Fantasy Fangirls – Ep 4 Brimstone: Chapters 21–28 (Quicksilver Deep Dive)

Episode Date: December 22, 2025
Hosts: Nicole & Lexi (two sisters and fantasy deep-dive pros)
Book Covered: Brimstone by Callie Hart (Quicksilver trilogy)
Chapters: 21–28

Overview:

In this episode, Nicole and Lexi dive deep into chapters 21–28 of Brimstone, continuing their signature blend of detail-rich analysis, wild theories, and laugh-out-loud sister banter. The sisters explore major developments for beloved characters (especially Carrion, Kingfisher, and Cerys), unpack worldbuilding and lore threads, and speculate about the ominous events pointing toward the trilogy’s climax. They also feature their beloved recurring segments: “Lorreth’s Ballad” (a poetic chapter recap), “Stepping Through the Quicksilver” (insights, character, and theorycraft), “Rusarius’s Library” (a lore deep-dive), and “Prancing Through the Snow with Onyx” (favorite moments).

⚠️ Note: Spoilers for the entire Brimstone book and bonus chapters from both Brimstone and Quicksilver.

Lorreth’s Ballad: Poetic Chapter Recap

(07:25–11:43)

Nicole delivers a brisk, rhyming summary of each chapter—combining humor, key plot points, and foreshadowing. Notable highlights:

• Ch.21: Kingfisher wakes fully healed; Carrion’s pain remains—hidden longing in his sketches.
• Ch.22: Cerys has a very steamy dream, and her magical runes begin to glow; Foley sets a test before Cerys can seal her runes.
• Ch.23: Hayden arrives, devastated, believing (thanks to Madra’s propaganda) that Kingfisher has killed Cerys; the boys dodge wanted posters and citywide hysteria.
• Ch.24: In the Blood Quartz Forge, Cerys confronts the Hasrax, forging with memory as a price, and navigates the politics of magical bargains.
• Ch.25: Chaos as the group rushes through the Third; Elroy’s secret quicksilver pool is discovered.
• Ch.26: Cerys plunges into the quicksilver pool for a harrowing magical trial—risking all but her mate.
• Ch.27–28: Elroy reveals centuries of secret knowledge; Cerys encounters Orias with Belacan’s threat and shows her new power, joined at the last moment by Kingfisher.

Memorable moment:

• “Out of the Quicksilver, Kingfisher comes climbing. Together they end this crew. And Fisher is ready to torture Araya. Slow and steady. It's Cerus, in the end, who says to let him go…”

Stepping Through the Quicksilver: Deep Insights, Analysis & Theories

(11:48–73:17)

Zelvarin Sequence: Kingfisher, Carrion, and Hayden

• Carrion’s Bedroom & Oracle Theory:

  • Carrion’s room is full of detailed sketches of his home realm and family.
  • Nicole suggests Carrion might be an oracle, putting clues together from similarities to Adina’s journals and drawings of people and creatures he shouldn’t know (including possibly Ishabel).

    Nicole (14:15): “What if this is actually a future battle that he's drawing? Maybe he is an oracle?”

  • Lexi is skeptical, leaning more toward Carrion being a meticulous memory-keeper and war-prepper.

• Carrion’s Grief and Growth:

  • Lexi highlights (25:03): “This scene is a turning point for Carrion—his longing for a home, for belonging, is finally acknowledged by Kingfisher.”

• Hayden’s Role & Propaganda:

  • Hayden, Cerys’s brother, is tall, blond, “a petulant, spoiled little shit” (42:20), and devastated by Madra’s lies that have painted Kingfisher as a murderer.
  • The hosts discuss recurring references to how little Hayden and Cerys resemble each other—leading to fun but ultimately dismissed theories about different parentage.

• Madra’s Propaganda Machine:

  • Madra blames Kingfisher for destruction, claims Cerys is dead and a traitor.
  • Wanted posters saturate the city; everyone is incentivized to betray the “enemies of the crown” for a year’s worth of water.

    Nicole (34:42): “Nothing starts a fight in the streets more than the promise of survival.”

  • Kingfisher is traumatized by reminders of his past and is set off witnessing teen girls being rounded up for “cleansing”—leading him to massacre 50+ guardians in the square and trigger a citywide blackout using his shadow magic.

• Elroy’s Forge Secrets:

  • Elroy, Cerys’s mentor, reveals his family has long secretly collected and stored quicksilver in a vast, hidden pool.
  • His ancestors were tasked (likely by Fenrin) with this secret duty; there’s a multigenerational legacy of madness from proximity to quicksilver.
  • Nicole speculates Elroy is an alchemist (“…no way we have lines like madness and voices without them being alchemists,” 64:35), Lexi posits he and his forebears may possess only traces of alchemical ability.
  • The pool, now transformed by recent magical events, is finally ready—a “back door” to the quicksilver for the team.

• Kingfisher’s Solo Plan:

  • Kingfisher debates sneaking into the palace to kill Madra before being interrupted by the quicksilver pool “awakening”—alerting him to Cerys’s peril.

Amon Traith Sequence: Cerys’s Magical Trial

• Runes & Magical Foundations:

  • Foley, the grumpy mentor, pushes Cerys to learn true magical partnership rather than domination.

    Lexi (82:32): “You must respect the magic, Seras. …stop acting like you’re too good for this. Especially when you have been craving information on alchemy for a book and a half…”

  • First explanation of Tria Prima—the three “primes” of alchemy: salt (body), quicksilver/mercury (spirit), and brimstone/sulfur (soul).

• Tour de Force at the Forge:

  • Cerys forges a relic, bargaining with the quicksilver by giving up a (forgotten to the reader!) mundane memory involving Hayden.
  • The Hasrax appears, demanding the right to observe Cerys in exchange for a (potentially dangerous) annual favor.

    Lexi (99:00): “I am convinced that the Hazrax is a God… this is how it can walk the continent and watch.” Intense debate as to whether the Hasrax is a god, demi-god, or something stranger—Nicole is adamant (“I refuse to get behind ‘God but not a God’,” 103:00), Lexi pushes for a broader definition.

• Quicksilver Sealing Trial:

  • Cerys, pushed to the limit by burgeoning magic, enters the quicksilver pool without a relic—the only way to keep from exploding and taking Amon Traith with her.
  • Endures a harrowing psychic test from the quicksilver entity, standing firm in her desire to sacrifice all but her mate, Kingfisher.

    Nicole (122:24): “Proud of Sarris and how strong she is in this moment.”

  • Seals her rune and emerges vastly more powerful, but warned: “In the end, it will be your end.”

• Showdown with Belacan’s Agents:

  • Orias, Belacan’s seneschal, enters with a deadly offer: bring Everlane and kill Kingfisher, and Belacan will “protect” Cerys from the rot.
  • Cerys refuses, fights off soldiers wielding null blades meant to counteract her magic, and discovers she can split Solace, her god sword, into two fully-powered swords.
  • Kingfisher bursts through the quicksilver portal in time to help—prompting Nicole (134:22): “Top tier book boyfriend status! ‘Do you need me?’ implies that Sabrus is strong enough to handle this all on her own, but should she want help, he can offer it. Three cheers for Kingfisher.”
  • After defeating the threat, Cerys chooses NOT to torture Orias but to send him home—a controversial decision debated by Lexi and Nicole (139:02–141:18).

Rusarius's Library: Lore Deep Dive – Alchemical Runes and Magic System

(150:33–158:22)

Runes in Alchemy (Host: Lexi):

• Runes are vessels connecting magic, element, and alchemist.
• Unsealed runes = dangerous, build to explosive magical surges.
• Sealing a rune, especially quicksilver, requires true partnership—not domination—with the element.
• Complete mastery: Marrying all three Tria Prima (salt/body, quicksilver/spirit, brimstone/soul).
• Projected shield: Each alchemist’s is unique (“like a fingerprint”)—Cerys’s is most complex ever seen.
• Other magical runes: Markings seen on Kingfisher (vengeance, justice, sacrifice), demons, and more.
• Hasrax grants Cerys a unique “breaking” rune as a stabilizer.

Foreshadowing, Worldbuilding, and Theoretical Debates

(143:11–150:11)

1. Oracle Watch:

• Carrion’s drawings may signal future events—potential introduction of new mystical creatures or connections in Book 3.

2. Evenlight Holiday:

• Both hosts are convinced Evenlight will have huge plot significance in Book 3, touching on magic siphoning and possible rot-related consequences.

3. Hasrax and the Gods:

• Hasrax’s ambiguous identity (god, lesser deity, or entity beyond current understanding), with wild theories as to which god it could be (Kirin? Malleus?).

4. Sacrifice Themes:

• Both Kingfisher and Cerys are primed for sacrificial acts, but the hosts agree neither will die—Lexi: “I see her sacrificing herself and surviving the sacrifice.”

5. Null Blades:

• These anti-magic blades can disrupt even godsword magic. Possible threat later given their proliferation in Belacan’s army.

6. Memories and Magic:

• The memory Cerys gives to quicksilver may play a role in Book 3 (Nicole: “maybe Hayden actually gets to be helpful!” 94:44).

Favorite Quotes & Moments

(Throughout – Key Examples Listed Below)

• On Cerys’s Growth:

  “You must respect the magic, Seras. The only way to truly master the magic is to be partners with it.” — Lexi (82:32)

• On Sacrifice:

  “Do you need me?” — Kingfisher to Cerys, symbolizing trust and partnership (134:22)

• On Character Growth:

  “This scene is a turning point for Carrion… wanting, he doesn't want Carrion to lose it like he did.” — Nicole (23:47)

• On Foreshadowing:

  “Receive this gift all in fear and trembling. In the end, it will be your end.” — Quicksilver to Cerys (123:08)

• On Sister Banter:

  “I, I it has legs. I love the part about theory. I do think yes. Yeah, this theory has some legs.” — Lexi on Oracle Carrion Theory (18:06)

• On Hayden:

  “A petulant, spoiled little shit who hasn't had to deal with hardship a day in his fucking life.” — Nicole (42:20)

Mythology & Magic System Exploration

• Tria Prima: Salt, Quicksilver (Mercury), Brimstone (Sulfur) – tied to body, spirit, soul. Book 3 may focus on “Salt” as the symbolic element.
• Alchemy & Shields: Sealing runes is an act of inner and magical harmony (see “Rusarius's Library” above for details).
• Gods and their Roles: Heated sister debate: Is the Hasrax an actual god, a demigod, or “godlike”? How broad is Callie Hart’s mythos?
• Null Blades: New anti-magic threat able to impact Cerys and possibly god-tier powers.

Prancing Through the Snow With Onyx: Best Moments & Banter

(158:22–161:58)

• “She’s not my girlfriend!” recurring joke from Kingfisher—hosts riff on it for comedic effect.
• Carrion’s sarcastic banter with Fisher (“I’m rubbing off on you…”).
• Reba McEntire references, unplanned but perfect for Cerys’s “I’m a survivor” moment (115:32).
• “Top tier book boyfriend status!” awarded to Kingfisher for “Do you need me?” (134:22).
• Running joke: Nicole’s “Goat Watch” for every mention of goats.
• Ranger Rosie and “the only home Abe Lincoln ever known” (161:05).

Noteworthy Timestamps

• Lorreth’s Ballad (Chapter Recap): 07:25–11:43
• Carrion Bedroom/Oracle Theory: 13:29–18:06
• Madra Propaganda and Water as Reward: 33:14–35:21
• Kingfisher's Blackout: 48:19
• Elroy's Secret Pool: 59:58–69:02
• Debate: Is Elroy an Alchemist? 64:35–68:17
• Rest Sequence: Cerys & Foley: 75:06–77:18
• Sealing the Quicksilver Rune: 112:48–119:13
• Cerys vs. Belacan’s Agents & Kingfisher Returns: 127:51–135:29
• Hasrax: God or Not? 99:00–104:09
• Rusarius's Library (Runes & Magic): 150:33–158:22

Closing/Next Episode Tease

(162:40–164:35)

• Preview: Next week covers chapters 29–36, including yelling at Hayden and the mystery of the book/stargazers moment.
• Shoutouts to new fan club members and researchers.
• Reminders to follow on social, review, and join the Fantasy Fangirls fan club for extra content.

Takeaways

• Major character confrontations and breakthroughs for Carrion, Kingfisher, and Cerys.
• Worldbuilding expands: ancient family obligations, hidden pools of power, anti-magic technology, and the nature of divinity.
• The sisters' depth of analysis, running in-jokes, and willingness to debate make this a rich, accessible resource for fans eager for deep lore and character insight.

“We can do hard things.” — Cerys (paraphrased, 117:03), and the Fangirls themselves—facing both fearsome magic and the creative adventure of deep fandom.

If You Missed the Episode…

This summary brings you up to speed on all critical lore, character arcs, plot developments, and the fandom/fan theory context. Perfect for anyone catching up or prepping for Book 3!