#acotar theories

[lorcandidlucienwill]

I posted a Rhys is actually fucking weak theory months ago and I’m glad to see everyone is on board with the idea now.

I mean come on, it just makes sense! Why else would he need to split his court to maintain order? He doesn’t even perform Calanmai, Keir does. Plus he’s only half High Fae, not full. It would explain why he needs the “mask,” because if people found out he’s a weakling, they’d kill his ass so fast. It’s also why he surrounded himself with some of the most powerful warriors in the world. I mean we’ve actually seen Tamlin’s power; he annihilated Rhys’s uber powerful dad within seconds of being High Lord. What has Rhys ever done that even proves he’s the strongest? Nothing. It’s literally just Feyre’s word we’re supposed to trust. Considering Rhys can’t even enforce the law in Illyria…it’s giving weakling.

#rhysand #acotar #acotar theories #sjm critical

[exinewine]

I'm convinced that the mating bond makes Elain FERAL. Now hear me out... the only person she treats completely different is Lucien. All the night court members were there when she was turned Fae, including Azriel, so the whole "Lucien was there during her most traumatic moment" doesn't make sense to me. I think Elain is used to being prim and proper and totally in control, and the mating bond, as we've seen with Nesta and Feyre, makes them feel the total opposite of that. It was clear to me that this was the case when Elain was pleading with Graysen ("love of her life") to take her back but still managed to say "his name is Lucien" when Graysen said he was "some Fae male". Like you better put some respect on his name 😄

#idk just my theory #you better put some respeck on his name #feral elain ready to throw hands out of jealousy when someone looks at her man is my personal fantasy lol #lucien is baby #lucien vanserra #lucien #acotar #pro lucien vanserra #elain archeron #elucien #acotar theories

[silverlinedeyes]

In Their Starborn Era

(HOFAS spoilers below)

The starborn age has ended on Midgard…

…and the Archeron Starborn Era is about to begin on Prythian. LFG!!!!

The Archeron Sisters are Starborn

As @offtorivendell has theorized here, @wingedblooms has theorized here, I have theorized here and here, we think each of the Archeron sisters is starborn and has part of Theia’s (or her children’s) light.

Elain has Helena’s.

Nesta has Silene’s.

Feyre has Theia’s (or maybe her son’s if that crack theory is right lol).

Though I wonder about Nesta’s Starborn power, and if she gave some of it back to the Cauldron at the end of ACOSF…and what that might mean for her ability to use Gwydion or TT at all on her own, like Bryce can. So what does that mean?

We get hints that Elain has strong starborn power:

So will Elain at first be the one to wield Gwydion and TT as she (and Az) go on their quests? Potentially to revive Dusk, or other parts of Prythian, as @offtorivendell and @wingedblooms have theorized?

And might she in part use them to help herself? To unMake her bond with Lucien using TT to free them both of it, and to potentially Make a new bond with Az (if a bond doesn’t already exist), either using her powers, or using Gwydion?

Together They Can Activate TT and Gwydion

Only united can Theia’s starborn power activate Gwydion and TT and be used to kill the unkillable. The Asteri in Midgard. Koschei in ACOTAR?

The Sisters’ Bonds

Right now, the bonds between the sisters are somewhat fractured, particularly still between Nesta and Elain.

Those bonds will need to finally heal so that they can come together to use Gwydion and TT to save Prythian.

#hofas spoilers #hofas #cc #cc theories #acotar #acotar theories #Elain #Feyre #Nesta #starborn #starborn fae #Archeron sisters #SJMCU #crossover theories

[futurehunt]

"You're not the person I want to explain myself to." -Eris Vanserra and his hidden motives

The story of Eris Vanserra haunts me. At this point, most of the characters in ACOTAR are an open book in terms of their backgrounds but Eris's is still so shrouded in mystery and I have to know more. Consider this the inspiration for my following lengthy analysis of all the Eris Vanserra scenes we've been given. Additional inspiration being this clip of SJM from a since deleted live stream on Instagram (still available on YouTube) :

Love that SJM says that Eris is her favorite Autumn Court character but more importantly she spills a little detail about Eris having a secret history and a secret motivation behind his character. I think most readers assumed by now that Eris is primed for a redemption arc but this simply could've been reserved to him making amends for leaving Mor injured in the woods. No, this is something more than that- something significant that affected his actions back then and is still influencing them now.

Let's start breaking everything down:

Everything starts with: Eris found and left Mor in the woods at the Autumn Court border after she was tortured dumped there by her father, Keir.

Why did he do this?

“I knew why you did it... So I gave you your freedom, ending the betrothal in no uncertain terms" - Eris in ACOWAR

After Mor slept with Cassian, Eris knew Mor did it because she wanted out of the engagement (for a secret reason- on her end- that we'll touch on in a bit) so he ended the betrothal as she wished.

But why did Eris leave her there, injured with fatal wounds? This is still the biggest point of hostility between him and the IC.

"There were forces at work that you have never considered," Eris said coldly. "And I am not going to waste my breath explaining them to you. Believe what you want about me" - ACOWAR

What are these forces?

We're given an answer to this question during a scene in ACOFAS when Mor is recalling the memory of that day at the Autumn Court border.

“No one touches her,” he said. Eris. “The moment we do, she’s our responsibility.” Cold, unfeeling words. “But—but they nailed a—” “No one touches her.” - ACOFAS

If Eris or his men provided aid to Mor she would've become their responsibility, implying that she would've become a ward of the Autumn Court essentially. This is probably why Keir even dumped her on the border in the first place, because he knew that if the Autumn Court provided her aid they would have to assume responsibility for her. It was created as a lose-lose situation for Mor: get help from Eris and be trapped at the Autumn Court or be refused help and left to suffer and potentially die in the woods.

“I take it you do not wish to live here, Morrigan.” She would rather die here, bleed out here. She would rather die and return—return as something wicked and cruel, and shred them all apart. He must have read it in her eyes. A small smile curved his lips. “I thought so.” -ACOFAS

He knew she'd rather die than live there so he acted according to her wishes, even though it was done cruelly. This scene, which we're given from Mor's perspective, shows that she heard the true reason why Eris refused to provide her aid but because of the trauma of the whole situation she likely never put two and two together.

But the situation is a bit more complex than that. There is more to the reason that Eris left her in the woods to have her freedom.

“Eris nodded to where Mor watched them from beside Feyre and Rhys, her face neutral and aloof. “She knows the truth but has never revealed it." “Why?” “Because she is afraid of it.” - ACOSF; dance scene between Nesta and Eris

Eris knows something about Mor that she's afraid to reveal. What's the only fact we know about Mor that she's been hiding her entire life? That she's queer. It seems somehow Eris was aware of this.

“Eris looked between them, smiling faintly. Secretly. As if he knew something that Azriel didn’t. "I knew why you did it" Again that secret smile that had Mor shrinking." -ACOWAR

Later on in ACOWAR, we find out the big secret Mor is hiding is that she's romantically attracted to females. Alright, so somehow Eris knew Mor was queer back when they were betrothed. It seems that this was part of the reason he left her to her freedom.

Despite the cruel nature he's described to have, Eris keeps the knowledge that Mor is queer to himself. Eris left Mor in the woods because he knew she wanted her freedom and the reason she wanted her freedom was because she is queer. Out of some uncharacteristic kindness, Eris won't share this information with the rest of the IC because he seems to not want to out her because he knows she's afraid of the truth. Refer to the quote between Eris and Nesta above for proof of this.

But what are Eris's own secret motivations in all of this?

“So I gave you your freedom, ending the betrothal in no uncertain terms.”

“And what happened next,” Azriel growled.

A shadow crossed Eris’s face. “There are few things I regret. That is one of them. But … perhaps one day, now that we are allies, I shall tell you why. What it cost me.”

This is such an important line and one that if you don't dissect it properly, you won't understand it's real meaning.

"What it cost me". The cost that Eris is referring to is one that he suffered as a result of leaving Mor unaided in the woods. NOT from breaking the engagement, from leaving her. "The cost" is something that would've been unaffected by breaking the engagement (because Eris has no remorse over that) but affected by abandoning an injured Mor (because this is what Eris labels as one of the few things he regrets). Mor being left in the woods was, in the grand scheme of things, inconsequential for the rest of Prythian. The only people negatively affected by it were Mor and the rest of the IC.

"Perhaps one day... I shall tell you why" when Eris says this, he means: perhaps one day he'll them why he regrets it, NOT why he did it. It's important to read this quote in the context of its surrounding passages because you'll see that he had an opportunity to explain why he left her but he instead tells Mor he's not going to "waste his breath explaining it to her."

So after breaking down those lines we know: Eris regrets abandoning Mor because of something it cost him in relation to the IC now hating him after the events at the border but "the cost" is something he's hesitant to reveal to them.

For the sake of the analysis, let's go over a few things we know Eris does canonically care about and why they are not the cost he's referring to:

His father's throne: It's not secret that Eris wants to usurp his father. Feyre even notes how startled she was to hear Eris discuss killing his father so blatantly. Also, if the marriage to Mor would've aided Eris in taking the throne then Eris would've expressed remorse at ending the engagement but he didn't. He only regretted leaving her injured.

His mother, Lady of Autumn: The text shows us that Eris is concerned over the welfare of this mother when he angles his body to protect her during the High Lord meeting scene. However at the time of Eris's betrothal to Mor, his mother wasn't miserable in her marriage the way she's described now. It wasn't until LoA's affair with Helion was revealed, which happened decades after the Eris and Mor situation, that Beron began abusing his wife. Of course, Eris undoubtedly wants his father dead because of this but we know it's not "the cost" that Eris references since it wasn't a factor at the time.

“Helion shrugged. “On and off for decades. Until Beron found out. They say the lady was all brightness and smiles before that. And after Beron was through with her. You saw what she is.” “What did he do to her?” “The same things he does now.” Helion waved a hand. “Belittle her, leave bruises where no one but him will see them.” - ACOWAR

Lucien: Eris has a soft spot for Lucien but he wasn't born for decades after everything happened so he can't be a factor in why Eris regrets his actions.

His father tortures him: It's revealed at the end of ACOSF that Beron tortures Eris after Cassian realizes Eris is injured after returning back from Autumn. We're not told how long it's been occurring and Eris is extremely reluctant to speak on the matter. However, if this was the big secret Eris has been hiding there'd be a bit more emphasis placed on the reveal. In fact, Cassian pushes him again after that to tell him the true reason he left Mor on the border (keep in mind Cassian doesn't know Mor is queer and Eris is refusing to reveal that information to others) and asks Eris for the real reason he's back the Night Court trying to make amends.

Why is Eris back at the Night Court after everything that happened, pushing so hard to build an alliance?

When pushed for the truth, Eris tells Cassian:

"You're not the person I want to explain myself to" - ACOSF

Cassian assumes Eris means Mor and tells him she won't want to hear his explanations anyway. But is Mor really the person Eris was referencing. I think not, given we've been given these lines:

Eris nodded to where Mor watched them from beside Feyre and Rhys, her face neutral and aloof. “She knows the truth but has never revealed it." -ACOSF

"There were forces at work that you have never considered," Eris said coldly. "And I am not going to waste my breath explaining them to you. Believe what you want about me"- ACOWAR

Eris says that Mor already knows the truth and has explicitly said he doesn't care what she thinks about him. He has nothing to explain to her. And aside from those two facts, which already make it clear enough that Mor is not the person Eris meant, what more would Eris gain from speaking to Mor? Assuaging his guilt? That could be a reasonable explanation if it weren't for Cassian already asking Eris if guilt is what was motivating him, Cassian realizing it's not and pushing for Eris to "give me a damn answer".

"You're not the person I want to explain myself to"

So, who in the IC does Eris want to explain himself to?

Mor? No, for reasons stated above

Cassian? No, they're speaking in that scene and if Cassian were the person then Eris wouldn't have said that

Feyre? Nesta? Elain? Weren't alive so aren't applicable

Lucien? Wasn't alive during the incident and is thus unaffected

Rhysand? We're told in ACOSF (Chapter 7) that Eris already has Rhysand's trust and allyship

Amren? I guess I can't necessarily eliminate Amren as the person Eris wants to explain himself to but let's be real, it's not her.

Azriel? Hmm....The person who arguably hates Eris more than even Mor herself. Who has such a burning passionate rage towards Eris that he attacked him during a High Lord meeting, yet also dropped everything to fly to the Continent to save Eris when he was abducted by Koschei.

Conclusion and remaining questions

Let's put everything together:

Eris is back at the Night Court attempting to smooth things over, make amends, and build an allyship. On the surface, we're told it's all because he wants the throne. But what we now know from SJM (in her interview) and our textual analysis is that Eris paid a big, deeply personal price due to the fall out of leaving Mor injured at the Autumn Court border. This cost was directly tied to the IC's perception of him. Eris lost something or the chance at something when the Night Court began to hate him. So he's back, 500-ish years later, attempting to make amends because of the same problem that plagued him all those centuries ago. We also know there's only one person he's interested in explaining himself to- and that person interestingly seems to be Azriel. Why would Eris want to explain himself to Azriel? Why go to these lengths to make amends with him? Was "the cost" Eris paid 500 years ago tied to Azriel?Is this all tied to Eris's "secret history and secret motivations" that SJM referenced? Crack theory time: What if Eris and Azriel are mates? If they are, it would seem maybe Eris knows about it but Azriel isn't consciously aware? It could explain Azriel's extreme and passionate reactions to Eris. What if when Eris became an enemy of the Night Court he lost his chance at having a connection to his mate. It would also explain why Eris is so tight lipped about his secret motivations. We know that Beron tortures Eris as he is now, imagine what he would do to Eris if he found out he was queer. If Eris is queer it would also explain his empathy to Mor and his reluctance to tell her truth to other people. This could also explain why Azriel is the one person Eris wants to explain himself to, because Azriel is the only person whose opinion he cares about. AND this would also provide an answer to the great "Azriel mate debate". I know Gwynriel is a popular theory but the text has not given us any indication that they are (yes, bonus chapter included) and Azriel had never displayed any mate-like behavior around her. Eris and Azriel also provide interesting foils to one another: flame and shadow- which is a theme that's mentioned in both of SJM's other series. We also know how much SJM loves her enemies to lovers.

"There was an icy rage in Azriel I'd never been able to thaw" -Rhysand in ACOMAF

Azriel is routinely described as icy and frozen, physically and emotionally. What better to thaw ice than fire!

If you read this far- thank you and ily.

Feel free to let me know if you have any critiques to my reasoning!

#acotar #acosf #acowar #acotar theories #eris vanserra #eris apologist #azriel #azris supremacy #azris #azris theories #cassian #morrigan #sarah j maas #sjmaas #sjm #acofas #what was the cost #the cost!! #what is he hiding

[nightcourtseer]

I’m probably being delulu but I have my own personal headcanon that Lucien’s infamous line in ACOTAR previews how he might feel for the cursed firebird.

If only he could give Vassa the moon on a string, so she could remain human.

“A queen by night, and firebird by day, sold by her fellow human queens to a sorcerer-lord who had enchanted her. Damned her into transforming each dawn into a bird of fire and ash.”

“If I offer you the moon on a string, would you kiss me too?” - Lucien in ACOTAR

#vassien #acotar #acotar theories #lucien vanserra #lucien x vassa #vassa acotar

[lesolehabitantdelalune]

Elriel & Chaolrene Parallels

I don’t remember if @merymoonbeam posted these yet on her Elriel x SJM Couples thread, but my amazing friend @/Lda9090 on tiktok posted these parallels between Elriel and Chaolrene, and I couldn’t resist but post here too!

Spoilers for ToD

#elriel #elain archeron #acotar #pro elain #azriel #pro elriel #elain #elain x azriel #tower of dawn #acotar series #acotar theories #sarah j maas #chaolrene #chaol westfall #yrene towers #chaol x yrene #sjm books #elriel parallels

[highladyjane]

While we're waiting for the announcement, what's your guess for the title of the next acotar book?

Lol, you sneaky nonnie! I've seen this Ask all over my dash today yestereve (I fell asleep writing my response to this)😆 Thank you for letting me join in on the fun!

I've actually had a theory about this hiding somewhere in my drafts for a couple of months now, but I've been too lazy to dig into it because 1. Structured writing, and therefore theories, is not my forte 2. I'm a perfectionist but my mind's messy - so it's all a bit messy, 3. so I might sound like a loony... 4. and I'm too insecure about my thoughts at times to even post about what goes through it 😅

But since you Ask'd... Here's a "shorter" version of that draft, at least:

My theory is that Elain's book will have something to do with ✨️Vines✨️.

Like... A Court of ✨️🌿Golden Vines🌿✨️(which I'm leaning the most towards), ACO Twining Vines, ACO Tangled Vines, ACO Blooming Vines, ACO Shadows and Vines... etc. I'm still trying to figure out where to lay my theory 😅🤣

It may sound very Elucien or even Tamlain, but ✨️Vines✨️ are described as "a plant whose stem requires support and which climbs by tendrils or twining or creeps along the ground" which, if you read or search through the books, also hints and applies to the movement of Azriel's shadows in many instances... @wingedblooms absolutely brilliant post that I quite recently came upon, especially supports the 'Twining'... So I think it's the perfect title to confuse people about her endgame 😜

Anyways, to back up my guess/theory...

Elain's scent is of Jasmine (and Honey), which seems to be the bloom of the Night Court 👀, grows as climbing shrubs or ✨️vines✨️. But I'm feeling specifically strongly for the ✨Vines✨ because

Aaaaand because:

1. Ivy is a ✨vine✨ and Sarah has mentioned it in relation to Elain's book in an interview presented at the back of ACOFAS.

2. Nesta's drawer had flames🔥. Elain had...

🌿✨Twining Vines of flowers✨🌿

We often see the beautiful petals (Elain's softness & beauty), but we don't think about the strength, resilience, and foundation of the vines underneath and........ 👇

3. ✨️Vines✨️ symbolise:

Strength & hope & resilience = Elain's quiet strength.

Determination = Elain has shown determination to help in ways she can, but is yet to be given the chance to...

She also has shown a determined disregard and opposition to having a mate...

Connection = Goes well along with my guess on "Golden" or "Twining" Vines which are often used as adjectives in relation to bonds, threads, and even spells.

Also, Elain is an Archeron sister, Cauldron-blessed, and a Seer - connected to basically every plot and possible subplots in the books (The Cauldron ➡️ Ramiel in Illyria ➡️ Made Objects & People ➡️ The Middle & The Prison/Dusk Court ➡️ The Dread Trove ➡️ Koschei ➡️Vassa ➡️The Human Queens etc.🔁); not just for who she is and her Cauldron-given gifts and abilities, but also possibly through her LIs and family. She's the one sister left unexplored and it all leads back to her. She's basically at the beginning (She's the first sister mentioned by Feyre at the beginning of ACOTAR) and in the end (She's the last sister mentioned by Nesta at the end of ACOSF) of everything. So I don't know if that supports her book being next or last...

Life = the meaning of which also applies to her scent of Honey and "Golden" -the colour of (sun)light, honey, her eyes, her hair.

3. ✨️Vines✨️ are also mentioned/connected to the earthen powers described in CC3 that Sathia & Tristan Flynn + Bryce have, which I believe many has already theorised Elain to also have... I quite like those theories (can't remember exactly where I read them as of rn) and would like to believe that it's something the Cauldron has blessed her with since she's associated with gardening and life...

I also read somewhere in a biblical text (which I wasn't too keen to delve into tbh, so don't trust my word for it, but it's Googlable) where ✨️Golden Vine✨️was associated with Life, Rebirth, and Free Will... But if Elain turns out to be the next Messiah/Saviour/Prophet of Prythian, then it's quite perfect 🤷🏻‍♀️

So... that's sort of my take so far 🫣 Hope it makes sense to you, nonnie 😅

What's yours?

#Pro Elain Archeron #acotar theories #ACOGV #A Court of Good Vibes #acotar 6 #acotar5 #pro elriel #sarah j maas #elain archeron #acotar #maasverse theory #hofas spoilers

[greenleaf777]

OK I am absolutely convinced that Elain has seen future moments that shows shes with Azriel.

Thats why she seemed so confused when he broke off their moment before the kiss. Thats why she hasn’t tried to get to know Lucien at all. I think she may have also seen Lucien with someone else too(cough VASSA cough).

#elriel #azriel x elain #azriel acotar #elain archeron #azriel #acotar #acosf #a court of thorns and roses #a court of silver flames #acomaf #acowar #elriel endgame #acotar theory #acotar theories #azriel shadowsinger #lucien vanserra #vassa acotar

[airwrecka64]

My fellow lovely Elriels - do you guys have some great blogs to follow? My Elriel heart needs ALL THE CONTENT!! Whether it be fanart, fanfic or just gool ol theorising :) :)

Thank you in advance!

#elriel #elain archeron #azriel #fanfic #fanart #acotar theories

[lorcandidlucienwill]

I just had a thought inspired by @kateprincessofbluewhales

Did we ever think about why the Night Court sided with Amarantha? Like, yeah we assume they sided with Amarantha because their High Lord did, but why would they do that??? The Night Court hates Rhysand, remember? I mean I bet they knew that this scumbag wasn't really loyal to Amarantha, that he's just "loyal" to whoever is powerful at the time. So what if in fear of Amarantha, what if Rhysand kind of leaving Night alone while he was imprisoned to Amarantha, meant shit actually improved in Night while Rhysand was gone? I'm thinking salutary neglect here. In that case, it would make sense that Night would like shit to remain the way it is, with Amarantha in power.

#anti rhysand #night court #acotar #acotar thoughts #acotar theories #i guess #sjm would never make this reality

[famouscyclenerd]

MOR NOVELLA??

It breaks my heart honestly, because if that's happening we might not see peace yet. I know Bambie sweater was a dumb thing, but she is now promoting ACOTAR not HOFAS. She also recently rebranded sooo....

So she posted this right? With #ACOwhattt that she used for the previous novella in ACOTAR.

With the cold climate. Frozen lake, pine trees etc..I don't know where she is or was, if the picture is older and I believe it probably is.

But my scandinavian eyes couldn't help but notice the sweater she is wearing:

Pretty sure it's this one right here! Ever wanna steal her style, here you go lol! The Setesdal sweater, a norwegian design.

By this point we all know Sarah loves mythology. She combines a lot of them and scatters it around all of her books.

So it made me think of Norse mythology. And where is Mor at the moment? Vallahan! Also a place up north that is wintery and has mountains etc.. And Vallahan is likely coming from Valhalla, a place in Asgard where dead people who died during combat reside.

It might not mean anything. Maybe she was visiting Norway and bought the sweater as a souvenir idk ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I would prefer gwynriel or elucien first though hehe

#just fyi #acotar 5 #acotar theories #gwynriel #elucien #acotar

[the-shadowsingers-whore]

eris is a bad guy, but like maybe not???

okay now hear me out on this one....

i absolutely hated eris for most of the series and then after acosf i was like 🤔🤔🤔

sooo during my re-read i tried to pay closer attention to things he said and see if he actually might not be as bad as we think or if i was just gaslighting myself bc i like his snarky personality in acosf.

and here are just a few excerpts that caught my eye:

"so what's the asking price, eris?" mor demanded. "another little bride for you to torture?" "there were forces at work that you have never considered," eris said coldly. "and i am not going to waste my breath explaining them to you." acowar p. 274

and a little further down the page

"and what of the brother you hunted down alongside me? the one whose love you helped execute before his eyes?" eris laid a hand flat on the table. "you know nothing about what happened that day. nothing." "indulge me." "how do you think he made it to the spring border," he said quietly. "i wasn't there--when they did it. ask him. i refused. it was the first and only time i have denied my father anything. he punished me. and by the time i got free....they were going to kill him, too. i made sure they didn't. amde sure tamlin got word--anonymously--to get the hell over his own border." acowar p. 274

and then ....

"so i gave you your freedom, ending the betrothal in no uncertain terms." "and what happened next," azriel growled. a shadow crossed eris's face. "there are few things i regret. that is one of them. but . . . perhaps one day, now that we are allies, i shall tell you why. what it cost me." acowar p. 276

later on in acosf there is this interaction between cassian and eris

"you left her there to suffer and die," cassian spat. "did i? perhaps you should ask morrigan whether that is true. i think she finally knows the answer." acosf p. 165

now i'm not saying that eris hasn't still done a lot of shitty things or that he isn't a dick most of the time.

but, i just would like to point out that to everyone else rhysand appears the same way. he acts cold and cruel as a way of protecting those most important to him. the only difference is that we get an inside look into rhys' life so we know it's all an act.

all of these little snippets of eris make it seem like he's just pretending to be a heartless asshole. i'm really hoping that in the next acotar book we get more eris content bc i'm sooo curious.

#acotar #acotar theories #eris #eris vanserra #acotar eris #acomaf #acowar #acofas #acosf #sjm #mine #q: playing piano with az

[slowpress]

Elain: “He snapped your wings, he broke your bones.” Cassian: “It will take more than that to kill me.” Elain: “No it will not.”

What if Elain wasn't talking about Cassian and Hybern? What if it was Cassian later on in life? Or do we think that Nesta with her power over death, blocked his death from reaching him? “Will I hear the earthworms writhing through the soil? Or the stretching of roots? Will the bird of fire come to sit in the trees and watch me?” Dusk coming back to life. Or the leylines (roots) activating with Bryce opening the portal. The Midgard worm which appears to eat / be attracted to magic. Bird of fire is Vassa

"I can hear your heart beating through the stone. I can hear hers too" Vesperus and Nesta? I can't remember who she said this to. On rereading Koschei and Vesperus? Or Koschei and Aelin?

"I can hear her crying. Everyone thinks she is dead, but she isn't. She was changed, like I was."

Who is this! Another made person? Another seer? "I can hear the sea. Even at night. Even in my dreams. The crashing sea—and the screams of a bird made of fire.”

The sea, Dusk? The bird of fire Vassa? Why is she screaming?

“They sold her—to … to some darkness, to some … sorcerer-lord …”

The human queens sold Vassa to Koschei.

“I can never see him. What he is. There is an onyx box that he possesses, more vital than anything … save for them. The girls. He keeps other girls—others so like her—but she … By day, she is one form, by night, human again.”

He has his heart (soul?) trapped in an onyx box, and he is looking for the key. Reminds me of what the Bone Carver said, that the blood of a power High Fae trapped Koschei and her blood still runs through the humans. He is trapping humans to see if they will open the box for him. Vassa has "Blue eyes" and "reddish gold hair" - like Meave? Like Theia? I actually think that Stryga was Koschei's wife and stole his heart locking it in a box as punishment for something. Similar to Meabh and Erawan.

“There is … a lake. Deep in—in the continent, I think. Hidden amongst mountains and ancient forests. He keeps them all at the lake.” “Other women like her?” “Yes—and no. Their feathers are white as snow. They glide across the water—while she rages through the skies above it.”

Is this Vassa the Firebird (Mala) and Mab (as a swan)?

This reads to me like a retelling of the Children of Lir.

“I can hear her—crying.” “Everyone thinks she’s dead." “But she’s not. Only—different. Changed. As I was.”

Who is she? Briallyn? Mab? Who people think is dead? Her crown was never recovered? Another made person, mortal to immortal? Miryam?

“She stared into the darkness above. “I think they used it to … to trap their enemies and their enemies’ children into the stone itself.”

The Asteri trapping the fae into stone in the prison? Looking up at the darkness, to the sky, the stars / asteri on different planets. Who are their enemies? Aelin, the fae, and the starborn. "He did. He saw me. He will not now.”

He? As in Hybern? The Cauldron? Koschei?

“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.

The biggest questions for me are the flaming feather on the snow.

#elain seer #seer elain #elains prophesies #acotar theory #acotar theories #sjm universe #maasverse #elain archeron #cassian #azriel #elains visions

[silverlinedeyes]

Pelias, Ruhn, Az, and Clotho(?)

Some theories

This post is a collection of theories @merymoonbeam and I have been kicking around for a while. Much of the credit of these goes to her—I’m just the one writing this post. But as usual with our convos, this snowballed into something much bigger than we initially anticipated 😅🤯

TW: this post discusses the lightsinger theory. If that’s not your thing or it’s triggering to you, don’t read past the break. And these are just theories (and some are crack theories at that)!

And finally, this is a crossover post and contains spoilers from CC and ACOTAR.

Was Pelias really Starborn, or was he a lightsinger?

In HOEAB, we’re told Pelias was the “first Starborn Prince.” That he “possessed what was basically an ocean of starlight at his disposal.”

We are also told that Pelias’ light was different than Theia’s.

In ACOSF, we learn that Fionn was betrayed by his queen (Theia) and his best friend and general (Pelias) who stole Gwydion (the Starsword) from him and killed him. We know from CC that Theia and Fionn (and Theia’s two daughters) then went through the Rift to Midgard, bringing Gwydion with them. It’s unclear what led to this betrayal, and why Theia “betrayed” Fionn and left with Pelias.

In HOSAB, things get interesting though. We learn that Pelias was “no true” prince. He slew Theia, stole “her” sword, forced Helena into marriage, and “corrupted” Theia’s line. He was only a “so-called first Starborn Prince” and an “imposter.”

Could Aidas (or Rigelus as Aidas) be telling us more about Pelias than he was just a traitor who didn’t deserve to be a prince? What if Pelias wasn’t actually Starborn, but something else? Something that could pretend to be Starborn? Something that could emit light but not truly activate or use the Starsword? A lightsinger?

This also would explain why Theia betrayed Fionn and left with Pelias, and also how Pelias was able to get Helena to marry him. If Pelias is a lightsinger, he might have used his lightsinging powers on them to manipulate them into it. And he also used those powers to make people see him as a prince.

Pelias, Ruhn, and the Starsword

In HOEAB, Ruhn tells Bryce, “The sword doesn’t work like that. Aside from being picky about who draws it, the sword has no power without the knife.”

This seems based both on legend and on Ruhn’s experience. By this, I mean that Pelias could no longer use the power of the Starsword after the knife (TT) was taken back to Prythian (by Theia’s second daughter???), and the Starsword also has no power when Ruhn uses it. Light “shimmers” *down* the sword when Ruhn is holding it and “glimmers” with starlight, but he cannot activate its power or use it as more than just a sword.

The use of the word “glimmer” when Ruhn is holding the sword is part of what led us to this theory. In the Azriel bonus chapter, when he first comes to the roof and finds Gwyn there, her sword is “glimmering” in the moonlight.

While this might actually just literally be caused by her sword reflecting in the moonlight, it’s also possible Gwyn is using her powers to make the sword “glimmer” here, just like the Starsword seems to “glimmer” with Ruhn’s starlight that he emits when he uses it.

[Interestingly, the priestesses’ stones also “glimmer” in the fae light at the beginning of the singing service scene. And Ianthe uses “some glimmer” of power to lull the guard to sleep in ACOWAR? Also lightsinger powers?]

Anyways, the thing is, Ruhn is wrong about the Starsword. The Starsword does have power without the knife. In HOSAB, we see Bryce actually use the Starsword for the first time:

Bryce didn’t stop to think as she unsheathed it. Starlight erupted from the black blade. Like its metal had been kindled with iridescent fire. …

The Starsword sang with light, her power flowing into it. Activating it. …

With shaking fingers, she put it back into its sheath. Dimmed its light. But the Starsword still sang, and Bryce had no idea what to make of it.

Bryce is able to activate the Starsword’s powers with her Starborn power and use it to kill things that are supposed to be unkillable.

So if Bryce is able to activate the Starsword’s powers with her Starborn power, why couldn’t Ruhn and Pelias? I guess it’s possible Ruhn can’t because he only has a small kernel of the (supposed) Starborn power, but that doesn’t explain Pelias. If Pelias was really a Starborn Prince, shouldn’t he have been able to use the Starsword without the knife?

Or…can they not activate the Starsword because they are not actually Starborn? And instead, they’re light comes from a different source—lightsinging?

Ruhn, Azriel, and Clotho (Gwyn?)

If Ruhn is a lightsinger, again, it seems like he only has a small amount of the power. Ruhn himself describes it as a “kernel.” It’s interesting, though. Unlike Bryce, who doesn’t seem to have to work hard at all to access her Starborn powers or use them, it causes Ruhn a significant amount of effort:

It ordinarily took Ruhn a good amount of concentration to summon his starlight, and it usually left him with a headache for hours afterward, but … He was intrigued enough to try.

Setting his index finger onto the crystal of the prism, Ruhn closed his eyes and focused upon his breathing. Let the clicking metal of the orrery guide him down, down, down into the black pit within himself, past the churning well of his shadows, to the little hollow beneath them. There, curled upon itself like some hibernating creature, lay the single seed of iridescent light.

He gently cupped it with a mental palm, stirring it awake as he carefully brought it upward, as if he were carrying water in his hands. Up through himself, the power shimmering with anticipation, warm and lovely and just about the only part of himself he liked.

Ruhn gets a headache when he tries to access his “Starborn” power, which is hidden deep down inside him past his shadows. It seems almost as if the powers work against each other? It might even be that Ruhn’s “light” power, whatever it is, dampens his Avallen powers, and vice versa? It does seem that Ruhn’s Avallen powers aren’t nearly as powerful as Cormac’s. Could this be why? Because his “light” power suppresses his Avallen/shadow powers?

And where Ruhn’s “light” power is and how it’s described is interesting. It’s this seed of “iridescent light” that’s buried down deep inside him.

The headaches is what @merymoonbeam first noticed—it reminded her of the headaches Az constantly gets. Maybe those headaches are related to Az using his shadowsinging powers?

But then we were talking about it more, and this scene with Ruhn finding his power made us think of the end of the bonus scene:

Something sparked in Azriel's chest, but he only nodded his thanks and left. He could picture it, though, as he ascended the stairs back to  the House proper. How Gwyn's teal eyes might light upon seeing the necklace. For whatever reason... he could see it.  

But Azriel tucked away the thought, consciously erasing the slight smile it brought to his face. Buried the image down deep, where it glowed quietly.

Something sparked in Azriel’s chest. To “spark” means:

To ignite. To start a fire essentially. Could that spark in Azriel’s chest be the ignition of power in his chest?

And then this image of gwyn come to his mind, which he buries “down deep” inside himself where it “glowed quietly,” as @merymoonbeam has written about?

Did Clotho (or maybe Gwyn) plant a seed of lightsinger power inside Az?

Could this seed of lightsinger power dampen or suppress Az’s shadowsinging abilities? And is this why his shadows are missing in HOSAB chapter 78?

Or maybe that lightsinger power isn’t suppressing his shadowsinging abilities, but is instead being used to influence and control Az’s shadows from inside him…..

#lightsinger theory #azriel #azriel shadowsinger #acotar theories #cc theories #pelias and theia #maasverse #maasverse theories #sjmcu #anti gw*nriel

[lesolehabitantdelalune]

Does Elain have telepathic powers?

I’ve seen a lot of Elriel stans (@offtorivendell @merymoonbeam @wingedblooms , and others), theorizing about the possibility of Elain having telepathic powers. And one of the scenes we always connect this theory is this one:

And this one too:

But something that I didn’t noticed, that I highlighted in the first image, was how her eyes were “glazed” after Feyre’s planted the image of the Suriel in her head.

And this reminded me of this passage, that Feyre noticed about Drakon, in Acowar too:

Drakon’s eyes were “glazed” too when he was communicating to someone far away…

#elain archeron #acotar #pro elain #elain #acowar #elain theories #elain supremacy #acotar theories

[lunainfortuna]

I don't believe the Caldron is the `entity`, thing or whatever that chooses the mating bond. Never have. For what I remember, no one is sure who/what is responsible for that: the Mother, Fate, greater forces, etc. No one knows. 🫂

#acotar theories #theory #don't know how to expand this #mating bond #acotar #tog #crescent city