"We NeEd MoRe CoMpLeX cHaRaChTeRs!!!" and y'all couldn't even handle Nesta and Chaol. DON'T PISS ME OFF.

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"We NeEd MoRe CoMpLeX cHaRaChTeRs!!!" and y'all couldn't even handle Nesta and Chaol. DON'T PISS ME OFF.

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āAzriel can't have a book because SJM only have female protagonistā
Chaol Westfall somewhere in the MaasVerse:
I can't get over the parallels between Lorcan using his magic to brace Elide's ankle and ultimately sacrificing his immortality to tie his life to Elide's, and Yrene using her magic to brace Chaol's spine and also tying her life to Chaol's.
I cannot understand people who say āyou canāt understand Chaol Westfall if you didnāt read Tower of Dawn.ā
ā¦because I liked him in every book before that.
I liked him in Throne of Glass, where he kills a man to save Celaenaās life.
I liked him in Crown of Midnight, where the loyalty he prides himself on leads to devastating consequences, and everything he believes about the world starts to unravel.
I liked him in Heir of Fire, where he joins the rebelsāwho literally kidnapped him the previous bookāto fight against the tyranny he once served.
I liked him in Queen of Shadows, where he struggles to face his best friend being possessed by the Valg.
I didnāt need Tower of Dawn to make me like Chaol.
Chaol "He did things to her neck and ear that made her forget her own name" Westfall

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I donāt know if this is a hot take but, it feels like Aelin is the same person she is in book seven as she is in book one, she never seems to grow or learn from anything at all. She just remains the bratty childish arrogant asshole she was at the start.
Honestly? I completely agree and I donāt think itās a hot take at all. Aelinās arc looks like a growth journey on the surface, but when you dig into the details, her personality and mindset stay mostly the same from Throne of Glass to Kingdom of Ash.
In Book 1, Celaena is arrogant, self-absorbed, and constantly convinced sheās the smartest person in the room. Fast-forward to Book 7, and sheās still making major decisions behind everyoneās back (Empire of Storms), still expecting total loyalty without offering full honesty. She never really apologizes or learns from her mistakes and faces almost no real consequences. Instead, people end up admiring her for her sacrifices, as if that justifies the manipulation.
Characters who offer a different perspective and challenge her: like Chaol in Queen of Shadows or Lord Weylan Darrow in Empire of Storms, are portrayed as antagonistic or outright villainous and the books back her up instead of exploring their concerns seriously. Itās hard to call that "growth".
Even the trauma she suffers in Kingdom of Ash doesnāt lead to noticeable change in how she treats people or how she carries responsibility. Her self-sacrifice is framed as heroic, but it doesnāt come with emotional humility or a deeper shift in worldview. Sheās still the same self-important, dramatic queen with a god complex, only now with a crown and a court that always validates her choices. There's little inner reflection or genuine vulnerability beyond surface-level trauma.
So yeah, she might change roles (from assassin to queen) and names (from Celaena to Aelin) but her mindset and attitude? Basically untouched.
So no, itās not a hot take. Itās a fair one. Aelinās arc is more about her rising in power than actually evolving as a person.
Aelin pissed me off so much in this chapter Chapter 4 Empire of Storms
āLord Darrow,ā she said, inclining her head. She couldnāt help the crooked grin. āYou look toasty.ā Darrowās plain face remained unmoved. Unimpressed. Well, then. Aelin watched Darrow, waitingārefusing to break his stare until he bowed. A dip of his head was all he offered. āA bit lower,ā she purred. Aedionās gaze snapped to her, full of warning. Darrow did no such thing.ā
MIND YOU THIS IS THEIR FIRST ENCOUNTER with someone whose help SHE NEEDS
Darrow is a prominent and influential lord in Terrasen whose help with the troop numbers is vital for the ensuing war, yet Aelin thinks itās a good idea to come across as completely arrogant in their very first encounter. I find it laughable that she demands total subservience before she has actually earned his trust or respect. It is so clear that she prioritises her own ego and desire for dominance over harmony and polite conversation. She comes across as immature and unlikeable here, and honestly, if I was Lord Darrow, I would hate her ass after this. After seeing her act like this, I could not agree more with Darrow and the other lords who are against her becoming queen, despite her lineage.
How Aelin felt in this scene:
Meanwhile Lord Darrow
If you love Feyre ending up with Rhysand after he physically emotionally and sexually abused her by todays standardsā¦.
If you love Ruhn and Lidia after he straight up shoots her in the leg to stop her from trying to go against someone and protect her sonsā¦
If you love Rowan and Aelin after he literally punched her in the face and told her she was better off dead like her familyā¦.
If you love Aedion & Lysandra after she conspired with his cousin to trick him and use him to have babies behind his back if it came down to it and then when he finds out is upset and throws her naked in the snowā¦
If your ok with ALLLLL of thatā¦donāt go after people who still love Tamlin/Nesta & Chaol. Or people who want Tamlin to get a happy ending too.
If you donāt think itās problematic for all these other couples to be together after the things theyāve done in the books then you have no right to say anyoneās problematic for wanting another fictional character to get a happy ending too.
& to be clear this is all fictional. I donāt think there is anything wrong loving any of these couples or romance stories because they arenāt real. They take place in a fictional world with different morals/standards ect. I actually love most of these couples too⦠but you canāt sit here and ignore allllll of this and super problematic themes and romances for all these couples but then judge others who just enjoy different fictional characters/ships.
āBut itās different because SJM put a domestic violence hotline in the books so itās her intention to make tamlin abusive and no one elseā
I can guarentee you if a man ever did to her best friend in real life what rhysand/rowan or 95% of the other men in her series did she would 100% think itās abuse. Itās even ironic in Hofas rhysand explodes a room in anger towards nesta and it triggers Ember. SJM wrote this but you think she wouldnāt think this is abuse? Come on now.
We all have different triggers and thatās very valid.We all like different characters and ships and thatās very valid. But I am so tired of people excusing allll of this and all these forms of abuse BUT then vilifying and judging anyone who still loves tamlin/nesta/ chaol or anyone who wants tamlin to get a romantic happy ending too after he heals.
If the abuse bothers you then call out ALL abuse. Not just for the characters you donāt like. Or at the very least stop judging people for liking other characters when ALL of these characters would be considered very problematic in real life.