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wingedblooms · 3 months

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Three sisters witches

Thank you to @offtorivendell, @silverlinedeyes, and @psychologynerd for our discussions which inspired this theory. This is a Maasverse post, and as such, there may be spoilers for all Maas series. Please proceed with caution.

“All three sisters blessed by fate and gifted with powers…” (Amren, acosf)

The acotar series begins with three sisters: Feyre, Nesta, and Elain. Given their ironwood origins and the fact that Ironteeth witches in Erilea use it to carve their brooms, many of us suspect the sisters have witch heritage or are connected to witches in some way.

The room was large enough for a rickety dresser and the enormous ironwood bed we slept in. The sole remnant of our former wealth, it had been ordered as a wedding gift from my father to my mother. It was the bed in which we’d been born, and the bed in which my mother died. In all the painting I’d done to our house these past few years, I’d never touched it. (acotar)

In Midgard and Erilea, witches worship the Three-Faced Goddess, and she is sometimes conflated with Fate…

Again, Manon felt that ebb and flow in the world, that invisible current that some called Fate and some called the loom of the Three-Faced Goddess. (hof)

In this quote, Manon feels an invisible current that goes by different names. That current sounds a lot like Urd in Midgard, Wyrd in Erilea, and the divine trio (Mother, Cauldron, Fate/Forces That Be) in Prythian. All of which sound like different forms (usually three) of the same higher being. The Fae believe this being controls fate, including fated bonds. Bonds, like spells, are described in terms of threads. Does this being weave threads of fate together with her loom, like witches seem to believe? She (they?) appears to be inspired by the Norns of Norse mythology, one of which is named Urðr (Wyrd). Together, these wise women preside over fate. In some folklore and literature, they are considered witches, like the Three Witches or Wyrd (Weird) Sisters in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, who deliver a prophecy.

The Three-Faced Goddess is also known, albeit rarely, as the Three-Faced Mother:

Manon couldn’t look at them, couldn’t do anything but close her eyes and pray to the Darkness, to the Three-Faced Mother as she held her hands over the bleeding gashes. (koa)

I’ve talked about links between the Archerons, witches, Three-Faced Goddess, and divine trio (Mother, Cauldron, Fate) before, so this isn’t new, but something caught my attention when reviewing the text recently. Ironteeth witches believe that they return to the Three-Faced Goddess when they die, and they are reborn within her womb. It’s called the Mother’s Womb.

“We’ll collect the dead tomorrow,” Manon said, her voice low. “And burn them at moonrise.” As both Crochans and Ironteeth did. A full moon tomorrow—the Mother’s Womb. A good moon to be burned. To be returned to the Three-Faced Goddess, and reborn within that womb. (koa)

This belief reminded me of the three sisters’ rebirth, particularly Nesta and Elain. We gain insight into this experience in Nesta’s book:

In the beginning

And in the end

There was Darkness

And nothing more

She did not feel the cold as she sank into a sea that had no bottom, no horizon, no surface. But she felt the burning.

Immortality was not a serene youth.

[…]

They would pay. All of them.

Starting with this Cauldron.

Starting now.

She tore into the darkness with talons and teeth. Rent and cleaves and shredded.

And the dark eternity around her shuddered. Bucked. Thrashed.

She laughed as it recoiled. Laughed around the mouthful of raw power she ripped out and swallowed whole; laughed at the fistfuls of eternity she shoved into her heart, her veins.

[…]

Wrapped in black eternity, Nesta and the Cauldron twined, burning through the darkness like a newborn star. (acosf)

While Feyre is not reborn in the Cauldron, we do get insight into her experience. When telling the Bone Carver about what appeared to her after death, she said this:

But if he knew … I turned again to the boy-creature. “There was a choice—in Death,” I said.

[…]

“I knew,” I went on, “that I could drift away into the dark. And I chose to fight—to hold on for a bit longer. Yet I knew if I wanted, I could have faded. And maybe it would be a new world, a realm of rest and peace. But I wasn’t ready for it—not to go there alone. I knew there was something else waiting beyond that dark. Something good.”

[…]

“I knew there was no coming back from what I’d done,” I said, wondering if the blue flame in the Carver’s eyes might burn my ruined soul to ash. “And once I broke their curse, once I knew I’d saved them, I just wanted enough time to turn that dagger on myself. I only decided I wanted to live when she killed me, and I knew I had not finished whatever…whatever it was I’d been born to do.” (acomaf)

Feyre was broken, but she wasn’t finished with whatever it was she had been born to do. Nesta also chose to fight in the Cauldron like a warrior. When we finally get insight into Elain’s rebirth, I am willing to bet that she fought with her own brand of strength.

It’s clear the dark womb of the Three-Faced Goddess is the same divine trio (Mother, Cauldron, Fate) the Fae in Prythian worship. When discussing the sisters in acosf, Amren emphasizes, nothing is a fluke, and the Cauldron—like the invisible current Manon described—can influence others without their awareness, especially those it has reforged. The sisters are blessed by fate with immortality and rare gifts for a reason. What plans does it have for them, and who would it enlist to help them on their path?

“May the Immortal Light shine upon thee, sisters,” said the pale-robed young woman directly in our path. (acolyte, acotar)

From the beginning of the series, various religious influences have played a role in the sisters’ journey. Children of the Blessed are the first religious influence we see, and they are largely reviled as religious fanatics by humans. The acolyte who blesses the sisters wears pale blue robes like Fae priestesses, and it is this blessing that serves as foreshadowing for their immortal fate. The acolytes’ imitation of Fae priestesses also makes me wonder if they are part of the priestesses’ extensive spy network.

Like witches, Fae priestesses worship the divine trio, and in their full garb, they represent the Voice of the Cauldron:

Ianthe had shown me once what the panel looked like when down: only her nose and full, sensuous mouth visible. The Voice of the Cauldron. I’d found the image unsettling—that merely covering the upper part of her face had somehow turned the bright, cunning female into an effigy, into something Other. (acomaf)

Their powers stem from their rituals and they can be deadly, if desired:

Among the High Fae, the priestesses oversaw their ceremonies and rituals, recorded their histories and legends, and advised their lords and ladies in matters great and trivial. I hadn’t witnessed any magic from her, but when I’d asked Lucien, he’d frowned and said their magic was drawn from their ceremonies, and could be utterly lethal should they choose it. (acomaf)

It was a High Priestess who informed Hybern about Feyre’s sisters, leading to their eventual capture and rebirth. Hybern also possessed the Cauldron at the time—did it influence him and Ianthe, weave their actions like threads in a tapestry?

Lucien’s face had slackened. “She sold out—she sold out Feyre’s family. To you.”

I had told Ianthe everything about my sisters. She had asked. Asked who they were, where they lived. And I had been so stupid, so broken … I had fed her every detail.

“Sold out?” The king snorted. “Or saved from the shackles of mortal death? Ianthe suggested they were both strong-willed women, like their sister. No doubt they’ll survive. And prove to our queens it can be done. If one has the strength.” (acomaf)

According to the Bone Carver, dark makers created the Book of Breathings and used the Cauldron to make terrible things. The Book of Breathings can control or nullify the Cauldron, and because like calls to like, only someone who is Made can speak the spells and wield its power.

As three Made sisters with potential witch heritage, were the Archerons chosen to wield the divine trio's power, a Three-Faced Goddess in the flesh? Each sister is associated with a different kind of light, so could they be light makers? And is that ultimately what it means to be Starborn? Blessed by fate, their purpose written in the stars or woven into the Goddess's loom...

The weaver went on, "I have to create, or it was all for nothing. I have to create, or I will crumple with despair and never leave my bed. I have to create because I have no other way of voicing this." Her hand rested on her heart, and my eyes burned. "It is hard," the weaver said, her stare never leaving mine, "and it hurts, but if I were to stop, if I were to let this loom or spindle go silent..." She broke my gaze at last to look at her tapestry. "Then there would be no Hope shining in the Void." (acofas)

...to be threads of Hope shining in the Void.

In acosf, priestesses continue to remain directly in the sisters’ path. They help Nesta in various ways, including scrying and locating the Harp during their dusk ritual. It belongs to the Dread Trove and it is the Trove that Nesta uses to save Rhys, Feyre, and Nyx. Was the divine trio pulling the threads here as well, and if so, to what end? To help another world defeat an old enemy? Combat an ancient death-god and sorcerer? Bring peace and healing through a different sort of world?

Now that Nesta has tracked down three Trove objects, and we know the Cauldron can be used alongside them by those who are Made, it seems inevitable that we will see it again.

“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)

In the original trilogy, we learn that the Cauldron gave Elain such powers and found her so lovely.

The Cauldron seemed to realize what she’d done, too, as his head thumped onto the mossy ground. That Elain … Elain had defended this thief. Elain, who it had gifted with such powers, found her so lovely it had wanted to give her something…It would not harm Elain, even in its hunt to reclaim what had been taken. (acowar)

Her story might bring us even closer to the divine trio, witches, and priestesses with her gift of Sight. Among the Ironteeth, Bluebloods were especially known for their connection to divine Sight and even had their own priestesses:

“I see now,” Manon said softly, “why my Blueblood sisters still worship you.”

“Do they, now?” The spider remained motionless, but the three behind her crept closer, silent and observing with their many dark eyes. “We can hardly recall the last time the Blueblood priestesses brought their sacrifices to our foothills. We do miss them.” (Manon to the valg spider, hof)

Like a Blueblood, Elain is different from her sisters. She has a different sort of strength. Manon comments that the Blueblood Matron, who represents the maiden aspect of the Three-Faced Goddess, is more priestess than warrior. Her heir, Petrah, is similar to Elain: she is gentle and caring and is rumored to have her head in the clouds. Their clan is full of oracles, mystics, zealots, and they supposedly require more iron to remain tethered to their world.

Elain’s connection to the Cauldron—marked by a mental, iron crown—mirrors her unique strengths and gifts.

She had no mental shields, no barriers. The gates to her mind … Solid iron, covered in vines of flowers—or it would have been. The blossoms were all sealed, sleeping buds tucked into tangles of leaves and thorns.

[…]

If Elain’s mental gates were those of a sleeping garden, Nesta’s…They belonged to an ancient fortress, sharp and brutal. The sort I imagined they once impaled people upon. (acowar)

Rather than a brutal ancient fortress (the Prison?), Elain’s iron crown is covered in vines and sleeping buds. It is peaceful and lovely and full of budding life. So, what might this mean for her role? With her oracular and mystic sight, Elain might be able to move and influence like the divine trio, a rose among the thorns. She could use her gifts, or the Cauldron itself (the flower of life), to weave threads of Hope through protection, healing, and creation. Both Feyre and Nesta have used raw magic to heal and create, weaving their own threads of Hope. Elain may also participate or learn a ritual in the dawn service to help her channel her powers. It’s no coincidence that we’re told about a dawn ritual called groundings before her story. Not when she is described like this:

But even the silence weighed too heavily, and though the shadows kept him company, as they always had, as they always would, he found himself leaving the room. Entering the foyer. 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. She halted, her breath catching in her throat. (Azriel’s bonus chapter)

And there she was, a vision of hope and healing, glowing like a new dawn during the longest night of the year.

If you’re interested in related posts about Elain, the divine trio, witches, and Archerons, here are some of my favorites:

Murky Realm of Dreams (Elain's connections to oracles and mystics)

Seer. Wise Woman. Witch. (Elain’s connections to witches, shifting, sight, herbs and healing, rituals, etc.)

Forbidden Secrets (Elriel mapping the secrets of the sister peaks and healing the land)

Sister-Glass Caverns (Prythian’s underground caves behave like sister-glass)

A Rose in the Thorns (Elain moves like the Cauldron)

Elain and the Flower of Life (The Cauldron is the flower of life and Elain is a gardener on a larger scale)

#Maasverse theories #the three Archeron sisters #three witches #Mother Cauldron Fate #Three-Faced Goddess #Hope shining through the Void

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sofiasjornal · 1 month

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My (many) questions after HOFAS

While writing my HOFAS review, I was thinking about the different perspectives and POVs the new book could have, since we are finally leaving Bryce and Hunt's story. Selfishly, I would love the focus to shift to Lidia and Ruhn. Not only because they became my top two favorite characters but because the possibilities for crossovers and connections with the other series are endless. I don't think there's a need, but let me just clarify that this is all speculation! And because I might remember something more in a few days, or weeks, or months, I’ll update this as I go along!

1) Lidia has some kind of connection with Aelin and Mala’s bloodline (she named her son after Brannon, after all!!) and since KoA and ACOSF share the same timeline, and HOFAS is set after ACOSF, Aelin is still very much alive and could somehow connect with Lidia! She seems to have an incredible amount of firepower, the likes of which we only saw with Aelin, so there’s definitely a connection there. And they are both trained assassins, for god's sake! And with the stags! She’s a Terrasen girl, through and through!

But again, how did the fae shifters come to Midgard if Erilea (I don’t think the name of the planet was ever revealed, so let’s stay with Erilea) was never conquered?! Another rift that opened and then closed? Is there any mention on ToG of that? I don’t remember… I might have to read it all again!

There's also the very interesting context in which Lidia's children were conceived, in a very similar ritual to Calanmai, from the Spring Court (ACOTAR). So how come two of SJM's series come together in Lidia's character?

2) Also, Ruhn and Rhysand would also be an interesting crossover. The similarities between the two go beyond those of Fae, it would be really interesting to explore that. Bryce didn't really explore these similarities when she met Rhysand, I wish she had. We know that Prythian is the home planet of the Fae, but definitely something linking Rhysand and Ruhn together.

Also think about the possibility, if Ruhn is connected or a descendant of Rhys's bloodline and Lidia of Aelin’s, then the two bloodlines are now united! AGAIN, SO MANY POSSIBILITIES, IM GETTING DIZZY!

So in a book where Lidia and Ruhn take center stage, imagine the power of that story!! I’m speechless just thinking about it!

3) The link between Wyrd and Urd got me thinking! Somewhere in HOSAB, when Bryce went to the under-king and he talked about Urd, when she was not a goddess but a force, “When she was a vat of life, a mother to all, a secret language of the universe?” (Yes I went looking for the quote, my mind is driving me insane). This secret language of the universe, could it be the wyrdmarks?! And if so, remember when Bryce killed Micah in the first CC and Micah said “The language is beyond that of this world. It is the language of universes.” Could Bryce’s tattoo be in wyrdmarks and if so that would mean that the Book of Breathing is also in wyrdmarks! Amren can read those! HOW?! HOW?? And what are wyrdmarks doing in acotar and crescent city?! There’s definitely a connection with ToG! It’s right here!

4) The Valg, the Asteri, the Daglan, the Princes of Hel, and... one hell of a mess, pun intended! By the end of HOFAS, we know that the Asteri and the Daglan are the same thing. I’ve been, however, wondering about the Valg. I don’t believe the Asteri are Valg. They don’t fit the same characteristics. Besides, in ToG is said that the Valg’s home planet was ruled by three kings, a planet made by pain, wind, and darkness, and the Asteri were originally seven and come from a forgotten planet in the cosmos. Besides, the Asteri feed on firstlight and the Valg don’t have that need. So I don’t think there’s a connection there.

However, in ACOMAF, when Bryce is fighting the Stryga and throws a brick in her face, the line reads “Bone crunched and she roared, black blood spraying.” This always stayed with me because it kept calling the Valg to my memory. The Valg have black blood as well. Also, the death gods feed on life just like the Valg, if I’m not mistaken! So could the death-gods be Valg? Do you know who else has black blood? The Reapers! In HOSAB, when Bryce strikes with the starlight sword it is said “And nothing had ever felt so right, so easy, as plunging the blade into the bony chest of the wounded Reaper. It arced, bellowing, black blood spurting from its withered lips.” So either it is a coincidence that all these creatures have black blood or there’s a connection! And considering the reapers originate from Hel, is there possibly a connection? However, it doesn’t quite make sense, because their home planet was ruled by three kings Erawan, Orcus, and Mantyx (let’s not forget that bitch Maeve). And in Hel, each layer is governed by a different prince, seven in total. So this is where I raise my hands and say I don’t know 🤷🏻‍♀️ where to go from here!

5) The whole issue of the Viper Queen! When Tharion went to the Viper Queen something’s raised “concern”. First, the blood oath! I only remember something like that being mentioned and talked about in ToG! Tharion was only able to escape because Ithan killed Sigrid and broke the bond! Remember at the end of HOSAB, after Tharion defected and VP ordered him to come back after Cormac’s death? He felt a pull of the bond that he couldn’t resist! Remember how the cadre were all Maeve’s prisoners with that same bond? It’s the same thing! And remember Tharion mentioning that her blood was darker than normal?!

Feel free to join this mess and give me more theories and your thoughts on all of it! I’m just going to figure all this out! And like I said, as I think of new things I’ll just update this!

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mythaura-blog · 1 year

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Development Update - November 2022

Hello folks, Miyazaki here! Hope your holiday season is off to a great start–Thanksgiving was a whirlwind for me, but a tremendously fun time with friends and family. I’m coming out of my leftovers-induced daze to bring an update on what the team accomplished during November. There’s a lot of new content, so strap in and let’s get started!

Key points covered:

Mythaura FAQ

Quarter 2 Rewards Revealed

Sponsored by Alanna

Beast Design Contest

We’re back with another Beast Design Contest! We’re looking forward to all the fantastic creations that this community comes up with.

Here are the parameters:

Each individual can submit one (1) Beast option for consideration

Any species fine (babies included)

Fill out Google form; provide both a picture and the preview code

We’ll pick three winners to have their Beasts featured on the front page for Quarter 3 (January 1 - March 31). Winners will also receive:

1x Beta Key

1x Quarter 2 (2022) Skin: Phantasmal Plasma

1x Quarter 2 (2022) Companion: Wishing Tree Spirit

These rewards will automatically be applied to your account.

Submissions for the Beast Design Contest are due by December 15, 2022. The form will close at 11:59pm PST. Winners will be announced in the January 1, 2023 Development Update.

Hiring Freelance Artist

Earlier this month we made a post looking for freelance illustrators to work on Mythaura assets. Previously we had only had the opportunity open to residents of the United States due to concerns about differing international contractor laws. We’re happy to share that we have now extended this opportunity to artists based outside of the United States as well! International applicants are more than welcome to apply.

Applicants must be 18 years or older.

Responsibilities

Create and deliver PSD files that meet the creative brief.

Work with our senior artists and writers to ensure visual consistency.

Regularly demonstrate and update your work in progress.

Follow creative & technical briefs with regard to schedule.

Accurately quote and then produce work within the quoted timeframe.

Actively participate in an online team environment (currently Discord & Asana).

Required Skills and Experience

Must be able to match Mythaura’s 2D cel-shaded style.

Must be familiar with masks, layers, and templates. Photoshop expertise is a strong - plus but not mandatory so long as your program of choice can open and save in PSD format.

Real-world understanding of proportion, depth, scale, and physical space. A strong understanding of coloring and shading, and an accurate understanding of animal anatomy.

Organizational and time-management skills.

Ability to maturely handle critiques and change requests.

To apply, please email [email protected] with “Freelance Illustrator” in the subject line. Include a link to an updated portfolio of your creative works. Please be sure to include your availability and rate.

We will be reaching out to qualified applicants in the next few weeks with next steps. Thank you for your interest!

Code Updates

Items purchased through the Ko-fi shop will now automatically show in the reward lookup tool (with the exception of sponsored items, which still need to be created first).

Fix for tooltips and dropdowns to not clip over edges.

Fix for breeding demo always using one parent’s specials in some cases.

Fixed a bug where the reward lookup tool would sometimes have to be closed twice before it would actually close.

The menu can now stay open and be collapsed at will.

Adjustments to headers and text to make them easier to read.

Fixed a bug that made it so some emails would not work in the lookup tool.

Added tiered species rarity to the breeding predictor, making it so higher-tier hybrids show up less often when bred to a lower-tier partner.

Thank You!

Thanks for sticking through to the end of our November update! We’ve been really hard at work on the back end, and have been having a blast working with our Ko-fi sponsors on some really fun companions and apparel. We’ll be back on January 1, 2023 (2023!!) with an update of our work in December.

We’re thankful to have such a great community surrounding Mythaura. From us here in the dev team to you, we wish you a safe and happy holiday season.

See you around the Discord!

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offtorivendell · 2 years

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Seers, blindfolds and bloodbane; could Elain be dabbling with her magic?

"What blinds an Oracle? Light" - CC HOEAB

I suspect Azriel had the blindfold in his pocket for reasons beyond keeping Bryce in the dark; could it have had something to do with Elain's Sight?

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

Disclaimer: this theory is based on a link that I noticed between the texts of SJM's different series, which may or may not be relevant to Elain's future plot, but I thought it was worth a discussion. Thank you to @lesolehabitantdelalune for sharing the TOG quotes in the first place, and to @silverlinedeyes, @wingedblooms and @merymoonbeam for all of your input. Teamwork makes the dream work. 💜

Spoilers: ACOTAR, CC and TOG series to date. Massive spoilers for the end of CC2/HOSAB will be discussed throughout, so please read with care.

The following* is a bit of a rambling theory about Elain's magics that attempts to link certain pieces of information that we have garnered from each of SJM's series - ACOTAR, CC and TOG - to discuss how her Sight might work to begin with, and how it could possibly be augmented with substances, or even simple implements, to boost or hone its power.

* This post could definitely be more complete than it is, but life is crazy busy right now and, at this point, I just want to get it posted. Please forgive the questionable effort.

Seers

Elain Archeron, who was always the observant sort, even as a human, was turned into a Seer by the Cauldron that (who?) Made her at ACOMAF's end.

Elain was staring at the spymaster now—unblinkingly. “We’re the ones who need …” Azriel trailed off. “A seer,” he said, more to himself than us. “The Cauldron made you a seer.” - ACOWAR, chapter 32

I know I'm not the only one who has wondered exactly how Elain's Sight might function, but last October (I know, this part of the theory is a long, long time coming, and has been slowly developing over the ten months since) I was chatting with a friend when they shared the following quote while lamenting Elain's condition at the start of ACOWAR:

But Azriel nodded. “You knew,” he said to Elain. “About the young queen turning into a crone.” Elain blinked and blinked, eyes clearing again. As if the understanding, our understanding … it freed her from whatever murky realm she’d been in. - ACOWAR, chapter 33

And it hit me then: what if Elain's murky realm is actually the same as the shadowy realm - the space between - that Azriel accesses for his version of winnowing, and hiding objects etc, as well as the shadowsinging itself. As an aside, it's interesting that Nesta's concern about tumbling through the space between places was what actually seemed to happen to Aelin in KOA, until Rhys helped her out.

Azriel didn’t give them a chance to exchange another word before murmuring shadows swept around them. Nesta couldn’t help clinging to Azriel, gleaning on some innate level that if she let go, she would tumble through this space between places and be lost forever. - ACOSF, chapter 32

Elain has an obvious link with light and sunshine imagery but, if you pay attention, her association to shadows has been building throughout the entire series. Aside from her use of the "shadows of an unknown origin" to assassinate the King of Hybern back in ACOWAR, she has consistently been linked to other shadows, including Azriel's, as well as Nuala and Cerridwen, her two half-wraith friends.

But how might this relate to Elain's power of Sight? Let's get back to her murky realm - @wingedblooms has discussed it here - which, almost a year later, I still suspect could be the same as Azriel's shadow realm, and is quite possibly synonymous with the Void between worlds, or the Void that may inhabit the space between* (however it works).

* It's hard to define the relationship between Void, Chaos and the space between with any accuracy based the little information we have right now - though that hasn't stopped @wingedblooms, @silverlinedeyes and me from trying, and wingedblooms has a new post about it on its way.

In the first quote below, Nesta mentioned that the darkness at the bottom of the library was murky and, as I've previously discussed, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a rift or gateway - perhaps a catflap - to Hel; in the second quote, Bryce described the air under the arch of the Gate at the Asteri's palace turned murky when she acted as a conduit for Hunt's lightning, activating the Gate before she jumped through, aiming for Aidas in Hel.

Heart thundering, Nesta twisted toward the darkness, but—it was only that. Murky darkness, through which she could now barely make out the sublevels beneath. As if the thick, impenetrable black had vanished. - ACOSF, chapter 15

Lightning speared down the hall, shattering windows and statues in its wake. Bryce welcomed it into her heart, her back. Welcomed it into the tattoo there as Hunt’s power singed her very blood—and left it sparking. Lightning ruptured from her scar like a bullet passing through. Right into the archway of the Gate. She didn’t dare see if Hunt still stood after his flawless shot. Not as the air of the Gate’s arch turned black. Murky. - CC HOSAB, chapter 76

As an aside, could the black that was impenetrable to Nesta be something, someone, or somewhere that Elain could understand? Perhaps the Void leaking out through the rift I suggested above from the space between, or a being from Hel? Possibly. But, I digress...

I wouldn't be surprised if Elain's Sight is a form of Singing that thrives in the darkness, and/or makes use of the space between (or is a version more powerful than regular Sight that she can combine with something akin to shadowsinging), which could be part of the reason why Azriel was able to recognise what was going on with her at the start of ACOWAR, when nobody else could, not even her Cauldron-gifted mate. Feyre intimated as much at the time.

Seer. The word clanged through me. She’d known. She’d warned Nesta about the Ravens. And in the chaos of the attack, that little realization had slipped from me. Slipped from me as reality and dream slipped and entwined for Elain. Seer. Elain turned to Mor, who was now gaping at my sister from her spot beside her on the couch. “Is that what this is?” - ACOWAR, chapter 33

It made sense, I supposed, that Azriel alone had listened to her. The male who heard things others could not... Perhaps he, too, had suffered as Elain had before he understood what gift he possessed. - ACOWAR, chapter 33

“Firebird by day,” Rhys mused, “woman by night … So she’s held captive by this sorcerer-lord?” Elain shook her head. “I don’t know. I hear her—her screaming. With rage. Utter rage …” She shuddered. Mor leaned forward. “Do you know why the other queens cursed her—sold her to him?” Elain studied the table. “No. No—that is all mist and shadow.” - ACOWAR, chapter 33

The choice of wording here is interesting, as Azriel's shadows have been described similarly to Elain's dreams: not only do they twine around him when they think he needs comfort, Azriel even threatened to slip into a shadow and fight during the battle in ACOWAR, effectively ignoring Rhys' orders to stay away due to his injuries, until Mor personally begged him not to.

As I suggested a little earlier, I suspect Elain can embody - or channel, maybe becoming a conduit for - the Void, (or possibly the beings that inhabit the space between, if my understanding is correct), and that could be how her Visions work. The phrasing in the above passage, during which time Elain was still lost in her visions, appears to support this association, as she is described as both hollow, which is the name of the first level of the Hel we were introduced to in CC 1, and empty, which is synonymous with void.

Throughout SJM's series, different forms of Sight seem to function best in dim lighting, such as Elain's dim tent when she Looked for the Suriel in ACOWAR, as well as the Oracle of Lunathion, and the mystics in their murky, saltwater tanks at the Astronomer's place of "business." Is it possible that light can prevent, or help control, Elain's visions by chasing away the dark? Feyre has described Elain's powers as being oracular, and CC had this gem:

What blinds an Oracle? Light. Light the way the Starborn had possessed it. - CC HOEAB, chapter 88

If so, it would bring a whole new depth of meaning to the above phrase from CC 1, and could partly explain why it was repeated so often; obviously it was important to Bryce's story, too, in terms of her powers, but it's not uncommon for SJM to place Easter eggs for one of her series in another. Perhaps this is one of them? I've discussed the parallels that exist between Elain and Bryce before - could this be more than a mere coincidence?

If light truly helps Elain to control her visions, then the following scene from ACOWAR could also be interpreted with more depth. One might even say they could be read in a new light. There's a good possibility that Elain was blasting herself with all the sunlight she could manage in order to help prevent the onslaught of her newly minted power of Sight.

IS THIS WHY FEYRE SAID, BACK IN ACOMAF, THAT ELAIN WOULD CLING TO AZRIEL JUST TO HAVE SOME "PEACE AND QUIET"?! Is it because Azriel's own shadows can turn into sunlight, which then helps to limit her Sight?

It could also explain why Azriel said that there was a darkness to the Dread Trove that Elain should not be exposed to in ACOSF... because there is a chance that she could become lost in it like she was before he told her she was a Seer in ACOWAR. And given the likelihood of a strong association between their magics, Azriel is probably the best person to be the judge of that (though of course, as it seems like Elain has been training, in some capacity at least, he could be working with old information - he didn't track her movements, per ACOFAS).

Truth-Teller "devoured" the light when Azriel gave it to Elain in ACOWAR, right before she shadow-walked across a battlefield to save Nessian and assassinate the King of Hybern. Elain even looked like she was considering future paths at the time. Was this because Truth-Teller was helping her embrace darkness, piercing the veil of the murky world?! To clarify, I don't think Elain will need the help forever, but at that point she hadn't been a faerie for more than three months.

The suite was filled with sunlight. Every curtain shoved back as far as it could go, to let in as much sun as possible. As if any bit of darkness was abhorrent. As if to chase it away. And seated in a small chair before the sunniest of the windows, her back to us, was Elain. Where Nesta had been in contented silence before we found her, Elain’s silence was … hollow. Empty. Her hair was down—not even braided. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen it unbound. She wore a moon-white silk dressing robe. She did not look, or speak, or even flinch as we entered. Her too-thin arms rested on her chair. That iron engagement ring still encircled her finger. - ACOWAR, chapter 15

In addition to how Elain's Sight might function when she is intentionally calling upon it to See something, and I'll delve into this next, I wonder - and I've mentioned this before - whether her visions could be classified as messages from the gods, perhaps the Mother. And, as @wingedblooms noted in her Murky Realm post, Urd - which (who?) could be the Void - is a secret language of the universe; a language, perhaps, that Elain (and likely Azriel) can speak.

“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. - CC

If Elain's Sight is a form of Singing, then this seems to eliminate the gods at first, but if her murky realm is truly the space between - the Void, which fathered Apollion (and I assume the remaining princes of Hel) - then it sounds like the premise of a god's, or gods', input could still technically fit. I've discussed the meaning of Elain and Azriel's names before now:

Elain - my god has answered me.

Azriel - god is my help.

Perhaps this is another hint that Elain (and Azriel) have at least some of their powers thanks to the Void, which appears to be what created them all? After all, as a Seer who seems to have additional mystic and oracular powers, Elain will be sought after for answers, and Azriel, as we have seen throughout the series, has been there to help her.

Blindfolds

I know I'm not alone in associating Elain with the priestesses (I've previously discussed it here and here) - though differently to Nesta's relationship with them, of course - as both @wingedblooms and @silverlinedeyes have their own theories about the possibilities, but still... I have been eyeing the following passage for quite a while.

All the High Priestesses wore the billowing, artfully twisted and layered robes—though they certainly were far from matronly. Ianthe’s slim waist was on display with a fine belt of sky-blue, limpid stones, each perfectly oval and held in shining silver. And atop her hood sat a matching circlet—a delicate band of silver, with a large stone at its center. A panel of cloth had been folded up beneath the circlet, a built-in swath meant to be pulled over the brow and eyes when she needed to pray, beseech the Cauldron and Mother, or just think. Ianthe had shown me once what the panel looked like when down: only her nose and full, sensuous mouth visible. The Voice of the Cauldron. I’d found the image unsettling—that merely covering the upper part of her face had somehow turned the bright, cunning female into an effigy, into something Other. Mercifully, she kept it folded back most of the time. Occasionally, she even took the hood off entirely to let the sun play in her long, gently curling golden hair. - ACOMAF, chapter 2

Firstly, an effigy sounds similar to the statue of a primal goddess, that Nesta mentioned in ACOSF; how could it be relevant? As @wingedblooms has discussed before, the carved rose - a metaphor for Elain, as she is both heavily associated with roses and her own father carved it for her one winter when she missed the flowers - being placed next to the statue could plausibly be creating an association between Elain and the Mother (or the primal goddess the statue represents). Could Elain be a conduit for this being?

Secondly, and more relevant to the point of this post - which is Elain's Sight and how it might work - it's interesting that the priestesses use a hood to dim the lighting around their eyes in order to pray, beseech the Cauldron and Mother, or to just think. Could this be code, or a hint for, for traversing the Void (which seems to exist inside the Cauldron, and which may also be Urd, the being that flows between spaces), searching for visions - perhaps as messages from the gods - that may prove useful?

Of course, everyone remembers that Azriel pulled a blindfold from his armour and used it to keep Bryce from seeing where he was taking her in Velaris, and I know that there have been plenty of posts all around joking about where else he may use the blindfold, but I think that he may have used it to help Elain reach the darkness, to channel or penetrate it?

With scarred hands, the demon pulled a scrap of black cloth from a hidden pocket in his armour. Held it up to his face, feigning putting it on. A blindfold. Bryce breathed in, trying to calm herself as she nodded. The male’s hands were gentle but thorough as he fitted it tightly over her eyes. - CC HOSAB, chapter 78

A tightly fitted blindfold would keep out all the light. I've theorised before that Azriel's shadows may have been missing (as were the siphons from both his and Cassian's armour) due to Koschei having been freed, or some other calamity having hit Velaris, by the time Bryce "visits," but another possibility could exist:

What if Azriel and Elain have to combine their powers to achieve something greater than what they'd be capable of alone?

I suspect that Azriel's sunshine prone shadows - or even the little shadow from ACOSF, which was brave enough to face the sunlight - could help Elain learn to channel - perhaps Sing - her own darkness and light, in order gain more finesse in her Sight (and likely) oracular and mystical abilities? What if Elain must cast out her mind, or consciousness, in order to See and Hear, then interpret, what she can in the space between? I suspect there may be a tongue that she innately understands, possibly the secret language of the universe; this makes me wonder if it could be the same language spoken by shadows, wind and/or stone, which would suggest Azriel could also understand it. If something along these lines becomes canon, it would also lend credence to my theory that Elain accidentally used the shadows to call out to Azriel when she was kidnapped by the Cauldron in ACOWAR before she was placed in spelled chains.

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.

Rhys picked up the Book of Breathings. Light and dark and gray and light and dark and gray—- ACOMAF, chapter 57

Further, Elain and Azriel may be able to combine their talents to supercharge their abilities... and perhaps that is where Azriel's shadows were when he collected Bryce from what appeared to be the lawn of the River House. Could they have been tethering Elain, helping* her find her way back from wherever she went when she (hypothetically) yanked Bryce and Gwydion/the Starsword into Prythian's world? Could this support the theory that Elain and Azriel are carranam?

* I also wonder if Mor was somehow involved; if Azriel is the dark, and Elain the grey, could Mor be the light? Could they function like the mystics of Midgard, as a trio?

Consider the following passage from TOG:

Rowan made her magic sing. And maybe that was the carranam bond between them, but … her magic wanted to dance with his. And from the frost sparkling in his eyes, she knew his own demanded the same. Rowan leaned forward until they were brow-to-brow. “Soon,” he promised, his voice rough and low. “Let’s get somewhere safe—somewhere defensible.” Because her safety always would come first. For him, keeping her protected, keeping her alive, would always come first. He’d learned it the hard way. - TOG EOS, chapter 2

Given Rowan made Aelin's magic "sing" when they kissed* in EOS, which I have always associated with the Book of Breathings saying "sing me" - such as in the never-finished draft of my "Elriel are carranam" post from before HOSAB - I truly won't be surprised if Elain and Azriel end up as carranam and/or mates of some sort - possibly both, if my crack theory that carranam bonds are soul bonds pans out. This possible parallel also provides a damn good reason as to why Elain and Azriel wouldn't kiss in the bonus chapter of a Nessian book... why would SJM blow that surprise in any other book than their own? However, if this association between "sing me" and mates or carranam making each other's magic sing is accurate, then I think it likely that Elain will end up a Singer of some sort to complete the imagery.

* Yes, I know what you'll say: Rowan and Aelin's magics also wanted to dance with each other, and "Azriel's shadows danced with Gw*n." I truly do think that may have been misdirection on SJM's behalf. Firstly, because Rowan went on to specify that with regards to Aelin - an incredibly capable warrior and assassin - her safety would always come first (which is the exact opposite of what Azriel did when he prioritised Eris' rescue over Gw*n being in the Blood Rite), and secondly, because Azriel's shadows looked like they were pulled to Gw*n's breath, not that they wanted to go there. And before anyone gets upset, I don't think that lightsingers will be inherently, or all, evil - I've already discussed the fact that I think their luring won't necessarily be sexual - and I think that Gw*n - if she is one - will only be a young lightsinger, and may not even know her powers.

But back to my point: I truly do think that Azriel and Elain will be carranam (ie. conduits), and be able to use their powers to tether each other, as Hunt and Bryce did in HOSAB, and as Rhys did for Feyre when she was repairing the Cauldron in ACOWAR. This would be a very useful skill in a plot where one of them might have to traverse the murky, shadowy space between with their Sight or magical hearing.

Bloodbane

I was talking with some friends a little while ago, and when @lesolehabitantdelalune shared the following passages from TOG, something clicked:

Cain circled her, swinging his sword idly. His eyes were dark—dark like that portal to that other world. He was drawing out the inevitable, a predator playing with his meal before eating it. He wanted to enjoy every moment. She had to end this now, before the hallucinations started. She knew they’d be powerful: seers had once used bloodbane as a drug to view spirits from other worlds. Celaena shot forward with a sweep of the staff. Wood slammed into steel. - TOG, chapter 48

The world spun black and mist and blue as Cain grabbed her and shoved her against the clock tower once more, her face smashing into the stone. When she opened her eyes, the world shifted. Blackness was everywhere. Deep down, she knew it wasn’t just a hallucination—what she saw, who she saw, truly existed just beyond the veil of her world, and the poisonous drug had somehow opened her mind to see them. There were two creatures now, and the second one had wings. It was grinning—grinning just as— Celaena didn’t have time to shout as it launched into flight. It threw her to the ground, and its claws ripped at her. She thrashed. Where had the world gone? Where was she? There were more of them—more appeared. The dead, demons, monsters—they wanted her. They called her name. Most of them had wings, and the ones that didn’t were carried in the talons of others. - TOG, chapter 48

Right after HOSAB was published, @silverlinedeyes posted a brilliant theory in which she posited that Elain may have been involved with Bryce's shock arrival in Velaris - a double shock to Bryce, who, as she said, had been hoping to reach Aidas in Hel.*

*Unless Prythian, which Aelin reached last on her fall between the worlds, actually is, or contains, a level of Hel, in which case Bryce may be closer to where she needs to go than she realises.

The TOG passages above, in which we learnt that Seers used substances* to enhance their abilities - immediately brought that theory back to mind, because what if Elain learnt to combine her ability to See across the world with the Prythian version of bloodbane - which may or may not be faebane, it's unclear, given both terms have been used in ACOTAR - to open a portal and See further than Prythian; into the space between... and beyond? What if she could also use reflective surfaces, like water or witch mirrors - cough, the reflection pool at the High Lords' meeting, or the Ouroboros - to enhance her powers or See other locations? Interestingly, @wingedblooms has noted that the mystics in CC use a similar substance to bloodbane, as well... and that the Astronomer calls his mystics his "beauties." Elain is a noted beauty.

Its over-large teeth clacked faintly. “Thrice now, we have met. Thrice now, you have hunted for me. This time, you sent the trembling fawn to find me. I did not expect to see those doe-eyes peering at me from across the world.” “I’m sorry if it was a violation,” I said as steadily as I could. “But it’s an urgent matter.” - ACOWAR, chapter 58

@wingedblooms has suggested, and I agree, that we could see Elain do something like this on a much larger scale in her book, and/or during the crossover - ie. after she's had some training - and that that experimentation may be what we witnessed at the end of HOSAB. Or at least, we saw the end result, which was Bryce landing in Velaris when she wanted to reach Aidas in Hel. Did Elain See either Bryce, the Horn she wears, or the sword she carried "going there (Hel), now" and act to intercept her, calling to the items - as @silverlinedeyes has theorised - through the Void, much as Nesta called to the Dread Trove in a time of need?

Elain again glanced at the map. At me. Then closed her eyes. Her eyes shifted beneath her lids, the skin so delicate and colorless that the blue veins beneath were like small streams. “It moves …,” she whispered. “It moves through the world like … like the breath of the western wind.” “Where is it headed?” Her finger lifted, hovering over the map, the courts. Slowly, she set it down. “There,” she breathed. “It is going there. Now.” - ACOWAR, chapter 57

“NO!” he bellowed. It was the last sound Bryce heard as the darkness within the Gate swallowed her whole. She fell, slowly and without end—and sideways. Not a plunge down, but a yank across. The pressure in her ears threatened to pulp her brain, and she was screaming into wind and stars and emptiness, screaming to Hunt and Ruhn, left behind in that crystal palace. Screaming— - CC HOSAB, chapter 76

Hunt was powerless to do anything but follow, Ruhn and Baxian with him. He’d been at the end of the hall when Bryce had made her spectacular run, teleporting as fast as the wind toward the black hole that had opened within the small Gate. No trace of the blackness or Bryce remained now. - CC HOSAB, chapter 77

The Starsword— There. A foot beyond her head. Bryce trembled as she eased onto her knees, bending to hold them tight. Hunt … She could have sworn she heard his screams echoing in the mist as she fell. She had to get up. Find a way to Aidas. - CC HOSAB, chapter 78

If you recall the passages from TOG I mentioned above, Celaena saw "blue and black and mist," that Cain's eyes were "dark like that portal to that other world," and that the "dead, demons, monsters—they wanted her." This imagery exists in a combination of (hypothetically) relevant passages from ACOTAR and CC, as:

Elain's eye veins were like blue streams when she was Looking for the Suriel.

Hunt spoke about a black hole, and that the blackness and Bryce had disappeared.

Bryce was surrounded by mist when she fell through what we assume is the Void - the space between worlds.

The gate that Bryce ran through was filled with darkness that sounded similar to Cain's eyes.

Bryce was met with Azriel, someone who she recognised as a demon (we can't forget Rhys and Cassian here, either) - and who is named after the angel of death - when she landed on the other side. Nesta has been associated with death, as well - "Lady Death" - and so has Rhys, back in ACOMAF. Amren was also there, and she has been referred to as a tiny monster.

Did Elain first See into the past for a mental image of the Horn, or the Starsword (which they know as Gwydion), or did she have a Vision of those items, or even Bryce's presence, in the future? Or did Amren, who @lesolehabitantdelalune and I (and others, too, I know) crack theorise might truly be Sirius, the lost Asteri sister - finally remember what either look like? Maybe Clotho, named after the Fate who spins the thread of human life, decide that the time was right for certain information to be un-forgotten? Perhaps it was a mystical guiding hand, nudging events from afar. In the future, will Elain combine the use of a substance with the orrery in Rhys' study to guide her as she traverses the space between?

If not faebane/bloodbane, how about witchberries, which Feyre came across in the original trilogy. Could the "hours afterward" explain Elain's notable absence from Bryce's final chapter of HOSAB? Maybe Mor's, too?

What could this mean going forward?

“I also remember you telling me how witchberries were harmless, and the next thing I knew, I was half-delirious and falling all over myself,” I said, recalling the afternoon from a few weeks ago. I’d had hallucinations for hours afterward, and Lucien had laughed himself sick—enough so that Tamlin had chucked him into the reflection pool. - ACOTAR, chapter 25

There are so many possibilities, my head spins.

Does Elain need faebane or extra shadows to pierce the veil of the Void, or can she do so without supplementation?

Will Elain get caught when she's experimenting? Or will the drugs, if any, make her sick?

Will she use something like the Ouroboros as a tool to enhance her Sight, or travel somewhere?

Will Elain eventually have to give up her Sight, if her visions truly are messages from the gods? It would parallel Aelin and Nesta returning much of their magic. It may possibly even hint that Bryce, with Theia's light (which implies it might not be hers), won't stay as powerful as she is in the long run.

Does Merrill work with an orrery?

* As an aside, it could be how Feyre can unlock the Prison without Rhys, but they've just assumed it was the kernel of his magic that she holds.

Elain Saw mist and shadow when trying to See Koschei back in ACOWAR. Was this not only evidence of Koschei himself, but perhaps a ward or veil or sorts put in place to deter Seers, possibly by the clever fae warrior who trapped him long ago? If the Archeron sisters really are descended* from the Starborn queen, could "like calls to like" and kinship help her to pierce those wards? Will Truth-Teller once more be "the knife in the dark"?

#hosab spoilers #acotar cc tog crossover theory #elain archeron #azriel shadowsinger #crescent city theory #elain archeron theory #elain's powers #seeing in the dark #hence the blindfold #acotar theory #acotar 5 theory #seer theory #the knife in the dark #elriel theory #pro elain archeron #pro elain #pro elriel #pro azriel #truth teller

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westfall-castle · 2 years

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What do you really think about Aelin? Personally, I think she's really rude. I'm not staying this because she is written to be confident in herself. But I believe it is arrogance. We as an audience are gaslit into believing that she's just strong and doesn't take crap. But so was Nehemia, but the difference between Nehemia is that she isn't arrogant, but Aelin is.

Also there is the issue about her making "plans", that include no-one. I'm pretty sure that's not how you run things. It's pretty selfish to not tell anyone about your plans (like what happened to Aedion), and it's pretty selfish to be physically angry about someone who has a different of opinion than she did ( like Dorian talking about freeing manon in EOS).

Hahahaha, I’m sweating cold with this question because I have a feeling that when I answer, Aelin fans are gonna come for my head with torches and pikes. Still... ilysm for asking this, you're my crush, send you kisses and I agree with you on many levels.

My opinion: Its just too much to understand her anymore. It's like that movie, Split with James McAvoy. I heavily suspected dissociative identity disorder at some point 🤣. Aelin should be at least 45 to have lived all she has lived. It gives me the impression that SJM had to pick ONE main character for her fantasy books, either a girlboss pirate, a young assasin in a mens' world, a medieval courtier with a secret agenda, a gifted magician or a queen from a lost kingdom and she said "fuck it, i'll take them all". There would be no problem with this IF the character stayed consistent, if there were enough TIME but... SHES 19 IN THE FINAL BOOK. I mean...

Her personality traits just keep appearing left and right and us, as readers, don't get accountability for these new ways of behaving. She's feminine when it suits her but then bashes femininity in the next chapter. She's "one of the boys" but also a "girlboss". She's crazy and manic but also mighty and merciful. The only thing that remains constant might be her sense of humor. Her moral compass is a mess and there comes a point where she's truly unpredictable. It seems that she behaves according to what the plot needs in the moment.

For example; She's a girlboss feminist who is willing to teach Yrene how to defend herself and seems to have intentions of "empowering" women around her but then looks down on "soft" vulnerable women, rolling her eyes and mentally shaming and judging on multiple ocassions throughout the books and even saying things like (quoting one of her lines when she meets Philippa, her personal maid.) " Why send such a soft woman to serve her? She'd outpower her in a heartbeat". (And yes, Assassin’s Blade happened before TOG, is she evolving backwards?)

The books center so much in praising her through the point of view of multiple characters that we do not get enough introspection on her behalf. If anything we are swayed into a new tragedy/ battle/ moment of suffering where we only see her brooding over herself or past events as if making her suffer more and more somewhat was the way to revindicate her instead of her having a moment thinking to herself " well, I fucked up, things were not as I thought and I see it now".

Everyone owes her everything even if she was wrong sometimes and never accepted it. She has way too many life debts to call in the end and SHES ONLY 19. That’s why many readers felt in KoA that whenever Aelin and the plot hit a dead end, she just had to send a letter and 8 new powerful allies came claiming they owed her their lives. COME ON 😂 There’s a difference between writing fantasy and magically solving plots with unrealistic arguments.

I think what I hate most is the gaslighting of the narrative. as you mention. There are times where she's being arrogant, mean or condescending and instead of getting a REALISTIC and UNBIASED perspective we just get a Rowan POV chapter saying something like "It was not a plain woman but a queen standing before them" or "It was a queen's voice speaking" and then, as if it was not enough it follows another simping POV (usually Aedion) saying also " Wow, it was not his cousin speaking but a queen before them" like... NO STFU she's not right this time hahahah, and when exactly did she become so high and mighty.

Another example is how she fn ADORES to splurge on dresses on Assassin’s Blade but the moment she meets Kaltain and eavesdrop her conversation in the gardens Kaltain says that her own dress is ‘so old’ despite being practically new and Celaena’s reaction is ‘ugh, these air-headed women’ instead of maybe not pointing it out or even find it relatable. I know that this tells us more about Kaltain, so that we understand the type of person she is, but I still don’t like the harsh judgement Celaena seems to have about specific traits of her personality. Readers are gaslit into believing this change comes from her time in Endovier and now she’s so centered and appreciative and morally superior but THEEEEN in Crown of Midnight she LITERALLY DOES THE SAME, buying more clothes and jewels than she can wear, becoming suddenly a little bit cocky saying things like ‘ugh, these tacky clothes, I wouldn’t be caught dead in those’ . Come on girl, don’t be judgy when you’re the same.

I loved Celaena in Throne of Glass (BOOK 1) . Up until this point it was a tight character, I liked her personality, her internal monologue was funny and relatable. The events that had happened in her life were somehow believable (even if it’s a fantasy book) Her moral compass was clear for the reader and we had this concept of "rogue with certain moral values/ chaotic good" persona. When Aelin comes though... Idk anymore, It feels so inconsistent. She's just... everything, she has 8 different personalities at the same time, it's like she was an A03 fic and she had ALL THE TAGS, all the tropes. She gets away with the bad things she does too easily. In the end I was happy she was happy and never came to hate her but its just too much going on for one character.

#tog #throne of glass #rowan whitethorn #celaena sardothien #aelin ashryver galathynius #sjm books #sjmass #yrene towers #yrene westfall #chaol westfall #dorian haviliard #tog series #kingdom of ash #anti aelin

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