When we talk about the cross-universe mates we typically discuss Theia and Aidas and, of course if you’re reading this you’re at least slightly Brycurious, Bryce and Azriel.

But what about Lidia and Ruhn? Lidia, the descendent of Brannon, (>!possibly Aelin herself!<), and the shifters of Erilea. Ruhn the descendent of the Starborn from Prythian. These two are literally cross-universe mates. So when folks say SJM wouldn’t… she technically already did… twice. And I think it’s pretty interesting that both Bryce and Ruhn have cross-universe mates. It’s almost like their bloodline is suppppperrr magical and special😜.

But then I ask myself… Are they truly “cross-universe” mates, as in two souls from separate distinct peoples, orrrrrr are both Fae the same species separated by their own world walking or the Asteri? Is the reason why “finding your mate” is so rare because these people(s) have been literally separated by time and space for eons?

One thing that has long haunted me from Silver Flames is what is the true identity of one of the creatures who Nesta summons in the bog to kill the kelpie.

“…a towering skeleton half-clad in rusted armor appeared behind him. Wrapped its arms around him. A face that was only bone peered over the kelpie’s shoulder, jaws opening to reveal pointed teeth—not High Fae, then—that gleamed before they buried themselves in the kelpie’s white flesh.”

Nesta doesn’t think it’s a High Fae because of the pointed teeth. But our TOG fae. They have pointed teeth. (And have a penchant for biting) So hoooowww or whyyyy is there potentially Eriela fae in Prythian? And in the freaking Middle?! And why is SJM pointing this thought process out unless they otherwise are actually High Fae. She could have just said pointed teeth bit into the kelpie and left it at that. The “ohhh not High Fae 🤷‍♀️” then seems deliberately put in there as a distraction.

And this just brings us alllll the way back to the prophecy. “When knife and sword are reunited so shall our people be.” I think, like many of you do, that this prophecy has not been fulfilled yet.

Not just the Starborn Fae returning to Prythian but also reuniting the species itself. Yes they are now connected in Midgard but they are still separated from their original home. Lidia and Ruhn being proof that shifters and fae have mating bonds. Possibly proof they were all one people to begin with.

This is why Bryceriel isn’t just a ship of two characters. It’s an idea that the entire series is not separate and all of these “Movements” are connected. It’s bigger than just Bryce and Azriel. To me the romantic aspects of it are almost secondary to the epic way it brings the whole thing together. I truly hope all of the amazing theorizing and analysis all the brilliant people here have been discussing since the beginning comes to fruition soon. Yall had your finger on the pulse from the start. I’ve truly appreciated my time in this community and theorizing with all of you. Excited for October. It’s gonna be a wild ride kids, buckle up.

This post will contain MAJOR CRESCENT CITY SPOILERS, but they will be marked below. Either way, go read it. You have 73 days. Do it. 

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Who among us thought Feyre would be in a love triangle with Lucien and Tamlin 🙋‍♀️…

When Feyre first arrives at the manor, she spends more time chasing Lucien down and is adamant about staying the HELL away from Tamlin. She spends so much time chasing after Lucien that Tamlin tells him to BTFO. Tamlin literally sends him away to deal with an issue on the border. Why would Feyre be drawn to Lucien? Her goal is to hopefully get Lucien to talk to Tamlin, right? But what if it's because her instincts were leading her to Lucien? Some part of her subconscious knew that Lucien was Elain’s mate. Feyre and Lucien do develop a friendship. I know that is on shaky ground now, but they do try to go to bat for each other (even if they aren't always successful).

I know that SJM had originally intended Nesta and Lucien to be mates, but that isn't really relevant here. The same premise would work if it were Nesta. Siblings are drawn to their sibling's mate. Or at least, on some biological level, trust them more than others. 

Now we get into Crescent City spoiler territory. If you're still here and you haven't read CC yet, again, you have 73 DAYS! Go. Read. The. Books. 

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>!Ruhn is drawn to Hypaxia immediately. He remarks on her scent multiple times. He muses that he doesn't know why he's so drawn to her. Ruhn doesn't have a romantic connection; he is adamant about that. But he nonetheless is drawn to Hypaxia. And in SAB and FAS, we learn why. Hypaxia’s sister is Ruhn’s mate. Ruhn and Lidia, inspite of their rocky start, end up being an epic love story. I was more drawn in by their relationship and how that progressed than I was by the main couple. !<

Obviously this isn't always the case with siblings and sibling mates; we know Nesta and Rhysand are not exactly the best of friends. But Rhysand does care for Elain, or has a soft spot for her. I think if Nesta hadn't been as well… Nesta 😜in the beginning, they might have gotten off on a better foot. And I do love their love-hate relationship with each other. Rhysta crackshippers riseeeee 😂😂 I kid, but seriously. Love that crackship. But we don't have the luxury of seeing how Rhysand may have reacted to Nesta or Elain before meeting Feyre. We don't know if he'd be drawn to either of them for one reason or another, >!like Ruhn with Hypaxia.!<

Now you can argue that just because they are mates doesn't mean that Elain will choose Lucien. And we will find that out in the next book(s). But SJM has made a connection between siblings and their future in-laws. (mate-in-law?) Will the friendship between Feyre and Lucien bode well for his pairing with Elain? Time will tell. In the meantime. Go read Crescent City.

I don't know if I need to put this disclaimer up, but I'm a Bryceriel, so clearly Hunt isn't my favorite MMC. He definitely has his positive moments, for sure. But one thing I see all the time online is Hunt being described as a "walking green flag," "golden retriever," or "cinnamon roll."

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Don't get me wrong, Hunt does some really nice things for Bryce, and he's a veteran freedom fighter. He cooks, he rubs her feet, her Familiar lol(Syrinx) likes him, and he saves her life twice. But are we talking about the same guy? The Umbra Mortis is a "golden retriever?" No. Ithan is a "golden retriever." Ruhn is a "cinnamon roll."

The same character who thinks this about his partner: "Disgust roiled through him. He'd never once hated Bryce, but in that moment, as she doubted him, he did." a golden retriever?

The same character who needed Bryce to have sex with him to calm him down before he fried their friends, allies, and her brother? uhh, a green flag?

The same character who lied to her through book one, assumed the worst of her at every turn? A cinnamon roll?

The same character who said that he "would just go along with" her plans? again, this is a green flag????

This guy is a "golden retriever, green flag, cinnamon roll?

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But if Hunt is a green flag, golden retriever, cinnamon roll, what moments am I missing where he allows these traits to show? Tell me what I'm missing about Hunt Athalar that makes him warm, positive, innocent, sweet, adorable, and supportive.

I know it's considered crack because they haven't met yet, but I think Targwyn has foreshadowing for dayyyssss. I'm here to sell you on why I think this is a "not-crackship." Targwyn is like a crisp Diet Coke to me, not crack. It's got bubbles, it's got sweetness, it's satisfying! Let's begin.

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​As a disclaimer, the spoilers hidden are for CC and TOG. I have marked them accordingly. I won't spoil anything for you if you have only read ACOTAR. You can totally read the argument laid out below without those portions.

Both are described with "Summer" or "Sea" imagery

"Tarquin was summer incarnate in turquoise and gold, bits of emerald shining at his buttons and fingers." Chap 33 MAF

"Quiet settled around her, as if Gwyn had been a summer storm that blew in and evaporated within a moment." - Chap 9 SF

“Gwyn gestured to her large eyes—blue so clear it could have been the shallow sea..." Chap 29 SF

I think the fact that both Gwyn and Tarquin have clear similarities in the way they are visually or metaphorically described is a dead giveaway that they will be connected in some form or fashion. Romantic or not, I don't think it was a coincidence that both Gwyn and Tarquin are described this way.

Tarquin is a Dreamer

“Perhaps others might call me inexperienced or foolish, but I have seen those cruelties firsthand, and known many good lesser faeries who suffered for merely being born on the wrong side of power. Even within my own residences, the confines of tradition pressure me to enforce the rules of my predecessors: the lesser faeries are neither to be seen nor heard as they work. I would like to one day see a Prythian in which they have a voice, both in my home and in the world beyond it.” Chap 33 MAF

Gwyn being a quarter nymph is considered “lesser fae” in some courts. Gwyn's mother is unable to live in Spring and is sent to the Autumn Court temple. Gwyn has found refuge in the Night Court for now, but is this where she truly belongs long term? Summer could be a place where she could be accepted and help Tarquin make a better place. Politically, it would create even stronger ties between Summer and Night. Maybe even Autumn and Spring because of Gwyn's heritage.

Both Tarquin and Gwyn have stones that amplify or showcase their powers, and Gwyn's power..

"A crown of sapphire and white gold fashioned like cresting waves sat atop his seafoam-colored hair—so exquisite that I often caught myself staring at it." Chap 33 MAF

Tarquin's sapphires in his crown have a similar allure to them that Gwyn's invoking stone does. I also think it is interesting the way Nesta describes Gwyn's power coming through the stone when Gwyn uses it to ward against the darkness in the library that was trying to "eat" Nesta:

"Gwyn reached into the pocket of her pale robe and pulled out the blue stone of the priestesses. It fluttered with light, like the sun on a shallow sea.." Chap 15 SF

This could even set up the potential for Gwyn to be High Lady of Summer. As stated above, her powers are similar to "the sun on a shallow sea." That feels very "Summer" coded power to me. Summer isn't just about the water. It's about the sun, the salt, the storms.

High Ladies have the same powers as the High Lords. i.e., Feyre and Rhys or Viviann and Kalias.

Not only does she have Summer-coded powers, but she's clever and resourceful. She was chosen to work with one of the brightest priestesses at the library very soon after her arrival, and luring the creatures to the unsuspecting Illyrians was pretty genius. This, among being a warrior! I know these are really minor examples, but I feel Gwyn's kindness, intelligence, and bravery would make her a great High Lady and totally able to stand amongst the other powerful High Ladies: Feyre, Viviann, and CC SPOILER >!*cough* Bryce *cough* *cough*!<

Gwyn is an Adventurer at Heart

"But Emerie asked, “What do you read?” “Adventure, sometimes mysteries." Chap 28 SF

"Emerie had brought a copy of one of Drake’s tamer novels for Gwyn, who had arrived blushing the next morning and told Emerie that if the book was considered tame, then she could only imagine the content of the others." Chap 29

Gwyn didn't ask for another of the Romance books, and we don't get any indication Gwyn continued to read Emerie and Nesta's chosen genre. Not that Gwyn isn't interested in being in love or sex, but the priestess who's secluded in a library is craving an adventure. Gwyn seems to me interested in uncovering mysteries. Why not a sea adventure with the handsome and kind High Lord of Summer? Maybe to find what happened to a legendary blade called Narben 👀? Maybe to claim it for herself 👀? Falling in love being secondary to the adventure or part of the adventure itself TOG SPOILER (>!Similar to Nesryn perhaps!<..)

Other End Game Couples with Foreshadowing Before They Meet

TOG Spoilers below..

I get that we didn't know Rhysand or >!Sartaq!< when we met Feyre and >!Nesryn!<, and we have met Tarquin. But if we apply what we know about how these characters are now after the fact and how they had signs pointing to their endgame before they actually get their meet-cute, and apply the same principles to Gwyn and Tarquin. I think when they finally do meet, it will be clear they were meant to be together all along.

Feyre and Rhysand 

The famous dresser and her night sky on pg 23.. Rhysand and Feyre don’t even get their meet-cute until page 193. Freaking 170 pages later??? 

Feyre has dreams of Amarantha, possibly having a mind connection with Rhys before she met him.

>!Nesryn and Sartaq!<

>!Nesryn's mother called her wind seeker. Sartaq tasted like wind. I feel scent is probably not noted as much for human characters because we may not get a vanir or fae POV to confirm the scent. But taste and smell go hand in hand.!<

>!Nesryn sought adventure; like Gwyn, she wanted to leave the confines and bigotry of Rifthold behind and find her place. She felt a calling to go to the Southern Continent. And in the end, Nesryn became an Empress!!<

I think Gwyn is destined for greatness. Gwyn and Tarquin give me epic adventure fantasy love. They give me Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann vibes from Pirates of the Caribbean.

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​Unhinged, but they give me Fantasy and Adventure vibes from The Pagemaster ☠️.

​I hope this ship sets sail because I feel they'd have a beautiful story, and it could connect us to other courts and give us a POV of them if Gwyn is a POV in the next books. How amazing would that be to explore The Summer Court through Gwyn's eyes!? I hope Gwyn gets an epic adventure that is of her choosing. Because she's already epic, but I want to see Gwyn go on an adventure that she got to decide on, not one she was thrown into like the Rite. I want to see Gwyn bring her badassery to the rest of Prythian. 🩵

Edit: I took out a part I realized I copied and pasted from my notes twice :) sorry y'all

I was listening to the graphic audio part 1 of House of Earth and Blood last night. This post from u/imagine_youre_a_deer got me thinking about whether there are any other “clues” in the rest of the audio about Bryceriel or the Dusk Court plot.

At the end of part 7, the last 3 mins, the music choice was super interesting. It coincided with Chap 22 in EAB starting from page 285-286 in my e-book. Bryce is thinking about a lot of things: the statue of Cthona and Solas she just sold, the archeseon amulet, the horn, the Starborn, Danika. But during all these musings, the background music is something I recognized from the ACOTAR graphic audio. It played literally all the time. I’m not sure whether this is a deliberate use of a music score from the ACOTAR graphic audio to show a connection between the series or a reuse of older recordings to save money. I’m going to keep my ear out for it the rest of the audio to see if it pops up again.

Part of me thinks I’m being a little overzealous, but the other thinks nothing is by accident…

Think Padme’s music is a blend of Luke’s theme and Leia’s theme. A nod to the children she’d never meet but would ultimately save the galaxy, and who were “the chosen” ones.

Bryce and Sarah’s manicures are not an accident. They were deliberate from the beginning. And that’s not even getting to the fact that they have matching pedicures. Not pictured because if you want tootsies for free on KrisJenner4Bryceriel’s internet, you’ve got another thing coming..

Bryce takes a hot girl jog and leads the Umbra Mortoes to the nail salon. He proceeds to sit outside and lament that Bryce is a vapid girl to get her nails done. Meanwhile, this genius is getting information that his 33rd buddies didn’t even think to ask about. 

Bryce doesn’t just get Cajun Shrimp or Funny Bunny. No, this girl gets a DUSK ombré nail. 

“She examined her nails, now painted in some sort of color gradient that went from pink to periwinkle tips. Like the sky at twilight. “No one likes a nag, Athalar.””

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An ombré mani isn’t exactly a quick process. It requires the thinnest of layers, sponges, and clean up at every stage.

“Bryce seated at one of the marble workstations, hands outstretched to a pretty reddish-gold-scaled draki female who was putting yet another coat of polish on her nails. How many did she need?”

And that is just if you’re doing a regular polish mani. Not to add in a full set or an ANC/dip. So let's assume that Bryce just got polish. Because we know she has long, natural nails.

“She kept her nails long—and took a daily elixir to keep them strong.”

My mani took me, give or take about two hours (also multitasking and such). Bryce chose that style for a reason. She knew it was going to take the Draki female a long time. And added bonus, it’s a very meditative and not super difficult skill-wise, so I can see how it would get someone in the zone and chatting away. Bryce Quinlan is the furthest thing from a vapid girl. She’s brilliant. 

I also believe this is the first Dusk-coded imagery we get of our High Lady of Dusk. It was her crown from the beginning. 🦄🌙

Now that brings us to the fateful Call Her Daddy interview…

Where SJM is sporting a Dusk Manicure…

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“You're going to sit here and tell me that I'm WRONG?? SHE WORE A DUSK CODED MANICURE, DOUG!!!”

You're gonna tell me that SJM sat in a nail salon for at minimum of two hours to get this dusk-coded ombré set and it was just a coincidence?? She said, "Give me a pink to periwinkle ombré” and “kinda forgot about Bryce’s manicure”. Just serendipity?? Come on… 

I know a bunch of us were pumped to get our sets when the prompts were announced so I cannot wait to twin and see what others did/got done. And bless you girls who went to the salon for hours like SJM and Bryce. And thank you to all the nail artists and technicians out there. Always making our nail dreams come true🩷💙nail tax!

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What I used:

Pink- Death’s Trumpet by Mooncat (changes in sunlight😱y'all helped me pick this one out)

Purple- Tiny but Mighty by Lights Lacquer (Fav formula)

Blue- If Frogs had Wings by Mooncat

Base- OPI and Top coat is Speed Demon

Elena, Elena, Elena... you really do keep all the secrets, don't know....

In the last Elena chapter, we mused about the Four Movements

And now we're gonna muse about the whole damn Maasvserse...

We have another rare Elena POV in Chapter 65, subtitled "Dawn at the Obsidian Passes"

(wonder what other pass with an obsidian obelisk at the top is significant at dawn...??)

Elena breaks the lock, seals Erawan away, and the Gods show up to doom Brannon's line.

"They had no forms. They were only figments of light and shadows, wind and rain, song and memory. Each individual, and yet part of one majority, one consciousness."

The Gods are not named, but they do have these descriptions:

"[the one of] sea and sky and storms" - House of Sky and Breath

"the one of many shifting voices, both animal and human." - House of Earth and Blood

"The one of flame and light and ashes" - House of Flame and Shadow

"The one who saw all with wise, calm eyes" - Elain Archeron, the seer

"The one with a voice of steel and shields and arrows" - Nesta Archeron, the general

"The one with three faces" - Feyre Archeron, the mother

The Gods of Erilea each correspond with a different story that SJM is writing/has written, other than the one we are currently in. The story of Erilea, Midgard, and Prythian.

"Elena" is laying it all out for us before we even get to Aelin falling through time and space. These series are not separate. While yes, they can be read individually, they are all "part of one majority, one consciousness."

This right here is why the Bryceriel ship is so damn compelling. These are epic romantic fantasies, and what better way to tie all your fantasy romance series together than with a cross-universe romance? And even if SJM doesn't, it is in black and white, on-page, call it "canon" that these stories are coming together as one.

Heavy Series Ruining Spoilers Ahead For the 100!!

If you want to watch "The 100" and haven't, this is your opportunity to turn around and go watch our favorite delinquents save humanity. See ya in 7 seasons!

Gonna just leave this screenshot from SJM's tumblr right mer…

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Oh, Bellamy Blake…. You really broke everyone's heart. The final season of “The 100” was certainly controversial. While it is still clunky, in my opinion, one thing that I have realized after a long time thinking about it is that Bellamy Blake was always going to break our hearts. And I think there are some very interesting parallels between Hunt Athalar and Bellamy. 

Bellamy, in the end, betrays Clarke, betrays us; it hurts. When Clarke was crying falling through the portal, damn did I cry with her. But, this was always in Bellamy’s character. He's never been a leader, he's always been a follower. Always looking for meaning, and sometimes in the wrong places. 

Bellamy, after a soul-searching hike across Etherea, believes he has discovered the meaning of the universe. A way for humanity to ascend. He drinks the Bardo kool-aid and joins up with the Disciples/Second Dawn, kidnaps Madi, and is eventually killed by Clarke when she comes to try and protect and save Madi. And damn if it didn't hurt watching Clarke sob fall through that portal (eliza taylor we know it hurt you, too!)

Now 100 fans know that even though Clarke and Lexa are 🩷 Clarke and Bellamy had a “will they-won’t they,” “he sent her messages every day for 6 years” relationship. Some fans thought they might be the endgame, and I was one of them, which is why his treachery was sooo polarizing. 

Bellamy was willing to commit acts of terror, kill innocents, and hurt his “friends” in the beginning; it's who he was in the end. A scared human, seeking answers to why, and falling down the wrong path to try and make it right. Even if he was correct in the end, about transcendence being real. His path to get there left him unable to ascend. 

Now, looking at Hunt Athalar, I see someone similar. A man looking for meaning. A man who is not a leader, even though others beg him to be or expect him to be. Hunt followed Shahar, and his path led to his enslavement. Hunt is following Bryce inspite of the Oracle's warning. Hunt, like Bellamy, has never wanted to be a leader, even though he's constantly thrown into that role, and I wonder if we will see a similar betrayal by Hunt because of this part of his character. Perhaps Hunt will try to do what he thinks is right, but will be misled by the Princes of Hel. Similar to Bellamy and the Disciples. We know Hunt is constantly trying to pull up Bryce’s reins, to keep her from running full speed ahead into her destiny. Sometimes caution is good, but as Bryce says in the caves in Avallen, “just going along with it” or “having her back” is not enough for her. It wasn't enough for Clarke Griffin, it damn sure isn't going to be good enough for Bryce Quinlan.^(dang, clarke and bryce have a lot more in common now that i think about it... maybe that deserves a deep dive..)

Bellamy was always looking for someone to tell him what to do—someone to guide him. And when desperation and propaganda meet, it is a deadly combination. 

Before really getting into fantasy, I almost exclusively read science fiction. Intended or not, I read fantasy with the same mindset. I don’t think SJM is just writing fantasy or modern fantasy at this point but devling into major science fiction territory. Re-reading has solidified this belief for me and I almost no longer feel like I’m reading a fantasy but science fiction with magic. Below will make some connections to science fiction books, movies, shows and a video game.

A.G. Riddle’s The Long Winter trilogy. My connection mainly deals with the final novel in series. Heavy science fiction elements. Humanity must leave Earth behind due to an advanced “alien” race building a grid around the planet, blocking out the sun. Humanity escapes Earth and settles on Eos. Eos is a planet that is tidally locked to a red dwarf, which would result in the humans essentially living in perpetual twilight, kind of an interesting connection. In the final book the main character, James Sinclair is confronted with a vision of the humans that they left behind on the dying Earth. The vision isn’t one of reunion, but these humans are now altered and angry. They want to kill the colonists on Eos for vengeance and are on their way.

Sailor Moon, has the Dead Moon Arc and the Black Moon Clan. All basically the same race of being coming to destroy Usagi (the white moon clan/sailor guardians) because they felt cast out or left behind. Then there’s the whole Chaos arc which I believe is basically evil sailor moon from the future. I haven’t gotten that far in the series yet, just basically the 90s anime up to Black Moon clan and half way through the newish series on Netflix.

Bryce has a throw away line in HOFAS where she is talking with Einar and about how much time has passed and she mused that time works the same or similarly in Prythian. But that doesn’t mean that’s the same for Erilea… or for Hel, or the original Asteri’s world. Think Interstellar or the 100. One minute on one planet could be years on another based on the planets relative position to a black hole. In the 100, Hope is a child who was trapped on a Prison Planet where time moves much faster than normal. Years on the Prison Planet are minutes in Bardo. When Hope grows up, she goes on a vengeance tour (fair babe).

Halo video game series features the Forerunners, an ancient race that ruled over the galaxy, and the Covenant, a modern coalition of alien races who worship the Forerunners. And the Forerunners and the Covenant do not like humanity, at allllll. Now the Forerunners aren’t evil parasites like the Asteri but I think there’s an interesting connection to be made here in that the Covenant are basically a corrupted version of the Forerunners. Asteri vs Hel/Valg They worship them but they do not have the benevolence that the Forerunners had, well expect for humanity.

So the above media that I’ve consumed/read has helped me form this hypothesis/theory on the Asteri/Valg/Hel connection.

The Asteri have been trapsing world walking across the universe for milennia. But not every Asteri has this ability. Only the most “brilliant.” We’ve all made the connection that the Asteri destroyed their original planet. Leaving it a dark, cold and desolate place. How Hel is described and how the Valg home world is described. Then we learn Maeve is special amongst the Valg with her ability to world walk, thus coveted by the Valg kings. This quote in Kingdom of Ash jumped out at me..

“She picked the eldest among them, not for any particular skill or grace, but for his countless libraries. What she might learn in his lands, what she might do with her power … It was that knowledge she craved, not the king himself.” - KoA page 183 chap 20

Hmmmmm a race of people who believe libraries hold power or can be a weapon…

““Priestess,” Apollion hissed, and Roga lifted eyes brimming with disdain and disgust to the Prince of the Pit. “Still wondering if I’m going to do anything with those books?” Roga snapped at Apollion. She pointed to Bryce, dead on the ground. “Don’t you think if they had some power, I’d be using it right now to save that girl?” HOFAS chapter 99

Apollion assaults and curses Jesiba because he believes she is hiding power in the Parthos library. Perhaps Apollion is acting upon a prejudice, did he know Maeve, did Apollion see what Maeve was able to do and like any patriarchal ass hat decide that books in the hands of women is dangerous. Now don’t get me wrong Maeve is evil and she got what was coming to her in the end but I do have empathy for the fact that she was hunted by the Valg Kings.

Now to bring alllll of this together. I believe that the Valg and the PoH are the same beings. The Asteri being their predecessors. Time might work differently on Erilea or on the Asteri home world/Hel. If we do get to see our characters from Throne of Glass again, I believe SJM will use this time dilation as a way to explain. Perhaps when the shifters of Erilea world walked into Midgard and began life anew, time worked more slowly on Erilea, minutes on Erilea would be years on Midgard and Prythian. The time dilation could come into play too with Hel moving faster as well. Giving them a longer time to forget they were Asteri or plan a millennia long campaign to destroy the Asteri that left them behind. This isn’t a requirement because Rigelus even says they have forgotten which planet is their home world and wouldn’t have realized they stumbled back upon it when they tried to subjugate Hel. But their methods didn’t work in Hel, perhaps because they are the same race and their powers are equally matched. Unable to world walk until Maeve. The PoH and Valg Kings are both unable to world walk and require powerful females to do so. Adias can’t open the door to Theia, she had to find him. The PoH require Bryce to open the door. The Valg Kings, Maeve or the wyrd keys. Artificial means. We also have the connection between Hunt’s halo and the Wyrd collar/rings.

A call back to Elena’s line about “all the players in the unfinished game” being back in the board. Our characters now are fighting in the same battle that Elena and Theia did. That maybe even the PoH were railing against. If this theory pans out at all I believe this brings us full circle moment. Everything is connected back to the beginning, the Asteri learning the secrets of the universe and everything that happened from there. Bryce, the Archerons and possibly Aelin, finishing the battle that started eons ago.

I’d love to hear all your thoughts or if there’s any other science fiction elements you think are worth exploring.

Edit: because I forgot to add Red Rising. I know this series is gaining popularity so I’m going to add spoiler tags because these events are way later in the series like 6 books: >!the Ascomani are nomadic, raiding race of modified Obsidians. They are the descendants of original Obsidian rebels who escaped the devastating purges at the end of the Dark Revolt and fled to the Kuiper Belt. The Ascomani have a bone to pick with the Golds and are being set up to be the next big antagonists in the series. Similar to the Valg/PoH being cast out or left behind by the Asteri.!<

We have known since the CHD interview that the next two (three?) ACOTAR books are truly one book split. The Czech publisher posted the “Book in Four Movements” “leak” and there’s been a lot of theorizing and debate about what this means. From the simple “we knew this already from SJM herself” to “this is absolute confirmation that [redacted] is happening”. There’s also been very clever theorizing about how the book is being structured like (please see post by U/darklygrey - I tried to find your post but couldn’t 😞 if you see this please comment and link or send to me and ill edit if I can)

I tend to lean towards the “we already knew this”/SJM is structuring the story like a symphony vibe but this Empire of Storms chapter slapped me in the face.

Empire of Storms was published after SJM started writing her “omnibus.” At this time she had the ideas working for the crossover, planting the seeds and Easter eggs through ACOTAR and TOG. The opening chapter of Empire of Storms is a rare Elena POV.

(for the sake of quotations, except for the HOFAS quote, everything is from this first chapter in Empire of Storms)

Elena, a child of Fae and Goddess, says this, “She did not need the gift of her Fae ears to hear the prayers of her human army, both spoken and silent. She’d offered up several herself in the past few hours, though she knew they would go unanswered.”

“Both spoken and silent,” perhaps Elena has some daemati abilities… at this point my ears are perkkkedd👂

“Such a different time, a different world—when the lands had still been full of singing and light, when magic hadn’t begun to flicker in the growing shadow of Erawan and his demon soldiers.”

Umm jeez this sounds awfully familiar…

“Bryce examined the relief. Took in the dancing, the stars, the idyllic islands in the background. And she said softly, “It means that there was once joy in this world.” Silence. Then Nesta said, “That’s it?” Bryce kept her eyes on the dancers, the stars, the lush lands. Ignored the darkness beneath. Focused on the good—always the good. “Isn’t that all that matters?”” Chapter 12 HOFAS

and, Erawan… King of Valg has powers that suck up or nullify magic. 🚨 I’m sorry, that also sounds AWFULLY familiar, almost like the Asteri and almost like the Kristallos demon’s venom …

I am firmly in the camp that the Valg, the Asteri and the Princes of Hel are all the same “race” of being. The PoH being the Asteri that were left behind, unable to truly world walk or unable at the time. I have a larger meta theory and parallels to a couple science fiction book series, The Alien/Promethus franchise, Sailor Moon and the video game series Halo, but idk if I’m ready to share this one with the class yet…😅

Anyhow, hopefully you’re still with me because now we get to a juicy bit…

Elena begins to tell Gavin her plan, she’s going to use herself as bait to get captured by Erawan, then using Gavin as a distraction, she plans to trap Erawan.. and then Elena drops this line…

“And even if we manage to contain him—trap him …” Gavin considered her words. “You know that we are only pushing the war onto someone else—to whoever one day rules these lands.” “This war,” she said quietly, “is but the second movement in a game that has been played since those ancient days across the sea.”

Bitttch, did you just say “the second movement”

“But perhaps, when that third movement comes … perhaps the players in our unfinished game will be different. Perhaps it will be a future in which Fae and humans fight side by side, ripe with power. Maybe they will find a way to end this.”

😱AELIN AND CO THE THIRD MOVEMENT

It’s at this point I looked down at my infotainment screen and realize the title of the chapter… Nightfall.. as in DUSK… (blinking intensifies) I legit screamed “THE CHAPTER IS TITLED NIGHTFALL” at the red light..

A book in four movements… are we on to the “Fourth Movement” against these soul-sucking parasites - the Valg, the Daglan, the Asteri *coughs* the Princes of Hel *coughs*

With these next Acotar books are we going to see all the players in the unfinished game, i.e., our characters from acotar, cc, and tog (if not in the flesh, through the shifters in spirit) coming together? Human, Fae, all magical beings coming together for the final “fourth movement.”

Maybe “Twlight of the Gods” isn't a new series but what SJM calls/will call her Omnibus - TOG, ACOTAR, CC when they all finally come together. (See soft-bookworm's brilliant comment here ) all the “children of the Gods” coming together to defeat the Asteri, for good? And the fact that the chapter is titled NIGHTFALL. The entire fandom is talking about Dusk. Idk I can't shake that there's just something too coincidental here to ignore. Lol vibes writer my ass…

After the CHD podcast, I was feeling particularly down. I know a lot of us were. I love making playlists for these books, and I at that point I hadn't gotten around to making a “Bryce”-themed playlist yet. So I decided to put a hold on my Feyre playlist and throw myself into a complete, “cinematic” Crescent City playlist. Each song fits with an event in the books. That’s part of why it’s 5 hours long 🫣 (and if you’re like who the heck needs a 5-hour-long playlist, look I have a 2-hour commute, I do distance running, and have ADHD🫠)

There are all sorts of genres and types of music. So there’s something for everybody. “Sad sack” music, heavy metal, synth, hyper pop, and instrumentals (mostly signifying the end of one book).

Some of my favorites:
🦄 Love Chromeo and figured they would be a perfect “House” band for the Raven. So every time (except the first time) we’re at the Raven in the book a Chromeo song will play.

🦄”Let’s Have a Kiki” by the Scissor Sisters - when Bryce, Fury, and June are partying and Danika and the pack are being murdered (my husband side-eyed me for this one ha but I like the juxtaposition of this ultra pop hit and Danika yelling at the pack to “lock the doors tight” while Bryce slow-motion parties it up.)

🦄” Slow Song” by The Knocks - when Hunt has to trail Bryce on her first run to the nail salon 💅 she definitely plays him like a slow song.

🦄”Kiss Me” by New Found Glory for Bryce and Hunt’s walk through the garden when the flowers bloom.. and then they get attacked by the Kristallos 🙃

🦄”Wild Horse” by Freya Ridings - my Lele 😢

🦄”Blinding Lights” by All Time Low ➡️ “Golden” by Huntr/x for Bryce’s epic “Savior of the City” sequence

🦄”First Light” by Lindsey Stirling - for Sofie 😢

🦄”Midnight City” by M83 - Bryce landing in Velaris at Azriel’s feet

🦄OF COURSE I had to put “Stone Mother” “Wolf” by First Aid Kit on here

🦄”MERCY KILL” by Vukovi and then “Borderline” by Tove Love for Bryce’s two sort of “battles” with Az and Nesta

🦄”Promises” by Nero - Lidia’s rescue of Ruhn, Baxian and Hunt

🦄Anytime the Sprites triplets are fucking shit up I picked BABYMETAL - their song “RATATATA” with Electric Call Boy for Lidia and the four Sprites decimate the Asteri’s forces.

🦄”Bitter” by KTJ and CARLY - basically sums up Bryce in the Avallen caves

I’ll probably do a post or two on some of these. I love analyzing music alongside books or movies.

I loved working on this. It definitely got me into a better mindset moving forward with the next installments in the Maasverse. If you decide to give it a listen, let me know which ones were your favorite.🩷🦄