I know everyone is spiraling right now, all for different reasons, BUT…
Whatever ship you sail, can we all laugh at the mundanity of the Title/Blurb release day?! Just a random Monday. No significant seasonal change. No significant book date. Just a Monday. 😂
Well played marketing team. Well played.
Hello - you might remember me from my Elain installments and procrastinating my dissertation (I swear I didn’t forget! Sometimes the dissertation just wins… rip. But they’re coming I swear).
Ok, anyways… when I first looked at the image on the left, I thought I saw a bull.
Though I see the Bryaxis theories I was reminded of this from CC, and I feel like maybe the first image/art is actually depicting the Oracle’s fire from Crescent City:
Crescent City, HOEAB:
The Oracle’s black chamber reeked of sulfur and roasted meat—the former from the natural gases rising from the hole in the center of the space, the latter from the pile of bull bones currently smoldering atop the altar against the far wall, an offering to Ogenas, Keeper of Mysteries. (Kindle, p. 304)
The smoke peeled back enough for him to see her sensuous lips part in a cruel smile that did not wholly belong in this world. “People come from across Midgard to plead for my visions, yet you do not wish to know?” The hair on the back of his neck stood. “I thank you, but no.” Thanks seemed wise—like something that might appease a god. Her teeth shone, her canines long enough to shred flesh. (p. 306).
And though I totally think the spider is a connection to the weaver, here’s a bonus thought:
The sphinx blinked large brown eyes at him, lashes brushing against her light brown cheeks. “Ask me your question, and I shall tell you what the smoke whispers to me.” The words rumbled over his bones, luring him in. Not in the way he sometimes let himself be lured in by beautiful females, but in the manner that a spider might lure a fly to its web. (p. 305).
Just an idea!
We not only get a cover/title release, but Chapter 1 release this month?
This wouldn’t be unfounded as she did this for HOFAS.
Be honest, how would you all feel if we got this?
Yesterday was a bust but I’m guess we get something tomorrow through next Wednesday. CHD was announced about a week ahead of the episode dropping. I’m hoping for tomorrow making it technically dropping in July, but I could see it happening next week.
What are you thinking?
Has it ever occurred to any of you that Feyre DOESN’T have powers of every court?
& that we don’t know if she actually “matches” Rhys in power strength. She’s equal to Rhys in that she is unique but does that make her “as powerful”?
Powers she does have, received from the HL’s present under the mountain;
General Powers - winnowing
But what are we missing?
7) Dusk - … 👀
What are the powers of Dusk?
Not clear, yet. We know Bryce has a literal STAR within her. Is that star unique to the bloodline, or is it a part of the magic from the land of Dusk?
What is clear is Bryce has demonstrated pure creation. Life springs from up around her. Creating islands, bringing back Pegasi which were thought to be almost extinct, healing all the wounded in the Battle of CC.
We see her start to craft & hone her light in CC3, much like Aelin in HOF. Not simply blasting light.
Bryce’s sheer power ability, and strength, seems to dwarf Feyre. Maybe even Rhys.
For whatever reason, I’ve always envisioned Bryce’s light as more diamond / sparkling ✨ vs Feyre’s light which is more soft yellow light, like an old fashioned light bulb.💡
Is there a distinct difference between their light? Another post on a different sub seems to be equating Feyre’s light to a star. Not asserting this other poster is incorrect, but their interpretation just got me thinking about it.
As the title suggests, I’m appealing to the experts here for their thoughts and interpretations!
*Sorry for any formatting issues. Reddit doesn’t like my numbers sometimes.
For the upcoming books, whose character POV are you most dreading? Assuming ACOTAR 6-8 are going to be multi-POV similar to TOG / CC3.
If it’s Mor the only way I will enjoy her story arch is if she is the villain. Or goes through some sort of Nesta-esque journey of confronting all of her nonsense. If Nesta is considered the worst / bitchiest character in ACOTAR, I think Mor is actually worse. Because she gets away with equal vileness but is excused because she basically does it with a smile and fake friendship.
Her 500+yr string along of Az (plus blatantly sleeping with Helion), weird possessiveness of Cas once Nesta enters the equation, her anger at Feyre for not being a part of the plan, she’s the most petulant child in ACOTAR. Her past trauma is real and cannot be ignored. But… Mor, you are not untouchable because of it. If dealing with the Court of Nightmares is so traumatizing, Rhys can grow up and be the “big bad High Lord,” and you can move on.
Elain as another recent post put it, she’s the most coddled and excused character. I am all for soft characters, awesome! (TOG Elide, anyone?!?!?!) But, have some loyalty and backbone. If she doesn’t face SOME form of internal struggle over her own actions up till where we are in the story, her POV is going to be beyond boring to read.
Hi Baddies,
While this whole community is pretty confident about what’s coming in ACOTAR6-7, (at least as it pertains to what characters are important for not only a romantic arch, put the story’s, AND, Maasverse’s overarching plot), do you all ever theorize or wonder about what was contained within CC3 draft #1?
Like… I’m more convinced than ever that SJM actually opened the door on Bryceriel in a B/W way in the original CC3 book. As in, she started the payoff of the Oracle’s warning to Hunt, tying the multiverse more together through how the villains are connected, and dropping Suriel like tea about Az.
I think the publishers had an apoplectic reaction, ending up in a figurative brawl with SJM (supporting the clear frostiness we have sensed in the relationship from BB & SJM), with SJM ultimately winning the war but losing the battle. The result… the hot mesh that was CC3.
A fight IN A BLACK HOLE??? 😂🤣🥴 like, if it were any other author, we’d all be asking, “what shroons was this author on when they wrote this?”
Tell me with a straight face you didn’t cringe when you first read that scene?! Maybe I’m alone, but,
What do you all think about the OG-CC3?
What if ACOTAR 6’s opening salvo is a situation when Koschei has Az trapped and his villain line is something Maeve-esk,
“You are the piece. The piece none of my brethren could find but the one that will prove their undoing.
It is time, Shadowsinger. Time to finish the game. Let us begin…”
Slams knife into Azriel’s gut.
Azriel’s scream wrenches through the evening mist. Koschei smiling, turned to the lake to watch as the gentle surface waves lapping at their feet began to recede into a growing whirlpool.
With a gleeful pitch, Koschei begins, “In a kingdom on the brink of destruction, lives a Queen…”
Cut scene - we get the Elain POV starting somewhere nearing the end of SF, remainder of book is mostly her POV with no real answer to romance throughout, just a buildup to Az being taken.
Would this satisfy something SJM has never done? ANSWER - YES
For ACOTAR only readers, they will think it has something to do with the human lands…but the Maasverse readers, regardless of ship, will pause, GASP, and really be off to the races… but ONLY the Bryceriels will clock what is about to happen!
This would be diabolical as the wait in between ACOTAR 6 & 7 would be more agonizing than anything we have yet experienced, but oh the possibilities!…
This is "Divine Outpour" oil on canvas.
Going back to the original “First drafts done” post, and her CHD comments about being mad about the boxed in framework of publishing. “Fantasy can’t be fantasy if there is romance.”
Maybe it’s only concentrated in the online fandom, or maybe not but it seems the ACOTAR fandom has gone and done the very thing to SJM she accused publishers of doing once upon a time (maybe even recently?): we’ve boxed her in.
“This is a romantasy series, romance comes first.”
“This is a romantasy series, there has to be endgames for our major characters.”
“This is a romantasy series, she will focus on one couple per book.”
Excuse me, SJM herself has never classified herself as a “romantasy” writer. She is simply: a writer.
A writer who loves “high fantasy,” but is a writer who loves a good romance. Blending the two - COOL! But no where have I heard her say one takes precedent over the other. A good story is a good story.
ACOTAR was a story about minor political intrigue, hints at a darker & bigger story to come, with a serious relationship to anchor it. Written from a single character’s perspective.
SF has moved that puck - we now have more characters POV AND more plot. Sure, a lot of romance but it wasn’t the anchor like in ACOTAR1-3.
Why is it so crazy to think ACOTAR 6-8 are going to be nothing like ACOTAR 1-3, that, MAYBE, she is going to expand her writing and do an epic convergence of her other series & characters? Romance clearly is going to be there, but will it be “romantasy”?
No - it will be, an epic story.
We can look at it literally, that the book itself is made of 100% recycled materials… OR, she was “Decomposing” this box everyone (readers, publishers, shareholders) has put her into. “It’s romantasy.”
*insert every fabulous Swan Lake theory from this sub here*
Sorry for any bad formatting! Thanks for coming to this TED talk
I see your post, u/ReturnThaQueen. I raise you.
In addition to the two recent posts about Title / Cover releases…
We are supposed to get Pt2 book in January. So, what if the delay in the book/title covers isn’t simply about spoilers but rather we are going to get a drop of the October Book Title & Cover… AND a close behind reveal of the Cover/Title for Pt2?
If we get Pt1 reveal in June, that’s 5months from release date. 5months out from January is August.
To all our marketing baddies, would it be more of an impact to have a mega release of cover’s / title’s / and pre-orders for 2 books? Or, what would be the biggest “bang” for their buck, so to speak?
Why are the ships collectively freaking out over these covers? Aren’t these specific to Juniper, and not the official covers?
The swords & blades throughout the Maasverse take the lion’s share of plot theorizing. Makes sense as they are the “sexier” object.
BUT
SPOILER WARNING for those who haven’t read the entire Maasverse universe.
TOG has 2 & CC has 1 that aren’t minor objects, they are arguably just as, if not more, important to the overall plots than the various blades.
Amulet of Orenth - TOG
— Its function was to hide a key. It has completed its task in the overall plot. However, did the necklace actually have some enchantment enabling it to help hide the key?
— We are told that it effectively hid the key as the original bearer of the key had so much power it would somewhat mask the power of the key. BUT that logic doesn’t hold following Brannon because no one had his magical strength, until Aelin.
— How is it no subsequent ruler felt the power emanating from the amulet, and out of curiosity, opened it? Unless, we don’t have the full story and there was actually some enchantment on it to help the bearer… HIDE.
— We know Brannon enchanted metalworks… Mort. We know Brannon left this grand map for his bloodline’s scion to find, much like Silene. It just doesn’t add up that the Amulet was NOT enchanted.
Elana’s Lock - TOG
— It’s tied to imagery/symbolism of the witches. Its power was used up, partially by locking away one of the Valg Kings (don’t remember name). It does continue to protect Aelin against Valg, somewhat. BUT, what if there’s more to it? I don’t have much fleshed out theory here about additional powers but I do have thoughts about the SHAPE.
The Bone Carver draws three overlapping circles.
— Pre-CC, I thought the three overlapping circles were replicating Elana’s necklace shape - one large circle encompassing two overlapping circles within its center.
— Post-CC, Bryce’s necklace is the three overlapping circles and ties to the imagery of the CC god’s “Embrace,” which is likened to the sun sinking between two mountain tops. This is different than Elana’s.
So, is it all the same pattern, or are Elana’s Lock, Bone Carver’s drawing, and Bryce’s Amulet different? Idk, I think there is enough vagueness in the descriptions of the shapes, but enough similarities I could see it being the same or different.
We know it somehow “HIDES” Bryce, a character VERY important to the Maasverse.
What other necklace HIDES something SUPER IMPORTANT to the plot… Brannon’s Amulet & the key!
It’s shape - as discussed above, is it identical or not?
WHERE does this hiding magic knowledge source come from? Is it the Witches, who may be world walkers? Is it the Asterion Fae, who may be world walkers? Is it from the Asteri / Valg, who are world walkers?
Az’s Gifted Necklace
it began as ordinary but I think we all can safely assume, somehow, like Nesta & the Made blades, Elain may have inadvertently Made the necklace. What will that mean?
Will it have seer powers?
Will it have some sort of truth powers? Being a window of sorts. Where the other necklaces have hidden important plot points, will this necklace illuminate?
As much as I want to simply write it off, pattern wise, it being an important, larger plot device is a reasonable conclusion. If it is going to be brought back up, I hope it is for the larger plot and not just the romance. I LOVE the romance in the books but I’m here for the plot!!!
What’re y’all’s thoughts?!?!?!
(Sorry for any formatting issues. Reddit is determined to fix things that did not need fixing.)