#HOFAS SPOILERS

[copypastus]

One last Nesta for @nestaarcheronweek

Ember Quinlan the MVP of standing up for Nesta. Take notes Cassian.

[myfriendscallmeraba]

HoFaS spoilers

So you’re telling me that in another world

AELINS FREAKING BLOODLINE AND RHYSAND FREAKING BLOODLINE

mated

The two bloodlines that gave the universe two of the most powerful beings run years and years gave us Ruhn and Lidia AND THEYRE MATES

Daaaaaaamn I do not know how to process

Tho I do wanna comment that it fees like al the fanfics and head canons of shipping the feysand and rowaelin kids😂

[cassianandfenrysaremyboyos]

Azriel running back to tell Rhys that Bryce stole Truth Teller

[gracieart]

“When we stop again… can you show me how that contraption works?” … “Trying to figure out what it does has been driving us all crazy.”

Genuinely cannot believe this was a canon scene. Had to go and draw this as soon as I read it.

[nocasdatsgay]

Have y’all notice that in canon, everyone who meets Nesta that isn’t tied to the IC likes her? Just me?

[blackholepenguin]

Azriel making requests of a Prythian orchestra to recreate the songs Bryce played him:

"It went *doof doof doof* *ttunz ttunz ttunz* and there was this ethereal sound like swelling strings but metallic. I need to hear it again."

[ladydeatharcheron]

The fact that executing Nesta was even a debate in hofas…

Inner circle, they could never make me like you.

[acomaflove]

Meanwhile, in the murky depths of some underground tunnels:

Wondering how Nesta kept a straight face honestly.

[sobaboyos]

When an Ithan Pov came up

[likethewillowfic]

“nesta had no right to give the mask to bryce.”

nesta went through extremely traumatic events, at rhysand and the inner circles request, to find the missing items of the trove. she was sexually assaulted, almost killed, and endlessly hunted down while in search of those items.

they are hers.

rhysand can get fucked.

[azrielshands]

This is so funny and iconic of Bryce

[theprettylightsinger]

I'm reading HOFAS and do y'all see that dismissal? Do you see the way amren talk to Nesta? LIKE SHE'S SOME COMMAN FUCKING LACKEY TO BE SUMMONED AND DISMISSED AT WILL?!?? THE DISRESPECT!

And then you wonder why Nesta Stan want her out of this shthole and out of the company of these dictators.

SJM has done a good job and beat Nesta into the perfect submissive "mate" because the Nesta I knew would never take the disrespect.

[offtorivendell]

Why I think Elain's book needs to be next, regardless of ships

Disclaimer: this is, of course, entirely my opinion, and people are free to think otherwise.

Spoilers: the entire Maasverse is discussed, beware.

I've spoken about this a few times, but never dedicated a post to the topic, so here goes. I'll try to keep it brief, but no promises lol. Please be kind in the comments/reblogs.

To provide a quick overview, the following are the main reasons why I believe Elain needs to star in ACOTAR 5, rather than waiting for the 6th (final?) book. I know that SJM has suggested that further ACOTAR books may be planned, I'm referring to the three novels that are most likely to follow the "Koschei" plot, and not whatever happens afterwards.

A chance to become proficient in her powers before events escalate in the final book

Elain needs to make a mistake

True choice in her romance

The mating bond

The crossover

A chance to become proficient in her powers before events escalate in the final book

Aelin, Feyre, Nesta and Bryce have all had the chance to hone their respective skills before the events in each series came to a head. Aelin in Mistward (and beyond), with Rowan; Feyre trained with Rhys and Cassian; Nesta trained a little with Amren, and then more with Cassian when the Valkyries were reformed in ACOSF (we know they need to keep training as a unit, but the foundations have been laid for this, and the rest could, imo, happen in the background of ACOTAR 5); even Bryce trained with Cormac and Hunt in HOSAB, to learn how to harness their associated powers.

If Elain isn't afforded this opportunity, she will be much less able to work through any of the expected quirks in her powers before her proficiency in them really matters. I suspect she's relied on luck and rage so far, but that will likely only get her so far. Because...

Elain needs to make a mistake

Following on from my first point, each protagonist has - in the course of her training - made some sort of mistake. Aelin couldn't harness her Fae powers until she learnt to shift into her Fae body; she also made plenty of tactical errors throughout the books, notably the end of EOS, though she thankfully came through unscathed. Feyre and Amren almost died in the Summer Court retrieving the Fae half of the Book of Breathings, and she made yet another mistake in Hybern, when she joined the two halves together. Nesta erred in the Prison, when she underestimated the Harp and almost lost Cassian to Lanthys, and she barely survived the Bog of Oorid. And Bryce? There were multiple errors made, such as the events that led her to Prythian.

To clarify, I am not criticising any of these characters for having made these mistakes, because we all have to learn and start somewhere. Rather, I'm saying that if SJM follows this pattern, Elain needs to make a decently sizable mistake in book 5 - will she accidentally set Something or Someone free, if those of us who think she has the ability to traverse the murky realm, or unchain the land are correct? This would set the stage for ACOTAR 6, complete with drastically raised stakes.

True choice in her romance

I know people disagree with this take, but for me, there is no true choice for Elain if there is only one option available to her. This wouldn't be such a big deal if she hadn't shown such displeasure at the existence of her mating bond with Lucien, but seeing as she has - and also considering the "hurt and confusion" that she experienced at Solstice, I would be so disappointed to see Azriel move on first and get his HEA while Elain is left upset. This is not a critique of his character, but I would find it very difficult to believe that she wasn't settling for Lucien if he is the only love interest left to pick.

Aelin chose between Chaol and Rowan, Feyre between Tamlin and Rhys, Nesta between Eris and Cassian, and Bryce between Cormac and Hunt. I - like many others - think the love triangle that we should be focusing on is the one that centres Elain, not Azriel. Will she choose Lucien or Az? We all have our own thoughts, but again, it's only a true choice if there is more than one option.

The mating bond

Picture this: it's 2026 (we hope), we have just finished reading ACOTAR 5, and Elain and Lucien still haven't acted on their mating bond, either way. The hatred that Elain receives now, for simply making her apparent disinterest obvious, or taking the time to decide what she wants (whatever the reason), will get a thousand times worse. I don't want to be around for it, it's bad enough now.

The crossover

I haven't spoken about this before, because when I originally discussed what I've mentioned above in reblogs or on Reddit, the crossover didn't yet exist. But to me, it also plays a part in why I think Elain needs to be a protagonist in ACOTAR 5, and not 6.

The fandom loves to laugh - and I get it, we all expected the Prythian crossover in HOFAS to be more extensive than it was - but many Elriels, myself included, read "roses and bread" at the end of HOSAB and immediately thought of Elain, who has been tied to both roses/gardening and baking bread, and for whose story the phrase "bread and roses" could hold significance, as @psychologynerd has suggested. Obviously, it didn't amount to anything obvious in HOFAS, because SJM appears to have focused on Bryce's underground adventure with Nesta and Azriel in the end, rather than having Bryce spend any time at all in Velaris, but for all of that, I don't think our theories have been proven wrong. They're just in their "watch this space" era.

One of the issues that my fellow Elriels and I discussed before HOFAS came out was that, while many of us have noted how well-suited Elain's powers appear to be for intergalactic travel, be that mentally/spiritually, or even physically (her sisters, too, I think, but this post is focusing on Elain), we didn't think SJM would want to spoil the reveal in a POV that wasn't her own. In the end, we ended up with a lot of Elain-shaped gaps in the plot.

So, knowing that SJM has said that the next book after ACOTAR 5 will likely be revisiting an existing world - many of us think Erilea - and knowing that the precedent has been set for worldwalking, wouldn't it be ridiculous to see Feyre and/or Nesta visit Erilea, but not Elain? They're almost certainly more powerful together, three links like an Archesian amulet. We need to know about Elain's magics simply so such a powerful character - a Cauldron Made Seer who is hinted to have other strengths as well - can be utilised.

It would be such a waste otherwise. Think what you like about Elain personally, but kingdoms would kill for someone with her (hypothetical) skill set.

Anyway, thanks for reading, and once again - if you choose to interact with this post, please remain kind and respectful. 💜

[cassianandfenrysaremyboyos]

Laughing at Az just more and more agressively clearing his throat as Nesta talks about (aka trolls) Rhys lmao

[livinforthetea]

By giving Bryce the mask, Nesta has already proven that she would make a much better ruler than Rhysand ever could - and maybe this is WHAT MAKES RHYSAND AND CASSIAN SO MAD IN HOFAS. Nesta barely knows Bryce and she doesn’t know any of the millions of beings on Midgard but she believes in fighting to protect innocent people, Rhysand only believes in fighting to protect his family. If that in itself wasn’t a very problematic trait for a ruler to have, it’s even worse considering who exactly Rhysand family is. 

Looking back at what happened when Amarantha trapped everyone UTM, Rhysand uses his powers to shield Velaris, and only Velaris, and let’s be real here, he does it because he really just wants to make sure to protect 4 people. The thing is though, these 4 people are actually supposed to be 4 of the most dangerous (according to what the other courts believe) and strongest people in Prythian. Rhysand would rather lets millions die than risk his all powerful mate, who has the power of all of the High Lords from having to lift a finger, he would be fine with families being wiped out so that the strongest Illyrian in the history of Prythian, since Enalius, who is a general and leads armies, trained to fight wars, doesn’t have to fight. He would be fine with children being slaughtered by the Asteri in another world so that his cousin, who is supposed to have the power of truth and who he would send into a battle once everyone else has fallen which implies she has some kind of ultimate power, doesn’t have to do anything. 

He, himself, is supposed to be the strongest High Lord in the history of their world, he can infiltrate minds, mist people at will, turn into a great beast and shred people apart and he would rather sit back and see an entire world destroyed than risk his family being in any danger. 

Imagine if you will that Tony Stark decided to let Thanos do his thing, as long as it kept the rest of the Avengers from suffering any damage. That is pretty much the way that Rhysand thinks. 

Meanwhile, Nesta, even as just a human woman was advocating, begging and demanding for the protection of the innocent humans below the wall. She was willing to give up the mask, knowing that yes she was putting her world at risk, but understanding that when risk came, they would do everything in their power to fight it and perhaps had faith in the people around hers power to do so. 

I don’t care how much you love Rhysand, or how much you hate Nesta…..but you have to have the rationality to understand this and realize that Rhysand is a bad ruler and whether Nesta wants to rule or not (and I firmly believe she DOES NOT), she’s already shown she would do a much better job than him. Maybe the Inner Circle actually knows this deep down and they are pissed that she is bringing it to light. 

[rainingriversofyou]

CC3 - HOUSE OF FLAME AND SHADOW - INDIE EXCLUSIVE BONUS CHAPTER - BRYCE & DANIKA - PART 1

LIGHT IT UP ❤️‍🔥

Art by Petit Kitsune