Just wanted to round up some popular theories on whose POV we're actually getting next and where exactly Acotar 6 is gonna pick up in the timeline—plus share my own thoughts and see what you guys think!

Whose POV will it be?

​A-) Elain

​B-) Nesta

​C-) Gwyn

​D-) Dual POV (like we had with Nessian)

​E-) Multi POV

​My take: I personally believe Acotar 6,7 and 8 will be Elain’s book and it will be a Dual POV, but heavily focused on Elain. Though it could still lean heavily into Dual POV—like, maybe we'll randomly need Feyre’s POV at some point for context. I’m definitely open to that possibility, but I’m still 90% sure it’s going to be a Dual POV.

​Where will ACOTAR 6 start?

​A-) Right where ACOSF left off.

​B-) Right where CC3 ended and where we left Nesta.

​C-) ACOSF will be just like TOD; ACOTAR 6 will show us what was happening in the background with other characters while Nesta was isolated.

​My take: I think Acotar 6 will focus on the events that we couldn't see through Nesta's eyes because she was stuck at the House of Wind. A lot of things actually went down in the background—especially regarding Elain. And what I really want to see is Feyre’s pregnancy and everything that went down during that time.So, Acotad 6 might just be a flashback to the events we missed out on in Acosf. That being said, I still think option A is highly likely too.

And just to add to that, Acotar 6, 7, and 8 are actually all part of one big story, with Acotar 6 basically being Part 1. You can think of it like Alchemised. Right now, Alchemised is getting a special edition where Parts 1, 2, and 3 are being printed separately, but that doesn't change the fact that they're fundamentally one single book.

​I tried to gather all the theories I've come across so far. What do you guys think? Which options seem the most likely to you?

​"I think understanding why a person does something, or understanding why an abuser is an abuser, doesn't excuse what they've done, nor does it make that behavior okay."

​For me, Tamlin wasn't a character I really cared about after finishing the series. He didn't interest me at all in the first book, I hated him in the second book, and after he helped us in the third book, I just said "thanks Tamlin" and left him behind. But the acotar fandom at least the one on the internet seriously shocks me.Things have gotten to a point where people are calling everything Feyre experienced, felt, and saw a lie or an illusion. Sarah states that he is an abuser and she literally wrote him that way; understanding why he did those things doesn't excuse him. Feyre was his victim, and I will never defend his actions. At most, I can understand them, but I will never forgive him or look past it.

​"For me, the big thing is that I have so many readers and close friends who have survived domestic violence or abuse, and they project those abusers onto Tamlin. If I give him an easy redemption arc, I worry about hurting people who have had those experiences in real life or sending the wrong message."

​​"I don't completely hate him, but sometimes I'm just really, really angry with him. Fans don't even fully know how messed up and dark his family actually was. Plus, he never had the right tools or a support system to deal with the horrific trauma he went through Under the Mountain."

​It feels to me like Sarah didn't say she won't write a redemption arc for Tamlin, but rather that it won't happen easily. It almost feels like she wants to write it. We already know he has traumas too, but we never learned them in full detail, and Sarah will probably explain them to us later.

My biggest fear right now is that this fandom has a serious reading comprehension issue, or there is a portion of them that completely warps canon just to defend their favorite characters. The whole "Feyre is an unreliable narrator" nonsense is already out there, and it's going to increase heavily after Tamlin's redemption arc. They just can't understand the difference. A character going through trauma or having traumatic reasons behind their actions doesn't erase the damage they inflicted on others. Tamlin’s past does not delete Feyre’s trauma.

​They love to weaponize and compete with trauma, claiming he suffered more so what he did isn't that big of a deal. But Feyre was literally withering away in his court, and his one good saving act doesn't wipe away the past abuse. Tamlin healing in his own story won't change the fact that he was an abuser in Feyre's story. A character achieving redemption doesn't retroactively make the person they traumatized wrong. This fandom will keep twisting canon to say "see, Tamlin was good all along," but with the author herself literally on record stating he is an abuser, no fan theory will ever be enough to erase the concrete pain Feyre experienced.

Honestly, I am so sick of Tamlin and I don’t want to talk about him anymore, so this is my last post about him.I hope it stays that way.

​Yesterday, I actually made a post for fun about which character traits I don't align with and the behaviors I don’t support. However, a lot of people mistook it for IC hate, so it ended up getting removed. Because of that, I wanted to make a new post about the ACOTAR characters' flaws and how the fandom handles this whole situation.

​Someone left a comment on that previous post and I’m quoting it exactly here:

​Feyre: too impulsive

Elain: too passive

Nesta: too mean

Rhys: too secretive

Cassian: too deferential

Azriel: too standoffish

​And I completely agree with this comment bc SJM wrote them exactly this way. I love them entirely for their flaws. I understand all of them, but that doesn't mean I support every single thing they do.

​For instance, Feyre went to UTM with literally zero planning but it worked out. If she had overthought whether it was logical or not, she probably wouldn't have gone. But at the same time, Feyre is incredibly brave and we see this multiple times throughout the books. Take Elain, for example—I already love her so much even though her book isn't out yet. She’s a kind, gentle, thoughtful, and reliable character, but her flaw is being too passive. For example, back in the cottage, she never defended Feyre against Nesta or stepped in between them. That’s her flaw, but at the same time, she bought Feyre paints and gave her hope. In ACOSF, we got hints that she wants to do something more, and when her own book comes out, she will step into the spotlight too.I think I've shown my love for both Feyre and Elain plenty of times, both in my comments and the posts I've made.I love them but I’ve never just ignored their flaws.

​As for Nesta, trying to deny that she was disgusting and a total bully to Feyre in the past literally throws her entire character growth in the trash. I’ve always said that I never supported that behavior, and I don't think it's right when people try to justify what she did.

​Rhys is just that guy who keeps secrets and acts all mysterious, which honestly makes him so much like Celaena. For example, he kept the mating bond a secret from Feyre, and honestly, he did exactly what he needed to do there. But keeping her pregnancy a secret from her was never okay—I get why he did it, but I definitely don't support it. That being said, I still defend Rhys against those ridiculous theories, like the ones claiming he just used Feyre because he wanted an heir. I’ve even shared posts about this. And etc etc it goes on like this. I don't know, I just feel like viewing them as flawless completely strips away the depth of the characters.

​Aside from that, I also want to talk about the fandom’s perspective on these characters. With the release of ACOSF, the fandom literally split in half because a portion of the fans started accepting Nesta's POV as the absolute truth. However, it's a third-person POV, but a limited one, it’s not an omniscient third-person perspective. There were so many moments where Nesta let her feelings cloud her judgment or misunderstood things; we definitely can't consider her perspective as mentally healthy or reliable, especially at the beginning of the book.

Anyway, back to the point: these fan wars have been going on without a break for five years now, and it has reached a point where you can't criticize any character or make jokes about them anymore, because both sides perceive it as a personal attack/lynching. For example, I saw a meme about a character the other day, and the comments were immediately jumping to their defense, saying things like, "This isn't something to joke about," or "Actually, they did that because of this," or "You guys just don't understand the character." It's exhausting.

I mean, as the positive side of this fandom that actually loves the characters, I feel like we need to accept their flaws.

Feyre -> Her tendency to act without a plan. The biggest example of this is how she went to UTM with literally zero plan. If it were me, I would overthink it so much that I'd eventually realize the only logical option is not to go back, and I'd just say, "To hell with Tamlin."

​Nesta -> I could never think as negatively as she does. I know it stems from her self-hatred, but I could never hate myself that much either—that amount of negative energy would just suffocate me. Maybe that's why ACOSF was such a suffocating book for me; it just had way too much negativity. I could never be as sharp-tongued as her either. I also couldn't hold a grudge like Nesta does; it's so exhausting. I feel like I'd just let it go after a while. Can you imagine being in a constant state of anger 24/7?

​Elain -> I'm not totally sure about her because we actually share a lot of the same vibes, but if I were in that cottage watching Nesta constantly throw shade at Feyre, I would’ve 100% stepped in. There's no way I could just sit there and stay silent like Elain did.

Rhysand -> I’m not as confident as he is—honestly, I wish I were sometimes. Also, I wouldn't have been able to just sit back and watch Feyre's wedding to Tamlin; I would have tried to intervene, which probably would have made Feyre hate me.

​Cassian -> He is such an idiot, and when he and Feyre get together, they just become completely brainless. My biggest difference with Cas is... I don't know, I guess I'm just not as patient as he is.

​Azriel -> He is so quiet, he barely ever speaks. I don't talk much in unfamiliar environments either, but Azriel has been in the exact same environment for 500 years and still barely speaks. I could never stay that quiet.

​I don't know why apologizing is seen as such a massive sign of weakness in this fandom, especially between sisters. Now, I'm not saying I'm an expert on sisters, but I have a sister of my own, my mom has 4 sisters, and my dad has 3 sisters. So, I’d like to think I know a thing or two about sister dynamics.

​Ten years ago, my 4 aunts said something to my mom that they really shouldn't have. My mom stopped talking to them, and this went on for a solid 5 years. During those 5 years, my aunts constantly tried to reach out to her; they called her all the time and came to our house, always trying to fix things. Finally, after 5 years, they sat down and talked. My aunts apologized to my mom, and my mom apologized to them, and they made up—BECAUSE THEY ARE SISTERS. Sisters argue, and they might stay mad for a while, but they apologize and move on. My mom technically had nothing to apologize for, but she did it anyway because it’s not about weakness; it’s about being sisters. My dad’s 3 sisters also argue a lot, and the youngest one causes some drama from time to time, but it’s no big deal. They still hang out all the time and always support each other.

​That's why I just don't get why this fandom constantly portrays the Archerons as if they are each other's sworn enemies. Or why people act like if Nesta were to apologize to Feyre, it would mean she’s bowing down or submitting to her. Nesta could apologize to Feyre, and Feyre could apologize back. Nesta to Elain, Elain to Nesta, Elain to Feyre, and Feyre to Elain—anyone could apologize to anyone. It’s not weakness, and it’s definitely not submission. They aren't strangers; they are sisters.

​I genuinely keep seeing this question being asked all over tiktok and reddit, and honestly, the answers are right there in the books and so obvious. Like, I don’t know, isn’t it clear enough?

​Let's look at what he actually did to Feyre: ​He locked her in the house: He literally locked her inside the manor, completely ignoring her claustrophobia, trauma, and panic attacks, treating her like a prisoner under the guise of "protection."

​He ignored her fading away: He sat there and watched her throw up every single night, getting skinnier and losing her mind after UTM, but chose to do absolutely nothing about it.

​He used physical intimidation: He threw a magical temper tantrum that literally exploded his study, destroying the room and shielding himself, while leaving Feyre unprotected from the blast.

​He treated her like property, not a partner: He refused to let her use her powers, didn't give her any say in court matters, and just wanted her to be a quiet, pretty trophy wife who picked out wedding decorations.

​He allied with the Hybern: Just to drag Feyre back to Spring Court against her will, he made a deal with King Hybern, putting the entire continent and Feyre’s sisters in extreme danger.

Let’s not forget that Tamlin played a direct role in the deaths of Rhysand’s mother and sister. Whether it was intentional or a betrayal, he provided the information that led his father and brothers straight to them, resulting in them being decapitated and their wings burned. He was deeply complicit in that tragedy.

Besides, none of the IC characters will ever like Tamlin, and expecting the IC to forgive him is just ridiculous. Rhysand’s mother wasn't just a mother to Rhys; she was a mother figure to Azriel and Cassian as well, and Tamlin helped destroy their family. On top of that, Nesta and Elain will never like Tamlin either. They will never forgive him simply because of what he did to Feyre. No loyal sister would ever look past that.

Honestly, I feel a bit self-conscious making so many posts back-to-back, especially since the sub has been pretty quiet lately. I hope I'm not annoying anyone, but I haven't been able to find a decent acotar sub in such a long time that I just can't stop myself from posting. I’ve noticed a huge trend in the fandom where actual book canon is completely ignored, and events are constantly distorted to fit specific anti-character narratives.

​Because of this, I’ve decided to start a series where I break down these heavily twisted topics and present the facts exactly as SJM wrote them in the text, complete with specific chapters.

​1. The Decision to Have a Baby Was a Mutual and Conscious Choice

​The claim that Rhysand used Feyre as a mere "breeding machine" for an heir completely ignores how the couple actually came to this decision. Throughout ACOFAS and ACOSF, we witness the desire to have a child naturally bloom within Feyre's own internal world. After witnessing the devastating aftermath and fragility of life during the war, Feyre is the one who approaches Rhys, stating she no longer wants to wait. Rhys never dictated this choice; in fact, he was perfectly willing to wait centuries until Feyre felt fully ready.

​2. Rhys’s Desperation and the Fallacy of "Choosing" the Baby

​Rhysand did not choose the baby over Feyre, simply because there was no viable "choice" available to save one or the other. When the healer Madja revealed that the baby’s Illyrian wings made a natural birth anatomically impossible—and that surgical interventions like a C-section would cause Feyre to fatally bleed out—Rhys’s world completely shattered. His tragedy lies in his utter helplessness; despite being an all-powerful High Lord, he was entirely powerless to save the woman he loved. Far from prioritizing the baby over Feyre, Rhys was facing the terrifying reality of losing them both.

​3. The Mistake of Keeping the Secret: Malice or Panic?

​Rhysand’s decision to hide this fatal danger from Feyre is undoubtedly one of his gravest mistakes in the series. However, the motivation behind this was not viewing Feyre as an "incubator," but rather his deeply ingrained, overprotective (and at times, toxically protective) nature. He was terrified that a sudden wave of immense stress and panic would trigger complications and kill Feyre instantly. While trying to spare her from that fatal stress, Rhys was secretly scouring the world, frantically hunting for a magical loophole, a cure, or a miracle. It wasn't a calculated act of malice; it was a panic-driven mistake born out of pure desperation.

​Book and Scene References

​All of these conclusions are directly backed by the events of ACOSF and ACOFAS. While exact page numbers vary depending on the edition, these are the specific chapters and scenes that prove these points:

​The Decision (ACOFAS – Chapter 22): The mutual decision to have a baby explicitly happens in Chapter 22 of A Court of Frost and Starlight. After reflecting on the war and how fragile life is, Feyre approaches Rhys and tells him she wants to have a child, proving it was 100% her own conscious choice.

​The Discovery of the Fatal Danger (ACOSF – Chapter 34): The scene where Madja explains to Rhysand, Cassian, and Azriel that the anatomy of the pregnancy is fatal to Feyre, and that neither magic nor surgery can fix it. This marks the beginning of Rhys's psychological unraveling and the secret.

​Rhysand’s Desperate Search and the Truth Revealed (ACOSF – Chapters 51 through 54): Nesta furiously reveals the truth to Feyre, which subsequently exposes just how long Rhys had been frantically looking for a loophole. This leads to the pivotal scene where Cassian finds Rhys by the river—completely broken, weeping, and literally vomiting from the sheer terror of losing Feyre. This scene serves as the ultimate proof that he never viewed her as disposable.

​In short: The text shows us that Rhysand is deeply flawed and made a massive, agonizing mistake; however, his motivation was never about securing an "heir"—it was the desperate panic of a husband losing his mind at the thought of losing his wife.

Personally, I think SJM could have handled this situation so much better. Rhys only managed to keep the secret for about two weeks anyway, but after it came out, we never actually got to see Feyre’s reaction or what she was thinking. They basically vanished from the story until the birth scene. I feel like it would have been way better if we had gotten at least a couple of pages focusing on how Rhys and Feyre dealt with this together. I also want to make it absolutely clear that I do not think Rhys was right to keep this from Feyre, nor do I support or defend his actions.

​You finish the entire series, hop on tiktok to watch some edits, and check out reddit because you’re curious about other people's opinions. Then, completely out of nowhere, you run into people claiming that Rhysand, Feyre, and the IC (except for Nesta) are actually the true villains of the series, and that Tamlin was always right and just a victim of Feyre.

​You’re completely confused because that is not how you remember the books at all. So, you drop a question in the comments asking, "What is going on here? Did I miss something?"

​And people actually reply with comments such as:

​"Yeah I know, you don't really catch it the first few times, but on my 20th reread I finally realized they are the real villains."

"Don't trust Feyre, she’s an unreliable narrator. Most of what she experiences and narrates is just an illusion."

​Your mind is completely blown because you never thought about any of this, and it’s nowhere near how you remember the story.At first, you didn't join any of these debates and just watched from afar. But over time, you felt things were getting way too ridiculous, so you finally jumped into a discussion. You replied using literal canon facts—exactly how it happened in the books. And their response? They told you that you were lying, that you didn't understand the books, and that you don't always have to accept canon because you clearly lack 'critical thinking' skills. You just couldn't take this nonsense anymore. You left the main ACOTAR sub and blocked a bunch of accounts on tiktok. But then, you notice that there are plenty of other fans on reddit suffering from the exact same thing—people who fled these toxic spaces just to find private, positive ACOTAR subreddits where they can actually enjoy the series.

​And well... that’s how you ended up here.

​There are so many small details about Elriel, but honestly, most of what happens between them is written by Sarah right there in plain sight for the readers to see.You don't have to overthink it.

​But everything the other side says is just so disconnected from the actual text. Their ship theories are so confusing... It’s usually like: "If this happens, and then if that happens, and if this turns out to be like that, then Gwynriel/Elucien will happen." Elain doesn't even need to break her mating bond with Lucien for Elriel to happen.

​Also, I’m sorry but Gwyn and Lucien never had FMC/MMC vibes. People say a million things to prove Gwyn is more important than Elain, but her role in the book is literally the exact same as Emerie's. Elain fans tell them this over and over, but they just stay in denial and accuse us of hating Gwyn 😔

​I’d like to remind them: Feyre is the main character, and the spinoff books belong to her sisters, Nesta and Elain. Since ACOSF was the last book and it’s been 5 years since then, I think they are just deeply mistaken.

Feyre’s relationship with Prythian is built entirely on balance, sacrifice, and mutual understanding. She didn’t inherit her place in this world, nor did she steal it—she literally died for it.

​A Living Microcosm of Prythian:

When Feyre was resurrected Under the Mountain, she received a drop of core magic from all seven High Lords. Because she carries a piece of every single court (Night, Day, Dawn, Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn), the land doesn't view her as an outsider. She is a walking reflection of Prythian itself, and the magic of the earth bows to that rightful authority.

​The Commander of Ancient Nightmares:

While other Fae run from the ancient, forgotten horrors of the world, Feyre walks right into their dens. She doesn't conquer them with brute force; she speaks their language.

The Suriel:

The world’s oldest information gatherer, feared by all, became her ally. In its final moments, it died in her arms, acknowledging her not just as a friend, but as a true High Lady.

The Bone Carver & Bryaxis:

God-like ancient entities trapped in the Prison and the Library didn't care about Rhysand's power, yet they bargained with Feyre. She understood Bryaxis’s loneliness, offering a window in exchange for its help in war, and earned the Carver’s respect by showing him the depth of her soul.

​The Ouroboros Mirror:

A terrifying ancient artifact that drives anyone who looks into it completely insane. Feyre looked into it, saw her own inner monster and her hunter past, accepted it, and walked away unbroken.

Justice and Abundance:

When she paid the water nymphs' tithe out of her own pocket back in the Spring Court, even the earth's most timid creatures bowed before her. Feyre doesn't take power by force; she nurtures the land with it, which is exactly why the mountains and the courts accept her authority.

I shared all of the Archeron sisters in another sub, but I specifically wanted to post Feyre’s part here 💙

​I totally get that debating character motivations is half the fun of being in a fandom. But lately, it feels like we aren't even talking about the books Sarah actually wrote anymore. There’s a huge difference between having a theory and flat-out denying literal canon facts just to support a ship war or a character bias. If a theory requires you to erase a character's actual trauma or rewrite a major plot point, it’s not a discussion—it’s just denial.

​Honestly, ACOTAR is actually a very straightforward, simple series in this regard. And by simple, I mean SJM explicitly tells us why a character behaves the way they do. We don't need to do complex mental gymnastics or play detective to solve a character's motives; their reasons, thoughts, and traumas are written right there on the page for everyone to see. Yet, people still choose to ignore it.

​There are so many examples of this, but here are just a few that make no sense when you look at the actual text:

​Rhysand’s trauma and the double standard

​There is a really disturbing trend of people downplaying or completely denying that Rhysand was sexually abused by Amarantha for fifty years. People trivialize his trauma just because they dislike him, and it's a wild double standard. Would anyone in this fandom dare to deny or downplay the horrific abuse that Nesta or Gwyn suffered? Absolutely not, and we all agree that doing so would be disgusting. So why is it okay to do it to Rhys? Canon makes it entirely clear that he was a victim of prolonged sexual violence to keep his people safe. Erasing that just because he isn't your favorite character is hypocritical.

​The "heir" narrative during the pregnancy

​The idea that Rhysand just used Feyre as a breeding machine for an heir, or that he chose the baby over her life, completely misreads the text. First of all, having a baby was a mutual decision they both made after the war. Second, when the pregnancy turned dangerous, Rhys wasn't casually picking the baby; he was entirely devastated and frantically hunting for any magical loophole to save both of them. Did he make a massive mistake by keeping the danger a secret? Yes. But he did it out of a desperate, panicked attempt to shield Feyre from fatal stress while he looked for a solution. He was terrified of losing her, not treating her as disposable.

​Reducing Elain to a useless prop

​People love to act like Elain is just a fragile background character who only knows how to cry and bake. But if you actually pay attention to the text, she’s a Seer who saved lives with her visions, sneaked up on a King to land a fatal blow with Truth-Teller, and is currently spending all her time with the court's top spies (Nuala and Cerridwen). Even Nesta wonders in ACOSF if Elain has been taking stealth lessons from Azriel or the wraiths. You can dislike her gentle personality, but denying her canon contributions and her growing stealth skills is just willfully ignoring the story.

​The idea that Nesta did absolutely nothing wrong

​I’ve seen people argue that Nesta was entirely blameless, had no faults, and that her healing arc ruined her because she "should have stayed mean." This completely misses the point of her entire journey. Canon explicitly shows that Nesta’s cruelty and sharp tongue were defense mechanisms rooted in deep self-hatred and trauma. She was hurting the people who cared about her and she was actively destroying herself. Claiming she had no faults actually robs her of her amazing growth. Her arc wasn't about losing her fire; it was about learning to use that fire for survival and love, instead of using it to burn everything down around her.

The "Feyre wants her sisters to feel indebted" narrative

​There is this wildly cynical take that Feyre only hunted, sacrificed her human life, and saved her sisters just so they would feel indebted or endlessly grateful to her. This completely flips her actual character on its head. Canon explicitly shows that Feyre took care of her family out of a desperate sense of duty and love—sparked by a deathbed promise to her mother—not for praise. Throughout the series, Feyre actively avoids lording her sacrifices over Nesta and Elain. When she becomes High Lady, she doesn't demand their submission; she sets them up with their own wealth, gives them space to heal, and respects their boundaries even when they treat her poorly. Feyre didn't want their gratitude; she just wanted them to survive and be free. Turning her trauma and sacrifice into some calculated guilt trip is just another way people try to demonize her.

Every single character has flaws; none of them are flawless, and trying to romanticize them into perfection honestly feels like an insult to the books.

​At the end of the day, SJM doesn't hide her characters' motivations in complex riddles. Everything we need to understand them is spelled out clearly. We can debate their flaws all we want, but we shouldn't rewrite the books or erase literal trauma just to fit our personal narratives. Let's stick to the story that’s actually on the pages.

​Elain doesn't demand respect like Feyre, and she doesn't invoke terror like Nesta. Elain simply belongs to the earth, and in return, the world treats her with an almost worshipful tenderness. When she was forced into the Cauldron, it didn't fight her; it held her gently like a flower, gifting her the rare, mystical power of a Made Seer.

The Pulse of the Soil:

Elain can hear the world breathe. Her Seer abilities are deeply rooted in the natural world—she can feel the roots shift beneath her feet and hear the soil moving. When she needs comfort, she speaks to the earth, and when the Inner Circle needed rare, hidden medicinal herbs during the war, Elain could pinpoint their exact locations just by listening to the heartbeat of the land.

Breathing Life Into the Dark:

Night Court soil is famously rocky, dark, and notoriously difficult for things to grow in. Yet, the second Elain puts her hands in the dirt, the most stubborn gardens bloom effortlessly. Plants literally bend toward her, and the wind follows her pace. Feyre herself notes that Elain doesn't just garden—she heals the land, and the land responds to her touch with endless abundance.

The Gentle Transformation:

While the Cauldron felt like a violation to Nesta, it treated Elain with absolute gentleness. The ancient, primordial magic of Prythian recognized her soft soul and wrapped her in its favor, choosing to open its secrets to her rather than crushing her under its weight.

I already posted about Feyre, Nesta, and Elain together in another sub, but I’m sharing Elain’s part on its own here.