Mab was the youngest of the three legendary Fae Queens, alongside Maeve and Mora. She was the founding ancestor of House Ashryver of Wendlyn, and her descendants have inherited their magical powers from her.
Biography[]
Before the Valg Queen Maeve—and later the three Valg Kings—arrived, Erilea was occupied by the faeries and the Fae. In the immortal lands of Wendlyn and Doranelle, the faeries and Fae were ruled by Mab and her older sister Mora.
When Maeve reached Erilea and arrived in Wendlyn, she saw that the Fae were ruled by Mab and Mora as Sister-Queens. Unbeknownst to Mab, Maeve ripped into her and Mora's minds, making them believe that they always had an older sister, Maeve. An unknown time later, following Maeve's installment as a fellow Queen of the Fae, the Valg Kings Orcus, Mantyx, and Erawan arrived in Wendlyn, searching for their Valg Queen. Mab, Mora, and Maeve battled the three Kings while their Fae armies dealt with the Valg hordes. Once the first Valg Wars ended, with Maeve banishing Orcus and Mantyx, peace returned to Erilea.
Some time in Mab's life, she fell in love with a human prince. Alongside her mate, she founded the Kingdom of Wendlyn, currently ruled by their descendants of House Ashryver.
As her mate was mortal, Maeve disapproved of their relationship, and it has been stated that Mab gave up her immortality to a live human lifespan with him while simultaneously evading Maeve's wrath.
Crown of Midnight[]
Chaol states that Mab had been made into a goddess, known as Deanna, Lady of the Hunt. He remembers Celaena feeling uncomfortable at receiving the golden arrow of Deanna, of her great-grandmother Mab.
Heir of Fire[]
Chaol muses on Celaena's skills as being similar in her Ashryver bloodline, with Aedion Ashryver—due to their great-grandmother being Mab, who was crowned as Deanna in the recent generations. Celaena states that although Mab was immortalized into godhood thanks to Maeve, Mala Fire-Bringer had a sister in the moon long before Mab took her place. Rowan Whitethorn tells her that Deanna was the original goddess, and mortals had given her some of Mab's traits.
Empire of Storms[]
Maeve mentioned that Mab's bloodline ran true so that all her descendants who inherited her full powers and shifting abilities would gain her immortality upon Settling, as well. Aelin would go through the Settling in around five years, as would Aedion, at a sooner time perhaps.
Physical Description[]
As one of the Fae, it can be presumed that Mab was very beautiful with slightly pointed ears and canines. She was described as having golden hair and turquoise eyes with a core of gold.[1]
Powers and Abilities[]
Before sacrificing her immortality to live with her human prince (probably her mate), Mab was a full-blooded Fae, with all the standard abilities of the Fae.
- Secondary animal form: Mab's secondary animal form was a regal white swan.
- Magic:
- Water Magic. It was mentioned that House Ashryver inherited their magical powers from Mab. Since Aelin's mother was shown to have water magic, Mab is assumed to be a full water-wielder.
- Alongside her standard water abilities, she is also immensely affiliated with her element. This is her "Water Affinity", reminding the bearer of their salvation and their self-preservation. Even a drop of her magic grants the user healing abilities. This is where Aelin Galathynius gets her healing powers from. Since Mab had the full powers of her Water Magic, she would have had immense healing abilities, though not as strong as Silba's healing powers.
Appearances[]
- Throne of Glass (mentioned only)
- Crown of Midnight (mentioned only)
- Heir of Fire (mentioned only)
- Empire of Storms (mentioned only)
- Kingdom of Ash (mentioned only)
Trivia[]
- Her traits seem to heavily resemble those of the Hindu Goddess Saraswati:
- Saraswati is the divine manifestation of the river Saraswati (and water), similar to how Mab had water magic.
- The Goddess is heavily associated with a white swan, as her mount/associate - Mab's secondary form is a white swan.
- She is revered as the Goddess of purity, healing, and creation, where her water gives life - similar to Mab regarding her Water Affinity.
- Mab is widely believed by humans and Fae alike to have been reborn as the goddess Deanna after her death. It is later refuted by Celaena/Aelin, who mentions in her point of view that Mab was "very much mortal" when she tied her life to her prince.
- Deanna is later confirmed to be a separate entity, one of the twelve otherworldly beings who became trapped on Erilea thousands of years ago.[2]