#my thoughts on sjm interview

[elrielbliss]

my thoughts on sjm's interview

i have mixed feelings, so let's talk about it

sjm inserting herself as nesta:

i think one thing that frustrated me is whenever SJM was asked about Nesta, SJM would always relate the question back to herself. i'm not trying to be mean, but i really wish authors would separate themselves from their characters. taking inspiration of what you went through to write a character is fine, tons of people do it. but it really did seem SJM was inserting herself into nesta's character and made the interview feel more about SJM at times rather than the characters. don't get me wrong !! i love sjm !! it's clear and she even admits she did a recent reread of ACOSF and didn't realize how many of her own thoughts and struggles made it into the book -so it makes sense why she talked about her own journey so much. i just hope in the future it's not that apparent that she's inserting herself into characters that much.

sjm talking main characters:

it felt like SJM was only talking about nesta + cassian and feyre + rhys, which i guess makes sense since they're the only ones with books, but it also felt weird to ignore all the other characters + avoid talking about them. i did appreciate sarah maclean pointing out SJM's books are about heroines and that the guys take a backseat in the books (making it clear azzy is not gonna have his own book)

in regards to the future of ACOTAR:

one interesting thing maclean asks: "when you started tog, you were also writing this (ACOTAR) are you cooking future books with actual texts?"

sjm: "YES" "i know where i want the series to go" --- so does this imply she started writing future books since she answered yes?

but then SJM claims later in the interview in the fan portion she hasn't started to write future books later in the interview? but then there is proof of SJM saying back in January that she has started to write the next book of ACOTAR when she gets inspiration... so what's the truth?

SJM talking about maps "there's still a lot of the map that's left blank" - i'm very interested to learn more about this and think she was totally hinting about the dusk court!

fan question segment:

sjm complimenting each sister - literally my favorite thing, but wish she said something better about nesta than her smutty book but lol. sjm describing elain as a quiet dreamer was EVERYTHING to me and she once again repeats that elain has a different type of strength. she also loves that elain believes hope is better than hate. how people still think she will turn evil? idk man.

no comment on 2nd question - waste of a question imo lmao

sjm deflecting from the elriel question and she was lowkey smirking while the question was being asked !! she is not a slick woman !! sjm says "you'll get more of elain in the next - i'm not going to promise anything" "you'll get a form of her" "i haven't written the thing yet" like nah finish the sentence SJM. next book as in cc3? next book as in acotar5? and why did she stop halfway through the sentence and switch what she was saying? also her saying she hasn't written the thing yet when she said earlier in the interview she said that she does write future books while writing current books and knows where she wants to take the future of ACOTAR... clearly she knows what she has planned and is just avoiding the question.

this question had like 5 parts to it - it was a hot mess lmao but sjm calling all these conspiracy theories but also careful reading was also hilarious. gwenny lightsinger confirmed lol !

super interesting question + theory i had never heard of. sjm was smirking during this one too!! but also sjm says "idk why you even ask me these questions" like sis these are fan questions we all want to know more about the series that you have been depriving us of. i have zero idea how time travel could work but i am intrigued !

conclusion: interview wasn't needed - it was an easy money grab. i probably won't buy tickets to another event like this unless it's in person (+ includes signed book) or if i 100% know SJM will actually be making an announcement of some sort. most people i would assume paid the $15 so we could ask fan questions and have them answered, only for her to ignore them and not even hint at anything. i hope in the future if she is going to ignore fan questions that the fans are told ahead of time what they can and can't ask so that our questions won't be disregarded. it definitely seems like SJM is going to drag ACOTAR out, which is why i kind of want to be less involved with the fandom until she makes cc3 announcement or acotar5. not sure if she has writer's block or something for ACOTAR but she def seems like she is having a more enjoyable time writing CC3. but overall the interview left me feeling disappointed that she couldn't give fans any hints or stuff to look forward to in the future.

+ also side note for cc she made a comment and described the first 3 book as bryce and hunt's story giving me more hope they'll be endgame lmao.

#my thoughts on sjm interview #heres to hoping we get news on something soon

[nikethestatue]

It was obvious. Always.

You know, with every new book, the fandom is abuzz with speculations, up to its eyeballs with theories, and I think it's great, because it's very satisfying to watch something you guessed correctly come to pass.

But, for me--and I love canon and I love being able to support my claims with words from the books--nothing still beats one small, fleeting moment in an interview. One sentence. Five words.

I. Thought. It. Was. Obvious.

The confused face of SJM, when she was asked 'who is the next book about'. 'I thought it was obvious?" she answered. This interview took place shortly after the release of ACOSF.

In her mind, when things were fresh and new, she felt that she had placed enough hints and enough scenes and enough foreshadowing to lead us, the readers, to an 'obvious' conclusion. And the ONLY obvious conclusion is Elain and Azriel. Elucien could never be called 'obvious', especially not after ACOSF and Lucien "I am not always here to see my mate' Vanserra. Just as obvious, is that Gwynriel was...not obvious at all. :)

It has been obvious since then. Azriel's reactions to any threat towards Elain. Shadows coiled like snakes, ready to strike.

Do you want children?

It doesn't matter what I want.

It's like he's given up. After 500 years, he's given up (Mor).

What about Mor?

What if the Cauldron was wrong?

What happened to Elain?

You'd know, Cass. If she were dead, you'd know.

The secret that Azriel had and that Nesta understood.

The sadness. The avoidance. The torment. The anger.

The offer and permission (which, frankly, are just cherries on top, and aren't even needed to confirm the obvious).

It's always been obvious. If you wanted to see it. And no, SJM did 'not change her mind'. She had peppered the book with hints and said 'I thought it was obvious' maybe a month after the release.

There's never really been anything to debate.

The moment Feyre asked 'Why not make them mates?" you had to have known that Elucien is not going to go anywhere.

The moment Azriel uttered 'I am getting her back' you had to have known that he was going after his woman.

The moment he offered her Truth Teller, wrapped her hand over the hilt and sent her off, you had to have known that they power shared.

The moment Mor found a small box in the pile of gifts and Elain said 'oh, it's from me' you had to have known that she also had feelings for Azriel by then.

Crumb after crumb. Drip after drip. All the moments that made up Elriel and its foreshadowing over the course of four books.

There is no Gwynriel. There is no Elucien. There is only Elriel.

I thought it was obvious.

#elriel #elain archeron #azriel and elain #pro elriel #elain #elain x azriel #acotar

[foxylady13]

SJM Interview and My Thoughts

Court of Maas has a transcript up of one of Sarah J Maas's interviews. There was some things I found very interesting from it.

Let's start with this one:

The "meeting a character and just knowing that they're the next story" screams Gwyn to me. Why? Because she was a new character that was introduced and Sarah had to meet. And Gwyn herself has lines in ACOSF that hint at more to come with her story (and Emeries)

“You had this much to say about us?” Emerie said, choking on a laugh. Gwyn rubbed her hands together. “With more to come.”

The back of her throat ached; her eyes stung. “We’re in a book.” Gwyn’s fingers slid into hers, squeezing tight. Nesta looked up to find her holding Emerie’s free hand as well. Gwyn smiled again, her eyes bright. “Our stories are worth telling.”

Also, Sarah's answer on the question if we'll get an Elain POV in the next book was met with "we'll see Elain in some form" which to me implies she's more than likely not the main character & that just adds to my previous statement.

Next we have this:

"She realized she wanted to write men who will do everything together with their partner and not insist on being 'the hero' themselves"

That screams like Azriel and Elain are a no go since we know Azriel likes being the hero when it comes to her. Just look at him going to Hybern Camp with Feyre to try to play hero... or what about in ACOSF when Cassian talks about Elain being captured and this is what was said by Azriel:

Azriel stiffened. “I know. I helped rescue Elain, after all."

Azriel is "the hero" and will always insist that way with Elain. He's not the one for Elain.

But you know the pairings where the men will do everything together with their partner and not insist on being the hero for their partners? Gwynriel and Elucien.

We already see this with Azriel and Gwyn. He couldn't be the hero for Gwyn when she went into the Blood Rite because of the laws even Rhysand couldn't break. He even tells Cassian they trained them well and to trust in that training.

“There are plenty of other unspeakable things that could be happening to her,” Cassian said, voice thickening. “To Emerie and Gwyn.”

The shadows deepened around Azriel, his Siphons gleaming like cobalt fire. “You—we—trained them well, Cassian. Trust in that. It’s all we can do.”

Also, here are even some ideas of them doing things together that fit with their pairings:

Elucien

Traveling to different courts & explore the world together. Hosting parties and being politically savvy.

Gardening - I actually have a commission of this I'll post soon 🤭

Cooking/Baking - Lucien will want to help Elain and it's something I can see then enjoying doing together given their personalities.

Gwynriel

Spy missions. Training. Singing.

Research in the library for universe theories or general reading & just imagine them sitting up in bed together reading passages to one another, analyzing them, theorizing. Thank you @alex-catlady for this one!

Flying - Gwyn on a Pegasus and Azriel flying beside her. Maybe even making into a race for a little competition? Azriel flying with Gwyn in his arms.

#gwynriel #pro gwynriel #elucien #gwyneth berdara #azriel shadowsinger #pro elucien #elain archeron #lucien vanserra #acosf #azriel x gwyn #gwyn x azriel #lucien and elain #elain and lucien #anti e/riel #lucien x elain #elain x lucien #azriel and gwyn #acotar series #acotar

[acourtofthought]

This is the new argument from e/riels:

"Yes Lucien was feisty and powerful and sassy and funny in the first book, and that personality slowly started to fade in book 2. This happened because Lucien was originally supposed to be Nesta's mate, but then SJM changed her mind. Lucien slowly became a shadow of his old self to the point where he barely exists in the story. Yes it can partially be attributed to trauma, but he had lived through immense trauma already at the start of book one and still managed to be his foxy, witty self. This is because he will not be a lead in Elain's book or any book. SJM is purposefully downgrading him because he is not meant to fill the role of MMC. She realized that Azriel and Elain have much more chemistry, hence the famous statement about how sometimes she puts two characters together and they just won't work. She left readers a hint about the fact that she was doing this: 'Why make them mates? What if that is what she needs?' using Feyre's words."

What are your thoughts on this?

My thoughts? There will be many 😂

Feyre also said Az would probably never stop loving Mor.

Feyre also told Elain that Lucien cared for her and that he was a good male.

Feyre also once considered Ianthe a friend.

I don't think Feyre's word is one they want to get hung up on.

Lucien did experience trauma in book 1 however the majority of that trauma, the things that impacted him on a bone deep level, happened to him centuries prior. Lucien's main source of trauma in book 1 (to me) was not when Amarantha permanently scarred him but when he lost Jesminda and was chased out of Autumn after having spent years being tormented by Beron and his brothers. But he found some semblance of peace with Tamlin. Was he truly content? Not really but he had a friend, a place in Tamlin's court, the people of Spring looked to him to set the example (friends and purpose, sounds familiar, right?). Despite his past he had still had enough time to settle into his sassiness because his life was somewhat consistent.

However book 2 changed all that. Tamlin and his court began to suffer as a result of what happened during and after UTM. There was the added fear of what Rhys was possibly doing to Feyre and how that affected both he and Tamlin. The stability (illusion of?) he had grown accustomed too (even during Amarantha's reign), began to crumble and the threat of a war was pressing down on them all.

Should Lucien have remained sassy while worrying his friend and his other friends fiance was being tortured? Should he have been feisty knowing they were preparing to ally with the KoH in order to try and get her back? While his friend had taken to threatening him? While his friend was falling apart? While being sexually harassed by Ianthe than having to perform the Rite with her? It's funny how they claim Gwyn won't be ready to leave the library in her book or for sex with Az years after her SA but expect Lucien to be an absolute hoot while his was going on.

Should he then have been sassy knowing that Feyre was plotting the downfall of Tamlin in book 3? After finding out that his lost mate wasn't actually his mate and that his real mate had been taken by his enemy? Should he have been cracking jokes after his magic was stolen and he nearly died trying to fight his way to Elain's side to make sure she was alright? Should he have then been the life of the party while surrounded by multiple characters treating him like dirt in the NC?

Should he be witty and fun and snarky upon the realization that he had no place to go except the human lands after the war? When Tamlin gave him a black eye and cut lip?

SJM isn't putting Lucien through all of this so Az can lead a book with Elain. SJM is putting Lucien through all this so he becomes the ultimate underdog story. In an interview, someone specifically asked SJM if we were going to see the return of sassy Lucien and she said something along the lines of, "I hope so, he's going through a lot right now." The author knows exactly what she's doing with his character and it's not because he's being downgraded. Downgraded men don't get an upgrade to their father and Court they belong to. Downgraded men don't have the author confirming (after ACOMAF had already been written, the book she made Elain and Lucien mates) that Lucien has always been one of her favorite characters. Downgraded men don't school Cassian in his own book with a single word.

"Easy," Lucien said.

Cassian snarled.

"Easy," Lucien repeated, and flame sizzled in his russet eye. The flame, the surprising DOMINANCE within it, hit Cassian like a stone to the head, knocking him from his need to kill and kill and kill whatever might threaten -

If the author wanted us to believe that Elain and Lucien have no chemistry than she would not have had any reason to have Elain ignore him. Instead they would have shared many conversations on page and we would have seen that lack of chemistry playing out in real time. Instead she had Elain cut off communication with Lucien the second she no longer mourned for Graysen to the extent she once did. That's because a single Elain is an Elain that's going to fall in love with Lucien way too quickly, an Elain who shares very obvious chemistry with him and that can't happen before their book.

#pro elucien #elucien #pro lucien vanserra

[oristian]

THE ELUCIEN MATING BOND

This will be solely focused on the mating bond rejection, as I plan on doing an in-depth analysis later this month [possibly early June] where I break down each book and document symbolism, parallels, and foreshadowing tied to Elain and Lucien. This is just going to be my thoughts on the actual mating bond and the conversation surrounding a potential rejection.

Simply: The bond will not be rejected.

SJM being a fated mates author aside, all the reader has to do is look at, first, the set-up of the spin off series and also the timeline of the last remaining plot arcs. The spin off series is broken into three main books set as dual POV romantic pairings, and a supplemental novella. A Court of Silver Flames took two main cast characters out of the running [Nesta and Cassian] and have left us with Elain, Azriel, Lucien, Mor, Gwyn, Emerie, Eris. As Feyre and Rhysand were the main voices in the original trilogy, they will not have a major POV in the spin off series. That being said, the plot arcs are working as the drivers for the romantic pairings. ACOWAR and so forth has paired Elain and Lucien into the Koschei arc. ACOSF and HOFAS have tied Nesta and Azriel into the same plot with the Dusk Court arc—however, as I mentioned before, Nesta has already had a major POV and will not be repeated. Who else has been built up to have a POV and can also hold ties in Dusk? Gwyn.

Following up, now that we are aware of the plot arcs and the dual POVs for the following books—I surmise the novella will have Mor, Eris and Emerie—now we can get into the rejected mating bond. The main argument surrounding the rejection is broken down into two pieces: SJM speaking about choice in an interview, and Feyre and Azriel questioning the cauldron. The first argument is easy to debunk—SJM did not give a major spoiler in an interview, nor would she do so in an interview that many people would not have access to/would not watch. The second is just as easy to debunk—both Feyre and Azriel came from a place of bias against Lucien. Feyre had just left Spring and associates that and what happened to her sisters with Lucien. Azriel wants a mate and wonders why his brothers have two of the Archeron sisters, but “the third” was given to another male. If the cauldron had been questioned by a third party without direct ties to either Elain or Lucien, that would be a different story.

We do not have enough time left in the series to properly explore a rejected bond. As the rejected bond affects the males more, we would need to explore it in the long term to see how Lucien is dealing with the mental repercussions of such a thing happening. He and Elain will still always have their bond, and we would need to see how they react to that. As this is would be the first mating bond rejection across the Maasverse, a simple, “I reject you,” is not enough with such little information for the reader to understand exactly what happens in the aftereffects. That being said, we would also need Lucien’s POV immediately after Elain rejects the bond to see how he is affected—meaning, Elain and Lucien have to be within the same book. If Elain rejects the bond in a book with Azriel, and the readers have to wait until Lucien’s book, it loses its effect and becomes anticlimactic.

In order for the rejected bond to be impactful, Elain would have to fully explore the bond with Lucien, get to know him, otherwise is would be lackluster for her to immediately reject the bond and end up with Azriel. The bond is just as much Lucien’s as it is her’s.

Finally, allow us to debunk Vassien. Not only is Vassa set up to be endgame with Jurian, it is unrealistic given the circumstances for she and Lucien to be endgame. Lucien would have just been rejected and would be dealing with the aftereffects, will have to still deal with his plethora of plots and Koschei, and somehow fall in love with a human queen who will die in only a handful of decades? On top of that, there is nothing that Vassa can offer to the plot that both Elain and Lucien have not already told us, or will tell us. Vassa is a supplementary character. Elain would have to both get to know Lucien enough to reject the bond in a literary sense, and also set up Vassa to be the next FMC. On top of that, it was Elain who introduced us to Koschei and began that arc—why would Vassa get the credit for defeating Koschei?

Tl;dr — the bond is not getting rejected.

#sjm is a gwynriel and elucien shipper #elucien #gwynriel #pro elucien #pro gwynriel #elucien endgame #gwynriel supremacy #elucien supremacy #gwynriel endgame #acotar #lucien acotar #elain archeron #elain and lucien #lucien and elain #lucien “moon on a string vanserra #acowar #acosf #sjm #sjm universe #anti e/riel #anti vassien #azriel and gwyn #gwyn and azriel #elain acotar #lucien vanserra

[shadowqueenjude]

HELPP WHATS THIS DRAMA ABOUT SJMS HUSBAND AND RHYS BEING THE SAME???? ur my only source of info girl help me out

loool i gotchu. So we have heard from SJM's own mouth that Feysand is inspired by her own marriage, making Rhysand her husband. And because we often write the way we think and also often reflect our own lives into our writing, I have a running theory that SJM's husband is also her abuser. Several things stand out to me: SJM herself had to have an emergency C-section to have a child. It makes me wonder, was her husband aware of certain dangers in her pregnancy and forced her to keep the child anyway? Was he keeping medical information from her somehow? Because we see in ACOSF that this happens to Feyre when she's pregnant, and she nearly dies. Also the way that dude is lurking in all of her interviews, like where is the personal space? Sound like Rhysand shielding Feyre in ACOSF??? Also, this guy is suuuper secretive. Despite his notable public presence, I can't find so much as his age or business online. Sound like a super secret city called Velaris? Also, the official story of how SJM and her husband met was when she was a freshman in college and he was a junior RA. What is an older RA doing, getting into a relationship with a freshie like that? That's a professional relationship. Anyway, I'm not even sure I believe this since I can't find shit on this guy online. SJM got married straight out of college, at 23. Sound pretty close to Feyre getting married immediately after coming to Night? I have so many thoughts on this but I'm not going to spiral in this one, I'll be happy to provide more of my theories if you ask!

#anon asks #anti rhysand #sjm #sjm critical

[positivelyruined]

An Interview with Tamlin

If our beloved Tam could speak for himself in our times. As told by positivelyruined for @tamlinweek 2024

Question One — How does the flack from the entire fandom and the world at large genuinely make you feel?

Tamlin sighed and rubbed his temples, “Well, it isn’t pleasant. There are things I’ve read that do give me the urge to track down certain people and transform them into cockroaches; but I think if I were to summarize it, it would be something like, ‘characters are people too.’ Despite our controversies, we do all have feelings. I think that deserves a modicum of respect, don’t you?”

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Question Two — What are your thoughts on SJM and the way she’s written your story?

Tamlin bites his lip and scratches his neck, shuddering to himself. “Here’s the thing…Sarah and I — we used to be friends. Once, long ago; I can’t say that now. In Pyrthian this sort of thing would be handled with a duel over my honor; but perhaps in your world it’s more familiar as…death of the author? I think I heard that phrase somewhere. She and I are no longer on speaking terms. I would truly consider her dead to me.”

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Question Three — Considering you have described your author as dead to you, would you now call yourself a free man?

Tamlin laughed wryly. “Quite honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever live down the damage that was done to my character. There are people out for blood. I’d honestly say it was one of my worst fears to have someone else shapeshift into me and commit crimes. Now, I’m living in that reality. I feel glad that there isn’t a fictional character incarceration program, because otherwise I’d certainly be living there. No — I am definitely not a free man, and I will be content to live the rest of my life as a hermit.”

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Question Four — What can a person do to attract your attention?

He snickered. “By the cauldron, they could start by using my name correctly or generally not referring to me as a feminine hygiene product. Your lordship, or your highness is always appreciated…but for now, I would honestly settle for people just getting my name right.”

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Question Five — People are saying Feyre never loved you and you never loved her. Do you have a response to that?

“I think it says a lot to be willing to sacrifice your life, for someone, doesn’t it?” He softened. “I always believed Feyre was my mate, but I still offered her the opportunity to go — to be safe. She came back for me. Right now…I would do anything to have her here with me; but there are times even giving your all just isn’t enough. All I can do is pray that she is happy. Thorns and all.”

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Question Six — Do you have any fears that you would consider irrational?

Tamlin nods grimly. “Yeesh — caves, attics, any other place inhabited by flying rodents. Whoever decided that rats deserve wings needs a serious reality check.”

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Question Seven — Have you ever been confused with another celebrity?

The High Lord shrugs. “People say I look like several people like Toby Regobo, Luke Eyesner, Legolass — although I’d like to think myself fairly unique. Pretty much, I’m the tall blonde one with an unpredictable face. It is a nice way to remain anonymous.”

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Question Eight — Growing up, what were your favorite childhood games?

“Hide and seek, obviously.” He answers. “With enough practice, I learned how to shapeshift into objects. I was gone for nine hours once. People didn’t notice until they ran into a stepstool that complained about being kicked. It still felt like I won that game — although my brothers would have said otherwise.”

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Question Nine — What do you look forward to in the future? What do you dread?

“Ah. Peace and quiet. The next Autumn festival. Fresh blueberries, and perhaps a nice nap in the sun.” Tamlin smiled, slowly. “What do I dread? Ever having to do this again, and the asparagus that Alis always cooks on Friday.”

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Question Ten — If you could tell your audience anything, what would that be?

“If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say it at all.” He said, then paused to reconsider. “Also, pay attention to what you read. It is all too easy to let another's thoughts become your own. You have a brain. Use it.”

#pro tamlin #TamlinWeek2024 #tamlin week #tamlin acotar #funny au #acotar humor

[lovemyromance]

What people seem to be forgetting is that main characters need a plot line that solely depends on them. They can't just be the sidekicks on the mission, they are the leading force. They can't just tag along as someone's boyfriend/girlfriend. They need a reason to be there beyond love interest drama.

Lucien, despite being nonexistent from ACOWAR on- is a main character. I might not be his biggest fan recently, but even I can agree with that. He was in every single book, has been Feyre's friend from the start.

Gwyn? I don't see it, sorry. Her story was told. She trained, she healed, she fought, she went back to the library. The end. She was Nesta's friend in ACOSF, and that is her role in this series.

To say Gwyn will get an entire book is insane, and an entire book before Elain-a main character and the third Archeron sister-is absolutely off the rails.

Why would she get a book? Is she tied to any plot? Emerie, at least, is a Valkyrie who is Illyrian so if anyone is getting an Illyrian plotline, it's likely the Illyrian woman who had her wings clipped by a misogynistic society and lives in Illyria.

But people don't seem to be very vocal about Emerie getting a book. I wonder why that is - when she is more tied to the ACOTAR plotline (not that I think SJM will even explore Illyria, but just saying), when she is also a Valkyrie, when she is also Nesta's friend.

And I'm really not trying to elevate Emerie to diss Gwyn. I'm saying neither will get a book, because they're literally side characters in ACOTAR.

ACOTAR is not TOG or Crescent City. It is not multiple POVs of multiple characters we just met. We follow Feyre for 3 books, with occasional Rhys POV. We then get a fun little novella with Feysand, Mor, and Cassian POVs. Then we go back to the dual POV pattern with Nesta & Cassian. And one bonus chapter with Azriel POV.

People seem to be forgetting SJM herself said she started planting seeds for the spinoffs in ACOFAS.

Let's look at what ACOFAS set up:

Elain avoiding Lucien, Lucien avoiding Elain

Feysand bonus chapter about Elain

Cassian got a POV

Cassian & Nesta's current state of hostility

Nesta's struggle

So Cassian got a POV, and then Nesta, his love interest got a book.

In an interview about ACOFAS, SJM said she knew Nessian was next, and even started doing research for Elain's journey.

Elain's Journey.

And in recent interviews she's spoken about Azriel's journey.

In ACOSF, we see the first ever Azriel POV.

My bet is, the next book will be Elriel. It follows the pattern. We know Elain's book is next, but if she were to be paired with Lucien- why didn't Lucien get a POV?

Why did Azriel of all people get a POV?

It's because it follows the pattern. Cass/Az got POVs, so the next book is their love interest, Nesta/Elain.

SJM has only talked about Elain and Azriel's journey. She has not talked about Gwyn's journey. She has not talked about Lucien's journey. She's given us all the pieces to this puzzle,

Of course she thought it was obvious 🤷🏻‍♀️

#elriel #azriel #elain archeron #pro elain #acotar #elain x azriel #elain

[elainazs]

THE BEST PARTS OF SJM’S TODAY SHOW INTERVIEW.

There’s a lot to unpack in this new interview, so I gathered the best crumbs in my opinion to once and for all end the “Azriel book” discussion and elriel crumbs. ;)

This first bit, is the author of the interview describing the romantasy genre, where a girl, a female protagonist is in most cases the center of it.

Then she talks a bit about her next secret project that will come along after ACOTAR5, which once again is confirmed to be next book.

This right now, is the start of what truly gives it away, she starts the topic of “mates” since it’s very present in the entirety of Sarah’s books.

Now we get to the best part truly, as well all know initially Sarah planned for Elain and Lucien at a certain point, since the shippers often use a screenshot of an old 2016ish facebook comment to try to validate their ship, but now that’s over since SJM pretty much made it clear that they don’t have a future.

This part is the cherry on top, with the topic of rejecting mates and “what if the forces that be put you with the wrong person?” and then she proceeds saying there’s a lot to explore within the concept of mates.

And then “explore with this concept of free will and what is true love. is it something that’s destined? or something that you make?”

Last but not least, SJM once again confirming her female protagonists, through love and friendship and world-saving.

I personally wasn’t too thrilled for this interview, I thought I would leave empty handed but it gave me everything I wanted and more! I’m extremely excited about Elain and Azriel’s love story and the announcement of Elain’s book.

#elriel #pro elain #pro elriel #elain archeron #elain supremacy #elain archeron supremacy #acotar 5 #azriel #acotar #elriel endgame

[elrielffs]

I know people like to post SJM videos as “proof” of their ship like her saying “at the end of ACOSF you’ll know who the next book is about” when asked about Azriel.

But when you take in ALL her interviews it’s so obvious.

She did research for Elain’s book, gardening, flowers, talking about vines choking her and the subtle nod to Azriel being next it’s so obvious.

In conjunction with her stating “not every interaction has to be romantic” when asked about Gwyn.

The “if fate put me with the wrong person, that’s none of my business” when talking about exploring wrong mating bonds. Hint: it’s not Helion and LoA.

I paraphrased a lot here but like…it IS obvious. She said it was and it IS.

And for the antis that are like “but the end of ACOSF is the bc!!!”

No, it’s not. Timeline wise it’s about the middle of the book and most readers still to this day on Reddit and tumblr don’t know the bonus chapter exist cause it was only released in ONE book store in America and Brazil.

Also I don’t think she’s mentioned Lucien in any interviews lately. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong but…

Also all the articles coming out mention Elain or Azriel and Elain.

Gwyn has been mentioned once as an after thought and Lucien as Elains mate she doesn’t care about.

I’m just tired of being gaslit in this fandom by cherry picked scenes, interviews, “interpretations” taken as fact, fan fiction as a canon when the writing is ON the wall when you look at EVERYTHING collectively.

#elriel #acotar #sjm #anti elucien #anti gywnriel #elain archeron

[mayaperisic]

From someone who read Azriel’s POV bonus chapter without having read any of the ACOTAR books beforehand:

Couple of months ago I stumbled upon Azriel’s POV bonus chapter and I have no idea how or why because I hadn’t yet started reading the books. I had some basic knowledge of the story and the characters thanks to TikTok and it was probably one of the ship war videos that made me search for the bonus chapter because I was intrigued what the heck was going on that was making everyone go to war over. So, I read the bonus chapter without being influenced by liking one ship or the other, just wanted to see why everyone was fussing over Azriel.

The first part of the bonus chapter with Azriel and Elain made me SUPER UNCOMFORTABLE. I read a lot of smutty books and dark romances so sex talk is not something I shy away from. But the way that scene was written made me physically uncomfortable and not just because of Azriel’s thoughts, but Elain’s behaviour also. I can’t explain it, but both of them felt so cringy. I kept reading because I wanted to understand the fuss over the other part of the bonus chapter but if I had to decide on entering the world of ACOTAR based on that first part I would have thrown it in the trash. Needless to say I was super happy when Rhys interrupted them.

And then came the second part of the bonus chapter with Gwyn and oh my God but what a change. Azriel transformed from a creep (sorry but that was the vibe he was giving me in the beginning) to romance books hero in 2 paragraphs just by changing the scenery and the female protagonist. His scene with Gwyn felt so genuine and warm and just like he felt something restless settling inside him I felt all of the uncomfortable feelings leaving me from the first part of the chapter to give room to this warmth I felt for the 2 of them. And then for me it was pretty obvious that the author was telling the readers: this is his girl. The scene, the way it is written, the words used for the training scene but also at the end in the library, for me it was pretty damn obvious they were gonna be a couple. And then I understood that the first part of the bonus chapter was supposed to make us feel uncomfortable so we could see the contrast with the second part, literally obviously saying: The first girl ain’t it. The second girl is who you should be looking at.

So all of this without having read the books. And no, I’m not lying about it. I’m 27 and have better things to do than make stuff up for a ship war.

And then I read the books and entered the SJM world (TOG, ACOTAR, CC) and I was super confused with all of the E/riel fans and their theories and arguments that made me question whether we read the same books. I saw no ‘build-up for 4 books’ (which he spent mostly in love with Mor), sure little cute moments here and there but without that bonus chapter I would have even said Azriel looked at Elain as a little sister to protect. The bonus chapter only told me he has deep personal trauma to heal. Sorry but the fact that he hadn’t thought about a future with Elain but just sex is no way in hell romantic. So, 4 books of build-up led to, well, that? And the fact that Elain was willing to kiss another guy in the same house where her mate was sleeping (whom she hasn’t rejected yet) doesn’t speak volumes of her either, only that she also has a lot of stuff to deal with.

When Sarah in her interview said that she thought it was pretty obvious about who the next book will be and that she left breadcrumbs in the bonus chapter, for me it was pretty obvious it would be Gwyn and Az (I felt that literally by having read only the bonus chapter before the books). All of their little moments in ACOSF, how Sarah wanted us to pay attention to their reactions to one another, left no room for doubt in my mind, just like I saw it instantly with 2 glances the first time Nessian met, and I felt the chemistry right away.

I could go on ‘till tomorrow but probably should stop here. Just had to write this out of genuine confusion at how people try to deny the obvious (literally what Sarah said) by using theories and arguments that only show they probably haven’t even read ACOSF or other SJM books, because she couldn’t be more obvious than that with her writing.

P.S. This feels the same like when season 1 of The Vampire Diaries aired and I instantly knew Damon and Elena were it. Didn’t even need proof, just had a gut feeling. And Stelena fans then were also aggressively explaining there was no way Delena would be a thing much less endgame, but oh, guess which ship won in the end?

#gwynriel #gwyn acotar #pro gwynriel #pro gwyneth berdara #anti e/riel #acotar #acosf #azriel #azriel and gwyn #azriel acotar #azriel x gwyn #gwyneth berdara #gwyneth x azriel #sarah j maas #sjmaas

[nikethestatue]

First deep thought of 2024

We've all heard the same thing over and over again: SJM has changed her mind!

Name a ship, name an event, name a plotline--SJM has changed her mind. Originally, it was supposed to have been....whatever. Fill in the blanks.

I genuinely think that she doesn't change her mind about anything. I think she considers options--which we all do, if we write--and once she puts it on paper, she realises that something isn't working.

No, I don't think that Feylin was ever going to be intended as an 'endgame'. She didn't just change her mind, and then put Feyre with Rhys. Once Rhys was created, it was always going to be Feysand.

No, I don't think that Moriel was ever going to be a thing. Cassian x Azriel x Mor dynamic was always strange. I think that maybe she initially considered Mor and Cassian, but I also think that the sisters--Nesta and Elain--were there from the very beginning. She was going to pitch and sell their stories. It wasn't a 'sudden' thing--she obviously pitched a whole new universe of stories about the sisters to the editor, not just a vague promise of 'I have novels about the sisters'.

Which brings me to Lucien and the sisters.

We've all read/heard SJM's interview where she said that she initially considered Nesta and Lucien as a potential couple. But then, she knew immediately that it wouldn't work between the 2 of them, and she switched Lucien to Elain.

So the question is--what WOULDN'T work between Nesta and Lucien? Romance? Why not? They are both snarky, disliked by their families, have complex relationships with their siblings, have awful relationships with their fathers, both feel out of place in the world that they occupy. So why exactly wouldn't it work between them? they'd actually make a great couple, if you think about it.

And that brings me to my final point: Lucien's story with the sisters (regardless of which sister it was) was always about the breaking of the bond. Lucien and Nesta didn't work out not because SJM couldn't write their romance, but because she couldn't write a believable bond breaking between the two of them. Because we all know that Nesta would just be like 'no'. And that's the end of that.

Therefore, the bond breaking (or whatever you want to call it: unsuccessful bond, false bond, unwanted bond) was moved to the more diplomatic Elain. Because knowing Elain's personality, her desire to please, her need to be the peacemaker wouldn't make her just say 'no' to Lucien and the bond, unlike Nesta.

The story between Lucien and the sisters was never about 'love'. I absolutely believe that there was and is never any intention on SJM's part to have Lucien end up with any of the sisters. I think that the story of Lucien was always about an unsuccessful bond, and finding love with a human (let's remember how much he hated them in ACOTAR).

That's why I truly believe that Elriel was always going to be endgame. Just like Feysand, and then Nessian, Elriel was always in the cards. And I think that SJM pitched a Nessian and an Elriel stories to the publisher, not a Nessian and an Elucien story. That's why the hints were there from the very beginning 'Elain would wed for LOVE and beauty' and 'love would trump a mating bond'. Love. Elain's story was always going to be about love, and not a bond. Elain's first love crashed and burned. The love that she found and chose herself didn't work out. Then she was given a bond, which, as it turned out wasn't what she wanted at all. And her story will be about finding the strength within herself to go after what she wants, which is love, and Azriel.

#elriel #pro elriel #azriel and elain #elain x azriel

[mycadences]

SJM: But then sometimes I will write a scene with two characters that I planned for them to get together and then they have no -- it's like you know, like holding two dolls and being like "Now kiss" and like they won't and then I'm like "Oh okay", and it will only take one scene where I'm like "Wow this is not, like, even in my head what I thought would happen."

Hmm, I wonder which two characters almost kissed but got interrupted in a certain bonus chapter? 🤔 And this interview was from six days ago so it's pretty recent too.

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/C2zgj5sRSKX/

I honestly think that while writing ACOMAF she planned for Elucien (it was very obvious; she even wrote a Facebook comment about it) and Moriel, but eventually retconned Mor into being bisexual. Then in ACOWAR she was wavering between Elucien and Elriel, but didn't know for sure which direction she wanted to go. So she sprinkled dashes of both. Now came ACOSF where she introduced ✨ Gwyn ✨ and something just clicked. The bonus chapter was written for her to see the dynamics of Gwyn-Azriel-Elain and she felt that Gwyn was a better fit for Azriel, hence why the chapter started with Elain and ended with Gwyn. She wanted Azriel and Elain to kiss, but in her own words, they were like "two dolls" who just... couldn't.

SJM has also said before that her stories all have HEAs. If Lucien ends up with Vassa like Elriel fans are saying, where's the HEA? She's mortal; he's immortal. And getting the seven High Lords to resurrect her for the third time in the series is just tedious at this point. The pairings are, in my humble opinion: Gwynriel - Elucien - Vassian - Emorie.

#gwynriel #elucien #pro gwynriel #pro elucien #her words not mine #antielriel

[nyxreads]

So what do you think the next book will be about? We know it will be about Elain, but how do you see it going? What will be the main storylines? I am curious about what everyone is thinking.

Hello anon, sorry this kinda took me long to answer and honestly I am lazy and can't explain articulately what's in my mind but I'm gonna link you to some theories/analysis (based on canon) that I truly loved and agreed on about Elain and her upcoming book:

#elain archeron #pro elain archeron #elriel #pro elriel #i trust these analysis with all my heart #and trust on what I've read on the books #elain's book is a banger #I know we talk “mating bond/spells/rejection of mating bond” but there are still alot of going on connected to Elain #Koschei #the 4th Dead Trove #her unknown powers #her seer ability #the brewing war #Elain hinted as a spy #and most especially her choice.

[acourtofthought]

So according to Elriel’s, SJM has an interview to with today confirming the next book is about Elriel, but when I try to pull up the article, the article with today doesn’t show up and when I search her today interview it still says that she can’t share details so why would she say that only to post that the next book is about Elriel two days later? Is it a fake article they didn’t look into? Because SJM didn’t post it on her Instagram page nor her own website, and you think such huge info would be shared by her, Bloomsbury, and her website first.

I think that might be the Times article they're going on about because there's an excerpt that says "a highly anticipated release that many fans suspect will flesh out the stories of Feyre's sister Elain and Azriel, just as A Court of Silver Flames did for Nesta and Cassian. If you find they're talking about a different one, you'll have to let me know! But if is based off the excerpt above, I think as usual they are jumping to conclusions. "many fans suspect". That's the big debate, is it not? Who will Elain end up with? Does Az have a mate? The reporter merely has their thumb on the pulse of social media and the hysteria surrounding the next ACOTAR book. The reporter does not have insider information from SJM herself. When Sarah and Bloomsbury are ready to share who the next book is about, there will be no mistaking because they'll formally announce it. It's mind boggling that anyone thinks this information is going to be revealed anywhere but on their pages. I also find it odd that they cling to random sentences from articles that are not a direct quote from the author or become hyper-fixated on the letter's A and E being capitalized in comments yet ignore SJM saying things like "I'm really blessed to have someone who treats me like an equal and celebrates all my successes." "The baseline standard is that these males respect and cheer for the women in their lives, and know that they're these incredible people who deserve to feel special and loved. Do you think Elain would feel like an equal to hear that Az doesn't think she should be exposed to the darkness of the trove when he felt Nesta could? Do you think Elain felt like Az celebrated her success when she stabbed the king to save his brother? Do you think Elain felt special know Az has only thought of her in the context of jerking off to her present but not thinking of how he might be with her? Do you think Elain feels loved knowing that Az has avoided her for a year because he's pissy over her bond? Do you think Elain got the vibe that Az was proud of her for standing up to Nesta? This isn't Sesame Street, we don't need to focus on capital A's and E's in comments under posts. SJM is a grown ass women with two children and a husband of how many years. She has not written Az's treatment of Elain in the likeness of her husband.

#anti e/riel #pro elucien

[violetasteracademic]

Hi , do you think the Archeron sisters and Vassa will ever be truly be friends than just political allies ? I don't know how to feel about it knowing the last few months of his life where his daughters needed him the most ,he was off being a father to a stranger .

Hello my lovely Anon!

(ps to all my inbox submissions, I have fallen a bit behind but I will not forget any of you! Please be patient with me and feel free to keep sending! I love seeing your questions 😘)

My short answer is yes, I do believe Vassa and the Archeron sisters will be friends, largely because SJM has NEVER pitted women against each other (at least not for long) over the actions of a dud man. I love this old interview discussing it:

(thank you @greenleaf777 for grabbing this screen shot!)

The Archeron sisters have such a deep, complicated relationship with both parents. And I personally believe we will discover there is more to the Archeron bloodline (or at least I hope we do) because I have some QUESTIONS, and only Vassa can answer them.

How exactly did Papa Archeron know what was going on with the war? How did he know to find Queen Vassa, and understand that finding her was so vital that he was willing to make some secret bargain with a Death God to bring her to his daughters?

The Bone Carver had said his salvation lay dormant in some human bloodline. I do not think it is a coincidence that the three Made sisters were once human, and a human bloodline carries some sort of "key" to the multiverse.

I understand the depth and emotional complexity regarding Papa Archeron, and believe me- if he has no haters, I am dead. However, from a narrative perspective, I'm not sure I fully agree that he was off playing father to Vassa. I understand Vassa had that line- he was more of a father to me than my own.

However, whether or not you forgive him, whether or not you think it makes up for his failings as a parent, everything he secretly did during ACOWAR (including the bargain and retrieving the human Queen) was for his daughters, not for Vassa. And I personally need to know what the bargain was that he made. Knowing Sarah, if she isn't going to just forget about it, the reveal is going to be an absolute gut punch.

Whatever the bargain was, it was powerful and the terms were clear. In my opinion, there is no other reason for Koschei to continue to let Vassa experience some freedom. Maybe we will never learn the full truth or get the whole story, but I believe that somehow, Papa Archeron knew his daughters needed Vassa. For the war, and possibly beyond. In fact, I've even wondered if Papa Archeron was so good to Vassa because he knew his bargain would somehow save his daughters at Vassa's expense. I have no evidence for this, I just thought it would be interesting 🙈

While it is complicated, and I believe Nesta will likely have the hardest time with it, I think the Archeron sisters have yet to learn everything there was to learn about their father and his time securing Vassa. And it seems Vassa has her own issues with her father. It might be difficult, but there is actually some common ground there for the sisters and Vassa to understand each other. And I do not believe that with or without that reveal of everything Papa Archeron did for them, any of the Archeron sisters would hold it against Vassa that she saw a version of him they needed most as children.

I believe Sarah consistently chooses friendship in her writing when she can, even when it is complicated, for those who wish to do the right thing. Especially between women. And if Koschei is as powerful as everyone is suspecting, everyone is going to need each other's backs.

#vassa #archeron sisters #sjm