Romantasy
12 Burning Questions We Need Answered About ‘ACOTAR’ Book 6
It has been four, count ’em, four years since A Court of Silver Flames was published. That’s an entire presidential term since we’ve had a full book of Prythian adventures. So, obviously, the top burning question for this article is when will the sixth book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series be released? The short answer is we don’t know yet, but Swooon is collecting all of the news surrounding the book..
While we wait for Sarah J. Maas to finish writing the book and get an official release date, we are thinking of all the loose threads left from Silver Flames and what we need to know in the next book. Here are the most pressing questions we hope Maas answers with the upcoming novel, especially if this ends up being the last in the series.
1. Who is ACOTAR 6 about?
Outside of when the book is coming, the biggest question is who will be the star of the next ACOTAR book? Logically, Elain should be the female main character since she is the last Archeron sister to get a book for herself. Even if we assume that Elain is the FMC, that doesn’t confirm who will be the male perspective. It could be her mate, Lucien, whom she rejected in A Court of Wings and Ruin. Lucien and Elain clearly aren’t endgame, but he is her mate, so does that make him that automatic choice? The other potential candidate is Azriel, the only bat boy without a book yet. He’s been harboring feelings for Elain since she emerged from the cauldron in A Court of Mist and Fury, but a bonus chapter at the end of Silver Flames revealed that he may not be Elain’s endgame either.
Maas could throw everyone a curveball and not center the book on Elain at all. This could be Mor’s time to shine. However, the only way that is acceptable is if Eris is the male perspective, and we get some answers about their botched betrothal (more on that later).
2. What will ACOTAR 6 be called?
We know that ACOTAR 6 will be called “A Court of _____”, but what will be the descriptors? Obviously, the title could give away who the main characters and conflict will be. It also remains to be seen whether Maas will go back to the two-noun format she had in the original trilogy, or if she will go with an adjective+noun combo like she did with Silver Flames.
3. Who is Elain’s endgame?
We hinted at it above, but it deserves to be restated. It is obviously not Lucien, but is it Azriel? And if it isn’t Azriel, who will actually capture Elain’s heart? There’s a wild fan theory out there that Elain may be the key piece in Tamlin’s redemption arc. She loves flowers, so maybe she’ll end up with the emotionally abusive High Lord of the Spring Court.
Maas is going to have to come up with some serious receipts for Tamlin’s Prythian therapy before any sister of Feyre hooks up with that dude. Fans will burn everything down if that storyline isn’t handled with expert care. Maybe Elain is asexual or decides that men are toxic, and she can have a much more fulfilling coming out story than Mor. The possibilities are endless, which is why we need answers about Elain’s endgame ASAP.
4. Is Lucien going to sort out his daddy issues?
Does Prythian have a version of 23andMe? Maas dropped the bomb in Silver Flames that Helion is Lucien’s biological father, but Lucien still doesn’t know. If it becomes widely known that Lucien is a bastard, then Beron, the father he grew up with, will have no qualms about having Lucien killed. Still, Lucien has spent his entire life thinking he was the black sheep of his family. If Helion told him the truth, Lucien might be able to heal the emotional wounds Beron has caused him and start to get some peace.
5. Is Azriel going to make a move on Gwyn?
Rhys told Azriel to stay away from Elain (rude) in the Silver Flames bonus chapter, and it was heavily hinted that Azriel might be developing feelings for Gwyn instead. The two have always had a connection since he rescued her from a cruel Hybern general who murdered her sister. Azriel brought her to the House of Wind where she’s been working in the library, and the two grew even closer when Gwyn joined the Valkyries. If Elain does not have romantic feelings for Azriel, and Rhys is forcing them apart, maybe Gwyn is the woman who can bring peace to the shadow wrangler’s heart.
6. Will we find out more about the Dusk Court?
Spoilers ahead for those that haven’t read the Crescent City novels!
The third Crescent City novel featured a crossover between CC heroine Bryce and the Prythian Night Court. Bryce’s adventure in Prythian revealed there was a Dusk Court that disappeared from Prythian millennia ago and became the fae of Bryce’s world, Midgard. We know that Rhys has a connection to the Dusk Court because he is identical to Bryce’s half-brother, Ruhn. How the Dusk Court figured into Prythian politics and why they chose to leave with the Asteri (the near-god conquerors of Midgard) are still big mysteries.
7. What’s the deal with Nesta’s eight-pointed star?
Nesta received an eight-pointed star tattoo in her exchange with the cauldron. It mirrors the scar on Bryce’s chest. Bryce’s scar is a symbol of her starfire power, but what does the tattoo mean for Nesta? The two are connected in some way, but we are still unsure of what Nesta’s connection to starfire, Bryce, and Midgard actually means.
8. What’s going on with Vassa and the queens?
Then there is the question of Vassa and the mortal queens. Vassa was betrayed by her queen counterparts and held captive by the death king for months. He cursed her, keeping her captive as a firebird by day and a woman at night. The Night Court inner circle saved her, and now Vassa lives in a manor near the human lands with Lucien and Jurian. How Vassa and the queens, who aligned with Hybern and now the Autumn King, play into the overall story is still one big question mark. Also, is Vassa Lucien’s endgame? The two have gotten very close since the third book in the series. Maybe Vassa, Lucien, and Jurian could become the first throuple in the series.
9. Will we get more Valkyrie stuff in ACOTAR 6?
Nesta’s journey with the Valkyries in Silver Flames was one of the most intriguing and exciting parts of the book. Elain didn’t join (but maybe she should!), so it’s not clear whether we’ll get updates about the female fighting force in the next book. They were so badass, so we can only help that Maas finds a way to keep them in play.
10. How will Feyre handle being High Lady and a mom?
Feyre was very busy in Silver Flames growing life inside of her and being stuck in Rhys’ protective bubble. Now the baby is born, and she has real work to do as Rhys’ counterpart at the head of the Night Court. How will motherhood affect her reasoning as a leader of the Court? Will she be able to go toe-to-toe with the Autumn King and the other noble fae who haven’t accepted her as one of their own? Feyre is in a new chapter of her life, and fans are curious about how she has evolved even if she isn’t the central focus of the story anymore.
11. What happened to Mor and Eris’ betrothal?
The legend says that Mor and Eris were supposed to be married, but then Eris found her on the day of their wedding and called for Cassian and Azriel to come get her from the Autumn Court. It was assumed by the bat boys that Eris had done something horrible to Mor and left her for dead, but we know there is more to the story. Eris actually saved her by calling the bat boys, but the truth of what happened that fateful morning has yet to be revealed. Eris’ behavior in Silver Flames implied that he’s not the bad guy that we’ve made him out to be, but we need to know what actually happened to make that decision for ourselves.
12. How spicy is this book going to be?
Silver Flames took the ACOTAR spice level to an entirely new level of chili peppers. Nesta is a freak (complimentary) and wasn’t afraid to get what she wanted. Elain has been much more timid. If she is the center of the book, where does that put the spice level for ACOTAR 6? Will it calm down? Can we go backwards after the dirty sex Nesta and Cassian were having? Fans may be disappointed by that development, or we could learn that Elain knows how to get down and dirty just like her sisters. If it’s a Mor book, maybe we get steamy lesbian scenes. We just need to know how many chili peppers it is going to be so we can mentally prepare.
ACOTAR 6 is expected to be released in late 2025 or early 2026. We wait for Sarah J. Maas to officially put us out of our misery.
What questions do you need answered in ACOTAR 6? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
