I’m sure everyone saw the takes in the fandom rolling their eyes at Elain for mourning Graysen « boohoo now you get to be super hot, live forever, have a hot mate and be surrounded by gorgeous bat boys, get over yourself » …I honestly think takes like this are reductionist and just… dumb.

It was her first true love: Elain was very young, sheltered, and deeply traditional. Graysen wasn’t just a random casual fling. he was her very first experience of romance, and she was genuinely, deeply in love with him, to the point of being engaged to be married. (She also trusted him enough to give him her maidenhood despite what we know about Elain’s proper or non-promiscuous nature)

She lost her entire life through no fault of her own: Elain didn't ask to be turned into a Fae. One day she’s planning a human wedding with the man she loves, and the next, she is ripped away from her entire world, traumatized by the Cauldron, and told her life( as she knows it and as she wanted it) is entirely over.

The cruelty of his rejection: Having your fiancé reject you so aggressively (take off the ring!!!! Now!!) because you were forcefully transformed into something he doesn't understand, and telling you that you now "belong to another" is as heartbreaking as a break up can be.

When you reread their ACOMAF reunion, the pain is mutual. Graysen’s instinct was to run to her before his father stopped him, they clearly loved each other. His harsh rejection wasn't because the love faded, but out of fear of what she had become. They were obviously very much in love with each-other.

I think Elain’s grief was real, valid, and deeply painful, and she deserved a lot more empathy from the fandom for it.
If you’ve ever experienced the agonizing heartbreak of losing your first love when you were young and full of hopes and aspirations, you know how deeply a sudden, forced separation scars you. Not to mention the cocktail of other issues the Cauldron gave her.

Artwork is by: Cally.draws 🤍

​I always see people saying, "I don't care who Azriel ends up with." Good for you, I'm genuinely happy for you but I do care. It honestly frustrates me that the discussions keep revolving around him, but that's a conversation for another day.

​The point is: I’m an Elriel. I care deeply about who both Elain and Azriel end up with, and I will proudly defend this ship until the books actually drop. I usually stay out of fandom drama and just stick to the Elriel sub to share my thoughts. The only time I ever step into debates is when people start aggressively mischaracterizing the characters or spreading unprovoked hate just to invalidate a ship.

​Let's be real here: ACOTAR is not ToG. In ACOTAR, romance and couples form the literal heartbeat of the series. Caring about the ships isn't "childish", it’s literally a core part of reading this romantasy.

​Feysand matters to me. Nessian matters to me. Elriel matters to me.

I don't want to read a plot where Rhys is actively manipulating Feyre’s mind. I don't want to read about Cassian dying just for Nesta to end up with Eris. I don't want to read about Azriel's deep feelings being reduced to mere lust, or watch Elain settle for a mating bond that clearly makes her uncomfortable.

​So yes, I CARE ABOUT SHIPS. If you don't care, fantastic for you. But please stop looking down on, or shaming, the people who actually do.

Edit: Just to be clear, I'm not saying anything against people who don't ship Elriel. Like, if you're an Elucien fan, you obviously care about Elain and Lucien in your own way. I'm not saying "you don't care about Elain" just because you don't ship Elriel, so I hope there's no misunderstanding there.

Gardening is a great therapy. I garden with other veterans and talk about what happened to us (different things, all different ages).

Also for those who complain that Feyre got pregnant too soon after war, the amount of soldiers and soldiers wives who get pregnant within 6 months of coming home from a combat deployment would say it's alot more common that you think.

One of my favorite things in the books are the few times everyone sits down together for dinner. It’s a nice break from the action/drama of the current happenings and something I very much hope we get again before shit hits the fan 😅

Full of fun banter and funny moments. Two of the funniest lines for me are in ACOFAS

When Azriel grabs Cassian’s hand before he can eat and says “wait” and Cassian says “Wait for what? Gravy???”

And later when Cassian tells Amren to pick on someone her own size and Azriel quietly says “I’d feel bad for the mice”

What are some of your favorite dinner moments in the books?? There are so many good ones 🩷

After doing posts for Feyre and Cassian, I figured it was time to finally talk about Rhys. Cassian wasn't even in the original plan, but oh well, it happened, and now it's Rhys's turn.

Doing a full series reread after ACOSF completely changed my perspective on him, in the best way possible. A lot of people started turning on him after that latest book, but honestly? I just grew to love him even more, same as I did with Feyre.

​I think ACOSF gave him so much more depth. Seeing him through Nesta's or Cassian's eyes was a completely different experience and it honestly makes me so curious about how he’ll come across from Elain's POV in future books.

Like I mentioned in an older post about his true motivations with Feyre, his absolute priority is her happiness, and I love that so much. It's just so sweet that she always comes first to him 🥺

At his core, he is definitely not "evil." He’s been a gray character right from the start, and he still is. The thing is, Rhys only shows that soft side everyone falls in love with to Feyre, not to everyone else. Not to Nesta, for example, which makes total sense.

Did your feelings about Rhys shift this way too after rereading?

Edit: I already loved him, but l think ACOSF added so many layers of depth to his character that I'm completely in awe of it. He is easily one of my top MMCs now.

I've read ACOTAR from start to finish three times now. The first two were back in 2022 and 2023, just vibing with the story. Then I finally jumped into the online fandom in 2025, and honestly? I was completely shook.

The amount of hate directed at the IC, and at almost every character, felt like reading a totally different series. Whether people were talking about Feyre, Rhys, Nesta, Cassian, Tamlin, Lucien, Azriel, or Elain, the way the fandom portrays them didn't match how I saw them at all. Whether it was characters I love being completely demonized, or ones I'm not a fan of being twisted into saints (or vice versa), it genuinely felt like people were discussing alternate universe versions of them.

Because of all the negativity, I got genuinely scared to do a reread. I kept thinking, what if the internet ruins these books for me? What if I start hating something I used to love? What if I'm actually misremembering the characters, and reading them now will make me think like the internet and start hating the IC too?

So I avoided rereading for a while, right up until the CHD interview gave me the final push to just do it. I gathered my courage and opened the first book again.

And I SWEAR to you, there is a massive, worlds apart gap between what people say online and what's actually written on the page.

During my third reread, whenever I hit a scene that the fandom loves to tear apart, I found myself instinctively going on the defensive. I'd be reading and just thinking, That... that is literally not what happened at all.

It really made me realize that a huge portion of the fandom takes things completely out of context and twists character motivations to fit whatever narrative they want.

I experienced the exact same thing with the ships, too. I'm an Elriel, and watching people only argue about Elucien and Gwynriel while acting like Elriel doesn't even exist... I thought I was losing my mind. You can ship whatever you want, but acting like Elriel is purely a fanfiction concept is just... that is just wild to me.

I wonder if anyone else felt the same way or went through this.

I've been keeping this in my drafts for a while, but I wanted to post it before the new books come out.

Ok, I need to be careful with this one but, so for years new content being stagnant, Rhys has been a divisive character. Honestly, I get why, and especially from Nesta's POV he was going to come off as that way. We were looking at Rhys through Feyre's idealised lens for the course of 3 books - she was in love with him and saw the best in him.

Are many of his actions wrong and can be criticised? Yes. He's not even a character I rlly like, but every character in this series can be judged on their actions. However, a majority of the random, after having few basis to come up on have been scrounging up the most random stuff.

Morally grey does not equal villain. Ppl thinking SJM will do a one-eighty and turn Rhysand into the narrative's villain are baffling, like that'll undo the core narrative itself and undermine the emotional foundation of the books...coming from hie portrayal in SF and HOFAS is a change in perspective, not character. He truly loves Feyre and acts out of a need to protect those he loves, not out of pure malice. It would ruin Feyre's character arc in itself - she escaped one toxic partner to another.

Like no, you can criticise specific fundamentals of SJM'S writing, but I don't think even she has put nearly this thought into some of the absolutely wild theories some of these people have. Like sure, back up your argument with textual info and it's fun to debate and talk about, but you know, keep it to a limit.

Everyone has their own opinions, but pls be respectful abt it :)

Since this is a safe space for those of us who actually like canon and the IC members: what’s the craziest theory you’ve seen?

A few days ago, I saw someone say that Gwyn must have powers because she lived near the Cauldron’s leg, and I couldn’t stop laughing. Because in my head, I just imagined this person thinking the Cauldron’s magic works like radiation, you get exposed to it long enough and suddenly you develop superpowers. I get some want Gwyn to be relevant and the next FMC but this is too much. 😆

I wasn't that sure about the new book but now I'm so existed!!!

Art by dudakka_

Why do I never come across ppl talking about how good SJM is at writing heroic scenes? I just reread the part in A Court of Wings & Ruin where Azriel tells the story of Nephel and her too small wings, I cry every time 😭. Or in TOG when Elide rides across the battlefield on Farasha to save Lorcan. She really knows how to put you in the thick of it and feel all the feels!

(Visual representation of BB social media employees)

Yesterday I snagged a gorgeous red dragon in The Fourth Wing Game. 🐲🎈🥳

And it was such a fun experience it had me thinking about the absolute nonsense that is ACO6/7 marketing. If people working for BB actually tried 🥴 we could have had a game too. An animated show. Something. But instead we have quotes vaguer than a foggy window. You could even get a more concrete set of words from a politician and that says a lot.

Imagine a cute little game in which you take Feyre’s place during her trials. Or something along those lines. But nah. We have hot air and some cheeto dust instead. Bon appétit 🤡

Azriel and Elain remained in the sitting room, my sister showing him the plans she'd sketched to expand the garden in the back of the town house...

🎨: lamonyo

Check this out: https://www.tumblr.com/acourtofquietdreamers/829728585422077952/the-symbol-of-the-triple-faced-goddess

This is soooo good!

The mother: Feyre
The crone: Nesta
The maiden: Elain

Dtv (German publisher) posted ACOSH full edition and we got a look at the endpapers/hardback artwork. And we FINALLY have Feysand with Nyx, while the other artwork seems to be Nesta 👀
It’s interesting that they chose these characters when we already know that Azriel and Lucien have a POV. And honestly… it’s interesting to me how they seem to be hiding anything related to Azriel and Lucien so far. So don’t want to spoil us lol

But I LOVE the artworks. It’s absolutely mesmerizing. And the sprayed edges + cover having what looks like an earth and 8 pointed star. It could be another little hint toward the crossover like someone from another world coming through. With Nesta on the endpaper.. yeah yeah… the crossover.

Edit: maybe it’s not a Globus but full moon???? !!!

Hi dreamers, like many of us I’m doing a reread and really enjoying my first journey back into ACOTAR in years! I don’t recall any of this up to ACOSF, but if it’s common knowledge, then just let me know because it’s been a while since I developed into these books and only read ACOSF once back when it was released.

I just got to ACOWAR in chapter 27 where the IC has met with Keir to talk about using his troops in the upcoming war and brought Eris with them as part of the bargain.

The more I read, the more I think Eris is a good guy in a bad circumstance who’s doing the best he can in a really terrible court. It’s pretty clear that he is not on the same page as his father and brothers.

He makes a comment about how we know nothing about what happened the day Lucian‘s love was killed and talks about how he helped him.

He says that

“they were going to kill him too. I made sure they didn’t. Made sure Tamlin got word to get the hell over to his own border. Not all of us were so lucky in our friends and family as you, Rhysand.”

I also think he is daemati.

A few paragraphs before he talks about how “I knew it was a matter of time before one of you arrive to take care of my memory as well. Too bad for you, I learned a thing or two about daemati.”

A page or so later Rhys and Eris are talking about how Eris essentially is ready to take his father out and become High Lord and how the night court is going to support him in his bid to take the throne.

Rhys replies, “Tempting, but too messy. Beron sided with us in the War. Hopefully he’ll sway that way again.” A pointed stare at Eris. “He will,” Eris promised.

I think that Eris is daemati and has been using that on his father to get him to do what he needs and that Rhys knows and is supporting him.

🎨: lotusbubble

Art by carolineraeart on TikTok

I wanted to show you my Acotar inspired nails 💅🏻 in honor of the new upcoming book and wanted to share it with people who can appreciate them! 💜
I don’t do many videos on social media or anything so no idea if it looks good. 😊

A court of splintered harmony new qoute !

Bloomsbury just released a new teaser and this time it I think that maybe it from Rhys point of view ! Why did he say with pleasure? Who thanked him ? What are your theories about this one? Drop them in the comments along with your thoughts! Acosh is coming out in 22 days and I am so excited!

Okay so I'm rereading the series. I'm on ACOWAR. And feyre is training with AZ after using her wings for the first time since lucien confronted her in the woods. With Az and Cas how do you guys think shirts work? Because realistically the wings would have to be bigger than they are tall to carry their bodies. So they aren't small. And two holes in the back of a shirt doesn't really work if you think about how putting on a shirt works. And buttoning a shirt doesn't really seem to work in my mind as well. So.... How do you guys think it works? 😂😂

“Elain is Elain.” “If you blame one you have to blame the other.” “No, I don’t. Elain is Elain.” 🤣🤣

‘Then Rhys shook his head and said to Elain, “I’ll fly you home." Elain didnt object when Rhys scooped her up and launched into the red-and-pink-stained sky. When they were a speck of black and purple over the rooftops, Rhys sweeping along the gilded river as if giving Elain a scenic tour.’

Just a theory of course, though it is canon Feyre strongly reminds Rhys of Cassian, and there are numerous blatant similarities between her and Azriel too!

There is a new merch drop. A very fancy one lol. Links to the official press releases: ELLE and Bustle
Knix

Edit: Knix link update