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- [00:00]
Lexi
Bite into a stacked sandwich made with herobread and the only thing you'll think is delicious. You won't think it has up to 19 grams protein, 11 to 32 grams of fiber or just 0 to 5 grams net carbs, but it does HeroBread. No compromises, just loaves, buns, tortillas, bagels and noodles packed with flavor right now get 10% off at Hiro Co with code iheart that's H E R O CO iheart all figures per serving of HeroBread. See Nutrition Facts on Hero Co Monday
- [00:31]
Nicole
AI agents took over my work and
- [00:34]
Lexi
I absolutely love it.
- [00:35]
Nicole
Chasing deadlines, writing status reports, updating stakeholders. Agents handle the daily grind.
- [00:40]
Lexi
Now they live inside Monday.com, so they
- [00:43]
Nicole
see the full my work, my team, the whole company and I don't have to worry about the data. It's safe. Which means I'm free to focus on the big stuff. Knowing everything runs smoothly in the background. It's completely shifted the way we work. Create your own AI agent in minutes on Monday.com. Welcome, welcome welcome to the Fantasy Fangirls podcast where two sisters dive deep into beloved fantasy lore, character themes, theories and more.
- [01:23]
Lexi
I'm Lexi, older sister and fantasy lore nerd.
- [01:26]
Nicole
And I'm Nicole, younger sister and romantic
- [01:28]
Lexi
at home heart and Today's episode is everything you need to know before reading House of Earth and Blood, the first book in the Crescent City series by Sarah J. Maas.
- [01:37]
Nicole
So please listen closely to our spoiler warning. This episode is split into two parts. Part one is spoiler free for the Crescent City universe and the wider mass verse. We're going to discuss everything from world building characters to know right off the bat and deconstruct some of these more complex elements of this high urban fantasy.
- [01:59]
Lexi
Then part two is Spoilers Spoilers. Spoilers for all three Crescent City books. Yes, I said three. House of Earth and Blood, House of Sky and Breath, and House of Flame and Shadow. We'll give an obnoxious spoiler warning before opening our conversation that'll be all about favorite elements, themes and characters across this trilogy.
- [02:17]
Nicole
So with all of that said, if you've been intimidated to read Crescent City, then wonderful. This episode is for you, Part one only. However, if you've read all three books, woohoo. This episode is all for you. We will have a separate everything you need to know from Crescent City for ACOTAR 6 episode that is dropping August 10th. So know that we are holding back all of our master spoilers for that episode. But if you don't know what it means well, when I tell you that you need to get a pair of boxer briefs that fit all of you, then please don't listen to part two until you finish the series. We will be here when you're done.
- [02:58]
Lexi
Well, on that note, we of Fantasy Fangirls are adults who say adult things about adult books. In other words, friends, this podcast is
- [03:03]
Nicole
rated R. Sarah J. Maas literally wrote this series as a way to write curse words. And damn it, we will be carrying on that legacy today. So please be mindful of those little listening ears.
- [03:15]
Lexi
Be sure to check out our other two podcasts in the Fantasy Fangirls Media Network. Fantasy Fan Fellas is hosted by our Executive producer Hayden and Booktok star Steven Walker as they wrap up their coverage of the Mistborn Trilogy.
- [03:27]
Nicole
And we have Fantasy Fan Reads hosted by the delightful Jess of Lost Books of Jess that is all about the joys of reading with author interviews, cozy coffee, conversations and more. Give both of these FFG Media Network shows. A follow link is in the show notes.
- [03:42]
Lexi
Additionally, we would love to see you at upcoming live events like our ACOTAR
- [03:47]
Nicole
6 and 7 midnight release parties with Tattered Cover and Booking gather in Denver,
- [03:52]
Lexi
Colorado as well as our live show tour starting in Chicago on September 9, Charlotte, North Carolina on September 24 and New York City on September 27.
- [04:02]
Nicole
Links to all of these events and more are in the show notes and on our website. Check it all out for the details.
- [04:09]
Lexi
Last thing before we jump into this Everything you need to know before starting Crescent City Episode. If you love Fantasy Fangirls and want more events, more content, more community and so much more, especially as we head into the ACOTAR releases, please check out Fantasy Fan Club.
- [04:23]
Nicole
We have six Media Network tiers that you can join, three of which are Fantasy Fangirl specific. They include things like access to our Boppin Discord which will only get more buffon as we get into ACOTAR releases. Live Q&As, book clubs often featuring the authors themselves, earthly early access to ad free episodes. Yes, this includes our ACOTAR Deep Dives, welcome gifts and so much more.
- [04:46]
Lexi
Learn more and join the party@fantasyfangirls.com fan club. The link is also in the show notes. And really and truly, thank you so much for supporting us as we've turned this podcast into a dream come true into a media network. It is all because of you and we really appreciate you. Before we start this overview of the Crescent City world, let's quickly address the series reputation for being intimidating because trust us, we get it. It's urban high fantasy, and it can feel like a lot this that's why we have this podcast episode, after all. And I promise you don't need to understand everything about the setting, the species, the systems to get pulled into the story. Book 1 House of Earth and Blood is one of Nicole's and my favorite SJM books, and the ending is one of my all time favorites.
- [05:26]
Nicole
Unlike Acotar and Throne of Glass, which introduces their worlds gradually, Crescent City really throws readers into this fully developed modern fantasy from page one. There's districts, there's houses, there's hierarchies, there's so many species that are all wrapped up in a pretty complex political system. And Sarah J. Maas really doesn't hold back by calling things by their fantasy name right off the back. To be honest, I do think this book could have used a glossary. Like maybe I've just gotten two used from our Moonfall coverage. But if there was ever a glossary, I do feel like this would be a good genre for it. There's a joke that's really not at all a joke in the book community that you never know what's happening in the first 100 pages of House of Earth and Blood. And while I think that is true, I do think that the intimidation can be played up a little bit online and then it directs people away from this amazing story. When I first read Crescent City, I didn't really focus on the world building. I did feel lost sometimes, sure, but did it hinder my experience? No, because the complex characters, they're rich, they're 3D, they're imperfect, they grip you from the very first chapter, and if not then then another chapter very early on. Sure will. Sarah J. Maas at her heart is a writer that leans into stories of character development, and that is truly what CC is. Now, a very common question that we get here at FFG is when should I read Crescent City in my mass verse read? And I know there's reading orders that include splitting up Acotar and Crescent City and kind of like bouncing back and forth between them. To be quite honest, I do not agree with that. At least on your first read of these three universes. I think Lexi, you and I agree that no matter what, Crescent City should be read last of the three series. It's a blending of Acotar and Tog, and that's all I can say without spoilers. But what you read first in the mask verse I think depends on your preference. If you like a more romance driven story, then read Acotar first, if you like a more epic fantasy driven story, then read Thrown a Glass first. Like I know for instance, Lexi, you enjoy more epic fantasy driven Throne of Glass makes total sense for you. Even though it was the last that
- [07:47]
Lexi
I read of the series.
- [07:48]
Nicole
Even though it was the last you read of the series, there's no wrong way to do it. Correct me if I'm wrong. It is your favorite of the mass verse. Yes. Especially after Throne of Glass coverage that we just did. Yes, yes. And like for instance, for me, Acotar is my favorite because I do like a more romance forward plotline. Yet I love Crescent City and Throne of Glass. But another question we do get is do I have to read Crescent City before ACOTAR 6? Have to is a little aggressive and no, you don't have to. Reading is supposed to be fun. You don't have to read anything you don't want to, dammit.
- [08:25]
Lexi
But. But I will say this. I can't imagine reading whatever Akotar 6 is about without having read Crescent City 3. It's not like reading Crescent City will provide you with a few more context clues like an Acotar. No, friends, we're talking plot, lore, character importance between these two mass verse series. And that is why there is a lot of emphasis and recommendations to read Crescent City, especially book three before reading Acotar six.
- [08:54]
Nicole
Now, if you're like, I really don't want to read Crescent City, first and foremost, hopefully this podcast episode, part one changes your mind. And secondly, we are going to be doing an everything you need to know from Crescent City in order to prepare for ACOTAR 6 episode before ACOTAR 6 drops. That way all of us can get caught up on all the lore where characters leave off, where things are. Because yes, that's also important without having to read 3,000 pages. And I say that Lexi and I are reading the 3,000 pages for you, you're welcome. It's also just a good refresher for all of us whether you've read all of Crescent City or not before going into Acotar. If you know, you know. All right, let's set the scene before our everything you need to know episode. This book is quite different than most books we've covered on the show and very different from SJM's other two series because it is leaning heavily, heavily into urban fantasy. Meaning there's contemporary elements interwoven throughout the whole book. There's phones, touch screens with texting, Internet and more, computers, audio mail, surveillance, guns, bombs, facial scanners. But most of those, if not almost all of them have some kind of fantasy twist. It is set in a fantasy world, after all, and it makes sense that this series takes place in a bustling, almost New York City style environment rather than the more medieval fantasy environment that we're genuinely used to. For me, I personally don't feel like this took away from my immersion in the story, but I also don't mind urban fantasy when it is a completely new setting. Now, is urban fantasy my favorite sub genre? Not really, but I don't necessarily get put off by it. With Crescent City, it is so fantasy forward that I honestly forget that I'm reading about email coding or hell, one of our characters even listening to an audiobook when they work out, which is so relatable.
- [10:56]
Lexi
Meanwhile, my personal preference usually leans away from urban fantasy, and it did take me till about halfway through book one for me to really get used to it and for it to not feel like it was distracting me from the story itself. I will say this, in Crescent City, it undeniably works really well for the setting and plot, and I love how it's still very fantasy forward. Like you were saying, Nicole, all of the technology is powered by a fantasy element, so there's all those little nuggets there that I really appreciate. Sarah did. Okay, let's officially dive into this world. The Crescent City series takes place on a world called Midgard. While we know of two main continents on Midgard, the one to remember for book one is Valbara. Valbara is where the city of Lunatheon is located. There are other cities and territories on the continent of Valbara, but for this guide, we're going to focus on Lunatheon, because again, that's where book one takes place. I should probably preface that Lunathean also goes by the name Crescent City. Even these citizens use these two names interchangeably. So if you hear Nicole and I using either Crescent City or Lunatheon, just know that these are the same. Metropolitan Lunatheon was built as a near exact replica of an old ancient coastal city. And in the city center is the temple to the patron goddess. Its governor, Micah, saw Lunathean as a tribute to the old ways, but also where the future can thrive. So Micah paved the way for the city to grow and change into the Crescent City that we know now, with streets laid out on a grid and modern skyscrapers that tower over those in other cities. Because Crescent City does not have the same building height restrictions as others. As just one more example of how it really is thriving here with this more futuristic mindset, yes.
- [12:34]
Nicole
The city of Lunathean is split into different districts because they're talked about rather quickly and mentioned frequently. Let's chat through all of them. And in traditional Sarah J. Maas fashion, there are how many, Lexi?
- [12:47]
Lexi
Seven.
- [12:49]
Nicole
Seven districts. Number one, the Bone Quarter. Also known as the Sleeping City. This is where souls go after death. This district is shrouded in a dense fog mist that obscures it from view of the city. When a Vanir, which is just a Fae, an angel, a shifter, basically someone with magic. When a Vanir dies, their body is sent in a ritual called the sailing. The sailing is when a boat carries this deceased across the river toward the Bone Quarter. If they are accepted into the Bone Quarter, a remnant of their soul continues to live in in the Bone Quarter and eventually passes through the Dead Gate into the afterlife. If they are not accepted, however, the boat will tip over and their soul is deemed unworthy and given to the river. Rough stuff. The head of the Bone Quarter is called the Under King. Think of him basically like the Grim Reaper, but way more intimidating and intense.
- [13:53]
Lexi
District number two is the Meat market. The Meat market is one of Lunatheon's darker, seedier districts. It attracts crime, underground activity, and it even has its own laws. Its head is the Viper Queen, who has ruled this district for longer than anyone can remember.
- [14:09]
Nicole
District number three is called Five Roses, but you'll hear it referred to as Firo very often. Just like F I R O. Five Roses. Five Row. Five Row.
- [14:19]
Lexi
Very Denver of it.
- [14:20]
Nicole
I know. I was gonna say, like how like Lohi.
- [14:23]
Lexi
Rhino God.
- [14:27]
Nicole
This district district is home to the Fae and located in the northeastern side of Lunathean. The head of this district is the Fae King, the Autumn King.
- [14:38]
Lexi
Moving on to District Number 4, Moonwood. It's located on the southeastern side of Lunatheon and Moonwood is the main territory for the wolf shifters. You can spot some veneer and a few wealthy humans here too. But think of Moon as wolf. Ha. Get it? The head of this district is the prime of the Wolves, but he's very, very old. And the quarter is pretty much run by Sabine, who is the Prime's daughter and the prime apparent. Sabine is also Danika's mother and we don't like her. We'll talk more about Danika here shortly, though.
- [15:06]
Nicole
District number five is the old square. This is where the majority of our story takes place. It is the heart of Lunatheon and the most neutral part of the city. But it is also one of the more poor regions of Cross Crescent City. This is where Bryce Quinlan lives and works. Bryce Quinlan is our main character. The head of the old square is the Oracle, which is a sphinx and one of the most rarest creatures in this story. Some notable locations in the old square, again, because we're going to spend so much time here, is the Heart Gate, Bryce's apartment, Griffin Antiquities, which is where Bryce works. And the White Raven, the club where Bryce and co friends frequent very often.
- [15:52]
Lexi
District number six is Asphodel Meadows. It is home to the humans and very, very few veneer. It is a least developed area of Lunatheon. Consider it like the slums of the city. The main takeaway is this is where the poorest and lowest citizens live. And the humans in Asphodel Meadows, they have no head, so no leader of this district.
- [16:11]
Nicole
And going on the polar opposite of the spectrum, we have the central business district, also known and frequently referred to as the cbd. The CBD is the center of commerce in Lunathean. It's boasting skyscrapers, luxurious buildings, and it is the main territory of the angels, or as we'll frequently call them, the Malachim. This is also known as the location of the committee, which is the main government building for Micah. Remember, he's the head of Lunathean, Micah's office, as well as his own personal military force, known as the 33rd Imperial Legion. Its head is, unsurprisingly, the head of the city, Micah Domidus. He only answers to the head of the world, the Asteri themselves. Micah is also what is known as an archangel, AKA a very, very, very powerful angel. Remember, angels are also called Malachi.
- [17:09]
Lexi
All right, so let's keep going off of that here, Nicole, because there's a lot of species in this world and we do want to make sure that we are aware of the biggest ones here. So the basic geography. The continent is Valbara. The city is Lunatheon, also known as Crescent City. And there are seven districts within the city.
- [17:26]
Nicole
Next, we're going to get into all the species that belong on Midgard and the most primary ones we see in Crescent City. Book one. But first, a word from our sponsors. Summer is here. And we all know what makes for a perfect summer outfit. One that you can keep wearing again and again and again all summer long. That is why I love quints. They make elevated essentials using premium material materials like European linen, organic cotton, and washable silk without the traditional retail markup. That's my favorite part.
- [17:58]
Lexi
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- [18:31]
Nicole
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- [18:56]
Lexi
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- [19:15]
Nicole
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- [19:55]
Lexi
And you all know me with my marketing brain. I have very high standards for website tools, but Squarespace delivers in every way. One thing I love is their integrated Squarespace SEO tools. Every website is optimized to be indexed with meta descriptions, an auto generated site map, and more. So you show up more often on search engines and bring in more of your ideal customers. Yes.
- [20:17]
Nicole
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- [20:35]
Lexi
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- [20:58]
Nicole
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- [21:44]
Lexi
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Nicole
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Lexi
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Nicole
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Nicole
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- [22:21]
Lexi
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- [22:38]
Nicole
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- [23:32]
Lexi
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- [23:36]
Nicole
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- [23:45]
Lexi
Now let's dive into species because yes, this world and specifically Crescent City is a melting pot. Over 15,000 years ago the there were only humans living on this world and then the magical beings came and is what it is now today. First we have the umbrella term for all magical beings, the veneer. And these encompass really anyone that is not human or an ordinary animal. Veneer come in all different shapes, sizes and appearances depending on their species, but for the most part all the veneer have preternatural speed, grace reflexes well beyond human capabilities. Every Vanir must eventually go through the drop to reach their full power and become their version of immortal. We'll go into detail on the drop shortly. Technically, Vanir aren't true immortals. They do eventually age and die, but that aging process is so slow after the drop that again, depending on the species, it takes centuries to show a wrinkle. For example, the Fae can live a thousand years, the shifters and the witches around 500 years, the angels somewhere in between. You get the idea. Some species even have children who don't enter maturity until they are in their 80s. This is all compared to humans with ordinary lifespans and healing.
- [24:56]
Nicole
Let's go through the major species that you will see time and time again in this story. First up, the Fae. Yep, the pointy ears, the heightened senses of smell. All the things that us fantasy readers are used to in books. With Fae. Their societal structure is very strictly patriarchal. There are two main groups of Fae, the Valbaran Fae and the Avalon Fae. Remember, we are on the continent of Valbara, so the Valbaran Fae are on the continent of Valbara. These are the Fae we're going to interact with the most, AKA also the Lunathian Fae. The Valbaran Fae are traditional, but luckily they do lean a little bit more progressive in Lunathian especially. But then we have the Avalon Fey. Fey from Avalon are also known as the Summerlands. This is the sacred Fey Island. The Avalon Fey are traditional in every sense of the word, like women belong to their husbands kind of traditional, while the valbaranfae and Avalonfae aren't Necessarily like enemies, they do have quite a rivalry, we'll say. Within the Fae, there is also a rare type called the Starborn Fae. The Starborn Fae are said to have descended from the very first Fae on the planet of Midgard. And the Starborn Fae have the ability to wield pure starlight. The Fae have two great rites that they have to complete in order to enter Fae adulthood. Number one, consult with the Oracle. Yes, the Oracle, the leader of the Old Square. They have to do this at age 13. The second rite that they have to complete is called the Ordeal. This can happen anytime after their visit to the Oracle, but typically a few years later after they hit 13. But it could even be so much as decades later. The Ordeal differs from one individual to another. This can be something simple, like resolving a personal conflict or getting over an illness. It could also be huge, like defeating a creature, a worm, a demon, so on and so forth. Within the Fae, there are also half Fae, half human, half Fae. But they are viewed as less than half. Fae are generally outcasts from both sides. To Fae for humans, to humans for Fae. They're weaker in power to their Fae counterparts. And many can't know without testing if they have an immortal lifespan or enough power to do the drop.
- [27:26]
Lexi
Next, we have the Malkim, the angels of this world. The most prominent feature of the Malkin are their feathered wings, which can be a variety of colors, but they usually are some variety of black, white or gray. They are the most respected and feared of all the species in Midgard. Except, of course, the almighty Astiri rulers. The most powerful, Malim, are the governors of Midgard. There are 10 archangels who rule the various territories of the Republic. The Archangels only answer to the Asteri.
- [27:53]
Nicole
Then we have the shifters. Shifters come in many, many, many, many, many different types, including, but definitely not limited to wolf shifters. Snake, deer, bear, leopard, lion. And they go on. Do they?
- [28:09]
Lexi
Lions and tigers and bears.
- [28:10]
Nicole
Oh, my, oh, my. Do they shift from human into an animal? Yes, they are considered a shifter. Then the shifters we are going to see the most in Crescent City, especially book one, are the wolves, AKA the pack of devils. They are a variety of different colors of furs in their animal form. And when they are in said animal form, they retain their human intelligence, their memories, their personality. In fact, in chapter one, we see Danika shift into a wolf and carry on a whole conversation with Bryce on the streets like it's nothing. Wolves have strong pack instincts. And they also have the instinct to obey their alpha of the pack. And obey of course, the ultimate leader of the wolves. The Prime. Yes, this is the prime who is the leader of the Moonwood district.
- [28:56]
Lexi
Next species is the Mer. The mer people of this world. They have gills beneath their ears that allow them to breathe underwater. And clock tipped webbed hands that aid in their swimming. Mer have long tails covered in scales. You can imagine they look like mer people. Right? The mers can only shift into their human form for short periods of time. If they go too long, they'll become stuck in this humanoid form and never be able to shift back into their mer form. Like for instance, if they go too long without shifting into their original form to go back into the water, their gills will shrink into nothing, leaving them unable to breathe underwater and not really part of their whole species anymore.
- [29:36]
Nicole
So those are the major species that we see. But what about some of the rapid fire minor species that are very important in book one? Number one, the witches. They look like humans, but their strong magic and long lives mark them as Vanir. Remember, Vanir are the supernatural species. The witches powers are passed through the female line for the most part, but their power is inherited. It comes from an ancient source that the witches believe was the three faced goddess. Does that sound interesting talk friends, Witches have a variety of gifts and talents. Examples include they can be seers, warriors, potion makers, healers. Healers are the most common in Lunathean and work as med witches, AKA the doctors.
- [30:24]
Lexi
Last but never ever least, sprites. There are four types of sprites and they're all elements. Fire, water, air and earth. And sprites can change color depending on their emotions. And their bodies are made of their element. They each also do have a brand of the letters spqm. In fancy language it means the Midgard Senate and people. All slaves get this brand at birth and it marks them as slaves for all to see. This is a magical tattoo that shows up at birth due to the magic of the Assiri and why all sprites are slaves. We'll get to that in just a moment because now is the perfect time to go over the four houses of Midgard. The best way I can explain, these houses are like the political guilds for groups of species. Your house is kind of like your citizenship, which is for most people. That's which group your magical or non magical self is in. These groups of species know what their similar species need because they are governed by their own. For instance the wolf shifters who are part of House of Earth and Blood. They do not have the exact same rules, guidance, political laws as the fae who are in House of Sky and Breath. Again, this is not to say that there is any physical separation. People of any house intermingle and co live theoretically and at least in Lunathean. Though there are districts that are more known for certain houses. Again, kind of like those groups of species. They can tend to hang out with their own, but it's not by any means a requirement.
- [31:42]
Nicole
Let's go through all four of the houses, starting with the House of Earth and Blood. Also the Name of Book 1. This house contains the shifters, the humans, the witches, and any ordinary animals. Next is the House of Sky and Breath. Also the Name of Book 2. This house contains the Malachim, which remember are the Angels, the Fae, and any Elementals.
- [32:08]
Lexi
Kay.
- [32:09]
Nicole
Elementals. You would think the Sprites are in this house, wouldn't you? Yes, sort of. The Sprites were a part of the House of Sky and Breath, being made of the four different elements. But they were kicked out of their house after participating in a big rebellion called the Fall. So while they are now considered lowers and not a part of any House, many of the sprites refuse to accept this and still consider themselves House of Sky and Breath. Although the SPQM tattoo that they have on their wrist that does basically stamp them as a lower AKA a slave. The House of Flame and Shadow. Also, the name of book three contains the Demonaki, the Reapers, the Wraiths, the Vampires, the Draki, the Dragons and the Necromancers. Basically, ask yourself, is it creepy? It probably belongs to House of Flame and Shadow. That's a good one, right? Honestly. And last but certainly not least, we have the House of Many Waters, which is rumored to be the title of Crescent City Book 4. Whenever that does come out. This contains the River Spirits, the Mare, the Water Beasts, the Nymphs, the Kelpies and the NOx. Basically. TL Doctor, does it at any point live underwater? Then they probably belong to the House of Many Waters. We have the geography, we have the species, we have our four Houses of Midgard. Let's move into the stars of the show. The people you are going to know like the back of your hand in Crescent City Book 1. Specifically starting with our FMC, Bryce Quindlen. One of my favorite girls, Bryce is a 23 year old half Fae, half human. She is the bastard daughter of the Autumn King. Yes, the head of the Fae in Lunathean. And also a human named Ember Quinlan. Though Bryce does not consider the Vaalbar and Fae ruler her father, that privilege belongs to her stepfather, human Randall Salago. A Damn good fighter in the army who taught Bryce all types of self defenses that she'd need to, you know, survive it. Survive in the big city. Note that Ember and Randall, goats that they are, do not live in Crescent City. They live outside the city, like a few hours away. If I remember correctly, Bryce works as a receptionist and assistant at a place called Griffin Antiquities, A high end gallery that sells rare artifacts to large clientele of the wealthy Vanier. The owner of said gallery is none other than Jesiba Roga. Consider her Miranda Priestly but magical. Jesiba is a 400-year-old sorceress who does not take shit from anyone. She is very strict. She is a member of the house of flame and shadow and she does not like it when people go against her. Like, seriously, do not piss her off or else there's a high chance you will end up as an animal and not a shifter where you contain your human intelligence.
- [35:16]
Lexi
We can't talk about Griffin Antiquities without mentioning Lehabah. Lehabah is a fire sprite and the guardian of Griffin Antiquities. She is also a very dear friend of Bryce's and we can always count on Lehabah for gossip and trashy tv.
- [35:30]
Nicole
She is your best friend who watches Love is Blind religiously and always catch you up on every single episode and season.
- [35:39]
Lexi
God, I love Lehabah.
- [35:40]
Nicole
I love her.
- [35:41]
Lexi
Like all sprites, Lehabah was marked as a slave at birth and at some point she was purchased by Jesiba to guard the main archive room of Griffin Antiquities, where she has now worked for decades.
- [35:52]
Nicole
While we're on Griffin Antiquities, we have to talk about Syrinx. Syrinx is a chimera, which is like the hail of a lion, but more of a dog like face, kind of the size of a terrier with golden fur. I love Syrinx. Syrinx used to be the guard of the archives in the gallery, but he's much more interested in sleeping and eating and belly rubs than watching the books. Honestly, Mood, while Syrinx cannot speak, the Chimera is crazy smart. Like pick locks and open doors without opposable thumbs smart. Think of Syrinx as like the cat dog, but not cat dog from like Nickelodeon. Like a cat mixed with a dog that you love, that is Syringes.
- [36:37]
Lexi
I love this picture. Oh my gosh, what a callback.
- [36:46]
Nicole
I know.
- [36:47]
Lexi
All right, I mentioned Danika towards the top of the episode here, so let's talk about her. Danika Fendir is a wolf shifter and she is the alpha of the pack of Devils, and she's Bryce's best friend. Like Bryce, Danika is 23 years old and she loves a good night out. The 33rd Legion has even given her the nickname the Party Princess. Danika is the daughter of Sabine Fendir, the Prime Apparent of the Valbaran Wolves, meaning that Danika is in line to eventually become the prime after her mother. Though some do believe that Danika is powerful enough to skip the line of succession and become Prime Apparent, taking her mother's title out from under her. This is even with the fact that Danika has not taken the drop yet. Danika is that powerful. Bryce and Danika met while attending Crescent City University, and after they graduated, they got an apartment together in the Old Square. This is around the time that Danika also became the Alpha of the Pack of Devils. Let's talk about those pack of devils. They are one of the most elite shifter units in the Auxiliary. They mainly patrol the Old Square, making sure everyone is safe. They are very good at their job, getting a reputation for being the most feared and lethal unit in the entire Auxiliary. Because of their close relationship with Danika, the Pack of Devils claims Bryce as one of their own. The pack consists of seven members, but most notably is of course Danika the Alpha and Connor her second. Then to round out the friend group, we have Juniper, who is a dancer at the Crescent City Ballet. Juniper is a fawn, so she has the upper body of a human, and her legs end in hooves instead of feet. And she does have horns on the top of her head. Juniper is sweet and usually pretty quiet, but lets loose when she's out with her friends Bryce, Danika and Fury. Juniper is a disciplined friend that makes sure her besties are emotionally supported.
- [38:30]
Nicole
Before we move on to the more business side of the Crescent City characters, I do want to take a moment and highlight this found family of Bryce, Juniper, Fury and Danika. Plus, of course, the Pack of Devils. On the surface, they look like reckless party people. They real hard. But underneath, they operate as this tightly bound pack. Pun intended. Bryce, Danica and their friends love to go partying in very social settings like bars and clubs, especially the White Raven. Bryce and Danika are frequently viewed as those party girls. They're irresponsible, they're privileged, et cetera. But internally, they are really just found family. I keep bringing it back to this. This book does found family so well. They tease each other, they fight and argue like siblings. And at the end of the day, if someone needs something, they will show up for each other. Even if they are on a cocktail of drugs.
- [39:25]
Lexi
Next up, let's talk a little bit more about Micah, who is the archangel and governor of Lunatheon. Remember, he's also the head of the CBD district and he is the Archangel of Valbara, the entire continent, meaning Micah reports only directly to the Asteri, who are located in the Eternal City. He's an archangel born into a lot of power who takes joy in his position of power, and he gladly flaunts that power. Which brings us to the 33rd Imperial Legion, also known as the 33rd Legion or just the 33rd. They serve as Micah's personal army. The 33rd is comprised of Malachi, many of whom fought against the Imperial Senate during an archangel named Sahars uprising. The 33rd's orders vary from patrolling the city to assassinations of people Micah wants out of a city and dead. You get the idea of big spectrum here.
- [40:15]
Nicole
Under Micah, in this 33rd is our MMC, Hunt Athelar. Hunt, aka the Umbra Mortis, is a member of the 33rd. We're also going to be calling them the Triari because that is used interchangeably. He's not a normal worker under Micah, though. He is what's called a fallen angel or a slave angel who works as a personal assassin for Micah, working towards his freedom one assassination at a time. Hunt was born into a very poor family, not in Crescent City. When he was old enough to join the army, he did so and sent all of his income to his mother. Unfortunately, word spread and ultimately that led to his mother's death. A group of people broke into their home and killed her to take their money. This led him to becoming a general in the huge uprising led by Shahar, who was an archangel and also was Hunt's lover. The goal of Shahar's rebellion was to overthrow the Imperial Senate, AKA the Astiri. But after five years of rebelling, the uprising failed and Shahar was killed. And after being tortured for many, many, many days, Hunt was made a slave. Like everyone else who participated in the rebellion. They are now called the Fallen. Hunt was eventually purchased by Micah, where he now works and for his freedom again as that assassin.
- [41:32]
Lexi
The Commander of the 33rd is Isaiah, who is also part of Shahar's elite 18th Legion with Hunt and became a slave after her death as well. Ten years ago, Isaiah was purchased by Micah and was eventually made commander of the 33rd. He follows Micah's orders without hesitation in the hopes that one day Micah will free him from being a slave. Isaiah generally tries to avoid trouble and he is exceptionally adept at navigating politics and protocols.
- [41:58]
Nicole
Some rapid fire. Other members of the 33rd are Naomi Boreas. She is the only member of the Triari who is not a member of the Fallen. AKA she's not a slave. We have Victoria, who is a Wraith. And as punishment for her participation in that rebellion, she is now trapped in her current body forever. She is immortal in every sense of the word. I'm not talking like the Fae immortal. Like immortal immortal.
- [42:24]
Lexi
She could take a Fae body and then. Ooh, after a thousand years you're too old. So then she moves into another younger body next. However many centuries. Yeah.
- [42:32]
Nicole
And then lastly we have Justinian, who is the youngest member of the Triarii. And honestly, he's just a good hang.
- [42:39]
Lexi
Next up we have Rune Dannon, the crown prince of the Valbaran Fae. And he is the half brother of Bryce Quinlan. Rune is also the commander and head of the Fae Division in the auxiliary. A position forced on him by his father, the Autumn King. Once upon a time, Ruhn and Bryce were really close. About seven years ago they had a big fight and they've had a rocky relationship ever since. But even still, Ruhn is very protective of his little sister. Ruhn's relationship with his father is tense, to put it mildly. And speaking of the Autumn King, remember that he is the head of the Five Roses. That's the Fae district in Lunatheon. And again, he's also Bryce's father. He's around 500 years old and he is a power hungry, self absorbed female.
- [43:27]
Nicole
Then we have Rune Dannon's friends. First up, Tristan Flynn, who's very rarely actually called Tristan. He's more known as Flynn. He is the oldest child of a lord and is one day set to inherit that title himself. But he would really, really, really rather not think about it. Flynn is incredibly charming and loves a good house party. He also has Earth magic, which is quite rare amongst the Vaaran Fae. Then we have Ducklin, Emmett Ruhn's other bestie and an auxiliary member. He's a hacker extraordinaire, which he used to build a lucrative career in hacking into the Republic's websites. Alright.
- [44:06]
Lexi
Last but not least for our characters, we have the six Asteri, who are the immortal godlike rulers of Midgard. Everyone answers to them. And again, in that sense of actual immortal, they have been around for thousands and thousands and thousands of and thousands and thousands of years. They are all immensely powerful beings that are viewed as stars. Even referred to as stars or holy stars. This is because it is believed that each of the Asteri possess the power of a star within them, possibly even the power to destroy Midgard itself. They have ruled Midgard for 15,000 years from the Eternal City on the other of the two continents in this world, Panjira. But even though the Assyri are not in all of the cities, they delegate their authority to the archangels of each city and. And there is surveillance everywhere. They know everything. There were originally seven Astiri, but one was killed by the Star Eater a long time ago and now there are six Astiri. Rigelus is the main Astiri to know right now. He is called the Bright Hand of the Astiri and is the main Astiri that we will know in our story.
- [45:12]
Nicole
I'm not going to lie. For the longest time I thought the Bright Hand was the right hand of the Asteri, and I thought he was just like the Jeeves of the Asteri. And he's like, yes, Rogers, yes. We cannot talk about these characters without bringing up the audiobooks for Crescent City, which is actually how Lexi and I consumed this series, the multiple times we've read it. I've actually never read the physical series. This conversation is brought to you in partnership with jbl, because if you know us here at Fantasy Fangirls, you know we love immersing ourselves in these worlds with our noise canceling JBL live headphones.
- [45:47]
Lexi
Elizabeth Evans does a fabulous job narrating and bringing all of these different Crescent City characters to life. She also does the Throne of Glass series, and for the 10th anniversary she has done the Acotar series too. And the reason that Elizabeth Evans is so wonderful at what she does is because many reasons, but mainly she has differentiating tones, accents and voices for each of the characters. So we listeners can easily follow along with who's speaking. Whose POV are we in? Especially with these third person multiple POVs like we have in Crescent City and Throne of Glass. This characterization of each character is a really important quality in narration when there is this large of a cast. And it's even more important when the cast of characters are made up of such different species and backstories and personalities, plus the fact that there is, quite frankly, a whole lot going on in the story.
- [46:39]
Nicole
Sarah J. Maas, you can tell just how big of a fan she is of Elizabeth Evans, like Elizabeth Evans, has become synonymous with the masked verse in its entirety. And yet, if I hear a clip of Elizabeth Evans, I know if she's performing Bryce, if she's performing Selena if she's being Feyre or Nesta. Like, I know immediately which FMC she's embodying because she is that flipping good.
- [47:02]
Lexi
I just love how these audiobooks are so engaging from start to finish. It's not an exaggerated performance where it's takes me out of the story. Again, there's a lot of information and moving parts. But of course it's still an impactful performance, pulling us into the story and connecting with these characters and really getting invested.
- [47:19]
Nicole
Well, like you said earlier, that immersion, like, I feel like when it comes to Crescent City, you have to have that level of immersion. Like, for instance, I was listening to this in prep for this episode. I had my JBLs on. I was of course listening on noise canceling, because that's the only way I listen to anything anymore is with noise canceling on which, by the way, that was a saving grace for me when I was moving and I was listening to these books, I was listening to the Kindred's Curse saga and it was so easy because I had my headphones on. So I don't know how Elizabeth Evans does this, but she's a master at bringing the characters in Crescent City to the forefront of this story. Like, the world building is there. And thank goodness, because hearing all the names of the places in the fire, oh, and the old square and all of that, like, it was so much easier for me at least to digest that information rather than looking it on paper with my eyeballs, because I'd be like, what? With who? But the way Elizabeth Evans performs the books, I don't get bogged down in the world building because I'm so much more invested in the characters since they're again brought to that forefront. There's even a chapter early on where the way Sarah J. Maas writes, and I won't do any spoilers for the chapter, but the way Elizabeth Evans performs it, you are so invested because it goes from like, like the Rune Dannon song to wait, what? And just like suddenly it's skirt and you are truly on the edge of your seat. And I feel like when you're listening to it, it's like you're going through it in Bryce's mind. And I won't say it feels like you're on drugs, but the way it's written, it goes from one thing to another where it's like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
- [49:00]
Lexi
Tune into the audiobook too, with your own noise canceling JBL live headphones. Find your pair@jbl.com Moving into the culture
- [49:08]
Nicole
in Crescent City Midgard has strict class systems that go way, way, way, way back in Midgardian history. We have three established classes. The Civitas, the Peregrini and the Lowers. The Civitas are a full citizen of the Republic. Almost all Veneer are members of the Civitas class. Remember, Vanirs are anyone in this world who isn't a standard animal or a human. So Danika, Fury, Ruhn, etc. They're all civitas. Bryce, however, as a half human should be Peregrine. But because her father, who is the Autumn King, very, very, very high up the ranks, he gave her Civitas status. Then we have the Peregrini. The Peregrini is a full step down from full citizen, but they're not the bottom of the barrel. These typically tend to be humans or anyone who is like an animal or so and so forth. Then last but not least, we have the Lowers. The Lowers are the lowest in the social hierarchy. These are slaves, typically who are viewed as property to be traded and or sold. Hunt. Despite being a Malakim, AKA an angel, because he is a slave, he is considered a Lower.
- [50:20]
Lexi
Okay, who is ready to talk about this thing called the Drop we keep referring to? Because it is very important in the Crescent City world. The Drop is a magical coming of age ritual mixed with a near death experience that unlocks a Veneer's full power. Full humans do not make the Drop. Remember, they have no magic. Some half humans can make the Drop if they have a decent power level. There is no specific age when someone has to make the drop, but many like to take it younger, like in their 20s, rather than when they're older, so they can avoid wrinkles. It makes sense. This magical coming of age ritual is what slows a Veneer's age way down, because that's how they unlock their full power. The Drop is also how this whole city is powered, thanks to what is known as First Light. First Light is the pure undiluted light each Veneer emits when making the drop. It is only during the drop that the flash of First Light appears. Once it appears, it is captured and bottled. The first glow is always used for healing and the remaining light is given to energy plants to fuel light cars and all other technology. See, this is what we're talking about with that fantasy forward urban setting. And a small portion of the leftover light is used for spells. Ultimately, First Light is how this world is able to run and operate without it. There is no modern technology. And again, the Drop is the only Time to obtain it from each veneer. It's a rite of passage for every magical being. So how does the drop work? What happens during this experience? First, you must fall into your power. Like literally, your mind is falling all the way down to the bottom. Once when you reach the bottom, your mortal body dies and the clock starts ticking. If you wait too long, I think it's more than six minutes, you will die. Just period. That's not good. So you're at the bottom and you don't want to die. You have one shot to launch skyward back up toward life with whatever power you have. This part of the drop is called the leap. You hear that one shot? Do not miss your chance to blow. Alternatively, if you fail or choose not to take the leap once when you're at the bottom, you. You fall into an endless black pit. No one knows if your soul gets trapped if you fail the drop. And no one really wants to take the chance of being a lost soul forever trapped in said dark. Which is where an anchor comes in. Because your anchor is vital to you surviving the drop. An anchor is another individual who will pull their companion back up to the land of the living. Once when they've taken that leap, they are absolutely essential to a successful drop.
- [52:44]
Nicole
Last but not least, we have the religions of Midgard. There are five deities in this world. Number one is Luna. Luna is the patron goddess of. Get it? Lunatheon. Luna Lunatheon, One of the more popular goddesses you'll also see come up in Crescent City. She is the goddess of the moon and the sister of the God Solas. There is an old Fae relic called Luna's Horn that is named after her. But this relic has mysteriously gone missing and no one knows where it went or who took it.
- [53:20]
Lexi
What a very interesting tidbit for the setup of our story, Nicole.
- [53:24]
Nicole
Yes, how interesting. Nuna's horn.
- [53:27]
Lexi
Alright, let's move on to Solas before
- [53:28]
Nicole
we explode with spoilers.
- [53:30]
Lexi
Solas is the God of light and blesses the members of the house of sky and Breath. Solas is the brother of Luna and lover of Kathona. Like Luna, people can devote themselves to solace, even becoming sun priestesses. Solace is usually depicted in what's called the embrace. The embrace is symbolized by a circle, the sun sinking or rising between two mountain peaks, which represents Kathona.
- [53:53]
Nicole
Next we have Kofona, the earth goddess. She is the lover of solace and said to be the most merciful. And people do often pray to her for strength. Really quick side note, there's a moment where it may or may not be in a sex scene, but one of the members goes, oh, merciful Kathona. And I always think of that whenever I said Kathona is said to be merciful. Damn straight. She is merciful Kathona.
- [54:21]
Lexi
Next up we have Ogenis, who is the Goddess of the Ocean and Keeper of mysteries. Ogenes watches over the House of Many Waters. She's rumored to be the mother of the River Queen.
- [54:32]
Nicole
And last but not least, we have the goddess Urd. Urd. Like U r D, Urd is the goddess known as the Weaver of Fate and Destiny. Urd is often referenced in dialogue like Holy fuckin Urd or Urd spare him. Or for Urd's sake. You get the idea. If you are familiar with the A Court of Thorns and Roses world, think of Urd a lot like the Mother or the Cauldron alright friends, this wraps
- [54:56]
Lexi
up part one of today's episode, which means our second series Spoilers. Part two is right around the corner. But first, some housekeeping Items.
- [55:04]
Nicole
Next Monday, July 27th, we are releasing our interview with H.M. wolf, author of the extraordinary book Daggermouth. Jumping ahead to August 10, keep an eye out for our everything you need to know from Crescent City for Acotar 6. This will include full series spoilers for all five books of Acotar and all three books of Crescent City.
- [55:29]
Lexi
We'd love to give the biggest warm welcome, welcome, welcome to our newest feral fans and deep divers in the fan club. Thank you so much for being here.
- [55:36]
Nicole
Welcome, welcome welcome Mackenzie and Lexi D. Lexi D.
- [55:43]
Lexi
Also by the way, I'm Lexi and my daughter's name is Mackenzie. So that just like you're halfway right there.
- [55:49]
Nicole
That was so nice. Your last name's not D though.
- [55:55]
Lexi
And friends, if you're like hey I want my name shout out on the podcast and be shouted with all this love too. Join our Fan Club at fantasyfangirls.com Fan Club link is also in the show Notes. We at Fantasy Fangirls have so many resources on our website with lots of trivia, book guides etc and we are of course very active on social media. So please be sure to follow us on Instagram and slash our TikTok@ fantasy fangirlspod. And if you're watching this on YouTube or want to watch on YouTube, pretty please hit that subscribe button to keep following along. We are so close to 60,000 subscribers. Like help us.
- [56:24]
Nicole
That is the finish line please.
- [56:26]
Lexi
That's insane.
- [56:28]
Nicole
While you are hitting that subscribe button, also hit that five star button on whatever podcasting platform you are listening to the show on. Now, before we move into our spoiler segment, we're going to take a quick break to hear from our sponsors. Monday AI agents took over my work
- [56:48]
Lexi
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Nicole
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Lexi
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Nicole
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Lexi
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Nicole
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Lexi
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- [57:30]
Nicole
New this episode is sponsored by Zocdoc. Have you been putting off a doctor's appointment or need a dentist and you don't know where to start? We've definitely been there and that's why we use ZocDoc. Actually over the holidays Michael had a dental emergency and seemingly every office was closed. But we hopped onto zocdoc, found an in network dentist, had great reviews, saw real time appointments available which was key. It was on New Year's Day and booked an appointment in just minutes. It took so much of the stress out of the already stressful situation. ZocDoc makes it easy to search and compare over 250,000 local in network providers across more than 200 specialties so you can find the right doctor or dentist and book instantly. Taking care of your health just got easier. Download the ZocDoc app today and book that appointment on your to do list.
- [58:25]
Lexi
That's Z.
- [58:25]
Nicole
Okay OCDOC ZocDoc
- [58:31]
Lexi
friends and fellow readers, this is our official warning that we are about to enter our Crescent City Spoilers part of the episode where we will share favorite aspects across all three books.
- [58:42]
Nicole
So if you have not finished all three Crescent City books, then we are lovingly saying goodbye for now.
- [58:51]
Lexi
All right, so this part two is all about our part personal standout moments, characters, relationships and such from all three Crescent City books. But I'll be honest, we mostly focused on book one. We have also done a whole reactions episode back right after Crescent City 3 released. So you can go listen to us talk about that for three hours.
- [59:11]
Nicole
Sorry Crescent City Book 2 Someday someday you'll get your spotlight. We do include a few moments from it. I also do want to point out that as you can imagine, we're covering three books, almost 3,000 pages, so we are keeping things a little bit more high level than we do on fantasy fangirls. If you want us to deep dive our way through Crescent City, wow, you're so in luck for August 10th because we are going deep into everything you need to know from Crescent City 3, especially for ACOTAR 6. So if you want that super detailed beat by beat, don't worry, it's coming for you.
- [59:44]
Lexi
We have to start with House of Earth and Bloods, Chapter five, Shocker. With Danika's grand, very gruesome death. I did not expect this book one to be a murder mystery. I kind of went in blind. And also those first few chapters are setting up for Danika to be a main character and for our FMC Bryce to lose her best friend and figure out who she is after this trauma. Her character arc in book one is so moving and heartbreaking and relatable all rolled up in with this plot in this world and these mysteries.
- [60:15]
Nicole
One of my favorite pastimes is watching videos of people starting Crescent City and being like, wow, I love this Danika. She might be my new favorite character. And then they get to chapter five and they're like, oh, I do love that. Throughout the book and really the series, there's this constant question of, I'll put it very high level blank. Is Danika good?
- [60:37]
Lexi
Yeah, she's quite the morally great character, which I do appreciate how SJM explores the nuances of good and bad, right and wrong, secrets and openness with many of her female characters. And Danika is a prime example of that.
- [60:50]
Nicole
Well, like for instance, in book one, Danika's kind of explained. Not kind of. She's wholeheartedly explained away as this party girl who overdosed on hallucinogenic drugs and killed everyone. And it's obviously not true, but I'm not gonna lie, I actually believed it on my first read through Bad Nicole. But by the end of book three, you learned that she's been researching how shifters came to this world and became vastly lessen their power. I think this is parasite. Parasite. I think this is going to be a huge plot point for book four and maybe even a way that our Todd characters cross over into this world. This homegirl keeps a lot of secrets, like for instance, the fact that she has a flipping mate. Baxian, I love you. And yet Danika is.
- [61:34]
Lexi
I thought he was gonna Die.
- [61:37]
Nicole
What a variety he is like. Like one of my favorite characters in book three, I swear to God. But Danika, she keeps or kept so many secrets, and yet anytime Danika is on the page, whether it's in spirit, I'm in utter tears. This friendship and the love that Bryce has for Danika, it is so flipping strong. And I love how the theme of Sprint of friendship is really. It's the. It's the main theme, especially of book one.
- [62:09]
Lexi
Yeah. I appreciate the complex feelings that Bryce experiences throughout the series, too. And I'll say, especially in book one, with learning so much about Danika that Bryce did not know, that Danika very purposefully hid from her best friend. And the story is about Bryce holding space for those feelings and still loving Danika, remembering her as the best friend that she had.
- [62:31]
Nicole
Well, and I love that there's you mentioned, like, holding space for those feelings. Sometimes it's holding space for those feelings, and I'll say, like a healthy way. And sometimes it's holding space for those feelings where it's like going after Emile and the whole Sophie Renast plot in book two, when Hunt is like, we need to lie low or else the Asteri are literally going to kill us. And she's like, but we have to go after this kid. And Hunt's like, you want to just feel closer to get Anaka. And is that the entire reason? No, of course not. She also wants to make sure this Emil kid is safe. But a big part of it is so that she can feel closer to Danika and maybe not her to know
- [63:09]
Lexi
Marta more in the way this mystery
- [63:12]
Nicole
character who's like, who the fuck are you? Exactly.
- [63:16]
Lexi
What's more, I think a big surprise for me throughout the series is how Danika might no longer be alive, but she is still so central to this story for so many reasons. Like you're saying there, that's in book two. Her death sets it all in motion. And looking back at that chapter five, it's like, yeah, it makes sense how this launches the series entire premise. I remember so vividly when I was first listening to the audiobook and I heard the death and I was getting ready, and I was pretty disoriented from all the world building and setup in those first hundred pages. And then suddenly there is a crime scene. And it had my full attention going, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. What's going on here? And I had to rewind in a chapter and start over again to understand how the whole. We ended up with all this blood.
- [63:59]
Nicole
Well, so, so that was the chapter I was alluding to earlier where it's like, yeah, listening. And suddenly you're in this. Like you're in the White Raven. You're. You're dancing, you're having sex in the bathroom and then you're walking up to the door. You can't remember the code. You walk up the flights of stairs, your feet are hurting and then you're stepping in blood. And it's like the way it's written is so on drugs. I don't know how else to describe is so drunk and disoriented and also disorienting. I don't know how Sarah J. Maas did it, but it is masterful level of writing. Now, I think I speak for both of us when I say that the end of book one is one of our favorite things about this series. And I want to give it the space that it needs because A, there's so much that happens so quickly and B, because we can do what we want. It's our podcast. Let's go through those big Bs. First and foremost, the Micah confrontation. I was ready for my heart to give out. Dear God. While Hunt, Jesiba, Fury, Ruhn, etc, everyone you know of major importance is in the summit, which is not held on Lunatheon. Bryce is back in the city working at the gallery with Syrian Lehabah when Micah, the archangel, the head of Lunatheon comes on in and just evil villain monologue dumps.
- [65:21]
Lexi
And by the way, I just want to say I suspected he was up to something.
- [65:25]
Nicole
Yes, you did. Like really early on.
- [65:27]
Lexi
And you in the discord because I was not going to the spoilers chat were like be like what the heck?
- [65:32]
Nicole
She figured it out this early. It's so funny because as we were going through the the everything you need to know spoiler free part as we're talking about Micah, I'm like, why didn't I see it? Like, this is so obvious. Super power hungry archangel in charge of everything, but not the super in charge of everything. Whatever. Oh my God. So Micah, evil villain monologues and Bryce basically livestreams the entire thing for the summit to watch. I love that bit. Here we learned that it is Micah who is responsible for Danika's death. All in the name of Luna's horn, a dread trove item. But I need to calm down because this is not our acotar episode.
- [66:11]
Lexi
I can't stay calm about this. Everything about Luna's horn and Bryce's tattoo in the old Fae language and how it opens portals and everything. Okay. I have chills just thinking about this.
- [66:22]
Nicole
Okay.
- [66:22]
Lexi
Yep. Nope, we're gonna save all of that for the actors.
- [66:24]
Nicole
I think, to be fair, it is in Prythian when she's having the interrogation via Rhys and. And. And Amren and everyone, that Amren's like, that's the. That's the language of the Book of Breathings. And we're all like,
- [66:40]
Lexi
freak out.
- [66:41]
Nicole
Anyway, back it up. Turns out. Back up to this Micah download.
- [66:45]
Lexi
Turns out
- [66:48]
Nicole
it was Danika who stole the horn from the archives. She was blackmailed by Micah to steal the horn, but she ended up hiding it away from him. Danika ground this ancient artifact into a powder and had it tattooed on her best friend's back. Big deal. This basically means that Bryce is the horn. She is ancient power in and of itself, power that Micah wants to use, believing that if he wields Bryce, AKA wields the horn, and injects her with the synth drug, which is basically like synthetic magical overload, he will be able to open a portal between universes. By the way, one of my favorite moments in this whole section is when Micah basically says, in essence, that he will, like, blow the horn, per se, and Bryce goes, blow me, asshole. Incredible.
- [67:39]
Lexi
Like, technically.
- [67:41]
Nicole
Technically, he is. But this is not all his evil doings. We learned that Danika was essentially an assassin for this huge corporation, Redner Industries, a company that Micah is an investor in. This company was experimenting with synthetic magic, AKA the drug synth. And Danica used her security clearance in Redner Industries to get footage of these trials of synth, where veneer basically go mad and essentially tear themselves and everyone around them apart. This is also when Micah leaked the drug onto the streets. Good, good guy, Micah. It was Micah who injected Danika with synth, which is where she turned on the pack of devils and then on herself, tearing them all apart. God, that's terrible. But remember, Micah wants to use Bryce, the horn, and the Synth to open up a portal to another world. Why would he want to do that? Oh, you know, so he can summon an army of Crystallos demons, which is literally just like, demons from hell, to kill all the human rebels in the city to, like, basically wipe out anyone who is against his reign. This is also so this new army, the crystal demons, can bow to him, basically making him an Asteri in his own right, starting now. Micah injects checks Bryce with the synth, knowing that it's just a tipping, ticking time clock before she turns herself into a salad on the floor, basically. And in that time, he has to open A portal to the other world. Bryce manages, however, to get Micah trapped in a bathroom that will not hold him for long. Oh, God. Yeah. You thought we wouldn't go through this. So it is Lehabah who steps up. This tiny fire sprite, who has been a slave to Jesiba the whole book, who was recently freed by Bryce, destroys the tank that houses a nok, which is basically hundreds of thousands of gallons of water. By destroying the tank, it buys Bryce time to go upstairs, take the antidote to synth, and get a weapon to kill Micah. But by releasing all of this water onto the library, it will kill the fire sprite, who is made of fire fire in and of itself. So her first and final act of freedom is to let the world know that she chose to help her friends. And thus we get the line that sunk into our hearts and ripped us into synth style, you might say, quote, my friends are with me, and I am not afraid. I have. This is like, add this to the list of book quotes that I have highly considered getting tattooed on my body.
- [70:19]
Lexi
What this phrase represents is a theme for all of SJM's books. The importance of Found family, of standing up with your head held high when faced with danger. And that's not even saying, like, don't be afraid, but it is, face that fear with your head held high. This little fire sprite, who loves her trashy tv, who is finally free and knew the surprise because, of course, she peeked in Bryce's drawer. This act of bravery and sacrifice, it really gets me. Every time her chant as Bryce escapes, her mantra to herself. I am a descendant of the Queen of Embers, and I am not afraid. My friends are behind me and I will protect them. And of course, over and over, my friends are with me, and I am not afraid. Even as she trembles with terror, she does not hesitate, though, because her strength and her heart are fueling her and guiding her. And how everyone watching in the livestream in the conference room, how they stand for this little fire sprite who is a lower, because that's all that they can offer as final response. Respect and honor to Lehaba, doing what needs to be done. And, oh, Lehabah, let us take a
- [71:23]
Nicole
little moment for this brave little fire sprite who courageously gave her life to free her friends. You have made many of us not afraid, but we still have an archangel to deal with. Bryce manages to get to Jesiba's office, take the antidote, and most specifically, get the God Slayer rifle.
- [71:44]
Lexi
Oh, boy.
- [71:45]
Nicole
You do not do this. You do not do this. You do not kill an archangel and lived to tell the tale. But with a 6 inch long golden bullet. A bullet that went right through Micah's head. It will kill him. He's dead.
- [72:00]
Lexi
Yay.
- [72:01]
Nicole
So that's it, right? He's dead. No need to do any further action? Nope. Number one, use Danika's sword to cut him into pieces. Number two, set him on fire. Number three, gather up his ashes. And number four, fucking vacuum him up. This is one of the many reasons I love Bryce. Bryce. Book one is my favorite. SJM mmc.
- [72:25]
Lexi
So much fun.
- [72:26]
Nicole
She freaking vacuums up an archangel. Are you kidding me?
- [72:30]
Lexi
I don't know. I think he could be resurrected. Nicole, shut up.
- [72:33]
Nicole
He's in the vacuum cleaner like she. He is the vacuum. Can you imagine that? The vacuum cleaner cleaner sprouts wings and it's like, I am my dad.
- [72:41]
Lexi
It's like the little toaster with the grouchy vacuum cleaner. But that's only part one of book one ending. Because the emotional roller coaster keeps us going when Bryce has to make the drop. First of all, just love this because there's so much setup and foreshadowing throughout the book that she is going to have to make the drop. And it's kind of like, oh, like, who's going to be her anchor? Because it was going to be Danika. And the reason that Bryce knows that she has to make the drop right now is because the portals to hell are open and it's only up to her to shut them as a starborn fae and the bearer of Luna's horn, her first light that she will generate at the drop will be powerful enough to achieve this closure and save the people, as well as heal Hunt, who is not doing so hot right now. But again, Bryce can't do this alone. She does need an anchor. And from the gates, she can hear Danika's voice say, light it up. They're rallying cry together their phrase to express their love for each other. Their phrase of saying, I am here and you are powerful and I am here to support you. Bryce is going to do the drop with the little bit of Danika's soul that is still there, which everyone's like, that's not possible. Like, you can't have a dead person be your anchor. But through love, all is possible, because as Bryce makes the drop, Danika's soul intertwines with hers. And she's here and that's enough. And at the bottom, where this cradle of all life is, the two besties are Reunited. And Danika encourages Bryce not to give up as much as he wants to. When Bryce admits that she's scared, Danika says, quote, that's the point of it, Bryce, of life, to live, to love, knowing that it might all vanish tomorrow. It makes everything that much more precious. And I wanted to pull that line because that's so important for all of us to remember. Bryce has to at least try to make this ascent, which again, like the leap to go back up, because Danika will be with her every step of the way, like she always is. And then for Danika to give over the remainder of her soul, her power to help Bryce make it to this landing and successfully complete the job, it makes my heart. Oh, my gosh. Like I was as I was working on this outline. I was literally bawling. And I will say that this whole part with Danika, it really hits me in the feels because my best friend passed away when I was 22 years old. And this was so relatable for me. My best friend and I, we were inseparable since childhood. And when she was gone, I was so lost, and I just miss her, and I wish she was here. And she loved fantasy just as much as I did. And I still want to make her proud, you know? And every time I read Bryce's drop and her ascent with Danika right there running with her, quote, she had made the drop solo, but she was not alone. Her friend was with her, and she was not afraid. And then Hunt is there for Bryce on the other side, healed from her first light and waiting for her. And it's just, just so fucking beautiful. So with that said, Bryce's hero's journey in book one is, again, just really beautiful and impactful. After Danika's death, Bryce is just trying to survive the guilt. She's barely able to save herself, and she's very underestimated by others, and I'll even say herself. And throughout House of Earth and Blood's plot, she moves from this passive grief into active pursuit, uncovering truths about who Danika really was. And, of course, that ending with Danika helping her with a drop. It's such a full circle emotional moment. Light up is believing in herself and who Bryce is to be. Light up with the starborn power with the first light, with life and fight and passion. Light it up.
- [76:14]
Nicole
Light it up. While the story's main theme is friendship, we do have a romance.
- [76:20]
Lexi
Romance.
- [76:20]
Nicole
Let's talk about Bryce and Hunt. While I personally have some. I'll call it issues with their romance in book Three. I want to primarily lean into book one and two, where their relationship is really them falling in love and it shines. What makes Bryce and Hunt really work together is that they start off the series as two people playing parts in society despite being heavily judged for their role. Bryce pretends to be the party girl who doesn't take anything seriously. And it's a mask for her after Danika died. But the way she was beforehand was a part of something. She was a part of the friend group. She was a part of everything with Danika afterward. It's just a mask entirely built from grief. If no one looks too closely because they dismiss her, then no one will know just how much guilt she's carrying. I mean, she stopped drinking, she stopped doing any type of party drugs, and yet she still lets people, mainly Hunt, believe that that's all she is speaking of. Hunt. He is the legendary Umbra Mortis, feared endlessly and judged for his position in the city, but also judged for the failed rebellion he was a part of. He is a fallen angel. He is a slave. He has the tattoo on the forehead and the SPQM on his wrist, and the stoicism he hides behind is just. Just one of his self punishments. One of my favorite scenes in the entire series is when Hunt comes back from an assassination and he's just a shell. Like, the lights are on, no one's home. And he goes into the shower and takes this like boiling hot shower and Bryce sees him and comes to help him bathe. Like, I love that scene. Especially when she goes to leave after, you know, she gets him in bed and he like, holds on to her. It's just like, oh, these two are a mirror image of the same core wound. They did not protect the ones they love and therefore they must be punished for it. They must punish themselves for it. But one thing I love is that they do not buy into these performances of each other for very long. Like when Bryce is going to get her nails done and Hunt is like, ugh, women, Gosh. But in reality, she's being sneaky. She's gathering information in ways that open his mind to see. See just how cunning and smart she is.
- [78:40]
Lexi
I really love that part because that is when, after the nail salon thing is when his narrative of her starts changing as he recognizes he did indeed underestimate her and take her at face value. And Hunt POV really kind of up until he recognizes this, he's not very kind about price at all.
- [79:00]
Nicole
Not at all.
- [79:00]
Lexi
And yeah, and then he's checks himself and it's like, oh, I. That was wrong of me. And then he gets better.
- [79:08]
Nicole
One of the things that really builds their relationship is that they are a partnership rather than a rescue, which I do feel like could have been really easily dipped into. In this series, Hunt doesn't swoop in to save Bryce, and Bryce doesn't fix Hunt's trauma. Instead, Bryce opens up Hunt's belief in what it means to be alive. For I forgot how many years since the rebellion, Hunt's been just slave and assassin. He's been killer, he's been the umbra mortis. But like, for instance, when she checks his phone and she sees only photos of crime scenes, she starts to take photos of their life together and changing her name in his phone contacts.
- [79:48]
Lexi
I love those little things about them so much.
- [79:52]
Nicole
It's like this is where Bryce reminds him of what it means to have a life, life outside of the 33rd. And Micah. Hunt reminds Bryce, however, what it means to have purpose again outside of Danika, because a lot of her identity was completely tied up in Danika. Bryce and Hunt's attraction and relationship is foundationally built on being equals. I am again only talking about books one and two. I will not open up the can of worms of CC3. Bryson Hunt. If you want my full thoughts, read rant, go listen to our CC3 Reactions episode. It's on there. Moving into their romance in book two, though, they start to realize, and I'll even say decide that they're mates. Decide is really the correct word here because unlike other books with the faded mates, there's this big swelling, swelling moment. This is more of a DTR defining the relationship in bed one night, which I at first was like, wait a second, there's got to be more to this. Then I think about the very contemporary world we're in with Crescent City, and I'm like, actually, you know what? This does kind of make sense. And then they sleep together on the depth charger and you're like, oh, holy shit, they're mates. Are they my favorite couple in the SJM universe? Not particularly, but as two separate individuals, they make so much sense together. Again, I am ignoring book three.
- [81:17]
Lexi
Sorry.
- [81:18]
Nicole
Some rapid fire favorite moments of these two. When Bryce and Hunt are at the gym together and she's listening to like this blaring, thumping music and he's listening to an audiobook, like, it's so on brand for them. Also at the gym. Lightning Tongue. Who needs vibrators? A jelly jubilee, if you will. In this world, when you have Lightning Tongue, mates are you kidding me? Oh, my God. Then went on the depth charger hunt. Needs new clothes and can't find underwear that will fit him. Goodness, sir. I also love their banter from Wanna come play scary asshole with me To Chin up, Quinlan. Let's see you do that fancy trick where you somehow look down your nose at people a foot taller than you. I love them. They're great.
- [82:01]
Lexi
But, you know, I know who my favorite character is in the Crescent City series. Nicole.
- [82:05]
Nicole
Rune Dannon, Crown Prince of the Valbaran Fae.
- [82:13]
Lexi
Listeners, you are welcome for that trending audio to be stuck in your head. I don't know if that's the right tone therapy.
- [82:21]
Nicole
Oh, sorry, sorry. Who of us got the music degree?
- [82:26]
Lexi
And Rune Dannon knows three things with absolute certainty. Number one, he had smoked so much myth root that he couldn't feel his face, which was a damn shame because there was a female currently sitting on it. And number two, he had downed an obscene amount of whiskey because he had no idea what the female's name was or how they'd gotten to his bed or how he'd wound up with his tongue between her legs. And number three, he really fucking loved his life. At least right now.
- [82:54]
Nicole
This is another three things that he
- [82:56]
Lexi
knows with absolute certainty. But I will also say I love how that is at the beginning of sky and Breath. That is really his book. And we really see his character evolve from knowing these three things with absolute certainty, which is all about partying and all that kind of stuff. And then at the end, he is so much more responsible and knowing. Like he has to be more responsible. And he's starting to. He's fallen in love and with the. As far as he's concerned, the wrong person. And he's having to mentally process all of that. And there's so much for his arc, and I really do love how that sets it up. Anyway, I'm also going to save all of the Acotar similarities between Ruhn and a certain High Lord for our upcoming episode, but I'm just going to say that I love those subtle and then the not so subtle crossovers. Like he almost looks exactly like Rhysand.
- [83:44]
Nicole
We will talk about it all in our everything you need to know coverage because we'll also probably discuss some theories because I have some.
- [83:53]
Lexi
Okay, okay. Going back to Ruin's character arc, though, across all three books, he starts out as a seemingly party boy with this frat house who's lived a privileged life and is pretty rebellious. And then we quickly learn that he's so much more Than that he's fiercely protective and loyal. He's not chasing glory for himself. And then yes, the whole day and night plot was ah. Oh my gosh. Their love story and vulnerability before knowing each other's identity. I always love those scenes. Those are some of my favorite parts of book two. The Oracle said that the Fae royal blood would end with Ruhn. And while that's true, it doesn't come to fruition with him dying like he's always assumed. Instead, it's because he breaks the cycle of what his father has tried to shape him as. And Ruhn gets to choose for himself, embrace that protective nature of his. And in fact, I'll even say this, it's very satisfying when Ruhn is one to kill the Autumn King. He deserved to be the one to do it more than anyone.
- [84:51]
Nicole
Hundred percent.
- [84:52]
Lexi
And we can't talk about Knight Night without Agent Daybreak. Lydia Servos, AKA the Hind. She's a deer shifter with fire powers. Specifically after taking the cure to the Ascuri's parasite. Oh, like the Fae and Throne of Glass. I digress. Duh. I loved the reveal that the Hind is a double agent. It especially makes a reread with her character as a bad guy extra fun to read between the lines. And then how book three opens up in her POV so we can see see what she has been dealing with for so long. Lydia is introduced to us readers and the main characters as a villain. And then we get to find out that she's a secret rebel badass mom. Ah. One of the reasons that I love the Day and Night plot is because their budding romance has mystery and intimacy and trust. They are star crossed lovers and yet they don't know who each other are. And then after Ruhn discovers who Agent Daybreak really is, their story becomes about forgiveness and reestablish trust and how someone is more than the worst thing that they've done. The person beneath the monster is worthy of love and also just the fact that they're mates. I love it. Even though it's not a major plot point, I appreciate how Lydia is represented as a mother willing to do anything for her children. It's why she turned double agent for the Rebellion. And we've definitely talked about this. Where motherhood is really not well represented in fantasy stories. There's plenty of reasons why I'll say. First of all, there's not always a lot of time to, you know, give snacks to the kiddos and all of that kind of stuff. And we did just wrap up a deep Dive. That does it really, really well. But I do love how it has at least a hint of that here for us readers. Because many of us are moms. Not all, of course, but some of us are. And it felt really good to see that there. And also, I just have to say this. One of her sons is named Brannon. Like again from Throne of Glass, quote. She had named Brannon after the oldest legends from her family's bloodline of a Fae king from another world, fire in his veins, who had created stags with the power of fire to be his sacred guards.
- [86:56]
Nicole
Please, please, please, please, please let this be explored in book four. That's all I ask. Sarah, House of Many Waters. Please let this be explored. Ah, I don't know if it will be. I'm gonna be honest. That is a bet for another day.
- [87:12]
Lexi
Okay, I gotta get away from the Maspers crossover right now. But what I'm trying to say is that Lydia can be ruthless, terrified, loving, strategic and desperate all at once. And that rescue of her sons particularly captures both sides of her because it shows Lydia as both lethal and deeply paternal.
- [87:32]
Nicole
The moment where she's on the depth charger, she's waking up from literally being in a healing coma and she realizes where she is and she starts running through the halls to the floor with her kids on it. It's just like, oh, my God. That. Oh, wow. All right, we've discussed the end of book one. We would be remiss if we did not discuss the end of book two. Mainly the last chapter. Because my soul left my body when I read this for the first time. Bryce gets charged up with. With Hunt, you know, his lightning power, and runs through a portal to hell, or at least where she thought was hell, because instead she ends up on some grass with a river nearby and a city and a mountain in the background. And a winged male with scarred hands captures her, holding the dagger twin to the star, sword to her neck, which has an out of body experience.
- [88:30]
Lexi
Oh, my goodness. How the is problem?
- [88:31]
Nicole
First time when Azriel is like, why do you have Guidian? And it's like, oh, my God, we are in Velaris, the city of starlight. This is one of the coolest reading experiences I've had. It was, oh my God, now I'm gonna go hold off on going beat by beat through everything we learn while we're in Bryce's POV in Prythian. Have we mentioned that we're doing another episode on that to Prepare for ACOTAR 6? Do not worry. So I'm gonna try to keep my cool because I do still have a minute. Million and one questions like, why the hell does Ruhn look just like Rhysand? Especially when Ruhn is said to be look like his mother. Simply from a family tree standpoint. I don't know how that works. Anyway, since we are discussing favorite moments here, I want to talk about every favorite moment that we got in book three, Specifically when we are in the Acotar world. Bryce, Nesta and Azriel in the caves is phenomenal. One of my favorite moments is still actually that bonus chapter of the three of them where Bryce is playing music on her phone and, and, and Asriel, like he starts talking about his music tastes and then they start talking about Azriel's mate. And nest is like, yeah, Azriel, who is your mate? And it's like, oh, what a great question.
- [89:40]
Lexi
What a great question.
- [89:41]
Nicole
I agree. Bryce. Then also Ember and Nesta getting so close. Nesta having a maternal figure. It's just like, like that. I was in tears during that whole section. Then of course the bonus chapter with Ember and Randall and Prithian first and foremost, I was like, why the hell are we getting a bonus chapter with Ember and Randall? When I saw that as like an option. But it's like it's Randall and Rhys bonding over being dads. Like, are you kidding me? Oh my God. And of course we get the multi chapter lore explanation, which have I mentioned we will be going through at a different date. But by the way that Bryce and Nesta's last scene in Crescent City 3 ends with Bryce basically passing on the information, the star sword and the mission of the eight pointed star. She says, quote, I think that eight pointed star was tattooed on you for a reason. Take that sword and go figure out why this line right here is why people are like, you have to read Crescent city before reading ACOTAR 6 because I kid you not that right there is going to be a plot point for ACOTAR 67 and eventually 8 does. That is all I will say. That is all I will say myself. That's all we can say. That's it.
- [91:02]
Lexi
Okay. Okay, let's go back to like Crescent City for sure.
- [91:05]
Nicole
Yeah.
- [91:06]
Lexi
Have we mentioned how awesome Jesiba's character is, especially with the backstory that we get? And it also makes rereading House of Earth and Blood like extra fun because like, you're not a 400 year old sorceress. All right, I'm still like on a high here from that extra conversation. Okay, so Jesiba used to be a human 15,000 years ago, before Midgard was overtaken by the Asteri in the veneer, where she worked as a priestess at the Great Library of Parthosh. A priestess at a library, you say? Okay, Jesiba was the one to smuggle some of the books out when it was under attack on a ship called the Griffin. Get it? Griffin Antiquities. It's like a memorial to the journey to protect these books that are now in the store. And then Apollyon found the ship, and he was curious about what was so valuable about these books that the humans were willing to die for it. Knowledge, that's what. So he cursed her to live unchanging until she showed him the true power of the books. That's also when Apollyon's magic touched her, and some of it transferred over to her because he had extra power bubbling up in him because he had just consumed Sirius, the Asturi that he had just killed.
- [92:20]
Nicole
Yes. So Apollyon, one of the princes of Hell, is known as the Star Eater, who. Yes. Eight. Eight. Literally the Asteri. Serious.
- [92:29]
Lexi
But yes, Jesper really does remind me of Miranda Priestley from Devil Wears Prada, and you can't convince me otherwise. But more than anything, she represents preserving knowledge. She's been quietly rebelling against the Asteri for 15,000 years since they took over. And she is preserving history that the Asteri have ensured people forget.
- [92:52]
Nicole
Yeah.
- [92:52]
Lexi
Jesba, I love you.
- [92:53]
Nicole
Yeah. While the House of Flame and Shadow was the end of Bryson Hunt's story arc, it does wildly open up an interesting continuation for Ethan and Varian. Let's talk about the boys.
- [93:08]
Lexi
I would just like to have it on the record that I asked Nicole why we needed these part of the episode.
- [93:15]
Nicole
Do you see how short this section is? Let's talk about Tharian first. Not at all. To get him out of the way. To be quite honest, I enjoyed Tharian in book two. He's comedic relief. He's driven. His actions feel so on brand with the whole Sophie Renat storyline. And then there's House of Flame and Shadow. But as I was re listening to our CC3 Reactions episode in prep for this episode, we did bring up some fair points. Points about why we think Tharion was so unlikable in that book and his story arc going forward. Right now he's married to a woman he doesn't like. He also doesn't know where she is. He's without a place to call home. Given that the Ocean Queen is pissed at him for running away from her. But right after he makes the decision with his fin between his legs to go basically back and beg the Ocean Queen's forgiveness and slash or find his wife, he spots two crimson eyes staring at him. Remember that whole dragon shifter, Ariatne? Yeah. The last time we saw her, she was basically missing. And she's a very, very scary, powerful dragon and she's missing. How is their storyline going to continue on? I don't know. Is it going to be a love story? Is it going to be him helping Ariadne evade the many, many, many people who want her? I'm not entirely sure. But the other main storyline continuation I do feel like is far clearer. Let's go into Ethan. Am I crazy? I don't mind Ethan. Is he the smartest?
- [94:48]
Lexi
No, I like Ethan.
- [94:49]
Nicole
Oh, you do?
- [94:50]
Lexi
Well, no, I. I do like him. I really liked Ethan in book two because all of that and then, well,
- [94:57]
Nicole
he's like on the table playing with a sword and then accidentally cracks the table. Like he. The jokey, sporty little brother. Like that is Ithan in book two.
- [95:07]
Lexi
And his and Bryce's having to really repair their friendship and kind of balancing that past and present is really important for her own grieving journey as well. Flame and Shadow. He makes a lot of decisions that I.
- [95:22]
Nicole
He literally tried to make a reaper the prime of the wolves in book three. Okay.
- [95:29]
Lexi
But he needs to take a leadership training class before he does much as Prime.
- [95:36]
Nicole
That's all I'll say. Well, okay, so I. I do think that actually his story arc is going to be more of like a coming of age line for Ethan next book,
- [95:45]
Lexi
which kind of thing?
- [95:47]
Nicole
Yeah, like more reluctant leader. Because he's the most reluctant of leaders right now. Quick tldr on where his story leaves off. Sabine is dead, along with the previous Prime. The title and the responsibility of prime has passed to Ethan, my boy. And everyone is not rejoicing at this news. The wolves, who now have their elemental powers back after years of suffering from the parasite that diminished their powers to dust. They didn't have powers. They are now divided. So Ithan and his. His trusty friend slash crush Perry are basically now on a mission to bring the wolves into this new era of power. I am so excited about this. And without getting too into mas verse land, I do see that this is where Tog could have a crossover with CC Book 4, which I think CC Book 4 is the last expected book in the Crescent City universe. Right. I know. It's the last one for now.
- [96:42]
Lexi
I Think so. My understanding is that obviously Sarah is focused on ACOTAR 6, 7, and 8 right now.
- [96:48]
Nicole
Yeah.
- [96:49]
Lexi
And I'm not holding my breath for House of Many Waters. Get it Holding.
- [96:54]
Nicole
That's good. I'm excited for it. Simply from where is this going to open up for the wolves and the shifters of this world entirely knowing that they are from the throne of Glass World. Because I feel like the Acotar crossover storyline is. Is close to. I say that with medium confidence. At least in Crescent City. I should say at least in Crescent City.
- [97:14]
Lexi
Yes.
- [97:15]
Nicole
Yes.
- [97:15]
Lexi
Definitely not in prison. Hand the gauntlet over to the Acotar world to. Now take that for these next three books.
- [97:22]
Nicole
Yeah. Hundred percent. Yes. Yes, yes, yes.
- [97:24]
Lexi
All right, before we wrap up this episode, friends, we have to do one more. Because she may be last, but she is certainly not least. Jelly Jubilee, bright beloved unicorn. Pegasus. Not a sex toy. Hunt. Those are in the left nightstand. I love how Jelly Jubilee represents Bryce's inner child and offers a glimpse into how sentimental she can be. Jelly Jubilee was so cool that it made Bryce accepted by her peers. Jelly Jubilee is a unicorn and Pegasus, like Bryce is Fae and human. Jelly Jubilee is comfort nostalgic. And I love the through line throughout the series, like when Ember asks if Hunt knows about JJ and he's like, oh, yeah, Jelly Jubilee and I are good friends. And that symbolizes right there to Ember that Brace really likes Hunt because it's letting him see behind her exterior. And also just Pegasuses. That's another one of my favorites. I. I'm a horse girl, so Pegasus is. You know, I. I would do anything for a Pegasus. Like, yes, absolutely, a dragon, but a Pegasus would be my more realistic.
- [98:24]
Nicole
That's actually a good point. I feel like the Pegasus would be your. Your mount of choice in a fantasy world if Cassian and Connor not options.
- [98:37]
Lexi
I just, like, I'll leave it off on the screen.
- [98:39]
Nicole
You're just ignoring that. Okay, I have one more line here.
- [98:45]
Lexi
Okay. Sorry.
- [98:46]
Nicole
I'm sorry.
- [98:46]
Lexi
The Pegasus is. And how book three ends. And there's Pegasuses on Avalyn again. And I just love that so much. Like, what a great ending. I love it.
- [98:54]
Nicole
The moment when they literally, like, like, emerge out of the ground. Oh, my God, that was so beautiful.
- [99:02]
Lexi
We, again, friends, we could do a whole lot more with Crescent City because there's so much to it. But we are going to stop right there for this episode because here we go. That's everything you need to know for your Crescent City journey.
- [99:13]
Nicole
Next Monday, July 27th. We are releasing our interview with H.M. wolf, author of the excellent the Extraordinary Dystopian Dagger Mouth. Jumping ahead a little to August 10th. Keep an eye out for everything you need to know from Crescent City for ACOTAR 6 episode. Have we mentioned that we're doing an episode about everything?
- [99:33]
Lexi
I don't even mentioned it. I don't think we have that yet. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [99:36]
Nicole
Okay. Well, this is going to include full series spoilers for both ACOTAR and Crescent City. Thank you, of course, to our own Jesiba Roga, high priestess of the Library of Parthos, AKA our content researcher, Brooke. Titles, titles, titles. And of course our executive producer slash sanity manager, slash co host of the Fantasy Fanfellows podcast, Hayden.
- [99:57]
Lexi
Check out our website for tons of book resources, including guides, trivia, quizzes, recommendations, and so much more.
- [100:04]
Nicole
In case you missed it, Oath of the Chosen, my book, which comes out on May 11, is now available for pre order. And it has a cover. It has a cover. Now you can check it out on fantasy fangirls, social media. And hey, if you're going to San Diego Comic Con this weekend, you should keep an eye out at the Penguin Random House booth.
- [100:23]
Lexi
We are very active on social media, so please, please, please be sure to follow us on Instagram and short TikTok Antasy fangirls pod. And if you're watching this on YouTube or want to watch on YouTube, pretty please hit that subscribe button to keep following along.
- [100:35]
Nicole
While you're hitting buttons, don't forget to hit that five star button on whatever podcasting platform you are listening on. And don't just do it for this podcast. Don't just do it. Just do it for fantasy fan fellows. Don't just do it for fantasy fan reads. Do it for all podcasts that you regularly listen to. And last but certainly not least, share this episode with that friend. You know, that friend who you've been trying to get to read Crescent City in the lead up to ACOTAR 6. This is a perfect episode to share with them, to finally get them over the edge. Wink.
- [101:09]
Lexi
Bye, everybody.
- [101:10]
Nicole
Bye. Where did she hide? Because she's a. She's a puppy also. Yeah, anyway. Oh my God. This Monday.com ad was created by a team of people and AI agents. Reese, our content agent, wrote the copy based on our best practices, like mentioning Monday.com three times. That was the second. Johnny, our coordination agent, built the timeline and kept everyone alive. Olivia, our human creative director, stayed in the loop because agents are great, but they don't always know when a joke lands she had one note tell listeners it only takes minutes to build an agent. So minutes. Create your own AI agent. Today on Monday.com hi, it's Paige from Giggly Squad, and this episode is sponsored by Experian Boost Summer Glow Up Check Credit Glow Up. Even better, boost your credit scores instantly by getting credit for bills you're already paying your phone, utilities, rent and insurance. I wish dating kind of worked like that. Connect your bank account, add those on time payments to your Experian credit file, and your FICO score updates right away. You could instantly raise your FICO score by an average of 14 points with Experian Boost. Download the Experian app for free today. Results will vary. Users who received a boost improved their FICO score 8 from Experian by an average of 14 points. See app store or experian.com for details. Results will vary. Not all payments are boost eligible. Users who received a boost improved their FICO score 8 from Experian by an average of 14 points. Some may not see improved scores or approval odds. Not all lenders use Experian credit files, and not all lenders use scores impacted by experian boost. See experian.com for details.