And then there’s Azriel.

Azriel will save his people the way Enalius once did.

We already know Enalius died defending Ramiel, choosing to protect his people even at the cost of his own life. SJM already set this up, if given the choice, Azriel would not choose to save the Illyrians. His relationship with his people is complicated, and he carries a deep resentment toward the Illyrian culture that caused him so much suffering.But what if that changes?

Enalius died defending Ramiel. I can see SJM writing Azriel choosing to defend his people as. his ultimate character payoff could be choosing to save his people anyway.

So how does Gwyn fit into all of this?

I think her role will still be tied directly to her priestesshood, even as a Valkyrie.

Because if Oleanna was the High Priestess connected to Gwydion and played a role in helping protect their world from the Daglan, then I don't think it's a coincidence that SJM made Gwyn a priestess before making her a Valkyrie.I think we could see Gwyn's two identities eventually converge. And rather than choosing between those roles, she could embody both.

So what if we're watching history repeat itself, but differently? Oleanna helped save their world through her role as a priestess.

Gwyn could help save theirs through both her priestesshood AND her Valkyrie identity.

And that would make the Valkyries' return especially meaningful. They aren't simply a group of women training together. They could become the next generation of warriors who stand between Prythian and whatever ancient threat eventually comes for them - hence why Nesta and Azriel are involved in the crossover to begin with. .

And that could be such a powerful parallel between Enalius and Azriel, especially if Gwyn is simultaneously following the path of Oleanna, .

Oleanna : High Priestess/Gwydion Enalius: Illyrian warrior/Truth-Teller

=

Gwyn = High Priestess/Valkyrie/Gwydion Azriel = Illyrian warrior/Truth-Teller

We know Oleanna was the High Priestess connected to Gwydion. Her role isn't incidental. She is specifically part of the history surrounding one of the most important weapons in the Maasverse.And then there’s Enalius, the ancient Illyrian warrior who wielded Truth-Teller and died defending Ramiel.

Gwydion and Truth-Teller are connected. They are essentially two halves of the same ancient weapon mythology, light and shadow, sword and dagger, one responding to the other.

So why, of all possible character archetypes, did SJM make Gwyn a priestess?

So when I put the pieces beside each other, I can't stop seeing this:

Oleanna High Priestess Cauldron Gwydion

Enalius Illyrian warrior Truth-Teller Ramiel

And now:

Gwyn Priestess Sangravah/Priestes connections Valkyrie

Azriel Illyrian warrior Truth-Teller Ramiel

I don't necessarily think Gwyn and Azriel are literal reincarnations of Oleanna and Enalius, but I think they are going to be narrative echoes Because SJM loves repeating patterns while changing the people inside them.

What if Oleanna and Enalius were connected in some way? What if they were even mates? We have absolutely no canon confirmation of that, so this is firmly theory territory, but imagine if the ancient story involved a High Priestess connected to Gwydion and an Illyrian warrior wielding its twin.And then thousands of years later, we get a priestess and an Illyrian warrior carrying the remnants of that same mythology forward.

Gwyn doesn't have to be Oleanna.

Azriel doesn't have to be Enalius.

They could simply be the next iteration of a story that began long before either of them existed. And this is where I find Gwyn's priestesshood particularly interesting.

People sometimes treat Gwyn being a priestess like it’s just a random character detail, but SJM had countless options for Gwyn’s background. She could have made her a Day Court fae, a random citizen of Velaris, a fae from another continent, an Illyrian female—literally anything. Instead, she made her a priestess, specifically giving her a history rooted in Sangravah, the temple where she was raised, and then placed her directly into a story alongside Azriel.

Meanwhile, Azriel isn't just an Illyrian.He's the Illyrian who currently possesses Truth-Teller. The same Truth-Teller associated with Enalius.

The same weapon that has now been explicitly dragged back into the ancient Gwydion mythology in HOFAS.

And then we have the fact that HOFAS complicates the history we've been told about Gwydion in the first place.

We were told Oleanna dipped Gwydion into the Cauldron.

But when we actually see the ancient memory, there are two unidentified figures standing with Fionn when Gwydion is pulled from the Cauldron.

Two figures.

And suddenly I'm wondering if we don't actually know the full story yet.

Because what if the history we've been given is incomplete?

What if Oleanna and Enalius weren't simply two unrelated names buried in ancient history?

What if they were connected to one another, and to the creation, wielding, or protection of these weapons?

And what if Gwyn and Azriel are being positioned as their modern echoes?

The priestess (who is associated with light) and the shadowsinger.

Gwydion and Truth-Teller.

Oleanna and Enalius.

Gwyn and Azriel.

Because if Gwyn's priestesshood, her connection to Sangravah, the Cauldron mythology, Azriel's Truth-Teller, Enalius, and the ancient history of Gwydion are all eventually revealed to be connected...

then Gwyn and Azriel may not just be two characters who happen to meet in the present.

They could be the modern continuation of a story that started thousands of years ago and always destined.

And honestly, fate has been watching them and waiting.....

Current merch tells you what they can market now. It does not give you a a future for books whose reveals they’re actively protecting. Think about how major franchises like Marvel handle merchandising around upcoming movies. They can keep selling Avengers, Spider-Man, or other products all year long, while merchandise tied to a new movie is carefully controlled because merch itself can be a spoiler. You don’t reveal every new character, relationship, costume, or major plot element through a Funko Pop six months before you want audiences to know about it.

ACOTAR is no different in principle. Why would Bloomsbury/SJM reveal the focus of future books through a random puzzle or calendar before the actual book marketing is ready to reveal it?

The merch available now reflects what is established to market now. It has no bearing on the future merch that will come with future books, their own campaigns, and the characters, relationships, and storylines that can only be marketed once those reveals are no longer being protected.

Also, SJM and IMG took over licensing, and exactly as many of us guessed last year, they’re clearly rolling out a much broader range of merch to establish SJM and ACOTAR as a franchise and brand and get her merch into large retailers. A lot of what we’re seeing right now feels like exactly that ACOTAR merch built around the trilogy and recognizable.

I confident we’ve haven’t even seen the actual merch cycle for ACOTAR 6 begin yet, let alone 7. I wouldn’t be surprised if book-specific licensing and merchandise doesn’t start entering the cycle until October or later, depending on their rollout schedule. We don’t even have titles, yet some people think she’s dropping hints in merch before the book is even out? Be serious.

For those who need this explained like we’re in kindergarten

Old books = safe merch now

New books = secret

Azriel was the night sky, shadows always by his side. Gwyn was the sea, a song rising from its depths. And at the horizon, where the sky kisses the sea, his shadows found a song worth answering. 🌊✨

It was such a privilege to commission this by @dimalry. Every detail she brought to this piece feels like poetry, the night spilling into the water, Gwyn becoming part of the sea itself, Azriel and his shadows surrounding her like the endless sky, and that quiet place in the middle where they finally meet.

There’s something so beautiful about imagining them this way, the Shadowsinger and the priestess whose song his shadows could not help but answer. 🤍💙🩵

Please do not repost without permission, edit or feed to AI.

Do I want more information? Of course. But there’s a massive difference between being impatient a little and being fucking entitled. Some of y’all seriously need to learn how to act. By all means, vent and share your frustration in your space, but the only real power you have is not buying the book, otherwise, you really think BB or SJM care about being mass tagged? No. Sarah has already stepped the away from the fandom, this is only going to ensure she does even less in the future.

The Autumn theme is not about ships. I think it could be about finally connecting ACOTAR to CC in a way that brings all those seemingly random details full circle.

People are so focused on “what does this mean for my ship?” that they’re overlooking that this is setting up a much bigger piece of the ACOTAR/CC lore.

Sometimes SJM is just worldbuilding and since BB deleted this so fast, I think this is about connecting ACOTAR and CC and ACOTAR 6 is the bridge.

So, Nesta and Az, come on up to the stage and give us some insight into what happened after Bryce left, or even what was happening while she was there? 👀 Because I need to know what the hell was going on behind the scenes while Bryce was running under Prythian. Also, did Azriel throw a tantrum when he lost TT, did he cry?

ORRRRRR BB/SJM could simply be fucking with us because the book is releasing in autumn BUT, ONLY FOR THE Northern Hemisphere ha.

When Valkyrie and Illyrian finally join forces, I’m betting this is exactly where SJM is going. Azriel and Gwyn are being positioned as equals in every way, Illyrian and Valkyrie, both warriors, both Carynthians and I can’t wait to see how their friendship and romance evolve. We’ve already had the dagger lessons, Az helping Gwyn with the ribbon, their training moments, and all these little threads connecting their journeys. They just keep hitting so many of the important checkmarks and patterns we’ve seen with SJM’s endgame couples, especially the spark and I’m so ready to watch it all come together. ⚔️🩵

For @gwynrielweeksofficial

Please do not repost or edit; or upload to AI.

They do not post unless they get something out of it and they do in fact shoot content with big celebs, other big authors and politicians. This could be how SJM announces the title, or at the very least, she has content with them coming up.