S5 : Ep 30 - The Wolf King by Lauren Palphreyman : PART 2

Summary

Flights of Fantasy — S5:Ep30: The Wolf King by Lauren Palphreyman, PART 2

Date: September 30, 2025
Hosts: Anna, Kim, and Christina (Flights of Fantasy Podcast)

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Episode Overview

In this deeply engaging episode, the Flights of Fantasy crew—Anna, Kim, and Christina—continue their in-depth discussion of Lauren Palphreyman’s The Wolf King, focusing on their favorite romance moments, pivotal plot twists, character arcs, and the nuances of tropes and consent in the story. Major spoilers for both The Wolf King and its sequel The Night Prince are interwoven throughout. The hosts tackle the love triangle, discuss the gray morality of side characters, and analyze the progression of Aurora’s agency, with plenty of their signature bookish banter.

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Spoiler Warning and Announcements

[01:37]

• Official spoiler warning is issued for both The Wolf King and The Night Prince.
• Listeners are advised to pause if not caught up.

Favorite Romance Moments: Callum & Aurora

[03:49–15:08]

“The Gentleman Scene”

[04:11–07:01]

• Anna’s favorite: Callum teasing Aurora with “ungentlemanly things.”
• Playful game of consent:
  • “Kissing you. ... Will gentlemen kiss their ladies?” —Callum ([05:14])
  • “I told you to stop being a gentleman, damn it.” —Aurora ([05:58])
  • The dynamic subverts expectations: Aurora craves freedom from royal decorum; Callum enjoys seeing her blush but always checks in.

"He’s so... it’s so playful. Also kind of an interesting way of doing consent without saying, 'may I kiss you?'" —Anna ([06:47])

Emotional Intimacy on their Escape

[07:55–09:56]

• Aurora admits she misjudged wolves; Callum opens up about princesses.
  • Callum: “They’re a wee bit spoiled and intelligent. ... They blush when you say rude things to them. ... They care about people more than they’ll admit. And they’re brave. Braver than any wolf I’ve ever known.” ([08:07])
  • Aurora is deeply moved—realizes Callum sees and appreciates her inner strength.

The "First Time" Scene

[10:32–12:37]

• Callum leads Aurora to a tent in the woods for an intimate moment.
• He articulates desire but makes space for her choice:
  • “We will only do what you want, Aurora. We will take this only as far as you wish to take it. ... If you only want to lie down and go to sleep in my arms, I will still think myself the luckiest wolf in the Northlands.” —Callum ([12:15])
• Affirmation of choice, safe communication, and zero pressure highlighted as "a very well done first time" scene.
• Both Anna and Kim emphasize this positive approach to romance in a fantasy setting.

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Shifter/Wolf Tropes and Worldbuilding

[15:08–19:22]

• The hosts delight in the “wolf things”—playful references to wolfish behavior, scents, and romance tropes.
  • Heightened sense of smell (“They can all tell who’s had sex—nightmare!”).
  • On excessive scent and lack of bathing:
    • “If you have a heightened sense of smell, wouldn’t we make bathing more of a priority?” —Kim ([17:41])
• Hilariously dissect the logistics and comedy of shifter senses at balls and during intimacy.

“Sexy Bath Scene” Technicalities

[18:27–19:22]

• Callum is so respectful during a bath with Aurora:
  • “I'm gonna use a cloth. I’m not even touching you to bathe you. But then it’s like, oh, God.” —Anna ([18:55])
• “We love a technicality... a little loophole.” —Kim & Anna ([18:58–19:02])
• Blake interrupts, providing both plot tension and comedy.

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Plot Breakdown: The Ending & Cliffhangers

[19:22–33:14]

James’ Return and Betrayal

[19:25–21:15]

• James, the titular Wolf King and Callum’s brother, returns and hosts a ball; Aurora’s safety is threatened.
• Callum sneaks Aurora away, leading to their first sexual encounter—then James ambushes them.

James’ Ultimatum & Physical Abuse

[21:00–22:24]

• James provides Aurora with two options:
  1. Be handed over to Sebastian—he may kill her for lost virginity (“the wolves can smell that”).
  2. Marry James (“protective option”).
• Aurora refuses, declaring her love for Callum.
• James reacts violently—slaps Aurora, drawing blood.
  • “He hit her.” —Anna ([21:22])
  • “Let’s just clock this behavior for when we get to him in book two.” —Kim ([21:25])

Blake’s Chessmaster Role

[22:24–25:33]

• Blake manipulates events, urging Aurora to consider playing the marriage game for strategic gain—but remains ambiguous in his true intentions.
• Notable quote:
  • “Usually I can figure people out, but not you... it has made the outcome harder to predict.” —Blake ([23:10])

Dungeon Scene: Moral Complexity

[24:09–24:55]

• Blake’s “morally gray” behavior intensifies—witnessing Aurora’s abuse without helping, opting for manipulation over direct rescue.

The Battlefield: Heart of the Moon Reveal

[25:43–27:09]

• War erupts between James and Sebastian.

• Aurora prays to the moon goddess—suddenly all wolves can transform, revealing Aurora herself is the “heart of the moon.”

  “Poof! All the wolves can transform... The moon goddess heard my prayer. No, bitch—you are that prayer." —Kim ([26:45])

Climactic Action: Aurora’s Agency

[27:09–28:14]

• Aurora kills Sebastian herself:
  • “I will not be a prisoner again.” —Aurora moments before slitting Sebastian’s throat. ([27:34])
• James, in wolf form, bites Aurora, a pivotal act that starts her transformation but also nearly kills her.

Magical Bonding: Blake’s Last Resort

[28:14–30:44]

• As Aurora resists her wolf side and is dying, Blake performs ancient magic to "save" her—triggering a life/death bond now tying them.

  • “Gods, Aurora, get angry. Get angry with me.” —Blake ([29:35])

• Result:

  • Aurora and Blake are now “soul bonded” (later revealed to be a mating bond), so if one dies, the other does, too.

  “This really shouldn’t be hot. ... But it's so good. ... He’s just like so passionately saying, ‘take it, Aurora, take it, take it.’” —Kim ([29:46])

Final Moves: Blake’s Endgame and Cliffhanger

[30:49–33:14]

• Aurora realizes Blake’s actions make it impossible for Callum to kill him without harming her—a new political stalemate.
• “Long live the King,” Blake toasts, hinting at coming power struggles. ([32:30])
• Anna and Kim note that Aurora is finally aware of Blake’s manipulations and feels motivated to "play to beat him."

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Thematic & Character Analysis

Aurora's Choice and Agency

• Choice is emphasized as Aurora’s core journey:
  • “Choice is a huge theme for Aurora throughout the series and her lack of choice prior to her life with the wolves was a huge part of her upbringing.” —Anna ([12:40])

Tamlin vs. Callum: Beyond Tropes

[35:23–37:22]

• The hosts draw parallels between Callum and Tamlin (ACOTAR) and Cale (Throne of Glass), but defend Callum:
  • Callum communicates openly; Tamlin avoids hard conversations.
  • “He isn’t a bad guy. He’s just not her guy.” —Kim ([37:23])
• Exploration of “white knight” syndrome:
  • Is the love interest still attracted to the heroine once she’s no longer a damsel?
  • “Where the white knight trait gets tricky is, is the damsel in distress still attractive to you when she’s not a damsel?” —Kim ([38:39])

Notes on Possessiveness vs. Protectiveness

• Callum asks himself: “When does protectiveness veer into possessiveness?” (Anna, [39:25])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You can say no and it’s okay, I will respect your decision.” —Anna, on Callum’s approach ([14:14])
• “If you have a heightened sense of smell, wouldn’t we make bathing more of a priority?” —Kim ([17:41])
• “This soul bond... is actually her latching on to Blake, during that ritual, unknowingly accepting the mating bond.” —Kim ([31:04])
• “He's just not her guy.” —Kim ([37:26])

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Looking Ahead

[33:14–40:10]

• The hosts preview their excitement for The Night Prince (book 2), especially to explore:
  • Aurora’s expanded powers
  • The true nature of wolf/mate bonds (Blake/Aurora)
  • How Callum will handle Aurora’s transformation and agency
• They also promise a detailed discussion on the “mating bond” and its narrative implications in the sequel.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:46] — Kicking off with romance moments
• [10:32] — First major “spicy” romance scene
• [15:08] — Shifter tropes & wolf world humor
• [19:25] — Plot escalation: betrayals and options
• [21:00] — James’ violence and Aurora’s resistance
• [25:43] — Battle, transformation, and the “heart of the moon”
• [27:34] — Aurora kills Sebastian
• [29:35] — Blake’s ancient magic and soul bond
• [32:30] — Cliffhanger: Long live the King
• [35:23] — Comparing Callum and Tamlin
• [38:39] — White knight and empowered heroines

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Closing Thoughts

The hosts wrap with excitement for The Night Prince, promising further debate on the dynamics introduced in the cliffhanger ending, and reflecting on how the series subverts or plays with classic fantasy romance tropes—always with heartfelt discussion and humor.

Stay tuned for the next episode as the adventure continues!

Transcript

[Doug]

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[Kim]

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[Doug]

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[Liberty Mutual Announcer]

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[Kim]

And Doug.

[Narrator]

Here we have the Limu Emu in its natural habitat helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug.

[Doug]

Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us.

[Narrator]

Cut the camera. They see us.

[Liberty Mutual Announcer]

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[Anna]

Massachusetts 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. Hello listeners and welcome back to our episodes on the Wolf King and the Night Prince by Lauren Powell Freeman. We are so excited to dive back into part Part two of our Wolf King episode. But before we give our official spoiler warning, Christina has some announcements.

[Kim]

I sure do. Oh my gosh. First of all, we want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has already rated and reviewed the show. It really does make a huge, huge difference for us. So please, if you have a moment, go rate and review the show wherever you're listening and we are sending you a big, big big hug. Also reminder what we've got going on over on Patreon this month. Oh my gosh. So, so many fun things in our Acotar Cauldron Chat series. I am breaking down everything we know and all of the theories surrounding Mor's Power of truth in our SJM series. We're covering a very pivotal scene in Queen of Shadows this month. Our Fallen and the Kiss of Dusk read along chapter chat videos are all out and our trending pages episodes covering Shield of Sparrows and Silver Elite are all out. We have got so, so much going on. We've got two tiers, something for everybody, ad free early access and even the exclusive full video access of every single episode. All of our backlog. So come join all of the fun [e-mail] Flights of Fantasy podcast. We would absolutely love, love, love to welcome you into our Patreon family. Yes Also, speaking of Patreon, we have some very special people to shout out this week. We. We are shouting out three of our tier two book batches. Brandy, Mel, and Meredith. Hi. Yay. Thank you so much for being a part of our Patreon family being book batches. You are the heart of our moon. You are the moon of our heart. We love you. Love you. Thank you. Thank you. Okay, Anna, let's just. Spoiler warning.

[Anna]

All right, listeners, time for your official spoiler warning. Now, it's no secret that we read the series back to back over the summer, and there's just really no way that we can genuinely talk about the Wolf King without bringing in what we know from the Night Prince. So this episode will include spoilers for both books in the series. If you have not read them yet, now is your chance to hit pause and come back later. But if you're all caught up on the Wolf King and the Night Prince by Lauren Powell Freeman, then buckle up and let's go.

[Kim]

Oh, buckle up, friends. This ending.

[Anna]

I'm so excited. I'm so excited. Okay, so we're gonna kick off this episode with some of our favorite romance moments from the book. Obviously, these are gonna center around Callum and Aurora, because, guys, it's book one, and that's the love ship right now.

[Kim]

It is. It is. And this is part of the journey. We're walking you through our journey as readers. And really, these moments hit so hard when you're reading this book.

[Anna]

They really do, and they are great moments, which is. I mean, we loved book one, so we're gonna kick it off with one of my favorite scenes. I call it the gentleman scene.

[Kim]

I knew this was your favorite scene. Whenever I read this, I was like, this is just so anecdoted right now with, like, the historical romance, the little nods. It was beautiful.

[Anna]

So I love this scene because it's sexy and fun, but there's a little bit of humor woven into it, and I always admire when an author can do that with a spicy scene.

[Kim]

Agreed.

[Anna]

So this is when Callum is telling Aurora he wants to do, quote, ungentlemanly things to her.

[Kim]

Oh, God, it's so good.

[Anna]

And part of their dynamic is Callum loves to make Aurora blush. You know, I mean, she's a princess. She's very prim. She's very proper, and she acts according to the princess decorum that she thinks is acceptable and what's expected of her. And that's part of her journey, right. Is breaking free of that.

[Kim]

Totally.

[Anna]

But at the same time, she's not really a prude. She's just inexperienced when it comes to sex. And she wants him to not be a gentleman. She tells him, please don't be a gentleman.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Anna]

So she looks at him and she says, what ungentlemanly things. A slow grin spreads across his face. Kissing you. And she responds, Will gentlemen kiss their ladies? Callum raises his eyebrows. Is that so?

[Kim]

Yes.

[Anna]

There is a moment in the wedding ceremony where the groom kisses the bride. His eyes. I know. She's so funny. His eyes glint with mischief.

[Kim]

Hmm.

[Anna]

It seems I'm not quite as well versed in the ways of gentlemen as you, Princess. You'll have to teach me. Do gentlemen kiss their ladies like this? He brushes his lips against mine. The kiss is gentle, chaste, frustrating. I want to buck against him, grab his hair, pull him closer to me. But my arms are pinned by my side by his body, which holds me in place. Yes, and I told you to stop being a gentleman, damn it.

[Kim]

Oh, my God.

[Anna]

His grin widens and becomes wolfish. How will I know how to not act like a gentleman if I don't know how they behave in the first place? His tone is teasing. And then he kisses her, like, very passionately. It's getting hot and heavy. Aurora is very breathless and Callum is kissing her and then keeps asking her, am I still being a gentleman? Am I still being a gentleman?

[Kim]

I love it.

[Anna]

And he goes, I asked you a question, Princess. And until we get to the bottom of it, I'm not going to be able to move on to my next lesson.

[Kim]

Oh, we love a lesson.

[Anna]

She's like, no, that's not very gentlemanly at all. And he's like, no, good. Because there's another place I've imagined kissing you for weeks now. You'll have to let me know whether it's gentlemanly or not.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Anna]

I love. I died. I love this.

[Kim]

I love it. I love it.

[Anna]

He's so. It's so playful.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Anna]

Also kind of an interesting way of doing consent without saying, may I kiss you or may I do this? It's playing a game. And he's very much checking in on her, which we will continue to see throughout these scenes we're going to talk about. But I just thought it was fun and lighthearted.

[Kim]

So fun. And that is a perfect pivotal point in the journey, too. When you are really kind of falling in love with them as a reader, you're like this. They're so fun and cute and playful together. And she deserves this. She deserves someone who is teasing her and excited about kissing her. And making her feel like these things she's feeling and this giddiness is allowed and is the part of love before this, she's never even dreamed of, someone making her feel like they're flirting with her and like she's chosen and like she's special.

[Anna]

Right. Because everything in her mind up until this point or her meeting Callum has been, I will fulfill my princess duties. I will marry for the kingdom and for my father, and I'll lie down, grin and bear it, and think of England like, Exactly.

[Kim]

Exactly. So this someone flirting with her and taking this little effort to be fun and playful with her is something wild and crazy in the sweetest way to her.

[Anna]

Exactly.

[Kim]

And then also to kind of piggyback off that another moment that we loved is this moment where they're escaping in the middle of the night from James and they're headed to Highfell. And so they stop and they rest. And they have this really sweet moment here where Aurora admits to being wrong about the wolves and that she learned a lot about them. And Callum comes back with, you know, I've learned a lot about princesses these last few weeks, too. And she gives him a hard look. Like what? He says, well, they're very stubborn. His eyes twinkle as I fold my arms across my chest. And very fearsome and very small. I glare at him and he grins. They're a wee bit spoiled and intelligent. They can't handle their whiskey. And they pretend to be very chaste and shy, but he drops his voice to a whisper as though telling me a secret, but they're actually very, very demanding. My cheeks flame and he laughs. It's so good. Okay. And then he says, they blush when you say rude things to them. And they're good and interesting and honest and kind. They hide their emotions, but they feel deeply, passionately. His expression becomes serious and my blood heats up. They care about people more than they will admit. And they're brave. Braver than any wolf I've ever known. Oh, this is so sweet. I loved this.

[Anna]

This is why I like Callum, is he says things like this.

[Kim]

You know, it's earnest and loving and, like, these are things that she has never heard from someone. And I just loved it. And she loved it. She's so moved by this, she starts crying. And he's like, oh, God, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry. I thought I was being cute. And she's like, no, no, you were. And she tells him, like, no one has ever really cared to get to know the real Me before. Like, all those things you listed. Like, I've always just been princess, even to friends.

[Anna]

Yeah. But also with men. It always just been, you're beautiful. You're beautiful. And I think she's really touched by Callum, who sees different parts of her and a deeper part of her.

[Kim]

Totally.

[Anna]

I think that's why we, as the reader, enjoy Callum in this book and because we're enjoying him alongside Aurora.

[Kim]

Yes. We're on the journey. We're on the journey.

[Anna]

We're on the journey. Okay. So we are gonna move on. This is the same scene that Christina was talking about. They've escaped James, and they're on their way to Highfell, like Christina said. And I don't know if it's like the first night or the second night, I can't remember, but Callum disappears to go do something, maybe have dinner. Yeah. And he comes back for Aurora and he leads her to this opening or in the woods, like a clearing. And he set up a tent. And I don't know why, in my mind, there's candles. Are there tea lights everywhere or fairy lights? There's no fairy lights because there's no electricity.

[Kim]

No fairy lights. And if there are candles, where did he get the candles?

[Anna]

I think I must have made that up in my head.

[Kim]

But.

[Anna]

But there's. But regardless, it's very thoughtful.

[Kim]

It's very thoughtful. Furs.

[Anna]

And he's made it comfy.

[Kim]

He would have put candles if he could have.

[Anna]

He would have if he could have.

[Kim]

Okay, we must escape. Grab the candles.

[Anna]

Grab the candles.

[Kim]

Okay.

[Anna]

So anyways, so he leads her to the clearing and it's clear that, you know, they're finally going to progress to the next step. She's still a virgin. She's still never had sex before and she wants to. And so I love this conversation. It's a very sweet, romantic moment with Callum and Aurora and. And what he says is, I will not hide from you that I want you. I've wanted you since the moment I first set eyes on you. I told myself I took you from the Borderlands because I needed you for the Heart of the Moon. But I think even then I knew the truth. I couldn't bear the thought of leaving you there. And I wanted you, Goddess. I wanted you. I've been like a lovesick pup since that moment. I think about you all the time. I want to make you smile and make you happy and to impress you. He lets out a half laugh. I don't usually make a habit of wearing britches. He's wearing pants. I Wore them because I thought you might like me in them.

[Kim]

Oh, that's very sweet.

[Anna]

That's very sweet. And he says, and I. I want to lose myself in you, too. I want to feel your warmth and your heat. I want to take my pleasure from you. But I do not expect anything from you. Do not think that for a minute. And don't apologize, nor think you could ever disappoint me. We will only do what you want, Aurora. We will take this only as far as you wish to take it. It's just you and me now. We have all the time in the world. He cups my face in his hand. Tell me, what do you want, princess? If you only want to lie down and go to sleep in my arms, I will still think myself the luckiest wolf in the Northlands.

[Kim]

Oh, God. It's good.

[Anna]

It's very sweet.

[Kim]

The exact thing that you would want a main male character to say in a virginity scene.

[Anna]

Yes.

[Kim]

It checks all the boxes without feeling. Like. Try. Yes. It's so sweet.

[Anna]

It's communication. It's him discussing his feelings. Of course I want you. Of course I want to do this with you. But I do not expect it of you. And I won't be disappointed if you don't want to do it.

[Kim]

Which is exactly what she needs to hear. Expected of you is huge.

[Anna]

Yes, expected, because everything has always been expected of her. And we've talked about this before, but choice is a huge theme for Aurora throughout the series. And her lack of choice prior to her life with the wolves was a huge part of her upbringing. And that is a big thing we're going to see her grapple with in Night Prince is choice and the choices that are taken from her. And I think this with Callum is. He's saying it's your choice. And again, it goes back to communication. He. We will talk about him in book two and his trajectory in that book at length, but he never does not communicate with her.

[Doug]

And Doug Limu and I always tell you to customize your car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. But now we want you to feel it. Cue the emu music.

[Kim]

Limu, Save yourself money today. Increase your wealth. Customize and see. Save. We save.

[Doug]

That may have been too much feeling.

[Liberty Mutual Announcer]

Only pay for what you need@liberty mutual.com. liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty Savings Fairy underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company affiliates excludes Massachusetts.

[Kim]

And Doug.

[Narrator]

Here we have the Limu Emu in its natural habitat, helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his Natural ally.

[Doug]

Doug Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us.

[Narrator]

Cut the camera. They see us.

[Liberty Mutual Announcer]

Only pay for what you need@liberty mutual.com Liberty Liberty Liberty Liberty Savings Ferry Unwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and affiliates Excludes Massachusetts.

[Anna]

He's very expressive. It's a good foundation. He is laying the groundwork of like, I am here for you. You can say no and it's okay, I will respect your decision.

[Kim]

He makes her feel safe at all times. And I love that about him. I love that about him as a character. And I love this last line he says here of even if you just want to go to bed, I'll still think myself the luckiest wolf in the Northlands. Like he is giving her the biggest out of like I will still be so happy that I think I'm the luckiest wolf. Even if you just want to lay here.

[Anna]

Zero pressure, zero coercion. It's a very well done first time.

[Kim]

Scene which is hard to do.

[Anna]

Yes. Especially in a historical romance.

[Kim]

Oh totally. You know, and like on the ground and in a tent, like if we're.

[Anna]

In a tent levels, there could be candles but there aren't.

[Kim]

But you know, it's a wolf thing. It's a wolf thing. It's a wolf thing.

[Anna]

Oh my gosh. Okay, so speaking of wolf things, we're.

[Kim]

Going to move on. They say it's a wolf thing so much in this book, you guys. And I get it, I. I do get it that it's wolf things. But let's, let's touch on a few. So Ada and I, as we talked about last week, really do love our shifter romances. We are well versed in the wolf language. In the language of shifter.

[Anna]

In the wolf world.

[Kim]

Yes, in the wolf world. And so some things she's pulled in here that are classics, some are new. But some of the ones that really stood out to us that were recurring the most here are this heightened sense of smell. We do see this a lot in even in Fae books where whenever our main female is aroused or excited, then other people can smell that. I personally, that's like a nightmare. I hate this idea. There are also so many logistical issues with this. Like you're telling me you're all out at one of these balls at one of these dances and everyone's drinking whiskey and on the dance floor just like smells like everyone's aroused to have sex. So there's so many problems here.

[Anna]

I don't understand the difference. I feel like the wolves in this book call it out like the moment Somebody walks out of a bedroom and they had hanky panky. All of the wolves are, oh, we know what you did. The fae, at least are very, you know what?

[Kim]

It's very.

[Anna]

They're very proper about it. We won't discuss it. We won't talk about it.

[Kim]

Well, we all know it, but we're not saying it.

[Anna]

The wolves are like, woo, woo. It's like a frat house.

[Kim]

That's exactly what it is. Anyways. Oh, wow. But speaking of that time when Aurora has that sexy nightmare and then Blake at this, guarding her door because, well, we'll get there, but he's like, guarding her door, but it looks like he's trying to get into her room. And at this point, we don't really trust Blake's intentions. We don't know what's going on. And Callum is just like, losing his mind. And Fiona steps in and she's like, you have got to calm down, Callum.

[Anna]

Yes.

[Kim]

And Aurora's like, what the hell is going on? You just had a nap. And Fiona is like, okay, so I gotta have this conversation with you, sweet lassie. And she's pretty much like, were you perchance relieving some tension? And Aurora's like, what? And she pretends to be like, were you having some private time with yourself? So pretty much she's like, oh, my sexy nightmare. Ah, yes. That's what it was. That's what it was. Everyone can smell that. And it's. It's causing a stir outside the door. But then this is one of the moments where she's like, it's a wolf thing. And you're.

[Anna]

It's a wolf thing.

[Kim]

You know, another wolf thing is generally the lack of bathing here. God, Kim would hate this. The amount of time she would hate this. There was lack of bathing in any way. And I was like, oh, Kim, I'm.

[Anna]

Like 99% sure the body odor was discussed multiple times in both books.

[Kim]

Yes. Which is like, if you have a heightened sense of smell, wouldn't we make bathing more of a priority? Wouldn't that be higher up on the list of to dos?

[Anna]

There is a giant lock.

[Kim]

Just go jump in the water there. You mentioned the lock so, so often. Just jump in, jump on in, take a dip. Well, okay. But there is one time, though, that we do have an explicit bath scene and it is explicit and that it is also sexy. So it's after the full moon when Blake kind of like herds Aurora away from the other wolves, which is such a crazy, wild scenario. It's so fun. You're like, what is he doing? God, it's so good. Okay, but in that his scent is all over her, and then it's driving Callum crazy because he's like, I heightened sense of smell. He's like, I need you to take a bath. I can't smell him on you anymore. I just can't do it.

[Anna]

You smell like him.

[Kim]

Yes. And he is so goddamn respectful in this bath, but still toes this line of also being sexy. And it's. It's. It's good because it is this gentlemanly thing. It's like this historical romance. Like our fingers barely touch the ball. It's like, oh, my God. God, you slut. Oh, my God, I love it so much. And it's like the same thing where he's like, I'm gonna use a cloth. I'm not even touching you to bathe you. But then it's like, oh, God.

[Anna]

He's like, technically, I am not touching you.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Anna]

I love a technicality.

[Kim]

We love a technicality. We love to see it.

[Anna]

A little loophole.

[Kim]

Yes. I loved this sexy loophole. And this was like. This was hot. It was a foreplay for everybody, for the reader, for them. It was like we were getting there. And then Blake enters, and you're like, God damn it, Blake. You caught. Fucked. Damn it. I think this is also the moment that he. Blake, notes the scars on Aurora's back. So also important plot wise.

[Anna]

Yes.

[Kim]

Yes. Okay, so let's jump into this ending.

[Anna]

Okay, so we are going to break this down. There is a lot that happens at the end. I'm going to kind of summarize some of it, and then we will discuss points. All right? So James, who also happens to be the Wolf King, and Callum's brother, returns from battle. There's a grand ball held in his honor. It's here that Aurora first meets him. Callum doesn't buy his brother's warm welcome to Aurora. Okay. He's convinced James is plotting to hand Aurora over to Sebastian, which he is. So in the dead of night, Callum sneaks her away. And this is where they have the sexy forest time, where Aurora becomes a woman in the biblical sense. And everything seems magical and wonderful. But. But before they can bask in the afterglow of conjugal bliss, they are ambushed and captured by James. James separates Callum and Aurora and basically lays out two options for Aurora. One, she can be handed over to Sebastian in exchange for the Heart of the Moon. But since she is not a virgin anymore and the wolves can smell that, Sebastian will see her as less Valuable. And her life could be in danger if she goes back to the human lands. Or two, Aurora can marry James, become his queen and be protected.

[Kim]

This was wild to me. I. Like, at this point in the book, I really didn't think we were going here.

[Anna]

No.

[Kim]

I text Anna after I read this and I was like, what? Mary? James, we have enough going on. We are at capacity with Blake and Callum. I cannot have her marry James. We cannot introduce another person.

[Anna]

We're not doing this.

[Kim]

What is going on?

[Anna]

No.

[Kim]

No.

[Anna]

And she, of course, refuses. And she actually declares her love for Callum at some point in these few chapters. And this bruises James's ego. He's honestly his response here. He slaps her, he draws blood, he hits her pretty hard, which is so wild.

[Kim]

We'll get to this in book two, but let's remember this moment because I think we try to redeem him in book two. Like, yeah, did we not remember that? He hit her?

[Anna]

He hit her.

[Kim]

Let's just clock this behavior for when we get to him in book two.

[Anna]

Yeah. So meanwhile, Blake is being his classic grand chess master self. He's encouraging Aurora to play the game. He's nudging her towards marrying James, but clearly it's for his own ulterior motives. In the end, of course, Aurora makes one last desperate gamble. She convinces James to let her be handed to Sebastian, but only if she's given a knife. And her promise is that she will kill Sebastian herself in service of the wolves, but still be able to maintain her freedom. James agrees.

[Kim]

What did you think of this decision by her?

[Anna]

I mean, I think her agreeing to kill Sebastian was her taking charge of her destiny. I understand why she was saying no to James. It feels like she's cheating on Callum, blah, blah, blah. I'm a little bit of the Blake's mindset where I say you play the game and we find a way to come out of it later on.

[Kim]

This was a moment where I was like, aurora, sweetie, I know that you don't want to get married and choice is important for you, but, like, what is our other option here? Like, this is the same way I felt whenever Blake claims her. I get it. But there was no other option. We have to actually think about what was going to happen.

[Anna]

Yes.

[Kim]

And so. And this is the same thing.

[Anna]

You already know how Sebastian treats everyone. We have seen it. We opened the book with how ruthless Sebastian is.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Anna]

We're stuck between a rock and a hard place.

[Kim]

You don't want to do that. I've heard you. That's hard but what do you want to do instead? There is no other option.

[Anna]

Right.

[Kim]

But I mean, you know, she proved me wrong. She came up with another option.

[Anna]

She sure does.

[Kim]

But in this moment, I was like, aurora, just listen to Blake.

[Anna]

I know, and this is a very interesting conversation. So before Christina walks us through the chaos of the ending that happens. Blake and Aurora have this moment in the dungeon together before she rides off with James to confront Sebastian. And what he says to her is, I really wasn't sure which way this would go. I didn't know whether you'd accept his proposal or not. Usually I can figure people out, but not you. On the one hand, you're smart, you've endured a lot and you know how to survive, but you're also, mind numbingly stubborn, proud and ill tempered. It has made the outcome of this harder to predict. And then she responds, I'm so sorry to disappoint. And I love Blake because he responds back, oh, darling, I'm not disappointed.

[Kim]

God, I love that you have such.

[Anna]

Conflicting feelings about Blake in this part, because this is a very morally gray moment. This is all, how does it serve Blake? She's in a dungeon, he's convincing her to marry someone else. There is a pivotal scene that happens here which we are specifically saving for book two. But it's when she wraps his legs around him and she's trying to, like, free herself. And that is the moment that he suspects that they're mates. We will discuss that in book two. But Blake likes to be the chess master and I think he enjoys it, this game he's playing with her. I think when he says, I'm not disappointed, he genuinely means it. He is intrigued by Aurora. She doesn't play the game the way that he thinks the game should be played. And that's hard for a chess person. She's throwing off his game.

[Kim]

Yes. It's so interesting here, the morally gray comment you made, because it's so true when you're reading this, it's so crafted that she just had this beautiful moment with Callum. He made her feel so safe. And then she's here and she's literally strung up in a dungeon. And Blake comes in and he does not try to get her down. He does not ask if she's okay.

[Anna]

James hits her in front of Blake.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Anna]

And Blake does tense and his fists do clench, but he doesn't interject.

[Kim]

And she mentions that. And he says, like, well, I didn't enjoy that. I didn't. I didn't enjoy seeing that happen. And to the Reader. You're like, okay, but defend her.

[Anna]

Right?

[Kim]

Or do something or get her out of there. And he is trying to get her out of there in his own way, which is mental chess. It's not aggression. It's not, I'm gonna take these chains and break them and get you out of here. It's like how he plays the game. It's the long game.

[Anna]

It's the long game, exactly. And he tells her before she goes into the meeting with James, there is a decision I think you should make, but you're gonna have to make it yourself. And then she doesn't. And he's like, damn it.

[Kim]

Damn it. It's just so interesting to put ourselves in the mindset where we were as readers in this moment the first time, because you don't know if you can trust Blake. And it is confusing.

[Anna]

And as fantasy readers who. This is not our first rodeo. We're all aboard the Blake choo choo train because he's the morally gray guy. But then this is different than reading other morally gray men who maybe act grumpy or are sort of enemies of the female. But he does some actual stuff. He locks her up. He chases after. He's the one that captures them.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Anna]

After their moment in the woods, he does actual morally gray things. And we're going to have to overcome part of that in book two, and I'm guessing even more in book three.

[Kim]

Agreed.

[Anna]

Anyway, so, Christina.

[Kim]

Okay, let's go to this ending, guys. This was so off the rails. I just had so much fun. Okay, okay, so let's break this down. James and Sebastian finally face off on this battlefield. Yes, it's quite a scene. And Sebastian hands over what he claims is the heart of the moon, which, spoiler alert, we know is obviously not. It's just a stone. I don't even know where he got it. I was like.

[Anna]

Never believed it. I was like, this is a rock. The geode.

[Kim]

I was like, so Sebastian found a rock. And someone was like, they don't know what it looks like. Just give them this. Okay. But also, James also does not give a shit. He was like, I just want revenge on you, good sir Sebastian. Because remember, Sebastian was responsible for their mother's torture and death, so everything is. Is really going poorly. And as the tension spikes, Aurora whispers this desperate prayer and plea to the moon goddess. And right then, an arrow slams into James's shoulder. And suddenly, something shifts in the air and the clouds and. Oh, poof. All the wolves can transform. What? Even though there's no full moon the.

[Anna]

Moon goddess heard my prayer. No, bitch.

[Kim]

You are that prayer. You are that prayer. That being said, the first time I read this, I did not realize that I was like, oh, she granted it for her. Like, oh, my God. No, I. I don't. I knew she was connected, but, like, moon goddess isn't. Is involved in her fate and somehow is what I thought.

[Anna]

Oh, I 100 was like, so you're the heart of the moon and you're a wolf.

[Kim]

Oh, one trillion. You're a wolf. I mean, dear God. But anyway, okay, so now the wolves are here. Chaos erupts, and in the middle of this battle, Sebastian snatches Aurora and drags her into his carriage. They're in the carriage, though, and a wolf charges it and topples it over. And Aurora then seizes this chance and she tells Sebastian, quote, I will not be a prisoner again. And then. Mic drop. She slits his throat. It was so good.

[Anna]

It was so good.

[Kim]

It was incredible because Sebastian's being real creepy. He's, like, handsy on her. He's good and he's taking advantage of her. And at this point, she is like, you don't even know who I am anymore. I know what I deserve. And I am not a prisoner.

[Anna]

I'm not a docile princess.

[Kim]

It's amazing. And you're like, yes, girl. Huzzah. Victory. And then. Nope. Because just when she thinks she's safe and we have won, James, in his wolf form, tracks her down in the woods and bites her. This is a very pivotal thing that she gets bitten by him. I cannot stress it enough, but he.

[Anna]

Like, he bites her, and I guess the bite is deep enough where she's going to bleed to death. And Callum and Blake are trying to save her life.

[Kim]

Yes. And again, as I said, this bite is very pivotal. Here's where everything takes a very, very interesting drastic turn. So turns out, Aurora is a half wolf color. No one's surprised.

[Anna]

Yes.

[Kim]

Except for Aurora.

[Anna]

Except for.

[Kim]

Still is a no. But that's important because James's bite here is triggering the shift in her. But Aurora is resisting and therefore she is dying.

[Anna]

Yes.

[Kim]

So she's not only bleeding out, she's also resisting that little voice inside that said fight, that little voice that's talking to her that's like, you are half wolf. And in the process, it's killing her. Blake sees this, does the thing that we know he does, and tries to awaken that inner wolf. So he's trying to make her mad and he's saying all these things to her, and it's not working. And he finally is like, gods, Aurora, get angry. Get angry with me. And I love that. So good. It's like this moment from Blake. He's so vulnerable in his, like, fear and it's so good. And the stakes are so high. Oh, God. So then she's not healing. Callum's freaking out, Blake's freaking out. And it's clear she's dying. Like, she's going to die. She's very close. And Blake is like, well, I do know this ancient magic thing, it could work. And Callum's like, do it. I don't care what it is. Like, absolutely. Blake, save her, save her. And at some point Callum's like, I should do it. And Blake's like, you don't know how it should be me. Interesting.

[Anna]

You can't.

[Kim]

Let's pin it. Which does track, though. As you're reading this, I was like, he's the healer. Like, he read the books.

[Anna]

Yes. It absolutely makes sense because you. Because he's the healer. Yes.

[Kim]

So Blake, he does do the ancient magic. And y', all, this really shouldn't be hot. I know. Lauren, I love this. This moment is one of the moments in the book where you're like, God, this is good. It's so good. His forehead is against hers. He's like laying next to her and just like, picture this, guys. The stakes are so high. It's so sweet. He's clearly so distraught and he's just like so passionately saying, like, take it, Aurora, take it, take it. And he's just like begging her. And so she does quote, take it.

[Anna]

She does quote take it.

[Kim]

And we will get into that further when we break down what really happened here in this moment. But to sum it up here and from what we know on the journey as we go through book one, is their soul bonded. So everything Blake feels, Aurora now feels and vice versa. Which also means that they're kind of death bonded, if you will. Whereas if Blake dies, Aurora also dies.

[Anna]

Yes. We're calling it this life saving bond right now.

[Kim]

Yes. Because that's where we are on the journey.

[Anna]

Yes.

[Kim]

So, but, you know, it's a tricky situation we found ourselves in because at this point, Aurora still is really holding on to Blake being an enemy. Yeah, she really is like, I do not trust you. I mean, to be fair, he was just in the dungeon with her and.

[Anna]

Like, he was gonna give her to James.

[Kim]

So she. She really, truly does not trust the soul bond. But this soul bond, as we know after book two, is actually her latching on to Blake, during that ritual, unknowingly accepting the mating bond. But we're gonna get into that in book two. So let's go through our takeaways from this final chapter. 1. Blake and Aurora are, quote, soul bonded. 2, Blake actually wanted Aurora to accept James's marriage proposal because he knew it would trigger a response in Callum and that Callum would then finally challenge his brother for the Wolf King throne. So that's where we get this final quote. I'm going to read it to you. This is from Aurora. Quote, because now Callum can't kill you, I whisper in horror. You'll gather support among the outlying clans while you're pretending to support Callum. And once Callum gets rid of James for you, once he takes the throne, you'll challenge him. Callum will forfeit. He'll have to. Because you bonded our lives together. He can't hurt you without hurting me. That's what this is, isn't it? That's what this has all been about. This is inner monologue. And despite the outrage that rises like bile within me, triumph ripples through me, too, because now I know his game. I can play to beat him. Blake's eyes glint in the dying embers, and I know he feels the challenge that radiates from me. I know he welcomes it. He raises his glass and a slow smile spreads across his lips. Long live the king, he says. Oh, this is such a fun way to end the book.

[Anna]

It's very fun way to end the book. And I also love. Because we do know that this was never a part of Blake's plan. Him saving Aurora was never a part of it. He lets Aurora think, yep, this was my grand plan because somehow I knew James would bite you.

[Kim]

What?

[Anna]

No.

[Kim]

How would I know that?

[Anna]

That was never a part of it. But. But he lets her believe this because, again, if she thinks that's his game, he can work with that.

[Kim]

She's like, I figured out your game. And he's like, so in that, actually, I figured out your game.

[Anna]

Yeah, exactly. And he doesn't have to admit them because he knows in that moment that they're mates, that he unknowingly gave her the mating bond. She accepted it. And he's like, well, okay, yeah, sure. Tell yourself that.

[Kim]

Sure, sure.

[Anna]

Okay. So that brings us to things that we were looking forward to when we were going into book two and things that we're going to discuss when we get to the Night Prince episodes, which is that Aurora is the heart of the moon. And that was something that Christina and I had different views on that. But I was like, okay, so she's the heart of the moon and she's a wolf, and we're gonna be working with this in the Night Prince.

[Kim]

Yeah. And it was like, these are facts. And I was like, it's a fact she's a wolf. That's the only fact in my brain. Now, this is important to note. We did not, buddy, read book one because Anna had finished book one. But this is what happens. I don't know things when I don't read books without real time and I.

[Anna]

Keep my mouth shut because I don't want to spoil anything. But there was one moment, though, in this book which I think is a really cool Easter egg for going into book two that I want to point out. So it's in chapter 38 and it's in reference to this book. And Blake shows up into. It's his room, remember that Aurora is staying in. And he says, I'm looking for something. He slides a blue leather bound book from the shelf. Ah, here it is. And what Aurora notes is that the word lore is written across the front. This ends up being the book after Blake kisses her and she's back in the castle here, James's castle. This is where she goes to his rooms and she finds the book. And this is where she finds out about the mating bond, which is in Gaelic and I cannot pronounce it. So I'm not going to try.

[Kim]

And we are not going to try.

[Anna]

To try, but that's that book. And he's basically removing everything that he thinks has reference to the mating bond. He's like, I'm just gonna take this away.

[Kim]

I love that. He's like, don't bother. Don't look at me. Nothing to see here. Nothing to see here.

[Anna]

Ignore the man behind the curtain.

[Kim]

Exactly. Yeah. I'm just gonna grab this book.

[Anna]

Okay, so I also wanted to touch upon two things that I brought up. I think it was in episode one of our Wolf King. Now, listeners, this is the end of our episode. For those of you who have not read Acotar or Throne of Glass. Acotar, spoiler warning. I would say if you've made it through half of book two, you are fine to keep listening. And then tog. Spoiler warning. It's more about a specific character. I would say. Again, this is not like a spoiler for the series. It's just more books one and two. I'm talking about a character named Kael. Okay, so, listeners, if you haven't read those books, we will see you next time. Cheers and happy reading.

[Kim]

Cheers and happy reading.

[Anna]

But okay, so I want to talk about this comparison to Tamlin, because a lot of people have DMED us, and I actually remember DMing listeners who I. When I started, before I read book two, I was very nervous because I like Callum's character. I find him interesting. And we are really gonna dive deep into this in book two. But I was very nervous to start it because I was like, is he going to be a Tamlin? Is this a Tamlin situation?

[Kim]

You reassured me of that a lot when I was about to start book two, because I was like, we are really setting up a Tamlin situation here. I hear you. That we're not doing that, but also, like, it feels like this is what we're doing.

[Anna]

Right. I had a lot of listeners who DMed me back and said, listen, the author, Lauren, has said in interviews that. That Callum is not a Tamlin and that, you know, I think we're just all traumatized from reading, Reading all of these books. And he's a blonde male lead, and so is Tamlin.

[Kim]

Well, and he's the safe, you know.

[Anna]

Savior in the beginning, and he kidnaps her.

[Kim]

Supposed to be a damsel. And, like, you know, Blake is dark and twisty.

[Anna]

Yes. And Blake is dark and twisty like Rhysand. But I always go back to this idea that we've talked about a lot so far. Is that the difference to me is that Callum communicates.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Anna]

He does not shy away from a hard conversation with Aurora throughout the series. Tamlin, on the other hand, is very much like, oh, let's just ignore the vomiting. Let's ignore everything.

[Kim]

Hard topic. Doesn't happen.

[Anna]

Doesn't happen. Like, we just ignore everything. Everything is sunshine and roses here. Paint. Callum is says, let's fight this. The moment that Aurora seems to push away or kind of play the game of, oh, well, I just, you know, she. She likes to play a little bit more of those games with him, I think, in relationships. And he's like, no, I'm shutting. No, we're gonna talk about this.

[Kim]

Which I appreciate. I think that Tamlin was crafted in a way that you could go back and read book one and see a lot of red flags.

[Anna]

Yes.

[Kim]

I really don't think Callum had red flags in book one. I think that he's good to do.

[Anna]

This, and I was looking for them.

[Kim]

Like, he isn't a bad guy. He's just not her guy.

[Anna]

He's just not her guy, which I can't wait get to. So the other thing, kind of similar to this is. I actually in some ways feel they're not perfectly the same. But Cale, to me is suffers from that white knight syndrome where he wants to be the savior, he wants to be the protector. And I think Callum, there is a bit of a white knight in him. And that is not inherently bad. It's not bad to want to protect or save those people that you love. What is tricky then is once you've done the saving, do you trust that person's capabilities? Like, do they to then be able to take care of themselves? Do you allow them the room to grow? Do you allow them the room to then or give them the tools to help protect themselves? And I think that, again, is a difference between Callum and Tamlin in that Tamlin very much wants to lock Feyre up in a bubble, but Callum is not locking her away. He gives her freedom to roam. He lets her go off. He wants her to be independent. He always gives her a choice.

[Kim]

Yes. Choice again, which is very important. Very important. Yeah. Yeah. I'm so glad you touched on that white knight thing because where the white knight trait gets very tricky is, is the damsel in distress still attractive to you? When she's not a damsel?

[Anna]

Yes.

[Kim]

When she is empowered, is she still attractive to you?

[Anna]

Which I cannot wait to talk about.

[Kim]

Also, it can be a problematic trait when it turns into, I need to be saving you to make myself feel good about myself.

[Anna]

I need you to be weaker than me.

[Kim]

Yes. I need to be strong. And the only way to feel strong is for you to be weaker. Like, that is where it gets tricky. I don't see that in Calum. I do think he's trying to empower her. I do think he is trying to help her feel like she can rule and be bigger than what she was before.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Kim]

But it is interesting that it is put in the back of our brain, even this early in this book, for Blake specifically to mention about Callum. Like, you saw a woman who needed savings, so therefore, like, you wanted to be the one to do it. Like, that was attractive to you.

[Anna]

That was attractive to you. But I do think Callum is like we talked about in episode one, Callum is very self aware. He even says, again, the quote of when does protectiveness, like, veer into possessiveness? And I think he's hyper aware of that. And I cannot wait to explore this in Night Prince with specific scenes and conversations that happen between him and Aurora.

[Kim]

Agreed. And I'm so. I'm so glad you pulled that protectiveness with possessiveness. And I almost feel like that is like Lauren Pal Freeman putting that in there to be like, see, look, not Tamlin. This like, not possessiveness.

[Anna]

Self aware.

[Kim]

Self aware.

[Anna]

So we're going to leave it there and we'll be back next week with part one of the Night Prince episode.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Anna]

So until next time, cheers and happy reading, listeners.

[Kim]

Bye bye.

[Podcast Host Outro]

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 favorite moments with us and fellow listeners. We'd love to hear from you. If you enjoyed today's episode, please write 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.