Answering Your Onyx Storm Questions Live!

Summary

Fantasy Fangirls Podcast Summary: "Answering Your Onyx Storm Questions Live!"

Release Date: January 28, 2025

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Introduction

In the latest episode of Fantasy Fangirls, hosts Nicole and Lexi engage with nearly 2,000 listeners in a live Q&A session dedicated to Sarah J. Maas's Onyx Storm, the third installment in the A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series. The sisters delve deep into plot theories, character developments, and the intricate lore of the beloved fantasy world, providing fans with insightful analyses and speculative discussions.

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Live Q&A Session

Spoiler Alerts and Content Warnings

Nicole and Lexi begin by issuing strong spoiler warnings, reminding listeners that the episode contains detailed discussions of the entire ACOTAR series' plot points, including the final marriage of Violet and Xaden. They emphasize the mature themes of the book, cautioning younger audiences about explicit content and language used during the discussion.

Key Plot Theories and Character Insights

1. Future Book Predictions

   • Dual POVs in Upcoming Books:

     • Lexi (05:52): "Yes, yes, I agree."
     • Nicole (05:54): Speculates that future books might feature additional POVs from characters like Zaden, though not starting with him.

   • Dane's Potential Second Signet:

     • Lexi (13:10) and Nicole (14:07) debate whether Dane might possess a second signet, suggesting his father could have concealed it from leadership to aid his missions.
     • Nicole (14:18): "I have never heard that one before."

2. Character Bonds and Relationships

   • Taryn and Segal's Bond:

     • Lexi (08:17): "I think it's more likely that she broke the bond with him and that it automatically causes Taryn hurt as well because like they feel it within each other."

   • Bodhi's Alleged Crush on Violet:

     • Nicole (47:05) explores the possibility of Bodhi harboring feelings for Violet, though Lexi counters this, suggesting his actions stem more from jealousy and a desire to emulate Xaden.

3. Magic Systems and Signets

   • Daddy Atos as a Dragon Rider:

     • Nicole (08:43) questions if Daddy Atos is confirmed as a dragon rider, to which Lexi responds with her theories, leaning towards him wielding a mind signet rather than an elemental one.

   • Violet's Dreamwalking Signet:

     • Lexi (16:14) discusses the potential of Violet using her signet for manipulation, emphasizing its strategic applications in future confrontations.
     • Nicole (81:36): "I really do think that there is more to it than... there's also so much else to explore."

4. Threats and Character Fates

   • Riddick's Safety:

     • Lexi (51:59) expresses concern over Riddick's fate in the next book, while Nicole (53:27) reveals that Rebecca Yarros has assured listeners that Riddick is safe, alleviating some fears.

   • Theophany's Demise:

     • Nicole (56:57) confidently predicts Theophany's death, drawing parallels to Voldemort's end in the Harry Potter series.

5. Lore and World-Building

   • Dragon Eggs and Den Locations:

     • Lexi (42:45) and Nicole (43:12) discuss the significance of the six missing dragon eggs, theorizing their origins from different dens and the implications for future alliances.

   • Signet Functions and Limitations:

     • Lexi (71:15) outlines known second signets among characters like Garrick, Violet, Zaden, Liam, and Imogen, pondering the uniqueness and limitations of these magical abilities.

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Notable Quotes

• Nicole (02:20): "If you don't know that Violet and Xaden are married and I'm freaking out about it still, then yes, sorry, you did that to yourself."

• Lexi (10:35): "It must have been through the sixth dragon den since they're from different dens."

• Nicole (81:36): "Imagine if Violet uses her dreamwalking signet to manipulate her enemies. That would be so powerful."

• Lexi (16:14): "Yes, absolutely, I do. 100%."

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Conclusion and Future Segments

As the episode wraps up, Nicole and Lexi promote upcoming events, including their February live Q&A on Onyx Storm, scheduled for February 8th, and tease future deep dives into the series' lore. They also announce upcoming interviews with authors like Penn Cole, who will discuss her Kindred's Curse saga.

The sisters express their excitement for the continued journey through Onyx Storm and beyond, encouraging listeners to join their fantasy fan club and participate in upcoming book clubs and live events.

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Final Thoughts

This episode of Fantasy Fangirls offers a comprehensive and engaging exploration of Onyx Storm, blending fan theories with deep lore analysis. Nicole and Lexi provide a thoughtful and entertaining discussion, making it a valuable listen for both long-time fans and newcomers to the ACOTAR series.

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Note: All quotes are attributed with corresponding timestamps as per the provided transcript.

Transcript

[Lexi]

What's the best time of day to get a deal?

[Nicole]

All day with Jack in the box's all day.

[Lexi]

Big deal meal.

[Nicole]

You get to choose from four entrees like the supreme croissant and five tasty.

[Lexi]

Sides, plus a drink starting at $5. So hurry in or take your time. You've got all day at Jack.

[Nicole]

Every bite's a big welcome, welcome, welcome to the fantasy fangirls Onyx Storm Live.

[Lexi]

Q and A. Hello, everybody. Hope your Monday is off to a fantastic start. Or maybe it's already Tuesday for some of you. I know we were gonna have some fantastic international friends joining early in the morning.

[Nicole]

Early in the morning. Hello, hello, welcome, welcome. Oh, my gosh. This is amazing. All right, well, you all know why you are here today. We are discussing all things Onyx Storm. But first, Lexi, what do we have to say? Spoilers.

[Lexi]

Yes, can you tell Onyx Storm spoilers, we like I. We are assuming that all. Oh, my gosh, almost 2,000 of you in here. Nothing to look at that number.

[Nicole]

Well, first, thank you so much for.

[Lexi]

Being here that you have finished Onyx Storm. You know, we are going to be talking about the ending. The comment section is going to be so spoilery. So please, please, please, if you have not finished Onyx Storm, we love you, please leave for your own sake. And yes, this will be recorded. So Hayden on the back end, he's going to whip this up and make it available on all podcasting platforms as well as YouTube tomorrow morning first thing. So if you have to leave too, don't worry. Well, you can come back tomorrow morning for it. So, yeah.

[Nicole]

So with all of that said reminder, There are spoilers. 3, 2, 1. If you don't know that Violet and Xaden are married and I'm freaking out about it still, then yes, sorry, you did that to yourself. You please go finish the book. I just spoiled the ending. I'm very, very sorry. And we will be here when you're done. On a recording, not live.

[Lexi]

And also, we are fantasy fan girls. You might be new to us, but in case. Yeah, anyway, sorry, I don't have a script right now. We are adults who say adult things about adult books. This book is rated R. We are rated R. There are going to be some cuss words and all of that, so just be mindful about who else might be listening.

[Nicole]

So please keep in mind that there have been many a video on the Internet about the positioning of a chair. I'm going to say no more because we're going to hold off. But if you do know what I'm talking about. Please be mindful of the little listening ears.

[Lexi]

It made me question everything.

[Nicole]

I really did. I've seen so many different positions and I was like, we interpreted this differently.

[Lexi]

I love it. I love it, I love it, I.

[Nicole]

Love it, I love it. Oh, my gosh.

[Lexi]

So, friends, here is how this Q and A is going to work. We are anticipating a lot of questions. We are going to get to as many as we possibly can, especially the reoccurring ones. And I'll say the hot topics here in the fandom. And if you can please, for our lovely moderators in the back end, put question in bold question before you write your actual question. That really helps us be able to star them so that then we can it does not get lost in the chat. So please do do that for all of your questions. And also, just another friendly reminder, Nicole and I are still processing this book. We have not officially done the deep dive yet. So if we look at you with our with like a deer in the headlights with any of these questions that come through, we might get to some of them on the deep dive.

[Nicole]

Don't worry, we have all three books pulled up on our computer. So if you see us, like looking off to the side, that's because we're. We're looking something up real quick. So there's a little behind.

[Lexi]

We're live problem solving for life.

[Nicole]

Problem solving.

[Lexi]

One of my big goals for 2025 is to prioritize taking care of myself. There's no better way to do that than stacking little wins every single day. And with AG1, I know that I'm starting every day with a win.

[Nicole]

Brett and I are obsessed with AG1. It goes in our breakfast smoothie every single morning. It is one of my favorite, like, little additions. And it also just tastes so good. There's something so great about walking out the door, sitting down at my desk, just knowing that I've had such a head start on my nutritional needs. With one scoop of AG1.

[Lexi]

For me, my favorite thing about AG1 is how easy it is to incorporate into my daily routine. Even when we were at the hotel reading Onyx Storm, Nicole and I made sure to bring our AG1 and we have, like, our little travel packs. And it was so easy just to pour into a water bottle, give it a good shake, and have it. And we at least knew that we were getting our nutrients. Even though the rest of our schedule was totally off.

[Nicole]

Pretty sure that helped my focus during the aisles. Like, all of the aisles were the focus was AG1. Thank you for that part of the outline. Help. So this new year, try AG1 for yourself. It's the perfect time to start a new healthy habit. And that's why we've been partnering with AG1 for so long. And AG1 is offering new subscribers a free $76 gift. When you sign up, you'll get a welcome kit, a bottle of D3, and five free travel packs in your first box. So make sure to go to drinkag1.comffg to get this offer. That's drinkag1.comffg to start your new year on a healthier note. I vote let's go ahead and kick it off with this question because this is one of our questions that we immediately had after finishing the book from Valerie or, excuse me, from Veer Lee. Anyone else think that next book is going to be a dual pov?

[Lexi]

Yes, yes, I agree.

[Nicole]

Now the question is how dual? Because you and I almost thought that Onyx Storm was going to be dual. Where we were like, maybe it's like, I can't remember our percentages. Was it 80?

[Lexi]

We thought it was going to be like 3/4 Violet and then maybe 1/4 Zaden. So I was actually pretty surprised that we got only, you know, one chapter from him. I do think that for book four, I don't think it'll be like split half and half, but I definitely think we're going to get more than one chapter from him. I think maybe like one fifth of the book might be him.

[Nicole]

That that's kind of like, I definitely don't think we're going to open in Zaden's pov. Unless, I don't know, we could be wrong. We were wrong about a lot of stuff about this book, but I don't think we're going to open in Zaden's pov. I think we have to open in Violets. Just dealing with what, like the blank space that is what just happened for her last 12 hours. So I, I definitely see it being like chapter five at the earliest.

[Lexi]

Oh, see, I think that's going to be quite the mystery in the first part of the book. Yeah.

[Nicole]

Like where is Zayden?

[Lexi]

No, not necessarily where, not necessarily that. But. Well, yes, possibly, but also what happened in those 12 hours? I think we won't get that until. Oh, oh, okay.

[Nicole]

Like definitely I think she's going to be wondering what the fuck happened in those 12 hours. But we will not get that until maybe we get, like we said in the reactions episode, like, maybe we won't get that until we're in dreamwalking state where she and Zaden are at their wedding and she's watching their wedding through Zayden's eyes. But then she doesn't know what's real or not real. I don't.

[Lexi]

I.

[Nicole]

There's so many possibilities.

[Lexi]

I'm still on my Dane. My Dane is going to be the key to helping her retrieve the memories. But anyway, we are getting ahead of ourselves. Let's jump back to questions. Oh, man, this is going to be fun.

[Nicole]

There's so many. Oh my gosh. You know what? Let's hop into this one because I've actually seen this one a few times. Did Taryn break their bond between with. Oh, oh, oh. We got so many questions hopping in deterrence to Gail break their on. I think that with Taryn and Segal, obviously we do not have confirmation at the end of the book. All we know is that Taryn is exhausted. Could he be exhausted from experiencing bond breaking symptoms? Excuse me. Possibly, but I look at more Sigail and Zaden because if Sigail is with Satan, which we don't really know, but I'm assuming she is, how are Taren? Oh, oh. Do we disagree?

[Lexi]

I don't, I, I don't, I. I don't know. But I think it's more likely that she broke the bond with him and that it automatically causes Taryn hurt as well because like they feel, they feel it within each other.

[Nicole]

Oh, that's good. That's good. Oh, wait, where'd that question go? I want to pull that back up. That was good.

[Lexi]

I'm not touching anything.

[Nicole]

I'm gonna pull up this question because I saw this Daddy Atos's signet. So I have seen this floating around a little bit of the Internet. Is, is it confirmed that Daddy Atos or GFDD himself is indeed a dragon rider? And we do have that confirmation because of fourth wing. He runs into Violet. He like points to his own flight lines as he's talking about her flight lines, but we do not know his signet. Lexi, do you have any guesses?

[Lexi]

I think I might be. I'm actually really surprised, first of all, that we did not get his signet in this book. Yes, we got quite a bit less of Daddy Atos than I thought we would. And like, of course he was, you know, kind of in like the first part of it and he played a role, you know, with like sending them off to in chapter 10 and whatnot. But I really think that there is a lot more I think that Pancheck. I don't want to say the red herring, but I think that there's going to be a lot more to it, and we're just kind of getting, like, little breadcrumbs right now. And I do think that Daddy Atos is going to be a bigger role. As far as the signet, I'm. I still want to lean toward a mind sickness.

[Nicole]

Same.

[Lexi]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

Yeah. I like when I think about what type of mind signet, though, the one that I immediately think of is Verishes, but I don't think him and Verish have the same signet because that would just Varys was so unique. So I don't think so. I could also see it being.

[Lexi]

It also was too good for interrogation. So think about what Daddy Atos, he was Lola Sorrengale's aide, so he was always kind of in her shadow, and he's not really taken very seriously among his peers. And so I think that it is. I. I want to say it's a more common signet. Whether that means that it is like. It could be like an element signet and he's just really good at wielding it, or. Or it could be more of a mind signet, not like a true sayer or something like that. Not for interrogations, but something more along those lines.

[Nicole]

I can vibe with that. I can vibe with that for sure. Yes. Let's hop into the next question. Does anyone else believe Vi used her signet while on the Isles? Yes. Yes. And was able to do so communicate with her dragons. Because Andarna is magic.

[Lexi]

Yes, yes, yes.

[Nicole]

I think we actually talk about this in episode one. I think we saw your and I's musings in the outline. Yeah, 100%. So we know from the Irids that the Irids brand. Brand. The brand flakes. They are magic. And because of that, I wonder if because Violet was so close to a power source, she meaning in Darna, and meaning close, like connected to a power source, she was able to channel that magic from Tar. I don't know.

[Lexi]

So the way that I see it, and I think I brought this up in our reactions episode, is that Andarna and Violet's bond, like her bond with Taryn also, it's. So they're all three so interwoven together, like, yes, they are two separate bonds, but they're almost not at the same time. And so I do think that because there is so much intertwinedness between the three of them, that is why she was able to talk to Taryn as Well, as in Darna there. And that's also why she was able to wield. I also can't help but be so curious how the magic of these worlds, of these aisles work, because some of them have like a little bit of magic. The smaller ones. Yeah, right. The smaller ones, like where the Irids found them, that had magic. There is. It didn't have magic because the Irids were present. I don't know. Also, we can't forget that where she did wield her lightning or where we assume she did, that is the. That is where Dune is. That is literally where she was taken as a child to be dedicated. And it didn't end up working out. So I can't help but wonder if that might have something to do with it too, because there is a whole new way of magic that was introduced through religion in this book too.

[Nicole]

The look that you and I had when this was all going down with like this new religious magic, we were like, what the fuck? That was such a cool moment.

[Lexi]

And.

[Nicole]

And it was a good reminder for us specifically that there is so much more to this world than we could have ever guessed with these first two books. And yes, I agree completely. I do wonder, going forward how that's going to play in. I would love to hear your thoughts on Dane being an intensic. After Sloan uses his power to help Brennan. I think it's highly possible his father helped him hide his signet from leadership.

[Lexi]

Okay, I have never heard that one before. And I have seen several other questions and about the comment with Dane being so powerful. So if you remember when Sloan is doing her siphoning to help save Mira, which. Oh, my gosh, first of all, in fact, we actually have a reactions video at the end of when it's like. And she slits Mira's throat. And I am just like, absolutely.

[Nicole]

We are like, you're giving Mira a eulogy.

[Lexi]

We just kept reading. It's like, oh, we should have known better. Anyway, back to this question.

[Nicole]

So.

[Lexi]

So she. Sloan makes a comment to Dane about how someone shouldn't have that much power or something to that effect. I also want to point out I saw somebody in the comments way earlier say this too, that in Fourth Wing, he mentioned how Kath does channel a lot of power to him. So I think that he might be more powerful than he's really being given credit for.

[Nicole]

Yeah, well, because there's all these comments from Violet in her monologue about how Dane did not just get this role as wing leader from just nepotism. He is a very Competent fighter. But that type of narrative makes it sound like there's not very much magical power to him. At least that's how I took it. And so having this extra layer now, I have seen a few, and I'm so sorry I don't have the name, the, the name off the top of my head, but I have seen a video on TikTok where it's basically going through all of the gods and assigning one of our characters to the gods. So with Dune, it's Violet. With Leoli, Leola, the God, the goddess of love, it is Zaden. And then with, I can't remember, I think it was Wisdom, it was Dane, Hedian. Thank you. And then with Hedon, it was Dane. And each of these people. And then obviously Arik was on this list. I think Sloan is on this list, so on, and Garrick was the other one. So having maybe some kind of connection to Hedion was also on the table. But I do think about. You and I are talking about this in episode one, the epigraph to chapter two. And it's basically a epigraph that explains never have the six most powerful signets been alive at the same time since the Great War. Since the, since the first six. And so I think that Dane is going to be one of those. One of those six.

[Lexi]

I could see that as well.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Lexi]

Yes. Now go back to this question here on him being an intensive. I, I, I would be very surprised if that was the case. I, I know that, you know, as we're, we're learning more about people and all of that with second signets with intensive abilities and things like that, because it exists in the world, it would almost, I don't, I don't want to say cheapen it a little bit because it'd be like, oh, like, and this so and so is also an intensive. And then this other completely. A person who is not a marked one has a second signet too. So it's kind of like I, I do, like, I hope that it kind of. I don't want to say stay in the lanes, but you know where it is that, where it stays special for the people who do have it. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Nicole]

Does anyone else.

[Lexi]

Yes, I'm sorry, we have to see it.

[Nicole]

Does anyone else think that there's some sort of precog element to Violet's second signet? Lexi, take the mic, because you were spouting brilliance in the hotel when this came up.

[Lexi]

So I, I, I, I do wonder now, of course, with the big reveal about Auric being Precognition, too. I'd be curious, because there's. There's only so much Precog again, that can be going around again. Like I was saying earlier about it staying special for the people who do have it. However, there is something special about these dreams. I'll even take Marion's dream about how she was. She had a nightmare about her family burning and the portrait of her family burning. And then the next day, her parents did die. They were. They were burned. I remember correctly. Yeah. So that, for instance, kind of had my little bells going there. And then also, of course, with all the Zaden stuff, too, I definitely think that Berwin, this Sage. Sage. Not a sage, but actually is a sage. He is. I do think that he is in some form a dreamwalker as well, and that's how he's been communicating with both. With them. But there's so much accuracy to these dreams. And so I do wonder if there is, like, a Precog element to it. I. I will say this. I really think that there is more to it than. I don't say just dreamwalking, because it is a really cool second segment, but there's also so much else to explore with it. Just like with lightning wielding, how it's not just lightning from the sky, it's literally Violet is power. So I think that there is going to be more of a multiple layers to the second signet there, especially given.

[Nicole]

What the Irid said to Violet on the aisle, where they were like. Because they turned to Andarna and they were like. And you, like, you have gifted her the most dangerous thing of all. Or I'm paraphrasing entirely, but that right there, like, dreamwalking is really cool, don't get me wrong. And I can see so many ways that this could come into play, especially with Zaden now being gone. But there has to be an extra twist to it. So I think that that's one of the things I'm actually looking forward to most on the Deep Dive is being. Is kind of parsing through what breadcrumbs Rebecca might be leaving for us. And in terms of how could this be used in other ways. We all know the importance of hydration, and since element became an absolute staple in our lives, we know that we are staying hydrated all day long.

[Lexi]

If you're familiar with us at Fantasy Fangirls, you know we love Element. Not only does it help you hydrate, but every sip really does feel like a treat. Element is a zero sug electrolyte drink mix and sparkling electrolyte water born from the growing body of research revealing that optimal health outcomes occur at sodium levels two to three times. Government Recommendations each stick pack delivers a meaningful dose of electrolytes free of sugar, artificial flavors or other dodgy ingredients.

[Nicole]

My favorite is the sparkling black cherry. Every time I do a HIIT workout class I always have one of those. They're so so good. The grapefruit is also becoming a new staple of mine.

[Lexi]

Raspberry is one of my favorite.

[Nicole]

Raspberry is really good. Mango chili also just it's my og. It has a special place in my heart. I love that one so much.

[Lexi]

Right now Element is offering a free sample pack with any purchase. That's eight single serving packets free with any element order. So you can try all those flavors that Nicole and I were just listing off plus a whole lot more. Or you can share Element with a salty friend. Get [e-mail] FFG this deal is only available through our link. You must go to D R I N K L M N T after this one. I have another one too, but yes Ah, now this is a big question.

[Nicole]

Now that Zayden is vented, does the contraceptive servant they take not work for the Venin? Is the dizziness a result of EDS or pregnancy? I have not been pregnant, Lexi, and I don't and I know that it's not universal, but I'm assuming just based off of how many people have said something about this, that Violet with the dizziness and all this kind of stuff, is that a really big part of pregnancy? And I'm sorry if that's a naive question.

[Lexi]

No, no, it's fine. Yes, it definitely shows. It could definitely be interpreted that way. I will say that I never read read it that way. In fact, you and I were saying as we were reading it that we could really see Rebecca in Violet's character. If you read the L article that came out a few days before the book did, Rebecca really was very vulnerable about speaking about how she really suffered. Her health really suffered while while writing Onyx Storm and she really pushed herself to the limits. She even des a specific time was it I can't remember exactly where it is, so I don't want to say that where she probably should have canceled a show. And she listed off a lot of these same symptoms that we have seen a lot in Violet. So because of the representation and the connection that Rebecca does feel, I think that she was really writing herself there in Violet, especially with what she was personally going through. I would be absolutely shocked if Violet did turn out to be pregnant. We still have two more books to go. I feel like that would be quite the wrench in book four. It would. It's.

[Nicole]

It would. I'm looking at it from a storyboard perspective. Right.

[Lexi]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

Because we're. We're on the cusp of another great war and having Think we're in it.

[Lexi]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

Character have a newborn child could be really tough, storytelling wise. We also did just get a marriage. Having a marriage and a baby at the same time in a five book series doesn't. Doesn't flow in the way that I see this, the story going. So I agree. I definitely think it was her writing that representation because Violet is pushing herself.

[Lexi]

To the limit and she's traveling so much too. Okay, hold on.

[Nicole]

I need to talk about that for a second. Because she's trapped. She's not only traveling, but these are not like the comfy car seats that we can have with like the lumbar support inserts that we get from Amazon. They needed seats, heated steering wheels. This is. You were on the back of a dragon in the hot sun for hours and hours and hours. Like, I really do think that she's. She's just pushing herself beyond her limits. And from a personal. Just as like, not from a deep diver, but as a personal reader. I don't want that to happen. And if it does happen, I don't want it to happen yet.

[Lexi]

Let me say that I. I agree. I think that especially with the dedication to where she said that it is really for people like her to feel seen. And I think that she really exemplified that. And in Violet here.

[Nicole]

Yeah, agreed.

[Lexi]

I have seen this. Let's talk about the brother, the new brother here. Okay. So.

[Nicole]

So I'll be honest.

[Lexi]

When Nicole and I, after our first read, we were really very much in the camp where, oh, my gosh, it has to be Bode or Garrick, primarily because of the line from Zaden where he's like, he's. He's seen what I've been going through the. For the past five months. How could he do this? And especially with a lot of the Bodhi foreshadowing with being the heir, how he doesn't want it. There's even a little bit of, like, wishing he had more power because his signet doesn't work. In Savannon, it seemed likely that it could be Bode. However, since that reactions video, we've had a lot of people reach out and say a lot of other variations here. So I've kind of broadened my scope Here. And again, first read through. So it's fun to kind of, like, now look at different angles here. I reread the Imogen's chapter several times, and I think that the biggest clue is that the very end of her chapter, it says, like, and the sky darkened. And a lot of people interpret that as. That is when Xaden did his thing there, you know? And however, in the very next chapter, it is Violet's pov, it jumps back to Violet and she is something like theophany. Did I say that correct?

[Nicole]

Good job. Yes, thank you.

[Lexi]

When she said she was really, like, leveling up her storm wielding. So it actually. The sky was darkening potentially because of the storms and not only because of Zaden. Could it have been Zayden? Yes, but I don't think that that alone writes it off that it was at the same time as Xaden's pov, too. So I think, again, it's all purposefully vague. It's purposefully left for us to guess, like, yeah, son of a. She did some purpose, you know? And so I go ahead real quickly. I do want to say, though, ARC is another high possibility here as well. For instance, I want to pull up Misty's question here. Do you think Zaden has been working with arc? They plan together. There are multiple points in the book from the beginning where they really do seem like they have been working together. And we don't know when arc's precognition signet manifested. We even wonder if it manifested in Iron Flame. And that's why he ensured Sloan was where she needed to be to help ensure that the Wardstone got imbued. We don't know that, but.

[Nicole]

No, we don't.

[Lexi]

Really curious. So. So Arik could have known all along that Xaden was. And there's even several lines throughout the book that, again, we'll pull out really clearly in the deep dive, when Arc is Zayden saying something like, oh, like, you know, like, I. I have, like, a complicated loyalty to the other brother or something like that, you know, so there's more beneath the surface where I do think that Zaden and Arik have been planning way more than we are aware of. And also Arc, like, went, like, float. Flew away and went off. And Violet's like, where the heck is he going? So he could also. He's. He's another one of my top contenders for that as well.

[Nicole]

Can I. Can I just. The only thing that I feel like is a blatant red alert neon sign. This is a clue. Is the They've known about what I've been going through for a month or for five months. Or that right there. Unless Arik somehow knew what Zayn was going through, which is not out of the question. He could have foreseen it and he just found out in the moment. But that right there tells me, ooh, okay, Bodhi or Garrick. And given all the brother foreshadowing that we've gotten with Bodhi from book one. From since book one. I love if it is Bode. I would love this extra twist where it's like, they're not actually brothers. Like we were assuming that we're on the Pod. No, instead, they are brothers in this Venin fraternity that I'm going to call it. And that's why there was all that brother foreshadowing.

[Lexi]

Yes. Another big theory with as we're talking about, the brother is Brennan too. A lot of people are thinking it might be Brennan because again, while he has been trying to help Zaden to cure him, now Brennan is also present in Violet's POV 12 hours later. So that would be some major undercovering. Sneaky sneaky snickers. I. I'm gonna be like, that's gonna be like, we have our new second signet obsession, right? We're just like, who is the brother? And I can't wait to explore that in. In more detail, especially mapping out the different POVs and all of that.

[Nicole]

Question, whose last name did Violet take? I. I'm gonna stick with. I think she took Soren Gail. Or she stuck with Soren Gail. Now I could see her switching it to Ryerson to have a little piece of Xaden while he's gonna go, actually, yeah, no, I'm changing my answer.

[Lexi]

Yeah, I think she's gonna go, Thor and Gail Ryerson.

[Nicole]

Yeah, there we go. Sorrent sale. Or however he said.

[Lexi]

Yes.

[Nicole]

Did Arik know that the temple Dune needed to be saved so that X and Violet's marriage could be blessed? Oh, I said as go for it. Because I took it.

[Lexi]

I was gonna say because that was how we initially took it. Where it was a. I'll call it short term solution.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Lexi]

Where she need to be there and save it for. For the. In order to then take the stone and be able to, you know, stab theophany. But I've seen this and I absolutely love that idea. And again, that's more evidence that it could be Arik who is the other brother now because he knew that they need that. And for anybody who's wondering, kind of like how we all got here. Is that the high priestess who they saved their temple or her temple. She told Zayden that she owes him a debt and she and he can call in any favor to her. So she is the one who married them because he called in that favor to her. So Arik is the one who initially was probably like, oh, like they need a favor from this priestess after saving it. So I love that idea.

[Nicole]

That's good. Oh, my gosh. Yeah, I like that. Do we think since Quest Squad skipped the Love God island, they will go there in book four? Can you imagine the Love God Island? That would be just.

[Lexi]

I just like, I've never seen Love island, but I, I might need to before we get that.

[Nicole]

That's amazing.

[Lexi]

I do think that the aisles are gonna play a much bigger role. We did not go to all of them. I would be kind of surprised if that was all we saw of like Xaden's mom. I, I, I'm really loving my theory about the six dragon eggs that are missing and how they are taken to specifically Devarelli or actually, or not Devarelli, the Brielle. No, not Umbrella. The other one. Yes, Umbrella. You're right. It is unreal.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Lexi]

Sorry. There's so many of them.

[Nicole]

So many all equal names. Like there's Analia and Zinal and then Umbriel and Dune.

[Lexi]

Yeah. So I, I do think that they will come back into play more. And I do think that the Isles will ultimately come and be those allies. I think that if they had all just said yes, this book, it would have been potentially a little anticlimactic. And I love that there was that tension. I love that there are obstacles that they still need to overcome in order to get those alliances from at least most of them there. Yeah.

[Nicole]

Agreed. Agreed.

[Lexi]

Yes.

[Nicole]

After Sloan siphons, Violet also notices that there's no mark on Dane's wrist or Brennan's neck. Like they're like the one on his palm. What do you think this means about Brennan and Naolin? I think a lot of things, Lexi. A. Are you sure you didn't put this in? Lexi?

[Lexi]

My name is, my last name is also A.

[Nicole]

Yeah, I definitely think that this is a one to one clue that Brennan's palm rune, faded Rune is something that is far beyond any kind of siphoning or any kind of like Naolin siphoning power. I think it's something that he did, you know, tapping into the earth turned venom, all that kind of stuff. Did you have something to say on that, Lex? Because that's definitely where my mind goes.

[Lexi]

I really do think that the way that that was pointed out made me think that what happened with Naolin and Brennan was different. Now, of course, Nayland would have technically died, but I. I don't know how him turning venom would have directly had anything to do with the rune shaped scar. I'm still sticking to how the life forces are connected.

[Nicole]

Oh, I have an idea. Okay, so what if because Sloan was siphoning from person to person, what if when you siphon from earth to person, that's what like leaves a mark or some sort? I think there's going to be a lot. It's Rebecca. There's going to be so much more complexities to it, but basically like depending on your power source. That's what. Because like, Sloan was basically a conduit and if she had reached for the earth rather than. Is it possible to have a resurrection room? That is also a huge possibility. So maybe Naolin was channeling and it wasn't. I'm keep on doing this because this is the way my brain works.

[Lexi]

I'm throwing out. We're getting so many other questions about this as well, so I'm just going to start pulling this and you keep ripping here. Well, I love.

[Nicole]

I love this from Kelly Gray here that. Could Fen Ryerson have given Brennan a rune for protection? So maybe it doesn't have anything to do with resurrection, but rather it's like it's this protection room. So maybe I'm going to riff off of this and maybe like the Venn can't come back and find him. Or maybe Naolin was connected to Brennan after he turned Vennon and with this new protection rune, he wasn't able to. I will say Fen. This would have to have been after Fen or. Excuse me, before Fen died. So maybe it was something entirely different. Maybe it was is untraceable. I'm just truly pulling out of my ass right now. Do we think Imogen has used her signet in Fourth Wing or Iron Flame? We do have confirmation about chapter 27 from fourth wing.

[Lexi]

She didn't actually use her signet in that manner. She said that she was sick. She said that she was sick and in the infirmary. And if she would meet and if anybody was wondering, then she would use her signet.

[Nicole]

You're right. You're right.

[Lexi]

Maybe I'm crazy here and I do not have the source, but I feel like Rebecca has confirmed in an interview that Imogen has used her signet before.

[Nicole]

She hasn't confirmed verbally. She's heavily alluded to that she has used it and used it on Violet. But what's curious about that is at the end of Onyx Storm, the descriptions around Violet's state of being is foggy. It's almost like she's waking up from a hangover of like a haze. And we haven't really seen that in the previous two books. I mean, at least as off the top.

[Lexi]

She knocks people out pretty often.

[Nicole]

She does, she does. And we have actually.

[Lexi]

I lied.

[Nicole]

We have seen her use it in archives heist when she. Like when Satan throws the wine skins at the guards. And it was right after that. Yeah, I think that's the only time we've seen it physically on the page.

[Lexi]

I think that we were thinking that the way I interpreted this is how we have not seen it, where she has used it in a way that we don't know yet. Yeah, that was how I understood it. All right. I. I have seen this question so many times. Oh, hold on, let me. Okay, go ahead and answer that one.

[Nicole]

So, gem Watch, if you did not join us for our Acotar coverage, that's totally okay. I had like 17 segments, all ending in watch. It was spice watch, gem watch, claw watch, wing watch, all of these different things. But now we're on to gem watch. And yes, I've already written this into the outline. Don't you worry. What do you think of all of the emeralds, rubies and gems? What about the onyx bracelet she gives to Zaden? Will it help him as a venom and Mira's bracelet. Magical properties. So back in Fourth Wing, chapter one two. Excuse me, chapter two, when Violet is walking the parapet, she's spouting off her facts and she. She talks about how in poor Emile, there's these crystalline gems that amplify minor magics. So we see Suri, who's a member of the council in Oracia, she has an emerald gem gemstone ring that is very notable in the first few chapters of Iron Flame. I have always wondered if these are crystalline. Crystalline gems. I don't think that means every single gem that's mentioned on the page is going to be one of these, like, crystalline, amplifying minor magics. For example, the Duchess of Moraine has a ruby necklace on, and I think that's just her symbol of power. But there is that Venin, who has the ruby hilted sword. So could that be amplifying minor magics? And if that's amplifying minor magic. Amplifying minor magics on a Venin, what could that mean a lot of different things? So I think it's going to be a whole plethora because I haven't gotten to. I haven't gotten to like the Zaden, the bracelet, the onyx bracelet she gives to Xaden on the deep dive yet. That's something I'm going to look into as we lead up to it. I don't think it's going to help him as a venin. If anything, I think it's just going to be part of that like, like, you know, connection that they have to each other. I, I do think that there is going to be something that traces them to each other, but I don't think it's going to be that. I'm looking at that compass.

[Lexi]

Oh, the compass. Yes.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Lexi]

All right.

[Nicole]

That's a whole other thing I have seen.

[Lexi]

I love this. And Oliver.

[Nicole]

Yes? I love this question. Thoughts are positive. Okay. Wait, can I. I want to share a quick story. So our dear friend Stephen Walker on Instagram earlier today, I think it was, he posted a video that was talking about Onyx Storm and he was like, I have been a Dane Stan this entire time. Fantasy fangirls pod looking at you with your GFDD and all this kind of stuff. What's it going to stand for now that Dane's all good and stuff? Is it golly freaking daddy Dane and I'm totally down down to change it. Golly freaking daddy freaking freaking golly freaking daddy dolly freaking daddy Dane. I love it. I'm here for it. I ship it. I'm so here for this coupling.

[Lexi]

Yes. I. I love the. I. I was like actually surprised because there was. Yes, I love it. Like that is the. That is the enemies to lovers right here. Yeah.

[Nicole]

Like there's a moment right before Sloan siphons from him that he says. He's like. He doesn't say eyes on me because that would be just a dead giveaway. But he says something like, look at. Look at me. Yes.

[Lexi]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

And it's like, dane, did you just get hot? Like, oh my God.

[Lexi]

And it's like what?

[Nicole]

I don't know how to feel, but I feel so conflicted.

[Lexi]

Yes. Okay. Also we. I saw several of them but anyway, Mira and Drake.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Lexi]

So much foreshadowing for them to the point where like ridic at one point. First of all, the way that she just knees him in the balls. I mean, incredible, Obviously. And then also how ridic at one point is like. It's like traveling with my parents.

[Nicole]

I just love how much they bicker because, like, Mira would be with someone that she bickers with them like they've been married 50, 10,000 years. Yes.

[Lexi]

Thanks, Hayden.

[Nicole]

Incredible. Oh, my goodness. I've seen a lot of questions about broccoli, and I do want to. I do want to address it real quick because Rebecca has actually addressed it. When she was in, I believe, Philly, someone asked a question, and she stands up, she walks the stage, pacing back and forth, asking everyone, and I'm going to ask you, Lexi as well, who was Broccoli given to Drake? Where is Drake?

[Lexi]

I believe he's in cordon now.

[Nicole]

He is in cordon? Yes. That means that Broccoli is in cordon with Drake. For all we know, broccoli is fine and safe and dandy. The dragon riding kitty will live to see another day.

[Lexi]

Very important questions.

[Nicole]

The fan art of Broccoli with his little flight goggles. Like his little case. I love it. Oh, it was.

[Lexi]

It was in New York.

[Nicole]

It was in New York.

[Lexi]

Thank you.

[Nicole]

Oh, amazing. That was so incredible.

[Lexi]

Oh, my goodness gracious.

[Nicole]

That's so fun.

[Lexi]

Yes.

[Nicole]

Oh, let's hop into another.

[Lexi]

Oh, are you.

[Nicole]

Oh, I didn't know if you were starting or not.

[Lexi]

I. I can certainly do this. I. Oh, my goodness.

[Nicole]

Here we go. Question. How many times do we think Imogen has erased Violet's memories? Do we think Violet knew the plan and had it relate and had it erased to protect them all? I think Violet definitely, as she states in the. In the last chapter of the book. Book, she asked Imogen to erase her. Her mind. I think this is the only time she's ever asked her because we with her, us being in her. In her pov.

[Lexi]

I.

[Nicole]

Did you have something to say on that, Lex?

[Lexi]

Nope. I think we're on the same page.

[Nicole]

Yeah, I think we're on the same page with that. So. Yes, I think. I think this is the first time that she's physically asked and. And I do think it's the first time that Imogen, at least that to our knowledge, has officially erased her memories. Yes. Yes.

[Lexi]

Yes. And also just like the reason why as well. I've seen that question pop up here too. Our initial thought when. And we really stressed it a lot during our reactions episode, was that how. How. First of all, how Xaden is always, you know, how. How Violet knows that Zaden would never hurt her and she had to say that to Riddick that that would be her line. And this could be more of an emotional hurting her where he. He did. He turned as him and she's like, she's kind of been in Delilah denial. She's been very much like a I can fix him mode, which good for them. And their relationship, he ended, it didn't work out.

[Nicole]

I go off on that a little bit in episode one, I'm not gonna lie.

[Lexi]

And so I do think that there was that emotional element to it. However, I definitely think that there was also the logical strategic side of it as well. For instance, where is he? She doesn't have to know where he is. She doesn't have to know the details about things that she knows she shouldn't know now as the role that she has to play. So I think that it was very much a twofold, probably like 60 logic and then 40% emotional there.

[Nicole]

Oh, I'm flip flopping those numbers. I think. Okay, much higher emotion. I think that she was. Because remember when Riddick says, like, what's the line? And she says, when he hurts me. And I think that this is something that really hurt her. Yes. She's married to Zayden and that's something she's wanted. But, but not like this. Not like this. This is so not the way she wanted this. And I think that him hurting her was finally the, like, image and like, I cannot live like this. Please, please, please. And I think it maybe goes back to a little bit of that with her being that mind of the scribe. It's like, if I am going to be in this position as the leader that I am, I cannot be feeling this way. Why.

[Lexi]

But that's, that's.

[Nicole]

But, but to that point, and that's.

[Lexi]

Logic mind of a scribe that might have a scribe. I think that that is because she's like, I. I don't think that he's hurt her to the point where she's like, I can't be with him. Like, she's just so upset. And so, yeah, there is much more back.

[Nicole]

I think she's gonna fight for him back. Absolutely.

[Lexi]

Yeah, absolutely. I think that it is more logic, though, that it's. She can't know what he's doing, she can't know his plans, she can't know all of that kind of stuff. She can't know about the six eggs. She very well might know about all of that and she just shouldn't have to. Yeah. Speaking of which, we've gotten several questions about the eggs, so correct me if I'm wrong. The six dragon eggs came from Arisha. Correct.

[Nicole]

Correct.

[Lexi]

Okay. And so we also highly infer that.

[Nicole]

That is the case just based off of their location. And all that kind of stuff.

[Lexi]

Now, also technically, we're not supposed. Nobody except the elders are supposed to know what dragon breed, each of the eggs, any. Any of them are. Until they are out of the dreamless sleep. Something like that. Now, I don't. Several of the elders are also dead, right?

[Nicole]

Yes. Like three of them or two. So it's concerning. I might.

[Lexi]

This might be a bit of a crack theory, but what if somebody ensured found out from the elders the six dragon beads. Because I do think that they are one from each den and they killed the. Killed the elders who gave them that information? I hate saying this.

[Nicole]

That was a fun theory. Derek.

[Lexi]

Distance wields eggs to where they're supposed to go.

[Nicole]

Zaden offed because he. He took what. He took a lesson from Berwin and is like, give me your aloe. Heel to dagger. This kills dragon.

[Lexi]

No, no, I can't see that. He wouldn't do that. I don't. I take it back.

[Nicole]

But I definitely think it's one from each den. In Umbriel, when Violet is talking to the queen, the queen mentions in exchange for their services, I want. I want 12 dragon eggs. Two from each den. So I'm assuming that they were like, here's half. Can we have half the army or something like that?

[Lexi]

Can I only come half of an army? Yeah, but how do they know that they're from each of the dens? It would be from possibly the Elders. That's the concerning part.

[Nicole]

All right. Nicole, I do this.

[Lexi]

Oh, yeah, yeah, right.

[Nicole]

I did have a really quick question I wanted to pull. That is why do you think Theophany asked which of which one of her dragons bonded first? I have been scratching my head about this. Yes, Lexi. Because I have nothing.

[Lexi]

Because the iridescent. What's his name?

[Nicole]

Leofin.

[Lexi]

Leofin. I want to say Leonard, but I know that litter the earring. So he said to Andarna, because she bonded her second. Like that's not supposed to be even possible. So the fact that she was even able to bond with Violet, that shows that just how different their magic works. Like she. Like dragons are not supposed to be able to bond to a human after they're already bonded. But Andarna was different. And because she was an Irid that did that. So I believe that Theophany asks her that as a further clarification that she is Irid, that she is literally magic. It's almost like the rumors about the seventh dragon den are true. That's my understanding. I'm sure there's a few more layers to it. But that's what I got so far.

[Nicole]

No, that makes sense.

[Lexi]

Let's pause for a moment for a tale as old as time. You sign up for something, forget about it after the the trial period ends and then, whoop. You're charged month after month after month because you keep on forgetting. Because life gets in the way. The subscriptions are there, but you're not using them. In fact, I just learned that 85% of people have at least one paid subscription going unused every month. Thanks to Rocket Money, I can see all my subscriptions in one place and cancel the ones I'm not using anymore. It's such a great way to help me save money.

[Nicole]

Before Rocket Money, I was in that 85, hands down. No. Rocket Money is a personal finance app that helps find and cancel your unwanted subscriptions. Plus it monitors your spending and helps lower your bills so you can grow your savings. Yay.

[Lexi]

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[Nicole]

Subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster with Rocket Money. Go to Rocket Money.com Fantasy Fangirl today. That's RocketMoney.com Fantasy Fangirls Girl Rocket Money.com Fantasy Fangirl I love it.

[Lexi]

All right, Nicole, this question is for you because.

[Nicole]

Did you get the did you also get the vibes that Bodhi had a crush has a crush on Violet? I did. Lexi did not. So let me explain my reasoning real quick and honestly. I think I might have been looking into Rebecca's because she was in an interview and they asked what are Taylor Swift songs that you would pair with certain characters? And when asked for Bode, she said, I look in people's windows and when I think of I look in people's windows, it's almost like I have a crush on someone I couldn't and or I shouldn't. And I have since looked at the lyrics now with the ending in mind, thinking that it is Bodhi who turned brother and I have kind of changed my feelings a little. But there were definitely some vibes that Bodhi was a little bit like I I don't even think it's a crush. I think it's more of he's always the other. He's. He's always the person who's the.

[Lexi]

The.

[Nicole]

The one who's a step behind. And Rebecca actually confirmed this. I think this was actually in New York as well. When. And correct me if I'm wrong, I'm sorry. The locations of all of them have just blended together. I've been watching a lot of tick tocks. She says what drinks Bodhi, Garrick, and Zaden would order. Or she goes through a lot of other characters. Like, Riddick would be serving jello shots behind the bar, but Zaden would order a beer. Garrick would also order a beer because they're bros. And then Bode would order a beer because Zaden ordered a beer. And I look at that as. Bodhi just always wants to be like Xaden. So I don't think he has a crush on Violet. I think he's just jealous of Xaden's life. Maybe not so much anymore.

[Lexi]

I don't know if he. I don't know. I did think of it.

[Nicole]

Like, I think we said this in the reactions episode. If they do have Bodhi on their side, and if Bodhi does go full unhinged Venoms stuff, I don't. Go ahead. You don't think that's bad? Because I do. I could see Bodhi going like, he's finally.

[Lexi]

I'm sorry, I thought we were talking about Zayn.

[Nicole]

No, no, no, no, no. I see Bodhi going full unhinged because he's finally a part of a family who would not see him as the other, who not see him as the second. And instead, they would see him as his own person and to pull power and power and power. And he's a signet counteractor. That would be bad. Bad, bad, bad.

[Lexi]

That makes me so sad.

[Nicole]

You're welcome.

[Lexi]

All right, let's talk about somebody who makes us happy. Riddick did it.

[Nicole]

Really? I didn't know.

[Lexi]

I hope he did. That's actually. I. I talk about that a lot in episode one. But first of all, can we just appreciate Riddick's character in this story? He, like, I. I kind of always got the feel that there was a lot more to him. And for him to literally say on the page where it's like, you all, like, you don't take me seriously kind of thing just because I crack jokes. But I do care. I love him so much. And he had just, like, my favorite character arc. Reddick stole the show. Absolutely. I love that his dragon is 22 years old as well. Like, it's just like they're so perfect together. I really want a Riddick pov. A few questions that I have seen here, though. For instance, turning Venom. So there is a theory going around right now that Riddick has turned Venom. And first of all, there's also the theory that he is that new brother as well. But the way that the wording is with. With how he finds out about Xaden and Zayden saying, you know, like they've known for the last five months. I would be surprised if it was Riddick. However, back to Riddick turning then and people. For instance, like in chapter one, how. Atrium. Atrium. Yeah. Excuse me. Iotroms. He flies and almost hits Taryn. And that was kind of like a. That was scene and how he blocked out the rest of his riot. And that is something that Bade did with. With Jack and was very secretive as well as Garrick's dragon did that as well because he was having to hide Garrett second signet there. So there's. So there's the idea that there is something that Riddick is hiding also at the end of the book, the way that he freezes the wyvern from the inside out. A lot of people understood that as him draining the wyvern instead of freezing him. I am very. I'm like, I'm. I'm pretty positive that it was him doing that from the. Freezing him from the exit out. We just got so much foreshadowing. Exactly. We got so much foreshadowing for that. And then when the wyvern cracked. When the wyvern fell, the wyvern cracked. So that makes sense for being frozen there. So with all of that said, I don't think that he turned Fennon. I think that it was definitely a little bit weird in chapter one. I think that it was more illustrating the tensions between the writers and the dragons with wanting to go back to Orisha and just kind of having to present that there in a big way in chapter one. So.

[Nicole]

Yeah, agreed. I love this question from Elizabeth. Speaking of Ridic, do you think the squad will actually make all make it to graduation alive? I think. And super hope. I hope. I super hope so too. I don't.

[Lexi]

I love your. I love your positivity and optimism there, Elizabeth. I. I hope so. I don't think so. And in fact, I'm very worried for Ridic next book in Los Angeles. Rebecca said that somebody that we love is not going to make it in book four. And a lot of people are very worried that that is Riddick. She built him up so much. We fell even more in love with him in this book. And that would just be the cruel, beautiful thing to do to take him away from us that way. So, yeah, I'm very worried about him for book four.

[Nicole]

Yeah, I am also worried for him. I'm worried. I think. Think I see re being a casualty in book 4 more than I see Riddick. Maybe that's just. I. I've put Ridic in a box, and if the box is untouchable. Yes.

[Lexi]

Wait. Oh, my gosh. The. It would. It's going too fast. Somebody said that Rebecca said that Ridic is safe in it. Can you confirm.

[Nicole]

Can someone confirm that, please? Because I will sleep easy tonight.

[Lexi]

We will keep. Keep an eye on that. I don't think her editors will allow her to kick.

[Nicole]

That's honestly fair.

[Lexi]

Yeah. She said in an interview. Okay.

[Nicole]

I love you. I love you so much. Thank you so much. Wow. Okay. That makes me so happy. In that case, I'm moving my highest suspicion. If. If we're looking at someone from second squad to re. I, however, do not think it's going to be someone from second squad. Next book sec. Second squad. Definitely book five. I see someone from second squad.

[Lexi]

Wait, this is really cool. Question is, who gets Lois Signet? Sloan's second signet. So the idea here is that magic likes all things in balance. And so that when, for instance, how Lynx got the shadow wielding because the magic of the world knew that Xaden was heading out and that they still needed a shadow wielder. I am still very confused how this all works, especially with all the language around. There hasn't been a lightning wielder in over a century. Distance wielding in a century. There's lots of summoning. Hasn't been in a century, so it's not quite a this or that. However, storm wielding is. I'm not going to say a common signet because it certainly isn't especially. There's a lot of power to it.

[Nicole]

You've seen it exactly three times on the page age so far, if not more. Because there was someone at the top of the Cliffs of Draylor.

[Lexi]

You're correct. Yes. But they just weren't as powerful as Lilith has been. Yeah, so I think that would be.

[Nicole]

That is what I will say for.

[Lexi]

That to be Sloan second signet. I definitely think she has or will have one.

[Nicole]

With Theophany dead, though, does that mean that there will now be a storm wielder to counter? Who?

[Lexi]

Who?

[Nicole]

Theophany. What? Oh, you have the evil.

[Lexi]

You have no I think that's a. Like.

[Nicole]

No, I think that's.

[Lexi]

That's a great, great, great. Yeah. Because now that the funny is gone.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Lexi]

You know what I could see necessary.

[Nicole]

For that is if Sloan gets one of Liam's signets. So either ice or farsight, which, by.

[Lexi]

The way, Liam wielded ice.

[Nicole]

Yeah, he did. I felt so valid.

[Lexi]

Crazy.

[Nicole]

That was so satisfying. Oh, my God.

[Lexi]

Yes.

[Nicole]

Amazing. Yes, yes, yes.

[Lexi]

Real quickly, I. I have. There's. I'm so sorry. Asking about Lynx's role future. His future role with his sign, that of Shadows later in the book. And all I can think is Rebecca's interview question about if Zayan wields shadow puppets. And all I can imagine is Links being like, you know what? He might not. But everybody, this is my time to shine. I know that's not the answer, the actual answer to the question, but Links really stepping into his own with shadow puppets because Satan won't.

[Nicole]

Well, I want to talk about Links for two seconds because there's that line from. It's either tavara or immaterial. I think it might be immaterial. Who talks about how the last time a lightning wielder and a shadow wielder were together, they fought against the Great War. So we can assume it was one of the first six. Again, who. Which one? We have no idea yet. Which drives me crazy. I want to know so bad, but I bet you anything that when Zaden overheard that, it was like, okay, like that's, you know, Violet and I. But then when Links manifested, he was like, okay, that role is now filled for me. So I'm just like, I'm good to go. Which broke my heart. I needed to make things sad. What's the next question here?

[Lexi]

Is Theophany really dead? That's always a question you have to ask in these books.

[Nicole]

God fucking. I think so. The reason I think so, she. She like desiccated. She was completely shrivel up and like blew away with the wind like Voldemort. So I spoiler. I do think that that movie.

[Lexi]

Voldemort.

[Nicole]

Movie Voldemort, Yes. So, yeah, I think she's. I think she's dead. Unless Mavens can do something we don't know.

[Lexi]

But it was also the stone from the temple where it really was Dune's magic coming into play. So, yes, I do think that she is dead. I did just see a follow up with.

[Nicole]

Is Panchak dead? That is unclear.

[Lexi]

Yeah, that is very unclear. I have read that chapter and there's no mention of him After Zaden does his shadow thing there. So, yes, I do want to point out, because there has been some confusion about Xaden's pov. Well, all. A lot of.

[Nicole]

I definitely want to answer this question after you're done.

[Lexi]

Oh, my God.

[Nicole]

What a question. Wow.

[Lexi]

All right. About the line that Xaden thinks how he's not supposed to be dead. And it is very vague and a little bit confusing in that POV because people are. Are thinking maybe that he's. He's supposed. He's supposed to be dead is referring to his new brother, which could mean Liam. People are wondering if it's Liam. Rebecca has confirmed Liam is dead, unfortunately. And I think that the way that the paragraph and pages keep going, he then starts talking about how his bond with Berwyn is very complicated. And there's, like, magic that is unexplainable to it, too. Kind of like how his bond with Violet is. So I think that it is more talking about Berwyn versus it is talking about the brother. So the person who is the new brother is not someone who was supposed to be dead. It is someone who has known Zaden has been Venon for the last five months. Again, I think the top contenders are Bodhi, Garrick, and possibly Aric and even Brennan. So, yeah.

[Nicole]

All right. Lexi. Fuck Mary. Kill Theophany Berwin Barish. I love you, Maddie, for asking this question. This is amazing. I have my answer. Do you have yours?

[Lexi]

I have to kill Varish.

[Nicole]

Like, obviously. Yes, obviously. I would marry the office in a heartbeat. Like, I don't have to be playing this game. I love her so much. I would.

[Lexi]

I kind of want to her.

[Nicole]

Really.

[Lexi]

I see.

[Nicole]

I would get unlimited if. If marriage was on the table.

[Lexi]

Y'all play the game, right?

[Nicole]

Berwin is described as, like, seemingly like an eerily youthful face. Few shots of tequila, I could. I could make out with Berwyn, but he would not even.

[Lexi]

You know, he's a family man. Oh, my God.

[Nicole]

I. I don't care. Theophany has my heart and soul. I love her so much. Oh, my gosh.

[Lexi]

Who is Berwin? Great question. Yes, Berwyn is. Okay, so in Iron Flame, or actually in Fourth Wing at the Battle of Resin, there was the Venin, the Sage Venin, who had the staff. And then in Iron Flame, that same Venin was showing up in Violet and. And Xaden's dreams. And then he was the Venin who Xaden had that final showdown with and the one who caused Xaden to end up pulling from the source to save Violet because he was threatening Violet's life. And so he. We always thought that he was a sage because that was how he was referred to. And then at the very end of the book, he said sage. Ha ha ha ha. I am a general. However, he. Don't laugh at me, Nicole. However, he is never referred to as a maven. And. And even though there is that epigraph where it's like maven are their generals. So I wonder if Berwin was a general before he was Venon and that title just kind of sticks with him. And so he's like, I'm still a general, but he's not a maven, as confirmed in an Onyx Storm. He is a sage, while Theophany is a maven. So she is older than Berwyn. However, Berwin still said something along the lines of I have waited centuries. Which is why we thought that he was General Daramor, who was the leader.

[Nicole]

She said that she was like. She implied that she was immortal and Violet was like, what the heck? So we don't know how old Theophany is, but I'm assuming older than centuries.

[Lexi]

Oh, absolutely. And I think that she is also older than Berwin. Like she. Because she's higher up than he is. And she also made some kind of comment of there are very few who are faster than me. Something to that effect. And I. I'm still get convinced that General Darrymore is like the. The final big bad. The final boss, so to speak. The final boss because he would be considered like the very few, but he's just not participating quite yet, which the.

[Nicole]

Often he kind of alludes to a final boss. And we're like General Duramor along the same question with Berwin is, do you think that Berwin is Naolin? Because I've seen this question quite a lot. It I don't. Because if we're looking at age. So we know that Brennan is nine years older than Violet. It was confirmed in Onyx Storm and then we knew. We know that Brennan was dating someone who was two to three years older than him. Is that what they said?

[Lexi]

Yes. The only thing that we know is mirror said a few a year or two older than him. Okay, so. So a few years older.

[Nicole]

So let's say 10 years older than Violet. If he has turned. We're now six years past. He's not that old. What I'm trying to say. So I. I can't do stair math on the fly apparently. I can't do age math. So I don't think that he is going to be Naolin. I do think that Naolin is going to be but I don't see him as an ASM either because, because I think you're right.

[Lexi]

I think he's definitely going to be a sage at this point also. Last little thing too is Sigail would have known Naolin because of him being Terence writer. And even though she wouldn't have had that same kind of mental bond connection with him because or at least used it, she, she clearly didn't see, at least we didn't hear anything from her when she saw Berwin at any of those times. So. Yeah, yeah. And same with Taryn. He has seen him as well. So I feel like we would have gotten the hint that he was Naolin.

[Nicole]

Agreed. Agreed. Agreed. I want to answer this one from Kelly, which is, do we think the compass is like Pirates of the Caribbean and points to what you want? That was my initial thought, but it's Rebecca. So if it is that, it's going to be that 20% and then this other 80% of something that is something we can't even fathom. I can't even think of my thinking thoughts around that. What are your thoughts, Lex?

[Lexi]

Yes, I think Pirates of the Caribbean is a great example because the only other one that I would give is spoilers for kids. Yes, I, I do think so. But like Nicole said, I think that it's, there's going to be an extra twist to it to make it more, more unique and multi layered. I definitely think that most of these are going to come back into play. I have no idea what the, the Rusty bucket. Right? That's what it was. Eric got. Yeah.

[Nicole]

Dane slap.

[Lexi]

That was mostly one of my favorite moments.

[Nicole]

I, I think we were filming that chapter because you and I are cackling. We're laughing, we're dying and there's the cat and we're just like giddy and then he gets absolutely.

[Lexi]

Hating.

[Nicole]

Oh my God. And then Traeger gets shot, shot through the heart. And it was just so, oh God.

[Lexi]

That sobered us up real fast.

[Nicole]

It's like, oh, oh yeah, I, I'm, I think I have that filmed and I, I really want, want that. Scott oh God. Someone asked how do I deal with this book hangover? I have a really great answer for you on February 3rd. How does that sound?

[Lexi]

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[Nicole]

I had a therapy appointment. Like I think it was last Thursday. And we did the entire therapy appointment from the floor. I was laying on the ground, my legs were up the wall and I was just talking to her on my laptop, which was so easy, so convenient. And when I tell you I felt a million times better after that therapy session, I don't even know. Shouts to you, Taylor, I love you, girl.

[Lexi]

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[Nicole]

Write your own story with better help. Visit betterhelp.comffg to get 10% off your first month. That's better help. H lp.comffg whose green dragon did Berwin kill? I think Pan checks but I'm seeing some people who think bodies.

[Lexi]

So. So it's never specifically stated. Again, there is a lot of vagueness on purpose. I am under the impression that it is Panchex dragon. Panchak has a green club tail while Bodhi has a green tail dagger tail. Thank you. And. And so Berwin was like going towards Panchak with the two alloy hilted daggers and Panchak's like you're not going to kill me, blah. And then very soon after that is when Berwin stabs a dragon. So a green dragon. So I am interpreting that as he was threatening Panchak and instead of killing Panchak, he killed Pantech's dragon which also Allah Hilto dagger. The can apparently kill dragons which is insane but also makes sense because they are the only thing that can kill Venin besides, you know, lightning and such. So I think that is a crazy development that we learned there too.

[Nicole]

I've been seeing this question quite a lot from Robin, from multiple people. Not. Not just you, Robin. I'm sorry, do you think. Do you think Xaden has a third signet one because of his grandfather and him being an intensic is due to the relic. So I've been seeing a lot of versions of this. This question where it's like because of the relic he's an intrinsic. He has the shadows from Sigil. But I want to clarify something real quick because this is how we understood it and this was something we had to reread a few times is the yes, the dragons are seeking out those with relics, but it's not because their rebellion relics are an extra channel. Instead it's because those dragons were paired with their a direct relative of theirs.

[Lexi]

So those, they purposefully sought these marked ones out because they knew that they could be trusted to fight against the Venin like their parents did.

[Nicole]

Exactly. So what the dragons are doing are they are bonding someone in the direct familial line so that this one person will have multiple signets AKA more power. So the dragons are basically building themselves a super powerful army so that when it is time to fight against the dark wielders, AKA now they have more power on their side is how is how we understood it. So there would not be a third signet unless major egg on our face. There would not be a third signet because the direct familial bond is one which is his intensic and that's Garrick's distance wielding. It's Imogen's earthbending, I'm going to call it. And then there's the dragon relic signet which is Zaden shadows, so on and so forth.

[Lexi]

Yep. Yeah, there was just. While we're talking about second signets, there were some people wondering if Bodhi has a second signet or if he knows about Zaden second signet.

[Nicole]

Yes.

[Lexi]

Sorry, I'm trying to, I'm trying to scroll through more than 400 start questions right now. So I'm sorry if I'm not able to pull them up.

[Nicole]

I'll riff for a second because I am 100 on this team. Absolutely. The way that if Bode had just said no, like, no, I don't have one. And if, if that was the case, I would also just be such a twist to the knife. But I do think the way he say it, he said it where it was no, just like Xaden doesn't have one and that just like Xaden doesn't have one. I could take it two ways. Number one is it is him wanting to be like Xaden again. Going back and I'm not saying this more like as a childish thing. It was like I want to be like my older brother. Like, I'm not saying it like that. It's more like like he, he just. Zayden was always.

[Lexi]

He's.

[Nicole]

He's the dude, you know. But the other way I view this is Bodhi. If he is an intrinsic, he would know that Zayden is also an intensic. Now, the flip side to that is, wouldn't Zayden also know that Bodhi is an intensic? And then we're in the, you know that I know that, you know, you know, like we're into that realm and that just gets confusing. So I'm gonna be keeping Alfred intense against. Oh, my God. Wow. That was too hard.

[Lexi]

To our tongue twisters as we practice.

[Nicole]

That we do before every other warm ups. Oh, my gosh.

[Lexi]

I, I did think that exchange was interesting. I, I, I'm gonna go with he does not know about Xaden's intensic signet because it was almost like a. No, Zaden, I don't have one. Just like, like how Zaden doesn't. But he doesn't mention Garrick kind of thing as his like, wink, wink, nudge, nudge. As far as him having a second signet, I would wonder if it would, if we would have seen it on the page, the way that he is trying to go up against Theophany and his signet doesn't work against her, and he's kind of sad about that. And so I would think that he would use anything in his arsenal if he did have a second signet.

[Nicole]

Yeah, yeah. Agreed, agreed, agreed.

[Lexi]

Well, Gracie, just as we are talking about marked ones and their second signets, let's go through who we know has a second signet and friends in the chat. We might need your help on this here too. So we know Garrick.

[Nicole]

He is a wind wielder and a distance wielder. We know. Well, Violet, she is a. I don't need to tell you this. She's. She's the thing that we've been talking about for forever. Zaden is shadows and intense. Liam was farsight and ice. Imogen is mind erasing and earth. I'm calling it earthbending. I know there's another word for it, but I can't remember off the top of my head.

[Lexi]

We love Avatar too much. Real quickly, I do also want to say in, in the book, it did clarify that she was using speed, which is a lesser magic, because that was a huge question mark about how she was using her magic. Her signet on the, on the mat with Violet and Fourth wing. And I feel like Rebecca kind of like threw us a bone with that one where it's like, here, it's lesser magic, everybody.

[Nicole]

And I think that's it, right? I, I can't think of Anyone else?

[Lexi]

The only that we know of. I'm looking here.

[Nicole]

I think that's all that I've seen.

[Lexi]

That we know of. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Nicole]

Cool, cool. So. Yeah.

[Lexi]

Yes. What I see. Yep. Liam, Garrick, Imogen, and Zaden. Yep. Yes, yes. All right. Oh, my gosh. I, I, I've just been seeing, so. Oh, you know what? This is a good question here. Thoughts on why re got a chapter? Because we were kind of wondering that too. Don't get us wrong. We love RI so much. It was a good chapter. Yeah. And I kept waiting for someone to die. I kept waiting for someone to die. Yeah. I was like, this is really big to happen.

[Nicole]

I thought we were gonna see Riddick's death through. Through Reese pov. And I'm not gonna lie. I would have flipped a little. Little. Like, that would have been a little disappointing. But we didn't. The reason I think it was there is for two, twofold. This is a battle where so much is happening throughout a very vast space, and that's real quickly.

[Lexi]

For instance, even, like, as they were going to the battle, Violet had to be told multiple times, you have one objective, like, you need to go after theophany. Everybody else, we need to get other people to safety. Kind of like stay in your lane, so to speak. And so this was a great example, like you're saying, of seeing the other side of it where. Where the other objective was happening. Yeah.

[Nicole]

And I think when it comes to re, we haven't really ever been in her pov, not, like, not directly, at least. And we haven't spent enough time with her to know what that POV is like. But I think that Rebecca wanted to show it for twofold. Number one is to show what else is happening on the field. I think a subcategory of that is also showing where people are on the field. So knowing where Riddick is, where all those people are in that moment, is really important. And then I think the other reason is seeing RI as that leader was really cool because she is a very. I love Violet. Violet is one of my favorite female characters from all of literature because of this book. I loved her. In this book, RI knows what she's doing. Violet lovingly sometimes does it. She's a little bit more think off the fly, and. And you really got to see what a calculated thinker Re is, and also how much fears trust, trusts Re and pushes her. What are your thoughts, Lex?

[Lexi]

All of that. I think that it was to show her as a leader. It was to show what else was going on in the battle. I. I think also she's just a great character. It was great to get that insight from her. It does make me very worried for her next book though.

[Nicole]

I've seen that a few times and people are saying that getting to know re in that way was oh well, well, goodbye.

[Lexi]

Yep.

[Nicole]

And I've seen this.

[Lexi]

Go ahead.

[Nicole]

Yes. No, I was actually going to pull this one up a few minutes ago. Go for it.

[Lexi]

Yeah. So the question from Madison is, and I've seen this other times here as well, are Violet and Zaden mates? Taryn mentioned a couple of times about Violet choosing Slash having a mate and Violet responded by saying humans don't have mates. But do they? You are not the only one who has wondered about this.

[Nicole]

Were we talking about this on the phone today or yesterday? Like, I think we were literally talking.

[Lexi]

About this blur together.

[Nicole]

The day is blur. I. I don't think it's going to be direct mates like we have seen in other Romantasy novels. I think it's going to have like some kind of extra twist to it.

[Lexi]

Where it's like sorry to interrupt you, like where it is or where they are like the first mated human pair because there has never been a couple like them before. Or I love the theory that they almost become mate meets through a soul deep level when she works towards saving him. Like she. I don't know how this would work. Sacrifices some part of herself so that his soul can be whole by her helping him make that happen on a literal soul bond connection which makes them officially mates. I think that Taryn mentioning this. It's one of two things. It's either foreshadowing or it is Rebecca kind of shutting it down. And one or the other.

[Nicole]

If it is the latter, whoops.

[Lexi]

I will say like I don't think that it is like you, like you said in the sense that we are used to, but it would be some kind of unique twist to it with them being that way. I also kind of like that they aren't mates because it's almost like their love is so deep and so real that. Which by the way, like their love story and their connection in this book was just. I loved the two of them so much. They just love each other so much. And I think that it's almost like it's okay if it is just like that because it doesn't have to be mates like faded mates like that.

[Nicole]

Yeah, yeah, I. Yeah, I agree. I. I do see this being something that could definitely be a potential book. Four or five Thing, especially with them being gone. I love the idea of her giving up part of her soul to like put in.

[Lexi]

I also just saw a qu comment. I'm so sorry, it's going too fast. That maybe Venant can have mates. Oh, anything's on the table with venom at this point. I don't understand their magic. So I love that. I love that a lot.

[Nicole]

Oh my gosh. I have seen a lot of questions about like, is this book gonna have a happy ending? I, I think I, I am going to 97% confident say that. That 97.5% confidence say that this is going to have a happy ending. It's five books. If it's five books and then it breaks our heart at the very end. I could see it where it's in a way where it's like soul shattering, but it's hopeful. But I do think that she, she does, she has said she, she loves a happy ending. She has also written some books that are to the contrary of that statement. Not in a bad way. It's just, it's, it's always in a soul shred apart way. So I think it's going to be happy though.

[Lexi]

I think so too. And also in her Good Morning America interview that she did a few days ago, and I know she's mentioned this in other interviews too, where it's like that big question, like, are they going to have a happy ending? And she's like, this is a five book series. And I'm so sorry, my Internet's been a little bit funky and I'm freezing a tiny bit. Nicole, am I good on your end?

[Nicole]

You're good.

[Lexi]

Okay, good, good, good. And I do think that they are going to end up having their version of a happy ending. Are they going to be riding off into the sunset on their dragons? I don't know about that, but it's a five book series and they have to go down. They have to get to their own rock bottom and then build back up and find their way back to each other. And that's really what the series is about.

[Nicole]

That's where we are in the W. It feels like that. That's for sure.

[Lexi]

Yes, yes, yes. Oh, this is a cool question from Alyssa. Do you think dragons can be killed by Ally hilted Daggers? Because they also pull magic from the ground like Venin instead of the sky and Irids pull from the sky. So there's so many questions about Irids and, and, and how the other dragons work too. Because there were a few comments in the books about how Dragons do pull magic from the world around them. Not. Not in the same way that Venon do. But there needs to be magic in existence for them to be sustainable on it while as the Irids are magic. Period. So yeah, I like, I. I don't. I don't know how. I don't know what else to say to that.

[Nicole]

Well, and that would add a whole new element of you could command the sky. Like maybe she could command the seventh dragon den. Like she could be the commander of it. I don't know if it would be that direct. One to one, go for it.

[Lexi]

I love it because she is. She is power. Like she, like for instance, like with her lightning. Like Violet doesn't need to wield from the sky or even from the ground. Like she can wield from her hands. Yeah. And that's kind of how I interpret the Irids are as well. And like Andarna is too. Oh my God.

[Nicole]

I do want to throw this question because this is kind of similar. Irides are magic. So can and Darna fix her own wing? I love that. I love that a lot. I could see it. I don't think it's going to happen because I think part of and darn his magic is that she has this, this growth development or growth not develop. You know what I'm trying to say? Where this, the part of her wing didn't grow in fully during the dream of sleep. And I think that's also just such a direct one to one with Violet where she does have also this thing that is. Is hindering her, but she overcomes it anyway. And we're just having this moment where Andarna is working on her overcoming it anyway.

[Lexi]

Yeah, I, I agree. And also Brennan says that line, and I know that it refers to the mending signet, but I could see it applying to all, all factions of magic where it is like you can't fix what's not there, so to speak.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Lexi]

So yeah. Yes. Let's talk about more of like Violet's dream walking signet here because we've only kind of scratched the surface with that. Do you think that Violet will ever use her dreamwalking signet to manipulate her enemies? Yes.

[Nicole]

Imagine how much fun that would be to. With Melgren. Like that would be so much fun.

[Lexi]

Or Daddy Atos. I don't know how she would. I have no idea how that would happen, but oh my God, yes.

[Nicole]

And I only can imagine if Riddick had this signal. He would like go into someone's and like pick their nose or something like.

[Lexi]

That you totally pull a spongebob with.

[Nicole]

Gary and he's like, yep, absolutely. Oh, God, I love you. But yes, I do think. I think if anything, it would be to manipulate them in a way that makes them start doubting themselves or start doubting their plans. So it'd be almost. It'd be mind. Mind war she would wage on someone. I think we're going to mainly see Violet use her dream walking still with Zayden because they are still so connected even though he is not with her.

[Lexi]

I think she's going to get information from others, too.

[Nicole]

Yeah, absolutely. I can't. I can't wait to see how this develops. Just like we did with Felix in Iron Flame with the power Signet. I really. Oh, my God, I'm feral for it.

[Lexi]

It. Yes, she's. I've seen this question come up multiple times here about why we think and Darna came back. Other variations of it are, where has Indarna been? Like, did she go all the way to the aisles? Because I agree with you, Courtney. We were not expecting her to come back for us. It was more like Book four, but we were like, whoa. And is back. Okay, then. And do we think that Imogen erased Andarna's memory and darn is leaving memory from vi?

[Nicole]

I don't know on that one.

[Lexi]

Yeah, that one's a little bit more multi days versus, like the 12 hours, so to speak. But I'm really curious again, like, I've seen several other questions here, too, about, like, how exactly does Imogen's signet work? You know, we kind of like, were joking about in fourth wing where, like, Dane has, like, the Google search and then Bearish, like, pretty much confirmed it, where it's like, just search for the word, you know, like Arisha or not Marisha Athene. And it's like, oh, but. But. So I do wonder how that works for Imogen. Does Imogen retain the memories instead? I could definitely see that too.

[Nicole]

I also think Imogen was with Violet for the last 12 hours at the end of this book. I know I'm kind of digressing from the question, but I think that she. The. The way that she was phrasing because. Because Violet looks at her ring and she's like, what the fuck is this? And Imogen, like, like, blatantly looks down at the ground almost like in. I'm not going to say shame, but almost in, like, oh, God, here we go. Like, kind of in that book. So I do.

[Lexi]

That opens up a whole other. Because he was with Garrick and. Okay, we're gonna put a pin in that for a second. Let's go back to Andarna here. So. So here's what I imagine happened, and please tell me if. If I'm wrong here, but there was approximately a week that went by from when Indarna left, and Violet grieved for several days, and then when she came back. Is. Is that right? About a week or so?

[Nicole]

It was. It was about that.

[Lexi]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

I think I was. No more than two weeks. That I can say with confidence.

[Lexi]

Definitely no more than that. Okay, so it would have taken Indara, like, pretty much that whole time to fly to the Irid's den, assuming that it is somewhere around the aisles, and then fly back. I mean, it certainly is possible, but again, like. And Darna, with her little wings, like, she needs extra breaks.

[Nicole]

She didn't have her harness, so unless he often let her, like, sit on his back, but I doubt it.

[Lexi]

Yep, probably. Well, yeah, so. So what I could have seen happen is that she was on her way, and then Violet had her dream. Used her dreamwalking signet, and she almost, like, registered that there was, like, some kind of channeling from Violet, and it made Andarna realize, oh, my gosh, like, our bond isn't broken. Like, there is is. There is more to it. It is so much deeper than that, where it was, like, surface level broken, but not actually broken broken. I wish I could say other book spoilers to give a reference to that, but I can't right now. But if you know, you know, and. And so then I think that maybe that was when Andarna was like, oh, my gosh, like, Violet does need me. She needs me. And that's when she turned around and chose Violet over the Irids. I could also, however, see that she arrives to the den and is kind of is shunned. Remember how? Oh, my gosh, all I want to do is call him Leonard.

[Nicole]

Can we just call Leonard on the show? I just want his name.

[Lexi]

I know we always want to honor the. The correct names, but that's too much fun. Or Tiffany for Theophany. I apologize in advance for all of the reaction videos where we are just like. Like, literally have no sleep whatsoever.

[Nicole]

At one point. We call Theophany Thief. I foe Thumb, and then me a Thermopolis Grinol.

[Lexi]

We just kept calling her me at Thermopolis. Anyway, this episode is sponsored by Squarespace. Having an effective website is an essential part of running a small business. We know that firsthand. The Fantasy Fangirls website has been an invaluable tool in helping us grow our business. That's where Squarespace comes in.

[Nicole]

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[Lexi]

Plus, for folks who sell products through their website, Squarespace makes checkout seamless for your customers with simple but powerful payment tools. Except credit cards. PayPal and Apple Pay and in eligible countries offer customers the option to buy now and pay later with afterpay and clear Pay.

[Nicole]

Go to squarespace.com for a free trial and then when you're ready to Launch, go to squarespace.com FFG and save 10% off your your first purchase of a website or domain. I want to pull this question because it related to what you're talking about right now. Because when it's the very last chapter, Violet sees a shadow move in the. In the peripheral. In her peripheral vision. And then. And Darna speaks into her mind, I won't let them burn you. So first of all, she speaks into her mind. So the bond is active. I took the I won't let them burn you as the seventh dragon Den is here because they just moved in the shadows house. And she's like, I. I will not let them burn you. I won't let them hurt you. That's what I thought it meant.

[Lexi]

Which is so interesting because when you said that in the reactions episode, I was like, whoa, I never got that. I understood it as Violet's connected to some really, really bad right now with the six. Six missing eggs and a lot of people and dragons dead.

[Nicole]

The elders are dead. That's not. That's a big deal.

[Lexi]

Yes. And where. Where Andarna is in her protection, where it's like, I'm not gonna let them burn you because they want to right now. So that's how I interpret it.

[Nicole]

Do you think the shadow then moving in the corner was Xaden?

[Lexi]

No, I thought that was Andarna.

[Nicole]

Oh, interesting. See, I think, I mean, I am excited to get to that on the deep dive. We're coming up on our last couple minutes, so we'll get as you guys are amazing you have so many questions. Holy God. We could not get to all of these if our lives depended on it. But we'll try to get to as many as we can.

[Lexi]

I do want to do a quick little plug here. Is that if you are part of our fantasy fan club, our February live Q and A. We have a monthly live Q and A. It's so much fun. And of course, it is going to be Onyx Storm for February. So if you are in the fan club, don't worry. We're doing another one of these in a few weeks. I don't have the exact date and time, but we will get that back to you here shortly. Yes, Nicole, go ahead. Okay.

[Nicole]

No, I was gonna say I'll pull it. Well, and if you. If you want to join the fan club, if that sounds like fun, you can go to fantasyfangirls.com forward/fan club, and we're all on there. Okay. I had one. I was actually gonna pull up the fan club date real quick.

[Lexi]

Oh, sorry. Go ahead.

[Nicole]

I found it. It is February 8th.

[Lexi]

February 8th. Okay, cool. Were you. Whoa. Hold on. This is awesome. Do you think Violet's second signet can change? Like the Irids can change an Alter? Could that be we. Could that be why she's so dangerous?

[Nicole]

Are you Lauren from Book Huddle? Because we've been literally texting with her about this. I think it's a really cool idea. I need. I need evidence before I can like, fully hop on this theory. Do I think that that could be why? Because I, I'm. I, I. I love dreamwalking. I've had some time with sit to sit with it. At first I was kind of like, oh, that is not what I expected at all. But now that I've had some time to sit with it, I'm really about it. But there is something more to it based off of what the ERID said. And if this is the something more who look out.

[Lexi]

I want to pull this one because I've never thought about this. Do. Did we realize that everything we've read has a different meaning now that we know Violet's parents believed their daughter daughter would turn then and since she was 2 years old. So in case for for a refresher here is that Violet's father took her to Umbreol to get her dedicated. We don't know exactly why, but there is a presumption that it was to try to fix her with her frail body or something like that. Again, that was not confirmed, but that's what I'm assuming And she could not complete the dedication because her future was not set in stone. She had multiple paths in front of her. And one of those paths was. I can't remember the exact language, but it was interpreted as she might turn venom. So therefore the dedication was incomplete. And that is why her hair is not fully silver. It is only partially silver. So I. This actually, I. I'm like wrapping my head around this because I hadn't even put two and two together like that. Where I'm thinking about Lilith and how she wanted her daughter to go into the writer's quadran. And that's interesting too, because I would imagine writers would be more susceptible to becoming Venon. But that also might be her mom's way of helping her again. Like what we've always thought with her being able to hold her own and things along those lines. Go ahead.

[Nicole]

Well, I was going to say there's that moment in when she's getting out of the torture chamber in Iron Flame when Lilith basically says something along the lines of, I knew you'd figure it out. I knew you would. So. So I don't see Lilith thinking this about her daughter, but with that same line of thinking. Would Lilith have thought when Violet figures out about the Venin, when she's captain or major from Markham, that she'd start pulling. I don't see Lilith ever thinking that Violet would turn venom, though.

[Lexi]

I'm sorry, I need to pull this right here. Sorry. Where did it go? The title's moving too fast. Mystery Grandmama there.

[Nicole]

I can't wait to get Mystery Grandmama in book four. If we do not get Niara in book four, I will lose it. I love, love this woman I've never met.

[Lexi]

Yeah. I am so excited to. On our deep dive to look more into the dedication, how it works with Dune and her magic. Because also I saw this question way earlier. Where. Why it did. Why did the continent, specifically Navarre, about what, 400 years ago or so and then poor meal even longer than that. They outlawed dedication to the gods.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Lexi]

200 years ago. Okay.

[Nicole]

Still. And that's a long time.

[Lexi]

It is. And my. The only way that I can think of it is that when they are dedicated, there is some kind of magic at play there. And especially high priestesses who are dedicated have. You know, it's the next best thing to be in a writer with the power that they have. Exactly what that means, we don't know. But it's. There's magic at play. And especially the way that the continent really wants to lock in power. Thinking About Navarre with how they outlawed runes as well, because they didn't want others to have that. I think that it was really their way of. Of ensuring others don't have power that. That. That. That the dragons are not in control of. However, with Poor Meal, it was outlawed even earlier than that. So I'm curious how that might work, because I would. Yeah.

[Nicole]

Oh, God, I love your brain. Yes. Yes, yes. All right, let's pull one more. Two more.

[Lexi]

Yes. Yes. I'm gonna let you pull one, and I'll pull one here.

[Nicole]

Okay. Sounds good. Oh, dear. Oh, dear. Okay. I've actually seen this question a few times. How do the Sages control initiates? How are they under their command? We do not know for certain. But the way I viewed it is I'm gonna use Berwin as an example because he does have Xaden fully under his control. We get that in the ending, in Zayden's end, where he's like, I was summoned here and basically against his will. And he was not an Asim then, so he was still an initiate. So the way I view it is it's almost like this compulsion where it's like you can't say no to it. It's like this. I'm going to call it a tug. I'm going to use a silly example. Berwin is a fisherman. Berwin casts a line out for a specific ASM or initiate and rails them on whatever manner he needs. So that is how I view it. That is one of the main reasons I do think that Zaden is with the Venin at the end of this book. And he will be at the beginning of book for yes.

[Lexi]

Also just kind of trying to squeeze in as many questions as we can into one of these. There was also some confusion about who exactly the son that Berwin is referring to. We are under the impression that it was Jack. But that is not like actual son.

[Nicole]

Like, no, he's his father.

[Lexi]

It is more of a. The way that the Venin, they consider themselves a family in that sense that we learned at the very end of Iron Flame where a Jack calls. Yeah, like, we're brothers now. He was not just being that to be snarky like, they actually do consider one. Like, they call each other brothers. And which I do also think that being in. I'll say, like the Venon mindset, say that's why Zayn was calling him a brother at the. Whoever it is in his chapter, like, he's really starting to go, like, yeah.

[Nicole]

His mind's starting to be warped into Venice.

[Lexi]

And so bur. And so then their sages are their. Their mentors. But from their point. But from the sage's point of view, it is the like, sun or something like that. So Panchak was referring to Jack and Berwin's like, I don't need Jack anymore. I got somebody else now.

[Nicole]

I haven't.

[Lexi]

Which is not really a family man sort of thing. So maybe I wouldn't marry him.

[Nicole]

I have a really quick, quick question and answer. This is from Maddie. Do you think Violet and Zane will have dream sex next book? Yes, absolutely, I do. 100%.

[Lexi]

I saw somebody ask us. We're gonna have to make sure to see if that counts or not in our best.

[Nicole]

It would count. That would totally.

[Lexi]

We're not opening up that can of worms right now.

[Nicole]

I also want to throw this out from Sealy Queen, which is.

[Lexi]

What.

[Nicole]

Are you excited? What scene are you most excited needed to cover this book? I'm gonna say for lore and. And deep dive reasons. Honestly, Umbrell, I'm really excited for the Isle of Umbriel with looking at the dedication, with how that works. What the. What the woman says to Violet and then just for shits.

[Lexi]

Wielded lightning, too.

[Nicole]

Yeah. How she wielded lightning.

[Lexi]

The.

[Nicole]

The girl with the half silver hair. Which, by the way, if she has half silver hair, does that mean that she's gonna turn Ben in one day?

[Lexi]

It's just if their futures are unsure. So it's.

[Nicole]

I thought it was. Okay, well, that'll be a great thing to cover it. And then just for. For absolute shits and giggles. Zenal Zenalia was one of my favorite. That. That was a fun time, that part of that book. So those are the two I'm most looking forward to.

[Lexi]

I. Those are two top ones for me too. Really talking. Oh, my gosh. Like even episode two where we're gonna be talking about tornado and 11 and the second signets and all of that and Jack and what it means with how he says that the sages and mavens, like, could be just walking around and nobody would know. I have so many questions about how they glamour themselves. But again, like, all of that. I think also when we start learning more about the second signet, like when we cover chapter 50, that's going to be a really good one too. Obviously, the ending.

[Nicole]

Thank you. Oh, my God.

[Lexi]

I feel like Rebecca just like we all are, you know, like, playing the game and we all, you know, like, she gives us the box and we. We open it and we get the hand card. And she slaps us across the face. And we all, just as readers, are like, thank you.

[Nicole]

Yeah. Yeah. That's accurate. That's amazing. Oh, man. Oh, my gosh. That's so true.

[Lexi]

Yes.

[Nicole]

All right, one more.

[Lexi]

What the happened to Grady? He wasn't a douche in Iron Flame, but slept so bad in Onyx. I am so excited to cover this.

[Nicole]

Part too, because what my guy Grady took some Ls. He went downhill so fast.

[Lexi]

Go for two now with the professors. First you was all about car, and then he turned out to be an asshole.

[Nicole]

In Iron Flame, I'm all about Professor Zaddy. And Professor Zaddy goes full on asym bad guy at the very end. I, I, I like Tavara. I'm gonna go with a safe answer. I like Tavara. Oh my God.

[Lexi]

That is, that's my. Yeah, I actually this is another thing that I'm going to be really excited to explore because Grady's tasks task force seemed very suspicious with all of them having common signet and not really knowing what they're doing. And so part of me is like looking at it from a. Okay, like let's look at this from a. I'll say innocent POV where Grady has experience behind enemy lines. That was why he was chosen for it. And he. This is not behind enemy lines like anybody has ever experienced before. They needed a tactician. They needed somebody who knows their shit, who not just who can withstand torture when they're behind enemy lines kind of thing. And so I do think that there was just that element of it. But then the way that it's almost like they were wanting it to fail.

[Nicole]

Yeah. With Daddy Atos, it was all Daddy Ato's pulling the puppet.

[Lexi]

Melgren. Melgren was the one who appointed him.

[Nicole]

Yeah, I'm pretty sus about Mel grin right now. I'm not gonna lie.

[Lexi]

Also, can I just say the Emerald Sea. And there was multiple pirate references. We know there are Krakens in this world, so I am calling it book 4. We are going to the Emerald Sea. We're going to encounter pirates and there's going to be a Kraken and he is finally going to get their. Their time to shine to being able to breathe underwater and save everybody. Is.

[Nicole]

Is the Emerald Sea. The Pirates of the Emerald Sea. Our new Isle kingdoms. Because I think it might be. You know what?

[Lexi]

And I see somebody saying pirate Zaddy. Yes. He's gonna be the new Jack Sparrow. Oh, my God.

[Nicole]

Don't you dare toy with my heart like that. Oh, my God. All right, I Have a really good last. Last question to wrap this up here. And that is, what bonus POV would you like to see come out for Onyx Storm? So I'm going to take this as what scene from Violet's point of view do we want to see? From another person's point of view or if someone went off on an adventure? And what. What would we want their POV to be?

[Lexi]

I just first have to say I just need a whole novella of Riddick and his dragon.

[Nicole]

Yes. Oh, my God. With the. With the game that they have where Iotram sprays Riddick with water. He's like. He's just getting me back for the itching powder under his scales.

[Lexi]

Oh, my gosh. Oh, let's see.

[Nicole]

I'm gonna throw out Indarna when she leaves. I want journey. Like, what the hell happened?

[Lexi]

Or oh.

[Nicole]

Oh, my God. Aric. Arik discovering he has precognition.

[Lexi]

That's brilliant. If that was an Onyx Storm.

[Nicole]

True.

[Lexi]

I'm excited rx rxp of you with that Zayden's POV and the 12 hours that are missing.

[Nicole]

Oh.

[Lexi]

God.

[Nicole]

I can just like, I. I can't get it out of my head. Have I cried about this multiple times? Yes. Yes, I have. Holden. What? Like what he was thinking when he was just in his basket for 12 hours. That's amazing.

[Lexi]

Probably finger banging the captain in the basket as they were traveling.

[Nicole]

I don't think they were in the same basket. I thought they were in two separate baths.

[Lexi]

Maybe. I just assumed.

[Nicole]

So he's just calling out sweet nothings?

[Lexi]

I didn't say that. I just.

[Nicole]

No, he's not creative. He's not creative enough for sweet nothing. Oh, my God. That's incredible.

[Lexi]

Oh, interesting. I didn't know this, Alex. So Rebecca has said that she wouldn't write from a dragon's pov.

[Nicole]

That makes sense with how many secrets they have regarding the empyrean.

[Lexi]

Yeah. Thank you so much for that information. Yeah.

[Nicole]

Oh, Xaden's mom pov. I don't. I don't know if I could read that and not just burst into flames and anger. I truly don't.

[Lexi]

There. I. I did see several questions and we're going totally over again. If you have to jump, that's totally fine. This is all going to be. Be recorded. We still have. Wow. 3500.

[Nicole]

I keep looking at the number and I think I'm. I'm having a daydream. I don't think it's real.

[Lexi]

Will Zaden's mom have her own redemption arc. I am so interested. I'm going to say yes. I think that she is definitely going to come back into play. I don't think that she liked how that whole encounter went. And she is.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Lexi]

I want to say she has is good intentions, but I. That's.

[Nicole]

I don't think we can say that with a straight face. I think she thinks she has good intentions.

[Lexi]

That's what I mean. Yes. Yes.

[Nicole]

Yeah, she. I do think she will come back into play. I actually agree with you. I do think she will have some form of redemption arc. Look, if Rebecca Yarros can make me say golly fracking Daddy Dane after fourth wing gfdd, I think that she can write a redemption arc for. For Mama Ryerson.

[Lexi]

Yes. Yeah.

[Nicole]

Oh, I just saw. I think Zayden's mom will die for him. Oh, wait.

[Lexi]

I could definitely see that.

[Nicole]

I can definitely. Ooh.

[Lexi]

For povs Mira and Grandmama. Oh, my gosh. Yes. Yeah, I. I definitely think that we will see her in book four. Yes.

[Nicole]

Oh. Oh, my God. Love this book. Oh, my gosh.

[Lexi]

You all also just like, as we're wrapping up here, I know that we kind of did this in our Q and A box yesterday, but what was your favorite part about Onyx Storm? Love to hear your thoughts here while.

[Nicole]

We'Re waiting for the chat to catch up. What would you. What was your favorite part, Lex?

[Lexi]

I mean, I'll give to. I'll give a specific scene and I will also give kind of an overarching. The overarching was definitely how the world building expanded for me. It really took it to high fantasy and I think that I. We knew that it had the potential in fourth wing. I mean, we were deep diving it, but now as we deep dive, it's like, yes, of course there are so many theories, but also just the lore and being able to really dig into that and so many different elements of it. And I completely understand that it was a confusing book for some people who maybe did not sign up for high fantasy. And for me, I really see it as a series evolving and expanding. You think about. About Throne of Glass. You think about even Harry Potter and these incredible books that honestly, like, I love acotar. No spoilers here, but I did wish that we had a little bit more from characters and just. Just in such. Exactly. In like these big group settings. And so I just loved how Rebecca really trusted her readers to be able to go on this journey with her. So I loved all the world building. As far as scenes go, I gotta say yeah, the God of luck.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Lexi]

Just. That was. And also, like, how Violet had to really be a leader in that moment, too, where after Trager died, she had to like. It was heart wrenching. And I didn't necessarily like that part, but I loved the storytelling and what that meant for her character. But even everything leading up to that, I love that she's my consort.

[Nicole]

Yep, that was my consort. The bookstore scene I'm seeing. I hate sewing. I've seen that one so much.

[Lexi]

Yes.

[Nicole]

That's so good. I loved the moment where, honestly, for as much as I'm gonna be fuming when you record this on the deep dive. He. On. I really liked the hedion. Everything that we got in that scene, it was almost confusing, but in a way where it was like, I want to catch up where. Where Violet's mind is. And that. That really goes into the overarching favorite thing about this entire book. And I'm seeing this quite a bit in the. In the chat is Violet. She took the fucking stage in this book. And it's not to say that I didn't like her in An Iron Flame. I think her character arc really made sense in that book, given what she was dealing with. And she. Her arc just skyrocketed. This book. She was that brilliant fucking woman we know and love. She was a leader. She's the reluctant leader. We're going to talk about that a lot in episode one.

[Lexi]

I just.

[Nicole]

I really, really enjoyed it. And then fun things just like Halden in his basket, like a little. I love that. I'll say.

[Lexi]

Deborah. Ellie was another great one too, where we got that grandma. Yeah, all the grandmas and the kitty cats and. And how Taryn is like, something along the lines of like, please don't die.

[Nicole]

You want a house cat. You will not die from a house cat.

[Lexi]

Yes. Soren said. Ryer girl. Like, you could just tell Rebecca had so much fun writing this book. So, yeah.

[Nicole]

Yeah, there's. There's so much to love. And we're broccoli. Broccoli. Everything broccoli. We can't wait to deep dive this book with you all for 12 flipping weeks. I'm so excited. Oh, my gosh.

[Lexi]

Yes.

[Nicole]

Violet yelled at me. That was good, too. Yes.

[Lexi]

Yes. On February 3rd, we are so excited to start the deep dive. February 2nd, Nicole and I are going to be at Rebecca Yaris's Denver tour. We can't wait for that.

[Nicole]

Hope to see.

[Lexi]

See some of you there.

[Nicole]

And then if you really quickly, if you are a Dragon Rider tier or above in the fantasy fan club, you do get episode one and all subsequent episodes one day early. So you will get it on February 2nd.

[Lexi]

And it's also ad free.

[Nicole]

And it's ad free as well. Yes, yes, yes. What other thing we have, like we said, we have our live Q and A for our fantasy fan club members on February 8th. And then we have Quicksilver, which is our book club for February. And we got some really exciting news today that is a special twist to this book club that we will hold off on. Any more information on that? But that is going to be February, please. 28th. Thank you very much. We know we'll see a lot of you all@romanticy bookcon. We're so excited about that. In later on this month, we're hosting a lot of events. We're hosting a live show. Most of our events are sold out. You. You guys are amazing. Oh, my God.

[Lexi]

We're gonna be interviewing Penn Cole, which is gonna be so much fun, especially because we are gonna be covering Sparkly Ever Flame or her. Her series Kindred's Curse saga, starting with book one, Sparkly Ever Flame, in April, like right after we finish up with Onyx Storm. So we're gonna sit down with Penn, talk to her. We are so excited. Yes, yes, yes, yes.

[Nicole]

Can't wait. Thank you all so much for being here. 310 of you. I can't believe I just said that number. That's insane. Thank you all so, so much for being here. And we cannot wait for February 3rd.

[Lexi]

See you all again soon. Thank you so much. Oh, and also tag us on socials because. Yes.

[Nicole]

Oh, yeah, I was gonna say really quickly.

[Lexi]

Thank you. Thank you.

[Nicole]

Thank you to our executive producer, Hayden, who's in the background, also social media manager Kendra, and also our content researcher, Brooke. They are all in the background doing all the things, things that make Lexi and I's head not explode. We love them so much. Thank you, thank you. Thank you to those three wonderful humans. And what were you going to say, Lexi? I apologize.

[Lexi]

I was just gonna say we always love seeing all the tags on social media, especially with the live Q A and things like that. So if you had a chance, please be sure, sure to tag us and we will do our best to share. So, yeah.

[Nicole]

Awesome.

[Lexi]

All right, thank you so much, everyone. Have a wonderful evening or good morning if you are on the other side of the world. We love you so much. Bye.