#acol spoilers

[crookedcrowclub]

this entire scene fucking hell 😮‍💨 right before he eats her out

[antaripirate]

kell realising lila is antari:

[hauntedfarfalle]

Holland’s like idk man I just work here

[acandletoguide]

Google: You want to know Kell's age? I got you!!

Google: Bullet points? Don't know them.

[pocket-goose]

thinking abt lenos and hastra rn.

[melodywritesstuff]

Spoilers for Fragile Threads of Power!!!

I just finished reading and I have some thoughts and predictions about a certain character...

Major spoilers below!

Am I the only one who's not convinced that Kosika's Holland is, well, actually Holland?

When Holland dies at the end of ACOL, his hair is white and both his eyes are green.

Kosika's Holland has white hair, but still has the black Antari eye.

That makes sense if he's a figment of her imagination, because she wouldn't have known that his eye had changed, and that's how she would have pictured him. But if it were actually Holland from beyond the grave, he wouldn't have the black eye.

In ADSOM, if I remember correctly, Kell mentions that it would be easy to enter Black London, but likely impossible to leave, since the walls were designed to contain Black London, not to keep people out. Holland, I think, was only able to leave (in AGOS) because Osaron was lending him power. And yet, Kosika returns to White London without difficulty.

I think that Kosika did bring something back from Black London, and it's masquerading as Holland; adopting the appearance she would expect from her Saint, and manipulating her into rekindling the flame in Black London, which will instigate the main conflict for the remaining books in the series.

[headdaze]

***SPOILERS for A Conjuring of Light***

I have been an avid reader for approximately two decades now. I have seen my fair share of characters dying, my fair share of pain within books. Almost two decades, and yet never once have I ever cried when a character died in a book. Until I read ACOL. When Hastra died, I may as well have been stabbed square in the heart alongside him--I screamed, put the book down right then and there, and started sobbing. Just when I thought we were safe--just when I thought I could breathe--one of my absolute favorite characters, gone, just like that. The worst part about it was that he went in a way that was so him--protecting someone. The only good part was that at least it was quick. He deserves that much. By the time we got to Emira's death, my tears had already run out... Congratulations @veschwab -- I truly applaud you as a writer, truly and sincerely, because the last stretch of ACOL is putting me through the wringer like no other book I've ever read before. I am utterly amazed.

tdlr I always say I'm not ok when reading books but this. this is the real deal. now excuse me while I go cope

[llleeerrroooyyy]

TFOP spoilers? Idk I have a question

—————————————————————-

How can Lila use antari magic to get onto the ferase stras- isn’t it warded? also I thought they couldn’t go between a moving vessel and land like when kell tried in ACOL. is there an explanation or what

[purplebass]

I agree that Holland is mega sus! Kosika's trust is instantaneous and though she comes off quite maturely - she is still a child and has this quite romanticised view of him. What will rekindling the fire do? Although part of me hopes they are successful - i'm rereading ADSOM and even that brings up the lack of balance between the worlds. I think Black London is such a cool concept and i'd love to see more of it. How can they prevent a repetition of Black London's fall once the gates are opened? What will that mean for Antari?

I also really like your idea of Kell and Lila's link, a more organic version of the sharing of power. Perhaps reflecting their relationship too, Schwab is setting up this need on Kell's part to be explicitly told that Lila loves him. A balancing of power and also expectations.

I do wonder about Tes though, it seems she'll reinforce the wards - and make the better, so will it be easy for someone to steal her? Although, she does give us a closer view into what Maris has going on. An opportunity to know her backstory. And i agree we're definitely seeing Serival.

Bex and Calin feel like they've been put on a bus, it'll be interesting to wonder where the portal to *nowhere* is. Last time someone got yeeted through a portal, they came back alive so!

Another reply under the cut because of spoilers lol (sorry again for the length but when I start to ramble about things I like no one can stop me... XD) I've divided it in paragraphs with titles so the navigation is easier lol

-> Kosika/Holland... and the parallels with Kell/Rhy

Yes, Kosika is a loose cannon imo. Quiet but powerful. While she seems to listen to what "Holland" says, she's in that phase of life when she is curious about the world. Maybe he pretends to act all "Kosika don't do this" but it is just his way to push her to do things because he sees that while she is loyal, she is also tempted.

I don't know why, but Kosika reminds me so much of how Kell behaved in ADSOM before he met Lila. A loyal dog until he met someone who made him realize that he could be/do whatever the heck he wanted. In fact Kell has his rebellion at the end of AGOS - maybe that's what will happen with Kosika in Threads #2? Funny that their name also starts with the letter "K": hint?

Going back to "Holland", I've also noticed how he's theoretically "acting" thanks to Kosika. And to keep the parallels with ADSOM and with Kell, don't you think he is behaving like the black stone? I mean the way the black stone influenced Kell. So it might reinforce the idea that "Holland" isn't the real Holland but a presence that comes from Black London, maybe. Because the stone was the reason the og Holland survived at the end of ADSOM. Maybe that's how the real "Holland" could survive and give his power to Kosika. Because it was something inside of him that corrupted the order (since Kosika shouldn't have been Antari, if magic could chose).

I've realized they have the same "bond" Rhy and Kell have: "Holland" (and his power) is "alive" only because Kosika is alive, just like Rhy is "alive" because Kell is alive. Maybe by killing Kosika, "Holland" and whatever is attached to him, will die... or even the opposite. By killing Kosika, "Holland" may be revived, but he needs to make White London powerful again. It would be a problem for "Holland" if Kosika loses her loyalty to him.

-> How can they prevent a repetition of Black London's fall once the gates are opened? What will that mean for Antari?

These are interesting questions and I think we may find the answer in the past. I believe that the only way to prevent the repetition is not to be tempted by the black magic. Resistance? Even if it seems silly, it's also a parallel to ADSOM (when Kell/Lila have the black stone and they are tempted but they try to resist) or ACOL (when Osaron tries to possess people and they fought the darkness). Maybe this darkness will be too strong and it may change Antari's existence for good. I wonder if Lila "losing" her powers when she was kidnapped and Kell "losing" his powers after (when they had to close the door) could be foreshadowing of a future where they might have to use all their power to fight the dark from Black London and all of this may change the world forever. Maybe everyone will lose their magic or maybe they will lose their Antari status? Because it's a blessing/curse. As if magic chose the people who became Antari and "knew" they could fight the duality of what that status entitles. Perhaps that's why the black eye? Antari have great power that, in the wrong hands, could be used to destroy (much like happened in TFTOP with Berras) instead of being positive/blessed people the people could "venerate" (pass me the term lmao) as examples on how to handle magic and use it ad an advantage and not a way to hurt others. Examples on how magic should be handled with care and again, not abused. The keyword is always balance. lmao. The whole "from great powers come great responsibilities" bla bla bla. Oh, and this reminds me that we will probably see Nero the bone magician again. He might be related to someone at court. He knew about Tes and her special power so he might've become her friend but maybe he wanted to betray her. I don't know.

-> The link between Kell and Lila and Kell wanting to know her feelings

Yeah. I've wanted this for so long. I remember the first time I read the trilogy I was a little sad that none of them says the three words even if it's clear they feel them (and Kell repeats it more than once). I told myself "it's more realistic this way," and I still think it is. Love is not just expressed with words but also with actions and we see that during those seven years of flashbacks. However... I see how a character who fears abandonment like Kell just wants to hear those words (and I do too lol) even though he KNOWS she loves him. He could've told her first, yes, but I think he is scared that would scare her and she might act impulsively or worse. She may run away. Kell has shit self esteem, he probably believes that Lila would survive without him, so he tries to protect himself by not confessing (even though Lila knows). So he wants her to confess first, maybe. It would be safer if she does, for him, too, to confess. She panicked when he wanted to give her the ring that was just a ring, so that's why he's having cold feet. However, the ring issue was solved. Now Lila is wearing the ring and that is a step ahead in their relationship. And Kell is whole and fixed, so it's another solved "issue". Lila has her own ways to show love, and it's not with words. She finds it difficult to open up and she does have an avoidant personality when it comes to emotions. I've noticed that Lila cries when she can't keep her feelings inside anymore. Crying is her emotional response to near death/death experiences, because death/being unresponsive is a point of no return. No way to express what she feels to those people. She cries when Barron died (her father figure). She cries when Calla died (her mother figure). She cries when she almost dies in ACOL. She cries when Kell's magic is severely damaged and he is in pain. So all of this to say that... there are the grounds to say that after the events of Threads, Kell and Lila are more connected emotionally, thus we are on the way to a confession. No idea if it will happen in Threads #2 (bc I think they'll have to face other things first) but surely in Threads #3.

-> Tes

I think Tes is just like Kosika. They are both promising characters, and Tes is surely good at what she does, but she is still a teenager. We see how she is easily manipulated sometimes (even though, to her credit, she is witty) but she's only 15 so it makes sense.

-> Bex and Calin

This is something I forgot to say in the previous ask. I'm so curious about them, because they might've ended up to Black London! Maybe that's where Tes opened the portal, but she was unaware. I liked their dynamic and they can become the kind of characters who are on the villain's side that decide to come to the heroes' side and still manage to be morally grey. One thing I liked about this book was that there were more female characters than ADSOM, so I'd love to see more dynamics between Bex and Lila. I believe they'd get along well lol

Also - so sorry for the length! But as you can see I love talking about this so you can send more questions if you want :)

[crookedcrowclub]

the way adsom begins with “kell wore a very peculiar coat” and acol ends with “kell wore a coat that billowed in the wind” oh i’m gonna need a minute 😭

[antaripirate]

i finished The Fragile Threads Of Power a few days ago…

when i first found Lila Bard, it felt like a miracle. by the time i finished acol, i didn't think it was possible to feel any closer to her. but fuck me was i wrong.

i don't have the words to explain how i feel right now. i will always have Lila Bard, and that means more to me than i can ever explain. i don't know how to explain why she's so important to me. but oh my fucking god.

and it's not just her. kell, oh kell. i would do anything for him, no matter what.

alucard, rhy, and others for reasons i won't elaborate on right now for spoilers' sake.

i will write something that resembles coherence when my thoughts settle.

but just know that this book was perfect in every possible way. it was everything i ever wanted, and everything i never knew i needed.

this book destroyed me. i have not cried so hard in years. but having read it i just feel truly happy, even though it tore me apart.

this book is home.

[hauntedfarfalle]

Team friendship lmao

[starsailores]

Hit me wirh 11, 23, 24 and 30 for holland vosijk!!! 18, 19, 25 and 28 for kell maresh as well!!

cats i hope you are ready for me to lose my fucking mind. adsom spoilers incoming

holland vosijk:

11 - first thing when you think about when you think about them: "'vosijk', he almost said. 'my name is holland vosijk.' but it didn't matter now.". there is so much emotion packed into that line and i have it written on a post-it note stuck to my laptop, so that i can suffer emotionally every time i open it. i cannot think about him without the agonies striking

23 - future headcanon: if he had survived a conjuring of light, he would have worked on improving relations between arnes and makt in order to try and undo some of the damage caused by osaron's disappearance. dying is not the only sacrifice a person can make, and the most selfless thing holland could have done at that point was keep living and keep fighting, and in doing so the magic would gradually be able to return. he makes a better diplomat than ruler, seeing as he never wanted the crown, though he would have reclaimed it until he found someone he trusted enough to take over.

24 - what do you think is a secret they have never told anyone: hm. the danes and osaron would have gotten anything they wanted out of him, and he would have told vortalis a lot of things, but i dont think he would have willingly shared the story of how vor died, both because of the vulnerability it entailed and the fact that he never stopped blaming himself. the wound is too raw even seven years later for him to be able to talk about it, and the one person he could discuss it with was dead

30 - funniest scene: giving another one of his scenes that makes me smile. when he is imprisoned beneath the soner rast, a group of guards come in to attack him on behalf of lila, and he just sits there as kell comes in and threatens to attack them all because he 'thought they wanted bloodsport'. only after they leave does holland say anything, and the bastard simply says 'my hero' and attempts to move on. i believe this was also when kell said (paraphrasing) 'you seem awfully good at making enemies. have you ever tried making friends?'. everybody knows this man is a cunt and he does nothing to dispel the rumours.

kell maresh:

18 - how do you think they were as a kid: this largely aligns with canon, but he was simultaneously quiet and cocky. he would never go out of his way to interact with people outside of the palace + tieren, but he was well aware of his intelligence and skill, and willing to flaunt it to get his way or piss people off (see: fletcher). simultaneously a sweet kid and the most infuriating type of child to try and interact with.

19 - most random ship you've seen: the two most popular kell ships are kellila and kellholland, both of which i am fond of, and the adsom fandom is not big enough for rarepairs to be common, so i have not really seen any random ships with him. that being said. i do not like kell/rhy or kell/rhy/alucard, for obvious reasons, though i have stumbled upon it on ao3 before

25 - when do you think they acted most ooc: this is a hard one, probably when he inadvertently convinced king george iii that he could fly. it is the sort of trick kell would pull on someone from grey london that he disliked, but he was fond of george, and putting someone unstable in a dangerous position, especially when he cared about them, is unlike kell. because that man does not care easily, but he cares very deeply.

28 - most unnecessary thing they ever did: discounting the whole 'kay' thing in threads, because i have only read it once and do not have access to the book right now to elaborate accurately, throwing holland's body into black london. logically, i understand it. emotionally, it was uncalled for, and if he hadn't done that, osaron never would have been set free, and he wouldn't have suffered the issues with his magic post-acol. he said the man had suffered enough and then sent his mutilated body to faux-hell. holland did not deserve that.

[kazs-scheming-face]

YES RHY GO OFF

[whumpwillow]

OH I DIDN’T GET ‘THE WORLD BREATHED IN’ LINE IN THE FINAL BOOK-

ASDFGHJKL ITS ALL FAKE NEWS DONT LISTEN TO IT