#tog theories

[manonblaqkbeak]

Does anyone else remember how people theorised that Fenrys was actually Feyre and Rhysand's son after Empire of Storms because his name is essentially a mash up of feysands name and how he can winnow and how no one knows where it comes from so that must have meant that he somehow got stuck in the ToG world???

Or is it just me lol

[local-writer]

So, who all here plays tower of god new world? Idk much about the game other then the snippets of lore I've seen (bc I don't have the proper device to play it cries), but if there is something to be spoiled then be cautious! There will be spoilers in this post for the game, and minor spoilers for the webtoon if you squint.

So, let's start with this bit of lore from new world

Now, I'm not sure if this is 100% true, but if it IS, then omg do I have this wild theory. What I get from this is that the residents of the tower (regulars) are the ones being referred to as the small humans, and the big humans being the irregulars.

So what if Jahad, the family leaders, Arlene and V were sent inside? Like, it wasn't just about the adventure, they came in to tear the place down from the inside for their goddess.

But I also have a theory that the tower corrupts people, and that's why Jahad decided to lock the higher floors. Or in other words, no longer carry out their given mission. Originally I had wondered if there was something malicious on the higher floors and that's why Jahad had locked them, to keep this entity sealed away. But now I'm having second thoughts.

Honestly, this is such a big lore bomb and I REALLY hope it's true because that would make the story of tog so much more interesting.

Now, next I wanna talk about Rachel. Credit goes to Dr. Bonehead on youtube for this theory, I'm only sharing my thoughts on this. Let me know if y'all want a link to the video if you wanna watch.

The possibility that Rachel was from the outside of the tower didn't really cross my mind, but now, I can see it being possible. How would she know about the stars, or what life is like on the outside? Of course there's the possibility that she's heard stories from someone (possibly Arlene), but what if it's because she once lived outside? It would explain why she wants out of the tower so badly, because she just wants to go home. I've been coming around since getting back into the tog lore, but this theory is what finally made me crack and gain a soft spot for Rachel.

I also really like the idea of Rachel being Arlene's maid or someone that assisted her, because we still don't know why or how Rachel knows about Arlene, so this is a theory that has been stuck with me since watching that video.

What if Arlene really did force Rachel to look after Bam? I mean, Rachel clearly did not want that, so I can see that being a possibility.

Tower of god is just so interesting and I love the theories about the lore, so don't be afraid to share your thoughts with me!

I hope siu will start focusing on more interesting things after the marriage (*cough* harem *cough*) arc is over, like Jahad and the family leaders for example. I'm so interested in them and what they were like back then and what they're like now! I also really wanna see Khun Eduan 😭

Anyways, until next time ✌️

[the-shadowsingers-whore]

"she [merrill] was obsessed with theories regarding the existence of different realms--different worlds. living on top of each other without even knowing it. . . . if it might be possible for worlds to overlap, occupying the same space but separated by time and a whole bunch of other things i can't even begin to explain to you because i barely understand them myself."

"some philosophers believe there are eleven worlds like that. and some believe there as as many as twenty-six." acosf p. 154

TWENTY SIX???

now, it's been well over 2 years since i read throne of glass so i do not remember how many worlds (or if the number is even mentioned) aelin falls through in koa (so if you've read koa recently please reblog/comment and let me know cuz it's going to bother me).

regardless eleven is already crazy, but twenty six would be insane.

[phatburd]

A Booker headcanon.

Okay, Francophones, tell me I'm wrong, but as I understand it the Marseille regional accent features exaggerated rounded vowels, and is often used for comedic effect in French entertainment.

Being an Anglophone with auditory issues, it's hard for me to pick out the difference. The equivalent English accents I can think of that feature exaggerated rounded vowels, however, is a New York accent.

Thus, Booker sounds like the equivalent of being from somewhere like Staten Island or something to Francophones.

I'm never going to unhear that in my head.

[acourtofquestions]

Current Theory (reading HoF for the 1st time now):

Wherever Kaltain was taken to, whatever leeching of magic he’s (the King) doing, the spelled rings, monsters he’s drawing/summoning, etc. The King IS the reason why; it’s his skin walkers, poisoned sheep, dark blooded men with the witches, victims in the fae woods, and captain Rolfe mystery islands.

[randomfortheday]

Guyyysss, guess what, what if TOG is a retelling of Anastasia. I mean think about it, a great family that rules a kingdom fairly is hunted down and the only survivor is a young girl who survives but everyone thinks she is dead. The young girl forgets about her life and leads a normal life in which she has to survive and goes by a new name.

What do you think??

[a-frog-with-a-laptop]

Ok so like major acotar and tog spoilers under the cut but

We know that Aelin fell through the worlds on starfall and she was that red star that “was a bad omen”. What if starfall are people who travel in between worlds and that the only reason they are seen is because the space between the worlds are thinner and less people were travelling because Aelin closed the gates?

I just randomly had this thought and i thought others should know about it.

[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. 💜

[maybeiwasjustjade]

My favorite running theory on Nesta’s endgame (plot-wise, not romantically; though if you asked me, she’ll forever deserve better than the bat dog) is that when she went into the Cauldron, she unwittingly came out as the High Lady of Dusk aka Theia’s true heir. Nesta’s stolen power made her immensely powerful, even more so than a High Lord. With it gone, and the Mother’s interference, I think whatever’s left is just the Dusk Lady’s magic.

Something I’ve seen often brought up is Nesta’s magic manifesting as cold silver flames. Which, anyone who has read ToG knows is very similar to Aelin’s description of Deanna’s moonfire. Coupled with Bryce’s own starborn powers manifesting as white/silver light, it’s not out of the realm of possibilities that Nesta’s magic is Dusk’s trueform.

“The age of the starborn is over on Midgard.” That’s what Bryce told Nesta when she handed over Gwydion to Nesta, and told her to figure out what her tattoo meant. Between the eight-pointed star tattoo and her connection to the Prison Island…all of it points towards the still-missing Dusk Court. And we know that Theia’s bloodline favored the females instead of the males (which is why I heavily doubt that Rhysand is the heir to dusk as many (IC stans) believe).

Then there’s also the theory that Nesta actually is a witch from her nameless mother’s bloodline. In ToG, the witches were a matrilineal kingdom so it actually fits alongside the theory about Dusk. And since it’s mostly been accepted that ToG existed long before Prythian, my theory is that the Prythian witches descended from the Crochan-Ironteeth some thousand years ago. But that may just be wishful thinking lmao.

My favorite theory though? That based on the location of each court on the map, and dusk coming before night in the solar cycle, so chances are Dusk and Night’s actual locations reflect Summer and Autumn aka split down the middle. The Prison Island sits on the western edge of Night. I don’t believe that Dusk was just that tiny island—if it was, they wouldn’t have made it a point to mention that Rhysand may be descended from Theia. No, I think Dusk was integrated into Night territory, and the island turned into a prison.

But if the location is right, and Dusk holds the entire western bank? Then it includes Velaris, too. The look on the Inner Circle’s faces (sans Azriel I think, who’s probably also Dusk-born) when they find out that Velaris by rights now belong to Nesta (as HL) would be absolutely hilarious. Rhysand might actually die from an aneurysm. Do I think she’ll take it from him? Probably not, but she sure as hell gonna be goddamn petty about it.

[merymoonbeam]

The Mother

This is a crack theory.

So I was finding some parallel between tog and acotar

Lets try it this way. Tog first in some bullet points.

Mala is a fire/sun goddess who turned corporeal to be with her mate Brannon

Mala then give brannon the Fire powers

Valg is the enemy

Brannon and Mala and Elena "defeat" them but not really...they are only trapped not fully killed

Years pass...valgs are back.

Aelin has Brannon's(Mala's fire) so she can defeat them

Aelin and Rowan are mates but Maeve(valg) traps them in a fake bond (given to another)

They defeat the Valg this time.

Now acotar

We have Fionn and Theia both with powers...theia even more so with her starborn powers

Asteri(Daglan) is the enemy

Fionn and Theia defeat the daglan(but not really) one of them is under prison like erewan and his general(?) was in tog

Fionn's daughter silene gets back and puts thing into motion for the "heir" aka bryce

Years pass...asteri is in another world and is back

Bryce has "theia's light" and Rhys is also starbon

Elriel "given to another" parallel

Defeat...remains to be seen for acotar.

Now why did I write all this? It cant be denied that there is just TOO MUCH connection. But one missing piece imo...Brannon and Fionn.

While Brannon got his powers from Mala(the goddess) we dont know where Fionn got his(we only know he used gwydion which he dipped into the cauldron)

In this post I went over how Fionn possibly has shadow powers. So it opens up the question...where those powers come from especially we dont know where Azriel's shadowsinger powers come from. It is a topic we havent gone over in acotar yet. We just know there are shadowsinger and it seems Fionn might have been one of them.

And in the same post I talked about how in myths Fionn has seer powers. And Cauldron gifted elain seer powers. so it is interesting say the least...aelin who is heir to Mala and Brannon...bryce and rhys both starbon...and now Fionn and elriel comnection????

Now...for the mother part.

This is the crack part of the theory. we know Brannon and Mala mated and for that Mala took a body giving up her goddess form.

What if the same happened for The mother as well? What if in some type in the past...The Mother had a body and sired people even? What if the archeron come from the mother's lineage...that's why they are important?

In tog both Dorian and Aelin come from Mala's lineage...even better (maybe Im reading too much into it) dorian's father king of adarlan...we didnt know his name until it became important. We dont know papa archeron's name...what if it is an important name? I will even thrown the biggest crackship name and say it is Fionn Archeron. 🤷🏻‍♀️ We knows...

Now back to mother again...while Fionn dipped Gwydion into the Cauldron, there were two people beside him. One is possibly theia as she helped him made tt and gwyndion. But we dont know who the third person is. what if it was THE MOTHER?

In acosf we learn that it was the high priestess Oleanna who dipped gwyndion into Cauldron

“Yes,” Amren said. “Only the Great Powers could do that—Gwydion was given its powers when the High Priestess Oleanna dipped it into the Cauldron during its crafting.”

But in hofas we learn that it is Fionn and there are two other figures as I said.

Another shift of memory, and Fionn pulled a long blade from the Cauldron, dripping water. A black blade, whose dark metal absorbed any trace of light around it. Bryce’s knees weakened. The Starsword. Two other figures stood there, veiled in the thick snow, but Bryce hardly got a chance to wonder about them before Silene’s narration began anew. (Hofas)

So...what if in time in acotar history...the mother evolved into "high priestess" it is religion related. who knows? Maybe The mother had a corporeal body and was there helping Fionn and Theia??

[getfuckedblr]

i think a lot of you are using the word “theory” when what you really mean is “head cannon”. be brave. that thing can be true for you too if you simply write fanfiction

[violetasteracademic]

Hello!! I absolutely adore your posts and how well you've researched and thought everything out. I am curious what you think about Mor being Azriel's mate. I go back and forth on the question - it's a lot to tackle with Mor's sexuality and how mates are chosen etc. I feel like there's some language that could indicate they're mates, but I know it's not a popular theory in the Elriel bubble and ACOTAR fandom as a whole. It would also solve the question of "what would Azriel do if him and Elain aren't mates, but he found his mate later on?" Just curious if you have any thoughts on the matter. :)

Hello my love! First of all, I want to genuinely thank you for your kind words. I have quite a few days in this fandom where I wonder if I fit in here, but my deep enjoyment for writing theory posts and fanfics keeps me going! You caught me on a day I was sort of in my feels about it, so it was really lovely to see a kind word attached to the ask!

I am 100% a Morrigan and Azriel are Cauldron breeding mates just like L/ucien and Elain truther, and I have soooo much to get into about it and am bringing my usual receipts. I'm pretty convinced that even if she ultimately opts not to go that direction, she for sure was thinking heavily about it.

This post is EXCEPTIONALLY long (as usual) because I think Morrigan is a character that receives unjust hate in every microcosm of the fandom and some things need to be noted, and I hope you all will give it a chance even if you dislike Mor or hate this theory!

It is important to remember that every character is in fact *not* a real person, but the author. And sometimes character flaws are not intentionally curated for arcs and development, but they are author flaws. I believe this is partly the case with Morrigan. I don't spend a lot of time critiquing SJM. This is not because she is above reproach, it's simply because there are plenty of people out there doing it and there are valid spaces for that. That being said, I cannot address the Morrigan situation without addressing the very real issue of SJM and her blind spots when it comes to representation. This is something that SJM and Bloomsbury have addressed and made necessary steps to improve:

Time article published January 30th 2024, found here.

SJM has fallen into a lot of bad tropes and stereotypes when it comes to her BIPOC and LGBTQ representation, to the point where she has hired sensitivity readers to ensure she does not continue to so do. This is a great thing, and personally I think sensitivity readers should be the bare minimum and the absolute norm and not solely employed in response to criticism. Alas, it is a new addition and her past mistakes live on.

Sexuality is a spectrum, and while some people might identify with the way SJM has represented it, she had a pattern that she did not break until recently: Tokenizing sexual representation as bi characters interested in having sex with all genders and orientations without experiencing emotional attraction outside of their preferred gender.

*TOG spoiler* The Aedion bi reveal in the second to last book served literally no purpose other than- look! More representation! He had no romantic or emotionally intimate experiences with men throughout the series, but very suddenly and randomly reveals he has sex with men. It is mentioned once, then never again, because he is pursuing a heterosexual relationship. That is a valid experience with sexuality but in the context of ToG it was a brow-raising and unearned attempt to throw in an extra queer character because she was being criticized. That's a hey you tried but maybe do better next time.

But then it happened again with Helion- freely having sex and experiencing physical attraction with both men and women but only suggestions of having fallen in love with a woman, and will likely only persue a hetero relationship.

Then it happened again with Morrigan (with a slightly flipped script), who only experiences love and romance with women but freely has sex with men. Now we see a *pattern* and at this point its like, mmkay, skill issue. Even if it does feel authentic and representative to *some* readers, it is also a reflection of the authors limitations exploring emotional intimacy with her bi characters and just treating them as wanting/willing to have sex with anyone while only like liking just boys or just girls.

I bring all of this up because I am going to bring in my usual methods of comparisons, themes, development, ect- but I am typically talking about things SJM did exceptionally well. When it comes to Morrigan, I don't necessarily think she has done things all that well. But the threads are still there, and my love for Morrigan and experience with her themes live beyond an irritating skill issue on the authors part. Lets get into it.

I've made quite a few posts about the usage of the mating bond as a plot device and the development of theme. The best one to catch up on if you'd like is probably this one here.

The biggest indicators to me that Morrigan is Azriel's corrupted Cauldron (aka breeding) mate are twofold: parallel behavior between Mor and Lucien as well as the development of Morrigan's theme of her value being tied to her breeding in ACOWAR alongside the introduction of the mating bond being nothing less than a tool for powerful breeding, also for the first time in ACOWAR.

With the confirmation that the Asteri corrupted the Cauldron, along with the conversation regarding the Asteri forcing mated pairs outside of sexual orientations and not caring (*HOSAB), SJM doubled down on all of this. The Asteri need powerful offspring. They will force queer women to mate with men to do it.

Spoiler alert: Celestina does *not* prefer males. And the Asteri do not care.

CC also, in my opinion, cemented the two-bond theory. The Mother Bond (also known as Urd or Wyrd) the true soul-mated pairs, and Breeding Bond- created at the behest of the Asteri.

With breeding bonds, you can experience a sense of ownership and possessiveness over someone you are not even remotely romantically interested in:

Both Mor and L/ucien go stiff during representations of their *alleged mates interacting romantically with someone else even when there is no attraction or emotional intimacy. For L/ucien, he doesn't even know Elain. He doesn't automatically assume they will even be together, because he wants to know more about her personality and decide if they are a good fit. Honestly? Super healthy and valid.

Morrigan is having her moment during ACOFAS. She is very much out as queer (again, with some confusion of whether or not she is bi due to a skill issue on the author's end, but 100% confirmed to not be romantically interested in men) so why is she going tense at the sight of Azriel acting like a BDE husband to Elain? The unjustified and unsympathetic take (imo) is that she is being weird and jealous and wants Azriel's attention even though she doesn't want him. This makes no sense. She has actually only ever acted positively towards Elain, and before this dinner mused on Azriel giving Elain truth-teller without a shred of jealousy. But then to see them together, even though she does not want Azriel and only wishes for his happiness, she tenses, then recovers quickly. To me, both of these moments indicate a jerk reaction to the breeding bond at work.

There is also this idea of feel a pull to explore their *alleged mate just once:

L/ucien actually has already seen Elain, and although he had some immediate instinctive reactions, it didn't leave him immediately feeling like this was the woman he was supposed to be with. Alternatively, Morrigan deeply loves Azriel, just not in that way. She loves him so much that sometimes she wonders if she should try, just once, just to know for sure, even though she is not capable of falling in love with men. Both of these scenes are from ACOWAR, and tie into the way mating bonds are finally described, and how most mates feel like they should try:

Even though neither Mor or L/ucien experience romantic feelings for their mates, they feel a pull to try. They think about giving things a chance just to be sure. This is not something any of our other mates have experienced.

This passage also leads me to another important note- which is the severity of mating bond rejections. Again, all of this is in ACOWAR and thematically connects. Both Elain and Mor have very good reason to be afraid of a mating bond rejection. It can drive a male mad and make them go violently insane. We can criticize both women all day long about how they should just reject their mates and have the conversation so everyone can move on, but when this is what is on the table for them? A man possibly killing because of the power of the mating bond? That is no joke.

The only reason Morrigan slept with Helion is because she was sick and terrified over Azriel handing Eris his ass because he called her a slut. Mor has already seen Azriel act in an uncontrolled and violent manner that could not easily be stopped on her behalf. If she is afraid of what a mating bond rejection will do to Azriel, the depth and complexity of her decision, and her behavior to try to distance and avoid the conversation is a lot more sympathetic. I also believe that Morrigan, Azriel, and Elain will be doing some work together in Vallahan, and the issue of the Cauldron being wrong for both Azriel and Elain will resolve during that storyline. You can read more about that here.

And then of course, there is this:

Rhys only brings up Mor when Azriel brings up the Cauldron. That feels extremely intentional to me. I think Rhys either knows or assumes that Azriel and Mor have a mating bond. I think both Az and Mor know (I also think Azriel absolutely knows Mor is queer, and their weirdness and his constant confusion and staring at her has more to do with that than being in love with her, because he doesn't understand why she is sleeping with men at all.) Crack theory, but I think Eris knows. What happened between Mor and Eris isn't a secret, it was all revealed in ACOFAS. But I think somehow, for some reason, Eris is also aware of the mating bond between Az and Mor, which is why Morrigan gets so pissed when Eris needles her about not telling the whole truth. She isn't trying to hide what Eris did to make herself look better (he didn't do much, really, still left her to die even though he did her a solid by not accepting her as his wife) but he also knew that a Blood Duel could be called by Az over her.

Here's the thing: ACOWAR states that some courts allow men to kill each other over their mate choosing or having other partners. The bonus chapter clarifies that violence as the Blood Duel. I do not believe the Blood Duel can be called over anyone over any situation- it is specific to mates. I could be wrong, but it seems strange that Rhys would talk about outlawed violent practices that is not allowed in his court but is in others, and then we would see the Blood Duel brought up as the Autumn Court tradition, and not see them as one in the same:

Ultimately, all of these characters are grappling with their choices being affected by deeply held cultural beliefs about the mating bond.

If Azriel and Mor are breeding mates, she is struggling with genuine love for him but being unable to love him romantically. She thematically is dealing with hiding her sexuality because there is no greater dishonor to the culture of her family than a woman not being used for sale and breeding. If Azriel and Mor are mates, so much of her behavior and her themes and experiences make so much more sense. Rhysand's response to Azriel thinking the Cauldron was wrong when he has a mate in the Inner Circle whom he already loves makes more sense. Azriel knowing Mor is queer and not understanding why she sleeps with men but also not pushing her to have a conversation about their bond makes more sense.

Everything makes more sense if Az and Mor are mates.

If they are not, well, skill issue, I guess.

Either way, I truly hope Mor gets her HEA and SJM's employed sensitivity writers will help her do it justice.

How did we do? Did anyone stick with me on this one? Have I won you over? I can't wait to see what happens, however it pans out! And I'm grateful for the addition of sensitivity readers to Sarah's work. I hope she does her best to represent as well as she can!

[local-writer]

So I was rereading the hell train arc (well, only some parts, not all of it lmao) and I found something interesting.

If you aren't caught up with the webtoon, then click back now! There will be some spoilers for both season 2 and 3 of the webtoon!!

Since it's been so long since I last read the hell train arc, I've forgotten some things, so I completely forgot about most of the conversation between Bam and the god of guardians. So I was surprised when I saw this scene again;

NOW I KNOW WHO HE WAS TALKING ABOUT HERE. I mean, I'm sure it was obvious that he was talking about the great warriors here, but I'm kinda relearning about the lore and stuff since I've kinda forgotten a few things lol.

I went back to the episode where V finally got his face reveal AND I REDISCOVERED THIS;

So firstly, he knew what would happen if he gave this power to everyone in the tower. He either hoped for them to bring a good change to the tower, or he's evil just like everyone else.

AND SECONDLY, DO Y'ALL SEE THAT LAST PICTURE? WITH THE BLUE DEMON LOOKING THING?? I FORGOT ABOUT HIM BEING INSIDE OF BAM'S INNER SELF UNTIL I REREAD THE HELL TRAIN ARC. DO YOU THINK THIS WAS ORIGINALLY V'S INNER DEMON??? OR SOME EVIL BEING OF THE TOWER MAYBE?? SO MANY QUESTIONS.

It's like reading the webtoon and getting excited for the first time all over again lol.

[the-shadowsingers-whore]

the maas multiverse

just like basically everyone else, i am absolutely obsessed the sjm multiverse and literally everything about it.

i have read all of the sjm books so far and obviously formed more theories about connections and crossovers, etc. with every passing book. but, in my initial read-through i read acotar first, so the concept of the multiverse didn't even exist in my brain yet. so any references to it went right over my head.

but oh boy am i clocking them now.

so i figured i would just compile anything possibly multiverse related here so as i continue my re-read, i can reference back.

plus i'm going to start reading house of flame and shadow here soon (if it ever arrives in the mail) and i can't wait to learn all kinds of shit about the multiverse.

if any of y'all have found things that i didn't (you can check my about me post to see where i'm at in my re-read) or if you just have things to add please reblog, comment, or send me an ask! i love talking sjm!!

[silverlinedeyes]

The Fae at the Oasis and Timelines

This post is a long time coming…like since February 6 cc @wingedblooms lol, but for some reason I never got around to making it. Might as well make it now!

When I read HOFAS, I became convinced that the shifters in Midgard descend from the fae that Chaol and Yrene saw depicted at the tomb at the Oasis in Tower of Dawn (time stamped screenshot below for proof lol):

Here is how the fae that presumably came from Erilea are described in HOFAS when Bryce sees them in Silene’s vision:

“Tall, beautiful beings” from another world. Each capable of turning into an animal, with elongated canine teeth in their humanoid bodies.

Then we have what Chaol and Yrene see at the Oasis:

“Tall, broad-shouldered warriors” with pointed ears like the fae Bryce saw in the vision. Maybe I’m just being stupid thinking the “tall” description matters, but it just stood out to me and Sarah harkening back to this scene on purpose, and giving us a clue this is who those fae are.

We also know that the fae were at the Oasis during the first demon war, before Elena and Gavin were born:

According to this, the fae depicted at the Oasis settled there during the First War, before Elena and Gavin, and before Terrasen.

I know there has been a lot of talk about how ToG might be on another timeline from Crescent City and ACOTAR, and the events of ToG took place 15,000 years before the events of SJM’s two other series.

I think this disproves that. While it’s certainly possible ToG isn’t on the same exact timeline and might have occurred at some point before the events of CC and ACOTAR, I think that’s unlikely. Not only because Aelin sees Rhys and Feyre when she’s falling through worlds, which suggests she’s on the same timeline as them (unless she fell through space AND time), but also it would be odd for SJM to write two of her series on the same timeline and then the other 15,000 years beforehand so that story can never actually crossover with the other. (As I noted back in February:

Either way, I think the fae depicted at the Oasis lived 15,000 years before the events of ToG. We know Elena and Gavin fought Erawan 1,000 years before the events of ToG, and at that time, Brannon was decades from the fading. Which means he must have been alive for thousands of years at that point. We also know from KoA that the Western Gate of Orynth has stood there “thousands of years” and not been breached. So the fae came to the Oasis before that, since they came to the Oasis before Terrasen exists.

I think all of this together means that the shifters from Midgard came from the Southern Continent thousands and thousands of years before the events of ToG, but likely 15,000 years before the events of ToG.

And finally, I think the Under-King in CC was one of the Valg during the first demon war who snuck through the rift with the fae from the Southern Continent:

Maybe the Under-King was a valg spider, or a Valg soldier. But I think he was certainly a Valg who snuck through the Rift and began working for the Asteri when he got to Midgard.

I’m really excited to eventually see what SJM does with all of this and how she connects it, and I’m excited to see how she uses this to bring us back to the ToG world and tie it completely into the crossover as I know @wingedblooms and many others think will happen.

[acourtofquestions]

The fact we changed from “My name is Celaena Sardothien and I will not be afraid.” to “Once upon a time, in a land long since burned to ash, there lived a young princess who loved her kingdom… very much.”

Because she is no longer Celaena Sardothien, nor does she live in fear of being afraid. She is done running, done with that mask that isn’t hers, because it doesn’t hold any comfort anymore. The only comfort she has is in who she really is; and that is no longer terrifying to her.

While both remind her who she is, remind her why; why she is here, why she will not break, why she is still fighting.

The first reminds her of what she had loved and lost. Of loving words that carry on, (of why she carries on) but that is all. All Celaena had was remnants; of someone, something… even herself.

The second, however, is something else; while it is still a dream, it is real… even among nightmares. It lives in her past, yes, but it is also the present, and any future. It is terribly beautifully true. And it is more; more than grief, and memory. Carrying on, finding ways to exist, survive. More than a dream, or words… even more than she is.

Because Aelin has something Celaena never did. Yes, she has a cause to fight for. She has her strength, her power, and rage; vendettas for things she could focus a fight to defeat; and a still terribly looming fate. The queen has a kingdom she adores. She has many things, she is many things… even Celaena still. But that’s not what I’m talking about, no, mostly, it’s that she has friends. A family. A Prince. She has a life not just an existence, a love with a beating heart, something worth dying and living for. And even if it is all gone to ash (“even when this world is a forgotten whisper of dust between the stars”) that is still hers; not a mask, not a facade, but something real.

In accepting who she is… there is the terrible truth of accepting that she is very much afraid (the fact Fenrys even felt the need to make the word “liar” in their code; because she is not alright, he knows, she knows, we “the reader” know… it’s more so the way we ask “how are you?” as a greeting. Sometimes even in terrible places like a funeral; when we know damn well that no-one there is really “good” or “alright”, but it’s the way we say “hello” and “I want you to be okay” and “are you at least surviving this”). It is being terrified of her acceptance in the first place, because part of being Aelin is the price it holds; because she was “promised” for a fate manipulated by gods before she even had the chance to draw breath… and there’s a doomsday in it that she’ll have to rage against one day… but not yet… not in this place. For now, she just has to exist, survive, live. And only Aelin can do that.

Because it’s not Sam’s words she needs anymore; it’s Rowan’s. And even more so, it’s her own.

It’s the words she said to him, but it is her story (Perhaps even the one she tattooed on her spine? Just a theory of the exact words.) because that, is still hers. Real. Living.

And as any reader knows (it’s why I love these books) you should never underestimate the power of a story.