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- [00:00]
Lexi
Did I talk too much? Can't I just let it go? Thank you so much.
- [00:09]
Nicole
Take a breath. You're not alone. Let's talk about what's going on. Counseling helps you sort through the noise with qualified professionals and online therapy makes it convenient. See if it's for you. Visit betterhelp.com randompodcast for 10% off your first month of online therapy and and let life feel better. Bombas makes the most comfortable socks, underwear and T shirts.
- [00:34]
Lexi
Warning.
- [00:34]
Nicole
Bombas are so absurdly comfortable you may throw out all your other clothes. Sorry, do we legally have to say that? No, this is just how I talk. And I really love my Bombas. They do feel that good. And they do good too. One item purchased equals one item donated. To feel good and do good, go to bombas.com and use code audio for 20% off your first purchase. That's B O-M B-S.com and use code audio at checkout. As small business owners, we wear so many hats. So many hats and that can really be intimidating. Goodness. Isn't that an understatement? But luckily we do not feel like we need to have it that way with our merch because Shopify was just the business partner we needed to get started.
- [01:18]
Lexi
Shopify is the commerce platform behind millions of businesses around the world and 10% of all e commerce in the US from household names like Mattel and Gymshark to brands just started, you can get started with your own design studio. With hundreds of ready to use templates, Shopify helps you build a beautiful online store to match your brand's style.
- [01:37]
Nicole
Shopify is also so helpful when it comes to marketing your products. Get the word out like you have a marketing team behind you. Huzzah. You can easily create email and social media campaigns wherever your customers are scrolling or strolling.
- [01:51]
Lexi
Turn your big business idea into Ka Ching with Spotify on your side. Sign up for your $1 per month trial and start selling today at shopify.com, shop go to shopify.com FFG one more time. That is shopify.com FFG.
- [02:20]
Nicole
Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Fantasy Fangirls podcast where two sisters dive deep into beloved fantasy lore, character scenes, theories and more.
- [02:29]
Lexi
I'm Lexi, older sister and fantasy lore nerd.
- [02:32]
Nicole
And I'm Nicole, younger sister and romantic at heart.
- [02:35]
Lexi
And today is the day we begin our journey deep diving the Fae and Alchemy series with episode one of Quicksilver by Callie Hart where we are covering chapters one through seven. I'm so excited. But before we get started. In case you did not listen to our intro episode, which by the way, we do highly recommend you take a listen to, we we have a very important spoiler warning for you. Every episode, including this episode one has spoilers for all of Quicksilver. Yes, even the ending and all of the bonus chapters.
- [03:04]
Nicole
The theories in this book are Chef's Kiss. So one more time we will discuss spoilers. So if you have not read the last chapter of Quicksilver, if you want to read the bonus chapters before we dive deep into them, then please go finish the book. We will be here when you're done.
- [03:23]
Lexi
Next, we at Fantasy Fangirls are adults who say adult things about adult books. In other words, friends, this podcast and especially this Deep Dive is rated R.
- [03:31]
Nicole
Carrion Swift is here my friends. That alone gives this podcast an R rating. So please be mindful of those little listening ears.
- [03:40]
Lexi
Additionally, we are so excited to see you at upcoming live events like at Romanecy Bookcon in Orlando, Florida, October 23rd through 25th, where we are interviewing Rebecca Yaris again at Disney World.
- [03:51]
Nicole
Then we are so excited to announce that we will be hosting a Brimstone Midnight Release Party with Tattered Cover and Book and gather on November 17th in Denver, Colorado. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, October 8th.
- [04:06]
Lexi
And on March 6th through 8th in 2026 in Dallas, Texas. We will be podcast partners at Dreamers and Readers Festival.
- [04:13]
Nicole
Check out our website or the links below for more information to all of these events and be sure to keep an eye on our social media for the Brimstone Midnight release party. In addition, we here at Fantasy Fangirls have a very exciting announcement to make. Drum roll please.
- [04:32]
Lexi
Our very own executive producer Hayden and none other than Steven Walker are launching a new podcast, the very first under the Fantasy Fangirls Media Network.
- [04:42]
Nicole
Welcome, welcome, welcome Fantasy fanfellas, where each week they are going to be diving deep into Brandon Sanderson's magic Mistborn. Yes, we've been hearing you. It's finally here. But here is the twist. As many of you know, Hayden is absolutely feral for all things Sanderson and has already read the Mistborn series, but Steven has not.
- [05:06]
Lexi
So every week listeners will tune in as Hayden takes Steven through his first time reading Mistborn. Yes, it is going to be chaos and educational at the same time and it is going to be so much fun.
- [05:15]
Nicole
That means each episode only has spoilers for the chapters up to what's being discussed that week. There will be character breakdowns, magic explainers who that's so needed for Brandon Sanderson and even some wacky predictions provided by Stephen for what's coming up next, be.
- [05:33]
Lexi
Sure to follow the Fantasy Fan fellas on social media, Antasy fanfellas on Instagram and TikTok for all the news on the upcoming show.
- [05:41]
Nicole
First episodes yes, first plural air Wednesday.
- [05:46]
Lexi
November 5th last thing before we jump into our first Quicksilver episode. If you love fantasy Fangirls and want more events, more content, more community and so much more all around, please check out Fantasy Fan Club.
- [05:59]
Nicole
We have three membership tiers that you can join. Number one, the Hive Mind which includes access to our Boppin Discord live Q&As from Lexi and I, book club, exclusive author interviews including Callie Hart herself, community events, podcast promo codes for live events plus 20% off and access to exclusive merch. That is all for $6 a month. Or you can join the Spice Watchers which includes everything from the Hive Mind plus early access to ad. Free episodes are full episode outlines and special voting privileges like voting for the library topic of next episode that is for $10 a month. And then we have our feral fans which includes everything from the previous two tiers plus more behind the scenes content, a welcome gift, giveaways, a private Discord channel called the Dining Room, and your name shouted out on the podcast. That is for $25 a month.
- [06:56]
Lexi
Join the party at fantasyfangirls.com fanclub. The link is also in the show notes and really and truly, thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts for supporting Nicole and I as we have turned this podcast into a dream come true. It's literally all because of you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
- [07:10]
Nicole
And now it is time to steal a gauntlet. Da da da da.
- [07:15]
Lexi
To start off every episode, Nicole does us the honor of summarizing this stretch of chapters. So gather round as we sing Lorath's ballad to discuss what happens in chapters one through seven of Quicksilver.
- [07:28]
Nicole
Chapter one Our story begins in Zulvarin City where guardians in gold look rather pretty. Sabers thinks to herself that gauntlet looks nice. Maybe she'll take it and pay the price With a twist and a lunge she grabs it in hand then runs to the wall while pelted with sand it's a hard climb to get over the wall, but she doesn't think twice. She knows she won't fall. Once at the top, the gold comes alive. Why is this happening? She just wants to survive. Chapter 2 Elroy glares at Cerus in rage. Take that gold elsewhere or end up in a cage. There's a time and a place to stand and fight. But right now she's Hayden's only light. Spe the devil. Where could he be? Out the House of Kala, gambling carefree, Barging inside to find Carrion Swift. She finds him right there. Thinking he's God's greatest gift, they strike up a deal. Just one glass of whiskey. Remember that time they used to get frisky? Serious decides it's time to head home. But Hayden is gone. Ran off with gold Chrome. Chapter three he never listens. He does what he wants. She's going to beat his ass if he's gone for croissants. Residents go and leap out of her way. Why couldn't Hayden be a good boy and stay? A sudden shout pierces the air. She finds Hayden surrounded in complete despair. He didn't take it. She yells out in fright. But don't worry, Hayden. She won't go down without a fight. Reaching down, she pulls out a blade. She shows them the menace this corrupt system made. For better or worse, she just saved his life. But look out, Saeris. It's time to pay the price. Chapter four Away in a palace, all dressed up in change, gulping down water, stands one step, two step, three step four. She's getting closer to Madra's door. Once inside, she meets the Queen. It's only a matter of time before Serious comes clean.
- [09:25]
Lexi
Ha ha.
- [09:26]
Nicole
I joke. She'd never do that. Madra's lucky she only talks back. Madra doesn't like what Seiris is telling. Take care of her, Heron. Make sure she goes down yelling. Chapter 5 Serious actions have made quite the commotion now. She watches Heron sword rise in slow motion. Pain lights up her nerves. His blade has struck true. He doesn't stop there, twisting her insides askew. Grabbing a dagger, he stabs her again. But she can use magic. Hallelujah. Amen. The blade grows hot, turning to liquid in hand. Hearsay, he says as metal runs like loose sand. A monster. A monster. He cries out in pain. Don't you dare touch that blade. He yells to Saera's fane. She doesn't listen. Why would she heed him? She pulls out the key, all on a whip. Out of the silver rises Death clad in black. Welcome, Kingfisher. Looking like quite a snack. Kingfisher looks down at Cerus. What a sight. They're off through the quicksilver darkness calling good night. Chapter six the mattress is soft. This doesn't seem right. Dear God, who's that? The fae's are myths told at night. But Alas, Everlane's real. She cannot help but believe. Oh shit. Death's chain. Renfis takes it and leave Once Renfus is gone, his form out of sight Lain shows Cerus the bath and oh, what a del that she's clean all laced up and pretty Watch what you say the king won't take pity. Chapter 7 Lane leads serous all through the halls where forgotten gods sit and temperature falls. Magic is crazy, a thing of the past but here in this world it runs rampant Leg gasp. Now in the throne room there's no fun to be had. She owes the king a debt. Oh fuck, this is bad. With a flick of his wrist he sends her away. But the scene isn't over. Bring in the dog to sit Stay. Kingfisher was gone a century ago. What right does he have to return with gusto? The king ignores cries for mercy and more he should pay for his crimes to settle the score Lane can't watch her brother be killed for this reason. Mowe do something. This has got to be treason. Mowe stands up and gets in his way for the gods have foretold he's to live another day even in times of peace. The Faeorate war Buckle up, buttercups. This is no longer folklore.
- [11:47]
Lexi
Wow. You and Brooke have outdone yourselves with this lord's ballad. Oh my gosh.
- [11:53]
Nicole
I have to give such huge props to our content researcher, Brooke, who when I said, so if this is going to be called Lorath's Ballad, what if we made it all a rhyming song? She goes, kay. But she outdid herself. Brava, Brooke. You're amazing.
- [12:11]
Lexi
All right, friends, it is time to dawn our pendants and step through the Quicksilver to discuss key insights, character analysis, lore, foreshadowing theories, and oh, so much more. Whenever we begin a new book, we like to pay attention to the dedication. And Quicksilver is absolutely no different. So Quicksilver's dedication reads, quote, for those who live their nightmares so that others may have their dreams. Talk about a loaded dedication. On a reread, we may automatically think of Kingfisher, who endured a nightmare for more than a century so those he loved would not meet a similar fate. And how he trying to save these people to find their peace. But we can also think of Saris in Zelvarin who did her best while living a nightmare so that her brother could have a better life. That's what this dedication comes down to. The idea of sacrifice, protection and empathy for the overlooked where dreams serve as inspiration. It's a reminder to us readers that sacrifice opens a greater hope, whatever that may look like.
- [13:04]
Nicole
I absolutely agree that this is specifically talking about Kingfisher and Sarah's two Definitely later in the books we know that Kingfisher also has a tattoo that translates to sacrifice, and it's the biggest tattoo on him. And as he points out, that's not an accident. A big theme in this book is sacrifice. And when does sacrifice help others around you, and when does it make you a martyr or hurt them? And that's a line Kingfisher walks like a little tightrope, but in his mind it is always for the greater good. Now what's interesting is that in addition to this dedication, we also get a I'm going to call it a warning, but not like a trigger warning, like a like warning on the paper it says, quote, never forget monsters thrive best in the Dark. Commit all you read here to memory. Prepare for war.
- [13:53]
Lexi
I love how this note will come back into the story when Carry on explains that a Fae book he grew up with has this message written on the first page and that this means that if these Fae ever show up again, it will be a very dire situation. So while we'll discuss that at length when we get to that part of the deep Dive for this message to also be on the first page of our story here with Quicksilver, it's giving us the same warning. Educate yourself and prepare for the worst. Prepare for war. I just love how meta it is.
- [14:20]
Nicole
So good. So let's break this down real quick. Monsters thrive best in the dark. Feels very double meaning, at least in my opinion. Yes, there's vampires and the Sanisarathian army, but it's also feeling like it's hitting on how certain monsters in Kingfisher's past he's not able to discuss with others without literally almost choking to death because of magical binding. So it's like most of our main characters believe in this inner monsters must be kept in the dark, whether it's by magical ties or feeling like sharing those demons is a weakness. Seyrus is definitely another one of those, which is why when she does share the story about her mother with Kingfisher when he's having an episode, it is a really big deal for her. Next. I love this. Commit all you read here to memory. All I have to say is Callie Hart, Challenge accepted. If you do not know this book is laden with Easter eggs like that line right there tells you yes, yes it is. It's so good. And yes, prepare for war. Yep, I feel like the war on the page. For us as readers, it is just getting started. We will see the war that has plagued this land play out the sanisrothian army over the Darne, all that kind of stuff. But there's this war with Madra Belacan and probably others, maybe Malcolm, if he's still alive. That is just getting started. We're gonna put a pin in that and talk about that way later in this deep dive.
- [15:40]
Lexi
Now, as we shift to the opening of this book, we are introduced to the geographic region of Zelvarin and Most importantly, our FMC Seris Fane. Ceris Fane is a 24 year old and has the uncommon physical traits of black hair and blue eyes and she as well as her brother are tall. We're going to keep a close eye on how her physical appearance may be foreshadowing for her lineage. Serras works in a forge and is quite the accomplished thief who is known for being a troublemaker and lives in the impoverished Third Ward of Zelvarin. Here water is scarce, it is always daylight with two sons, and these desert lands are ruled by the ruthless Undying Queen. Ceres grew up in the Third War with her mother Iris and younger brother Hayden. Her mother used to call Sarris her Ice Storm even though none of them have ever seen snow. Ceres is distant, cold and sharp. That's why she's called the Ice Storm. When Ceres was 2 years old, her father died when a sand dune came down on the traitor's post that he was inside of. At that time, her mother was pregnant with Hayden, but after their family lost his income, their mother became a prostitute to support the family. Most of her clients were guardians, the Queen's well trained soldiers. Eventually, six years ago from where our story begins, When Sarah was 18 years old, her mother was sadly killed by one of her past clients she refused service to. Sarah's childhood was marked by poverty and struggle, both before her mother's death, but especially after. Before her death, Iris was involved in smuggling weapons for the rebels and it's these rebels that taught Sarris important survival skills like how to climb, steal, wield a weapon and fight. These rebels also taught Serris where and how to access underground water reserves, which has been invaluable for her and her loved ones because the ward's water rations are not enough to actually live. Saris began working in a forge at the age of 10 years old and under the mentorship of Elroy. Right after her mother's death, the Third Ward was quarantined. Said to be stricken with a plague, but we'll explore the truth of that soon enough. This is actually Maja tightening her grip on the ward. I wonder even because the guardians found a few weapons on her mother. Without their mother, Sarah's took on the responsibility of caring for her younger brother who is three and a half years younger than her. Now 20 years old, with no place to call home, these two siblings hop from place to place, hiding out until they get caught and are forced to move on to the next place, always just doing their best to survive another day in these terrible living conditions with no belongings except the clothes on their back. A Mochi Moment from Mark who writes I just want to thank you for making GLP1s affordable. What would have been over $1,000 a month is just $99 a month with mochi.
- [18:10]
Nicole
Money shouldn't be a barrier to healthy weight.
- [18:13]
Lexi
Three months in and I have smaller jeans and a bigger wallet.
- [18:16]
Nicole
You're the best. Thanks, Mark.
- [18:18]
Lexi
I'm Mayra Amit, founder of Mochi Health. To find your mochi moment, visit joinmochi.com.
- [18:25]
Nicole
Mark is a Mochi member, compensated for his story.
- [18:28]
Lexi
Hi, I'm Darina, co founder of Quo. You might know us as OpenPhone. My dad is a business owner and growing up he always kept his ringtone super loud so he'd never miss a customer call. That stuck with me. When we started Quo, our mission was to help businesses not just stay in touch, but make every customer feel valued no matter when they might call. Quo gives your team business phone numbers to call and text on your phone or computer. Your calls, messages and contacts live in one workspace so your team can stay fully aligned and reply faster. And with our AI agent answering 24. Seven, you'll really never miss a customer. Over 90,000 businesses use quo. Get 20% off@quo.com business. That's quo.com business and we can port your existing numbers over for free. Quo. No missed calls, no missed customers. All right, Remember, the machine knows if you're lying. First statement Carvana will give you a real offer on your car. All online.
- [19:31]
Nicole
False. True.
- [19:32]
Lexi
Actually sell your car in minutes. False.
- [19:35]
Nicole
That's gotta be true again.
- [19:37]
Lexi
Carvana will pick up your car from your door or you can drop it off at one of their car vending machines.
- [19:41]
Nicole
Sounds too good to be true. So true. Finally caught on. Nice job.
- [19:46]
Lexi
Honesty isn't just their policy, it's their entire model. Sell your car today to Carvana. Pickup fees may apply.
- [19:56]
Nicole
I love getting my nails done. It just does so much for me. And my confidence as I go throughout my day. But man, it is expensive and we're busy bees over here at Fantasy Fangirls. Much like you listeners, finding the time to squeeze in a nail appointment is not always easy. That's why I love doing mine at home. And no one helps me bring the salon quality experience home with me than Olive and June.
- [20:21]
Lexi
Olive and June gives you everything you need in just one box. You get salon grade tools designed just for you and your DIY mani pedi dreams. And best of all this polish. It doesn't chip like those cheap polishes and it lasts up to 10 days. It provides a plump gel like finish and there's no lamp needed. Huzzah. And with Olive and June's affordable prices, it breaks down to just $2amanicure.
- [20:41]
Nicole
About two and a half years ago, my sister in law gave me an awesome gift card to Olive and June and I used it to get both a mani and a petty nail system and it has been my saving grace for the last two and a half years. That has been how long I've been an Olive and June user. It is the only nail polish I buy. It doesn't chip. The nail polish remover is my favorite nail polish remover I've ever used and they even have nail strengthener polish which for me who used to bite my nails a lot. Yep, that is super helpful.
- [21:11]
Lexi
Visit oliveandjune.com fantasyfangirls for 20% off your first system. That's O L I V E a n d J-U-N-E.com F-A-N-T a s y F A N G I R L s for 20 off your first system.
- [21:29]
Nicole
This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Now. Lexi, did you know that October 10th is World Mental Health Day? Well, in celebration this year we are saying the biggest thank you, thank you, thank you to therapists. Huzzah.
- [21:44]
Lexi
If you've been looking to connect with a therapist, BetterHelp is an essential resource. BetterHelp therapists have helped over 5 million people worldwide on their mental health journeys. Therapy can be the safe space a person needs to have the conversations and realizations that can help you completely shift your perspective. With more than 30,000 therapists, BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform and it really works with an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 for a live session based on over 1.7 million client reviews.
- [22:14]
Nicole
So I had therapy yesterday and it was like one of those really good therapy days where said like I things are clicking. You're making money moves. It feels really, really good. So I was in my therapy session with Taylor. I was sitting right there in that chair and we were talking about how like I wasn't feeling very well. I was really wanting to rest. I was tired from Dragon Gauntlet and feeling so happy and fulfilled. But I was like I feel like I need to keep going. And we just had this long conversation and you know what I did?
- [22:39]
Lexi
You rested.
- [22:40]
Nicole
I rested.
- [22:41]
Lexi
I knew you were in an extra good mood today.
- [22:45]
Nicole
Thank you. Therapy. You have quite literally changed my life.
- [22:48]
Lexi
This world Mental Health Celebrating the therapists who have helped millions of people take a step forward. If you're ready to find the right therapist for you, BetterHelp can help you start that journey. Our listeners get 10% off their first month at betterhelp.comffg that's better h lp.comffg.
- [23:06]
Nicole
With Saris's backstory, it is not exactly surprising that she is going to be a complex and very jaded FMC that we deep dive. She's been in this survival mode her entire life, which has led her to trusting no one under any circumstances except Hayden and Elroy. And even with them, she has no problem thinking maybe not the best of them like she does with other people. She's had to think the worst in everyone in order to survive because she knows in Sylvarian everyone is just trying to survive and will throw others under the bus in order to stay alive. She refuses to be someone that others turn on, so if she thinks the worst in them, she can thus protect herself. But just because she thinks the worst in everyone, a theme we will see and point out again and again in this book, that does not mean that she's not quippy. She does not give a shit about talking back to people, even when it comes to the guardians who are very easily able to kill her. She's cocky, she has fun outriding guardians, and to be honest, she's kind of right to have an ego. She spent her whole life sneaking around the system, stealing water out of other wards or underground, learning how to fight, making illegal weapons and she's not doing great for herself, but she's doing better than others in this ward. I love this little personality tidbit that she gets mouthy when she gets nervous. This is great show. Don't tell for us readers to keep an eye out as we go throughout the story. When she gets mouthy, we will know and note that Saeris is a little.
- [24:39]
Lexi
Unnerved in these first few chapters. We get the sense that Serris is in a big fish in a small pond here in the third ward of Salvarin. She's well known for her fighting skills, thievery, cheating and don't take no shit attitude. And she certainly knows it as we get to know who Sarris is and how she fits into this life in Salvarin. Her POV has swagger and cockiness. She knows that she's the best and she has no problem saying it. Yes, it's always survival mode and she's about as good as one can be given her abysmal circumstances. She has fought the odds and stands a little taller with her chin held high, knowing that she's got a reputation and she is not afraid to flaunt it. It. This is going to be an important part for her character when she is completely uprooted and thrown into an all new environment where she will really struggle to find her footing in this small pond. There are two specific people who shape Ceres day to day. Let's start with her mentor from working at the forge, Elroy. Elroy has basically been part of her family for years. When her mother was non stop working as a prostitute in order to make ends meet for their family, Elroy was by her side. This giant of a man was once a legend among even the most dangerous criminals in the Third and he loved Sarah's mother, but he never acted on that feeling. Instead, he poured himself into becoming a father figure for Seras, showing her how to work in the forge. He brought her under his wing with how to make weapons for the rebels who wanted to overthrow Madra. However, they did not stay making weapons because after the ward got shut down for contamination, they were all under a microscope and Elroy did not want to be in the spotlight and risk himself any longer. So he switched to only making glass and that was that. And he became the best glass maker in Sylvarin. Good job, Elroy. Elroy's been playing it safe, at least as safe as one can be in the Third because he saw Sarris's mother get killed in the streets for having two illegal knives on her. And I think both his decision to distance himself from rebel activity was both in honor of Ceres's mother and probably a little guilt too since it's highly inferred that the weapons she had were from Elroy. And he really wants to keep Sarris and Hayden safe in a way that their mother was not able to. But that did not mean that he can be open about his connection to Sarah. She has to sneak in and out of his forge so that it does not call attention to the fact that Cerys mom most likely and definitely did get the weapons from Elroy. I do want to point out that in this first book of the series, we don't learn much more about these rebels in Sylvarin. They're very much in the background, and all we know is that they are fighting to overthrow Madra. But we don't know any more progress or true happenings beyond that little bit of insight.
- [26:59]
Nicole
We do know that in the first chapter, Cerus is late to a meeting with one Jared Way, who we know nothing about. So what do you want to bet that Jared is a rebel and she was late to a meeting with them and there's a whole backstory. We don't know about that connection.
- [27:14]
Lexi
I just assumed that it was for water because she was trying to broker that deal for water and things like that.
- [27:21]
Nicole
I thought maybe. But is it water for her from rebels?
- [27:24]
Lexi
I don't think that Serris is more involved with the rebels than we see on the page.
- [27:29]
Nicole
Really?
- [27:29]
Lexi
Yeah.
- [27:30]
Nicole
Oh, I disagree with that. But that's a future bet for us to make. Wait, are we actually. Hold on. This actually might work. Are we making a bet on the first episode, 30 minutes in?
- [27:40]
Lexi
I. I guess, like, why do you think that she's, when we say, like, super involved with the rebels? Like, I don't think that she is part of the rebel cause, like, she is very much of a loner in that sense and, like, kind of taking care of her family. Yes.
- [27:55]
Nicole
Okay.
- [27:55]
Lexi
Thieving and all that kind of stuff. So she helps the rebels. For sure. She has, I'll say, like, good relations with them, but I don't think that she is part of the rebel group herself, like, where she is purposefully part of their mission to overthrow Madra. She's kind of would like to do that on her own.
- [28:12]
Nicole
You and I have very different definitions of involved with the rebels because I agree with you entirely on that axe on her actions as serious part, but I count that as involved with the rebels. Now, something that does wildly irk serous is Elroy has started playing it wildly safe. Despite being this legend of a rebellious man, she knows that playing it safe basically means, in her opinion, giving up and dying as part of the system that the Third has become. But that frustration does not outshine the familial love she holds for Elroy, which I think is very sweet.
- [28:47]
Lexi
And then there is Hayden Ceres little brother, who she is very protective of, and everything she does for survival is for her brother. He might be 20 years old, but his older sister is is still his caretaker. While they've had a difficult life growing up, Hayden still has this innocence to him that has long been robbed of serious. Serious may say that he has to fight reality at some point, but I don't think she actually believes that because she is so overprotective of him and does her best to shelter her brother. Hayden is an immature troublemaker, though. Sorry little bro, I'm not going to mince words. After their mother died when he was 14 years old, he rebelled in his own way and started gambling and getting himself into sticky situations that his sister would have to save him from. Hayden is known for cheating, being rash, having a lack of common sense, and, well, overall, Hayden's a bit of a reckless, childish idiot. Also, I really do apologize to our executive producer Hayden, who is having to edit this at this moment. We love you, Hayden.
- [29:42]
Nicole
We apologize.
- [29:42]
Lexi
As much as I appreciate and sympathize with Sarah for wanting to support her brother and that sense of protection that never goes away after the childhood they had, I will go ahead and say that Sarah is also an enabler for her adult brother.
- [29:54]
Nicole
Oh yeah, yeah.
- [29:56]
Lexi
Serious admits to herself that she gets so mad at her brother, but then he smiles and she has such a soft spot for him and she can always be counted on to fix his messes. Bottom line, she would do anything for her brother. Which she proves in this opening stretch of chapters with what unravels on the page.
- [30:11]
Nicole
Let's zoom out a little and look at Zolvarin's city. Anyone who has read these first five chapters, let's just say, will not be adding Zolvarin to their list of if I could live in any fantasy novel, which one would I live in? Let's list with two twin suns, the twins always in the sky. It is hot, hot, hot, hot, hot. Not to mention there's no reprieve from the heat or light because the sun's never set, so residents who can afford it have blackout curtains over their windows. With the heat and the dry air, water is a precious resource in Zolvarin. The more wealthy spokes wards have a higher ration per day or even a tap water dispenser which with unlimited water coming out of it. But people in the third, where saris lives only get 6 ounces of runoff water every day. Runoff water meaning sewer water that goes through a grate to catch the solids gag. Listen, something you probably will learn about me throughout this deep dive is I am a water snob. This is my nightmare.
- [31:15]
Lexi
I For reference, it's recommended for a person to drink approximately eight cups of water a day. So 64 ounces of water a day, the water rations and the outlook on water being the most precious thing of value really sets the tone for this environment and way of life here in the Third Ward. Like Sarris will say to the Guardians soon, six ounces, especially of this gross water, is not enough for people to survive on, but it's just enough for them to slowly keep living and struggling, slowly dying out from these terrible conditions they are forced to live in.
- [31:46]
Nicole
But it's not just getting 6 ounces of used water per day. The third is deemed a contaminated ward and has been quarantined for the past six years. As we see in this opening scene, when Saera says she's from the Third, the Guardian panics because he believes he just touched someone who's contaminated. This is unfortunate propaganda from Madra, the Queen of Zelvarin. They are technically not contaminated, they are just being slowly poisoned with the dirty water. But if Madra tells the other wards that the Third is contaminated and plagued, then the residents in the other wards will fear the Third. And that fear overshadows any sympathy that they would have for the people living there, making a clear divide for Madra to easily control. So given that Seyra's had to spend her whole life living on the brink of severe dehydration and stealing water from other districts, or else she becomes sick and diesel again, it is no wonder Savor is going to be one of our more harsher, pessimistic FMCs that we've covered on the show.
- [32:50]
Lexi
Alright, excellent. Now that we have a sense of who this FMC is and the life she lives, let's officially dive into our story real quick. I want to give Callie a round of applause for how she sets up this world, characters and way of life woven into the inciting incident of the story. I felt so immersed from the very beginning and we. And while it takes a little while to get your bearings, like it sometimes does with fantasy worlds, I appreciate how Callie feeds us info at the start of the book. And she also doesn't like hold our hand through it too. Really great balance there. Anyway, Serris is caught by a Guardian in an area of Zolvarin. She is not allowed as a resident of the Third Ward. She is not supposed to leave it, but this is a pretty common occurrence for a thieving girl. She snuck into what is called the Hub, a much nicer Part of the city where the elite live, with clean streets, plenty of water resources, and prosperous career opportunities. Last night, Sarris brokered a deal with Jared Wade for water, which I don't think we learn more about. So she's here in the Hub to steal a tiny scrap of twisted iron from a market stall. With his hand around Serris's throat, the Guardian demands to know what ward she's from. And the second he finds out Serris is from the third. Oh, no. He pushes her down into the hot sand, believing she's infected from the contaminated third ward. He doesn't want to kill her here in the Hub, because then he'd have to dispose of her body. He can't just leave it out here to rot in the nice part of the city like he would absolutely have been able to do in the other wards. And he doesn't want to touch her any more than he already has. In his attempt to get away from her supposed contagiousness, the Guardian flings his gauntlet and glove off his hand that had been grabbing her throat and absentmindedly throws it into the sand. And ah, here is the mistake that sets off the chain of events for our entire story. Because that gauntlet is made of. Of precious metal. So Saris changes her plans real quickly, from stealing the piece of iron to this unimaginable amount of gold. And for anybody who's wondering what a gauntlet is, it's like a metal glove.
- [34:46]
Nicole
Not giant hanging balls like we're used to on fantasy fangirls.
- [34:49]
Lexi
Taking this once in a lifetime opportunity, Sarris lunges forward, grabs the Guardians gauntlet off the ground, and makes a run for it. He's panicked that she managed to steal this from him, and we can all guess that he's going to get in big that trouble for it. But Serris is too quick, stealthy, and determined to keep possession of this gauntlet. It cannot be underestimated how invaluable this gauntlet is. It is Sarah's and Hayden's ticket to a better life. Once when she melts it down, this is three years worth of food, Hayden's education, and even the possibility of leaving Zolvarin altogether and heading south where the temperatures are cooler. They would even have enough money to get a real home, so they would no longer have to hide out wherever they can find. This gauntlet represents the. The hope that Seras clings to for survival. She zeroes in on getting this valuable object because it means freedom from the life she's been fighting for years.
- [35:38]
Nicole
But it can't be that easy. It's Zelvarin after all. Getting caught with this gauntlet is, in short, a death sentence. And it's not a quick death either. According to Elroy, if the guards catch Cerus with this piece of armor, she will be taken to the square for everyone to watch as they flay the skin off her bow. With Hayden watching. And Elroy also will not be free from this consequence either. Even if they believe he has nothing to do with Sarris and her stolen goods. Just for allowing the gauntlet into his shop, he will have his hands cut off. Gross. Leaving him unable to do anything, let alone making a living. Not without his hands. With two hands, what will he do? This is exactly what he's been trying to protect her from since her mother's murder.
- [36:25]
Lexi
He's banned Seras from forging weapons in the workshop. After all, they're supposed to be glassmakers and law abiding citizens. Which Seras refuses to accept. She will not give up like he has. Elroy will refuse to have anything to do with this gauntlet when she brings it in, and he's more mad than Ceres has ever seen him. And the scolding that she gets from him, like taking this gold gauntlet from the Guardian might represent hope and freedom for Seris, but for anyone else, specifically Elroy here, it is the most reckless thing she could do. Not just for her own safety, but for her loved ones and the entire ward.
- [36:57]
Nicole
Right now though, as Sarris is climbing up the spoke, aka a 50 meter or 164 foot tall wall in order to get to her ward, she's not thinking about those consequences. She's a blacksmith. She needs to melt it down and make it into something new ASAP so no one knows where it came from. And then she'll put smooth sailing. One thing does seem to be going right. She climbs the spoke wall successfully. Huzzah. But not without some rather interesting things happening. Buckle up buttercups. Because there's actually two interesting things happening. First, there's this moment when she's about mid climb when she believes that there's no spectators. And then quote below me, a genteel feminine gasp parted the silence. Guess I did have some spectators after all. Normally on all my previous reads of this book, this kind of went over my head as an inconsequential just scene building line. But having this solo paragraph be dedicated to a specifically genteel feminine gasp that Serous noticeably does not turn around to look at makes me feel like this is 100% an Easter egg. And especially because we know we're going back to Zolvar in next book with Kingfisher and Carrion, as Kelly has confirmed in interviews. So I wonder if we're going to see this woman again with a Kingfisher pov. Possibly.
- [38:20]
Lexi
Maybe. Like, I agree that it is an Easter egg. At first I was wondering if it's Gracia, who is Carrion's supposed grandmother, but she lives in the third, so I guess not her. He will be like, I heard about what happened, so maybe this feminine person is one of his contacts. I don't know.
- [38:38]
Nicole
I definitely think she's important somehow, but I'm gonna. I'm gonna bring up a few other options later on in this Deep Dive episode. Second thing that is interesting that happens as she climbs over the top of the wall, slamming the golden gauntlet into the wall. Particles of quartz in the sandstone vibrate and hover about a millimeter over the sandstone wall, quote, as the gold came alive. So I find this very interesting that it's the quartz in the wall itself hovering. But she's saying that the gold in the gauntlet is what's talking to her.
- [39:11]
Lexi
Yes, and the gold in the gauntlet is, you know, it's saying, like, oh, she sees us, she feels us. That's that semi sentient metal, you know.
- [39:19]
Nicole
Yes, but why is the quartz hovering, not the golden? What I'm saying is, if she thinks that the goal is talking to her, why is it the sand and the quartz on the wall that is physically reacting?
- [39:34]
Lexi
It's the quartz in the sand are, like, responding to the gold that is the main component here.
- [39:40]
Nicole
I disagree because I went to a moment later in the book when Malcolm is reading the runes on Sarus's hand. He says, quote, earth, air, fire, water, salt, brimstone, quicksilver. Which, yes, we do believe that these are going to be the future names of the books.
- [39:56]
Lexi
I don't.
- [39:58]
Nicole
Okay, I personally do think that these are going to be the names of future books. Apparently, Lexi and I disagree on that. I didn't think we did. But there's no mention of gold or metal in general, only quicksilver. So, all in all, I don't think this is actually the gold talking to her in this moment, saying, she feels us, she hears us, she feels us. I think instead, this is her Earth magic talking. And quartz, it turns out, remember, quartz is what's hovering, is the second most abundant mineral in the Earth's crust. So this brought me down a huge rabbit hole. Is gold naturally made on Earth. And her assuming the gold talking to her is actually just her using her Earth magic. But, Lexi, gold is not naturally made on Earth. Which brings me to my findings from a video from the Natural History Museum. Gold is formed in deep space. When large stars went supernova, it formed gold and other heavier elements and flung them across outer space. The gold that we mine actually arrived on the back of meteorites over billions and billions and billions of years ago and was buried on Earth and now later dug up. So, technically, gold is not made of this Earth before you. Well, actually me, listener, in our present day, can we manufacture gold? Yes. Yes, we can. But I have a feeling that they're not doing that in Zolvarin. Also. That's not Earth made then. So, based off of this alone, I do not think it's actually the gold gauntlet talking to her. Instead, I think it's her using her Earth magic on the sandstone wall that she's climbing. That is what's talking to her, saying she feels that she hears us. She sees it. Now, there is a huge hole in this theory. Because this does bring me to a different question. Sarris later says, quote, sometimes objects shook around me, objects made of iron, tin, or gold. Once I'd been able to move one of Elroy's daggers without touching it, so that it had spun around and around on my mother's dining table, balancing on its cross guard. This is a head scratcher, because technically, Malcolm does not list any of these elements. Gold and iron both arrived on those supernova explosions billions of years ago, aka, they are not made of this Earth tin. However, one of the three elements she does listen is formed in the Earth's crust.
- [42:14]
Lexi
I want to point out that if the usual Earth geology, it might not be applying in this fantasy universe.
- [42:22]
Nicole
No, but that's what I'm saying is that this is her. It's an Easter egg of her using Earth magic in this moment. That's what's making the quartz stand up. Because quartz is made here on this Earth. It's like one of the second most abundant minerals we have. So I'm saying it's not the gold gauntlet that's talking to her. It's actually the quartz and the sandstone.
- [42:41]
Lexi
I'm going to need to deep dive more of this book and fully understand alchemy and all of these powers, because I do not even know how to comment on that, except for the fact that I think that it was definitely the gold gauntlet talking to her.
- [42:57]
Nicole
I don't know if I'm telling you I'm gonna take this to the Discord Chat for this episode and we're gonna see what they say.
- [43:07]
Lexi
Please do.
- [43:08]
Nicole
Please do.
- [43:11]
Lexi
Okay, we know that Ceres is an alchemist who can transmute metals, alter the state of compounds and transform them into precious metals like gold and silver. So I just understand Sarah's to basically be using her magic cure as the gold activates.
- [43:25]
Nicole
When does she make something into gold? She's not Jesus.
- [43:30]
Lexi
I am quoting what we learned from the library. I am using actual lore that we get in this book.
- [43:37]
Nicole
That's what I'm doing.
- [43:41]
Lexi
Most importantly here, we get insight into this strange connection Seras has with metals. She can move metal and even Elroy knows she has some magic to her. He's determined for her to keep it hidden because a trace of magic would be a death sentence, as the Guardians of Madra are always sniffing out for anyone with magic. But Serris is in denial. She even considers magic users to be mythical. And she chalks up what she can do about moving metals and daggers and things like that just to be parlor tricks. This was a theme in our last Deep dive too. This sense of denial of one's abilities because to admit that they are true means to be vulnerable as someone who is basically illegal to exist. Back to the situation at hand. The gauntlet is tucked away in Ceres satchel. She is going to need to melt it down and essentially destroy the evidence as soon as possible because the Guardians are going to come searching for this gauntlet and it is going to cause problems. But since Elroy refused and demanded she get it out of his forge, next step is to find her brother and then she'll figure it out from there. Which brings us to a tavern called the House of Kala, where yes, Hayden is out front after getting kicked out for fighting. Who is he fighting with? You ask Mr. Carrion Swift, one of the Internet's most beloved characters. Welcome to the Deep Dive. Carrion. Karion Swift is the most notorious smuggler, gambler and cheat in Sylvarian. And he is not someone you want to mess with. He's handsome, tall, and has vibrant auburn hair. He is impeccably dressed even here in the Dungey third ward. He's very flirtatious and to put it simply, he brings a lot of comic relief to the story. But beneath his light hearted nature, Carrion is clever and resourceful. He has a hell of a lot of common sense. Hayden, you hear that? He has more than you. He is also extremely confident and charming. And as Seras would know, he's great bed. She had hoped to crush his ego, but fortunately or unfortunately, he proved his swagger because damn it, he's really good in bed. And it was well earned. As it turns out, Carrion beat the crap out of Hayden after a game of cards went wrong. And this is not the first time something like this has happened. In fact, Cirrus made Carrion promise to leave her little brother alone, even though it seems Hayden is the instigator. Because of course he is. And in exchange for leaving her brother alone, Serris would not interfere with carrying's supply lines to and from the house. Gave Hayden money to buy water, you know, that most important research that they are always desperate for. And he gambled it away along with his scarf that keeps the sand out of his face. So as the big sister who cleans up her brother's messes, she meets up with Carrion inside the tavern to get her brother's scarf back and the money she needs for water. Right off the bat, we pick up on their history of both being troublemakers in the Third Ward and this one sided flirtation. But very importantly, Serris did not trust to be in Carian's presence with something as valuable as the gauntlet. So she gave her satchel with the gauntlet inside to Hayden and told him she'd be back outside to get him in 10 minutes. Now, because we've all finished this book, we know there is a lot more to carry on than meets the eye. He is actually 1095ish years old and heir to the Fae throne of Evalia. His real name is Carrion Dianthus, firstborn son to Ruik and Amelia. Dianthus. This. Oh my goodness. Okay, so this is episode one, which means I am going to hold back from going into exactly what the Dilantus line means because it deserves its own spotlight. But to know for our story right now, as we are introduced to Carrion, here is his real backstory. Kingfisher's father brought baby Carrion to Zilvarin through the quicksilver to save him from the wrath of Belcon. Carrion was glamoured so he would not stand out as a Fae. His Carrion's human looking appearance. Appearance Though I love the little details of him, you know, being like a foot taller than anyone else and how handsome he is. On a reread, the foreshadowing that he's actually Fae in disguise is literally right there. No wonder he's the best Lacerys has ever had. He's had many, many, many, many, many Centuries to practice. The plan was for Caring to stay in Zelvarin until the time was right. But he got trapped here when Madra closed the gates between realms. One of Madra's slaves took him in. When he came out of the quicksilver, she escaped the palace and raised him as her own. And that's how it went. For generations, Carrion stayed connected with the women of the Swift line. They helped keep him out of trouble. And he was always on the lookout for signs that the quicksilver would open again. So his grandmother, Gracia is not actually his grandmother. She knows the truth about him. And it's been a family secret among the Swift women for generations. He knew her when she was growing up. When he was pulled out of the quicksilver pool, Carrion had his own amulet on, which I want to point out, because I have a feeling we'll see it again in the story. And he's held on to it all these years. It's a miniature disc in the shape of a leaping stack, so I'm going to keep an eye out for that as we do this deep dive. He has essentially been trapped in Zelvarin for more than 1,000 years, primarily living in the third and building his own smuggling empire. A pretty simple life, all things considered, as he stays under the radar of Madra.
- [48:31]
Nicole
So with this Carry on meeting, not only do we get a lot of insight into who he is is the best, that's who. But also there's this element of him watching out for her and Hayden because he's heard a rumor that a raven haired rebel from the Third stole a gauntlet. Who would do such a thing? Of course, if someone were to do that, she should put it back. Unless she wants to get caught and killed and bring a bunch of bad shit to the Third. First off, how did Carrion find out so fast? Other than, obviously from his mysterious friend, the feminine gasping lady.
- [49:09]
Lexi
He has connections like it just proves how connected he is. He's had a thousand years to create a network.
- [49:16]
Nicole
Honestly, that's real true. That's fair. Now, secondly, why would a thief, smuggler, and one of the best crime lords in the Third, who does not even live in the Third anymore, technically look out for serious. Serious, in her serious, pessimistic way, is always jumping to the automatic conclusion that Carrion is trying to get the gauntlet and get it off of her for his own personal gain. But we can definitely say that that is not what he's doing. Although, as for the reason that he's looking out for her in such a way. I am kind of grasping at straws. Is he looking out for her because he admires how she looks out for her own, like she does with Hayden and Elroy. He knows it's basically just her. Hayden's not helping her with anything. And does he want to help her out or. I'll get fully into a Sarus is royal Fae theory later. But does he know that something is off or different about her? Whether he knows that she has magic or just assumes that she has Fae heritage and wants to. I'll call it, for lack of a better term, look out for his own. If he is indeed the heir to the Evilian throne, then technically, if serious would be Fae, she would be one of his subjects. And by look out for, it's still Carrion, so it would be in the most Carrion way possible. AKA fuck her as much, as much as he wants. But he still does look out for her. Beyond just him wanting to spend a lot of time between her legs.
- [50:42]
Lexi
I just assume that Carrion does care about the Third Ward as a whole.
- [50:46]
Nicole
And.
- [50:46]
Lexi
And he does not underestimate what Madra is capable of when she inevitably sends in punishment for the stolen item. He has a lot of vested interest in things staying as they are, and it's bad for his business if shit hits the fan, including how he cares for Gracia, who lives in the Third. He has his people who he cares about in the Third too. And they're all in danger now. So stealing the gauntlet and the thief being traced back to the Third, it's bad for everybody. And he wants to avoid the bloodbath Seras has threatened for all of them. Which is why he's like, get it the fuck out of here before it leads to anyone unnecessarily suffering.
- [51:21]
Nicole
Okay, that's fair.
- [51:22]
Lexi
That's fair. Yeah. Hence why when Carrion is acting with urgency and panic over what Seras has done, she's like, oh shit. Maybe that was actually really reckless of me.
- [51:31]
Nicole
But I am going to bring up later, because when he says that he is Hayden and Kingfisher's like great and takes him to Evilia, Carrion does say that he was like, I really did think I was protecting. Protecting Hayden. So I do think that there is this element of wanting to protect the Third. So what I guess I'm saying is I think we're both right. There is this element of him wanting to protect the Third, and there's this extra looking out for Saris and Hayden that Carrion does have.
- [51:55]
Lexi
I agree. Yes. Because he also helped make sure that Hayden got set up pretty nicely after Eris left. Yeah, yeah. After agreeing that she will quickly fix this, Serris leaves Carrion and the tavern only to find Hayden gone as well as her back with the gauntlet missing as well. So much for giving the bag to Hayden for safekeeping. And as Karion and Elroy have made very clear, this is bad. Serious is responsible for that gauntlet. And if anyone finds out it is here in the third, the Guardians are going to rain hell down on this place. And remember all that I said about Hayden earlier, Known for being a bit of an idiot. Yeah. That means that this is absolutely a recipe for disaster. So Cirrus is desperate to find her brother and the gauntlet. She breaks into a jog. As she frantically searches for him, a cry pierces the air from the direction of the Mirage, which is another tavern where Cerys and Hayden are currently living in its attic. And Cerys knows deep down the person in trouble is her brother. She takes off in a sprint to find her brother. And once when she finally gets to him, he is cornered by 30 guardians in their shiny gold armor with the stolen gauntlet in his hand held up and just terror filled eyes. He is in big, big trouble.
- [53:05]
Nicole
We can't entirely blame Hayden alone. We will blame him a lot, but not alone. As inferred by Elroy and talked about earlier, Elroy says the lads still laugh, so don't burden him with the difficulties of the world. And as Sarah says, the moment that sheepish smile hits his lips, all her anger towards her brother disappears. Now, whether it's conscious of Hayden or not, I guarantee you he's using that smile to make sure that his older sister is not mad at him and he's not in trouble. We're seeing the repercussions of that babying right here on the page. Before he was handed the massive responsibility of holding onto the gauntlet, he gambled their money away. That was supposed to be for buying water. He gets into fights that are way bigger than he can handle. And it's not like he's always trying to cheat at cards because. Because sometimes he does do that and he's really fucking good, apparently. No, he got in trouble because he tried to stab Karion for not playing another round with Hayden. Zero to 60, my guy. That was intense. It's very telling that Saeris immediately says to Carrion, Hayden would never do that. She has these rose colored glasses on when it comes to her brother.
- [54:18]
Lexi
My guess is Hayden got tired of waiting for his sister outside of House of Kala. So on his way back to where they're currently living, the Mirage, I think think one of two things happened. No matter what, Guardians are starting to swarm the third in search of this thief. Seras already knew they would come looking for it very soon. So that's not a surprise. So option number one that happened is as Hayden was walking back, he looked in the satchel and he was not subtle about what was in it, which caught the attention of high alert guardians. And then he really panicked. Remember, he did not know what was in the satchel when his sister handed it to him. He was not supposed to find out that there was a gauntlet of very, very big value in there. Or option number two, Guardians approached him as he was walking back to the mirage and demanded to search his bag. Because they're turning the Third Ward upside down. To find the gauntlet and punish the thief. And upon realizing what he had in his possession, Hayden made a bolt for it. I do think that he didn't just like pull it out of the satchel and just wave it around and that made people come. But I do think that he was approached by guardians and Sarris did not think ahead that Guardians would would be coming to look for it.
- [55:20]
Nicole
Okay, I'm actually going to throw out another option because what if with sailors having magic, there is a possibility of Hayden having magic too. So what if, let's say the gold is actually what talked to Sarus when.
- [55:33]
Lexi
She was definitely what talked to Saris?
- [55:35]
Nicole
Okay, keep going. So what if the gold also talked to Hayden and he was curious about like, he hears us, he hears us, he feels us. And he's like, what the hell is this? So he takes it out and that's when the Guardians were like, you're there. Stop.
- [55:50]
Lexi
I never thought about that. I guess I just assumed this was Hayden being Hayden in a predicament with the Guardians.
- [55:58]
Nicole
Shockingly, Hayden did not keep his word to Seirys. He looked in the bag, he took it out of the bag. Whether it was from coercion from the gold, the Guardians, or just his own stupidity, no matter what, I'm giving him an L. Not a smiting L, but definitely a cat. No, actually no smiting. Smiting.
- [56:16]
Lexi
Because, no, I'm not giving him a.
- [56:18]
Nicole
Smiting L. Think of how much danger he is putting his sister in right now. Who cares for him entirely.
- [56:25]
Lexi
So. So with that, I give him an L for not doing what he was told to do. And in general, being 20 years old and acting like he is 10. Seras does acknowledge to herself that ultimately this guilt lies with her. She is the one who stole the gauntlet. She is the one who knew better than to hand her brother her satchel with a priceless item inside. She knew better. We can all yell at Hayden for this fuck up, but it is true that Seras did lead him to being in the situation in the first place and she already knows his nature. She might not want to accept it, but she knows.
- [56:59]
Nicole
Okay, I will take the smite away and I will keep it as capital. But I might bold it a little bit. No matter what, it is too late because he is surrounded by an entire unit of 30 guardians. Dun Dun dun. Thank you for calling the Bombas Comfort line. Bombas make socks, slippers, tees and underwear made with the highest quality materials. Press 1 for comfort, 2 for style, 3 for donation. You chose Pros Style. Bombas is styles for whatever you enjoy. You can run in Bombas lounge in Bombas, dress them up, dress them down, but always give back in Bombas because with every item purchased another is donated Bombas Comfort. Worth calling for. Go to bombas.com audio and use code audio for 20% off your first purchase. That's B O-M-B-A-.com and use code audio emoji moment from Sadie who writes I'm not crying, you're crying. This is what I said during my.
- [57:54]
Lexi
First appointment with my physician at Mochi.
- [57:56]
Nicole
Mochi because I didn't have to convince.
- [57:57]
Lexi
Him I needed a GLP one. He understood and I felt supported, not judged.
- [58:03]
Nicole
I came for the weight loss and.
- [58:04]
Lexi
Stayed for the empathy.
- [58:06]
Nicole
Thanks Sadie.
- [58:07]
Lexi
I'm Mayra Amit, founder of Mochi Health. To find your mochi moment, visit joinmochi.com.
- [58:13]
Nicole
Sadie is a Mochi member compensated for her story.
- [58:17]
Lexi
Did I talk too much? Can't I just let it go? Thank you so much. That didn't go well.
- [58:26]
Nicole
Take a breath, you're not alone. Let's talk about what's going on. Counseling helps you sort through the noise with qualified professionals and online therapy makes it convenient. See if it's for you. Visit betterhelp.com random podcast for 10% off your first month of online therapy and let life feel better.
- [58:49]
Lexi
One thing I did not realize before I became a mom was just how big a role snacks would play in everyday life. I always want to make sure that my kids have the fuel they need, which is why our family loves Little Belly's brand new organic soft corn. Perfect for toddlers 12 months and up These puffed corn snacks are made with organic ingredients, making them ideal for growing little tots.
- [59:09]
Nicole
Honestly, I'm really jealous because there are two delicious flavors. They're sweet and salty and Cinnamon bun. Yum yum yum. Not only are these soft corn tasty, but they're also made with natural ingredients that are certified organic and non gmo. Plus they are baked, not fried and have no artificial colors or flavors. Huzzah.
- [59:29]
Lexi
That's always good for us parents. Ready to add some new adventure to your toddler's snack routine? Look for Yellow Belly's new Organic Sweet and Salty Soft Corn and Organic Cinnamon Bun Soft Corn in stores. Find out more about these exciting new additions and and the full Little bellies range@littlebellies.com this podcast is sponsored by Wild, a refillable deodorant brand powered by nature who's on a mission to remove single use plastic from your bathroom. It is so important to me, and I know Nicole too, that we are comfortable throughout the day and the deodorant we wear is absolutely a factor in that we want to feel fresh and confident as we go about our days. And now Wild Deodorant is helping us do just that.
- [60:05]
Nicole
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- [60:25]
Lexi
Like I mentioned, Wild Deodorant is refillable and single use plastic free. Every time you refill, you're saving 30 grams of plastic from going to a landfill. Huzzah. And Wild Deodorant is also vegan and cruelty free.
- [60:36]
Nicole
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- [61:15]
Lexi
My favorite time of day to drink Liquid IV is early afternoon where I can feel myself you know, starting to fade a little bit and I just need a gentle push for the second half of my day. Liquid IV makes me feel rejuvenated and hydrated and I just love it so much. For today's recording, I have my new favorite Liquid IV flavor, which is guava. It's so delicious. It makes me feel like summer's, you know, continuing on, even when the fall, even when the air gets crisp.
- [61:36]
Nicole
Just one one stick and 16 ounces of water hydrates better than water alone. Liquid IV is scientifically formulated to support physical energy, hydration, focus, mood and social stamina. With three times the electrolytes of leading sports drinks. And Liquid IV helps you get up to eight essential vitamins and nutrients. It is always non gmo, vegan, gluten free, dairy free and soy free.
- [62:02]
Lexi
Ditch the glitch with zero sugar and zero crash from Liquid IV tear pour live. More more. Go to liquidiv.com and get 20 off your first order with code FANGIRL at checkout. That's 20 off your first order with code fangirl@liquidiv.com. what does any older, overprotective and guilt ridden sister do to get her brother out of the biggest pickle imaginable? A pickle of considerable length and not in the fun kind way. She interrupts the scene and admits to stealing the gauntlet. If they want to arrest the thief, it's her, not her brother. No way is Ceres going to let Hayden take the fall for her decision to take this precious metal. Even though he tries to take the blame, recognizing what this means for Seras. Yes, he's very immature, but, oh, Hayden does love his sister and he wants to protect her too. But our FMC is not willing to be restrained without a fight. It goes against her instinct. She has been oppressed all her life. She has been fighting for survival against all the odds. So she pulls a weapon on these 30 guardians. And if just possessing a weapon was a death sentence, like what happened to her mother, threatening Guardians with one means that you're just not getting out of this alive. But Serris, she's been trained by rebels. She's able to move more quickly than these Guardians in their armor. And she's able to catch them by surprise with her fighting skills. Because remember, nobody else is supposed to be able to wield a weapon here. Next thing we know, she has killed two Guardians and sliced off another's hand. Holy shit. First off, that is damn impressive. Up against these Guardians, who are supposed to be the best of the best. And serious is Letting out her rage at these people who think they're better than her and her loved ones, she is officially boiled over. All her anger at the system, all her pain from loved ones deaths is unleashing and there is no stopping it. Like she'll say later to Heron, madra has turned her and her people into weapons because they are being pushed to the limit in unbearable conditions. That's where they find their strength to rise up and fight back harder. In her own small way, this is Serris doing that. She's saying, fuck all of you, and she's going for it. But just because she kills a few of these guards does not mean that she's out of the woods. The captain, who we will later learn is Heron and ho, ho, ho, do we have a lot to say about him, he decides to let her brother go. Realizing that, yes, Serris is indeed the culprit they're looking for. And with her brother at least safe from this, Serris accepts her fate.
- [64:17]
Nicole
So to the palace we go. Not in the way that Cerys had hoped her whole life as a young girl. The dream started off as hoping to get plucked out of poverty and chosen to be a lady's maid, then morphed into a sneaky spy mode where she would be able to kill the Queen.
- [64:33]
Lexi
I love that little tidbit of innocence from Saris. With her daydreams of getting noticed in bigger ways and how life can change. And then, as life has hardened, her daydreams turn more violent and cold in line with the person she has become. Now, as she heads to her inevitable death. I gotta give it to Sarah. She's keeping her shit together. Knowing these are her final hours. And just for how nervous she is, she recognizes there is no getting out of this after what she did. And if this is her sacrifice to keep her brother alive, then so be it.
- [65:02]
Nicole
After being in a six foot hot, hot, hot cell, then moving throughout the palace, she and Captain Heron arrive to a gigantic wooden door that leads to a certain room. But oddly, this room is kept locked. Oh, almost like because there's a pool of quicksilver in it. Because, yes, this place is called the hall of Mirrors. Or at least it used to be called the hall of Mirrors. Story time, everybody. Luckily, our friend and discord moderator from the UK Shadow came to the rescue with a Waterstone UK bonus chapter. From the point of view of a slave named Orlena. Yes, Orlena, who is Carrion Swift's first caretaker. A quick timestamp for this chapter. This bonus chapter that I'm So sorry. I have searched the Internet high and low for but we cannot find a link. The moment we do, we will put it in the show notes. This is the night of Madra's coronation, when Orlenna Carrion, Swift's caregiver and slave to Madra's palace, goes into the hall of Mirrors. And in that scene, mirrors coat every single wall, disorienting Orlenna to be in it. But when Madra plunges the the sword into the Pool of Quicksilver, because yes, that does happen in this chapter, all the mirrors burst and break. Hence why it used to be called the hall of Mirrors. Now back to Seiris. Beyond the doors lies a large vaulted room that has a very strange thicker air quality to it with a raised dais holding something quote long and narrow. Gee, I wonder what that is. We know this is Solace Kingfisher's father Fenrin's sword. This sword is protruding out of the quicksilver, stilling the pool and all of the quicksilver pools, making them unable to travel between realms.
- [66:49]
Lexi
It's also notable that Seras is drawn to it. Like the platform that the sword is on, the unactivated quicksilver. It's beckoning her forward. And in general, like Nicole mentioned, there's a strangeness in the air here. I like to consider it as like dormant magic.
- [67:03]
Nicole
Yes, same. Like it's almost like over the time, like the magic of the queen quicksilver that has been stilled, it like leaks into the air, almost making it thick. Included in this room are also faces of the long forgotten gods chiseled into stonework on the walls. Hello, forgotten gods. We will see you very, very soon in the Winter Palace. With a little less dark by heron lighting some torches around the room. It's still very dark though. We hear a cool feminine voice. I love that Zilvarin is known for being so hot and in this desert. And then Madra's voice is described as being cool. So good. Hello, Madra. This woman is flawless, with intelligent bright blue eyes. But how odd a word we will use a lot with Madra. This woman is basically ageless. We know though that she has been around for over a thousand years, but she still appears to be young. So the question is, is she Fae?
- [67:57]
Lexi
Yes. So it's like she is supposed to be human, but obviously has done something to make herself a immortal. Her age is confusing to the fate of Evelia too. And it's my understanding that her ancestry is human based on context clues we get especially from that UK Bonus chapter.
- [68:12]
Nicole
Exactly. So I am leaning towards her being somehow turning herself into this true immortal. I don't think it's quite like Malcolm, because I don't think she's a vampire, but she's. I think she's more than just Fae immortal. Like she is like truly immortal. Again, like Malcolm.
- [68:30]
Lexi
There is a Fae Queen who I'll mention a little bit later. She takes potions and things like that to have a longer life.
- [68:36]
Nicole
Yes, exactly. Is that the Queen who fucked over her mom who just chilled in the ether for a while? Oh, so sad. Madra is evil. Evil, evil, evil. But a character. I am so hoping we get to learn more about next book. After a little bit of interrogation about how Seiris learned how to fight like she did against the Guardians, you know, know good enough to be able to kill and maim three of them. Madra dials up her interrogation to level 10,000, asking if it was the Fae who found a way through. We know that she means through means through the quicksilver. And she wonders if these Fae taught serious how to fight so that serious could kill Madra. Whoa. This tells us a lot about this Queen. First off, yes, this tells us that Fae exists, but that Madra fears them. At least the ones who aren't. I'll call it Belican or Malcolm. We see this fear though, in how she interacts with Kingfisher at the end of the book when he growls at her and she's like, ah, he's scary.
- [69:36]
Lexi
Madra does say she felt Frisian today, which I think absolutely has to do with Ceres and this turn of events. Frisian means a brief moment of physically felt emotions. So Madra, paranoid about the Fae returning to kill her, thinks that the feeling that she felt is related to this trained fighter, Cerys.
- [69:55]
Nicole
But also in addition to the Fae. Her weakness is losing the throne and dying. Like these are top three things to exploit in Madra. Boom. Like this is how you take someone down in the uk.
- [70:06]
Lexi
Bonus chapter. Kingfisher's father calls Madra an Oathbreaker in reference to how she's murdering all the Fae so we can gather. Fae and alchemists used to be welcome here in Zilvarin. But once when she became queen, they were not anymore. And once there were no magic users left in Zelvarin. After thousands used to live in the city, she closed the portals. And as she says, the king would never know it was her who committed treachery against the Fae. Now I am curious if that king she is referring to is Belakan, or Carian's father, when she said this over a thousand years ago. The reason why Madra had Serris meet her in this old hall of mirrors is because she needed to see for herself that this room where the quicksilver has been, remains untouched. If the Fae were coming into her lands, it would have to be through the quicksilver. And that would also mean this room would be the only way. As long as the sword remains in the quicksilver here, as it does right now upon entering the room, there is no real external threat to the Queen.
- [71:01]
Nicole
One of the many issues with this unhinged Queen is that when Serious doesn't confess to what Madra believes is the truth, AKA Sarris, does not not confirm that the Fae taught Seiras how to fight and got through her lands and they're about to take her throne. Madra waves her hand and says for the Captain Harren to end Serious, but not only kill her, kill every person in the third. That's 100,000 people. Fuck you, Madra. Even though this is technically a false command. But I wonder, did she change her mind or did she forget? And I'm kind of leaning towards forget, actually. And that is a show don't tell for us as to how little these people mean to her. You know, in case putting them all to death wasn't enough to confirm that for you.
- [71:51]
Lexi
That's so interesting, because I don't think she forgot for a moment. And she's been working behind the scenes and we'll find out in book two when we get to Zolvarin what she has actually been up to. Like maybe it has been building up her army or trying to sniff out rebels or something along those lines. Lines.
- [72:09]
Nicole
Do we want to make a bet?
- [72:10]
Lexi
Okay, so this would be the bet is that essentially there were no consequences of after what happened with Saris.
- [72:17]
Nicole
Okay, so here's the bet. There were no consequences in the Third. After Seiris left, Lexi says, no, there were consequences. And I say that it has been business as usual for both the Third and Madra.
- [72:30]
Lexi
After Queen Madra leaves, Heron shows no emotion and he has glassy eyes as he draws his blade against Ceres. We're gonna get back to that in a moment. Serris defends herself by saying that stealing is the only option for those living in the Third. It's either that or death. With a quick I'm sorry, what a polite executioner, Heron pushes Serious hard to the ground, her head smashing against the stone. Raising his sword, Heron brings it down into Cerus's stomach, and with two hands, he twists the blade, leaving it deep in Ceres belly while she screams in agony. Damn it. She's singing sweet music to Madra. But sadly, Heron doesn't end there, and he stabs her with an engraved dagger. During this torture, Heron tells Sarris it's okay. She's lucky, since she'll have a faster death than the others in her ward, who will be burned or choked to death. Instead, as he goes for another stab, the dagger suddenly stops an inch from her shoulder.
- [73:26]
Nicole
Whaaat.
- [73:27]
Lexi
Even using both hands to push downward, the dagger won't move. It just won't touch Ceres. Something inside Seras rises up and claims Heron's knife for itself. This thing. The stillness within her reaches out and grabs the weapon. It's like an invisible third hand. The dagger glows white hot. The metal screeches, and there's a voice inside Seras commanding her to unmake the dagger. Sure enough, the knife liquefies in Harran's hand and the silver runs down his fingers like water. Then this silver pools and diverges, as if alive and seeking him.
- [74:04]
Nicole
Before we talk about the emergence of a certain someone, we have got to talk about this, Captain, because something's fishy.
- [74:14]
Lexi
Besides knowing what we know about Heron, you know, coming back at the end of this book when he was supposed to be dead, we also know from the UK bonus chapter that Heron was the captain of Madra's newly formed Queen's Guard more than a thousand years ago. That's right. We have confirmation that Heron is more than 1000 years old.
- [74:34]
Nicole
This is odd, given how later in the book, Bellicon will call Harren human.
- [74:39]
Lexi
Yes, he's human. I think Madra is too. Like there's something weird going on with these humans. He was very handsome back then too, and found glory on the battlefield. Hence how he came to be in Madra's servants surface.
- [74:51]
Nicole
Heron is not nice, don't get me wrong. I mean, he just stabs her multiple times, but he's also not not nice.
- [74:58]
Lexi
That's a good way of putting it. I even was like, oh, is this.
- [75:01]
Nicole
Like our MMC when I first met him? And then I met King Fisher and.
- [75:06]
Lexi
It'S like, oh, that's him.
- [75:08]
Nicole
I also thought that until he stabbed her twice. So I feel like there's some things you can come back from. I feel like. Like two times stabbing is not one of them. It is a dark romance.
- [75:20]
Lexi
It is a darker romance. I mean, I don't know. I've Heard of weirder things.
- [75:26]
Nicole
Lexi, I'm concerned for you. First, when walking up to the hall of Mirrors, Heron gives Sarah a canteen of crisp water for her to drink. It was so she could stop, you know, almost collapsing. But when she tells him about the filtration system in major air quotes, he tries to remain impassive, but a flicker of disgust hits his eyes and a slight sympathy before he shakes his head. Later, when she talks to him fully about why she believes they are being poisoned, quote, Heron was silent for a long time, and then he said, just walk again. It's not nice, but there's something that makes me think he wants to know more. Or he's like he's feeling sympathy is what I'm getting down to.
- [76:08]
Lexi
I think he's feeling sympathy because he knows what Madra is capable of with people.
- [76:13]
Nicole
Make.
- [76:13]
Lexi
With making people suffer. And it's like he's just recognizing like, yeah, we're all at her mercy kind of thing. Yeah. When I first read this, I figured it was like a crack in his certainty of the Queen's propaganda. With the water rations, she has turned an essential resource into a major divide between the people of her city, turning them against one another and judging one another and hating one another because of what some people have and what others don't. But knowing that Heron is also more than a thousand years old and there is clearly some kind of spell or something on him, this makes me wonder if it is more of his true nature, like really cracking through and peeking out. Like he's able to cling to a tiny bit of his humanity through the cracks.
- [76:54]
Nicole
Yes, exactly. And then that sympathy or sympathy adjacent humanity, it vanishes the moment Madra arrives. And it was replaced with nothing like this numbness about him.
- [77:08]
Lexi
Literally. His expression is described as blank and serious. Even thinks about how the Haran she was with earlier was a different version than the one that she's seen here in front of his queen. This version of Haran is meek and diminished and afraid.
- [77:21]
Nicole
Exactly. So I am 1000% in the camp that Madra breeds Guardians somehow. And by doing so, they somehow are brainwashed and are programmed to do do her bidding. With that numbness, we know that the Guardians go through a grueling 18 month program, and by the time they graduate, they can withstand unimaginable amounts of pain. Like they feel like robots, for lack of a better term. Just like, you know, in a fantasy setting. That feels like breeding to me.
- [77:51]
Lexi
Okay, so when you say breeding, what exactly do you mean? Because I do think there is Truth to most recruits coming from good families in the Hub. And Seras thinks of Harun as Madra's creature, and that seems like an accurate description. And I also think he might be one of the only ones who is under her spell like that.
- [78:11]
Nicole
Oh. I will bring up something later that makes me think everyone under Madras Service has this element of brainwashing. But I'll get to that in a moment. When I say breeding, I don't mean, like, breeding like cattle or something like that. I'm more saying, like, she has them go through this program, and then they are made immortal. Like, meaning they can't die by natural causes. But I'm realizing this as I'm saying this in real time. Sarahs did kill two of them. So maybe it is only the higher ups, maybe it is only Heron. But then that. There's something I'm going to bring up later that makes me think that's not true. I don't know.
- [78:51]
Lexi
I think that Madra has, like, her OG Guard still in command. And, like, you're saying, brainwashed. Absolutely. And he's not able to die. And she's made him in particular, like this so that she has someone that she can wholeheartedly control to do her bidding, spread propaganda and keep things just the way that she likes. So I do think that if there were too many people, then that would be too many people who could know her secret or something. But I do agree with you on the brainwashing. And we say that brainwashing in more of, like, a very magical way. But something to that effect with her people. Yes.
- [79:26]
Nicole
Like, maybe there's something in the water or there's some. There's some element or something in the air that makes them almost like a cog in the machine. There we go. Like, it makes them.
- [79:36]
Lexi
I actually have a new theory.
- [79:38]
Nicole
Okay.
- [79:39]
Lexi
But I'm gonna wait for it.
- [79:40]
Nicole
Okay, Sounds good. As Heron is stabbing Sarus, he is basically coaching her through it and then apologizing for it again, that humanity is coming through. It's almost like he does not want to be doing this, but he's not in his own control. But I want to highlight this line specifically, Quote, death is an open doorway that's meant to be walked through. On the other side of it lies peace. Count yourself lucky that you get to make the journey at all. This is pointed, especially when it's married with him saying, I can't go. She won't let me. Like, he's not able to die. That is all the confirmation I needed right there.
- [80:16]
Lexi
There's a whole lot more to Heron at the end of the book that we'll talk about more at that time. Yes, he can't die. And the man beneath this, captain of the guard that Madra has done something to, he wants to find his own peace, not me suddenly wanting a redemption arc for him. Although I don't know if he's dead by the end of it.
- [80:33]
Nicole
Oh, I definitely don't think he's dead. I think he's definitely gonna get a redemption arc, but I think it's going to be him finally being able to die and later, like, him being so happy that he's finally able to die. Oh, that just kills me. Also, there's this moment when Seiris is increasing the quicksilver over his body from the melted dagger and his skin goes white hot. And he says, quote, gods, it's so. And then he doesn't get to finish his sentence. I do wonder if he is about to die. And he was going to say, it's so beautiful. Like, this death he's been waiting for is beautiful. But then he's not able to die.
- [81:08]
Lexi
I took it more as he's finally feeling the consequences of this quicksilver, and it's like, oh, God, I don't like this.
- [81:16]
Nicole
Oh, interesting. I felt like it was something weirdly positive. Okay, maybe I'm crazy. I don't know. This is what I've been alluding to, that this has me convinced the people of the palace are under some kind of mind control. From the UK Waterstones bonus chapter. We know that Orlenna is a slave in Madre's Court. The chapter, though, starts out in third person and halfway through switches to first. When does it switch? Oh, just when Orlenna escapes the palace. And no, before you're like, oh, it might just be an accident in editing. Fuck no, it's absolutely not. I do think that third person was literary Easter eggs. For us to know that these slaves are brainwashed, and then somehow, when they break or defy themselves out of mattress clutches, they become their own person again, which is why it switches to first person.
- [82:10]
Lexi
I love that you picked up on that. Because at first we were reading it, I was like, why? What? What happened here? And it's like, okay, this is obviously for a reason. Let's figure it out.
- [82:17]
Nicole
Because it's like, it's not noticeable. Like, it. I didn't even realize it until I was like, wait a second, we're in first person. What the hell is going on? And I had to go back a page or two before I realized I. When it switched.
- [82:28]
Lexi
So I want to take what you're saying here and add a little bit more to it and also, like, weave in my new theory that I'm brewing right now. So, when Arletta was 12 years old, all the new slaves, which included her, were forced to be sworn into the king's service. Next to the quicksilver pool, the king was Madra's father, so this was some years before her reign began. Orlena had to write her vows of service instead of speak them because she was deaf. And they were all forced to do this right near the quicksilver. So I wonder if this is something of a loophole where she wasn't entranced to the same degree that others were, because she didn't speak it, she wrote it instead. Hence why she had more of a sense of agency in that bonus chapter, even when it is in third person.
- [83:09]
Nicole
Yes, because there's this moment when she's going to the hall of Mirrors that there's something she's saying. Like, again, this is in third person. She should be going back to the Grand Hall. She.
- [83:18]
Lexi
Like everybody else. Like everybody else, yeah.
- [83:21]
Nicole
All my God, that's so good.
- [83:23]
Lexi
So when it comes to Heron, I wonder if he was one of the last people she was able to brainwash, because that was back when the quicksilver was activated, and then once when it stilled, she did not have that same kind of power to brainwash her servants and things like that. And that has something to do with it. And so Heron is one of her only people that is immortal and all of that kind of stuff, who is like her, her control pet, who is under that kind of control. And it's unique for him because she has not been able to do it for anyone in the past 1,000 years, because that was a consequence of the quicksilver stealing. Knowing that she's going to die anyway, Serris somehow manages to pull herself up on her feet, because, damn it, she wants to make Heron die first.
- [84:08]
Nicole
She does not want to go out before him.
- [84:10]
Lexi
Remember that she still has both Heron's sword in her stomach and a dagger in her shoulder. She looks like a pincushion. She's gonna die here, everybody. He calls her a monster, saying, you'll end the world with this, and pleads for Serris to not let the molten metal take him. Serris couldn't care less about his pleas, or if this power she has ends the world, she thinks maybe that's for the best. While that is Serris's pov and I understand her reasoning. I am really curious about what Heron means here, about how she'll end the world with this. And I assume this that he's referring to is either her activating magic or trying to kill him. Because no matter what, it will cause a chain reaction from Madra and others in this universe and it'll spell doom. I'm not exactly sure There. The liquid silver climbs up Heron's legs and while she doesn't know how serious, knows that the metal is looking for bare skin magic. That's how seeing the other sword we were talking about earlier embedded in the ring raised platform, Sarah staggers toward it to use on Harren. She can feel how ancient the sword is before she even touches it, and that it hasn't been touched in centuries. She uses its edge to cut the ties at her wrists. Okay, that's good. She's no longer bound. Except then the sword in her belly falls out. And yeah, that's not good because it was holding her innards in A voice whispers to Cerys saying let's be done with it. Grabbing the hilt of the old sword sword, a bolt of energy shoots up both her arms. Saris pulls the sword free from the ground.
- [85:39]
Nicole
Oh my God.
- [85:40]
Lexi
She turned the key and opened the gate. According to Heron. And also very important to note that Ceres is touching this sword when no one alive is supposed to be able to. Also from Kingfisher's Maze Bonus chapter When he holds his sword for the first time and it's in a place where he has access to magic here in Silvaran, he feels that see same sense of energy shoot up and he's like oh, it's like coming home. He feels his God sword again. So like King Arthur, she has pulled the sword out of the ground and she turns the blade on Heron, though he is way more concerned with her having just pulled the sword out of the quicksilver than he is about whatever she's about to do to him with it. Because yep, the ground is now a pool of spitting silver and Serris is slowly sinking into it.
- [86:22]
Nicole
But something else occurs. Rising out of the quicksilver is a tall man with shoulder length black hair, broad shoulders. His eyes are mismatched, one fully green and the other rimmed with silver. Welcome, welcome, welcome to the podcast King Fisher or Death according to Sarus. She thinks that this is it. This is the end. The most beautiful man she's ever seen has officially come to take her to the land where she's supposed to die. And this man says Some very interesting things that we have more insight on from the Mays Bonus chapter of Kingfisher's pov, Here is where you can read this chapter. If you go to the new hardback edition of Quicksilver, the Black and Silver edition, there is a bonus chapter at the very end of the book. Or if you go to your ebook, just make sure your ebook is updated and it will be there at the end entitled Bonus Chapter. This bonus chapter is Kingfisher in the maze with Taladeus. And then he sees the Quicksilver pool coming alive and dives through it, and then meets Sarus, officially for the first time. Now, let's back up a little. After Seiris pulls the sword out, the pool at the coin section of the maze begins to awaken. And with the help of Taladeus, who we know from Kingfisher's pov, Chapter, Chapter Kingfisher's actually been good friends with for basically his whole life. Taladeus helps Kingfisher escape through the pool. Which brings us now to the hall of Mirrors from Kingfisher's pov, where after catching himself from almost stepping on Seiris, he almost kills her from pure shock. To be honest, I don't entirely blame him. And I'm not gonna give him an L for this, because he's been in a maze in Fight or Flight for literally over a century. He's just trying to. But then he notices some very familiar aspects of the scene. Number one, this girl on the ground is holding Solace, his father's God sword. This is a big deal. The last time Kingfisher saw this blade was when his father wielded it to travel to Zilvarin to hide Carrion, the Dianthus heir. Then number two. Holy shit. This is the woman from his mother's notebooks. Which, seeing that, that this woman is human, it brings us to his first line quote, graceless gods. What's this? A joke? Now, when you read it on the first time, you're like, what an.
- [88:55]
Lexi
But it's gonna be a running theme for Kingfisher.
- [88:59]
Nicole
I can't wait the first time. I can't wait for our game next episode that we're introducing. But I'm gonna hold off until that episode to say what it is. But once we get the context of his pov, we realize this is actually seeing the woman he knows is about to change his whole fucking world. And she's dying, holding his father's own sword. So he's basically saying, what the fuck, gods. She was supposed to Be my everything. And now she's dying. Is this a fucking joke? The next line we get from Kingfisher makes us go, oh, you're an asshole. And he says, quote, pathetic Again, on a first read, you think he's either talking about Captain Heron, who's screaming about Obsidian on the ground, which, don't worry, we'll get back to that, or more likely, he's talking about the dying human in his arms, calling her pathetic. But again, from his POV and from the Oracle chapter later, this book, we know that he's actually talking about himself. He knows in this moment, that the mating bond's first stages just snapped right into place. Place. And he knows that she's human. He is losing his mind. If he lets her go, lets her just die. Sure, it would suck, but it would also save the two of them from a lot of hurt later in the future. Not to mention, he's also got the prime opportunity right now to go kill Madra, who still the Quicksilver and threw everything into havoc. He wants Madra dead, dead, dead. Which might be the plot in Brimstone. We'll see. But then Kingfisher loses, looks back to Sarus, who is dying, and he makes a decision to save her, believing himself and his heart pathetic.
- [90:35]
Lexi
Not only that, but Kingfisher realizes where he needs to take Seras to give her the best chance of survival. He needs to take her to the Winter palace, where his other enemy, Bellicon, is. So here he is, calling himself Pathetic for choosing to trade one prison for another, and he's just like, oh, my God, I. I'm so stupid for doing this. But here we go.
- [90:55]
Nicole
Let's rewind again, though this time from Seiris's pov. More like Serious Ears pov. Because what is Heron saying? He's saying, quote, obsidian. Obsidian broken everywhere. Everywhere. Down in the ground, in the passageways, in the walls. They move in the ground. I can't. It won't die. It has to. Obsidian. Other than being a sick rat, this is so, so, so good. Obsidian. Obsidian. Everywhere. Everywhere. Everywhere. Down to the ground, in the passageways, to the walls, to the windows, to the walls, to the swim trips, to my boom. Obsidian. Now, we know from later in this book that Heron is talking about the maze whose walls are made out of obsidian. Or at least we can assume. But now, as far as we know, Harren has not been to the maze. True, but as of right now. So how would he know he would not be able to travel to Gilthry since the Quicksilver is stilled. But like I speculated earlier, Bellakon also seems to know about the order to kill the entire ward. And the only people in the room at that time were Saeras, Harren and Madra. And Saera sure as hell didn't tell the king. So do they have some kind of. Of. I can't believe we're back to the conference room. Do they have some kind of conference room communication even with the quicksilver being stilled?
- [92:19]
Lexi
Well, they mention at the end of the book that now that the Trifecta is reunited, they are more powerful together again. So I don't think they would have been able to meet. Yeah, I don't think that they have had any communication with. I don't know.
- [92:33]
Nicole
I don't think so. Which makes Belacan knowing about the extinguishing of the Third very weird. But also here, Heron wouldn't be able to know about the obsidian in the maze. So is he talking about something else?
- [92:45]
Lexi
Possibly. Like, for instance, could Heron even be sensing it here in this moment from Kingfisher? And Kingfisher having just come from the maze, it's like he's somehow triggering Heron with this madness. It might even tie back to Heron's own misery and how he's an immortal prisoner of Madras. And could she even have her own obsidian maze or something of the sort? We know that it was conjured up from Malcolm's mind, and Madra even compliments him on, oh, his brother. You're so good at coming up with these sorts of things. So, as I say that I don't think that she does have her own, but I do think that there is very much a connection. And I wonder if Kingfisher in that moment has something to do with it.
- [93:25]
Nicole
So here's another option. Later, Kingfisher mentions that the palace Amontreith in Sanisroth. This is the place where Sarris wakes up at the very end of this book. It is made out of the obsidian with, like super sleek walls, all of that kind of stuff. The only thing that's not mentioned is its ability to move, but given that it's also made by Malcolm, it could be. And it is also, quote, built from the bones of demons. Ooh, that feels important. So he could be referring to multiple places. I'm leaning towards the maze, but his knowledge timeline doesn't make sense. So we're going to keep an eye out for this, especially as we get to those later chapters introductions.
- [94:02]
Lexi
What if something happened when he kind of the quicksilver merged with him? We know that it'll him up at the end. But what if he became his own vessel, so to speak, because he and Madra still get to the maze and Saris isn't the one who helped them.
- [94:20]
Nicole
True. I don't know.
- [94:22]
Lexi
So I could see him being like a vessel for the Quicksilver or something like that. And maybe that's how he's been able to communicate with Belka, or even Seras does tell Everlane about all that, and then Everlane and her do present themselves to her father. So Everlane could have been the one to tell him. Not in a malicious way, but just in a oh, all of her family's dead and all of that kind of stuff. This is what she said Madra did, because they are on very high alert about Madra. So she could have gone to her father and been like, oh my gosh, this is what Madra said she was going to do to her people. Whatever the case, things are not looking so good for Heron. He is covered in the clothes quicksilver that has purposefully coated him, and he seems to have gone mad. As the quicksilver wiggles into his ear, he's left to his fate, which, as Kingfisher says, he deserves far worse for being one of Madras puppets. Kingfisher really does think that he is leaving Heron to die, as we learn from his POV Bonus chapter, as well as at the end of the book here, as Kingfisher climbs the steps back toward the quicksilver, Sarris thinks how beautiful Death is. She notes that even while he he's scowling, he's still the most savagely beautiful thing she's ever seen. And that is when we all knew we found the MMC of our story. But really, I love how she believes his introduction is Death greeting her. It's this automatic sense of comfort in what should be scary. Knowing Sarris will need protection through the quicksilver, Kingfisher places his pendant around her neck. We'll get into all the details about this next episode. When he lifts her up, the numbness fades and pain erupts through her whole body before everything goes to dark. As we know from Kingfisher's Maze chapter, when he goes through the quicksilver, it recognizes the quicksilver within him, and his amulet wards the quicksilver from slipping into his mind even more than what's already there. Fisher notes that he concentrates on where he needs to go and then transports through the quicksilver. As he steps through this quicksilver to take Seras to a healer at the winter Palace. Fisher says. For better or worse. I get the feeling that you're about to turn everything upside down.
- [96:16]
Nicole
Yes, she is. Wakey wakey, Sarahs. Cause you're not in Kansas anymore. But there is a big question. Where in the hells are you? Welcome to Evelia. Welcome, welcome, welcome. Welcome. Welcome. Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome. Welcome to Abelia. Do you remember that from she's the Man? Nope. Okay, before we get into the mystery guest with this soft and sweet voice, let's talk about how how vastly different this place is from where Savris just came from. Number one, it's fucking cold here back in Sylvarin. With the twin suns always in the sky. Have we mentioned that it's hot, hot, hot here? Snow is falling from the sky. Weird. And it's fucking freezing As a result. As people learn from Everlane, we're in the Winter palace. And it snows here one to two times a day. Hello. This is Lexi's winter home. And my. My personal nightmare.
- [97:10]
Lexi
I love it so much. And I also love that Seris. She's always been thought of as like this ice storm because she herself is so cold and all that. And it just. She's like she's finally where she belongs. I don't know, maybe like this place in particular. But in a world with snow, we.
- [97:25]
Nicole
Gotta have the seasons, you know? Yes. Number two. She is in a fancily decorated room and on a bed. She's never been on a bed, let alone a feather mattress in. Except when she slept with carrion, which this one is way bigger and fluffier. There is a sex joke in there somewhere. Number three. It can get dark here. How is that possible? Savris is getting a crash course on the sky. And this one has only one sun. And it sets at night, giving us a moon. Don't worry. That is the only moon watch I know of that will be in this cup. At least that I know of. Number four. Maybe not so much of a difference, but Seirst is basically fully healed when she wakes up. Which means it's been quite some time. Like 10 days sometime. As we will know from Karion, the threat that Madra casually threw out to kill everyone in the third was not fulfilled. It's almost like she forgot Lexi. But right now, serious doesn't know that she's panicking if her brother is alright, let alone still alive. But wait, what's this difference? Number five. This mysterious woman we will come to know as Everlane is holding out a twal glass of water. Like a real one. Not Kingfisher and friends.
- [98:46]
Lexi
We've talked about how scarce water is, how life and survival revolve around water access, and how the people of the Ward are having to live off 6 ounces of dirty water a day. And here Everlane is simply handing Sarah Sarah's four days worth of fresh, clean, crisp water, saying it's nothing, having no idea how big of a deal this is for Seras. It would have landed her in debt for a month if she had this back in Sylvarin. So here we are, seeing the resources available in this place, as well as the kindness from someone. Though it's clear currency is very different here since water is not valued like it is where she's from. Soon enough, Seras will even take her first bath. Aw, can you you imagine how amazing that bath would be? Just wow, this is all so unfathomable to her. And naturally she's a little wary, but she's also not going to waste this opportunity. I feel so sympathetic for her when she cries in the bathtub, just so overwhelmed by this luxury that she can't even share with her loved ones who are barely surviving without water. It's one of those things where it's like, what's the point of having all this great stuff if the people you love, you can't share it with them?
- [99:49]
Nicole
Not even this water could stop Sabris from him gawking at her next surprise though, because Everlane's ears are pointed, her teeth sharp. She's Fae, remember? Seiris believes that the Fae do not exist anymore, one of the reasons that Madra's earlier accusation was so preposterous. Which brings us to what she says in her inner monologue, recalling tales from her mother. This folklore depicts the Fae with wings and as warmongers, cannibals. Quote beastly creatures with no temperance or sense of morality or even a sense of mercy.
- [100:27]
Lexi
That's the exact narrative that Madra has been peddling, because Madra says something almost word for word like this too. But it's not the same quote. So it's just like this again. This propaganda that Fae are bad. And it is built up over the generations.
- [100:41]
Nicole
One of the tales about when the immortals visited, they brought their wrath with an iron fist, leaving nothing but chaos and destruction in the Fae's wake. Zavaran mothers warn their children that a Fae hag will eat them during the night if they don't behave themselves. And then Seiris thinks the seven cities rejoiced when. And then her thought gets cut off. I think the end of that thought was referring to the UK bonus chapter where Madra was burning all of the magic users, AKA the Fae in Zelvarin as part of her coronation and the palace was partying as a result, AKA the Seven Cities. Rejoiced when so believing this about the Fae her whole life and growing up to fear them. Yeah, it's gonna be quite a shock when Sarah sees one right in front of her handing her a glass of water.
- [101:30]
Lexi
I think the fact that Ceres mother told them so many bedtime stories about the Fae is more foreshadowing for her family's lineage too. Maybe her mother didn't know about their own ancestry or magic, but these stories were passed down through the generations and her mother shared a lot of them. Yes, it might not have been good stuff about the Fae, but there was this like sense of curiosity about the Fae. Maybe. I don't know. Yeah.
- [101:55]
Nicole
Do you think there's a reason why her mother called Saras an Ice Queen and Evilia specifically the Winter Palace. Palace is known for being the Winter Palace.
- [102:07]
Lexi
I find it very interesting that her mother did consider her like her ice storm when none of them have ever even. She didn't even know what snow was when she saw it. Yeah.
- [102:17]
Nicole
We're gonna get way more into theories about Cyrus's mother next episode, but I just wanted to point that out.
- [102:23]
Lexi
I also just want to highlight too, her mother was very insistent that Sarah's work in the Forge. What if. If she knew about the Alchemy and knew that Saris had to have a safe place to be able to start wielding that magic there. I also love how we get little bits of info about how the Fae have evolved. We'll dive into it more later, but we learned that the Fae did used to have wings, but it's been thousands of years. And there's the whole story behind the canine teeth too. I just love when there is that sense of evolution. And for them, considering how old these they are, it's really not that long ago. I say thousands of years, but for.
- [102:55]
Nicole
Them it's not that long. Yeah. Luckily, with a little coaxing, Seiris calms down as Everlane gives her answers and Serious gives Everlane her name. Big deal alert. Since Seris never gives her name to anyone. But pause. Because prior to Seris giving her her name, Everlane was basically just guessing it and said quote, I've been calling you Lys for the past 10 days. I thought this was quite an interesting line. So I started looking into the name list for any potential Foreshadowing. First, there's a place on the map in the bottom right hand corner called Lycia, which we have not been there, but it is surrounded by sea creatures. And recently Callie Hart mentioned that book three was going to be a Leviathan. She meant like a Leviathan to write. But I think that that was an Easter egg. I think we're going to Lycia in book three and we're going to to see some of these creatures, including a Leviathan. So the name Lys could be a nod to that future plot point.
- [103:57]
Lexi
We also learn a little bit about the Queen of Lycia. And I'm so excited. Yes, this is absolutely going to be a future plot point.
- [104:04]
Nicole
But the name Lys itself is actually a Hebrew name meaning my God is my vow. So that also could be a nod to the gods. But when Sarus does give her name, we. We get quote. Ah, Seiris. A pretty name. A Fae name. Alarm. Alarm. Alarm. This has me spiraling. First, what is the meaning behind Seiris name? In Latin seris means you will see. Fucking fine, Callie. I guess I'm gonna do my own researching. Love you girl. Which brings me back to the very opening chapter. As Serous is lying to the Guardian about her name. She notes that she has long dark hair and blue eyes. Which is not a common trait in Zilvarin. Already we know to be on the lookout for something to be a little off about her. Okay, Nicole, that's cool. But what does dark hair and blue eyes have to do with Sarah's name being a Fae origin? Because later Everlane says quote, Long hair is a sign of highborn status for Fae women. Others will be jealous of your dark coloring too. Dark hair is a royal trait amongst the Evilian Fae. So this caused me to go back and look for other moments in these first few chapters that would allude to Saeris being Fae. We know from Kingfisher in chapter eight that she must have a drop of Fae blood because she's an alchemist. I'm talking about her having. Well, more than a drop and definitely being royal. It's noted how her and Hayden are both taller than other people in Zolvarin. Who's the other notably taller person? Carrion. But a royal Fae comment. This is what has me absolutely spiraling. Because we know of two royal lines who went to Zelvarin. The Dianthus line, which is the Evelian royal line that Bellican completely wiped out. This is Carrion's line, but a trait of the Dianthus line, at least that we know of, is that red hair. So that puts a little crack in this theory. Theory?
- [106:04]
Lexi
They do both have blue eyes.
- [106:06]
Nicole
That's true.
- [106:06]
Lexi
Or I also wonder if her eyes could be like a reference to the twin sons, but that's a whole other thing. Madra also has blue eyes. That would be quite the twist if they were related. I don't think so, because Madra is supposed to be human. Lorath also has blue eyes. I'm starting to sense that. Faye have blue eyes.
- [106:24]
Nicole
Yep.
- [106:24]
Lexi
Not all of them, but some of them. Yeah.
- [106:26]
Nicole
Hayden doesn't. Hayden has brown eyes. We'll get back more into the Dianthus line later, but right now I also want to focus on the other royal line that came through, which is Kingfisher's father, Finryn. And Finran is never killed when he is on the page in that UK bonus chapter. So who's to say that Finryn isn't somewhere in Sylvarin and maybe had a kid who had a kid who had a kid who had a kid who eventually came down the line to become serious? This does leave me with a lot of questions because. Because. Is serious a descendant from Kingfisher's father? I don't think so. That would be an oh dear moment. But then you're also probably wondering. But Nicole, if she's a Dianthus line, that would mean she's also a descendant from Carrion's chapter. For Merion.
- [107:09]
Lexi
Yes.
- [107:11]
Nicole
Carrion. They slept together once. Kingfisher's from Mate. That's a little weird. Why is this different? That is like, so different.
- [107:18]
Lexi
In my head, it's so different. It's very different. Yes. Yes. I still keep going back to how she's so similar to the, like, original alchemists. And so alchemists are Fae, but Fae are not necessarily alchemists. That's my understanding there.
- [107:33]
Nicole
So correct.
- [107:35]
Lexi
I'm gonna. Yes.
- [107:36]
Nicole
Like, for instance, Kingfisher is Fae, but he is not an alchemist. Exactly. Yeah. Yes. So, okay, I have a question for you. What if that woman earlier in Chapter one, who was gasping, who Saver specifically, does not look back at. What if she looks just like Serous, black hair and blue eyes? Which brings me to a crack theory. What if Orlenna is immortal, like Heron is assumed to be, since they were both slaves of Madra. And then she, Orlenna, is the one who gasped when Seirys was climbing the wall. And because she read all the Fae history books with Carrion, she knows Orlenna knows that Dark Hair equals an association with Evilian royalty. So she was gasping seeing that. Holy shit. There's a royal or something similar in Zularan.
- [108:29]
Lexi
Okay, I love this idea. Carrion did say she got married and had babies. And now Gracia is like her great, great, great however many times great granddaughter.
- [108:38]
Nicole
Yes, but it's never stated that she's human or that she died. And since she was a slave for Madras, Roger's father, she might have been gifted like heron with long life.
- [108:49]
Lexi
Or what if she was gifted all on her own and she felt drawn to the quicksilver when shit was going down?
- [108:56]
Nicole
Sure. So what I'm saying is she's still alive. Maybe.
- [108:59]
Lexi
I don't think so, but. Okay, I do think that Fisher's dad.
- [109:03]
Nicole
Is very possibly still alive. I definitely think Kingfisher's dad's still alive. So let me take Orlena out of this. What if the woman who gasped as Sarus was climbing the wall is someone who knows that dark hair equals Evelian royalty? So she's seen this woman with dark hair and she's like, holy shit, it might be someone. We don't know. It might be Orlena. It might be. Who the fuck knows who? But I think that that person was gasping because they saw a woman with.
- [109:31]
Lexi
Black hair and immediately knew her to be royalty. For the. I am willing to make a bet with you on that.
- [109:37]
Nicole
Okay. Damn, girl. That's the first time you've prompted a bet in a while.
- [109:44]
Lexi
This bet is that the woman who gasped knows that she is Fae royalty. I think that it's more just alluding to that she had the gauntlet and that it's more of a connection to carry on, but not necessarily with the Fae connection.
- [109:58]
Nicole
I'm just gonna say that she's Fae. Then I'll say Fae Fae royalty. Who? The woman who gasped.
- [110:03]
Lexi
Okay, sounds good.
- [110:04]
Nicole
All right, so here's the bet. The woman who gasped in chapter one knows that serious is Fae Fae royalty. Lexi says no, she does not know that. She was just gasping for a different reason. Because she's, you know, thief climbing the wall. Me. Nicole says, yes, she did gasp because she saw the black hair and made.
- [110:23]
Lexi
The connection with Cirrus, healed from her fatal wounds after 10 days. Which, yay for the healer. Good job. It's time to meet the King of Evil, Eveline's father. But first we get a quick intro of the gods, which will play a very important role later on. In this book.
- [110:37]
Nicole
The gods, as a collective, are known as the Korkoran, but their names and Temples have been lost to the sand in Zolvarin. Here in Evalia, the gods are still revered. There is Styx, God of shadows. Kirin, God of secrets. Nichinai, God of masks. Malleus, God of dawn and new beginnings. Balmithan, who is are twin gods, goddesses of the sky. Legends say that they were actually once one God. But when a storm came and Balmithan refused to take shelter, the powerful spirit within the storm became furious that Bal Mithin didn't cower before him. So he lashed out with forks of lightning. But she didn't die. Instead, Bal Mithin cracked and became two, becoming Bal and Mithun. Bal is the goddess of the sun, the goddess of day. And Mithun is the goddess of the moon. Moon, the goddess of night. AKA Belia and Min, the twin sons in Zilvarin, whose likeness is startlingly similar to the faces carved in the walls in the hall of Mirrors. Ding ding ding. Here we see that the two worlds are not so different. And they seem to stem from the same religious origins. They're connected. And this makes Seiros go oh shit. But I'm assuming Madra ensured the gods were forgotten in Zolvarin. And these twin songs. Sons are the remainder of the gods references last.
- [111:54]
Lexi
Xereth is the God of chaos and change. His statue is turned away from the hall, tucked further into his alcove than the others. The reason that his face is to the wall is that while the fae respect him, they would all rather he pays attention to others than themselves. They touch his foot to guide him away from them.
- [112:11]
Nicole
The fae pray to each member of the Korchorans that they will return to Evelia, but in secret. A lot of them prior pray that Sareth gets lost along his journey.
- [112:20]
Lexi
Entering through a set of massive wooden doors, Lady Everlane Dabara leads Seras into the grand hall of the Yvelian Court. Inside this room, the 40 foot high ceiling is covered in sculptures and delicate stonework with tapestries and embroidered banners on the walls. A fire burns at the foot of the dais and above it is the skeletal remains of the last dragon, Om Nam Shakra.
- [112:43]
Nicole
Oh, you mean that dragon that we met in a bonus chapter, the Gate. Or I guess two chapters. The Gate part one and the Gate part two. Yes, I am talking about the dragon from the battle of Ajan Gate who broke his oath to protect the city for Malcolm and in return he would receive treasures for his help in taking down the city. This is also the drake who killed Remphes twin star sister, Mirelle. Fuck You Om Nom Shakrai is what I'm going to call him. Omnomnomnom. Well, Kingfisher and his Lupoprolia got that dragon back, killing it. And thus ending the Battle of Ajin Gate.
- [113:24]
Lexi
I love the little bit of foreshadowing where Cerys is absolutely fascinated when she sees the skeletal remains of this dragon and she wants to know how it died. Well, girl, it was your mate.
- [113:34]
Nicole
I just have to point out this is one hell of a souvenir to get from the Battle of Azhin Gate to the Winter Palace. Like, it's not super far, but it's far enough to be wildly inconvenient. Side note, I do love the moment where Kingfisher glares at the dragon's skull with complete hate. It's like he's going back and forth between Belikan and the dragon. Yes, he hates Belikan for a million reasons that he can't talk about, but he also really hates Om Nom to cry. Considering the dragon I. Nom nom Nom Kingfisher. And Kingfisher killed it by being inside of its mouth.
- [114:08]
Lexi
And spanning Both sides, 50 rows deep, are hundreds of Fae watching and waiting. Besides the regular court attendees, three of the six seats on the dais are filled. We have King Belacan, who sits on his throne with Solas in his gloved grip. Next to him is Oreus, who is a sickly looking old male. I don't think we ever learned his official role, though he does wear simple black robes and certainly does not like Seras.
- [114:33]
Nicole
I really want to highlight him real quick because are we both in agreement that he is definitely going to come back into the story?
- [114:40]
Lexi
The way the story is going, there's quite the cast of characters just across the realms and politics. So I'm going to say yes to anyone who we learn about, especially if they have a name. And on the king's other side sits Maoe, an angel ancient female who is a local oracle.
- [114:55]
Nicole
Okay, so that's only three out of the six. So who are the other three? I want to know so bad.
- [115:00]
Lexi
We learn about some of Belcon's movements back during the maze chapter. We're not going to get into all that right now just because there's too much else going on. But I wonder if some of them are working to keep that movement going. Like maybe if they're looking for witches. I don't know.
- [115:14]
Nicole
I'll get into that in a moment. Actually, we're gonna back up and talk about this king, though, with Black hair and gray hair, cloudy and unfriendly brown eyes and dressed in hunter green with a singular glove holding Solace. Yes, this is because those who possess a God sword can wield them. But if it's not yours, you cannot touch it because it hurts you, it burns you. Which is why I think it's wild that Saras can touch Solace. But we're supposed to think that. But I want to pull out another part of Bella Khan's appearance. Cloudy Eyes is quite interesting. When I think of cloudy eyes, I think of someone who's being mind controlled in a fantasy sense. But I don't know if I fully think that Bellican is being mind controlled. But I am going to keep an eye out for him and make a decision on what side of that theory I'll stand on later on. But I also want to point out that the way Orion is talking, he could be influencing him, controlling him. And this is more like a King of Rohan situation. And Oreus is actually a vampire under Malcolm's rule.
- [116:13]
Lexi
But Belcon is already working with Malcolm. Like he wouldn't need someone whispering in his ear because he's evil all on his own. I did do a keyword search for cloudy eyes, and Malway has them, as well as Wendy, who we meet later on in the book. So maybe it's simply a description of older Fae.
- [116:32]
Nicole
I think you're actually right, because also earlier, Glassy eyes was described as heron. And that we both believe is mind control. Very loosely using that term.
- [116:42]
Lexi
Exactly. Yes. Ceres lacks etiquette with King Belacan. Shocking, I know. And I want to highlight why she's not yielding to him. She kind of did with Queen Madra for the most part. She waited until she was supposed to speak and she didn't really talk back. As Sarah says, Belcon is not her king. And while she certainly didn't be like, oh, yes, Madra is my queen, Madra had way more leverage over her than Bella Khan does here. Ceres is terrified that everyone she loves is dead. Last she knew from 10 days ago, Maja was going to burn all of the Third Ward and ensure her loved ones were killed in the process. But if there is even the slightest chance that her friends and family are alive, she has to save them. She has to try. Bottom line is she has to go back to her own realm to know for certain. Otherwise she's just going to live in this limbo. So with this priority that is in direct conflict with what the King wants, which is for her to stay Serris doesn't exactly care about manners like we've been talking about all episode. She's bullheaded and now completely fed up. She is not afraid of the consequences because she's got nothing left to lose and she's already faced death very recently. She needs answers more than anything. This will also be very important next episode, when she chooses to go with Kingfisher because he's the one who has answers.
- [117:55]
Nicole
Bellakund's orders for Seiris are simple. That doesn't mean she likes it though. Stay in Evelia as a member of this court, and even though he doubts her abilities since she's human, restore the portals as the Alchemist. Sounds easy enough. Not really though, because this will require her to learn how to use this entire magic system she's never touched. Well on purpose. Something she's literally going to have to start from square one with.
- [118:24]
Lexi
And she'll have to learn the ways of Fae if she is going to be here. Bellakon insists that because they healed her and saved her from the Queen's clutches back in Sylvarian, Serris owes them a debt and she'll repay it with this task as Everlane let her know before meeting with the King. Seras has a very important role to play, and Everlane's father. Bellakon is not going to give Seras up anytime soon. They have been waiting to retrieve this sword for a thousand years. And then an alchemist who can control Quicksilver shows up along with this sword. No one has been able to control the quicksilver in a very long time. This is ancient alchemy and it is key to realm trade and transportation, especially right now during times of war. This is far bigger than anything Serris can imagine. Now she is a political pawn because she has an ability no one else has, and she retrieved a God Sword that no one was able to touch, which belonged to a very powerful warrior that we know to be King Fisher's father. Her human wants and needs aren't considered as important, and that's just kind of presented as fact here. Even from Everlane they think differently. After all, they are not human, so Seras shouldn't expect them to appeal to human desires.
- [119:32]
Nicole
As we will learn later this book, Belikan's motives are entirely politically selfish. If the quicksilver pools are up and running again, supply trade can continue. Something that makes Belekun a butt ton of money. We know from Kingfisher in a few chapters that Bella Kun has an embargo on silver, a precious resource, but all found in evilia must all be given to Belacan, which is one of the reasons he wants a quicksilver back up and running. Other realms have an abundance of the metal, and he wants it. But so does Kingfisher, since silver is such a precious metal and it is the only thing that can kill the Sanisrothian vampire army.
- [120:12]
Lexi
However, we find out at the end of this book that Belcon has been working with Malcolm all this time.
- [120:18]
Nicole
Oh my goodness.
- [120:19]
Lexi
He has not been aiding the war against Malcolm because he's secretly allies with the vampire king. Belkhan has ensured there is less silver and resources for anyone fighting Malcolm's feeders. What all that means. We'll explore more in the Deep Dive. Ceres is not the only one to get an audience with the king today though. Belcon says to bring in the dog. And the dog turns out to be what Seras thought was dead, the male who stepped out of the quicksilver and saved her. But he's acting very different and quite feral, which we'll learn is because the quicksilver within him has him going crazy without his pendant. Over these past 10 days, Kingfisher's Amulet chain has stayed around Ceres neck as she's recovered from traveling through the quicksilver and her injuries. Which means this pendant has not been on Kingfisher. And if Kingfisher doesn't have his quicksilver ward on him, he. He goes mad from the quicksilver within him very fast. His condition gets worse every time he takes the chain off. And it was extra bad for him to go through quicksilver without his chain on, but he did it, of course, to save Seris. Since Kingfisher arrived through the quicksilver with an almost dead human woman, his best friend Remphus has been able to keep him hidden. He was supposed to get the chain back around Kingfisher's neck earlier today and get Kingfisher out of here hours before Bell Khan would notice him. But the guards were suspicious and attacked Remphes on his way to give Kingfisher the chain. The guards then took the chain, gave it to Belcon, and they imprisoned Kingfisher. That's how he's here right now. Belcon wants his stepson to answer for his crimes from a century ago. Or at least that's what this performance is all about.
- [121:51]
Nicole
As the dog comes in, it seems from the crowd that we're getting two very different reactions to Kingfisher. The they're either calling for his head, saying how he's the scourge of Evilia, a monster and that he should die. These are the people who have fallen for Belacan's farce of an act, painting Kingfisher as this evil murderer of Gilthai, which isn't untrue, but it also isn't true. Kingfisher did kill over 300 people who lived in the town, but it was so they didn't become part of Malcolm's army. Bodies that did end up chanting Anorathmore, anorathmore at him for over a hundred years while he was in the maze. Poor Fisher. And now these people are all calling him a murderer for it. Then there's the other side of the crowd who are screaming for mercy or for him to be set free. I don't think they know the truth about the Gilthry incident. I do think they know that it happened, obviously, because it's apparently a very widely known story. But I do think they also know about some of his other heroic moments. Moments like the Battle of Ashengate or the myriad of ones that people will call out in a tavern in two episodes. To them, this is not the type of male who deserves cold blooded murder. It is interesting, however, that they're openly calling for a very different action than the King is clearly wanting. Don't have as much control over your court as you want, huh? Pelican? Pelican. Pelican.
- [123:14]
Lexi
I think it shows how much of a hero Kingfisher really has been over the centuries. And I bet Bella Khan just hates that. Even with all of his propaganda against Kingfisher and all of his maneuvering against Kingfisher, Kingfisher still has the love of some people because of everything that he's done over the centuries. Yeah, there's a lot more than meets the eye between Kingfisher and Billicon. They are enemies. And again, this is episode one. So we have to pace ourselves with all the info we have have on these two paths. It's very hard for me not to just say everything. Belcon forced Kingfisher's mother to marry him after Kingfisher's father died, after he had gone through the quicksilver to Zolvarin, because Kingfisher's family was wealthy and his mother was a skilled oracle. But Belican did not like the fact that Kingfisher was a package deal with his mother. And Belacon blamed everything on the boy, even though he is the one who literally slit his mother's throat right after she gave birth to Everlane. But that's only the start of these two's hatred for each other. Kingfisher is the only person here who knows that Bellacon and Malcolm are actually allies, and they've been working together for a very long time. Belcon was part of the deal that ended up making Kingfisher disappear more than 100 years ago. So it's my understanding that Bellacon, during this whole exchange with Kingfisher in the Winter palace, is first of all confused how he got out of his punishment and the never ending deal he was caught in. And number two, he's also a little bit curious about Kingfisher's involvement in opening up the quicksilver, because it does greatly help him with that quicksilver opening up. And so he's kind of seeing where Kingfisher falls in this.
- [124:47]
Nicole
Let's turn our attention to another very important member of this court, Maui. We know very little about the Oracle, but we know that she is known for telling prophecies and scrying for the future, assumably for Bellacon, as his way of doing, getting guidance from the gods. We also know that she was very close with Kingfisher and Everlane's mother, who was also an oracle. While Belacan continues living his ringleader life and riling up his court, Everlane turns to Maui and asks her to do something, anything. After all, Everlane doesn't want to see her half brother torn to bits from an angry crowd. And she knows Belacan will be all too happy, happy to see Kingfisher destroyed in this moment. He knows, by the way, that Kingfisher's yeeted out of the maze. So he's like, what the are you doing here? When Maui stays seated, Lane says to her, quote, if you bore my mother any love at all, you'll do something to save him. It's only then does Malway stand up and move towards the king, saying that, oh, she has to give the prophecy, no. And the academy goes to.
- [126:01]
Lexi
The sword is calling to Malway, and the last vestiges of the weapons magic echo with prophecy. When she holds the God sword, Solace light shines out of her eyes and illuminate the space. Holy moly. Does she do this on purpose for her own, like, drama dramatic effect, like, can she turn that thing on or off? Or is there actually a magical quality about the sword that she feels when she touches it here and it actually does activate? I don't know if I would say like an actual prophecy, because this is a false prophecy, but there is definitely, like a magical trigger there.
- [126:35]
Nicole
I think that this is a real prophecy. And then when she touched Solace like, she was like, oh, prophecy.
- [126:42]
Lexi
Oh, okay, well, here's the prophecy. Whether it's fake or not, it was.
- [126:47]
Nicole
Supposed to be fake, at least, is.
- [126:49]
Lexi
That Malway says that the gods must be obeyed. Malway goes on to prophesize that King Fisher's pendant must be returned to him. That Bella Khan had taken from Rimphus, that Rimphus has gotten back from Sarris earlier. Well, Bella Khan can't go against the God's orders now, can he? As much as he wants to, you know, kill Kingfisher or put him on trial here for all these terrible things that he knows that he didn't actually do. And Belcon wants to keep this pending, that keeps Kingfisher sane.
- [127:18]
Nicole
So there's a few things here. First, when Maoe reaches for the sword, a river of blood, bright blue, spilled down the steel. I flipped out about this. And I reached out, doing our first Callie heart question, to see if she would give us any insight into why the blood is blue. And Callie lovingly, so lovingly said, yeah, I can't answer that because it will be explained later in the series. To which I said, that's fine. That means I get to put on my theory hat. So my first thought is that all oracles have blue blood. I think personally it's an witchy element into this world. Looking at you, Blue blood clan. But there's also an interesting tidbit of info that we learned from Taladeus. In Kingfisher's bonus chapter, chapter the Maze, we learned that Bella Khan is also wanting something from the Balcadir clan witches. Could Maui be a witch and have a connection to the Balcadir clan? Other than that, I'm out. I'm kind of shit out of luck, but I'm leaning towards that. And like, the blue blood is a oracle slash witch trait that the Balcadir clan has.
- [128:34]
Lexi
I'm definitely going to keep my eye open for that. There's.
- [128:38]
Nicole
Yeah, let's move on to the prophecy itself. Now. I'm gonna really split it into. I'll call it two sections. Part one is the very straightforward words. Kingfisher does not die by Bellican's hand. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say I don't think Kingfisher is gonna die, but Bellakin's hand, I.
- [128:55]
Lexi
Really do think that this is her making a false prophecy. So Bellakon does not kill Kingfisher right here. Let him go on trial here so that he can attack. Execute him. This is her way of saying, don't.
- [129:06]
Nicole
Do It, I think it's a false prophecy, but I also think that like many fantasy prophecies, it's going to have that double meaning. So it has this very short term bonus of, you know, Kingfisher not dying by Bellicon's hand. But it is also going to be a longer term prophecy that Kingfisher will never die by Bellicon. And then part two, I think it's going to be a little bit more coded so we get quote, the gods must be obeyed lest House tabara fall. I'm 1000% sure that house Dabara is going to fall. I can absolutely see it being because of Beliken's brashness. Like maybe he hears a prophecy from an oracle or a Balcadir clan witch and he does not follow it, thus pissing off the gods. And then House Dabara is gonna fall.
- [129:59]
Lexi
Then we hear Remphes voice. Boom. Send him back to the front.
- [130:04]
Nicole
I'm sorry, Lexi, I want the Scottish accent, please. Send him back to the front. That was a better. That was as good as I was. That's actually a lot better than I was expecting it to be.
- [130:16]
Lexi
Well, no Anthony Palmini, but Anthony Palmini Renfus, who is a well respected general and one of my favorite side characters too. Obviously there's Carryon, but Rus is fantastic too. All of them are. He wants to get Kingfisher back to his people, out of this danger with Belacan and back to the front lines of this war. As soon as he heard Kingfisher was back, which I'm assuming he learned from Everlane or, or something along those lines. Once when he returned back to the Winter palace there with Saris, Rinfus raced to the Winter palace for from the front to retrieve him. He's like, all right, great. Like I gotta go get him out of this trouble and bring him back where he is needed so badly.
- [130:53]
Nicole
We will later learn just how royally they are fighting the war against Sanisrath over on the darn river. Renfiz actually says six months here before they are overtaken by vampires. And everything they fought for for hundreds and hundreds of years goes down the drain because they're all dead. Kingfisher is a huge asset not only for the war, the fighting, hello. He has a God sword. And also the strategy. But most importantly, at least in my opinion, the morale of the other soldiers and the other Lupo pro Elia.
- [131:25]
Lexi
Belkhan on the other hand, really wants to make Kingfisher suffer now that he is in his grasp. Like I said, these two have a lot of History. And Belcon has the upper hand here against Kingfisher. He wants to blame Kingfisher for what happened at Gilthray and make everyone, everyone turn against him. Even though Belcon was behind the whole thing with Gilthrite and he ensured Kingfisher could not help the people, and here he is just stoke in the flames, being like, oh, yeah, it's all this guy's fault. Belkhan also recognizes that Kingfisher is an asset in what he wants to accomplish with the Quipsilver. That really cannot be understated either. And as King, Belcon is very conscious of his image and Remphes has kind of caught him. If Bell cares about the war efforts, which he pretends like he does, why not not send Kingfisher there where he can be of use? And then guess what? Kingfisher probably will die there anyway. And so that's a win win for Bellacon.
- [132:13]
Nicole
But despite Bella Khan's clear wish to say no, he does say yes, but only after one week of Kingfisher staying in the Winter Palace. He says it's under the pretense of wanting to make sure that Kingfisher can help Saeris learn the ways of the Quicksilver, expedite that learning process. But I also think Belacan wants to get word to Malcolm about Kingfisher's whereabouts. I mean, like I said, he has to know that Kingfisher has obviously escaped the Maze. And so here Bellacon is like, Malcolm, I found him, I found him. And maybe he also wants to get word to Madra as well. They're communicating somehow. And then sending him back to the front where he will be easy to find for Malcolm and manipulate Kingfisher to get back to Malcolm.
- [132:57]
Lexi
Side.
- [132:57]
Nicole
Remember, Malcolm doesn't necessarily want Kingfisher dead. He just wants him in a really creepy way that we'll talk about more later. And I mean, I'll give Bellicon this. It almost works, but I'm getting ahead of myself. It's so hard. This is episode one, and there's so much. But, like, that's such a testament to Callie that it's like there is so much foundation late here. And I remember when I was reading this for the first time, I never felt overwhelmed.
- [133:26]
Lexi
All right, so there's the agreement. Saris is going to stay here and help activate the Quicksilver pools. Kingfisher is going to stay here for only one week, and then he's back to being banished. And he's going to help Saris with everything that he knows about the Quicksilver pools and then he's going to get sent back to the front there. So. All right, that all sounds good. We'll focus more on this next episode. But it is worth noting Kingfisher's demeanor with his loved ones once when they're all out in the hall. He has not seen Everlane, who will learn as his half sister in 110 years. He hasn't had his head screwed on right around Rimfus yet. And the reunion. It's not as warm and fuzzy as you might expect. For context about why Kingfisher is acting cold towards those he cares about. Back in the Maze Bonus Chapter Kingfisher wouldn't let his vampire friends speak their names because to hear about them would trigger him to think about them, and that would make him miss them so so much. So to keep his sanity, Kingfisher refused to let himself think about Remfes and Everlane and his other friends. He had to emotionally disassociate from them for his own mental survival while he was in the maze. And here we can see how much that has changed on full display.
- [134:33]
Nicole
Everlane is pissed that after 110 years, Fisher is acting like an ass. Without getting too much into the details tales, for now, let's talk about where Fisher has been. Because it was not on a holiday, Kingfisher wanted to bargain with Bellacon and Malcolm for the last few remaining citizens of Gilthry before the entire town was killed by a horde of vampires. So they made a blood oath with a coin. If the coin landed leaf side up, Malcolm will call off his horde, thus saving the few people who are still alive in Gilthai. If it landed fish side up, Belacan gets to take the city as his own and destroy it, killing everyone. But when the coin was flipped, Malcolm caught it before it hit the ground, giving him free reign to set his horde onto the city. So Kingfisher torched the entire city and locked everyone inside. Sadly, it was too late. They were all turned and thus were able to still be alive and in the maze chanting Anorath More so, the vampire struck another deal with Fisher. If Fisher could find the coin in a labyrinth that Malcolm erected, Kingfisher could end the suffering of all the citizens of Gilfrey. Because remember, they're all feeders and they're still alive technically, and they're just like they're in this constant state of torture. So Kingfisher wants to end that for him because he's a good dude despite what he's going to get a lot of Ls for next episode and if Kingfisher found the coin coin, he would be able to seek vengeance by formally calling Malcolm to the battlefield and end the war. Y'. All. This is huge. Of course Kingfisher wanted to find this coin. So much so that he spent 110 years in a labyrinth looking for this coin and never found it. It was only when the quicksilver started to ripple and open up that he was able to to escape the maze. And of course, none of his family, both in literal terms or in metaphorical terms, know this about Fisher, since he's magically bound to be unable to talk about the last 110 years until allowed by Malcolm or until the coin flip.
- [136:47]
Lexi
Has been decided, which again, has not happened. The coin flip was never decided because Malcolm took it. So Kingfisher cannot speak about what happened, happened to him or where he has been with anybody until that coin actually flips or Malcolm tells him. Yes.
- [137:02]
Nicole
So ignoring Everlane and Renfes reaction to Fisher, because again, we're going to talk on that way More next episode. Let's zero in on Saros's first official impression of her mate. Yes, literally, her mate, Kingfisher. He is handsome. The most handsome man she's ever seen. We know that, but damn, he's a jerk. He didn't even acknowledge her presence when they're all talking together in the hallway after literally just saving her life 10 days prior. To be fair, the reason he's ignoring her is because he wants her to hate him so he doesn't have to worry about breaking her heart with their mating bond. I gotta admit, Fisher, it's kind of working. At least for now.
- [137:44]
Lexi
Let's tap into our inner oracle and turn our full attention to important foreshadowing moments for the rest of this book, as well as, of course, speculations for book two. Brimstone.
- [137:54]
Nicole
One of the hundreds of things I love about this story is the role of religion in these two different realms. In Sylvarian, it is the forgotten gods, which is a nod to the same gods that the Evilian worship that Madra has cut out of their society. But there's also mentions of the four winds in Zolvarin, and I wanted to know about these four winds, so I called a Kali and she yet again, very lovingly said, yeah, I can't answer that because we're going to learn more about them later in the series, which I love that. Yes, me too.
- [138:28]
Lexi
I assume the four winds is north, east, south, and west.
- [138:31]
Nicole
That would be. Yeah, yeah.
- [138:32]
Lexi
But I'm very curious about how they're going to come into the story. Do the gods leverage the winds and these four winds tie into them. I did go to the gods chapter chapter 44 to see if there was any mention of wind. And the only mention of when there is is when the two twins are dancing and they're swaying in the wind.
- [138:47]
Nicole
Oh, interesting.
- [138:49]
Lexi
So that's all I had from that. Yeah. We learn a lot about Elroy in the beginning of this book. And while I know we've talked about him already, I really do wonder if he is going to end up finding his own fire again and play a key role in the rebels movement against Madra and Zelvaran. Seras emphasizes how he has given up on life and the hope is gone. But I think we're going to see that determination and drive light up within him again. I could even see Kingfisher having a little something to do with it where once when he sees like oh my God, like things are actually going to start happening, he jumps right back in.
- [139:19]
Nicole
We get our first mention of Carrion calling Sarus sunshine, which will lead to King Fisher's famous correction monologue to Carrion that I cannot wait to talk about that ends with Fisher saying, you will call her your Majesty.
- [139:34]
Lexi
And of course we learn about how Carrion and Sarah's slept together a few months ago. You would think it's just a nice bit of backstory. Yeah, that's what I thought when I first read this part. In fact, I was even like, okay, okay, I get it. They slept together and he's good in bed. Like. Like I know that he's not the MMC here, like what's going on? But aha. As far as we can assume emphasis on that because we are definitely going to be talking about all of the details around that later. Kingfisher tracks down Carrion thinking that he's Sarah's brother because he smiled smells Sarris on him thanks to their earlier hookup.
- [140:05]
Nicole
Again, I'm calling back to the point that if Seras is of the Dianthus line because remember Bellacon killed major air quotes all of the Evelyn royals, which is the Dianthus line. Except he didn't because one of them got to Zolvarin. And Everlane says that dark hair is a trait of royal evaluation Fae. I'm calling it that Seris is a Dianthus descendant. Yes, that means that her and Carrion are related. I think Callie would do it.
- [140:37]
Lexi
I really do think that she is of her own alchemy line and we are going to learn more about her lineage.
- [140:43]
Nicole
Lexi, are you saying we're gonna make another bet in episode? You know what?
- [140:46]
Lexi
Yes. Because isn't there also something about the Dianthus line, like how they do have vibrant red hair and stuff like that too?
- [140:53]
Nicole
I'm choosing two. Ignore that.
- [140:55]
Lexi
Oh, okay, then I'm definitely making this bet. Sure.
- [140:57]
Nicole
Sarus is of the Dianthus line. All right. Lexi says no. Nicole says yes. Damn, I was not expecting three bets in episode one. I can't wait to show you another reason why I think that next episode Next foreshadowing moment. We know that Kingfisher and Carrion are going to be a huge part of next book because they're going on a bro's trip to Sylvarin. A huge reason we can assume their bro trip to Zolvarin is even happening is because they're going to get Hayden and Elroy again. I cannot wait to see Hayden and Kingfisher interact.
- [141:32]
Lexi
So, see, I wonder if Carrion has some allies in Zelvarin. I know he has kept a very low profile, but he's lived there for a thousand years. I have a very hard time believing he's barely left the third. All this time we get too many teasers of what's beyond the Silver City. So I could see him serving as like a tour guide to recruit allies against Madra when they go back to Silvaran.
- [141:54]
Nicole
Oh, interesting. I think the reason they're going is to kill Madra or to get info on her. Especially after Kingfisher almost stepped on Sarus's body. Or then stepped over Sarus's body to go kill Madra in the Maze bonus chapter. Speaking of which, we might get to see Carrion slash Kingfisher and interact with other people in Sylvarian because we also get a few mentions of People Saver Snows. In the third we get Rohana Brin, who is a trader who only trades in food and water versus trading in money. She also trades illegal fruits. Love that. And then we get Vorath Saw, who sells snake oil, which Sarus mentions are tiny fragments of metal that Vorath claims to have traces of archaeological magic.
- [142:41]
Lexi
I think. Shall we return to the story and know something about magic and alchemy as well as hook our crew up with the right contact for something. However, I'm also very concerned for his well being because Sarris heard a cry from his shop as she fled earlier. Though I did read that part in chapter three and I can only assume as the Guardians are chasing after her, that something must have happened off page because they didn't get anything on the page description about his demise or anything like that. Maybe he'll just be maimed and he'll be mad at Sarris if we meet him again.
- [143:11]
Nicole
Other things that this man sells, though, are sand rabbit's feet that are said to ward off disease, and quote, a glass vial of cloudy liquids that were supposed to bestow gifts upon you if you drank them. That's gonna come back in our story. Holy shit.
- [143:30]
Lexi
Yes, I agree. I also have to bring up the Queen of the Lycian Fay, who takes potions and drinks vampire blood to extend her life. There's literally another example of somebody extending their life for a very, very long time. She's like 3,000 years old.
- [143:44]
Nicole
So good. While Serious is internally scoffing at these supposed gifts, she thinks about how humans were no longer able to do things like, oh, I don't know, read other people's minds. We'll see that later in this book.
- [143:58]
Lexi
And in the UK bonus chapter, we also saw Kingfisher's father communicate with the slave woman who takes carrion in via mines. They talk to each other in italics and. Or he talks to her mind to mind. Yeah.
- [144:10]
Nicole
Yes. We also hear about the power of making blood boil in someone's veins. Absolutely. Think that's going to come back later in the series. And gifts of granting themselves eternal luck. God, I hope we see this magic. Maybe.
- [144:26]
Lexi
I'm still on high alert about sun descriptions from Kindred's Curse, but on the day the story opens, the larger of the twin suns is rimmed with, quote, a strange blue corona.
- [144:37]
Nicole
Sun.
- [144:38]
Lexi
Watch, Everybody. In chapter 44, we will meet these two twin goddesses. The only connection I can gather from this blue description is that they both have royal blue eyes. So I'm kind of wondering, is the twin watching Sarah's closely right now, knowing what's happening about to happen? And, like, that's why there's like a little rim of this blue around the sun, like this. This little detail is going to stick with me because I guarantee it is not an accident.
- [145:04]
Nicole
Oh, my God, that's so good. Serris notes how Everlane seems quite young, like 24, 25. Around the same age as Serious. But no, no, no, no, no. Everlane is 1486. Goodness. As Seiris gives Renfes the amulet, she notes how it is cold. It's so col well be made of ice. This is because it's made of quicksilver. Or at least a major element in this necklace is quicksilver, which we will learn next episode when Kingfisher literally drops Quicksilver into Sarris's hand that it is so cold it practically burns, Everlane says to say it as she's introducing her to all the gods that the Fae in Evilia pray that the Corcoran will return to Evilia one day. To do you think the gods are going to return to the Fey world as some at some point in the series as like as physical beings in the world? Yep, I agree. Absolutely. Last one question for you. Knowing what we know about the sorrowful stories that mating bonds are in this world, do you think that Saera's calling Fisher Death upon first meeting has any foreshadowing to it?
- [146:13]
Lexi
Well, I didn't until just now.
- [146:16]
Nicole
Now it is time to enter Rosarius Library. A full meal and all, no crackers out of the window, where each episode Lexi guides us through a world building topic to help us deepen our understanding of this world and the magic within it.
- [146:30]
Lexi
All right everybody buckle up because today's Rosarius's library topic is Zelvarin. While these are the only chapters of the book that were in the Silver City, we know Kingfisher and Carrion are going to be returning here in Brimstone, and there's so much more to mine, Kingfisher's father and Carrion with this place. But for now I'm going to keep the focus on Zelvarin. Zavarin is both the name of this human realm and the main city, so let's start with general knowledge of this realm itself. Zilvarin is a hot, windy desert with two twin suns, Thalia and Min, which dip low in the sky but never actually set. There are no moons here, which means it's never dark. There is always sunlight here. Sand is also on, always blowing in your face, and in Sarris's lifetime it has only rained once, which was 16 years ago, so it's very, very, very rare. And it was the only time anyone across generations had seen this happen. I'll be on the lookout for the reasoning of that as we continue reading the series, because when gods are involved in any world, I feel like any unique weather is notable. The hottest time of the day is known as the Reckoning, when the sons, Baelia and Min are at their closest and afternoon air is hot, hot, hot, and food and water are generally very scarce here, unless you are a member of Madra's elite. There's so much to the history of Zlvarin in relation to Madra and the Quicksilver, which we'll explore in more detail later in this deep dive. For now, we'll explore more of what we know about the region's history. In the past, Zavaren used to speak and write a completely different language. However, more than 1,000 years ago, Madra took the throne. And since she spread spoke common Fae, she made it the common language here too. So over the years, the old Zavarin language was lost and forgotten, leaving only common Fae. There hasn't been any kind of war in Zlvarin for centuries, due to the desert being so unforgiving when an army attempts to cross it. If by chance an army does make it across the sand dunes, it would be half as big as when it started. And they'd all be weak and extremely dehydrated. Since they could never win against Madra without acting access to a water source and she's the only one with one, they stopped coming. This means that now Madra no longer keeps an army the way she did centuries ago. She simply doesn't need one. Though Kingfisher does speculate that that'll change now that the quicksilver pathways are opened and other realm armies can theoretically get to Madra. Let's talk about this Queen Madra. She goes by many names, including the Immortal Queen, the Undying Queen, Madra, the Undying lady of Zavara, and even the Bitch Queen by Bellacon. She's over 1000 years old and was young when she ascended the zelvaran throne. Only 29 years old. Even at the beginning of her reign, she was known to be bloodthirsty and hungry for power, with a nasty temper. Her father was the king before her, so I'm very curious about how that worked out, especially with her speaking common Fae and other people in the city. Not so. Anyway, she's dainty and graceful, taller than most. But it's noted that there is something strange about her.
- [149:24]
Nicole
Yeah, I'll say.
- [149:25]
Lexi
It's probably the fact that she's immortal, and we still don't know exactly how that is possible. We'll save all that speculation for episode five, along with lots more about Madra and the trifecta and all of that. As a way to protect herself and her position of power, Madra took all the metal she could get her hands on to keep quicksilver away from people. Because remember that quicksilver can be within metals, right? There was traces of quicksilver in Haran's dagger. She has taken all of this metal in the chance that alchemist blood shows up. But he again, because you see, Madra is very paranoid. About magic users. People like Seras think that magic is mythical and at best extinct if it ever existed. But Madra knows that they are still out there, and she's also paranoid about the Fae coming back. Though as far as anyone else in Sylvarin knows, the Fae are scary bedtime stories. They're not real. At least not anymore. According to Madra, the seven cities, assumably Cities of Zavarin, rejoiced when she came, cast the Fae out, and sealed the Quicksilver portal. Like Nicole mentioned earlier, we know from the UK Waterstone bonus chapter that on the night of Madra's coronation, she had 1,200 alchemists who were all Fae burned alive. While she dined and partied, she literally exterminated all of the magic users from her realm, moving on to the city here. Zolvarin City has several nicknames, including the Silver City and the Great and Shadow Shining Banner of the North. For thousands of years, the wind has slowly been eating away at everything in the city. The sandstone is deceptive. The city's structures and walls look sound, but are far from it. One hard kick has been known to bring down an entire building in the past. The center of the city is called the Hub. This is where Queen Madra's elite live. Low tier citizens like Sarah's from the Third are not permitted in this pristine part of the city. The walkways of the Hub are light with leafy trees, which is a stark difference to the sand dunes on the outer wards. And these are the only people rich enough to afford windows. They don't even have to lock their doors at night, which is unimaginable for other wards. Many citizens in the Hub and throughout Zolvarin are known as Believers. They are Maga's fanatical followers who carry small bags on their belts, and in these bags are strands of the Queen's hair and ash from the funeral pyres of sacrifices of people burned alive in her honor. These pouches of are supposed to ward off the plague. Like most cities, Zavarin City is fashioned after the shape of a wheel. Around the city's outer limits are the different spokes. These spokes are walls designed to keep people contained in their wards. These walls tower 50 meters high above the small towns and overflowing sewers. We don't have much of any information on the other wards, or even how many there are. I gathered that the Third Ward is in some of the worst conditions, especially with the quarantine propaganda, but the other low tier wards aren't in much better shape. What we do know about any Ward is that the dead are left to rot in the streets of these other lower tier wards. Again, this is not including the Hub or probably the other nicer areas. During extra hard and hot years, food is not diverted from the Hub to help the other parts of the city, leaving the Wards to slowly starve while the Hubs still throws lavish parties and dines on exotic imports, including expensive rare wines and whiskey. Whiskeys from pastures well beyond Hayland. Hayland kind of kept popping up a little bit. So I'm going to keep an eye on this other region within Zolvarin. Then we have the Third Ward, where Sarris lives. Residents of the Third Ward are quarantined, like we were mentioning earlier, but technically there is no punishment for leaving the Third, as no one has done it before besides Seras. Before it was quarantined, farmers would come to the Ward to trade. The only way to survive the Third is by barter and trade, or by whispering secrets about a neighbor into a Guardian's ear. It is well known as a resident of the Third, if you aren't dead or dying, then you're hungry, and there isn't much a starving person would not say to fill their empty belly. At least one disease that exists among the almost dead here is the rattles, which is what Saris pretends that she has to the guard. The propaganda around the quarantine is to stroke fear and further oppress the residents so they eventually die off. However, as Sarah says, quote, under the most unbearable conditions that the sharpest, most dangerous weapons are found afford fresh food is impossible to find. Children have been known to claw each other's eyes out over stale bread. Those streets are lined with crumbling sandstone houses and covered in market stalls selling everything from stringy roasted meats and swaths of cloth to pungent herbal remedies from the north. Faded posters hang in alleyways promising hefty rewards for any information leading to the capture of suspected magic users. I also wonder if that's going to come back in our story. There's also no such thing as a casual jog in Zelvarin. The people here conserve energy as best they can, so it's known that if someone is running, there is only one reason they're being chased. And if they hear a tortured scream, it's a guarantee that a Guardian is taking liberties or spilling blood. Water in the city is strictly rationed, and we know, at least in the Third Ward, citizens only get six ounces a day, and the water they do get is dirty and only has most of the solids filtered. Residents in the Hub, however, don't need to worry about these water rations. They get as much fresh clean water as they want. As for Madra's palace, I know Nicole already talked about the all important hall of mirrors where the Quicksilver pool is. But a little bit more on it is that the pool is 15ft wide and has been still for more than a thousand years until Ceres just woke it up by drawing the sword out of it. But for the rest of the palace, we know that it sprawls out with all vaulted ceilings, arched alcoves and life paintings of stern looking people who Seras presumes is Madra's predecessors. There are cells under Madra's palace that get excruciatingly hot. The condition of the cells with no water, clean air and reeking of the smell of rotting corpses is bad enough to make even the High Executioner throw up. According to Seras, even just eight minutes in the cells is too long to be down there. Especially during the reckoning when the two suns are at their hottest point. Also under the city is a network of dark tunnels that carry water to the different wards which people like Seras will risk their lives to enter and siphon clean water from. Knowing how to access this water has been instrumental in survival. Let's talk about the Guardians a little bit. Queen Madra's pride demands that her guards be the best of the very best. They are killing machines. Recruits undergo formidable training before being accepted into Queen Madra's guard. Those who are selected from the grueling 18 months month program are repeatedly half drowned and beaten via every martial arts system recorded in the city's libraries. By the time they graduate, they are able to tolerate unimaginable amounts of pain and have mastered their weapons to the point that they are unbeatable in a fight. Queen Madra's Guardians not only have the best skills, they also have to look the best. Guardians are known for wearing gold armor that is impenetrable by blade or magic. I wonder if that's going to come back into play too. But this arm armor is incredibly heavy, leaving Guardians unable to run, jog or climb. So yep, looks fancy. And the point is to show off the sense of wealth instead of having practical uses. If the Guardians aren't pounding on doors, checking to make sure people aren't making weapons, then they are kicking them down. Hunting for magic users, they occasionally visit Elroy's glass making forge to ensure he is not Making weapons or anything illegal. It's common knowledge in Sylvarian City that to lie to a guardian means death. Just a few other super random facts too, is that spiders are plentiful here in Zvarin. Some the size of dinner plates that'll eat your fingers when you're sleeping. Like, oh, my goodness gracious. And like we already mentioned, dark hair and blue eyes is not common in the Silver City.
- [156:44]
Nicole
Now let us close out this episode with prancing through the snow with Onyx and talking about much nicer things, including our favorite moments other than spiders the size of dinner plates.
- [156:55]
Lexi
The owner of House of Kala is named Brynn, and I love the whole story about how no one knows her last name. She says she lost it as a child and never bothered to locate it again. Just what an answer. Though I also like that there's a nod to a different language with where she's from. And maybe it's a nod to her coming back into the story and offering more insight into the Zalvarin world beyond Carrion.
- [157:15]
Nicole
Swift, you smooth talker, you. I love. As Sarus is leaving, he says, quote, even filthy and tired, you're still beautiful.
- [157:25]
Lexi
Honestly, their whole conversation at House of Kala, he's such a fun character to read. And it was very difficult not just to, like, pull out everything from that whole dialogue.
- [157:34]
Nicole
Am I the only one who thinks it's rather odd that it's called the Silver City, but Madra ensures that all of her guardians wear gold?
- [157:42]
Lexi
I think that is very, very interesting that it is called the Silver City. Yes.
- [157:46]
Nicole
Yeah, this is such a deep cut. But when we were doing the lead up to announcing that Quicksilver was going to be the next deep dive, my loving history nerd of a husband gave a clue to our discord for our fantasy fan club. That was so good, it was ridiculous. The clue was, quote, it's simple. Use hypos dishonestly. Mid discovery, reverse, reverse, then subtract. That's where the cow will be if you're confused. Allow me to explain, because he also explained this to me first thing in the morning, and I was like, what the are you saying? But it's brilliant. So we have to go back to 1942, the US Navy. We're wanting to figure out how to retaliate after Pearl Harbor's attack. So the US intelligence station, AKA Station High Typo, kept hearing from the Japanese Navy about this code named af and they eventually figured out that they think it was Midway island, but they wanted to confirm that it was indeed this Midway Island. So let's start a rumor that Midway island is running out of fresh water and see if they respond. The Japanese navy did. AKA awesome. Confirmed. Midway island equals A. So going back to the clue, use hypos dishonestly. Mid discovery. That's af. Reverse, then subtract. If we add numerical values to A And F, it's 1 and 6. Reverse, then subtract. 6 minus 1 is 5, then quote. That's where the cows will be. Go to chapter five, the second or third sentence there's mention of cows. Brava, Brett.
- [159:32]
Lexi
That's one way of saying it.
- [159:35]
Nicole
I was like, oh, my God.
- [159:38]
Lexi
Members are, like, still traumatized from this.
- [159:43]
Nicole
A few of them got it and we wrote, holy shit.
- [159:49]
Lexi
But then it was like that out there, that.
- [159:51]
Nicole
Like, this can't possibly be it. No, you're right that we had an entire separate, like, admin chat that was just all of us clocking anytime someone got close that entire day. Oh, my God, it was the best day in the discord. God, I love you all. I love Renf's entrance to our story. He's been caring for his friend who is utterly fucking losing his mind. But he couldn't get the pendant from Sarus until after she woke up. So 10 days later, he comes flinging himself into Cyrus's room, very uncoordinated, giving Everlane a prime opportunity to make fun of him. Side note, I think we can both agree that Renfus and Everlane are totally gonna be a thing, right? Yes. Yes.
- [160:31]
Lexi
I am shipping them so hard.
- [160:32]
Nicole
I am, too. As long as Everlane is not evil. Because there is no way Renfus is evil.
- [160:38]
Lexi
She's not. I don't think she is.
- [160:39]
Nicole
I'm not convinced. I love that when Cerus washes her hair for the first time, she uses too much shampoo, and it takes her into ages to get the soap out. Like, that just feels so real. Like, if you've never used shampoo before, how much would you use? I don't know. I also love that there's Chapstick in Evelia. That just makes me so happy because I love Chapstick. If you see me on YouTube, I'm always playing with this little thing. Yeah, that's my Chapstick. Everlane is totally. Every person who lives in a cold place, and then their friend from a hot climate comes to visit, and they're so smug about, oh, God, you're. You're cold. You're like, that is every Colorado and I've ever met. To a Californian. Who is it?
- [161:19]
Lexi
Yeah, that's pretty much me to my in laws right there. Yep.
- [161:24]
Nicole
And last but not least, the first moment, at least the first conscious moment that Sarah's hears Kingfisher speak. Quote. A thrill of energy rocketed up my spine at those two words. Kingfisher's voice was rough and painful, pained, but it was also electricity. It made every hair on my body stand to attention. Mating bonds.
- [161:47]
Lexi
Yay. With that, friends, Episode one is officially in the books. Thank you so much for listening to this first episode of our Quicksilver Deep Dive.
- [161:58]
Nicole
We will see you again this Thursday. Yeah, you get two episodes this week. This Thursday with episode two where we are covering Quicksilver chapters eight through 14.
- [162:11]
Lexi
Yes, that is right. Two episodes in one week as we kick off our Quicksilver coverage. Then we'll be back to our weekly Monday episodes with episode three. We'd love to give the biggest warm welcome welcome, welcome to our newest Feral fan. Yay for joining in time for this first episode.
- [162:27]
Nicole
Missy, you get this whole episode to yourself. Luxury great in this feeling. Thank you so much for joining Missy. Welcome, welcome, welcome to the feral fans.
- [162:39]
Lexi
And if you're like, hey, I want my name shouted out on the podcast and to be showered with all this love too, join our fan club@fantasyfangirls.com fan club. The link is also in the show notes.
- [162:48]
Nicole
Thank you as always to our Master librarian, AKA our content researcher Brooke, and our Executive producer, AKA our sanity manager, not younger brother Hayden. We love you.
- [163:02]
Lexi
We are very active on social media. We'll have Quicksilver, weekly trivia, book guides and lots, lots more. So please be sure to follow us on Instagram and slash or TikTok at fantasy fangirlspod. And if you're watching this on YouTube or want to watch it on YouTube, pretty please hit that subscribe button to keep following along.
- [163:19]
Nicole
While you're hitting buttons, please go ahead and hit that five star button on whatever podcast platform you're listening on. And if you're feeling extra generous, which please, please, please do, go ahead and write a love note in that review section. And don't just do it for this podcast. Although yes, we would love and appreciate that. But please do it for all podcasts that you listen to. It's one of the best ways to give your favorite podcasters a hug. And last but certainly not least, share this episode with your fellow Quick Silver friends. If you, like us, fell in love with Carrie and Swift from the get go, this is the perfect episode. Dear fellow Swifty lovers. Yay.
- [164:02]
Lexi
We did it.
- [164:03]
Nicole
I'm so excited. And we're still together.
- [164:08]
Lexi
Mostly. Yeah.
- [164:11]
Nicole
Bye, everybody.
- [164:12]
Lexi
Bye. The gods, as a collective, are known as the the Corcoran. Corcorkin.
- [164:29]
Nicole
Corcoran.
- [164:30]
Lexi
Div. Are known as the Corcoran.
- [164:33]
Nicole
No, Corcoran.
- [164:36]
Lexi
The gods, as a collective, are known as the Corcorkin. Corcoran. Corcoran.
- [164:42]
Nicole
Corcoran.
- [164:43]
Lexi
Corcoran. Corcoran. The gods, as a collective, are known as the Corcoran. Dreaming of getting the all new iPhone 17 Pro designed to be the most powerful iPhone ever.
- [164:57]
Nicole
Then stay in bed and let a boost mobile expert deliver and set it up for you.
- [165:00]
Lexi
Oh, actually they will have to get up and open the door.
- [165:03]
Nicole
Oh, right.
- [165:04]
Lexi
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