#fae lore

The idea of him being a nymph (born adolescent, from a tree) makes so much sense but is that mutually exclusive with being gentry? Cuz like Io’s former grove has a gentry matriarch and wouldn’t that gentry also be a nymph? Or something related?

I’m having so much fun digging my teeth into this worldbuilding like I’m about to start drawing diagrams

Gentry typically do not normally spawn in the way in Virgil, Linda and Durant do, or the way Collie and Mimi do in Seedlings. what's usually happening when a fae spontaneously arises like this is that the surrounding ambient magic has become so dense in that spot that it coalesces into a fae

Gentry are so powerful, even as children, that its very hard for enough of this magic to coalesce to spawn one. not impossible, but very rare. Mother is able to create powerful children herself, so its not quite the same thing thats happening to spawned children.

Gentry are one of the few fae that can mostly only reproduce through tab a slot b sexual reproduction, and gentry with periods only have them 1-2 times a year (every 28-30 weeks)

Kissa is Gentry, but her spouse Ama was a nymph, so half their children are gentry who were born by Kissa and the other half are nymphs spawned by proximity. then the next generation spawns more and more nymph proximity children, while the gentry reproduce much slower, so Io and Briar's generation (Briar is Kissa and Ama's great granddaughter) is mostly nymphs

There’s a certain kind of stillness today. Not empty, just the sense of something being out there. Of hearing the magic of the world and nature better. There are glimmering and sunshiny presences, beings made of fairy dust and light. 🧚🏻

Beltane hasn’t arrived yet. It’s waiting. And something in the world feels loosened, like the edges aren’t holding as tightly as they usually do. The air is softer, but sharper too. As if it’s paying attention back.

They say this is when the veil thins. Not tomorrow: now. In this in-between.

You don’t suddenly see anything. It’s quieter than that. A flicker where there shouldn’t be one. The sense that something moved just outside your focus.

The old stories call them the Fae. Not gentle, not kind, just there. Drawn to sweetness, to gardens, to edges. To places where things are just beginning to grow wild.

I was reading about willow today. How it bends, how it belongs to water and the moon. There’s that idea that if you shape a small circle from it and look through, you might catch a glimpse of something you usually miss. Not because it appears, but because you finally notice! This is called a Willow Faerie Eye.

Days and nights like this change the way you see.

If you step outside at dusk, to the edge of something—garden, forest, water—and just stand there for a moment… the world feels slightly off-balance. Alive in a way that doesn’t belong entirely to us. That is... the presence of the Fae.

I was inspired in part by Anjou Kiernan’s beautiful book, The Ultimate Guide to the Witch’s Wheel of the Year

Burn your Beltane fires high! Even if it's a candle, like for me it will be this year.

First things first, I think it’s perfectly fine to make comparisons between authors and their works on a blog if that’s what you want to do.

Regarding ACOTAR’s worldbuilding, it’s detailed enough and immersive for romantasy or romance readers. That said, fantasy readers might notice certain gaps or inconsistencies that others may not. This is natural, given both the scope of a large series and the different ways readers from various genres approach and interpret fantasy elements.

As for references to fae lore, Feyre’s initial descriptions in Book 1 suggest that the fae are inspired by traditional folklore. Rhysand, in particular, seems constructed in a way that reflects these traits, which I’ve noted in my tags. Later in the series, however, the fae are portrayed more like the characters in Throne of Glass and Crescent City, which feels more elves-inspired than strictly aligned with fae folklore. I’m not the first to highlight this, and while I don’t mean to sound pedantic, these kinds of observations and deep dives into creature lore are common and entirely natural within fantasy-reading communities, where readers often enjoy comparing how creatures and magic align with folklore or established traditions. So, in terms of fantasy readers’ expectations, the lore carries its own weight.

That said, while it’s not necessary to know traditional folklore to enjoy the books, readers are free to make comparisons if they wish. This doesn’t change the fact that these characters are not human: they have their own mindset. Even within ACOTAR’s worldbuilding, where fae are more humanized, that distinction remains clear. Applying human standards to creatures who clearly operate under different rules feels superficial and, honestly, diminishes the complexity of the characters. This was, in fact, the main point of my previous post, which seems to have been overlooked.

Idea originally from this post by @lovelylightkeep on Twitter! Enjoy! ^^