Fantasy Fangirls — Ep 3 Brimstone: Chapters 13–20

Podcast Date: December 15, 2025
Hosts: Lexi (fantasy lore nerd, older sister) & Nicole (romantic at heart, younger sister)
Book Covered: Quicksilver series — Brimstone by Callie Hart (chapters 13–20)
SPOILER WARNING: Full spoilers for Brimstone and Quicksilver (including bonus chapters)

Episode Overview

In this episode, sisters Lexi and Nicole journey through chapters 13–20 of Brimstone, bringing their signature mix of in-depth lore analysis, character exploration, meta-theorizing, and sisterly banter. They break down plot events across two primary realms (Zelvarin and Amon Traeth), spotlight major character developments (Carrion, Kingfisher, Foley, Seras), explore the nature of demons and alchemy, highlight easter eggs, and share their favorite moments—culminating in an analysis-rich episode that’s equal parts fun, theory, recap, and riotous laughter.

1. Chapter Summaries — "Lorreth's Ballad" ([08:31])

Nicole kicks off with “Lorreth’s Ballad,” a rhythmic and rhyming recap of each chapter’s major events. (See full script above for poetic highlights.)

Key Plot Beats:

• Kingfisher & Carrion’s dangerous quest in Zelvarin: outmaneuvering guards, seeking a demon-haunted treasure tower, and confronting the scorpion demon Joshen.
• Seras in Amon Traeth: racing to uncover alchemical secrets to combat the spreading Rot, navigating library politics, and meeting the reclusive vampire Foley.
• Dream sequence: Seras and Kingfisher share a magically-charged, steamy reunion in the dream-space Huntsman Cottage.

2. Key Discussion Points & Insights

A. Zelvarin Plotline & Character Dynamics

Timestamps: 12:24–85:08

Ambush & Escape:

• Carrion and Kingfisher are ambushed by Madra’s guards expecting portal travelers; escape is only possible because Fisher plans ahead with magic and a shield ([14:20]).
  • Lexi: “Fisher does have his shit together, and Carrion is freaking out even the Quicksilver… It is a little bit like, come on, Carrie, I know what you’re getting yourself into.” ([14:20])
• Notable comic relief: Fisher throws Carrion out a window to escape, landing in a market stall (“My cabbages!” Avatar reference, [16:09]).

Interpersonal Tension:

• Fisher consistently underestimates Carrion, seeing him as “the smuggler,” not as King or equal ([16:07-35:22]).
  • Nicole: “It is this little inner monologue moment that highlights how, to Kingfisher, Carrion is less than. Which we will later learn, Carrion, when he’s viewed as less than, he will play into that illusion…” ([16:09])
• Carrion’s “playing dumb” becomes a tactical tool—people underestimate him, and he exploits it.

Carrion’s Hidden Depths:

• While dismissed by Kingfisher, Carrion’s strategic thinking comes through. For example, banking on the Brigands Bank as a silver source, not Madra’s treasury ([33:04]).
  • Lexi: “Kingfisher…thinks himself far superior…homie’s a little cocky, but…it’s this moment where Carrion’s strategicness is showing.” ([33:32])

Demon Trap Showdown:

• Carrion and Fisher are duped into a bell-tower demon trap by Vorath Shah, who serves Joshen, the scorpion demon ([46:31]).
• Joshen is a nightmarish demon made of scorpions, able to induce cursed dreams with his venom ([47:32]).
• Kingfisher displays cunning and advanced bargaining—utilizing knowledge from his mother and shadow magic—to weaken the demon and strike a deal for antidote venom ([68:25]).

Notable Quotes:

• Lexi (imitating Carrion): “Carrion goes, ‘fuck Kingfisher.’ It’s just so perfect.” ([17:03])
• On Joshen: Lexi: “Joshen, Lord of the Desert, King of the Dark Dream, AKA the Scorpion King… who is made of millions of scorpions, capable of being all of them skirting around the floor or combining themselves together into one giant figure.” ([47:32])

B. Amon Traeth Plotline & Lore

Timestamps: 85:08–117:39

The Rot Crisis:

• The Rot is spreading rapidly. Daily reports show a horrifying scope: 1,373 confirmed dead, 1,665 infected, over 7.8 square miles affected ([85:54]).
• Warriors, led by Dania, try to cull the infected, with limited effect.

Alchemy & the Library:

• Seras seeks alchemical knowledge in the palatial library, trading blood for access to a special book ([91:10]).
• Introduction of Owlgatt—the prickly library keeper—and Guru, the blood-lapping shadow cat ([90:31], [91:10]).
• Lore: The library holds hundreds of magical origami ‘stargazer’ birds, which will reveal Adina’s hidden book to Seras.

Foley’s Entrance & Role:

• Foley, Lorath’s long-lost friend, attacks Seras (believing she killed Fisher), but a chaotic confrontation leads to his capture and reintroduction to the world ([104:54]).
• Foley’s deep knowledge of alchemy and the library positions him as a potential mentor to Seras ([115:47]).

Alchemist Mysteries:

• Seras is referred to with loaded nicknames: “Kingkiller,” “Day’s End,” “Last Tide,” and “Name Breaker,” all hinting at greater mythic significance ([97:56-99:57]).
• Repeated, intriguing allusions to Seras’s unique heritage and potential future power, to be explored in future books.

Favorite Quote:

• Lexi (on stargazers): “It’s always magic that lights the way and where any kind of life exists, so does magic. For this to come from Tal, who is a vampire…feels like he has lost the light…he has to keep believing for his sanity.” ([92:23])

C. Dreamscape Reunion

Timestamps: 117:39–122:56

• Seras, finally able to sleep, dreams herself into the magical “Huntsman Cottage” where Kingfisher waits.

  • Dream-sex scene is both plot-critical (bonding, magical healing, evidence left on their real bodies) and spicy.
  • Lexi: “There is physical evidence that they were here in their minds. So yes, Nicole, I think you’re right about them finding each other here because they are God bound mates.” ([122:16])

• Playful banter about Kingfisher’s protective, “dirty mouth” persona:

  • Notable quote: “[Fisher:] ‘Sit on my face and ride my tongue until I fucking die.’” ([118:22])

3. Rusarius’s Library: Lore Topic — All About Demons ([124:48])

Lexi breaks down everything known about demons in the series:

• Demon Types: Regular demons (like Joshen, Morthil the spider demon) vs. Demon Gods (the Under Gods, from realm of Dioxis, ruled by Styx).
• Traps & Magic: Demons are ancient and powerful. Old alchemical traps (runes, etchings) can snare them but deteriorate with time, often with unintended effects.
• Physical Forms: Demons are terrifyingly mutable—Morthil is a spider-fea chimera; Joshen is made of scorpions.
• Venom & Curses: Joshen’s venom causes nightmarish hallucinations and a cursed sleep unless cured by his own “willing” antivenom.
• Light as Weakness: Joshen’s vulnerability to light was key in his defeat.
• Unresolved Demon Lore: Hints remain about other demon names and the connection between Under Gods and series protagonists.

4. Theories, Foreshadowing & Meta Moments

Timestamps: Scattered after 122:56, particularly during “Oracle” and “Library Lore” sections

• Joshen’s prophecy to Kingfisher about having to “visit the darkest of all places to kill a queen” is assumed to relate to Madra and the realm of Dioxis ([71:20]).
• Hints about future bargains, significant “sacrifices,” and trades at the end of the book set up book three’s stakes ([73:28]).
• Multiple references to the “God bound” nature of Seras and Fisher’s bond—suggest they may always find each other in magical dreamspaces, even if separated ([120:14]).

5. Notable Quotes & Favorite Moments (with Timestamps)

Comedic/Heartfelt:

• “Kingfisher throws Carrion out the window. I want to take a moment of just sheer bravo for Anthony Palm here as he goes…‘fuck Kingfisher.’” — Nicole ([17:03])
• “You mean they go to the windows, to the walls—tell us what dropped.” — Lexi after a slapstick escape ([131:33])
• “Carrion genuinely, truly does think that beer is supposed to be hot. And Fisher’s like, ‘no, no, it is not supposed to be hot.’” — Lexi ([132:13])

Meta & Series-In-Jokes:

• “Is Callie Hart a SpongeBob fan? …The bartender that Carrion Swift slept with works at a place called the Dusty Crab. That is the Krusty Krab.” — Nicole ([133:56])

Steamy:

• “Lines like, quote, ‘sit on my face and ride my tongue until I fucking die.’ Oh my god. This sound going around on social media is just Chef’s kiss.” — Nicole ([118:22])
• “Back in Quicksilver there was this constant, ‘I hate you so much that I want to fuck you,’ but now it’s ‘I love you more than anyone else has ever loved another person’…and there’s this element of deep cherishing each other…” — Nicole ([120:27])

6. Easter Eggs, Predictions, and Observational Humor

• Nicole’s “Bowels Count” (tracking how often the word ‘bowels’ appears in the text): “Four total for our bowels count in this book.” ([130:09])
• Goats Watch: “Because we get our first mention of goats with Fisher saying that Joshen will turn into the remains of a goat.” ([130:23])
• The use of magical origami, mythic nicknames, and mind-reading hints at larger series mysteries to come ([97:56]).

7. Timestamps for Major Segments

| Segment | Content | Timestamp | |--------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|------------| | Intro/Lorreth’s Ballad | Rhymed chapter summaries, spoiler warning | 04:05–12:24| | Quicksilver Key Insights | Zelvarin (Fisher & Carrion’s journey) | 12:24–85:08| | Amon Traeth Arc | Seras in the library, Rot crisis, Foley introduction | 85:08–117:39| | Dreamscape Scene | Seras & Fisher’s magical-cabin reunion | 117:39–122:56| | Theories/Foreshadowing | Prophecies, plot speculation, reflection | 122:56–124:48| | Library Lore | All about demons—magic, history, species | 124:48–130:04| | Prancing through the Snow | Favorite jokes/moments/quotes | 130:04–136:34| | Outro & Fan Club Shout-out | Fan engagement, social media, credits | 136:34+ |

Conclusion

This episode masterfully balances deep dives into plot and character dynamics (especially among Kingfisher, Carrion, Seras, and the newcomers), meta-lore explorations of alchemy and demons, delightful sisterly banter, meme-worthy quotes, and thoughtful speculation—all essential listening for Brimstone/Quicksilver fans. Lexi and Nicole’s genuine chemistry, humor, and exhaustive knowledge make even the darkest moments of Brimstone feel packed with magic.

Closing thoughts from the hosts:

• “Thank you so much for listening to this Brimstone episode three! … If you have a person in your life who you’re like, you know what, I could be knocked out and foaming at the mouth for an hour on the floor with them and it would…suck, but we’d at least feel shitty together—this is a great episode to send to them. You’d be my person.” — Nicole ([138:42])

For further exploration:

• Listen to next week’s episode covering chapters 21–28: more on Elroy, alchemy, and the march towards Brimstone’s explosive climax!
• Join the Fantasy Fangirls fan club or follow on social media for additional content, trivia, and shenanigans.

“A mind full of shadows is a dangerous thing when you already live in the darkness…”

— Joshen, Chapter 17 ([68:25])