#Leslie reads hofas
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What could happen to the Prison in acotar5?
As a preview, this post is going to be hella long. It focuses on things we learned primarily on acosf and hofas. It also discusses the Illyrians and the Valkyries, Pegasuses, the 8-pointed star, and the fallout from Avallen being restored by Bryce.
The tl;dr is that I think that the Valkyries (and potentially some Illyrians) could serve as guardians for the Prison, along with being a neutral political force and army in Prythian, not aligned with a specific court but rather being a balance between them all.
Before you proceed, be aware that I tend towards analysis of the current content of the books, not theorizing about what will happen in the future, so this may not read like theories that other people in the fandom come up with. A majority of this is facts from the books, with me tying things together to think about the implications.
Part one: what we know based on HOFAS
First, it's helpful to get some context for what we know (for sure) about the Prison:
It was the land of dusk (not a Court in the way Prythian currently has courts).
After the events with Fionn, Theia, Helena, Silene, and Pelias, the land was mostly abandoned.
When Silene returned from Midgard, she created the Prison in order to hide the Harp, using the monsters she put there to deter anyone from looking for it. Silene decided if this place was seen as cursed, then let it be cursed.
We also find out that Silene left her portion of Theia's light under the Prison, which Bryce then took.
There is also a large cache of firstlight remaining under the Prison.
When Bryce used Truthteller and Gwydion/the Starsword to heal Avallen, Pegasuses appeared again.
Avallen and the Prison are in "thin" spots in the universe that make it easy to travel from one planet to the other (fwiw, this idea is not unique to sjm. See: Stephen King.) These spots are identifiable by the mists that surround them.
These thin spots are also on the nexus of ley lines, where energy flows.
It stands to reason that when Bryce "unlocked" Avallen, the energy and magic that it now experiences will flow to other places along the ley lines, IE the Prison. It's also implied that the land keeping the power imprisoned is one of the reasons it grew sick.
Bryce's actions in hofas have implications for Prythian. While the above is related to the Prison, we also have:
Nesta now has possession of the Starsword/Gwydion
Azriel's reaction to Truthteller and the Starsword being together
The 8-pointed star (more on that later)
Part two: what we know based on ACOSF
So based on this information, we need to go back to acosf and look at what sjm left for us.
The main thing to keep in mind is that Nesta found the Harp in the Prison, and that it was laying on an 8-pointed star.
One of the main dangling threads from acosf - that we know to be canon, that is not a theory or supposition - is that the Illyrians and the Valkyries are going to continue training together. We know that Mor is interested in training with the Valkyries. From hofas, we know that Nesta is every bit as well trained now as she was in the months since acosf.
Now, there are a couple of partially-fulfilled statements from acosf that I think are relevant here, in addition to Valkyries and Illyrians continuing to train.
The first is the wish that Nesta made on the friendship bracelets.
"I wish for us to have the courage to go out into the world when we are ready, but to always be able to find our way back to each other. No matter what." (chp 59)
We know that in the Blood Rite, the second half of that wish was fulfilled. The first half has not been fulfilled yet. That gives us very good reason to assume that the first half will be fulfilled.
All three of them, Nesta, Emerie, and Gwyn, will go out into the world at some point in the future.
There is another, much larger implication that was made in acosf:
Nesta smirked. “If we are to be Valkyries born again,” she said, “maybe we should combine the Illyrian and Valkyrie techniques.” She’d meant it in jest, but the words rumbled through the space, as if she’d spoken some great truth, something that made fate sit up. Azriel turned to them fully this time, eyes narrowed. Like those shadows had whispered something to him. A chill breathed down Nesta’s spine. Cassian stared into their faces. Like he beheld something he hadn’t seen there before. (chp 44)
And the later on:
Gwyn whispered, “I am the rock against which the surf crashes.” Nesta straightened at the words, as if they were a prayer and a summons. Gwyn lifted the blade. “Nothing can break me.” Cassian’s throat tightened, and even from across the ring, he could see Nesta’s eyes gleaming with pride and pain. Emerie said, “Nothing can break us.” The world seemed to pause at the words. As if it had been following one path and now branched off in another direction. In a hundred years, a thousand, this moment would still be etched in his mind. That he would tell his children, his grandchildren, Right then and there. That was when it all changed. Azriel went wholly still, as if he, too, had felt the shift. As if he, too, were aware that far larger forces peered into that training ring as Gwyn moved. (chp 60)
SJM used similar phrasing in the same book for which we know the consequences:
Strike after strike, and Cassian could have sworn the world paused as she unleashed herself with the same intensity she brought to training.
This is when Nesta is Making the weapons, which we find out later is actually a significant moment, not just Cassian being hyperbolic about how great his mate is. Then, when Nesta is using the Mask and Harp to heal Feyre, the world also pauses. This phrasing is used when something important is happening - even if we don't know what the implications are, yet.
Given that we know for sure that the Illyrians and the Valkyries are going to continue training, and there are loose threads because we don't know the implications of fate/the world standing up at Nesta's, Emerie's, and Gwyn's statements and/or actions, there is a very, very good chance that the Valkyries will continue being a big part of acotar.
My final point about the Valkyries is that in myth, they rode horses through the sky - not Pegasuses because those are from Greek myth, and Valkyries are Norse. But they fly through the sky on horses nonetheless. (This is literally the only piece of evidence I have coming from outside the books.) Pegasuses are connected to Avallen and likely the Prison. We know that Helion keeps some, but they are struggling to breed/thrive. (We also know that sjm loves to take what she wants from myth, so it’s not a stretch to think she’d shrug at the Greek/Norse distinction.)
All of this together tells me that the Valkyries have more story coming, and it is connected to the Illyrians'.
Part three: The 8-pointed star
A common thread between both series is the 8-pointed star. There are a few ways in which it is used:
Nesta and Cassian's bargain tattoo in acosf. They both had this tattoo on them - an Illyrian and a Valkyrie.
Bryce also has the 8-pointed star on her chest that glows when she is near people who will aid her or who are part of the Starborn line. When she took the piece of Theia's light, it went into her star and powered her up.
The Harp was resting on an 8-pointed star in the Prison, where Silene left it.
In HOFAS, Bryce put Truthteller and Gwydion into the slots of an 8-pointed star in order to revive Avallen.
When training, Cassian teaches the Valkyries the 8-pointed star sequence. This is a series of moves that they make with a sword, and is an Illyrian technique.
Cassian walked her through eight different cuts and blocks. Each was an individual move, he’d explained, and like the punches, they could be combined. (chp 38)
“I’d thought today would be a good day to integrate the eight-pointed star, but if you’re already complaining, we can wait until next week.” (chp 44)
Nesta lifted the sword and executed a perfect arcing slash. Her weight shifted to her legs just as she flipped the blade, leading with the hilt, and brought up her arm against an invisible blow. Another shift and the sword swept down, a brutal slash that would have sliced an opponent in half. Each slice was perfect. Like that eight-pointed star was stamped on her very heart. (chp 50)
And finally, at the end of HOFAS, Bryce gives Gwydion to Nesta and tells her to explore the 8-pointed star:
“I think that eight-pointed star was tattooed on you for a reason. Take that sword and go figure out why.”
Note that it’s not just a matter of the star, anymore. Both Cassian and Nesta were tattooed with it; Bryce used Gwydion and Truthteller to activate the star in Avallen. And now, Nesta is in possession of Gwydion with knowledge about the Prison and a connection to the star. There are elements coming together, and those elements are connected to both Illyrians AND Valkyries.
My thinking is that the 8-pointed star is the symbol of the dusk land, the Starborn Princes in Midgard (Theia) and in Prythian, of the first and only High King. If that land is where the Valkyries will be reborn and where Starborn power is from, and we know it is the source of a huge cache of firstlight, then that star is a symbol of what has been lost - and what is about to be revived.
So now the question is - what part will the Valkyries and Illyrians play?
Part four: What might happen to the Prison?
To sum up the above, and adding on a couple of small points that don’t fit elsewhere:
We know that the Illyrians and Valkyries will continue training
We have very heavy-handed phrasing around the world/fate paying attention to the idea of the Valkyries being reborn and working with Illyrians.
We have the connection between Valkyries, Illyrians, and the 8-pointed star because it is also an Illyrian sword technique that is being taught to the Valkyries.
We know that the Prison is going to go through some changes akin to puberty.
In addition, we have Gwyn being allowed to write the Valkyries into the books she is researching.
SJM has also said that Nesta’s story is going to continue.
Since we know that the Prison is going to change and there are these characters and groups poised for action - I haven’t even touched on Ramiel and the Illyrians being created by the Dagsteri, Azriel and his connection to Truthteller and Enalius, and his reaction to the TT/Gwydion, and will do that in a separate post - we can make some predictions about how that might look. If it’s going to make sense, sjm has to think beyond the magic system that she has… sort-of established, and past the involvement of individual characters. There are a few things to take into consideration with the Prison.
It is very likely that Pegasuses will return to the island as it is suffused with magic and energy again.
There are also other, unforeseen magical consequences as the magic flows back into it, thanks to the ley lines being “unblocked” by Bryce.
It may become easier for people/creatures to travel between worlds, given that it is a thin place that has been "unlocked".
The Prison is still full of prisoners! They are monsters that Silene gathered to hide the Harp, but... does that mean they just get released? Get slaughtered? Do they now have access to the power of the island? What is going to happen with them?
The High Lords cannot all be trusted to stay within their own courts, minding their own business. Beron is the most obvious example, as he has his eye on Spring while Tamlin is Suffering.
If there were another court established, one that sits on a huge reserve of firstlight, that could be a huge point of contention amongst the courts. Even if the High Lords don’t want it for themselves, they wouldn’t want anyone else to have it on the chance that one of them would use it against the others. In acomaf, Rhys explains that the Prison is keyed to his blood and that he has jurisdiction of it; however:
“Do all the High Lords have access?” My words were so soft they were devoured by the dark. Even that thrumming power in my veins had vanished, burrowing somewhere in my bones. “No. The Prison is law unto itself; the island may be even an eighth court. But it falls under my jurisdiction, and my blood is keyed to the gates.” (chp 18)
We don’t know yet what that reserve of firstlight is going to mean for the island.
To me, it makes sense for us to have a more neutral third party come in. One who doesn’t have ties to a specific court, but could act in all of their interests.
Enter: the newly reformed Valkyries.
I have had a personal headcanon that the Valkyries, once fully established, could create another political/martial entity in Prythian that can help balance the power between all the courts, and provide support when needed. This is how they worked before, which Cassian talks about in acosf:
“The Valkyries fought when even the bravest males would not. The Illyrians tried to forget that. I fought against males who were my superiors, arguing to help the Valkyries. They beat me senseless, chained me to a supply wagon, and left me there. When I came to, the battle was over, the Valkyries slain.”
Valkyries and Illyrians don’t have the best history, but given that Cassian tried to help them, and that they are working together now, this could be a way of righting a wrong. It could help to explain why fate/the world is taking note.
The Valkyrie ethos makes sense for this sort of neutral position, too:
“A clan of female warriors from another territory. They were better fighters than the Illyrians, even. The Valkyrie name was just a title, though—they weren’t a race like the Illyrians. They hailed from every type of Fae, usually recruited from birth or early childhood. They had three stages of training: Novice, Blade, and finally Valkyrie. To become one was the highest honor in their land. Their territory is gone now, subsumed into others.”
An improved Valkyrie force, especially if they continue learning Illyrian techniques and recruiting from women across Prythian, could be a big factor in upcoming conflicts with Kochei or any other villain sjm comes up with. They would ensure that the firstlight would be used fairly, so that no court is advantaged or disadvantaged unfairly. It would continue the threads that sjm has left for us, while also giving us space to explore questions that have yet to be answered (such as Azriel’s connection to Truthteller and Enalius). While I think that Nesta would keep her home in the House of Wind, the Prison island would be a good place from which the Valkyries can work - both guarding the monsters that are there, and keeping the firstlight safe.
I believe that Nesta will be the most important character when it comes to reviving the island; while it is heavily implied that the island is already going to have access to its powers thanks to being impacted by Avallen's healing - it is likely already on its way to healing - Nesta with her connection to the 8-pointed star, the Harp, possession of Gwydion, and the Valkyries can help bring stability to the place.
Thank you a million times to the people who helped me fact check and keep things straight, or just listened to me rant about this: @hellacioushag @lily-thesuriel @elains @aionuel @yazthebookish @fracturedarkness and @/michaelanoelreads on TikTok :) @highqueenmorrigan (Mary I forgot you brought up the sword technique thank you for that!)
#hofas#hofas spoilers#acotar/cc#spoilers#Leslie reads hofas#my meta#kinda meta kinda theory#whatever!#the valkyries#acotar5
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how might acotar5 start?
This post has spoilers for hofas!!!!!
The intention of this post is to talk about how SJM might connect hofas and acotar5 narratively. It is purely thinking about the logistics of the situation, not where the plot could go in the future.
I will have a follow-up post with discussion about why Az makes even more sense as the next MC, based on everything we learned in hofas that strengthens my rationale from acosf and hosab. I decided that Azriel as the main character and Azriel as the connection POV are too much for one post, and slightly separate (though obviously overlapping) arguments.
So let's go!
After the crossover in hosab/hofas, the narrative needs to take into account a few things:
We have readers who don't want to read 2000+ pages of urban fantasy and want to be able to stick to acotar and fully understand that series in itself
Readers who read both series and don't want a bunch of repetitive scenes
sjm needs to think about how to communicate the information that was learned in hosab/hofas, or at least the information that is vital for moving forward with the acotar plot, in acotar5 that accounts for both those perspectives.
So how does sjm manage all of those tasks?
Azriel's POV
Starting perhaps just before Bryce landed in Prythian, though it could potentially start right where acosf left off. Allow me to explain.
Azriel was preset for a majority of the crossover, but he wasn't with Bryce the entire time. This is important! Because he was in and out of the Hewn City, this gives us an opportunity to see what was happening outside of Bryce's perception. Azriel's pov means:
We could see how the IC reacted initially to Bryce's arrival.
We could see their decision-making process in terms of what to do with Bryce
We could see if they made use of the research that was being conducted on other worlds
Bryce goes straight from landing in Velaris at the end of hosab, to being in the Hewn City at the beginning of hofas. We could learn how they came to that decision to take her there. That's not super important, but possible with Az pov.
We could also get a moment away from Bryce where Az is thinking about his own emotional reactions to everything happening with Truthteller, perhaps getting better insight into why he is reacting the way he is when it is near Gwydion, and how he feels upon learning the information about the Asteri making the Illyrians, and the info about Ramiel, about Enalius. We learned a LOT that is relevant to Az, and have almost nothing in terms of his reaction to it.
We could also get a better idea of how this knowledge is changing the IC in real time, as they are grappling with the implications.
This also means that the information we learn via the info dump in hofas could be supplemented with what Rhys already knows, based on Merrill's research. It wouldn't just be a verbatim repetition of Silene's story, but a fuller picture that includes what the IC knows and further implications for Prythian.
We could also get more insight into the argument that occurs as a result of Nesta letting Bryce borrow the mask. It ended up being a huge source of friction, but right now, we have zero knowledge of what was actually said between the IC when they found out.
One of the most important points here is narrative: everything that we learned in hosab/hofas was from Bryce's point of view. The narration didn't have to do that. Instead, the omniscient narrator could have given us insight into Azriel and Nesta's feelings. However, sjm kept that relatively close to the chest. For example:
“What is it?” Nesta asked Bryce, motioning to her back. “How is a bit of writing on your skin … Made?”
“I can’t answer the question until you tell me what the fuck Made means.”
SJM does not fill in the gaps for Bryce, for readers who have only read Crescent City. Someone coming from acotar obviously knows the importance of the tattoo being a Made object, but sjm isn't doing anything to help out CC-only readers, here. She is working from Bryce's perspective only, and Bryce has no idea. This is just one example of what Bryce's perspective read like; the entire thing is like this, Bryce trying to piece information together while the omniscient narrator chooses not to fill the reader in on what Bryce doesn't know. This means that, again, we have no idea how the IC and other acotar characters responded to these events, other than how Bryce can observe them responding.
Azriel is quite literally the perfect go-between between the CC and ACOTAR series, as he was both observing Bryce and working with the IC. That means that sjm has given space in the narrative to give us Azriel's pov without it being repetitive. By using Azriel's POV, we are also learning this information anew, filtered through his thoughts and his emotional responses. We get the information we need, but we get it from a Prythian perspective.
It's possible that sjm do an info dump at the beginning of acotar5, of course. Lots of things are possible - they aren't all likely. Perhaps sjm will take an easier route and have Az give a recap, but to whom? And why? Everyone who needs to know will already know, and so I don't see a need for him (or Nesta, or Rhys) to spend time in the book explaining the situation.
Could sjm start post-hofas events, and just assume that acotar readers have gotten on board with Crescent City? She could, but that would be pretty shitty of her to do, considering how many books in we are. The way I have read it, you could read Crescent City without having any knowledge of acotar, and be fine. She tells us what we need to know in hofas. Why not do that in acotar, so it could be treated as a separate entity?
It will be interesting to see what tactic she takes, either way!
#hofas#house of flame and shadow#spoilers#acotar#acotar/cc#sjm crossover#long post tag#azriel#Leslie reads hofas#hofas spoilers#hi stalkers!#especially the ones I've had blocked for years#you're so desperate to know what I think <3#okay back to reading!
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For anyone who only cares about acotar and is wondering if they need to read CC, and maybe don't want to read CC, spoilers for HOFAS below
I've read a majority of the Prythian section of HOFAS and I know when/how it ends. sjm did keep the series as separate as possible. I suspect that she had much bigger, grander plans for this crossover and pared it down quite a bit.
Bryce is only in Pythian for five days. She only has extended interactions with Nesta and Azriel, no one else. (Side note, Nesta is so, so badass in HOFAS.)
The main impact of this crossover for acotar is that Nesta has Gwydion, they better understand it and Truthteller, and they know where the fourth trove item is and what it is. They also know a lot about their history, such as the fact that Illyrians were created by the Asteri. It confirmed a lot of the things that the end of hosab told us, in terms of Fionn, Pelias, Theia, etc. We did get to see Az using his powers in a more descriptive, methodical way, which was really neat! But we will get that in his book too, so I don't think anyone is going to miss out by not reading CC.
HOFAS also takes place three months after acosf ends, not the nine months that sjm had originally said in an interview. Not sure what the implications of that are yet.
While I haven't read the whole book, I would say that it will be quite easy for sjm to write acotar5 to fill us in on how Nesta got Gwydion and the history they learned, without having to know anything about Midgard or who Bryce is, or any of that. I have a post in my drafts about how I think it could be structured narratively, and I'll post it when HOFAS is actually out.
#acotar#crescent city#acotar/cc#hofas#hofas spoilers#house of flame and shadow spoilers#spoilers#Leslie reads hofas
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Imagine marrying Tharion and one of your first conversations with your husband is him explaining that his favorite food is cheese puffs because they are cheesy and crunchy
#hofas spoilers#Leslie reads hofas#spoilers#I lol’d#surprise!#his pov is a breath of fresh air after suffering through Bryce
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You don’t have to post this if it could be a spoiler.
“HOFAS also takes place three months after acosf ends, not the nine months that sjm had originally said in an interview. Not sure what the implications of that are yet.”
If Azriel’s book is next then maybe that’s why she did that. I could be wrong, but just a thought.
Editing to add that the comments are full of spoilers so don't read them if you are trying to avoid them <3
100%, absolutely. There are a lot of reasons that I think that Az is even more likely to be next, but the time lapse being less than she initially said is actually one of them.
One of the issues I had before was that it felt like we had all of these urgent issues at the end of acosf:
The Spring Court being without a real leader and being prey to other courts
Eris trying patricide on for size and causing problems in Autumn
The fallout from the Valkyries winning the Blood Rite and potential related Illyrian unrest
Whatever Koschei is up to, probably regrouping after Briallyn was killed I guess
So all of those things just being on the back burner for nine months was a bit ???? to me.
Having less time between acosf and acotar5 means that the issues at the end of acosf do indeed have more urgency, to me. And those issues are relevant to Azriel as spymaster, Valkyrie trainer, and Illyrian.
If you go back to the interview where she said that hofas would be about nine months after acosf, she mentions that Nyx would still be a cute baby, but... we don't see Nyx in hofas, at all. She said that her editors would have to approve that timeline, and if seeing Nyx being cute was her main reason, then that's not a good reason lol.
And a side note, the reason we know it is three months after hofas is because Nesta mentions having killed Lanthys about seven months before. She killed him a month before Solstice, putting the events of hofas in June. acosf ended around March/the beginning of spring. That does mean that Midgard and Prythian are on different timelines, but they are different planets, so. It's either that or she didn't care about making that consistent.
#hofas spoilers#house of flame and shadow spoilers#spoilers#acotar/cc#acotar5#ask#anon#Leslie reads hofas
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Did you like cc3 or love? Neither?
oh hello, why don't you pull up a chair because I have finished this book and I have Thoughts. I was thinking for a good chunk of this book that I would give it 2 stars. I still might. It depends on how it sits with me over the next couple of weeks. I ended up giving it 3 because I did enjoy some parts.
I will start with the more positive thoughts.
I am glad that the crossover was limited. One of my fears was that the series be unavoidably intertwined from here on out, so that pleases me.
I really did like seeing how Nesta has grown, her friendship with Azriel, and seeing more interesting things with his powers! That was really neat.
I did laugh out loud a couple of times, at points where I was supposed to laugh out loud. I think Tharion is dumb as hell but he made me chuckle.
The scene with Ithan and Sabine towards the end was good, I was like Gordon Ramsay, finally, some delicious fucking consequences.
Ummm... I like Ruhn and Lidia still. They had some silly moments, but overall they are the only characters in this book that I still have a shred of respect for. Maybe Perry and Sathia. Everyone else is on thin fucking ice.
Shout out to the one (1) line Bryce said that I liked: “I’m sick and tired of people using 'girl' as an insult.”
Unfortunately, the list of things I didn't like is far longer. I'm actually going to put it under the cut if people don't want their enjoyment spoiled or simply don't care.
In my opinion, sjm is a good storyteller, and an okay writer. This book really, really highlighted that for me. The plotting was a mess, I was constantly going back a page because I was confused about what was going on, there were weird inconsistencies that only made sense if you stepped back from the book and thought "well, the author needed that to happen, I guess."
There were some typos and word choice errors that should have been caught - "every muscle in Bryce's body went taught" and then a missing quotation mark (But it was Aidas who answered, pride flaring on his face. Apollion slew her with his Helfire when she attacked him—he pulled her burning heart from her chest and ate it.”). Not to mention the 255 "could have sworns" and 50-something "as if". I noticed a few similar phrases to this. If I'm feeling spicy one day maybe I will go back and find them.
The number of times she says "by whatever power" or "somehow" in a book where she has spent a lot of time explaining the power, and we should know what the "somehow" is???
Who in the ever loving fuck thinks that splitting up two tense scenes by cutting them into bite sized pieces and then interspersing them together is a good idea???
There were multiple times when I laughed out loud at scenes that were not meant to be funny, because they just seemed so dumb. Like... Ithan "accidentally" beheading Sigrid. Excuse me?? lmao (I edited this one because in my annoyance I misrepresented that a bit)
The tone was so, so off. That was a big source of my inappropriate laughing. Like, Hunt thanking Urd that he had such a loyal, fierce badass mate. Or a chapter starting with Ruhn saying "nah". I think this is because the genre could not decided what it wanted to be. SJM was still writing like this was high fantasy, but then used the word "like" in the way that I use the word "like". I do get that this is urban fantasy and she tried to smush it with a high fantasy (a high fantasy with very little world building, but still), but I really do not think that this genre serves sjm's style of storytelling. At all.
Dear powers that be in whatever heaven that exists, please stop letting sjm describe every single character as the most strongest beautiful fiercest loyal badass tough unflenching etc etc etc. I fucking beg. One of the big reasons that I dislike pretty much every character in this series is that they ALL HAVE THE SAME PERSONALITY.
Bryce is annoying as hell. I could write a whole essay on her but she is easily my least favorite sjm character EVER.
I am bitter at feeling like I needed to read this book when, after hosab, I would have given up on this series if not for the crossover.
The crossover really did feel like a "teehee I can do this because I want to" with very, very little thought as to how it would actually make sense. A crossover like this should NOT be done by someone who doesn't outline, and who pantses their writing. Pantsing is fine in itself! Pantsers should be barred from writing this kind of book.
Hunt's dick is too big for his underwear.
#hofas#hofas spoilers#house of flame and shadow spoilers#Leslie reads hofas#house of flame and shadow#sjm critical
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I am aware that I’m pms’ing but this might be the first sjm I give two stars
#acowar was on thin ice for a while#but I’ve reconciled with it#Bryce and her snark and completely unearned confidence are killing all the joy in my life#am I being hyperbolic#yes#do I also detest her and how she’s written and how every other character responds to her#also yes#hofas spoilers#spoilers#I guess#house of flame and shadow#Leslie reads hofas
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I'm a third through the book and wanted to get some thoughts down
Info dump after info dump. I am curious how much of this actually even matters to what is coming, or to acotar5. Obviously getting confirmation that the dagsteri (my new word for the Asteri/Daglan) created the Illyrians was neat, but some of this stuff we kinda knew?
Like the Cauldron being "corrupted". We knew that, back in acomaf. We didn't know by whom or why, but... we knew, and kept seeing that in action for two books.
That whole section didn't feel like a revelation, so much as a confirmation of stuff we knew. And if the whole point was for Bryce just to have gotten Truthteller to pair with the Starsword, then... feels like sjm could easily have created a super secret new weapon in Midgard for her to have used. Also! Her getting that pure light from Theia. Like Bryce was not OP enough??? This is what happens when everyone is the most beautiful and strong and powerful ever, you get to just keep raising the stakes and no one is ever Too Much, I guess.
Nice of sjm to go back to her random weapons that she pulled out of her butt in acosf and make them somewhat meaningful. I'm sure that Truthteller was always meant to have significance, but the Trove? I guess that I appreciate that sjm is making an effort for them to not be a real "somehow, Palpatine has returned" moment.
I'm already dreading all of the "asldkajlsdjad sjm is such a genius!!!" posts. No, she did what authors normally do and think ahead. Rereading acosf this past weekend really confirmed that for me; for once, she was planning ahead in acosf, and... whether people still think that took away from Nesta's story is another issue altogether. But it's super easy for her to go back and say "this was important all along!!!!!" when no. We can tell.
I think the one thing that she added, that is really intriguing, is the way that people react differently around Made objects. I still don't get why there are differences, considering that tons of people in Prythian are Starborn. The logistics are fuzzy but it feels like she could randomly point to any fae character (save Illyrians, and no one who was born human) and call them Starborn.
Also Sigrid - what the fuck? tbh I am heavily skimming the parts with all the men in Midgard, but I did catch that.
I'm literally just word vomiting here, but I might have something more coherent later. I really would have given up on this series if the crossover hadn't happened, but I'll try to not talk about things that annoy me :) Yet. :)
#hofas spoilers#spoilers#house of flame and shadow spoilers#Leslie reads hofas#I'll avoid being negative#until the need is too strong
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sjm uses "could have sworn" 55 times in this book and "as if" 250 times. Do with that what you will
#hofas spoilers#spoilers#Leslie reads hofas#I searched the book because 'as if' was a LOT#there are other things besides similes Sarah
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the absolute whiplash this book is giving me, changing from one scene to another to another in the space of mere pages... She's balanced multiple narrative strands like this before, so why is it so haphazard in this book?? I have scrolled back and forward multiple times, assuming I missed something because the switch from one scene to another was so abrupt.
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Hunt's lightning being able to resurrect people from the dead is so funny because he's basically just a defibrillator machine with wings
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I liked the acotar parts for Nesta being amazing and azriel using his powers in cool new ways, and nezriel brotp.
Then the transition scenes where everyone was slowly coming back together were *painfully* choppy and I was going to tear my hair out.
Now, as long as Bryce isn’t in a scene, I’m having a decent time
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You said that Nesta is badass in HOFAS. How badass is Nesta on a scale of 1-10? I honestly love her so much!
answer below :D
honestly a 10, I was like this is Nesta at her fullest potential, this is Nesta who has overcome her insecurities and is confident in herself, this is Nesta as she always could be. Nesta in hofas is such a revelation after her journey in acosf and I can't wait to see more of her in acotar5
I have a longer meta planned on this, but I have such a crush on her now
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Someone said on TikTok (I can’t find it anymore) that they think Dusk Court/The Prison will become a court again, but not in a typical sense. It will be like a safe haven for the Valkyries (I think Helion said that Pegasus are from the Prison i can’t remember) and Nesta will “rule” over it like a General/Commander. I really like the idea that all the Valkyries use Gwyndion. A sense of balance and order.
I’ve seen certain people talk down about the Valkyries and I just want my girls to be treated better by certain people of the fandom. It’s “unrealistic” that they won the Blood Rite, but when it comes to other characters they disregard those things. To me, the Valkyries won the Blood Rite because they worked together and smarter (not harder) , unlike the Illyrians who use the Rite to kill each other.
well that person and I share a braincell because that's completely what I think will happen. If you find the link, share it with me! The Valkyries having their own sovereignty means they would need a place to work from. It's actually a big part of my thinking for acotar5 that they come into power and, once we see what changes have happened on the prison, they move into that space.
But for real, I do think it makes sense from a political perspective, and also it seems like the courts will need more support, Spring is a mess, Autumn is about to be a mess, Mor is on the continent trying to keep an eye on things and get people to sign treaties and that isn't going great. The Valkyries will make a difference.
I get that certain plot beats work for certain people and not others, but I don't know why the Valkyries would be held to different standards than other characters. I'd hope that people complaining about the Valkyries winning the rite would also complain about Feyre killing the worm thing as a human, and complain about Elain killing Hybern, etc. Ultimately I suppose we all need to suspend our disbelief to an extent, and maybe that limit is different for some people than others. This isn't necessarily the series I would have high standards for, since everyone is the strongest, most beautiful, wickedest, most powerful, etc. ever. I'm constantly in the process of suspending my disbelief haha
#hofas spoilers#barely but if you squint#hofas#house of flame and shadow#house of flame and shadow spoilers#Leslie reads hofas#the valkyries#acotar5
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hi! i have a kinda strange question about the bonus chapter with az, bryce, and nesta (so pls ignore this ask if you haven’t read it yet and don’t want to be spoiled!!) there’s a conversation in the chapter where bryce explains what bombs and guns are, and at first azriel responds that such horrible weapons shouldn’t exist, then later nesta says something along the lines that it doesn’t matter if terrible weapons exist bc people will hurt each other regardless. (hopefully i didn’t switch azriel and nesta’s opinions, i lost the source that i read the bonus chapter from lol). do you think this was intended to be a commentary on gun control/gun laws or am i reading wayyy too deep into things? that’s how it came off to me and i had mixed feelings on which side sjm was trying to portray as right since she ends with nesta’s statement and doesn’t really bring up the issue any further. because yes, people will try to find ways to hurt each other, but it’s definitely a lot harder without easy access to guns. or maybe it was meant to show the different worldviews that nesta and azriel have, more about their characterization than a political commentary. idk i’d love to know your thoughts!
Okay this is such an interesting question because on the one hand I actually did think the same thing? It was just too similar to arguments people make irl about guns for me to ignore. But on the other hand... I sorta blinked, and then moved on.
It was Nesta, here is the quote (from my Walmart copy that showed up today woohoo):
"And people would still kill each other, even without those weapons," Nesta said gravely. "The wicked will always find a way to hurt and harm."
Honestly, I don't think we are reading too much into it because Crescent City as a series has already been posing these sorts of questions. sjm has had these characters make some very clear statements on politics and disadvantaged groups (e.g. humans) and terrorism and what are "appropriate" ways to rebel in this series.
It's really important not to confuse an author with their characters. Just because she writes a character who says X, doesn't mean that she as an individual also believes X. So imo, trying to attribute a character's political stance to her personal stance is very slippery. I say that because I don't think we could take Nesta's statement and say that sjm is pro gun rights or something, you know? SJM didn't make this statement, her character did. Writing fiction is not an implicit condoning of the actions within that work of fiction.
The philosophical stances that these characters take on the conflicts within this series is one of the things that turns me off from it. It's inconsistent given the context, what we know certain characters experience simply because of their identity, and... I think I've mentioned this before? But hosab really doubled down on the idea of respectability politics, to me. Respectability politics, for anyone who doesn't know, is the idea that if people just acted polite, asked nicely, and stopped being rude or mean, then they would be granted all the rights they ask for. Which is absolutely ridiculous and a tool for control. But the series really has me questioning whether sjm thinks it's a legit demand to make of people who are being disadvantaged, given how the narrative treats the human rebellion (and any other fae or angels or whoever who tries to rebel against the Asteri). Like if the human rebels just stopped blowing things up, maybe the Asteri and Vanir wouldn't oppress them so hard, jeez!!!
That's a fancy way of saying Bryce's stance on discrimination annoys the fuck out of me. Not just hers, but many of the characters' stances.
That is only somewhat related to your question, but I hope you understand why it came to mind haha. While I do hesitate to attribute any specific political leanings to an author because of what they have written, I do think that is makes more sense to wonder in CC than in her other series, given that politics, discrimination and stratification are major themes of the series.
If you have thoughts about what I said, I am curious to hear them!
#hofas#hofas spoilers#spoilers#Leslie reads hofas#the author is not their characters#but sometimes you gotta ask#why they keep writing a certain thing a certain way#ask#anon
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I wish I had some little sprite friends who just hovered around me all day, commiserating with me about how annoying other people are
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