Hey guys, this is my citations list. It’s a little rough (some different styes of citations) and a fracture of the helpful texts I’ve come across but it’s a place to start :) This one contains journal articles, speeches, research, pamphlets and studies (amongst other things) that focus race, identity, discrimination, colonization, black consciousness movements, political theory and political philosophy, feminism, black feminism, womanism, the concept of the other, eugenics, overviews of political topics, women’s studies, body politics, etc.
Also some of the scholars and writers of these texts, have a myriad of other informative texts and papers that are worthwhile researching. These are just the ones I’ve been exposed to.
I have decided to divide some of the sources up and place them into some topics of discussion. You’ll find that some citations occur under more than one topic of discussion because many of these texts touch on multiple areas.
Please feel free to add on texts, different media and posts that you think are helpful. They don’t need to be just political sciences, international relations, and philosophy texts. Any texts, books, academic papers/media, podcasts, newspaper articles, interviews etc. from other perspectives and fields is welcome. The more (perspectives and sources) the merrier and the more educated we can become as a collective.
The Concept of Blackness and the Other
Biko, S. (January 1971). White Racism and Black Consciousness: The Totality of White Power in South Africa. White racism and Black Conciousness (pp. 1-11). First Inter-University Research Workshop on Students and Youth in South Africa.
Blum, L. (2019). Chapter 8: Racialised Groups and Social Constructions in "I'm Not a Racist, But...": The Moral Quandary of Race. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
Cérsaire, A. (1955). Discourse on Colonialism. In F. L. Hord, M. L. Okpara, & J. S. Lee, I Am Because We Are: Readings in Africana Philosophy (pp. 162-171). Amhearst: University of Massachusetts Press.
Du Bois, W., 1933. On being Ashamed of Oneself: An Essay on Race Pride. Crisis, 40(9), pp.199-200.
Eze, E. (1997). The Colour of Reason: The idea of 'Race' in Kant's Anthropology. Postcolonial African Philosophy: A Critical Reader, 103-140.
Fanon, F. (1967). Black Skin, White Masks. New York City: Grove Press.
Garvey, M., In Garvey, A. J., & Essien-Udom, E. U. (1967). Philosophy and opinions of Marcus Garvey, or, Africa for the Africans.
Magubane, B., 2001. Social Construction of Race and Citizenship in South Africa. United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) Conference on Racism and Public Policy, (September 2001), pp.1-33.
Andrew Heywood is a scholar whose work is very accessible and touches on various political and international issues (His textbooks are great)
Heywood, A. (2011). Chapter 15: Poverty and Development. In A. Heywood, Global Politics (pp. 352-379). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Heywood, A. (2011). Regionalism and Global Politics. In A. Heywood, Global Politics (pp. 480-506). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillian.
Heywood, A. (2013). Politics, Society and Identity. In A. Heywood, Politics (pp. 151- 170). Houndmills: Palgrave.
Eugenics
Eze, E. (1997). The Colour of Reason: The idea of 'Race' in Kant's Anthropology. Postcolonial African Philosophy: A Critical Reader, 103-140.
Naicker, L. (2012). The role of eugenics and religion in the construction of race in South Africa (Volume 38 (2) ed.). Pretoria: Studia Historiae Ecclesiasticae.
Rich, P. (1990). Race, Science, and the Legitimization of White Supremacy in South Africa, 1902-1940. The International Journal of African Historical Studies, Vol. 23, No. 4, 665-686.
Sutton, G. (2007). The Layering of History: A brief look at Eugenics, the Holocaust and Scientific Racism in South Africa. Yesterday & Today No 1, 22-29.
The legacy of colonialism and colonial ideology (this also includes the various waves of Black Consciousness thought from various global regions that include the Caribbean, North America as well as Africa)
Mamdani, M., 2001. Beyond Settler and Native as Political Identities: Overcoming the Political Legacy of Colonialism. Society for Comparative Studies in Society and History, 43(4), pp.651-664.
Biko, S. (January 1971). White Racism and Black Consciousness: The Totality of White Power in South Africa. White racism and Black Consciousness (pp. 1-11). First Inter-University Research Workshop on Students and Youth in South Africa.
Biko, S., & Stubbs, A. (1987). I write what I like: A selection of his writings. Heinemann.
Cérsaire, A. (1955). Discourse on Colonialism. In F. L. Hord, M. L. Okpara, & J. S. Lee, I Am Because We Are: Readings in Africana Philosophy. Amhearst: University of Massachusetts Press.
Crenshaw, Kimberle. (1991) Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence Against Women of Colour. In Standford Law Review, July, vol. 43. pp. 1241-1299.
Eze, E. (1997). The Colour of Reason: The idea of 'Race' in Kant's Anthropology. Postcolonial African Philosophy: A Critical Reader, 103-140.
Fanon, F. (1967). Black Skin, White Masks. New York City: Grove Press.
Garvey, M., In Garvey, A. J., & Essien-Udom, E. U. (1967). Philosophy and opinions of Marcus Garvey, or, Africa for the Africans.
Hyden G., 2008, 'Institutions, Power and Policy Outcomes in Africa', Africa Power and Politics Programme (APPP) pp. 1-34, London
Ndaba, B., Owen, T., Panyane, M., Rabbie, S., & Smith, J. (2017). The Black Consciousness Reader (Second Edition) pp. 1-21. New York City: OR Books.
Nkrumah, K. (1968). The Spectre of Black Power. The Spectre of Black Power and The Struggle Continues, 421-434.
Parker, J. & Rathbone, R. (2007). African History: A Very Short Introduction pp. 25-45. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Robinson, C., 1983. Introduction and Chapter 1: The Non Objective character of Capitalist Development. In: C. Robinson, ed., Black Marxism, 1st ed. London: Zed Press, pp.1-28.
Sharplay-Whiting, T. D. (2000). Femme Negritude: Jane Nardal, La Depeche africaine, and the Francophone New Negro. Souls: A Critical journal of Black Politics, Culture, and Society, 8-17.
Multiculturalism, WOC, and hegemonic feminism (also touches on colonialism)
Amos, V & Parmer., P (1984). “Challenging Imperial Feminism”. Feminist Review. 17,
pp 3-19.
Gqola, P.G (2001). “Ufanele Uqavile: Black women, feminism and post coloniality in Africa.” Agenda: Empowering Women for Gender Equity. No. 50, pp11-22. Taylor Francis Ltd.
Lugones, M. (2010). “The Colonality of Gender” in Mignolo Walter, Aturo Escobar (eds.) Globalisation and the Decolonial Option. London: Routledge.
Mohanty, Chandra Talapade. (2003) “Under Western Eyes. Feminist Scholarship amd Colonial Discourses” in Chalra Talapede Mohanty (ed.) Feminism without borders: Decolonizing Theory, Practicing Solidarity. Durham, London: Duke University Press. Pp 1-17
Nash, Jennifer. Practicing Love: Black Feminism, Love-Politics, and Post-Intersectionality. Meridiians
Okin Moller, Susan. (1999) Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women? Princeton: Princeton
University. Pp 1.-24
WOC reponses to Okin Moller
Homi K. Bhabha. (1999). “Liberalism’s Sacred Cow” in Susan Okin Moller Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women? Princeton: Princeton University. Pp.76-79
Honig, Bonnie. (1999). “My Culture Made Me Do It” in Susan Okin Moller Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women? Princeton: Princeton University. pp. 35—41
Sassen, Saskia. (1999). “Culture beyond Gender” in Susan Okin Moller Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women? Princeton: Princeton University. Pp.76-79
Black Feminism, Womanism and Black Women’s history
Edgerton, Robert B. (2000) Warrior Women: The Amazons of Dahomey and the Nature of War. Boulder: Westview Press. pp. 1-37, 121-157.
Farrar, Tarikhu. (1997) “The Queenmother, Matriarchy, and the Question of Female Political Authority in Postcolonial West African Monarchy” in Journal of Black Studies, Vol.27, No.5. pp. 579-597.
Hill Collins, Patricia. (2000) “Work, Family and Black Women’s Oppression,” Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness and the Politics of Empowerment (2nd ed.), New York: Routledge
White, Deborah Gray. (1999) Ar’n’t I a Woman? Female Slaves in the Plantation South, New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Introduction, Chapter 1, 2, 5.
Black Feminism (with a focus on representing WOC and POC bodies)
Hartman, S (2008). “Venus in Two Acts”. small axe, 12(2), pp 1-14.
Gqola, P. D (2010). “(Not) Representing Sarah Bartmaan“. What is Slavery to Me? Postcolonial Slave Memory in South Africa. Johannesburg: Wits University Press.
Baderoon, G (2011). “This is our speech: voice, body and poetic form in recent South Africa writing”. Social Dynamics: A journal of South African Studies. 37:2, pp.213-227
Crenshaw, K (1992). “Whose story is it, anyway? Racist appropriations of Anita Hill”. Race-ing Justice, En-Gendering Power: Essays on Anita Hill, Clarence Thomas and the Construction of Social Reality. Pantheon Books.
Women’s studies and the history of the women and feminist field
Thurner, Manuela. (2003) “Issues and Paradigms in American Women’s History” in Norton, Beth and Ruth M. Alexander. Major Problems in American Women’s History. Boston, New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. pp. 2-8
Bock, Gisela. (2003) “Challenging Dichotomies in Women’s History” in Norton, Beth and Ruth M. Alexander. Major Problems in American Women’s History. Boston, New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. pp. 8-14
Evelyn, Brooks Higginbotham. (2003) “African American Women in History” in Norton, Beth and Ruth M. Alexander (eds.), Major Problems in American Women’s History. Boston, New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, pp. 14-19
Please reblog if you have insight to share or any sources. I hope this may be of use to you!
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Okay, eight years in the making but here we are! This is the sequel to Navy Suits & Chelsea Boots, so if you haven't read that, I suggest you do that first before reading. Otherwise, enjoy!
Snynopsis: Azriel Macar has spent three incredible months in Italy with his girlfriend, and for the first time in his life he feels he’s exactly where he should be. However, when he receives a call from his estranged stepmother, he’s forced to go back to rural Oklahoma and face the demons from his past. Elain is determined help shoulder the burden by accompanying him, but seeing the woman he loves in the place he’s always hated takes a painful toll on Az, and he struggles to reconcile who he was with who he’s worked so hard to become. As he devolves into grief and self-doubt, he risks losing the most important person in his life: Elain.
Chapter One: Trastevere
Three months in Rome had ruined Elain for anywhere else.
She'd loved Rome since she was a child, loved the way its history didn't so much accumulate as coalesce, layers of empire and papacy and revolution all existing within the same six inches of stone. But she hadn't understood how intoxicating it could be to live inside that kind of beauty until she'd spent twelve weeks doing it with Azriel’s hand in hers.
The days had fallen into an easy, unhurried rhythm, one that Elain could be content to live in for the rest of her life. Her mornings belonged to The Borgia, sitting for hours in the nearly-empty papal apartments as she typed away on her laptop, books and notes spread all around her as the Vatican security guards watched her in quiet bemusement. Her afternoons belonged to the city: exploring with Az, thrifting in Monti, and generally trying her best to do as the Romans did. And her nights–those belonged to Azriel alone. Elain might have been scared by how much she wanted him if he didn’t seem to want her just as much, their lovemaking often running from sundown into the early hours of the next day.
She'd started to lose track, somewhere around week six, of where her long-held affection for him ended and the rest of it began. It had crept up on her the way the ivy had crept over their apartment’s balcony, unnoticed until it was everywhere, until she looked at him across a pillow one morning, hair a mess and skin glowing golden in the light, and thought with a kind of quiet devastation, I am completely in love with this man.
She hadn't said it though, not yet. Sometimes it felt almost impossible to keep in, and yet she forced herself to remain in check, afraid to risk saying it into a silence he wasn't prepared to fill.
Tonight, though, watching him across a candlelit table in a trattoria tucked into the tangled backstreets of Trastevere, the words felt closer to the surface than they ever had.
She'd found the place weeks ago and filed it away for tonight, a little stone courtyard strung with fairy lights and drowning in bougainvillea.
“You didn’t have to do all this, you know,” Azriel said, even as he smiled at her across the table.
She didn’t think she would ever get tired of that smile, knowing it was the kind only she got to see.
“For a man with a healthy appetite for the finer things in life,” she said, refilling his glass from the bottle of wine sitting between them on the table. “You’re surprisingly difficult to spoil. Besides, it’s not every day that a young man turns 33.”
“Woof,” Az said, his grin widening enough to coax out the dimples in each cheek. “Don’t remind me.”
“I think it suits you,” Elain told him.
“Just promise me the waiter isn’t going to come out to sing happy birthday later, and I’m content.”
“I promise,” Elain said. “But only because I already asked him and he said no.”
Azriel huffed into his glass.
“Thank god.”
She couldn’t help but admire the strong column of his throat as he swallowed.
“So,” she said, brushing her fingers to his where they casually rested at the base of his glass. “Tell me, any grand plans for thirty-three?”
He considered her, eyes skating over her face in a way that made her feel like the only girl in the world.
“I’m not sure yet. Thirty-two is going to be tough to beat.”
She blushed, especially as he reached over to stroke her cheek.
“Though I will admit that we’re off to an excellent start.”
“And the night’s still young,” she promised him. “If you thought dinner was good, wait until you see what’s for dessert.”
His eyes heated as he brushed a thumb over her bottom lip, groaning softly as she nipped it in suggestion.
“You’re bad, Archeron.”
“You like it,” she said.
“I love it,” he corrected.
They were interrupted by a soft rustle, and Elain and startled to see a small boy, no older than two, toddling over to them. He was cherubic in that way so many Italian children seemed to be, with dark eyes and a cloud of chocolate curls.
Elain glanced around to ensure he wasn’t lost before noticing the stylish woman watching them from two tables over, a smile on her face.
“Questo e Matteo,” she said before adding in heavily-accented English. “He love to make new friend.”
“Bona Sera, Matteo,” Elain said, resisting the urge to pet his soft little cheek. “Come stai?”
His lips curved into a smile around the pacifier dangling between his them before he turned to Azriel instead, proffering the pacifier with an expectant gaze.
Elain’s heart filled to bursting as Az flushing slightly, even as he gamely extended his hand to accept the offering.
“For me? Thanks.”
Matteo said nothing, only extended his arms up in silent request.
“Oh you want to–-” Az began, clearly a little flustered. “Yeah, of course.”
Matteo seemed pleased, settling into Azriel’s lap as if they were old friends.
Warmth pooled in Elain’s stomach as she watched Matteo gaze adoringly up at Az, who’d settled into the interaction with surprising ease. It hadn’t escaped Elain’s notice that kids seem to be drawn to Azriel, and that Az—for his part—seemed equally as charmed by them.
She watched, laughing, as Matteo leaned forward to help himself to some of the cacio e pepe left forgotten on Az’s plate.
“Oh no, bambino!” His mother chided, rising from her seat now. “è scortese!”
“It’s fine,” Azriel said as she approached, even as Matteo fisted another handful of noodles. “He’s good.”
“Sei fortunata, è un fenomeno,” The mother said with a knowing smile at Elain.
Elain bit her lip.
“She says you're a natural,” she told Azriel, loving the way his cheeks flushed.
“Hardly,” he said, even as he pulled his plate closer so Matteo could polish off the remaining noodles. “But..thank you.”
The woman smiled again, gently extracting Matteo even as he fussed.
“Dai, cucciolo. Say ‘bye-bye’.”
Matteo settled and gave a soft wave, smiling again as Azriel extended his pacifier and he popped it back into his mouth.
“Ciao, ragazzi,” his mother said to them, flashing Elain a last conspiratorial smile before starting down the narrow street and out of sight.
Elain rested her chin in her fist, unable to hide her smile as she watched Az fidget under her gaze.
“What?” he said, dimples appearing again as he ducked his head and gave a rueful laugh. “I wasn’t going to let the man starve.”
“She was right, you know. You handled that like a pro.”
Azriel huffed, and part of Elain felt she should drop it, knowing that he deserved better than to be politely interrogated on his own birthday.
Unfortunately for him, she’d drunk just enough wine to want to press her luck, so she softly asked,
“Have you ever thought about it?”
She saw him tense slightly at the question, but after a moment he seemed to have mastered himself because he leaned back in his chair, face relaxed but inscrutable as he met her eye.
“Thought about what?”
Elain shot him a pointed smile, and he huffed in amused surrender at being called out, swirling the wine in his glass with a practiced flick of the wrist.
"Having kids? Not seriously," he admitted.
“I have,” she blurted, horrified to find herself continuing. “I mean not right this second, but eventually I want to—”
She broke off, but he gave her an encouraging smile.
“I know,” he said softly, eyes still devouring her. “You’re going to be an amazing parent.”
The way he said it made her feel slightly reckless.
“But you don’t think you would be?”
She’d only ever heard bits and snatches about his family, and in the past it had been enough for her not to want to push. But there was something in his eyes tonight that told her to dig deeper.
“I wouldn’t know how,” he said, finally breaking eye contact.
Elain couldn’t help but notice the sticky little handprint Matteo had left on Azriel’s immaculate black bomber jacket, a reminder she didn’t need of exactly what kind of dad he’d be if he ever let himself. It was a realization she knew he needed to come to on his own (if he ever chose to come to it at all) and yet she couldn’t seem to help herself. Maybe it was the wine, or the fountain, or the way the fairy lights caught the green in his eyes and set them glinting, but eventually she found herself saying, “seems like you already know how.”
She watched a flicker of something—hope, perhaps?—flash in his gaze before he shook his head, looking away. When he looked back at her, she could see the sad, lonely boy he’d once been shining out of his amber gaze. However, in a blink he was gone, wholly subsumed by the beautiful, aloof stranger Elain had first met on that rooftop in San Francisco. It was a version of Azriel Elain hadn’t seen in quite some time, and it made her hesitate.
“You don’t understand,” he said finally, running a hand through his glossy hair before letting it fall to the table.
She reached over, gently stroking the back on his hand until his fingers unfurled to tangle with hers. She waited until she’s caught his eye again before speaking.
“I know,” she said, and meant it.
She thought of the Lamborghini parked in Az’s garage back in LA, the one the boys called “The FUD.”
The “Fuck You Dad”.
It told her enough about what Az’s relationship with his father was like. And though that selfish part of her still longed to ask him about it, the fear of losing him to that distant place he sometimes retreated to kept her in check.
However, just as she was about to change the subject, he surprised her by speaking.
“My dad’s a piece of shit,” Az said, voice soft but bitter. “Nothing I’ve ever done has been good enough for him. I could cure cancer tomorrow and he’d want to know what took me so long.”
That explained the lamborghini, then.
“What about your stepmom?”
Azriel’s lip curled, an ugliness in his expression Elain wasn’t sure she’d ever seen before.
“Marianne has hated me since the day I was born. She hated my mom for getting pregnant with me, and for refusing to get an abortion when my dad asked. And after my mom died—” he swallowed. “Marianne resented having to raise another woman’s kid, particularly when that kid was native.”
Elain felt her fingers tighten on the stem of her glass as she fought down a searing stab of revulsion.
“That’s vile,” she managed, and Az gave a tight nod, flexing his own fingers as if trying to release some of the tense which now limned his shoulders.
He was quiet for long enough that Elain wasn’t sure he would continue, but after a moment he said, “Growing up, she did everything in her power to isolate me from my heritage, dogged me for it until I started to hate it as much as she did. It took me a long time to unravel that resentment.”
“But you did, eventually,” Elain said, remembering the reverence with which he’d talked about his mother and her family. “I’m sure that wasn’t easy.”
“Eventually,” he said, taking another sip of wine to indicate it wasn’t something he was willing to discuss quite yet.
She nodded, fingering the stem of her glass as she let his words settle.
“How old were you, when you moved in with your dad and stepmom?”
Elain watched as a muscle ticked in Az’s jaw, his fingers flexing against his glass as he said, “I always lived with them. Even before my mom died.”
Elain’s confusion must have shown, because after a beat he explained, “We all lived there. Together. It’s a long story as to why, but that’s just how it was.”
Az glanced back at her then, a sad smile ghosting across his face.
“Quite the redneck soap opera.”
“I’m sorry, Az. They both sound like assholes.”
Azriel huffed an appreciative laugh.
“Now you at least see why starting a family was never on my radar.”
“I don’t blame you,” she admitted, reaching to brush his cheek. “But don’t make the mistake of thinking that you aren’t loveable just because they didn’t love you like they should have.”
He huffed again, even as he turned his lips to brush against her palm
“I don’t deserve you,” he said, kissing her wrist now.
“Not true, birthday boy.”
She leaned forward, pressing a kiss to his lips.
“Let’s get out of here.”
x
“El, do you want a glass of wine? I’m about to open another bottle.”
“Yes, please,” she called through the bathroom door, biting her lip as she surveyed herself in the mirror.
The lingerie was far more daring than anything she even worn—delicate, intricate, and designed with the sole purpose of being taken off...slowly
She turned to inspect the minuscule thong from the back, her face warming as she caught her own eye.
For a moment, her self-doubt won out. She tugged nervously at one of the straps of the garter, suddenly wondering if she’d been entirely too ambitious buying something like this.
She rarely wore lingerie—didn’t understand the point, really—but she’d wanted to surprise Az for his birthday. Before we could stop herself, she imagined how many sets just like this he’d peeled off the models and actresses that had preceded her, and she wondered if he’d find her foolish all tarted up for him, like a little girl playing dress up.
Then she heard the familiar strings of a Weeknd songs slithering through the door, accompanied a second later by Az’s voice, deep and honeyed.
“Come play, El. I don’t want to have to start without you.”
She bit her lip, loving the way his words seemed to pool in her stomach.
“Patience,” she teased, listening to his chuckle as he retreated from the door.
Turning, she hastily rolled on the matching stocking before hooking them into the garters and slipping into heels.
Giving her hair a final tousle in the mirror, she wretched open the door and draped herself against the frame.
“I hope you’re ready to get fu—"
The words died in her throat as she caught sight of Azriel sitting on the bed, head bowed as he turned his phone over and over in his hands.
He glanced up at hearing her, but all the heat had gone from his gaze, expression hollow as he hung his head again.
“Az,” she breathed, coming to kneel at his feet. “What’s wrong?”
He looked up at her in desolation, voice flat as he said, “my stepmom just called. My dad died.”
Elain sat silently at one of the wrought-iron tables, a cup of tea before her.
Azriel was sprawled on the chaise lounge across the gray stones, sunning his wings and reading what looked to be a stack of reports—likely information on the Autumn Court that he planned to present to Rhys once he’d sorted through it all. Already dressed for the Hewn City—the brutal, beautiful armor so at odds with the lovely garden. And my sister sitting within it. - ACOWAR
We can all debate how this romance is going to go but listen, THIS right here is some domestic shit. Azriel reading reports while Elain is sipping her tea? In a garden?? Can you just picture it, like visually??
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At the viking market yesterday I was chatting with someone and mentioned my hobby study (1800s folklore) and they said something like "How is it useful?" And I was just. Kinda dumbfounded. We are surrounded by historical reenactors and craftsmen, you just played a ballad melody with your reenactor band (a melody that was most likely written down between 1500-1800, so,,, anachronistic, but I love ballads, so I won't complain), and you're asking me what the point is of understanding the umwelt of our ancestors???
I understand that folklore is, to many people, wishy-washy and woowoo, because it's anthropology more than history, and it's largely intangible culture, but holy hell, can we stop questioning the 'utility' of understanding how other people think and perceive the world?
There is something to be said about how from the beginning, SJM has been setting Elriel as the 'couple apart'.
Yes they are part of the IC, of course, but there is an 'otherness' about them that feels deliberate.
Cassian, and Nesta by extension, are heavily entrenched in the IC (I suppose to the dismay of many Nesta stans). From the very first scene when Cassian meets Nesta, there are all these conflicting emotions that are running through him, mostly because of Feyre and his loyalty to her, and he lashes out at Nesta at the dinner table.
As the story progresses, there is all this drama between Feysand and Nessian, warring emotions, Nesta hates Rhys, Rhys doesn't like Nesta, Feyre and Nesta are at odds, Cassian is torn between the two fractions. Add to that Mor, who's had a weird relationship with Cassian for 500 years and who flexes her muscle in relation to him very frequently. Plus, there is Amren, who also interferes at different times for various reasons. Rhys and Cassian have this unbreakable bond of brotherhood and there is a lot of push and pull between them, and in relation to the two sisters. Even from the very beginning, Rhys 'suggested' Cassian, not Azriel, as a potential lover for Feyre. When Rhys was telling Feyre about UTM, he again evoked Cassian saying that it felt like Cassian was next to him when Feyre was battling the Wyrm and in his head he heard his brother's voice 'if you don't marry her, I will!' And then of course in ACOSF, Feyre and Nyx are saved by Nesta.
It's a TIIIIIIGHT knot between all those people.
Which brings me to Az and Elain.
From the start, they are a couple apart. They don't match the dynamic or the behavior of the rest of the group. There is no bickering, no accusations, no push and pull. Azriel, while fully part of the Bat Boy Trio, is also...different. Too different. He is a shadowsinger, his powers far exceed Cassian's but aren't as strong as Rhys's, though Rhys is the only person that goes head to head with Az and then relents. Azriel is solitary and mysterious. He is a man apart in the Cassian/Mor/Azriel Trio as well. One who loves, but one who isn't loved. One who is pushed out, always forced to look from the outside in. Azriel is untamed. He stands up to High Lords, he sneaks into the Hybern camp. Once he says something, he goes after it. He isn't like the rest of them and remains an enigma even to those who are closest to him. Cassian doesn't ask him questions, knowing that Azriel wouldn't want to answer. Rhys misreads him and assumes that he knows him, but he doesn't.
And Azriel's love for Elain is a thing of secret, lovely beauty. It's private and his own. Only she is aware. Yes, some have started seeing the signs, but they are so subtle, no one is quite sure. Only Nesta, it seems, understands him.
Elain is the one apart from them too. She is kept in the dark, she isn't told things, she is left behind. The irony is that it's SHE who is the Seer. The one who actually sees everything (even through Azriel's darkness and aloofness). It's Azriel who Saw her Sight, and his words were 'SHE doesn't need anything. It's WE who need...' They need her, and they don't even realize it. They keep her away and push her aside, whereas she is the one with the Eyes.
it's SHE who shocks them. She sneaks up on the King and stabs him in the throat. She is the one who accepts Truth Teller. She is the one who volunteers to scry. She is the one who offers to beg Lord Nolan for the humans' safety. She is the one who finds the Suriel. She is the one who surprises Azriel with her gifts. The continuous theme about Elain is that no one knows her or understands her. Not her sisters, not her mate, not her ex-fiance.
To Azriel, she is always unavailable. When he meets her, she is engaged to a human. The moment she becomes Fae, she is mated to another. Yes, the pull is strong. It torments him. And while Rhys was willing to go against another High Lord for Feyre, and Cassian was willing to take on all of Nesta's darkness and brokenness, Azriel is willing to go against THEM ALL--The Cauldron, Elain's mate, ALL the High Lords, and his own High Lord.
It feels like Elriel's otherness is deliberate. A set up for a book and a story that is entirely their own, and where they'll have to work through and live through their own unique set of challenges and problems unlike anyone else. A story that takes them out of the confines of the IC, and Night Court and the setup that we've had so far, in order to give them a completely separate storyline.
I couldn’t have said it better myself and what a stellar observation on the dynamics between Rhys, Feyre, Cassian, Nesta and Mor. Elriel are separated relationally often and no one really enquires about them and their thoughts often.
This is the first time I'm sharing a theory of mine... I had posted this before on tiktok and Instagram (November 24th, 2023) I am reposting it bc I wasn't satisfied with the layout and it wasn't as detailed as this one. Oh and also English isn't my first language so pls don't mind if theres anything wrong in the grammar or if im bad at explaining xx
There will be SPOILERS for the entirety of ACOTAR series and House of Sky and Breath aka HOSAB!
SJM is known for using numbers like 3, 7, & 13 as symbolic constants in her worldbuilding. They’re familiar, but they’re also intentional. She uses these numbers like most fantasy authors.
However, there are some additional numbers that she has used, which are unusual of her to use and that make them stand out. Let’s take a look at these numbers:
21 & 5
In ACOSF chapter 56 (I will get back to this number later on) Gwyn gifts both Nesta & Emerie a book at Solstice. She tells them both to look at chapter 21 and page 5 (will come back to this number too).
She then tells us that this chapter is about the Valkyries death & Rebirth (aka herself, Nesta and Emerie).
“At the top of the first page, it merely said, Chapter Twenty-One.”
Notice how Twenty-One is written in cursive? Coincidence? I think not. SJM wanted us to notice this.
I noticed the unusual use of number 21 & 5. This was the first time SJM had used these numbers, so I did as Gwyn said. I checked chapter 21 and page 5 of each ACOTAR books to see what the key points of each chapter and page were. Then I also did some research on the number (21) itself as well.
Symbolism of 21
The number 21 in literature isn’t just a number. The number has been found in various works like art, mythology and literature. The number has been used to serve as a symbol of “completion, transition, or personal growth.” More so the number has also been used to portray “characters’ coming-of-age, spiritual evolution, or a turning point in the narrative.”
As we hear from Gwyn, she made Merill add the Valkyries in a book, in chapter 21. We see that there is a turning point in the narrative with the Rebirth of the Valkyries.
The number is also used in the Bible. It is associated with resurrection. Death and Rebirth.
Now let’s ask ourselves this: Which two characters are associated with Death & Rebirth in ACOTAR?
Answer: Azriel & Elain
“I saw the painting in my mind: the lovely fawn, blooming spring vibrant behind her. Standing before Death, shadows and terrors lurking over his shoulder. Light and dark, the space between their bodies a blend of the two. The only bridge of connection … that knife.” - A Court of Wings and Ruin
(Fawn symbolizes Rebirth)
CHAPTER 21
ACOSF
In ACOSF chapter 21 we see Nesta having a conversation with Elain. The conversation is about wether or not Elain should be scrying for the Dread Troves.
Elain wants to do it, but Nesta doesn’t want Elain to do it. With this they have an argument and Nesta says:
“Look at who decided to grow claws after all (...) Maybe you’ll become interesting at last, Elain.”
“Find me when you wish to begin.”
We see that Elain doesn’t want to just sit and be quiet anymore, she wants to do more, be more involved with helping. There is a turning point in the narrative here and perhaps even a hint at who the next book is about
Let’s also not forget the Feysand bonus chapter is right after chapter 21 so it could count as 21.5 & Feysand talked about Elain: “Let’s focus on helping one sister before we start on the other.” A hint to say we will first read about Nesta, then Elain.
“I think she’s kind, and I’ll take kindness over nastiness any day. But I also think we haven’t yet seen all she has to offer (…) Don’t forget that gardening often results in something pretty, but it involves getting one’s hand dirty along the way.” “And thorn up by thorns” - Feysand Bonus
Feysand are talking about how there is more to Elain than we know.
ACOTAR
In ACOTAR chapter 21 we see Feyre at Calanmai.
“Everything about the stranger radiated sensual grace and ease. High Fae, no doubt. His short black hair gleamed like a raven’s feathers, offsetting his pale skin and blue eyes so deep they were violet, even in the firelight. They twinkled with amusement as he beheld me.”
This is the moment Feyre meets Rhys. This is the moment where we the readers get introduced to him as well. With Feyre meeting Rhys, there becomes a turning point in the story and as readers we knew Rhysand was going to have a bigger impact on Feyre’s story.
ACOMAF
In ACOMAF chapter 21 we see Feyre at the Weaver’s cottage.
“I froze, the ring now in my pocket of my jacket.”
Feyre gets the ring Rhysand’s mother had given to the Weaver. Rhys’s mother had said only his bride would be able to retrieve it from the Weaver (Which Feyre ofc did) and this ring ends up being Feyre’s engagement ring. Rhys had told Feyre about the ring after she had retrieved it. When they got engaged this ring was important (It’s even on the cover of ACOMAF). Feyre become the first High Lady wearing this ring. A turning point in the narrative; High Lady of Night Court.
ACOWAR
In ACOMAF chapter 21 we see Nesta is starting to train her powers (after being Made) with Amren. Not only that, but we also find out that Feyre is going to the Prison.
“To find my sister and Amren. To see which of them was still standing after their first lesson”
“The fewer people who knew about my trip tomorrow to see the Carver, the safer it was”
Nesta training with Amren becomes important for Nesta’s character arc in ACOWAR, but it also becomes important for ACOSF. It also can be seen as a hint given by SJM about Nesta potentially getting her own book (Which she eventually got and again her training her powers were important.
And with Feyre going to the Prison, we get a climpse of Feyre’s future. The Bone Carver shows himself as her son to Feyre.
ACOFAS
In ACOFAS chapter 21 we get into Cassian’s POV for the first time (If we don’t count Wings and Embers). We see that there is something going on between Cassian and Nesta (hinting on the next book is theirs as SJM said; She put breadcrumbs in ACOFAS for the upcoming spin-off books in this book)
“He remained staring after her, that present in his hands.
Cassian’s fingertips dug into the soft wood of the small box.
He was grateful the streets were empty when he hurled that box into the Sidra.”
Cassian throws away the gift he had gotten for Nesta as she rejects it. This gift was important enough for Cassian to give to Nesta, but when she rejects it, he gets rid of it (seems familiar to another moment right?) The gift gets brought up once again in ACOSF.
(Added: Oh, I just remembered this; let’s not forget Feyre’s birthday is on the 21st of December! And she is 21 when she gives birth to Nyx! Again, Feyre’s birthday was a turning point in the world itself, if Feyre hadn’t been born that day, Prythian could still have been under Amarantha’s rule. with Nyx’s birth, we get a turning point in Feyre’s story, she’s having her own family with her husband/mate and the kid is the heir of Night Court —> Next High Lord)
PAGE 5
Cassian throws away the gift he had gotten for Nesta as she rejects it. This gift was important enough for Cassian to give to Nesta, but when she rejects it, he gets rid of it (seems familiar to another moment right?) The gift gets brought up once again in ACOSF.
ACOTAR & ACOMAF
In ACOTAR, page 5 is where Feyre shoots the wolf (Andras) with her ash arrow. This becomes the beginning of the turning point in Feyre’s story. She shoots a Fae, which leads to her ending up in the Spring Court.
In ACOMAF, page 5 we see Feyre struggling and dealing after everything she had endured Under The Mountain. This also becomes a turning point in Feyre’s story, it’s important for us readers to see, to understand and feel with her. We see that she isn’t doing well mentally.
ACOWAR & ACOFAS & ACOSF
In ACOWAR, there isn’t any pages with the number 5 and that is because Part 1 of the book is there. The Part is called “Princess of Carrion” which is a title given to Feyre.
In ACOFAS, page 5 the twins Naula & Cerridwen get’s mentioned several times. (Who are they friends with? Elain. And who do they get trained by and work for? Azriel.)
And last but not least, ACOSF, page 5 does not exist once again. The fifth page is Part 1 of the book and the Part is called: “Novice”
Novice means: a person who has just started learning or doing something.
This is an indication to Nesta’s journey, her being a Novice in the beginning of her book.
NUMBER 56
(HOSAB SPOILER!)
Now let’s get back to this number before we conclude this whole theory.
Did SJM also give us a hint from HOSAB?
In HOSAB there is someone called BansheeFan56. Now look at the username/address once again... Number 56!
Again, this isn’t a number SJM typically uses and for some reason this number stood out and then I noticed something...
In what chapter did Gwyn give the Solstice gift of Chapter 21 to Nesta & Emerie? (and basically us)
Answer: Chapter 56.
I guess SJM do love to use numbers as a hinting tool
CONCLUSION
Now with everything we know about Chapter 21 & page 5, we can come to the conclusion of who the next book is going to be focusing on.
In ACOSF chapter 21, Nesta notices that Elain is growing. In the bonus chapter 21.5, Feysand talks about how they will focus on helping Elain, after helping Nesta. Nesta’s self healing journey has been written, but her journey may not be over yet. I do think we will see more of her, but I don’t think there will be huge focus on her again like in ACOSF.
It’s time for us to focus on Elain now and there is a lot to discover about Elain.
SJM did say each book in the spin off will focus on a couple and Nessian has had their book now, so I’m certain that Nesta won’t get another book or trilogy.
Numbers has become a pattern in the ACOTAR series.
3 brothers, 3 sisters, 3 stars, 3 peaks, 3 mountains, 7 courts, 7 High Lords etc, but now we can also add 21 & 5 into this.
Chapter 21 gives us a hint for something important that is happening or going to happen
page 5 shows us some turning points as well.
The 21st chapter becomes key to the book and the upcoming one. And the 21st chapter of ACOSF hints for the upcoming book to be Elain's and most likely have Azriel as the love interest since he got a bonus chapter in ACOSF, like Cassian got a bonus chapter in ACOMAF.
Plus both Bonus chapters are focused on Elain as well.
With all that said, I want to say thank you to my friends who has helped and supported me with this theory. And also thank you (reader) for taking your time to read about my theory about SJM’s use of numbers. I hope it makes sense for you guys as it does for me and I hope you enjoyed reading this <33
I also like to thank our Gwynie for giving us the hint that the next book is focusing on Elain <3
it's forever fucked that refusal is associated so strongly with cowardice and cowardice is almost universally uncontestedly seen as an existential failure that disqualifies you from the right to refuse anything when being able to admit that you're afraid and say "no" are some of the most powerful things that anyone can do
"why don't you want to? are you scared?" yes. is that so bad? to be afraid and unwilling? why should that be worth less? why should i hope to be the richest corpse in the graveyard?
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Something tells me that if their kiss gets interrupted again, Elain won't let it end there.
This time, she'd be the one closing the distance, taking Azriel by surprise, and finally stealing the kiss they've both been waiting far too long for.
Enough interruptions, enough longing, Elain's getting her kiss.
A huge thank you to @aurithemoon for this absolutely breathtaking comic. I'm completely obsessed with the way you draw Elain and Azriel. Thank you for sharing your incredible talent with us.
kind of weird how parts of your soul are left in various locations without any warning… like yes i’m always at the top of that hill, sitting at the bus stop, in the cool light of the Japanese restaurant, standing at the pier etc etc
so exhausted by how fundamentally anti-human the capitalist world has become. like ageing, getting fat, being slightly inefficient, and making mediocre art are all extremely normal and extremely human activities, why is every corporation trying to convince us to spend all our money fighting that
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A HANDY CHART FOR THOSE OF YOU WONDERING WHAT THE FUCK IS UP WITH THESE. NOTE THAT THESE ARE ALL THE INFORMAL AND YOU IS THE FORMAL SO LIKE YOU WOULD ALWAYS ADDRESS YOUR SUPERIOR/ OLDER PERSON/ SOCIAL BETTER WITH YOU BUT WITH YOUR BUDS YOU CAN USE THESE.
“She scanned Elain from head to toe, wondering if she’d been taking lessons in stealth either from Azriel or the two half-wraiths she called friends.”
We’re so excited to hopefully see some more spy work in action in the future books, and see more of these two! Hopefully we’ll see them teaching some spying to Elain, or going on missions together 👀
Thank you so much to Rachel for creating this GORGEOUS piece of the 3 of them together. Came out absolutely perfect for what we imagined 💕
Art by @jae.sketch
Commissioned by @lovelyfawnxx @suriel_3738 @theseersgarden
