its crazy that being in your early 20s so often feels like you're running out of time. we are at the beginning..................... what on earth

If you want a rewritten version of “better than revenge” you are boring sorry to say

In August of 2021 I finished reading the mega-hit series: A Court of Thorns and Roses. I love these books, so of course I wanted to stay in Prythian a while longer. I designed a gown for each of the courts and did a little designer world building to go with them. This was a fun project, and I keep meaning to go back and create designs for the men and other key looks.

Bonus: My take on the Starfall gown

Aelin vs Dorian: Why KoA is Aelin’s Book and One Way to Read the Lessening of Her Powers

I’ve seen this issue come up post-Kingdom of Ash a ton so I wanted to give it a good ole fashioned meta. This is going to be long, and detailed, and full of quotes from Kingdom of Ash and the series as a whole. So I’ve broken it into two parts to make it easier, with TLDR’s up top for ease. (except please do read this because I’ve worked on in for a month and my phd dissertation has suffered because of it).

I feel like there are aspects to this that I haven’t articulated very well, but it’s time to post! It’s time! As always, thoughtful comments are welcome, but pls no one yell at me.

Part 1. Why Kingdom of Ash Should Be and Is Aelin’s Story First and Foremost

TLDR; Because Aelin is the chosen one and true hero of the story, she’s the one who performs the sacrifice to save her world and because she does this, any argument that Dorian’s actions are in any way of equal importance to hers or that he is also “the hero” is invalid. 

Part 2. The Meaning Of Aelin Losing Her Powers, and Why “But a man didn’t lose his powers all the way” Is Not Great Counter Argument Given What the Series As a Whole Says About Power

TLDR; Aelin isn’t disempowered or anything, demonstrated by that fact that she effectively avoids a fate that condemns her to death, saves the world, and screws over the gods, and learns that her true magic is in her heart of fire, not her literal fire. Aelin and Dorian both lose a lot of their powers, and this is really significant because it means that neither of them are going to be doing any conquering any time soon. 

All page numbers from American hardcovers, unless otherwise noted.

Part 1: Why Kingdom of Ash Should Be and Is Aelin’s Story First and Foremost

Okay so at this point you’re either like “duh Lucia of course KoA is Aelin’s book” or you’re like “NO IT WASN’T, DORIAN HAVILLIARD SPOKE TOO OFTEN” or you’re like “Chaol and Dorian didn’t have sex so this book was irrelevant to me,” or maybe you’re only here for Manon Blackbeak and you think KoA should have been her book not Aelin’s, in which case I would like to show you the way to books .5-2 in the series. 

Whichever way you’re thinking, the debate over whether Aelin is the hero in KoA seems to come at it from a few angles, mainly being:

1. Dorian in KoA was the chosen one and is the hero just as much as Aelin

or

2. It’s fucked that SJM gave Dorian such a big role in KoA because it’s Aelin’s story

or

3. It is Aelin’s story because she’s the character who ultimately saves the day, does the World Saving Thing, and facilitates other characters doing the other World Saving Things. If the story belongs to anyone but Aelin, it’s the other female characters who SJM serves to us on a silver platter with the words “WOMEN SAVE THE WORLD” engraved in 32 point Arial Bold font. When you look at the canon text, and don’t just fall back on your knee jerk reaction to either hate Aelin or hate Dorian, it’s pretty damn clear: Aelin, assisted by various ladies, saves the mother fucking world, solidifying her place as The Heroine within the text and also making the point that successful women are backed by other successful women. 

I’m going to be arguing point 3, in case you couldn’t already tell. 

Point 1: The World Saving Thing

The Lock scene. The scene we had all been waiting for since EoS, since Elena sent us all on a meandering hike through the marshes of Eyllwe to find a “lock” (see: not a lock, actually a mirror, Elena is a crafy lying biotch) that could save the world. 

Forging the Lock is the World Saving Thing. It’s the killing Voldemort of this story. It’s the dropping of the ring into the fires of Mount Doom. While other things, like finding the deathly Hallows or Aragorn taking up the sword that was broken and has been reforged, are also important, there is no denying that killing Voldemort, destroying the ring, and Forging the Lock, are *the* things that need to happen. Obviously, in this universe, instead of Hallows and swords, we need to find Wyrdkeys and Wyrvens and Healers. But does that stuff matter if someone doesn’t use their entire life force to forge a new lock for the Wyrdkeys ensuring that no more demon lords can come through the gates and sending the gods back to the world from whence they came? NO IT DOESN’T, IT MEANS FUCK ALL WITHOUT THE LOCK. 

What’s the point of the final battle if the Wyrdkeys are still out there for Erawan to use to summon his abusive ass brothers to Erilea? What’s the point if Maeve gets her hands on a Wyrdkey? Whats the point, basically, of Dorian finding all of the Wyrdkeys if someone doesn’t then do the sacrificing thing to put them back in the gate?

The entire point is to get rid of the keys by forging the Lock and ensure that the world remains safe for centuries to come.

And who is the someone who does the sacrificing thing??? MOTHER FUCKING AELIN ASHRYVER GALATHYNIUS, THAT’S WHO. 

Keep reading

Will I ever write another meta like this?

Also miss the times when the meta was this and not which woman should be with destructive shadow dad

i think we as a society need to start accepting that fictional love stories need to be a bit toxic for us to go insane over them… like, sometimes you kinda need the two parties to be obsessed with each other and fucked up and willing to bring each other back from the dead instead of moving on and go to therapy i’m sorry😔

nothing like rereading a book you loved when you were younger only to realize the author can't write

imagine getting to yell "fuck you forever" AND "all you are is mean and a liar and pathetic and alone in life" in the same night tho

People who act aggressive and negative as fuck and then when you’re like “hey can you stop” they’re like “I’m going through some stuff 🥺🥺🥺” like damn dude that’s crazy me too - for example right now I’m going through YOUR behavior.

“I’m dealing with a lot 🥺🥺🥺” and I’m dealing with you so I guess we’re even

the art of book covers

Casual cruelty has become so ingrained in a lot of people because we live in a society that is structured in a cruel way. To be quite honest you are obligated to consider the harm of your words and actions no matter your personal hardships.

an author i love just tweeted about how “big joy and small joy are the same” and how she was just as content the other night eating chocolate and cuddling her dog as she was on her Big Trip to new york and honestly. i think that’s it. this morning i was listening to an audiobook while baking shortbread in my joggers and i realised i really didn’t care what Big Things happened in my future as long as i could keep baking and reading at the weekend and maybe that is the kind of bar we have to set to guard ourselves against disappointment. just appreciate and cherish the mundane stuff and see everything else as a bonus.

found it - she was replying to this thread that starts “unpopular opinion: i don’t think your life has to have a purpose, or you a grand ambition; i think it’s okay to just wander through life finding interesting things until you die” and i for one think that’s fucking brilliant

literally this

Support the troops (teenagers having fun on the internet) but not the war (tik tok algorithm)

Midnights Songs as SJM Characters and Ships

Lavender Haze This is definitely Bryce and Hunt! They are both so constrained by responsibilities and other people knowing about their relationship/expectations. They always want to carve out small spaces amongst the chaos where they can be together.

Maroon No one else save Aelin and Chaol would fit this devastating break up song. The falling in love and feeling like it's life changing and intense and then?? Then!!! Carnations you had thought were roses that's us!! That's Aelin and Chaol and the devastating wreck that their relationship becomes in QoS.

Okay I lied. This is also so very Andromache and Mor, because there's just so much regret in this song, and sadness. But it's also so beautiful and unique, just like them.

Anti-Hero Nesta! Archeron!!! Our antiheroine QUEEN. She does not have the conventional makings of a hero and she has PROBLEMS and is going to let you know about them, but damn does she carry a story. Also, Rhys. Especially in acotar.

Snow on the Beach Sorry but this song is so pretty is could only be about the moment Elain realizes that her and Lucien are falling in love.

You're On Your Own Kid for some reason this reminds me of both Feyre and Elain. Especially the lines "I hosted parties and starved my body/like I'd be saved by a perfect kiss." It's just...the sheer feeling of isolation, of not being good enough, of thinking if you just try hard enough to be what someone else wants you to be, it will all work out.

Midnight Rain Feyre and Tamlin, to an extent. Because he wants a perfect controlled life that she can't fit herself into. But also Aelin and Chaol, again because he wants her to be something she isn't. And Elain, but she's both halves of this song.

Question...? Nesryn and Chaol! After Chaol and Aelin are done. Just the entire vibes of something not really working out and being strained, and imperfect, and each person having feelings for someone else.

Vigilante Shit lol this would be Elain trying to be a badass and failing miserably.

Bejeweled Mor getting ready to go out to Rita's and slay the dance floor! Mor putting on her best outfits and a red lip! Mor being like "I may be 500 years old but damn it I am still HOT." Mor dragging Amren with her!

Labyrinth So this reminds of Ruhn/Lidia. Mostly because of the beat and the vibe, and the whole "lost in the labyrinth" thing, and because they only really interact in their minds for most of the book. And their love has such an angsty doomed feeling about it at the moment. Cries.

Karma Feyre, about Tamlin. And Lysandra and Aelin about Arobynn. "Karma is a boyfriend /Karma is a god" like I can just HEAR Aelin and Lysandra saying this. Also, Karma is Aelin Ashryver Galathynius.

Sweet Nothing Aelin and Rowan oh my god. The fact that he demands nothing from her, but her. Everyone else has an agenda for the Queen of Terrasen but Rowan doesn't, and he is amazed by her every day, even when she's just doing the simplest smallest things. And "To you I can admit/ that I'm just too soft for all of it."

Mastermind Rhys and Feyre oh my GOD. He's obviously the mastermind here, until it all comes crashing down in chapter 54/5. Like the first night they meet on Calanmai is so very "And the first night that you saw me, nothing was gonna stop me?"

The Great War Nessian. Bbies!! They really went through it in acosf, and Nesta definitely has a war mentality. The lyrics here describe the singer's tendency to not trust, to fight first, to make arguments from nothing...Nesta does these things, and more, but ultimately they move past it all and are so good together.

Paris Mor and Emerie taking a cute little trip somewhere and being so in love that they're enchanted by all of it, even if it's just like, a cabin in the woods.

High Infidelity Feyre and Tamlin. Feyre and fucking Tamlin like oh my GOD. "Your picket fence is sharp as knives" "Do I really have to chart the constellations in his eyes" "Dragged my feet right down the aisle." I MEAN COME ON. DO I REALLY HAVE TO TELL YOU HOW HE BROUGHT ME BACK TO LIFE??? DO I!!!! AHHHHH

Glitch Bryce and Hunt because their coming together is so not what either of them expects. And they have such a good progression from enemies to partners to friends to love.

Would've Could've Should've *deep breath* AELIN AND AROBYNN OKAY. Christ. IF I WAS A CHILD DID IT MATTER IF YOU GOT TO WASH YOUR HANDS? and: I DAMN SURE NEVER WOULD HAVE DANCED WITH THE DEVIL. but also: LIVING FOR THE THRILL OF HITTING YOU WHERE IT HURTS/ GIVE ME BACK MY GIRLHOOD IT WAS MINE FIRST!!!!

But also, Feyre and Tamlin and her entire arc after UtM recovery from trauma, and how he was linked to that: God rest my soul/I miss who I used to be/The tomb won't close/Stained glass windows in my mind/ I regret you all the time

Dear Reader this song is so wise and mature, it reminds me of Feyre's entire vibe in acosf. And Aelin in KoA. My girls <3

Sarah J Maas Couples for @sjmromanceweek

➴ FEYRE ARCHERON & RHYSAND

"Smile again."

"You're exquisite."