ACOTAR 6 IS HERE! A COURT OF SPLINTERED HARMONY — Chapters 1–12 | SHADOW DADDY NEEDS THERAPY | Romantasy Roundtable

THE BAT BOYS ARE BACK, BABY. AND APPARENTLY, EVERYONE IN PRYTHIAN NEEDS THERAPY, A COMMUNICATION WORKSHOP, AND MAYBE A NICE LONG NAP.

IT'S FINALLY HERE! Sarah J. Maas has brought us back to Prythian with A Court of Splintered Harmony (ACOTAR 6), and Rick, Amanda, and Kimberly are diving into Chapters 1–12, plus Azriel's infamous A Court of Silver Flames bonus chapter!

And OH BOY. We have THOUGHTS.

Welcome back to Romantasy Roundtable, where we're discussing the newest installment of A Court of Thorns and Roses, the return of our favorite characters, the increasingly complicated Maasverse, and why approximately 90% of this book's problems could be solved if everyone would JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER.

SPOILER WARNING: We're covering ACOTAR 6 through Chapter 12, the Azriel bonus chapter, and connections to Crescent City and the wider Sarah J. Maas universe. No spoilers for later chapters!

FIRST, LET'S TALK ABOUT AZRIEL.

WE FINALLY GET INSIDE SHADOW DADDY'S HEAD!

And apparently, it's a very dark, very depressing place to live.

We're exploring Azriel's horrifying childhood, the origins of his shadowsinger abilities, his 500 years of unrequited love for Mor, and his increasingly complicated feelings for Elain.

But seriously, Azriel. BABY. WE LOVE YOU. PLEASE STOP HATING YOURSELF.

And speaking of Elain...

THE SOUP IS FINALLY COOKING?!

Secret midnight makeout sessions?! Forbidden romance?! Rhysand appearing at the WORST POSSIBLE MOMENT?!

Between Elain, Azriel, Gwyn, and Lucien, the ACOTAR shipping wars are officially BACK, and we're questioning EVERYTHING.

Rick even has a theory that Elain might be secretly manipulating the Inner Circle. YES, REALLY.

BUT WAIT. THE INNER CIRCLE IS FALLING APART.

Nesta and Cassian are barely speaking. Rhysand is furious. Feyre and Amren are fighting. Gwyn and Nesta's friendship is fractured. Mor is packing approximately 400 suitcases.

AND EVERYONE IS MAD ABOUT BRYCE QUINLAN.

Which brings us to one of our biggest debates: Has Sarah J. Maas taken the Crescent City crossover TOO FAR?

Amanda has some VERY strong feelings about needing to read three entire Crescent City books to understand why everyone in Prythian is furious with Nesta.

Rick, naturally, is defending the Maasverse connections. Because of course he is.

AND THERE'S ACTUALLY A WAR COMING?!

We're breaking down the biggest revelations and theories from these opening chapters:

Koschei the Deathless, his mysterious onyx box, and the search for ancient Made weapons

The rulers of Vallahan, Montesere, and Rask — and whether the Night Court really deserves to call the shots

Nesta discovering she can winnow, nearly drowning, and sensing mysterious objects beneath the sea

Lucien, Vassa's curse, Helion's secrets, and a potentially disastrous mission involving Beron

Gwyn's mysterious song, ancient rituals, and the thinning boundaries between worlds

Eris, the Autumn Court, and the possibility of another devastating war

Hybern's unexpected alliance proposal and the question of who can actually be trusted

Rhysand as HIGH KING?! Do we even WANT that?!

And let's not forget Nyx's upcoming naming day, which definitely feels like the perfect opportunity for absolutely NOTHING TERRIBLE TO HAPPEN.

RIGHT, SARAH?!

Meanwhile, Feyre is breastfeeding, Azriel is brooding, Nesta is fighting for her marriage, and Tamlin is apparently running around the Spring Court chasing squirrels.

LEAVE OUR BEAST BOY ALONE.

We're only 12 chapters into A Court of Splintered Harmony, and while the pacing has us questioning a few things, the theories are already getting WILD.

NOW WE WANT YOUR THOUGHTS!

Are you Team Elriel or Team Gwynriel? Is Nesta being treated unfairly? Is Rhysand becoming a little TOO controlling? And what do YOU think is going to happen at Nyx's naming day?

Drop your theories in the comments! We want to hear ALL of them.

Like, subscribe, and join Rick, Amanda, and Kimberly for more ACOTAR 6 chapter discussions, Sarah J. Maas theories, romantasy reviews, and completely unhinged bookish conversations.

NEXT EPISODE: We're finishing A Court of Splintered Harmony, including the remaining bonus chapters!

Until then, remember: The real villain of Prythian might just be a complete inability to communicate.

THE BAT BOYS ARE BACK. AND THE DRAMA IS JUST GETTING STARTED.