#acotar 6 theory

[offtorivendell]

The Cauldron and its far reaching threads; who is susceptible to the puppet master, and how might it work?

Disclaimer: this is a massive crack theory that I have held off posting since June 2022, but fuck it I guess, let's go! This is not a shipping post.

As usual, I am absolutely NOT suggesting that anyone who is influenced by the Cauldron is inherently evil in any way. This is just a crack theory. If you can't interact respectfully, then please keep scrolling.

Spoilers: ACOTAR series to date, and massive character spoilers for River Song and the Ponds from Doctor Who (if you care about that) in part 2.

Part 1 - Cauldron Made Beings

This first section will be stating some of the obvious, as we know, per Amren in ACOSF, that Cauldron-Made beings are able to be influenced by the Cauldron, though the “how” is not yet clear. @wingedblooms has theorised extensively about the living bond that Elain Archeron may share with the Mother's crockpot, and I suspect that this bond may also tie (terrible pun, sorry) into how the Cauldron can exert control: by pulling the “bond” threads that connect it to its former inhabitants.

Cassian’s breath caught in his throat. “It was a fluke, Amren. Nesta didn’t make it on purpose.” Amren shook her head, hair swaying. “Nothing is a fluke. The Cauldron’s power flows through Nesta, and could use her as a puppet without her knowledge. It wanted those weapons Made, and thus they were Made. It wanted Rhysand to have them and thus the blacksmith brought them to you. - ACOSF, chapter 42

Finding the link would be basically impossible at this point, but I've previously mentioned that I wonder if the Cauldron's dark maker could be Koschei, or another death god/Daglan. To briefly rehash my thoughts: if there is a dark maker, it stands to reason there be a light maker, too… is it the Mother? Could Koschei be the dark mother that the Naga referred to in ACOTAR, as the terms “mother” and “maker” could demonstrate in-universe evolution of the same word? I've also previously theorised that Koschei may have been controlling the Cauldron through the King of Hybern/vice versa, and that is how the Elucien bond came to be, but this is not a shipping post, sorry!

As a quick aside, the above passage also makes me wonder if the Cauldron, or one of its hypothetical makers, wanted the Archeron sisters Made - it's something I've meant to post about, but I think Koschei has had a hand in things since Papa Archeron’s ship was lost at sea, at the very least. They are each a weapon in their own right, as Amren went on to state their powers match Rhys’ own. I know @nikethestatue has had similar thoughts. But I digress.

Look at the use of “bird in a cage” in the following passage, used to describe Nesta, which parallels nicely with Thesan’s use of decorative birds in cages as spies to listen in (thank you so much to @ladynightcourt3 for the first quote).

The amusement only grew, and Helion pushed a finger against his lips in mock warning. “Careful, High Lady. Even the birds report to Thesan here.” I frowned at the birds in cages throughout the room, still silent in Azriel’s shadowy presence. I threw shields around them, Rhys said down the bond. - ACOWAR, chapter 47

“Like calls to like,” Amren countered. “You were Made by the Cauldron. You may track other objects Made by it as well, as Briallyn can. And because you are Made by it, you are immune to the influence and power of the Trove. You might use them, yes, but they cannot be used upon you.” A glance to Elain. “Either of you.” Nesta swallowed. “I can’t.” But to let Elain involve herself, jeopardize her safety— Amren said, “You tracked the Cauldron—” “It nearly killed me. It trapped me like a bird in a cage.” Elain said, “Then I will find it. I might require some time to … reacquaint myself with my powers, but I could start today.” “Absolutely not,” Nesta spat, fingers curling at her sides. “Absolutely not.” - ACOSF, chapter 21

I think Nesta briefly (I hope, though who knows) became a puppet/shell for the Cauldron's puppet master - perhaps a death god such as Koschei, if @fawnandshadows is correct that he bastardised the Cauldron in some way, millennia ago (I think she's onto something) - and that's who we were seeing when she locked herself into her mind while scrying in ACOSF.

“Get her out, Rhys,” Cassian demanded. “Get her out now.” “I can’t,” he said softly, his power a cloak of stars and night around him. “I— The doors to her mind were open the other night. They’re shut now.” “She doesn’t want it seeing her. Or us,” Feyre said, her face tight. “She’s locked it out, but also locked herself in.” Cassian’s stomach twisted. “Nesta,” he said into her ear. “Nesta, open your hand and come back.” Her breathing sharpened. The cold deepened. “Nesta,” he snarled— And the cold halted. It didn’t vanish, but rather … stopped. Nesta’s eyes flicked open. Silver fire burned within. Nothing Fae looked out through them. Rhys shoved Feyre behind him. She shoved her way back to his side. But Nesta’s hand continued to squeeze Cassian’s. He squeezed back, let his Siphons send a bite of power into her skin. She turned her head so slowly it was like watching a puppet move. Her eyes met his. Death watched him. - ACOSF, chapter 31

I think a similar situation - though more high stakes/urgent - could come to play in Elain's book.

Elain is a Seer with mystical powers that are potentially tied to the Void.

She may try to See through mist and shadow, and accidentally make herself known to Koschei or another death god/Daglan?

In ACOSF, Nesta warned her to “stay away from the Cauldron,” and even Azriel suggested there was a darkness to the Dread Trove that “Elain should not be exposed to.” This, of course, makes many of us think that Elain will go after the Cauldron in her own book.

Could Elain mistakenly Look too far and open herself up to the Cauldron's living bond? That being said, it could simultaneously be using at least Jurian and Amren as well, and we have no idea if Made Fae who haven't been inside the Cauldron, such as Feyre and Miryam, are equally susceptible.

Part 2 - Not Made, yet possibly susceptible

I have been wondering for a while if the Cauldron can somehow form bonds, or weave threads, between itself and anyone exposed to it - or a part of it, when it was separated and hidden in different locations - for extended periods of time, or perhaps crucial ages, like somebody's formative years?

His mouth tightened, and he swallowed once before he said, “Hybern was looking for the Cauldron back then—for the pieces of its feet. One was hidden at the temple in Sangravah, its power used to fuel its priestesses’ gifts for millennia. - ACOSF, chapter 14

What if Gwyn - or anyone else - who grew up in Sangravah, a temple that housed one leg of the Cauldron, internalised some of the magic (sort of along the lines of River Song having regenerative abilities because Amy Pond fell/was pregnant while travelling on the TARDIS, and everything that happened after she was born - being taken away)?

All the High Priestesses wore the billowing, artfully twisted and layered robes—though they certainly were far from matronly. Ianthe’s slim waist was on display with a fine belt of sky-blue, limpid stones, each perfectly oval and held in shining silver. And atop her hood sat a matching circlet—a delicate band of silver, with a large stone at its center. A panel of cloth had been folded up beneath the circlet, a built-in swath meant to be pulled over the brow and eyes when she needed to pray, beseech the Cauldron and Mother, or just think. Ianthe had shown me once what the panel looked like when down: only her nose and full, sensuous mouth visible. The Voice of the Cauldron. I’d found the image unsettling—that merely covering the upper part of her face had somehow turned the bright, cunning female into an effigy, into something Other. - ACOMAF, chapter 2

@wingedblooms has suggested that priestesses could be influenced in general because they worship the triple goddess/divine trio, which follows along with what Feyre hinted at when thinking about Ianthe, all the way back in ACOMAF; that they opened themselves up to the divine during their services (in a similar way to how I imagine Elain's Sight may function). That being said, it's hard to say whether the priestesses at Cesere, Sangravah and Itica are more susceptible than their colleagues from other temples due to their prolonged proximity to the Cauldron’s feet, but I suspect it might be the case.

Could they have a deeper connection, or a bond of sorts?

One that remains even when they aren't communing with the Mother or the Cauldron?

One that may be accessed by the Cauldron or its Maker, for such nefarious purposes as letting in enemies to a library sanctuary?

Gwyn is likely already a lightsinger - please see @silverlinedeyes and @merymoonbeam for some brilliant posts that cover the basics of the theory and then some here, here, here, here and here - but if not, or maybe in addition to that, what if she was "Made-adjacent," and so also able to be used as a "puppet" by the Cauldron/the being controlling it, and thus any threads it may share with others? If accurate, this would work for anyone who was born, grew up, and/or lived for a long time in Sangravah, Cesere or Itica. To clarify, I don't think that these priestesses could call to or search for the the Cauldron, as they are likely not true “kin” - as, say, the Archeron sisters are to other Made items - but I could always be wrong about that. Or is this what lightsingers truly are?

Alternatively, what if every Singer (shadowsinger*, lightsinger, or any other type) was capable of the silent song, or had Made/Starborn powers in a way, and/or could be used as a "puppet" by the Cauldron or its master/maker? It would explain how Azriel's shadows could be used by someone else, maybe Koschei, thanks to the hypothetical living bond between the Cauldron and Made beings? So Nesta, Azriel (whose shadows are potentially Made, if not himself), Elain, Feyre, Amren, Miryam, Jurian, Gwyn and a whole lot of priestesses besides...

Too crazy? Probably, but that's why theorising is fun!

TOG SPOILERS BELOW

* Another theory I know I share with others, but at least @ladynightcourt3 and @psychologynerd, is that Azriel's shadows could be Valg. What if Valg have a living bond back to their respectful Valg King? If @fawnandshadows is correct that Koschei/death gods twisted the Cauldron, could this be how? Valg magic?

[gravitysthrall]

Silver strings? Like silver threads of hope? (ACOFAS)

I def think we are going to get damsel Az being saved before the series is over.

Koschei's Sleeping Beauty retelling 🌹

I've found Koschei's sleeping beauty details so here it is

_In the tale, it is said that once Koschei focuses his gaze on the chosen princess, he is capable of exerting a powerful influence over her. He recites ancient, arcane words, and the maiden collapses gracefully, falling into a deep, unbreakable sleep, immune to the passage of time.

_ Koschei was described to be surrounded by shadows and swirling mist. He then takes the princess to his grand hall with a bone throne, where she waits for the hero who can break the spell.

*In SF:

The being that stood atop the lake was a shadow. It must be a reflection, Cassian thought. Smoke and mirrors. "Where is Briallyn?" Azriel demanded, Siphons flaring like cobalt flame. “I spend so many months preparing for you,” Koschei crooned, “and you don’t even wish to speak to me?”

*Koschei in the book is described as a shadow being as in the tale. Plus he could be trying to lure Azriel to the lake because once he can fix his gaze on him he'll be able to manipulate him with his power and enchant him with unbreakable sleep.

What I think is that Koschei could have been trapped in the lake using the Starsword, so he needs the TT to undo it. That's why he wants Az because he owns the dagger, so he could curse him with eternal sleep and try to make Elain free him from the lake in exchange for breaking Azriel's curse.

_In the tale, the only way to break the enchantment is through an instrument called the gusli which is very similar to the harp.

Gusli. Harp.

_The strings of the gusli are made of pure silver and inbued with encient magic, when played correctly they emit a powerful, harmonic resonance that can break the spell and awaken the princess.

*In SF, the harp has ancient magic in its strings, and they are also made of silver:

The golden Harp, covered in intricate embossing, set with silver strings.

The small strings are for games—light movement and leaping—but the longer, the final ones … Such deep wonders and horrors we could strum into being.

_In the tale, for the Gusli's magic to work, it should be played by a hero who is pure of heart and noble intent.

*We know that Elain can use the harp because she's a cauldron made, and we also know that she has a different kind of strength:

“Elain had always been gentle and sweet—and I had considered it a different kind of strength. A better strength. To look at the hardness of the world and choose, over and over, to love, to be kind. She had always been so full of light.”

She is someone pure of heart, and her love for Azriel will definitely be strong and pure, so I think that could be another reason why she's the one who can break his curse 🥰

My theory about the harp is that, since in Hofas it was said that it can transfer one's power to the soul of another. Therefore, Elain may be able to give a portion of her life power to Az's soul through the harp to awaken him.

[infiniteetcetera]

Something I would actually love to see in an Azriel book is Az getting a “second family” sort of situation outside the inner circle, i.e. a group of friends he hangs out with where he can actually just relax, laugh, and be himself. Don’t get me wrong, Azriel obviously loves the IC and they love him, but we’re told from basically every single one of them in their POV that they don’t understand him and he won’t talk about himself/his feelings with them (as he should honestly, Rhys and Cassian canonically used to beat conversation out of him and Mor’s been messing with his head for centuries) and one of the very first things we’re told by Az directly is that he doesn’t feel like he belongs (with them).

I just think it’s sad that Az is often written off as so private/quiet because of his personality even though we see there’s so much more to him than that. I love that he is our occasionally awkward introverted boy, but he’s also canonically like the most charismatic of the IC??? Feyre points out how fun/charming he is the first time she hangs out with him outside the IC, he’s the only one Elain feels comfortable with in all of ACOMAF and brings her out of her shell, and he’s literally the only one who gets along with Nesta and they actually form such a normal sweet friendship??? He operates so sweetly and openly with everyone outside the IC (I use the Archerons as examples bc that’s most of what we’re shown but we’re also told even like the valkyries in training all crush on him) I can’t help but feel like the IC hold him back and after the way he was raised Azriel really deserves a true family where he feels like he “belongs” and doesn’t have to hide and isolate himself.

This is why I care less who he winds up with and more that it’s done well and leaves him genuinely happy, not just because one person suddenly “fixes” everything, but because they help him be himself and let others in and feel comfortable with who he is. I feel like that’s what he really needs and he’s not getting it from most people in the Night Court (like I swear the Archeron sisters already know him better than his supposed family in the IC. what do you mean Feyre and Nesta both clock Elriel and Rhys/Cassian are oblivious??? what do you mean he’s terribly depressed on Solstice and Nesta is the only one who reaches out and when she brings it up Cassians like ‘nah that’s just how Az is’??? what do you mean Mor gets him awful gifts every year but Elain has him dying on the floor laughing with her present after knowing him a few weeks???)

In conclusion, please let Azriel find not only a happily ever after with his LI but some awesome new friends too ❤️ (or let him help the Archeron girlies escape the NC fr even if he just drops them off with their autumn court LIs, IDC I just love his relationship with all of them)

[theshadowsingersraven]

An idea I've been playing with is if the Elucien book is next, I wonder if SJM will have it set up where it happens before the events of HOFAS/during HOFAS like ToD and EoS. Because that may explain both of their absences in the time Bryce spent in the NC. They could be in Spring, or Day, or even Autumn for the Beron plotline.

I think at one point SJM may have said the next ACOTAR starts a few months after SF, but that might still fall between SF and HOFAS since there's six months between. I feel like that could set sooo many things in motion and explain a lot that we saw in HOFAS.

i.e., Nesta's reaction to Azriel saying Elain was waiting, and the way the Mask flared. (Perhaps tensions between them due to Elain’s conflict avoidance? She did refer to Elain as a wretch for sitting as far away as possible from Lucien during Solstice in SF. Or Elain's departure from the Night Court might've been on partially sour terms?) Azriel being noticeably closer and openly kinder/affectionate towards Nesta. (With both objects of Azriel’s unhealthy, unavailable pining gone, [assuming Mor returns to Vallahan and Elain has left the NC, with or without Lucien] perhaps we see more of who he is when he's not in his worst, 'why don't I deserve love?' mindset. The constant reminders via their presence could be removed, potentially.

[stardustnfreckles]

Enough about ship wars or wondering who’s pov we’ll get in ACOTAR6

Bryce is the only one that’s asking the right questions

SPOILER HOFAS

.

.

• How come TT, a literal legendary blade, that belonged to Fionn himself is in Azriel’s possession?

But most importantly

WHAT DOES AZ KNOW THAT WE DON’T? who’s Enalius??

Mr. I never lose at cards cause Lady Gaga wished she had my poker face “let out a small noise of shock” and we don’t talk about it?

I think he figured something out. He connected the dots. I also think it goes back to the time he spent working for Rhysand’s father. We know he wanted to keep Rhys, Cass and Azriel apart because he was scared of how powerful they were together, he sent his own son away but kept Azriel cause he knew how rare and precious his set of skills is. I can’t wait to see how working for him affected azriel but also what he learned in the meantime.

[gardenfaerie222]

why I think the 3 brothers/3 sisters plot makes sense and why Vassien/vassa x Lucien will be the final acotar book

The Death of Koschei the Deathless/swan lake

That’s it. That’s the reason

The Death of Koschei the Deathless:

3 sisters who are princesses (the archeron sisters) marry 3 wizards (the batboys)

The MMC (Lucien) meets a beautiful female warrior princess (vassa) and marries her, she goes to war, gets captured by koschei after the MMC accidentally sets him free (what’s the bargain made for vassa’s freedom, anyone?), koschei kills the MMC but he is revived by the 3 sisters wizard husbands. After he’s revived and gets a magic horse from baba yaga, he kills koschei and lives happily ever after with the warrior princess and the 3 sisters and their 3 warrior husbands

Swan lake:

The prince(Lucien) falls in love with the odette(vassa), but she’s cursed to be a swan. To stop the spell from being broken, von Rothbart makes his own daughter, odile(Elain?) look like odette, and the prince falls for it (manipulated mating bond, anyone?) professing his love to odile and therefore keeping the spell from being broken. There are multiple endings to the ballet, some not so happy, some happy.

I know this isn’t a unique idea or one I came up with on my own but I still wanted to put it out there for everyone to see!

[highladyofterrasen7]

I genuinely think that there will be two more acotar books and it will be gwynriel and then elucien

Here’s why:

The plot with the Valkyries and koschei and the human queens is already there, its set up, its ready to go, elain has no connection to the Valkyries other than that her sister is one.

So it wouldn’t make much sense for her to be brought into that situation, it makes more for an already established Valkyrie and one of the males who trained her and could develop a potential mor x emerie relationship in the background as well

Then I think it will be elucien and will explore the autumn court eris/beron fiasco and Lucien will discover who his father is and can bond with Helion and we’ll find out the history of him and loa and Lucien will heal with elain (his mate)

Then everyone is happy

Except for the Elriel shippers (don’t care)

Also

I want a feysand-Nyx novella

[soffietaylorsversion]

now hear me out, just a thought : one of my theories is that az and elain are mates and maybe even more than that; they are carranams. where did we met that first? in tog, with rowan and aelin. what did we also met? fake mating bonds. between rowan and lyria. now, I'm not sure where I wanted to get with this, I just wanted to share my thoughts I guess 😭🫶🏻

[frainstryan]

“stone mother” and why azriels book is next!

this is the theory I was on about a few days ago!

hofas SPOILER!!

This is the first thing that comes up in google when you search “stone mother mythology”.

if you are unaware this is the song people are claiming is the confirmation of there ship.

I think it shows (if it means anything at all significant) that the emotional journey Azriel would go on his book, if it is the next acotar. Or the journey nesta went on.

The myth is about finding ‘cooperation’ aka not being alone and isolated instead of staying in this ‘violence’ and pain they are putting themselves through.

it’s about opening yourself up to others instead of being depressed and violent on your own.

which to be honest sounds a lot like Nesta’s journey (“reach out your hand” and her new friendships/ relationship instead of how she was after the war).

but it could also be in relation to Azriel who views himself as unwanted and not necessary unless he fulfils his role in the night court (as a violent torture) instead he needs to allow others to help him.

If the Azriel theory is right, then it makes sense for his book to be next, as it links Nesta to Azriel and metaphorically passes the torch. which I personally believe is why they were the main Acotar characters in Hofas.

[acourtofthought]

How is Elain's and Nesta's relationship after that CC3 book? Will this be explained in the next ACOTAR book?

I think starting the next ACOTAR book very shortly after the end of SF and leading up to the events of CC3 would make a lot of sense in order to fill in some of the gaps AND catch up ACOTAR readers on the events of HOFAS.

As it stands neither Bloomsbury or SJM have been promoting that ACOTAR readers should read the CC series in order to understand the events of the next ACOTAR book so chances are she's going to need to introduce them into the world of Prythian as if we're learning about them for the first time. And there are a few unresolved questions that some readers had in regards to Nesta's relationships with certain characters (and even Az in regards to her).

It's odd that by the end of SF we had Rhys and Nesta embracing, how he was showering her with gifts for her mating ceremony, gifted her the HOW, how she called him her brother. Then only a few months later she's back to making remarks about his arrogance, how he wishes he were King and leter how her situation with Rhys is complicated and they won't be forgiving her anytime soon after the situation with the mask, how Feyre had to lecture Rhys and that ends with Ember's goodbye to Nesta, telling her "you'll find your way."

It's odd that by the end of SF we had Elain laughing about how it was a good sign that Nesta swore at her, how Feyre and Nesta were beckoning her to join them in the final scene. But in CC3, Elain is completely absent. There is no mention of her back at Rhys and Feyre's manor, neither Az or Nesta note that Elain stabbed the king though Az looked directly at TT then gave all credit to Nesta (and no, he wasn't just trying to hide her identity from Bryce consider Nesta said not a paragraph before "my sister and I"). How Nesta, while wearing the mask, did not respond to Gwyn and Emerie's names but it flared at "and Feyre and Elain."

By the end of it all we're left with Az and Nesta still not giving Elain credit for what she did in the war despite Elain telling them in SF that she is not a child, we're left with Nesta feeling out of place though she was supposed to have found her home, had her mating ceremony with Cassian, and discovered her found family only a few months before. It's evident that Feyre had her back in HOFAS so an explanation for some of this discontent is something having happened with Elain, something Rhys was possibly involved with.

In the Feyre bonus we saw that Rhys was starting to believe Elain as capable so it's possible that he asked something of her in the time between the end of SF and the start of HOFAS (just as he once schemed for Nesta and Cassian to train together), something that triggered an argument between he and Nesta, something that led her to falling back into her old pattern of "Rhys is so arrogant", something that led her to feeling out of sorts because if Elain has left the NC than who is Nesta without the role of her protector?

To me the the best explanation for Nesta being knocked off guard at this point would involve Elain, I can't think of anything else that would create such turmoil for her despite a somewhat happy ending in SF. Se and Elain still hadn't truly resolved their issues with one another, they never actually talked and we never saw Nesta treating Elain as a fully grown independent women. We got a baby step but not a true "I believe in you and know that you can handle something dangerous, that you do not need me as your protector". It would also give an explanation for why she seemed fine being part of the Inner Circle by the end of her book only to now be set on the path to not follow Rhys's rule. Where she thought she was content being a member because she believed Elain also belonged there but with Elain now gone, is that really what she wants for herself?

Sorry, that was a long winded way of saying I think there's still issues with Elain and Nesta's relationship as of HOFAS and that I do think it will be explored in the next book. I think it's also possible that Elain set off on her own journey and Nesta tried to convince Elain to take the Trove as a desperate attempt to offer her protection and Elain rejected them which led to Nesta handing over the items to someone who was pretty much a stranger to them. Sort of a "I couldn't help protect my sister but maybe I can help this person" situation.

If Elain's book is next I think it will pick up right after SF and she'll set off on her journey, the events of HOFAS will occur off page somewhere in the middle and when Elain and Lucien return to check in with Rhys and Feyre, Feysand will recap the events of Bryce having arrived in Prythian. At that point if the Trove items are needed to play a part in Koschei's defeat they'll have already found their way back to their world since the timeline of HOFAS is only a week. And that would be a seamless way of introducing what happened in the crossover, where Feysand were "telling the tale" to a third party rather than someone like Az or Nesta recapping the events in a manner such as "when a stranger landed he thought this" or "when that stranger came into their world she thought that". It's a bit smoother to say "while you two were gone this is what happened in the Night Court."

[highladyjane]

While we're waiting for the announcement, what's your guess for the title of the next acotar book?

Lol, you sneaky nonnie! I've seen this Ask all over my dash today yestereve (I fell asleep writing my response to this)😆 Thank you for letting me join in on the fun!

I've actually had a theory about this hiding somewhere in my drafts for a couple of months now, but I've been too lazy to dig into it because 1. Structured writing, and therefore theories, is not my forte 2. I'm a perfectionist but my mind's messy - so it's all a bit messy, 3. so I might sound like a loony... 4. and I'm too insecure about my thoughts at times to even post about what goes through it 😅

But since you Ask'd... Here's a "shorter" version of that draft, at least:

My theory is that Elain's book will have something to do with ✨️Vines✨️.

Like... A Court of ✨️🌿Golden Vines🌿✨️(which I'm leaning the most towards), ACO Twining Vines, ACO Tangled Vines, ACO Blooming Vines, ACO Shadows and Vines... etc. I'm still trying to figure out where to lay my theory 😅🤣

It may sound very Elucien or even Tamlain, but ✨️Vines✨️ are described as "a plant whose stem requires support and which climbs by tendrils or twining or creeps along the ground" which, if you read or search through the books, also hints and applies to the movement of Azriel's shadows in many instances... @wingedblooms absolutely brilliant post that I quite recently came upon, especially supports the 'Twining'... So I think it's the perfect title to confuse people about her endgame 😜

Anyways, to back up my guess/theory...

Elain's scent is of Jasmine (and Honey), which seems to be the bloom of the Night Court 👀, grows as climbing shrubs or ✨️vines✨️. But I'm feeling specifically strongly for the ✨Vines✨ because

Aaaaand because:

1. Ivy is a ✨vine✨ and Sarah has mentioned it in relation to Elain's book in an interview presented at the back of ACOFAS.

2. Nesta's drawer had flames🔥. Elain had...

🌿✨Twining Vines of flowers✨🌿

We often see the beautiful petals (Elain's softness & beauty), but we don't think about the strength, resilience, and foundation of the vines underneath and........ 👇

3. ✨️Vines✨️ symbolise:

Strength & hope & resilience = Elain's quiet strength.

Determination = Elain has shown determination to help in ways she can, but is yet to be given the chance to...

She also has shown a determined disregard and opposition to having a mate...

Connection = Goes well along with my guess on "Golden" or "Twining" Vines which are often used as adjectives in relation to bonds, threads, and even spells.

Also, Elain is an Archeron sister, Cauldron-blessed, and a Seer - connected to basically every plot and possible subplots in the books (The Cauldron ➡️ Ramiel in Illyria ➡️ Made Objects & People ➡️ The Middle & The Prison/Dusk Court ➡️ The Dread Trove ➡️ Koschei ➡️Vassa ➡️The Human Queens etc.🔁); not just for who she is and her Cauldron-given gifts and abilities, but also possibly through her LIs and family. She's the one sister left unexplored and it all leads back to her. She's basically at the beginning (She's the first sister mentioned by Feyre at the beginning of ACOTAR) and in the end (She's the last sister mentioned by Nesta at the end of ACOSF) of everything. So I don't know if that supports her book being next or last...

Life = the meaning of which also applies to her scent of Honey and "Golden" -the colour of (sun)light, honey, her eyes, her hair.

3. ✨️Vines✨️ are also mentioned/connected to the earthen powers described in CC3 that Sathia & Tristan Flynn + Bryce have, which I believe many has already theorised Elain to also have... I quite like those theories (can't remember exactly where I read them as of rn) and would like to believe that it's something the Cauldron has blessed her with since she's associated with gardening and life...

I also read somewhere in a biblical text (which I wasn't too keen to delve into tbh, so don't trust my word for it, but it's Googlable) where ✨️Golden Vine✨️was associated with Life, Rebirth, and Free Will... But if Elain turns out to be the next Messiah/Saviour/Prophet of Prythian, then it's quite perfect 🤷🏻‍♀️

So... that's sort of my take so far 🫣 Hope it makes sense to you, nonnie 😅

What's yours?

[nothing-withoutyou]

~Mystic Theory for next ACOTAR book~

In ACOWAR, Elain explains her visions of Koschei:

“(Elain) ‘There is an onyx box that he possesses, more vital than anything… save for them. The girls. He keeps other girls — others so like her —but she… By day, she is one form, by night, human again.’

….

(Elain) ‘He keeps them all at the lake.’

(Rhys) ‘Other women like her?’

(Elain) ‘Yes — and no. Their feathers are white as snow. They glide across the water—while she rages through the skies above it.’”

Perhaps he keeps mystic or seer girls with him, similar to how the Asteri in HOFAS kept all those mystics below their palace.

Perhaps a large theme of the next book entails Koschei trying to lure or get Elain and her powers.

The tale of Koschei according Wiki (I can’t believe I’ve never looked this up before because it’s so juicy and Sarah would absolutely do this):

“Usually he takes the role of the malevolent rival figure, who competes for (or entraps) a male hero’s love interest.”

Koschei is going to capture Elain somehow. And he already has Vassa, a predicted love interest of Lucien. I think he may want Elain for her seer powers specifically though.

Brb writing a fanfic about this.

[tremsing82]

ACOTAR Book 6 Theories:

I am intrigued to see what might take place in Elain’s book if book 6 is Elain’s. I feel like Koschei has been set up for Elain and the Vanserra brothers to handle.

1) Koschei likes to collect beautiful females and well Elain is describe to be extremely beautiful.

2) Elain is the one to have seen Vassa’s imprisonment with him which sent Lucien on his journey to find her and help her, which in turn had Lucien come into contact with Elains father who is the one to have striked the bargain with the god to let Vassa go.

3)Briallyn mentions that Eris might have the power to kill Koschei; her exact sentence is “Eris fire would not have withstood Koschei’s lake, i don’t think”, that is a pretty heavy foreshadowing on Eris and his power and possible future power as high-lord.

4) Beron is desiring power and Koschei will be his biggest source to bargain with to attain said power. And of course Beron is most closely connected to Eris and Lucien and through Lucien Elain.

5) Eris was at Lucien’s (band of exiles) manor specifically to talk to them about the human queens and Koschei because of his father and possibly other reasons which we are not privy to since Cass came shortly after he arrived and Eris and Cass kinda took over that meeting.

6) And lastly Elain is a cauldron Made Fae which connects her to other cauldron made objects. Objects Koschei believes will help free him from his confinement to the lake.

I am just interested to see how Elain’s story will unfold and what it will entail.

[infiniteetcetera]

The recent discourse of “Cassian/Nesta don’t make sense as mates from a power standpoint” is so interesting (and true) but I also find it interesting that I don’t think there really is any other SJM world mates that parallel Cassian/Nesta?? Like there’s nothing about them that reads as mates to me. Whether you like them or not, Feysand, Rowaelin, Elucien, and Quinlar all make perfect sense to me as mates (even if it’s not in a romance sense but in like a powers/fantasy bond/parallels sense) The only SJM couple that comes close to Nessian in terms of parallels for me is (Nessian stans turn away now) Azriel/Mor.

There are actually a lot of interesting parallels here on the surface/in terms of scenes. I give you examples:

• Mor yanking her hand away from Az and Cassian yanking his hand away from Nesta, even though the action shows incredible (rare) vulnerability from Az/Nesta.

• The entire Cauldron/end of ACOMAF scene, Cassian’s reactions to Nesta being hurt and Azriel’s reactions to Mor getting hurt are the same.

• A complete lack of understanding for one another despite their connection?? Cassian and Nesta are almost never on the same page and Mor and Azriel still fail to understand each other after 500 years of friendship.

•Choosing Rhys/orders over each other, specifically when it matters most.

•The way Mor describes Azriel’s feelings of inadequacy and feeling undeserving of her are exactly how Nesta describes her feelings for Cassian and not being good enough for him (also neither Cas/Mor has ever told the other they’re wrong for feeling that way).

•Despite their own disregard of the others feelings, Cassian/Mor demonstrate a similar weird possessiveness over Nesta/Azriel, in particular i’m thinking of Cassians reaction to Neris (even though Nesta doesn’t even like Eris) and Mor’s reaction to Elriel (like you’re a Lesbian girl why do you care who Az is flirting with)

•A surface level parallel of powers that implies a subservience that isn’t normal with mating bonds (where powers are meant to compliment each other, even if one is slightly more powerful.) For example, Nesta’s power is death and Cassian is a war general (who delivers death, but is inherently subservient to it) and Mor’s power is “truth” while Azriel is an interrogator with a knife called truth teller (again sort of subservient to the idea and pursuit of truth, not equal to it)

•The implication of having no shared hobbies and one being forced into doing what the other likes (Nesta training to become more like Cas, Azriel going to Rita’s and generally putting himself out there to please Mor)

•The manipulation of emotions to force the other into doing what they want. Nesta goes from 0 to 100 in accepting the bond bc Cassian pushes this idea of being “shackled” to her and reminding her she’s inferior/not enough for him. Mor is constantly using Azriel’s feelings to force him to talk/agree to plans and just generally do what she/the IC wants

•The complete IGNORING of an implicit love confession (Az/Mor after the Autumn court debacle, Cas/Nes at the end of ACOWAR) even though ignoring it is weird and makes no sense.

WHY DO I POINT ALL THIS OUT? I think these parallels could mean some important things, especially because SJM could have chosen to ignore all the weird/bad things about Nessian and pretend they had a happily ever after following ACOSF but she didn’t. So, what are the options here?

1) I’ve seen this one a few times and I think it’s an interesting concept: there are “true” mating bonds, like those in TOG, and there are “cauldron” mating bonds, which have less to do with love/romance/compatibility and more to do with breeding and just generally creating a path the cauldron deems suitable. I think Mor/Azriel being “cauldron” mates would be a great way to explore this concept since Mor can’t love Azriel, giving Azriel a chance to be with someone purely out of choice (no matter who that is), and forcing the Archeron sisters to contemplate their mating bonds and whether they really want their mates (I focus more on Nes/Elain here, I hold true that Feysand is here to stay, though this could be an interesting contention point for Rhys)

2) This seems less likely to me but would be SO interesting: Rhys has the power to fake mating bonds to a certain degree and has been doing so when it suits him. Now let me specify one thing: Rhys did NOT fake his bond with Feyre, we do know this for certain. Based on his thoughts it’s also very likely he did NOT fake Elucien’s bond. HOWEVER i think it is totally plausible and makes sense for him to fake a bond between Mor/Azriel and Cassian/Nesta as a means of controlling Azriel and Nesta. We are told several times throughout the series Rhys doesn’t know how to control Az and the first time we see Az try to defy him (by being with Elain) what does Rhys immediately ask??? wHaT aBoUt mOr, aZ? Such a weird thing to bring up, except it’s not when you get to the basis of all Mor and Az’s interactions and why people think Az loves Mor (he does what she says and tries to make her happy, even to his own loss) except apparently when it suits Rhys. We’ve seen the SAME vibe with Nessian, and we know Rhys has been hardcore struggling to control Nesta. I think if he saw they had some mutual attraction, faking a bond there would make sense. it would also make sense they were able to avoid/ignore each other for so long (like the bond was faded) but then have an intense connection when around each other

3) These parallels mean nothing except SJM poorly wrote both of these pairings 💔

Truly, I know NOTHING for sure but I hope SJM chooses to do something interesting with these pairs rather then leaving them with weird icky damaging histories and ignoring them. Cant be too sure but I have some hope

[methimmondaykissedhimfriday]

I need to revise all my predictions for the next ACOTAR book.

I think in HOFAS it’s made clear that SJM is not done with Nesta and there is more of her story to tell.

She gave Feyre 3 books so it’s possible she could do the same with the other sisters.

It could be her and Cassian again, her and Azriel (platonic) or all 3.

Also, I don’t think Elain has been set up enough (like Azriel) for her to be next.

This also means that Elain’s books will probably include Lucien as much it will hurt me and other Elriels to say.

I feel like as much as this sucks for Elriels, it does take some of the pressure off of the next book somehow.

I guess I trust SJM in the end to make it how it should be. We were all Tamlin and Feyre and then Rhysand and Feyre so it might end up okay despite what we want now. Sigh…

It’s going to be okay. It will.

There is the possibility that after Azriel essentially rejects Elain she at least explores the bond with Lucien and Az does the same with Gwyn but they ultimately end up coming back to each other.

Unfortunately, another scenario is that Az’s bonus chapter is meant to put to rest Elriel…but I don’t think it would end so suddenly. It’s to her advantage that all the ship options are possible.

So 🤷‍♀️

[lakewillowmerewraith]

There's a red-headed, priestess TRAITOR in the Night Court

That's right, I suspect a certain red-haired priestess as the Night Court traitor and her name is...ROSLIN.

Yes, Roslin the priestess in Valkyrie training. Very minor character in ACOSF. I have no idea if this has been theorized before, but this is my vote for Who is The Traitor?

Hear me out. We know Autumn Court sometimes/usually (in SJM's world) = bad guys. We all know what they look like, but SJM makes it a point to explain it again in detail. "the Autumn Court skewed toward hair of varying shades of red, brown or gold eyes - sometimes green and mostly pale skin." (ACOSF Chapter 37)

Then, barely two chapters later, SJM gives us a full physical description of Roslin, again. "Roslin had removed her hood, revealing a head of deep red hair and pale skin over delicate features. Her eyes were the color of caramel..." (ACOSF Chapter 39)

The way it fits so precisely, the proximity of those two passages. Methinks it's purposeful. Not to mention, in that second paragraph, Roslin was not the only priestess there. No one else got the full description - only her. In fact, there were 11 priestess "waiting like troops to be commanded on a battlefield." Only Roslin gets a callout.

And again, by Chapter 39, we already know what Roslin looks like. Earlier, SJM wrote: "Nesta had caught glimpses of wine red hair on Roslin and golden hair on Ananke, their skin as pale as cream." (ACOSF Chapter 29). So why repeat it, drill it in?

THEN, again, completely randomly in Chapter 59, we get yet another callback to Roslin and her red hair. "Nesta had begun to resent the sight of a ribbon anywhere - tying back Roslin's red hair, folded in the accessory drawer..."

To me, this one is what solidified that this is important information. Because Roslin is not even there, not physically present at this scene as Nesta is thinking. Why such a specific callback to Roslin's red hair? Definitely intentional.

Maybe Roslin just has ties to the Autumn Court. But why would that be important to know? Unless she is somehow involved in the seemingly endless genetic mysteries around. Is she related to Gwyn? Lucien?

But personally, she gets my vote for Night Court Traitor.