after being trapped for over 500 years by amarantha and despite resurrected by the cauldron, imagine jurian wasn’t really alive again. he didn’t feel alive anyway. then imagine him meeting vassa and her fire coaxes his own out of hiding and over time he realizes that she’s made him come alive again.
you know where elain would fit? with a human that was tortured and enslaved by a fae general, brought back to life only to be further used by her king, who doesn’t know who he is and where he belongs anymore. with a human queen that got punished for refusing to ally with fae, sold off to a death-lord to become someone without any control over her own body left. with her mate who more than anyone knows how it is to lose the person you loved the most, the place you called home.
elain, jurian and vassa are all human victims of fae politics. no longer human, they struggle with the reality forced on them and can’t recognise the person they are anymore. they’re stuck in-between the two worlds along with lucien, having lost everything that defined them. I hope that they find each other as their story unfolds because if anyone could make elain finally open up, it’s those that suffered the same fate as her.
I don’t think Jurian is completely evil. And before you walk away from this post forever, hear me out.
During the War, Clythia, Amarantha’s sister, who is said in ACOTAR to be “as vicious and wretched as she [referring to Amarantha]” fell in love with Jurian, who was a warrior and “commanded mighty human armies”.
It’s heavily implied in ACOTAR that for a High Fae to fall in love with a mere mortal was beneath their station and often frowned upon. Just think about how the Autumn Court executed Lucien’s lover, who was a lesser fae. Imagine what they would have done to a mortal.
That said, Clythia did indeed fall in love with Jurian. That would mean Jurian must’ve had some incredible qualities for a mortal—qualities that caught the eye of a High Fae.
In ACOTAD, it was stated that Jurian betrayed Clythia “After months of stomaching being her lover…” Why? Because being Clythia’s lover had been the way to gain information regarding the fae armies. I feel like this part would be something that might parallel to Rhysand’s personality. Jurian was doing everything he could to ensure his side’s victory in the world. He was doing everything he could to protect the mortal lands, to defeat and crush the fae that wanted to destroy the mortals. And this strikes me as what Rhys would do. Rhysand was willing to give up every part of himself, physically and mentally, if it meant protecting Velaris and his friends. Yes, Rhysand wouldn’t have done what Jurian did to Clythia—he “tortured and butchered her, crucifying her with ash wood so she couldn’t move while he did it. He left the pieces of her for Amarantha to find.” However, the point being is that while Jurian can be evil and sadistic, he also seemed to be selfless in his cause, and could apparently be charming to the other gender and species. Another parallel to Rhys here would be the fact that Jurian put the good of the mortal lands before himself. He obviously didn’t want to be a lover to Clythia—didn’t want to get into bed with her—because he already had Miryam at the time, based upon what Mor said in Hybern in ACOMAF, “They [referring to Miryam and Drakon] were mated and married the night you slaughtered Clythia.”, which shows that Jurian must’ve been lovers with both Clythia and Miryam at some point in time.
Inaddition, before Drakon allied himself with the humans, Miryam also fell in love with Jurian, and Jurian loved her back. Once again, the charm towards the other gender and species (Miryam was half human, half fae) showed. Obviously, if Miryam had fallen in love with Jurian, then he must’ve had some redeeming qualities.
Of course, during the War, Jurian’s obsession to win the war and take down Amarantha resulted in Miryam falling in love with Drakon, the two of which happen to be mates. And this is where Jurian’s parallel to Tamlin comes in.
According to Mor, Miryam broke up with Jurian before completely falling in love (and going all the way) with Drakon. And based upon the implications in ACOMAF, Jurian still desires Miryam (by the way he kept asking Mor where she was). He wants revenge on Drakon, for winning the heart of his lover, and he wants Miryam for himself. In this situation, he’s extremely similar to Tamlin. Feyre had initially fallen in love with Tamlin, before she realized how damaged he’d become from Under the Mountain. Miryam had initially fallen in love with Jurian, before she realized how the War and his obsession with Amarantha had caused him to go insane. Feyre ended it with Tamlin (through the letter she sent him after she was rescued by the Night Court). Miryam ended it with Jurian. Tamlin, refusing to believe that Feyre no longer loves him, does everything he can, including making a bargain with Hybern, in order to ensure that Feyre is beside him in the Spring Court. He has no thought for what Feyre wanted (to have time to herself in the Night Court, to not be hunted like a pet, to have a say in her life). Similarly, Jurian wants Miryam for himself. He wants to wreak vengeance upon Drakon, with no thought of what Drakon’s death might do to Miryam. He spares no thoughts for what Miryam might want. Tamlin puts Feyre before the good of the world. He sold out the Spring Court and the mortal lands to Hybern, for the return of Feyre. Similarly, Jurian doesn’t care what happens to the rest of the world (shown by the fact that he allies himself with Hybern, his past enemy during the War, in ACOMAF) as long as he gets revenge on Drakon, and gains back Miryam.
In Conclusion: Tamlin and Rhysand can be said to be two sides of the same coin. And if Jurian parallels both of their personalities, where does that put him?
Tamlin puts what he wants before the importance of the world. Rhysand puts the important of the world leagues ahead of what he wants. Jurian puts the importance of the world well ahead of his own well-being, meaning he is willing to sacrifice parts of himself to make the world right. However, he puts what he wants (Miryam and revenge) ahead of the importance of the world.
And with that said, I don’t think Jurian is completely evil. Yes, he’s cruel and sadistic and appreciates the suffering of others (as shown by the quote in ACOMAF, “Jurian laughing softly at the blood gushing from Cassian’s ravaged wings”), but he has some redeeming qualities, notably selflessness. And I think there’s a good chance that Jurian will defect to defending the mortal lands again in book three, if he manages to override his urge for revenge and to realize that he should respect what Miryam wants for herself.
Let me know what you guys think about Jurian’s character~^^
FINALLY—I’ve finished it. This piece took me AGES (mainly because I hyperfixated on the Helion x LoA piece ) but it’s finally done!
✨ On a very serious note, please PLEASE remember that Vaasa is not white. Her skin tone is clearly indicated in the books, and I am so sick of seeing whitewashing in this community. There are a lot of toxic apples already, let’s not stoop even lower and whitewash a canonically POC character.
✨ On a lighter note—I AM OBSESSED WITH JURIAN AND VASSA!!! I can’t wait to read more about them—I’m predicting a very spicy enemies to lovers.
