| Type | Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Located | West of Prythian |
| Head | King of Hybern † (formerly) |
| Appears in | A Court of Mist and Fury (2016) |
Contents
Location
The Kingdom of Hybern is an island nation situated to the west of Prythian. Separated from the continent by open sea, Hybern stands as an independent territory beyond the borders of the seven courts. Its position offshore has long allowed the kingdom to operate apart from Prythian’s political divisions while maintaining the proximity needed to influence events on the mainland.
Description
The Kingdom of Hybern features a stark and varied landscape, marked by mountain ranges, clustered highlands, and vast stretches of barren terrain. Near the king’s castle, the coastline rises into tall, bone-white cliffs that tower above the sea, their flat grassy tops giving way to rolling, desolate hills further inland. The overall environment carries a sense of emptiness, with no confirmed animal life beyond the faeries who inhabit the island.
Hybern is home to both High Fae and Lesser Fae, many of whom are described with pale or ruddy skin and black, expressionless eyes shaped by centuries of cruelty. No humans live in Hybern, as the entire kingdom lies north of the Wall.
Relevance
Hybern is central to the conflict between mortals and faeries throughout the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. Before the War, the King of Hybern kept many mortal slaves within his territory. When the uprising began, he appointed Amarantha as his army’s commander and allied with the High Lord of the Spring Court to prevent humans from gaining their freedom. During the War, Hybern fought to maintain faerie dominance and continued to consider mortals as property.
After Hybern’s defeat, the King was forced to sign the Treaty that banned the enslavement of humans, but instead of freeing the mortals in his lands, he ordered them all killed. Isolated by other faerie nations and refusing to establish new trade, Hybern fell into poverty while its people clung to resentment and idealized the era before the War. This long decline fueled the desire to destroy the Wall and reclaim mortal slaves.
Centuries later, Hybern sent Amarantha to the Prythian Courts under the guise of diplomacy. She persuaded the High Lords to increase communication and trade, then used deception to steal their powers and subjugate them. During this period, she ruled Prythian from Under the Mountain on the King’s behalf.
Five hundred years after the War, the King of Hybern sought the Book of Breathings to restore the Cauldron and break the Wall. He allied with Jurian and the Mortal Queens, who wanted to be Made into High Fae. With the help of Ianthe, he kidnapped Nesta and Elain Archeron and used the Cauldron to transform them. Ianthe also convinced Tamlin to support Hybern and permit its armies to move through the Spring Court.
Hybern’s forces later entered Prythian when the King sent his nephews Dagdan and Brannagh, along with Jurian, to inspect vulnerabilities in the Wall. After an attempt on Feyre and Lucien’s lives, the twins were killed, but not before revealing that Hybern commanded an army exceeding one hundred thousand soldiers, with additional legions available from allied faerie kingdoms. The King eventually succeeded in shattering the Wall and launching a full invasion of the Mortal Lands. He was killed in the final battle by Nesta and Elain Archeron. Following his death, Hybern’s ruling line is left without a known successor.
Notable Locations
| The King of Hybern’s castle | The King of Hybern’s castle stands on Hybern’s northeastern cliffs, built directly into the white rock above the sea. Its bone-colored stone towers rise in steep spires, and a small sea door provides access to the lower levels. The fortress is heavily warded, preventing winnowing and blocking magic, including mental communication. Inside, the castle is stark and unfurnished, with bare stone halls, a throne room overlooking the sea, and a dark emerald dais holding the king’s bone-crafted throne. Its lower dungeon contains the chamber where the Cauldron was kept. |
|---|
