A fundamental truth of any fantasy or romantasy story is that the narrative should follow the rules set within its own universe. These rules are essential to the genre, keeping characters grounded amid their fantastical circumstances.A Court of Thorns and Roses, arguably the most popular romantasy series of the decade, adheres to this standard, maintaining consistency in its laws throughout the story — for the most part. While much of the worldbuilding established in this universe makes sense throughouttheACOTARtimeline, one common criticism is made of Maas' lore in this series.
The series follows human huntress Feyre Archeron from the time she is taken to the Fae country of Prythian for inadvertently killing a faerie, to her union with High Lord Rhysand and the birth of their son Nyx. Aharsh reality about the firstACOTARbookis that there is minimal worldbuilding, but the series' continues to flesh out the characters' powers and the setting’s magic system with each additional installment. However,amid the rules that keep characters like Feyre and the Inner Circle grounded in their powers, one piece of lore from the first book never quite adds up.
A Court Of Thorns & Roses Claims Fae Children Are Rare…But Are They Really?
If Fae Children Were So Rare, Less Characters Would Have Siblings & Children
Maas emphasizes how rare Fae children supposedly are, yet many characters come from large families. The Fae lore suggests that accepting the unlikelihood of children is deeply ingrained in their culture. Yet this rarity doesn’t hold true for the main characters. Lucien exemplifies these inconsistencies, as he has six older brothers, all relatively close in age. Similarly,several characters in theACOTARseries hail from large families. Rhysand had a sister before her tragic murder due to Tamlin’s betrayal, who himself comes from a family of three siblings. These contradictions raise questions about the supposed scarcity of children in Fae lore.
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Logic suggests that if Fae children are so rare, the Fae would be deeply concerned with their population’s survival. Yet, the repeated mentions of wars, both past and looming, show the Fae seem comfortable sending soldiers to die. Even as Feyre explores the Fae world, it’s clear that every court is overflowing with Fae, even after many have perished in battle. This contradiction is a glaring inconsistency in theACOTARlore, which reiterates the rarity of children, but shows the reality of a thriving population amid ongoing wars. It begs the question of why such a paradox would be included.
A Court Of Silver Flames Misses Its Chance To Explain This Contradictory Fae Lore
Feyre’s Pregnancy Could Have Sparked A Conversation To Address This Problem
When a mating bond is accepted between Rhysand andFeyre despite her young age, it was only a matter of time before a pregnancy was written into their love story. Feyre’s pregnancy is the first one described within the series, making it the first chance to raise the subject of Fae pregnancies in general. It would’ve been extremely topical and interesting for Maas to have taken this pregnancy storyline as an opportunity to dive deeper into the lore of Fae children. Feyre herself could have commented on the rarity of the pregnancy, or it could have been added to her complications.
Feyre’s pregnancy happens so quickly after she meets Rhysand (in the grand scheme of things) and this was the perfect way to address questions about the subject.
Additionally, Feyre or any member of the Inner Circle could’ve at least commented on why so many of the characters have siblings. This would likely cross their minds when this couple gets pregnant with Nyx. Feyre’s pregnancy happens so quickly after she meets Rhysand (in the grand scheme of things) and this was the perfect way to address questions about the subject.Even if Feyre could have asked more questions about her own pregnancy duringA Court of Silver Flames,as her limited perspective of life as a Fae works well to inform readers.
There Are 2 Possible Explanations For All The Fae Siblings We See In ACOTAR
Age Differences Or Mating Bonds Could Explain All The Fae Siblings
Maas could still explain siblings and large Fae families as a trait of the nobility or even sheer luck. However, it’s far more likely that one of two possibilities is true, to remain consistent with the lore. First, it’s believed that Fae children are rare in the sense that they have extremely long lifespans, thus they tend to be spread out a lot more than human siblings. While age differences between any siblings are never explicitly mentioned,the older six Vanserra brothers are implied to have been well into their Fae adulthoods when Lucien was born.
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Theories also suggest that because the mating bond produces strong offspring, and it’s possible that helps powerful Fae couples have children at higher rates than expected. The text states that Tamlin’s parents and Rhysand’s parents were both mated, and both couples had multiple successful pregnancies. If mating bonds increase the likelihood of strong offspring, and that really is the main determining factor of Fae pairings, it makes sense that those Fae pregnancies would be stronger as well.
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Tamlin goes into detail duringACOTARto explain why his parents were together for strength, despite their resentment towards one another. The reason that he tells Feyre is apparently the strong offspring the Mother knew they’d have. It’s clear thatplenty of textual evidence supports this theory and would definitely explain how Feyre got pregnant so quickly,despite the rarity of Fae children. At the same time, it would have been better if Maas further explored some explanations or the lore behind Fae children.
Fae Children Aren’t The Only “Rare” Thing That ACOTAR Shows A Lot Of
Fae Mates Are Also Said To Be Rare, Yet Everyone Seems To Get One
The mating bond is another connection that is supposedly rare, according to information provided in the text; yet mating bonds seem pretty common throughout this series. Many characters claim mating bonds are rare, just as they claim Fae children are, and yet there is constant, ongoing speculation about who the next mated pair will be inthe sixthACOTARbook.This anticipation for the next mated pairing proves how commonplace it is for Maas' characters to receive mates one after another;Feyre and Rhysand, Nesta and Cassian, Viviane and Kallias, to name a few.
The characters in Maas' stories could be a special group, destined for great things as the Archeron sisters seem to be; that also might explain why they’re all lucky enough to have siblings and children.
A Court of Thorns and Rosesis known for its romance storylines, and while they’re consistently captivating, the actual lore of the world itself has some holes. The characters in Maas' stories could be a special group, destined for great things as the Archeron sisters seem to be; that also might explain why they’re all lucky enough to have siblings and children. These characters might also be simply lucky with lore that doesn’t really check out overall. Either way, it’s clear that there is plenty of time for deeper explanations of things like this.
A Court of Thorns and Roses
2015
A Court of Mist and Fury
2016
A Court of Wings and Ruin
2017
A Court of Frost and Starlight(novella)
2018
2021
A Court of Thorns and Rosesbook #6
