In this spoiler-free breakdown of chapter 40 of A Court of Thorns and Roses, Feyre’s second task proves that Amarantha really know how to torture someone. Our girl’s trapped in a pit with Lucien, a giant grate is coming down fast, and her only hope is a riddle carved into the wall that she has to solve. The only problem? She can’t even read the damn riddle.

Ariel and Corryn unpack the psychological tension of this chapter, from Amarantha’s cruel sense of irony to the big mic drop moment of Rhysand speaking into Feyre’s mind. We talk about the infamous “just two people” moment, the brief spark of intimacy Feyre gets before it all goes to hell, and how her bargain with Rhysand might not be such a bad thing after all.

Plus, we dive into what it means that Rhysand can mind-speak with Feyre and how that changes the game Under the Mountain.

Whether you're here for the mental gymnastics, emotional chaos, or the moral grayness of it all—you’re welcome and we’re sorry.

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