A Court of Thorns and Roses Chapters 45-46 Summary & Analysis

Summary

Chapter 45

Feyre sees through someone else’s eyes. Her broken body is stretched on the ground. Lucien removes his mask with tears in his eyes. Tamlin snarls at Amarantha, blasting her with a golden light and pouncing on her in his beast form. He grabs her by the throat and shoves her against the wall. The Attor and guards try to help their queen, but faeries and High Fae from the crowd stop them. Lucien tosses a sword to Tamlin. Tamlin runs the sword through Amarantha’s head and tears out her throat. Feyre realizes she’s watching through Rhysand’s eyes. Tamlin sheds his beast form and sobs as he holds Feyre in his arms. Lucien’s father, the High Lord of the Autumn Court, approaches. He drops a glittering spark onto Feyre’s chest. Next, the High Lords of the Summer Court and the Winter Court do the same, followed by the High Lords of the Dawn Court and Day Court. Rhysand approaches, noting that the High Lords have given a gift they’ve shared with few others before. He drops his light on Feyre. A shining light appears in Tamlin’s hand. He tells Feyre he loves her and puts his hand on her chest.

Chapter 46

Feyre feels like she’s swimming for the surface. She gasps for air. Feyre realizes she’s not dead. Her skin glows. She has become High Fae. Tamlin says this was the only way to save her. Amarantha is dead and those she held under her curse are free. Tamlin’s golden mask rests on the floor. Feyre puts her hand on Tamlin’s chest and feels his heartbeat. Feyre sits on a bed as Tamlin heals her remaining injuries. Feyre recalls the chaos in the throne room. The Attor, Lucien’s brothers, the nasty faeries, and Rhysand disappeared. Some fae celebrated, others stood in shock. The High Fae and faeries of the Spring Court thanked Tamlin and Feyre. Tamlin and his allies met to plan their next steps. Tamlin runs his finger over Feyre’s tattoo, vowing to find a way out of the deal she made with Rhysand. Tamlin kisses her and they make love.

A force pulls Feyre from sleep. She walks down the hall to a balcony to find Rhysand. He tells her he’s come to say goodbye. Feyre asks the simple question: Why? Rhysand says that he wants to be remembered for fighting against Amarantha. He also tells her he didn’t want her to fight or die alone. Rhysand asks Feyre how it feels to be High Fae and she responds that her body is different but her heart is still human. As Rhysand leaves, something about Feyre’s face shocks him, but before she can ask him, he disappears. Several High Fae destroyed Amarantha’s court Under the Mountain. As Tamlin and Feyre leave, he blocks the entrance. They travel toward the manor, watching from a short distance. Alis chases after her boys, now safe. Lucien calls them to dinner. Though Feyre needs to cope with what she’s done for their freedom, she and Tamlin have returned home.

Analysis

With Feyre’s successful completion of the third task, Tamlin has regained his power, illustrating the theme of the transformative power of love. Feyre’s sacrifice restores his strength, showing that her dedication changes him. Feyre has solved the riddle about what those seek for a lifetime and what lands a powerful blow, and what favors those with the bravery to dare, highlighting that the answer is, literally, love. Though the answer comes too late for Feyre to save herself, love transforms Tamlin’s heart from stone and makes it beat for the first time since Amarantha’s curse began. Feyre’s commitment to save Tamlin changes the balance of power, giving Tamlin and Rhysand the ability to successfully battle Amarantha, destroying her and ending her reign Under the Mountain. With the blight ended by Amarantha’s death, Prythian fully transforms into the better world of Feyre’s hopes. As the curse lifts, Tamlin mask falls away, transforming him into the man Feyre always dreamed he would be.

Her determination to save Tamlin costs Feyre her life, but when the high fae share their golden light to resurrect her, it demonstrates the theme of the healing power of mercy. In spite of any misconceptions the rulers of six courts may have had about humans, they come together inspired by Feyre’s brave and selfless act. One by one they step forward to bestow their light, sharing their healing gift with Feyre in return for the gift of freedom she gave them. As the final High Lord to give his light, Tamlin gives Feyre a new life in exchange for the new life she gave him. Tamlin’s love and mercy combine to not only heal Feyre, but transform her to an immortal member of the high fae. Though she’s now one of this magical community, Feyre carries the weight of guilt for killing the two faeries in the final challenge, showing that her heart remains human. Feyre’s new, immortal senses overwhelm her, showing that she’s still part of the human world. Feyre saves Prythian and the healing power of mercy gives her a forever place in this land.

Though the novel has elements of a traditional fairy tale, the characters upend the notion of these story archetypes. In a traditional fairy tale, Feyre would be the good, pure, helpless maiden waiting to be saved. Feyre shows she’s not helpless from the first page of the novel. Though she saved Prythian, she has the blood of Andras, the naga, and the two faeries from the final challenge on her hands, and the fact that she carries this guilt suggests she is no pure, innocent princess. With Rhysand’s concern for his people and desire to jump in to the fight so he’s remembered for doing the right thing show that Rhysand doesn’t play the role of traditional villain. Even Tamlin, who would stand as the handsome prince, suggests dark times in his past. All three of these main characters demonstrate the vague line between good and evil. As the novel ends, these characters don’t come to the traditional happily ever after. As Tamlin and Feyre return to the manor, she realizes she brought them both home, showing she’s not ashamed to recognize her own power. Content with the family she’s found in Tamlin, Lucien and Alis, Feyre suggests she will have to contend with taking innocent lives in the final challenge. While the novel contains the romance and adventure elements of fairy tale, the main characters may be happier for the moment, but suggest this won’t be the case forever.