u/BeatrizElucien

I've seen a lot of theories that the next book will be about Nesta or Azriel, especially because of the ending of CC3. But even though we had the crossover and everything is connected now, ACOTAR is still its own series, and Crescent City is another.

In my opinion, even though CC is written in third person and Throne of Glass has multiple POVs, ACOTAR has always had its own identity with the story being told through the main characters' perspectives. Yes, A Court of Frost and Starlight expanded the POVs a little with Mor and others, and A Court of Silver Flames also changed the format, but I honestly don't think Sarah is suddenly going to turn ACOTAR into a story with a huge cast of POVs. I think she'll keep the style she's been using in this series.

With that in mind, there are still so many plot threads from previous books that need to be resolved. That's why I personally believe the next book will be about Elain and Lucien.

Will Lucien find out Helion is his father? Will Helion find out Lucien is his son? If Lucien doesn't get a POV, whose perspective are we supposed to experience that revelation through? It wouldn't make much sense for such an important moment to happen through someone else's eyes.

The Archeron sisters' father made a bargain with Koschei. What exactly was that bargain? If I remember correctly, Lucien was with him when he went to the lake.

Vassa is getting closer to having to return to Koschei. What's happening with the Band of Exiles? Where is that storyline going?

And even if there's the smallest possibility that Elain rejects the mating bond (which a lot of people believe), I personally don't think that's what's going to happen. But regardless of the outcome, Lucien and Elain need page time together. Whether they accept the bond or reject it, readers need to actually see that relationship develop.

There are just too many open doors for these two.

Lucien has been an important character since the very first book. He lost Jesminda, and we know he still carries guilt and grief because of that, but we've never actually been inside his head. He had a meaningful friendship with Feyre that slowly drifted apart, and I think that deserves some kind of resolution too.

Then there's Eris, who is clearly hiding things. There's Helion being Lucien's father, a secret Sarah has kept for several books now. Lucien is connected to almost every major political storyline in Prythian: the Autumn Court, the Spring Court, the Day Court, the Night Court, the human queens, Jurian, Vassa, and Koschei.

Right now, it feels like Lucien and Elain simply have the most unresolved storylines.

It just doesn't make much sense to me that Sarah would spend three books building up something as significant as Lucien's parentage, only to move on to another main character like Azriel, Nesta (whose story has already been told), or even the Valkyries before addressing it.

I know ACOTAR isn't an extremely political series, but I also don't think Sarah would spend this much time setting up all these storylines if they weren't meant to pay off eventually.

I logged onto X and honestly came away traumatized. Seriously. I saw so many posts completely twisting what actually happens in the books that I started wondering if I’d somehow read a different series. So I decided to make this post.

Before anything else: yes, I’m an Elucien. But I also like Azriel as a character, and more than anything, I like discussing the story based on what Sarah actually wrote—not on what I wish had happened.

Let’s start with Jurian.

I actually saw a post saying that Eluciens want Elain to be friends with Jurian even though he made a rape joke toward her.

But… wasn’t it revealed in A Court of Wings and Ruin that Jurian had been lying to Hybern the entire time?

According to the book itself, everything he did was a disguise.

“You’re telling us,” Mor pressed, “that you’ve been working to help us all this time?”

“Where better to plan an enemy’s downfall and learn his weaknesses than at his side?”

This is the moment everyone realizes Jurian had been undercover, pretending to be loyal to Hybern. Right afterward, he admits the truth and asks for forgiveness.

“You don’t want to kill Miryam and Drakon?” I asked Jurian.

There was an intense honesty in Jurian’s eyes as he shook his head once.

“No,” he said hoarsely. “I want to beg for forgiveness.”

In other words, Jurian’s entire storyline is resolved in A Court of Wings and Ruin. That doesn’t erase what he did or suddenly make him a saint. It simply means the author reveals that he was playing a role and that his true intentions were completely different.

Sometimes I think people get so focused on defending their favorite ship that they forget these are fantasy characters written with layers. Rhys spent years pretending to be someone he wasn’t in order to protect Velaris. Sarah has done this with multiple characters.

Now let’s talk about Eris.

Ever since A Court of Wings and Ruin, Sarah has written Eris as someone who’s clearly hiding something. Just like she did with Rhys, she plants little hints that there’s much more to him than either the characters—or the readers—know at that point.

At the end of ACOWAR, we get this passage:

“None of us bothered to wave back. Especially Lucien, who continued pointedly ignoring his eldest brother. But as Eris passed… I could have sworn there was something like sadness—like regret—in the way he looked at Lucien.”

Why describe Eris looking at Lucien with sadness and regret? Details like that aren’t usually written by accident.

Then, in A Court of Silver Flames, Cassian visits the human lands to speak with Lucien and the Band of Exiles. Eris is there as well. As Cassian leaves, we’re told:

“I wanted to question Vassa and Jurian…” Cassian found it strange that Eris hadn’t mentioned his brother. “But they obviously know little about it.”

Even Cassian notices that Eris avoids mentioning Lucien. It’s another small detail that draws attention to their relationship.

And by the end of the book, Cassian says something that, in my opinion, perfectly sums up how Sarah has been writing Eris:

“You know, Eris,” Cassian said, his hand on the door, “I think that deep down, you might actually be a decent male trapped in a terrible situation.”

Right after that, the narration tells us Cassian feels pity for him—a male born into privilege but stripped of everything that truly mattered.

These moments show that Sarah never wrote Eris as a one-dimensional villain. On the contrary, since ACOWAR she’s been leaving clues that there’s a much bigger story behind him. We may not know the whole truth yet, but pretending those clues don’t exist means ignoring the text itself.

Another passage I constantly see being interpreted based on people’s preferences instead of what’s actually written is the one where Nesta calls Elain “wretched.”

“And that was that. Nesta ignored the collective sigh of relief that filled the room and turned toward Lucien, who greeted her with a cautious nod. Elain, the wretch, had taken the seat between Feyre and Varian—the farthest away from Lucien that she could possibly get. Azriel remained by the doorway.”

To me, Nesta’s frustration is clearly directed at the fact that Elain goes out of her way to keep her distance from Lucien. She isn’t angry at Lucien here—in fact, she speaks to him normally. Her irritation seems to be with Elain’s behavior.

At the end of the day, everything I’ve mentioned here is in the books. It’s not fanfiction or a theory. Everyone is free to interpret the story however they want—that’s part of reading. But interpretation shouldn’t erase what’s actually on the page.

We can disagree about what these scenes ultimately mean, but we shouldn’t pretend they don’t exist. Sarah included all of these moments for a reason. Where they’re leading, only she knows. Until then, I’d rather discuss the story based on what’s actually written than ignore the breadcrumbs the author deliberately left behind>!&#x200B;!<

While rereading A Court of Silver Flames, I noticed something that I hadn’t really paid attention to before. On its own, none of these moments prove anything, but when you put them all together, I think they form a really interesting pattern.
To me, it feels like Sarah deliberately keeps Lucien at the center of several major storylines while making sure we never actually experience any of them through his eyes.

The first thing that stood out to me was the Band of Exiles. We know Lucien chose to stay with Jurian and Vassa, not because he had to, but because he genuinely wanted to. Mor even says that he’s living with them “not just as an emissary… as a friend.” Cassian also mentions that Lucien spent months helping organize the politics of the human lands. That immediately made me wonder… why are we constantly told how important this group is, but we never actually get to see their dynamic? Everything we know about them comes from someone else’s perspective.

Then there’s this line that really caught my attention:

“He somehow managed to move between his three roles—emissary of the Night Court, ally of Jurian and Vassa, and representative of Tamlin.”

That one sentence says so much. Lucien isn’t tied to just one storyline anymore. He’s connected to the Night Court, the Spring Court, and the human lands all at once. I honestly can’t think of another character who’s positioned quite like that.
Something else I found interesting is that so many of the unanswered questions seem to lead back to Lucien’s circle. Cassian even stops to wonder:

“Who was Jurian now? What was he?”

That question is never answered. Then, not long after, it’s Lucien who tells Cassian to investigate Koschei, and Vassa is the one who explains who Koschei really is. One of the biggest unresolved threats in the series is directly connected to the group we barely get to see.
The Spring Court is another thing I couldn’t stop noticing. Throughout Silver Flames, characters keep asking Lucien how Tamlin is doing or what’s happening there.

“How is the Spring Court?”
“It’s fine.”
Later Nesthaa asks again.
“About as you’d expect.”
That’s it.

No details. No scenes from the Spring Court. No insight into what Lucien is actually doing there. Sarah keeps reminding us that the Spring Court matters, but she never lets us see it.
At one point, Azriel even says they should send Lucien back permanently to the Spring Court to keep things under control and act as their eyes and ears. We know he goes. We know he’s involved. We know he’s dealing with Tamlin.
But it all happens off-page.
Cassian even notes that Lucien only gives those updates privately to Rhys. That detail really stood out to me because it means the information exists… Sarah just isn’t giving it to us.
And then there’s this passage:

“Lucien looked out the window—as if he could see the lake across a sea and a continent. As if he were looking at his target.”

Maybe it’s nothing, but I always thought that wording was really intentional. Sarah could’ve just said he looked out the window. Instead, she makes it feel like his mind is already somewhere else, focused on Koschei, Vassa, and everything happening beyond the Night Court.
When I started putting all these moments together, it stopped feeling random.
Lucien is connected to the Band of Exiles, the human lands, Koschei, Vassa, Jurian, Tamlin, and the Spring Court. Those are some of the biggest unresolved storylines in the series, yet almost everything involving them happens off-page. We hear about them constantly, but we never actually get to experience them.
I’m not saying this confirms Lucien is getting the next book. Obviously, none of us knows that.
I just think it’s interesting that Sarah keeps placing him at the center of so many important plotlines while deliberately keeping both him and those storylines just out of the reader’s reach. To me, that feels less like she’s sidelining him and more like she’s saving those stories for the moment we’re finally meant to see them.

Genuine question, and I’m not trying to start a ship war. I’m an Elucien, but I’d really like to understand your perspective. What makes you believe Elriel is endgame? Which scenes, quotes, or patterns in Sarah’s writing make you so confident? I’m genuinely curious to hear the reasoning from people who ship them.

Maybe I’m completely wrong, but Sarah has a very noticeable writing pattern, and that’s one of the reasons I believe Elucien is canon based on what’s actually written in the books. Here are some quotes from all three series, along with the possible ACOTAR pairings.

Crescent City

Bryce & Hunt

“When Bryce was near—glowing with joy. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.”

Ruhn & Lidia

“Ruhn found himself faced with the most beautiful female he’d ever seen.”

Throne of Glass

Rowan & Aelin

“The family he might have, the future he might have. The most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. Aelin.”

Dorian & Manon (not mates, but heavily implied to end up together)

“It’d be a shame to lose the most beautiful woman in the world so soon into her immortal, wicked life.”

ACOTAR

Feyre & Rhysand

Feyre:

“Standing before me was the most beautiful man I’d ever seen.”

Rhys:

“You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I thought that from the first moment I saw you on Calanmai.”

Nesta & Cassian

“Before the silvered lake, she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.”

Lucien & Elain

”…He couldn’t breathe as she faced him fully. She was the most beautiful female he had ever seen.”

Now compare that to Azriel’s POV in the ACOSF bonus chapter.

The standout description we get is:

“How that beautiful face might appear as he entered her, what sounds she’d make.”

After four books of buildup between Azriel and Elain, this is the strongest thought we get from him about her. Meanwhile, Sarah repeatedly uses the exact same “the most beautiful thing/person he’d ever seen” phrasing for couples that either become mates or clearly end up together.

I know some people will point out that Bryce described Micah as beautiful or that Aelin commented on Manon’s beauty. That’s true, but neither of those characters were romantically involved or mates. The context is completely different.

The same goes for Vassa. If Lucien were to end up with her, Sarah would have to explain why he first thought Jesminda was the most beautiful female he’d ever seen, and then later thought the exact same thing about Elain. That repetition doesn’t feel accidental, it feels intentional.

Does this mean Elriel is impossible? No. Azriel and Elain absolutely have sweet, tender moments throughout the series, and I’m not denying that. But if we’re looking strictly at Sarah’s writing patterns across all three series, I think the evidence leans much more heavily toward Elucien being endgame.

I could absolutely be wrong. Sarah loves to surprise her readers. But until the next book is released, this is one of the strongest recurring patterns I’ve found in her writing.

Talvez seja porque tenho relido Trono de Vidro, mas ultimamente tenho pensado em como a sensação de escala é diferente entre as duas séries de Sarah.

Quando Trono de Vidro começa, estamos focados principalmente em Celaena, Dorian e Chaol em Adarlan. O mundo parece relativamente pequeno porque o vemos por uma perspectiva limitada. Então, Herdeira do Fogo acontece e, de repente, tudo se expande. Deixamos o território familiar, viajamos para Wendlyn, conhecemos a corte de Maeve, aprendemos sobre culturas e histórias completamente diferentes, e a série começa a parecer muito maior do que nos dois primeiros livros.

Continuo desejando que Acotar fizesse algo semelhante.

Uma das coisas que me surpreende é que Prythian deveria parecer enorme. Há sete Cortes, séculos de história, tensões políticas, antigas alianças, magia ancestral e um continente humano inteiro do outro lado do mar. No entanto, depois de Acotar parece que a história continua voltando ao mesmo lugar, às mesmas pessoas e à mesma dinâmica. E antes que alguém me interprete mal, não estou dizendo que não gosto de Velaris ou do Círculo Interno. Não gosto. Mas passamos tanto tempo lá que às vezes parece que estamos constantemente ouvindo o quão vasto é o mundo, em vez de realmente vivenciá-lo. Há tantas partes deste mundo que parecem fascinantes, mas mal as exploramos. Só a Corte do Outono parece ter material suficiente para um romance inteiro. Ainda temos Beron, a Senhora do Outono, o relacionamento de Lucien com sua família, Helion, as consequências políticas de tudo isso, e isso é apenas uma Corte. Depois, há o continente. Vassa. Jurian. Koschei. As rainhas. O fato de que algumas das maiores ameaças não resolvidas da série nem sequer estão em Velaris. E agora temos a revelação de que a Prisão nem sempre foi a Prisão. Que havia uma Corte inteira lá antes. Quando li isso, meu primeiro pensamento não foi sobre casais ou romance. Finalmente, algo que poderia expandir o mundo. Honestamente, é por isso que acho a história de Lucien tão interessante. Não por causa de com quem ele pode ficar no final, mas porque ele é um dos poucos personagens cuja história se estende naturalmente além da Corte Noturna. Através dele, temos conexões com a Corte da Primavera, a Corte do Outono, a Corte do Dia, as terras humanas, Vassa, Jurian e várias tramas políticas não resolvidas.

Acho que o que me falta é aquela sensação de descoberta que Trono de Vidro tinha.

Aquele momento em que a história para de olhar para dentro e começa a olhar para fora.

Quero ver lugares sobre os quais só ouvimos falar. Quero conhecer pessoas fora do Círculo Interno. Quero passar um tempo em Cortes que não sejam a Corte Noturna. Quero sentir que Prythian é tão grande e complexa quanto os livros nos dizem que é. Talvez eu esteja na minoria, mas se o próximo livro de ACOTAR me der mais construção de mundo, mais viagens, mais política e mais exploração do mundo em geral, provavelmente ficarei mais animada com isso do que com qualquer casal romântico. Alguém mais se sente assim? Ou vocês preferem que a história continue centrada em Velaris e no Círculo Interno? 🤍

I need an Elucien slow burn more than I need air at this point.

Not instant love. Not fate doing all the work. I want years of longing, healing, friendship, stolen glances, and choosing each other despite everything.

The yearning. The tension. The quiet understanding that slowly turns into love.

I crave it. I genuinely ache for it.

I constantly see people saying that Elain is happy in the Night Court and that, because her sisters are there, it is her true home. However, after rereading the books, that is not the impression I get from the text.

Throughout the series, the descriptions of Elain do not emphasize happiness or fulfillment as much as they emphasize adaptation. Time and time again, she is described as having become "well-adjusted." We do not see a journey similar to Feyre finding her place in Velaris, nor Nesta building a new life and forming meaningful connections. Instead, what we see is Elain adapting to the circumstances around her.

"Elain had somehow become the adjusted one."

The meaning of that word is important. Being adjusted means being able to adapt to a situation. It does not necessarily mean someone has found where they truly belong or that they are genuinely happy.

Another passage that stands out to me appears in A Court of Frost and Starlight:

"— And you? — I made myself ask. — Are you all right?

'Why wouldn't I be?' she asked, a smile brightening her face.

I'd seen those smiles before. On my own damned face."

To me, this scene makes it clear that Feyre does not simply accept Elain's answer because she is smiling. In fact, Feyre recognizes that smile because she once used the same kind of smile to hide her own feelings. The text suggests a disconnect between what Elain says and what she is actually feeling.

There are also other small observations scattered throughout the books. Cassian notes that Elain looks terrible in black, for example. On its own, that may seem insignificant, but Sarah often uses symbolism when characterizing her characters. Elain is consistently associated with flowers, gardens, growth, sunlight, and vibrant colors. The atmosphere and aesthetic of the Night Court seem to stand in direct contrast to those recurring associations.

I also frequently see the argument that Elain will remain in the Night Court because her sisters are there. But the dynamic between the Archeron sisters has changed significantly throughout the series.

Nesta has built her own circle of friends. Feyre has built hers as well. And Feyre herself admits that, while she loves Elain, they do not share an especially deep friendship:

"Elain and I had grown closer since the end of the war with Hybern. (...) Though I would never go to Elain first with my problems or for advice, we had a peaceful understanding. Friendly. I found her pleasant company."

That reflection shows affection, but it also reveals emotional distance. They are sisters and they love each other, but that does not automatically mean they are best friends or that their lives must follow the same path.

For that reason, I struggle with the claim that the Night Court is unquestionably the ideal place for Elain. So far, I do not see a character who has found her purpose there. What I see is a character who has learned how to survive, adapt, and fit in.

Maybe that means her future is in the Night Court. Maybe it does not. But I think the text leaves room to question whether adaptation is truly the same thing as belonging.

I genuinely have some questions I’d like answered. This might end up being a long post, but I don’t mind. I’d really like to hear perspectives from both sides of the fandom.

First: why do so many Elain and Azriel fans act as though Lucien doesn’t respect Elain’s boundaries?

A lot of the discussions I see treat Lucien as if he would eventually force Elain to be with him, when, as far as the books have shown, he has never forced her into anything.

We have this passage from when Lucien first encounters Elain after discovering the bond:

“Mate.

She was nothing like Jesminda.

Jesminda had been all laughter and mischief, too wild and free to be contained by the country life she’d been born into. She had teased him, lured him—seduced Lucien so thoroughly that he’d wanted nothing but her. She had not seen him as the seventh son of a High Lord, but as a male. She had loved Lucien without question, without hesitation. She had chosen him.

Elain had been… thrown at him.”

To me, this passage makes it clear that Lucien recognizes Elain was thrown into this situation just as much as he was. She didn’t choose it, and neither did he.

And throughout the series, he never forces or pressures her. If anything, he consistently gives her space.

In A Court of Frost and Starlight, for example, Lucien doesn’t even act against Graysen, despite knowing how much he hurt Elain. Feyre says:

“She was deeply in love with him, Lucien.”

And then we see Lucien’s reaction:

“The red eye swirled with simmering hatred. An uncontrollable instinct—for a mate to eliminate any threat. But he remained seated. Even when his fingers dug into the arm of the chair.”

Feyre then continues:

“It’s only been a few months since Graysen made it clear their engagement was over. It may take time for her to get past that.”

Elain is dealing with an overwhelming amount of change: the loss of her human life, a broken engagement, and the discovery of a mating bond she never asked for.

Even if Elain and Azriel ultimately end up together, she still has a significant emotional journey ahead of her. First, she has to process everything she’s lost. Then, if she truly rejects the bond with Lucien—which, despite what some people claim, has not happened yet—that decision will also need to be addressed narratively.

Because whether we like it or not, the bond still exists.

Later, Feyre and Lucien continue their conversation:

“I would agree with you,” I admitted. “But remember that they were engaged. Give her time to come to terms with that.”

“To come to terms with being shackled to me?”

My nostrils flared.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“She wants nothing to do with me.”

Once again, Lucien acknowledges the situation. He knows Elain doesn’t want him at that moment.

But there’s a difference between recognizing that reality and pretending the bond doesn’t exist.

He remains present. He brings her gifts. He tries to maintain some connection. But he never forces his presence on her.

And perhaps we should stop treating Elain as though she’s incapable of making her own choices. Elain is not helpless.

I believe her book will show exactly that.

If she hasn’t rejected the bond yet, then there is likely a reason for it. We can’t definitively say that Elain doesn’t want Lucien, just as we can’t definitively say that she has completely stopped loving Graysen.

We know there is attraction between Elain and Azriel. The bonus chapter makes that quite clear.

But has Elain fully moved on from Graysen? We don’t know.

Will Elain officially reject the bond? We don’t know that either.

That’s why I believe that, regardless of who the endgame couple is, Elain will inevitably need important scenes with Lucien and possibly even Graysen. There are narrative threads that remain unresolved and will need to be addressed.

To me, Lucien seems prepared for the possibility of rejection. But that rejection hasn’t happened yet. And we don’t know whether it ever will.

Another thing I’m curious about is the theory that Sarah will simply break the mating bond.

Because, whether people like it or not, that seems to contradict everything the author has established about mating bonds throughout the series.

In House of Flame and Shadow, for example, Silene says this about Theia and Aidas:

“I never knew how my mother and Prince Aidas became lovers. I only know that, even amidst the war, I had never seen my mother so at peace. She once told me, when I marveled at how fortunate we’d been that the portal opened for Aidas that day, that it was because they were mates; their souls had found each other across galaxies, binding them together on that fateful day, as if the mating bond between them were something physical.”

If a mating bond is powerful enough to connect souls across galaxies, how could it simply be broken?

And if it can be broken, wouldn’t that undermine everything Sarah has spent multiple series establishing about the significance of mates?

I’m not saying Elain has to end up with Lucien because of the bond.

I’m simply saying that the bond still exists, it has never been rejected, and it continues to be portrayed as something deeply significant within the world Sarah has created.

So I’d love to hear everyone’s theories.

What do you think Sarah is planning to do with Elain, Lucien, Azriel, and the mating bond?

In CC3, when Bryce learns the truth about Silene and her family, we get this passage:

&gt;“I never knew how my mother and Prince Aidas became lovers. I only know that, even in the middle of war, I had never seen my mother so at peace. She once told me, while I marveled at how lucky we were that the portal had opened for Aidas that day, that it was because they were mates; their souls had found each other across galaxies, binding them on that fateful day, as if the mating bond between them were actually a physical thing.”<

And honestly, after reading this, I genuinely wonder how a bond like that could simply be broken.

Sarah has never written the mating bond as something small or superficial. If anything, she keeps reinforcing that it’s a physical, spiritual, almost cosmic connection, something powerful enough to transcend worlds and galaxies. And this isn’t just fandom interpretation. It’s literally in the text.

That’s why I struggle to believe that a true mating bond could simply stop existing because one person chooses not to accept it. Even if Elain decides not to be with Lucien romantically, as many people argue, the bond would still exist. It would still follow them somehow.

Because in Sarah’s universe, rejecting a bond has never been portrayed as completely erasing the connection. It has always felt more like something painful, permanent, almost like an open wound.

So if the intention is truly to separate Elain and Lucien, I feel like it would need to be handled very carefully, because after CC3, the concept of mates became even deeper within the Maasverse. It no longer feels like just a predestined romance. It feels tied directly to the soul itself.

Please, can you recommend me the best Elucien fanfics?

I’ve noticed that discussions about Elain/Lucien vs Elriel often turn into people treating their personal interpretation as if it’s already canon, so I wanted to ask this from a narrative analysis perspective after a debate I had with an Elriel fan.

Some of the arguments used were things like:

> “Elain already made it clear she doesn’t want Lucien.”

> “Lucien is directly tied to her greatest trauma and Sarah would never romanticize that.”

&gt; “Their bond exists to show a wrong mating bond and to criticize women being forced into relationships they don’t want.”

&gt; “Everything related to Elain’s growth happens away from Lucien, and whenever he appears the narrative reinforces discomfort.”

> “If Sarah intended Elucien romantically, she would be betraying her own narrative.”

And I do understand where that interpretation comes from. Sarah absolutely writes about choice, autonomy, and women rejecting roles forced onto them.

But at the same time, I also think there’s a difference between “this is my interpretation of the narrative” and “this is objectively what the text confirms.”

Because from a structural storytelling perspective, Sarah still keeps the bond active and unresolved after multiple books. Lucien and Elain’s connection is still repeatedly brought back into the narrative instead of being fully closed off. And usually in long-form fantasy romance, unresolved tension/conflict still being narratively emphasized means there is still narrative purpose there, whether that leads to romance or to a final rejection.

So I’m curious how other readers interpret this:

- Do you think Sarah is building toward a complete rejection/deconstruction of the mating bond through Elain and Lucien?
- Or do you think the narrative is intentionally unresolved because their story still has development left?
- At what point does interpretation become people treating headcanon as confirmed canon?
- And do you think fandom discussions sometimes confuse “what the text currently shows” with “what readers personally want to happen”?

I’m genuinely curious about the storytelling side of this, not trying to start a ship war 😅

This is a rant! I just need Sarah to give us some hint about the next book. It's so annoying all the insults the other side of the fandom is throwing. It's unbearable on the other network.