S6 : Ep 10 - ACOSF : Revisited - PART 6

Summary

Flights of Fantasy – S6: Ep 10 – ACOSF: Revisited, Part 6 (March 24, 2026)
Hosts: Anna, Kim & Christina

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Episode Overview

In this climactic finale of the podcast’s Court of Silver Flames deep dive, Anna, Kim, and Christina dissect the explosive final act of Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Silver Flames. The trio explores Nesta’s emotional journey, the heart-pounding Blood Rite, found family, shifting dynamics, and major SJM universe theories, all with their trademark humor and insights. This episode is a must-listen for ACOTAR fans eager for nuanced discussion and cross-series connections, as well as those hungry for theories about where Maas’s grand universe is headed.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Recap of Where We Left Off

• The previous episode ended with Nesta, Emerie, and Gwyn cutting the ribbon—completing a challenge that, it turns out, was a qualifier for the Illyrian Blood Rite.
• Nesta and Cassian recently had a heartfelt “define the relationship” talk, but things quickly soured.

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2. The Bridge Fight: Breaking Down Nesta & Cassian’s Conflict

Timestamp: 05:23 – 13:37

• Context: Nesta’s struggle with accepting the mating bond is at the center.
• Key Quotes:
  • Cassian: “You are my mate. Why are you still fighting it? You promised me forever. On Solstice.” (06:29)
  • Nesta: “Because with that one word, the last scrap of my humanity goes away.” (06:49)
• Insight: Nesta’s battle is about agency and fear of losing control after so much has been taken—“I didn’t have a choice” echoes throughout.
• Host Reflection:
  • Anna: First read, the reader sides with Cassian; on re-reads, Nesta’s need for choice and space is more sympathetic.
  • Christina: The “shackled” comment from Cassian is so harsh—Sarah J. Maas knows how to hit emotional pressure points (09:50).
  • Kim: Nesta’s growth is clear—she doesn’t lash out but calls in her bargain, signaling maturity (11:34):
    “She’s just asking for a cooling-off period. Tensions are high.”
• Memorable Moment:
  • Christina (re: Nesta’s restraint): “Nesta in this moment is the emotionally mature person in this fight.” (12:35)

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3. Enter the Blood Rite (Blood, Blisters & Valkyrie Power)

Timestamp: 17:07 – 51:46

Setting the Stage

• Nesta, Emerie, and Gwyn are drugged and kidnapped to participate (illegally) in the Blood Rite—a treacherous Illyrian coming-of-age survival trial.
• Kim summarizes: “We are entering the final parts of this episode and that means it is time to discuss the Blood Rite. Here we freaking go.” (25:37)

Key Plot Elements & Character Moments

• Friendship Bracelets: Nesta magically bonds their bracelets, turning them into a “find my friends” tracker (29:32).
  • Christina ties in Taylor Swift: “Make the friendship bracelets—she’s talking about the Valkyries!” (30:16)
• Emerie’s Rescue: Nesta’s Illyrian training and determination shine as she rescues a battered Emerie, showcasing her fierce loyalty and practical skills (“caretaker Nesta” at 32:41).
• Balthazar, the Not-Asshole Illyrian:
  • The appearance of a singular non-toxic Illyrian male garners hope for Illyrian progress (33:01).
  • Christina: “He’s just not awful. The bar is low, but I think there’s potential for him to help Cassian with the female training.” (33:11)
• Gwyn’s Rescue & Heroism: Gwyn cleverly lures monsters to dispatch their assailants (36:07).
  • Anna: “Our sweet little priestess Gwyn lured these monster catlike creatures...I saved the day!” (36:07)
• “Valkyries. Hell yes!” Girl Power on the Bridge:
  • After a brutal fight, Emerie names them “Valkyries,” and the trio revels in victory and new identity (39:12).
  • Christina: “Utter silence filled the snowy forest. Valkyries. Emerie said, her eyes blaring bright. Nesta grinned… Hell yes.” (39:12)
• Sisterhood & Found Family:
  • Anna: “It’s what sisters do.” (36:28)
  • Christina: “Without them, I don’t think she [Nesta] would be where she is at all.” (37:16)
• Bridge Archery – Echoes of Feyre:
  • When Gwyn is wounded and can’t cross the bridge, Nesta uses a bow: “My sister taught me. Her arm trembled as she drew the bow back—a long time ago.” (40:51)
  • Anna: “That’s like a healing moment—for the reader, too.” (41:00)

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4. Gwyn’s Story: Survival & Choosing the Hard Path

Timestamp: 42:50 – 45:57

• Gwyn’s trauma is revealed: she survived her twin sister’s murder and sexual assault, and now chooses the hardest path—the “breaking”—proving she refuses to be broken again:
  • Gwyn: “I have been broken once before…I survived it. And I will not be broken again. Not even by this mountain.” (44:18)
• Anna: “They are a representation of all the women in the library who have had things done to them, who had choice taken away. This can’t happen again.” (45:27)

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5. Nesta’s Stand: Parallels & Payoffs

Timestamp: 46:06 – 56:57

• Nesta holds the pass against overwhelming odds so her friends can reach the summit—mirroring ancient Illyrian heroics.
  • Anna: “She was the rock against which the surf broke. These males would break against her, too.” (49:53)
• Parallels between Nesta’s sacrifice for her friends and Cassian’s for Rhys in earlier books.
• Claiming “Mate”: In combat, Nesta finally claims Cassian as her mate:
  • Nesta (facing Bellius’ taunts): “Because my mate taught me well.” (51:21)
• Briallyn’s Attack: Cassian, under Crown control, is forced to threaten Nesta, leading to a high-stakes standoff. Nesta’s internal acceptance of her love for Cassian is raw and powerful:
  • “Nesta had loved Cassian since she’d first laid eyes on him…She loved him. She loved, loved him. She loved him.” (54:34)

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6. Final Battles, Epic Power, and the Heartbreak of the Birthing Scene

Timestamp: 56:22 – 68:23

• Nesta unleashes the force of the Cauldron (56:23)—her power rolls out in epic, landscape-changing waves.
• Briallyn is finally destroyed (“withers her away to dust”—57:29).
• Cassian & Nesta’s Mating Bond Sealed: Reunited, the “you are my mate, say it again” scene is tender and rewarding (57:36).
• No Respite—Feyre’s Labor Crisis: Feyre’s labor, impossible due to Fae reproductive limitations, leads to wrenching scene with Rhys (60:47).
  • The hosts openly wrestle with the lack of logic behind the Fae’s inability to perform a C-section and the frustrating constraints of the plot (61:17–64:35).

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7. The True Climax: Nesta’s Ultimate Bargain + Family Healing

Timestamp: 65:00 – 68:23

• In a cathartic act, Nesta wields the Dread Trove to freeze time and bargains away her power to save Feyre, the baby, and Rhys:
  • Memorable Quote:
    • “You loved me when no one else would…You loved me and fought for me… I love you, Feyre. She had never said the words aloud to anyone. I love you.” (66:37–66:58)
• The hosts call this the emotional peak of the book.
• Rhys’s gratitude:
  • “Then Rhysand fell to his knees and took Nesta’s hand in his, pressing his mouth to her fingers. ‘Thank you,’ he wept, head bowed.” (68:23)
• The bridge between Nesta and Rhys is finally, beautifully restored.
• Nesta requests that the Cauldron fix Fae reproductive anatomy for herself and Feyre, but not Elain—quickly flagged by Kim (69:47).

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8. Denouement—Bow-Tying Moments & Character Closure

Timestamp: 70:04 – 71:48

• Nesta requests a “disgustingly ornate” mating ceremony with Cassian—symbolic of full acceptance (70:13).
• Visiting their father’s grave, placing the wooden rose—family peace symbol (70:30).
• Feyre gifts Nesta a painting of her at the Pass of Analias, hanging it beside the other family portraits—a clear sign of belonging and homecoming (70:49).

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9. Mastermind Section: SJM Multi-Series Theories & Deep Cuts

Spoiler Warning! Includes Crescent City and Throne of Glass cross-references
Timestamp: 72:05 – episode end

Prison and Dusk Court Connections

• The island prison may have once been the “Dusk Court”—potentially the “eighth court” referenced in Crescent City.
• The object hidden there (“Luna’s horn”) is now on Bryce’s back—massive series crossover implications (73:27–74:46).

Ramiel’s Sacred Stone/Word Gate Theories

• Hosts analyze whether the monolith at Ramiel’s peak is a Word Gate or portal—comparing descriptions from A Court of Silver Flames and Throne of Glass (78:34–82:15).

The Archeron Sisters: Starborn Fae?

• Compelling theory that Nesta, Feyre, and Elain descend from Theia and are Starborn Fae (83:02–87:16).
  • Christina: “There’s so many fun clues…that 8-pointed star was tattooed on you for a reason.” (83:43)
  • Parallels drawn between Feyre’s “starlight” magic and Bryce’s in CC.

Ordeal Parallels to Crescent City

• Discussion on the possibility that holding the Pass of Analias is Nesta’s “ordeal” equivalent to those undergone by Fae in Crescent City (87:21–89:16).

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Nesta in this moment is the emotionally mature person in this fight.” — Christina (12:35)
• “It's what sisters do.” — Emerie (36:28)
• “Hell yes.” — Nesta, upon triumphing with the Valkyries (39:12)
• “My sister taught me.” — Nesta, referencing Feyre before the archery rescue (40:51)
• “Because my mate taught me well.” — Nesta, fighting Bellius (51:21)
• “I love you, Feyre. She had never said the words aloud to anyone.” — Nesta (66:37)
• “Thank you.” — Rhys, kneeling to Nesta (68:23)

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Important Timestamps

• 05:23 – The bridge fight & Nesta/Cassian’s relationship rupture
• 17:07 – The Blood Rite begins
• 29:32 – Magic friendship bracelets (ACOTAR’s Find My iPhone)
• 32:41 – Nesta’s caretaker moment with Emerie
• 36:28 – “It’s what sisters do.”
• 39:12 – “Hell yes” Valkyrie victory
• 40:51 – Nesta’s archery, Feyre connection
• 44:18 – Gwyn’s survivor speech
• 49:53 – Nesta’s “rock against which the surf broke”
• 51:21 – “Because my mate taught me well.”
• 54:34 – Nesta’s internal acceptance and love for Cassian
• 56:23 – Nesta unleashes Cauldron power
• 60:47 – Feyre’s traumatic childbirth
• 66:37 – Nesta’s “I love you” to Feyre
• 68:23 – Rhysand’s gratitude
• 70:49 – Feyre’s painting — family closure
• 72:05 – Mastermind section (major SJM theories)

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Tone and Style

Throughout, the trio maintains a lively, passionate, and deeply empathetic tone—balancing heartwarming insights with hilarious asides and swift pop-culture references (“Taylor Swift, you’re on your own, kid—the Valkyries!”). Their language remains accessible and true to the source material, brimming with fannish joy and critical acumen.

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Final Thoughts

This episode provides catharsis for readers, tying together Nesta’s painful, triumphant arc, the enduring power of sisterhood and found family, and SJM’s intricate world-building. The rich “Mastermind” segment delivers satisfying food for thought, setting up the fandom’s wildest dreams for ACOTAR 6 and beyond. A must-hear for SJM obsessives and newcomers alike—this is book club podcasting at its most thoughtful and exuberant.

Transcript

[Kim]

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[Christina]

Hey everyone, check out this guy and his bird. What is this, your first date?

[Liberty Mutual Ad Voice]

Oh, no. We help people customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual together. We're married. Me to a human, him to a bird.

[Christina]

Yeah, the bird looks out of your league anyways.

[Liberty Mutual Ad Voice]

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[Anna]

Liberty.

[Christina]

Liberty. Liberty. 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,

[Anna]

theories, lore and magic behind all your

[Christina]

favorite fantasy romance books.

[Anna]

Hi book besties and welcome back to ACOTAR Revisited, our deep dive into the series that started it all. We are super so excited to be here discussing our final episode of A Court of Silver Flames. Guys, it's been a long time coming.

[Kim]

Oh gosh.

[Anna]

Okay, and just a reminder, we will be breaking up each of these books into multiple episodes. Except this is our last one. So.

[Kim]

So no more.

[Anna]

So no more. But before we give our official spoiler warning, we have a few announcements.

[Kim]

Okay, first we want to say a big, big thank you to everyone who has taken the time to rate and review. If you are looking for a free way to support us rating and reviewing the show on Spotify, Apple podcast, it truly does help us so much. So if you have already done that, we want to just say a big thank you. Also, let's quickly chat about what we've got going on in March over on our Patreon. Oh my gosh. You guys. We have such an incredible month of content going on over there right now. Obviously we have the full video episode of our SJM Call Her Daddy interview episode. Also for our SJM series episode, we are doing a theory episode on Gwen being a light singer. Oh my gosh. This episode was incredible. We do an almost hour long breakdown theory about whether or not Gwen from ACOTAR is a light singer. Christina did an incredible job deep diving and researching this. You cannot miss it. Also, and Christina are going to be chatting about season four, Part two. Of Bridgerton. And finally Conform Chapter Chats are coming. Oh my gosh. We had the time of our lives recording Chapter Chats on Conform by Ariel Sullivan. We will be covering it in two main feed episodes on the podcast, but Chapter chats are going to start coming out in March on Patreon for Tier 2. You do not want to miss those. They are incredible. And then lastly, I will be doing a written post of my recent five star reads. I have been reading so many incredible books from thrillers to romances, historical romances. A lot of them are on KU and I just could not wait to get my thoughts out to our book besties over on Patreon. So be sure to check all of that out and be sure to join our Patreon family. It is incredible. We would love to have you.

[Christina]

Okay. And speaking of Patreon, Kim, let's shout out some patrons.

[Kim]

Let's do so. One of the many benefits of being one of our Tier two book bitches is that you get a special shout out in one of our episodes. So in this episode we are going to be shouting out Kristen C, Naomi W. And Jessica G. Thank you guys so so much for your support. You guys are the that we get to do this and have our dream job. And we are so, so thankful for you guys. Seriously.

[Anna]

Thank you so much. We love you.

[Christina]

Sending you all the hugs. Thank you.

[Kim]

Yes. Yes, yes. Okay, let's do it.

[Anna]

All right, listeners, consider this your official spoiler warning for the entire ACOTAR series by Sarah J. Maas. Also, at the very end of this episode, we will have our Mastermind section, which takes a look at Sarah series as a whole and draws upon parallels and where we can theorize. But don't you worry, that's at the very end and we will give an additional spoiler warning before we dive in. So without further ado, let's get back to Prythian.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Anna]

All right, listeners. So at the end of the last episode, we chatted about Nesta, Emerie and Gwyn cutting the ribbon, as well as them completing the obstacle course that Azriel and Cassian set up, which unbeknownst to them was actually one of the qualifiers for the Illyrian blood rite. So pin that. Oh, that's important. Later.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

Also, Nesta and Cassian had the sweetest DTR Define the Relationship conversation on Winter Solstice. And it hit us in our feels. It was so sweet. So on that note, we're gonna kick off this episode. So on that note, we're gonna take a little Pivot.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

We're gonna kick off the episode with our lovebirds. But, guys, this is why we can't have nice things. Because these two just love to antagonize one another.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

It's basically their love language at this point.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

So we're gonna kick off with the fight on the bridge. Christina, will you take it away?

[Christina]

Yeah, yeah. We're going from a high high to a low low with our Nessie in here. Oh, guys, things were going so well. And honestly, like, it's fine for couples to fight. We all do it. But, God, Sarah, we just need to catch our breath. Can we just take a beat?

[Anna]

She said no. Sean.

[Christina]

People, relax for a minute. But no, no. All right, here we go. Nesta and Cassian, they're walking along the sidra. And they get into this conversation about being seen together publicly. And Nesta has these self doubts. And she's nervous about leaving the House of Wind and Mo Velaris. It all feels very triggering to her. She's nervous about falling back into her old ways. And dragging Cassian into that dark place with her. Which really, if we take a minute to think about this, it really does say a lot about her healing journey and where she is on her journey. That she's even thinking outside of herself in the situation. And how this would affect Cassian. So some growth there temporarily. But the subject of mates does come up. And it becomes very clear to Cassian that Nesta is fantastic. Fighting their bond tooth and nail here. Nesta then starts to withdraw. And Cassian becomes visibly angry. I'm just gonna read this. Oh, sweet Cassian.

[Kim]

I know.

[Christina]

He says, you are my mate. Why are you still fighting it? You promised me forever. On Solstice. His voice breaking. Why is one word somehow throwing you off that. And she says, because with that one word, the last scrap of my humanity goes away. She didn't care who saw them, who heard. With that one stupid word, I am no longer human in any way. I am one of you. He blinked. I thought you wanted to be one of. I don't know what I want. I didn't have a choice. He then says, well, I didn't have a choice in being shackled to you either. The declaration slammed into her. Shackled. He sucked in a breath. That was an incredibly poor choice of words. True.

[Kim]

True.

[Christina]

And she said, but the truth, right? And he said, no, I was angry. It's not true. And she says, why? Your friends saw me for what I was. What I am. The mating bond made you stupidly blind to it. How many times did they warn you away from me, Cassian? Oh, boy, this is so rough to read. I. Oh, my God. It's like we're taking 12 steps back. She's reverting back to her negative self. Talk back to, everyone hates me and they have a reason to everything. And he is lashing out and then immediately regrets it. It's a rough.

[Anna]

The two of them can't help themselves in these situations. It's their go to is like to just throw something out there. And now they both recognize, especially Nesta recognizes when she says something she doesn't mean. But it's still so hard to read.

[Christina]

It's very hard to read. And I think they both have points. They both cross the line in different way. Curious. How did this fight read to us now, six years later? Like, did our opinion change on that, on this fight? Like, how we. We thought this. This read?

[Anna]

I think for me personally, I think the first time we read it, you're just so in love with Cassian. He's just the end all be all. Like, he's so sweet. You loved him for multiple books.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

And so when you see this and she's like, I don't want to be your mate. And she's so mad at him, and she sends him away, and then you're just like, how can you say that to sweet Cassian? And like, what do you mean you don't want to be his mate? Because we've read so many books like this where being a mate is so. So coveted and special.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

And then it's like the re. Re. This is the second or third. Third time we've read the book. And I don't know, I think knowing her whole story arc and having read it multiple times now, I feel like I'm just in a different head space where I see. I understand why she's scared of the word, because it feels like this last modicum of control that she doesn't have anymore.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

Elain, we talk about it in Acafas. It's the same with, you know, Elaine and the two of them feeling they want to hold on to some sort of control. Like Lane not opening up to Lucien and wanting to, like, retain some of her humanity. And I think that's the same for Nesta here. It's not that she doesn't want to be with Cassian. It's not that she doesn't want to promise him forever. It's that she's just like, I've made a big leap.

[Christina]

You got to let me give Me

[Anna]

a little bit more time. It's been a day.

[Christina]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I do think it's very telling that she says here, I didn't get a choice. I think that's an undercurrent with every decision and what she's working through in everyday life here with this specifically, you know, she's like, I didn't. I didn't get a choice in anything in any way, shape or form.

[Kim]

Right.

[Christina]

So just give me this one choice on this, you know?

[Kim]

Totally.

[Anna]

Yeah. That's a theme for Acotar as well. Choice.

[Christina]

Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. And it's rough. It's rough because it's ingrained in us a little bit, even going into this book that we're like, nesta, come on, be nice to Cassian. Yeah, yeah. But then he does things like this and he says the word shackled and we're like, cassian, Cassian, I love ya. I do.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

But this was rough. I see why Sarah did it like this. Cassian had to say something this mean, this bad. For Nesta to call in the bargain, we had to be at that heightened place.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

But man, was that shackled word effective. That was just really, really hinging on both their insecurities here. Like, Nesta is so like, I don't want to be a burden. And the word shackle really hurts her. And he is just like, so afraid he's not worthy of her, you know? So his insecur are already up. This is why the whole fight started. Because he feels like her rejecting the mating bond is her rejecting him.

[Anna]

Exactly.

[Kim]

Sure.

[Anna]

It's totally his insecurity.

[Christina]

Yeah. There's no differentiating the two. I think Nesta is like, no, no. There's the bond and then there's you. I want to be with you. I love you. I want to be with you forever. And he is like, no, no. Mating bond and me are the same thing. There's no difference there. And that's where the fundamental fight is. I think that's where it's coming from.

[Anna]

Yeah, I agree. It's like with the winter solstice. That was the whole reason they fought in the beginning too, is because he's jealous of Eris. And she's like, I' go marry Aeris. And he's like, how could you say that? And she says, because I deserve him. That's who the person I deserve. Because I'm so broken. And she brings up their friends. There she goes, your friends don't want me. Kim and I talked about that in the last episode. That that's why when he says shackled, it's like, reinforces all of her insecurities. And just like you said, Christina, his insecurities are reinforced because it's her rejecting the baby bond. He sees you rejecting me.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

Which is not the case. But they're both so insecure about this one specific thing.

[Christina]

Exactly. And it's just. It escalates and escalates and then it's just gotten to a place where it's a lose, lose. Like you're in a fight. Like, we are being nasty and we both need a timeout. Everyone just got to take a tea and take a breath. Take a tea. And no one means what they're saying right now. Just like, yeah, you know, and that actually happens. Yeah.

[Kim]

So we do have a growth moment with Nesta, for sure. And this is what she says. In her mind, words beckoned, sharp as knives, begging for her to grab one and plunge it into his chest. Make him hurt as much as that one word.

[Christina]

Hurt her.

[Kim]

Make him bleed. But if she did that, if she ripped into him, she couldn't. Wouldn't let herself do it. And all she says is, I'm calling in my favor. And that's just so huge for Nesta. And I think maybe when we first read this, we felt like she was just running away. But I think like, you guys just kind of said she's just asking for a cooling off period. Tensions are very high. Words are being said that we're not really meaning.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

And I think she's not telling him to fuck off. Or she's not saying she never wants to see him again. She's just like, I need to take a beat. I don't want to say anything that I regret. Which is huge for Nesto. The amount of time she has lashed out in this series.

[Christina]

It was basically her whole personality.

[Kim]

Exactly.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

Was like, I'm just gonna throw shit because I'm hurting and I'm gonna lash out and I'm gonna be cruel. Instead, she's like, you know what? I need a moment.

[Anna]

I'm gonna go take a walk.

[Kim]

And I think that's fine. I think that's great.

[Christina]

Nesta in this moment is the emotionally mature person in this fight. And God, can you imagine just Cassian after that? He's like, she didn't even yell at me.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

I said the bad thing and she was just like, disappointed in me and left. This is so much worse.

[Kim]

So much worse than God. It's like when you were young and your parents were like, we're Disappointed. You're like, oh, damn it.

[Christina]

I literally think you just were like, it would have been so much better if she lashed out back at me and the things. And like, that's what I thought we were going to do. And instead, this is like. Makes me feel so much worse, you know?

[Anna]

Yes.

[Kim]

Yes, it is really sad. So Nesta's like, I want to call on the bargain. But Nesta does say a few pages later that she does plan on going to talk to Cassian in a day. That she just needed a moment to breathe. She said she talked to him tomorrow. She'd explain everything, you know, why she got upset, why it frightened her. She'd apologized for using their bargain to send him away. And she's like, perhaps the future didn't need to be planned. Like, they could just take it one day at a time and she'll have Cassian and they'll face it and all of this stuff. And she's like, we'll chat. We have all the time in the world.

[Anna]

We are immortal.

[Kim]

So, like, no big deal. I'll just see him in a G. No big deal.

[Christina]

I'm gonna have a sleepover and figure it out.

[Anna]

But, you know, that's not what happens.

[Kim]

Nope.

[Anna]

Nope. So, like Kim said, Nessa goes to take a beat. And just like in Acomath, which I just love, I love know why Mor is the one that gets called in every time to be like, hey, I need you to come, like, take me away from these stupid boys because they're being dumb.

[Christina]

She's not.

[Kim]

Got it. I clocked this.

[Christina]

Yeah, I will say that parallel, though. Nesta was actually a lot more emotionally mature when she ran away than Feyre was.

[Anna]

Yeah. Rhysand is dying.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

He's laying in the mud.

[Christina]

And she's like, in the mud.

[Kim]

He's dead to me. Let's go more. And she's like, I'm so sorry.

[Anna]

Is he alive?

[Kim]

Cassie and Asriel are sprinting to him. And she's like, he'll live. He'll live. He'll live.

[Christina]

Well, and then Feyre stays there for days.

[Kim]

Days. And makes Rhys come to her.

[Anna]

He's wounded and he can't use his magic.

[Christina]

And Nesta is like, I'm gonna have a sleepover with my friends and I will go see him myself tomorrow.

[Kim]

Tomorrow. One day.

[Christina]

Very interesting to think about.

[Anna]

Oh, my gosh.

[Christina]

Okay, great point.

[Anna]

So Mora takes Nesta to Emerie's home in Illyria. And Gwyn surprises everyone by showing up. And guys, remember, she does not leave the library. Like, her going to train was a big deal. And so she shows up there and

[Christina]

man, is she gonna reg.

[Anna]

Oh, yeah, well, yeah. She's like. And that's why I don't.

[Kim]

And that's why I don't leave my house.

[Christina]

Case in point, talk about agoraphobic's worst nightmare.

[Kim]

And the one time they leave, she's like, right.

[Anna]

And I was gag and bound and

[Christina]

drugged and take you in the future,

[Kim]

like years down the road. They're like, sleepover. She's like, what happened the last time I came for a sleepover? They're like, we were taken to the blood.

[Christina]

Right?

[Kim]

She was taken to blood, right, Precisely. You can come to me.

[Christina]

Worst case scenario in Gwen's mind, she's like, well, what's really gonna happen?

[Anna]

Yeah, yeah.

[Kim]

I go to Emory's and we have

[Anna]

a little giggle and I'm on an episode of SVU. Law Order.

[Kim]

Oh, God. It's Survivor with Bear Grylls. And we're eating, you know, rabbit on the side of a mountain covered in snow. She's like, yeah, okay. And this is why I stay home.

[Christina]

Can you imagine? Gwen wakes up, she's like, this is why I don't leave.

[Anna]

Gwen is like, well, fuck.

[Kim]

That's the first thing I would have said to myself. I would have been like, kim, and this is why you don't leave your house?

[Christina]

Yes.

[Kim]

What lesson have we learned? What have we learned?

[Anna]

We don't go now.

[Christina]

Granted again. Then she becomes a warrior. And it's meant to be a. Sure, of course.

[Kim]

Yes, absolutely.

[Christina]

But still, it is funny that she is like, I'll do this one time and this happens.

[Anna]

I never thought about that before.

[Kim]

That's so funny.

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[Christina]

Hey, everyone, check out this guy and his bird. What is this, your first date?

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[Christina]

Yeah, the bird looks out of your league anyways.

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[Christina]

Liberty. Liberty, Liberty.

[Kim]

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[Anna]

Okay, so the three of them are together. It's so sweet and wonderful. Also so relatable that all the ladies show up together. Because, like, if you've ever been in a fight with your partner and you're just like, I just need my girls. I want junk food, I want wine. I want trash tv.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

I don't want to see a penis.

[Kim]

Yeah, that's right.

[Anna]

Anywhere near me.

[Kim]

Yeah, you just need your girls, and you just want to bitch about it sometimes. And that's what they're doing.

[Anna]

But, you know, shit quickly hits the fan and they are ambushed in the middle of the night, sedated and taken to the blood. Right as we just said.

[Christina]

Oopsie.

[Anna]

Oops. So Cassian shows up. Technically, he's, like, outside the building. Because Azriel's like, listen, she called in a bargain. You can't come within. There's a restraining order currently.

[Christina]

Yeah, yeah, there's a magical restraining order.

[Anna]

You can't. But then they realize that the girls aren't there. And Cassian, oh, it's so hard when he walks in and he sees the chaos and the disruption and it's so clear. The women were forcibly taken. He loses it. That mating, like, protectiveness comes out. And he's like, I'm going to get my girl back. But Rhysand shows up and reminds him there's a little pesky rule about the blood rite which says, at least until the rite is over, you cannot leave. At least until the rite is over or you reach the peak of Ramiel. If anyone breaks into the rite to extract or save you, the law declares that both of you will be hunted down and killed for your transgression.

[Christina]

Unless you're brially.

[Anna]

Yes, exactly. Yes.

[Kim]

And then that rule does not apply

[Anna]

to you whatsoever, because she's a special queen, so. Oh, this is also in this same breath.

[Kim]

Oh, God, I love that.

[Anna]

Feyre and Rhysand are, like. So. I know things are, like, really bad right now for you, Cassium. But also, there's this pesky little thing that me and my mate did.

[Christina]

This is the time they go, we

[Anna]

made a bargain after the war in Achor to only leave this world together. It goes.

[Kim]

Quote.

[Anna]

Amren began massaging her temples, muttering a prayer for sanity. Azriel asked, you made a bargain to die together. And airmen just goes, fools. Romantic, idealistic fools.

[Christina]

Yep.

[Kim]

It's irresponsible, you guys. That's what it is. It's irresponsible.

[Anna]

I'm so sorry, sir. You are the high lord, Lord of a court. There is chaos happening around you. And you were like, you know what I'm gonna do if Feyre dies, I die too.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

And I don't really care what happens after that because I'll be dead.

[Kim]

So screw all of my friends and family that are gonna be left behind.

[Anna]

They waited 50 years for you while you were under a mountain.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Anna]

Yep, sir.

[Christina]

Exactly.

[Kim]

Selfish.

[Christina]

Not to mention, what if something happened to you? And then Feyre, like, his whole big thing in Acomath was like, who would want to be married to me? I have to deal with all this dangerous stuff. Who would want to be with me? It's easier to be with, like, boring, but kind. But, like, doesn't have to deal with dangerous stuff. Tarquin.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Christina]

And then he's like, well, but if that dangerous stuff does come to me and something does happen to me, then, like, you should die. You're going to die too, as well.

[Anna]

She's like, I can't live without. It's so Romeo and Juliet. It drives me insane.

[Christina]

And then I. Incredibly, more irresponsible. When we think about them deciding to have kids, which Anna and I talked about in yes, Frost and Starlight, that drives me insane.

[Kim]

What is that?

[Christina]

But it's not even a piece of that conversation when they talk about having children. The life bargain never even comes up to the point where, as the reader, I forget about it until this moment. I'm like, oh, God damn it.

[Anna]

I mean, like, literally, Amren has pissed us off a little bit in this book, but her massaging her temples, muttering a prayer for sanity.

[Kim]

I was like, this is spot on.

[Anna]

Same.

[Kim]

Yeah. That is exactly how I would be reacting in this situation. Like, are you fucking kidding me?

[Anna]

I feel like everyone's like, I beg your finest pardon. You did what?

[Kim]

What now?

[Christina]

I also think if I were Cassian and Azriel, I would be like, hold, hold, hold, hold on. We have been in so many deep, emotional in your office meetings, the three of us trying to brainstorm about saving Feyre and the baby. And you didn't want to tell us? We're actually also saving you.

[Kim]

You.

[Christina]

This is important pieces of it. Like, not that it would change how we would try to save her.

[Kim]

Sure.

[Christina]

But stuff we should know if we're somehow deeply involved in trying to save Feyre. Like, this is another piece.

[Anna]

It's like sharing selective truths. Which Rhysandt has been doing in this book.

[Kim]

Well, he has, but it's like, these are your brothers. This is your inner circle. Like, if not them, who.

[Christina]

Exactly. Truly. And poor Cassian And Azriel, just, like, dealing. I don't know. Just the idea of them being like, we're gonna lose both of them. Like, God, it's horrible.

[Anna]

Also, the reason this comes up is because they're like, rhysand, go do something. And he's like, because if they catch me and I die, my mate and my baby died. I'm like, see? This wasn't thought through at all.

[Kim]

Exactly.

[Anna]

So are you never allowed to go out and, like, fight in war or help people?

[Kim]

You're a high lord. Like, that's part of your job.

[Christina]

This is what I was saying with the dangerous stuff. Like, if you knew that you had the dangerous things.

[Anna]

You have a dangerous job, sir.

[Kim]

So now Summer Court's gonna get attacked again, and he's gonna be like.

[Anna]

Well, best I can do is say, best of luck. Yeah, Thoughts and prayers.

[Kim]

I'll send Cassian if you break the ban. But I'll send him me, myself. No, I actually. No, I actually can't.

[Anna]

I actually can't.

[Kim]

I'm so sorry.

[Christina]

And, you know, really, really leads to. Maybe Nesta's gonna be High Queen or something. Like, rhys can't be in a position of power.

[Kim]

No, I agree.

[Christina]

He's gotta go live in the countryside.

[Kim]

I agree.

[Anna]

They need to break that bargain. I don't know how. I don't know if he can.

[Christina]

Well, I don't. Because Helion. Didn't they try to get Helene to break it?

[Anna]

No, Helion just came to try and save Feyre.

[Kim]

Feyre?

[Christina]

Oh, sorry. No, right. Because that was Rhys. Because Rhys wouldn't want him to break it. Because in his head, he's like, well, if Feyre and baby die, I would. I don't want to live. Yeah, like, this is about her. Something happened to her.

[Kim]

But you're a leader. This isn't just about you. Like, you have to lead your people. Like, this is. He's definitely just like, fuck everybody else.

[Christina]

No, y. Now that we have this established and figured out, we gotta get helium back.

[Anna]

I wonder if this changes Amaryn's mind, where she's like, you should be High King. And she's like, yeah, no, I changed my mind. Like, you're a dumb shit.

[Christina]

Agreed.

[Anna]

You know what?

[Kim]

It changes my mind.

[Christina]

I take it back.

[Anna]

You're making stupid decisions, Rhysand.

[Kim]

Exactly. Exactly.

[Anna]

Okay, Moving on.

[Christina]

Okay, so, guys, before we get to the blood rite, let's go over what Cassian and Azrael are up to while this is all going down. Okay, so after Rhysand makes it very clear that Cassian is Going to have to just let Nesta battle it out. At the blood rite, he and Asriel are sent to the human realms because apparently our new ally Aerys is missing. Oh, that's not good for us. So, pretty much Cassian and Azriel wait around for a few days, like watching Briallyn's castle, until Aerys emerges. And at first they think that he betrayed them because he does have the Maid Dagger. But then they later realize that, oh, he is, in fact, under the crown's control now. Reminder, listeners, the wielder of the crown can control the mind and actions of an individual. But also a very key, important piece of information when it comes to Briallyn's plan is they can only do this if they are in close proximity to said individual. So they follow Eris and this hooded queen to Koshei's lake. Hello, Koshay. All right, so first thing I want to know is that Azriel says that this lake, Koshchei's Lake, feels very old and it reminds him of the middle. So I hate that it's very scary, but it definitely sets the tone for this, like, eerie, dark, creepy place that unfortunately, I think we will definitely be visiting again. So now, we already went through this whole scene with Koshei in detail back in our first Silver Flames episode. Yep. But just a reminder, he appears as a shadow. His shadows seem to interact with Azriel's shadows. There's some shadow singing. He doesn't seem to have a physical form, which goes back to Anna's theory from last week about whether maybe the magic swords that Nesta made could bind him to a physical body, like what she does to Lanis. And also what we discussed with the plot of the Firebird ballet and the black box. Maybe we have to trap him in the black box. But stay tuned for all that in ACOTAR 6 theory episode. But back to her, boys. So Asriel, sensing the danger from his shadows, grabs Eris and prepares to winnow away and tells Cassian to run. But it's too late. That hooded figure that led them there was an illusion. And Briallyn sneaks out from behind a tree wearing the crown, telling Cassian she has need of him. And Koshchei widows them away. Wow, really high stakes situation over there. That could have been avoided, but.

[Kim]

So Koshei is able to winnow them. I thought he was trapped in the lake.

[Anna]

He can use his magic. He lends his magic to. To the queen.

[Kim]

Oh, so he's like a library, basically, with his Magic.

[Anna]

But you don't have to return it.

[Kim]

But you don't have to return it. So he can winnow other people without

[Christina]

using his heavenly fire. He can do anything. Yeah.

[Kim]

Okay, just checking.

[Christina]

It's really setting up for Big Bad with no.

[Kim]

Right.

[Christina]

Like he can't physically leave.

[Kim]

Right.

[Anna]

That's his only rule.

[Christina]

But he can like give his power to Briallyn. He helps her get the trove items. Like, okay, yeah, at some point, Briallyn's like, if you guys didn't come, Eris, I would have just like killed him. Koshei would have killed him. And like Koshei's lake would have been no match for Eris's fire. Gets like. There's just no counterbalance, it feels like to Koshe.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Kim]

Yeah. Okay, great. I love that.

[Christina]

Okay, yeah. But anyways, that's where our boys are. And we'll pick back up with them at the end of the blood. Right? So Kim, let's do the blood.

[Kim]

Right, let's do. So we are entering the final parts of this episode and that means it is time to discuss the blood rite. Here we freaking go.

[Christina]

Buckle up.

[Kim]

But first, a reminder. This is how Cassian describes what the blood rite is. Earlier in the book, when an Illyrian warrior comes into his full power, usually in his 20s, he has to go through the blood rite before he can qualify as a full warrior. And adult would be. Warriors from every clan and village get sent in, usually three or from each. All of them scattered across an area in the Yan Mountains. We're left there for a week with two goals. Survival and making it to Ramiel. Sounds like my actual nightmare, but okay, here we go.

[Anna]

We don't do hiking.

[Kim]

I don't do outdoors and I don't do hiking, so that'd be immediate. No for me, but that's fine. Okay, so let's set the stage. Nesta, Emory and Gwen, along with a bunch of Illyrian males, are drugged and scattered around the mountains, just like Cassian said. But our three Valkyries are separated, just like Rhysand, Cassian and Azriel were separated during their blood rite because they're two power powerful together.

[Christina]

Woo. Yeah.

[Kim]

So Nessa wakes up before everyone around her, and we find out later that Gwen also woke up early, which they attribute to the two of them not being Illyrian, so the magic worked differently.

[Christina]

Sure, sure.

[Kim]

That sounds fine. Yeah, I like that. Okay, so just two things to note going into this. Number one, someone is cheating the system. We know that someone is Briallyn, and she's being helped by Emerie's drunk asshole cousin, Belleus. He's under the Crown's influence, so they're working together. And this is important as we progress through the blood rite, because there are a lot of weapons and other items. Items planted ahead of time that are not supposed to be there.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

And that's kind of how Belious is able to make it as far as he does.

[Anna]

Right?

[Christina]

Yeah. Because Briallyn's like, what would be, like, fun to watch? Let's give them knives. And, like, what would maybe weaken her and her friends even more? Like, let's give other people.

[Anna]

I guess it was all planted so that. That way he had a better chance of weakening her if not. Because that's what was the whole point.

[Christina]

Right, Right.

[Anna]

Was weakening her.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Kim]

But what if he accidentally killed her?

[Anna]

I don't think. He's not allowed to.

[Christina]

I think he was. Wasn't allowed to. Like, it was like, part of the Crown is telling him what to do.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Kim]

Okay. But he could have just been like, I don't care what you say, and I'm gonna do it anyways because I suck. And then Brielle would have been like, well, this didn't pan out like I thought that it would. And now she's dead. Just saying.

[Anna]

Yeah, because also, the Crown isn't supposed to be within close proximity.

[Kim]

And Balius was not in close proximity to Brielle in the entire time.

[Christina]

Right.

[Kim]

Right.

[Anna]

I wonder if you can give an order.

[Christina]

Yeah, that's what I thought.

[Anna]

And that order has to be followed through. I feel like if you give an order and then they could go away from you, they have to do that order. But maybe you can't give new orders because you're not in close proximity.

[Christina]

Right? Yeah. Like, it's almost.

[Anna]

I'm trying to make it work.

[Kim]

No, I commend you. Yeah.

[Christina]

I mean, I do think Bellius, just, like, in general, is a shitty guy. So he's probably like, sure, that works great. For sure.

[Kim]

I just. Isn't the goal to kill everybody else?

[Christina]

Yes.

[Anna]

Yes.

[Kim]

That's the goal. So for him to be like, okay, so you're giving me all these weapons, but you're telling me not to actually kill them. Nesta needs to at least make it to the mountain. Yeah, but you're giving me all these extra weapons. Weapons.

[Christina]

My understanding was that Briellen's, like, kind of watching and monitoring. This is, like, an easy way for her to, like, monitor Nesta. And then as soon as she gets Cassian in her clutches.

[Anna]

Right.

[Christina]

She'll just get in there.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Christina]

And so Bellius, he doesn't even get to her until that final. They don't interact.

[Kim]

That's true.

[Christina]

So I think she's like trying to get him to help find her.

[Anna]

Right.

[Christina]

To get to her, corral her.

[Anna]

Almost.

[Christina]

Yeah. And then when he gets there, I think that he was probably supposed to not kill her. But then Briallyn could find them.

[Anna]

I see. Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

[Christina]

But I do think Bellius, though, at the end is about to kill her.

[Anna]

Oh yeah, I agree.

[Kim]

Right. That's what I thought. I thought he was about to be like, meh.

[Christina]

I don't think he's under the control because I think he does almost.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Christina]

He's going to kill her at the end.

[Kim]

Right.

[Anna]

And she makes a point at the end. Nesta says, you can't kill me because if you kill me, my power just goes away.

[Kim]

Right. And Cassian's the only one that stops Belius from killing Nesta. Because she's like, on the ground.

[Anna]

Yes.

[Christina]

So. Yes. So back to what you said in the beginning. Briallyn didn't think that through in that Belius could have just killed her if he caught up to her quicker. But I do think maybe Briellen was monitoring this situation and would have just popped in.

[Kim]

She didn't wanna let it get outta hand. You're right.

[Anna]

You're right. Yeah. Okay.

[Kim]

So sorry. Sorry for that tangent question. So Briallyn dropped a bunch of extra weapons. And then also the other thing to note is the friendship bracelets. And we talked about this in a previous episode, but when Nesta held those friendship bracelets that they all made at the sleepover, she made a wish that no matter what happens, they would always find a way back to each other.

[Anna]

Other.

[Kim]

And she acts like, inadvertently imbues those bracelets with some of her very, very special magic. So now they're like gps, like find my friends bracelets.

[Anna]

Like air tags.

[Kim]

It's air tag.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Kim]

And she's like, go find Gwen and Emery. And then that's how they all beep, beep, beep. Fight each other. Which is so fun.

[Anna]

I love.

[Christina]

And people say that Sarah's not a swifty.

[Kim]

Yeah, exactly.

[Anna]

She's like the OG Swifty. This shit came out so long ago.

[Kim]

That's right. Exactly.

[Christina]

So actually what this tells us is that Taylor wrote, you're on your own, kid. Inspired by these bracelets.

[Anna]

That's exactly what it is.

[Kim]

That's what it is. Yep.

[Christina]

Make the friendship bracelets. She's talking about the Valkyries she's talking

[Kim]

about this scene specifically in Akasol. That's canon.

[Anna]

Fof canon. Life. Canon.

[Kim]

Wrap it up. Yep.

[Anna]

History. Let's go.

[Kim]

That's right.

[Christina]

Put a bow on it.

[Kim]

I rest my case.

[Anna]

Okay, guys, a lot happens in these chapters, but we're going to walk you through a few of our favorite kind of pivotal moments that happen before we get to the the very end. On top of Ramiel.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

Starting with Emerie's rescue. Oh. So like Kim says, we have the little homing beacons that the bracelets that Nesta and all the girls are wearing. And I love this. I feel like it's directing. I don't know if it's just because Emerie's closer, but I thought it was mostly because Emerie seemed to be in the worst shape at the moment. So I feel like that's why it was guiding her towards Emerie first.

[Kim]

Okay.

[Anna]

But Nesta is being such a badass. She's hiking through the mountains and terrain. She's stolen clothing from Illyrians that she's killed in self defense fence. Her boots are too big. She's getting blisters. But she's not giving up. She keeps pushing forwards.

[Christina]

Again, my nightmare with the blisters, let me tell you.

[Anna]

I can barely make it through a wedding in heels. So yeah, yeah.

[Christina]

I do hike with my husband every once in a while. And I'm gonna tell you this, if I had a blister, I'd be.

[Anna]

That's it.

[Christina]

I'm shut my ass down. He can get me on the loop on the way back.

[Kim]

Yeah, that's right. You circle back and grab me because

[Anna]

we are outsidey, not outdoorsy.

[Kim]

That's right.

[Christina]

This is why I have the hiking boots that are expensive that I use once a year.

[Kim]

You don't want to get blisters. Nope.

[Christina]

Nope.

[Anna]

So Nesta encounters this asshole who says that he left Emerie to a bunch of Illyrian males to do with as they please. Use your worst imagination. Nesta loses it. She is like, abso fucking lutely not. She throws a dagger into his groin. And I was like, yes, Queen, yes. She does hit him where it hurts.

[Christina]

A great moment.

[Kim]

That's right.

[Anna]

But she does find Emerie and she is battered and beaten, but she's alive. And I mean, I hate that. Obviously Emerie's hurt, but I love seeing Nesta at different points in. In this journey up the mountain using various aspects of her Illyrian training. And I feel like here in this moment, there's obviously some mind Stilling. But a lot of those obstacle courses that they did were like hopping and balance and stuff. And she has to get across this frigid river, like rock to rock. She's soaking wet and she has to carry Emerie on her back and she strips them so their clothes don't get wet. And then she has to go back and forth to gather their supplies. And Emerie is shivering because she was dangling from a branch. So she's already wet. And they cuddle together for warmth. And it's just. I loved this moment. I mean, I know it's sad, but, like, I just love seeing Nesta be like this caretaker that we don't get to see very often.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Anna]

There's also this interesting man named Balthazar. Man, male Illyrian Balthazar, who is like the first not asshole Illyrian that we meet in the bud Rite.

[Christina]

Absolutely. Yep.

[Kim]

Yep.

[Anna]

I would love to see more of him.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

I feel like maybe Balthazar is going

[Kim]

to come back because you think Balthy is.

[Anna]

Balthy.

[Christina]

I think. Yeah. I think Baltha's coming back.

[Anna]

Can I call you Balthy?

[Christina]

Kevin? Call you Balthy? It's just like so pointed that he just pops in and he's a nice. And by nice, he's just not awful Illyrian.

[Anna]

Yes. The bar is low.

[Christina]

The bar is very low. But I think that there's potential for him to come back in a way of maybe helping our view of the Illyrians. Maybe he'll help Cassian with the female training. I think we're gonna go on a journey with the Illyrians. I don't think we're gonna just leave them to be. I think Asriel's gonna have to accept his lineage in some way. So I think maybe we're gonna do more with the Illyrians and having one kind Illyrian man is helpful for that story. Yeah.

[Anna]

And he's actually nice. Like, he's like, I'm not gonna hurt you. Let's just keep watch overnight together. This is the only safe space. There's creatures at night roaming around.

[Christina]

He's the only one that seems to remember that.

[Anna]

Exactly. And when they wake up the next morning, sure enough, literally, limbs are strewn around the Foam Forest because these wild monsters have attacked all the Illyrians who weren't smart.

[Christina]

I was gonna say it later, but I'm gonna say it now. That's because the Illyrian men are just like a bunch of dumb Gastons that are running around. Yes. And they're like, why? Just need to fight. And that's all we're doing is I'm just a big man who fights. And, like, I'm strong.

[Kim]

And the monsters are no match for me in that.

[Anna]

They're like.

[Christina]

Oh, what do you mean, monster?

[Kim]

They're Cookie Monster, Gaston. Okay, that. If we can just paint you a picture.

[Christina]

That's what they. They are. They're like me, cookie. Me hurt you.

[Kim]

Me strong man.

[Christina]

Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom, nom. But then they're like. What do you mean the monsters at night? Ah, we'll be fine.

[Kim]

We'll be fine.

[Christina]

No, you won't. No, you won't.

[Anna]

They will tear you apart.

[Christina]

Also, we learn the history of these monsters at some point. They are like the oldest, most ancient evil, bad creatures that exist at all.

[Anna]

No, thank you.

[Christina]

Because a lot of them were killed out and taken underground to be a part of the. Under the mat. Like all the.

[Kim]

Oh, yeah.

[Christina]

You know, bad things. But the most evil, scary ones live in Romule.

[Kim]

Yeah, it's a no.

[Christina]

The fact that they have no respect or fear for them also ties into them being the Illyrian Gaston that think they're like, just better than everything and stronger than everything.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Christina]

And then at night they all die because again, Gaston, Gaston, Gaston. But Balthazar is not.

[Anna]

No, no, he's smart. And he helps Nesta keep watch. And then the next morning he says, and this is where I leave you. Fare thee well. Well, just very, very polite man.

[Kim]

I love to see it.

[Anna]

So next we have Gwyn's rescue and. Oh, God, I love her.

[Kim]

Oh, Gwyn.

[Anna]

So Emerie and Nesta are lured into a trap by Belius, the asshole cousin, because he's dangling Gwyn's nightgown from a tree and they think she's being held captive there. Nope, it's an ambush. Right before they're about to go in and saved where they think Gwyn is, they're actually attacked by Bellias and his cronies. And then a giant, terrifying one of those monsters that we were just talking about jumps over Nesta and Emerie and rips them to shreds. And it turns out our sweet little priestess Gwyn lured these monster cat like creatures over to this lair of Illyrians and was like, I saved the day.

[Christina]

I love this. I love it.

[Kim]

What? Like it's hard.

[Anna]

Like it's hard.

[Kim]

Like it's hard to do that.

[Anna]

It's just so sweet.

[Christina]

I'm obsessed with this.

[Anna]

There's finally like a moment after they've run away and they're like. I think they're sitting up in a tree and Gwyn turns to the and she says, you two came looking for me? Of course we did. Emery said, interlacing her hand with Gwen's, then Nesta's and squeezing tightly. It's what sisters do.

[Christina]

Guys.

[Kim]

I love this so much. It's what sisters so beautiful do. I love it.

[Anna]

Wow. How far we have come from book one where we were just like, fucking hell, Nesta, you're the worst shit. Yes, it's sad in a way, cause she doesn't have that bond with Elain and Feyre. But like, we're getting there. We're getting. It's a work in progress. But with Gwyn and Emerie, it's just that found family. It's just so beautiful.

[Christina]

And it's what she needs. It's what they all three need. And having them find it in each other and being that for each other, it's just as important and more important in ways than her relationship with Elayne and Feyre. Like this friendship and this sisterhood is really what brings her full circle in her healing journey. Without them, I don't think she would be where she is at all.

[Anna]

No, agree. Absolutely not. Yeah, Any of them.

[Christina]

Any of them.

[Kim]

Definitely.

[Christina]

Without the other ones.

[Anna]

God, they're so excited. Will you walk us through the bridge? Dog grooming Genius here. Most people see a busy dog salon, but I see operational excellence thanks to Genius. From Global payments, scheduling, personalized checkouts. Instant. Absolutely Genius. From game day crowds to every groomer in this shop, Genius keeps everything flowing seamlessly. Schnauzer is styled. Flawless execution, big league reliability for any business. That's genius.

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[Christina]

Hey, everyone. Check out this guy and his bird. What is. Is this your first date?

[Liberty Mutual Ad Voice]

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[Christina]

Yeah, the bird looks out of your league.

[Liberty Mutual Ad Voice]

Anyways, only pay for what you [e-mail] Liberty.

[Christina]

Liberty. Liberty.

[Anna]

Liberty Moments.

[Christina]

Oh, I'd love to. It's so stressful, but it's so good. Okay, so the next big moment here in the Blood rite is when we come across a bridge. This bridge is going to bring them to the base of the big mountain. We're getting closer, but there's another group of Gastons approaching. And they decide to intercept the Illyrians Rather than. Than trying to beat them to the bridge. And a fight breaks out and it's really badass, it's really fun to read and like all these months of lessons are paying off and they work together as a unit and it's so amazing. Okay. And then there's this quote. Nesta whirled to the next opponent, but her friends had halted. The males around them were down. Utter silence filled the snowy forest. Even the birds in the pines had stopped chirping. Valkyries. Emerie said, her eyes blaring bright. Nesta grinned through the blood that she knew was splattered on her face. Hell yes.

[Kim]

Hell yes.

[Christina]

Love this.

[Anna]

It's like the first time we see them work together in a big fight. That's not training.

[Christina]

It's so cool. And they're like girl power. Yes.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Christina]

Look at what we can do.

[Kim]

Hell yes. Like hell yes. Me too.

[Christina]

I love the hell yes.

[Kim]

It's so funny. Like, I just don't know why that tickles me so much. She's just like, hell yes.

[Christina]

Same, same, same. I love it.

[Kim]

That's such a great scene, Christina. It is like really the first time that we see all of the training fighting. They're together, they're fighting as a team. They're like sisterhood together. And it's so badass.

[Christina]

It's so amazing. But it's not over yet, friends. Because just as they get to the bridge, another group of Gastons armed with bows and arrows approach and they start to fire. And then Nesta and Emery make it across, but Gwen takes an arrow to her thigh and she collapses. And it's very stressful. And she's yelling for them to cut the rope because she knows if they don't, then the Gaston's are gonna overtake the bridge. And we get a get up moment and gu. We love a Saragona.

[Anna]

Love it.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

Okay. Oh. So Nesta says, get up. Nesta ground out. Get up. The priestess tried. She made it to her feet, but she never crossed the bridge in time. So Nesta took the Illyrian bow off her shoulder, took the coil and rope off too, and handed it blindly to Emery. Tie one into that tree and then rend herself. Nesta didn't wait to see if she obeyed before she knotted the other into the arrow, fitted the arrow into the bow. We didn't learn archery. Emery breathed. But Nesta knocked the arrow into place, took aim right at Gwen, who eyed the rope tied to the other arrow, the other end around the tree and Emery and understood. And she just goes, my sister Taught me. Her arm trembled as she drew the bow back a long time ago.

[Kim]

Wow, I love that.

[Anna]

That's so sweet.

[Christina]

God, the imagery of her being like, my sister taught me a long time ago.

[Anna]

Honestly, that's like a healing moment.

[Kim]

It is a healing. Yeah. I needed to hear that for the reader. Yeah, exactly.

[Anna]

We needed her to appreciate what Feyre has done. This is like the second time she's brought up the fact that. That Feyre taught archery. And it's such a good moment. She's like, I refuse to let Gwyn die. Get up, Gwyn. Give me that arrow. My sister taught me well.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

Wow.

[Christina]

And it's almost this moment where she's acknowledging that Feyre was so strong and did this. All this stuff for them without taking it in on herself and making it a bad moment. Making it a negative for herself.

[Anna]

Yes.

[Christina]

I think in the past, Nesta was. Would have taken any positive thought about Feyre and what she did when they were young and made it because I didn't stand up, because I was terrible, because. And make it about her. And instead she was like. Because my sister taught me and that's what we do. And I know how to do this now. And I'm strong and brave and like, it's important that she taught me this. And I just love me too. It's so good.

[Kim]

It's really great.

[Christina]

Oh, okay. So they cut the ropes after Gwen makes it across. And the Illyrians yell fucking bitches.

[Kim]

Just like that too. I bet. I bet they say, just like, bitches.

[Christina]

Fucking bitches.

[Kim]

And then.

[Christina]

Oh, God. Guys, if you're not watching this episode, you're really missing out, okay?

[Kim]

You really need to go over to Patreon and watch it because it's a treat.

[Christina]

So then Gwen says, yep, back. Find something new to call us.

[Anna]

She's like, take that, asshole.

[Christina]

Yeah, I'm gonna chug.

[Kim]

Find something else to call us. Loser. Losers. She's like, nana, Nana, boo, Boo.

[Christina]

God, I love her.

[Anna]

I'm just imagining like Emery and Nesta behind. Behind her going, that was really good, Gwen.

[Christina]

Good one.

[Kim]

Great job, sweetie. That was awesome.

[Anna]

You told them so hard.

[Kim]

Got him.

[Christina]

She's like.

[Kim]

She's like, thanks, God, I love Gwen. Okay, so speaking of Gwen, Our Gwen. Our angel. Okay.

[Christina]

Yeah, our sweet.

[Kim]

So we're gonna discuss Gwen's story very briefly. But just obviously we have to have a quick trigger for sexual assault. So if you don't want to hear me talk about Gwen, skip forward till you hear Anna's voice. Protect yourself, whatever you need to Do. But we're going to run through it pretty quickly because we got a lot of ground to cover. But sweetest Gwen. So we're not doing well. Okay, we are going up the mountain, and there's a point on the mountain where they have to figure out which path that they are going to take. The most direct path is also the most difficult. It is literally called, quote, the breaking. They're not beating around the bush, okay? They're saying, you go up this path, you're going to. You're going to break. Gwen, as we know, is very hurt. They are all tired. They're dehydrated. And this is when we finally get Gwen's story. And she opens up about hybrid soldiers attacking Sangerval Temple. And she explains how she was responsible for evacuating the children, but after securing them in their hiding space, she had to remain above to close that trap door. The soldiers barge in, and they have her sister and a few other priestesses, and they demand to know where the children are. But Gwen won't tell them. And in retaliation, they kill Katrine, her twin sister, right in front of her. The soldiers then sexually assault Gwen, and that is when Azriel and the Night Court arrive and rescue her. So when Gwen is confronted with taking the longer yet easier route to the top of the mountain, this is what she says. I don't want to take the safe road. She pointed to the mountain, to the slender path upward. I want to take that road. Her voice thickened. I want to take the road that no one dares travel. And I want to travel it with you, too. No matter what may be fall us not as Yyan, not for their titles, but as something new to prove to them, to everyone, that something new and different might triumph over their rules and restrictions. Restrictions? I have been broken once before, Gwen said, her voice clear. I survived it. And I will not be broken again. Not even by this mountain.

[Christina]

Oh, so beautiful. God, I love this.

[Anna]

When you get the whole story of Gwen's story, finally, the first time reading this, I just remember being like, wow.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

And her being like, no, I am the rock upon which the surf crashes.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

Yep. And I will not be broken again. And it's so beautiful. This amazing girl who started going to training, who signed up for her sister because she knew her sister would have been the first one to do it.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Christina]

And to do that in honor of her sister. And then we get this story about what happened, and then she's like, no, I want to do this. And even when she's with you guys, you. Oh God. And then she's like, as something new to prove to them, to everyone, that something new and different might triumph over their rules and restrictions. Like that's such a through line of this book and of their journey. I feel like that we haven't even seen the end of yet with the Illyrians. But it's so good.

[Kim]

Oh, it's so beautiful.

[Anna]

I feel like in this moment it's really a representation or Emerie. Nesta and Gwen in this moment are a representation of all of the women in the library who have had things done to them, who have had choice taken away from them. And just like you said, Christina and Kim, the quote, just her making the point of, no, I want to do this. I am not broken. I'm not gonna let them break me. And them making this choice to kind of go through this together and come out the other side is like, we will be the ones to be feared. We will stand our ground. This can't happen again.

[Christina]

It's so good.

[Anna]

Great.

[Kim]

It's really, really good.

[Christina]

Yeah. God damn it, Sarah. Okay. All right.

[Anna]

Which leads us to. Oh gosh, guys. Nessa's final stand.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

So they've hiked up a lot of the back. They reach what is called the Pass of Annalias. It's an archway of stone. And it's this path that the great Illyrian warrior Inalias used to stand his ground and defend the top of the mountain against the ancient beings who ruled and oppressed the Fae. Pin this for later in Mastermind.

[Christina]

Okay, yes, but.

[Anna]

Oh, remember Emry's asshole cousin Belias?

[Kim]

Unfortunately, how could I forget?

[Anna]

How could we forget? Hiena's buddies are approaching. And with Gwyn being injured, there's no way that they can make it to the top of the mountain and win the blood rite. Unless someone stays back to fight them off.

[Christina]

Yeah, hold the line.

[Anna]

Nesta and Emery essentially kind of have a silent conversation and Nesta decides that she'll be the one to stay. She'll defend the past just as Inalius did centuries ago. And oh sweet Gwen, God, I love her. There's this beautiful moment between her and Nesta and it's such a Found sisters moment. Gwen does not want to leave Nesta to fight alone. And Nesta is basically like shoving her towards. Cause she's injured, somebody has to take her away. And she's shoving her towards Emery and Gwen. Gwen is like, no, no, no. And she's like, you have to go. And this is the quote. Gwen says, no, I won't I'll face it with you. Something deep in Nesta's chest cracked, cracked open completely. And what lay within bloomed full and bright and pure. She wrapped her arms around Gwyn, let her friend sob into her chest. I'll face it with you, gwyn whispered over and over again. Promise me. We'll face it together. I promise, she breathed, stroking Gwyn's matted hair. I promise. Promise. Gwen sobbed, and Nesta let herself sob with her, squeezing her tightly, letting her stroking hand come to rest on Gwen's neck. A pinch in the right spot exactly on that pressure point Cassian had shown her, and it was done. Gwen went down unconscious. Oh, God, guys, this moment, it's like so twofold. Because it's like, you know, Emory makes a joke of, well, she's gonna be real pissed at you.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

That you knocked her out.

[Kim]

She's not gonna be happy about that.

[Anna]

But like, war times. War times, the lay with me within bloomed full and bright and pure. Like this crack that opened in her chest. And I feel like this is a moment where she just feels this unconditional love. And like, I can do this. I can save my friends, just like my sister has saved me and Cassian has saved me and everybody else. I will put them first.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Christina]

And I love that parallel there, too, of what Gwen and Nesta are feeling in this moment. Because Gwen is thinking, I can't abandon my sister just like I abandoned my sister in the past. And then Nesta is thinking, I. I can't not help my sister the way I didn't help my sisters in the past. Yes. And Nesta is like, no, I will do what needs to be done for my sisters this time. I will be the big sister in this moment that I wasn't to my other sisters.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Christina]

Oh, God, yeah.

[Anna]

Oh, man.

[Christina]

So, yeah. And like, this is all happening. And God, Emerie is so amazing, guys. She is. And she's just like. She's got this shrewd, ruthless kind of streak like Nesta has. Like, that's why they work together in a good way. They're like warrior outlook together, you know? And it just enables them to make the hard choices like this. But then it's even in that, in this moment, it's Emerie who's like, but I don't want to leave you, Nesta. Like, I get it. I know this is the smart thing to do, but I can't do it. And what she says is, come with us. Emery offered, eyes lined with silver. Nesta shook her head Consider it the repayment of a debt. A tear slipped down Emerie's cheek. For what? For being my friends. Even when I didn't deserve it. Emerie's face crumpled. There is no debt, Nesta. But Nesta smiled softly. There is. Is. Let me pay it. Swallowing back her tears and re nodded, hefted Gwen higher and winced, but managed to hobble through the arch toward the rocks and the last shred of the breaking all the way up to the peak. Nesta did not say goodbye. She just inhaled through her nose, held the breath, then exhaled, repeated her mind stealing again and again. She was the rock against which the surf broke. These males would break against her too.

[Anna]

Oh yeah.

[Kim]

Oh my God, it's so good. Oh, you guys. This is almost exactly, exactly what Cassian and Rhys say to each other in Acowar when Cassian has to go with Nesta. And Rhys is like, no, you can't go. Like, I can't lose you. And Cassie is like, you can, like, you can let me go. It's okay. Rhys is like, let me do it. Let me repay the debt. And Cassian's like, there is no debt. And Cassie is like, let me make it up to your mother, Rhys, for taking me in. And they're both crying. Oh God. In the second I read this, I was like, this is exactly the conversation that Cassian and Reset. And how beautiful for Nesta to have this with Emery because they are. Are exactly the same. Like Cassian and Rhys are brothers, just like Nesta and Emerie are sisters. And it's so beautiful that they have this.

[Christina]

I love that parallel.

[Anna]

Such a great insight.

[Kim]

Oh, it's beautiful.

[Anna]

I love it.

[Christina]

I love that. It's beautiful. You know what? It is, it's beautiful. Okay, so Nesta does defend that pass.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Christina]

From asshole Bellius.

[Kim]

Woo.

[Christina]

It's all the things we wanted. It's great. She's like, you know, using every element of her training and the Illyrian fighting styles and the Valkyrie mind stealing and it's just coming together and she's like this warrior in this moment and it's so good. And then we get this, this amazing moment that we live for where then Belius is like, oh, you think you can take me in hand to hand combat? And she just goes, I do. And then he throws a punch and she blocks it spectacularly and then breaks his nose. And she goes, because my mate taught me well. Yes. So good.

[Anna]

It's the first time she calls him her mate.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Christina]

I'm obsessed with this one. The cinema of this Moment. Like, Belly's like, oh, you think he can take me? And she's like, weave, dodge, break his nose. Yeah, my mate taught me that well.

[Kim]

That's right.

[Christina]

So good.

[Kim]

Oh, my God, it's so good.

[Christina]

Another really special piece of this moment is that the girls have made it. At this point, she knows that the girls made it. They are Corinthian warriors. They are safe. They are alive. She did her job.

[Anna]

Yes.

[Christina]

And her body is like, telling her to give up. Like, she's so tired. And she makes this active decision that she wants to live and fight for this life and live well and live happily and just live with. And then she's cut off. And it's like, you're made, Cassian.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

And we have another moment like this later on, so we can table the competition for that moment. But this one just lays the groundwork for that. And it feels like such a pivotal moment in her healing journey. In the trajectory, for sure.

[Kim]

Absolutely.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

Okay. So Bellious does end up getting an upper hand at one point. And this is when Cassian shows up to save. Save Nesta. So we think, and he finishes off Bellius, and Nesta's like, oh, thank God. Runs into his arms, because, of course, she doesn't realize he's under the crown's control. Why would she think that? And they're holding each other and you're like, that was stressful.

[Anna]

Close one.

[Kim]

That's okay. And then he's holding Nesta and he goes, I'm going to slit your pretty little throat. And you're like, oh, so sorry. Come again, sir.

[Anna]

Is this because I don't like it?

[Christina]

The first time I read this, the way I was like, no. Like, screaming like, Michael Scott.

[Kim]

No.

[Christina]

Oh, God, no.

[Kim]

Oh, terrible.

[Christina]

Sarah just not letting us breathe.

[Kim]

She's like, no rest.

[Christina]

Wild.

[Kim]

Keep it going.

[Anna]

Classic. Last 200 pages of a Sarah book.

[Christina]

Exactly. And in a fun way, like, yes, I was screaming, no, but, man, you're invested. Oh, man. This is the part where the book really shines. Like, this is incredible.

[Kim]

It's great. So Ms. Briallyn shows up, little psychopath that she is. And basically we know that the Queen wants Nesta to pay for the cauldron. And because the cauldron turned her into an old crone, if you remember.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

So Brialen's like, cassian, attack Nesta. And he's like, I really don't want to do this. So they're fighting.

[Christina]

Got to.

[Kim]

It's really, really sad because obviously neither of them want to be fighting each Other. And we know that killing their mate will essentially kill them as well. They won't be able to live with themselves. And Cassian has Nesta pinned to the ground. And we get this beautiful moment of acceptance from Nesta. And she's basically telling Cassian with her eyes that, like, it's okay. Oh, and she says, said Nesta didn't fight as he hauled her to her feet, held the knife against her throat. Pleading shown in his eyes. Pleading in fear, in love. Love she did not deserve. Had never once deserved. But there it was. Just as it had been there from the instant they'd met. Nesta had loved Cassian since she'd first laid eyes on him. Had loved him even when she did not want to. Even when she had been swallowed by despair and fear and hatred. Had loved him and destroyed herself. Because she didn't believe she deserved him. Because he was all that was good and brave and kind. And she loved him. She loved, loved him. She loved him. Cassian's arm shook, and Nesta braced herself for the blow. Showing him her forgiveness. Her unending, unbreakable love for him. Oh, guys.

[Christina]

So good.

[Anna]

This is like we have waited for this moment.

[Kim]

What a payoff.

[Christina]

Oh, my God. What a payoff.

[Anna]

So good a payoff.

[Christina]

God, I'm so proud of her.

[Kim]

I am, too. I do feel like she loved him.

[Anna]

She loved him.

[Kim]

She loved him. She loved him.

[Anna]

Oh, so beautiful.

[Kim]

That got me. It got me, too.

[Christina]

This scene was so crazy being it the first time, I think. Also, I'm not gonna lie. Every time I read this book, I'm still a little confused about Briallyn's motives and plan here.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

Like, I get it. You want to be young. And I do get it that Nesta has the trove items and she needs them all. And Fine.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Christina]

But it just. It feels like there was a lot of. Lot of little things that led us here to this that maybe all weren't necessary. However, I'm happy that we're.

[Anna]

Yeah, I feel like it was a lot of talking about Briallyn, but we don't really get a lot of her until all of a sudden, at the very end, she shows up and she's just like, this has been a revenge

[Christina]

scheme the whole time. I knew everything. Yeah.

[Anna]

And so I'm wondering if, like, Sarah was just, like, setting it up for book six. Well, not with Briallyn clearly anymore, but with Koshay. And Briallyn was just this little piece to get us to Koshay.

[Christina]

Oh, maybe. Maybe. Yeah. No, I do agree this time around I was like. Did her mind also age?

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Christina]

Is she older? Is she working with like a senior citizen mind?

[Kim]

Yeah. Maybe.

[Christina]

And maybe that's the case. You know I do think a keeper piece. She thinks that if she has the whole Dread Trove she then can be young again.

[Anna]

I just don't think that's how it works.

[Christina]

And I. I'm confused why she thinks that.

[Anna]

Agree. Yeah. The audacity.

[Kim]

Cuz the cauldron proved it's going to do whatever the it wants. Whenever the it wants to do.

[Anna]

It literally does not care what you think.

[Kim]

She has no control over the cauldron. So why would her having these items make it follow her commands?

[Christina]

Make you young? Yeah. Riddle me that.

[Anna]

Okay. So plot twist though Brielle and apparently didn't learn the lesson about dealing with the fae. You gotta be real specific when you give commands. And she just said kill to Cassian. She didn't specify who he should kill. So Cassian turns the knife on himself instead of Nesta. Just as the sun is cresting over the mountain. Which means the end of the blood rite and magic being returned to anyone who participated. Including our queen Nesta.

[Christina]

And she's got a lot of power.

[Anna]

She doesn't. This is what it says. Nesta erupted with the force of the cauldron. The big of her magic was a beast with no name. Avalanches cascaded down the cliffs in seas of glittering white trees bent and ruptured in the wake of the power that shattered from her. Distant seas drew back from their shores. Then raced in waves towards them again. Glasses shook and shattered in Velaris. Books tumbled off the shelves in Helion's thousands of libraries. And the remnants of run down cottage in the human lands crumbled into a pile of rubble.

[Christina]

Oh.

[Anna]

That is a. That is some power. We've never seen that.

[Kim]

She's been taking lessons from Rhysand and his orgasm.

[Anna]

I also was like this. I mean like a. Orgasm.

[Kim]

One of Reese's orgasms. Yep.

[Christina]

But I mean way more powerful. This is way more powerful. And way cooler too. Way cooler. And I'm really enjoying a lot of the conversations about the material items here. And maybe rebuilding rebirthing using the nature of the land here is very interesting with the oceans and stuff.

[Kim]

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Anna]

So pin some of this for Mastermind later in regards to her. Powerful. She is.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Christina]

All right.

[Anna]

And then she pounces on the queen and essentially withers the queen away to dust. Which is amazing.

[Christina]

Love it. Very tangled here for it.

[Anna]

Exactly. But this is also when we get her running to Cassian afterwards, and he's relieved from the crown's power, and she's like, you are my mate. And he says the whole classic, say it again. You are my mate. And it just feels so good.

[Kim]

It's wonderful.

[Christina]

This moment. I live for it. Live for this moment. This is what we've been here for.

[Kim]

That's right.

[Christina]

That's so good.

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[Christina]

Hey, everyone. Check out this guy and his bird. What is this, your first date?

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[Christina]

Yeah, the bird looks out of your league anyways.

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[Christina]

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[Kim]

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[Christina]

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[Christina]

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[Kim]

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[Anna]

room for shipping delays.

[Kim]

That's why Grainger offers millions of products in fast, dependable delivery, so you can

[Anna]

keep your facility stocked, safe, and running smoothly.

[Christina]

Call 1-800-GRAINGER Click grainger.com or just stop

[Kim]

by Grainger for the ones who get it done.

[Anna]

But, oh, gosh, guys, we don't get any breathing room because it's Sarah and It's the last 200 pages in her book. So once again, Sarah says, you think things are bad. Hold my beer because this shit isn't over. Asriel and Mor arrive, and Feyre has gone into labor.

[Kim]

Yeah, early.

[Christina]

Two months early. Yeah.

[Anna]

She and the baby are not doing well.

[Christina]

No.

[Anna]

As we all predicted. And essentially, they're about to die. So Mor's like, you want to come say goodbye? And Evanez is like, I literally just almost died myself.

[Christina]

What are you talking about?

[Anna]

And I breathe.

[Kim]

Do you see what just happened here? I'm in, like, a dead person's clothes that are ripped and bloodied. I'm near death myself.

[Christina]

Yeah, but, yes, sure, absolutely. Also, of course, I did just say, you're my mate. Okay, sorry, but what? What? I more. What did you even say? Like, I don't even. I didn't even comprehend this. You're saying they're dying?

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Christina]

This is the great. Oh, my God. The first time I read this, I was like, surely we're good now. Like, this is it. Yeah.

[Kim]

That's what I thought, too.

[Christina]

We're good. Nope. Wrong. You sweet summer children. Okay, so before we get into everything happened with Feyre, we do want to, of course, first do a trigger warning for traumatic childbirth. So please skip ahead if you need to listen at your own comfort level, please. Always. Okay, so. This is so bad, guys. I. Oh, God. Okay, so Maja the healer, the famed healer, the very renowned healer, says the only slim chance that Feyre and the baby have of surviving this at all is if they cut the baby out. Okay. She notes that it's an enormous risk. And that quote, it has never been successful. Those words are used. But then Feyre is like, yeah, do it. Just great. All I care about is baby being okay.

[Anna]

Right?

[Christina]

Baby's not a part of the life bargain. So, okay. So then they're like, we'll get to the C section part of this in a minute. But it's so rough to read. Rhys calls her Feyre darling, and he's crying at the side of the bed. And Feyre's like, no goodbyes, Rhys. No goodbyes. And it's just so sad. Oh, God. So then Maja does it.

[Anna]

Cuts her abdomen, C section ish.

[Christina]

But then it's so sad. Rhys is screaming, and it just says, cassian knew as Rhys lunged for Feyre on the bed, what was about to happen. Yet no force in the world could stop it. Death swirling around her. And there was nothing, nothing, nothing to be done as Feyre's breathing thinned, as Majo began shouting at her to fight it. Feyre. Feyre, who had gone into the woods for them, who had saved them so many times. Feyre, her sister. Oh, my God. It's so hard to read. It's so.

[Kim]

I don't understand why we can't do a C section. Tell me why we talk about it.

[Christina]

So I agree. I agree. And as we've all discussed a lot, I don't have a reason, but I have an interesting piece of the puzzle. Okay, So I was thinking about this a lot yesterday, as, you know, we do in our lives. And I was like, now, the specific mentioning of Maja saying that all we could do is cut her abdomen. But that was, like, the key, risky thing. Like, it never really worked. I was like, didn't we put Cassian's intestines, like, back in him? Like, wasn't he so injured at some point that Maja healed him? And, like, he's literally, like, in that same area wound. We could do it. So then that got me in a whole thing where I was looking at Maja and all the books and. And again, I don't think this justifies or anything, but it is interesting to note. In Frost and Starlight, Feyre talks about her cycle and how awful it is. And she's like bedridden and it's this horrible, horrible thing. And about how now in this new body, in the place of monthly cycles as a human with discomforts, she now has a biannual week of stomach shredding agony. And Maja, Rhys's healer could do little for the pain short of rendering her unconscious.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Christina]

So it almost sets up that healing magic just not work with Fae reproductive.

[Anna]

She also says, I think in Akisoft that Feyre's specific healing abilities that she inherited. Her body would heal so rapidly as she cuts her open that essentially it would be like re. Cutting. Re cutting. Re cut. Sorry, this is. This is. But that's essentially the way it's described.

[Christina]

Okay.

[Anna]

Is that the reason the C section won't work is because her healing abilities are so strong. Oh, interesting that like cutting her open is not successful. And I just like. I don't understand because all Fae have healing abilities. Yeah, I get it. It's plot reasons, right. We have to have this moment. I understand it.

[Christina]

But. Yes, I do understand it.

[Anna]

I don't know. I wish there had been some. I don't know, make up some disease,

[Kim]

make up something magical.

[Christina]

Something. I agree.

[Kim]

I don't like this. I don't like that we're magical beings. But we can't do a C section. Which C sections have literally been taking place in like the old. Yes. The more time mortality rate was much higher. But like people did them.

[Christina]

It was a thing that was done.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Christina]

And so. Yeah, I think no matter what, I think the Fae, it's so hard for them to get pregnant. And like their cycles are once every two years. And like all this stuff, I don't understand it and I don't like it. But I think maybe that's what is happening here. Is that just Fae reproductive anatomy does not follow any rules.

[Anna]

No, it follows no rules.

[Christina]

I don't care for it. Yeah, but fine. No, I don't like it. I don't. I didn't.

[Kim]

I know. Damn it, Christina. Why did you take it?

[Christina]

For me? I just wanted you to know.

[Anna]

I think it's like one of the most frustrating things in the fandom.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

I mean, because there's no reason.

[Kim]

No, there's no reason for it.

[Anna]

It's like even the magical healing abilities, it's like. Really, you're telling Me that there is no drug, no herb that doesn't cross the blood placenta barrier, that won't affect the baby, that you can't give to this woman.

[Kim]

Right? I don't believe you.

[Anna]

I don't believe you.

[Christina]

I just don't. And that's why I think in Frost and Starlight was wild to me is like, you're telling me that there's not even like, an Advil she can take? All you can do is knock her out. Shredding agony is knock her out.

[Kim]

Is knock her out.

[Christina]

Like, what do you mean all you can do? That's like it.

[Kim]

You don't have oxycontin there.

[Anna]

Gotta have some kind of hydrocodone, morphine, something.

[Kim]

I don't believe you. I don't believe that that doesn't exist.

[Anna]

That's why I was like, what?

[Christina]

How does this not apply?

[Kim]

That's a great point, though, Christina. You're right. I think that's why they're setting that up.

[Christina]

But again, that is why the fandom doesn't like it, as do we, because there's really no rhyme or reason to it. And it feels hard to read because we love these people so much. We've gone through so much with them, we've fallen in love with them. And then seeing Rhys do this, it's like, heartbreaking. But, you know, it's. It also leads to this really important moment. So let's. Yeah, let's talk about it.

[Kim]

Does. Okay, so with Feyre literally dying in front of her, Nesta realizes that she is the only one in that room who may possibly be able to intercede.

[Christina]

Oh, God.

[Kim]

So she takes up the mask and the crown and the harp all at once, fully knowing what that means. And it's this moment that leads her to make the ultimate bargain with a cauldron, giving up her power to save her, her sister and Rhys. And the mask speaks to Nesta and it's trying to kind of entice her, to show her what she and the mask could do together, should Nesta choose to wear it and wield it. And Nesta says she feels nothing. And the mask says, is that not what you wanted? And she says, I want to feel everything. I want to embrace it with my whole heart. And the mask says, even the things that hurt and hunt you. And Nesta says, we need those things in order to appreciate the good. Some days might be more difficult than others, but I want to experience all of it, live through all of it with them. And then that wise, soft voice whispered, so live, Nesta Archeron. I'm gonna try not to cry.

[Christina]

Wow. It's good.

[Kim]

Nesta needed nothing more as she took her sister's limp hand and knelt upon the floor. Set down the heart beside her, its silent note still reverberating. Holding time firm in its grasp. She didn't know what she could offer beyond this. Stroking Feyre's cold hand, Nesta spoke into the timeless frozen room. You loved me when no one else would. You never stopped. Even when I didn't deserve it. You loved me and. And fought for me. And. Nesta looked at Feyre's face, death a breath away from claiming it. She didn't stop the tears that ran down her cheeks as she squeezed Feyre's slender hand tighter. I love you, Feyre. She had never said the words aloud to anyone. I love you. Nesta whispered again. I love you. The fact that she says it to Feyre first is so. I read that and I was like, well, this was all worth it.

[Anna]

The I love you. And also so sad.

[Kim]

Oh, it's so sad that that's the first time Nesta has ever said I love you to anyone.

[Anna]

In her 25 years, at best, she's never said that.

[Christina]

You're so right, Kim. I'm like, well, this is all worth it. I literally read that.

[Kim]

And I was like, okay, well, I stand corrected. Yet again, I was wrong.

[Christina]

This was wonderful. I know.

[Anna]

It's so rough in the beginning, and you're just like, I can. You can barely make it through part one.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Anna]

And then you get here.

[Christina]

I want to just flash back. You know, in a movie when we're, like, flashing back to things as big moments are happening. I. I feel like flashing back to Nesta when she's so mean in the cottage.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Christina]

Where she's so mean to Feyre. And then flashing to this. And she's just like, I love you. I love you.

[Anna]

Oh, God, what a movie moment.

[Christina]

It's so good.

[Kim]

It's so beautiful. But this is probably my favorite moment of the whole series.

[Anna]

All right, so the cauldron does accept the bargain from Nesta, Feyre, the baby, Rhysand, everyone saved. I do want to make a little note here that Cassian says he sees a drop of magic protected from fully leaving Nesta. So she probably does retain a small part of this magic, which maybe will be important going forward in ACOTAR 6. But this moment between Rhysand and Nesta, after everyone realizes that Feyre and the baby are okay, this is the moment, like, always gets us. Then Rhysand fell to his knees and took Nesta's hand in his, pressing his mouth to her fingers. Thank you. He wept, head bowed. Cassian knew it wasn't in gratitude for Rhys's own life that he knelt upon the sacred tattoos inked upon his knees. Nesta dropped to the carpet, lifted Rhys's face in her hands, studied what lay in it. Then she threw her arms around the high lord at the night court and held him tightly.

[Kim]

Oh, I love this so much.

[Anna]

It is such a beautiful moment. Rhysand, who we know, bows for nobody except his court and his mate to get on his knees and just look at Nesta after this whole book of them just not getting along. It's such a beautiful moment. And when she's bargaining with the cauldron, she also looks at Rhysand at one point and she's like, she calls him my brother.

[Kim]

Oh, my God.

[Anna]

And she said, you know, like the one who saved my sister. And it's with this love for all three of them, the baby, Feyre and Rhysand, that she does that, obviously mostly for her sister in that moment. Yeah. Is the turning point. But like, she looks at Rhysand too, and I think she recognizes just how much she appreciates what he's done for her family.

[Christina]

Yeah. Oh, my God. The imagery here of the two of them kneeling and hugging. I can't.

[Kim]

And weeping and hugging. It's so beautiful.

[Christina]

It's so beautiful. It's so good. And it's what we needed. We needed this.

[Kim]

We deserve this.

[Christina]

We deserve it. We've gone through enough.

[Anna]

So few little neat little bows to tie up the end of the. This book.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

Nesta does make a point to say that in bargaining with the cauldron, you know, while I was bargaining for my sister's life, I also just threw in there. Hey, while you're at it.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

Could you change her anatomy so that we never go through this again? And also, if it's not too much to ask, could you also change mine? Because I don't know if you know this, but I made it to an Illyrian as well.

[Kim]

Yeah. And we're gonna maybe want some babies, so.

[Christina]

And also, like, I don't want to do this again. No.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

This was not fun.

[Kim]

This was a lot.

[Anna]

So the culture aldred says yes, but

[Kim]

whose anatomy does she not change? Anna.

[Anna]

Elaine.

[Kim]

Okay. Just wanna simply asking a follow up question and we.

[Anna]

I'm so glad that's an important question to ask. Kimberlyn.

[Kim]

Don't need to chat about it. But I'm just saying that Elaine's. Elaine's anatomy has not been changed. Okay.

[Anna]

Anyway, yeah, noting.

[Christina]

Noting that,

[Anna]

but I also. The mating ritual. Nesta. Oh, gosh, she's leaned in, you guys. She's like. She comes up to Cassie and she's like, I. I want a disgustingly ornate mating ceremony.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

She's like, either that or you can just eat the stale biscuit. Because I know I'm supposed to give you a piece of food to eat. And he's like, okay, well, he goes, we'll make a coronation of it. Ness. I love that he calls her Ness.

[Christina]

Shut.

[Kim]

I do too. I love that.

[Christina]

Shut up. I love Ness. God, it's.

[Anna]

We also go visit Papa Archeron's grave, which Nesta has made a point to say she has not visited since the end of the war. That's a really beautiful, I think, closure moment for Nesta. She places the wooden rose that she took from the cabin and she puts them on top of his grave. And I think she's at peace, you

[Christina]

know, and they're together. It's important. Yeah, it's really important. I love it.

[Anna]

And one of the final moments is also Feyre giving Nesta a painting that Feyre made. And it's Nesta defending the past of Analias while Emery and Gwyn go to the top of the mountain and. And it's this beautiful moment and she. If you remember from the beginning of the book, when Nesta goes into the river house, her face is the only portrait that hasn't been painted. It's the only one absent on the walls. And so then Feyre hangs it up next to the ones of their family. Yeah, it's just like a grateful circle moment that we love to see.

[Kim]

It is.

[Christina]

It's really great. It's so sweet. It's such a sweet way to end this with them, you know? And of course the stories aren't over. Like, we have a lot still pending. There's a lot to come in ACOTAR 6. But this really felt like a individual specific bow to Nesta, you know, like the painting means so much to her and how far she's come. And also she's defending the past. Like that's something with her other sisters and showing that she is a Valkyrie. And it's just so good. I love it so much.

[Kim]

It's great.

[Anna]

All right, listeners, that is where we are leaving you this episode. That. This is the last one. This is it.

[Kim]

There's not another one.

[Anna]

I'm so used to saying, like, and next week.

[Kim]

Yeah, no next week.

[Anna]

But this is it, guys. It has been so much fun. But don't leave yet.

[Kim]

Yeah, Stay with us.

[Christina]

This is where we're leaving you. If you haven't read these books, if you haven't read the other books.

[Anna]

Yes. This is our favorite little corner, our final Mastermind section. All right, so a quick spoiler warning. From here on out, in addition to Acotar, we will be referencing the entire Throne of Glass and Crescent City series. So if you haven't finished those yet, cheers and happy reading. We'll see you time next. Next time. But if you're all caught up, let's go.

[Christina]

Oh, God.

[Anna]

All right, Christina, will you kick us off at the prison?

[Christina]

This section had so many things that were so hard not to say. I feel like we deserve awards for so much in this book specifically. But this section, My God.

[Anna]

Yeah, I think Kim and I had to make a note. We were like, guys, there's really no way we can genuinely talk about this, so come back for Mastermind.

[Kim]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Christina]

You guys doing the prison. Bless you. I miss that. Which, woo. You guys deserve awards, I should say, for handling the prison. Okay, let's talk about the prison. So we're gonna run through some fun little things. We learn a lot in Crescent City. So first is the quote here of. Rhys told me once that this island might have been an eighth court. Correct. It was the Dust Court. Hello, Duskourt. All right. Also in the prison, the Dread Trove object hidden in shadow is of course, Luna's horn. Hello. Made of bone, hidden in shadow, that is now tattooed onto Bryce's back. So that's where that is. Yep. All right. Also, the stars carved into the prison floor that we mentioned earlier. Well, you know what those are? They're the constellations of Midgard. Selene carved them into the floor. Quote from the world she left behind.

[Anna]

Interesting.

[Christina]

Speaking of, we also have to note that the vision that Nesta saw of the Fae clawing at the door and begging to be let out was of course the Fae that were left behind in Midgard trapped there when Selene closed the door behind her.

[Anna]

God, I always hate that.

[Christina]

Yeah, I know.

[Kim]

It's so sad.

[Christina]

Yeah. And I do love that we do get this line from Nesta that says is quote. I think whoever used it last did something really horrible with it because, like. Yep, yep, we know that it was really horrible. We are aware. And you are correct.

[Anna]

Yes.

[Christina]

Really, really crazy. But the prison is clearly going to be really important. Very vastly important. ACOTAR 6. So we'll be touching on the prison a lot when it comes to theory episodes. Yes. And how this is going to work with the Dust Court and everything moving forward. But it's so fun to think about her knowing all of this as she's writing Silver Flames and Crescent City and understanding the importance of the prison is so fun.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Christina]

So fun.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Kim]

And, Christina, won't your cauldron chat be up by this point about the Dusk Court?

[Christina]

Oh, yeah. Also, speaking of Dusk Court, I have a cauldron chat.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

Really deep dive in the Dust Court. That was so much fun. That was a thesis paper, and it was very fun to go through. There's so much to cover there. But my cauldron chat on that is up and available as well.

[Kim]

Dr. Kramer is at it again, so please go check it out if you liked her.

[Christina]

Gwen.

[Anna]

Real cauldron chat.

[Christina]

Yes, it is available on Patreon. Okay, Kim, you're next. Talk about Romul.

[Kim]

So I want to talk about how Romiel was actually the Cauldron's first home. And we learned this. We get confirmation of this in CC3. So basically, the theory is that Romual is the Cauldron's first home and that Analias was defending the cold cauldron.

[Christina]

Right.

[Kim]

Not just like the mountain, but actually was defending specifically the cauldron. Okay, so starting out in House of flame and shadows, aka CC3, in the caves beneath the prison, Nesta points out a carving of the cauldron perched on top of Romul with the three stars above it. Here's the quote. The cauldron, Nesta said, pointing to yet another carving on the wall. It indeed showed a giant cauldron perched at top what seemed to be a barren mountain peak with three stars above it. And then as Azriel angles his head and says, that's Romiel. Thank you, Azriel. Wow. Thanks. We love that. Okay. And then during Selene's hologram monologue.

[Christina]

Love it.

[Kim]

We learned that the Daglan apparently kept the cauldron at the base of the monolith at the top of Ramiel.

[Christina]

Got it.

[Kim]

So this is when Selene's kind of showing them all these images, right? It says the snows around Remiel parted, revealing a massive bowl of iron at the foot of the monolith cauldron. Even through the vision, its presence leaked into the world. A heavy, ominous thing. The cauldron, Nesta said, dread lacing her voice. The cauldron was of our world, our heritage. But upon arriving here, the Daglan captured it and used their powers to warp it, to turn it from what it had Been into something deadlier. Okay, that's interesting.

[Anna]

Very interesting.

[Christina]

Because we also know the Daglan are the Asteri.

[Kim]

Yes, exactly. Daglan are the Aseri. Aseri are the Daglan. So they're talking about the people. People. Exactly. So now let's jump to Aaso.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

So this is Emory. Emory's eyes, shown long ago. So long ago they don't even have a precise date for it. A great war was fought between the Fae and the ancient beings who oppressed them. One of its key battles was here in these mountains. Okay. We were never taught the reason why. I think it's been forgotten. But a young Illyrian warrior named Analias held the line against the enemy soldiers for days. He found a natural archway of stone amongst the tangle of boulders and made that his bottleneck. He died in the end, but he had held off the enemy long enough for our allies to reach it. This right is all to honor him. So I think that Analias was actually defending the Cauldron from potentially the Daglan, AKA the Asteri.

[Christina]

Okay.

[Kim]

They never say what he was defending the past from, just from these ancient beings.

[Christina]

Yeah, I love that. I think that makes sense.

[Kim]

And we know that the Cauldron was there, so that's crazy that we get that confirmation in CC3.

[Christina]

I love that I didn't remember getting.

[Anna]

Getting that confirmation.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Anna]

I love that.

[Kim]

To be fair, it was during Celine. We were learning a lot of information during Celine's hologram.

[Christina]

We were.

[Kim]

So this was just a little thing that was kind of thrown in. But she. I mean, she's absolutely describing the cauldron being on top of Ramiel, which is crazy.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Christina]

Also, he's found a natural archway of stone. But, like, it's not natural, right? I mean. I mean, it is natural. Yeah. I mean, in my head, it's like.

[Anna]

No, I think it is natural. Like, it's carved out of the stone.

[Christina]

Got it.

[Anna]

I think.

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[Christina]

Hey, everyone. Check out this guy and his bird. What is this, your first date?

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[Christina]

Yeah, the bird looks out of here. League.

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[Christina]

liberty. Liberty. Liberty.

[Anna]

Liberty.

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[Anna]

So there is another theory about the monolith, the sacred stone atop Ramiel that they all touch. Is it actually a word gate?

[Christina]

See, that makes sense to me. Yeah.

[Anna]

Yes, but listen, because I am too. But now I have questions after. After digging into this theory, I'm like, which is it? Because there's two options.

[Christina]

Okay.

[Anna]

So a lot of people think that you can literally touch it and then you're transported out of the blood. Right. Like a Portkey.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

If you look at all the quotes that Kim just read, right, about what an alias is in the past of an alias, there's a sacred stone atop it. Touch the stone first and you win. It will transport you out immediately. Which sounds like a word gate from Throne of Glass, right?

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

So here is the descriptions of both the passive analias and the sacred stone atop Ramiel. I just want to, like, read this to you all so you can understand what they look like, what they feel like. So far up, too far lay its peak with a sacred black stone. Three stars gridded above it, above the mountain, you know, just like we've all talked about. That's the stone. Now here's the way the pass is described. The breaking flowed through an archway of a black stone where the path became broader and easier. Now, in Arif Fire, we have descriptions of wordstones. They are dark stones. Okay. They're considered to be obsidian. Sometimes they're called black stone. Regardless, they're all the same color. That's what wordstone is.

[Christina]

Okay.

[Anna]

Same as the stone atop Ramiel and the Paths of Annelies. Okay. Both are made from black stone. Elena in Empire Storms, it's her POV chapter. We only get a few of those. And she's describing when she locked arown in his chapter tomb, it says the lock had crafted the sarcophagus from the mountain itself. And then she says later, on her knees in sharp black rock, Elena gazed at the obsidian sarcophagus. So the mountain made from black stone. The lock crafted the obsidian sarcophagus from the mountain itself. Which brings me back to what you just said, Christina. Is it a natural archway?

[Christina]

Right.

[Anna]

Could it have been just created like the mountain created this archway of stone that then leads you to this sacred rock on top, which is also made from black stone.

[Christina]

I love that.

[Anna]

So in Kingdom of Ash, Dorian is in Morath and he finds the same sarcophagus. It's broken apart, Right? He describes it's the mountain again. He says black stone.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

Okay.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

So then this is the difference, though. So word gates are to travel between realms.

[Christina]

Yeah, yeah.

[Anna]

They are like black rips in the face fabric of realms and time. They're not actually a physical black object. You touch, it creates a black rift. Let's say in the air is the way it's described. It's not a physical object, but in Kingdom of Ash, word marks are used to create portals, which is what it feels like. The Ramiel stone does is because it transports you within a realm. And the difference between a word gate and a portal is one true transports you. A portal transports you within one world.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

Whereas a word gate transports you between realms. Like in CC with the rift to hell.

[Christina]

Yeah. Okay. Interesting, interesting.

[Anna]

Also, we have gates in cc, but I could not get the description. There was no black stone used to describe the gates.

[Kim]

Interesting. That sounds fun.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Wow.

[Christina]

Okay, so that makes sense. I like this. Or this is like key interesting information.

[Anna]

I feel like she's setting this up where I 100% agree. It could be a word gate. It absolutely, absolutely could be. The magic is there. I think it could be wordstone. It could be similar. We know she crosses worlds. Who's to say? We know that the gods and throne of glass use the word gates to travel between realms, so who's to say it's not? But it's also interesting that the word gate, unless it's magic, has been confined. It only transports you within Prythian.

[Christina]

Okay.

[Kim]

Okay.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

Also, which is interesting, the monolith that

[Christina]

they touch, Are there, like, swirls on it? Is there?

[Anna]

So I looked up the word symbols in Akisoff, and it could not attribute it to either. The archway.

[Christina]

What about swirls?

[Anna]

Oh, swirls. I did not look up swirls.

[Christina]

What about whirls and swirls?

[Anna]

Please hold, because I can.

[Christina]

Wow. Okay. But that's great. Really interesting. I love this. I would love to play with this more as we go.

[Anna]

I feel like there has. I don't know. It's. I mean, it's Sarah, right? You know?

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

No swirls.

[Christina]

Damn it.

[Anna]

I know.

[Kim]

That's okay. Don't give up hope.

[Anna]

You guys, what's another word for symbol?

[Christina]

What about a whirl?

[Anna]

A whirl? Oh, no. See, all the symbols are etched into the floor. Floor of the prison.

[Christina]

What do you mean all the symbols?

[Anna]

Any symbols? The word symbol is attributed to the prison.

[Christina]

Oh, okay. Interesting.

[Anna]

Which we've also said could be word marks.

[Kim]

Okay, Christina.

[Christina]

Okay. Oh, my gosh. This is a long time coming. Friends, this Is a fun one. Are the Archeron sisters descended from Theia and therefore are they Starborn Fae? There are so many fun clues to this. This is a very popular theory. There's a lot to dive in here, and I'm not. I'm not even gonna reach it all. But this is just some of our favorites. And we'll go into this more in some ACOTAR 6 episodes. But some fun clues. Yeah. Okay, first of all, back in our last Mastermind, everything I mentioned about the eight pointed star pretty much also works for this theory, so. Especially the quote about how the eight point star stamped on Nesta's heart. Okay. And how it's on Bryce's chest. Being a Starborn Fae. Her eight pointed star.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

Okay.

[Christina]

But this quote in particular is really what gets me here. Bryce says to Nesta, the last thing she says to her is quote, I think that eight pointed star was tattooed on you for a reason. Take that sword and go figure out why that sword being the star sword, ladies and gentlemen, AKA Gwydion Star sword. If that doesn't set up absolute star importance, I don't know what does. Okay.

[Anna]

Right.

[Christina]

Yes. All right. A lot of people also think that this is where Feyre's actual power from the day court is coming from. Anytime we see her like, ooh, glowing because of her day court power, it's actually starborn power. So when she lights, wakes up after having sex with Reese for the first time. And it's described as starlight. Interesting. So this is the quote. Faintly, as if some inner light shone beneath my skin, leaking out into the world. Warm and white light like the sun. Like a star.

[Kim]

Star.

[Christina]

Okay, so star is leaking out of her. Very interesting.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

And then Reese is like, oh, day. And she's like, we guess so. Must be decourt. But there's other things where they're like talking about she's cauldron blessed. And then she's like purest starlight and she lets her glow spread. And it's just like all very, very starlight powery. Okay. There's also a lot of references to Elain's pale skin glowing or starting to glow. And there's a lot of fun parallels and possible plot points. If we think about how Bryce Moanad the land and about how Elain and or Nesta is gonna like resurrect the land of the Duskourt.

[Kim]

Right.

[Christina]

One of them's gotta do it. One of them's gotta do it.

[Kim]

They just gotta.

[Christina]

One of them.

[Anna]

I want those Pegasus.

[Kim]

That's right. We deserve Them.

[Anna]

So someone's got.

[Christina]

Give me the Pegasi.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

So all this to be said, there's a really fun theory that maybe Thea had a third daughter, actually. And that is like the line that is somehow now gone to. The Archerons are somehow a part of that line. A lot of this comes from the. In Greek mythology, Thea had three kids. The Titan. Thea had three children. And one was Helios, obviously Helena. One was Selena. Selene, obviously Selene. And Eos. Another one that we don't know of.

[Anna]

Interesting.

[Christina]

Really. What I go back to is the amount of Witch Watch we've done this season, this little series.

[Anna]

Yes, a lot of Witch Watch.

[Christina]

A lot of Witch Watch. Why could Nesta resist the glamour in Acotar? Why did their mother put Feyre in charge? There's just all of that, plus the quote about the clever Fae warrior and her bloodline is long gone and it traces through the human line. There's just a lot there. And I feel like she's specifically tying in Cece in some way. And we did see Nesta's power be able to hurt the Asteri when she kind of went after Vesperus in CC3. So I think there's something about maybe the Starborn and something there that maybe that's going to like be a culmination of the Daglan. Asteri might be a bad guy somehow. I don't know we're going to see. But I just think this is fun.

[Kim]

I absolutely think that they are descendants.

[Anna]

I would love this.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

Which would be such a fun tie in.

[Christina]

Really fun. I agree. And I think it could have been covered up in fun ways. Because Lalain and Nesta are also Cauldron Maid. That's why they can wield. Or we've only seen Nesta but like wield the Dread Trove Objects, you know? But also it would be because she's Starborn, because we see Bryce also do that in CC3. Another interesting thing here is Truth Teller is also a Star Sword. It's a dagger, but Star Sword. And so Asriel giving it to Elain to use, like maybe that was like. It was calling to her kind of situation, you know? Anyways. Okay. But yes, moving along.

[Kim]

Love that.

[Christina]

Maybe Archeron Starborn Fae. Okay, I love that.

[Kim]

Christina. Okay, Anna, you wanna finish us off?

[Anna]

Okay, so I just have one last thing here, like a tie in to CC3, which I think it's important to note that Sara released CC1 House of Earth and Blood before a Court of Silver Flames. Came out. So we have already set the stage for all of, like, Bryce's world and how the Fae acts there. The drop the ordeals that are Fae have to go through. Like Ruhn. That's how Ruhn ends up with a Star Sword. Right. That was his ordeal. So here's a quote about an ordeal in Crescent City. The ordeal itself varied depending on the person. For some, it might be as simple as overcoming an illness or a bit of personal strife. For others, it might be slaying a worm or a demon. The greater the Fae, the greater the ordeal. So there has been a lot of conversations surrounding Nesta and what her ordeal if she. Because the Fae we know that Bryce stems from are the Fae from Prythian. Right. So if there was going to be an ordeal for some of these Faes. And Acotar is just like a fun thing to talk about. People are like, oh, is it the hike? Was it the stairs? A lot of people think it's the stairs. I actually feel like it was her holding the pass at Analias for her friends.

[Christina]

I like that. Yeah.

[Anna]

Because like it says in cc, the greater the Fae, the greater the ordeal. And I would argue that the greatest ordeal that she goes through in this book, Nesta is defending the the past for her friends. Not just as a warrior and defeating like 12 Illyrian males, but also as a person, as a human. Like saving her friends. That's like a test of character as well.

[Christina]

Yeah. Yeah, exactly. I love that she also refers to

[Anna]

it later as an ordeal.

[Kim]

Oh.

[Anna]

She tells Cassian and Azriel most of the details of her ordeal.

[Christina]

Oh.

[Anna]

Is what she says. And then she continues the sentence. But I just thought it was an interesting choice of words, especially because it came out after CC1.

[Kim]

Ah, yeah, for sure.

[Christina]

Also interesting choice of words that in CC1 they say an ordeal could be battling a worm. W Y R M. Hello, Feyre.

[Kim]

Oh, my God. Yes.

[Anna]

Yep.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

Midgard worm.

[Kim]

Feyre. Oh my God. Crazy.

[Anna]

Yes.

[Christina]

Oh, my gosh.

[Anna]

All right, listeners. Wow. That is our final episode on Mastermind. This was such a journey. We are so glad that you have stuck with us on this. We are.

[Kim]

We're done.

[Anna]

So excited. Excited for what's to come. The rest of this season. We have so many fun things planned, so many new books.

[Christina]

Yes. Yeah, we sure do.

[Anna]

Yeah. Until next time. Cheers and happy reading.

[Kim]

Bye, guys.

[Anna]

Bye.

[Kim]

Bye. 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 please write 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.

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[Christina]

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Yeah, the bird looks out of your league anyways.

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