Elain's Court Of Thorns & Roses Book Could Worsen A Common Series Complaint (At Least Initially)

In A Court of Thorns and Roses, Elain Archeron has great potential as a storyteller, but her perspective of Lucien Vanserra might paint him in a bad light throughout the upcoming sixth book. Elain and Lucien can both be considered side characters for the majority of the books, yet they are both projected to move to the spotlight in the next installment of A Court of Thorns and Roses book series. This spotlight will likely lead author Sarah J. Maas to write her next book from Elain’s perspective, but that will likely mean Lucien is not painted in a positive light.

One of several characters in A Courts of Thorns and Roses in need of a bigger presence going forward, Luicen has already had a rough go of it in the past few books. Between fleeing his home for safety, being exiled, and watching his lover die at the hands of his own brothers, Lucien elicited lots of sympathy and gained popularity quickly. However, his friendship with Tamlin left him floundering after the events of A Court of Wings and Ruin, and this damaged his reputation substantially. Based on what's ahead, that situation may not get any better soon.

Elain And Lucien Are Practically Strangers And It Will Show

How Can Elain Shed Light On Lucien's Personality If She Doesn’t Know Him?

Art by Dominique Wesson

One potential challenge for Lucien in the future of the series will be that his story and portrayal will be told through the eyes of a woman he barely knows. For a character that has been put through the ringer in ACOMAF and ACOWAR, Feyre’s P.O.V throughout those books clearly shows that Lucien is brave, kind, honest, and deserving of love. However, we will miss so much of Lucien’s charm and personality if his story gets picked back up and continued through the eyes of Elain, especially if they aren’t even endgame. Ironically, some of Lucien's best qualities make him a good potential match for Elain, and will be wasted if she never puts effort into getting to know him.

“Elain now watched Lucien warily. Blinking every now and then. She revealed no hint of whatever she might be seeing- sensing. None.” - A Court of Wings and Ruin

While Lucien has been away with the “Band of Exiles” for countless chapters of the series, his story has faded into the background. If Maas hopes to reintroduce Lucien into the main plot of the next book, choosing to do it through the perspective of Elain, who has only interacted with him a handful of times, may prove difficult. This P.O.V also complicates their potential love story as Elain’s feelings of resentment are unfortunately closely tied to the tug of her unwanted mating bond.

Lucien deserves happiness more than most characters in these books seem to, which adds a complex layer to his dynamic with Elain. While Lucien deserves to thrive after proving himself to be such a heroic and caring character, his only hope at a mating bond is with Elain; this hinges his romantic future on their potential relationship. Resenting this pressure from Lucien, whether it’s intended or not, leaves Elain feeling bitter towards him, which will undoubtedly shine through in the next part of the story.

Elain Plans To Reject The Mating Bond and Resents Lucien For It

Elain’s Perspective of Lucien Is Skewed Because She Never Wanted A Mating Bond

Custom Image by Yailin Chacon.

Elain Archeron did not have a typical introduction into the fae realm. On the contrary, at the end of A Court of Mist and Fury when Elain turned fae, she went through a devastating and traumatic series of events that led her to lose life as she knew it. In the midst of this tragic situation, Elain was ambushed with the information that Lucien, her kidnapper, was her “mate”. The very word “mate” left Elain feeling stripped of her humanness and reminded her of all she’d just lost.

"The very word 'mate' left Elain feeling stripped of her humanness and reminded her of all she’d just lost."

When thinking back to this terrible night in every book after A Court of Mist and Fury, Elain recalls Lucien as a contributor to her pain (rightfully so). Due to this complicated history with Lucien, Elain’s future P.O.V will likely be filled with confusing and resentful feelings towards Lucien that don’t accurately reflect his character and unbiased standing in the books.

Lucien Has Already Been Cast Off Once and Elain Will Do It Again

Without The “Band of Exiles” Lucien Is Alone In The Series

Custom Image by Yailin Chacon

It’s a sad fact that as good-natured as he is, Lucien has been cast off and overlooked by most of the characters he considers his friends since ACOMAF. His allies in the Night Court, including Feyre Archeron (who was once his closest friend) have all sent him away by himself to complete tasks. Lucien is long overdue for some appreciation and love from other characters because he is so underrated in Maas’ universe.

Related Casting Elain Archeron For A Court Of Thorns & Roses TV Show ACOTAR protagonist Feyre Archeron's soft-spoken sister Elain will be a challenge to cast because of the character's subtle complexity and growth.

If Elain is ever the one responsible for telling Lucien’s story, the perspective will likely seem removed, distant, and even disdainful, which is less than Lucien deserves. A deeper and more robust understanding of Lucien's motivations, goals, and an analysis of his intentions will be difficult to achieve through the eyes of Elain. Without caring to get to know Lucien, her disinterest will likely cloud her analysis and provide an inaccurate representation of Lucien.

Elain and Lucien have potential to be an SJM power couple, subverting a lot of expectations that have been set by Maas throughout A Court of Thorns and Roses. However, the beginning (at least) of the next book from Elain’s perspective cannot possibly portray Lucien positively, as their dynamic is so complicated and tense. A dark history like theirs that is so wrapped in baggage and trauma would lead any woman to resent a man she was ‘tied’ to; yet the portrayal of Lucien through that lens would be too far removed to elicit the emotion that Lucien’s character has the potential to.