Summary
- A Court of Thorns and Roses doesn't always do its ing characters justice, and Feyre's father is an example of this.
- Mr. Archeron has a bizarre character arc, and it's unclear whether readers are supposed to sympathize with him or not.
- The death of Feyre's father ensures that future ACOTAR books won't be able to flesh his characer out further.
Court of Thorns & Roses books focus on Feyre Archeron as she's pulled into the world of Prythian, where she becomes one of the High Fae and the High Lady of the Night Court. While Feyre winds up in a powerful position by the time the ACOTAR books switch their focus, her beginnings are far humbler.
Feyre starts the series as one of three daughters living in poverty, and the Archerons' struggles stem from their father's business mistakes. Feyre's father, Mr. Archeron, is initially painted as a problematic parent. However, the later Court of Thorns and Roses novels attempt to give him a more nuanced characterization. Unfortunately, Mr. Archeron's arc is really oddly weaved together, and it doesn't really endear readers to him — or give them a chance to know him at all.
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Feyre's Father Had A Really Bizarrre ACOTAR Books Arc
Feyre's father is a really formative character in the first ACOTAR novel, even if he doesn't have much page time. It's largely his fault that Feyre hunts, and thus, finds herself taken to Prythian. His financial failures and refusal to cope with them leave his daughters with serious trauma. Feyre and Nesta grapple with their upbringing throughout the ACOTAR books, so one would think that Feyre's father would get more attention later in the story. While he does play a role — and Maas even attempts to redeem him slightly — Mr. Archeron doesn't get an arc befitting his impact on the narrative.
While he does play a role — and Maas even attempts to redeem him slightly — Mr. Archeron doesn't get an arc befitting his impact on the narrative.
In fact, Mr. Archeron's storyline throughout the first three ACOTAR books is really odd. While the first installment makes him out to be a deadbeat father, A Court of Wings and Ruin gives him the chance to play the hero. This is made stranger by the disappearance of Feyre's father for the entirety of A Court of Mist and Fury. And the sequel gives little insight into his whereabouts. This is a A Court of Thorns and Roses, and it makes it more jarring when characters like Mr. Archeron show up to save the day.
Why Feyre's Father Sailed Away (What His Mission Was)
Feyre's Father Returns With An Army For Feyre & Rhysand
Feyre's father is absent in A Court of Mist and Fury because he sails away on a secretive mission, and the following book sheds light on what it is. This mission sees Mr. Archeron attending a meeting on the Continent, where he spreads the word about war looming in Prythian. As he returns with an army in A Court of Wings and Ruin, it's safe to assume he was tasked with gathering allies for Feyre and Rhysand's cause. This is a noble effort, especially given his past mistakes. However, readers are kept in the dark about Feyre's father and his change of heart.
There's no build-up to his "redemption," and to make matters worse, he's killed off moments after his return.
This is the bizarre part of Mr. Archeron's storyline in A Court of Thorns & Roses, and it paints an inconsistent and confusing image of his character. There's no build-up to his "redemption," and to make matters worse, he's killed off mere moments after his return. It's made out to be a meaningful sacrifice, but it's hard to agree with that when readers don't even know him that well. His daughters hardly grieve his death, either, making this a baffling series of events that could have been handled much better.
Feyre's Father (And The Readers) Deserved A Better Story
Future ACOTAR Books Won't Flesh Out His Character Further
Even if Feyre's father isn't the most irable character from Maas' ACOTAR series, he deserved a better story than the one he got. The readers deserved a fully realized character, too. Mr. Archeron isn't the only next Court of Thorns & Roses book, but Feyre's father can't.
The permanence of Mr. Archeron's fate means that his story will remain one of ACOTAR's strangest arcs, and that's saying something. Maas' books take the characters to some strange places, especially when they're not prominent enough to warrant their own perspectives. With Feyre's father having such mixed morality throughout the series, A Court of Thorns and Roses sends a confusing message about who he was — and what his entire arc actually meant.