#with Feyre i definitely don't understand why or how though

[extremely-judgemental]

Why is every male character smitten by the female lead in every one of SJM's books? First Feyre. Then Bryce.

People can just be friends and not want anything more. Does she know? It's as if she can't show her characters are likeable and make the readers like them without telling how much men are simping for them.

[violetasteracademic]

Power and Possibilities

Elriel Month: Theory Post

This week's @elriel-month theme is the perfect time to put together the evidence I have for a pretty popular theory (and one I definitely share) that Elain and Azriel could potentially have a carranam bond. While I'm unsure if it is carranam exactly, I am most interested in the fact that there is evidence of power sharing amongst all of the major mated couples (including Feysand and Nessian, which no one ever talks about!) so let's break it down.

*Multiverse spoilers ahead*

Of course we know Rowan and Aelin are the OG carranam and power-sharers. I have already made a post on the parallel language between Rowaelin and Elriel and the easter egg of true mates being given to another which you can find here.

We have evidence of Bryce and Hunt being able to share their powers in unique ways. While any raw magic can charge Bryce's "battery", they have a unique experience of being able to blend and give each other their powers through intimacy:

Bryce gives him magical orgasms. Literally. 😂

Now, we all already know Bryce and Hunt share power. And of course we know that Ruhn and Lidia had an incredibly unique experience being able to find each other's minds across oceans and not only be able to communicate without a comm crystal, but physically touch each other in a non corporeal space.

Both the Bryce x Hunt and Ruhn x Lidia scenes are very similar to a Feysand scene that I don't really ever see anyone talking about in terms of power sharing with a mate. But they do it, and this indicates it is a connection that happens on all worlds:

Just like Bryce and Hunt, literal stars began to sweep by them. And just like Ruhn and Lidia, they were able to be together in a space where they shouldn't have bodies. And notice the language: I felt him as his power blended with mine.

Another Feysand power sharing moment is of course when Rhys pours his power into Feyre to restore the Cauldron. In Erilea, that's what we call carranam baby.

The Nessian moment is more subtle, but it is there. And I believe we will see all three couples share or blend power on a larger scale:

When Nesta loses herself to the scrying and begins to literally freeze over, Cassian sends his power and heat into her through his kiss and his siphons. He breaks through the ice by pouring his power into her, and unintentionally warms the entire room. Cassian clearly doesn't have a full understanding of what he did or how he did it yet.

Alright.... now what does this have to do with Elriel?

Well, I think Azriel being the one to discover Elain's powers means more than anyone is giving it credit for (and that's saying something, because it is already being given a LOT of credit in the Elriel community!) I believe that the assessments of scenes reflecting Azriel beginning to understand or notice Elain's powers are deeper than just possibly indication of being mates. I think we'll find he can actually feel her power:

Yes he is seeing her and understanding her. He is listening to her. But these passages are worded in such an interesting way. I believe he can literally feel her. Elain starts having another vision, and that's when he discovers the truth of what is happening to her. @rizzoreads88 , this is my take on what these scenes mean from your most recent tiktok!

Now, is this all just theory and speculation? Absolutely, which is why I labelled it a theory post! But I do think it is interesting that Lucien tried to feel Elain. Tried to reach for her through their bond. And this is what happened:

Elain starts actively having a vision while Lucien is trying to reach her. This is in *direct contrast* to when Azriel is studying her while Elain is having a vision.

Even though Elain is using her powers while Lucien is reaching for her through the bond, he doesn't sense or feel anything except the thread of the bond. And likely, due to his blush, the previous thoughts he had the first time he was around Elain. The mating bond commanding that he touch and taste her. But he does not sense or feel her or her powers which are active in that moment. And he is *unconvinced* trying to reach her again will do any good.

We already know Lucien experiences a call from the mating bond to be physically intimate with Elain, and I actually think he was quite respectful in working through that and trying to see past it. However, even while reaching through their "bridge" he could not sense or feel her power while it was active. He didn't feel anything other than the call to be intimate. Whereas all other endgame couples have both.

Elain has already shown her ability to wield Azriel's shadows when she travelled through them and stepped out of them to stab the King of Hybern in the neck. (I do not believe that is a theory, I think that is quite clear. There is no other explanation for how she got across a freaking battlefield by herself in a dress to save her sister at exactly the right time.) Yes, Nesta uses Truth-Teller to remove the king's head, but Elain uses Truth-Teller's power.

Azriel discovers and understands Elain's power.

And yeah, they wanna bang. Do I even need to reiterate that through text grabs?

I can't wait to see how this all unfolds. I truly hope that with Az and Elain already paralleling Rowan and Aelin in so many ways, (Rowan and Aelin sealed their carranam bonds and began sharing power before the reveal that they were true mates and Maeve interfered with fate) they will be the couple that we really get to see power sharing play out with in a meaningful way.

I need their book so bad. It physically hurts.

[fourteentrout]

ACOTAR Rant

When I first read acowar, I was really fascinated by Feyre's choice to destroy spring from the inside. I was kind of like okay facts you go girl, I've never seen a fmc motivated purely by revenge before, and it was really interesting to read, and I kind of liked how drama it was. But as I've read the series and immersed myself more in the fandom, rereading some of the scenes genuinely makes my blood boil.

The fact that feyre tells Lucien she wasn't ready to be touched "like that" when he asks her if she and Tamlin have had sex yet is like low-key an implication that she's been sexually abused in the night court??? Which I never picked up on in my first read like I got that she was going for this whole pretend-freed-captive vibe to get back into Tamlin's court, but it never really stuck out to me that she, whose mate spent 49 years at the sexual beck and call of someone he didn't want to be with, who likely forced herself upon him time and time again, was pretending to be a victim of sexual abuse.

And THEN she encounters LUCIEN being sexually harassed (by someone hed been essentially magically bound to fucking in the Great Rite mind you) and she's content to just...not apologize for literally feigning past rape??

And don't even get me started on the scene where she basically goads Tamlin into another magical outburst and intentionally makes sure she gets hurt by it when she had (to her knowledge) the ability to protect herself (from something that she directly and intentionally caused!!)

Like yes shes the one who got hurt but is it really abuse on his part if she knowingly pushed his buttons so that he would lose control? It's his job to have control over himself in the first place, yes, but if she's taking calculated steps to get him in a place where she knew his magic would act up, are his actions entirely abusive?

Not to mention that afterwards he was literally like praying to the mother and confessing to ianthe in hopes that some divine stroke of forgiveness would be granted while feyre was like mind sexting Rhys (and also Rhys was like rah I could rip out his throat for laying a hand on you and she was like well he didn't even touch me, his MAGIC touched me, and Rhys is like haha glad u still find humor in this babe, like my brother in Christ she KNOWINGLY CAUSED TAMLIN'S REACTION?? She got the result she wanted??? Why do you want Tamlin dead for something that is benefitting Feyre's revenge plan?)

Ugh point being there are so many things that upon reread I'm like oh this is actually like majorly wack. And it does make sense though for feyre to be acting this way because she's!! A 20 year old girl!! Who has just endured something majorly traumatic!! And was never raised in an environment that taught true maturity anyways!!! She has been in survival mode her entire life, so when someone comes along and says hey, Tamlin actually was shitty the whole time and here's why (while literally changing some of the original narrative), it's understandable that she would be like huh. Yeah. I gotta do something about that. And it's definitely understandable that her methods would be absolutely set on destroying people's lives, because she felt that in that period of time HER life was destroyed, and she was so blinded by her need to share that pain that she kind of forgot that people were people.

[acotarfrustrations]

An ongoing list of ACOWAR grievances I'm keeping track of while I read (because there's too many to make a post about all of them) pt. 2

I'm on chapter 15 now and feeling the urge to complain again so here we go

1) the writing is way too overdramaticized. Like every other paragraph is some remixed version of feyre going "I wondered whether it would be eggs or bacon for breakfast. But when I looked at Rhys I realized that he was giving me my own choice. My mate, my high lord. In our home. With our family. Every thing was always my choice" and its CONSTANT, LIKE OH MY GOD GIRL SHUT UP

2) every thing about Lucien's plotlineand the elain mating thing. I HATE this subplot with a PASSION

3) feyre immediately fucking rhys when she got back instead of going to see her sisters

4) feyre and rhysand acting like they've ben separated for forty centuries instead of a month

5) the contradictions about how the high lord thing works. Like it was established that its a government position given to you through basically fate and being chosen by the cauldron or whatever which is why siblings kill each other for a chance for the throne and yet they just went to a priestess and swore feyre in as high lady?? It makes her title not feel real like it's purely ceremonial. It doesn't even make sense that she would be able to be HL of the night court as she has no more ties to that court than she does any other court. Is it because she's mated to Rhys? I don't understand the HL lord at all, it just keeps changing

6) the fact that Feyre, Rhys, and Cassian tell Lucien about their tragic backstories and everything that's happened to feyre at the NC and he just immediately does a Feyre™️. Like he's suddenly "Oh yeah you had a horrible childhood and took feyre into your found family without letting her explore relationships outside of the IC, that totally makes up for all the evil shit THAT IVE SEEN YOU DO WITH MY OWN 2 EYES. wow i cant believe youre not evil even though you killed 50 winter court children and sexually assaulted your mate and mind raped her constantly to get her to like you"

7) the way they're treating Nesta. It has been a MONTH since she was stolen from her home, brought amongst a race that she is terrified of and THAT ENSLAVED HER PEOPLE, and was forcefully turned into ONE OF THEM and the IC is acting like she's being unreasonable for not wanting to talk to them or to mate with Cassian. WHY THE HELL WOULD SHE EVEN BE THINKING ABOUT CASSIAN RIGHT NOW?? WHY THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO FEEL BAD FOR HIM? Instead of him worrying about how his mate is doing regardless of his own comfort he's like WOE IS ME, SHE DOESNT WANT TO FUCK ME?????? GET OVER IT ASSHOLE?? WHY IS FEYRE EVEN LETTING CASSIAN COME NEAR HER AND ANTAGONIZE HER?? DOESNT SHE LOVE TO FLAUNT HER HL STATUS AROUND?? THIS IS THE TIME TO USE IT, PROTECT YOUR GODDAMN SISTER FROM HIM? ITS SO OBVIOUS THAT SHE DOESNT GIVE NEARLY AS MUCH OF A SHIT ABOUT NESTA AS SHE DOES ELAIN!!

8) the fact that sjm didn't keep cassian's wings shredded. Him learning to live with that would have been a badass character development but now sjm doesn't want me to have good things

9) the mating bond in general. I think it could be a potentially good plot device but no one ever employs it well and sjm is definitely the most egregious with it

10) the fact that the ic never gave consequences for their fucking actions. Feyre dies in acotar? Turn her into a fey and give her ALL of their powers. Stealing a precious artifact that they didn't even end up needing and getting a bounty on their head in the summer court and then getting that court invaded? That's fine because feyre is SOOO brave and says things that are common fucking sense which makes her SOOOO smart so we obviously need her as an ally so we'll just rescind the blood rubies. Getting the spring court sacked? That's fine we didn't like them anyway. Rhys and feyre's bond gets snapped? Well they didn't know about our super secret mating bond that is actually the only thing that gives our characters chemistry so we still like each other. Rhys causes irreparable damage to every court for 50 years and kills 50 kids? Well that's fine he was being held hostage and hey! We don't know he actually killed those kids 😡 Feyre, a 20 year old girl who's been fae for like 6 months and training for even less goes up against thousands of years old beings? She beats them effortlesslessly! Rhys gets sexually assaulted for 50 years! Well he planned all of it so it has no negative consequences on him. Cassian gets his wings shredded? Well he worked really hard and they're fixed now 🥰. Rhys FUCKING DIES?? Well that's no problem, tamlin can just resurrect him, nvm the fact that there's no reason why he WOULD. like no harrowing situation is ever interesting cause we all know sjm isn't actually going to do anything to the ic

11) "my mate" STOP SAYING IT PLS IM BEGGING

12) "males and females" STOP SAYING IT PLS IM BEGGING pt. 2

[acourtofthought]

Post inspired by a conversation had with @acourtdelaluna

To this day there are readers who still insist Bryce and Hunt are not true mates because they don't feel the authenticity of their mating bond the same way they feel for Feysands.

To this day there are readers who still don't think Nesta and Cassian should stay together because they don't feel he acts the way a mated male should, that after their bond snapped he still puts Rhys first at times.

Readers have come to expect a mated male to behave the way Rhys did for Feyre, where he puts her above all else (even his court) and the only one who could really offer that to Elain is Lucien.

Az like Cassian reports to Rhys, has to defer to Rhys. Azriel is now extremely close to Nesta. So what happens when Nesta is upset with Elain, what happens when she's upset over something Elain said or is setting out to do? Where will Az's true loyalties lie? We already saw how he agreed with Nesta in SF when she said she didn't want Elain near the trove. What happens when Az is torn between Elain and Rhys, are we going to see him side with Rhys the way we at times saw Cassian side with Rhys? He already chose to avoid Elain for 5+ months at Rhys's command, never choosing to explain to Elain why he called her a mistake on Solstice.

I'm not even mad at Cassian for siding with Rhys at times, I understand why he did but I don't think it can be denied that it becomes complicated when loyalties are divided between a love interest and High Lord, a love interest and a friend and I imagine we'd definitely see some of that if E/riel were to happen and Az was worried about upsetting Nesta and Elain, not entirely sure how to appeal to both. You wouldn't have that with Az and Gwyn because Nesta adores Gwyn, thinks that she is good at everything, encourages her to do more in a way she never has with Elain. Nesta is one of Gwyn's biggest cheerleaders and we already saw Az believing in her in SF so there's less chance that we'd see conflict between the three of them.

Elain and Lucien is the most Feysand like setup we've seen since Feysand though.

Lucien hadn't even officially met Elain yet he was willing to leave his home in the Spring Court to find her.

He hadn't even met Elain yet he was willing to ingore the orders Rhys and Feyre gave him about not going to the library or speaking with her.

"If you require a book from the library, you will ask the servants. If you wish to speak to Elain, you will also ask the servants who will ask us. If you disregard those rules, I'll lock you in a room with Amren."

Lucien has shown that he's not afraid to defy Rhys and Feyre's orders, to talk back to Nesta as he did when she told him to get a book and get out but instead did not get a book (a subtle defiance) and said, "she needs fresh air." To which Nesta replied, "We'll judge what she needs." and he said, "Take her to the sea. Take her to some garden. But get her out of this house for an hour or two." He did not let Nesta's wrath stand in the way of delivering the message he wanted to deliver for Elain's well being.

When it comes to Elain, nobody is more important to Lucien than Elain. He is willing to go against rules for her (we saw it as early as ACOMAF when he broke free of Hyberns shackles to go to her side), he isn't concerned with playing nice with Nesta over her, he won't have to bow down to the orders of another HL over her.

Rhys never had to worry about loyalties when it came to Feyre and that's why their story launched the ACOTAR series way out into orbit as Sarah's most popular.

Elain and Lucien's setup already mimics that (the MMC putting her happiness above all else even if it means she'd be happier with another and his loyalty belonging to her and only her), and their love story could be the best we've had since ACOMAF.

[offtorivendell]

Elain's engagement ring may be Made; a theory 💍

Does it mean she is a witch? What about Nesta?

🌸 Elain Archeron Week 2023, Day 1 - Seer/Powers 

Please don't screenshot or share this post without credit. 

Disclaimer: this theory is a bit all over the shop, sort of like my life right now. The textual evidence might be a bit sparser than usual, sorry. 🫠 

Spoilers: the ACOTAR, CC and TOG series to date (2023). 

This theory probably wouldn't exist without the lovely @123moiaussi, who messaged me after I posted this theory suggesting that Elain may have Made the necklace that Azriel gave her on Winter Solstice in ACOSF. She wondered if Elain had possibly Made her engagement ring, in addition to/instead of her necklace - which is a solid theory and could definitely still pan out! - but a little later I had a thought; what if the Cauldron already Made Elain's engagement ring when she became High Fae?

She was wearing it when she went in, so why not? 

It would then parallel other Cauldron Made items, such as Gwydion - and very likely Truth-Teller, if it is fully confirmed to be Made in a future book - which was dipped into the Cauldron by the High Priestess Oleanna. Metal (and pearl) goes into the Cauldron (in this case iron, not meteorite, which could always make a difference in how it reacts to the Void within) and, hypothetically, comes out imbued with the Cauldron's own magic. 

Elain's refusal to give the pearl and iron ring back to Graysen then makes a lot of sense in this new context, beyond her understandably grieving the end of their relationship - could a human even hold it and survive? - as she may hear it calling to her, singing to its kin, as I often wonder if she hears Truth-Teller, and possibly even Azriel's "beautiful" siphons (as Bryce from CC hears a certain sword, one of many parallels that exist between the two). 

Rhys winked at her. Feyre rolled her eyes. But then she said to Nesta, “Elain will need time to dust off her powers to try to See the Trove. But you, Nesta … You could scry again.” Rhys added, “As swiftly as possible. Time is not our ally.” - ACOSF, chapter 21

When Rhys spoke of Elain needing time* to "dust off" her powers, it sounds like he's referring to an item. Her ring? What might it do? And how? 

* As an aside, the wording in this passage is strange. "Time is not our ally" made me look twice this time around. Could Rhys unknowingly be referring to a god of time, similar to Chronos or Aion? From whom Elain may need help with her powers? Both are associated with cyclical time, which brings me straight back to my theory that Elain may need to collect the Ouroboros from the Bone Carver's Prison cell to Look further than she has before, or to even use it as a portal. 

There's no confirmation that Elain still wears her old engagement ring either way, at least not since Feyre remarked on it in ACOWAR. Has Elain put it away somewhere safe, possibly not knowing that she is drawn to it, finding herself unable to part with it even though she has moved on from Graysen by ACOSF, as demonstrated by the following quote: 

Elain cocked her head. Didn’t dissolve into the crying mess she usually became when Graysen came up. - ACOSF, chapter 17 

Or has the hypothetically Made ring glamoured itself such that it is forgotten, as Made items are able to do, and that's why nobody has mentioned it in two books even though she still wears it? But I digress; if it is now a Made item, what might Elain's engagement ring be able to do?

Trove of Dreams 

I mentioned earlier that I have previously theorised that Elain could have Made her rose necklace on that emotionally tumultuous winter solstice night in ACOSF, a book in which Nesta Made her own trio of weapons: sword, greatsword and dagger. Now of course, there is still the distinct possibility that her necklace will go the way of Cassian's Sidra-bound ACOFAS solstice gift to Nesta and barely rate a mention in the next book, but there's also a chance that it's Made (or even came to her with powers already instilled in it, like the knives and necklaces that exist in the catacombs under the Hewn City). 

So, to mirror Nesta's Trove of Nightmares, what if Elain will Make a Trove of Dreams? What would such a trove even entail? A rose necklace, possibly a pearl engagement ring*, and another item or two that she'll Make in her own book? Such as:

A staff, to parallel Iris, the messenger of the gods (and provide defence if required).

A ring of light, possibly acting as an external power source or for protection against vengeful Beings; perhaps, as @ladynightcourt reminded me, like Silba's ring protected against the Valg in TOG? Rhys did say that females preferred gold or silver to iron. Maybe that offhand remark contained some hidden depth.

A cuff, spindle, or something else entirely? I'm eyeing her baked goods, ear plugs and possibly some homegrown medicinal powders...

* There's a good chance that a ring Made by being dipped into the Cauldron will be a little different than one Made directly by an elemental faerie, so it may not count as part of Elain's own trove. 

Many of us suspect that Elain will search for the illusive fourth part of the Dread Trove, the item that Lanthys showed to Nesta as a bit of age worn bone, half shrouded in shadows. Could pearl be mistaken for age worn bone? Unlikely, but worth a mention. I do think it's tricky, though, as there are multiple ancient Troves appearing, and the Dread Trove is only one of them. Gwydion (aka the Starsword), Truth-Teller and possibly Narben seem to be another trove, though maybe not Made in quite the same way as the Dread Trove (ie. dipped in the Cauldron vs imbued with power by a more elemental faerie). 

Protection 

We all know that I suspect Koschei* might have used the Cauldron to give Elain a bonus mate bond after orchestrating with Jurian to shoot Azriel with a poisoned ash arrow. And we know that the Cauldron has a dark maker, who made the Book of Breathings. Could there be a light maker, and is this hypothetical being working for or against Koschei? Are they the Mother (and maybe Urd)? 

* I really think that Koschei could need Azriel out of the way, and needs Elain as a stand in for the Mother, or someone else important, somehow, in order to work some massive spell. 

Could they have gifted Elain her Sight, or any other powers, and even put a little something special in her engagement ring. Something that would provide protection*, as Silba's ring did against the Valg in Erilea? The latter is less likely for an iron ring, but still plausible. 

I've said before that I'd love to see the Archeron sisters create their own version of Midgard's Archesian Amulets, with one ring made from each of their magics to protect their loved ones and hide them from danger, and that still stands. This post goes into more about the rose necklace providing protection, if you're interested. 

* Unless Koschei, or whoever orchestrated the Making of Elain and Nesta, stored something they needed to access in the ring instead, to free it from the Cauldron's grasp and make it available to them? 

Witchcraft

One of the first thoughts that came to me almost two years ago, upon wondering what purpose a Made ring would serve Elain, was the possibility that it could be a focus for her power, something to tether or ground her while she was wandering the murky realm. This is backed up by the witches' use of iron throughout the TOG series, which @wingedblooms has discussed in many of her witchy posts, and I'll mention a little later on.

Could the pearl ring be Elain's focus, and ground her? Or might it function as a siphon or invoking stone does? Given she rubs the ring, I wouldn't be surprised if it helped her focus her being, or control her magic. 

Some witches in ACOTAR are said to be able to amass powers beyond their natural capacity. 

Nesta drifted toward the desk, the maps atop it. “What is the difference,” she asked none of us in particular, “between a faerie and a witch?” “Witches amass power beyond their natural reserve,” Mor answered with sudden seriousness. “They use spells and archaic tools to harness more power to them than the Cauldron allotted—and use it for whatever they desire, good or ill.” Elain silently surveyed the tent, head tipping back. - ACOWAR, chapter 51

Could the ring "harness" her to an external reserve of powers? 

Could this reserve of powers even be the Cauldron itself? 

Could the ring provide Elain a living bond to the Cauldron, such as the one Feyre had while she touched it during the battle in ACOWAR, when she witnessed Elain assassinate the King of Hybern? 

Iron 

In SJM's TOG series, we witnessed iron's ability to both block someone's access to their own magic and provide a grounding point to the witches, who might have otherwise been pulled away from their world. The leader, it was said, was so powerful that she required iron and pain to tether her to their realm. In the same passage, we learnt that pain was a gateway to the divine, which I have theorised may be behind Elain's glove-free gardening habits. 

Legend had it that all witches had been gifted by the Three-Faced Goddess with iron teeth and nails to keep them anchored to this world when magic threatened to pull them away. The iron crown, supposedly, was proof that the magic in the Blueblood line ran so strong that their leader needed more—needed iron and pain—to keep her tethered in this realm. Nonsense. Especially when magic had been gone these past ten years. But Manon had heard rumors of the rituals the Bluebloods did in their forests and caves, rituals in which pain was the gateway to magic, to opening their senses. Oracles, mystics, zealots. - HOF, chapter 12

In Seers, Blindfolds and Bloodbane, I posited that Elain - like the Seers in Erilea once did - may be able to open portals to See spirits from other worlds by imbibing in certain hallucinogens (possibly with experiencing pain), and we know from Feyre that witchberries exist in the Spring Court (ACOTAR). Witches, who in HOF were associated with Oracles, mystics and zealots. Elain is 2/3 of those so far, and being the only sister to take an interest in faerie religious customs, she's possibly closing in on the third. But I'm getting off track. If Elain - whose powers have been linked to the same void/murky realm as Azriel's, through which Bryce was yanked to Prythian - has witch-like abilities, then surely she will need something to keep her grounded in her body in Prythian while she traverses the murky realm, searching for visions and possibly help. Especially if Truth-Teller helps her to go further than before, breaking through mist and shadow. 

Could the iron engagement ring keep Elain tethered to the realm in which her body/Prythian exists, when her waking dreams threaten to pull her away into the murky realm? Was this why Elain was constantly fiddling with it in ACOWAR, before she learnt how to block her visions with light? 

Tharion eyed the bare-bones wooden hallway as he and Flynn strode down the worn planks, aiming for a round door at its far end. It looked like the entry to a vault, solid iron that didn’t reflect the dim firstlights. They’d been halted at the first door by the Viper Queen’s guards. Flynn had snarled at them, but the males had ignored him, their drug-hazed eyes unblinking as they radioed their leader. That Tharion knew of this door at all told her guards he was important enough to warrant a call. - HOSAB, chapter 64

In CC2/HOSAB, we learnt that the Viper Queen had a vault made from solid iron, guarded by males with "drug-hazed eyes"... which sounds too much like a coincidence to actually be one. However, the more relevant point to note here is that the solid iron didn't reflect the dim firstlight (donation of a faerie's soul magic made when taking The Drop). Does this mean that iron absorbs firstlight/magic, rather than reflecting it? Is this how iron functioned to block magic wielders in TOG from accessing their magic when worn? 

Could an iron ring function to absorb and hold a charge of power, like the one Prythian witches were known to create?

Following on, we know the Cauldron is made from a dark iron, and it very likely contains the Void. The Book of Breathings considers the Cauldron to be its home. Additionally, Elain fiddled with her pearl and iron ring* constantly in ACOWAR (I've wondered if it was singing out to her, but maybe it has more than one purpose). Does the ring now see the Cauldron as its home, too? Would Elain, and maybe Nesta? 

* Azriel's shadows have been described as "rings of darkness" around his fingers, which could tie him into this plot? 

In addition to potentially providing a living bond to the Cauldron as I mentioned above - and wouldn't it be absolute crazy if the ring itself was somehow made from the same iron source as the Cauldron, only passed down through human lines rather than Fae - what if Elain's iron ring is a backdoor of sorts that she can use to channel or even control it? Conduits are an increasingly common theme among SJM's work - and I've been harping on for years now that Elain's Sight might be due to her ability to act as a conduit for at least one god/goddess. 

If Elain's engagement ring did come from the same iron source as the Cauldron itself, could it act like the One Ring in The Lord of the Rings, controlling the other Cauldron-Made items? 

In addition to (hypothetically) allowing Elain to become a conduit for the Void inside the Cauldron, what if Elain's iron ring being Made permitted her to track it easily? "Like calls to like," Made objects Singing to their kin and all that. This could make it a possible target for theft. 

Circling back to iron's ability to both dampen magic and ground witches in TOG, I wonder if both stem from the same function; ie. that the grounding of witches in their physical realm is done by dampening their specific type of magic, or their access to it. And considering ACOTAR, where the humans have believed - falsely, apparently - for centuries that iron will protect against the Fae… maybe this was intentionally spread misinformation, and done to convince humans to wear iron in order to block their magic. That would achieve an easier to control populace, all thanks to a little lie. This would mean that - if @wingedblooms, @silverlinedeyes and I are right about the Archeron sisters being descended, albeit distantly, from the Starborn fae - Nesta* and Elain were actually being contained by wearing their iron bracelets. I wonder what effect, if any, that may have had on their mental wellbeing? It could explain why Feyre was considered wild, even. 

Could this mean that Elain's ring functions as a tether because it dampens her ability to access the murky realm? 

Alternatively, does the iron ring contain the power that the pearl may have absorbed from the Cauldron's endless Void? 

Another absolutely cracked theory is that it turns Elain into a walking embodiment of the Cauldron when she accesses the murky realm while wearing the ring, when she is physically contained by the iron. Void inside iron, like the Cauldron. 

* Nesta having a Trove of Nightmares should count as an amassed external power source, imo, which also fits the definition of witch. 

Pearl

Pearls are said to be associated with water, the moon, healing, honesty and integrity. Apparently they are also useful to centre and calm one's self. 

This makes them sound perfect for use in a magical object that is used to ground or tether a Seer while she sails the Void. 

Mother of Pearl (which isn't included in Elain's engagement ring, but is worth a mention) is even said to have protective properties, and be able to heighten intuition and psychic sensitivity. 

Due to their ties to the moon and moon magic, pearls are said to be both a representation of the moon and linked to Selene and Luna - goddesses that embody the full moon. Apparently they can be made into pearl essences, and can be charged with intent. 

Her gaze shifted to the carved wooden rose she'd placed upon the mantel, half-hidden in the shadows beside a figurine of a supple-bodied female, her upraised arms clasping a full moon between them. Some sort of primal goddess-perhaps even the Mother herself. Nesta hadn't let herself dwell on why she'd felt the need to set the rose there. Why she hadn't just thrown it in a drawer. - ACOSF 

This sounds like a certain effigy next to which Nesta placed the dark wooden rose that Papa Archeron carved for Elain. 

The name Selene is linked with Helena, which is a derivative of Elain. 

Charged with intent sounds almost exactly like an object being Made. I am desperate to know what Elain experiencedbin the Cauldron, as that may affect the essence that the pearl hypothetically took on. 

Pearls are said to be appropriate offerings to spirits, goddesses, and the sea. 

"What are you looking at?" I asked Elain, keeping my voice soft. Casual. Her face was wan, her lips bloodless. But they moved barely-as she said, "I can see so very far now. All the way to the sea." - ACOWAR 

We know from Amren that Narben was thrown into the sea; maybe a trade will be necessary. 

Pearls are said to be useful with transformation magic and associated with wisdom. 

I hope we can all remember this brilliant post by @wingedblooms, and note the evidence that suggests Elain may shift. 

Mor said, back in ACOWAR, that Elain was wise. 

Pearls are sacred to Aphrodite, and can be used in love magic. 

Sounds appropriate for someone who may or may not end up Making her own mating bond. 

There are a lot of possible uses for a magical ring, whether or not it is Cauldron Made, and I can't wait to see what happens with it!

Thanks for reading!

@elainarcheronweek

[lovemyromance]

you post about a lot of acotar stuff especially couples and ships, does people shipping mor and emerie give you the same ick as elain x lucien and az x gwyn, like it’s totally random not text based and power imbalanced like sometimes the people who say that are fine like it’s a crackship and cute and that’s fine but some, coincidentally, elucien’s or gwynriel’s, ship more and emerie, even eris and nesta like they’re trying to ship off all the valkyries to the ic except nesta and it’s just a weird thing to blog about and it don’t surprise me some of them were tamlin and beron even amarantha apologists i think most of them have a ‘post, delete, post, delete’ mentality so they can’t be called out but they definitely posted it just because you deleted it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist and it’s just weird side of this fandom lol i just wanted to know your thoughts because i don’t think i’m the only one who’s weirded out by that stuff

lol I'm weirded out by a lot of stuff in this fandom. I don't engage because I'm not interested in starting fights with people, and frankly don't have the time for that.

It just confuses me, more so, because why are people reading these books if they're so critical of the way SJM writes? They're acting like this is real life and not a fictional story.

I haven't seen any Beron or Amarantha apologists but thank god because I would have to go scream into my pillow if I saw that 😭

I actually was never a huge Tamlin hater, yes what he did was a mistake, but I didn't see it as pure "evil" like some people in the fandom. I don't understand the apologists that insist on a redemption arc though. Like I thought him giving Rhys a kernel of life was his redemption? Idk.

What I really really don't understand is IC/Rhys hatred. Like what the fuck? Where did this come from? Is this coming from just ACOSF and insane Nesta stans?

I love Nesta, don't get me wrong. She's the character I relate to the most. The second I learned in ACOTAR that she went after Feyre to the wall, I knew they could never make me hate her. But you can like Nesta & Rhys at the same time? That's actually the intention of the books? For you to like multiple characters?

It's honestly so crazy how people have gone absolutely insane in this fandom, taking sides like it's real life or something.

As for the shipping thing - people can ship whoever they want but they have to remember it's just that. It's not canon just because they want it to be. It's insane how many people are shipping Mor x Emerie, Jurian x Vassa, Lucien x Vassa, Gwyn x Azriel, Eris x Nesta - when we know jack shit about them. And it's not just that they're shipping them, it's trying to claim this is what is going to happen for sure.

It's crazy. I don't understand why people are reading these books if they just are inventing different versions of the plot and storyline and characters in their heads.

[colorlesschristmastree]

I hope I’m not being annoying but I just really need to rant about my hope that SJM puts feyre in a more prominent role in the next ACOTAR book. I thought her page time was a bit disappointing but not terrible in ACOSF (I mean, ideally I want her on every page. But seeing as that book was all Nesta Nesta Nesta and hardly any Cassian even…and with how bad a book it was, I’m fine with her staying away from whatever that was). But I was heartbroken over the fact she wasn’t in HOFAS at all!? After SJM teased her being there!? I mean, I get it wasn’t a big crossover and Nesta and Azriel were the highlights. But I can’t help but feel embarrassingly bitter that Nesta was highlighted so much in ACOWAR to the point it took away a bit from Feyre’s finale; Nesta was also the topic of conversation in ACOFAS and was at least a quarter of what Feyre-and other characters-were thinking about the whole book. Then the whole of ACOSF she had a terrible arc and her head is a nasty place to be, she was horrible to feyre the whole book and had that cheap ass lame ass “savior” moment at the end… I thought we could finally be free of her and see Elain shine, and get more Feyre. But then SJM put Nesta at the center of the crossover too?? And ended it by seemingly giving Nesta even more plot for her to do next ACOTAR book??? Ugh! I’m just so mad and I feel embarrassed complaining about my favs getting less page time and someone I hate getting too much spotlight but I’m just so mad. I really sincerely hope that while they were doing the crossover in HOFAS, Feyre, Elain, and maybe even Mor were doing other things that we will see in ACOTAR. And I hope feyre gets the respect she deserves. :/

You're not being annoying at all anon! Sorry for responding to this so late. I completely understand your frustrations. It was definitely annoying when I read bits of hofas and saw that despite SJM teasing a lot more acotar character content and acting like there would be more than there is there really wasn't much at all and everything we got was boring as shit. I feel like the way she presented this book and what we got were two very different things.

I definitely agree that the amount Nesta's character is being shoved down peoples throats is getting obnoxious at this point. She got her spin off book and her little story and I really don't think she needs more. Tbh though I wouldn't be too stressed about it since SJM in recent books can't follow through on a plot to save her own life. So many things brought up in CC1 and CC2 that either went absolutely nowhere or just were lightly touched on but didn't have the important it seemed like they would. So I honestly doubt the end of hofas is going to become as massive as we think it is, more likely than not the resolution to that is going to come from a pages long info dumping session where we find out the why but it doesn't actually get it's own plot and story... I mean that's basically how 90% of the mysteries established in the prior two CC books and a bit in ACOSF were handled in HOFAS. I honestly predict the same for the next acotar book lmao.

I also super desperately miss Feyre.. she's the main character and the heart of the acotar series and honestly such a comfort! I wouldn't worry too much though babe, I mean the crossover was basically worthless and just info dumping, I'm glad Feyre wasn't involved in that mess. I still think Elain's book is going to be next and I'm excited for that, Nesta will have a role and that's whatever ig but I'm not going to let a boring character whose book was bad ruin my enjoyment of Elain's book.

The main acotar series where Feyre was still our narrator and protagonist will always be the best in my eyes and these are just spin off books that let us see her sisters stories and they aren't gonna dampen my love for the main series. I'm actually doing a reread of the main series right now with the discord server and we're just raving about how much we adore Feyre and her pov. I love how plot filled these books are, every scene and page actually feels important and contributes to the overarching plot of the book and there are no massive scenes of unnecessary info dumping like certain.. other books.

Love u nonnie and every SJM book that strays from Feyre's holy light is progressively worse written which just says something about our girls story.

[treadsuren]

Rhys states that the bond can’t be broken and it would always trail them no matter what, which is DEPRESSING, so I really don’t think E*riel would happen. But even if Elain is like fully an idiot (which she isn’t I hope we can all agree), she could definitely reject Lucien and yet she doesn’t. Also, I really don’t understand the political reasoning. It was Azriel who started talking about blood duels, not Lucien. Lucien already respects Elain’s decisions and doesn’t bother her, as per her request. Also Lucien is exiled from the Autumn Court. I really doubt Beron would pick a fight with the strongest court and the strongest high lord over LUCIEN. Like let’s be real here. I think Rhys is more scared of Lucien as an individual than Lucien as part of the Autumn Court. Lucien is privy to a lot of the NC’s secrets, he works for them, he is aware of their agenda and their missions. He is also the unclaimed son of Rhys’s strongest ally, Helion, which I don’t think Azriel is aware of. I think Rhys definitely feels a responsibility to not mess with Lucien too much because he is a great political asset, he is also a high lord’s only son and he definitely sees that Lucien is doing the most to respect Elain’s wishes. I assume Rhys can relate since he almost let Tamlin marry Feyre. So yeah, I really don’t understand where all these arguments come from lmao

(Damn this was long sorry about that)

Thanks for message. So far I haven't read any convincing theories as to why Elain doesn't reject the bond and only until we have her POV will we know. If we assume that it is something political, how is it that making public glances and almost kissing Azriel is a good strategy, how is it that giving gifts to Azriel is good and sitting as far away from Lucien and barely speaking to him as possible is a good tactic to keep him to your political side. Telling me that she does not know that a bond can be rejected is absurd since if she supposedly "loves" Azriel so much, why not look for ways to be with him and that no one in the entire inner circle seeing her "discomfort" with Lucien has approached her and suggested rejecting it. The great "forbidden love" that the Elriels like so much, if we look at the facts, the one who is most against the Elriel ship is Elain herself. We will see in the path that Sarah reveals to us. If you ask me, there is a greater chance that Lucien will reject the bond. For Lucien, pursuing a woman who constantly rejects him is not going with him and this is becoming too painful for him. Even though he is a centenarian, I don't think he can endure 10 more years in a situation that makes him feel so miserable.

[elainsweetcobalt]

Hi, I saw that a court of thought answered this anon and I am sure that she is talking about you... fyi

"I saw your back and forth with one of the nastiest El/riels in the fandom and I wish I could have saved you from the effort to talking to a wall. I'm not surprised to see her reputation continues to set the way for her and her friends. Her phrasing and condescending "sweet girl" attitude is super easy to put together, she is fooling no one. She is also OBSESSED with some of the big Gwynriels in the fandom.

My suggestion block her, and while you can't stop them from using burner accounts, if they go through the effort of stalking you, says more about them at the end of the day.

I can't believe we have to remind people these are fictional characters, shipping characters should be fun and lighthearted. Someone shipping another potential couple is not life and death and it gives nobody the right to behave like a scorned lover out for blood and revenge.

Elain IS NOT REAL. What she thinks she is feeling is a projection of her own limited interpretation of the text. It is laughable how much some people take for face value vs taking in all the context. If SJM wants Elain and Lucien to be together, guess what, SHE WILL PUT THEM TOGETHER. For someone who is getting multiple degrees, I'm genuinely concerned of the education they've received if they don't understand consistent patterns. Imagine thinking Elain wearing blue is sign of endgame but Gwyn's bracelet with blue caused an uproar. Mor wears red, does that mean she is truly Cassian's mate. Oh Emerie is associated with purple, Feyre, out the way dear, Emerie was Rhy's true mate all this time. There is a reason El/riel's jumped ship in 2021 and their engagement is dropping. Not the other way around. T"

her response.

A young girl referring to others as "honey" and "sweetie" in a condescending way is pretty much a calling card for immaturity. So is throwing around the degree they were obtaining at 20, acting like it proves how serious and superior they are to all others even though a few years later they are taking delight in instigating fandom drama.

My sister has two degrees and she completely lacks common sense. My husband has a Masters, can build a computer from scratch and code a video game but often struggles with adulting.

My father in law dropped out of high school at age 16 yet managed to work his way up to Vice President of a company in New York City (before his retirement), where he traveled all over the world and ended up having box seats for Super Bowls.

Degrees are wonderful but many times, they don't mean much of anything except for someone's ability to memorize information. And they definitely don't make someone more mature.

And the point you were making about the characters and their colors is valid. They latch on to something so long as it supports their ship while acting like there is no possible meaning behind it if it comes to another.

At the end of the day, the only thing that matters in this fandom is trying to get into the head of SJM by paying attention to her patterns and writing style.

It doesn't matter who is a doctor, who is a lawyer, who is an author themselves, who is a server, who is a psychologist.

None of that matters because SJM could care less about what any of us do or whether her characters are following the patterns we expect of them. She only cares about what SHE wants and where her characters take her and our personal lives really don't factor in to any of that.

Truly, the only way we can get a leg up on the future of the series is pay attention to the type of author she is, the romance she prefers, and what she's done with characters in the past.

I've been following you for quite a while and I haven't seen you being nasty or any of the things she says, I hope that doesn't affect you.

Hello Anon! Ok I'll start with this sigh First, why is this so long?

I don't know what reputation they're talking about or how I'm such a nasty person, I also don't know what big Gwynriel accounts I'm obsessed with when I only interacted with a gwynriel once and it wasn't a BIG account. If someone wants to call me a witch, go ahead but at least have proof of that.

We all know that they are fictional characters, I never said that it's not funny how this person uses that argument and immediately tries to embarrass my professional education, I have NEVER used my professional title to validate my arguments, I think that only the people closest to me know what I do for a living, I did not say hey I studied this so my argument is more valid, so as usual they are simply a lot of lies.

about the response of A court of thought, I don't think I can say much. I'm glad her family is well and multitalented I guess.

I never thought that the word "Dear" was an insult and I didn't think that would lead someone to insult me because of my age someone who had already tried to shame me for my age before. I'm 24 not 14 please, or tell me directly that "must respect my elders", nor that someone treated me like an idiot and after blocking me edited their reblogs.

I'm tired of condescension and hypocrisy, among other things in this fandom. Thanks for reaching out, and I hope you continue to follow me and enjoy the content I post, but it's not worth the time or frustration. She can say what she wants, but those who know me know the truth.

[ofrhysand]

𝐎𝐎𝐂; Finished HOFAS plus the bonus chapters yesterday and I have thoughts.... and emotions... But under cut for spoilers ( though wil try to not be super specific ), will just type down the ACOTAR ones ( and one ship that I think carried that book ).

So.... Bryce did annoy me, I will admit, but she got better later. Although I understood why she was like that perfectly and how I think it was in character for her to do so but still.... She annoyed me in Prythian. Wonder if things could've gone very different if she'd just... spoken a little more or cooperated.

Nesta seems to have grown a lot and I am all for that, and also big hint that she is a spoiling aunt to Nyx ok, she adores her nephew and how she called Feyre a 'perfect mother' in the bonus chapter, did things to my emotions. And also Az was perfect, no surprise there. The bonus chapter of them and how he liked the death metal music and dance was so fun to read ( would've been nice if it wasn't a bonus chapter because it added some bit of depth to the interaction ).

And was it me or there was a LOT of Elain language in the Avallen parts in the aftermath of the encounter when Bryce did the thing? I don't know, just reading it, my mind instantly went to 'Elain', not to mention that paired with the Prison events.... I think it's a big set up for her book.

Rhys... Yes, Rhys acted as was expected in the main book chapters but that bonus chapter of Ember and Randall... His Nesta treatment bugs me. Again, like Bryce, I understand completely why he is acting like that and it also makes sense for him, especially with Nesta, but I was glad when Ember intervened. And then it seems like he returned to being the same Rhys of always. But also Cassian was more pissed at her than even Rhys it seems? And Feyre defended her.

And ofc, RuhnLidia was gorgeous, it has always been a gorgeous ship development, and I've made no secret that I prefer them way better over Bryce and Hunt. They carried the romance in the book for me. And their bonus chapters was just lakdjflaksjdfklajsdfklajsdfaflkajdsf it was perfection. It definitely makes me wanna reread all their chapters and RP Ruhn.... for who i already have url and google doc set up woops.

Individually, when they took that antidote, their powers were very interesting... Yes, Ruhn of course will be a Rhys version I expect, but with more starlight it seems, plus healing... is that a dusk court thing I wonder? Or does the starlight allow for healing ( since it was a warm and bright light that came from his hand when healing )? Have to read up more on that. And when Ruhn did the THING to Autumn King... I cried there too, it was the muse of him that had me crying ok.

But Lidia lakjdsflkajsdlfkjaskldfjaskldf the whole flame language for her has always been a big clue to her being an Aelin descendant and I love it so much but also... THE KIDS, HER BBIES. The majority of times I had tears in my eyes were in all the Lidia and twins interactions.

But yes, I think that's it so far... Will post other stuff if more thoughts come to mind, I am still processing ok. Am all up for sharing thoughts and theories always!

[acourtofthought]

What would be your reaction if SJM said the next book was by Elain and Azriel?

It is...

What would be your reaction if she announced that the next book was Elain and Lucien?

(What kind of reactions would you have in these hypotheses).

If Elain and Az were endgame and announced as being next I would first apologize for what was clearly my misinterpretation of the books before it 😂

And I would probably like the book. I like every trope and I have loved every SJM pairing she's given us. I was excited for the continuation of Feyre and Tamlins story in book 2 only to ADORE Feysand. I really liked the idea of Dorian and Celeana, loved Celaena and Chaol but definitely understand why they weren't meant to be. Nesta is not one of my favorite characters however I do like she and Cassian together. I mean, I did like the thought of E/riel at one point so it's not like I don't see the appeal. I just began to notice things that I missed the first time around and my opinion changed after I started deep diving into the books but that's ONLY because it's what I think the author has been telling us and that's only because I began to really pay attention to how she has written in the past. But that doesn't mean if SJM turns around and says, "nope! E/riel is who I want!" I'm going to boycott her. If that's who she wants then I will allow her to lead me along in her vision. I'm not the one writing these characters so if she says, "E/riel is endgame and this is how I'm going to make that happen" then I'm going along with it because that's the story she's telling.

If that happens though, I would like for Elain to call out Az for a few things. I hope that things I consider "wrongs" between them are acknowledged moving forward, that she finds out he didn't support her searching for the trove and gives him hell, that he was interested in her for the wrong reason (three brothers / three sisters).

I would be sad over the missed Elucien opportunity. With Lucien and Elain, I do think SJM has a chance to give us a story that feels new and fresh, something different than we've ever seen from any of her other characters. Not only because their personalities are so different than others she's written about but because we've never gotten the POV from a character who has known with certainty that they have a mating bond with someone else. But again, if SJM wants E/riel than I believe in her ability to have it all make sense by the end.

If she announced Elucien, I might momentarily pass out 😂

I hate desperately wanting things, it's a very consuming feeling for me. As a result, I hate the feeling of disappointment, it's very soul crushing, so I try to be happy and content and accept things as they are. Which on one hand is a good thing (I think) but on the other hand, I could see how I might come off as complacent at times because of it. Like, maybe I could be doing so much more with my life but rather than pushing and failing, I live in a happy bubble where the stakes aren't too high.

With that said, part of me hates that I would really love to see Elucien happen because I know it's just a book and I know that it's not going to be anything that truly matters regardless of who is endgame and I wish I wouldn't have gotten so obsessed with the series because I hate knowing I might now be disappointed (this is why I like series AFTER they're complete and I can search for spoilers to better prepare myself) 😂. And I've put a lot of time into writing posts on my blog and I've spent a lot of time interacting with those in the fandom so if I'm wrong, that's a long way to fall😂. It doesn't help knowing that I now have people online who hate me and would love for me to be wrong.

So if Elucien is endgame, I think my heart will momentarily stop and I can't imagine how euphoric it will feel to not only know that I'd be getting to read an entire book about two of my favorite characters but also that I actually figured something out 😂. That I was able to pick up the authors hints and that I don't lack reading comprehension, that I'm not misogynistic for shipping Elucien, that I'm not "delusional". It's not that I believe any of those things however, I can't pretend like it's fun reading them.

At this point, I think we're probably all ready for news, regardless if it's the news we want to hear or not. I personally don't think she's been building E/riel as endgame since book 2 however I know E/riels do. And Elucien did become mates in book 2 but we still don't know what they'll do about their bond. That means both sides of the fandom have been waiting for answers since as far back as 2016 and that is a looooong time.

[surielbonecarver]

Did it annoy anyone else the way Nesta was treated in SF?

Trauma is not an excuse to treat people like shit. I don't excuse the way Nesta treated everyone around her, but tbh they weren't treating her much better either.

The only 2 characters that made me feel they really cared about Nesta was Feyre and Cassian.

Feyre and Cassian make it clear that they don't condone her actions, but they also show over and over how much they truly care about her.

- Rhys: When they had their intervention with Nesta he spent the entire time trying to threaten and intimidate her. What got on my nerves was how both Feyre and Cassian call him out on this, but nothing really comes of it even when he's described as feeling "guilty" for doing so. Another thing that got on my nerves was how it seemed like Feyre was going to put her foot down because he kept crossing a boundary she put in place regarding how he treated Nesta only for the narrative to turn around and say "nope, they're actually jus gonna have sex" (when Rhys dismisses the servants after the intervention and Cassian asks if he dismissed them so they wouldn't have to hear Feyre scolding him for how he acted).

One of the few times we see Feyre actually talk to Rhys about how he treats Nesta, he says that "Elain is Elain" bs. I get that Nesta isn't a Saint and she was definitely in the wrong for how treated everyone, but tbh it really made it feel like the only reason he didn't like her was because she has a disagreeable personality as opposed to Elain who's easier to get along with. Which... to each their own, but if someone said some bs like that to me about my siblings, I'd be pretty pissed tbh.

When it comes to Rhys, it reminds me of when Feyre asked him "how do you know when to be High Lord and when to be family?" Rhys constantly approached Nesta as a High Lord when she really needed family, and apparently seemed to not understand why she kept figuratively slamming the door in his face because of it.

Amren: In the beginning, it did feel like Amren cared for and was concerned about Nesta. But it was the constant slut shaming for me. Definitely could've went without that. It was also how to felt like Amren weaponized her trauma and insecurities against her. Amren used that as an excuse to not tell Nesta something she had every right to know about herself. And then was upset with Nesta when it ultimately ended up blowing up in their faces (Nesta telling Feyre the truth). Even though Nesta didn't do it for the right reasons, it still left a sour taste in my mouth that they got mad at her even though they were the ones that lied to Feyre.

Mor: Mor has literally been Nesta Hater from the beginning, because the bond between Nesta and Cassian has been obvious from day 1 and that threatened the dynamic she had with Cassian and Azriel. Let's be honest and admit that that's why she doesn't like Nesta. All things considered, Nesta has never done anything to Mor personally. Especially nothing to warrant Mor comparing her to the people of the Hewn City aka the people that literally tortured her. When Mor said that, there were question marks floating around my head. Because yes, Nesta can be a bitch sometimes, but comparing her to the people that dumped her outside of the Autumn Court and left her to die? Uh... no. Bffr.

Elain: It was the slut shaming for me. I did the math... after Nesta was put in the House of Wind, and Elain visits her... it had only been 2 weeks since Nesta started rehabilitating. 2 weeks in the HoW, and when Elain comes to Nesta saying stuff that ofc upsets her she wants to say "Nesta isn't getting any better". Babe... it's been 2 weeks. Idk... sibling dynamics are complicated, so I kind of give Elain a little bit of a pass compared to everyone else because of it but the slut shaming really really got me. The way Elain made it seem like she was better than Nesta because "at least she wasn't fucking strangers".

Which was super ironic to me, because it ignores the fact that 95% of the inner circle has said numerous times they they have 1) drowned their problems with alcohol and/or 2) had sex with strangers on numerous occasions. The alcohol and sex was never the problem. The problem was why she was doing it. So it was annoying whenever Amren or Elain made it out like that was the problem, when it wasn't (off the top of my head, they were the only two that actually slut shamed Nesta).

Azriel: He mostly keeps to himself in SF, and there aren't a lot of interactions between him and Nesta, but what gave me the inkling that he at least cared about her was how much care and thought he put into getting a gift for her. Which shows that he took a lot of consideration into her likes and interests.

[spidersmiceandeverythingnice]

I really like how you explained in detail what happens during Calanmai, with descriptions from the book and all, because I didn’t quite remember how it was and almost fell for one SJM Stan saying that “well it’s actually like Tamlim drunk too much bear at a party and proceeds to assault Feyre” and I always felt like there was something deeply wrong with how they choose to interpret it? Like girl I know that Sarah’s not best at worldbuilding or consistency or development or depth or… well, you get it, but she hasn’t thus far retconned how that ritual works? If you can recognise that Lucien was taken advantage of by having to go in Tamlim’s place, use the same logic and just apply it to the other character, you don’t need to like him to do that, just make an effort to not be an hypocrite.

Sorry for the rant, but sometimes I cant help but be deeply disturbed by some really incoherent takes that are posted here, and I need a place to just express my frustrations 🫠

Oh I definitely feel you - unfortunately this kind of disconnect is kind of par for the course with SJM works because of her way of building narratives. Rhys and Lucien are victims of assault because them being male assault victims absolved them - in Feyre's eyes - of wrongdoing committed against her. I think @worldsnotsaid has a great post about this (sorry for the tag but they have a great link tree on the blog about some of these issues) - where abuse in ACOTAR isn't bad because abuse is bad, abuse is bad because Feyre is good. So characters that hurt Feyre need to be redeemed some way because she is good and people who dont or cant protect her are bad - even though Lucien risked his life multiple times and was actively punished for trying to help and protect Feyre when she was held prisoner by Amarantha, he is "tainted" with his loyalty to Tamlin, who is positioned as the narrative's bad actor. At the beginning of ACOWAR, Lucien tells Feyre he's sorry that he prioritized the guy he's been close personal friends with for hundreds of years and who is also his boss over Feyre, whom he has known for a year and whom he believed to be kidnapped by someone who had actively assaulted her, someone with the ability to brainwash her. Then it is revealed that Lucien was raped (because the biracial disabled faerie who watched his fiance get fridged while his family held him down doesnt have enough trauma) and THEN Feyre decides that he was good all along and is worthy of help. This is a pattern: the reveal that Rhys never wanted to be Amarantha's right hand man and that he was forced to have sex with her as part of "the mask" immediately absolved Rhysand of any bad actions he committed against Feyre. Now they "share" trauma and can reminisce about how a sanctuary for SA survivors is a healing place for both of them... even though Rhysand is the cause of Feyre's sexual trauma.

The problem with this narrative is that SJM can't acknowledge that Calanmai involves rape by its very nature because then she'd have to acknowledge that Tamlin is a victim, and he can't be a victim, because he is not good. That's why Ianthe specifically had to get involved when Lucien enacts Calanmai - because Ianthe is Bad and if it were any random female then we might get close to acknowledging that hey, Calanmai is pretty fucked up, isn't it? Maybe we shouldn't frame Tamlin as being sexually aggressive since the only time he's ever shown acting in a sexually aggressive way is when he gets roofied because that is a super necessary part of this yearly ritual for some fucking reason.

It's incredibly fucked up. I hate hate Hate HATE the idea of rape as redemption or rape as a means of empowerment and I don't understand why authors fucking do this. And again - I'm of the opinion that Tamlin doesn't need redemption in this narrative. He needs to be on meds for PTSD and chronic depression but he's not evil. Only... he has to be because if we acknowledge Tamlin as a sympathetic character then it breaks the entire world of ACOTAR because it means that people who aren't nice to Feyre can also have trauma and be victims.

[feyreshumanheart]

Okay, I had to pull out my books but there's some very important context I think this is missing and I just wanted to explain better since I wrote my first response quickly-

the tithe itself is described to be income based...

The Tithe is described based on both income and "status" so it's actually not necessarily egalitarian or accommodating to the less well off like I think you're assuming. Just because it's income and status based doesn't mean it's fair per that income and status either.

Like there's been tons of historic examples of taxes that are supposedly on paper appropriate but are actually asking an undue amount- offhand, I can think of some examples of governments demanding high portions of a harvest that was supposedly fair but wasn't because the harvest was rough that year but the amount didn't reflect that, local officials misrepresenting the harvests, etc. and literally led to farmers starving because too much of their crop was seized by the government.

So going outside of acotar for a second, I don't think it's fair to assume income-based means that the taxes were reasonable and manageable because that assumes 1. the government understands and knows the exact income consistently, 2. asks an amount of that income that leaves enough for the individuals to live off of.

Back to acotar - I also don't know if I think giving just 3 months when it's established everyone is rebuilding is a lot of time after 50 years of slavery; this is how Lucien describes the state of the people who are not noble or "favored" right before the Tithe we see:

Lucien literally says they're still "trying to remember what it is to be normal" and Feyre says the village they see of the normal citizens is "halfway to being built"; Tamlin didn't tax them during Amarantha's rule because they were literally locked up or being worked for Amarantha and then they only get 3 months after to get things sorted and we know for a fact that theyare far off from getting everything in order.

which i did get the impression tamlin did not plan to do that

I'm curious why because Tamlin suggests he would and that the wraiths should know "the consequences" in the Tithe scene:

we only get one person who cannot pay for it, which is the water wraith, which canonically consumes everything in front of them, which makes it impossible for them to actually have something left over to pay the tithe

Putting aside that the fact that we have any examples of someone willing to risk the consequences because they literally can't pay at all (vs. not a single indication of this ever being an issue in Velaris in the 4x the time we spend there compared to the Spring Court), Lucien tells Feyre that the Tithes are not routinely paid and this is way more common than you suggest:

"It can get ugly" and "keeping track of who does and doesn't show up, who doesn't pay" tells us that it happens frequently enough that Lucien is expected to keep a tally as standard for a Tithe. The difference with the water wraith is that she showed up to ask for mercy and the whole scene in showed to us, not that she's considered unusual for having issues not paying.

while velaris is generally prosperous. we do learn in frost and starlight (which is where i'm at right now) that there are slums. nesta is living in one.

No, Nesta is living in what's considered the worst Velaris has to offer and it's notable because Velaris has no slums:

This is Cassian's description of where Nesta lives, as somewhere that's "grim" compared to Velaris as a whole, but way better than other places he's stayed, and reconfirming "the city itself had no slums".

I definitely feel you on the Tithe as a "show of power" and equating it to almost feudal practices though because the way Lucien described Tamlin giving protection in exchange for the Tithe made me think of that. A sales tax, by contrast, is much more modern.

however. there is never any pushback. amren presents it as a good thing, as superior, they are being unreliable narrators of their own system, and i find that interesting! i prefer to read this as unreliable narrators and illiteracy, than a SJM mistake

Feyre and Amren are representing what sjm is showing us and wants to get across, the Tithe isn't good.

And I think the disconnect is that you're thinking the Tithe as implemented is done in a way that asks a fair amount of the least fortunate and should therefore be a more progressive system than just a sales tax- when that's not what we're told and shown.

And Tamlin's explanation to Feyre on why the Tithe exists, why he asks stuff of his people this way and enforces it highlights that it's less progressive, which is what Feyre (and presumably Amren) are responding to:

Here Tamlin establishes why exactly he enacts the Tithe and demands of the water wraith and it establishes several aspects of why this is a broken policy that Feyre takes issue over "the unfairness of":

They don't need this tax from the wraith or others because what they're being given is a big deal to those less fortunate but not a big deal for a High Lord

When asked why not instead help his people who can't pay, Tamlin says "we have enough to deal with as it is" and that "handouts" won't be helpful

He also says the only reason he does this system even though it demands things that aren't needed of his people is "that's the way it is" and even cites prior High Lords, including his canonically bad guy father, and how they did things that he won't adapt, change, or rethink

The wraiths suffering is acceptable because Tamlin doesn't want to set a precedent that it's ever okay to have "exceptions"

He doesn't want Feyre to help anyone who can't pay because of the optics making him, the Court, look weak in his mind; he considers it a flaw to give "handouts" and "help" because enforcing the rule is a show of the strength of his rule

Feyre specifically calls out that she doesn't want to "let them starve, because of some ridiculous rule that your ancestors invented"

This has nothing to do with Feyre's literacy or knowledge of taxes- arguably Tamlin is shown to give less thought to and understanding of tax systems than Feyre despite being not just literate but enacting taxes for centuries.

In the centuries of rule, Tamlin has never considered deviating from or updating a tax system that came from his ancestors that is noted to "get ugly", asks for things that "they don't need", and has people unable to pay at all and even being hunted down for it. And his reasoning is because "that's the way it is".

Feyre is reacting to all of that, not a lack of understanding taxes. Your original question was:

considering she was poor, wouldn't she understand that a tax on bread harms families a lot more??

And the fact is in the books she sees and is told and shown that the Tithe in fact harms families more because it's asking things that aren't needed to directly benefit the most well off (the High Lord). Meanwhile, your concern about this:

a sales tax means that both rhys (who is rolling in money) and the poorest velaris resident, is paying the same tax, which is making goods and services more expensive.

Is also something Feyre sees Rhys take a different approach to:

Rhys actively speaks to the locals of Velaris, hears their concerns about prices increasing and confirms they'll do something about it. It's a purposeful contrast from when Feyre asks why doesn't Tamlin help his people who can't pay and he says they don't have time for it.

And then there's the context of Amren and Feyre's discussion of the Tithe:

Feyre asks about a Tithe in the Night Court because Amren says that Rhys doesn't punish rule-breaking that is reasonable/well-intentioned. This makes Feyre think of how Tamlin doesn't care about the reasons, the rules are the rules with the Tithe and enforced with big consequences if you aren't obedient.

And that's what I meant about your post ignoring what we're shown is true and thinking these systems should mean things when we're shown/told otherwise. These concerns you have aren't shown to be true and in fact, the opposite is. It's a fantasy and sjm doesn't give a ton of detail on economic policies or whatever but Feyre, Amren, and everyone are only responding to what is in-universe, not maybe what potentially could be more logical with these systems.

Though I'll say, any system that's good on paper can easily become bad depending on how it's enforced, corruption, etc. and I think that's what we're shown with the Tithe. In theory, could be progressive; in practice, it's exploitative of the least well off and not effective really.

I think maybe your question should be not why does everyone acknowledge that the Tithe is bad in-universe (because it's shown to be in practice and not well-reasoned) but why did sjm write a sales tax as more progressive and equitable compared to a system that is tied to income.

To which I would guess, it's because she purposefully contrasts aspects like traditional, set in their ways, formal, archaic and brutal rule in Spring Court vs. progressive, modern, forward-thinking "dreamers" in Night Court rule. And since the Tithe seemingly has inspiration from the feudal era whereas sjm herself has definitely paid sales taxes, that might be how she got to a tithe is barbaric vs. a sales tax modern.

i know it is not the point, but i cannot stop thinking about the tax system in acotar

in the spring court, which is an agrarian land, which does not appear to have large cities, they have a tithe. which is usually a certain percentage of your income + it was used in older times as an opportunity for people to come before their ruler and ask for what they needed. [i will not get into tamlin's actions surrounding this cause... really, i just want to talk about taxes].

in a court of mist and fury, amren says that people in velaris have to pay a sales tax (what illyrians and the court of nightmares pay is not clear).

and feyre sees this as a good thing, taxes vs tithe, but i'd actually argue, that the system tamlin had, is usually regarded in modern times to be more progressive, as it effects those with greater means the heaviest.

a sales tax means that both rhys (who is rolling in money) and the poorest velaris resident, is paying the same tax, which is making goods and services more expensive. therefore, the same good is a lot more expensive (to the overall budget) to someone who is poorer, while for rhys, it is a bargain! think about it: he is not paying income tax on his enormous wealth!

like, i know feyre did not know how to read. but... she had to hunt. she had to haggle in the market. were there no taxes on the human land?? considering she was poor, wouldn't she understand that a tax on bread harms families a lot more??

[freyjas-musings]

Personally, as of right now I can't see Azriel with either Gwyn or Elain. I definitely think the next book will be Azriel's but I don't find myself rooting for either ship because we weren’t given enough interactions between Azriel and Elain or Az and Gwyn. Since CC 3 is coming out before ACOTAR 5, I'm hoping that will change and we get more details so we can paint a clearer picture.

I do find myself leaning more toward the Gwynriel side, though. Mostly because I like Gwyn more than Elain, not because I prefer either of them with Az (I'd much rather he end up with me lmao). I don’t dislike Elain, but after ACOSAF and seeing how unsupportive she was of Nesta, she left a bad taste in my mouth. It quite literally felt like she was "abandoning" her for Feyra because Nesta was the underdog now, and after everything Nesta had done for her!

I have looked at theories from both sides, and I find the E/riel ones veery far fetched and overall not convincing. But there are two points that keep making me question my belief that Az is gonna end up with Gwyn.

1. That there were two bonus scenes, I will talk about the Feyra and Rhys one. Their conversation seems to be centered around Elain, so that gives me a pause cause why would Sarah just have them randomly talk about her on their bonus scene if she'snot gonna play a major role in the next book?

2. Until Azriel's bonus scene I would’ve never thought there was something romantic between Gwyn and Azriel. So my question is, why wait to give such crucial story details in a bonus scene that most of the avarage readers will likely never read?

I'm not a very meticulous reader, I skim quite a bit, so the fact that I didn’t sense anything brewing between Gwyn and Az throughout ACOSF is on me. I went back and reread their interactions after the bonus scene, and I could sense something there, but not much. I have read a lot of theories on here and the Gwynriel ones sound more convincing to me, the only two things I mentioned above keep me unsure.

Gahh, I can't wait until the next book is out, I'm driving myself mad over here. Miss Sarah sure knows how to capture our attention. I hope Gwynriel happens!

Hey , I just read what you wrote . I understand where you are coming from , it is true that Azriel's interaction with both Elain and Gwyn are limited but I do believe SJM gave us an indication of how the story is going in the bonus and I do believe Gwynriel is end game atleast thats how I see things progressing .

My reason for shipping Gwynriel has absolutely no connection to Elain at all . While I do agree her behaviour with Nesta was cruel and selfish... there are some beautiful qualities about Elain too ... her ability to see a silver lining in the worst situations is one of them. Having flaws is what makes these characters interesting, every single archeron sister is flawed whether it was Feyre while destroying the spring court or Nesta with the way she hurt people around including the way she treated Feyre as a child (while I see why she did it , it doesn't mean it wasn't wrong ) or Elain who is selfish and manipulative , its the Elriels who make Elain unbearable but its important to remember its fanon Elain not Canon.

Why do I ship Gwynriel ? Their potential as a couple is amazing if you look at their individual characters and what they can do for each other it makes for a compelling ship . Honestly I saw crumbs of Gwynriel through out ACOSF not just the bonus , as you read more SJM books you start seeing a pattern and they sure do check all of the end game requirements. Also, there is the whole mate thing that is most likely going to happen and I am interested to see their story.

I wouldn't hold my breath about any indication in CC3 for ship confirmations, while I do think it will be clearer than ever that it will be Azriels book next if some of this fandom hasn't realised it yet I doubt they will realise it then (remember SJMs latest interview where she clearly said Elain in "some form" making it obvious she won't get a POV yet people screamed otherwise) .

As far as the bonus of Feyre and Rhys goes all I got there was , there is more to Elain than what meets the eye she is not all sweet and kind. There is indication that she might do something (getting her hands dirty and hurting herself in the process ) that might hurt the people around her while I don't believe she is evil, she may be misguided . We have to understand SJM will need to set her up for her book so we will get more of her story in " SOME FORM" . I am not really worried about that meaning anything in terms of Gywnriel.

Am I a 100% sure it is Gwynriel? No , because I am not SJM .... but I am 99% sure based on my reading comprehension and from reading all of SJMs books that it will be Gwynriel 🙂...