One of the most important plotline for Azriel's book has been set up in ACOSF
It's to do with the Illyrians.
• His mother is still alive.
• His two half-brothers are still alive.
The following reasons is why I'm pretty sure Elain will have no role to play here and because I will highlight on the Valkyries and Gwyn's role later on:
She has no affiliation with the Illyrians, she will likely find them too brutal and barbaric, she has no reason to help Azriel change his perspective of his people when she knows nothing or has no connection to them, she won't suddenly have a new perspective in one book and push him to view his people differently when she doesn't even know how he feels about them or why he feels that way about them especially if it came from a person that has no knowledge about them. Even if they were on a mission to retrieve the 4th item or were in a mission to go under Ramiel I doubt it will happen: 1) it's hard to believe Az would bring Elain to the Illyrians he despises willingly. 2) even if they went there, still, what role Elain would play that would help resolve the Illyrian issue? Nothing.
Who will play a role in helping Azriel view his people in a different light will be mentioned down below but we need to highlight a few things first.
Azriel hates the Illyrians. He despises them. He wouldn't mind if Ramiel collapsed on their camps. I think his hatred of them roots back to his family especially with how his mother was treated.
“The Illyrians are pieces of shit,” he said too quietly. -- “They train and train as warriors, and yet when they don’t come home, their families make us into villains for sending them to war?” (ACOFAS)
“They’re hypocrites.” “And what would you have me do, then? Disband the largest army in Prythian?” -- “I am not going to disband the Illyrians. There is nowhere for them to go, anyway. And if we try to drag them out of those mountains, they might launch the very assault we’re trying to defuse.” (ACOFAS)
“What, we’re doing some role reversal? Az gets to lead the Illyrians now?” “Don’t play stupid,” Rhys said coolly. Cassian rolled his eyes. But they both knew Azriel would sooner disband and destroy Illyria than help it. Convincing their brother that the Illyrians were a people worth saving was still a battle amongst the three of them. (ACOSF)
We expected that in Cassian's book, the Illyrians will be one of the important plotlines but it actually wasn't the Illyrians, it was the Valkyries. Sarah apparently changed the plan from having Nesta train in Illyria to adding the Valkyries into the mix. If the Illyrian plotline was not present in Cassian's book, whose book will likely feature it and which ACOSF set up for it? It has to be another Illyrian. It's definitely Azriel.
In one of my previous posts about Gwyn as an MC, I mentioned that she would contribute to this plotline because of her quotes and the fact that she is a Valkyrie. I think I would like to clarify that in this post because I do think Gwyn and the Valkyries will play a role and this will include Nesta and Cassian because Sarah said Nesta will stay have a role to play on the future books. Since that was a purely Gwyn post, I did not elaborate on the Valkyries. So, let me share some quotes from ACOSF here:
“Are there truly no female fighting units amongst the Illyrians?” She hadn’t seen any during the war. His smile faded. “We tried once and it failed spectacularly. So, no. There aren’t.” “Because Illyrians are backward and horrible.” He winced. “Have you been talking to Az?” “Just my observations.” He untied his hair, the thick, straight locks falling around his face. “The Illyrians … I told you. Progress is slow. It’s an ongoing goal of ours—me and Rhys, I mean.” “It’s that hard for the females to become warriors?” (ACOSF) < so what is the issue here? There are no female fighting units among the Illyrians. The Valkyries established themselves as a female fighting unit thus them having a role in breaking this rule and helping and encouraging the Illyrian females. This is still an unresolved issue.
“But we wanted Devlon—and whoever he tells—to understand that you’re as talented as any Illyrian unit. This was the only way they’d get it. Being a Valkyrie means nothing to them, and you certainly don’t need their approval, but …” He glanced to Emerie again. “I wanted them to know. What you’ve accomplished. That even though Valkyries don’t have something akin to the Blood Rite, you’re as trained as any warrior in Illyria.”
Fear bloomed, so vast and broad he could barely breathe. It was a message—to the females for thinking themselves warriors, and to him for teaching them, for defying the Illyrians’ archaic hierarchies and rules.
“I want to take the road that no one dares travel, and I want to travel it with you two. No matter what may befall us. Not as Illyrians, not for their titles, but as something new. To prove to them, to everyone, that something new and different might triumph over their rules and restrictions.”
“So we climb Ramiel. We take the Breaking. We win to prove to everyone that something new can be as powerful and unbreakable as the old rules. That something no one has ever seen before, not entirely Valkyrie nor entirely Illyrian, can win the Blood Rite.”
Gwyn laughed hoarsely. “The Illyrians are going to be furious about our winning, you know. Especially because I have no intention of being called Carynthian. I’m content with being a Valkyrie.” “Oh, they’ll be in hysterics for decades,” Emerie agreed, grinning.
I think these quotes establish that:
1. Azriel's hatred towards his own people is an issue that needs resolution in his book and that means redeeming the Illyrians in his eyes.
2. The Valkyries will be targeted by the Illyrians being the new all-female fighting units in the Night Court. That means more Illyrian females will be encouraged to join and that will piss off many Illyrian males. Not only that, but they also broke the rules of the Blood Rite by using weapons. I will explain how each of the three Valkyries might play a role in this though I know they will collectively contribute to this change with the support of Cassian and Azriel (I am still talking about this being a plotline for Azriel's book)
• Nesta: Nesta will be the support to both Emerie and Gwyn and will encourage the females to join and become Valkyries. She is the one that suggested to Cassian to train the priestesses so her role is important because she started this movement. This change is also one of Cassian's goals and they both share it.
• Emerie: being an Illyrian herself, the first Illyrian female Carynthian, I think it's possible to witness her become the leader of the fighting unit or even in the future become the general of the Illyrian army if the change they pursue for Illyria comes to fruition. She as a Carynthian and a true warrior will have great influence on the Illyrian females, she will persuade the females to join and to push against their rules knowing how chained they are to the same rules, the same traditions she had suffered from. I think she will likely bring an end to female wing clipping and the restriction on females training and joining the army. Because if the males failed, then a female will do the job since she knows hands-on what it is to be a female living among a hateful tribe. I'm sure we will see more of the impact of this change if Emerie gets a book which I think she will share with Mor if they become a thing.
• Gwyn: Gwyn's role, if she is confirmed to be Azriel's love interest, will be crucial to Azriel himself. She is the love interest of an Illyrian blinded by his hatred towards his people after all. Neither Rhys or Cassian succeeded in changing Azriel's perspective on the Illyrians however, I do believe that pushing for that change will help Azriel in realizing that his people are worth saving and Gwyn will help open his eyes and realize that there is hope for his people, there is a bright future for the Illyrians especially since he is involved with the Valkyries and they will play a role and bringing the change and starting a movement within Illyria despite their rules and traditions. If Gwyn is indeed Azriel's love interest, she will play a significant role in this being the first non-Illyrian female Carynthian in history. She will contribute to the change and may persuade Az to embrace this change and help the Valkyries push for it to help the Illyrian females. Before someone says I am reducing Gwyn's role as his love interest only and her actions are tied to him, if it's a Gwynriel book then we will have Gwyn's POV and usually the love interest is the supporting MC to the main MC (Feyre/Rhys + Nesta/Cassian) but she will have her own goal and healing journey to achieve, this is the part I speak about how she will help Az see his people in a different light because if Rhys and Cassian failed to convince him, who will except for someone who will understand him on a deeper level and understand the root of this hatred without judgement?
3. Azriel's actions are often impacted by some moments that trigger his memories of the past and how his father treated his mother. Azriel's past is also tied to the Illyrians and his family. His mother is still alive and his brothers are still alive which I think we are likely to meet them in his book. We will revisit Azriel's childhood home and this is where we will be exposed to the root cause of his hatred towards his people and that should be acknowledged. It's not a coincidence his mother was mentioned in ACOSF.
4. Balthazar could be the Valkyries' new friend and also befriend Azriel. You can't tell me SJM introduced him and threw him there just like that. Yes, I do believe Azriel needs another Illyrian male to befriend out of the IC so to get a fresh perspective on his people and to realize that not all of them are bad. I support Azriel getting to know to new friends
5. No, I do not think his book will focus on solely Valkyrie training again like it did in ACOSF. The conflict will be between Illyrians vs Valkyries and this whole issue. The Valkyries did win the Blood Rite, but the Illyrian issue is not resolved, I think Valkyries winning the Blood Rite will ignite it.
• I wanted to add another point that Mor will be joining the Valkyries training and may likely play a secondary part in this issue. This also might set up the closure scene between Azriel and Mor because will be within his periphery. Mor's presence also ties her to her potential romantic plotline with Emerie who may end up as a couple.
This is one of the possible plotlines that I think will be included in his book and it's based on what was foreshadowed and mentioned in ACOSF.
It ties many things together (Azriel's hatred towards his people, pushing for change in Illyria, facing his past that is tied to his healing journey, Valkyries expanding means another army unit for the upcoming war, witnessing the Valkyries growth).
I do think Koschei and the human Queens and the whole dread trove will still play a role in his book, I am not dismissing it. But, it's only logical for Koschei to be defeated in the final book and not in Book 5. Azriel and co may find something that will help in their search for the fourth trove and defeating Koschei.
It seems to me all of that will be dealt with in Azriel's book and it will include Cassian and the Valkyries.
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