u/Ok_Requirement_579

.. that a man can murder, abuse, lie, coerce, torture, and he’ll still be the ultimate shadow daddy with everything swooning over him…

“Ohhh It’s fantasy we can’t apply modern sensibilities”…

but god forbid a woman is annoying or SAYS MEANS THINGS to people. 🤯🤯🤬😡

Somehow, all these “it’s fantasy not a real world” justifications go up in smoke when it’s a woman.
And, she does the heinous crime of … wait for it…
being a “bitch”…

She was nasty! She was mean! She was rude!

ahahshcf IT IS A FANTASY WHERE OUR PPROTAGONISTS MURDER AND TORTURE, are you all serious with these “but she was mean” comments that are somehow supposed to justify their belief that she doesn’t deserve power and happiness!

The character that was violently drowned and turned into a different species. That fiercely protected her sisters - going after Feyra in the beginning, encouraging her to leave them and follow her heart and the man she loved - being prepared to sell her body to get them out of misery.
The character that used her powers to help the war. That was willing to die there on the battlefield and helped kill the big bad.
The character that instead of going an rampaging other courts, closed herself in a small apartment and kept to herself. Being destructive only to herself.
The character that gave everything up, her powers to save her family again.
….

But she was rude. Ugh.
Yes, she a woman and she is not allowed to be rude. Even in fantasy. She can kill people and do war crimes as long as she looks good in it and she is nice about it.

End of rant! 😂

It’s now May 5. The anniversary of ACOTAR.
Not even a throwback mention on the publisher’s socials? For the book series that are their absolute bestsellers?

If there was ever a right moment to drop the titles, it was today. In honour of the series, 6 months till the release date. It was perfect.

But not only silence, they entered the week with silent date changes that could mean delays? And, not a word to address anything?

Seriously, I’m baffled.
No “happy anniversary” post. No teasers. No “coming soon” hype.

It’s like a graveyard. What is happening?
Has anyone heard anything?

After the CHD podcast, so many people started yelling that SJM confirmed Tamlin is an abuser and won't have a redemption arc... but... with the risk of sounding like some annoying fans.. Did we even listen to the same interview?

Sarah, never. Not once. said that Tamlin is abusive. And, if you think otherwise, please provide me the tmestamp of trancriptin of her words, because I went through the interview again, and the worst she said was that he did shitty things. (which a very fair take - all characters do shitty things).

In fact, when she is asked about him, she gives us the backstory - she talks about Tamlin's *abusive* childhood and how he *too* had truma and things to process and no system in place to support him. If you listen carefully, she (in a very diplomatic, PR-coded way) tried to explain to listeners and give a more sympathetic, nauned view of him. She literally said that she pities him and what he's been through.

What I find most interesting tho, is how she framed things when talking about the fans who see him as an abuser.
She is asked if she will write about him and she says:

>I don't know, it's tricky. Because I've had so many women, especially including some like very dear friends of mine, who have like come up and told me about like how they saw their own abusive relationship mirrored in Tamlin. And so if I were to ever write like more about Tamlin, it would be done in a way where like it doesn't erase what he has done, it and it doesn't like invalidate the feelings of like my readers who have connected to that. Like I would... it would have to be done in a way that was genuine to him and to reality, but also like well aware of like what he means for like different types of people....

Two things to unpack here.

First, she says it's tricky BECAUSE of the fans who see him as an abuser. Not because he is one in her eyes or because she is not interested in writing about him, but because fans have made it tricky for her! While you can criticize her as a writer for this, I find it interesting because she is putting the blame on the fans - she is literally distancing herself from that view. She never once said that she feels that way! On the contrary, she said those views make it tricky for her as a writer (meaning she sees that as an obstacle).

Second, look how she says it has to be done in a way that she considers the feelings of people, but also that it would be genuine to him, and in reality! It's sooo interesting that she used those two words "reality" and "genuine to him" to contrast what he means to people (those who see him as an abuser).

But, if you are still not convinced, answer me this:

>one of my very best friends is like a survivor of domestic abuse and like, you know, she often refers to her ex as "Tamlin." And like I've actually talked to her about it. Like, "How would you feel? Like, you know, like if just like me as the creator—separating us as friends—like would that feel like a betrayal to you?" And so like we've had like interesting conversations about it.

Why would she approach her friend to ask her about this if she didn't already want to do something? Would you go to approach a friend to ask them how they would feel if you did something if you didn't want to do that thing in the first place???

She has already started that conversation with her friend because she wants to, but is pressured by the fandom.

And, this whole interview was SJM trying to balance her image as a "girly girl" but still a serious writer with a story to tell. And here is her confirming it:

>...emotionally because like part of me wants to be like "that fucker can burn in hell forever." But like as a writer I'm like, "You know what, I think like..."

This whole interview was her testing the waters and trying to set the record straight that she's a girl's girl, but as a writer, she has to be true to her characters.

Why would she emphasize that if she also saw Tamlin as an abuser? She had no trouble being direct and shutting down ships or bashing evil characters. But for Tamlin, she is asked if he'll have a full redemption arc, and instead of her being dismissive or saying she doesn't plan writing more of his story - he gives us this complicated answer of how fans make it tricky for her :D ...

To be, we'll be getting more of Tamlin!!!