#acotar spinoff series

[achaotichuman]

A Court of Song and Desolation

Summary-

She had eyes like starlight and a grin that could outshine the moon, "We'll rule the world."

"What if we fail?"

"Then we'll burn it all down."

In hindsight maybe it could only have ever ended like this. Making a man who was never made to rule, High lord. This was all inevitable.

The Spring Court was now as broken as its Ruler, everything had been turned to ruin. Tamlin lives with the ghostly memories that haunt the forgotten manor and has no intentions of changing that.

Too bad Lucien can't stand the idea of leaving him alone, and too damn bad Prythian's Fox now has two new friends ready and willing to help in any way they can.

*Previously titled Get out while you still can! (Please don't leave me)*

*Alternative Summary- Magic dumbasses obliviously pining for each other try to save the world.

Fandom- A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J.Maas

Chapters- 21/71

Rating- Explicit Archive Warnings- Rape/Non-Con, Underage, Graphic Depictions of Violence Categories- M/M, F/M, Multi, F/F Relationships- Tamlin/Lucien Vanserra, Past Tamlin/Feyre Archeron, Past Lucien Vanserra/Jesminda, Azriel/Eris Vanserra, Feyre Archeron/Rhysand, Nesta Archeron/Cassian, Tamlin & Lucien Vanserra, Tamlin & Eris Vanserra Characters- Tamlin (A Court of Thorns and Roses, Lucien Vanserra, Original Female Characters, Jurian (A Court of Thorns and Roses), Vassa (A Court of Thorns and Roses), Andras (A Court of Thorns and Roses), Original Male Characters, Elain Archeron, Eris Vanserra, Azriel (A Court of Thorns and Roses), Death-God Kosechi, Morrigan (A Court of Thorns and Roses), Cassian (A Court of Thorns and Roses), Nesta Archeron, Tarquin (A Court of Thorns and Roses), Tamlin's Brothers (A Court of Thorns and Roses), Amren (A Court of Thorns and Roses), Feyre Archeron, Rhysand (A Court of Thorns and Roses) Additional Tags- Tamlin Redemption (A Court of Thorns and Roses), Depression, Eating Disorders, Slow Burn, Justice for the Hewn City, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Secret Relationships, Mating Bonds, shape-shifting magic, Flashbacks, Self-Harm, Found Family, Abandonment Issues, Self-Esteem Issues, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Grief/Mourning, Day Court magic, Bisexual Elain Archeron, bisexual Tamlin, Forced Marriage, Welcome to Tamlin's Bisexual Panic, Exploration of Spring Court Magic, anger issues, repressed trauma, Panic Attacks, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Pining, Mutual Pining, Jealousy, Possessive Behavior, Demisexuality, Overthinking, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Sexual Abuse, Eventual Smut, Torture, More Hurt before Healing, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Elain Archeron being the best, Blood and Gore, Horror, Rebellion, Body Horror

Series- Part One of A Court of Outcasts, Thieves and Assassins

This is my version of Acotar six, it was originally meant to be an angsty Tamcien oneshot, then it grew into this, and I couldn't be happier about it. If you like angst, hurt/comfort and a little bit of gore and darkness, please check it out!

#acotar #tamlin #lucien vanserra #pro tamlin #pro lucien vanserra #tamcien #acotar au #acotar fanfiction #acotar fic #acotar headcanons #tamlin redemption #acotar spinoff series

[azrielsbxtch]

You know what I was just thinking about…. This whole argument about how SJM only writes girls as the MC and therefore the next ACOTAR is Elain’s book.

Do you know how easy it would have been for her to set up Elain’s book? Picture it this way.

ACOSF ends. Instead of Azriel’s bonus chapter…we get Elain’s bonus chapter.

The exact thing happens. She stumbles on Az in the living room…Rhys interrupts. We get inside her head. The conflict of Azriel or Lucien. We get her thoughts about Lucien.

As an added bonus….NO GWYN!

There. ACOTAR 5 established. Elain as MC, having to choose between Az or Lucien as her supporting man and healing and growing yada yada yada…..

And yet……

That’s not how it went.

We got Azriel’s POV instead. We then got 4 pages of him and Gwyn….

We got his shadows calming down because of her.

We got him smiling multiple times because of her.

There was absolutely NO REASON for SJM to add Gwyn in that chapter if it was setting up Elain’s book? And like why make Az the center of the conflict?

Why introduce Gwyn at all? Why make it Azriel’s POV? Why show Azriel’s thoughts and reactions? Why end it like this?

There is no canon set up for ACOTAR 5 being Elain’s book. Everything…from Azriel’s Bonus chapter, to SJM answering we’d know who the “NEXT” book is about after being asked if Azriel would get a book…the plotpoints in ACOTAR and Crescent City…. All of that points to Azriel being the MC of the next book.

And one more thing….that annoying argument about how the series is just for the Archeron sisters…I’m not even going to bring up the multiple interviews where SJM said otherwise but let’s attempt simple math shall we.

There’s 3 ACOTAR books left (possibly more) and one Archeron sister left. SJM has said the spinoff books will focus one one couple per book with an overarching plot to the next book.

So how on earth are there 3 books left with one couple per book but “the series is about the Archeron sisters only?”

#gwyneth berdara #azriel x gwyn #gwynriel #pro gwynriel #gwynriel headcanon #gwyn berdara #gwynriel fic #nesta archeron #pro gwyn #house of wind gang

[lovemyromance]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let's look at what ACOFAS set up:

Elain avoiding Lucien, Lucien avoiding Elain

Feysand bonus chapter about Elain

Cassian got a POV

Cassian & Nesta's current state of hostility

Nesta's struggle

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

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

Elain's Journey.

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

In ACOSF, we see the first ever Azriel POV.

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

Why did Azriel of all people get a POV?

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

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

Of course she thought it was obvious 🤷🏻‍♀️

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

[elrielmoments]

Before I ask this I am 110% an Elriel fan. I will be genuinely upset if she goes anywhere but Elriel. Anyway:

I try and think of possible plots for ACOTAR 5, and sometimes it's ways that Elucien or Gwynriel can happen that will make sense. I have a a fear for ACOTAR 5/CC3, and that's time jump.

Stay with me. What if Azriel goes with Bryce to Midgard, helps her there quick, and returns to Pryanthian and 5+ years have gone by. I think this is possible because he is the one that owns Truth Teller, and we don't know how time works across the different worlds. Think about it, Nyx would have more to do than just baby, relationships can have progressed forward without it seeming rushed. This also leaves room for Elain slowly became interested in Lucien over the years without Az. What if Az comes back, Elain is with Lucien, and he finds comfort and love with Gwyn?

I don't think we're getting answers in CC3, but my question is, why insert Gwyn into the story? Why have her around in the bonus chapter?

I can poke holes in this, but it also works. Elain still makes her choice, troves can still be found, Az would hit another low to build up around. I'm not 100% sold on this, but it is a possibility.

What do you think?

What SJM said about ACOWAR and ACOFAS:

SJM said years ago that the upcoming couples for the spinoff books (ACOSF and ACOTAR 5) were foreshadowed in ACOWAR and ACOFAS, which clearly show and foreshadow Nessian and Elriel.

Legends that SJM is telling in the ACOTAR Series:

SJM said in 2015 that she is retelling Firebird Legend where a guy (Lucien) saves Vasilisa from Koschei and has three winged males (Rhysand, Cassian and Azriel) end up with three sisters (Feyre, Nesta and Elain).

Gwyn being in Azriel’s bonus chapter:

The reason why Gwyn was in Azriel’s bonus chapter was to hint at Gwyn being a Lightsinger (which is not a good thing). Lightsingers are described to be evil beings who lure you in. Azriel’s shadows danced with Gwyns breath because they were reacting to her power. Nesta reacted to Gwyn’s power in a similar way in ACOSF. SJM also had a pinterest board showing images of a water nymph from a legend that lures people in.

SJM’s Elriel Pinterest board:

SJM had a Pinterest board of images that resemble Elain and Azriel together that show retellings of Blodeuwedd legend (which makes sense for Elain and Azriel to end up together) as well as Sleeping Beauty (which also makes sense that Elain and Azriel end up together).

Some random thoughts:

Azriel and Elain have had insane chemistry since they first met and have feelings for each other that have only grown more and more strong throughout each book. I don’t think SJM would ignore 4 whole books, a novella and a bonus chapter of Elain and Azriel liking each other to pair them with other people. That doesn’t make sense and would be terrible writing.

When Feyre and Mor were in the cabin, Mor painted three winged males on the wall with three females all with similar hair (Feyre, Nesta and Elain).

There is a HUGE sequence of the number 3 throughout the entire series. 3 mountain peaks, 3 winged males, 3 sisters, 3 troves, 3 friends in each friend group etc.

The cauldron was questioned TWICE. Once by Feyre and once by Azriel in his bonus chapter. That was not stated for nothing.

Azriel didn’t care at all when Gwyn was taken into the blood rite with Nesta and Emerie. He simply only cared about finding and questioning Eris. However, when Elain was taken in ACOWAR, Azriel stopped at NOTHING to get her back. Even when Nesta told him that he would die, he didn’t care. He was going to get Elain back to safety no matter what and no one was going to talk him out of it. He was also the only one who noticed Elain was missing.

Elain is SEVERLY uncomfortable around Lucien and Lucien also doesn’t like being around Elain. Feyre even notes how Elain loses her boldness when Lucien is around and how Elain shrinks in on herself. Whereas, with Azriel, Elain is comfortable, happy and bold.

SJM also said it was obvious with who’s book is next. The only one that is obvious and the only one that makes sense is Elain and Azriel. Acomaf, Acowar, Acofas and Acosf are FULL of Elain and Azriel having feelings for each other and having romantic moments.

(If anyone wants to add anything in the comments please feel free too)

#elriel #pro elriel #elriel supremacy #elriel endgame #elain x azriel #acotar #acomaf #acowar #acofas #acosf

[nikethestatue]

Honestly where is the author who wrote Feyre and Rhysand's romance? ACOMAF continues to be her best written book because she simply kept losing focus after that. I just need her to go back to her ACOTAR/ACOMAF era for elain's book.

I think SJM needs to like... calm down seriously. Just relax. Chill and please focus on one (1) thing. While her writing has always been flawed the trilogy was fairly loved (imho the first two books were the best era of this series) and I think that's because she had an actual plan and she was focused on Feyre, it was feyre's story and her powers, emotional journey and her romance woven into a decent plot. The moment she deviated from that the series into a total fucking mess all because she can't focus.

She teased the Illyrian plotline in ACOFAS with Cassian being very involved in it only for it to mean nothing in SF and Cassian to be nesta's boy toy. She got too excited with Nesta and then gave her the least convincing arcs of any character. Acowar Nesta didn't want to fight but acosf nesta suddenly can't imagine a life without a sword... the plot in acosf is all over the place (does it even have an actual plot?) because she used it as a filler book to set up her future books. Just no focus at all. She wants to do everything all at once and ends up doing nothing. It's pathetic actually.

Sometimes I wonder if it would've been better if she'd ended ACOTAR with the trilogy and then given each character a novella or a book separately from acotar because it's such a mess. She calls ACOSF a spin-off, a standalone and also a sequel like... I'm sorry but it can't be both a standalone and a sequel. That's just not how it works!

And a crossover! 😀😀 you forgot one! A standalone, a sequel, a spinoff, a continuation and a crossover.

It’s hard for me to say where things went wrong. Because it seems like she did have plans for the sisters, when she sold the books to BB. But was it CCs fault? It’s hard to say. She does seem to be all over the damn place. Lurching from one idea to the next. Dropping ideas, picking up others, wasting time on things that go nowhere.

Because I didn’t bother finishing HOFAS, I dont know—did anything even happen with the thunderbirds? Like that whole thing , the whole plot line—did it go anywhere?? I dunno.

Do we care? I don’t know if anyone does, and does she? Doubtful.

I think that’s ultimately the issue, it feels like she doesn’t care. She is obsessing over nesta and Az and that’s all that matters to her. The rest is ‘boring’ and she just doesn’t bother.

[stargirlfeyre]

you bitches are dumb as hell😭the spinoffs dont follow a new plotline. the overarching plot of vassa, koschei was introduced in the first 3 books and its still ongoing so the main series isnt done lmao. you're forgetting that sarah planned to have nesta and elain stay as the stereotypical mean sisters but then changed her mind and wanted to explore their characters. not just bc of their connection to feyre pookie boo. it really makes me giggle how even in feyre's books sarah made rhys the mc cause lets be honest, feyre's just a boring mary sue. she could have gotten 7 books to herself like aelin if sarah really cared about her lmao

My page seem to have been the freaks meet up spot today because why did I wake up to people flocking? Anyways this is the last time I’m responding to you so soak up my attention while it lasts.

The spin-offs do not follow the same plot as the original series. The plot of the original series had a whole different villain and it was focused on uniting the courts and saving humans from slavery. The plot of the spin-offs was introduced in the main series but the main series and the spin-offs do not share a plot? Koschei was talked about in the second book I believe as one of the death gods. He was not an important character until Acosf came out. The plot of the spin-offs is koschei and breaking his curse. The plot of the main series is saving humans from slavery and defeating a tyrant king. You can’t say bitches are dumb and then in the next sentence prove that you yourself should be grouped in with said dumb bitches.

Sjm chose to explore Nesta and Elain’s characters yes but do you think they would be getting whole books if not for their relation to Feyre? There are a lot of characters in Acotar who have their characters “explored” and given depth but you know why they don’t get books? Because they are not blood related to the main character. I mean how do you truly believe that Nesta and Elain being Feyre’s sisters has nothing to do with them getting books when their books are literally being advertised as “read about Feyre’s sisters”😭. When it’s time to prove that Elain’s book is next y’all love saying “she’s an Archeron sister and she’s the HighLady’s sister” but now y’all are backtracking?

And I’ve said this before but the only people who actually think Rhys was made the main character of Acotar are people who hyper-fixate on him and don’t want to admit it. Was Rhys made the mc or did you just obsess over him? And it really makes me giggle how you say Feyre isn’t relevant when she is not only the sole reason for Nesta and Elain getting books but she’s also the sole reason why Nesta got off her ass and healed. Without Feyre Nesta would still be rotting in that apartment and without her pregnancy she would have never been able to redeem herself. You can say she isn’t the main character all you want but Nesta only acts because of Feyre and you better prepare now because Elain’s book is most likely not gonna be any different.

And going by your logic Nesta and Elain would have gotten more than one book if sjm had cared about them then right? So you admit she doesn’t and she only writes about them because of their connection to Feyre? If Sjm doesn’t care about Feyre because she only got three books then what does that say about her feelings about Nesta and Elain since they only got one?

#feyre archeron #pro feyre

[acourtofthought]

Each side of the fandom uses the "I thought it was obvious" line SJM said in one of her IG Lives but when it comes to her interviews as of late, is anything truly obvious?

February 2021 IG Live - "I haven't even started writing this book but it's coming soon and I'm very excited".

- (in regards to the next ACOTAR book

September 2022 Interview - "I haven't even started the thing yet"

-(in regards to the next ACOTAR book)

Then there was this:

February 2021 IG Live - "Once you get to the end of ACOSF, I think you'll know who the next book is about and Azriel's journey is one I'm very excited to write about.

"There will be a Pegasus" in the next book (works for either a Gwynriel pov or Elucien pov though right now, Lucien has the actual connection to the Pegasus as Helions son)

However we also have:

February 21, 2021 Live Talks with Eva Chen -

"Will the third sister be getting a book?"

"Yes, yes to all".

"As soon as Nesta and Elain came back onto the page in ACOMAF, I knew they'd have journeys beyond. They were only in the middle of their own journeys."

"Because I knew this is where I wanted to go, it allowed me to plant things for Nesta's journey and even Elain's journey early on.

And taking it back.....

After ACOFAS was released:

"I do know that Cassian and Nesta's book is next. And I know what I want to write for the second spinoff novel, but I'm keeping the door open after that.

"Some of these books might be sequels but I've got an idea for. prequel that takes place long before the events of ACOTAR"

On an Australian ACOSF Tour - "Not much changed with the initial, the overarching bigger plot."

"So I wouldn't say that things changed as much as expanded"

"I pitched my next several books to her and most of it remains the same"

Here's what she said in an interview where she discussed that drunken lunch:

"some of them will take place after ACOWAR, some might take place before. I know what the first two will be about and I say three novels but there's so many stories I want to tell in this world."

"In ACOWAR, I deliberately left a lot of threads open on that book. I wanted some stories to still be open. But I also want to set some of these things up."

Her interviews are literally all over the place.

She originally knew who the first two books were going to be about, had said she knew she wanted to write books for the sisters, had even done research for Elain's book, and the Elucien storylines were definitely left open (their mating bond, Helion being his father, Vassa's curse, their powers, etc). I find it difficult to believe she wasn't referring to Nesta and Elain for the first two at that time especially if she was unsure of the third, that she was keeping it open and thought it might it be a prequel. That means she wasn't positive Az would get his own pov.

Then she was ready to get started on the second book but over a year and a half later hadn't even started the thing yet. Now the interviews show it's "obviously" Azriel's book though she said her original plans for the spin off series remained pretty close to what she pitched to her editor, that the only real difference is the world expanded.

She could have switched the order but that doesn't line up with what she said about things remaining pretty close to her original pitch. What if the third spin off is still a prequel which is what she originally spoke of?

The world expanding could be her referencing the new books they announced her being contracted for and that may tie into the crossover storylines (involving Az). The crossover could simply be her setting up for the newly contracted books, which she'll write once she finishes the original spin-offs (an Elain book and a prequel).

At one point she also said the novella was a bridge to the next books in the series and while it definitely set up Nessian's storyline it also strongly hinted at Elain and Lucien's (while giving E/riels conviction that they were ending up together while Elucien's noticed the similarities between both Elain and Nesta turning away from Lucien and Cassian after it seemed they had made progress by the end of ACOWAR). But the novella reminded us that Vassa's curse was still not yet broken, no one outside of Feysand knows about Helion being Lucien's father, and the Spring Court is needed as an ally however Tamlin’s depression is worsening.

Once CC2 was released, she said this of the crossover:

Really, SJM could be playing us all and laughing herself to sleep at night.

Someone is going to be right, it's basically a coin flip at this point but literally every single person in this fandom has interview evidence to support their stance on who is next and which pairing is next.

From everything she's said in interviews, the thing that probably matters the most is how Bloomsbury wants her to keep the next ACOTAR book a secret. Is she really going to strongly hint at it in an interview? Doesn't that push the boundaries a bit too much from what her publishing company wants?

Therefore "obvious" is most likely her feeding one side crumbs to use as "proof" while turning around and doing the same for the other side.

And yes (because this is a big argument in favor of Az), Chaol, Nesta and Cassian had bonus chapters followed by a book but none of them had a confirmed mating bond. Elucien may not follow the same pattern for the simple fact that they have a very different setup from anything she's previously written.

Also, no other character has ever been as heavily featured in multiple bonus chapters as Elain. Not only was she a main focus of Lucien's pov in ACOWAR, but her character was talked about in both the Feyre and Az bonus chapters. It's a way for SJM to relay information about her while still keeping what she thinks a mystery.

SJM once wrote a bonus scene for Rowaelin that she waited to distribute as she felt it was too spoilery. Is it not possible for her to do the same for Elain or Lucien? That Elain's thoughts would be too revealing at this point?

And that doesn't even prove anything, I'm simply presenting the various arguments and counter-arguments

I see everything the fandom is saying and it's all valid but if SJM managed to keep the crossover a secret, why do we think the reveal of the next ACOTAR book is something she'd carelessly announce in her interviews as being a sure thing?

#acotar 5 #sarah j mass #crossover acotar #pro elucien #elucien book

[gwyns]

“i don't think it'll be announced as a "gwynriel" or "elucien" book or whatever. it'll be announced like acosf was, as the mc's book.”

I didn’t mean Sarah would announce it like that! I should’ve clarified more, I’m sorry! I think when she does release the book title it should give us a good gauge as to who the mc of the book is. I think the novella will be Mor’s and the full length books will definitely be Azriel’s and Elain’s. The ship wars definitely won’t end, they might get more hostile, but I want to hope maybe things will improve and become more positive. I would like the next book to be Azriel’s, and after Silver Flames and HOFAS, I think it’s more than likely his, but who knows. It could very well be the novella (I would actually laugh in amusement & I think I saw somewhere that said Sarah talking about how she wouldn’t mind the releasing a novella after SF I could be wrong tho but I thought I saw it) or Elain’s book.

oh no need to apologize! i wasn't talking about you specifically, more so the fandom as a whole because some seem to think she'll announce the couple with the book and i'm sorry but that's not going to happen lol. it wasn't directed towards you at all <3

but i agree! i do think the title will help us figure it out, honestly i'm scared for the announcement, i just know it'll be chaos no matter what and it makes me anxious just thinking about it 😭

agreed again! i've thought az was next since a couple of weeks after acosf and hofas only reinforced this for me. like yeah elain does have some setup but i find it odd she was hardly present in acosf and not there at all in hofas if she's next. i find sjm shining a spotlight on az and his struggles similar to what she did with nesta in acofas. we know elain isn't well either but she's hiding it for now whereas az is letting it directly affect him. he's getting worse and acting out

of course, i could be totally wrong and elain is next but... idk it just doesn't make sense to me narratively. like why would koschei be killed halfway through the spinoffs when he's seemingly meant to be the big baddie? it makes much more sense to me if gwynriel dealt with the illyrians, ramiel and maybe the remaining queens first. throw in an autumn court subplot and boom, bam! we got a way to setup the elucien book

nobody better get upset at me putting gwynriel in the autumn court or i will go full bitch mode, gwyn has autumn court heritage too, it's not me taking from elucien so shush

honestly her releasing a novella would be the biggest troll ever and i'd laugh so hard. many are frustrated and i get it but acotar is my favorite series so i don't mind waiting since i don't want it to end just yet 😢

#acotar #asks #anonymous

[mermaidsirennikita]

do you have any recs for books simmilar to acotar? but better lol

Hmmm I've honestly had a very hard time finding fairy books that don't suck (probably in part due to everyone wanting to chase ACOTAR's success) but in general I'd recommend:

The most "if you want an ACOTAR vibe but good" series, for me, is Kerri Maniscalco's Kingdom of the Wicked/Princes of Envy series. It is easily one of my favorite book things I've discovered this year. Similarly to ACOTAR, it begin with YA marketing, but I can assure you... the first book is pretty chaste (one kiss, though it is quite dark and violet and mature otherwise--our heroine is not underage) but everything after that is MOST DEFINITELY NOT. Like, it's really hot.

But yeah, Kingdom of the Wicked is the original trilogy, not standalones, must be read in order. Princes of Envy is the spinoff series (marketed as adult from the jump and thank God because again, nothing after book 1 should have been marketed as YA and the tone imo was never YA regardless of content) and these books are theoretically standalnes, though only one has come out thus far.

The basic premise of the original trilogy is that the heroine is a witch whose twin sister is discovered murdered, and her journey to find out who did it/take revenge leads her into this dance with the Seven Princes of Hell, in particular WRATH. I often refer to these as "what if ACOTAR was good", because you still have some fated mates vibes, this generally super magical spin, strong heroines, biiig romance. Amazing.

A Gathering of Dragons (2 standalone books so far, ongoing) by Milla Vane. This is fantasy romance with a big emphasis on BOTH of those things. There's a map in the book, which is always a good sign for fantasy lmao. A lot of the big fantasy plot is focused on like, dynastic struggles, and then you have rituals, magic, a barbarian hero attempting to recapture his throne, blood used as an Implement, virginity loss rituals by the light of the moon... It's real good.

The Weathermages of Mystral by C.L. Wilson (two books, ongoing but it's been a whiiiile since the last one, sorta standalone but should be read in order). Another series kinda focused on dynastic struggles--the powers are heavily weather-based (hence the name) and it begins with the arranged marriage between a conquering king with winter powers and a princess of the neighboring kingdom with like, summer-type powers. There are definitely fated mates vibes in both books--I reeeeally love this scene early in book one where the hero has the heroine up against a wall because he thinks she's ambushing him and he like, smells her with his enhanced sense of smell (he's descended from wolves) and THINGS GET WEIRD. And his buddy comes in like "HEY. YOU'RE BEING WEIRD BRO." Delightful.

Aspects and Anchors by Ruby Dixon (4 books so far with two novellas set in the same 'verse, standalones, ongoing I thiiiink?). So the basic idea of this series is that there are gods, and these gods get ritualistically punished by their father god every few centuries or something. So they're split into four "aspects"--arrogance, dishonesty, apathy, and hedonism, which represent their sins? And the aspects have to battle each other/hunt each other down until one survives and essentially becomes the convergence of all four. In order to stay in OUR plane, they must have an anchor, which is basically a bound human servant. GUESS WHO ARE HEROINES GET TO BE???

What adds a twist is that the heroines come from OUR world. Which adds a lot of humor to the whole thing, as per Ruby Dixon's style.

Consort of Fire by Kit Rocha (one book so far, another due out in August, not standalones). This kicks off with a heroine who's agreed to marry a dragon shifter god, knowing that all of his previous consorts have died horribly. What he doesn't know is that she's agreed to kill him. Also, her handmaiden accompanying her is actually a handmaiden/assassin. Also also, that handmaiden/assassin is her lover. It ultimately ends up being FFM, and it's this very hot, very complex love story with a lot of conflicting loyalties.

#romance novel blogging #book recs #romance novels

[txxfiles]

an introduction and some books

hi hotties! 

the idea for this blog came from the twisted fantasy of my three closest friends and i as a way of producing something collaborative and creative without submitting ourselves to the mortifying ordeal of being known. we all get a fun little code name (i'm ruminating on magnolia, which i like but also think is a bit wanky in a way that i can't reconcile myself with spiritually just yet) and a week of the month to post whatever we want. the idea was essentially to create a platform where we get to talk uninterrupted shit about anything we want to because it’s our fucking blog, goddamit, and you’re not going to come onto our blog and tell us how to post. 

and so, to kick things off, i am going to be talking about my favourite books of 2023 because i am cultured and sophisticated and definitely didn’t spend the first half of the year drowning in fae romantasy smut in an attempt to feel something. if you don’t like any of these books don’t tell me because i simply don’t care!! xoxo 

non-fiction favourite - the anthropocene reviewed, john green 

i spent 2023 working very hard to reprogramme my misanthropic brain, and this book was a huge part of what allowed me to do that. i’m still by no means cured of my hater tendencies, but this book was a beautifully tender examination of that little spark of humanity that connects us all, and the numerous ways in which it has manifested throughout human history and across the borders of nationality, age, and gender. green somehow manages to weave in his own life experiences in a way that avoids being preachy or self-aggrandising in a way that i think a lot of non-fiction writers really struggle with - i’d also highly recommend consuming this in audiobook form as his narration really made the experience for me. 

fantasy favourite - a court of silver flames, sarah j maas

if you read this and immediately want to start lecturing me on how booktok is ruining the fantasy genre please know that im manifesting your downfall as we speak. i have my own issues with the flattening of the fantasy genre that takes place on tiktok, but the acotar series is a sugary, pulpy delight and this spinoff novel is where, in my humble opinion, it really hits its peak. as you can probably tell just by reading this, i am what is affectionately known as ‘a prickly unfriendly bitch’ in my day-to-day life, and i love seeing characters who represent me in a way that doesn’t glamourise being an unkind person - and nesta in this book is someone whose tendency to push people away isn’t justified or apologised for, and whose growth i found legitimately inspiring. also i’m still waiting for sarah j maas to stop teasing a dp scene and actually write it, the coward. 

sci-fi favourite - the arc of a scythe trilogy, neal schusterman

this trilogy rocked me to my fucking core, bitch. this was another audiobook read from early 2023 and it’s one of the better pieces of speculative fiction i’ve ever encountered. schusterman pulls off some really complicated and in-depth worldbuilding in a way that doesn’t feel like i’m reading an instruction manual - something that’s genuinely hard to do in this genre - and the series only gets better as it goes. as someone who is profoundly afraid of artificial intelligence this offered a perspective on ai that i’ve not really seen in media before now - and i will also be thinking about my pookie scythe lucifer for ever and ever amen. 

lit fic favourite - all the names they used for god, anjali sachdeva 

i’m actually not going to talk about this one too much because it’s quite a difficult book to explain without giving away too much - not in a spoiler sense, but in a 'this is an experience that you need to go into with an open mind' sense. this is a collection of short stories that play with genre, setting, and character to tell a series of profound stories about the human struggle with fate and the pursuit of meaning. sachdeva manages to build such engrossing and vibrant worlds in the limited space she allows herself for each story - and she avoided the pitfall i find that a lot of short story anthologies fall into where you can very clearly tell that the writer had one story they desperately wanted to publish and wrote the rest as a way of filling up space for a full book.

well, those are some of my 2023 faves. i have a million honourable mentions but i’m not going to put them here because i’ve already written way too much. i’m not sure who’s taking over the reins for week 2 of this little blog experiment but be sure to give them a kiss on the forehead from me! 

yours, 

magnolia

#magnolia

[colorlesschristmastree]

'They just aren’t priorities for her… private thoughts and notes that she was forced to publish to accommodate desperate fans.'

it was sarah's idea to write the spinoffs. she was the one who wanted to expand the world. she never felt forced to publish them. i know it's hard to accept that feysand arent the main characters anymore but do you people have to be so obnoxious about it?? sarah has also talked about writing spinoffs for other characters after bryce's story. was she fOrCeD to do that too??

1) Suck my dick

2) Yk she was actually drunk when she pitched these books right, babe?

Acosf was a shit book and a mistake that she barely seemed to care about. I mean she couldn’t even bother to write a cohesive plot for that book before sending it out to be published. When are you going to accept that Feysand are the central characters of the acotar universe, they are the ones who were standing in the center, stepping ahead of all the other characters in cc2. They are a priority and always will be a priority and thinking your faves are ever going to come before them in SJMs mind when writing the acotar series just shows your stupidity and willful ignorance.

These are SPIN-OFFS. These other characters aren’t getting their own trilogies or series’s, they are getting one measly book each, while the MAIN CHARACTERS got a trilogy and a novella because again, they’re the main characters.

Now sweetpea, I know it’s hard to accept that Feysand is and will always continue to be important in this series, but must you be so obnoxious about it? Dick riding everyone’s anons like some pressed loser isn’t doing much to bolster your intelligence. Accept the books for what they are and move on. I will continue to love Feysand and be excited for their future roles in the upcoming books exploring their family members, all of which are financially dependent on them and living in their court.

If you have widdo opinions, make your own blog and write them down like a grown up instead of throwing your widddo tantrums in my anons. Like seriously… sweetheart, grow up! I never have to see rancid pro tamlin and nesta opinions and blogs because unlike you, I’m mature enough to block and move on when I find someone’s opinions to be “obnoxious”.

Anyways, here is a drawing of God, save it and praise it every night and maybe your sins will be forgiven.

Everyone else, point and laugh 🫵🏻😂🤭

#pro feyre #my posts #feyre archeron #feyre #feysand #rhysand #pro feysand #anti nesta #anti tamlin #anti tamlin stans

[solongllondon]

Hey Anna✨💛

10, 12 and 19 for the book asks!

saraaa!! <3 thank youuu

10. do you have a guilty fav? i don't fully believe in the concept of guilty pleasures but there's certainly books I love that aren't like...all that great? all for the game comes to mind oops. like are they masterpieces? no. am i absolutely obsessed with them? yes.

12. did you enjoy any compulsory high school readings? i did, actually yes! I hated most of them ngl but I really did enjoy reading the perfume: the story of a murderer by Patrick Süskind, if only bc it's so fucking weird lmao. I also really did like reading Faust by Goethe bc my dad performed it on stage so reading it was kinda cool. also I like Goethe (except for the sorrows of young werther, that book can go choke) however, the worst book i had to read for school definitely goes to either Homo Faber by Max Frisch bc of the terrible misogyny and the incest and general grossness of the book or maybe Bahnwärter Thiel which is just the most boring nothing-ever-happens-st book, EVER.

19. most disliked popular books: i mean there's the obvious answers like 50 shades or colleen hoover i guess but i also do not care for the acotar series, at ALL. and despite my shadowhunters obsession i also dislike all of the mortal instrument books and their spinoffs, though that has more to do with my hate for cassandra clare lmao

✨ send me book asks ✨

#sara #thank you!!! #answered #ask games

[theladyofdeath]

this is random but i LOVE the arrival and the return and i was wondering if anything inspired that little series? and if there'll be any more of it lol i just adore the kiddos

OMG it makes me so happy that you love that series 😭 that’s been one of my favorites to write and I know it’s one of Shelb’s favorite, too. We worked a long time on getting those kiddos and their personalities set (me and Shelby’s 2nd gen modern acotar au for those of you that don’t know!).

I don’t remember anything inspiring it. I think we were just really in love with the idea of those six having super cute kids and thought it was cute af. Lol.

@snelbz and I have talked about doing another spinoff of it. Maybe someday soon!

#the arrival #the return #acotar

[ncssian]

Hello! Thank you for all the amazing pieces you have gifted the acotar fandom! Your series "A Favour" is one that I always keep coming back to and the mini spinoffs are also so fun to read!

omg i just saw that i never answered this but thank youuu so much for reading 💜💜💜

#ncssian asks

[stargirlfeyre]

Saying that the acotar series is about feyre and feyre only is crazy. Why isn't she getting more books then? Why didn't we read about her pregnancy from her pov? If this WHOLE series is just about her then surely something major like a pregnancy would be read from her pov? Why can you people not accept that feyre's story is done? we have acosf, acotar5, acotar6 and 2 novellas in the acotarverse in which feyre is not and will not be the protagonist. the series isn't just about her so y'all need to stop acting mad when people say that cause it's simply a fact. Sarah wants to write about other characters for a reason. It's like that tv show, vampire diaries. (Idc if you watched it, it's just an example.). The show revolved around 3 characters - Elena, stefan and damon. The producers then got to do two spinoffs about different characters. Is the full franchise still about elena, stefan and damon? No and it's the same situation here. Everyone knows that acotar, acomaf, acowar and acofas are from feyre's story but the series as a whole is not.

I think you’re a little confused on what people mean by “series”. The acotar series is books 1-3 + acofas. That’s the main series. Acosf and acotar5 are spin-offs that don’t need to be read. A lot of people don’t consider them part of the Marin series because really they aren’t? They’re spin-offs that can be read as stand-alones. And even in the spin-offs Feyre still plays a major role (which y’all were just complaining about).

Feyre (maybe) not getting more books doesn’t change that the series is still about her? She had three whole books centered around her and her growth but you still think it isn’t about her? Her story being “done” doesn’t change that the series is STILL about her😭. If the series isn’t about her then why was a major moment for her like getting pregnant one of the main focuses in someone else’s book? Even when it’s not about her the choices these characters make are either because of her or she’s the one motivating them to do it.

You can’t say the series isn’t just about her when sjm literally said Feysand are the center of everything and Feyre got three books to herself. Y’all need to stop acting so bitter over something that’s a simple fact. It’s no one’s fault that you’re favs are just her background characters even in their own books.

And using TVD as an excuse is invalid because Elena was never the main focus of the whole show. Other characters were just as important or more important than her. Yes it followed her life but as time went on the show stopped being about her. That and she’s not present for the other spin offs and don’t have a major role. Feyre isn’t the same. Feyre has always been the most important character in the acotar series and in the spin offs it’s her that’s pushing the “main character” into actions. The tvd spin-offs are based on the whole show, not Elena. She doesn’t play a part in any of them.

And honestly judging by the way Acosf was written do you seriously believe that sjm wants to write about other characters? Look at the effort she puts into feysand compared to other ships. She does not give a fuck😭

[acourtofthought]

Taking into account that we have two more books (acotar 5 and acotar6). What plot do you think each will be focused on? couple + romance + background plot

I'm sorry it took me over a day to respond, yesterday was CRAZY for me. I can't remember the last time I moved nonstop all day long.

I know what I'm about to write doesn't line up with other Eluciens and Gwynriels or even what SJM herself said recently about CC3 being the next release but in my mind, and considering the crossover having now been introduced, this is where I see the next two books going:

I know most think Gwynriel is next but for some reason I still struggle seeing it.

There's a back of the book interview being shared which tells us where SJM was at with this series a few years ago:

At one point SJM had no clue who the third book would be about. She knew the first was Nessian's, she knew who the second was about, but not the final one. In ACOMAF, Elucien became Mates then we were left with a will they / won't they in ACOWAR. ACOFAS set up for the upcoming spinoffs and in it we have many hints as to Elain's developing powers (her stealth like behavior) and Feyre encouraging Elain to get to know Lucien though she claims she has no interest in a Mate or a Male. Mor also talks about Elain and Lucien needing time to figure themselves out before they'll be ready to deal with the bond. In the back of the book interview we see that SJM did a bunch of research for Elain’s book. If she knew Nessian was first, and always knew an Az book was second, why would she claim she had no idea who the third would be about while doing research for Elains book? In my opinion, Az had not had the same build up and as many unresolved storylines as Lucien and Elain so again, it seems like she wasn't always 100% certain Az would be getting his own story until closer to when she wrote SF.

I also think it makes more sense for an Elucien story to come after Nessian because theirs will probably involve less of the IC than we're used to seeing. If you think of TOD, it took us to new parts of the TOG world and only had mentions of Aelin and the gang. Chaol and Nesryns journey's were still important because the relationships they made were vital to the war in the final book which is when we returned to the others. Elucien feels similar to me. That the ties Lucien has to other Courts and the relationships they build on their travels will be necessary to the war in the final book. And an Az book being the last book will bring it back full circle, back to the IC. Gwynriel will be the main characters of that one but it can't be denied that you can't have a final battle without Feyre and Rhys being heavily involved (and Nessian). Gwyn and Az will have the closest relationship to these characters. And a final battle would make sense from a warriors POV rather than Eluciens.

As far as plot, I think Eluciens book will be next. Not only from what I've stated above but also the fact that the Feysand Bonus Chapter says "let's help one sister before we help the next" and Nesta places Elain's rose carving on her father's headstone "as the marker of beauty and good he tried to bring into this world". Tell me the fact that this being on the last page of SF doesn't seem like foreshadowing that her book is coming up?

Quick takes for plot as I've written longer posts on this and don't want to bore you with having to reread through it all:

I think Lucien will still be stationed in Spring and Elain will either felt drawn there by the Mothers voice, the drums of Fire Night or Rhys will figure out a reason to send her that way. I think Elain will not only be an owl shifter but have healing powers which will be important in helping her heal the lands of Spring and restore the faith to its people. I'm seeing a Great Rite scene with Elucien and I also see them traveling to the continent with Jurian to defeat Koschei and free Vassa. I see Lucien discovering that Helion is his father and everything that goes along with that (his relationship with Eris, his mother, Beron). I'm sure Elain will have some minor confrontation with her sisters though I don't imagine anything dramatic because she doesn't seem to hold major grudges with them and she has already apologized to Feyre for the past. And I see both Lucien and Elain overcoming any past feelings for their lost loves.

Then I see Gwynriel being the final book. I think Gwyn will discover she is a Siren of some sort and that will initially upset her because she'd worry that having a power like could be too tempting. For me, canonically sweet Gwyn needs a touch of darkness to really be an equal match for the darkness in Az so maybe she's bothered by the fact that she wants to use her power for revenge and that won't seem priestess like to her. I think Az will show her that it doesn't matter if you have darkness inside of you, that you are still "good" as long as you're making the choice to only use it against those who harm your loved ones. I think his helping Gwyn realize that will also help Az understand the same about himself. I think his journey will involve his past issues with the Illyrians and I think their story will also involve Eris taking over Autumn, Az and Eris's past with Mor, and I think Gwyn will find Narben. And of course, the final battle against the Asteri who will make their way through the portals and land in Prythian.

#pro elucien #elucien #elain archeron #pro gwynriel #gwynriel #azriel acotar #gwyn acotar #acotar lucien #acotar elain #acotar theory #sarah j maas