Una corte di armonia infranta

A Court of Thorns and Roses #6

by Sarah J. Maas, Alessandra Roccato (Translator)

LA SERIE FENOMENO CHE HA CONQUISTATO IL MONDO

L'acclamata serie creata da Sarah J. Maas continua con una nuova storia in quattro movimenti

Ciò che è stato spezzato verrà ricreato

Nel cuore profondo del continente, Koschei il Senzamorte sta per risvegliarsi, dopo essere rimasto imprigionato in un lago per millenni. La minaccia insidiosa del suo ritorno si propaga rapidamente nei territori dei Fae, attirando alleati potenti, determinati a reclamare a ogni costo ciò che un tempo era loro: le terre degli umani.

La Corte della Notte non intende certo restare a guardare mentre degli uomini innocenti vengono attaccati. Ma con Prythian ancora impegnata a rimettere insieme i propri cocci all’indomani della guerra devastante combattuta contro Hybern, l’impresa di unire le forze si rivela ogni giorno più difficile.

A peggiorare la situazione, coloro che governano e proteggono la Corte della Notte sono ancora scossi da tradimenti e verità venuti alla luce di recente. Le fratture che li separano sembrano insormontabili. Tuttavia, per sconfiggere l’ombra strisciante di Koschei, dovranno trovare il modo di ricongiungersi e far risorgere le antiche alleanze. E, per sopravvivere, dovranno trovare il modo di ricomporre la loro armonia infranta.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, New Adult, Fae, Fiction, Fantasy Romance

427 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 27, 2026

About the author

Sarah J. Maas is the #1 bestselling author of the Throne of Glass, Court of Thorns and Roses, and Crescent City series. Her books have sold millions of copies and are published in thirty-eight languages. She lives in New York City with her family.

Reviews

[G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full Review (spoiler warning): 5/5

A Court of Splintered Harmony is a fast-paced first part of one whole story, revealing some conflict and tension between political alliances and relationships throughout this movement.

There are forces at play regarding Koschei the Deathless, looming across the continent. With the way some characters were behaving in ACOSH, it leaves us wondering if Koschei is already pulling the strings within the Night Court since his voice can carry through the winds.

While Feyre and Rhysand and the rest of the IC seek to secure alliances and find out sensitive information, Elain’s romance, particularly her relationships with Lucien Vanserra and Azriel the Shadowsinger, has become a focal point in the overarching plot.

In ACOMAF, we learn Elain is mated to Lucien Vanserra right after being thrown into the cauldron and transforming into a Made Fae. Elain emerged as an entirely different being–without a choice in the changes in her body, the choice of a mate–with powers she has yet to fully master and utilize.

We also see young Azriel and how he became a shadowsinger, born from his trauma, and throughout ACOSH, his shadows disappear from Elain because she is the bright to his dark, the person who breathes life into him.

What particularly stood out to me was when members of the Inner Circle told Elain she can reject the mating bond while simultaneously telling her how important it is for Lucien to be an ally and asset to them. This would ultimately confuse Elain. How can she reject a bond to a person the Night Court may need for the impending war? She already feels like she is not doing enough, and disappointing her friends and family would be something she does not wish to do.

For five books, Elain made it evidently clear she is not interested in Lucien Vanserra. As Elain said, "Lucien is nothing to me" in Chapter 22, ACOSH. I wish some acotar stans had more empathy for her choice and autonomy. We know that Elain cannot make that decision yet, with all the pressure going on around her.

I will admit we need Elain’s point of view to fully understand her thoughts and explore her feelings and visions for her life and future. But I cannot help but enjoy the beginning of the relationship between Elain and Azriel, and we know what Azriel thinks of her: “He was death, and she was life. Where his soul was soiled and bloodied, hers was pristine, verdant.”

Remember that ACOSH is part one, meaning the beginning of the story. Elain and Azriel have been friends since ACOMAF; it's about time they act on their feelings.

Furthermore, the Inner Circle and potentially darker forces are shown to keep Elain and Azriel apart. Their love is forbidden, with challenges from every corner that they will have to overcome in the upcoming movements. Those who think the Inner Circle being against their relationship is a sign they won’t end up together are simply not true.

The Inner Circle is against their relationship because their political alliances are already fragile. The IC does not speak on behalf of Elain, nor do they choose for her in her love life. That is the point of her story about choosing what she wants in the end, despite all odds against them. As Azriel said, “to hell with all of them, for trying to come between him and Elain, for not grasping what was so very obvious.”

Some say Elain and Azriel have an unhealthy dynamic. I see it as two people who care about each other and act out on their feelings and need for each other. They started their relationship recently, and it began because Azriel was spooked about Nesta handing the mask to Bryce, which made him think, "this is my chance to express myself with her, as if the world was ending."

Do we also remember this is ACOTAR and not every relationship in this series began as sunshine and rainbows? It's amazing how people want to dismiss them entirely based on a three-hundred-page book (a tiny fraction of the whole story) when they have time to grow and develop in ACOFM (the much larger one). ACOFM will give us a better understanding of everyone's headspace.

Also, am I not the only one sensing something between Lucien and Vassa? He's very fond of and protective of her. I also believe Lucien will be the one to help break Vassa's curse, but we will see. I feel like many dislike Elain for their dynamic when he seems like he will be getting his own HEA after all; everyone just needs to be patient.

Lastly, I thought this book was kind of funny. There were moments when we were meant to be shocked. It felt like a telenovela; I think that's why I enjoyed it so much. Elain putting flower arrangements to block the view of her mate (comical!) The spy twins teasing Azriel (loved it!)

The book ends with Elain wanting to do more than stand idly, and her journey to Vallahan to help stop Koschei will show all of her potential. Azriel’s last chapter ends with him wanting to find Elain to make things work, leaving their journey open-ended to continue in ACOFM.

Elain Archeron is the forgotten melody, and I cannot wait to read the rest of her story, her POV, along with the rest of the Inner Circle.

"His salvation–that was what Elain was, what he'd been willing to fight for"

*can't believe I have to say this, but if my review triggers anyone, please go seek help. Any personal attacks will be removed, considering I have not attacked any of the characters, nor am I calling anyone who disagrees with me any sort of names; all I did was express my opinion. You are allowed to disagree and debate respectfully. Any comments made against my person are a poor reflection of you if you cannot regulate your emotions over these fictional characters at the end of the day. My comment should not boil your blood.*

03/21/2021

Elain Archeron is a seer, which is what the next novel needs to locate the fourth trove to stop Koschei. There are pressing matters that are going on in the courts, and there is political tension. This is a fantasy series with serious issues going on, not a contemporary NA where the main couple has the time to get to know each other. This is ACOTAR. Elain and Azriel have already established a friendship, and their interactions are entangled with Lucien due to the mating bond.

Elain and Azriel's relationship has been foreshadowed since A Court of Mist and Fury and scattered throughout the series. In the bonus POV, Azriel made it obvious that he has feelings for Elain. Rhys had only told Azriel to stay away from her because it would trigger a blood duel with Lucien and potential war between courts. But Azriel admitted it would take him no effort to win that blood duel, meaning he is willing to fight for Elain.

Azriel had given Elain a personalized rose necklace that she returned due to Rhys's interruption, which is similar to how Cassian had given Nesta a gift during her first Winter Solstice (that she rejected), but they ultimately got together. Not to mention that Azriel had looked at and thought about Elain's gift to him for an entire year until the next one, when they exchanged gifts again.
Up until now, Elain has been visibly uncomfortable around Lucien. You can find that evidence throughout the series, and she told Lucien that he had betrayed them. She had never shown interest in him, but it is evident she is interested in Azriel, which is mutual. That is a setup for the next book, which would be about CHOICE.

Those who say Elain and Azriel's relationship would be obvious and cliché are missing the fact that two mated individuals (Elain and Lucien) getting together would also be obvious, cliché, and repetitive. Reading about choice and free will, choosing what you want instead of allowing "fate" to decide feels much more liberating to read. To say that Elain should be with Lucien because he is her mate is stripping her of the choice before she even gets to make it in her novel, so that argument is invalid.

Also, notice how Azriel has heightened hearing, and Elain can see things others can't. Azriel said in ACOWAR that they needed a seer. Both have special abilities that would be used for spying on other courts and kingdoms, which is most likely the plot for the next book, in addition to the blood duel and forbidden-love aspect and miscommunication trope, finding Koschei and the fourth trove, which would be one of Sarah's finest works.

Overall, I can't see Elain with Lucien when he told Elain they were mates right away, not giving her a choice, which was a mistake because, to Elain, choice matters. Usually, two people accept the bond normally when they are unaware of it; they become friends first and then lovers. Elucien is the only mating bond that had been known right away, which means it was doomed from the start because it makes them feel equally shackled.

Therefore, Elain most likely won't end up with a man who's a reminder of what was taken from her- a choice- the same person that ignored both their feelings. However, I do believe Lucien will be the person who supports her choice and encourages it, whatever it is, and I also believe he will be getting his own love interest that may have already been suggested.

As for Azriel and Gwyn. Gwyn deserves better than potentially receiving a second-hand gift from Azriel, whether Clotho had given it to her or not. Clotho knew it wasn't meant for her when she noticed how sad the Shadow-Singer's face was. That gift was meant for Elain. It was a rose necklace, and roses symbolize love, romance, and secrecy. Azriel had then gone to the House of Wind to distract himself from Elain. He thinks he doesn't deserve her, despite Elain returning those same feelings. Please don't ignore four books of build-up; you're just ignoring canon at this point.
But we'll see more in the next book.

Now, to those who think Elain is boring, her character has not been fully fleshed out yet for a reason (because it's reserved for her own book). We will learn more about her, which is why we don't know much about her, but we know this: she's a seer, a flower-grower, a kingslayer, a hero of Prythian. That is by far impressive.

In Feyre's bonus POV after ACOSF, Rhys says, "We haven't yet seen all that she has to offer." And if you still think Elain's "boring" or "annoying," we don't know much about her. Some readers judge her before giving her a chance. Remember that Nesta was heavily hated prior to receiving her book; therefore, what makes you think Elain would not capture an audience? No one is asking you to read the books if you don't like Elain, so move on if that's not what YOU wanted. Mind you, the author gets to write what she wants to write; Elain haters do not dictate that at all.

To be frank, I am disappointed in the ACOTAR fandom for making sexist and misogynistic jokes about Gwyn and Elain, reducing their characters and worth to a ship. I've seen people compare their reproductive systems. Pliant bones? Not being able to have children? What are y'all on about?

[SK · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Oh wow, Movement 1 was like being dunked in cold water and forced to meet with the ugliest parts of emotional torment you can imagine and yet something that you need to see and confront. I loved every messy moment of it. I've had some time to think about the events of this book. It's frustrating. Some of it made me scream, nearly throw the book at a wall, sob because it hurt too much but then there's this odd, lingering vulnerabilities to it that draws you in. I couldn't stop reading it. I loved how the mess was shown bitter enough to be labeled resentment, hatred, arrogance and agony. But there was so much love and desperation to be seen and chosen too, how does one overlook that?

Movement 1 definitely reads like it's being taken out of a bigger picture, which it is. And most of it won't land until we get the complete picture. But definitely read Crescent City before jumping into this. The narrative won't make sense without it.

I personally loved the political expansion here. That we're moving beyond the Night Court and Prythian. The continent had me curious for a long time now, and with how the chess pieces are moving on the board, I'm very intrigued by the direction this will take in ACOFM and I do have a theory for that which I'll expand on a bit later. The military and strategy developments are interesting but they need bit of an oopmh factor. It's a slow start to the movements but one worth reading, can't wait to see how it furthers the plot.

Loved to see Feysand as parents. Though the watery bowels have now turned into milky breasts. It's fine though, Feyre's nursing a six month year old baby. It's really not as annoying as people made it to be imo. But I loved seeing Rhysand's happiness being a father. No one deserves this more than the two of them. And oh my gods, Nyx, those baby scenes were so adorable.

I genuinely thought I could review this without spoilers but there is much to be dissected and I can't keep it all under the wraps with how much I need to scream. So stop here if you haven't read.

Also, apologies for the LONG review.

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🚫 CONTAINS MAASSIVE SPOILERS 🚫

🌌 1. The Political Landscape: Night Court and it's Allies. Potential High King and Queen? 🌌

While I'm glad that we are moving on to a bigger scope of political warfare, something like ToG, there's a smudge of juvenile way of going about things. I don't mean it in a negative, it's just an observation. Sure, I loved seeing clashes of diplomacy play out and the new characters spewing their bs. But Feyre's vision however peaceful cannot be achieved by mere friendly relations. And both Rhysand and Eris see it for that. I loved how Eris paints the imagery of darkness being equally needed to balance the light. Sort of like Yin and Yang. And with Prythian itself not allying with that vision, it makes me see it as the courts need change and unity. Imo it was being set up for a High Queen rather a High King and I have just the right candidate in mind.

While Rhysand is loved and feared, he has adamantly refused to take up the mantle. And I genuinely think he doesn't want to. After 500+ years of ruling the Night Court, the wars and finally finding love and family, his arc has sort of reached a point where he would pass that wisdom to someone else. And we see that in ACOSH quite clearly. I don't see how anyone could misinterpret that. When he gives the troves back to Nesta, and her asking to be like him, that's clear as day. With Nesta being approached by Amren and eight pointed star, she's clearly being set for the High Queen status. Narrative and pattern supports SJM putting women on a higher position and Nesta's story is not yet completed.

So will Prythian unify under a High Queen? Not instantly. But the tide may turn if a certain Autumn Heir takes his own mantle. Perhaps in the next book. I'm not going to elaborate on that yet, but there's been crumbs all over.

⚔️ 2. Nesta and Cassian: Reconciliation and Healing ⚔️

Good lord, this was painful to witness. I think the whole Nesta situation in regards to HOFAS is blown way out of proportion. She did not deserve that kind of isolation and judgement. That was not easy to witness. Especially from Cassian. And I guess the intent here was to show even mates have their marital issues or maybe Nesta needed to be on the journey alone. But I genuinely do not think that they're breaking up or Eris is going to swoop in and take Nesta. However hard the journey was here, reconciliation showed they love each other a lot. And I guess we also found out that perhaps you cannot un-mate. Cassian definitely needs to stand up more for her though, he had me a little frustrated and I still have to see effort from him. He is allowed to be upset, but the fact he even refused to hold her is genuinely baffling.

Nesta is a queen amongst women and love that Eris can see that. I don't mind a little healthy ribbing. And while we're talking about her. Hello??? The winnowing??? The chase against Bryaxis??? CHILLS.

🖤 3. Azriel: Trauma, Self Loathing and the difference between understanding and excusing him 🖤

I genuinely LOVE Azriel. I understand him completely. He's one of my favorite complex, morally grey characters written. And yet, with love, I'm still going to hold his character accountable. Trauma doesn't excuse the harm you cause. To self and to others. But while we're talking about Azriel, holy hell, the shadow lore we're getting. I loved finding out more about how his shadows operate. The inner mechanisms of his own mind and soul. It truly breaks my heart reading about his past and I sobbed so much especially the first few chapters. The way he sees himself, his wings and shadows, his siphons and his soul was downright devastating. He calls himself empty and yet all I saw was how deeply he's truly feeling. His struggles with Illyrian heritage is genuinely saddening to see. But from where he's coming from, I suppose it's valid.

I think the bit that hurt me the most was how desperate he is to get rid of his shadows. That he doesn't want to accept that one consistent part of him that's always seen him and yet he doesn't want it. And hence, that leads him to spiraling with the Elain thing. It's just one of the many triggers. The shadows behavior is worth watching, who they run from and who they feel happy around. And his reluctance to accept that part of him and the self loathing is making things worse.

Lmao tho I would admit his relationship and pettiness with Truth Teller had me cackling every time. I'm sorry I couldn't take it seriously at all.

I really hope to see his arrogant, cocky ass heal first before anything but I doubt it will be easy. He doesn't need humbling. He needs to feel seen and chosen. To be loved in the light rather than be someone's dirty secret. Nah, I love him. He doesn't deserve the hate for wanting to be chosen however wrong his methods to achieve that.

💙🩷 4. Elriel: A Ship Sinking 💙🩷

Oh, I'm going to risk the hate here. But I genuinely cannot see the love and romance here. Even if I pull away the mating bond with Lucien away for a few moments. Romantically? The book did not favor Elriel at all here. Everything, nearly everything happened off page. And let's remember, this is Movement 1. We're only going to move forward here. We won't go back to Elain's pov to revisit the romance that never happened. For a romantasy, taking out the biggest ship and not giving them the intimacy of emotions is not love. It reads like something brief and an infatuation that needed to be explored to be purged.

Their first kiss happens off page. We also don't see them connecting at all emotionally. There are no conversations between them when we actually see them connect. But what we do see is Azriel wanting to talk about his past to Elain and her pivoting the conversation to the bedroom. And however gentle she may have been, that shuts a door that Azriel was opening. That was written on page. We also see Elain consenting to be with him sexually. When Azriel asks if she's certain and she responds positively, there should have been no miscommunication. Sure, Elain can be confused but if you are, he deserves to know. She claims towards the end to Nesta that she saw a future with Azriel. And yet, it doesn't erase the fact that the moment Lucien caught them, the first thing she says is: It's a misunderstanding.

That does not support Elriel at all. In fact, I would go to say that the chemistry was wrong deliberately. Everything about it was written in a manner to make us feel the ick, the wrongness of them, the unease and how uncomfortable it's getting to see them like this.

Azriel is seeking light while being a secret affair in the dark to someone who could not listen to his past or his vulnerabilities. His shadows do not want a part of it, they see Lucien's pain rather than his own first. You cannot ask someone to be your light when the other person is keeping you in the dark. Fuck no. Azriel deserves better.

Not to forget that Azriel is also not clearly over Mor. At least not completely. He has conflicting emotions but he's not yet fully let go which I suspected as much. You don't get over a five century worth of pining in a manner of two years.

Coming to the fact, while Azriel may be advocating for Elain's autonomy, her body and choices, he also feels entitled to her. The three brothers and three sisters narrative from him was not sound. But I did see Rhysand holding them both accountable rightfully. No, Rhysand was not interfering. His argument was if you want Azriel, reject your fucking mate. It's simple as that. It's even more simpler that he doesn't want to be a complicit in the mess unfolding under his roof when he has a potential war to strategize. And it's understandable. He's a damn High Lord! His actions and support have consequences. So no, he wasn't stopping them. He just wanted no part of it.

The entitlement is to the point that Azriel feels the need to drag Lucien down the moment Lucien does something nice for the sisters during dinner. And yeah, no. That reeked of insecurity and desperation. He's not feeling secured with Elain at all. So how is it salvation? The imagery of life and death may be romantic but even Tamlin said to Feyre: I love you, thorns and all. Unfortunately, the evidence from Movement 1 is not in favor of Elriel.

Though I'm still a little curious if Movement 2 and 3 will address that necklace at all.

🦊 5. Lucien: A Deserving Male 🦊

I'm ngl the protective rage I felt could match the intensity of a mating bond. Cause what the fuck do you mean he had to endure another betrayal and humiliation by the hands of our beloved characters and no fucking one went to check on him??? I'm genuinely so sick and tired of everyone in the Night Court painting him as a "tool" to be used or as the enemy. We're six books in, and he's not smiled since Jesmida (in his own words). And we have not seen him sass or be playful since book 1. You would think that Azriel, who pined after Mor would understand Lucien and his scars the most but unfortunately no.

And it's not just the mating bond complexity that has me pissed which let's not forget, he didn't ask for either. No, it runs deeper. Because he has no home to go to. He has no friends but Jurian and Vassa. Feyre, who owes him better thinks of him as an "asset" or "tool." I'm utterly baffled by how Feyre has been treating him lately. He did leave everything behind to go with her.

Rhysand? Keeping the information about Helion from Lucien, not out of protectiveness but rather to use at the right time??? Yeah no.

And Azriel sending that repulsive spy after him? Cheap fucking shot. There was no need for this and I can see this backfiring.

✨ 6. Elain, Koschei and the Made weapon ✨

I mean, it's all very fascinating. I cannot wait to see where the story goes and what this other Made weapon is. But could it not be Elain? I'm just speculating. Given how everyone is coddling her, won't she have a reason to be bit of a morally grey reason to outwit others? Idk, I'm watching her closely especially since she left with Mor to Vallahan and Gwydion disappeared too. And with Azriel's shadows choosing to disappear around Elain and the timing of Bryaxis attack, I'm not truly convinced of Elain's innocence yet. She doesn't shy from telling Mor that looks and seduction can be a manipulative skill. I would personally raise red flags and alarm bells there.

But on another note, apart from Nesta coddles her so much, it's miserable on her end. She does try to open up conversations on helping around more than babysitting and gardening to Feyre, but gets shut down. It's not fair to her. So taking up space from everyone and going her own way? Approved. She needed that. This is perhaps the stepping stone in whatever she is to become.

Also another thought off the top of my head. Azriel trusts the winds and the shadows the most and yet we also notice how Koschei does have power over the winds and dreams. So how far, does the influence really go? Again, not saying Azriel is a villain here. But is he even listening to the right things? Are his shadows picking up on the actual truth??

Koschei's presence is described as death, no joy and without hope. Kind of like the mood of this book. Idk if it was intended to be this way or not. But interesting. Especially the contrast of death in Koschei and the life in baby Nyx. Could be nothing, could be something, I can't wait to find out.

💅 To conclude 💅

Things were messy here. Utterly chaotic and yet these were things that needed to happen. Without the explosions, no ship or romance would move forward. Without bringing a character down, there won't be a rise to their development arc. This is just Movement 1 and it started off with a banger. I can't wait to see where Movement 2 and 3 takes us. The action and political intrigue would be insane. Especially with Koschei coming out of his hellhole properly.

I'm so excited to see Elain's POV, along with Lucien's and Gwyn's. Gwyn is genuinely so precious to me, the potential there is amazing. She does not need Azriel but he definitely needs someone like her. The Valkyries are just starting and I'm here for it. I just know Azriel is going to have a tough time but the growth will be worth it. I'm not giving up on him at all. He deserves to be loved and he deserves his own healing arc. Here's hoping we get a desperate healing arc cause my baby is a little too destructive right now. I personally would love to see more of Eris. The potential is humongous and please for the love of the Cauldron, unravel the mystery with Mor.

The only reason this is 4.5 and not 5 stars for me is the fact that however much I loved and enjoyed this soap opera, I couldn't get behind how Lucien was treated. My blood boils like the flames of the Autumn Court. Other than that, I'm already waiting for ACOFM.

[Clace · Rating 3.25 out of 5]

BUCKLE UP BITCHES 🗣‼️ i'm here to rant

I know that this story is split into 4 parts and scattered across three books. My rating for this book might change when the others are out, but for now, I am only judging it for what it is presented as.

SPOILERS OF COURSE !!! - (dont come crying in the comments later on)

Wow - we finally got another ACOTAR book 5 years later 😭 It honestly felt surreal to have it in my hands and read it. It was only 320 pages, but it did read like an ACOTAR book - in fact, it felt like reading ACOTAR all over again 🫣 I'm settling for a 3.25 for now because of how inconsistent I felt things were.

So, lets start.

The writing - idk why, but it felt so weird 😭 I was talking to my 10/10 absolute diva of a friend (some of you might know her as buket), and she told me that the writing was already bad 😭😭, and that we're just developing our frontal lobe now, so we're noticing - and I couldn't even disagree because some of the scenes (NOT ALL) were not well written, but the book was still enjoyable. I was hooked. It had me on it for ten hours straight, like I genuinely don't know what drugs were infused in it because I couldn't put it down despite the underwhelming writing. I binged it in a span of 12-13 hours. The plot saved the book. It was well handled, and the way it's moving makes it sound very promising, especially with how things ended.

I honestly think we're at this stage with SJM where we can criticize her writing if it's lacking 😭 because she's written multiple books, she has delivered time and time again, and if there is this lingering pattern creeping up where her writing is deteriorating (first HOFAS and now this), we can say it out loud. Some of the scenes were honestly so hard to read. The second-hand embarrassment I got from those scenes. The insane 'tell not show' thing going on, it felt more like a recap of the previous four books rather than a start of a new story (had me feeling a bit iffy at the start). I really miss the days when we would actually get characters on journeys in books. It added so much character depth, it would actually flesh them out, and make us root for them. It added a lot of value to the story but now there's zero importance regarding this and its barely in books. Especially here the characters are somehow transporting near the mortal lands, then to summer court, then back to the night court in like a span of a chapter 🙄

Also, i don't understand her fixation on some particular things, she would focus so much on such irrelevant stuff and bring it up at the most critical parts of the book 😡 (for example: Feyre breastfeeding or thinking about leaking milk 😭 rhys and feyre thinking about banging each other while talking abut alliance, Cassian and Nesta having argument and Cassian getting hard and wanting to bang.)

However, as the book progressed, I think I got more used to the writing because I started to enjoy the book and look past the problems that I had initially. I hate publishing restrictions because I would have loved to just read the entire thing in one go, and I think that would have encouraged me to give this book a higher rating because there are so many things that are clouding my thoughts right now, and only more answers can get it cleared up. I do believe that she ended this book at the right moment. The entire monologue between Nesta and Amren at the end felt so cinematic - that part was well written (credit where credit is due). I also think the next book is going to fare better since it has fewer problems to tackle. The wait time is three months instead of five years, so managed expectations and recent exposure to the characters and plot would make the experience better. The plot is also shaping up to be something grand, and I am excited to see where the Valkyrie cycle goes and if it's going to live up to its name.

I liked that the tension throughout the book was high, with Koschei the Deathless having this lingering dreadful feeling without even making a single appearance, the whole court drama, the human lands being at the risk of invasion, the Bryaxis jumpscare. It's safe to say it made this book not only eventful but easy to read through. It was atmospheric and tense, and you could, UNLIKE SOME CHARACTERS 😒, feel the urgency of the situation (ik ik, it feels conflicting when I praise it like that). Her prose might be subpar for the most part here, but her ability to write about high-stakes environments, creating an eerie atmosphere, is certainly not being put to question. Idk where she is going wrong with her prose or rather the execution of it because TOG had some of her best moments. Anyways, I love that we are moving forward in terms of the world as well, exploring new areas and more magical items - I'm a sucker for a book that gives its world building and magic system equal importance.

My ratings are more so based on what I've said above, but WE HAVE TO talk about the characters AND the romance.

We get multiple perspectives, with the most going to, I think, Azriel, then Feyre, then Nesta, then Cassian, and some small chapters for Lucien, Gwyn, and Mor (1-2 max).

Lets start with Azriel. From what I had read from ACOTAR to ACOSF, going into this book, my perception of Azriel was based on that, and we didn't know much of him. He's always been a mysterious character, so naturally, given the circumstances and how those books cater to his character through other characters' perspectives, is how you make your own thoughts and expectations of him. Being in Azriel's head was a totally different experience. I got whiplash going through it 😭 I loved the prologue. I think getting a perspective from his past was what I needed, and I wish we got to see more of him and his struggles alongside his mother. BUT I also do get that he has that part buried deep and isn't ready to talk it out, but knowing that part of his character gave us some answers and made his character more fleshed out. It also gave some reasoning to his actions - to an extent, and his behavior. Azriel might be caring, loving (to his family), protective, and aloof, but um 🫣 that's not all.

He's stubborn as hell, he's reckless, immature, entitled, impulsive, self-destructive. I think most of these emotions stem from his past and some from envy or jealousy of seeing his "brothers" have mates while he does not. I liked his perspective at the beginning because there was actually something happening 😭 but oh my god, after like 30%, his character read like a child throwing a tantrum. ITS CLEAR that this guy needs a massive healing arc - like he's in desperate need of it. I'm sorry, but you cannot be horny enough to be willing to risk such an important alliance, knowing that the threat this time is so much bigger. I always thought that he was going to be smart/clever and calculated, but boy, he was the opposite of that. He and Elain hooked up for a month, and out of those hookups, Rhys found out twice and had warned him a year before all this started. SO it's not even like this bitch didn't know the severity of the situation 😭 He was full-on lipsing with Elain in the kitchen, and when Rhysand appears and is like, mind you, very civil and logical, Azriel starts throwing tantrums and, mind you, f bombs. 😭 Rhysand says I have too much on my plate and I cant handle your shit. 500-year-old Azriel proceeds to say fUcK yOu. Never have I ever wanted to slap someone so fucking hard.

Then we get to the second scene before I start my rant for this (I was the biggest Azriel fan out there 😭 but the sheer aura loss that he suffered from in this scene was so heartbreaking and icky I cant). So Azriel is fondling Elain's boobies, and Lucien steps in - Azriel isn't warned because his shadows can't stand to be with him in the same room as Elain and they, like me (😝), are repulsed. He knows what he did is wrong, he knows that the woman that he did it with is humiliated, crying, and isn't even saying anything other than that this was a misunderstanding, and he knows her mate is there and what he is feeling. And keep this in mind: Rhysand told him his experience of WHAT HE FELT when he knew that Feyre was his mate and was with Tamlin, but still goaded him on and on - KNOWING that everything, every threat, is hanging on by a thread. ALL OF HIS FAMILY are there, and this bitch is there arguing with his fucking dick out 😭😭 like at least wear some damn pants because your shadows weren't covering you either CUZ THEY REFUSED TO LISTEN. He didn't think, he just did, and he ruined everything 😭 like literally Lucien, who could have helped them with Autumn and Spring Courts AND had Jurian and Vassa alongside him. The disdain and disappointment etched in everyone's face was so damn satisfying to see because he honestly deserved it, and he needed to be called out. When Mor slapped the shit out of him, it was so peaceful.

Feyre and Rhysand, oh my days 😭😭😭 Reading Feyre's perspective after 7ish years felt so damn weird. I enjoyed Feysand moments because they have their cute moments. I liked that beach scene a lot because I feel like it's important for relationships to have moments like that. I am also behind Rhysand on the High King thing because I DO NOT want him to be High King. We dont get Rhysand's perspective, so thankfully, we missed out on 400 mentions of my mate, but we did get a lot of Feyre's perspective. I was so scared that she was going to make Feyre only act as a mother and forget that she's super powerful and is also a High Lady, but I'm so glad that she did not do that because Feyre had that fire here, which I loved. However, some of the stuff that she did was super annoying 😭 Rhysand, I also liked. He was harsh, but he was super rational, and his decisions made sense 100%. Her, Rhys, and baby Nyx were soooo cute. I don't mind Feyre constantly mentioning breast leaking milk 😭 because she just gave birth to Nyx half a year ago, I think, and it would make sense for this to be mentioned, but it's done at the most weird times istg 😭 The smut scenes were so damn bad, like omg, I did not miss the smut chapters at all. The constant innuendo was so hard to read, and the sex scenes overall were an instant skim because I could not read borderline lactation kink pls 😭

Nesta and Cassian, GUYS 😭😭😭😭 I genuinely don't know how this happened BUT 😭😭😭 I LOVE NESTA?? Like, that's actually crazy. I was not fond of her at all. I think it's because she carried so much emotion in this book. She lowk carried the entire book on her back, so I will say thank you to her. I think I liked her so much more in this book because I agreed with her decision to give Bryce the mask. I know in the courts' eyes, it's a sign of betrayal, but it was the right choice. They knew it was the right choice, and they would have made the same choice if they had some time. Them being mad was justified, but them prolonging it was so damn stupid. Idewtt about Azriel rn because he NEEDS that desperate healing arc. Nesta did not deserve all the shit she got, especially from Cassian. Nesta single-handedly saved everyone's asses. Her scenes with Gwyn 😭 not this book living up to its name. I loved her and her bond with her sisters and her sisterhood. I loved how strong she was. Her single-handedly going against Bryaxis was so badass, and her drive to push against her abilities was so amazing to see. Also, Nesta clocking Elain at the end was so peaceful to see and was definitely needed, given how coddled she is. The next book will definitely have her as an integral part, given how it ended. Cassian is hard to hate, and I know that he's loyal to his High Lord, but some things are meant to be between you and your MATE. I think he should have the common sense to keep it that way, and also, him shutting her out for so long just pissed me off.

Amren and Mor, idc if I'm High Lord or Lady - if a 15000-year-old female comes up to me and says this wont work, and do this, I'll save my time and do that (no shade). Morrigan, the woman that you are. We got one slice of POV from her, and I ate it up. I cant wait for her book. I love her for slapping the shit out of Azriel and giving him shit because he DESERVED it. I'll be sending her prayers. Poor girl is stuck with Elain. I ALSO BETTER NOT HEAR ANY MOR IS EVIL allegations.

Gwyn, I'm super excited for where we are going with her character. There must be some importance to the highlight on the bonus chapter and her getting her own POV - I'm super excited. I don't think she's going to be evil as many think - Az calls himself a monster and a demon literally, so idt if Gwyn feels that, given how she has a traumatic past and how things are unraveling for her, is out of pocket. I think the second book's title also has to do something with her or the priestess in general. Idt SJM would use her in a villainous role, and also, isn't she based on her best friend?? Also she says she hates illyrian men but so does Az and cass 😭 and that she enjoyed killing those men in the rite but baby so did manon, lysandra, and aelin 😭 so let's not go there to justify her being a villain.

Lucien, I felt soooo bad for him, especially after I read his POV. This man has been nothing but kind and respectful, and I hate to see him being betrayed and broken like that.

Elain, omg, I hate her so much. She is the most useless character ever. I hate her with burning, raging passion, like I have not hated a character like her. She is so useless, like omg, and she says that don't coddle and don't infantilize me, and she gets herself in the worst position and then starts crying, like fucking crying. Bitch, what the fuck are you crying for?? Did you not think about the consequences at all?? Like, if she wants to sleep with Azriel, that's OKAY, she CAN, but like, have the decency to end things with your mate. Why is she stringing him around? I dOnT LiKe LuCiEn. I wAnT nOtHiNG tO dO WiTh HiM. Then break the damn bond and put both you and him out of that misery. She's actually so dumb, I can't, like she just pisses me off.

She says I can be useful and that she's a seer, but that stupid girl always talks in codes that by the time they figure things out, they would happen. I can see why no one asks her for help - also, she literally starts crying at every single thing. OMG, her victim complex is so strong, like she's also VERY much entitled and A RAGING PICK ME. Her going to Nesta and Feyre, apologizing for the plans she's destroyed because she knows they would forgive her, but when Nesta doesn't, she gets all defensive and starts backtracking, like bitch, weren't you here to apologize? ISTG SJM needs to do massive work on her character cuz I can't stand her character. ALSO, SHE'S A FUCKING SEER BUT HER DUMBASS IS CRYING 24/7 MAKING IT SO EASY FOR THE READERS TO FORGET THAT SHE HAS THINGS SHE CAN HELP WITH BUT OH NO ONE ASKS SO SHE WONT.

The romance, honestly 😭😭 this version of Azriel can stay the FUCK away from Gwyn. I don't think Elriel is endgame. If it is, I think there is a longggg way to go, LIKE a long way to go. Elain is in Vallahan, and I think her story will somehow tie up to Lucien's, while Azriel is in the House of Wind with Nesta. I think what's important here is that AZRIEL can get a proper arc and get his shit together and actually process his emotions and consider himself worthy of being loved because I'm sorry, their relationship felt super lusty. Not Azriel trying to open up, but Elain stops and says they should find a room to bang in, like hoe?? Is you fr?? Elain also needs to get her shit together. We need actual POV from her and to get inside her head and see what's going on so we can understand her. A majority of you havent read Tog and it shows 😭 sarah can easily switch up on who she wants as endgame. I do think with Azriel being in the House of Wind and his arc overlapping Gwyn's, I think that IN MY OPINION, there might be a high chance of that happening. Elucien 🫣 hopefully- idk, but hopefully.

Overall, I had fun ngl. It was messy and enjoyable.

Special mention to Areeba, Fiza and Hoda for going through this tough time with me
Special mention x2 for Shifu/Areeba for proof reading this review
___
Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwnyriel. Gwynriel. Gwynriel

[ellen · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

azriel honey let’s get you a therapist

[Angelica]

I was waiting for Azriel and Elain but now I'm here for Az and Gwyn.
We got just one scene with them and I'm ready for the ship to sail!

Although, after reading HOSAB I don't even know what's going on anymore.

Also... can Eris get a bigger part in this book? I'm officially a fan.

[spring ~♡]

if Azriel and Gwyn doesn’t end up together in this book I'll set myself on fire. Along with the book.

[Beatrice in Bookland]

this book is going to piss off half the fandom no matter which couple ends up being endgame lmao

[• Lindsey Dahling •]

Let me be clear: I would rather die than see Az and Elain get together.

[✩ Yaz ✩ · Rating 4 out of 5]

OUR STORIES ARE WORTH TELLING. THE VALKYRIE CYCLE LETS GOOO ⚔️🩷🧚🏼‍♀️✨

Is there event a coherent way to type a review for this book? I can't even find the words 🤣🤣🤣

[levi (starboy) (s.ia) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine finding an early copy days before publication anyhow
Pre read because i got myself a copy
—-
The cover looks like the instagram logo i was hoping for a yellow or sum

[Kaila.Books · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Here is some chicken scratch, I’ll come back and edit later

Holy f , what an incredible lead up to Acotar 7. I didn’t expect to get this much out of this book and I have a lot of thoughts and highlighted about 700 things.

I also don’t think I would interpret this book the same way if I hadn’t read Crescent City 3.

It makes me sad if you haven’t read CC3 and only have the Inner Circle’s unreliable narration to base their opinions of Nesta on.

There are so many Easter eggs woven into this book. A storm is brewing.

I think this series is taking a big turn away from romantasy into high fantasy and we are about to set the stakes higher

SPOILERS

SPLINTERED- I assume is alluding to all of the chaos in the relationships !!! I LOVED that this challenged how we thought of all the main couples… feysand, Cassian and Nesta, Azriel the little emo f boy

If it couldn’t more obvious that Azriel and Gwyn are endgame… his shadows trying to get to her and running in the hallway from Elaine. And if you think for one second that they’re going to be together after we don’t even get to experience their first kiss or any romance arc .. now way. Also his internal dialogue saying Mor is hot while with elain???! Ewwww He was an absolute annoying fuck boy in this book. He has MAJOR growing to do and I can’t wait to see it



I think Cassian and Nesta are going to have a MAJOR blowup in the next book. They are terrible communicators. It made me so sad to see Nesta and her depression and him just completely icing her out. He continues to choose Rhys, time and time again, and I feel like we finally got a much clearer look at what that actually means for Nesta .
After they make up… The fact that Nesta had confesses something that to Cassian in confidence, and he then tells Rhys OMG

I think we are propped now for a huge war, betrayal, and development from Az… also seeing Elain coming into her own in the next book … going to back and start theorizing

[Cindy ✩☽♔ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a disappointment.

Everyone was annoying me for the vast majority of this book. So much of this could’ve been cut and the rest combined with the next installment.

Like many others, I was excited we were getting Azriel’s POV. Jokes on me though because he was the worst one in this book. Nesta was the only one I actually liked most of the time with Feyre coming in second. Honorable mention to Lucien and Gwyn who didn't get nearly enough page time in my opinion. Cassian I wasn't happy with either. Because what do you mean you didn't check on your mate who was severely injured after saving all your asses? Bad mate behavior.

I am glad Feyre and Nesta have grown closer. Nesta and Rhys somewhat bonding was also nice. It’s disappointing Nesta and Gwyn have hit a rough patch in their friendship though. I need their sisterhood back. That and more Emerie.

Key takeaways: My appreciation for Nesta grew. The opposite can be said for Azriel. He’s selfish and short-sighted. He has so much trauma and self-hatred he needs to work through. I previously wanted him with Gwyn, but honestly she deserves better than his current mess. I hope book two has less Azriel and more Lucien. More Gwyn too. I still want Gwyn and Lucien to meet. Maybe become besties. I’d love if she ended up being related to him in some way so he has a loving family member. Same for her.


All my previous theories:

Okay, so I am thinking this book will actually wind up being about Azriel. And I just have to say that I am now on board the Azriel and Gwyn ship, so fingers crossed it happens! Gwynriel for the win y’all 💖

I shall thus reserve all my Lucien predictions for book 6 LOL

--
12/9/2020
I think, at this point, the remaining full-length books will be about the remaining members of the night court. Maybe the novella will be about Lucien.

---
2016
Let this book be about Lucien!!!
He was so underutilized in both ACOMAF and ACOWAR. I need more Lucien in my life.

My fangirl hopes/predictions/theories:
But honestly, with Lucien's story, there is still so much to tell. Whether it’s his relationship with Elain, his fractured friendship with Tamlin, or his near non-existent relationship with his family. In ACOWAR, we were hit with two major Lucien-related realizations. Both of which he was not even privy to. I really hope Feyre tells him the truth, and I hope he cares enough to seek to confront those truths. Again, I do truly believe Eris when he said he stood against their father to protect Lucien. And if this really is the case Lucien deserves to know. He deserves to know that his entire family did not abandon him. Also, the parentage question, if Hellion is truly Lucien's father then
OMFG he needs to god damn know about it! He needs to understand how much his mother loves him, because he is, most likely, her one true a love child. He may also, in fact, be the heir to the Day Court. Not sure how that would work given his magical affinity seems to lie with the Autumn Court, but who knows. Sidenote: I also would not mind some flashbacks between Hellion and Lucien's mother because I really like Hellion *wink* Also I want to know why Lucien's mother chose to stay with his father despite the fact that she might have loved/loves Hellion. I mean surely, Hellion could have protected her? Was it because of her family? Is there no divorce option when it comes to Fae? Again, all important questions to me lol. Anyways, I want Lucien to mend fences and really grow as a character.

[Bailee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t want to spoil anything at all, so all I’m going to say is:
1. I’m happy to be back in Prythian.
2. Sarah loves the drama.
3. I was reminded at the end that this was one book that had to be cut in half because it was too long.
4. I’m ready for January already.

[kinsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I get the whole point of this particular story/title is that allies and people are splintering the harmony they'd previously had to set up the next two books...but one issue I have with this author in particular (and I say this as a lifelong fan of her work) is that sometimes she'll write characters that to ME seem OOC to further the plot. Instead of writing what narratively fits that character, she'll have the character act the way she wants to in that moment regardless of if it makes sense or not. Idk if I'm wording this well, but hopefully you get what I mean.

ALMOST. EVERY. SINGLE. CHARACTER. LOST. ALL. THEIR. GROWTH. Minus maybe Feyre? Gwyn? Back to the library. Emerie? Back to the shop. Nesta and Cassian? Suddenly fighting again. Elain? Lost all her spark she was gaining in SF. Why are we regressing character growth just so you can rehash it all again for some filler? I genuinely don't understand. I understand healing isn't linear, but c'mon...this was just silly.

I also didn't like how many POV's this one had...it felt unnecessary.

Now onto my biggest issue with this book....SJM has talked for years now about writing and planning for Elain's book, yes, BOOK, implying she would get her own. Only to make her share her story with like ten other POVs? She has SO much story to tell, we know next to nothing about her or her seer powers, if she has any others? Why does the cauldron favor her so much? Will she break the mating bond? Will a blood duel happen? Will she follow where her heart seems to be leading even if it's forbidden? I had such high expectations for this one and the only time we really see Elain get a chance to speak up is through Mor at the very end. Like, with Mor? Really? You couldn't make that last POV Elain to set up her story?

It just really felt like Elain is the punching bag of this fandom and author, who repeatedly made her out to be the bad guy in this book when it was NOT necessary while at the same time pandering to the boy moms of the fandom by giving Lucien and Azriel POV's to make them more sympathetic than the girl in the triangle....

I truly understand that an Elain POV is 100% probably happening in the next book, but is it really even going to be satisfying when she's sharing her story with everyone else? How much focus will she really be able to get with so much going on? I don't understand why we couldn't have made this next book all Elain and then the final one multiple POV to wrap things up? I digress.

I STILL don't care about Nesta and Cassian as a couple and maybe SJM isn't done with their story but I was just bored with their repeated problems and they still don't seem like a good fit to me. Also controversial opinion since I know so many love Nesta, but I just don't care to have more of her POV at this time, we JUST had a huge book of her and she's still getting this much focus? I don't mind her playing a part as a side, but again, can we move onto something new?

I did enjoy seeing Feyre as a mom and how she didn't lose her ambition and worth and focus as a character just because she suddenly became a mom, that was probably the highlight of the book to me. I had missed being in her head and to see a leading lady being a mom in a romantasy series is something we almost NEVER see or touch upon, I found all that very touching.

I also do NOT look forward to the idea of a Gwyn/Azriel pairing...to each their own but Gwyn literally came out of nowhere in the last book and had like two scenes with Azriel and suddenly we're supposed to be rooting for yet again ANOTHER potential mated pair? What about the build up of Elain and Azriel? WHAT IF THE CAULDRON WAS WRONG, SARAH? Did we forget about that? All that just for the cauldron to probably maybe be right? *SIGH* There's a few instances in this book where Sarah J Maas literally had to retcon details about Gwyn and Az as characters to try and push the ship as this upcoming epic thing (one such example was Azriel's siphon colors changing randomly to match her eyes after like books and books of them being described one way) and I feel like if you have to do that to sell a ship, it's not a very good indicator of the ship? Az has spent 500 years obsessed with Mor, only to start to get over it with Elain and now suddenly he's gonna be obsessed with someone else? And is regifting necklaces? How is this anything to root for? Gwyn deserves better and Az needs therapy. Just my personal opinion.

Idk, I just feel let down with the direction of this series going forward and I worry that her best writing may be behind her. I hope SJM proves me wrong.

[She-who-must-not-be-named]

*Spoilers for A Court Of Wings and Ruin *




Do you think there could be something between Elain and Mor? I know it's stupid and I don't even know why I thought of it, honestly 😂





Please God, LET IT BE AZRIEL AND GWYN ❤

[❀ Rose ❀]

You know what, I was just thinking and I actually feel really bad for the author. Literally no matter which ship she decides on, she’s going to get so much hate by people. Even though these are her babies and her characters, whether she decides on Elriel or Gwynriel she’s bound to disappoint some of her fans and we all know that some people transform their disappointment to hate and cyber bullying. I’m talking about this now cz I was just online and I saw some comments that were truly appalling. I, myself would love for Az to end up with Gwyn but if that doesn’t happen, then for God’s sake people that definitely does NOT give me the right to hate on the author OR on the people who would be happy with the ship that Maas decided on. Either way, please just be nice y’all😂

_____________________________
🔹Random thoughts:
〰 Although it was hinted at in ACOMAF, my soul will leave my body and never return if this turns out to be about Azriel and Elain.

〰 I hope this isn’t a love triangle situation cz I would hate it. I kind of want the book to start with Az already moving on from Elain and starting to like Gwyn.

〰 If this book doesn’t have an Azriel and Gwyn Karaoke scene I will riot 🎤

〰 I want Gwyn to be a siren and I want us to explore life under the sea (maybe she will have some kind of connection to Tharion, who knows).

〰 I am so ready for all the drama that will unfold because of that stupid necklace lool.

〰 I read a theory that said that Gwyn is Tamlin’s daughter and the only thing I could think of is that the idea of Azriel being Tamlin’s son in law brings literal tears to my eyes.

〰 As the lovely Evelin has pointed out, Az’s shadows sing when they’re around Gwyn. I personally believe that they’re silent around Elain because they’re shriveling with disgust at the thought of their host touching that garden hose. The thought makes me happy😌

〰 Will add more once I think of other things lol.

[ana · Rating 0.25 out of 5]

a book about fucking nothing. i was unaware it was possible to write this many pages about absolutely fucking nothing. and not nothing in the literary, contemplative sense. i mean NOTHING. no substantial plot, barely any character development, and an extraordinary commitment to making every conversation feel like we’re on the verge of something important happening and yet we never are. and what the fuck are they even planning? they sit around deliberating like the founding fathers drafting the declaration of independence😭✌️

azriel continues to benefit from the widespread misconception that being emotionally constipated constitutes a personality. you are NOT the guy pal, you are SO NOT the guy. rhys and feyre need to die already. preferably together, so we can finally explore what prythian looks like without the narrative constantly insisting that these two are the moral and intellectual pinnacle of civilisation. and elain, jesus fucking christ. can this wimpy child grow some balls? her perpetual helplessness would be considerably more interesting if the narrative actually interrogated it instead of treating her inability to stand up for herself as some admirable feminine virtue.

nesta carried, as always, but even her subplot was asscheeks boring. she’s one of the few characters with enough contradictions to sustain genuine psychological complexity, yet somehow even that potential gets buried beneath an astonishing amount of nothing.

and the prose. good fucking lord. sjm was never exactly a master of the written word to begin with, but this is particularly atrocious. every emotion is explained, repeated, rephrased and explained again in case the reader suffered a traumatic brain injury between paragraphs. there’s no subtlety, no trust in the audience, and very little distinction between genuine emotional depth and simply describing feelings at exhausting length. the characters aren’t allowed to be complicated so much as they’re allowed to repeatedly announce that they are. the book has so little to say about the characters it’s supposedly exploring. there is a difference between allowing a story to breathe and having absolutely no idea where it’s going.

an honourable mention to feyre’s breasts and breastfeeding, which i counted thirteen references to.

[afra · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Court of Breastfeeding and Disappointment

[Shaz ♡ · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

A court of splintered expectations because what was that?! 💔

LOOK, I KNOW THIS IS BUILDUP TO A MUCH BIGGER STORY BLAH BLAH BLAH BUT WHAT THE HELLY?!


Possible spoilers but not really:
Nesta: 11/10. POP OFF QUEEN you’re the real MVP 👑

Daddy Rhys: yes my High Lord, always. Every damn day 🥵

Feyre: love you girl but enough with the milky titties okkk 😭

Cassian: bruh. MAN UP FOR YOUR MATE. I am begging 😩

Lucien: sweet angel baby you deserve better 🥹

Elain: gtfo out of my face pls I SWEAR 😤

Az: you’re meant to be a 500-year-old shadow daddy and all I got was a childish emo fuckboy who’s butt-hurt at the world?! I’m sorryyyyyyy but GET OVER YOURSELF and stop sulking at your goddamn sword while you’re at it 😭😭😭


If you loved this, I’m genuinely so happy for you and I wish I was vibing along with you! Pls be chill in the comments and respectful of people’s different opinions 🫶🏻


Pre-read:
If I'm basic for reading this on release day then so be it, basic book baddies assemble 💅🏻🩷

[bilqees (thebellekeys) · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Silken sac" I just don't wanna talk about it. Leave me alone.

[Val ⚓️ Shameless Handmaiden ⚓️]

The wait might kill me...worth it.

[Miranda Reads]

Wait a gosh dang minute. A title? A cover? A PUBLICATION DATE?

IS THIS FINALLY HAPPENING?!?

Ps. I might be in the minority BUT bring back the old covers! When was corporate logos with white text ever the aesthetic?

UPDATE: FOR ALL THOSE WHO HATE THE NEW COVERS:

The same artist StarsThatDreamShop who redid the A Court of Silvered Flames cover to match the old style has let me know that she's going to redo these covers as well. Hallelujah.

Her previous work:

[manas · Rating 1 out of 5]

➳ భయంకరమైన ☆

yikes, i am so sorry. this was an absolute and complete flop on my part. as always, this review is gonna be a hate review; take everything with a bucket of salt. i will be going through the whole book and there will be spoilers. major‼️SPOILERS‼️ in this review. i will be going into the details of why this didn't work. my opinion is just that—MY opinion. if you love this book, i am VERY happy for you. please do not come into my comments are talk shit because i am not in the mood. this will only be a review of the book, NOT the author/fans of the series. please read whatever you like. i am not the book police. <3

i’m going to just say one thing very clearly and that is that i understand this book is part of a much larger book and it should be read and understood as one story instead of as multiple parts to multiple books. even with all of that, this book is unbelievably chaotic and poorly written. taking aside the jarring character choices that SJM chose to portray—the narrative structure as a whole is extremely shallow and the characters are vapid and overly emotional in ways that make absolutely zero sense, regardless of whether or not you actually like these characters or these stories. we can honestly all agree that none of this is cohesive work of an author that has supposedly been writing for well over a decade. this feels like an entry-level story that somebody decided to write on wattpad after daydreaming about faeries. all overall TERRIBLE start to this supposed “new era”…so i’ll be going into full details of this mess.

let’s start with the obvious which is that this has unbelievably clunky writing. the prose is so substandard that it’s making me look like a literary scholar. now, SJM is not someone i particularly fuck with—however, this is a new low even for her. the dialogue in this book is so painfully contrived, it genuinely makes zero sense given the rest of the characters history not only with each other, but just in a world building standpoint. almost every single character is over 300 years old and yet if you told me that they are fucking three, i would definitely believe you. the unnecessary amount of temper tantrums that these people were throwing just because they didn’t get their way was giving me secondhand embarrassment to the maximum. her previous stylistic choices in writing have always been something that i have criticized, however, it truly feels like this went through zero editorial processes, and this was a last ditch effort to make her fans happy seeing as none of it has anything to do with the previous work that she has put out.

before i get into the nitty-gritty in the specifics of why this book was absolute cow shit from somebody’s ass, i’m going to briefly talk about this fandom and their cult following hypocrisy when it comes to their favorite so-called “men”. you guys are absolutely fucking insane and it doesn’t surprise me in this slightest that everybody’s problem with this is that their favorite 500 year-old flop isn’t getting his happy ending. as i previously mentioned, i actually don’t care much for this author, even though i do hold a lot of these books close to me due to the mental health representation that it has. however, even with the little bit of leeway i can give her, it really doesn’t excuse this level of psychosis that the fandom has not only brought on themselves, but they push onto each other. i am very aware that SJM can only do so much and is not responsible for her readers, but it is very interesting to see how aware she is of her audience, and how she really tries to ignore what’s right in front of her. every time i’ve gotten on the internet, it’s only been about these men. it’s always: men, men, men. misogynistic ass people…

now that we are out of the basics, this is where i’m gonna go into full details of this terrible plot.

let’s start with everyone’s favorite topic of conversation—the politics. what the fuck was that? LMFAO? this was just horrendous. blunder after blunder. i believe SJM is a democrat, but this was full of right wing maga talking points. it was severely taking me out of the narrative. i’m gonna be completely transparent when i say, i actually have no idea what this universe is about. what’s the end goal? why are they here? what’s their purpose? i don’t, and neither does she. the political intrigue in the world building is the most important part of any fantasy story. where is it? this is an absolute egregious failure on her behalf because this doesn’t stand strong due to the lack of anything. this entire book everybody is playing babysitter with each other and running around talking about some “close the walls”…pythian as a plot device is extremely under developed and has zero relevant to the bigger picture. it’s not so far away land, where people come out to hide and are scheming against their enemies. its just a pretty little land where a bunch of these horny 500 year-old pigs are making it by thanks for the women and their efforts.

speaking of these circus clowns. jesus fucking christ. god save me please. the night court as an entity makes absolutely no goddamn sense. no logic whatsoever. i have no idea after almost 6 books, we are STILL expected to regard rhys as an exceptionally progressive leader when all he does is disregard his wife and his sisters in law. the absolute and utter buffoonery that occurred in a court of silver flames will never not fucking piss me off. the “pact” he had with feyre and his CHILD, it’s truly some of the worst writing and storytelling i’ve ever seen. i genuinely thought she would change this for her new book, but lord i was wrong. for a man who loves to emphasize the concept of choice and having the ability to make decision decisions for oneself, really disregard that when it’s convenient for him. a ruler is a ruler. sure. but, i wouldn’t have such high expectations if she wasn’t writing these characters in particular ways when it benefits her and her terrible choices. why go out of your way to emphasize rhys is more than just a ruler and cares about his family—when we have never seen this play out in action. this is a byproduct of not knowing what the fuck you’re talking about.

speaking of not knowing what you’re talking about, she is extremely hellbent on favoring the aesthetics and the lush environment over the plot. this COULD HAVE been an instagram post. that’s how little this matters in the long run. all of this genuinely could have been fit into the previous books bonus chapters, and nothing would have changed. no, that is not good storytelling and that is not building up to something bigger or better. this is laziness. having elaborate hierarchies and vast elements of self-declaration is not grounds for moving a plot forward. the entire inner circle is incredibly fucking toxic and are all operating on multiple levels lower than rhysand and his “wife”. the entire found family walks around eggshells when it comes to these people and can never voice their opinions, both personal or political without it turning into an entire fucking soap opera. i genuinely would not care in any other circumstances if this were truly the direction that we were going, however, SJM has made it very clear that she views the entire IC equal—emphasizing that they are family. at some point, we must be allowed to question whether these characters are genuinely competent leaders or are just the beneficiaries of a narrative that refuses to hold them to the standards it imposes onto everyone else.

speaking of these standards…gwyn, lucien, mor, amren, and hell, even elain. get the fuck out. these characters are absolutely shells of themselves and have nothing to do with this plot. as always, mr. high lord bitchass is the egregious one of the bunch and has everyone gripped by the balls. nobody can speak without it offending him, no one can just do what they want without him interfering, no one can have their main character moment without this fucker inserting himself. this is what we call favoritism. she is obviously extremely biased seeing as he is one of the first morally, gray fantasy men that garnered a huge amount of following from a primarily female audience. i get it, grandma. everybody wants to be like rhysand, but IT’S GETTING soporific. you’re so woke, you fell asleep. stop with the rhysand dick riding, it’s gotten so mundane. i’m genuinely extremely perplexed as to why she is so insistent on giving everyone their own stories and their own arcs when all she does is revert back to rhys and co. even feyre—the actual main protagonist—doesn’t get glazed this much. if she was this obsessed with rhys, she could’ve just given him another book. why make it clear that “everyone wil have their story told” and then obviously favor certain characters over others. azriel and elain are the remaining two “main characters” with no development or storyline.

speaking of azriel and elain…girl. what the hell was that? i am probably in the minority when i say—they make the most sense ship wise. it was clearly building up to this being endgame but the way it was executed was so cheap. so so shoddy. i’m actually losing my mind because of how horribly all of that played out. even after they “hooked up” a few times, it makes sense that they will be endgame because of HOW he spoke about her. the whole point of this relationship was a slowburn. it was building up since mist and fury with an obvious forbidden aspect since elain and lucien are mated, and daddy rhysand barred them from seeing one another. so color me surprised when i say, nothing happened. no build up, no slowburn, no tension, no angst, no chemistry, no nothing. this was the most nothingburger relationship ever. they had so many moments in the previous books where they’re outside nature could have truly shined, but instead, we were more focused on the bullshit and did not let any of that shine through. these two are shells of the people they used to be. the only element of this book that makes sense is how possessive azriel is of her. but baiting lucien? throwing toddler tantrums with rhys? being so loud and obnoxious? GIRL. you have 500 fucking years of age. the most embarrassing part of this is when they all walked in on elain & azriel NAKED…and then both just stood there and did nothing. i’m fucking screaming LMFAO. SJM must think we are a group of jokers because in what world is this romantic? i was dying of embarrassment at how inadequately everything was playing out.

now, don’t get this twisted into thinking i’m here for the utter tomfoolery that is gywnriel and elucien. fuck these flop ass relationships, because i don’t care. gywn is a good side character to nesta’s story but she does NOT need a man to be interesting. azriel doesn’t even like or see her that way, and she couldn’t give less of a fuck if she tried. i find it hilarious how these fans self-insert with her because they want to pretend they are with azriel. the same goes for lucien’s grandpa ass. bro is too old for a bunch of middle-aged women to be crying over him being lonely. nobody gives a fuck. elain owes him nothing and it’s getting very creepy how women who are reading romantasy of all things are forcing this bond and coming for elain for not wanting him. all this poor baby talk has me gagging. he’ll be fine. he’s deadass centuries old who is also a boring cunt but…that’s neither here nor there. the whole point of this story is CHOICE. elain gets to choose. azriel gets to CHOOSE. they are the two most dismissed characters where every time they try to speak or voice their opinions, they get shut down and told to mind their business.

i’m always heavily intrigued by the silent girl in fantasy books that always gets spoken for, but it seems like SJM doesn’t even know what she wants to do with her because how are we almost 6 books into the series and she doesn’t even have one goddamn thought to herself??? it’s actually irritating to see how feysand & nessian had their story. they had their romance, their arcs, their points of view. elriel? ZILCH. people already hold women in romance storylines at a much higher standard than they ever would a man—and this is not helping all of the delusional women out there that self-insert with their favorite bat boys. the structure was always there. 3 brothers with 3 sisters. it was the perfect set up. they both are each other's mirrors. like calls to like. azriel is the quiet damaged loner. elain is the dismissed, forgotten middle sister. azriel is very clearly in love and obsessed…elain wants someone who sees and treats her as equal. they both HAVE something. this isn’t built off a fanfiction fantasy like the other couples. they’ve had as much time to develop with nesta and cassian. both of these relationships started around the same time. everything was laying out crystal clear…but of course, i should’ve known this would flop because this fandom has no idea what they're talking about. people are way too quick to force azriel in relationships with everyone and their mother just BECAUSE they hate elain. people don't ship lucien + elain because they love them together. it's because they feel bad for that man. people don't ship gywn + azriel because they have this soul shattering chemistry and connection. it's because they HATE elain. if 2+ 2 = 4...this level of delusion is actually crazy.

overall, if you like this book, that is literally your prerogative. if you’re gonna come for me for reading this because this is obviously a negative review, please pack it all the way up. i first picked up these books when i was severely depressed, and due to that it holds a special place in my heart whether i want it to or not. i had this entire book and storyline leaked to me at the very end of august, so ultimately, i made the decision to just read it to get the full picture and because once upon a time ago—i was heavily invested in these characters. i’ll definitely read the next part of this very long book just to get the most accurate depiction of the story that she was desperately trying to portray. but no. i’m not giving this a very low rating because it is the beginning portion of a much larger plot. books can be “well written” even with 100 pages. this is just not one of them and i of all people, am not surprised by this because this is a clear indication of a last-ditch attempt to write something after multiple years of leaving your very, very large audience with nothing. she is also very clearly milking this for everything that she can because the love triangle debacle should’ve been shut down way back when…and let’s be honest here—she easily could’ve fit everything into two books but how else will capitalism work? i refuse to believe this is the work of a highly established fantasy author.

this reads like a fucking prequel novella written by eric kripke. i’m so done.

a court of manas lost her fucking braincells.

[Patricia’s Book Summaries]

MOTHER ABOVE!
BY THE WYRD!
CAULDRON SAVE ME!

MORE MAAS BOOKS!!

[Liana Gold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me just start by saying that this review will contain spoilers in order to properly explain why I think this book is outstanding. Please don't read further if you plan on reading this book or series in general.

For those who have been following or reading my reviews, you probably have noticed how emotional some of my ACOTAR reviews have been like, especially A Court of Wings and Ruin. I've started this series at a very difficult part of life, at a time when my little boy was diagnosed with a life changing condition. The books have provided me a blanket of comfort and even hope at the most stressful time of my life. When I read A Court of Mist and Fury, I was mentally drained and broken and the book gave me some mental strength and when I finished ACOWAR, the book gave me a much needed hope.. hope for a better life and world for my children. I always think its because I've held on to that hope for a long time, I've learned to let go of some negative emotions I've held on for so long and be able to see the light amidst the dark. This series overall has reminded me that to hope is to dream and a dreamer I will always remain to be..

At the end of A Court of Silver Flames I realized that even after 5 books, the readers didn't know much about Azriel, our lonely, broken bat boy. I've reread the series so carefully to be sure I haven't missed anything on him but I quickly realized that there is a reason as to why SJM was holding him in the shadows. After all, he is our Shadowsinger and his story is about to become quite special in The Valkyrie Cycle.

I think that Azriel is by far one of the most interesting characters in the story. But what do we actually know about him? Well for starters, we know that he is Rhysands spymaster and one of his closest childhood friends. We know that he is an Illyrian by birth and quite mysterious due to the nature of his shadows that curl around him and that his signature weapon is a Truth-Teller. We know that he is highly intelligent and shrewd often using his shadows to quietly gather intel, move unseen and intimidate the enemies. We know that in a room of people, he is the most quietest one of them all. Underneath his reserved and hard exterior, there is tremendous amount of trauma. And A Court of Splintered Harmony is a book that jumpstarts his story.

SPOILERS AHEAD, DO NOT READ FURTHER

The story begins with Azriel's POV where we learn that Azriel has been hooking up with Elain for a while and there are many emotionally charged scenes that follow afterwards that really show the complicated dynamics between the three, Lucien included. Maybe that was a bit shocking to read at first because there were zero hints of that in the last 2 books.. but am I surprised? No, not at all. Readers (kind of) were expected to presume 3 sisters will end up with 3 bat boys, since we already have Rhysand with Feyre and Cassian with Nesta.. So it's no brainer that Azriel ends up with Elain. But SJM throws in a twist: Elain is mate-bonded to Lucien thus creating a very complicated dynamic between the three. In Splintered Harmony, Elain is the center of Azriel's attraction. He himself assumed 3 sisters for 3 males and we see him constantly questioning the mated-bond by often saying 'what if it's wrong?', 'what if there has been a mistake?'.. what if they are meant to be together? All I've heard through out the book is 'what if'?? Aside from physical connection, I haven't seen the emotional connection that pulls him towards Elain or her to him. They are both trying to lurk and fondle each other in the shadows without being seen.. that is not until Rhysand catches them and threatens Azriel to stay away & damn he has a VERY good reason for that. But Azriel is unable to stay away from her and is eventually CAUGHT BY LUCIEN fondling each other, naked, in her room! THE DRAMA!!! Oh the drama that follows is crazy. But SJM throws in a GWYN scene post the blow-up that basically changes the entire dynamic. I think she is mentally preparing us for Azriel and Gwyn story that I predict will be unfolded in Movement 2,3 and 4 meanwhile setting up Elain and Luciens story nicely to begin blooming in the next two books.

To be honest, I actually never thought that Az will end up with Elain. If you think about it, in A Court of Silver Flames, Maas introduced Gwyn in a very special way: Az saved her from the attacked temple and brought her to library beneath the House of Wind. She is someone who has been assaulted and traumatized the same way Azriel has been traumatized through out his childhood. In this book we learn a lot about his past. We learn that Az grew up in a very abusive home, where him and his mother were confined to for much of their life. We learn about how his hands were burned and that he experienced isolation and cruelty instead of love, thus molding him into a very guarded yet protective individual. We begin to understand that he is someone who rarely discusses his own pain yet understands so much of it. So in reality, he is far more fitted to be with Gwyn than Elain because she too understands that sort of pain. And with everything that went on with Az in the book, I can't hate him or even feel bad for him. To me, he is equivalent to Chaol (hope you guys remember his character arc!).. someone who is shattered and deeply broken inside out.. and needs to find himself amidst all the darkness. And I truly believe that SJM is plotting away for that to happen in the next book that is coming out in January. Keep in mind, as per Maas herself: LIKE CALLS TO LIKE! So I really can't understand the HATE he receives. Yes his actions were somewhat wrong: pursuing Elain and things turning sexual or his disregard for Rhys's ask and Luciens mating bond.. but I also strongly believe that all of this needed to happen as an act of his final breakdown before we see him entering the 'healing' phase. I think he is going to win us over and before we know it, we are going to be head over heels Az. I love Rhys and Cassian and they had their chance to shine in the last 5 books but now is the time for Az to find his meaning, his true love and set on his own path. He is by far one of my most favorite characters in this book.

As for my other favorite man, Lucien, oh how I want him to find his own happiness. He was done DIRTY here, that hurt my heart so much…why can’t Elain just TALK to him. I need at least one chapter of them talking it out; I need to understand her thoughts and why she is so repulsed by his presence. Honesty as much as she irritated me, I still stand by what I keep saying: this is was done for a greater purpose. I know this will make lots of readers crazy, but I try not to judge so quickly. Not excusing the action, just patiently waiting for everything to fall into its place.

Maas is not finished: she has something big in store for Elain. We are finally seeing Elain open up. We are learning that she is not the meek or 'quiet one'. She, like Nesta, has a storm brewing inside her and she needs to release that energy. She has a long way to go and SJM perfectly set up the next book with the last scene of this book: MORS POV that featured Elain was everything that I needed to know. That was some very clever writing! After that HUGE blow-up, Lucien severs ties with Rhys and his court meanwhile pushing Elain to set on her own journey, that I believe will meet half way with Luciens. This is where I strongly believe that Elain and Lucien will finally get the chance to finally bud heads. I can feel it in my bones! We finally saw a little preview of Elain growing a bone with that confrontation between the three sisters and that little nudge by Maas in regards to the mating bond was the push that Elain needed to say 'I have to figure this out on my own'. I absolutely love the careful plotting that Maas is doing here. I had the best time reading this book and I am brimming with excitement for what ever is coming in January.

Let's not forget about Feyre and Rhysand or Cassian and Nesta!

It's so lovely to see how far Feyre and Rhys have come. From two broken individuals to loving parents, their relationship is based on mutual connection, love, respect and protection. Rhysand.. I have loved you for as long as these books have been out. He has never faltered and his unwavering loyalty and devotion to their little family is everything. I have nothing bad to say! I loved how Maas included many scenes of Nyx and breastfeeding: it was tender and warm and Rhys showed so much appreciation towards Feyre's post-birth body, honestly its very iconic of SJM to just write that especially because we live in the world that judges women harshly by how they look post birth. So writing Rhys hungerly obsessed with Feyre post birth should give women some hope that not all men are complete pigs and offer some mental respite. I think she really grasped the tenderness and anxieties of parenthood when she wrote them the way that she did.

Nesta, you are one bad bitch. She's had so much development in ACOSF but there is so much more to come from what we've seen in Splintered Harmony. Her story is not finished, it's only beginning. But what I really wanted to comment on was Cassian and Nesta and how far they also have come..while their dynamic might come off as more sexual vs emotional (as we've seen with Rhys and Feyre)...I highly disagree that it's only spice. In order to fully understand the emotional stakes, you have to read Crescent City series to completely comment on their 'issue' that carried over into this book. I am someone who did not read CC but was still able to understand their problem. Let's just say, they run into a massive argument over what Nesta does and it seems like she's made the decision simply on her own without talking to Cassian. Cassian was right to be upset with her and we see an explanation of their argument in this book. What follows is a fall out where they are seriously avoiding each other but their inner monologues tell us their most deepest inner thoughts about how their distancing hurts them deeply. No one writes an emotional conflict like SJM. I felt the hurt, the pain, the abandonment and the emotional intensity they both felt. I loved how they let their guards down and reconnected. She's the GOAT and he is so weak for her, I revel in their spicy scenes. They are not just smut and no feelings, they are literally a clash of all emotions.

Splintered Harmony is a book that is literally splintered into small pieces where every piece is a part of a bigger whole. This is no novella. It's full of political intrigue, court play and a looming danger. We know there is a threat and it's on the horizon and every player is getting ready to do their part. Yes we see a lot of talk yet nothing is happening.. well not yet, but it will! What we do know is that there is an invasion coming to the human lands and Feyre/Rhys are trying to prevent that.

The real question is what is Koschei the Deathless endgame here?. We know he is alive and remains bound to the lake. He is showing a lot of interest in the Death Trove. What does he truly want?? What cards is he playing? What bargain did the Archeron father negotiated?? How does Vassa fit into all of this?? All we know is that Papa Archeron somehow negotiated a bargain that is connected to her freedom. What did papa Archeron promise Koschei?

And whyyyyy is BRYAXIS back? And the way she came back? Seems like she might have been scared of something or someone?? That scene gave me shivers! I really thought Nesta was going to kill HER! Let me just underline one more time, that NESTA is a real queen.

And is no one going to talk about ERIS? Why does it feel like he knows more than he lets on about the political situation? Are we not going to talk about how fascinating he is? He's so politically cunning, cold and just cruel on the surface but I must admit that there is something attractively dangerous about him? There is somewhere a backstory surrounding Mors abandonment that is so incomplete, I am itching to know more. I love this in-the-dark intrigue surrounding his character.. I don't know what to think how much of it is manipulation vs how much it's genuine.

My mind is buzzing with thoughts, suspicions and a bunch of ideas. But how can one read a book like this and not see how valuable it is? After a much awaited return, this one of the BEST comebacks in my opinion!! This is one of those books where you just have to trust the process. SJM doesn't just give us clues for no reason.. she writes them this way with a purpose and the story needs to unfold this way because there is a reason! The characters need to make mistakes, there needs to be a shock and things we do not agree with. Azriel and Elain are not meant to be likable here. Their actions are used as plot devices here. SJM is peeling them apart to make them whole again. She made them very, very ugly here but every ugliness has a beauty and purpose to it. Just like every dark place has its light. And just like something that is splintered, broken or forgotten can be harmoniously made whole again.

WHAT WAS BROKEN WILL BE REMADE.
Trust the process.

[theresa]

this better be elriel

[Laura Jane ♡ (semi ia) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 🌟 ( from 2.5, because i just feel so upset the more i reflect on this - sorry)

feysand and nesta carried this book.
daddy rhys 🫦
justice for lucien.

i guess this was mostly what i expected it to be; politics, strategies, alliances and insights to how our inner circle family are doing post the events since we were last with them. but i won’t lie, this did not feel like my acotar. and i did not expect to be THIS disappointed. in general, i did enjoy small parts of this book, butttt i definitely have some huge buts 😅 which i will expand on below. i am kinda discombobulated about everything outside of feysand and nesta. it might be part of a wider story, sure, but this part, not good. i am so upset about all this. long live me and my acomaf tattoo.
from this point on i am going to talk about the book with details that are spoilers, so read at your own risk. please do not hate me if you disagree with me 🤍

🆘

feysand and nessian supremacy it may seem. so, let’s start with my thoughts on my issues first… this might end up being very unpopular lol. this is our first proper insight into az & i can’t say i liked my first impressions of him here.

- so, az… erm i am honestly wondering if sjm just gaslit the fuck out of me with him? i know this is part 1 of a wider story… but the dynamic with elain was straight up lust off the bat to me 😬 like what do you mean they have been hooking up and wana fuck? like oh okayyyy 😅 i am struggling to understand why that wasn’t built up and explored on the page as the story went? if elriel are going to be end game (i doubt it) then i am expecting a lot more. if they aren’t, my point still stands. because this wasn’t given forbidden longing and tension. lust and desire more like. so if they aren’t end game then what was the point of that?! don’t come for me if you disagree please. i genuinely cannot get over how lusty this was.
- az being mad at rhys cus he wants to fuck elain, even though it would start a war amongst courts… like what?! sorry, but i am really just thrown off by how az came across in this book. he is meant to be a 500 year old fae and he is moving this way? because do you wanna bang elain, think about your love for mor or be curious over gwyn?
- i also felt so sad for lucien. why was az so uncaring if he hurt lucien’s feelings? it was like he didn’t care who got hurt as long as he could bang elain 🥲 and to be clear, i fully support that elain has the right to her own choices & she can give her body to who she wants and make her own decisions.
- the whole situation when lucien walked in on az and elain?!?! STFU. it was just so disrespectful and icky. 1 star behaviour. like, i was disgusted over this. have some self awareness please. could you two not wait till another day? i felt so bad for lucien wow 😭 this was NOT what i thought az would be giving. yikes. i did not like that it played out this way, at all. he needs to spend some time working on himself i think. the portrayal of him didn't make me feel connected to him in the way i would have expected from his character.

i would like to stress i have never felt negatively towards these characters but i personally think the execution of az - was not it. maybe he will have an amazing arc moving forward, but right now - not a fan of how he was portrayed. especially given his backstory and his own inner struggles, it felt like this all got lost. there was no layers and complexities going on. give this guy a myspace account and call it day.

now onto some positive & some general thoughts:

- my angel rhys not being able to believe he got a mate and a son 😭 and how much he loves feyre and nyx beyond words. please!!! i love this man so SO much!!! having to balance being high lord, the responsibility and trying to make the right calls - whilst wanting to soak up all the love with his family. UGH, and he’s just so HOTTT. rhys haters can go to the spring court. him and nesta were the only ones speaking with any sense.
- feyre being in her mum era whilst being high lady. baddie. women making their own choices and thriving is a big yes from me. milky titties and all.
- my heart hurt for how much nesta kept reflecting on her time with ember and bryce. she still has a long road ahead of her with her battles & her healing journey. which is completely understandable even after acosf. mental health isn’t a straight & easy path. to be clear, i have never disliked nesta but i have to say i adored her in this book!
- it was sad to see nessian at odds. but this doesn't mean they aren't mates!! these two clearly love each other deeply. i do think cassian could have not dragged their fight out so much, and i wish he had her back a bit more, because he really pissed me off for a while here - but i do see both sides when they finally had their chat. i still think he could have stood up for her more because let be honest rhys would never be like this with feyre. especially given there was no need for everyone to keep being mad at nesta - so i did really hate how cass treated nesta for a good chunk of this book 😭 but look, no relationship is perfect. that’s what makes it feel realistic and human to me. if things were wonderful all the time it would not only be unrealistic but so boring to read. relationships take work and have their ups & downs. i do hope these two don't run into anymore issues like this though.
- elain really wasn’t doing much, STILL. but do i think rhys hit the nail on the head when he said we haven’t seen the full side of her and the full extent of her powers. but on the other hand, why is she still just existing? i feel like we could have got a bit more from her because she just feels like she is fading into the background. i am so glad nesta called her out on her disrespect to lucien. because, valid. dick move from her and az. but i am sorry but i just don't really care about her arc anymore.
- LUCIEN is honestly so loved by me. idk where he is going but i hope he gets love and happiness because he deserves it 🥺 i actually feel so so sad for him right now. the disrespect towards him was really not nice. he actually didn't deserve that. JUSTICE FOR THIS MAN. LUCIEN GET BEHIND ME FOXY BOY. because why was everyone acting like he was disposable?! don’t pmo. everyone better grovel for his forgiveness.
- i think we may get some really good development between rhys and nesta moving forward and i know that is right, because as much as people don't wana hear it, these two do not hate each other. actually i think they will make a killer team.
- i do not feel hooked enough by this conflict and potential new war. like it left me feeling a little bit confused because none of it was really making sense to me. like i understand why the other courts didn't want to partake, i can see what feyre wants to achieve but i also understand everyone tapping out. again, i am sure a lot more will come into play in part 2 but i can only go off part 1. part 1 was what was published, i cannot be thinking 'oh what i part 2 is xyz' - well i hope it is but this is how this part made me feel. i am honestly so bummed right now.
- this was a messy in general, in the sense that this was a whole lot of drama. this is not what i expect from this series. i am so happy if you loved it.

i know i said it already but i am wondering if sjm gaslit me for a reason with az, cause i am really confused with the execution here. and i can separate the character i thought we would get vs the one that i felt like we got. i also understand this part ONE of a bigger book BUT i still feel how i feel. & whilst i can see why people think elriel won't be endgame anymore because of the lust - upon reflection i think this is just how sjm rolls now. it was lust central - so yahhhh.

coming from someone who gave books 2,3 & 4 5 stars - i am so sad! i am left wondering if this was a dip in a series i love or if i have evolved since reading these for the first time? guess we will see. maybe it will be that they were all cooked and come to their senses and we start fresh. but i am seriously considering letting acotar live in my head as a magical and lovely memory up until acosf. i genuinely have so much love in my heart for acotar and it is okay if i leave it as that.
because i am so fr that shit with lucien was out of order. i just cannot see the vision right now.

feysand proving why they are my faves though hehe. baby nyx so cute 🤍

[Gabs]

ACOSF SPOILERS

March 5th: ⇢ Gwyn and Azriel, that's all I'm asking for. They are perfect 😌

⇢ Elain is extremely boring, I'm not interested in her story at all. Let her die or something.

⇢ I demand Tamlin’s redemption and Rhysand’s last name (stop playing with us, SJM).

⇢ Eris seems nice, I want to know his background story with Mor.

⇢ Are you telling me that Emerie and Mor could be mates? Are you seriously telling me that SJM could write their story? That’s definitely a plot twist 🧐

[☀︎El In Oz☀︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5

There’s a high unlike anything else when I read a Sarah J Maas book for the first time. I can still vividly remember devouring ACOWAR in a single day on a spring day in beside a window. I remember tearing through ACOSF on my phone because my pre-order was a week late. Her books truly mean the world to me. Nearly six years since I read ACOSF for the first time and I’m finally able to read another ACOTAR book and I am filled with such joy.

The political forwardness of the plot is done with ease and pushes Sarah’s strengths to the front when it comes to plotting the motivations of a huge cast of characters. The Illyrian lore is fascinating, and the new worldbuilding we get of the Fae territories on the continent are nothing short of amazing. This is written as part 1 of a huge story so it doesn’t have a typical story structure at all. I loved it regardless. Light spoilers to follow in this review.

Nesta Archeron stock just keeps climbing. She is THE COOLEST EVER. I LOVE HER TO PIECES. My icon forever. Being in her pov again after so many years was the BEST feeling because she means the absolute world to me and seeing her be such a badass in this book brought me so much joy. Her vulnerability and the way she is ultimately the most selfless person in this series if you think about it, the one who always will make the tough choice in order to save people….could talk about her forever. Future high lady of the dusk court let’s go ⚔️

FIRST GWYN POV LET’S GO. OH MY GIRL. Her arc is being set up PERFECTLY !!!! Cannot even state how excited I am to fully be in her head for a book as long as the next. When we get a scene with Az in her pov?! Restrain me. Love her so so much.

Az is an utter mess but they can’t make me hate you!!! He thinks and says and does shitty things left and right in this book and is a terrible person in all honesty which is what makes his arc so compelling. The amount of trauma he has to unpack will be an emotional journey I trust Sarah to write with care.

I was delighted to be in Feyre’s head again and forgot how I missed her sense of humour. Did she annoy me at times? Without a doubt! But her growing relationship with Nesta brought me so much joy.

LUCIEN POV. LUCIEN VANSERRA FOREVER. You can never not make me love him he’s my icon. The way he’s so done with everyone AS HE SHOULD BE. Sassy Lucien is coming back just you wait. I know he is going to shock everyone in the next book.

Idk what Cassian was on lmao. This man needs to be serious for a day in his life and choose Nesta. That being said his meeting with Eris was hilarious. Their banter gives me life . Sarah please give us an Eris pov in ACOFM!!!

Mor was an unexpected delight. I didn’t like her at all really in ACOSF (and frankly how she acts around Nesta still pisses me off) but she was interesting and funny here and I know her arc is going to be super politically interesting so I’m here for it.

Elain? 😭 I don’t even know what to say about her. I sympathize with her but her actions are just so hard to find reason in and I hope when we get her pov we can piece together what on earth her decision making process is because it was nonsense in this one. She has a lot of redeeming to do in my eyes for the lack of communication she offers anyone ever.

Gwynriel stock has never ever been higher!!!!! Oh they are coming to me!!!! Their scene in this one where the invoking stone hits Az’s head?!!! Where they so clearly are annoyed by each other????? GIVE IT TO ME NOW!!!!!!!!!!!

Elucien I have been waiting for movement and I can feel it finally coming. Not a single clue how Sarah is going to write their interactions because it seems like we’re getting into dislike territory between the two of them but I’m so here for it. The moment I read Lucien’s pov of being happy around Elain just know I will be jumping up and down. Their first kiss I cannot yet FATHOM.

Cassian needs to choose Nesta for once in his life. Feysand were cute as always but they’re not my favourites.

It’s difficult to judge this book’s pacing and plot because it isn’t plotted or paced as a novel but of as part 1 of a 4 part novel ideally read as a single story as Sarah puts it. I will say I found the pov switches to be perfect and there was always a need for me to keep reading. Love this world so much.

The end leaves so many open ends as expected and I am DYING for January already so I can see where everything will go. I enjoyed this so so much and am ecstatic for the Valkyrie cycle to continue.

Also Bryce Quinlan haunting the narrative oh no one does it like her. I love her so much 🥹

Anyway. Nesta, Gwyn, Lucien, and Eris stocks are going to go CRAZY come January trust me 🙂‍↕️

[Lauren · Rating 2.25 out of 5]

When fan theories are better than the book. Sigh… This is what took over 5 years to write and publish? This wasn’t book-worthy material. It was a novella with too many words. This book was just a bunch of back and forth conversations about the same thing repeatedly. It is mind-numblingly boring until nearly 70% of the way through. By then, we’ve seen the entire cast of characters argue and make up with each other at least once, if not twice— which makes them seem more “real” than they felt in the previous books, but it made them seem pathetic (I am so sorry) and extremely human (even though they aren’t human). It does pick up at the very end, but if I’m being honest, it went exactly where I expected to go and that makes me sad because it shows how much I have grown out of SJM’s writing since ACOSF was published over 5.5 years ago.