In this spoiler-packed breakdown of chapter 26 of A Court of Thorns and Roses, Ariel and Corryn drop the façade and admit what we’re all thinking: Rhysand isn’t the villain of this story, he’s the MVP working undercover. We revisit his first big entrance at the Spring Court through the lens of Chapter 54 of A Court of Mist and Fury, unpacking the impossible constraints he was under, and the risks he took to keep Feyre safe.

We talk about how brilliantly Sarah J. Maas sets up the beginnings of Feyre and Rhys’s relationship, the wild amount of information Rhys basically blurts out in front of her, and how obvious the difference is between Tamlin’s inaction and Rhysand’s sacrifice when it comes to the curse. Spoiler alert: one of them is doing the most, and it’s not the blond one.

We also dive into the weaponization of Lucien’s language against Rhys, the horror of what he endured under Amarantha, and how fandom’s framing of Tamlin vs. Rhys changes dramatically on a second read. Feyre might not know who she is to Rhys yet, but something’s already shifting, and it seems like they can both feel it.

Whether you're here for redemption arcs, curse breakdowns, or romantic foreshadowing: you’re welcome and we’re sorry.

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