#hofas thoughts

[moondrawss]

—You remind me of the wind. —He tried to explain. —Powerful and able to cool or freeze with half a thought, shaping the world itself though no one can see you. Only your impact on things. 🔥

Lidia Cervos portrait

[kataraavatara]

and another thing. the acotar fandom is the only fandom i’ve seen where a character gets backlash for canonically saving the world

[throneofspicybooks]

I’ve finally read the Ember and Randall bonus chapter. I’ve nothing more to add except for the fact that it just solidified to me how much I see myself in Nesta.

When you have such a strong and independent personality people just stop standing up for you. I’ve been in a similar situation to Nesta where people who should be and who I expected to be standing up for me don’t necessarily. The way I know what Nesta is feeling in that moment is almost enough to make me ball.

Ember is so incredibly important. I want an Ember in my life. I want someone to stand up for me just like Ember did for Nesta. I don’t think it will ever happen for me (22 years of living has been proof of that) but I’m glad Nesta finally knows what that’s like.

Also Cassian stand up for your Mate my guy 🤨🤨

[highqueenofashandstars]

✨HEAR YE, HEAR YE✨

MY SPOILER BAN IS LIFTING ON HOFAS

If you haven’t read it yet, it’s been exactly one month. That’s on you.

PREPARE FOR HOFAS SPOILERS FULL STEAM AHEAD CHOO CHOOO 🚢💨

[thebellekeys]

And what if I said Bryce and Hunt being mates makes way more sense than Cassian and Nessian being mates ever did?!

[ladyelainaes]

waiiiit, i’m confused…HOFAS Spoilers

On chapter 25, we read Bryce, Nesta, & Azriel discovered an Astri at The Prison. It was then revealed to be Vesperus

Vesperus announced she is the evening star

Towards the end of Chapter 25 and throughout Chapter 26, Nesta killed Vesperus.

BUT THEN

on chapter 96 (literally seventy chapters later…)

Hesperus is standing next to Rigelus. Alive.

and the next scene, chapter 97;

Hesperus, along with another Astri, Eosphoros, “died” in a black hole. They’re officially gone.

so my question…huh?

It is confirmed (starting chapter 18) that the Daglan in ACOTAR series are actually the Astri, just in a different name.

Vesperus and Hesperus are the same person right?

If so, how was she dead in chapter 26 in Prythian and seventy chapters later, she’s standing alive in chapter 96 and died again, in chapter 97?

Am I tripping or did SJM + her team did something wrong & did not edit this book. even though half of us waited for about 2 years and 7 months for it…

[the-shadowsingers-whore]

HOFAS SPOILERS

current pg: 650

NESTA'S BACK???

omfg i'm so fucking excited i thought we were done with the acotar homies

[kopfkino-o]

Azriel Shadowsinger 🤝 Declan Emmet

being the only one in their respective friend groups with a 9 to 5 lmao

[girl-who-writes-stuff]

Have I been dragging the last 100 pages of House of Flame and Shadow because I don’t want to finish the book and have to wait a year or more for the next SJM?

…maybe.

[manon-and-the-thirteen]

Random Thoughts Post-HOFAS (Spoilers)

So, I, like an idiot, immediately got attached to Danika when I read HOEAB. She was my fav and then immediately DIED and was the subject of a murder-mystery. It’s fine, I’ll just get over my grief real quick (this is a lie, I miss her everyday).

Well guess what my dumbass did almost immediately upon reading those first few chapters of HOFAS: Got attached to the innocent, headstrong Sigrid. ONLY TO HAVE HER DIE EARLY ON. Why do I always pick the characters that are destined to be killed as my favorites? Really need some closure on her storyline too, cuz we don’t see her again after she runs from Ithan when he becomes Prime. She was such an interesting character to me, new to the world, and curious but principled. Like a kid in an adult body. Made me sad to see her manipulated and used at every turn after being resurrected. I really hope she gets a second chance and isn’t relegated to being an evil reaper creature.

Anyways, I liked the book.

[secret-third-thing]

i don't specifically mention hofas spoilers but i allude to them

I was RIGHT my god I predicted so much correctly and I'm not even halfway through hofas - the trove, the tithe. I literally stood in my kitchen a week ago ranting to my roommate about these theories and how i got a lot of skepticism. well haha IM RIGHT

I'm actually fucking impressed with myself for getting so much correct - though at the end of the day sarah is borrowing from mythos we've been talking about for thousands of years and I managed to pin down her very specific methodology of weaving it all together.

but sarah. i see you and what you're doing. very little surprises me now but i'll enjoy the ride

[capriciata]

hofas spoilers, kinda

A lot of the child death is really hitting me close to home. I'm struggling with it a lot.

[lyssasdrafts]

Feyre: We decided that if, Cauldron forbid, anything happens to us, we would like Nesta and Cassian to be Nyx's god parents

Nesta: That is great news! Nyx! When something horrible happens, you'll be all mine!

Rhysand: It really is an 'if' situation

Nesta, taking Nyx: All mine!

[highqueenofashandstars]

To all my SJM followers: I will not be posting any spoilers for a month related to HOFAS. I personally hate scrolling and getting spoilers, and I don’t want to contribute to ruining a big moment for someone else. I will have a one month HOFAS ban because that is ample time for people to get their hands on a copy and read it.

I have finished it so if anyone wants to talk about it, DM me privately! ❤️

[evermorebarbie]

Vesperus: You don't even know how to use that do you?

Azriel:

[glossamerfaerie]

One aspect of Gwynriel that really excites me is religion. The other protagonists don’t seem to take religion or rituals very seriously? Everyone respects the Mother and acknowledges her power (and the Cauldron), but we haven’t explored faith among the fae. Feyre has a terrible experience with Ianthe (a sadly accurate depiction of corruption within organized religion). But we know that not all priestesses are like power-hungry Ianthe. Nesta is understandably indifferent even though she later has an experience with the Mother during Nyx’s birth. Rhys and Cassian seem respectful but we’ve never seen them pray or attend services. It’s giving “only attending church during Christmas” level of religious commitment.

Azriel, on the other hand… we haven’t had much canon insight in his head, but I firmly believe that Azriel is more religious than his brothers. Like he’s not the type to attend temple services, but he probably thinks about faith and the Mother regularly. Clearly he has contemplated mating bonds and who creates them — maybe he’s prayed for a mating bond? Maybe his mother raised him to be more religious. In HOFAS, after Nesta takes the mask off in a close call, Az’s very first instinct is to thank the Mother. Possibly that is meaningless (like how an atheist can say “thank god”) but idk. Az seems to have more faith than his brothers.

“The Mask fell from Nesta’s face, clattering on the stone.

Nesta swayed, but Azriel was there, catching her, bringing her to his chest, scarred hands stroking her hair. “Thank the Mother,” he breathed. “Thank the Mother.”

A few chapters later, Az describes the Cauldron and what happens after death.

“Bryce nodded to the carving. “What’s the big deal about a cauldron?”

“The Cauldron,” Azriel amended. Bryce shook her head, not understanding. “You don’t have stories of it in your world? The Fae didn’t bring that tradition with them?”

Bryce surveyed the giant cauldron. “No. We have five gods, but no cauldron. What does it do?”

“All life came and comes from it,” Azriel said with something like reverence. “The Mother poured it into this world, and from it, life blossomed.”

Later in the conversation, Az explains what happens to souls after death.

“When you die, where do your souls go?” Did they even believe in the concept of a soul? Maybe she should have led with that.

But Azriel said softly, “They return to the Mother, where they rest in joy within her heart until she finds another purpose for us. Another life or world to live in.”

The way Az talks about the Mother, with reverence and confidence, makes me certain that he’s more religious than his brothers.

Then, of course, we have Gwyn — a literal priestess who was raised in a temple. She still attends daily services and sings for the choir. I’ve wondered if what happened in Sangravah shook Gwyn’s faith. Maybe she thinks the Mother exists but isn’t a benevolent deity. Maybe she’s bitter that the Mother didn’t save her servants from Hybern attacks. She definitely feels shame and unworthiness — Gwyn no longer feels like she has a right to wear the Invoking Stone. Working through those feelings will be a major aspect of Gwyn’s arc.

“You asked me once why I don’t wear the hood or the Invoking Stone. That stone is a sign of holiness. How can someone like me wear it?”

Within the temple, Gwyn also faces prejudice and discrimination from her fellow sisters. Ianthe isn’t the only asshole within the organization (cough Merrill cough). I’m sure that some people in Sangravah were cruel to Gwyn’s family because of their nymph heritage. I don’t know what SJM has planned, but I feel that religion will play a major role in the Gwynriel book. I wouldn’t be surprised that, like Nesta, Gwyn has a firsthand experience with the Mother. She will definitely use the blue invoking stone for healing (a nice parallel to Az’s blue siphons).

“It’s an Invoking Stone.” Gwyn unfurled her fingers, revealing the gem within her hand. “Similar to the Siphons of the Illyrians, except that the power of the Mother flows through it. We cannot use it for harm, only healing and protection. It was shielding us.”

I’m also curious to see Gwyn and Az discuss their religious beliefs together. Maybe Az gets permission to join the dawn and dusk services. The man barely sleeps, he might as well watch Gwyn during her religious commitments. The shadows are NOT going to pass a chance to hear their girl sing (or watch her glow). Maybe Nesta can talk Az into singing with the choir. 🥹

Nesta could only gape at the lovely melody, the voices from the front of the cavern leading it, lifting higher than the others. Gwyn sang, chin high, a faint glow seeming to radiate from her. The music was pure, ancient, by turns whispering and bold, one moment like a tendril of mist, the next like a gilded ray of light. It finished, and Merrill spoke about the Mother and the Cauldron and the land and sun and water. She spoke of blessings and dreams and hope. Of mercy and love and growth.

Idk, maybe I’m wrong about Az being religious. But it feels like such a wasted opportunity if we don’t learn more about the Mother! At the very least, I do see Az attending the dawn and dusk services if he’s not on a mission. 🎼🩵🎶