@adelinaxmouteru / adelinaxmouteru.tumblr.com
books in 2017 3⁄? ➵ the young elites
“I am Adelina Amouteru. On this night, I swear to you that I will rise above everything you’ve ever taught me. I will become a force that this world has never known. I will come into such power that none will dare hurt me again.”
favorite characters: adelina amouteru [the young elites by marie lu]
“i am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside. it is my turn to use. my turn to hurt.”
YA LIT MEME: Ten series or books (1/10)
Once upon a time, a girl had a father, a prince, a society of friends. Then they betrayed her, and she destroyed them all.
moodboard: adelina amouteru
“Why do you look?” I mutter.
I half expect Magiano to tease me, spitting back one of his sarcastic phrases. But he doesn’t smile. “We are drawn to stories,“ he says in a soft voice, “and every scar carries one.” He lifts a hand and places his palm gently against the ruined side of my face, covering the scar.
I look down, embarrassed now. Instinctively, I reach up to brush some of my hair over my face—only to remember that I no longer have long locks.
“Hiding it makes you more beautiful,” Magiano says. Then he takes his hand away, exposing my scar again. “But revealing it makes you you.” He nods at me. “So wear it proudly.”
so in Marie Lu’s AMA tonight she answered a question about the character’s ages which … doesn’t really make sense, and it has prompted me to work out everything we do know for sure about the characters’ ages, citing in-text sources where i can!
Adelina - 16 in the beginning (The Young Elites, page 9- her father and his business partner discuss how she will turn seventeen in a year) 18 at the end, as two years have passed between the end of TYE and the beginning of The Midnight Star (Raffaele, TMS page 26)
Violetta - 14 in the beginning (frequently remarked to be exactly two years younger than Adelina, such as on TYE page 37), 16 by the end
Magiano - 12 when he fled the temples and started achieving his infamy/legend status (TMS page 158), “appeared quite suddenly several years ago” (The Rose Society page 4), “several” could mean any number of things but i typically take it as 3-5; putting him at 15-17 in the beginning; I’ve come to assume he’s the same age as Adelina mostly because they’re dating and all; which would make him 16 at the beginning and 18 at the end.
Sergio: 18 when the Daggers found him (TRS page 187), and at least two years passed between then and TRS (TRS page 188) so at least 20 in the beginning, and at least 22 at the end.
Giulietta - 24 at the beginning (TYE page 57), and probably still 24 at the time of her death, maybe 25 though
For everyone else, (Enzo, Teren, Raffaele) it gets complicated, and very intertwined, so I’m gonna explain my reasoning+sources separately from where I list off their ages:
TYE page 302 - “Enzo was eight, Teren nine, both of them still unmarked”
The Rose Society, page 73 - “Enzo was first, being older and taller”
TYE, page 57: “Teren is nineteen.” Flat out. So Teren is 19, which would mean Enzo is either 18 or 20+ considering two blatantly contradicting and equally credible sources.
I would bet on the latter (20+) based on a few things, stay with me:
Raffaele definitely knew Daphne (TYE page 198 - Raffaele witnessed Enzo’s proposal to Daphne) so, Enzo definitely knew Raffaele before Daphne died.
Daphne died when Teren was 16 (TMS page 179), so, three years before the beginning of TYE. So, Raffaele and Enzo have known each other for 3 years in TYE, and since Raffaele was definitely 17 when they met, Raffaele is 20 in TYE.
Anyway, as we all know, Enzo and Raffaele met the day Raffaele turned 17, when he bought his virgin price at the Fortunata Court.
Given it is very illegal for anyone under the age of 17 to give themselves away in this universe, it wouldn’t make sense for the courts to do business with Enzo at 15, which he would have been at the time if he was 18 in TYE.
Hence, why Enzo would be 20+ in TYE.
We get 0 remark on Maeve, Lucent, Gemma, or really anyone else’s ages in-text, so I would go ahead with Marie Lu’s statements there:
Maeve - 20 in the beginning, so 22 by the end
Lucent - 21 in the beginning, so 23 by the end
Gemma - 15 in the beginning, so probably 15/maybe 16 at the time of her death
so to recap:
I’ve thought about this extensively, it’s been on my mind a lot. Teren’s really the keystone to figuring out everyone else’s ages, surprisingly, with the fact his age is stated outright and in relation to Enzo’s.
I hope someone finds this informative, at least, and I know I like having it all down in one place with the sources and everything. Feel free to reply or reblog or w/e if you have any questions/corrections!
The Midnight Star, Marie Lu
Adelina Amouteru // The Young Elites
“Once upon a time, a girl had a father, a prince, a society of friends. Then they betrayed her, and she destroyed them all.”
fave books read in 2016 - 8/8 the midnight star by marie lu
To those who, in spite of everything, still choose goodness. After a lifetime of darkness, I want to leave something behind that is made of light.
YA LIT MEME: [6/10] books or series 》The Young Elites by Marie Lu
“Once upon a time, a girl had a father, a prince, a society of friends. Then they betrayed her, so she destroyed them all.”
these are only rumors, of course, and make little more than a story to tell around the fire. but it is told. and thus they live on.
The Young Elites were the flash of light in a stormy sky, the fleeting darkness before dawn. Never have they existed before, nor shall they ever exist again.
FAVORITE BOOKS: The Young Elites
the twelve gemstone alignments from @marielubooks‘s The Young Elites! Feel free to use to like, Align Yourself. put your alignments in ur about w/ like your mbti type or hogwarts house and stuff
separated passion/knowledge/fear images under the cut:
the young elites alternate book covers: 3/3
we were never meant to exist. and we will never exist again.
