The Valkyries have gone from an almost-forgotten part of Prythian’s history to one of the most important forces in Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses universe. Reborn through the friendship of Nesta Archeron, Gwyneth Berdara and Emerie in A Court of Silver Flames, the female warrior group now looks set to play an even greater role in the future of ACOTAR. If you need to go back to the beginning first, our complete ACOTAR reading order and character guide covers the series so far, while our guide to A Court of Splintered Harmony, A Court of Forgotten Melody and the Valkyrie Cycle looks at what has officially been revealed about the next stage of the story. And if you are trying to work out how all of this connects to Sarah J. Maas’s increasingly complicated wider universe, our guide to how ACOTAR, Crescent City and Throne of Glass interconnect is worth bookmarking too.
But who exactly are the Valkyries? Why did Nesta decide to revive them? What makes Gwyn and Emerie so important, and what could the officially named Valkyrie Cycle mean for the future of ACOTAR?
Here is everything you need to know.
Warning: major spoilers for A Court of Silver Flames and references to events across the wider ACOTAR and Crescent City series follow.
Who Are the Valkyries in ACOTAR?
The Valkyries were an ancient order of elite female warriors in Prythian. Long before Feyre, Nesta or Rhysand’s Inner Circle, they were renowned for their fighting ability, discipline and distinctive training methods. By the modern ACOTAR era, however, the original Valkyries are long gone, surviving largely through old stories, historical records and forgotten techniques.
That changes in A Court of Silver Flames. Nesta Archeron begins training with Cassian as part of her difficult attempt to rebuild her life after the war with Hybern. At first, the training feels like punishment. Nesta is angry, traumatised and resistant to almost everything the Inner Circle tries to do for her. But over time, training gives her structure. It becomes somewhere to direct her anger, a way to regain control over her body and, eventually, a path towards friendship.
Gwyn joins her. Then Emerie. Together, the three women begin incorporating ancient Valkyrie techniques into their sessions, and what starts as physical training gradually becomes something much bigger. The Valkyries do not simply return as a piece of history. Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie rebuild them in their own image.
That is part of what makes their friendship so significant. ACOTAR is full of mating bonds, blood relationships, magical destiny and ancient prophecy, but the bond between these three women is chosen. They become family because they decide to stand beside one another.
Nesta Archeron and the Return of the Valkyries
Nesta is the driving force behind the Valkyries’ rebirth, but her journey into that role is anything but straightforward. After being forced into the Cauldron and transformed into High Fae, Nesta emerges with immense and frightening power. Unlike Elain, whose transformation awakens her Sight, Nesta appears to take something from the Cauldron itself. That power manifests as silver flame and gives her an unusual connection to Made objects and ancient magic.
Yet raw power is not Nesta’s greatest problem in A Court of Silver Flames. She is grieving, furious and deeply traumatised by the war with Hybern, the loss of her human life and the death of her father. She pushes away almost everyone around her, including Feyre, Elain and Cassian, until her behaviour finally leads the Inner Circle to intervene.
Moving into the House of Wind and beginning training with Cassian becomes the beginning of a slow change. Nesta does not suddenly become softer or easier. She remains difficult, defensive and proud. What changes is that she begins to find purpose again. Training becomes less about being controlled by others and more about reclaiming control for herself.
The most important part of that process, however, may be the friendships she forms with Gwyn and Emerie. Feyre and Elain love Nesta, but the Archeron sisters carry years of resentment, guilt and family history between them. Cassian loves her, but their relationship is intense and complicated in its own way. Gwyn and Emerie meet Nesta as the person she is becoming. They do not ask her to return to who she was before.
Who Is Gwyneth Berdara?
Gwyneth Berdara, usually known simply as Gwyn, is a priestess who lives and works in the library beneath the House of Wind. She has red hair, a quick wit and a history shaped by devastating trauma. Before coming to the library, Gwyn lived at Sangravah, a temple that was attacked during the war with Hybern. Her twin sister, Catrin, was killed during the violence, and Gwyn survives with deep emotional scars.
The library becomes a sanctuary for her, a place where she can exist within a protected community of women who have also survived trauma. It is through Nesta’s work there that the two begin to form a friendship. Gwyn’s decision to join Nesta’s training is significant because it requires her to step outside the limits she has built around herself.
At first, she joins almost defiantly. Then she proves herself to be determined, disciplined and highly capable. Her progress mirrors Nesta’s in a different way. For both women, physical training is not simply about becoming stronger. It is about rediscovering trust in themselves.
Gwyn’s connection with Azriel has also become one of the most discussed relationships in the ACOTAR fandom. Azriel becomes involved in training the women alongside Cassian, bringing him into Gwyn’s orbit. Some readers see the foundations of a future romance between them, while others believe their connection will remain platonic or tied primarily to the Valkyries.
Nothing definitive has been confirmed. That distinction matters, especially because Azriel also has unresolved romantic tension with Elain Archeron. For now, what is certain is that Gwyn and Azriel share an established connection through training, the House of Wind and the Valkyries.
Who Is Emerie?
Emerie brings another important dimension to the Valkyries. She is an Illyrian woman who owns a shop in Windhaven and has experienced the brutality of Illyrian traditions firsthand. Her wings were clipped, permanently limiting her ability to fly, and her life gives readers a much closer view of the misogyny that still exists within Illyrian society.
Despite that, Emerie builds an independent life for herself. She runs her own business, supports herself and has a dry, resilient personality that makes her an immediate match for Nesta. When she begins training with Nesta and Gwyn, she is doing something Illyrian women have historically been actively discouraged from doing: learning to fight and becoming physically powerful.
That gives the reborn Valkyries a political dimension as well as a personal one. Nesta is a Made High Fae. Gwyn is a priestess emerging from sanctuary. Emerie is an Illyrian woman reclaiming strength inside a culture that tried to take it from her. Together, they represent three very different forms of recovery and resistance.
For more on Illyria, the Night Court and the wider political structure of Prythian, our ACOTAR Courts Explained guide breaks down the seven courts and their rulers.
How Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie Become the New Valkyries
One of the best parts of the Valkyrie storyline is that their friendship develops slowly. Nesta does not suddenly discover two perfect best friends. She is prickly and defensive. Gwyn is capable of giving as good as she gets. Emerie is independent and wary.
Their connection builds through repetition. Training. Books. Conversation. Shared jokes. Meals. Small moments of honesty. The House of Wind itself becomes an important part of their friendship, giving them somewhere they can read, talk, eat and simply exist together without judgement.
As their training develops, they begin studying techniques associated with the ancient Valkyries. These methods include far more than simply fighting with swords. Balance, breathing, control, mental discipline and physical precision become central to their progress.
The famous ribbon challenge becomes one of the clearest symbols of that growth. Cutting the ribbon requires precision rather than brute strength, and when the women begin succeeding at challenges that once seemed impossible, those small achievements mark how far they have come emotionally as well as physically.
The Valkyries are therefore not reborn in a single dramatic moment. They are rebuilt gradually, through repetition and trust.
The Blood Rite Proves the Valkyries Are Real
The reborn Valkyries’ biggest test comes during the Illyrian Blood Rite, a brutal tradition in which warriors are dropped into hostile territory without their usual magic and forced to survive while attempting to reach Ramiel.
Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie do not choose to take part. They are abducted and forced into it.
What follows becomes the ultimate test of everything they have learned. The women are placed inside a tradition created by Illyrian males and expected to fail. Instead, their Valkyrie training works.
More importantly, their loyalty to one another works.
They survive by cooperating rather than competing, and their success challenges long-standing assumptions about who gets to be considered a warrior in Prythian. By the end of the Blood Rite, the Valkyries are no longer an experiment or a nostalgic recreation of an old order.
They are real.
Why the Valkyries Matter Beyond A Court of Silver Flames
It would have been easy for the Valkyries to remain part of Nesta’s personal healing arc. The future of ACOTAR suggests otherwise.
The next phase of the series has officially been named The Valkyrie Cycle, beginning with A Court of Splintered Harmony. Whatever that title ultimately means, it dramatically raises the importance of everything Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie created in A Court of Silver Flames.
It does not automatically mean all three women will be the sole protagonists of the new books, or that every instalment will focus exclusively on them. ACOTAR has grown into an ensemble series, and characters including Elain, Lucien, Azriel, Vassa, Eris, Mor, Tamlin, Feyre and Rhysand all have unresolved stories.
Still, naming the next major arc after the Valkyries makes it very difficult to believe their role has ended.
Our ACOTAR 6 and 7 guide covers the latest confirmed information about the new books, their structure and the Valkyrie Cycle.
Nesta, Koschei and the Dread Trove
The future of the Valkyries also connects directly to one of ACOTAR’s biggest looming threats: Koschei the Deathless.
Koschei’s schemes have already crossed Nesta’s path. In A Court of Silver Flames, Queen Briallyn works with Koschei and seeks access to the extraordinary power of the Dread Trove. The Trove includes ancient Made objects that Nesta is uniquely capable of finding and wielding.
These objects include the Mask, Harp and Crown, each possessing dangerous abilities connected to death, space, reality and control. Nesta’s ability to use them comes from her own transformation in the Cauldron.
That means the woman at the centre of the reborn Valkyries is also one of the people most closely connected to some of Prythian’s most dangerous ancient magic.
It is another reason the Valkyries may become much more than a fighting group.
If Koschei returns as a major threat, Nesta’s powers, the Dread Trove and the Valkyries may become deeply interconnected.
One of the biggest questions surrounding Nesta is how much power she still has.
She begins A Court of Silver Flames with immense power taken from the Cauldron, but by the end of the book she gives up much of it while saving Feyre, Rhysand and their son Nyx during the disastrous birth.
However, Nesta does not appear to lose everything.
Exactly what remains is unclear, and later events in the wider Sarah J. Maas universe make her role even more interesting.
That brings us to Crescent City.
The links between Maas’s worlds are no longer just subtle Easter eggs. Events in the Crescent City series bring Bryce Quinlan directly into contact with characters from Prythian, with Nesta and Azriel becoming especially important.
Ancient weapons, forgotten histories and mysteries about Prythian’s past suddenly take on greater significance. Nesta finds herself connected to forces much older than the modern Night Court and to questions that extend beyond ACOTAR itself.
One of the most interesting possibilities is that Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie are only the beginning.
Other women have already participated in training, which leaves open the possibility that the Valkyries could grow from a trio into a genuine organisation.
That could have serious implications for the Night Court, particularly in Illyria.
Rhysand and Cassian have spent years attempting to reform the treatment of Illyrian females, but cultural change has been slow. The Valkyries offer a different route. Rather than waiting for entrenched traditions to change, women can build something of their own.
Emerie makes this particularly powerful. Her clipped wings are a permanent reminder of what Illyrian society has done to generations of females. Training as a Valkyrie therefore carries political meaning whether she intends it to or not.
If more Illyrian women begin training, the Valkyries could gradually challenge the existing balance of power within the camps. Change imposed from above by Rhys or Cassian is one thing. Change created by the women themselves is another.
What Comes Next for Gwyn?
Gwyn’s story still feels very open.
She has moved beyond some of the isolation that defined her life after Sangravah, but her journey into the wider world is only beginning. Her friendship with Nesta and Emerie, her role as a Valkyrie and her connection with Azriel all leave room for substantial development.
There are also many fan theories about Gwyn’s ancestry and possible magical abilities. Some are intriguing, but none should currently be treated as fact.
The important thing is that Gwyn has been positioned as more than a supporting character. She has a history, relationships and unresolved questions that could easily carry into future books.
What Comes Next for Emerie?
Emerie has just as much unrealised potential.
Her position in Illyria gives her access to an area of the Night Court that remains culturally and politically unstable. She understands the realities of life for Illyrian women in a way that Nesta and Gwyn never fully can, and her independent life and business give her a role outside the House of Wind.
Through Emerie, the Valkyrie storyline could move beyond Velaris and directly into Illyrian society.
There is also her connection to Morrigan, another thread that has attracted significant fan attention. Some readers believe Maas may eventually develop a romantic relationship between Mor and Emerie. At this stage, that remains theory rather than confirmed canon.
Still, both characters have unresolved personal stories, which makes their future worth watching.
Why the Name Valkyrie Cycle Matters
The word “cycle” is interesting because it suggests something larger than a single story.
It also fits one of the major themes running through recent ACOTAR books: history returning, repeating or being remade.
The Valkyries existed before. Then they disappeared. Now they are back.
Ancient weapons are resurfacing. Forgotten truths about Prythian are being uncovered. Old enemies are returning. Long-dormant alliances may become necessary again.
The Valkyries fit naturally into that larger pattern. They represent something lost that has been found again, but they are not returning exactly as they were.
Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie are creating something new from something ancient.
That may turn out to be the whole point.
Are the Valkyries Based on Norse Mythology?
The name has clear roots in Norse mythology, where Valkyries are female figures associated with battle and the fate of warriors.
Sarah J. Maas frequently draws inspiration from mythology, folklore and fairytales without recreating those stories exactly. The ACOTAR Valkyries therefore share the warrior identity and mythic resonance of their namesakes while existing within Maas’s own history and fantasy world.
The same is true of other elements in ACOTAR. Koschei, for example, has roots in Slavic folklore, although the version that appears in Prythian is very much part of Maas’s own mythology.
Why Fans Love Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie
The appeal of the Valkyries is not simply that they become powerful.
Their story is about rebuilding.
Nesta is rebuilding a life she nearly destroyed. Gwyn is rebuilding a sense of safety after unimaginable violence. Emerie is building freedom inside a culture that tried to physically limit her.
None of them begins as an ideal fantasy heroine.
They struggle. They retreat. They get angry. They fail.
Then they show up again.
Their friendship also offers something different from the grand romances and magical bonds that dominate so much of ACOTAR. Sometimes the most important person in your life is not the person fate selects for you.
Sometimes it is the friend who stands beside you while you learn how to hold a sword.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Valkyries in ACOTAR
Who are the Valkyries in ACOTAR?
The reborn Valkyries are centred around Nesta Archeron, Gwyneth Berdara and Emerie. They revive the training methods and traditions of the ancient female warrior order during A Court of Silver Flames.
Are Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie all Valkyries?
Yes. Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie embrace the Valkyrie identity and train using techniques associated with the ancient warriors.
Which ACOTAR book introduces the new Valkyries?
The modern revival of the Valkyries takes place in A Court of Silver Flames.
Is Gwyn a Valkyrie?
Yes. Gwyn trains alongside Nesta and Emerie and becomes one of the central members of the reborn Valkyries.
Is Emerie a Valkyrie?
Yes. Emerie trains with Nesta and Gwyn and becomes part of the new Valkyrie sisterhood.
Is Nesta the leader of the Valkyries?
Nesta is the driving force behind their revival and the character through whom readers primarily experience their creation, although the group itself is built around friendship and cooperation rather than rigid hierarchy.
What is the Valkyrie Cycle?
The Valkyrie Cycle is the official name for the next major ACOTAR story arc. A Court of Splintered Harmony begins that new phase. You can read our complete Valkyrie Cycle guide here.
Will Gwyn and Azriel get together?
Their future relationship has not been confirmed. Gwyn and Azriel develop a connection through Valkyrie training, while Azriel also has unresolved romantic tension with Elain.
Will Emerie and Mor get together?
This remains a popular reader theory rather than a confirmed relationship.
Will the Valkyries be important in future ACOTAR books?
The official naming of the new story arc as the Valkyrie Cycle strongly suggests they will remain important, although exactly how Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie fit into the wider story has not yet been fully revealed.
What Comes Next for the Valkyries?
That may now be one of the biggest questions in ACOTAR.
Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie begin as three women learning how to survive, but what they create could become something much larger. Prythian is entering another dangerous period. Koschei remains a threat. Political alliances are fragile. Ancient magic is resurfacing. The Night Court itself is facing new divisions, and the wider Maas universe has revealed that Prythian’s history is stranger and more complicated than many of its inhabitants realised.
Against that backdrop, the Valkyries are returning.
Not as ghosts from the past, and not as a perfect recreation of something that once existed.
As something new.
Whatever comes next for Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie, A Court of Silver Flames increasingly feels less like the conclusion of their story and more like the beginning.
The Valkyries have gone from an almost-forgotten part of Prythian’s history to one of the most important forces in Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses universe. Reborn through the friendship of Nesta Archeron, Gwyneth Berdara and Emerie in A Court of Silver Flames, the female warrior group now looks set to play an even greater role in the future of ACOTAR. If you need to go back to the beginning first, our complete ACOTAR reading order and character guide covers the series so far, while our guide to A Court of Splintered Harmony, A Court of Forgotten Melody and the Valkyrie Cycle looks at what has officially been revealed about the next stage of the story. And if you are trying to work out how all of this connects to Sarah J. Maas’s increasingly complicated wider universe, our guide to how ACOTAR, Crescent City and Throne of Glass interconnect is worth bookmarking too.
But who exactly are the Valkyries? Why did Nesta decide to revive them? What makes Gwyn and Emerie so important, and what could the officially named Valkyrie Cycle mean for the future of ACOTAR?
Here is everything you need to know.
Warning: major spoilers for A Court of Silver Flames and references to events across the wider ACOTAR and Crescent City series follow.
Who Are the Valkyries in ACOTAR?
The Valkyries were an ancient order of elite female warriors in Prythian. Long before Feyre, Nesta or Rhysand’s Inner Circle, they were renowned for their fighting ability, discipline and distinctive training methods. By the modern ACOTAR era, however, the original Valkyries are long gone, surviving largely through old stories, historical records and forgotten techniques.
That changes in A Court of Silver Flames. Nesta Archeron begins training with Cassian as part of her difficult attempt to rebuild her life after the war with Hybern. At first, the training feels like punishment. Nesta is angry, traumatised and resistant to almost everything the Inner Circle tries to do for her. But over time, training gives her structure. It becomes somewhere to direct her anger, a way to regain control over her body and, eventually, a path towards friendship.
Gwyn joins her. Then Emerie. Together, the three women begin incorporating ancient Valkyrie techniques into their sessions, and what starts as physical training gradually becomes something much bigger. The Valkyries do not simply return as a piece of history. Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie rebuild them in their own image.
That is part of what makes their friendship so significant. ACOTAR is full of mating bonds, blood relationships, magical destiny and ancient prophecy, but the bond between these three women is chosen. They become family because they decide to stand beside one another.
Nesta Archeron and the Return of the Valkyries
Nesta is the driving force behind the Valkyries’ rebirth, but her journey into that role is anything but straightforward. After being forced into the Cauldron and transformed into High Fae, Nesta emerges with immense and frightening power. Unlike Elain, whose transformation awakens her Sight, Nesta appears to take something from the Cauldron itself. That power manifests as silver flame and gives her an unusual connection to Made objects and ancient magic.
Yet raw power is not Nesta’s greatest problem in A Court of Silver Flames. She is grieving, furious and deeply traumatised by the war with Hybern, the loss of her human life and the death of her father. She pushes away almost everyone around her, including Feyre, Elain and Cassian, until her behaviour finally leads the Inner Circle to intervene.
Moving into the House of Wind and beginning training with Cassian becomes the beginning of a slow change. Nesta does not suddenly become softer or easier. She remains difficult, defensive and proud. What changes is that she begins to find purpose again. Training becomes less about being controlled by others and more about reclaiming control for herself.
The most important part of that process, however, may be the friendships she forms with Gwyn and Emerie. Feyre and Elain love Nesta, but the Archeron sisters carry years of resentment, guilt and family history between them. Cassian loves her, but their relationship is intense and complicated in its own way. Gwyn and Emerie meet Nesta as the person she is becoming. They do not ask her to return to who she was before.
Who Is Gwyneth Berdara?
Gwyneth Berdara, usually known simply as Gwyn, is a priestess who lives and works in the library beneath the House of Wind. She has red hair, a quick wit and a history shaped by devastating trauma. Before coming to the library, Gwyn lived at Sangravah, a temple that was attacked during the war with Hybern. Her twin sister, Catrin, was killed during the violence, and Gwyn survives with deep emotional scars.
The library becomes a sanctuary for her, a place where she can exist within a protected community of women who have also survived trauma. It is through Nesta’s work there that the two begin to form a friendship. Gwyn’s decision to join Nesta’s training is significant because it requires her to step outside the limits she has built around herself.
At first, she joins almost defiantly. Then she proves herself to be determined, disciplined and highly capable. Her progress mirrors Nesta’s in a different way. For both women, physical training is not simply about becoming stronger. It is about rediscovering trust in themselves.
Gwyn’s connection with Azriel has also become one of the most discussed relationships in the ACOTAR fandom. Azriel becomes involved in training the women alongside Cassian, bringing him into Gwyn’s orbit. Some readers see the foundations of a future romance between them, while others believe their connection will remain platonic or tied primarily to the Valkyries.
Nothing definitive has been confirmed. That distinction matters, especially because Azriel also has unresolved romantic tension with Elain Archeron. For now, what is certain is that Gwyn and Azriel share an established connection through training, the House of Wind and the Valkyries.
Who Is Emerie?
Emerie brings another important dimension to the Valkyries. She is an Illyrian woman who owns a shop in Windhaven and has experienced the brutality of Illyrian traditions firsthand. Her wings were clipped, permanently limiting her ability to fly, and her life gives readers a much closer view of the misogyny that still exists within Illyrian society.
Despite that, Emerie builds an independent life for herself. She runs her own business, supports herself and has a dry, resilient personality that makes her an immediate match for Nesta. When she begins training with Nesta and Gwyn, she is doing something Illyrian women have historically been actively discouraged from doing: learning to fight and becoming physically powerful.
That gives the reborn Valkyries a political dimension as well as a personal one. Nesta is a Made High Fae. Gwyn is a priestess emerging from sanctuary. Emerie is an Illyrian woman reclaiming strength inside a culture that tried to take it from her. Together, they represent three very different forms of recovery and resistance.
For more on Illyria, the Night Court and the wider political structure of Prythian, our ACOTAR Courts Explained guide breaks down the seven courts and their rulers.
How Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie Become the New Valkyries
One of the best parts of the Valkyrie storyline is that their friendship develops slowly. Nesta does not suddenly discover two perfect best friends. She is prickly and defensive. Gwyn is capable of giving as good as she gets. Emerie is independent and wary.
Their connection builds through repetition. Training. Books. Conversation. Shared jokes. Meals. Small moments of honesty. The House of Wind itself becomes an important part of their friendship, giving them somewhere they can read, talk, eat and simply exist together without judgement.
As their training develops, they begin studying techniques associated with the ancient Valkyries. These methods include far more than simply fighting with swords. Balance, breathing, control, mental discipline and physical precision become central to their progress.
The famous ribbon challenge becomes one of the clearest symbols of that growth. Cutting the ribbon requires precision rather than brute strength, and when the women begin succeeding at challenges that once seemed impossible, those small achievements mark how far they have come emotionally as well as physically.
The Valkyries are therefore not reborn in a single dramatic moment. They are rebuilt gradually, through repetition and trust.
The Blood Rite Proves the Valkyries Are Real
The reborn Valkyries’ biggest test comes during the Illyrian Blood Rite, a brutal tradition in which warriors are dropped into hostile territory without their usual magic and forced to survive while attempting to reach Ramiel.
Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie do not choose to take part. They are abducted and forced into it.
What follows becomes the ultimate test of everything they have learned. The women are placed inside a tradition created by Illyrian males and expected to fail. Instead, their Valkyrie training works.
More importantly, their loyalty to one another works.
They survive by cooperating rather than competing, and their success challenges long-standing assumptions about who gets to be considered a warrior in Prythian. By the end of the Blood Rite, the Valkyries are no longer an experiment or a nostalgic recreation of an old order.
They are real.
Why the Valkyries Matter Beyond A Court of Silver Flames
It would have been easy for the Valkyries to remain part of Nesta’s personal healing arc. The future of ACOTAR suggests otherwise.
The next phase of the series has officially been named The Valkyrie Cycle, beginning with A Court of Splintered Harmony. Whatever that title ultimately means, it dramatically raises the importance of everything Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie created in A Court of Silver Flames.
It does not automatically mean all three women will be the sole protagonists of the new books, or that every instalment will focus exclusively on them. ACOTAR has grown into an ensemble series, and characters including Elain, Lucien, Azriel, Vassa, Eris, Mor, Tamlin, Feyre and Rhysand all have unresolved stories.
Still, naming the next major arc after the Valkyries makes it very difficult to believe their role has ended.
Our ACOTAR 6 and 7 guide covers the latest confirmed information about the new books, their structure and the Valkyrie Cycle.
Nesta, Koschei and the Dread Trove
The future of the Valkyries also connects directly to one of ACOTAR’s biggest looming threats: Koschei the Deathless.
Koschei’s schemes have already crossed Nesta’s path. In A Court of Silver Flames, Queen Briallyn works with Koschei and seeks access to the extraordinary power of the Dread Trove. The Trove includes ancient Made objects that Nesta is uniquely capable of finding and wielding.
These objects include the Mask, Harp and Crown, each possessing dangerous abilities connected to death, space, reality and control. Nesta’s ability to use them comes from her own transformation in the Cauldron.
That means the woman at the centre of the reborn Valkyries is also one of the people most closely connected to some of Prythian’s most dangerous ancient magic.
It is another reason the Valkyries may become much more than a fighting group.
If Koschei returns as a major threat, Nesta’s powers, the Dread Trove and the Valkyries may become deeply interconnected.
If you need a refresher on him, our full guide to Koschei the Deathless, his powers, history and possible role in ACOTAR covers everything we know so far.
How Powerful Is Nesta Now?
One of the biggest questions surrounding Nesta is how much power she still has.
She begins A Court of Silver Flames with immense power taken from the Cauldron, but by the end of the book she gives up much of it while saving Feyre, Rhysand and their son Nyx during the disastrous birth.
However, Nesta does not appear to lose everything.
Exactly what remains is unclear, and later events in the wider Sarah J. Maas universe make her role even more interesting.
That brings us to Crescent City.
The links between Maas’s worlds are no longer just subtle Easter eggs. Events in the Crescent City series bring Bryce Quinlan directly into contact with characters from Prythian, with Nesta and Azriel becoming especially important.
Ancient weapons, forgotten histories and mysteries about Prythian’s past suddenly take on greater significance. Nesta finds herself connected to forces much older than the modern Night Court and to questions that extend beyond ACOTAR itself.
If you have not read the series yet, our Crescent City reading guide is an easy place to start. For the full spoiler-filled picture, read our guide to how ACOTAR, Crescent City and Throne of Glass connect.
Could More Women Join the Valkyries?
One of the most interesting possibilities is that Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie are only the beginning.
Other women have already participated in training, which leaves open the possibility that the Valkyries could grow from a trio into a genuine organisation.
That could have serious implications for the Night Court, particularly in Illyria.
Rhysand and Cassian have spent years attempting to reform the treatment of Illyrian females, but cultural change has been slow. The Valkyries offer a different route. Rather than waiting for entrenched traditions to change, women can build something of their own.
Emerie makes this particularly powerful. Her clipped wings are a permanent reminder of what Illyrian society has done to generations of females. Training as a Valkyrie therefore carries political meaning whether she intends it to or not.
If more Illyrian women begin training, the Valkyries could gradually challenge the existing balance of power within the camps. Change imposed from above by Rhys or Cassian is one thing. Change created by the women themselves is another.
What Comes Next for Gwyn?
Gwyn’s story still feels very open.
She has moved beyond some of the isolation that defined her life after Sangravah, but her journey into the wider world is only beginning. Her friendship with Nesta and Emerie, her role as a Valkyrie and her connection with Azriel all leave room for substantial development.
There are also many fan theories about Gwyn’s ancestry and possible magical abilities. Some are intriguing, but none should currently be treated as fact.
The important thing is that Gwyn has been positioned as more than a supporting character. She has a history, relationships and unresolved questions that could easily carry into future books.
What Comes Next for Emerie?
Emerie has just as much unrealised potential.
Her position in Illyria gives her access to an area of the Night Court that remains culturally and politically unstable. She understands the realities of life for Illyrian women in a way that Nesta and Gwyn never fully can, and her independent life and business give her a role outside the House of Wind.
Through Emerie, the Valkyrie storyline could move beyond Velaris and directly into Illyrian society.
There is also her connection to Morrigan, another thread that has attracted significant fan attention. Some readers believe Maas may eventually develop a romantic relationship between Mor and Emerie. At this stage, that remains theory rather than confirmed canon.
Still, both characters have unresolved personal stories, which makes their future worth watching.
Why the Name Valkyrie Cycle Matters
The word “cycle” is interesting because it suggests something larger than a single story.
It also fits one of the major themes running through recent ACOTAR books: history returning, repeating or being remade.
The Valkyries existed before. Then they disappeared. Now they are back.
Ancient weapons are resurfacing. Forgotten truths about Prythian are being uncovered. Old enemies are returning. Long-dormant alliances may become necessary again.
The Valkyries fit naturally into that larger pattern. They represent something lost that has been found again, but they are not returning exactly as they were.
Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie are creating something new from something ancient.
That may turn out to be the whole point.
Are the Valkyries Based on Norse Mythology?
The name has clear roots in Norse mythology, where Valkyries are female figures associated with battle and the fate of warriors.
Sarah J. Maas frequently draws inspiration from mythology, folklore and fairytales without recreating those stories exactly. The ACOTAR Valkyries therefore share the warrior identity and mythic resonance of their namesakes while existing within Maas’s own history and fantasy world.
The same is true of other elements in ACOTAR. Koschei, for example, has roots in Slavic folklore, although the version that appears in Prythian is very much part of Maas’s own mythology.
Why Fans Love Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie
The appeal of the Valkyries is not simply that they become powerful.
Their story is about rebuilding.
Nesta is rebuilding a life she nearly destroyed. Gwyn is rebuilding a sense of safety after unimaginable violence. Emerie is building freedom inside a culture that tried to physically limit her.
None of them begins as an ideal fantasy heroine.
They struggle. They retreat. They get angry. They fail.
Then they show up again.
Their friendship also offers something different from the grand romances and magical bonds that dominate so much of ACOTAR. Sometimes the most important person in your life is not the person fate selects for you.
Sometimes it is the friend who stands beside you while you learn how to hold a sword.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Valkyries in ACOTAR
Who are the Valkyries in ACOTAR?
The reborn Valkyries are centred around Nesta Archeron, Gwyneth Berdara and Emerie. They revive the training methods and traditions of the ancient female warrior order during A Court of Silver Flames.
Are Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie all Valkyries?
Yes. Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie embrace the Valkyrie identity and train using techniques associated with the ancient warriors.
Which ACOTAR book introduces the new Valkyries?
The modern revival of the Valkyries takes place in A Court of Silver Flames.
Is Gwyn a Valkyrie?
Yes. Gwyn trains alongside Nesta and Emerie and becomes one of the central members of the reborn Valkyries.
Is Emerie a Valkyrie?
Yes. Emerie trains with Nesta and Gwyn and becomes part of the new Valkyrie sisterhood.
Is Nesta the leader of the Valkyries?
Nesta is the driving force behind their revival and the character through whom readers primarily experience their creation, although the group itself is built around friendship and cooperation rather than rigid hierarchy.
What is the Valkyrie Cycle?
The Valkyrie Cycle is the official name for the next major ACOTAR story arc. A Court of Splintered Harmony begins that new phase. You can read our complete Valkyrie Cycle guide here.
Will Gwyn and Azriel get together?
Their future relationship has not been confirmed. Gwyn and Azriel develop a connection through Valkyrie training, while Azriel also has unresolved romantic tension with Elain.
Will Emerie and Mor get together?
This remains a popular reader theory rather than a confirmed relationship.
Will the Valkyries be important in future ACOTAR books?
The official naming of the new story arc as the Valkyrie Cycle strongly suggests they will remain important, although exactly how Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie fit into the wider story has not yet been fully revealed.
What Comes Next for the Valkyries?
That may now be one of the biggest questions in ACOTAR.
Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie begin as three women learning how to survive, but what they create could become something much larger. Prythian is entering another dangerous period. Koschei remains a threat. Political alliances are fragile. Ancient magic is resurfacing. The Night Court itself is facing new divisions, and the wider Maas universe has revealed that Prythian’s history is stranger and more complicated than many of its inhabitants realised.
Against that backdrop, the Valkyries are returning.
Not as ghosts from the past, and not as a perfect recreation of something that once existed.
As something new.
Whatever comes next for Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie, A Court of Silver Flames increasingly feels less like the conclusion of their story and more like the beginning.
What to Read Next
Continue exploring Sarah J. Maas’s world with our complete ACOTAR reading order and character guide, discover everything we know about A Court of Splintered Harmony, A Court of Forgotten Melody and the Valkyrie Cycle, meet Koschei the Deathless, explore the seven ACOTAR courts or discover how ACOTAR, Crescent City and Throne of Glass connect.
Still suffering from an ACOTAR book hangover? Here are the best books to read after ACOTAR, or escape Prythian completely with our guide to real-world destinations that feel like the ACOTAR universe.
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