#pro chaol

Chaol Westfall somewhere in the MaasVerse:

…because I liked him in every book before that.

I liked him in Throne of Glass, where he kills a man to save Celaena’s 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 rebels—who literally kidnapped him the previous book—to 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.

Honestly? I completely agree and I don’t think it’s a hot take at all. Aelin’s 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 she’s the smartest person in the room. Fast-forward to Book 7, and she’s still making major decisions behind everyone’s 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. It’s hard to call that "growth".

Even the trauma she suffers in Kingdom of Ash doesn’t lead to noticeable change in how she treats people or how she carries responsibility. Her self-sacrifice is framed as heroic, but it doesn’t come with emotional humility or a deeper shift in worldview. She’s 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.

“Lord Darrow,” she said, inclining her head. She couldn’t help the crooked grin. “You look toasty.” Darrow’s plain face remained unmoved. Unimpressed. Well, then. Aelin watched Darrow, waiting—refusing to break his stare until he bowed. A dip of his head was all he offered. “A bit lower,” she purred. Aedion’s gaze snapped to her, full of warning. Darrow did no such thing.”

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 it’s 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 Ruhn and Lidia after he straight up shoots her in the leg to stop her from trying to go against someone and protect her sons…

If you love Rowan and Aelin after he literally punched her in the face and told her she was better off dead like her family….

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 snow…

If your ok with ALLLLL of that…don’t go after people who still love Tamlin/Nesta & Chaol. Or people who want Tamlin to get a happy ending too.

If you don’t think it’s problematic for all these other couples to be together after the things they’ve done in the books then you have no right to say anyone’s problematic for wanting another fictional character to get a happy ending too.

& to be clear this is all fictional. I don’t think there is anything wrong loving any of these couples or romance stories because they aren’t real. They take place in a fictional world with different morals/standards ect. I actually love most of these couples too… but you can’t 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.

“But it’s different because SJM put a domestic violence hotline in the books so it’s her intention to make tamlin abusive and no one else”

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 it’s abuse. It’s even ironic in Hofas rhysand explodes a room in anger towards nesta and it triggers Ember. SJM wrote this but you think she wouldn’t think this is abuse? Come on now.

We all have different triggers and that’s very valid.We all like different characters and ships and that’s 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.