u/elainsgirll

I find it very interesting that Maas actually showed us what Eluciens bond felt like,

""Like you pulled on a thread tied to a rib."

And then Lucien's suprise that there was actually something between them,

"There's a bond-it's a real thread," he said, more to himself than us.

A single thread that ties them together.

For Nessian, it was multiple golden threads between their souls. For Feysand, an unbreakable chain between their souls. For elucien...a single thread tied to a bone...it feels so lackluster and so unromantic in comparison.

Then comes the question, why could Lucien, not only see, but actually tug on the bond? We also later find out he is a spellcleaver, and from Helion we know spells are made up of threads.

Now, Imagine being bonded to someone who you do not want. You're incompatible with them. There's no attraction. You do not want them yet you're forced together by a bond from nature that neither of you wanted...it sounds like a curse, right?

When trying to undo Vassa's curse, Feyre & Helion are looking for threads to unbind it:

I'd never seen such spell work. I'd sent my power over her, Helion too, hunting for any possible threads to unbind it.

I wonder if incompatible bonds are single threads tying two people together, not by their souls, but by bones therefore it's possible to unbind that thread especially by a spellcleaver who can see it.

On top of that: anything that comes from the cauldron is made therefore cauldron bonds are made…there’s a certain dagger that can potentially unmake elucien’s bond by cutting through their thread OR the way Nesta unmade Briallyn, I wonder if Elain can unmake the bond.

I fully believe Lucien and Elain will mutually reject their bond by finding a way to undo the thread tied to Elains rib, which would free them both. There’s multiple ways this can be achieved, idk why certain people act as though its so impossible to do. If Maas wants a bond to be broken, she will find a way for it to happen without elain or lucien having to constantly feel it.

One of the biggest reasons I am so laid-back and chilled with the shipwar and confident with elriel being endgame is because…nothings changed for me.

I read these books 6 years ago. I’ve been in this fandom for 5 years and absolutely nothing has changed

I ended acosf knowing Elains book is next and Azriel will be her love interest. A bonus chapter that wasn’t available to me, didn’t change my mind. Interviews, I had no idea even existed, didn’t change my mind. Promotional videos by a publishing house I dont even follow, didn’t change my mind. Merch, Which I would have been clueless about if not for tumblr, has not changed my mind. Acosf, a standalone spinoff, has not changed my mind especially when that last elriel interaction was a charged glance, doesn’t seem like a buried ship to me. Interacting in this fandon, has not changed my mind.

5 years ago, I believed Elriel was endgame and their book was next. 5 years later, that belief has held. Because nothings changed. Acosf ended with the 3 sisters. Acosf ended with Elain and Azriel holding Nyx, a symbol of the future. Acosf ended with elriels charged glance. Acosf is a standalone spinoff. Its not the start of a new triology. Elriel has been built up along with Nessian in acowar because that is the book Maas laid foreshadowing out for the future spinoffs. Gwynriel did not exist then. It didn’t exist in FAS even though Maas knew how acosf would unfold and what the next spinoff would be about, ask yourselves, does it make sense for Sjm to not foreshadow a main couple like Gwynriel in acowar/acofas where she foreshadowing Nessian and other spinoffs subplots? No , right? That speaks volumes.

Its so easy to get swept up but in the end what matters is what you believed the next story will be about after you read the last page of acosf. I can gurantee you, no one finished acosf thinking elucien or gwynriel or the valkryies or another Nesta or a brycerial or azriel book is next. These beliefs came AFTER limited edition bonuses were read. AFTER misrepresented interviews came out, AFTER a crossover. AFTER merch. AFTER interacting in echo chambers.

Not before.

💖

The top 5 things that make me so excited for Elains pov:

1. How do her visions actually work. Does she get flashes of events? Or do her visions manifest as whispers that guide her through the misty realm, and what is that misty realm exactly? What does it entail?
2. Finally getting more insight into her dynamic with Feyre and Nesta. Why did she stay silent when Nesta insulted Feyre? Why did she allow Nesta to be so protective of her? How was their childhood and time in poverty like from her pov?
3. I want to see her cunningness in action. Once or twice now it feels like Elain is one subtle step ahead of everyone else, working discreetly in the background to help her family.
4. I want to see more of her connection to the cauldron, the fact it PURRED for her, and found her so lovely - can Elain wield the cauldron? Utilise its gifts?
5. It was said the cauldron GAVE to Elain giftS. What are those gifts? We know she's a seer....but what else has the cauldron given her? Is she able to do much more? I would rlly love Mass exploring the concept of world-walking or asterial projection with Elain.

Bonus: I think Elain will be heavily intertwined with TOG.

Extra bonus: Elains friendship with the twins: how did that start? Who made the first move? What is their dynamic like and again, how did she manage to become friends with elsuive shadow-wraiths?

What are you excited for?

You do not need have to read HOFAS to understand the next acotar book.

CC and ACOTAR have not being dependently intersected. No where in this promo, is anyone saying you *have* to read hofas first.

Its like with the bonus chapters, do you have to read them? No. Do they provide more context? Yes.
Similarly, you will never have to read HOFAS to understand the upcoming acotar book. If you read it, great! You'll have a more rounded understanding of whats going to happen but it has never been a must.
Bonuses and the crossover, are additional readings you can take on to get more context but the acotar series alone is literally all you need to read to understand the next book.

This instance that you must read hofas by antis is only because they are relying on Nesta to be heavily featured in the next books so Gwynriel can happen.

Yes she was part of hofas. So was Azriel. Both characters where there to gain the history of the prison as well as the HKs and lineages. That information will obviously be recapped and shared within acotar 6 for those thousands of readers who haven't read HOFAS.

BB confirmed it themselves, acosf is wrapped up therefore Nesta's story is wrapped up. Nothing suggests another Nesta-focused book.

The dusk court does not belong to Nesta. A land thats filled with death doesn't need more death, it needs life. Regeneration. Hope. And there is only one character associated with all 3 which is Elain.
Look at how Bryce transformed Avallan. It wasn't done through death or silver flames. It was giving life back to that land. Allowing things to bloom again.
We have a character associated with life and spring.
With growing things from scratch. That is Elain.