A Court of Thorns and Roses discussion

A Court of Thorns and Roses

Fantasy, a beloved genre among most readers and a genre that always carries an element of power. Either someone has power, someone loses power and perhaps someone earns it back. It really is a big focal point of every best-selling fantasy novel. It is the theme of power within the A Court of Thorns and Roses series that has drawn in so many readers. The series represents a world where women can be warriors, rulers, lovers, dreamers, survivors and yes, even deeply flawed. Sarah J Mass is often praised for creating a series that carries feminist themes, and how she has allowed her female characters to make their own choices to shape their futures. But, like many stories that aim to empower its audience, ACOTAR offers a form of feminism that isn't just inspiring but also deeply complicated too.

Now this complexity couldn’t be clearer than it is when we take a look at the all too famous Archeron sisters. Feyre, our huntress turned High Lady; Nesta, our sharp-tongued survivor; and Elain, our gentle heart who appears to see more than she admits too. Each of the three sisters embodies a unique expression of womanhood, (strength, anger, softness) and yet Sarah J Mass fails to treat these expressions with the same weight they deserve. The question of who is celebrated, who is criticized and who is silenced brings the feminist representation of this series into focus.

In this blog, I want to explore how ACOTAR both embraces and struggles with feminism through the journeys of the Archeron sisters. What does this book series value as strong? Which kinds of femininity are uplifted? And which are misunderstood? And finally, what do those distinctions say about the stories we tell about women, even in worlds filled with magic?

Just as Feyre was the first Sister to enter in the book, we will start with her journey first. Now Feyre’s story begins in survival. Long before she becomes High Lady of the Night Court, she is simply a teenage girl hunting in the woods to prevent the starvation of her family. This is where I'd say a lot of readers first connect with our protagonist. We can all relate to duty, grit and endurance that stems from duties to our families. Feyre’s strength is practical and born from necessity. Like many of us, she learns early that no one is coming to save her and so she makes the choice to save herself. In that sense, her arc embodies a deeply feminist ideal: a woman’s resilience is often forged through hardship.

As the series continues and the story develops, Feyre steps into positions of increasing power; political, magical and emotional. And what is striking is how it is Feyre who chooses them. She chooses to leave Tamlin. She chooses to embrace her power rather than fear it and she chooses to stand at Rhysand's side as an equal. The narrative Mass creates clearly shows that this agency plays a huge part in her empowerment. Feyre to myself and others represents a woman who is deserving as well as capable.
But then, why would some readers argue against these points entirely? Well her arc is so filled with tension that it also puts a strain on the series overall portrayal of what it means to be a woman. Sure, the story often parades her as a strong warrior, a leader, a woman who sacrifices. Yet, if you begin to look between the lines, Feyre is far more complicated than she seems. Many of her decisions are made under heavy emotional influence from those that surround her. When she is with Tamlin, it cannot be denied that she shrinks to fit into his world. While with Rhysand, she seems to expand to fill his. This self discovery that she goes through is always shaped by emotional needs, expectations and affirmations of those that are close to her. It really raises the question of: how much of Feyre's “choice” is genuinely self-drive, and how much is a reaction to relationships she developed?

There is also a subtle element of selfishness in her journey. It’s not cruel or malicious, but this selfishness can only be described in the way that she often prioritises her own emotional fulfillment without entirely considering the consequences for others. While some interpret this as a form of empowerment, I stand by those who see it as a sign that Feyre is not as self-sacrificial as the narrative suggests. Both can be true ofcourse and it is the tension between these two interpretations that reveal how multilayered she as a character is.
Feyre’s way of being in the series has been portrayed as the “ideal” way of being. And while her strength is being portrayed as “the kind to adapt to overcome” and that is valid, it is not the only form of strength to exist. The narrative’s love of Feyre sometimes implicitly diminishes her sisters’ equally real, equally human forms of power: Nesta’s anger and Elain’s softness.

When looking at our High Lady, we also have to consider that much of Feyre’s empowerment is also coiled around her relationship with Rhysand. Although their bond is presented to us as a partnership between two equals, Feyre’s identity becomes tied to her role as High Lady. Her healing, voice and sense of belonging grow because of her relations with a powerful male figure and his found family. Sure, it isn’t inherently anti-feminist but it does complicate the narrative.

Feyre’s role in the books does represent a captivating (and incomplete) vision of feminist strength. She is fierce, loving, wounded and stubborn and is allowed to be these things all at once. Though, her arc also suggests a hierarchy of femininity. There is a sense that some expressions of womanhood are “right” and others must be justified, softened, or redeemed and it is this fact that becomes key when we look at her sisters.
And if Feyre represents the “acceptable” face of strength, Nesta stands in sharp contrast. In Part Two, we’ll explore her fire, her fury, and her refusal to be softened for anyone.