, pre war hierarchical dynamics and rhysand himself. Combine that with how beron was angry about even entertaining the idea of assisting humans against hybern during the hl meeting and how its implied that uther (king of hybern) + his ilk are fairie supremacists, it begs the question:

if the human lands were a completely separate landmass from fae prythian, would any of the high lords even want fight against hybern or simply consider the potential genocide of a species acceptable collateral for thier safety?

And sadly, I don't think the answer is a unilateral yes.

Clythia

Aífe