| Name | Book of Breathings |
|---|---|
| Origin | Forged by a race of faeries |
| Age | Ancient — predates the Courts |
| Owner | Summer Court (one half; formerly), Mortal Queens (one half; formerly) |
| Type | Magical Book |
| Powers | Nullify the Cauldron’s magic |
| Appears In | A Court of Mist and Fury, A Court of Wings and Ruin |
Contents
Biography / History
Origins and Early History
Long before the formation of Prythian’s Courts, the Cauldron existed as a primordial force of creation. Fearing the devastation its power could unleash, a race of faeries from another world crafted a countermeasure: the Book of Breathings, encoded in Leshon Hakodesh and designed to negate or command the Cauldron’s influence.
To prevent misuse, the Fae divided the Book into two halves. One was entrusted to the Summer Court, while the other was given to the Mortal Queens, who were bound by treaty to protect it. The Book could not be taken by magic; it had to be given freely, ensuring no tyrant could seize it by force. For millennia, it was viewed as harmless, dismissed as a symbolic relic, since the Cauldron itself had vanished and only Made beings could activate its spells.
A Court of Mist and Fury
After Amarantha’s defeat, the Attor carries Jurian’s remains to the King of Hybern, who seeks to resurrect Jurian using the Cauldron. To do so, the Cauldron must be made whole by recovering its three missing feet. When Rhysand learns Hybern has found two of them, he consults the Bone Carver, who reveals that the Book of Breathings is the only force capable of nullifying the Cauldron.
Rhysand, Feyre, and Amren travel to the Summer Court to retrieve the first half. Using her power inherited from Tarquin when she was Made, Feyre accesses the submerged temple that houses the Book and successfully retrieves it, though the magic guarding it nearly kills her.
Back in the Night Court, Amren deciphers the Book’s language. Soon after, the Mortal Queens grant a meeting. Initially, the queens refuse to surrender their half, mistrustful of Rhysand’s reputation. However, after witnessing the truth of Velaris through the power of Veritas, one queen secretly leaves the second half behind, revealing that the sixth queen, claimed to be ill, was actually executed.
When the two halves of the Book are brought together, their union alerts magical forces across Prythian. During the mission in Hybern, Feyre binds the halves fully, believing it necessary to disable the Cauldron. The act exposes their location, enabling Hybern to capture them. After their escape, Rhysand takes both pieces, preventing the King from reclaiming them.
A Court of Wings and Ruin
Amren studies the Book relentlessly in an attempt to uncover the spell that will neutralize the Cauldron, but without success. Later, the Suriel reveals that the key Amren sought lies on the second page and the penultimate page of the Book — not a spell to control the Cauldron, but one to free Amren from her Fae body. When Amren uses this knowledge to release herself, the Cauldron shatters into three pieces, unleashing a void that consumes everything in its path.
In desperation, Feyre searches the Book for a counter-spell but cannot interpret the ancient language. Overwhelmed, she throws the Book into the void, where it disappears and is not seen again.
Description of the Book of Breathings
The Book of Breathings was forged from the final remnants of molten ore used to craft the Cauldron itself. Composed of dark metal plates bound by three rings of gold, silver, and bronze, the Book contains spells written in Leshon Hakodesh, the Holy Language. These spells are capable of nullifying the Cauldron’s power or granting complete control over it. Only a being that has been Made can activate its magic; creatures born of the earth cannot wield it.
