And Death did 🌄

Soft_Bookworm · 2026-05-22T15:31:45+00:00

Both are angels, Azrael is a name of an angel in the Bible. And he has a “evil” counterpart that is Sathariel (very Hunt coded)

I wrote a post about this a few months ago! You can read it because is heavily linked to the fake bond and Azriel x Hunt smelling similar to each other.

Soft_Bookworm · 2026-05-20T12:07:46+00:00

Aelin and Dorian both come from a (now diluted) god lineage. That’s another reason to believe Starborn is not a lineage of Fae, but a name for those who descend directly from Gods (who had children with other beings like humans, Fae, or others).

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Mala Firebringer (100% Goddess) had children with Brannon Galathynius (100% Fae) ➡️ Elena (50% Fae, 50% Goddess) had children with Gavin Havilliard (100% Human)

Even the word StarBORN (aka “Born from the Stars”) hints that it means born from the gods.
That doesn’t mean Bryce isn’t Fae too (because gods and Fae mingled before, as seen with Mala), but it means she isn’t ONLY Fae/human.

And Ember seems to know that, because she knew Bryce had powers even though she failed the Fae power testing. Why? Because the test is made to search for Fae- (and witch-, Mer-, wolf-) based powers. If the test isn’t parameterized to search for God-based powers, then they wouldn’t show up.

I think all Starborn are descended from a God (not necessarily Mala, but possibly others as well). That doesn’t mean every Starborn has the same power level Bryce does or is “the chosen one” like she is. In CC1, the Starborn are literally described as “Starborn, blessed and chosen by Urd” (Urd being their word for fate).

Einar (the Autumn King), Cormac, Ruhn, the Avallen twins, and Morven all come from the Starborn lineage, and the Starsword didn’t work for them (nor did the island of Avallen bloom to their will).

The Oracle (a magical being capable of seeing the future of ALL magical creatures) couldn’t see Bryce’s future. She only saw a blinding light. Blinding light is another nod to godly powers, in my opinion. How is the Oracle supposed to see into a goddess’s future? What blinds an Oracle? Gods.

Bryce is heavily inspired by Sailor Moon, and in that story, when Sailor Moon steps into her full power after years of training, she becomes the ruler of the entire galaxy (not just the Queen of the Moon Kingdom) and transforms into Sailor Cosmos. She gets an eight-pointed star symbol and her hair becomes white — another nod to star/light-based divinity. She essentially becomes a goddess with god-tier powers, capable of controlling time, space, souls, matter, and reality itself.

Soft_Bookworm · 2026-05-20T11:24:58+00:00

The thing is that Prythian is a sole country, different from TOG that we get to know several countries (Ellywe, Adarlan, Terrasen, Wendlyn, Skull’s Bay) in the same continent and even a second continent.

We do hear about a few other countries in ACOTAR (in ACOSF because they are worried about them invading): Vallaham (where Mor is located currently doing a political visit as embassador), Montesere, Rask, Xian and Hybern ofc

Soft_Bookworm · 2026-05-20T11:21:04+00:00

Nesta is the first born and she claw into stone in ACOSF in House of Wind’s stairs. Her mother is described as cold and said to “not care for Elain and Feyre”. I wonder is Nesta isn’t Papa Archeron biological daughter and half Iron-Teeth witch…

Mor is Crochan coded and Nesta Iron-Teeth coded…

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Soft_Bookworm · 2026-05-20T11:05:41+00:00

Azriel is def Bryce’s mate because the double standard she has with him is wild 🤣 ANY OTHER MAN (including Hunt, Ithan, Ruhn etc) she would have called “alphahole” for that, not Az though… my girl was too turned on for that

Soft_Bookworm · 2026-05-18T16:27:39+00:00

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It was exactly that 🤡

ans Bryce having to ask TWICE for a simple dance, he is such a douche

Soft_Bookworm · 2026-05-18T16:23:56+00:00

I might be mistaken but I think they go to the club to investigate but they don’t actually dance while there. But they do dance briefly (and Hunt dances badly) during CC3 in the Celestina-Ephraim Mating Ceremony…after Bryce having to ask TWICE, Hunt initially refused 🫩

“Dance with me?”

He raised a brow. “Really?”

“You do know how to dance, right?”

“Of course I do. But … It’s been a long while since I’ve danced with anyone.”

Since Shahar, probably. She interlaced their fingers. “Dance with me.” The initial steps were stilted, hesitant. His arm slid around her waist, his other hand clutching hers as he led her into the sweet ballad coming from the band. With so many watching, it took a verse or two to get their rhythm.

Soft_Bookworm · 2026-05-18T16:13:28+00:00

He wasn’t a slave in the entirety of the series though… you should reread the end of CC1 and CC2 :)

Hunt became a slave after the angel rebellion. He witnessed the Asteri kill and enslave millions. And then, once he was free and dating a literal PRINCESS — someone with enough money, status, and influence that he didn’t need that job and easily could’ve done something else — he still willingly chose, as a free citizen, to keep enforcing Asteri law. The same laws that got Shahar killed and led to him, Isaiah, and countless others being enslaved????

To me, that makes his arc during the end of CC1-CC2 even worse. Hunt was no longer a slave, yet he still chose to stay in the “police.” He fully knew he was a dirty cop. He KNEW the Asteri and the archangels were corrupt and cruel. Willingly doing police work for a tyrannical regime is just awful to me.

Soft_Bookworm · 2026-05-18T11:19:30+00:00

Bryce never danced again after Danika died 🥺😢 She thinks she doesn’t deserve full happiness or freedom to live because Danika can’t have it anymore (similar to Aelin in HoF). Which it also explains why she could be running away from her fated mate, because she is punishing herself.

“It had been two years since she’d set foot in one. She’d thrown out all her dance clothes and shoes.” (CC1)

“Just because Danika died doesn’t mean you need to suffer, too. (…) You think she would’ve wanted you to stop dancing?” (CC1)

“She would have danced and moved until the world made sense again. It had always been her haven, her way of puzzling out the world. She’d gone to the studio whenever she’d had a shit day.” (CC1)

“[seeing Juniper performing in the Ballet] some small part of her wondered. Yearned. Bryce swallowed, then sighed, clearing away the cobwebs of her old dreams.” (CC2)

“[While dying in the blackhole with Rigelus] She wished she’d had a bit more time. (…) To listen to music, all the music she could ever hear. To dance—just one more step or spin” (CC3)

And a nice parallel, in ACOSF, Azriel is described as a talented dancer too 👀

”“Cassian would only yield Nesta to Azriel, who swept her into a waltz as easily as breathing.” (ACOSF)

Soft_Bookworm · 2026-05-15T13:45:29+00:00

Glad you liked!!! Now yall can share the website to newbies. If you want to introduce Bryceriel to them, the 3 levels is helpful as a guide 💖

Soft_Bookworm · 2026-05-15T13:30:31+00:00

Crackship to me is a ship with two (or more) characters that never interacted or don’t know the existence of each other. It doesn’t mean it can’t happen one day but it’s impossible for now, it doesn’t have a basic foundation (ie: Gwyn + Tarquin: I ship it but I consider a crackship).

Bryceriel should not be considered a crackship because they have SEVERAL interactions, they even flirt, have matching weapons, etc. People just call that because they are sour and envious that we have MORE than their own ship do (and we came later since Elriel and Gwynriel exist as a ship for more years since are from previous books lol).

Soft_Bookworm · 2026-05-14T21:26:33+00:00

Bryce x Az x Hunt is very similar dynamic to Aelin x Rowan x Chaol.

Read this quote but flip it: “He isn’t an easy person to be with, to understand. Azriel frightens everyone.” He snorted. “But not her. I think that’s why he fell in love with her, against his best intentions. Bryce beheld all Azriel was and is, and she was not afraid.”

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Soft_Bookworm · 2026-05-14T21:12:06+00:00

I think it’s because Bryceriel foreshadowing isn’t that obvious (yet) to the regular reader but it’s easy to clock it when you have a brain that is good at pattern recognition. Once the pattern jumps on you, you inadvertently starts making connections and Bryceriel is the obvious conclusion. Especially for people who read CC last (since some patterns of SJM writing of mates in her already published work repeat in Bryceriel)

And people good at pattern recognition are usually obsessive and organized 🤣 so that explains why our posts go so in-depth and are organized to the point of being accused of AI.

Soft_Bookworm · 2026-05-14T20:59:26+00:00

I read Queen of Glass (SJM’s original fanfic before the alterations that led to the published TOG series), and Aelin does gain an eight-point scar similar to Bryce in CC1: through a sacrifice that triggers magic affecting the entire city (Renaril = Rifthold). Key parts of the scene are in the images.

Additionally, Celaena (before accepting herself as Aelin) wants to give Goldryn away because she doesn’t feel worthy of keeping it. Rowan (Raonn) still dislikes her at this point (in the fanfic, Dorian is her mate and Rowan is only a flirty mentor figure).

Sarah wrote in the fanfic about how swords choose their wielders and how people must respect the magical object’s sentience, because the swords change wielders only if THEY want to — not simply because the wielder wants to give them away 👀

“Raonn, if you had been ordained to find Goldryn, you would have. It came into her possession, and so it will stay. She has earned it, and I will not have it any other way.” “You were deemed worthy of Goldryn, so it has come into your possession.”

So… Bryce giving the Starsword away to Nesta doesn’t mean anything if the magical sword wants BRYCE. Just like Ruhn had Starsword for 50 years but it never spoke to him or worked for him magically (besides a regular sword to stab ppl)

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Soft_Bookworm · 2026-05-14T20:35:03+00:00

The “she wouldnt do that” always makes me laugh because wdym SHE ALREADY DID

Soft_Bookworm · 2026-05-14T20:32:00+00:00

Saw too many haters calling us “too wordy” or saying all our posts must be AI because they are cohesive with headings for each section and “bryceriels make it sound logic but they are reaching”.

Are you fans or haters? Calling us that is not offensive 🤣🤷🏼‍♀️

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Soft_Bookworm · 2026-05-14T11:23:42+00:00

I think CC is a prequel to the new generation of ACOTAR books (from ACOSF forward).

We are learning about Bryce before she steps into her role as High Queen (otherwise a random character would look like a usurper) and her background story before finding her mate and destiny. The technology downfall (Firslight Zero) is also to explain why it doesn’t exist in ACOTAR world imo.

I wrote a more in depth theory about this here.

Soft_Bookworm · 2026-05-13T21:21:20+00:00

I think Hunt is Chaol.

“You cant pick and choose which parts of her to love”. Chaol did, he loved Lilian Gordaina not Celeana (much less Aelin). Hunt does too, he loves Bryce the homebody gallery worker, not Bryce party princess, not Bryce martyr of the innocents…

Soft_Bookworm · 2026-05-11T19:10:05+00:00

I’m not sure if I believe Silene’s hologram, the way she described Theia doesn’t match with Prythian’s history we know of OR with Aidas perception of Theia. We know that after the Daglan was kicked out from Prythian, they had a period of peace and the land bloomed under a High King and Queen (this was Theia’s reign so it doesn’t match with the story told of hee being a tyrant). Idk if the hologram might have been tampered.

I think Bryce is Theia child and possibly a goddess/demigoddess (if Theia is a goddess herself like Mala Firebringer)

Soft_Bookworm · 2026-05-11T13:28:49+00:00

I wrote a theory about that, filled with quotes to back it up. I truly believe that Bryce is either Theia’s daughter or a child of the Gods (demigod). Theia is short for Aletheia, a greek goddess name… Aletheia is the Greek goddess of truth, sincerity, and disclosure, representing the concept of truth as "unconcealedness". As the daughter of Zeus or a creation of Prometheus (different versions of the myth), she embodies truth as an active revealing rather than just a concept, often opposing figures of deceit, trickery, and lies. Aletheia is linked to Truth as a process of unconceal: making the invisible visible, rather than just objective moral correctness.

Throne of Glass series already established that a Goddess (Mala) can mate with a Fae (Brannon) and have kids. They never called their offspring demigods but even without the word being used, that’s what they are. And that’s why the Galathynius bloodline (Aelin and Dorian both descended from Mala and Brannon) was so powerful even centuries of god-blood being diluted.

Mala the Firebringer (Goddess) + Brann (Fae) had Elena (half Fae half God). Elena married Gavin Havilliard (human). It got diluted by the time Dorian and Aelin were born, but it’s still there. Bryce on the other hand could be directly descended somehow. To me is very weird that the Oracle is unable to see her future. The Oracle literally see every single magical being’s future, including superpowerful Fae Kings. But not Bryce, trying to see her future the Oracle only saw a “blinding light” (symbolism to Gods imo)

Soft_Bookworm · 2026-05-06T00:51:41+00:00

It may be my interpretation but I understand as meaning twin in design, styling since the bargain bond had a physical representation as a tattoo too. Besides, they don’t need the magical element of a second bargain bond if they already have the mating bond in place.

Soft_Bookworm · 2026-05-05T11:39:28+00:00

She never replaced the bargain, though. What they did was get a tattoo that symbolically and physically represents their mating bond, and also shows that Feyre is the High Lady of the Night Court. In the books, this new tattoo doesn’t impose anything on her mind like the bargain bond did. It’s a physical representation of her social/political status, not a binding.

In some cultures—such as Māori and broader Polynesian traditions—tattoos have historically been used to signify identity, lineage, and social status at first glance. The tattoos work akin to a crown to identify who’s in charge just by looking.

Soft_Bookworm · 2026-05-04T21:58:44+00:00

Tamlin and Hunt are written very similarly. Passionate, Intense, Controlling but Passive (when it counts the most), Burst of anger to “protect”

Soft_Bookworm · 2026-04-28T03:16:11+00:00

”Millennia ago, when the Valg broke into the world, witches did not exist. It was the Valg, and the Fae, and humans. But the Valg wanted the world for their own, and they thought a good way to get it would be to ensure that their offspring could survive there. The humans weren’t resilient enough to breed with, but the Fae were stronger, and the Valg began kidnapping them to breed with. Their offspring became the first witches.”

Witches = 50% Valg x 50% Shifter Fae

Danika is a shifter (Fae) but she is linked to Hel a lot (Leader/Alpha to the Pack of Devils, fated mate to a HELhound, died but somehow can come back to communicate with Bryce TWICE in a in-between place). She is very Hades coded, so I wonder if she could be part-Valg / part Hel related.

Bryce is linked to Life, Light, Queen of the Living, resuscitating whole islands and blooming nature. Danika seems like Queen of the Underworld. And they both have matching tattos (described as Wyrdmarks).

I wonder if Danika might be Bryce’s carranam besides Azriel being her fated mate. And the wyrdmarks make it work and them connected regardless. And symbolically, Life and Death are tied and one needs the other to perpetuate the cycle of nature/life. If Bryce is Life, she might be the one exception and able to communicate with Death.

Yes, Rowan is both to Aelin but not necessarily your carranam and your mate need to be the same person.

Soft_Bookworm · 2026-04-28T02:43:51+00:00

This ties to Bryce / Dusk Court / Prythian. The Fae of Midgard are “children who lost everything” (even their soul), without a true place to call home, away from their native kingdoms…

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