People saying that the events of HOFAS wonât affect the next acotar book, because ânot everyone has read CCâ.
Itâs 100% affecting the next book, Bryce hands nesta the sword and tells her to figure out what the tattoo on her back means.
If you havenât read cc at this point, thatâs your own problem, not the authors, you have had years to catch up. You still have 3 months to catch up đ¤ˇââď¸
Agreed! Additionally, anyone who hasnât read Throne of Glass. It was clearly brought up in CC and maybe will be discussed in the next ACOTAR book. This isnât a one-off world anymore. They are so explicitly connected and there is clearly more to tell. Do I think she will bring in the characters from TOG? No, but I do think they will be referenced in some way.
Every time I think I can live a normal life, a new something comes along to become my new hyper fixation. Now my feeds are full of a trio of girls that are the most relatable animated characters I've ever seen, a demon boy band, and a blue tiger that is the definition of "smooth brain".
This is a super long analysis of the movie "Kpop Demon Hunters" on Netflix. It was released on June 20th and has already taken the world by storm, with the soundtrack reaching top Billboard numbers within weeks of its release. This post does contain spoilers, so if you plan on watching it then I'd advise skipping this post for now. You're welcome to return and geek out with us once you've joined the club ^-^
The detail in the movie is so impressive. The skin texture that is present, despite the style of animation, makes me so happy. The presence of freckles, eye bags, and the appearance of porous skin is unlike anything we see in normal animated movies. We're used to seeing characters with the flattest, smoothest skin, so this is a very refreshing approach to character design. I am also impressed by the design that went into the hair. When we see Celine, you can actually see her hair is a bit frizzy where it's gray, strands starting to come away from the rest.
The characters all have such unique personalities and stories, and Zoey is one that makes me so happy. Her character is very high-energy and perky, which society (and her inner demon towards the end of the movie) calls "too much". This has been a problem for a very long time. Girls just like Zoey are told they're too much, that they need to calm down. I am someone like that. I have been told to calm down, to stop being so "extra" about everything. So, watching KPDH, it felt so freeing and good to see a character that is loved and embraced for her "muchness" (as I saw Dove Cameron call it during an interview). She's just a walking ray of sunshine.
Also, the way that she grazes her fingers across the honmoon before drawing her weapons just scratches an itch in my brain. It's such a small but meaningful moment. Some may see it as Zoey just running her fingers across the interior of the plane, but I see it as her running her fingers across the honmoon, a caring touch that says "this is what I protect". It also just looks so badass.
In general, the Huntr/x girls are very relatable. The snack scene in the beginning, going back to their penthouse(?) to finally relax, discussing the snacks they wanted to eat, the pajamas that don't match all the time, and just the overall vibe of the girls. It definitely appeals to the audience and allows them to feel seen.
Another way that the audience can feel seen is the way that the movie portrays the fans. We see a variety of fans for Huntr/x, ranging from girls who look about 12 years old to full-grown men who look to be in their 40s and as if they're security guards somewhere. I just love the range. When the concert begins, and the last fan is speaking, I love how she gets excited, and her sentence carries into her cheering. "We're going to miss them so muUUUUCH!!!" is just so relatable. The facial reaction is also something that I'm sure many of us have done in the past, too. I also love seeing the two girls who are standing with each other as Rumi sings the long high note in "till the dark meets the light", and they slowly look at each other with this expression of pure awe. It's such a magical moment, and something that I know has been done by many young fans at concerts, whether their first or hundreth.
Bobby is a DOLL. I know we all feel that way. It is so refreshing to see a manager who isn't evil. That trope has been beaten to death. I love that Bobby is just this happy little guy who loves his girls and wants to do any and everything for them to ensure they have the best of everything. He's just the best. I mean, they're literally not even 12 hours into their two-week vacation, and he's back at their penthouse, ready to promo their new song, as if he doesn't also need a vacation. He doesn't complain, he is just there. And even when he does call them to say, "I need help," he realizes the love and care they give him, and he says, "Never mind, I will defend your honor with my life". He is a precious angel, and he deserves the best protection. I also love that Ken Jeong is the voice actor for Bobby. It's just so fitting. I love Ken, and every film or show I've seen him in has been amazing.
Also, a little tidbit: The K-pop band, Twice, is featured in the social numbers on Bobby's phone the first time we see his phone screen in the movie. Three of their members (Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Chaeyoung) sing the lead single "Takedown". I assume this is why the band's name was featured in the movie.
Another small thing I noticed that I'm including here: At the end, when the reporter is talking about the results of the Idol Awards, there is a sign language interpreter on the screen and I love that so much. I'm not sure if that is something normal in Korean (or anywhere, really) television, specficially news channels, but it was nice to see that. I live in the USA and I've never seen anything like that on a news reporting station.
The inclusion of the music video was very cool. It's something that IRL fans can look forward to seeing in full (hopefully). I find it interesting that they included the tree with ribbons in the music video. I thought that was a demon-hunter-specific thing, but I guess it's not as secretive as I thought.
I love that the girls aren't always wearing makeup. I saw someone else say that in a Threads post, and I agree wholeheartedly. It's nice to see that they didn't animate makeup on the girls 24/7.
Rumi's secret. Of course, I have to talk about that. It's definitely something that I think was necessary for the movie. I don't think there would have been as much emotional involvement in Jinu for Rumi if she weren't part-demon and hiding her patterns. Then the movie would've been closer to 45 minutes with a generic plot line. Although I can also see how a similar course of events could have still happened. Anyway.
The fact that Rumi's voice is "broken" or "in trouble" is quite fascinating. If anyone is familiar with Chakras, the throat chakra is tied to communication. Rumi's lies and truths begin to mix, her lies now starting to take over more. Granted, her voice started cracking after their concert, so maybe it was just the timing lining up with the events. The words were literally catching in her throat, blocked by the secrets that she had.
I've seen theories float around about her demon powers and the honmoon and how they're connected. Truthfully, I think it's much simpler. Celine makes a big deal about their 'faults and fears must never be seen', and Rumi's are becoming much more apparent as time goes on. I honestly just think that, due to her demon powers, she is just connected more to the honmoon because it's meant to keep the demons out and she's on the opposite side of it. Over time, her emotions get stronger, and it puts the honmoon in danger. I also think that since her mom was a hunter before her, her connection to the honmoon is even stronger. I think that the honmoon could've fallen apart regardless of her demon side, it just happened to be an additional factor in her story. That's just my theory, though, and I may not have fleshed out my thoughts on that well enough, but I hope I got the point across on that.
It broke me when Rumi is trying to tell Jinu that he can supress his demon side and they're arguing. I believe that Rumi feels that way because she was born part demon and she has more control over her demon side, however Jinu was made into a demon and has been stuck with Gwi-ma for 400 years. I feel that both of their arguments are valid and each of them experiences these things differently.
Last point on Rumi: Celine didn't take care of Rumi because she loved her. She did it out of a feeling of obligation and loyalty to her friend. When Rumi went to Celine to say "I ran out of time, please end this", Celine wasn't just reacting to a presence behind her. She was reacting to Rumi's demon presence. She's been trained as a hunter and has done this for years, so I can't be convinced that Celine was just acting on instinct. Nah, she felt a demon's energy and she reacted to that. When she saw Rumi, it was pure shock. I'm not in any way, however, trying to defend Celine. I am so hurt and angry by her actions, especially as someone that has thought and felt the same things as Rumi. She said, "I never thought it would be a child like you", and I instantly knew that wasn't an apology or her trying to understand. She was making excuses for her actions. Sure, she loves Rumi, but not in the way that she should've. She loved Rumi as her friend's daughter, not Rumi as a person with her own feelings, story, and emotions. Celine made Rumi hide a very important part of her, and i think that if Zoey and Mira had known about Rumi from the beginning then everything would've been much smoother.
I love how unserious it is sometimes. Pre-show carb loading, meeting the Saja Boys for the first time (ab eyes that turn into corn that are buttered by his button, come on, that is so goofy and I love it), Jinu as a person on the surface, and best of all: Derpy and Sussie. I'm sorry, you cannot tell me that you took those characters seriously. Derpy has a thousand-yard stare that just looks straight through people. It's endearing and lovely. I'd love a smooth-brained tiger, too.
Speaking of Derpy and Sussie, I want to know the backstory behind them. What are they to Jinu? How did Jinu acquire them? Just wanna know what's happening there.
The music is glorious, obviously. I love that there are multiple times when the music and the actions of the characters sync up. Off rip, "How It's Done". The demons are being slammed against the walls of the plane to the beat of their song. Iconic. Those things happen several times throughout the movie. Even when they were skydiving from their destroyed plane, Zoey throws one of her knives at the demon falling with her right on beat with the song ("Knocking you out like a lulla-(knife impact)by, hear that sound ringing in your mind"). I can literally close my eyes and hear it in my head.
The Saja Boys. First of all, Jinu definitely made them hot. I've seen theories that the other Saja Boys were a previous boy band, but Romance literally had tusks. Jinu didn't have any sort of things like that. Almost all of the demons had some sort of funky appearance (one-eyed, tusks, fangs, exaggerated features, faceless, etc.). So I fully believe that Jinu just transformed the other Sajas to make them hot. I am curious as to how Jinu knew all of the things that would make the fans love them.
That final battle is so intense, in my opinion. The scream that Rumi lets out when trying to deflect Gwi-ma's attack wasn't a normal cartoon battle cry. This was a guttural, deep scream. You can see it in her face, her body language. Which is crazy to say about an animated kids' movie. That was a scream that had seen years of pain, anger, and struggle. When Jinu stepped in front of the blast, I was really hoping that Rumi would be able to save him. Maybe go and push back Gwi-ma to stop the blast. I'm not sure. But Jinu dying? Not on my KPDH Bingo Card. It seemed like the Saja Boys were actually surprised by this. When we see Baby and Mystery Saja going against Zoey, they look shocked. I'm not sure if this is for sure shock at Jinu's betrayal of Gwi-ma and subsequent 'death', or if they were shocked at Jinu not helping them.
When Jinu disappears, and the tear falls down Rumi's cheek, it connects perfectly with one of the patterns that comes up over her jaw and onto her cheek. I don't know if that was intentional or just a coincidence, but I noticed it.
And yes, I did put quotations around 'death', because I agree with everyone. I don't think Jinu is dead. There is one theory that I read that I agree with and I have one of my own.
1. (Someone else's theory (I'm sorry, I don't know who originially had this idea)) Jinu gave his soul to Rumi and it's stored in her sword.
This theory is something I can get behind. I think that since Jinu was able to get his soul back from Gwi-ma he was able to willingly give it to someone else. Instead of it being used to control him, it just sits in her sword. Something similar is done in Sword Art Online with Yui's heart and a gem that Kirito gives to Asuna (however Yui is a program and it was just a coding thing, but it's a trope that's been done before).
2. (My Theory) His soul is stored in the honmoon. The souls of the fans coming together powers the honmoon. So my theory is that Jinu is inside the honmoon, rather than in Rumi's sword. Because we can always make the argument that Rumi's acceptance of her flaws and a newfound strength from her love for Jinu is what made her sword larger. However, I think it would be interesting if Jinu came to Rumi in 'visions' from the honmoon, or, alternatively, he left messages for her to hopefully be released from the honmoon and reunited with her (and Derpy and Sussie). Like, if he was able to manipulate things in the human realm using the honmoon, like a spirit. This is an idea that's not fully fleshed out, but I hope that it's enough to be understood.
I think that's finally everything. If you made it this far, I'll give you a big ol' forehead smooch because you're so sweet. I have no one IRL to ramble about this to, so you guys are my besties listening to my theories and ramblings. I can't wait to see what's next for Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, whether it's a show or another movie. Hopefully, if it's another movie, they'll make it longer than 86 minutes (because, let's be real, that's how long the actual movie was).
I want to give Jorge Rivera-Herrans a big smooch because, my gods, EPIC: The Musical was a masterpiece. I'm going to break this down into just the saga playlist and then the animatic(s) that I've seen. When I tell you I sobbed at the end, I am not exaggerating. I would invest so much of my money into the team who created this so that it can become a fully realized animated film or show.
The Saga Playlist:
I have loved musicals since I was a child. Grease was the first musical I ever saw, I was in concert choir during high school, and I was part of a group of friends who were in theater (which included a lot of musical theatre). I was part of the first sopranos during my first two years of choir. In my third year, I dropped down to second soprano. I can get to the high notes, but it kills me to do it. As I got older, I continued to love musicals, and the introduction of shows like Hazbin Hotel ignited my love for them all over again. I'm also a lover of mythology, and I grew up with a love for Greek and Norse mythology specifically. So when I finally sat down to watch the animatic with the music, I fell in love.
For reference, this is the video that I watched for the first time (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6K-eMKjo1bs&list=WL&index=26). I have seen multiple versions since then and each one seems to be better than the last.
Since watching the animatic, I have listened to the playlist over 34 times (yes, I counted in my Spotify). Every time I listen to it I hear more from a song that I didn't hear the first time. It is such a wonderful experience and I never get over some of the songs.
The music is so heart-wrenching, and I don't always mean that in a negative way. Music is such a key part of my life, and I'm brought to chills at the sound of the right song. I never lost my chills. The ensemble in the background of every song really adds to the depth of each one, and each person sang their part as if they were speaking with their soul. Jorge assembled an amazing cast of voices for these roles. The way that everything just flows together and the story that is told in the underlying messages of the songs.
The first song of the saga, "Just a Man", subtly tells the listener that they're talking about the infant and Odysseus, not just one or the other. This is a recurring reference throughout the saga and it always hits right in the feels because the listener is always reminded that Odysseus is literally just a man, a human, yet he's been forced to go through all of these trials and tribulations.
In "Ruthlessness", it includes the ensemble singing the line "Captain" as they did in the song "Polyphemus" (for those that don't know Greek mythology, Polyphemus is the Cyclops Odysseus and his crew blinded). I just love how each song includes lines sung in the tune that they were sung in previous songs. It overlaps constantly. Additionally in "Ruthlessness", Poseidon says "Remember me" just as Odysseus told Polyphemus to remember him, which ultimately led to the events of The Odyssey.
I mean, there are so many mic-drop moments in this album. Like, hello? This moment:
Poseidon: Tell me, how will you sleep at night?
Odysseus: Next to my wife.
I can never emotionally recover from the moments in this album.
Many of these songs became trending on TikTok, and I'm glad I waited until now to invest my time in it because it has consumed my soul. "Would You Fall in Love with Me Again" has gripped so many hearts, and I want to talk about that one in the next section again. But when Odysseus claims that he's not the same man, and Penelope tests this by asking him to move their wedding bed, it's clear that he's the same because he becomes so angry at her request. It feels like a regular argument between a married couple even though it's sung.
Also, round of applause for Troy Doherty for his role as Hermes. I read the story of "Baucis and Philemon" and listening to this playlist has given a new way to look at Hermes.
The Animatics:
I cannot commend the artists enough on the work they've done on these animatics and animations. The emotions you can read are just so intense. In the one I watched specifically, there are so many moments when you're able to see the emotion as they sing it. In "Would You Fall in Love..." the emotions are so raw, and the animators have done such a flawless job of capturing the feelings of the songs in the way they've drawn and animated the characters.
I can't comprehend the amount of time that it has taken people to create these extremely detailed animations and I love to see that it has inspired other artists to create. As an artist myself, I know that it takes something special to inspire you to create art.
I could rave about this for hours. But I hope that this gives some insight into how amazing EPIC: The Musical is. There have been other adaptations of the stories of Homer's The Odyssey, but this is truly the best I have seen.
I have watched TOH several times over the past year and a half, and I will never get over it. All the character development, the little pop culture references, the world development. Ugh. It's amazing. So here are some notes.
we all know that the Clawthorne family is the family that Evelyn, the witch that Philip and Caleb met, is from. I feel that it's only right that Hunter is an honorary Clawthorne, too. He's literally a clone of Caleb. Obviously the Clawthornes are the descendants of Evelyn and Caleb's relationship. So I feel it's only right. I know we've all accepted Darius as Hunter's dad/dad-figure, but it would be cool if he was included in the Clawthorne family, too.
I think it's pretty obvious by now that I love the found-family trope. As someone that had family problems growing up, I value the bonds that end up being stronger than familial bonds. Now, Luz basically has 2 moms plus a bonus parent (Raine) and 3 siblings (King, Hunter, and Vee), and I love that. If you haven't seen fanart of all of them, you're missing out. It's just amazing.
Speaking of their relationships, I love to see how they accept and even request physical affection. In the beginning, Eda and King are confused and almost repulsed by Luz's hugs. King quickly becomes more accepting of these hugs, even getting angry when Amity gets a hug from Luz before him, calling her a "swindler and a thief". But in the last episode, Eda runs to King and Luz to give them hugs and kisses before they play the Collector's "games". I wonder if physical affection was prevelant in the Boiling Isles because in the second episode Eda asks "What is this" when hugged by Luz. I think it is because Willow and Gus hug Luz when they show up to the Owl House. I think Eda just isn't used to physical affection, or maybe she isn't used to it from strangers.
Here's another thing I'm wondering. The Bat Queen states that she doesn't remember the witch that held her staff, but that she was the staff for a giant. You know who was giant? Papa Titan. What if her witch was Papa Titan? It would make sense, because he's been dead for hundreds of years, and the mind loses memories after so long. Also, she takes care of all the other palismen that were lost, including Flapjack, whose witch was Evelyn. If we can assume that the events of TOH take place in the late 2010's/early 2020s, then the age of these palismen makes sense. Anyway, I think that The Bat Queen could've been Papa Titan's palisman because there are no other signs of giant beings on the Boiling Isles or in the Demon Realm.
At some point, we catch a glimpse of the "recipe" for creating clones. If you didn't catch it, here it is: Galdorstone, Palistrom Wood, Stonesleeper Lungs, Bone of Ortet, and Selkidomus scales. This would partly explain why there's a shortage of Palistrom Wood, why the Galdorstones are so rare and so well hidden, and why Belos instructed Hunter to hunt down the Selkidomus in season 2. It also explains why the clone he attempted to possess in the final episode didn't work out. He likely didn't have all of those materials or didn't have enough to make a fully formed clone. When he initially tried to take over one of the clones, I was worried that there would be two Hunters walking around and that Belos would try to impersonate Hunter, which would have derailed all of their plans. The Bone of Ortet, by the way, is basically just a bone of the one you wish to clone.
I wish there could've been a longer season 3. Although I love the 3 episodes we were given, and I think they're perfect, I wish it could've been drawn out. I would've loved to see the gang in the human world more, to see the rebuilding process of the Isles, see them do a field trip to the human realm from the university. But, I'll take what we were given.
I love the random pop culture references we get. During "Eclipse Lake" we get a Dragon Ball reference and I found that extremely hilarious. In "For the Future", Caleb says "It's not like a swarm of ghosts will inexplicably appear if you say his name...I think", which gives us the second Harry Potter reference of the show (the first one appearing in the first episode where Luz is trying to fly on Owlbert and says "expecto"). It's just great. I love to see it.
I always have more thoughts about the show when I watch it. I need to start adding them more often.
Personally, I really love this anime. It has the same tone as The Promised Neverland (found family, gruesome end to some of the family, changing the world, etc.). It's nice to see a different kind of vampire anime in comparison to the ones we've had over the years. It's upsetting that studios don't want to pick up the remaining season(s), especially since it's been almost 10 years since it first came out. The progression in animation since then is stunning and I think it would be fantastic for this series considering what happens in the manga. I feel like having new animation would also help the anime. The backgrounds feel like rough sketches and sometimes it's cool but other times it just feels unfinished. I guess it's a way that they added dimension and detail to it to really make the world around them feel realistic to the times they're facing.
2. The Promised Neverland
Anyone that watched TPN knows my disappointment. There was SO MUCH that was left out of the anime that it feels like an injustice to the manga, which has reached its end. I feel like the studio could've continued to stretch the anime out to really increase the number of watches. A lot of people have been turned off of the anime because we all know that the end isn't worth it. We missed out on so many pivotal moments in the anime and I feel like it would have been tremendously more satisfying if they had taken the time to follow the manga more.
3. Noragami
For the love of GOD (no pun intended) I would love to see this anime completed. There was only like 24 episodes I think, and I hate when anime that clearly have more than just a few chapters only end up with a couple seasons of an anime adaptation. We were finally getting somewhere in the end, then all of a sudden there were no more episodes. It just feels like we were left hanging dry and it's soooo frustrating.
4. Kamisama Kiss
I feel like this one is on par with Fruits Basket (shojo anime with lots of fluff and feels) but I feel that the animation is older and is due for an upgrade. We all foamed at the mouth with Fruits Basket got its 2019 reboot and continuation, I feel that Kamisama Kiss is worthy of one, too.
5. Maid-Sama
I cannot even contain the scream I have inside about this one. This is another one that deserves a reboot. I'd love to see the new animation styles used on this one.
6. Sirius the Jaeger
I feel like the last season of this was rushed and I desperately want a continuation of this anime. I loved the animation style and the story was amazing. Honestly, it's quite similar to Seraph of The End. But I really wanted to see more of the characters and see how the story unfolds.
I'm running out of ideas. I've watched a lot of anime over the past 10 years and thankfully many of them are finished. I just feel like there are some that weren't given the attention/reception it deserved or that it's so old that I feel it deserves to get a reboot. It's only fair.
I've been reading the novels by Sarah J. Maas since I was 12. Throne of Glass was brought into the class library and after hearing the teacher read the summary, I beat the other kids in raising my hand for first dibs on reading it. And I am beyond thankful for it.
Throne of Glass was my first series obsession. I loved the world, the plot, the sheer imagery that came to me when reading. I've always been able to read and play the book in my head like a movie. But these books became something else entirely. It's a world I wanted to live in, to witness. I wanted to BE in these books.
Scanning the local library for new books, I happened to find A Court of Thrones and Roses. I was so excited to see that my favorite author was the creator and checked out the first two that were available and spent an illegal amount of lost sleep reading the new series.
So, for years, I've been getting her books. For birthdays and Christmas (exactly 6 months apart, which is perfect because Maas usually announces a book release or releases a book in that time frame) I got the next book available, and I think my family is happy that there's something actually ON my Christmas list.
After A Court of Silver Flames, I didn't know what to do with myself. I've been pining for a novel that centers around Elaine and Azriel and their respective journeys on finding themselves (much like acosf was for Nesta). Then Sarah drops Crescent City. I had put off buying the book because I didn't know what to think. Reading the summaries, I knew I wanted it but not as desperately as the others. But, after the release of House of Sky and Breath (cc2) I decided it was finally time to dive back into books. Again, so thankful I did.
Crescent City is, much like her other novels, a masterpiece. And it's now making me want a crossover novel of the three series. But, I have some thoughts.
SPOILERS AND THEORIES AHEAD
1. If Rhysand and the gang help Bryce in Midgard, it would be an easy win. The hardest part would be Bryce figuring out a way to teleport back to Midgard from Prythian with the entire crew to help. And, obviously, she can't at the moment. There would also be the adjustment of being on a planet where no one but two people (that we know so far) speak her language. AND there's the adjustment of basically going back in time (no tech, no modern novelties, zip).
IM THINKING, the reason why the book will be the longest Maas has written is because Bryce will find out more about where the citizens of Midgard come from and the truth of the Asteri. That would require her to read, and also might end up searching in the Dusk Court (Dusk's Truth, remember?) for some answers.
2. IF Aelin and her people do make an appearance, wouldn't that make it harder? Another planet where there's the possibility they moved on from the Old Language and even differs from the language of Prythian. Language barrier, on top of technology barriers. Midgard is leagues ahead, with phones, laptops, and modern technology. Even Terrasen didn't have that. So, what then?
3. If any of the main characters from any of these novels die, I will die with them.
Sarah is an amazing author, and, clearly from the amount of fans she's amassed (haha, get it?), we've all grown extremely attached to the characters that she's created. ToG and ACOTAR has reached peace, but Crescent City is dragging them back in. If anyone dies, a part of my soul will never heal.
In conclusion, I love Sarah J. Maas and her books that break my heart then reassembles it.
I don't know if it's impressive or scary that my theories were very close.
SPOILERS FOR HOFAS AHEAD!!!
House of Flame and Shadow was nothing like I expected. It was BETTER. My mom preordered my copy for Christmas and when it arrived just 2 days after the release I had the book finished in 17 hours. I genuinely did nothing but read in that time and it was magical.
For starters, I was very happy to see how Bryce handled being in Prythian and the bonds she formed (or not, I guess) with the characters. Also, the little bean/pill for her to speak and understand their language? Genius. I also thought that the amount of time that Bryce, Nesta, and Azriel spent in the tunnels was the epitome of slow burn. I wanted the juiciest parts to happen immediately but I am so thankful for every detail Sarah gave us. And, as I predicted, we learned about the Asteri, where they came from, who they are, how everyone came to be where they are and I was GOBSMACKED. When they kept talking about "shifters with elemental magic" I couldn't help but squeal because I knew that was the Fae from Erilea. And then to Prythian. And then to Midgard. I just love to see our theories fall into place!
Getting to have that quality time with Azriel was really great. Even though he is a main character in ACOTAR, we really don't get that much one-on-one time with him as readers. This felt like getting a closer look at Az and seeing him deal with what is a potential threat to his home and family and how he does things. I was so happy that he got the dagger back at the end. For it to be taken from him, although for a short while, it felt so weird.
Bryce's connection with the ancient artifacts is mind-blowing, too. The Starsword AND Truth Teller? The fact that they're a matching set and the story behind it is just immaculate. And then for her to use the mask and be able to take it off like Nesta. Bro they are a couple of kick ass ladies.
I would LOVE to read some chapters of Bryce's parents with the Night Court. I would love to see how that played out and what happened. And since Bryce can open portals, will they go back? Ugh, I really hope so. Because Rhysand is soooo pissed at Bryce and I'd love to see that amended. I feel like they'd all have a great friendship if they could start fresh.
Speaking of Erilea. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE SCREAM WITH ME ABOUT LYDIA?!?!? When she screamed "Brannon" I was also screaming. It felt like having Aelin there. It felt like Terrasen was there. I felt whole, despite that being one of the most stressful scenes of my life. Throne of Glass was the first book series I actually sat down and read fully, and it is so deeply stuck to my heart that it can never be removed. So for Lydia to be a descendant of Brannon and fucking related to Aelin?!? My life has not felt such happiness before.
I was definitely waiting to see society collapse after the loss of technology. I mean, we live in the 21st century. If one of our apps goes down it's like the world is ending. So to have that happen in a world that is only different from ours because it's magic makes me feel a new level of dread because, even though the book is finished, the story hasn't ended in my mind. I'm wondering how they adjust, what kind of energy they use in place of first light, I'm imagining scenarios of Bryce and Hunt living on their little island, that BRYCE FUCKING CLEANSED, and having their little happy life.
There are so many moving gears in Sarah's books and I will always be at my happiest with one of her books in my face.
Philip Wittebane (aka belos) goes to the demon realm to find his brother that fell in love with a witch.
Flapjack is a lost palisman living with the Bat Queen, who says "after all these years" when Flapjack says he's found someone to go with, who is Hunter. A clone of Caleb Wittebane.
Flapjack is a Cardinal. At the end, we see Waffles, a bluejay that is confirmed to be Flapjack's sibling.
There's a point, I swear.
In S2, ep 12, "Elsehwere and Elsewhen", we see Eda's dad has (what I assume is) a Goldfinch. His wife, Gwendolyn, has a hawk palisman, Eda has an owl, Lilith has a raven. They're all birds. And no one else on the Boiling Isles has a bird palisman ASIDE FROM HUNTER WHO IS A CLONE.
Gwen said that her great grandmother told her a story about a human that lived on the isles but mysteriously disappeared.
WHAT IF Gwen's great-grandmother was the witch that Caleb fell in love with, and that's why the family is so magically gifted and in-tune with the island.
I'm sure this is already a theory that's been thrown around and talked about, but I'm rewatching toh for the fifth time (background noise for midterms) and there are theories that I have to share.
I've been reading the novels by Sarah J. Maas since I was 12. Throne of Glass was brought into the class library and after hearing the teacher read the summary, I beat the other kids in raising my hand for first dibs on reading it. And I am beyond thankful for it.
Throne of Glass was my first series obsession. I loved the world, the plot, the sheer imagery that came to me when reading. I've always been able to read and play the book in my head like a movie. But these books became something else entirely. It's a world I wanted to live in, to witness. I wanted to BE in these books.
Scanning the local library for new books, I happened to find A Court of Thrones and Roses. I was so excited to see that my favorite author was the creator and checked out the first two that were available and spent an illegal amount of lost sleep reading the new series.
So, for years, I've been getting her books. For birthdays and Christmas (exactly 6 months apart, which is perfect because Maas usually announces a book release or releases a book in that time frame) I got the next book available, and I think my family is happy that there's something actually ON my Christmas list.
After A Court of Silver Flames, I didn't know what to do with myself. I've been pining for a novel that centers around Elaine and Azriel and their respective journeys on finding themselves (much like acosf was for Nesta). Then Sarah drops Crescent City. I had put off buying the book because I didn't know what to think. Reading the summaries, I knew I wanted it but not as desperately as the others. But, after the release of House of Sky and Breath (cc2) I decided it was finally time to dive back into books. Again, so thankful I did.
Crescent City is, much like her other novels, a masterpiece. And it's now making me want a crossover novel of the three series. But, I have some thoughts.
SPOILERS AND THEORIES AHEAD
1. If Rhysand and the gang help Bryce in Midgard, it would be an easy win. The hardest part would be Bryce figuring out a way to teleport back to Midgard from Prythian with the entire crew to help. And, obviously, she can't at the moment. There would also be the adjustment of being on a planet where no one but two people (that we know so far) speak her language. AND there's the adjustment of basically going back in time (no tech, no modern novelties, zip).
IM THINKING, the reason why the book will be the longest Maas has written is because Bryce will find out more about where the citizens of Midgard come from and the truth of the Asteri. That would require her to read, and also might end up searching in the Dusk Court (Dusk's Truth, remember?) for some answers.
2. IF Aelin and her people do make an appearance, wouldn't that make it harder? Another planet where there's the possibility they moved on from the Old Language and even differs from the language of Prythian. Language barrier, on top of technology barriers. Midgard is leagues ahead, with phones, laptops, and modern technology. Even Terrasen didn't have that. So, what then?
3. If any of the main characters from any of these novels die, I will die with them.
Sarah is an amazing author, and, clearly from the amount of fans she's amassed (haha, get it?), we've all grown extremely attached to the characters that she's created. ToG and ACOTAR has reached peace, but Crescent City is dragging them back in. If anyone dies, a part of my soul will never heal.
In conclusion, I love Sarah J. Maas and her books that break my heart then reassembles it.
