Summary

• The High Lord and his right and left hand share a strong bromance that propels the plot and adds color to the books.
• On the other hand, the new Valkyries have given readers a chance to see their bond form from the beginning.
• The favorite trio is largely up to the reader's taste and what they're looking for in a friendship bond.

In Sarah J. Maas' The Court of Thorns and Roses books – and characters – are flawed, but beloved for many reasons, most of all their excellent character dynamics and the relationship arcs between them. Alliances are always shifting and new romances blossoming, making for a read that is anything but static and stagnant.

Still, even though relationships and acquaintances are always growing and changing, there are a few stalwart relationships that are rock-solid throughout the books. The first of those is the trio of Cassian, Rhysand, and Azriel, the so-called "bat boys" of the ACOTAR books. But a new friendship in the series which looks to strongly impact the narrative moving forward is another trio that has quickly endeared itself to readers: Gwyn, Nesta, and Emerie.

Why Rhys, Cassian, & Azriel Are The Best Trio

The Bromance Is Great

The bromance of the High Lord of the Night Court and his right and left hand is one of the strongest threads underpinning the entirety of the ACOTAR series. From the moment Rhysand introduced his "brothers," it was clear they would be the backbone of the series. Their dynamic propels so much of the color of the books, as well as the plot, and their character work is strong enough to gloss over some of the weaker writing in the books. There aren't any scenes between them that aren't entertaining, and it's always a great time when the three of them are together.

They've Had Deep History Together

Part of the reason the three characters have so much chemistry together is because of their lengthy and tumultuous history together. That bond clearly runs deep between the three; despite them not being related by blood, they love each other as fiercely and devotedly as any blood brothers. Their history is bound together by the tortuous training they underwent as Illyrian warriors, as well as the Blood Rite. Even though they never elaborate much on the exact nature of the Blood Rite, or the exact things they endured in the Illyrian war camp, it's clear they've seen things at each other's side that have cemented their bond into something unbreakable.

Their Witty Banter

Rhys, Cassian, and Azriel never let an opportunity to dunk on each other go by. Usually, it's Rhys and Cassian doing the heavy lifting, with Cassian being the motormouth and Rhys enjoying witty repartee, but even Azriel gets in a good zinger every now and then thanks to his keen observational skills. The three tease each other as only siblings can do, three men who know each other inside and out and love each other enough to know exactly what buttons to push. Their banter is some of the best parts of the books, and certainly the funniest. In fact, we'd be perfectly happy with a spinoff of just the three of them quipping back and forth.

They Saved Each Other

All those jokes at each other's expense come from the heart of a relationship that has been forged in the darkest of times. Their bond is so deep not just because they have endured much, but because they endured it together and only survived because of each other. Even before the Blood Rite, they saved each other as children, whether it was Azriel from abuse, Cassian from homelessness, or Rhys simply from loneliness. The three boys found each other and made each other stronger, and their deep affection and gratitude for the other shines through the banter. Under the joking, there's deep love.

A Court of Thorns and Roses is a romantasy book, and there are few things hotter for readers with a competency kink than having not one, but three incredibly competent men.

Their Fearsome Reputation

A Court of Thorns and Roses is a romantasy book, and there are few things hotter for readers with a competency kink than having not one, but three incredibly competent men. Rhys is the High Lord of the Night Court. Cassian is the commander of his Illyrian legions. And Azriel is his spymaster and shadowsinger. Each of them are at the top of their game, gifted with unique and prodigious abilities that make their characters a lot of fun simply because they can do things other characters can't. They're over-the-top in how special they are – but their special makes them special. It's great.

Why Nesta, Gwyn, & Emerie Are The Best Trio

We Got To See Them Grow From The Beginning

While there's a lot of backstory with the bat boys, what's great about the new trio of Nesta, Gwyn, and Emerie is that readers have gotten to see their friendship from the start. It gives a context and richness to their friendship that can only be relayed in hindsight and flashback anecdotes with the original trio. Witnessing the women's unbreakable bond being forged from its earliest steps has been really gratifying in a way Cassian, Rhys, and Azriel's friendship can't be simply because we never got to see the first five hundred years of their friendship. With the girls, we get to see the story from its inception.

Witnessing the women's unbreakable bond being forged from its earliest steps has been really gratifying in a way Cassian, Rhys, and Azriel's friendship can't be simply because we never got to see the first five hundred years of their friendship.

Their Valkyrie Training

Watching Nesta, Gwyn, and Emerie go through the Valkyrie training, grab the ribbon, and carry each other to the top of the mountain to win the Blood Rite has been so deeply satisfying. While women in the ACOTAR books can be trained as warriors, too often they're prioritized as breeders first and foremost, including Feyre after a certain point. Watching Nesta, Gwyn, and Emerie resurrect the ancient Valkyrie regiment solely for themselves and for no one else was incredibly inspiring, especially because so many other male characters thought it couldn't be done. They worked for it, and they absolutely deserved it as much as any Illyrian.

Their Female Bond (& The Friendship Bracelets)

While Cassian, Azriel, and Rhys bond through banter and snowball fights, Emerie, Nesta, and Gwyn bond in a different way. Their friendship is uniquely female, and unapologetically so. Sleepovers and gossip and vulnerability are part of their bond in a way it's simply not a part of the men's friendship, and it's equally wonderful in a different way, providing a balance to the original Illyrian trio. The scene of them making friendship bracelets is one that was initially written off by some readers, but proved to be so much deeper and more significant than anyone could have guessed. It made their friendship that much richer.

Their Love Of Smut

One of the most delightful traits of Nesta, Gwyn, and Emerie is that they're audience surrogates for the readers: their love of smutty romance books is not exactly subtly coded or quiet subtext. The rate at which they swap romance books and devour spicy books is tongue-in-cheek meta and hilarious because it's so relatable. Best of all, they don't deny it and aren't ashamed of it. Even when Cassian teases Nesta about her love of smut, she merely shrugs it off and talks to her girls about it – heck, it's what gets them through their grueling Valkyrie training sessions half the time. It's so genuinely endearing, and a great part of their friendship.

They Healed Each Other

Just as Cassian, Rhys, and Azriel saved each other, Nesta, Emerie, and Gwyn healed each other. All three women have been through deep trauma. Nesta was thrown into the Cauldron and Made and then saw her father die. Emerie had her wings cut and lost her ability to fly. Gwyn was raped and watched her sister murdered in front of her. Their friendship is wonderful in how healing it was for all three of them, with all three women dragging each other out of the darkness and back into their own inner strength and agency. For that alone, their A Court of Thorns and Roses arc has been beautiful, and it will be great to see how their story continues in the next book.