Ep. 8 Onyx Storm Deep Dive: Ch. 21-24 | Easter Eggs, Theories & Key Moments

Summary

Podcast Summary: Dear Fantasy Reader - Ep. 8 Onyx Storm Deep Dive: Ch. 21-24 | Easter Eggs, Theories & Key Moments

Release Date: April 3, 2025

Welcome to Episode 8 of Dear Fantasy Reader, where hosts Hannah, Kinsey, and Carly embark on an in-depth exploration of chapters 21 through 24 of Rebecca Yarros' captivating fantasy novel, Onyx Storm, the latest installment in the beloved Empyrean series. This episode delves into intricate plot developments, character dynamics, hidden easter eggs, and compelling theories that enhance the rich tapestry of the series.

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1. Quick Announcements

• Book Club Launch: The hosts announced the inception of the Dear Fantasy Reader Book Club on Patreon, featuring monthly livestream meetings where members can discuss and fangirl over selected books. Details are available on Discord and Instagram.

• New Merch: Exciting news about the release of their podcast merchandise was shared, including a pink and gold book logo shirt available in soft light purple. Patreon members receive exclusive discounts.

• Listener Appreciation: A heartfelt review from listener MissMikayla7 highlighted the hosts' engaging energy and insightful discussions, prompting the hosts to express their gratitude and encourage others to leave reviews.

Notable Quote:

Carly [02:58]: "MissMikayla7... ‘The energy they bring to this podcast is unmatched.’"

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2. Chapter Recap: Chapters 21-24

Chapter 21:

• Journey to Takarys Palace: Quest Squad embarks on their mission, with Zaden clarifying his visit as a duke, aiming to avoid conflict with General Eidos regarding his association with Violet.

• Arrival at Isle of Devarelli: The team encounters a land devoid of magic, leading to the disruption of communication with their dragons and griffins. Here, Zaden finds peace but must focus on strategic tasks, such as testing runes in a magicless environment.

• Meeting Nero: A pivotal moment occurs when Nero mistakes Zaden for Dain due to their shared past relationship orchestrated by Asher Sorrengel, leading to an exchange of crucial research books.

Chapter 22:

• Easter Egg Analysis: The hosts dissect the chapter's epigraph, revealing ties to the Second Crovlin Uprising and Asher's critical research, suggesting deeper political intrigues and betrayals.

Chapters 23-24:

• Midnight Massacre: The sudden betrayal and elimination of Crovlin rebels by promish forces underscore the ruthless nature of political alliances and the precarious balance of power.

• Unsent Correspondence: Lilith Sorrengale's unsent letters hint at unresolved familial tensions and undisclosed plans that influence Violet and Meera's current paths.

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3. Analysis and Discussion

Zaden's Evolving Abilities:

• Mind-Reading Revelation: Zaden's inadvertent use of his intrinsic ability to read Violet's thoughts beyond intentions marks a significant character development. The hosts discuss the implications of his growing powers and the potential risks of his abilities being exposed.

  Notable Quote:

  Kinsey [08:25]: "We've all theorized that Zaden can read thoughts and not just intentions."

• Potential Exposure and Consequences: The unchecked growth of Zaden's abilities may render him vulnerable to enemy forces, potentially positioning him as a double agent or leading to his demise if discovered.

Dragons and Magic Dependency:

• Loss of Magic in Devarelli: The absence of magic affects not only the riders but also their dragons, revealing a newfound dependency on magic for basic functions like flying. This parallels the Venin's addiction to magic, suggesting a deeper environmental and societal impact.

  Notable Quote:

  Hannah [15:13]: "It makes me wonder what the dragons use magic for if it's not to literally exist."

• Moral Ambiguity of Dragons: The discussion highlights the dragons' potential role as antagonists due to their hoarding of magic, challenging the traditional perception of dragons as purely benevolent creatures.

Epigraphs Insight:

• Historical Context and Betrayal: The epigraph analysis connects past uprisings and betrayals orchestrated by figures like Asher Sorrengale, shedding light on the underlying tensions that shape the current narrative.

  Notable Quote:

  Kinsey [46:53]: "This epigraph is interesting because we know from Violet in chapter 20 that they maintained a relationship up until the last century."

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4. Favorite Moments and Quotes

Favorite Characters:

• Devarelli Zaden: Both hosts express a renewed appreciation for Zaden's character in Devarelli, highlighting his relatable and charming demeanor.

• Taryn: The protective nature of Taryn, especially towards Andarna and Violet, resonated deeply with the hosts.

Memorable Scenes:

• Nero's Mistaken Identity: The comedic and heartfelt moment when Nero confuses Zaden for Dain, facilitating the transfer of vital research books, stands out as a highlight.

  Notable Quote:

  Kinsey [41:27]: "It was so good."

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5. Easter Eggs and Foreshadowing

Runed Gemstones:

• Lilac Quartz Protection Rune: The use of lilac quartz (amethyst) for sunlight protection hints at a deeper significance of gemstones in the magic system, potentially linking them to Violet's energy-based signet.

  Notable Quote:

  Hannah [24:12]: "Lilac colored quartz, which is also known as amethyst, is more effective at protecting against gamma rays than concrete is."

Dragon Hatching Grounds:

• Geographical Significance: References to the original hatching grounds of different dragon breeds, such as the Irids in the Barrens, embed subtle clues about the dragons' origins and their impact on the magic landscape.

Communication Runes:

• Violet's Idea: The suggestion to create a communication rune foresees future developments where runes facilitate vital connections between characters, especially in a magic-deprived environment.

  Notable Quote:

  Kinsey [69:04]: "What we really need is a freaking communication rune for the others, if such a thing exists."

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6. Theories Discussed

Bodhi as a Zaden Stand-In:

• No Name Tags Theory: The hosts propose that Bodhi, who resembles Zaden and lacks distinguishing features, may be a deliberate stand-in to protect Zaden's identity or as a decoy in hostile territories.

  Notable Quote:

  Kinsey [76:27]: "So thinking about his uniform, Violet thinks, there's no name tag, no patches... It could be Bodhi being used as a Zaden stand-in of some sort."

Irids' Role in Magic and Color:

• Magic-Color Connection: The theory suggests that the Irids, with their multicolored appearance, might be the true source of magic, implying their actions contribute to the drained and muted landscapes of the Isles.

  Notable Quote:

  Kinsey [78:21]: "If magic is the only reason that something has color... Irides must have more magic than all of the other dragons because they possess all of the colors."

Tokaris' Suspicious Connections:

• Political Ties and Hidden Agendas: Tokaris' deep connections to Devarelli and his embodiment of its luxurious culture raise suspicions about his true intentions, potentially positioning him as an antagonist with ulterior motives.

  Notable Quote:

  Kinsey [65:13]: "It makes me wonder if Asher made a deal he couldn't keep with Daca, and if we're gonna find that out."

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7. Conclusion

In this episode, Dear Fantasy Reader offers a comprehensive examination of Onyx Storm chapters 21-24, unraveling complex character arcs, political intrigue, and the evolving magic system within the Empyrean series. The hosts' insightful discussions and interconnected theories provide listeners with a deeper understanding and appreciation of Rebecca Yarros' intricate world-building. As the journey through the Empyrean continues, listeners are encouraged to engage with the podcast through Patreon, join the book club, and contribute their own theories and insights.

Next Episode Preview: Join us in the next episode as we dive into chapters 25 through 28 of Onyx Storm, exploring further developments, uncovering new easter eggs, and expanding our theories.

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Stay Connected:

• Join the Book Club: Engage with fellow fans and participate in monthly discussions on Patreon.
• Merchandise: Grab your exclusive Dear Fantasy Reader gear from the show notes.
• Social Media: Follow us on Instagram and Discord for updates and additional content.
• Support the Podcast: Leave a review on your preferred podcast platform and recommend us to your fellow Empyrean enthusiasts.

Until Next Time: "Prepare yourselves to rescue a hot-headed prince from the consequences of his own actions as we continue our journey through the Empyrean series." – Dear Fantasy Reader

Transcript

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[Kinsey]

Foreign.

[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 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 in period series to this day and any content Rebecca Yarros 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 Yarros says, readers who may be sensitive to these elements, please take note and prepare to face the storm. We have dragons to ride. All right, first up, we have some quick announcements. We are thrilled to share that we are starting the Dear Fantasy Reader Book Club over on our Patreon. It will include a monthly livestream meeting where we get to yap and Fangirl over that month's book, which will be voted on by our book club members. We will post all of the details over on Discord and Instagram, so be on the lookout.

[Kinsey]

We are super excited for this because we have been dreaming of more ways to connect with you all and explore books outside of the Empyrean and maybe even possibly have some authors join us.

[Carly]

I'm so excited because I've been thinking about creating a virtual book club for, I don't know, a year now, but.

[Hannah]

I wanted it to be Romantasy and fantasy specifically. So I'm super, super excited. Super cool that we're just gonna like make it ourselves.

[Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Hannah]

Also we now have merch if you are watching on Patreon, Carly is holding up, will be holding up, is now holding up our podcast shirt. It has our pink and gold book logo with Dear Fantasy Reader Podcast on it. Right now it's available in a soft light purple and we've got Plans to expand the color options and add more designs soon. You can find the link to the merch down in the show notes. And as a special perk, our Feathertail Tier Patreon members will get an exclusive discount.

[Carly]

So many exciting things happening so much at once. This week's Star of Novar award for review that made our hearts Soar goes to MissMikayla7, who wrote I am fully obsessed with this podcast and the girls who host it. The energy they bring to this podcast is unmatched. All three have such interesting thoughts and ideas about the books they cover. Right now I have been listening to the Empyrean episodes and I'm finding myself talking to them out loud in my car.

[Hannah]

I love that. I know.

[Carly]

And they really make the podcast relatable and engaging. So much so that I just want to jump into it and talk to them myself. You will love their fun and excitable energy. It's so cool. And these girls are so special. They make me glad books are making a comeback so we can have an amazing content like this in the world. Rebecca Yarrows herself would def be proud of them.

[Kinsey]

What is this review?

[Hannah]

Oh my gosh.

[Kinsey]

My heart.

[Hannah]

Are you kidding? I know.

[Carly]

I read this and I literally got chills. Like I was just like this is the sweetest thing anyone could say. I I yeah, thank you.

[Kinsey]

It's so kind.

[Carly]

Thank you Mikayla.

[Kinsey]

Thank you so much Mikayla.

[Hannah]

Okay, I was about to say like hey book club, now we do get to hop on and chat with you guys directly.

[Kinsey]

We are talking to through the pod. By the way, we're responding to you in the card.

[Carly]

Please, please come join us.

[Hannah]

The Rebecca Yarros herself would definitely be proud of them.

[Carly]

I know.

[Hannah]

What kind of compliment Stop my heart. I'm blushing.

[Carly]

I blushed when I read it. I was just like this is so unbelievably kind. So thank you so much Mikaela. Messages, comments and reviews like this means so much to us. If you are also enjoying the show, please consider leaving us a review. It's a small thing that makes a big difference.

[Hannah]

Thank you again. Oh my gosh. I'm just getting out. As a reminder before we do dive in, if you would like to jump around to any section of our episodes, you can find the timestamps for those down in our show notes. First objective, breaking into the archives vault for a summary report of chapters 21 through 24 with our squad mate Kinsey Quest.

[Kinsey]

Squad 2.0 begins their journey to the isles with a pit stop at Takarys palace. Zaddy sneakily has Halden clarify that Zaden is not visiting under the authority of Baskiath professor, but rather as a duke, so General Eidos can't get upset with Violet and Zaden for sharing a room.

[Hannah]

Take that, Eidos.

[Kinsey]

While most of Quest Squad rest, Tokarys and Halden leave for the Isle of Devarelli via boat so that the crown Prince will arrive in style and not in a basket carried by griffons. The riders and flyers leave soon after and are shocked when the lack of magic in the isles also means the loss of communication with their dragons and griffins. They arrive in Deverelli, and while everyone else is agitated by the loss of magic, Zaden is finally at peace. But with no time for leisure, they get to business. Mera hands out test runes to see if they work in a magicless place. The king will only see aristocrats, so Haldon and Takarys leave for their meeting and everyone else heads into town to search for Nero, the woman mentioned in Papa Asher Sorrengel's letter. Much to the confusion of Quest Squad, Zedan is uncharacteristically cheerful on the way to Neyrelle's bookstore. When they arrive and ask for Nero, they're attacked by her grandchildren, but the fighting stops once Nero recognizes Violet as Asher Sorrindale's daughter and assumes Violet is there to collect the books, plural, that he wrote for her. Despite recognizing Violet, Nero mistakes Zaden for Dain because apparently Asher Hardcore shipped them together. The best moment of the book honestly, and in order to receive her father's research, Nero asks Violet a series of questions to prove her knowledge and worth. Violet passes with flying colors and receives six books that are all passcode locked, just like the first. They return to Karis's home, take a bath, and Zaden says he's done being polite because he's ready to get spicy with Violet.

[Hannah]

Grab your leathers, Quest Squad, as we are leaving the continent for Devarelli, diving right into our Analysis and discussion section, where we walk through the most important and interesting plot points and moments in the section of Chapters, balanced with our epigraph analysis section later in the episode.

[Kinsey]

All right, this is a super exhilarating topic and I'm dying to know what you guys think. In chapter 21, it says that they rode for 24 hours straight in the saddle. How do they take potty breaks? Do you think that they have a special rune so that they can hold it in or clean it up? Or are they leaning over the sides of their dragons. They're just holding onto their scale. What do you think they're doing?

[Hannah]

I choose not to. I choose not to think about what they're doing.

[Carly]

Of all the notes I had of topics we could talk about this week, believe it or not, this one wasn't on the list. Kenzie.

[Kinsey]

It wasn't. Oh, that's interesting. It was on my list because I was like, 24 hours.

[Hannah]

I will say that. I wonder if Rebecca's gonna hear this and be like, oh, gotta clarify that. Because she definitely made a point to clarify that Deverelli does have plumbing. A lot of people had wondered if, like, the world of the Empyrean series had any sort of plumbing, and we got confirmation, so who knows if you'll get a reference or a cheeky joke from Riddick about it.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, maybe they're all wearing diapers.

[Carly]

All right.

[Hannah]

Anyways, don't want to think about that.

[Carly]

I don't want to go there.

[Hannah]

No. Okay.

[Kinsey]

So on to our real discussion for today. In chapter 21, Zaden unknowingly uses his intrinsic ability against Violet. Only this time, he didn't read her intentions. He read her thoughts. This came as a shock to both of them. Violet said, quote, I didn't say that out loud. Zayden responded with, then you must have thought it down the bond, because I wasn't pushing into your intentions then. Violet thinks my heart races for a different reason. No, but maybe. Or your signet is growing. We've all theorized that Zayden can read thoughts and not just intentions. And, Hannah, you've been screaming this from the rooftops since season one.

[Carly]

What?

[Kinsey]

What did you think about this reveal?

[Hannah]

I squealed when I first read it. I absolutely squealed. I mean, I think it's really interesting that he says he must have thought it down the bond, which is what a lot of people chalked it up to being. Anytime I would bring up the theory, they're like, oh, I just thought it was to the bond. But that never made sense to me because Reka writes it so specifically with italics when that happens.

[Carly]

Right?

[Hannah]

So I always thought it had to be something more. Otherwise, why include it? And Violet's response here was that his signet was growing. And that's exactly what I've been saying. Their signets are evolving, and all of the signs that his signet was more than he understood and thought at the time were there. So it was extremely validating. I thought we'd get more of him actually using it, but she's still teasing it. But I like it that was not the only time in this exact chapter. Or maybe it was the one right before chapter 21 where we get another Zaden mind reading example where Violet thinks, will you still keep me if I have to crawl up the stairs? I ask Taryn. Zaden answers back, you're not crawling. And Violet thinks, wrong pathway. Gods, I really am in trouble. No, it was not the wrong pathway because why would she write it like that? Which clearly was a setting up for Rebecca to also have this reveal shortly after. But like, this has been happening.

[Carly]

It makes me wonder if this is how he's gonna get found out, because he doesn't even seem to understand he's responding to thoughts now anymore. So it's growing in a way that doesn't seem as controllable for him or as noticeable. So this might lead to this secret getting out. Cause there's no way this is staying secret through the whole series.

[Hannah]

Yeah, I always thought it was really strange. And I think I even said in season one he's gonna slip up and accidentally say it to someone who is not gonna notice. I mean, maybe he already has, but like, he's not bonded to other people. He can't just chalk it up to that anymore with anyone else, you know?

[Kinsey]

Yeah, I was definitely holding my breath the entire time. Cause I think one of those moments where he did do this to Violet was even during Signet sparring. Or like there were other people of the squad around them and I was like, dude, like tone it down.

[Hannah]

He's gonna slip up.

[Kinsey]

I fully expect him to slip up in the next book.

[Hannah]

Which I think leads really great to your next point here, Kinsey, about what that could look like now that he's on the other side. Eh?

[Kinsey]

Yes. So it makes me wonder what Zaden's already dangerous signet continuing to grow will mean for both sides of the war. Now that technically Zaden is on the Venon side as of now, nobody else knows about him being an intensic besides Violet. But what if the Venans somehow find out and use Zaden as like the ultimate weapon? I do think his alliance will still obviously be for Violet and he can become the perfect spy slash double agent and take down the Venin from within. He'll just have to somehow find a way to not get caught or executed. And really I hope that Berwyn doesn't control him. Because it seemed like Berwin was controlling his Shadows. At least like the shadows were leading him to Berwyn. So I'm like, please tell me that he can't also sense his intrinsic ability. Because if the Venin know they're probably going to force him to like work for them.

[Hannah]

I mean, if he's. If Berwyn's actually a mindwalker of sorts, using that term connected to like the whole dreamwalking thing, I could see that easily being revealed. I'm really hoping for one that your spy reference is accurate. It seems like that's what Zaden would would go do. He hasn't lost all of his soul. Right. Like, the Zaden we know is gonna. Is gonna go turn them from the inside out. But I think that Rebecca's setting up here for his intensive reveal to everyone to be like groundbreaking and game changing. Yeah, I'm not looking forward to that.

[Carly]

I'm looking forward to the reveal itself because I think it's just gonna be fantastic.

[Kinsey]

Even with him acting as a spy and helping Navarre, they would still execute him just for knowing.

[Hannah]

But at the same time, what does that super change? Because right now everyone wants to execute him anyway. Unless there is a chance that his whole thing at the end really is somehow contained. It doesn't seem like it. But we're just talking to Brennan, so who knows? Who knows what, right? But I think he's already got a bounty on him of sorts, you know?

[Kinsey]

Oh, for sure. I think we could also see some more first years starting to develop intrinsic signets and try to disguise it as something else. Gotta counter that balance, you know?

[Hannah]

Yeah. Well, it begs the question of if Zaden was already the balance to Avenon.

[Carly]

You have to look at it.

[Hannah]

Yeah.

[Carly]

So, moving on to our next topic. Being in an environment that has no magic for our riders and our flyers. What do we make of the dragons reactions to being cut off from magic in a land without it?

[Hannah]

I think it made sense for the magic system for them to be cut off. But I was shocked by how much Taryn was shocked about the dragons having become so dependent on magic to even fly.

[Kinsey]

I was shocked too, because up until this point, we never really had a reason to think that the dragons were using magic to assist them with flying. So to me, it reminded me of the way that the riders use lesser magic to improve their strength and their speed in battle. But now we know that dragons are doing the exact same thing. It helps them to fly. So I was surprised about that and that Taryn was struggling. He is one of the most powerful dragons in the continent. And here he's like, oh, shit, no magic.

[Hannah]

He's literally dipping down to Carrie and Darna.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, crazy.

[Carly]

I think it's interesting when you think about it, how the dragons are responding to it and they are in pain and they're uncomfortable and they're agitated by this loss of magic and they respond to it the way almost like you would withdraw from something. And we've gotten a lot of analogies about how the Venin and the way they use magic and how it becomes addictive. And I feel like we're actually getting to see that in the dragons a little bit. Which is interesting when the Venin are supposed to be the bad guys and the dragons are also responding to this loss of magic in a similar way.

[Hannah]

Well, and I think that's what really changed my perspective. For some reason. I'd always thought of the dragons as needing magic to survive. It was a necessity for them and it wasn't a necessity for humans or Venon. Similar to. I thought the same about griffins. Like they just needed magic to exist. But this shows us that that's not the case, that they've become dependent on it. And it seems like this whole battle between the Venon and dragons comes down to a fight over magic as an unnecessary but sought after resource that dragons are actually hoarding and not protecting for the sake of life. That really changed the way I looked at this. And it also goes back to supporting your theory, Carly, that the dragons are really in some form responsible or even the bad guys in this story.

[Carly]

Yeah, and I hesitate to be like that they're like the bad guys in the sense that they're villains, but that. Yeah, that they are somehow partially responsible for all of this and that their desire to not give up the magic made this problem so much worse and it allowed it to continue and to go on. And given their lifespans and everything that they know, I imagine that if how to stop the Venin is really, truly lost, that knowledge has been lost. That they have also lost it intentionally. So it's very suspicious about the dragons. Why would they let that knowledge go?

[Hannah]

It makes me wonder what the dragons use magic for if it's not to literally exist. Like they bonded humans because opposable thumbs. Right. Like, that's what Rebecca says. Because they can't wield signets themselves or temper runes themselves. So, like, what is the point of magic for them? Like, what else is magic helping them do?

[Carly]

Well, I wonder if it has to do with the Irids, because I think your your thought about the dragons needing magic to survive. I think the Irids do need magic to survive. They say that they are magic. I don't think they can survive without it. And so I wonder if this was an ability to compete with the Irids or something along the lines of jealousy. Like, the fables have three brothers, and we have the Irids, the dragons, and the griffin. Maybe the dragons originally took magic out of jealousy or wanting to be able to compete with them in some way over some resource. And then the griffins had to, in order to survive in this new world. Oh, Hannah, your face. There's moments like this where I'm like, I need to watch this and not just listen.

[Hannah]

Yeah, well, okay. Because that. Because it makes me think, like, the Venin, when they steal, as it's described to us, magic from the Earth, it becomes desiccated. It's ruined. But when dragons do it, which is, like, all the time, and in their hatching grounds and stuff like that doesn't happen, is it like a slower source? It doesn't seem like nature is as angry or as giving consequences to it in the way that it is for humans.

[Carly]

And I agree. Cause Andarta says that the venoms smell of stolen magic, but she doesn't say that about the dragons. And so I do think that maybe there is some sort of access to dragons that is acceptable, but I think it's the signets that maybe have put things really out of balance.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. Plus, you got to think with the hatching grounds. Like, when they do hatch, it alters the magic. So in a way, like, perhaps they're creating, like, their own version of magic, or they're making it stronger. Like, that's why the Venin want the veil, because there's more magic accessible there.

[Hannah]

And when you have an egg hatch, it pulsates and changes the magic, which is so suspicious in, like, we have an evolving magic system that changes with every dragon. Porn.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. And originally I thought, like, maybe it has something to do with, like, their bonds, like, being able to communicate. But Taran had made a comment back in, like, Iron Flame. Like, how do you think that we communicated with each other before we had riders and flyers? So, like, the Griffins and dragons have always been able to communicate with each other, even before they had people bonded to them. So I don't know. It's bizarre. Like, why. Why do they need it? Like, they can breathe fire, they can fly.

[Hannah]

Like, because I was just thinking, without magic, they're just dinosaurs with wings. But even though some dinosaurs have wings, why am I saying that? So it's like, that's essentially what they would be. And then all of a sudden, they just evolved to somehow take magic, so they were clearly communicating with each other before then. But, yes, it's really interesting that this definitely started when they had magic and not when they had riders.

[Carly]

I'm just desperate for all that history, all this lost history. I want it so bad.

[Hannah]

I mean, it's suspicious. And we know that they know some things. Which kind of brings us to our next point. So because the dragons are cut off from magic, they can't communicate with their riders, except for Violet with both Tiernan and Darna, which we've said before would make the most sense as being connected to Andarna. But we wanted to touch on how it's odd that Vi can still feel Zaden's bond even though they're cut off.

[Carly]

Yeah. For me, it calls back to that moment in Iron Flame when they are in the interrogation chamber and he shows up to save her. Still my favorite scene in the whole series. And he.

[Hannah]

Everyone.

[Carly]

He is thinking something. It's like, in italic. So it's through the bond. But she's cut off from her signet. She's on the serum, and she responds to him. She knows what he's thinking. There is something with their bond that seems to be different between them than the other bonds. And this is just what it's calling back to. I don't know what it means, but it's the first thing I thought of when I read this scene.

[Kinsey]

Something that I took from the scene was Andarna was, quote, suspiciously quiet after being asked what was wrong. And to me, it seemed like Andarna did know what was going on. She was waiting for Violet to figure it out and see if Violet was perhaps still connected to Taryn. Because I think Andarna was totally expecting it.

[Hannah]

She.

[Kinsey]

She was expecting to be connected to Violet, but maybe she was expecting Taryn to lose that ability. And Andarna is not the type to give answers. Violet needs to be the one to figure it out, or she does not deserve to know. So I was like, miss, Miss, Ma'am, why are you being quiet again?

[Carly]

Well, yeah, again. Right. The first time is when Papasaur and Gail's research gets brought up and Darna again goes quiet, suspiciously silent. And I'm like, what does she know? I. I am wondering if there is something in the research or that maybe should have been in the research, something that she somehow knew from the dad that, like, made her realize what is going on here. She understands something about the magic out here and the bonds and how it is different. And she is keeping that information to.

[Hannah]

Herself still, which I think means it's more than just that. The bonds were. They were not gonna be able to communicate. Like, it's definitely something bigger. And I'm super stoked to find out, because I was shocked by how little Indarna did know, or at least how much she lets on that she. How little she knows. Yes, but she knows something.

[Carly]

She is definitely holding on to some information, and I want to know what it is.

[Kinsey]

Very sneaky.

[Carly]

She's the sneakiest one. She is the sneakiest character for me, really. She's my little suspicious dragon. I mean, other than Jsinia. But we won't go into that today. I was about to say, nobody likes it when I say that. So we'll just say that Indarna is suspicious.

[Hannah]

Well, I would like to talk about our thoughts on Devarelli Zaden. I'll let you guys go first. You know, I'm gonna take over.

[Kinsey]

Well, I liked seeing him finally at peace. Not just because his venon urges went away, because now he's not, like, tempted to channel. There is no magic, so he can't channel. But he also loses his intrinsic ability. And I don't think people really realize that. Like, he's just bombarded by people's thoughts and intentions all day long, and now his mind is silent. Like, I can only imagine how peaceful that would suddenly be. But also, he no longer has the responsibility of, like, the marked ones, the rebellion.

[Hannah]

He's not a professor for all of, like, five minutes. But still.

[Kinsey]

But still. And he was just so sweet. He was so charming. For a big portion of this book, I did feel like he was out of character. But when he was on the Isle of Devarelli, I was like, this man. I was like, finally, like, zaden is acting like himself again. I miss him. I want more of him. That was me. Like, this was also one of my favorite versions of Zayden, which I know, Hannah, I'll let you get into that.

[Hannah]

But this was my favorite part of the who. I think I'd even text you guys that, like, for first thought was, like, I loved Devarelli Zaden. I also just wanted more of it. But I think it's. It's, like, such a contrast. We don't get to see, you know, that thing that Violet says of, you know, the. The man that I get to see is gone when she's around everyone else. But, like, she hasn't even gotten to see this part of him. I thought it was so sad when Violet started thinking, like, oh, this is who he could have been without all of the child, like, they're so young, and this happened to him so young. And it just makes me so sad that you finally get to see him kind of at ease to where he's being nice to Dane. That just their interaction and even Dane here. I just loved how he was taken off guard by it. But he was also still like, oh, I kind of like this. He wasn't teasing him. He wasn't making a bigger deal. It was just. It's such a mature conversation. Conversation. And I am in love with Temarelli Zaden. I just want a book on Temarelli Zaden.

[Carly]

I think that this version of Zaden, it's like, this is where I want to leave a character, not read about a character. So, like, this is, like, something for me to hope for for him at the end of book five, that he'll be at peace and he won't have all this weight on his shoulders. But it's not. I don't want to read two books of, like, shangharly Beach Zaden, like, Vacation Zaden is not what I want two more books of. So it's like. It's one of those things where I think a lot of time readers say, like, oh, can we just get rid of this and this and this? It's like, okay. But then you get rid of all the conflict, and then you get bored. So it's like, oftentimes people say they want things, but it turns out they don't really want to open.

[Hannah]

They get bored of anything. But I hear you, because you can't have, like, the highs without the lows, right? I know that sounds, like, so cliche, but that's what you're saying, right? Like, we wouldn't be able to appreciate this version of Zaden had the book just started with this.

[Carly]

There's no story without conflict. So this, for me, Rebecca makes sure that she covers that. So it's just for me, I liked seeing where we would leave him. But for me, two books of this.

[Hannah]

And that's what makes me a book five girly and not a book three girly.

[Carly]

We'll get there. We'll get there, Hannah.

[Hannah]

I'm also not trying to rush the end. I don't want it to be over. I'm, like, conflicted with my own wants and needs. We'll just let Rebecca handle it.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. I just felt sad for Violet, thinking, like, maybe I should accept Tokares offer. Like, maybe I should protect Takara and do my time, and then we can just chill out on the isles. And I was like, yeah, girl, maybe you should.

[Hannah]

I walked into Matthew. He read ahead, and I was like, violet is better than me. Because the first moment I saw this version of Zaden done, yes, I'll take the offer. And literally, the next page was her being like, should I take the offer? It's like, okay, no, we're still one of the same.

[Kinsey]

I mean, there's other forms of conflict. Like, we get more conflict than just Zaden's internal battles. So I'm like, he can be happy and everyone else can.

[Hannah]

That's what I've been screaming. I want. I want them to have, like, some level of peace at some point in a book. I don't think it's gonna happen where the conflict is outside the relationship.

[Carly]

I do understand that. But I do think part of what people loved in the first book, though, was their dynamic. And without a little bit of broodiness, without a little bit of secretive Zaden, a little bit of the world on.

[Hannah]

His shoulders, that's where it's like, I have to keep that, too. I'm really tasking Rebecca with the impossible here.

[Carly]

So, yeah, that's what I'm saying. What you want, Hannah, is the epilogue from book five.

[Hannah]

Yes. That's what you want. We'll get it for you, girl. Don't worry. Extended edition.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Kinsey]

You know, Well, I mean, for all we know, the Isles might not even be a possibility for Zaden at this point. Cause, like, now that he's Asam, would he die? Like, is he required to channel in order to stay alive? Like, Jack seemed to need to channel.

[Hannah]

So I think this was their chance. I think when he was an initiate, it was like, okay, there's still a level of him not having to channel to survive, but I think he's thrown that out the window. I don't think that's a possibility anymore. I feel like he's to the point where it's now vital, which calls into question what that means for a cure. I don't pretend to know at this point, but it could be anything.

[Carly]

We shall see.

[Kinsey]

It could be nothing at all.

[Hannah]

Could not exist. We're all assuming there is one.

[Carly]

I definitely think that there will be a path back, because I don't think the point of being Venon is that you are Venon. It's how you get there and the choices you make and how do you change and evolve as a person, I think is kind of the point of these. And I think that's what we're gonna get.

[Hannah]

So I hope that it's inspirational like that, like, whatever however this ends, I.

[Carly]

Feel confident that we're gonna get something that feels satisfactory of some path back to a Zaden. That feels like a good resolution for the character.

[Hannah]

He deserves it.

[Carly]

He does.

[Hannah]

Like, this sucks for him. And then he goes from this peaceful stuff to like the whole mom situation, which is just like, it just is downhill for him. And I think he just. I can't wait for. You know, Rebecca says she's. They've got to hit rock bottom to come up. And I can't wait for the come up. So.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, it'll come up in the next chapter. All right, so what are our thoughts on the people on the island being so afraid of the dragons and. And the riders?

[Carly]

I also found this interesting. There is this moment where they are. They're flying in and she notices that the. That the buildings. She says every single one of them has been built out of stone. And she makes Violet make several points about this in Iron Flame and in Onyx Storm about things that are built out of stone so they cannot burn, they can withstand dragon fire. And so clearly this place has been built to withstand dragons. They seem very afraid of them.

[Hannah]

I also thought it was really interesting and kind of suspicious that the buildings themselves are noted as standing independently. Like they don't connect to each other. Even the bookshop, which Violet had that thought, and I was like, okay, it's an odd thing to point out if it's not significant. And I'm wondering if it is also related to the lack of fire spreading. Like maybe they think that the building's not connect. Like it was in. What was the place that they just went? Samarra. Outside of Samarra, where she said that just the wildfire just spread to all the buildings that were connected. So I was wondering if it was related to that. And I think it could be. But also, not to mention the Crossbolts, when they're coming in, it's like, clearly this place was prepared in some capacity for dragons or to defend against dragons. But I really want to point out that the citizens were screaming repeatedly, like a million times, Firebringers at the group, which they could tell because some of them were wearing rider black. But I think it's especially notable that it shows that whatever dragons did that scared them were specifically bonded to riders, meaning not Irids. And it begs the question of what the dragons did and when. Because Nevarians supposedly haven't been allowed in Devarelli since unification. And we know that that was when the first Dragon Riders existed. And I'm assuming that it was. Whatever happened was passed down in lore to be afraid of these people in black.

[Kinsey]

I just found it weird that they seemed to also mistake the flyers for dragonriders, but they weren't in black. And Cat even goes and makes a point like, we're not all trying to burn you guys down. So I just thought it was weird. Especially because Tokarys visits Devarelli all the time. Tokarys has a mind gift. He then must be a flyer. So he is a flyer that goes to visit all the time. So they should know the difference in theory. Cause they're interacting with Tokarys. But maybe people like him are purposely, like, spreading misinformation just to keep the.

[Hannah]

Eye on the side kind of in his estate. And doesn't he wear like fancy frilly stuff all the time? Like he's a luxurious person, so maybe he's not wearing. That's true.

[Kinsey]

But like, he still spread like propaganda like, oh, these evil people show up in their leathers and blah, blah, blah. Because he's like, pyromial's the best. Not Nevarre, Screw Navarre. But here they're still mistaking the flyers too.

[Hannah]

Clearly dragons have attacked them. Right. But I just think it's so interesting that it's not just dragons in general. The insult Fire Bringers. It puts the responsibility of what happened on the people who brought the fire to that island. And you know, we have so much erased history. It would not surprise me if it was Nevarian dragons. Right? Like, instead of. I suppose the alternative would be Irids. And at this point we can likely narrow that out, at least from whatever the people are referencing, because they're not bonded to riders.

[Kinsey]

Maybe they don't know that there's a difference between the Irids and the. The regular Empyrean. And they just assume anybody who associates with dragons are bad because that dragons are bad, period. I don't know, it's just weird to me because, like, Tokaris could educate them because he's a flyer. Like, he's. He's interactive dragon riders. And yet here they're just pissed at the whole group.

[Carly]

Yeah, I just don't see that being one of his goals, though. I think for him, it benefits him, them not wanting outsiders in. Like, he has managed to get in there, he can go there, but he very much has become a person that can control access to Devarelli for the continent. And I think that benefits him a lot. And I don't think he would give that up.

[Hannah]

I also don't think this is recent I think this is like, long, long ago. Something happened and it was dragons with riders.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Hannah]

And then this is lore, so it's still kind of like that misinformation thing you were saying. But maybe it's not misinformation, though, if they're actually scared. I mean, for good reason. They're scared of dragons. And it goes in line with all the crossbolts and stuff. Like, they definitely attacked them.

[Kinsey]

What if it was wyvern that attacked them? They don't even know the difference.

[Carly]

Ooh, that's interesting.

[Hannah]

That is. They wouldn't know the difference technically, because, like, unless they'd recently seen dragons with four legs.

[Carly]

But it does seem like though, that the wyvern have disappeared for a long time. So the wyvern, it seems like, would have to be, like, somehow.

[Hannah]

Oh, that's true.

[Carly]

Sneakily getting around without them knowing. Or coming from a totally different location.

[Hannah]

But then again, I think this is a long ago thing, so, yeah, I don't think it's true as recent.

[Carly]

That's true. Maybe it's always been the wyvern they've been afraid of and they just don't know it.

[Kinsey]

Well, they'll know when it happens again.

[Hannah]

But you'd think they'd call them like, the wyvern are attached to humans that would have powers against them. Like, you'd think that the insult wouldn't be firebringers. It would be Earth destroyers or whatever it is that venu did there.

[Carly]

I do think it's likely dragons, but it is interesting that sometime between the end of their alliance and now that something was done that has made them so not just afraid, but prepared for them.

[Hannah]

Next topic. We are saving our discussion on the contents of Asher's research for the epigraph section two, but we have to talk about how interesting it is that Asher left his research in Devarelli for Violet to find a whole year before he died. So this would mean that all of his research that Violet has at this point and is given would have been written at least a full year before he died. Which is interesting to me because Violet has previously said that Asher got super cryptic in the six months before he died. And I always assumed it was from some sort of finding in the research that Violet would now have. Which could technically still be true of the research that she doesn't have. But it's more likely that he was paranoid about being assassinated. Which is a theory I've had for forever now by someone who found out about his research and or connections to.

[Carly]

The Isles this would have been the same year that Andarna hatched. Because Violet joined the writers quadrant a year after Asher died, making that two years after he delivered his research to Devarelli. And it also. One year after Mira graduated from the writers quadrant. It's going to.

[Hannah]

I'm just going to have you all tuck that knowledge into your back pocket for every time I tell you that I think something's going on with Mira.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Kinsey]

Yes.

[Hannah]

Agreed.

[Kinsey]

This whole scene set up Mira feeling gypped, building her character arc. Like Mira. Let's get into Mira here.

[Hannah]

Yeah.

[Carly]

I mean, Mira, to me, is like a classic build of a middle child character where the oldest is the favorite and the youngest is the protected. You know, Brennan is the mom's favorite. Violet was the dad's favorite, and Meera is the one that has just been raised to serve the parents purposes with those children. And so her character arc, I think, is gonna be very interesting as she starts to realize that, like, in some ways, her life was never her own. So I find her character arc very interesting, but it also makes sense.

[Hannah]

Yeah, I wanna talk about your point about her purpose. So we get this quote from Nerelle. While he was busy raising Violet for this particular mission, your mother was raising you. I wonder what legacy you've inherited. What was Lilith raising Mira for?

[Carly]

I mean, I think it was to protect Violet. We're going to expand on this in the epigraph analysis section, but I think it was definitely to protect Violet.

[Hannah]

Well, I feel like that was pretty successful, at least she manifested as a protection signet. So, like, maybe you're saying, like, it was instilled in her that she needed to protect Violet in various forms.

[Carly]

Well, I mean, think about both siblings. Like, Violet was prone to injury. Brennan's a mender, and Mira's a ward. And so, to some extent, I think they both feel responsible for her.

[Kinsey]

I love that.

[Hannah]

To some extent. Also orchestrated by or encouraged deeply by their parents.

[Carly]

Yeah. I'm guessing that there was some level of parentification of the siblings for Violet, unfortunately, but it has built this foundation around her of protection.

[Hannah]

I'm excited to get to the epigraph section now.

[Carly]

Yes.

[Kinsey]

But before we go there, it is time to head on over to the healer's quadrant to take a temperature check on our characters, our favorite moments and standout quotes. Who was hot for you this week? Hannah?

[Hannah]

Oh, come on. To no one's surprise, Devarelli Zayden. By far my favorite. I know that last episode I said that the Zaden jealousy thing over Halden Felt rushed and immature. And I still stand by that for that section. But I will clarify that I loved it in these chapters. It felt perfect.

[Carly]

Agreed.

[Hannah]

Very warranted.

[Kinsey]

Happy. Devarelly. Zaden was my fave. But I also loved Daddy Taryn.

[Hannah]

Oh, he carried so many quotes this section.

[Kinsey]

Oh, yeah.

[Carly]

For me, it was also Taryn, the way he was just always protecting them. There's just this little moment where she notices that Taryn is strategically placing himself equidistant to her and Darna and Sigeil to protect them. And I was just like, that was Taryn, all of these chapters. And I just. Yeah, I love Seville.

[Hannah]

We got so much of him parenting, specifically Andarna. But at moments, of course, being protective over Violet this last couple chapters. And I'm like, oh, my gosh, they stood out to me first read. But this read, because of what Andarna does and like, Taryn's reaction or how he doesn't really get a chance to have a reaction. It all hits so much harder.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Hannah]

Should we all say our not in unison?

[Carly]

Yes, sure.

[Hannah]

Three, two, one. Haldin.

[Kinsey]

Haldin.

[Carly]

We're really bad at that. That's okay.

[Hannah]

We'll practice.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, Fuck Halden. But for our favorite moments, we, of course, all had very similar favorites this week. But especially the mom that Neyrelle mistook Zaden for Dain.

[Hannah]

That is one of the best moments.

[Carly]

Of this whole book.

[Kinsey]

It was so good.

[Hannah]

Incredible.

[Carly]

I knew when my husband was reading those sections and he started cracking up laughing from the other room. I knew exactly. That's what he read. And then he yelled the quote out loud to me. And it's just.

[Hannah]

I love that Daniel Danos.

[Carly]

So good.

[Hannah]

Well, Rebecca knew what she was doing. She also said that this was her favorite moment, too. And alongside Riddick's. Good thing. I fuck like a third, which is nice. I understand why she's torn between the two. Yeah. As for my favorite, other favorite moments, this section of chapter is, I think, my favorite of the whole book, if not my second favorite. I'm leaving room for one more section, but I think this is it. But Zadean, Devarelli, Taryn, parenting and darn, I said that as well. And Zaden's shadows, using them to support Vae. Is she struggling and then him tricking Halden into clarifying that Zaden is in fact there as a duke and not professor Snaps for that.

[Carly]

Yeah, loved that.

[Kinsey]

I also loved Andarna and Taryn's banter just outside of Tekarys palace on Deverelli. Like, just Every interaction that the two of them had was amazing. Zaden being so nice to Dain and everyone just being shocked. Like, who is this man? And I do have another favorite moment, but I am saving that one for our Easter egg section.

[Hannah]

Ooh, I love the mystery.

[Carly]

I love how you sneak them in around the episode. So clever.

[Hannah]

We'll start with your favorite quote, Carly, since we covered your one favorite moment. Really quick there.

[Carly]

Pick your tail up off the ground right now. Where do you think we are? The veil? Yep.

[Kinsey]

And then I love that she threw a tantrum and he's like, I'm not gonna dignify that with a response.

[Carly]

Yeah, it's so good.

[Kinsey]

So good.

[Carly]

Yeah, I just. This moment, the way it just felt like my grandmother chastising me, it just. It just cracked me up.

[Hannah]

Yeah, he's a dad.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Hannah]

Great.

[Kinsey]

I also have a Taran quote. Well, I have many quotes, but one of my Taran quotes is clearly it was common sense that attracted you to the air, referring to Halden. And then, I know, Hannah, you also have this one, but so not a professor.

[Hannah]

From Zaden to Holden, which was so good.

[Kinsey]

So good. And then surprisingly, one of my favorite quotes this week was from Kat. She said, some of us just want to fuck with your feelings, not burn your house to the ground. And finally I have Zaden saying, good job, Ados. And then Dane said, was that a compliment? What the fuck is going on? Did you give him something?

[Hannah]

That whole interaction, it's so good.

[Carly]

I love how, like, if somebody would be capable of giving Zayden something, it would be Violet. So I loved that little add on.

[Kinsey]

To him, drag him to make him a happy, nice person to be around.

[Hannah]

Well, I mean, it's gotta be such a stark contrast from how little of, like, Violet's seen a glimpse behind closed doors of that. But this is just, like full on oppositional to everything they understand about him, which is so cool to see them get to see. And Mira being, like, shocked out of her mind in the back. It was so good. Okay, so you already covered my first one. All of them are Zayden. Every time I see that you guys also have one of my honorable mentions from another character, I'm like, I'll just take that one off. I'll just cover Zayden.

[Kinsey]

Sorry. I actually liked Zaden quote this week. Sorry.

[Hannah]

No worries. I also have it's only peace, Shayla. Then it's perfectly fine if you die first. Cordella. I'm exactly where I want to be. And then he winks at Violet. But finally we have. Arisha is the second most beautiful thing I've ever seen, and my home is the first.

[Kinsey]

And it's about Violet.

[Hannah]

Oh, is it? Okay, so I have to know. What was your final answer for what you thought my favorite would be this week?

[Kinsey]

I said mine was so not a professor.

[Carly]

I have the Orisha one.

[Hannah]

I covered you both.

[Carly]

Yeah, perfect.

[Hannah]

Well, I don't know what our count is, but we're still tied.

[Carly]

I think I'm technically down. Found one. But after I said the quote, you're like, I can't believe I didn't pick that one. I didn't know it was in the chapters, so.

[Hannah]

Because you knew me better than I knew me. So I feel like you deserve it.

[Carly]

I feel like it counts. Now, let's stop by the scribe quadrant for our epigraph analysis of the most thought provoking epigraphs. The chapter 21 epigraph reads, Tyrandor was the last to cut contact with the Isles. The province has a reputation for its cunning leadership, but in this case, I would add astute. Subjugated the Second Uprising of the Crowblin People by Lieutenant Colonel Asher Sorrengel.

[Kinsey]

This epigraph is interesting because we know from Violet in chapter 20 that they maintained a relationship up until the last century. The wording suggests that Tyrandor's decision to cut contact last was not an act of desperation or manipulation, but rather was a strategic move, since Tyrandor was still in contact with the Isles after the rest of Navarre wasn't. It shows us that Tyrandor likely always wanted to secede by operating independently. It also shows that Tirindor wasn't cut off from outside information. So they likely also always knew that the Venon existed, despite Navarre trying to erase Venon from their history.

[Hannah]

I also want to note that Neyrelle knew who Fen Ryerson was in the conversation in the bookshop. Now, Neyrelle says that she's 93, which is nearly a century old. And we know that Tirndor stayed in contact with Devarelli up until the last century, as the records read. So it wouldn't surprise me if Neyrelle or her family were a point of contact for that. And I think it would also make sense if Fen had reopened that communication with Devarelli in the last few years before he died, potentially to support the rebellion, or possibly with Neyrelle, if she had been a previous point of contact for the Ryersons. She slid in her age. And I don't think that's an accident.

[Kinsey]

The chapter 22 epigraph reads, it was whispered in academic circles that Cordan had supplied troops and weaponry for the second Crovlin uprising. But the research has led me across the Ark Tile Ocean to Devarelli, known to our kingdom as the Treacherous Isle of Merchants, who, to my surprise, may not have been the source of the arms, but perhaps the broker. The Second Uprising of the Crovlin People by lieutenant Colonel Asher Sorengel.

[Hannah]

So this epigraph tells us that someone was supplying the Crovlin rebels with troops and weapons, and the scribes thought that that was Cordan. But Asher found that that was not the case. And while he was correct that Devarelli was involved, he found that Devarelli only assisted the Crowlyn rebels in making a deal with another Isle, who were actually the ones supplying the troops and weapons. Now, we can infer that this other Isle was Unbriel, because they make a similar offer for dragon eggs later in the book. But as the Queen of Unbriel said, all of the Isles want dragons. So really, it could be any. But all of this brings us to our next epigraph.

[Carly]

The chapter 23 epigraph reads, the uprising suddenly failed overnight on December 13, 433 AU in what has been called the Midnight Massacre, the foreign troops disappeared and the rebels were killed in their beds by promish forces. It is not their disappearance that strikes the scholar as particularly vicious, but their obvious betrayal. There is a saying in Devarelli, the word is the blood. When they make a trade, broker a deal, it is considered law. I cannot help but wonder what part of the deal the Crovlin rebels did not uphold. Subjugated the second Uprising of the Crovlin People by lieutenant Colonel Asher Sorrengale.

[Hannah]

So, to explain this epigraph, we are going to walk through what happened in the second Crovlin uprising. So the Crovlin rebels needed support with their rebellion. So they made a deal through the Isle Devarelli to exchange troops and weapons for dragons, specifically Feathertails. The Crovlin rebels attempted to breach the Nevarian border in Athpen to steal the Feathertails, but were captured and interrogated, which was detailed in a journal of the commander of the Athbin outpost and is how Violet figured out what the Crovlin rebels bartered in exchange for. But they failed to provide the dragons. So rather than risk their reputation, Devarelli withdrew their brokerage, removing the troops, and told the Promish King regent where to find the Crovlin rebels. And he had them murdered two days after the border Breach in what is referred to as the Midnight Massacre. Hence this epigraph. So Asher speaks of betrayal in this epigraph and alludes to the mystery of what the Crovlin rebels promised and did not uphold, hence the betrayal. But this is what he meant by how he wrote his research for others to read, for Violet to understand. He gave her the pieces to put it together, but he never specifically wrote out what he suspected was the Crovlin rebels dealing in dragons. This is the connection between Papa Sorgill's research and the second Crovlin uprising that we were getting Easter eggs on. Easter eggs for in the first two books. Which brings us to what Dane said when Violet told him all of this. One does not just deal in dragons, let alone take babies to Isles that don't have magic. Not when you risk the wrath of the Empyrean.

[Kinsey]

Which was definitely foreshadowing the stolen eggs at the end of Onyx Storm.

[Hannah]

Absolutely. I think this whole epigraph is the whole thing. And Violet replied to him, oh, wait until you realize that your dad knows. My dad's book had something to do with Feather Tales. Which means dad knew to stop trusting him at some point. Now, Kinsey has pointed out that this line from Norell, please forgive my grandchildren. They took our task of protecting the books from any writers who aren't you a little too seriously. Makes her think that Asher was worried that other writers would come for his research. And that, combined with how Violet brought him up here in this moment, screams to me Dain's dad. I think that Asher didn't want A TOS to find out that Feathertails are baby dragons because of their gifts and the power that it would give him in negotiating with the Isles for evil things. That's a lot of information, but there you go. I also want to point out that December 13th is Taylor Swift's birthday. And I know that Rebecca did that on purpose, because I would also do that if I wrote a book and had a date in there.

[Carly]

You definitely would. For the sake of keeping all of our second Crowblin Uprising Deep dive together, I do want to point out that this event led to the dragons taking over control of the Nevarian forces. Back in Iron Flame, during the Vault heist, Violet said, quote, healers, infantry, or even scribes could be the general of the armies. Until about 200 years ago with the second crovolant uprising. After that, the commander of the riders commanded all Nevarr's forces. And this all confirmed my pre Onyx Storm theory that the Dragons took over to protect the feathertails.

[Hannah]

You nailed those theories. You did. You did such a good job. Honestly, when I went and looked back.

[Carly]

I was like, no, I can. I. I've connected these points before. And I went and looked back. It was July of last year because people were questioning whether I did it before or after Onyx Storm. And I went and found the reel, and it was July of last year, before Onyx Storm was out.

[Kinsey]

I was like, oh, such a good feeling.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Hannah]

How satisfying was that?

[Carly]

It felt great. It felt great. I think there is something about being autistic, though. I get obsessed with finding points and finding weird ways to connect them, and I hyper fixate on it. I can't help myself.

[Hannah]

It worked. It wasn't weird. Yeah, I'm not complaining.

[Kinsey]

You go, girl. All right. The Chapter 24 epigraph reads, she won't understand why you've kept her in the dark. You left too soon. Left too many of your plans unfinished. Now we can only hope the bond between our daughters is strong enough to endure the paths they've chosen. They'll need each other to survive. Recovered unsent correspondence of General Lilith Sorrengale.

[Carly]

This is the second epigraph we get of unsent correspondence from Lilith in Onyx Storm, and notably, it does not specify who she is writing to. Which is interesting, because Asher's unsent correspondence does specify it was to Violet. Since it refers to our daughters, we can assume it was to Asher. Unless you are of the theory that Asher is not their dad. But Rebecca has debunked this theory in interviews.

[Hannah]

She has.

[Carly]

It's worth asking why Elsa's information would be obscured by Rebecca Yarros or Jesenia. It may be an attempt to obscure the timeline of this correspondence by leaving off his name. You do not get his title. Which could help place when this correspondence happened.

[Hannah]

Oh, my gosh. I didn't think about it like that. Yeah. And that is why we do these epigraphanels.

[Carly]

That's why I hyperfixate. This epigraph as a whole is speaking to some unclear path that Violet and Meera seem to be on that is likely tied to this obscure plan Asher had. And presumably this was written after his death because Lilith is saying, quote, you left too soon. And because we don't know exactly when this correspondence was sent, we can't be sure whether it was before or after Lilith decided Violet would enter the writer's quadrant. But I do think this epigraph is hinting at these obscure paths that Violet and Meera are on that seem to be referenced by Neyrelle, their grandmother, and set by the priestess and Umbriel. While Asher clearly specified that the research was solely for Violet to aid her in uncovering the answers to the Venin, the Feathertails and the lost history, which seems to be the path he was pushing her towards. We get context clues that Asher did not expect Violet to become a writer, so I'm not sure how that would have affected his plans. But it begs the question of why Lilith would possibly derail this elusive plan and whether Lilith intentionally or unintentionally pushed Violet towards this other potential path. As for Meera, we briefly discussed this line from Nero to Meera in the discussion section. While he was busy raising Violet for this particular mission, your mother was raising you. I wonder what legacy you've inherited. If we think back to fourth wing, Violet describes Myrrah as a warrior. And it seems that Lilith was raising Myrrha to protect Violet as Lilith's replacement. But if there were concerns, one of Violet's past was that she would turn Venon, perhaps Lilith's true intentions were that Myrra could stop Violet if needed. This idea of different paths seems to be a running theme in this book. Violet mentions it several times. Let us follow every possible path. However, it's important to remember that the path is always determined by the goal. For Violet, the path to get there may change, but the goal never does. So the path is really inconsequential to the goal. We see this when Violet is determined to get the flyer, stay in the quadrant. When she is left with one final option to commit treason, the goal doesn't change, only her path of getting there does.

[Hannah]

Our determined girl, notably when deciding to.

[Carly]

Commit treason, Violet thinks to herself, quote, guess the path chooses itself. Which all seems to be foreshadowing for these paths that Violet, Mira and Zaden all seem to be on. So in order to actually change their paths, they would have to change their goals. And I don't think either of them are willing to change their goals.

[Hannah]

I was going to say that this epigraph feels like foreshadowing that Mira and Violet Sponge will not be strong enough. I didn't realize that Violet herself had mentioned paths so much.

[Carly]

She says it several times. When I started looking up paths in Onyx Storm, I was like, oof, this is a very big theme of these books. And then I hyper fixated and my epigraph analysis grew. So hope you're still here.

[Hannah]

I love the idea that Lilith was scared that one of Those paths was her turning, Venon. We know that that's true. And that she was training Mira to be able to counteract. Are you thinking because of her wards or killing her or what?

[Carly]

Were you just making sure there was someone strong enough to stop her? So.

[Hannah]

Oh, shit.

[Carly]

Yeah. It makes me wonder. Asher had these plans. Lilith seems to be trying to derail it by pushing her into the writer's quadrant, almost. So I. I have to wonder what she knew, what she was trying to change.

[Kinsey]

It makes me wonder, too, like, if the path chooses itself. Like, do they really have control of the situation? And how will this affect Auric's precognition signet? Because it's like nothing will be able to be changed. Like it's. They're along for the ride. It's fate, I guess.

[Hannah]

I think we're told the opposite. Because if it was fate, then Violet wouldn't have been able to choose. Like, when Asher took her to get dedicated, they couldn't do it because she had not chosen a path. So clearly, if it was fate, that would have already been determined for her. But it's not. And so what I would imagine for Auric is that he can see things and see the outcomes, but can also make decisions to change it.

[Kinsey]

But in the end, it wasn't Violet turning. It was like her heart. And that was a metaphor for Zaden. So no matter what, she wasn't going to turn.

[Hannah]

I think that this is. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the information about her turning from an Oracle?

[Kinsey]

I believe so.

[Hannah]

And that's why he wanted to take her, to get dedicated. But the person that tells her that she can't get dedicated, we're assuming, is the priestess, and that's what her grandmother and Mira are referencing. And the priestess in Unbriel goes on to say she couldn't be dedicated because she hadn't had her paths decided. Those are two different things, right?

[Carly]

The dad takes her in an effort to, quote, unquote, fix her, which was really upsetting to Violet. And so. And during the process, you know, she's touched, whatever that means. We're not even really clear on that yet. That's when they realize her paths are uncertain. And that's why she could not be fully dedicated.

[Hannah]

But then it's the Oracle later that gives some insight into what she thinks that that path means. Which is that she could turn venom. But those are two different things. So if we're thinking about fate, the Oracle was still correct. It was just the wrong person. But if we're thinking about fate. The priestess couldn't dedicate Violet because she didn't have a predetermined fate.

[Carly]

It makes you wonder, though, if by getting to the goal, it doesn't really matter what path you choose, because you're still going to end up in the same situation for yourself. Like, your fate will be the same regardless of whether or not you meet that goal. Because Violet's goals are really outside of herself, right? They're not goals for her, they're goals for the people of Navarre. And so it makes you wonder whether or not the path really matters. Because if in the end, by getting to the goal, your fate will still be the same. But it is a major theme of this book is about, you know, what path are you on and what's your goal and what what are you willing to do to achieve your goal? If you're willing to do anything, then like Violet says, the path chooses itself.

[Hannah]

It's a brain twister. Yeah, it's giving me a headache. Great insight there, though. Hey prime members, are you tired of ads interfering with your favorite podcasts? Good news. With Amazon Music, you have access to the largest catalog of ad free top podcasts included with your prime membership. To start listening, download the Amazon Music app for free or go to Amazon.com ADFreePodcasts that's Amazon.com ADFreeP Podcasts to catch up on the latest episodes without the ads. Now take flight with us over to the hatching grounds for our Easter eggs and moments of foreshadowing, including moments that stood out during this reread and may or may not spiral into theories. First up for chapter 21, we get an Easter egg that the IRID's original hatching grounds are in a hot climate, and Dharna calls the island hot weather, superior as she would. And we know that their hatching grounds location determines the weather that is more comfortable for the dragons. At first I assumed that this meant the isles, but Carly pointed out that Riddick calls the Barrens hot back in Iron Flame. And this Easter egg does support her previous theory that the IRID's original hatching grounds were in the Barrens.

[Carly]

And also more suspicion around Riddick. Why? Does he know what it's like in the Barrens? But I'll leave that there.

[Kinsey]

Oh shit.

[Carly]

I didn't think about oh God. We also get a little bit of notable info regarding the Blue Dragons. The hatching grounds of the Blues used to be near here before the Great War, and they are referring to Cordon in Poor Emile. So it's interesting that their hatching grounds are in Poel's territory originally. And I have some theories around the hatching grounds, but we won't be getting into that today.

[Kinsey]

We see Zaden being super defensive over Sigail when speaking with Takarys. They come for our dragons and it's not the aristocrat they'll be dealing with. Zaden's voice drops to that lethal calm that's a touch more terrifying than a shout. I think that this foreshadows the lethal calm that consumes him as he wipes out the Venon and Wyvern surrounding Dreyfus after Berwyn had attempted to kill Sigeil. He wasn't an aristocrat in that moment. He was an avenging rider and a wrathful Venon.

[Carly]

Love it.

[Hannah]

That's the only time I'll do that for Vennon. All right. So as we know, Tokha is deeply politically tied to poor Emile as the next in line to the throne. But we find out just how strong of connections he has to Devarelli, both in having a personal estate there, but also embodying the Deverelli culture that is described as valuing rare items, shrewd trades and luxury. Which is literally Tokharys.

[Kinsey]

Mm.

[Hannah]

Why that is so suspicious. That is not just like a vacation spot for him. Like, he takes on their culture. There's something going on there. All the more. I'm not done with Tokaris. But it is a separate point. Tokaris had just asked Violet and Zaden if they were prepared to lose their abilities when they crossed the ocean. And he says to Violet, it will be fascinating to see if your powers re emerge once on land.

[Kinsey]

Hmm.

[Hannah]

Which is a fucking suspicious thing to say, because how did he know? Like, why did he even have an inkling that Violet would still have her abilities to some capacity? Because he was right and that was foreshadowing.

[Carly]

Yeah. Tokarys is such an interesting character to me. I could go on and on about him. I keep saying I'm going to do a character study episode of dragon readers for him, and I really need to get on that.

[Hannah]

That is probably the biggest red flag of all of his to me.

[Carly]

Ugh. I have so many on the list.

[Kinsey]

I don't trust that man. Not one bit.

[Hannah]

Hence the paragraphs I see about him on your.

[Kinsey]

Note on Takaris. So, before leaving for Deverelli, Tokaris warns Violet, quote a word to the wise. I may collect rarities, but King Cortland absconds them. Do not wander off from each other. Do not advertise what a rare jewel you are, and at all costs, do not make a deal you cannot keep. We do see the repercussions of making a deal you cannot keep with the Second Croblin Uprising. And this also foreshadows Quest Squad's own plan going horribly wrong when Halden not only separates himself from their group, but he also tries to make a deal with an object that does not belong to him and suffers the consequences. I think this quote could also possibly foreshadow Violet being held hostage for her power. Tokares does know what kind of a rare jewel Violet is, and King Cortland might assume that Rider magic does work in Deverelli once Zaden channels via conduit. So that entire quote is a little suspect to me.

[Carly]

It makes me wonder if Asher made a deal he couldn't keep with Daca, and if we're gonna find that out.

[Hannah]

Later and that's how he was assassinated.

[Carly]

Maybe. Cause history repeats itself, right?

[Hannah]

Dude, Violet would go to war with poor Emile.

[Kinsey]

Oh, that's.

[Carly]

What I'm saying is, I feel like whatever happened with the dad, we're just gonna find out that it's going to create conflict for Violet with the people she trusts.

[Kinsey]

And she's becoming friends with Cat, and now she's gonna be like, I'm gonna kill your uncle.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Hannah]

I just want to say that this is turning into a who's Venon Kind of theorizing, like, who killed Asher Sorrengale? Because we have theorized how many people.

[Carly]

At this, I don't know, like, down.

[Hannah]

To the dragons possibly killing him. And now we're saying, d'qar.

[Carly]

I'll get a cork bird with some red string. We can just update it every week, every episode.

[Hannah]

Deal. At this point, we should have multiple of those.

[Kinsey]

Oh, my word.

[Hannah]

So in chapter 22, Mira gives a lilac colored quartz with a circular protection rune to Violet to shield from sunlight. Now, I went on a bit of a rabbit hole, which is probably an understatement, but I will be saving most of it for our Gemstones bonus episode. But I will share my most proud find, as it was a study on how lilac quartz, which is also known as amethyst, is more effective at protecting against gamma rays than concrete is. That's a big deal. I'm not a big sciencey person. That's a big deal. And I just think it's really cool that Rebecca chose this specific gemstone for the sunlight protection rune as it sets the stage for gemstones having a deeper significance in the series, which I am pretty feral for. I am so excited about it. But also, we know from Iron Flame that Violet's pure power. I've been building this for so long now that Violet's pure power, pure energy signet, is related to energy fields. And gamma rays are a form of electromagnetic energy, which somehow, some way is connected. Don't ask me, but I did look it up. I just think that it will come into fruition that there are runed gemstones that can and will limit Violet's power. And I have one Easter egg. I'm dying theory, I guess, is more I'm dying to share. But I will zip it and hold it. Hold it in. So that was the first thing I know. I'm, like, so excited. This was the condensed version. Okay, so then we also get what seems to be foreshadowing that runed gemstones are being used by others in Lands Without Magic. When Violet was talking with Mira about testing the ruined gemstones to see if they would work on the isles, she thinks, quote, having some or any form of power out here would put us on a more familiar footing. But it opens the door to a kind of trade I'm not sure any of us wants to contemplate. That line stopped me in my tracks. Violet seems to think that if her gemstone works to keep her from getting sunburned, which it does, that this means the door is open for others in the aisles, knowing that they work and using runed gemstones for any number of things. While the loss of magic has already evened the playing field for magicless humans versus riders, if the island natives are practiced and versed in runes, they now hold the upper hand. And this is further supported by Zaden's comment that gemstones seem to speak in every language, demonstrating that they hold high value in the isles and that this could be the reason.

[Carly]

Love it.

[Hannah]

I'm so proud of this.

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I know.

[Carly]

It's great. I can't wait till we do our actual whole gemstones extravaganza.

[Hannah]

I want it to be really straightforward for you guys, and right now I'm just rabbit holing, so give me time. It's gonna be great.

[Kinsey]

All right. And for chapter 23, Violet has a wonderful idea. She thinks what we really need is a freaking communication rune for the others, if such a thing exists. I am 100% convinced that this is foreshadowing her need to actually create one of those runes so she can communicate with and find Xaden. I still think that they'll primarily communicate via her dreams. But it would be cool if they somehow managed to create their own version of cell phones by creating runes. So I think that'd be cool.

[Hannah]

That's so cool.

[Kinsey]

And maybe they'll have to use a different special gemstone to do it.

[Hannah]

I'll find one that would make the most sense.

[Carly]

Yeah. All right.

[Kinsey]

And I've been holding this one in since our favorite moments. So when they are riding their horses past the merchants, Violet stares at a bolt of shimmering black silk, so diaphanous it's almost silver. And Zaden must have noticed at this moment because he ended up ordering Violet a nightgown made of that material. And he made Dane translate under the pretense of asking for directions. We love a king or a duke that pays attention to what a girl wants. But can we please give a moment to acknowledge that he made her childhood.

[Hannah]

Best friend and wannabe lover. Yeah.

[Kinsey]

Order lingerie for her?

[Carly]

I just.

[Hannah]

That man is crazy. I already love this moment because of him getting the lingerie, but the fact.

[Kinsey]

That that Dane was there and ordering it.

[Carly]

Kinsey, you are a queen for connecting these two things. And that realizing that he would have needed Dane to translate, like him getting Dane to put in the lingerie order is just fantastic. It killed me.

[Hannah]

I was gagged.

[Carly]

So good.

[Kinsey]

I was like, I can't wait.

[Hannah]

Try and move on from that one.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. This one is not as exciting. So in chapter four, Neyrelle reveals that their group of people are amoralis, named after the continent which is named after Amari, the queen of the gods. So we know that the continent isn't just the continent, it's Amarylis.

[Hannah]

It's really cool to think about how she didn't have an island, so she has the biggest of them all.

[Carly]

That we know of.

[Hannah]

That we know of. So we also get. This is our final Easter egg. We get a delicious callback to 4th Wing and Iron Flame when Nero mistakes Zaden for Dain. And Dain, after asks Violet how she wants this to go, Zaden responds, just like it's gone for the last 18 months, losing any and all trace of the niceties he's shown Dane an hour ago. Everyone assumes she'll wind up with you, but it's my last name she ends up wearing on her flight jacket in formation, which happens in both books. So I love that Rebecca has continued this reference.

[Kinsey]

And then Dane's response was like, we don't have names on flight jackets.

[Carly]

Oh, so funny.

[Kinsey]

I like that. Hannah, you wrote, whoop, whoop, whoop.

[Hannah]

Bucky, go. Yeah. It's so good.

[Carly]

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

[Kinsey]

So unlike the other isles, Devarelli doesn't worship any one God. But at the beginning of Chapter 22, Violet says, given this is an isle dedicated to peace, they're certainly prepared for war. I found it interesting that Violet used the word dedicated here. Dedicated to peace. And I wonder if there's either a God of peace that we don't know about yet, or if they happen to worship a certain breed of dragons that are also dedicated to peace. And we know that Deverelli does not appreciate broken deals. So I wonder if the Irids somehow offended them in some way that caused Deverelli to not only swear off the gods, but also build those dragon killing crossbolts.

[Hannah]

Did you happen to check and see if, when the Irids are mentioned as being peaceful, Rebecca also used the words dedicated to peace for them?

[Kinsey]

You know, I didn't, but I think they said.

[Hannah]

I want to check on that.

[Kinsey]

I think they said they abhor, like, violence and that they're, like, dedicated to peace. And then Andarna's like, you preach about peace, but you don't know any cause.

[Hannah]

I think it would just, like, confirm this theory if they use the word dedicated to peace as well.

[Kinsey]

That'd be wild. I can check right now. So the Irids are not dedicated for peace, but they said specifically our breed is born for peace, not violence, like others.

[Hannah]

So still could. Could tie into them being dedicated to the Irids.

[Kinsey]

Like, they are the peaceful race, they are the peace gods, and they have the peace magic. And so they're like, we're all dedicated ourselves to.

[Carly]

I do love the focus on word choice there, Kinsey. I do think it's important.

[Kinsey]

Thanks. I try my best. I'm not as cool as you, Kylie, but I try.

[Carly]

Sometimes I just love it when authors are very careful about those word selections there, so that you can thread that needle. And it just makes it so much more fun.

[Hannah]

It's fun. It's like a puzzle.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Hannah]

Which is what we could say about this whole podcast and this whole series.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, for sure.

[Hannah]

Now, I have an ongoing theory that the no name tag mentions, which you just brought up just a moment ago throughout the series, are actually foreshadowing that someone specifically Bode will be captured or killed by someone who assumes that he is Zaden. And the fact that we get yet another reference here with no payoff. Reiterates that for me, when thinking of her uniform, Violet thinks, there's no name tag, no patches, nothing beyond my hair to give away who I might be if I fall behind enemy lines. Only two four pointed stars indicating my rank as a second year cadet. Bodhi is consistently described as looking just like Zaden and they don't wear anything that could indicate to an enemy that doesn't know any better who they are, but also who they are not. To further emphasize this, in this same scene, Tokarys calls Zayan out for not wearing a patch that demonstrates his nobility. Meaning if someone were to capture Bodhi thinking it was Zayden, all they would have to go on is his description and he looks just like him. Especially now that Zaden's enemies are everyone. The chances are at an all time high that this theory is in fact correct. At the very least though, I think that Bodhi will be used as a Zaden stand in of some sort at some point.

[Carly]

RIP Bode.

[Hannah]

Sorry, there's nothing of that. None of this theory ends well for him.

[Carly]

I think this theory so nicely explains why Bode is always described as looking like him so much. A lot of people want to explain it as them being brothers, but that just never made sense. Given who his mom is and whose hidden status, it would be weird. So I love this theory. I think it makes a lot of these callbacks to how he looks so much like Xaden make a lot of sense.

[Hannah]

Thank you. I'm very proud of it.

[Kinsey]

All right, and last theory. So we know that the Venin drain color as they channel magic from the source. When we arrive at the mostly magicless muted color isles, I thought of something else. If magic is the only reason that something has color and we have different colored dragons, then Irides must have more magic than all of the other dragons because they possess all of the colors. If Carly's theory is right, that the Irid's original hatching grounds is in the Barrens, which are now colorless and drained, and the Irids are now in the isles, which are muted in color and also don't have magic, then maybe the Irids are actually the source of this and the dragons are just as guilty as Venin when it comes to stealing from the source and they are upsetting the balance by taking on all of the colors. So I just think it's really. I don't think they're like evil like the Venin, but I'm like, there's got to be a reason that they have every single color and they. They can disguise themselves in any landscape, but the magic seems to be tied to the color. And we know that the Irids have magic in the Isles, even though there is no color. I just think that's weird.

[Carly]

So do you think that they kind of just like, have gone to each aisle and drained it and moved on? And moved on and moved on.

[Hannah]

Maybe that's my working. That's what I've assumed.

[Kinsey]

Maybe that's why they couldn't find them.

[Carly]

That's interesting.

[Hannah]

So you're saying instead of it being the Vennon that did this, you think it's the Irides that did this?

[Kinsey]

It could be a combination of both. I don't know. I don't know. I'm just like. Cause we all think that it was the Vennon. Like, that's like our working theory of, like, why the isles are this way. But, like, when we finally get to the isles and it's muted in color, and then we're like, oh, the Irids hatching grounds might be the Barrens. I'm like, that's kind of weird that there is this connection dealing with color. These places don't have magic anymore, and yet the Irides have all the color. So it's almost like they're like, taking it to use that magic. And they're like the only dragons that still have their magic in this area that doesn't have magic.

[Hannah]

I don't think that magic is the only source of color. I think it just is a matter of when you drain too much magic, you kill something. So it's actually not the lack of magic, it's the lack of life.

[Kinsey]

If something dies naturally, though, you don't, like, lose your color.

[Carly]

Yeah. It is interesting, though, how you're saying that the Iras are essentially every color and places are drained of color. And maybe those two things are connected that somehow by taking these different maybe types of magic that create maybe these different colors, that that's fueling what they are and that they're doing this. It's very interesting. I would have never connected that.

[Kinsey]

It could be why the dragons are fighting the venom. That goes back to our earlier conversation of why do they need this magic? Maybe that's one of the reasons.

[Carly]

I mean, there are interesting parallels between the Irids and the Venon, too. The Irids, they can chameleon themselves and make themselves look like anything Upper level Venon have the ability to blend in with any of the humans and make themselves not look like Venin could potentially.

[Kinsey]

Have fire that can kill Venon.

[Hannah]

Yeah, I do think that's the case. I feel like there'd be no reason to mention it if not. Unless Rebecca changed her mind at the end of Iron Flame and was like, oh, I don't want Andarna to be able to kill them. That's too like. But that doesn't limit her enough. Like it'd be too easy. So she's like, let me put a limit on that. That was a one time thing, guys. Yeah, who knows?

[Carly]

I think there's gonna be something to it.

[Kinsey]

All right, and that wraps up our Deep Dive episode of Onyx Storm chapters 21 to 24. Thank you so much for listening. Before we go, we want to give a special shout out to our newest Feathertail Patreon members Kelly J. And Jolene D. Thank you all for supporting this podcast and helping us to continue creating high quality content. If you'd like to hear your name in a future episode, you can join our Feather Tales Tier 3 and we'll make sure to shout you out in our next recorded episode as a Feathertail.

[Hannah]

You'll also get exclusive ad free full video episodes with the option of audio only, early access to our regular season episodes and PDF resources including Card Charlie's weekly Onyx Storm annotations, discounts for merch plus more. If you'd like to join but would prefer to keep your name private, just let us know. You can check out our Patreon linked in the show notes to see all perks across all three tiers. We also have a base tier for general support donations. Please note though, that Apple now charges a 30% fee for Patreon members on iOS devices, so we highly recommend using a web browser or desktop to become a member so you aren't charged that fee. And if Patreon isn't for you, there's still plenty of ways to support us. Leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify subscribing, recommending us to your fellow empyrean readers and simply tuning in to each episode goes so so far.

[Carly]

Thank you again for listening. Don't forget to join us for the next episode where we deep dive chapters 25 through 28. If you haven't already, check out our first season chapter by chapter's deep dive on fourth wing through the Lens of Iron Flame. There are over 30 hours of binge worthy content to explore where we pick up all of the things that iron flame changed about 4 swing, including all the times Aiden used his int abilities.

[Kinsey]

As always, we encourage you to email us all of your thoughts, theories and suggestions. Feel free to DM us on Instagram or join us over on our free Discord Group chat. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review. It would mean the world to us.

[Hannah]

Until next time, Dearest fantasy readers, prepare yourselves to rescue a hot headed prince from the consequences of his own actions as we continue our journey through the impure Yay. Y'all like that one?

[Kinsey]

Yeah. Hi, I'm Kristen Bell. Carvana makes car buying easy.

[Carly]

Isn't that right hun?

[Kinsey]

Dax. Dax, Sorry. Did you know about this? Seven day money back guarantee. A week to evaluate seat comfiness, you say a week of terrain tests? Yeah, I can test the brake pad resistance at variable speeds. Make sure all the kids stuff fits nicely. Make sure our stuff fits nicely. Oh the right. Still need to buy the car. Getting ahead of ourselves here. Buy your car with Carvana today.

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