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elrielbliss · 2 years

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my thoughts on sjm's interview

i have mixed feelings, so let's talk about it

sjm inserting herself as nesta:

i think one thing that frustrated me is whenever SJM was asked about Nesta, SJM would always relate the question back to herself. i'm not trying to be mean, but i really wish authors would separate themselves from their characters. taking inspiration of what you went through to write a character is fine, tons of people do it. but it really did seem SJM was inserting herself into nesta's character and made the interview feel more about SJM at times rather than the characters. don't get me wrong !! i love sjm !! it's clear and she even admits she did a recent reread of ACOSF and didn't realize how many of her own thoughts and struggles made it into the book -so it makes sense why she talked about her own journey so much. i just hope in the future it's not that apparent that she's inserting herself into characters that much.

sjm talking main characters:

it felt like SJM was only talking about nesta + cassian and feyre + rhys, which i guess makes sense since they're the only ones with books, but it also felt weird to ignore all the other characters + avoid talking about them. i did appreciate sarah maclean pointing out SJM's books are about heroines and that the guys take a backseat in the books (making it clear azzy is not gonna have his own book)

in regards to the future of ACOTAR:

one interesting thing maclean asks: "when you started tog, you were also writing this (ACOTAR) are you cooking future books with actual texts?"

sjm: "YES" "i know where i want the series to go" --- so does this imply she started writing future books since she answered yes?

but then SJM claims later in the interview in the fan portion she hasn't started to write future books later in the interview? but then there is proof of SJM saying back in January that she has started to write the next book of ACOTAR when she gets inspiration... so what's the truth?

SJM talking about maps "there's still a lot of the map that's left blank" - i'm very interested to learn more about this and think she was totally hinting about the dusk court!

fan question segment:

sjm complimenting each sister - literally my favorite thing, but wish she said something better about nesta than her smutty book but lol. sjm describing elain as a quiet dreamer was EVERYTHING to me and she once again repeats that elain has a different type of strength. she also loves that elain believes hope is better than hate. how people still think she will turn evil? idk man.

no comment on 2nd question - waste of a question imo lmao

sjm deflecting from the elriel question and she was lowkey smirking while the question was being asked !! she is not a slick woman !! sjm says "you'll get more of elain in the next - i'm not going to promise anything" "you'll get a form of her" "i haven't written the thing yet" like nah finish the sentence SJM. next book as in cc3? next book as in acotar5? and why did she stop halfway through the sentence and switch what she was saying? also her saying she hasn't written the thing yet when she said earlier in the interview she said that she does write future books while writing current books and knows where she wants to take the future of ACOTAR... clearly she knows what she has planned and is just avoiding the question.

this question had like 5 parts to it - it was a hot mess lmao but sjm calling all these conspiracy theories but also careful reading was also hilarious. gwenny lightsinger confirmed lol !

super interesting question + theory i had never heard of. sjm was smirking during this one too!! but also sjm says "idk why you even ask me these questions" like sis these are fan questions we all want to know more about the series that you have been depriving us of. i have zero idea how time travel could work but i am intrigued !

conclusion: interview wasn't needed - it was an easy money grab. i probably won't buy tickets to another event like this unless it's in person (+ includes signed book) or if i 100% know SJM will actually be making an announcement of some sort. most people i would assume paid the $15 so we could ask fan questions and have them answered, only for her to ignore them and not even hint at anything. i hope in the future if she is going to ignore fan questions that the fans are told ahead of time what they can and can't ask so that our questions won't be disregarded. it definitely seems like SJM is going to drag ACOTAR out, which is why i kind of want to be less involved with the fandom until she makes cc3 announcement or acotar5. not sure if she has writer's block or something for ACOTAR but she def seems like she is having a more enjoyable time writing CC3. but overall the interview left me feeling disappointed that she couldn't give fans any hints or stuff to look forward to in the future.

+ also side note for cc she made a comment and described the first 3 book as bryce and hunt's story giving me more hope they'll be endgame lmao.

#my thoughts on sjm interview #heres to hoping we get news on something soon

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lorcandidlucienwill · 7 months

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I was just reading what you put up and I agree. But can I ask you what you think of SMJs other books like throne of glass and crescent city if you have read them.

(You don't have to answer I'm just curious I haven't seen anyone talk about them like acotar)

Hi! I actually read the Throne of Glass series first, IMO her best of the three series (as you can see from my username I'm a lorcan fangirl), and it was after I read TOG that I decided to read ACOTAR because it was so good and I wasn't disappointed until the whole Rhysand twist in ACOMAF... I stopped reading the series and didn't get back to it until a few years later when I heard that SJM was planning a crossover so I decided to try to read it again for that reason. At this point I'm most invested in Lucien's story because he's my favorite all time SJM character and he hasn't got a happy ending yet so my tumblr is mainly me coping about it... but yes I've also read the first two crescent city books and I loved Ruhn from the moment this man appeared in the first book and I love his romance with Lidia and his antics with the frat boys and how caring a brother he is but ever since the end of CC2 I now have to worry about Lucien and Ruhn. To be honest though, I was surprised to hear people like ACOTAR better than TOG, I always thought TOG was by far her best writing, that's just me though!

#lucien vanserra #ruhn danaan #lord lorcan lochan

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acourtofantumbra · 2 years

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Pulling at the Thread of the Day Court and the Dawn Court Pt. 2 - ACOSF Bonus Chapter + Witch Mirrors

☆ All SJM spoilers: ACOTAR, CC, and TOG ☆

This is a part two of what could be the longest, most unnecessary theory spiral that will cover the entirety of the SJM multiverse. If you haven't read that first, I'd recommend reading that before you begin. I laid out some beefy concepts and while not everything here directly relates to them... a good chunk of it does. However, it's your life and I support whatever choice you make. *smooch*

A warning… I will be quickly covering the cursed bonus chapter (which I enjoy and, in part, started me on this unhinged SJM theory path). That being said, it’s not where I spend the majority of my time. But if it upsets you, I completely understand, and encourage you to just skip this entirely *A word about my interest in ship sparring (read: none at all) and how I’m just having some fun while attempting to be patient for the next morsel of SJM content from the source herself.*

I always add books and page numbers (and try to add any other relevant citations) to the visuals/sources I use, so check those out if you need some extra info!

Color Key: spoilers, notes from me 2 u, important, important + links, mentioned later in the post, mentioned in another post of mine or in a future post

So in part one, I point out two moments that struck me and started this whole dang spiral... and part two is not the end... god I wish it was...

Quick recap: we covered Lucien and his friend Nuan at the Dawn Court who he says has some of the exact same powers Feyre has, which they both know to be Helion's Day Court magic. Which struck me as odd on many levels. Also, the connection to other faerie realms like Xian and the allusions to what seems like the Southern Continent from TOG.

Ok, but there were actually three things that led me to ramble on tumblr about book theories I have spent way too much time researching.

On my journey to figure out the Dawn Court's Master Tinkerer's —Nuan's — power, that Lucien discovers is the same as the Day Court power Feyre uses to break Hybern's wards, I drove straight into the rascal we've come to know as Helion. I <3 him.

Helion Parallel Scene & Plot King

We've spent time with a smattering of the High Lords, but we know some better than others. As of ACOWAR and ACOSF, Helion is starting to emerge as the third High Lord we "know" the best. In part because he's Rhys and the Night Court's strongest ally as a High Lord of one of the Solar Courts. But Helion also just keeps conveniently popping up in every developing plot line and many of the plot lines that were carefully set up and seemingly abandoned(?). Some examples...

He's incredibly powerful with curse breaking, ward breaking, [insert mysteriously powerful ability here that we don't know yet here], and, described as Rhys' opposite (but different than Tamlin), has a winged beast form that is sunlight embodied... and kind of seems like a griffin maybe? So add that to ever growing list of winged boys throughout the multiverse which is potentially a very important clue

He's Lucien's biological father

He had a long love affair with the Lady of Autumn and that history seems... incomplete and not fully out of the picture

He's got pegasi and no one else has pegasi, but they can't seem to breed anymore

He's got the most libraries (warning: a post on libraries is coming)

According to Rhys there's "trouble at home" for Helion in ACOSF

He's one of the brightest boys in all the land (though Thesan is the brightest) just when we're getting into multiverse Starborn lore

He has the strongest negative reaction to the Dread Trove and can barely stand to be in their presence

Incredibly curious about Nesta... always

I could keep going tbh... and frankly... I want to

I plan on doing a full Helion deep dive, but got distracted by something else first.

So once I started digging into our first full encounter with both Helion and Nuan, a quick thought from Feyre had me screeching to halt. Because... well... its similarities to a certain controversial bonus chapter was... striking to say the least.

So this is Feyre drinking in Helion as the High Lords meet at the Dawn Court to discuss the impending war with Hybern. She's seen him briefly before, but she was a little busy dying.

For some reason she can't stop thinking about her dad and a necklace he brought home from his travels as a merchant. As I've previously said, whenever Sarah includes "couldn't explain why" or "it sort of seemed like this was happening," etc... it's an important detail. Not the most subtle of tools, but hey it's what works for her. And obviously it works because we have all skimmed over moments like these and have been like, "oh my god there it was!"

So in addition to being kind of hungry(?), she "couldn't quite explain why, but" she's picturing "that ancient necklace," she's also associating Helion with a suspiciously familiar land... but one that's notably not one of the seven courts. To me it most resembles a place not located in the world of ACOTAR. It reminds me of the Southern Continent in TOG, which would explain a lot about the connections we have (in this one meeting alone) to alchemists, healing fae powers, magical objects, and more.

Hey Feyre, any clue if your nameless father was was traveling by boat or interdimensional portal?

Ok, now let's compare with Azriel's bonus chapter from ACOSF (yes, I'm bracing myself)... before we do I just want to note: I'm aware a lapis lazuli pendant vs a rose window style stained glass situation isn't the same thing... but... ok just look:

So we've got golden necklaces with a pendant that both Feyre and Azriel think are ooh so sparkly and colorful and secretly beautifully crafted when you look close.

They're also both flooded with pictures, Feyre sees the necklace memory when she's in Helion's presence and Azriel has a vision of Gwyn receiving the necklace when Clotho (oh, I'm gonna be dedicating some time to her one day) mentions it, and they both don't know why. In fact, they find it odd that these visuals came to them. But the memory vs vision distinction is worth noting.

Do I find it very interesting that Helion and Gwyn (tho one could argue Clotho and let's throw in Father Archeron too) inspire these visions of what I will soon explain are almost universal mystical objects? SURE DO.

I also CANNOT find the the interview, but Sarah was asking her friend/interviewer what she thought of the Azriel bonus chapter and alluded to some crucial easter eggs being sprinkled in there. So naturally, when these scenes reminded me of each other I took notice.

A Detour to Witch Mirrors

So let's talk about these pendants! We get a good amount of jewels and jewelry talk in ACOTAR (Amren loves 'em and Rhys has a room like a void full of 'em above the library), but these are fairly unique moments, which is why the comparison came to mind to begin with.

I will get into TOG necklaces and will just note that we obviously have a very important necklace in CC as well — Bryce's Archesian Amulet. I think her amulet is also part of this conversation, but I just wont get into it here.

Rose windows

Ok, so I have seen most folks are assuming that the "rose fashion of stained glass" has been interpreted by most folks as an actual rose, like the flower. A very Beauty and the Beast-like rendering. That's not how I interpreted the the pendant when I saw "rose" preceding "stained glass." Do I know for sure which interpretation is correct? Obviously, no. But when the word rose is applied to types of stained glass design, what is being described is not a traditional flower, but the mandala-style design more commonly associated with gothic cathedrals. Yes, there are pendants (and many other glass objects) that take on this design and it has a rich history, which connects to a lot of SJM set up throughout the multiverse... so I'm going to continue forward assuming my interpretation is correct. And I'll remain fully open to being 200% wrong in the future.

Ok, rose windows: often associated with gothic architecture and cathedrals, their design has spiritual, mystical, significance due to its sacred geometry. Rose windows "transformed the cathedral into an actual “living vessel of the soul”, an embodiment of the “temple within” in which the human and divine can could merge into one." Additionally, rose windows are mandalas (middle photo above): one of the most ancient and universal symbols known to man. They mean many things to many traditions, but often aid in meditation, spiritual journeys, trance states, and mystic arts (this is an incredibly condensed reading of a deeply complex and wide reaching symbol). "The mandala represents man’s relationship with the cosmos, often a symbol of balance between entities."

Back to rose windows, the mystery and mastery of how pure, saturated colors could be technically achieved, rendered in glass as sacred geometry, "led to speculation that alchemy and alchemists may have been involved in its creation." To alchemists, [the rose glass was] “the flower of those who have wisdom, of the perfected soul, and the soul striving toward perfection.” So not too far off from that magnum opus mission aka the philosopher's stone? -> remember how I said I did a whole post talking about alchemy and would probably keep talking about it? It's not too late to dive into the deep end with me and just accept that I'm dealt all the way in on alchemy here.

Lapis lazuli

A "symbol of royalty and honor, gods and power, spirit and vision. It is a universal symbol of wisdom and truth." Tbh this stone could have it's own post with the number of meanings it's been assigned... but it's "one of the oldest spiritual stones known to man; used by healers, priests, and royalty..." and is believed to be a "powerful stone for thinking and spirituality, and it has a very high vibration," allowing it to "increase self-knowledge and awareness of one’s own thoughts and can help you to trust your inner wisdom." It also enhances psychic and intuitive abilities, and connects the spiritual realm with the physical. Some traditions believed a god's spirit was contained within the stone. Lapis lazuli also has connections to alchemy's mythological magnum opus known as the philosopher's stone "lapis philosophorum." (one day i might be brave enough to dive into the philosopher's stone... we'll see)

So what does any of this mandala, rose window, lapis, and alchemy stuff have to do with a fun fantasy book series or really... anything? Well, know that I'm unhinged. But, ok, the two necklaces and their symbolisms aren't the same per se, but have more things in common than they do differences. And I find their differences interesting because we return to the connection between lapis lazuli and Feyre's memory; and rose glass and Azriel's vision. Lapis is related to self-knowledge and intuition, while rose glass has been connected to fate within the cosmos and transformation of the soul.

So maybe the necklace Feyre saw doesn't sound like a perfect visual match to the necklace Azriel buys... there was another very important necklace described as ancient, gold, and lapis colored. The Eye of Elena from Throne of Glass (the third picture in the trio above). Looks pretty mandala-like doesn't it?

In the beginning of TOG, Queen Elena gives Aelin an amulet of great power — that she and others wear consistently throughout the series — from whatever world or realm she portaled in from. Dorian identifies it as the lost, legendary Eye of Elena. Eyes again relate back to my alchemy conversation and the Gate of Truth — interesting that they find a recreation of the Eye of Elena alter at the God of Truth's altar/temple. But Manon is the one to point out that this name for the pendant/amulet is incorrect... because the eye is actually a witch mirror.

Here are a collection of excerpts, which will be kind of confusing if you haven't read TOG, but I'll quickly break them down below and hopefully get to witch mirrors on their own one day.

In TOG we have encountered a bunch of witch mirrors, but their scope is still kind of mysterious. So Sarah we really need you to finally release The World of Throne of Glass, plz and ty.

We know from Maeve that there are "mirrors to spy, to travel, to kill." Below are essentially all of the known mirror powers thus far... and that's starting to all sound pretty familiar isn't it?

In TOG, we have power mirrors like Witch towers that amplify magic like the yielding ability (*sobs*) to cause incredible destruction. We also have more traditional mirror-looking witch mirrors. Like the traveling mirror Aelin and Manon enter to access Elena's memories of the Lock (and her failed attempt at containing Erawan/her series-long grift).

Most importantly, Manon corrects Aelin regarding the Eye of Elena and says it's a witch symbol called The Eye of the Goddess — and references the three-faced goddess we encounter in every world with the Mother, Maiden, and the Crone. We later discover the TOG Sun Goddess Mala had a Cochran witch help her put her "very essence" into a "small witch mirror disguised as a blue stone" meant to forge a Lock and contain a Valg King.

Also Manon alludes to there being... more than just the one Eye of the Goddess perhaps?

The Eye of the Goddess contains Mala's power just as Lapis Lazuli was believed to do. Plus, we enter the "rare silvers whose forging demands something vital from the maker" territory that... once again... screams alchemy. When Elena's wastes is one usage it doesn't just crap out like an old battery. Time and time again it protects Aelin & co. and provides a direct path to the TOG gods... like when Deanna possesses Aelin and is remarkably destructive... and one could argue a little unhelpful.

Witch Mirrors In Conclusion...

Am I confident I know exactly why the Feyre-Helion ACOMAF and Azriel-Clotho-Gwyn ACOSF scenes read the same? No. Do I think we have some witch mirrors in ACOTAR? I really do. And that's not even including the whole Bog of Oorid conversation...

We know when Bryce lands in Prythian we, now more than ever, need ways to communicate or travel to other worlds. In Throne of Glass it becomes clear that witch mirrors are at least one effective and proven way to do this. I think Sarah would have baked in some tools that have been sitting in plain sight to help us be able to do that.

Do I think we haven't even seen the tip of the iceberg re: witches in ACOTAR/all the worlds? For sure. (and it's a convo for another time because I need to fully read up on witch mirrors and witches y'all). But I think it's very possible a certain singing priestess now owns a potentially world speaking or walking necklace/witch mirror - the same objects Dorian asks Maeve about in KOA. The kind that might make themselves known as something different by projecting images, whether they're memories or visions.

I am really just scratching the surface here, but this is all the spiraling I had budgeted for today.

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acourtofthought · 1 year

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I think that's a mistake Sarah did not think through. I doupt she has made a great plan so it would all come together in the end. This mistake she made will bite her in the ass because how tf will acotar contuine to work after nearly a year? All danger and sh*t just stopped for a break?! Huh??

I was hoping that acotar 5 would set before the crossover, so right after acosf. But that wouldn't make sense, because Sarah confirmed CC3 will build the plots for acotar 5.

I hate the damn crossover. The reason it's there in the first place is because the author wanted her marvel dream to come true. For once, can she not think "Can I?", but instead think "Should I?". It's so damn annoying because the more she believes she can involve crap, the more it leaves plotholes. Yes, people do headcanons, but no one asked for this sh*t. It's getting too much. Acotar should stay it's own and so does CC. I loved the crossover in ToG because it was just a small thing and it was only for fun, but the crossover we have now is mixing acotar and CC and I hate it.

That's one of the things that confirm Sarah would never do fanservice. She just does whatever she finds cool enough.

Your post really resonates with my feelings about it all.

I understand that this is SJMs world and we're all just along for the ride.

But (and I know a lot of people will disagree with this) ... to me, it seemed like she was this really clever writer who created these three amazingly different worlds. I liked that each series felt different and even though CC1 wasn't my favorite, it felt like something she hadn't done before so it was fresh for her. But when HOSAB came out, it suddenly felt like ACOTAR but set in a Modern world. Suddenly everyone from CC shared powers with someone from ACOTAR. Suddenly, they're all distant relatives of one another. Suddenly, they all have the same big bad (just with different names) and share common Made weapons. Suddenly the similarities between those two series and TOG became evident. Her fictional world's suddenly felt smaller to me. Like, they weren't three unique places to visit and be transported too, but basically the same world though one was introduced to technology while the others weren't.

And I agree with you, it was fun seeing the Easter Egg of Aelin falling through ACOTAR but it's just turned into a lot. I somewhat dislike that there's almost this level of anxiety to reading the books now, like we have to pay super close attention to everything otherwise we're going to miss something important. And I LOVE the Marvel movies but what I liked about them is they all stood very much on their own except for the shared "Big Bad". The Asgardians were their own people. They didn't get their powers from the same place the Guardians of the Galaxies or Earth's heros did. They didn't all share a common ancestor, they weren't all from one planet that eventually got scattered across other planets. I mentioned above but the SJM crossover feels like the exact same people with the exact same powers getting placed in three different places.

I don't mean to complain because I adore ACOTAR and I know I should just appreciate how much heart and soul the author is putting into these books. But I haven't connected with the CC books in the same way I did TOG or ACOTAR. As a result I lose some enjoyment when I acknowledge that I'm always going to be missing important information because I can't find it in myself to really dig deep into CC.

SJM has a lot going on. So many different projects (along with a family). And while that is incredible and I'm glad she's found such success, I do think some fans have started feeling a sense of too many pots being stirred at the same time. The show, two unfinished series, etc. And when certain fans have become so attached to the ACOTAR series, it's tough not to feel a sense of disappointment when it seems like she's not as invested and is making it all so complicated.

Again, it's her series and she deserves to do what she wants with it but it's hard as a reader to keep reminding yourself of that when you're so hopeful for resolution to the things you've grown attached to.

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captain-grammar · 24 days

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Tagged by the AMAZING and double-y talented @goldheartedsky to participate in this writer's ask:

1) How many works do you have on AO3? 22. Because I'm excellent at thinking up ideas and then scaring myself out of writing them. 2) What’s your total AO3 word count? 89,347. Again, I'm AMAZING at psyching myself out of projects.

3) What fandoms do you write for? The bulk of my paltry number of fics are The Old Guard focussed, but I have an ANCIENT, unfinished Stargate: Atlantis fic on there and a snippet of a LOTR/LOTRO piece that will never be completed.

4) What are your top 5 fics by kudos? Codeword Blue, For The First Time, The Slowest Burn, Lost in Translation and Close. Which is kind of amazing because the ship-focus for these is, arguably, not necessarily 'mainstream' in the TOG fan space so I massively appreciate that people rate them!

5) Do you respond to comments? I do! Or I used to, back when I posted something new/regularly. I haven't posted anything for a VERY long time now, and so actively avoid reading any new comments because then I'll feel guilty for not writing, or feel like a fraud.

6) What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? I don't really go for angsty, because I tend to just want happy endings for all. I have an unsatisfying cliff-hanger ending to what was supposed to be a two-parter fic (Homewrecker) so I supposed in a parallel universe where people are dying for me to finish it, the fact that it's resolutely NOT complete might be causing some angst?

7) What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? They all have happy endings in one form or another but I think the one that might have the most "aaawwh" factor is maybe I Won't Let You Sink. Any excuse for my boy Booker to get a hug, really.

8) Do you get hate on fics? I don't think so? At least none that I'm aware of! Nobody's leaving me comments or hitting up my DMs, put it that way.

9) Do you write smut? I do. With varying degrees of success, admittedly, but still...

10) Do you write crossovers? If so, what’s the craziest one you’ve written? Many moons ago, perhaps, on a long-forgotten fanfiction.net account but nothing I can remember!

11) Have you ever had a fic stolen? Darling, I don't want my fics half the time. Why the hell would anyone else?!

12) have you ever had a fic translated? I have not!

13) have you ever cowritten a fic before? I think I've made plans to with a few people but not followed through. I'm scared of not living up to the hype and letting them down!

14) What’s your all time favorite ship? Honestly? The Ongoing LOTRO Fic I'll Never Finish, featuring my OC and Lothrandir. That Ranger needs a hug, a break and therapy in that order and my elf will give him that.

15) What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? BITCH, THROW A DART AT ANY OF THE 40-ODD DRAFTS IN MY FOLDER AND YOU'RE A WINNER.

16) What are your writing strengths? I'm almost annoyingly descriptive. I can't draw for shit so I'll use words to try and conjure up an image that I could never in a million years manage with a paintbrush.

17) what are your writing weaknesses? My lack of self-belief...

18) thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? I'm for it! As I'm not fluent in any other language, I'll keep it to short little snippets, italicised, that I'm confident aren't terrible and won't cause an international incident! I think it can be a nice nod to a character's past, who they are and their heritage.

19) First fandom you wrote for? Again, MANY moons ago and long-forgotten, but Stargate: SG-1 when I was maybe 13?

20) Favorite fic you’ve written? Probably Bloom. I just really like the idea that Booker and Joe's relationship is deep and probably has evolved and developed and fluctuated a LOT over the years and had fun exploring that! (And Goldie's art for it was just phenomenal!)

TAGGING: I honestly don't know who else may have been tagged in something like this already so hey, if you write fic and want to participate, by all means fill your boots!

#ask game #shit i write #the old guard #TOG #LOTRO #fanfic #ot3: eiffel tower #kaysanovre #kaysalivre #lothrandir #joe x booker #nicky x booker #joe x nicky x booker

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taylors-fourth-cat-meow · 2 years

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Hey, been reading through your anti sim posts, and tbh I cant help but agree, you make extremely valid points. Was wondering about your opinions on the toh series? Take care and stay safe!

Hi anon!!

Thank you so much for the kindness ♥️♥️

Ik I haven't really been active for a long time. I kinda have my exams soon. (For those who didn't know, yes, I am in High School. It sucks. I legit have to rottofy like 200 pages for each subject)

Anyways, I don't know of the 'toh' series so imma hope u meant tog and that's a typo. Otherwise srry to disappoint ig.

I really liked Tog when I first read it. But I think I only enjoyed the first two books. I'll get to that later. But I was so excited and obsessed with it and Aelin. I cringe now but I was mad for her. Again only the first two books. Tog series I'll admit is better planned. Note I say better. Better than Acotar. And we all know what a hot mess Acotar is. A few of the plots did suprise me and I did gasp quite a few times. But I was like 11 at the time so...

I remember waiting for the main plot while reading the first book, and...it never came. I kept waiting for a big plot twist or something and nothing happened. I did quite like Aelins character in the first two books. I think I still do, bad writing kept aside. Although in the second book I was kinda upset that the big bad assassin hasn't been killing people. That was really a bummer.

What really creeped tf out of me was Aelin mauling Chaol's face. That's abuse? Domestic violence? Anyone? That's what I hate about sjm and her fandom. When a character she doesn't like abuses the protagonist in the loosest sense possible the whole fandom will hate the guts out of that character and call anyone who likes that character "abusers and their followers"

But when the FCKING PROTAGONISTS of not one but two series have abused, violated, mind-rapped, physically hurt and sexually assaulted their partners and others it's perfectly ok cause that's HaWt.

From Heir of Fire on it just started going down hill. Rowan abusing Aelin constantly. That stupid thing where she starts crying cause he "left her" that was supposed to be oh so emotional. "I claim you" nonsense. The change of love interests is better than Acotar. But still horrible

But, atleast for me, the worst part was in Empire of Storms or was is it the last book? I don't remember. But I do remember Rowan comparing Aelin to his dead wife and saying he would have never gone for someone like her if he didn't think she was his mate. That was just nauseating. 11 year old me was absolutely disgusted. She died because he left her. She was pregnant with his child. And yet he has the nerve to compare her to his current partner. I mean who does that? What must have gone through Sarah Janet's head? Was she so desperate to prove Aelin is the ultimate girl boss she literally compared her to a dead woman? I was actually waiting for Lyria (was that her name) to jump through that portal and bitch slap Rowan.

That series is just as badly written but atleast it has a semblance of a plot. Maybe cause back then she was actually listening to he editors. There are parts I still like, (Dorian, Lorcan and Elide. Sorsha) I'll just try to summarise the things that really bothered me.

The switch of love interests was horrible as per usual

Rowan biting her?

Rowan. Just Rowan his entire character.

Aelin threatening to burn the entire city full of innocents

Chaol in book 4 is unrecognisable. The infamous retcons. He calls Aelin a monster? Why? What- why??? That was so out of context and character?

The way Aelin constantly keeps comparing them.

The way Neserin is treated as a rebound girl.

I have always been confused as to why Chaol needed so much time to get over a crazy as fire girl who disfigured his face?

The amount of smut in a YA book.

Sorsha and Dorian's relationship? I loved Sorsha Probably cause she was....ordinary. And their relationship was just so sweet. And Dorian moves on just like that? I'd haunt the fck out of my partner of they moved on that fast.

Now, about Chaol and Dorian. In the first few books, they didn't seem lgbtq characters but in QoS ig? It feels like sjm goes out or her way to establish a connection between them only to tear it apart and be like PSYCH! They are superrrrr straight lolol.

The tog series had a bad magic system, war plot, characters, romances and writing. So no different than any other book sjm has written. But idk I am not that invested in it as am with Acotar. Like I love Tamlin with my whole heart. I don't think I am that attached to any character with in Tog series. Hence I don't talk about it often. But it's just as badly written as Acotar.

#anti sjm #anti tog #sjm critical #anon asks

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mystical-blaise · 2 years

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My 2022 Writing Resolutions

Hey all! So with 2022 almost here (and fingers crossed it will less of a garbage year like 2020/2021), I thought I would share some of my writing plans for 2022: (1) First thing's first: finish my biggie Gwynriel fic, A Court of Whispers and Song. We're officially in Act Three now! I had hoped to have it finished by now, but you know... life and all that. But I am still shocked by the response and grateful to everyone who has read. 🤗

(2) I have a few more Dadriels in my head. Some fluffy and cute, others touching on important issues. I'll be posting when I have time. The next one up will be called The Name Game, and boy did I laugh when I thought up this drabble's little plot.

(3) With the awesome response for the Gwynriel Holiday fic, Give Me Your Heart For Christmas (and I know I haven't responded to all the comments on ao3 yet, but I have read and appreciated all of them), I am planning on making this a series. The rest might be more like 4-6 chapters or drabbles, but think a year of holidays in Chicago up through their anniversary the next Christmas. I'll be posting timely in terms of seasons and holidays. ❤️☘️🎆🎃

(4) After ACOWAS is FINALLY finished, I am working on a follow-up (as in the events in ACOWAS will affect the next book and couple), the abbreviations of which are ACOCAF. Now, I'm still playing with this one in terms of the outline and plot, and determining if it will focus on one couple or two (more in the vein of a ToG than ACOTAR) but we'll see. I don't want it to be too complicated. More news to follow in the Spring.

(5) Last but certainly not least, I'm going to be working on my own original work and series that I hope to publish sometime this/next year!

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offtorivendell · 3 years

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I don't understand the theory that Az and Gwyn are mates - at all.

Do not screenshot this post.

Full disclosure: I also didn't read any of their interactions as definitively romantic, though I know others differ.

I got more of a potential sassy friendship vibe from them whereas, the moment I read Az and Elain together, I had a sneaky feeling her marriage to Graysen wouldn't eventuate - and the hints have only got stronger since - but that's not why.

I know that something "sparked" in Az's chest at the end of his bonus chapter, but that is easily explained by the Lightsinger theory, which, in my opinion, has possibly been set up since ACOWAR, when Feyre mentioned that the Cauldron "sang its siren song" (chapter 63, when it abducted Elain). SJM loves to insert little nuggets that we won't notice until much later. This may (or may not, of course) be one of them.

Please don't misinterpret this; I'm not saying Gwyn will be evil, I don't want her to be evil. "Good" or "nice" female characters shouldn't have to go bad in some way to be worthy of being written, and SJM has not yet done that in TOG or ACOTAR (I haven't read CC, so I could be wrong). This could be a power that Az helps Gwyn master for Good; these lessons could possibly open up an avenue for them to talk, and maybe have the necklace come up? That's if it even reached her. Side note - I also don't want either Elain or Gwyn to suffer through a love triangle. They both deserve better. It also may not have been Gwyn at all, but Clotho, who was there to meet Az.

But I'm getting off track.

The following quotes suggest, to me, that Azriel and Gwyn are not mates; having said that, this is obviously not a prerequisite for a romantic relationship, so ship whomever you like - books are meant to be fun. For all I believe the text most strongly supports Az and Elain, I have a soft spot for well-written E!ucien... and anyone with Tarquin. 🙂

This passage exists in ACOMAF, chapter 49:

Rhys roared in pain, arching against me. I felt the impact—felt blinding pain through the bond that ripped through my own mental shields, felt the shudder of the dozen places the arrows struck him as they shot from bows hidden beneath the forest canopy.

These passages exists in ACOSF, chapter 68:

Cassian stared toward the castle. “You think she’s alive?” The question haunted him with every breath these last few days. “You’d know if she’d died,” Azriel said, pausing his work and looking up at Cassian. He tapped his brother’s chest with a scarred hand. “Right here—you’d know, Cass.”

There was no arguing with the logic of it, even if Cassian’s heart screamed at him with every flap of his wings to fly back home.

And this passage exists in ACOSF, chapter 76:

Rhys crouched at her side, gripping her hand. Panic and terror and pain warred on his face.

It is canon that:

Feyre felt "blinding pain" through the bond, enough that her shields couldn't stop it, when Rhys was shot from the sky by the Hybern soldiers who were tracking his magic - before she knew they were mates.

Azriel himself reminds us of this bond-property, when he comforted Cassian that Nesta was still alive while competing in the Blood Rite. This is after solstice, when their bond locked into place. A whole other post could be dedicated to just why/how Azriel knows what it would feel like to no longer feel a bond.

Az was urgent when speaking about Briallyn having kidnapped Eris; in contrast, he was logical with his reasoning to follow Eris to see what might happen, rather than planning to take him as soon as possible. Cassian, on the other hand, struggled from the moment he knew Nesta had been kidnapped.

Cassian also didn't notice Az experience any pain, when we know Gwyn was severely injured in chapter 68, to the point that Emerie had to carry her up the final climb on Ramiel. Given that SJM likes her hints, if they were mates, we could have seen Az stumble or trip, at the very least.

Rhys felt pain when Feyre was in labour with Nyx, though this could also be interpreted as emotional pain.

Am I missing something?

#anti gwynriel #azriel #acotar #acomaf #acowar #acosf #acosf spoilers #elriel #shadowsinger #cassian #nessian #nesta archeron #feyre archeron #feysand #gwyn

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nikethestatue · 2 years

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Hmm, can I share something?

Is it just me or between ToG and Acotar (i still haven't read CC so) but ..

Feyre is Lysandra or Aelin. But I can see her more in Lysandra's character. Idk.

Rowan is obv Rhys since they're both willing to give up the world for their mate, this is not a bad thing for me tho lmao I literally loved it.

Dorian is also Rhys. My sassy darlings.

Chaol is Lucien. Obviously. I mean, him blaming Feyre is similar to Chaol blaming Aelin. Ugh. Anyway..

Elide is Elain. Both good in planning. Spy.

Lorcan is Azriel. Again. Shadows and reserve character. And a total whipped.

Fenrys is Cassian. For obvious reasons. Both makes me giggle lol.

Manon is Mor. 🔥🔥🔥Giving the same "Don't you ever touch my friends"

Nesta is.. Darrow. I'm so sorry. It's just, they're both always angry and nasty.

Amren is Asterin. 🔥🔥🔥Both intimidating but fun to be with aaandd the bitchiness in a very very good way.

I'm not even complaining if the characters have similarities, tho it's quite little. But rereading both series made me somehow see the parallel. Tho maybe it's just me. And somehow, I loved it. Because I love both series. Tho I love ToG more ❤ but Acotar also holds a very special place in my heart. Aaahhh, I just love them. Love the two series.

This is just my opinion/observation I wanted to share. I hope no one gets offended. ❤

And, is CC good? I have so many tbr but I always see that in order to understand the upcoming acotar book, I have to read this series:( I love sjm world but.. haha anyways. Thank you for taking your time to read my blabs! Hahaha. Great day ahead!

I would agree with most of these!

I would say that to me, Nesta is more Manon. And Mor is more Lysandra.

I've always thought that Aedion is Cassian. I read TOG after I read ACOTAR and the moment Aedion strolled on the page, I was like, oh, I am gonna like you. You are Cassian! But definitely with a good dose of Fenrys thrown in.

I would also add that Evangeline is a bit of an Elain as well. Of course different in that one is a kid and another is a woman, but I always found some emotional similarities between the two.

I totally recommend CC and HOSAB to people. To me, it's as intricately plotted as TOG, and even if I personally don't love Bryce, it has a lot of very strong, very interesting, very compelling side characters. CC also has a delicious villain which I love. Probably one of the strongest SJM villains. The beginning of CC i found too dense and an info dump, but once you get over that, the story really unfolds. There are lots of red herrings throughout, some obvious, some less obvious.

#tog and acotar

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witching-by-the-willow · 2 years

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Hi bestie!! Happy holidays!!

I've been busy with life, but I'm sort of back. So, share with the group. How was the TOG reading? Did you finish / which one are you reading rn?

Take care of yourself, shine bright and stay strong🎊💕

Hi Mina! ❤

Happy Holidays to you too! 💝

Currently stuck with tests, but I'll have a break after they're over on Friday.

I haven't read farther than QoS yet (*hides face*), which is a shame, but at least the ending wasn't a huge cliffhanger. Still planning to read EoS and ToD together, so I am waiting for when I have more time at my hands. 👀

However. I did accidentally spoil the ending of EoS for myself. 🥲

I got curious and read this post about the first and last lines of each book, so here I am.

I did also skim some smut scenes. Don't judge me, a girl needs to see if her ships get laid. 🤡

But I've been reading a few smaller books in the meantime. I read the first 3 books of the MindFuck series by ST Abby (Saarah's doing @ghostiewriter lol, she told me it's Serial Killer × FBI Agent romance + Murderous woman out for revenge, and I was sold) and they're really interesting and pretty quick to read too. Also finally picked up and finished Colleen Hoover's Verity and just today, I started Of Sorrows and Such by Angela Slatter (it's really short and nothing much is happening, but hey, it has witches. I'm mostly reading it for the great vibes, so it's an easy one to have on the side when I take breaks from studying. Also, I'd never heard of it anywhere before and only found it because of this post. It had a lot of interesting recs. 👀)

Hope you're doing well and taking care too!

Many hugs and kisses your way, my beloved. 💖

#asks #💕#mutuals my beloved

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talkfantasytome · 2 years

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Oakwald University? :)

ooooo, okay! So, I don't have anything written for this one yet! But it's something I want to do in alignment with Velaris State Chronicles - basically, same concept. It's a college AU full of short stories/short multi-parts. And there would be some crossovers, but only a few, and for the most part it would mainly be ToG people just, like, in college.

I haven't fully decided yet, but would probs start with around when Rowan and Aelin meet, and/or the first time they learn about each other. (I have this jumbotron idea where Rowan is playing hockey and looks up while on the bench and is all 😍, and then Aedion is next to him, and he's like "who's that?" and Aedion is all "mY cOuSiN, wHy?!?!?!" and Rowan's just. "uh....wut? bai".)

ANYWAY, it would probs have stories for everyone, though a main focus on Rowaelin and Lysaedion. Just like long term I hope to do more stuff for others with Velaris State, but main focus will be Nessian.

Also, and this is big, I'd want at least one story for Nestaq. 💕 My babies that got me through ToD! (I mean, good book, but I read it more for them and I'm not sorry.)

Most of the Fae boys (or all) would be on the hockey team together. Which is where the Velaris State crossovers would come in, cause the bat boys in ACOTAR are on hockey together. I also mayyyyy have an idea on a potential foursome happening during a crossover...that I've kinda already semi confirmed in my Velaris State emails I did for romance week - if you can read my mind on that. 😂

So, yeah, that's a loooong-term WIP that I do hope to work on someday once I slow down on my other stuff. LOL. But I love the concept, cause filling AUs with a bunch of shorter multi-parts keeps me from being responsible for "finishing" a fic (cause if I finish the multi-part it's finished), but also having an AU I can keep working in.

Oh, and last fun fact, I'm hoping to do about 26 for Velaris State, one story for each letter of the alphabet. (It wasn't originally planned, but my first three were C, D, and E in order 😂, so now I wanna do an A and B that will be chronologically before those.) And I'm thinking, if I want them all to be the same, Oakwald University would follow the same idea and, in the end, have about 26 stories, too, if I can think of that many to do. 😄

WIP Tag Game

#rowaelin #idea #ask game

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youssefguedira · 2 years

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tagged by @regina-del-cielo, thank you!!!!

how many works do you have on ao3?

what's your total ao3 word count?

147633

how many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

one (1) fandom and that is, unsurprisingly, the old guard

are there any new fandoms you want to write for?

if motoe counts as a fandom then yes? but im not really writing that as part of a fandom i'm writing it for me specifically. also i suppose you could count it as a tog-related fandom

what are your top five fics by kudos?

1 - Pandora's Box

2 - i fall and stumble towards the light

3 - tell him while i can

4 - red ribbon

5 - if it's true and i lost my way

which of your fics do you want more attention for?

probably deep in the woods? i feel like that one was pretty good (and my longest oneshot so far) but it didn't seem to do as well as some of my shorter/older stuff

do you respond to comments, why or why not?

i do try, but i'm. not always particularly good at it, mostly because i never really know what to say and worry about sounding like a broken record so sometimes i just don't. i do read and appreciate them i'm just not very good at talking sometimes

what sort of thing do you normally write?

i've got at least three au longfics going at the moment and more that i've planned/thought about but haven't written so. i write a lot of aus. i also like angst and hurt/comfort because it's fun to write

what's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

a lot of my febuwhump fics had fairly angsty endings just bc you know. that's what the event was about. i can't really pick out a single one though

what's a fic that pushed you out of your comfort zone?

pretty much anything that involves kissing or the like. i am almost never happy with those scenes ever. so again no specific one

do you write crossovers? what's the craziest one you've written?

i have not written one yet but someday i will write my incredibly self indulgent post-movie una questione privata / motoe crossover

have you ever had a fic translated?

not that i know of!

have you ever co-written a fic before?

yes but it was a while ago

what's a wip that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

can't think of any! i do intend on finishing all my wips it just might take a billion years (apologies to anyone still reading certain dark things)

what are you currently working on?

the absolute monstrosity that is my iron maiden joe fic. it may be slow going but it is going?

what are your writing strengths?

i am... not particularly sure tbh. though when i'm creating an au based on a pre-existing piece of media (see: star wars au, princess bride au) i try to mix plot points so the story isn't completely predictable. also i think i do dialogue well or at least i hope i do

what are your writing weaknesses?

cannot write romantic / kissing scenes in a way i'm happy with ever. also huge anxiety when it comes to posting certain things and perhaps a little too much dependence on validation from people

what was the first fandom you wrote for? most recent?

the old guard and the old guard

what's your favourite fic you've written?

both princess bride and star wars au are up there bc i love the concepts for both of them! also anything i've written for zelda au. and certain parts of iron maiden joe

what fic are you most proud of?

i do not know tbh. but probably all three of the fics in the then and now series simply because i have a lot of feelings about the old guard as children. and again some parts of iron maiden joe

tagging: @non-un-topo @lazynbored @even-after-a-millennia @quiquimora and anyone else who wants to!

#neon answers #thank you for tagging me!!#neon writes #kinda

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the-lonelybarricade · 3 years

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hi, I love love love your fics, why/how did you start writing? I don’t know if you talked about this before. Sometimes I feel like I’d love to start writing too but it seems so… distant? I don’t know how to explain lol

Hi love! Thank you so much, it makes me so happy you like my fics!

I haven't talked much about this before and it's a nice question! I think I might understand what you mean? But I do want to note I have adhd that's only been diagnosed recently and I do think my journey with writing is heavily tied into that

I started writing when I was 11, got realllly into Vampire Academy, discovered fanfiction, and sort of got really hyperfixated? And I wrote for years, was convinced I was going to be an author, until one day, when I was like 14, I just stopped reading and writing entirely (no real reason besides life getting massively busy and the hobby got sidelined until it kind of disappeared)

Then a few months ago (now 22) my friend recommended A Court of Thorns and Roses and I literally read all of the books in the span of like a week. And then of course I went on to read all of ToG and still couldn't get enough so I then reread ACoTaR (because I wanted to reread knowing that Feysand are mates) and something just really stuck with me about their relationship so I basically regresssed back into my 11 year old self and started reading all of the fanfics I could get my hands on. And when that still wasn't enough, I sat down and wrote the first draft of ACoFD in literally like a week and a half. This was 100% the product of hyperfocus and nothing else. I wasn't even planning on doing anything with the writing, it was just fun and I couldn't remember the last time I'd written just for the enjoyment of it.

But then 200 pages later I was pretty proud of my work and, since it was finished I decided why not share it? (I hadn't wanted to start posting anything that wasn't pre-written because I didn't trust my ADHD ass not to abandon a fic midway).

Then random people online enjoyed it and started engaging with me and I was gone, because every single comment and kudos is such an effective dopamine hit. And now I'm having so much fun letting my imagination run rampant and rediscovering this part of myself.

In that 8 year gap I thought about writing, occasionally wrote down thoughts and poems and oneliners as they came to me, but writing something full fledged did feel distant, like I was trying to touch a part of myself that didn't exist anymore (which was a lie). I think I was really in my head about needing to have an audience, when really you can just create for creation's sake.

If you're thinking about it, anon, my advice to you is to just sit down and do it. If the words feel distant, just write train-of-thought style, I think you'll find eventually the words will start flowing. And if you're really struggling to come up with something, use prompts, use inspiration from other works, use songs or whatever crutches you need to get yourself engaged—there's nothing wrong with not being 100% original. Don't stress about making it perfect or good or clever, just write for you and have fun with it. <3

#anon <3 #ask #personal #writing advice #writing journey

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