The A Court of Thorns and Roses books tend to incorporate Black-and-Gray Morality and present characters as not always being what they seem, so it's almost inevitable that the cast would get different audience interpretations as to their true nature and motives.
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Tamlin
- Tamlin is subject to this quite a lot. Was he always just a cruel, self-absorbed manchild who is capable of putting on a charming and friendly act to reel Feyre in, before revealing his true colors when she doesn't comply with what he wants? Or is he a deeply flawed but well-meaning person who is struggling (relatively alone) with decades' worth of trauma and feels compelled to go to extreme measures to protect Feyre, with the horror of seeing her tortured and killed in front of him sending him over the edge?
- Tamlin's involvement in the murder of Rhysand's mother and sister is left rather ambiguous. It's stated that he told his father and brothers where they would be and he was present during the murders, but it's never stated or implied that he actually took part or what he was doing at all during this. Given that Tamlin and Rhysand genuinely were friends prior to this, and that Tamlin burnt the wings of Rhys' family (which his father took as trophies) and never talks about it, it's indicated he took no pleasure in what happened. Adding in the fact that Tamlin's father and brothers are said to have been extremely cruel and felt threatened by him, it doesn't seem implausible Tamlin could've been forced or coerced into complying. One can also consider that Tamlin and his family believed Rhysand himself would be present; did Tamlin believe that Rhys would be capable of defending himself against his father and brothers, only for this to go awry when he didn't show up? Adding to the ambiguity is that we've never heard Tamlin's perspective on the incident, only Rhysand's, and he himself states he doesn't fully understand Tamlin's motives.
- Some have pondered if Tamlin was ever really in love with Feyre. A particular point of contention is that Tamlin needed to get a human who had killed a faery to fall in love with him to break the curse, so understandably he'd be doing everything he could to win her affections. The question is whether he developed true feelings for her. Some argue against this given his possessiveness and emotionally abusive behavior towards her in the second book, and him kissing her rather than trying to help her escape when they're left alone together Under the Mountain, saying no one would treat someone they love that way (often unfavorably comparing him to Rhysand in the process). Others would counter that Tamlin's behavior in the first book does support him truly loving her, such as telling her he loves her when he believes she's fallen asleep, sending her away from the Spring Court to protect her rather than trying to get her to break the curse, and being heartbroken when she's temporarily killed; they also argue that Tamlin may have chosen to kiss Feyre to show her he cared (Lucien says he's been all but ignoring Feyre so that Amarantha wouldn't hurt her more to torment him), and didn't try to help her escape because he thought she had no chance of getting out and things would probably go badly for them and his court when they were inevitably caught. While his behavior towards her definitely crosses the line, some readers don't think that necessarily rules out that he loved her, arguing that his trauma and personality flaws warped that love into possession. It's interesting that Tamlin does eventually tell Feyre he wants her to be happy even if it's not with him (with it being implied that's the reason he resurrects Rhysand) and he also asks Rhysand if he thinks Feyre will ever forgive him for hurting her.
Rhysand
- Rhysand has been presented in-universe and out as championing women's rights and equality, but some have questioned whether Rhysand's treatment of women is really that progressive. Some readers find that Rhysand is only "feminist" when it's convenient for him and that while he comparatively treats women better than a lot of Prythian's inhabitants, this isn't exactly saying much. Specifically:
- He has banned Illyrians from clipping women's wings and demands the women be allowed to train as warriors, but he doesn't appear to do much to actively encourage or enforce this (Cassian is the one training the women, with Rhysand occasionally turning up at camps to dish out threats to men who complain too loudly).
- He gives Mor shelter and an important position in his court, yet allows her blatantly abusive and sexist father to control an entire city (presumably making the lives of many women there a misery) rather than remove him or curb his power.
- He emphasizes that Feyre should be able to make her own choices, though he sometimes manipulates or forces her into doing things, or keeps her from knowing important information that directly affects her, if it suits him. He grants Feyre the title of High Lady and insists she is his equal, but considering her lack of involvement in politics it can come off as merely ceremonial, and her position and livelihood hinges entirely on her being his wife.
- Outside of the Night Court, he publicly presents himself as a hedonist who treats women as sex objects - including forcing Feyre into skimpy outfits, drugging her and getting her to perform lap dances for him. While he is trying to protect Feyre by 'claiming' her for himself, it doesn't change the fact his treatment of her here borders on or crosses into sexual harassment/assault.
- In A Court of Mist and Fury, Rhysand is revealed to be Not Evil, Just Misunderstood: he's actually a benevolent and compassionate High Lord who puts on a show of being a hedonistic tyrant to keep the Night Court safe from Amarantha and other enemies. However, there are increasing numbers of readers who interpret his more villainous portrayal in A Court of Thorns and Roses as not being entirely an act after all, pointing out that he primarily rules through fear (and clearly thinks this is a good way of doing things, calling Tamlin weak for not doing the same), condones physical and psychological torture for a 'good' cause, enjoys manipulating and tormenting others if he can get away with it, and has few compunctions around deceiving and violating the boundaries of even his closest loved ones. Interestingly, we largely see Rhysand's 'redemption' through the eyes of Feyre's first-person POV, which coincides with her falling in love with him and recovering from trauma with his help; many readers have noted that Rhysand comes off far less favorably when described from Nesta's third-person POV. It could be argued both POVs are biased in their own way (Feyre idealizes Rhys out of love for him, while Nesta and Rhys share a mutual dislike for the other).
Feyre
- Taking into account both the first and second books, was Feyre ever truly in love with Tamlin? Or was she more infatuated with him, especially as he was one of the first people in years who took an interest in her, showed her kindness and made her feel she wasn't worthless? The moment they start experiencing actual problems as a couple (namely their shared trauma, which results in Feyre emotionally withdrawing and Tamlin becoming a control freak), her feelings fade pretty quickly (a few months at most) and she doesn't seem too upset about their relationship ending even though just three months ago she was willing to die for him. While she was happy to accept his marriage proposal at the time, she never seems that enthusiastic about it after two months, barely getting involved in wedding planning and seriously considering calling it off in the middle of the ceremony; some of this could be chalked up to her PTSD but perhaps she was having second thoughts for other reasons too (especially as it becomes clear she didn't really think through all the implications of marrying a High Lord, suggesting she accepted the proposal impulsively). It doesn't help that Tamlin was hiding a lot of information about himself from Feyre during their courtship (some of which he was forced to because of the curse), so it could be argued she never really 'knew' him at all.
- A big deal is made about Feyre wanting to be Tamlin's equal and chafing at there not being a High Lady or equivalent position in Prythian. Rhysand granting her the title 'High Lady of the Night Court' is presented as a triumphant moment for her, yet one can speculate as to whether she's really qualified for this. She begins the series as a barely-literate 19-year-old, who has spent much of her life in a small village hunting for a living and has few other skills beyond painting. She knows little about Prythian's cultures and has only spent around a year living in a faerie court before she's made High Lady. She repeatedly demonstrates herself to be quick to anger and recklessly impulsive; even during an important diplomatic meeting she loses it and lashes out with her powers after being insulted. After the war is over she doesn't get involved in politics much, spending most of her pagetime on leisure activities; she even complains about having to do paperwork and considers getting a secretary to deal with it. Her most significant accomplishment after the war is producing an heir, which you don't need to be politically savvy for. She also uses what political savviness she does have to dismantle an entire court purely to spite her ex, which ends up helping their enemy. A lot of readers feel she's High Lady less because she truly earned the position and mostly because her mate handed it to her (Rhysand even freely admits he did it because he loves her, as opposed to her possessing traits or skills that make her worthy). Some readers go so far as to argue Feyre appears more interested in the title itself than the actual demands of the position, potentially not initially realizing how out-of-her-depth she is.
Other examples
- The Inner Circle. A group of flawed but ultimately good-hearted people who form a loyal and tightknit found family, helping each other heal from trauma while ruling benevolently over the Night Court? Or a dysfunctional and emotionally-stunted group who are unhealthily co-dependent and insular, blindly obey Rhysand even when it comes to his more questionable decisions, and regularly justify or excuse their less-savory actions as being the result of trauma or 'for the greater good' while condemning similar behavior in outsiders? Do they lie somewhere in the middle?
- Eris. Our first impressions of him - especially via the accounts of his youngest brother Lucien and ex-fiancee Mor - are not at all flattering, presenting him as being just as cruel and tyrannical as his father. However, taking into account Eris' claims that Feyre and the others don't know the full story behind some of his supposedly worst acts and his claims he was actually trying to help Mor and Lucien in subtle ways, some readers have begun speculating that he's actually more like Rhysand in the first book; he's pragmatic and manipulative, but putting up a facade of being a complete asshole to keep his true intentions hidden, while disguising his more benevolent acts (especially given how cutthroat and Machiavellian both the Autumn Court and his own family are).
- Azriel, particularly in regards to his love life. Is he a socially-awkward Dogged Nice Guy who doesn't really understand how to navigate romantic relationships beyond devoting himself to the object of his affection and just hoping she reciprocates one day? Or is he more of an obsessive Stalker with a Crush who acts entitled and possessive over any woman who shows him affection (even if it's not intended as romantic) and ignores obvious hints she doesn't feel the same? In one of his bonus chapters, Rhysand even calls out Azriel for suggesting he deserves a mate.
- In Wings and Embers, Nesta seems okay with Cassian kissing her neck until he licks her, which causes her to shove him away and insult him when he says she's too uptight. Cassian suggests she feels conflicted because she thinks of him as beneath her yet finds him attractive and/or because he caused her to temporarily lose control. Or is her reaction potentially because it triggered her memories of the time she was almost raped, which she'd been thinking about just a few minutes before?
- Is Feyre and Rhysand's relationship an ideal romance between equals, or is it just as unhealthy as Feyre and Tamlin's relationship, albeit in a different way?
- While Rhysand isn't blatantly controlling and emotionally abusive the way Tamlin is, he can arguably be controlling and manipulative towards Feyre in more subtle ways, and he's not above hiding important things from her and violating her boundaries if he thinks it's 'for her own good' or it serves his own purposes. He coerces her into spending one week every month with him in exchange for saving her life, so their romance starts out as an abduction much like her romance with Tamlin. Although he insists she gets to make her own choices, she notably never makes any major choices he doesn't already agree with. And though he makes Feyre High Lady of his court, many point out that it comes across as a hollow gesture because Feyre has shown little political know-how; it's further confounded in the novella and A Court of Silver Flames where despite Feyre supposedly being his equal, Rhysand is very much the one in charge. Readers have noted that despite Feyre's aversion to being a consort whose main role is producing heirs, this is exactly what ends up happening in later books, the only difference being it's with Rhysand instead of Tamlin.
- Their romance is depicted as helping them heal from trauma, though some readers have argued they actually come off co-dependent, especially from Feyre's end: when they get together they've both just come out of abusive relationships and Feyre goes so far as crediting Rhysand with her recovery from PTSD, referring to him as "My lover who had healed my broken and weary soul". They even make what is essentially a magical suicide pact as they can't bear to live without each other. The age-gap and power dynamics between the pair have also raised some eyebrows; during their initial courtship Rhysand is over 500 years old and an experienced High Lord, while Feyre is barely out of her teens, has lived in Prythian a little over a year and is extremely vulnerable emotionally-speaking. While Rhysand may not be intentionally manipulating or controlling Feyre, some readers have pointed out that he's in a position of power over her: she only has wealth and a prominent position in his court because he gave them to her (which Nesta actually points out to Feyre in Silver Flames) and Rhysand does exert authority and control over her by not informing her about the dangerous complications of her pregnancy and ordering the Inner Circle not to tell her either.
