Strictly Friction

Consider this your TLDR for everything you need to know before A Court of Splintered Harmony is released - because we KNOW you don't have the time to do a full Maasverse re-read.

From the Archeron sisters (and their powers) to where we left every Night Court member in A Court of Silver Flames, as well as the current situation with our future Big Bads - Koschei, Beron and the human queens -this quickfire bonus episode will have you refreshed and ready before you can say "There you are... I've been looking for you." 😉🦇

Like and follow for more, and let us know if you'd like more speedy recaps in comments or find us on Instagram @strictlyfriction and on TikTok @strictly.friction for more romance and romantasy book theories, thirst traps and adaptation chats.

Is there a snake in the Night Court? We break down the biggest ACOTAR 6 betrayal theories ahead of A Court of Splintered Harmony, from the evil Rhysand theory to Elain, Mor and more...

The official synopsis for ACOTAR 6 tells us that members of the Night Court are "reeling from recent betrayals and revealed truths", and fans have speculated for years about someone in the Inner Circle turning on the High Lord. With A Court of Splintered Harmony out 27 October and A Court of Forgotten Melody following on January 12, we dig into the Inner Circle betrayal theories we can't stop thinking about. (Yes, some of us would be delighted by a villainous Rhys arc 😉)

In this episode:

• Where the Inner Circle traitor theory started: Briallyn's warning in A Court of Silver Flames and that loaded "so-called High Lord" comment
• The evil Rhysand theory: mind control, unreliable narrators and what changed in ACOSF
• Elain as the betrayer: what her Seer powers mean for Koschei and the Cauldron
• Mor and the power of truth: why we'll support her no matter what

*Spoiler warning* This episode contains spoilers for ACOTAR books 1-5 (A Court of Thorns and Roses through to A Court of Silver Flames) with light references to Throne of Glass and Crescent City.

Who do you think betrays the Night Court? Leave your theory in the comments or find us on Instagram @strictlyfriction and on TikTok @strictly.friction for more romance book theories, pop culture and adaptation chat.

Threshing Day by Rebecca Yarros is finally out and we have SO many questions. In this episode, we break down the biggest takeaways, theories and Easter eggs from the novella's 13 POVs - including what they could mean for Empyrean Book 4.

Is Threshing Day required reading for the Fourth Wing fandom? Rebecca Yarros says no, but she's also said there's a kernel of what's coming in every single story. So, naturally, we went hunting🐉

In this episode we cover:

• Are dragon bonds predetermined & what does this mean for the war?
• Can a rider's intentions shape their signet? Our theory on how magic manifests.
• Unpacking Xaden's new family tree. 🫤
• Lying dragons: All the names and notable mentions that don't add up (here's looking at you, Glane!)
• Potential new couple alerts, Garrick's yearning, and how this could point to a multi-POV Book 4.
• Sloane & Liam's curious lineage
• Dain's daddy issues and what's really going on with his missing mother.
• Plus, what was up with all those trees? 🌳🪾🌲

If you missed our pre-release episode on the POVs we wanted to see and why, then you can catch up here.

Got a theory we missed (or can help us explain that family tree)? Let us know in the comments and follow us on Instagram @strictlyfriction and TikTok @strictly.friction for more.

The Prime Video adaptation of Ali Hazelwood’s Love Hypothesis, starring Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman, has finally dropped, and we have a lot of thoughts. From the biggest differences between the much-loved book and the film, to the casting, and whether the spicy scene delivered, we're sharing every thought we had while watching. The good, the bad, and the downright silly.

🎧Follow and subscribe for fortnightly episodes and keep up to date with all things Strictly Friction, including book news, pop culture updates and more on Instagram ⁠@strictlyfriction⁠ and TikTok ⁠@strictly.friction.

Ahead of the adaptation of Ali Hazelwood’s Love Hypothesis, starring Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman, we sit down to dissect the much-loved STEM romance book. From the very, very long spicy scene to the Star Wars casting lore surrounding Tom and his wife Daisy Ridley, there’s a lot to unpack.

🎧Follow and subscribe for fortnightly episodes and keep up to date with all things Strictly Friction, including book news, pop culture updates and more on Instagram @strictlyfriction and TikTok @strictly.friction

It's the ACOTAR ship war that seems impossible to settle: Gwynriel or Elriel? With A Court of Splintered Harmony on the way, we're diving deep into the case for Azriel ending up with Elain vs Gwyn — from Truth-Teller and the Cauldron bond, to that bonus chapter necklace fumble, and what our favourite bat boy's shadows are really telling us. We break down the receipts for both ships including where Lucien, Vassa, and maybe even Koschei, fit into the chaos. Spoiler: we land firmly in one camp, but you'll have to listen to find out which. 😉

Tell us in the comments: are you team Gwynriel or Elriel? We need to know we're not alone here!

🎧Follow and subscribe for fortnightly episodes and keep up to date with all things Strictly Friction, including book news, pop culture updates and more on Instagram @strictlyfriction and TikTok @strictly.friction

Finally, after years of waiting, we've been gifted with news of when ACOTAR 6 is coming. And while we now have our cover, title (A Court of Splintered Harmony), and even a blurb, one thing we don't know yet is whose head we'll be in as the story unfolds.

In this week's episode of Strictly Friction, we share our theories on exactly who we think will be telling the story in the next book ahead of its October 27 release.

🎧Follow and subscribe for weekly episodes and keep up to date with all things Strictly Friction, including book news, pop culture updates and more on Instagram @strictlyfriction and TikTok @strictly.friction.

This week on Strictly Friction, we're stepping away from our heaving TBR to unpack the beast that is BookTook.

There's no doubt it can either make (or break) an author's career, but in this episode, we dive deep into the online world to dissect whether it's having a positive or negative impact on the publishing industry and ask the question, 'who gets to be an author anyway?'.

🎧Follow and subscribe for weekly episodes and keep up to date with all things Strictly Friction, including book news, pop culture updates and more on Instagram @strictlyfriction and TikTok @strictly.friction.

This week on Strictly Friction, we're (finally) locking in on an Empyrean book, following the announcement by Rebecca Yarros that a new novella is coming this September.

It might not be book four, but Threshing Day will tell the story of 13 people on the day they bonded their dragons. Here, we speculate on whose POVs we'll be getting in the book (in addition to Xaden, who has been confirmed) and unpack a few fan theories.

🎧Follow and subscribe for weekly episodes and keep up to date with all things Strictly Friction including book news, pop culture updates and more on Instagram @strictlyfriction and TikTok @strictly.friction.

This week on Strictly Friction, we're inviting you into the depraved corners of our minds by talking all things tropes, including the🌶️ spicy scenes🌶️ we long for in romance books that don't exactly translate to real life.

From Scent Marking🐺 and Forced Proximity🛏️ to Billionaire Bad Boys, Love Triangles and Why Choose, we unpack why the best romance and romantasy tropes are made for reading, not reality. 🎧Follow and subscribe for fortnightly episodes and keep up to date with all things Strictly Friction, including book news, adaptation updates and more, on Instagram @strictlyfriction and on TikTok @strictly.friction