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Chapter 40
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in A Court of Thorns and Roses, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Love and Pain
Compassion, Respect, and Difference
Responsibility and Sacrifice
Art, Beauty, and Poverty
Summary
Analysis
Feyre disassociates for the next several days. She looks forward to losing consciousness thanks to the wine, and she’s certain she’ll fail Tamlin and die during the third task. Nothing seems to matter anymore. But one evening, Feyre and Rhysand’s servants hear the Attor coming, along with a different voice. The servants whip Feyre into an alcove and hide the three of them. The Attor and its companion are discussing something that’s ready and question whether the High Lords will give forces. The companion shares that the High King isn’t pleased about Feyre, and he fears this will ruin his chances again. The Attor insists Amarantha will win, and the other creature notes that the king can take away her powers. Feyre flashes on Alis’s warning not to trust her senses as the creatures disappear. She realizes the servants are Rhysand’s spies.
During her family’s years in poverty, Feyre was motivated by a drive to survive and resentment toward her family. She’s also been motivated by love, first for her family and then for Tamlin. Now, though, with no reward in sight for her sacrifices, Feyre continues to lose hope. This begins to change when she overhears this conversation between some creature and the Attor. Once again, she doesn’t understand what exactly she’s hearing—but it’s enough to suggest that Amarantha is basically out of friends. It also tells her, for certain, that Rhysand is working against Amarantha and has other faeries (like these servants) on his side.
Themes
One day, Feyre is watching water drip when a beautiful melody seems to come through a vent. It’s passionate and beautiful, and Feyre can almost see it. It makes her feel like she’s watching a sunset or sunrise, and she cries. The music reminds her of Tamlin and reminds her of what her goal is. Finally, the song ends, but Feyre doesn’t forget it.
