ACOTAR 6 Theories: The Biggest Fan Theories About The Valkyrie Cycle

Spoilers for all published ACOTAR books, plus major spoilers for Crescent City.

The wait is finally over—or at least the waiting-for-a-title part is. Pick up your copy of A Court of Thorns and Roses and Crescent City if you haven't embarked on this amazing fantasy literary journey.

Sarah J. Maas has officially revealed that the next two A Court of Thorns and Roses books are A Court of Splintered Harmony, arriving October 27, 2026, and A Court of Forgotten Melody, arriving January 12, 2027. Together, they launch a new story arc called The Valkyrie Cycle.

And naturally, the ACOTAR fandom has completely lost its collective mind.

Because while we finally have titles, covers, release dates, and official descriptions, Maas has still left us with one enormous question: What is actually going to happen?

The official descriptions tell us that Koschei the Deathless is stirring, Prythian's alliances are fracturing, the Night Court is dealing with betrayals and newly revealed truths, and the Inner Circle will eventually scatter in search of an advantage against Koschei.

That is plenty of information. It is also approximately enough information to fuel 10,000 theories.

So let's get into some of the biggest ACOTAR 6 and 7 theories currently making the rounds online.

1. ACOTAR 6 Will Be Multi-POV

This may be one of the biggest shifts from what readers originally expected. For years, the assumption was that the next ACOTAR novel would be Elain's book. After all, Feyre had the original trilogy. Nesta received A Court of Silver Flames. That seemed to leave Elain as the obvious next sister.

But Maas has deliberately refused to confirm that. And now the structure of the new books makes a traditional single-couple narrative seem less certain.

The new arc is being presented as one enormous story divided into multiple movements rather than a series of completely separate romances.

That has led fans to speculate that we could see several POVs, potentially including:

• Elain
• Azriel
• Nesta
• Gwyn
• Lucien
• Mor
• Feyre or Rhysand

The most interesting possibility? Elain could still be central without being the sole protagonist. That would allow Maas to finally explore Elain while simultaneously advancing the larger Koschei storyline.

My theory: I think Elain will have a POV. I also think we may get significantly more than two. The wording surrounding the new arc feels much more like a sprawling ensemble story than A Court of Silver Flames.

2. Elain's Story Is Coming…but It May Not Be the Story We Expect

For years, the Elain question has largely been framed as: Elriel or Elucien?

But I think that question may actually be too narrow. Elain is a seer. She was Made by the Cauldron. She has demonstrated an ability to perceive things other characters cannot. And she has already been connected to several unresolved threads involving the human world, the Cauldron, the mating bond, Lucien, Azriel, and the larger mythology of Prythian.

If Maas is building toward a larger conflict with Koschei, Elain's abilities could be much more important to the central plot than her romantic storyline.

In other words: What if Elain isn't simply choosing between two males? What if she is one of the characters who understands what is actually happening? That would be a very different kind of Elain story.

3. The Elain/Azriel/Lucien Triangle Is About to Explode

Of course, we can't talk about ACOTAR theories without talking about that triangle.

The fandom remains deeply divided over whether Elain will ultimately end up with Azriel or Lucien. The strongest evidence for Elain and Azriel comes from A Court of Silver Flames, particularly the bonus chapter involving Azriel and Elain.

Meanwhile, Elain and Lucien have something ACOTAR takes very seriously: a mating bond.

That creates an enormous narrative problem. And SJM loves enormous narrative problems.

One theory circulating among fans is that the upcoming books will finally force Elain to confront the bond rather than simply avoiding it. Another possibility is that the romantic tension is deliberately being used to obscure a larger plot involving the mating bond itself.

My prediction? I don't think the romance will be resolved immediately. If these books really are one enormous story divided into multiple movements, Maas has plenty of room to make readers suffer first. And let's be honest: That sounds exactly like her.

4. Azriel May Finally Get His POV (And One that I am 100% Pulling for)

If there is one character whose inner world readers have been begging to see, it is Azriel.

We know what Azriel does. We know he is a Shadowsinger. We know he has a complicated history. We know he carries enormous amounts of emotional baggage. We know he has feelings for Elain. We know his shadows behave strangely around certain people and situations.

But we still don't know what is actually happening inside his head.

And then there's Gwyn. Because if Azriel gets a POV, the Gwyn/Azriel theories are going to become even louder.

5. Gwyn Is Much More Important Than We Realize

Gwyn's connection to music is one of the reasons fans immediately latched onto the title A Court of Forgotten Melody.

That doesn't mean the title is secretly about Gwyn. But it is certainly an intriguing coincidence.

Gwyn is a Valkyrie. She is a singer. She has an unusual history. And her presence in A Court of Silver Flames established her as an important member of the new Valkyrie trio alongside Nesta and Emerie.

Some fans believe Gwyn could become significantly more important in the upcoming books. Others connect her singing to the word "melody" and speculate that music could have a deeper magical significance.

My take: I don't think we should assume "melody = Gwyn." But I absolutely think she deserves more attention than she has received. The fact that Maas named this entire story arc The Valkyrie Cycle makes the Valkyries themselves impossible to ignore.

6. The Valkyrie Cycle May Actually Be About the Valkyries

This sounds obvious. And that's precisely why I think fans may be overcomplicating it. The fandom has already begun connecting "Valkyrie Cycle" and "Movement I/II/III" to Wagner's Ring Cycle and Norse mythology.

That's fascinating. But there's another much simpler explanation: Maas already has three Valkyries. Nesta. Gwyn. Emerie.

She spent an entire book establishing their friendship, training, rituals, and identity as Valkyries. Calling the new story arc The Valkyrie Cycle could simply mean that these three women are going to play a major role in the next phase of the story.

And honestly? That would make perfect sense. The title A Court of Silver Flames gave Nesta her transformation. The Valkyrie Cycle could be where that transformation becomes relevant to the larger war.

7. "Splintered Harmony" Could Mean the Inner Circle Is Breaking Apart

This is one of the theories I find most compelling. Look at the language of the official description: broken, splintered, rifts, betrayals, revealed truths, alliances. Those aren't subtle words.

The official description specifically says the Night Court's leaders are dealing with recent betrayals and revealed truths, and that the rifts dividing them seem almost impossible to overcome.

Then the description for A Court of Forgotten Melody says the Inner Circle will disperse far and wide. That raises a fascinating possibility: The biggest threat may not initially be Koschei. It may be the fact that the people fighting Koschei aren't united anymore.

Could the Inner Circle fracture? Could Rhysand lose the trust of his closest allies? Could information he kept secret finally come to light? Could the events of House of Flame and Shadow create consequences within the Night Court? The fandom has already started connecting the phrase "splintered harmony" with the possibility of an internal Night Court conflict.

8. The Dusk Court Is Coming Back

If you've spent any amount of time in the ACOTAR fandom, you have probably encountered the Dusk Court theory.

The theory became significantly more interesting after Crescent City: House of Flame and Shadow, which expanded the connections between Prythian, the Asteri, the Cauldron, and the ancient history of the world.

The theory generally centers around the idea that the Dusk Court was an ancient or lost territory connected to the Prison and the history of Prythian.

And now look at the new titles: Splintered. Forgotten. Remade. Reclaimed. Those words are practically begging readers to start digging through the lore. Some fans believe the Dusk Court could be restored. Others think it could become a central location in the upcoming story. And some believe Nesta, because of her connection to the eight-pointed star and the events of House of Flame and Shadow, could play an important role in whatever happens next.

Is the Dusk Court confirmed? Absolutely not. Is it one of the most interesting theories? Absolutely.

9. Nesta's Eight-Pointed Star Is Going to Matter

This is where the ACOTAR and Maasverse theories get really interesting. Nesta's eight-pointed star has never felt like a random aesthetic detail. After House of Flame and Shadow, that feeling became even stronger.

Nesta has: extraordinary Made powers, a connection to the Cauldron, the eight-pointed star, Gwydion, the Mask, a connection to ancient magic, and a newly established identity as a Valkyrie. That's a lot of narrative setup.

One major theory is that the eight-pointed star represents something much larger than Nesta herself. Some fans connect it to the Dusk Court. Others connect it to the Maasverse. And some believe it could represent a key to understanding how the different worlds connect.

My prediction: I don't think Maas gave Nesta that symbol without intending to revisit it. Whatever it means, I suspect we're going to find out.

10. The Maasverse Crossover Isn't Finished

If you've read Crescent City, you already know that the worlds of Sarah J. Maas's books are connected. But that doesn't necessarily mean ACOTAR 6 is going to become Crescent City 4. In fact, Maas has reportedly pushed back on some of the more extreme crossover speculation.

Still, the door is very much open. We now have characters and objects that have crossed between worlds. We have ancient connections between Prythian and other realms. We have the Asteri. We have the Cauldron. We have the eight-pointed star. We have Gwydion. And we have a world in which the boundaries between realities have already been shown to be permeable.

So the question may no longer be: "Will there be another crossover?" It may be: "How important will the crossover be to the final ACOTAR story?"

11. Koschei Is Finally Going to Become the Main Event

For years, Koschei has been lurking in the background. But the new official description changes that. He's no longer simply a terrifying figure sitting beside a lake waiting for someone to remember him.

He is stirring. And his allies are actively working toward reclaiming the human lands. That means Koschei isn't necessarily the villain who waits until the final chapter. He could be the central antagonist driving the entire Valkyrie Cycle.

And there's another important clue: The official description says that defeating Koschei will require the courts to rebuild alliances. That means the political conflict isn't just background decoration. It's part of the solution.

12. The "Old Enemies" May Be More Important Than We Think

The A Court of Forgotten Melody description promises that old enemies will emerge from nightmares of the past. That opens the door to almost everyone.

• Tamlin?
• Eris?
• Beron?
• The Asteri?
• Something from the ancient history of Prythian?
• Or perhaps someone readers thought was an enemy but misunderstood?

This is where I think SJM could pull one of her favorite moves: Make us rethink a character we thought we understood.

Eris is an obvious candidate. His story with Mor remains unresolved. His relationship with Beron remains complicated. And his true motivations have never been completely explained. If Maas wants to reveal that an apparent enemy has been operating according to a different set of motivations, Eris is perfectly positioned for it.

13. Mor's Story Is Still Not Finished

Mor has been sitting on the sidelines for a surprisingly long time considering how much unresolved material surrounds her.

We still have questions about:

• her powers
• the "truth" aspect of her abilities
• her relationship with the Court of Nightmares
• Eris
• her family
• her time in the Hewn City
• and what exactly happened between her and Eris all those centuries ago

The fandom has developed some truly elaborate theories about Mor's lineage and powers. Some are wildly speculative. But the broader point is difficult to ignore: Maas left Mor's story unfinished. And a story about fractured alliances and old enemies sounds like exactly the kind of plot in which Mor could finally become relevant again.

14. Tamlin's Redemption Arc Isn't Dead

Okay. Hear me out. Tamlin has been through it.

But Maas has repeatedly shown that she is interested in complicated characters rather than simple heroes and villains. Some readers believe Tamlin still has an important role to play in the final conflict.

And the phrase "What was broken will be remade" has naturally sent the redemption-arc theorists into overdrive.

• Could Tamlin finally rebuild the Spring Court?
• Could he play a role in the war against Koschei?
• Could his story come full circle?
• Could he actually become the character readers thought he was supposed to become all along?

I don't think a complete Tamlin redemption is guaranteed. But I also wouldn't be surprised if SJM gives him one final opportunity to choose who he wants to be.

15. The Four-Movement Structure May be the Biggest Clue of All

This might be my favorite theory. Maas has described the new story as being so large that it had to be divided into multiple parts.

The announced books are: Movement I, Movements II & III. And another movement remains to come. That means we're not looking at three completely separate novels. We're looking at one giant story. And that changes how we should interpret everything.

• A character may not get their romantic happily-ever-after in Book 6.
• A mystery may not be solved in Book 6.
• A political conflict may begin in Book 6 and explode in Book 7.
• A character who appears secondary could become critical later.

And, most importantly: The first book may end with far more questions than answers. So prepare yourselves accordingly.

So What Do I Actually Think Will Happen?

If I had to put my own predictions on the record before A Court of Splintered Harmony releases, here's where I'd place my bets:

Almost certain: Koschei becomes the primary threat. The Valkyries matter. The Night Court faces internal fractures. The Inner Circle becomes more dispersed. The alliances of Prythian change. The story is substantially larger than one romance.

Very likely: Elain gets meaningful POV time. Azriel becomes more important. Nesta remains central to the larger plot. The eight-pointed star returns as a significant mystery. The Dusk Court is explored or at least revisited.

Possible—and extremely fun to speculate about: Gwyn becomes central to the "Forgotten Melody" mystery. Mor finally gets a major storyline. Eris's secrets are revealed. Tamlin receives some form of redemption. The Maasverse connection becomes important again. The Elain/Azriel/Lucien situation finally explodes.

The Theory I'm Watching Most Closely

If I had to choose one theory to watch going into ACOTAR 6, it wouldn't actually be Elriel versus Elucien. It would be this: The ACOTAR story is moving from individual romance stories into one massive interconnected conflict—and Elain, Nesta, Azriel, Gwyn, and the Valkyries are all pieces of the same puzzle.

That would explain why Maas is suddenly talking about movements instead of standalone stories. It would explain the emphasis on alliances. It would explain the Valkyrie Cycle. It would give Koschei a threat worthy of multiple books. And it would allow Elain's story to exist without making the entire plot simply about her love life.

And honestly? That feels very Sarah J. Maas.