When Your Enemyaccidentally Compliments You

When your enemy✨accidentally✨ compliments you…😏

Cardan be like:

Rhys, seeing Mor for the first time in 50 years:

-She’s my mate

Mor:

-Nice to see you too, Rhys

When your brother slaughters your entire family…

But your incredibly beautiful mortal ✨enemy✨ is looking for you…

This is one of the best theories I’ve seen about the next acotar book

Koschei the Deathless / The 3 Sisters & The 3 Brothers

This is another theory post, one that somewhat ties into my previous posts about Elain, the Prison being the 8th Court, and the three brothers/three sisters prophecy.

Arguably the biggest hint about the plot of future books lies in “The Death of Koschei the Deathless,” a Russian fairytale that SJM is clearly inspired by (she didn’t even bother changing the name of the villain). This particular fairytale inspired many others that are somewhat similar to it (the magical number three can be found in each one, always in the form of three sisters), but before I continue, let’s look at what happens in the original fairytale:

When the story opens, Ivan and his three sisters are approaching the death of their parents. Ivan is tasked with ensuring that the young women each find a husband. Indeed, suitors come for each woman: Princess Marya weds a youth who transforms into a falcon; Princess Olga marries a youth who transforms into an eagle; and Princess Anna marries a youth who transforms into a raven.

This is one version. Another one:

Russian folklorist Alexander Afanasyev, stated that the eagle, the falcon and the raven (or crow) are connected to weather phenomena, like storm, rain, wind. He also saw a parallel between the avian suitors from the tale Marya Morevna with the suitors from other Slavic folktales, where they are the Sun, the Moon, and the Wind. 

And another one:

In the Eastern European tale of The Story of Argilius and the Flame-King (Zauberhelene) after his sisters are married to the Sun-king, the Wind-king (or Storm-king) and the Moon-king, […]

And another one:

In another Russian variant, “Ivan Tsarevich and Marya Marevna,"  the young Ivan Tsarevich takes his sisters for a walk in the garden, when, suddenly, three whirlwinds capture the ladies. Three years later, the Tsarevich intends to court princess Marya Morevna, when, in his travels, he finds three old men, who reveal themselves as the whirlwinds and assume an avian form (the first a raven, the second an eagle and the third a falcon).

And another one:

A Czech fairy tale, O Slunečníku, Měsíčníku a Větrníku, where the prince’s sisters are married to the Sun, the Moon and the Wind.

And another one:

A Croatian variant titled "The Tsar’s Son and the Víla.” In this tale, the Wind-King, the Sun-King and the Moon-King (in that order) wish to marry the tsar’s daughters.

I could honestly go on and on because almost every single culture/country has its own version of the same fairytale, always involving three sisters/daughters, and their three husbands, who are somehow related (either by them all being birds or having a bird-form, or by them being elements).

Now, let’s look at ACOTAR. We have three sisters (Nesta, Elain, and Feyre) and three men who can fly (a raven, an eagle, and a falcon). Or, we could look at it differently. We have three sisters (Nesta, Elain, and Feyre) and three brothers who are bonded in spirit (the Sun, the Moon, and the Wind).

Does this sound familiar?

Or even:

The matreshka-style measures protecting Koschei’s mortality are, in this case, symbolic representations of the world. The ocean-sea is water, the basin for life; the island is the soil that nurtures it; the oak tree is life itself; the animals are subsistence for the living; and the chest contains natural resources, the most precious one being the egg. 

Fun fact: Koschei is derived from the Slavic word for bone (kostka).

Another fun fact: According to legend, Koschei’s mortality is contained in a needle that’s placed somewhere highly inconvenient and very far. But, finding and breaking it is the only way to destroy him. It’s hidden in an egg, inside a duck, inside a hare that’s inside a chest; the chest is buried under the roots of an oak tree, which grows on the invisible island of Buyan, at an undisclosed location in the middle of the ocean-sea.

What does this remind us of?

Which brings me back to the original fairytale: 

Ivan had three sisters. After his parents die and his sisters marry three wizards, he leaves his home in search of his sisters. He meets Marya Morevna, the beautiful warrior princess, and marries her. After a while she announces she is going to go to war and tells Ivan not to open the door of the dungeon in the castle they live in while she will be away. Overcome by the desire to know what the dungeon holds, he opens the door soon after her departure and finds Koschei, chained and emaciated. Koschei asks Ivan to bring him some water; Ivan does so. After Koschei drinks twelve buckets of water, his magic powers return to him, he tears his chains and disappears. Soon after Ivan finds out that Koschei took Marya Morevna away, and chases him. When he gets him for the first time, Koschei tells Ivan to let him go, but Ivan doesn’t give in, and Koschei kills him, puts his remains into a barrel and throws it into the sea. Ivan is revived by his sisters’ husbands, powerful wizards, who can transform into birds of prey. They tell him Koschei has a magic horse and Ivan should go to Baba Yaga to get one too, or else he won’t be able to defeat Koschei. After Ivan stands Yaga’s tests and gets the horse, he fights with Koschei, kills him and burns his body. Marya Morevna returns to Ivan, and they celebrate his victory with his sisters and their husbands.

My question is this: What if we are looking at this wrong? What if this is not what is to come, but a version of what happened when Koschei was imprisoned by the female Fae warrior (Marya Morevna)? This is what we know about the female warrior from the Bone Carver:

Which brings me to Vassa. At first, I thought that maybe the bloodline runs through the Archeron family, but what if it runs through Vassa’s?

So why did Koschei want Vassa, specifically? Is it because the female fae’s bloodline runs through her veins? Could it be because she might be the key—or at least part of the key—that will free him from his lake?

Let’s look at this differently. So far, we have:

Koschei

Marya Morevna (Vassa)

Ivan (Lucien? Jurian? Both?)

Three sisters (Nesta, Elain, Feyre)

Three males who have “bird-form” (Rhys, Cassian, Azriel)

All the players of the original fairytale, coming together again. What if it really is a prophecy? What if this is not a coincidence? What if the Cauldron, as Azriel said, WAS wrong, but was wrong on purpose? To prevent a prophecy from coming true, one that could free Koschei from his prison and unleash him upon the world?

I could go on and on with this post (and I might make another one that involves Elain and how she is directly involved in all of this), but until then, think about it. Three sisters and three brothers might not be as cliché/ridiculous/far-fetched as you might think.

“The Cauldron chose three sisters. Tell me how it’s possible that my two brothers are with two of those sisters, yet the third was given to another.”

“All three sisters were now High Fae with considerable powers, though only Feyre’s were let loose.”

“All three sisters blessed by fate and gifted with powers to match your own.”

I definitely think there’s going to be a parallel for the “You came for me” scene. But this time Elain is going to be the one saving Az and he’s going to say that with a shocked face. Idk SJM seems to love making these sort of parallels (She did some with feysand too)

Why Elriel is most definitely a Sleeping Beauty Retelling!

Since this was brought up a few days ago I cannot get the idea out my head that Sarah is basing Elriel’s story on Sleeping Beauty, and now we know she hid crumbs in her other books, alongside a quick browse of her pinterest boards it seems more and more likely! Especially since she loves her retellings.

A daughter was born, and they called her Aurora. Yes, they named her after the dawn for she filled their lives with sunshine. 

Listen well, all of you. The princess shall indeed grow in grace and beauty, beloved by all who know her. She’ll walk in springtime wherever she goes!

There are so many parallels between Elain and Aurora, they are both beloved by all, kind creatures who thrive in springtime. Aurora is named for after the dawn because she filled their lives with sunshine, A) tell me this isn’t Elain and B) the meaning of her name;

Elaine as a girl’s name is of Greek origin meaning “sun ray or shining light”.

Yet another parallel is Aurora believing they still treat her as a child, who does that remind you of?

Oh, dear. Why do they still treat me like a child? 

Even if love is full of thorns, I’d still embrace it. I know that in between those thorns there is a rose worth all the pain.

Could this be any more spot on? We have spoken extensively about Elains, not only willingness to get her hands dirty but the pleasure she derives from creating something beautiful from her labour. If this isn’t a metaphor for Azriel and their future situation I don’t know what is… 

This is very important, it keeps getting brought back up in text to show us Elain is going to fight through the bad to get to what she wants. Her hands might bruise and bloody in the process but she will to do it to enjoy the fruits of her labour.

Which leads me to why even further than a Sleeping Beauty retelling I think it will be Elain saving Azriel and breaking a curse/spell. Let us look to SJM’s pinterest board shall we!

These are just a few of the SB reminiscent pins she has saved, one of the more recent ones in the bottom right. Notice it is the girl saving the man, tell me you do not get immediate Elriel vibes from that, the roses, the colours.

There also seems to be a lot of cursed/chained art too, I definitely think something is going to happen to Azriel that Elain has to save him from, my best guess would be Koschei. 

Elain’s story thus far has heavily emphasised on choice, as we have seen through her interactions with Lucien and their bond overall, hence why I think it will be her making the choice to save him rather than him coming for her.

He has already saved her, it is time for her to shine. It would also grant her the opportunity to explore her own agency, and not what is expected of her.

 A ray of hope there still may be in this, the gift I give to thee. Not in death, but just in sleep, the fateful prophecy you’ll keep, and from this slumber you shall wake, when true love’s kiss, the spell shall break.

I think that it is interesting considering she is a seer, that Sleeping Beauty has so many references to visions, fate and so on, after the Azriel POV where we are shown he clearly believes it is fate that three sisters would all fall for three bothers.

Almost like it is… Fate. 

This will be the ultimate moment where Elain gets to decide her future and potentially follow her own fate. Not to mention we know the Cauldron loves Elain and gifted her with her abilities, could this be another tie-in, gifting her the ability to wake/heal Azriel? 

But see the gracious whim of fate - why, ‘tis the self-same peasant maid, who won the heart of our noble prince but yesterday. She is indeed, most wondrous fair, gold of sunshine in her hair, Lips that shame the red rose, in ageless sleep, she finds repose. The years roll by, but a hundred years to a steadfast heart, are but a day. And now, the gates of a dungeon part, and our prince is free to go his way. Off he rides, on his noble steed, a valiant figure, straight and tall! To wake his love, with love’s first kiss, and prove that true love conquers all! 

Love’s first kiss? Could this be why she didn’t allow them to kiss in the hallway… Anything is possible but the parallels are certainly interesting at this point you can’t deny! 

Also here are a few more little crumbs she could have been planting through the series, the colours we most see Elain in are pinks and blues and the most run along joke through the movie is her dress being changed from one colour to the other… Nothing major but certainly interesting.

These were by no means the only references to her wearing those colours I am just trying to be brief. 

Not to mention Roses really took a bigger role in ACOSF in regards to associating them with Elain, while she certainly had past references to them before but adding in her fathers gifts and Azriels gift both being roses. Hmmmmmmm.

There was a few more little things but I would love to hear everyone else’s thoughts!!!! If not SB what retelling would you think? I am a die hard Hades/Persephone fan so I am sad that is already been done because LBR they are perfect for it hahah

*The Grim Reaper, visiting Feyre and wondering if she’ll die this time*

Feyre: