Tfota - Blog Posts

On Taryn Duarte - from someone who has yet to read the books

I saw some posts about the Cruel Prince and I subsequently fell down the Jude/Taryn rabbit hole. From what I've seen, Taryn gets the most hate from the fandom, even over the actual villains, which is pretty par for the course so I'm not surprised. But most of the excerpts and reasons I've seen come from her being very shallow and vain, and betraying Jude. Okay, that hate makes sense. BUT I am the diehard fan of hated female characters.

Prefacing this with the fact that I have not yet read the series yet, but I've seen multiple posts regarding the characters and have read excerpts and summaries, and the like.

I really hate the woman v woman that we're given so often in media and especially in ya, na, and a books. Those books usually giving the fmc one or two female friends to balance the waters, but they usually don't exist as more than appendages of the fmc.

Not sure if that's the case with the Cruel Prince, but Taryn's character seems to be the one-dimensional female foil, specifically with her overly feminine aesthetic and betrayal for the sake of romance. I think this is why I can't bring myself to actually read the books, because I know I'll hate seeing that.

Because of this I often find myself liking the "villainous" female characters as well when I find them to be anything but that, because I think they're also cool or I think that they suffer from a lack of nuanced writing (see Nesta Archeron). Jude is presented to be the villain, and I do like her and if she was the villain in another story I would also like her, but because she's still the character we're meant to root for she holds a weird place in my head since I'm not sure if Holly Black suffers from the crude idea of characterization and character relationships that is currently very prominent in fiction. I have heard that she gets a new LI apart from Locke, who she killed (yay! I love that), so it does seem to be looking up in terms of escaping the ya writing styles.

Therefore, in my head I will be holding the idea that Taryn is equally as masterminded as Jude and this is all a very elaborate ruse she's carefully cultivated since childhood and that she actually loves Jude very much. I am a sucker for tragic sisters.

There is some sort of agreement that "The Cruel Prince" refers to any of the three princes. As well as "Stolen Heir" is both Suren and Oak.

But what about "The Wicked King"?

For the majority of the book Jude is the ruler. At least Cardan believes so, with the king lover's quarters and having limited crown magic.

Murderous, scheming and lying mortal could definitely be called wicked (or a sweet villain 😉).

The are the same picture, oww

Okay, was anybody gonna tell me that The Cruel Prince Collector's Edition finally has photos? Or was I just supposed to find that out for myself while disassociating in the middle of my work day?

And YES I do believe that is Jude in the bloody coronation dress Cardan sent her that you are viewing on the end pages right there. :)

Ok, by wouldn't it be FUN if Liriope's husband suddenly came back and pulled "my wife's kid is technically MY kid" (aka Madoc with twins), and stole Oak to life of wilderness and being feral?

QoN, ch.25

Lady Asha and Lady Nore, introduced by Jude:

“I have heard that you wish for a new role in the Court,” I say to her. “I am thinking of making you an ambassador to the Court of Teeth, so it seemed useful for you to meet Lady Nore.”

There is absolutely no truth to what I’m saying. But I want Lady Asha to know that I have heard of her plotting and that if she crosses me, I am capable of sending her away from the comforts she prizes most.

...

Lady Asha looks as though what she’d really prefer is to stab me in the throat. I turn away from her and Lady Nore. “Enjoy your conversation.” Maybe they will. They both hate me. That gives them at least one thing in common.

What if Lady Asha is in cahoots with new Court of teeth? And I could definitely see her being leader of the "afraid Jude will kill Cardan" circle, as stated in spoilery chapter.

сьогодні в мене настрій намалюю кардана, бо я кілька днів тому почала читати the wicked king

Prediction based on Stolen Heir chapter 1+2:

Reluctantly betrothed prince and Queen is a hoax

Queen and Knight is a go. I felt vibes.

Oak is gonna to thirdwheel hard.

I think the full gravity of qon's climax just hit me again. Jude, who schemed so much to keep Cardan under her control in the previous books, didn't choose to do that again when she got the chance to. She had the chance to get alot of power, control over cardan and others, the chance to rule undisputed, to never be afraid again. But she didn't choose it. She chose Cardan instead. Chose him over herself too (she mentions she isn't sure if she'll be able to bear the pain of losing him). She let go of all that she wanted before because she didn't want to give Cardan a life of misery, of being trapped. She set him free, only to find him again.

SHE CHOSE CARDAN AND HIS LOVE OVER EVERY-FUCKING-THING ELSE—

brb while I weep again.

No cuz this is like exactly how I pictured her

Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude —

I read tfota at like 14/15, i am now 18 and you don't understand the grip it put on me forever

Cardan Greenbriar is such a T*ryn hater and he's so real for that

you do realize that jude and cardan saw each other since they were kids right???????????? like, the general's mortal daughter, it was surely a constant topic among the high fae and besides, they probably studied together when they were younger than in tcp. THAT MAKES ME WANT TO SCREAM

Reread this for the 373373736464 time

despite of everything i love madoc. i know he was awful and backstabbed jude after he helped build herself up, but he just loves her so much it hurts me. that scene where he is like "i am your father" and jude replies "you're my father's murderer" and the man just murmurs that "he could be both"..... HURTS??????? He always claimed her as HIS 😭 AND after reading the stolen heir it breaks me a little more.

Madoc always loved Jude the most. He was so proud of her, even if he wanted what she had. Perhaps he was FIRST person to ever see her true potential, and i just know that even when they were enemies, he was proud. (Dont touch me i love their father x daughter tragical story)

When Cardan punched Locke by the stairs it altered my brain chemistry in the best way

Cardan Greenbriar is actually too clever and he deserves credit for it

T*ryn Duarte is the worst fictional sister to ever exist like omg how can you be so stupid and unbearable

how am I gonna fall in love when no one will ever tell me they're forever undone by me and that i'm their sweet villain and darling god and their sickness and their sweet nemesis and the object of an obsession that disgusts them enough to think about the way i walk or the callouses of my fingers or the curls of my hair or an absent bite of my lip and-

do you think daily about the fact that Cardan thought Jude was ignoring his letters or are you normal?

cardan, aaron and kenji are the only men ever

The shooting stars scene in tcp was so good CAUSE IT MEANS THAT JUDECARDAN WAS MEANT TO BE. IT WAS FATE. THE STARS KNEW HE WOULD SURVIVE THE BLOODSHED. IT WAS MEANT TO HAPPEN. ALL OF IT.

Cardan: Let's play Kiss, Marry and Kill!

Jude: I already did.

Cardan: What?

Jude: With you.

Cardan: ........ OHH!

Not a day goes by when I am not obsessing over Cardan's tail.

Rereading The Cruel Prince and the way Cardan was so much obsessed with Jude that he didn't know what to do so he just wrote her name several times on the paper like a mantra crackles me up each time.

And the fact Jude thought he did it because he hate her Like GIRLL, he's mad obsessed over you!

Jude Duarte be like:

Happy New Year

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