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- [00:00]
A
Foreign. Welcome to Flights of Fantasy, your podcast book club. I'm Kim and I am here with one of my book besties, Christina. Hello.
- [00:16]
B
I am so excited to be here with you.
- [00:19]
A
Yay.
- [00:21]
B
This episode is brought to you by Dutch Bros. Big smiles, rocking tunes and epic drinks. Dutch Bros Is all about you. Choose from a variety of customizable handcrafted beverages like our rebel energy drinks, coffees, teas and more. Download the Dutch Bros app for a free medium drink. Plus find your nearest shop, order ahead and start earning rewards offer valid for new app users only. Free medium drink reward upon registration. 14 day expiration terms apply. See DutchBros.com oh my goodness. Powerless Part 2.
- [00:53]
A
Powerless.
- [00:54]
B
Powerless Part 2. We're talking about the powerless. We're talking with the power scissors. Okay. Wow. We are getting to be here tonight. We're talking talking about Powerless by Lauren Roberts. Part two. We cannot wait to dive in. This is. Oh my gosh. I've just been so excited to talk to you about it.
- [01:10]
A
Same, same, same, same. Yes. So before we do that though, Christina, let's do some Patreon shout outs.
- [01:15]
B
Oh, my gosh. I get to do them tonight.
- [01:16]
A
Yay.
- [01:17]
B
Hey, patrons, this is so fun. All right, we are shouting out Lara Fritsch, Christina Peters, Rebecca Maccabee, Jenny McEnany, Danielle Le Us.
- [01:29]
A
Yay.
- [01:31]
B
Oh, my goodness, patrons, thank you from the bottom of my heart, you guys. Your support means everything to us. It lets us do this and it allows us to bring these books to you in every way, shape and form we can. And we just cannot thank you enough. You're the best.
- [01:46]
A
Thank you guys so, so much. So with that being said, obviously spoiler warning for all of Powerless, we covered roughly the first half of the book in part one, but of course we will be covering the rest of it. So if you have not for some reason read Powerless. What are you doing? Go read it.
- [02:02]
B
Get out of here. Much love, but please leave.
- [02:04]
A
Love you so much, but go read it and come back. Okay, so Christina, let's go over like where we left off at the end of our part one episode. Like what had just happened.
- [02:13]
B
Yes, perfect. So plot wise, at the end of last episode, we had just completed our second trial, which was teamwork makes the dream work. On the mountain, Braxton and Ace are now dead. Paden almost kills Ace but gives the kill to Kai because he's getting revenge for both her and Jax. And Blair tried to kill Paiden as she ran to capture that flag, but Kai redirects and it kills Braxton instead. So second Trial is done. Here we are at the beginning of this part. Now, one of our favorite things about this section, just the back end of the book, was some of the really, really great Kai and Pei moments. So, Kim, let's talk through some of our.
- [02:52]
A
Oh, my gosh, I am so excited. So there were three major moments that Christine and I just absolutely went feral for. These were some of my favorite moments in the entire book, would you not agree? Especially like, oh, the third one. The rain. Uh huh huh.
- [03:07]
B
The rain will live rent free in my mind for the rest of days.
- [03:11]
A
Exactly. But let's start with the thumb war, which was so stinking cute. And at first I was kind of like, okay, we're going to do a thumb more. But it was so precious. And these three moments that we're going to talk about are really so special because you are seeing both of them open up to each other, be vulnerable. They're really communicating. I mean, it's through banter and they're sassy and snarky, but they're still being vulnerable and just learning so much about each other, even, like, little tidbits, which I'll get to in a minute. But the thumb war, they are like having a little thumb war. And Peyton has never had a thumb more before, which seems wild to me, but I guess there wasn't much time for that in loot when you're, you know, stealing to survive.
- [03:48]
B
She didn't have time to thumb more with Adina. In the trash.
- [03:50]
A
In the trash for. So they're having a thumb war and he's like, gonna teach her all about it because it's something him and Kit did when they were growing up, which is really sweet. And they start talking about the king, Kai's father. And Peyton says, how do you not hate him? And Kai says, because he may be strong. And that makes Peyton really reflect on how their lives and their childhoods were so similar. There was a lot of training to become what we had to be. And neither of them got to grow up the way that they wished that they could have. And the major difference, obviously, is the fathers. So Peyton's father was training her out of love and concern for her safety. And the king was obviously training Kai out of just greedy and wanting to train an enforcer and instead, like, not taking care of his son at all because he's a piece of shit, horrible human being anyway.
- [04:37]
B
Exactly.
- [04:37]
A
Don't let me get started on that. But she said, people aren't born strong, they're made that way. And the prince and I know that better than most.
- [04:44]
B
I think that line is so telling and it really bonds them. This shared trauma, really hers is still traumatic. Even though he was doing it out of love. I think still as a child, feeling like you need to learn how to be trained and protect yourself and all those things. Like, I think that probably it was ingrained in her and made her who she is and how strong she is, but because it was done with love, it was a different result. It kind of became something that she feels like she can be proud of. That made her strong because her dad loved her. When the opposite is true. For Kai, I think, oh, that's so well put.
- [05:17]
A
I love that. Yeah. And so they keep kind of bantering and I just love their little lines where she's like, you're insufferable. And he's like, and yet you're still here. Stop it.
- [05:28]
B
Just stop it.
- [05:28]
A
They have like such a cute fruit conversation, which if you. We're not going to get into it, but like if you've read the book, I just found this conversation to be so cute.
- [05:35]
B
Absolutely agree. And if you had told me, I think I said this in Jabchat, like if you had told me, if I was like an editor and I looked at this book, theoretically I would be like, we gotta cut a two page fruit combo. Like, what are we doing here? Like, why are we talking about fruit? But actually in reading it, I fcking loved it. I was like, this is adorable. This is why I'm here. For the YA cutey cutie times. Like cutie banters about the fruit and they are talking about little random things here. And it does feel like they're actually getting to know each other a little bit, which I actually really appreciated.
- [06:01]
A
Definitely. And I think that is one pro of a YA book is that when you take sex out of the equation, like it's just not gonna happen. You're not gonna have those moments. You have to then put in other moments of them having a genuine connection that's not physical. And I think in this instance, these three situations for me worked really well to show those moments of connection between Kai and Peyton. Even if Peyton always pushed him away at the end and kind of freaked out, it was still there and it allowed you to really root for their relationship. Like they had a real connection and it wasn't just like about sex, you.
- [06:34]
B
Know, that's so well put and something I never think about in YA books. Instead of just missing the sexual like steamy component, thinking about, well, what are we getting instead? How is this relationship Developing. And they're still having intimacy without being sexual.
- [06:49]
A
Yes.
- [06:49]
B
We're still getting that intimate connection between them that developing without it being spicy.
- [06:54]
A
Absolutely. Yes. So, okay, next we have the nightmare scene. And, you guys, if you know anything about us, you know, we love a nightmare scene.
- [07:03]
B
We're sluts for a nightmare scene.
- [07:04]
A
We're sluts for a nightmare scene, and we're sluts for rain. And we'll get to that in a minute.
- [07:08]
B
Check and check.
- [07:08]
A
But sweet, precious Kai is having the most horrible nightmare about Paden and Jacks, and they're dying, and it's just so graphic and brutal. And then he's, like, surrounded by all the people that he's killed as the enforcer. And Peyton is, like, screaming, and she's, like, stabbed in the chest, and it's terrible. And he starts screaming out loud, and Peyton hears him, and she runs to him, and she's trying to wake him up, and she's trying to wake him up, and he's still kind of half in that dream. And he flips her onto the mattress and, like, puts a knife to her throat. And she's like, kai, it's me, Paden. And then she's like, he's still not fully out of it. And she's like, it's me, Pay.
- [07:44]
B
It's me, pay. I couldn't handle this. It was so good. And something about the drama of her running and him, he's really. You know, he's screaming and crying and all these things, and that's so vulnerable. And then he flips her over and, like, oh, God, but it's sexy. But what's happening?
- [07:59]
A
What's happening?
- [08:00]
B
And then she says, it's me, Pay. I. It was so good. Keep going. Keep going.
- [08:04]
A
So he finally wakes up. That's what kind of like, fully wakes him up is her saying her nickname to him. Okay, can we talk about that? Okay. And he is, of course, really ashamed, disgusted with himself because he nicked her throat a tiny bit with a knife. And she kind of makes a joke, like, you know, it's not the first time. Whatever. And she says, don't hide from me. Not anymore.
- [08:21]
B
What a turning point line for her. She is saying, totally don't hide from me, and not anymore. That really sets us up to, like, that was before. Yeah, we're past that.
- [08:31]
A
Yeah. Yeah. And so then he's like, stay. And then she kind of still is hesitating, and he goes, please.
- [08:36]
B
This. Please broke me. I was broken.
- [08:39]
A
Oh, Christina.
- [08:40]
B
Something about him saying please just really killed me.
- [08:44]
A
I mean, we just love when there's, like, a strong Alpha man. He's an enforcer. He kills people. And he's like, stay, please.
- [08:51]
B
Please.
- [08:52]
A
Oh, okay. So she gets back in bed, and they're spooning, and he kind of, like, kind of leans up against her as if, like, to say, is this okay? And she fully lets herself lean back into him. And so they're cuddling, and she says, I feel secure and safe. Safe and more soothed in his arms than I have in years. I feel. Wow. Wow.
- [09:10]
B
Really good. Really good. Really good.
- [09:11]
A
Really good. So they're kind of just staring at each other, which they do a lot in this book. And we'll get to why that irks me later. But it's cute right now. It's great right now. And he just says, as tempting as it is to watch you stare at me all night, sleep, pay.
- [09:23]
B
Anytime he says pay, I am just a puddle on the floor, dead on the ground.
- [09:27]
A
It's fine. So then she's like. She kind of gives him, like, a groggy grin, and she says, are you going to sleep? And he says, oh, darling, I'm already dreaming.
- [09:35]
B
Shut up right now. Swoon city.
- [09:37]
A
But the swooniest thing is he starts braiding her hair.
- [09:41]
B
The braiding. The braiding of her hair. I can't, because he braided her hair at the beginning because she got blood in it. And I was like, wow, this is cute. But, like, it's intimate. And somehow here, it feels so much more intimate because it's. They know each other, and he's doing it out of a tender, like, care. I just.
- [09:55]
A
She's like, what are you doing? And he's like, I'm practicing. Remember, like you said, I need to practice. And so she falls asleep to him. Braiding her hair.
- [10:02]
B
Braiding her hair.
- [10:03]
A
Can you shut up?
- [10:04]
B
Just truly. Shut up, shut up, shut up.
- [10:08]
A
Like this, man. I just truly. Okay, but what really got us, what really got me and Christina is the rain scene, y'all. We are sluts for a rain scene. Like, I mean, just the imagery. Christina.
- [10:21]
B
It's true. The fact that the rain heightened this so much is wild.
- [10:24]
A
Oh, yeah.
- [10:24]
B
I mean, truly, authors, if you want stakes higher, throw some rain in there.
- [10:28]
A
Rain and torches. Not maybe, obviously, at the same time.
- [10:31]
B
No, that'd be tricky. But rain, though, effective.
- [10:33]
A
I mean, so good. So this is the final ball before the final trial, and Peyton has officially gotten the key to the secret tunnel off of Kit. As they're dancing, she does her stumbling bit, which nobody seems to pick up on but fine. And she stole the key to the secret tunnel that he always keeps on his person to keep it safe.
- [10:50]
B
As we discussed, this is one job. Yeah.
- [10:52]
A
And she gives it to Lenny. And so she's really overwhelmed. She's emotional. She's, like, just betrayed Kit. And so she runs from the ball to get some fresh air. And some asshole Imperials, like, stop her, and they won't let her leave. And Kai does his, like, very hot, protective, sexy, like, thing. He's like, let that little lady go. And so she. If you want to hear her talk more about little lady, go check out our chapter test because we have a whole conversation about little lady.
- [11:16]
B
Truly. It's. It's a treat.
- [11:17]
A
It's a time. It's a time. But Peyton runs out into the rain and she starts, like, jumping through puddles and just feeling, like, so free and like she's a kid again. And she probably hasn't felt that childlike joy since before her father died.
- [11:31]
B
Absolutely.
- [11:32]
A
So that was really sweet. And here we go. Are we ready?
- [11:34]
B
Buckle up.
- [11:35]
A
So he walks after her and he says, I don't know that I ever lived before laying eyes on the likes of you, Malachi. So then he gives her a forget me not flower. Because there's, like, a running joke throughout the book that Peyton keeps forgetting who he is. I didn't remember what this was. But then when I went back and reread some stuff, it's because she keeps speaking to him as if he's not a prince. And so he kind of jokes with her like, oh, you're forgetting who I am. Like, I'm a prince. And she's like, I don't care. So he gives her the flower to be like, you keep forgetting who I am.
- [12:03]
B
So forget.
- [12:03]
A
Forget me not.
- [12:05]
B
And also he says in the beginning that her eyes are the shape he says, like a storm and water, and thinks he's drowning. But also he says that there's, like, a shade of forget me not in there, too.
- [12:14]
A
Yes. Oh, okay. So they start talking about names and stuff like that. And she. She's like, well, Kai isn't your actual name.
- [12:22]
B
And she hears his mom calling that or something.
- [12:24]
A
Yeah. At the ball, like, right before this, his mom calls him Malachi.
- [12:29]
B
Yes.
- [12:29]
A
And she didn't know that was his full name. And so she calls him Malachi. I am dead at the imagery of this. Please hold. She says, malachi. His eyes flutter shut. His head falls back, allowing the rain full access to his face. The smile on his lips and the column of his neck make Me swallow. His head is still tipped toward the sky, speaking to it as he says, only you can make my name sound worth saying.
- [12:53]
B
This imagery. This imagery. The rain. The rain. Oh, also, we didn't know. He's holding his coat over her, right? Isn't he?
- [13:00]
A
Yes.
- [13:00]
B
Holding his coat over her.
- [13:01]
A
Yeah. I didn't know if it was this or the next quote I'm gonna read, but I think he is holding his jacket over her head so she doesn't get wet. And he's just, like, out in the deluge and just like in the rain.
- [13:12]
B
Him head tilted back, it's raining on his face. And he's just saying, like, only you can say my name and make it. This is so gorgeous. Gorgeous. Just want that snapshot from her POV of him just, like, in front of her, looking up and it raining on his face.
- [13:27]
A
I mean, you could see it. Like, I could see it in that moment.
- [13:30]
B
Yes.
- [13:30]
A
I think Lauren does a really good job of setting the imagery of things to make it. You have such a clear picture of what's going on. And I will say that I really did like that.
- [13:38]
B
Agreed. Agreed.
- [13:39]
A
So then the last part of this rain scene, Kai says, as adorable as you looked, blinking up at me in the rain, I wanted you to see me clearly. When I tell you this, I meant what I said. I can't take my eyes off you. I can't take my mind off you. I look away from his burning gaze, shaking my head as I mutter, kai, I Peyton. I still. I shiver. He says my name like it's sacred, like it's an oath. He's swearing. He tilts his head to the side, eyes roaming over my face. Tell me, he murmurs, what do you want me to call you? My eyes slowly meet his, confused by his question. What do you want to call me? And he says, I want to call you mine. Why is that? So I call you mine.
- [14:22]
B
God, we want you to color yours too.
- [14:24]
A
I truly.
- [14:25]
B
That was so good. And it feels earned, it feels deserved. It feels like, yes, we've gotten here, we've gone through the journey, and him being so vulnerable and saying, like, I want to call you mine. I mean, it freaks her out because.
- [14:36]
A
Of course it does, but it's just.
- [14:38]
B
At the moment is so beautiful and good. Wow. Just wow.
- [14:43]
A
I'm a sucker for, like, your mind, or I want to call you just that, Mine. I love it. I can't get enough of it.
- [14:48]
B
And from him, like, just sexy, sexy man, him. It just. It works for his character. It didn't seem out of character. It wasn't like he was like, you are the light of my life. Something about, I, like, I want to call you mine feels really straightforward and.
- [15:00]
A
Just like, to the point and sexy. Oh, so sexy. So sexy.
- [15:04]
B
Just sexy.
- [15:04]
A
But I think we need to discuss the whole love triangle issue that takes place in this book. Christina.
- [15:10]
B
Yeah, let's talk about this. So when we were reading, you know, this isn't our first rodeo, friends, listeners, you know, this isn't our first rodeo. So pretty early on, we were like, oh, God, are we doing a love triangle? Is this what we're doing? We saw it coming. To be fair, it didn't actually end up being out how we thought.
- [15:26]
A
No.
- [15:27]
B
At all.
- [15:27]
A
No.
- [15:28]
B
But we did foresee it coming and we weren't happy about it.
- [15:31]
A
No.
- [15:32]
B
However, I do question if we can even call this a love triangle, because I actually don't think she ever really had romantic feelings for Kit. Like, to me, a love triangle means that she and the reader are torn between the two. And I don't think she ever was torn. I think that Kit had feelings for her, but I think that she. I would argue. I don't think she ever, like, looked at him romantically or at any point thought, should I pick him over Kai? You know?
- [15:59]
A
No, you're right. You're right. I guess it was just kind of confusing because she was playing him. But I didn't necessarily always feel like that was as accurately portrayed. I guess it was portrayed. I just. It was confusing. I didn't know what we, as the reader were supposed to feel. It felt like sometimes Lauren wanted. Because there were these moments of connection, like he grabbed her face in the loot and he was like, I'm so sorry you had to live like this. Thank you for showing this to me. And it was a really vulnerable, tender moment. And I was like, am I supposed to be into this romantically, or am I just supposed to think this is like a friendship connection?
- [16:29]
B
I 100% agree. I don't think that was clear. I think that in that moment, those moments where we are really kind of seeing him have feelings for her, and it's written in a way that is cute and desirable to the reader. It feels like in a different setting, a different story, that would have been to make us root for him instead of Kai.
- [16:49]
A
Right.
- [16:50]
B
But it wasn't enough, and it wasn't as consistent enough. It just. It wasn't enough to actually make that happen.
- [16:55]
A
Yes.
- [16:56]
B
So it felt a little like, is that supposed to make us like him more and see how Much he likes her. And then therefore, when everything goes down at the end, like, it is that much more heightened. But it felt love triangle. Y. But something was off. But I think our brains are so conditioned to think of what a love triangle means that I was worried that at any second the brothers were going to start fighting over her or she was going to really develop feelings for Kit or one of those things that I didn't want to happen.
- [17:23]
A
Right.
- [17:24]
B
And so in that way, I am happy neither of those things. Things happened. But I. I am left a little confused on how I was supposed to feel about Kit. Like you said.
- [17:31]
A
I agree. And I think something to point out, and this happened to us in another romantasy series that we read where it's like, okay, so if you're wanting us to root for, like, Kit in this instance, then you kind of have to be seeing Peyton as a villain because she's playing him. And so if you're starting to root for Kit, but Peyton is playing him and using him, then really the only logical step is to be like, well, then I don't like Peyton because she's exactly. She's hurting him and she's leading him on. But obviously, I don't think we're supposed to feel that for our main female character. Like, I don't think that's ever. The author's intent is to be like, you should dislike my main female character.
- [18:07]
B
No, agree.
- [18:08]
A
So I was just confused because it was like, we can't like Kit and root for Kit when the whole relationship or whatever's happening there is a complete lie.
- [18:15]
B
Yeah. You know, I think if anything, it just gave me anxiety that I knew that it was coming, that he was going to feel betrayed, and that it was not an easy decision like, that she maybe didn't make the right decision betraying him. You know what I mean? It did make me feel mad at her a little bit.
- [18:28]
A
Right.
- [18:28]
B
But I think we are supposed to ultimately. I mean, then he says lines like, well, the ordinaries. Yeah, we're doing the greater good by killing them. And I'm like, oh, right. Well, now I see why.
- [18:38]
A
I know. Yeah.
- [18:39]
B
But it's hard. So. Okay. I just want to say one thing about Kit right here. I was going to say it later, but I just want to say here.
- [18:43]
A
Yeah.
- [18:44]
B
So do you know who Lauren Roberts says her fan cast is for Kit?
- [18:49]
A
Who?
- [18:49]
B
Nicholas Galitzine. Who is the guy from the Idea of youf and Red, White and Royal Blue. So with that in mind, I think that we would feel very differently About Kit.
- [19:00]
A
Wait, but Kit is supposed to have blonde hair.
- [19:02]
B
Yeah. I guess we just make him blonder.
- [19:03]
A
I don't know. Okay, I can do.
- [19:04]
B
He's pretty blonde in red, white and royal blue.
- [19:05]
A
Oh, is he? Oh, okay. Because he has, like, dark brown hair and the idea. Yeah, shut the fuck up. He is so hot. Okay, well, this. I don't even know now. I don't know what to do with this.
- [19:14]
B
Right.
- [19:15]
A
This has completely changed everything.
- [19:16]
B
Can you just imagine him be like, oh, well, I. So I. I actually really like him. Maybe. Maybe you should. You should like him. And then him turning evil at the end and you're like, oh, shit. You know?
- [19:26]
A
But it's still sexy. But it would still be sexy.
- [19:29]
B
I feel like if that's how we're envisioning him, maybe we were supposed to really like him. Maybe we were supposed to feel less.
- [19:35]
A
100%. See, now I need to see Kai. I need to see Kai and Kit.
- [19:40]
B
I don't think she has one for him. I saw one post somewhere on TikTok where she was like, all I have is maybe this. And it's like a pinterest of a random guy with dark hair.
- [19:47]
A
Yeah, right?
- [19:48]
B
Yeah. We're going to have to think about our fan cast for all of them, but can you just imagine?
- [19:52]
A
This is completely thrown me, right? I mean, Christina, we love him. I know we love him.
- [19:57]
B
I love him. I didn't see Purple Heart. I think it's his other movie. But we loved Red White Marble and the idea of you. He is sexy in the idea of you.
- [20:03]
A
Oh, my God.
- [20:04]
B
He's sexy in Red White Malobo, too. He's. He's sexy all around. All around every day. So, yeah. Anyways, I thought that would be an interesting place to plug that because I think it does change how we're supposed to look at kitty cats.
- [20:15]
A
Absolutely, it does. I am spiraling. I'm trying to stay focused, but I'm. I'm really spiraling. I want to go just like, Google Image him and just picture that.
- [20:22]
B
Because I'd be like, oh, I were.
- [20:24]
A
Peyton and he had his hands on my face and he looked like that. I'd be like, you know what? Let's reassess here. Like, what am I really doing?
- [20:31]
B
But then you have Kai being like, I want to call you mine.
- [20:34]
A
Yeah. Oh, my God. No. They'd be battling over. I'd be like, yeah, no, we're going to have to fight.
- [20:39]
B
So I actually just. I can't choose.
- [20:41]
A
Right.
- [20:41]
B
So if you guys could, for me, just Let me know. I'll be here.
- [20:44]
A
Right.
- [20:44]
B
Because I physically can't choose.
- [20:45]
A
Look at both of you. How am I supposed to. Am I supposed to choose that?
- [20:48]
B
Okay, so let's move along to our third trial. This is our last trial, and it's a doozy. So everyone get ready, get your tissues, get yourselves together.
- [20:58]
A
Yeah. So the third trial is Goblet of Fire. And pretty much, if you haven't read Harry Potter, I don't know what you're doing with yourself. But if you have not. There's a maze, okay. Yeah, there's a maze, and it grows and shifts and it, like, cuts itself off and it's a whole thing, and everybody has to get through the maze. And whoever gets to the center of the maze first has to kill a criminal that the king has had imprisoned in the dungeons.
- [21:23]
B
Yes. Like a deserving criminal or something. I don't know. And that signifies you winning, getting to the middle and killing the criminal.
- [21:30]
A
Yeah.
- [21:30]
B
Guys, these trials, I'm. Yeah.
- [21:33]
A
Like, oh, okay.
- [21:35]
B
There's no rules. There's no scoring system. I don't know what it means that someone won the other ones. Like, what does it mean that Payne 1 captured the flag? Shit all didn't do anything.
- [21:43]
A
Nothing.
- [21:43]
B
What does the voting system mean? Shit all doesn't do anything. It's pretty ambiguous who even won this one? There's no, like. I mean. Okay, let's keep going. It's amazing. Yeah.
- [21:51]
A
So we'll get there. But again, like, just because somebody won this one, who won the whole thing?
- [21:55]
B
Exactly. Does the winner of this win everything?
- [21:57]
A
I don't think so. No.
- [21:58]
B
Because then why. Why does it matter that you win the other ones? Shouldn't it be, like, you're raising up in the ranks? But then, like, who?
- [22:05]
A
I don't know.
- [22:05]
B
So then who?
- [22:06]
A
Exactly.
- [22:06]
B
Yeah.
- [22:07]
A
Who?
- [22:07]
B
Why?
- [22:08]
A
What?
- [22:08]
B
For a book that is really centered around trials, we've somehow gotten away with both knowing nothing about them and them making zero sense.
- [22:16]
A
Absolutely.
- [22:16]
B
Which is hilarious and impressive, actually. But it's.
- [22:20]
A
Those are some words for it. But you know what? Nothing we can do about it. So basically, the biggest things from this is Kai has to fight Andy. They both shift into, like, an animal form, and it's really intense and very stressful.
- [22:32]
B
Yeah.
- [22:33]
A
Like, yikes. But the biggest thing, arguably, other than the resistance coming, is Adina dying, y'all. Yeah, this was rough. I didn't love this.
- [22:43]
B
The verbiage in this scene, the words spoken are horrific. They're so sad. I do feel like I wish that I knew Adina or cared for her more.
- [22:55]
A
Yeah.
- [22:56]
B
I think that her whole, like, kind of use was just to devastate.
- [23:00]
A
Yep.
- [23:00]
B
Peyton. But I wish that I. Spoilers for Fourth Wing. I'm not going to say a name, but there's a character that dies in Fourth Wing that I was devastated by, and I feel like that's because I knew them intimately in a different way, outside of just being friends with the lead.
- [23:16]
A
Yes.
- [23:16]
B
And I think that this could have used a little bit of that.
- [23:19]
A
I agree. I don't think we got to know Idina enough. Like, she was barely in the book at all. And she literally just served, like you said, just to be Peyton's friend and for her to have, like, one person that knew her before all of this.
- [23:33]
B
Yeah.
- [23:33]
A
And I just wish more for her character, too.
- [23:36]
B
Yeah. I guess that's what the novella is about. But it feels a little too late, you know?
- [23:39]
A
Yeah. Yeah, totally.
- [23:41]
B
Okay. So all that being said, though, this was devastating. Truly. I wish I cared about her more. But also, you can't read this and not be like, this is gut wrenching.
- [23:48]
A
Absolutely.
- [23:48]
B
The actual words on page.
- [23:50]
A
Yeah. It is so sad. And you're mostly just really sad for Peyton because Idina is literally the only person that she has left that knows who Peyton really is. Like, yes, Kai wants her and has feelings for her, but he doesn't know the truth about her. And Idina is quite literally the only person that just knows her at all. And now she's leaving Peyton just like everybody else has left Peyton. And it is so sad. So Idina was the criminal. I'm using quotation marks at the center of the maze that the winner had to kill in order to win the trial. And she has been badly, badly beaten.
- [24:19]
B
It's horrible.
- [24:20]
A
I can't even recount it, but it's bad. And Peyton gets to her first. But Blair makes, like, a branch fly through the air.
- [24:26]
B
Where'd she get this branch?
- [24:27]
A
I don't. Why are so many branches flying through the air?
- [24:30]
B
But, like, where did they come from?
- [24:31]
A
I don't know. The maze.
- [24:32]
B
The blooms control the whole maze. Right. The bloom people. Oh, no. You know what? Kai did kind of like explode the maze to get out of the thing a second ago. So I bet maybe. Maybe there's debris.
- [24:44]
A
There's probably debris.
- [24:45]
B
Okay.
- [24:46]
A
And she uses the debris to skewer Idina through the chest.
- [24:50]
B
Sorry, that's not funny. Just the way you said skewer.
- [24:52]
A
There's so much skewer. And Peyton, like, of course, runs to her and is holding her And Adina is like, promise me you'll wear the vest. And Peyton's like, the vet. Okay, y'all. What? What?
- [25:03]
B
I think this vest has to be important, guys. I mean, I. We have not read powerful, and we haven't read reckless, but why would we care so much about this vest that she needs to make her go get it, right? I feel like there's something sewn into the vest. Is the vest made with a special magical fabric? Like, there's something with this vest, Right?
- [25:19]
A
Has to be.
- [25:19]
B
She then has to, like, go to this whole mission to go back to the castle to get it. I just feel like there's. There's something with this vest.
- [25:25]
A
I hope so, because otherwise I'm like, so this is what we're gonna spend our time on our deathbed talking about? A vest?
- [25:31]
B
This better be important, because this is it. This is your one chance to talk. And you're like, the vest. The green one. That one. I was like, I know which vest.
- [25:38]
A
I was like, okay, but I just.
- [25:39]
B
I have one more question here. Did you note whenever she first goes over to her that she's apologizing? Adina's apologizing?
- [25:46]
A
Yes. She says, I'm so sorry.
- [25:48]
B
Why is she apologizing?
- [25:49]
A
I don't know. That's a great question.
- [25:51]
B
Because Blair, like, cuts her off, I think. Or no. Does she cut her off somewhat? I feel like we don't find out.
- [25:56]
A
I think. Yeah. I think that's when Blair kills her. Because Idina starts to try to walk over to her, even though she's shackled. And Hayden notes that she's, like, frantic. I mean, obviously.
- [26:03]
B
Yeah.
- [26:03]
A
And she's like, peyton, I'm so sorry. I. And then Blair, like, so we don't know. I bet it's empowerful.
- [26:08]
B
I bet it is, too.
- [26:09]
A
Everyone's, like, screaming at us, like, read it. Like, I don't want to.
- [26:13]
B
I really don't. It's gonna be so sad. Everyone's like, it's devastating. It's gut wrenching. It's really the saddest thing ever. Like, this is doing nothing to make me want to read it.
- [26:21]
A
You're literally not selling it at all. You're making it to where I just want to read a summary because I don't want to read about her getting tortured. And I just. It's also like, why are we getting more of her now? Like, why couldn't we get more of her in the book? You know what I mean?
- [26:31]
B
I totally agree. Just keep her alive then.
- [26:33]
A
Okay, so she's holding her. And Idina tells her this is not a goodbye, only a good way to say bye until I see you next.
- [26:38]
B
Because that's what she said when she left for the Trials. God damn it, this is so sad.
- [26:42]
A
And then Peyton says, I need you to know that I will never forget you, A. I choke out through my sobs, not in this lifetime or the next. Next. Oh, Jesus, never again. She barely manages a nod before her eyes flutter shut. I sob, my body slumping over her as I press my forehead to her own. You're my favorite A. Oh, shut up, God damn it.
- [27:01]
B
You're my favorite A. And she's sobbing and like, oh, Jesus Christ. I didn't see this coming. Actually, I thought that Idina was gonna be, like, around for a long time.
- [27:09]
A
Yes, same. I didn't know who I thought was gonna die, but I did not think it was gonna be Adina because she's barely in the book. So I was like, well, surely she's just gonna be like. Like, you know, carry on, whatever. So amidst this horrific scene, someone's like, the tunnels. They came in through the tunnels. And Kai is like, what the fuck? And Peyton's still sobbing over Adina. So the resistance has arrived. They use the key that Peyton gave them. They came up and the crowd, they have, like, a mute covering them so that they can't, like, attack the contestants.
- [27:41]
B
Yes, right.
- [27:41]
A
It, like, keeps them separated. And so, like, the contestants, I guess, can't attack at the crowd, but because of that, they are completely powerless. And so the silencers that are part of the resistance are controlling them and making sure that the mute stays up and that the crowd is being held against their will.
- [27:57]
B
Yes.
- [27:58]
A
And now they are silencing Kai also.
- [28:00]
B
Right. He has been training, so he does get there.
- [28:03]
A
He does.
- [28:03]
B
But it's not good. It's not good.
- [28:05]
A
It's not good. But I just, you know, I don't really know what our plan was here, to be quite honest with you, because things go bad really quickly.
- [28:12]
B
So quickly.
- [28:13]
A
Peyton then kind of figures out what's going on as she looks at Kit. And now we're back to the. Kit is the king. The king is kid. They are very alike. How could I ever think they weren't alike? Even though I said it multiple times throughout the book, they are the same. She's, like, looking at his eyes. They do the whole eyes thing, and he is, like, giving her the death glare, like, I hate you. How could you do this to me? He is cold. He is callous. He is like this because of Me. He is his father, but this is definitely his moment where he is like, oh, my God.
- [28:38]
B
This is what's happened. She's betrayed me. This is.
- [28:40]
A
Yeah, yeah. Okay, so Callum, who's one of the resistance members, he forces the teal girl to, like, you know, magnify his voice, and he speaks to the crowd and he says, many of you may not know who we are, and that is because we are your king's most deadly secret. His dirtiest secret. We are ordinaries. We are fatals. We are the resistance.
- [28:56]
B
Ooh.
- [28:56]
A
This could all be over. No more death. No more fighting. We are everywhere. We are not extinct from this kingdom. Despite what your king has used believe. We have never stopped growing, never stopped fighting against the injustice that the purging brought. And Peyton is silently pleading with Callum to be like, tell them the lie. Tell them that we are not diseased, that we are healthy and whole. Like, we may not have proof, but our lives are proof enough. That we've lived among them for decades with no outbreaks and no disease or the loss of elite powers. And that might be enough for now. No, we don't do that.
- [29:27]
B
Why? This was so frustrating to me. You've had years to play in this speech.
- [29:32]
A
Years.
- [29:32]
B
And I will give you that beginning. Gave me chills. I love it. That, like, we are ordinary, we are fatals. We are the resistance. But just saying you're the King's most deadly secret does not give them anything to understand. No, the whole point of you living amongst them is that you haven't infected them.
- [29:49]
A
Right.
- [29:49]
B
Therefore, you are not a problem.
- [29:51]
A
So, like, put those dots together for them. Paint them that picture and be like, so think about this. If that's really true, then why are. Are all of us completely fine, we're.
- [29:58]
B
Alive and you haven't been affected at all. Like, that's just such a key point to this that I'm frustrated that it wasn't said.
- [30:05]
A
It's really frustrating. And like you said, the resistance has been going on since Peyton's father was alive.
- [30:09]
B
Yeah.
- [30:10]
A
So 13 years ago, her father was part of the Resistance. I'm like, within 13 years, we couldn't come up with a better explanation of what's going on than that.
- [30:18]
B
Yep.
- [30:19]
A
Okay. So instead they say, no, no, we're not going to explain this. We are just going to threaten to kill both of the princes if the king does not comply. Which, if you knew the king, he's a piece of shit and doesn't care about one of his sons for sure. Arguably the second one I don't know. But, like. Okay.
- [30:34]
B
Also, Pai, I do think she would have definitely never gone along with that, and that's probably why they didn't tell her. But it was an interesting little tidbit here for her to now kind of feel betrayed by them, that that was the plan, that she didn't know. Yeah, Just so much betrayal all around.
- [30:49]
A
We did note that it was interesting how they just kind of told her everything from the very beginning. So I did question that, because I was like, how do you know if you can trust this girl? You don't even know her at all. And then you're. You're just gonna tell everything. Well, turns out they didn't. So she starts freaking out. She's like, they are going to kill the princes if the king does not relent. They are gambling with the future of Ilya, gambling with lives. They didn't tell me that. This was not how it was supposed to go. Threatening the prince's lives will only lead to the people. People's anger being directed at us, at our cause. It's harmful. Not helpful.
- [31:17]
B
Yeah, guys, this is leader material here. You got to listen to her because Callum's not doing you good favors here, okay?
- [31:23]
A
No, he's had years to work on this speech and he's fucked it up.
- [31:26]
B
Yeah, procrastination, clearly. Because this is really not. He's got that one first line, and then it just all went to hell. Right. I did really appreciate that in Kai's inner monologue, at some point he thinks, wait, so why are we not sick? Like, he is putting those pieces together, right, about the ordinary, which is good to see him doing, because clearly they're not giving us those pieces.
- [31:47]
A
So it's like, if he was managed to put that together fairly quickly, all they needed to do was simply state it plainly. And at least some people would even be like, wait, yeah, that's right. And even if things went to shit later, at least they would have that thought in their minds of, like, well, wait, that's true.
- [32:00]
B
Yeah. Like, how did that happen? And I think Kai has this stronger moral code than a lot of the, like, elites who look down on the ordinary. So I think, yeah, a lot of those people, especially after, then they all just attack each other, are like, well, they are the problem.
- [32:12]
A
Yeah. So it descends into chaos. Kai manages to break free of the Silencer's control, and then he takes on Kit's duel ability and, like, lights everything on fire. He says, only a Silencer can be a Silencer. And that's exactly What I do, I beat him with his own ability. The weight of his silence slips from my shoulders. And then I consume them in flame.
- [32:31]
B
Oh, yes, he does.
- [32:32]
A
So everything's on fire. Everyone starts fighting because the mute, obviously is gone. All the elites can start fighting back. And very quickly it's clear that the resistance is not going to win this battle. So Peyton then obviously is like, I need to get out of here. And she has to leave Adina's body, which was so upsetting because she can't carry her. And she calls herself a coward because she also ran away from her father's body because she couldn't carry her father's body either. And she says the symmetry in their deaths is sickening. Both run through in the chest.
- [33:03]
B
God.
- [33:04]
A
And that gets brought up again, actually, in the showdown with the King, which Christina's about to talk about, where the King brings that up. Also that he's about to kill Peyton through the chest, which is how her father died. And it's just so.
- [33:15]
B
It's like. It's so sad, this parallel she paints here of her running away too, and so her father and then Idina and then now, like both of them being gone. Every tie to her life before she came to the Persian trials is just. Just gone. Like, she doesn't have any tie to who she was, which is a really sad but I guess, interesting way for her to start the next book. But the parallel there is so sad to read.
- [33:40]
A
Yeah, definitely. Okay, so let's get to the showdown with the King.
- [33:43]
B
Oh, my Lordy Lou. All right, here we go, guys. So we have a showdown with the King. She does go back, and through a secrets of events, she's like, I need to get healed really quick and get this vest. And then she does those things. And then she like, escapes, but she tries to go back to loot. And then the King is there. All of a sudden. He's by himself. No guards, no help, no nothing.
- [34:02]
A
Just solo by himself.
- [34:03]
B
But he is by himself. And they get into a brawl. It's a very informative little brawl, but it is a brawl and it's rough. He's the assholiest asshole we've ever seen. As we all anticipated, no surprise there. But some interesting things that we do learn. One, that he has known she's an ordinary this whole time, which is fascinating because you would think that he would have just outright killed her at some point. But I guess, like, that would have gotten him in trouble. I don't really. Anyways, he's known the whole time, so Also, he says he does talk. He, like, taunts her with the death of Adina. He taunts her with the death of her dad. He pretty much says, like she says, you killed them both. And he's like, well, you killed your little friend pretty much because Adina died because you didn't stay away from my sons like I warned you to. That's why that happened. And it's rough to hear all around. Also, keep in mind the fragile place she's in already. Like, my God. Like, this is really traumatic. Okay, so. And she is fighting back. She is holding her own, but it's rough, you know, he's really going for it.
- [35:03]
A
Yeah.
- [35:04]
B
There's a part where she thinks she's gonna die. She's, like, accepting it.
- [35:07]
A
Right.
- [35:07]
B
But okay, so this is our major, major takeaway of this section.
- [35:12]
A
Oh, God.
- [35:13]
B
So turns out, everyone, Kai actually killed her dad, not the king. All right, look, this is a fun reveal. It's a drama insertion into the plot that I did not see coming. That was like, what? What? What? Mic drop. It is not lost on me, the parallels of what is about to come when she does kill his dad and the fact that her killing his dad is her first kill and him killing her dad was his first kill and they killed each other's death. There's a lot of parallels here. I get all those things. However, the questions this brings up for us about the memory and what she has thought this entire time while looking at Kai and looking at Kit and what she actually remembers seeing is just a little too messy for me. A little bit.
- [36:04]
A
It doesn't make sense. It just doesn't make sense. And we're here to break it down and tell you why.
- [36:09]
B
Yeah. Okay. So one of the first things she thinks when he does reveal that it was Kai, she also just automatically believes him, which is interesting.
- [36:16]
A
Yeah.
- [36:17]
B
She says, where I once thought I saw the face of the king, I now see a blurry body. I can't make out any of the details. Can't seem to recall anything about my father's killer. And I. Okay, so there is a piece of this whole journey we're about to go on with this because we have some thoughts that if the point here was to say that it was a trauma response, that she actually isn't remembering it correctly.
- [36:43]
A
Yes.
- [36:44]
B
Because it's so traumatic to go back to that place. And so she's blocked it out. I do think that is valid.
- [36:49]
A
Absolutely.
- [36:49]
B
And I do think that is something that is reasonable.
- [36:52]
A
Totally.
- [36:52]
B
But it was not portrayed that way the entire Book.
- [36:55]
A
Nope.
- [36:56]
B
There was never a point when she just had a lapse in memory when thinking about it. There was never a point where she pushed it away because she couldn't think about it. There was never a point when it caused her to have a panic attack. I feel like if that was the point, we could have laid that groundwork a little more.
- [37:09]
A
Yeah, absolutely. I completely agree. That is so valid, and that is happens in real life, and that is super valid and true. But like you said, she was so clear throughout the whole book. She would look at the king and have a visceral reaction. Him. She could barely look at Kit.
- [37:23]
B
Oh, my God. Every single scene we had with Kit, we talked so much about his eyeballs.
- [37:27]
A
Like, with the eyes. Yeah, I literally. Oh, my God. I went and reread the first 150 pages of this book to be like, okay, so does she mention that the killer's eyes are green because she looks at Kit and is like, God, how dare you? My father's murderer. No.
- [37:41]
B
Yeah. Turns out, no, she never says, oh, my memory of the king, of the green eyes being there, that's never a thing.
- [37:47]
A
But she's very clear that it was the king.
- [37:49]
B
Yeah. The whole book. The whole book. She's like, the king murdered my father.
- [37:53]
A
Yes.
- [37:53]
B
So unclear why she thought it was the king. Like, why was she so certain?
- [37:56]
A
I don't know.
- [37:57]
B
Anyways, so this leads. Leads to really our big thesis point here. I'm gonna let Kim take the floor when talking about this, but thank you. Our biggest grievance, if you will, is not even all the things we just said. It is the fact that she then now takes this knowledge. All right, she's killed the king. Kai shows up. Okay? And she has now taken this knowledge to mean that everything she has felt for Kai, all of their tension, all of their emotions, every piece of their relationship has been an illusion stemming from this forgotten memory. Like, the reason she feels any of these things is because she somehow remembers him there in the back of her brain.
- [38:36]
A
Please read the quote, Christina.
- [38:38]
B
Okay. My breath shudders as I stare at him. It suddenly all makes sense. The attraction, the connection, the familiarity. I was so easily drawn to him because deep down, I knew him, recognized him, remembered him. He was familiar to me. What?
- [38:52]
A
What?
- [38:53]
B
None of that makes sense. He's not familiar to you?
- [38:55]
A
No.
- [38:55]
B
You don't actually remember him being there?
- [38:57]
A
No.
- [38:57]
B
1 and 2, this is there. There was never a situation where she's like, oh, wow, this guy, he seems familiar to me.
- [39:06]
A
Never.
- [39:06]
B
That was also not a thing. So her saying the connection and attraction being there because you remember him being there when you don't remember him being there. Makes no sense.
- [39:14]
A
Makes no sense.
- [39:15]
B
Right.
- [39:16]
A
It is infuriating. Like, I'm sorry, this. This part actually enraged me. I am incensed because it's like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I went back through the first time that she met Kai. I went back through. I mean, I have gone through every single one of their interactions. There is never a time where she refers to him as familiar or comforting or any of the words that. No connection to him. Literally nothing. She looks in his eyes the first time she meets him. They're gray. They look at each other's eyes a thousand times. There's never any mention of, like, I thought I remembered a flash of something, but then it was gone in an instant.
- [39:52]
B
Exactly. Or like oddly familiar and felt comforting, like home. Anything? Anything?
- [39:57]
A
Nothing.
- [39:58]
B
Yeah.
- [39:58]
A
And like Christina said. So you don't remember it's Kai because she's very certain the entire book that the King is the one who killed her father. So then that goes to. Oh, no, actually, I do remember it being Kai and the narrative has changed to. I remember it being Kai. It's. That's why I've liked him this whole time, because I saw a blurry outline of the back of him one time five years ago. And that's why you are saying you have feelings for him.
- [40:27]
B
Yeah, that's where that is coming from. And I think so many factors, that being the biggest. And then being that so much of the book was talking about Kit's eyes. Yes, Kit and the King. And it's so specifically pointed out to us how different they look. That Kit is blonde with green eyes and that Kai has dark, like black hair and gray eyes. Like, it is so specifically pointed out how they are half brothers, but besides that, they couldn't look alike at all. To point that out and then have her bake. That much of a confusion means you really didn't remember it at all. So then, like, how do you know you. I don't know.
- [41:03]
A
But then, just like you said, Christina, have that be. The thing is, it was so traumatic. I was a young girl. Which is completely valid.
- [41:10]
B
Yes.
- [41:10]
A
That I just. I can't remember it. And I try. My mind goes over and over again. I try to picture my father's killer and I can't. And then she sees Kai and that's fine for it to click into place that like, oh, my God, I do remember him.
- [41:24]
B
Yes.
- [41:25]
A
But then to take the step and Say, that's why I've liked him this entire. Because he's familiar to me.
- [41:30]
B
Yeah, he's not. He's not familiar, though. He never was. He still isn't. Like, you don't remember him.
- [41:36]
A
Right.
- [41:36]
B
I completely understand how this would reframe their relationship. I completely understand how this is something she would hear and be like, how do I reconcile this with my feelings for you?
- [41:45]
A
Sure.
- [41:45]
B
I don't like that it was. This is why I've liked you and that nothing we've had has been real.
- [41:53]
A
Right.
- [41:54]
B
But not because, oh, you killed my dad. And somehow, like, I think you lied about it, and that's why it hasn't been real. No, it hasn't been real because I liked you for this reason. Like, my attraction wasn't even real and our connection wasn't real because I don't. It's just. It's messy.
- [42:08]
A
I wish she had left that part out. I wish she had done it based off of, like, well, we kill each other's dads. Like, where do we go from here? Romantically?
- [42:14]
B
Yes.
- [42:15]
A
Fine. Super valid.
- [42:16]
B
Because that's valid.
- [42:17]
A
Totally.
- [42:18]
B
It's just that that little piece is what is really hard to reconcile.
- [42:22]
A
Literally, after she runs from Kai, she sees Forget me, not flowers, and remembers when he jokingly says that Peyton keeps forgetting who he is, and she literally says, oh, I remember who he is to me. How could I forget my father's murderer.
- [42:35]
B
Shut up. It does not say that. I forget about that line.
- [42:37]
A
It literally. I just read it today because I was like, no, no, no, no, no, no. How could I forget? Like, Lauren, the irony. You.
- [42:45]
B
How could I forget? You just. You did the whole.
- [42:47]
A
You just did the whole book.
- [42:48]
B
The whole book. You forgot. And even right now, you're forgetting that you forgot. Like, I'm. I can't. I can't.
- [42:53]
A
I'm like, you didn't recognize him once. Peyton and y'all spent so much time together, intimately.
- [42:59]
B
The closeness that you looked in this boy's eyes.
- [43:02]
A
Nothing. And I'm like, why would you put this in here? Why?
- [43:06]
B
It's so annoying. So annoying. Because there was enough drama there already.
- [43:10]
A
Totally.
- [43:11]
B
There's enough between them to have to work out where they can be, like, are we enemies? Revenge. There's enough. Don't add in the, like, weird memory loop that we're in.
- [43:20]
A
It's enraging.
- [43:20]
B
It's absolutely enraging. I would also be like, you weren't confident enough in the first place that you were, like, 100% green eyes. No doubt. No doubt. Green eyes, green eyes. Got it, Got it. This is what it is. And then he says this one thing. You're like, Nope, nope, nope. 100%. This, this, this, this. Like, clearly you don't remember. And that's okay.
- [43:35]
A
Right. But make her an unreliable narrator. Then, like, make her start to question things. Maybe as she spends more time with Kai, she sees the back of him or something and, like, yes. Has a flash that triggers maybe a memory of, like, wait, that's weird. But she kind of moves on. And then maybe it keeps happening again. And because they spend all this time together and she slowly throughout the book is like, huh. You know what I mean?
- [43:55]
B
Yeah, agreed.
- [43:56]
A
And she can't put two and two together until the king says something. And I think that would have made that reveal even.
- [44:00]
B
And then it clicks.
- [44:01]
A
Crazier.
- [44:02]
B
Agreed. Because then we would have been like, oh, this and this and this pointed to it. That would have made sense. The groundwork wasn't there. Where then it just feels like it comes out of nowhere. And it's a weird, cheap shot at their relationship that we've just built when they're already in a bad place. Because they killed each other's fathers.
- [44:15]
A
Right, Exactly. We'll just go ahead and run through that. So they obviously killed each other's fathers. And he comes. Comes up and he throws a knife at her. But, like, Mrs. On purpose.
- [44:23]
B
Yes, because it's Kai, and he would. He would not miss.
- [44:26]
A
Right. And she says, I did this to him. I killed his father. But he killed mine first. He knows what I've done. I doubt he would forget the distinct look of the dagger I pressed against his throat so many times. The same dagger that is now protruding from his father's throat. And yet his knife missed me. Kai doesn't miss. Not unless he wants to. And he just looks at her and he says, what have you done to me?
- [44:44]
B
Which is a direct. Direct parallel to when he says that to her. And actually, I went back and noted that when he said that to her the last time. What have you done to me? Pay it. That was yesterday.
- [44:55]
A
Perfect. No, I love that.
- [44:57]
B
Been a big 24 hours.
- [44:58]
A
Yeah, 24 hours. So he says, I should bury this blade in your throat. And she's like, then do it. And he says, I will. I should. And then he just lets out this, like, cry. And he's like, then why can't I do it? Why is it that when it comes to you, I'm suddenly a coward? Why is it that when it comes to. To you, I suddenly care? Why Is it that I can't throw this damn knife at my father's killer? And his chest is like, rising and falling rapidly, and he's like, raggedly breathing, and she's like, I've basically stopped breathing. And he says, I told you I was a fool for you. And it seems I was right. I'm a fool when it comes to you. And he says, at least you kept your promise. You stayed alive long enough to stab me in the back. He laughs bitterly. And now I promise to return the favor. His voice strains with emotion. Run, Peyton. Because when I catch you, I will not move this. I will not falter. I will not make the mistake of feeling for you. And then she, like, can't move. And he yells, go. His voice breaking. Go. Before I find someone who isn't a coward, someone who isn't a fool, and let them bury this dagger in your back here right now.
- [45:53]
B
Guys, the emotions. Kai's voice breaking when he yells, go. Can't do it. Look, I was annoyed at this moment, but this was well done. I loved.
- [46:02]
A
Oh. Everything Kai is feeling about Peyton and the betrayal, like, that is totally checks. And he's so betrayed because he's figured it out, too, that she's let the resistance in. Probably. I assume he's putting two and two together.
- [46:13]
B
Yes.
- [46:14]
A
This was so. Oh, my gosh. He was just, why can't I do it? Why can't I throw this at you?
- [46:19]
B
Oh. He's like, I should be able to. And then he's like, why do you make me such a coward? And then he's like, go. I can't. And then. Oh, God, him yelling go and run is so heartbreaking. And him saying the full circle moments, the parallels of the. What have you done to me? And you kept your promise. You stayed alive long enough to stab me in the back.
- [46:34]
A
Yeah.
- [46:35]
B
She has so many full circle parallels in, like, this last, like, a chapter, like two pages. I was like, oh, my God. Wow. Yeah, I mean, I loved him, but there was a lot.
- [46:43]
A
So let's talk about. They both feel betrayed. And let's talk about kind of our thoughts on each of their side, kind of their perspectives. And like I said, I totally understand feeling betrayed by Peyton in terms of letting the resistance in, betraying his brother and all of that. What is confusing to me is him acting like he is grief stricken about his father who did nothing but torture him his entire life. Now, do I understand that you can still love your abuser? Absolutely. That is totally valid. And I know that that also happens in real Life again. That was not shown throughout the book. Kai. I didn't feel like Kai ever felt love or affection for his father. I know he mentioned wanting to get him to smile, but it just seemed like their entire relationship was nothing but torture and they just weren't close. So I didn't. I just didn't like that. Now all of a sudden, he's like, my beloved father, Papa. How could she kill him? And I'm like, you hated him. He had tortured you for years, and now you're like, how could she kill him? Well, he sucks one. So, like, we don't need to be sad about him dying.
- [47:43]
B
No, that's the least of our worries.
- [47:44]
A
Right? But he's so deeply, like, oh, I loved him so deeply. And now he's gone. I just.
- [47:48]
B
Oh, he does. Oh, my God.
- [47:50]
A
Well, that's like the vibe I'm getting.
- [47:51]
B
No, that's the vibe. That is. That is. I was just like, oh, my God. Yeah.
- [47:54]
A
It's like all of a sudden I'm grieving my father dying and not saying, you can't. I just felt like if his feelings maybe should have been a little more complicated and more nuanced. And I felt like it pretty much went to just, he's grieving his father and Peyton killed him, and she's a monster because of that.
- [48:07]
B
And I'm like, well, so I understand him feeling betrayed in this. Exactly what you said. Everything you said. She's an ordinary. She's been working for the resistance. Couldn't figure out she was an ordinary. He feels dumb. He feels like she played him this whole time to get this outcome.
- [48:19]
A
Yeah.
- [48:19]
B
What I'm hoping is that in book two, the focus is not on mourning his dad. It's about my betrayal of those things. The only clue that I was latching onto to hope that that is where we're going was when he is kneeling by his dad and he says, I should be focused on the dead king in front of me. But all I can do is think about Peyton. How did I not know? Was she playing me the whole time? Was any of it real? And I'm hoping that that is really his line of thought and that's where we're going to with him. Where as that is not the same with Kit and the Kit is actually going to be mourning is what I'm hoping we're going for.
- [48:54]
A
I'm sure.
- [48:54]
B
Because it does not make sense for Kai realistically to mourn his dad at all. No, like, it really doesn't. It makes sense for Kit to want him to go on a revenge mission. But it wouldn't make sense for Kai, from what we know, to be more upset about his dad dying than a was about being betrayed by.
- [49:14]
A
Absolutely.
- [49:15]
B
I think that also Pei, like, her feelings are valid, like we were saying. And like we said, we understand that this is gonna reframe their relationship. It's not ideal. This is not an ideal scenario. You never want to find out that your, you know, boyfriend is actually the murderer of your dad. Yeah, that's super not ideal, and we get it.
- [49:33]
A
Yeah.
- [49:33]
B
But she also spent so much of the book feeling like his dad made him do the things he didn't want to do. Like, we got on page from her saying we both had to become people we didn't want to be. We got on Paige Jax telling her that when he came back from his first mission, he was covered in blood and sad and cried for days and, like, all this stuff. So I'm hoping that she can sit with it and remember those things. I understand it's fresh, but I am hoping that because we, as the reader know it and that she has said it, that ultimately she will be like, no, I know you didn't choose to do this. I know you weren't like, it's my desire.
- [50:09]
A
Right.
- [50:09]
B
Please let me go kill this random man.
- [50:11]
A
Sure.
- [50:11]
B
I mean, it is really rough to get past, Like, I don't know how we get past that, because for her, she did love her dad.
- [50:17]
A
Yeah, absolutely.
- [50:17]
B
It's like we kill each other's dads, but it's different. Yes.
- [50:20]
A
Thank you. It is different. It's not like we're killing Peyton's dad twice. Like, it's not the same on either side.
- [50:25]
B
No, it's not equal.
- [50:26]
A
Equal. Thank you.
- [50:27]
B
Exactly.
- [50:27]
A
I think she does have a line where she remembers that it was the king, but she basically is like, well, that doesn't change that he still did it. And I'm like, I understand. But it's not like he really had a choice. There was no option to say no. Like, what was he gonna do?
- [50:40]
B
Exactly. And I will get there. We do in the bonus chapter, see it. And it feels really specific that we got that bonus chapter so that the reader understands that so fully and gets that insight into that he had no choice, and this was hard for him.
- [50:56]
A
Yeah.
- [50:56]
B
Okay, so let's talk about our kitty cat ending here.
- [50:59]
A
Oh, wow.
- [51:00]
B
What a transformation. We started this book with this idealistic little golden retriever prince, naive. And we really end with, like, this ruthless king at the end of it. It is truly a really Interesting arc that I didn't think was coming. And we really. We were getting him on the right path. We had so much potential. She took him to loot. And like you said, he was like, I'm so sorry. It felt like he saw and understood things. Like, there's a whole scene with Kai where Kai is like, you gotta think for yourself. You are gonna be king one day. You have got to learn to think for yourself. You've gotta be a better.
- [51:30]
A
Be better.
- [51:31]
B
Just be better. And it really felt like that was. We were working our way there. We were getting there. We were getting there.
- [51:36]
A
I know.
- [51:36]
B
And then this happened. And it really feels like we spent the book watching Kit debating whether to stay on the side of his father or to join Paden's cause. And then it feels like her actions at the end caused him to definitely become her enemy and go with his father's side and try to become his father, which was really not the goal.
- [51:58]
A
No.
- [51:58]
B
And some interesting. Just two quotes really quick about this end of this transformation of him. So we read the one quote about him like, he is his father. He's callous. That was so, so telling in that moment.
- [52:10]
A
Yes.
- [52:10]
B
And I know at this point, we have a lot of. A lot of issues with the eyes and the things, but it is really important that she. She looked at his eyes and was like, oh, no, that's the king's eyes. Because I've spent time specifically talking about how I've seen his eyes be softer. And then now we're like, no, those are his dad's eyes.
- [52:27]
A
A lot of eye Chad in this book.
- [52:30]
B
Especially for someone who doesn't recognize them. Doesn't recognize them. Okay, but this is interesting. This is from Kai. So Kai knows him better than anyone. So Kai sees him and says, something isn't right. I've never seen my brother like this before. So bloodthirsty, so brutal. Usually those words are reserved for me, the future enforcer, and not Kit, the kind and caring future king. But right now, he looks enraged, feral in a way I've never seen before. And it's just such a precursor to where we get him in the epilogue. Yes, that's what we're going. And we get, the epilogue. It's very interesting. This is our first POV from him. The first time we're in his head, and this is what's happening. And, you know, transformation complete. Check and check. It feels like a villain origin story is what's happening.
- [53:13]
A
Oh, for sure.
- [53:13]
B
Right?
- [53:14]
A
Absolutely.
- [53:14]
B
And so this is an interesting quote that I think Puts us in his headspace, too. He says to me, my father was my foundation. He was who I strived to be, who I longed to be loved by. But now he's dead and I'm still willing to do whatever it takes to make him proud. I will do what needs to be done so that in death, he will be proud. It's so sad and such a interesting motivation, I think, for his character.
- [53:39]
A
Yeah.
- [53:40]
B
And honestly, it tracks.
- [53:41]
A
Yeah.
- [53:42]
B
It's really wild to think that he was really on their side and then he loses his dad. But in the process of losing his dad, I feel like he feels like it's his fault because he let Hayden in, he let the resistance in which led to this. And then all of a sudden, the man who he's like, strived to be proud of him is gone. And it was because of him. And so it's just. It's rough. So, yeah. So we end with him being like, enforcer, go get me Peyton Grey. Bring her back to me.
- [54:11]
A
Oh, man.
- [54:12]
B
And it is really interesting to see their dynamic in that scene. It almost feels like Kai is like. Like walking on eggshells a little bit. He, like, doesn't want to set him off for sure, which is so different for them. Oh.
- [54:22]
A
I mean, kid is not. Well, we obviously know that Kit had a very different relationship with his father than Kai did. I still question how Kit could have that relationship with his dad knowing what his father did to Kai, but whatever. And to see him like this is just wild and terrifying and. And yeah, he definitely has course corrected the opposite of where we were so.
- [54:48]
B
Far up the spectrum.
- [54:49]
A
Oh, nope, nope. Down the evil path. And he is. I mean, he's pissed.
- [54:55]
B
Yeah. It's like his whole purpose, it's become this. The dark side he's joined the dark side he has. And Kai is now his enforcer. Kai has to do what he tells him to do.
- [55:05]
A
Right.
- [55:05]
B
Which is a really sad parallel as well, that he was probably thinking, like, oh, but I'll be Kit's enforcer and Kit's my brother, and that will be such a better, easier time for everybody involved, including me.
- [55:17]
A
Yeah.
- [55:17]
B
And instead it's worse and bad.
- [55:19]
A
Worse and bad. Because he was like, kit's a good person and he's not cruel and evil like my father. And he has a good heart. And so, like, things might be different under his reign. And turns out no.
- [55:30]
B
No. So it turns out no. And just something about their formality with each other in this scene. Like, Kai nods and he says, yes, you, Majesty. It's really not good.
- [55:38]
A
Don't love it.
- [55:38]
B
Yeah. And even in his monologue, he's like, kind Kit doesn't act crazed. Kind Kit's caring, not a killer. Kind Kit has changed. I'm like, oh, wow.
- [55:46]
A
Wow.
- [55:47]
B
We are villain origin story everywhere.
- [55:50]
A
Wow.
- [55:50]
B
All up over here. And he does say. He says, I'm not sure what Kai felt for our father, but I know he never cared for him like I do. Like I did. Perhaps it was a mix of love and loathing he felt for the man who made him into what he is. The man who. A king to him, not a father. But also, like, you love.
- [56:05]
A
Yeah.
- [56:05]
B
See, you love Kai, so that's also not okay.
- [56:08]
A
I know. Thank you. That's what I'm saying. I'm like, yeah, it's hard. How could you watch your parent torture your sibling like that and just be like, oh, I love him. He's so great.
- [56:18]
B
Well, that's his lot in life.
- [56:19]
A
Yeah.
- [56:19]
B
What's. What's the next meeting, Papa?
- [56:21]
A
Like, what chapters do I need to read? Like, okay. I mean, it's fantasy, so, like, doesn't make sense, but I just would have a hard time yeah. Cherishing and idolizing somebody who could treat their own child that way.
- [56:33]
B
Exactly.
- [56:34]
A
My brother.
- [56:34]
B
And your brother, who you love, who's your bestie.
- [56:36]
A
Yeah.
- [56:36]
B
It's just like, oh, God, where do we go from here? Because we know that sweet Kit is in there and the Kit that did listen. But unfortunately, all of the things where he was kind of feeling, like, challenged on and that he felt like he was having a more open mind came from Peyton. And so I think it's all going to be tainted now.
- [56:51]
A
Yep.
- [56:51]
B
I think that everything from her was fake and a lie and betrayal. Yeah. Which is valid. They think it was. I mean, like, just completely lied to all of them for the sheer purpose of letting the resistance in.
- [57:00]
A
Sure.
- [57:01]
B
Yeah. Okay, so bonus chapters. Let's talk about these for a second.
- [57:03]
A
Okay.
- [57:04]
B
Absolutely. Full disclosure, there is an Adina bonus chapter. I did not read it. I could not find it anywhere on Reddit. And then I did see snippets of it on TikTok, and it's so fucking devastating that I was like, I can't search for this further.
- [57:15]
A
No.
- [57:15]
B
I think I'm gonna be devastated enough with powerful. But pretty much there is an Adina POV bonus chapter that exists that takes her through being tortured and through dying. Like in the pov, the end of it, of this bonus chapter is her dying. So it's her point of view of the Death scene. To be honest, that actually probably would answer our I'm sorry question, so maybe I should go find it. But.
- [57:37]
A
Or just if you have read the Adina POV bonus chapter, why don't you just tell us if DM us. DM us and say, here's why Idina said I'm so sorry right before she died. Please, listeners, we would really appreciate that.
- [57:48]
B
Honestly, even if it's empowerful, just let us know.
- [57:50]
A
Yeah.
- [57:50]
B
Right now, I'm not feeling too excited about powerful, so, no, I just need a little more joy. And I feel like everyone tells me it's devastating.
- [57:57]
A
Yeah.
- [57:57]
B
Okay. But the one I do want to talk about is Kai's POV now.
- [58:00]
A
Okay?
- [58:01]
B
Pretty much, it's five years ago. It is Kai's pov. His perspective of the event, of going to kill Paden's dad.
- [58:08]
A
Okay?
- [58:09]
B
From the moment that the King gives him the mission, he's woken up in the middle of the night. It's like the whole progression of it. This is his first mission. Okay? Okay. So before we actually get into what is talked about in this bonus chapter, okay, there's something that I realized while rereading this bonus chapter for my notes today that I have been keeping inside this entire time so that I could talk to you about it. Remember, I text you. I was like, there's something from this bonus chapter that is. I'm losing it. I'm so unwell. More than I was even at the ending. I can't explain why. Okay, So I don't think Lauren Roberts meant for this at all, this sentence at all, to cause havoc on my soul, but it has.
- [58:43]
A
Oh, my God, tell me.
- [58:44]
B
I need everyone to understand that this chapter was five years ago, okay, when he died. And we get this line from Kai that says, when he's looking at Peyton's dad, he can't have seen more than three decades yet. To which I said, come again? Her dad, when he died, was 30. Meaning, I'm gonna do that math for you. When his wife died and he was a single dad of a baby, he was 17. And in the scene where she's on his lap and he's like, oh, Petey. And, like, booping her nose and is like, here's how we can be together forever. I'm gonna train you to be a psychic. He is 22. So now all of a sudden, I'm like, I think we have this old man. He's just old. Like, I don't care about him. He's old. And it turns out he was a Young, hot, single dad making his daughter this priority.
- [59:37]
A
No.
- [59:37]
B
Be it a healer. I'm all of a sudden very interested in him and his story. And I think that he's way more interesting now that I know that he was young and hot. And I. I do know that Lauren Roberts wrote this when she was 18. And when you're 18, 30 feels really old.
- [59:54]
A
Sure.
- [59:54]
B
But it's not.
- [59:55]
A
But it's not. 30 is actually younger than we are. So I. That's rude to me. That's actually kind of a hate crime. And I don't agree, but can you.
- [60:03]
B
Just fathom that for a minute? Because I just. My head. I was like, oh, he's just old.
- [60:07]
A
Yeah. I thought he was like, late 50s or something. I don't know. Me too.
- [60:11]
B
Come sit on my lap, children. Yeah, no, he was 22 in that scene.
- [60:14]
A
What?
- [60:15]
B
He's like, a young, hot dad.
- [60:17]
A
That's wild.
- [60:17]
B
That is the prequel novella that I would like.
- [60:20]
A
Please. Yeah. And I want to know more about Peyton's mom and why she died so young, like, even younger than I already thought. She died young?
- [60:26]
B
Yes. She was an ordinary. And she died. He, like, protected her. That's a whole thing. And she was 17. I mean. Sorry. He was 17, so I don't know.
- [60:33]
A
How old, but, like, she probably wasn't. If she was older than him. It wasn't by that much. Much. Probably.
- [60:37]
B
Yeah.
- [60:37]
A
So she was also.
- [60:38]
B
Which also then makes more sense a little bit that maybe, like, why he couldn't save her. I don't know. He was only 17. Maybe he didn't know. I don't know.
- [60:44]
A
But then it's even weirder that she would die so young. She wasn't like an old person who. You know what I mean? Like, she's like a young teenager. An elder teen. Yeah.
- [60:53]
B
What does it. This totally just rock your foundation. I was like, I don't understand. Hold on. So now I'm picturing him, like, training you in the backyard and saying all these things, but, like, he's like, like 25. And I'm like, oh, God. Oh, God.
- [61:05]
A
It's gonna be real hard to get over because I absolutely pictured him.
- [61:08]
B
He's a young, hot, single dad. Oh, God.
- [61:10]
A
Okay, anything else from the bonus chapter that we need?
- [61:12]
B
Yes, there is actually important things here. Okay. So not actually important things, just really things that lay the groundwork, like we've said of Kai really not wanting to do this and really reinforcing that if she really thinks about it, like, should not feel like this was his choice or that he in any way, shape, or form wanted to. And we're in his pov, so it's very sad. Some lines. He's like a boy. That's what I was before this moment. Now I will be a monster every moment after. And he, like, runs out, and he's vomiting and then staggers and vomits again. And he's like. All I can see are his eyes. All I can hear is his scream. And I feel disgust and guilt and the weight of my future. And he says, this is the enforcer. This is the beginning. And then we see him ultimately, like, kind of turn into the Kai we know where he shuts down. And he says, every emotion muted, every thought calculated. Maybe this is how it has to be. Maybe this is the only way to survive my life, to survive while killing others. So sad. It's this almost. Yeah. Origin story for him of where he started. And I bet he's gonna try to be all closed off again. I'm sure, because, you know, look what.
- [62:19]
A
Happened when he opened up. Didn't go well the one time. Yeah.
- [62:23]
B
Oh, God.
- [62:24]
A
Yikes. That's really rough.
- [62:25]
B
I know. So pretty much the bonus chapters are sad. There's no joy in the bonus chapters.
- [62:31]
A
Great.
- [62:31]
B
Except for if you count finding out that Peyton's dad was young.
- [62:35]
A
Young and hot. Okay.
- [62:35]
B
And hot.
- [62:36]
A
Probably hot.
- [62:37]
B
So. Yeah, guys, so that was powerless.
- [62:41]
A
Wow. Wow. What a ride.
- [62:44]
B
I feel like I was surprised while also feeling like I felt familiar and like I knew the world and it was very fun.
- [62:52]
A
Yeah.
- [62:52]
B
And silly and light, and I am excited to see where we go from here.
- [62:57]
A
Yeah, definitely. I feel like if we had even probably a binge, read it, like, read it in, like, one or two sittings. And also not read it with our podcast hats on. We always like to say we have to, like, look at things a little bit more in depth, whereas if we were just reading this for, like, a KU Rex episode, we would. Things wouldn't bother me as much. But overall, like we've said, it's just very nostalgic, very weirdly comforting, kind of just everything is what it is. Don't have to look too closely into things. You can just sit back and enjoy it.
- [63:25]
B
Right.
- [63:26]
A
And sometimes that's just what you want, you know?
- [63:28]
B
Yes. It was what I wanted, and it fulfilled that need.
- [63:30]
A
It absolutely did.
- [63:31]
B
Yes.
- [63:31]
A
Yeah. We are anxious, but excited to see what happens next.
- [63:35]
B
Yes.
- [63:35]
A
Fingers crossed for all involved. No one's doing well.
- [63:37]
B
Nope. No one's thriving at all.
- [63:39]
A
Everyone.
- [63:40]
B
Everyone's just surviving on all accounts. Everybody is a mess.
- [63:43]
A
Yeah, everyone is a mess. Okay, so that's gonna wrap up Powerless Part 2 again. I think we did five chapter chats on this book. If you want even more kind of real time reactions to what was happening as we read. They are always so, so fun. Those are over on our patreon for tier 2. That link will be of course in our show notes and follow us on Instagram at Flights Fantasy Podcast and subscribe wherever you listen to podcast. And until next time, cheers and happy reading. Cheers. Thanks for listening.
- [64:11]
B
Bye.