🦋

First of all if sjm suddenly announces a gwynriel book next, I wouldn’t mind, and I’m not saying that to sound mature but I honestly think if sarah takes that road I’d be fine. The idea of gwyn and az isn’t bad at all.

BUT I’d be setting myself for disappointment if I started shipping them, because every gwynriel moment that seem like a foreshadowing to you is proven wrong by textual evidence, and a lot of people choose not to see it.

Some examples:

His shadows hide from elain because they’re scared. why were present with koschei i wonder?

Azriel’s shadows sang in answer to gwyn, it must mean something. Nesta’s powers grumbled in answer for gwyn too. Nesta gwyn endgame?

Azriel only wants elain in his bed. cassian sniffed nesta’s neck on their second meeting, but apparently we don’t talk about that.

Azriel got a bonus chapter so it’s his book next. Didn’t cassian get a bonus chapter too, was it his book? Or was he the love interest of the main character?

Besides all the foreshadowing and textual evidence, if we’re going to talk about who’s book is next I’ll give you exactly what sjm said.

Yes sarah j.mass indirectly confirmed that elain’s book will be next.

During ACOWAR | sjm announcing acotar spinoffs and novellas:

Some of them will take place after ACOWAR, some of them will take place before. I know what the first two will be about.

During ACOFAS | sjm interview at the end of acofas:

I do know that the Cassian and Nesta book is next. And I know what I want to write for the second spinoff novel, but I'm keeping the door open after that.

So some of these books might be sequels, but I've got an idea for a prequel that takes place a long time before the events of Thorns and Roses.

Elain is a gardener, and everything I did during those weeks became research for her book. I'm not even joking Elain's now going to have dreams about ripping ivy out and the ivy creeping in through the windows to stranggle her at night

February ACOSF tour:

Because i know this is where i wanted things to go, it allowed me to plant things for nesta’s journey and even elain’s journey early on.

So there’s a lot of planning involved, i alway try to keep one eye on the horizon when I’m writing. In the book I’m working on i can set up for things later on, so there’s actually lots of little secrets in silver flames.....that’s set up for elain’s book.

SJM LIVE when asked about azriel’s book:

At the end of acosf I think you’d know who the next book is about.

Azriel’s journey is one I’m so excited to write about.

Yes she confirmed elain’s book but how do you know it’s next?

She planned nesta’s and elain’s journey early on and she knows what the first 2 novels are about (and still wasn’t sure about the third one). That’s literally it. I don’t think i need to explain more.

And if you agree that elain’s book is next...isn’t it obvious what she said about azriel’s journey?

This is not me trying to twist her words, it’s simply logic :)

“Azriel sighed as he entered the office, not because of the news he had to deliver from his latest mission, but because of the sight that greeted him. The sight that always seemed to greet him lately. Feyre and Rhysand were bad enough, but Nesta and Cassian were worse. Because they thought they were being subtle. They thought no one could see Cassian’s thumb just under the back of Nesta’s top, stroking up and down the divet of her spine. They thought that no one marked the way Nesta’s face and posture tightened every time someone mentioned Cassian going on a mission- which was his gods damned job. But she never said anything. Never said no or told him it was too dangerous. Just stiffened in worry. And that quiet intimacy, the silent worry... that was so much worse than overt affection. Because it was something Az could find himself craving, could feel his heart aching for, and that was almost unbearable.”

OR

“We can’t hold Elain back, Nesta.” Feyre sighed “if she wants to do this then...” she trailed off and Nesta clenched her jaw so tightly her teeth almost broke inside of her skull. Rhys cast an eye toward Cassian, but he was already moving toward his mate, one hand outstretched. It had been over a year, but the High Lord’s eyes still nearly popped out of his head every time Nesta relaxed and let Cassian pull her to his side like a sleeping tiger cub. Claws retracted, but never fully out of sight. Cass whispered something low and gruff in her ear and Nesta glared at her mate.

“I hate you”

“You hate me because I’m right.”

“It just happens so rarely that I’m never sure how to react.” Cassian barked a laugh in the same moment Rhys and Feyre did. “That wasn’t a joke” Nesta shrugged.

OR

mor would probably never be friends with Nesta the way that she was with Feyre. They just weren’t... compatible. But even she had to admit that she’d been wrong about her and Cassian. And Mor never admitted to being wrong. But every now and then she’d stumble across them when no one else was around, like right now. Dawn loomed over the river palace and everyone else had long gone to sleep, which meant that Mor was in search of wine. What she found instead was Cassian sitting in front of the fire in an overstuffed armchair, Nesta perched across his thighs with her legs draped over the arm of the chair. One of Cassian’s hands was on her hip, the other holding a mug of tea that Mor knew was Nesta’s. Because Nesta’s hands were busy, twisting themselves through the silken strands of Cassian’s hair, weaving them into tame braids that Mor would have bet money would be impossible to coax those unruly strands into. And Cassian, Lord of Bloodshed, General Commander of Night, the most powerful Illyrian warrior in centuries, was leaning into her touch, eyes closed in perfect contentment, moving only to press a kiss to Nesta’s wrist every time it came close enough. Yes, Mor thought, she’d never been so spectacularly wrong in her very long life.

AND FINALLY:

Gwyn was busy doing everything she could to staunch the flow of blood from Azriel’s side. If it was a normal blade it would never have been a fatal wound, but with ash wood... who knew. She was so focused on her task that she almost didn’t notice Koschei advancing towards them again. Not until Ataraxia’s massive weight gleamed silver in front of her.

“Take one more step towards my brother and sister, and it will be the last thing you ever do.” She growled.

Koschei stilled, a smirk playing on his lips “you do not frighten me, Nesta Archeron. Once, perhaps, but love made you weak as it has so many others.”

Nesta took a step forward, and for all of his grand words, Koschei took one back. “You will not be the first deathless creature to underestimate me and meet their end by this blade.”

Koschei laughed, shadows pulsing in time with Azriel’s own, even as they were fading. They didn’t have much time. He needed a healer, a real healer. Gwyn pressed her hands harder into Az’s side, thinking that she would rip the skin from her wrist if she could patch it over his own.

Then she saw Nesta smile, felt a change in the wind, and breathed a sigh of relief as Koschei faltered. As the entire grassy expanse beside the lake was flooded with red the colour of watery blood.

Cassian.

No one knew they were here. No one knew about Az’s crazy spying against Rhys’ orders or that Gwyn insisted on following him and Nesta insisted on following her. No one knew, but of course Cassian did. Of course the mating bond must have been screaming at him that the other half of his heart was in danger. The shock and the blast of power was enough to knock Koschei down, enough to distract him.

Lady Death positively beamed in deranged delight at the arrival of her true sword, her mate, her love. “What was that about love being a weakness?”

Those were the last words Koachei the deathless heard before a once mortal girl separated his head from his shoulders with a single swing of her Made sword.

In the end, he put up less resistance than the ribbon.

“I would murder you all for this insane plan if I hadn’t just flown 4 hours to save your sorry asses” Cassian growled.

Nesta only rose on her toes to kiss him, black blood smearing both of their lips. And because Gwyn knew that Cassian’s ability to stay mad at Nesta was nonexistent she felt no qualms interrupting the moment.

“You haven’t saved us all yet.”

Cassian’s face turned grave as they all sunk to their knees before the shadowsinger. He ripped into an inside pocket of his leather jacket and produced a vial that he poured down Azriel’s throat. “From Thesan” he said “it’ll counteract the Ashwood, but he still needs a healer for the wounds.” Cassian cast an eye upward “Day is closer than Night. I’ll take him there and be back in a couple hours.” He lifted his brother easily, throwing up a shield to protect him from the wind “try not to get into a fight with any other true immortals while I’m gone.”

Why They’re Important for Endgame

Ever since I read this post by @breaking-shadows a few days ago (you should all read it, it’s amazingly explained and incredibly analyzed!!!), I’ve been aching to add my own two cents from what I know as an aspiring writer, too. @breaking-shadows does a great job of showing you how the Stakes have built up from the start regarding Elriel and I will try to explain, to the best of my capabilities, what Stakes are, a few types of Stakes, how we see them in Elriel, and why that helps me confidently (99% because in the end SJM can do whatever) say that Elriel is endgame.

Because I’m not a published author or writing expert, I’m going to cite people who are and attach the links to the pages where I got the info from, in case you’d like to learn more or simply corroborate. This way no one can say I, as a newb, cannot be trusted.

This is going to be a long ass post, you were warned.

(WARNING: this post isn’t about ships, except Elucien because Lucien is a key factor in Elain’s trauma. )

Everyone deals with trauma in their own way and that’s totally okay. Some are destructive, some shut people up and others want to not feel anything. Elain, just as Nesta, went into the Cauldron and those moments were horrific for her.

She is literally dragged and shoved into the Cauldron while she cries, struggles and kicks to escape the guards’ grasps. The guards and the King keep laughing at her during the whole time.

Elain is used as an experiment for the Queens.

She is used as if she was a mere object.

Her body has been changed forever and she is practically naked, completely terrified and in shock from whatever she has gone through inside the Cauldron. (We know how terrifying and horrible it can be because of Nesta’s experience.) Everyone is looking at her, some are even laughing.

Do you know how violating this could feel? To be left naked and vulnerable in front of people who have just terrorized you? How would you feel?

We don’t know what she goes through inside the Cauldron, but it was probably very painful and terrifying. Then, she is thrown off it and she experiences this horrific scene, and her mating bond with Lucien snaps.

Another thing has been decided for her.

Not only has her body and life been changed forever without her consent, now her romantic relationship has been decided for her as well. And it’s with a man who participated in the plan that made this horrific moment happen.

Lucien is an accomplice of that. He isn’t a bad person, but he is CLEARLY an accomplice. (GO NESTA!!)

Elain is dealing with her trauma and she doesn’t own Lucien anything. She suffered so much, she was broken and traumatized by what happened to her.

And Lucien and their mate bond are a BIG reminder of the day her body and life were changed against her own will.

We don’t know much about her, but we have seen enough of her suffering and how traumatized she is in the books. Feyre always admired Elain’s strength, because being kind and gentle in a world so dark takes balls, you know? Later on in the books, Elain is still kind and gentle but more reserved and quiet because she is dealing with her own shit.

Strength doesn’t equal to physical force. A big example? Queen Elizabeth I of England was strong and she never fought in a battlefield, but she was intelligent, cunning and brought a Golden Age to her country. She made a place for herself in a patriarcal society and that’s how strong she was.

Elain’s strength differs from Nesta’s, Mor’s and Feyre’s. She isn’t an active fighter like them, but yet she had the guts to fight in the war and stabbed the King on the neck to protect Nesta because she loves her sister and would die for her. Look at this.

No one wanted her to fight, but she chose to. SHE CHOSE TO! This is important. She is scared in the battle camp and doesn’t know how to fight or wield a sword, yet she trusts her friends and wants to fight alongside them. 

She might die in the battlefield, but at least she will fight fighting and not be a pawn.

She will enact revenge for what the King did to Nesta, to Feyre and to herself.

MOREOVER –– Another big trauma (aside from happened inside the Cauldron and the dramatic changes in her life), it will probably be center around her body. 

Her clothes, body and beauty are mentioned all the time. ALL THE TIME. Elain, who was a very proper and modest lady (and didn’t want to talk about periods even with her sisters), was seen naked against her will by everyone and she probably felt violated.

Feyre mentions Elain’s reaction when she sees her and Nesta wearing Illyrian fighting leathers. She mentions how Elain was offered something less scandalous and more proper. 

Imagine how someone so proper would feel after being used and seen all vulnerable and naked by so many people? To have been ogled against your will? To be seen as an “object” to see whether the Cauldron worked?

Nesta is a sexual assault survivor and she also suffered because of their youth, Feyre’s sacrifice to provide for them and Elain suffering from the Cauldron incident. She dealt with her trauma in her own way, just as Elain deals with it in her own way. And that’s okay!

In Elain’s book, her choosing who she wants to be with and how she wants to live from now on will be important. She will turn down Lucien, as it is obvious from what I explained above and because of the following:  Feyre and Rhys comment on how being mates doesn’t equal to being right for each other.

Sarah J. Maas said this as well.

She also said that a mating bond is something rare but that some people might be lucky and end up having two. But the main thing is: 

Elain will reject Lucien because they aren’t right for each other and she will chose whomever she wants to because she loves that person. That’s big and it will be key to the plot.

Elain might end up being lucky and while falling for another person, a new mating bond might develop. But at the end of the day, it will be her choice. 

Not the Cauldron’s choice, not society’s choice or anyone else. 

Hers and hers alone.

You think she is boring? Well, we will learn more about her and we will see her heal from her trauma. Her body and her choices have been violated, but she will heal and grow for that and gain ownership over herself once again. 

Rhys, Amren and Feyre believe there is more to her than just the kindness she shows. 

“Maybe she was never given the chance to be that way.” “You think I stifle her?” “Not you alone. […] But I wonder if everyone has spent so long assuming Elain is sweet and innocent that she felt she had to be that way or else she’d dissapoint you all. […] With time and safety, perhaps we’ll see a different side of her emerge”

“You think Elain is boring?” “I think she’s kind, and I’ll take that kindness over nastiness every 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 hands dirty along the way.”

“You can’t have it both ways. You cannot resent my decision to lead a small, quiet life while also refusing to let me do anything greater.”

“I went into the Cauldron, too, you know. And it captured me. And yet somehow all you think of is what my trauma did to you.”

“Including Elain, who is more than capable of defending herself against the darkness of the Trove, if she chooses to. Don’t underestimate her.”

Being a seer gives you many powers, but it would take me too much time so I recommend you to read this LONG AND AMAZING list of powers a seer might have posted by @miru5llec​ and you will be shocked and hyped.

If you like mythology and fantasy literature, you know seers are feared and respected. Kings have killed for having a seer in their ranks. They can reach levels of divine status and their ability as a seer gives them many more powers than those I have mentioned before.

Elain might not be physically powerful like Nesta or Feyre, but being a seer makes her more powerful than both of them but IN ANOTHER WAY. Look at the list above (linked) if you don’t believe me. 

Her being on the Night Court makes Feysand’s court the most powerful in Prythian.

That’s why Elain is not boring and her trauma is valid. There is much more to her than what little we have seen. SJM has said so. Rhys, Feyre, Amren, everyone has said so in the books. We will learn about her, see her heal and chose who to love in her book.

“Why?” Elain demanded. “Shall I tend to my little garden forever?” When Nesta flinched, Elain said, “You can’t have it both ways. You cannot resent my decision to lead a small, quiet life while also refusing to let me do anything greater.”

“But Elain said, “I went into the Cauldron, too, you know. And it captured me. And yet somehow all you think of is what my trauma did to you.”

We will see her develop her powers and learn how to use them. She is possibly the key to killing Koschei (the big bad villain) because she might have visions of where his heart is hidden in that fucking box and guide the IC to find it.

Furthermore, stop saying “I want Elucien to happen so Lucien can be happy.” or “Azriel deserves better than Elain because she likes to garden and is mated to Lucien.”

Elain doesn’t belong to Lucien.

Elain can garden, bake and walk around on her hands while singing La Macarena and that doesn’t make her any less strong than Feyre, Mor, Nesta or any other female character.

(Also, in this stupid ship war I have seen people pointing out how she wouldn’t be able to give Azriel children because her body isn’t Illyrian. This is disgusting. You are basically saying that all her worth lies in whether she can give someone children or not.

Do I remind you adoption exists? Rhys, Cassian and Azriel are brothers by choice, not by blood and they are BROTHERS. You can adopt and be a mother. And you can chose to not have children and that would be okay too. A woman’s worth isn’t in her uterus.

And that’s it. 

(I posted this thread on Twitter as well, so if you liked it you can go there and RT it or hit a like.)

A friend of mine posted this and tagged my old instagram account, asking me to share it. I figured sharing it here where I actually have a following, would be far better.

Please remember that just because the government is giving into pressure and greed, that doesn’t mean that any of this is getting any better, in a lot of ways it’s getting worse. And even if you yourself aren’t being as heavily affected anymore, there are people and communities that are.

- Wild west meets Arabian nights setting - Magic - badass female characters/girls who support each other - great writing - plot twists - THE ROMANCE - Plus, there’s a shapeshifting character who changes gender daily and no fuss is made, everyone immediately just starts using the correct pronouns

In a post from a few days ago, I wrote about how a big part of why Ben Solo’s death is causing intense grief and sadness is the success of the film’s depiction of the Reylo dynamic and Ben’s progression from selfish to selfless love. But there’s more to the ending of the film than Ben’s death, and I would say the scenes that follow and how they are framed carry the bulk of the responsibility for the emotional devastation people are experiencing right now.

Ultimately, what The Rise of Skywalker lacks in its ending is a sense of catharsis - since we see no meaningful emotional resolution for Rey, the viewer is robbed of any real sense of peace or closure. We witness Rey’s stunned shock in the moment that Ben slips away from her, but the emphasis is then immediately shifted to Leia (we are to understand that she only allows herself to fade when her son passes on, with mother and child leaving the world together). 

It’s possible to understand the reasoning behind this (by having Leia’s spirit hold on for so long, suggesting she desperately wanted to be there to guide him into the afterlife, they are clearly attempting to sell the viewer on the extent of her devotion to her child), but it doesn’t work due to the sad reality that the sequel trilogy simply never built up the relationship between Leia and Ben. It’s well known that the original vision for Episode IX was that it would be Leia’s movie, presumably giving her a critical role in her son’s redemption, and it’s clear that J.J. attempted to honour this intention with The Rise of Skywalker despite having very limited footage to work with. In a world where Carrie Fisher were still with us and able to act face-to-face with Adam Driver, convincing us of Leia’s abiding love for her only child and her renewed investment in his redemption (a necessary development, given her despondency regarding Ben in The Last Jedi), the juxtaposition of her ‘passing on’ with Ben’s would have had a much greater emotional impact. 

But as it stands, Ben Solo’s last meaningful human connection, as established over three films, is with Rey - and we never really get to see her mourn for him. This not only makes Ben’s fate sting that much more - it also shortchanges Rey herself. Ben’s joy and relief during as he held Rey in his arms were matched only by her jubilation at finally finding herself able to squeeze the hand of Ben Solo, the man she had loved and seen even when he was at his darkest as Kylo Ren. While Ben at least got to die knowing he had saved the life of the woman he loved, secure in the knowledge that she loved him as he loved her, Rey is left bewildered and alone in the crumbled ruins of her grandfather’s sin. She has nothing left to hold on to other than her almost-lover’s clothes.

When Rey returns to the Resistance base amidst the celebrations, we see her looking utterly grief-stricken as she embraces Finn and Poe. But the shots are fleeting and ambiguous, open to the viewer’s projections due to the chronic indecision that cripples the whole film - who are Finn and Poe crying for? Leia, who they had previously mourned? Snap, who only Poe had any sort of tangible relationship with? And what about Rey? Is she crying for Leia? Ben? Her own parents, now she knows they actually cared for her? All of the aforementioned? This sort of ambiguity is great when we can expect a continuation, an answer, but this is meant to be an ending. In view of that, it’s a serious problem that we don’t even know who our leads are expressing sadness for. 

This issue is only compounded by the final sequence on Tatooine. Rey travels there with BB-8 alone, undercutting the sense that she has found her family and belonging with the Resistance - she chooses to travel alone with a droid, which is a particularly striking decision when it’s remembered that Rey is shown repeatedly identifying with the suffering of droids throughout the film (specifically, she recognises how D-0 is skittish because he has been treated badly by a past owner). The decisions made surrounding Rey on Tatooine recall how she was in the earliest sequences of The Force Awakens, sledding down slops and trekking the desert with BB-8 - it really feels like she has regressed, becoming a child again instead of achieving maturity. This impression is heightened by the characters she is shown to interact with across the sequence - specifically an extremely rude old woman, who demands her name, and the benevolent Force ghosts of Luke and Leia, who gaze upon her contentedly from a distance. 

All of this creates dissonance when viewed in relation to the culmination of Rey’s dynamic with Ben, since we are seeing a young woman who has had her first great love and counterpart in the Force snatched away from her having that massive loss completely erased. Instead of giving her space to grieve and recover, Rey’s final scene is used to serve the legacies of the heroes of a previous generation. When she assumes the Skywalker name, she is also assuming responsibility for the Skywalker legacy. The Skywalker legacy is also Ben’s legacy, but the film has no apparent interest in reminding the viewer of that - there is no allusion to Ben, let alone an appearance by his Force ghost. It’s a bizarre and baffling decision because it’s essentially J.J. Abrams undermining the mythic power of his own characters. Their victories and losses are brushed into the margins of the film, sacrificed at the altar of phoney nostalgia.

First, I apologize for this shitty gifset and bunch of grammar mistakes I’m about to make. Second, I’m sure we all heard the news about cancellation by Netflix. What a surprise, another good show got canceled by Netflix. But this does not mean we should give up. If Brooklyn Nine Nine can be saved, Anne with an E can be saved as well. If One Day at a Time can be saved, so can this show. Insert here any shows that got canceled and was brought back another season. Anne With an E is a Canadian TV Show based on 1908 Novel Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery which is brought over by Netflix. Yes, it is another adaptation based on those books. But it is different. Very different. Even though Anne has struggled, went through many hardships in life but she continues to live through her life with so much imagination, light and positivity. She brought that to a little town called Green Gables. She found a family that loves her. She have friends. She continues to grow and inspired the people around her. All the characters you will see on show are complex and lovable. You will love watching all of these characters grow to be the best person they can be. The show tackles on feminism, racism, homophobia, sexism, sexual assault and many other topics that need to be discussed. The friendships and relationships you will see on the show are beautiful to watch. Not to mention, the visuals, cinematography, the landscapes are truly beautiful. This show was filmed in Canada. A little side note from me, if you’re a Bellarke shipper like me, this show will heal those wounds. Here’s how can you help:

MAKE SOME NOISE ON TWITTER OR ANY SOCIAL MEDIA

USE THE HASHTAGS #RENEWANNEWITHANE

Watch/Stream Anne with An E on Netflix or CBC website. Season 1 & 2 is available on both Netflix and CBC. Third Season is available on the CBC website and will be on Netflix, January 3rd. Watch and then mute it so we can make it count.

Sign Petitions.

-The recruitments! Inej climbing six rain-soaked stories in the dark to sneak into Nina’s room. Kaz paying a couple of boys to beat up an inexplicably good sharpshooter, so he can leap in for a rescue. “I can help you.” 

-It’s going to break my heart, but Jesper’s first game of Makker’s Wheel.

-When Kaz broke into a Kaelish ambassador’s place for his wife’s jewelry (I cannot be the only person who desperately wants the story behind that!)

-When Jesper hugged Inej, and she flinched. 

-Inej having her tattoo hacked away. 

-Kaz giving Inej a knife.

-Inej crying after killing a man. Kaz listening and doing nothing.

-The time Nina paid a fisherman to row her out close to Hellgate.

-This might be a weird one, but Big Bolliger? Imagine that scene if you cared about him as a character.

-Background Wylan. I’d love to see little pieces of his story playing out in the background, so if you didn’t read the books yet you wouldn’t realize he matters. Wouldn’t that be awesome? A flashbomb gives a less-than-stellar flash: “I’m going to strangle Raske.” “That was Wylan.” “Raske is better.” 

Also, since most girls avoid physical contact with men they’re not related to, please do not hug them, but rather shoo the offender away if you can, or at least escort the girl to a safe place. You can still offer words of encouragement and support. Furthermore, understand that the victim may not be very welcoming towards you because she’ll obviously be shaken, and won’t know where you are coming from. If that’s the case, please still give her something to cover herself (hijab is very important, think of it as someone ripping your shirt off) and stand some distance away until you are sure she’s in safe hands.