Fantasy Fangirls – “Welcome To Quicksilver!” (October 2, 2025)

Main Theme & Purpose

In this special intro episode, sisters Lexi and Nicole, hosts of the Fantasy Fangirls podcast, launch their upcoming Deep Dive coverage of Quicksilver by Callie Hart—the first book in the Fae and Alchemy series. The episode serves as a roadmap for how their Deep Dives are structured, spoiler guidelines, and what listeners can expect from this new series focus. They reflect on why they fell in love with Quicksilver, introduce themselves and the podcast’s community-driven approach, and clarify the special features that make their show unique for fantasy fans.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introducing the Next Deep Dive: Quicksilver

• Format Introduction & Spoiler Policy
  • Lexi and Nicole explain the episode structure and how spoilers will be handled for Quicksilver and related content.
  • Spoiler Warning: Each Quicksilver-themed episode will have spoilers for the entire first book, the bonus chapter (available in the new hardcover/updated ebook and on Callie Hart's website), and may contain wider thematic spoilers from across released content.
  • No spoilers from previous series covered (Kindred's Curse, Empyrean, ACOTAR) except for light references or inside jokes.

    “So please, we don’t want you to be spoiled by this book. So only listen to our Quicksilver episodes if you have finished Quicksilver as well as the bonus chapters…” — Lexi (06:10)

2. Deep Dive Episode Structure

• Segment Names & Explained Flow
  • Laura’s Ballad: Nicole’s lively, sometimes “unhinged” chapter summaries.
  • Stepping Through the Quicksilver: Key insights, character analysis, theories.
  • Oracle Magic: Foreshadowing and speculation (especially for Book 2: Brimstone).
  • Rosarius Library: Lexi unpacks a worldbuilding or lore topic.
  • Prancing Through the Snow with Onyx: Sharing favorite quotes and moments.

    “These episodes may be long, but we promise there is plenty of structure and flow…” — Nicole (07:02)

3. Upcoming Release Schedule

• Quicksilver coverage will span six episodes:
  • Ep 1: Chapters 1–7 (October 6)
  • Ep 2: Chapters 8–14 (October 9)
  • Eps 3–6: Mondays following
  • A Quicksilver recap episode drops before Book 2 (Brimstone, releasing November 18), with Deep Dives on the sequel immediately after. (See: 08:29–09:02)

4. Meet The Sisters & What Makes Fantasy Fangirls Special

• Who They Are

  • Nicole: “the little sister”, romance and smut enthusiast, started as a nonfiction reader, A Court of Thorns and Roses rekindled her love for reading.

    “Looking for that one thing that would give me the spark that I felt like was missing... I immediately fell head over heels with this genre and it reignited my love of reading. I am not being dramatic when I say this book completely changed my life.” — Nicole (10:38–11:05)

  • Lexi: “the older sister”, lore and worldbuilding nerd, was an avid fantasy reader as a child, then stopped until Nicole reintroduced her as an adult.

    “It reminded me of my love for reading and especially fantasy, but these stories have helped me find myself and be myself in a way that I never, ever would have imagined.” — Lexi (12:11)

• Podcast & Community

  • Deep Dive approach: part book club, part literary analysis, with pop culture, banter, bets, and “inappropriate jokes”.
  • Over 100,000 weekly listeners, 14M downloads, 20,000+ five-star reviews, 500K+ social followers, and 4,000 Fan Club subscribers.

    “Together, we all celebrate the real life impact of these fantasy stories. We connect with each other through these fictional characters, their journeys, and the fictional worlds that hold such a special place in all of our hearts.” — Lexi (09:54)

5. Why Quicksilver? The Sisters' Personal Connections

• Lexi’s Experience

  • “I vibed with this book... I physically read the book instead of listened on audio because the audiobook wasn’t out yet.”

    “My in-laws were in town that weekend and I was just that person sitting in the corner the whole time reading... I could not stop.” — Lexi (13:21)

  • The book’s world, realms, alchemy, and especially side characters stood out:

    “Quicksilver has such lovable side characters that I really cannot wait to talk about…” — Lexi (13:51)

  • Notable moment: Family called the book “the guy with the come on his face” after seeing the cover. (13:44–13:48)

• Nicole’s Experience

  • Knew it was special because she re-read it immediately, even physically (unusual for her), and has now read/listened “like, seven plus times.” (15:07)
  • Finds new details and theories on every re-read:

    “I still find something new every single read, it’s a new theory. Like, I mean, when you and I were reading for episode one, we found, like, four theories in the first seven chapters.” — Nicole (15:21–15:33)

6. What Makes Quicksilver a Perfect Deep Dive: The Criteria

• Deep lore and worldbuilding, often expanded via the Kingfisher bonus POV chapters (available via audio).
• 3D, flawed characters ripe for analysis.

  “We do not want perfect people on the page…We’re going to talk about the choices they make and why they made them, even if we don’t agree with them.” — Nicole (19:20)

• Rich magic system and mysterious gods.
• Endless theories and foreshadowing—even more so than earlier deep dives.
• Author Callie Hart will join for a Call a Callie segment for insider insights and Q&A.

7. Handling Dark Romance & Sensitive Themes

• The novel is “more of a dark romance” than the usual podcast fare, and some scenes/non-consensual elements are darker.
• Clear commitment to trigger warnings and celebrating all readers’ experiences:

  “Meaning, we embrace the idea that spicy books, including dark romantasy and the desires that arise with them, are not only valid, but entirely worth celebrating. This is a space to embrace that side of you, no matter your sexual orientation, gender, body size, sexual preference, kinks, et cetera.” — Nicole (17:36-18:22)

8. Looking Ahead & How to Join the Community

• Follow on TikTok/Instagram (@fantasyfangirlspod) for book guides and trivia (20:30).
• Subscribe on YouTube for episode videos.
• Pod credits: Shout-out to executive producer Hayden and content researcher Brooke.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We are adults who…say adult things about fairy adult books.” — Nicole (05:16)
• “When we say Deep Dive—ho boy... we mean Deep Dive.” — Nicole & Host (06:57–07:00)
• “Quicksilver has such lovable side characters... I admit I’m a kingfisher girly. I know and understand how he is polarizing, but there is something about that bad boy that has me just kicking my feet and feeling all sorts of different things...” — Lexi (13:51–14:10)
• “Callie’s got something so much bigger than we ever could have imagined... hearing how much richer this world feels with the Omnam Shakrai battle and everything in those bonus chapters...” — Nicole (16:41)
• “Every book that we deep dive has to hit on several things... a world that we can dive into... 3D characters... dimensional magic system... and—theories!” — Lexi and Nicole (18:43–19:41)
• “Well, I guess with that, friends, we cannot wait to begin this next deep dive journey with you.” — Lexi (20:30)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Introduction & Deep Dive Premise: 04:13–06:10
• Spoiler/Content Warnings: 05:23–06:43
• Deep Dive Format Overview: 07:02–08:29
• Release Schedule Breakdown: 08:29–09:02
• About Fantasy Fangirls & Stats: 09:25–10:16
• Meet Nicole: 10:16–11:05
• Meet Lexi: 11:05–12:38
• Why Quicksilver?: 12:38–16:41
• Themes, Theories, & Characters: 15:21–16:41
• Dark Romance & Trigger Warnings: 17:36–18:39
• Criteria for Deep Dive Selection: 18:43–19:41
• Outro & Community: 20:30–end

Final Thoughts

This episode is a must-listen intro for new and returning Fantasy Fangirls listeners interested in deep, theory-filled, but highly entertaining coverage of Quicksilver and the wider fantasy genre. The episode is playful, self-aware, and filled with excitement for the lore, worldbuilding, and characters that make Quicksilver such a compelling read. Whether you’re joining for the first time or a longtime “fangirl,” this new Deep Dive promises insight, spirited discussion, and a place to celebrate all things fantasy.