Come, we fly

I invite the ACOTAR fandom to read the following analysis, in which I will put forth a rigorously researched, evidence-based argument that flawlessly explains why Elain Archeron will almost certainly have singing as her chosen art form, as opposed to Feyre’s painting, and Nesta’s dancing.

I think you'll agree that the reasoning is, undeniably, rock solid.

If Feyre paints:

And Nesta dances:

Then Elain must be the singer in the family:

I don't make the rules.

To clarify, this was satire.

When I first saw pictures of the Alex + Ani Elain bracelet and looked closely at the watering can, I thought it was saw what might be a music note (purple) and the bottom curl of a treble clef without the line through it or a bass clef (cobalt), and @offtorivendell and I both also saw what looks like a bass clef on the other side (pink), and @offtorivendell and @psychologynerd saw these too and confirmed I was not crazy 🤣:

And then look at the handle of the watering can—is that shaped like part of a treble clef (upside down) without the line through again?!?

Are these intentional musical references on the watering can charm on Elain’s bracelet? Is it possible this is a hint that Elain is a Singer like I theorized here and @wingedblooms and @offtorivendell theorized here? Or is this possibly a hint at Elain’s future use of the Harp? Has @wingedblooms been right all along about Elain’s connection to song??

And not just Singing/the music of the land, but if the musical note is intentionally a quaver, which is an eighth note, could it tie, thematically, into the symbolism of the eight pointed star, Wyrd, and how, possibly, eight of them may need to come together to unchain and heal the land, as you and @wingedblooms have posted?

And the fact that musical notes appear on a watering can, could @lovelydreamlight be correct in that water nymphs and Singers are related? And what does it mean for other forms of water, like Prythian's underground waterways? Does the rushing music of that water source help to fuel the Song and magic of land? And the pool of starlight in Spring, what of that? Will the Archeron sisters and their bat boys sail the Void to free their world? Is the watering can actually a gardener's Cauldron, evoking the art Feyre saw back in book one?

So many questions! I need to stop word vomiting.

But mainly, I just love how the imagery that appears to be present seems to confirm that Elain being a gardener is not accidental, and could actually be central to the plot.

My mind has been swirling with the various clues we’ve been given (can’t be helped, I love clues). Sarah joked about being inspired by the mystical vortex in Montana. What came out surprised her, and offered various insight into things. The story that came out demanded time and space, explaining why it is so long. She had a vision from the start of what it would be and how she would deliver it to us. And so now, when we think about a story told in four movements (something that may be inspired by classical music like a symphony), what we might see is a poetic progression that feels like…

Prophecy.

A dream given form, like the Völuspá (meaning prophecy of the völva, a term for seer, wise woman, witch) in Norse mythology, as both @merymoonbeam and I have discussed. The Völuspá is a vision of life and death and rebirth that involves the gods and mortals and earth.

Völva used songs in their rituals to travel outside of their bodies and influence fate, which might have inspired the trance Nesta entered during the dusk ritual in acosf. They were also believed to able to touch, shift, bind, and unbind the threads of fate. While the dusk ritual involved singing, Gwyn suggests dawn rituals might involve a set of ancient movements instead.

The credit for this connection goes to @psychologynerd. She wondered if Sarah mentioning the song Golden could be another clue, connecting the lyrics to Elain’s scenes, and I’d love for her to be right. The theme and specific lyrics of the song align well with Elain’s character arc.

This song is ultimately about female guardians hiding in plain sight and embracing who they truly are with confidence. And that journey is equated to coming into the light, a new dawn. Golden.

It’s also the key to creating a new and inclusive Honmoon, the fabric-like shield made of souls (ie, life) that protect their home, rather than simply strengthen the existing one which is tenuous at best. In acotar, this concept connects so well to the tapestry of the universe and ley lines. Ley lines carry language and life from one place to another. Those with earthen magic can sense this living flow. I’ve wondered if Elain actually see this flow as threads in a tapestry. Could they glow golden like the threads of life we see Nesta and Cassian weave together with true love?

That’s not where this arc and song start though. The song’s opening lines are I was a ghost, I was alone, reflecting the state of Elain when she was first Made:

Since that dark period, she has started healing with the most unlikely friends—two half-wraith twins, Nuala and Cerridwen. Characters who might identify with being misunderstood. Characters who hide in plain sight as part of their job.

She may have friends, and she may be living again, but she isn’t thriving because she hasn’t embraced her true self. She’s still living two lives, playing both sides, as the song suggests. She hides in plain sight like the demon hunters, and that may be one of the reasons her rose is still half-hidden.

But we also see glimpses of her bright future. Her voice is becoming stronger as she learns to speak her truth. She’s weaving her own story of struggle and hope and joy alongside her formidable sisters.

And Sarah has quite literally shown us golden flashes of Elain in the original trilogy and bridge:

-

-

Golden, like pure life blossoming from the Cauldron long ago.

In acosf, Nesta and Azriel, her forbidden love interest—like the demon Jinu—take notice of how she glows. She is as bright as the setting sun and glows like the dawn on the longest night to them.

And yes, she may have moments where she appears to be thriving, to be golden, but she won’t truly feel golden until she breaks free of old expectations and embraces who she really is and what she wants to become.

Waited so long to break these walls down

To wake up and feel like me

Put these patterns all in the past now

And finally live like the girl they all see

No more hiding, I'll be shining

Like I'm born to be

'Cause we are hunters, voices strong

And I know I believe

Lurker here who has never posted in this fandom but I follow what goes on because I can't wait for Elriel. I have something that has bothered me whenever I take a look into the fandom.

Maybe a hot take (don't know) but I don't think there are any "Azriel's shadows" as in something akin to his magical pets or whatever. He says himself shadows are just condensed magic. And it seems Azriel just happens to be able to communicate or wield or interact with that type of magic, because he is a shadowsinger. They're not his. He just has the ability to interact with that kind of magical essence that exists in the world. So when Gwynriels gush over the one shadow that interacted with her breath as if Azriel's pets were gushing over her, i think it misses the mark entirely. I think what happened was some magic, the kind condensed into shadows, interacted with some other magic. And Azriel can interact with the one specific type of magic, the "shadows". But it isn't Azriel's personal shadow dancing with Gwyn. Just like it isn't Azriel's personal shadows vanishing around Elain. It is all magic interacting in different ways. And again, Azriel just happens to be able to interact with the shadow kind of magic like others can't.

Not sure I am making sense. I have only read the books once, last year. But the idea of "Azriel's shadows" like sentient pets he orders around, has never made much sense to me. He doesn't seem to control them entirely. Partly yes, but not entirely. He seems more so to be able to communicate and interact with that type of magic (like i remember when the shadows heard the Cauldron song and az was like "wtf is going on?" Or something. He just picked up on whatever shadows were doing. And when the shadows did not warn him about gwyn, he is like "wtf that's weird"). Does this make any sense at all? I feel like "his shadows" have transformed into something in the fandom that they aren't in the books. Almost like sentient things belonging to Az. They don't seem to be that at all when I read the books. They seem to me like a certain kind of magical essence that Az is able to interact with. And sjm even said explicitly "they're just magic" in hofas, I think.

Did this make any sense? What do you think, or maybe your theory friends (seriously elriel theorists are the best).

Hi anon!

I hope you’ll join us one day but lurking is always welcome (and completely understandable!). I would venture to say many things in this fandom have transformed into things they’re not. Most have been transformed for the sake of the shipwar unfortunately. This idea that the shadows know who Azriel’s mate is and he doesn’t is strange. @dietkoke wrote this very comprehensive meta on Azriel’s shadows way back in 2021. I wouldn’t be doing her post justice to try to simplify, but to answer your ask: I totally agree with you.

Listing some more posts below:

@wingedblooms secret, slumbering land

@offtorivendell

https://www.tumblr.com/offtorivendell/647920419158016000/azriel-elain-sunlight-shadows-and-humanity?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/offtorivendell/687960567126867968/what-if-azriel-or-his-shadows-are-made-beings?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/offtorivendell/660456473057460224/please-dont-share-or-screenshot-this-post-without?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/offtorivendell/682619896965808129/nikethestatue-here-is-an-idea-i-just-thought?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/offtorivendell/766854880216465408/why-is-azriel-so-differenton-dusk-hel-and-the?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/offtorivendell/767214487885512704/is-this-proof-that-the-mating-bonds-of-the-high?source=share

Azriel, Elain, Sunlight, Shadows and Humanity

What if Azriel, or his shadows, are Made beings?

Azriel's Shadows do NOT run from Elain Archeron

Can Elain and Azriel communicate silently? Are they carranam? (As a reblog from @nikethestatue)

Why is Azriel so different? On Dusk, Hel and the Valg

Is this proof that the mating bonds of the High Fae were corrupted along with Prythian's Cauldron? What might this mean for Azriel and Elain Archeron?

Flower Moon (May 1) - associated with blooming life, the peak of spring

Blue Moon (May 31) - associated with rarity, heightened energy, clarity, and connection to the divine

This is all in good fun, of course, but it seems like such a happy coincidence to have a rare, Blue Moon grace the Flower Moon during elriel month. It also made me think of the rose Papa Archeron carved for Elain, half-hidden in shadows and next to the Mother:

And if you add April’s full moon to this auspicious occasion, the Flower Moon is surrounded by a Pink Moon and a Blue Moon. Like Elain, amid bursting blooms:

Later in the story, when she is compared to spring, she’s wearing a color to honor the queen of shrubs, combining pink and blue:

•

Love is the most powerful force in the Maasverse, and as such, it is the only force that can change fate. It is also an essential part of creation: love me, touch me, sing me. As @silverlinedeyes, @offtorivendell, @psychologynerd and so many others have suggested, I think we may find out bonds vary because one is actually Made with the force of true love, and the other, where the match is not ideal and they are not in love, is not. Despite what the Fae have been taught to believe (and we’re meant to question those beliefs, otherwise, why pose the question?), love is what makes those bonds sacred. Elain’s story is set up well for a reveal about mating bonds, the Fae’s beliefs, and what it would look like to change fate through the force of love. In fact, that might be one of the reasons the Archeron sisters represent what the Fae once were and still could be: more elemental, their powers rawer and more connected to nature, and most importantly, able to imbue things with that magic. They are the three faces of the Mother made flesh.

More on this topic:

@silverlinedeyes: two types of mating bonds

@icedflames: threads, spells, & mating bonds

@offtorivendell: bond or spell? • oily residue • the Asteri’s influence • light and dark and grey • corrupted bonds

@elriell: mating bonds, spells, bloodlines, & fate

Previously, Sarah mentioned the forces that be in relation to fated mates, and in her most recent interview (while she’s been editing the upcoming acotar books), she reiterated her interest in free will versus fate, and used the term nature instead. Sometimes, nature gets it wrong when it comes to mating bonds.

It got me thinking about the forces that be, their connection to nature, and it led me back to the chaotic part of the Book of Breathings. This part of the book sings in threes as well as three parts (here, here, here). That pattern makes sense if this part of the book harnesses the creative magic of Chaos.

Part 1 describes the cycles of nature, specifically the stages of life (life and death and rebirth), solar and lunar cycles (sun and moon and dark), and flora and fauna (rot and bloom and bones).

Part 2 welcomes the three Archeron sisters with three distinct hellos; it’s also possible the first two are for Feyre, and the last one combines Nesta and Elain.

Part 3 gives instructions on how to bring the Book of Breathings to life and use it. This allows certain people (those not born of this world, including Made Fae) to control the forces of nature through things that channel it: the Cauldron, Trove weapons, mating bonds, and even the land.

The Book welcomes the three sisters as though it knew they were marked by fate and have an important role to play in the grander tapestry. @psychee92 theorized years ago that this part of the song might even be a prophecy for the three Archeron sisters and indicate their alignment with specific phases of the triple goddess. They certainly seem to be the three faces of the Mother in the flesh. I have wondered if their connection aligns with specific parts of the life cycle, but it is probably more fluid than that since their arcs seem to represent the progression of nature overall.

@silverlinedeyes, @offtorivendell, @merymoonbeam, @psychologynerd and many others have talked about their connection to Made objects. This unique kinship (as vessels) makes them similar, if not the same as, those who are Starborn. We see this kinship begin in the original trilogy through Feyre. She wields magic from nearly all courts (unless the sisters’ lineage is connected to Dusk and it becomes 8), restores the Book of Breathings, hears the Cauldron’s siren song like her sisters, touches the Cauldron to travel with it like a force of nature, and repairs the Cauldron and tear in the world with raw magic from Rhys.

This kinship expands in Nesta’s story, as she both uses Made objects and Makes them herself:

The Harp asks Nesta to play it, to let it sing again.

The House sings because Nesta Made it.

Nesta Makes weapons and it is accompanied by music only she hears.

The bond she weaves with Cassian sings after they Make it together.

The whole world, all of creation, is a song.

Nature can be influenced through song, as @silverlinedeyes and @offtorivendell suggested. This song is a poetic way to describe communication—different parts of nature working together in harmony. This communication is the secret language of Wyrd and in hofas, it is referred to as the language of creation. This connection deepens in the crossover:

The land of Dusk asks Bryce to reach out, open her heart to it, so it might sing again.

Love me, touch me, sing me.

Bryce does not free the land of Dusk due to the presence of the prisoners, but she does free Avallen and we get a glimpse of what that entails. She can hear the land’s quiet song, feel its joy when it is finally seen and freed from its magical chains.

These moments are seeds for the third sister’s story, bringing us full circle.

Elain has always been very connected to nature. She ended the original series as a promise of the future and feeling eager to restore the land.

In acosf, we see hints of how deep this connection might run. When taken together, we find Elain’s appearance reflects the land: in Hewn city, she looks as void of life as the land and in Velaris soon after, she is glowing with life again. This kind of earthen magic would mean that she can sense ley lines—the flow of life in the fabric of the world—and Make gardens. Is that what might happen when her sleeping buds bloom?

Will she need to fully embrace them and what they represent (all of her, including her forced change) to make her magic sing? Many of us believe she was given the vision and gifts to help restore the inherent, pure magic of the land. To free it from the magical threads of the Asteri: the magic they hoarded in sacred peaks and the division they wove into the land and the people who inhabit it. This freedom would, in turn, restore the people and their magic. The land and its magic would be freed for all of them, not simply a powerful few. This plot extends beyond a single court and would certainly demand a big story.

It might also require behavior we don’t usually associate with Elain: using pure life, if she possesses it, to unbind warped threads (the opposite of what Feyre and Nesta did with their healing magic). She might even learn how to do this through her sight as she wanders with the Mother (that’s why her carved rose is placed next to her figurine). Will she come across a healer from another world in her travels? This particular healer may be the key to learning that pure life is world-making power. She can bind as well as unbind the very fabric of life, of worlds.

Try reaching a four-year-old to read “cat” or what 2+2 is and you’ll realize that things that you “just do” are actually a series of difficult steps for a beginner. In much the same way, experts “just do” play an instrument, play a sport, solve an equation, or create art.

What if it wasn’t Yrene’s imagination that something, or someone, stared back and listened in this scene?

The Womb seems to mimic what the Cauldron once was. And because song and dreaming are linked, as we see in acosf, this murky dark and music help Yrene connect with someone in the space between.

A sweet darkness of creation whispers to her, offering the guidance she seeks.

Is that sweet darkness a much larger force, conflated with a goddess over time?

Could our lovely seer be wandering within it?

And is she speaking from experience?

You must enter where you fear to tread.

You must enter.

Elain’s rose gold ring with a bright moonstone is giving:

And that sterling silver underneath?

Cannot wait for SJM and Bloomsbury to gradually start promoting Gwyn who will be the next FMC. That is the promotion that matters in the end.

Hey Anon,

I hope you have a great day filled with joy and happiness. I hope you find even the smallest thing to feel excited about and have fun with. The world is a hellscape rn and you deserve that!

One week until Elain's Sweets Swap begins!

🍪🍒🥧🍓🧁

𝕷𝖔𝖓𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖌

@azrielappreciationweek | Day 6 — Longing

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I think it’s safe to say our moody Shadowsinger is down bad for the gentle flower-grower. Sleepless nights. Skin taught with desire. Pure yearning. Having nothing but a bottle of headache powder to cling to in order to think of and be with her, even only in his mind if that’s all he can have. Poor Azzy 😔 (but let’s be real, we’re loving the angst 😏).

Huge ‘thank you’ to @babushkahihi !! Thank you for your incredible work on this piece ❤️ I’ve held onto it specifically for this week and I can’t believe the time has flown by (without a book announcement, at that 😭). It was so fun commissioning this piece and feeling Azriel’s sleepless torment right along with him.

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˙⋆✮ Art by @babushkahihi

˙⋆✮ Commissioned by me, @duskcowboy

˙⋆✮ Characters belong to @sarahjmaas