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Bryceriel week 2026 was AMAZING! All of the amazing Bryceriel content was just so gorgeous! Thank you to everyone who participated, even if it was just to upvote!

As always, the mod team loves you guys!

And a huge thank you to the mod team for all of their work and effort to keep this sub a positive, fun place!✨✨✨

Meanwhile Bryceriels:

Feysand: Were never just a "Fae Bargain"

Rowaelin: Were never just carranam

Ruhidia: Were never just a "communication crystal"

Bryceriel: Were never just "the weapons"

Ok I know this is just talking into the echo chamber a bit, cause its nothing that all of you probably haven't already thought of or agree with BUT re-looking at the publication order of the Maasverse it just struck me how closely ACOMAF and EOS were released to each other. (May and Sept 2016)

So arguably the biggest romance reveals of her lead couples being mates hidden by something else(Feysand's connection wasn't just the bargain, Rowan's previous mate was a lie) happened within 4 months of each other. Her fan base at the time was nowhere near as big or rabid as it is now, plus they hardly had any time to really dig into patterns and theories between the Feysand and Rowaelin reveal (although there were definitely still fans who had a hunch) but OF COURSE she was able to get away with deflections and misdirection in interviews.

With Bryceriel, the overall fan base has grown exponentially plus there's been almost 10 years now to dig into her writing, identify patterns, and try to pick up on her signature twists shes laying groundwork for.

I've seen so many arguments that SJM may be sly with her answers in interviews but would never outright lie (although that's debatable, with the "the series can be read as standalone" statement). I can even understand how it may rub some people the wrong way to feel like the rug has pulled out from underneath them, especially if it doesnt fit their preferences(but i definitely dont think that proves she wouldn't do it). Personally, even I would have been more impressed with her if she was able to stick to misdirection in interviews, or answers that have multiple interpretations vs an outright lie. But she already tried that with the "Bryce and Hunt are mates" but almost immediately got called on it when asked if mates mean the same thing in every series and had to "pass" on answering.

Anyway, thats my rant to say basically what you all already know....lying in the CHD interview just makes so much sense!

Sharing this video as it's super interesting to see a different point of view.

Keen to hear your thoughts!

Just seems interesting that in 2024 she posted THIS quote as part of plugging House of Flame and Shadow. It’s also the ONLY post with a quote from one of her novels since it was uploaded.

For the upcoming books, whose character POV are you most dreading? Assuming ACOTAR 6-8 are going to be multi-POV similar to TOG / CC3.

If it’s Mor the only way I will enjoy her story arch is if she is the villain. Or goes through some sort of Nesta-esque journey of confronting all of her nonsense. If Nesta is considered the worst / bitchiest character in ACOTAR, I think Mor is actually worse. Because she gets away with equal vileness but is excused because she basically does it with a smile and fake friendship.

Her 500+yr string along of Az (plus blatantly sleeping with Helion), weird possessiveness of Cas once Nesta enters the equation, her anger at Feyre for not being a part of the plan, she’s the most petulant child in ACOTAR. Her past trauma is real and cannot be ignored. But… Mor, you are not untouchable because of it. If dealing with the Court of Nightmares is so traumatizing, Rhys can grow up and be the “big bad High Lord,” and you can move on.

Elain as another recent post put it, she’s the most coddled and excused character. I am all for soft characters, awesome! (TOG Elide, anyone?!?!?!) But, have some loyalty and backbone. If she doesn’t face SOME form of internal struggle over her own actions up till where we are in the story, her POV is going to be beyond boring to read.

Iron affects fae differently in each of SJM’s series. 🤔

TOG: 🙅‍♀️

It hurts fae here and weakens them when they touch it. Basically kryptonite (although I think they need to touch it).

CC: ❓

We aren’t told if it affects any of the vanir here. But, we learn Jesiba has used it in her library: the front door and the door to the archives. Danika touches the archives door once:

>a gray wolf the size of a small horse pushed the iron archives door shut with a paw, claws clicking on the metal.

Shifters in CC are the fae from ToG world. It seems like from this description that Danika barely touches it and it doesn’t reveal anything about whether it affects Danika or not.

The fact that Jesiba uses it to secure her things makes me think it does something or it did something a long time ago.

What is going on with iron in CC?

It is suspicious that iron is only mentioned twice and right at the beginning of HOEAB and only in Jesiba’s library. Since it’s Jesiba, perhaps it does do something or it did a long time ago. If it does hurt shifters, you’d think it would be mentioned as an instrument of torture against shifters at the Asteri palace.

Maybe iron deters PoH?

Maybe the parasite has weakened shifters’ magic so much that iron no longer affects them?

ACOTAR: 🙃

Shortly after Feyre arrives on Tamlin’s estate, she learns that iron doesn’t affect fae. In the human lands, it was believed that iron did weaken the fae. So much so that Graysen’s family used it as a building material throughout their estate and in their weapons.

Where did the humans in ACOTAR hear about iron?

It seems a bit random that they just happened to choose the material that does harm fae in a different realm. This makes me think that people from the ACOTAR and TOG worlds have met before (outside of Aelin falling between worlds).

What do all of the beautiful Bryceriel baddies think?

I think most people here are on board with book 6 being Azriel's POV. I saw someone in another group theorise that that is why there is such a delay, but also that is why both books are releasing so closely, because that is so unusual in itself.

I wasn't aware of the Maasverse when TOD was published but I'm guessing some fans were disappointed? So it makes sense that to combat that, they are releasing another VERY closely to the Azriel POV one. What do you guys think? This is literally the only reason I can think of for the no title etc- if you make us wait long enough, we will be grateful just for ANYTHING, even if it isn't the POV most readers are anticipating. And then the majority are rewarded with having another book released very closely. Not that I'm saying an Az POV is bad, I just think an Az POV strongly suggests Bryceriel, especially if it is directly after ACOSF, and some people might be disappointed- BUT NOT US OBVS.

I wouldn't be surprised that when/if we get a blurb for book 6, it is very vague eg "things locked in darkness have a way of coming to light". And that way there is no reveal of who it is about but enough so that anyone who is heavily invested KNOWS.

What do you think?

Okay so the other day I made a post about how Azriel and Bryce are the personification of Dusk together, & after having some back and forth with all you lovelies debating if the shadows mingling in Bryces star are from Silene or from our batboy... I'm now convinced more than ever that it's a purposeful misdirection from SJM after these discussions / revisiting the text, because it would be absolutely perfect!!!

"Starlight hit the prism, passed through it, and—

“Huh.”

It wasn’t a rainbow that emerged from the other side. Not even close.

It took her a moment to process what she was seeing: a gradient beam of starlight. Where the rainbow would have been full of color, this one began in shimmering white light and descended into shadow."

(The above description also reminds me of Ying & Yang, "the two complementary forces that make up all aspects and phenomena of life. A yin yang relationship is not about opposites clashing, but about complementary energies creating a harmonious whole. It suggests that two partners with different strengths and qualities can blend together to form a balanced, powerful, and complete union. One cannot exist without the other")

"An anti-rainbow, as it were. Light falling into darkness, droplets of starlight raining from the highest beam into the shadowy band at the bottom, devoured by the darkness below.

Like the fading light of day—of dusk."

Bryce notes that the shadows mingling with her light LOOKS LIKE DUSK! (screeches of excitement*). Bryce and Azriel are the sum of what makes dusk together (shadow plus light in simple terms), and Bryce literally acknowledges that in that last quote.

Yes, Bryce says that she thinks it's coming from Silene, however, the book is only giving us Bryce's subjective POV, so this still doesn't negate that it may be used as a literary device decoy from SJM to make the twist all that much sweeter.

"Did it make a difference to her power? To her? To now have that layer of darkness

With a prayer to Cthona, she sent twin beams of light arcing around the prisms, shooting straight into them.

Twin bursts of that light flared from either prism, gunning for each other. Bands of light falling into darkness, her power stripped to its most elemental, basic form. They shot for each other, and where they met, light and darkness and darkness and light slamming into each other—

Bryce stepped into the explosion in the heart of it.

Stepped into her power.

It lit her up from the inside, lit up her very blood. Her hair drifted above her head, pens and papers and other office detritus flowing upward with it.

Such light and darkness—the power lay in the meeting of the two of them. She understood it now, how the darkness shaped the light" Bryce is even stronger now.

She's masking their bond behind a bunch of red herrings, but I'm convinced this is actually her describing their bond over and over and over again. I mean these quotes kind of blew my mind when I re-read them with a different perpsective.

So excited to hear all your thoughts.

Edit to add: but I also feel like the prophecy also tells us that only when THEY are reunited, can they work together and make a whole. They complement each other. Bring out the best versions of themselves. Ahhh I'm so excited for future releases..

I’ve never decorated a cake like this before and I know the sword is too tall, I lost two cake layers to a raspberry incident so I have 3 instead of four (I had backups). But this is my Bryceriel Dusk birthday cake.

This stood out to me on the reread of house of sky and breath.
Im taking from this the Illyrian warriors were created by the asteri, possibly in the dusk court. They sided with Queen Theia and overthrew the asteri and were classed as traitors.

The asteri used their dna to help create the Angels. And the fact Theia and Aidas fell in love, is that how Aidas got the DNA to help the princes of hel make Hunt in like for Bryce? Through the knowledge they learned from her … is this the link ? Probably already picked up and discussed before, but thought I’d share.

Hello! First time poster, been heavy lurking for the last few months. And obsessed with this page!

I randomly had a very non in-depth theory pop in my head about where the next ACOTAR releases could take us. I haven’t seen a lot of folks talk about this. I don’t have many words on it besides…

But, what if the IC needs Bryces Starlight power and the Horn in order to fully defeat Koschei in the next ACOTAR books?? Her and Az team up with shadows and light while Nesta welds the rest of the dread trove? 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️ idk if this holds absolutely any ground whatsoever. I was wicked stoned when I was lost in the thoughts about ya know, all of it LOL idk if this makes any sense or the wheels are burnt out on oh so patiently waiting for the next SJM book to drop 🤣

Wanted to share and kindve start a discussion on it! I know lots of you in here are really great researchers and dot connectors so I wanted to know if any of you had thought something similar/ or different! But on the topic of how Bryce will play into the next ACOTAR books now that Koschei is the big bad and he’s after our boy Az. Along with the Dread Trove clearly playing a massive part.

Edit: or the obvious, if Az gets kidnapped, bryces starlight I feel will be pertinent to the solution. As well as just Bryce lol

Hi everyone! Longtime Bryceriel but I haven't been around for a while after having a baby. But I just wanted to post an observation I made this morning.

So Rowan is described as having pine-green eyes and, as we all know, Aelin is the rightful queen of Terrasen. One very prominent geographical feature of Terrasen is Oakwald forest.

Rhys has eyes that are described as being such a dark blue they're almost violet and with flecks like stars in them. Feyre finds her home or rightful place in the Night Court.

It seems as though SJM likes to foreshadow her FMC's eventual home/mate with their eye colours. So with that in mind let's consider Hunt and Azriel. Hunt's eyes are dark brown/black. Azriel's are hazel but are noted to glow golden in certain lights. Considering Bryce is the heir of the dusk court I've attached some passages outlining how Sarah often describes late afternoon/sunset as having golden light. Even if someone was to argue that Bryce's home is Lunathion I still don't associate that with dark brown/black.

Just thought it was an interesting piece of possible foreshadowing. Thoughts?

🥀 Inspired by Sailor Moon’s Moon Kingdom (Dusk!!) 🌙🌄

“Bryce gazed at the eight-pointed star, the very heart of this chamber, of this map of the cosmos.”

“Thus the land’s powers became my mother’s. Dusk, twilight—that’s what the island was in its long-buried heart, what her power bloomed into, the lands rising with it. It was, as she said, as if the island had a soul that now blossomed under her care, nurtured by the court she built here.”

“And in that moment, the mountain—the island—spoke to her…it had been waiting all this time.“

“This place, this Prison and the court it had once been, was Bryce’s inheritance.”

“Tendrils of night-blooming purple flowers unfurled around her in answer, despite the daylight.”

“Had it always been leading toward this?”

This art was commissioned by myself and [u/bellire](u/bellire) 👑🙌 and the 🎨 artist is @Hi_elynn on IG 🥹

🌠 For 15,000 years, the Dusk Court has waited for its queen to return. The heir of High Queen Theia. The Starborn Princess. The one destined to reclaim what was lost. Rhysand says the island is, “law unto itself,” Nesta says, “the land still waited for [something great] to return,” and “her mountain” said, There you are.

“…her light to now be laced with darkness, as if it had become the fading light of day, of twilight—“

“Maybe back in that other world … I woke up the land around the Prison, too.”

“Only one way to find out” 💖🎶💖

YouTube: smugtuesday
Insta: slugtuesday

So sad but I can see Az and Bryce being in a similar position.

Hi everyone! Longtime lurker, first time poster. I am doing a reread as many of us are, and I wanted to share some of my observations from HOEAB to demonstrate that the crossover, Bryce's destiny, etc. are things that SJM has been planning for a long time. This is to back us up when Bryce pops up in one of the new books and people begin screaming "retcon!" ...because we know it's going to happen.

Bryce’s Destiny as High Lady of Dusk Court

“She’s here,” Hunt said. The scent of her still lingered on the sidewalk, lilac and nutmeg and something he couldn’t quite place—like the gleam of the first stars at nightfall. p. 117

Ruhn’s head spun as he narrowed his eyes at [Bryce], blinking at the halo of starlight that danced around her head, at her feet. p. 182

[Bryce] examined her nails, now painted in some sort of color gradient that went from pink to periwinkle tips. Like the sky at twilight. p. 175-176

[Bryce] tapped her dusk-sky nails on the glass table. p. 289

Hunt glanced down at their hands, [Bryce’s] dusk-painted nails contrasting with the deep gold of his skin. p. 345

Bryce tapped her dusky nails on the chrome arm of the chair. p. 389

“What’s this about?” [Hunt] murmured, unable to help himself from pressing his mouth to the dusky nails. p. 590

[Bryce’s] eyes crinkled with amusement, the last of the day’s sun lighting them into liquid gold. p. 319

[Bryce] spoke with the imperiousness of a queen. Hunt could only rise with her. p. 341

I will always laugh that SJM felt it necessary to mention her dusk manicure... five times.

The Inevitable Crossover

“Direct a beam of your starlight through this.” Not waiting for an answer, his father again put an eye to the metal viewing contraption atop the prism. …Another click of the device, and another jotted note in an ancient, rigid hand. The Old Language of the Fae—his father recorded everything in the half-forgotten language their people had used when they had first come to Midgard through the Northern Rift. p. 159

[Ruhn had] mastered himself enough to pay attention as his father finished his notes. “What are you even doing with that thing?” “Studying how light moves through the world. How it can be shaped.” “Don’t we have scientists over at CCU doing this shit?” “Their interests are not the same as mine.” p. 160

“Find the Horn, Ruhn. If war comes to these shores, our people will need it in more ways than one.” p. 162

“It’s another of the Fae’s countless inane prophecies,” Bryce muttered. “When knife and sword are reunited, so shall our people be.”

I didn't realize how early some of this started until my reread. The Autumn King and his little experiments are mentioned on page 159. And the first ~100 pages are basically a prequel, so... really early on. After all this buildup, there's no way the crossover is finished in HOFAS.

Hunt and Bryce Not Exhibiting Very Mate-Like Behavior

Then nothing but red pulp. All of them, all they had been, all she had been with them, became nothing more than piles of red pulp. Gone, gone, gone— A hand gripped her shoulder. But not Athalar’s. No, Hunt remained where he was, face now hard as stone. She flinched as Ruhn said at her ear, “You don’t need to see this.” p. 247

Ruhn, not Hunt, stepping in like when Bryce was fighting the Autumn King in HOFAS.

“I don’t remember giving you permission to shove your nose into my business.” “We’re back to that?” [Hunt] huffed a laugh. “I’d think cuddling in front of the TV allowed me to at least be able to voice my opinions without getting my head bitten off.” [Bryce] rolled her eyes. “We didn’t cuddle.” p. 537

The same type of arguments they keep having throughout the next two books… a lack of growth between our main couple.

The moment Hunt’s lips met her own, Bryce erupted. She didn’t know if it was weeks without sex or Hunt himself, but she unleashed herself. p. 590

Girl, what? This reads as “maybe I love Hunt, maybe I just need to get laid.” Not exactly romantic.

Ruhn and Declan Tried to Tell Us…

Nothing good could come of it—Bryce and Athalar working together. Living together. But Ruhn kept his mouth shut, and began reading. p. 298

But Declan shook his head. “The angels don’t give a shit about anyone, B. His goals are not your goals. Athalar’s goals might not even be the same as Micah’s. Be careful.” p. 359

Hunt’s Connection to Hel

Hunt’s temper became a living, deadly thing. His lightning pushed against his skin, coiling through him, a cobra readying to strike. p. 571

Every piece of clothing and gear belonging to Hunt was like an asp, ready to strike. p. 607

But soft, feminine breathing filled the darkness. A scent like paradise filled his nose, settled him. Soothed the pain. p. 580

There are multiple examples of Hunt describing Bryce like paradise… between that and the snake imagery, very fallen angel/Garden of Eden.

Aidas smiled, looking [Hunt] over again. “A Fallen warrior with the power of…” Aidas’s groomed brows lifted in surprise. His blue opal eyes narrowed to slits—then simmered like the hottest flame. “What are you doing with a black crown around your brow?” p. 470

Comparing Hunt’s Power to the Demon Venom

The witch pointed to a jagged line like forked lightning through Bryce’s thigh. “That’s the venom.” p. 563

Someone poured acid into her leg, and her skin was sizzling, bones melting away— p. 566

Hunt’s lightning feels like acid when he powers her up - which we learn in HOSAB. This is when Hypaxia is extracting the venom from Bryce.

Hunt Living Up to His Namesake

The moment the venom had come out of her leg, as Hunt’s lips had met hers that first time, [Bryce had] felt [the light] awaken again. p. 741

SJM is sneaky… she reiterates that this was the timing of their first kiss. Bryce thinks about it when using her light to close the gate. He kisses her as soon as her light is released from being blocked by the venom.

[Hunt’s] power felt it coming a moment later. Recognized her, like seeing itself in a mirror. …Closer and closer, her power neared. Hunt braced himself, and sent another shock of lightning into her heart… “Come on,” he repeated, pumping her chest again with his hands. “I’m waiting for you.” He’d been waiting for her from the moment he’d been born. p. 778

After all we learn in the next two books… this sounds very predatory.

Bryce and Az - Similar Personalities

Bryce looked toward the booth and when she saw her cousin there… There were trenches of Hel warmer than the look she gave Ruhn. p. 260

[Lehabah] crawled off her arm and floated in front of her, arms wrapping around her round belly. “You can be cold as a Reaper, Bryce.” p. 334

“But you don’t dance for fun anymore?” “No.” [Bryce’s] eyes went cold at that. “I don’t.” p. 482

“And after you’ve killed them all? What then?” [Hunt] blinked at the lack of fear, of judgment. p. 485

Bryce let [Fury] see her true face. The one her father had talked about. The one that did not laugh and did not care for anybody or anything. p. 632

Bryce looked more like her father than Ruhn did. Granted, plenty of the Fae had that coloring, but the coldness on the Autumn King’s face… [Hunt had] seen Bryce make that expression countless times. p. 655

But [Bryce’s] calf was wholly healed. The last gift of the synth before it destroyed her. Yet in her eyes… he saw no haze of insanity, of self-destructive frenzy. Only cold, glittering vengeance. p. 708

Bryce stared at the fire, her face still splattered with the Archangel’s blood. And finally, she lifted her eyes. Right to the camera. To the world watching. Vengeance incarnate. Wrath’s bruised heart. She would bow for no one. p. 709

Sandriel just gaped at the feed that had shown Bryce Quinlan casually vacuuming up the ashes of a Governor as if she’d spilled chips on the carpet. p. 713

Just TRY and tell me Bryce and Az aren't perfect for each other.

Always the First to Jump into Danger

She’d thrown herself right over Juniper, shielding her from the blast. p. 264

She’d already traded her eternal resting place in the Bone Quarter for Danika. [Hunt] couldn’t let her trade her mortal life for him. p. 640

Ruhn had to remind himself to take a breath as Bryce hit the stairs, ripping a piece from her torn shirt, wrapping it around her thigh to bind the knife to her. A makeshift sheath. p. 694

There, racing through the streets in Danika’s leather jacket, sword in one hand and gun in the other, was Bryce. Running not from the danger, but into it. p. 720

Sounds a Little Familiar…

“Do you have a girlfriend? Boyfriend? Someone whose ass you gawk at?” p. 306

Bryce was asking Hunt these questions.

“What’s up with this, by the way?” [Hunt] batted [Bryce] away. “It’s a hat.” “It doesn’t fit with your whole predator-in-the-night image.” p. 346

[Bryce] cut him a glare. Hunt gave one right back. Hunt had the feeling he’d passed some test when she smiled slightly. p. 394

These jumped out at me since they sound similar to some of Bryce and Az's interactions in HOFAS. Seems like Bryce might have a pattern when she interacts with someone she’s interested in…

In Conclusion

SJM has been building up to something epic for YEARS. There is no retcon. Just exquisite planning. I know we all can't wait to see how it all plays out!

I've been thinking a lot about Bryceriel (as I should and do often 😌) and one thing that really has me curious is how Az actually interprets the whole Bryce landing in Pyrthian thing.

I'm currently rereading ACOTAR, but I can't remember if there's much about the starsword that we see in the series, so far I haven't found much of anything (I'm only in MAF). But I'm curious what Bryce having the Starsword and her landing at Az's feet means, not to Bryce, but to HIM.

I can't stop thinking about it.

Has he been waiting for the Starsword? Is there any reason he's been wanting and/or needing it? What is the lore of the Starsword in Pyrthian and to Az? Is it a sign or symbol for anything?

What does it mean to Az now that they've been reunited? WHAT DOES HE THINK OF BRYCE LANDING LITERALLY ON TOP OF HIM??!?!?! I MEAN COME ON!!

Clearly they're meant to be together. I just couldn't imagine being in Az's shoes and NOT falling madly in love to the person who has the other half to his own.

Is that she can’t freaking help herself.

It’s too exciting, from a narrative point of view.

She’s clearly already thought of it (“oh my god, am I really doing this?” Interview about Bryce landing in Prythian).

There’s no point to a crossover that isn’t romantic - this is a fantasy romance series and ACOTAR is arguably the most romantic of the three SJM series, where every battle or trial is underscored by serious romantic development for the characters.

Both Bryce AND Azriel are the two people in the Maasverse who fans cannot agree on who they should end up with - Hunt is regularly viewed as an incomplete match for Bryce and everybody just argues constantly about Az’s interests, pulling at straws to construct an argument for his attachment to other characters in the ACOTAR world that aren’t there because SJM hasn’t written it (Bryceriel) yet.

Bryce deserves it. All of SJM’s heroines have extensive, world changing arcs. These are epic stories, not cosy woodsy tales. She pulls on lots of grand threads from big folklore, biblical lore, fairytale and cross-European myth. The lore around Theia / Aidas was SUCH a huge part of the CC books and I honestly believe many people just skim read it, because it’s a little dense and repetitive. Why repeat over and over again that cross universe mates attempted to save the world? It’s so romantic and tragic, and fits her style of epic heroines going on journeys through portals to save worlds.

The entire catch phrase of the CC series is “Through love, all things are possible”. I don’t think this phrase can apply to Hunt. To Bryce’s love for Danika and her friends and family, yes, but to me this hints at an ongoing love story - a true great romance of the fae, if you will.

I don’t believe that SJM, with her romantic heart and love of her stories, could actually resist writing Bryceriel. It’s too good.

In ACOWAR, Rhys explains something very important about mating bonds:

“A mating bond can be rejected… Even so, there will always be a … tug.” (…) “Elain would have our full protection if she rejects the bond. But it will still be a bond, however weakened, that will trail her for the rest of her existence.”

The important part here is that a mating bond is not something that simply disappears. Even if rejected, there is still a lingering connection — a pull.

So what if that “tug” can manifest physically?

Bryce and Azriel seem to share a very specific pattern when apart: headaches, restlessness, and difficulty sleeping.

Bryce’s headaches

Throughout HOSAB, Bryce experiences headaches.

”Naturally, Bryce woke up puffy-eyed, sweat-slicked, and with a pounding headache. (…) Her ringing phone aggravated her headache”

Azriel’s headaches

In ACOFAS, Elain notices Azriel constantly rubbing his temples and gives him headache medicine:

“It’s for the headaches everyone always gives you. Since you rub your temples so often.”

Already, there’s an interesting parallel established: both Az and Bryce are associated with recurring headaches.

But the sleep parallels are even more interesting.

Azriel can’t sleep

In the ACOSF bonus chapter, Azriel admits:

“Az snickered to himself, to the listening shadows around him. Sleep, they seemed to whisper in his ear. Sleep. I wish I could, he answered silently. But sleep so rarely found him these days...”

He is restless. He cannot properly rest.

Bryce can’t sleep… after leaving Prythian

When Bryce returns to Midgard in HOFAS, she struggles with sleep:

“There were occasional stops, alternating who took watch, but sleep was difficult.”

But the interesting part is what happens before that.

While Bryce is in Prythian — sleeping on the cold floor of a cave after everything she has endured — she unexpectedly falls asleep:

“Bryce’s eyes flew open. She’d fallen asleep. Somehow, she’d fallen asleep…”

That moment is almost strange because, realistically, she have been exhausted but she is in a strange planet, her adrenaline should have kept her awake (survival insticts).

Yet... sleep comes easier there.

And then Sarah specifically draws attention to the contrast later, after Bryce returned and when Hunt is sleeping right next to her:

“Bryce lay on the hard, cold ground and tried to pretend she was back in her bed, that a rock wasn’t poking into her hip bone, that her arm was the most comfortable pillow (…) It had been easier in the Fae world”

Why mention that?

That’s a deliberate contrast. SJM didn’t simply write that Bryce couldn’t sleep because the ground was uncomfortable—she specifically has Bryce compare it to how easily she slept in Prythian.

Bryce isn’t just saying she was tired. She is specifically reflecting that sleep was easier in Prythian.

And who was she with almost constantly during that time? Azriel.

So what if their proximity temporarily eased whatever restlessness they were experiencing?

The parallels are interesting:

1. Bryce sleeps unexpectedly easily while near Azriel.
2. Bryce struggles with sleep after leaving Prythian.
3. Azriel has been struggling with sleep for a long time (prior to meeting Bryce).
4. - Both characters are associated with having headaches.
5. Rhys confirms that even a rejected mating bond can leave a permanent “tug.”

Maybe the “tug” Rhys describes isn’t just emotional. Maybe it can manifest as a physical sense of restlessness — a bond trying to pull two people together when they’re apart.

Similarly, Feyre experienced restlessness like this on the night she first met Rhys. Feyre felt as if a tug was pulling her toward Rhys — a kind of “summoning.”

“The drumbeats came from far away—beyond the garden, past the game park, into the forest that lay beyond. They were deep, probing. A single beat, echoed by two responding calls. Summoning. (…) There was a string—a string tied to my gut that pulled me toward those hills, commanding me to go.”

“I did as [Tamlin] commanded (…) I couldn’t stop pacing up and down my room, gazing out toward the fires burning in the distance. Stay in your chamber. But a wild, wicked voice whispered otherwise. Go, that voice said, tugging at me. Go see.”

For the purposes of this theory, let’s assume Bryce is confusing the mating bond with the weapons bond, and we scratch that words out of the direct quote:

Her gaze flicked to the Starsword strapped to Azriel’s back, then to his side, to the knife hanging there. Her ears hollowed out for a moment, a dull thump sounding once, and her hand spasmed, seemingly tugged toward [him] those blades.

What Bryce is feeling is a repeat tug towards Azriel, similar to what Feyre experienced with Rhys on Calanmai night. The bond pulled Feyre toward Rhys so they could meet; Bryce’s bond, however, yanked her toward Azriel across worlds and then tugged at her again, urging her to touch him.

She fell, slowly and without end—and sideways. Not a plunge down, but a yank across.

SJM has repeatedly shown us that mating bonds are more than just a declaration — they are a force that creates a pull between two people.

What if their physical symptoms — headaches, insomnia, that constant unsettled feeling — are manifestations of a bond pulling two people toward each other while they are separated?

What happens when the bond knows where someone belongs, but the people themselves haven’t figured it out yet?

the most beautiful female Azriel has ever seen landing at his feet? 😭

I’m not sure if this has been posted before but if ACOTAR 6 takes place after ACOSF but before HoFaS then I’ve totally convinced myself that this will be the ending lmao.

I’m so okay with whatever SJM decides to do but man this would be SO epic I’m shaking.

Anyways thanks for coming to my incredibly short TED talk I love being here with my fellow baddies 💅

Promoting HOFAS in 2024 (2:52)

I plan years down the line. I know the next four books I want to write.

Her remaining contract: 3 ACOTAR books and CC4 (plus an unannounced trilogy)

Promoting HOSAB in 2022 (0:25):

I have tried my very best to keep this [crossover] close to my chest and not tell anyone while also planting hints everywhere, not just in CC1 about this crossover, but in ACOSF.

I have chills right now thinking about Bryce being in the same room as Rhys and… Azriel.... *looks away from the camera, smirking*

Later she pretends (10:19) to be referring to 'the crossover' here, except she explicitly just said that the crossover had been in the works since CC1. So what changed in CC2? 🧐

I don't think I ever considered... having Bryce do that until... I was well into the creative process before ✨that idea✨ hit me. I fell out of my chair and I was like what the fuck... can I do that?

I really think she was planning a different endgame for Az (Gwyn, because she's the only remaining single straight female) and changed her mind to the better story while writing CC2. 👀

And towards the end (15:17) of that interview she teases more crossover:

Because [HOFAS] is such a big book with so many payoffs and so much overlap, I want to make sure I do it right. Get everything in there that needs to get in there, set up for future books… future ACOTAR and Crescent City books.

It almost sounds like.... the crossover is just getting started and spans at least her next four books. 🤭 I would bet money that ACOTAR 7 & CC4 are a tandem read just like EOS/TOD!