ACOTAR: Revisited Part 2

Summary

Flights of Fantasy Podcast Summary: ACOTAR: Revisited Part 2

Release Date: May 27, 2025

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1. Episode Overview

In the second part of their deep dive into A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) by Sarah J. Maas, the hosts Anna, Kim, and Christina continue their comprehensive analysis of the beloved series. Building on their previous discussions, this episode delves into character dynamics, pivotal plot moments, and underlying themes that shape Feyre's journey.

2. Tamlin: The Complexity of Protection

Initial Impressions and Red Flags

The hosts explore Tamlin's character, emphasizing his initially endearing qualities and the subtle red flags that emerge upon closer examination.

• Anna (03:01): "No matter how many times I read it, it's hard to hate him initially."

Tamlin's protective nature provides Feyre with a sense of safety, aligning with her needs at the series' outset. However, his inability to treat Feyre as an equal begins to surface.

• Kim (03:22): "He does [give Feyre space and protection]."

Emotional Walls and Curse Impact

Tamlin's aloofness is partly attributed to the curse placed upon him, limiting his ability to communicate openly.

• Anna (04:02): "He can't discuss things with Amarantha."

This emotional barrier prevents deeper connections, ultimately contributing to the strain in their relationship.

• Kim (04:35): "She's the girl who killed the wolf. And that's hard for him to handle later in the game."

3. Lucian: From Antagonist to Ally

Initial Hostility and Hidden Layers

Lucian's character undergoes significant development, transitioning from Feyre's adversary to a more nuanced ally.

• Kim (08:40): "Lucian isn't Feyre's biggest fan initially."

His traumatic past, including the brutal loss of loved ones, adds depth to his motivations and actions.

• Kim (10:08): "Amarantha tore out his eyeball."

Trust and Respect Earned

Feyre's actions gradually earn Lucian's trust, showcasing her growth and shifting perceptions.

• Anna (12:07): "Lucian actually trusts Feyre's abilities more than Tamlin does."

This evolving relationship hints at future alliances and character developments.

4. Pivotal Plot Moments

Encounter with the Suriel and Naga

A critical moment unfolds when Feyre interacts with the Suriel, revealing crucial information about Tamlin and the looming threat.

• Christina (14:17): "It's Rhysand, baby. It's Rhysand."

Feyre's decision to save the Suriel from the Naga demonstrates her innate protectiveness and foreshadows her growing independence.

• Kim (14:42): "She risks herself to save another creature."

Feyre's Emotional Realization

Feyre confronts the reality of her erased existence in the mortal world, deepening her emotional turmoil.

• Christina (24:07): "The mortal world had moved on without me."

This realization propels her towards seeking answers and greater autonomy.

5. Tamlin and Feyre: A Fragile Bond

Moments of Tenderness

Despite the growing tensions, moments of genuine connection between Tamlin and Feyre highlight the complexity of their relationship.

• Anna (20:47): "It's so freaking magical, guys."

Scenes like the Pool of Starlight showcase their attempts to bond amidst underlying tensions.

Emotional Disconnect Post-Acomath

Following traumatic events, Tamlin's inability to support Feyre emotionally becomes more pronounced, setting the stage for future conflicts.

• Christina (26:31): "It made sense to me."

Anna likens Tamlin's struggle to reconcile past and present selves, emphasizing his tragic arc.

• Anna (26:44): "I think it really broke him in a way that was irrevocably like inability to change."

6. Foreshadowing and Intricate Plot Threads

Subtle Hints and Future Implications

The episode highlights various instances of foreshadowing that hint at future developments in the series.

• Anna (15:18): "It's Rhysand, baby."

These subtle cues enrich the narrative, rewarding attentive readers with deeper insights.

Mastermind Segment: Theories and Connections

In their favorite segment, the hosts delve into theories connecting ACOTAR to other Sarah J. Maas series, such as Crescent City and Throne of Glass.

• Christina (28:41): "Sarah J. Maas has been planting since page one."

They discuss potential character crossovers and linguistic connections, enhancing the interconnected universe Maas has crafted.

7. Conclusion and Teasers for Future Episodes

The hosts wrap up the episode by teasing upcoming discussions, including a special segment on Callan May and further character analyses.

• Kim (27:56): "Join us next time for calamari party."

Listeners are encouraged to engage with the podcast community on social media and support the show through ratings and Patreon.

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Notable Quotes

• Anna (03:01): "No matter how many times I read it, it's hard to hate him initially."
• Kim (08:40): "Lucian isn't Feyre's biggest fan initially."
• Christina (14:17): "It's Rhysand, baby. It's Rhysand."
• Anna (20:47): "It's so freaking magical, guys."
• Anna (26:44): "I think it really broke him in a way that was irrevocably like inability to change."

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Final Thoughts

Flights of Fantasy offers an in-depth and heartfelt exploration of the ACOTAR series, providing listeners with thoughtful analyses and engaging discussions. Whether you're a long-time fan or new to the series, this episode enhances your understanding of the intricate character dynamics and the rich tapestry of Sarah J. Maas's world.

Transcript

[Anna]

Welcome to Flights of Fantasy, your Romantasy Podcast book club. I'm Anna, joined by my book besties Kim and Christina, and together we're diving into the characters, theories, lore and magic behind all your favorite fantasy romance books. Hi book besties. We are so excited to be back discussing A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. And in case you missed it, we released a super short episode a few weeks ago called welcome to Acotar Revamped where we tell you exactly what you can expect going forward as we tackle this series. But if you need a quick refresher on how this will go, each Acotar book will be broken up into multiple episodes so that we can really take our time and work our way through this incredible story. There will be no spoilers for Sarah's other series, but we do have our very special Mastermind section at the end where we will be chatting all things mask verse, but of course we will give ample spoiler warnings beforehand. And now with that being said, and because we have read this series multiple times, we will be going into these ACOTAR episodes with the knowledge of the entire series. But before we give our spoiler warning, a few announcements.

[Kim]

Yes, all right. We want to give a big thank you and a big hug to everyone who has already rated and reviewed the show. If you haven't had a chance yet, please please take a moment to do so on your preferred podcast platform. It really makes a huge difference in helping the show and we're so, so appreciative. Also, before we dive in, a quick reminder that if you love the POD and want even more from your book besties, we' you covered over on Patreon. Our tier one book besties at $5 a month, get early ad free access to every episode plus our monthly book chat video episodes where we dive into a book we're not covering on the podcast and our tier 2 book batches at $10 a month, get all of that plus the full unedited video of every episode a day early and ad free and exclusive access to our SJM Deep Dive series where we deep dive characters, couples and scenes from all of Samh J. Maas series. And this month we are discussing one of our favorite relationships in the entire Throne of Glass series, Kale and Dorian. Just the bromance of bromances where it all began. We're so excited about that episode. Also, a quick note, to ensure you're paying the standard $5 or $10 per tier, please sign up via a desktop or Android device. Apple does Apply an additional surcharge when signing up through their iOS app. But once you're signed up, feel free to use the iPhone app as much as you' like. So come join our Patreon family [e-mail] fights, a fantasy podcast. We'd love to have you. Now, Kim, hit us with that spoiler warning.

[Christina]

Yes. Okay, so spoiler warning for every single book in the Acotar series. Let's dive in by talking about where we left off. So, okay, last week we were talking about how interesting it is to see Feyre in the spring court with Tamlin and what she needs then versus seeing her with Rhysand in the night court and what she needs later on in the series. But going back to Tamlin.

[Anna]

All right. Yes. All right, let's discuss Tamlin in the first half of this book. No matter how many times I read it, it's hard to hate him initially. Obviously, we see red flags because we know to look for them. Because in the beginning of the book, Tamlin feels like the answer to Feyre's exhaustion that Kim was just talking about. You know, he's gentle, he gives her food, he gives her space. I mean, like we keep saying, the bar was very low.

[Christina]

Yeah, right.

[Anna]

And he meets that and he exceeds it, to be honest.

[Kim]

He does.

[Anna]

He does. I mean, he tells her, you know, she doesn't have to fight anymore. He has prot. Her family, which is all Feyre has ever wanted, truly. And, you know, Feyre wants to believe that all of that is enough, that this can be her new existence. The difference is that he doesn't ask Feyre to be his equal really, at any point. Right. All he offers her is this protection and this comfort. Right. Which are wonderful things. But, you know, he can come across as, like, quiet. He can be a little aloof. And especially as a first time reader, you can really chalk that up to. I mean, honestly, you don't even really realize it the first time.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

The second time you read it on subsequent rereads, I think you can chalk up his kind of like a little bit of the wall he puts up as to the curse. Right. Because he can't discuss things with Amarantha. He can't say specific things, which is why they have a lot of cryptic conversations around Feyre, hoping that she can parcel these things together.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

And she doesn't.

[Anna]

I mean, they were stuck between a rock and a hard place.

[Kim]

They were.

[Christina]

What were they to do?

[Kim]

Right. And I mean, I do get that's a lot of pressure to put on A new relationship. Like, I kind of like this girl, but also, like, she must love me or else everyone's gonna die. So, like, you know, like, that's a lot y.

[Christina]

Like, within the amount of time they.

[Anna]

Have, she's got to learn to love me, even though she and say it killed my brethren.

[Kim]

Right. And then I think that leads to him being like, I do love her, but, you know, she's not ultimately who he should end up with.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Kim]

She's the girl who killed the wolf. And that's hard for him and his ego to handle later in the game.

[Anna]

100%. Yeah. I mean, I think Feyre assumes a lot of this stuff that he does is for her protection and to keep her safe. And because we are seeing all of this book through Feyre's eyes, we also fall in love with him as she does.

[Kim]

Right, Exactly.

[Anna]

There are genuine, sweet moments between them that, when you're reading it, go, oh, my gosh, that's so sweet. The Pool of Starlight. Like, the silly, dirty limericks, like, all of that. And he gives her space. Right. He lets her just be. He lets her paint. And Tamlin becomes that kind of safe space that she's never had before.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

And it works because, like we said, it's Feyre's pov. It was very, very smart that SJM wrote it that way.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

Because we don't see anything through his eyes. Tamlin's eyes.

[Kim]

There's the reason that this book altered the genre, because we all were like, what, in book two, do we hate Tamlin? Do we love Reason because we all genuinely felt it in the first place?

[Anna]

Yes. Because she. Like we've talked about and Kim just talked about with Feyre is that she is so mentally emotionally drained. And we see the hardship that she's come from. And when she falls in love with this, like, sense of peace and safety with Tamlin, we also fall in love with that. And we see her being able to take a breath, and that's really big.

[Kim]

You deserve it, girl. Take that breath.

[Anna]

You deserve it. Yeah. And I think, obviously, there's this, like, side of Tamlin that's kind of like the tragic hero that we see, you know, and he's under this curse, and he can't really talk about things. And so the lack of emotional depth that they're able to, like, connect on is kind of hindered initially from the beginning by a product of being There's a curse. But it's a pattern with him that we'll see carried out through under the Mountain. We do start to see it in book one and especially in book two, that Tamlin and Feyre, both of them hide from each other. They don't allow themselves to deepen the relationship intellectually, emotionally, and it ends up being their downfall. But Tamlin is the one that really sets up those walls, you know, and, like, sets the standard for we don't discuss it, we don't talk about it.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

Like, brush it under the rug, you know?

[Kim]

Yeah, yeah, for sure.

[Anna]

And I think, you know, something else that, like, we see it as a pattern. And it's one of our favorite lines we've quoted in, like, I feel like so many different series that we read, but, like, says we are not all as lucky in our friends. Rhysand, you know, and he's talking about, like, Rhysand, you grew up not necessarily, like, in the best home where your father kind of sucked, but, like, you had amazing people surrounding you. And Tamlin didn't grow up that way. Lucien becomes his friend, but not until later in life. And his father, we know, was one of Amarantha's best friends. And they sucked.

[Christina]

Yep.

[Anna]

Right. And they brutally killed Rhysand's family. So, like, I don't think Tamlin saw what it was like to have a good relationship or a solid relationship, and that kind of carries over.

[Kim]

Definitely a lot of toxic masculinity there, for sure.

[Anna]

Hundred percent.

[Christina]

Yep.

[Kim]

Really deeply ingrained toxic masculinity.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

What does Feyre say? She says something has festered in the spring court. Yeah.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

And I think that's really what it is. And I think that's why he is, like, the beast that we've talked about.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

But the bottom line is, is that Tamlin works in book one because Feyre needed that peace and that respite from, like, her previous life.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

And, like, as we eventually see going into book two, like, that rest and that safety without, like, her having the self agency, which is so important. But if you have that sense of safety without having that sense of, like, self agency and being able to do things for yourself, it's just like another form of prison, which is what she was in. In the human.

[Christina]

Absolutely.

[Kim]

Exactly. And she doesn't see it like that yet, as we don't see it yet.

[Christina]

Right.

[Kim]

But as we keep going, it's interesting to look back on this and understand, really, where we came from.

[Christina]

Totally.

[Kim]

Okay. Another interesting little character in this book one we're gonna talk about.

[Anna]

Oh, Lucian.

[Kim]

Lucian. Okay, guys, Lucian isn't Feyre's biggest fan initially. And as we've Said we get it. Like, she did kill his friend. She did skin that friend. And she also is there because she hates them. Like, the only reason this works is because she viscerally hate his kind.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Kim]

Yeah. So I understand him being like, we're not gonna be besties. I need you to fall in love with mine and say it out loud. But I will not be your friend.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

And you know, as we keep reading, we do see more layers from him. I think automatically on page, he seems to be. He's lighter than Tamlin. Tamlin's like, oh, do you look too clean? Evolution is at least like a little.

[Christina]

More like charismatic and, you know.

[Kim]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Charismatic. And so we do see more layers. You know, we love an onion.

[Anna]

We do.

[Kim]

And he is one. You know, he's loyal. He's almost too loyal to Tamlin. He is too loyal to Tamlin. But agreed, it's his downfall, really.

[Anna]

Cassian would never, never, ever.

[Kim]

But he is more emotionally, you know, attuned than he lets on. And it's also really important here to remember his backstory. Because, guys, it is brutal. It is not a nice time.

[Christina]

No, no.

[Kim]

So one let's remember. Baron's not really his dad.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

His dad's Helion. So that's a whole dynamic that we haven't even experienced yet as a reader.

[Anna]

I really hope we do.

[Kim]

Can't wait wait to experience it. But Lucien fell in love with Justmenda, sweetie. Justmenda. Yep.

[Christina]

Jesse, if we may.

[Kim]

May we call you Jesse?

[Christina]

May we call you Jesse?

[Kim]

She was a lesser Fae. And Baron, being the shithole that he is, was like, oh, well, that's beneath you.

[Christina]

I hate him.

[Kim]

So I'm gonna have her executed in front of you. Two of his brothers held him back. But it is very important to note here that Aerys does say that he. Aerys did not take part in Jesmin Da's torture or murder. And that it was actually Aerys who alerted Tamlin, who to Lucian's whereabouts at the border of the Spring Court so that Tamlin could save him from their brothers.

[Christina]

Yep.

[Kim]

Just an interesting thing to note for future.

[Anna]

I want Ursa's book. Can we just get a little novella.

[Kim]

If that is not a part of the next book, Swear to God. Okay, so also, you know, just let's pile on some more trauma here. Amarantha tore out his eyeball.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Kim]

When he pleaded for peace from her on Tamlin's behalf.

[Christina]

I forgot about that.

[Kim]

Yeah. That's why he's got the gadget eye.

[Christina]

I Forgot that that was the origins of the eye.

[Kim]

He was like, I'm pleading for peace. And she, like, I'm going to yank out your eyeball.

[Anna]

She has, like, a really weird obsession with, like, body parts. She's got jury inside the finger.

[Christina]

And also, like, we're overreacting, I think, a little bit. I think that was a little bit of an overreaction. I think we could have just said no.

[Anna]

We could just go to therapy.

[Kim]

Also, like, the fact that the finger is the necklace really grosses me out. Like, I know that both of them gross me out, but for some reason, it's, like, just dangling there, like, shriveled, desiccated finger. Do you think she gave the eyeball back?

[Anna]

Lucian's.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

Like, where is the eyeball?

[Kim]

Like, where did it go?

[Anna]

I'm gonna be honest. I really didn't give it much thought.

[Kim]

Me either. Until just now. But, you know, now I'm curious.

[Anna]

So sorry, y' all. I'm so sorry. I did write a dissertation on the eyeball.

[Christina]

Why? Where is it? Anna? Track it through the text eyeball.

[Kim]

Watch. Okay, so he's got some trauma, Lucian. He sure does. Yeah. But honestly, this makes more sense. Why? You know, he's not quick to trust Feyre. But then Feyre does prove herself, and he's subtly supporting her in very quiet, not realistically obvious ways. But the main big interesting one is he is actually the one to tell her how to catch the Suriel. Which, P.S. is something that Tamlin would risked, even though it is something that is important for her to do for herself and something she needs and wants to do. This is a great example of Tamlin not actually understanding her needs and wants.

[Christina]

Yep.

[Kim]

But in that moment, it does feel like Lucian actually trusts Feyre's abilities more than Tamlin does. Because of this. Yeah. And that's really telling this early on, guys. Okay. Also been a big moment having to do with the cereal is when she lets the cereal go, she takes the time to let the cereal go before saving herself from the Naga. Yeah. That, I think, is a huge shift from Lucian's point of view, where he then respects her. He sees her as a different kind of person than the one who maybe, you know, killed and skinned his friend.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Kim]

But we do quickly, speaking of the surreal, want to mention that Lucian does hesitate to come help her from the Naga. Like, he hesitates, which seems like a pattern from Lucia.

[Anna]

It does. Especially when we get under the now.

[Kim]

Yes. We hesitate under the mountain, which is really dire war times. And then going forward in ACOWAR Elena's already his mate, and he hesitates going after her when his mate's being, he thinks in his mind, tortured in the night Court. And he just is like, oh, well, what is one to do?

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

And I do think he has a strong moral center, but I think he's ultimately afraid of Tamlin. He's unwaveringly loyal to Tamlin. Like, his connection to Tamlin is really his downfall in so many ways, negatively. And I think as we progress in this series, the further he gets from Tamlin, the more likable he is.

[Christina]

Yes, I agree with that, Christine.

[Anna]

I agree. Yeah, everyone needs a little break from that toxic masculinity.

[Kim]

Exactly. Lucian had toxic masculinity at home growing up, and then he was like, oh, Tamlin, okay, yeah, you're my friend, but sure. Toxic masculinity. And then now he's like, you know, off with the bird girl and living his best life. Yes, Jurian. And he's just, like, living that injury and, yeah, fun little, like, outlaw life.

[Anna]

He's finding himself.

[Christina]

He's on a journey.

[Kim]

Okay, so, xoxo. Surreal.

[Christina]

Oh, my God. Let's talk about the surreal. Our messy bitch. Okay, so Feyre decides to hunt down the cereal after Lucian, somewhat begrudgingly tells her how to trap one. And it works. The surreal shows up in all its creepy skeletal glory. And to Feyre's shock, it's. It's really kind of chatty, and it's spilling some major tea. The Suriel is actually the one that tells Feyre that Tamlin is a High Lord, that the blight is real, and if she wants to live, she should stay with the High Lord.

[Anna]

Ah. Oh, my God.

[Christina]

We'll come back to that. But before Feyre can ask any more questions, the Naga, which are vicious creatures, surround them. And like Christina said, Feyre doesn't immediately run, though. Instead, Feyre frees the Suriel by firing her arrow to release the snare. And it's a big turning point because she risks herself to save another creature. And it's the first time we see that her instincts aren't just about survival. They're about protecting, too, which is really interesting.

[Kim]

Yeah, I love that. I also love that she's also seeing these creatures as on her level to save. Like, before we came here, it was like, anything that's not a human is, like, gross and scary and bad. And I like, that's kind of changing.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

She takes a look at the Suriel, who is skeletal and scary. Af. Guys, let's not get it Twisted. It's not cute. But she looks at the Suriel and she's like, you've helped me. You're not harming me, and you're trapped here because of me. And I'm not gonna let you be subjected exactly to, like, the Naga's brutal attack.

[Christina]

Right.

[Anna]

Like, it's a big turning point.

[Christina]

It is a big turning point. But this is our first major foreshadowing moment in the book. Stay with the High Lord.

[Anna]

Guys, obviously.

[Christina]

It's Rhysand, baby. It's Rhysand.

[Kim]

Welcome Rhysand. I mean, not really welcome Rhysand, but welcome. Our first foreshadow of our Night Court day.

[Christina]

First foreshadowing.

[Anna]

I love it so much. I'm just picturing, like, next book where he's. The cereals. Like, did you not. Did that not make sense? Was I not clear enough?

[Christina]

I was too vague.

[Kim]

I feel I was very clear. But fine.

[Anna]

Too vague. I realize now there are seven high Lords. Understand?

[Kim]

Really? Yeah. Stay with the High Lord. Okay, which, though, yes, I do understand. Right. Do we think the cereal was purposely being like, oh, 100%. I'm gonna swirl the tea.

[Anna]

Oh, yes, it totally. 1,000% yes.

[Kim]

I love the idea of the surreal. Then, like, escaping and being like, guys, come here. Okay, so listen, what I did. This is so ingenious. So I said, stay with the High Lord.

[Anna]

Yeah, But I didn't say which one.

[Kim]

I didn't say which one.

[Christina]

And everyone's like, shut up.

[Anna]

You're so bad.

[Christina]

You're so bad.

[Kim]

Hilarious.

[Christina]

I know, right? She totally has no clue what I'm talking about.

[Kim]

I know. And she's with the shitty one. It's hilarious.

[Anna]

So later, it's like, your mate. What? Oh, did I say that? Oh, yeah.

[Christina]

Did I say that? Oopsie. Gotta go by. Okay, so funny. Obviously, Feyre takes this to mean Tamlin.

[Kim]

As one would. You know?

[Anna]

As one would.

[Christina]

To be fair, the cereal did just tell Feyre that Tamlin was a High Lord and then said, stay with the High Lord.

[Anna]

So, like, and see all things righted.

[Kim]

Suriel knew what they were doing.

[Christina]

Exactly. Exactly. So, you know, I feel like Feyre saving the surreal is similar to kind of how she gives her jewelry to the water nymphs in Acomath. She doesn't want anyone to suffer. Feyre is a natural caretaker. She's had to be. She's been taking care of her entire family for years. But it's ultimately what builds her goodwill with other courts and lesser fairies. Because, like you guys said, she sees them as equal. She doesn't see them as beneath her or evil or scary. She starts to really see them as equal to her and worthy of her protection as well.

[Kim]

She's a High lady of the people.

[Anna]

But she was a human. She was the lesser. Right.

[Kim]

Yes, exactly.

[Anna]

So she identifies with it. Even if she becomes a Fae and becomes a High lady, she identifies with those, like you said. That's a great comparison. Parallel between book one and book two with the water nymphs.

[Kim]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Anna]

Felt that tug. Keep reaching out that hand.

[Kim]

Keep reaching out that hand. And then she has another sweet moment with a lesser fairy.

[Anna]

Yes. Oh, this one's really devastating. It's not cute.

[Kim]

Yeah, I guess not. Sweet, Sad, sad moment.

[Anna]

But it's an important moment moment for Feyre. It's like the first time, I think she really sees kind of a crack in the Spring Court and just how much the curse, the blight is really affecting everybody. And she witnesses this blue fairy who has been brought in, and she witnesses the fairy's death. His wings were, like, brutally sawed off. And he's sobbing and he just keeps repeating, like, she took my wings. She took my wings. And it's really devastating. And Feyre realizes in this moment that this invisible threat, this curse, this blight that everyone keeps referring to is actually real. It's terrifying. And it's hurting people in the Spring Court, and she can't ignore it. And, you know, Tamlin, he reinforces. It's just part of the blight, like, this is what we're dealing with. And he goes to Barry. He's like, I'm gonna go bury the body. He's carrying the blue fairy away. And she asks to go with him. And she says, I want to come. And he refuses. He says, no, you can't. You have to stay here. And he shuts her out. And I think this is important for, like, a few reasons. But before I talk about that, I also want to say, Tamlin asks her, why did you choose to stay and, like, comfort this fairy? Because, remember, Feyre's human. She killed Andres and the wolf.

[Christina]

Right.

[Kim]

The whole way this curse works is.

[Anna]

If she hates Fae, if she hates Faye.

[Kim]

So I wonder if he's like, okay, but you still hate us, right?

[Anna]

Well, because I think in order for her to fall in love with him, she has to start to appreciate the fairy around her. And I think he said, right, so why did you stay?

[Kim]

All right, check. We're checking him off. We're moving along.

[Anna]

Check him off. And she says, and this is really important. Pin this for later. She says, I wouldn't want to die alone. And that's why she stayed with him. And she didn't want him to feel alone when he died. And that's why she holds his hand.

[Kim]

And she's a protector and a sweet, sweet girl.

[Anna]

She is. But going back to Tamlin being like, no, you can't come with me. This is, like, I think one of the first. The beginning of Feyre asking to be a part, to be an equal, to just partake in, like, seeing something through with Tamlin. And Tamlin shuts her out. And this is just the beginning. He does this repeatedly, especially in Acomath after Under the Mountain. And she just wants to see it through. And he denies her that. He denies her the moment of, like, being there fully for this dying fairy. And I think it's really important that we pin this little moment.

[Kim]

Agree. It's definitely the first of this trajectory that we'll get into more.

[Anna]

And it's also just. I don't even know that it's foreshadowing, but it's very interesting that the fairy is brought in and put on the table in the entry hall. And it's that this is the entry hall where Feyre, when Tamlin shuts her out in Acomath, this is where she breaks down and all the doors are locked, and she has blackness encircle her, and she scares everybody who works there and lives at the manor. And this is where Mor comes and picks her up. Oh, and it's in this same place.

[Kim]

I love that.

[Anna]

I love this little kind of, like, full circle.

[Kim]

Yes. That's beautiful.

[Anna]

So Tamlin shuts her out for the first time here. And this is the last place that Tamlin shuts her out is in this place.

[Kim]

Place.

[Christina]

Oh, that's so interesting, Anna.

[Kim]

Yeah, Freaking love that.

[Anna]

Christina, will you take us to, like, actually a really sweet moment with Tamlin?

[Kim]

Yes. You know, it's a roller coaster with Tam Tam in this book. So we have a great moment with Tamlin at the Pool of Starlight. I'm gonna very briefly just touch upon it and throw it to Kim. But he does take her to this glowing, starlit pool. Like, it's so freaking magical, guys.

[Christina]

It's beautiful.

[Kim]

Absolutely. Things of dreams and, like, this quiet clearing. And it's just a really sweet moment. It's one of the moments that when you read it the first time, it's swoony, like, you love it. Feyre opens up. He says he what it would take to make her happy. And then Feyre opens up about her family and their fall from glory and what she had to do to survive. And it's romantic, but we also. We see him care about her, and we see them bond over this weight of who they've had to be and, like, the burdens they've had to carry. And you see him trying to make, like, this effort with her in this moment. And there's other little moments we've kind of touched upon already where he makes an effort. One really funny one is he's like, and your hair is clean. Which just forever and always will just be the best pickup line. Just really fantastic. And it's so reminiscent of the Beast. I feel like that is a specific. Oh, yeah. He's like, oh, you looked good in the. Yeah. Dress. Yeah. And also, you know, there's a really cute, sweet scenario where, like, she snares him.

[Anna]

Yes.

[Kim]

Because he's, like, stalking her through the woods. And he's, like, kind of grinning. He's like, oh, cruel human. And she's like, that's what you get for stalking someone.

[Anna]

They're, like, bantering.

[Kim]

She's, like, playing with him. Like, they're. They're playing and bantering. And, like, I forget that this stuff is in there. I forget that we see them be silly and fun and, like, playful. Playful. Yeah, yeah.

[Anna]

Flirting.

[Kim]

And it really just shows that Tamlin under the Mountain really, really took any joy and playfulness out of Tamlin. But this scene is also where Tamlin is like. So I saw the list of words that you were trying to learn, and I decided to incorporate them into some dirty limericks. Would you like me to read them for you?

[Anna]

It's so funny.

[Kim]

It's hilarious. And, like, he reads her, like, the fifth and dirtiest one, and she, like, howls with laughter, and it's like, yeah, this is so cute for them. And I do love it for them. And again, I cannot imagine Tamlin writing dirty limericks after under the Mountain. Like, this is a sense of whimsy that he loses 100%. But it's an interesting comparison to Rhys with the teaching. Rhys is like, I'm gonna teach you. I'm gonna empower you so that you can read these. And Tamlin's like, I'm gonna read them to you.

[Christina]

Ooh, interesting.

[Kim]

And it's juxtaposition of how they care for her, you know?

[Anna]

Yeah, totally.

[Christina]

But I didn't see this as negative at the time when I read it.

[Anna]

No.

[Christina]

I felt like it was sweet. It was playful. He was having fun, lighthearted moments with her. And I think that's what she needed. And I think, looking back, obviously you see it, but with the way Sarah writes it, you're supposed to think this is sweet and fun, and you're.

[Anna]

I think there's truth to that. I think it is sweet. I think it is fun, and I think it's just the differences between the two. But, like. But it's true, Kim. It is. When you read it, I laughed. I was rereading it. I've read the series multiple times, and I'm going, this is funny.

[Kim]

It is.

[Anna]

You know, my brothers and I used to compete with who can write the dirtiest limericks. I often won.

[Kim]

Yeah, it's cute. He's charming here.

[Anna]

It's charming, for sure.

[Kim]

It's very charming.

[Anna]

The beast is Prince Charming.

[Christina]

He is.

[Kim]

Oh, Prince Charming's coming out.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

All right. What happens next, Kim?

[Christina]

Yes. So after the Pool of Starlight scene, this is a really big turning point for Feyre and her ability to finally and truly relax. And she finally starts. Starts painting, and she locks herself away in the gallery for a week. And then we have a really, really sad moment for Feyre and one that really hit me so hard rereading it. Feyre is outside walking around, and she sees the wall that separates Prythian from the Human Lands.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Christina]

And it hits her. Because of the glamour that has been placed on her family, she has been completely erased. And she says, the mortal world, it had moved on without me, as if I had never existed, unremembered by anyone who I'd known or cared for.

[Anna]

Ye.

[Christina]

This is so sad. And she rightfully has a little bit of a. A minty be as you would. She has worked herself literally to the bone to take care of her family. And in one fell swoop, they forgotten about her. They've moved on. It's like she toiled for so many years, and then it was like her presence was just erased.

[Kim]

And that thank you. That she deserved and had wanted for years. Now she's never going to get it right.

[Christina]

Exactly. Because they've forgotten about her. So she runs to the garden, and Tamlin finds her, and they actually have a really great conversation. Feyre says, all those years, what I did for them, they didn't try to stop you from taking me there. It was the giant pain that cracked me into. If I thought about it too long, I don't know why I expected them to. Why I believe that the puka's illusion was real that night. I don't know why I still bother thinking about it or still caring, I suppose my self pity is absurd. And it's like, no, that is so valid, Feyre. All those years, what I did for them and they didn't try to stop you from taking me. That is so sad and upsetting.

[Kim]

It's so sad and upsetting. And yeah, it's. It's so important that she is acknowledging it here. And I think it's because she's in a place of safety, because it's something that is so prominent to us the minute we read it, you know, like it's absolutely. The fact that she is now addressing this is so important for her growth because my God, it's so valid.

[Christina]

It's so valid. And sweetest Tamlin, he kisses her hands and he says, it's okay to feel angry and it was never fair that you had to carry so much burden. And to his credit, he does not invalidate Feyre. He's very supportive of her. And you know, again though, she wants answers about the blight and everything else. And he says, I will give you answers, but not until the time is right. Until it's safe.

[Anna]

Yes.

[Christina]

And him saying that is such a foreshadowing. Until it's safe. Until I deem it safe for you and I'm in control and you'll get answers when I say you get answers.

[Kim]

Yep.

[Anna]

Yeah. No, I think you're right. Like, I think that's a really tender moment they have between them. He sees her grief, but only once. It's like there once. It's only at its worst.

[Christina]

Yep.

[Anna]

And I would even argue that even in Acomaf, it's at her worst. She's vomiting and he doesn't do anything. Right. But this is the pattern that we're setting up and it keeps repeating all through Acomaf.

[Kim]

That's really interesting you bring up Acomath because this is what she needed there. She needed him to say, your feelings are valid.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Kim]

And then under the mountain again, like, it just took all of that out of him.

[Christina]

It did.

[Anna]

I think it broke him.

[Christina]

Yeah, I agree.

[Anna]

I think it broke him in a way that he was unable to come back from. And sometimes people go through things, it's like a death of a child and parents divorce.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

They can't reconcile the person they were before and the people they are after. And it's not to defend his behavior, but I think it really broke him in a way that was irrevocably like inability to change.

[Christina]

And he wasn't able to be there for Feyre because he was too busy Dealing with his own.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Christina]

Things which, again, like we said, not defending him, but, like, that makes sense to me. I didn't like it. No, but it made sense.

[Kim]

But it's important to remember where we started here, when. When we get to that point in the next book. Like this important.

[Anna]

Exactly. And Feyre's mentally, she says, in this book, he gave me space and respect. I could offer him, no less. Like when she tries to ask him things and he says, like, I'm not talking about it.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

That's her response. Like, okay, he gives me space and respect. I won't pry.

[Christina]

Sure.

[Anna]

And that becomes their motto throughout their relationship. That they don't set the standard for opening up.

[Kim]

Yeah. And also is a very sticky stick way for us to also justify the behavior. All right, so this brings us up to Callan May, otherwise known as Calamari party around here, folks.

[Anna]

Oh, yes.

[Kim]

We are gonna save that for the next episode. So stay tuned for that fun Callan May party coming your way.

[Christina]

Yep.

[Kim]

So one other thing to note, though, is there is a visit from the Attor.

[Anna]

Oh, yeah.

[Kim]

And it is the first time we hear the mention of Tamlin having a quote, Heart of Stone. Very important at the end of the book. And to be honest, probably could have been a little more obvious for me.

[Anna]

It's mentioned twice, and I actually forgot that it's mentioned twice.

[Christina]

I didn't remember it at all.

[Kim]

If Feyre couldn't figure out the riddle was love, I don't understand how she would have remembered Heart of Stone from the Attor in this moment. I really actually do.

[Christina]

It was so obvious.

[Kim]

It's a passing comment by a scary creature that she's scared of. But you know what? Who can say?

[Christina]

Not us.

[Kim]

You know what we can say? We can say that this is our most favorite thing that we have been just thrilled to bring you guys.

[Christina]

Yep.

[Kim]

Is this next segment, Kim?

[Christina]

Yes.

[Kim]

Tell us about it.

[Christina]

Okay, so welcome to our favorite little corner of the episode Mastermind, where we peel back the curtain on all the brilliant foreshadowing plot threads and Easter eggs Sarah J. Maas has been planting since page one. Now, a quick spoiler warning. From here on out, in addition to Acotar, we will be referencing the entire Throne of Glass and Crescent City series. So if you haven't finished those series series yet, cheers and happy reading. We'll see you next time. And if you're all caught up, let's dive in. This segment is inspired by Taylor Swift's Mastermind, because SJM is an author who has Proven time and time again, that strategy really does set the scene for the tale. From quiet moments that echo across her various series to lines that hit differently on a reread, Sarah's storytelling proves that none of it was accidental. So grab your detective hats and join us as we unravel the genius of Sarah J. Maas. Because in the mass for first, she's our mastermind, and it was all her design.

[Anna]

Guys, the amount of Taylor little, like, lines in that makes me so happy.

[Christina]

It's the happiest I've ever met.

[Kim]

I swear.

[Christina]

It's so wonderful.

[Kim]

It's so exciting. Our swift DSJM hearts can't handle it. I know.

[Anna]

And listeners, if you made it this far, like Mastermind, Kim and Christina will tell you, like I cried when we were watching it at the concert because Mastermind is like one of my favorite songs.

[Christina]

Yes, it is.

[Kim]

It's beautiful. Also, I do have to say, if you didn't catch this already, listeners, it's Mastermind spelled M A, A S. So we're very clever. Clever. It's not just Mastermind.

[Christina]

We're incredibly clever.

[Anna]

I don't know if you know this.

[Kim]

It's Mastermind.

[Christina]

Mastermind.

[Anna]

But, like, we're clever.

[Kim]

Just in case you needed to be more impressed by our science.

[Christina]

Yeah, exactly.

[Kim]

So this is going to be theories, it's going to be connections, it's going to be any sort of thing that we think you would find fun to connect the worlds. Okay, Kim, take it away.

[Christina]

Absolutely. So, of course, the most obvious one is word marks are word marks.

[Anna]

Question mark word, like W, W, A.

[Christina]

R D. Not word, not word, which.

[Anna]

Is in T O G, W I R D, which it's hard for. Like if you're not. If you can't read it.

[Christina]

Yes, yes, yes, yes. But we are feyre and we can read. So Feyre notes ward markings on the cottage, which is supposedly to keep fairies out, it says, revealing the faded Ward markings etched around the threshold. My father had once convinced a passing charlatan to trade the engravings against fairy home. The man claiming some High Fae blood in his ancestry had just carved the whirls and swirls and runes around the doors and windows, muttered a few nonsense words and ambled on his way. So could these be word W Y R D marks from tog? The word markings on the archeron cottage don't actually work in Prythian, just like the iron myth.

[Kim]

So there's a myth in Prythian that iron also, like, hurts fairies.

[Christina]

Oh, right. Hurts fairies. Right.

[Kim]

So. So the word markings don't work as well as iron. Like both. Those are myths.

[Anna]

When Elain's human fiance proposes to her, he gives her an iron ring to protect her from the fairies. And Feyre's like, no, that doesn't do shit. But plant a bunch of ash trees.

[Kim]

Yeah, they all wear iron bracelets. That's like a thing everyone believes. As well as these word markings.

[Christina]

You're right. Yes. We know they weaken the Fae in Tog. Both iron and the word marks actually do weaken them. Now in Crescent City, we learned that the Tog fae are a different type of Fae than those in Acotar, which could explain this difference in it. Working against some Fae and not the others. But given both of these myths here in Acotar, myths that both do work on the Fae in Tog. Could these somehow have originated from Tog? Like this passing charlatan. Could it be a worldwalker spreading partial truths across the realm, not understanding that there were different Fae, not understanding that actually this may not work in that realm, but did work in another one? Yeah, maybe someone went through a portal and left a book with this info that then became lore in Prythian.

[Anna]

Or somehow like when the Daglan. If they. I mean, we don't know that they were ever in Tog, right? We don't have that confirmation. But we do know that there are Tog Fae in Midgard. So like, who's to say that the Daglan and Slash, also the Asteris, same, same things, didn't like bring over people to various worlds just like they did in cc?

[Christina]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Kim]

Exactly. It just feels interesting and almost like too much of a coincidence that both of these myths exist in Prythian about Fae and neither of them work, but these exact things actually work in Tog. On the Fey.

[Christina]

Right.

[Kim]

It's very interesting. Also the swirls and whirls. Yeah, it's literally sounds like word marks. Word marks.

[Anna]

It does sound like word.

[Christina]

It sure does. Okay, what's the next one? Christina?

[Kim]

Okay, next up. This is a fun one that a lot of people have asked us about and talked about. Could the mercenary in the marketplace actually be Fury and Axar from Crescent City? So a lot of people love this theory. It's fun. It's not the most fleshed out thing in the world, but man, it's fun. Okay, so first thing is their physical descriptions. So Fury has chin length black hair, deep set dark chestnut colored eyes and light brown tanned skin. Yep. The mercenary has thick dark hair which was shorn to her chin, a tan face and Black eyes with hints of bright brown. I mean, so that's the same. Really.

[Christina]

That's the same.

[Kim]

And Feyre notes that the mercenary's voice is, quote, clipped with an accent I'd never heard before. Which. What? A lot of people are talking a lot about who the mercenary is, but this in particular, I think, really sent people down spirals. Why would we mention we've never heard this accent? Where is she from? Who is she?

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Kim]

Also, when the mercenary talks about being attacked by another type of fairy, she says two months. That's how long I was down. Four months until I had the strength to walk again. Could this help explain where the fuck Fury's been for a lot of the books? Is this, like, you know, at some point when she's gone in cc, oh, she's recovering from this thing. Like, we just don't know where she is and we don't know much about her. So could this explain where she's been? Could this be a part of, you know, mercenary assassin? Same thing.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

Could this be a part of her missions to send her to other worlds, especially ones we already know are. Are specifically deeply connected to Midgard?

[Christina]

Absolutely.

[Kim]

I think this is interesting. It's a really fun idea.

[Anna]

It's very interesting.

[Christina]

Yeah. The descriptions really are the thing, like, the strongest point to me, that they are described exactly the same.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

Well.

[Kim]

And we just know nothing about Fury. I just like the idea that the mercenary is someone and that we're gonna come back to it. And so many people talk about, like, why did you make us care about this character, Sarah? You never do this unless they matter. So I think it's interesting and really, really telling.

[Anna]

It's a character that has stuck out to everybody. I've seen this mercenary brought up in so many different. Especially when Cece, when we were doing all this. Of our CC theories too. Yeah, like, it's brought up a lot.

[Christina]

Definitely. Definitely.

[Anna]

Okay, so another one that was interesting is the mural. So when Feyre is looking at the mural in. I think it's like, in. It's like the library gallery. It's telling the creation of, like, Prythian and the cauldron and all of that.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

She notices, like, all these small symbols that are being poured out of the cauldron, and she suspects that they're like an ancient fairy language. She doesn't call them ward markings.

[Kim]

Yeah, she calls it an ancient fairy language.

[Anna]

So we can assume that it's probably the language that speak in Crescent City. Because when Bryce lands at the end of House of Sky and breath. When she lands in Prythian and she is speaking to Azriel and she's saying, like, where is Aidas? Take me to Prince Aidas. Is this hell? I'm trying to save my mate. Nobody understands her. Then Amren walks in and she looks at Amren and she thinks she looks like Fury, by the way, but she changes the language that she's speaking and she starts to speak the language of the Fae in Midgard. And when she speaks it, Amren, like, snaps her neck and looks at her because she understands it and she's like, whoa. That is the ancient Fae language of Prythian, and it hasn't been spoken in 15,000 years.

[Christina]

Wow.

[Anna]

So I wonder if that language at the cauldron, like, those symbols that are being poured out, if that's actually the Fae language from 15,000 years ago.

[Kim]

I love that idea. I like the idea that Bryce theoretically could just read that. Yeah, she could just see the mural and read it. Like I love.

[Anna]

Because her Fae, her Fae, all still speak it. It's not like the common tongue. Right. She lands there. When she lands in Prythian, she's speaking the common tongue of Midgard, but she switches because she notices the long ears. And she's like, oh, well, maybe they'll understand our Fae language. They don't, because they stopped learning it. Except for Rhysand and Amren.

[Christina]

But Amren is like, recognizes enough to be like, I know what this is.

[Anna]

Yes, yes. And then in the next book, that's when they give her the Duolingo beam.

[Christina]

Oh, the Duolingo bean.

[Kim]

Oh, man, that bean. Okay, so let's keep on the CC train here.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

So, interesting thing about the Pool of Starlight. Okay, so some really fun theories about could this pool of Starlight actually be First Light? Okay, so we do know that the Autumn King was researching, quote, an iridescent liquid to inform him on, quote, how light moves through the world and how it can be shaped.

[Anna]

Yep.

[Kim]

So this iridescent liquid, could this be the. This that's in the Pool of Starlight? Plus, we get confirmation that the Daglan in Acotar World are the Asteri in Crescent City World.

[Anna]

100%.

[Kim]

And the Asteri feed off First Light?

[Anna]

Yes.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Kim]

And we know that the Daglan quote, drank the magic of the land like wine.

[Anna]

Yep.

[Kim]

So were the Daglan slash, the Asteri drinking the magic from these pools? Is this what the pools are?

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

We also know from Vespers Us in House of Flame and Shadow that the Daglan had, quote, hidden pools of their magic under every sacred mountain, which one has to mean the three mountains. But also, this literally confirms that the Daglan, that is the Asteri, did in fact have pools of magic.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Kim]

So could this be one of those pools left over still here?

[Christina]

I don't see why not. It is so interesting.

[Kim]

I love it. There's some really fun, crazy theories out there about how Tamlin and Rhys's sister were actually magic.

[Anna]

Yes.

[Kim]

And that this was a mating present from her because it's starlight. It's from the night court, and. Or that this is where he actually maybe took her wings because she was his mate and she buried the wings there, and that's where the star the pool came from.

[Christina]

Oh, wow.

[Anna]

That's dark.

[Christina]

That's fascinating.

[Kim]

Yeah. But, like, the starlight being a part of Velaris and the night court is a really interesting theory.

[Christina]

It is.

[Kim]

Add in, tie in.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

But I really like that it's somehow tied into the pools of magic, too.

[Christina]

Yeah, me too.

[Anna]

I do too. I love.

[Christina]

Me too. Okay, guys, I think that wraps it up.

[Anna]

Yay. Yes.

[Kim]

Join us next time for calamari party.

[Anna]

Calamari party.

[Christina]

Okay, bye.

[Kim]

Bye.

[Anna]

Bye.

[Christina]

Well, friends, that wraps up another episode of Flights of Fantasy Podcast. Don't forget to join our book club community on Instagram and Tik Tok at Flights of Fantasy Podcast, where you can share your thoughts, theories, and favorite moments with us and fellow listeners. We'd love to hear from you if you enjoyed today's episode. Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform. Your support helps us spread the magic of Romantasy to even more book lovers. Until next time, keep dreaming, keep reading, and remember, every good story deserves to take flight.