#i love gwyneth berdara

[liilasstuff]

absolutely obsessed with samantha cormier as gwyn

like ma’am this is literally gwyneth berdara

[animezinglife]

Azriel: I can't go back to the training ring. Cassian: Why? What happened? Azriel: I meant to say hi to Gwyn but her hair looked beautiful. I ended up saying "Hair." Cassian:

[gwynniethenymph]

I'm posting a lot about Gwyn lately but...

Why did it become common sense that this girl is hyperactive?

I mean, we could see in ACOSF that she is a little bit... energetic, but every few days I see someone picturing her like:

And it's absolutely accurate.

My girl is up early in the morning for service (faithful queen (and I'm not even religious)) and then training, spends the whole afternoon working for Merrill (who has that whole "I want you to do all my work while I laugh at you" boss vibe), then goes to service again AND THEN she's like "well, I'm going to train at night as well, just because."

Honestly, Gwyn my love, are you alright?

[helenofspartaa]

Valkyries// i am the rock against which the surf crashes. nothing can break me

valkyries moodboard: including pegasus, daggers to slay your enemies with and sellyn drake books

(all photos found on Pinterest)

[valkyriegirlie]

the first time I read the scene in acosf when our valkyrie girls open up to one another and explain how important finishing the rite is to them it genuinely shattered me. as a person that’s been as broken as the three of them, I needed community & radical healing like that. I cried for them & with them. on my second read, I cried even more knowing what was to come, what happens on their way up the peak. the dire need to face things together, to do this together. discovering that some things are more important than fear!!!!! there are many flaws in the narrative & character choices of acosf, but this storyline with these women lifting each other up and accepting their wounds & persevering singlehandely makes this the best book of the series in my opinion.

valkyrie girls, they could never make me hate you. Nesta Archeron they could never make me hate you. Gwyn no one will ever love you more than me. Emerie no one will understand you like I do.

[illbdamned]

Azzy boy is so dear to me, even though I'm a bit frustrated with him right now (Azriel, please keep my ginger king's name out of your mouth).

But still, it broke my heart to read what he thought of himself in the first part of his bonus chapter.

IMO, no one, no living organism in the universe and beyond should feel that much self-loathing around someone they love. I mean, you can be anxious or stressed or even self-conscious, but not whatever he felt.

And then Miss Gwyneth "Sasha Fierce" Ribbona Berdara enters, and we and his shadows know how that went down 🥰. It wasn't romantic or sexual, but not once did it "feel wrong".

[sad-scarred-sassy]

Genuine question but if elain and azriel weren’t going to have some romantic relationship, why did SJM even write that first half of the bonus chapter? Elucien are already mates, she could’ve written a scene with them or not mentioned azriel and elain at all.

I’m not saying that gwynriel half of the bonus chapter was meaningless, they DID have good banter and the language used was eyebrow-raising at the very least, like something is def hinted there but I’m just confused about it. Like if she’s going in gwynriel direction, she could’ve JUST written the second half of the scene. We didn’t even KNOW elain and azriel were interacting before. Like why write a scene with Az + elain and then wreck them in the same chapter?

It’s so weird?? It could’ve easily been a set up for elucien and gwynriel but now it looks more like she was setting up for a love triangle between Az Gwyn and Elain.

I don’t know what to make of this 🤷🏻‍♀️ it just felt unnecessary lol bc if the next book IS azriel, I really don’t think she is going to have him move on from Mor to Elain, then Elain to Gwyn over the course of one chapter that didn’t even make it in the book?

It makes me so annoyed to think about that stupid BC. She should’ve never released it bc whether it’s gwynriel or elriel, that bonus chapter doesn’t make sense.

Like yeah yeah, we see how toxic elriel could’ve been and we see how they would never work - but like… tbh I didn’t think anything was happening between elain and azriel UNTIL the bonus chapter. I literally read that and was like HUH when did they—??? And then he was like “this was a mistake” and they went their separate ways and he ended the chapter with Gwyn. If SJM is going for Gwynriel endgame, it would’ve been so much better if she just didn’t even include the first part of the bonus chapter?? And vice versa.

If she hadn’t written the first part, I wouldn’t think elriel was a thing. If she hadn’t written the second part I wouldn’t think gwynriel was a thing.

I don’t think she did it just for drama either so I literally dunno what purpose it serves.

Hey!! That’s a great question, let me dive into it…

I think the bonus chapter has three parts, one with Elain, one with Rhys, one with Gwyn, not only to cement Gwynriel but also to give an end to Elriel. This also while deep diving into Azriel’s thoughts and motivations.

I for one, never really considered Elriel as strongly as their shippers do, but I could tell there was something going on there, in Acowar we got some winks at Elain being comfortable with Azriel (even if kind of in a childish, innocent way) and in Acofas we got the beginning of them acting awkward with eachother, Elain showing Azriel her plans etc, I remember thinking it was at best cute and Elain obviously had a crush on Az (but he was still pretty much still hung up with Mor and she was still mourning her fiance). When I read the BC I was so shocked and uncomfortable with Azriel’s purely sexual thoughts about Elain, it was deliberate, to show the reader Azriel is probably confusing lust with romantic feelings. That’s I think why you say the BC was the first time you saw them as a couple, but this shock to me was more in the way Azriel himself actually viewed Elain, until then we all at least agreed it was in a more tender way, and this was absolutely crushed with his pov (and we actually see this tenderness in the way he thinks about Gwyn instead).

Now to your main question: Why add Elain in his chapter? And to that we first need to answer why SJM wrote Elriel at all.

As an Elucien I can’t come here and say Elriel never existed because it did, but the reason SJM wrote it is not to lead them as endgame, but to add layers and tension to these characters. Firstly, Elriel for me was there to add some will-they-won’t-they to Elucien’s mating bond. Look, with no other couple did we have a mating bond snapped and proclaimed even before the two characters even spoke to each-other. This the first time we have this scenario, and things need to go one way for the tension to be there.

If Elain was just mourning Graysen (which relationship was ended in the same book Elucien gained traction) then it would have been too given that they would inevitably find their way to eachother. So she adds Azriel to the mix, who at that point had only ever been interested in Mor for 500 years, with absolutely zero possibility of her ever mirroring his interest. It just makes sense for his character to also find that fixation on Elain, another unattainable female. This was another way Azriel continued his self sabotage behavior, and so we had the first real stepping stone into what his character arc will be when he gets his book.

But we can agree Elriel started (to act as a red herring for Elucien, add character tension, give Az an arc), gained traction in Acofas, and when Sarah introduced us to Gwyn and had the realization she was perfect for Azriel, she had to close the Elriel thread. So here comes the BC.

As readers we needed to see with our own eyes why exactly these two characters weren’t good together, just like she did this with Tamlin in a more dramatic way before Feyre could see Rhys in a romantic way, Sarah gave us all the clues in the way Azriel thought about Elain hyper sexually, how he called their encounter a mistake, how he focused too much in her mating bond, even in ACOSF we got winks of him limiting Elain when she clearly wanted to help, because she should not be exposed to darkness. Then comes Rhys, asking Azriel the questions we as readers were asking him: what about Mor? No answer. Do you think you deserve Elain? Diverting the answer to say Lucien doesn’t (showing us his possible insecurity towards him). And then we have the Gwyn part, in which we see Azriel’s character actually shine, even if he still can’t see this is actually the way, not the doomed self sabotage relationship he was entertaining with Elain.

The thing is it IS a set up for Elucien and Gwynriel:

Elucien: Lucien was there in the same house when the almost kiss happened, this is a calculated thing, the chapter could have happened a day after and it would have worked perfectly, but no, Lucien was there too. Something tells me Lucien knows what transpired, he probably could feel it, hear it, smell it or at least have some perception of it. And this just adds more angst to what Elain and him are going to go through.

Gwynriel: the obvious banter, exact opposite of Azriel’s and Elain’s interaction (for the better), and the hints of their potential mating bond.

To sum it up, Elriel was a thing before the bonus chapter, thats for sure, but Sarah needed to end it before she could continue, however small and insignificant their relationship actually was. And I don’t agree that this set up a love triangle between Elain/Az/Gwyn, when Azriel said “this was a mistake” Sarah ended any possibility of that, Elain gave him back the necklace she was at first eager to receive, Lucien was there and probably knows something happened, Azriel thought he had been right to stay away, and it ended with him thinking about Gwyn’s glowing eyes and smiling about her.

I hope this answers your question, I actually think the bonus chapter was masterfully written to tell us everything we need to know about what was actually happening inside Azriels head, and give us a hint of his future and the future of the other characters.

If she hadn’t written the first part, then we could’ve never gotten those rich pieces of information into Azriel’s trauma, red flags, jealousy and thought process that will play a part in his own book (because they’re far from resolved). By having both we could see how Elain brings up the worse in him, while Gwyn calms the restlessness inside of him instantly.

[venusin-aries]

SJM made Gwyn so likable and so damn hard to hate that it has people reaching to astronomical lengths to make her villainous or -insignificant to the rest of the series- and I think that is. Fucking. Hilarious. 

Like she KNEW people were going to hate Gwyn so she decided to make it as difficult as possible and I think that is Iconic Behavior. 

I am going to laugh when Gwyn is revealed to be everything she’s projected herself to be. Which is, so far,

Kind and sweet. 

Feisty. 

Brave. 

Smart as all fucking hell. 

Charmingly irreverent. 

As beautiful as Mor and Merrill. 

A talented singer. 

Strategic and observant. 

Loyal. She’s such a good fucking friend, we should ALL be more like Gwyn. 

Resilient. 

Adaptable. 

I could go on and on.  

When Gwyn is revealed to be a good person, no matter if she’s a lightsinger or some other miscellaneous creature, and she doesn’t have to ~lure~ anyone or force someone to do something against their will (which is a really weird thing to accuse an SA victim of, call me sensitive or whatever, I don’t care she’s not real, I find it weird and gross and oddly telling of the people who came up with that theory) and her friends still adore her, I am going to laugh. my. fucking. ass off. 

Full offense, I think just having a glimpse into Gwyn’s recovery, her being willing to sacrifice herself to protect the kids, BECAUSE SHE VERY MUCH WAS READY TO DIE FOR THEM, what was going through her mind when she refused to tell the general where they went, how she feels about losing her sister in such a brutal way BECAUSE she refused to tell him, the attack that followed, her nightmares, the guilt she carries, and the aftermath of the blood rite from her point of view would be so much more interesting than anything Elriel as a whole has got going on right now. I would read an entire book about just HER.

I find her so admirable and I find it so odd people dislike her because there’s a chance her and Azriel will end up together. 

I genuinely laugh when I see how odd some takes are and how angry people get about her.

Go listen to some synth music. Go on what I call a Final Girl walk and breathe some fresh air. You’ll be okay if or when your ship does not end up together. 

[sonics-atelier]

Threads of the Heart: Gwyn's Tapestry of Love

For @gwynweekofficial Day 1 : Friends and Family

In Gwyn's world, threads intertwine,

With bonds of love that brightly shine.

Her tapestry of life, so fair,

Woven with care, beyond compare.

Catrin's laughter, a melody sweet,

In childhood days where hearts would meet.

Sisters by blood, but more by soul,

Together they made each other whole.

Nesta and Emerie, where they belong.

Then came the Valkyries, fierce and strong,

In battles fought and trials endured,

Their sisterhood grew, deep and assured.

With Nesta's strength and fiery grace,

And Emerie's courage, no fear to face.

Gwyn found in them a sacred kin,

A sisterhood that burned within.

Each thread a story, each knot a bond,

Of moments shared and times beyond.

In Gwyn's world, these gems so bright,

Illuminate her darkest night.

For in the heart where love resides,

No distance vast, no time divides.

Her cherished ones, both past and near,

Remain with her, forever dear.

Gwyn's tapestry, a work of art,

Woven with threads of the truest heart.

In every fiber, love is spun,

A testament to connections won.

So let us honor, let us cheer,

These bonds of Gwyn that we hold dear.

For in her world, so rich, so grand,

Her cherished ones forever stand.

- @sonics-atelier 2024 ( do not repost or reuse in any way shape or form, I will decapitate you )

[mycadences]

I am the rock against which the surf crashes.

Nothing can break me.

“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.”

Carynthian.

Valkyrie.

Priestess.

[shadowqueenjude]

Do you ever have characters where you're like...I totally love this character...but the fandom loves them too and they have a group of vehement supporters so you don't feel the need to discuss them at all? And you root for these marginalized characters that somehow get loads of hate and you become more fond of them because somehow so few others are?

[liilasstuff]

gwyn lightsinger agenda is so funny to me bc wdym your only explanation for batboy number 3 shadows being enchanted and curious about cutie pookie patootie is that she’s an evil flesh eating monster ? ��😭

🎨art by @/mftfernandez on ig

[dimalry]

@gwynrielweeksofficial Day 7: Aesthetics

Do NOT repost without credit!

IG: dimaalry

[gwynniethenymph]

I don't know why but

Gwyneth Berdara is Van Gogh coded.

that's all I have to say.

[helenofspartaa]

Nesta with anyone else: Nesta with Gwyn:

[fendyr]

i'm ngl gwyn is rly carrying the gwynriel ship for me. like idgaf about az outside of this relationship - and he has even become more tolerable (for ME) ever since gwyn showed up. like she is already bringing out the best in his personality when they've known each other for just one book. and hey, i'm absolutely here for my feelings towards az to lean more and more positively as this relationship develops !