Summary
I do n’t know about the rest of you , but I have to confess : I detest Fae culture inA Court of Thorns and Rosesand think it ’s genuinely awful . Do n’t get me wrong , there ’s a lot of great stuff to love in theCourt of Thorns and Rosesbooks . The characters are compelling and their dynamic engaging , the macrocosm is a rich and complex one , and the romances are fun . I observe them really entertain and I expect fore to each one . Sarah J. Maas has done a nifty Book of Job with building a world that bury readers , and turned the fandom into one of the most fighting on BookTok .
Just because I enjoy reading them does n’t mean I do n’t greet the significant flaw with the writing , though , such as thelack of stakes inA Court of Thorns and Roses . And , appear , that ’s the typesetter’s case with all books , especially tenacious series that intertwine as many main andsupporting characters asA Court of Thorns and Roses . It ’s really hard to juggle all those moving pieces and , like I said , I think theACOTARbooks do a lot of thing well . They ’re not as popular as they are for no reason . But if I ’m being true , there are some real problem with the books , start with the rampant misogynism of gamey Fae fellowship .
There are several wild theory about A Court of Thorns and Roses & there are a few great ones I really hope are show right in the next ACOTAR book of account .
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A Court Of Thorns And Roses' Fae Mate Culture Is Toxic Masculinity Run Wild
The Whole Mating Trope Is Deeply Problematic
Even though the Fae manpower – no-count , " male " – of the Inner Circle are good guys , as are their friend , they are the exception to the rule , not the rule . I have to be honest : Sarah J. Maas ' whole " mate " trope inACOTARnettles me . It would be one thing if it were painted as this amatory thing where the adult female – sorry , " female " – gets to choose , but it ’s describe in the Christian Bible as the military personnel going absolutely crazed once the union adhesiveness shows up for him , making him ineffective to imagine about anything else other than bedding the target of his mating adhesion and make her his . That ’s just flagrant , and if readers are true with themselves , I recollect they ’d agree with me .
certain , one could argue it ’s a " hate the player , not the game " scenario , and to some extent , it is . Fae men ca n’t control their baser inherent aptitude ; the books make it seem as though only the strongest - willed and skillful men can . But the intact conception of the spouse is just part and parcel of the way Fae society in theACOTARbooks devalue women . It ’s just part of society . Mor is address like little more than a whore by her father , and he ’s not the only one to carry that view . There was no such thing as a High Lady until Feyre came along . Tamlin locked Feyre up in his paranoia and possessiveness . And once the pairing shackle snaps into home , it then shifts to the woman form babies as tight as she can . Women , in so many way , are catch as objects in High Fae culture .
The entire concept of the mate is just part and parcel of the way Fae society in theACOTARbooks devalues womanhood .
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Even Rhysand and his friend are not immune to this . While they ca n’t fight the mating alliance , they have each made some dumb error regarding how they treat char . In especial , Rhys ' decision to withhold from Feyre that childbirth could kill her was just flat - out wrong . disregardless , Rhys , Cassian , Azriel , and Lucien being such outlier only underline how messed up and outdated the initiation of Fae polish is , and how it needs to alter . It ’s a toxic patriarchy , through and through – and the special select One status of the Archeron sister does not change that fact . Again , they are the exceptions , not the rule .
Illyrian Culture In ACOTAR Is Even Worse
It’s So Regressive And Backward
As speculative as High Fae culture is , I candidly think Illyrian culture in theCourt of Thorns and Rosesbooks is even bad . The Fae , specifically Fae males , are the equivalent of " Some men would rather X than go to therapy " meme . The Illyrians make them look like advanced and thoughtful feminists . Once again , it ca n’t be regard through the lens of just Cassian and Azriel . They think that women can and should be Illyrian warrior , but they are in the modest minority – in fact , it appear in the Holy Writ that they are the only Illyrian men who hold that progressive prospect .
The Fae , specifically Fae males , are the equivalent of " Some men would rather X than go to therapy " meme .
It ’s genuinely horrifying how Illyrians treat womanhood who dare to kick downstairs barren of Illyrian finish ’s backward and restrictive social norms . Rape is vulgar andraped Illyrian women have no refuge for judge , and even woman in Illyrian society buy into this misogynistic opinion . Cassian ’s mother is a perfect example . After an unnamed soldier rapes her and she becomes fraught with Cassian , she ’s handle as an outcast . She ’s forced into a life of hard travail and conk out young , and when Cassian return to need for her , one of the Illyrian women hints they dumped her body off a cliff rather than give her a proper burial .
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It ’s cruel and hair-raising and not okay . Cassian hint it ’s also not an rare report in their society . While he and Azriel try out to change it , specially when they prepare Nesta , Gwyn , and Emerie to be a new kind of Valkyrie , it ’s an uphill battle . Devlon is the most " just " Illyrian trainer and he ’s so repulsed by the fact that Nesta wants to train that he tells Cassian her should be bury afterward since they ’ve been tainted . Of naturally , he also consider she ca n’t train when she ’s on her period . Those uncontrollable female emotions , and all . Like I said : gross .
Book Title
Release twelvemonth
A Court of Thorns & Roses
2015
A Court of Mist & Fury
2016
A Court of Wings & Ruin
2017
A Court of Frost & Starlight
2018
A Court of Silver Flames
2021
A Court of TBD
TBA
The ACOTAR Books Haven’t Done Anything To Acknowledge This In A Meaningful Way
The Books Have To Do More To Acknowledge Their Toxicity
While the books at least acknowledge through the Inner Circle that High Fae and Illyrian cultures are toxic and outdated , I do n’t think they go far enough . But then , I do n’t guess the cultures need to be written as this regressive and toxic in the first place . Female characters can skin and show their strength without always pitting them against men . It ’s tired to squeeze their fib to the out-of-date constraints of such perniciousness , and the romances to a heterosexual binary that only revolves around becoming a mother . While there ’s nothing wrong with the latter , it would really be nice to see a romance that does n’t adjust to that stereotypical arc .
It ’s one of the rationality why I ’m really desire for two things . One , I ’m hoping that thenextACOTARbook regard Elain ’s storysubverting the whole mate trope and that she discover honey on her own terms . Two , I ’m hoping that the arc started inA Court of Thorns and Rosesends with Rhysand and his allies shit a treaty to interchange Fae cultivation for good . If the book do n’t alter this , that does n’t mean I wo n’t be happy with the ending . But it would be great to finish out the books knowing that Prythian will be on its way to evolving for the first time in G of years . I consider it ’s what the characters merit after fighting so hard to write it .
