The wait for 12 January has never felt longer, now that I’ve finished A Court of Splintered Harmony. As a Sarah J Maas mega fan, I wasted no time getting stuck into the sixth A Court of Thorns and Roses book on release day. But – without saying too much – with the atmosphere in Velaris feeling considerably less convivial than I’d grown accustomed to in A Court of Silver Flames, I’ll admit I didn’t race through the pages quite as quickly as I’d expected.
Of course, I couldn’t expect much less from a book that advertises the disrupted relationships in its very title, but I was still caught off guard by the undercurrent of rifts between our much-loved inner circle.
For those yet to dive back into the world of Prythian, A Court of Splintered Harmony marks movement I of Maas’ latest story arc, the Valkyrie Cycle. Movements II and III are due to hit bookshelves in January as one novel, and movement IV (which will be the series finale) is currently being written.
This latest episode left me wanting more, to say the least, but as Maas herself writes in the foreword, “It is not a novel, not a ‘Book One.’ It is merely part of a much, much longer book. [...] My vision is that these four movements create one story together – to ultimately be read in one go, from Movement I to IV. The journeys of these characters, the pacing of the events in these pages, reflect that vision.” It arguably makes sense that readers would be left somewhat unsatisfied, then.
Still, there was plenty of lore to get stuck in with, and I – along with Maas’ exponentially growing fanbase – have several theories about what went down – namely regarding our final interaction with Amren and Elain’s ongoing demeanour.
There are plenty of *spoilers ahead*, so I’d hold fire if you’re yet to finish ACOSH in full. Otherwise, scroll on for my honest thoughts, as someone who loves to find Easter eggs for what’s to come.
Read more: ACOTAR recap: Books 1-5 and Crescent City revisited for A Court of Splintered Harmony
'A Court of Splintered Harmony' by Sarah J Maas, published by Bloosmbury
Touching back down in Prythian, A Court of Splintered Harmony kicks off with a prelude in Azriel’s point of view, as we’re given a rare look into the shadowsinger’s past. Once the story proper – movement I – actually begins, Maas keeps readers on tenterhooks for several pages, with the beginning of the plot taking place not in Velaris (as fans had hoped), but rather from the Continent on one of Azriel’s spy missions and then Storr, a political middle ground between the Continent and Prythian.
The focus of this return to the world we know and love is largely to jar readers, taking them away from the harmony of Nesta and Cassian realising (and accepting) that they’re mates in A Court of Silver Flames, and introducing them to a society in turmoil. As it stands at the start of ACOSH, the humans beyond the now non-existent wall are at risk as the provinces on the Continent (and indeed some within Prythian) plan to invade their (the humans’) largely unprotected territory.
Readers watch as the inner circle comes to blows over the best course of action, and many, many arguments ensue in the wake of Nesta helping Crescent City protagonist Bryce Quinlan without consulting any of the Night Court. The crossover between the two series, which took place in the third Crescent City book, House of Flame and Shadow, has significant repercussions throughout ACOSH – much to the frustration of ACOTAR readers who haven’t yet ventured into Maas’s other series.
Read more: I’ve read every Sarah J Maas book and I think ACOTAR 7 will revisit the multiverse
There are arguments between characters we’ve never seen come to blows previously – namely Feyre and Amren – and practically no one makes it through the novel unscathed. There’s a partial sense of budding togetherness as the story draws to a close, but two incidents in particular left my mind reeling.
Starting with Elain, who’s one of the three Archeron sisters and is supposedly the mate of Autumn/Day Court son Lucien. There’s a handful of plot holes that have prompted me to look more closely at this gardening-obsessed, ‘soft’ character and wonder: do we really think this is the same Elain who left the human realm in A Court of Mist and Fury? I’m not the only reader to ask this question, and fans are increasingly honing in on the fact that Azriel’s shadows flee at the sight of her. What’s more, her disgust at Lucien, as her potential mate, seems at odds with her kindness to others. As some readers have pointed out, this could be related to the Autumn Court male’s mechanical eye, which can see through magical glamours. Especially considering Elain conveniently won’t make eye contact with him...
Whether she’s being possessed by Koschei or – in some particularly far-out theories – Maeve from the Throne of Glass series, I’ve no doubt something untoward is happening with the series’ previously most gentle character.
Besides Elain, Maas’ final ACOSH scene with Amren has sparked several questions among readers, myself included. In both Amren and Nesta’s final scene in the novel, the former is seen urging Nesta to enter the prison (a notoriously dangerous place) and take Gwydion – a precious, cauldron-forged sword – from the pocket realm where it was safely stored. The interaction feels out of place and, as Nesta heads into the prison, Gwydion mysteriously vanishes from her hands. Amren herself seems out of sorts prior to leaving Nesta and refers to Bryce Quinlan as “Miss Quinlan.” As readers of the Crescent City will know, this is how Aidas, prince of the chasm (hell), addresses the series protagonist, so as you can imagine, there are now numerous theories floating about regarding Aidas presenting himself in disguise as Amren. What’s more, Amren famously can’t winnow, but somehow appears out of the blue across from Nesta as she arrives on the cliffside across from the prison. Admittedly, she claims that it was her partner Varian with whom she travelled, but I’m not convinced.
Only time will tell whether any of these theories prove true – 12 January can’t come soon enough. But if there’s one thing I’ve learnt from reading Sarah J Maas’s novels, it’s that she loves to pull the rug out from under her readers. After all, who could forget (*Throne of Glass spoiler*) Aelin throwing Dorian out of the lock forging in Kingdom of Ash? Whatever Maas has planned, I suspect we’re in for a surprise or two.
Buy now £12, Amazon.co.uk
Read more: I’ve read ACOTAR, TOG and CC, this is the order to read the Sarah J Maas books
