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- [00:03]
Nicole
You don't wake up dreaming of McDonald's fries, you wake up dreaming of McDonald's hash browns. McDonald's breakfast comes first. Ba da ba ba ba. Your data is like gold to hackers and they'll sell it to the highest bidder. Are you protected? McAfee helps shield you blocking suspicious texts, malicious emails and fraudulent websites. McAfee Secure VPN lets you browse safely and its AI powered tech scam detector spots threats instantly. You'll also get up to $2 million of award winning antivirus and identity theft protection, all for just $39.99 for your first year. Visit McAfee.com, cancel anytime. Terms apply. Welcome, welcome welcome to the Fantasy Fangirls Pod Sisters dive deep into beloved Fantasy Lore character theme series and more.
- [01:05]
Lexi
I'm Lexi, older sister and Fantasy Lore nerd.
- [01:08]
Nicole
And I'm Nicole, younger sister and romantic at heart.
- [01:11]
Lexi
And today is Episode seven of Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yaros where we're covering chapters 34 through 37. Before we begin this Deep Dive episode, please listen closely to our spoiler warning. Every episode has spoilers for the entire Empyrean series, including all of Onyx Storm, iron flame and fourth wing. Which means even though this episode seven focuses on chapters 34 through 37, we are playing in themes, lore, foreshadowing, and even more from the entire book.
- [01:38]
Nicole
Riddick Dies. Just kidding, but I gotta make sure you're paying attention. However, if you don't know that this was an actual jump scare from this section, then please go finish Onyx Storm. We will be here when you're done.
- [01:50]
Lexi
Next, we at Fantasy Fangirls are adults who say adult things about adult books. In other words, friends, this podcast is.
- [01:56]
Nicole
Rated R. This is your last chance because this episode we meet. God fucking damn it. Faris and I have some more choice words for this man, so please be mindful of those little listening ears.
- [02:10]
Lexi
Additionally, we are so excited to see you at upcoming live events. We will be featured guests at Enchanticon in St. Louis, Missouri August 15th through 17th.
- [02:18]
Nicole
Then we will be at the Everflame Ball along with Pen Cole for the first ever Kindred's Curse Saga Ball on August 30th in Castle Rock, Colorado. Then we will be back at the Dragon Gauntlet in Boyle, Wayne City, Michigan September 12th through 13th.
- [02:32]
Lexi
Then Romantasy BookCon in Orlando, Florida from October 23rd through 25th.
- [02:37]
Nicole
Check out our website for more information to all of these events.
- [02:41]
Lexi
Last thing before we jump into this Onyx Storm Episode 7 if you love fantasy fangirls and want more empyrean themed events, more content, more community and just so much more. Please check out Fantasy Fan Club.
- [02:52]
Nicole
We have three tiers that you can join the Cadets which includes access to our Boppin Discord live Q&As from Lexi and I, book Club, exclusive authors, interviews, trivia, community events, promo codes, two live events plus 20% off all merch. That is for $6 a month. Or you can join the Dragon Riders which includes everything from the cadet level plus early access to ad free episodes, our full episode outlines and special voting privileges. That is for $10 a month. And then we have the Iron Squad which includes everything from the previous two tiers plus more behind the scenes content, a welcome gift, giveaways, private Discord Channel, and your name shouted out on the pod. That is for $25 a month.
- [03:36]
Lexi
Join the party at fantasyfangirls.com fanclub. The link is also in the show notes and really and truly, thank you so much for supporting us as we've turned this podcast into our livelihood. It's all because of you.
- [03:46]
Nicole
And now it is time to poison I mean visit the Isle of Wisdom.
- [03:51]
Lexi
Hedotis to start off every episode, Nicole does us the honor of summarizing what happens in this stretch of chapters. So listen up because Battle Brief is in session for chapters 34 through 37 of Onyx Storm.
- [04:03]
Nicole
Chapter 33 Part 2. After a short 13 hour flight, Talons touch down on the rocky coast of Hedotis and dang, this place is bland. A welcome wagon approaches and during some friendly, albeit weird introductions, a woman steps forward. Mom, please welcome to the stage Mama Zaden. Chapter 34 Mama Ryerson is detective, determined to talk to her son, but Violet is all in her Gandalf era and you shall not pass. Violet tries her best to cheer up her bill, but homeboy has some other plans. Who needs to process your long lost good for nothing mother popping back up into your life when you can fuck the problems away. But just to twist the extra knife for Xaden and his situation, two young boys run across the beach right into his mom's arms. Hi half brothers. It's nice to meet you. Continuing on his I'm going to deal with this in a healthy way. Xaden looks to Violet and agrees that dinner sounds great, man. It's a good thing that Brennan packed Violet some plants to help the situation. Not that kind. Violet is about to play a Mad Hatter at this tea I mean dinner party. Chapter 35 Violet and co walk into the Dining room ready to play the best damn round of Clue they've ever known. Not waiting like good hosts before jumping into 20 questions. The triumvirate dive right into it. But these questions aren't just for learning the tea. Oh no. They are a test. And who forgot to study? Everyone. But that's okay, because we are on the isle of wisdom. And they can have their cake and eat it too. No, wait. The game of Clue has its first accusation. It's shrewd. Ferris in the dining room with poisonous cake. The victim, Garak. He's going down for real. Chapter 36. What was in the cake? The poison. The poison for Cuzco. The poison chosen especially to kill Cuzco. Cuzco's poison. But it's okay, because Violet was able to pin the cook in the kitchen with blue stained hands. Brilliant fucking woman strikes again. She knows what the poison was. But the cook has other plans. Like using Riddick as a cutting board because, oh, there's a knife lodged in his side. Chapter 37. Psych. He's fine, but he hates sewing. After getting Garak to swallow the antidote, he lives. But Violet gets her very own clue moment. It was me in the dining room with poison. But she doesn't just stop there. She offers them a deal. An alliance for the antidote. So what will it be? Deal or no deal? Deal. Good choice. After getting the answers they wanted, our crew takes to the skies. Setting off on a red eye flight to get the out of here and to fly to the next aisle.
- [06:45]
Lexi
Zelna Health is so important. But it can be easy to let important health maintenance slip through the cracks. Except now we are testing with function throughout the year. Function is an all in one health platform that starts with over 100 advanced lab tests covering your entire body. Heart, hormones, liver, kidneys, thyroid. Autoimmunity, cancer signals, toxins, nutrients, and more.
- [07:05]
Nicole
Function. Health is about taking control of your health through data instead of guessing what's happening inside of your body. Function helps you know for sure. Providing access to over 100 advanced lab tests. I actually just got my second test and also a food sensitivity test done literally this morning, right before this recording. Your first set of tests is to help establish a baseline for your health, giving you a starting point to compare future tests against. I learned just off of my first test alone that there were two things that were like, oh, that's quite a flag that I'm really excited to explore more. This makes it easy to spot changes, even subtle ones, and address them proactively.
- [07:42]
Lexi
Health is universal. Function Health is for anyone who wants to understand their body better and make informed decisions for a longer, healthier life. Function currently has a wait list, but they are offering our audience the chance to skip it. Huzzah. Head to functionhealth.com or enter code FFG when signing up so you can skip the wait list. All right writers, it is time to dawn our signet power and discuss key insights, character analysis, lore, foreshadowing theories, and oh so much more. It is a 13 hour flight from Umbriel to Hedotis and our quest squad just flew through the night to arrive to this isles capital city Vediras in the morning. A few things Violet immediately notices about this area. Number one, the weather is a little colder this far south. Real quick, I know there's been some confusion among the fandom with how Devarelli is stated as a southernmost isle, but it's actually the closest to the continent. I'm going to be honest friends, I don't have an explanation for this because every fan made map I've seen and all of the other descriptions of Deverelli's location make it actually the northernmost isle closest to the coast of Provola. But back to Hidotis. I assume it's colder because it's further south away from the equator, and isles like Gavarelli and Umbriel are positioned near the equator, which is why they're warmer. Or perhaps the colder weather somehow relates back to its extra lack of magic. Though Rebecca did say this world is similar to ours with how the closer you get to the equator, the warmer it is. I also got a C in my weather class in college, so I am not the best person to talk about this.
- [09:09]
Nicole
I remember correctly that that was one of the hardest classes you've ever taken.
- [09:12]
Lexi
No, it was supposed to be an easy science class, but I hate science so much I don't think I ever got more than a C in science.
- [09:19]
Nicole
I think about it. Whereas like Devarelli and Umbriel, like you were saying, are closer to the equator. Just how I imagine, you know, Indonesia or the top of South Americ is on our maps. Then going further south, like from Indonesia to northern Australia, there are cooler temperatures, at least in comparison and fluctuating seasons. But it does make me wonder if like Loyal and the Minor Isles, if they are way more far south, if they'll be cooler. Like I'm going to equate it to things in our real world, like the Falkland Islands or southern Chile, for example. I figured this was a way to show us just how far away these islands are for each other, that they're literally flying into different temperatures. But speaking of, did I hear travel math? This is a 13 hour flight, so that means it's 413.3 miles, or 665 kilometers away from Umbriel, or the distance from Washington D.C. to Boston, which by the way, takes an Amtrak train about seven hours. So for reference, cordon to Devarelli is 16 hours, or 508 miles. So it's actually almost as far as it is to the first aisle off of the continent. So they're pretty far away.
- [10:26]
Lexi
They really are. Well. And also, at one point, Violet is really nervous. She's like, there is no land around us. Like, if somebody gets tired, we're screwed.
- [10:35]
Nicole
Yeah, like, bye.
- [10:37]
Lexi
Violet also notes that the vegetation here at Hydotis is even paler. As we've learned, color vibrancy has a direct correlation to magic. Devarelli and Umbriel overall had muted colors, and neither isle possessed magic. Interestingly, Hedotis has even less color here than the other two isles, making us. And Violet and Taryn wonder how this isle can have less magic than two places already with no magic. So perhaps Hidotas has like negative magic, whatever that means. But still, Violet can't communicate with her dragons when no one else can. However, something I noticed, Andarna may be magic as an Irid, but she still lacks power that helps her have the extra strength to extend her wing. She's been struggling with flying more since they no longer have the magic that these dragons depend on. Since they departed the continent, though, she hasn't been in pain from the lack of magic like the other dragons. So that's interesting. Unsurprisingly, this is also the isle the scribe in Violet is most excited to visit because of its dedication to knowledge and peace. Violet also believes, despite no magic here, that this Isle is the best hope they have for finding the knowledge to cure the Venin. I find it interesting, and certainly within her character, how Violet relies most on discovering the answer within books as she prioritizes research. Yes, of course, they are searching for the seventh dragon den too. But she has gone to great lengths to access every book she possibly can in hopes of finding the cure. As Andarna has said, they have to explore every possibility, go down every path. So it absolutely makes sense that this is Violet's strategy. But I think her research will ultimately help guide her to the solution and only be like 10% of the equation. Basically, the answer she's looking for will not be in a book or in wisdom, like she's kind of expecting it to be. Though as excited as Violet may be now, she's already recognizing the lack of historical identity and character to this aisle. The city may be beautiful, but it is perfectly uniform. That's because about 150 years ago, original structures of the Capitol were raised to the ground. Then the city was rebuilt with intention for a flawless and proportioned layout. The Triumvirate will pat themselves on the back for these improvements, and we'll learn the smaller towns are getting similar treatment to rejuvenate and conform to this intentional architecture. But for someone who appreciates knowledge and efficiency, this is rather off putting to Violet. They had no regard for the historical foundation of this aisle and people's homes they lived in for generations, she'll say during dinner. Quote yes, it's beautiful and efficient, but it also shows your intolerance for things that are not. Which sums up Pedotus in a nutshell. Like that should be their slogan right there.
- [13:03]
Nicole
Yep, absolutely. Landing on this isle, Violet is rather hopeful. Like, hey, maybe they'll have a cure for Satan here. Considering that after in just a few chapters post Irid's meeting, this hope will be pretty lost in Violet for a moment. This feels so sweet. And I'm not going to say innocent, but just sweet is a good word for it. Meanwhile, Drake and Mira are fighting over Pilsen flight maneuvers and I love that basically her love language. I'll even say their love language is just fighting with each other because this is absolutely flirting that is happening in my head right now.
- [13:35]
Lexi
And then when Maren asks Drake if he's seen Mira's right hook, he's like I have in bed.
- [13:40]
Nicole
Yeah, absolutely.
- [13:41]
Lexi
No, not in bed yet. They're not even close to that. They are still in the enemies, but now sort of acquaintances because of forced proximity. Part of their enemies to lover story.
- [13:50]
Nicole
I don't think they've slept together yet because she has not gotten the bottle of wine and he has not gotten broccoli yet and I am convinced that those are the two gifts that are supposed to bring them together. But I could absolutely, absolutely see Mira being someone who climaxes and then punches her partner in the face.
- [14:04]
Lexi
I say poor Drake, but he'll like it.
- [14:10]
Nicole
Zaden, far from the carefree, happy go lucky man he was in Devarelli, is getting rather irked by this argument between the enemies to lovers. Quote his tone Ice is over. Ice is over. Not a full ice in his eyes, almost like the morning dusting of ice Rather than like a five foot icy lake. You know, that's my Colorado brain at least working. Later, Zaden will talk about his feelings of being on the ice. He says, quote, it's like standing over a frozen lake while a shrinking part of me screams that I'm supposed to be swimming in those pieces I've bartered away. And those feelings are right beneath the surface. Basically, he's ice skating and every Venom part of him wants to be in a cold plunge. This is something that is fairly small in comparison. Mira and Drake fighting. At least to the last things that have set off Zaden. So Violet and Garrick share a what. What Xaden will call a oh no glance. Basically the be ready for anything, including stopping him in whatever way possible glance.
- [15:08]
Lexi
As Xaden will explain later in the privacy of their room, he's aware of these moments when he lacks emotion. And he'll call it freeing to not feel the messiness and hurtfulness of life that he'll experience soon when he finds out who is on Hidotes.
- [15:21]
Nicole
And I'm not gonna lie, I kind of love this extra pull to Veninism. It's not just about craving power, which is enough to get a lot of people to turn Venom. There needed to be something that would also draw Zaden in. And power is not what he craves. But in this chapter of life, he has so many emotions and he hasn't even seen his mama yet. And if he truly feels any of them, he might lose control. And the idea of just being able to turn off that dial. Especially now with one of his deepest emotional triggers. His mom is about to be staring him in the face. Yeah, it's real fucking tempting. I'm getting ahead of myself though, because we are not there yet. We've got company though. Half a dozen people approach our squad, each dressed in tunics and gowns of various pastel colors. Can't be too colorful here on Hedotis. Some wearing one shoulder, billowing gowns. Toga. Toga.
- [16:15]
Lexi
Toga.
- [16:16]
Nicole
Helion would be so proud. But while I'm enamored with their togas, they are enamored with the dragons. Or at least one of them is gone. Are the Firebringer days or the big Crossbolts? No. Here we have a greeting party and leading the charge is a middle aged man with red curls broken up by two strips of silver and his metallic embroidery on his tunic. Looks like this dude is loaded. If the giant red sparkling gem on top of his cane didn't already give it away. But something is quite different about him. His eyes shine so blue that they're practically purple. This is due to a mineral called valid. Right, which is in everything they eat and drink on the isle. And it changes paler eyes to purple. Note only pale eyes though, because Talia, who has the gold flecked onyx that Xaden sadly used to have, she has eyes just like Zaden's. They're not purple. We will come to know this fucker as Faris, the second of the Triumvirate. I love that he's not first. And surrounding him is his household ready to to formally make the acquaintance of Quest Squad and escort them inside. But wait, there's one more. You see, Faris wife was so overcome by the magnificence of their dragons. But better late than never. She strolls up in her long unbound black hair and pale green gown and immediately locks her eyes on Xaden. Hi, Mom.
- [17:42]
Lexi
I remember how satisfying this reveal was when we first read it. It with so much of the story focused on the aisles, I figured it was only a matter of time before Nicole won our bet that Zaden's mom was indeed on the aisles. So good job, Nicole. You were right. You get a gold star. I lost the bet. In fact, just a few days ago is when I took my shot of Jagermeister that you all voted on during our live Q and A with the fan club. I do have to say, I love how your catch all for everything being on the Isle kingdoms turned out to almost all be right. Yes, and the Irids are indeed here. Was this reveal a little predictable for how much we've speculated about Zaden's mom and all the emphasis on the isles? Yes, but the plot twist with her husband certainly took us by surprise. When it comes in later with everybody being poisoned, it's like, oh my God.
- [18:29]
Nicole
Well, speaking of surprise, even though they're acting all surprised to see this, Quest Squad, we will come to learn that these lovely hosts knew they were coming due to a warning by King Courtland of Devarelli. I will give Talia this because I'm not going to give her a whole lot in this episode. She's very good at hiding it and faking her surprise here. Yes, she was overcome by the dragons, probably because this is the first time seeing one in like 13 years. And maybe she wants to see which one her son is riding, I don't know. But even as her gaze immediately falls onto Zaden, she flares her eyes in blatant palpable shock.
- [19:04]
Lexi
Exactly. She's quite the actress here. Like you mentioned, we'll find out soon that she's known her son is coming. That's why she's been hoarding this chocolate. But despite preparing for his arrival, I think that she can't help but be truly shocked to see him all grown up. Up for the reality that her son is here in front of her when she didn't think she'd ever see him again. She's been hoarding the chocolate to give him an early birthday chocolate cake. It'll be like her peace offering. Remember, she doesn't know that her husband will be testing them by poisoning it. So I really do think that while she is still acting surprised by his arrival here, she is a mother overcome by reunited with her son she hasn't seen in 13 years, who she didn't want to leave when she left Tyrandor, it still needs to be stated that she did leave. But she. I do. I do think there is some genuine shock here too. Even though she knew he was coming.
- [19:51]
Nicole
Yes, Faris. However, by walking out to greet the group of trained lethal killers with arms outstretched, he's maybe not the most subtle. They were on the aisle for but a few minutes before Faris was like, hey, you made. Makes me think that they were just waiting by the door, by the windows. And like, you know when you were a kid and like a friend was coming over and you would just wait on the couch like staring out the window. And then the. The friend came over, you were like, go, go, go. That's exactly how I imagine this being. Just maybe without the friendliness. Or the long term friendliness. I'll say.
- [20:25]
Lexi
Fast forward several hours and Quest Squad is getting settled in Talia and Faris house. Violet and Zaden are put up in a beautiful room meant for distinguished guests. Pinky ups everybody. Which she reflects. The room feels too pretty to touch again. What a contrast to their Nevarian culture where everything is practical and beauty is far from a priority. They've sent their missives, which I are missives, back to Bisgaeth. So even though they're disobeying direct orders by continuing to travel to each of the Isles without reporting back to Bisgaeth or even Devarelli, at least they're communicating. I also think Chapter 37's epigraph From Violet to Ri is one of these missives they sent, where Violet tells her, I wish you and Sawyer were with us. But I'm grateful to have Riddick, even if his sarcasm is wearing on Mira's last nerve.
- [21:10]
Nicole
Pause. Because as Taliyah notes she's sending their missives back with a ship that is bound for Devarelli that's currently in the Hydota's harbor. I'm wondering if this is the that is going around aisle to aisle just spreading the news that Quest Squad is aisle hopping and this is the ship stopping on their way back from visiting all the major isles. I am still wondering what Courtland wanted in exchange for this bit of hot.
- [21:34]
Lexi
Goss, but alas, Zaden is resting or rather avoiding his mother because she's here with food and wants to talk to him. But luckily Violet is a good girlfriend slash consort slash lifetime partner who prioritizes what her man needs instead of giving in to his mom. She's torn. Torn between her inability to understand this woman's actions by leaving her son, who Violet loves with all her heart and could never fathom doing such a thing, and sympathizing with her because Violet would do anything for such an opportunity with her own mother. Above all else though, Violet makes her own priorities clear. Zaden's well being is most important to her. She won't put him through hell for their mission because nothing matters as much as him and if that means leaving without discussing an alliance or even searching for the cure he here, so be it. Which you can tell really does startle Talia. That's impractical from her perspective and not something she can relate to, as we'll come to learn with her current husband, who is literally willing to let them die out of stubbornness. But also, she experienced this with Finn too. He would never have prioritized a loved one over his territory or his mission. So the two women come to an agreement. Violet will ask Zaden about dinner, but if he doesn't want to come, there's no forcing him. Among Gretchen Rubin's four tendencies, Zaden is definitely a rebel like my husband. Tell him to do something and he will do the opposite just out of spite.
- [22:51]
Nicole
Talia has known for a minute that her son is arriving to Hedotis. She's been stockpiling chocolate for chocolate cake, testings, et cetera, things that we've talked about. Between what we'll learn about her prep along with how we see her acting here, asking again and again for dinner and practically bending over backwards to look into the room and see her son that she left 13 years ago. It is really easy to look at the scene through Zaden or even Violet's POV and want to see. Say dang Talia.
- [23:17]
Lexi
Give them a fucking minute.
- [23:18]
Nicole
And while I don't think that's totally wrong. They just found out. She's had a while to process. I do want to look at things through her eyes for just a moment. We learned that she was, quote, so young when Zaden was born. We can assume, based on her actions and Fen's epigraph about marriage not needing love, that their marriage was maybe not the happiest moments of her life. So when he was 10, she gave him chocolate cake for his birthday and then yeeted out of Tyrandor later that night. She doesn't say she regrets leaving Tyrandor, but you can tell that there's been a longing for her son these past 13 years. While she's definitely convinced herself that leaving was the only choice, even justifying that it was best for both of them, even though, as Zaden will say, it was just best for her, it doesn't erase that she does care for him. You can feel her regret and guilt sleeping in from the page. Again, not regret from leaving Tyrandor and Fen, but regret from getting to see Zaden grow up. And now she has the opportunity to reconnect with that son. And she's gradually grasping, emphasis on grasping, at any chance to bridge that gap, even if she knows she has no right to demand it. After all, she doesn't know the man he's become. But after seeing him, even briefly, it might reassure her that he did survive without her and that he's okay and that she didn't break him by walking away. After all, he never knew where she was from and he just ended up here. I know we worship Hedion on this isle, but this sounds like she'd be thanking Zandal for this gift bestowed upon her, she's trying to make up for those years by being over accommodating and showing that she wants to get to know him. She's trying to reframe the my mother doesn't love me belief in Zaden's mind by just showing him just how much she does want to get to know him, she begs to have them join dinner, probably believing that if she can get him to dinner to talk, to cease her side of things, she can also explain herself. She'll be able to erase her own guilt again. That's kind of where that selfishness does come in. I bet that this is also to get Zaden to the chocolate cake. Not because of the poison, because Talia doesn't know about that, but instead to show him, hey, like I still know you, I still remember things about you. And seeing as the Zaden, gatekeeper, AKA Violet, isn't budging. Oh, this is where Talia, you take a big L. She tries to appeal to Violet's wishes by offering up a deal where if they come to dinner, she'll make sure the whole triumvirate is there. Because that's why they're here, right? Give me what I want, and I'll give you what you want. Want? Talia, you're being a little bit of a crazy mother in law right now. I need you to chill.
- [25:46]
Lexi
I didn't take it that same way. I wasn't gonna give her an L for that. I mean, like, I do think that it is a. Okay, so she's gonna become practical here. Like, what do they.
- [25:55]
Nicole
Like?
- [25:56]
Lexi
They are here for a reason. And she does have access to that here. And Zayden says he's like, I'm happy to take advantage of the position that she's in. And she knows that. And it's like, all right, I'll play your game here, too.
- [26:08]
Nicole
And all of this to say I think that Talia is acting blind to the reality that her needs right now don't outweigh Zaden's pain. I do also want to point out that Talia is on an aisle that is not known for making any space for emotion. So I would not be surprised if for the last 13 years since coming back to Hedotis, she's really shoved this emotion around Xaden and leaving and abandoning him away. She shoved it down because in her eyes, it was the logical thing to do. But now that she. She's seeing him, it's like all of that emotion is being boiled up into the surface again. Her eyes are gleaming with tears when she thinks that she's finally able to see him. When she shows emotion towards Xaden at dinner, Faris immediately changes the subject. Almost like you're acting hysterical, honey. I fucking hate this guy. And even as she's surprised to hear, in Violet's words, just how fiercely Violet loves Aiden, it's just the emotion keeps coming back up. Because in her eyes, it's so different from her in fear. Fen's marriage. I want to talk about her contract to Fen for a second. Why would they need Hedotis bloodline in Tyrandor? Because I have no clue. The only, like, smidgen of a theory I'm going to say is that we know the royal sea in Kaldir worships Heon. So did Tirandor want Gdota's blood in the Tyrish royal line just in case it seceded, they would also have wisdom. That seems like a stretch.
- [27:30]
Lexi
Well, let's say that it was Devarelli who brokered the deal. What if somehow Devarelli got something out of this? I have no idea. But that was the unpleasant bargain that he made with Finn, where it was like a. Okay, if you go with this marriage contract from this woman from Hidotes, then I will do something for you. Again, I don't know how that would work, because Devarelli and he Dot is like, the isles aren't all buddy buddy with each other. Yeah. So I don't know. I'm also very curious about Talia's status. Status on this isle, because she was contracted to marry the Duke of Tyrandor. Like, you're saying, like, the Hedotis bloodline right there. And now she is married to one of the most powerful people on Hidotis. So what is her story?
- [28:14]
Nicole
Yeah, like, that's. That's the big thing. It's like, what does she have that made it so Fen or Fen's parents that were like, yeah, this needs to happen in order to secure something for Tyrandor?
- [28:24]
Lexi
Maybe it has something to do with the knowledge that Hodotus had. Maybe there is something about the Venin, and. And Finn needed that information from them, and so it was part of the alliance deal with them. Yeah. Zaden, in case you didn't know, is far from a forgiving person. We've known this about him since we were introduced to his character in 4th Wing. Remember under the Tree, when he told the scared first year he wouldn't make it, so he might as well just give up? It's zero surprise that Zaden is not interested in rekindling this relationship with his mom and taking the olive branch she's extended to him or the fake branch. He has purposefully avoided talking about her, even with Violet, who he is most open and vulnerable with. For instance, never any mention about his mom in his letters to her while he was sharing so much else about himself.
- [29:12]
Nicole
I mean, heck, remember in Fourth Wing, during his POV chapter, he, like, starts thinking about mom, and then he's, like, not going there. He wouldn't even let himself think about her.
- [29:20]
Lexi
Exactly. But he still has held onto a blanket. His mother made him a symbol that she did care about him, despite the idea that he was just part of a marriage contract. Contract. And it's like his last little remnants of her. That and how he still loves chocolate cake, which I now take as a reminder of his mother, maybe even subconscious, but one that is, after all, I could see him never wanting to eat chocolate cake again after she fed it to him on his 10th birthday and then left. Over these past 13 years, he has moved on from his mother. It's like he's holding a grudge against her for the person that she is. But he's also holding onto this tiny sliver of symbolism that he had a mother who loved him. He's made peace with that over the years. Years. It's a wound that might never fully heal, but he's closed it in his own way. So yeah, I don't blame Xaden for writing off this woman who is supposed to be his mother, as he feels like these little attempts to be a mom to him are now too little, too late. And by the way, why deal with family drama when he can have sexy time with Violet instead? Getting lost in the throes of passion with a person he implicitly trusts and loves with all his heart is a way better alternative to digging up emotional wounds where he has to deal with his mother who abandoned him.
- [30:25]
Nicole
Ah, but Violet calls him out on this. We're gonna call not so psychologically healthy behavior. Sorry, Zaden. As great as making the head bore creak while everyone has dinner downstairs? Maybe let's talk instead. Violet. I'm going to give her a lot of credit here. She does not tell Xaden what to do or what her opinion is. She just holds space for him to open up. But when he asks her what she thinks, she tells him the truth. She's not in a good place to give any advice on the matter right now because everything she would say to him would be masked by her own grief over losing her own mother. Violet and Lilith were not close, but there was a possibility of something for them. Maybe not a friendship, but a closer mother daughter relationship would have been on the table. Plus, after all Violet's learned about her parents and what they've kept from her and her siblings, Violet would give anything for 10 minutes, let alone a full dinner with her mother to ask questions. So seeing which, look at all that growth from iron flame. So seeing Zaden having that opinion on the table for himself, yeah, it makes sense why she internally believes anyone should take it. And all of this to say, as Zayden puts it, Lilith died protecting her children. She lived to protect her children. And Zayden's mother left him and we will come to learn, heard horrors about what was happening for him. And she did nothing to help. She did nothing to protect him. So in his eyes, she has an urn those 10 minutes from him.
- [31:58]
Lexi
You know who's really pissed on Xaden's behalf? His main girl, Sigail. She is in full mother dragon mode and like I've been saying for most of this book about these dragons, I'm proud of her for not torturing the Lifebringer on the isle. Zaden corrects Violet and explains worrying is not in Sigail's nature. She's pacing because she likes to solve the immediate problem and handle consequences later. Not unlike our beloved Zaden. So right now she just wants to torch the Lifebringer and. And you know, problem solved. She's upset right now on Zaden's behalf and despite no magic for them to communicate, knows someone who betrayed her. Bonded is here and she's ready to show this Lifebringer just what she thinks of her actions that hurt Zaden. In other words, Sigail is protective of Zaden and is agitated and pissed off that she shouldn't do anything about it right now. I love how Zaden does have like, I'll call it a motherly figure who is being protective of him against his actual mother.
- [32:48]
Nicole
I almost take this as she is clearly worried for him, but she can also be worried and live it on Zaden's behalf and still mad at Xaden. She knows more than anyone the depth of what Talia leaving left for Xaden to deal with and now her writer and her are unable to speak about it. Yes, they've also been in a three plus month long fight and they're barely speaking anyway. But I do think she would have broken the streak to at least attempt to talk to him so he didn't feel so alone with the most two important bonds in his life. It's not like he can talk to Violet through the bond right now. And I just. Zaden. I feel so sad for him.
- [33:25]
Lexi
Sigaille is pissed and stressed out right now. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if she started grinding her teeth in her sleep. Luckily, today's sponsor, Remy can help our mother Dragon out. Did you know that millions of Americans grind or clench their teeth at night and most don't even know they're doing it? I was certainly one of them. If you have jaw pain or headaches after a night's sleep, there's a high chance you grind or clench your teeth. Teeth grinding, also known as Bruxam or tmj, is generally caused by stress and it can cause serious damage such as eroding away your enamel and broken teeth, which leads to expensive dental Bills.
- [33:58]
Nicole
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- [34:22]
Lexi
The last few times I've gone to the dentist, they've called. I definitely must be grinding my teeth. I've been waking up with headaches and once when I started using Remy, it was like, oh my gosh, is this what it's supposed to feel like when I wake up? Like, have I been missing this this whole time? So anyway, it really and truly has helped me. And guess what? I didn't have to go through the dentist, which would have cost so much more money.
- [34:46]
Nicole
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- [35:57]
Lexi
Well, and then there's that word innocence. At their age, Xaden had innocence too. But after his mother left, he lost part of that. And then when he was a teenager, his father led a rebellion and got killed for it, leaving the fate of the marked ones on Zayden shoulders. But when his mother left was when he lost that first real bit of innocence. And here his half brothers are carefree without that kind of possibility.
- [36:21]
Nicole
Running out of the house comes Talia immediately flinging herself at the two boys, giving them the same once over that usually Violet gets from Mira. AKA the look of someone who loves them dearly and is filled with motherly concern. God fucking damn it. Rebecca Yarrows keep twisting the knife I felt for Xaden and now hearing how much Violet acquired equates that motherly look only with Mira just ouch. But wait. Motherly. After hearing the younger of the boys still on the high from seeing the dragons take to the skies, he says, mama, you should have seen it roar. Mama. Oh.
- [36:57]
Lexi
The realization dawns on Zaden. No wonder his mother never returned to Orisha or to Zaden. She built a whole new family here. The oldest of these boys looked about 11 years old, which means Talia married and got pregnant approximately less than a year and a half after she left the Ryerson family. Over the past two books we've gotten a lot of foreshadowing that Zaden has siblings after how many comments he made about being an only child. Turns out he's not an only child. He has two younger half brothers, though important to note, Zaden won't view them as half siblings. Later in the book, even Violet will think to herself how he does have two younger brothers who he doesn't acknowledge and she thinks better than to correct him. But damn if Zaden isn't hurt by his mother leaving him to start a new family as he views it a better family when she isn't contractually obligated to, but that she loves and cares and stays for.
- [37:47]
Nicole
While we don't know a whole lot about how Talia acted with Satan when he was so young, here we see her terrified for her two youngest boys safety. She's having to calm down her trembling from them being in danger. And as we will learn later, she knew about Tyrandor losing the rebellion, she knew about Fen's execution, Zade being forced into the quadrant, all of that horrible stuff. He was in all the danger and he was fostered as a result of it. And while his mother knew she was off building another family again, we don't know if she's contracted to Ferris too and wasn't able to leave as a result. But to be honest, right now Xaden doesn't care, nor is he thinking at all from her.
- [38:30]
Lexi
POV a little scarily. This revelation is what changes Xaden. You know what? Dinner with my mother sounds great. I believe this change of mind is for two reasons, even though they're kind of conflicting reasons. Well, actually first of all, I think he ultimately would have gone to dinner for Violet's sake if he didn't learn about his mother's new family. It would have just taken him longer to come to this conclusion, but for one, Zaden is drawing upon his unemotional side where this is a transaction to get in with the triumvirate. He's putting aside his personal feelings about who exactly the Stanner is with and trying to bottle up his emotions emotions to keep his eye on the prize. And second, which yes, is contradictory to what I just said, he's being spiteful to his mom.
- [39:09]
Nicole
Fuck it.
- [39:10]
Lexi
Sure, I'll go have dinner with her. I'm not going to hide away because she deserves to know how much I don't care about her. Which is exactly how he's going to act at the beginning of dinner. Cold, calculated, and with plenty of jabs to throw in his mother's face.
- [39:23]
Nicole
Again, maybe not the healthiest way to deal with this Satan, but I also don't disagree with him. Violet sees her man start to return, retreat back into that cold mask he wore during her first year and given his opening up about not wanting to feel things, yeah, it freaks her the fuck out. Is he going to channel again? Does he know that she has a charged alloy in her pack and that he could drain and immediately find that emotionless relief? Instead she reaches out her metaphorical hand. Don't barter it away. The pain, the mess. Give it to me, I'll hold it. I know that sounds ludicrous, but I'll find a way. I'll hold everything you don't want to feel because I love every part part of you. I love this monologue, even though it doesn't have the impact on Xaden that she's hoping for. There are times when our partners might not have anything to give, when they are drowning in their own pain, they're unable to see a way through it. And in those moments love is not about fixing them. Instead it's about saying, I see you, I'm here. You don't have to carry this alone. And sometimes that's really enough to help them find their way way back.
- [40:28]
Lexi
Violet comes to her own realization when Xaden goes to wash up, and while it's a little vague in this moment we start to see her plan for dinner form she starts to put the puzzle pieces together. The children are being sent away to Faris's parents house for the evening, which does not bode well for the sense of safety in this house, whether from these people of Hedotis or potential retaliation from Quest Squad for something that's going to happen. And Talia confirmed all three members of the Triumvirant will be at dinner tonight. The triumphant triumphant wouldn't meet with them without any kind of trial. Which means Quest Squad's test of worthiness will be tonight at dinner instead of the standard formal setting. But again, they sent the kids away to protect their safety. Bringing our brilliant woman to her own conclusion. If they're going to be tested with potentially dangerous consequences, she needs her own edge. So here's her plan. Have Andarna use her camouflage skills to follow the children so they can know where they're being taken to this. This will be crucial and rather cruel but effective leverage. But Violet recognizes that she needs to get as much of an upper hand here as possible and use any and all information, like knowing where the children are, to her advantage when the time is right. And part two of the plan is to give dried aramint to Talia as a peace offering.
- [41:38]
Nicole
Major Air Quotes what is Erin mint, you ask? Erin mint is a plant that when dried, has a light green leaf leaf and is found in Oracia. However it is very illegal to export. You'll find out why and by itself. Erin Mint, when steeped in milk or turned into a tea with lemon or even a little chamomile. That sounds lovely. It works wonders for sleeping and healing. Which is what Brennan used after Violet was poisoned back at the end of fourth Wing to help her heal. And it's why it's in the med pack that Brennan packs for their travels. But when you combine air with some other ordinary herbs, like I don't know, the shredded bark of the tercilla bush, which, huh, Isn't tersilla growing everywhere the fuck around here. It becomes a deadly poison. Great. So with this knowledge in mind, Violet gives a vial of dried Erin Mint leaves, secretly mixed with a little tarsilla bark to Talia in the guise of wanting to bridge the gap with her future mother in law. And since Zaden had, you know, just finished telling Violet about how his mother would tell him bedtime story stories with Aaron Mint tea, Violet knew this would be the perfect way to kick off her plan. Especially given how nostalgic Talia seems to be with the figs and with what we'll learn is with the chocolate cake. She probably thought that Zaden knew about the arament Violet was giving Talia and thought it was just a truce. Oh Talia.
- [42:58]
Lexi
This gesture of giving tea that is actually disguised as poison is Violet maneuvering in such an out of the box way to get leverage for the test? The best way I can describe it is she's preemptively outsmarting the triceps triumvirate. I originally thought this drastic jump to conclusions was a little too convenient for the story because it plays out so well in Violet's favor. But the more I've thought about it, and maybe to help me explain this plot convenience, we can't forget Violet has been reading her father's book on Hedotis, and while she's been excited to go to this aisle, we know that her father did warn her to keep her guard up and this was not going to be like any other test she's had to do or prepare for like the Scribe Quadrant before we head into.
- [43:36]
Nicole
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- [43:55]
Lexi
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- [44:21]
Nicole
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- [44:38]
Lexi
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- [44:48]
Nicole
Domain, it is time to go to the dining room. This monochromatic room is just as boring as the others in the house. How monochromatic you ask. So much so that Nyari, Roslyn and Ferris, the three members of the Triumvirate, all dressed in their monochromatic ceremonial robes, would blend into the wall if it weren't for their head. So I just imagine they look like like floating heads. Sitting next to the Triumvirate is Talia of course, and she is looking pretty hella uncomfy. Also seated at this 10 person table are Garrick, Cat, Arric, Mira, Violet, and Zaden. Zaden seems to be closer to the Closed off asshole who she met on parapet though than the one we've gotten to know over the last few books.
- [45:32]
Lexi
Just like Violet deduced, this dinner is their trial of worthiness to receive access to the city and most importantly, inter formal conversations with the Triumvirate about an alliance, the seventh Dragon breed, and more knowledge this isle of wisdom may be privy to. In case you need a refresher from last episode's archives, here is Hedotis trial procedure where you must prove your wisdom and worthiness of the city and the Triumvirate. This test is usually done done in a formal and public setting in which the Triumvirate wear ceremonial robes and hold onto jade stones. When a member believes the person on trial is worthy, they place their stone in front of them. A decision of worthiness requires a unanimous vote where all three members put their stones on the table. To make this decision, the Triumvirate members take turns asking questions to determine the wisdom of the response, including judgment of their intelligence, life choices and test of honor. At least that's what we assume, because that's how things were going until, you know, Ferris did his thing. The trial is conducted in front of an outside witness. Given the unique circumstances of Zaden being the son of a triumphant member's wife, tonight's trial is this informal dinner setting. So the witness is Talia.
- [46:39]
Nicole
Let's start off with some small, light dinner talk. A lot of you are royals, so why aren't you contracted to marry one another for alliances? The irony is that on Hedotis, this is kind of normal Ish conversation, even though they are testing them. If a marriage makes sense to tie two alliances together, it would be unwise not to take it. Take Zaden and Cat's betrothal, for example. Because Tirandor is the largest of Navarre's provinces and so much of the land lies beyond the protection of the Wards, it's always been less loyal to Nevar as a whole, which is where him and Cat's betrothal was secured. If a royal royal from Poromiel and a royal from a possibly seceding Tyrandor were to marry, then that is a match that makes so much wise sense to have as a new solo nation of Tirindor, then they would have an alliance with Bormil already baked in. Also, this is some extra context as to why last book Cat was insistent that she was fighting for a crown. She was going to be the queen of Tirindor. Which is exactly what Merrin said in her Dream 2 Cat. Ah, yes, that Match makes perfect. Wise sense. It's a wise decision after all. Let's drop the papers right now. Hey. For Cat and Zaden, we could perform the ceremony tomorrow in temple. We might need to make it long enough though to secure an heir for the future of Tyrandor. And make sure promish blood is in the lines. Should we do you know? Three years? Four years. Four. Four years. Sounds good. Good.
- [48:12]
Lexi
The stark difference of perspectives is on full display here. And Violet is quickly catching on to Hodotus perception of what wisdom looks like. Violet was trained to believe wisdom is gained by asking the right questions, discovering the answer between the lines, drawing conclusions based on fact and context. Basically what you would find in books or what you would figure out to accurately document facts. In other words, as her father noted in his research, the scribe quadrant tests you on your knowledge and that is what you train for. However, Hedotis does not seem to have the same definition for wisdom. They believe wisdom is demonstrated through action. Which most definitely include decisions an individual makes when faced with moral, ethical and strategic dilemmas. Which is why they are asking these rather personal questions. It's not dinner small talk after all. It's analyzing their action based decisions. If a person makes a reckless, self serving or short sighted choice, it means they must lack wisdom no matter how much knowledge they they possess. But the definition of such choices is so subjective and they are dissecting Quest squad based on their own cultures beliefs. For instance, Varis reflects that Griffins seem foolhardy to bind their life to a frail human. Whereas Cat pushes back that Griffin's decisions are respectable and their alliance with humans has strengthened poor Emile and she is grateful to the Griffins for that. Or that these young royals should unite their kingdoms with marriage contracts. After all, the triumph sees leadership and power as responsibilities to uphold. But again, they have a very different perspective of what leadership and power looks like than our crew does. The continent is at war with the Venin. And these young royals are using their leadership and power to find allies and gain whatever strength they can to have a chance for future generations. Meanwhile, the Triumvirate only sees their lack of wisdom in not taking advantage of marriage alliances and producing heirs. Which quite frankly is the last thing on their minds right now as they're just trying to survive the next few months. Not even years like months. This whole conversation reminds me of what Indarna will say to the Irids. Quote, you preach peace while only having known its privilege.
- [50:12]
Nicole
It's almost a little comical that here the Triumvirate is like patting Themselves on the back for thinking they are, you know, long term planners. And yet the rest of Quest Squad is like, we don't have a Tirndor to secede if we lose the war. Ui Dots.
- [50:28]
Lexi
However, it can cannot be underestimated that this is part of the test. Draft up the marriage contract and make it official tomorrow. Are you wise enough to see the potential of that and follow through?
- [50:39]
Nicole
Zaden, feeling spiteful and kind of playful, follows in their line of thinking. Sure, drop the papers for a tearish marriage on my behalf, but fuck that four years nonsense. Lifetime is the only option I'll take. And oh, just for the papers to make sure they're correct. The name is vile. It Soren Gael with two R's on that. Well, his last name is tied to the title, but that's nothing a little flexing of the Dukeship can't fix. Whose last name should they go with? Ah, shoot. Garrick brings up a good point. They could hyphenate or do a combination Ryerg Sorenson. I love this side of Garak. This might be playful and fucking hilarious, but the subtext that Xaden is getting at is not. While the Triumvirate believes that that they are prepping for a wise match, Zayn is basically metaphorically slapping them in the face. You can test our wisdom, our honor, our dedication, you can set up riddles or even fake scenarios, but you Triumvirate are idiots if you believe that quote. I'm going to leave the only woman I've ever loved to contract marriage with a woman I do not get along with. And listen, he's got a fucking point. I am also going to point out that this line quote, Violet is the only choice I've ever made for myself. I won't sacrifice her for three years, not a single day. I will argue that this doesn't exactly age well given the ending and the fact that he's yeeted out of there. I mean, he hasn't broken up with her, but he's sacrificing time with her.
- [52:07]
Lexi
So yeah, he hasn't given up on her in his own way, but he knows that he's on borrowed time. So that's where I'm taking this as he will not sacrifice a single day because he knows he only has limited time.
- [52:19]
Nicole
Oh, okay, okay, that actually does make more sense. See, I was thinking in the more long term, like we're gonna have forever. Which, yeah, we all know that they don't. I know. And I love how Kat yet again sticks up for Violet and Kind of Zayden in this situation. She's showing how far she's come since the days of literally wanting to commit murder to get Violet off the table. She sighs after getting the what happened to your betrothal convo? And says, basically, Zaden and her broke up, and now Zaden is with Violet. And it is an actually wiser match considering the power they both have. But that is not how the people of Hedotus think. Power, no bloodline, yes. Which again, makes me wonder why Tyrandor needed Hedotic blood in their line.
- [53:05]
Lexi
And what is Thalia's high status on this isle before Slash without Faris?
- [53:10]
Nicole
Like what? Like what's her lineage? Like, what makes her. Yeah, yeah, we don't know. But I think we're gonna find out eventually. Right now, however, according to the Triumvirate, the only way of testing wisdom is relationship choices. Which, if you look at most people's dating history, mine, it is not the.
- [53:27]
Lexi
Greatest test of wisdom. Oh, my God, right? Like I didn't throw me in the sea with a Kraken. If my past relationship choices were analyzed, or really, quite frankly, most of my life choices from about age 15 to 25, I would rather fight one of the umbrella twins than be under this dissection. By the way, any of my exes listening or their wives, as Nicole and I have learned, is a very real thing. Please don't take that personally. This is not a blanket statement. I'm sure we had a lovely relationship.
- [53:59]
Nicole
And I hope you're happy now. Anyway, let's try something else.
- [54:07]
Lexi
Sick mirror on them with her words, not weapons. Like for once she pulls such a good sister move and states the obvious. This interview ended before it began. These Triumvirate members already judged this group based on the information they already had. Which is such a great point. Little do they know or care that Violet is the smartest person in this room. Or that Xaden tore apart Bisgaeth to save her, then returned to Navarre to fight against the Venon because it was the right thing to do, the selfless thing to do to protect others. Or that Cat lives in the most hostile environment so she can help her kingdom with this alliance and unite with riders to be stronger together. Or that Arryk didn't want to acknowledge his royal status, but he did it anyway so they have a capable royal representative. Quick pause. Because can you imagine if Halden was here? You know what? Actually, he would probably do well under their judgment because it's so weak, warped.
- [54:57]
Nicole
He would either do very well or he would be the one with the Kraken in the sea. And there is no in between.
- [55:04]
Lexi
Exactly. No in between. Or that Garak is the most loyal best friend anyone could ask for. You know what most of these people have in common? They have done selfless deeds and put themselves in danger for the sake of their people. And that is something the Triumvirate can't wrap their heads around because they are so detached from the real trials and sacrifices of war. Saving oneself is wise. Sacrificing one's happiness for bloodlines is wise. I mean, this is the people who don't even have a port because they're scared of the unknown for Helion's sake. But aha. Meera's declaration that it was unwise of them to even come here because Hidotus won't share their knowledge or ally is apparently the first wise thing said here. It's truthful, it's observant, it's pushing back and making a stand for themselves. It's gleaning insight upon the Triumvirate and turning the tables back on them. Which yeah, is a smart thing to do when they are being ridiculed like this. So Nayri, one of the three triumphant members, sets her jade stone down, expressing that Mira has piqued her interest. I love how her follow up question about her city is after she puts her stone down, it's like they now have permission to revel in Hidotus perfectionism or perhaps even pass their own judgment as the test continues of what they define as wisdom.
- [56:14]
Nicole
One stone down. Woohoo. However, Roslyn seems to be a little trickier after Violet's answer of what do you think of our city? Doesn't really match with their opinion. Which again is another error of this test. Wisdom is subjective, but at this table the wisdom of Quest Squad has to match the values and beliefs of the wisdom of Hedotis.
- [56:38]
Lexi
Which I will say, as much as we are giving them a hard time for this objective judgment, I can kind of understand how they want this wisdom to match their beliefs and values in order to to gain a formal audience with them. This trial essentially eliminates the possibility of wasting time with anyone who doesn't align with them from the get go. Think about sometimes when you get a meeting proposition and you're like, eh, I don't really want to be in this meeting because I don't align with whatever they're saying. And then you don't go to the meeting. Yes, this is short term and narrow minded perspectives of them refusing to speak to somebody who does not believe in their version of wisdom, but for an aisle who only knows people peace. Again, it just brings back that peace is privilege.
- [57:17]
Nicole
Anyway, if that question doesn't work about the whole city stuff, let's find a different approach. Roslyn asks them if they're supposed to take criticism from a group who does not even know the name of their own freaking continent. And as Violet's starting to figure out the exact answer in her head, especially given how the previous Isles have addressed them, it is actually Aaric who's been pretty silent this whole meeting dinner. Who steps in. Amaryllis is the answer. Or Amalakis, according to Paramil. But considering those two parts of the continent haven't really been able to decide on anything for hundreds of years, let alone a name, the continent is what it has morphed into.
- [57:53]
Lexi
Well, well, well.
- [57:54]
Nicole
Look who decided to finally show the fuck up. Turns out that Auric likes to keep his mouth shut until he understands the rule of the game at hand. Reason a million and one why Aric is a better king than anyone else at this table.
- [58:11]
Lexi
Quite frankly, I'm gonna be honest. I am falling harder and harder for Arik in this deep dive. Like he is slowly making his way up to book boyfriend. Like I could see him by the end of the series because I. I like him. I want to see him in a romantic setting, but I just love how he's like, you know what? We don't even want to be your ally. It's like he's removing himself from this trial because it's not worth his time or energy. But he's not saying it in a pompous way, just in. In a I'm wise way. At least to me.
- [58:39]
Nicole
He's taking back the control of the meaning, but not in a manipulating way. It's in a as fact way.
- [58:44]
Lexi
Yes, yes.
- [58:46]
Nicole
Well Arik, you are the highest ranking noble and smarty pants at this table, so why aren't you in charge of this quest Squad mission? Ah, because A nobility does not play into rank when it comes to the squad and B because the seventh breed is who they are looking for and Violet is bonded to one of them and therefore she is in charge of the mission because she has a direct tie to Andarna. Again, this style of thinking just shows how this crew is so much wiser because they have the ability to ebb and flow and adapt versus He Dotis, which states your nobility equals your rank and no other context is included. These people are so fucking black and white thinkers and yet patting themselves on the back for believing that they're geniuses when in reality they are that narrow mind.
- [59:34]
Lexi
Well, it's interesting because this high leadership is elected, which Kat was turning her nose up to earlier in the stretch of chapters. They may not have official rank and nobility that we know of, but they lean heavily on it when it's important elsewhere. Like marriage contracts as a prime example.
- [59:49]
Nicole
Okay, maybe that's why Talia is so fucking important. Is she the princess, for lack of a better term, of hedotes? We don't know.
- [59:57]
Lexi
I don't think that they have that here.
- [60:00]
Nicole
That's why I'm confused. But like, is her family of nobility Somewhere else I could see her family.
- [60:06]
Lexi
Being like one of the really wealthy families of Hedotis A quick break from.
- [60:10]
Nicole
All this political maneuvering to talk about groceries Dun dun dun. At the end of the day, I've spent most of my time deep in outline mode. I am just spent and what little time and energy I have left I want to spend it having quality time with my husband and Brett or watching a new TV show that we're obsessed with. The last thing I want to think about is groceries. That's why Hungryroot is our hero. It's the easiest way to eat healthy for me.
- [60:37]
Lexi
I sometimes struggle with making sure that I can plan a truly balanced grocery list, but Hungry Root is like having your own personal shopper and nutritionist all wrapped into one. They take care of the weekly grocery shopping, recommending healthy groceries and meals tailored to your tastes, nutrition preferences and health goals. They make it it easy to eat high quality nutritious food and achieve any diet or health goal from anti inflammatory to gut friendly, gluten free like Nicole or dairy free, high protein and more.
- [61:04]
Nicole
Like Lexi mentioned, I've gone to gluten free recently and one of my favorite new dishes was actually from Hungryroot. It was gluten free pasta, it was a vodka sauce and then this like chicken sausage that went on top of it. I devoured that dinner. It was so yummy and everything in the box was tailored to my new gluten free lifestyle and they were really yummy. Like I got like peanut butter cups and stuff like that. It was so good.
- [61:28]
Lexi
You're going to love Hungryroot as much as we do. Take advantage of this exclusive offer for a limited time. Get 40% off your first box plus get a free item in every box for life. Huzzah. Go to hungryroot.com FFG and use code FFG. That's hungryroot.com FFG code FFG to get 40% off your first box and a free item of your Choice for Life. Hungryroot.com FFG code FFG My rant about.
- [61:56]
Nicole
The triumvirate aside, the seventh breed mention is what does it what's confirming that Violet does indeed have a seventh breed of dragon? Roslyn Stone goes down, down, down. She's curious about this. I think it's so interesting that it's curiosity that Roslyn and Nairi, it's what makes them put their stones down. And both of them say something along the lines of like it piques my interest or that that makes me curious, but I have a feeling Ferris is not that way.
- [62:25]
Lexi
Yes, it's like these women members recognize that there's a lot more to this quest squad and they want to learn more about them. Part of knowledge and wisdom is curiosity. But also while I believe that Irid Bond is what secured her curiosity, I'm going to give Auric some credit too, with how he stood up to them. We're noticing a pattern with the two who didn't put their stones. Stones down. They didn't put them down partly because the people who convinced them were not playing their game. So huzzah. Two out of the three triumphant members have put their stones down. But since this needs to be a unanimous decision, let's turn our focus to Asshat Ferris, who is, in his words, a little more shrewd with his approach. In other words, he's not playing the Curiosity trial game. He asks another question. If Violet truly seeks knowledge, why does she not worship Hedion? She gives the same answer we've heard her share before. Before that wisdom is to be earned, not prayed for. And sure, she would revel in their library, but the only thing that matters right now is information on the Venin. Back when they were arriving to this isle, we talked about how excited Violet was to come here, and how this is the most likely place to have knowledge about finding a cure to Veninism. But she's got a different tune now. After spending some time with this leadership, though, Faris does seem intrigued by what she's looking for. Quote, a weapon to destroy them, perhaps. While this is a pretty easy conclusion to come to to, it makes me wonder, do they know anything about the Irids and how they are a weapon? So this is more like a prompt to see how much Violet knows. I'm leaning no, but you just never know with this shrewd Ferris guy. I have to wonder too. Is Faris stalling until the cake is ready. Since that seems to be his real test, perhaps his question was a cue for the servants to deliver dessert. Because like I mentioned, he's not proceeding this trial the same way as the other two. Curiosity doesn't. So it's either Quest Squad has not proved enough wisdom for him to call off what's about to happen, or what's coming up is ultimately the only true trial.
- [64:18]
Nicole
Ferris, your shrewd approach will have to hold off for just a moment. After all, we have to do something with all that Wink chocolate wink that Talia Wink has been buying for weeks. Wink Wink. The servers return with everyone's perfectly sliced chocolate cake, AKA Zaden's favorite dessert, and Talia lights up. Is it still your favorite?
- [64:39]
Lexi
Xaden?
- [64:39]
Nicole
We tried 1001 recipes and this was the closest to Orisha. Zaden, I know that your birthday is a few weeks away, but since you're here. Zaden, Happy birthday to you. Wait. Shit. Not everyone has forks. Talia, Faris, Roslyn and Nayri are all without forks. But don't worry, outsiders, please don't wait on our accounts. Hi Red flags. It's nice to see you waving a boy.
- [65:03]
Lexi
And thankfully Violet sees the red flag for what it is with her quick thinking. While it's not in her inner monologue, I assume she's been on high alert for the danger she suspected from the beginning with this dinner and a test. So Violet is quickly putting the puzzle pieces together. Talia has been stockpiling chocolate for weeks because it's an uncommon treat. Why would she abnormally be hoarding it? Like for the intention to make chocolate cake for Zaden. But if she's been planning chocolate cake for Zaden for weeks, then Talia must have known that they were coming. And only the new newcomers have forks with insistence that they go ahead and start eating where they get a head start of the Triumvirant and Talia on taking bites out of this cake. And hey, didn't Umbriel know about their alliance with Devarelli? Which means the Isles are communicating with each other. Put it all together and he dotes was informed by Devarelli that they would be coming. Which means the whole surprise to see their arrival, specifically Zaden, was all fake. Bad, bad. This is bad. They're being played. This Ferris ship shrewd approach to testing them. And he seems to be putting them through quite a different kind of trial than the other two Triumvirate members. One that does not seem to do with their answers that they've been analyzing and poking at so far, but it's a trial of Are you able to figure out that this is poisoned before you eat it? Luckily, Violet passed his test and quickly notifies the others.
- [66:16]
Nicole
But damn it, because while Violet may have figured this out, Garak definitely didn't. Tasting the deliciousness of this chocolate cake that tastes just like home. Aw. Homeboy inhales a third of his slice until, oh, something's off. His eyes flutter shut and oh no, he fell down.
- [66:38]
Lexi
The Empyrean series really does such a good job of keeping all of us on our toes with who is about to die and who isn't, because sometimes characters we know do die and we're blindsided. Like this easily could have been him dying. And I just remember reading this for the first time and absolutely freaking out that Garak was about to die.
- [66:56]
Nicole
Yeah, what else is the Empyrean series really good at? Keeping us on our toes with Easter eggs. Because I want to talk about this for a moment. As Garak's unconscious body is falling to gravity's mercy, quote Arric lunges, catching Garak's head before it hits the surface. I always read this as a Precog moment, like he saw Garrett Garak falling and he caught him just in time. There's also a moment earlier when Nyri ended the prayer to Hedion with quote, may only our minds know hunger, and Arryk doesn't miss a beat with saying with them, May only our minds know hunger. That could be because he was raised to be a diplomat, sure, but it also could be because he had a flash of a Precog moment and he knew what to say. So it all boils down to can Arryk use his signet in very small amounts on the Isle? And if so, how he is not bonded to an Aid. But as we've discussed, there is the possibility that Violet's powers are because she's half dedicated to Dune. And that's especially why she could fully use her lightning on maybe not consciously, but fully use her lightning on Umbriel. So all of this to say, could Auric be connected to the God he Dion? We know that Kaldir is the main worshiper of Hedion on the continent. We know that King Tari is called King Tari the Wise. So could he have also dedicated his sons to Hedion? But maybe it only worked with Auric. Plus my God, how poetic would it be for Auric to be the truly wise one because he's connected to Hedion? Could it also be A wink, wink, nudge, nudge. As to why, he's very smart and he knows a lot. Rebecca Yarros has also said that if Violet wasn't with Zaden, she would be with Aarik. Is this a reason why? Because they're both connected to the gods.
- [68:40]
Lexi
I just assume Auric is a smart.
- [68:42]
Nicole
Cookie with good reflexes like that.
- [68:45]
Lexi
Never even crossed my mind.
- [68:47]
Nicole
I don't think it's out of the question. Because if he did get again. I keep saying flashes of Precog because it would be like a split second before it happened. May only our minds know hunger. Garak's about to fall. Let me catch him. So it's not to full strength. But I think it would make a lot of sense if he was connected to Hedion.
- [69:04]
Lexi
I think that's a fun theory. Nicole. Back to Garak. Because he's not breathing, people. Karen confirms that Kraud, Garak's dragon, is enraged and just set part of a forest on fire. But he's not suffering the loss of his rider yet. So at least Garak is still alive. We have that confirmation when Violet demands to know what's in the cake. Ferris smile turns cruel and he refuses to answer. God, I hate you so much. Our quest squad starts making quick movements. Someone go get Trager who has healing training so maybe he can help. Zion starts giving Garrick magic mouth to mouth to get him to breathe. And while it does kind of work, this is very much a short term solution to keep his friend alive while they figure out the antidote.
- [69:45]
Nicole
I love that Aric says about Garrick quote. He's blue. Blue is in italics, friends. And what finally makes Violet realize that it's the berries. The blue on the cook's fingernails. I love that tie in where it's like he's turning blue and blue is what figures out the cure. And it's an I tell Alex. Of course I fucking love it.
- [70:05]
Lexi
Talia is horrified by what her husband has done. So it seems clear she had nothing to do with Varys true test. He's so wicked saying that he tested them like Talia asked in the comfort and privacy of their own home. By the way, she is so shocked. I'm assuming this is a little more extreme than the usual tests. Yeah, we also can't forget that Talia knew Garrick growing up. His father was Finn's right hand and he and Zaden grew up together. Garrick recognized her on the beach too. So like she knows knows Garrick too. Nairy and Roslyn exchange annoyed looks so it makes me think they weren't in on this test. Maybe, but they weren't surprised by what Ferris has done. Although, I don't know.
- [70:42]
Nicole
This does make me wonder though, why would he give them. Why would his test be literally life and death? Like, why would he want to wipe them off the map?
- [70:51]
Lexi
Or like we were speculating earlier, they did know that this was coming and they're just like, oh my God. And they even like gave the head hint that so that they could put the puzzle pieces together so that they can know whether it's poisoned or not.
- [71:02]
Nicole
Maybe they're so annoyed because they're like, damn it, we tried giving up on.
- [71:07]
Lexi
Faris to spill the beans. Violet uses her smarts to figure out what Garak has been given while Zaden, Panicky, continues to breathe into Garrick and keep his best buddy alive. There's a trace of something that smells sickly sweet in the chocolate, but she's not able to pinpoint exactly what it is because Violet, so far out of our depths on this foreign island.
- [71:25]
Nicole
Mind studying? After a few deep breaths, Violet turns to Fuck Face Faris. Which, by the way, Ferris and Varysh sound way too similar for me not.
- [71:34]
Lexi
To think that sus for me. I absolutely love mash. Jake and I have been watching MASH lately and one of the characters, Frank, they call him Ferret Face. And I just keep picturing Ferret Face.
- [71:46]
Nicole
Thinking that Violet's next logical move would be to threaten to kill him. Ha ha. No. No Ferris, no threatening needed. But because she's already killed you.
- [71:56]
Lexi
What?
- [71:57]
Nicole
Like we were saying earlier, Violet came up with her own leverage for this test. This afternoon, before dinner, Violet remembered that in the medical pack Brennan packed for them, he left dried aron mint. There's also a theory that Aric was actually the one who first saw this is on the continent. He first saw them needing aramint and so that's why he actually put it in the pack. Which I think is just a fun one theory. Once ingested though, this Ehren mint clock is ticking, leaving the ingestor with only one hour before they are dead, dead, dead. And if that's not stressful enough, they have until they actually start vomiting blood to take an antidote. After that, it is absolutely useless. So they have about you know, 10, 15 minutes, give or take, of wiggle room. Even though Violet had no way of actually knowing if the tea would be served at dinner, she preemptively gave everyone on Quest Squad the antidote before heading down to dinner. This allowed them to safely drink the poison tea without any suspicions from the Triumvirate members like, you know, like, oh my fork is missing or whatever. I'm gonna, I'm gonna really poke at Ferris for a second. You're a smart ish man. I want to ask you, at what point did you think poisoning six lethally trained writers and flyers who are bonded to Griffin and now pissed off dragons. At what point did you think this was a good idea? Remember earlier at dinner he asked rather out of the blue, when you die, do your dragons. And they were like, not really. And he still served them the cake. He knew the dragons would live if he even killed all six of them.
- [73:31]
Lexi
I think this goes back to the general theme of underestimating the dragons and what they're capable.
- [73:36]
Nicole
You know what's not very wise?
- [73:38]
Lexi
That.
- [73:39]
Nicole
That right there. So let's say the best case scenario happened in his eyes and all the dinner attendees, all six of them dropped dead. There are four other writers flyers in this house who would fuck shit up fast. Then there's the dragons on top of it. Not very wise, my guy.
- [73:58]
Lexi
So his intention wasn't to kill them per se, as he said to Talia when she accused him of poisoning her son, quote, your son was wise enough not to eat it. Our aisle can be unforgiving. You should be proud, not angry. So I think that Ferris gave Quest Squad the ultimate test. Could they figure out if the cake was poisoned? If yes, then they pass the test. If no, well then as far as he's concerned, that's their own fault.
- [74:22]
Nicole
But why would he give them this ultimate test? This like hardest version of the test, like why? Why? Why?
- [74:29]
Lexi
That is a good question. Because I do wonder if it goes back to them being writers who are more lethal in their own way. So he had to go a little bit more extreme to take them down.
- [74:39]
Nicole
I also wonder if part of this is because of Talia's connection to them and he's, he maybe doesn't like that Talia's firstborn child is here. He maybe is worried like what could Xaden do? Or what could she do? Like I, I think he's also a little threatened. Continuing to not be very wise. Ferris keeps his mouth shut. He's not going to give up the antidote to what's killing Garak. Even with the threat on now his life and on his wife's and all the whole Triumvirate too.
- [75:08]
Lexi
I appreciate how that's just so wild to Violet. He dotes is so practical that they have removed emotion or at least Ferris has proving that with this entitled wisdom comes big ego, even if it means death to his wife. Whereas Violet and Zaden would do anything, literally anything, to save the other. That's what Violet had been initially banking on with this threat to Ferris, the other two Tran friend members, and his wife's lives, as Taran points out. Stop thinking like you, Violet. And stop asking him for the answer, because he sure as hell won't give it.
- [75:39]
Nicole
So it's time for Violet's plan B. Meera keep anything in the house that could kill them away from killing them, which will include Drake taking the front part of this level, Merrin and Cat handling the back entrance by the patio, and Meera taking the side entrance to make sure that no one can come up and kill them. Dane, go get Asher's book on Hedotis, which is filled with info on the fauna and flora of the isles. At this point, did Asher the scribe have Precog? Probably not, but it's just very convenient. And Arrik and Riddick, please stay here with Violet. Zaden, you're doing something very helpful. You stay there, please. But wait. How did the poison get into the cake? The cook earlier was talking to Talia. Find the cook, Riddick and Violet to the kitchen.
- [76:21]
Lexi
Finding the cook in the kitchen, he states that he put what he was instructed to in the cake. And then the cook draws a knife from the block. Oh, boy. Oh, dear. As Violet says, don't do that. At alas, the cook charges at Violet. So she throws her two daggers, and they go straight into each of his forearms. She warned you over his shit. Violet yanks out the daggers from his arms and kicks him in the stomach, Sparta style.
- [76:46]
Nicole
As he begs for his life, Violet notices the cook's nails. More specifically, the blue under his nails. Earlier, when Violet saw him talking with Talia, she noticed he was using a blue edged towel. Or what she thought was a blue edged towel. Nope. He was scrubbing the blue off of his hands and his face fingernails. What could be blue, though? Oh, wait. When arriving in Hidotus, there were dead Aeros burbs that they just stepped around. And the cake had smelled of overriped fruit. What? Overripe fruit? Must be blue and deadly. Aha. Zakia berries. Deadly when fermented. There's that overripe fruit smell.
- [77:27]
Lexi
But before she can do anything about this realization, the cook once again gathers his courage and charges. Marches again. Okay, I have to give this cook A for effort. F for common sense. So his average grade becomes a C. Like Riddick will say. Soon enough. Where is the wisdom in a kitchen cook attacking two trained killers? Violet throws the daggers at him again, pinning the cook's hand in the door frame. But oh no, she didn't get up before the cook stuck the knife in Riddick. Okay, once again, my heart completely stopped when I I read this and I was not comforted by Chapter 37's epigraph, which feels very ominous talking about how grateful Violet is to have Riddick on this mission. But thank Mari he lose and it turns out the knife was not struck in Riddick's side. It just caught his flight jacket. Rebecca Yaris I'm still not over that scare.
- [78:17]
Nicole
Me neither. Never will be.
- [78:19]
Lexi
And the way that Violet was terrified for her friend's life makes me nervous. This was foreshadowing for something bad actually happening to Rich Riddick later on in the series. Rebecca shared on the Onyx Storm tour that a character we love will die in book four and Riddick is unfortunately one of the top candidates. I would be devastated if it was him or Mira or honestly any character we love. There's no escaping the heartbreak we know we are going to have. But the big reason readers are worried for Riddick's future is how much we got to know him in Onyx Storm. He has such fantastic character development and we get to see truly how 3D he is and it would make heart wrenching sense to take him away from us in the next book. Without wanting to dwell on that much. Let's end this kitchen scene with a Riddick classic. As he punches the cook in the face, he goes, I have four uniforms but only one fucking flight jacket. And I hate sewing.
- [79:09]
Nicole
Thank goodness for Riddick's survival and for Asha Sorengil's guide to the flora of Hedotis. Because there's a cure. So long as you treat it with lime or fig to the back of the throat within an hour, the person will live. And we have 10 minutes left. But thank goodness, I guess, for Talia's relentlessness in trying to get Zaden his favorite foods. Because upstairs there is a tray in their room that she delivered earlier and on that tray has one of his used to be favorites, sugar coated figs. Sending Dane after the figs and Auric to go get five cups of fresh water. Yes, five. Four for the members of the Triumvirate and one to crush the fig into so Garak can swallow it as the.
- [79:53]
Lexi
Waiting game begins in hopes that Garruk will wake up after the antidote gets in the system. We can't forget that the Triumvirate members and Zaden's mom are slowly dying right now and Ferris Fart Face still won't give up, even going so far to refuse that Violet won this, as he literally dies and they're all alive.
- [80:11]
Nicole
Stubborn.
- [80:11]
Lexi
Stubbornness is not becoming for wisdom, you know. Violet reminds him who he's dealing with. Zaden, the most lethal and ruthless Dragon rider whose best friend was almost just killed. And the jury's still out whether he'll.
- [80:24]
Nicole
Wake up, which he does, though his eyes sputtering open as he gasps for air after the fake juice hits the back of his throat. But one of my favorite quotes ever is this is my least favorite isle. But hey, he's at least alive.
- [80:37]
Lexi
And to no one's surprise, except apparently everyone in the room, Zaden is fucking ready to kill Ferris. He just tried to poison them, specifically Violet. And almost killed Garak in the process. Then was an S and refused to help when they were desperate and played their hand.
- [80:51]
Nicole
I will say this. When Zaden does erupt on Farris, Violet thinks quote, oh, shit. And here I thought I'd been bluffing. I love you, Violet, but what the fuck? What? From Zayden's track record of literally becoming. Becoming Venon. So you weren't hurt Made you think he wouldn't kill Ferris for this?
- [81:12]
Lexi
She got elbowed in the face in Deverelli and he killed 12 people. Yeah, but rose colored glasses, am I right? Except that does quickly disappear when Violet steps between Zaden and Riddick, who is trying his best to de escalate the situation so Riddick doesn't actually die. And not from the cook and a kitchen knife this time.
- [81:32]
Nicole
It's time for an ice watch.
- [81:34]
Lexi
Ice, ice, baby do, do, do, do, do, do, do. That'll never get old.
- [81:38]
Nicole
I'm sorry. Now we don't get a mention necessarily of his glare being icy. Instead, we get our first quote. Get off the ice. Remember earlier he equated being on the ice to his version of being on the edge of that heartlessness. And every part of him wants to give into the surface beneath the unfeeling, the murderous, the ven inside calling to him. And here he's completely lost himself to the ice skater. And while he's not swimming, the person looking up at Violet is a stranger dressed up as the ice skating man that she loves. I cannot help but think about the end of the book. He is Just keep swimming, Just keep swimming, fully swimming in the water. But Violet's I love you is what causes him to have that Little sliver of soul stay in him. He might not be sweet swimming yet, but here she begs him to look at her to get off the ice. And he does, Walking away from literally murdering fuck face Faris. Like you said, he killed 12 people at the blink of an eye two islands ago. And I'm really surprised he did not kill Ferris. Like, I am quite shocked.
- [82:41]
Lexi
I think he was going into that zone. And Violet this time was able to pull him out when he kind of held her to him last time. So she. She couldn't do this. I don't think that was like on a purpose thing. But yeah, she had the opportunity to do it this time. Later, he'll insist on Violet making him a promise that she'll never put herself between him and someone else. Like she did with ridic here. Quote, there's no telling what I could have done to you. Violet may have been able to coax him off the ice in this instance, but he recognizes the true danger she put herself in. And he's terrified he won't be able to control himself and get off the ice one of these times. Violet is steadfast in her belief that he would never hurt her. Even when he's on the ice, he's still him, as she says. Except he argues that he's not and he's too dangerous when he's like that. And it being him and his body, he knows that and he's warning her. Quote, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I hurt you. That'll end up being how Violet draws a line when Riddick makes her create boundaries for her own and everyone else's safety. When Xaden hurts her, she knows he's too dangerous. But I'll also argue that Violet.
- [83:41]
Nicole
Violet.
- [83:42]
Lexi
Will never believe he's capable of hurting her until it's too late. And he does. No matter how venant he is, no matter how cold he gets, no matter if he's so cold he's part of the Arctic. She would not feasibly be able to wrap her head around that possibility. With at least their crew all alive, it's time to pack up and leave. Except we can't just leave the Triumvirate and Talia to die. Killing potential allies of hedotes won't fare well. I'd argue this is a faris own making at this point. So just give the antidote to the others and see if he then wants to live too. Or die with his stubborn ego.
- [84:14]
Nicole
Now, to be fair, they do need this as an aisle to Rest. Or else the Griffins will end up in the sea.
- [84:19]
Lexi
Yeah, so they have two people who are good for them. Get another new Triumvirate member and then there they have three. But apparently Violet is nicer than I am. So she tells him what the poison is and begins preparing the antidote. So in order to ensure Quest Squad leaves on harmed, what'll it be? An alliance, an understanding, or a newly elected Triumvirate? The answer is nope. Still refusing and convinced will shoot the dragons out of the sky. Making it all worth it. Even if Ferris, his wife and the other two members of the Triumphant will die in the process. Okay, fine. Then in that case, Mira is going to bring a guard in and Ferris will tell him to let them go because they have a newfound allyship rooted in bloodline. After all, his wife's son is the Duke of Tyrandor, so they want to nurture that relationship, right? Right. Oh, what's that you say, Faris? You wouldn't be trustworthy. Okay, but you do realize you can't keep Quest Squad quiet about how the Triumvirate, specifically him, was outsmarted. Which makes his next bid for power pretty difficult, considering the Isle will all know what happened here. No, still not caving.
- [85:20]
Nicole
Well then we have our next clue. Accusation and Darna at Faris Paradise House with her being a motherfucking dragon. Earlier in this evening, Andarna was sent to stealth mode. Keep an eye on Xaden's half brothers who are at Faris's parents house. Knowing that should hit the fan and all else fails. She could at least threaten to kill the boys with her Irid. That finally fucking works.
- [85:46]
Lexi
Only when Talia like forces him and pleads with him.
- [85:49]
Nicole
Literally. She. She is dying. Dying. She is dying. He is dying. His two co workers are dying. And it's not until his two legacies are finally threatened and his wife begs him that he's like fucking fine. But not without saying something that just truly fucks with our heads. Quote. The eyes. I should have recognized your eyes. You're Asher Daxton's girl. Alarm. Alarm. Violet, why is your first question not how the fuck do you know my father? You were wondering why your dad was studying the aisles. You have a lot of leverage right now.
- [86:25]
Lexi
Ask him.
- [86:26]
Nicole
Now, did Ferris test Papa Sorrengail? Because this isn't a. Oh, I've known your father in passing. He knows what his eyes look like? Yes, Eyes on this aisle typically are purple. So if someone does not have purple eyes, it would be easier to remember them. And I also love that he called attention to Violet's eyes at the beginning of this horrible Isle visit, but he still didn't put two and two together. Again, not very wise, my guy. Listen, if he's, like, the wisest of them all and he's been elected, what the fuck are the other people like? What dumbasses live on this aisle?
- [86:58]
Lexi
God.
- [86:58]
Nicole
Also, Ferris says Asher Daxton. But Asher published the book on Hedotis under the name Captain Asher Sorengale. So I guess Asher went to each Isle, went back to the continent, published Umbriel, then got promoted and married, and then published the research on He Dotis because. Or else that timeline is confusing, knowing that Ferris knows him as Daxton. Maybe he used the name Daxton because of the weight it has with the scribes and, like, hoping it would help him with wisdom.
- [87:25]
Lexi
I have always assumed that he was Daxton while he was studying and collecting information here, and then when he returned, he got married and then he published it.
- [87:34]
Nicole
That. That would be my assumption, yeah.
- [87:36]
Lexi
But there is still the big mystery of when and how he had the time and resources to do all this research. So, all in all, He Dotis was not really quite a successful trip, to say the least.
- [87:48]
Nicole
No.
- [87:49]
Lexi
No seventh dragon breed was here. No alliance with the Triumvirate. No desire to ever want to return here, which is weighing on Violet's conscience. The whole reason they were willing to disobey orders was because this way, they had a high chance of coming back with the seventh dragon breed. But if they come up short, then they're really going to suffer the consequences when they return home. They're running out of time. This Isles mission is not proving to be as productive or successful as they'd hoped. And, yeah, not looking good as they keep having to cross off more Isles. But on the plus side, everyone, specifically Garrick and Riddick, made it out of here alive. Unfortunately, we will not be able to say the same thing about the next Isle, but we're not opening up that wound literally yet. And the slightly other plus is that Zaden at least now knows where his mom is. That mystery has been solved. So, question for you, Nicole. Do you think we've seen the last of talia?
- [88:39]
Nicole
No. I 1000% believe she's going to come back into our story. There is quite a bit of foreshadowing, actually, in the stretch of chapters that Talia doesn't fully belong here. Her eyes are not purple, and instead, they're similar to Zaden's. She's. In fact, she, with all things Colorful. She was overcome by the dragons when they first arrived. I feel like this is all foreshadowing for her to not belong on Hedotis and instead she'll leave to join the fight on the continent. Especially given how pissed off she is at her husband. At the end of dinner, Talia is furious at Faris for trying to poison Xaden, her son. And he's like, eh, whatever. And he just seems like a peach of a husband.
- [89:19]
Lexi
So while I initially would love the idea of her going to fight for the continent as well, we can't forget that she does have two young sons here.
- [89:25]
Nicole
Still, I truly don't know if Faris can come back from this gigantic El tattooed on his head. And maybe this is where she literally takes the boys and runs to Tyrandor.
- [89:36]
Lexi
I see what you mean, because I was going to say that I don't see her going to fight with the continent and leave her two sons behind. Yeah, I don't know if she would bring her sons with them. I could see her leaving her sons in Devarelli or something like that. That. But still, like, if she didn't do it for the Tears Rebellion. I don't know. I'll get. I'll get to my thoughts here in a few moments because I have a few ideas.
- [89:58]
Nicole
Well, you get. You bring up a good point with if she didn't do that for the Teish rebellion. It really does come down to the question of has Thalia seen enough to change her heart?
- [90:05]
Lexi
No.
- [90:06]
Nicole
Oh, I think, yes. I think watching her son get threatened to almost die, I think that was enough. Also, Violet mentions how quote he Dotes has entered a war or aligned itself with any kingdom at war in its recorded history. They aren't going to help us. Maybe it won't be all of He Dotis, because I absolutely don't see Faris coming to their side. But I could absolutely see this as foreshadowing for someone bringing the might of Hedion to the continent to fight like Talia. All in all, though, I do think that Talia will come back into our story. I do think she's going to come to Tiran Door with her two sons. But. But then Zaden's not going to be there. It's going to be Violet as duchess. And I think that they're going to develop some kind of. I'm going to say, kinship lightly.
- [90:50]
Lexi
I mean, if Violet and Cat can be friends now, I suppose nothing's out of the question.
- [90:56]
Nicole
At least Talia directly didn't try to kill Violet. We can't say the same thing for Kat.
- [91:01]
Lexi
I'm inclined to agree with you that yes, she will come back into the story. I also think that the Isles will come back into play in this fight for the continent. He Dotas might not have an army, but I specifically see Talia feeling hung up on what went down during her son's visit. Her husband showed his true colors to her. Maybe it wasn't the first time, but we definitely saw it on the page here. To the point she had to beg him to save their children and he did try to poison her oldest son. Yes, to him it might have been a test of wisdom, but tomato, tomato here. I feel like all of that might cause some tension in their marriage, especially when she had already been unimportant in her first marriage with Finn. As we've been saying, it's not answered when we meet her, but we do assume she holds some status outside of being in the Triumphant. She holds some status on her own because she's married to a triumphant member. She was part of a marriage contract with the Duke of Tyrandor, which I am still convinced Deferelli brokered, and now she's married to one of the most powerful elected people on the aisle. I can understand how some readers feel like this reveal about his mom was anti climatic. We have heard that in the fandom, but I personally believe it's just the beginning. And this is only our introduction to Talia. She'll come back into our story. Maybe help aid. I don't see her leaving two children, so I know that you're saying that she'll bring them to Tyrandor. I don't know. I. Maybe she won't like charge into help for the continent, but I could see her helping Violet with something and having her play a part in the second half of the series. Potentially with finding some information. Maybe she will be Violet's in hodotes, going into the libraries and finding some research there. I don't. I. I don't know. We'll stop here for now and pick up with the arrival to Zelna next episode. So for now we'll wave back to all the waving people feel a little bit of magic coursing through us and get excited to dive into all of it soon.
- [92:41]
Nicole
I am so excited for next episode. Not only do we get Zelna, we get the Irids and we get the slide whistle. I'm so excited.
- [92:52]
Lexi
In this Signet Power section segment of the episode, let's move to the power of precognition by turning Our full attention to other important foreshadowing moments for the rest of this book, as well as speculations for books four and five. I'll kick it off here. I feel like this is a regular in our foreshadowing segment, but I gotta call out all the Cat and Trager foreshadowing. They're together and happy, and everyone else is so happy for them. Like, it's really laying it on thick, this stretch of chapters before what happens.
- [93:18]
Nicole
Next episode, Zaden mentions how the serum and antidote, the 1, 2 combo, would really help him and Violet's sex life if he wasn't sure that Sigail would torch him for blocking the bond. Now, if Zaden and Sigail's bond is broken next book, I think he might do this. Now, whether that's him sneaking and finding it on his own when, you know, him and Violet are separated or he's back with Violet, because I do think they're going to be back together, like in the same room permanently in the next book. Then he'll start taking it.
- [93:47]
Lexi
So are you calling it the Vinin Viagra? Yes. Yes, I am.
- [93:51]
Nicole
I'm proud of it.
- [93:53]
Lexi
It's like the commercials you see to help your sex life and all of that. And there you go zany. There's your Vin in Viagra Viagra. Oh, my God.
- [94:02]
Nicole
Wow. All right. Violet says in her inner monologue that maybe her grandmama Niara knows about Asher's time on the Isles. You know, who else would have faris? But that's fine. Quote, if I ever get the courage to speak to her like Nia Mira did. This is foreshadowing. Like, we are going to see Violet go to Grandmama and Yara at some point. Next book, Auric says during dinner that he will fight in this war. Quote, most likely die, and do so knowing I protected others. A lot of people believe that this is foreshadowing. Slash, arc, precognition, having shown him his own death, protecting others, possibly in his squad. I don't think so, though, because A, I refuse Arric to die, and B, I really think he will end up King of Navarre, because there's way more foreshadowing for that.
- [94:47]
Lexi
See, I do think he may be saying that because he's seen it. However, it goes back to our reoccurring question. How does Arryk's signet work? Does he see the future that can't be changed? Which is kind of what you're saying here, why you don't think it would be the case or Is he capable of changing it? Because I believe he very well may have seen himself fighting, fighting in the war and dying, but he's at peace with that because he did so protecting others. However, this line from him is very in character for Arrik without his precognition. Signet Back in Iron Flame, he made it clear the reason he is here is because he wants to fight in this war and protect others. He came into the Writer's quadrant with this accepted fate and faces it with his head held high. So I could see it being either way. Rebecca really tripped us up by saying that his signet manifested before Quest Squad.
- [95:34]
Nicole
Also, during dinner, Talia says that she wouldn't be surprised if Tyrandor regains its sovereignty during this war. I 1000% agree with you, Talia, and I think that's the only time I've said that. But this means my palace, my throne, my queen. Riddick says that he wants a patch for Quest Squad. Well, Rebecca Yarros and our Denver interview said, quote I think that's going to be in another the patch is coming.
- [96:02]
Lexi
Friends, since we've been talking a lot about our main character's potential connection to the gods, I have to pull out this line. Zaden's head falls back like he's giving thanks to Zanal or perhaps Malik for not claiming his best friend. There are theories upon theories that he is touched by Malik, and this feels like it's worth calling out. I don't know if I'm personally convinced yet, but I'd love if this was a little Easter egg to Zayden's connection with Malak.
- [96:26]
Nicole
There is a really well thought out theory that I am so excited to get to, but not this episode. We have donned our signets, so now let's tap into our mind of a scribe and examine the key meanings of epigraphs from this stretch of chapters, starting with chapter 34. Quote it has been the experience of a lifetime to spend these months with others who value knowledge just as reverently as I do. But though their intelligence and their wisdom inspire me, their artifice terrifies me. This is from Hedotus, Isle of Hedion by Captain Asher Sorengale, in case you.
- [97:00]
Lexi
Don'T know, because I didn't know.
- [97:01]
Nicole
Actually, I didn't either. I looked it up too.
- [97:04]
Lexi
Artifice means clever or cunning devices or expedients, especially as used to trick or deceive others. This goes back to what I was saying about how it actually makes sense that Violet preemptively gained the upper hand In a deadly way from their test. Her father essentially warned her or anyone else reading this that the people of Hedotis are deceptive and cannot be trusted. I'd be so interested to hear about his trial. While we can assume that he was not married yet because he did refer to him as Asher Daxton, I wonder if there were questions about Lilith and how they were going to be getting married or something like that. Maybe when he returned that's why he knew he needed to marry her or something.
- [97:40]
Nicole
That's cute. Or maybe something happened in Zelna where, like, the God of Luck was like, marry her, bitch, no matter what.
- [97:46]
Lexi
Papa Sorrengel certainly made an impression on Faris because Faris recognized Violet's eyes as Papa Sorrengel's. Although we don't know if he was a Triumvirate member then. And I'm assuming probably Faris wasn't quite yet. And maybe he was a scholar who worked with Papa Sorrengel here. Papa Sorrengel also spent months here and knows something about the citizenship test, so I'm still thinking he had to take one of those tests too. It kind of makes me very proud of Papa Sorrengail for passing all these tests. He was wise even in the eyes of this culture, whereas Violet is not.
- [98:18]
Nicole
Now, I do wonder if maybe it wasn't by Faris, but maybe it was Ferris's mentor. Was Papa Sorrengill also tested with poison? And that's one of the reasons his Flora section is so thorough, I'll call it.
- [98:30]
Lexi
That's such a great point.
- [98:33]
Nicole
Next, epigraph from chapter 35. The God of Wisdom is the trickiest to placate. Heon seems to only answer to those who do not pray to him. Now let us step into the archives where each episode Lexi educates us on a world building topic to help us better understand this world, the Isles, and this time the people within it.
- [98:53]
Lexi
Today's archives topic is Xaden's parents, Finn Ryerson and Talia. Let's kick it off with Finn Ryerson. Finn Ryerson was Zayden. Zayden Ryerson's father, and he was the Duke of Varisha as well as Duke of Tyndor, because remember that Arisha is Slash was the capital of Tyrandor. He was the leader of the Tears Rebellion which coined him the nickname the Great Betrayer. His only known surviving relatives are Zayden, of course, and his nephew, Bodhi Duran. He had an unnamed sister, Bodhi's mom, who was also executed alongside him. After the rebellion, Finn's aide was Garrick's father. Like how Daddy Atos was Lilith Sorrengail's aid. But he was actually trustworthy and didn't suck. When Finn was 20, he entered the infantry quadrant. It was standard for aristocracy to go into the infantry because writers are discouraged from holding their family seats. Zayden has also shared that his father hoped he would go into the infantry like he did because Finn thought writers were pompous pricks. Hey, guess what they are after. Finn graduated from Bisgaeth War College. He served his mandatory four years of service. After his service ended, he became the Duke of Orisha. It's said that he was an excellent, excellent public speaker and a leader that the people believed in and wanted to follow. It's unknown how Finn found out about the Venin invading from the Barrens. It could be because he was a ranked officer and slash or of nobility, so he was just privy to that information already. Or because Tyrandor was more separated from the rest of Navarre, where not all of it was warded, so the secret was harder to keep in this province. So it was more, I'll call it common knowledge among leaders. Or because they had a better relationship with poor Emile, who was actively fighting the fight against the Venin. Could be a little bit of all of that. But in any case, his disagreement with the way Navarre was handling, or rather not handling, this very real threat was a big factor in his eventual attempt for Tyndor to secede from Navarre. More on that in a moment. Backing it up to approximately 25 years ago, Finn signed a marriage contract with Zaden's mother Talia, and they had baby Zaden. Their marriage contract included her providing an heir for Tyrandor and staying until his 10th birthday. Finn believed that marriage is a necessary evil to secure the line and nothing more. In fact, he said that the most useless word in the language of aristocracy has always been and will forever be love, and you should save that love for your children. Unrelated but even though Finn could be a hard ass, he did teach Zaden chivalry, like holding doors open. So we can easily deduce that Finn and Talia did not love each other and the relationship was strictly to keep the bloodline going. He cared most about Arisha and Tyrandor. How he had any connection to the Isle of Idotus or why she was the one to marry him, we do not know yet. Maybe, who knows? Along these same lines, before the rebellion, when he was seeking allies to support him in the upcoming apostasy From Navarre, Finn entered negotiations with Dakaris for the betrothal between Zayden and Cat, where he gifted the ribosat chest to Dakaris, which was the most valuable thing Finn owned and it was considered priceless. Tokha was his first ally before the rebellion, though we also learned from King Cortland of Devarelli that Finn upheld his end of a bargain even when it was unpleasant to do so, which it seems Zayden did not know anything about and neither do we readers beyond that when the bargain was Etc. Etc. This rebellion lasted about a year where the Teish fought against Navarre and declared independence. However, the rebellion ended up being unsuccessful thanks to the Final Battle of Orisha. According to to field reports, Finn Ryerson shot Brennan Sorrengale in the chest with a crossbolt during this battle. Before the Battle of Orisha, Finn did send Zayden away for his own safety. This made Xaden angry at his father, so Zayden's last words to Finn were spoken in anger. Xaden has shared that he deeply regrets this, but he likes to believe that his father forgave him. I believe that too. After the Battle of Orisha and Brennan's death or Big Quotations Death, Finn Ryerson was apprehended by General Lila sorry Thoringale. While he was being interrogated, he accused King Tari and all the other previous monarchs of an unspeakable conspiracy, AKA that the Venin are real. He was executed by Coda's Dragonfire in Caldir alongside the other rebellion leaders, including his sister. Finn Ryerson's last words were you're all cowards. Arisha, the capital of Tirndor was burned and the title Duke of Tyndor passed to a more loyal Tierish house Llewellyn. But turns out Llewelyn was secretly on their side. As we talked about moving on to Talia, Zaden's mom. It's never confirmed whether she took the Ryerson name when married to Finn, but in any case we're never given her current last name or her maiden name. She was young when she entered the marriage contract with Finn Ryerson of Tirandor, which stated she had to stay until their heir was 10 years old. It was purely transactional, as we learned from Fen's correspondence, where he said to save love for children. Talia claims she was young when Zaden was born as well as when she she left, but we don't have an exact age for her. As soon as her marriage contract was up on Xaden's 10th birthday, Talia left. My goodness, she did not waste any time. That really just goes to show how much she was counting down the days until she was allowed to leave. That day, she gave him a piece of his favorite chocolate cake. Before leaving that night, she tells Zaden that she didn't want to leave him behind, but since he was Fen's heir, she had no choice. And when asked why she didn't stay, knowing that a rebellion was coming and Venon were infesting the continent, she said she would have been killed alongside all the other others if she had. So she did what she thought was best and went back to the Isles. As Zaden bluntly points out, this was best for her. While it doesn't seem like she regrets leaving Tyrandor, it has pained Talia to leave Zaden behind. As we discussed a lot in this episode. She's so happy to see her son again, though Zaden isn't ready or may ever be ready to forgive her for abandoning him. We and Zaden can assume from the stretch of chapters that Talia is from the Isle of Hedotis, and she's now, of course, married to a member of the Triumvirate Ferris, and they have two children together, Simeon, who is about 11, and Gaius, who is younger than Simeon, but we don't know his exact age. We don't know about any other family of Talia's besides Xaden, obviously. While Xaden takes after his father most of all, there are traces of Talia. He shares her high cheekbones, long eyelashes, shapes of her ears, and the gold flecks in her eyes that Violet is so fond of. While in Tiran Door, Talia never had any family visit, and she loved all things colorful, which we now know is because she was starved of it. On her aisle with all the pale colors. She would tell Xaden bedtime stories about people with purple eyes who lived without war. In other words, her people. This is why we assume she's from this aisle, but I suppose again, it's not confirmed, but I'm willing to bet it. Talia also believes that Zaden should just enter into a marriage contract with Kat because it's only three years, and then he can go back to Violet. She believes that the potential alliance and sharing of knowledge would make that sacrifice worthwhile, and that he should think of Tyrandor. This is so in line with his father's thinking, and it goes to illustrate how her marriage with his father indeed was transactional. These marriage contracts are, from their perspective, a way to form advantageous alliances forge futures and provide heirs to kingdoms. And hey, hers was 10 years, so three years is not so bad from her perspective. And that's the wonderful ending to Finn, Ryerson and Talia.
- [105:41]
Nicole
Oh, Talia. Let us take flight with our favorite moments and close out this episode. Violet says this as a joke and she thinks it falls flat, but I think it's funny when talking about if her ribs still hurt from the Umbrella fight quote. It's not too bad as long as I don't twist or breathe too deeply or lift Andarna. I think that's funny.
- [106:01]
Lexi
I really do like the prayer. May only our minds know hunger. It's so on par with praying to heat and for the wealthiest people on this isle to be praying that while we're dunking on Ferris a lot in this episode, I will give him this Unlike in Devarelli, he does not assume that dragons die with their writers. Makes me wonder if that's the rumor among the Isles, but they do not have it confirmed, so they want to verify whether this knowledge is true or not. That right there shows more wisdom than Devarelli. Although I don't know if I would be as forthcoming as Kat sharing that, yes, Griffin's die with flyers feels like unnecessarily revealing quite the the weakness.
- [106:34]
Nicole
You say that it shows more wisdom, but then he tries to kill them, knowing that the dragons will still be alive. And while I'm dunking on Faris. I love that Violet calls him foolish, foolish man. I bet you anything this is the sickest dunk on the Isle of Heon by a long shot. I also want to say, switching quite drastically how proud I am at this squad squad for how well it has worked together, and specifically on Hedion. Especially when Violet is dishing out orders like, Dane, go get the book, Mira, go do this. This is why Grady's squad was doomed. They don't trust each other to immediately follow orders or to immediately take the reins. And I'm just. I'm really proud of them.
- [107:18]
Lexi
Me too. I can only imagine what Aura would have been like. Like. No, I don't want to go up all the way up there. I don't know.
- [107:24]
Nicole
Or A would have died. Or eat the cake. No, no, Grady would have eaten the cake first. Actually, I think the only person who would have survived other than Violet, Mira and Zayden would have been Captain Henson, because she at least is smart enough to have second guessed the cake.
- [107:42]
Lexi
Oh, I think that Holden would have died too.
- [107:45]
Nicole
Oh, absolutely. Halden would have died.
- [107:47]
Lexi
Maybe having to give him mouth to mouth. Might have been the entire world. I don't know if he would have let that happen.
- [107:53]
Nicole
I don't think Xaden would have. He would have been like, all right, you're here.
- [107:57]
Lexi
You're good. You didn't eat the cake. Okay, cool. We're good. All right, friends, thank you so much for listening to this episode 7 of our Onyx Storm Deep Dive.
- [108:06]
Nicole
We will see you again next Monday for episode eight where we will be covering chapters 38 through 43.
- [108:12]
Lexi
I'm so excited. It's like only a few chapters but oh my goodness, we're packing a whole lot and it's one of our favorite stretches of the book where we meet Broccoli and the Irides.
- [108:21]
Nicole
The next book series we are covering is the Kindred's Curse Saga by Pen Cole. We are starting with book one, Spark of the Everflame, May 5, 2025. And yes, it will include spoilers from all three books that are currently out. So Spark, Glow and Heat of the Everflame link to get these books is in the show Notes we'd love to.
- [108:41]
Lexi
Give the biggest warm welcome, welcome, welcome to our newest Iron Squad members.
- [108:45]
Nicole
Thank you so much for joining Kayla R and D. Aubry R, Jamie C. Lizzy L. April W. Dorian, Kristen T. And Katie B. Welcome, welcome, welcome.
- [108:57]
Lexi
We appreciate you so so much. Thank you so much for supporting the show. We appreciate you and we're just giving you the biggest hug ever. And if you're like, hey, I want my name shouted out on the podcast and to be showered with all the love too and get all the join our fan club@fantasyfangirls.com fan club. The link is also in the show Notes.
- [109:15]
Nicole
Thank you as always to our resident scribe Curator, AKA our Content researcher Brooke and our Executive producer AKA our Sanity manager Hayden. We love you guys.
- [109:25]
Lexi
We are very active on social media and we're posting lots of extra Onyx Storm content including weekly trivia and many archives that are based on these episodes. So please be sure to follow us on Instagram and Slash or TikTok at Fantasy Fangirls Pod. And if you're watching this on YouTube, please hit that subscribe button. It helps us so much.
- [109:43]
Nicole
While you're hitting buttons, don't forget to hit the five star button. And if you want to go the extra mile, write a little love note in the review section on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. For you all to know, it is not just for the show, it is for any show that you listen to or that you binge or that you've recently discovered any podcast. It is such so, so so helpful. Last but not least, you can share this episode with your fellow Onyx Storm friends. If you had a group chat that dunked on Faris as much as we did, this is a perfect episode to send to them. Maybe you'll come up with some new nicknames.
- [110:18]
Lexi
All right, thank you so much everybody. Bye bye bye. All right, writers, it is time to to not step into the cauldron. That is what we are doing now real quickly. You know missed opportunity for the playlist to include I'm Blue Dabba Dee Da Ba. Damn it. You just realized your business needed to hire someone yesterday. How can you find amazing candidates fast? Easy. Just use Indeed. Stop struggling to get your job posts seen on other job sites. With Indeed sponsored Jobs, your post jumps to the top of the page for your relevant candidates so you can reach the people you want faster. According to Indeed data, Sponsored jobs posted directly on indeed have 45% more applications than non sponsored jobs. Don't wait any longer. Speed up your hiring right now with Indeed and listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit. To get your jobs more visibility at Indeed.com Arts, just go to Indeed.com Arts right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Hiring Indeed is all you need.