#this reads like a clickbait article at first 😂

[acourtofthought]

Did you catch the latest podcast with Steph and Ava? They absolutely crack me up! The biggest takeaway for me? They both agree that Azriel's book is next. Meanwhile, the Elriels are being suspiciously quiet about it. But hey, a clickbait piece or song by Taylor somehow holds more weight, right? 😂

Sure, Steph and Ava could be wrong, but let’s be real—neither of them is losing their minds over some random “articles” or Taylor Swift lyrics. They actually know SJM personally. I mean, whether we like it or not, they have a better insight into her than any of us do. What do you think?

I definitely think they're a lot of fun together and I agree, in terms of credible news sources I would think if there's any insider knowledge to be had, it would be Steph over a random ScreenRant journalist. That her statement "not everything is meant to be taken romantically" was possibly a message to e/riels because of how they read into everything but beyond that I am a bit divided on what Steph and Ava actually know or, what they know versus what they're saying.

To me it means something that Steph was all on the E/riel train even when she and Sarah spoke about the Az bonus chapter, where Sarah told her she was excited for her to read the crumbs she scattered. Then later, they had done an IG Live where it still seemed Steph thought E/riel was a possibility and Sarah's face seemed to fall a bit but just a short time later Steph no longer though E/riel was happening. Something like that does make me wonder if Sarah told Steph that E/riel wasn't going to be a thing because there was a noticeable shift between Lives in who she thought was ending up together.

In terms of them knowing who the next book is about, I'm not sure whether they have insider knowledge. Since Sarah kept the HOFAS crossover a secret from even Josh, it's possible she's also keeping the main pairing of the next book a secret to those around her as well. Steph and Ava do think Az is next but Steph also mentioned she felt HOFAS was needed in order to build Az up to have his own book and that seems a bit odd to me. An ACOTAR series character should not need an entirely different series in order to set him up for his own book since not every ACOTAR reader will read CC. So what happens for those readers, they buy the next ACOTAR book completely confused as to where Az's story came from when they left off with SF? What if those readers only read the series because they were able to check out the books from their local library and they have no idea that his bonus chapter exists? I think the next story has to make sense for readers who stopped at SF and are not aware of any bonus chapters or what happened in CC because despite our immersion into this fandom I don't think the majority of readers are into all things SJM the way we are. A casual reader should not be obligated to read beyond the ACOTAR books in order to pick up the next book in the series and understand what's going on and Az processing a time traveler who took his dagger when starting the next book is a bit of a stretch for where things left off in SF. Especially when CC did not actually leave us with any new and immediate threats for them to deal with. Where we left off in SF was the peace treaty, Koschei, Beron and Spring as immediate concerns (they didn't sound like things that could wait another 6-9 months so Az can first deal with his stuff) and Emerie joked the Illyrians would be in hysterics for decades (an Az storyline) meaning not an immediate concern. When the big bad starts making moves in a Sarah book, things move pretty quickly from there on out. I.e. We learned of Hyberns plans in January and the war occurred in August. I think the TOG series occurred over a year. In SF, we learned of Koschei and the Trove in September / October and SF ended in April. So I'm not sure it makes sense to have an Az book (my guess is you'd need at least 6 - 9 months for a realistic love story if he's ending up with Gwyn) then at least another 6 months for an Elain book and for us to finally see Koschei's defeat. That stretches out the Koschei / Beron plot well beyond her norm.

With that said, maybe Steph does know something but if she did, would she say it? That would be breaking the trust of Sarah and Bloomsbury. Knowing something then saying "but it's just my opinion" still kind of spills the tea if you've been forced to sign an NDA. Usually if people know secrets they avoid the topic entirely. Or maybe Steph knows something but she says the opposite to throw people off so she doesn't reveal secrets. In the podcast she also said that if Az and Elain don't end up together, she doesn't think Lucien and Elain are ending up together but that Lucien still can't have his story until Elain deals with her bond and to me that's a strange thing to say. If Elain isn't ending up with Lucien or Az then who is she sharing a book with? And how would we get an Az book, then an Elain book THEN Sarah tackles Lucien's story? How are we dividing the current plots between the three, all with three different love interests? Ava also said she couldn't remember Elain stabbing the King so again, are they just messing with us or are they just too busy with other stuff to actually dive deep into these books the same way we do? Which is completely understandable, they seem to be extremely busy with everything else they have going on, I'm just not sure how much of what they say should be written as gospel.

With all that said, I do think it's possible for Steph to know something but at the same time I'm not sure that what she's saying is her revealing the information she knows. I think it would cross a line to have insider information then share that insider information on podcasts while saying "it's just my opinion" to cover yourself.

However, she's also mentioned a few times that she tells Sarah not to spoil anything for her so I end up divided on the topic.

[eliteseven]

26. Give us one of your Tav’s secrets!

Serena is kind of an open book 😅

Nevertheless, here are like 2 secrets that may be worthwhile to know:

1. Serena still seeks her father’s approval.

This one is heavy. He’s deceased, and that’s after being a monster to her and her mother pretty much as soon as Serena turned 10 or so. It’s hard bc she remembers bits and pieces of the kinder and more loving father he was, in her childhood. She looked up to him, then. Wanted to be like him. Part of his derision was aimed squarely at her- for not being enough, doing enough. She blames herself for his spiraling, to this day. And I think as much as she blames him, there is some pathetic part of her that seeks his approval. As much as she grows, changes, moves on from his presence in her life…that inner child in her seeks her father’s guidance, his acceptance, his love. And it will probably never go away.

2. Serena has already made arrangements for her will when she passes, and she greatly fears being forgotten.

I don’t think Shadowheart is aware of what Serena’s been up to, but Serena is intimately aware of the fact that her lifespan does not match Shadowheart’s. What fortune she’s made off being a hero of Baldur’s gate is all Shadowheart’s. Everything she owns will be Shadowheart’s. She’s taken to writing secret letters and tucking them away somewhere hidden and safe, all for Shadowheart. I think some part of her just…burns, knowing she’s spent half her life fighting and has maybe 20-30 good years until she’s weak and slower. It sounds like a lot, until she gazes upon the ageless entity that is her life partner and realizes she will miss….everything.

She never got to have that loving nuclear family dynamic, and she gets to have it with Shadowheart. And she spends half that time worrying about how she won’t be there for the rest.

She doesn’t ever show this concern to Shadowheart, of course. She doesn’t want to worry her. She knows Shadowheart will move on- she’s remarkable. Anyone would adore her, want to spend their lives with her. Someone will inevitably take Serena’s place in her heart…but It’s more that…one day, Serena might just be a fond memory for Shadowheart. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but Serena wishes to ensure her lover never wants for anything again, even if she isn’t there to give it to her 🥺

Shadowheart has no idea Serena’s been doing this in secret and will for years while they’re enjoying bliss together.

[acourtofthought]

elucien will prevail

elucien will come home

elucien is the way

do i sound like a cult??? because that how elriels sound, they give such MAGA vibes. 😂

Also, not elriels using a clickbait site to "confirm" elriel haha, their lack of understanding of how media works and what click bait is really explains why they also don't understand genres and tropes, did you look at the site, the site gives "wordpress free trial" our together by college students - they couldn't even get a legit development team to build out the site!

But yes, SJM would relay details of her upcoming release to a random website vs a reputable media outlet, or you know, do what she has always done, post on her social first ... god they are such clowns 😂

The article starts off by saying SJM assured fans ... assured where? If that were true, don't you think everyone in the fandom would've shared that update, but only this random person has that news? Also, the article referred to the next acotar book as an epic conclusion...when there's more books to come - all the red flags of a poorly written article with no real research, are right there ... no citations or actual quotes from Sarah, elriels once again can't read for shit, embarrassing for them to share the article as "proof of elriel" this reads like some Elriel figured out she can submit a random article to a bait site so long as she meets the minimum word requirement 😂

Elriels can believe all the click bait articles they want, it's just going to make it that much more funnier when their ship stays sunk in the bonus and the narrative continues without any mention of elain and Az romantically again...

Sarah's own friend can't stand elriels and I wouldn't put it past her for making fun of them in private 😂

I really cannot understand how they've convinced themselves that a clickbait article written on a site that doesn't even focus on media and book reviews with contradictory information written by a journalist that doesn't seem to actually exist is proof of something but they'll insist Sarah's own friend who did a podcast saying that she doesn't think E/riel is happening and that, not to break their hearts, not everything that's written on page is meant to be taken romantically (my guess this is in direct reference to the Power Point presentation done by an E/riel that Steph said she shared with Sarah and was laughing about). And you're right, the constant refrain of "E/riel is coming home!" each time they think they spot a clue that's not actually a clue does give cult or overly religious "our savior will return!" vibes. Absolutely nothing is proven in regards to who is getting the next book, NOTHING, yet they want to act with their whole chest that there is zero possibility of them being wrong though the bonus ended with Elain returning Az's necklace and him giving it to another female. With the bonus telling us his shadows disappear around Elain but are playful towards Gwyn. With SF showing zero interactions between Az and Elain after Solstice but with Az showing admiration and encouragement for Gwyn. With the fact that Sarah really hammered home the concept of mating bonds in a world that has completely different creatures from the fae indicating it's a trope she really likes. I don't know, I've just never known anyone to have that sort of overinflated confidence and not set themselves up for being proven wrong.