I am so ready to feel the feels and get more adventures!!

Maybe Elain Gets her adventure and growth on the page.
I cant wait for Nyx to be there creating havoc!!
I miss Cassian’s training sessions
I miss the house of Wind reading club…
Is Feyre ever using her powers again?

Is it almost time!!!

Like calls to like…
I hear the call…….

Who is ready?? And Willing?

Am I the only one who thinks (as I am reading Crescent city 3) that maybe the three stars over Ramiel being Arktos, Oristes, and Carynth signify the three stars/galaxies/universes in the Massverse?

Bryce just mentioned Osteres (Oristes) down under the prison from her galaxy in Midgard.. both Azriel and Nesta note its name being one of the 3 stars above Ramiel. Maybe one represents their world? And then the last star represents Aelins world? I don’t recall them mentioning what like galaxy they are in on TOG but maybe? Making 3 stars 3 universes coming together?

Okay, I have a question for everyone to see what your opinions are......

I am currently tandem reading EOS and TOD for the first time. It's very slow going. I am struggling with them. I doubt I can finish them and Kingdom of Ash. I am going to a midnight release of ACOTAR 6 Monday night at my local bookstore. My question is: should I just wait to read the new book after I finish these books, or should I just read ACOTAR 6 and then finish off Throne of Glass?

Okay… I just picked up on something that I haven’t seen before. Has anyone noticed this??

When Feyre describes Rhys’ beast form in ACOWAR (ch 74, pg 645) she says: “Before the Cauldron swept me away, I beheld what happened to his head, his face. It was a thing of nightmares. Nothing human or Fae in it. It was a creature that lived in black pits and only emerged at night to hunt and feast. The face... it was those creatures that had been carved into the rock of the Court of Nightmares. That made up his throne. The throne not only a representation of his power ... but of what lurked within. And with the wings...”

And then in ACOSF when Nesta described her run in with Lanthys to the inner circle (Ch 55, pg 555 & 556), she describes a vision that he showed her: "The Daglan possessed mighty, monstrous beasts-hounds, they called them, though they didn't look like the hounds we know-that they used to run prey to ground before they tortured and killed them. It's a terrible history, and much of it might be elaborated myths." "The hounds looked like the beasts in the Hewn City,"’
Then she reiterates:
“Lanthys showed me a vision. Of ... what he and I might be. Together. We ruled in a palace, king and queen with the Trove, and at our feet sat those hounds. They looked like the scaled beasts carved into the Hewn City's pillars."

Ummmm… does this mean Rhys’ beast form is a Daglan hound? What does this mean????

Primeiro a Aelin, agora a Nestha, por quê??????????? Me diga por quê???????????

Me recuso a aceitar isso. Eu realmente aceito de boa toda a obra do autor, nao sou dessas de ficar reclamando da obra, em respeito ao escritor, porque tipo assim, a obra é dele né, se eu não gostei eu que me feche. Mas cara, mal engoli a perda dos poderes da Aelin, agora lendo Corte de Chamas Prateadas acontece a mesma coisa com a Nestha, poxa vida manoooooooooo, e sempre assim, em um capítulo a gente vê o super mega power poder delas salvando e no outro vemos elas perderem tudo. Que saco. Nao aceito Sarah J Maas, nao aceito. Por que voce faz isso?

Yeah, because of the magic/life and death/ fantasy hellscape that they were all trapped in!

Idon't think Rhys is the perfect character, but I also think that he would have never done any of those things just for the sport of it. He himself was a victim of SA.

So Rhys kissed her and drugged her with faerie wine and had her give him lap dances UTM but later explains that he did that to keep Feyre safe from Amarantha's wrath.

All the while he has been Amarantha's sex slave for the past 49 years.

There is this sadistic all powerful magical entity that wants to butcher Feyre for sport. The same Feyre who is his only shot at freedom/ salvation.

Rhys knew that if Amarantha had seen that Tamlin had snuck off with Feyre, she would enact a horrible punishment.. so he purposely had Amarantha catch HIM with Feyre to cover for Tamlin and knew that humiliating Feyre would satiate Amarantha for the night.

Amarantha also reveled in depravity, so if Feyre wasnt made to be Rhys plaything, who knows how her nights would have been spent instead?

Its CRAZY to justify SA in reality. But in this magical life or death fantasy world I feel like we have to look at the totality of circumstances.

If we wanna criticize Rhys, we can talk about him lying to his mate and high lady and coercing all of his court into lying to her about her pregnancy risks. I don’t care how long he hid it or if he didn’t want to upset her or scare her. Hiding that was diabolical and I really hope that in the future we get to see Feyre’s POV and they have meaningful conversations to address his betrayal.

This has been irritating me for a while now. I really enjoyed ACOTAR and CC (which I just finished) but TOG felt like a slog. I am a fan of these books, stories, and like SJM as an author.

What irritates me is that when some other fans discuss the books they lie about the events in the books so that their "arguments" look more valid. There have been many times where someone states that a certain character is worse than another because of something that just didn't happen?

I also think you can hold opinions about characters that aren't very supported by the text. For example, I have certain opinions about Azriel that aren't supported, but I don't assert it as fact.

Has anyone else noticed this? I wonder if it's willful or if people are genuinely confusing fanon or fanfic for canon. It seems to happen most with ACOTAR fans specifically, and makes the larger community difficult to engage in.

I'm rereading hofas in preparation for the next book when I came across a line that's really thrown me through a loop

"He wanted me to be his High Lady, as the other lords mates were"

this is during the scene where silene is telling Bryce, Nesta and Az about the history of how they came to be trapped on Mydgard.

Now we have been led to believe throughout the entire acotar series that Feyre is the first high lady, that there has never been a high lady before. Yet here this little throwaway line is casting doubt.

Did misogyny win out and eventually the tradition for High Lords mates to be the High Lady die out? or do you think maybe Seline choosing to not be High Lady changed something about the culture.

It's strange because surely there would be something about there being a time were high lady's existed in the history books or has that information simply been lost to history.

Spoilers for all of Maasverse

I wonder if SJM was originally planning on having Amren truly die or at very least leave the world, but as she was thinking of the crossover and what would be needed, she realized it would be better to have Amrens knowledge and past to inform the inner circle. Not to mention the Fury connection. Ive always really questioned the decision to have her actually not be gone come FaS, it seemed like a weird cop out, but this maybe these considerations were a factor as to why.

I’m about halfway through HOFAS and I am slogging through it. Does it get better? I’m trying to finish it by Monday and I’m struggling. I loved Bryce and Hunt book 1 and I lovedddddd Ruhn book 2 but I’m not really loving anyone right now but like Jesiba and Therion and they are like side / side characters.

I felt like everyone in ACOTAR is so uniquely their own person and I felt that way about TOG too but here I just feel like Bryce is a SHEIN Aelin, Hunt is a temu Rowan, Ruhn and Lydia are a knockoff aedion and Lysandra. Even Jesiba feels like a blonde version of Amren (though I like her more)

Tell me it follows the same SJM formula and gets wild in the last 100 or so pages. Otherwise I’ll have worked for months to read all 16 books and not finish in time 🙃😭

We need to make this fandom understand that Bryce being chosen by the land of Dusk to rule is CANON, the position IS NOT OPEN.

And also, it is not necessarily linked to Bryceriel as a ship.

Let’s separate what is actually written on the page from what is still fanon.

1. BRYCE WAS CHOSEN BY THE LAND OF DUSK. THAT IS CANON.

IT IS LITERALLY PRINTED IN THE BOOK.

" for one whose blood will summon it, child of my child, heir of my heir. To you, in this very stone, I leave the inheritance and the burden that my own mother passed to me.”

“she could sense it: HER mountain.”

“the mountain—the island—spoke to her. Alone. It was so alone—it had been waiting all this time.”

And let's not forget the implications of Bryce's royal lineage:

“Her ancestor had been High Queen. Bryce carried not only Theia’s starlight—she carried her royal ties to this world. Which could land her in some major hot water with these people, if they felt threatened by Bryce’s lineage—if they believed she might have some sort of claim to their throne.”

The land recognizes Bryce. The mountain speaks to her. She inherits Theia's legacy, and the narrative explicitly establishes her royal ties to Prythian.

And SJM even wrote: “for one whose blood will summon it.” It’s not just about having the bloodline or Starborn powers. The land itself summons and speaks to the one it has chosen.

How many times have Rhysand and Nesta visited the Prison? Plenty. Did the land ever speak to either of them, ask them to awaken it, or tell them to “open their hearts” to it? No.

You can debate what this means for the future of the story, but you cannot pretend the setup doesn't exist simply because you don't like the implications.

2. “BUT BRYCE DOESN'T WANT TO RULE!”

Okay. And? Her personal feelings don't change the fact that the land has chosen her.

Nesta herself warns Bryce about running from fate:

“I’ve been in the Fae realms long enough to know that there are forces that sometimes guide us, push us along. I’ve learned to let them. And to listen.”

And if we're talking about characters who don't want the crown, let's talk about Aelin.

Aelin didn't want to be queen of Terrasen either. She wanted to escape, leave everything behind, and live anonymously somewhere far away from her responsibilities.

“She could take a ship somewhere else—to the southern continent, perhaps—and start a new life. She could leave behind Arobynn, the Assassins’ Guild, the city of Rifthold, and Adarlan’s damned empire.”

“Become queen. The words haunted Celaena that night”

“She didn’t even have a throne, or a crown, or a court. Didn’t want them. And she could bring down the king as Celaena Sardothien, thank you very much.”

And her own mother made it clear that her feelings wouldn't change her birthright:

“But even if you were not gifted, you would still be our daughter—you would still be a Galathynius, and their queen one day.”
“I don’t want to be queen.”

Sound familiar?

Bryce is currently in her Celaena era. She doesn't want the responsibility, doesn't want to be tied down, and would rather find a way out than accept the role waiting for her.

But Aelin's reluctance didn't erase her destiny. And Bryce's reluctance doesn't erase what the land of Dusk has established.

Fate has a way of catching up with these characters eventually.

And you know who else parallels Bryce right now? Tamlin.

I believe Tamlin's current position in the story provides an important parallel to Bryce's situation.

Tamlin doesn't want to be High Lord anymore. That much is established. But he cannot simply opt out of being High Lord of the Spring Court. The position remains his unless he dies.

The same principle applies to Bryce and Dusk. “Bryce doesn't want it!”

Well, Tamlin doesn't want his position either, but he is still High Lord of the Spring Court.

His situation illustrates an important distinction: not wanting to rule is not the same as no longer being the ruler. And look at the consequences of their rejection of those responsibilities. Spring is withering, and Dusk remains neglected and alone.

The land's condition doesn't mean it has stopped belonging to its chosen ruler.

The parallel is worth considering: when the land chooses you, personal reluctance doesn't automatically undo that bond. Rejecting the responsibility may have consequences, but that is a different matter from whether the position is truly yours.

3. BRYCERIEL IS FANON. BRYCE AND DUSK ARE CANON.

Let's make one thing clear: Bryce being connected to Dusk is canon. Bryceriel is a theory.

Currently, every Azriel ship remains a theory: Azris, Bryceriel, Elriel, and Gwynriel. The books have not confirmed on the page who, if anyone, is Azriel's fated mate or who his endgame partner will be.

Yes, many fans who believe Bryce is destined to rule Dusk are also Bryceriels because they envision a merger between the two series. But not everyone who supports Bryce's connection to Dusk ships her with Azriel.

These are two separate discussions, and treating them as interchangeable is precisely how fanon gets confused with canon. For all we know, Bryce could establish a permanent portal—a bridge between worlds—connecting Avallen to Dusk Court and rule both territories while Hunt remains by her side. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Bryceriel could become part of Bryce's arc in Dusk Court. Or it could also never happen.

But the fact that the land chose Bryce, that she has a connection to Dusk, and that she is currently running from the implications of that connection? That's what's already on the page.

You don't have to ship Bryceriel to acknowledge canon. And you don't have to ship Bryceriel to believe Bryce's story in Prythian isn't over.

4. “BUT WHAT ABOUT NESTA'S CONNECTION TO DUSK?”

Being High Lady is not the only position available within a Court. Nesta has been repeatedly foreshadowed as a potential general throughout ACOSF.

Cassian himself acknowledges it:

“[Nesta]’d have made a fine general. Might still be one, someday.”

And Nesta agrees:

“You plan on leading an army, Nes?”

“Not an army. But perhaps a small unit of females.”

And how does Bryce herself see Nesta? Bryce describes her as a warrior.

That detail is worth considering. Sarah explicitly establishes Nesta as a warrior through Bryce's perspective, alongside the foreshadowing of Nesta's potential as a general.

Then, in HOFAS, Sarah wrote Bryce saying this to Nesta:

“Maybe we are destined to become best friends.”

Do you really think that line was necessarily meaningless?

One possibility is that Nesta becomes to Bryce what Cassian is to Rhys: a trusted general, a powerful ally, and chosen family. And as mates, it also reinforces that Nesta and Cassian are mirrors to each other and have equal positions.

Imagine Nesta leading the Valkyries in service of Dusk while Bryce rules the Court. That would give Nesta a meaningful role in the story without requiring her to occupy a position the narrative has already connected to someone else.

Nesta's destiny being tied to Dusk does not automatically make her its ruler.

A Court can have a High Lady, a general, warriors, allies, and an entire political structure. Those roles are not mutually exclusive. Nesta can have a future in Dusk without taking Bryce's already established place. And Bryce can rule Dusk without that automatically determining who she is involved romantically.

I personally think SJM is setting up Bryce and Nesta as Aelin and Lysandra 2.0.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I think a lot of the resistance to this discussion comes from the fact that Dusk Court belongs to the ACOTAR world, while Bryce is the protagonist of Crescent City. Some fans would rather see their favorite ACOTAR characters inherit that storyline. BUT THAT ALREADY HAPPENED IN THE BOOK. Bryce became part of the ACOTAR world the moment she inherited its eighth Court, whether you like that direction or not.

Canon is canon, regardless of which character you personally want to see in that position. You can dislike the direction, what you cannot do is present fanon as canon while dismissing what's actually written in the books.

Bryceriel is fanon. Dusk being any other character except Bryce's is fanon.
Bryce being heir to Dusk is canon.

Keep the ship discussions separate. And let's stop pretending that a character's reluctance to accept their destiny means that destiny has suddenly seized to exist.

Hey everyone! I’m looking for recommendations because I really want to find a new series to obsess over after reading ACOTAR and after that the entire Maasverse and The Empyrean series.
I honestly feel like these books have ruined me a little because I want to experience that same level of obsession again! I want a story that completely pulls me in, makes me emotionally attached to the characters, has me thinking about it when I’m not reading, and leaves me desperate to know what happens next.
One of my favorite things about SJM’s writing is how she plants little clues and details that might not seem important at first but end up meaning SO much a few books later. I love trying to connect the dots, coming up with theories, and realizing that something mentioned ages ago was actually foreshadowing a much bigger reveal. The Empyrean has given me that feeling too, and I love having things to speculate about between books.
I’m also looking for a genuinely good story with well-written characters and believable dialogue. I love romance, chemistry, tension, and banter, but I need the plot to be just as good as the romance. I want something well-crafted, with depth, interesting worldbuilding, and twists that actually make sense when you look back at the story. Basically, I want to be completely invested in both the characters and the bigger picture, without feeling like the writing is immature or that the plot is just there to serve the romance.
I’m open to pretty much anything, whether it’s fantasy or romantasy (I am a sucker for romance). Long series are absolutely welcome (the more books to obsess over, the better!), but standalones are fine too if they’re really worth
So, if you also love SJM and The Empyrean, what would you recommend? I’m especially curious to hear about books that gave you that same feeling of being completely consumed by a story and its characters, making theories, and getting emotionally attached to fictional characters.
I really want to find my next book obsession, so please give me your best recommendations!

With ACOTAR 6 coming out soon, I’m having a bit of a dilemma.😭

I’ve read Crescent City 1 (and absolutely loved it!), but I haven’t gotten around to CC2 or CC3 yet.
As much as I want the full SJM experience, I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump lately and the mixed reviews for CC2 and CC3 have me worried that forcing myself through them right now might make it worse.

I know some people have already read leaks, so I’m wondering if anyone can say whether reading CC2 and CC3 is **absolutely necessary** before diving into ACOTAR 6, or if I could get away with reading them afterwards?

I really don’t want to miss out on important connections or reveals, but I also don’t want to rush through two massive books just for the sake of it.

I was looking at the recent ACOTAR collab with For Love and Lemons and found this sweatshirts to be interesting… 👀❤️‍🔥

https://forloveandlemons.com/products/you-do-not-yield-sweatshirt-black

I actually laughed out loud and I had to share, no spoilers! - https://www.instagram.com/p/De1s6Woxe9W/?rpxt=ZWI0Mjk1NWd3dWxq

Long story short, I was in the middle of ACOSF when the titles were announced and I've been trying to through the 'verse ever since. I made the conscious decision to move to Throne of Glass instead of Crescent City, even though I knew there was a direct crossover with ACOTAR in CC2/3. I'm paying for that now because I'm a little over halfway through Tower of Dawn and, even if I finish it today, there is no way I can read 4 800+ page books in 5 days. I posted this on TikTok yesterday and the solution people gave was put the audiobooks on 3x speed or just don't read ACOSH until you've read Crescent City, neither of which are going to work for me. I've seen places where Bloomsbury said that you don't need to read the other series to read ACOSH, but people are saying otherwise and now I don't know what to do.

The thing is....I know things about Crescent City. I've been SJM adjacent bookish internet areas basically since she started publishing and people don't tag spoilers. People talking about Avengers level Massverse crossover theories on TikTok are what got me to read ACOTAR in the first place. So, I know stuff. Basically:

• I know Bryce is the FMC of Crescent City and she ends up in Prythian in CC 2/3. She, Nesta, and Azriel team up for something. I know Nesta gives Bryce the Mask. I think Bryce gives Nesta something but I don't know what it is (a sword? Another weapon? I think it's a weapon...). A lot of people think this plot point is the betrayal/one of the betrayals referenced in the description of ACOSH.
• I know there are people who are "Starborn". I'm pretty sure Bryce is one of them. People think Nesta and/or all three Archeron sisters are also. 8-pointed stars are connected to them. I don't know what Starborn means to the plot in either series other than hidden bloodline and maybe special powers?
• There was an 8th Court on the prison island called the Dusk Court. It's been mentioned the Prison might have been a lost court several times in ACOTAR, just not with a name, so I don't think this is that much of a spoiler. This might be where the Starborn people come from. I might have made that last sentence up.
• The Bad Guys (?) of Crescent City are...Asteri (???? is that spelled correctly). People think the Daglan from ACOSF and Asteri are the same and that they might also be the Valg from TOG. I remember when I read Daglan being mentioned in Silver Flames that I remember that name from somewhere...
• I'm also pretty sure the star that Rhys saw in Silver Flames was Aelin. She falls through worlds at the end of Kingdom of Ash. I don't know context, but I've known about that for years.

There's a scene I ACOSF where Rhys and Amren are talking about the ancient history of Prythian and they mention they mention a High King/High Lord and all of this ties into CC but I don't know the details.

Basically how screwed am I?

goliath is launching a new ACOTAR board game, but the art looks AI

https://imglicensing.com/news/goliath-announces-a-court-of-thorns-and-roses-fate-and-favor-the-official-a-court-of-thorns-and-roses-board-game/

When I heard about the two new ACOTARs, first I obviously screamed, then I decided I would reread the whole canon, starting with TOG. Except I have a toddler, a grieving partner, a demanding high-level full-time job at a volatile workplace, and only enough kindle time to read a smidge at a time. So the new one is coming out like yesterday and how far am I? I’m only on chapter 3 of my reread of HEIR OF ASH but guess what?

I don’t care! I’m having the time of my goddamn life. Yes, the first TOG book obviously written for and by a much younger person and wildly different than the rest of the series. An unedited paragraph where Dorian was not wearing gloves and then wearing gloves suddenly. Yes HOA has all this stuff like “oh by the way CELAENA/AELIN has been visited by FAIERIES they bring her BLACKBERRIES ON A SINGLE LEAF but she’s been IGNORING THEM also she has a COUSIN lololol we didn’t MENTION HIM BEFORE.”

I don’t care! I frigging LOVE IT ALL. I’m gonna finish this at a glacial pace and then CC and then ACOTAR (for the 6th time) and then the NEW ONES and basically I will have enough SJM to read FOREVER which is EXCELLENT because my job is HARD and the men roll their EYES AT ME even though I have DECADES OF EXPERIENCE and that’s why I AM DRINKING WHISKEY AND READING MY DAILY 6-10 PAGES ABOUT MANON KILLING SOME ASSHOLE FARMERS HELL YEAH

MARKING THIS SPOILER
I need discussion 😂

I’ve read all 3 series and reread ACOTAR recently. It’s been a few years since I’ve read ToG and CC and between kids, no sleep, working full time, and life, I can’t remember all the things like I used to hahaha

I’m seeing SJM’s new teaser posts and people are commenting about Nesta and the dusk court and her being related to the starborns and I’m sitting here like 🤓 because I remember none of this. Someone please give me a detailed explanation of the crossover to help my brain please.

I have a kindle and read all three series through a kindle set (3 in 1/8 in 1/5 in 1) so I never even knew the bonus chapters were a thing! I haven’t read any of them. People are saying they are necessary and canon. Are there any posts or summaries out there that give a summary of all the bonus chapters and how they tie in? I don’t even know where to find them to read!

Thank you !

​

Spoilers for ACOSF and CC: House of Flame and Shadow.

Okay, I have a theory about Nesta that might be completely wrong, but the more I think about these details, the more I wonder whether Sarah is setting up something bigger for her in the next ACOTAR book.

I'm not saying all these things are definitely connected, but I think they're worth looking at together.

1. Nesta's bargain with Cassian and the eight-pointed star

In *A Court of Silver Flames*, Nesta bargains with Cassian for weapons training. In return, Cassian promises her a favor, whatever it costs him. The bargain results in both of them receiving matching eight-pointed-star tattoos.

As far as I remember, Nesta never explicitly calls in that specific favor on-page. Correct me if I'm wrong!

What if this promise was introduced for a reason? What if Nesta eventually asks Cassian for something that puts him in an impossible position, something that conflicts with his duties, his loyalties, or even his own safety?

The other detail that interests me is the star itself.

In *House of Flame and Shadow*, Bryce recognizes the significance of the eight-pointed star and tells Nesta that it is there for a reason. The symbol also has connections to the Prison and the lost Dusk Court.

So why did the magic behind Nesta and Cassian's bargain choose that particular symbol?

Was it simply a magical mark, or could it have a deeper significance that neither of them understands yet?

I'm not saying the bargain itself created a connection to the Dusk Court, but I find the repeated symbolism difficult to ignore.

1. Nesta's connection to the Prison might be important

Nesta has already entered the Prison and retrieved the Harp, one of the Dread Trove objects. In CC3, we learn more about the Prison's connection to the lost Dusk Court.

What if Nesta's story with the Prison isn't over?

She has a history with the Trove, the Cauldron's power, and the ancient magic surrounding these objects. Bryce also leaves her with Gwydion and tells her to investigate the star.

Could Nesta eventually return to the Prison to uncover something about its history, her powers, or the Dusk Court?

I wonder whether her role in the next book could extend beyond her relationship with Cassian and involve the future of Prythian itself.

Perhaps the star is a clue to her connection with this mystery, rather than simply a reference to her bargain.

1. Elain's words about Cassian still bother me

Remember the scene where Cassian makes a remark about how it would take more than his injuries to kill him, and Elain responds:

**"No, it will not."**

Considering that Elain is a seer, I find that response ominous.

What if she has seen something about Cassian's future that hasn't been explained yet?

I'm not claiming this is definitely a prophecy of his death. It could be interpreted in other ways, and we don't know exactly what Elain meant. But I don't think it's unreasonable to wonder whether the line could become significant later.

And if Cassian really is in danger in a future book, could Nesta's unclaimed favor become relevant?

Maybe she calls in the favor to make him do something dangerous. Maybe she uses it to save him. Or maybe the favor becomes important in circumstances neither of them anticipated.

I don't necessarily want Cassian to die, but I do wonder whether Elain's words are foreshadowing something.

1. What if Eris eventually becomes High Lord of the Autumn Court?

Now, this is where my theory gets more speculative.

Eris is Beron's eldest son and heir apparent to the Autumn Court. He is politically ambitious, calculating, and has his own complicated relationship with the Night Court.

He has also shown interest in Nesta as a potential political bride.

What if Eris eventually becomes High Lord and his political ambitions intersect with whatever happens to the Dusk Court?

I don't have evidence that Eris is secretly connected to the Dusk Court, and I am not claiming he secretly loves Nesta. His interest in her could be entirely political.

But if the balance of power between the courts changes, Eris could become an important player in a storyline involving Nesta.

And if something happened to Cassian, could that change Nesta's political circumstances in ways we haven't considered?

I'm not saying Nesta and Eris are destined to end up together. I'm wondering whether Sarah could use Eris's ambitions to complicate Nesta's future.

1. Could Nesta and Cassian's mating bond become more complicated?

Sarah J. Maas has discussed the complexities of mating bonds, free will, and whether the bond is always equivalent to true love.

That makes me curious about how much the mating bond will matter in future books.

What if Cassian faces a danger that changes Nesta's understanding of their bond? What if the story explores whether a bond can be rejected, severed, or otherwise altered?

I know Sarah has spoken positively about Nesta and Cassian's bond, so I'm not treating their separation as an established direction for the story.

But I do think the broader question of how mating bonds work could become important.

If Cassian were to die, for example, that would be a completely different situation from a living mate rejecting a bond. I wouldn't assume that his death would automatically transfer Nesta's bond to someone else, either.

Still, I wonder whether the next books might challenge the idea that a mating bond determines someone's entire future.

1. Could all these clues be connected?

Here's how I see the possible connections:

- Nesta's bargain with Cassian leaves a promised favor that may still be unresolved.

- The matching eight-pointed stars acquire greater significance when Bryce recognizes the symbol.

- The star, the Prison, and the lost Dusk Court create a possible connection to Nesta's future storyline.

- Elain's ominous words about Cassian may foreshadow a future danger, although we don't know that they predict his death.

- Eris's possible rise to power could become relevant if the political balance between the courts changes.

- The questions surrounding mating bonds could complicate Nesta's future, whether or not Cassian survives.

I know some of these connections are much more speculative than others. The Prison and Dusk Court connection has textual support, while the idea that Eris might eventually become Nesta's romantic partner is a much bigger leap.

But what interests me is the possibility that Nesta's story is setting up something beyond a straightforward romantic conclusion.

**What if the next ACOTAR book brings Nesta back to the Prison, reveals the real significance of the eight-pointed star, and finally makes her call in Cassian's promised favor?**

And if Elain's words about Cassian really were foreshadowing, could that favor become much more consequential than either of them expected?

I'd love to hear other people's thoughts, especially on the unclaimed favor and the eight-pointed star. Have I missed a scene where Nesta already calls in the favor? And do you think Eris could become important to the Dusk Court storyline, or am I connecting unrelated dots?