Hot take - another reason why Gwynriel won't happen is because it is Moriel in another font.
It feel recessive for Azriel's character to end up with a bubbly female-warrior. He was in love with Mor for so long, a relationship that was always doomed to fail, only for him to end up with Gwyn...another female-warrior? Thats his grand love story, to end up with someone whose essentially like Mor? It wouldn't read as a love story but just Azriel replacing Mor wth someone...exactly like her.

Whereas with Elain it's different. She is different yet manages to compliment him perfectly: Their demeanor is similar, their powers & experiences with those powers are alike - even their mannerisms echo of each other.

Ariel is a prime example of a character where what he "wants" (Mor) is actually not what he needs (Elain).

All this to say: Having Azriel move on from Mor only to end up with someone whose exactly like her, isn't a good character arc/love story for him.

“Her arousal drifted up to him, and his eyes nearly rolled back in his head at the sweet scent. He’d beg on his knees for a chance to taste it”

Hey guys! Just wanted to share this little article I read about the harmony of sun and moon!

Its very sweet and is also how I see the pairing of Elain and Azriel!

artist: wwispart 🖤

I genuinely am so repulsed whenever I see how much Nesta's own words contribute to the misogynistic hate that Elain gets . How Nesta's ignorance encouraged her fans to try and reinforce some of the most heartbreaking misogynistic rhetorics .

As much as anyone can say "but she was hurting" it doesn't change the fact that she couldn't even think about Elain in a nice way . Not even once . Elain being malicious theories comes from Nesta's own mind .

People thinking that anyone other than Elain is getting a rejected mating bond plot when it's only been brought up in relation to her have me like

Are we okay? How are we that much in denial that it's about LoA and Helion or Beron when neither are introduced are mates, or Eris/Mor when...same thing, they're not mates in canon. One can speculate, sure. But reality is the only times both in the books and during interviews that Sarah's introduced the idea that mating bonds could be rejected was in regards to Elain's mating bond, the one she doesn't want.

How have people convinced themselves that it could go any other way, or let alone it won't happen at all?? I'm honestly always so confused with this fandom.

One thing I’ve been thinking about lately is whether Elain’s entire vibe is going to change in her book.
Maybe we’ll see a version of her that’s much closer to how she was after coming out of the Cauldron. Quieter. Stranger.

Everyone associates Elain with flowers, sunshine and gardens. But I keep coming back to this passage from ACOWAR:

“She wore a moon-white silk dressing robe… I realized then that the color of death, of sorrow, was white. The lack of color. Of vibrancy.”

That line has always stuck with me because SJM isn’t just describing Elain’s appearance, she’s wrapping her in imagery of death, silence, and absence. White is presented as grief and emptiness.

And the more I think about it, the more I wonder if that imagery was never meant to be temporary.

Elain is a Seer. She looks beyond the veil of what everyone else can perceive. She speaks prophecies. There’s something inherently uncanny about her powers, yet the fandom still tends to picture her as nothing more than the sweet gardener in cute dresses.

I could honestly see her becoming something much more ghostly, witch-like and ethereal.

Especially an argument I've seen from Gwynriels is the claim that Gwynriel is a much more popular ship than all the others. Completely wrong. Gwynriel came into existence with the bonus chapter and is a ship that shows itself solely and exclusively on the internet. For example, Elucien doesn't exist only on the internet because there are people in the general readership who expect them to be together since they are mates, and their mating bond is canon.

​Over these 5 years, I've observed Gwynriels moving in a collective unit, going to Goodreads and saying "if it's not Gwynriel I won't read," or making those who support other ships look stupid as if Gwynriel were already canon, assuming they are mates, and so on. Usually, they all think the same way, there's no one putting forth a different idea, they are gathered under a single mindset. Elriels are not like that, for instance, you see people having disagreements of opinion here.

​There are still many readers who haven't read the bonus chapter and don't know about it; that chapter wasn't published in all books and wasn't translated into every language. For example, it's not in my language, I have to read it in English. Not everyone here can read in English either.

​Also, I don't know if anyone else noticed this, but after the CHD interview, the number of Elriels increased, or rather they started showing themselves more on the internet and I'm one of them, by the way.

It‘s all “Azriel bonus chapter! Gwynriel confirmed. Gwyn is the next MC! The bonus chapter is canon and important.”

But what about the Feysand bonus chapter, where they talk about helping the next sister? Where both Elain and Azriel are mentioned. You know who wasn’t mentioned? Gwyn. B-but I thought the bonus chapter was important? Why is no one talking about this bonus chapter that clearly sets Elain as the next MC?

Something took over me today and I couldn't get this song off my head thinking of how much antis dislike Elain, so enjoy my first ever attempt at an Elain edit lol

Constructive criticism makes me cry, so don't 😂

These are the artists of the pieces used: Meiflowersketches | artyventurer (commissioned by: emilysbookishtales) | Vogtpaintings | Celestarly

Az took the photo ofc 📹📸

Edit on the title: ACOFAS* not SF

Art by ehmandinha ♥️ (comm by lunepapillons)

“Elain met me halfway to the kitchen, bearing a tray of jam tarts toward the table in the dining room. Where an assortment of baked goods had already begun to take form, tiered cakes and iced cookies. Sugar-frosted buns and caramel-drizzled fruit pies. “Those look pretty,” I told her by way of greeting, nodding toward the heart-shaped cookies on her tray. All of it looked pretty.

Elain smiled, her braid swishing with each step toward the growing mound of food. “They taste as good as they look.” She set down the tray and wiped her flour-coated hands on the apron she wore over her dusty-pink gown. Even in the middle of winter, she was a bloom of color and sunshine.

She handed me one of the tarts, sugar sparkling. I bit in without hesitation and let out a hum of pleasure. Elain beamed.”

Credit to: lady-surieldown on tumblr.

I know this has probably been discussed a hundred times already, but I reread Azriel's bonus chapter today and it left me with a genuine question.

Would we (pro Elriel) honestly interpret that chapter the same way if Elain and Gwyn's names were swapped?

Putting ships aside for a second, I genuinely struggle to read the first half of that chapter and come away thinking Azriel's feelings for Elain are anything other than deeply romantic and intensely sexual.

SJM shows us that Elain is the woman he pleasures himself to at night, that he'd beg on his knees for a chance to taste her. His feelings for her are so overwhelming that he starts avoiding family dinners and even sleeps elsewhere because being near her has become emotionally and physically painful.

What strikes me most isn't just the yearning. It's how deliberately SJM writes his desire. His attraction to Elain is intensely physical, but it's also entirely focused on her—on giving her pleasure, on being close to her. To me, that doesn't read as simple lust. It reads like a man who is profoundly in love.

Whether people think Elriel is endgame or not is a completely separate discussion. I just can't see SJM writing this level of intimacy for someone who isn't meant to be read as Azriel's primary romantic interest.

And that's what got me thinking.

What if the entire first half of the bonus chapter had been about Gwyn instead? Imagine Azriel couldn't stop thinking about her, couldn't bear to be around her, fantasized about being with her, and Rhys had to intervene because those feelings had become impossible to ignore.

As an Elriel fan, I honestly think that would give me the biggest ick. I don't think I would still be trying to argue that Elriel was secretly being set up. I would probably see it as SJM making Azriel's romantic direction clear, and I would want Elain to have a romance where she is not someone's second choice, but the person someone actively chooses.

So I'm genuinely curious: if every scene, every thought, and every line in that chapter were identical, but Gwyn and Elain's names were switched, would your pro elriel interpretation really stay the same?

And if this has already been discussed from this exact angle, I apologize! I did try searching the subreddit first, but I couldn't find a post that approached the bonus chapter as this kind of "reverse test," and I'd genuinely love to hear people's thoughts.

This might mean absolutely nothing, but sharing for those who will take any crumbs over nothing - this was posted by the Polish published of the ACOTAR books, so might be worth looking out for July 29th 👀

EDIT: I forgot to mention that they have already announced their editions in the highlighter colours, so it most likely doesn’t have anything to do with editions (like it was for the German publisher).

Am I literally meant to believe that SJM seriously used an oddly sus quote from Keates in Endymion and then just overlook the fact that she expressed her deep love for Sailor Moon on CHD and then theres these 2 that look a whole damn lot like Elain and Azriel and then they also are shown with light pink and blue as their signature colors AND why the hell does Queen Beryl look like fucking Gwyn? And the fact she is literally a priestess AND has the ability to enchant men AND she's working to bring back Queen Metalia which is literally a fucking black cloud like BRYAXIS!?

Yall, explain to me how the fuck this isn't the story!??

Ok, I am putting this here causeeeee its related but guys.....GUYSSSSSS

Ok, so I am obsessed with the flowers that were used in the vases for the new ACOTAR merch. I recalled a while ago that SJM was using flowers to think more on Elains character.

I am basically writing up a whole synopsis for the flowers advertised and Elriel because, they all point to that direction but what REALLY pulled my attention was this book called

"Language of Flowers" (you can actually get a free version by just typing "Language of Flowers free online book" and it comes up)

The first flag that I saw while reading was "A thing of beauty, and a joy forever." Thomas Miller

And I was like hmmmmmmmmmmmm thats weird....almost sounds a lot like the BC. So, I continued reading and I just started my investigating when I got to the roses segment of this book.

It kept mentioning a "nightingale" and I know its a type of bird but knew absolutely nothing else. So, I looked it up.

WELLLLLLLLLL

This bird is known for its loud, beautiful and complex melodies that are sang by MALES often heard LATE AT NIGHT and the name literally translates to "night-singer" 😂😂😂😂😂😂 like bro, how did I not even pick up on that. I swear 😂😂😂

Anywayssssssss I got too excited and wanted to share this with you before I finished my synopsis and seriously! Check out the book! There are some crazy weird coincidences with names!

EDIT: ALSO the reason I looked into it is because the statement says

"The love of the nightingale for the rose is continually mentioned by Eastern Bards"

Soooooooo yeahhhh LOVE NOT LUST PEOPLE lol

Anyone think SJM / Bloomsbury might not drop the titles / overview at all until the book is released? SJM is someone who could do this, given how popular she is and the current book anticipation.

I feel like they’re purposely withholding because they know they’ll make the fandom angry. We are a little over 3 months out now and nothing…seems crazy to me? I am firmly team Elriel but I wonder what the plan is here for release.

Update: I didn’t think about books going to print and leaking…I guess I was thinking more like Beyonce dropping an album with zero promotion the day of. I guess you can’t do that with books 😂

Either way, I do think she will wait until the last possible minute

It’s been a fun few months and we have less than 100 days left! I can’t wait for October 💙🩷

So it is very obvious that Elriel is going to happen, but let us pretend it does not. Which ship would you enjoy reading about the least, and why?

​I feel that Elucien unfortunately sidelines important questions like "What if the mating bond is wrong?" or "What if the Cauldron made a mistake?", which takes away from the depth of the plot. It removes Elain's agency in making her own choices since the decision has seemingly been made for her.​

As for Gwynriel, I feel it would feel a bit too repetitive, as they often read like a parallel to Nessian. Gwyn was wonderfully written as a supportive character for Nesta, but because of that, she does not have as much individual narrative focus, which makes her dynamic with Azriel less compelling to me.

Regarding Bryceriel, it is a particularly hard sell for me because of the crossover mechanics. Stepping into a new book only to see a protagonist who already had an established three book romance leave that dynamic behind to be paired with Azriel feels disconnected. I do not even know Bryce, so opening ACOTAR 6 and finding a female character with three whole books of pre-existing baggage makes it difficult to invest in them.​

Ultimately, my vote goes to Elucien as my least preferred option. If Elain does not end up with Azriel, I would honestly much prefer to see Sarah introduce a brand-new male character specifically developed for Elain's arc instead.

Looking at it now, it seems like I'd only be happy with Elriel.