#maasverse stuff

[wingedblooms]

Owlish Elain

This is a Maasverse post, so there are probably spoilers for all three series below.

With owls in the title (statue) and cover (eyes, thanks to SerpentWyrd on Reddit) reveals for hofas, I am once again thinking about their connections to Elain. I’ve mentioned owls repeatedly across different posts, most recently in Elain's witch series, so I thought it would be fun to compile all of the connections here. If I’ve missed any connections, I’d love to know about it in comments and/or reblogs. 

Connections to mythology:

Elain's story is believed to be inspired by the myth of Blodeuwedd, a spring maiden who is transformed into an owl in Welsh mythology. Like Elain, owls were believed to have mystical and prophetic powers, and the myths surrounding them were full of contradictions. They were associated with mythical beings and ancient goddesses, who at one point in history, represented a continuum of life and death (life, death, and rebirth). They were feared as bearers of death, and were admired as otherworldly messengers and solemn protectors. As a symbol linked to Athena, the goddess of wisdom in Greek mythology, they were viewed as a good omen: a sign of victory in battle. Some believed they had an inner light that enabled them to see in the dark (and after years of research, we know their sight and hearing have been adapted for hunting, giving them excellent precision; some can even hunt on sound alone in complete darkness). They were also viewed as a bad omen: a sign of catastrophe and death. This dark aspect is connected to Lilith, a woman, demon, and goddess in various legends who is linked to witchcraft. In Roman mythology, owls were believed to be transformed witches who drank the blood of infants. 

Connections to witches:

Owls and witches are connected in mythology, so it isn’t surprising that Sarah gives at least one of her witch clans similar features. Feyre and Nesta point out Elain's figurative claws and teeth in acosf/acosf bonus content, which may be a hint of what she hides in the shadows: a beautiful ironteeth monster. Ironteeth witches were gifted iron from the Three-Faced Goddess to prevent magic from pulling them away. It acted as an anchor to the earth, which makes me wonder just how many witches possess some form of Sight, and whether Elain’s collection of iron serves the same purpose. The biggest connection by far, though, is that ironteeth witches also blink into place a clear eyelid, similar to what owls possess, to protect their vision as they fly. Elain often blinks like an owl when she uses her Sight, and her sister, Feyre, blinks when she is released from the Cauldron's mystic-like power as it traveled across the battlefield in various animal forms. 

Connections to shifting form:

Nesta and Amren share otherworldly eyes, a connection that was foreshadowed by a family dinner conversation where Nesta boldly questioned Amren about her eyes. @kimsnnn noticed this conversation parallels Elain’s questions about Amren’s form at another family dinner in acofas. If this is a hint (and I hope it is), Elain and Amren might share otherworldly forms. Rhys makes a connection between them at another family dinner and interestingly, it also centers on transformation: “Some were as lovely as you, Elain,” Rhys said from beside Feyre, “from the outside. But once they set foot into the arena of battle, they became as bloodthirsty as Amren.” (acosf) We've seen Amren’s form on the battlefield and know it behaves like an otherworldly bird of prey. And in that same battle, we’ve seen Elain appear suddenly and take out a king’s throat to protect her family. I’m just hoping this transformation, if it happens, also comes with wings. 

Connections to healing:

From what we learned in Tower of Dawn (tod), healers bridge life and death. Their light can bind wounds and devour darkness. They can sense Death when it is near. They are also linked to owls through the goddess Silba and Maeve used this knowledge to her advantage to create her own secret army of protectors. The best weapon against the Valg (also referred to as demons) was not a blade, but healing light. Sarah describes the various owls carved into the healers’ tower (Torre Cesme, meaning Tower of Dawn), and one in particular stands out: “Even though it perched atop a gnarled branch of iron that flowed across the door itself, wings flared wide as it prepared to leap into the skies, it seemed … alert. Aware of all who passed that door, who perhaps gazed too long in the direction of the workshop.” (tod) This owl reminds me of those with the gift of Sight, like Elain. She also maintains her own herb garden, like a healer, and is consistently compared to the dawn. Add the possibility of shifting into a bird of prey, and we’ve got very powerful connections here. 

Connections to the song of the wind:

When Elain tracks down the Suriel, she notes that it travels like the breath of the western wind. In other words, it travels like an owl: a shadow on the wind. Elain starts moving similarly after this scene and continues to surprise others with her swift appearance. It’s probably also intentional that the first question she asks Azriel relates to his ability to fly, which he connects to the song of the wind. Witches also possess power related to wind and use it to create brooms that allow them to fly. I wouldn’t be surprised if Elain has learned to move like the wind by watching others (especially Azriel, whom she observes closely) and listening to its call. 

Connections to those with Sight: 

When Feyre is bound to the Cauldron, she travels with it as it flies through the world. It continuously shifts animal form (like Urd) when it searches for someone, but it begins in what I assume is a bird of prey. Elain seems to possess the ability to move like this fluid form with her Cauldron-gifted Sight. This might even be how mystics travel and search for answers, which often first requires them to find specific creatures. The Suriel’s comment about seeing Elain’s doe eyes search for it across the realm is a big hint, as is Feyre’s comment on Elain wandering in her Sight.  

If Elain isn’t connected to owls, my friends, we riot. 😆

[tiredmoonslut]

I think it's interesting how SJM's books have taken on their current Tiktok reputation of being the most popular "faerie porn book" when the thing that has always stuck out to me as far more engrossing and unique about her writing is the life she pumps into her worldbuilding, and her magic systems.

Magic is never just a tool in her worlds. It lives and breathes like a sentient being and every single magically empowered person in her stories has a personal, symbiotic relationship to it that I find endlessly fascinating. The gods, and their permutations throughout each series bring a sense of galactic enormity to that magic, highlighting the events of each story and really mastering that feeling of fate and destiny. She takes the kind of all-powerful, world-spanning levels of power common to male authors in the fantasy genre and makes it sexy. Not by adding smut---but by mastering aesthetic. There's a reason SJ and all her stars and storms and crowns and shadows have sparked such an emulative phenomenon in the fantasy genre, and it's because it brought sexy back to having power that can destroy worlds. It's a power fantasy---written for women, instead of men.

Idk I just feel like the erotica pales in comparison to just how good Sarah is at making worlds that feel gorgeous and enchanting and vivid and populating them with characters who kick fucking ass. I wish that had been what made her blow up on Tiktok instead.

[acourtofquestions]

ANOTHER!

A lil bored & mostly sleep deprived (but gotta stay awake for da bb’s (trying to channel Auntie/god-mother Taylor Swift vibes; because that woman never sleeps & practically runs the universe)… but alas my weakness; I have no books available😭 & since I’m still thinking about Throne of Glass 24/7 because how could I not in a post-EoS world) I’m answering them myself😂 … so you’ve been warned; this weekend of sleep deprivation, auntie duties, and travel shall lead to some weird posts probably😅😂 or perhaps new genius *she said humbly* … though less of a “genius” fashion & more of a mad scientist throwing spaghetti at a wall🤣 … here’s a more bar for the sake of “the feed”😂🤣

Rowan likes frosted mini wheats. Aelin mocks him for it relentlessly calling him grandpa or snowman.

Aelin is always storing a kick-ass dress in the back closet… and it probably is quite literally able to kick-ass as it is loaded with daggered corsets.

A library for Aelin, anywhere with Aelin for Rowan… or maybe a beach🤣

Aelin has a legit “get ready” routine, oils, perfumes, skincare, you name it (in an AU she would even own THE headband). Rowan just uses whatever she tells him to (or not to) though she still lets him use the lavender soap😭

Rowan and Aelin are both big on physical touch; they need proof the other is alive & well, close enough to hold their hand & remind them, or at least be protected if they need to jump in front of a bullet. They often show love the same way; in the little things they can do amid chaos. Rowan gently rubbing Aelin’s back, Aelin kissing his cheek, or brushing his hand on her way out. They like to be close, always sitting next to each other, or going so far as to share a seat if there isn’t room (though Aelin is kinda like a cat & has a habit of turning anything into a seat, whether it be a table, wall, or person). Rowan has also learned to sit beside her & never stand while a meeting has free chairs unless he wants relentless mocking for “perching” or being ready to fight, flee, or jump in front of a bullet for her at any given moment… including breakfast. As far as differences go; Aelin is also big on quality time (or more so any amount of time) just being in the same vicinity each doing/reading their own thing. Really, any moment they have (even solving murders😅) she wants and needs to spend it with him as well as feel like he wants to spend time with her (reminder: she has major abandonment issues). And she can be surprisingly sentimental for someone who’s never had anything, the things she does she struggles not to keep forever, while Rowan is the opposite. Mostly though it’s just noticing her and doing something specific for her. Words of affirmation melt her into a puddle of heartsick puppy love (Rowan is surpsingly good at them) and it’s one of the main ways he does show affection. She shows Rowan in little things (or big little things) like setting up a surprise (gift-ish), or washing his hair (physical touch/acts of serve), doing something so he doesn’t have to like finishing paperwork, or dishes, something little to make it easier to rest when he gets home (even going so far as to try & make dinner… though she’s been banned from cooking after almost setting the castle on fire & simultaneously giving everyone food poisoning). Final note: Acts of service are dearly noted by both, but honestly overall terrifying as they’ve lost too many people (and are both far too ready to die for the other) so it’s kinda off limits😅����.

Aelin has always loved pretty things, as an only princess she had everything she could have wanted, except the one thing she really ever wanted most; normalcy. Then she lost everything, every pretty trinket, every person, any sense of “normal” or the world. And while she got many gifts, Arobynn’s “love” came & went with bribes, rewards, punishments, and tests; a taste of freedom, pretty dresses or new weapons, creepy perfumes, than nothing. And once again, all she craved was normalcy. A family. & nothing ever filled that gap, or became more than just “things”; things she loved, things she held onto, but never quite “everything”. As far as gifts that meant something though: the amulet of course as the last gift from her mother & surviving family heirloom. The candies from Dorian, the ring from Chaol (for a time), the books… so many books… perhaps most of all the moment Rowan brought her chocolates (back when they were still “just friends” — but even then)… however the greatest will always be Fleetfoot; it is beyond a gift, IT’S FLEETFOOT. Sorry future Rowan/everyone, I don’t think much could top that. For Rowan, let’s say he wanted a sword from the moment he could wield one (more than the sticks his cousins & him would use as kids) most of all he wanted to be a knight, a warrior, dreamed of a greater purpose; ever the practical yet fire-hearted baby fae🥹.

Rowan did not write any, except for Lyria, he did everything he could to win her, to love her, back when he was a “young immortal”. And though he will deny this at all costs, he can be quite the poet… and still will leave little notes for Aelin; indecipherable inside jokes in their secret little love language. And Aelin was a sparkly, neon, gel pen with heart dotted eyes kinda cover my notebook in “Mrs. so - and - so’s name”.

They both have trouble unwinding and need to learn to rest, so often it’s less routine & more so a non-stop marathon of work & wars & training & something/anything to do or distract free time; until they are so tired they fall asleep the second they hit the pillow. When they decide to try & “learn to rest” it normally looks something like Rowan hunched over his desk toying with some project, a new drawing (he doesn’t get much time for it but he does love it when he can). While Aelin takes a fancy bath with all the candles, bubbles, & bath bombs, she can cram into a single pampering. By the time it’s actually time for bed they’ve both normally managed to wind themselves back up from the free-time to think, falling into work or some old “busy” habit, so they try to trade books & keep their minds busy. (Especially since Aelin has exited the bath to find him practically tying red thread; marking maps, learning new war strategies, & reading she describes as “depressing manifestos of mind numbing nothingness” that she must read aloud as dramatically as she possibly can to “show him the light of never reading such things again”… or at least make him laugh till the lines ease from his face again). Though book trading has also proved to be a very chaos ensuing activity, after Aelin decided to start giving him the worst, romance novels she could find (she hasn’t even made it through half of them herself… she just likes seeing what shade of pink she can make his ears turn) while it has proved to give him some new inventive ways to get back at her😂 (he tried a mathematics book once… it ended with her nearly chucking it through the window😂. Otherwise Rowan always grab Aelin an extra blanket (mostly because she hogs them all; despite the fact she’s the one with the fire powers😂 she once went so far as to ask him to cool down the room because it was too hot all the while she was piled under four blankets she simply could not move as it was too soft).

Her last birthday, the last she can remember; when the kingdom was full of life and so was her family as they celebrated their little princess, the streets had flowers and fires and she felt free as the wind as she danced and ran with Aedion the entire night. … Rowan bringing her chocolates in Mistward was the first birthday since that last one that was worthy of being remembered. Rowan stopped celebrating birthdays long ago, it seemed pointless as an immortal (especially one who’s “mate” was gone) and since she was the only one who would still put in effort to make it special; no one even knew his birthdate for a long time after… until (like most things) until Aelin; she spent days baking a cake (that turned out far more crisp than cake), but her laugh; the utterly lovely chaos of her covered in flour, alarms going off & smoke in the air, yet streamers & all this celebration had been set just for him made him feel more thankful then any wish come true ever had. She made every birthday since worth celebrating with him.

Anything the other does (there’s a reason Rowan eat the whole horrid cake, and Aelin cried when Rowan spoke those beautiful words). They are fire & ice, they literally never stop melting. … for Aelin it’s the little details; how well he knows her (even the parts she hates or tries to hide), the scars he kisses, the way he holds her hand a little tighter because he just knows when something (even the littlest of comments) hit where it hurt, the way he makes sure she feels safe with him & is as safe as possible even in the terrors of their world, the way he remembers things; the dates that make her want to run, the shirts that lived in that bottom drawer for months; he never cared, never got jealous, never gave her grief for anything she was or felt. For Rowan it’s the moments he realizes he is loved wholly & he has finally found her; this magical, other worldly, miracle for him. It’s her teasing him like anyone else (not a dangerous general, or widower, ancient hero, or cursed villain), it’s her laugh, it’s the way her eyes glimmer for him, or seek him in a heavy room. It’s the moments she looks up and smiles because it’s him she saw, or comes running to jump into a hug even if she saw him mere hours ago. It’s the days he wakes with her asleep on his chest, peaceful, safe, simply being and breathing. It’s smoke & alarms, her making breakfast & burning everything to chars. It’s the fire breathing, promising heart, of life; of living life, wherever it may be, or go.

Aelin will spin the teacups until she is sick… and she often is because she happily stuffs her face with everything she can find; including the non-existent fruit, neon colored, pure sugar (that the court has considered banning her from after a sugar crash once nearly caused a little more than a “sunburn” for half of Epcot). Rowan likes the giant turkey legs… or liked… until he found out it was a bird… one that he claims cannot possibly occur in nature… after a few trips without them & seagull dive bombs he gave up on caring and went back to his “meat on a stick” favorites😂.

Aelin tried to learn to knit once… let’s just say everyone got a lot of tangled web like half singed baby blankets that year that Rowan may or may not have death-glared them into liking. Rowan likes woodworking & building bird houses, and Aelin makes the wood burning process much faster … minus her MANY bird puns. Rowan once considered keeping a nice one nearby for the next pun he hears😂 or argument he loses sent off to the “dog house” or in his case ⬆️🤣.

Primarily, Answered in love languages. Rowan is a beautifully true “perfect” words of affirmation person (fae) primarily but also gentle physical touch; a hand squeeze, a back rub, a forehead kiss, a shoulder to lean on. Aelin is also a physical touch; hold your hand, kiss your cheek, hug, etc. she is also a “little details” acts of service; like let me put this away so it’s one less thing for you to do. Or let me leave a tiny “gift-ish” thing around for you. Or let me spend & make the time to do something special and make a memory for us. Kinda gal.

Back before game night was cancelled after a “Settlers of Catan” game left Yrene to quite literally stitch everyone back together with the pieces😅 (banning; Aelin, (Lorcan if Aelin is anywhere near by) Aedion, Manon, & by compliant association & too smart counting Dorian😂). Mario Kart remains undecided despite it being just as lethal (however they all enjoy it too much to suggest another ban😂). Before this Aelin used to pick Monopoly (despite the fact everyone & she hates it) precisely why, as she liked her own new rules, & determined to win chaos. Rowan likes chess, and battleship (one he & Aelin can agree upon); Though he also secretly enjoys the video games he’s “begrudingly forced to play”. And they both get far too much enjoyment out of clue, minus the “inaccuracies” according to Aelin😅😂.

Aelin loves sitcoms, she’s seem most of them 10 times over. She however writes for romance novels… which Rowan would die from if he ever knew was her (& vice-verse anyone ever found his accounts ;-) & he likes watching HGTV?😂

Rowan loves helping out around the house anyway he can, especially if he can with Aelin; he just appreciates being able to take care of her. Aelin loves doing the dishes (she likes to try and practice her water magic… and if Rowan happens to get soaked in the process or the soap bubbles up to cover the kitchen… who’s to say if she meant it or not ;-)😂

Fireheart & Buzzard🥹 (the fact this is canon — my gods I love them). Pretty much any nickname from Aelin is going to be teasing and sarcastic & possibly drive you nuts at first (uncle kitty) and any from Rowan are going to make you cry (not even a “nickname” but every time he calls Aedion brother, and Lysandra his sister, my heart pulls a grinch and grows even more🥹😍😭)

They love to travel. Especially when they can find somewhere Rowan hasn’t been (it’s rare in his 200 years but they’ve found a few) thankfully in contrast it’s easy for Aelin (as she hasn’t been most places) and she loves getting to see the world she dreamed about but was always bound away from. Rowan makes for a great tour guide because he knows where the non tourists hundred year old ruins are to visit ;-) & they often run off to their own secret adventures, or trying to find the best hole-in-the-wall cafe/mom&pop shops. She does enjoy going “full tourist” mode some days (the I heart New York tee & everything… partially because the glare from Rowan as she says “smile” and flashes cameras is priceless🤣) or in the complete opposite mode she tries to be a local (Lysandra taught her well) & she’s got some convincing accents… but on occasion it goes horribly hilariously wrong & becomes far too much fun for them. Same with shopping districts (Aelin will get samples until she’s practically had a meal… & then change costumes for more after a ban). Lysandra however is far better at this & a preferable companion for such mischief; and they do love traveling with their family too. They miss them when they’re away too long.

Aelin loves flowers, Rowan loves the woods; it makes a good combo of him finding them & leaving them for her as a surprise, or on a bedside table with a note when she wakes up. Every-time her heart gets so sappy over it she wants to keep them forever (and often does; drying them into bookmarks… their shelves are full🥹). Aelin also loves spices for cooking, or lavender for soaps and perfumes, so he often brings her new things; loving how much she loves the little “moments of luxury”. He was the first one to ever bring her flowers (he is 200 years old after all he had to retain some sort of classic chivalry) and the way her eyes sparkled that first time made it impossible for him to ever pass something beautiful without stealing a piece for her. She did try to braid them into his hair once😂. Or make him wish on every dandelion they pass, & he does because her crinkling nose as she grins at him is enough to make him smile until they both laugh.

Aelin can make a fire, or a heating blanket of a shield; however despite the many ways THE “Fire-Bringer” could, her preferred method of warmth is getting as close to Rowan as possible. He is in agreement with this method.😂

Rowan is incredibly proud of Aelin. It is his honor to be hers, to serve a Queen who is so good, to love a woman who has a heart of wildfire. And she is incredibly proud of them all; this court of dreamers, her family. — It’s the only thing she undoubtably knows somehow went right… Lysandra especially; every-time she sees Evangeline she is so thankful; they were able to spare someone where they were not so lucky, they are fighting to stop the cycle. And she is proud to be the friend & sister of such a woman, & the lucky aunt of such a niece.

Rowan & Aelin have a real Luke & Laurelai vibe when it comes to coffee; Rowan thinks it’s a death trap, despite Aelin’s affliction/affecrion for it. Though Rowan & Aedion did have to set a rule for how much espresso is allowed within a 10 mile radius of her after a venti & 2 days of no sleep nearly has her burning the palace down.😂 He’ll drink whatever’s around & doesn’t mind when Aelin mixes some cinnamon or something in, otherwise he’s a 1 black coffee kinda guy. Aelin likes anything with sugar and spice and espresso… but often sticks to tea for sanity’s sake.😂

Aelin loves the finer things in life; including her secret drawer full of chocolate. & Rowan has Aelin.😂

Aelin unabashedly loves rom coms & chick-flicks, though musicals are her favorite (even the ones she can’t stand, or are not at all happy & instead tragedies); she likes plays the most though). Rowan “hates them” but always cries at the notebook; he will deny this & do it everytime.

Each other period. Fleetfoot running with Evangeline in a meadow, filled with their family of friends, give everyone a book to read & good music; that’s their “happiest place” haven.

Happy Headcanons Asks!

Send me a character and a number and  I’ll answer: 

Which type of cereal is their favorite?

What outfit do they wear when they need to feel confident?

Describe their dream date

What is their bath or shower routine?

What is their love language?

What was on the TOP of their Haukkah/Christmas/Birthday/etc list as a kid?

What did their high school love letters look like?

What is their bedtime routine?

Describe their happiest birthday.

What makes them melt romantically?

What is their favorite ride at Disneyland? Favorite food?

What craft do they learn to make for a gift? Who do they give it to?

How do they like to provide for others?

What game do they always select for game night?

What fandom do they write fanfic for? Give us a small sample.

Which household chore do they privately love?

What sappy nickname do they give their loved one(s)?

What is their favorite touristy thing to do when traveling?

Do they like to receive flowers? Give flowers? What kinds?

How do they warm up when it’s cold outside?

What makes them feel proud?

What is their usual Starbucks order?

How does this character indulge themselves?

Which sappy romantic movie is their favorite? Do they admit to it?

What brings them the most unmitigated joy in all the world?

[acourtofquestions]

Everything I know heading into Crescent City for the first time (as soon as I hit post): starting with the obvious it’s called Crescent City😂 and written by Sarah J. Maas (and will be my last “unread” series of hers thus far).

The books are very large, and have many cover renditions changing up the color combos, and theories I have based on the fact one has wolves and another has a girl with a lock heart… the latter feels Throne of Glass reference to me, the former to it giving werewolf vibes (which I think some characters are?) though I believe most are Demi-fae

The main characters name is Bryce Adelaide Quinlan, she’s something starry, wine-red hair (same as Ansel), and great representation. She seems to be someone I will love! With some great quotes!

Danika has cool hair, seems like my vibe, will probably love her… I think she’s a main friendship in the books? But I also know there’s a murder so idk.

Lidia Cervos has great fan art (and some ship that looks like day and night) and I have a feeling she might be a favorite for me, plus she’s listed as a Throne of Glass character (though I don’t recognize the name; could be a fandom wiki error) but I have hope as there is crossover between ACOTAR & maybe TOG (I don’t know for sure on that one; I just have hope).

There’s a cute dog/lion/wing (maybe Chimera?) thing/pet/creature and I already love it.

Some guy named Hunt is supposed to be a hunk (yes I said it that way mostly for names sake😂)

There’s good star lines… like literally just talking about quotes about stars!!! A Maasverse classic!

Crossover with ACOTAR???

Who knows… I don’t want to… but I shall find out!

Crescent City Chapter 1 HERE I COME!!!

[winterinvelaris]

I think I know who the Archerons are descended from (MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE MAASVERSE)

So, I know we talk a lot about the Archerons and their potentially magical lineage, and I'd like to take my own personal stab at it: I think the sisters are descended from Dorian and Manon.

Let's talk about the surface level stuff: It's heavily implied that Dorian and Manon's relationship does not end after Kingdom of Ash. It's pretty reasonable to assume that they might've even gotten married and had children (unless the witch-typical complications prevented them from doing so). It's also very possible to assume that Throne of Glass takes place in the past. (That's a theory explanation for another day, though. emilystheories on insta has a great run down of it.) We also know that the Throne of Glass fae made their way to other worlds- perhaps even the ACOTAR universe?

The Archerons and Magic: We know that these three sisters start human, but after becoming Fae, they are MASSIVELY more powerful than most others of their species. Even before their transformations, they were powerful-- think about Nesta shielding against Tamlin's glamour and the massive amount of will and strength it canonically took both her and Elain to survive the Cauldron. This shows that they aren't your everyday, average humans. The Nesta-is-a-witch theory isn't exactly a new one- there's plenty of jokes in the text that connect her to witches that it almost feels unnecessary to mention her iron-will, her death magic, her beauty, or her bloodthirstiness. Almost. Everything about Nesta screams Ironteeth. And then there's Elain-- her connection to Dorian and Manon's magic is a little less obvious than that of her sisters. I definitely think she has more of Manon's Crochan influence than Ironteeth. The Crochan are described as peaceful and beautiful-- sound familiar? We also know that it was common for witches to be Seers and for them to make Witch Mirrors that could see through time. Now, think about Dorian's magic: raw, unspecified power that he usually uses for elemental power and shapeshifting. He favors ice, usually. Now, think about Feyre's power: abilities so diverse it might as well be raw that focuses on elemental power and shapeshifting. She and her water-wolves also have a lot of fun with the ice. VERY similar. Too similar to ignore. 

Archerons and Titles: Okay, so we know that the Archerons come from money. Or, at least they used to. It's possible for that money to have come from a royal bloodline. But that's not what's important right now. There's something that's been bugging me for a while, and I think this theory explains it. Have you noticed that Feyre (if we ignore Rhysand lol) is virtually never referred to as a queen? She's almost always called a Princess, specifically the Princess of Carrion. Nesta, despite not having an official title, is always the one who's called a Queen. Could this be a nod to the ancestors these sisters take after the most? Feyre is always called a Princess even after becoming High Lady-- quite similar to our favorite Princeling after he becomes King. Nesta has always been regarded as a Queen no matter her status-- also similar to the High Queen of witches before she got her title.

Other notable things:

The witches have the three-faced goddess. There are three Archeron sisters. Witches are usually women. Obviously, the sisters are all women. Witches raise their young to be heartless and cutthroat-- much like how Nesta was raised by their mother. Feyre's name is an ancient faerie name. The Archeron cottage had Wyrdmarks on it, implying influence from TOG in the ACOTAR world.

[pollyaunt]

My thoughts on HOFAS

-> First and foremost, only SJM can make me violently react towards books even though it's been years since I've started reading and got into the Maasverse.

-> Ch 99 broke me. Literally. I was downright bawling so hard to the point I couldnt breathe especially with the Danika, Lele and Pack of Devils scene. And ofc, Jesiba. I love you sm.

-> Bryce is an absolute badass and I would agree that her and Hunt's relationship wasnt portrayed the best in this book in comparison to the first, but well, the first also focused on the Kristallos as the danger whereas in this book they were the allies. Suffice to say, the degree of change was ought to happen and supposed to be vast. I'm nonetheless very much happy with how both of them turned out to be in the end.

-> Lidia. She's more Aelin than Aelin herself. In this house, we absolutely ADORE LIDIA CERVOS. And her sons and ofc Ruhn. They carried the book most definitely.

-> The ACOTAR x CC crossover was done immaculately and Maas so not deserves the disappointment shes receiving over it especially because be for fuckin real, it had to be more about CC than ACOTAR itself. And I'm honestly very happy with how she portrayed those scenes while remaining true to the characters (besides the bonus chapter which was kinda meh)

-> Tharion Ketos most certainly made decisions that were not the best but dude, you've got to recognise that he was the most selfless one in the entire book all the while trying to keep himself alive. His determination and ambition were honourable. And ps: I havent forgotten how open ended his story has been left especially with Sathia gone abruptly (whom I LOVED) and I think it's kinda pointing at how he and Ithan might get their own novella or book after the next ACOTAR.

-> Last but not the least, Ithan. That dude was trying to the best always yall and lets be honest without him, I highly doubt they'd been able to 1. Get out of the Viper Queen's lair. 2. Been able to defeat the Asteri without that bullet. And they way Maas has left his story along with Ketos' incomplete for now has surely not escaped my notice. After all, we still gotta know what happened to Sigrid really and Sathia 👀

In conclusion, the two things that felt off to me throughout the book was:

-> Firstly, how the Quinlar relationship was written in certain scenes but also, to an extent I also sympathized with both of them given the extent of trauma both of them had been through. It was understandable but comforting myself with the thought that once stuff on Midgard got better, both of them must've discussed it at length cuz, that's what our Quinlar is really. So, I'm not that unhappy with their portrayal and love them equally.

-> Secondly, this one has bugged me a lot in the series: the wasted potential that was Fury Axtar. She could've been SUCH a vital asset to them and all over, one of the most badass character. But instead of explaining and exploring her, SJM made quite a mistake by off writing her mostly from the books. That could've been done better.

[theblueeyedfirebender]

Aaaaand we're back!

Hi there friends, it's been a while.

About six months ago, I came back to Tumblr after a hiatus and found this blog's reach had been severely limited. As in almost nonexistent. Posts not showing in tags, comments / reblogs / messages disappearing when I refresh the page, etc. I put in a ticket with Tumblr Support, but it took them months to respond. In the meantime, I'd created a secondary account, @the-blue-eyed-firebender.

Finally, yesterday, this blog was restored.

But I've made a lot of connections via that secondary account, especially with the Fullmetal Alchemist fandom. So if you know me from there, please consider following me here, as I'm planning to go back to this account as my primary for Tumblring. I'm going to keep posting ATLA, Fullmetal, Maasverse, and other fandom-related stuff.

I'm so very excited to have this account back. I've had it for years, and I was really worried it was gone forever.

It's good to be back.

[readychilledwine]

Mother, I am sad your Elain week stuff isn't doing well.

🍃

Oh hun,

I didn't expect it to. I made the choice to do fics that focused on Elain and not potential ships, reader/oc love interests, or anything else. I expected and welcomed this. Elain week has been a passion project for me of little drabbles and one shots meant to embrace the softest character we have in the Maasverse.

I love Elain. I love her character, I love the idea of her in a fantasy novel, and I'm excited about the journey we will get to go on with her, regardless of what the ending will be. I've enjoyed this week, and I cannot wait to finish it off with Elain having a Isabela moment tomorrow

[onemustalwaysbecarefulofbooks]

HOFAS/MAASVERSE THEORY: This is not the story SJM planned to tell us

Listen, if you are feeling let down by the overall lack of an ACOTAR crossover in HOFAS, your feelings are entirely valid and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. And I'm saying this as someone who largely finds the Inner Circle insufferable and has the opinion of the less we see Rhysand, the better. But for real. . .point blank, this book was absolutely 100% marketed and hyped as a "crossover" which, in reality, ended up being sort of a stretch. And I believe, that at one point, it truly WAS all it was hyped up to be.

Raise your hand if you felt like HOFAS felt weird, disjointed, and unsatisfying at a lot of points.

Everyone, right? I don't think I've encountered a single person who can say they never experienced this at any point, even if they loved the book overall.

I'm sure some of you have probably heard by this point that there is a whole first draft of HOFAS out there that was apparently scrapped and rewritten entirely by SJM: SOURCE.

This draft teases a LOT of things that had people salivating, none of which actually showed up in the book we read. Examples:

HOFAS being "split between Bryce in the world of ACOTAR and the characters in Midgard".

Bryce being worried and freaked out over whether Prythian had toilet paper and receiving an answer

Nyx being featured in the story and the IC being extremely protective over him

Receiving an explanation on Rhys seeing Aelin during Starfall

SJM positively gushes over this stuff as she talks about it in interviews. You can literally see the light in her eyes and how excited she is as she discusses it. She compares it to Avengers Endgame and talks about how excited she and others were to see all the good guys come together for something epic and says this reminds her of that. However, there's a caveat. She consistently repeats things like "as of right now" or "in this first draft" or "we'll see what my editor says". Check out this live chat here.

And the next thing we know, she is claiming she turned in her first draft and felt "meh" about it, didn't like where the story went, and re-wrote the entire thing. Ladies and gentlemen, I call bullshit.

Bottom line: I truly believe, and would honestly bet a significant amount of money on, that this first draft was truly the story of SJM's heart and was brought to a screeching halt by her publishing company, who felt they could milk this hype and get more books out of it.

Essentially, if you were expecting ACOTAR 6, sorry can't help you, that was NEVER happening, BUT if you were expecting MORE than what we got, you are entirely within your rights to feel disappointed! That's why things felt weird and disjointed. . .because it was not the story she intended to tell organically and she had to make some pretty significant changes on a short notice.

The silver lining, I suppose, is the fact that I don't think her publishers talked her out of this happening in general. I think they just convinced her to drag it out longer. . .to delay it, essentially. Like I said, get more books in before finally making it happen. Because once that happens, how do you reach a higher peak? What could she make happen after that point that is more exciting than a huge epic crossover? I think that unfortunately, the Asteri were kind of wasted villains, as I don't know what other force of evil could bring all of these characters together realistically. But I do believe it's going to happen.

So yeah, you'll never be able to convince me there's not some version of HOFAS out there that only exists in Sarah's mind at this point, where the ACOTAR characters (and honestly, Aelin and the ToG characters) are much more central characters to the overall story. I'm convinced she wrote this epic story, went to her editors, and was told "Hey, the hype around this is so insane, we COULD do it now, OR we could develop the characters even further and do it LATER" (meaning more $$$$$$ for them). SJM is the QUEEN of changing her mind mid-series but to me, this really reeks of corporate greed and milking the hype. I'm trying to trust the process and tell myself that it's all coming eventually.

So stop shitting on people who complain about the lack of a crossover. We were teased with one and you know damn well SJM wrote one! I'm convinced it was teased and hyped this way because that's the way she originally wrote it and then when publishing convinced things to change the way they wanted them to. . .why tell us? If the already existing hype gets us to buy their book, it's a win for them.

I guess only time will tell!

[hope-and-insanity]

Hello

This is a Maasverse sideblog dedicated to bringing some positive changes to the Maasverse fandom through Tumblr blogging.

I feel like there is so much negativity going on and I want to take some actions to combat that.

I'll have tons of stuff like analysis, incorrect quotes, everything you'd find on a normal fandom blog but just... less of the discrimination, double standard, and hatred that is often found in this fandom.

My favorite characters: -Celestina (Crescent City)

-Asterin (Throne of Glass)

-Helion (ACOTAR)

My Maasverse husband is Isaiah!

I expect some hate towards this blog because I have a ton of unpopular opinions so I will not be tagging my main blog.

I am transgender and use he/him pronouns.

I am a writer and will maybe write fanfiction at some point.

If you don't like my content, go ahead and block me!

Thanks!

[wingedblooms]

Slowly, like lovely wraiths from a hell-realm, the witches appeared. (qos)

I haven’t been able to shake this quote since the witch series. How amazing would it be if we see Elain, a powerful seer and witch, peer into and/or travel to Hel like a wraith with her friends Nuala and Cerridwen? I’m so ready for all of their spooky adventures and missions together.

[kenna-is-reading]

Crescent City: House of Flame and Shadow Review

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Dear Readers,

I have, at long last, finished HOFAS!!! And I might just have more thoughts, questions, comments, and concerns than I did when I finished HOSAB. Strap in, cause we're in for a long post. I'd give a TLDR, but I think if you can get through 2,500 pages of Crescent City books, you can skim through this too :). I really enjoyed the book, but I feel like I want more time with these characters in order to really solidify them as a group. I am looking forward to the next book just to see how it all continues, especially given some of the connections that were made and the history that was revealed in this book. That said, let's wrap up the preamble and get into it.

Brannongate

I'm just gonna start with what was probably everyone's biggest takeaway from HOFAS, and that is Lidia being a confirmed relative of Aelin's. I was waiting for the TOG tie in, and I've had many different theories, but I knew as soon as we started getting into the deer shifter stuff, combined with Brann being Lidia's son's name, that it was coming soon. I definitely gasped out loud regardless when she said his full name, and I would very much like to get deeper into that history as soon as possible, because I miss TOG with every ounce of my soul and spirit. I love that Lidia is able to be so powerful with her fire, if only because I'm still mad that Aelin lost hers. I am not one of the genius Maasverse fans who have probably already figured out what everything means and how it will all happen going forward, but I am excited to be along for the ride to find out. Speaking of Lidia...

2. Lidia & Hypaxia

I would really love to see more of Lidia and Hypaxia as sisters and figure out what their dynamic will be. I feel like there could be a lot more to discover as far as the witches go, and I really like both characters. I really just want to see Lidia be able to love and trust and have a family. She has suffered a ridiculous amount and I want to see her happy. I think Hypaxia being the head of House of Flame and Shadow was a very interesting development, and I am interested in following that storyline further. I still feel like I don't know Hypaxia very well as a character, but that could also just be because we only really hear about her from other characters' perspectives. Her relationship with Lidia, if one is ever built, is definitely one of the aspects of the story that I am most excited to see develop.

3. Tharion or Sathia or Colin or Ariadne (to the tune of Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus)

These were the biggest questions I was left with at the end of HOFAS. Is Sathia okay? Did she get Colin out? What happened with the Viper Queen? What is Ariadne going to do? Why does Tharion consistently make such bad decisions? I knew that Tharion and Ithan, arguably the worst, most self-sabotaging decision makers in the series (if not the entire Massiverse), being the ones to transport the antidote was going to end...como se dice...badly. While I still love both of them down, I felt like Tharion definitely continued his streak of making me facepalm while reading to a very serious degree. His dedication to ruining his own life would be nearly admirable if it weren't so painfully stupid. That said, I don't think it was as bad as book 2. I liked his dynamic with Sathia, and I think he had good motives for marrying her. As I previously said, I do love Tharion. He's definitely one of my favorite characters in this series, but I want better for him. He and Ithan are so wracked by their own guilt that they only worsen things for themselves, but I'm really hoping it will get better for them as they all work as a group to establish a post-Asterian society. And speaking of Ithan...

4. Sunball McGee, Prime of the Valbaran Wolves

Some of y'all are about to be real mad at me. But it must be said.

Ithan Holstrom is one of my favorite SJM men.

Now, now, now- Let me finish- I have seen such a huge and, in my opinion, unwarranted amount of hate for Ithan as a result of his actions in this book. And while I 100% understand the frustration, (trust, I do!!!), I also understand Ithan. Think about it. This is a very young kid who is essentially a frat boy. His only personality trait, other than Make your brother proud, is sunball player. This is everyone's biggest complaint. Every time he is mentioned, he is reduced to sunball. And I know people find this redundant and annoying, but let's consider this for a moment. Walk with me. Sunball is all Ithan is reduced to, and I think that's the point. He thinks very lowly of himself. It is clear that he does not think he has anything else to offer aside from his sunball skills. In the whole quest to save Sigrid, (everyone's other complaint about him), he never once considers that he himself should lead. Again, this annoys people, but I think that is the point. His opinion of himself is so negative, and he lacks so much confidence, and he has lived so much in his brother's shadow that he seems like he had to cling to what he was good at in order to stand out and have something of his own. His identity as a wolf was somewhat overshadowed by Connor, his love for Bryce was overshadowed by Connor, and while he obviously loved his brother dearly and that's nothing against Connor, it would have made it very difficult for Ithan to develop his own sense of identity and sense of self outside of who he was related to and what he was good at. Now, am I reading too far into his character? Maybe. However, I am nevertheless appointing myself captain of the Ithan Holstrom Defense Squad, and I am trying to convince SJM Nation to join me. Signup sheet is by the door, grab a badge on the way out. I think becoming Prime is exactly what he needed to come into his own and figure out who he is, as a wolf, as a leader, and as his own individual. He has never been given permission to lead his own life, and now he must step up and take the reins of not only his own life, but the wolves' as well. All the deep psychoanalyzing stuff aside, I think him and Perry could be really cute. Don't know where y'all stand with that, but I was sensing some vibes between them that I wasn't mad at: "...Flynn and Dec across from him, the former eyeing Perry with an interest Ithan didn't entirely appreciate. Perry was blushing, and Ithan didn't appreciate that either...Perry laughed, and...okay, maybe Ithan liked the sound." (pg. 829). I really like Perry, despite seeing relatively little of her in the book. (I've only known Perry for a day and a half, but if anything happened to her, I would k!ll everyone in this room and then myself). I'm curious as to what will happen with her, given that her scent didn't change when she took the antidote, etc. And I'll be done with my Ithan rant, but don't think I didn't notice the whole ice magic thing. I clocked that tea faster than Bryce can teleport. I won't make any theories, but all I'm saying is SJM men w Elsa magic >>>.

5. Call me Sigrid the way my life keeps getting progressively worse

Now I know we're not really supposed to care about Sigrid whatsoever at this point, but I feel obligated to note that she is out somewhere wandering, and the gang does not know where she is. I make it my personal mission to keep tabs on the opps of my favorite characters. I think she could have been more complex than a throwaway-side-villain character. She hasn't had a lot of choice in the things that have happened to her thus far in her life, but I do think she has to be kept out of the way so that Ithan can be Prime, so I can't guess at what will happen there, but I'm glad the Astronomer is gone. He was ticking me off.

6. Reapers and Necromancers and Lion Shifters, Oh My

I feel obligated to discuss with my fellow readers- do we all think the Lion Shifter Reaper that talked to Ithan and Hypaxia was the same one Bryce banged in book 1, or am I tripping? Ithan does think, "Gods, Bryce would have a field day with this guy-- his long golden hair was very carefully mussed" (pg. 608). Just something to think about, something I noticed, not important to the plot. Carrying on!

7. Ember & Nesta & My Tears

Let's just take a moment to read some lines that made me (No. 1 Nesta Stan) tear up!

"But Ember continued, looking only at Nesta, 'I am glad of one thing: that I was able to meet you.' Nesta's lips pressed into a thin line, and she glanced down at their joined hands...'Your mother loves you,' Nesta said quietly, reading the exasperated expression on Bryce's face. 'Don't for one second take that for granted.' Bryce could only incline her head to Nesta. 'I'm lucky,' she admitted. 'I've always been lucky to have her as a mom.' Ember really looked like she might cry now, especially as she turned back to Nesta and said, 'This time with you was a gift, Nesta. It truly was.' With that, she pulled Nesta into a tight embrace, and Bryce could have sworn something like pain and longing crossed Nesta's expression. Like she hadn't experienced a mom-hug for a long, long time" (HOFAS 813-814).

I truly love Nesta so much, and this book set up a lot for her in the next ACOTAR novel, which I really hope will have her perspective in it. I love Nesta and Bryce's potential friendship, and I hope there is more crossover content coming. I know a lot of people thought there was too much info-dumping about Fae history in this book, but I loved learning about the lore, and I think with Nesta's eight-pointed star situation could lead to us learning even more, which I am excited about.

8. Wyrd - Urd

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Finally some insight into the whole Urd thing! I have so many thoughts and theories about the different powers and gods in each series, and I'm so interested in the ways that they are intersecting and connecting. We learned that Urd is the Cauldron - "A cauldron of life, brimming with the language of creation...Wyrd, we called her in the old world" (pg. 692). The symbols on the "bowl" the statue of Urd is holding in this scene are most definitely Wyrdmarks, but the way they are described as tattoos running onto the statue's arms reminded me of Feyre's tattoos, which I thought was kind of a cool image: "And those symbols running from the bowl onto her skin...they were like tattoos" (pg 690). I am very interested in learning about the origins of the Under-King, too, him having come from the shifters' world. Again, I need to look further into theories to see if anyone with more brain power than me has figured it out, but I am really enjoying putting the pieces of this gigantic puzzle together.

9. HELLO????? VIKTORIA??????

Finally, I have to at least mention the gang's complete and total neglect to retrieve Viktoria from the bottom of the ocean, yet again. I understand y'all had a lot going on the first couple books, but come on. You've now worked closely and allied with not one but two Blue Court water queens, and you've gallivanted all over Midgard via submarine, and you're telling me not ONE person had so much as the THOUGHT of "oh hey, we should try to find Vik's box"??? And now that Asterigate has been resolved, they have no excuse! I feel so bad for her that they just...forgot about it? Assumed she's beyond help? I don't know! Justice for Viktoria!

10. Jesiba.

I love Jesiba Roga so much and I am so sad about her sacrifice, but I should have seen it coming. I think I did, but I was living in a river in Egypt. Talk about characters who are always two steps ahead, her having Ithan packing those boxes knowing darn well what she was going to do...Absolute icon. I shall never forget her. I've heard people saying that not enough people died, but I feel like it was simply spread out through the series and done a little differently than other SJM endings. This series started out with like seven people who meant the world to our MC being brutally slaughtered, we lost Lehabah, we lost Viktoria and Justinian, we lost Cormac, we lost Sofie, we lost the Prime, which some might not consider a "real" loss but he was on the right side, and then Jesiba. I think our characters suffered plenty, considering some character or another spent like half the series in an Asteri dungeon being horrifically tortured.

In closing, I will say that I really do love this world and these characters. I am so intrigued as to how it will change and develop going forward, especially with such a drastic shift in power in so many areas. I don't really care if the only conflict in the next book is them figuring out the Firstlight problem, I just want to know what happens next. I can't wait to dive deeper into the whole multiverse situation and see what is next for all of our favorite characters, and the more time goes on, the more ready I am for a new ACOTAR. Now that I have caught up on Crescent City, I will be diving headlong into Summer Reads, so I am thinking about doing some summer themed posts the next couple weeks to get into the summer vibes! If you read this far, thank you so much for giving half a crap what I think, and let me know what you think is next for the Maasverse! I want to hear all the theories, or things I may not have caught, or things you guys have figured out! Until next time! :)

XOXO,

Kenna

[kopfkino-o]

The Crossover, Timelines, and the Future of ACOTAR

Disclaimer: This post is a long one, filled with mostly ramblings, and contains spoilers for both the ACOTAR and Crescent City series. Please don’t read on if you haven’t finished either series, mostly CC, as I would hate for anything to be spoiled. Additionally, this is NOT a shipping post and I want to highly discourage any shipping discussion in regards to the contents of this post. I miss fun casual fandom discourse and want lovers of every ship to feel comfortable sharing their options if they feel so inclined. Thanks for taking the time to read this <3 - Court

~~Spoilers Below~~

SO, LET’S GET INTO IT...

Ever since I finished the last chapter of HOSAB I've had a lot of questions. Like a lot of questions. But as a reader and lover of both the CC and ACOTAR series, one thing that haunts me is how the crossover is going to impact the ACOTAR narrative moving forward. Especially since CC3 is the next book to be released. 

We know from Miss Sarah Janet herself that both series will be able to be read independently. We also know House of Flame and Shadow is Bryce’s story (and Ruhn and Hunt and all the others) and the focus will be on them. Any appearance of ACOTAR characters will be a treat, a little snack to keep readers of both series fed while they wait for the next book if you will, but what I can’t wrap my head around is the timeline, and how Bryce’s arrival ISN’T going to impact ACOTAR moving forward.

The revelations about the Asteri trying to get back into Prythian, the lost Fae worldwalking to Midgard, the 8th Dusk Court, all of that seems like it would naturally have a huge impact on the world of Prythian, and thus the characters within it. Imagine you haven’t read CC, then we learn (at the very least) there’s suddenly a new 8th court? That’s pretty important, and I imagine would leave many readers questioning. 

Which brings me to the meat of this post, the juicy bit, the good stuff, and I guess my main point: the timeline. How, and most importantly when, will the rest of the stories in the ACOTAR series occur and where will Bryce’s arrival in Prythian fall within them?

We know ~6-9 months have passed between the end of ACOSF and HOSAB, so keep that in mind as you read on! Also keep in mind these supposed timelines aren’t referring to the order of publication, but rather the order of each respective story within the timeline of the Maasverse. 

*Note: Thinking about where the next ACOTAR novella will fall (and what it might be about) hurts my head so I’m only going to briefly touch on that in this post. 

Opt. 1: ACOSF --> Bryce’s Arrival --> ACOTAR 5 --> ACOTAR 6

If the series were to follow this timeline, I have a hard time wrapping my head around how Bryce’s arrival (and all that will be learned because of it) WONT impact ACOTAR moving forward. As mentioned above, Bryce has some information that’s going to really rock the world of Prythian and I struggle to see how this information won’t change the story in ACOTAR 5 and 6. 

If everything involving Bryce occurs BEFORE the events of the next ACOTAR books then it’s safe to say the characters would all be aware of: 

The Dusk Court (reborn or not) 

The Asteri’s return

Other worlds

Bryce’s arrival 

The Starborn Fae

And whatever knowledge Rhys and Armen seem to have

That’s a lot of really important stuff that has huge implications for Prythian. The way I see it, if this is the route the timeline takes then readers will need to read both the entirety of the Crescent City and ACOTAR series, though this goes directly against what the author herself has told us.

Confused? Me too. 

Opt. 2: ACOSF --> ACOTAR 5 --> ACOTAR 6 --> Bryce’s Arrival

I don’t know what to really think of this potential timeline (but I might have convinced myself more and more of it while writing this), as there’s a whole lot of story left to cover, and if I’m remember correctly, there was only around a ~6-9 month gap between the end of ACOSF and Bryce’s arrival in Pythian at the end of HOSAB. That’s not a lot of time to solve all of the issues the ACOTAR characters are facing, at least in my opinion, especially when we still have: 

Koschei and his machinations + Vassa’s curse

Two more love stories that need to unfold

Lucien and his real father

Eris and his scheming / Autumn Court drama

Mor and her secret

Elain and her powers

The High King plotline

Feysand’s death pact

Truth-Teller and where it came from

Valkyries still aren’t fully formed / Bloodrite fallout

Tamlin still running around totally feral though I hope he stays that way

And the many unanswered questions regarding tertiary characters and newly introduced characters, like Gwyn, Emerie, Balthazar, Helion and Lady Autumn, etc. etc. 

That’s... a lot. 

THEN AGAIN, if I remember correctly, the entire events of the Throne of Glass series spanned over the course of ~one year, so maybe this timeline isn’t so farfetched after all... 

Though I do find this all to be a bit clunky. Readers of both series would be aware of Bryce’s arrival, other worlds, the Asteri’s attempt to reinvade Prythian, the lost Dusk Court, etc. all throughout the rest of the ACOTAR series. Seeing as CC3 is coming in January 24′, before the rest of the ACOTAR books, this timeline would also mean that readers of both series would have technically already seen the conclusion to both CC and ACOTAR by the time they finish HOFAS. 

Sarah does like to play with the concept of time (past, present, future) so perhaps this timeline might make sense in the end. This could also play into the theory that TOG was the past, CC the future, and ACOTAR the present... 

But now I’m giving myself a headache so let’s move on. If you’re still with me, you’re a saint and I hope your bookshelves are always full, your recs always good, and your pages never dog-eared. 

Opt. 3: ACOSF --> ACOTAR 5 --> Bryce’s Arrival --> Novella (?) --> ACOTAR 6

This is a pretty wonky timeline too (I’m starting to think they all are) but I could also see it potentially making the most sense given the fact the 6-9 month window between ACOSF and HOSAB might be enough time for one of the remaining ACOTAR stories to play out, given that Nesta’s story spanned around ~10 months to a year. Though this would mean we’d read about Bryce’s arrival at the END of ACOTAR 5, and thus would need some sort of mention of this monumental event in ACOTAR 6/the novella. This would also mean there would be one endgame ACOTAR couple already together during the events of CC3, though I don’t think this is a huge thing, seeing as House of Flame and Shadow is about Bryce. Could we get crumbs and hints? Sure, though seeing as Sarah likes to keep her endgames tight-lipped, I highly doubt we’ll get anything substantial. 

Speaking of the  Novella... If it does come after ACOTAR 5/Bryce’s arrival, could this be a good way to bring in the idea of the multiverse to ACOTAR-only readers? Perhaps the novella is about the time the Daglan ruled over Prythian?? Or maybe it’ll be about Queen Theia??? Maybe it’ll be about none of that?? 

Now my head hurts. 

Regardless of how the timeline shapes out I am so excited about where the story is going and can’t wait to see the new dynamics, lore, plots, and elements the crossover introduces. But now I want to know your theories! How do you think SJM will handle the crossover, the revelation of the Maasverse, the interconnected worlds of Prythian and Midgard, and all the goodness we still have left to explore in CC3/ACOTAR 5&6???

Thanks again for reading!

[acourtofquestions]

Okay Maasverse, what kind of posts, ask games, etc. are you wanting more of?

I feel like these days I’m bouncing between memes, rambles, finding fan art & tracking down sources/artist contacts (oh how I miss SydneyMack), and of course reading… but I’m bored & loving tumblr and thus am curious!

Feel free to comment or send any ideas, I’ll probably be trying my hand at some new stuff as we go! :-)

[worldofhighfae]

Like Calls to Like

Edition #2: Naexi and Nesta

A/N: AKA What Would Happen If WoHF Characters Met Canon Characters. If you're new here hi! World of High Fae is a text-based rpg set in the Maasverse. You should join us, we have a lot of fun!

Disclaimer: World Of High Fae does not claim ownership of any of the characters or locations featured in ACOTAR or the greater Maasverse. Those are the intellectual property of Sarah J Maas. The only thing we claim to have created is the original character of Naexi Sylmaris.

Word Count: 3186

Genre: Fluff with a bit of Angst

Characters: Nesta Archeron (ACOTAR) and Naexi Sylmaris (WoHF)

Being called into a meeting wasn’t unusual- but the reason for this particular meeting was. Naexi had received a very cryptic message, with little more information than time and place. Naexi had just sighed at the message and showed up at the meeting with the rest of the Inner Circle. As it was explained why they had met, she sighed even more. Naexi had no trust in magical artefacts and saw them mostly as trouble. As Rosaceli explained what she knew of the artefact she’d found Naexi felt no different. Magic always tends to come with a price or some twisted catch- which is why Naexi avoided artefacts as much as possible. But she hadn’t even had an opportunity to protest before Rosaceli had flipped the golden timeglass over.

Feeling the shadows wrap her Naexi knew that the artefact was working, and she was not excited. But when she was finally aware enough to process her surroundings again the Inner Circle was nowhere to be found. She sighed loudly. Instead she saw a semi-familiar face looking at her in utter confusion. At least Naexi knew where she was- kinda. The Night Court.

Naexi looked around, assessing her surroundings. She had ended up in what looked to be a big private library in someone's house. Looking back at the High Fae infront of her, she knew exactly who it was. Nesta Archeron. The stuff of legends. Cauldon-Made High Fae, granted the power of death. This female wasn’t known for having a calm temper, Naexi knew that for a fact. It certainly wouldn’t help that Naexi wasn’t really levelheaded either.

“Who are you and how did you get here?” Nesta demanded. This was not going to be easy. How could she ever persuade a very hot tempered High Fae that this was by accident? And not even her accident at that! “It’s impossible to winnow into this house.”

“You’re not going to believe me but it’s quite a story.” Naexi sighed. Of course she would end up with the one person in history that she was both scared by and respected for their power. “It’s not like I intended to end up alone with the mistress of death.”

It was already clear that Nesta did not like Naexi’s tone, although she seemed at least a bit interested in knowing how Naexi knew so much about her. Naexi could feel how Nesta’s powers were ready to strike if needed. It would do he well to be careful. There was still an ice-cold flame in Nesta’s eyes as she addressed Naexi again.

“Try me.”

Naexi took in a deep breath.

“So, ehm… Someone in my court found a magic artefact that, at the time, seemed to not be too threatening- so she brought it to the rest of the Inner Circle to assess. But just as we got an idea of what it was, it got activated and I ended up here.” Naexi spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, not wanting to show too much of her feelings on the matter. “It makes you travel in time. I think it’s only temporary, so hopefully I’ll go back to where I came from soon.”

Now it was Nesta’s turn to roll her eyes.

“Believe it or not, but that wouldn’t be the first time something that seemed impossible happened around here.” Nesta snipped, unimpressed. “You still haven't answered my question- who the hell are you?”

Naexi sighed. She knew that a lot had happened in Prythian at this point in time, although she was still a bit unsure of specifically when in time she was.

“My name is Naexi Sylmaris. I am, at my point in time, the General of the Continent’s Armies and Spymaster for the Monarch.” Naexi introduced. “You are Nesta Archeron, oldest of the Archeron sisters and…”

She hesitated. Did Nesta know yet who her mate was? Maybe this is before that happened. She had to make sure before she said too much.

“Wait, where are we?”

Nesta did not look amused.

“What, you can’t figure that out yourself, as all knowing as you are?” Nesta sneered. “You seem to know so much about me already. You should know where I live.”

House of Wind. That had to be it. That’s why Naexi shouldn't be able to winnow in.

“… and Cassian’s mate.” Naexi sighed and rolled her eyes. “Sorry, for not wanting to spoil your life story for you. My bad.”

Was it really a bad thing that Naexi had hesitated? She didn’t know what she could or couldn’t say. It’s not like she was a frequent time traveller. How would she know what rules applied? She didn’t study the artefacts enough to be useful in this kind of a situation.

It didn’t seem like Nesta liked the mention of her mate. She looked angry and annoyed. Naexi didn’t really think that Nesta was the right person to be annoyed about the situation or anything that came with it. After all, it was Naexi who has been displaced to a random place with one of the most dangerous High Fae ever to exist. If she had at least ended up with Amren or Rhysand she could have asked them for help getting back home- and they could keep their temperament and powers in check. She wasn’t as sure about Nesta.

“Don’t talk about my mate like you know him.” Nesta snarled. “Don’t think you deserve to even have his name in your mouth, even if you have all those titles.”

Now Naexi got angry. What about any of what was happening didn’t Nesta get? She couldn’t be that… stupid.

“They aren’t just titled.” Naexi snarled back. “I actually earned them, unlike you. Think of what you did, what, a year ago? A few years ago? You had a sister as High Lady, and you acted as though that entitled you to the world.”

That clearly hit a sore point, but Naexi didn’t care. Why would she? If Nesta wanted to pick a fight, she would get one.

“If you were as bright as you claim, you would not have said that.” Nesta’s eyes were glowing- not in the same way as Naexi’s own could. This was a cold glow, and Naexi finally understood what the texts about Nesta meant. It wasn’t a normal fire that Nesta possessed. It didn’t match Naexi’s. Not even close. “You claim to know who I am and what I can do. You surely know that you shouldn’t push me.”

It made Naexi take a breath. Nesta was right- as far as power went there was a clear winner between them, and it wasn’t Naexi. She could never defend herself against… that. Her only shot was if she surprise attacked her. She only needed to hold on until she got sent back home again.

“I won’t if you won’t. All we need is to wait this out, and I’ll be gone before you know it.” Naexi glared. “You seem to think that I want to be here with you. This wasn’t my choice. So back off.”

“Back off? You’re the one invading my home!” Nesta almost screamed.

“I don’t want to be here! How many times does it take to get that through your thick skull?” Naexi screamed back.

“Don’t you dare insult me- especially not in my own home!” Nesta growled. “Push me and I will ensure this is the last place you ever visit.”

Naexi was too riled up to take that seriously, or realize the weight it held.

“Don’t you dare threaten me.”

Nesta took a seat in the chair behind her, with a dangerous smirk on her lips. The tonal shift was jarring, like being in the eye of a hurricane and knowing that if it moved even a foot you would be swallowed whole.

“On one condition.” Nesta mused. “Equal the playing field. You know about me, but I know nothing about you except for your name and titles.”

Naexi took the seat across from Nesta. She thought about it, and she could see where Nesta was coming from. Naexi would not have liked it if a stranger just popped into her home and knew everything about her life- even more than she knew herself. Even worse, she realized that she would probably have acted similarly to Nesta.

“Fine. What do you want to know?” Naexi sighed, hoping this would end soon.

“Let’s start with how you got those titles you’re so proud of.” Nesta said with a hint of disgust in her voice.

Naexi was in no mood to tell her whole life story. But she supposed she could just summarise it a bit for the sake of easing the hostility between them.

“Fine. In short, I’m an orphan. I never knew my parents.” Naexi rolled her eyes, clearly still irritated. “Growing up on the streets I learned a thing or two about how to not be seen. Eventually someone took me in, teaching me how to put those skills to better use. I climbed in rank until I finally reached the King’s Court. That’s how I became Spymaster. As for General… Let's just say teaching combat and warfare in the capital made it difficult to stay completely in the shadows.”

Finally, Nesta seemed to ease up. Maybe she reminded Nesta a little of Cassian and Azriel. They too were underestimated and impoverished for a long time.

“Fair enough then. They might not be undeserved titles.” Nesta sighed, masking her interest. “So you’re a peasant then?”

Naexi was still irritated, but for the sake of keeping things semi-peaceful she just answered in a short tone.

“That’s rich coming from you. You mate is a bastard.”

That did not go well with Nesta. Maybe Naexi shouldn’t play with fire after all.

“Don’t you dare talk about my mate like that. He’s-” Nesta didn’t get to finish as Naexi interrupted.

“... Prince of Bastards, Lord of Bloodshed, General of Rhysands army…” Naexi listed idly. “Yeah. I know. It’s you who put a meaning behind it, not me. I was just stating a fact.”

“You could be one too, you know. A bastard.” Nesta sneered.

“I’m not.” Naexi’s tone was ice cold. She recognised that Nesta was trying to rile her up, but she wouldn’t let her win that easily. “I got to know about my parents eventually, when I found my twin sister.”

“Your twin sister?” Nesta laughed and rolled her eyes, her tone quickly shifting to annoyance. “Of course you have a sister. You’re just looking for things we can relate over, aren’t you?”

“I’m not looking for anything.” Naexi scoffed. “You just pointed that out. Not me. There are plenty more similarities between us, but I haven't pointed them out have I?”

“Go ahead then. Tell me more.” Nesta rolled her eyes at Naexi again, but Naexi just ignored the attitude.

“Well, my sister also happens to be the mate of our Monarch.” Naexi listed, before glaring at Nesta. “But don’t you dare to imply that that affects my position. I was in place before the coup.”

“The coup?” Nesta raised a brow.

“There was a coup, and my sibling-in-law usurped the King.” Naexi shrugged. It was a small detail in the broader spectrum of her life.

“And you stayed in the new court?” Nesta blinked

“Clearly.” Naexi scoffed, before moving on. “Our temperament seems to be similar. Just like you, I don’t hold much affection for my sister's mate, but I do respect them a lot. We’re a bit like you and Rhysand- although I have never treated Bryn with that level of disrespect.”

Naexi snarled the last word. But Nesta just had a wicked smile.

“You haven’t mentioned your mate.” Nesta threw the statement in Naexi’s face. “Most fae can’t stop talking about them, thinking about them… if they have one, that is. You don’t have one, do you?”

While it was true, it didn’t hurt any less. It was a really sore spot for her. The people that surrounded her almost daily all had mates, but here she was, still alone. It was Naexi’s turn to get angry.

“So? At least I haven’t made everyone around me hate me.” Naexi fumed. “That’s what you seem to be an expert in!”

Naexi’s eyes were glowing, just like Nesta’s had before. However, not as strong, and in a completely different colour. Like flames, showing her magic’s affiliation to fire. Naexi’s insult did get to Nesta, but only for a short second as Nesta’s attention switched to her eyes.

“I guess that is a similarity too… and a difference.”

Naexi calmed down a little at that and thought about her circumstances for a moment. How could she not have realised it before? Maybe this was the whole reason why she was here. Nesta was her match from the past. Naexi had always thought that she related quite a bit to Azriel, but they really weren't that similar in temperament or philosophy- just in occupation. She and Nesta, however…

“That’s why I ended up with you?” Nesta just chuckled. “The cauldron really likes some irony.”

“Tell me about it.”

The pair kept quiet for a moment before Naexi decided to break the silence.

“How is your training going?” She wanted to know if Nesta had gone through with the blood rite yet, and she couldn’t really handle the awkwardness between them now that they saw eye-to-eye. She almost preferred it when they were at each other’s throats. She supposed Nesta probably agreed.

“Fine.” Nesta barely looked at Naexi when she spoke. “I’m a Valkyrie, if that’s what you are asking about.”

“It was.” Naexi admitted. “I’ve always found Valkyries fascinating. The female who brought the artefact is one and she’s very impressive. I’ve never dared to try mastering it.”

That piqued Nesta’s interest. All of the sudden, Naexi had all of Nesta’s attention. Maybe they had some common ground.

“Really? Why not?”

“I didn’t have someone to teach me.” Naexi shrugged. “And now that I do, I just never find the time.”

“Well, that’s a shame.” Nesta almost smiled slightly. “If you stayed perhaps I could have taught you something.”

“That would have been quite nice, actually.” Naexi returned the slight smile and almost chuckled. She was starting to like this part of Nesta. “Maybe we could have found something I could have taught you too. I am, after all, like… a hundred years older than you.”

“Wait, how old are you?” Nesta blinked.

“Ehm..” Naexi had to think for a second. “127…”

She chuckled slightly at the irony of the situation. She was the one from the future, but at this moment in time she was the one who was older.

“Then you are like a century older than me.” Nesta chuckled slightly back. “Wow, here I thought we were about the same age. I guess I forget sometimes about the fae ageing so slowly.”

Naexi was about to say that she could understand why, since she lives with both mortals and fae. It’s really hard to keep track. But maybe that shouldn’t be mentioned. While she was in that frame of mind she made a realisation.

“You are not asking me about your future, or anyone else’s. Why?” Naexi asked, very curious.

“I don’t want to know.” Nesta had a much more serious tone now. “I at least want to pretend that my future choices are my own, even if they aren’t.”

Thinking about it, Naexi couldn’t help but agree.

“I understand and respect that.” Naexi nodded. “I’m realising I wouldn’t want to know either.”

Nesta seemed to be deep in thought for a moment, before she spoke again.

“You know what would have been fun? You and me sparring Cass and Azriel.” Nesta chuckled at the thought.

Naexi chuckled too.

“That would have been fun. But let's be honest, Cassian can barely handle one of you. Imagine two.” She laughed and Nesta also started laughing.

It was nice that they could finally laugh together. They probably could have been close friends- although if they fought for real it would probably have destroyed this whole house. So it was probably better for everyone that they lived in different parts of the timeline.

“Cass is definitely going to have a good laugh about this, until I tell him about your occupation.” Nesta smirked. “Then he’ll probably get insulted, big Illyrian baby. Az will just laugh.”

“My friend would get so jealous if he heard about this.” Naexi giggled back. They’re almost like two teenagers hanging out, laughing about stupid boys. “He idolises Cassian. But I’m guessing that I’m not going to be allowed to talk about it.”

As they were laughing, some glasses poofed out of nowhere, filled with wine. Nesta just let out a low “thank you” as Naexi just looked stunned.

“Me and the house are good friends.” Nesta chuckled and looked up at the ceiling and then around the house. “So the house provides me with things that I ask for or it thinks I might like or need. Wine was definitely a will like.”

Naexi still had a stunned look but chuckled too. She took one of the glasses and took a sip. The house picked a really good wine.

“Your house knows good wines. I’m impressed.” The lights around them flickered, almost like the house responded to her. Once again, Naexi looked stunned and Nesta just giggled.

“It does.” Nesta sighed contentedly. “Tell me, what’s it like being Spymaster? Or a spy in general? It’s not like Azriel speaks much about it.”

After taking another sip, Naexi answered.

“Honestly, it’s a bit lonely. You always pretend to be someone you’re not, so eventually it's hard to make a difference between the character and yourself.” Naexi shrugged. “But I tend to just bury myself in work. Then there isn’t really a problem. But also there’s not really much of a social life outside of work, which can suck.”

“I can relate to hiding from your problems, even if I’ve never had to be a spy.” Nesta hummed. “But that never ends well. I’m speaking from experience.”

Naexi nodded to Nestas words, agreeing with her. She was right, Naexi just didn’t want to deal with it.

“Damn, I almost wish I could just stay here instead.” Naexi half-heartedly joked. She didn’t have that much to return to, and she could learn so much here from legendary people. Not only Nesta, but the whole of Rhysands Inner Circle.

“I might have even welcomed your company- until you started annoying me too much.” Nesta joked back. They both laughed.

This was something Naexi had missed without even realising she wanted it- just sitting with someone you call a friend and laughing. It was pleasant.

All of the sudden, Naexi started feeling those familiar shadows surrounding her. All she had time to say was, “It was nice meeting you Nesta.” before they surrounded her completely and she was back at the round table, together with the rest of the inner circle. Naexi sat in silence until she could finally hear Bryn’s voice.

“Anyone have particularly fun stories to share?”

[shadowhunterssizzy]

HOSAB thoughts

Just finished the book and i have a lot of thoughts so i thought i would post them here:

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SPOILERS AHEAD

-I still believe CC is the most complex world Sarah has ever created. I think the worldbuilding, history and storyline is really complex and well crafted, however, something’s missing for me. I don’t know what it is but it’s not hitting as hard as her other stories, even though is good and well written.

-Bryce is a great character and so is hunt. No complaints there

-Sarah is recycling lines from previous books and changing words and even plot twists. If you’ve read the ending you’ll notice it’s similar to EoS and ACOMAF in a sense. Not saying it’s a bad thing but i got to the ending and i was like:

-Daynight stole the show for me. I love their dynamic so much already.

-While i think CC is her best work in terms of writing and world building i do believe it’s just a recycled version of her previous books with a different touch but i don’t think she’s doing anything new or revolutionary

-The famous ‘’maasverse’’ and crossover: i loved the idea many years before but i did’t like the execution. I don’t think the worlds should mingle together to the point where bryce has to spend part of the next book in Prythian for a number of reasons.. First of all i think the crossover should’ve happened in a final battle where the portals would open (like the avengers).There’s so much stuff happening in Lunathion and the ending with Hunt is concerning. Even if she writes a 2000 page book i still believe it’s unnecesary and i don’t see why bryce would spend half of it in another world with characters that have nothing to do with her story/city. I love the IC to death and i’m happy to see them but this is not what i was expecting.

-I don’t know if she did it to create hype for both CC3 and acotar but i think she’s going to be even messier with the whole ship war in this next book than in azriel’s pov ,and god knows how badly i hope i’m wrong.

-While i think aelin and her gang would appear at some point i still believe it’s unnecesary. I would rather them learning about aelin than sarah bringing her back, the girl needs a rest.

-My last point: I know sarah has been teasing the crossover for years. I know in ACOSF and CC1 we saw a lot of parallels/connections.. however, a part of me wonders if this was truly meant to happen in CC2 or if she was leaving it to CC3 but saw the ship war  and decided to add the last 2 pages in the last minute. I think maybe bryce was meant to end in Hel, and then she changed her mind and went with the crossover... and then you would say: but why if there’s barely any mention of the possible ships in the next acotar books?. Well.... i disagree. We get to see azriel AGAIN. He got a pov and a big entrance in CC2. We get the famous bread and roses line and then the brycehunt pov has a similar line to the end of azriel’s pov with gwyn.. so idk what to tell you but i don’t think she wrote this randomly and thinking oh, nobody would notice this. I think the last part of HOSAB and that exclusive pov were like the end of azriel’s pov over and over again and you can’t change my mind.

And now i’m scared for CC3 because i have a feeling i won’t get what i want in that book. At all.