Abby and Ronnie are back this week with a deep dive into Feyre's Trials under the mountain in Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses!
We start with some lighthearted banter about singing abilities, hair growth supplements, and our embarrassing moments of mixing fantasy with reality (no, that guy with the blonde hair bun is not actually Tamlin, and no, that bleeding person is not a Venin).
Our theories start off strong when we ponder why Amarantha seemed to recognized Feyre's name. Ronnie suggests "Feyre" might mean "liar" in ancient Fae, while Abby proposes a wild theory connecting Feyre to an ancient Fae warrior mentioned by the Bone Carver who imprisoned Striga and Koschei.
Then we dive into Feyre's three trials, examining how each one flips classic tropes on their head. The labyrinth trial tests Feyre's hunting abilities but requires her intelligence rather than brute strength. We explore how Amarantha and Feyre represent two very different types of hunters - one collecting trophies, the other using clever traps to survive. We notice that Rhysand is the only one who refers to Feyre as "her" while everyone else calls her "it" - and he's the only one who bets on her winning!
For the second trial, we question why Amarantha seems obsessed with testing Feyre's literacy when she likely knew Feyre couldn't read. Was this trial designed to be impossible? Why was Lucien involved? Was this more about torturing Tamlin than testing Feyre? And why did Rhysand make Feyre's hand burn instead of just telling her the answer telepathically? So many questions!
Our breakdown of the third trial gets wild as we analyze Feyre killing two Fae to save Tamlin. We discuss the Attor’s transformation into Tamlin, wondering if that was Amarantha's magic or if she forces Tamlin to shift the Attor into himself? We explore how this trial tested both how far Feyre was willing to go for Tamlin and how her intelligence ultimately saves them both when she remembers his "heart of stone."
In our Maasverse section (spoilers for all three series!), we connect Feyre's trials to the "ordeals" mentioned in Crescent City, suggesting this might have been Feyre's Fae ordeal despite her human appearance. This strengthens our theory that the Archerons have Fae bloodlines!
Our precog corner gets wild with theories about Tamlin being held captive during the Under the Mountain period, explaining his blank expression and sudden defiance during the third trial. We also explore connections between Amarantha and the goddess Deanna from Throne of Glass - could Amarantha have been a priestess of Deanna or possessed by her?
Spoilers for the entire ACOTAR series, plus Throne of Glass and Crescent City in the Maasverse section!
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Time Stamps:
00:00 - 05:20: Our singing careers probably won’t take off, but our hair looks great
05:21 - 08:43: Episode structure and disclaimers
08:44 - 13:15: Why did Amarantha recognize Feyre's name?
13:16 - 18:32: What did Alys mean when she said "don't trust your senses"?
18:33 - 35:21: First Trial - The Middengard Wyrm and the Labyrinth
35:22 - 48:12: Second Trial - The Riddle and Lucien
48:13 - 59:57: Third Trial - Killing the Fae and Tamlin's heart of stone
1:00:00 - 1:05:30: Maasverse connections - Was this Feyre's ordeal?
1:05:31 - 1:13:22: Precog Corner - Tamlin theories and moon connections
1:13:23 - 1:19:36: What we're reading and outro