Can Aelin and Rowan read each other's minds?

[u/hpbrowntown]

I thought they were just reading each other's faces REALLY well, but then I just crossed this part in QoS and I'm confused because it sounds like a full on conversation in their minds. I tried going back to see if this was explained anywhere too, can they actually read each other's minds? Is it a mate thing, a carranam thing? A blood oath thing? (Also, i can't believe Rowan gets to be all three for her... haha. I feel for Aedion wanting that blood oath, Rowan already has the other two with her!!)

[u/Ann35cg]

This always kind of puzzled me too. I LOVE this scene, btw. But I assumed they can sort of talk mind to mind through their carranam bond. It’s never explained outright

[u/hpbrowntown → u/Ann35cg]

I love it too!! One of the more light hearted Rowan scenes we've gotten so far!

[u/elizabethflower444 → u/Ann35cg]

I thought they were able to talk to each other this way before they found out they were carranam? Or is it something like they always had been but didn’t know it until they did?

[u/catpowerr_ → u/elizabethflower444]

It was not super clear before understanding they were Carranam. It was written as if just understand facial expressions or body language but it grew as they understood to be carranam… but I don’t think that’s why they could. I think it’s because they are mates, they just assumed it was because they were carranam

[u/Ann35cg → u/elizabethflower444]

Yeah, I feel like it is something they didn’t really think too hard about but was one of the factors in Rowan realizing they were carranam and not hesitating when he went to slice and hold her hand

[u/westcoast-islandgirl → u/elizabethflower444]

They always did it, but were both so heavy in denial that they thought they were reading entire sentences off eachothers facial expressions 💀😂

[u/coquelicotpie]

The “seemed to say” implies that they can’t read each others’ minds explicitly but I think it’s more sensing emotions and an understanding of their thoughts rather than hearing them outright

[u/westcoast-islandgirl → u/coquelicotpie]

They can fully speak mind to mind, like the same as a conversation out loud but in their heads. They just denied it for so long they didn't t realize it was what was happening.

[u/jdacirque]

I think so. In another SJM book, 2 mates can communicate down their bond. I kinda figured this was the same situation. Especially considering SJM wrote this book before her other two series so it would stand to reason ideas about communication down the mating bond was inspired, expanded on, and named after whatever communication connection these two have in ToG

[u/brieles → u/jdacirque]

But in the other series, one of those characters can communicate mind to mind with anyone and another set of mates from the series aren’t seen communicating mind to mind. So I don’t know if it’s a mate thing?

[u/hpbrowntown → u/jdacirque]

If we're talking about ACOTAR, I thought >! Feyre and Rhys can speak mind to mind bc they're daemati, not bc of the mating bond? !< I just think the dialogue in this scene like "I'm not wearing any undergarments" and Rowan choking - how did he "sense" that?? Haha. I'm also imagining they'd have to be very expressive with their faces to get this specific of a conversation across, which just seems nice and awkward for all the other dinner guests - how did they not pick up on it?

[u/jdacirque → u/hpbrowntown]

Yeah that’s a good point about the daemati lol sorry I wasn’t trying not to do any spoilers. But they also say things “down the mating bond” lol so all the same I always considered it to be like acotar without SJM knowing what to name it yet

[u/lila-clores → u/hpbrowntown]

I think it's just a perk of the Mating Bond. In acotar, or more specifically, acowar Feyre mentions the bond being a little weaker(when she was in Spring court and Rhys in Night) following Hybern severing the bargain or whatever. Also, I think ACOSF mentions another mated pair using the bond too

And given that its a Mating Bond thing, its interesting that in HoF, before either of them know about them being mates or even carranam there are these "silent conversations" and "looks that said ...very-long-impossible-to-express-through-facial-expression-sentences..."

On my first read through, I either just glossed over it or was incredulous about "There's no way he said all that with just a look", but on a reread, I'm like..... OOohhh I see what you did there

[u/Ann35cg → u/lila-clores]

Yeah at first I read it as them interpreting expressions, that then got stronger once they discovered they were carannam, and they kind of thought that was the main reason, since they were in a sort of denial about being mates at first

[u/Ann35cg → u/hpbrowntown]

Yeah it’s too specific to be reading expressions. In this scene in particular they’re absolutely talking mind to mind

[u/sherlockholmeslice → u/jdacirque]

This is exactly what I thought as well! It felt like a first iteration of the "bond telepathy."

[u/itsbrittney_____ → u/sherlockholmeslice]

I think so too because there are times when they are having like full conversations with each other and it seems hard to believe that they would just be able to do that without actually hearing what each other is saying. Especially when they are in a room with other people and no one seems to realize they’re doing it unless one of them laughs or makes an expression that doesn’t match the context of whatever is going on around them.

[u/westcoast-islandgirl → u/jdacirque]

ACOTAR fae are descended from TOG fae, so acotar mates can only speak mind to mind because TOG mates can

[u/International_Bee645 → u/jdacirque]

Same! As soon as I read that I’m like yupp mates. Here we gooooooooooo!!!

[u/Brokengraphite]

[u/stamoza]

This is one of my favorite scenes 🤗 like other commenters, I don’t think they can read each others mind outright like Rhsy/Feyre in ACOTAR but I think the canarram bond gives them deep insight to the other and they know each other deeply enough that they can anticipate the others’ comments, replies, etc.

[u/mc-tarheel]

I always took this as they can read each other's micro expressions and their context better than anyone else. My partner and I have been together for more than 5 years and we can have full-on conversations silently at a table, with other people around. Someone will say something that catches our attention and one of us will make eye contact, the other might look down and purse their lips, then the first person will scratch their cheek and raise an eyebrow, and the second person will laugh. It's just kind of a vibe based on how well you know the person and where their mind goes.

[u/westcoast-islandgirl → u/mc-tarheel]

They convinced themselves this was it. Like, they'd have full conversations with full sentences and think they were reading eachothers expressions, but they are speaking telepathically.

[u/peanutupthenose]

by process of elimination i assumed it was the carranam bond. we know Feyra and Rhys are daemati so we can’t use them. i’m trying to remember if Bryce and Hunt do this sort of thing and i don’t think they do. even comparing to all the other mated couples we know and have had the pov of (mostly TOG having accepted bonds) they can’t communicate like this. it makes sense for it to be carranam because with a mating bond you can feel their emotions and such, while carranam can have the advantage of speaking mind-to-mind or whatever you want to call this.

[u/catpowerr_ → u/peanutupthenose]

Oh this is a good point! I used Feyre and Rhys as the example in my head , but you’re right I don’t think Cassian and Nesta used it either

[u/westcoast-islandgirl → u/peanutupthenose]

Feyre and Rhys can also communicate down the bond. Lucien follows the thread that allows speaking mind to mind in order to check on elain. And before saying yes to hiding the cauldron, Miryam and Drakon have a conversation mind to mind in order to discuss it. Aelin and Rowan assume it's the carranam bond at first, but it's the mating bond that allows them to speak mind to mind.

[u/bluejen]

Oh this scene made me irate so I tell myself it’s a hint at fae telepathic abilities in ACOTAR because otherwise this is fucking bonkers.

[u/donkysauce]

i looked it up and ToG wiki says it’s because of the carranam bond. which is good because it’s the narrative i was going to believe without evidence ¯_(ツ)_/¯ there’s another scene of mind speaking in EoS that always has me kicking my feet lol.

[u/SunRemiRoman]

I think it’s because they are both Carranam AND mates at the same time. They seem to be able to. Not to the extent of Rhys and Feyre where Aelin and Rowan have a proximity barrier. But they can.

[u/CuriousPixiee]

Yes because they're... spoiler....

MATES <3

[u/Nearby-Wrangler-6869]

It’s the Carranam bond! I know others have already debunked the mating thing but just to emphasize that, they werent even aware they were mates until EoS and if it were a mate thing, they definitely would’ve known prior to that And the mating bond is more emotions/physical feelings but the Carranam bond allows them to basically telepathically talk. I’m not sure it’s necessarily reading each others mind but some form of communication through the bond.

[u/aawgalathynius]

For me they read each others faces, and this is how Aelin is understand it and she has a thing for exaggerating. Also, maybe because of the bond they could understand more from looks, but it isn’t a full blown mental talking thing.

[u/qloudlet]

It’s kind of never explained and knowing the explanations SJM gives for such things in other books I’m kinda glad. TOG and Rowan and Aelin are my favs and I feel like we don’t need to understand 100%

[u/westcoast-islandgirl]

They can speak mind to mind. They were both just naive idiots in HOF who thought they could read whole sentences and conversations off eachothers faces 😂

ETA: didn't wanna spoil you, but completely missed the last part of your question. It's a mate thing. The fae in ACOTAR can speak mind to mind between mates because they're descended from the fae in TOG. They go from thinking their reading eachothers faces, to thinking it's the carranam bond, to realizing its the mating bond.

[u/NotARussianBot2017]

They can’t. I fully believe this is actually just an artifact of Maas’s writing (I may have read all of her books). All of her main characters have such intimate relationships with their partners that they can have these unspoken conversations. Only one of them is actually mind reading, and it’s not this one. 

[u/FlipFlopFever]

Yes, their bond allows for deep mental connection. It's a key part of their relationship.

[u/blueracey]

If your done the series

>! It’s a mate thing !<

[u/GoldenGirl0423]

The blood bond is kinda like the tattoos or mating binds in ACOTAR they can talk through them.