Rough Sjm Interview Recap:

✨ some of MY OPINIONS on HOSAB ✨

SPOILERS AHEAD

• First of all, there’s just WAYYY too much going on. It felt a little too ambitious at times. too many plots, subplots and characters

• Bryce isn’t particularly likeable to me, she feels arrogant, selfish and refuses to take criticism or advice from others even when it’s valid. It’s her way or the high way. She’ll decide to do something and nothing anyone else says will sway her opinion, even when it’s clear to others and to the reader it’s a bad decision

• The others thinking Bryce could rule the fae at this point doesn’t make sense. She has no royal or strategic training, doesn’t think plans through, makes decisions mainly based on what she wants and the only moments I could see her fully taking charge was when the others compared her to her father. Someone who she claims she’s nothing alike/ wants nothing to do with yet uses his name and position to get her way, and cry’s ignorance once she has to deal with the consequences for her actions. She could get there someday, but I don’t think she’s ready for that comparison yet

• Cormac was a completely wasted character, he had so much potential and was just used by the others at every turn yet none of them really helped him. Bryce in particular messed him over

• Ruhn had the most growth in this book. He felt the most rounded out as the book progressed and his character was very endearing

• The Hind has become one of the most interesting characters now. No questions please.

• Bryce had no right hiding Emile from Cormac. That decision in the longterm is probably the right decision but Cormac, as Sofie’s partner, as someone Sofie died entrusting Emile to his care, had every right to at least meet with him once to check on him, tell him stories of Sofie and make sure he’d be cared and loved for before they took him away

• Danika began to feel like a tool to progress the plot or reveal information. It became almost a running joke for me while reading. The constant reveals about her past felt very heavy handed and it made it seem like Danika and Bryce where only surface level friends. They clearly loved each-other, but what did Bryce really know about her that others didn’t?!

• Ithan being in love with Bryce was a useless plot point. It didn’t need to happen, it has no impact on the story at all other than to make us and some characters feel sorry for him. He has so many other interesting plot points and characteristics and I think it would have been much more interesting to focus on his feelings of isolation after being cut off from the pack, and his brothers death, than it did for him to keep feeling bad about being in love with Bryce. Them having a more sibling esc relationship like they did in the first book makes much more sense

• A lot of the villains felt like the same person with a different appearance. Like okay it’s a war, there’s going to be bad people, but a lot of them, mostly the triarii, felt like Maas said ‘copy and paste’.

• I can’t even begin to describe my frustration with Tharion’s character. He was good for comic relief and I like him, but he had many outs he could have taken to leave the Blue court earlier, but ended up putting himself in an arguably worse of situation by the end of the book. His excuse of not wanting to leave his parents ended up being useless because he did it anyway

• Otters in vests… otters in vests!

• I did like how Maas showed the fanaticism on both sides of the war. With the humans and Vanir. It showed how at this point, there’d be no winners to the war and that everyone would loose either way

• The relationship between Bryce and Hunt felt unbalanced to me. It felt as though Hunt was constantly sacrificing, giving up and ignoring his own feelings and thoughts about things to go along with what Bryce wanted and what she decided was the right thing to do. Bryce didn’t seem to really take his advice or opinion into consideration when making plans, and I felt like there was a distance between them because of this. Again, they clearly love each other. But a lot of things Hunt said to her, concerns he bought up, went ignored. And him having self doubt when Bryce went behind his back to arrange the Emile situation, really hurt, because eventually he would have come around and wanted to help her but instead he felt ostracised.

• The constant calling men ‘Alphaholes’ when they voiced their opinion, acted a little defensive of those they cared about or said anything against the female opinion felt like forced feminism. It really said gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss.

• Based on the cliffhangers I’m nervous with the direction Maas’ work is going to take. I love her books sm but if she try’s to bring even more characters/ plots into Crescent City’s, I think it’ll become to much/ too overwhelming. And there’ll begin to be more plots left unfinished or bought to unsatisfying conclusions.

i have many more opinions these are just some of the main things i had issue with, it does feel a bit like a fu to Bryce, but I really had issues with her in this book :(

House of Sky and Breath

First read freak out

*heavy spoilers*

Ruhn&Lidia obvious mate stuff right there

Day/Lidia stuff? Called it from the moment she stepped foot inside that bar and he described her as the most beautiful woman blablabla

Ruhn's form was Rhys-like

"Day's" was Aelin-like

Not in a weird way tho, didn't feel like Rhys and Aelin, just the presentation of powers had similarities

Viper Queen might be Valg, or something close to it

Tharion is now blood sworn to that creature, that'll come back to bite his ass

Urd sounds very close to Wyrd

Cthona & Mother & Three Faced Godess???

Luna and Nesta?? The fae queens in TOG???

I need answers, my mind is going everywhere

I SWEAR TO FUCKING GOD AMREN

The way she presented her "true form" in acowar resembles firstlights descriptions

Hunt as a slave again and possibly/probably Ruhn and Baxiam too is a fucking crime

Can't wait to see his full powers unleashed, there's been a lot of buildup

THE FACT THAT THE ASTERI DUMBASS SAID THAT THE STAR ON BRYCE'S CHEST IS A BEACON AND IT TOOK HER RIGHT TO VELARIS MY FUCKING GOD

Rhys looking like Ruhn holy fucking shit that's all the conformation i fucking NEEDED cause I've been picturing them alike

FURY LOOKS LIKE AMREN WHAT THE FUCK i don't know which of them that explains better but it makes perfect sense

I look forward to finding out EXACTLY how Amren relates to the Asteri because holy fucking shit HER DESCRIPTIONS OF HER LIFE BEFORE AND THE WAY THE ASTERI GO AROUND AND THE VALG KINGS holy shit are they the masters/king idfk she mentioned?! Are the Asteri Valg? HOLY HEL

I'm freaking out; i screamed the moment Az showed up and haven't calmed dow yet

TRUTH TELLER AND STARSWORD AAAAAAH I THOUGHT I WAS FUCKING CRAZY WHEN I SAW THE COLOR SIMILARITY I THOUGHT THE OTHER KNIFE WOULD BE SOMEWHERE ELSE holy fucking shit the fucking Horn MY GOD THE STARSWORD IS LITERALLY GWYDION FUUUUUUUCK

Bryce and Nesta teaming up oh gods the stars they both bear

AZ TAKING BRYCE TO THE TOWN FUCKING HOUSE SMELLING LIKE FLOWERS AND BREAD?!?!?!?! HELLO??????!!!!doesn't confirm stuff but still

I need to sleep

It makes perfect sense to set cross world enemies as an excuse to make the characters themselves cross said worlds

Are Erawan's siblings coming to play? Is this what's going to bring TOG into it? Being a world that successfully banished/killed Valg?

I get it now why she hasn't said much about the next acotar book

I swear to god, this wait will be the death of me

Now I'm wondering where the hell Sarah's going to continue this on; is the next acotar going to continue this arc? Are we waiting for the next cc? A Tower of Down type book? IS AELIN COMING TO THE FUCKING PARTY?

Edit: ok sjm said cc3 is coming before acotar5 and i dont know what to think, i need them both and can't function this is going to be a long ass wait

Aelin: *yeets herself across realms*

Rhys: Guys I saw this strange girl fall from the sky—

Everyone: LOL sure Rhys

Bryce: *Literally falls from the sky*

Rhys:

I’m re reading throne of glass and honestly we don’t talk about Nox Owen enough

My hands curl into fists, my fangs explode in my mouth, and though there were a million other ways I was hoping to break my newfound knowledge to Grace, the words come out before I can even think about stopping them.

“Jaxon, if you wouldn’t mind, take your fucking hands off my mate.”

I KNEW IT I KNEW IT I KNEW IT!

Lidia's story about a witch

Once upon a time, before Luna hunted the heavens and Solas warmed Cthona’s body, before Ogenas blanketed Midgard with water and Urd twined our fates together, there lived a young witch in a cottage deep in the woods. She was beautiful, and kind, and beloved by her mother. Her mother had done her best to raise her, with her only companions being the denizens of the forest itself: birds and beasts and the babbling brooks.

She grew older, strong and proud. But a wandering prince passed by her clearing one day when her mother was gone, beheld her beauty, and wanted her desperately to be his bride.

She had no interest in princes, or in ruling a kingdom, or in any of the jewels he offered. What she wanted was a true heart to love her, to run wild with her through the forest. But the prince would not be denied. He chased her through the wood, his hounds following.

As she ran, she pleaded with the forest she loved so dearly to help her. So it did. First, it transformed her into a deer, so she might be as swift as the wind. But his hounds outraced her, closing in swiftly. Then the forest turned her into a fish, and she fled down one of the mountain streams. But he built a weir at its base to trap her. So she became a bird, a hawk, and soared for the skies. But the prince was a skilled archer, and he fired one of his iron-tipped arrows.

It struck her breast, and where her blood fell, olive trees sprouted. As her body hit the earth, the forest transformed her one last time…

The forest turned the witch into a monster before she hit the earth. A beast of claws and fangs and bloodlust. She ripped the prince and hounds who pursued her into shreds.

She remained a monster for a hundred years, roaming the forest, killing all who drew near. A hundred years, so long that she forgot she had once been a witch, had once possessed a home and a forest she loved.

But one day, a warrior arrived in the forest. He’d heard of the monster so vicious none could kill it and live. She set out to slaughter him, but when the warrior beheld her, he was not afraid. He stared at her, and she at him, and he wept because he didn’t see a thing of nightmares, but a creature of beauty. He saw her, and he was not afraid of her, and he loved her. His love transformed her back into a witch, melting away all that she’d become. They dwelled in peace in the forest for the rest of their immortal lives.

-Lidia Cervos

I’m re reading throne of glass and honestly we don’t talk about Nox Owen enough

Kingdom of Ash/House of Sky and breath spoilers:

•

HOSAB SPOILERS

I'm definitely biased, because she's my favorite character, but after rereading House of Sky and Breath, I think that Hypaxia Enador, queen of the Valbaran witches, is going to have a big role to play in CC3.

First, aside from Aidas and maybe Jesiba, Hypaxia is the only character who can provide insight on what life was like before the Asteri, including what used to happen to the dead:

"Your tutors predate the Asteri's arrival?" Hypaxia narrowed her eyes in warning for Bryce to keep her voice down. "Yes. They were already long dead when the Northern Rift opened." "They remember a time before the Asteri -- when Parthos still stood?" Bryce ventured. "Yes. One of my tutors, Palania, taught mathematics and science at its academy. She was born in the city surrounding it, and died there, too. So did generations of her family." "The Asteri don't like people talking about these things. That humans accomplished so much before their arrival." "They are classic conquerers." Hypaxia gazed toward the Bone Quarter. "They have conquered even death in this world. Spirits that once rested peacefully are now herded into these...zones." (HOSAB, 599)

Hypaxia has lived in isolation and relative freedom, and so she's only had to gain kinds of information. Like many of the characters in Crescent City, she has not been forced to choose between close allegiance to the Asteri and the Ophion rebels. This means that while she can gain certain information, or potentially offer it, she hasn't yet had the opportunity.

Throughout House of Sky and Breath, Ruhn and Bryce both wonder if Hypaxia might be a rebel. Bryce even envisions her as a potential force against the Asteri in the event of her own death (778).

Though she's stood up to the Asteri, particularly when she removes Hunt's tattoo, we have no evidence that Hypaxia is currently a rebel (even if I'm personally hoping that's the case). In fact, given her position with her coven, and her relationship with Celestina, it's likely that Hypaxia has chosen to go along with the current way of things in exchange for relative peace and comfort.

However, I suspect that this will change in CC3 for three reasons:

Hypaxia is likely going to find out that Celestina betrayed Hunt, leading to his enslavement. She is too aware, in my opinion, to continue to choose her relationship over a status quo that actively harms her friends. This is going to be a compelling emotional arc that forces Hypaxia to navigate between love and duty and dreams. Also, I am ready for a sapphic romance between two women of color -- SJM, it's about time, so please make this great.

The Asteri are likely going to be shoring up their allegiances, which will lead Hypaxia to a show-down with her coven, who want a closer alliance with the Asteri (599). Now that she knows even more about the cost of the Asteri's rule, and its impact on her personally, it is likelier than ever that Hypaxia will move against them.

The dead are going to have a big role to play in the next book, as a source of wisdom and potentially as an army. As of now, Hypaxia is the only person we know who can contact them. (Sidenote: I know that Nesta has the Mask that can raise the dead, but since there's a character in Crescent City who can do it, I'm assuming that Hypaxia will be more involved in this series.)

Now, we know that necromancers are highly regulated (456), and Hypaxia has more reasons than most, like care for her peoples' lives, to stay inside of those regulations. But the Asteri clearly have some concerns about these powers.

Because, let's not forget this key point: Enadors, including Hypaxia, can raise the dead (568). We know that Bryce and company need armies. What if Hypaxia is able to raise the people of Parthos to come to her aid? What if she was able to provide an army greater than what even her fellow witches could provide?

I suspect that these developments will make Hypaxia, with her self-assurance and her quiet courage and her deep knowledge, into a central figure in the growing rebellion in Midgard. I think that they draw her into a closer orbit with Lidia, and to the restoration of their world.

But if for whatever reason, Hypaxia instead follows a path similar to Celestina's, choosing love and comfort over the larger cause, this is also a fascinating story. I think the latter option is unlikely based on what's been set up so far, not to mention the fact that this arc is too similar to Celestina's, but I do think it's worth noting that either path is compelling. This is a signal that a character has a lot of potential.

We haven't seen a lot of Hypaxia in Crescent City, and I wonder if this is because she's already so uniquely self-assured and competent that she would steal the show. However, I think SJM has been quietly setting up her story, giving her emotional stakes, important choices, and key powers that will put the witch-queen in the center of the action in CC3. I, for one, absolutely cannot wait.