S5 : Ep 19 - ACOMAF: Revisited - Part 1

Summary

Flights of Fantasy Podcast Summary

Episode: Season 5, Episode 19 - ACOMAF: Revisited - Part 1
Release Date: July 1, 2025
Duration: Approximately 38 minutes

Hosts: Christina, Kim, and Isluth Anna

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1. Introduction and Episode Overview

The hosts kick off the episode by expressing their excitement to delve into A Court of Mist and Fury (ACOMAF), the second installment in Sarah J. Maas's ACOTAR series. They highlight their approach of dissecting each book across multiple episodes, leveraging their collective experiences from multiple readings to enrich the discussion.

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2. Feyre's Trauma and Mental Struggles

One of the central themes discussed is Feyre Archeron’s profound trauma following the events of the first book. The hosts emphasize how Feyre is not merely surviving but grappling with deep psychological scars.

• Survivor's Guilt and Depression:

  • Isluth Anna [04:38]: "She wakes up every single night vomiting from nightmares. She's not sleeping, she's not painting."
  • Christina [06:08]: "She's a new Fae body, she's a new species... but she doesn't have any home base."

• Lack of Support from Tamlin:

  • Isluth Anna [07:14]: "Tamlin is absolutely not helping in any way whatsoever to be there for her, mentally, emotionally, anything."
  • Christina [08:20]: "Tamlin does nothing and it feels so much worse than all the other ones."

The discussion delves into how Feyre’s mental state is at a "rock bottom," contrasting her survival-driven perseverance in the first book with her current emotional turmoil.

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3. Contrasting Relationships: Tamlin vs. Rhysand

The hosts explore the stark differences between Feyre's relationships with Tamlin and Rhysand, highlighting Tamlin's neglect versus Rhysand's supportive demeanor.

• Tamlin’s Inaction:

  • Isluth Anna [09:57]: "They’re not communicating, they’re not opening up about their fears and traumas."
  • Christina [24:23]: "He is everything. He stands there."

• Rhysand’s Support:

  • Isluth Anna [34:46]: "He is giving her a purpose. He's giving her a choice. He is treating her like an equal."
  • Christina [35:01]: "He is giving her a purpose. He's giving her a choice."

Additionally, the episode highlights key moments, such as Rhysand’s supportive actions at Feyre’s wedding, juxtaposed against Tamlin’s self-centered concerns.

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4. Introduction and Character Analysis of Ianthe

Ianthe is scrutinized as a manipulative and power-hungry character whose true intentions are far from benevolent.

• Ianthe as a Psychopath:

  • Christina [13:24]: "And I say psychopath, not sociopath...she is a psychopath."
  • Isluth Anna [15:12]: "She is a Nepo baby of the Evil Empire."

• Manipulative Tactics:

  • Christina [15:12]: "Everything Ianthe does is calculated. Feyre isn't even a person to her. She is a means to power."
  • Isluth Anna [17:11]: Discussing the flashback where Ianthe propositions Rhysand, showcasing her manipulative nature.

Ianthe’s role as a foil to Rhysand is emphasized, illustrating her self-serving motives contrasted against Rhysand’s genuine care for Feyre.

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5. Key Plot Points and Foreshadowing

Significant plot developments and foreshadowing elements are dissected to highlight Sarah J. Maas's intricate storytelling.

• Feyre’s Wedding Day:

  • Christina [20:23]: "Feyre is walking down the aisle in a dress she hates...toward a man who hasn't once asked if she's truly okay."
  • Isluth Anna [20:40]: "Rhysand delivers his iconic 'favorite darling.'"

• Rhysand’s Revealing Speech:

  • Christina [34:46]: Rhysand speaks about giving Feyre autonomy and preparing her to face future threats, emphasizing her importance beyond being a mere pawn.

These discussions uncover the layers of the narrative, showcasing how past events shape the characters’ present interactions and future trajectories.

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6. The Night Court vs. The Spring Court

The episode contrasts the protective yet restrictive nature of the Spring Court with the empowering support offered by the Night Court.

• Spring Court’s Approach:

  • Isluth Anna [36:55]: "Tamlin is a toddler who cannot control his emotions and clearly has anger issues."
  • Christina [37:11]: "Tamlin wants to debrief immediately, ignoring Feyre’s emotional state."

• Night Court’s Approach:

  • Christina [26:52]: "Rhysand gives her the tools to help herself. He shows her trust and treats her like an equal."
  • Isluth Anna [35:59]: "Rhysand's point is about Feyre reclaiming her power."

This segment underscores the thematic contrast between different forms of protection and control, highlighting Feyre’s journey towards self-empowerment.

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7. Character Interactions and Host Reactions

The hosts share their personal reactions to specific character moments, adding a layer of relatability and enthusiasm to the analysis.

• Rhysand’s Flirtatious Nature:

  • Christina [29:31]: "The flirty tension and the notes later on are so on point."
  • Isluth Anna [30:05]: "Reese is just so delicious. Sexy. I can't handle it."

• Humorous Moments:

  • Christina & Isluth Anna [20:52]: Discussing their mutual revelation of never having seen Runaway Bride, leading to laughter and camaraderie.

These interactions provide a dynamic and engaging listening experience, balancing deep analysis with lighthearted commentary.

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8. Conclusion and Teasers for Next Episode

The hosts wrap up the episode by summarizing their key points and teasing the continuation of their analysis in the next installment.

• Isluth Anna [38:23]: "That's where we're gonna leave off for this episode. And we will see you next week with the next part."
• Christina [38:30]: "Until next time, keep dreaming, keep reading, and remember, every good story deserves to take flight."

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Notable Quotes

• Isluth Anna [04:17]: "What does it mean to survive something that broke you?"
• Christina [21:26]: "I die the 'favorite darling' in this moment. It's just so good."
• Isluth Anna [34:46]: "You can be a pawn, be someone's reward, and spend the rest of your immortal life bowing and scraping... You want to save the mortal realm? Then become someone Prythian listens to."

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Key Insights and Conclusions

• Feyre’s Transformation: The episode highlights Feyre’s evolution from a survival-driven protagonist to someone grappling with deep emotional trauma, emphasizing the complexities of her character development.

• Tamlin vs. Rhysand: The contrasting portrayals of Tamlin’s neglect and Rhysand’s supportive nature underscore the thematic exploration of different types of protection and empowerment within relationships.

• Ianthe’s Manipulation: Ianthe is portrayed as a master manipulator whose true intentions expose the darker facets of the ACOTAR world, setting up future conflicts and character motivations.

• Empowerment and Agency: The discussion reinforces the central theme of empowerment, with Rhysand’s encouragement for Feyre to reclaim her power serving as a catalyst for her character arc.

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Final Thoughts

Flights of Fantasy delivers an in-depth and passionate analysis of A Court of Mist and Fury, weaving together character studies, thematic explorations, and plot dissections. The episode offers valuable insights for both avid fans and newcomers, making it a must-listen for anyone interested in the intricate world of fantasy romance.

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Join the Conversation:
Engage with the Flights of Fantasy community on Instagram and TikTok to share your thoughts, theories, and favorite moments from the ACOTAR series!

Support the Podcast:
Love the episode? Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform to help us spread the magic of Romantasy to even more book lovers!

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Keep dreaming, keep reading, and remember, every good story deserves to take flight!

Transcript

[Christina]

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[Christina]

Welcome to Flights of Fantasy, your Romantasy podcast book club. I'm Christina, joined by my book besties Kim and Anna, and together we are diving into the characters, theories, lore and magic behind all your favorite fantasy romance books.

[Anna]

Hi book besties. We are so excited to be here discussing A Court of Mist and Fury, the second book in the ACOTAR series by Sarah J. Maas. And just a reminder, we will be breaking up each book into multiple episodes so that we can really take our time with this story. With that being said, and because we have read the series multiple times, we will be discussing each book with the knowledge of the entire series. But before we give our official spoiler warning, Christina has some announcements.

[Christina]

I sure do. First, we want to give a big thank you to everyone who has already rated and reviewed the show. If you haven't had a chance yet, please take a moment to do so on your preferred podcast platform. It really does make a huge, huge difference in helping the show. We're so appreciative. We're sending you big, big hugs and thank yous for doing that. Also, guys, would you like to hear what's going on on Patreon this month? Because I would love to tell you.

[Kim]

We have worked really hard to cultiv this summer lineup over on Patreon and it is paying off. We are having such a blast over there I can't even tell you. Okay, so as always, our tier one book besties, they get early ad free access to every episode, plus our romance reviews and our tier two book batches. Y' all, we have three, count them, three new series for tier two that have launched this summer and we are so freaking excited about all of them. Okay, so first we have trending pages where we break down the hottest romantasy books everybody's talking about. We covered Shield of Sparrows in June and had Such a freaking blast. And our resident sleuth Isluth Anna did some really, really fun little read along theory videos as she went. Those were so fun. And this month we are bringing you Silver Elite. So get ready for that. We also have Cauldron chats exclusive for tier 2 where I, yours truly Christina break down an ACOTAR topic that you vote on and help choose. In June I covered the B boys backstories and in July I am bringing you a full breakdown of Jurian, Miriam and Drakon friends. Get ready for that. I've been having so much fun researching it. Really, really fun.

[Christina]

And last but not least, Tier 2.

[Kim]

Our book batches have exclusive access to our beloved and coveted SJM Deep Dive.

[Christina]

Series where we deep dive characters, couples.

[Kim]

And scenes from all of our Queen Sarah J. Maas series. So if you want more from us, please come on over and join our Patreon family [e-mail] Flight of Fantasy podcast. We would absolutely love to have you. All right, Kim, speaking of Patreon, let's do some shout outs.

[Isluth Anna]

Oh, my gosh. Let's do some shout outs. I would love to. In this week's episode, we are shouting out Juliana, Rebecca Sisco and Sarah Davis. Thank you guys so, so much for supporting us. I know we say it all the time, but you're the only reason we can keep doing this. And we love you so much and we are so, so appreciative of everyone's support.

[Anna]

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you so, so much.

[Christina]

We love you.

[Isluth Anna]

Yes. Okay, go. Consider this your spoiler warning for every single book in the ACOTAR series.

[Christina]

Yay.

[Isluth Anna]

Let's dive in. Let's start with Feyre.

[Anna]

Oh, boy.

[Isluth Anna]

Guys, Feyre at the beginning of this book. Bless her, Sweetheart. Yeah, it's rough. Acomath picks up shortly after the events in book one. Feyre has broken the curse and Amarantha is dead. Thank God.

[Christina]

Ding dong, the witch is dead.

[Anna]

Oh, my God. I was just about to say ding dong, the witch is dead. Oh, I love it. Love it.

[Isluth Anna]

Okay. And I think as a first time reader, we all expected the love story to kind of kick off right where Feyre and Tamlin left it. But instead, we are dealing with a very traumatized main female character. Feyre is back in the spring court, engaged to the high Lord who saved her. And I'm putting that in quotations because that's very debatable. But she's not okay. And no one is really acknowledging it. She wakes up every single night vomiting from nightmares. She's not sleeping, she's not painting. And every time she closes her eyes, she sees the two fairies that she was forced to kill under the mountain. And the survivor's guilt of this hits her so hard. And then at the same time, everyone in the Supreme Court keeps referring to her as a savior. And they're in such awe of her and what she's done. But all Feyre feels is hollow and empty. It's so, so sad to see. And this is the version of her that starts the book. She's very traumatized. She's disassociating from everything and everyone. And this is where I want to begin this conversation. What does it mean to survive something that broke you?

[Anna]

Yeah, this is a rough time for Farrah, to say the least.

[Christina]

Oh, a hundred percent. And that's a great way to phrase the question, is to survive something that broke you? Yeah, I have survived this thing. And now I have to deal with the repercussions of surviving. And what does that mean for her?

[Anna]

The survivor's guilt? Like, the fact that she doesn't feel worthy, the fact that she feels dirty, the fact that she can't paint, and then there's no one there to help her pick up the pieces. She's literally alone.

[Christina]

And I think it's also amplified about the fact that nothing's familiar anymore. She's a new Fae body, she's a new species. She's not with her family, she's back in Spring Court. But that's also still not familiar. Like, she doesn't have any home base.

[Isluth Anna]

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. And it doesn't help that Tamlin is absolutely not helping in any way whatsoever to be there for her, mentally, emotionally, anything. This is what Feyre says, trying to kind of, you know, soften the blow of Tamlin not being there for her. She says it had become our unspoken agreement not to let Amarantha win by acknowledging that she still tormented us in our dreams and waking hours. It was easier to not have to explain anyway, to not have to tell him that though I'd freed him, saved his people and all of Prythian from Amarantha, I'd broken myself apart.

[Anna]

Man, did she?

[Christina]

She sure did.

[Anna]

It's like she says at the end of Acotar, and she's killing the fairy. She says this is what irrevocably breaks her, is stabbing her through the heart like an innocent person, for, quote, unquote, the greater good. Right. And she's fucking alone the whole time she's up there.

[Christina]

Yeah, well, and that's the thing. I think that Tamlin doing nothing and it being this unspoken agreement, we don't want Amarantha to win. It's like that is letting her win because she is then still involved in their relationship. Instead of it being about Feyre's feelings, about Feyre's pain, about how this is affecting Feyre. It's still about Amarantha.

[Isluth Anna]

Absolutely. Yeah.

[Anna]

It's a good way of phrasing it.

[Isluth Anna]

Yeah. That's a great point. And so like I said, Feyre is vomiting every single night. You guys. Okay, There is actually no way that a High Fae does not hear someone. They have heightened senses. We know that to be true. Okay, that's canon.

[Anna]

We know that.

[Isluth Anna]

You're telling me he doesn't hear her from vomiting her guts up every single night? Feyre even says she. She was like. I wondered sometimes if he was actually asleep. I thought I could tell that his breathing was uneven. Yeah, he's awake. And he's a fucking coward. So he's not doing anything.

[Anna]

If we don't talk about it, it didn't happen. It's like. I feel like the way Tamlin thinks.

[Christina]

His head is just so far under the sand. It is. It's in the middle of the earth. I am so frustrated with him. I'm frustrated with him so much in this book. But this particular instance of him doing nothing feels so much worse than all the other ones. There is no excuse for you not to be there for her.

[Isluth Anna]

No, you love her.

[Christina]

There's even a moment where he has a nightmare and she's like, oh, all right. Let me model good behavior. Are you okay? Let's talk about your feelings. And what does he do? He literally turns into a beastie and then sleeps at the foot of the bed like a dog. Because he would rather be a dog at the foot of the bed than discuss any emotions.

[Anna]

What?

[Isluth Anna]

Like that?

[Anna]

Feelings. What's that?

[Isluth Anna]

That's weird, you guys. The fact that he would rather sleep at the end of a bed like a pet than have a conversation with his fiance.

[Anna]

I know.

[Christina]

Pin this for my theory later. Friends love it.

[Anna]

Okay.

[Isluth Anna]

Okay. Okay. So not only are Feyre and Tamlin not communicating, they're not opening up about their fears and traumas.

[Anna]

They.

[Isluth Anna]

But Tamlin's response. Pretty much anytime Feyre wants to do anything helpful, like she wants to go into the village and help them rebuild. She wants to go along with Tamlin and Lucien when they're going off on their treks. She's met with some bullshit answer like this. I'm sure there are things to help with around the house. Or you could paint. K. I'm sorry, are we in an episode of Mad Men? Is this the 1950s? Like, do you want her vacuuming in pearls and making you a pie when you walk into the door at the end of the day?

[Anna]

Would you like your whiskey served neat?

[Isluth Anna]

Like.

[Anna]

Like, what.

[Christina]

What is happening?

[Isluth Anna]

Excuse me, sir. The audacity. Also, first of all, you have a staff of people full time. Do you? Are you saying you want her, like, polishing silver? What are we saying here?

[Christina]

Alice needs a job.

[Anna]

Don't put Alice out of a job.

[Christina]

Put Alice out of a job. Like, sir, literally.

[Isluth Anna]

What do you want her to do? Like, you have a staff of people. It's not like she can go vacuum.

[Anna]

I don't know. It's just. I don't. It's antiquated. But it's more than that. It's his inability to see her, to read her, to understand her at all. At the baseline.

[Isluth Anna]

Absolutely.

[Christina]

And not even try.

[Isluth Anna]

Yeah.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Isluth Anna]

So let's have a conversation about trauma and ptsd, both of which Feyre and Tamlin has. And it is very clear that under the Mountain completely reshaped who Feyre is as a person. She is a completely different person than she was before she went under the mountain.

[Christina]

And species and.

[Isluth Anna]

And actual. Actually, she's a different species.

[Anna]

And it.

[Isluth Anna]

It changed Tamlin, too, but it changed them in different direct. Think not for the better, obviously. Like I said, there's trauma, there's survivor's guilt. She can't sleep. She keeps reliving the death of the fairies. It is very, very clear to all of us that she is depressed. And one of the telltale signs of depression is when things that used to bring you joy don't anymore. Yes, Feyre cannot paint. She feels no desire to paint. And that is such a clear indicator of how mentally, physically and emotionally unwell she is. And it's such an interesting parallel to the first book where in Acotar, she is surviving every day because of lack of money and food. She is just living day to day. If she could hunt that day, they can eat that day. They can survive another day. Then in Acomaf, she is surviving every day because of her mental state. And this is what she says in chapter 15. Even in the years I've been one bad week away from starvation, that part of me had been full of color, of light. Maybe becoming a fairy had broken it. Maybe Amarantha had broken it. Or maybe I had broken it when I shoved that dagger into the hearts of two innocent fairies and their blood had warmed my hands. Oh, Feyre.

[Christina]

Just want to give her a hug so bad.

[Isluth Anna]

I mean, I would argue that's all Amarantha. All of this is Amarantha's fault.

[Christina]

100%.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Isluth Anna]

She wouldn't have had to become Fae if Amarantha wouldn't have killed her. Amarantha, obviously, was the reason she had to kill the fairies.

[Anna]

Well, she wouldn't even be there if Amarantha hadn't done the curse to begin with.

[Isluth Anna]

Exactly.

[Christina]

Exactly.

[Anna]

But it is an interesting thought that, like, at the beginning of each of these books, she's surviving in a different way. And to look at those and go, well, which one of them is she more broken, though? Because you can survive something and not be broken. But in the beginning of Acotar, I don't think she's broken. Her spirit isn't broken. She's annoyed with her sisters, she's pissed off. She's maybe a little resentful and bitter, but she's not broken. Yeah, but in this book, in the beginning of this book, I think she is mentally broken and she is surviving day to day. Like you said, she's depressed. Her mental state is rock bottom. And I would argue that she is at a worse place here than in Acotar. I agree.

[Christina]

And I think a piece of that is because here she has no purpose. She does not have anything that she's doing. And she's begging Talon for that. She's begging, take me to the village. Let me do something. And I think she needs that. That's what was a piece of her having that purpose in Acotar. She fed her sister. She hunted like she knew when she laid her head down on that pillow at night, she had done her job.

[Isluth Anna]

Yeah.

[Christina]

And she doesn't have a job anymore.

[Isluth Anna]

Yeah, that's such a great point, Christina. You're right. It's very clear that Feyre finds her worth in helping other people.

[Christina]

Right.

[Isluth Anna]

And when you take that away from her, what do you have? What is she living for? What is she getting up in the morning for? She has nothing to do.

[Christina]

Exactly.

[Anna]

Right?

[Christina]

Oh, friends. All right, so I want to pivot for a second here before we dive into plot and discuss science. Wow, y' all. This. Okay, this. Obviously, every time we reread this series, we see new aspects and layers of characters, but for some reason, Ianthe hit us real hard this time, y' all. And she. She's a psychopath.

[Anna]

Yeah, she is.

[Isluth Anna]

She actually is.

[Christina]

And I Say psychopath, not sociopath. Because why, Anna?

[Anna]

Because I googled it and I got went down a rabbit hole of what is the difference between a psychopath and a sociopath?

[Christina]

Please enlighten us. Tell us.

[Anna]

I actually always reverse it in my head. I don't know why, but they're very similar. They both don't have the ability to like really feel empathy. So they both mimic other people's emotions and like kind of emulate based off of what they see. But the difference is as a psychopath can ingratiate themselves into society pretty easily and they can hold places of power. They can be cult leaders, they are charismatic because they like know how to fake it till you make it. And they also, when they are planning things, it's very premeditated. Whereas a sociopath is more quick to like impulsive angers, like crime of passion. They are more like crimes of passion. Whereas a psychopath is going to really think about it like Dexter, if you've ever watched that show.

[Isluth Anna]

Yeah.

[Christina]

Wow. Well, if Ianthe isn't a psychopath, I don't know who is. Right, let's talk about why. So on paper, Ianthe is supposed to be a blessing in Feyre's life. She's a high priestess. She's a longtime family friend of Tamlin's, someone who should be a comforting presence as Feyre adjusts to her new role in the Spring Court. But almost immediately, it becomes very clear that Ianthe's loyalty isn't to people. It isn't even to Tamlin. It is to power. And when you really dive into her character, you see that everything Ianthe does is calculated. Feyre isn't even a person to her. She is a means to power. And poor, poor sweet girl. Feyre has no friends in the Spring Court that are truly just her own. And let's be honest, no one, especially her fiance, are giving her any support or any attention to how she feels. And Ianthe sees this and takes full advantage of it.

[Anna]

Because she's a psychopath.

[Christina]

Because she's a psychopath. She even tells Feyre, quote, you and I are so alike. Young, untested, among wolves. Which might sound reassuring at first, but really it's about isolating Feyre from the rest of the Spring Court and tethering her to Ianthe. It's this master level manipulation, positioning herself as the only one who truly gets Feyre. Yep, and it works. Feyre lets her guard down. She opens up, and specifically she opens up about her sisters, which will be mighty important later on. So not your Best move, Feyre. But. But also, then we have to remember that Feyre's one request for her own wedding was no red. And that gets completely ignored because at the end of the day, Ianthe isn't here to support. She's here to control. Yes, another thing about Ianthe here, she introduces us to two little Rose. She's got Tweedledee and Tweedledum, broad and heart. So let's pin them for acebor listeners because they are important sentinels at the beginning of that book. And they actually do appear later in Acomath when Lucien shows up to take Feyre back to Spring Court. But okay, back to. Let's not forget about her backstory friends. So I athe grew up with Tamlin. She was a High Fae noble in the Spring Court. Her father was one of Tamlin's father's strongest allies, and therefore also hybrids. So, pretty much, I ate is a Nepo baby of the Evil Empire.

[Isluth Anna]

That's what she is.

[Anna]

She is a Nepo baby.

[Christina]

And why wasn't she under the mountain? Because nepotism, all right? And yes, we would all get our children out of that scenario at any cost, of course, but these are bad people.

[Isluth Anna]

Yes, she sucks. So who cares?

[Christina]

So does our whole family. I mean, I'm not sure about the sisters, but I'm sure they do too. Yeah. All right, so we eventually learn that I am these. Endgame was a Prythian, ruled not by high lords, but by high priestesses, with her at the center, of course. And from the very beginning, she has been on the prowl for a high lord and a court to sink her claws into by whatever means necessary.

[Anna]

Oh, boy.

[Christina]

Which brings us to this.

[Anna]

Oh, yes. Okay, so we're going to touch upon. This is the flashback that Rhysand shows feyre in chapter 21. And it's when she is doing her De Mar Fae training with Rhysand. And Rhysand shows us this memory he has of Ianthe, where she basically propositions him and she claims that their coupling would breed, quote, strong heirs. The entire thing, it's gross. She's naked on his bed. Her legs are spread wide. It's very lewd. Feyre is seeing all of it. It's uncomfortable. And Rhysand is not having it at all. He questions her allegiance. And Ianthe's response, she says, quote, my allegiance is with the future of Prythian, with the true power in this land. And essentially, to me when I read that, is that her allegiance is fickle. She will sell it to the highest bidder when something better comes along. She starts with Rhysand. Rhysand doesn't bite. And then she goes to Tamlin and then to Lucian. And then obviously, she's always in bed with Hybern. But anyways, this flashback is so important because it reframes everything that we have read up into this point with Ianthe.

[Isluth Anna]

Yeah.

[Anna]

Yes, obviously there was like the red flags, literal red flags, with the red rose petals at the wedding. But it also foreshadows what's to come, especially with Feyre's sisters. And of course, in Acolor, what we learn happens with Lucien. Yeah. So another thing that I noted here, this was actually the first time I picked up on this was Rhys sand in his flashback, because she keeps trying to Aianthe keeps trying to touch him. He breaks her hand. And this is a direct parallel to what Feyre does in Achelor when she and Lucien are escaping the Spring Court. She shatters both of Ianthe's hands.

[Isluth Anna]

Yeah, she does.

[Anna]

I love it so much. And what Rhysand says to Ianthe in the flashback is, don't ever touch me again. Don't ever touch another male in my court. And God damn it, we love it again. This is in chapter 21, but it reframes, like I said, everything that we learned up to this point and then really sets the tone for how she behaves at the end.

[Christina]

And Feyre thinks that she's this blessing. She's like, oh, she's gonna pick out my dresses. And so it really took seeing this flashback and us as the reader also living it, to really, really get the gravitas of Ianthe and her character.

[Anna]

And then later in Acowar, when Tamlin, stupid Tamlin, invites Ianthe back into the Supreme Court like everything is forgiven. And she tries to apologize. And it's the most saccharine non apology ever because Anthea says, we're all trying our best. And he goes, we are all trying. And he looks right at Feyre. And Feyre, like her inner monologue is literally like, I tried so hard not to roll my eyes.

[Isluth Anna]

And I was like, oh, my God.

[Anna]

Same girl, same. So gross. Fuck all the way off.

[Christina]

Oh, my gosh.

[Isluth Anna]

All right, okay, let's go to the wedding day. Here comes the bride all dressed in white. Feyre, bless her heart on her wedding day, is walking down the aisle in a dress she hates that's hideous, by the way, surrounded by red roses she explicitly said she didn't want toward a man who hasn't once asked if she's truly okay. I don't know about you. That sounds like my dream. It sounds like my dream day. I couldn't love any I couldn't love anything more Sign me up.

[Anna]

Sign me up.

[Christina]

Sign me up.

[Isluth Anna]

You know, from the outside, it looks like a fairy tale, but inside, Feyre is seconds away from breaking. She's screaming internally for someone, anyone to save her. And guys, who. Who answers that call but our high Lord Rhysand.

[Christina]

Oh, God damn it. It's.

[Anna]

Guys, this is such a good moment.

[Isluth Anna]

It's such a good moment. Also, listeners, I just. I have to note this. I'm so sorry, Anna. Anna has never seen Runaway Bride.

[Christina]

She's never seen it, Never seen it, Never.

[Isluth Anna]

I don't know how Christine and I have let this fall through the cracks. I'm gonna put this on us. This is our fault. As best friends, I. I agree.

[Christina]

We take ownership. We just.

[Isluth Anna]

It's been years.

[Christina]

It's been years of friendship. And it took until us going through this outline to realize, like, oh, it's Runaway Bridewoman. And I was like, I've never seen that. I. God, I wish we were recording.

[Isluth Anna]

I wish we were too. You should have seen our face.

[Christina]

Explosion of emotion.

[Anna]

I think I, like, rocked their world that day.

[Christina]

You did.

[Anna]

You did.

[Isluth Anna]

You absolutely did. So we will rectify that. Don't worry, listeners. We will. But. Okay, so Rhysand shows up and he delivers his iconic hello, favorite darling.

[Christina]

I die the favorite darling in this moment. It's just so good.

[Anna]

The mask is on and it's so sexy.

[Isluth Anna]

It's like, sexy. It's a sexy mask.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

Sexy, sexiest mask.

[Isluth Anna]

I just think everything he does is so sexy. Like, he just exists. And I'm like, oh, God, truly.

[Christina]

It's like, oh, he crossed his. His ankle over his knee.

[Isluth Anna]

Like, oh, God, Rhysand. Okay, also a really funny little note later in chapter 54, Rhysand tells Feyre that he wanted to get, quote, rip roaring drunk with Cassian, who had no idea why on the day of the wedding.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Isluth Anna]

And guys, I really just desperately wish that they had done that and that Rhys and Cass had showed up to this wedding hammered.

[Anna]

Hammered.

[Isluth Anna]

Can you guys imagine how hilarious that would be?

[Anna]

Winnows in. In his, like, shadow knight glory, and he tries to, like, lean casually, but he, like, tumbles on the chair with his hand.

[Isluth Anna]

He's like, cassian's drunk, and Cassian's like, shot, shot, shot. He, like, somehow finds a DJ table and he's like.

[Anna]

He's like, we need to turn this party up.

[Energy Trust of Oregon]

Party here.

[Anna]

Vibes are lame. He, like, hip check cyanthi out of the way.

[Isluth Anna]

He's like, move, bitch. Get out the way. Let's go. Everyone's like, what are we doing?

[Anna]

What are we doing?

[Isluth Anna]

What's happening right now?

[Christina]

I just. The idea of Cassian showing up dropped me like. Tam.

[Isluth Anna]

Tam. What's up, bitch? Let's go.

[Christina]

Oh, God. Wait, guys. Also, he's allergic, so he's sneezing. He's like, God damn it.

[Anna]

My allergies.

[Christina]

I didn't take my Allegra.

[Isluth Anna]

He's got Flo days. He's like, all right, let's go.

[Christina]

I got this.

[Isluth Anna]

Let's go, let's go, let's go. Oh, Rally.

[Anna]

Oh, my God.

[Isluth Anna]

Okay, but when Rhysand is talking to Feyre about that day in chapter 54, this is what he says. I want you to listen closely to this. The difference between how Rhysand is viewing Feyre on this day and Tamlin. This is what Rhysand says. But then I felt you again. I felt your panic and despair and heard you beg someone, anyone, to save you. I lost it. I went out to the wedding and barely remembered who I was supposed to be. The part I was supposed to play. All I could see was you in your stupid wedding dress. So thin. So. So thin and pale. And I wanted to kill him for it. But I had to get you out. Had to call in that bargain just once to get you away, to see.

[Anna]

If you were all right, checking in on her. Guys, I cannot.

[Christina]

I just want to see if you're okay. Something that Tamlin had every opportunity to do 12 million times a day, and he's never asked her.

[Isluth Anna]

And he said, that is the only reason I called in that bargain, is to see if you were all right to check on her. Okay. Bars on the ground. He's everything. It's fine. Okay.

[Christina]

He is. He is.

[Anna]

He's everything.

[Energy Trust of Oregon]

He truly is.

[Isluth Anna]

To absolutely no one's surprise, when Rhysand tells Feyre it's time to call in the bargain and head to the Night Court, Tamlin does nothing.

[Anna]

Nothing.

[Isluth Anna]

Of course he does. Okay. I mean, we understand that he can't fight the bargain, but at least do something. Grab Feyre. Hug her, grab her face, say, I love you. We will talk when you get home. It's okay. Literally, do anything.

[Christina]

Guys, Rhys would never. He would never.

[Anna]

Like you said, give her a hug, kiss her, look at her in the eyes and say, I love you so much. We will find a way to fix this. I can't. It's just nothing. He stands there.

[Isluth Anna]

He does, and, like, the claws are coming out, but he's just standing there, like, gripping his fist just like. Again, he's just mad, but he's. There's nothing productive coming out of that.

[Christina]

No.

[Isluth Anna]

Also just a really hilarious note. The actual second Rhysand shows up, Ianthe literally runs off like the little bitch that she is. And it brings me so much joy. So much joy. I'm like, yeah.

[Anna]

He's like. Rhysand says it looks like it's over. And Tamlin looks behind and he realizes I'm just picturing, you know, like in cartoons, when someone runs off really fast and there's a little bit of smoke left.

[Isluth Anna]

Yeah, yeah.

[Anna]

He's like, God damn it, Ianthe.

[Isluth Anna]

God damn it, Ianthe. I needed you. She's long gone.

[Christina]

Oh, God, I love it.

[Isluth Anna]

She doesn't want to mess with the High Lord of the Night Court.

[Christina]

Speaking of the Night Court, everyone, we have arrived at the Night Court. Besties. It is so good to be here. Welcome all to our favorite place. Okay, but when Feyre first shows up, she is not as thrilled as we are currently sitting here. She is, in fact, braced for the worst. She is expecting cruelty, manipulation, basically, under the Mountain 2.0. And honestly, we cannot blame her, because if we remember, Amarantha modeled her Court under the Mountain after the hewn city in the Court of Nightmares. So Feyre is terrified that she's going to be trapped back in that nightmare, in a tight, enclosed space with no light and no agency and no escape. But what does she get instead, friends? A beautiful, open air Moonbeam Palace. And if you're wondering what Moonbeam is, I did some research. I think it is a color she's talking about here. There's a lot of paint samples of Moonbeam. If you'd like to Google it. It's a very calm, serene color.

[Anna]

I'm thinking like marble.

[Christina]

It's a very marbly color. It's very calm, neutral color. Okay, guys, this Moonbeam palace, it's quiet, it's calm, it's peaceful. And she has this beautiful bedroom, not a jail cell. And Rhys, he gives her that space to find some peace. He doesn't push her to talk. He lets her reset. But most importantly, what we'll start to see on these Night Court visits is Rhysand giving Feyre the tools to help herself. He shows her trust and treats her like an equal, like somebody capable, not like this wilting flower. And all of these early moments that they share set the tone for everything that follows. And they give us a place to explore one of the central contrasts of this entire book. Tamlin protects her by locking her away. Rhysand protects her by helping her reclaim herself.

[Isluth Anna]

Oh, I love that. I love it.

[Christina]

Okay, now, that being said, it is a rocky start for Feyre Darling upon entry in the Night Court. Okay, she's in her hideous cupcake wedding dress. Guys, she's still in it. She's arguing with Rhys, and she yells, you don't know anything about me. And his response. Oh, y' all.

[Isluth Anna]

Oh, it's good. It's good.

[Christina]

He says, does Tamlin. Does he ever ask you why you hurl your guts up every night? Or why you can't go into certain rooms or see certain colors? Bam.

[Isluth Anna]

Mic drop.

[Anna]

Yes.

[Christina]

Answer is, no, he does not. And this is a huge, huge, huge moment for a few reasons. Number one, this is the first time that Feyre actually realizes that Rhys is able to feel things down the bond, which is a huge realization for her and for the reader. Number two, this forces Feyre to confront something she's been burying. The fact that Tamlin hasn't asked that he doesn't see her pain. Or maybe worse, he sees it and chooses to ignore it.

[Anna]

It's that one.

[Christina]

Door number two. It's that one. So what does Favorite Darling do? She throws her shoe. She takes that shoe off. She says no and throws that shoe at him. I don't want to hear it.

[Anna]

I love this moment, and every single time I read it, it makes me think of Clara from the Nutcracker. When she throws it at the racquet to save the nutcracker cracker, it just makes me giggle.

[Christina]

I know.

[Isluth Anna]

It's so funny.

[Christina]

100. She's also wearing, like, ballet flat type shoes.

[Anna]

They're like slippers. They're little ballet slippers.

[Isluth Anna]

Yeah.

[Christina]

Yes. It's very Clara coated for sure.

[Anna]

Very, very, very clear coated.

[Christina]

It is. So after her Clara moment, she storms off, but not before hearing a quote, bright, amused female voice saying, so that went well. Which I love.

[Isluth Anna]

Hello, More.

[Christina]

This is our first glimpse of More. And I just love this little insight into More and Reese's bond here. This is such a sibling thing to say and do in this mom. We also have to remember that at this point, she's the only one who knows that Favorite is his mate. I love, love, love this interaction between them.

[Anna]

I know. I love that she has this inner insight to it. It's just their little cousin kind of playfulness that nobody else can kind of do with him.

[Christina]

Yes, exactly. It's so sweet to see. And all of this really is the beginning of the whole play with me. Dynamic that we love to see between Rhys and Feyre in this book. We see it in a lot of ways. He's trying to get her to feel anything, really to get mad instead of just giving up and being resigned in her depression, her despair. But our favorite example of this is probably the reading and writing lessons and then specifically the flirty notes later. But, guys, it's just. It's so iconic. I will never get over the fact that these are the lines that he has her copy. It's like, Rhysand is the most handsome High Lord. Rhysand is the most delightful High Lord. Rhysand is the most cunning High Lord. Yes, you are. Yes, he is.

[Isluth Anna]

Is he wrong?

[Anna]

So cute.

[Isluth Anna]

He is not wrong.

[Christina]

Show me a lie. Yeah, I don't see one. I don't see so flirty at the flirty tension and the notes later on. Oh, my God, Kim, you were texting this the other day about how the notes, the flirting is so on point here.

[Anna]

The licking.

[Isluth Anna]

Oh, God, I love it. I forgot, like, the sexy banter between them. You guys.

[Anna]

Like, that's what makes the hewn city scene so fucking good.

[Isluth Anna]

Yeah, yeah.

[Anna]

Is because they've had these little back and forth. They're basically sexting. And then we have this moment where we turn this sexting into, like, a little more touchy feely. And it's like, so good.

[Christina]

We brought it out of the text into real life.

[Isluth Anna]

We made it out of the group chat. I just forgot how flirty and like, God, Reese is just so delicious. Sexy. I can't handle it.

[Christina]

It's so sexy. And it's a really great parallel here because we saw none of this with Tamlin.

[Isluth Anna]

Yep.

[Christina]

We did not see this banter, this giddiness at all. And it's so beautiful to read her, lean into it a little bit, allow herself to feel it. So it's also super important to note that we, as well as Feyre, find out that turns out our girl has a little bit of all seven of the High Lord's power, which is, you know, casual. It's no big deal. I'm sure everyone's gonna be easy breezy, beautiful about that. No one's gonna care what could happen. What could happen. You know, maybe she should learn to defend herself or something. But no, we're just gonna breeze that under the rug. Tam Tam. But Rhysand is actually open with her about the pursuit, perceived threat that Hybern possesses, treating her like an asset and an ally. But her first response to learning this is to think that Rhys is involved, saying Quote, please don't invade. And his response is quote, you truly think I'm a monster. Even after everything? God, you can just hear his little mate heart breaking. I know, it's so sad. But okay. Ultimately, Rhys does ask Feyre to help for two reasons. Number one, unfortunately, she does have a relationship with Tam Tam. And he does want to ensure that Tamlin will be on their side in the upcoming war. Also ensure that Tamlin will actually do something and get off his ass. Number two, given the way that she was made, our girl is extra special. She is extra helpful. Turns out she's the only one that can read the Book of Breathings. But most importantly, only she can find the Book of Breathings, since having a drop of all High Lord powers makes her a. You know, find my iPhone of sorts, if you will, for anything that the high Lords have magically concealed with their magic. It's like a beacon to her. An apple airtag.

[Isluth Anna]

Apple airtag. I love it.

[Christina]

So Rhys needs her help to find the book, but what he actually says is, so I heard you, like, maybe caught a surreal. To which Feyre says, what? Like it's hard.

[Isluth Anna]

Like it's hard.

[Christina]

And does a Galinda hair flip. And then his response is, I've tried and failed twice. She's like, oh, wow, that's so embarrassing for you.

[Anna]

Oh, my God, I did it when I was human.

[Christina]

So, yeah, so like, wow, you shouldn't tell people that. That's really rough.

[Anna]

So embarrassing.

[Christina]

But yes, she is still hesitant to fully trust Rhysand.

[Anna]

Yeah, I mean, obviously, as readers who have read this series multiple times, we go into this, we're like, jump into it headfirst, girl. He is your mate. Why are you hiding from this? But it makes sense. We have to put ourselves back into that first time reader stage. And yes, he did help her under the mountain and showed her some kindness. But Feyre still holds him responsible for the death of Tamlin's entire family. Plus all of the horrible things everyone else has been telling her since the beginning of book one about the Night Court.

[Christina]

Also, not to mention, when Rhysand showed up at her wedding, people were literally fleeing as if he were the devil incarnate. People were screaming and like, oh, like jumping. So, like, all of this is things she is cataloging in her brain. Yes, this place is bad. He is scary. I can't trust him.

[Anna]

I can't trust him. So Rhysand is telling her all this. Yes, he's opening up. Yes, he's doing more than Tamlin has. Yes, he's actually showing up in a way that's, like, physically there, but also like, hey, let me bring you into the fold. I don't want you to be a pawn, is what he says to her, basically. And so not only does she not trust Rhysand, but I also. It's interesting her response. It really kind of. You can see Tamlin's, like, toxic masculinity that he breathes in the Spring Court kind of seep into her a little bit in this response. Is she basically saying, like, no, I can't. I can't. Tamlin won't like it. And he's like, what are you talking about? And what she says is, I am his subject and he is my high lord. As if. Well, that answers everything. I have to do what he says. And God bless Rhysand for this response. What he says is, you are no one's subject. I will say this once and only once. You can be a pawn, be someone's reward, and spend the rest of your immortal life bowing and scraping and pretending you're less than him, than Ianthe, than any of us. If you want to pick that road, then fine. A shame. But it's your choice. But I know you more than you realize, I think, and I don't believe for one damn minute that you're remotely fine with being a pretty trophy for someone who sat on his ass for nearly 50 years, then sat on his ass while you were shredded apart. You want to save the mortal realm? Then become someone Prythian listens to. Become vital, become a weapon. Because there may be a day, Pharaoh, when only you stand between the king of Hybern and your human family. And you do not want to be unprepared. God damn it.

[Christina]

Oh, my God. It's so good. So much. There. He is giving her a purpose. He's giving her a choice. He is treating her like an equal. He is saying that she is worthy of autonomy in general. Like, it's just. Just so many amazing Rhysand things here.

[Anna]

This goes back to what we said in book one. Rhysand's point throughout Acomath, especially in part two, is about Feyre reclaiming her power, Feyre taking it back, not hiding her light under a bushel, as my fifth grade teacher said. Like, let it shine, bitch.

[Christina]

This little light of mine.

[Anna]

This little light of mine, you gotta let it shine. But also that quote, the end, where he says, like, you might be the only thing that stands between you and the king, the of. Of Hybern. And you've got. You don't want to be Unprepared. This is foreshadowing what happens later with Velaris, later with the King of Hybern, at the end of the book, where she has to use all of the tools in her arsenal to overcome. She is like, I am not going to hide my light under a bushel. I will get up there and I'm going to send my water wolves out and I'm going to destroy the Attor and I'm going to break this curse on Hybern so that Rhysand can get my sisters and get them to safety, and I will go and destroy Tamlin. From the end inside, it's all about teaching Feyre that she is capable. And it starts so early in the book.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Anna]

And when you read it back, it is just so brilliant of Sarah to start laying these Easter eggs for us to read.

[Christina]

I love it. I totally agree.

[Anna]

That's what makes Akimaf so amazing.

[Christina]

Yes. The journey. It really builds the journey so well.

[Isluth Anna]

Yes, absolutely. Okay, so Feyre agrees to think about it and talk to Tamlin when she is brought back to the Spring Court, which happens shortly after. After. And I want to highlight the differences between Feyre returning to the Spring Court versus when Feyre returns to Velaris in Acawor. Let me just. Let me just tell you what goes down. So when she returns to the Spring Court after this conversation with Rhysand, Tamlin checks her over quickly, and he has clearly been an absolute panicked mess. He destroyed his study in her absence because he is a toddler who cannot control his emotions and clearly has anger issues. He doesn't hold her. He doesn't comfort her. Instead, the first thing he says is like, let's debrief. I want to know everything that you saw. I want to know all the Night Court secrets.

[Christina]

I hate it.

[Isluth Anna]

She literally just returned from your enemy's house, where you were probably thinking the worst happened. But no, we. We must debrief. She's literally like. I mean, I'll tell you, but like, can we just. Can we just go talk? Can we go somewhere and be together? And he's like, no, I want it while it's fresh in your mind. Let's go sit down in the study.

[Anna]

I can't again.

[Christina]

Rhys would never watch.

[Isluth Anna]

Okay, so let's go between that and then in Acowar, whenever Feyre returns from the Spring Court back to Velaris, Rhysand basically bans everyone from the townhouse so that he can hold and let's be honest, fuck Feyre senseless. And we love to See it?

[Anna]

Yes.

[Isluth Anna]

He doesn't care about the details of the Spring Court in that moment. He just wants to be with the woman that he loves. That was in his enemy's court. And Tamlin, all he can think about is, like, I must know all the secrets.

[Christina]

It's such an interesting juxtaposition.

[Anna]

It's just like. It goes back to, like, what happened at the wedding. Hold her, love her, be there for her. And then we can debrief. Give it a minute. Give it a beat. Nope. He says, can't do that.

[Isluth Anna]

Can't do that.

[Christina]

And this is really, again, showing us what's the most important to him. It is not about her at all.

[Anna]

Especially in this book. Her mental state is so different than in Acowar. So in Acowar, when she gets back to the Supreme Court, yes, she breaks down and she cries. Cries in the townhouse when she finally makes it there and Rhysand gets on his knees and he holds her. But she is not broken in a way that she is broken here. And like, even if he was, like, wanted to have a discussion, I feel like that is Warrior Feyre and this is broken. I am trying to pick up the pieces, and now is not the time to grill her. Like, inquisition 100.

[Isluth Anna]

Okay, guys, that's where we're gonna leave off for this episode. And we will see you next week. Week with the next part.

[Christina]

Bye.

[Isluth Anna]

Bye.

[Anna]

Bye.

[Isluth Anna]

Well, friends, that wraps up another episode of Flights of Fantasy Podcast. Don't forget to join our book club community on Instagram and TikTok 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.