S5 : Ep 25 - ACOMAF: Revisited - Part 6

Summary

Flights of Fantasy Podcast: Season 5, Episode 25 - "ACOMAF: Revisited - Part 6"

Release Date: August 5, 2025

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Introduction

In Episode 25 of Season 5 titled "ACOMAF: Revisited - Part 6," the Flights of Fantasy hosts—Christina, Kim, and Anna—delve deep into Sarah J. Maas's acclaimed fantasy romance novel, "A Court of Mist and Fury" (ACOMAF), the second installment in the A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series. This episode marks the continuation of their multi-part deep dive, where they analyze intricate character developments, pivotal plot twists, and the rich lore that Maas intricately weaves throughout her series.

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Key Discussion Points

1. Nesta Archeron and Cassian's Dynamic

The hosts begin by exploring the evolving relationship between Nesta Archeron and Cassian. Despite limited direct interaction in the text, the tension between them is palpable.

• Guest's Insight: “Acomaf is where we first see Nesta and Cassian together. They don't actually have a ton of time on paper together, but my God, the tension is there.”

• Notable Quote: At [05:35], Christina remarks, “Bit of a black cat that one,” referring to Nesta’s typically guarded demeanor.

The conversation highlights Nesta’s guarded nature juxtaposed against Cassian's unwavering support. Cassian doesn’t attempt to charm Nesta but meets her “where she is,” fostering mutual respect and laying the foundation for their complex relationship.

• Memorable Moment: Their first dinner conversation where Cassian confronts Nesta about her reliance on her sister, Feyre, resonates deeply. Christina emphasizes its importance: “I think it was really important. I, as the reader, really needed to see somebody call these sisters out for how they failed.”

2. The Inner Circle's Betrayal and Battle in Velaris

The episode transitions to the catastrophic events that unfold in Velaris, triggered by the betrayal of the Myrtle Queens to Hybern.

• Guest's Description: At [12:35], the guest narrates, “It's a lovely day in Velaris... Then it is absolute chaos.”

Cassian emerges as a pivotal figure, holding down the fort and showcasing his formidable siphon magic to protect the city.

• Notable Quote: “Shield goes around the city, and at one point, he pushes a siphon, and his entire body, just, like, it's covered in this scaled armor.” ([12:58])

Feyre's transformation into a protector is a focal point. Her summoning of water wolves and subsequent display of power signifies her evolution from survivor to defender.

• Memorable Scene: Christina passionately describes Feyre unleashing her magic: “She's just drowning them in the streets... that's the coolest she has ever been, ever will be.”

3. Feyre's Character Arc and Empowerment

A significant portion of the discussion centers on Feyre's journey towards self-empowerment and her crucial role in the battle against Hybern.

• Guest's Analysis: “[16:43]... this is Feyre coming to the realization that it's her turn. I mean, not that it's her, not that she needed to, but she's like, I'm doing this, not Rhysand.”

Feyre's pivotal moment—killing the Attor—is lauded as a testament to her growth and determination to protect her loved ones.

• Notable Quote: “This was for Rhys. This was for Claire. This was for me.” ([16:35])

4. The Book of Breathings and Religious Symbolism

The hosts delve into the significance of the Book of Breathings and its deeper ties to religious and mythological elements.

• Guest's Insight: At [20:58], the guest explains, “SJM studied religious studies in school... this is the first mention that we have of these, like, mysterious, mighty beings.”

The discussion touches upon the Hebrew translation "Leshon Hakodesh" and its connections to biblical archangels, enriching the narrative's depth.

• Notable Quote: “Under no circumstances should Feyre unite the two parts of the book together.” ([21:51])

5. Climactic Confrontations and Revelations

As the episode progresses, the hosts dissect the intense climax where Feyre confronts Tamlin, leading to significant character revelations and set-ups for future installments.

• Guest's Reaction: “[27:07] I gasp.” in response to Tamlin’s betrayal underscores the emotional weight of the moment.

Feyre's strategic use of her abilities to break the bargain bond and her confrontation with Tamlin highlight her resilience and strategic prowess.

• Notable Quote: “If you bring me from here, if you take me from my mate, I will destroy you.” ([29:31])

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Mastermind Segment: Inter-series Tie-ins and Foreshadowing

In the Mastermind segment, the hosts explore intricate foreshadowing and Easter eggs that connect ACOTAR with other Sarah J. Maas series like Throne of Glass and Crescent City.

• Key Insights:

  • The Truth Teller Azrael’s dagger is linked to the Crescent City series' Star Sword, suggesting a deep interconnectivity within Maas's universe.

  • The phrase “A better world” serves as a thematic bridge between ACOTAR and Throne of Glass, hinting at overarching narratives across series.

• Notable Quote: Anna highlights, “...the sister sword to Gwydion, which Gwydion is mentioned a lot in Throne of Glass.” ([43:35])

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Conclusion and Future Episodes

The episode concludes with announcements about upcoming book coverage, including "Fallen" and "The Kiss of Dusk" from Carissa Broadbent's Crowns of Nyxaxia series, as well as other romantasy reads slated for the fall season. The hosts express their excitement for these new discussions, encouraging listeners to join their book club community on social media platforms.

• Final Thoughts: Anna encapsulates the transformation of Feyre: “...like, think about where we started... and now back in the Spring Court and a completely different person.”

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Cassian on Nesta: “[05:35] Christina: Bit of a black cat that one.”

• Feyre's Empowerment: “[16:35] Christina: She just goes, see you in hell.”

• Breaking the Bond: “[29:31] Christina: Zero respect also.”

• Mastermind Revelation: “[43:35] Anna: So shall our people.”

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Final Remarks

Flights of Fantasy continues to provide an in-depth and passionate analysis of beloved fantasy romance novels. Episode 25 of Season 5 offers listeners a comprehensive exploration of "A Court of Mist and Fury," enriched by thoughtful discussions and keen insights into character dynamics and overarching thematic elements. Whether you're a long-time fan of ACOTAR or new to the series, this episode serves as an engaging guide through its magical and tumultuous landscape.

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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 episode. Don’t forget to rate and review the podcast on your preferred platform to support their magical journeys!

Transcript

[Christina]

What do you think makes the perfect snack?

[Kim]

Hmm, it's gotta be when I'm really craving it and it's convenient.

[Anna]

Could you be more specific?

[Kim]

When it's cravinient.

[Anna]

Okay.

[Kim]

Like a freshly baked cookie made with real butter, available right down the street at am pm. Or a savory breakfast sandwich I can grab in just a second at a.m. pM.

[Christina]

I'm seeing a pattern here.

[Kim]

Well, yeah, we're talking about what I.

[Anna]

Crave, which is anything from am pm.

[Kim]

What more could you want? Stop by AM PM where the snacks and drinks are perfectly craveable and convenient. That's cravenience. AM pm Too much. Good stuff.

[Guest]

Mmm.

[Anna]

Mmm. Oh, whatcha eating?

[Kim]

The new banana split cookie from AM pm. All freshly baked with real butter with banana, chocolate and strawberry flavors.

[Christina]

Ah, that sounds amazing. Can I have a bite?

[Kim]

I'm sorry, but no. But you can't split the banana split.

[Christina]

Not even a little.

[Kim]

Not even a crumb.

[Christina]

What if.

[Kim]

No, please. Mine. When it's too legit to split. That's cravenience. Get a 3 pack for 99 cents with our app ampm. Too much good stuff plus tax where applicable. Prices and participation may vary. Terms and conditions apply.

[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're diving into the characters, theories, lore and magic behind all your favorite fantasy romance books.

[Anna]

Hi, book besties. Welcome to ACOTAR Revisited, our deep dive back into the series that started it all. We are so excited to be here discussing A Court of Mist and Fury and 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. 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, Anna. So first of all, thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to rate and review the show. It really does make such a huge difference for the show. So thank you so much for for taking the time to do that wherever you are listening. And next up, let's chit chat about Patreon. We have so much fun stuff going on over there this summer, guys. We have worked really hard to cultivate this summer lineup summer party over there and we're having so much fun with you guys. So as a Reminder, our tier one book besties for $5 a month get early ad free access to every episode plus our romance, reads episodes and reviews our tier 2 book batches at $10 a month. Get all of that plus the of every single episode. Also tier 2 gets trending pages where we break down the hottest romantasy books that everyone is talking about right now. In June we covered Shield of Sparrows. July was Silver Elite. Guys we had so much fun with those. We also have some little read along episodes from our resident sleuth Anna as she read both those books. Also we have Cauldron Chats another exclusive for Tier 2 where I yours truly break down an ACOTAR topic that you help vote on. Also last but not least, Tier 2 of course has exclusive access to our beloved and covetous SJM series where we deep dive characters, couples and scenes from all of Sarah J. Maas series. So if you want more from us, please come over and join our Patreon family over at patreon.com flightsofantasypodcast we would absolutely love to have you. Okay Anna, let's do the spoiler warning.

[Anna]

All right listeners, spoilers from here on out for every book in the ACOTAR series by Sarah J. Maas. Let's go. We are picking up right where we left off last week, discussing the Inner Circle's visit to the Human realms. Rhysand broke a Millennia protocol and showed the mortal Queens Velaris using the Veritas Orb in the hopes that the Queens would give them their half of the Book of Breathings. But they still said no. Shant except for the rebellious sister who secretly handed it off before their departure. What could possibly go wrong? Well, before we get into that insanity that happens at the end of this book, we wanted to take a moment to talk about Nesta and Cassian. So Kim, will you please walk us through this?

[Guest]

I would love to. So Acomaf is where we first see Nesta and Cassian together. They don't actually have a ton of time on paper together, but my God, the tension is there. Okay, it is present. So Nesta is still the cold, sharp edged sister we met in Book one, but she also does seem a little more grounded. She's watchful, she's wary, but willing to listen. She's also not afraid to speak her mind when the topic turns to the mortal queens. Nesta makes it clear she may hate the Fae, but she hates being powerless more and she wants to protect her people. Enter Cassian. He is amused by Nesta's hostility, but not dismissive of it. He does not back down from her and more importantly, he doesn't try to charm or fix her. He just meets her where she is. And when Nesta tells him she wants the humans protected, he promises that he will be the one to defend them. Personally, I love that. Uh, it's a small exchange, but it's loaded. Cassian clearly sees Nesta not as a nuisance, but as someone worth meeting at eye level. And Nesta, who has spent her life building these walls up, doesn't flinch from his presence. And even at this early stage, we are really seeing the foundation of their dynamic. These are two people who don't trust easily, who carry pain like armor, but who recognize something in each other that makes them pause. And it goes without saying that Nesta doesn't warm to many people, to put it mildly. I don't know if you've noticed that.

[Christina]

Bit of a black cat that one.

[Guest]

She is, but she does actually listen to Cassian. And Cassian, for all of his charm and bravado, drops the act with her. And you can tell it's really a mutual respect. And something that I love that Cassian does is at that first dinner that they have together at the Archeron house, he calls Nesta out on her bullshit and the fact that she let her baby sister do all of the heavy lifting for five. And I just have to say, I am so glad that this conversation happened. I think it was really important. I, as the reader, really needed to see somebody call these sisters out for how they failed. Feyre.

[Christina]

Absolutely, 100%. And I love that it was Cassian. I love it.

[Anna]

I. You know what? Because people when they love you in this type of situation, especially when you're like a partner, like a life partner, which obviously they are mates. Right? We know that.

[Guest]

Right?

[Anna]

It's important for your partner to be able to call you on hard shit. And Cassine is like immediately out of the gate is just like. So yeah, you were kind of a.

[Guest]

Bitch to her sister and you didn't do anything. And you sat by and let her take care of the entire family while you did nothing.

[Christina]

And also in that moment, she's like criticizing Feyre for being Fae. And Cassian's like, she didn't choose this and she one did it to save me and my people. So fuck off.

[Guest]

So fuck off. Literally. And Nesta dismisses him in that moment. But I like to think in my head canon that it kind of did get to her a little bit. And she was like, well, shit. And I love. Elaine is the one that's like, no, Nesta, he's right. Like we failed her. We both failed her. And I was like, oh, thank you, Elaine.

[Anna]

Elaine again.

[Christina]

Elaine. Wow.

[Guest]

Elaine. We love to see introspection. And this is the quote about Cassie and. And Nesta. And it has never been more accurate. So this says a wolf who had been circling a doe only to find a mountain cat wearing its hide instead. So Nesta.

[Anna]

So appropriate.

[Christina]

It's so good. I love it so much. Yeah.

[Guest]

So right after the Queens officially deny them the book, even after Rhysand's shows them the beauty and peace of Velaris, Nesta practically begs the Queens. Her throat bobbed. Please. I didn't think I'd ever heard that word from her mouth. Please do not leave us to face this alone. And the Queens are so dismissive of her. But Cassian is not. He walks up and stands beside her and it says. He studied Nesta for a long moment. She was still glaring at the Queens, her eyes lined with tears. Tears of rage and despair from that fire that burned her so violently from within. When she finally noticed Cassian, she looked up at him. His voice was rough as he said, 500 years ago I fought on battlefields not far from this house. I fought beside human and fairy alike. Bled beside them. I will stand on that battlefield again, Nesta Archeron, to protect this house, your people. I can think of no better way to end my existence than to defend those who need it most. And Feyre says I watched a tear slide down Nesta's cheek. And I watched as Cassian reached up a hand to wipe it away. She did not flinch from his touch.

[Anna]

Y', all.

[Christina]

Mate.

[Anna]

Watch. Begins.

[Guest]

Mate. Mate. Mate. Mate.

[Christina]

Mate. Mate. Mate.

[Guest]

Oh my God, Cassian.

[Christina]

The sweet Cassian, wiping away the tear, just shut up. And he does.

[Anna]

I mean, obviously at the end of Achowar, the two of them in that final battle. And then the King of Hybern and.

[Christina]

Elayne really foreshadows that.

[Anna]

But also this is the moment that Cassian will carry with him his guilt throughout Acowar. So pin it. Because it's here that he promises that he'll be there to defend her. And then it's at the end of this book where he is crawling towards her. But for whatever reason he doesn't feel like that was enough. That he let her down. And this is going to be the guilt that carries him through Acowar. That he feels like he's not enough for Nesta.

[Guest]

Yeah.

[Christina]

Oh, and that's such a great point that it stems from this. Oh, this beautiful promise.

[Anna]

There's also this really Sweet moment where Nesta realizes why Feyre left Tamlin. It's when Rhysand says that he will gladly take Elayne and Nesta back to Velaris to protect them. But Elayne doesn't want to leave her fiance. So Rhysand says, okay, that's their choice. And he will post guards around the clock, and they'll check on them twice a day if they change their minds. And Nesta looks between Rhysand and Cassian and then to Feyre, and it says, despair still paled her face. But she bowed her head and said to me, that was why you painted stars on your drawer.

[Christina]

Oh, God.

[Guest]

Oh, my God.

[Anna]

Like, that is as emotional as Nesta's ever going to get.

[Guest]

Yep.

[Anna]

You gotta take it.

[Guest]

It's a crumb. And you just say, thank you, Nesta.

[Christina]

And you say, thank you for the cake, Nesta. Like, this is huge from her.

[Guest]

Huge.

[Anna]

And I think it goes back to the Acotar, when Feyre first goes back to the human realms. And Feyre asks, well, why didn't you stay with, like, whatever happened to Thomas Mandrake, the boy that Nesta was kind of courting? And she was like, I realized that he would never come with me to help find you. And that was enough. That was like a line in the sand for Nesta that he would not stand beside her to go find her sister. And I think this is kind of that parallel moment where she looks at Rhysand and Cassian and she realizes that they're willing to walk through fire for Feyre's family. Not just Feyre and Tamlin wouldn't do that necessarily.

[Guest]

That's right.

[Anna]

And this brings us to a private conversation that Feyre and Cassian have in Velaris. They. I think they're leaving the. The symphony and they're walking along the sigrets right before the attack on Velaris. Because I think they're all kind of, like, tiptoeing around this. Like, I think Cassian might have a crush, but it's hard to tell because they fight.

[Guest]

Yeah, they, like, seem to hate each other.

[Christina]

Is that flirting? We don't know.

[Guest]

What would we call that?

[Anna]

What we call that? So Feyre's like, Nesta is different from most people. She comes across as rigid and vicious. But I think it's a wall, a shield, like the ones Rhys has in his mind. And Cassian says, like, against what? And Feyre says, feeling. I think Nesta feels everything, and she burns with it. Keeping that wall up helps her. Helps from being overwhelmed, from caring too Greatly. She will never love freely and gift it to everyone who crosses her path. But the few she does care for. I think Nesta would shred the world apart for them. Shred herself apart for them. She and I have our issues, but Elain, My mouth quirked to the side. She will never forget, Cassian, that you offered to defend Elaine, defend her people. As long as she lives, she will remember that kindness. And it's like this little foreshadowing moment, right? Like that. She will shred herself apart. And she does that at the end of this book, where she is like, you hurt my sister.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Anna]

And I am going to come for you 100%. It is not a threat. It's a promise.

[Guest]

That's right. That's right.

[Christina]

Absolutely.

[Guest]

Yes.

[Christina]

All right, guys, it's time for our first battle scene of the series. Everybody, strap on your siphons. Let's do it. Okay, so it's a lovely day in Velaris. We're walking home from the amphitheater. We've seen a symphony, and then it's not. Then it is absolute chaos. Turns out the Myrtle Queens betrayed them to Hybern, who has now. Oh, just super casual. Use the cauldron to shatter Valoris ancient wards. Friends, this exposes this city, the heart of our lives, the heart of everyone's life, for the first time in 5,000 years. Okay, 5,000 years. So no one's prepared. No one knows how to fight. Everyone's like, what's. What's happening? What is. Does this mean?

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Christina]

And including the Inner Circle, because none of them are there except Cassian. Cassian holds down the fort for a while until they can get there. But, like, thank God Cassian's there.

[Guest]

Yeah.

[Christina]

So Hybrid's not holding back. Okay? He just murders that beautiful young queen. And her body's all tortured and, like, it's awful. And it's this message because she is the queen who gave them half the book. But Cassian. Oh, God, he's sexy. Okay, he jumps into action, guys. And his siphons are doing cool siphon magic.

[Guest]

Yeah.

[Christina]

Shield goes around the city, and at one point, he pushes a siphon, and his entire body, just, like, it's covered in this scaled armor.

[Anna]

Yeah, it's like very Iron Man. Yeah, but sexy.

[Christina]

But the sexiest Iron man, you know? So. All right, he's put the shield up over the city, trying to give people time to run, but he can't hold that forever. And he just. He knows that. And he begs Feyre to leave. He's like, go Run. Go to the town's house. Save yourself. And she's like, I am not running. You have trained me well. And she sees Hybern soldiers attacking the rainbow, the artist district where she feels herself. So she races to the cinder river. No hesitation, no backup. She taps into her summer court magic and summons water wolves. Guys, so cool. They are this massive snarling, like crashing waves. They're shaped like predators. And then she unleashes them on the soldiers and she's just drowning them in the streets. And then they take to the skies and she's like, that's funny. And turns the water wolves into like hawks and eagles and all these different things. And they drown the people in the skies. And then she just makes a fist and the water turns into ice and freezes them and then they fall to the ground and shatter. It's so cool, guys. This is the coolest she has ever been, ever will be. I think this is the most badass she is in the whole series.

[Guest]

Absolutely.

[Anna]

Listen, don't threaten her. Artist corner.

[Guest]

That's right.

[Anna]

You know, Defender of the Rainbow, like she will come for you.

[Guest]

She really.

[Christina]

Well, I just. I loved seeing this in her. Be honest, I wish I saw it more.

[Guest]

Yeah. I forget that she's so badass. Like, I feel like when we talk about Feyre, when we rank Feyre, I feel like we kind of just. It's more that Rhysand loves her so much and that's why we love Feyre so much. But I, during this reread, I'm like, okay, okay, Feyre, you're kind of badass.

[Christina]

This battle in particular, she's beheading people.

[Guest]

Yeah.

[Christina]

It takes a reread to remember how badass she is in this battle. And I just pin it for acowar, but feel like we wasted her up on those hills during the battle.

[Guest]

You know what, I agree.

[Christina]

Okay. But you know who else is so badass? Amren.

[Guest]

Amren.

[Christina]

This is so fun because the first time we get to see her in her ethereal terrifyingness, you know, she comes out and she just points a finger. She doesn't say a spell. She doesn't do anything. She just goes, boop. Points that finger and where she points the soldiers just fall from the sky. It is so terrifying and so freaking cool. Like.

[Guest]

Yeah.

[Christina]

Oh my God, it's so cool.

[Anna]

I feel like she has a martini.

[Guest]

Maybe like a cigarette pointer. And she's like, yeah, she's using a.

[Anna]

One of those like old fashioned cigarette.

[Guest]

Like. Yes, the old fashioned. Yes. And she's just like, be gone like a fly.

[Anna]

They're like flies to her.

[Guest]

They are.

[Anna]

Yes.

[Christina]

That's a great analogy. Yes.

[Guest]

I love that. Anna.

[Christina]

All right. So sexy. Rhysand arrives. Oh, Feyre thinking, my mate, death incarnate, night triumphant.

[Guest]

It's so good.

[Christina]

What a Rhys description. Especially him, like, racing into battle. Like, that is just a perfect description of him. Okay, so he's being a badass. He's defending his city, but all the while, he is so scared for Feyre. And he's just yelling in her head down the pond, just all caps. Feyre, where are you? Where are you? Screaming. And her response is, I'm exactly where I need to be. I said to Rhys, and then I winnowed into the sky.

[Guest]

Yes.

[Christina]

Feyre, again, she's so badass in the scene, but this in particular, when she kills the Attor, is incredible. I feel like we have been building her train to this. We've been building her, like, what the Attor did to her under the mountain. What did you do to Rhys? Like, all these things leading up to this. And she winnows into the sky on top of the Attor, and she drives ash arrow stakes into its wings. And then she holds on to him. Picture this as they fall to the ground. And she's like, this is for Rhys. This is for Claire. This is for me. And then she just goes, see you in hell. And then winnows to safety and he splatters on the ground.

[Guest]

Yes.

[Anna]

It's so savage.

[Guest]

I love it. It's so good.

[Christina]

It's incredible. Feyre, curse breaker, defender of the rainbow.

[Guest]

I love it.

[Christina]

And it's this really great pivotal moment for her where she's kind of transitioning from, like, I am a survivor here, and I'm surviving and I'm figuring out how to survive to a protector.

[Guest]

Yes, definitely.

[Anna]

I think that's, like, then been her big character arc throughout this entire book is surviving, surviving, surviving. And now, like Rhysand has been saying, like, I want you to be able to fight your way out. That is what every single one of these little things has been about. Like, you gave up. You stopped fighting. You forgot that you can, like, get yourself out of this situation. And she says, I didn't forget today.

[Christina]

Not today.

[Anna]

Today. Satan.

[Christina]

And she takes a lot of these tools in a different way. And from here to the beginning of Acowar, like, this is what she brings back to Spring Court is this sense of protector and this sense of, I am a wolf, I will kill you. And you love doing it. Yeah, but sure underestimate me? Sure. Oh God. Okay, so Rhys finds her and they're on the ground. And he. He says, you shut me out. You shielded against me completely. And she says, I'm sorry. Rhys let out a bitter laugh. Sorry. Be impressed. That shield. What you did to the Attar. You could have been killed. Feyre says, are you going to scold me for it? His brows furrowed. Then he buried his face in my shoulder. How can I scold you for defending my people? I want to throttle you. Yes, for not going back to the townhouse. But you chose to fight for them. For Valeris. He kissed my neck. I don't deserve you.

[Guest]

Oh my God. Guys. The difference between this reaction and Tamlin's is huge.

[Anna]

Insane.

[Guest]

It's clear he has such a level of respect and admiration for Feyre. But more importantly, Rhys trusts her to take care of herself and to handle herself and be able to protect herself because she's strong. Tamlin never did that. He never trusted Feyre to be able to protect herself. And yes, maybe that is because the Feyre that Tamlin knew was not capable of that. She was not capable of fighting against Fae and the Attor and defending a town.

[Anna]

She's human being.

[Guest]

Sure, she was human. She was a literate 19 year old human. But he still, even after she became Fae, never trusted her to be able to handle anything or take care of herself. And he continued to shut her out. And the fact that Rhys was like, I don't deserve you because you chose to defend my people and you chose to defend Velaris. It's like, oh my God.

[Anna]

And this is like the through line for Rhysand throughout all of them is just his ability, like you said. I think that's the key point here is that he trusts Feyre. He trusts Feyre to know her mind. He trusts Feyre to know her strengths and when she needs to back down. And that's what we'll see when actually war comes to their doorstep in Acowar. And he says like, you know, I want to give her every tool in the arsenal. Like, yes, Azriel, teach her how to fly. Because it might come a day, but where that makes all the difference.

[Guest]

I love it.

[Anna]

And that's just so important. The trust aspect of their relationship is the key difference. I think one of the key differences between her and Tamlin.

[Guest]

Totally.

[Christina]

Yes, absolutely. All right.

[Anna]

Okay, so we want to quickly pause here and talk about the Book of Breathing. This book does play a much bigger part in Acowar, obviously. So we'll save a bigger conversation for later. But just a few little quick things I want to run through. So SJM studied religious studies in school in addition to English major. And I feel like this is where we start to really see those religious tie ins and we're going to see like tenfold that in Acowar coming up. But Amran says in this book when they receive it, that the book is written and it's called Leshon Hakodesh, which literally translates to the holy tongue. That's what it says in Akamaf and that's literally what it translates to in Hebrew. Lashan Hakodesh means the holy tongue. SJM did also confirm in an interview a few years ago that Amran is basically like an Old Testament biblical archangel of death. Okay, so the Hebrew here, the words Lashan Hakodesh makes sense. It also kind of tracks that Amren is the one that can read it if she's really like a biblical angel of death. There's a lot of Christian Judeo tie ins throughout this series and it starts here with the Book of Breathings. There's also in this book, specifically in Achema, Rhysand is giving Feyre a history on the war that they fought 500 years ago ago. And one of the quotes he says is the Black Land. There was no crueler place to be born a human, for no humans were born free. They were all of them slaves, forced to build great temples and palaces for the high fae who ruled. Again, kind of that tying in with the cauldron. And what we're going to continue to learn in Acawor is that like Christian Judeo tie in that this seems very much like a parallel to like the Israelites and the pyramids and the pharaohs and the. This is all goes back to the Old Testament. But what's really important here and the thing that we need to take away specifically for this book, Acomath, is that Amren is able to crack the code and how to nullify the cauldron. So again, we'll pin all of this, but just keep this all in mind that this is going to be carrying us over into Acowar. But Amren cracks the code. She gives Feyre very, very specific instructions on what to say and more importantly, what not to do, which is under no circumstances should Feyre unite the two, two parts of the book together.

[Christina]

So don't. So don't put it together.

[Guest]

Oh, okay, got it. No, that definitely won't happen.

[Anna]

Fantastic.

[Guest]

That's great. I love that. Okay, so like Anna said, now that Amren has cracked the code. Everyone is heading to Hybern to nullify the cauldron. Amren's going to stay behind to protect the Night Court, and Azriel and Mor are going to winnow Cassian, Rhys, and Feyre in because Rhys's magic is still being tracked. But a few things happen right before Hybern that we want to chat about really quickly. So obviously, Feyre and Rhysand are mates, and they get back to the house. And Feyre. Feyre's kind of like. So, like, where are we sleeping? How are we doing? Sleeping arrangements. Because she never shared a bedroom with Tamlin. Like, Tamlin always had his own bedroom, and he would always come to Feyre's room. And that is very, like, historical. Historically accurate.

[Anna]

Very. Yes.

[Christina]

God, it makes me enraged.

[Anna]

Very historically accurate.

[Christina]

This reread, I was like, oh, Fras. Like, twitch. Are you kidding me?

[Guest]

Yes. Yes. So basically, Rhysand is like, no, you can come into my room. I can move into your room. Whatever you want to do. We're going to be together. And Feyre says, don't you. You don't want your own space. No, he said baldly, unless you do. I need you protecting me from our enemies with your water wolves. I love it. Cutie banter.

[Christina]

Oh, my God, the sweetness with the banter. Stop it. It's so.

[Guest]

I love it. He's like, nope, you can move your stuff in. Let's do this. Dancer, you're moving in with me. I never want to be without you because I love you and I. Incredible.

[Anna]

Yes.

[Guest]

So this is also the moment that Rhysand gives her his mother's ring. But Feyre is nervous to wear it in Hybern because then people would obviously know who she is to Rhysand, and she's worried that it. That might make them want to use her against him, which is very smart.

[Anna]

Valid.

[Guest]

But she does say, after we nullify the cauldron, I want to do it all, get the bond declared, get married, throw a stupid party, and invite everyone in Valoris. All of it. Rhys took the box from my hands and set it down on the nightstand before herding me toward the bed. And if I wanted to go one step beyond that. And we know that this is when Rhysand secretly has her sworn in as high lady of the Night Court. Take that, Tamlin. Take that. I fucking love it. There are no high ladies. Oh, really?

[Anna]

Really?

[Guest]

Really. Oh, but. Oh, my God. Okay, you guys, this next part where they're leaving, Rhysand's walking out with Feyre, and he looks over to Az and Cass, and they cover their hearts with their fists. And Cassian says, with my life, High Lord. With my life. Promising to protect Feyre.

[Anna]

I love it so much.

[Guest]

This guy kills me. And he looks to as. And Azriel's like. Nods back at him, like, yes.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Guest]

And he looks at Mor, and Mor just says, I know my orders. And Feyre finds out that Mor's orders are to get Feyre out by any means, but then return to finish the job. Guys, what are her powers?

[Christina]

What are they? Damn it.

[Anna]

The way. This is so ambiguous. The more you read it, the more I'm like, I literally get. My name is Morgan and I have the gift of truth. I'm like, yes.

[Guest]

What does that mean?

[Anna]

Why is that so terrifying?

[Christina]

But, like, it's not. That's the thing. It's not.

[Guest]

I think Sarah is being purposely vague so that she can go kind of in whatever direction she wants with more. You know what I mean? But it's like, I just have more questions than answers at this point.

[Christina]

More questions about more than answers. That should be the name of her novella. Okay. All right, guys, let's go to the ending. Everyone buckle up. In true Sarah fashion, this last 200 pages is wild. Shit. Really hits the fan. So let's do it. Okay. Our mission was clear, friends. We get in, we nullify the cauldron, we get out of there. Feyre in the inner circle. They went into hybrid.

[Anna]

Check.

[Christina]

We're doing things. Okay, but then we're there, and things start feeling a little off. So Amren had warned Feyre to what now? Not to use the book herself because, quote, its magic is volatile, ancient, and unpredictable, but specifically to not join the book. Now, what we weren't anticipating is that the halves were gonna, like, whisper in her brain and talk to her and low key, like, possess her, but whatever.

[Anna]

Earplugs.

[Christina]

Fine. But still, though, she does it. And my good God, listen to the tiny Ancient One. She had one request also. Yes, they're speaking to you in your mind, but be alert. You're a Demotti. Well, she doesn't really have powers in there. I know, but still.

[Guest]

Still, get it together.

[Christina]

Why are we trusting the Whisper Spring Books? All right, so from there, it's. Everything just starts to fall apart. Jurian appears. He's not dead. He's not an eyeball. He's alive. He's a whole body. Also, he makes a comment in this scene about, like, yeah, I saw everything. Or, I saw that. And Rhys is like, glad you saw everything. And it was like a It's a weird comment between the two of them. I hate it. I hate it so much.

[Anna]

Juriot's eyeball.

[Christina]

Just like a voyeur, he can't close his eye. Just keep it to yourself.

[Anna]

The inside thought.

[Christina]

All right. Yes. So Rhys, he winnows in. He's furious. He's ready to fight. But he's a little too late because Jurian reveals they're trapped and their magic does not work. And he's gonna shoot an arrow through Azrael's chest. So really just bad things happening all over the place. And then the King, he threatens to drive the Bloodbane deeper into Azrael's heart because the arrow is poisoned. Unless they all surrender and come with him to the throne room. So they have no choice. They also can't winnow out. They can't do anything. So they follow. And when they arrive, standing there in the throne room, smug and waiting, is the last person that Feyre ever expected to see. Motherfucking Tamlin, y'.

[Guest]

All. The gasp. I gasp.

[Anna]

First time reading this, I think I literally was like, michael from the office.

[Guest]

No, no, no. God, no. Please, no.

[Christina]

Exactly.

[Guest]

I was like, God damn it, Tamlin. What the fuck are you doing here?

[Christina]

So, yes, he has made a deal with the devil. The king says, yes. Quote, we made a bargain. I give you over. And he agrees to let my forces enter Prythian through his territory and then use it as a base as we remove that ridiculous wall.

[Anna]

Oh, good.

[Guest]

Fantastic, Tamlin.

[Christina]

Lovely Tamlin. How did you think this was going to work out? You were like, oh, Feyre will love this idea. I'll get her back, and then she'll be totally fine with our territory being the base for the high burned soldiers.

[Anna]

This will win, my love.

[Christina]

This will. Yeah, make her thrilled to be back.

[Anna]

I'll kill all of her people.

[Christina]

Oh, guys. So if we didn't hate Tamlin enough in this moment, he keeps reaching for Feyre and calling to her like she's a pet dog. Feyre, come here. Feyre, come home with me. Come home with me now. He's commanding her. He holds his hand out to her. Like, how fairy dare you, sir. She is Feyre, Cursebreaker, Defender of the gods. Damn rainbow. You. Yeah, put your hand away.

[Guest]

It's so gross the way he talks to her and treats her. Like after all of this, after she left and told you that she was unhappy. Yeah, you're literally just like, come, Feyre. Sir.

[Anna]

Sir.

[Christina]

And she says, I wrote you a letter. I told you I was fine. And he Says, oh, no, you were unwell when you wrote that off.

[Anna]

Because of course, you're just a silly little woman and you can't know your mind, your emotions.

[Guest]

You're just so emotional.

[Anna]

You're just hysterical.

[Christina]

Oh, my God. So Feyre does realize that because she's so special and the way she was made and then made, the wards don't actually hold her because, fine, fantasy reasons.

[Anna]

Sure, of course they don't.

[Christina]

It's just so powerful. But basically, she tells the wards, you don't hold me. And they're like, yeah, we don't. So Tamlin charges toward her to grab her, and thankfully, because the wards don't hold her anymore, she winnows right into Rhys's arms and Tamlin falls into Rhysand's fist.

[Anna]

I love it so much.

[Christina]

We love to see it.

[Guest]

Yeah.

[Christina]

Oh, my God. Also, the moment when Tamlin realizes that Feyre left him only to find her mate.

[Anna]

So good.

[Christina]

The satisfaction. Also, the King of Hybrid thinks this is hilarious. I know, I know. I do love that he's laughing. He's like, what? Oh, my God. Your bride left you to find her mate?

[Guest]

Are you.

[Anna]

I feel like he's Jerry. He's watching Jerry Springer.

[Guest]

Yeah. He is so entertained.

[Christina]

He's like, so entertained.

[Guest]

Husband, hysterical. I couldn't love this more.

[Christina]

And I do also want to note that Tamlin's reaction to this is rage. His entire entity turns into rage. Not heartbreak, not devastation. Rage, which is so telling. And then Feyre promises Tamlin, she says, quote, if you bring me from here, if you take me from my mate, I will destroy you. I will destroy your court and everything you hold dear. Tamlin's lips thinned, but he simply said, you don't know what you're talking about.

[Anna]

Oh, my God. Just like, with all due respect, fuck off.

[Guest]

No, with no respect.

[Anna]

No respect.

[Guest]

Sorry.

[Christina]

Zero respect also. Okay, Tamlin. Sure, sure, sure.

[Guest]

Actually, you know what's funny, Tamlin, is you actually don't know what you're talking about. Okay. You actually don't know what's going on. And you want. I want. I'm tell you why. I'm going to prove my point right here. So just when we think things can't get worse, Tamlin's like, you don't know what you're talking about. Oh, really? Who gets marched in shackled and gagged? Feyre's sisters, Nessa and Elaine, thanks to fucking Ianthe, the garbage trash whore that she is. Friends, listeners, Ianthe is actually the first female to hold the title of garbage trash. Whore here on the podcast. What an honor. No one deserves it more than I. Anthony.

[Christina]

No, truly.

[Guest]

Nessa and Elaine get dragged in. They're shackled. The human queens are also there. They obviously betrayed their sister who was killed. And the King of Hybern has promised to use the cauldron to make them immortal. But just to be safe. Seas. He's going to test it out on Feyre's sisters first.

[Anna]

Casual.

[Guest]

And Tamlin's reaction is. He's like, what? This was not part of the deal. He's horrified. What did you think was going to happen? You made a deal with the King of Hybern? He's fucking evil. He's like, wait a minute.

[Anna]

Hold on.

[Guest]

I've lost control. This is not what we had talked about.

[Anna]

Lost control.

[Christina]

I'm no longer in control. I'm feeling uncomfy. Can we reset?

[Anna]

Hold up. This was not what I signed up for. Under the. Under the Happy Meal bargain.

[Christina]

Wow.

[Guest]

You know, when you play stupid games, you win stupid prizes. Okay.

[Anna]

Amen.

[Guest]

So Feyre says there were different kinds of torture. I realized there was the torture that I had endured, that Rhys had endured. And then there was this. The torture that Rhys had worked so hard those 50 years to avoid. The nightmares that haunted him. To be unable to move, to fight while our loved ones were broken. My eyes met with those of my mates. Agony rippled in that violet stare. Rage and guilt and utter agony. The mirror to my own. Okay, but before the King throws Feyre's sisters into the cauldron, he does this like, big show of strength and power erupts all over the throne room. Rhysand dives over Feyre, but Cassian dives over Azrael to protect Azrael because he's wounded. And they're brothers and they love it so much.

[Christina]

And they love each other.

[Guest]

Oh, guys, it's so sweet. But unfortunately, Cassian's wings then get completely shredded. Moore flips the out, of course, and charges at the king. And he throws a punch of power directly Moore, which she dodges. And then this is what the King says. I want everybody to listen very closely. The king says, what a mighty queen you are, he breathed. And Moore backed away, step by step. What a prize, the King said. That black gaze devouring her. Azrael's head lifted from where he was sprawled in his own blood, eyes full of rage and pain as he snarled at the king. Don't you touch her, God damn it. Mor looked at Azrael and there was real fear there. Fear and something else. Hold On. I have a thought. She didn't stop moving until she again kneeled beside him and pressed a hand to his wound. Azrael hissed, but covered her bloody fingers with his own. Sarah. What? What? What is the purpose of this?

[Christina]

Oh, my God.

[Guest]

Why are you doing this?

[Christina]

There's so much here, but also nothing.

[Anna]

I know she's leading us on.

[Guest]

I just. She. Sarah does this. She. She writes these scenes where it's like, okay, this feels like endgame. This feels like you're setting them up to be end game and spoiler alert. We know that they're not. Like, we know that they're not. There's a whole conversation, obviously, that Moore has with Feyre. We know that this isn't gonna pan out well. And I get it. They're family, and I understand that. But this seems like more. This seems.

[Christina]

This seems more this.

[Guest]

You click more. We're like, don't you touch her. And their fear. And something else.

[Christina]

Yeah, the something else is tricky.

[Guest]

I mean, it's beautiful, but I'm just like.

[Anna]

I mean, I don't know if. More. When Sarah changed her mind about Mor. So either this could be. And something else, like love, if she hadn't changed her mind yet about Mor and them being endgame, or if she knew they weren't endgame and that something else is like, fear and maybe like, heartbreak, like devastation. That, like, Azriel is defending her and she. She can't. I mean, she's clearly defending Azrael, but, like, she can't reciprocate the love that shines through in his eyes that she know is there. That she knows is there.

[Christina]

Right. And that, coupled with fear could be like, oh, my God, you can't die thinking this. I wanted to be truthful to each other and, like, figure out, like.

[Guest]

That's a good point. Christina.

[Anna]

We're still waiting.

[Christina]

But also the King saying, what a mighty queen you are. And she's backing away, which is very unlike her.

[Guest]

She's, like, scared.

[Anna]

I think he starts to move the Bloodbane into Azrael's heart or something. And so. So she, like, immediately backs up because Asriel screams in pain or something.

[Christina]

Got it. Okay.

[Anna]

But, yes. No, the Queen comment. We've heard her call the Queen. Like, she's. There is an aspect to Mor that is very regal in a way that Feyre isn't.

[Guest]

True.

[Christina]

Very true. Yes. Yes.

[Anna]

More in, like, a traditional sense.

[Christina]

Right. Okay. No, no, totally. I just didn't know if it was, like, a cool little Easter eggy thing.

[Anna]

Oh, I. Oh, it could be.

[Guest]

I absolutely clock that. And I find that wording, that verbiage choice, very interesting. Interesting, interesting. Okay. But back to the sisters in the cauldron. Oh, Elaine is thrown in first, and she's even more beautiful when she comes out. And Lucian takes one look at her, toppled out, drenched in water, looking like she's been waterboarded. And he gives her his cloak to wrap her up in and looks at her and is like, you are my mate, Mate.

[Christina]

Wow. When I first read this, the level that I was like, what? Record scratch.

[Guest]

Wildly Wild, wild, wild moment for this to happen. Wild moment for him to talk about it. That's all I'm going to say. Just choose some timing. Better. Nesta goes full mama bear mode on Elaine, which, you know, we love to see it when it's not directed at Feyre or Rhysand. I'm good with this. I'm fine with her being like, absolutely fucking not. This is not the time. Stay away from her. And then Nesta gets dragged into the cauldron, and she is fighting tooth and nail every step of the way. Screaming, clawing, like, it is. It was intense. It was really hard to read. I forgot how. How intense it is with her. Like, Elaine gives in, like, fairly quickly, which I. I mean, no, there is no shade. I would be the same. I'd be like, well, this is happening. Like, I'm not gonna. What am I to do? I'm a human. But Nesta is like, absolutely not. And right before she goes in, she points her finger at the king. And it is a threat and a promise. Like, I'm coming for you. Watch out.

[Christina]

Oh, so good. And we know the trauma she holds from this, like, going into her book. And I think some of that does come from her fighting and raging so hard. And it's still having to happen to her.

[Guest]

Yeah.

[Anna]

Feyre makes a comment, she goes, we're unclear on how much time actually passed for them in the culture. Like, it was minutes for us. But we don't know how long they were in there. It's true. She can't be in a bathtub. She says in Akisa.

[Guest]

Right, Right.

[Anna]

It's like, how long was she trapped in there?

[Guest]

Yeah, exactly.

[Anna]

Well, we'll get to it.

[Guest]

This is also when Cassian tries to crawl to Nesta when he hears her raging and falling, fighting. They're trying to put her in the cauldron. He is trying to crawl through Azrael's blood on shredded wings to get to her.

[Christina]

Oh, God, the crawling. This warrior, the lord of bloodshed. Is crawling.

[Guest]

This is the bar. If you're not gonna crawl to me, then I don't want it.

[Anna]

God damn, he's so hot.

[Guest]

I love him so much. Okay.

[Anna]

All right, guys. All right. So Farah's had enough at this point. And she realizes in this moment that she is the only one with the power to break free of the war. So it's up to her to do something right. So Feyre uses her curse breaking abilities from the Date Court, and she kind of, like, shattered her ability to winnow. But what she hadn't done was shattered it for everybody. So she uses her curse breaking abilities from the Date Court to shatter everything. And she does this because Rhysand tries to play the hero and offers a bargain to the King of Hybern to basically, like, stop this. And what Feyre says right before she goes full day court in her mawling, she goes, no. No more bargains. No more sacrifices. No more giving himself away piece by piece. No more. And if the king refused, if there was nothing to do but watch my friends die, I would not accept it. I could not endure it. Not that. And for Rhys, for the family. I'd found they had not needed me. Not really. Only to nullify the cauldron. I had failed them just as I had failed my sisters, whose lives I'd now shattered. I thought of the ring waiting for me at home. I thought of all the things I wanted to paint and never would. But for them, for my family, both of blood and my own choosing, for my mate. The idea that hit me did not seem so frightening. And so I was not afraid. Let's pin that little statement for later in our Mastermind section.

[Christina]

Okay?

[Anna]

Okay. I love this. This is Feyre coming to the realization that it's her turn. I mean, not that it's her, not that she needed to, but she's like, I'm doing this, not Rhysand. And so it's a very dramatic moment. Literally. She lights up and glows so brightly, but it's all a distraction. And then Feyre does what all of the Inner circle members do so well. She puts on her best mask and it's a damsel in distress. And she pretends. She acts like she was actually breaking free of the mental cage that Rhysand had her in. And she stares at Tamlin like she's seeing him for the very first time and begs him to save her from the Night Court. She's acting all terrified and like, what did you do to me, Rhysand? And she throwing all these, like, accusations Out. And Rhysand, of course, catches on to what his mate is doing and plays along. And so does Mor. The quote is like, Rhys cocks his head and he says, how did you do it, Feyre? And then in Feyre's mind, she goes, there was so much blood on him. One last game. This was one last game. We're to play together. There's just so many, like, feelings and emotions happening.

[Guest]

Yeah.

[Anna]

But Feyre asks the king to break the bond. And she holds out her left hand, which has the bargain. Okay.

[Guest]

Yeah.

[Anna]

From under the mountain. And Rhysand screams, no. And it's actually really heartbreaking to read. Cause Rhysand screams it like multiple times. And as a first time reader, you're really like freaking out because you're like, oh, my God. Wait, no. Which bond are you breaking?

[Guest]

Yeah, stop.

[Christina]

Totally, totally.

[Anna]

You kind of think you're like, wait, are you breaking the mating bond? Is that possible? Yeah, but it's actually the bargain that the king breaks. And as soon as that happens, Mor realizes that the wards are all down. And she immediately winnows to Feyre's sisters to take them away to the Night Court into safety. And her doing that kind of like brings Rhysand, because he's in a lot of pain, because they did break a bargain bond. And so both Feyre and him are in pain.

[Guest]

Yes.

[Anna]

But more winnowing kind of triggers Rhysand to like, remember, oh, shit, I gotta get us out of here. And without even like, he can't even look back at Feyre. There's not enough time. He just grabs Cassian and Asriel and he winnows them back. Back to the Night Court.

[Guest]

Yeah.

[Anna]

And guys, we get our very first Rhysand POV in this book.

[Guest]

Yeah, we do.

[Anna]

We are briefly back in Velaris. Cassian's wings are like shredded. They're like all in the townhouse. It's awful. Azriel is bleeding out. Amren is like, what the actual happened?

[Guest]

Yeah.

[Anna]

Who put the book together?

[Guest]

Yeah. God damn it. I told her not to do that to me.

[Anna]

But this is where we get the big reveal. Because Amber Cameron asks where Feyre is. And what Rhysand says is, she is my mate and my spy and she is the high lady of the Night Court. Not consort, not wife. Feyre is High lady of the Night Court. And then he goes in his inner monologue, my equal in every way. She would wear my crown, sit on a throne beside me. Never sidelined, never designated to breeding and parties and child rearing. My queen.

[Guest]

Oh my God, I love it. So much.

[Anna]

So fucking good. And Airmen is like, go get my high lady. And he's like, no, she made a promise. She is there and I am going to trust her, that she knows her mind. And that's right. She is taking care of things over there. And we're gonna let this play out.

[Guest]

Absolutely.

[Christina]

It's so incredible.

[Anna]

So good. So we get back to the Spring Court with Feyre, and it's the very last few pages of the book. And Lucian is beside himself.

[Guest]

Yes.

[Anna]

Like, my mate was taken to the Night court. She looks like a wet cat, but she's the prettiest cat I've ever seen.

[Guest]

And I love her.

[Anna]

And I love her. And Feyre doesn't seem that upset. And Lucien's immediately suspicious.

[Guest]

Yeah.

[Anna]

But he knows he has to play along because she's possibly the only tie that he can, like, get Elain back.

[Guest]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Anna]

And the final quote is as if he knew that they had led a fox into a chicken coop and he could do nothing. Not unless he never wanted to see his mate Alayne again. I gave Lucien a sweet, sleepy smile. So our game began. We hit the sweeping marble stairs to the front door of the manor. And so Tamlin unwittingly led the High lady of the Night Court into the heart of his territory.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Guest]

Yes. Dammit, that's good.

[Anna]

Damn, that's fresh.

[Christina]

Fresh.

[Guest]

That's fresh.

[Anna]

Oh, my God. Oh, it's so good. It's so amazing.

[Christina]

And it's all been leading to here. For her to go through everything in this book. Like, think about where we started. Yes. Of her just in the Spring Court and devastated and now back in the Spring Court and a completely different person. Like, oh, my God.

[Guest]

Yes.

[Christina]

It's so good.

[Anna]

I love the beginning of the next part of the book because it really. You get to see Feyre kind of be a little diabolical.

[Guest]

I love it.

[Christina]

So fun.

[Guest]

I love it.

[Anna]

All right, listeners, that is where we are leaving off the final part of Akamath.

[Guest]

Yes. Okay, book besties, 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 have not finished those yet, cheers and happy reading. We'll see you next time. And if you're all caught up, let's dive in.

[Christina]

Let's do it.

[Guest]

Hey.

[Anna]

Yes. All right, guys, I'm gonna walk us through a couple little tie ins that we first get in this book and then we'll carry through obviously through Acowar, Akisoph, and then are very important in Crescent City. So we see Truth Teller Azrael's dagger for the first time in this book. And it's quote in page A. Obsidian hilted hunting knife with sheath at his thigh, its dark scabbard embossed with a line of silver runes I had never seen before.

[Christina]

Runes, you say?

[Anna]

Hmm. Runes, you say. So this is the sister sword to Gwydion, which Gwydion is mentioned a lot in Akisoff in Nesta's book. And it's been missing, though, for 15,000 years. Except that it's not missing. It's on Midgard in Crescent City. And it's known as the Star Sword.

[Guest]

Yep.

[Anna]

It gets passed down through all the Starborn fey. So both Ruhn and Bryce are able to to utilize its power because they're both starborn. And of course, it's one of the first things that Amren and Azriel note when Bryce arrives in at the end of Hosap, when she gets dropped unceremoniously on the grass. Yes, she is. That's what they note, is that there is, like, the two sister swords are like, singing to each other.

[Christina]

Yes. It's so cool.

[Guest]

I love that.

[Christina]

This was one of our favorite theories when we were going in to CC3 was, is truth Teller the missing knife? Because there was. Yeah, there was a big prophecy in the CC world about when you join the two, so shall our people, like, be saved.

[Anna]

So shall our people.

[Christina]

Yeah. And we were like, is that Truth Teller? Yeah, it was.

[Guest]

It was.

[Anna]

It was. Okay. It's also one of our first mentions of the Daglan and Asteri. Now, it's not officially. They're not officially named in this book until later in the series, but what the quote is is I heard a legend that it was written in a tongue of mighty beings who feared the Cauldron's power and made the book to combat it. Mighty beings who were here and then vanished. And then it talks about, like, Amren being the one to uncoat it, but this is the first mention that we have of these, like, mysterious, mighty beings that were here. And, like, we're trying to find a way to combat the, like, Mother and the Cauldron.

[Guest]

And.

[Anna]

Okay, my last little mastermind I want to talk about is one of my favorite moments. And I don't know how I never picked up the all this before, but in Feyre's, that quote that I read at the end of the episode where she says, like, you know, like, never again, never will Rhysand sacrifice for all of us. The last thing she says is, and so I was not afraid.

[Guest]

Oh my God.

[Anna]

Sam. My name is Sam Cortland and I will not be afraid. My name is Celaena Sardathian and I will not be afraid. And then it's also Lele. My friends are with me and I will not be afraid. Sarah, this is. Nothing is accidental, okay?

[Guest]

No, nothing.

[Anna]

Nothing is accidental.

[Christina]

How did we miss this? I love that you brought this up. I think it's so beautiful and like, no, I don't think that Feyre and Sam are related, but I think that it's just an emotional, beautiful tie in for everyone. This is what Mastermind's about, the through lines, you know?

[Guest]

Absolutely.

[Anna]

I just think Sarah puts it in there because to her, it makes her happy. And if you are a reader of all of her series, you'll pick up on these little things. It's like a little nod, you know?

[Christina]

And I love that.

[Guest]

I do too.

[Anna]

That's what makes it special.

[Guest]

I agree.

[Christina]

Okay, so Book of Breathings, as we discussed.

[Guest]

Yes.

[Christina]

This is not the only time we hear of the Book of Breathings. So Book of Breathings is also mentioned in CC1, everybody. It's in Jesiba's library, the Library of Parthos. It's in the scene where Micah is fighting Bryce at the end and she puts her hand behind her on books and she it goes over spines and they are the walking Dead, which is in Tog. Book of Breathings, which is an Acotar and the Queen of Many Faces, which we haven't seen yet, but those are the three listed there, which is so fun. And if you like the thought of how did Book of Breathings get there? Because in Acowar at the end, Feyre throws it into the void, like that's the last we see of the Book of Breathing. So I understood that at some point Jesiba procured it from somewhere and it came to the library. But it's so freaking cool.

[Guest]

So, so cool.

[Christina]

I love that that's in there.

[Guest]

I do too. I, I, that's such a fun call out. And again, it's like, I love how Sarah does this, how she plants these little Easter eggs where it's like, if you don't pick up on it, it's not going to impact your reading at all. It's not gonna, you're gonna Miss anything. But if you do pick up on it, it just feels like a really special little treat.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Guest]

From Sarah to the reader.

[Christina]

Yeah, agreed.

[Guest]

I love it. Okay, so let's talk about some mating bond reveals and just, like, touch upon the comparisons. So Rhys and Feyre, obviously, he's dying. And the surreal tells.

[Christina]

They're all so dramatic.

[Guest]

My God, so dramatic. So, like, Rhys is dying. Feyre's like, if you'd like to speed up your mate's healing. And she's like, come again?

[Christina]

Cool.

[Guest]

What? Same with Rowan and Aylin in. In tog, we find out from Maeve in that awful way where she's like, oh, yeah, actually, you guys were mates, but I let him think that Lyria was his mate, and then I killed her to shadow him, like, while they're.

[Christina]

She's torturing. It's so bad.

[Guest]

So bad. It's terrible. And she's like, oh, if it would have made you feel any better, you guys would have had a thousand years together.

[Christina]

Maeve. God, I forgot how much I hate her visceral rage. Yeah, that one's also wild. Obviously.

[Guest]

That one's terrible. And then obviously, we have Lucian and Elaine. She's a wet, waterboarded cat, and he's like, I must tell her she is my mate. This is the time.

[Christina]

But that also feels like a big reveal moment. You're like, as a reader, like, what? Like, all of them just feel like these, like, crazy reveals, you know, they are crazy.

[Guest]

But then it's interesting that Hunt and Bryce chose to be mates. They had a conversation about it, which was really interesting.

[Christina]

Yeah. But then also, Ruhn was like, no, like, I. I'm sensing the fame mate stuff going on between you guys. So, like, that's also there. Right. So I think there's, like, some levels of that. I think the thing Bond and Cece was a lot less like, oh, it's gonna snap in and, like, if you don't reject it, it's gonna be a whole big thing. It was more like, we can be mates if we want to be. And I love that. It felt really refres. Yeah, me too.

[Guest]

Now, that's interesting, because it could be that magic has just been diluted in the Crescent City world so much, it's not as strong as it is in Acotar world. Could also be the water. We know that they. The Asteri, put a parasite in the water, so that could be doling everyone's kind of, like, senses of a mating to where, like, they do have to actively choose it.

[Christina]

Exactly. Oh, they have to choose as well. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Guest]

They have to choose it. But then maybe, like you said, maybe there isn't that big snap because the magic has just been so diluted from the Asteri stealing their powers.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Guest]

You know, I don't know.

[Anna]

I don't know.

[Christina]

Regardless, it felt different and cool in Cece, but I just. I think she has fun with this. That every mating bond is a reveal. Like, all of them are revealed in such crazy ways that it's so fun to think about them all as different reveals that are all so different, but so wild.

[Guest]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Christina]

It's so fun. It's so fun. Okay, one last thing. So Rhys, in the letter, he writes to the human queens to try to persuade them. It says, quote, so I might one day be able to live in a world where the woman I love may visit her family without fear of hatred. Quote, a better world. Okay, so then in Tog, Manon shows up with her witches with the 13. She lands at Orinth, and Aiden and Lysander are like, what? And Manon just says, we came. Manon said loud enough that all on the city walls could hear her. To honor a promise made to Aelin Galathanius to fight for what she promised us. Daryl said quietly. And what was that? Manon smiled then. A better world.

[Guest]

Oh, my God, shut up.

[Christina]

I love that. A better world. I just. That tie in of them just like the search for a better world and who's giving them a better world and like, how our characters and our heroes can, like, fight for it together and, like, give each other hope for it. I just. I love that idea.

[Guest]

Oh, I love that so much, Christina. That's amazing. Okay, listeners, that wraps up our coverage of acomath. We are actually going to be taking a little break from our Acotar Revisited journey to cover some really, really fun romantasy reads reads this fall. And I'm so excited to tell you about our lineup. So first up, we are going to be doing some Deep Dive coverage into Fallen and the Kiss of Dusk, which is book four in Carissa Broadbent's Crowns of Nyaxia series. We are so, so excited for you all to pick this up. We will be doing chapter chats galore over on our Patreon, as well as two main feed Deep Dive episodes coming out the end of August and beginning of September. And then we are going to be diving into the Wolf King and the Night Princess. Oh, my gosh. These books have been our entire personality. And we are so excited to do some episodes on them. And then we will be covering the Night and the Moth by Rachel Gillig, the perfect fall Gothic Romantasy read. And then we will be doing Mate by Ali Hazelwood. Oh my gosh. So excited for this sequel. And then our ACAWAR coverage will pick back up the very beginning of November. So we just wanted to give you all a little bit little update so that you guys could pick up these books if you want to read along with us. We are so, so excited and we hope you guys are as excited as we are to take a little detour, take a little break and dive into these Romantasy reads together. But we will see you next time. Cheers and happy reading.

[Christina]

Bye.

[Guest]

Well friends, that wraps up another episode of Flights of Fantasy Podcast. Don't forget to join our book club community on Instagram and tick tock at Flights of Fantasy Podcast where you can share your thoughts, theories and favorite moments with other 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.