Ep 2 Quicksilver Favorites: Characters, Moments, and Chaos

Summary

Dear Fantasy Reader – Ep 2: "Quicksilver" Favorites: Characters, Moments, and Chaos

Hosts: Hannah, Kinsey, Carly
Release Date: October 2, 2025
Podcast Theme: A deep-dive book club-style exploration of fantasy novels, focusing on the Empyrean series and, in this episode, Callie Hart’s Quicksilver from the Fae & Alchemy series.

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Episode Overview

In this lively and spoiler-filled episode, Hannah, Kinsey, and Carly unpack their favorite characters, moments, quotes, and all the wild chaos of Callie Hart’s Quicksilver as they ramp up for the upcoming sequel, Brimstone. The discussion dives into the book's unique worldbuilding, the magic of alchemy, character arcs, unforgettable romantic tension, laugh-out-loud humor, and the anticipation for what’s next. Full of fangirl enthusiasm, witty banter, and critical insight, it’s the ultimate debrief for Quicksilver fans.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. First Impressions and Rereading Magic

• Second Time’s the Charm:
  • All three hosts agreed that Quicksilver improves on a reread—deeper appreciation for characters, humor, and motivations.
    • “On a reread...all of the characters I had even more appreciation for. I could appreciate their humor a lot more.” – Hannah (05:11)
    • “This book is almost like a comfort reread at this point.” – Carly (11:56)
• Audiobook Praise:
  • The audiobook comes highly recommended as an immersive and memorable experience, especially with the familiar voice actor from the ACOTAR series.
    • “The audiobook is next level. I love it.” – Carly (05:52)
    • “I listened and read at the same time...it was worth doing that.” – Kinsey (05:55)

2. Worldbuilding and Magic System

• Dual Worlds & Survival:
  • Fascination with the way Serris's world (Sylvarian) uses deprivation of water as control, juxtaposed with the dangers of the Fae world.
    • “I felt like the survival elements of these books were really interesting.” – Carly (03:19)
• Alchemy & Quicksilver as Magic:
  • The use of quicksilver (mercury) as both literal and figurative magic (madness link, historical inspiration), praised for its originality in the fantasy genre.
    • “I think it's incredible and unique and refreshing.” – Hannah (07:17)
    • “Quicksilver is a fascinating topic...people used to go mad from making them.” – Carly (07:34)

3. Hook Moments & Pacing

• Where Were You ‘In’?
  • Kinsey was hooked at Kingfisher’s dramatic introduction (08:07). Carly loved the early ‘thief’ aspects and fast pace (08:37). Hannah labeled herself a “slow burn hook” case, needing the later romantic reveals (09:59).
  • Debate over whether the central romance is true ‘enemies to lovers’, and discussion of meaningful pacing.
• Tension and Sexual Chemistry:
  • The book’s sexual tension and zippy pacing were called “jarring” but ultimately addictive on reread (09:59).

4. Main Character Deep Dive

Serris

• Resilient, Sassy, Relatable:
  • Widely admired for her sass, wit, determination, loyalty to her brother, and believable motivations. Recognized as more than “just a thief.”
    • “...girl, you are so much more than a thief. Like, you're a great warrior…she created two God swords...” – Kinsey (13:21)
    • “Her personality also makes sense for the circumstances that she is in.” – Hannah (14:45)

Kingfisher

• The Toxic Yet Devoted Book Boyfriend:
  • Initially divisive for his abrasive demeanor but ultimately beloved for his depth, feral energy, and eventual devotion; his emotional arc is a highlight.
    • “He’s feral and a complete dick, and I was totally into it. This—the whole book.” – Carly (15:52)
    • “On a first read, I didn’t get that vibe…but toward the end, he starts to lean that way…on track to be devoted.” – Hannah (16:11)
    • “He has beat Zaden on my list.” – Kinsey (17:51)

Carrion

• Breakout Fan Favorite – The Comedic Relief with Layers:
  • Initially “annoying,” but quickly revealed to be vital, loyal, and hilarious. His depth and secret Fae identity were high points.
    • “He absolutely did (carry the book). I would do anything for Carrion.” – Kinsey (19:12)
    • “I want to be his best friend. I’m not a Carrion book boyfriend girl, I’m a Carrion best friend girl.” – Carly (19:26)
    • Favorite moment: Carrion’s Fae reveal (28:53).

Onyx and Other Sidekicks

• Soft Spot for Animal Companions:
  • Onyx the pet fox offers much-needed levity amid darkness—a collective favorite.
    • “I was so scared the entire time that something bad was gonna happen to him.” – Hannah (23:24)
• Honorable Mentions:
  • Renfys and Lorath appreciated as steadfast friends; Everlane’s absence noted as a spot for more strong female side characters (25:40).

5. Standout Quotes & Viral Moments

Carrion’s Greatest Hits ([30:03–33:19])

• “Carrion Swift, if you don’t wake up right now, I’m gonna tell all your asshole friends back in the third that you were a shitty lay.”
• “I love a girl with a sharp tongue and a bad attitude. Kind of makes my dick hard.” —Carrion (32:19)
• Carrion’s endless hilarious lines and running sexual innuendo, masterfully delivered.

Kingfisher’s 'Seven Gods' Speech ([39:08–39:20])

• “Nobody will ever fuck you the way I’m about to fuck you, Sarah Svane. I’m about to introduce you to all seven gods. When you meet them, don’t forget to tell them I’m the one you worship. On your knees.” —Kingfisher (Kinsey recitation, massive group reaction)
  • “Fuck yes.” “Please.” “Pick a hole.” —various hosts in gleeful, spicy agreement (39:26)

Devotional, Romantic Moments

• “Because she is moonlight, the mist that shrouds the mountains, the bite of electricity in the air before a storm…the smoke that rolls across a battlefield…You have no idea what she is, what she could be. You should call her majesty.” —Kinsey quoting Kingfisher (42:23)
• “I’ll be grateful for every second that I can say I belong to you, Saris Fane. 80 years or 18 hours, it doesn’t matter to me. It’ll still be the highest honor of my life.” —Kingfisher (43:53)

O'Sheala—The Butterfly Nickname Reveal ([48:56–50:57])

• “O’Sheala means ‘most sacred’ in Old Fae. They are the most beautiful thing a person can experience in this lifetime…and protecting them is considered a sacred rite.”
  • Major collective swooning—called “the most beautiful moment in the whole book” by Hannah (49:40).

6. Fated Mates, Tattoos, and Godly Intervention

• Slow-Burn Revelations:

  • The fated mates trope is rare and made even more special by a divine blessing–the hosts are obsessed with this twist and its blend of romantic inevitability and high stakes.
    • “Fated mates are rare...But then she, like, one-upped it...then being that blessed is even more rare. But here’s a caveat—it comes with a tragic ending.” – Hannah (36:28)
  • Kingfisher’s hesitancy to accept the bond—then, in the end, his full embrace—echoes the book’s wider themes of choice vs. fate (37:01).

• God of Chaos & Fate Manipulation: ([53:11–54:43])

  • Late-book reveal: the God of Chaos manipulated fate to separate Serris and Kingfisher, but they always found each other—deepens the romantic mystique and teases bigger mythology to come.
    • “No matter what he did, they would always find each other. Which is absolutely fascinating...but also so fucking romantic. You just covered your bases for me.” – Hannah (54:24)

7. The Ending: “Chaos in the Best Way Possible”

• High Stakes, Sudden Twists:
  • Discussion of the climactic last chapters: Carrion’s big Fae reveal, Serris’s turn and meeting with gods, Seris unexpectedly becoming Queen of the vampires, the tradition-breaking labyrinth, and a ramp-up in scale for Book 2.
    • “The ending was crazy. There was so much that she put in there…typical Romantasy fashion: shit hitting the fan…” – Kinsey (55:27/60:11)
    • All hosts agree the ending demands a reread, and leaves huge anticipation for Brimstone.

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Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote/Context | |-----------|----------|---------------| | 05:11 | Hannah | “On a reread...all of the characters I had even more appreciation for.” | | 13:21 | Kinsey | “...girl, you are so much more than a thief. Like, you’re a great warrior...she created two God swords...” | | 15:52 | Carly | “He’s feral and a complete dick, and I was totally into it. This—the whole book.” | | 19:12 | Kinsey | “He absolutely did (carry the book). I would do anything for Carrion.” | | 30:03–33:19 | Kinsey, Carly | Multiple Carrion comedic moments: “Carrion Swift, if you don’t wake up right now, I’m gonna tell all your asshole friends…”; “Kind of makes my dick hard.” | | 39:08–39:20 | Kinsey (as Kingfisher) | “Nobody will ever fuck you the way I’m about to fuck you...when you meet them, don’t forget to tell them I’m the one you worship. On your knees.” | | 42:23 | Kinsey | “She is moonlight…the smoke that rolls across a battlefield…You should call her majesty.” | | 43:53 | Hannah | “I’ll be grateful for every second that I can say I belong to you…” | | 48:56–50:57 | Hannah, Kinsey | O’Sheala butterfly nickname reveal: “O’Sheala means ‘most sacred’ in Old Fae…” | | 53:11–54:43 | Hannah, Kinsey | Fate twist: God of Chaos admits manipulation, but Serris & Kingfisher always find each other | | 55:27 | Kinsey | “The ending was crazy. There was so much…shit hitting the fan the last couple of pages...” |

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Additional Highlights & Thematic Threads

• Comfort Rereads & Series Depth:

  • The hosts extol the virtue of rereading, especially as sequels and new plot information continue to reshape their perspective on the original book.

• Side Characters & Pet Companions:

  • Deep affection for animal companions (Onyx the fox!) and the subtle, substantial support provided by secondary cast.

• Book Boyfriend Rankings:

  • Kingfisher threatens to dethrone longstanding favorites. Carrion, meanwhile, is poised to leap to the top when his own book arrives.

• Spicy Content & Unfiltered Reactions:

  • This episode is “Rated R”—hosts go wild for pillow talk, viral spicy audiobook quotes, and expletive-fueled enthusiasm.

• Worldbuilding Easter Eggs:

  • Foreshadowing, Norse mythology references, and speculation about the significance of the Tree of Life, quicksilver, gods, and tattoos set up for a comprehensive lore dive in a future episode.

• Series Predictions & Hype:

  • Anticipation is sky-high for Brimstone, with a promise of deeper dives into worldbuilding, predictions, and heartbreak/fixes to come in upcoming episodes.

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Flow of Topics (with Timestamps)

• [02:07] Episode starts – Spoiler warning and introduction
• [03:09] Overall impressions of Quicksilver
• [13:10] Main characters: Serris, Kingfisher, Carrion
• [23:13] Side characters, animal companions, and world flavor
• [26:43] Favorite Carrion moments
• [33:51] Discussion of fated mate reveal
• [39:08] Viral ‘seven gods’ line – group reaction
• [42:23] Devotional quotes and favorite romantic moments
• [53:11] Endgame and God of Chaos reveal
• [55:27] Labyrinth, vampire coronation, and thoughts on the ending
• [58:42] Scaling the stakes for book two and brief mention of the twins
• [59:22] Transition to future topics, including gods’ perspective
• [60:17] Kinsey's ‘I read it before it was cool!’ reflection
• [61:26] Recap of chaotic ending and anticipation for Brimstone

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Memorable Moments & Community Feels

• Hosts’ BFF Dynamic:

  • Lots of laughter, teasing, swooning, and freely shared “oh my GOD” or “shut the fuck up” exclamations enhance the book-club-with-your-besties vibe.

• Carrion Hilarity:

  • Every Carrion scene is a meme factory; listeners are encouraged to send in their favorite lines.

• Audiobooks in Public PSA:

  • “Not safe for work or school pickup!” stories about accidental public audiobook scenes (41:04–41:57).

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Final Thoughts

• Quicksilver is beloved for its humor, its willingness to balance dark survival themes with light, pet companions, its spicy and deeply romantic writing, as well as its unique take on fated mates and mythic worldbuilding.
• Rereading is highly recommended, both to catch missed details and to anticipate how Brimstone might light up hidden foreshadowing.
• The next episode promises bold Brimstone predictions and even more deep-dive analysis as the wait continues.

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For more fangirl moments, wild theories, and smart fantasy book talk, follow Dear Fantasy Reader on social channels and join the Patreon for ad-free, early-access episodes packed with extra content and annotated podcast resources.

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(End of Summary)

Transcript

[Mayra Ahmed]

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[Carly]

Tara is a mochi member, compensated for her story.

[Zoe]

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[Kinsey]

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[Kinsey]

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[Hannah]

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[Kinsey]

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[Hannah]

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 enter the world of the Fae and Alchemy series. Prepping for the highly anticipated release of Brimstone on November 18th of 2025. Today, we'll be discussing our Quicksilver thoughts.

[Carly]

Reactions and moments with that content warning and spoiler alert. This episode is full of Quicksilver spoilers, so if you haven't read the book, go do that first. If you need a quick refresher on Quicksilver, check out our recap episode.

[Kinsey]

Also, due to the nature of this book, this podcast is rated R in content and language. If you'd like to watch this episode ad free and full video or audio only. If you would prefer, it's available now on Patreon and we've dropped that link in the show notes as well.

[Hannah]

Now grab your relics and prepare to dive into the Quicksilver. Sanity is not guaranteed.

[Kinsey]

Starting off with our overall thoughts on Quicksilver, what we liked about it, and what heated our Forge that's so cute.

[Carly]

I mean, obviously Kingfisher was pretty great, but I think what I really liked about this world though was how it juxtaposed these two very different worlds where survival was so difficult for such different reasons. Like in Serris's world in Sylvarian, there's no water. She is controlled through her lack of access to water, which I thought was so, so interesting in a way of controlling a population. And then she gets moved over to the Fae world, which is just also completely ruthless in its own way, and she's out of her element. So it's just I felt like the survival elements of these books was really interesting. That's what I really liked about them.

[Kinsey]

Well, speaking of elements, let's talk metal too. But like, even she's like, well, why don't you have silver? Because they have a plethora of silver in like their world, but in this world they don't. And so it's just like very interesting. Like that's just another way that it's different. I also like that it included like Fae and vampires and there were just a lot of different lesser Faes too, with the sprites and all that. But I loved the humor. The first time I read this book I remember laughing and there were scenes that made me laugh, but I didn't remember it being this funny and reading it the second time. First of all, I enjoyed it more last time. I'll admit I didn't rate it five stars, but now I'm like, yeah, this is a five star read for me. But it was much better the second time and the humor was really good.

[Carly]

Yeah, it's so funny. If you guys get a chance to see Callie Hart in person. She is also just as funny in person, so her humor really shines through in this book.

[Hannah]

It's.

[Carly]

Yeah, it's super funny.

[Hannah]

I've actually been thinking quite a lot about what you just said, Kinsey, because I also, on a first read was like, this is a good book. It's a good, fun and feral read. But it wasn't super gripping, personally for me on a first read. But then on my second read, and I think you know so much more, like, I didn't connect to the characters as deeply on the first read. I didn't understand where they were coming from and their motivations. But once you finish it, you do. So on a reread, I was like, all of the characters I had even more appreciation for than I did the first time. And I could appreciate their humor a lot more. I could appreciate Serris and Fisher's dynamic a ton more, which we can get to throughout. But I think that's what I find most fascinating about this book is the fact that it got better on a second read. Also, the audiobook is just like the best thing I've ever heard in my entire life.

[Carly]

The audiobook is next level. I love it.

[Kinsey]

I try to avoid audiobooks for fantasy books just because I feel like I miss things. But because I've heard great things about the audio, I listened and read at the same time, which made it slower for me because I read faster than I listening speed on audiobook. But it was worth doing that. And I've never done that before. I've never listened and read at the same time like I usually read in complete silence. But that audiobook, yeah, it's because it's the guy that voices Rhysand in the graphic audio. So I was like, I have to.

[Hannah]

Listen to him and Zaden Kinsey.

[Carly]

Was this book set up for the Whisper Sync feature on Kindle? Were you able to use that?

[Kinsey]

It was.

[Carly]

Or did you just have to read along? Okay. Yeah. That's good to know.

[Hannah]

I have to say that the side characters in this story really do it for me. I love almost all of them deeply.

[Carly]

Yeah, they're pretty good. I also just really appreciated that as the world building went on and everything is through Serris perspective. Right. So she's just like. I don't know, for lack of a better word, like, constantly bamboozled by this world because she's just like, what is happening here? Because she knows nothing about this place. And it's like just when you think you've got a grip on even just The Court at the. When she first gets to Yvelia, but then she gets taken out to this war camp. And not only is there a war camp, but then there's the land of vampires, and it just keeps expanding.

[Hannah]

Well, I think we're also avoiding talking about the obvious, which is alchemy and quicksilver, and how unique that concept was in the way that Callie brought it into this world and made it literally the magic system. I think it's incredible and unique and refreshing.

[Carly]

No, I did really like that element of it. Quicksilver is a fascinating topic even in real life, because quicksilver is mercury and it was used in the making of watches, and people used to go mad from making them. And so I think it's really interesting that she pulled in that element where it's like, the quicksilver here is still something that if you're exposed to it, it will make you go mad. And I really like that she pulled that in in a really unique way.

[Hannah]

Agreed. Was there a specific point throughout the book on your first read where you were hooked up?

[Kinsey]

Honestly, for me, I was hooked the moment that Kingfisher showed up and pulled Seras through the quicksilver, because it's like she's dying. She's in the process of dying. Something really weird happens to the dagger of the guy that's trying to kill her. And then all of a sudden, this Fae that looks like death incarnate shows up. And then we're in a completely different realm. So for me, that was the moment where I was like, this is really interesting. Let's go. I wanna learn more about this world.

[Carly]

I honestly, I was hooked pretty much from the beginning. First of all, I love any stories about thieves. So if you're a thief, I'm gonna love this story. It's like, for me, it's like thieves and subterfuge. Like, those are my two things that, like, will hook me immediately. So the second I found out that she was a thief, and I realized on a reread that, like, from chapter one to chapter just five, between those five chapters, she steals the gauntlet, gets captured, is questioned, tortured, and all of that. And then pulled through the quake. Like, it all happened so fast in those first five chapters. So I was hooked pretty immediately. I was into it.

[Hannah]

I feel like the odd one out here just a little bit. But it's probably because I don't really love, like, thieves and torture. I definitely found it intriguing, and there were a lot of moments sprinkled throughout. And as much as, like, sometimes I claim to be. Sometimes I do claim to be an enemies to lovers girly. I couldn't really connect to Kingfisher at first with his meanness.

[Carly]

Oh, he's a dick. Yeah.

[Hannah]

And now again, I'm gonna reread. It's so different because you understand the motivations and his intentions with that. So I could appreciate it a whole lot more now. But that kind of. That along with. I had come off some really, really slow burns. And I was really kind of jarred by what I on my first read called somewhat fast paced.

[Kinsey]

It was pretty tense.

[Hannah]

Sexual tension was really fast. I didn't find it that quick. On my second read I was like, oh, this is like a pretty average. Like this is. This is decent, you know. But it was really jarring on my first one. So like, it took me a minute. I'm a fated mates girl. So like, I think that's where I was like, oh, this shit is. Is my. It's like, it's. It's something I'm going to really like. Which took a while, but then it really hooked me to the point where I couldn't put it down after Carrie and s Fae reveal. Which is really toward the end. So like, for me it was a slow burn hook, if you will. Yeah.

[Carly]

That's kind of fun though.

[Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Carly]

Yeah, it's kind of like. Because it just kind of keeps building, you know. And I think that that's actually kind of a nice experience because I don't think you always get that with books. So that's kind of nice.

[Hannah]

Yeah. Mix it up a little bit.

[Kinsey]

It's also interesting you said I usually like enemies to lovers because to me, I don't consider this enemies to lovers at all. No, like, it's like they've always had an attraction, but it's like a dislike.

[Hannah]

Yeah, I'm not considering it enemies to lovers. I'm just explaining how it could contradict that. I'm like, oh, I don't like it when he's mean. That's what happens when you have an enemy to lovers. I guess with an enemy's lovers you are given an explanation for why they're enemies. And you kind of take that at face value and you get the motivation. Whereas out of nowhere he's just mean in general. And you're like, I don't understand why. And maybe that's the difference of why I can eat up at enemies to lovers and why I wasn't immediately. This wasn't palatable to me at first. Maybe a good way to put it.

[Carly]

Yeah, I often have a hard time connecting if I don't understand the characters, so I understand that feeling. I was still into this, but I will get into that in the Kingfisher section. But I get what you're saying, though, because if I don't understand a character, it's hard for me to connect.

[Hannah]

Yeah.

[Carly]

So I totally get that.

[Hannah]

But again, second reread, I didn't have a problem with that, so.

[Carly]

Yeah, no problem at all.

[Kinsey]

So it seems like the consensus for everybody was it was better on a reread.

[Hannah]

Yeah, it was so good on a reread.

[Carly]

This is a book I love to. I feel like it's almost like a weirdly, like, comfort reread at this point for me. Like, I really enjoy rereading it. It's.

[Hannah]

And it may come as a surprise to everyone, but I do not typically like rereading books, so it is a high honor when I do appreciate a reread. I know. As literally, I've read the Empyrean series how many times at this point?

[Kinsey]

I don't know.

[Hannah]

Typically, I'm like, I want new. I want to experience new powers, new things and worlds.

[Kinsey]

And, yeah, I'm already excited to just reread Quicksilver after Brimstone because I have a feeling like there's. We don't know how many Easter eggs or how much she's, like, foreshadowed in Quicksilver. And so I feel like once we have Brimstone, I'm gonna want to go back and see all that sprinkled in, because there's still a lot that we don't know. And so I'm just looking forward to reading it for a third time in two months.

[Hannah]

Now, if a second book makes me re. Experience book one in a new way, that's my favorite kind of reading experience.

[Carly]

So that's the best, especially when it's, like, even better, you know? I love that.

[Hannah]

Only up from here.

[Carly]

Yes. I'm very excited for Brimstone. I think it's really gonna elevate Quicksilver.

[Kinsey]

Agreed.

[Carly]

All right. Diving into characters, moments, and quotes that melted our Quicksilver, starting with our main girl, Sarah sw. Everyone, think about her character.

[Kinsey]

I liked her. I thought it was funny how at the end, when she's talking to the gods, she's like, but I'm just a thief. And I'm like, girl, you are so much more than a thief. Like, you're a great warrior. Like, she literally was, like, fighting all the vampires and stuff. She's an alchemist. She's created two God swords at this point and relics, and I'm just like, you're so much more than that. But I enjoyed her. I enjoyed her humor and, like, her wit and things like that. So she was a pretty good. I don't know if she's, like, my favorite FMC ever that exists, but I did find her enjoyable.

[Hannah]

I really enjoy her personality. It's such a stark contrast to mine that I love that. I love her sass, and she's a spitfire, and that's so. I admire that a lot about her.

[Carly]

Yeah. I really enjoyed how determined she was to reach her goals, and I just really appreciated that about her. She made choices. She was determined. I really appreciated how loyal she was to her brother and how determined she was to get back to him. I really enjoy a main character when I feel like the decisions they are making make sense to me, even if it's not necessarily a decision I would make when it makes sense. I felt like I'm like, yeah, okay, I get it. I get why you're doing this.

[Hannah]

Her personality also makes sense for the circumstances that she is in. In this world. And I really like when I can feel like those two things are, like, she's a product of it. Right?

[Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Carly]

Yes.

[Hannah]

Yeah.

[Carly]

Yeah. She's very much that.

[Kinsey]

And I like that she never stood down. Like, even though she's literally the only human in this world, she's like, well, you know what? I'm gonna accept these challenges, whatever. Like, I'm not gonna run away from a fight. Like. And people were like, you're gonna really let her talk to you like that? Like, she's just a human, but she. I don't care. Doesn't matter. I'm just gonna do my thing. And I really respected her for that.

[Hannah]

I love that line. The line where he's like, I don't control her mouth or her brain, and I'm a keeper of neither. Whatever that line is. I was literally, like, pulled my phone up to grab that quote, because I love it so much.

[Carly]

Yeah, it's a good one.

[Hannah]

Speaking of, we obviously have to talk about Kingfisher. What do we love about him?

[Kinsey]

What do we not love? That might be a better question. I love everything about him. Everything.

[Hannah]

Yeah.

[Carly]

I feel like I was telling Hannah this the other day, that I love a toxic red flag in my book Boyfriends, which I would never tolerate in real life ever. But he's feral and a complete dick, and I was totally into it. This? The whole book.

[Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Hannah]

In that conversation, Carly and I were talking about how I love a devoted MMC and how, again, on a first read, I didn't get that vibe from him. But you do after you reread and you understand his motivations. And toward the end, he starts to lean that way. And from the sneak peeks we have gotten of Brimstone, this man is on track to be devoted. And I cannot wait. I am so ecstatic to see that.

[Kinsey]

Well, even, like, you mentioned motivations earlier, even just him being a dick and Seras is like, why are you, like, making it so much more difficult for me to find the quicksilver? You're wasting my time. Like, he couldn't talk about the oath he was in, but, like, Loki knew that training her to find the quicksilver would, like, break the curse of all those people in the city. He's like, she can find the coin, like, blah, blah. So, like, I loved finding out his motivations and, like, rereading and seeing that in real time. But, yeah, no, like, Kingfisher is one of my top book boyfriends. Like, I love when they're mean and, like. Like, there's so many quotes that I have where I was just, like, highlighting it. I was like, God damn. Like, I was just, like, I could not believe, like, just, like, his bedroom.

[Hannah]

Talk or his pillow talk. Pillow talk.

[Kinsey]

That's the word I'm looking for. His pillow talk.

[Hannah]

I'm like, sir, yeah, he does do that the best. I don't know if I've read pillow talk quite like Kingfisher.

[Carly]

Not in a Romanasy novel.

[Hannah]

No.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Carly]

I will say, I think Brimstone might make him my number one book boyfriend.

[Hannah]

I think there's a big chance. And that's saying a lot because I. I have some stellar book boyfriends.

[Kinsey]

But, yeah, he has beat Zaden on my list, so.

[Hannah]

Wow.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, he has. And I remember, like, the first time I was like, I don't know, like, Kingfisher's like, so similar to Rhysand, but now I'm like, nah. Like, they are, like, pretty different.

[Hannah]

I have to say one last thing that is just gonna be a seller for me alongside the sass. Long, dark, curly hair. Oh.

[Kinsey]

Okay. So when I write a book, if I want Hannah to like it, I just have to make sure that MMC has long, dark, curly hair.

[Hannah]

Blue eyes. Long, dark. Like, I have one day I may write a book, guys. And I have the perfect MMC in my. And he has long, dark hair. Curly hair with vibrant blue eyes. Oh, okay. Anyways, this is, like, not the Hannah Show. It's fine, guys. Let's go. Move on.

[Kinsey]

Moving on to everyone's favorite comedic relief, my favorite character, Carrion fucking Swift. How did you feel about him from the beginning of the book versus the end of the book?

[Hannah]

I found him, like, somewhat annoying at first, and please do not shoot me a little cringe at moments. But now I take it all back. I love him. Like, I would argue he carried this book.

[Kinsey]

He absolutely did. I would do anything for Carrion. Carrion is Carrie in the book.

[Hannah]

Yeah, I know. I was gonna make the pun, but you delivered it way better. That was good.

[Carly]

Yeah. I also was, like, in the beginning of the book, like, I don't know how I feel about this guy. He's kind of obnoxious and a little full of himself. And by the end of the book, I was like, with Kenzie, I was like, I'd do anything for this man. I want to be his best friend. I'm not a Carrion book boyfriend girl. I'm a Carrion best friend girl. I want to be friends with him so bad.

[Hannah]

You say that until we get his book.

[Carly]

Yeah, that's true.

[Hannah]

Which for those that are listening that do not know, we are getting a Carrion book in either four or five and potentially a Carian novella.

[Kinsey]

Well, didn't she say we're also getting Carrion point of view chapters just, like, not like, necessarily 4 and 5, but, like, maybe I might be making that up. We'll have to review.

[Hannah]

I can't as confidently say that, but I know that we are for sure getting a full book from his point of view.

[Carly]

So, yeah, I believe Callie Hart confirmed that Brimstone, at least, is just Kingfisher and Cerys point of view. So there is that. Cool. But yeah, Carrion is great, and I really appreciated, like, seeing his depth throughout the book and the subtle ways in which he tries Hayden and he tried to help Serris and how he wouldn't just leave her in a room alone with Kingfisher unless she was okay with it. And the way he was actually a really good friend to her. And it was subtle, but always there. He was kind of a constant, quiet, supportive presence to her in a way that I don't think she fully appreciated. And I really just enjoyed his character development over the book. Yeah.

[Hannah]

I have to say that one of my favorite aspects to a book is when the comedic relief character is given the due diligence and depth. And as we come to find out, that he has this, like, plays a huge role in the survival of everyone, but also that it Wasn't just at the end. It was all throughout. Like you were just saying, Carly. He was sort of, like, masterminding a little bit behind the scenes under the guise of nobody really taking him that seriously. And I love a side character that does that.

[Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Carly]

I also think I just really appreciate characters who take advantage of the fact that people underestimate them. I always find that really interesting. Like, it's a really interesting part of their character.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, I always found him interesting from the very beginning. And for those that listen to our Onyx Storm season, any quote that was funny, I loved. And so I'm just the type of reader that gravitates towards those types of characters. I love the depth that he had. So I don't think the first time around, I really found him annoying. Like, I was, like, always kind of, like, intrigued by his personality. But he. Out of all the characters, I mean, Kingfisher made me, like, actually laugh out loud and same as Seras, but Carrion made me laugh out loud. Like, almost every line that he had. Like, almost all of my favorite quotes are just Carrion's quote, which I think.

[Hannah]

Is actually quite interesting. Just thinking this about myself. Like, I'm usually like the MMC fangirl, you would think. And I do have quite a few of Kingfisher's as my favorite quotes, but if I really had to say a favorite character out of them, Carrion really just. He does Carrie for me, and I think that that is impressive work for a girl that hardly deviates from MMCs.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. And even when at the beginning of the book, he's still kind of like the comedic character, but he's still kind of running this underground ring. And so he's still taken seriously in a sense. So. But yeah, I don't know. It's just. He's great. Anyways, we can talk about him all day. And I know we have actually more to say later.

[Carly]

We have quite a few Carrion moments below, but for now, do we have any other favorite characters we want to like?

[Hannah]

Onyx. Oh, my gosh, I'm such a sucker for a side character. Excuse me? Not a side character, like a sidekick.

[Carly]

Pet character.

[Hannah]

I mean, I say that, but also dragons count like a sidekick, and Onyx is just adorable. And it made me. I was so scared the entire time that something bad was gonna happen to him, and I can't handle that. So thank the gods, all seven.

[Carly]

You know, I would have warned you.

[Kinsey]

You didn't like Kingfisher at first because he threatened to turn Onyx into a Hat. Is that it?

[Hannah]

Precisely. Literally.

[Carly]

No.

[Hannah]

Like, that was. Yeah. It doesn't take much for me to get turned off.

[Kinsey]

Guys, if you don't like Onyx, you should maybe see a doctor.

[Hannah]

Yeah.

[Kinsey]

I'm just kidding. Carly's like, what?

[Carly]

No, I getcha.

[Hannah]

We're all dog and cat people here. Dog and cat mom. So, like.

[Carly]

Well, and I think we all really appreciate, like, you said, like, sidekick pets in stories. Like, they're some of my favorite things. And by that, I don't. We're not meaning, like, dragons that are full characters and other.

[Hannah]

I also do mean that.

[Kinsey]

But.

[Hannah]

Yes.

[Kinsey]

No, we love those.

[Carly]

But those aren't sidekick pets. Like, by a sidekick pet, I mean, like, something that's truly, like, a pet.

[Hannah]

That, like Pascal from Tangled has always been my favorite.

[Kinsey]

All of my examples I can't share yet, because some people.

[Hannah]

We'll get there. We'll get there one day.

[Kinsey]

But.

[Carly]

But, yeah, we even like the gargoyle.

[Kinsey]

In, like, the Night in the Moth. Like, I don't know if that counts.

[Hannah]

I think that counts.

[Carly]

He's huge.

[Hannah]

We're not diminishing the fact that some of them have more of a personality, but there's also. There's also books I read where, like, it is adjacent to, like, a dragon, but you don't see as much of their communication on page that, I think counts. I eat all of those versions up.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Carly]

100%.

[Hannah]

It also is, like, a little bit of a lightness that balances out some of the heavy references and aspects to this book. Right. Like, just thinking about the sewage water that they're having to drink. Like, there's some aspects to this that are just like, oh, this is really kind of yuck to read. But then you have this cute little furry pet that just, like, wants to be warm and safe and, like, it just lightens it up a little bit, and I think I need that. So.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. And then you have these tough MMCs like Kingfisher, who's, like, making sure, like, okay, we're not bringing this to the battlefield. Like, it's gonna stay at home where it's safe. And I'm like, ah, everyone's pretty good.

[Hannah]

Yes. Yes. But you have a soft spot.

[Kinsey]

Yes. Honorable mention for Renfys and Lorath. I thought they're great friends for Kingfisher. They're supporters of Serris, and I enjoyed them. And thank God Lorath got the sword and not Danya.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Hannah]

That was one of my favorite moments.

[Carly]

It was good. I really loved Renfys and Lorath so much. And I do think, like we were kind of talking about earlier, I think the side characters in this book are so good and they balance out the other characters so well. I would have appreciated a really another strong side female character that was throughout the whole book. Because Everlane disappears in the beginning. But other than that. Yeah. Great side characters.

[Hannah]

Well. And hopefully that could be an aspect of Brimstone. Right. Like, we get to see more of.

[Carly]

A. I'm really hoping we either get a lot more Everlane.

[Kinsey]

I'm sure that Serris and Everlane can bond over the fact that they were both almost turned. Did turn vampire bonded.

[Hannah]

You know, good.

[Kinsey]

Good old trauma bond. So our favorite silver lining.

[Hannah]

Okay. As if we weren't somewhat already doing this before, we get so many great Carrion moments. So we're gonna go through a couple of them.

[Kinsey]

I'm ready.

[Hannah]

Starting with the infamous bath that Kingfisher made at Carrion Take. Did you realize right away why Kingfisher made Carry and take? Absolutely. Pretty clear.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. Yeah. One of my favorite quotes actually came from this scene when Seras is like, you let a fire sprite jerk you off with a handful of Fae moss.

[Hannah]

And then he corrects her and was like, it was an Earth sprite or something like that.

[Kinsey]

It was a water sprite.

[Carly]

Yeah, water sprite.

[Kinsey]

Oh, my God. Like, it's like, dude, you just got into this Fae realm and like, you just like, immediately, right off the bat, like, yeah, I had a threesome with a bunch of sprites. Like, what?

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Kinsey]

Or was it a foursome?

[Hannah]

I think it was a foursome because it includes him. And I think there were three others.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, we love a king that.

[Hannah]

No, do not go there.

[Kinsey]

Why choose? No, I'm just kidding.

[Hannah]

Yes, we do love. Why choose?

[Carly]

I mean, I'm here for Karin finding joy where he can in this world.

[Hannah]

So.

[Kinsey]

Take it where you can. Were you guys surprised when Kingfisher brought back Carrion instead of Hayden?

[Hannah]

Yes, but I liked that turn of events.

[Carly]

I was like, there's no way he's coming back with Hayden because that would solve this issue too soon for her.

[Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Carly]

But I was a little surprised that it was Carrion. I was almost expecting it to be like some new character, like maybe she had another sibling she didn't know about or something like that. Like a different twist. I was a little surprised that it was Karion, but I wasn't surprised that it wasn't Hayden.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, I was the same way in Kylie. I wasn't expecting it to be Hayden. Maybe I was expecting it to Be like Elroy or one of the guards. But when it was Carrion, I wasn't mad about it. Like, I was like, oh, my God. This just made it even better. Like, of course it's this guy that she had sex with one time.

[Carly]

All right, so I want to talk about. One of my favorite twists of the whole book was when Kerrion was revealed to be Fae. How did y' all react to that?

[Hannah]

That was such a nice twist. Like, I didn't see it coming. It gave him that depth. And it wasn't just that he was Fae, it's that he is actually, like, I can't remember how. This is the D. Dianthus. Yeah. He's the heir to that line. And their blood, like, kills the guy. And I was like, wait, what's happening? It was so good.

[Kinsey]

Well, you go from, like, wanting to strangle him. Like, shut up, shut up, shut up. Like, you're gonna die. Like, don't.

[Hannah]

Literal savior.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. To the savior. And you're just like, hell, yeah. Like, I. I loved it. And I thought it was funny when, like, Sarah woke up and, like, saw him in his Fae form. And I just want to know how he was able to turn that glamour off and, like, why he kept it on so long. Because, like, you'd think that, like, just him going, yeah, I guess. Yeah, that makes sense. But I'm like, oh, like, maybe just going to the Fae realm would, like, get rid of this glamor. Like, we don't really know how it works, but. But I thought it was a good reveal.

[Hannah]

While we're on the topic of Carrion. He had so many great lines. This book. Do we have a favorite? It looks like there's not a single one. So, Kenzie, tell us literally every single one of your Karian favorite Carrion lines. I guess.

[Kinsey]

Sorry, I have a lot. Okay, so I'll start with, like, one of, like, my top, top ones. So as Carrion was pulled out of the lake and was, like, drowning, Sarah said, carrie and Swift, if you don't wake up right now, I'm gonna tell all your asshole friends back in the third that you were a shitty lei. And he, as he's like, literally coming back to life. You wouldn't fucking dare. So I just thought that was really funny.

[Hannah]

So good.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, I'm like, someone else go. Because I got a lot.

[Hannah]

Oh, my gosh. I gotta scroll through all of these to even get to my single one. So this is after Fisher asks if they're ready to face Malcolm and his Lord monsters and Karion says, sure, why not? I'm too pretty to die old anyway.

[Carly]

That's a good point.

[Hannah]

Solid.

[Kinsey]

So I literally choked during this line. So basically, I think it was Renfys. Maybe it was Lorath. I want to say it was Renfys and Carrion were basically forced to have dinner with Kingfisher and Seras and Sarah said, meeting, I thought this was dinner. And how would it be fair for me to enjoy the pleasure of your company while these two miss out? And Karion held up his hand and said, I'd prefer not to be here, actually. And Serious went, sit the fuck down. And he's like, all right, gods. So I just thought that was, like, another funny, like, interaction between Serris and Carrion. Just quickly too. Like, just naming his sword Simon. Like, who the fuck names his sword Simon like that?

[Hannah]

But the Quicksilver liked it.

[Kinsey]

It said they loved his name. Like, it was so funny. Okay, Kylie, I'll let you go.

[Mayra Ahmed]

A mochi moment from Sadie, who writes, I'm not crying. You're crying. This is what I said during my first appointment with my physician at Mochi, because I didn't have to convince him I needed a GLP one. He understood, and I felt supported, not judged. I came for the weight loss and stayed for the empathy. Thanks, Sadie. I'm Mayra Amit, founder of Mochi Health. To find your mochi moment, visit joinmochi.com.

[Hannah]

Sadie is emoji member, compensated for her story.

[Carly]

One of my favorite moments was again between him and Saris. And Sarah says, God's alive, Carrion. Do not tell me you have a thing for Danya. She's fucking awful. And Carrion responds, I love a girl with a sharp tongue and a bad attitude. Kind of makes my dick hard.

[Kinsey]

Like, why Carrion, oh, my God, carried.

[Hannah]

This book.

[Kinsey]

In the book. And then telling the quicksilver dirty jokes. Like, Seras's jokes were so horrible. And then he's like, what's it doing? It's laughing, isn't it? And it was, like, genuinely, like, laughing at his jokes. And then on topic with the Daniel line, just him flirting with, like, literally everybody. Like, at one point, Ren told him, like, I could kiss you, Karion Swift. And he was like, I wouldn't be opposed, but maybe later. And then when they were gonna, like, go to the witches, Karrion's like, I'll go. And Kingfisher's like, absolutely not. You're not gonna go. You're just gonna try to fuck the witches. And serious is like, ew. He would not do that. And then Karion is like, I would, you know, just to say that I'd done it. So I was like, okay. Water sprites, red fist. A mated female witches, Seras. Like, what? Who? Daniel.

[Hannah]

It's gonna be so chaotic to be in his head, in his book. I can't wait.

[Carly]

I cannot wait.

[Kinsey]

Literally, cannot wait. Like, I. God, he's the best. I think I got through all my points, but, yeah, those were all my favorite Carrion.

[Carly]

Well, I know we've been talking about Karion for a long time. Clearly, he was a fan favorite. Not just by us. I know. I think by the entire Quicksilver readership. Everyone pretty much loves him universally. But let's move on to a topic that isn't Carrion. There were lots of clues and not so subtle hinting at the fact that Kingfisher and Serris are fated mates. What did you think of the moment when it was finally revealed to Serris?

[Hannah]

Fuck, yes. That was my favorite moment. It's really good and not surprising to anyone.

[Kinsey]

No, it's not surprising. We all knew that you would love that. I loved it, too. I thought it was a really good reveal. I did catch on to them being really aware of their scents and things like that.

[Hannah]

No, I mean, the first time it's mentioned that fated mates exist in this universe, even though it's rare and they don't do it the same. No, duh. This is happening.

[Kinsey]

And the tattoo transferring, which we still didn't really get an answer of the first bird tattoo transferring over. And he said he couldn't take that one back, which. That's a whole other topic. But, yeah, it was hinted at, like, just enough for it to, like, be, like, a really good reveal. And I thought it was, like, really heartbreaking how he didn't want to accept the bond at first because he was, like, worried about her. And he's like, well, I'm going to die soon. Like, I'm going crazy. And then also just like, I'm gonna. Just be very clear. I hate pregnancy tropes. I hate to read about it, but him being so sad about her being sterilized was, like, oh, tragic.

[Hannah]

Not to get too off topic, but I interpreted that to be more about how it had been done to her than about him not being able to have an heir.

[Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Carly]

Yeah. I think it's more the choice being taken away from her, like, was messed.

[Kinsey]

Up, but I'm just like, oh, my God. And then, ugh. But, yeah, he's like my mate. Like, oh, God, I love him so yeah, no, it was a good reveal.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Hannah]

To circle back to the actual reveal, I liked how it was revealed to her through the other woman who had chosen to marry. Yes. And how she was asked, like, of course, Sarah saw the tattoos and she asked, and she could kind of, like, start to put the pieces together, but then you get the layers of, like. Also, it's really rare for this to happen. And then it's also even more rare for the gods to have blessed it. And we find out later that Kingfisher is concerned about the gods blessing it. Like, as if, like, it sort of took the choice out of both of them. And he doesn't want to be, like, a chess piece to them. But also, I'm eating it up. Like, I love that it's blessed by the gods.

[Kinsey]

Well, we found out that, like, true mating bonds had ended before. Like, the God swords lost their magic. Like, I think she said it was, like, a millennia before they were true Ma. So, like, in this world, they're like, oh, like, their mate is just like their spouse. And then, like, they, like, wait to, like, get the tattoos done themselves. They choose their tattoos, but, like, for them, it was, like, the real deal. So, Yeah, I was eating that shit up. I love a good, faded mate story.

[Hannah]

Yeah. Because it's not just like you. I mean, for me, I don't want, like, everyone in my world to access a fated mate. It doesn't make it as special. So, like, yes, the fated mates are rare in this. But then she, like, one upped it and was like. And then being that blessed is even more rare. But here's a caveat. It comes with a tragic ending, and it's like, oh, there's so much going on. This is refreshing. It's so unique. But it's also not really unique, but I still will read every variation of it ever.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Kinsey]

And I like how at first, Kingfisher was the one that was really hesitant to accept it, but then he ended up being the one that accepted the bond before Seras. And then, like, as she's, like, trying to, like, save him and, like, run through the maze, she's like, okay, I am accepting it now. Like, he is my mate. And, like, they were like, no questions asked. Like, she just had to do what she had to do.

[Hannah]

Wait, doesn't she? Okay, so this kind of took me off guard because I finished my second reread earlier, and she didn't, like, really intentionally. She said, he's my mate, and then she realized that she had confirmed it, and I. I had some feelings about that. Because then she was like, oh, I just realized. I said that out loud. I confirmed it. And, yeah, like, she felt positively. But, like, personally, I do love it a little bit more when it's, like, a very intentional choice, but at the same time, it was still romantic because, like, she still did mean it. Like, she still did want that.

[Carly]

Like, an accidentally on purpose moment.

[Hannah]

Yes. That's a good way to put it.

[Carly]

I kind of prefer a more, like, truly intentional moment. But I just thought that that whole moment where she's confronting him and he's, like, telling her everything, I thought his, like, emotional arc over the fated mate sing was done really well. I really enjoyed it, and I just love that it turned out he had been calling her his most sacred from the very beginning. I was like, oh, my God, we.

[Hannah]

Gotta wait on that. We gotta wait. So much to say about that.

[Kinsey]

I have something else to add. The fact that his mother knew who she was to the point that it was, like, drawn out. And he was like, I was expecting you. I was waiting for you. So even before the markings showed up on either of them, he knew the entire time that Serris was his mate.

[Hannah]

Yeah.

[Carly]

So good.

[Hannah]

I love it.

[Kinsey]

It's like his mom got to know her without knowing her. Like, that's great.

[Hannah]

And that also ties into the end, which we'll get to here shortly as well.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Hannah]

Okay. We have to talk about it. We have the viral audio clip that spawned thousands of memes that I want to know. I already know. But for the sake of our listeners, what were your reactions to it? Kinsey, will you please do us the honor of reading said, quote.

[Kinsey]

Nobody will ever fuck you the way I'm about to fuck you. Sarah Svane, I'm about to introduce you to all seven gods. When you meet them, don't forget to tell them I'm the one you worship. On your knees.

[Hannah]

Oh, girl.

[Kinsey]

Fuck. Yes.

[Hannah]

Fuck me.

[Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Hannah]

Please.

[Kinsey]

Right over here. Kingfisher.

[Hannah]

Pick a hole.

[Kinsey]

Any hole. No, I'm just kidding.

[Hannah]

When I told you that my. We did sort of rated our content on this episode. We warned you all.

[Kinsey]

I blocked my family, so it's fine.

[Hannah]

I was about to say the way my jaw dropped, but it was kind of like what I just did to what Kinsey said. If you're watching on Patreon, you could see our faces. Yeah, that line. When I heard it, I was like, oh, can people hear in my headphones?

[Kinsey]

Well, like, last night, I was, like, reading in bed next to my husband, and I was, like, listening at the Same time, I was like, oh, I really hope you can't hear this right now. But, like, whatever.

[Hannah]

But also kind of hope you can.

[Kinsey]

Well, but, like, even before that, like, I was like, oh, like, it's not gonna get topped because Kingfisher already had such great lines.

[Hannah]

And, like, that's God tier.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. Nobody pun intended. Nobody will ever fuck you the way I'm about to fuck you, sir. Like, okay.

[Hannah]

Yeah, I can see you really enjoy saying this, guys. We. We get it quite often.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Kinsey]

I love this line so fucking much. It's just so good. Okay.

[Carly]

Anyways, it is top tier.

[Hannah]

God tier.

[Carly]

It is one of those moments where you're like, if my headphones disconnect in public right now, I will never live this down.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. Oh, my God. Like, total side note. I was listening to Court of Silver Flames for a reread.

[Hannah]

No spoilers.

[Kinsey]

No, no, I'm not spoiling. But it was a spicy scene, and I got stopped at a crosswalk in front of an elementary school, and it, like, turned into the spicy scene. Like, right when I got stopped. I was like, oh, shoot.

[Hannah]

Cause you're in your car.

[Kinsey]

I was in my car. Oh, yeah. It was my headphones turning off, and so I had to, like, mute my radio. Cause I was just like, oh, my God. Like, I can't let these children hear this. Cause I wasn't, like, I didn't remember, like, that the spicy scene was coming up. And it was very sudden.

[Hannah]

So basically, this line is not safe for work, guys.

[Carly]

No, not safe for work.

[Hannah]

For school grounds.

[Kinsey]

Don't listen to this. When you're driving by schools or.

[Carly]

And as a public service announcement, people can hear your audiobook outside your car, if it's on your car speakers, even if your windows are rolled up, even.

[Kinsey]

Just, like, stopped at a red light.

[Hannah]

I didn't know that. But I have no shame. Unless I'm on school grounds, then I will not do that.

[Kinsey]

I quickly mute.

[Carly]

Anyway, Yeah, I think, like, at this point, if you're a real audiobook listener, you probably. Everyone's had some sort of awkward moment where you're like, oops, that just happened.

[Kinsey]

Oh, well, moving on. Well, I'm not trying to, like, get put on a list or anything. Like, at a crosswalk for a school. Geez.

[Carly]

No, that's probably best. Yeah. Let's just all be careful.

[Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Carly]

All right. Any other favorite Kingfisher and Seras moments or quotes you want to discuss before we move on to other topics?

[Kinsey]

Yes, because she is moonlight. The mist that shrouds the mountains the bite of electricity in the air before a storm. The smoke that rolls across a battlefield before the killing starts. You have no idea what she is, what she could be. You should call her Majesty.

[Hannah]

I love devotional testimonials.

[Carly]

I hope everyone's watching Hannah's reaction to that quote.

[Hannah]

It is the quote. So, like, I love. So yes, the seven gods is God Tier. But this is the line in the book for me. Like, that is. And he's responding to Carrie and calling her Sunshine. And he's like, no, you're not going to call her Sunshine. Which is like. And it's kind of early. He's still been mean to her. And we haven't gotten all the reveals. So this kind of came out of left field for Seras, who was like, my heart is fluttering. Where the fuck did that come from? And it's not, like, subtle, you know, like, he went all the way in for it. And I love to see it. So that's where Kingfisher sold me, right? I was like, oh, okay, like, here we go now. I'm about to love you. But also when Seras expresses concern over her being a human later on and he says, quote, I'll be grateful for every second that I can say I belong to you, Saris Fane. 80 years or 18 hours, it doesn't matter to me. It'll still be the highest honor of my life.

[Carly]

Shut the fuck up.

[Hannah]

Actually, don't keep talking. I don't want to hear anything but this.

[Carly]

Yeah. I think it is juxtaposed as being so filthy mouthed and also so wildly romantic.

[Hannah]

Yes.

[Carly]

And I don't think I've gotten quite these extremes in any other character. And I think that's what I love about Kingfisher so much, is because I feel like I really got the spectrum, like, feeling from him. And it's great. That quote that Kinsey gave when he's saying, you should call her Majesty, it's like, response to Carrion. Carrion's response to that, though, is hilarious. He's just like, okay, so doesn't get it.

[Kinsey]

This is before they're mates. And he's just like, whatever, bro.

[Hannah]

It's so good.

[Kinsey]

Good shit.

[Hannah]

Somehow we're turning everything back to Gary. I know.

[Kinsey]

I tried my hardest to not. I thought that Kingfisher and Seras also had, like, a lot of funny moments, even at the very beginning, like when he throws her over like a sack of potatoes. Like, I thought that was really hilarious. But in particular, one of my favorite moments between them, besides the spicy scenes, because Obviously, those were, like, all phenomenal was when they were talking about Serris and her boots. So Serris was really upset about her boots, and she's like, do you have any idea what those boots cost me? And Kingfisher says, let me guess. Your virginity? And she's like, fuck you, Fisher. And he's like, sure, but I'm afraid I don't have any new boots to trade for you for your time. So I thought that was funny because it is just, like, a sexual innuendo, but then also funny. Well, I guess that makes it funny, but he's like, well, you already lost your virginity and I don't have any more boots to give you. So, like, what do you want? Like, besides just fucking, like, let's just go.

[Hannah]

No.

[Carly]

His, like, dry humor in this book is so good, and it's. It makes it so fun and it's needed because even though he's being a dick, he's also being funny at the same time. And I think if it was, like, just me without ever being funny, it would just be overwhelming. So I really feel like she brought out that dry humor him in a way that's like, balances it out.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. And this isn't, like, a funny moment, but just, like, something that I really like, too. But when she was creating the God sword for the first time and, like, the aurora was going on and he wanted to, like, go tell her, but he knew that she was, like, busy focusing. And when they were speaking mind to mind, she was like, well, why didn't she, like, come inside? He's like, I just wanted to let you wait and have your moments. So he was out in the cold for hours while she was working in the forge. And I just thought that was a really sweet moment. And then afterwards, they were able to go enjoy the literal miracle that was happening in their world at that time. And we also got other intimate moments where he same scene, actually, but afterwards she's so exhausted that he helps her bathe and washes her hair and puts her in bed and does all those things. And so I also just really appreciated those gestures as well. So, yeah, we love a man with, like, a lot of dimension.

[Hannah]

And yes, yes, we do a lot of shades of gray as well. So.

[Carly]

Any other small moments that were favorites?

[Hannah]

Do you realize who you're asking? We have lists.

[Kinsey]

I've got moments for days, but I will only give one example here. So I really liked Onyx and his first meeting with Seras. This goes back to Kingfisher and the humor, but Kingfisher's like, it's gonna bite you. And Serris is like, no, it won't. And then the very next line was, it bit me.

[Hannah]

So I love everything with Onyx.

[Kinsey]

I loved that. So I just really enjoyed Sarris. And at first she was like, terrified, like, what the hell is a fox? And for us, we're like, ha, ha ha. We know what foxes are. But I just enjoyed that scene as well.

[Hannah]

So my first one, because I do have. Well, it's only two. I really hyped that up. It's only two. Okay, so the first one. Yeah, progress. The first one was Fisher telling Saris that she is sitting in the right chair. Right after Daniel revealed that the right hand chair was reserved for Fisher's wife. Yeah, that was a. I was like, oh, this is. No, he's accepting that mating bond. This is happening. Okay, okay. Finally. This is the most beautiful moment in the whole book to me. The OSHA nickname butterfly, like real meaning reveal. Oh. Oh my God. First of all, I love a like somewhat mean nickname. Like an ill intention, like kind of making fun of the FMC nickname that turns to be endearing, you know, like violence to violence. Right. That's not really mean. But this one going from like them being supposedly weak and that's why he was calling her Osha. But actually o' Sheala means most sacred in. Is it old Fae? Is that what it was? Yeah. He says that they are the most beautiful thing a person can experience in this lifetime and that protecting them while they live is considered a sacred. Right. That many die in order to perform. The symbolism, the romance. Oh my God.

[Carly]

That, like, it was really beautiful.

[Hannah]

And I'm actually quite upset that those butterflies were left off of the new cover for this reason because this is the story to me, like, that is so symbolic. And I just also love Callie for that design on the OG covers, which, by the way, if you didn't know, I know you guys do. But listeners, Callie did design the indie versions of the covers herself.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, I have the indie original cover. I unfortunately did not get like the sword, like the discreet cover, but I did buy a version from the UK that had a reversible dust jacket. So I do have like the sword and the butterflies on that one instead of like, like Kingfisher's face and then the new one, so.

[Hannah]

Oh yeah. But I mean, they're foiled though, so I really can't complain.

[Kinsey]

But yeah, no, I agree with you though. I was like, I miss the butterfly. Like I. The snowflake.

[Hannah]

Also. Also the butterfly is our podcast colors. So I'm biased. Like, those are my favorite colors. The pink, blue, and purple, like, iridescent.

[Carly]

There are some cool special editions out there, though, that I think have butterflies on them if you're still looking. But.

[Hannah]

But, oh, I will hunt them down.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. No, that was just such a good scene. Like, I highlighted the entire discussion that they were having. I'm like, oh, my God, it's so.

[Hannah]

Beautiful and endearing and devotional from the jump.

[Kinsey]

Most sacred. And then they're like, I don't think you can call me Little Osha anymore. And he's like, no, even though you're not gonna die and you're not fragile, you're still most sacred to me. And I'm like, sir.

[Hannah]

We can't handle this.

[Carly]

We're not built this strong. It was really, really well done. I was really impressed with all of that. I thought it was really beautifully written for me. And this is, like, completely opposite of beautiful and romantic. But a favorite small moment for me is anytime an author doesn't have to use a lot of words to express a lot. So when something's written in a way where you really get the impact of it with very few words. And I don't have the quote here, but there's this moment where, like, Kingfisher and Carrion are talking about, like, how hard it was back in Sylvarin. And there's a moment where Kingfisher's like, you had to fight over water. Like, he's, like, so surprised by this. And in her head, Serris is, like, talking about how, like, yeah, I wonder if he'd judge me if he knew I ended up in those fighting pits, fighting to the death for, like, a few ounces of extra water. And it's like this one small line by her, but I'm like, you really get how harsh the conditions were, how hard her life was in a single line. And I just thought that was incredibly well done. And it's like she's just been surviving this whole time. And so it's just a really interesting way of looking at her life really, really quickly. Agreed.

[Hannah]

That was a really powerful moment. And there was some, in that same scene, references to Caryon and what Carrion wasn't saying out loud, but what she knew he had experienced. And you also get to see it wasn't directly said, but just a depth to his character that he masks with this bravado and humor. Fantastic job. Yes, fantastic job.

[Carly]

I think it's just something, one of those things, like we've said where you really can appreciate it on the reread. Like this book deserves a reread if you enjoyed it the first time, but maybe it wasn't your favorite. Reread it. It's so, so good.

[Hannah]

Give the audiobook a shot. If you've already read it, it is incredible. I mean, but also, we're preaching to the choir here. If people are listening to an hour long episode of us talking about our favorite moments and basically carrying 70% of the time like that's it. But we get it. We're still good. Champion.

[Kinsey]

Well, how did you feel about the ending?

[Hannah]

I'm assuming that you're asking the last page ending. But I wanna. There's a part that I have to say about the general end that I really appreciated getting insight into because I've always really wanted to read a book where we talk about in Romantasy, we theorize a lot about gods having a hand in manipulating fate and what the limitations and consequences of that would look like. So there's this moment where Sarris is talking to the God of Chaos and he explains that actually he did move a chess piece a couple hundred years ago, you know, and Serris was originally supposed to be Fae and that put Serris and Kingfisher in two different worlds where they were not supposed to cross paths. But in every. No matter what he did, they would always find each other. Which one is absolutely fascinating to see insight into. At least the beginning of what we see is this God manipulation in their fates, but also so fucking romantic. And I'm like, you just covered your bases for me. I am officially sold this whole thing.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, I really loved that scene as well. It reminded me a lot of Loki the Marvel show. And that's one of my favorite Marvel things. So I was already. I already loved the book. But then when we got to the fate manipulation and how no matter what, they'd always find each other. Sold. Sold well.

[Carly]

I think it totally makes sense that it felt like Loki because there's a lot of Norse mythology tie ins in this book. And in Norse mythology they have a tree of life called Yggdrasil. And so it's like very Norse mythology coded.

[Hannah]

Which with that mention we'll go ahead and plug. It won't be the next episode, it'll be the one after next where we dive into breaking down world building lore mythology that is utilized both to influence this book and within it. And we will be utilizing Carly's brain to dissect with mythology. So if you're interested in things like that, just be on the lookout for that episode. Clearly we are so. I am.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Kinsey]

The ending was crazy. There was so much that she put in there at the very end. Like with between Carrion's reveal and Serris meeting the God of Chaos and her turning and Malcolm being killed, there was just so much. And then like the very, very last thing is, oh, by the way, in two days you're gonna be coronated as Queen of the vampires. And she's like, still hasn't even really had time to process what she is. And she's like thinking the whole time, vampire? No. Like I can't be a vampire. And now she's like, oh, you're in charge, so good luck with that.

[Hannah]

Also, vampires in this world are not like my sparkly vampires from like, you know, my teen reads, you know, like this is. They're not seen as good people in this world and they're described quite like vicious, you know, like, yuck. You know, I would.

[Kinsey]

They're blackened, stubbed tongues. Ugh.

[Hannah]

We'll see how this turns out.

[Carly]

I love this because I feel like the vampires of your youth were actually written more like Fae and these are more like traditional vampires. So it's like it really was just making you. Setting you up to love fae, not vampires 1000%.

[Hannah]

Because I always made that joke, like, I don't wanna read about vampires unless they sparkle. But really that's just because I like fae now. But I didn't know at the time. Read the book.

[Carly]

Yeah, so you get both. But I think the ending was really interesting. I think she took a lot of kind of classical elements that we've seen from other books, put her own twist on it, made it really fun. Including the labyrinth, which I thought was really well done and interesting and wasn't drawn out. I always get worried about labyrinth scenes being drawn out too long. Didn't feel that way. It felt fast. It felt chaotic in a way that was interesting, not necessarily confusing.

[Hannah]

Especially terrifying. With the fucking spider.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, yeah.

[Carly]

That demon with spiders.

[Hannah]

No, not either.

[Carly]

Her having to stick her hand in it to the point.

[Kinsey]

Part Fae. Like it looked part Fae, but then it was also like a crap like giant spider and was actually a demon. Nah.

[Carly]

No, but I did enjoy the ending. It was. I will say, if you're reading this book and you're maybe doing a reread, the ending is where you might want to read it twice because it is there. A lot happens in those last few chapters. But it was really, really fun and. And it just felt like I said, chaotic in the best Way possible. I really enjoyed it.

[Hannah]

I think it also. The end, really scaled up the stakes.

[Kinsey]

Yes.

[Hannah]

Right. Like, we went from like an interpersonal. Yeah. There was always like, this year, until shit hit the fan for real. And it was, you know, that's all they had left. Like, from Serris's perspective, like, her role was really lower tier and hopefully she could impact the world on a larger scale. But now we see her being put in, like, this, like, frontline position. That's not just because she's an alchemist, but now she's being put in a position where she's queen, which we're going to get into a ton in our predictions episode. But I really liked how it was like, okay, next book is next level. And that's really exciting.

[Kinsey]

So exciting.

[Hannah]

Also to circle back just for a second. Honorable mention for the twins. I found their personalities and the foreshadowing of them from earlier in the book to be really intriguing. And also their semi obsession with Kingfisher, if I interpreted that correctly, it wouldn't be. But also, I kind of want that.

[Kinsey]

You'Re like, what's it like? Tell us all about it.

[Hannah]

Tell us about sex.

[Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Hannah]

And you're just like, oh, I'm fucking dead. And I'm what?

[Carly]

Yeah, like, I'm sorry, what's your name?

[Hannah]

Yeah, well, yeah, that was a really cool transition from this really scary moment where she literally dies to, hey, now you're talking to gods.

[Carly]

And like, no, it definitely zoomed you way out and made her see how small they were in comparison to this universe of life and problems and gods and fate and, like, I can't even imagine being in that position because I would probably just have a mental breakdown and not handle it well. But from her perspective, that whole thing, what a mind fuck. But also so, so interesting. And I love that we're just bringing in the gods from book one. Like, yeah, they're there. They're gonna be doing some stuff and they're not messing around.

[Hannah]

And we'll be talking about what kind of stuff that could be in our next episode.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Hannah]

Kenzie, any last thoughts on your end? For the end, yes.

[Kinsey]

So I was like one of the first people to read Quicksilver before she got picked up traditionally.

[Hannah]

And I. Sick brag, bro.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, no, but I remember. So back when I read it back in my day, it said that the next book would be coming out like, October of that same year. And I remember, like, finishing the book and being like, oh, my God. But then being like, well, thank God. Like, I only have to wait like, four months and then I'm gonna, like, get to read it. Like, it's not that long of a wait. And then, like, she got picked up trad, which like. Like, all the congratulations more than deserved. But I was like, oh, my God, now I have to wait like a year and a half. Like, what is this? So I've been like, sitting with that cliffhanger for a while, but it doesn't hurt as much rereading it. But yeah, no, it was just like, so much even just the reveal that, like, all of these horrible leaders were all siblings. That was kind of wild. Not really expecting that. And, like, finally finding out, like, why Kingfisher was, like, exiled all those years. It was just a crazy ending. I really liked it. It's in typical Romanesty fashion of shit hitting the fan the last couple of pages, so. Gotta respect that.

[Hannah]

Like I said, there's just so much.

[Carly]

That happens in those last few chapters. It's crazy. Everything from that reveal to that they're all siblings to all of the sudden where she's pulled through the quicksilver and presented to the gods and, like, without a relic. Yeah, without a relic. Like, it's just like one thing after another after another after another. And I loved the little detail at the end where she notices that the Tree of Life is planted in the quicksilver, that its roots are in quicksilver. And I was like, ooh, like, this stuff came from the gods. Like, that's why they have it.

[Kinsey]

Oh, yeah.

[Carly]

So interesting.

[Kinsey]

I'm so excited.

[Hannah]

Yeah. And that wraps up our episode on Quicksilver, Key and favorite moments. Thank you so much for listening. Join us for our next episode where we discuss our Brimstone theories and predictions as we continue our Brimstone prep season. Once Brimstone releases, we will start our recovery phase with initial reactions, analysis, theories and more.

[Carly]

If you are looking for even more Romanasy content, we also have three completed seasons of Empyrean, chapter by chapter, Deep dive coverage, author interviews and more. You can find more info about our previous and upcoming prep seasons, our episode and events calendar, author interviews, our contact form, and more on our website, dearfantasyreader.com, also linked down in the show notes.

[Kinsey]

You can join us over on Patreon, where you can access all of our episodes ad free a day early and in full. Video plus extras like PDF annotations, shoutouts, bonus resources and more. Special shout out to our newest tier 3 Patreon members, Tracy L And Alina. Thank you so much for supporting us.

[Carly]

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

[Hannah]

Don't forget to follow us over on socials where we release book guides, author updates, our current reads, clips from episodes, pod updates, and more.

[Kinsey]

We'd love to hear from you, Send us your thoughts, tag us on Instagram, or come fangirl with us over your favorite fantasy books in our free Discord Chat.

[Hannah]

Until next time, dearest fantasy readers, prepare for Brimstone as we continue our journey through the FAE and alternate Alchemy series.

[Zoe]

Morning Zoe. Got donuts?

[Kinsey]

Jeff Bridges why are you still living above our garage?

[Zoe]

Well, I dig the mattress and I want to be in a T mobile commercial like you.

[Kinsey]

Teach me so Dana oh no, I'm not really prepared. I couldn't possibly AT T Mobile get the new iPhone 17 Pro on them. It's designed to be the most powerful iPhone yet, has the ultimate pro camera system. Wow.

[Zoe]

Impressive. Let me try. T Mobile is the best place to get iPhone 17 Pro because they've got the best network.

[Hannah]

Nice.

[Kinsey]

Jeffrey, you heard them.

[Zoe]

T Mobile is the best place to.

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Dude, my work here is done with.

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