acourtofquietdreamers

[acourtofquietdreamers]

I really want a secret moment like this for elriel where they dance in the woods or her garden. It would be simply perfection.

Doesn’t it say in acosf that azriel is really good at waltzing?

They are so sleeping beauty coded already.

[acourtofquietdreamers]

Let’s think about this quote for a sec:

Who is the next book about…

“I thought it was pretty obvious.”

Now keeping that in mind, let’s see what happens when you google “Who is the next ACOTAR book about?”

Time Magazine:

“Maas has already announced that the next book she will publish is the sixth installment in ACOTAR, a highly-anticipated release that many fans suspect will flesh out the stories of Feyre's sister Elain and Azriel, just as A Court of Silver Flames did for Nesta and Cassian.”

Business Insider:

“Although she didn't specify which characters from "ACOTAR" the novel she is writing will focus on, Maas previously said in a February 2021 conversation with Eva Chen that she planned to write a novel focused on Elain Archeron, Feyre's older sister, planting seeds for the book in the last installment in the series, "A Court of Silver Flames," which was about Nesta, the eldest Archeron sister.”

Today:

“There’s a third Archeron sister, Elain, as well as another in Rhysand’s trio of friends, Azriel, whose stories are left to tell. (And Maas did say she plans to explore Azriel more.)”

Screen Rant:

“As far as characters go, it's been repeatedly speculated that the sixth ACOTAR novel will follow Elain and Azriel, Elain and Lucien, or all three.”

Culturess:

“The most obvious choice for the character at the center of the next book would seem to be Elain. She’s the Archeron sister we know the least about, and who probably has the most unanswered questions around her story.”

Fandomwire:

“The story that is yet to be told is that of the youngest*, Elain. This is why it would make sense for Sarah J. Maas to tell her story in her new book.”

Books of Brilliance:

“It’s not official what this new book will be about, but Maas hinted in a previous interview that she was planning on writing a book from the perspective of Feyre’s older sister, Elain Acheron.”

The Every Girl:

“Namely, book five is Feyre’s sister Nesta’s story, and there are rumors (pretty strong ones) that the next book in the series will be Feyre’s other sister’s [Elain’s] story.”

The Mary Sue:

“As for what this next book might be about, Maas has mentioned previously she wanted to focus on Feyre’s older sister Elain in an ACOTAR book.”

These are all the articles, blogs, exclusives, or opinion pieces that talk about who the next book is about that I could find. Now, before anyone gets on me about this, I am aware that these articles have varying levels of credibility and accuracy! If you want to take this with a grain of salt, go ahead.

Some of these articles also mention Nesta, Mor, and Amren but they also always mention Elain. Yet, the apparent “super obvious” Azriel book is never mentioned? In fact, Azriel is only ever mentioned alongside Elain.

So idk, if the author of a book states that she thought something was obvious, and then multiple news sites, blogs, exclusive interviews, opinion pieces, etc. all draw the same or similar conclusions on the topic, I would say that maybe there is some validity to that conclusion.

#thank you for compiling these🙌

[acourtofquietdreamers]

another one thank you!!

#keep them cominggg #(but Sarah pls confirm) #pro elriel

[acourtofquietdreamers]

Guilty as Sin • Elriel

#sooo pretty

[acourtofquietdreamers]

"Elain can't handle the cruel torturer of the NC because she abhors violence"

Wait... are we talking about Elain, Kingslayer? The sister who stabbed the King of Hybern and in turn, saved Prythian - that sister can't handle violence?

The sister who said "I hope they all burn in hell" to the mortal queens in ACOMAF... that sister can't handle violence?

The sister who time and time again, dealt with Nesta, understood what she was going through - that sister can't handle someone's darkness?

"Elain doesn't know about Azriel's darkness. Once she finds out what he does, she'll be disgusted"

Based on what? Azriel's thoughts in his POV?

Personally, I interpreted this as another way SJM has shown us what low self-esteem Azriel has. He's essentially thinking there's no way Elain would've looked at him with such trust and hope if she knew what he did.

But I don't think that's the case, honestly. I think Elain is fully aware.

And again, if antis are going to say things like "Oh we don't have Elain's POV yet, so we don't know what her thoughts are yet, she could be deeply in love with Lucien" then I believe it's a fair statement to also say that "We don't have Elain's POV yet, she could be fully aware who Azriel is and what he does. And it doesn't matter to her either way."

Also not to mention the fact that Elain is literally a SEER. I think there's a very high chance she already knows all about Azriel's day job, and she does not care.

Elain is not a child. She isn't some ditsy airhead that doesn't know what is going on with the politics in her home and the true nature of the people closest to her. She's not a rebellious teenager sneaking around with Azriel just to "act out".

The people who claim Azriel and the IC are just infantilizing her are also the ones saying "they don't need to respect her, she's a fictional character", or "Elain doesn't know what she wants, she doesn't know what's best for her", or "she's not happy with her family and friends and home in Velaris", or "she secretly loves Lucien and is using Azriel to be rebellious". The same people are ignoring her wants, her needs, her desires, in favor of their own agenda. "Pro Elain" my ass 🙄

[acourtofquietdreamers]

The True timeline some shippers are using as “proof” Elucien is endgame.

(I cannot take credit for figuring out all of this. A friend posted it and wished to remain anonymous but gave me permission to post it)

[acourtofquietdreamers]

quick why is it always the people that reduce Elain’s arc to her being a flower needing the sun that go on to lecture us about how there’s more to her story than romance 🧍‍♂️

anyone who’s actually paid attention to her character would realize that there is a clear dichotomy between what people expect her to be and who she’s showing herself to be. it’s no coincidence that SJM emphasizes the former with very superficial statements (whom everyone and their mother pick up on & define her by), while weaving the latter into the actual fabric of her story.

it’s probably why they are so insistent on dismissing her friendship with Nuala & Cerridwen, who are said to know her better than Feyre does. or why her beauty in a dress is world-reckoning one second, while her radiant health in the city she calls home a chapter later is so dismissible. or why the only thing they remember from WaR is her need for sunshine, while conveniently leaving out that the one person who listened to her and spent time with her in the sunshine, enabled her to begin to distinguish dream from reality, elain’s mental health all the better for it.

she represses the parts of herself that would make her sisters uncomfortable & that she’s been conditioned to believe were undesirable, and hides her pain in fear to be a bother, but that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t know what’s best for her own life.

but yea apologies for recognizing that Elain needs only her light to bloom (canon), and for pointing out that while she is obviously not all happy & healed up & in love or whatever it is ppl think we are saying, her story won’t be about her realizing that everyone was right about her not belonging: it will be one of self-realization.

“well so and so says—” yea it’s almost like that’s the point idk what to tell u.

#THIS #elain archeron #pro elain

[acourtofquietdreamers]

Elain's problems:

🎶 I keep recalling things we never did

messy top lip kiss how I long for our trysts

without ever touching his skin

how could I be guilty as sin? 🎶

🎨: the incredible jessdraw.s

#are they really problems though🤭

[acourtofquietdreamers]

The earliest written record of earplugs comes from Ancient Greece in the poem The Odyssey, when Odysseus’ men were advised to block out the sound of Sirens using beeswax.

No way SJM is just throwing “earplugs” at us just for a joke especially in a BC where you’re trying to stuff as much meaning into it as possible to hold over than fandom for a few years. ✨

#sarah said there were clues in the bc and this is def one of them

[acourtofquietdreamers]

The way my heart hurts for Elain in this moment:

For a heartbeat, it appeared that Elain might say something to soften the words. But Nesta cut her off, seething at the pity about to be thrown her way. “Look who decided to grow claws after all,” she crooned. “Maybe you’ll become interesting at last, Elain.”

Nesta saw the blow land, like a physical impact, in Elain’s face, her posture. No one spoke, though shadows gathered in the corners of the room, like snakes preparing to strike. Elain’s eyes brightened with pain.

Elain is the girl who never felt seen for who she truly is. The girl who was only looked at as a pretty doll to be married off. The girl whose mother thought she had no drive, no ambition. Nothing, but a pretty face. And Nesta exploits that deep rooted insecurity by basically calling Elain boring in front of the IC. This clearly hurts Elain, but she doesn’t cower at Nesta’s words:

Something imploded in Nesta’s chest at that expression. She opened her mouth, as if it could somehow be undone. But Elain said, “I went into the Cauldron, too, you know. And it captured me. And yet somehow all you think of is what my trauma did to you.”

Nesta blinked, everything inside her hollowing out. But Elain turned on her heel. “Find me when you wish to begin.” The doors shut behind her. Every awful word Nesta had spoken hung in the air, echoing.

I’m so proud of her and I can’t waaait for Elain to continue to show everyone who she is.

#pro elain #also peep the shadows ready to defend their girl #pro elain archeron #elain archeron #pro Elriel

[acourtofquietdreamers]

"Bonus chapter ended Elriel!"

But here's the thing - it didn't have to.

If SJM had a change of heart during writing ACOSF or even before and decided that Gwyn and Az will be the final couple, she could have easily simply ignored writing anything about Azriel's feelings towards Elain. She could have not written about stolen glances - she could have written a scene where they have a conversation without any subtext, just a friendly encounter so the readers would get a clear sign - they are just friends, they are not interested in each other in any way. She could have switched the narrative - making Az behave towards any other character the way he behaves with Elain and making Elain not care, not look at him, not practically dying for him to kiss her.

But she did not.

Instead she wrote paragraphs saying Azriel cannot stand the smell of the mating bond between Elain and Lucien (which is alarming on its own, given the fact that he should not be able to smell it in the first place), that this man spent the last year almost sleepless because he keeps thinking about that girl and the gift she picked for him. She wrote Azriel questioning the Cauldron itself and Elain willing to risk it all even tho her mate was sleeping upstairs. SJM said directly with all of these "look, those two WANT each other, those scenes in previous books DID indicate that there is a mutual wanting between them".

Place yourself as an author for a second - would you really spend three books placing hints and scenes foreshadowing a couple only to "end" them in the bonus chapter, which most of the readers won't even know exist? Would you, knowing that you plan for other couples to be an endgame, wrote about things that literally point that those two characters are so into each other they don't give a single fuck about bonds and religion? Would you write another male guessing something only a mate should be able to guess, the same male being the only one noticing the woman is missing and going on a suicidal mission to get her back? Would you write "you came for me"? Would you write a full scene of this woman emerging from the shadows (the literal power of said male), using the blade he let touching only her? Would you write her buying gifts for him but not for any other man?

And finally, if you plan to make those two end up with different characters anyway, would you really write them like that? Az being the person pining for someone for 500 years and being the one knowing for ignoring orders, only to slowly develop feelings towards someone else who wants him back, would suddenly forget about it and move to a new girl in a heartbeat just because somebody said so? Elain being the person who stated blankly "I don't want him" indicating to her mate, being someone who shall wed for love, suddenly deciding "yes, you know what, I don't want this man who showed me nothing but kindness and who was the only one who actually saw and listened, who saved my life and then gave me a weapon to defend myself, I'm gonna be with my mate now, even tho I'm shrinking with discomfort whenever I'm near him". Even if it fits your fantasies, it does not fit the way characters were written. And at the end of the day, it's not the fantasies that matter. It's what has been written and given us to read and see ourselves.

[acourtofquietdreamers]

During the war in ACOWAR, Feyre had Rhys take Elain to the farthest part of their camp. Yet Elain kills Hybern, saving Nesta and Cassian in the middle of where the war is taking place.

The Inner Circle didn’t bring Elain to the battlefield.

Elain ON HER OWN, possibly with the help of Azriel’s shadows (as she steps out of them) went into the battlefield and killed the King of Hybern with Truth-Teller.

[acourtofquietdreamers]

Gwyn = Ansel (TOG)

(TOG spoilers) | These are my personal opinions | and this is NOT an anti-Gwyn post. | I believe characters are allowed to be morally gray and the reader is allowed to still love them. I'd argue that most of SJMs characters are morally gray and we still love em all the same!

Forget the Lightsinger theory have we all considered that Gwyn may pull an Ansel in some fashion?!

SJM characterizes Gwyn and Ansel in the same way on a few occasions and the reader may be left feeling suspicious after reading their scenes.

Gwyn: "Eyes glowed with mischief", "consipiritorial whisper", "Hair shimmering in the dim light". Ansel: "mischief twinkling in Ansel’s red-brown eyes", "conspirator’s grin", "hair shimmering in a ray of sunlight".

Could Gwyn make "a bad choice, trying to heal a wound she couldn't ever mend. Trying to avenge the people she loved."?

(quote above is directly from TOG-Celaena talking about Ansel after Ansel came to the rescue and helped "the good guys" in the end).

In addition:

*They both reside/work somewhere run by someone who is mute (Clotho/Mute Master)*

*they both witnessed their family being killed in a kitchen*

Maybe its just coincidence, but I think SJM patterns are important to watch out for (if you like that kind of stuff of course).

🧜‍♀️✨ More Gwyn deep dive posts coming soon ✨

*tagging my elriel girlies to hopefully dissuade any negativity*

#oooo I can def see this

[acourtofquietdreamers]

"Elain will WED for love and beauty"

Not mate. Elain won't 'mate' for love and beauty.

Elain, who is wearing what amounts to a wedding dress in the illustration, carrying a bridal bouquet, facing Azriel. The most 'beautiful' of all males.

Elain, whose wedding never happened, will get her wedding. With the one she loves. She will WED for love, and beauty.

Elain will cling to Azriel.

What if the Cauldron was wrong?

Why not make them mates?

Coincidence? I think not.

[acourtofquietdreamers]

Here’s another problem with the Elain-can’t-have-Azriel’s-babies-therefore-not-endgame argument:

He was in love with Mor for 500 years.

It’s not a secret that non-Illyrians can’t birth Illyrian babies. That problem didn’t need to be explained to Rhys and Cassian because it’s common knowledge and is part of the reason most Illyrians don’t marry outside their communities.

So it’s not as if, in 500 years, Azriel somehow avoided that information. The guy whose literal job is getting information.

If having kids is so important to Azriel that he would choose to not end up with someone who can’t have his babies (and we don’t even know if he wants kids because he wouldn’t say), then why did he keep his romantic focus on Mor for so long?

#pro elriel

[acourtofquietdreamers]

Friendly Reminders: Elain Archeron and Sarah J. Maas

After Elain got dragged by the fandom for being boring and useless online, Sarah J. Maas- knowing full well that she as an author loved Elain and couldn't wait to tell her story that has been brewing for nearly a decade- wrote this:

-ACOSF

And this:

-Feysand Bonus Chapter, ACOSF

After certain members of the fandom collectively decided that Sarah J. Maas so *obviously* ended Elriel because she may not be able to have Azriel's babies and nothing is more important than that, or she owes Lucien her time because she is his mate and he deserves her, she wrote this:

-HOFAS

It's almost as if the author of the books has heard the things people said about a FMC whose book she has described as being *obsessed* with writing, like when you have a crush, and explicitly addressed and dragged the legitimately abhorrent takes surrounding the remaining Archeron sister.

Sometimes I truly wonder why one would read a book from an author they so vehemently disagree with. The author has told you her stance on these opinions. And it is... not positive. She does *not* agree with these ideas. Full stop.

I have no doubt most will be won over by Elain's book. But I find theories antithetical to the beliefs of the author to be at best bizarre, and at worst needlessly harmful to women. And the author has made it quite clear she has no interest in catering to those ideals.

[acourtofquietdreamers]

Yay! Finally finished this Elriel fanart inspired by the AMAZING fanfiction written by my friend, @violetasteracademic. 🥰❤️ I can't express how remarkably talented she is! When she reached out to me and passionately described her Elriel fanfiction, I was instantly inspired! Can't wait to create more fanart for the story. 🥰❤️

If you're looking for a great read, please check out her fanfiction, but also her tumblr page. She has incredible incites on Elriel, and I'm so incredibly happy she's taken the plunge into posting her ideas!

#so beautiful!!