🥒 Before there was Tamlin, there was Tam Lin. 🥒

This week, we're diving into the 500-year-old Scottish ballad

that inspired A Court of Thorns and Roses—and spoiler alert:

the parallels are EVERYWHERE.

In this episode:

✨ The original Ballad of Tam Lin—the full story

✨ Janet, the badass heroine who defies warnings

✨ Tam Lin, the cursed fairy knight held captive

✨ The Fairy Queen as the original possessive villain

✨ The trials, transformations, and rescue

✨ How Sarah J. Maas adapted the ballad for ACOTAR

✨ The parallels: Feyre/Janet, Tamlin/Tam Lin, Amarantha/Fairy Queen

✨ Where SJM stayed faithful and where she diverged

✨ The brilliant subversion—what if the rescue ISN'T the happy ending?

We're discussing:

💚 How knowing the source material changes how you read ACOTAR

💚 The folklore elements woven throughout the series

💚 Is Rhysand the TRUE Tam Lin of the story?

💚 Female agency in both the ballad and ACOTAR

💚 The fiddle (yes, we're talking about the fiddle)

💚 Why SJM made the changes she did

💚 Whether ACOMAF is a subversion or betrayal of the source

This is for the literary nerds, the folklore lovers, and

anyone who's ever wondered why Tamlin felt so... folkloric.

Turns out, it's because he IS.

FULL SPOILERS for ACOTAR series (because we can't help

ourselves when discussing the parallels).

Tell us: Did you know about the Ballad of Tam Lin? Does it

change how you see ACOTAR?

DM us @PicklePartyPod! 💚

#PickleParty #TamLin #ACOTAR #SarahJMaas #ScottishFolklore

#BookTok #Romantasy #Folklore

🥒 War is coming. And Feyre has a plan. 🥒Welcome to ACOWAR Part 1, covering Chapters 1-43: Feyre's time as a spy in Spring Court, her systematic destruction of Tamlin's court from within, and the desperate race to unite the courts against Hybern.In this episode:✨ Feyre's double life as Tamlin's "captive" High Lady✨ How she destroys Spring Court from the inside✨ The moment she escapes back to the Night Court✨ Reuniting with Rhys and the Inner Circle✨ The sisters' arcs: Nesta training, Elain struggling✨ Building alliances across Prythian✨ Meeting the High Lords and their courts✨ The Dawn Court summit—all the courts in one room✨ Tensions, negotiations, and old wounds✨ Preparing for war with HybernWe're discussing:💚 Feyre's revenge on Spring Court—justified or too far?💚 Tamlin's downfall—do we feel bad for him?💚 Ianthe getting what she deserves💚 The High Lords meeting—who shined, who disappointed?💚 Elain's visions and her role💚 The political maneuvering and alliance-building💚 Whether Feyre's actions as a spy were morally rightThis is ACOWAR Part 1: the setup, the strategy, the alliances. The war hasn't started yet, but the pieces are moving into place.FULL SPOILERS for ACOWAR Chapters 1-43.Part 2 coming soon—covering the actual war, the battles, and the ending that changed everything.Tell us: Do you think Feyre went too far with Spring Court? Which High Lord is your favorite? Are you ready for war?DM us @PicklePartyPod! 💚#PickleParty #ACOWAR #ACourtOfWingsAndRuin #SarahJMaas #BookTok #Romantasy #Feysand #HighLords

Episode 10 is for the girls—the real ones, the ride-or-dies, the “burn the world down for you” kind of friendships.

This week on Pickle Party, we’re making the case that the most important relationships in romantasy aren’t the romances… they’re the female friendships. From Bryce and Danika to the Wallflowers, Violet and Rhiannon, and the Valkyries of the Night Court—we’re diving into the bonds that actually shape these stories, carry the characters, and honestly? Hurt the most.

We’re talking chosen family, loyalty, grief, healing, and the kind of friendships that make these women whole in ways romance never could.

Because a love interest might be the plot…

but a best friend? She’s the foundation.

💚 Hot Pickle, Cold Take: Are female friendships actually more important than the romance?

💬 Listener Challenge: Which Valkyrie are you—and which fictional friendship hit you the hardest?

Grab your wine, text your person, and press play.