S5 : Ep 1 - Onyx Storm Theories ft. Fantasy Fangirls!!!

Summary

Flights of Fantasy Podcast – Season 5, Episode 1: “Onyx Storm Theories ft. Fantasy Fangirls!!!”

Release Date: January 7, 2025

Welcome to a special inaugural episode of Season 5 of Flights of Fantasy, your go-to Romantasy podcast book club. Hosted by Anna, Kim, and Christina, this episode dives deep into "Onyx Storm" by Rebecca Yarros, featuring special guests Lexi and Nicole, self-proclaimed fantasy fangirls. Together, they explore intricate theories, character developments, and the magical lore embedded within the novel, all while enjoying copious amounts of wine and laughter.

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1. Introduction and Guest Welcome (00:01 – 00:58)

Anna kicks off the episode by introducing the special guests, Lexi and Nicole, highlighting the focus on "Onyx Storm" and teasing segments on character theories and rapid-fire questions.

Anna [00:01]: “...we have a very special episode. We have fantasy fangirls Lexi and Nicole on today to discuss all things Onyx Storm, all the theories.”

Kim expresses excitement about the episode’s content.

Kim [00:38]: “We had the best time. We cannot wait for you guys to hear this.”

2. Violet’s Second Signet Theory (01:06 – 16:19)

The discussion begins with Violet's second signet, one of the most debated aspects of "Onyx Storm". Anna outlines known canon details and insights from Rebecca Yarros’s interviews to set the foundation.

Anna [01:06]: “We're going to kick it off with Violet's second signet. This is obviously one of the most talked about theories going on in Onyx Storm.”

Key Points Discussed:

• Canonical Information:
  • Violet’s second signet is revealed in "Iron Flame".
  • Rebecca Yarros hints at its obviousness for those attentive.

Anna [01:25]: “Violet's second signet has manifested in Iron Flame. Rebecca stated that in her Melbourne interview.”

• Underwhelming Hint:
  • Annie Yarros suggests the signet might be less complex than fans imagine.

Anna [02:01]: “...we know from her Brisbane interview that she said we would all be, quote, underwhelmed by Violet's second signet.”

Theoretical Breakdown:

1. Amplifier Theory:

   • Anna [03:12]: “...on the choo choo train of Amplifier. That was like, okay, that makes the most sense to me.”
   • Amplifier signets enhance the abilities of others, aligning with Violet’s protective nature.

2. Truthsayer Theory:

   • Lexi [06:10]: “I am someone who needs information to center myself.”
   • Violet’s need for truth and information suggests a truthsayer signet, possibly an intensive truthsayer which combines truth-saying with mind-reading.

3. Intinzic Theory:

   • Christina [09:50]: “Violet could be an intensive truthsayer where her signet specifically targets, I'll say, reading minds or feeling emotions that help her determine the truth.”
   • Intinzic signets are rare and often tied to significant personal needs or sufferings.

Guest Insights and Debates:

• Lexi advocates for the Intinzic Truthsayer theory, emphasizing Violet’s increased ability to detect lies and truths post-throne scene.

  Lexi [07:44]: “...I really think she is an intense. Like, what that means exactly. I'm still figuring out because I definitely think there is going to be that crossover with True Sayer.”

• Christina suggests Violet’s second signet could involve historical knowledge or firsthand information gathering, aligning with her scribe-like traits.

  Christina [14:32]: “... her ability to see past events, like with the first six or with her father, to gain that firsthand knowledge.”

• Kim supports the amplifier aspect, noting Violet’s role in enhancing others' abilities and the thematic ties to protection and support.

  Kim [20:45]: “...she helps everyone. I feel like that's very her.”

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3. Unhinged Theories and Plot Twists (16:19 – 73:09)

Lexi and Nicole bring forward unhinged theories, pushing the boundaries of conventional predictions and exploring potential plot twists that could redefine the narrative.

3.1. Mama Ryerson’s Allegiance (24:12 – 30:42)

Christina posits that Mama Ryerson may be secretly aligned with King Tari’s court in Navarre, challenging the assumption that she is merely a poor million.

Christina [24:38]: “...what if there is a really big plot twist with her being there. And Zaden's like, oh, like maybe he doesn't know that either.”

Key Points:

• Political Intrigue:

  • Ryerson’s potential role in King Tari’s court could introduce significant political tensions.

• Dragon Rider Dynamics:

  • If Ryerson aligns with the ruling court, it could affect alliances and power structures within the story.

3.2. Venin Infiltration as Scribes (31:07 – 40:43)

Lexi theorizes that Venin may be disguising themselves as scribes to gain access to crucial information and weaken the protagonists from within.

Lexi [31:07]: “...Venin have been dressing up as scribes and, like, infiltrating just to get Knowledge on what's going on in the writer's squadron.”

Key Points:

• Sabotage and Espionage:

  • Venin’s covert operations could undermine the protagonists’ efforts to deactivate war stones and protect Navarre.

• Markham’s Role:

  • Potential betrayal involving Markham, suggesting he may be a Venin puppet or morally corrupt without direct Venin allegiance.

3.3. Second Crovan Uprising and Papa Sorengail’s Research (53:07 – 63:29)

Christina connects Papa Sorengail’s research to the Second Crovan Uprising, speculating that his findings might hold the key to defeating the Venin.

Christina [55:45]: “...this ties into the second Crovan Uprising that happened 200 years ago.”

Key Points:

• Historical Mysteries:

  • Linking past rebellions to current conflicts, suggesting ancient secrets or weapons could resurface.

• Prophetic Elements:

  • Violet’s role may be tied to prophecies that intertwine with Sorengail’s unfinished research.

3.4. Character Death Predictions and Plot Progression (64:44 – 73:09)

The guests engage in a rapid-fire session predicting which characters might face demise in upcoming books, including:

• Mira [64:56 – 68:00]: Predicted to die in Book Three, representing the loss of a symbolic protector.

  Lexi [64:56]: “I think Mira is going to die in book three.”

• Taren and Imogen [68:00 – 70:00]: Taren possibly in Book Four and Imogen being a candidate for fatality in Book Five.

  Christina [69:03]: “...I think it’s gonna be like the big death at the end.”

• Riddick and Re [70:00 – 73:09]: Speculations revolve around complex relationships and possible betrayals.

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4. Symbolism of Silver Hair and Purification Powers (46:47 – 62:59)

Anna leads a deep dive into the symbolism behind Violet’s silver hair, correlating it with purification and protective qualities.

Anna [46:47]: “...silver is believed to have the ability to reflect negative energies away from the wearer."

Key Points:

• Physical Traits and Signets:

  • Silver hair symbolizes Violet’s malleability and soft strength.
  • The alloying of silver suggests a need for partnership or enhancement, hinting at future character alliances.

• Purification and Protection:

  • Silver’s historical use in purification aligns with possible destructive or cleansing powers in Violet’s signet.

• Connection to Venin:

  • Theories suggest that Venin might have played a role in Violet’s affliction, tying her abilities to her past traumas and her mother’s encounter with Venin.

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5. Final Theories and Rapid-Fire Questions (73:09 – 85:57)

The episode concludes with a rapid-fire segment where guests answer quick questions, further unveiling their theories and playful predictions:

• Character Marriages:

  • Discussions about potential romantic pairings, including speculative and humorous takes on relationships between characters like Jake, Auric, Cassian, and Luther.

• Ultimate Destinies:

  • Predicting survival and deaths of key characters, emphasizing emotional impacts and narrative climaxes.

Kim [85:00]: “...I think it's gonna be like, right before graduation...”

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6. Closing Remarks and Community Engagement (85:57 – End)

Anna wraps up the episode by inviting listeners to join the community on Instagram and TikTok, encouraging them to share their theories and favorite moments. The hosts express their excitement for future discussions and the continued unraveling of "Onyx Storm"’s intricate plot.

Anna [81:00]: “Keep dreaming, keep reading, and remember, every good story deserves to take flight.”

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Notable Quotes and Moments

• Violet’s Strength:

  Anna [47:30]: “Silver is believed to have the ability to purify and reflect negative energies.”

• Markham’s Potential Betrayal:

  Christina [26:02]: “She is cozying up to King Tari's court.”

• Venin as Scribes:

  Lexi [31:07]: “...Venin have been dressing up as scribes and... infiltrating just to get Knowledge.”

• Character Death Bets:

  Lexi [64:56]: “I think Mira is going to die in book three.”

• Symbolism of Silver Hair:

  Anna [46:47]: “Silver is believed to have the ability to reflect negative energies away from the wearer.”

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Conclusion

In this engaging episode of Flights of Fantasy, the hosts and their fantasy fangirl guests embark on a comprehensive exploration of "Onyx Storm", dissecting character abilities, potential plot twists, and the rich symbolism woven by Rebecca Yarros. From the depths of Violet’s magical signets to the intricate web of political intrigue and character destinies, listeners are treated to a vibrant discussion filled with insightful theories and spirited debates. Whether you're a seasoned fan or new to the series, this episode offers a treasure trove of ideas to ponder as the saga of "Onyx Storm" continues to unfold.

Transcript

[Anna]

Welcome to Flights of Fantasy, your Romantasy podcast book club. I'm Anna, joined by my book besties Kim and Christina. And together we're diving into the characters, theories, lore and magic behind all your favorite fantasy romance books. Hi listeners. We are so excited to have you here today because we have a very special episode. We have fantasy fangirls Lexi and Nicole on today to discuss all things Onyx Store, all the theories. Violet's second segment, unhinged Theories. We have a really fun rapid fire section at the end.

[Kim]

We had the best time. We cannot wait for you guys to hear this.

[Anna]

So without further ado, consider this your spoiler warning for all things fourth wing, Iron Flame, Onyx Storm. Let's dive in.

[Kim]

Welcome to Lexi and Nicole. Or should we say welcome, welcome, welcome to the fantasy fangirl.

[Anna]

Yay.

[Christina]

Good job. I practiced. I practiced.

[Kim]

We are so excited for you guys to be here and for us to talk all things Onyx Storm. This is so freaking exciting. Anna, you start us off. What are we starting with today?

[Anna]

Yes. Okay, so we are going to kick it off with Violet's second signet. This is obviously one of the most talked about theories going on in Onyx Storm. But before we deep dive into this topic, I am going to rattle off a few things that we know to be canon or that Rebecca has stated in interviews. Okay.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

So we can just get those out of the way.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Anna]

So here's what we know so far. Violet's second signet has manifested in iron Flame. Rebecca stated that in her Melbourne interview. She also insinu that it was pretty obvious if we knew what we were looking for.

[Kim]

Thanks.

[Anna]

Thanks, Rebecca.

[Christina]

Right? Yep. Thank you. Thank you very much for that. Of course, once when we read Onyx Storm, once we find out, we'll all be like, oh, well, obvious. Like obviously.

[Kim]

Yeah, yeah, obviously we were dum dums. Yeah.

[Anna]

Okay. We also know from her Brisbane interview that she said we would all be, quote, underwhelmed by Violet's second signet, which again, what does that mean? Like, that's a varying scale.

[Christina]

I have a prediction about what that means is that it is because we have seen some very, I'll say, creative theories out there that of just like how it could be something crazy new and different and a little bit more complex or something like that. And what I think what underwhelming means is it's going to be something that we've probably seen before or that it is something that is a little bit more, you know, cut and dry, so to speak. So that's where I think of that coming from there.

[Lexi]

Yeah, agreed.

[Kim]

Agreed.

[Anna]

Yeah, I agree with that. Okay. And the final thing, obviously we've learned this in book one, and it continues through book two. But we know that a writer's signet stems or is a reflection of a personal need, right? And the greatest example of that is Zaden, his need for secrecy, hence the shadows, his need for knowledge and the truth behind people's motivation, hence being an intensic. So, like, with the knowledge of those three things, like, I think we can move on into deep diving into, like, the major signets that jump out to us. Right? And I think there's other ones. And you guys, if you have other ones, please bring them to the table. But I think the three that I've seen the most talked about are Truthsayer, Amplifier, and Intinzic. And I think we can all kind of like, go around and talk about our little personal journey with this series. I personally, I'll kick us off.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Anna]

As soon as I finished Iron Flame, I was like, on the choo choo train of Amplifier. That was like, okay, that makes the most sense to me. Liam had died at the end of book one. She has this, like, sense of guilt throughout book two. She wants to protect everybody around her. And in chapter 42, when they're visiting Kitty Cat's family and the Ribista chest and the Venon. And we have that epigraph at the top, right, where it says that. Sorry, not Vera. That Meera.

[Kim]

It was Vera.

[Anna]

She's a new character.

[Lexi]

I encourage Hera Wang her spotlight in Iron Flame. Yes.

[Christina]

Feyre meets Mira. You know, crossover we never knew we needed. Right? There we go.

[Kim]

There it is. Rights itself. There we go.

[Lexi]

So.

[Anna]

And we know in that epigraph at the top of chapter 42, it states that Meera, you know, is not strong in her shielding abilities as they had hoped she would be. Right. Like, she struggles with it, and it's in that same scene with the Venon that she's able to shield not only herself, but also Brennan and. And Violet and Darna had woken up from the dreamless sleep. And so, like, it all kind of coincides. And there was, like, other, I guess, you know, receipts you can bring to the table. But, like, when I finished my reread or, sorry, my first read, I was like, okay, I'm on this choo choo train, but, like, I love to poke holes in things. And so I always end up talking myself out of it because, like, you're not a good lawyer, right? If you don't argue both sides.

[Christina]

So I have a question for both of you. When do you think that her second signet manifested? Do you think it's after Andarna waking up from her dreamless sleep?

[Kim]

I do. I feel like it's after she woke up.

[Christina]

Yeah, that's what I think, too, but what do you think, Anna?

[Anna]

Yeah, I think so too. I think it probably has to be after she woke up. I mean, I could see maybe she's starting to, like, channel somehow while Aunt Arna's asleep, but I guess we just don't know anything about feather tales, and it doesn't really make sense to me. In my mind, knowing the magic system that. What we do know about the magic system that she would be able to channel.

[Lexi]

Yeah, agreed.

[Kim]

Agreed. I feel like it's cleaner. Let's just stick with the, you know, like, we're not adding new layers of, like, oh, there's just an exception that it could happen in the dream of sleep if she's this, you know, like, just feels more cut and dry there.

[Anna]

What do you guys think?

[Christina]

That's how I feel too. Yeah.

[Lexi]

I even throw up that I think it's after Ruhn's class, because at Ruhn's class, that's where she. She, meaning Violet, mentions Taryn's power is really intimidating when it comes to pulling just a little sliver for the rune, but in Darna's feels much more accessible. So then she starts pulling from Andarna's power, and I think that opened up the connection. For lack of a better term.

[Anna]

Yes.

[Lexi]

What's right after that is the throne scene.

[Christina]

Oh, yeah. Nicole's gonna go on her whole thing with that.

[Lexi]

Can I just go ahead and take the mic and die on my hill?

[Christina]

Cal. Hold on. Anna needs to finish.

[Lexi]

That's not what Zaden said.

[Kim]

Oh, my God.

[Christina]

Amazing. So here's what I will say.

[Lexi]

I. I am fully on team because I. I'm very much, much like you, Anna. When I first read it, I was like, ooh, I think amplifier makes so much sense. I was almost willing to die on the hill that she could, like, six sense. I see dead people. That was her is signet same. But then when Rebecca debunked that one, she was like, she was cut off from her dragons. She was not able to see. That's not her segment.

[Anna]

Right.

[Lexi]

I went back and I reread Iron Flame for, like, the millionth time. And I read it through, and there's a scene in chapter 58 where they are on the mat together. They're training. And Zaden is basically like, no more secrets between us. And that's where Violet says, please, like actually though, like pinky promise. Because I am someone who needs information. Needs is in italics. Rebecca Yarros is all about the fucking italics.

[Anna]

Little. Yes.

[Lexi]

Sorry. Am I allowed to cuss on here? I should have asked. She says, I am someone who needs information to center myself. And needs is in italics. So then I went back and reread Iron Flame again because I was like, okay, needs information. We know that. Like you said, Anna, the signet manifests because of a need of something. So then I went back and I reread Iron Flame. And in chapter 56, when Violet's figuring out what is Aiden's second signet, the thing that finally makes it click for her is she says xaden needs information. And then she says, he's an intense. So I was like, if I was Rebecca, I'd be like, come on, guys, that's obvious. And then of course, going back to the throne, which is after she pulls from Andarna, that's when Violet starts reading Zaden's mind and he's like, I want to bend her over this thing.

[Christina]

It's quite a vented voice you have. Well, yeah, right.

[Lexi]

Spoilers. But I'm pretty firm in my stance. Like, I will die on the hill. I will make a really embarrassing bet with Lexi if this is not the case. Because I am so convinced. Don't you get ideas. But we'll figure that out.

[Christina]

I am so excited. I love it when you give me permission to give an embarrassing.

[Anna]

Okay, so wait, Nicole. So on that subject, we know there are different types of intrinsics. Do you think that. How is hers different from Zaden's? Or is it.

[Lexi]

I do think it's definitely going to be different from Zaden's because, okay, she's connected to Andarna. There's no way. It's going to be just like a run of the mill signet that we've seen before. Now already it's had that. It has that extra specialness because it is intrinsic. Here's what I think is going to happen. I think she's going to think at first she's a truthsayer because there's so much like true sayer, Truth say or true sayer. She needs truth. And then she's going to realize later she is a full intensive. Because in that scene with Zaden, when they're sparring on the mat, he says, unless I full intensics around, no one can, you know, figure US out. Now, Zaden doesn't really know what his. Because he says it's a type of intensive. But everyone who's an intensive is dead, so to speak.

[Kim]

Right.

[Lexi]

So is that actually at a full intensive? Is he a type of intensive? Are there types of intensive?

[Christina]

I think that Rebecca has even said Xaden doesn't even know much about his own intensive ability. So that is all he knows. And as.

[Lexi]

Yes, she did in the Variety article.

[Christina]

But that could be a limited narration, so.

[Lexi]

Exactly. So I'm wondering if they're both full intrinsics, but they both think it's something else at first.

[Kim]

Absolutely. Absolutely.

[Anna]

Interesting.

[Kim]

And there's so much crossover there with the need for truth and the need for information. Like, so much of that evidence can be for both.

[Lexi]

Yes.

[Kim]

That it makes sense. And I love the idea that somehow Rebecca's like, yeah, I'm gonna put truth on that back of the book. I'm gonna put that thing in the epigraph, like, oh, let true sayers live. And then I'm gonna make them think it's truth.

[Lexi]

Yes.

[Kim]

And then I'm gonna be like, nope.

[Lexi]

JK because that's just. It's typical Rebecca. Lexi and I have discovered that when it comes to us being right about theories, which is not always actually very you all.

[Christina]

Jack fucking Barlow is dead, dead, dead, dead.

[Kim]

He is dead.

[Christina]

I still get people messaging me, being like, lexi, it's like, I know, I know, I got my face. I know.

[Lexi]

But we normally get about 70% of it. Right. And then there's this other 30% that's just like, whoa, like, out of the wazoo. And I see that being this here.

[Christina]

Like, for instance, Zaden's second signet. Because we definitely did think that there was a second signet involved, but we thought that it was more about the marked ones. But nope, it was actually him and his bond with Sigail. And that was just a whole bit of new information there.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Anna]

Right.

[Christina]

I will say one other thing in favor of intensive. Specifically, that some of the pushback has been that, well, when people manifest their intensive ability, they go crazy. We saw Jeremiah do that, and even Zaden said that he had a really hard time keeping his shit together. And so if it has already manifested. Manifested, I do think that the throne scene would have been a great place for it to manifest. Because, in fact, her lightning signet did manifest when she first kissed Zaden. Yeah. So this would be another parallel with that there. However, she is also so good at shielding. And so we know from Zayden that When he is shielding, his intensive ability doesn't come through. So if she's already really good at shielding, she could literally be shielding her intensive ability. She could be shielding any of those kind abilities, whatever it might be there. Yeah. Especially if it's a mind sickness.

[Kim]

That's very interesting. Especially considering how many times they talk about her being good at shielding.

[Lexi]

Yes.

[Kim]

And Zane's like, oh, good at shielding. Like, maybe there's a reason we know that so much is because she's shielding like herself.

[Christina]

Exactly.

[Kim]

Or that from her.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Lexi]

Which is so on par with Violet. Like where she is almost her own barrier that she needs to overcome. I feel like that's so typical. Well, obviously, but for very stark reasons for us readers and for very character development reasons for her in the first two books. Like, I could see that being a going on theme for Violet as she goes throughout the books. And this is just one of them.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Kim]

I wonder how she's going to set a limit there. It's like, okay, if she can just read everyone's mind then like how do we go from there? Like, how do we do this plot wise and her not just be like, oh, he's bad.

[Christina]

Well, so that actually goes into what I think it more is if she is an intense. Like, I have three possibilities with signets because I'm going to be completely honest and I know that I should not be saying this because I do this for a living, but I have no flipping idea what her second signet is like. There is no hell that I am willing to die on.

[Kim]

Honestly. Say I changed my mind all the freaking time and I was on the hill of she can speak to dead people. And then Rebecca was like, nope, I'm not going to do it again.

[Christina]

I am just right along for the ride.

[Kim]

Yeah, I'll die on other hills. I'll give this one to you guys.

[Christina]

So going back to truthsayer here. Yes, we know that there are different types of truthsayers. And I think that this is the most. I'll call it practical second signet. What has the most receipts, what would make really a lot of sense for her and what we know about how sickness manifest here. So we know that there are different versions of true sayers where they have different powers of deciphering truth from life. Potentially it is how they read body language. Or Nora did seem a little bit more of like that intensive one. But again, we don't know anything else about it except that there are different ways to reach the same conclusion there.

[Anna]

Right.

[Christina]

So I believe Violet could Be an intensive true sayer where her signet specifically targets, I'll say, reading minds or feeling emotions that help her determine the truth. Now, there's a lot of gray area with exactly how this would work, but bear with me here. And again, like, we know how much Violet needed the truth in Iron Flame, how much she needed information there. So that's where I think it could be. Yes, it is considered underwhelming because it is like a true sayer, but it's almost like the biggest kind of true sayer where it is that intensive, where it is a little bit of both there. What were you gonna say, Christina?

[Kim]

I just. The amount of times that she says that she needs the Truth in Iron Flame does feel, like, really impactful. I mean, like, let's hope it's for some reason that we said so much.

[Anna]

I mean, she literally says to Zaden that he says, I know I deserve the truth. No, I need.

[Kim]

I need it.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Anna]

Which is like another one of those I need moments. Although it's not italicized, it's not in italics. It's not italics.

[Kim]

No italics.

[Anna]

I was paying attention.

[Kim]

I do love that. This would, like, kind of give Truthsayer people and intensive people still the win.

[Christina]

Exactly. And again, it's kind of one of those same things where it's like, yes, there is about 70% correct, but then it's an extra 30% plot twist to it.

[Kim]

Yeah, right.

[Anna]

Yes.

[Kim]

I love that.

[Christina]

I have one other second signet. Actually, I have two here. One in particular that I have absolutely no receipts for, but it is what my heart wants it to be.

[Kim]

Oh, tell us. This is.

[Christina]

And I still don't even know what exactly how it would manifest in magical powers. But we also know she has a mind of a scribe, and so, of course, you know, mind of a scribe, part of a writer. And I really do think that her power with her, like her raw source of power from Taryn represents that heart of a writer there. So I could see Andarna's power reflecting her mind of a signet and also something else that she was really needing was, I'll say, historical truth, firsthand knowledge, or things like that. So I could see, like, a few different variations of how this could be, but something along the lines of how she processes and collects knowledge. I don't want to say, like, not someone who's like a photographic memory. Not quite. Not like, a little bit more in depth than that. Or that could even include, like, some true sayer ability as well, where it's like, the way that she processes information. She can know whether it's true or not true there. Or she has the ability to see past events, like with the first six or with her father, to gain that firsthand knowledge she's always seeking after.

[Anna]

Yes.

[Christina]

I'm not saying, like, time manipulation itself, because I do think that we've already done that with Andarna. And bringing in time travel is very difficult to do for a story. Again, I have no receipts. I do not know how in the world this would have manifested. But I love the idea of her being able to get that firsthand knowledge especially. There was so much set up for the first six for this great war. That was 650 years ago. Her father. We are. I'm gonna be getting on my high horse about Papa Sorgale here in a little while.

[Kim]

Yes, yes.

[Christina]

So I could see all of that kind of tying together with her second signet, too.

[Anna]

Yeah, yeah. I love that.

[Kim]

Like, I love the scribe being involved.

[Christina]

Especially since Andarna was connected to her father, too, which I can go into all that as well. But. Yeah.

[Anna]

Well, it's such a huge part of her character, right? I mean, the scribe and Darna's been waiting for somebody with the heart of a writer, mind of a scribe, and that's been her whole, like, thirst for knowledge. For me, like, the truthsayer thing, if that was her second signet, like you said, it's the most, like, easily swallowable. Like, that doesn't sound good. Like, it's the most palatable.

[Christina]

That's the word.

[Kim]

There we go.

[Anna]

But it's the most palatable because that has been her whole character. Right? This, like, thirst for knowledge, this desire to find the truth. She wants the truth from Zaden. She wants the truth of the past and the six riders and what happened. Like, what was her mother really doing? What was her father studying? So if Truthsayer. I feel like truthsayer and Intinzic, in a way, could, like, in some ways work together, you know, like, there could be some overlap there. Again, we don't know what exactly like, a true Intinzic would be because there aren't any examples, because they all get offed. But I always think about that quote. The only thing, the only signet more terrifying than an Intinzic is a truthsayer.

[Lexi]

Yep. And yet we let them live.

[Anna]

Exactly. So I'm curious to see. I'm so excited to see where she takes us with this same.

[Christina]

Do you both think that everyone else is going to know that she has a second signet? For instance, if she is an intensic. She would have to keep that quiet.

[Kim]

Right.

[Lexi]

I think that Violet's not very good at keeping secrets. No, no. Let me actually rephrase. She has now had an experience where she did tell the truth to her squad. And it was like, above and beyond acceptance. I don't think she's gonna make that same mistake, quote, unquote again. I think if she is an intensic, obviously Zaden will know, but I think he would do whatever it takes to make it so that she doesn't tell anyone. And I don't think that's gonna go over very well.

[Anna]

No.

[Lexi]

Because it's violent.

[Kim]

Yeah, no, of course not. But that is a great point that, like, if people are waiting around to see, oh, well, you have two dragons. Like, what does this mean? Like, what's your second sickness? And it's intense. Like, do we make up a fake one?

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

Are we like, oh, well, I can see really far.

[Lexi]

What if the fake one's truthsayer?

[Christina]

That's what I was gonna say too. Where she could really lean into the truthsayer aspect of it. But it is so much more than that. And she is exploring that.

[Kim]

I love that.

[Lexi]

And that's why there's that epigraph. And yet we let them live.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Lexi]

So she has to lean into the truthsay.

[Kim]

I just love it.

[Lexi]

I'm dying on this hill.

[Anna]

So hard.

[Christina]

Well, now, Nicole, with you and me here, because I do think that she might be an intensic, but I am really lean into the truthsayer component of it. Yeah, but you are really leaning into the full intensic. Right. That's. There are different.

[Lexi]

I am leaning into. She is an intense. Like, what that means exactly. I'm still figuring out because I definitely think there is going to be that crossover with True Sayer. Like you were saying, like, there's just way too much truthsayer. We let them live. I need the truth. I need the truth. But then the only time needs is an italics in the entire book is I need information. When two chapters earlier. That's what kicked off. Zaden is an intensive. So that that to me is just like the blatant red neon sign.

[Christina]

I'll give a few more examples. I don't have the quotes written out, but after the throne scene. So when this could manifest here, there are multiple moments where Violet innately knows that someone is lying. When they're having the meeting with Melgren and all the other generals. There are a few instances where she automatically knows that someone's lying. Now, every instance is so casual, and it fits within, I'll say, just regular storytelling with a POV description of someone picking up on a lie. But she has has notably more of these moments where she is recognizing that someone is lying than she did earlier in the book. So that's another little nut to that.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Christina]

I want to throw one more out there that actually really go. Leans into the amplifier component.

[Anna]

Okay.

[Christina]

And it's a little bit more than that. So I don't think that this would be under the underwhelming check mark here, but I'm gonna have some fun anyway. So it would be that Violet is able to harness the power of sunlight. Light specifically. That is what makes her an amplifier. There's a lot of language shifting to power and light throughout the story multiple times. And if this was the signet, though, it would need to be separated from her pure power signet. You know, her lightning signet. Yeah. With Taryn. Because there could be some crossover. And as much as I would love for them to be completely different, I also think it would be really cool if she could have her signets work together there as well. Although I really do think one is going to be mind and then the other one is going to be like that raw power.

[Anna]

Yeah, yeah.

[Christina]

But keeping going with this, like, the concept of sunlight, it really encapsulates, you know, life and living and giving. And Violet, as we know, is a giver. So if she is going to be an amplifier, we could, I'll say, level it up and make her, you know, even extra because she's able to harness the power of the sky, and that is what makes her an amplifier. And yes, as Nicole is pointing out right here, the COVID of both books is the sun.

[Anna]

Yep.

[Christina]

There's a lot of that, you know, like, oh, you're the one who channel, you know, with the channel in the sky. And as we always think of that as lightning. Well, what if it's a little bit more than lightning? What if it's also the sun?

[Kim]

Yeah, I love that. I also love that. Then we're tying back in the battle at rest in that then. And being like, you could do this with the sky and you don't even know.

[Christina]

Yes, exactly. It's one of those things where it's like, you could have any theory and have receipts for them.

[Anna]

Sure. If you look hard enough.

[Christina]

And it depends on the lens that you're looking at from. Yes.

[Lexi]

But then that's what goes back to. Rebecca has stated multiple times now how obvious it is on the page. So Much so that her editor was like, I mean, do you want to, like, throw a line in here? And Rebecca was like, no, they'll figure it out. And here we are.

[Kim]

And here we are.

[Christina]

And here we are. Keep circling back to truthsayer and intense act and stuff like that, too. So.

[Kim]

Yeah. And I love the amplifier aspect of that. I feel like that is interesting. And a lot of people love the amplifier theory. I like the idea that she, like, helps everyone. I feel like that's very her. And it's very like she wants to give and, like, protect and all the things.

[Anna]

Yes.

[Kim]

And Mira. And, you know, maybe the throne scene was her amplifying and all that stuff. And then I feel like the underwoman comment could be in the amplifier world, Rebecca saying, like, yeah, it's a little underwhelming, though, because it's not really her. She's not really doing the thing. She's helping other people do the thing. But in that, I don't. I don't. I don't know. I feel like it is going to be about her.

[Lexi]

Yeah.

[Kim]

I almost want it to be about her. And then everything else is about other people. Do you know what I mean?

[Lexi]

No, I do. I agree. Yeah.

[Christina]

So. So that actually goes back to kind of my big. I'll call it caveat with the amplifier. One is so many of the examples that we do get are like, let's take Mira being able to. To do the wards.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

That was a huge moment for Mira that I don't want this to take away from her. Right. And same with Re. I think that's another fantastic example. Since the very beginning, when she manifested her signet, they were even like, oh, my gosh, like, I can't do walls yet. And Violet's like, yet. You know, you can't do walls yet. And so it was real foreshadowing for this, for them getting stronger in their own power and for how much Rebecca really does lean into, you know, female empowerment and all, especially in this romantic genre.

[Anna]

Right.

[Christina]

I would be. I don't want to say disappointed, but it would be a little bit like. Like, oh, like they didn't do that on their own kind of thing. Yeah, I agree.

[Lexi]

Also, throughout. The way that Rebecca Yarros writes her characters is very ensemble. Yes, there are the two main characters with Zaden and Violet, but she also takes into consideration what is the growth journey for the other people around these two characters. Whereas I feel like with a lot of authors that we're used to in Romanasy, that might not be the Case, it is very focused on the two main characters. But when we're looking at Rebecca, I feel like that is a prime example of her really leaning into that ensemble nature of this series. And these characters have three more books just like Violet and Zaden do. So they have to go on their own journey, hopefully.

[Christina]

Wow. You gotta throw it out there. Whole story.

[Anna]

Save it for the rapid fire, Lex.

[Lexi]

Yeah, I was gonna say. I was like, are we going there now? But. So they have maybe possibly three more books to do, and they need to have their own journeys as well. I really. I agree completely with you, Lex. I think that that's really what made me step off the gas with amplifier.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

I also think in that epigraph, it states that Mira. Except when under emotional duress. Basically.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Lexi]

And I would say that's emotional duress.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Anna]

I was like, one could argue that being faced with a Venin for the first time in Mira's case.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Anna]

That would cause emotional terror.

[Christina]

And you doing this is literally going to keep your siblings and you alive. Yeah, exactly.

[Anna]

You just found out Brennan's alive.

[Kim]

It's up to you. No pressure, but we'll die. Yeah. I totally agree. I feel like that also was put in there to kind of, I don't know, not justify, but to have that be that reasoning there for sure.

[Christina]

Right. Part of Mira's story arc. Yes. Where it's like. Yes. It's her overcoming something.

[Anna]

Exactly.

[Kim]

And I love that for her.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Anna]

So I think we are all on the, like, truthsayer, intensic, sort of train.

[Lexi]

Mishmash.

[Anna]

Mishmash.

[Kim]

I'm under the umbrella of the intensely true Sayer, you know, me too. Theory.

[Anna]

Me too. I love it. I love it.

[Kim]

It's happened. It's happened.

[Anna]

Okay, listeners, we asked Lexi and Nicole. I feel like we've already done a bunch of unhinged deep dives, but we're gonna do another one. So we asked Lexi and Nicole to each bring a unhinged and or die on the H that they hope or think might happen in the coming books. So let's see. Lexi, do you want to go first?

[Lexi]

I was going to say Lexi has to take it off or take it. Take it away. Excuse me.

[Christina]

Well, I'm going to be honest, though. I don't feel like it's very unhinged. Gosh. Like, I'm such a practical person. I'm the person who's like, well, actually kind of thing. And I always poke holes.

[Anna]

Same Lexi. Same.

[Christina]

Right. I don't know if this is necessarily unhinged but talking about Mama Ryerson, talking about Zaden's mom, I think, and I have not heard anybody else agree with me or say this before, is that I think that she's loyal to Navarre. And I think there's going to be a plot twist that she is part of King Tari's court. And I know I originally used to think that she was poor million partly because of, you know, Finn Ryerson's alliance with them and things along those lines. I know Nicole is on the she is in the Isle Kingdoms train.

[Kim]

This is a bet, isn't it? Oh, this is a bet.

[Christina]

Yeah, this is a bet. I don't remember what the consequences are.

[Lexi]

I'm looking. You keep going, I'll look.

[Christina]

Sounds good. And I know a lot of people think that she's Venin. You found it. Okay, great. And think that she's been in. So the reason why I think that she is from Navarre specifically is because we think about these marriage alliances and the person who is the head of Tiran Door, it would be very difficult for him to marry a poor million because everybody would know about it. Right. And so I'm really leaning out of that camp that she is poor million and leaning into. Okay, well, his mom stayed with the contract. You know, she was there until he was 10 years old. And then she left a few years after that is when the rebellion started. And she also seemed like she did care about Zaden. You know, he still keeps the baby blanket that she made for him and stuff like that. So I don't think that it necessarily has to do with him, but there was a lot of political friction. Sure. Even though it was initially designed to kind of create an alliance between poor Emile and I'll say specifically Kaldir and the rest of Navarre and to kind of like keep Tyrandor in check. And she didn't like it. So she was her own independent woman and left there. And that is what then kind of of. I don't want to say led to the rebellion by any means, but it was a contributing factor to that breakage of that alliance, so to speak. And so I do think that she might be in Navarre, specifically Caldir. I do think that we are going to be going to Caldir in Onyx Storm. And I could just see a really big plot twist with her being there. And Zaden's like, oh, like maybe he doesn't know that either. There's also a moment where Violet thinks how Cat is so beautiful that she would belong in King Tari court or it was something along the. Not, not in his court, but like a performer over there or something like that. Yeah.

[Lexi]

Yeah.

[Christina]

Well, Zaden's just gorgeous. And so I don't know, maybe his mother is also drop dead beautiful.

[Kim]

She probably is.

[Christina]

You know, and so maybe that she's part like, that's a little nod to a role that his mother is in too. So I just wanted to throw that out there. So I. I am not in the Vinin camp. I'm not in the poor meal camp. I'm not in the Isle Kingdoms camp. I think think that she is cozying up to King Tari's court.

[Kim]

I love this. I love what the reveal would be. Because that moment, can't you see it?

[Christina]

Yes. Oh, my God.

[Lexi]

Like, that is such a good chapter ender.

[Anna]

Like the Family Feud. Like, it would just be like Jerry Springer.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

Mom.

[Kim]

What?

[Anna]

Huh?

[Kim]

What? Like, oh, God, it'd be so good.

[Christina]

And also, Zaden doesn't like to talk about his mom.

[Lexi]

No.

[Christina]

What if he does know kind of about all of that?

[Lexi]

So.

[Kim]

Yeah, maybe he does know more and he's just like, I don't want to talk about.

[Christina]

Yeah. Or maybe he doesn't know, like, the extent of it.

[Anna]

Violet's not going to like that secret.

[Christina]

Exactly. Oh, gosh, she won't.

[Kim]

God, we're going to have a whole. You didn't ask the right question. You didn't ask me if she was in Caldw, so I didn't tell you she was in Caldir.

[Christina]

I'll be honest. I loved Iron Flame. And when I do my rereads, it's a little bit like, okay, Violet, I love you, girl. You got to move on. Come on.

[Kim]

We got to move on.

[Anna]

We have a saying on the. On the podcast where we go, it's war times. Zaden had to protect people. It's wartime times. Like, let's move on.

[Kim]

Priorities. It's war times. Like, different rules.

[Christina]

Yes. Rebecca has even said she's like, it's like he's in the CIA.

[Lexi]

Like, like, of course he's going to keep secrets, obviously.

[Kim]

Exactly.

[Anna]

I love that though.

[Kim]

And I. Not really in the camp that she's a Venom either. I feel like.

[Anna]

Yeah, yeah.

[Kim]

It's interesting because, you know, he's a ven. And now and it's like, oh, she's going to be like, come home to me. I don't know. But I think the only way I would, like, if she was a villain is if she's that silver haired girly.

[Lexi]

I was just gonna say exactly What I was thinking. Yes. Yeah, yeah.

[Christina]

Because it like. Okay, so let's real quickly do an argument for that. Because she was kind of like in the shadows and then she left immediately kind of once when Violet arrived. And so what if it's because she knew her son was right behind? So it's almost like she's like. I don't want to say, like familiar with the shadows. It's like a symbolic versus her, like really consciously doing it where it's putting her with the shadows. And then boom, Zaden arrives right after she leaves.

[Lexi]

Well, and also there's all that around Zaden being like, I fucking love your hair. Like, and it's the silver in her hair. So it's. It could be the knot of like, he doesn't even realize, like, you know how you end up with people like your parents. Like, it's kind of one of those.

[Anna]

Knots that is super Freudian.

[Kim]

Oh my God, I'm so attracted to this silver hair. Why?

[Anna]

What does he say? If you ever want to win an argument, just let down your hair.

[Lexi]

Yes, exactly. Very Rapunzel. Oh, wow.

[Kim]

Interesting.

[Lexi]

I think that he doesn't know if she is Venom. I think he would have no idea.

[Kim]

Yes, agreed.

[Lexi]

I very much think that I'm very much on the. She's in the Isle Kingdoms. Because that was honestly just our catch all. And if this woman, we have no idea where she is the catch all. And then I just was like, oh, this actually makes sense.

[Christina]

Well, and then once we read the blurb, it's like, oh, our catch all is actually like, I don't think this is a joke anymore going to the Isle Kingdoms.

[Lexi]

But. But then I also think, like, I'm a firm believer that the seventh dragon den, there are still dragons on the Isle Kingdoms. From that den. I would love if she was a Dragon Rider for one of those dragons. But maybe she didn't bond until later in life when she went over.

[Anna]

So cool.

[Lexi]

I don't think she's from the Isle Kingdoms. I think she's in the Isle Kingdoms. However.

[Kim]

Okay, she's like there with that.

[Christina]

Yeah, I'm going to reply to that. Where. I don't think the seventh Dragon den wanted to be Dragon Riders because they saw what everything was going on and that is one of the reasons why they left is because the other six were willing to bond and the seventh dragon is like, no, I'm not gonna do that. And so that's why they left.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

Okay, but follow up. But what if. Okay, so. But why then did Andarna get left.

[Christina]

Behind for the wards.

[Lexi]

For the wards is my guess.

[Anna]

Just the wards. Okay. There's no other. Because.

[Kim]

Okay.

[Anna]

I guess she doesn't technically have to bond. Nobody forces a dragon to bond. But she wants to.

[Kim]

And. Or maybe her fire is gonna be important.

[Christina]

Thank you. Okay. Okay.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

I have my second theory, but we're doing round robin here, so I'm going to hold back.

[Kim]

O. Wait. But Nicole, do you want to tell us anything else about the Isle Kingdoms?

[Lexi]

No, honestly, the Isle Kingdoms are just. I have no idea what's there other than I'm pretty sure Mama Ryerson and the seventh Dragon Den and we're going there.

[Kim]

Love it.

[Lexi]

But Lexi and I talked about this on our Onyx Storm blurb episode, like our emergency episode that we did. And it is that we think that they're going to go to the Isle Kingdoms to ask for help from the allies because there's a lot of in the first Six war and all that kind of stuff. They had the allies where the Isle Kingdom. So they're just kind of. Kind of go there as like history repeats himself.

[Christina]

And the blurbs say we need allies. And so I really think, like, it's like, okay, so they might as well have just said they're going to the owl.

[Kim]

We need to go to the.

[Lexi]

So excited. Now I will say I'm trying to think of which unhinged theory I'm going to go with. And I think I'm going to actually go with this one. So this actually really has stuck with me since the excerpt came out in Cosmopolitan magazine and I just finished my reread or I'd like re listen to actually the dramaticized audio of 4th Wing and Iron Flame. And there's multiple instances where the scribe quadrant is mentioned being a little. A little extra, we'll call it. So in the. I'm backing up a little bit. Back it up, back it up. Backing up. I love you. In the excerpt, there is mentions how the Venin are sneaking in as scribes. Basically. They have described robes on.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Lexi]

And Violet's like, what the. They're scribes vibes.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Lexi]

There's nausea. Who's in Iron Flame? Who's sleeping always unconscious. I don't think he's sleeping necessarily or by his own accord. I think he's been drugged somehow. For people who are either working with a Venin or who are initiate level Venin sneaking in and out real quickly.

[Christina]

So also because one of our big questions was how in the world did Jack know Or how did the venom. How did anybody Know.

[Kim]

Know.

[Christina]

That's how you deactivate the War Stones, Right? Well, we also know it was in that. Is that what you're about to say? Okay.

[Lexi]

Thank you very much for jogging my memory.

[Christina]

Yes. So with Varish, how he said that they took Lyra's journal, how Varys said that they took it back to the archives. Well, if these scribes are Vienna scribes are going into the archives as Nicole. So I'm going to let you take.

[Lexi]

This in that moment. It's right before Dane goes into the end of Part one to go and try to get Violet's memories and then end up killing Veresh. Verish tells touching the face, two hands.

[Christina]

Oh, I love being back in this world so much. All the old inside jokes are coming back.

[Kim]

It's so fun.

[Lexi]

Varysh tells Dain. Like we saw her sneaking out with Liryre's journal, which contains descriptive instructions on how to deactivate the wards. Word for word. That is what he says. Now, this is when the. When the journal has already gone back into, we think, the scribe quadrant.

[Christina]

Right.

[Lexi]

What if Verish, who we do think is Venon or associated with Venon, what if Veresh gave it to. To get him to un and that's how Jack knew how to Un. I'm. Now, can Jack read Moranian? I have no idea, but. And maybe that's where there's another scribe who comes into Jack's back.

[Anna]

He can do anything.

[Kim]

Jack's truly.

[Lexi]

You hear that, Lexi?

[Kim]

We fucking hate it.

[Christina]

It's like becoming like a running joke where it's just like, I hate him for such personal reasons.

[Lexi]

I don't think he's making it out of Onyx Storm. I think he's dying in this book, but I. That maybe that might just be wishful thinking.

[Kim]

I hope so.

[Lexi]

Going back to the initial question, which is what is your crack theory? My crack theory is that there has been scribes this whole fucking time. In Iron Flame, there's also a moment where Violet passes by a scribe in the hallway and she notes how the scribe's hood is down so she can't see. And she's like, I don't. That's weird.

[Christina]

And wasn't the scribe with Markham?

[Lexi]

Scribe was not with Markham. He was coming from Markham's class, but.

[Christina]

That'S what it was.

[Lexi]

There's a note how the scribe is like, that's weird. Scribes shouldn't be in the writers quadrant. So I think that Svenen have been dressing up as scribes and, like, infiltrating just to get Knowledge on what's going on in the writer's squadron.

[Kim]

That's so interesting. Now, how do we think they're getting these ropes? Are they killing scribes to get the robes? Is there, like, a closet that they can, like, pull a robe out of once they get like, this one's been dry cleaned? Like, how did they get them?

[Christina]

I think that's a great question.

[Lexi]

I'm going with both, but I'm leaning towards the latter. Because wouldn't they be like, where are all these scribes that we initiate where.

[Kim]

They go dropping like flies? Yeah.

[Christina]

That leads to the big question about Markham.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Christina]

And we all say, I definitely believe that Markham is a bad guy. We think that he had Papa Sorrengail killed for his research. And he was getting a little too close to some truths that I can go into here in a second. I don't necessarily think that M4RKIM is in with the Venin.

[Lexi]

Yeah, agree.

[Christina]

However, daddy ATOs, absolutely, 100% is, yes, Daddy Atosa sus. Because, you know, the secrets die with the people who keep them and all that kind of stuff. And so I think that potentially Daddy Atos, I don't know if he's smart enough to be doing this, but we do think that he is, I'll say a puppet of the Venants. Where he thinks that he is way more important than he actually is. And the Venin are actually using him.

[Lexi]

Well, I think they're petting his ego.

[Christina]

Exactly.

[Lexi]

Can be more powerful or he gets off on that.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

And that's very much him. Yes.

[Anna]

I think Chrissy and I have talked about Markham before and Kim, and I'm with you, Lexi. Like, I think he's a bad dude, but I don't think he's a bad dude with the Venice. I think he's just more morally corrupt.

[Lexi]

It's like that serious black quote where it's like, not all bad people are death eaters.

[Anna]

Yes, yes, I agree with that. I think it's also more interesting because it adds layers to what's going on in the story.

[Christina]

Yes, exactly. I'll also say, like, for instance, just while we're throwing people out here, I don't think Melgren is with the Venin at all either. I definitely think he is. I don't think that he's in with Markham, but he's just kind of like. He's almost, like, as straightforward as you can be for the general. You, who's not everybody's favorite.

[Lexi]

I do think he's gonna get assassinated at some point.

[Christina]

I agree. Absolutely.

[Lexi]

There's a sign in the first book where Violet's like, you can't get assassinated if you know it's coming. There we go. Because he can see, obviously, the outcome of battles, but he can't see the marked one. So I think someone in the marked one world is gonna off him. Get him.

[Kim]

Absolutely. Yes.

[Anna]

Okay. Christina, do you want to do your unhinged theory?

[Kim]

Oh, yeah.

[Christina]

I want to hear. I want to hear.

[Lexi]

Oh, yeah.

[Kim]

Oh, I'm so freaking excited.

[Anna]

I love it. It's so cute. Cute.

[Kim]

It also has zero contextual evidence, but I really just want it to be true. Okay. So I don't know if I'll die on this hill, but like, man, this is my favorite unhinged theory right now. Is that what if RX Dragon mates with Andara?

[Christina]

I love that one.

[Lexi]

I love this theory.

[Christina]

I love it.

[Kim]

I am obsessed with the drama potential here. The plot options, like the drama, the mindspeak of them mindspeaking. And then would Auric and his dragon join, like the group chat, like the mental group chat?

[Lexi]

I think they'd be too mental. I think they'd be too group chat.

[Christina]

It'd be like the group chat but with a green bubble. Yeah.

[Lexi]

They're Android users.

[Christina]

As an Android person, myself.

[Kim]

Android and Apple phones, I love it.

[Christina]

I love that. Do you think that Arik is going to be a distance wielder?

[Lexi]

Yes.

[Kim]

So, yes. I like that the best for him. I really do.

[Anna]

It makes sense.

[Kim]

I think the boy needs distance. He wants distance from his family. He wants distance from his role. He wants distance from the lies. Like, he just, like, really wants. Needs distance. So I am in the camp that I actually think that she dated Halden.

[Christina]

Okay.

[Kim]

However, I do think Arc does have feelings for her. I think that Arc, like, had a crush on his older brother's girlfriend. Gotcha is what I think happened. It gets a little tricky with the age of Halden, Bandarna and Andara.

[Christina]

Actually, I do love that theory and I do think that we are going to learn more about Halden.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

I think that Violet had a crush on Halden. Kind of like, you know, like that 14 year old who's looking up at the 18 year old. I don't. Can't remember if that's their exact age difference, but something like that.

[Lexi]

Something like that.

[Christina]

And it's kind of like a. Ooh. Like really, really used to like him and had that giddiness there. But might have been a little too. Too old for her in that sense, right?

[Kim]

Yes. Because really, like the only way it's not kind of icky is if it's like, maybe 19 and 21.

[Lexi]

Yeah, yeah.

[Kim]

The beginning of fourth wing. She's 20, right? Yes. So if it was, like, the year leading up, maybe, but still, it's. It's tricky.

[Christina]

Also, Halden, if he had to be conscripted, which we don't know if the royalty themselves were, but was, then he would have gone to infantry because he would have been the oldest. And so that means that the heir definitely does not become a Dragon Rider, because that, you know, we all know how that goes. And so he would have been an infantry, so that would fit.

[Kim]

And we know that she, like, thinks things, like, ridiculously on the mark with the infantry guests. I love that.

[Lexi]

Yeah.

[Kim]

My main thing with Halden, I really wasn't planning on talking about Halden here, but I just, like, it's happening. So my main thing with Halden, the evidence that I love is this moment where Jenya looks at Auric and recognizes his eyes and when would she have met the king? And she looks at Violet and is like, oh. And it's just like this. Like, oh, we were friends. You would have met my boyfriend. I don't know. Like, it just feels like something there. And then Violet's like, is he that obvious? I sign, and then she says, only if you're looking for it. They have the same eyes. Like, who is they? And, like, why would she have met.

[Christina]

Oh, my God. I never thought about it. I always thought about if, like, they were, like, way younger, but not if it was within the last few years.

[Kim]

Yeah, because Jesenia and her studied for the scribe exam, like, the whole year before, so maybe it could have been in that year, possibly. I don't know who else she would be talking about because also, the middle brothers are already dead.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Lexi]

Yes.

[Kim]

Would have been dead. So my key thing there is, like, when would she have met? Who would she be talking about?

[Christina]

You just convinced me.

[Anna]

Yes.

[Lexi]

She also asks Arik, like, what about Halden? Like, does he know about the Venin?

[Kim]

Oh, yes. She's like.

[Lexi]

And Arik is like, I mean, I'm here and he's not. And Violet's kind of disappointed. Like, it's not outright stated, but there's a little bit of, like, my fucking ex. Like, I could totally see that.

[Kim]

It feels like something you'd ask about your ex. You're like, wait, does he know, though? Like, tell me. He doesn't. Like, really?

[Lexi]

Okay, now here's the question. If he is her ex and if our Ex dragon bonds with. And is Zaden going to be responsible for killing all three? In that case, all the brothers.

[Christina]

Thanks for shaking them off.

[Lexi]

And one, and two.

[Kim]

I love that. I know. I really feel like there's something about Halden in that moment and her being like, well, does he know? And then something about, like, maybe that's why she is, like, really sensitive to Xaden being a duke and her not being nobility is like, maybe that's why they had to break up. And that's why then in that moment, she's like, yeah, of course Halden's choosing to just stay in his little palace. Like, of course. You know, I feel like there's maybe something there.

[Anna]

I love it because it's like all the historical romance books.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Kim]

Yeah, exactly.

[Christina]

She's.

[Kim]

What's a regular girl, you know?

[Lexi]

I'll tell you this. Like, the thing that makes me feral for this theory to be true is if we get jealous Venon Zaden, I'm done for. If that's the case, I'm done.

[Kim]

Okay, everyone, picture this. The idea of jealous Venon Zaden knowing that Arryk and Violet are having the sexy time feelings because their dragons are having the sexy time. And he's like, well, we got to distract you. Like, I'll hit. Like, what does he do?

[Anna]

It's. Oh, my God.

[Lexi]

Not hit that.

[Kim]

It's gonna be so good. I want this to be true so bad. I really do.

[Anna]

And I love it because, like, I know, like we were saying, like, oh, well, what if only Violet can hear? It's like the green Android bubble. But what if it's not? What if the drama is you have Arric and Zaden talking in her brain? Like, Christina and I were doing this, like, headcanon thing where, like, the three of them are sitting there around a group of people, and in Violet's brain, it's Zaden and Arik, like, throwing jabs at each other, but they're standing there silently like this. And then all of a sudden, you see her. Yeah. And then she just goes like, would you shut up? And everyone just looks at her like, nobody's talking, bitch.

[Kim]

What is happening right now? I love it.

[Christina]

I love that. I see that. And you know what? I could see Rebecca really loving that, too.

[Lexi]

Yes.

[Kim]

Right?

[Lexi]

Because she loves Auric, so I could totally see that happening. Yes.

[Christina]

I love his dragon as soon as his dragon arrived because I've always wanted a green dagger tail. It almost made me want to switch to a blue because. Oh, my gosh. Sapphire.

[Kim]

The sapphire hues My God. And there is a note in that. I have it here. It says RX Dragon, which is quote, sapphire hued scales that contrast the changing colors of the sunset sky. So some people are saying, like, changing colors, like Andarna. Is that a coincidence that they're both. They can change colors? Kind of. I just. I love it.

[Christina]

I love that.

[Kim]

I also love that this would allow us to get the drama without having to do a love triangle. Because I really don't think we're doing love triangle.

[Lexi]

No, I don't think at all.

[Kim]

Like, I think it would feel disingenuous to Violet if she was, like, swayed by anyone else at this point. Like, it would just feel weird.

[Anna]

No.

[Lexi]

Yeah.

[Kim]

But then I think Auric may be having some, like, feelings for her. And then we get all the drama and then he's like, I mean, gets over it and gets with Sloane or Cat. We get the drama between them arguing about her. But it's not. I don't know, it's not the love tribe.

[Christina]

It's almost, I don't want to say like comedy relief, but it would be. It would be like a fun kind of drama because we're all just along for the ride. Yes.

[Lexi]

I think we're definitely going to get some kind of third party having feelings for Violet because we had that last. I mean, the only, like, hole I'm going to poke in this is we did kind of have that with Iron Flame with Zaden and Kat.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Lexi]

So is this going to be another situation right now? The thing I love is that if it is Halden who is like, hey, like, remember that crush you had on me? Or remember the, like the spark we had that one summer or whatever.

[Kim]

Right.

[Lexi]

And he tries to almost rekindle it. Like, I could see him working almost for the, like, King's. I don't think the King is smart enough to be quite honest. But like, almost for like the Navarro.

[Christina]

He'S King Tari the Wise.

[Lexi]

I think that's like, I think that.

[Christina]

Is a self title he gave himself.

[Lexi]

I think. I think that's like a little pat. But I do think that there's going to be some kind of like, let's try to get Violet back onto our side. Like, almost he's gonna like, try to crush on her or he's gonna fake a crush on her to manipulate her.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Lexi]

I could see that being the thing and like, that being the drama.

[Kim]

I totally see that. I definitely think she dated Halden and I also definitely think he's gonna die. Like, I don't think there's any way that he's, like, gonna be king.

[Christina]

There was that line about Auric, and they're like, well, you know, no Dragon Rider has ever been a king. And first of all, Violet's like, well, that's not actually true. And it's like, oh, my God, tell me that mean. Yeah.

[Kim]

And then she gets interrupted. That is, like, maybe the most annoying interruption to me right now.

[Anna]

I'm like, what does that mean?

[Lexi]

I'm unwell.

[Christina]

And so I think that it was one of the original first six who might have been the first king there.

[Kim]

Okay. I like that.

[Anna]

That would make sense.

[Christina]

The one who was from Caldir. Yeah. And because it became the common language and all of that. Oh. But yes, definitely Arric. And so Halden will definitely be dying. And I really. Actually, I probably bet some money that it'll be Zaden who kills him.

[Kim]

I mean, and that would be even sweeter if. If he's an ex.

[Lexi]

You know, I could see it being Aric. Killing his older brother. Not for, like, I want to get to the throne.

[Christina]

How Shakespearean.

[Lexi]

Shakespearean. But I don't think it's gonna be like, I want the throne. I don't think it's gonna be like that. I think it's gonna be like, Halden is so deep on the Nevarian, trying to keep the da, da, da, da, da. Or hell, maybe. Who knows? Maybe King Tari is being manipulated by the venom, much like Daddy Atos.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Lexi]

Oh, God, I could spiral about this for hours. I love it.

[Kim]

I love it. Okay. Yes. So that's my crack theory that I hope that his dragon bonds with Andarna at, like, an age appropriate time. It's hard to tell when Andarna's, you know, not gonna be a teenager.

[Lexi]

That's her scorpion tail now. I think she. Now that she's no longer a feather tail, I consider that of age.

[Kim]

Me too.

[Christina]

She's like 18 in dragon years, if we're going by all of that.

[Kim]

She's a freshman in college. She's experimenting. It's mine. Can you.

[Anna]

Yeah. Can you imagine, like, Taran and Sigale being so freaking fed up with, like, an in love and.

[Christina]

Oh, my God.

[Anna]

Just feeling like, oh, my God. It's like, you know, did you.

[Lexi]

Well, you were.

[Anna]

You got home late last night.

[Kim]

Yeah. Were you back by curfew? Oh, my God. Last. Last thing on this is that I love the idea that we don't know Auric signet yet. So what if this happens and then his signet is something specifically complementary to what she gets from Andarna. And then Zayn's also jealous because they gotta fight together in battle because they work together in ways, you know, I love shit.

[Lexi]

I love exactly, love it. Delicious drama.

[Kim]

Okay, Anna, do you want to talk us through your theory?

[Anna]

Okay, so I am the queen of the three of us in our podcast. I am googling everything. I stay up late, I am spiraling, I am googling the scents of like various smells and like what they could.

[Kim]

We had like a 45 minute talk on cinnamon one time. It was like a thing.

[Christina]

We totally understand how that goes. This whole literally has spice watch, plant.

[Lexi]

Watch, plant watch, spice watch.

[Kim]

Yes, yes, yes. Okay.

[Lexi]

Scent watch, gym watch.

[Anna]

Okay, So I need you to like go on this journey with me. Okay. This is kind of an unhinged spiral, but I also, it is like very much rooted in fact because I like to deal in facts. There's a few things here before I set the scene. So obviously a huge aspect of Violet's storyline is her overall lack of body strength, right? Like her low endurance, her low muscle tone. Right? All of these. And all of this stems from the sickness that she endured while she was. Was in utero, right, with her mom. Okay, so Rebecca could have chosen any color to describe the bleached out part of her hair. She could have chosen white. She could have chosen gray. But she chose the word silver. Okay, so Taryn, what does he call her? He calls her Silver One.

[Lexi]

Right.

[Christina]

Okay, so I'm wearing my Silver One sweatshirt and it just feels on brand right now. Keep going. It is.

[Anna]

Okay, so. So Silver One. And at threshing, one of the first things he says to her, I know exactly who and what you are, Violet Sorengale. And that line always has stuck with me. What does that mean? Who is she? What is she? I don't know. If we're going to break down and do a lot of research right, on this book and what things mean, I think we have to start with the word silver. It's used a lot. So I googled silver, I googled the metal. What are its properties? Okay, so here, according to a Google search, pure silver. Silver is, quote, too soft and too malleable. Does that sound like anybody's physicality?

[Lexi]

It sounds like Violet, especially because she's very bendy, as she says in Fourth Wing.

[Kim]

That's what Zaden said.

[Anna]

Yes, she's super bendy.

[Kim]

Very bendy.

[Anna]

Okay, so silver, right? In order to be like, used appropriately and like in jewelry, it can't Be used in its pure form. It has to be alloyed. Like, it has to be blended with another type of of metals. So like sterling silver, for example, is like 92% pure silver and, like 7% other metals. Okay. So keep that in mind. Okay. It has to be alloyed with other things. Pin it.

[Kim]

Okay.

[Anna]

All right. This is a two parter. Silver is believed. This is science. This is actually fact. Silver is believed to, like, have the power to purify.

[Lexi]

Taking notes.

[Anna]

So it's used. It's been used for centuries in medicinal purposes, and it's still used today. It's used in water purification, it's used in wound care, reconstructive orthopedic surgeries, cardiac devices.

[Kim]

Was Dr. Ben a part of this theory? And his husband's a doctor?

[Anna]

Yes, I did ask. So Dr. Ben approves.

[Kim]

Okay, good. Okay.

[Anna]

Okay. So silver, because it has, like, natural, antimicrobacterial, like, properties, it's used for centuries of medicinal purposes. Like, that's fact. Now this is a little more hocus pocus. Okay. It's believed to have the ability to reflect negative energies away from the wearer. Okay. And to, like, you know, purify energy.

[Kim]

Okay.

[Anna]

It's also believed to, like, be able to help keep a person safe. Okay.

[Kim]

Okay.

[Anna]

So with all of that knowledge, did Rebecca choose silver not only because, like, it mimics, like, Violet's physicality, right? The malleable whatever, her, like, low overall lack of strength, but it also describes what Violet is possibly capable of. Okay. Because remember, silver is believed to have the ability to purify and reflect negative energies.

[Christina]

Nicole is literally taking notes on this right now. I was like, what is she doing? I was like, oh, my God, she's taking notes. I love it.

[Lexi]

I'm like, I need to write this down.

[Anna]

So what if what Aunt Darna is referring to and like, that I have waited centuries for someone like you, obviously, the whole line, the heart of a writer, mind of a scribe, blah, blah, blah. But, like, what if we don't yet know what Violet's chosen one thing is yet? Right? We're going on that journey. We're going to go on that journey in the next few books. Okay.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Anna]

But we also know that Andarna knows more about Papa Sorrengail's research because it is. Rebecca makes a point to say that she's silent when asked about Papa Sor andale's research. So clearly she knows more than she's letting on.

[Christina]

Sorry, that's like, my jam talking about this stuff. Yes. Like, I could go on a 10 minute rant about Papa Sorngale and Darna. Yes.

[Anna]

Yes. Okay, so what if Violet being the silver one has to be like alloyed with someone else? She has to work with somebody else to become the strength that would make like sterling silver. Right. To be able to purify something, to be able to fix something and. Or is she the silver one? Because it already happened. She was human. Right. Until in utero, something happened to her. And so now she's been alloyed with something in utero, whatever that sickness was, which is not just a normal sickness that made her. Maybe she's physically weak, but she has the ability to like, do something else, to purify. Maybe the Venin.

[Kim]

Or maybe the Venin.

[Christina]

I'm absolutely loving this. And also the scientific evidence, like, I did not know that I was going to be going to a geology class today. And I love, love it.

[Kim]

We're learning about.

[Anna]

Add chemistry lessons with Anna to our outline.

[Kim]

I will. I'll add it.

[Christina]

So do you think that a Venin attacked her mom? Like the sickness is definitely from a Venin in some kind of way? Because we definitely are on that boat. Yeah.

[Anna]

Yes. I think it's Venin related. I don't know if it was part of the research that her father was like working on and she was taking some serums or doing something and it, you know, we all know that the blood facenta barrier. Right. Like if you take certain things, it's going to crack, cross into the placenta.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

So that's why you can't take certain medications when you're pregnant.

[Christina]

Or like the venom dagger too, Like a poison dagger. Because when she was telling her mom about that, it was kind of like, it wasn't like a real out there line, but it was kind of like her mom knew exactly what she was talking about.

[Lexi]

I remember it's like her eyes widen.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Lexi]

And that's so Rebecca. I will say. Okay, so two things here. Okay. Wow. I just like, was furiously writing.

[Kim]

Okay.

[Lexi]

So when I think about the silver hair in her hair.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Lexi]

I think almost like, you know how all scars in this world are described as silver or silver lined. So Zaden's 107 scars, I always paired it with her hair is almost like the scar from when she was in utero. I think her mom was drained by a Venin ever so slightly. Obviously not fully because she's. She was still alive. And I think that that's how the silver in her hair is now poisoned or poisoned, quote, unquote.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Lexi]

But then that also brings into the question of. Of this silver haired Venin from the excerpts. Because there has to be some kind of relation there. I always assumed that the silver, like how you're saying the silver, the purification, the bendiness. I almost started thinking, like, what if the silver is to represent the physical form of her eds, Right? So Elder Sounder syndrome. Right, right. I'm saying that incorrectly, but you know what I mean? And almost how, like that bendiness, the. How she is extra bendy is from the chronic illness.

[Anna]

Right.

[Lexi]

But then you started talking about, like, what if she needs to be paired with someone, something else? And I'm like, well, what if the something else is in Darna and them together is what cures?

[Anna]

Because she's been waiting 650 years.

[Christina]

I love that because there's also the whole thing where it's like, is Violet part of a prophecy? Because it's always like, how does Andarna know? Yes, yes, of course we know that the elders were talking about her and all that kind of stuff. But even Violet calls out, she's like, well, how did you know that I was going to be writer? And I don't have it right in front of me, but it's something like, you know, like how indeed or something along those lines. And I absolutely love that. Oh, my gosh.

[Kim]

Love it. Oh, and. And because indoor does the Goldie, they could be alloy the silver, the metals.

[Anna]

Oh, my God. Okay, well, I'm gonna go research gold tonight. That's my spiral. How did I not put that together?

[Lexi]

Here's my follow up question for you both now.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Lexi]

Do you think we're gonna find out the meaning behind Violet's hair in Onyx Storm or in four or five?

[Anna]

If we find it out? I think it might be like the end of the book. Like cliffhanger of three. I think it'll be the bomb drop. And then it's like, end of the book.

[Kim]

Okay.

[Lexi]

Okay.

[Kim]

It's gonna be hard because, like, her mom and her dad are both gone. So, like, we're gonna have to, I think, navigate, like, figuring out. We're gonna have to have find someone or find something or some research.

[Lexi]

Or some research.

[Anna]

Do you want to talk about the research?

[Christina]

Okay. Do you mind if I take the mic here real quick? Quickly.

[Anna]

Go for it, Lexi, please.

[Kim]

Go for the research. I'm so excited to hear this.

[Christina]

This isn't really an unhinged theory because to me it's just completely canon in my head. But I need to talk about it. Right?

[Anna]

I love it.

[Christina]

Okay. So we know that there is approximately a one year overlap between Papa Sor, Gail being alive before he passed away and after Andara hatched here. I've done the math, I promise.

[Anna]

Okay.

[Christina]

So while I have no idea how. Because Andarna would have been in the veil and no human is supposed to be in the veil. But again, we don't know this, there is some connection between her and Papa Sor and Gail. And we have always assumed that it was because she was a feather tail. Because of course his research involves feather tails. And I'm going to assume also feather tails powers. And of course that directly ties into Andarna. But his research also had him learning about the first six.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Christina]

And I think that he learned more about activating the wards too. So we know there that his research was far more than just about feather tales. And it also could have included the seventh dragon, Dragon Den. So I wonder if Papa Sorrengail discovered deeper secrets of the Venin and potentially how to defeat them. Because again. And Darna can roast Venin with her dragon fire when no other dragon breed can. Yes. She decapitated the head too. But it was literally. It was smoking. It was smoking.

[Kim]

It was smoking.

[Christina]

And remember when Taran and other dragons have tried to breathe fire on Venin, literally nothing happens. That's a whole thing.

[Anna]

Right.

[Christina]

And even in the excerpt, she wants to roast the venom. Like it's right there again on the page.

[Anna]

Yes.

[Christina]

And so there's this whole mystery about Violet's hair. And also we can't forget about the epigraph where Nolan was talking to her mom and saying like, there is no cure sort of thing there. And at the time we can get a timestamp from it because he. This is completely going off of memory right now. But he was a lieutenant colonel at that time. And now he is a colonel. I understand that sometimes there are some nicknames. I do not think that that would ever happen. And he is called a colonel by Markham. I don't think Markham would ever use a nickname and not include his full lieutenant colonel. Like if he was a lieutenant colonel, he would have said so. So we can know that it is sometime in the past. So I do think that his research incorporated something with some of this Venon because it all ties together between the seventh dragon den.

[Anna]

Yes.

[Christina]

Between Andarna and the feather tales.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Christina]

I'm also going to throw in the second Crow War, because that also has.

[Kim]

I was going to ask you about this.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Kim]

What's the deal with that? The second Cran Uprising no idea.

[Anna]

We have no idea.

[Lexi]

It's like an offhanded comment to pull.

[Christina]

Out my notes because that is something I can't quite do without my doubts. Who.

[Kim]

Who's the Crow? What's happening here?

[Lexi]

Like, who's the Crov.

[Anna]

Who's the Crovland? Who are you?

[Kim]

Who are you? Crovlands.

[Christina]

Okay, okay. So Papa Sor Gal was writing a book about feather tales and researching the second Crovan uprising. So that is, he was researching the second Crovan uprising.

[Kim]

Okay.

[Christina]

How in the world are the two related? Well, the only tomb in the archives that references the power of feather tales is missing. We know that. I believe, from Daddy Atos. Right. So that makes me believe that this tome is absolutely. With Papa Sorangel's research. He never finished his research on the second Crovan uprising, which we know happened 200 years ago. So let's talk about the second Crin uprising. Yes, Nicole.

[Lexi]

The second Crin uprising is where the healers, infantry, or even scribes were able to be generals of the armies. But then after the second Crovan Uprising, that is what changed it. Where only dragon riders could command Nevarian's armies.

[Kim]

Well, that's interesting.

[Anna]

Seems a little power hungry.

[Christina]

Yeah. So maybe something happened during the second Corvalin Uprising that ties in with Feather tales. Because the two really do seem very unrelated. Right. But we also know that there is a lot of secrecy around dragons protecting their feather tails with the power.

[Anna]

Right.

[Christina]

What if the Venin are after the feather tales too? In particular because of the.

[Lexi]

The.

[Christina]

Of the more vulnerable power that they generate. And that is why Verish and Daddy Atos are so gung ho on Papa Sor and Gail's research, as well as Indarna being a feather tale.

[Kim]

As well as Indarna. Yes.

[Lexi]

This is two lines right before Violets. That's not entirely true. And then she gets cut off.

[Christina]

Yes. Yes. Okay. Yes.

[Lexi]

So after Violet says after that the commander of the riders commanded all Navarrian's armies, then Imogen says, you know that no rider has ever become king. Right, Violet. That's not entirely true. And then she gets cut off. So this is all connected.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Kim]

Hand in hand. Things are connected for sure. Wow.

[Christina]

And so going back to all of this about, like, how could Violet find out some of this information?

[Kim]

Yes.

[Christina]

Like, this is a hill I will absolutely die on. Is that there is key information in Papa Sorrengale's research. I don't think that it is going to give us all 100% of the answers. Because that's not storytelling, but it is going to be include such key information where it's almost like we have all these puzzle pieces right now that we've been spewing out right now. And he is going to be the piece that puts it all together and unlocks that final bit that then our crew can go off and find.

[Kim]

I love this.

[Christina]

And I really do think that we are going to get that. I'm going to throw out about halfway through Onyx Storm, where it's really going to kind of create that pivot to the next part of the book where then they respond to the research that he has and this new information.

[Anna]

So you think they're going to find Papa Sorrengel's research somewhere in the middle that, like, pivots us a part two of the book?

[Christina]

Potentially, yes. Interesting, because also, I think that they're going to be at Bisgaeth for the first part of the book. And then the second part, they're going to be outgoing for allies and things like that. I think that his research has to be somewhere around this guy because it was where he spent all of his after hours. And. Yes, his after hours are at the Ark. Like, it has, like, just geography. Right. So.

[Anna]

Yeah, yeah. Right, right, right.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Kim]

I was going to say, where do you guys think it is?

[Anna]

He wasn't trekking to the Fair Isles or.

[Christina]

Right. Yes, exactly.

[Anna]

The Isle Kingdoms. Isle kingdom. Sorry, the Fair Isles.

[Kim]

But it's like the phrasing of where he spent most of his after hours time is so strange to me. Like, what was it at a pub? I don't understand.

[Christina]

So Nicole and I have very different thoughts on this.

[Lexi]

Well, so I think it's in Violet's room because he was always reading her stories. He was always telling her he was reading the fables of the Baron to her. They were reading it together. So I'm assuming. Here's my caveat, though, to this.

[Kim]

Okay.

[Lexi]

I think Violet thinks it's in her room, especially because there's that line in Iron Flame where she's like. Yeah. And all my was just like, still there. Like, mom didn't box it up or anything interesting. Yeah. I think Mama Sorrengail knew.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Lexi]

That the research was there. And so she was like, we're gonna figure out how to not touch this. However, I think someone probably M4RKIM has gone into Violet's room, has taken it. And that's why Violet is not able to access it immediately, because I don't. I definitely think there's gonna be some Kind of barrier.

[Christina]

We agree on that. We do think that M4RKIM or somebody like she's going to finally. I. So I personally think that it's more of like his study or something along those lines.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

Because I'm under the impression that if his research was in her room and she knew it, she's way too nosy to not look at his research even before she knew about everything going on. The reason why she hasn't looked into his research at this point is because she does not think that it's relevant to anything that's going on. But once when she does kind of, I think that there is going to be something that makes her be like, oh, shoot, I need to talk to my father about this. Especially now after everything going down within Darna and the seventh den. And it's like, if I figured this out. Come on, Violet, you can too. Kind of thing.

[Kim]

Come on. Mind of the scribe, you know?

[Anna]

Mind of the scribe.

[Christina]

Right, right. And so she's going to go and try to find her father's research and it's not going to be where it's supposed to be. And then that's going to create another plot adventure, so to speak.

[Anna]

Yeah, yeah.

[Kim]

Which I guess if it wasn't her room, that would be a very short little adventure trying to find it.

[Anna]

Exactly.

[Kim]

Also, her room is warded, right?

[Anna]

No, no, not her childhood.

[Christina]

Not the one in the writer's quadrant. Yeah.

[Kim]

Oh, different room. Rooms. No, that makes sense.

[Lexi]

Sorry. Yeah, her old room when she lived with her mom and everyone at best guy.

[Kim]

Yeah, yeah. Interesting, interesting.

[Lexi]

So I think it's like under the floorboards, kind of like Lane Kim style from Gilbert Girls. Like that's what I'm going with.

[Kim]

Oh my God. What a Gilmore Girls reference. I love that.

[Anna]

I love it.

[Lexi]

I gotta throw in my Gilmore Girls somewhere.

[Kim]

Oh my God.

[Christina]

I still think that she's too curious. She would have looked.

[Lexi]

She was so one track mind in. In Iron Flame though. She was so.

[Christina]

I'm not talking about Iron Flame. I'm talking about about before. Like when she was still studying to be in the scribes.

[Lexi]

Okay, okay.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

Okay. At that point that's fair.

[Anna]

But what if she didn't know that he hid it in there? So then why would she go looking for it?

[Kim]

Well, should we know she knows that.

[Christina]

Where it is or she thinks that she knows where it is?

[Lexi]

Oh, she thinks she knows she knows where it is.

[Kim]

This is very friends. You think you know we know.

[Christina]

Right, Exactly. So I think that it is in like it's Supposed to be in his studio or his study.

[Lexi]

Okay.

[Christina]

Something along those lines. And maybe she never went seeking it because she just never, never thought that it would have any kind of connection to her in Nicole's favor. It could also be just too raw for her to open up his journals after he passed away.

[Anna]

Okay.

[Kim]

Yeah. Yeah. I feel like it could be in the middle. It feels like they would find it before they go get allies. But also, like, could be an end mic drop of, like, oh, this is what we need to do with aunt Arnold. Like, this is what we found out.

[Christina]

I could definitely see that, too, where it is so, so big there. Or he almost figured out the big secret. Like, he had his own puzzle pieces.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

And right before he was able to put it together. Oh, no. He died.

[Kim]

Oh, no.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Kim]

Someone found out he had the puzzle pieces.

[Lexi]

Oh, darn. How shocking.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Kim]

Yes, 100%.

[Lexi]

I could see the ending cliffhanger of this book being like a M4RKim evil villain download of him being like, I killed your father. Like, my name is Inigo Montoya. Like, I could definitely see that that could track, too.

[Christina]

And I do think that there is going to be something about going back to again, like Nolan saying, there's no cure for this for Venon, and there's only control. I think that there is going to be something about that in her father's research. And so as much as we're everything that does not even have to do with Venin, it is going to tie into it ultimately, because it's also going to be about the seventh den.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Christina]

And we know that Brennan said, you know, there was a secret weapon that killed off all the. That defeated all the Venin 600 years ago. We're trying to find it. Well, I think that the seventh dragon den, if they are not exactly the weapon, then they are directly connected to that weapon. 100 and papa sorting. Gail maybe, like, wasn't quite there, but he was, like, 80, 90% there. Yeah.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Lexi]

That's why he was killing.

[Christina]

And then our crew is gonna have to figure out the rest.

[Anna]

Yes.

[Kim]

Oh, I love it.

[Christina]

I'm all amped up here. Yeah.

[Kim]

Oh, my God.

[Anna]

All of the theories coming together.

[Kim]

Yeah. The Papa Sorrengirl research. Okay. Also. Also, do you think we're gonna find out his name in this book?

[Lexi]

Yes. And we. Oh, yeah.

[Christina]

We also think that he has already been in an epigraph.

[Kim]

Yes, I agree. I totally agree. Because how amazing would that moment be?

[Lexi]

Like, what if he was, like, a major offender? Like, can you imagine if it was like. Cuz we don't know if him and Lilith had the same last name.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Christina]

I don't think they did.

[Kim]

Me either.

[Lexi]

I don't think they did either because.

[Christina]

They'Re like sor Gails are dragon riders and blah blah, blah.

[Kim]

I was going to say she has such ownership of that name. She's like, we don't get carried, we walk like.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

Do you know also do you guys remember the line? It's in chapter one of book one.

[Kim]

Oh, what?

[Anna]

It's the first time, obviously. We meet Violet and she's like terrified. And Mira's trying to talk her mother out of making her. You know, you can't let Violet join the writer. She's gonna die. She's so weak.

[Kim]

She's.

[Anna]

They're like shitting on Violet or Mira shitting on Violet.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

And her mother looks at her and she says something along the lines of like, I'm totally paraphrasing cause I don't have in front of me. But she's like, you are stronger than any of them, Violet.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Anna]

And I feel like that is such a loaded statement that means more than just like. Just more than that. You just deal with chronic pain every day. Like you are stronger than anybody gives you credit for.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

Like there's more to you.

[Lexi]

Yep.

[Kim]

Okay, do we want to do some rapid fires? We have like a few. Let's do a few of those.

[Lexi]

Yes, let's do it.

[Anna]

Okay. Let's do a few and then we'll jump to the fun section at the very, very end that I'm very excited about.

[Kim]

Exactly. I'm really excited for that one. All right, if you have to pick one person, who do you think will die in Onyx Storm?

[Lexi]

Mira.

[Christina]

Mira.

[Lexi]

What?

[Kim]

In Onyx Storm? No, no.

[Lexi]

I think every book, one of Violet's protectors is going to die. So obviously Liam was the most obvious fabulous for. For book one. Lilith was a in the shadows protector, for lack of a better term. I think Mira is going to be next is kind of more like the symbolic protector, both with her signet and with obviously her actions. And then I do think Taryn is going to be fourth.

[Kim]

I hate that. But I do agree.

[Anna]

Don't love it, but I. I agree.

[Lexi]

I think Taren's not making it out.

[Christina]

I think Taryn would be the last. Last one.

[Kim]

So now how are we gonna get around the Taran and Sigail and Zaden situation?

[Lexi]

Well, Zaden's now connected to the source, so he doesn't need Sigail to Survive. And Violet's connected to Andarna. So I do think that Zaden and Violet are going to end out of the series alive together.

[Kim]

Agreed.

[Christina]

Me, too.

[Anna]

I agree. I mean, I think it's a romance book. It's a happily ever after.

[Lexi]

It has to be.

[Christina]

Yeah, exactly.

[Anna]

It has to be. Yeah.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Lexi]

But I definitely don't think both dragons are making it out, so.

[Anna]

Hold on, though. If he can drink from the source, does that mean I personally am in the camp of. I love the idea of Venon not being cured. I prefer the idea that Venin are not all, like, equally bad.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Lexi]

I feel very similarly.

[Anna]

You know, Rebecca has said she loves to play with the idea that absolute power corrupts absolutely. And Zaden did not turn for power. He turned for love.

[Lexi]

Yeah.

[Anna]

So I love this idea that, like, maybe there's a cure or somehow, like, a way that you don't have to live off the source. But I love this idea that that's how he's able to survive.

[Lexi]

I agree with you completely, and I'll actually rephrase my prediction for the book 3, 4, and 5. I think it's gonna be Mira, 3, Dane, 4, Taran, 5. That's what I could see. I don't think Dain's living. I definitely don't think Dane's living.

[Christina]

I could definitely see that.

[Kim]

I could see all of those for sure. I might put Mira later.

[Lexi]

Oh, interesting.

[Christina]

I can see that.

[Anna]

I don't know that she'll recover.

[Kim]

I don't know. I just feel like she's got a lot to do. And I feel like if something happens to Mira, we're gonna spend so long having to, like, emotional, emotionally, you know, recover from that.

[Christina]

It is war time.

[Anna]

It is more times we compartmentalize and we move on.

[Lexi]

Exactly.

[Kim]

Oh, my gosh. Yeah. But I could see. Interesting, interesting.

[Christina]

I see. Also, I don't know about book three, but another person who I don't think is making it out alive is Imogen.

[Kim]

Oh.

[Christina]

I also don't think all four of our people are making it to graduation situation.

[Anna]

I know, but who, though?

[Kim]

We can't kill Riddick.

[Christina]

I don't think Sawyer, because he, poor guy, just had his leg chopped off.

[Kim]

Sawyer's lost enough. He's lost enough.

[Christina]

Which only leaves Riddick or Re. And I don't want to say either of those names, so I'm not going to. I think it's gonna be Riddick.

[Kim]

You think it's gonna be Riddick?

[Lexi]

Don't put that in the universe. I hate it. Oh, don't get me wrong, I hate. I love Riddick with my entire heart and soul. And if he does die, I don't think it's gonna be like. Like, oh, Riddick died. Like, it's gonna have some really huge impact for the story, because Rebecca doesn't just off people for shits and giggles. So.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Kim]

Riddick is, like, our only funny, human.

[Anna]

Comedic belief right now.

[Lexi]

I know.

[Kim]

We have funny dragons and we have Riddick.

[Christina]

You know, I don't think it's gonna.

[Lexi]

Be anytime soon, though.

[Anna]

Like, maybe in the final book.

[Christina]

Yeah, I agree. I think it would be, like, right before graduation. Yep. Where it's like, they think they're gonna make it out together. Oh, that's terrible.

[Kim]

Just stab you in the heart. They don't all make it.

[Christina]

Of course she's gonna do that to us.

[Anna]

You know what she's gonna do? She's gonna pull, like, a kingdom of ash on us. I can't say what happens.

[Lexi]

Yes. Yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep.

[Kim]

Good God. We can't kill ri. Like, just. No. Sawyer.

[Lexi]

Sawyer's lost a leg. He's enough. I do think that Sawyer's gonna get a metal leg, and he's gonna be, like, metal bending with his leg.

[Christina]

Oh, yeah. Do something crazy. Yeah.

[Kim]

He's gonna have, like, a bionic leg for sure.

[Lexi]

But I don't think it's gonna be Reed. Just because, like, that connection for Violet is so sacred. Especially after. After Liam's death.

[Kim]

Agreed.

[Lexi]

I truly do not think she would make it out of that experience. Like, that is.

[Anna]

Yeah, Yeah, I agree.

[Kim]

And I also feel like the girl power. We've got more to do there.

[Lexi]

I feel like there's more there.

[Anna]

We need it. Yeah.

[Kim]

I'm still upset about Mira next book, but. Okay, wait. Let's bet. If you guys say Mira's in book three and we say Mira's not gonna die.

[Lexi]

Okay, who do you think's gonna die? Hold up.

[Kim]

Okay. I think that. I kind of think Imogen is gonna be three.

[Christina]

See? Okay. Finally, somebody. Yes. Because I love Imogen. Please get me wrong, but there's no way she is making it out of the series alive.

[Kim]

Yeah. It works too perfectly. Like, she would make them sad.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Kim]

Wow.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Lexi]

I think she is. I think she's making it out of the series.

[Anna]

I actually don't think anyone's going to die in book three. No, no. Because we've had someone die in every book. I know. I know.

[Christina]

Okay, Anna, we're gonna go put you in a corner.

[Anna]

Think about it. She's Setting you up.

[Kim]

Gonna be okay.

[Anna]

She's making you feel comfortable. Comfortable in the middle of the series, and then she's gonna rip the rug out from under you in book four and book five.

[Lexi]

So where we are. So Rebecca plots her entire series in a W, right? She plots her books in a W and her series in a W. Where we are in the W structure, the first point is fourth wing, which is the trigger point. Then it's the first turning point, which is Iron Flame. We're about to hit the second triggering point, which after the second triggering point, is like the depth Dark darkness and despair route straight downhill.

[Anna]

Okay. Oh, all right.

[Lexi]

I love your optimism, Anna. I don't know how that's gonna work.

[Anna]

Yeah, she's gonna kill someone in chapter one of book four.

[Kim]

Okay.

[Lexi]

I think everyone dies in book four, is Anna.

[Kim]

Everyone dies in book four.

[Christina]

Oh, my gosh. I love this idea of making a bet. A podcast versus podcast. Okay, let's bet here.

[Kim]

Yes. Let's do it. Let's do it.

[Lexi]

Do it.

[Kim]

Okay.

[Anna]

Okay, so I'll be the same as. No, I'll join you. I'll join you.

[Kim]

Okay.

[Anna]

Okay.

[Kim]

Okay.

[Lexi]

Kim's gonna come back and be like, what the fuck did you do?

[Kim]

What do we have to do?

[Lexi]

Yeah, like.

[Kim]

Yes, Ari. Okay, wait, but do you. But do you think Mira's gonna die in book three? Lexi.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Kim]

Okay, great.

[Christina]

I think it'll be the big death at the end. Yeah.

[Kim]

All right, so you guys, Mira's gonna die in book three. We think Mira's gonna die in book four.

[Anna]

Four.

[Kim]

Are you okay with that, Anna? Four. Yeah.

[Anna]

Yeah, that's fine. I think it's gonna be a different character in book three.

[Lexi]

So we'll just bet it as this Mira dies in book three. Fantasy fangirls wins if someone else dies. Like, not in addition, but like, instead of if the other bit, if the big death is not Mira.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Lexi]

Flights of fantasy wins.

[Kim]

Love it.

[Anna]

I love it.

[Kim]

Amazing.

[Lexi]

So what do you guys. What's. We gotta come up with a punishment.

[Christina]

Gotta be something about coming onto somebody's podcast and doing something ridiculous.

[Kim]

Something fun. Oh, my gosh. Something ridiculous. There's got to be shirts or something.

[Lexi]

Or, like, eggs on your face.

[Kim]

All right, we may have to circle back.

[Christina]

Cool. We will figure this out. Yes.

[Lexi]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. We'll figure this out.

[Kim]

Okay. That's gonna be fun. That's gonna be fun. Okay.

[Anna]

When we post the episode, we'll post the perfect.

[Lexi]

Perfect.

[Christina]

Okay.

[Kim]

Yeah, exactly. Everyone can play along. All right. I don't know if this one's able to do quickly but as rapid fire as we can. What do you think really happened to Naolin?

[Lexi]

He's Venan.

[Christina]

Yes. I don't think that he is the General Venin. I think that he definitely pulled from the source in addition to his siphoning to keep Brennan alive.

[Kim]

Yep.

[Christina]

I do think that the rune in Brennan's hand is something that is connecting the two of them.

[Lexi]

Still.

[Christina]

Still. I do not think that it is Brennan being controlled.

[Anna]

I agree.

[Christina]

By Naolin, like as a bad Venin. But I do think that he's. If we had to talk about that like an ASM then in.

[Lexi]

I have it in writing right here, Missy.

[Christina]

Oh.

[Lexi]

Because it's not. It was not our previous bet.

[Christina]

Oh, I think he's a sage.

[Lexi]

You think he's a sage or higher. I think he's an asym or lower. And this is the one where we go through the drive through with the sex scene on blast.

[Kim]

Okay.

[Anna]

Oh, yes.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Lexi]

And if he's just actually dead, that's where Brett and Jake have to do the punishment.

[Christina]

Okay. Thank you. I'm glad that we have documentation from.

[Lexi]

Thank you, Kendra.

[Kim]

Oh my God. I love that. I have feelings about that. Sorry, I just want to do one more. I have to ask your feelings on this. Why do you think that she keeps telling us that Bod and Zaden look alike?

[Lexi]

They're brothers.

[Kim]

Do we think it's more than cousins? Do we think they're brothers?

[Lexi]

I think they're brothers 100%. Now how that works. Are they half brothers or are they full. Full brothers? I'm not sure yet.

[Christina]

I think half brothers.

[Lexi]

Half brothers. Yes. Agreed.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Anna]

Do you think they're know.

[Lexi]

She did an interview recently where she was instructed to pair Taylor Swift songs with different characters. And for Bode, she said, I look in people's windows and everyone was like, I'm sorry, what the fuck? And for people who are not Taylor Swift fans because like I needed to go to the Taylor Swift channel on our discord for this one. And that is this song is basically from the outside looking in at a love or a lot unrequited love, for lack of a better. I'm not really paraphrasing here because it's Taylor Swift and that would be a lot. But I don't think it's necessarily love romantically. I think it's love familially.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Lexi]

So I'm assuming the leaning towards this is either him looking at his. Like the I look in people's windows is more towards his mom or his parentals or. I don't think he knows anything that Zaden doesn't.

[Christina]

I agree.

[Lexi]

But the amount of times that Zaden says, like, think I wish I had siblings. And d. D like, he mentioned siblings. So many. I think we did a sibling count. It was like seven or something like that for fourth week. It was so high.

[Christina]

It was crazy. Yeah. There's also the big mystery about. And I think. Think that this is going to tie into the reveal. I do think that they're half brothers. That it was actually. So it was Zaden's grandfather who bonded with Seil when he was in the writers quadrant. However, the records show that it was his great uncle. We've created multiple. I wish I had my whiteboard.

[Lexi]

I was gonna say, where's your family tree?

[Kim]

Oh, my God.

[Christina]

I love it. I know. Like, I literally have been creating, like, these family tree scenarios, and I have not found one yet that I am, like, really gung ho on yet.

[Anna]

Got it. Yeah.

[Christina]

I think that there is something to that. That equals these two guys being half siblings.

[Kim]

Yes. I've also seen a fun theory that maybe we're going to get a mistake in identity. Maybe Bode's going to be like, I'll go in your place. This enemy thinks we look alike. They're going to think they kidnapped you. I don't know. Something.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

See, I'm waiting for a betrayal. And like, the line that in my reread, that really bugged me so much is the fact that Zaden references Bode as always being in his shadow and always a few steps behind. And I'm like, well, that would really. That could turn somebody. That could make somebody feel like they are less than. That they are not good enough.

[Lexi]

Jack fucking Barlow.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

And I get really nervous when I read shit like that because it's always interesting when you have someone in your inner circle become dad or betray.

[Lexi]

I love Bodhi.

[Anna]

No, no, I don't love it. But it's an interesting writing choice.

[Kim]

But it would be very interesting.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Kim]

Also the. Like, I should be the rightful heir. Then he'd be half heir. It'd be a whole.

[Lexi]

The line of succession.

[Kim]

Messy, messy. Okay, Ada, take us through this last section. I'm so excited about this.

[Anna]

Okay, really quick. We are gonna do this. Okay. So we love to do. On our girls trips, we do fmks. Okay.

[Lexi]

So much so.

[Anna]

But because we are in Navarre, we're gonna do fmm. Fuck. Mary, Malik. No, this is not a. Why choose. So you guys can choose to work together on this or separately separate. But your first one is FMF M. Jack Veresh and Daddy Atos.

[Christina]

Wait, Jack Verish, Veresh and Daddy Atos. All right. Okay.

[Kim]

You know, they're all so sexy.

[Lexi]

Who are you gonna.

[Christina]

I'm have to say, probably Jack Barlow. Just because I know. Don't. Hold on.

[Anna]

No, listen, he's the youngest.

[Christina]

Yeah. He's also the young. But it would be like the I hate you kind. Oh, yeah. It would be a hate.

[Lexi]

Okay, okay, okay, okay.

[Christina]

I got.

[Anna]

I can see that. That would be dirty.

[Christina]

I think I would probably like, again, I hate Daddy Atos. But he also. I do think that he's a little bit more of a puppet who thinks that he's better than he is and bigger and stronger and all that. So I'd probably marry him. These are terrible options, by the way. But just like, given my options right now. And I would have to Malik Farish. Like, I am not going to marry or let that guy touch me. The things that he has done. So that is. Is my answer.

[Kim]

No.

[Anna]

It gives small dick energy.

[Lexi]

So, yes, we have this exact same list. The reason I would marry Daddy Atos is because he is definitely the easiest to manipulate. Which sounds really Slytherin and evil of me.

[Christina]

I am with you.

[Lexi]

But it's because I would be able to be like, you should really go visit the coastal outputs or whatever they are. The coastal places. And he would be like, yes, of course, honey. And I'd be like, dope, I'll never see you again.

[Kim]

Exactly. You'd make it think it's his decision. It'd be great.

[Anna]

Peace out Jack Barlow.

[Lexi]

For the same reasons Lexi said. And also. Okay. Have you seen. I will say this. Have you seen fan art of Jack Barlow?

[Anna]

Yes. He's not unattractive.

[Lexi]

He's not unattractive. And I will say this. One of my friends who I question her sanity lovingly. She, like, of all the book boyfriends she could have, Jack Barlow is her number one.

[Kim]

And you shut up right now.

[Christina]

Who is this person? And do never let me be in the same room as them.

[Kim]

You already have.

[Christina]

Oh, man. Oh, my God.

[Lexi]

So I definitely think he would be the easiest to. This would be. I would need several shots, though, to make this happen.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Lexi]

This is a drunk.

[Christina]

This is like tequila kind of drunk, right? Like, yes, this is tequila drunk.

[Lexi]

I would absolutely murder Verish slowly, painfully.

[Anna]

He did not die slow enough.

[Christina]

Yes, I agree.

[Lexi]

The skin off his head.

[Christina]

But guess what? He did die with an alloy death. And I don't think that was an accident.

[Lexi]

Nope.

[Kim]

Nope. Uh huh. Also, yes, the fan art of Jack is surprising.

[Lexi]

Right.

[Anna]

Okay, two more fmm. Sloane. Cat or Jinia?

[Christina]

Cat or Jinia? I'm just gonna go ahead and say I would marry Jessinia.

[Lexi]

I was gonna say the same thing. Yeah.

[Anna]

Yeah, I agree.

[Kim]

That's logical.

[Lexi]

I will say this. This is everything we know so far. I do see my answers changing after Onyx Storm. I think we're about to like Cat a lot more.

[Christina]

I could definitely see that too.

[Anna]

I agree.

[Kim]

I think we're heading that direction for sure.

[Christina]

You know I can't kill Sloan. Like, my heart can't do that.

[Kim]

No.

[Christina]

But at the same time.

[Lexi]

Okay, you know, I'm gonna do a spicy answer. I would Cat in a heartbeat. I would cat in a heartbeat.

[Christina]

Yeah, like, this is like. That's why we are in the same debate in our heads right now, Nicole.

[Lexi]

I mean, my bisexual heart cannot pass up that opportunity.

[Christina]

Yeah, me too. I want Cat in that way. But I also can't kill Sloan. So I can.

[Lexi]

I can. I can find it now.

[Kim]

I can kill him too.

[Anna]

I know. How bad is that? I honestly didn't really think about it too hard.

[Lexi]

She was like, well, I would do it quickly and like, I'm sorry. Like, that's.

[Kim]

I'm so sorry.

[Anna]

I'm so sorry. Lightning bolt.

[Kim]

Tell your brother not to hate me. Yeah, right.

[Anna]

You get to go be with Liam. Yeah.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Lexi]

It's a kindness, right?

[Kim]

Oh, okay. There we go. But Cat is definitely the choice too, to there.

[Lexi]

She has to be.

[Christina]

Yeah, but I don't know.

[Kim]

It's hard.

[Christina]

Can I have sex with her and then kill her?

[Kim]

Oh, depends on how good it is.

[Christina]

Lexi.

[Kim]

That is dark.

[Anna]

Lexi.

[Christina]

Like, lure her in. Oh, my gosh. I should stop talking.

[Lexi]

I really hope Jake is, like, in the general vicinity and was able to hear that sentence come out of your mouth. That was fun.

[Anna]

Oh, my God.

[Kim]

But can I have to?

[Lexi]

Oh, God.

[Anna]

You're basically a siren. You're a siren.

[Kim]

Yes, you are a siren.

[Lexi]

That's terrible.

[Anna]

Oh, my God.

[Kim]

Incredible.

[Anna]

Freaking hysterical. Okay, we can do this one really fast because I do want to. I definitely want to do the last one. Okay, so. Fmm. Liam Garrick. Aric.

[Lexi]

Okay, I got it. Liam's already dead, so I'm gonna go ahead and kill Liam.

[Christina]

Oh, my God.

[Kim]

Wow.

[Lexi]

I have to have sex with Garrick. That is not even a question. And I think I would marry Auric. I think him and I would do well together.

[Kim]

Yeah, you'd be a great princess.

[Lexi]

Thank you very much. That's not the. I actually didn't even get, like. And I'm not saying this, like, ironically, like, I did not even consider it, like, coronation status.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Lexi]

I just truly think that he is of the personalities. Him and I would get along, actually. I don't know, because my husband is very. Liam.

[Christina]

I was gonna say now I'm sweating.

[Kim]

Like, by your hand, you know. Yeah. That's rough.

[Christina]

I think I would marry Liam. Oh, dear.

[Anna]

I know it's hard.

[Christina]

Oh, dear, oh, dear.

[Lexi]

I refuse to kill Garrick. He is a firecracker in bed. And you know.

[Christina]

Right. Like, I think that probably.

[Kim]

Oh, 100%. I would fuck him too. For sure.

[Christina]

Yeah, probably him. I would feel really terrible killing Auric, but I would probably do that maybe so I could get his dragon. She's after that sapphire for your reason. I love Caroline Ashton. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. I love that Caroline Ashton.

[Kim]

Oh, God, that was so good. Oh, my God.

[Christina]

It's amazing. But I feel terrible while doing it.

[Anna]

I won't enjoy it. I feel really bad, but.

[Christina]

Yeah, exactly.

[Lexi]

That's a really good answer.

[Kim]

So good.

[Christina]

Oh, my God. Oh, my God.

[Anna]

All right, this last one. So we know that you guys just wrapped up your acotar, right?

[Lexi]

Yes.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Anna]

And you're about to embark on the Everflame D dives. So in the theme of Shadow Daddies.

[Christina]

Oh, no.

[Anna]

For our listeners, this will be a spoiler warning, sort of. I don't know what we're going to say. So spoiler warnings for Acotar, Everflame and the Imperium series. So if you have not listened, this is the last question you can tune out here. There'll be nothing else we'll be discussing. It's been so nice having you.

[Kim]

Goodbye.

[Anna]

But in the theme of Shadow Daddies. Zaden, Azriel, Luther. Go, Asriel.

[Lexi]

Oh, not Rhysand.

[Anna]

No, not Rhysand. We decided against that one.

[Christina]

Okay, okay.

[Kim]

In the Shadow Daddy. Yeah.

[Christina]

Oh, Shadow Daddy. Yes. Okay, I have my answer.

[Lexi]

I hate it. I have my answers.

[Christina]

I have. Actually, my answer is pretty easy. Okay. I would definitely Zaden.

[Lexi]

Yes, absolutely.

[Christina]

I would marry Luther. And I'm so sorry as, but you're gone.

[Lexi]

We have the same list, sister.

[Kim]

Really?

[Anna]

Okay, okay.

[Lexi]

Luther has shot into number one book boyfriend status for me. Like that man in glow of the ever flame.

[Kim]

Oh, the patience.

[Anna]

I know. The love.

[Christina]

I would marry him for the foot massages alone.

[Lexi]

Gracious God, the library of Sofo scene is forever my favorite sex scene. Like, it is just so, so good.

[Anna]

We just did our Book Awards episode. And Kim picked that scene as her favorite sex scene, right?

[Kim]

Yes. As her favorite sex scene of the year. Yeah. Yeah.

[Lexi]

Oh, it's the best.

[Christina]

Like, oh, it was so earned too. Oh, my God.

[Kim]

Yes. Yes. She made us wait for it for so long.

[Lexi]

Well, because it's also the, like, the slowest burn. Oh, my God. I think after reading that book, I realized how much I loved a slow burn. And I just also love, like, yes. Luther makes some choices in he that the Everflame that makes me want to strangle him. I am excited to learn more about his point of view and what he was thinking in that moment. But I really, really, really love the devotion that he shows to dm. But it's not unwarranted. Like, I do think that some MMCs. It's like, I love you. And it's like, why? Like, you've known her for two seasons.

[Christina]

Yes, exactly.

[Lexi]

Whereas, like, with Luther, he's like, I. At first I just knew that you were. I'm sorry. I'm going off and I'm so excited to talk about this book. For Luther, he was like, I saw from like, Mother Lumnos that this, like, prophecy was going to happen. And then I fell in love with you. Like, that's what I. And I just love that.

[Christina]

And he fell in love with her, like, for the kind of person that she is too, with her heart and all of that kind of stuff too. And. Oh, my gosh. Yeah. Like, I just. I would marry him in a heartbeat.

[Lexi]

Absolutely. You would never have to worry about that man. Two timing. Like. Like, he is so devoted.

[Kim]

He would rather die. Absolutely. Oh, my God.

[Anna]

What's your answer? Quick.

[Kim]

So honestly, I think it's that. I mean, I would have to. Zaden. I do think after ACOTAR 6, we might feel differently about Azriel.

[Lexi]

That's true.

[Christina]

I agree.

[Kim]

At this moment with the current information we have. I would definitely fuck Zaden. Yeah. You know, I mean, I think I'd have to kill Azriel too, but I hate it.

[Lexi]

Right.

[Christina]

Right. Like, I don't want to.

[Kim]

It's like he says three words and I'm just like, feral. So, like, I do. I don't know.

[Lexi]

We are warranted to change our answers after more information from both Empyrean and Acotar. And obviously Burn of the Everflame.

[Christina]

I'll just be honest. If you had asked about Cassian, I would have. That I would not have been able to give you an answer because he is my number one book boyfriend of all time. Like, I am obsessed with him.

[Kim]

Okay, wait, so, Anna.

[Anna]

So, okay, I'm an outlier. I will kill Luther, and I would fuck Azriel, and I would marry Zaden.

[Christina]

And here's why I like it.

[Kim]

Interesting.

[Anna]

Okay, I thought about this. I mean, spoilers for mass verse. Okay, so yeah, yeah, yeah, Tune out. Mass verse. That means everything. Azriel carries a blindfold in his back pocket. Casually. Okay, yes. He pulls it out.

[Lexi]

He just casually has.

[Anna]

What does that blindfold do? What those shadows do.

[Lexi]

Oh, you know what that blindfold does, Anna.

[Anna]

Sarah said he is the freakiest, and I am here for it. I am our dark romance girly. Like, I am into it.

[Kim]

She is. She is also, I guess if you marry Zayden, you get to fuck him all the time, which is helpful.

[Christina]

That is true as well.

[Lexi]

Delicious.

[Anna]

Yes. And I. I could be a duchess. I could do it.

[Christina]

I could do it.

[Kim]

You could take that.

[Christina]

She's like, take that hardship.

[Kim]

I could do it. Okay, so quickly. Lexi. Non shadow dies. Cassian, Zayden, and Luther.

[Lexi]

Oh, my God.

[Christina]

Okay, I would just marry Cassian because that also includes fucking. Oh, my God. Can I just have him for both of those? And then the other two guys, like, I love you, but you can go. I love it.

[Kim]

All the headboards for Lexi.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Anna]

Yes. All the headboards.

[Christina]

Oh, my God.

[Kim]

Amazing.

[Anna]

Oh, my God, that's so good.

[Kim]

Oh, my God.

[Christina]

But yeah, like, marry him, because that would also include. Include all of it.

[Kim]

Daily sex.

[Anna]

Hourly sex, right?

[Christina]

Yes. And then I'd probably have to kill Luther, but I wouldn't want to.

[Kim]

Yeah, it'd be sad.

[Anna]

It's amazing how our answers change depending on the men that are thrown.

[Kim]

Right?

[Anna]

We can be fickle women.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Anna]

This was so much fun.

[Kim]

Truly, such an absolute treat. We're going to have to do this again.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Kim]

And we'll be in touch about our details, but you guys are just the most incredible. This was so fun. Thank you guys for coming on.

[Christina]

Thank you so much for having us. We appreciate it so much. Well, friends, that wraps up another episode of Flights of Fantasy Podcast. Don't forget to join our book club community on Instagram and TikTok at flights of Fantasy Podcast, where you can share your thoughts, theories, and and favorite moments with us and fellow listeners. We'd love to hear from you. If you enjoyed today's episode. Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform. Your support helps us spread the magic of Romantasy to even more book lovers. Until next time, keep dreaming, keep reading, and remember, every good story deserves to take flight.