ACOSF Chapters 1 - Chapter 3

I know I will be downvoted into oblivion, but I'm re-reading ACOSF (my fave book of the series), and with each read I get more upset at the IC and how they handle the "intervention," as well as how they all think of her. Nesta is my favorite character, but favorite character aside, I don't see how you can read the first few chapters and not be infuriated?! If this is "love," I hope this kind of love never finds me.

Chapter 1

In Chapter 1, we get Cassian and Nesta's POVs, and it's honestly wild to me, the way Cassian (who I honestly love, and was a totally different Cassian in WAR than in SF, but that's for another time) speaks about Nesta. Cassian notes how Nesta, "...emerged from the Cauldron with...gifts. Considerable gifts...dark ones." Immediately this threw me off because I never noticed it before, how Cassian (and by extension the IC) speak of Nesta's gifts as dark, especially when they don't even know what her gifts even are yet. Then, you have Cassian saying the fae male trying to leave through Nesta's window is probably trying to escape her, not even thinking that maybe the General of the Illyrian army banging on the door of the female he just bedded would be terrifying. He sounds butt hurt she has rejected his advances thus far, tbh. It just truly upset me that this is how they treat her.

In Nesta's POV, we have her entering the Riverfront "house" and I noticed a few things. For one, the fact that Rhysand purchased the "decimated war land" so Feyre can design their dream home. You already have so many homes. Why not use that land to rebuild and house the Velaris citizens that lost their homes? Or house the Velaris citizens that live in the "slums" Nesta lives in (still don't understand why Velaris has slums, but okay). Why only build it for displaced families a year and a half after the war and honestly only to spite your SIL? We know Nesta notes how there are no painting of Nesta or her mother; even their father who abandoned them in every way that mattered for years has a painting. During my series re-reads I came to understand Feyre has a lot of resentment, jealousy and projection of insecurities towards her sister and her mother's relationship, or rather what she believed it was. Nesta even states how she was "prized and trained" by her mother. That's not love or adoration. The missing painted portraits were a pointed absence that was intentionally done as a subliminal message to Nesta.

I also firmly believe Rhysand and Amren should have been nowhere near that "intervention" with Nesta, because they did not, and do not, have Nesta's best interest at heart. Although I do believe Feyre and Cassian cared about Nesta's well-being (Feyre to an extent), no one was there to actually advocate for her. Rhys was itching to get a few licks in with Nesta, threatening her and stating they can go outside and brawl. He also went against what Feyre told him, which was to stay out of it. That conversation should've been between Nesta, Elain, and Feyre.

And this is all just in the first Chapter!

Chapter 2

I found it so strange they wanted Nesta to go to Windhaven to train when the HoW has a training facility. I truly feel it was meant to humiliate and "humble" her. Not one person in the IC likes Illyria (maybeee Cassian) and view it as a dangerous, dark, and violent place. So why would they think it's a place that Nesta would thrive in? Also, the fact that they believe Nesta (who has never shown herself to be violent towards her family) would harm Feyre. He thinks, "Cassian had no doubt Feyre could defend herself against opponents, but Nesta...he hated that he didn't know if Nesta would sink low enough to do it." What??

Also how is it a "choice" if they had lured her out of her apartment, packed her things, and then lied to her about her emissary duties bind her to the IC. Then, they tell Nesta she won't be a "prisoner", but she can't winnow, no one will fly her in and out, she has no money, and they know she isn't strong enough to actually go down the 10,000 steps. So...what does that make her?

Let's also discuss the breakfast table incident where Rhys reads aloud Nesta's tab at Feyre in front of their "family." That's emotional abuse and manipulation at its finest. You do this in front of everyone to humiliate your pregnant mate to have her succumb to the plan that you have been planning for a long time. He did not come up with that on the fly. Rhys had been looking for a way to control Nesta since FAS. The fact Amren also suggests that she wanted to throw Nesta into the HC dungeons says enough that she was looking to punish, not help Nesta.

We also have Feyre constantly calling the IC her family in front of Nesta, and even if she doesn't mean it that way, it is written and made to be pointed. Feyre has a new family; she has to assert her dominance and control over her sister who refuses to conform. Not to mention her admitting that this is about her saving face and showing her court that her sister needs to be controlled. She says, "It is about how it reflects upon me, upon Rhys, and upon my court...if my sister cannot be controlled, then why should we have the right to rule over anyone else?" Like...what?? Then she dismisses Nesta's possessions saying "what things? A few clothes and some rotten food."

Chapter 3

It gave me such ick that Rhys treated his SIL like trash, went again his mate's wishes on staying out of the intervention and not speaking, and still knew Feyre wouldn't be upset and sent the servants away so they can get it on.

The hypocrisy between the IC and how they slut shame Nesta is insane. Cassian says how they used to f**k any female who showed interest often in the same room, and Nesta discovering her sexuality is a huge problem for them. I do know that they don't know the real reason she sleeps around, but honestly who cares about the reason as she doesn't need one to do whatever she wants.

I'm honestly over Mor any time she's on the page. I've been over her since WAR and she gets worse with every reread.

I know, I wrote a novel, but it just truly baffles me how this can be seen as a good thing. I am all for Nesta's journey, and even though she had no choice in the matter re: her training, I am glad she ultimately found joy in it, not for the IC, but for herself. My heart breaks for her because I believe (and again, my opinion) she more than "made up for" their years in poverty, and the fact that she states over and over how her whole life she had absolutely no control over anything. Someone was always controlling her.