*Sending again just in case it didn't go through*Hey this is a controversial(and long) ask and you totally dont have to answer it if you dont want to but I'm basically coming to you for some ToG advice. I've recently finished the series and I really enjoyed them! Celeana/Aelin is my favorite character and I really love reading about her. But when I went to tumblr I found that almost every single bit of hate for ToG is because of Aelin and it made me really question myself. (1)

Because as I read through all the anti-posts (I thought it was a good idea to see both sides) I saw so many people calling Aelin an irrelevant white girl who hates PoC and discards them, or who is the embodiment of every boring white girl YA trope, and saying people who like her are white feminists (or as one person put it “Taylor Swift loving horse girls”)(2)

The blogs saying this were beautifully laid out and seemed like really smart people, and it’s making me second guess my love for Aelin as a character. I feel kind of ashamed for liking her now if that’s what she represents. Especially since I read that Manon has taken over as fans favorite character or the feminist character, especially because of her and Elide.(3) 

It feels like I’ve missed a mark somewhere, because I have always strived to be an inclusive feminist and try to see all womens perspective on issues. Don’t get me wrong, I thought sacrificing Nehemia (and Sorscha) to further white characters stories was ten levels of wrong. ToG would benefit from having those characters alive and well and thriving and I do not begrudge anyone having an issue with ToG or Maas and her representation issues (4)

But some things make me confused- why do people still like Dorian when Sorscha died to benefit him? Did I miss something? Did Aelin do something else that makes people not like her? I don’t want to ruffle any feathers and I feel like the best option is to focus on Manon because she seems to be less problematic.(5)

People have also said that you can’t like both Six of Crows and ToG because one has incredible diversity and the other has big issues with it. I also read that Dunyasha was written to make fun of Aelin because of how bad of a character she is. I feel really bad if I’ve enjoyed a series and a character (not to mention loved that character) if she’s actually a racist caricature or white girl stereotype(6)

So I guess after all that, my question to you is- can there be a balance between being an inclusive feminist and good ally, and still liking ToG and even Aelin? You seem very inclusive to LGBTQ and PoC issues on your blog and I’d like to know your thoughts (though you are in no way obliged to answer!)(7) (sorry for making this so long!!!!)

Answer:

Hi! So first of all, I LOVE Aelin. Adore her. She is by far my favorite character in either of SJM’s series. 

I think what happens with a lot of antis is that they conflate Aelin and SJM. Basically, they blame Aelin for all of SJM’s issues with diversity and rep. Within the narrative, yes Nehemia dies for Aelin, or rather, for the cause Aelin represents, and this in itself is definitely the trope of the black character dying for the white character, and the white character getting to liberate the oppressed. We’d rather see Nehemia live and either be the heroine of her own story or the heroine alongside Aelin. But it’s not, based on the narrative, Aelin’s fault that Nehemia dies. She loves Nehemia. Aelin, by and large, wishes Nehemia didn’t have to die and agrees that her friend’s sacrifice shouldn’t have had to happen. We see this at the end of CoM, in all of Aelin’s inner turmoil in HoF, and again in the scene with Elena in EoS. Aelin wishes Nehemia hadn’t died. 

Within the story, we can make the claim that Chaol is perhaps to blame for her death. But, as we know, she orchestrated it herself. So who is at fault for this white savior/dead black girl narrative? THE AUTHOR. SJM wrote the books and made the decision to kill Nehemia in CoM. It’s not any character’s fault. It certainly isn’t Aelin’s. So if we want to be critical of someone…be critical of the author. 

Aelin is often seen as being SJM. Or rather, SJM is seen as prioritizing Aelin above all other characters. Like there seems to be this common theme in anti discourse that SJM has ruined all other characters for the sake of propping up the white, bitchy, female character. But like…SJM gives almost equal attention to Yrene, Chaol, Dorian, Elide, and Manon. The series has never been about one character. We by no means only see Aelin succeed or become powerful. Many other characters see as much page time as she does. Like did they miss the entire book about Chaol?? And Yrene? And Nesryn and Sartaq They get 600+ pages for just their story!

Because SJM is white-feministy (especially in the early books, though she has taken steps to address it), Aelin gets positioned that way as well. But, it’s not really accurate to blame the main character for the author not including enough diversity and including problematic narratives. Like just be mad at SJM, don’t rant about how Aelin is like Taylor Swfit. (which btw is so ??)

In regards to your point about Dorian. Well…yeah he gets no shit for Sorscha’s death. Like, ever. And that is maybe because…Dorian is a likable…attractive…MALE…character. Aelin is difficult, snarky, very powerful, easy to dislike. She’s also an easy scapegoat since she’s the main character! 

Look, I don’t think SJM is as enlightened or as intersectional of a feminist as she should be. I do think that she is growing as an author and as a feminist. I also think that there are several things that she does do VERY VERY well. First of all, Feyre’s story of abuse and survival in acotar is one of the single best abuse narratives I’ve ever written. SJM makes it realistic, she tells it entirely from the PoV of an abuse victim/survivor, she gives Feyre pages and pages of healing. This is a story that has meant so much to so so many survivors. And that’s representation that counts! SJM also writes about Rhysand as a victim of rape in a way that is nuanced, heart-wrenching, and beautiful. His story as also helped many, and male victims of rape deserve to be represented. 

Aelin’s story is by no means one of this idiotic, privileged, silly girl either. She survives so much, grows so much, and ultimately, for me anyways, represents a dynamic, realistic, and positive model of femininity. She gets to be girly and like swords. She gets to be a warrior and also very intelligent. She gets to be creative and witty. She’s whip smart, a leader, and extremely brave. She’s also very, very kind. At her core, she’s a kind, generous character who would rather sacrifice herself 100 times over than hurt her friends. She has many admirable qualities. Any reading of Aelin that reduces her to Dunyasha is, imo, a failed, shallow reading of Aelin’s character. Furthermore, we know that Aelin is forced to be an assassin by a child-abusing dick head, so reading her in TAB and being like WOW WHAT A SILLY BITCH is so…missing the point of who she is and why she is that way. Furthermore, we can argue that Aelin has never been as evil/assassiny as she fronts, given her kindness towards Sam and Ansel in TAB. 

A lot of the things Aelin gets criticized for (being a bitch, being materialistic, being snarky, being immature) are things teenage girls get criticized. Remember that when the series begins, Aelin is a 16 year old CHILD, who has suffered more than most people do in a lifetime, and is just trying to survive. My favorite part of Aelin’s character is that she isn’t perfect or stagnant. There is tangible character growth from TAB through EoS. She actually matures, on the page, before our eyes. And she doesn’t lose her flaws! Her character growth is deep, believable, and realistic. Aelin and Celaena are the same person, it’s just the Aelin has more wisdom and is braver, kinder, and ready to face her fate. All of these changes make sense given the difference in age between 16 and 21. 

I HATE the comparison between SoC and ToG. Like holy fucking shit people can like both books. To suggest that one is better than the other is just???? Especially when they deal WITH SIMILAR ISSUES. Childhood trauma??? CHECK. A main protagonist who borders on anti hero?? AELIN AND KAZ FOR 200 PLEASE. Sex slavery/prostitution?? DING DING DING. Prostitutes getting back at their madams/men who raped them? HELLO INEJ AND LYSANDRA. 

Like YES Leigh Bardugo does fabulously well with creating a diverse cast, something that SJM has only started to do in Acowar and ToD. For that reason, we can say that SoC is better in terms of diversity and rep, and how Leigh handles LGBTQ issues in particular is leagues above SJM. And while the books aren’t the same in terms of plot, they have common elements, as I pointed out above. I LOVED KAZ BREKKER BECAUSE HE REMINDED ME OF AELIN. 

I don’t want to think that antis or anyone would be silly enough to dislike Aelin simply because she has traits they deem too masculine, but like the fact is, almost no one has issues with male characters who have her same traits. Kaz and Aelin are by no means the exact same person, but they both represent chaotic good. 

ANYWAYS. 

We could easily have this same argument over like, GRR Martin’s books. 0 gay characters, and he like romanticizes a 13 year old girl being married and raped. What I mean is that we could do this to ANY BOOK. You can’t consume 100% unproblematic literature since that doesn’t exist! Like point at a book that has 0 issues! Or manages to represent all marginalized groups equally. It probs doesn’t exist!

I don’t think you should worry about your love for ToG. Keep reading critically. Keep buying diverse books by DIVERSE AUTHORS. Keep the pressure on the publishing industry so that we see real change. 

My love for ToG and acotar and sjm doesn’t keep me up at night. I value them for giving me the following:

1. A story of survival from abuse that honestly healed me and taught me so much about myself and my relationships.

2. Multiple stories about survivors of rape, whose stories made me feel heard and like my voice mattered. 

3. Female characters who are varied and unique. From Manon to Elide to Aelin to Lysandra to Mor to Amren to Nesta to Elain. SJM allows her female characters to be hard and soft and warriors and strategists and flower lovers and blood drinkers and total bitches sometimes too. I have never fallen as in love with an author’s characters as I have with SJM’s. 

There’s a lot more but these are the ways the books have positively impacted me, and I won’t apologize for enjoying them. Neither should you.