6 Harsh Realities About Rhysand’s Character In A Court Of Thorns & Roses

Rhysand is one of the most popular characters from A Court of Thorns & Roses, with fans of Sarah J. Maas’ fantasy series often falling for him alongside Feyre. Of course, the narrative makes it easy to do so. Although Rhysand is introduced as a morally dubious presence, he’s also the main love interest — and we see him through Feyre’s eyes for much of the story.

The later Court of Thorns & Roses books also make it clear that Rhysand’s actions and behavior have understandable and even admirable motivations behind them. There’s a reason Rhysand is one of romantasy’s best shadow daddies, and it’s because he walks the line between hero and antihero incredibly well.

However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t glaring issues with Rhysand’s character; in fact, one of the harshest realities about ACOTAR is that its heroes are deeply flawed — and those shortcomings aren’t always acknowledged. Some of the harsh truths about Rhysand’s character are even more obvious upon a re-read, even if he still has redeeming moments and qualities.

6

Rhysand Was Responsible For Clare’s Death In Book One

He’s Forgiven Too Quickly For This

One of the worst things Rhysand does is A Court of Thorns & Roses is give Clare’s name to Amarantha, knowing precisely what the outcome of that situation will be. While you can argue that Rhysand doesn’t have much of a choice in this scenario, he’s still responsible for the girl’s fate. And that seems to be fine with him, as long as he can keep himself and his own people alive.

A Court of Mist & Fury makes it known that Rhysand harbors guilt over what happened to Clare, and he even tried to help her in a minimal way. However, I can’t help but feel like Rhysand is let off the hook a little too easily for Clare’s death. It’s a gruesome and terrible way to go, and the other characters don’t really dwell on it.

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Readers are inclined to move past this incident because Rhysand’s actions save Feyre, but even this isn’t done for honorable reasons. Rhysand doesn’t know Feyre is his mate until the end of A Court of Thorns & Roses; before that, he only helps her because he wants to bring down Amarantha.

5

Rhysand’s Actions While Under The Mountain Are Difficult To Defend

He Treats Feyre Better Than The Other Fae, But That Isn’t Saying Much

Rhysand is also forgiven too easily for the way he treats Feyre while they’re Under the Mountain, likely because his games keep her alive throughout Amarantha’s trials. But Rhysand repeatedly drugs Feyre, forces her to wear minimal clothing before Amarantha’s court, and makes her dance provocatively in front of them.

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It’s later revealed that Rhysand’s actions all have reasons behind them: he drugs Feyre so that she won’t have to remember everything that happens Under the Mountain, he covers her in paint to ensure no one else touches her against her will, and he forces her to dress in minimal clothing and to enrage Tamlin, hoping he’ll kill Amarantha.

However, even with these explanations, Rhysand’s behavior Under the Mountain is seriously questionable. He believes it’s all worthwhile to defeat Amarantha and keep Feyre alive. But Feyre doesn’t get much say in the matter. She isn’t even made privy to his true plans or intentions, and it makes it hard to defend Rhysand’s actions in A Court of Thorns & Roses.

4

Rhysand Is Too Possessive Over Feyre In The ACOTAR Books

This Stems From A Greater Issue With Sarah J. Maas’ Depiction Of The Fae

Tamlin rightfully gets a lot of hate for the way he treats Feyre in A Court of Mist & Fury, but Rhysand is also possessive and controlling when it comes to his mate; he simply handles it differently. Rhysand doesn’t lock Feyre up, and he’s more willing to give her independence and freedom to make choices, at least on the surface.

This does make him better than Tamlin, but it doesn’t mean his treatment of Feyre isn’t toxic in its own way. He’s extremely territorial when it comes to Feyre, frequently making it clear that she “belongs” to him, even when there’s no real threat to their relationship. He also manipulates things to go the way he wants, as A Court of Silver Flames makes apparent.

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5 Biggest Problems With The Fae In A Court Of Thorns & Roses

Though the Fae are a vital and beloved part of ACOTAR, that doesn’t mean there are some glaring issues with the way they’re written in the books.

Of course, Rhysand’s possessive nature is an issue with the way Maas writes the High Fae in ACOTAR (and her fantasy series in general). Both Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns & Roses see the Fae engaging in a great deal of misogynistic behavior, with the men often being overly aggressive and territorial for no real reason.

3

Rhysand Is Way Too Secretive, Even With His Loved Ones

He Can Come Off As Tyrannical Because Of It

Feyre isn’t the only one vulnerable to being manipulated for the sake of Rhysand’s greater plans. He’s too secretive throughout A Court of Thorns & Roses, even when it comes to his Inner Circle — the people he should be closest to. Like Aelin in Throne of Glass, Rhysand keeps his plans close to his chest, sometimes to the point where it’s frustrating.

It even borders on being tyrannical, as Rhysand will move forward with plans without consulting anyone, claiming they’re for the good of the Night Court. The assumption that he knows what’s best and doesn’t need input from anyone else is concerning, and it raises questions about the type of leader Rhysand really is.

2

Rhysand Treats Nesta Terribly

As A Trauma Survivor, You’d Think He’d Be More Understanding

Nesta isn’t the easiest character to get along with in the Court of Thorns & Roses universe, but Rhysand treats Feyre’s sister pretty terribly throughout the series. It’s surprising he’s so harsh when it comes to Nesta, as he’s a trauma survivor himself. He knows what Feyre and her sisters have been through, both before they became High Fae and after.

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Despite knowing the Archeron sisters’ history, Rhysand is still horrible to Nesta. And the worst part is that his animosity seems to stem from a demand to be revered as an authority, which is something a truly great leader shouldn’t care about. It’s especially weird that Rhysand is so cruel to Nesta when she’s Feyre’s sister and Cassian’s mate.

1

Rhysand Keeping Secrets About Feyre’s Pregnancy Was Wrong

A Court Of Silver Flames Hurt His Character

There’s nuance to most of Rhysand’s mistakes throughout A Court of Thorns & Roses, as he typically believes he’s doing things for the right reasons — and at the very least, his motivations usually aren’t selfish. However, not telling Feyre about the risks of her pregnancy in A Court of Silver Flames damages Rhysand’s character significantly.

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This is one error that can’t be explained away or painted in a kinder light, and it really forces readers to reconsider what they know about Feyre’s relationship with Rhysand. Although he claims to be protecting Feyre with his secret-keeping, it’s pretty heinous that he convinces himself of this. His mate’s life is on the line, and he doesn’t even feel she has the right to know about it.

This raises questions about how much he really values Feyre’s autonomy, as he doesn’t give her the opportunity to grapple with the complications or make her own choices based on them. Feyre has every right to be angry with him after this stunt in A Court of Silver Flames, and it’s hard to imagine him bouncing back from this.

It remains to be seen if future Court of Thorns & Roses books will fix the Rhysand problems created in A Court of Silver Flames. Even if they do manage to make him look better again, the novel is certainly a low point in his character arc. It takes the harshest realities about his character and makes them even worse.

Publisher(s)

Bloomsbury Publishing

Publication Date

2015-05-05

ISBN#

9781619634442

Genre(s)

Fantasy, Romance