#Especially when Feyre is not his mate which is the main reason Rhys went to the lengths he did for Feyre

[acourtofthought]

"I'm Tamlin's emissary for formal uses, but this was Andras's shift. So someone needed to fill in. It's an honor to do it." But now - now we need order, Feyre. We need rules, and rankings, and order, if we're going to stand a chance of rebuilding. So what he says goes. I am the first one the others look to - I set the example. Don't as me to risk the stability of this court by pushing back. Not right now. "No. I decided to take you myself. For that exact reason. They don't want or need your help. Your presence is a distraction and a reminder of what they went through."

"Amarantha had...camps for them. The nobles and favored faeries were allowed to dwell Under the Mountain. But if the people of a court weren't working to bring in goods and food, they were locked in camps in a network of tunnels beneath the Mountain. Thousands of them, crammed into chambers and tunnels with no light, no air. For fifty years." / "It was forbidden to speak of it. Some of them went mad, started preying on the others when Amarantha forgot to order her guards to feed them. Some formed bands that prowled the camps and did -" "They did horrible things. Right now, they're trying to remember what is is to be normal - how to live." "Things were bad, Feyre. I went in his stead, and I did my duty to the court. I went of my own free will. And we completed the Rite." "I do not belong in the Autumn Court. And I'm willing to bet I'm no longer welcome at h-the Spring Court." Home, he had almost said. "You ruined any chance I have of going back to Spring. Not to Tamlin, but to the court beyond his house. Everyone either still believes the lies you spun or they believe me complicit in your deceit." "Your mate should have known better than to kick a downed male." / "You will need Tamlin as an ally before the dust has settled. Tread carefully." "They say a beast prowls these lands now. / And though he roams these lands, he does not see or care for the neglect he passes, the lawlessness, the vulnerability." "Many of us would be wiped out entirely. Especially...Especially those of us who are weakened. And when the dust settles, there would be at least one court left vacant, it's lands bare for the taking." The argument that Lucien is pathetic for wanting to reconnect with Tamlin is laughable because it's watering down a pretty major plotline and the fact that the Spring Court was Lucien's HOME for centuries. Tamlin was Lucien's friend, he helped rescue him from his brothers and he gave him a job but this is not just about Tamlin, it's about an entire Court filled with people. Lucien felt it was an honor to guard the borders which protected the people of Spring. Lucien asked Feyre to not force him to risk the stability of the court. He asked her to put an entire people first, not Tamlin. The people who suffered for 50 years, the ones who weren't the nobles and were forced to do terrible things. He showed concern for them as they worked towards rebuilding their lives after Amarantha. Lucien performed the Rite with his abuser to help the lands of Spring. Lucien expressed sadness over not being able to return to Spring, not just to Tamlin's Court but the land beyond it. Isn't it more than likely that Lucien was trying to help pull Tamlin from his depression, not for the sake of his friendship with Tamlin but for the sake of the people of Spring who are currently without a ruler? Who have been without a true ruler since UTM? For the safety of Prythian in general considering the location of the Spring Court and how it borders Autumn and the human lands? Lucien Anti's often miss the bigger picture when it comes to Lucien's actions, focusing solely on what he did or didn't do for Feyre (despite the fact that he was willing to die for her on multiple occasions). They forget that an entire people and their safety is at stake. That Lucien often acted like a leader focused on the good of the many and not just the one.

[onceupona-chaos]

What we know about the next plot

(And why it won't be in Illyria)

I decided to make this post with the breadcrumbs in ACOSF that could be used to indicate the plot of the next book. I would take ACOFAS, ACOSF and both bonus chapters into consideration.

This would be divided in Illyria, Main Plot, Subplot and characters' development.

Note: Firstly, English is not my first language, so forgive me for any mistakes. Secondly, we have strong textual evidence that points to the next book being about Elain. So if that's not your cup of tea, be warned (But destiny arrives all the same).

Be kind!

ILLYRIA'S PLOT

First things first, we learn at the beginning of ACOSF that Cassian spent four months dealing with the Illyrians's rebellion and we get to see the results:

"So the Illyrians were at peace—or as peaceful as a warrior society could be, with their constant training. Which was what Rhys wanted."

The Illyrians's conflict is not a problem that was pushed aside to be solved later, but it's already solved. Cassian had already dealt with it, which makes sense since he is the one who often shows faith regarding the Illyrian people, a very different vision from Azriel's. I'll get to that.

So Kalon is dead, and so is this plot line. For many reasons SJM solved the Illyrians' rebellion, but there is one that connects with the bigger picture:

And with the wall gone, who knows what other Fae territories might make a grab for human lands?” My jaw tightened at that last one“This peace is tenuous.”

“I know that,” Az said at last.

“So we might need the Illyrians again before it is over. Need them willing to shed blood.”

This dialogue between Rhysand and Azriel is back in ACOFAS, which is the book SJM already said that there's a lot of breadcrumbs for the next books. If a war it's coming, we need to have the biggest army ready to fight. And it's not the first time she mentioned a new coming war.

MAIN PLOT

The conflict

So, the next book won't be about Illyria. Not only SJM made that clear, but she also already told us to what direction the next book is going:

“We’ll deal with all that later.” Including the remaining queens, Koschei, and a still-looming war.

SJM basically told us what is coming: a war in which Koschei is the main villain. That makes sense considering he's a potencial treat since ACOWAR.

So he's our main villain… and every villain has a motivation.

Koschei's motivation

The Trove is the new element SJM presented in ACOSF and in some level it is responsible to move the plot forward. We know for a fact that Bryllian wasn't the only one interested in the Trove:

“And all Koschei wants is to be free from his lake?” Rhys asked Azriel.

But Amren answered. “No one really knows the full scope of the Trove’s powers. Beyond freeing him from his lake, Koschei may very well know something about the Trove that we don’t—some greater power that manifests when all three are united.”

Koschei wants to be freed from his lake, and to do that he needs the Trove. So far, Nesta has found the Three objects and used them at the same time (chills, literally chills). If we were certain the Trove was safe with The Night Court, all we had to expect would be an attack from Koschei, probably using Beron (I'll get to that). However, SJM already told us there's another possibility:

"...when I went into the Prison, only three remained. At the time, some claimed there were four, or that the fourth had been Unmade, but today’s legends only tell of three.”

A fourth object lay on the altar, veiled in shadow. But she couldn’t make out more than a gleam of age-worn bone—

“There was a fourth object in the vision, but it was in shadow—was there ever a fourth part of the Trove? All I could make out was a bit of ancient bone.”

At this point, it's clear. The fourth object wasn't Unmade. It's out there somewhere and we will see more of it. Most of us already pointed out that the object was hidden in shadows, which could mean a connection to Koschei or Azriel.

If we consider Azriel (since he has a POV, so it would make sense), he can't find the Trove alone, the same way Cassian couldn't enter the chamber with Nesta. To find the Trove, you need to be Made:

“Made objects tend to not wish to be found by just anyone"

This is another reason why Koschei needed Briallyn: she was Made.

He pointed Briallyn toward the Dread Trove—not for her sake, but for his own ends.

Stopping the villain

If the villain wants some object to spread evil, the heroes have to stop him by finding the object first. Obviously. So someone needs to go look for it. It won't be Azriel alone and it won't be Nesta, because we know she won't be the main character anymore.

So who is the only next person who can find the Trove?

“You,” Amren said quietly, “are the same. So is Elain.”

Elain. With SJM, it's always the female character who moves the plot forward. Not the male.

Like it or don't, the Forth Trove needs to be found and she's the one who will do the job. There's a reason why Elain is the common denominator in both bonus chapters. Both of them are preparing Elain for her arc by: 1) Explicitly saying we haven't seen all she has to offer yet and 2) Preparing the reader for the romantic plot of the next book (that will involve her. Regardless who you ship, Elain is right in the center of that mess. Right now she is Azriel's love interest and Lucien's mate. That is not my opinion, those are facts)

There's another reason why it will be Elain: because we need to see her POV. When Nesta found both, The Mask and The Harp, we didn't see through Cassian's POV. He wasn't even close to the scenes.

So the fourth object won't be found from Azriel's POV, because he is not Made, he can't get close enough. He can help with his shadows, but the Trove will be found and rescued by a Made character.

It can't be found from Nesta or Feyre's either, because we know the next book won't be from their POVs. Amren wasn't Made in the same way, so she can't find it.

Elain is the only character who can and will. This is just textual evidence.

But finding the fourth Trove would be enough to stop Koschei? Probably not. Because we have another object to worry about, one that was presented back in ACOWAR:

"There is an onyx box that he possesses, more vital than anything".

Elain is the one who can see that onyx box using her Seer abilities. Maybe these two objects are connected, maybe not. Either way, Elain is the character who is most connected to both and to the plot right now.

So far, according to ACOSF the main plot is: Koschei is the villain and wants to be free from his lake, therefore he needs the Trove. There is a fourth object of the Trove hidden in shadows and the only person who can find is Elain.

Side note: in the process of finding the forth object, it's very possible that we get "new" plot lines. For example, the Fae people trapped under the Prison. But I will stick with SJM directions at the end on acosf here.

SUBPLOT

(I called "subplot" just for organization, but they are not separate things, one depends on the other)

But things are not that simple. Koschei is still bound to his lake, so he can't just go find the Trove himself. That's why he made an alliance with Bryllian in the first place. It's known then that he needs someone else willing to do his work. Who that person might be?

So far, that person is Beron:

"But with the queens a renewed threat, and Beron in the mix, especially if Koschei is their puppet master, Rhys is perfectly happy to leave it on"

My father is furious that his ally is dead, but he’s not deterred. Koschei remains in play, and Beron might very well be stupid enough to establish an alliance with him, too.

However, Beron is not just a puppet by any means. As a good antagonist, he has something to take from this, his own motivation. He wants to expand his territory.

“So they are trying to find this Dread Trove in order to track down the Cauldron for Briallyn, and likely free Koschei in the process. And launch a war, with Beron as her ally, that would grant them whatever territories they wish. Or give some to Koschei."

It's said Beron doesn't have the military strength alone to conquer another territory, with exception of Spring Court perhaps. So he needs alliances. And he's not the only one who has expansion plans:

I don’t think Vallahan is interested in peace. Or allying with us.”

“So Vallahan wants another war in order to add to their territory?”

Most people are forgetting about Vallahan, which is ruled by a queen. If we still have to deal with the "remained queens", maybe this queen could be a problem, too. I wouldn't be surprised if Beron allied with her to start a war.

Beron is not done. He will try to start a war. It makes sense why the penultimate chapter in ACOSF is about Eris, the Autumn Court heir. In order to deal with Koschei, we have to deal with the Autumn Court situation as well.

That being said, we have a "subplot" here involving the Autumn Court:

Beron can't be trusted;

He wants a war to expand his territory;

We were hinted he can allied with Koschei;

Eris has a deal with the Night Court to dethrone his father;

And Azriel's bonus chapter added the Blood Duel into this equation. Which means, involving the truth about Lucien's real father (here, I really tried to think in a way Lucien could get involved besides the Blood Duel and I couldn't find one, because our fox boy had cut any bond with Autumn Court even before ACOTAR).

That means... Elain is involved here as well. Whatever the direction you want to go, SJM build the next plot as if it is a cobweb around Elain, and we need her to move the plot forward.

Another side note: I know people think that there are other characters that could have a POV because they still have to work on their inner issues (basically any character in these books then). However, there's a bigger plot that can't be paused for one character only deal with that. The plot needs to keep moving forward. Besides, Elain is the only Archeron sister who we haven't seen her inner battle, her struggles, so this argument applies to her as well. Moving on.

So we have Beron, the remained queens, Vallahan and Koschei to worry about. There's no room for an Illyrian plot. SJM changed her mind for a reason: a story located for the most part in the Illyrians' mountains, an isolated place, can't move the plot forward and also because of a war is coming, the Illyrians are essencial (and because she wants the Inner Circle to be there. Also because of the white savior trope, but I will stick to the literary structure in this post).

CHARACTERS' DEVELOPMENT

Following the same line of through, I want to talk about why Azriel won't be involved with the Illyrians, not to help in a conflict. We have seen throughout the books that nothing good could come from Azriel dealing with the Illyrians.

"But they both knew Azriel would sooner disband and destroy Illyria than help it. Convincing their brother that the Illyrians were a people worth saving was still a battle amongst the three of them"

And this is not Cassian and Rhys' opinions only. We have seen this before, many times.

Azriel—Azriel just stared them all down. He had not wanted to come to the camp months ago. Disliked being back here. Hated these people, his heritage. The other lords kept glancing to the shadowsinger in dread and rage and disgust. He only leveled that lethal gaze back at them.

“The Illyrians are pieces of shit,” he said too quietly. I opened my mouth and shut it. Shadows gathered around his wings, trailing off him and onto the thick red rug.

These are just a few examples to say: Azriel dealing with them would be catastrophic. And I don't blame him, because he associates those people with eleven years he spent locked away alone with no light and the time he trained there, when he was a boy who didn't know how to fly, how to fight and the others beat the hell out of him.

His trauma is deep and no, he doesn't need to confront them to heal, to be developed as a character. Feyre didn't have a nice conversation with Tamlin, Rhysand didn't need to face Amarantha.

So far, all SJM characters have healed when sorrounded by people who love them, care for them and help them move on, and if they are main characters, they will heal with help of their love interest. They didn't have to go back and face what hurted them in the past. Examples: Feyre, Rhysand, Nesta, Cassian, Gwyn, Emerie. And on and on.

(I'm not saying all of them are totally healed, but their healing arc has already began)

Besides, I don't think for a second that it's only coincidence the fourth trove is hidden by shadows. Not when we have Azriel's POV, which is an indicator that he'll be one of the main characters.

Therefore, I do believe we are going to see his healing arc next since we got his POV (and boy, he needs one), but Azriel would rather be the Bone Carver's mate than deal with the Illyrians.

Azriel needs to be developed as a character to overcome his self loathing, yes. But that's not the way for him to find happiness, it would only hurt him further. You don't necessarily have to heal in the same environment where you got sick.

[darklove9314-blog]

This may be a rather unpopular opinion when it comes to the fandom but I really have to get it off my chest. I actually sincerely hope that the next book is not about Azriel (and this is not an anti Azriel page. I like Azriel as a character well enough) but here is where my main concern lies.

I feel like as a whole the fandom (not all the fandom, but a vast majority of the fandom) love the bat boys so much that it draws away focus on the characters who the main story should be focused about, which is the Archeron sisters.

Honestly, I myself am not the hugest fan of Elain’s. I actually think she could become an interesting character of SJM actually puts in the work on her character, but I sincerely hope that the next book is about her for a couple of reason,

Like I have stated above, I feel like these books aren’t even focused around the Archeron sisters at all. What is supposed to be Feyre’s journey is overshadowed in the fandom and even the books by her mate and fan favorite, Rhysand (and to clarify I am a Rhys anti, but I acknowledge that a good chunk of the fandom loves him, but I can still have an opinion that differs) to where Feyre doesn’t even feel like she’s the main character in her own damn series. Her character doesn’t even exist out of the realm of Rhysand. She is given the title as High Lady yet ultimately Rhys is given most of the power, all the decisions besides the bare minimum are given to him, and most of his court puts more value into his wants and orders over Feyre (No one can convince me otherwise especially after ACOSF) like Feyre’s character is so overshadowed by Rhys that she becomes a secondary character when it comes to him.

SJM uses Rhys to promote a lot of things, (She even used him to promote the newest TV show) and (this segment contains spoilers for Crescent City 2, so please scroll past this section, you don’t want spoilers) .even in the her latest book, where she could have given Feyre a chance to shine for a single moment it was still “the tattooed female” over “Hello Bryce Quinlan, My name is Rhysand.” And I know a lot of the fandom loves that line, but I truly with my whole chest hate it, because if SJM really wanted to promote her female leads the introduction should have went to Feyre who also possesses Daemati powers, but once again Feyre is overshadowed by Rhys

Now when it comes to Nesta and Cassian and their dynamic it’s not as bad. They were both allowed to exist as characters outside of each other. They both have a separate group of friends and their own stories that don’t involve each other, however even in ACOSF a good chunk of it is not objective when it comes to their relationship. Nesta and Cassian both have similar behaviors and yet are treated completely differently. Even when it came to their solstice fight, the fandom tended to agree with Cassian when in retrospect Cassian was in the wrong for most of the argument. Nesta, of course, was responsible for some of the hurt caused by that conversation but for the most part SHE was the only one who apologized for it when the apology again should have been mutual.

And now we get to Elain, I think the reason why I’m put off by the pairing of Elain and Azriel is how most people if they found out it was an Elriel boon wouldn’t refer to it as an Elriel book, but rather an Azriel book. I feel like it would mostly be about Azriel for the fandom and Elain’s emotional healing journey would be swept under the rug because people would prefer to know more about Azriel. I feel like Elain would once again be in Feyre’s character position and get overshadowed by her love interest so much that overall the fandom wouldn’t care about her journey and her perspective.

And it’s not even that I don’t respect or appreciate the bat boys journey and arcs, it’s the fact that I feel like this is one of SJM’s weakest series because she doesn’t focus it on Feyre , Nesta, and Elain. So overall I do sincerely hope that Elain’s book is next, because honestly I feel like if it was just Azriel’s book then once again an archeron sister would be pushed to the side for the main male lead. And that’s something I don’t want to happen yet again.

[rosereview]

Book of the Month (Mar): A Court of Silver Flames

Okay that was a crazy ride… holy mother sh*t. I don’t even know where to start and I have so many thoughts it feels like my heart and head will explode. Just like my Chain of Gold review (which you can find on my post page) this will probably be long and full of spoilers so sorry in advance, but I just need to get it out. Also these are the other books I read in March (it was a crazy month with a SJM and Cassie Clare book!):

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas (5 stars)

Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare (5 stars)

Siren’s Lament Season 2 by instantmiso (5 stars)

Frankenstein 1818 edition by Mary Shelley (unrated)

Characters

So to start I of course need to talk about Nesta, her being one of the main characters, but also because it’s NESTA. Like many people, I hated Nesta for all of the previous books. Like actually hated. She just made me so mad. The only time and reason I didn’t totally hate her was during the war in ACOWAR and mostly because I wanted Cassian to be happy and I could tell they were mates. But after that, especially in ACOFAS, I disliked Nesta so much it hurt. For her whole life she (and Elain, but I’ll get to her later) just let and expected Feyre to do everything for them and keep them alive. And after all of that, she blamed Feyre for being Made into a Fae, when Feyre was literally the only reason she was alive. As an older sibling myself, that made me so mad. I would never rely on my younger sibling because I would do everything in my power to keep them safe and provided for (like what Nesta did for Elain, which also riled me up because Feyre never got the same treatment). Going into this book I was worried that this whole thing was going to be about Nesta being a whiny bitch, but instead, the redeeming feature of Nesta, was her knowledge and acknowledgment of how shitty of a sister she’s been. I know that it took her a long time to actually be nice again, but I was happy that she actually knew that she was being terrible and deep down wanted to be better. She wasn’t just being terrible because she felt entitled which was the vibe I got from her before, but instead was terrible because she thought it was too late to get better. After that I thought her journey was very relatable and heart wrenching. While I still was mad every time she got mad and was mean to Feyre or any of the Night Court group, I could still sympathize how she felt like she was intruding on their family and that she didn’t fit in. 

Now let’s talk about Cassian— I love him. That’s about it. JK… Okay, I have always loved Cassian, but this book made me appreciate him in a more emotional way. All of his insecurities had me crying for him while relating to him so well too, and when we heard more about his mother and how when he was younger he didn’t get physical touch which is why now he always needs physical touch… MY HEART COULDN’T HANDLE IT! God, that was such a precious moment when he needed to hug and kiss Feyre’s forehead, because that’s how he best shows affection and needs affection warmed my heart in so many ways, but also made me cry. And although it hurt me when Cassian would doubt himself and feel lesser because he was born a bastard, I still felt that pain brought Nesta and him closer in more ways. It wasn’t just him helping her, but she helped him too, and both allowed each other to grow on their own but also together. I fucking loved that. 

Relationships

Now I’m just going to jump right into relationships, because I feel like individual characters besides Nesta and Cassian can only really be talked about through their relationships with other characters since it was only Nesta and Cassian’s povs in the book.

So first let’s talk about (obviously) Nesta and Cassian— I mean I already started to talk about them together above, but this book was so powerful for me because of the way the two of them worked together to heal themselves. That was beautiful. But also it is a tiny bit annoying how both Feyre and Nesta were unaware of their frickin mate bonds! I know, I know… neither were born Fae so they don’t have the same knowledge of the mate bonds that everyone else does, but come on! I knew Nesta and Cassian were mates since they first met! And I know that it definitely wouldn’t have been smart or healthy for Nesta to accept the mate bond at the beginning, but at the end when she still has to talk to Cassian like he isn’t her mate, after they literally consummated the mate bond on several occasions, I was kind of annoyed. I know it was still part of her growth, but also wild that she still was playing dumb like that. But I’m happy they finally admitted everything at the end.

Next let’s discuss the Archeron sisters— So really their relationship at the start just made me sad, seeing none of them get along (except Feyre and Elain). Especially since I still kind of felt like everyone should just be falling at Feyre’s feet and apologizing about how terrible they were for mostly her whole life (even Elain, since she also never helped keep them alive in the human world. Really she was just as bad as Nesta but wasn’t an outright bitch about it). But even though Nesta was encouraging nasty behaviour from them (because she was also being mean) Feyre and Elain both were just as mean to her sometimes. I mean, when Elain went to the house and Nesta and her got in an argument, Elain was just as harsh as Nesta was to her. But I guess Elain has just never been my favourite person. I’m still a little pissed how both Feyre and Nesta do everything for her and she just sits still and looks pretty, but I’m betting that will change in future books. Anyways, I was very happy at the end of the book that all three sisters got on good terms and even went to visit their father’s grave together. That last scene got me pretty emotional. 

Nesta & Emerie & Gwyn— In contrast with the Archeron sisters’ relationship, I loved this new friendship that Nesta found with Emerie and Gwyn. I think now that Nesta found those two, she really appreciates the relationship between family that isn’t blood, because they are now like her sisters too. I loved both Emerie and Gwyn so much in this book and I was so happy that Nesta found them and let them into her life. Feyre found a family in the Inner Night Court, and Nesta found her own people with her Valkyries, and that felt very poetic to me. The family you choose is the family that sticks with you forever (although you can choose blood family too, and I’m glad Nesta found her way back to Feyre and Elain, but I’m glad she found more family too). 

Nesta & Amren— Okay, this relationship had me very mad for most of the book because I just wanted to scream at Nesta so bad! I can’t believe that Nesta got mad for “choosing” Feyre’s side, when literally Feyre and Amren were family first! Amren and Feyre were close and part of the Night Court family before Nesta came in, and even though I was happy that Nesta was making friends with Amren, she can’t get mad at Amren for being friends with Feyre too! Especially since she was friends with Feyre first! Again, not saying that Amren and Nesta being friends was a bad thing, I just got mad that Nesta was being so weird about it when she has no claim on Amren to be just her friend. Sorry I just had to get that off my chest, but I am happy that both of them seem to be friends again now :)

Nesta & Rhysand— Throughout the book I totally understood both Nesta and Rhysand being unfriendly to each other, but boy was I in tears when Rhysand fell to his knees before Nesta because of what he did for Feyre. That was the most beautiful brother-in-law/sister-in-law moment in the entire world. Really I don’t want to even talk about Nesta and Rhys’s relationship in most of this book because I feel like that’s now in the past, I just want to focus on their amazing family relationship going forward, because now they will be in-laws from both sides (Feyre and Nesta being sisters, and Rhys and Cassian being brothers). 

Nesta & the House— This was a beautiful relationship and I was beyond happy that Nesta became best friends with the House. Super heart-warming and those are honestly my only thoughts. I can’t wait to see more of Nesta and the House in the future!

Cassian & Rhys & Azriel— Again, I just love the three of them! Their brotherly bond is adorable, but it also makes my heart break when they all take on each other's pain, because it’s just so beautiful and sad at the same time. I don’t know how else to explain it. When Cass and Az still feel hurt about not being able to help Rhys when he was underneath the mountain, and the pain Rhys and Az feels for Cass’s past, and the same for Az’s past. It’s beautiful but sad because I can just feel the love they have for each other and the true pain they feel and it hurts me too. 

The Night Court Inner Circle— This is also just a short pop in to say how much I love this whole family together: Rhys, Az, Cass, Feyre, Mor, Amren, and now Nesta, Elain, and Nyx. They are all a big beautiful family that makes my heart ache just thinking about them. I can’t wait for more scenes about all of them interacting with baby Nyx, because that will kill me and give my life again in the best way possible (again not sure if that made sense, but that’s the only way to explain it).

And for the big finale in relationships… my Elain/Azriel/Lucien/Gwyn thoughts— to start off, I’m not dissing any ship anyone makes and I think all thoughts are valid. But I don’t know, for some reason I just don’t think Az and Elain are meant for each other. I just think it’s too obvious and cliché (for lack of a better word) to have all three brothers fall in love with all three sisters. BUT I also see how it is obvious and cliché to have mates end up together too. So I really don’t know what to expect. But one thing is for sure— and again no hate please— but I totally understand why Elain and Lucien are mates and “equals”. Throughout this book it is mentioned multiple times that Elain doesn’t belong in the Night Court while Nesta definitely does (like the scene where they visit the Court of Nightmares but I do remember it being mentioned other times as well). This also explains why Azriel’s shadows don’t go close to Elain, because she literally represents light. Lucien on the other hand, is literally the son and heir to Helion, High Lord of the Day Court (even if he is unaware at the moment), the ambassador to the Spring Court (full of light and flowers), and ambassador to the human lands, somewhere Elain misses very much. I know none of this should mean he has any claim to her, but it definitely makes sense why they would be considered mates and “equals”, because Lucien’s birth and life matches the light that Elain represents. Just some food for thought. And concerning Gwyn and Az, I just think they would be really cute together, honestly. I think that Az being the first one to rescue Gwyn on the most traumatic day of her life is significant, and will have something to do with Gwyn’s own healing in some way, but of course that doesn’t have to mean sexual or romantic. I thought both of the extra bonus scenes at the end of ACOSF (yes I’ve read both) are really setting up for the next book which will cover Elain and Az’s journeys, but I don’t think that means they will get together. I thought Rhys’s comment about Elain in the Feysand one was very true, and Elain isn’t the innocent helpless girl we’ve been made to believe. I think she has a lot to share from her own story, and I think that Az needs to have his moment in the spotlight too. 

Plot

Lastly, let’s talk about plot, which is essentially the next war that may be gearing up to happen. I hope for all of my babies’ sakes it won’t happen and it’ll just be a little negotiation and everything will be well, but I have a feeling that won’t happen. This dude in this lake is very intriguing though (sorry, can’t remember his name) and I’m excited to see what will happen next. But most importantly, I think in the future a lot of shit will happen with Mor too, because since she was gone so much in this book I think that’s SJM getting us ready for a big Mor moment. I have a feeling there was more to her negotiating on the other continent than we know about yet, and also I feel like there's something more about what happened with her and Eris that I’m excited to find out about. 

I just feel like this was more of a character driven book (which are my favourite books) than a plot driven book, and a lot of the information we learned in ACOSF will be more important in the future books. So for now, I’m okay with not talking about it (although side note, I’m really happy that crone queen bitch is dead. I did not like her!)

So thanks for reading till the end if you did. Sorry for any grammar or spelling errors; I’m too tired to read over this. 

Until next time!

~Rose Reviews

[dontcall-sleeping]

If I was to (negatively) review acosf on three things here's how it would go:

- usually I'd add a point for world building but this is like 5 books into the series so I'm not talking about that rn

- let me know if there's any plot points or characters or relationships you want me to talk about

- should I do a positive review of the book too? Like talking about things I liked?

1. Plot:

First off, the main plot seemed very repetitive when you compare it to the main trilogies plot. "Find the magical objects to stop the big bad villain". I realize that Nesta's recovery was a bigger focus of the book but this was just kind of lazy.

The sideplot of Rhys and Feyres pregnancy pissed me off to an extreme level. First off, pregnancy is supposed to be rare in this universe and the fact that within a year or so they're already pregnant makes me uncomfortable. Especially since last time we checked in with Feysand they said they weren't planning on getting pregnant. The fact that in such an advanced world the baby had wings and Feyre didn't was a major problem is ridiculous. "she'll lose too much blood with a c section". That was incredibly unbelievable but I won't rant too much about it.

Then Rhysand keeping the fact that Feyre would die in the pregnancy was ridiculous because regardless of his reasons he had no right to keep it from her. And the idea that even their doctor wouldn't tell Feyre was also infuriating. This was just another example of Rhysands actions being excused on the basis of "I was protecting her" or "it was better for her" or whatever. I don't wanna hear it I despised it.

2. Characters

Let's start with Nesta, she was written pretty well for a character that was struggling mentally but any of her interactions that weren't with the Valkyries or sexual with Cassian always framed her as the bad guy even though it was written from her POV.

Feyre showed zero development since the past books and I was disappointed that her amazing powers didn't play a bigger role in anything at all. Her pregnancy basically prevented her from showing the growth I was hoping from her. And I feel like even though she was the MC, she's been reduced to Rhys' mate which is kind of sad.

Elain is still pretty bland to me and I have no desire for her to be mated with Az and I hope she doesn't doesn't a romantic relationship with Lucien bc I love him. That's all

Cassian seemed very eager for a Feysand like relationship but when the chance came I feel like he could've done so much more. I also feel like there was no addressing his previous actions where he insulted Nesta multiple times. *more in the romance section

I didn't read the Az bonus chapter but I got the gist. Tbh I feel like him wanting Elain is like a phase and he'll be over her soon enough. He's one of the only people I think who hasn't badmouthed Nesta so he's still good in my books. I don't see him being shipped with Elain at all and there's potential with Gwyn but I still haven't developed too much of an opinion yet.

Amrens character was really fun for me in the earlier books but looking at it now I could do without her. Her pressuring Rhys to take the high king title kind of ruined her for me and I feel like it was just an opportunity for sjm to make Rhys seem like a better guy when he refused. Also it made no sense anyway since the high king thing was something they were trying to prevent in the previous books.

Mor wasn't too present in this book, I know she wasn't the biggest fan of Nesta but I don't completely hate her yet. I feel like maybe if we saw more development with her in her assurance in herself, rather than a love interest I'd be more interested in that. I'd also like to uncover more about her past with Eris because I actually really like him.

Speaking of Eris, all I want to say is that I hope he becomes friends with Nesta because there are so many parallels between them and we already know Nesta isn't gonna become besties with the IC. At least I hope not.

Gwyn and Emerie were great I'd love for them to be Nesta's support system and continue as major characters in the books. I don't have any complaints about their characters or the House.

Last is the villain, I know the name started with K but that's about all I remember. That's how memorable they were. (I can't even remember the pronouns, we'll go with he) is it koshei? Something like that anyway. I'm sure you can already tell I didn't find him interesting. Similar to Hybern, there wasn't a lot of depth in the character or in the motives.

3. Romance

We're not talking about Feysand because I'm sick of them and I've already forgotten about them thank you.

Nessian had so much potential but looking back at the way they were written I'd be better off without the ship. I feel like we get nothing from Cassian about actually appreciating Nesta and her personality and her company and all of the things couples do. They were kind of just reduced to sex buddies if yk what I mean. I feel like sjm heard the word sex and just kind of went overboard and just forgot about everything else. It felt like she'd set them up at the beginning and just kind of ran with it and forgot about details and why they actually felt attraction towards each other and why the two felt they were right for each other. For nesta after a major mental health journey a relationship seemed like the last thing she needed but it was all put out to be as simple as "she needs a love interest and she loves him because I said so". I guess what I'm trying to say is Nesta is such a deep character but her relationship with Cassian was so surface-y and black and white.

I still ship Az with no one and Lucien with no one. Ngl Eris for Nesta is looking pretty good rn.

[valntinemorgenstern]

mythologising nesta archeron

so one of the most frustrating things about acowar were the many tantalising questions about elain and nesta. we were constantly teased throughout the book, and virtually nothing was answered; either about their personal character arc trajectories or their various love interests. at the end of this 700 page tome, we’re still asking ourselves, but are nessian mates?? how does elain feel about lucien? we’re still (mostly) none the wiser. 

in acowar, we were teased about nesta and elain to the point that i think -- surely -- sjm did this deliberately? layered hint after hint, and withheld the answers to those questions -- so that she could answer them later on? it would seem to be an incredible accident otherwise. it seems obvious to me that she was, throughout acowar, setting up this ring of secondary characters of elain-lucien-azriel-cassian-nesta as potentially main characters for the sequels to acowar. 

i’m re-reading acowar right now, and this bit with the carver, which i think proves my point: 

“what if i tell you what the rock and darkness and sea beyond whispered to me, lord of bloodshed? how they shuddered in fear, on that island across the sea. how they trembled when she emerged. she took something--something precious. she ripped it out with her teeth.” 

cassian’s golden-brown face had drained of color, his wings tucking in tight. 

“what did you wake that day in hybern, prince of bastards?” 

my blood went cold. 

“what came out was not what went in.” a rasping laugh as the carver laid out the shard of bone on the ground beside him. “how lovely she is -- new as a fawn and yet ancient as the sea. how she calls to you. a queen, as my sister once was. terrible and proud; beautiful as the winter sunrise.” 

[...] “nesta,” the bone carver murmured. “nes-ta.” 

i squeezed cassian’s hand. enough. it was enough of this teasing and taunting. but he didn’t look at me. 

“how the wind moans her name. can you hear it, too? nesta. nesta. nesta.” 

i wasn’t sure cassian was breathing. 

“what did she do, in the ageless dark? what did she take?”

from a writerly perspective, there is absolutely no reason for this exchange to be here. it serves no purpose whatsoever, in terms of feyre’s character arc and her narrative. no. it is, essentially, pure eavesdropping on feyre’s part. it is framed as something relevant to cassian, but not necessarily to feyre. feyre does not really react so much as watch cassian react. i would suggest the entire reason that cassian is even present, as opposed to rhys, is so that this prophetic picture of nesta could be painted, without whom we wouldn’t really have a reason for the carver to be saying this. this exchange is here to give us an insight into cassian’s growing feelings for nesta, and how she feels very unattainable to him / how he feels unworthy of her. it points towards how, in most ways apart from experience and skill, nesta far outranks cassian. 

but most of all, it’s interesting because of the way that nesta is being talked about -- the language is exalting; deifying. from mouth of a god, she is talked about as if she, too, is (quasi)-divine. quite simply, this is not the kind of language you use for secondary characters who know their place and who are going to occupy that secondary status forever -- this mythologising of nesta elevates her; it’s the way you talk about a protagonist (reminiscent of aelin, no?), or even an antagonist. someone with real narrative drive; someone with power. nesta is portrayed as enticing, as a mystery to unlock and potential untapped. 

the way that nesta continues to be, throughout the book, stubbornly elusive, denying us glimpses of what her real power actually is, her dogged refusal to train (and then, when she does, with a character outside of our narrative eye -- amren) situates her character as tantalisingly on the edge of the narrative. she is an intensely private character. she is a picture of self-denial, in that sense. firstly, denial of the fact that she is fae, and continuing to pretend as if she is still human, most significantly denial of her powers. but more than that, she’s characterised as self-denying to the point of asceticism in other ways, too. always clothed, it seems, in long-sleeved, floor-length, neck-high dresses, clinging but often simple in style, and toned in blues and greys. where mor and feyre are extravagant, sexual, vibrant and uninhibited, nesta is self-effacing -- even austere in style. her hair is always ‘swept up’; she even seems to not eat very much (see: feyre deliberately dumping food on her plate). (there is also an interesting question over her sexuality, since in wings and embers she seemed to suggest that she found the prospect of sex uninteresting and unappealing, and some people have theorised that she might be -- fanonically -- on the asexual spectrum). nesta is essentially a portrait of bridled self-containment, of bottled-up discipline and control. her entire life is dedicated towards protecting her sister, elain, and ensuring her safety and happiness. a character like nesta is ripe for exploration.

there is, in short, so much of nesta’s character that is unrevealed, not just to us, but also to herself -- so much of her that is as yet undeveloped -- that i can’t believe sjm wouldn’t try to make something of it. i’m not sure if she’d write an entire novel from her pov, but i’d be surprised if her perspective didn’t at least feature in a future novel -- especially since sjm has already inhabited her character in wings and embers. 

[acourtofthought]

Hey! Good?

I didn't know that sjm had said something about rejecting partnerships or that she would like to work with rejected bond. that is true?

I ask because my language is Portuguese (Brazil) and I don't understand when there are several people distorting things.

I ask you because I follow you and I know how much you like to bring facts and not reader speculation. good week!

Hello there!!

SJM never said she'd like to write about a rejected Mating Bond in any of her interviews (unless I somehow missed it). Fans of E/riel like to refer to this scene in ACOWAR as proof that Elucien will reject their bond:

“Azriel knows you’re watching,” Rhys drawled

“Why not make them mates?” I mused. “Why Lucien?”

“What decides it? Who decides it?”

“You said your mother and father were wrong for each other; Tamlin said his own parents were wrong for each other.” I peeled off my dressing robe. “So it can’t be a perfect system of matching. What if”—I jerked my chin toward the window, to my sister and the shadowsinger in the garden— “that is what she needs? Is there no free will? What if Lucien wishes the union but she doesn’t?”

“A mating bond can be rejected,” Rhys said mildly, eyes flickering in the mirror as he drank in every inch of bare skin I had on display. “There is choice. And sometimes, yes—the bond picks poorly. Sometimes, the bond is nothing more than some … preordained guesswork at who will provide the strongest offspring. At its basest level, it’s perhaps only that. Some natural function, not an indication of true, paired souls.” A smile at me—at the rareness, perhaps, of what we had.

But truly, SJM is not the kind of writer to say something that specific about two characters and have it end up happening exactly as she said it would. SJM might give major clues but they don't usually end up being a word for word scenario which is what Elain rejecting the bond with Lucien in order to be with Azriel would be. And E/riels tend to forget:

“Even so,” Rhys went on, “there will always be a … tug

There is no HEA for Elain, Lucien or Az if Elain and Lucien reject their bond because no matter who they end up with, they'll always share a connection with one another and that's too messy when you're trying to be with someone outside the bond (especially for her main characters who will always be a part of one another's lives. Lucien isn't just going away even if Elain rejects the bond, he still has relationships with Feyre and Rhys. So Az will always be destined to see Elain's actual Mate while he tries to have a relationship with her and she'll always feel a draw to Lucien even while trying to have a relationship with someone else.

The only way I can see SJM spinning what Rhys and Feyre were talking about is if we've already seen a rejected bond (the LOA and Helion, hence the reason he's still pining for her) or Mor and Eris (if they turn out to be Mates). As Mor prefers woman, Eris would be understanding that her rejecting the bond has nothing to do with him, making it easier to handle.

Back to interviews, the only thing SJM has ever said is how she loves JR Ward, a Fated Mates author who has over 20 books of Fated Mate couples. So it's really too bad for anyone who thinks SJMs Mate count is too high considering she fangirls over an author who has double her number.

Thank you for your ask and I hope you have a wonderful day / evening!