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BOOK CLUB: Who is Azriel's Mate? Every ACOTAR Elain, Gwyn & Bryce Theory · Two Broke Chicks

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome back to the Basic Bitch book Club,
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: the book club where we talk smart, self help and
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: bookstop every single week. And you bitches have been asking
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: for this episode, and I've been in the weeds.
• 0:15
  Speaker 2: I've been in the.
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: Weeds of TikTok theories, I've been on Reddit, which is
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: always a terrifying place to be, and I've been in
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: obviously the books. So today we are talking who is
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: Asrael's mate? Every Elaine Gwynn and wild.
• 0:32
  Speaker 2: Card Bryce theory.
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: But before we get into it, there is huge spoiler
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: warning for basically every Sarah Jay Mass book. If you
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: have not read these, turn it off immediately. This is
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: not for you. Go read them, come back and we'll
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: have a good time. So there are few debates in
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: the Sarah J. Mass universe that cause more chaos than
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: the question who is Asriel's mate. Ever since we were
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: introduced to the Shadow Singer, readers have been waiting for
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: Sarah J. Mass to finally give us a crumb of
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: information of his love story worthy of his brooding, loyal
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: and heartbreakingly lonely character, but book after book we get nothing.
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: Hopefully soon though, because Sarah J.
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: Mass has long since said she knew who her first
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: spin offs of Akata who they would be about, the
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: first being obviously fair and recent, the second spin off
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: being well, the first spinoff, sorry, being Nesta and Cassian,
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: and then the second has been this forever mysterious Akatar
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: six that we've waited seventy four years for. But we'll
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: finally discover who Asdreels made his fingers cross again. I
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: do want to give you a spoiler warning. Even if
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: you think, oh no, I'm kind of up to date,
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: I don't need to read that one.
• 1:54
  Speaker 2: Don't do it. Just come back once you've read them.
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: Okay, So that includes Crescent City three, by the way,
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: if you haven't read that bounce. So the fandom has
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: narrowed it down to three main contenders, Elaine Archeron Gwyneth
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: and in a bold crossover twist that is My Roman Empire,
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: Bryce Quinlan. So each theory has evidence, counter arguments, and
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: a whole army of passionate shippers.
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: But before we get into.
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: That, I want to get into why his character and
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: Asrael's mate matters so much. So the question of Azuel's
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: mate is one of the most significant unresolved theories and
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: mysteries in Sarah J. Mass's A Quarter of Thorns and
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: Roses series. While on the surface it may appear to
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: be a simple romantic subplot, the implications of Azrael's eventual
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: mate bond extend far beyond personal fulfillment. So his love
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: story has structural, thematic, and extra mettextual consequences that affect
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: the traject of the series and the way the fandom
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: engages with it. So we well five reasons. Like I said,
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: I've gone in deep. So number one the completion of
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: the inner Circle narrative. While the Night courts in a circle,
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: within the Night Courts in a circle, each of the
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: three Illyrian warriors represent a distinct archetype recent as the ruler,
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: Cassiane as the Heart, and as real as the shadows.
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: Both Resend and Cassine have been given fully realized romantic arcs.
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: That's up for debate. There's the Cassiane underlive theory, but
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: I don't pay any attention to that because it will
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: make me cry. With their relationships serving as vehicles for
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: character growth and emotional resolution, so Asuel, by contrast, remains
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: romantically unfulfilled, his mate reveal is thus essential, not only
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: to his individual arc, but the structural completion of the
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: Illyrian triad. So without this resolution, Asrael's character arc remains
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: static and the perpetual observer rather than a participant in love.
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: We've seen bonus chapters of his character, you know, complaining
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: how his brothers have found their love but he hasn't,
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: so we'll see what happens there. The second part is
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: the interconnected female arcs, so the identity of Azuel's mate
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: will also determine the narrative futures of several key female characters.
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: If Elaine is revealed to be his mate, the plot
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: must grapple with the conflict of her pre existing bond
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: with Lucian.
• 4:31
  Speaker 2: This will also destabilize.
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: Or redefine the canon of mate bonds within the series.
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: If Gwyneth is chosen, her arc as of Vlkiri, Survivor
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: and Healer becomes deeply entwined in the mainline plot of Akata.
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: And then, finally, you guys are already know what my
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: favorite one is, so sorry, mummy's playing favorites. But finally,
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: should the crossover theory prove correct and Bryce Quinlan from
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: Crescent City is link Asrael, the mate bond would serve
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: as a narrative bridge uniting the SHM universes, making it
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: like a fucking Marvel Avengers moment, right, So each option
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: has consequences that will ripple across all of the books
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: and basically be a plot catalyst.
• 5:18
  Speaker 2: Number three the thematic resolution of Azrael's character.
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: Asrael's life has been defined by trauma basically, so silent
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: shadows longing. His scars, both physical and emotional, have positioned
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: him as a figure of self denial and restraint. He's
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: been marked by unrequired love for more as well as
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: an ongoing sense of being the third Allyrian, powerful but
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: perpetually sidelined. A mate bond is not merely a romantic
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: pairing for his character, but a symbolic resolution to his
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: arc of loneliness and not necessarily belonging. So that's why
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: it will be really interesting to see how this evolves,
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: because we have a really seen that much of his character.
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: Like we've seen, we've got a good understanding, but he's
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: probably the one that we know the least about. So
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: that's why it will be this kind of really big
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: moment to see it all kind of come together.
• 6:12
  Speaker 2: Number four. Obviously, the direction of the series future.
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: If Elaine is chosen, future books may lean towards political intrigue,
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: garden symbolism, and archer and family archin arcurrent.
• 6:24
  Speaker 2: I'm gonna say it wrong, so to just be okay
• 6:29
  Speaker 2: with it. I didn't listen to the audiobooks for this one.
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: But if Gwynn is chosen, readers can expect further development
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: of the Valkiri culture, training and healing arcs. And if
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: Bryce is chosen, everything will just be a mess and
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: I'll be obsessed with it.
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: So those are kind of the reasons.
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: Why I am incredibly prepared to find out what is
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: going on. It has been eighty four years since we've
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: got the last book from Akata, and I think that's
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: why people are so invested in this next story, because
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: they been basically biting the armchair of their couch for
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: the next story and.
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: We're ready for it.
• 7:06
  Speaker 1: Okay, So let's get into our theories and our evidence.
• 7:11
  Speaker 2: So I asked you chicks to write in.
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: Your thoughts, your theories, who your favorite is, what your
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: vibes are, and then I also went into the deep
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: dark archives of the Internet as.
• 7:22
  Speaker 2: Well as the books.
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: Let me tell you, some people are incredibly passionate about
• 7:28
  Speaker 1: this topic. So before I get into it, disclaimers always
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: these people aren't real, their characters in a book. If
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: we disagree, that is so fine. You're allowed to feel
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: the way that you feel. I'm allowed to feel the
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: way I feel. We can all be one big, happy
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: family that enjoys reading smunny little fantasy books. They're not real.
• 7:48
  Speaker 1: They can't hear this. It'll be okay, okay. So, first
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: and foremost, the most popular theory and probably the easiest theory,
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: is the Elaine theory, or el Real as the shippers
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: call it. So among the prevailing theories about Asrael's future mate,
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: the possibility of his pairing with Elaine Archer and commonly
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: referred to as El Reel, it's both the most established
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: and the most contested. I'm gonna be honest with you,
• 8:17
  Speaker 1: straight from the bat, I hate this one. It's so boring,
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: but we'll get into it unless she turns evil, which
• 8:23
  Speaker 1: there's an episode about that. But Elaine is the middle
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: Archer and sister. She's also known as the Prettiest, which
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: is so rogue, but has been linked to Azrael since
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: a Court of Wings and Ruin and the interactions across
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: subsequent novels have invited speculation about a deeper romantic connection.
• 8:41
  Speaker 2: However, while the textual.
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: Evidence supporting el Reel is compelling, several counterparts raised doubts
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: about whether Sarah J. Mass will ultimately choose this direction
• 8:51
  Speaker 1: for Asrael's arc. So the evidence, I'm going to break
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: it down by the evidence as well as some counter
• 8:59
  Speaker 1: arguments that we have to it. So, first and foremost,
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: the most striking textual support for Elaine comes from a
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: Court of Silver Flames bonus chapter, where Asrael buys Elaine
• 9:10
  Speaker 1: a necklace for winter Solstice. The scene is charged with
• 9:14
  Speaker 1: a shit down attention and underscores Asrael's longing for her.
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: He's basically getting over his like five hundred year long
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: crush on more, which we're like, come on.
• 9:23
  Speaker 2: So this moment is.
• 9:24
  Speaker 1: Frequently cited by readers as proof of a budding emotional
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: bond that transcends casual attraction. Additionally, the symbolic interplay of
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: light and shadow reinforces the potential of their pairing. So
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: Elaine is characterized by imagery of gardens, sunlight, and gentleness,
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: while Asrael embodies this like darkness and secrecy and all
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: six within the framework of masses. Writing opposites often serve
• 9:51
  Speaker 1: to complement one another. Resents darkness with farorous starlight, Nesta's
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: fire with cassine steadiness. Many readers interpret Elaine's luminosity as
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: the natural counterpart of Asrael shadows. As you're listening to this,
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: you're probably thinking, hmm, there's someone else who sounds like that.
• 10:09
  Speaker 2: I couldn't agree more. But that's at the end, so
• 10:12
  Speaker 2: we'll get into that.
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: So a further argument arises for the shared temperament of
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: both Elaine and as Reel. As they're quite reserved, observant,
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: and understated in their social presence, their quiet energy has
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: been interpreted as a foundation for intimacy and unspoken understanding
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: between the two characters who play in the margins rather
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: than the spotlight. Despite this evidence, there are significant obstacles
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: that stand in the way of all real endgame. The
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: most prominent is, oh, I also forgot to mention that
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: in the bonus chapter they nearly kiss, so like, that's
• 10:53
  Speaker 1: that's a big moment, and then reason basically is like no, no,
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: don't touch. Despite this evidence, significant obstacles ste and in
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: the way of an l real end game. The most
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: prominent is obviously the Lucian problem. So Elaine has already
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: been designated as Lucian's mate, not designated. That sounds rogue,
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: That sounds like it's like, eh, we're shipping her off.
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: They're mates, She's already got one, She's spoken for, and
• 11:18
  Speaker 1: within the Akatar universe, mate bonds are rarely dismissed or ignored,
• 11:24
  Speaker 1: right like fated mate bonds. While the tension of resisting
• 11:28
  Speaker 1: a bond could heighten the forbidden romance element, overturning such
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: a central world building mechanic would risk undermining the internal
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: consistity of the mass universe and would take away the
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: legitimacy of those other fictional couples that we are so
• 11:46
  Speaker 1: disgustingly obsessed with. So in addition to this, critics of
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: the Elaine and Asrael theory argue that the pairing feels
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: narratively predictable.
• 11:57
  Speaker 2: And this is what I agree with.
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: So Sarah jay Mass is renew for her unexpected romantic
• 12:03
  Speaker 1: and just plot twist. She's renowned for an unreliable narrator.
• 12:06
  Speaker 1: You can't trust her, That's why we love her. Fayrer
• 12:09
  Speaker 1: was initially paired with Tamlin, only with a true bond
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: with Resent to be revealed later. Alan's romantic trajectory in
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: Brona Bas was all over the place.
• 12:19
  Speaker 2: And similarly subverted with early assumptions.
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: Loved it, though, and following this pattern Asrul and Elaine,
• 12:26
  Speaker 1: their chemistry might serve as a deliberate misdirection rather than
• 12:32
  Speaker 1: the ultimate resolution. So for this reason, some reader suspect
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: that Elaine represents the obvious choice, and that Mass is
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: unlikely to confirm so.
• 12:43
  Speaker 2: To be honest, at this stage, haven't read the book.
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: It's not doubt, but I find them ending up together
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: the most boring thing.
• 12:54
  Speaker 2: Ever. I find Elaine a little bit boring.
• 12:57
  Speaker 1: She's sweet, love her amazing, brave, stunning, But I do
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: think it is the most obvious pairing.
• 13:02
  Speaker 2: It's what people are.
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: Expecting would if they did end up together. Would it
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: probably be an amazing story that I would still enjoy.
• 13:09
  Speaker 1: I'm sure it would be.
• 13:10
  Speaker 2: Sarah J. Mass is an incredibly talented writer, but I
• 13:13
  Speaker 2: just think it's so boring.
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: I think it's so like cookie cutter of an option,
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: unless the evil Elaine theory comes to fruition, which then
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: I would fuck with it. But other than that, I'm
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: kind of I think to have the three sisters end
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: up with the three brothers of sorts is just a
• 13:32
  Speaker 1: bit boring, predictable, and I expect better. However, I am
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: not one to underestimate Sarah J. Mass, So my verdict
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: on this one is that yes, the el the Elaine
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: and Asrael shippers love the forbidden romance vibes, but the
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: Lucian bond still remains a massive obstacle, so we'll see
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: what happens with that.
• 13:52
  Speaker 2: Moving on to number two, the Gwynn theory Gwinn.
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: So, we met Gwinn in a Court of Silver Flames,
• 13:59
  Speaker 1: and she quickly became a fan favorite and a strong contender.
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: There isn't that much around this theory other than what
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: we really got in that book because she's such a
• 14:12
  Speaker 1: new character. But maybe that's also a sign that there's
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: gonna be more to it than that, So we'll wait
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: and see the evidence. That Gwinn and Azrael are mates
• 14:22
  Speaker 1: shadows and singing, so Asrael's shadows like Gwynn in the
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: bonus chapters, they actively dance around her, which they don't
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: do with anyone else. Maybe shit, oh there's I really
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: just want to skip to the end, but I can't.
• 14:39
  Speaker 2: So Number two, opposites attract.
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: Gwinn is fiery, sarcastic, and outspoken, which is a total
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: contrast to Elaine's softness. She pushes Asrael's in way that
• 14:50
  Speaker 1: we don't really see in the relationship he has with Elane.
• 14:54
  Speaker 1: This is basically just me shitting on a lane this
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: whole episode, So sorry. Number three a healing arc has
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: her own trauma that she's actively working through, and fans
• 15:04
  Speaker 1: love the idea of her and Asrael healing together and
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: offering growth instead of just pining. And number four the
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: singer of shadows, a poetic, almost four shadowy phrase that
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: feels like a mate bond easter egg was used within
• 15:22
  Speaker 1: their relationship. So I think there are definitely things within
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: their relationship that could point towards some sort of relationship,
• 15:30
  Speaker 1: But I just am not obsessed with it. There's not
• 15:35
  Speaker 1: really like a this is a little bit, you know
• 15:38
  Speaker 1: what I mean, Like when you're reading it, you're like, yes,
• 15:41
  Speaker 1: it doesn't quite hit. And that's basically the counterpoints to it.
• 15:47
  Speaker 1: Is like Gwinn's relationship with Azrael is hinted but never confirm,
• 15:51
  Speaker 1: and some argue it's more platonic training camaraderie than romantic sparks.
• 15:56
  Speaker 1: We could be seeing like Karen arm that's in Throne
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: of Glass series, but it's still early days. And then secondly,
• 16:03
  Speaker 1: the reader projection is because fans want as Reel to
• 16:07
  Speaker 1: just have made some critics think the Gwin Reel ship
• 16:11
  Speaker 1: there I said, it is more about fandom wish fulfillment.
• 16:15
  Speaker 2: Than Sarah J. Mass's actual plan.
• 16:17
  Speaker 1: I can't see a universe where it's like she just
• 16:20
  Speaker 1: plops in a new character and they're like.
• 16:22
  Speaker 2: Oh, it's that's it. That just seems a little bit
• 16:24
  Speaker 2: too I just maybe I have too high of expectations.
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: But my verdict on this is that fans argue this
• 16:31
  Speaker 1: pairing would be the healthiest and maybe the most narratively
• 16:36
  Speaker 1: satisfying in terms of like everything gets wrapped up in
• 16:39
  Speaker 1: a neat little bow. Alaines with Lucian, Brice's with Hunt,
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: Gwins with Asrael. But again boring, she hasn't been writing
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: this book for the last eighty four years just for
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: it to wrap up in a neat little bow. So
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: I'll finish with my favorite theory, which strap it because
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: this is pure chaos and I am living for it.
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: But the Bryce and asreel theory is my Roman Empire.
• 17:08
  Speaker 1: If it doesn't happen, I will never read another book again.
• 17:12
  Speaker 2: That's not true, but it's how I feel.
• 17:15
  Speaker 1: So there's the wild card theory that Bryce Quinnland, star
• 17:19
  Speaker 1: of the Crescent City series, is actually Asriel's mate, who
• 17:24
  Speaker 1: is a character in the Accord of Snson Brosis series.
• 17:27
  Speaker 1: At the end of House of Sky and Breath aka
• 17:30
  Speaker 1: Crescent City two, Bryce falls through a portal and lands
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: in Priythian, colliding the Akata and Crescent City worlds together.
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: Suddenly the possibility of a cross series mate bond was
• 17:42
  Speaker 1: on the table. When I read this. I was at home.
• 17:46
  Speaker 1: I was listening to the audiobook of Crescent City. I
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: was making vodka rigatoni pasta. I was placing my chili
• 17:53
  Speaker 1: flakes in it like a good little girl. And when
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: I tell you, I was screaming like I was a
• 18:00
  Speaker 1: sixty year old man watching his favorite Super Bowl team win,
• 18:03
  Speaker 1: like it was.
• 18:05
  Speaker 2: I actually am not.
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: I'm surprised a neighbor didn't call an ambulance or the
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: police because that I'm so glad that never got spoiled
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: for me, because that was probably one of the best
• 18:15
  Speaker 1: book moments of my entire life when the two came together.
• 18:20
  Speaker 2: I did think.
• 18:20
  Speaker 1: Crescent City three was a little bit of a disappointment.
• 18:22
  Speaker 1: I wanted a little bit more, But the ending of
• 18:25
  Speaker 1: Crescent City two was Chef's kiss. So let's get into
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: the evidence of why brace lol, Who's that Bryce could
• 18:34
  Speaker 1: be Asrael's mate? And why this is my favorite theory?
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: So the evidence SJM loves crossovers. She's officially merged her universes.
• 18:46
  Speaker 1: She wouldn't have done that if there was no point
• 18:49
  Speaker 1: to it. If she wanted to tie them even tieders together,
• 18:52
  Speaker 1: a mate bond across the series would do it. Number two,
• 18:57
  Speaker 1: Asrael's availability is single and and Bryce is a powerful,
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: complex and capable character capable of holding her own against
• 19:06
  Speaker 1: his giantness as like a character in the series and
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: his shadows.
• 19:11
  Speaker 2: And then number three, the shock factor. A Bryce and Asrael.
• 19:15
  Speaker 1: Mate bond would absolutely detonate the fandom. And Sarah thrives
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: on drama, so do I. There is also so many
• 19:24
  Speaker 1: juicy reddit theories and TikTok theories that I was reading
• 19:29
  Speaker 1: about that a lack akata easter eggs to prove that
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: Bryce is Asrael's mate. So I've put in my three
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: favorite but you can dive in further into this if
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: you want, so they have the same music taste. In
• 19:43
  Speaker 1: Crescent City three, Bryce plays her favorite song, Stone Mother,
• 19:47
  Speaker 1: and chooses to let her phone die, her last connection
• 19:52
  Speaker 1: to Midguard and Hunt, so that she could bond with
• 19:55
  Speaker 1: Azrael and Nesta.
• 19:57
  Speaker 2: So she played.
• 19:58
  Speaker 1: In the book, it says she played song after song
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: until the battery on her phone drained to the dregs,
• 20:05
  Speaker 1: until the last beautiful link to Midguard went dark and died.
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: No more music, no more pictures of Hunt, until but
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: the music seemed to linger like a ghostly echo through
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: the caves.
• 20:18
  Speaker 2: She could hear.
• 20:19
  Speaker 1: Azrael humming softly to himself. The rolling, wild melody of
• 20:23
  Speaker 1: stone Mother flowed off his lips, and she could have
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: sworn even the shadows danced around the sound. I'm sorry that, Like,
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: I don't even need to continue the episode, But in mythology,
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: Stone Mother ends her jealous relationship with her husband before
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: meeting her one true love. So I'm sure all of
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: you are across is, but Bryce isn't necessarily single. She's
• 20:47
  Speaker 1: with Hunt and they're apparently mates. But we'll get into
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: that a little bit later. And so this these theories
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: really revolve around all the hints and easter eggs that
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: like Hunt and Bryce endgame, but it's actually Asrael and Bryce. Secondly,
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: this one was also a bit shady. But when Fearrah
• 21:07
  Speaker 1: meets Recent, she describes him as standing before me was
• 21:11
  Speaker 1: the most beautiful man I'd ever seen. Bryce's first impression
• 21:16
  Speaker 1: of Hunt, her supposed mate is Micah was gorgeous, horrifically
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: indecently gorgeous. Hunt Athla and Isaiah stood behind him almost
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: as good looking. That doesn't screen faded mates me but
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: Jim at Daz. Bryce's first impression of Asrael, but the
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: male face that stared through the mists, grave and lethal,
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: it was beautiful. I'm just saying, I'm that man in
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: front of like that meme of the man in front
• 21:45
  Speaker 1: of a whiteboard with all like the red string being
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: like it's all coming together. And then the final easter egg,
• 21:52
  Speaker 1: which is the nail in the coffin for me, is high.
• 21:56
  Speaker 1: Queen Theya defeated the dagline with her husband Fion fine on,
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: don't come for me if I'm saying it wrong, but
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: unexpectedly opened a portal across galaxies to her faded mate
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: adis when searching for help.
• 22:11
  Speaker 2: They's Air aka.
• 22:13
  Speaker 1: Bryce Gwinlen defeated the Assari with her husband Hunt, but
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: unexpectedly opened a portal across galaxies to Asrael, her mate
• 22:24
  Speaker 1: when searching for help.
• 22:26
  Speaker 2: They're literally the same thing. There is a theory that Asrael.
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: Is also a lost prince of Hell, and that's also
• 22:33
  Speaker 1: why the portal took Bryce to him when she meant
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: to go to Hell. So yes, yes, here there's a
• 22:38
  Speaker 1: whole like the sword and the Dagger attracted to each other,
• 22:41
  Speaker 1: and they have this like pulse that like pulls them
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: towards each other.
• 22:45
  Speaker 2: I don't think it's the sword and the Dagger. I
• 22:47
  Speaker 2: think it's.
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: Their like fateed mate bond that's doing it. There's literally
• 22:52
  Speaker 1: a quote I saved on TikTok this morning, and.
• 22:56
  Speaker 2: It truly I feel like Sarah J.
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: Mass is just going to be like laughing at people
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: being like, you guys really didn't get it because there's
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: so many Easter eggs that truly shows that they are
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: meant to be together. So this is in Crescent City
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: three when they are going through the tunnel. I believe
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: Ryce stumbled on a slippery rock going down into the
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: frigid water, palms and knees. A strong hand was instantly
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: at her back, but too late to avoid the stinging
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: cuts that now peppered her hands and legs. Careful, as
• 23:28
  Speaker 1: Reel warned, setting her on a sturdier rock. Ryce's stomach
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: hollowed out with her ears this time, and the dagger
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: was right there, and the sword so close as Reel
• 23:38
  Speaker 1: let out a grunt, going rigid, like he could feel
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: it too. The weapons demand to be together or apart
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: or whatever. It was, the strange power of them in
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: proximity to each other.
• 23:51
  Speaker 2: I'm sorry.
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: That's sold, sciencey or delivered sold, So I have to
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: be objective the counterparts. Obviously, there are valid counter arguments
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: to this theory. One the Hunt problem. And I do
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: call him a problem because I find him. I don't
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: get it. He doesn't make me kick my feet and
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: giggle when I'm reading about him, you know, like he's
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: just not necessarily it. Bryce already has Hunt Athola, who's
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: deeply tied into her story, unless Sarah kills him off,
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: which I think would be great, not because I hate him,
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: just because I think it would be a good story.
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: I think it would be iconic for her to kill
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: Hunt and then major plot twists Bryce and Asrael get
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: together two it is. The other counter argument is that
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: it is too disruptive, like a crossover.
• 24:43
  Speaker 2: A romance might complicate the series.
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: Too much, and it also might be a little bit
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: too on the nose to have the third female main
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: character in her third series also not end up with
• 24:56
  Speaker 1: the first person. Because Alien didn't end up with the
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: first person that she was with, Baya didn't end up
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: with the first person that she was with. That is
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: that too predictable for Bryce to not end up with
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: the first person that she's fall in love with just
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: a thought?
• 25:11
  Speaker 2: And then Sarah J.
• 25:12
  Speaker 1: Mass has said that Hunt and Bryce are mates. However,
• 25:18
  Speaker 1: she did also introduce multiple types of mates within Crescent
• 25:21
  Speaker 1: City three, including chosen mates. So what if Hunt and
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: Bryce are actually just chosen mates, but Asrael and Bryce
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: are fated.
• 25:31
  Speaker 2: Mates, Yeah, they'll come together.
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: So my verdict on this is it's probably the least
• 25:38
  Speaker 1: likely theory, but it's the one that would cause the
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: biggest fandom meltdown and that's why I'm rooting for it.
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: In summary, Elaine shippers, they're rooting for like the Quiet
• 25:49
  Speaker 1: Forbidden romance angle gwyn They love a sappy, little emotional growth, healing, shadow, singer, foreshadowing,
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: and crossover. Theorists just want to see the world burn.
• 26:02
  Speaker 1: I'm ready for it. We want to see Sarah take
• 26:04
  Speaker 1: the boldest swing possible. The truth is, I genuinely believe
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: whatever happens in the story will be a good time.
• 26:12
  Speaker 2: Sarah J.
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: Mass is easily one of the best authors of romanticy
• 26:17
  Speaker 1: in general.
• 26:19
  Speaker 2: So I don't think.
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: It will be the obvious. I don't think it will
• 26:24
  Speaker 1: be Elaine. I can't wait for to be wrong in this.
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: I just know it will be now that I've like
• 26:29
  Speaker 1: said my thoughts on it, it'll be like, no, that's
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: not happening. But I don't think it'll be the obvious choice.
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: I don't think it'll be Elaine. I think there's probably
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: a slow burn potential for Gwynn, but I'm rooting for
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: the earth shattering twist of Bryce. So until the next
• 26:46
  Speaker 1: Akata or Crescent City book drops, which will all be
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: one hundred and twelve years old by then. The mystery
• 26:52
  Speaker 1: of Asrael's mate remains one of the fandom's favorite obsessions,
• 26:56
  Speaker 1: and when the reveal comes, one corner of BookTalk will
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: be cheering. Well, the other one will probably just end
• 27:02
  Speaker 1: up in flames. So I would love to know in
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: the comments, who do you think is Asriel's mate, Elaine
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: Gwynn or Bryce? Drop your theories, tell me why you
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: think I'm wrong, tell me why you think I'm right,
• 27:16
  Speaker 1: preferably the second one, and we'll go from there. Thank
• 27:19
  Speaker 1: you so much for listening to this episode of The
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: Basic Bitch Book Club. Chicky's love to be in your
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: ear holes my favorite place, and yeah, we'll catch you
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: next time.
• 27:28
  Speaker 2: Thanks. Bye,