Ep. 14 Onyx Storm Deep Dive: Ch. 45-47 | Easter Eggs, Theories & Key Moments

Summary

Podcast Summary: Dear Fantasy Reader Episode: Ep. 14 Onyx Storm Deep Dive: Ch. 45-47 | Easter Eggs, Theories & Key Moments
Release Date: May 29, 2025

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Introduction

In Episode 14 of "Dear Fantasy Reader," hosts Hannah, Kinsey, and Karly embark on an in-depth exploration of chapters 45 through 47 of Rebecca Yarros' fantasy novel Onyx Storm, the latest installment in the beloved Empyrean series. This episode is a rich blend of chapter recaps, character analyses, thematic discussions, and the trio's spirited exchange of fan theories and insights, all meticulously timed to enhance the listeners' understanding and enjoyment of the series.

Chapter Recaps and Analysis

Kinsey begins by summarizing the key events of chapters 45-47:

• Violet's Nightmare: Violet experiences a vivid nightmare involving Zaden's supposedly dead sage, setting a tone of uncertainty and foreshadowing (Kinsey, [06:05]).
• Flight Maneuvers Training: The cadets undergo new flight maneuvers under Professor Kaori and Zaden to prepare for potential Venon attacks.
• Gifts and Interruptions: Violet gifts Zaden a love letter and an onyx wrist cuff, symbolizing their deepening bond (06:05).
• Eretian Wards Failing: Felix informs Zaden about the deteriorating Eretian wards, escalating the tension.
• Lynx's Manifestation: A first-year cadet, Lynx, manifests shadows—a rare signet—introducing the concept of balance between magic and Venon.
• Zaden's Resignation: Under pressure from General Eidos, Zaden resigns from his professorial role to lead Orisha, highlighting his commitment despite personal costs (06:05).

Key Discussions and Insights

Zaden's Nightmare and the Sage's Return

Hannah initiates a discussion on the significance of Zaden's nightmare featuring the sage wielding Zaden's sword of Tyrandor (07:42). Kinsey interprets the dream as a subconscious manifestation of Zaden's powerlessness against the sage, suggesting that the sword symbolizes his main defense mechanism being taken away (08:20). Carly posits that the sage's knowledge of the sword hints at a deeper connection, possibly revealing him as Zaden's grandfather, adding layers to the character dynamics (10:39).

Professor Kaori's Mysterious Behavior

The trio delves into Professor Kaori's actions during the flight maneuver class, debating his intentions and possible affiliations with Venon. Carly theorizes that Kaori might be a high-ranking Venon who can manipulate illusions, making him a formidable adversary who remains hidden and untouchable due to magical bonds similar to those between dragons and riders (15:17). This speculation raises concerns about the difficulty in defeating Venon, as Kaori's abilities provide strategic advantages (19:30).

Lynx's Manifestation and the Balance of Magic

Kinsey expresses heartbreak over Lynx's manifestation of shadows, viewing it as a confirmation of Zaden's descent into Venon and the loss of his control (22:05). The hosts discuss the implications of magic being balanced only through such manifestations, questioning the consistency of this balance throughout the series and its impact on character developments (24:05).

Violet and Zaden's Emotional Bond

A significant portion of the episode focuses on the evolving relationship between Violet and Zaden. The hosts analyze Violet's heartfelt questions about the sustainability of their bond if Zaden fully succumbs to Venon, highlighting the emotional turmoil and impending threats to their relationship (26:56). Hannah introduces her theory that Violet's onyx wrist cuff serves as a magical conduit, allowing her to slip into Zaden's dreams and maintain their connection despite his transformation (66:07).

Theories and Speculations

Zaden's Control and Potential Betrayal

Kinsey and Carly debate whether Kaori has already betrayed Zaden by secretly being Venon and whether Zaden's inability to harm high-ranking Venon like Berwyn signifies deeper magical constraints (18:47). Carly suggests that this bond parallels the dragons' bond with their riders, indicating systemic magical rules that prevent straightforward confrontations.

Violet's Dreamwalking Ability

Hannah outlines her theory that Violet's wrist cuff allows her to enter Zaden's dreams, facilitating covert communication and emotional support. This theory is supported by Violet's ability to navigate Zaden's subconscious, which is crucial for maintaining their bond in the face of his Venon transformation (68:22).

Bodhi's Role and Signet Efficacy

The hosts scrutinize Bodhi's actions and his signet's effectiveness against Venon. Kinsey argues that Bodhi might be concealing vulnerabilities or misrepresenting his signet's capabilities, adding suspicion to his character (26:00). Carly ties this into broader themes of deception and hidden truths within the dragon-rider relationship dynamics.

Favorite Moments and Quotes

Hosts' Favorite Characters:

• Hannah: Zaden for his pivotal decision to open Tyrandor's borders.
• Kinsey: Violet for her unwavering support and protective nature.
• Carly: Sawyer for his resilience in riding his dragon again.

Notable Quotes:

1. Sawyer and Slieg Interaction:
   Carly: "Riddick saying, 'Sawyer, look at you.' And Slieg swings his head and snaps his tail shut a few feet in front of Riddick. 'Look at you.'" (50:38)

2. Violet and Taryn's Tense Exchange:
   Kinsey: "Violet said, 'kind of wish you were a griffin so we could have sat this one out.' And Taryn says, 'kind of wish I'd set out threshing two years ago.'" (51:09)

3. Violet's Emotional Plea:
   Violet to Andarna: "You can grieve. And when and if you're ready to talk about it, I'll be here." (51:19)

Hosts' Favorite Moments:

• Hannah: Zaden gifting Violet her Devarelli silk nightgown and robe, symbolizing their deep bond and his foreknowledge of impending challenges.
• Kinsey: The squad celebrating Sawyer's successful dragon ride.
• Carly: Sawyer overcoming his physical limitations and reclaiming his rider role.

Easter Eggs and Foreshadowing

Edging into the Archives vault, the hosts uncover numerous Easter eggs and foreshadowing elements:

• Violet Slipping into Zaden's Nightmare: Signifies vulnerabilities and the weakening of protective barriers, making both characters targets (58:37).

• Taryn's True Age and Identity: Carly connects Taryn's references to being older to Rebecca Yarros' hints that dragons can disguise their true identities, possibly making Taryn an ancient being in disguise (59:50).

• Bodhi's Signet Discrepancies: Raises questions about the reliability and truthfulness of bodhi's claims regarding his signet's efficacy against Venon (60:10).

• Compassionate Design of Ryerson House: Kinsey theorizes that Ryerson House's wards might have been tampered with by Zaden, creating exclusive sanctuaries for him and Violet, hinting at secretive plans or protective measures (63:51).

Theories

Violet's Dreamwalking Connection

Hannah's Theory: The onyx wrist cuff gifted by Violet to Zaden serves as a magical device enabling her to enter his dreams, facilitating a clandestine communication channel that sustains their emotional bond despite his descent into Venon (66:07).

Kaori as a Hidden Venon

Carly's Theory: Professor Kaori is an illusionist Venon who manipulates perceptions and remains undetected due to magical bonds similar to those between dragon riders and their dragons. This makes him a significant threat as he can operate covertly within the academy (15:17).

Bodhi's Hidden Agenda

Kinsey and Carly speculate that Bodhi's actions, such as his interaction with Riddick and his handling of the dragon eggs, suggest ulterior motives. They question the integrity of his signet's effectiveness against Venon, implying possible deceit or undisclosed weaknesses (60:10).

Conclusion

Episode 14 of "Dear Fantasy Reader" offers a comprehensive and engaging analysis of the complexities within Onyx Storm, weaving together character developments, magical lore, and suspenseful plot twists. Through their collaborative insights and passionate discussions, hosts Hannah, Kinsey, and Karly provide listeners with a deeper appreciation of Rebecca Yarros' intricate world-building and storytelling prowess. The episode not only unpacks the immediate events of chapters 45-47 but also lays the groundwork for future speculations, ensuring fans are eagerly anticipating the next installment in the Empyrean series.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Hannah (05:04): "When I read that email I literally cried. Thank you. It's so cute. So sweet."

• Carly (04:43): "It's [Sawyer] so good. And my current read is Shield of Sparrows by Devnee Perry."

• Kinsey (07:42): [Discussion on Zaden's nightmare]

• Carly (10:39): "I think he's Zaden's grandfather."

• Hannah (26:00): "But we haven't heard her think that way at all this whole 45 chapters."

• Hannah (35:06): "You have to accept what I already have. The man you love no longer fully belongs to himself."

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Thank you for joining this deep dive into "Onyx Storm." Stay tuned for future episodes where we continue to unravel the mysteries of the Empyrean series!

Transcript

[Hannah]

Dearest Fantasy Readers, welcome to the Dear Fantasy Kitty Podcast. We have a special guest with us today. Why did you stop purring? I promised she was purring. Dearest Fantasy Readers, welcome to the Dear Fantasy Reader Podcast where we travel through the pages of our fantasy favorite Romantasy novels. I'm Hannah.

[Kinsey]

I'm Kinsey.

[Carly]

And I'm Carly.

[Hannah]

Join us as we take flight into the world of the Empyrean series, diving deep into Onyx Storm, breaking down characters, scenes foreshadowing and lore, fangirling over Shadow daddies, building theories as we go, and more.

[Carly]

With that content warning and spoiler alert, we will be covering anything and everything Empyrean series to this date and any content Rebecca Yarros has given us. So if you haven't read 4th Wing, Iron Flame and Onyx Door in its entirety, go do that and we'll be here waiting when you are done.

[Kinsey]

Also, due to the nature of these books, this podcast is rated R in content and language.

[Hannah]

As Rebecca Yarros says, readers who may be sensitive to these elements, please take note and prepare to face the storm. We have dragons to ride. Quick Housekeeping Note Shout out to Katie, one of our listeners and beloved Dear Fantasy Reader T members who attended Rebecca's LA Times Festival of Books Q and A and sent us all of the clips that she took. We've posted them over on our socials, linked down in the show notes if you would like to check them out.

[Kinsey]

Thank you.

[Carly]

Thank you Katie.

[Hannah]

Our May Book Club selection is the Never List by Jade Presley and by the time this episode releases we will have announced our June Book Club selection so you can find that info down in our show notes as well. As a reminder, if you can't make it to our Livestream Book club meeting on May 28, we do post the full video replay over on our Patreon so you can catch up on all of the fangirling and discussion after time for our lightning round of current reads since the last episode. Technically, I have since finished Traitor Queen and am currently reading Silver Elite audiobook and Risk by CB woods, which is a novella for rift.

[Kinsey]

I have finally finished A Fate Forged in fire by Hazel McBride. As I've been saying, I'm reading for like the past, I don't know, three episodes. I'm still currently listening to the Inadequate Air by Daniel L. Jensen and I jumped back into the Crescent City series by Sarah J. Maas, so I am nearly done with House of Sky and Breath.

[Carly]

I made a mistake with my Libbyhold and approved 10 that were all due within 21 days. So in the last week I've read like six, seven or eight books, but I'll only list my favorites Under Lock and Key by Lana Ferguson. I went into this book knowing absolutely nothing, and I highly suggest doing that because I thought it was much more fun and twisty without knowing anything about it. I read Check and Mate by Ali Hazelwood. It's a YA book. It's actually ended up being one of my favorite books of hers. It's excellent. Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross, which ended up being one of my favorite reads of the year. So good. And it's so good. And my current read is Shield of Sparrows by Devnee Perry.

[Hannah]

You traitor. I thought we were gonna read that together.

[Carly]

I don't know what to tell you. It came through on my Libby hold. It was one of the ten mistakes I made.

[Kinsey]

Sure. As if you didn't pre order that during the audience.

[Hannah]

It's also on Kindle Unlimited.

[Carly]

Well, but not the audiobook. I got the audiobook.

[Hannah]

I own the audiobook that I told you you could borrow.

[Kinsey]

I own the physical copy.

[Hannah]

Fine, we'll fight about it off the podcast. Anyways, I also wanted to mention that the Trader Queen is by Daniel L. Jensen as well. I dropped that one. And also, if you're ever curious about our full month read list, we post it monthly at the beginning of each month for the previous month over on our Instagram. It's nice and pretty and you get to see all of it laid out all fancy. So if you're interested.

[Carly]

I think I'm gonna have read 18 books by the end of the month. It's one of my favorite.

[Hannah]

I think I'll have like two on me.

[Carly]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Kinsey]

I just got back from being on vacation. It's a slow month for me.

[Hannah]

So so many books.

[Carly]

This week's Star of Navarre Award for feedback that made our hearts soar goes to Deborah, who wrote us the following email hi ladies. Thank you so much for taking the time to do these podcasts. You have truly enlightened me on how wonderful reading is when one understands intricate parts of the story. I am a retired nurse and for years read medical texts for work, rarely reading anything for pleasure. After buying into the fourth Wing craze and reading it, I had questions and found your podcast. I actually found a couple of podcasts on 4th Wing, but truly connected to you ladies the most.

[Hannah]

Aww.

[Carly]

I have a new appreciation and understanding of reading thanks to you ladies. Breaking this book down, picking out the meaningful dialogue, explaining different aspects, and sharing your views and opinions have made these books so much more enjoyable. I know these podcasts take time and I'm going to join your Patreon account to follow everything. Thanks so much.

[Kinsey]

Aw, thank you.

[Hannah]

First of all, when I read that email I literally cried. Thank you. It's so cute. So sweet. Sweet.

[Carly]

And nurses are heroes. So thank you for thank you for being a nurse. We need more nurses. Thank you so much Deborah. Your kind words and support mean so much to us. If you are also enjoying the show, please consider leaving us a review. It's a small thing that makes a.

[Hannah]

Big difference and honestly, getting emails and feedback like that is so empowering and encouraging like it really is. And the acknowledgement that a lot of work goes into this, it's so much fun. But to just have that like recognized and to take the time to reach out to us is so meaningful. And thank you again.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, it truly brightens our day.

[Carly]

It really does.

[Hannah]

As a reminder before we dive in, if you would like to jump around to any section of our episodes, you can find the timestamps for each down in our show notes. First objective Breaking into the Archives vault for a summary report of chapters 45 through 47 with our squad mate Kinsey.

[Kinsey]

Violet experiences a vivid nightmare with Zaden's supposedly dead sage. Later that day, the cadets are taught new flight maneuvers from Professor Kaori and Zaden so they can flee the ground quickly during a Venon attack. And after class, Violet gives Zayden a love letter and special onyx wrist cuff, which one could argue are much better birthday presents than poisoned chocolate cake. Their moment is interrupted as Felix arrives and informs Zayan that the Eretian wards are quickly failing and that Violet's training cannot wait any longer. Zaden informs the Cenarion that he has plans to go against their objections and will open Tyrandor's borders to promish citizens, causing yet another Halden temper tantrum. It is this very moment that Lynx, a first year cadet in Violet's squad, manifests shadows, which should be a once in a generation signet. Zaden recognizes Lynx as his replacement and tells Violet that magic knows he is Venon and Lynx is the balance. General Eidos requests that Zaden resign from his role as a professor, and Zaden agrees, choosing to spend more time leading Orisha. Violet has a conversation with Llewelyn the Man, not the Place, about power, Zaden and Tyrandor, and how she will always come third to both. Later, with Violet's encouragement and support, Sawyer mounts Slieg for the first time since his accident, the timing couldn't be better because Iron Squad plus Bodhi and Dain are heading to Orisha for runes course. Upon arrival at Ryerson House, Violet is approached by Brennan, who reveals that he knows Zaden. Venin has attempted to mend him and is doing everything he can to search for a cure, but is failing. However, this ignites hope within Violet as it indicates to her that Zaden hasn't given up.

[Hannah]

Oh, the optimism.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, she held out longer than I did.

[Hannah]

Grab your leathers, Quest Squad, as we are officially diving right into our analysis and discussion section, starting with Violets. Zaden's dream. What do we make of the not so dead sage in their dream in general, but also specifically him wielding Zaden's sword of Tirandor? Do you think that he actually has that sword in the dream with him, or is this potentially like a premonition dream?

[Kinsey]

Yeah, so for me, seeing the sage in the dream never really came as much of a surprise. Even from the end of Iron Flame. I'm like, I don't really know if Zaden actually killed him. I was just kind of like expecting him to come back. So not a huge shock for me. As for wielding Zaden's sword, I don't think that he physically has it. I think that it's more so a way to manipulate his subconscious because that's Zaden's main weapon. That's how he protects himself. So by disarming him and taking his weapon away, it's almost showing his subconscious that he's powerless and defenseless against his sage and that he needs to submit or die, and he has no way to defend himself. So that's kind of like how I interpreted it. Just like he has no control, no power, no way to defend himself against the sage.

[Hannah]

I think if it was like a regular dream and we didn't find out that Violet was, quote, unquote, dreamwalking, I would see that being like a figment of his. Of their imagination. But because we know at least, yeah, we do for sure know that the sage is cognizant, right. Because he ends up talking to them and making it clear later. And I think it's future dreams. I don't know that it was exactly this one, but because he's actually in it, it makes me feel like he's somehow actually wielding the sword. But then we know that Zaden has that sword currently. Am I correct on that?

[Kinsey]

Yeah, he physically has it.

[Hannah]

If he does, actually, and it's not a figment of his. Of their imagination, would that indicate to you all that it is a premonition because he can't. Or just. Does the astral dreamscape have different rules?

[Carly]

I don't think it's necessarily that he has the sword. I think it's like where in dreams you see things you have all the time, but you don't actually have them in the dream. But I do think if Berwyn knows about the sword, what it looks like, if he is actually participating in this dream, if we also think he might be a dreamwalker of some sort, if that's possible and he knows about the sword of Tyrandor, then I think it plays into my theory that he is Zayan's grandfather.

[Hannah]

I should have known that was coming.

[Carly]

Because otherwise, why would he know what it looks like? Why would he know that it would mean anything to Zaden?

[Hannah]

That's kind of why I was like, this has to be more than just Zaden picturing it, because it's felt like it had more meaning to it. I like that.

[Carly]

Yeah. I think him wielding it is, like, foreshadowing that he is also tied to Tirandor and that I think we're gonna find out that he's either the grandfather or the great uncle that was listed. Because I think it's possible that either of them, or both of them, were Sigail's previous writer at one point, and that we're gonna find out that that's who Berwyn is.

[Hannah]

But wouldn't Sigale have shared some crazy stuff like that? Like.

[Carly]

Well, we don't know that she hasn't shared with Zaden because Aiden's still keeping so many secrets.

[Kinsey]

It's true.

[Carly]

Because he never tells Violet that Berwyn's still alive.

[Hannah]

Yeah. I guess I just always assumed if it was the case, that that would be a big revelation for Zaden, but.

[Kinsey]

Oh, I guess, on the other hand, Berwyn could also just be, like, watching Zaden's dreams and know the sword from that and see it in that way and then take advantage of that. But, yeah, I do think that you're onto something, Karlie. That he has a connection to Tyrandor and that's why he's familiar with the sword.

[Hannah]

Do you think that there's some sort of foreshadowing that Sage is actually going to wield Tyrandor against Zayden in the next books?

[Carly]

Well, if Violet is the duchess of Tyrandor and she's in charge of it, wouldn't that mean that he's wielding Violet against Zayan?

[Kinsey]

Mm. Cause Zaden's dreams with the Venon have always kind of been a little bit of foreshadowing. Like him turning. Now he's defenseless, doesn't have the sword very well. Could be. It's weird to me that Zaden would dream about Andarna the first time around. Obviously, we thought it was Violet's dream. Now we know it's Zaden's for sure. So why wouldn't he actually dream about Sigail? I feel like Violet is familiar enough with both dragons that she should be able to differentiate between Sigail's scream versus Andarna's scream. So why would Zaden dream about Violet's dragon? Like, I don't know. To me, it makes sense if she was just mistaken and Zaden was trying to actually help Sigale. And because she thought it was her dream, she thought it was Andarna. And this maybe foreshadows why Zaden ended up turning in the end. Because we do know at the end of Onyx Storm, the sage offers to let him save her, and he did turn to save Sigale. So if it's Andarna, why are the Venants so obsessed with her and the Irids and wanting to save her? I don't. I don't know.

[Hannah]

That's what kind of makes me feel like it's a premonition dream. Like it's something that's gonna happen in.

[Carly]

The future, like something additional that'll happen within Darna.

[Hannah]

Yeah.

[Carly]

Ooh, I don't love that. I have such a hard time with the dreams because Violet seems to see everything through the perspective of the person she's experiencing the dream through. And so it's like, how much of it are her thoughts and feelings, and how much is it the other person whose dream she's walking in's thoughts and feelings? So it's like, is she assuming it's in Darna? Is Zaden assuming it's in Darna? I don't know whose thought it is. It just kind of feels blurry to me, so I'm not really sure. It definitely. Like you said, Kenzie seems to be foreshadowing what's happening with Sigail at the end of the book. But these dreams have had so much premonition like qualities. Hannah, I do wonder too. Is this gonna be something that also happens with Endarna? I don't know. I'm scared for Indarna. Yeah.

[Kinsey]

The only, like, comfort I get from this whole dream is knowing that when Violet went into Maren's dream, she did see and feel like it was her own family, but we know that it's actually Maren's family in the photograph, so it could just be like she's swapping the situation to, like, make it relate to her. So maybe it was from Zaden's point of view, it was Sigil. But for Violet, I just don't understand.

[Hannah]

Why Rebecca would not just keep it vague. Her. Why would Rebecca choose to write and Darna was the one that screamed.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, and why not just say Sigale if it was Sigail? Like, so simple. I don't think it would foreshadow at this point. I mean, we didn't know she was a dreamwalker. Still, I don't think that it would be a big deal if she said Sigalen revealed it. I don't know.

[Hannah]

Oh, so you think that maybe she was saying it to keep us on track of thinking that it was Violet's dream? She just could have kept it vague. She just, like a dragon, screamed, I'll let you help her this time. You know, like we would have thought Darna. So I think there's something more going on than it just being Sigail and Rebecca writing and Darna, but.

[Kinsey]

Odd stuff, man.

[Carly]

Theme of this book.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. Not suspicious. Moving on to our next topic, we do get a moment after flight maneuver class where Professor Kaori walks up to Zaden and Violet, looking like he wants to say something, but then he leaves them after Felix and his dragon land across the field. What do you guys think he wanted to say to Violet and Zaden before leaving?

[Carly]

Ooh, I have lots of thoughts on this. Do y' all want to jump in before I jump into it?

[Hannah]

I don't know.

[Carly]

On the whole Karaori thing, I kind.

[Hannah]

Of felt like it was going to be more questions about in Darna or something, and then.

[Carly]

But I definitely think that's what we're led to believe.

[Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Hannah]

Yeah. I think I was distracted by the mysterious dragon, which we found out to be Felix. So I was so focused on who is that? Then what he was gonna say.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, maybe he just wanted to wish Zaden a happy birthday. Or maybe he was like, hey, y' all need to, like, simmer down a little bit before I have to report you to Eidos.

[Carly]

I don't think I know what he was gonna say, but I do think that this whole scene was written very specifically because it's written to make you think that he's waiting to talk to Violet. Like, from her perspective. Kaori is waiting to Talk to her. I don't actually think he's waiting to talk to Violet. I think he's waiting to talk to Zaden. And I think that's important because I know I've said this before, but I am, like, so confident at this point that Kaori has vented. And I think the set of chapters has a lot of foreshadowing for this, because when they're doing the flight maneuvers, like, Auric throws the axe, and instead of throwing it at, like, the illusion that Kaori projects, he throws it. It says it specifically that he throws it at Zaden and Kaori, but then it later clarifies that it lands directly in front of Kaori. So there's all these moments pointing to Kaori. And I think this is foreshadowing that Kaori has been in and can hide himself. Just like Jack warned us about during his interrogation. Because Jack says that, like, the upper level Venon, like, they could be right next to you and you'd never know it. That you could be in a room full of them and never know.

[Hannah]

Well, and. And also that Zaden can't detect him because Zaden is not a Sage or a Maven.

[Carly]

Yes.

[Hannah]

Yeah, but.

[Kinsey]

And he's an illusionist.

[Carly]

Yeah. So double jeopardy there. Okay. I think. I think that. I definitely think he's been in. But I think there are also these moments where Zaden is standing right next to Kaori and never speaks. This is like, I think the third time he's written to be standing next to Kaori and he doesn't speak. And I think that these scenes are purposely written to show that Zaden is silent when next to Kaori. Which is why I think it's possible that Zaden knows Kaori is Venon but can't say anything. Oh, shit. Just like we know dragons are bound by bonds, I think the bonds that prevent dragons from turning on their riders, it seems, even when they turn Venon, because none of them have been turned in by their dragon so far. Panchak doesn't get turned in by his dragon. We don't even know if he was Venon, but we know he was, like, working against their best interest. He doesn't get turned in by his dragon. So I think whatever those bonds are that bond dragons and riders, I don't think the dragons can turn on them. And in that same way, in that same balance of magic, I don't think Venn can turn on other Venn, at least the higher up ones, not on someone specifically that could bring them harm.

[Kinsey]

That's Wild.

[Carly]

So Zaden even kind of mentions this at the end of the book. He talks about the bond between him and Berwin, how it shouldn't exist, how he can't seem to harm him. Like he talks about how he can't raise a sword against him. I think this has to do between the bonds between the lower Venin and the upper Venon and they work just like the bonds between dragons and riders. I think there's a parallel happening here.

[Kinsey]

That'S scary because I thought the only reason he couldn't hurt Berwyn is because that's the sage that got him to turn. But if it's all venom that are a higher rank than you, like that's. We keep saying he's going to be a double agent, he's going to take them down from within. But if he can't harm any of them, like it's going to be kind of difficult for him to do that besides just sharing information.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Hannah]

That is also going to make it way more difficult for them to defeat Venon. I know.

[Kinsey]

More conflict.

[Carly]

Yay.

[Hannah]

Sounds about Rebecca. Yeah, can't wait.

[Carly]

She sounds so happy about it. But yeah, I do think we're going to find out that there is a parallel in these bonds somehow. And that's going to explain why the dragons haven't turned in riders. And that's going to explain why Zaden couldn't hurt Berwyn. And it's possibly going to explain why there might be Venin on campus that potentially he knew about, but that just have never been outed by anybody even under intense interrogation like Jack was.

[Kinsey]

Now why do you think that Auric would try to attack Kaori but then not actually like out him? Like if he's using his precognition to like see him, why not at that point say anything?

[Carly]

I think it's possible that Arryk realized it and brought this to Zaden and Zayden has let him know like they're working together on this problem, but they're keeping it secret for people's safety.

[Kinsey]

Because then he could turn in Zaden or something.

[Carly]

Yeah, because the power dynamic here isn't great. You know, he's like a high ranking professor on campus and they don't have any way of proving that he's Venon because he can completely hide himself, but he could out Zaden.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. It could also just be that Auric is at the point where it's only a gut feeling so far. And so he's like something's off but he doesn't know exactly what's in his future.

[Carly]

I definitely think it could be his signature pushing him to go towards the threat and not realizing that that's the threat. Like him not even fully consciously realizing it. I think there's a lot of potential here for different avenues, but I think it's definitely heavy foreshadowing that this is what is going on.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, I mean, you've convinced me already. The first time you brought it up, I was like, he's the illusionist. He can hide his eyes. Like, yeah, you already convinced me. I think everyone's a Venom.

[Carly]

I think even just a foreshadowing that he's an illusionist, that, like, he could alter people's reality of what they view. Like, that's just so also on theme with these books about history being erased and altering people's reality of what they know and what people see is, like, also intertwined. So I just think there's too many parallels here. I'm 200% team K. Ray is Venom.

[Kinsey]

And evil, and he's obsessed with writing a book about dragons, weaknesses, abilities.

[Carly]

That's really. When Hannah pointed out that journal, that's kind of what got me thinking about it. So I don't know that I would have gotten there without that detail pointed out to me because I was like, that's so sick. I'll take that credit, thank you.

[Hannah]

We also have to talk about Lynx manifesting as a shadow wielder. So we're meant to interpret this as a display of magic balancing out now that Zaden is Venon with Lynx being the balance. But we've discussed throughout the season how we don't really know when magic was ever balanced. I take that with a grain of salt. But what I find heartbreaking about this scene is how Zaden responded to what was basically confirmation that he was a lost cause, at least in his eye. He immediately and selflessly jumped into calming links and mentoring him. And that is why Rebecca ended up on our Not Hot list this week.

[Carly]

For breaking our hearts.

[Hannah]

How dare you do that to my baby.

[Kinsey]

I got big sad there.

[Hannah]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Carly]

This is one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the book for me. Like, it's up there. I mean, nothing's worse for me than, like, I think Indarna breaking the bond.

[Kinsey]

But I don't even want to talk about that yet.

[Hannah]

Oh, no, I'm not ready for that one. I was still in denial, guys. Like, still with this. I was like, I don't know. I was delusional as fuck. I was just. I wanted it to be not true. And so that's why I just, like, kind of stuck with it until I was forced to not reckon with the reality of it, which is quite aligned with Violet, might I add. So reading it back, knowing for sure that it was, I was just like, gosh, it hit the first time and it hit harder the second.

[Kinsey]

I'm glad you had those blinders, Hannah.

[Hannah]

It's a blessing and a curse.

[Carly]

You needed it. I wonder what it says about Lynx specifically that he manifested shadows. Because we know Violet has a lot to say about why Zaden manifested shadows, I mean.

[Hannah]

Oh, like his secrets. Mysterious.

[Kinsey]

And we don't know much about Lynx at all, really.

[Hannah]

Well, isn't that part of the answer? That he is someone that sticks, literally, to the shadows?

[Carly]

Yeah, I guess.

[Hannah]

Like, maybe it's not Rebecca being intentionally evasive so much as the character himself is evasive and is hiding more than we, of course, know. Because you're right. We know absolutely nothing about him.

[Kinsey]

What's he hiding?

[Carly]

Yeah, I want to know his secrets.

[Kinsey]

Give us your secrets.

[Hannah]

But it can't be too negative if it's supposedly the balance.

[Kinsey]

I'm sure he has far less secrets than Zaden did, but it's still interesting.

[Hannah]

That that is not a hard line to stay under.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. I'd also like to point out that Lynx didn't manifest his shadows until Zaden was slipping on the ice at this exact moment. And I think that Zaden nearly losing himself was the catalyst.

[Carly]

That's crazy to me that it could happen that fast, because it was within seconds, Right?

[Kinsey]

Yeah. I mean, he was like, Halden was threatening him and he was ready to go. Like, he was pissed off, and then, boom. Distraction.

[Hannah]

There must have been some line. I mean, I was about to say this has not happened fast. We've had, like, 45. What chapters so far of him not fully turning. And then apparently this would be like the Marker. But, you know, we always talk about him fully turning at the end, but according to magic, if that's really the case, they think it's now.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. It must have been the point of no return. Like, in his heart, like, he's basically lost that control. And while we're on this fun topic, we got several mentions of Zaden's cold eyes being emotionless and slipping on the ice over this set of chapters. I already mentioned this bit while he argues with Halden after Lynx manifests, and then when Violet begs him to not leave for Arisha. So that's our cold eyes. Watch for the day.

[Carly]

This is a rough chapter.

[Kinsey]

It Was.

[Hannah]

Yeah, yeah. There were a lot of signs that I should have realized that it was too far gone. Specifically because, like, Rebecca, through Violet, laid out all of the things that we're now questioning to put them on our radar for possibilities. At the end of the book, going into the next book, now that Zaden has been in, I'm going to read you what Violet says to Zaden. All these questions. What happens to me if you turn? What happens to Taryn and Segale if you give in? Do Venon get once a week, visits? Does their bond survive the turning? Does ours? You and I are tethered for life. Zaden Ryerson. Am I expected to turn with you? Is that the only way to keep our dragons alive? If you give up in retrospect, that whole paragraph. Where do we begin? Where do you want to begin?

[Carly]

I just love that. Like, in hindsight.

[Kinsey]

I'll begin by saying that that was one of my favorite quotes from these chapters. She's like, I'm in it to win it. But then I was like, baby girl, don't do that.

[Hannah]

It's also the first time she starts to grapple with reality.

[Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Hannah]

Which is when I really should have. But still, because she's starting to think of all these things. But we haven't heard her think that way at all this whole 45 chapters. She shuts down any thought process of it, and she's like, very much so. No, there's a cure. No, there's a cure. But what do we think about some of the questions she asks? Like, she just gave us questions. Literally. We could go question by question and be like, what's your theory on this? Can she. Or not. Like, specifically for everyone who does have the theory that Sigail and Tarn, that their mating bond is broken by Indarna, that their bond did not survive it, literally, that is the best supporting evidence of the entire book that that could be the case.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. I definitely think this foreshadows it because we know some type of bond had to have been broken. Whether it be Sigela, Zaden, Sigail with Taryn, somebody's bond got broken. And here Violet literally, as you said, is like, what about their bond? What about our bond? What's going to happen? I also want to say, does this mean it foreshadows Violet turning with him? Because she's like, do I have to turn with you?

[Hannah]

But, like, in order to be with you? Like, if I want to be in your life, do I have to also be fucking Venice? Yeah.

[Kinsey]

But then it's like, okay, but then if the bond with Sigail and Zaden is broken or Sigale and Teryn, then, like, really, do they lose their bond? And if they lose their bond to each other, then maybe she's not forced to turn with him. I'd like to think that Violet wouldn't turn. Especially at the very end with the final battle with Theophany. Violet was like, no, I'm not turning, but who knows?

[Hannah]

Well, you guys know that I based a theory that Violet is gonna also turn off of the fact that Rebecca said she wrote Iron Flame for Violet to be the one to turn at the end, and her editor convinced her to switch it out. And I'm like, if that changes the whole books, the whole series. Unless they were both set to turn and it just changes Onyx Storm and the rest of the two books is the same because they both. So I actually. I don't think I would enjoy as much seeing Violet turn. Yeah, it's a huge possibility.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. If it's the only way for them to remain together. I do see her doing it because she's, especially in this book, thought a lot more of with her heart than her mind. So it could be a possibility. But it's like, what would that do for the plot to have both of them? I feel like them working on different sides of the war, but working together is more. I don't wanna say more powerful of a story, but, like, interesting. There's like that tension of, like, we're separate, but we're apart. I don't know.

[Hannah]

I'm so curious for the fact that, like, if Violet was really the one that was written to turn, like she said at the end of Iron Flame, this whole book would have been different. The whole time, every single thought would have been entirely different. And I guess Zaden would have been the one trying to champion pure.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, like, I mean, in every single aspect, Taryn was pissed at Zaden. Like, would he have been the one to shut her out? Like, would they have even gone on this quest? Like, the whole conversation with the Irids would also be different because they waited to approach Violet, but the moment Zaden appeared, he was revealed as a Venon. So if it was Violet that was a Venon, they would have known right away. They would have never even wanted to approach her or discuss anything. We wouldn't have found anything out.

[Hannah]

Did Rebecca not say that she knew the end of Onyx Storm with Imogen saying, like, I did what you asked me to back in book one? Didn't she say that yeah.

[Carly]

She said that she's been writing toward this scene.

[Hannah]

Yeah. Does that not directly contradict Violet turning Venon in Iron Flame?

[Kinsey]

Unless she's gonna be a sister instead of a brother.

[Carly]

Maybe it was gonna be both of them at the end of Iron Flame.

[Hannah]

Hmm. I feel like she would have specified that.

[Carly]

I have thought about that, though, Hannah, because she has said that she has been driving towards this specific scene, the very end of Onyx Storm, from the beginning, that she has been driving towards this. And I'm like, if that's accurate, and it's also accurate that Violet was gonna turn at the end of Iron Flame, was it that she was either a. Just thinking she was gonna change the third book and how it ended?

[Hannah]

Well, she made it sound like she had to be convinced, strongly convinced. And she said she agrees with it now, but she.

[Carly]

We also know she wrote a whole version of Iron Flame that was tossed and, like, she.

[Hannah]

I don't know that she wrote it in so much as it was the plot plan. I'd have to look at that exact quote to be like, did she rewrite the end? I want to say that something implied to me that some of the dreams could have actually been her own dreams and not Zayden's. But now that we know she's actually a dreamwalker, maybe that changes. I need to look at her exact quote.

[Carly]

Yeah, I just remember her saying that she wrote Iron Flame and then kind of got lost in what readers were saying about what they expected for Iron Flame. And Fourth Wing wrote another version, turned that into her editor, and her editor was like, what's this? And she's like, I don't know. And she's like, well, I have this version. And handed her the original version she wrote. And she's like, oh, yeah, we're gonna edit this one.

[Hannah]

I need you to find that interview for me because I have never heard that before. That's intriguing.

[Kinsey]

Do we know if the ending she was working toward for the end of Onyx Storm is specifically. Was she referencing Imogen wiping her mind or just the wedding? Because with Violet being Venon instead of Zaden, it could have still ended with the wedding in Onyx Storm, but not necessarily the mind wipe. So I feel like that changes things too.

[Hannah]

She was saying it in reference to the actual last line, what you asked me to.

[Kinsey]

I mean, then it just goes back to maybe instead of them being brothers, it could be their sisters, and then she, Imogen, would be Venon with her. So maybe that's evidence that Garak is the brother because it switched sexes and it was like, instead of the girls, it's the guys.

[Hannah]

Yeah, but then we're rabbit holing on the way down. But then it wouldn't make a ton of sense for like, if she's already been in, she's like, why would she.

[Kinsey]

Need a mind wipe?

[Hannah]

I don't know.

[Kinsey]

To forget the wedding? I don't know.

[Carly]

To forget she's been in. I don't know. I will say though, that all these what if questions, though, there's so many about the bonds and surviving that I think it kind of buries the lead on do I turn? Where she's asking that question. And it would not surprise me at all if she has to turn in this series to protect her dragons or something at some point and isn't able to find another way or is part of some master plan to take down the Venon.

[Hannah]

I see a lot of scenarios where she turns. I just don't understand what that would look like after she turned for to close out the book in like a they're like, positive way.

[Kinsey]

Everybody turns and some of the venom are good and they just go to Hadanus or some shit. I don't know.

[Hannah]

If they turn and we find out Venon aren't actually the bad guys. So what do you do? You know? Maybe not.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, maybe like every single dragon rider has to turn because their dragons will all leave them. They'll all break their bonds. And then the dragon's like, hey, bye, we're done with magic.

[Hannah]

I couldn't handle one dragon abandoning me, much less all of them in the series.

[Kinsey]

Maybe they're all forced to turn and they're all, like, exiled to Hadanus and that's how they end the book. They're like, have fun. No magic for anybody. No dragons, no bonds.

[Carly]

We also get this quote from Zaden where he says, you have to accept what I already have. The man you love no longer fully belongs to himself. Don't get mad at me, Hannah, for bringing it up. Oh, no.

[Kinsey]

Painful.

[Carly]

But I actually think this quote is kind of doing double duty here. Dana said before that he doesn't want to be an accidental leak of information to the Venin. And I think this is because of the bonds that they have and that this quote is referring to that not just that he is losing himself, that he actually does somehow in some way. Parts of him now belong to the Venon and there's nothing he can do about it.

[Kinsey]

And I mean, like, he knew that he had that dream. Violet doesn't know that he just had that dream with Berwyn. So he could have interpreted it that way. Like that he's being commanded already. I don't know. I felt like maybe he was like, you know what? I'm being summoned right now. So I don't have my free will anymore. And that's why he doesn't belong to himself. But Violet doesn't know that Xaden had that dream.

[Carly]

That's true.

[Hannah]

And Zaden doesn't know that Violet had that dream.

[Carly]

They don't know that. They know.

[Kinsey]

The best communication I cannot with them.

[Carly]

Well, it's like they don't even know that they're not. You know what I mean? It's like an unknown miscommunication trope that they don't know that they have.

[Kinsey]

The dramatic irony. Yeah.

[Carly]

Cause like, who talks about their dreams every morning?

[Kinsey]

Me.

[Carly]

Maybe some people.

[Hannah]

I do.

[Carly]

I do.

[Kinsey]

Did I text you guys the other day when I had a super weird dream and I was like, whoa, did I text you?

[Hannah]

I feel like you did.

[Kinsey]

This is so off topic, but I'm just gonna throw it in here really quick. Just like five seconds. I had a dream where I was at a lake and someone was yelling at me. It's Katniss's birthday. It's my birthday too. And it was. And it was someone's birthday that day. And I knew it was that person's birthday, but it was so weird that they're like, it's Katniss's birthday. I'm like, why are they talking about Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games? I go on Instagram, the very first post, I see Happy birthday, Katniss Everdeen. I'm like, what the freak? But I'm like, how did I have a dream about Katniss's birthday? The actual day of her birthday when I didn't know it was her birthday. I did not have that memory.

[Carly]

Your subconscious knew something.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. I'm like, that was weird. So I text people about that. I told people about that dream. So Zagan has no excuse. He should have told somebody.

[Carly]

Yeah. I don't know. You know when you have dreams, though, that they're so weird. You don't even know how to describe them to people, where you're just like, I don't know.

[Hannah]

It's also reoccurring. This is not a unique one. I tell people when I have unique dreams. And he's literally been having dreams about the Sage stalking him for probably a very long time. We just also, we know it's proximity based. He hasn't been around close enough in the same proximity that we see this happen in much throughout the whole book. When they had at least access to magic, which is notable and interesting that she did sleep near him on the aisles and didn't experience his dreams. That Rebecca didn't write it that way.

[Kinsey]

I get that he'd had the dreams about the sage before, but he thought the sage was dead. So I still feel like that's something.

[Hannah]

Worth bringing up, haunting him. I don't know. As much as I say that I tell people about my dreams, if I had the same one over and over again, I wouldn't think much of it.

[Kinsey]

That's true. It's like a regular well.

[Hannah]

And they all have PTSD dreams. They have actually mentioned having nightmares, so it's not like they haven't.

[Carly]

That's true. They all kind of deal with it. I'd like to talk about Sawyer, him figuring out his own path back to writing. We get the scene where we see him trusting Violet to be there for him while he works out how to mount Slig in a modified way, which he has a really difficult time coming to terms with. He doesn't seem to want to ask his dragon to make accommodations for him, but Violet, she kind of lets him know, like, you know, it was worth it for me to be able to fly. And that seems to be.

[Hannah]

I really enjoyed getting to see the progression between Violet and Sawyer for this topic specifically, though I found this particular interaction quite powerful. Violet asks Sawyer, now, does it matter how you got there, or only that he chose you? And he says, you know the answer to that already. And she responds, I do. But I will say that Slig asking Sawyer whether he blames him for losing his leg or if Sawyer is punishing him for it made me cry. I dislike that part.

[Kinsey]

It broke me when he said that he thought Slig blamed him for losing his leg. Because to me it's like, yeah, of course you're going to choose to save your dragon and save their life. Like, it's monumental that he lost his leg, but I wouldn't blame my dragon for that. And I would probably make the same choice if I were him, too. I'd much rather not lose my dragon.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Hannah]

But it's just so sad from Sliege's point of view, where we know that he can read their minds and he's wondering if Sawyer blames him for it. Baby, I know anything with the dragons when they feel, I can't, I can't.

[Kinsey]

Like, this is a super powerful being and they're upset for their rider because of what happened to their writer, for protecting their dragon.

[Carly]

I think them working through that in that moment and allowing Violet to be there for him in that moment, and him being comfortable with her watching him figure it out, even though, like, he felt a lot of almost shame around needing an accommodation and was really uncomfortable with it. But he realized Violet would understand to a certain extent that, like, I have to operate a little differently than everybody else. And he knows that she's still an incredible writer because of it. And so I think her being there, it's like, you can still be an incredible writer, too. You just have to figure out how to do this in your own way. I don't know. The whole scene I just thought was really beautiful, and I cried so hard.

[Kinsey]

It was a really good scene.

[Carly]

I also want to point out, though, that there is this moment where Andarna offers to help, and she's like, do you want me to flatten my tail to give him a boost? And, like, what a sweet girl. Yeah. And it's like, the first time she has spoken since the whole Irid thing. She's been very, very upset. And it's like the one line of dialogue she has in this scene. But I have theorized in the past that I think Idarne can actually change her tail at will if she wants to. And she says, in this moment, do you want me to flatten my tail? And I don't think she actually meant position. I think it's because she can actually change her tail if she wants to to something else.

[Hannah]

Because she can bend magic. Yes.

[Carly]

So I think this is actually a clue to that in that moment. So I think it was both and Darna recognizing that Sawyer was going through something similar to both her and Violet, and she felt she could help in that moment. But I also think it's a little Easter egg about her tail.

[Kinsey]

That's interesting.

[Hannah]

That's cute. That's real cute, though, the way that That's y.

[Kinsey]

If we start book four and she's got a feather tail again. Cause she went with the Irids and they told her to change her tail.

[Carly]

Yeah. We don't know what her tail is.

[Hannah]

Well, she can always change her back if she needs to.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, that's true.

[Carly]

Or to whatever she wants, hopefully.

[Hannah]

We talk about how she could disguise herself into colors and stuff, but if she ever actually needed to disguise that she was a whole different dragon, she can change her color and her tail.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Hannah]

She's unstoppable.

[Carly]

I know.

[Hannah]

I think we really need to question every dragon we see going forward.

[Carly]

I know.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, I already do, girl.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Kinsey]

Ah, trim's at the top of that list.

[Carly]

Yeah, right. I still wonder how he outran that grain fire wyvern. It's suspicious.

[Kinsey]

I'm gonna keep thinking about it till book four.

[Carly]

Yeah, maybe till book five, Depending on what we find out in book four.

[Hannah]

Yeah.

[Carly]

All right, let's talk about how Brennan knows that Zayden is Venin and has been helping him test potential cures, including mending, and clearly none have worked. He says, quote, we tried silent offerings in every local temple, pushing magic back into the earth, even sitting with the eggs in the hatching grounds. We've tried everything either of us could think of. Though the letter he sent from Llewelyn yesterday had a weird. He then cuts himself off and asked violet, are you smiling?

[Hannah]

A weird what? Like the letter that Zaden sent from Llewelyn that he sent from Llewellyn.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Hannah]

Had a weird idea, a weird suggestion, discovery. And if so, what is that weird idea, suggestion, discovery.

[Carly]

I don't know. Another sentence that got cut off before we got all the information, which was a running theme in Iron Flame that drove me absolutely crazy.

[Kinsey]

Thanks, Rebecca.

[Hannah]

Yeah, Rebecca loves to do that. So why did she do it? Like, was she about to reveal what the next actual cure was going to be?

[Kinsey]

Probably. It was probably significant. Maybe Violet will recover this correspondence in book four and then force him to try it.

[Hannah]

That's a key Easter egg moment right there that we don't actually have the Easter egg for, but we know it is.

[Kinsey]

We'll tuck it in our back pocket.

[Carly]

Yeah. I mean, he also specifies he wants to try mending the spot at Bazga.

[Hannah]

To where he turned originally. Yeah.

[Kinsey]

And I'm like, okay, did they try this? And if not, Brandon needs to get his ass to best Gaia ASAP and mend that spot.

[Hannah]

How is he gonna track Zayden down now to go do it if they didn't? But you're saying between now and the.

[Kinsey]

Next 20 chapters, or. Cause they spent the whole week trying all these crazy things. So maybe in that week they did go. Like, maybe he could have pointed out where the spot was, giving him the coordinates or something. I don't know. Like, just try it.

[Hannah]

I imagine Zaden would have to be there, so he'd have, like.

[Kinsey]

Oh, like, healing. He'd have to heal the magic of the ground where it was drained.

[Hannah]

If that is really all that's required.

[Carly]

It can't be that it'd be that easy.

[Kinsey]

Hey, I mean, maybe they can't refind their spots. Who knows? But I have a super random theory that's not related to the spot. But I wonder if Zaden somehow corrupted the dragon eggs that he sat by in the hatching grounds and that's why he ended up taking them at the end. If he took them. If he took them. If he took them. Because I'm like, you know, it's probably not good for their health to have a Venon sit next to them in the hatching grounds. And also, it's wild to me that humans aren't even allowed in the Vale. Like, no human that we know of has been to the Veil, but Zaden's just casually sitting in the Orion hatching grounds. Like, where are these parental dragons?

[Hannah]

As Venon. As a venom, like, specifically. Yeah. So I thought it was weird that the whole theme of this book is how he constantly has this urge to drain things. Right. As Venon. But when he's in the hatching grounds here, he doesn't lose it. Like, doesn't lose control. He's literally in the epitome of the point of power. The hatching grounds literally change magic. Right. That's why the Venin want to access it, because it has such a supply of power. He's right there at the peak of it, and he doesn't lose control. And I don't know like, what time frame he went there, but I feel like that just speaks volumes about his ability to control, but also calls into question, like, does that really make sense? Like, it couldn't have been too recent because Link's just like, he. He lost it over a conversation with Halden. You know, like, he is on the edge.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Hannah]

But not near all of these dragons. Literally. The hatching grounds.

[Carly]

Yeah. I think it also, though, speaks to Sigail's trust in his control that she would bring him there. Right.

[Kinsey]

So true. Yeah. I'm sure she threatened to roast him alive if he did anything.

[Carly]

But I mean, for sure.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. It's just still just so bizarre to me. Just on the reread, because everyone's assuming, oh, Zayan probably took the eggs at the end. Like, that's just a big assumption. Right. But like, on the reread, when I was like, he literally sat with these eggs. That's. I don't know. It's suspicious.

[Carly]

I mean, if it was a whodunit novel, we'd be like, he was the last one seen with these eggs.

[Hannah]

I mean, it's also interesting that we. We've all assumed that they're getting taken to Unbriel. So what happens if they are actually? Do you call them contaminated? What would you call them?

[Kinsey]

Yeah, I mean, I was thinking, like, corrupt, but contaminated, Broken, damaged.

[Hannah]

They're taken to Unbriel. Like, what does that look like?

[Kinsey]

It looks like they're gonna have a not as good dragon army if they have bad dragons. Or maybe they're more easily influenced.

[Hannah]

Yikes.

[Kinsey]

If they're like broken dragons, they don't have as much power, then maybe. I don't know. Time to head on over to the healer's quadrant to take a temperature check on our characters, our favorite moments and standout quotes. Who was hot for you this week?

[Hannah]

Hannah, to no one's surprise. Zayden for opening up Tyrandor's borders. Specifically, Brennan for trying to help Zaden. So literally it's called Zaden. But also Felix, for being the only mentor with any sense.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, for you, Kinsey, I picked Violet. I thought she was really supportive of Zaden and Darna and Sawyer, so I really liked how she was there for all of them this time. Who was that for you this week, Kylie?

[Carly]

It was definitely Sawyer. I was just so proud of him.

[Kinsey]

We're so proud of him.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Hannah]

And to our knots, Lynx, but technically Rebecca.

[Kinsey]

I said Rebecca for fucking with my feelings.

[Carly]

Yeah, I'm going to say this and then duck. Zaden, duck. Yeah, I'm not okay with the fact that he just walked away from all of Violet's fears like that and was just like, oh, well, figure it out. I'm sorry, what?

[Kinsey]

Yeah, he was pretty mopey, too.

[Hannah]

I do love playing into my whole. I will defend Zaden over everything, but I will say I did not appreciate that either. So you're safe.

[Carly]

Okay.

[Hannah]

You don't have to actually duck.

[Carly]

It's fine. I live to pot another week.

[Kinsey]

And for our favorite moments, I guess Carly for Hannah.

[Hannah]

My favorite moment, but also least favorite, is Zaden giving Violet her Devarelli silk nightgown and robe with the note for the nights I can't sleep next to you. Signed X because it's so sweet, but also awful because he knew that nights where they can't sleep next to each other would become like all of them, because he knew that he was done for. Right? So. But I will say I do think she's going to be wearing that nightgown, like, literally every night in book four.

[Kinsey]

I hope she cleans it.

[Hannah]

Kind of tied to one of my theories in the theory section. Okay, we'll come to that. Oh, but of course, above all is the wrist cuff that Violet gifted Zaden, which, again, we'll talk about in theory.

[Carly]

Section.

[Kinsey]

My favorite moment was the squad celebrating Sawyer being able to ride his dragon again.

[Carly]

For me, it was just Sawyer figuring out how to be a rider with his dragon. So, yeah, everything about that scene, so perfect.

[Kinsey]

And our favorite quotes, which leads us.

[Hannah]

Perfectly to yours, Carly.

[Carly]

Yeah, everything Mine was Sawyer related this week?

[Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Carly]

It's Riddick saying, sawyer, look at you. And Slieg swings his head and snaps his tee shut a few feet in front of Riddick. Look at you from a distance.

[Kinsey]

Oh, my God, I love that quote.

[Hannah]

Yeah, I'm pointing out that I actually pasted that one in for you.

[Kinsey]

You did.

[Hannah]

I appreciate it. And I knew that that was going to be yours.

[Kinsey]

All right, I have two this week. So a conversation between Violet and Taryn. Violet said, kind of wish you were a griffin so we could have sat this one out. And Taryn says, kind of wish I'd set out threshing two years ago.

[Hannah]

I love that line.

[Kinsey]

And then Violet says to Andarna, you can grieve. And when and if you're ready to talk about it, I'll be here. Oh.

[Hannah]

Oh. All right. Are you guys ready for my roll call? Yeah, we're going to start there. We're going to start with this one. It was when Violet was acknowledging how much Bodhi looks like Zaden yet again. And Zaden says, it would be a shame to kill my last living relative, which is actually really funny. Could potentially be foreshadowing. And I'm going to move on very quickly from that one. Next is Violet. You do some of your best work on that throne, which is actually in the. Yeah, it's actually in the Chapter 46 epigraph, but I had to include that one. And then Zaden, after Violet tells him that she loves him while he's arguing with Halden, even if I'm about to start another revolution. And Violet says, especially then. And finally, Zaden, again, you are a prince. Not the prince. Bring your troops into Tirandor, and Auric will suddenly find himself first in line for the throne. All right, which one is my favorite?

[Carly]

You know which one's the top?

[Kinsey]

I forgot what I put in my notes. It was so long ago.

[Carly]

This is a tough week. There's so many good ones, honestly, for Zaden.

[Hannah]

Yeah.

[Carly]

But Violet, also that throne one, I just.

[Kinsey]

That's where I'm leaning a little bit. If not that one, then you really. You are a prince. Not the prince.

[Hannah]

Actually, for the first time ever, you both got it wrong.

[Kinsey]

Ooh, it would be a shame to kill my mom.

[Hannah]

Even if I'm about to say no. Even if I'm about to start another revolution. Especially then. Oh, I'm a bit of a revolutionist myself.

[Carly]

That's true.

[Hannah]

Legally. Say that on the podcast. Let me not. And so that line. And then she's like, especially then. Like that is me in a nutshell. Especially for Zaden. So love that. So you guys still remain tied. But I am disappointed.

[Kinsey]

That's okay.

[Carly]

That's fine.

[Kinsey]

That's fine.

[Carly]

We can live with it till next week. We'll get you then. Now let's stop by the scribe quadrant for our epigraph analysis of the most thought provoking epigraphs.

[Hannah]

The chapter 45 epigraph reads, I think I started falling for you that night in the tree when I watched you with the marked ones. But I began tumbling the day you gave me Taryn's saddle. You'll give some self serving excuse, but the truth is you're kinder than you want people to know. May be kinder than you know. Recovered correspondence of cadet Violet Sorrengale to His Grace Lieutenant Zaden Ryerson, 16th Duke of Tirandor. Let's fucking go.

[Kinsey]

This is part of the letter Violet writes to Zaden for his birthday on the last day of March. Shout out to my fellow Aries. The contents of this letter gives us a timeline of when exactly Violet fell in love with Zaden. Way back in fourth wing. We know that before writing the letter Violet said, I love you. I need you. Quit brooding down the bond. So I think she wrote this to help Xaden remember his humanity and kindness in an attempt to delay his progression as venin.

[Carly]

The chapter 46 epigraph reads, quote, when this is over we should take as much leave as they'll give us and spend it all in Orisha. We can figure out what life is supposed to look like without the daily threat of death. You can govern the province you love during the day, then slide into bed with me at night. Or I can always join you in the assembly chamber and you do some of your best work on that throne.

[Hannah]

Recover.

[Carly]

Correspondence of cadet Valent Sorengale to His Grace Lieutenant Zaden Ryerson, 16th Duke of Tyrandor.

[Hannah]

This epigraph calls back to what Violet said in chapter 26 when Zaden whipped out the term consort. Violet said, it is not the time for this. And when Zayden asked when would be, Violet thought the next look he gives me is a hundred percent serious. My feet nearly stumble along with my heartbeat. Just the idea of really having forever with him makes my chest ache with a longing that doesn't belong on a possible battlefield. And she said, when we're not risking death. To which Zaden responded, we're always risking death. I think this mirrors so much of what she was referencing back then and was actually foreshadowing that right here Violet was thinking about becoming his consort. Also, though it makes me really sad. And, of course, that last line calls back to the infamous iron flame. My house, my chair, my woman. So it's one of my favorite epigraphs.

[Kinsey]

The chapter 47 epigraph reads, quote, a dragon determines its last flight and its riders. Article one, section two, the Dragon Riders Codex.

[Carly]

This epigraph calls back to way back and forth when we get Article 1, Section 1 of the Codex, where we find out, a dragon without its rider is a tragedy. A rider without their dragon is dead. So if a dragon determines its last flight, then obviously the writer would die with it if it's currently bonded and a dragon will enter the fight knowing it will die for the greater good.

[Hannah]

To me, this also feels connected to your theory, Carly, about the Wardstone rune that was removed and how dragons may be choosing to have their riders die with them. As it stands, we think of the riders dying as like, a result of nature or the loss of a bond. But it could be that the dragons in Navarre had a rune placed on the wards to make it this way. And I'm not saying that that's what exactly it has to be like. It doesn't have to be the Wardstone that made that happen. But this epigraph seems to imply that there is a choice on the dragon's end. So is that it? Do riders really have to die?

[Carly]

It really does make me wonder how much agency the dragons are stripping away from the writers. And I find it very interesting that Article 1 allegedly is about inevitabilities and not rules that are enforced on the writers, because everything else in the codex really is like a rule that's enforced. And so if this is a rule that's enforced, who's enforcing it and how.

[Hannah]

Well, and also to tack on to what we were just saying about the fact that in the Isles, a lot of people believe that the dragons die when the rider is killed, right?

[Carly]

Yes.

[Hannah]

So then there's something else going on that we don't realize. And I really do think it's implying that the dragons have some sort of choice in this.

[Carly]

I agree.

[Hannah]

Now take flight with us over to the hatching grounds for our Easter eggs. And moments of foreshadowing, including moments that stood out during this reread and may or may not spiral into theories for chapter 45. We got two clues that Violet was slipping into Zaden's nightmare. Taryn and Indarna are asleep, but there is a stirring along the bond I share with Zaden. His shields are down, but the foggy barrier of sleep stands between us. They're down. We also get this thought from Violet. Zaden surveys our line, and I can't help but notice the dark circles under his eyes. He might be sleeping at night, but it's not well. And I hate that I can't do anything about it.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, there you go. I definitely picked up on the shields being down, because if you're sleeping, your shields are definitely down. And that's why her signet's so dangerous.

[Hannah]

Yep. It makes everyone a target.

[Carly]

Yep.

[Kinsey]

Oh, definitely. When Violet entered Zaden's dream, they weren't sleeping together, but she did have a gift from Zaden on her windowsill with a note that said, for the Nights I Can't Sleep Next to youo. They clearly have a mental bond that connects them, but I also wonder if the gift, given with the intention to keep her company while she sleeps, bonded them strongly during sleep. So it made me think of their experience on Xelnia and how it's rude to not accept gifts from Zenal. And I wonder if Zenal somehow blessed Zaden's gift to Violet to give him a stronger connection. Who knows?

[Hannah]

That kind of ties into the theory. The theory we're going to get into.

[Kinsey]

We'll get into that later.

[Hannah]

She's like, hold it in.

[Kinsey]

And then also during flight maneuver lessons, Taryn quotes size like he's in his elder years. We know from Rebecca Yarros Q and A in Denver that dragons can lie about who they are. And to me, this quote could foreshadow that Taryn really is in his elder years and that his true identity could be that of one of his ancestors. He constantly recites in his lineage to.

[Carly]

Give you a little more ammo for this theory, Kinsey. We get a similar quote in Iron Flame where Andarna says, perhaps I'll be the eldest of my own den. And Taryn responds, I'm still in my middling years. You'll be waiting a while. And Enjarna says, really? I figured you were decades into your elder era. You certain certainly act like it.

[Hannah]

I'm just gonna point out that Rebecca often calls Taryn a Grumpy old man. And she could mean literally.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, I think he's a liar, liar, pants on fire. During flight maneuvers, Violet thinks, quote, no one thought of Bodhi during battle brief yesterday, and he should have been the first name that came to mind. Countering signets might not be the best defensive tool, but damn if it isn't a hell of a defense. It's interesting that Violet thinks Bode would be the perfect defense against Venon when we actually find out later that his signet is actually completely ineffective against their signets. I'm going to tuck this quote into my back pocket because it means Bode either lied about his signet not working against Theophany. I don't personally think that's the case. Or his signet only doesn't work against Mavens. Or maybe he's the brother and couldn't harm Theophany, similar to how Zaden can't harm Berwyn as their initiate. So Bodhi wasn't on Quest Squad, so he couldn't have been exposed by the Irids. And since he's still a cadet at Basgaeth, he safely remained within the wards without the opportunity to channel. But the wards were weak and Jack could still turn, so I don't know. I think some.

[Hannah]

Oh, you went back and forth a lot on that one. I know.

[Kinsey]

I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I just think Bode's lying either. I don't know Bode's lying. His signet is suspicious, and I don't trust him. Okay. And I also think Zayden read Arik's intentions when Arryk threw the ax because Zayan didn't flinch. Unlike the reactions from Violet and Professor Kaori, who both had freaked out for.

[Hannah]

Chapter 46, we get this compass foreshadowing from Violet where she thinks his gaze jumps to mine like a compass pulled north. We all have theorized that Violet's broken compass is actually magical and will lead her to her heart's desire or greatest need. And I think that this was foreshadowing for that to be the case.

[Kinsey]

Let's also not discount the numerous times throughout the series where Violet said zaden is her center or her gravity. And I agree, it's totally foreshadowing.

[Hannah]

Like for chapter 47, in case y' all needed more evidence, we got another Zaden and Bodhi comparison. Bode nods with a smile that looks so close to Zaden's, my whole rib cage draws tight. Oh, just the way she worded that is actually, like, really, like, concerningly.

[Carly]

Suspicious, like, oh, okay, yeah, agreed. Anyways, next, when Violet mentions Nayland, Taryn cuts her off and says, we do not speak of the one who came before. And Violet thinks agonizing pain floods the bond. And I immediately regret my choice of words. I think this is Rebecca Yarrow's trying to confirm to us that Taryn is grieving and not that Nayland turned because he would be angry like Sigale if that had happened.

[Kinsey]

I'm not going to give up on that.

[Carly]

Okay, that's fair.

[Kinsey]

This is an unserious Easter egg. Zaden's bedding at Ryerson House is described as being dark blue, much like most young adult men. I feel like every guy I know has navy blue sheets, so I just thought it was pretty funny.

[Hannah]

We get this quote. Selfishly, I also wanted to see how this empyrean functions. I suspect it's why Panchak has tagged along as well. First, this is confirmation that Orisha does in fact have its own separate empyrean. Also, we know that this is not why Panchik tagged along, as he was the mole. Little red herring there from Violet herself.

[Kinsey]

When Violet arrives at Ryerson House, she's filled with a longing for Zaden and thinks it's almost like this room is removed from time itself. A tiny corner of the world where we simultaneously live together, yet don't. I think this foreshadows that Zaden would leave her and Orisha, and the room will always feel stuck in time with little pieces of the two of them together. I also think this foreshadows that the two of them will be able to live simultaneously, yet don't, because this is their bedroom where people sleep and Violet will be able to dreamwalk to him.

[Carly]

You know what this immediately reminded me of? It's that moment in Iron Flame that everybody points to because they're not sure if it's a plot hole or not, where Violet says she's going to talk to Zaden as soon as he returns to Orisha about fixing the wards. And then later that night, they are in bed together. And then the next day, he seemingly disappeared, and he's gone on this mission that he had already left for. And then he's back again a couple days later, returning from this mission. And the second I read this, I thought of that moment because I'm like, how is he there? And then not. And I think this quote is going to come into play with explaining how that happened.

[Hannah]

I'm just going to say that all of this connects really well into the theory that I have been Easter egging, if you will, this entire episode so far. So we'll get to that in just a moment. But first, our last actual Easter egg. For Violet's ring, she thinks, quote, the only indication months have passed is the glass box from Zelnya on his nightstand and the emerald hilted blade of Orisha resting within. It's missing a single stone near the top, but looks no worse for wear after having been in Nevarian possession for 600 years. Rebecca confirmed at the Denver Q and A that, yes, Violet's ring was made from this missing stone. So sometime between them arriving back from Quest Squad and now he had the ring made. And a fun fact. Rebecca herself had Violet's ring made for herself. And she said that she wore it on the Onyx Storm tour, hoping that people would notice.

[Carly]

Sneaky, sneaky. And finally, let's talk theories, Time theory Signet sparring professors to help you hone your farsight and precognition Signet.

[Hannah]

And now I finally get to talk about my theory. Okay, so Violet gifts Zaden a wrist cuff made of onyx and a piece of the turret on top of Ryerson House. She says, quote, when things get shitty, I hope you can look down at it and imagine us sitting there together when this is all over, that's the vision I'm going to cling to. You and me holding hands, looking over the city. Now, onyx, of course, has a lot of symbolism for Zaden here, but onyx as a gemstone is believed to absorb negative energy and provide emotional and physical strength to its wearer. In ancient times, black onyx was often worn as a talisman to ward off evil spirits and protect against black magic. We've also discussed how Being Venom is presented similarly to addiction. And onyx can be a great gem for recovery as it helps you swerve any shade of relapse and instead encourages your body to physically focus on healing. Also, wearing black onyx jewelry or keeping the stone close allows for direct skin contact, amplifying its healing powers and transformative energy, making it a favorite in feng shui practices. Given that the wrist cuff is made of onyx, a protection and amplification stone and turret piece faces from Ryerson House, and that violet can slip into Zaden's dreams in close proximity. For now, I think that Zaden wearing them will create a connection between Zaden and Ryerson House, where Violet will be sleeping, and it will allow Violet to slip into his dreams so that they can communicate. In book four, which is all the more supported By Violet's wording, about him looking down and envisioning them being there together, accepted. Which ties into, like, multiple things that we've said today about the room seemingly being like a. Almost like a sanctuary for them, or a temple, if you will, where he worships her. You get it?

[Carly]

You get it.

[Hannah]

There's also things that we were saying earlier, and I can't even remember them off the top of my head, but there's so many aspects that just. I feel like it was pointed out this specifically, but maybe if she can actually. Maybe the room is how they're able to do it for sleeping. But if my theory that she's actually a mindwalker is accurate, maybe when he's wearing the wrist cuff while awake and somehow they don't have their dragon telepathy, then that could be how she talks. They communicate.

[Kinsey]

So I like it.

[Carly]

I like it.

[Hannah]

Thanks.

[Kinsey]

So I have a brief little theory here today. I think Dane reads Riddick's memories and knows that Xaden is Venon, if he didn't already know. Riddick gave Dana hug after Sawyer climbed sleek for the first time. Dane quote, lifts his brows, then slowly brings his hand up and pats Riddick's back twice in an awkward exchange. Why was it awkward, Dane? Why was it awkward?

[Hannah]

Well, we also have theorized that he doesn't have to touch faces anymore. So while we wouldn't have flagged that, I think it could be really interesting.

[Kinsey]

Yep.

[Hannah]

Cause Sawyer knows would be great for his character arc for him to have known. I mean, I think that Dain has known for a long time prior to this, which we've talked about in previous episodes, but if he didn't already, definitely.

[Carly]

Dissected and then figured it out here. Yeah.

[Hannah]

And for our last theory of the episode, I have one about Ryerson House and its wards. Brennan says pull me in when he's talking with Violet in Zaden and Violet's bedroom. Pull me in. He fucked with the wards the last time he was here, which Violet says, like, she's describes feeling the magic as she entered the room. And I think that Zaden fucked with more than just their bedroom wards, and that he made some areas of Ryerson accessible only to him and his kin, AKA his wife. What a way to end the episode.

[Kinsey]

And that wraps up our deep dive episode of Onyx Storm, chapters 45 through 47. Thank you so much for listening. Before we go, we want to give a special shout out to our newest Feathertail Patreon member, Angela Yu. Thank you all for supporting the podcast and helping us continue to create high quality content. If you'd like to hear your name in a future episode, you can join our Feathertails Tier 3 and we'll make sure to shout you out in our next recorded episode.

[Hannah]

As a Feathertail, you'll also get early access ad free full video episodes with audio only. If you would prefer access to our Dear Fantasy Reader Book Club, including our monthly livestream and Discord discussion, book club, voting privileges and bonus PDF resources like Carly's weekly Onyx Storm annotations, you can find our Patreon linked in the show notes and see all perks across all three of our tiers. Just a heads up, Apple now charges a 30% fee for Patreon memberships through iOS, so we recommend signing up via desktop or browser to avoid that. And if Patreon isn't your thing, there are still so many ways to support the pod leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, hitting subscribe, sharing with your fellow Empyrean readers, or just keep tuning in. Every bit helps.

[Carly]

Thank you again for listening. Don't forget to join us for our next episode where we deep dive chapters 48 through 52. If you haven't already, check out our fourth week deep dive from season one. Over 30 hours of content re examining everything through the lens of Iron Flame, including every time Zaden used his intrinsic abilities. And don't miss our Onyx Storm Prep Season Season 2 is packed with Empyrean theories that might still come true in books four or five.

[Kinsey]

We'd love to hear from you. Send us your thoughts, tag us on Instagram, or come fangirl with us in our free Discord Chat. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review. It would mean the world to us.

[Hannah]

Until next time, Dearest fantasy readers, prepare yourselves for violence. Charlotte's second signet reveal as we continue our journey through the Empyrean series.

[Kinsey]

Finally. Finally. And Carly, did your light just like go out?

[Hannah]

My power just tripped. Holy moly. All right, Peter. Blooper.

[Kinsey]

Power Outage Edition.

[Hannah]

Give me a second, guys. Unfortunately, this is not my Mac.

[Kinsey]

Violet just or something.

[Hannah]

Peter, do not include that.

[Kinsey]

Well, I'm just saying Violet messes with the electricity.

[Carly]

Peter, include that. Don't listen to Hannah.

[Kinsey]

Really.