S5 Ep11: S5 : Ep 11 - Welcome to ACOTAR : Revisited

Summary

Flights of Fantasy Podcast – Season 5, Episode 11: "Welcome to ACOTAR: Revisited" Summary

Release Date: April 29, 2025
Hosts: Christina, Kim, and Anna

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Introduction to the Special ACOTAR Revisited Series

In this heartfelt special episode of Flights of Fantasy, the hosts Christina, Kim, and Anna come together to celebrate a monumental milestone: the 10-year anniversary of Sarah J. Maas's beloved series, A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR). This celebration marks the beginning of an extensive deep-dive series that will revisit all five books in the ACOTAR saga.

Christina kicks off the episode with enthusiasm:

“[00:02] Christina: Welcome to Flights of Fantasy, your Romantasy podcast book club. I'm Christina, joined by my book besties, Kim and Anna.”

[00:26] Christina: “...today we are beyond excited to announce that in honor of the 10 year anniversary of A Court of Thorns and Roses by our queen, Sarah J. Maas, we will be recovering the entire series, all five books, with brand new full Deep Dive episodes.”

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The Personal Impact of ACOTAR on the Hosts

The episode delves deeply into what ACOTAR means to each host personally, highlighting the transformative power of the series.

Christina’s Journey Back to Reading:
Christina shares an emotional account of how ACOTAR reignited her passion for reading:

“[01:20] Christina: ...this series genuinely has changed our lives. It's what got me, Christina, back into reading. Like, I wasn't a reader as an adult until ACOTAR. I was like, would read a romance here and there on vacation, but then Anna convinced me to read book one of ACOTAR, and truly for the first time, I feel like I understood.”

A Shared Bond Over ACOTAR:
The series not only transformed Christina but also solidified the bond between the hosts:

“[03:26] Christina: ...I remember sprinting through Grand Central Station to get to a train to take to D.C. for this vacation just so that I could physically buy the copy of A Court of Mist and Fury before boarding. It was so good. And then I texted Anna the entire trip...”

“[03:37] Kim: That's all we needed.”

[03:38] Christina: “That I knew would instantly make you best friends. And it did.”

Anna and Kim’s Reflections:
The hosts reflect on how the series fostered a sense of community and reaffirmed their identities as readers:

“[04:15] Christina: It is really important to us, and I think it really brought a lot of people into this world and made a lot of people feel like they have a place in this world and as readers and find this community that we didn't have before.”

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Announcing the ACOTAR Revisited Deep Dive Series

The hosts outline their exciting plans to reexamine the ACOTAR series with fresh insights and enhanced perspectives gained over five years of podcasting.

Growth and Evolution of the Podcast:
Highlighting their journey, the hosts emphasize how their podcast has matured:

“[05:09] Kim: We've obviously grown so much in the five years that we have been doing this podcast and we're excited to take everything we've learned and put it into these new Acotar episodes and make them extra, extra special.”

[05:16] Anna: “Just like Feyre and Nesta, we have come a long way since our very first episode...”

Deep Dive Focus Areas:
The deep-dive episodes will explore various facets of the series, including:

• Character Arcs and Relationships: Examining the development and dynamics of main characters.
• Themes and Motifs: Delving into love, sacrifice, mental health, identity, and feminism.
• Easter Eggs and Foreshadowing: Uncovering hidden connections and hints planted by Sarah J. Maas across the series.
• Mass Verse Integration: Connecting themes and elements from Maas’s other works like Throne of Glass and Crescent City.

Notable Quote on Themes:

“[05:45] Anna: ...everything is about showing how these ideas really resonate with us as readers.”

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Introducing the "Mastermind" Segment

A standout feature of the revisited series is the "Mastermind" segment, a dedicated portion in each episode aimed at connecting the broader Mass Verse.

Christina Explains "Mastermind":

“[09:17] Christina: ...at the end of every episode we will be wrapping things up with a very special segment that we are calling Mastermind. Spelled M-A-A-S, naturally inspired by our two queens, Taylor Swift and, of course, Sarah J. Maas.”

“This segment is going to be connecting all the dots through all the Mass Verse... including ACOTAR, Throne of Glass, Crescent City. We'll be talking theories, Easter eggs, similarities, comparisons...”

Spoiler Policy:
Understanding the heated discussions that spoilers can incite, the hosts assure listeners of a clear spoiler policy:

“[09:44] Kim: ...this segment will absolutely include major spoilers for all of Sarah J. Maas series. But do not worry because we will always give you a very clear spoiler warning every time before this segment starts...”

Listeners are encouraged to skip the Mastermind segment until they’ve completed all relevant series to avoid spoilers.

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Exclusive Interview with Elizabeth Evans

To elevate the anniversary celebration, the hosts announce an exclusive interview with Elizabeth Evans, the acclaimed narrator behind the Throne of Glass and Crescent City audiobooks, as well as the newly re-recorded ACOTAR audiobooks.

Excitement for the Interview:

“[11:28] Christina: ...we will be kicking off our ACOTAR coverage with a very special episode on May 6th with an exclusive interview with the one and only Elizabeth Evans. We are huge fans of Elizabeth. She is the incredible narrator behind the Throne of Glass and Crescent City audiobooks...”

Anna’s Tribute to Elizabeth Evans:

“[11:28] Anna: Anna always refers to Elizabeth Evans as the voice of Aelin in her head.”

[11:37] Kim: “She is so incredibly amazing. We are so excited for you guys to hear this conversation.”

This interview promises deep insights into Sarah J. Maas’s worlds, offering fans a behind-the-scenes look at the narration process and character portrayal.

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Logistics and Scheduling for the Deep Dive Series

The hosts outline the timeframe and structure for the upcoming ACOTAR Revisited episodes, ensuring fans know what to expect and when.

Publication Schedule:

“[11:47] Anna: We are kicking it off on May 6th and then we are progressing our way through the books throughout the rest of the year. This is going to take up basically our entire 2025 and we could not be more thrilled.”

Episode Breakdown:
Each book will be divided into three or four parts, allowing for thorough exploration:

“[11:47] Anna: We will be generally splitting each book into three or four parts, except obviously A Court of Frost and Starlight. That will just be one episode.”

Monthly Calendar and Updates:
Listeners are encouraged to stay updated via social media and Patreon for detailed episode schedules:

“[12:00] Kim: ...you can always check our social media or Patreon pages for episode breakdowns for each month as we go.”

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Expanded Content through Patreon

To cater to avid fans seeking more in-depth discussions, the hosts highlight additional content available on their Patreon.

Exclusive SJM Series on Patreon:

“[12:29] Kim: If you want even more SJM content from us, be sure to check out our SJM series over on Patreon. In each of those episodes, we break down anything from character arcs to favorite scenes...”

This includes exclusive discussions on beloved character relationships and ships within the A Court of Thorns and Roses fandom, such as Dorian and Celaena from Throne of Glass and More from the Summer Court.

Patreon Benefits:
Subscribers enjoy access to:

• Exclusive SJM miniseries episodes
• Back catalog of the SJM series
• Ad-free listening
• One-day early access to episodes

“[13:11] Christina: ...our SJM miniseries is exclusive for our tier 2 aka our book batches over on Patreon.”

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Closing Remarks and Community Engagement

As the episode draws to a close, the hosts express their excitement and invite listeners to join their journey through Prythian.

Community Invitation:

“[13:26] Anna: Thank you for being a part of this journey. It's going to be emotional, magical, and a true celebration of the series that started it all.”

“[13:33] Kim: And until then, stay with the High Lord Book Besties. We'll see you in Prythian.”

Ways to Connect:
Listeners are encouraged to engage with the podcast’s community on Instagram and TikTok, sharing thoughts and theories:

“[13:41] Anna: Don't forget to join our book Club community on Instagram and TikTok at flights of Fantasy Podcast...”

Support the Podcast:
The hosts kindly ask for ratings and reviews to help spread the magic of Romantasy:

“[13:45] Christina: 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.”

Final Encouragement:

“[13:45] Christina: Until next time, keep dreaming, keep reading, and remember, every good story deserves to take flight.”

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Key Takeaways

• ACOTAR 10-Year Anniversary: Flights of Fantasy celebrates a decade since the release of A Court of Thorns and Roses by embarking on a comprehensive deep-dive series covering all five books.

• Personal Narratives: The hosts share personal stories on how ACOTAR transformed their reading lives and fostered their friendship.

• Deep Dive Structure: Expect detailed analyses of characters, themes, lore, and more, spread across multiple episodes for each book.

• Mastermind Segment: A new feature connecting the broader Mass Verse, including Sarah J. Maas’s other series, with clear spoiler warnings.

• Exclusive Content: An upcoming interview with Elizabeth Evans offers fans unique insights into the audiobooks’ narration.

• Community and Support: Listeners are invited to join the podcast’s vibrant community and support the show through Patreon, Instagram, TikTok, and podcast reviews.

Flights of Fantasy continues to be a beloved hub for Romantasy enthusiasts, and this special episode sets the stage for an exciting year of exploration and celebration of Sarah J. Maas’s enchanting worlds.

Transcript

[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. Hello, book besties, and welcome to this very small special episode. We are so happy you're here because today we are beyond excited to announce that in honor of the 10 year anniversary of A Court of Thorns and Roses by our queen, Sarah J. Maas, we will be recovering the entire series, all five books, with brand new full Deep Dive episodes.

[Kim]

Yay. So in this episode, we're giving you the full rundown why we're doing this, reread what it means to us and everything you need to know. Sorry. And everything you need to know for the journey ahead. Spoilers, structure, what to expect. We've got you covered.

[Anna]

And don't worry, we promise that this episode is totally spoiler free. If you haven't read ACOTAR yet, first of all, welcome. You are in for quite the ride. This episode will not give anything away. We're just going to be talking about what's coming and why we're excited. But don't worry, we are saving all the juicy spoilers for all of the Deep Dive episodes to come.

[Christina]

Yes. And we thought this would be a good chance to kind of talk about what the series means to us, you know, like, where we're coming from with deciding to do this again. And I don't want to be dramatic, but I'm gonna. But I will say that this series genuinely has changed our lives. It's what got me, Christina, back into reading. Like, I wasn't a reader as an adult until acotar. And like, at that point in my life, I like, would read a romance here and there on vacation. But at that point, to me, Fantas felt like, honestly, this, like, boys club that I wasn't smart enough to be in and that I wasn't welcome in. And then in the fall of 2016, Anna convinced me to read book one of ACOTAR. And truly for the first time, I feel like I, like, understood. I, like, got it. I was like, oh, this is what being a reader is. And as an adult, like, I can't put it down. I understand why people love this, you know, and I just, it felt like I discovered this, like, incredible thing. And Anna was like, I know. This is what I've been trying to do.

[Kim]

I'm gonna cry.

[Christina]

It was this escapism and magic and romance. And I vividly remember sprinting through Grand Central Station to get to a train to take to D.C. for this vacation just so that I could physically buy the copy of Acomaf with the original cover, by the way, before boarding. Like, I had finished book one the night before, and I was like, well, there is zero chance I can get on this train without knowing what happens. I must get the book. And so I was, like, sprinting to make it. Like, barely made it. Probably, like, made it to my seat and the guy took my ticket and I was, like, clutching Acomaptus.

[Kim]

Christina's, like, live texting me.

[Christina]

Yeah, I made it. I got it. It was so good. And then I text Anna the entire trip and was just, like, texting her every single thing that happened. Anna, of course, was like, so what did you think happened? What are your thoughts at the end of book one, when he, like, shuddered, you know, when he was shocked and took a step back when he stumbled, what do you think maybe that meant from Rhys? And I was like, oh, definitely the bargain on her hand. And she was like, totally interesting. Keep going. But there was, like, zero chance I couldn't read on the train. And then I remember texting Anna that whole trip, and I was reading it under the covers in this hotel room with a book light because for some reason, I didn't use my Kindle at that point. Like, it just wasn't a thing I thought to do.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

And then years later at my wedding, the very first thing I said when introducing Anna and Kim was, you're both twin moms and you both have Acotar. Because those were two things.

[Kim]

That's all we needed.

[Christina]

That I knew would instantly make you best friends. And it did. And this series just. It made me be able to, like, call myself a reader again. And now reading is just such a fundamental part of who I am. I truly can't imagine my life without it and without this genre and this author and, like, doing this with the two of you, you know? And I mean, it's just ultimately all thanks to the series.

[Kim]

So, I mean, it's 9am but thank you so much for the, like, little faucets that are happening.

[Anna]

Yeah, thanks, Christina.

[Christina]

I'm not going to be dramatic, but.

[Kim]

As I cry, us never drama. Am I the drama?

[Anna]

We would never cry.

[Christina]

Yes. It is really important to us, and I think it really brought a lot of people into this world and made a lot of people feel like they have a place in this world and as readers and find this community that we didn't have before.

[Kim]

I mean, Sarah has such a gift with being able to, like her stories, reach very Throne of Glass, Acotar, Sisi, they're all different. All have incredible stories and characters in their own rights. And no matter who you are, what walk of life you're in, I mean, in our opinion so far, we haven't encountered many people who don't like them. It's just, it touches people. She writes about like various human experiences and through her writing in these fantastical worlds, is able to like bring those things to life that we all experience. I mean, we're not like saving kingdoms from like, like a scary magic or anything, but like, just like the healing and traumas and all of that which we're going to get into.

[Christina]

And we do already have episodes on this. If you were like, what? Didn't they already cover this? We did, yes. However, we have decided to redo it and we're so excited to redo it. Anna, talk to us about why.

[Kim]

Okay, so. So we've obviously grown so much in the five years that we have been doing this podcast and we're excited to take everything that we've learned and put it into these new Acotar episodes and make them extra, extra special. Like Christina said, this isn't our first rodeo. I mean, between the three of us, we have been reading Sarah's books since Throne of Glass was first published in 2012. We of course, have episodes on each of the series. But just like our incredible cast of leading ladies, what's a good story without some growth? And just like Feyre and Nesta, we have come a long way since our very first episode, which if you have been here with us, you know, was a court of silver flames. The book had just come out. It was our very first episode. I mean, it's a wonderful episode, but like five years of growth, people. Okay, exactly. Yeah. And we just felt like it was very appropriate that in our fifth season as a podcast and with the 10 year anniversary of Acotar's release, that we pay the proper homage and revisit this incredible series with all of you. So let's discuss this. What sets these episodes apart? What sets us apart? If you've been with us long enough, then you know that we are not a chapter by chapter podcast. Depending on the length and density of the story, we can spend anywhere from one to three episodes covering a book. But our sole focus from the day one has always been to be your podcast book club. So, yes, while we of course will be discussing all of your favorite moments from the series, from Kalamai to chapter 54 to the famous breakfast table scene in Akisoff. All of that will be covered, we promise, but we will be using those fan favorite moments in the context of allowing us to have a bigger conversation. How did these scenes help shape our characters or further the plot? What Easter eggs did Sarah plant in this scene for the next book? The foreshadowing, all of it. We'll zero in on the big themes like love, sacrifice, mental health, identity. It's all about showing how these ideas really resonate with us as readers. We'll dive deep into the main characters, their relationships, and obviously, obviously, we will be swooning over the romances. I mean, how can we? How can we not? Our book husband exists within these pages.

[Christina]

He does, I think in our Acotar book Boyfriends episode, we refer to him as our book baby daddy.

[Kim]

Oh, that's actually right. We did.

[Christina]

We all agree we hate the term, but we decide that he needs a little grittier than Hunter.

[Kim]

There's levels is what we said. And it's like, he's our baby daddy.

[Anna]

Daddy. He's our high Lord Baby daddy.

[Kim]

We can't say his name because no spoilers.

[Anna]

Oh yeah.

[Christina]

Oh yeah. Damn it.

[Kim]

Damn it.

[Anna]

I said high Lord.

[Christina]

Oh, true.

[Anna]

Lots of high lords.

[Kim]

I know. Who does that mean? We don't know. But I mean, we will obviously take a closer look at all of those relationships and explore the power dynamics, the intimacy, emotional growth that occurs throughout the series. You'll get to see how they reflect issues that we all deal with in real life. And obviously we cannot skip over the feminism and strong female representation. Mass excels at creating some of our favorite leading ladies across her series. We'll discuss their journeys and how trauma and healing can impact character development while also allowing us to personally connect with the characters. And y'all know we love our character studies, but of course, in order to have these big conversations, we're going to have to give spoiler warnings. So, Kim, will you take it away and explain how the spoilers are going to work for the series?

[Anna]

I would love to. So we are going to be going into every episode with the knowledge of all five books. If you guys have been here for a while, you know that when we first covered Acotar, we didn't even do Acotar book one. Spoiler free for book two because there was just no way that we could do that. I won't say why, but if you've read the books, you know. So we will be discussing entire character arcs and themes, foreshadowing and more from the very, very beginning. If you've read the series like I said, and I think almost everyone has, that's here.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

You'll know we can't discuss books, book one without the knowledge of the rest of the series. However, we will not be discussing or spoiling anything for Throne of Glass or Crescent City except in our mass verse section. I am so excited for you guys to hear about this. Christina, will you please explain I'm so excited what our master section is.

[Christina]

Oh my God, I would love nothing more. Okay, so we really wanted to be able to talk about these Easter eggs in all these series and really dive into the mass first. So, my friends, we are here to announce that at the end of every episode we will be wrapping things up with a very special segment that we are calling Mastermind.

[Kim]

I love it.

[Christina]

Spelled M A A S naturally inspired by our two queens, Taylor Swift, hello, Mastermind. And of course Sarah J. Maas.

[Kim]

I love it.

[Christina]

We're so excited, guys. This segment is so long in the making. We're so excited about it. This is going to be connecting all the dots through all the mass verse. So including Acotar, Throne of Glass, Crescent City. We'll be talking theories that span all of them. We'll be talking Easter eggs similarities comparisons through lines that span all the books in all the series. And so it is very important to note that this segment will absolutely include major spoilers for all of Sarah J. Maas series. Yep. But do not worry because we will always give you a very clear spoiler warning every time before this segment starts and it will be at the end. You can enjoy the whole episode. And then when you get our clear spoiler war, bye bye and skip it until you finish all the books. Now sometimes we will have one Mastermind moment, sometimes we'll have a bunch. Occasionally there might not be any at all. But if there is a connection to be made in the chapters that we are covering that day, you can bet your bottom dollar friends that we are going to find it and we are going to break it down for you. And now another exciting announcement. We're full of exciting announcements today. So we are so excited to announce that we will be kicking off our ACOTAR coverage with a very special episode on May 6th with an exclusive interview with the one and only Elizabeth Evans. We are huge fans of Elizabeth. She is the incredible narrator behind the Throne of Glass and Crescent City audiobooks, of course, and the new officially re recorded A Court of Thorns and Roses audiobooks narrated by Elizabeth that are set to release for the 10 year anniversary. So we are just over the moon excited. Like who better to talk about revisiting these beloved stories with than the voice behind so many iconic SJM characters. Anna always refers to Elizabeth Evans as the voice of Aelin. In her head.

[Kim]

She is.

[Christina]

She is so incredibly amazing. We are so excited for you guys to hear this conversation. We talk all things sjm, her process, her favorite characters and what it's like recording this beloved series. Like her voices she uses. We cannot wait for you to hear it. And it's such a perfect way to kick off ACOTAR Revisited. Okay, now Kim, let's talk about the other episode logistics.

[Anna]

So let's do general schedule. Like Christina said, we are kicking it off on May 6th and then we are progressing our way through the books throughout the rest of the year. This is going to take up basically our entire 2025 and we could not be more thrilled. So we will be generally splitting each book into three or four parts, except obviously A Court of Frost and Starlight. That will just be one episode and you can always check our social media or Patreon pages for episode breakdowns for each month as we go. We will be posting a monthly calendar which will give you all the insight as to what's coming, how many episodes it's gonna be, and we are just so excited to dive in.

[Christina]

We can't wait.

[Anna]

Okay Anna, but let's discuss what is going to be going on with our SJM Patreon series throughout this year.

[Kim]

Would love to. Okay, so if you want even more SJM content from us, be sure to check out our SJM series over on Patreon. In each of those episodes, we break down anything from character arcs to favorite scenes. We even cover certain famous ships in the SGM fandom as well as favorite moments from her book. Currently we have eps on Dorian and Celaena from tog, we have some on More, and the Summer Court from Acotar, Lehabah from cc. And that's just naming a few. I want to point out though that our SJM miniseries is exclusive for our tier 2 aka our book batches over on Patreon, who of course also get access to our back catalog of that series as well as all of our episodes on video ad free and one day early.

[Christina]

Yes, they sure do. Guys, we are just so excited to dive back into Prythian with all of you. Whether you were returning to the series for the millionth time or experiencing it for the first, we cannot wait to scream, Swoon and spiral right along with you.

[Anna]

Thank you for being a part of this journey. It's going to be emotional, magical, and a true celebration of the series that started it all.

[Kim]

And until then, stay with the High Lord Book Besties. We'll see you in Prythian.

[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.