#connected to lucien who was also hunt??

[gwynrieldreams]

How Gwynriel and Elucien mirror Quinlar and Satharion

SJM creates characters that mirror each other in each world. They have similar appearance/vibe, similar powers, similar backstory/family origins or similar role.

Rhysand, Ruhn and Dorian. Lidia and Aelin. Amren and Fury. Jessiba and Merrill. Connor and Sam. Einar and Beron. Danika and Fenrys or Danika and Nehemia, depending on how you see it. Yrene and Hypaxia. Vassa and Ariadne.

Even the villains, Vesperus and Maeve, the Valg, the Death Gods and the Princes of Hel. Their gods: Deanna and Luna, Hel and Hellas, Urd and Wyrd. Their kings and queens: Theia and Mala-firebringer. Fionn and Brannon. Elena and Helena. Gavin and Pelias.

Acosf and CC were written pretty much next to each other. So, what if Gwyn is Bryce's mirror?

They're both redheads with freckles.

Mixed: high fae + sth else that is considered lesser.

They work in a library/artifact gallery under a strict librarian.

They wear an amulet that librarians wear, with protective powers.

They both have Autumn Court heritage.

They both grew up or spent some of their childhood years in a temple.

Jelly jubilee was used to foreshadow that Bryce was Starborn and the heir of Dusk Court, while the miniature pegasus was connected to Gwyn in the scene where she cuts the ribbon and Emerie mentions that the pegasus liked Gwyn the best.

Bryce has light powers and it's possible that Gwyn also has similar powers. I believe since Bryce isn't interested in ruling or moving in Prythian, then the land will choose someone else. I just think that all those similarities and the miniature pegasus foreshadowing are something that cannot be ignored, in addition to Gwydion and the possibility that she'll be the one to wield it.

And what if Azriel and Hunt are also mirrors?

Hunt is called umbra mortis, which means shadow of death, while Azriel's name comes from Azrael the angel of death and he has shadow powers.

Dark and broody with wings.

Hunt worked as an assassin for the Archangels and hated himself, while Azriel is the torturer of the NC and hates himself. Also, this:

Just like Azriel, who was tortured and wasn't allowed to fly or see the sunlight for years.

Considering, also, the mating language parallels between the two couples, I believe all this just seals the deal for gwynriel endgame and opens the possibility that Gwyn could also be the one to wield Gwydion and/or rule Dusk Court.

Let's not forget their bonus chapters ended the same way.

Same goes for Sathia and Elain:

light brown hair and pretty

associated with flowers

in love with sb who broke up with her but still they went after him (Elain with Graysen, Sathia with Colin)

mated/married with a redhead who has done nothing but respect them and still wants to be with them after everything

Elain is soft and kind, loves to hold court. Her mother saw her as a "doll to dress up" and that she'd only marry for "love and beauty." Sathia is similar.

Lucien and Tharion also share similarities:

redhead, charming and sarcastic

no place to call home. Lucien is from the Autumn Court but his biological father is Helion, HL of the Day Court, he was emissary for Spring and now he's working as an emissary for Night, while staying in the human lands and in Spring Court/Tharion is mer but loves all things Above, he was hunted by the River Queen, he was staying with Ruhn, Flynn and Declan, until he was forced to make a deal with the Viper Queen

emissary work, Tharion is Captain of Intelligence but as we see he was sent as a representative to the Summit

Lucien wants to get to know Elain but her love for Graysen and her trauma makes it difficult, Lucien respects her decisions/Tharion married Sathia to get her out of a difficult situation but Sathia still went after Collin, Tharion respected her decision but still went after her in order to save her from the Viper Queen.

I think it's possible that Tharion and Sathia are also mates like Elucien, especially when we consider how protective she was of him against the Viper Queen -even though Colin was the one actually in danger.

[gwandas]

Idk where this Nesta vs. Feyre empathy discourse came from but anyway here are my two cents

I think something to remember is that there is a difference between compassion and empathy.

Empathy is specifically a demonstrated understanding of what another is feeling.

Compassion is characterized by the desire to take action to help someone who is suffering. Compassion often involves empathy, yes, but an understanding of why another person is suffering isn't a requirement for compassion.

In my opinion, Nesta has high empathy and low compassion while Feyre has low empathy and high compassion. To be clear, they've both exhibited both empathy and compassion at times, I just think each character favors one over the other.

Feyre at her core is a fixer. She has always seen people's problems and wants to help—it's a core tenet of her character. Successfully being able to identify when people are struggling and wanting to help is compassion. Some examples of this are:

hunting in the cabin

giving jewels to the wraiths in Spring

desperately wanting to train and do more to help Tamlin rebuild Spring

her interference in Mor and Azriel's relationship

her interference in Elain and Lucien's relationship

dealing with Nesta after the war

starting the art studio for the kids, etc.

At the same time, she has trouble putting herself in other people's shoes—even in moments where she really should've been able to—which are examples where she is unempathetic.

not understanding or caring of why her sisters are apprehensive towards letting fae into their home and what that would mean for their lives (she hated the fae too)

pushing Nesta into sharing her cauldron story

jealousy of Nesta’s friendship and confiding in Amren over her

not understanding why Lucien doesn't want to be in Velaris

not understanding why Nesta was angry about the vote (she herself was angry when she learned about her mating bond)

not understanding why the CoN wants out from the Hewn City (UTM, enough said)

in general her relationship with Nesta is lacking in empathy—something that comes to mind is making Nesta’s attitude in ACOWAR all about her and the IC and completely disregarding Nesta’s actual trauma. (and it goes the other way around as well, like Nesta thinking Feyre doesn’t care about her, those girls do nooot understand each other at all)

There are times where she is empathetic too! A lot of her empathy goes towards Rhys, she understands Elain's apprehension towards Lucien, she connects the priestesses experiences to her own with Tamlin, and the jewels she gave to the wraith and the art studio are also both examples of empathy as well as compassion.

Nesta from the very beginning of her POV in ACOSF (and arguably before too) displays a deep understanding of how she is perceived and why, in addition to more general examples of empathy.

calculating the ships + crying at the thought of humans dying in the war with Hybern

her general awareness of the effect her presence has (ACOWAR dinner scene, ACOFAS solstice)

understanding while Rhys and Mor hate her

when Cassian was sad about being bested by Eris (really all the examples of her empathizing with his bastard insecurities, of which there are many—also Cassian acknowledges the dick sucking (ew) as an act of empathy)

understanding instantly why Cassian shut down while talking about his mother

softening her tone towards Gwyn when she remembered why the library was created

Feyre's comment to Cassian about how Nesta feels more deeply than others... literally the definition of empathy

understanding why the Illyrians were afraid of her (the children should be afraid of her comment or whatever it was)

if we're being real, her ability to pinpoint other people's insecurities is twisted example of empathy since it requires an understanding of how the other person feels and what would cause them pain

giving the Mask to Bryce after hearing about the murdered humans on Midgard because she understands that drive to protect humans

Something that's notable as well is that she not only understands the feelings of others, but also that she doesn't blame others for disliking her. She consistently justifies and agrees with the way she is spoken to and treated because she is empathetic towards how her mistakes have impacted other people.

Nesta however, for all her understanding, has a lot of difficultly taking action when seeing others suffering, which comes out as a lack of compassion

We know she's always harbored guilt over Feyre hunting, but never stepped in to take over that burden

She knows humans will be affected by war, as we see when she cries when the human queens say they won't help, but is reluctant to help (both in ACOMAF dinner scene and ACOWAR when Feyre wants her to share her story)

Knows what everyone wants from her after the war—Amren wants her to train, Cassian and Feyre want her to deal with her trauma, but she prioritizes going about it her way instead of the way that would make them happier (showing up to stuff and being happy?)

She knows full well what sitting on that rock means for Cassian but chooses her own discomfort and rebellion over alleviating his embarrassment

Doesn’t want to scry until threatened that Elain would if she wouldn’t, was also fine with Feyre taking on the danger if it meant she didn’t have to

This isn’t pro or anti either of them. Feyre always wants to help, but sometimes can’t see when it isn’t wanted and can’t understand the other person’s perspective in order to help them the way that they need. Nesta feels and understands a lot but has a lot of trouble outwardly expressing that empathy towards others either in the form of words or actions. This causes her to come off as cold and unfeeling when… in her POV we can tell she’s not.

[litnerdwrites]

So remember when Cassian told Nesta to leave Velaris and go somewhere else? I was thinking, where would she go? Putting aside how she had no money, or connections or even friends to call her own, where would she be able to go to truly disconnect from the IC?

She can't go to the Spring Court because it's in shambles (thanks to someone, cough Feyre cough), Tamlin probably wouldn't want here there anyway, and it wouldn't be a place she'd be truly safe until it's rebuilt. If the NC + Eris can just show up for secret meetings whenever they want, wha't to stop anyone worse showing up?

Autumn has Beron, so unless Eris would be willing to hide her, she'd probably be killed on sight. Or worse.

Summer is out because Amren has connections with Varian, who has sway over Tarquin. So they'd likely be able to monitor and control her from afar using him. Amren doesn't seem to shy away from lying and manipulating to get her way, so if she really wants to, she could make life hard for Nesta. Or even monitor her while she's there. If they need her for something, like trove hunting or something, then they'd have access to her.

The same can be said for Winter, because of Mor's ties to Vivian. I also think Mor is more likely to make Nesta's life hard through Vivian out of spite, or just to hurt her. Remember when she showed up to watch the training in windhaven in ACOSF, before insulting her while she sat on the rock? Yeah, I picture that happening a lot if Nesta goes to The Winter Court. It would, once again, give the IC access to her if they needed it.

Then there's The middle, which is dangerous, Nesta knows nothing about, and at that point, wouldn't be able to survive in alone.

The Day court might be an option, but Helion is too much of a wild card due to his relationship with Rhysand. I feel like, if he felt it was necessary for his court, he'd gladly throw her under the bus. Especially if Bryallin is coming for her, with the trove, potentially. If the IC play their cards right, they might actually be able to manipulate him into seeing Nesta as too much of a liability. I don't really know enough about him to be completely sure though. Given that the IC know that Lucien is his son, and they have Elain, Lucien's mate, they have a pretty solid bargaining chip if they ever need to access Nesta. Again, however, he is a bit of a wild card.

Then there's The Dawn Court. She might be safe there, so long as other courts aren't pressuring him, which they might if Mor and Amren use their influences on Summer and Winter. Or even if just Helion demands it. There's also the issue of Bryallin and the trove. Would he still protect her, knowing that Bryallin has items as powerful as the trove, and wants to use them to hurt Nesta?

The human lands mean certain death, so they're out. It also leaves no protection for Nesta, in case something happens.

If nowhere in Prythian, Nesta could go to the continent. However, places like Valahan still refuse to sign a treaty declaring that they wouldn't try and take The Mortal Lands now that the wall is down, and were considering allying with Hybern during the war. They're also the ones with the most to gain from conquering the human lands, which Hybern would've pretty much done for them, if it weren't for Nesta. So, I doubt Nesta is particularly well liked over there, after killing the king. She wouldn't be safe there either. Best case scenario, kingdoms try to recruit her to use her powers as a weapon, worst case, they try to kill her. That's not even considering Bryallin and Koshchei, who would also target her.

With all that in mind, the best case scenario is gaining citizenship from The Dawn Court, while praying that The NC don't do anything too insane, like threaten military action, slander, or abduct her, all to maintain control over her. Otherwise, there is literally nowhere else for her to go. Not after they asked her to get involved in a war. Not after they asked her for help in that war, again, without giving her a chance to really heal. Not after they forced her into that life, after not doing the one thing they promised to do in exchange for her help in the first place: Protect her and Elain.

And the worst part is that Nesta's made it clear her dream is to see the world. To travel. Now, there's nowhere she could travel too without certain precautions, like training or guards, which defeats the point of separating herself from the IC. It also gives them more control over her.

Where can she go? What can she do? She's essentially isolated from the world she wants to see so badly. And even if she doesn't want to be, if she's a part of the IC, or considered part of it due to being Feyre's sister, can she really travel anywhere without being considered a diplomat or emissary of some kind? For all that the IC claim she has a choice, she seems to have terrifyingly few, both in and out of the NC.

[stargirlie25]

Me having a conversation with an e/riel. Feel free to fact check by looking at the books.

Me: Why do you ship Elain and Azriel?

E/riel: Well for starters, he was the only one to go save Elain when she was in hybern.

Me: First of all, Cassian offered first. Second of all Feyre was also there and saved her (what Elain said)

E/riel: Ok but still it was romantic

Me: But it was not. Because her sister ALSO saved her :) Feyre went to UTM and got tortured,SAed,killed people and died all for Tamlin anyhow...

E/riel: Well Madja said a mate knows whats wrong with their own mate and Az figured out that Elain was a seer.

Me: Elain being a Seer was not what was wrong with her. Also Rhysand figured out Nestas power.

E/riel: Az gave Elain truthteller when he had given it to no one ever.

Me: Only because Mor begged him with tears in her eyes to stay back. Cassian offered her first (again) and then Az offered her TT bc he would not have to use it. Not to mention, Elain only took it when Feyre assured her she would not have to use it. She gave it back without a glance

E/riel: Well Feyre imagined Elain and Az as ´´Death and his lovely fawn´´

Me: Okay. Well did you also catch when she said TT is the only connection between them? Not to mention something admirable about Elain is that she is always full of light. What literally takes away Light? Darkness=Azriel. Not to mention, Azriel is death and his home sucks the life from Elain. Not that Feyres aesthetic painting mind matters anything to me :)

E/riel: What about the fact that Lucien thought Elain was crazy?

Me: What about the fact when he travelled all around to find somebody on a quest so dangerous and the only confirmation he got was from Elain?

E/riel: Elain was wearing Cobalt blue the first time she met Az.

Me: Considering Elains devotion to Graysen, there is a high chance of her wearing that color for Graysen because his crest is cobalt blue. Even if its not true, Lucien wears a coat that´s fawn brown (exact same shade of Elains eyes)

E/riel: A smile and blush bloomed on Azriel in regards to Elain.

Me: Dont care. Thats just an action. Although since you say that, did you know that a smile bloomed on Elains face after her father died (who she loved dearly) in regards to Lucien?

E/riel: What about when a charged glance went through Elain and Azriel.

Me: Sexual attraction. Lots of characters have it like Feyre and tamlin,Aelin and Chaol,Azriel to Mor....

E/riel: Well, Azriel jacks off to Elain every night while looking at the gift he got for her.

Me: Dont be shy you dont have to say a gift. You can say he jacks off to headache powder. No problem. Almost like when Nesta slept with multiple men. Trust me, that does not affect me!

E/riel: Elriel is true mates because Az was the only one to smell Eluciens bond.

Me: Bryce smelled Nessians bound, Ruhn and Lidia smelled bryce and hunts bond, Tamlin smelled feysands.

E/riel: Gwyn is a lightsinger because Az chest sparked because of her.

Me: Well than ig Lidia and Bryce are lightsingers too. Get those evil bitches away from Hunt and Ruhn right?

E/riel: There is nothing romantic for Gwynriel

Me: Thats literally just your penny for thought. Why would i care when SJM provided common banter, mate language and history for Gwynriel, and scenes where they challenge each other when she said history,sparks,conflict,and challenge all makes a good couple.

E/riel: Elain gave two gifts to Az. Not lucien

Me: Headphones for Az bc Nesta and Cass fuck so loud? So romantic i cant! Im so glad my girl SJM is saving the good,meaningful gifts for Elucien.

E/riel: Az waited for Elain to come to the table and told everybody to not eat until Elain came back.

Me: he was thinking of his mother being a slave. Thats what the situation of eating when Elain was tending to everyone reminded him of. How his mother was treated. Its not romantic but it is a very sad thing to think about.

E/riel: Azriel loves Elain. He only has not thought about a future with her because he does not allow himself to!

Me: Honestly i don´t mind that you think that! Although that is not canon. Sleeping with Elain is the only thoughts he PLEASURED himself to. Not allowed himself as some say. Again, that´s just your penny for thought. He says ´´He hadn't gone that far with his planning´´ Meaning sexual thoughts is fine but anything further is like nope, nope,nope,nope,nope too far.

E/riel: Elain literally loses her newfound boldness around Lucien.

Me: There is so many more reasons that we could come up with than what meets the eye. Have you considered it was because she didnt know what to do. Or she saw the look on Lucien ´ s face and shrank because she did not intentionally cause it and felt bad? Or maybe she FELT Luciens pain and shared it because of the bond? So much possibilities to think of especially considering we have limited text and not the actual characters POV. Also i wonder how far she will shrink when she finds out about Az and Rhysands conversation in the bonus chapter. Or maybe she heard it already?

E/riel: Azriel actually gets Elain.

Me: The way he literally does not though! When Elain begs the IC not to kill graysen Az says its best for him to be killed in acosf. When Elain says nesta cant make choices for her and then Az says she should not be exposed to the innate darkness even though later we figure out Elain is willing? When Elain says she is not a child to be fought over and than Az says he will defeat Lucien in a blood duel with her?

E/riel: Scrying is dangerous! Of course Azriel did not want her too.

Me: Yet, he said ´´Nesta really should do scrying´´ but not Elain because he underestimates her. Which is the ONLY thing SJM provides to what Az could have been doing.

E/riel: Azriel listened to Elains laugh probably because he loves the sound!

Me: Maybe its because Elain never ever laughs like that around him or the ic He was literally monitoring them which means to keep tabs on someone which directly relates to his fricking job 😂. So many words to choose from and SJM chose monitoring.

E/riel: Az gave Elain a rose necklace.

Me: Ok and? Elain gave it back. She does not want that shit. He gave it to another person. It felt wrong to clasp it around Elains neck but it sparked something in his chest and made him smile for Gwyn.

E/riel: Lucien only sees Elain for his mate but Azriel sees her for her.

Me: Nope. His reason for wanting to kiss Elain was simply ´´What fi the cauldron was wrong´´ and refers to Elain as the 3rd. She is literally a theory or more so a possibility to him. One he has not thought through in the slightest. Also, Lucien was going crazy in hybern in regards to Elain before he knew of their bond AND Elain has not accepted the bond yet he still cares for her.

E/riel: Elain called Azriels scars beautiful.

Me: first of all, its a 50% chance she called his scars beautiful. Feyre said she was not sure which one she was complimenting, the scars, or the big glowing cobalt siphon atop his hand. Second of all, even if it was 100% fact that she said his scars specifically was beautiful, it seems he does not believe it at all. He tries to not to look at his hands. He does not want to taint her with his presence or touch her beautiful skin with his scars.

E/riel: His shadows vanish around Elain and lightens. They also do that around mor who he was in love with for 500 years. Also his shadows are like snakes ready to strike in regards to Elain.

Me: Shadows lighting and vanishing are the same thing. Light takes away darkness as darkness takes away light (another reason why they are horrible together) His shadows are losing its darkness around Elain and Mor. Mor was wrong for him. The amount of pain it caused him to be in Love with her? Want that to continue with Elain and Az? Azriel does not need his darkness to be hidden. He needs it to be embraced *insert Gwyn*

E/riel: SJM would never pass on a good angsty trope like forbidden love!

Me: firstly, the only thing forbidding e/riel is Elain herself. If she rejects the bond, she can be with Az all she wants and NO ONE has a say on that. Not Rhysand. Not feyre. Not cassian. Not Lucien himself. Although she hasnt after 2 years. There is an answer to why. Its not like Elain knows she has to wait until her own book to reject it. Second of all, Forbidden love is the absolute WORST trope to give BOTH of them. For Elain, she has always hid in the shadows of her sisters in the series and the fandom. You really think Elain Archeron always full of light wants to hide in the darkness and play out Azriel´s fantasies? As for Azriel, he has been secretly silently in PAIN loving Mor for 500 years. So you want him to go through it again with Elain? No. He wants the bond nessian and feysand have. The love they share. The joy of being with your equal. The connection of a mating bond. Being proud to showcase it to the world. Forbidden love would just tear them apart.

E/riel: SJM does not write about virgin romances! Plus Gwyn is a virgin!

Me: Yes she can. Gwyn already lost her virginity against her will so biologically she is not going through the bleeding and the actual losing her physical virginity. Although it is a fact she has never slept with someone. The scene where Cassian *ahem* first enters nesta is very descriptive and SJM describes the pain of Cassian entering her......So yes she can for sure write about Gwyn having sex. This is also goes against the statement that Gwyn cant have sex because of her trauma. False. She is interested in romance books and asks Nesta if the sex was good. I think Gwyn would enjoy sex with someone she trusts in and out.

[starborn15]

“Azriel shows more mate behavior than Lucien!!!!”

Does he?

ACOMAF: Lucien - “Don’t just leave her on the damn floor!”

- Breaks free of his restraints to walk to Elain, past the king, not caring what happens to him to get to her.

-Azriel snarls when the king says: “My what a Queen you are” to Mor it’s very obvious so can we please stop with this now?

Also in ACOWAR prior to this is is Lucien Vanserra who says:

“I’m getting my mate back.”

Please see chapter 24 ACOWAR:

Lucien going against Feyre and Rhysand’s rules (which I mean come on.) to stay away from Elain, to see her; just once…to know if she’s worth it. A lot of people hate on Lucien for this but I mean Lucien had never met Elain and you know what? Lucien’s “father” hates him, his brothers hunt him down, he has no home, no prospects that he knows of. He has nothing. So what is..worth it?

Worth a life shackled to him.

Nesta and Feyre create a rift with Elain and Lucien. Lucien sees that Elain mourns Graysen, that she was to be married and knows the role he played, the mistake he made and he follows he vision and brings back an army with her FATHER.

And was she worth it?

Lucien shows up, every solstice and we are lead to believe more often to try and connect with her: “until Lucien got the message and left.”

Lucien is saying..you are worth it, every time he shows up, does Elain owe him anything? No.

But this is a great set up for, he fell first but she fell harder trope, and I love that. Of he’s the one holding out his hand, putting his foot forward waiting and when she’s ready he won’t be there and she’s going to have to chase him and I LOVE that potential for their book.

So when people say Azriel shows mate behavior.

Show me where?

[acourtofthought]

Prythians history as they knew it (Silene later confirms she twisted the actual history):

What actually happened:

It wasn't the Priestess that dipped Gwydion into the Cauldron but Fionn.

I wonder if Fionn could be connected to Lady of Autumns line:

And if Sarah will connect Lucien to the first High King of Prythian.

Fionn in mythology was the leader of a band of hunter - warriors and Sarah wrote Lucien as hunting / tracking a few times in the series:

"but it was luck that we caught your scent on the wind"

Lucien had tracked it down—and we’d lured it, carefully, over hours, back to that camp.

“I used to stay here while hunting. Before—I left,” he said.

“Where’s my dear friend Lucien?” “Hunting for our dinner.”

Someone who could also fight:

Like Rhys, he usually opted for words to win his battles, but I’d seen him and Tamlin in the practice ring. He knew how to handle a weapon. How to kill, if need be.

Fionn was also a Seer and poet, who was given a magic thumb that bestows him great wisdom.

For Lucien we have a magical eye that allows him to see things others cannot.

(side note, I like seeing the part about a poet and remembering the “Your eyes are like stars, and your hair like burnished gold” line 😂).

Fionn in mythology was also depicted as hunting with hounds, a storyline Sarah attached to the Autumn Court through Eris in Silver Flames.

I mentioned it in a few other posts but I also think Sarah may have further connected Lucien to the sword Gwydion through the tale of Blodeuwedd.

Llew in the tale is similar to Lucien as Llew had a wife created for him out of flowers, the most beautiful maiden ever seen (who went on to become the Welsh Goddess of Spring) which parallels Lucien's mating bond with Elain, her connection to flowers and her beauty (this is not to say Elain is more beautiful than other characters however her looks are a noted plot point and Lucien finds her to be the most beautiful female he'd ever seen). It was his uncle Gwydion who created Blodeuwedd so that Llew could become King.

Gwydion therefore was a King maker just as Gwydion in the ACOTAR series was a symbol of the first High King of Prythian, Fionn.

Fionn being a Seer in mythology would also tie in nicely with Elain by Lucien's side as High Queen. Not necessarily with them leading battles or ruling over the courts so much as them being the keepers of the peace across the various places in their world just as Fionn once kept the peace of their lands.

(also, that would mean Az would have to play nice with Lucien since his dagger likes to catch up with the Starsword. Fionn once had the sword and his friend Enalius the dagger, time for Az to put aside his issues 😂).

[silverdreamscapes]

Not sure how exactly a Bryce, Nesta, and Azriel bonus chapter confirms Gw*nriel but I guess here we are.

It could just as easily be Elriel related because it’s not as if Gw*n is the only connection that Nesta and Azriel have between each other. There’s also her sister Elain who both are obsessed with.

It says that Bryce, Nesta, and Azriel discover more about each others world. I’m pretty sure they’re all going to be doing that anyway throughout the book and if it’s important it wouldn’t be in a bonus chapter. So what more could they learn that would be in a bonus chapter. A mate bond perhaps? We know where Bryce comes from, they choose mates. Bryce chose her mate Hunt. Hmmm…Wouldn’t this be interesting information for Azriel to know?

And it’s in keeping with bonus chapters not being needed to understand the book. It’s information that you wouldn’t need to know for the plot of CC3. It’s not something you would need to know for ACOTAR 5 if it’s Elriel. We already know Azriel wants Elain. And we already know Nesta knows Azriel’s secret.

Which would also explain why Nesta is there because when I first saw the list of bonus povs I did the biggest WTF with this one. All of the other bonus povs make sense. Bryce and Hunt. Ruhn and Lydia. Bryce and Danika. Ember and Randall. But Bryce, Azriel, and Nesta seemed weird. But not so weird if Bryce and Azriel are discussing how mating bonds work in each other’s worlds, and Nesta who knows Azriel wants to be with Elain, and has said that Elain “was no such thing” when she was called Lucien’s mate is also part of that conversation.

At the end of the day, this bonus could be about anything and probably isn’t ship related. But acting as if this is confirmation of a ship based on nothing is just bizarre, when it could just as easily be Elriel related.

[elainemg97]

✨ACOTAR fun crack theories ✨

(Or fanfiction inspo)

1. Azriel retires from being a Spymaster because he’s tired and just wants to enjoy life (like Hunt). Nuala and Cerridwen are declared the new Spymasters.

2. In a surprising twist of events, Lucien is declared High Lord of the Autumn Court. It turns out that the LoA’s bloodline is more powerful than Beron’s, and her blood, mixed with Helion’s, made Lucien more powerful than Eris. He just hadn’t tapped into his true power potential until he learned the truth about his heritage. His marriage to Vassa will be a step toward the unification between humans and Fae.

3. Eris, now without title, gets into shady business to fill his crushed ego, so the Night Court sends its Spymaster, Nuala (or Cerridwen), to spy on him. He’s wholly intrigued and entranced by her and her powers. Sweet irony: once obsessed with appearances, now he’s feral over a female who is literally part shadow.

4. There’s a possibility that Tamlin’s being kept alive because there’s no heir. What if Gwyn is his daughter and has to take over the Spring Court (a lot of nymphs come from there)? She can then connect with her roots.

5. High Lady Gwyn of Spring and High Lord Tarquin of Summer, who are right next to each other, start communicating, and after seeing how much they have in common, they start courting. She’ll accept her Lightsinger nature and hone her powers, and Tarquin will accept her exactly as she is. She will also discover benevolent uses for her powers.

✨Not so Unhinged✨

6. Jurian is working with Koschei and will bring Vassa back to him when it’s time. Jurian actually wants Vassa’s crown.

[silverlinedeyes]

An initial list of questions spawned from HOFAS

HOFAS spoilers below the break.

I’ve been thinking about some big and some small questions since I finished HOFAS last night and wanted to preserve them here with some of my thoughts for later discussion. I am also planning some larger theory posts to try to answer some of these questions.

Also, please reblog with any additional questions you may have if you’d like!!!

Where are the other Hel princes and what are they fighting?

Are Valg related to the Asteri or the Hel princes (or both)?

Are Valg children of the Void like the Hel princes?

Is the Under-King Valg and has he been hiding in the Under-King body living off of some of the Second Light?

How do Koschei and the Carver and the Weaver fit in with this?

Is Az also a descendant of the second daughter since he’s Starborn?

Is ToG on the same timeline as Prythian and CC?

Are the tall fae that came to Midgard from Erilea coming from the same time period depicted at the oasis in ToD when Yrene and Chaol find those carvings from the first demon wars, before Elena or Gavin were born?

Who on Prythian is a powerful enough starborn to wield and use Gwydion and TT? Is Elain? Or will the three Archeron sisters together make Theia’s light anew, as @offtorivendell @wingedblooms and I have theorized that each Archeron sister has part of Theia’s light.

Will the Archeron sisters be able to wield TT and Gwydion together to kill the unkillable—Koschei?

Did Bryce revive Dusk by taking Silene’s light back like she did Avallen when she took Theia’s light out of it? Or will someone (Elain???? Cc @wingedblooms) revive Dusk?

Does Urd = Wyrd = Chaos = the Dark Mother?

Is the temple in Hel that looks like Urd’s temple a temple to Chaos, Hel’s version of Urd and Apollion’s mother?

Were the ToG gods and the Asteri sucked (back into?) the Void, and if so, can the Void send them back or can they be retrieved from the Void by something?

What IS the connection between the gods in all these worlds, like Bryce asked when she was in Prythian?

Why do all these different fae societies oppress the females? Is it because only females can be powerful starborn, and some forces are at work to suppress that power to protect darker beings? Like how Pelias seems to have created a society that doesn’t allow women to get access to anything related to starborn to prevent another starborn queen from rising?

Can only females be powerful starborn/light wielders and can only males be powerful dark wielders/shadow wielders? Like how Hypaxia says six pointed star is two triangles, one male one female one light one dark (three brothers who are dark princes, three sisters who are starborn/princesses of light?)

Are there male lightsingers or female shadowsingers, or do singers follow these same rules?

Are morven and the murder twins descended from people from Hybern? The murder twins are daemati and remind me of the Hybern twins, and Morven’s shadows are described like ravens.

Does this mean TT has slewn two Hybern kings?

Where does the Starborn power come from?

Where in Prythian are the avallen from?

Are the Starborn and Avallen the same people?

Was Fionn the original king of darkness/shadows and theia the original queen of light/starborn queen? And are the males of their line the former, and the females the latter?

Where in Prythian did Fionn and Pelias come from?

Can TT unMake a mating bond?

Can Elain wield Gwydion and TT together to unMake her bond with Lucien and Make a bond with Azriel?

Aidas tells Hunt some higher power must have made them Mates. We have all these super powerful fae finding their powerful mates right before these huge universe altering moments. Is this part of how Urd is using them as pawns in her plans/games?

Why does Amren’s timeline not match Silene’s re the creation of the Prison? Was this just a continuity error, did Silene manipulate memories, or is this fishy on Amren’s part?

Was Enalius one of the people with Fionn and Theia on Ramiel when they made Gwydion and TT?

Did Nesta give up some of her Starborn powers when she gave back what she stole from the Cauldron, and does this mean she won’t be able to wield and use Gwydion and TT, which will lead to Elain’s role with this?

[nightcourtreader]

Day by day I’m solidified in my belief that Azriel’s & Gwyn’s book is next rather than it being Elain and Lucien’s. I just think in my opinion it makes more sense that elucien will be last. Though I could still be wrong. 🤷🏽‍♀️ I would like to to be known this is long and everything stated are MY opinions.

SJM said it’s obvious who the next book is about after the readers read acosf. Azriel was a prominent figure in acosf. Way more than Elain was and that was shocking to me. Based off how nesta & Elain’s relationship was in the earlier books.

Yes Elain did get character development a little bit in acosf but she still wasn’t a prominent figure, she was once again pushed to the background. And I get that because it was nesta’s story but we still got so much more of feysand, Azriel, emrie, Gwyn, and even eris over Elain.

In a recent interview, I think it was the one last year. A girl asked SJM about having Elain and Azriel’s book being next, I forgot the form of the question. But I just remember SJM saying that “we will get Elain in some form.” That doesn’t sound like the next MC to me. And she didn’t even mention nothing about Azriel at all. SJM is known not to say too much about her books and spoil them. The way she was answering questions in this recent interview in September, she doesn’t like to spoil anything. So for her to say you will get Elain in some form and not say you will get Elain AND Azriel in some form and she just didn’t mention Azriel at all makes me just believe that it’s Azriel that’s going to be next and they’re def not getting a book together.

Ive seen so many people say “why would SJM give Azriel a book over Elain. She wouldn’t do that.” But how would we know that? Chaol got a book in the middle of the TOG series over everyone other characters, why can’t Azriel? It’s already a proven fact that the series is not just about the Archeon sisters since SJM has 2 more books planned about a couple coming together and there’s only 1 Archeon sister left. No matter how hard people try to argue with that fact. She mentioned how Azriel’s story is something she’s excited about writing and not just about his bed habits. So why is it far fetched he will get a book next? I also like the idea of having the series start with an Archeon sister and ending with one.

Then the bonus chapters. Azriel got one. He’s also a part of a second one for hofas. I saw an argument that well Cassian got a bonus chapter for acomaf and he didn’t get a book until acosf (or part of one). I think SJM did it like that because she wasn’t done with feysand’s story. It wouldn’t make sense to give Cassian/nesta a book when she wasn’t done writing feysand’s story in my opinion. Plus the first 3 books with Feyre pov was already planned before having a sisters book spin off.

I also think acofas was a perfect book to connect the series to Cassian’s pov & nesta’s pov to get the readers away from feysand’s pov. And her bonus chapter for Azriel is also a good example of that too. She wouldn’t put so much emphasis on Azriel’s bonus chapter for no reason in her interviews. Now that feysand’s & nessians story has been told, it makes more sense to have the next mc have a bonus chapter so we can get inside of the next MC’s head like we did with Cassian & nesta.

And I do get the fact that there are so many plot points that are unresolved in acowar, especially with koschei, but to me koschei is a last book level threat like how Maeve and erawan were in TOG. The two caused problems throughout the series but they weren’t defeated until the very last book of the series. That’s a pattern of SJM. In acowar (feysand’s last full novel) hybern was defeated. I already mentioned TOG. In Crescent city 3, I think she’ll have Bryce and Hunt defeat the asteri and hofas is the last book for Bryce & hunt’s story. To me that makes sense plot wise. Elain and Lucien are the only ones connected to koschei from the main characters that’s left.

Plus koschei was using braillyn to do his dirty work for him because he can’t leave his lake. I’m pretty sure he has tricks up his sleeve because I secretly think he and Merrill are working together since he whispers on the wind and she can listen to whispers on the wind (and that connects her to Gwyn. Especially since Merrill is suppose to be clotho’s right hand & Clotho appeared at the end of Azriel bonus chapter) But koschei’s back to square 1. I don’t think he poses a great risk at the moment. He needs to regroup and do another plan.

I know everybody wants the spring court to be back up and running and it needs to be back up and running before the next major war happens. SJM has brought it up too much for it not to happen and for it not to be important. But to me spring isn’t really the pressing matter, the autumn court is because of Beron trying to align with koschei like an idiot.

After the night court, the autumn court was the second most talked about court in acosf, then spring was the third. I understand that we have plots from acowar but we also can’t forget to acknowledge the plots that happen in acosf. We also got to see more of eris. I know Lucien has ties to the autumn court but he literally doesn’t fuck with anyone in the autumn court besides his mom and I don’t think he even sees her at all. Lucien calls eris a snake so Lucien isn’t on good terms with them so I really don’t connect him to autumn as much.

And until Beron is out the door, which I’m hoping that happens next book and we get eris as high lord, the autumn court is not going to be in good hands. And I really think Gwyn has autumn court ties to explore 👀. I’m a firm believer she has no spring court ties what so ever and she’s just connected to autumn.

And SJM tends to have her characters hit rock bottom in the acotar series or like them having an emotional conflict. When nesta had her book, since she was the prominent figure in acosf, it’s obvious that she hit rock bottom before acosf came out. She isolated herself. She drunk all the time and slept with men to keep her powers at bay. I don’t think we’ve really seen Elain hit rock bottom yet or have a prominent emotional conflict. Like it’s obvious Elain is suffering in silence just like her sister were, Im 100% certain Elain isn’t 100% happy, but to me shes a lot more chipper than her sisters were at the start of her journey from what we’ve seen.

At the end of acowar she was like happy and was like the world is going to need more gardens and she was looking bright for the future, and I didn’t expect that since what all happen in acowar. She’s snapping back at her sisters in acosf. Trying to advocate for herself as well. With Feyre we see in the beginning of acomaf she was depressed, not eating well, not really regulating her emotions well. We see how nesta was, I know Elain already went through that phase in acowar. But I’m just not 100% convinced that Elain is ready for her own journey just yet.

Now we see with Azriel, he’s just all over the place. To me he’s definitely having emotional conflict when it comes to the mating bond. Trying to ignore the whole thing about Mor knowing that needs to be addressed. Questioning if the cauldron got it wrong. The whole thing with Elain. Him wanting a mating bond. To me Azriel has hit rock bottom emotionally as well. A little different from both nesta and Feyre but to me all the same. Especially seeing now how his bothers has a known mating bond besides him. Romantically, since acotar is more romantically driven than plot driven it makes sense for him to be next. Especially with the plot with the Illyrians, which I think has been a long time coming as well.

Then just imagine Elain seeing that? Everybody else with their mating bonds & happy. How would that make her feel, I think it would make her hit rock botton and have that emotional conflict especially with the whole choice thing and her being stubborn, but we still don’t know because we haven’t gotten her pov but guess whose pov we do have and know who’s struggling? Azriel.

And no I don’t get the argument that Elain hasn’t gotten a bonus chapter because her visions will spoil it. Doesn’t make sense to me because SJM can write it without Elain having visions in the middle of it but still get her insight. Elain also said she needed time to ge reacquainted with her powers in acosf, so it’s not 100% certain she’s still getting visions anyway. No one can confirm or deny because we haven’t seen Elain really and no one has been around her enough to notice since everyone’s focus was on feysand & nessian.

I personally don’t think there’s a valid excuse as to why SJM didn’t give Elain a bonus chapter over Azriel. If people would question why would SJM give Azriel a book over Elain we need to question why she gave him a bonus chapter over Elain.

[nikethestatue]

Is it just me or is it funny for years people in the ACOTAR/TOG fandoms have been criticizing SJM for always writing about mates despite their rarity but now when she drops anvils she might not have mates end up together like EL they get angry?

Suddenly she only is a fated mates author and isn’t allowed to change or grow or do something different despite their claims her non-mated pairs were more interesting and healthy because they chose to be together. Do you think they would eat this up if it were reversed and Elriel were the unhappy, awkward mated pair and Elucien had the forbidden romance brewing? (Not including GA as it’s fanon.)

So the only time that I ever read a successfully written, truly heartbreaking romance between 'rejected mates' who were mated, didn't like each other, rejected the bond and then fell in love are Tory Vega and Darius Acrux from Zodiac Academy. But they had 9+ book to do that.

SJM, I simply don't think she is capable of crafting something like that, especially not with Elucien, and also, there isn't enough space and time. Furthermore, I think while SJM fancies herself a romance author, she is actually a fantasy author first and foremost. She actually isn't a great romance writer. That's why so many of her couples are so controversial and elicit so many negative emotions. She is also totally incapable of maintaining a successful male/female dynamic in her couples long term. Whether it's Rowan, Hunt, Cassian, Ruhn and others, they end up basically purse-holders for the FMCs. She uses 'mates' as a crutch to create some kind of emotional response and connection between her characters, which doesn't always work.

However, it's when she doesn't use the matehood as a crutch and actually develops the relationships where she truly shines. Lorcan and Elide aren't mates, and arguably are her strongest written couple and romance. Feyre and Rhys were most effective BEFORE it was revealed that they were mates. Nesta and Cassian were most passionate before they were mates. Bryce and Hunt were interesting before they were mates. Asterin and her Hunter aren't mates.

Saying 'oh, she is a fated mates author' isn't exactly a compliment.

Forcing Elucien to fall in love BECAUSE they are mates is not...great.

BUT, the only time it would actually work successfully is if Lucien and Elain break the mate bond and THEN fall in love.

But funnily, that's not what Eluciens want, because 'that would hurt Lucien'. They forget that there is no great love without pain and sorrow.

[starsreminisce]

The Shadow Cabinet by Juno Dawson

Again, I love seeing little bits of Elucien in the books I’m reading. The idea of a home is not really a new concept in literature, but it's another one that SJM loves exploring: how home is also a person.

Feyre came back through her mating bond with Rhys, whom she called home. She ended ACOTAR by saying to Tamlin, "Let's go home," and then spent the rest of ACOMAF finding that she truly belonged in the Night Court with her mate.

This theme was expanded further in HOFAS as Bryce tried to find a way back to Midgard until she concluded that she would always make it back to Hunt because Theia and Aidas found their souls across worlds. They were mates, each other's home.

It's interesting that both Elain and Lucien are adapting to the Night Court as their new home, but Lucien has better luck when he isn't in Velaris. He thrives as an emissary in environments where he can use his skills effectively. He lives with humans now, helping to "humanize" the Fae, and is permanently stationed in Spring, a court where he is seen as someone who sets the example.

In ACOSF, Elain struggles to make Velaris her home. She wasn't considered when searching for the Trove, and even when she offered to help, she was used as a carrot-on-the-stick for Nesta. She had to insist on coming to Hewn City for their celebrations, and even then, her wearing black visibly showed that she was not truly part of the court, no matter what she said.

Sometimes it's not the person who should adapt to their surroundings. Sometimes the environment just isn't suitable for the person.

I wonder if this is something Lucien will help Elain with, challenging her idea of what a home means. Will it be a place where she tries hard to fit in, or will it be somewhere that feels easy and natural?

And how long will it take for her to connect the dots that Lucien is the sunshine she has been looking for?

[acourtofkindness]

Thank you for sending in all the stories, here you can find the collection! Some of these are one-shots, some are longer stories, just click your way through them and also check out their other fics!

A Ballad of Thorns & Roses: How the High Lord of Spring told his Tale (Feylin/Tamcien)

by @positivelyruined When Tamlin, the High Lord of the Spring Court of Prythian, finds the clock counting down to his final battle with Amarantha — two things push him into action: the sudden death and bloody sacrifice of his friend Andras and the fierce vexation of his close friend Lucien. With no more time to waste, he offers shelter to the one person that he should despise the most — the girl who murdered Andras. His heart has been bleeding for a decade. Will their connection be enough to break the bond that holds the Spring Court captive, or will this burning love only spurn Tamlin’s heart? In this tale as old as time, only time will tell.

Spirit Meets the Bones (Eris x OC)

by @lucienarcheron Eris and Iris. Son of a high lord. Daughter of a fiend. An arranged marriage brought them together and beneath all the hate, the two are more alike than they’d like to be.

To Dust Or To Gold (Neris)

by @queercontrarian Eris calls in his bargain with Rhysand: he wants Nesta to join him in the Autumn Court to help him in his scheme to bring down his father.

Flame of Autumn (Eris x OC)

by @climbthemountain2020 "He quashed his hope like a bug beneath his heel. They would meet, marry, and produce a child. How hard could it possibly be to copulate and wash his hands of it? It’s not like he hadn’t regularly found release in the hundreds of years of living. This one would just be attached to him a bit more legally." Eris Vanserra is forced into a marriage with a magic-less daughter of Autumn from a strong bloodline. Despite his best efforts to remain apathetic, the universe has other plans.

A Court of Threads & Daises (Lucien x Tamlin)

by @shi-daisy Tragedy almost struck the Spring Court when Tamlin Evergreen tried to take his own life. Lucien Vanserra manages to save his former Lord, but not his power. Now that the Spring Court has a new High Lord and the horrors of war are behind them, both Tamlin and Lucien agree to help the new heir navigate court life and attempt to rebuild the broken Spring Court, along with healing themselves. They weren't expecting to fall back in love in the process.

A Court of Song and Desolation (Tamlin x Lucien)

by @achaotichuman With his Court in ruins and everyone gone, Tamlin lives amongst the broken pieces of his Court and has no intentions of changing that. Lucien, however, will not stand to leave his oldest friend alone. When Lucien takes Tamlin back to the human lands, they discover a darkness coming for Prythian. If something does not stop it, it will completely rewrite the way Faeries and humans alike live as they know it.

Of Hearts and Swords (Feysand, Nessian, Manorian, Quinlar, etc.)

by @QueenofNightmares (on ao3) 5 years have passed since Bryce Quinlan fought the Asteri—and lost. 5 years since the Horn in her back was then used to permanently open the gates between worlds. Midgard, Erilea, and Prythian are now in open war--the reunited Fae of each world working together to fight the Asteri. But much has changed in the war-ravaged years that have passed. The Crochan Witchclan fights alongside the Valkyries. Hunt Athalar has sought day and night for a way to bring Bryce back from the dead and end this war. And the beloved High Lady of the Night Court--Feyre Archeron-- left Prythian for Erilea, just after their Inner Circle was cleaved apart forever by a newcomer. As war rages on, the Asteri have found an unlikely ally in Prythian--one that might turn the fortunes of battle against the Fae. This is an alternate ending to CC3 (HOFAS) where the Asteri win. Bryce was killed in the conflict that followed and the Horn in her back was then used to permanently open the gates. It will follow each of the main character ships (Feysand, Nessian, Rowaelin, Lysaedion, Manorian, Quinlar, etc.) as well as introduce some new ones for some other beloved characters (Azriel, Fenrys). Lots of relationship angst with a happy ending.

Flame of Autumn (Eris x OC)

by @climbthemountain2020 Eris Vanserra is forced into a marriage with a magic-less daughter of Autumn from a strong bloodline. Despite his best efforts to remain apathetic, the universe has other plans.

Beyond (Helion x LoA)

by @areyoudreaminof The Lady of Autumn has agreed to come live at the Day Court, though she seems hesitant. Can Helion convince her that she belongs at his side?

[buffy-vanserra]

Okay ACOTAR fans who also like pop music — here's a list I put together of which main pop girls I think various characters would listen to!

Lucien  - Taylor Swift

I submit for your consideration: Lucien the Swiftie. This just makes sense to me; maybe it’s because he’s secure in his masculinity and knows how to devote himself to a woman? When it comes to Taylor lore he plays it casual, but we all know Lucien’s a gossip at heart. He. Knows. Everything. His favorite era is a toss-up between Red and Lover.

Elain - Lana Del Rey

A longtime fan who helped popularize the flower crown trend back in the day, Elain just really connects with moody ballads. Lana’s dark-fantasy-meets-old-Hollywood-glamour aesthetic syncs up so well with Elain’s post-cauldron image as the sweet, beautiful, and kind of creepy Archeron sister.

Cassian - Sabrina Carpenter

He’s working late…'cause he’s a general. Okay, this one is mostly because I just love the mental image of Cassian training to bubblegum pop. But it also feels true to character? Also, once you start listening to Please Please Please from the perspective of early-ACOSF-Cassian thinking about Nesta, you can't go back.

Nesta - Billie Eilish

When she’s not fangirling to K-pop with Gwyn and Emerie, Nesta is absolutely connecting with her inner sad girl by listening to Billie while she works through her trauma. With so many songs exploring themes of self-deprecation and existential angst, Billie’s music is giving Nesta the catharsis she needs.

Rhys - Dua Lipa

Because like Rhys, Dua always looks like she belongs on a luxury yacht in the Mediterranean. She’s cool, she’s detached, she’s drinking top shelf liquor that you can’t pronounce the name of. Rhys doesn’t listen to a lot of pop music, but he’ll go on about the production value and genre significance of Future Nostalgia.

Feyre - Lorde

Okay, I struggled with this one. Mostly because Feyre strikes me as someone who wouldn’t 1) listen to pop music or 2) have super current music tastes. If anything, she’s into Hozier and Noah Kahan. That said, back when she was human, she’d listen to Pure Heroine on repeat while hunting for dinner in the woods.

Tamlin - Olivia Rodrigo

Self-loathing and angry, Olivia’s lyrics really hit for Tamlin when he’s in his post-breakup feels and/or preparing for his next crash out. He definitely listened to Good 4 U to hype himself up before the High Lord meeting. (Also, he wishes he could go back in time to tell Rhys’s mom that her son sucks.)

Eris - Ariana Grande

Listen, Ariana is that diva, and so is Eris. Songs like Yes, And? and Thank U, Next really speak to Eris’s hyper-confident and dismissive persona, while lyrics like “I'll play the villain if you need me to” may as well be direct quotes of his. Plus, they both know a thing or two about dealing with bad press. Unapologetic and bold, Ari and Eris are cut from the same cloth.

Morrigan - Chappell Roan

I don’t care if this is too on the nose; high femme sapphic Mor is the one who taught the IC the HOT TO GO! dance. (Well, she successfully taught Cassian.) I just know she’s singing along to Good Luck, Babe thinking about her former mortal lover Andromache who left her for a man after the first war with Hybern. Meanwhile — I say this with love — given her messy track record, she's got exes all over Prythian thinking of her when they hear this song.

Azriel - Charli XCX

Azriel is brat. It doesn’t matter what season it is, he’s living that 365 party girl lifestyle. Who needs sleep anyway? Not Azriel. His shadows are everywhere — so Julia. Sympathy is a knife (called Truth Teller). I’m sure this one comes as no surprise; after that CC bonus chapter it's practically canon that Azriel would be very active on the hyperpop scene if it existed in Prythian.

[youareatragedy]

I need to rant about Elain because I‘ve noticed something about her that makes me furious.

Elain doesn’t really love anyone. Not even her own sisters. She seems to rather latch onto anyone who can provide for her and turns a blind eye to anyone who cannot.

- Nesta had always been the one and only person to care for her while their father was useless to do so and Feyre was going out hunting for food. That is until Feyre got rich and powerful friends and Nesta became uncapable to care and provide for her. All of a sudden she‘s all good with Feyre, looks down at Nesta like the IC does, has the audacity to pack her bags (not even be present at that intervention), then get all impatient when Nesta didn’t heal after literally just a week, forced their father‘s death on her even after being told „no“plenty of times and then made herself the victim by crying and running away.

-The apology she gave Feyre in acomaf was half-assed. Her and Nesta got called out by Cassian and so she was trying to smoothen the tension and be polite. I‘m annoyed with the amount of times stans have made the argument that because she apologized, she should be forgiven. She didn’t even feel guilty.

- Elain doesn’t have to interact with Lucien nor accept the mating bond, but don’t tell me that Azriel, loved by the IC, has a job and a home and looks kind of like a human, isn’t the perfect man to get some distraction and protection from while Lucien can’t bring anything to the table. Heck, Elriels are literally making fun of Lucien for being „homeless“ (uhmm.. ew?)

while I hope that Eluciens win (cause they aren’t bullies like certain people), it’s hard for me to ship Elain with anyone. I just can’t stand her and I hate how coddled she is by the IC and the fandom. That’s a grown ass fucking woman, if she‘s tired of people treating her like a child then she should stop acting like one.

Rhys can stick his „Elain is Elain“ crap right up his ass. If Feyre feels about Elain the same way she feels about Nesta, then maybe Elain SHOULD be held accountable and Rhys nor anyone else has any say in this.

Hi Anon! Sorry it took me so long to reply!

I agree with your points, though I do think the sisters love each other to some extent. They just have different ways of coping with their traumas. Feyre for instance, latches onto Rhys and the IC because she craves love and sees them as a substitute for the family connection she’s missing. Nesta on the other hand, became ‘cold’ due to her upbringing as a high-society woman. I think she doesn’t know how to be anything other than an "arrogant" socialite and unlearning that is painful for her. That’s why she seems so "mean". Her pride was shattered when they became poor, and she’s been struggling ever since.

Now, Elain? I genuinely think she loves her sisters, but her survival strategy is to align with whoever benefits her most. She’s more of an opportunist in my opinion. Having been sheltered her whole life by people around her, the only way she knows to handle problems is by hiding behind her sisters. When they were poor, she clung to Nesta because Nesta was their ticket out of poverty (through marriage). But once Nesta became a "problem" Elain wasn’t equipped to deal with her. So, she sought refuge with Feyre and the IC. It’s shitty, and I hate how she abandoned Nesta and quickly got comfortable with the luxury Feysand offered, but I also kind of... get it? She’s not capable of standing on her own.

I think that’s why she avoids Lucien. Facing him would mean dealing with things by herself, and she can’t lean on Feyre or Nesta for that. Azriel is easier because she’s just following her sisters’ lead, figuring out how to navigate a relationship with an Illyrian man in the IC.

I firmly believe the IC sucks and needs to be put in prison for millennia, but I’m open to redemption for the sisters. They’re young, and their lives haven’t been easy. Plus, Nesta and Elain were dragged into this bullshit after Feyre and the IC led those evil people to them.

So yeah, I’m annoyed by Elain, and I’ll criticize her if needed (still not over that almost kiss with Azriel while Lucien was in the other room 🙄). I don’t love the idea of her ending up with Lucien because he deserves better but we’ll see. Hopefully, she grows out of being an opportunist and learns to stand on her own.

[colorlesschristmastree]

Why is it that you can’t bring up how silly the valks winning the blood rite was without one of their stans being like “b-b-but feyre 😖😖” What about her?

The walked away from the fight with the wyrm about to get sepsis and die from her injuries. She walked away from the rainbow because she wasn’t just fighting with a sword she had her magic that she had been training extensively for months at that point. She’s able to winnow and get away from opponents, none of her fighting in that scene was one on one and she had many many resources available to her. Then Im sure someone will bring up the twins from Hybern and that fight.. yk the one where she was fighting side by side with Lucien and again had the ability to winnow and would’ve lost were it not for that ability, Lucien’s presence, and her quick thinking to burn one of them. All of those fights were pretty reasonable? She’d already been training for some time in acowar and acomaf, has always been canonically a quick thinker and someone who is very observant and in tune with her surroundings.

Meanwhile the blood rite erased already established canon in order to ensure they’d win. The monsters of the illyrian steppes that were said to attack anything they find suddenly having magic noses that exclusively detect illyrians? The illyrian males present simultaneously being willing to put aside anything in order to hunt those three down because they’re females and the illyrians are sexist while also being too distracted fighting each other because they actually don’t care that much about the females to bother hunting the valks down? Which is it? Are they evil monsters who will stop at nothing to hunt down women or are they stupid brutes who only care about fighting each other? Those same illyrian males who at this point in their training are meant to be some of the best sword wielders in Prythian actually can’t fight for shit and despite being brutally trained from a young age are blundering fools who actually can’t fight well and are sloppy and careless. Don’t even get me started on the friendship bracelets situation because that was just so stupid. At least when Lucien helped Feyre in acowar it’s because he was already there, not because his eye is actually magically connected to her bc of their beautiful friendship and bond and he can find her anywhere.

It’s totally ok to have enjoyed the blood rite in that book but admit you enjoyed it because it was entertaining, not because it made any sense. Don’t try to deflect the poor writing in that plot onto fight scenes that are nowhere near as nonsensical.