Juniper, Yrene & Gwyneth - CC, TOG & ACOTAR

“The Brave” - Artist: bookishkoda

A male who lets everyone know he is a mated male does not have any interest in another female.

Rhysand, ACOWAR

100% the fault of @soyzaweels

“Wow Sophie! Your hair looks just like starlight!”

“Gwyn’s hair seemed to glow brighter with her song, skin radiating a beckoning light.”

Evidence that Azriel’s shadows DO NOT DISAPPEAR when he is calmed or relaxed or around the people he feels safe with.

Buckle up, this might be longer than a Target receipt.

1. ACOMAF:

When Feyre is getting to know them and she asks Cassian how he’s lasted so long without anyone killing him, Cassian belts out a full laugh and “Azriel’s brows flicked up with approval as the shadows seemed to wrap tighter around him. As if he were the dark hive from which they flew and returned.” He’s calmed and relaxed here…the shadows are there.

Later on, they’re having a family dinner. Calmed. Relaxed. His whole family around. Talking about the Illyrians. “Azriel nodded, shadows wreathing his neck, his wrists.”

They seemed friendly with Feyre too when they were going to the Human Lands and she flew with Azriel to piss off Rhys.

2. ACOWAR:

Back in the Night Court, anothee family dinner. They’re all eating and joking. The whole gang is there, talking about teaching Feyre how to fly: “We’ve taught plenty of younglings the basics” Cassian countered. Azriel shook his head, shadows twining around his wrists.

Before they head out to the Dawn Court, when they’re all joking waiting to leave: “Azriel, wreathed in shadows by the front door, chuckled quietly. Cassian shot him a glare. “I don’t see you spouting poetry, brother”. You all know the response to this one.

3. ACOFAS:

This is Rhysand’s POV. In his study, just talking about stuff, calmed, relaxed: One glance at Azriel’s unreadable face and I added, “Don’t answer that”. A corner of Azriel’s mouth curled up, the shadows about him sliding over his neck like living tattoos, twins to the Ilkyrian ones marked beneath his leathers.

4. ACOSF:

Cassian and Nesta are having breakfast. A nice cozy family meal: She might have snapped something, but Azriel stalked into the room on his heels. Nesta straightened at the shadowsinger’s appearance, the darkness clinging to his shoulders as he offered her a grim smile.

When Azriel gave Nesta the reading light for Solstice and she hugs him, he even chuckled: “Thank you”, Nesta said, quickly pulling away to marvel at the device. “It’s brilliant.” Azriel blushed and stepped back, shadows swirling.

And now, for my personal favorites. Chapter 60: the cutting of the ribbon:

Cassian lingered at the doorway as Nesta murmured to Gwyn, “You’ve got this.” (I love them, your Honor) Azriel came up beside him, silent as the shadows that wreathed his wings.

Gwyn asked Az, her teal eyes bright, “What do we get if we finish the course?” Az’s shadows DANCED AROUND HIM. “Since there’s no chance in hell any of you will finish the course, we didn’t bother to get a prize.

(By the way, this is the first time the shadows dance in all the books)

5. And now for the grand finale, THE BONUS CHAPTER.

“How was the party?” Her breath curled in front of her mouth, and one if his shadows darted out TO DANCE WITH IT before twirling back to him. Like it heard some silent music.

When something restless settled in him, you can safely say he’s calmed and relaxed; and yet, his shadows had calmed too, lounging on his shoulders. Still there.

I think there’s enough evidence to debunk that theory that his shadows disappear around the people he feels safe with. Or how they disappear when he’s calmed or relaxed.

And again, maybe it’s not a bad thing that they disappear around Elain (I personally think this is not good)…but I’ll take their reactions to Gwyn over them disappearing ANY DAY OF THE WEEK. And twice on a Sunday.

Me and @melphss creating a playlist for our future Nesta X Cassian commission with @artoffrostandflame is so much fun 😊💖

This trend is for them 🫡✨

❤️‍🔥 Returning July 22 through July 28, 2024 ❤️‍🔥

I don’t think people who like Nesta will always mean that they’re Rhys’ haters because I don’t hate him (yet but like this close to hating him 🤏🏼).

However, I swear, Rhys and the IC pissed me off so much during SF and spoiler CC. I finished the series late last year, and all of Maasverse by February. Every time I think about SF, I want to roll my eyes so far back. They made my favorite ACOTAR book so hard to read again.

I guess every bad decision is fine as long as Rhys is involved in it, huh? Did anyone serve Feyre’s court date to her yet for destroying AN ENTIRE COURT just because she wants to be petty towards her ex? No, right? What did that nice SC farmer do that made him and his family deserve to lose their family home and suddenly have to seek refuge in another court? He probably wasn't aware of their High Lord's drama and just sang Julie Andrews' ‘Do Re Mi’ every morning with their kids.

Stop making them do things with no repercussions. They stole from the Summer Court, and still, no one really got reprimanded for it. Yeah, they got sent stones, whatever, but what was their actual punishment? Nothing, because 'we do it to save the world'. Yeah, Rhys, you saw Bryce's mind too. They have a machine gun, millions of people will die in an hour if they get here. Nesta was trying to save Prythian and succeeded 🙄.

The HYPOCRISY is embarrassing, no wonder most of the other courts avoid them.

I beg you, Sarah.. Please stop making it harder for me to enjoy Rhys and his ‘family’. Stop butchering Feyre's character for whatever reason you made her this obnoxious since she became HL.

I know a lot of people have probably already made this argument, but I just hate it... My bookshelf is in front of my bed, and ACOTAR always stands out among ToG and CC. My rant today is for the orange one lol.

Lady Death

Nesta Archeron - A Court of Thorns and Roses

Artist: @harleetattoos

Mother’s Day

Feyre and Nyx - A Court of Thorns and Roses

Artist: @linemeriksen

“Someone’s quick off the mark.”

—A Court Of Silver Flames

Artist: l.moon_art for warlock.and.co

𝓜𝓮𝓻𝓶𝓪𝔂 𝓔𝓵𝓾𝓬𝓲𝓮𝓷 🌊

I love the month of May because we get to see such beautiful mermaid art!

@red_raccoon_art did this lovely and passionate artwork of Lucien and Elain as mermaids and I absolutely love it!

Thank you so much @red_raccoon_art it was so much fun working with you on this piece 😊💖💖

Link to Instagram post

Characters belong to Sarah J Maas

ELUCIEN | GWYNRIEL — MAASVERSE SPOILERS

I tend to see posts and videos from a multitude of people who seem to be reluctant to accept foreshadowing in the ACOTAR books—specifically regarding the endgame couples to finish out the overall series. As this post is simply beating a dead horse down, I find that it is very much needed as a specific group of people lack the capacity to understand the books.

Foreshadowing is not meant to be obvious. There are, of course, cases where it is relatively obvious, but only within the parameters of back-to-back scenes. Foreshadowing is meant to be picked up on, but to be fully understand later on in the story when everything comes to fruition. Examples of foreshadowing include color descriptions, specific use of language, emphasis on certain scenes, emphasis surrounding specific objects, et cetera. If something happens obviously and you can read the scene as-is, it is not foreshadowing.

I see many people who ship Elriel claim that there is buildup across the entire series that foreshadows why they will be endgame. As the books do not support that claim, it is outlandish and a spread of misinformation. Allow me to disprove this theory using the books alone:

— 🌸 ACOTAR: Zero interactions between Elain and Azriel as Azriel had not been introduced as a character yet. This book highlighted Feyre surmising that Elain would thrive within the Spring Court, that her sister enjoyed typical emissary work, and instead introduced Lucien as a character.

— 🦢 ACOMAF: This is the first book where Elain and Azriel met, as is this is where many Elriels like to claim that the Elriel build-up begins. However, this book says otherwise. Elain and Azriel’s first meeting is neutral, quiet conversation to ease a tense situation as Nesta/Feyre/Cassian/Rhys were creating an uncomfortable atmosphere and Elain meant to ease it. This book highlighted how in love Azriel was with Mor and how Elain was engaged to Grayson. Many Elriels also claim that the color of Elain’s dress in this first meeting—being cobalt—is indicative of endgame between she and Azriel. However, cobalt is also the signature color of Grayson’s family crest. Their interactions die out after that first meeting and instead focus on Feysand again. The throne room scene in Hybern also showed the beginning of Elucien and their mate bond, while Azriel was on the floor reaching for Mor. (I go more into this on my Tik Tok page: @oristian)

— 🔥 ACOWAR: When Feyre returns to the Night Court after her month in Spring, she finds that Elain has been within a catatonic state for the entirety of that month and has shown no signs of recovering—that is, until Lucien came along. Elain began eating and moving around once he came and after tugging on the mating bond, her visions first started showing. themselves. Everyone likes to credit Azriel for most of this, but all that Azriel did (take her to the garden) was suggested previously by Lucien. Lucien, who was not able to be alone with her due to Nesta and Feyre. Next, everyone tends to say that Azriel “saw” Elain when he named her power. “What we need is …” Contradicts such a thing. Naming a power does not cure someone of their trauma. Lucien is also canonically the first character to take Elain’s visions seriously and went in search of Vassa, ultimately finding Papa Archeron and creating an even deeper connection into the Koschei plot arc with Elain. This is also where we get the iconic half-step on the stair scene.

Elain is now kidnapped by the cauldron portraying itself as Graysen—Elain wanting so badly to be with her previous lover. This is a scene where many Elriels claim that it is supportive of Elriel being endgame. However, it is within character for Azriel to save someone, especially people close to him. Certainly, Elain being appreciative of being saved and kissing him on the cheek is cute, but that is not enough “foreshadowing” for an endgame. Next, Azriel hands her Truth Teller after Elain refused other weapons. Elain is hesitant and only agrees to take it once Feyre chimes in that she will not have to use it. Juxtapose this with Elain immediately giving it back after the battle is over, not saying a word, and instead falling into conversation with Lucien. Lucien, who is canonically the only character to credit her for assisting with ending the King of Hybern.

— 🌨️ ACOFAS: This is the buffer book that was meant to do two things: Establish Nessian as the next couple for the following book, and establish a clear love triangle between Azriel/Elain/Lucien. Elriels use this book to drive the idea of an Elriel endgame. While this book has scenes between Elain and Azriel, there is unfortunately no foreshadowing present enough to support that claim. This novella emphasizes, from a conversation between Rhys and Feyre, that Azriel may be inclined towards Elain due to her having traits that may remind him of his mother (Freud). We also have Solstice where Lucien brings Elain a gift—a gift that fully reflects her interests—Elain brings Azriel a gift, but Azriel does not bring Elain a gift. Azriel even questioning beforehand if he has to get the sisters a gift at all. Elain’s gift being superficial and more of a joke than anything truly meaningful to them as a relationship.

— 🗡️ ACOSF: The book that ended Elriel. We have this book set up as PRE-BONUS CHAPTER | BONUS CHAPTER | POST BONUS CHAPTER. In the pre-bonus chapter, we have a few scenes between Elain and Azriel that is a glance, or a very small interaction. The infamous scene that Elriels like to use to “prove” that his shadows actually like Elain is the scene where Cassian says that Nesta upset Elain and his shadows seemed poised to strike. His shadows reacted to his anger, not to Elain. Next, the Solstice scene where Azriel refused to be within the room due to the mating bond between Elain and Lucien and Nesta seeing that he was interested in Elain—which is never brought up again, however we do get a scene post bonus chapter of Nesta encouraging Gwyn and Azriel by calling him the “new ribbon.”

The bonus chapter ended Elriel officially as endgame. The chapter is told from Azriel’s POV and documents his lustful thoughts of Elain and how he wants a mate, hurt and confused why his brothers had two of the Archeron sisters and the third was given away to another male. Rhysand even asking Azriel what his plans are after seducing Elain and Azriel having none “past the fantasies he pleasures himself to.” This is also a chapter where Elriels like to claim that Elriel is a forbidden romance. ACOWAR Rhys clearly objects to this being the case. (I have a video on my Tik Tok going over this @oristian) The bonus chapter then moves to Azriel finding Gwyn, his shadows not warning him of her presence at the HoW. His shadows are curious about her and dance with her breath. Azriel then finds out that Elain rejected his necklace—the only Solstice gift that he has gotten her, and one he expressed as “nothing extraordinary”—and the next morning finds him re-gifting such to Gwyn. Azriel can picture her eyes lighting up at the gift and he smiles—this is also where mate language is used to describe the spark in his chest at the thought of her and the glow of the thought. “A thing of secret, lovely beauty.” A line that was used twice—one to describe the necklace, and another time to describe the thought of Gwyn.

Post bonus chapter has zero interactions between Elain and Azriel. The interactions between Azriel and Gwyn are charged and witty. Energetic. This is also where we see Azriel’s siphons glowing darker at the thought of the Valkyries in the Great Rite—the first instance that this has happened.

Next, we go into the last two remaining plot arcs: Koschei and Dusk Court. Both ACOSF and HOFAS have set Nesta up as the driver for the Dusk Court arc, with Azriel as the character to follow. With SJM’s Bloomsbury contract slating her to have two more main books with dual POV romantic interests, the Dusk Court arc book would only make sense having Gwyn and Azriel as the FMC and MMC of that arc. The Koschei arc has been carefully crafted for Elain and Lucien to be the FMC and MMC of that book, with both of them being set up for this since ACOWAR. Elain with her visions of Vassa, the lake, and Koschei’s black box, and Lucien being tied to Papa Archeron and Vassa and the mortals. (I have a video on my Tik Tok that goes more in depth with this @oristian)

— SUMMARY: Elain and Azriel do not have multiple books of foreshadowing, a Gwynriel and Elucien endgame is not fanservice, and the remaining two plot arcs do not support an Elriel endgame. If you have any problems with that, take it up with SJM.

Rhysand is NOT morally grey, for fuck’s sake. I’m tired of the amount of people that jump to say “rHySaNd!!!” any time someone asks for recs for morally grey villains. I will downvote that shit on Reddit, idc. I’m petty and it’s just an incorrect statement.

Actual morally grey characters would include Kaz Brekker, Lestat de Lioncourt, maybe even Cardan Greenbriar. They don’t have an excuse or explanation for literally every single wrong thing they’ve done in their entire lives.

Rhysand, if anything, is morally brown, because his morals are shit and so is he.

Top Shelf Love: Chapter One

Read on AO3 // Chapter Masterlist // Previous Part // Next Part

Cassian

Cassian groans, tossing his phone on the coffee table, the device skittering across the wood without a care. He drops his head against the back of the sofa, digging his hands into his hair and dragging his fingers against the curly strands. He still can’t quite wrap his mind around it, and he half wonders if he’s imagining this entire phone call, but the tinny voice continues through the speaker even if he’s no longer listening.

Seattle.

He got traded to the Seattle Kraken.

The words continue to crash and echo in his mind, even as his agent goes through the usual spiel when trades happen. Expect a call from the coach, maybe even a few players will reach out once the news breaks. The Kraken’s director of team services will reach out with the finer details for a smooth transition. Reminders of the CBA mandates. Meetings with the trainers, the equipment team, and the coaching staff to look forward to. Practice schedule. It’s like information overload, a hurricane swirling through his head with hundred mile per hour winds.

It doesn’t help that his phone has already started to vibrate against the table, almost excessively. With a quiet huff that thankfully his agent doesn’t pick up on, already plowing forward into the exciting potential for re-signing with Seattle, Cassian snatches his phone back up. He minimizes the call screen and looks at his notifications. Of course. The news has already broken on Twitter. Damn ‘insiders.’

This beautiful art based on the Gwynriel interaction that happened in Azriel's POV was made by @_inkye (ig) and commissioned by me 🩵