Base of blurb there will be betrayals that will split the IC hence splintered harmony. We know Rhys wasn’t happy with Nesta’s decision of helping Bryce. What if Elain betrayal is what push it? She might want to be human again and got manipulated by Koshei instead?

I know some think its Gwyn, but if she is the betrayer it will only hurt Nesta and Emerie. It doesn’t really split the IC. Some say it might be Mor, but she would have already done it while Rhys was under the mountain. Some say it will be Amren but she was willing to sacrifice her life in Hybern war so I don’t see it. Plus most reader want her to stay dead so her betraying wouldn’t land much.

Some say it might be Azriel due to him being angry at Rhys for stopping him to pursue Elain. Again, I don’t see it. I actually don’t think he was still angry at Rhys at all. He did follow Rhys order, he was happy for Rhys when the baby arrive, and he was angry at Nesta for Rhy because of the Bryce situation.

This leaves me with Elain. She’s the only one that can create an impact and leave IC split. Rhys will try to do what best for the Night Court. Feyre will have her sister’s back. Nesta will also have her sister back. Mor and Amren will have Rhys. Both Cassian and Azriel will be split. We might even get the sleeping beauty retelling for Elain on this. This might also what sets the adventure to Dusk and Autumn.

So I don’t really mind who Azriel ends up with (hoping for Gwyn) but I just can’t see the whole Elriel thing. Yes they’ve both got a slight crush on each other but I just can’t see how they can be endgame when Cassian literally gave like 2 pages of reasons why Elain doesn’t belong in the Night Court. So I feel like there is no way they can be endgame unless Azriel leaves the Night Court which I can never see happening. So I just want to hear other people’s opinion and reasoning on Elriel. No hate is intended ever ❤️

First, I come in peace, and expect everyone despite their ship preference to return the favor.

This is a neutral, curious question, so please keep the comment section polite. My question is directed to those who wholeheartedly believe in the Bryceriel endgame. Sorry it's way too long.

If your ship ends up being canon endgame, how do you see it technically going over in the rest of the CC books? Hunt and Bryce have developed their relationship for 3K pages and are in a solid place, no cracks to be seen. There is one confirmed CC book left, at least. Let's say that Bryce and Az end up together in ACOTAR 6-8. How would this go over in CC4?

CC3's events can't be meaningless, but the series aren't officially told to be read as one. They aren't marketed as a ONE series with a specific reading order and all, is what I mean. No matter how beneficial it might be to read both for the certain plot. Some people will forever prefer only CC or only ACOTAR. This is not a slight against either.

At the moment, ACO6 will likely have to summarize the CC3 events somehow, unless we get a whole retelling of the whole thing, which is unlikely. That would then mean that CC4 would have to have a summary of ACO6-8, which seems impossible and a waste of pages to tell the same story twice.

If Bryceriel was endgame, then logically CC4 would have to explain the complete turnaround and the mate plotwist to its own audience who do not read ACOTAR. What would happen to Hunt and his friends? How would the author get the majority to ship Bryce with someone else when Hunt has done nothing to deserve the rejection? Or would the author not care about the fandom's support or lack thereof? Do *any* pairings exist in all of Maasverse that have the collective disapproval of the majority? No pairing will ever have the full support of every single fan, disagreements happen, but I can't think of a single pair that has failed to gain the acceptance of most readers.

If Hunt was a relatively new love interest like Tamlin was (Tamlin and Feyre's love story lasted for a few hundred pages before the cracks started showing), it would seem more plausible. But 3K pages in and then a sudden turnaround out of nowhere? All this for *Azriel* who, bless him, is not even an MC of his own series? I love Az, I'm not criticizing him. Bryce and Az had chemistry and bonded weapons and whatnot, but is it enough to undo the past 3K pages and three whole massive books of a different relationship build-up? Could their chemistry *maybe* be read as something other than romantic?

Imagine Aelin suddenly mated with Ruhn after a visit to his world in the last book. It wouldn't gain much support from the majority of the fandom. How is this any different, really?

Not to mention that if Bryceriel indeed happened, every single following ACOTAR and CC book would simply have too many characters, povs, relationships, plots and subplots, enemies, universes, political swirls, freaking \*everything\* too much. Wouldn't they? Each are great stories on their own, and a smaller merged plotline might work, but does anyone honestly see a full merging of the two working logically for the rest of the existence of both series? And if CC and ACOTAR ended up being one big story, wouldn't TOG fans cry unfair? Wouldn't it then follow that all three series merged? Would anything make sense anymore if they did? Would every single fan be then required to read ALL 19+ books to be able to continue each new novel in literally any series?

Genuine theories are welcome! I'm interested in all sound views. Please try to understand my overall question and point, and don't take it as an attack or get stuck on a single sentence. Best of luck to every single ship out there though! Nothing is certain until October 27th.

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.

How perfect is it that the sub icon (as chosen by us debaters) is the Valkyries right now with the new title announcements!! This sub is clearly filled with Seers ✨ 👁️ ✨

My favorite theory I’ve seen so far:
If the titles are real, then it’s a high probability that SJM had been inspired by the Greek mythology of the Moirai.
The moirai are believed to be “(The Three Fates—Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos) are a trio of powerful female cosmic entities who control life and destiny.”
Clotho, who is the god which spins the thread of the lives.

We already know a stygian spider can shapeshift, what if Clotho is the Stygian spider?
Azriel got the rose necklace meant for elain at a place called “The palace of **Thread** and Jewels,” this could’ve been left out but I think SJM left it in there for a specific reason.

I see a lot of people theorizing that the clock struck 7 to signify that Gwyn would be singing at the service but what if the clock striking 7 was never meant to be about Gwyn drawing Az in?
The number 7 is universally known to represent “completeness, inner wisdom, intuition, and the deep search for truth.”

Even in Celtic folklore the number 7 represents “magical power, completion, and sacred cycles.”
This all wraps back to Clotho. Clotho from the Moirai is also known as “the spinner.”
She “physically spins the thread of human life from a distaff onto her spindle at birth, setting each mortal's destiny into motion.”

Doesn’t it look like the Stygian spider in the ACOSF 7 cover is spinning a thread?

And this is where I think Gwynriel comes back into it. If the Stygian spider is meant to represent Clotho, the spinner of fate, then the imagery surrounding the 7th chapter/clock striking 7 could be pointing toward something much bigger than Gwyn simply drawing Azriel in with her singing. If
Clotho is “spinning” the threads of destiny throughout the book, then it would make sense that the library is intentional foreshadowing for the person fate is ultimately drawing Azriel toward.

Especially when the same book gives us the “Thread and Jewels” connection and a Stygian spider that appears to be spinning a thread. It almost feels like SJM is telling us that the thread has already been spun, we just haven't seen where it leads yet.

So obviously this is an Elucien theory. I believe other couples are set up to be the rejected mating bond and Elucien is a red herring for that story and that when the timing is right Elain and Lucien will end up as Springs It Couple!

They both have a lot of growth and healing ahead of them obviously, they need character development and journeys and what better way to do that that with a book all about them!

This post was inspired by the rise in negative Lucien talk I've seen lately around the subs and I wanted to give my 2 cents because this is the internet and thats what we all like to do on here.

"You ruined any chance I have of going back to Spring. Not to Tamlin, but to the court beyond his house. Everyone either still believes the lies you spun or they believe me complicit in your deceit."

THIS QUOTE has caused quite the uproar lately, let's talk about it!

I'm not interested in arguments about Luciens audacity towards Feyre. If characters were perfect before their story is over then what is the point? Lucien and Feyre have some stuff to sort out, whatever.

The real point is: Lucien wants Spring. Not Tamlin. Not the Manor. The Court and its PEOPLE.

But wait Lucien will get Day Court or Autumn Court. NO NO NO. They might pick him but he won't pick them. He will find a way back to Spring while avoiding the f out of taking up Day Court as his home. It is not even confirmed that Lucien even is Helion's son. But even if he was Beron's son and this same scenario pops up with Autumn choosing him, he will not want it. He wants SPRING.

Elain doesnt want fate to tell her what to do, she wants to CHOOSE. Lucien wants to CHOOSE too, for the first time in his life he won't be anyone else's pawn. His own vision for the court he has called home for so long. His FOUND home, not his BIRTH home. We all love a good FOUND family when the BIRTH family sucks, so let's get behind that FOUND home concept.

People seem to agree that Elain is destined for Spring, if ever there was somebody Sping coded its Elain. Thats where the rising popularity of Elain with Tamlin comes from. That would be kinda creepy though considering that is Feyre's ex and all that Tamlin has done, Elain does NOT want Tamlin.

Is it possible that Elain sees herself in Spring in a vision but has not foreseen Tamlin for some reason and thinks she would live under his rule therefore avoiding her fate. Has she seen glimpses of PARTS of a story and has assumed incorrectly how Spring would actually function. The seer misinterprets visions as she learns her powers; classic!

I dont think Lucien will be the one with the powers of Spring. I see Elain being the one chosen by the magic. Elain's court, Lucien by her side serving its people, keeping peace with the humans that share a border with Spring.

"Everyone either still believes the lies you spun or they believe me complicit in your deceit."

People underestimate Elain, they see her as delicate and pure, Elain does not see herself that way, she wants to fight, she wants to help, she is at odds with how people see her, assume things about her. Sound a bit like Luciens conflict with Spring? DING DING DING WE GOT A WINNER! They view him as a liar, complicit in deceit. The Seer and the Golden Eye Fox must change the way the world SEES THEM to align with how they view themselves!

Elain doesnt like doing things the easy way, she wants to earn it. F the magic gloves and wants to get down and dirty, she wants a challenge. What better challenge than a broken court? She can build back the spirt of Spring, plant the seeds of love and caring, host parties and make the people feel the joy and hope of a Spring that was once lost but now reborn under Elain and Lucien.

Elucien, the future It Couple of Spring! 🌸🦊

Am I the only one who thinks Lucien and Gwyn might end up together?

Don't get me wrong, I love Elain and Lucien and Gwyn and whoever she ends up with. But what if the two characters who were never chosen end up choosing each other?

I started thinking about this and then went through all the similarities I could think of.

1. Both Lucien and Gwyn are two characters who, as far as we know, don't really have a place to call home. They're living under someone else's employment/protection, and they don't really have a home they can just go back to. Both have lost their original homes and are dealing with a lot of trauma because of it.

2. Both of them have also seen someone die brutally right in front of them, and both carry guilt connected to those deaths.

3. They also both have this connection to light and glowing. Gwyn has her connection to light, flames, and that whole glowing-in-the-sunlight thing, while Lucien obviously inherited his light powers from Helion.

4. Both have red hair (right?) and they like when ppl snap at them.

5. Their identities and family situations are also complicated. Lucien's surname isn't even originally his own, and Gwyn's whole situation with her family and name is complicated too. And yet these two are few of the characters with last names

6. Then there's the Pegasus. Gwyn is the only one we've seen get particularly close to it, and I don't know, I just feel like that's something worth mentioning.Also, Gwyn is a librarian, and what does Day court have in plenty ? libraries

And I KNOW Lucien and Gwyn have never actually met as far as we know, and Lucien is triggered by priestess. I'm not saying this is my ship either. I'm just wondering if there could be a chance.

Maybe the two characters who were never chosen could choose each other?

Also, I really don't like the theory of Lucien being Gwyn's father/grandfathers. I just want Lucien and Gwyn to be Happy and find a home, whether that's individually or together.

So this theory applies only on the ground that both are not related That's it. That's the theory/head canon.

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.

This isn't a ship vs ship post, but there are people in this fandom who are very dishonest when it comes to Elain and Lucien, or Azriel; they say completely absurd things that might make sense in any other series, but certainly not in *ACOTAR* 😭

For example: "Lucien was the reason Elain was thrown into the Cauldron, so they can't be together."

For starters, it was Ianthe, not Lucien; but don't you remember when Rhysand *literally* twisted the bone in Feyre's arm until she agreed to make a deal with him, or when he *actually* forced her to wear revealing clothes and painted her body—and Feyre thought he was doing it because he was evil, until they got to know each other better?

Or that whole thing about "Elain feeling uncomfortable around Lucien"... Honey, Nesta practically told Cassian to k/ll himself in every scene!! She constantly said she didn't want to be near him and even kicked him in the balls, and yet...💀

"Azriel feels entitled to Elain." Rhysand sent Feyre to a GOD OF DEATH!! to steal his mother's ring and qualify herself as worthy of being his future wife, and he didn't tell her why. Mind you, they weren't even in a relationship when he did that, but he just had to make sure... isn't that a sense of entitlement over someone?

I’m not saying there aren’t reasons to criticize both Elucien and Elriel, but come on, guys, don’t you see the irony when comparing them to the main couples? 😭

Plus, we need these things to add spice, drama, and tension, and I love ✨DRAMA✨

for me its frerard, ( frank iero and gerard way) why do people ship them?

Okay, I might be completely delusional here, but I’ve been thinking about a possible pattern in SJM’s instagram posts and the Call Her Daddy interview, and I wanted to see what everyone else thinks. If someone has already made a post like this, I apologize in advance for the repetition, but I’d love to discuss it with someone! :)

One thing that keeps standing out to me is the repeated use of blue and pink.

On her March 5 Instagram post, SJM used one blue heart and one pink heart, along with music notes. Individually, none of those things necessarily mean anything but I find the combination interesting.

The Call Her Daddy interview makes me wonder about it even more.

SJM appeared wearing a blue/seaglass cardigan, while Alex Cooper was wearing pink. The colors were therefore once again placed together, this time very deliberately in the visual composition of the interview.

And this is where I start wondering:

What if the blue + pink combination is intentional?

Also, when it comes to the temporary book covers, ACOTAR 6 seems to have darker colors than ACOTAR 7. So I don’t know, I wonder if it’s simply a reference to the covers/vibes of the books, or if it could also be hinting at a possible ship, for example, Azriel + Elain or Azriel + Gwyn?

Of course, you can probably tell this is just my way of coping with the fact that we still don’t have official covers or titles 😂 so bear with me, I might just be making things up in my head, lol.

SJM has previously said she'd be interested in combining the snow queen with the Wild Swans as a retelling in her stories. I though it would be fun to try and see which way the story would go. I've only included the snow queen because the Wild Swans seems pretty clear to be a Vassa story and I'm not a writer so I have no idea how you would be able to perfectly mesh the two besides a lake being in both of them. 

Gerda - Enclosure, fenced in, protected one, 

Kai - sea, ocean, victory, triumphant music, warrior. 

The Snow Queen summary

There is a Troll Troll Mirror that makes people see the bad in people it one day splits and fall down to earth. Sometimes is lands in people and gives them a cold & bitter disposition. 

Kai and Gerda grow up together growing vegetables and roses. During one spring, Gerda sings a song to Kai about roses "Roses flower in the vale; there we hear Child Jesus' tale! ". After that the sight of roses would always remind Gerda of her love for Kai. 

One summer, Splinters of the broken troll mirror end up in Kai's eye and heart making him cruel and aggressive.  He destroys the gardens and becomes cruel to Gerda and her family as he can only see the bad in them.

The only thing he can look at without seeing anything bad is snowflakes. Whilst studying the snowflakes he is lead away by the snow queen. She kisses him to make him forget about Gerda and she takes him with her to her house in the clouds. 

Everyone assumes Kai has died and drowned in a local river when he is not seen again but Gerda doesn't believe so. She goes to the river and offered her shoes in return of him, the river returns her shoes. So she finds a boat and takes to the river, she comes across a sorceress who makes her forget Kai and the roses. The sorceress make all the roses in her garden hide beneath the soil so Gerda will not remember. One day Gerda sees a rose in the sorcerer's hat and instantly remembers Kai. She begins to cry and the roses in the garden grow from her tears. They tell her Kai is not dead. She runs away from the sorceress and realises it is now Autumn. 

Eventually Gerda locates the snow queens palace and says the Lord's prayer. Her breath takes the shape of angels and allows her past the guards. 

Gerda find Kai alone and immobile on a frozen lake called the mirror of reason. He has been set a task my the snow queen that be must complete to be released. Gerda runs up and kisses him, the kiss releases him from the spell and as Gerda begins to weep happy tears, her tears land on Kai and melt his heart and with it the splinter. Then Kai begins to cry and it washes away the splinter in his eye. Kai and Gerda return home to find that everything at home is the same, and that it is they who have changed; they are now grown up, and are also delighted to see that it is summertime.

Breakdown for each potential couple. with a theory of how it could play out

1. Elain and Lucien

Roses - Lucien was emissary of the spring court which we know has a long affiliation with roses. Lucien also gifted her gloves to assist with her gardening

Singing - no singing that we know of from either of them

Dispositions - Elain is quiet, nurturing & Gentle, Lucien is clever, sarcastic, charming, guarded.

Lucien already trying to free Vassa from koeschi has comes under the spell of a witch mirror (Tog). Upon returning to the night court he becomes cold with Elain and ends up destroying her gardens. He returns to the human lands and comes under a spell from koeschi becoming trapped on the lake. Somehow Elain is spelled to forget Lucien, she remembers him when she sees the gardening gloves he gifts her and then goes onto save him. 

2. Azriel and Gwyn

Roses - the necklace the Azriel left for Gwyn was a rose. As far as we know she was unaware is was from him. 

Singing - we know Gwyn is a singer and so is Azriel 

The lord prayer - we have seen that aRiels shows play with gwyns breath. 

Dispositions - Azriel quiet, protective, observant. Gwyn is competitive, Joyful, Fierce 

Gwyn finds a witch mirror through her research with Merrill and it ends up implanted in her. She turns hostile to everyone and eventually leaves the night court, perhaps destroying the library on her way out. Azriel is somehow spelled to forget her, and during the library clean up he discovers the rose necklace he left for her. This triggers his memory of her and he goes off to recover her and remove the mirror from her. Likely also have her trapped on koeschiis lake 

3. Elain and Azriel

Roses - Azriel gift Elain the rose necklace which she returned to him. 

Singing Azriel is a singer 

Dispositions - Elain is quiet, nurturing & Gentle. Azriel quiet, protective, observant. 

Azriel through his portal travels comes across a witch mirror leading to him becoming infected with the mirror. He turns hostile to the night court and leaves. There is a spy somewhere in the NC who causes them all to forget about him. Elain remembers him somehow, maybe if she sees Gwyn wearing the necklace? and then goes after him to free him from koeschiis lake. 

Azriel & Eris and Bryce & Azriel, sorry shippers! I don't have enough knowledge on these ships to theorise. 

Mor I haven't taken into account either. 

What does everyone think for each couple? 

Be kind please. I put a lot of effort into this and tried to see how it could work from most ships.

okay i never thought of looking up for the meanings/significance of the characters names. but today i learned the following:

elain: "bright, shining light" *
lucien: "light" or "illumination"

azriel: "god is my help" or "god helps"
gwyn: "blessed" or "holy"

* it also looks like elain means fawn, which is super cool.

do you think this is intentional or a fun coincidence?