#hosab spoilers | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

throughstarlitfields · 3 months

Text

𝙋𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙪𝙭'𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚. 𝙃𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙩 𝙪𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩, 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙝𝙚'𝙙 𝙨𝙣𝙖𝙥 𝙃𝙪𝙣𝙩'𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙠 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨.

𝙃𝙪𝙣𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙖 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙨 𝙍𝙞𝙜𝙚𝙡𝙪𝙨 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙙, 𝙖 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙚𝙖𝙧-𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩. “𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙄 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚,” 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙃𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙.

𝙉𝙤. 𝙉𝙤. 𝘼𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨.

𝘏𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝙋𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙪𝙭 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙢, 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜.

𝙍𝙞𝙜𝙚𝙡𝙪𝙨 𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙣 𝙃𝙪𝙣𝙩'𝙨 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙬 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙧𝙪𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙠𝙪𝙡𝙡, 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙨, 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙. 𝘈𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙞'𝙨 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙬𝙚𝙗𝙗𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙃𝙪𝙣𝙩'𝙨 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙬, 𝙥𝙞𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙤'𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙍𝙞𝙜𝙚𝙡𝙪𝙨 𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚.

𝙃𝙪𝙣𝙩 𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣. 𝙄𝙩 𝙚𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙛𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨, 𝙤𝙛𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙚.

𝙷𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚂𝚔𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙱𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑 𝚋𝚢 𝚂𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚑 𝙹. 𝙼𝚊𝚊𝚜

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟽𝟽

𝙿𝚐. 𝟽𝟿𝟶

🎨: @kotikomori

Commissioned by me

𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐃𝐎 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓. 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓 𝐆𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐍.

368 notes · View notes

seaweedcupcake · 6 months

Text

Which is sadder

Lidia saying Ruhn “You can’t even look me in the eyes! Is that how much you hate me?”

Ruhn saying Lidia “Why can’t you just meet my eyes?” and she saying “Because I can’t stand the hatred I’m gonna see in here”

299 notes · View notes

offtorivendell · 3 months

Text

My thoughts on the Bryce, Azriel and Nesta HOFAS bonus chapter...

Disclaimer: as suggested by the title, the following discusses the Walmart HOFAS bonus chapter featuring Azriel, Bryce and Nesta. I haven't read the main text, so it won't feature anything related to that, but there are massive Maasverse and HOFAS spoilers ahead regardless. Please beware.

These are just my initial thoughts, not expanded upon in any substantial way and, as usual, I could always be way off the mark.

Also, yes, fair warning that I'll be mentioning the ACOTAR characters a lot. If that's not your jam, and you'd rather avoid any of the possible implications of the crossover, then I'd give this post a miss. On the other hand, if you're interested in how CC/HOFAS may affect Prythian going forward, please read on.

Music:

The Stone Mother song has me 👀 especially as the stone and water were "talking" at the start.

@cassianfanclub and @wingedblooms have already posted about the Stone Mother (here and here); @ladynightcourt3 has found the Phrygian goddess Cybele, also known as the "Mountain Mother," who sounds very relevant.

That being said, am I crazy to think Elain could have been listening in? Is Azriel stone and Elain water? His stone siphons - which Elain called beautiful, did she hear their song, as kin? - and Elain possibly as water? Was she using salt water to boost her powers, or a reflection pool to scry, and keep tabs on her sister and friend?

Or is it the space between linking worlds? Are the old gods talking?

Alternatively, could stone be referring to Nuala and Cerridwen, who are capable of manifesting stone around themselves and others (ACOTAR).

Is this what SJM meant when she said we'd see Elain in "some form" in the next book?

@psychee92 said she wished that SJM had somehow included Mr Brightside, and now I wish the same; even a mention of indie rock. 😭

Josie and Laurel - "He/god will add/increase" "(laurel) trees/victory"? Elain? Lol sorry, but it's either giving gardener, or Elain killing Hybern.

Wraith-like harmonies? After the description of Josie and Laurel's voices? It's crack, but is it a metaphor for Nuala and Cerridwen?

The musical similarities between what Juniper dances to and Prythian's music?!

Azriel's humming/singing made the shadows dance, once more suggesting that shadows dancing is a response to power, not mate bonds

The music Az liked was death metal. Could this link to any sort of metal artefact, like an iron crown for grounding? Or wyrdstone jewellery?

The glass coffin?

"Nineteenth century literature presents the glass coffin as a prison within which sleeping women are frequently mistaken for dead or vice versa." (Source). It's giving Sleeping Beauty (credit to @elriell for the OG SB theory), and a little Snow White.

Check out this tale from The Brothers Grimm, which sounds... suspiciously relevant to Elain.

@cassianfanclub also suggested that it's giving necromancer vibes, and I'd love that for Elain.

Feyre once said she could sleep for a hundred years after coming back from the Prison, right before going to the Hewn City in ACOWAR. After Elain had left the room, and before Feyre went to check in on her to find her "asleep—breathing."

Let's not forget Elain's assistance in rescuing the human COTB, Briar, from Hybern's camp.

Will Elain prick herself while weaving?

I was tired enough that I could barely summon the breath to ask, “Do you think the Cauldron made her insane?” “I think she went through something terrible,” Lucien countered carefully. “And it wouldn’t hurt to have your best healer do a thorough examination.” I rubbed my hand over my face. “All right.” My breath snagged on the words. “Tomorrow morning.” I managed a shallow nod, rallying my strength to rise from the chair. Heavy—there was an old heaviness in me. Like I could sleep for a hundred years and it wouldn’t be enough. “Please tell me,” Lucien said when I crossed the threshold into the foyer. “What the healer says. And if—if you need me for anything.” I gave him one final nod, speech suddenly beyond me. I knew Nesta still wasn’t asleep as I walked past her room. Knew she’d heard every word of our conversation thanks to that Fae hearing. And I knew she heard as I listened at Elain’s door, knocked once, and poked my head in to find her asleep—breathing. - ACOWAR, chapter 27

Azriel specifically said Nesta "beheaded" Hybern, after looking down at Truth-Teller.

This is not Azriel giving Nesta credit for the assassination. If anything he's hiding Elain's involvement.

I've said before, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who has done so, but I would expect Azriel to protect his LI with silence, whoever they are.

He had to have been thinking about Elain, who I've theorised could now/soon be known as "The Shadowsinger's Knife" after she became the "knife in the dark" in Azriel's place at the end of ACOWAR.

The young girl sitting on the mushroom:

I'm still looking into the carving of the young girl sitting on the toadstool with the hound sprawled on the ground beside her, as I find it really interesting. My initial thought was that it seemed like a convenient place to drop a mention of a garden-like fairy carving with a hound right after Bryce had quizzed Azriel about his hypothetical mate, or lack thereof (Elain being both heavily associated with plant life, thanks to her "little garden," as well as dogs, after Nesta called her one in ACOSF).

I also wonder if it has anything to do with the Czech tale that amanita muscaria - while psychoactive/toxic - are said to protect from lightning and other ill fortune. If this is correct, it reminds me a little of the markings - wyrdmarks - on the Archeron cottage.

I don't know where Bryce and co were walking, as I have only read this bonus chapter and the prologue, but given it was carved on an underground wall, and I suspect that there are underground portals in at least the Hewn City and the Prison, and maybe the waterways... could it have been for protection against the invading lightning Asteri? Or did the Asteri (Daglan?) put them there to protect against Thunderbirds, or whatever Hunt is?

Miscellany

Maybe Bryce hadn't been sent there by Urd? Who then? Was @silverlinedeyes right all along?

The mention of pleasure halls seems like a call back to Azriel's bonus chapter, but it's also likely that they aren't all brothels (see Rita's).

Azriel listening closely about Nesta now liking being Fae; he could extrapolate her responses to Elain. Maybe she's no longer miserable, and in need of their pity. And maybe she's changed her mind from ACOFAS, when she said to Feyre "I don't want a mate, I don't want a male."

Azriel said "no" to whether or not he has a mate rather quickly. Hmm... the shadowsinger doth protest too much?

It's also potentially important that Nesta said "yes, WE are" curious about Azriel's mate status. Her, Azriel and most of the fandom! 😂

"Okay, okay," Bryce said. "But it'd be cool to know something about your world. Or about you." They were both silent. Bryce asked Nesta, "You have a mate, right?" She nodded to Azriel. "Do you?" "No." Azriel said quickly, flatly. "A partner or spouse?" "No." Bryce sighed. "Okay, then." Azriel's wings twitched. "You're incurably nosy." "I think that's the nicest thing you've said about me." Bryce winked at him. "Look, I just... I'm curious. Aren't you?" Azriel didn't answer, but Nesta said, "Yes. We are." - HOFAS, Bryce, Azriel and Nesta bonus chapter

All in all, while there were no overt mentions of Elain - and really, why would SJM do that in a series that wasn't Elain's own - imo we got the Elain-shaped holes in the text that I was hoping for, and I can't wait to see if there are any more in the full book.

#hofas spoilers #hofas bonus chapter #bryce azriel nesta bonus chapter #crescent city spoilers #hofas #hosab spoilers #acotar cc tog crossover theory #bryce quinlan #azriel shadowsinger #nesta archeron #elain archeron

178 notes · View notes

eilidh-eternal · 10 months

Text

GUYS

CRESCENT CITY

IS THE FRENCH QUARTER IN NEW ORLEANS

The Underking, the reapers, the mausoleums/crypts, THE VIPER QUEEN—heavy voodoo motifs!!!! SJM even writes that they are somewhat close to the ocean and there are marshes near Crescent City. THE BAYOU?!?! THE GULF OF MEXICO?!?! Crescent City is the French Quarter and you can’t tell me otherwise.

317 notes · View notes

reyleese · 2 months

Text

*** HOFAS SPOILERS ***

I seriously just need a novella of Ruhn and Lidia… I need to see Lidia learning how to love Ruhn out in the open, being herself out in the open.. People probably treat her poorly sometimes, and even Ruhn friends, though they fought next to her, probably are still a little iffy about her because they don’t know her.! I wanna see Lidia being free to have FUN and actually have a LIFE, playing beer pong with Flynn and talking nerd with Dec and Mark.. I wanna see Ruhn starting to live a life he believes has a real future, no prophecy predicting his death or that he’ll never have children… Not only does he have his freaking MATE at his side now, but he has the freedom TO HAVE A FUTURE WITH HER.!

I wanna see Ruhn being absolutely OBSESSED with Lidia and everything she does, see him and her both navigating her PTSD with care and respect, even in public situations when other people don’t get it, but he’s there to do it with her.. All the others steadily becoming her friends and Bryce becoming a support system for her, a freaking SISTER to give a crap about her and to let her know what it is for someone to have your back…

UGH I JUST LOVE THEM

#sjmaas #sarah j maas #sjm books #sjm fandom #crescent city #cc hofas #hosab spoilers #hofas spoilers #hofas #cc3 hofas #ruhn x lidia #lidia x ruhn #lidia cervos #ruhnlidia #prince ruhn #ruhn danaan #ruhn crescent city #bryce quinlan

129 notes · View notes

lucienarcheron · 7 months

Text

SJM Live Event 9.26.2023

This was so fun! I loved the questions and rapport between Christian Lauren and Sarah. Below is a recap of what was discussed :)

She looks great!

They met years ago when SJM was still writing TOG (on book two)

COURTOFMASS helped narrow down the questions so AYY fandom

CL likes to see when people try to summarize the SJM’s books so they asked SJM to summarize CC

SJM’s palms were sweating (LOL) and she summarized it as “a mix of urban fantasy, fantasy, fantasy but modern world - kick ass snarky heroine who goes on a journey of self-discovery and healing with hot ass dudes and hot sex”

“Doesn’t look any family members in the eye” because of her smut (lol)

SJM doesn’t look at any theories. “I say no in the most loving way”

She doesn’t have social media on her phone so she’s not lurking around on the internet. She just wants to stay in her creative bubble. Every now and then a friend will send her something “lol look at this crazy theory”

Creating CC / what was that like?

It was a year-long process and ongoing as she was writing it. She’s back living in NYC and growing up in the city inspired a lot of this book. The idea came to her on a plane while on tour (possibly HOF) and she heard a piece of music, and saw Danika’s voice reaching out to Bryce. It’s when she burst into tears and Bryce came to life (she’s told us this before). She kind of worked in reverse as it unraveled in her mind. It’s something she thought about for years and it was her “fun” / side project. Over the course of a bunch of years, until TOG was starting to wrap up, she kept coming back to it.

This was the story she wanted to tell because she loved Bryce and Hunt so much by that point. It was over the course of years daydreaming about this story and peeling away the images of the story. She had a lot of fun writing this book.

How does she keep track of the worlds she creates?

Publisher has an official bible which they constantly reference and she has an awesome editor that remembers all the important stuff and small moments/lines. She has a terrible memory in real life but SJM keeps all her stories occupied in her brain. Also keeps a bunch of notebooks.

We don’t know much about Hunt’s origin so are we going to find out about his parentage and background in the next book?

We will learn more about Hunt in the next book. As for his well-being, “I make no promises. I’m not saying anything about anything.” LOL. “I will say that when I was working on HOSAB my editor and I were thinking about what was the most horrible thing that could happen.” Originally she considered him getting his wings chopped off again but her editor was like “what can be worse” and it’s the slave tattoo again. A new level of trauma for him to unload in the next book. “He has a lot of room to grow and shit to deal with it. Poor Hunt, he’s in for a journey coming up.”

Will we find out more about the Autumn King? Does he connect to the Autumn Court?

Yes, we will learn more (about him not necessarily yes to the Autumn Court connection). “He’s not a father in any way.” In the process of writing and editing, he’s become one of her favorite to write because he’s so horrible and terrible. He’s capable of doing the right thing but doesn’t. He’s just a fucked up, horrible person. It’s a lot of fun to put opposing characters in a room to see what happens (bryce vs autumn king). It’s so satisfying for her to see a woman get one up on a douchey asshole.

Ruhn question - Some headcanon in the SJM fandom (that I didn’t quite catch but it made them all laugh) Something about Ruhn and vibrators? Sarah nearly fell down the stairs laughing about this. Now that she’s thinking about sweet Ruhn and where he is, she feels bad. (SARAH NO).

Talked about her writing process - Sometimes she will write a whole draft and realize it’s not what she wants. When she was working on HOFAS, she was going through some shit (didn’t want to elaborate) and she wrote the whole thing but then she didn’t like it. She was “meh” about it. She knew she hadn’t found the right story and it wasn’t good enough. She is very intense about her writing and wants to put her very best writing out there.

There’s a little bit of an extra gap between the books because she had her baby but also she went through the first/second round of edits with other things going on that she wasn’t in the right space. She felt like she needed to throw out the whole thing and start over. She wrote a brand new draft in 4-5 weeks and then she found the story. A couple of scenes stayed from the first draft but almost of it is new. She never wants to put out any work she doesn’t believe in. “You can’t fix a blank page.” so it’s all part of the writing process for her.

For example, the book she’s working on now - spent the whole day writing a scene but she doesn’t like it and it’s part of the process.

What it was like waiting for readers to get to the ending of HOSAB / Another author asked about when she decided to crash her worlds together the author can’t fathom that Sarah didn’t plan this out from the beginning so when Aelin went through the worlds and Rhys sees her - “Are you some crazy genius where all these little breadcrumbs come into your brain or was it intentional?”

Not a genius in any way. Talks about her son and how he says “I’m Sarah J Mask” - her kids keep her humble (lmao). Her son is obsessed with Taylor Swift so it doesn’t matter what she does, she’ll never be Taylor Swift so she’ll never be cool (lol). She loves Taylor and has so much respect for her and now she knows all her songs because they only listened to her in the car. She has the little golden book of TS for her son (LOL). In the eyes of her son, TS is the only creative genius and she is all for it.

When it comes to the ending of this book, she knew for a while and knew these worlds overlapped before she started working on KOA. She knew Aelin was going to crash through these worlds and had already started daydreaming on CC. When she wrote that scene of Aelin, she wanted her to go through the ACOTAR world and see Feysand then had her go through the CC world. When she was really working on CC officially, while daydreaming about it, she got into this idea of the worlds and how they’re all technically connected. She remembered having this “what the fuck” moment of HOSAB’s ending. “I don’t know what’s happening to my body” and everything clicked in. While working on CC1, she was able to plant some seeds.

When she finally wrote the end of HOSAB with Rhys, she cried. Things had just completely gone to shit in CC and “my wonderful Rhys” comes in. One of her favorite parts that she’s ever written.

Will we see ACOTAR characters coming in/having POVs? - “I’m not saying anything about anything.” We will see some of the ACOTAR world. It basically picks up close to where we left off.

Is Dankia really dead - “Um, yeah.” LOL “She is dead and as much as I wish was miraculously living, she’s dead.”

Is Connor really dead - “Yes?” LOL

Does Emil really have no powers? - Passed on answering this. “I like it.”

With magic being weaker in the modern world, do mates mean the same thing in the fantasy (ACOTAR/TOG) as they do in the modern world? - Pass because (they started speaking over each other here but I assume it will be because we will understand more of this in HOFAS).

Is Hunt really Bryce’s mate - “Am I going to destroy some kind of theory?” She answered, “YES, HE IS HER MATE.” She talked about how she’s changed the LI in her other series (the FMC’s first LI not being her last one) but with CC she kept the same LI from the beginning to the end - “If they both make it to the end.” (she’s so mean for this LOL)

When the first ACOTAR book came out, it was hard for her to keep Feysand a secret because people would tell her how much they loved Tamlin and she had to just smile awkwardly about it (lolol).

How much of Bryce’s power has she accessed? - We’ll see in the next book!

They talked a little about parenting and their kids aging and personal stories for a bit.

CL mentioned SJM previously saying that people won’t need to read ACOTAR to read CC and vice versa. Is that statement still true? - “You should read ACOTAR and if you haven’t read ACOTAR and get to HOSAB, it’ll make you want to read it.” She had them put an AD in the back of HOSAB for people to read ACOTAR. She then said, “I do not stand by that statement. I renounce this statement. Read ACOTAR first.” (👀)

Discussed the cover of HOFAS and whether the cover has a dragon head - “I am not saying anything. There are always easter eggs.” She added, “We made sure there were many easter eggs.” It’s probably her favorite cover. It came together so beautifully.

Did she write HOSAB in order? - She’s always super pumped to write her endings. She has to write in a linear/chronical fashion and she dangles the ending as motivation. She was powering through the rest of the book so she could get to writing the endings of HOSAB. It was the same with ACOSF with Nesta in the Blood Rite and saving Feyre.

What were some of the most fun/favorite/hardest scenes- In HOEAB, when Hunt discovers Bryce’s unicorn collection. Sarah has collections of My Little Pony and has been in bidding wars for them. She loves them LOL. Another scene will always be Bryce and Danika doing the drop. She still cries thinking about it. “Call me sentimental, cheesy, or whatever - I believe in our darkest moments we aren’t alone.” That scene means a lot to her.

In HOSAB - she loved the opening of the book where they’re basically at a frat party “Wonder where the inspo for that came from” LOL / She loves the little moments of them living their lives and getting to be themesleevs in between disasters. She loved it when Ruhn was super stoned lmao. She also loved the scene with The Hind and Ithan in the bar as well as the end of HOSAB with the Hind revealing herself to her Ruhn; she cried a lot while writing those scenes.

She gets so emotionally involved with her books/characters. Most of the book is what she loves. She needs to be obsessed with her book because she has to read it over so many times and stay in love with it as she rereads it.

She remembers seeing tear stains on copies of her manuscripts. She loves all her characters so much and they make it worth it across all the series. They feel real to her. She’s getting to see them in all aspects of their lives.

Three Bigger Questions -

One of the reasons they clicked as friends is because they have the same fangirl heart - CL loves her passion for things. How does it feel to have this fandom follow her the way she follows her favorites? Sarah mentions how she was a fangirl of CL first.

It feels weird to even say fandom for her books. It’s beyond anything she’s ever hoped for herself. There’s no ego here but she grew up as a fangirl for so many things so it blows her mind that people connect with these characters and worlds and that they mean something to them. She also has a profound sense of gratitude that she gets to do what she loves because of the people who read her books. She’s deeply appreciative of the joy and enthusiasm we bring to the books. It’s a very humbling and moving thing to inspire someone.

Every time she sees someone reading her book, she walks up to them and talks about it apparently! One girl on the street walked by her and Josh and they saw a tattoo of the mountain with three stars and they wanted to ask her about it. Sarah sent Josh to ask her about her tattoo. “He wasn’t cool about it, he just blurted it out.” She then introduced herself but the girl didn’t seem to believe her HAHA. “No makeup and in regular street clothes. I think she thought I was a lunatic on the street. I don’t think she left the encounter believing it was me.” “I’m going to be quiet and not scare people anymore.”

She saw a guy on the subway reading ACOMAF “Is he reading some sexy ass stuff on the subway?” but he was reading it because his gf was reading it.

It blows her mind seeing people read her books in real life just like seeing her book on shelves never gets old.

Now that CC3 is done, what are you working on now?

Currently working on/drafting the next ACOTAR novel! That’s all she will say. She has become so focused and excited writing this book. She described it as the feeling when you’re first obsessed with someone and all they’re thinking about. For the next god knows how many months or “a million years” LOL

#sjm #sarah j maas #crescent city #hosaf #hosab #hosab spoilers #acotar #sjm live

186 notes · View notes

cassianfanclub · 9 months

Text

Az is no longer the ribbon. That’s done and over. Gwyn completed the BR qualifier and ended up surviving the Blood Rite. So what’s left to prove to Az? The ribbon is cut, and with it, severing ties to Az and Gwyn. Az may or may not pop in to help with training here and there, but the spymaster of the NC doesn’t have time to fiddle with ribbons and go through breathing exercises with all that’s going on in Prythian.

But you know what is still a thing? Elain being Az’s secret. The secret that Nesta knows. His feelings for Elain are still there, waiting to be explored in the next book. We aren’t left with “his secret to tell, never hers” for that secret to not be relevant in the next book.

So this idea that somehow gwynriel is happening and is a thing is beyond ridiculous. And no, the bonus with Bryce, Nesta, and Az in no capacity confirms gwynriel. The only reason people are celebrating is bc there hasn’t been an outright Elriel confirmation and to them that is a win because it allows them to continue to push this narrative that gwynriel are the next book couple even though neither is romantically interested in the other, they can’t move the plot forward, and there’s not a single thing connecting them to one another moving forward.

#elriel #elain archeron #pro elriel #pro elain #azriel shadowsinger #i thought it was obvious #azriel #acotar 5 #hosab spoilers #house of flame and shadow

205 notes · View notes

darkbananaaaz · 2 months

Text

SJM :: "It should be pretty clear who the next ACOTAR book is about when you read [ACOSF]."

🦇🌸 :: IT'S ELAINS BOOK NEXT! IT'S SO OBVIOUS!! Anyone who says different doesn't have any reading comprehension.

(NOT trying to be mean. Just what I've seen amongst different socials.)

SJM ::

Silver Flames

Azriel has a larger role than he's had thus far.

Azriel has a Bonus Chapter in his POV.

Sky and Breath

Azriel is the one to find and bring Bryce to the rest of our ACOTAR gang.

Azriel owning the dagger that is in the fae prophecy of the two blades in the Crescent City series.

(Minor House of Flame and Shadow Spoilers Below)

Flame and Shadow

Azriel has even a larger roll in just part one alone than even Silver Flames.

Azriel featured in TWO of HOFAS's Bonus Chapters. One of them with actual dialogue.

Azriel has a connection to Enalius.

Azriel lost Truth Teller when Bryce stole it to bring it to Midguard with her.

Now, I am not saying they're wrong, but if someone can calmly explain the evidence that points to the next book being Elains? Because from the looks of it? It's definitely going to be Azriels

.... loath as I am to admit. I don't like him..

86 notes · View notes

deadlything · 3 months

Text

manifesting gwyn content in hofas, she and bryce need to gush over their shared love of small pegasuses

#pegasi? whatever #i know it’s all but guaranteed since she’s been helping merrill study other worlds but #hofas spoilers #hosab spoilers #gwyneth berdara #bryce quinlan #acotar #cc #sjm

75 notes · View notes

fleyrie · 2 years

Text

#they be like: who tf are you?#sjm #Acotar memes #Hosab #house of sky and breath #acotar #Hosab spoilers #Bryce Quinlan #the inner circle #crescent city 2 #crescent city #sjm memes

2K notes · View notes

wingedblooms · 6 months

Text

Flower of life

The flower of life is part of sacred geometry, which is the underlying form or geometry in nature (mindbodygreen). It symbolizes the balance of male and female energy in creation and contains the secrets of the universe.

The flower of life is another sacred geometric form. It is the symbol of creation. It is created by forming a circle then moving to the edge of that circle and forming another one. Each circle begins one radius away from the surrounding circles and is of equal size. (uoregon)

The striking visual is meant to represent creation, the sacred masculine and divine feminine, and cycles of life, death, and rebirth. Some believe the flower of life is also a key that can unlock hidden knowledge of time and space within its petal-like structures. (mindbodygreen)

“It is thought that the flower of life holds a secret within it—a circle, which in many cultures, is considered the 'zero point' or the 'origin' of us all," Dale says. "This is the Oneness that ties us together.”(mindbodygreen)

Sacred Geometry in the Maasverse

In the Maasverse, Sarah also uses sacred geometry to create balance between opposing forces and characters use this balance to channel power. Sometimes it’s a symbol, like the six-pointed star @silverlinedeyes highlighted in this post. She connected the six-pointed star to the three brothers and three sisters in theory because they bring together opposing forces—light and dark and female and male energy—and create balance.

“Ithan angled his head. “A six-pointed star,” he said. Like the one Bryce had made between the Gates this spring, with the seventh candle at its center.

“It’s a symbol of balance,” she explained, moving away a foot, but keeping the dagger at her side. Her crown of cloudberries seemed to glow with an inner light. “Two intersecting triangles. Male and female, dark and light, above and below … and the power that lies in the place where they meet.” Her face became grave. “It is in that place of balance where I’ll focus my power.” She motioned to the circle. “No matter what you see or hear, stay on this side of the candles.” (hosab)

When they come together, as we saw with Feyre and Rhysand in the original series, they may be able to channel their combined energies to achieve powerful creation or healing (e.g., reforging the Cauldron, creating a baby who’s named for a deity and is probably going to be unique, etc.). As Rhys said in acowar, the sisters are in his court for a reason, and Mor might have hinted this long before as @lesolehabitantdelalune pointed out in relation to the six-pointed star:

Mor stayed overnight, even going so far as to paint some rudimentary stick figures on the wall beside the storeroom door. Three females with absurdly long, flowing hair that all resembled hers; and three winged males, who she somehow managed to make look puffed up on their own sense of importance. I laughed every time I saw it. (acomaf)

The three Made sisters and the three winged brothers are all blessed by fate and seem to be even more important together. Six is a perfect number and seven—the point where they all meet—symbolizes completion.

So, how does this relate to the flower of life? The flower of life contains circles that create a six-pointed star (see below) and there is a circle in the middle where they all intersect.

Source: uoforegon

The flower of life also contains other symbols Sarah has used across worlds:

Throne of Glass Series

Aelin wore an amulet that warned and helped her when needed. It was called the Eye of Elena, which Manon corrects as the Eye of the Goddess. It is the symbol Blueblood prophets tattoo on their hearts to indicate that they are Goddess-blessed.

A large circle—and two overlapping circles, one atop the other, within its circumference. “That is the Three-Faced Goddess,” Manon said, her voice low. “We call this …” She drew a rough line in the centermost circle, in the eye-shaped space where they overlapped. “The Eye of the Goddess. Not Elena.” She circled the exterior again. “Crone,” she said of the outermost circumference. She circled the interior top circle: “Mother.” She circled the bottom: “Maiden.” She stabbed the eye inside: “And the heart of the Darkness within her.” (eos)

A Court of Thorns and Roses Series

The Bone Carver drew interlocking circles to represent the death-god siblings, two of whom were worshipped by the fae before they were trapped. Two out of three siblings helped Prythian in a bargain with Feyre and Rhys.

The Carver traced three overlapping, interlocked circles in the dirt. “You have met my sister—my twin. The Weaver, as you now call her. I knew her as Stryga. (acowar)

Crescent City Series

Bryce wears an Archesian amulet with entwined circles that keeps her hidden from those searching for the Horn.

Bryce zipped a tiny golden pendant—a knot of three entwined circles—along the delicate chain around her neck. (hoeab)

In the space between, I discussed all of these interconnected trios, including the sacred trio which I believe this all stems from (Mother, Cauldron, Fate) and the rose amulet chosen for Elain. Although it is not described in circles, Elain’s amulet glows with three colors—red, pink, and white—in the Faelight, mimicking Azriel’s observation that she glows like the dawn in the Faelight earlier in that scene. We don’t know if it contains any protective properties or whether it will even make a reappearance. But out of all the symbols we’ve seen with the divine number three, it is the only one in the form of a flower…except, that is, for the Cauldron.

The Cauldron as the Flower of Life

In hosab, the Under King hinted that Urd, the goddess of fate, might be Mother, Cauldron, and the Forces That Be all in one.

A pyre smoked atop a black stone altar in the center of the temple. A stone throne on a dais loomed at the rear of the space. No statues ever adorned Urd’s Temple—no depiction of the goddess had ever been made. Fate took too many forms to capture in one figure.

The Under-King rose, black robes drifting on a phantom wind. “I thought the Fae bowed to Luna, but perhaps you remember the old beliefs? From a time when Urd was not a goddess but a force, winding between worlds? When she was a vat of life, a mother to all, a secret language of the universe? The Fae worshipped her then.” (hosab)

As I’ve explained with help from @silverlinedeyes in this post, mother to all = Mother, vat of life = Cauldron, and a force = Forces That Be (which seems to be used interchangeably with Fate in acotar). Mother, Cauldron, Fate. Three interconnected parts of a whole.

If we’re to believe the Under King, the goddess of fate isn’t actually a goddess. It is the Cauldron, which moves like a force, is a mother to all, and possesses the secrets of the universe. The Cauldron is Sarah’s flower of life.

The Cauldron shattered into three pieces, peeling apart like a blossoming flower—and then she came. (acowar)

And it can be controlled through spells in the Book of Breathings. Those spells must be uttered by someone who is Made because like calls to like.

“When the Cauldron was made,” the Carver interrupted, “its dark maker used the last of the molten ore to forge a book. The Book of Breathings. In it, written between the carved words, are the spells to negate the Cauldron’s power—or control it wholly. But after the War, it was split into two pieces. One went to the Fae, one to the six human queens. It was part of the Treaty, purely symbolic, as the Cauldron had been lost for millennia and considered mere myth. The Book was believed harmless, because like calls to like—and only that which was Made can speak those spells and summon its power. No creature born of the earth may wield it, so the High Lords and humans dismissed it as little more than a historical heirloom, but if the Book were in the hands of something reforged … You would have to test such a theory, of course—but … it might be possible.” (acomaf)

The pieces of the Book seem to contain void, or cold cunning, and chaos.

Life and death and rebirth

Sun and moon and dark

Rot and bloom and bones

Hello, sweet thing. Hello, lady of night, princess of decay. Hello, fanged beast and trembling fawn.

Love me, touch me, sing me.

Madness. Where the first half had been cold cunning, this box … this was chaos, and disorder, and lawlessness, joy and despair.

Light and dark and gray and light and dark and gray (acomaf)

And these seem to be the same beings (forces?) that Apollion mentions in his own creation.

“Do you not know where I come from? My father was the Void, the Being That Existed Before. Chaos was his bride and my dam. It is to them that we shall all one day return, and their mighty powers that run in my blood.” (hosab)

If the Cauldron contains both Void and Chaos, which I believe it does as a bowl of life and death, then the Book of Breathings allows the wielder to control those forces. In the tog series, higher beings are forces that are part of the same consciousness. They are interconnected parts of a sacred whole. And we’re told early on, and repeatedly thereafter, that the Cauldron is the origin of everything.

Inside the Cauldron was nothing but inky, swirling black.

Perhaps the entire universe had come from it.

Azriel and Cassian tensed as I laid a hand on the lip. Pain—pain and ecstasy and power and weakness flowed into me.

Everything that was and wasn’t, fire and ice, light and dark, deluge and drought.

The map for creation. (acomaf)

Feyre put together the two pieces of the Book and as Amren predicted, there was a great, noticeable blast.

“You put the pieces together,” she clarified when Rhys gave her a questioning look, “and the blast of power will be felt in every corner and hole in the earth. You won’t just attract the King of Hybern. You’ll draw enemies far older and more wretched. Things that have long been asleep—and should remain so.” (acomaf)

So, it’s also probable an old and powerful enemy might come calling (ahem, Koschei and/or the Asteri). Does that mean someone might need to wield the Cauldron again, but to help and protect Prythian instead this time?

If so, that someone would need to be Made. All three sisters are Made, so I personally dream about all three of them wielding it together like the witches they are. But I also think it would make sense for Elain to wield it on her own or with her love interest. When she emerged from the Cauldron, Sarah described her appearance in detail—pale, delicate, beautiful, glowing.

More water than seemed possible dumped out in a cascade. Black, smoke-coated water. And Elain, as if she’d been thrown by a wave, washed onto the stones facedown. Her legs were so pale—so delicate. […] Elain sucked in a breath, her fine-boned back rising, her wet nightgown nearly sheer. And as she rose from the ground onto her elbows, the gag in place, as she twisted to look at me— Nesta began roaring again. Pale skin started to glow. Her face had somehow become more beautiful—infinitely beautiful, and her ears … Elain’s ears were now pointed beneath her sodden hair. (acomaf)

She has been described as wise, gentle, and kind, but doesn’t hesitate to do what is necessary to protect life and restore order, like a gardener whose glowing hands won’t hesitate to get dirty for a pretty result.

A Gardener’s Hands

It began with a cauldron. A mighty black cauldron held by glowing, slender female hands in a starry, endless night. Those hands tipped it over, golden sparkling liquid pouring out over the lip. No—not sparkling, but … effervescent with small symbols, perhaps of some ancient faerie language. Whatever was written there, whatever it was, the contents of the cauldron were dumped into the void below, pooling on the earth to form our world… (acotar)

Elain isn’t just connected to a flower amulet. She is a blooming flower in an army camp, a bloom of color and sunshine even in the middle of winter. She is Hope shining in the Void on the longest night of winter.

The River House had finally fallen quiet after the raucous Winter Solstice party, the Faelights dimming to cast little pools of gold amid the deep shadow of the longest night of the year. […] He knew he’d be swallowed by it if he went up to his bedroom, so he’d remained down here by the dying light of the fire. […] Soft steps padded from under the stair archway, and there she was. The Faelights gilded Elain’s unbound hair, making her glow like the sun at dawn. (Azriel’s bonus chapter)

Tell me, who is better positioned than the Cauldron-blessed gardener and seer to wield the flower of life? Sarah essentially set her up to defy Nesta’s command below, meaning she will not stay away from the Cauldron and might tend to a garden on a greater scale as a result.

“Why?” Elain demanded. “Shall I tend to my little garden forever?” When Nesta flinched, Elain said, “You can’t have it both ways. You cannot resent my decision to lead a small, quiet life while also refusing to let me do anything greater.”

“Then go off on adventures,” Nesta said. “Go drink and fuck strangers. But stay away from the Cauldron.” (acosf)

The issue, of course, is that the Book of Breathings is now in Midgard under the care of a sorceress whose past is a mystery and the name we know her under, Jesiba Roga, isn’t the only one she possesses. Now that the two worlds are connected, though, it seems like only a matter of time until the Book is (re)discovered. But will it find the right hands?

There are more immediate ways for Elain to defy Nesta’s order and engage the Cauldron even without the Book. In hosab, mystics combine energy from a male, female, and the space where they meet—both male and female—to achieve perfect balance. It is perhaps this balance of power that allows them to become the Eye of the Goddess, mapping the secrets of the universe and influencing others from afar. Mysticism involves achieving a higher level of consciousness and uniting with the divine. Similarly, the flower of life can be used as a tool for meditation and enlightenment.

Elain seems to have used mystic ability on her own when she located and appeared to the Suriel across the world, and it’s possible she could use Rhys’s orrery as to expand her map in future books. Since these are romance books, I think it’s important to mention that we’re told Azriel is fascinated by the orrery. And like a sacred vision as @offtorivendell, @merymoonbeam and @psychologynerd have pointed out, Feyre witnesses perfect balance between Azriel and Elain: her immaculate hand meets his scarred one in the space between where light and dark, life and death, and female and male combine.

Elain looked up at Azriel, their eyes meeting, his hand still lingering on the hilt of the blade. I saw the painting in my mind: the lovely fawn, blooming spring vibrant behind her. Standing before Death, shadows and terrors lurking over his shoulder. Light and dark, the space between their bodies a blend of the two. The only bridge of connection…that knife. (acowar)

Elain may not need anyone to navigate the space between with the Cauldron. But I have a feeling she will need something or someone to help keep her grounded as she expands her Sight and maybe even peers into Hel. If she does need to form a sacred trio to move beyond their world, then she, Azriel, and the Cauldron (which is both male and female), would suffice. As Feyre’s vision of the lovely fawn and Death seems to foreshadow, they would create perfect balance together. And maybe, just maybe, their bargain tattoo will represent that balance in the form of a blossoming flower where the Eye of the Goddess, her heart of darkness, remains half-hidden in the shadows with the secrets of the universe.

Read more about Elain’s arc and powers here.

#the cauldron as the flower of life #elain as its gardener #azriel as her groundskeeper #see what i did there?#😆😆😆#elain archeron #azriel #elriel #hosab spoilers #crossover theories #maasverse theories

112 notes · View notes

nightcourtreader · 3 months

Text

HOSAB SPOILERS!!!

So we know that SJM herself said that CC3 will set up the next acotar book.

I think it’s clear with the events of CC3, it’s going to have an impact on the next acotar book, it just makes sense. & I think that the events of acotar 5 will take place after the events of CC3. And we know it’s going to be a time jump from acosf to CC3, but Im not sure we know the exact timeline.

We know that with CC3, it picks up like almost right after CC2 and SJM has changed her stance on whether or not you should read acotar when it comes the CC series and she now has said yes, you will want to read acotar before CC. And if she’s saying that about CC then she might want readers to read CC before the next acotar book as well. Could be wrong tho, but we’ll see once we read HOFAS.

And I think that it’s clear that SJM wrote CC & acosf around the same time. She uses the same wording in certain parts of both stories and I think acosf directly connects to CC the most out of all her books so far.

With this recent teaser we see once again, Nesta and Azriel are being pushed in front when it comes to the acotar characters in CC3, especially since we’ve seen that Nesta and Azriel are a part of a bonus chapter with Bryce. But if you read acosf, I think it just makes sense why Nesta and Azriel are in the forefront. A lot of people keep freaking out about Cassian, saying where is he. He’s probably around but just not with Bryce, Nesta, and Azriel. That doesn’t mean any thing bad has happen to him.

It’s just that Nesta & Azriel’s plotlines are directly connected to CC already, more than Cassian. More than any other acotar characters in my opinion.

Nesta’s story arc is the one that really connects acotar to CC. We heard about the daglan from Rhys in acosf and SJM confirmed that the daglan and the asteri are one in the same.

In acosf Nesta went against a daglan/asteri, Lanthys, in the prison and killed him with her death sword. We also know that the sword gwydion in acotar is the starsword Bryce now has, which was dipped into the cauldron so I also think it’s considered a death sword since that’s where nesta got her power from.

We know that Nesta still has death magic in her. So I wonder if she can still create death swords to help Bryce in some way. Or maybe what if the asteri/daglan can be killed by death magic and that Bryce uses trove since they were cauldron made too and they are also death magic?

Also, the 8 pointed star. When Nesta & Cassian made a bargain, it appeared as a 8 pointed star on their bodies. The harp in the prison sat on top of a 8 pointed star when nesta went to go retrieve it. Bryce has a 8 pointed star on her chest. We got more about the star in CC2 but I think SJM will tell us more about it in HOFAS as well. But this is what Rigelus said about the star:

That star on your chest—do you know what it is?” “Lets assume I know nothing.” Bryce said grimly. Rigelus inclined his head. “It’s a beacon to the world from which the Fae originally came. It sometimes glows when nearest the Fae who have undiluted bloodlines from that world. Prince Cormac, for example.” “It glowed for hunt,” Bryce shot back. “It also glows for those who you choose as your loyal companions. Knights.” “So what?”Bryce demanded. So that star will lead us back to that world. Through you. They overthrew our brethren who once ruled there—we have not forgotten. Our initial attempt at revenge was foiled by your ancestor who also bore that star on her chest. The Fae have still not atoned for the deaths of our brothers and sisters. Their home world was rich in magic. I crave more of it.”

We see that Bryce’s bloodline hails from prythian. And the fae are originally from there. And the asteri want to use Bryce to get back to prythian. Rigelus is also speaking on the war that went on when Enalius, the Illyrian in acotar who fought against the daglan to protect that black stone on top of ramiel. The asteri wants to go back to Prythian to slay the illryians and the fae.

I personally believe that Bryce, Nesta & Azriel are in the prison in the teaser. I could be wrong because obviously illryia can come into play because the Asteri/daglan wanted to get to that black stone so bad during the war for some reason. But here’s why I think they’re going to the prison:

“Danika realized that the shifters are Fae.” Bryce blinked. “What?” “Not your kind of Fae, of course—your breed dwelled in a lovely, verdant land, rich with magic. If it’s of any interest to you, your starborn bloodline specifically hailed from a small isle a few miles from the mainland. And while the mainland had all manner of climes, the isle existed in beautiful, near permanent twilight.” (CC2, 762)

Rigelus is talking about the prison isle. It’s an isle away from the mainland of the night court. We know that the prison isle was there before high lords existed. And we learned that the daglan/asteri were in control before the high lords became a thing until they were slayed by both the fae and illryians. I’m pretty sure Bryce would want to go there to get some answers.

“You are Starborn, and have the Horn bound your body and power. Your ancestors wielded the Horn and another fae object that allowed them to enter this world. Stolen, of course, from their original masters—our people. Our people, who built fearsome warriors in that world to be their army. All of them prototypes for the angels in this one. And all of them traitors to their creators, joining the Fae to overthrow my brothers and sisters. A 1000 years before we arrived on Midgard. They slew my siblings.” (CC2, page 761)

So I wonder if the other fae object is the harp that helped them into this world. We’ve seen that it has many strings and can open doors to places. It makes sense for the harp to be used for them to get into the CC universe. And I of course think that Bryce’s horn is the fourth dread trove. And we see here that rigelus says that they created fearsome warriors that were prototypes for the angels in CC, who are fearsome warriors that already have wings in acotar? The illryians.

Now with Azriel, we know that truth teller is the twin knife to Bryce’s sword. Just for that alone he’s connected to CC. I now believe that Azriel would permanently give Bryce the knife. I just don’t see any acotar characters leaving prythian to go to Bryce’s world. They would literally be out of their element and the knife completes the prophecy in Bryce’s world.

Especially when at one point SJM said HOFAS was split in between prthyian and CC (and I know that could be subjected to change) and I don’t think the acotar characters need to take up many more page time in this story with so many open plot points from the other 2 CC novels that need to be solved.

But anyway, Azriel is an Illyrian. Rigelus (the asteri) himself stated that he and the other asteri bred fae & the demons from Hel in CC to make the illryians. We see that the demons in Hel had leathery wings and so does Apollion, the 7th prince of Hel and that’s why Bryce thought she was in hell when she saw Azriel because of his leathery wings.

We see that the illryians were the prototypes for the angels in CC. And that the asteri want to go back to Midgard and pretty much slay the illryians because they turned against the daglan/asteri in the war and aligned with the fae to take the daglan/asteri down. And the daglan/asteri were trying to get to the top of ramiel for that black stone, which is sacred to the illryians.

The illryians & Illyria are obviously a plot point for CC & could be for the next acotar book. The asteri literally created them. I might be wrong, but I could have sworn I saw some where that SJM pushed back the illryian storyline in regards for Azriel’s story, I could be wrong, but it’s clear that is in unrest in illryia with what happen with the war in acowar and how they’re not happy. Then Cassian and Azriel having illryians come and watch the valkryies in the blood rite qualifier and we know how they feel about women being warriors, and then the valkryies being thrown into the blood rite, the illryians aren’t going to be too happy and I can see a rebellion happening with them.

And if CC3 sets up the next acotar book then to me it’s just seem more likely that’s its Azriel’s, especially since he’s literally going to be in it with nesta, helping Bryce.

#Azriel #azriel spymaster #azriel shadowsinger #hofas #hofas theory #hosab spoilers #hosab #cc hofas #cc2 spoilers #cc hosab #acotar #acosf #nesta acosf #acotar 5

41 notes · View notes

offtorivendell · 3 months

Text

The Asteri, the Daglan, and Prythian's Court System

Disclaimer: this is a stupidly massive crack theory that could end up being disastrously wrong. Oh well.

Spoilers: the ACOTAR and CC series to date (I'm halfway through HOFAS right now, slowly plodding along, so nothing beyond that).

Image from ACOSF, Kindle edition.

Buckle up for some more of my nonsense! I think I could have discovered why Prythian's land has the Court and High Lord Systems. This theory still has a couple of wrinkles to iron out, but it's plausible, so I figured I'd share what I've got.

A massive thank you goes to @ladynightcourt3 and @psychologynerd for our chat yesterday morning, which led to this post. I love you guys! 💜

Full warning that this will A) be absolutely cracked, and B) contains Maasverse spoilers, including from HOFAS (up to around 40% I think), but I was mulling over what I'd read so far and this popped into my mind.

Part 1 - The Court System

Bryce made, I think, one hell of an assumption when she said the following in HOFAS:

Vesperus, the only Asteri left on this world, lay dead. - CC HOFAS, chapter 26

@wingedblooms and I have previously theorised that some of the barren regions in Prythian may be so because the death gods were trapped there, drinking the magic of the land, rendering it spent - lifeless - and possibly unable to power up a gateway to an interstellar rift. We both also think it's very interesting that one Elain Archeron was referred to as “a rose bloom in a mud field,” but I digress.

However, in HOFAS, we learnt that there was a Daglan/Asteri, called Vesperus (who considered herself the Evening Star and their god), trapped in a crystal coffin far below the Prison, which was once a land of Dusk.

The female’s long nails scraped along the lid of the coffin. She didn’t look at them as she tested the lid for weaknesses. “I am your god. I am your master. Do you not know me?” - CC HOFAS, chapter 24

It's interesting, no, that the region was named after the Daglan who ruled it? Was this common practice? Because we just so happened to learn, in Feysand’s ACOSF bonus chapter, that there was once an ancient Night Court goddess named Nyx.

You know, their son's namesake? Yikes. 🫣

“You may call me Vesperus.” The creature’s eyes glowed with irritation. “Are you related to Hesperus?” Bryce arched a brow at the name, so similar to one of Midgard’s Asteri. “The Evening Star?” “I am the Evening Star,” Vesperus seethed. - CC HOFAS, chapter 25

Silene, Theia's second daughter, who “escaped into the night,” gave us further information that appeared - to me, at least - to be incomplete. Or perhaps inaccurate? She had been taught by her mother, so she could have been fed certain things as facts. For example, was the land of Prythian really divvied up into seasons and times of day before the Daglan came to town?

The land strengthened. It returned to what it had been before the Daglan’s arrival millennia before. We returned to what we’d been before that time, too, creatures whose very magic was tied to this land. Thus the land’s powers became my mother’s. Dusk, twilight—that’s what the island was in its long-buried heart, what her power bloomed into, the lands rising with it. It was, as she said, as if the island had a soul that now blossomed under her care, nurtured by the court she built here. - CC HOFAS, chapter 19

The Cauldron was of our world, our heritage. But upon arriving here, the Daglan captured it and used their powers to warp it. To turn it from what it had been into something deadlier. No longer just a tool of creation, but of destruction. And the horrors it produced … those, too, my parents would turn to their advantage. - CC HOFAS, chapter 19

My sister and I grew older. My mother educated us herself, always reminding us that though the Daglan had been vanquished, evil lived on. Evil lurked beneath our very feet, always waiting to devour us. - CC HOFAS, chapter 19

Reading between the lines, I think it's just possible to link the powers of each land with the Daglan who once ruled over them. Perhaps each region - each “precursor” to a modern day Court - had a Daglan/Asteri buried underneath a barren peak, or in a body of water? Is this why the lands have frozen seasons, pools of starlight*, or powers based upon the light of the time of day? Because of a monster buried far, far below the surface?!

*Is there a Daglan entombed in a crystal coffin far below the surface, or is it a cache of firstlight, one that may be refuelled each Calanmai? Or, as @psychologynerd has suggested, is there a Made object of power that will draw Elain to the Spring Court?

Our home had been left empty since we’d vanished. As if the other Fae thought it cursed. So I made it truly cursed. Damned it all. - CC HOFAS, chapter 21

Despite my efforts to hide what this place had once been, a terrible, ancient power hung in the air. It was as my mother had warned us when we were children: evil always lingered, just below us, waiting to snatch us into its jaws. So I went to find another monster to conceal it. - CC HOFAS, chapter 21

I left, wandering the lands for a time, seeing how they had moved on without Theia’s rule. They’d splintered into several territories, and though they were not at war, they were no longer the unified kingdom I had known. - CC HOFAS, chapter 21

As a quick aside, I still suspect that Fionn may have been a Daglan - or similar, perhaps an Under King - who tricked Theia into thinking him a normal faerie and used her to overthrow his peers in order to gain more land for himself. It seems exactly like something a rogue Asteri would do.

Like I suggested earlier, could each region be named for its ruler? Because the names of at least one of the Midgard Asteri was, shall we say, coincidentally similar to the Daglan of Prythian, and others appear to match at least the solar courts.

Solar:

Dawn - Eosphoros

Day - Rigelus

Dusk - Hesperus

Night - Sirius

Seasonal (incomplete/unsure/probably incorrect):

Spring - Austrus?

Summer - Octartis?

Autumn - ?

Winter - Polaris?

As I said, the Midgardian Asteri don't perfectly match up to the seasonal Prythian courts, but it's too close to not consider as a possibility, imo.

Perhaps the lands of Midgard were broken up into solar regions and something else that wasn't seasonal? But given the Vesperus/Hesperus competition... maybe whatever species Asteri and/or Daglan are are strongest when travelling with a full complement of powers? And each "clan" (for lack of a better word) that travelled together had dawn, day, dusk, and night “lights,” as well as spring, summer, autumn and winter lights? Could it weaken them to be without a full cohort of powers? As @ladynightcourt3 said, it would explain why they were so upset about Sirius. Could Rigelus be hoping for a replacement to find them and return them to full strength, and that's why he keeps an empty throne?

Part 2 - The High Lords

No one knew that the infant who sometimes glowed with starlight had inherited it from me. That it was the light of the evening star. The dusk star. - CC HOFAS, chapter 21

An Asteri being buried under each Court could explain the high lord magic as well.The HLs are “a different breed,” per Lucien. Did the Asteri/Daglan need a Starborn Fae who is predisposed to holding, or withstanding, their magic? If this is the case, it would explain why the next in line to inherit the power - or who the magic chooses - isn't always a direct descendant of the previous high lord. Does it pass to the Fae with the strongest Starborn blood? And why the mountain shook when Mor got her first period. There has to be a Daglan/Asteri buried under the Hewn City.

That being said, why is it only men who can inherit the magic, and not women, especially when we now know that high ladies used to exist? Did Theia's betrayal made them distrust females in general, or was it something Seline did? Or is it because the women have the most/purest/strongest, starborn power, so did the men keep them down to use them as “breeding stock” in order to legitimise their rule, similar to what Pelias did with Helena?

Part 3 - Further Thoughts

I still wonder how Hybern and Hel could come into play here, because I think those lands are linked. A Valg/Hel Prince population on a different island?

@psychologynerd noted that we’ve previously connected the solar and seasonal courts, such Dawn = Spring, Day = Summer etc., and that it would track for Autumn and Dusk - an appropriately matched pair - to migrate together to Midgard. As an aside, this could tie in with the parallels shared by Azriel and Lucien, who may be/are linked to Dusk and Autumn. What if their power was connected via their “stars”?

@ladynightcourt3 wondered if Hesperus may have changed her name, hence Vesperus’ anger.

I can understand how a Daglan's presence may impart their magic into the land, especially if they're left buried - steeping? - in the soil for millennia, but how would that magic shape the faeries living there? Is it like I suggested in this post, that prolonged exposure to a powerful object allows a tie to be forged?

A bonus crack theory for fun - what if Merrill is a trapped Asteri? Either Nyx or Sirius, whom Apollion ate, and perhaps she escaped the pit of Hel through the base of the House of Wind library; nobody knows where she came from, she's descended from Rabbath of the Western Wind… her room is described as a cell and she called Nesta “girl” like Amren - an ancient - did. I dunno, but there's something about Merrill.

As always, thank you for reading! 💜

#hosab spoilers #hofas spoilers #acotar cc tog crossover theory #acotar theory #the dusk court #dusk court #the night court #night court #prythian #acotar #sjm books #maasverse #feysand #feyre archeron #rhys acotar #crack theory

106 notes · View notes