A Court of Wings and Ruin Chapter 8:
Tamlin paced in front of the hearth in his study, every turn as sharp as a blade.
Right away, I thought Tamlin must be practicing for Faelander.
He’s furious with Feyre and Lucien for their revenge on the Maybe-Incest-Twins. Weirdly, this whole chapter is basically Feyre recapping her secret plans that she executed off-screen. Super exposition heavy.
So it turns out that she and Lucien lured the Bogge to their camp and unleashed it on the twins. Furious, Tamlin screams at both of them to get out of his study. Feyre goads him into having another abusive meltdown.
“They hunted down and butchered those humans for sport,” I went on. “You might be willing to get on your knees for Hybern, but I certainly am not.”
He exploded.
Tamlin unleashes…GAY PANIC RAGEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Feyre lets herself get injured and prevents her healing powers from kicking in so she can gain the sympathy of Tamlin’s guards and Lucien while also making Tamlin feel awful.
“I’m fine,” I told him again.
No one, not even Tamlin, looked convinced.
And if I could have painted that moment, I would have named it A Portrait in Snares and Baiting.
If I could paint this moment, I would name it A Portrait in WE FUCKING GET IT, FEYRE.
Rhys checks in.
I know better than to tell you to be careful, or to come home. But I want you home. Soon. And I want him dead for putting a hand on you.
Even with the entirety of the land between us, his rage rippled down the bond.
This passage was highlighted nearly 400 times. I’m assuming because this anger is sexy and romantic.
They flirt and send like emojis down their bond. No seriously.
I sent back an image of me sticking out my tongue at him.
Feyre informs us she’s got more evil-but-good plans in the works. She sucks up to Ianthe and praises her and Tamlin for being great leaders and protecting their land, but somehow this is “a dare”, and that night a group of naga attack.
The naga had a key that had gone missing. After the attack is thwarted–and remember, this all happened in the past and is purely exposition–Tamlin has to punish the sentry who had his key stolen. Ianthe declares that he should receive twenty one lashes.
I made my move. Slid my power into the bound sentry’s mind and freed the memory I’d coiled up tightly in his head— freed his tongue, too.
“It was her,” he panted, jerking his chin to Ianthe. “She took the keys.”
I’m so confused. Who made the sentry lose this memory initially? Ianthe? Feyre?
I’d been waiting to see how she’d counter my showing of power at the solstice, tracking her movements that entire day and night. Within moments of my leaving the party she’d gone to the barracks, used some glimmer of power to lull him to sleep, and taken his keys. Then planted her warnings about the naga’s impending attacks … after she gave the creatures the keys to the gates.
From a storytelling perspective, this is just…so anticlimactic. I guess it would be hard to feel tension through reading our recaps, but for any of you who read the books, were you feeling anything at all during these parts of the story? I’m bored to tears.
Feyre tries to get everyone to listen to the sentry, but Tamlin lets himself be bullied into punishing him. This turns the sentries (and Lucien) against Tamlin. I bet if Feyre could pain this moment she would call it A Portrait of Making Everyone See Tamlin is a Douche.
The chapter ends with Feyre cuddling up to Lucien in mock-fear and the lashes beginning.