gwynethberdarasupremecy

[gwynethberdarasupremecy]

SPOILERS FOR CARAVAL AND OUABH!!!

I could write a whole essay on the tellajacks/e|riel and evajacks/gwynriel similarities and parallels.

Which also furthers my belief that it’s so important for Azriels character that the mating bond won’t snap, that he won’t suspect they’re mates at all, until he is in love with Gwyn.

[gwynethberdarasupremecy]

Oh my goodness your latest post about Gwyn and Azriel having the perfect fitting jobs. YES ALL THIS.

I’ve thought the exact same thing and especially now after having read CC3 and what’s happened in Prythian, I’ve wondered if Az will start researching things, other worlds, etc because it was very clearly mentioned about Merrill’s first research project. And all I can imagine is—even though it being canon and noted they’d still be training post ACOSF—him seeing her in her element, library wise and just being like “oh hey again 🙂” all cutely and ugh I need this. It’s just even more a perfect set up for them to have to be close to one another and have the opportunity for sparks to fly.

Yes yes yes! Gwyn handing in her research to him and then being like “see you tomorrow, shadowsinger”

[gwynethberdarasupremecy]

I haven’t seen nearly enough people talk about how Azriel and Gwyns jobs perfectly compliment each other. The spymaster and the researcher. Are you kidding me? It’s perfect. Gwyn find the information and Azriel puts it to use. The perfect team. I can see Gwyn becoming the official researcher for the inner circle.

The priestess and the shadowsinger.

The researcher and the spymaster.

The Valkyrie and Illyrian warrior.

Carynthians.

[gwynethberdarasupremecy]

Gwyn week day two: Songbird - the soul of a singer

For @gwynweekofficial day two I decided to make a moodboard with songs that remind me of our favorite songbird Gwyn. Here’s a list of the song (lyrics) and why they resemble Gwyn:

1. Lacy- Olivia Rodrigo

Dazzling starlet, Bardot reincarnate

Well, aren't you the greatest thing to ever exist?

Ooh, I care, I care, I care

Like ribbons in your hair

Of course the ribbon has to be connected to Gwyn. She was so determined to cut it.

2. Lights up - Harry Styles

All the lights couldn't put out the dark

Running through my heart

Lights up and they know who you are

Know who you are

Do you know who you are?

Does Gwyn know who she is? There is such great mystery around her heritage? Is she a lightsinger? Does she have day court heritage? Why does she glow?

3.Rise up - Andra Day

And I'll rise up

I'll rise like the day

I'll rise up

I'll rise unafraid

I'll rise up

And I'll do it a thousand times again

No matter what trauma Gwyn goes through, she always comes out stronger, giving us powerful quotes like: “I am the rock against which the surface crashes, nothing can break me” and “I have been broken once before,” Gwyn said, her voice clear. “I survived it. And I will not be broken again—not even by this mountain.”

4. Part of your world- Jodi Benson

Up where they walk,

up where they run

Up where they stay all day in the sun

Wanderin' free,

wish I could be Part of that world

I firmly believe Gwyn will give us a little mermaid retelling. Just like Ariel, Gwyn is stuck somewhere even though she wishes to see the outside world. I can’t wait for Gwyn to finally leave the library and see the outside world.

5. The water is fine - Chloe Ament

I am the river's daughter

I am the river's daughter

I am the river's daughter

Gwyns river nymph heritage shows that she really is, in fact, the rivers daughter. I hope we’ll see more of that side of her in the next book.

6. My jolly sailor bold

Upon one summer's morning, I carefully did stray

Down by the Walls of Wapping, where I met a sailor gay

Conversing with a young lass who seemed to be in pain

Saying, "William, when you go, I fear you'll ne'er return again"

My heart is pierced by Cupid

I disdain all glittering gold

There is nothing can console me

But my jolly sailor bold

I have a headcanon that Gwyn used to sing lullabies like this in Sangravah. That she always felt connected to sirens and nymph like creatures.

7. Warrior- Demi Lovato

There's a part of me I can't get back

A little girl grew up too fast

All it took was once, I'll never be the same

Now I'm taking back my life today

Nothing left that you can say

'Cause you are never gonna take the blame anyway

Now I'm a warrior

I've got thicker skin

I'm a warrior

I'm stronger than I've ever been

And my armor, is made of steel, you can't get in

I'm a warrior

And you can never hurt me again

I feel like this one is kind of self explanatory but I’d like to highlight again how beautiful it is that Gwyn turns something so traumatic into something that makes her strong. She is a warrior through and through. First Valkyrie reborn and Carynthian.

8. Jolene- Dolly Parton

Your beauty is beyond compare

With flaming locks of auburn hair

Ivory skin and eyes of emerald green

Your smile is like a breath of spring

Your voice is soft like summer rain

I cannot compete with you, Jolene

Lastly, I feel like this song really captures Gwyns beauty. She is truly gorgeous inside and out. Not to mention that she has a voice of gold.

All pictures come from Pinterest.

[gwynethberdarasupremecy]

One of the biggest hints that Elain and Az won’t happen isn’t talked about enough. After Azriels encounter with Elain, he doesn’t think about her once. While he is talking with Gwyn, he doesn’t think about her once. He doesn’t compare her to Elain or think of Elain at all.

When Cassian was talking to Emerie in acofas, he kept on thinking about Nesta and kind of comparing them. Nesta was always on his mind.

I’ve already read so many other romance and romantasies where there is another person involved. But whenever they interact, the mmc always thinks about their endgame and contrasts them. It shows their endgame is always on their mind.

The fact that Az doesn’t think of her once when interacting with Gwyn, tells me enough.

[gwynethberdarasupremecy]

One of my strongest headcanons is that Gwyn meeting Azriel in the training ring for the first time and not returning his polite smile is because she’s testing his waters. We know Gwyn hates sympathy of any form or being reduced to her trauma and coddled up for it. Az was the sole witness at her absolute worst. She was likely waiting for Azriel to give her a scent of sympathy upon arrival and ready to pounce at him for doing so. But Az just strode in like nothing and treated her like a next door female despite their shared history. My HC is that Gwyn kept looking at Az partly relieved that he didn’t treat her like others did when they all first met her, but also 🤨 partly curious if he remembers her at all cuz he just dismissed her with a smile. Also, imagine openly gawking at the deadly shadowsinger without a hint of shyness or fear😭. Did the shadows whisper in his ear that she was distracted that day and kept staring at him ? And did he not return those stares because he wanted her to feel comfortable in his presence without kindling anything from her past ? Arghh, I want both their povs so bad.

[gwynethberdarasupremecy]

You know that tiktok dance to the Barbie girl song?

You cannot tell me Claire and Gibsie wouldn’t eat that shit up

[gwynethberdarasupremecy]

I’m not inherently against three brothers ending up with three sisters. If it’s done well, that is.

My problem with three brothers three sisters is that it was the only argument Azriel could come up with when asked about why he was pursuing Elain. If three brothers three sisters happened organically, I would have no issue with it. However, someone only wanting you because your two sisters are with his brothers is something I do have a problem with. If Azriel listed up all the things he admired and liked about Elain as a person, I’d have been the first to ship them. If he talked about her personality, how she makes him feel so calm/happy I would love to ship them. But instead we only got him having to use math to justify his reasons for pursuing her.

E/riels often say Lucien only wants Elain out of obligation, but from the bonus chapter the only one pursuing Elain out of obligation is Azriel. Because in his mind, if his two brothers are mated to her two sisters, she must be his mate. That’s not love. That’s forcing yourself to like someone because you’re desperate for a mate and lonely.

[gwynethberdarasupremecy]

The Narrative Framing of the Ribbon in ACOSF

Lately, I’ve been giving more thought to the intentionality of SJM introducing the mating ceremony ribbon in the same book we first meet Gwyn, who introduces the Valkyrie ribbon.  Because, to me, the decision seems wholly purposeful rather than coincidental.  The presentation of these two details in the same text would be significant enough on its own--but it goes beyond that.  I think it’s mostly about the narrative framing taking place within the context of the ribbon, which sets the scene for Azriel and Gwyn.  There is a “story within a story” being introduced, even if it is limited by the points-of-view we’re given access to in ACOSF.

To start, I find it incredible that we were given 3.5 texts set in the ACOTAR world which included detailed information about mating bonds, but our first mention of the mating ceremony ribbon is not until ACOSF when we are told that, for Nesta: 

. . . all that mattered, she realized, was the male who would be standing with her, first as they swore their vows, then as they offered each other food, and then as their friends and family bound their hands together with a length of black ribbon to remain until the mating was consummated.

Prior to ACOSF, we were already aware of the vows and the offering of food as necessary components of a formal mating bond acceptance.  But the information about the binding of hands with a ribbon is new.  And not only does it take four books to let the reader know this new information, but it's introduced in the same text in which Gwyn establishes the Valkyrie ribbon:

“Done,” Gwyn declared, the white ribbon fluttering in the wind where it hung from the beam.  Behind them, a few of the priestesses working with Azriel had turned to see what the ribbon business was about.  The shadowsinger crossed his arms, angling his head, but remained in his half of the ring.

I love this moment because we not only get this great visual of the ribbon in the wind, but we also get these extra details about Azriel amid Gwyn’s successful installation of her ribbon.  Why do we need to know all of this about Azriel?  What does it matter how he responds?

This intertwining of Azriel and Gwyn within the introduction of the Valkyrie ribbon continues, however, when Cassian asks Gwyn and Emerie to show him what they learned with blades while he and Nesta were away on their hike.  Cassian says:

“Az told me you also started preliminary work with the steel blades while we were gone.”  He nodded to Gwyn and Emerie, the former glancing toward Azriel, who watched in silence.  “So show me what you learned.  Cut the ribbon in two.” “We slice the ribbon in two,” Emerie asked Gwyn warily, “and our training is complete?” Gwyn again glanced to Azriel, who drifted closer.  She said, “I’m not entirely sure.”

Once again, narrative framing is happening here--something separate from the main narrative between Nesta and Cassian.  Why does the reader need to know that Gwyn is glancing at Azriel repeatedly?  Why does Azriel drift closer the second time?  

We must keep in mind that this scene is in Nesta’s point-of-view, and she and Cassian have just returned after being away from the House of Wind for a week.  It’s clear that the reader is missing some context which happened off the page.  I think this is even more obvious a little earlier in the chapter, before Gwyn finishes hanging the ribbon:

Gwyn snickered, her attention fixed on tying a length of white silk ribbon to a wood beam jutting from the side of the pit.  Neither the ribbon nor the beam had been there a week ago, and Nesta had no idea how they’d even anchored the wood into the stone, but there it was.

This paragraph has always stood out to me (I actually made a pencil notation next to it during my first reading of ACOSF in 2021).  I have a lot of questions here.  

I do believe Nesta’s narration is in part meant to clue the reader in to the fact that the wood beam and ribbon are new additions to training for everyone, not just for her and Cassian since they missed the prior week.  We have no idea what has taken place during Valkyrie training in their absence--so the confirmation that all of this is new is important.  But, I do think the specificity of what Nesta is focused on during this observation is notable.  She wonders “how they’d even anchored the wood into the stone.”  

I’d argue this is Nesta trying to nudge the reader to wonder about this, as well (perhaps also in the same way she is nudging the reader in HOFAS that, yes, we should be curious about Azriel after Bryce’s questioning about his romantic life, lol).  

But, Nesta does bring up an interesting point here.  In fact, I’d also like to know how the wood beam was anchored into the stone.  This seems to be Gwyn’s project given the fact she answers all questions about it.  So, did Gwyn do this all by herself?  Is Gwyn skilled with masonry tools to make this happen?   

While the answers to those questions aren’t known, what is perfectly clear is that there is some important information that the reader is missing in Chapter 51 of ACOSF.  But, we can only make inferences at this point--we have to evaluate the evidence given to us in this chapter to figure out what pieces we are missing from the puzzle.  Even though conclusions aren’t explicitly stated in the text, I do think there are enough literary clues to point us in a likely direction.  And, I think this is most easily accomplished through the process of elimination.   

Gwyn clearly is the project leader when it comes to this entire business with the ribbon.  As noted in the excerpts above, she is the one who hangs the ribbon, who explains it all to Cassian when he asks for clarification, and who answers Emerie’s question about it.

But, who else knows what is going on in these moments based on the evidence we are given?

Cassian and Nesta have no idea what’s going on: through their POVs, we know they have been away from training and the House of Wind for the past week, and Cassian tells Gwyn to “explain” when he sees the ribbon.  

Emerie has no idea what’s going on: we know this for sure when Gwyn answers Cassian’s request to explain:

Gwyn squared her shoulders.  “This is the Valkyrie test for whether your training is    complete and you’re ready for battle: cut the ribbon in half.” Emerie snorted.  “What?”

But, Emerie’s lack of awareness of what Gwyn is doing is also emphasized in the earlier excerpt where she asks Gwyn warily if their training is complete once they slice the ribbon in two.  Emerie clearly has no idea what Gwyn has been up to or the purpose of the ribbon.  

The other priestesses have no idea what is going on:  this is shown when Gwyn finishes hanging the ribbon and “a few of the priestesses working with Azriel had turned to see what the ribbon business was about.”  It’s obvious that these priestesses are as clueless as Nesta, Cassian, and Emerie in this moment.

So the last question remains: Does Azriel know what’s going on?

This is where we have to make some inferences based on our context clues and literary evidence from this chapter.  I would argue that, yes, Azriel has some understanding of what is happening regarding Gwyn and the ribbon.  He doesn’t seem particularly confused or curious when he “crossed his arms” and “remained on his half of the ring” when Gwyn finished hanging the ribbon.  We see elsewhere in ACOSF (and in his bonus chapter) that Azriel’s eyes narrow when his shadows whisper to him or when he’s trying to understand a situation.  However, his body language in this moment after the ribbon is hung does not indicate to me that he’s caught off guard in any way.  

At the very least, he is aware of what Gwyn was planning to have ready for training this day.  After all, he is the spymaster.  But at most, he was actively involved in helping Gwyn with these preparations.

Am I willing to make the claim that Azriel anchored the wood beam to the stone (or at least helped) because Gwyn asked him–or because he mentioned it to her in the first place?  Well . . . kind of?  It’s an inference based on the evidence the text has given us.  Somebody had to set up the wood beam.  It’s possible Gwyn did it alone--but anchoring a wooden beam into stone is likely a two-person job.

So, based on that, I argue that Gwyn did have help.  If Nesta, Emerie, Cassian, and the other priestesses have no idea what is going on with the ribbon, we are left with very few options for who Gwyn would feel comfortable asking for help.  So, who may have helped her with this? I think we all know who.

I believe we also have another context clue to help answer this question.  When Cassian asks Gwyn and Emerie to cut the ribbon, the narration tells us that Gwyn glances at Azriel two different times.  The second instance seems quite notable after Emerie ask if their training will be finished if they cut the ribbon.

Gwyn again glanced to Azriel, who drifted closer.  She said, “I’m not entirely sure.”  

I cannot fathom why Gwyn is continuing to glance at Azriel here for any other reason than affirmation--or, perhaps wanting backup.  She seems unsure in this moment.  Cassian notes that Azriel informed him that Gwyn and Emerie also started training with blades while he was away.  That doesn’t sound like it was part of the training plan.  So why the change?  

Gwyn glances to Azriel when Cassian says this about the steel training, so it leads me to wonder whose idea it was to hang the ribbon in the first place.  How does Gwyn find out about the Valkyrie ribbon cutting?  I could be mistaken, but I don’t recall her discussing that information during any conversations with Nesta.  Does she discover it off page and bring it to Azriel’s attention?  Does Azriel tell her about this Valkyrie training method?  Essentially, there are valid questions.

We are left with some answers, however, because Gwyn is admittedly unsure of how to answer Emerie’s question above--and Azriel “drifted closer” to Gwyn after Emerie asks it.  We can’t be entirely certain what has happened off page in Nessian’s absence, but if we look closely at what Nesta’s POV is giving us in this chapter, I think we can make two, strong inferences:

Something happened off page related to initiating the Valkyrie ribbon cutting method

 It’s intentional and meant to provide specific context around Azriel and Gwyn

Which brings us back to the narrative framing conversation from earlier.  Although a traditional frame narrative is set up to be a true “story within a story” like what we see in Wuthering Heights or The Princess Bride, I argue that this narrative is establishing a frame around Azriel and Gwyn through the ribbon symbolism in ACOSF.  Their “story within a story” can’t quite fully happen here given the narrative constraints of ACOSF--but it is being set up and framed in the background despite these constraints.  I feel like I keep coming back to this in all of my posts, but it’s just one more reason why I think ACOTAR5 is Azriel’s novel.  The narrative threads in ACOSF, setting up the continuity for the next novel, are too great to ignore in my opinion.

And while Chapter 51 is a fascinating study on the development of this narrative framing, it doesn’t just end here.  The Valkyries continue working towards the goal of slicing the ribbon, but we are given key information about Gwyn as things progress:

“You and that ribbon,” Nesta muttered, shutting the tome.  Of all of them, Gwyn had become the most relentless about succeeding. 

This is interesting because, yes, it is showing us how competitive Gwyn is--but SJM is making sure we understand that Gwyn is persistent about this and wants to be the first one to accomplish it.  It’s reiterated further in Azriel’s bonus chapter when Azriel stumbles upon Gwyn late at night, alone at the training pit.

“I was trying to cut the ribbon.”  She pointed with her sword at the white ribbon, which seemed to glow silver.

Of all the things for Gwyn to be doing when Azriel comes upon her on Solstice, he finds her practicing her ribbon cutting technique.  Once again, their “story within a story” is being picked up within the narrative framing of the ribbon.  Gwyn is at the training pit because of the ribbon.   So, then, it is a deliberate choice--SJM could have had Gwyn performing any other training task, or Azriel could have found her reading within the House proper.  Instead, their entire interaction is based around the ribbon.  

Then, because of this impromptu ribbon training session, Azriel gives Gwyn the corrections needed to successfully cut the ribbon.  Again, Gwyn is determined and likely would have cut the ribbon on her own at some point.  But that’s not what happens.  She completes the task only a few days after her Solstice encounter with Azriel, where his corrections are directly tied to her success which follows soon after.  There is a narrative thread connecting Gwyn to Azriel during this momentous accomplishment.

But, of course, SJM doesn’t just leave it alone there.  The narrative framing around Gwyn and Azriel continues in very intentional ways in this scene.  Before Gwyn cuts the ribbon:

Cassian glanced over at Az, but his attention was fixed on the young priestess, admiration and quiet encouragement shining from his face. . . .  Azriel went wholly still, as if he, too, had felt the shift.  As if he, too, were aware that far larger forces peered into that training ring as Gwyn moved.  

While Nesta and Emerie have interactions with Gwyn in this scene, and Cassian notes his own emotions at watching Gwyn, the descriptions we get of Azriel within Cassian’s POV might as well have flashing neon signs around them.  As everyone watches Gwyn and waits for her to move, no other character gets this type of attention.  SJM wants us to be aware of this “story within the story.”  She wants us to know what Azriel is doing in this moment--and what he is doing goes beyond an interested observation.  Specific language is being used to show the reader that Azriel is focused on Gwyn, invested in her success, and easily affected by the enormity of the moment . . . which is, again, entirely centered around the ribbon.

Finally, even one of Azriel and Gwyn’s last scenes together in ACOSF plays by the rules of their narrative framing--it provides context to their story setup by invoking the ribbon once again.  When the Blood Rite qualifier is arranged and the Valkyries fail their first attempt, we get a twist on how the ribbon is used . . . perhaps intentionally to further establish the narrative continuity for their upcoming novel, since this is one of the last moments we get between the two characters.

Gwyn threw Azriel a withering stare as she strode past him.  “See you tomorrow, Shadowsinger,” she tossed over a shoulder. Az stared after her, brows high with amusement.  When he turned back, Nesta grinned.  “You have no idea what you just started, she said.  Az angled his head, hazel eyes narrowing as Gwyn reached the archway. “Remember how Gwyn was with the ribbon?”  Nesta winked and clapped the shadowsinger on the shoulder.  “You’re the new ribbon, Az.”

So, while the narrative framing around Gwyn and Azriel remains intact and ready to serve as a bridge to ACOTAR5, we have a shift in how the ribbon is being used--it is now a symbol to indicate what Gwyn is now focused on.  And, I’ll take it a step further to suggest it is a clue for readers to know what to expect as the “story within a story” becomes the primary story being told.  It’s providing a prologue, and setting expectations, for what can be anticipated as the couple’s narrative framing begins to take a different shape.  

Ultimately, the ribbon’s recurrence throughout ACOSF works as a subtle but deliberate narrative device.  In a book where Nesta and Cassian’s bond takes center stage, SJM still takes the time to weave in the image of a ribbon being tied, sliced, and shared between Gwyn and Azriel.  Their encounters with it are quiet, yet loaded with so much narrative weight.  And these moments carve out that “story within a story” . . . one that is not quite in bloom but in which the seeds have been planted.  The framing is unmistakable: Gwyn and Azriel are characters on the threshold of a story that will belong only to them.    

Finally, that this symbolism shares space with the notion of a mating ceremony ribbon is no coincidence.  The mating bond ribbon is framed as a sacred act of a union–intimate and final.  Gwyn’s ribbon, by contrast, is one of defiance and shared effort . . . a nod to perhaps how one ribbon might one day become something more.

[gwynethberdarasupremecy]

Ugh I know! I’ve read so many amazing Azris fanfics, but I haven’t read one that felt more “realistic” yet in the way you just described. Do you have a recommendations for an Azris fanfic where Az really spirals first?

Realistically, from what we have seen and know of Azriel as a character: how would he react if found out Eris was his mate?

[gwynethberdarasupremecy]

Realistically, from what we have seen and know of Azriel as a character: how would he react if found out Eris was his mate?

[gwynethberdarasupremecy]

The Lasting Impression of "A Thing of Secret, Lovely Beauty"

I was thinking more on the “thing of secret, lovely beauty” phrasing and the final words in Azriel’s ACOSF bonus chapter.  For SJM to end the chapter with these words, as a callback to their prior use early on, I believe she is hitting us over the head so we pay close attention to them.  They are literally the last words we get from Azriel’s one-and-only POV so far.  That alone should add an air of gravitas to them.  So, I want to explore why the end of the bonus chapter matters and why it indicates that we’ll see the continued development of Azriel’s relationship with Gwyn in their book (which I believe will be ACOTAR5).  

But, bear with me a bit as I first touch on considerations that lead up to Azriel’s POV and help support the significance of those final words . . . 

I know there is criticism from some readers who claim there is “nothing to Gwynriel”--that there are no developing feelings between Azriel and Gwyn during ACOSF, he never thinks of wanting her like he wants Elain, he wouldn’t even go as far as to call Gwyn a friend, etc.

While I disagree that there is no proof of something shifting between the two of them (and I’ll explain why in more detail below), I would agree that there is nothing overtly romantic established between Azriel and Gwyn by the end of the novel.  However, for me, that’s a moot point.  And it’s also a strong indicator that there is “something to Gwynriel.”  

Although ACOTAR is published in the fantasy genre, it also has a foot planted firmly in the romance genre--and there is an unspoken agreement between author and reader that, for romance arcs, the romantic development happens on the page and is experienced through the POV of at least one, but ideally both, members of the pairing.  This is necessary for readers to understand authentic connection, to allow the relationship space to breathe, and to provide intimacy for emotional investment.  Otherwise, the romance can feel unearned or like a plot device.  

SJM has already been on record that each ACOTAR book moving forward will focus on a different romantic pairing.  So, assuming Azriel’s book is next based on ACOSF and HOFAS in particular, why on earth would SJM lean into an end game romance for Azriel during Nesta and Cassian’s book?  There would then be little room for growth or challenge in Azriel’s own book--no tension.  How incredibly boring.  Plus, I’ve been reading SJM since 2012, and if there is one thing I’ve learned when it comes to analyzing her writing, it’s that she loves giving characters the space to change along with a healthy dose of tension.  Characterization (and to a certain extent plot) is all about tension.  For example: 

what a character WANTS vs. what a character NEEDS 

where a character STARTS vs. where a character ENDS

what a character BELIEVES vs. a character confronting a TRUTH

We can clearly see how Azriel’s tension is being established within each of these examples--to foreshadow both his personal growth and his romantic arc with a potential mate in Gwyn.  When it comes to the developing shift in how Azriel begins to see Gwyn, SJM says everything we need to know in the bonus chapter.  We know he's noticing not just her physical features (ex: her eyes, her “hair shining like molten metal”), but who she is as a person (ex: how much she has changed, her “charming irreverence”).

By the time we reach the bonus chapter/ Solstice in the ACOSF timeline, Azriel is also no longer observing Gwyn from a distance.  There HAS been a change and plenty of indicators that something is beginning to shift between them.  It isn’t romantic, yet; but, it honestly shouldn’t be if we’re playing by the romance genre rules.  What it should be, however, is a clear signal that something natural and genuine is happening between two characters who are slowly beginning to understand each other.

As a reminder, when we first see Azriel and Gwyn interact, it’s during training when Azriel has been brought on board to help Cassian with the increase in new priestess recruits:

“Gwyn had been distracted today--one eye on the other side of the ring.  Cassian could only assume she was watching his brother, who had given Gwyn a small smile of greeting upon arrival.  Gwyn hadn’t returned it. . . . She’d said nothing about it during the lesson.  Only glanced every now and then toward Az, who remained dutifully focused on his charges.”

We have no reason to believe that Azriel and Gwyn have had any interactions since Sangravah (although I guess their book could contradict that).  So, if we’re to assume this is the first time they have seen each other since then, it’s a notable moment.  It establishes a baseline for Azriel and Gwyn so that the reader can begin to measure their developing growth and comfort with one another.  

That first growth measurement takes place during Azriel’s bonus chapter.  We eventually end with the final words of Azriel’s POV, where the image of Gwyn’s joy is “a thing of secret, lovely beauty” to Azriel that he buries “down deep, where it glowed quietly.”  That seems like quite a jump on the measuring stick from the first interaction at training.

So, how does this jump happen?  Well, friends, it happens very gradually and naturally--almost as if there is intentionality behind it.  

Azriel goes from:

→ "dutifully focused on his charges" during their first interaction at training;

→ to turning his attention away from his charges ("Gwyn let out a high-pitched noise that was nothing but pure excitement. Azriel, on the other side of the ring with the rest of the priestesses, half-turned at the sound, brows high.");

→ to moving closer into Gwyn's physical space by training her and Emerie together while Nessian were on their hike:

“Az told me you also started preliminary work with the steel blades while we were gone.”  He nodded to Gwyn and Emerie, the former glancing toward Azriel, who watched in silence.  “So show me what you learned.  Cut the ribbon in two.” “We slice the ribbon in two,” Emerie asked Gwyn warily, “and our training is complete?” Gwyn again glanced to Azriel, who drifted closer.

→ to what we can infer was one-on-one training with Gwyn alone when Azriel "hadn't lingered" when winnowing Nesta and Cassian to the human lands because "Gwyn wanted him to go over dagger handling";

→ to, finally, the bonus chapter in Azriel’s POV where Gwyn catches him by surprise (in more ways than one), and they share a moment of soft laughs and contentment before he envisions her eyes lighting up upon receiving his gift--where the image of Gwyn glows quietly inside his chest as “a thing of secret, lovely beauty.”

So not only are those final words an interesting literary juxtaposition in a bonus chapter filled with incredible juxtapositions, but they hold significant meaning.  They show the reader that this is not coming from left field; nor is it a casual gesture for Azriel in the name of just being kind.  A progression has taken place since that first meeting where Gwyn did not return his smile.  Canon tells us that Azriel is one of our most stoic characters.  So this is intentional, even if he tries to brush off the action to Clotho, our weaver of Fate--who “was smart enough to see through his deflection.”

Now, I mentioned earlier that a romantic arc in the romance genre needs to develop on the page within the characters’ POVs. So we are in luck, then, that we’ve been gifted a tiny sliver of Azriel's own POV.  Therefore, we truly should be paying it close attention since it can act as a sort of prologue to what we can anticipate for his actual book.  

So what does that POV ultimately tell us?  I wrote a bonus chapter analysis to help answer this, so I won’t rehash all of it here.  But the last words of Azriel’s POV are, in my opinion, important enough to warrant an analysis of their own.  If I were SJM, and I knew that it was going to be a long while before we got Azriel’s POV again (with two Crescent City novels and a 5-year gap in between), I’d make those last words count.  That’s our “lasting impression.”

And when we think about the lasting impression that Azriel is leaving us with, it has nothing to do with Elain.  It has nothing to do with his anger at Rhys.  It even has nothing to do with his own self-loathing.  

That lasting impression is entirely, and intentionally, focused on Gwyn.  

And, I don’t think we can truly understand the weight of that without considering everything that leads up to those final words--how the refusal to return a smile turns into gradual awareness of each other, which then leads into personal training sessions and a Solstice encounter that shows Azriel contentedly (and selflessly) thinking about Gwyn.

If Azriel’s POV left us there (thinking about Gwyn as “a thing of secret, lovely beauty”) with no other interactions or acknowledgements of what is shifting between him and Gwyn, I believe that alone would be enough to tether the reader to what’s to come in Azriel’s book.  But that’s not what happens in ACOSF.  As I mentioned before, the bonus chapter is just the first measurement we take in how much growth has happened since that first interaction at training.

We must not forget that after Azriel’s POV and the acknowledgement of what has now settled inside his chest, it doesn’t just end there.  Instead, we get the following:

Cassian glanced over at Az, but his attention was fixed on the young priestess, admiration and quiet encouragement shining from his face.

Azriel went wholly still, as if he, too, had felt the shift.  As if he, too, were aware that far larger forces peered into that training ring as Gwyn moved.

Gwyn asked Az, her teal eyes bright, “What do we get if we finish the course?”  Az’s shadows danced around him.  “Since there’s no chance in hell any of you will finish the course, we didn’t bother to get a prize.”  Boos sounded.  Gwyn lifted her chin in challenge.  “We look forward to proving you wrong.”

Gwyn threw Azriel a withering stare as she strode past him.  “See you tomorrow, Shadowsinger,” she tossed over a shoulder.  Az stared after her, brows high with amusement. . . . "Remember how Gwyn was with the ribbon?"  Nesta winked and clapped the shadowsinger on the shoulder.  "You’re the new ribbon, Az.”

She [Gwyn] wanted to be the first.  Wanted Nesta and Emerie and her to be the ones who wiped the smirks from Azriel’s and Cassian’s faces.  Especially Azriel’s.  

And when Gwyn reached the finish line, bloody and panting and grinning so wildly her teal eyes glowed like a sunlit sea, she only extended her battered hand to Azriel.  “Well?”

“There are plenty of other unspeakable things that could be happening to her,” Cassian said, voice thickening.  “To Emerie and Gwyn.”  The shadows deepened around Azriel, his Siphons gleaming like cobalt fire.

Succeeding in the Blood Rite didn’t mean the training stopped.  No, after she [Nesta] and her friends told Cassian and Azriel most of the details of their ordeal, the two commanders had compiled a long list of mistakes that the three of them had made that needed to be corrected . . . So they would keep training, until they were all well and truly Valkyries.

This is a litany of proof for how much Azriel and Gwyn continue to circle around each other after Azriel’s POV as they observe, interact, and think of one another.  It’s not stagnant.  They are not just sharing the same “charged glances” time after time.  It’s also why I view any “the bonus chapter doesn’t matter” arguments as unserious--to believe so is to discount everything that comes before it, the lasting impression of the bonus chapter itself, and all the moments listed above which come after it.  

In my opinion, there is no denying the gentle arranging of chess pieces within ACOSF in particular, aided in large part by Azriel’s own POV.  There is a direct sense of narrative continuity which can now be picked up immediately after ACOSF in regards to Azriel and Gwyn.  The seeds have been planted and when they begin to bloom in the next book, the reader feels like they were there when everything started.  So, as Azriel goes on his healing journey (in which there is A LOT of healing that needs to happen), the hope is that we also see how he and Gwyn grow together and challenge each other--and it will feel earned as a reader because we will have seen the journey evolve.  

But, none of this can happen without the final moments of that bonus chapter.  Just as important as Azriel noting Gwyn’s “secret, lovely beauty,” we must also note that Azriel “buried the image down deep, where it glowed quietly.”  It suggests to us that he isn’t ready to consciously acknowledge the depth of what Gwyn might mean to him.  He lives in shadows (both literally and metaphorically), and we have seen that emotional vulnerability does not come naturally to Azriel.  Burying that image of Gwyn is perhaps a defense mechanism–protecting that fragile, new feeling from scrutiny, rejection, or even his own self-doubt.  And as readers who have spent a great deal of time with Azriel, we know how much he struggles with these things (and will hopefully be working through them in his novel).  

However!  The fact that Azriel treasures the image at all, means that it matters deeply to him.  He hides it away, instead of discarding it altogether.  He is just not ready to look at it head-on yet.  And, honestly, I find that exciting and THAT makes me want to keep reading about Azriel and Gwyn.  It makes me want to scrutinize their shared moments after Solstice, as well as the tiny clues which may be present in HOSAB AND HOFAS (I’m doing a Crescent City re-read now, and trust that I have lots of new thoughts, lol).  

In closing, for the reader, this act of internal burial is a quiet promise: there is something blooming beneath the surface, even if Azriel can’t say it out loud yet.  It keeps us emotionally tethered to his journey, because we know he feels more than he lets on. Once again, it is our lasting impression.  When he eventually does confront what he buried, it will be that much more powerful--not just for his romantic arc with Gwyn, but for his personal growth and healing.  The fact that SJM ends Azriel’s POV with Gwyn’s image and light, even if kept in secret, invites us to hope--and to wait--for the moment he finally lets it rise to the surface.

[gwynethberdarasupremecy]

Gwyn’s Beauty🩵🧜🏻‍♀️

We often talk about Azriel’s striking looks. The prettiest of the three brothers. But what about Gwyn ? Let’s start off with the necklace as it is canonically, Gwyn’s parallel.

We see a nod to the necklace’s description in acosf when Nesta was momentarily taken aback by Gwyn’s beauty. It’s not just that Gwyn is described as pretty. It’s how people begin to see her that changes. Nesta starts off with a more subtle description, then later says Gwyn rivals Mor and Merrill, who are basically the top-tier beauties in the series. That kind of comparison is never made lightly in this world. SJM is putting Gwyn in the same league as the women the narrative already treats as the most beautiful.

That’s a very different approach to how the Archeron sisters are described. Their looks are almost always defined through comparisons to each other. Feyre is plain next to Elain. Nesta is striking and is the only sister who isn't flat chested. Elain is the classic beauty. It’s all relative. But with Gwyn, she’s not being contrasted against someone else. She’s placed next to characters like Mor as an equal. Her beauty stands on its own and grows as she gains confidence.

Even Az makes a comment about how he’s noticed Gwyn has changed in the BC. Besides thinking how far she has come since that day in Sangravah and her charming irreverence, he also notices the way her freckles crinkle on her nose, how her hair shines like molten metal, and by the end of the chapter, he’s still thinking about how her eyes would light up. I’m just saying, he’s starting to pay attention to her appearance in a different way. Seems like a (slowburn) foreshadowing buildup to the classic mate line : ‘she’s the most beautiful female he’s ever seen’. Also just to say the shallow thing, SJM likes to make her main characters hot, so just saying.

As far as her beauty goes, I've always imagined Gwyn as someone who has this ethereal beauty to her that shines the more she comes out of her shell. Just think about it. She's fae and a nymph. A redhead with beautiful mix of blue-green eyes and years of yoga practice. And to top it all, the acolyte training includes grooming them in the art of seduction too. (Funnily, gwyn’s non-priestess nymph grandma seduced a high fae lol so that’s two layers of seduction built in her). All that beauty, litheness and grace from all sides rolled into one person. She has to be a beauty to rival the top beauties. I don't even want to be subtle about it tbh. Yes, I'm crowing about how pretty she is here and shamelessly singing her praises. She's a brave, kind, smart, tenacious, loyal and ethereal looking beauty, and this is all based on textual evidence from a single book. SJM sure has favourites. Can Az fight?

‘Or maybe nothing at all had changed beyond that confidence, the way Gwyn's shoulders were pushed back, her head held high, her smile free as she said, "Roslin. Dierdre. Ananke. I was hoping you'd come."

I think this spells out perfectly what SJM is illustrating with the heightening of Gwyn's heavily detailed beauty. It's a theme that with self-acceptance, self confidence comes the best version of oneself. She's illustrating that Gwyn is already on her healing journey and the Valkyrie training fuelled it even more, allowing others to see the beauty she had all along. A thing of secret, lovely beauty, indeed. 

(I found this on gwynriel reddit recently, and added bits and pieces of my take inside it)

[gwynethberdarasupremecy]

Also…do they really think Az is a person who would call someone their friend easily? He most likely doesn’t even consider Elain a friend. He most likely also didn’t consider Nesta a friend at that point.

It’s perfectly in line with his character to not call someone his friend that quickly. I really don’t understand why e/riels think it’s this “gotcha” moment.

make fun all you want about how Azriel wouldn't call Gwyn a friend, but at least he doesn't look at her with a NEUTRAL expression (source: SF, pg. 597). Ah yes, that's exactly how i want my couple to look at each other, not with hearts in their eyes or anything like that.

[gwynethberdarasupremecy]

Question for my fellow people who believe gwynriel book is next.

[gwynethberdarasupremecy]

Why e/riel doesn’t work. This post isn’t about why the characters don’t fit together based on traits. That’s a whole separate story. But e/riel doesn’t work out, simply from a writing perspective.

The only way I could’ve seen e/riel work out is if at the end of ACOSF, Elain is already with Lucien, trying to do what “society expects of her” but there’s foreshadowing that she’s not happy. That way, e/riel would bring growth. Something would change. Imagine e/riel is endgame. At the beginning of Elains book, she is not giving Lucien any chance or attention. She is actively rejecting him. She is also already into Azriel. Nobody is pressuring her to be with Lucien, including Lucien himself.

So we have to ask ourselves: what would change? What growth would it bring her? In stories, and especially SJMs love stories, characters start with wanting A, only to go through this inner journey and realizing that they actually wanted/needed B. Feyre started acomaf with wanting Tamlin, only to later realize she wanted and needed Rhys. Nesta started her book with not wanting anyone, only to later realize she wanted and needed Cassian. Chaol started TOD with wanting Nesryn, only to later realize he needed Yrene. Aelin started HOF with wanting Chaol, only to later realize she wanted and needed Rowan, etc. They all follow the same storytelling pattern. They all started wanting A, and at the end of their stories wanting B. Because that’s what makes a compelling story.

If e/riel happened, it would start with both characters wanting A, and ending with A. Nothing would change. No character growth. No change of paths. No inner journey. If Sarah wanted to go the e/riel route, the only way she could’ve made it work, is if she had Elain accept Lucien. That way her story would start with her thinking she wanted A, and then getting B. The fact that SJM didn’t do this, tells me that she doesn’t intend for e/riel to be endgame.

Now, if you follow this pattern of characters starting with wanting A, and ending up realizing they actually wanted/needed B, the only logical pairings would be Elucien and Gwynriel.

[gwynethberdarasupremecy]

Yes! I also think that’s why we don’t really know what Mors power is. I think after deciding moriel wasn’t endgame anymore, sjm didn’t really know what to do with Mors power anymore.

Anyone else thinking Truthteller was supposed to be a moriel hint? Since her power is truth and all.