Ep. 15 Onyx Storm Deep Dive: Ch. 48-52 | Easter Eggs, Theories & Key Moments

Summary

Podcast Title: Dear Fantasy Reader
Episode: Ep. 15 Onyx Storm Deep Dive: Ch. 48-52 | Easter Eggs, Theories & Key Moments
Release Date: June 5, 2025

---

Episode Overview

In Episode 15 of Dear Fantasy Reader, hosts Hannah, Kinsey, and Carly embark on an in-depth exploration of Rebecca Yarros' Onyx Storm, covering chapters 48 to 52. This episode delves into pivotal plot developments, character dynamics, intricate Easter eggs, and speculative theories that enrich the Empyrean series' rich tapestry. Whether you're an avid follower of the series or a newcomer eager to understand the complexities of Onyx Storm, this episode offers valuable insights and engaging discussions.

---

Chapter Summaries

Chapter 48-52 bring significant advancements in the plot and character arcs:

• Zaden's Return and Nightmare: Zaden returns to Orisha but fails to maintain his goal of not channeling for 76 days before becoming intimate with Violet, albeit with her consent. This leads to a tense scene of shadow bondage and Zaden worshiping Violet's temple.

• Violet's Nightmare: After their intense encounter, Violet experiences a nightmare featuring a sage presumed dead. She and Zaden realize that her second signet allows her to dreamwalk—a dangerous form of intensic magic enabling her to explore others' minds while their shields are down.

• Arisha Under Attack: Orisha faces an assault by Wyvern amid a mysterious storm. With most of Tyrandor's riders absent, Violet's squad steps in to defend the city. This battle introduces Theophany, a powerful character who arrives with a storm, resulting in Taryn's severe injury.

• Confrontation at Dune's Temple: Andarna confronts Violet at Dune's temple, urging her to align with Arryk's orders. The priests label Theophany a heretic, leading to unexpected distancing wielding and the activation of protective wards.

---

In-Depth Analysis & Discussion

The hosts delve into the complexities of Violet's newfound abilities and the unfolding political tensions:

• Dreamwalking Mechanics:
  Kinsey (07:20) explains Violet's ability to dreamwalk, highlighting its dangers and potential for manipulation. Carly (10:12) suggests that dreams in the narrative might function like nightmares that paralyze users, preventing magical abilities from being wielded effectively.

• Signet Limitations:
  The discussion (11:03) revolves around whether Violet can manipulate or control others' signets within dreams. Hannah (14:24) posits that if Violet can infiltrate dreams, she might gain a strategic advantage by manipulating subconscious thoughts, possibly leveling the playing field in magical confrontations.

• Character Motivations and Relationships:
  The trio debates Zaden's awareness of other dreamwalkers, possibly Berwyn, and the implications of his knowledge on the broader conflict. Carly (34:44) theorizes that Felix or a relative might also possess dreamwalking abilities, adding layers to the character dynamics.

• Andarna's Contradictory Abilities:
  A point of contention (48:36) is why Andarna cannot burn Theophany, despite previous indications of her ability to burn other Venon. The hosts express frustration (44:04) over the lack of clear explanations, speculating that Theophany might possess unique traits that render her immune.

---

Favorite Moments & Notable Quotes

The hosts share their favorite scenes and standout quotes from these chapters, highlighting key emotional and action-packed moments:

• Shadow Bondage Scene:
  Hannah (53:40) praises the depiction of Zaden exerting his powers over Violet, emphasizing the "casual display of power" as a peak romantic moment.

• Battle Highlights:
  Kinsey (57:43) reflects on Zaden's exhilarating maneuvers during the Wyvern battle, showcasing his prowess and dedication.

• Romantic Exchanges:
  Hannah (60:23) shares seductive lines from Zaden:

  "You are the temple where I worship. You are every fantasy I'll ever have. Grab hold, love."

• Emotional Conflicts:
  Kinsey (75:57) cites Violet's declaration:

  "I am the weapon."

---

Easter Eggs & Foreshadowing

The hosts meticulously uncover hidden details and symbolic elements that hint at future plot points:

• Epigraph Analysis:
  Each chapter's epigraph provides subtle clues:

  • Chapter 48: References to a sage with "black hair" and "scarlet veins" hint at the longevity and hidden identities of Venon characters.
  • Chapter 49: Discusses Dune and Loial's dedication, potentially foreshadowing rituals or sacrifices that impact the storyline.
  • Chapter 51: Mentions strategic placements of riders and the emotional weight of leadership, echoing Violet's forthcoming challenges as a general.
  • Chapter 52: Explores the concept of distance wielding, suggesting specialized magical abilities among Venon.

• Runes and Magic:
  Hannah (70:11) notes the mysterious Delayed Activation rune, theorizing its significance in future magical developments or plot twists.

• Symbolism of Colors and Clothing:
  Observations about the varying robe colors worn by Venon and temple priestesses hint at ranks, affiliations, or hidden motives within the factions.

---

Theories & Speculations

The hosts engage in spirited speculation about unresolved mysteries and future events:

• Violet's Enhanced Abilities:
  Carly (90:00) proposes that Violet might possess the ability to slow or stop time, a remnant of an ancient power, inferred from her actions during critical battle moments.

• Dreamwalker Identities:
  The possibility that characters like Felix or a relative might be dreamwalkers adds intrigue to their true motivations and alliances.

• Theophany's Role:
  The inability to burn Theophany suggests she holds a unique position or power, potentially setting her up as a formidable antagonist or a key player with hidden depths.

• Repeated History Erasure:
  Carly (73:08) theorizes that history within the Empyrean series might have been erased multiple times, indicating cyclical conflicts or the persistent threat of Venon resurgence.

• Bodhi's Dual Signet:
  Speculation about Bodhi possessing a second signet raises concerns about his loyalty and possible future betrayal, aligning with his actions in previous chapters.

---

Conclusion

Episode 15 of Dear Fantasy Reader offers a comprehensive and engaging deep dive into Onyx Storm's chapters 48-52. Through detailed chapter summaries, analytical discussions, exploration of Easter eggs, and lively theories, the hosts provide listeners with a thorough understanding of the unfolding narrative and its complex characters. Whether dissecting magical mechanics like dreamwalking or unraveling the intricate relationships between characters, this episode serves as an indispensable companion for fans navigating the Empyrean series.

---

Notable Quotes Referenced:

• Hannah (53:40):
  "He hasn't so much as lifted a finger to wield. He's doing all of this with his mind."

• Zaden (60:23):
  "You are the temple where I worship. You are every fantasy I'll ever have. Grab hold, love."

• Violet (75:35):
  "I am the weapon."

• Taryn (83:20):
  "Your inability to follow simple orders will get her killed. And I will not lose her as I did the one who came before."

---

Stay Connected:

Excited by the discussions? Subscribe to Dear Fantasy Reader on your favorite podcast platform to never miss an episode. Join the community on Instagram and Discord to share your thoughts, theories, and fangirl moments with fellow Empyrean series enthusiasts.

Transcript

[Hannah]

Foreign Dearest Fantasy Readers, welcome to the Dear Fantasy Reader Podcast where we travel through the pages of our 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 Yarrows has given us. So if you haven't read 4th Wing, Iron Flame and Onyx Storm in its entirety, go do that and we will 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 Yaros 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 we do have our pick for our June Book club. It is Drumroll Shield of Sparrows by Devni Perry and the livestream is scheduled for the last Wednesday of every month. That would be June 25th at 7:30 Eastern Standard Time. You can find details on how to join down in the show. Notes we are also getting lots of messages for what book or what series we are covering next, and we will be announcing that as we get closer to the final episode of our Onyx Storm season. So stay tuned specifically on Instagram and time for our lightning round of current reads. At least since the last time that we filmed, I have read Silver Elite and I'm currently reading Shield of Sparrows. I know I'm ahead of schedule. We're going to blame Carly and the Booktok and Bookstagram community because I just couldn't. I had a little bit of fomo, honestly. And then when Carly, you mentioned last episode that you started it, I was offended and so I did my best to catch up. And then right before we started filming this episode, I started Fangirling hard. I am hooked. I am obsessed. And as soon as we're done with this, I'm going to finish it today.

[Carly]

I can't wait for that call.

[Hannah]

Me neither. I'm super excited.

[Kinsey]

Well, I finished House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas and had my mind blown to smithereens. I am still reeling with that ending. I also read the Never List by Jade Presley and I just finished Deep End by Ali Hazelwood. That was my first ever book by her and now I'm like, well, I have to read them all, because that was really good. And I'm about to start an arc called A Forbidden alchemy by Stacy McKeown.

[Hannah]

Same.

[Carly]

Oh, yeah, I'll be starting that one next, too. I have to say Deep End for your first Ali Hazelwood novel. That's one of my favorite Ali Hazelwood novels. So you started out strong. That book is.

[Hannah]

Would you say that she jumped into the deep end?

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Kinsey]

Oh, yeah. I dove in head first.

[Hannah]

Inward tuck.

[Carly]

Yeah, it's one of my favorites. In the audiobook is.

[Hannah]

Ugh.

[Carly]

The narrator.

[Kinsey]

Phenomenal.

[Carly]

I just finished Shield of Sparrows by Deveny Perry. Hence Hannah's fomo. It was so good. I absolutely loved it. And I just finished the Never List by Jade Presley, which we'll be talking about at book club soon. And I just finished Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood, which I am coming in on my Ali Hazelwood finish line. I think I only have two books left of her, so I'm almost done. And they're both novellas, so I'm so close to being done with her backlist. But that's okay because she has a new book coming out in June, so I'm excited for that. And I'm currently reading the Queen of Nothing by Holly Black.

[Kinsey]

Nice.

[Hannah]

Carly has blown us out of the water this month doing. What is it?

[Carly]

You called it?

[Hannah]

A Libby Sprint?

[Carly]

I called it my Great Libby Loan Race because I accidentally approved too many holds at the same time. And I had, like, 10 books due in 21 days. Plus, I had the arc for our Hazel McBride interview that I needed to read, and I also had our book club book that I needed to read, so I ended up having to read 12 books in 21 days.

[Hannah]

So basically, you guys have seen Carly as much as we have.

[Carly]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. They have not seen me. I've been reading.

[Kinsey]

I have not read nearly as much. But for the record, House of Sky and Breath is, like, over 800 pages, so I think that has to count for something.

[Hannah]

Well, I haven't read as much, but I have been doing a lot of podcast stuff. Like, I try and fit in audiobooks, but that's what makes arcs harder.

[Carly]

You know, I could not have done it if 11 of the 12 books were not audiobooks.

[Hannah]

Yeah, exactly.

[Carly]

Otherwise I never would have finished.

[Hannah]

I will say that the one thing that just pushed it overboard for me to derail my tbr, which I'd already planned to read it, it was just like, okay, this is an ASAP kind of thing. Carly, you said that Shield of Sparrows is one of the best romantasy books you've ever read.

[Carly]

Yeah, it's a top five as far as series go. I don't want to. If I start getting into individual series and favorite books within those series, it.

[Hannah]

Gets to be a longer list.

[Carly]

But as far as series goes, it's up there. The ending of that book, I cannot wait to talk about it with you guys.

[Kinsey]

Hold it for the book club. Hold it in.

[Hannah]

We have so many. Like this book is something that you're going to be able to talk about for longer than our book club. Like we are going to be. We have some ideas.

[Carly]

Yeah, we're going to have to talk about this a little extra because it's just. Ugh. It was so good. I loved it.

[Hannah]

But book club will be really, really good in June. Book club's going to be really good with that one.

[Carly]

Yeah, I'm going to be feral, so be prepared. This week's Star of Navarro award for a review that made our hearts soar goes to Valerie Jewell, who wrote truly one of the only deep dive podcasts that goes deep. It is a highlight of my day when I have a new episode to listen to. There is creativity to the theories, but they still make sense. Not your average theories. You ladies are amazing.

[Kinsey]

Thank you.

[Carly]

I want to make our tagline now not your average series because I love.

[Kinsey]

That she's like, you're crazy, but we.

[Hannah]

Love you for it. You know, as a words of affirmation, girly. This is my favorite section of our podcast. Thanks.

[Carly]

I love getting to read them to you guys and seeing your faces, it makes me so happy.

[Kinsey]

Every week makes me happy to hear them.

[Carly]

So I know it's. I just think it's. I don't know. To me it's amazing that people take the time to go write reviews. We really do appreciate it. Thank you so much. Valerie. Jewel, your feedback and support means so much to us. Thank you. If you are also enjoying the show, please consider leaving us a review. It's a small thing that makes a big difference.

[Kinsey]

Thank you.

[Hannah]

As a reminder before we dive in, if you would like to jump around to any section of any 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 48 through 52 with our squad mate Kinsey.

[Kinsey]

Alright. Zaden returns to Orisha and doesn't quite make it to his goal of not channeling for 76 days before being intimate with Violet. But with her consent. We are then blessed with spicy shadow bondage and Zaden worshipping Violet's temple. Thoroughly exhausted after spicy time, Violet finds herself in a nightmare featuring Zaden's supposed to be dead sage. She wakes up and discovers Zaden experienced the same nightmare, and they come to the realization that her second signet must be dreamwalking. Zaden warns Violet that her signet is dangerous and a type of intensic because she can wander into people's minds while their shields are down. To confirm, they wake up Merrin, who shows Violet the family portrait she saw in the nightmare outside Samarra. Suddenly, alarms go off and Arisha is under attack by Wyvern under the COVID of a mysteriously strong storm. Conveniently, most of Tyrandor's riders are out on patrol, and Zedan's two generals aren't in residence. After a brief meeting, Violet's squad steps up to help defend the city and protect the Wardstone. Arc pulls Violet aside and ominously tells her that she needs to protect Dune's temple and that this is how they saved Tyrandor. Violet pairs off with Ry to defend Oresha, and during the Wyvern fight, Theophany arrives with a storm and Taryn is seriously wounded. Grounded from Taryn's injury, Ree uses her signet to remove a spike stuck in Taryn's body, but he's too injured to fly back. To no surprise, Andarna shows up where she's not supposed to be and insists Violet should listen to Arryk's orders to save Dune's temple. At the temple, Theophany tries once again to convince Violet to turn Venon. The priestesses call Theophany a heretic, and Violet realizes that she is a former priestess and cannot step foot on the temple grounds. Andarna tries and fails to burn Theophany, and she and the other Venon unexpectedly distance wield before the wards go up.

[Carly]

Wait, wards?

[Kinsey]

That can only mean one the Irids have come to save Orisha, and Leathan is here.

[Hannah]

Grab your leathers, Quest squad. As we are officially learning Violet's second signet. Finally diving right into our analysis and discussion section, starting with the dream. So before we get into talking about, like the second signet of it all, I want to talk about this specific part. In the dream itself, we get the context that Zaden's powers he seems to be referencing, his Shadows and his intensive ability do not work in the dream, but the Sages do, so the Venon powers do. And also Zaden gets the urge to channel from the Earth. Another clue that Venon powers do. So why is it that Venon powers work in the dreams but not Riders?

[Carly]

I mean, I think I read it like a nightmare. Like, you know, like when you're in a nightmare and there's someone chasing you and you can't run, it's like slow motion. It's like your brain paralyzes you in a way. And so I think that's how Zaden is experiencing it. Like, he's being paralyzed by his own fear in the dream and he can't, like, use his shadows.

[Hannah]

Yeah, I think with the dreams, this is where I get confused on, like, how to analyze it, because at what point is it a dream, like a normal dream versus this, like, magical dream where, like, if Berwyn. And we'll talk more about this in a bit. Is actually dreamwalking? Maybe it's not that Venon powers can work in dreams. It's that Berwyn's powers because he's meddling.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. I guess something else to consider, too, is up to this point, we're still in Violet's point of view. So she thinks this is her nightmare. And even though it's revealed later in this chapter, maybe Rebecca, just from a writing standpoint, didn't want to reveal, oh, this is actually Zaden. She wanted us to be shocked with the reveal of her waking up. So if there were shadows or if Violet could suddenly read minds, then that would give it away. So I'd be curious to see in book four, when she is aware. This is my second signet. I'm in someone else's dream. If she is able to experience or even manipulate their signets now that she's, like, aware of it. Because before she wasn't. But I do think, like, Carly kind of has a point. Like, it's a nightmare. Maybe it's just like they're frozen.

[Hannah]

Yeah. And that makes sense. I think. I'm just trying to point out, like, the distinction between him literally saying, my magic never works here, but his always does, and then turning around and his magic is all of a sudden working to be able to want to channel. Like, it's not like that. All magic is blocked. So it could just be, like, a creative decision on Rebecca's part. And I totally see why she would do that, but it just feels like it's important context to consider when we go into, like you were saying of Violet's dreams and whoever she's in, if she can manipulate their or her own. Because she learns how to separate herself in the dream, too. And Be and like her own being.

[Kinsey]

So it could also just be like Berwyn being the dreamwalker and like, he took Zaden's sword in the past dream and to like, make him feel defenseless. So taking the signet away is him, like, manipulating the dream to make him feel weak. It could also be maybe because Zaden can't physically harm Berwyn either, because that's his sage. So maybe he can't use even his signet in a dreamscape because it's his sign and he can't hurt him.

[Hannah]

Which could mean that once Violet goes into another dream like that, where she is herself, which we get one of those, right? Don't we get one where she is her own being? Looking at both of them at some.

[Kinsey]

Point, I think we do.

[Carly]

I have a question. I'm so sorry. This is so out of nowhere. Let's just make the assumption. Berwin's a dreamwalker and we know Vallis. Dreamwalker? Yeah, if they're both in the same dream. If a dreamwalker hurts another dreamwalker in a dream, are they hurt in real life?

[Kinsey]

I hope so.

[Carly]

Could she, like, take him out in the dream? I think she should try.

[Hannah]

Cause that's what I'm trying to analyze when I look at these dreams is what can it tell us about what Violet's gonna be able to do and experience with her signet in these dreams moving forward? I think it would be one really cool that it really levels the playing field that the powers aren't necessarily usable in other people's dreams. Because, you know, if she goes to some all powerful, I don't know, into Zaden's dream, it's himself. Not that he'd hurt her, but someone that is that powerful, if they can't use that signet against her. But she's actively able to use her dreamwalking ability. That could potentially be into mine stuff and manipulating them in their dream meta manipulating it could really be an upper hand for her. But I hadn't considered 1v1.

[Carly]

Okay. I'm just saying if Violet can just use her dream walking ability to walk through vennon dreams and just be assassinating venom left and right, that would be awesome.

[Hannah]

I want to see that.

[Kinsey]

That'd be cool. I also like. I'm like, could she dreamwalk into Auric's dream and then see the future if he's having precognition moments, like in his sleep?

[Hannah]

And maybe that's why Rebecca in part to not spoil the reveal of her second signet by like giving the specific person's signets. But I think that might be in part why she is making it clear, like, a limitation, that, hey, signets aren't going to be a thing in here. Because that would just take it to another level. Yeah, but I'd love to see it.

[Kinsey]

She's like, a master of all cygnets if she's able to use it in their dreams.

[Hannah]

Especially if she doesn't have to go into dreams. Like, we keep talking about minds and this distinction of, oh, the shields have to be down, and it's just convenient because they're down when they're sleeping. Okay, but can she just be doing that?

[Kinsey]

I think she's gonna plant subconscious thoughts into people's heads. Like, I don't know. I mean, it's bizarre that she's only been in nightmares so far. So it's like, is it just nightmare walking?

[Carly]

But maybe she's been in others, but it wouldn't be significant to share them. She wouldn't even remember. You know how you often don't even remember?

[Kinsey]

Just a daydream.

[Hannah]

Well, I've also kind of talked about this before, but I think that nightmares is, in one part, easier because it's a heightened state of vulnerability for both. For whoever she's walking into.

[Carly]

In another episode a while back, I was like, calling her a nightmare grifter. Cause I'm like, she's only in nightmares.

[Kinsey]

Mm. Definitely a lot of potential here. I really hope that we get to see it in book four.

[Hannah]

At this point, we've got two books left. Like, I just want to be able to see all the powers, be able to be like. She is our own limitation. Because Violet's gonna be like, oh, no. Intruding on someone's privacy. There's a war going on, and there's.

[Kinsey]

Only one person who can help her train it. Is it gonna be Dain? Is it gonna be Zaden? Like, who's. Whose mind is she gonna be going into?

[Hannah]

I think that's Bertwick. But then how?

[Carly]

Like, why would he help her?

[Hannah]

Exactly. Unless he thinks that she's going to turn and, like, be on his side.

[Kinsey]

Which maybe that's the knowledge. Theophany keeps saying, I know what you want to know. I'll help you get it.

[Hannah]

That would imply that Theophany knows she's a dreamwalker.

[Kinsey]

Maybe Berwyn told her.

[Hannah]

I don't know. Maybe Berwyn knows at this point.

[Kinsey]

I mean, Berwyn definitely knows. Cause Zaden said he always felt like a presence in the back of his mind during the dream. So I Think if he's an experienced.

[Hannah]

Dreamwalker, he's going to notice Berwyn's controlling the nightmare.

[Kinsey]

So I feel like there's no way he doesn't know that Violet's there. Like, he has to know that she's there and controlling the dream. Right. So he could have told Theophany. I don't know why he would. Because they're competition.

[Carly]

But I don't know. I don't know if creepy is the right word. But, like, when she's in those dreams, she's like, in Zaden. Like, she's like. You could feel her, like, controlling him to a certain extent, like, manipulating him. And I'm like, that's like body snatcher type, like, weirdness. Like, I don't know why, but it gives me chills. And not in a good way.

[Kinsey]

Could she make people sleepwalk and, like, actually physically do certain actions and, like, control their body?

[Carly]

As a sleepwalker, I don't like to think about that. Yeah. I have scared my husband several times.

[Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Hannah]

Little lore fact for you. All about Carly.

[Carly]

Forgot to tell him.

[Kinsey]

Oh, no.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Hannah]

He found on your honeymoon just, like.

[Kinsey]

Standing over his bed.

[Hannah]

That would freak me out.

[Kinsey]

The first night you move in together. Do I look like a real boy, Papa? Like, at the audio.

[Hannah]

That was. We should have, like. We should, like, put a warning in for people. This is a horror episode, by the way, guys. Not romantasy.

[Kinsey]

No, but I remember, like, with the reveal, at first I was like, what for? Like, the dream walking. But then, like, I sat with it. I'm like, oh, my God. Like, Rebecca can actually do so much with this, and I really hope she utilizes it as much as she can. We're gonna have dream sex communication between her and Satan. We're gonna have her implanting ideas, controlling, manipulation.

[Hannah]

Think about the information she's able to get from that. Because, like, even with Marin, she. She got, like, personal fears. Like, worst nightmares is so much more confidential information than just, like, your average dream.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. And it was like a. Like a retro memory, like, Dane's ability. So I'm like, can she, like, work in tandem with, like, other people to, like, pass some out? And then, like, I don't know.

[Hannah]

Wait, I'm not following.

[Carly]

Like, knock people out and then, like, just.

[Kinsey]

I don't know where I was really going with this, but. Because I'm like, she doesn't need Dane to, like, get the memory. But if, like, they knock him out and Dane is also reading somebody, then that could help her to, like, read the same memory because they're so she just.

[Hannah]

You're saying to get her missing memories, you're saying that this could be hers or anybody else's.

[Kinsey]

Because, like, with. With Maren's nightmare, it wasn't just a nightmare. Like, that was a memory. Right. Like Cliff, Spain's fall. It wasn't just, like, something she made up.

[Hannah]

The way she worded it in this chapter, she implied it didn't happen. She said it was her worst nightmare, that that photo burned. So there's aspects to it that inform it, but, like, there's no consistency that is traceable in these dreams. I've tried. I've tried, but. So I think there's things that can be taken as events, prior future, or, like, current meddling if Berwyn is involved. So it's really hard to take it at, like, one thing's going on.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, well, first of all, she's going to have to, like, be able to lucid dream and be, like, aware, like, when she's asleep and when she's awake. And then she's going to have to, like, find a way to pick a target. And then, like, it's just going to be complicated.

[Hannah]

She would not be able to turn her brain off, like, never. She's technically awake all the time. And that would. I would not cope.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, I mean, she doesn't do it every night, though. So it's only, like, if she chooses to. But how.

[Hannah]

She says it's conscious dreams she's been having since resin. So I wouldn't say every single night, but, like, frequent enough.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, yeah.

[Hannah]

I mean, at some point she's got to be able to control it and. And, you know, so that's got to help.

[Carly]

I don't want to completely derail us, but one more question.

[Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Hannah]

Okay.

[Carly]

So we see her struggling, like, she can't wield when she's, like, taking over Zaden because Berwyn's there. But Berwyn likely might be dreamwalking in this dream, and maybe he's controlling the dream and not letting Zaden wield. So do we think if she enters another writer's dream, somebody with access to magic, where there's not another dreamwalker controlling the dream, that she could get them to wield their signet in their dream?

[Hannah]

I love that question, because it kind of flipped what we were talking about earlier, and me being like, oh, maybe it's just Berwyn that he can't use it against. But I love that you're pointing out that maybe Berwyn's actually preventing the signet.

[Carly]

Use or maybe it's both. Like, maybe if he dreamwalked into Violet's.

[Hannah]

Dream, I would love that. Because as a power girly, I want to experience all these. Like, walk into Imogen's dream and let me just see the shit you've got. Like, I think it would be a.

[Kinsey]

Good way to reveal some secret second signets like Odyssey and I. Part of me just. I don't know about Riddick. There's just something going on with him, too.

[Carly]

Agreed.

[Hannah]

Can I be chaotic and ask if we can please put that on our book four bingo card of, like, we don't have a lot of clues for this, but could be so fun if we got a second signet reveal through Violet Dreamwalking into someone's dream.

[Carly]

Yeah, I love. That would be really cool.

[Kinsey]

That would be pretty dope, so.

[Carly]

Or I feel like she could maybe learn some memories that Imogen has erased from people. Like, Imogen could remember not even just memories.

[Hannah]

The amount of information she has has got to be incredible. But Rebecca has implied in interviews, like, Imogen knows so much more than Violet does. Just. Yeah. And so it's like, she was talking in the context of, like, how she had to be careful with her POV and, like, where she put that POV. And she did imply we're getting more POVs in future books.

[Kinsey]

Thank God.

[Hannah]

At some point, we've gotta learn what, like, she's teased that Zaden is hiding so much more. And at this point, like, what else is he hiding? Outside of being an intensic, Outside of him being a Venon. Violet knows all that. So what is he hiding from her? That's gonna be this huge reveal. Cause it's not like. I mean, she's saying she can't write his chapters of his POV because there's so much more that he's keeping secrets. Like, I know if we completely went off.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, no, Imogen knows. She knows all of his shit.

[Carly]

I just think it would be so cool if she walked into Imogen's stream and learned all of these moments when Imogen was erasing people's memories and Lear all of these things that had been lost to anybody but Imogen.

[Kinsey]

Sign me up. I need more Imogen scenes.

[Carly]

Yes. Yes.

[Kinsey]

As long as it's not a scene with her dying in it. I will read it.

[Hannah]

Are there any other characters that we think would just be optimal for her to target to dreamwalk?

[Kinsey]

Bodhi, I think Melgren to keep tabs on. Like, is he trying to trace Zaden?

[Hannah]

Tari's gotta have some Huge.

[Kinsey]

Tari's not a writer, though. Oh. But yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Carly]

He still knows.

[Kinsey]

Oh, yeah. No, it doesn't have to be writer. I get what you're saying. Yeah, yeah. I was still thinking like along cygnats, but yeah, no, definitely.

[Carly]

What about Brennan?

[Hannah]

Oh, Brennan.

[Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Hannah]

We can finally get context about Naomi.

[Kinsey]

Professor Kaori.

[Carly]

Oh, yeah. What if she.

[Hannah]

Imagine she just goes into random people, she makes a list and she's like, these are all the people I need to know for sure. Ven or not. And she dreamwalks into them to see if they reveal in their dream that they've been in.

[Kinsey]

She can just go to Jack and be like, all right, time to get all those Venon secrets. He still hasn't revealed to me why only initiates bleed. Let's go. Jack knows who the secret Vennon are because he's.

[Hannah]

Yeah, but there's something really suspicious about how Jack was willing to give more information and Violet didn't ask. So you know what it would be too? Some level of Violet not wanting answers that is hindering us learning more.

[Carly]

Maybe there's like an assumption for her. If it's the information he wants to give her, it's probably false or useless or manipulative. Like she doesn't trust it as much.

[Hannah]

Yeah, no, for sure. But then why can't you just make an informed decision after you find out that information?

[Carly]

Yeah, I just want her to realize Brennan is hiding something about the whole him and Naelyn thing and dreamwalk and go get that memory. What went down?

[Hannah]

Oh, my gosh. Her grandma.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, I was thinking her too. And Meera. But like, if I had to pick a top three. Brennan, Imogen. I don't even know who the third one would be. It's like, tricky.

[Carly]

I think it has to be Kaori. For me.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. I'm still like, Melgren is the general of their armies. That would be, like, strategic.

[Hannah]

But yeah, but at this point, Violet's about to be general of the majority of their armies, so, like, that's true.

[Kinsey]

But yeah. Oh, my God. I. Please, Rebecca, if you're listening, which I know you're not, I just need answers with what happened between Brennan and Naolyn. Please give it to us in book four. Thank you.

[Carly]

Yeah, that would be a cool way of revealing it, though.

[Kinsey]

It'd be pretty sick. And then Brennan would wake up and be like, you bitch. I can't believe you got in my dreams.

[Hannah]

Well, they wouldn't really know, right?

[Carly]

Not unless she told them.

[Hannah]

Yeah.

[Kinsey]

Cause I mean, Zayden felt her presence. So.

[Hannah]

But Zaden also. I mean, it could be unique to Zayden. I think there's a level of. That could be a possibility. I don't think we can say confidently because they already have a connection. So it could be they're closer in proximity so he can sense it a little bit more. And he's also more powerful with his shields, being aware with shields. So maybe it equates to how strong your shielding skills are in general.

[Kinsey]

She has a connection with Brennan because it's her brother, not an actual bond, but their blood.

[Hannah]

I mean, I'm convinced Rebecca said what, 10% of her signets, what we've seen. I don't think she's really gonna have. Rebecca loves to throw limitations in there. So, like, there's going to be some line. But I. I really hope that by at least book five, it's like she just gets to be selective and gets the information. Like, think about. I say this all the time, but like, there's so much information that she's got to find out about and keep developing this story within two books. Like, that's a lot. There's got to be some way that at some point it's comes to her easier. And this might be down there, I.

[Carly]

Guess, because like, xaden made it clear, like, they'll kill you if anybody knows. Like, nobody can know. Do we think she's gonna tell anybody?

[Hannah]

Yeah, she's gonna for sure tell someone.

[Carly]

But who?

[Kinsey]

Re Imogen.

[Carly]

I would guess Brennan.

[Kinsey]

We all guess somebody different.

[Hannah]

I actually agree with Imogen.

[Carly]

We'll have to see.

[Hannah]

But then maybe not.

[Kinsey]

I mean, she might feel betrayed by imogen taking her memory, but she literally asked for it and I would trust that she'd ask for it. I think she'd realize that the wedding was not a joyous occasion. It was probably really traumatic and painful.

[Hannah]

I don't wanna talk about it.

[Carly]

We're moving on from that topic really.

[Kinsey]

Quick because, like, they seem to have a lot of trust in each other and they keep each other's secrets and she'd be like someone good to tell.

[Hannah]

I mean, she's already gonna have a target on her back because of zaden. We know as soon as everyone finds out, if they don't already all know because of the end of onyx storm, that zaden is like full blown venon riddick or zaden. One of them literally said straight up, like, you're gonna be a target if anyone finds out because the quickest way to kill him is just to kill you.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, but I think too, we have to consider like Daenon, Imogen also basically are intrinsics themselves. So they'd probably understand that even though Violet isn't like a full blown Intinzic, it's one of those signets that could be considered it. And so, like, I feel like they could keep that secret and help her train it.

[Carly]

I think that they could keep the secret. I just wondered who. Like, I don't know. I think if she's gonna tell someone, personally, I think it's gonna be like, Brennan, unless somebody finds out, like on accident.

[Kinsey]

I mean, Brennan knew that Zaden was Venom and he was chill about it.

[Carly]

So that's what I mean. It's like Zaden trusted Brennan with that. So I just think if she was gonna go talk to somebody like right now, for me, I think her trust in Imogen is like, not shattered, but like, definitely dented. There was some minor damage.

[Hannah]

Clearly Violet asked her to do that and she trusted her to hold onto that information without Violet being able to.

[Carly]

She's so mad. At the end of the book though, it's gonna be interesting to see if she's like believes Imogen and that she really did ask her or that she's gonna like, think that Imogen, that's for dragons. Yeah. But like, that's what I'm interested to find out though, in this next book though, is if it erased the memory from Violet. Did it erase the memory from the dragons? They still have it.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. And it's like our signets, aren't they not supposed to work against dragons? So that's weird.

[Carly]

Unless we will see, this whole set.

[Hannah]

Of chapters was just a can of worms. With the second signet reveal.

[Kinsey]

Mm.

[Hannah]

As you guys can tell, none of that conversation. But the very first question was planned.

[Carly]

Yeah, we got a little off track.

[Hannah]

This next one, it was weird that Zaden references Zenal dealing him his fate. And that does not have to be a full blown conversation like that. It just is weird.

[Carly]

I think the language is interesting because when they go to Xenal, they have cards that they are dealt, literally. And then he uses that same language here. So it's interesting to me because it makes me wonder how much of this Zinal is plotting and just chaos.

[Kinsey]

I think that Zanal craves chaos and everyone's just like, you know what, Zenal, take the wheel. I'm going to let you handle my fate. And whatever happens, happens. So.

[Carly]

But do you think like, Zanal is just like pulling fates out of a bucket and just being like, this is the one you get. This is the one you get. Or do you think he's choosing and orchestrating chaos? Or do you think he's just taking things at random and seeing what happens?

[Kinsey]

I think he's choosing and orchestrating. And I think that could explain why the priests, during the battle were just, like, guzzling whatever drink they had. They were just like, you know, anything we do isn't really gonna make a difference anyway.

[Carly]

So I just wonder if Zinal, like, if he was a writer, I'd be like, is he a plotter or a pantser?

[Kinsey]

I think he's a plotter.

[Hannah]

Personally, I just have a hard time. I can see why the people who worship Zenaal view him as being, like, the master of fates. Right. But I don't see why he, out of our pantheon would be the God in charge of fates. Like, I don't make that connection.

[Kinsey]

Maybe that's why Papa Sorengel said sometimes the best thing he can do for you is, like, not be present. Yeah, to ignore you butchering that line.

[Hannah]

But, yeah, I just see him as more meddling than, like, master or, like, determiner of fates. Yeah, wouldn't that be, like, a contradiction? If it's up to luck, then it's not really planned.

[Carly]

I mean, I think it just depends on, like, how much luck he chooses to give or.

[Kinsey]

Keep away, how you view it. It's meddling if you don't like it. It's fate if it's good news.

[Hannah]

Okay, getting back on track. Actually, back to the dreamwalker topic. I want to point out how Zayden is the one who tells Violet that she is a dreamwalker. And when she tells him that there is no such thing, he confidently says, there is such a thing, as if he knows someone firsthand. And of course, as we previously mentioned, my first thought goes, with Berwyn the sage in the dream, him also being a dreamwalker, he's obviously walking into Xaden's dreams and that he might be the one that Zaden knows. But that, to me would mean that Zaden is aware at this point in the story that Berwyn is actually reaching him in his dreams. And at first I thought, well, that doesn't really add up because Zayden still thinks that Berwyn's dead because he seemed so surprised in the last chapters. But then I went back and I looked at those chapters to see, like, how he words it. That made me think that. And Zaden only states that he was supposed to be dead. He's just talking about him, not as if he just realized it. And to be clear, it's not indicating one way or another that he had just found out that made me realize that Berwyn could have revealed himself as alive to Xaden at any point in this book without Violet knowing. So that could be further confirmation that Berwyn specifically is a dreamwalker and that Zaden has known. Or if it's not that, that Zaden knows another person that is a dreamwalker, which I'm going to assume Carly thinks is Zayden's grandfather. But also, don't you think that Berwyn is Zaden's grandfather? Is there, like, a reality in which you think that that is the case still?

[Carly]

I think Berwyn is likely his grandfather.

[Hannah]

Yeah. So it could be one and the same. So my overarching question after I walked you guys through my logic and process of thinking through that, who do y' all think Zayden knows that is a dreamwalker?

[Kinsey]

Honestly, I only really thought of Berwyn, and maybe there is some kind of historical record somewhere of, like, all these dreamwalkers. I don't know. I didn't really think about it too much.

[Hannah]

Well, he also seemed to have known, like, how severe and how, like, dangerous it is. Because it's not just that he says, oh, there is such a thing. He then turns around and is, like. Even says, it's, like, one of the most dangerous forms of intensic. Like, it sounds like he knows firsthand.

[Carly]

Yeah. I have two possible thoughts on this of who he could have known that's outside of Berwyn. We're all assuming Berwin's a dreamwalker at this point. But maybe Xaden doesn't know that because, like, unless Berwin revealed himself in a dream, if it's not that, I have two other possibilities. One, Felix, because we still don't know his signet. And what if he's masquerading as a truthsayer? Because I said before, I think we're going to find out that there's, like, types of intrinsics that are masquerading as truthsayers.

[Kinsey]

That's true.

[Hannah]

I like it.

[Carly]

So I think it'd be interesting if it was Felix, because he's already been the person training her. And Felix also seems to know stuff sometimes. And I'm like, that's weird. But beyond that, Felix is the other one in Iron Flame, where I'm like. It almost seems like he's compelling Violet to tell him things, just like we see Violet doing to other people. And I'm like, that's suspicious, which I'm.

[Hannah]

So hoping is a part of dreamwalking.

[Carly]

But okay, yeah, it better be. Agreed. And the other possibility would be one of his relatives, because it says that he's like, sigail really bonded my grandfather, but it was listed as my great uncle. The great uncle would have been the grandfather's brother. That's who a great uncle would have been to him. And I've theorized before. I'm like, what if Sigel bonded both and one of them got left? Off the record, what if the great uncle was bonded and, like, went, quote, unquote, crazy, but he was really an intensic dreamwalker and they killed him for it. And Zeta knows this history, and maybe that's one of the reasons why his dad was like, you can't become a writer because cygnets run in families. And he was worried they would kill him because if he became a dreamwalker, they'd kill him.

[Kinsey]

It could be.

[Hannah]

I like that, too.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Carly]

So those are my possibilities.

[Kinsey]

I'm also not giving up on Bode having a second signet. I'm just gonna be Delulu until she is.

[Hannah]

In the book.

[Kinsey]

In the book says no. Confirmed. So I'm like, maybe that could be him, too.

[Carly]

You think he's a dreamwalker too?

[Kinsey]

I don't think he's a dreamwalker, but I'm like, what if? What if?

[Carly]

Oh, yeah, I definitely think he has a second signet.

[Hannah]

Me too. If you had to pick one of those. Carly, Felix, or a relative that could include the grandpa.

[Carly]

Well, what we know about dreamwalker so far, Felix makes a little less sense just because we really don't know their full capability yet. And so unless it can work the way we're thinking, where they can become mind walkers and he can do all of that stuff and masquerade as a true sayer. Because he'd have to be able to do it when people are conscious to work as a true sayer. Right. Like, he'd have to know people are lying in the moment that they're lying. He couldn't just go into their dreams later. Yeah, that would be a giveaway. So Felix would be interesting because he could actually train Violet. And who's gonna train Violet?

[Kinsey]

That's what I keep saying.

[Carly]

Rebecca made it sound like, oh, there's only one person capable of training Violet. And if Berwyn is a dreamwalker, like we all thinking, then it makes less sense for it to be Felix because there's only one person capable of training her, then that would have to be Berwin because he's capable. It doesn't mean he would. So I like the idea that it was a relative that bonded to Gale and that's why the dad was like, you can't become a writer.

[Kinsey]

I don't know. I kind of like the idea of it being Felix because he's already her trainer.

[Carly]

Yeah. I think it might make more sense for it to be the relative. But I like the idea of it being Felix.

[Kinsey]

But like, what if you don't even have to be asleep? Like your. Your goals and aspirations while your conscious can also count as a dream because like, you have dreams of daydreaming man and daydreaming. But like when he's trading her, he's like, what do you want to do? Like, what's your goal here? Like for the lightning, like, and focusing. And so like, what if that's how he's able to compel and get information from people too? Like he's able to enter into their minds in that state. I don't know.

[Carly]

No, I don't disagree with you. I just saying I have to make more leaps to get to Felix than I do to somebody who's dead.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. It's just me hoping that she has compulsion through dreamwalking. That's the only reason why.

[Hannah]

Well, I still think there's a reality in which she can have both. I like the idea of it being Felix more. I still am convinced it's Berwin. And if that is the case, it would tell me that Zayden knows in this moment that Berwin is a dreamwalker. Like, that he is conscious, that Berwyn is conscious in his dream. And so I'm wondering, do you think he just had that realization after he connected the dots from Violet? Or do you think that maybe Berwyn revealed himself to Zaden in a dream as being cognizant before? Or maybe we get a lot of Xaden traveling and doing his own thing in this book. So like, at any point, the way that Theophany is tracking Violet and meeting her mysteriously could be what Berwin is doing with Satan. And they're having off page in real life interactions that we just don't know about because we're in Violet's point of view.

[Kinsey]

I don't really know if he's having off page interactions with Berwyn though, because I think if that were the case, he would have snatched him up and made him leave against his will. Because the whole point at the end of his shadows going towards him was because he was being Summoned. But I think he figured it out by realizing, oh, shit, if Violet has this ability and I keep having these dreams and he's in control, then I think that was him realizing at that moment. I don't really. I think if Berwyn were to be like, surprise, I'm alive. There's a possibility that Violet could have also been in on that dream and eavesdropped. So I think that that would have been too risky for Berwyn to reveal himself in that way. So I think it was just Zaden connecting the dots.

[Hannah]

Yeah.

[Carly]

Yeah. I think he knows Berwyn's alive. I think he might be starting to suspect he's a dreamwalker, but maybe doesn't realize.

[Hannah]

Just goes to show how sometimes on a first read, you make these implicit assumptions. Because I totally was convinced that on page, Zaden was shocked at the end to find out that he was alive alongside me. But, no, that was just me. And Zayden seemed to have known.

[Kinsey]

It seemed more like a frustration than a shock to me.

[Hannah]

Mm.

[Carly]

I have the same issue, though, where I, like, assume knowledge, and then I assume Violet has it. I'm like, wait, why is she surprised by this? And I'm like, oh, wait, that's right. I've just been making assumptions this whole time.

[Hannah]

Okay. The last thing that I want to point out about the dreams situation is about Andarna. And Darna has been watching Violet dream walk into nightmares for how long now and never told her. And then it was like, oh, like, I was waiting for you to figure it out. I don't like that.

[Carly]

Yeah. I'm like, this is one that you might have needed an assist on, girl.

[Hannah]

I get. At some point, Rebecca had to keep the momentum for the big reveal. Right. Even though she did say she thought we picked it up in the book before. But I think as she was writing Onyx Storm, she was like, no, they don't know. I'm gonna tease this a bit, but I just feel like if Indarna was to have known that, it just feels the stakes are so high that she could have been training her signet for so long. Yep. That her spouse, that you're interconnected with, mentally, is a fucking Venin. And the most powerful writer technically second, I guess, to Violet, but now not because he's a fucking Venin as well. Why would you not tell your writer, hey, you're taking a little long to figure this out. I need to tell you to get your shit together, realize what's going on. Start training it so that we can keep People from dying, keep you from dying, Keep me from dying.

[Carly]

Like, yeah, like, what if she would have done something where she would have stumbled into, like, a leadership stream, and, like, maybe they would have realized it. They would kill her. Like, this is a signet that they'll kill you for, and she doesn't tell her. And it's also just, like, ridiculous that she develops this signet because, yeah, she misses Andarna and wants to connect with her, and it doesn't even let her.

[Kinsey]

Do that in the dreamless sleep, by the way. No dreams, even if she was dreaming.

[Carly]

You can't. They can't use their signets on dragons. They don't work on them. Not like that. Like, Satan can't read the dragon. So, like, I'm sorry, it just doesn't make any sense.

[Hannah]

I find it really frustrating. Yeah. Yeah. The way that and Darna even, like, delivered the information was really frustrating to read. And just, like, honestly, when I was first reading it, I had kind of seen a slight, like, spoiler that the reveal was in chapter 44. So, like, I knew it was coming. But as I was reading her rationale for it, because, you know, like, everyone and their. Their mother was theorizing about what Violet needs most, and I was like, this has got to be, like, a red herring. Like, this is not her real signet, which I do stand by. She's actually a mind reader, and I. That. That could explain that Violet's kind of putting this, like, okay, it works, but does it really explanation together about and Darna's dream and whatever? I think that if she's revealed to be a mind walker, then it's actually going to be like, okay, that's a form of her needing information. And so I still do think there's a level of red herring. But if it's not, if she's strictly a dreamwalker and this is the explanation, I just. I found it not fully connecting for me.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, that was, like, honestly, my biggest complaint, dare I say, of the book. I was really struggling with it at first until I came up with, like, all these, like, okay, well, maybe she could do this. Maybe she could do that. I was also kicking myself because my very, very first theory ever for her second signet was dreamwalking. I literally went back to my Reddit and I had posted, and I was like, I just finished Iron Flame an hour ago, and I think this is her second signet. And it was that. And I presented the information, but everyone talked me down. They're like, no way. It's not. And I was like, okay. And then I. All aboard the Truthsayer Train. It's fine, it's fine, it's fine. But I also found it odd that Andarna was like, really defensive too, when the signet was finally revealed. She's like, I didn't choose it any more than Tyrn chose lightning. But then the Irids made it seem like Andarna did choose it and she was responsible for her signet. So I'm just like, okay, what is it, Rebecca? Are the dragons the ones doing this? Is it Violet? I don't know. It still just gets me that it's the dreamless sleep and she's a dreamwalker. But I think it can be cool and I think it will be cool. But it took me a minute to love it.

[Hannah]

No, same. I intended to plug this a little bit earlier, but for our full reactions, you've gotten the general gist of it, but we've already talked about this in our episode one initial reactions to like the reveal of her signet itself. I think in a nutshell, you pretty much got it from all of this.

[Carly]

But I think for me, the frustration is I just didn't think this one made a lot of sense with all the motivations at the time, like Violet's needs. I was just like, this isn't adding up for me, but we'll see. And I also mentioned this in our reactions episode as well. And the other thing that frustrates me about this is that dreamwalker is a term in indigenous culture that has kind of been co opted appropriated by the fantasy community as a whole. It's in a lot of fantasy books, but it's an indigenous practice and it's a sacred practice. So I don't love that we called it a dreamwalker when we had so many options of what to call it. It could have been named anything.

[Hannah]

Yeah. Which is also why you'll see if you're watching video, we'll often use quotation marks around that, especially a lot of quotations. I've termed it mind walking to kind of like translate over to what we currently understand it to be and what it's named. But. But I'm really hopeful that if she does make it a form of what we've been calling mindwalking, that she maybe changes the name to something that maybe doesn't include the walker part of it. Because you found out actually through researching for your own writing, which is kind of what we would hope that other authors would.

[Carly]

Yeah, I was researching a whole other project and came across the term Being like, I wonder if this has been used before. It turns out, one, yes, it's been used in fantasy a lot. And two and two, it didn't start there. So unfortunately, we all have to do more work on reading our fantasy books a little more carefully and finding out things that have been taken from other cultures, especially when they're religious, sacred things of that nature.

[Kinsey]

Hopefully it's a case of the characters themselves just not understanding it. It goes back to, they call her a lightning wielder, but her signet's actually true power. So right now they're calling her a dreamwalker. Hopefully.

[Hannah]

And that's what I'm saying about the mind walking thing. But I think Carly's point was that she could have done that. Calling it a dream to start with.

[Carly]

Yeah. Ever at all.

[Kinsey]

Maybe it'll change in the future.

[Carly]

Yeah. I'm hoping maybe in the next book they'll be like, oh, it's actually this. And they'll call it something else and we can get away from using this.

[Kinsey]

That's what I'm hoping.

[Carly]

Yeah. Fingers crossed.

[Hannah]

We have one last topic. I know a lot of this episode was gonna be about the dreams, but there are other things that happened. Most of it's covered in our Easter Eggs and Theories section, so we're getting to it shortly. But there was this moment that everyone is going to want to hear about, and it's the fact that even though we've been teased so many times about Andarna burning Venin and we got evidence for it in Iron Flame, she cannot burn theophany. And I'm wondering if this is a situation where it's not indicating that Andarna can't burn any venon. Like that. That was actually a one off because, like, why would there be no payoff for all this discussion? Why even have it? Or if maybe it's that Andarna can't burn theophany. There's something unique about theophany or their connection or something that's preventing her, and that Andarna will be able to burn other venants.

[Carly]

So your point is that, like, she just can't burn Theophany. Like there's something special or different about theophany. Maybe because she was dedicated or something.

[Hannah]

Yeah, I'm just not willing to accept that. And Darna was able to burn a venon one time. And then we get Andarna talking about it at the beginning. We get this conversation with the Irids where she's like, but then why can't I burn venon? And Then they, like, evade her question suspiciously. And the payoff you would expect from so much Easter egging would be that she can actually burn them, but all of a sudden she's not. And so I'm, like, not willing to accept that she can't. And that would imply that it's just something unique. With Theophany, maybe it only works on.

[Kinsey]

Lower level Venon, but not Mavens. And I also think, too, like, it depends on the circumstance. So in Iron Flame, she was changing her scales, she was changing her magic. So maybe because she was in, like, a stasis, she and not shifting, it didn't work. So maybe it's just, like, how she does it.

[Hannah]

Well, and she also said at the beginning, like, and Darna, when she's thinking of it, that's what's weird, is because she says, maybe it has to be when I'm changing scales. Like, she says that. So then why didn't she do it here or try again here?

[Kinsey]

Because she's an adolescent and she didn't think ahead.

[Carly]

I just wonder too. Like, to Kinsey's point, I'm like, maybe she could burn Theophany. She just doesn't know how to do it. Whatever she needs to do to make the magic work, she's just not either doing it right. Or maybe there is literally just something slightly different about Theophany, Maybe because she was dedicated that she'll be able to burn other venom. And maybe now she thinks she can't, and it's gonna be a while before she even tries again out of instinct and be like, oh, turns out again.

[Hannah]

Yeah, well. And, you know, to be clear, on my first read of it, I was like, oh, there's two Venon next to her. Like, you'd think if she could burn other venom, she would have burned them and not Theophany. But I reread it specifically to check for this, and she describes trying to burn Theophany, and it doesn't work. And then Theophany, next paragraph or two down, says that she yells at, quote, approaching dark wielders, and breaks into a run toward them, which shows they weren't next to her. So, like, I just think that there's a reason that we saw her only try and burn Theophany and not because Rebecca could have easily put them next to each other and, like, showed us that it wouldn't work against any. And she didn't do that. Sneaky, sneaky.

[Kinsey]

So what does Rebecca gain by not giving us any answers about anything?

[Hannah]

Oh, you know, I think she gets a Lot of satisfaction out of it.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, yeah. She's like, I'm gonna put in a quote from Taryn saying, well, your first fire is always the hottest, so that's why it work. I'm gonna put in the irid saying, you're hopeless. Like, you're not a weapon. We don't accept that. Rebecca, give us evidence.

[Hannah]

Give us evidence.

[Carly]

Do you think she just goes to bed at night, like, day 472 of driving them all mad?

[Kinsey]

Absolutely.

[Hannah]

13,000%.

[Kinsey]

She enjoys it. She enjoys us struggling.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Hannah]

Well, she also told us she had that book four title, and she was like, I know something you don't know. And it's like, oh, you love this. You love it. But also. Don't we?

[Kinsey]

Yeah. I mean, it's fun. It's fun to figure things out.

[Hannah]

It's like, what have I called it before? Enrichment activities. She's giving us enrichment activities.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. For every single question that we ever had. Still ongoing enrichment.

[Hannah]

Oh, man.

[Kinsey]

Anyway, time to head on over to the healers quadrant to take a temperature check on our characters, our favorite moments and standout quotes. Who was hot for you this week? Hannah?

[Hannah]

Auric, because I have just completely fallen for him and his three lines he gets every 17 chapters. But also Zayden, for reasons that I will share in the favorite moments section.

[Kinsey]

Nice.

[Hannah]

What about you?

[Kinsey]

I liked Ri. She was like, look, Violet, I'm gonna stand here with you. You can't do everything by yourself.

[Hannah]

Left the squad to go with her. Yeah.

[Kinsey]

Help tan. Yeah, let's go.

[Carly]

I also had Rhee for helping her and Fierge because Fierge, like, pushes and Darna out of the way from the wyvern when she's being too stubborn. And I appreciated them for doing that.

[Kinsey]

Way to go. And who was not hot for us this week?

[Hannah]

I don't really have, like, one this week. I mean, I could make a play on, like, clearly. And Darna's fire wasn't hot enough. But I was actually going to add in Darna for, like, how she handled the dream thing. But she had, like, so many good moments too. Like, I love that she is someone who is trying, like, trying to help. And I get that. She just can't seem to win between being a weapon and not getting Violet and Taryn's approval versus being a weapon and not getting Leathan's approval. Like, she can't win. So especially for her age, I was just like, so I can't really put anybody this week, Kylie.

[Carly]

I haven't Darna. I have her as mine. Because I just. I get frustrated with how she just is, like, not actually a team player. She's just doing what she wants or what she thinks they need, and she doesn't actually listen to the plan because they have a plan. And she's just like, I'm gonna do what I want to prove myself. I get frustrated because I feel like it's more about her ego than it.

[Hannah]

Is about her, which is ironic because she's always talking about Terence.

[Carly]

Yeah. And to be fair, I know she's a teenager, but, like, also, she's there. Like, they also say, like, she knows her own mind. She gets to make her own decisions. I'm like, okay, well, if that's true, she's making some pretty bad decisions.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. No, I agree. That's why I also put Indarna on the list. And Taryn even is like, dude, you're literally gonna get Violet killed. Like, it's. It's Ann.

[Hannah]

I will not lose her the way I've lost the one before. Because be like, oh, yeah, no.

[Kinsey]

But I also had on my not list Sigail for immediately blaming Violet when Taryn was hurt. Like, girl, take a breath. Do you think that Violet put that in him herself? No. Moving on to favorite moments.

[Hannah]

I'm so excited to share this one.

[Carly]

Okay.

[Hannah]

Shadow bondage. Are you fucking kidding me? Okay, for one, shadow bondage around Violet's wrists, holding them against the chair back. Oh, and Violet explains perfectly why this is just, like, my favorite thing ever. So I'm just gonna give you how she says it. Quote, he hasn't so much as lifted a finger to wield. He's doing all of this with his mind. The casual design display of power is even hotter. And that, like, as a power romantic myself, that is peak. Like, I just want a book of that. Shadow bondage, shadow, like, using the powers, which, honestly, if you are also like me and love aspects like that. The never list. Like, that's part of what I love about that book. So also, though, this is why I didn't put Sigale for my knot. Because one of my favorite moments is Sigale refusing to hold her position when Taryn was injured, flying Zaden to the temple just in time. Like, that rage she felt about him getting hurt toward Violet saved all of them. So I just.

[Carly]

I get it.

[Hannah]

I get her. It's fine.

[Kinsey]

My favorite moment was the battle just Tern. Like, oh, him fighting the wyvern was really good. And he's like, yeah, I'm finally doing justice for my scales. And, like, all These things. Like, he was just so giddy, doing all these complex maneuvers and, like, killing everybody. So that was my favorite moment.

[Hannah]

That was one of my favorite quotes. It didn't. It was like an honorable mention. It didn't make the list. But, like, he's. Has it honored his scales in that way in so long. Oh, it's so.

[Carly]

It's good. I did love that part. You could totally tell he was in his element. Like, that's Taryn being Taryn. Like, that's him and his best self is just killing Wyvern.

[Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Carly]

I had Sigail and Taryn fighting over him being hurt, because I know you didn't like Sigil, but I thought that whole moment was actually really funny, where.

[Hannah]

They mentally close the shields and then just go off and start fighting. Yeah. Everything.

[Carly]

Everything from her being like, you let this happen to Taryn being like, it's not her fault, and then, like, them just immediately bickering like an old married couple.

[Hannah]

Like, which is actually quite interesting to see the parallel to Zaden and Garak when Violet came back from Samara, where he was like. She's already explained so many times that it wasn't her fault. Anyways.

[Carly]

Yeah, it was really funny. I love it.

[Kinsey]

And for your favorite quote, Carly, I.

[Carly]

Have two Taryn quotes this week.

[Hannah]

2.

[Carly]

He should have been on my Hush with two quotes this week. We are the dark, which I just love. I feel like that also could have been the tagline for this book instead of brave the dark. Like, we are the dark would have been great.

[Hannah]

Could also be foreshadowing.

[Carly]

Yeah. And I breathe in slowly, accepting the pain and setting my new baseline. This book has so many great quotes about chronic pain and internalizing it and, like, dealing with it. There are so many good ones in this book.

[Kinsey]

So good.

[Hannah]

That was a really terrible time for me to have, like, an epiphany.

[Carly]

Okay.

[Hannah]

Really inappropriate. You said, we are the dark is what Taryn says. And in that same scene, Violet starts channeling, and she says something along the lines of, I am light and heat and energy itself.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Hannah]

So that contrast is.

[Carly]

It's interesting.

[Hannah]

Oh, yeah.

[Carly]

It's good.

[Kinsey]

All right. For my quote, so I have one from Violet. She said, open that door, and I'll pin the edge of your pants to the wood and leave you there for the next three days, because Zaden was not gonna edge her. Then I've got a quote from Zaden. I've got you, my power, my body, my soul. It's all yours.

[Hannah]

So good.

[Kinsey]

And finally, from Taryn, do not worry for him. He wins no matter how this battle goes.

[Hannah]

Sometimes he says such good things. I'm like, I hate you for saying that, but it's such a good line.

[Kinsey]

I like to sarcasm always.

[Hannah]

So of course all of mine are from Zaden this week, but they're like these back to back one line bangers. And so I'm just gonna.

[Kinsey]

While he's banging Violet.

[Hannah]

While he's banging Violet. And so we get. You are the temple where I worship. First of all, slow down. I can't keep up. You are every fantasy I'll ever have. Okay. Grab hold love.

[Carly]

I really hope people are watching you deliver these lines.

[Hannah]

And then they're all kind of like same style, same message, right? But like, fucking fantastic. What are you doing? Worshiping.

[Kinsey]

You know that's right.

[Hannah]

And I don't even know how to pick. So like, I guess real quick, what would y' all say is my favorite one out of these? For our running tally, it has to.

[Carly]

Be one of the top two. I feel like I'm gonna guess it's you are the temple where I worship.

[Kinsey]

That's what I'd go for too. And if not that, then like, maybe you're gonna pull one on us. And it's the quote, I've got you my power, my body, my soul, it's all yours. Cause that's like a declaration of love.

[Hannah]

I love that one. I let you have that one this week because I had some bangers. I actually, yeah, it's. You are the temple where I worship because it's sexy and it's packed in like a very sexual paragraph, but it's so like, devotional. And I love a devotional shadow, Daddy. Like, just fuck me up, you know what I mean?

[Kinsey]

And tie her up in shadows while you're at it.

[Hannah]

I do really love Grab hold love. Like, especially knowing it's while her hands are bonded shadows.

[Carly]

I love that. This is what's getting you. I have some series I'm going to recommend to you later, please.

[Hannah]

Thanks.

[Carly]

All right, let's stop by the scribe quadrant for our epigraph analysis of the most thought provoking epigraphs. Changing gears.

[Hannah]

Cool down from Hannah.

[Carly]

Who's hot this week? Me.

[Hannah]

Me. I'm hot this week. Yes. Go ahead. This is supposed to be like a professional part. What were we saying?

[Carly]

We're super professional. The chapter 48 epigraph reads, quote 472 au Wilhaven Breivik. With the exception of one house, the village was desiccated overnight by a single venn Estimated to be a sage. The only adult amongst the three survivors described her as astonishingly ageless. Hair as black as the day we married. But in place of the age lines I'd expected were bulging scarlet veins branching outward from her red ringed eyes. The resurgence of a timeline by Pearson Hallowell.

[Kinsey]

This makes me think the one House was spared because they knew the Venn and it's their former lover or spouse. It might give us insight into Violet and Zaden's future. And that Violet and Ryerson House will be spared even if Z and decimates everyone else as an upper level Vennon.

[Hannah]

And I want to point out that he says specifically hair as black as the day we married. And I think that's an Easter egg. Maybe it's simply to show that Vennon don't show signs of aging. Hence anyone we know could be a very old Venn. Or it's that and that we will meet a certain black haired Venn in the coming books. And Kinsey and I did spiral and check and see every single character that we know that is a female with black hair. And so we're gonna list them. Cat and Serena Ri and her girlfriend Tara. Talia. Zaden's mother, Trissa. So she's a member of the assembly. She specifically has glossy black hair like a raven. So I don't know that wording was suspicious. Professor Devera and a first year kind of like somewhat rando that challenged Sloane back in Iron Flame, named after Dasha. And there's something very suspicious about the way that her description is worded. So I'm going to give you that and I'm going to tell you what is suspicious.

[Carly]

Okay?

[Hannah]

Her shiny black hair braided in a single line from the tip of her forehead to the nape of her neck. She's petite and still has the pallor of a first year who hasn't seen enough sun. Which is like, okay, interesting call her pale. But it's extremely similar to this description of theophany in Onyx Storm, Chapter 52. Quote Her Dark purple tunic contrasting the pallor of her skin. And if you're like me and don't know what pallor means, it's basically like describing it as like sickly looking, like sickly pale. But why not just. I don't know that description being used for both of them. And we're trying to. What this would imply is kind of like left field theory that somehow she is actually this like ancient Venon. Yeah, that is somehow like a first year. But we also know Tan Skin Venon. So like, that doesn't necessarily mean anything.

[Kinsey]

It's also notable that this took place in 472au, while the events of Onyx Storm happened in 635au. If that venon is someone we know, then they would be around 180 years old.

[Hannah]

Yeah, and I do want to add that I know people assume Theophany's tattoo has faded with time to demonstrate her age, but I actually don't think based on this that Venon visibly age and that her faded tattoo has more to do with her forsaking Dune.

[Carly]

Agree. The Chapter 49 epigraph reads, While most deities allow temple attendants to choose their timeline of service, only two require a lifetime of dedication. Dune and Loial. For both war and love change the souls irrevocably. Major Royally's Guide to Appeasing the Gods, 2nd Edition so this epigraph supports our.

[Hannah]

Theory that the cure will have something to do with Loial and the theory that Xaden and Violet getting married in Dune's temple somehow allowed Xaden to give Violet the last bit of his soul or change it in some capacity.

[Kinsey]

I also think it's possible to be dedicated to a person you love and through that you're dedicated to loyal. The tim of this epigraph was conveniently when Zaden and Violet were worshiping their temples and declaring that they give every piece of themselves to each other. Their body, their mind, their soul. So maybe they unknowingly performed a loyal ritual and dedicated their souls. Didn't even need the marriage. It's already done.

[Carly]

The chapter 51 epigraph reads, quote, for maximum potential, riders should be stationed close to their villages if possible. Nothing is more effect motivator than seeing one's home on fire. Tactics Part 2 A Personal Memoir by Lt. Learyn Panchak.

[Hannah]

This epigraph is real rich coming from Panchak knowing that he was the one that leaked info and led to what, 20,000 deaths in Siniva. It also ties into Merrin and their squad being sent to the outpost by her village and it actually being caught on fire and attacked by Benin. Now I will say that Theophany did explain how she knew they were there by seeing Taryn fly in. But that could have been a cover for there being a traitor leaking info and if so this was an Easter egg that that was Panchak. Also, Rebecca Yarros has said that she thinks it's funny that Panchak wrote a memoir or two fresh out of school. As if a lieutenant has any life experience to do so.

[Kinsey]

The chapter 52 epigraph reads, quote Dedicating oneself to temple work isn't just a noble pursuit. Becoming High Priest or priestess is the closest most of us will get to touching the power of the gods. The rest are writers. Major Royally's Guide to Appeasing the Gods.

[Carly]

2Nd Edition this epigraph was setting up to explain how Theophany went from dedicating herself to doing above all else, yet betrayed her for the sake of becoming a God herself. Which Theophany goes on to say in so many words. Also interesting that becoming a Dragon rider is said here to be close to touching the power of the gods, second to high priestesses.

[Hannah]

Suspicious as fuck.

[Carly]

Yeah, it sure is.

[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.

[Kinsey]

Spiral into theories starting with this week's cold eyes demeanor. Watch. We had a few mentions of Zaden skating the mental ice, but we Also Interesting moment in Zaden's nightmare where Violet describes the sage's fingers as being icy to the touch, which could be another important identifier when searching for potential Venin hiding in plain sight. There was also a significant moment after Taran is injured in chapter 52 where Violet thinks, quote, ice pierces through my shields like they aren't even there. Then she realizes it's not ice, it's Zaden. This is important because it's not just Xaden being described as looking or acting cold when he's slipping. But now Violet can't can physically feel the ice and coldness through their bond.

[Hannah]

Now for chapter 48 we get what is actually going to be quite a few of Easter egg notable moments that we just think are weird that don't really have explanation for. First is the Delayed Activation rune. So Violet thinks its purpose is to take an existing dormant rune and turn it on by tempering more magic into it. Its actual use? Nothing, since it can't make the damn thing work. To my knowledge that doesn't come up for the rest of the book and so I feel like that's going to be real interesting, especially considering like the type of runes that Liam's mom would make if she could reactivate something like that. It could just be really interesting, so I'm going to throw that one out there. Next, Violet describes flipping quote the page in Takarus book. My brows rise at the next passage I read and I go over it once more to be sure I've caught on to a pattern. That makes three. End quote. Now, I looked back to see if we ever got the title of this book. And the first time that the book that she has, she mentions, like I got, you know, she's reading the latest book. It's unnamed is the first line of chapter 48. But the chapter 48 epigraph is one from a book that we've never seen in an epigraph before about the Vennan who burned the city to save her husband and their home.

[Kinsey]

And there were only three survivors. Just like with Merrin and her twin brothers, they were the only three survivors when her village burned down.

[Hannah]

Oh, okay. Love that. And you're right, it does say three. But because Violet herself says that makes three. And the epigraph specifically spells out that there were three survivors, it would make more sense to me that she connects something like more overarching. And I'm wondering if this is a third Venn she thinks could have turned for love. Because that's the similarity, right? Like she knows Zaden has this Venon in the epigraph. Clearly, I don't know that necessarily she turned for love, but she was able to stop. Stop from harming her love in the midst of decimating an entire city. Which I guess that epigraph could also have foreshadowed. Zaden decimating almost everyone but who he loved or who Violet loved, because he says that. Oh, but I just feel like we never got follow up for this. Like, what pattern? Violet doesn't share that with us. And so keep your eye out. That's suspicious.

[Carly]

I have one thought on that really quickly because Violet very sneakily points out in Iron Flame that there are two different dates for when she thinks the history was erased, indicating that maybe the history was erased twice. And I'm wondering if she's found a third time that she thinks that they've erased the history.

[Kinsey]

What was it? 472Au. Was that it?

[Carly]

It was in the 400s. She's like, they erase the history sometime in the 400s. And then she says 400 years ago, which is right around when they banned the runes, around 200 AU. So I was noticing this pattern. I'm like, what if they're having to erase the history every couple of years because they can't keep the Venin erased from history that long.

[Hannah]

I like that theory. The only thing is that if it was already erased in the 400s, I would imagine that this would have been included. She's got to have come up with other events than books. That she's read from poor Emile that clearly Navarre has erased. So to make three, it would have to be two. A third different whole time frame.

[Carly]

I'm assuming that she's getting that from that passage. And it could be another passage in the same book.

[Hannah]

Yeah, yeah, that's true. That's true.

[Carly]

So I'm just saying, I just think it's interesting. Cause like the way that Rebecca Yarros wrote that in Iron Flame, where she says 400 au and 400 years ago makes everybody think that the history was erased at the same time. She's only giving one date, but she's giving two.

[Kinsey]

It could also be another rise of the Venon period because there was the Great War in the beginning when they were defeated, this in 472au.

[Hannah]

Pretty sure that's been implied. That there was another rise.

[Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Carly]

Yeah, well, and I think that's why the history gets erased.

[Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Carly]

So it would be interesting if those things were tied. So we'll see. We get another little mention about Violet being this ultimate weapon. It says, don't need it. I am the weapon. She could have said a weapon. She says the weapon. So, yeah, more proof.

[Hannah]

We also get another play reference in relation to Violet's pure energy signet. She thinks quote, thunder sounds again, and power rises within me, like it's been called by a friend to come play. And I'm wondering, this definitely could have turned into a theory. Is this friend Dune herself? Because the last reference we get. Well, first of all, our last conversations about Dune and lightning on the isles. And the first reference we get to play was chapter 19. After leaving the continent and feeling the magic is different in the isles, Violet thinks power expands in every direction, running like a current that rushes around me, beckoning me to play, dot, dot, dot, or destroy. And that's. That's suspicious.

[Carly]

Yeah, I feel like those are worded, like where you're supposed to associate them.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, I like that because when I read that quote, I personally thought it was about Theophilus beckoning Violet to her because it was a large storm and Violet's powers rose up, like in greeting. And we know that her powers do that when she's around a Venon. But I like the idea that it could be Dune.

[Hannah]

Well, I mean, it's not like Theophany doesn't also have the connection to Dune.

[Kinsey]

That's true. It could be both. Why choose?

[Hannah]

Speaking of Dune, we also get another indirect Dune Zaden reference quote. Zaden stands in the doorway in flight, leathers soaked to the bone, rain dripping from his hair. I know that's not the point, but, ugh, war rages in his eyes. Like this is both the last and only place he wants to be. Also fucking hot.

[Carly]

So we get a clue about jack. There's quote 76. It's twice Barlow's longest stretch without draining after his first significant channeling, the cliff incident. So we're getting a little bit more of a timeline of when Jack fully turned being when Violet collapsed the side of the mountain on him. But I think the wording of significant channeling is interesting. It makes me wonder if you can take teeny, tiny amounts without turning at all.

[Kinsey]

Like the headboard when he had, like, the little fingerprint.

[Hannah]

I feel like this was also foreshadowing for the fact that, like, we were gonna see a moment where Zaden fully turned that was like, catastrophic, which was literally the end. So also, I feel like this next line was foreshadowing that Zaden won't be able to stay away from Violet in book four. Quote, and I am entirely incapable of running from you, even when I'm not entirely me. Whatever I am still craves you, needs you, only wants you. And if that's the energy we're walking into book four with, I will hang onto that piece of hope with the thinnest thread.

[Carly]

Fair.

[Kinsey]

It's that dedication.

[Carly]

And for chapter 49, we get this quote from Violet during sex, says quote, hurling me from my body into whatever realm exists beyond. We talked previously how we think there is something interesting going on with their bedroom, and that is where they are when this happens. So I think it could be tied to however that that room is ruined, warded, magicked, whatever you want to call it, that there is actually something else going on here. And the reason why I think that's possible is because there is some very old religious practices in certain religions and cultures where the closest you can communicate, commune with God is actually through the pleasure of a woman during sex.

[Kinsey]

I like that religion.

[Carly]

Yeah, I like the woman reaching orgasm. That's like the closest you ever can communicate with God.

[Hannah]

If anyone has a book rec if it's not this one.

[Carly]

I had done a previous research project on the history of sex, and that was like, something I had learned at that time. It's a very old religion. I can't remember what it is anymore, but I thought it was really interesting. And I was like, maybe there is actually something going on here. Maybe when they are together, they are closer to communing with Dune. Like they can communicate with her or something. Or Loyale or loyal.

[Hannah]

That would make a lot of sense. And go with Kinsey's theory about how, like, technically they're already dedicated to each other at this point. Can even call these Easter eggs. I feel like they're just like the most giant egg together. Are piling evidence of religious reference. We get quote from Violet about Zaden. Devote myself to his body the way he just did mine. So it's not. We always get that from Zayden, but this is reciprocated. So just rack it up, guys.

[Kinsey]

Maybe that worship. That's the only reason he was able to keep that slipper of his soul. That's just. That's all I'm saying.

[Hannah]

I think that that epigraph actually implies that that Venin kept a part of their soul from killing their spouse. And those two people like.

[Kinsey]

I agree. All right. I need to convert my husband to that religion, though. Anyway, for chapter 51, before the battle Arc directed Violet to Dune's temple and said, quote, it's how you saved Tyrandor. The exact moment he likely saw this vision was when he, quote, pauses on the landing above his brow, furrowing before Felix practically shoves him down the hall. So to me, he definitely knew his signet, but was trying to be discreet. And by saving Dune's temple, it exposed Theophany as a former priestess of Dune, which gave them a weapon to use against her. And it saved the priestess who gave Violet and Zaden the favor they'd need to call in for their secret wedding.

[Hannah]

Which is also important for understanding how Arryk's signet works and how far out he can see, which can still be a range. But that was instantaneous. And I actually wonder if there was a decision made in that moment that provoked that premonition that shifted the course of something.

[Kinsey]

So, yeah, maybe just Theophany being there out of spite. She wanted to destroy Dune's temple. And so he's like, this is how you can defeat Theophany is saving them.

[Hannah]

Ugh. I want to know so much more about his signet. Also, Violet's response to Arryk saying, it's how you save Tiran Dor. She literally responds by favoring Dune. And as we know at this point, we're trying to figure out the two people that favor her and want her favor. And she's implying that her defending Dune's temple was an act of her favoring Dune.

[Carly]

So much Dune stuff in this book, it's suspicious.

[Hannah]

We also have a few moments of foreshadowing for Violet and what to expect from her in book four as a duchess. Now, first we get, quote, zaden isn't the ranking officer here, but he's in command. The weight of that responsibility would uckle my knees. Buckle up, girl. You are in for it. Another moment where Taryn says, quote, you must get faster at reacting to attacks like these. And Violet replies, I can't tell leadership to make decisions faster. Well, Darren says, then perhaps we need to make our own decisions. And, boy, if she won't be able to do that now, leading all of Tirandor's army, which is literally the majority of Navarre.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Kinsey]

Have fun.

[Carly]

Next we have this moment where Taryn is warning Violet not to channel too much. And she responds, quote, but how can it be too much when I am the very thing I wield? I'm sorry, what the fuck does that make Violet? I don't have any exact theory, just pure power, like. But I'm worried for her. Makes me scared for her.

[Hannah]

That whole page of how she starts to describe getting close to burnout. Like, she's done that. Like, she's gotten close to burnout before. But the way she. It was almost like godlike, the way she was describing being consumed by power and turning into it. Not just as if she could wield it, but she is it. Oh.

[Carly]

Next we get this moment between Zaden and Bodhi. They are arguing about whether or not Bode can join Zaden in the fighting. And Bode responds, because I'm not a weapon like you are. Cure and I are just as deadly in the air. I think it's interesting that he's saying, like, he's not a weapon. I'm wondering if Bodhi already knows his signet does not work against the Venon, because he is, like, saying he doesn't have a weapon.

[Hannah]

I feel like if he knew that his signet didn't work against Venon, for him to make the claim that he's just as deadly in the air with Cure as Sigale and Zaden, which pause for just a second. Sigale is the third largest and most powerful dragon on the continent, and Zaden is literally second. Now, being Venon, most dangerous rider of his generation, and likely Venon, how was he making that connection to the first point? I think it would be strange if he knew that to make that declaration. I feel like he's mostly being like, you're underestimating that you think you're a weapon, but I can't be utilized too. That's how I interpret that.

[Carly]

But.

[Hannah]

But I'm genuinely curious not to turn this into, like, a discussion. But why the fuck is he making that comparison to him? And, like, Cure is not known to be like, this particularly powerful dragon.

[Carly]

We just don't know. We don't know anything about him. Maybe he is.

[Hannah]

I feel like that's just, like, a very presumptuous and inaccurate statement for him to make. You would think he'd actually mean that if he is aware of a second signet, but he's saying it as if Zaden should know that right here.

[Carly]

I think it's more showing just how much Bodhi is underestimated.

[Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Carly]

But I think it's foreshadowing that maybe he already knew that he didn't have a signet that he could use against the Venon.

[Hannah]

Well, you'd think he would have fought a Venon at some point already. Yeah.

[Kinsey]

I definitely lean the way where he's feeling underestimated. So during the scene where Bodhi and Zaden were fighting, Bodhi states that they'll lose Tirandor because of Zaden's ego. And I think this exchange could potentially foreshadow Bodhi's motivation for actually turning and becoming the brother at the end of Onyx Storm, where he feels like he's not doing enough to help Arisha and Tyrandor, which is the clue that Rebecca gave us. And, Carly, if you're right that Bodhi already knew his signet wouldn't work against Venon, then there's yet another motivator for turning, so he can feel useful and powerful and. And have a signet work.

[Carly]

Yeah. I'm worried about Bode.

[Hannah]

Yes.

[Kinsey]

It's not looking good for a lot of characters.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Hannah]

We also get an Easter egg that the sage was actually alive. That would require one of the dark wielders to have escaped Bezgaeth. Now we know that this was the sage, which is how the wyvern knew to fly spread out so that Violet couldn't kill them all at once in the clouds. And they know she is there because of Pancho. Check.

[Carly]

Awfully convenient. Next for chapter 52, we get this moment between the priestess and Violet. The priestess asks her quote, do you use lye and the juice of the Manwassa flower on your hair as we do. I want to point out that Manwassa has an anagram, which is. I'm going to not pronounce this word right because it's. It's not an English word. It's an Indonesian word. It's swanama, which is a word that translates to autonym. Which the definition of an autonym refers to a name used by a group to refer to itself, distinguishing it from names given by outsiders, which I've assumed the Venin have used their own names to keep people from recognizing them.

[Hannah]

You're saying like, their own?

[Carly]

Yeah. Like, I don't think Berwin's name Alien with his first name. Like, I think that's his alias, which is much like how Brennan changed his name to stay under the radar are. And I'm wondering also if the temple attendants. This could also be something how they refer to themselves as a religious group and that is their identity now. Or could be a clue that some of the individuals are hiding who they truly are or the group is hiding who they truly are. Maybe some of these temples aren't really who they say they are.

[Hannah]

I love when you break out your anagrams.

[Kinsey]

Can I say something rapid, quick?

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Kinsey]

Some of the Venin wore light blue robes, and the temple priestess and Unbriel wore blue robes.

[Hannah]

Yeah. Kenzie and I spiraled yesterday trying to track, like, when and who wore what color robe. And there is no consistency.

[Kinsey]

None.

[Hannah]

Like, there's blue, purple and red shades, but there's no way to be like, it's just this rank because, yeah, Theophany's out here wearing purple and red. So it's like it's hard track. But that was notable. Next, we have this moment with the Venin where they distance wield. And it's written in a way that implies only one of the Venn did the action of distance wielding all three grasp hands. And the one in the center, notably not Theophany, takes a single step and vanishes just like Garak. Those are Violet's thoughts that that is telling us. Hey, that's Garak's counter. Which makes me think distance wielding is not something that every Venon can do. Though it always comes back to the fact that Theophany did disappear at the beginning of Onyx Storm, seemingly on her own. Like, it's not described as someone grabbing her to distance wield out. So it doesn't really make a ton of sense, but this does make me lean to like, there's a dedicated distance wield. Yeah.

[Kinsey]

There's also the sage in fourth Wing at Reston who just disappears too. But I mean, that could be the same person here.

[Carly]

Yeah, My guess is it's the same, but I could be wrong. Next, we get this moment where Violet tells the priestesses Dune isn't going to show up and take up arms. And the priestess responds, of course not. She sent you? Just saying. More evidence that Violet is tied to Dune and wielding that wrath. Okay, I'm convinced.

[Hannah]

And to add onto that, that it's not just that Violet. And then Zaden defended the Temple of Dune. She physically pulled the high priestess out of harm's way and saved her life. Which ties into this favor that she offered Violet that they then used to go get married.

[Carly]

And finally, we get this quote from Taran. Your inability to follow simple orders will get her killed. And I will not lose her as I did the one who came before. I think this is more confirmation that Naolin is dead, which it's just apparently a hill I'm willing to die on at this point.

[Kinsey]

Like Naolin.

[Carly]

Yeah. Yep. Just like Naolin.

[Hannah]

Oh, that was brutal. Yeah, I definitely think he's dead. Dead.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Kinsey]

I'm gonna be Delulu forever. I'm like, he turned.

[Carly]

Yeah, I think there's some really cool theories around that, but I just think he's dead.

[Hannah]

Speaking of theories.

[Carly]

Yeah, speaking of theories, actually. Time for your signet sparring professors to help you hone your farsight and precognition. Signet short session for our theories. Today we get this little moment regarding my theory that Violet still can stop time or slow down time, that she has a remnant of the feathertail gift from Andarna. Because we get these suspicious quotes regarding Violet counting down the seconds as this battle is about to happen. And she points out this moment, it says, quote, taryn beats his wings, lifting us as the lightning rends the sky, and maybe time.

[Kinsey]

Ooh.

[Carly]

I just think this whole scene is written out in a way to support the theory that Violet is still experiencing time slowed down to some extent.

[Hannah]

I also thought it was really weird that she counted down to zero. Like, I don't know that she'd done that before, but she counts down and literally marks zero with a description as well.

[Carly]

It was like the go time.

[Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Hannah]

Yeah.

[Carly]

That's interesting. I think she always counts down to one.

[Hannah]

Yeah, that's why I noted it.

[Kinsey]

This time it was zero. And that wraps up our deep dive into Onyx Storm chapters 48, 52. Thank you so much for listening. Don't forget to join us next episode where we break down chapters 53 to 57 and make sure to subscribe wherever you're listening.

[Carly]

Don't forget, you can access all of our episodes ad free a day early and in full video over on our Patreon. Plus extras, like my weekly Onyx Storm PDF, annotations, shoutouts and bonus resources, and.

[Hannah]

Exclusive access to our Dear Fantasy Reader Book Club. Every month our patrons vote on a Romantasy book outside of the pod and we host a cozy livestream discussion on the last Wednesday of that month. It's a great way to read even more books together and fangirl over our new book Boyfriends in real time.

[Kinsey]

You'll find our Patreon link in the show notes along with all the ways you can support this show, whether that's joining a tier, subscribing, leaving a review, or just sharing us with your fellow Romantasy readers.

[Hannah]

And if you haven't already, check out our fourth wing deep dive season one. Over 30 hours of content, reexamining it through the lens of Iron Flame. And don't miss our Onyx storm Prep Season 2. It's packed with Empyrean theories that may still come to fruition in books four or five.

[Carly]

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

[Hannah]

Until next time. Dearest Fantasy readers, prepare yourselves for some intense abandonment issues as we continue our journey through the Empyrean series.

[Kinsey]

My least favorite chapters. Hopefully I'm like removed enough emotionally at this point because it's been like a couple months.

[Hannah]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Carly]

You know what that delayed activation rune reminded me of? You know how in theater they have that rule like if there's a gun revealed in the first act, that'll go off in the third?

[Hannah]

Yeah.

[Carly]

Like it feels like that. It feels like a loaded gun just floating out there.

[Hannah]

Yep. That actually kind of feels like all of Rebecca Yaris's Easter eggs.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Hannah]

Loaded guns. Waiting to.

[Kinsey]

We're just waiting for it to go on off.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Kinsey]

Do I look like a real boy, Papa?

[D]

Marketing is hard, but I'll tell you a little secret. It doesn't have to be. Let me point something out. You're listening to a podcast right now and it's great. You love the host. You seek it out and download it. You listen to it while driving, working out, cooking, even going to the bathroom. Podcasts are a pretty close companion. And this is a podcast ad. Did I get your attention? You can reach great listeners like yourself with podcast advertising from Libsyn Ads. Choose from hundreds of top podcasts offering host endorsements, or run a pre produced ad like this one across thousands of shows. To reach your target audience in their favorite podcasts with Libsyn ads, go to Libsynads.com that's L I B S Y N ads.com today.