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wingedblooms · 9 months

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Owlish Elain

This is a Maasverse post, so there are probably spoilers for all three series below.

With owls in the title (statue) and cover (eyes, thanks to SerpentWyrd on Reddit) reveals for hofas, I am once again thinking about their connections to Elain. I’ve mentioned owls repeatedly across different posts, most recently in Elain's witch series, so I thought it would be fun to compile all of the connections here. If I’ve missed any connections, I’d love to know about it in comments and/or reblogs.

Connections to mythology:

Elain's story is believed to be inspired by the myth of Blodeuwedd, a spring maiden who is transformed into an owl in Welsh mythology. Like Elain, owls were believed to have mystical and prophetic powers, and the myths surrounding them were full of contradictions. They were associated with mythical beings and ancient goddesses, who at one point in history, represented a continuum of life and death (life, death, and rebirth). They were feared as bearers of death, and were admired as otherworldly messengers and solemn protectors. As a symbol linked to Athena, the goddess of wisdom in Greek mythology, they were viewed as a good omen: a sign of victory in battle. Some believed they had an inner light that enabled them to see in the dark (and after years of research, we know their sight and hearing have been adapted for hunting, giving them excellent precision; some can even hunt on sound alone in complete darkness). They were also viewed as a bad omen: a sign of catastrophe and death. This dark aspect is connected to Lilith, a woman, demon, and goddess in various legends who is linked to witchcraft. In Roman mythology, owls were believed to be transformed witches who drank the blood of infants.

Connections to witches:

Owls and witches are connected in mythology, so it isn’t surprising that Sarah gives at least one of her witch clans similar features. Feyre and Nesta point out Elain's figurative claws and teeth in acosf/acosf bonus content, which may be a hint of what she hides in the shadows: a beautiful ironteeth monster. Ironteeth witches were gifted iron from the Three-Faced Goddess to prevent magic from pulling them away. It acted as an anchor to the earth, which makes me wonder just how many witches possess some form of Sight, and whether Elain’s collection of iron serves the same purpose. The biggest connection by far, though, is that ironteeth witches also blink into place a clear eyelid, similar to what owls possess, to protect their vision as they fly. Elain often blinks like an owl when she uses her Sight, and her sister, Feyre, blinks when she is released from the Cauldron's mystic-like power as it traveled across the battlefield in various animal forms.

Connections to shifting form:

Nesta and Amren share otherworldly eyes, a connection that was foreshadowed by a family dinner conversation where Nesta boldly questioned Amren about her eyes. @kimsnnn noticed this conversation parallels Elain’s questions about Amren’s form at another family dinner in acofas. If this is a hint (and I hope it is), Elain and Amren might share otherworldly forms. Rhys makes a connection between them at another family dinner and interestingly, it also centers on transformation: “Some were as lovely as you, Elain,” Rhys said from beside Feyre, “from the outside. But once they set foot into the arena of battle, they became as bloodthirsty as Amren.” (acosf) We've seen Amren’s form on the battlefield and know it behaves like an otherworldly bird of prey. And in that same battle, we’ve seen Elain appear suddenly and take out a king’s throat to protect her family. I’m just hoping this transformation, if it happens, also comes with wings.

Connections to healing:

From what we learned in Tower of Dawn (tod), healers bridge life and death. Their light can bind wounds and devour darkness. They can sense Death when it is near. They are also linked to owls through the goddess Silba and Maeve used this knowledge to her advantage to create her own secret army of protectors. The best weapon against the Valg (also referred to as demons) was not a blade, but healing light. Sarah describes the various owls carved into the healers’ tower (Torre Cesme, meaning Tower of Dawn), and one in particular stands out: “Even though it perched atop a gnarled branch of iron that flowed across the door itself, wings flared wide as it prepared to leap into the skies, it seemed … alert. Aware of all who passed that door, who perhaps gazed too long in the direction of the workshop.” (tod) This owl reminds me of those with the gift of Sight, like Elain. She also maintains her own herb garden, like a healer, and is consistently compared to the dawn. Add the possibility of shifting into a bird of prey, and we’ve got very powerful connections here.

Connections to the song of the wind:

When Elain tracks down the Suriel, she notes that it travels like the breath of the western wind. In other words, it travels like an owl: a shadow on the wind. Elain starts moving similarly after this scene and continues to surprise others with her swift appearance. It’s probably also intentional that the first question she asks Azriel relates to his ability to fly, which he connects to the song of the wind. Witches also possess power related to wind and use it to create brooms that allow them to fly. I wouldn’t be surprised if Elain has learned to move like the wind by watching others (especially Azriel, whom she observes closely) and listening to its call.

Connections to those with Sight:

When Feyre is bound to the Cauldron, she travels with it as it flies through the world. It continuously shifts animal form (like Urd) when it searches for someone, but it begins in what I assume is a bird of prey. Elain seems to possess the ability to move like this fluid form with her Cauldron-gifted Sight. This might even be how mystics travel and search for answers, which often first requires them to find specific creatures. The Suriel’s comment about seeing Elain’s doe eyes search for it across the realm is a big hint, as is Feyre’s comment on Elain wandering in her Sight.

If Elain isn’t connected to owls, my friends, we riot. 😆

#elain archeron #owlish Elain #how many ways can I connect Elain and owls #so many ways #witchy Elain #healer elain #seer elain #shifter elain #maasverse stuff

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pollyaunt · 2 months

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My thoughts on HOFAS

-> First and foremost, only SJM can make me violently react towards books even though it's been years since I've started reading and got into the Maasverse.

-> Ch 99 broke me. Literally. I was downright bawling so hard to the point I couldnt breathe especially with the Danika, Lele and Pack of Devils scene. And ofc, Jesiba. I love you sm.

-> Bryce is an absolute badass and I would agree that her and Hunt's relationship wasnt portrayed the best in this book in comparison to the first, but well, the first also focused on the Kristallos as the danger whereas in this book they were the allies. Suffice to say, the degree of change was ought to happen and supposed to be vast. I'm nonetheless very much happy with how both of them turned out to be in the end.

-> Lidia. She's more Aelin than Aelin herself. In this house, we absolutely ADORE LIDIA CERVOS. And her sons and ofc Ruhn. They carried the book most definitely.

-> The ACOTAR x CC crossover was done immaculately and Maas so not deserves the disappointment shes receiving over it especially because be for fuckin real, it had to be more about CC than ACOTAR itself. And I'm honestly very happy with how she portrayed those scenes while remaining true to the characters (besides the bonus chapter which was kinda meh)

-> Tharion Ketos most certainly made decisions that were not the best but dude, you've got to recognise that he was the most selfless one in the entire book all the while trying to keep himself alive. His determination and ambition were honourable. And ps: I havent forgotten how open ended his story has been left especially with Sathia gone abruptly (whom I LOVED) and I think it's kinda pointing at how he and Ithan might get their own novella or book after the next ACOTAR.

-> Last but not the least, Ithan. That dude was trying to the best always yall and lets be honest without him, I highly doubt they'd been able to 1. Get out of the Viper Queen's lair. 2. Been able to defeat the Asteri without that bullet. And they way Maas has left his story along with Ketos' incomplete for now has surely not escaped my notice. After all, we still gotta know what happened to Sigrid really and Sathia 👀

In conclusion, the two things that felt off to me throughout the book was:

-> Firstly, how the Quinlar relationship was written in certain scenes but also, to an extent I also sympathized with both of them given the extent of trauma both of them had been through. It was understandable but comforting myself with the thought that once stuff on Midgard got better, both of them must've discussed it at length cuz, that's what our Quinlar is really. So, I'm not that unhappy with their portrayal and love them equally.

-> Secondly, this one has bugged me a lot in the series: the wasted potential that was Fury Axtar. She could've been SUCH a vital asset to them and all over, one of the most badass character. But instead of explaining and exploring her, SJM made quite a mistake by off writing her mostly from the books. That could've been done better.

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onemustalwaysbecarefulofbooks · 2 months

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HOFAS/MAASVERSE THEORY: This is not the story SJM planned to tell us

Listen, if you are feeling let down by the overall lack of an ACOTAR crossover in HOFAS, your feelings are entirely valid and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. And I'm saying this as someone who largely finds the Inner Circle insufferable and has the opinion of the less we see Rhysand, the better. But for real. . .point blank, this book was absolutely 100% marketed and hyped as a "crossover" which, in reality, ended up being sort of a stretch. And I believe, that at one point, it truly WAS all it was hyped up to be.

Raise your hand if you felt like HOFAS felt weird, disjointed, and unsatisfying at a lot of points.

Everyone, right? I don't think I've encountered a single person who can say they never experienced this at any point, even if they loved the book overall.

I'm sure some of you have probably heard by this point that there is a whole first draft of HOFAS out there that was apparently scrapped and rewritten entirely by SJM: SOURCE.

This draft teases a LOT of things that had people salivating, none of which actually showed up in the book we read. Examples:

HOFAS being "split between Bryce in the world of ACOTAR and the characters in Midgard".

Bryce being worried and freaked out over whether Prythian had toilet paper and receiving an answer

Nyx being featured in the story and the IC being extremely protective over him

Receiving an explanation on Rhys seeing Aelin during Starfall

SJM positively gushes over this stuff as she talks about it in interviews. You can literally see the light in her eyes and how excited she is as she discusses it. She compares it to Avengers Endgame and talks about how excited she and others were to see all the good guys come together for something epic and says this reminds her of that. However, there's a caveat. She consistently repeats things like "as of right now" or "in this first draft" or "we'll see what my editor says". Check out this live chat here.

And the next thing we know, she is claiming she turned in her first draft and felt "meh" about it, didn't like where the story went, and re-wrote the entire thing. Ladies and gentlemen, I call bullshit.

Bottom line: I truly believe, and would honestly bet a significant amount of money on, that this first draft was truly the story of SJM's heart and was brought to a screeching halt by her publishing company, who felt they could milk this hype and get more books out of it.

Essentially, if you were expecting ACOTAR 6, sorry can't help you, that was NEVER happening, BUT if you were expecting MORE than what we got, you are entirely within your rights to feel disappointed! That's why things felt weird and disjointed. . .because it was not the story she intended to tell organically and she had to make some pretty significant changes on a short notice.

The silver lining, I suppose, is the fact that I don't think her publishers talked her out of this happening in general. I think they just convinced her to drag it out longer. . .to delay it, essentially. Like I said, get more books in before finally making it happen. Because once that happens, how do you reach a higher peak? What could she make happen after that point that is more exciting than a huge epic crossover? I think that unfortunately, the Asteri were kind of wasted villains, as I don't know what other force of evil could bring all of these characters together realistically. But I do believe it's going to happen.

So yeah, you'll never be able to convince me there's not some version of HOFAS out there that only exists in Sarah's mind at this point, where the ACOTAR characters (and honestly, Aelin and the ToG characters) are much more central characters to the overall story. I'm convinced she wrote this epic story, went to her editors, and was told "Hey, the hype around this is so insane, we COULD do it now, OR we could develop the characters even further and do it LATER" (meaning more $$$$$$ for them). SJM is the QUEEN of changing her mind mid-series but to me, this really reeks of corporate greed and milking the hype. I'm trying to trust the process and tell myself that it's all coming eventually.

So stop shitting on people who complain about the lack of a crossover. We were teased with one and you know damn well SJM wrote one! I'm convinced it was teased and hyped this way because that's the way she originally wrote it and then when publishing convinced things to change the way they wanted them to. . .why tell us? If the already existing hype gets us to buy their book, it's a win for them.

I guess only time will tell!

#hofas #hofas spoilers #house of flame and shadow #house of flame and shadows spoilers #crescent city #crescent city spoilers #cc3 #cc3 spoilers #acotar #acotar spoilers #sjm #sarah j maas

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kopfkino-o · 1 year

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The Crossover, Timelines, and the Future of ACOTAR

Disclaimer: This post is a long one, filled with mostly ramblings, and contains spoilers for both the ACOTAR and Crescent City series. Please don’t read on if you haven’t finished either series, mostly CC, as I would hate for anything to be spoiled. Additionally, this is NOT a shipping post and I want to highly discourage any shipping discussion in regards to the contents of this post. I miss fun casual fandom discourse and want lovers of every ship to feel comfortable sharing their options if they feel so inclined. Thanks for taking the time to read this <3 - Court

~~Spoilers Below~~

SO, LET’S GET INTO IT...

Ever since I finished the last chapter of HOSAB I've had a lot of questions. Like a lot of questions. But as a reader and lover of both the CC and ACOTAR series, one thing that haunts me is how the crossover is going to impact the ACOTAR narrative moving forward. Especially since CC3 is the next book to be released.

We know from Miss Sarah Janet herself that both series will be able to be read independently. We also know House of Flame and Shadow is Bryce’s story (and Ruhn and Hunt and all the others) and the focus will be on them. Any appearance of ACOTAR characters will be a treat, a little snack to keep readers of both series fed while they wait for the next book if you will, but what I can’t wrap my head around is the timeline, and how Bryce’s arrival ISN’T going to impact ACOTAR moving forward.

The revelations about the Asteri trying to get back into Prythian, the lost Fae worldwalking to Midgard, the 8th Dusk Court, all of that seems like it would naturally have a huge impact on the world of Prythian, and thus the characters within it. Imagine you haven’t read CC, then we learn (at the very least) there’s suddenly a new 8th court? That’s pretty important, and I imagine would leave many readers questioning.

Which brings me to the meat of this post, the juicy bit, the good stuff, and I guess my main point: the timeline. How, and most importantly when, will the rest of the stories in the ACOTAR series occur and where will Bryce’s arrival in Prythian fall within them?

We know ~6-9 months have passed between the end of ACOSF and HOSAB, so keep that in mind as you read on! Also keep in mind these supposed timelines aren’t referring to the order of publication, but rather the order of each respective story within the timeline of the Maasverse.

*Note: Thinking about where the next ACOTAR novella will fall (and what it might be about) hurts my head so I’m only going to briefly touch on that in this post.

Opt. 1: ACOSF --> Bryce’s Arrival --> ACOTAR 5 --> ACOTAR 6

If the series were to follow this timeline, I have a hard time wrapping my head around how Bryce’s arrival (and all that will be learned because of it) WONT impact ACOTAR moving forward. As mentioned above, Bryce has some information that’s going to really rock the world of Prythian and I struggle to see how this information won’t change the story in ACOTAR 5 and 6.

If everything involving Bryce occurs BEFORE the events of the next ACOTAR books then it’s safe to say the characters would all be aware of:

The Dusk Court (reborn or not)

The Asteri’s return

Other worlds

Bryce’s arrival

The Starborn Fae

And whatever knowledge Rhys and Armen seem to have

That’s a lot of really important stuff that has huge implications for Prythian. The way I see it, if this is the route the timeline takes then readers will need to read both the entirety of the Crescent City and ACOTAR series, though this goes directly against what the author herself has told us.

Confused? Me too.

Opt. 2: ACOSF --> ACOTAR 5 --> ACOTAR 6 --> Bryce’s Arrival

I don’t know what to really think of this potential timeline (but I might have convinced myself more and more of it while writing this), as there’s a whole lot of story left to cover, and if I’m remember correctly, there was only around a ~6-9 month gap between the end of ACOSF and Bryce’s arrival in Pythian at the end of HOSAB. That’s not a lot of time to solve all of the issues the ACOTAR characters are facing, at least in my opinion, especially when we still have:

Koschei and his machinations + Vassa’s curse

Two more love stories that need to unfold

Lucien and his real father

Eris and his scheming / Autumn Court drama

Mor and her secret

Elain and her powers

The High King plotline

Feysand’s death pact

Truth-Teller and where it came from

Valkyries still aren’t fully formed / Bloodrite fallout

Tamlin still running around totally feral though I hope he stays that way

And the many unanswered questions regarding tertiary characters and newly introduced characters, like Gwyn, Emerie, Balthazar, Helion and Lady Autumn, etc. etc.

That’s... a lot.

THEN AGAIN, if I remember correctly, the entire events of the Throne of Glass series spanned over the course of ~one year, so maybe this timeline isn’t so farfetched after all...

Though I do find this all to be a bit clunky. Readers of both series would be aware of Bryce’s arrival, other worlds, the Asteri’s attempt to reinvade Prythian, the lost Dusk Court, etc. all throughout the rest of the ACOTAR series. Seeing as CC3 is coming in January 24′, before the rest of the ACOTAR books, this timeline would also mean that readers of both series would have technically already seen the conclusion to both CC and ACOTAR by the time they finish HOFAS.

Sarah does like to play with the concept of time (past, present, future) so perhaps this timeline might make sense in the end. This could also play into the theory that TOG was the past, CC the future, and ACOTAR the present...

But now I’m giving myself a headache so let’s move on. If you’re still with me, you’re a saint and I hope your bookshelves are always full, your recs always good, and your pages never dog-eared.

Opt. 3: ACOSF --> ACOTAR 5 --> Bryce’s Arrival --> Novella (?) --> ACOTAR 6

This is a pretty wonky timeline too (I’m starting to think they all are) but I could also see it potentially making the most sense given the fact the 6-9 month window between ACOSF and HOSAB might be enough time for one of the remaining ACOTAR stories to play out, given that Nesta’s story spanned around ~10 months to a year. Though this would mean we’d read about Bryce’s arrival at the END of ACOTAR 5, and thus would need some sort of mention of this monumental event in ACOTAR 6/the novella. This would also mean there would be one endgame ACOTAR couple already together during the events of CC3, though I don’t think this is a huge thing, seeing as House of Flame and Shadow is about Bryce. Could we get crumbs and hints? Sure, though seeing as Sarah likes to keep her endgames tight-lipped, I highly doubt we’ll get anything substantial.

Speaking of the Novella... If it does come after ACOTAR 5/Bryce’s arrival, could this be a good way to bring in the idea of the multiverse to ACOTAR-only readers? Perhaps the novella is about the time the Daglan ruled over Prythian?? Or maybe it’ll be about Queen Theia??? Maybe it’ll be about none of that??

Now my head hurts.

Regardless of how the timeline shapes out I am so excited about where the story is going and can’t wait to see the new dynamics, lore, plots, and elements the crossover introduces. But now I want to know your theories! How do you think SJM will handle the crossover, the revelation of the Maasverse, the interconnected worlds of Prythian and Midgard, and all the goodness we still have left to explore in CC3/ACOTAR 5&6???

Thanks again for reading!

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worldofhighfae · 11 days

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Like Calls to Like

Edition #2: Naexi and Nesta

A/N: AKA What Would Happen If WoHF Characters Met Canon Characters. If you're new here hi! World of High Fae is a text-based rpg set in the Maasverse. You should join us, we have a lot of fun!

Disclaimer: World Of High Fae does not claim ownership of any of the characters or locations featured in ACOTAR or the greater Maasverse. Those are the intellectual property of Sarah J Maas. The only thing we claim to have created is the original character of Naexi Sylmaris.

Word Count: 3186

Genre: Fluff with a bit of Angst

Characters: Nesta Archeron (ACOTAR) and Naexi Sylmaris (WoHF)

Being called into a meeting wasn’t unusual- but the reason for this particular meeting was. Naexi had received a very cryptic message, with little more information than time and place. Naexi had just sighed at the message and showed up at the meeting with the rest of the Inner Circle. As it was explained why they had met, she sighed even more. Naexi had no trust in magical artefacts and saw them mostly as trouble. As Rosaceli explained what she knew of the artefact she’d found Naexi felt no different. Magic always tends to come with a price or some twisted catch- which is why Naexi avoided artefacts as much as possible. But she hadn’t even had an opportunity to protest before Rosaceli had flipped the golden timeglass over.

Feeling the shadows wrap her Naexi knew that the artefact was working, and she was not excited. But when she was finally aware enough to process her surroundings again the Inner Circle was nowhere to be found. She sighed loudly. Instead she saw a semi-familiar face looking at her in utter confusion. At least Naexi knew where she was- kinda. The Night Court.

Naexi looked around, assessing her surroundings. She had ended up in what looked to be a big private library in someone's house. Looking back at the High Fae infront of her, she knew exactly who it was. Nesta Archeron. The stuff of legends. Cauldon-Made High Fae, granted the power of death. This female wasn’t known for having a calm temper, Naexi knew that for a fact. It certainly wouldn’t help that Naexi wasn’t really levelheaded either.

“Who are you and how did you get here?” Nesta demanded. This was not going to be easy. How could she ever persuade a very hot tempered High Fae that this was by accident? And not even her accident at that! “It’s impossible to winnow into this house.”

“You’re not going to believe me but it’s quite a story.” Naexi sighed. Of course she would end up with the one person in history that she was both scared by and respected for their power. “It’s not like I intended to end up alone with the mistress of death.”

It was already clear that Nesta did not like Naexi’s tone, although she seemed at least a bit interested in knowing how Naexi knew so much about her. Naexi could feel how Nesta’s powers were ready to strike if needed. It would do he well to be careful. There was still an ice-cold flame in Nesta’s eyes as she addressed Naexi again.

“Try me.”

Naexi took in a deep breath.

“So, ehm… Someone in my court found a magic artefact that, at the time, seemed to not be too threatening- so she brought it to the rest of the Inner Circle to assess. But just as we got an idea of what it was, it got activated and I ended up here.” Naexi spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, not wanting to show too much of her feelings on the matter. “It makes you travel in time. I think it’s only temporary, so hopefully I’ll go back to where I came from soon.”

Now it was Nesta’s turn to roll her eyes.

“Believe it or not, but that wouldn’t be the first time something that seemed impossible happened around here.” Nesta snipped, unimpressed. “You still haven't answered my question- who the hell are you?”

Naexi sighed. She knew that a lot had happened in Prythian at this point in time, although she was still a bit unsure of specifically when in time she was.

“My name is Naexi Sylmaris. I am, at my point in time, the General of the Continent’s Armies and Spymaster for the Monarch.” Naexi introduced. “You are Nesta Archeron, oldest of the Archeron sisters and…”

She hesitated. Did Nesta know yet who her mate was? Maybe this is before that happened. She had to make sure before she said too much.

“Wait, where are we?”

Nesta did not look amused.

“What, you can’t figure that out yourself, as all knowing as you are?” Nesta sneered. “You seem to know so much about me already. You should know where I live.”

House of Wind. That had to be it. That’s why Naexi shouldn't be able to winnow in.

“… and Cassian’s mate.” Naexi sighed and rolled her eyes. “Sorry, for not wanting to spoil your life story for you. My bad.”

Was it really a bad thing that Naexi had hesitated? She didn’t know what she could or couldn’t say. It’s not like she was a frequent time traveller. How would she know what rules applied? She didn’t study the artefacts enough to be useful in this kind of a situation.

It didn’t seem like Nesta liked the mention of her mate. She looked angry and annoyed. Naexi didn’t really think that Nesta was the right person to be annoyed about the situation or anything that came with it. After all, it was Naexi who has been displaced to a random place with one of the most dangerous High Fae ever to exist. If she had at least ended up with Amren or Rhysand she could have asked them for help getting back home- and they could keep their temperament and powers in check. She wasn’t as sure about Nesta.

“Don’t talk about my mate like you know him.” Nesta snarled. “Don’t think you deserve to even have his name in your mouth, even if you have all those titles.”

Now Naexi got angry. What about any of what was happening didn’t Nesta get? She couldn’t be that… stupid.

“They aren’t just titled.” Naexi snarled back. “I actually earned them, unlike you. Think of what you did, what, a year ago? A few years ago? You had a sister as High Lady, and you acted as though that entitled you to the world.”

That clearly hit a sore point, but Naexi didn’t care. Why would she? If Nesta wanted to pick a fight, she would get one.

“If you were as bright as you claim, you would not have said that.” Nesta’s eyes were glowing- not in the same way as Naexi’s own could. This was a cold glow, and Naexi finally understood what the texts about Nesta meant. It wasn’t a normal fire that Nesta possessed. It didn’t match Naexi’s. Not even close. “You claim to know who I am and what I can do. You surely know that you shouldn’t push me.”

It made Naexi take a breath. Nesta was right- as far as power went there was a clear winner between them, and it wasn’t Naexi. She could never defend herself against… that. Her only shot was if she surprise attacked her. She only needed to hold on until she got sent back home again.

“I won’t if you won’t. All we need is to wait this out, and I’ll be gone before you know it.” Naexi glared. “You seem to think that I want to be here with you. This wasn’t my choice. So back off.”

“Back off? You’re the one invading my home!” Nesta almost screamed.

“I don’t want to be here! How many times does it take to get that through your thick skull?” Naexi screamed back.

“Don’t you dare insult me- especially not in my own home!” Nesta growled. “Push me and I will ensure this is the last place you ever visit.”

Naexi was too riled up to take that seriously, or realize the weight it held.

“Don’t you dare threaten me.”

Nesta took a seat in the chair behind her, with a dangerous smirk on her lips. The tonal shift was jarring, like being in the eye of a hurricane and knowing that if it moved even a foot you would be swallowed whole.

“On one condition.” Nesta mused. “Equal the playing field. You know about me, but I know nothing about you except for your name and titles.”

Naexi took the seat across from Nesta. She thought about it, and she could see where Nesta was coming from. Naexi would not have liked it if a stranger just popped into her home and knew everything about her life- even more than she knew herself. Even worse, she realized that she would probably have acted similarly to Nesta.

“Fine. What do you want to know?” Naexi sighed, hoping this would end soon.

“Let’s start with how you got those titles you’re so proud of.” Nesta said with a hint of disgust in her voice.

Naexi was in no mood to tell her whole life story. But she supposed she could just summarise it a bit for the sake of easing the hostility between them.

“Fine. In short, I’m an orphan. I never knew my parents.” Naexi rolled her eyes, clearly still irritated. “Growing up on the streets I learned a thing or two about how to not be seen. Eventually someone took me in, teaching me how to put those skills to better use. I climbed in rank until I finally reached the King’s Court. That’s how I became Spymaster. As for General… Let's just say teaching combat and warfare in the capital made it difficult to stay completely in the shadows.”

Finally, Nesta seemed to ease up. Maybe she reminded Nesta a little of Cassian and Azriel. They too were underestimated and impoverished for a long time.

“Fair enough then. They might not be undeserved titles.” Nesta sighed, masking her interest. “So you’re a peasant then?”

Naexi was still irritated, but for the sake of keeping things semi-peaceful she just answered in a short tone.

“That’s rich coming from you. You mate is a bastard.”

That did not go well with Nesta. Maybe Naexi shouldn’t play with fire after all.

“Don’t you dare talk about my mate like that. He’s-” Nesta didn’t get to finish as Naexi interrupted.

“... Prince of Bastards, Lord of Bloodshed, General of Rhysands army…” Naexi listed idly. “Yeah. I know. It’s you who put a meaning behind it, not me. I was just stating a fact.”

“You could be one too, you know. A bastard.” Nesta sneered.

“I’m not.” Naexi’s tone was ice cold. She recognised that Nesta was trying to rile her up, but she wouldn’t let her win that easily. “I got to know about my parents eventually, when I found my twin sister.”

“Your twin sister?” Nesta laughed and rolled her eyes, her tone quickly shifting to annoyance. “Of course you have a sister. You’re just looking for things we can relate over, aren’t you?”

“I’m not looking for anything.” Naexi scoffed. “You just pointed that out. Not me. There are plenty more similarities between us, but I haven't pointed them out have I?”

“Go ahead then. Tell me more.” Nesta rolled her eyes at Naexi again, but Naexi just ignored the attitude.

“Well, my sister also happens to be the mate of our Monarch.” Naexi listed, before glaring at Nesta. “But don’t you dare to imply that that affects my position. I was in place before the coup.”

“The coup?” Nesta raised a brow.

“There was a coup, and my sibling-in-law usurped the King.” Naexi shrugged. It was a small detail in the broader spectrum of her life.

“And you stayed in the new court?” Nesta blinked

“Clearly.” Naexi scoffed, before moving on. “Our temperament seems to be similar. Just like you, I don’t hold much affection for my sister's mate, but I do respect them a lot. We’re a bit like you and Rhysand- although I have never treated Bryn with that level of disrespect.”

Naexi snarled the last word. But Nesta just had a wicked smile.

“You haven’t mentioned your mate.” Nesta threw the statement in Naexi’s face. “Most fae can’t stop talking about them, thinking about them… if they have one, that is. You don’t have one, do you?”

While it was true, it didn’t hurt any less. It was a really sore spot for her. The people that surrounded her almost daily all had mates, but here she was, still alone. It was Naexi’s turn to get angry.

“So? At least I haven’t made everyone around me hate me.” Naexi fumed. “That’s what you seem to be an expert in!”

Naexi’s eyes were glowing, just like Nesta’s had before. However, not as strong, and in a completely different colour. Like flames, showing her magic’s affiliation to fire. Naexi’s insult did get to Nesta, but only for a short second as Nesta’s attention switched to her eyes.

“I guess that is a similarity too… and a difference.”

Naexi calmed down a little at that and thought about her circumstances for a moment. How could she not have realised it before? Maybe this was the whole reason why she was here. Nesta was her match from the past. Naexi had always thought that she related quite a bit to Azriel, but they really weren't that similar in temperament or philosophy- just in occupation. She and Nesta, however…

“That’s why I ended up with you?” Nesta just chuckled. “The cauldron really likes some irony.”

“Tell me about it.”

The pair kept quiet for a moment before Naexi decided to break the silence.

“How is your training going?” She wanted to know if Nesta had gone through with the blood rite yet, and she couldn’t really handle the awkwardness between them now that they saw eye-to-eye. She almost preferred it when they were at each other’s throats. She supposed Nesta probably agreed.

“Fine.” Nesta barely looked at Naexi when she spoke. “I’m a Valkyrie, if that’s what you are asking about.”

“It was.” Naexi admitted. “I’ve always found Valkyries fascinating. The female who brought the artefact is one and she’s very impressive. I’ve never dared to try mastering it.”

That piqued Nesta’s interest. All of the sudden, Naexi had all of Nesta’s attention. Maybe they had some common ground.

“Really? Why not?”

“I didn’t have someone to teach me.” Naexi shrugged. “And now that I do, I just never find the time.”

“Well, that’s a shame.” Nesta almost smiled slightly. “If you stayed perhaps I could have taught you something.”

“That would have been quite nice, actually.” Naexi returned the slight smile and almost chuckled. She was starting to like this part of Nesta. “Maybe we could have found something I could have taught you too. I am, after all, like… a hundred years older than you.”

“Wait, how old are you?” Nesta blinked.

“Ehm..” Naexi had to think for a second. “127…”

She chuckled slightly at the irony of the situation. She was the one from the future, but at this moment in time she was the one who was older.

“Then you are like a century older than me.” Nesta chuckled slightly back. “Wow, here I thought we were about the same age. I guess I forget sometimes about the fae ageing so slowly.”

Naexi was about to say that she could understand why, since she lives with both mortals and fae. It’s really hard to keep track. But maybe that shouldn’t be mentioned. While she was in that frame of mind she made a realisation.

“You are not asking me about your future, or anyone else’s. Why?” Naexi asked, very curious.

“I don’t want to know.” Nesta had a much more serious tone now. “I at least want to pretend that my future choices are my own, even if they aren’t.”

Thinking about it, Naexi couldn’t help but agree.

“I understand and respect that.” Naexi nodded. “I’m realising I wouldn’t want to know either.”

Nesta seemed to be deep in thought for a moment, before she spoke again.

“You know what would have been fun? You and me sparring Cass and Azriel.” Nesta chuckled at the thought.

Naexi chuckled too.

“That would have been fun. But let's be honest, Cassian can barely handle one of you. Imagine two.” She laughed and Nesta also started laughing.

It was nice that they could finally laugh together. They probably could have been close friends- although if they fought for real it would probably have destroyed this whole house. So it was probably better for everyone that they lived in different parts of the timeline.

“Cass is definitely going to have a good laugh about this, until I tell him about your occupation.” Nesta smirked. “Then he’ll probably get insulted, big Illyrian baby. Az will just laugh.”

“My friend would get so jealous if he heard about this.” Naexi giggled back. They’re almost like two teenagers hanging out, laughing about stupid boys. “He idolises Cassian. But I’m guessing that I’m not going to be allowed to talk about it.”

As they were laughing, some glasses poofed out of nowhere, filled with wine. Nesta just let out a low “thank you” as Naexi just looked stunned.

“Me and the house are good friends.” Nesta chuckled and looked up at the ceiling and then around the house. “So the house provides me with things that I ask for or it thinks I might like or need. Wine was definitely a will like.”

Naexi still had a stunned look but chuckled too. She took one of the glasses and took a sip. The house picked a really good wine.

“Your house knows good wines. I’m impressed.” The lights around them flickered, almost like the house responded to her. Once again, Naexi looked stunned and Nesta just giggled.

“It does.” Nesta sighed contentedly. “Tell me, what’s it like being Spymaster? Or a spy in general? It’s not like Azriel speaks much about it.”

After taking another sip, Naexi answered.

“Honestly, it’s a bit lonely. You always pretend to be someone you’re not, so eventually it's hard to make a difference between the character and yourself.” Naexi shrugged. “But I tend to just bury myself in work. Then there isn’t really a problem. But also there’s not really much of a social life outside of work, which can suck.”

“I can relate to hiding from your problems, even if I’ve never had to be a spy.” Nesta hummed. “But that never ends well. I’m speaking from experience.”

Naexi nodded to Nestas words, agreeing with her. She was right, Naexi just didn’t want to deal with it.

“Damn, I almost wish I could just stay here instead.” Naexi half-heartedly joked. She didn’t have that much to return to, and she could learn so much here from legendary people. Not only Nesta, but the whole of Rhysands Inner Circle.

“I might have even welcomed your company- until you started annoying me too much.” Nesta joked back. They both laughed.

This was something Naexi had missed without even realising she wanted it- just sitting with someone you call a friend and laughing. It was pleasant.

All of the sudden, Naexi started feeling those familiar shadows surrounding her. All she had time to say was, “It was nice meeting you Nesta.” before they surrounded her completely and she was back at the round table, together with the rest of the inner circle. Naexi sat in silence until she could finally hear Bryn’s voice.

“Anyone have particularly fun stories to share?”

#acotar #sarah j maas #a court of silver flames #a court of thorns and roses #a court of mist and fury #nesta archeron #wox #world of high fae #text based adventure #text based rpg

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thesistersarcheron · 2 months

Note

If I were writing/had the capacity to write contemporary-ish/historical real world AUs for the Maasverse, I’m thinking WWI for TOG, WWII for ACOTAR, and 80s Cold War for CC (Celaena as an Russian émigré exile serving as a nurse on the front lines! Batboys as Flying Aces taking down the Kamikaze over the Pacific!! Whatever spy stuff is going in CC, idk I’ve never read it).

Bryce Quinlan is giving “oblivious American woman who Has It All™️ with big hair and blue eyeshadow” while Lidia Cervos would absolutely be the turncoat Russian spy who carries the series, so this tracks 💯 Ruhn would love glam metal.

Everyone has the capacity to write, anon! Even if you just write a couple of brief vignettes to sketch out the general feeling of the story, that’s writing. That’s how I got back into fanfiction in 2017 when I started writing for Wonder Woman. I can’t recommend giving it a shot enough!!!

#anonymous #answered

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shadowhunterssizzy · 2 years

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HOSAB thoughts

Just finished the book and i have a lot of thoughts so i thought i would post them here:

SPOILERS AHEAD

-I still believe CC is the most complex world Sarah has ever created. I think the worldbuilding, history and storyline is really complex and well crafted, however, something’s missing for me. I don’t know what it is but it’s not hitting as hard as her other stories, even though is good and well written.

-Bryce is a great character and so is hunt. No complaints there

-Sarah is recycling lines from previous books and changing words and even plot twists. If you’ve read the ending you’ll notice it’s similar to EoS and ACOMAF in a sense. Not saying it’s a bad thing but i got to the ending and i was like:

-Daynight stole the show for me. I love their dynamic so much already.

-While i think CC is her best work in terms of writing and world building i do believe it’s just a recycled version of her previous books with a different touch but i don’t think she’s doing anything new or revolutionary

-The famous ‘’maasverse’’ and crossover: i loved the idea many years before but i did’t like the execution. I don’t think the worlds should mingle together to the point where bryce has to spend part of the next book in Prythian for a number of reasons.. First of all i think the crossover should’ve happened in a final battle where the portals would open (like the avengers).There’s so much stuff happening in Lunathion and the ending with Hunt is concerning. Even if she writes a 2000 page book i still believe it’s unnecesary and i don’t see why bryce would spend half of it in another world with characters that have nothing to do with her story/city. I love the IC to death and i’m happy to see them but this is not what i was expecting.

-I don’t know if she did it to create hype for both CC3 and acotar but i think she’s going to be even messier with the whole ship war in this next book than in azriel’s pov ,and god knows how badly i hope i’m wrong.

-While i think aelin and her gang would appear at some point i still believe it’s unnecesary. I would rather them learning about aelin than sarah bringing her back, the girl needs a rest.

-My last point: I know sarah has been teasing the crossover for years. I know in ACOSF and CC1 we saw a lot of parallels/connections.. however, a part of me wonders if this was truly meant to happen in CC2 or if she was leaving it to CC3 but saw the ship war and decided to add the last 2 pages in the last minute. I think maybe bryce was meant to end in Hel, and then she changed her mind and went with the crossover... and then you would say: but why if there’s barely any mention of the possible ships in the next acotar books?. Well.... i disagree. We get to see azriel AGAIN. He got a pov and a big entrance in CC2. We get the famous bread and roses line and then the brycehunt pov has a similar line to the end of azriel’s pov with gwyn.. so idk what to tell you but i don’t think she wrote this randomly and thinking oh, nobody would notice this. I think the last part of HOSAB and that exclusive pov were like the end of azriel’s pov over and over again and you can’t change my mind.

And now i’m scared for CC3 because i have a feeling i won’t get what i want in that book. At all.

#hosab theory #hosab #crescent city #bryce quinlan #acotar #sjmaas #books #maasverse #crossover

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mercarimari · 2 years

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Okay So, it’s time for an introduction I guess. xD

Welcome to the Chaos Dome guys. My name is LJ, and I’ll be your host. I’m a writer. I know it doesn’t necessarily look like it from the state of my blog. And the unkempt nature of my likes tab. But like. It’s what I do. It’s what I live for. I write Maasverse fanfic, primarily I love to write OC/Canon content because who doesn’t want to have a piece of all the action? But I do also write canon material as well. I also write fanfic for the FBAA series by JLA, My Hero Academia, and various other fandoms. My top ships would have to be Feysand, Gwynriel, Elriel, Rowaelin, Quinlar, Nestaq, Ruhnlidia and Fenrys/Happiness of any kind. (That’s not to say these are my only ships in the Maasverse, they’re just my favorite as of right now) I do not and will not insert myself into incessant ship wars, and you’ll find my blog to be a hodgepodge of literally everything. I do try to tag my stuff well enough for filtering so that if you don’t want to see something you don’t have to. If you have a tag you filter that you’d like me to use, please just politely message me and I’ll add it to my tag list. I’m not hard to get along with. I have an open inbox and am always down to take requests for fics. I also am down to start a discussion about my headcanons and pretty much anything else at any given time. As of right now I have yet to finish HoSaB, but I have started it. Ruhn Danaan is the current love of my life, and I would sell my soul to give him a hug and remind him that he is loved. As for my original projects, I tend to write LGBTQIA+ inclusive stories that feature a wide variety of representation on the Queer Spectrum. I love the idea that majorly queer media is making a rise and I strive to be apart of creating that media so that kids like me and my brother and sister in the future can find themselves in the pages of my stories. I have a very small discord community for the people interested in following along with my writing journey. If you’d like the link hit me up in a message and I’ll send it to you. <3 Aside from my writing, I’m an avid roleplayer (and it’s where I get the inspiration for a lot of my fanfiction from), I like to make bookish playlists, and spend a lot of my time playing video games and scrolling through tiktok. Streaming movies/tv shows/anime, reading books, doing crafts. EVERYTHING EXCEPT WHAT I SHOULD BE DOING AND WORKING ON MY BOOK. xD I’m a server as my day job. I have three cats (Jinxlynn Marie, Ochako Tyreen, and Little Shadow.) they are my babies, I adore them.

Thank you guys so much for the interest if you’ve read this far. I hope you can all find something on my blog that you like and wish to stick around for.

#writeblr intro #an intro to me #sjm fandom #writer introduction #hey look guys it's me #since i'm finally gaining some new followers I think it's time for this thing to happen #<3

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yazthebookish · 2 years

Note

I saw you mentioned The World of Throne of Glass and I was thinking the same thing. I was sooo looking forward to that accompaniment, but with all I am hearing about shared worlds and whatnot, I would not be surprised if sometime in the far future if we got a monster of a book with ALL 3(if she stops at 3) universes explained and how they are tied together and with the bonus stuff we were promised for ToG but also ACOTAR and CC. I can dream at least. Can call it "The Worlds of SJM" 😂

You mean Maasverse 😂😂😂

If Rowan ever shows up I'll have a cardiac arrest but I want Rowaelin to live in peace and happiness, they deserve it after everything they've been through 😭

#asks #hosab spoilers

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wingedblooms · 8 months

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Slowly, like lovely wraiths from a hell-realm, the witches appeared. (qos)

I haven’t been able to shake this quote since the witch series. How amazing would it be if we see Elain, a powerful seer and witch, peer into and/or travel to Hel like a wraith with her friends Nuala and Cerridwen? I’m so ready for all of their spooky adventures and missions together.

#it’s already spooky season here #spooky elain #elain archeron #witch elain #wraithlike elain #wraiths from a hell-realm #nuala #cerridwen #witchy wraiths #spooks or spies #shadows on the wind #maasverse stuff #tog witches #elainarcheronweek2023 #day 2 #elain archeron week 2023

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cassianandfenrysaremyboyos · 7 years

Audio

Ok here it is! I recorded this on Monday but I’ve only just got around to posting it! I’m so nervous to post this! And who knows when I’ll get around to the second challenge haha!

I was tagged in this by @feysandsmut @feysandfeels @catastrophicallyinlovewithbooks @readinglikewildfire @modernbookfae @feyre-starkov @2-bookmaster-2 @escapingtheconstrictingboxes Also @dorianthekinkymf @rowan-buzzard-whitethorn and @feyre-archerons-scrapbook tagged me after I recorded this so I’m sorry I didn’t mention you!!

Sorry in advance for my rambling, I rambled on and on about a lot of unnecessary stuff… and for saying umm and like a lot lol! And this is LONG! I actually never talk much in real life so this was surprising!? This is basically my Azriel Nepelle scene where he says more in one scene than he does in the whole of acomaf haha! (Thanks to @rhysand-vs-rowan for that tid bit of info!)

Name and username

Where are you from?

Pronounce the following words: Archeron, Rhysand, Cresseida, Thesan, Rhoe Galathynius, Illyrian, Manon, Abraxos, Prythian, Lucien, Ianthe, Suriel, Bryaxis, Carridwen and Nuala, Elide, Velaris, Rowan Whitethorn, Chaol Westfall, Yrene Towers, Nehemia Ytger, Rifthold, Adarlan, Chrocan, Kaltain Rompier, Sorscha, Dorian Havilliard, Lyria, Asterion horse, Valg, Eyllwe, wyrdmarks, rowaelin, feysand

How did you find out about the books?

When did you start reading them?

Favorite character from TOG?

Favorite character from ACOTAR?

Have you read The Assassin’s Blade? Do you plan on reading the ACOTAR Novellas?

Favorite ship/s?

Read a page from your favorite book from TOG (or ACOTAR)

Which scene destroyed you the most?

If you read fanfiction, name your favorite or some of your favorites

Fave headcanons?

Favorite quote/s?

If you could choose any piece of media to readapt the Maasverse in, what would you choose? (e.g: movie(s), tv show(s), animation, a musical, videogames, etc)

TOG or ACOTAR? Why?

Which would be your ACOTAR Court? Why?

And last but not least, say 3 unpopular opinions. Do it, go off

Also special shout out to @acotargaryen who was a life saver in working out how to convert and upload this!

I’m literally the last person to do this! But I’ll tag @mikazuki-hage because I saw you mention you haven’t been tagged yet??

#sorry about my unpopular opinionss guys #and for going on about so much unnecessary stuff #i just rambled #i dont know where it all came from #i literally never talk much #except when im drunk then i never shut up #but i wasnt drunk when i did this #and sorry for the breathing noises lol #accent challenge #my accent challenge

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escapingtheconstrictingboxes · 7 years

Audio

I was tagged by the wonderful @dr-woodsprite. Warning, this is twenty minutes long. I had a lot of fun making this even if I did have a couple problems with it. I’ve really gotten into it and I kinda wanna make more.

UPDATE: I just realised that this is only half of my audio and I’ve posted the second part of the challenge here.

ANOTHER UPDATE: So my Part 2 audio may not be working for some people so I’ve posted another one. Here

Name and username

Where are you from?

How did you find out about the books?

When did you start reading them?

Favorite character from TOG?

Favorite character from ACOTAR?

Have you read The Assassin’s Blade? Do you plan on reading the ACOTAR Novellas?

Favorite ship/s?

Read a page from your favorite book from TOG (or ACOTAR)

Which scene destroyed you the most?

If you read fanfiction, name your favorite or some of your favorites

Fave headcanons?

Favorite quote/s?

If you could choose any piece of media to readapt the Maasverse in, what would you choose? (e.g: movie(s), tv show(s), animation, a musical, videogames, etc)

TOG or ACOTAR? Why?

Which would be your ACOTAR Court? Why?

And last but not least, say 3 unpopular opinions. Do it, go off

I pause a lot but that’s only because I’m trying to think as I talk. I did edit the audio a little so there are a couple odd parts in it because I can’t edit properly. Also, I don’t sound that dead in real life. It’s just that I’d done it so many times that I was so done by the time I made my final one. Oh, and also, I talk about the Sastiel fics and the Rowan POV of Heir of Fire but honestly, my respect goes to every person that writes fan fiction because that stuff is hard!

I hope you enjoyed it.

If I tagged you, I want you to do the tag just in case you haven’t been tagged. If you have been tagged and you’ve already done it, please listen to it anyway.

@tntwme @birdiethebibliophile @readinglikewildfire @feysandsmut @feysandfeels @bookwormgypsyakwardgirl @feyre-starkov @highlady-casandra @azrielsiphons @the-sea-of-flowers @illyriangoddess1 @paperbacktrash @fck-tamlin @aly-naith @moonriverandlu @modernbookfae @charliebowater @rowan-buzzard-whitethorn @sparkleywonderful @abookandacoffee @lronteeth @cassianandfenrysaremyboyos

Of course, none of you have to do the tags if you don’t want to. And if you haven’t done been tagged, guess what. You’ve just been tagged by me.

#sjm accent challenge #my terrible voice #mine #hope you humans liked it

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torattlethestars · 7 years

Audio

I was tagged by @songbirdsbooks and am not going to tag anyone because I always feel a little uncomfortable doing that (I don’t have enough friends) and it seems like everyone else has already done this (so much so that there is a new version already).

I’m not good at forming sentences out loud and left massive spaces so have edited by forty minute long mess into this nearly nine minute thing, but in some places I think I overcompensated... Also beware of the volume changing randomly throughout.

Things I missed or didn’t articulate properly:

I will stand by Nuala as "noo-la" because of the name Finnuala and I am surprised that I've not heard anyone else pronounce it like me but everyone seems to pronounce it “new-ahl-ah”

*also to do with HOW aromantic I am (aromantic people can like romantic stuff, I just don’t)

The fanfiction I mentioned is Magpie by chaparral_crown on ao3

The questions are below the cut

Name and username:

Where are you from?

Pronounce the following words: Archeron, Rhysand, Cresseida, Thesan, Rhoe Galathynius, Illyrian, Manon, Abraxos, Prythian Lucien, Ianthe, Suriel, Bryaxis, Cerridwen and Nuala, Elide, Velaris, Rowan Whitethorn, Chaol Westfall, Yrene Towers, Nehemia Ytger, Rifthold, Adarlan, Crochan, Kaltain Rompier, Sorscha, Dorian Havilliard, Lyria, Asterion horse, Valg, Eyllwe, wyrdmarks, rowaelin, feysand

How did you find out about the books?

When did you start reading them?

Favorite character from ToG?

Favorite character from ACOTAR?

Have you read the Assassin’s Blade?

Do you plan on reading the ACOTAR novellas?

Favorite ship/s?

Read a page from your favorite book from ToG (or ACOTAR)?

Which scene destroyed you the most?

If you read fanfiction, name your favorite or some of your favorites?

Fave headcanon?

Favorite quote/s?

If you could choose any piece of media to readapt the Maasverse in, what would you choose? (e.g: movie(s), TV show(s), animation, a musical, videogames, etc)

ToG or Acotar? Why?

Which would be your ACOTAR Court? Why?

And last but not least, say 3 unpopular opinions. Do it, go off.

#sjm accent challenge #accent challenge #posting this at 7am is probably not a good idea #i have edited this because the tumblr search engine won't show anything with external links #and i want attention #because i spent too long on this to get none #and maybe this will fix it

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ablackbirdsinging · 7 years

Audio

Ok, so my kids are napping and I’m doing really productive things like cleaning and doing laundry. Nah, just kidding. I’m drinking a latte and recording this accent challenge. No one tagged me in this. I just wanted to do it. If you’re like me and just want to try this too, just do it! Tag me and I’ll listen to it and tell you how adorable you are.

The questions are under the cut or whatever yall call this thing over here on Tumblr. Click below and you’ll see all the good stuff.

Name and username

Where are you from?

How did you find out about the books?

When did you start reading them?

Favorite character from TOG?

Favorite character from ACOTAR?

Have you read The Assassin’s Blade? Do you plan on reading the ACOTAR Novellas?

Favorite ship/s?

Read a page from your favorite book from TOG (or ACOTAR)

Which scene destroyed you the most?

If you read fanfiction, name your favorite or some of your favorites

Fave headcanons?

Favorite quote/s?

If you could choose any piece of media to readapt the Maasverse in, what would you choose? (e.g: movie(s), tv show(s), animation, a musical, videogames, etc)

TOG or ACOTAR? Why?

Which would be your ACOTAR Court? Why?

And last but not least, say 3 unpopular opinions. Do it, go off.

#sarah j maas #accent challenge

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wingedblooms · 1 year

Text

Maasverse spoilers: look away now if you haven’t read TOG, ACOTAR, AND CC (this post is also tagged for spoilers in all three series).

So, while this is a “Crescent City” book, its protagonist has landed in the “ACOTAR” world — so we’ll expect to see how all these characters intertwine. (Particularly how Elain’s fated mate shakes out, but that’s a much longer story for another day.)

As for actual plot points, Mori says she expects “lots of pain but a happy ending.”

“Sarah has hinted we should be worried about Ruhn and we know he is most likely not doing well. I am trying to remember this is the same author who put Aelin in a coffin and tortured her for (over) 20 chapters. But on an exciting note, I expect a lot of answers to the Maas Universe.”

I am not looking forward to the pain of CC3 (please Sarah, don’t hurt Ruhn too much 😭)…but I appreciate it when I read Maasverse articles and they acknowledge how the worlds and characters are intertwined (even if it’s not everyone’s cup of tea). And as you probably guessed, I especially love it when our sweet seer and her future story is mentioned.

#maasverse #crossover stuff #cc spoilers #tog spoilers #acotar spoilers #elain archeron

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wingedblooms · 1 year

Text

The sense chanted

This is a Maasverse post, and as such, there are spoilers for all Maas series. Proceed with caution.

Touch her, smell her, taste her—The instincts were a running river. He fisted his hands at his sides.

But even as shame washed through him, the words, the sense chanted, Mine. You are mine, and I am yours. Mate. (acowar)

Even the thoughts Lucien has about Elain are witchy. Though the word chant is not exclusive to Elain, Sarah uses it sparingly in the series and it caught my eye. Lucien’s mate instincts are compared to a running river and the words mine, mate, etc. are a chant in his mind. As @offtorivendell noted, Sarah’s use of the word chant might mean there is a spell tying Elain and Lucien together that acts a lot like a mating bond:

I can feel spells—like threads. Ones that can enchant feel like bindings around an individual. (acosf)

Both bonds and spells are described in terms of song and magical weaving (threads), which could lead them to be mistaken. Chant derives from the Latin word to sing, and so enchant—which means to charm, bewitch, or put under a spell—is also linked to singing. It is notable that chants are associated with sacred rituals and they often include repetition, like the refrain a thing of secret, lovely beauty. It is also possible that the bond is described as a chant because Lucien is the son of Helion Spell-Cleaver, and Elain is a witch. This chant pairs nicely with the way her scent is described:

Her sister’s delicate scent of jasmine and honey lingered in the red-stoned hall like a promise of spring, a sparkling river that she followed to the open doors of the chamber. [...] Her sister turned toward her, glowing with health. (acosf)

All of this language related to light, water, and chants reminds me of an another chant:

The song ended, and more prayers and words flowed from Merrill, Clotho silent beside her. Then another song started—this one merrier, faster than the other. As if the songs were a progression. This one was a lilting chant, the words tumbling over each other like water dancing down a mountainside, and Nesta’s foot tapped on the ground in time to the beat.

Sparkling wave of sound, prayers and words flowed, words tumbling over each other like water dancing down, bottomless pool of sound. The music in the dusk service is repeatedly compared to water and that makes sense; priestesses are believed to act as the voice of the Cauldron, which as a dark and ancient womb is associated with water. The priestesses use a progression of ancient songs and chants to help Nesta enter a trance state and locate the Harp through an illusion, which is very similar to how Norse magic functioned. But they have something particularly witchy assisting them…

Gwyn smiled. “Oh, yes. You want to join us? I promise it’s not all religious stuff. I mean, it is, but it’s beautiful. And the cave we have the service in is beautiful, too. It was carved by the underground river that flows beneath the mountain, so the walls are smooth as glass. And it’s acoustically perfect—the shape and size of the space amplifies and clarifies each voice within.”

“It sounds heavenly,” Nesta admitted.

“It is.” Gwyn smiled again, eyes lighting with pride. “Some of the songs you’ll hear are so ancient they predate the written word. Some of them are so old we didn’t even have them in Sangravah. Clotho found them in books shelved below Level Seven. Hana—she’ll be the one who plays the lute—figured out how to read the music.” (acosf)

The priestesses are singing ancient, spell-like songs in a cavern that is smooth as glass. The glass cavern walls amplify each voice (or incantation) of the priestesses. And guess what? There’s a sister-glass, an almost-twin cavern that allows them to wake the Harp in the Prison.

So Nesta drifted down and down, the harp and the voices pulsing and guiding, until she stopped before a rock. She laid a hand on it to find it was only an illusion, and she passed through it, down another long hall, beneath the mountain itself, and then she stood in a cavern, almost the twin to the one the priestesses sang in, as if they were linked in song and dreaming. (acosf)

The caverns function like witch glass. WITCH GLASS! And these underground, sister caverns naturally recall to mind the larger underground waterway that creatures of the bog use.

“Oorid was once a sacred place,” Amren said. […] They say the water there flows to Under the Mountain, and the creatures who live in the bog have long used its underground waterways to travel through the Middle, even into the mountains of the surrounding courts.” (acosf)

And who, again, did Cassian say lives in the bog?

“What else dwells here other than kelpies?”

“Some say witches,” he murmured, “Not the human kind,” he added when she raised a brow. “The kind that used to be something else and then their thirst for magic and power turned them into wretched creatures, banished here by various High Lords.”

[…]

Cassian went on as she scanned the bog, “There are lightsingers: lovely, ethereal beings who will lure you, appearing as friendly faces when you are lost.” (acosf)

I won’t be going in depth about this, but it is interesting that witches and lightsingers are mentioned so close together. @offtorivendell has written about her thoughts on their connections, and I suspect they are like sister-glass, near twins: misunderstood creatures with dangerous powers who have a role to play in the series. The dusk service is full of light and water imagery, and the songs the priestesses are singing are ancient and compared to a spell while the glass around them amplifies their collective power.

“Witches amass power beyond their natural reserve,” Mor answered with sudden seriousness. “They use spells and archaic tools to harness more power to them than the Cauldron allotted—and use it for whatever they desire, good or ill.” (acowar)

They connect to the sister cavern in the Prison through song and dreaming, where the Harp—which was Made by the Cauldron and can influence space and time—is awoken. Is this ritual harnessing powers from lightsingers (singing) and witches with Sight (dreaming), and if so, what is their intent? How did Clotho find those spells? Who is this mysterious Hana—a name with several meanings, including hope, joy, flower, glow, moon—and how did she figure out how to read those ancient spells songs? We may never find out, but I suspect Elain may have had something to do with it, especially since this happened after she spoke about wanting to help and reacquainting herself with her powers. Her activities in acosf have been a source of mystery and suspicion among characters and readers alike. It would make sense for her half-shadowed rose next to the Mother to be a hint for her secret maneuvers, and if she and the twins don't call themselves the Order of the Rose, then what's the point?

There are larger forces at play and god-like creatures who influence leaders on the wind, so I am concerned about a potential infiltration in just about every court, including the Night Court. The priestesses' sanctuary has been breached before and we know that the wind finds at least one of them through the stone walls. They conduct rituals in an underground cavern in the same book that we're told creatures of the bog—perhaps even witches and lightsingers—use underground waterways to travel to the Middle and the mountains of the surrounding courts. Back in acomaf, Sarah even planted this potential plot for priestesses:

“The High Priestesses have burrowed into a few of the courts—Dawn, Day, and Winter, mostly. They’ve entrenched themselves so thoroughly that their spies are everywhere, their followers near-fanatic with devotion. And yet, during those fifty years, they escaped. They remained hidden. I would not be surprised if Ianthe sought to establish a foothold in the Spring Court.” (acomaf)

In acosf, we learn that there is some trouble in Day. Could the trouble Helion spoke of involve his own libraries and priestesses? Perhaps it was only a matter of time for this to be an issue in the Night Court. Briallyn indicated that there are spies within the Night Court who know the identity of Nesta’s friends, which brought to mind this comment in the original trilogy. It’s possible we’ll never understand why, but it does make me wonder.

The priestess who had let them in … for whatever reason, Hybern had left her alive. She allowed Rhys into her mind to see what had happened: once the king had sundered the wards with that fleeting spell, his Ravens had appeared as two old scholars to get the priestess to open the door, then forced their way into her mind so that she’d welcome them in without being vetted. The violation of that alone…Rhys had spent hours with those priestesses yesterday. Mor, too. (acowar)

It is curious that Clotho discusses the urgency of Merrill's research before the omen of Aelin’s appearance or Bryce’s sudden arrival. How did she know the multiverse theory was pressing? Do the priestesses have access to a seer?

Gwyneth mentioned she had run into you earlier. She works for Merrill, my right hand, who is a fiercely demanding scholar. If Gwyneth's requests were abrupt, it was due to the pressing nature of the work she does. (acosf)

There are multiple hints that Elain is operating in the shadows, and she's the perfect person for others to overlook, especially in an environment when identities are already obscured. While the priestesses are connected to singing, she is connected to dreaming as someone with the gift of Sight.

“No. I … I was sleeping, but I heard …” She shook her head. Blinked at our formal attire, the dark crown atop my head—and Rhysand’s. “I didn’t hear you.”

Azriel stepped forward. “But you heard something else.”

Elain seemed about to nod, but only backed away. “I think I was dreaming,” she murmured. “I think I’m always dreaming these days.” (acowar)

So the connection between the near-twin caverns, a connection of song and dreaming, might be another case of like calling to like: Elain’s glass amulet travels on the wind to the library through Azriel, and it is a thing of secret, lovely beauty that links two characters in song (Gwyn) and dreaming (Elain).

Thanks to the induced vision, Nesta is able to retrieve the Harp from the Prison, and its conversation with her is eerily familiar. Is it just me, or does this mimic Elain's earlier comment?

Elain said, “Then I will find it. I might require some time to…reacquaint myself with my powers, but I could start today.” (acosf)

It has been a long while, sister, since I played. I shall need time to remember the right combinations…(acosf)

This echo between Elain and the Harp reminds me of Stryga's ancient song, which is described similarly to Elain’s scent and the priestesses’ songs: her honeyed voice is sweet and beautiful, like sunlight on a stream. It is a version of The Twa Sisters, which describes two (or three) sisters who watch their father's ships come in and the eldest pushes her younger sister into the water. She drowns and her body is transformed into a string instrument that reveals the truth of her actions. Quite a few have linked this song, in theory, to Gwyn and her twin sister. I believe it may actually capture Elain's transformation, which occurs later in that same book when she and Nesta are forced into the Cauldron. Not only are they the daughters of a seafaring merchant, but Elain (the younger) is also forced into the ocean-like water of the Cauldron first, and transformed into an instrument of truth as a seer. Her body is dumped onto the stone floor as though thrown by a wave, and her delicate bones are on display.

There are several versions of this folk song, and in at least a few, the younger sister is referred to as a flower and she is most often mistook for a pale creature, such as a swan or a fish. Her bones (as well as other parts of her body) are used to create a string instrument, including specifically a Harp. It's interesting how Elain's powers weave these concepts together, transcending space and time in her Sight with the ability to reveal the (sometimes ugly) truth.

In Erilea, Blueblood witches, and priestesses within specific witch clans, have rituals in caves and forests to help them worship the Three-Faced-Goddess and activate their Sight. Their rituals are deeply connected to the wind:

Of course, the Bluebloods were nowhere to be seen. The reclusive witches had arrived first and claimed the uppermost rooms in the Omega, saying they needed the mountain breeze to complete their rituals every day. Religious fanatics with their noses in the wind, was what Mother Blackbeak had always called them. But it had been their insane devotion to the Three-Faced Goddess and their vision of the Witch Kingdom under Ironteeth rule that had mustered the Clans five centuries ago—even if it had been the Blackbeak sentinels who'd won the battles for them. (hof)

The Blueblood witches prefer to be exposed to the wind, the epitome of unseen movement. Do they listen to its song, move with it at the top of the mountain? I wouldn’t be surprised if some of their rituals involved song and/or movement.

In Norse mythology, song and sight are especially intertwined. Völva (Norse wise women, seers, and later demonized as witches) sometimes used chants or substances to induce trance and prophecy if other methods (spá, which involves an inner connection to the threads of fate and Norns) did not work. Could Elain’s Sight also rely on or benefit from some kind of Singing, as @offtorivendell, @silverlinedeyes, and I have wondered? Is it the song of the wind she hears and flies on, even in her mind? And what will keep her from drifting away into the cosmos, or even time? More on that in the final post in this series, Groundings.

Next: Groundings, or Elain's dawn ritual.

Series: seer. wise woman. witch.

#witch elain #witchy elain #witchy archeron sisters #acotar witches #tog witches #crescent city witches #maasverse witches #the sense chanted #prythian priestesses #witch mirrors #elain archeron

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