#acotar theories

[theshadowsingersraven]

"But the Cauldron is corrupt/tainted by the Asteri, we found that out in CC3! Azriel was dying when Elain was put in the Cauldron, so it could've chosen Lucien instead--" No.

These are theories based in nothing but hope and conjecture and not actual textual evidence.

Rhys' bond with Feyre existed before she was made fae. He had visions of her when he was UTM and she was only human.

There is no textual evidence to suggest that Elain or Nesta's mates were decided the moment they were put in the Cauldron.

If their bonds are anything like Feysands, which at least Nessian's seems to be, then the Cauldron being affected by the Asteri quite literally doesn't matter. Feyre didn't come into contact at all with the Cauldron until she was already fae. Her and Rhys were already mates and had accepted their bond by the time she laid eyes on it for the first time.

So, unless you now believe ALL the bonds come from the Cauldron and therefore are all tainted, and by extension Nesta and Elain themselves are ALSO tainted, then this is a non-sequitur.

You can't have it both ways where only the Elain and Lucien bond are conveniently tainted and yet Elain and Nesta who physically went into the Cauldron, as well as the other two mate bonds, aren't.

[works-of-heart]

The solstice gift exchanges tells a lot about endgame couples.

I see people talking about the Solstice gifts between Elain, Lucien and Azriel and how Elain not wearing Lucien's gifts means she wants nothing to do with him and how she returned Azriels's means it's going to be a set up for misunderstanding. As I thought about it, something suddenly clicked, and I realized that what Elain and Azriel have done with their solstice gifts, is more symbolic than I think people account for.

Lucien's gifts to Elain:

Elain has yet to interact with Lucien's gifts. She's taken them but hasn't worn them, nor has she left them in a pile. How Elain has dealt with Lucien's gifts the same way She's approached the mating bond. She hasn't accepted it, but she hasn't rejected it either. All we know is that she's stubbornly avoiding the bond, the same way she stubbornly avoided wearing Lucien's gloves and got hurt.

Elain has canonically worn gloves while gardening before she turned Fae.

When Fayre mentions that Elain got hurt and had she worn "Lucien's" gloves, nothing would have pierced her at all, that was 100% foreshadowing and symbolic for Elain accepting Lucien and knowing Lucien would never hurt her (the way Graysen and soon Az would).

Then Lucien gifts her pearl earrings. Again, barely a thanks, but she took them, she did not reject them. Later on, we see Elain wearing a pearl comb, the only thing that seems to stand out against the Night Court dress that sucks the life out of her. Another perfect gift but Elain just isn't ready to accept right now. She didn't give it back, she could have, but she didn't and that's such an important detail!

I think Elain not returning Lucien's gifts to her, but holding onto them is a perfect symbolism for her bond with him. Each gift he's gotten her has fit her personally. You want to garden? Here's gloves that will protect you from getting hurt while you do the thing you love! You like pearls? Here are pearl earrings!

Lucien, her mate has a deeper connection to her than any other male would, and fits her perfectly and while she has yet to engage with him and accept that, she has not outright rejected him either. Elain has yet to give Lucien a gift, and while many say that means she wants nothing to do with him, I think it has more symbolic tones of the fact she has not accepted the mating bond, and is not yet ready to reciprocate that sentiment.

Elain and Azriel:

Now Elain has given Azriel gifts for both solstice. They didn't seem deep or meaningful in the ways that felt personal. Headache powder and earplugs, and the reasoning behind them were more as gags. It's the kind of gifts you give to friends. With Azriel, it isn't anything serious and deep, it's that light and airy no strings attached kind of thing. Azriel didn't even give her a gift the first solstice and was relieved he did not have to.

Now, during Solstice in the BC, we see Elain heading down to put Azriel's gift with the others, but she did not expect to see him. He had his gift to her, and decided right then and there he was going to give it to her. The gift he got Elain was described as simple and plain on the outside, but when held up to the light, it's true beauty shines.

There are lots of interpretations for who that symbolizes the most and who it is referring to. However, I'm going to focus more on the symbolism of the exchange of this gift.

Azriel presents this to Elain, and she asks him to put it on her. He puts the necklace on, but all he can think of how wrong it is, how his hands somehow stain her, and how she doesn't know of the things he's done with them. The whole feeling in that moment is "wrong". Finally, things rise and he's about to kiss her until Rhys catches him just before he can make his move. Azriel says, "This is a mistake," and Elain has genuine hurt in her eyes before she leaves. (Remember that stubborn rosebush that hurt her? Remember the comment that if she had worn Lucien's gloves, nothing would have pierced her? Hmmm!)

When Azriel is discussing with Rhys about his intentions, we learn that he hadn't gotten far into his planning, only as far as his sexual pleasure. This is emphasized by how he jerks it to the headache powder, Elain's gift to him. Azriel looks at Elain's gifts as a sexual object, mirroring back to how he views Elain as only something sexual. He hasn't thought of any future with her and the only time he thinks of her is in something sexual.

The next morning his gift to Elain is placed on a pile of his gifts and from there on to the end of SF, neither continue to have any charged looks or interactions. Elain returning the necklace isn't a set up for misunderstanding, it's her being done with that side of the relationship. It's Elain making a stance that says "I'm done, I no longer want this." Vs. Elain keeping Lucien's gifts, someone people assume she wants nothing to do with and yet she hasn't outright returned his gifts like she did with Az.

Antis compare the exchange to Nesta and Cassian, where Nesta didn't want Cassian's gift, and he threw it into the sidra. The main difference here is that Cassian got rid of the gifts by throwing it so far away that no one could have it. It was Nesta or Bust. Nesta didn't want Cassian's offer in that moment, but he did not give it to another. He tossed it away.

Azriel however not only asked Clotho to give the gift to Gwyn, but he imagined how she'd look and light up when receiving it. The thought of her getting that gift caused him to smile and keep that image deep down in his chest. It's so interesting how he did not once think of how Elain might smile or light up when she gets the necklace. He didn't think about the joy it would bring to her, but he did with Gwyn. That's something that cannot be ignored and feels so intentional by SJM to show the juxtaposition between how he views Elain and Gwyn.

I can't imagine how some people take that as a sign that Elain and Az are going to have future build up. If Lucien gave Elain a gift, then hurt her in the process to only then give the same gift to Vassa or another woman, it would feel really shitty.

I believe that the gifts and the exchanges really are symbolic for where the characters are and hinting to what we will see next with them. When Elain finally truly accepts her bond with Lucien, I see her being able to not only accept his gifts but in return, give him one of his own. Knowing Lucien, just having Elain in his life will be the best solstice gift he could ever hope for.

[crazy-ache]

Thoughts on the Mating Bond

This may be controversial, I have no idea. But I've been thinking a lot on SJM's mating bond in ACOTAR and I've come to the conclusion that becoming a mother further solidified my understanding of the bond.

Let me explain.

Motherhood is the closest I've come to laying my eyes on someone and instantly feeling my entire world shift in that exact moment. It is absolutely surreal and daunting. They hand you this little human and you don't know what the fuck you are doing or even what you are to this person...and you would do anything. I would have jumped out of the hospital bed ready to kill for my daughter. This bond just snaps into place, much like it does in ACOTAR. You spend the next several months practically killing yourself to take care of them, you worry endlessly, you can't sleep, you drive yourself practically insane out of this feral protection for them.

And you love them.

You don't even know them. They are a pile of mush, really. They can't do anything. They can’t reciprocate anything. They don't even have a personality. They don’t know you. But you love them. God, you love them, even if it feels more like torture sometimes. I love my daughter so much even though her emotions, pains, and stressors have at times made me sob myself to sleep.

I can't describe motherhood coherently. But I think it's like the bond.

I feel tethered to this human until I die. I feel what she does. I think about her all the time, even when I am not. I am in tune to everything she does. Her joy is my joy, her pain is my nightmare. She may never feel this way about me, and I certainly can’t ever expect her to think of me in the same way, but I can’t ever stop feeling this way. How incredible is it that the universe gave her to me now and so perfectly?

So when SJM says a broken bond would drive someone to madness? Yeah, I get it. I would be hysterical if someone severed my connection to my daughter. If I lost my husband, who I love, I would be devastated but I would eventually move on and be fine. If I lost my kid, a literal part of me would also die and I would never recover. Just like the bond.

The way I approach the bond, whether its in canon interpretation or my writing, is its rooted in love. The character may not understand or realize that - but it's the common denominator. Love is messy and all-consuming. It's the best part of my life but it's also the thing that has cut me the deepest. The mating bond is the greatest form of love, devotion, and protection. That’s what sets it apart from just a standard romantic connection—it’s an even deeper connection born from being intrinsically tied to each other forever. In soul, heart, and body.

[msshadowqueen]

I posted a Rhys is actually fucking weak theory months ago and I’m glad to see everyone is on board with the idea now.

I mean come on, it just makes sense! Why else would he need to split his court to maintain order? He doesn’t even perform Calanmai, Keir does. Plus he’s only half High Fae, not full. It would explain why he needs the “mask,” because if people found out he’s a weakling, they’d kill his ass so fast. It’s also why he surrounded himself with some of the most powerful warriors in the world. I mean we’ve actually seen Tamlin’s power; he annihilated Rhys’s uber powerful dad within seconds of being High Lord. What has Rhys ever done that even proves he’s the strongest? Nothing. It’s literally just Feyre’s word we’re supposed to trust. Considering Rhys can’t even enforce the law in Illyria…it’s giving weakling.

[cactusboil]

I saw this one post a while ago, I don’t remember what tumblr it was but it was basically talking about people who made up theories about how Nesta would take over Dusk Court aka the Prison Island, and they were talking about how wild it is for a white woman to take something that rightfully belongs to a POC.

Let’s think with our brains for a single moment. The magic of the land, chooses its ruler. The Dusk, as in the Prison Island, was ruled by a full fledged starborn. Now, if the magic of the land, in the future, chooses Nesta as its ruler, since she is a starborn (it’s pretty obvious), then the land goes to Nesta. Becasue that’s how it works in Prythian. If the land doesn’t choose Nesta, she won’t be able to do shit about “claiming” it and stuff. But if it does, then there’s really nothing Rhysand can do, because that is legit THE land choosing its own ruler.

But you know, since we’re on the topic of “a white woman taking something that rightfully belongs to a POC”- let’s talk about Feyre and the Illyrian wings she struts around in.

[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)

[fierling]

SJM has a contract for 2 more ACOTAR books and a novella. She has said that these books will be romance books where two people get together. She has stated that the books can happen either in the present or in the past. She also has a contract for a new series that has been nicknamed Twilight of the gods. That is another name for Ragnarok and in SF the Valkyries were brought back.

TW: These are my hopes and dreams and you are entitled to your own.

It sounds like the next series will focus on the Valkyries so Gwynriel and Emorie stories would fit better in those books. Why would they have their books before a series focusing on the Valkyries launches?

Most probably we will get Elucien book next. Their story is the most urgent one and makes most sense narratively. SJM has said that all Archeron sisters will get their book. Elain is the one left.

My dream for the novella is that it’s actually a collection of short stories set in the past. There are so many interesting little stories that SJM could explore.

But what about ACOTAR 6 when Nesta and Elain’s stories are told and Valkyries would have their books in the next series?

My dream is that we’d get a Lady of Autumn x Helion book. It would continue Elucien’s story and deal with a broken mating bond. Beron has been set up to be the villain in Elucien’s book. He will likely die, Eris will become HL of Autumn and LoA will be free.

Helion is a powerful spell cleaver and has light magic. LoA has powerful fire magic. Helion’s line is somehow connected to the Dread trove. Koschei has been imprisoned by a powerful spell and he has valg like qualities. Now we don’t yet know if Koschei is an actual god, or valg or what. But Helion and LoA have connections and magic that would help with defeating him.

They could find answers that we desperately need if there will be a new series about the Valkyries possibly dealing with the big bads of the multiverse. Day Court has the largest libraries in Prythian and the pegasi. SJM has said that all upcoming books will have pegasi in them. They could fix the problem with the dwindling numbers of the pegasi in their book.

Plus I would love to get a book about LoA and Helion. Imagine what a beautiful story it could be, filled with tension and drama and healing and growth. LoA is one of the most tragic characters in the series and she deserves a HEA. And imagine how hot Helion smut would be.

[elucienhasmywholeheart]

Anyone else notice this about ToG and ACOTAR?

The Archeron sisters either are, or embody, the three-faced goddess from Throne of Glass.

Maiden - Elain

She's kind and sweet, and always referred to the most lovely of the sisters. Literally a "flower of youth". She is constantly pursued by suitors and directed towards marriage. At a glance, the most "desirable" of the sisters.

Mother - Feyre

Feyre is incredibly nurturing and a giver by nature, even if it is detrimental to herself (ie. when she was literally being abused and neglected by her family, but still continued to hunt for them instead of simply fending for herself). Very much the mom friend of the inner circle, and now the actual mother of little Nyx.

Crone - Nesta

This isn't to say that Nesta is old, even though she is the eldest of the sisters. But by nature, she reacts as if she has seen much of the world and life in general. She is cautious and realistic (if not outright pessimistic), tending to follow the "guilty until proven innocent" mantra. She acts cold and distant to protect herself and those she loves because she knows how possible it is to be hurt by life's twists and turns. Not to mention that she literally is Lady Death.

[futurehunt]

"You're not the person I want to explain myself to." -Eris Vanserra and his hidden motives

The story of Eris Vanserra haunts me. At this point, most of the characters in ACOTAR are an open book in terms of their backgrounds but Eris's is still so shrouded in mystery and I have to know more. Consider this the inspiration for my following lengthy analysis of all the Eris Vanserra scenes we've been given. Additional inspiration being this clip of SJM from a since deleted live stream on Instagram (still available on YouTube) :

Love that SJM says that Eris is her favorite Autumn Court character but more importantly she spills a little detail about Eris having a secret history and a secret motivation behind his character. I think most readers assumed by now that Eris is primed for a redemption arc but this simply could've been reserved to him making amends for leaving Mor injured in the woods. No, this is something more than that- something significant that affected his actions back then and is still influencing them now.

Let's start breaking everything down:

Everything starts with: Eris found and left Mor in the woods at the Autumn Court border after she was tortured dumped there by her father, Keir.

Why did he do this?

“I knew why you did it... So I gave you your freedom, ending the betrothal in no uncertain terms" - Eris in ACOWAR

After Mor slept with Cassian, Eris knew Mor did it because she wanted out of the engagement (for a secret reason- on her end- that we'll touch on in a bit) so he ended the betrothal as she wished.

But why did Eris leave her there, injured with fatal wounds? This is still the biggest point of hostility between him and the IC.

"There were forces at work that you have never considered," Eris said coldly. "And I am not going to waste my breath explaining them to you. Believe what you want about me" - ACOWAR

What are these forces?

We're given an answer to this question during a scene in ACOFAS when Mor is recalling the memory of that day at the Autumn Court border.

“No one touches her,” he said. Eris. “The moment we do, she’s our responsibility.” Cold, unfeeling words. “But—but they nailed a—” “No one touches her.” - ACOFAS

If Eris or his men provided aid to Mor she would've become their responsibility, implying that she would've become a ward of the Autumn Court essentially. This is probably why Keir even dumped her on the border in the first place, because he knew that if the Autumn Court provided her aid they would have to assume responsibility for her. It was created as a lose-lose situation for Mor: get help from Eris and be trapped at the Autumn Court or be refused help and left to suffer and potentially die in the woods.

“I take it you do not wish to live here, Morrigan.” She would rather die here, bleed out here. She would rather die and return—return as something wicked and cruel, and shred them all apart. He must have read it in her eyes. A small smile curved his lips. “I thought so.” -ACOFAS

He knew she'd rather die than live there so he acted according to her wishes, even though it was done cruelly. This scene, which we're given from Mor's perspective, shows that she heard the true reason why Eris refused to provide her aid but because of the trauma of the whole situation she likely never put two and two together.

But the situation is a bit more complex than that. There is more to the reason that Eris left her in the woods to have her freedom.

“Eris nodded to where Mor watched them from beside Feyre and Rhys, her face neutral and aloof. “She knows the truth but has never revealed it." “Why?” “Because she is afraid of it.” - ACOSF; dance scene between Nesta and Eris

Eris knows something about Mor that she's afraid to reveal. What's the only fact we know about Mor that she's been hiding her entire life? That she's queer. It seems somehow Eris was aware of this.

“Eris looked between them, smiling faintly. Secretly. As if he knew something that Azriel didn’t. "I knew why you did it" Again that secret smile that had Mor shrinking." -ACOWAR

Later on in ACOWAR, we find out the big secret Mor is hiding is that she's romantically attracted to females. Alright, so somehow Eris knew Mor was queer back when they were betrothed. It seems that this was part of the reason he left her to her freedom.

Despite the cruel nature he's described to have, Eris keeps the knowledge that Mor is queer to himself. Eris left Mor in the woods because he knew she wanted her freedom and the reason she wanted her freedom was because she is queer. Out of some uncharacteristic kindness, Eris won't share this information with the rest of the IC because he seems to not want to out her because he knows she's afraid of the truth. Refer to the quote between Eris and Nesta above for proof of this.

But what are Eris's own secret motivations in all of this?

“So I gave you your freedom, ending the betrothal in no uncertain terms.”

“And what happened next,” Azriel growled.

A shadow crossed Eris’s face. “There are few things I regret. That is one of them. But … perhaps one day, now that we are allies, I shall tell you why. What it cost me.”

This is such an important line and one that if you don't dissect it properly, you won't understand it's real meaning.

"What it cost me". The cost that Eris is referring to is one that he suffered as a result of leaving Mor unaided in the woods. NOT from breaking the engagement, from leaving her. "The cost" is something that would've been unaffected by breaking the engagement (because Eris has no remorse over that) but affected by abandoning an injured Mor (because this is what Eris labels as one of the few things he regrets). Mor being left in the woods was, in the grand scheme of things, inconsequential for the rest of Prythian. The only people negatively affected by it were Mor and the rest of the IC.

"Perhaps one day... I shall tell you why" when Eris says this, he means: perhaps one day he'll them why he regrets it, NOT why he did it. It's important to read this quote in the context of its surrounding passages because you'll see that he had an opportunity to explain why he left her but he instead tells Mor he's not going to "waste his breath explaining it to her."

So after breaking down those lines we know: Eris regrets abandoning Mor because of something it cost him in relation to the IC now hating him after the events at the border but "the cost" is something he's hesitant to reveal to them.

For the sake of the analysis, let's go over a few things we know Eris does canonically care about and why they are not the cost he's referring to:

His father's throne: It's not secret that Eris wants to usurp his father. Feyre even notes how startled she was to hear Eris discuss killing his father so blatantly. Also, if the marriage to Mor would've aided Eris in taking the throne then Eris would've expressed remorse at ending the engagement but he didn't. He only regretted leaving her injured.

His mother, Lady of Autumn: The text shows us that Eris is concerned over the welfare of this mother when he angles his body to protect her during the High Lord meeting scene. However at the time of Eris's betrothal to Mor, his mother wasn't miserable in her marriage the way she's described now. It wasn't until LoA's affair with Helion was revealed, which happened decades after the Eris and Mor situation, that Beron began abusing his wife. Of course, Eris undoubtedly wants his father dead because of this but we know it's not "the cost" that Eris references since it wasn't a factor at the time.

“Helion shrugged. “On and off for decades. Until Beron found out. They say the lady was all brightness and smiles before that. And after Beron was through with her. You saw what she is.” “What did he do to her?” “The same things he does now.” Helion waved a hand. “Belittle her, leave bruises where no one but him will see them.” - ACOWAR

Lucien: Eris has a soft spot for Lucien but he wasn't born for decades after everything happened so he can't be a factor in why Eris regrets his actions.

His father tortures him: It's revealed at the end of ACOSF that Beron tortures Eris after Cassian realizes Eris is injured after returning back from Autumn. We're not told how long it's been occurring and Eris is extremely reluctant to speak on the matter. However, if this was the big secret Eris has been hiding there'd be a bit more emphasis placed on the reveal. In fact, Cassian pushes him again after that to tell him the true reason he left Mor on the border (keep in mind Cassian doesn't know Mor is queer and Eris is refusing to reveal that information to others) and asks Eris for the real reason he's back the Night Court trying to make amends.

Why is Eris back at the Night Court after everything that happened, pushing so hard to build an alliance?

When pushed for the truth, Eris tells Cassian:

"You're not the person I want to explain myself to" - ACOSF

Cassian assumes Eris means Mor and tells him she won't want to hear his explanations anyway. But is Mor really the person Eris was referencing. I think not, given we've been given these lines:

Eris nodded to where Mor watched them from beside Feyre and Rhys, her face neutral and aloof. “She knows the truth but has never revealed it." -ACOSF

"There were forces at work that you have never considered," Eris said coldly. "And I am not going to waste my breath explaining them to you. Believe what you want about me"- ACOWAR

Eris says that Mor already knows the truth and has explicitly said he doesn't care what she thinks about him. He has nothing to explain to her. And aside from those two facts, which already make it clear enough that Mor is not the person Eris meant, what more would Eris gain from speaking to Mor? Assuaging his guilt? That could be a reasonable explanation if it weren't for Cassian already asking Eris if guilt is what was motivating him, Cassian realizing it's not and pushing for Eris to "give me a damn answer".

"You're not the person I want to explain myself to"

So, who in the IC does Eris want to explain himself to?

Mor? No, for reasons stated above

Cassian? No, they're speaking in that scene and if Cassian were the person then Eris wouldn't have said that

Feyre? Nesta? Elain? Weren't alive so aren't applicable

Lucien? Wasn't alive during the incident and is thus unaffected

Rhysand? We're told in ACOSF (Chapter 7) that Eris already has Rhysand's trust and allyship

Amren? I guess I can't necessarily eliminate Amren as the person Eris wants to explain himself to but let's be real, it's not her.

Azriel? Hmm....The person who arguably hates Eris more than even Mor herself. Who has such a burning passionate rage towards Eris that he attacked him during a High Lord meeting, yet also dropped everything to fly to the Continent to save Eris when he was abducted by Koschei.

Conclusion and remaining questions

Let's put everything together:

Eris is back at the Night Court attempting to smooth things over, make amends, and build an allyship. On the surface, we're told it's all because he wants the throne. But what we now know from SJM (in her interview) and our textual analysis is that Eris paid a big, deeply personal price due to the fall out of leaving Mor injured at the Autumn Court border. This cost was directly tied to the IC's perception of him. Eris lost something or the chance at something when the Night Court began to hate him. So he's back, 500-ish years later, attempting to make amends because of the same problem that plagued him all those centuries ago. We also know there's only one person he's interested in explaining himself to- and that person interestingly seems to be Azriel. Why would Eris want to explain himself to Azriel? Why go to these lengths to make amends with him? Was "the cost" Eris paid 500 years ago tied to Azriel?Is this all tied to Eris's "secret history and secret motivations" that SJM referenced? Crack theory time: What if Eris and Azriel are mates? If they are, it would seem maybe Eris knows about it but Azriel isn't consciously aware? It could explain Azriel's extreme and passionate reactions to Eris. What if when Eris became an enemy of the Night Court he lost his chance at having a connection to his mate. It would also explain why Eris is so tight lipped about his secret motivations. We know that Beron tortures Eris as he is now, imagine what he would do to Eris if he found out he was queer. If Eris is queer it would also explain his empathy to Mor and his reluctance to tell her truth to other people. This could also explain why Azriel is the one person Eris wants to explain himself to, because Azriel is the only person whose opinion he cares about. AND this would also provide an answer to the great "Azriel mate debate". Eris and Azriel also provide interesting foils to one another: flame and shadow- which is a theme that's mentioned in both of SJM's other series. We also know how much SJM loves her enemies to lovers.

"There was an icy rage in Azriel I'd never been able to thaw" -Rhysand in ACOMAF

Azriel is routinely described as icy and frozen, physically and emotionally. What better to thaw ice than fire!

If you read this far- thank you and ily.

Feel free to let me know if you have any critiques to my reasoning!

[silverlinedeyes]

In Their Starborn Era

(HOFAS spoilers below)

The starborn age has ended on Midgard…

…and the Archeron Starborn Era is about to begin on Prythian. LFG!!!!

The Archeron Sisters are Starborn

As @offtorivendell has theorized here, @wingedblooms has theorized here, I have theorized here and here, we think each of the Archeron sisters is starborn and has part of Theia’s (or her children’s) light.

Elain has Helena’s.

Nesta has Silene’s.

Feyre has Theia’s (or maybe her son’s if that crack theory is right lol).

Though I wonder about Nesta’s Starborn power, and if she gave some of it back to the Cauldron at the end of ACOSF…and what that might mean for her ability to use Gwydion or TT at all on her own, like Bryce can. So what does that mean?

We get hints that Elain has strong starborn power:

So will Elain at first be the one to wield Gwydion and TT as she (and Az) go on their quests? Potentially to revive Dusk, or other parts of Prythian, as @offtorivendell and @wingedblooms have theorized?

And might she in part use them to help herself? To unMake her bond with Lucien using TT to free them both of it, and to potentially Make a new bond with Az (if a bond doesn’t already exist), either using her powers, or using Gwydion?

Together They Can Activate TT and Gwydion

Only united can Theia’s starborn power activate Gwydion and TT and be used to kill the unkillable. The Asteri in Midgard. Koschei in ACOTAR?

The Sisters’ Bonds

Right now, the bonds between the sisters are somewhat fractured, particularly still between Nesta and Elain.

Those bonds will need to finally heal so that they can come together to use Gwydion and TT to save Prythian.

[oristian]

I have a theory about Elain Archeron and where her book could potentially go. These are just my own thoughts and everyone is free to disagree if they so see fit. This theory is ACOTAR specific and will not touch on the other two series. I may come back here at some point after my SJM reread, but that is months in the future.

I have a theory that Elain will be manipulated by Koschei to free him from his lake. Since this antagonist has been introduced, it has been beaten into the reader that he is trapped by ancient magic at his lake, and his ultimate goal is to be freed and to fix this ‘desolate’ world. He has been in cohorts with Queen Briallyn in ACOSF to find the items of the Dread Trove—once Nesta had two in her possession, the plan had changed to use Cassian to force Nesta to hand them over. Koschei had, ultimately, wanted the Dread Trove items to free himself from the lake.

Before I touch on Koschei, I want to touch on Elain. There were two instances of dialogue and/or inner monologue that have stuck with me. The first is the dinner scene where Elain questions if Amren was able to shift forms once she settled into her new body—Amren pointedly informed her that she would never turn human again. The second instance was Cassian dwelling on not quite believing that Elain was going to help tend to a garden the next morning.

A large theme between the Archeron sisters is that they needed to overcome the hurdle of accepting their lives as fae in order to fully heal along their journeys. Elain has been the most negatively affected by turning fae—going so far as to lose her mortal fiancé. I am inclined to believe that Elain’s story is going to delve heavily into her aversion of being fae. I also connect this to ACOWAR when Elain asked to be glamoured to appear mortal when she and the entourage went to Graysen’s family estate.

I believe that Elain is not gardening around Velaris as she claims to be—at least, not consistently. I also believe that she wants to find any means to turn back into a mortal in order to be with Graysen once more. I connect this back to ACOFAS where Feyre harps on Elain not wanting a male, but a human man. Now, to the climatic moment of the theory: I believe that Koschei is speaking to Elain through the wind and/or her visions and will promise to turn her back into a mortal if she frees him from his lake.

Koschei communicates through the wind, as that is how he is able to gain allyship with Briallyn and Beron from the confines of his lake. Vassa confirms that Koschei had manipulated the other Queens into selling her to him. “[…], whispered on the winds.”

I connect Elain and Koschei together through Papa Archeron. I wonder if Koschei managed to find out about Elain through him, or if Elain being Made was whispered to him the same way that Nesta was to everyone else—A Cauldron-Made Seer with the ability to view his weakness. Someone like that is a risk to his very livelihood, and his overall order of operations. Elain Archeron introduced the reader to Koschei, and that will be her arc and antagonist in her book.

According to lore, Koschei’s box holds his immortality. Destroying the contents will ultimately destroy him—Koschei the Deathless bested by his own creation. I do wonder what Papa Archeron was able to negotiate with him that was enticing enough for Vassa to be released temporarily to him. “Tell my Vassa I’m waiting.”

I see Elain either giving Vassa back to Koschei, or freeing him from his lake. I then see this being the start of her healing journey—she realized the mess that she had made, and she hastily goes to try and fix it. Koschei is part of Prythian lore and the one court that has thousands of libraries with every piece of knowledge from their world documented would be the Day Court.

I do see a bit of Beron and the subplot of Helion and the Lady of Autumn being dealt with in this book, hence why I believe that Elain and Lucien will be sharing the same book. Not only was Beron an ally to both Briallyn and Koschei, but Eris comments to Cassian at the end of ACOSF that Beron very well may still allege to Koschei.

There are so many ways that SJM could take Elain’s story and this is just a single interpretation. Feel free to add your own thoughts and/or tell me why you may disagree! This is all in good fun, after all.

[zenkindoflove]

how do you think elain could be involved in the politics of the spring court?

I think there are two main ways: 1) giving the world more "gardens" by revitalizing the land of the Spring Court and 2) helping with the politics between human and Fae relations, which Spring Court will be immensely important.

And I think this will largely reside in her and Lucien helping Tamlin come back into his own as High Lord of Spring.

For the first point - I have a head canon that Elain, along with her Seer powers, has powers related to "life" (to juxtapose Nesta and death) which will look a lot like the earth powers we see Sathia and Tristian use in HOFAS. We haven't really seen this magic used yet in the ACOTAR universe, and I think that it likely will be revealed with Elain, who is often seen gardening and associated with a lot of flower imagery.

I also think that Tamlin has some of these powers too (i mean it would only make sense given that it's SPRING). I think Elain's storyline will heavily focus on her exploring her magic with Lucien and I think that will bring her to both Day and Spring. In general, Elain's story arc is about her accepting the gifts given to her from the Mother (her powers and the mating bond), so I think it'll all be interconnected with the story arc. I could see Tamlin serving in some mentor type role to help her understand her powers, which in turn heals his own negligence of his court. I think it's also possible all of this is hinting at Elain being the heir to Spring and possibly Tamlin losing his HL powers (whether that is through the magic leaving him or his death - ack!). But I don't necessarily think it's a given that her hints and connections to Spring means she is destined to rule it. But we will see.

For the second point - I think that Elain's social skills, her empathy and care, acting as the bridge between people, and her connections to humans will be immensely important for the work that Vassa and Jurian are doing in the human lands. Ultimately with the wall down now, human and faeries will have to coexist, and Spring as the southern most court will have to be apart of how this intermingling occurs. And so I think another motivation for revitalizing Spring and helping Tamlin assume his rule again will be so that it can be a safe neutral zone for these affairs.

And considering that Beron is the one who is looking to take over Spring to gain more power and influence while Tamlin is weak, Lucien is inevitably tied into all of these plots (especially considering he is permanently stationed in Spring at the moment and has spent immense time in the human lands).

In essence, I think Spring is sort of central to Elain's plot. And while I think she and Lucien will travel a lot in their story (to the human lands, Spring, possibly Day, and likely even the Continent. And potentially for some high high drama - Autumn), it all sort of comes back to Spring tying a lot of these places together. A lot can't happen until we get Spring right (and if Elain is able to help heal Spring, it could mean some really critical roles she might have in future books when it comes to Dusk and the healing of that land, which I think we need Elain's growth first before we ever get into those storylines).

Anyways, I'm not sure all of these will happen and it's possible SJM could totally go in another direction. But these are some of the ideas I've chewed on when thinking about it.

[primulagoldworthy]

The Seer

So, I've been thinking about Elain's possible abilities. They hold so much promise. A Seer could be so much more. Seers have been called oracles, prophets, shamans - and were believed to see the future, past and - That's a wild take - be able to communicate with the dead.

Aelin was able to communicate with spirits.

It certainly wouldn't come as a surprise if Elain did indeed see and even communicate with spirits.

Possibly with Papa A and her mother.

Jesminda (it would explain her awkwardness towards Lucien - thinking how she could ever compare to what they had).

And I'd love to read fanfiction about this (or Acotar 6)

[ataraxiasflame]

In doing some research for my fic, I encountered a few names from different SJM books that seem to be derived from similar origins and I went on a bit of a trip trying to consider all the connections:

When researching some information regarding the inspiration for Helion (the God Helios) I discovered that Helios’s mother is called Theia and his sister is called Selene. Theia, Helios and Selene are all connected through solar elements like light, the sun and the moon.

If we recall from HOFAS, Silene was Theia’s second daughter who Azriel also claims looked like Rhys’s sister. We also know that she too was able to wield her mother’s Starborn powers (which is essentially starlight).

Helion’s power is also light and also has several similarities to Helios:

And I always question the potential foreshadowing of the scene below.

- ACOSF ch 41.

If I had to guess, perhaps Silene or a descendant of hers was married off to a member of the Night Court, which is why Rhys’s sister looks like her. But my real interest is the connection that Helion (and Lucien) has to the Trove, and their potential challenge to the theory that Rhys has a claim to the throne as a descendant of Fionn/Theia. The similarities in name could have been mere coincidence but the effect the trove had on Helion creates that potential connection to Theia and Fionn (I’m not saying he is Silene’s brother but they could be the ancestors to whom he is referring in ACOSF)

Then perhaps this chapter in ACOSF (ch 42) in which Amren urges Rhys to conquer Prythian claim the throne and he declines several times, only to have her respond with this line:

…might suggest that there are others who have equal claim to the throne.

Personally, I hate the potential High King plot line, especially if Rhys and Feyre will claim the throne (I could write an essay on why this would make no sense from a narrative perspective). There are so many references in HOFAS that highlight why Prythian failed under the ruling of one sovereign and we as readers experienced the reign of a sole ruler in book one. It just makes no sense for Prythian to return to a proven failed form of sovereignty, especially with Rhys and Feyre in those positions of power, when they only recently broke free from Amarantha’s reign.

However, should the High King and Queen narrative be necessary to the plot line, I would far prefer Helion/Lucien be the potential challenge to the throne over Rhys. The end of HOFAS even opens questions regarding Nesta’s future in a position of power in Prythian.

High King plot aside; these potential clues do make me even more interested to see how Lucien’s past will affect the rest of his story and the over arching plot of the series, how his power could be even stronger than we expected, how they could come into play with the Koschei plot line and whether he will play a larger role in the political future of Prythian as well.

But most interestingly is that Theia (the mother of Helios and Selene) was the Goddess of Sight and Vision, possessing prophetic powers, and it seems fitting that Helion’s own son is mated to a cauldron-blessed Seer. Mates fated to be together who are true equals in every way.

[faebaneofmyexistence]

Y’all I keep thinking… What if Feyre goes back to Tamlin with Nyx in tow?

He wouldn’t buy it after all she’s done to him and his Court… but if she had no where to go after Rhys going ballistic Valg…OOOOOOOO! Would he shelter her and her child?

They might actually talk about their past. And feel old things. Omg 😱

(Edit: Feylin, but in a platonic way.)

[infiniteetcetera]

One of the many weird things about Nessian that still has me convinced they are defective/cursed instead of fated mates is we get the whole “most beautiful person they had ever seen” line from SEVERAL mated pairs (Feyre/Rhys, Ruhn/Lidia, Rowan/Aelin, Lucien/Elain, probably more) meanwhile Nesta’s just like “yeah Cassian’s hot but AZRIEL😍🔥🥵” and Cassian mentions Nesta being hot a few times but then goes on for like two pages about Mor’s beauty inside and out and I’m just like JDJDKWKDN do these two honestly even like each other😩