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- [00:00]
A
Hi guys.
- [00:01]
B
Here's my morning routine.
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A
First I drink olive oil.
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B
Next I take an ice bath.
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A
Feeling super healthy. If your health advice sounds strange coming from a kid, maybe it's just strange. Psygnos pairs AI with a biosensor so you can track your body's unique responses to food, movement and more in real time, helping you achieve your health goals. Get $10 off select plans@signos.coms I g n o s.com with code Spark what do you think makes the perfect snack?
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B
Hmm, it's gotta be when I'm really.
- [00:34]
A
Craving it and it's convenient. Could you be more specific when it's cray venient.
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B
Okay.
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A
Like a freshly baked cookie made with real butter, available right down the street at am pm. Or a savory breakfast sandwich I can grab in just a second at a.m. pM. I'm seeing a pattern here. Well, yeah, we're talking about what I.
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B
Crave, which is anything from am pm.
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A
What more could you want?
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B
Stop by AMPM where the snacks and.
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A
Drinks are perfectly craveable and convenient. That's cravenience AM pm Too much. Good stuff.
- [01:02]
B
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 and welcome back to our coverage on the Wolf King and the Night Prince by Lauren Pal Freeman. This will be part two of book two to the Night Prince. But before we give our official spoiler warning, Christina has some announcements.
- [01:36]
A
Oh my goodness, I sure do. So first off, we want to thank everyone who has taken the time to rate and review us wherever you're listening. That really does make such a huge difference for the show. So we so appreciate it if you have time to do that. And a reminder that if you want more content from us, hours and hours of video exclusive content from us, your book besties. We have got you covered over on Patreon, including a video very special bonus mini episode where we discuss the comparisons and differences between the Wolf King, the Night Prince and acotar. We got so many DMS on this specific topic you guys. We are very, very excited about this one. Also, chapter chats are back. Ladies and gentlemen. These as a reminder are our read along real time reaction videos and the time has come. We are covering the Night and the Moth by Rachel Gillig. It has been so, so fun hearing all the feedback from you guys. We know that you love these chapter chats and this is just such a perfect autumnal book to start out our fall season this month. We've also got some new recent reads videos coming. We've got a new acotar cauldron chat. So much more coming your way this October over on Patreon. So please come on over and join us at patreon.com flightsofantasypodcast we would love nothing more than to welcome you into our Patreon family. Okay, all right, let's, let's do spoiler warning, Anna.
- [03:03]
B
All right, so listeners, consider this your official spoiler warning for the Wolf King and the Night Prince by Lauren Powell Freeman. And if you haven't already listened to parts one, two and three of our Night Prince Wolf King coverage, please go back and listen to them and then join us here. And with that, let's dive in. Christina, can you tell us where we left off? It was very exciting.
- [03:22]
A
I would love to. We left off with the big kiss. Blake kissing Aurora. Now Callum uses this kiss as this big distraction. Distraction. He and Blake had clearly exchanged one of those silent little alpha looks and communicated to each other so that in this moment right after the kiss, Callum steps up to challenge James to the throne. Now again, it is important to note that we do think they did have some sort of little eye to eye, alpha to alpha communication here. A silent look to communicate like, hey, we gotta go through with this kiss. Because that does help us be less annoyed with Callum and his inaction. In this moment, we are still annoyed with him and we do not have confirmation of this unspoken look. We'd have assumed it with context clues. However, it helps us be a little less annoyed with Callum. Okay, so Callum steps up to challenge James for the throne. But before fist can even fly, chaos erupts. Alexander's men storm into the ballroom, guns a blazing. And in the middle of all of this, Blake throws himself in front of Aurora and takes a wolfsbane laced bullet, guarding what's precious to him. Oh my God. So Aurora then drags Blake, bullet shot Blake through this carnage and he is really not doing well.
- [04:28]
B
Blake is really, he's bleeding out.
- [04:31]
A
It's bad. So she's dragging him and Alexander is like taunting them and he's chasing them. So they somehow escape on horseback. Just, long story short, they're on a horse and they get to this chapel and it's night's chapel. Okay. Important to note because they can go into Knight's Chapel, Alexander cannot.
- [04:47]
B
Yes.
- [04:48]
A
So they're there and she tries to heal him. But the antidote sends Blake's wolf into this frenzy. And for a really scary moment, he almost, like, loses control a little bit. And then she pushes through their bond. She uses the bond in a way and, like, drags him back. Yeah, and important. She uses the Alpha command. And it works, guys. The fact that she can Alpha command him, I'm assuming it's because she's heart of the moon. But also, could she be like, queen of all wolves? We don't know. Maybe. Okay, so then, phew, we get a breather. Everyone's gonna be okay. Nope, nope. No breaths. Lauren's given us no breaths. So Duncan then shows up and he's like, I also have a bombshell. Please give me the floor. Callum is officially now the new wolf king. Yep. Also, James isn't dead. He just slipped away. And Callum has Ryan chasing him down. We'll see them both later in Alexander's dungeons. That's where they're gonna be. But we'll get there.
- [05:44]
B
We'll get there.
- [05:44]
A
So now, between that kiss and Alexander crashing the party and all these things, guys, there's so much angst. There's. Everyone's the angstiest they've ever been. We're just in the angsty climax here. And Callum is doing his best then now to avoid Aurora because deep down he knows that she's Blake's mate and he cannot deal with it because of said kiss. And Aurora is just running herself ragged trying to track down this Blue Wolf lore book that she remembers Blake stealing back in book one. Remember that moment that we clocked? Yeah. So every interaction between them is brimming with this tension and Callum's guilt and jealousies eating him alive. And Aurora's frustrated because she doesn't understand what the hell happened between her and Blake. And everything is so messy and it's so angsty. And it then leads us to these later blow ups that hit us even harder because of all of this buildup here. So let's run through a couple of these important conversations that happen in amongst our emotions. Running so high.
- [06:41]
B
So.
- [06:42]
A
So we've said it every episode. We'll say it again. Theme of choice.
- [06:45]
B
It is at this point, she's like whacking us over the head with it.
- [06:49]
A
It's prominent. It's prominent. Okay, so this is very interesting though. This is from Aurora. Quote you say you don't know what's real. This is real. We are real. I took your hand and I chose you that night in the Borderlands. I choose you now, but I cannot, will not be the princess you keep locked in your tower while you spiral over things that neither of us can control. I did not want to kiss him. You know that. So go for a walk. Swim in the lock. Take the time you need to get past this, but get past it, because if you cannot. And then in her monologue, I cannot bring myself to say it. He nods and presses his forehead to mine. His skin is hot. He feels almost feverish. You don't know how much I want you to be mine, Rory, she says, then stop being such a territorial beast and stop pushing me away. He releases a half laugh, but there's no humor in it. Wow, this is. This is such a real conversation here. Because she is really laying it out. She's like, I don't understand what more I can do. I chose you. I told you. I chose you and I am here, and I just. If you're not gonna be able to get past this, we're gonna have a real problem. I need you to just get past it.
- [07:56]
B
What are we doing?
- [07:57]
A
Yeah.
- [07:57]
B
Yeah. I need you to, like, listen to my words. Listen to the words that are coming out of my mouth. I choose you. I didn't ask for him to kiss me again. At this point, she still doesn't really understand the whole mating bond thing. Callan absolutely understands it now, and he doesn't know how to express it. Guys, I do need to point out that there are chapters between the kiss and when she actually finds out that they're mates. But everybody else knows. It's like the most unspoken thing. Callum knows. Blake knows, but Aurora does not. And so she is walking around not understanding everything. Yeah, everybody's at fault here. At some point, someone needs to sit this woman down and be like, these are the facts.
- [08:34]
A
Yes.
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B
Because she's walking around so confused.
- [08:36]
A
And this honestly would have been a good place for Callum to tell her, because here they're having two different conversations. She is having a conversation, thinking this is about the kiss. She's like, why are you so upset about this kiss? I didn't even want it. You know, I didn't want it. I need you just to, like, let this go.
- [08:52]
B
You didn't stop it. You didn't intervene.
- [08:55]
A
Exactly. And in his mind, he. The real conversation here is, no, it's not about the kiss, it's about you being mates.
- [09:02]
B
Yeah.
- [09:02]
A
And that would be a completely different conversation if they were both on the same page.
- [09:06]
B
Right.
- [09:07]
A
And so it's like, I understand him not wanting to address it with her and other times, but I don't know. This. This was the time and he doesn't do it.
- [09:14]
B
This. This is the part where I get very frustrated with Callum, because for a person who so far has been very good at communicating. Yeah, this is where he shuts down. And it's very frustrating because it's like we've always kind of counted on him to be the person who can come to her and have a hard conversation, and he's not doing it here. Which brings us to this next scene I want to talk about. Aurora has finally figured out the truth. She figures it out from the cook, who actually is the author, the secret author of all of those, like, sexy bodice rippers that Elsie was giving her.
- [09:46]
A
I have to say, I love that reveal that it was a grumpy Mrs. McDonald.
- [09:50]
B
Yes. That's why Blake kept trying to steal the books from her, because he was like, I don't need you figuring out about the movie Mating Bun. Nope, nope, don't read that one.
- [09:56]
A
And he's like, God damn it, Elsie, stop replacing this.
- [09:58]
B
Damn it. So she finds out the truth, that she and Blake are mates. And instead of confronting Blake, though, who Callum, at this point, has locked in the dungeons, she actually goes to confront Callum about this and he's in the tub naked, taking a bath. She doesn't care. It's a great scene. She starts throwing things at him and she is mad. She accuses him of lying to her, of basically lying by omission, not admitting what he thought was really happening between her and Blake. She's pissed about that.
- [10:26]
A
Honestly, I don't blame her. I think this is all valid. Yeah.
- [10:29]
B
Yes. And essentially what Callum says is that, yes, he did omit the truth because he didn't want to face the facts, and that this bond between Aurora and Blake is more than just Blake saving her life. It's a mating bond, and to wolves, that is very, very sacred. It's a gift from the moon goddess. And so Callum is not exactly gentle with his feelings here and his emotions. He is pissed, he's angry, and he tells her it's not, I'm not mad at you. I'm furious at this situation. And he dismisses her when she first tries to confront him, because, again, he's been hiding the truth. But once it's all laid out in the open, there's no more denying it and they have to confront it. And what he says to her is, what would you have me do? You are the moon to me, Rory. Every time I set eyes on you, my soul soul is aflame. And the wolf inside me presses against my skin. It Howls in my blood and roars in my ears, and you would not like the things it wants me to do. Every night I have thought of you. I have imagined myself buried inside of you, sinking my teeth into you, claiming you as mine, while cursing my goddess for not giving you to me. I have left my door unlocked, praying you would come while hoping you wouldn't.
- [11:39]
A
Oh, the leaving the door unlocked thing really gets me.
- [11:42]
B
That's so sad.
- [11:43]
A
That's sad.
- [11:44]
B
It's really sad.
- [11:45]
A
It's sad. I have to note something though, that I've never really realized before in this quote of him saying, you are the moon to me, Rory. Every time I set eyes on you, the wolf inside me presses against my skin. It howls in my blood and roars in my ears. So how much of what he's feeling for her is actually the heart of the moon pull? And. And he's confusing it.
- [12:06]
B
Remember we talked about this in book one, that. That where he feels like his wolf coming to the surface, the confused.
- [12:12]
A
And we were like, that's a mating bond. But no, it was the part of the moon bond.
- [12:16]
B
I wonder if it's the heart of the moon. And I wonder if part of that pull that he feels is because of that, too. I think that that could be part of it. I think he does genuinely love her, but I also think that. That. That can be confusing.
- [12:27]
A
Agreed. I think that's a piece of it, though, is that he is tying that feeling of what's going on with his wolf into his raw emotions with her, thinking this is just what being truly in love means.
- [12:40]
B
Yeah.
- [12:41]
A
Okay.
- [12:41]
B
Okay, I want to read this quote, and then we're going to discuss it. So he says to her, the bond, meaning the mating bond. The bond is unbreakable. And I do not share. I want all of you, heart, body, and soul. I will take no less. Now, when I first read this, coupled with the fact that Aurora is like, I choose you. Yeah, I was frustrated because I'm like, who gives a shit? She chose you. Then I reread it, and I want to remind everyone what Elsie says. Way back in the beginning of the book. Elsie and Aurora are walking into town to get a new dress for the full moon party, and Aaron is with her, and Alfie, too. And Aaron picks Alfie up and puts him on his shoulders, and they walk away.
- [13:25]
A
And.
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B
And Aurora assumes that Aaron and Elsie are together. And Elsie's like, no, no, no. And she insinuates that he has a mate somewhere. And we do know, obviously, that he has a Rejected mate named Farah, who was locked in the dungeons with Blake and Jack and everybody. So what Elsie says is, I wish I could look past it. After everything I've been through, I want someone who belongs only to me, heart, body and soul. I think I deserve that. And Aurora says, you do. And. And as a reader, female reader, I'm like, yeah, girl, you absolutely deserve that. But I also feel bad for Aaron because they clearly love each other, but there's just always going to be this interloper between them.
- [14:04]
A
Totally.
- [14:05]
B
So when I reread this and Callum says this, I remembered what Elsie said and I was like, wait a second. I support Elsie wanting that for herself. And I can understand why Callum also says this, because he even backs it up later when. When Philip shows up, Aurora's brother, who is working for the Queen of the Snowlands, and Philip says, listen, the Queen of the Snowlands wants to have a marriage alliance with Callum. And what Callum's response is, when I marry, alas, she will have all of me, heart, body and soul. I will expect the same from her. I will settle for no less. This has been hammered into us, and it's very interesting because it's like, I was mad at Callum at first because again, I'm like, just listen to her.
- [14:47]
A
Yes.
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B
But it's fair.
- [14:49]
A
It is really interesting to look at it through both lenses, because I totally agree with Elsie. I was like, you do. You deserve a man that's fully there for you. And then with Callum, I was like, just get over it. Like, come on, just get over. But you know what? Everybody deserves someone who only wants them heart, body and soul. It's unfair for us to say that someone doesn't deserve it unless they're a bad guy. And nobody here is a villain, you.
- [15:10]
B
Know, no one here is a villain. And that's so hard. That's what makes this so tricky. And such a good love triangle. And I hate love triangles, But I think this is well done. I do. I do think this is well done.
- [15:22]
A
Yes.
- [15:23]
B
And again, I love when an author can make you change your opinion once you finish a book and then you go back and you look at things through a different lens. It's well done. Okay, Christina, can you lead us through the next scene?
- [15:35]
A
Well, the next scene we could title it nothing else in our outline besides the goodbye sex scene, because that's what it is. It is. It's. Goodbye sex is what it is. It's also, though, the unleashing moment. So let's get down to it. So, okay, this is the quote, I want. I can't express in words what I want, what I need. For once, I want him to stop holding back. But she says, I want you to consume me. I want you to unleash. Unleash. Count like 45 at this point. I want you to unleash. I want you to break me so I forget everything other than you. I want you to take me in the way that you want to. He offers me a sad smile as he brushes a strand away from my cheek. I will worship you. He brushes his lips against my throat. Cherish you. He kisses me. Honor you. He nips at my earlobe with his teeth and I squirm, tease you. His mouth hovers over mine. But break you? No. You cannot ask that of me. If I'm to take you the way I want, I will have you gently and deeply and slowly. Can you accept that? And because I would rather have part of him than none at all, I nod. Good. Because there's no lock in the Northlands cold enough to douse the fire in my blood right now. This was tricky. Oh, okay. It is.
- [16:48]
B
Their sentiment is so beautiful. It's like, it's hard. Don't we all want someone who will worship us and cherish us and honor us? And he's kissing her and he's like, I don't want to break you.
- [16:58]
A
How can you be mad at him for that? It's so hard because she's like, so hard. She's like, I want this. I want this. I want you to unleash. And I want him to stop holding back. And then so you're as the reader, like, yeah, girl, yeah, that's what you deserve. You want that. And then what he comes back with is, like, just stuff from straight up romance novels. Like, he's the lead of a romance novel here. I will cherish you and I will tease you and I will worship you and I will honor you. And it's like, exactly what you want to hear realistically, but, like, why can't you do both? But it still feels like a letdown to her because, like, that's not what she's asking for.
- [17:30]
B
And I always think of what Blake says to her at some point in the book. He, like, come to Daddy for such things.
- [17:37]
A
Oh, God, does he say that? Shut up.
- [17:39]
B
He does. He does. He says, come to Daddy when you. For such things.
- [17:43]
A
I can't remember.
- [17:44]
B
I can't remember the exact quote, but it's so funny.
- [17:47]
A
He calls himself Daddy in this book.
- [17:49]
B
Yes, he does. I don't think it's actually sexual. I think it has to do with her not wanting to bother Callum with something quite right.
- [17:55]
A
Come to Daddy about things like this. HE WINKS yeah. Shut up. Her response is, you're repugnant.
- [18:01]
B
You're repugnant. Oh, Lord.
- [18:03]
A
Okay, so it's hard, it's tricky. But again, like you just said, Anna, can't you do both? He does. He ends up doing both because he can't control himself. And he does unleash. And it's good and it's passionate and it's like, what we want. It is giving us best of both worlds. It is Hannah Montana. It is giving us the sweet romance while also being the sexy times and all of that, while also being a little sad, because, again, one, it's goodbye, kind of. But two, because there are these. These boundaries that Callan did set that now he's, like, ignoring. And we also have to remember that him saying, I won't break you goes back to his trauma of seeing his dad break his mom. And he's like, that's not love. Yeah, I want to make love to you.
- [18:45]
B
Yeah.
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A
I don't want to do that.
- [18:47]
B
That's not how I want to show love.
- [18:49]
A
Yeah.
- [18:49]
B
Everybody can show and receive love in different ways.
- [18:52]
A
Yeah.
- [18:52]
B
And sometimes those two things are incompatible. And I think that's. I think it's sad. Like, I actually feel like this is sad. I don't know where we're going to go in book three. Three. I mean, I. I want her to be with Blake because I, like, that's my. That's the fantasy. Right, Right. But I do think that Callum, while he's not perfect, genuinely does love her. And I think he lets her go here because he's like, yes, go ahead, go to the morning after what he says.
- [19:15]
A
Right, exactly. Speaking of letting go. So Aurora, in the morning, looks at him and says, you cannot make peace with it, can you? His response is, I tried to make peace with it. I tried to let you go. I tried to pretend it wasn't real and that it was all in my head. I. I failed. The bond is sacred. If anyone found out what we had just done, if they knew what I had just done to another wolf. HE CLEARS HIS THROAT it's not done in our kingdom. And, like, this is. This is big. He's crying at this point. And.
- [19:44]
B
Yeah, he is.
- [19:45]
A
This is so important to remember here. When we get annoyed at Callum for his inaction and for just letting Blake have her and really pushing her away. To him, this bond, this mating bond is so precious and important in their world. It's just unheard of. Like, the idea of Aurora asking this of him in his mind is like, you don't understand. This is not done.
- [20:07]
B
It's kind of true. I know we make fun of them for saying it's a wolf thing, but she does not understand the depth of the mating bond.
- [20:15]
A
Yeah.
- [20:15]
B
And especially you look at Eren and, like, what they learned from Eren being tortured with his mate and how deeply that traumatized him. And Farah, I think enough that Farah basically rejected the mating bond and left is how I was interpreting that break. I mean, maybe we'll learn more, but that's how I interpreted it. And I think Callum is like, this is so sacred. And, like, it kind of brings us to their official goodbyes. She again talks about, you speak of this bond as if there's no choice. And she's like, don't I have a choice? There's always a choice. And he says, you still believe that? And she says, you do not. Not. And he goes, you cannot choose if you are not free. You are tethered to him. Whether we like it or not. It's unbreakable, this bond created by Gelac, the moon goddess herself. I don't understand it, but for whatever reason, she has decided you and Blake are. And she cuts him off and she says, you're wrong. It's my choice and I'm going to break the bond. I'll use the moon's power, basically insinuating I'm going to steal the heart of the moon and break it. And what he says is, I have prayed to her moon goddess. I have prayed to her every night. I prayed for her to give you to me. She has not answered. But then what Rory says back is, my heart, my body, my soul. I'm the only one who gets to decide who to give them to. And their sadness crosses Callum's face because I think Callum believes that. Aurora believes that. But in this moment, he's like, but a part of you will always belong to Blake.
- [21:40]
A
Yeah.
- [21:41]
B
Like, look at Aaron. That man is a walking pool of sadness.
- [21:44]
A
And really, Callum is just like, that's nice to hear. But at the end of the day, the gravitas and the sacredness of this bond is something that supersedes all choice. You don't understand. Still, nothing else matters. Matters.
- [21:58]
B
Yeah, I agree. I think it's a very interesting writing choice on Lauren's part to make a main female character not just immediately jump at this idea of the main mating bond. We have Seen in other series where the main female character, the leading lady, is angry and pissed off about the mating bond because, again, it wasn't her choice. Right. And that's. And she feels like it's taken from her. And that is true here. But the difference is Aurora is deeply in love with somebody else. And this mating bond is something that she does not want. And it's not because it just wasn't her choice. She just doesn't want it with that person. And so we are really setting us up for book three. And I'm kind of like, is this going to be a flip? Like, are we. Like, where are we going with this?
- [22:39]
A
Oh, God.
- [22:40]
B
You know? But let's pin this. Pin this conversation for theories.
- [22:43]
A
Agreed.
- [22:44]
B
So, Christina, can you kind of lead us through? We get introduced to Philip in this part of the book.
- [22:48]
A
Oh, brother Philip. Hello, brother Philip. So, pretty much he has been painted as this, like, favored son and the worst version of a rich kid, spoiled brat prince is pretty much the picture we have gotten. Yeah. Turns out the truth is a little more complex and complicated.
- [23:03]
B
So.
- [23:03]
A
So while Aurora was living this kind of softer life in the palace with its own hardships, he was then pushed into this brutal military training. And he was constantly belittled by their father. And he saw Aurora's life as, like, much easier, and she saw his life as much easier. So I am glad we had that conversation.
- [23:19]
B
Yeah.
- [23:19]
A
But back to Philip's timeline. Here he discovers he's a half wolf. So then he lives in fear of exposure, especially after witnessing the torture of the wolves. But he's also really intrigued at the torture of the wolves. So he goes down there and he starts reading books. And if anyone catches him, he's like, I'm just researching the enemy. And. And then one reckless night, he's, like, wasted, and he goes and he taunts the captives and he's bitten because it's.
- [23:42]
B
The night of the full moon. Oh, yeah, the wolves are all wolves now.
- [23:46]
A
And then he gets bitten by a wolf. Important to know. He doesn't know which wolf he thinks.
- [23:50]
B
He knows, but he was drunk and.
- [23:52]
A
He'S wild, but he was drunk. And they are wolves, not in their human form. So unable to then risk shifting in front of their father, he then flees to the snowlands.
- [24:00]
B
Okay.
- [24:01]
A
In the snowlands, he finally finds refuge and purpose and becomes a better version of himself. And he's back in town and specifically carrying a message from Ingrid, Queen Ingrid, who is the Snowlands Alpha and queen. This message is to survive knights growing power. She would like to propose a political marriage to Callum to unite their kingdoms.
- [24:24]
B
Yep.
- [24:24]
A
This also threw me. I was like, lauren, you. You are just laying in the drama in such a fun way. This was such a fun, delicious, dramatic moment. Also, it is important to note that Philip is in love with Ingrid. So, like, another layer of drama here. Another layer, but it's unrequited. Which is it? I don't know. Let's see.
- [24:41]
B
Well, yeah, we'll see in book three. But she is all business.
- [24:44]
A
She's giving very much a Claire attitude to me. I don't need a man. And he's like, but I love you. And she's like, well, you can do that from over there. I don't need you.
- [24:52]
B
I don't need you.
- [24:52]
A
No. Okay. But also, important things to know about Philip. He is also searching for the heart of the moon. Except, please, everyone, pay attention to this. In the snowlands, the translation is actually the blood of the moon.
- [25:05]
B
Very interesting.
- [25:05]
A
Okay, so that makes a lot more sense, considering it's passed through the maternal family line. And the blood, it's her blood. The blood of the middle sheep.
- [25:13]
B
It's not like a physical stone.
- [25:14]
A
It's in her body.
- [25:15]
B
It's literally her.
- [25:16]
A
It's the blood running through her veins is the heart of the moon. Yes.
- [25:20]
B
It makes so much more sense.
- [25:21]
A
So much more sense.
- [25:22]
B
Yeah.
- [25:22]
A
Last thing to mention about Philip is it was not Jack that bit him, it was, in fact, Alexander, making Alexander his Alpha. That was another crazy reveal later on.
- [25:32]
B
Also, Philip, by the way, is actually legitimately a very skilled warrior.
- [25:37]
A
Oh, this was cool.
- [25:39]
B
Philip comes across as this snarky little princeling, and he's just kind of like, all sass. Then what Callum does is he drags Philip out by his, like, collar throw, throws him into the middle of the courtyard, and he's like, all right, let's go. Give me a sword. Philip freaking dominates, not only against Callum, but Lachlan. Philip lays, like, one hand behind his back, basically.
- [25:59]
A
Yes.
- [25:59]
B
It's amazing.
- [26:00]
A
He's like a specific kind of warrior.
- [26:02]
B
He has a tattoo. It's a very. Like a Snowlands warrior. It's like one of their fiercest.
- [26:07]
A
Yeah. So Lachlan is like, I'm more interested in this, and grabs the high collar of Philip's coat and tugs it aside and. And there's this ink curl tattoo up his collarbone. And he says, I've heard that deadly warriors in the snowlands bear these kind of marks. And everyone's like, all right, well, let's get out here and see what you can do. And it's wild.
- [26:25]
B
It's wild.
- [26:25]
A
I loved this. I thought it was so cool.
- [26:27]
B
He also flirts with the girl that we all hate.
- [26:29]
A
Oh, my God, I forgot about that.
- [26:31]
B
He reads her. She's really snotty to him, but it's like a challenge. He's kind of turned on by it. It's really fun. I don't know. I just love Philip. He's very. A delight.
- [26:40]
A
I totally forgot about that. Yeah, Isla. And he's like, oh, I'll see you later. And she's like, no, you won't. He's like, we'll see about that. Like, it's good. It's really fun. Really good. It's really fun. Okay, so take us through some plot here. Where are we in the plot?
- [26:51]
B
Okay, so after the final goodbye that Callum and Aurora have, Callum has decided that he wants to send Aurora to the snowland so that she will be with her people. He thinks she'll be protected there. He's like, listen, Blake is going to come after you because he can't not come after you. You are his mate. But he's locked in the dungeons. I have to release him at some point because, honestly, I locked him up there just because I'm a jealous and I don't want to look at his face anymore. He doesn't say that, but that's the interpretation.
- [27:14]
A
That's it.
- [27:14]
B
Okay. So anyways, Aurora and Philip are on their way to the snowlands when they are ambushed by Alexander. Okay. But before they're captured, they're sleeping. Aurora stumbles into one of Blake's dreams because this is important to note. She finds out about the mating bond and never goes to Blake. She never confronts him. She doesn't go to the dungeons.
- [27:31]
A
She.
- [27:32]
B
She basically is like, I'm not dealing with you. This is all between me and Callum. So she stumbles into one of his dreams, and it's. It's the sexy one at first, right? But then it changes and it pivots. And he says to her, I waited for you. I thought you would come.
- [27:46]
A
That broke my heart that he's just sitting in the dungeons waiting for her. And then he realizes she leaves. And he's like, oh. Oh, she didn't come see me.
- [27:53]
B
And so she's like, well, I'm gone. You're not gonna find me. And he starts, like, naming the trees around her, and he's like, oh, yeah, it looks like you're on your way to see Snowlands. And she's like, you're not. You'll Never find me. And what he says is, darling, I will always find you.
- [28:05]
A
Oh, it's so good, so good.
- [28:07]
B
And so I also just want to touch upon another sweet moment with Blake before we move on, because, again, it's kind of a similar sentiment here. Yes, she approaches him when she's really mad, and it's before she understands the true meaning of the bond. And she approaches him and it's right before Callum's people come to break into Blake's rooms and steal him and put him in the dungeons. And she breaks into his room and she's trying to find the book and she yells at him, break the bond. And he says, no. And she gets so mad and she says, I will make you pay for this, Blake. I will haunt you every waking moment. I will make you feel me every dream. I will be there. Every moment of joy that you manage to feel in your sad little life. I will turn it into darkness. Break this bond, Blake. Oh, I stopped. Swear to every goddess I will consume you until there is nothing left of you. I will ruin you. I will coil myself so tightly around you that you will beg me to release you. And still then, I will not let you go.
- [29:02]
A
Wow.
- [29:02]
B
And he is so exhausted, he, like, rubs both hands on his face and he says, you already haunt me, Aurora. And what she says is, then let me go. And he yells back, I cannot. That is the last time they talk to each other. That is the last thing that happens between them. And then he is taken away. And so that makes what he says to her in their dream when she's gone. I waited for you. I thought you would come.
- [29:25]
A
Oh, it's so good. It's so good.
- [29:28]
B
Sad.
- [29:29]
A
Oh, and this meeting bond thing where, again, she doesn't get it because no one has told her, or she's like, just break it. And he's like, I can't. I can't. I literally can't physically cannot. But the sentiment behind the then let me go. I cannot is like, I can't let you go.
- [29:43]
B
This is also when he's in the dream, remember, that's when he's like, just let me have you once.
- [29:47]
A
Once. Just once.
- [29:48]
B
Cuz he feels that bond, whether or not she loves him. I don't know that Blake loves her yet either, but I think Blake feels that bond because I think he's been a wolf longer and he understands that pull and what it means. He finds her beautiful, he finds her sexually attractive. Like, he does want her in that way, but I. I don't know that he loves her yet.
- [30:08]
A
I mean, and let's remember in the prologue, even he thinks about her as like, freedom and the broken promise of something he cannot have. Also, in that moment when Alexander shows up to take her and she' in the dream with Blake, she's actually very, very scared in that moment. And her gut instinct is to go to him and reach for him and say, blake. And he reaches for her. They're trying to reach for each other and then she wakes up. Her gut instinct is like, blake, help me, save me. It's so good. It's so good.
- [30:34]
B
And this is also. Remember when he says, darling, I will always find you.
- [30:38]
A
And he does. Pin it.
- [30:40]
B
Yes. Okay. So Alexander's there and Blake is like, run, run, run. And when she wakes up, it's just too late. Alexander and his men are there and so now they're taken to the borderlands. They're captives. And Christina, walk us through this ending because, God, oh my God, so much happens.
- [30:54]
A
Oh, my goodness. Okay, we're at the Borderlands. They're being held in the dungeons in Alexander's castle. And there's a bunch of our crew there. Actually, it's a bit of a reunion. James is there, Claire is there, and Ryan. But after a few days in that dungeon, they're hauled out into an underground amphitheater of sorts.
- [31:10]
B
Yeah.
- [31:11]
A
So then Alexander's like, it's my turn to do pretty much a cruel performance with you guys here at the center. So Aurora is chained to posts at the center of this amphitheater.
- [31:22]
B
Yeah.
- [31:22]
A
God, it's so bad. Okay. And he vows to break her and drag her wolf out. Also, flashing back a little bit to the nightmare, Blake tells us a bit of Alexander's motivations. Quote, he being Alexander, he wants you more than anything, Aurora. He wishes to gain night's favor and he thinks your soul will help him do so.
- [31:42]
B
Yes.
- [31:42]
A
So he is torturing her. Okay. And it's really rough. And he's whipping her with this, like, silver tipped whip, which is the same one the priests used on her as a child to beat her wolf into submission, which is a really dark, horrible parallel that now it's being used to bring her wolf out.
- [31:59]
B
Yeah.
- [32:00]
A
So Alexander then taunts and threatens Claire and hints at unleashing the dark beast beneath the arena. And then James lashes out in defiance because it's Claire and that's his mate. Alexander then escalates everything. And Aurora's only way to survive here is to kind of retreat, shut down emotionally. And she's really kind of using this recurring theme We've seen of her turning to stone, but in this moment, it's used in a way of self protection. I know how to be this stone statue. I'm gonna do it again so I don't, like, feel this unbearable pain.
- [32:35]
B
She is totally removing herself to protect herself. It's a trauma response.
- [32:40]
A
It's a trauma response and. Okay, everyone. Oh, gosh.
- [32:44]
B
Oh, Christina, buckle up. Okay, so she's being whipped. Alexander is going at her and it is. It's awful to read. And then all of a sudden, everything stops and she looks up. Christina, go.
- [32:57]
A
Blake stands behind him. His face, he is fury incarnate. His shirt is wet, plastered to his hard chest and torso, and a couple of dark curls stick to his forehead. His jaw is as sharp as the dagger in his fist. There's a sword strapped to his back and two more blades holstered in his belt. His essence overpowers me. It fills my hollow chest. It's dark and cold and inhuman and puts out the fire that burns within. I thought I had felt his emotions before, but. But they were nothing compared to this. I cannot breathe. I cannot move. I can feel nothing but him. I'm reminded of that well that he told me about. And I wonder now if there is a bottom to the darkness. The wolf blazes amber in his eyes as he holds Alexander in his steely stare. Get your hands off my mate. Oh, my God.
- [33:49]
B
When I read this and we finally get it on page, the way I screamed and squealed and was like, this is everything. This is why we love these books. This is why we love the fantasy.
- [33:58]
A
And the mating ball. Oh, my God. It was the pinnacle. Everything was leading to this. And I especially love that if you pay attention, this is the first time the word mate is spoken in this context. She cuts everyone off every time before they say it. He never speaks it. The first time we get it in this moment is him saying, get your hands off my mate.
- [34:19]
B
Oh, God, it's so good.
- [34:20]
A
It's so good, this hit. It hit so hard it hit.
- [34:23]
B
It was perfect. Perfection.
- [34:25]
A
Perfect.
- [34:25]
B
Loved it. Oh, my God. Okay, so Blake comes in. Get your hands off my mate. Battle happens. Everyone's fighting. It's chaos. Alexander ends up unleashing Night's creature. And it's scary and shadowy and just basically where it looks, things die. It's terrifying.
- [34:40]
A
Yeah.
- [34:41]
B
And so things are not going well. The creature will literally kill everyone. And Blake turns to Aurora and he says, aurora, listen to me. You need to stop suppressing your power. You're the only one who can save Us. If you don't, we all die.
- [34:53]
A
And.
- [34:54]
B
And she's like, I'm not a wolf. And he's like, oh, my God, bitch. I need you to listen to me.
- [34:57]
A
When I say, oh, my good God.
- [35:00]
B
And I'm not a wolf. It's like, you are, but you are. But you're more than that.
- [35:03]
A
You don't have time for this.
- [35:04]
B
So, okay. He says, not your wolf, Aurora. Your power. There's a reason why you didn't shift on the night of the full moon. A reason why Gelak shone for you on the night of the battle with Sebastian. A reason why the Alpha command doesn't work on you, why Callum has struggled with his wolf gods, why I have since you have been around. He grips me tighter, sliding his hands into my hair. I think you've started to suspect it, too. You feel it. It's not your wolf that you keep suppressing. When the fever comes for you, it's a different power. The wolves thought it was literal. A heart turned to rock, fossilized by time. What if it's not? And then in her mind, she's like, what is he saying? It can't be true. I shake my head and she says, even if you're right, it's just deep within me. And I've been holding on to it for so long that I cannot let it go. Guys. And here's the big line. He says, darling, people like you and me, we do not let go. He bumps his forehead against mine, and the wolf blazes in his eyes.
- [36:00]
A
We unleash, unleash, unleash, unleash. Oh, my God. Of all the unleash times we get in this book, this is my favorite. We was all leading to this.
- [36:11]
B
I love it so much.
- [36:12]
A
And he's saying, we unleash like you and I, people like us, people who have to play the game, people who have this trauma and this wolf buried down with all this power. We can't just be like, oh, I'm going to let it go. We have to know fully.
- [36:27]
B
It has to be powerful. So, Christina, walk us through.
- [36:30]
A
Oh, let's walk through the unleashing. Yes. Okay. So, okay. Aurora's like, all right, I'll try. So she closes her eyes and tries to let go. And she kind of goes into this dreamlike state here.
- [36:41]
B
So it's a little heavenly fire moment, but yes.
- [36:43]
A
Yeah, we've seen it in other books, but it allows us here to have a conversation. A very tender scene between her and her mother. So again, it is happening while all out war is Happening in the background. And Blake is over there like, oh, God, speed it up, speed up, speed.
- [36:55]
B
Up, speed it up.
- [36:56]
A
I just picture, like, Jack and James battling actual demons. Like, how's it going, Blake? Any updates? He's like, we're working on it. She's in.
- [37:03]
B
Her eyes are closed. She's dreaming.
- [37:05]
A
Something's happening. Hopefully. Okay. But anyways. So Aurora's mother explains how she, her mother was forced into marriage with Aurora's father during the Snowlands War with the Shadow Wolf. Shadow Wolf. Interesting question mark.
- [37:19]
B
Interesting, yep.
- [37:20]
A
Let's think about that for book three. And how then her father slowly broke her mother down with abuse and wolfsbane under the guise of medicine, which we assumed already. But it was hard for her to hear from her mom. But most devastatingly here she admits that she once tried to escape, escape with Aurora and Philip, but was caught and then punished into submission until she pretty much just, like, wasted away. That was her one chance. And then she was like, there's no hope. So at last, her mother then does share the deeper secret, the important secret. Their bloodline descends directly from Galek and the Elder Wolf. Aurora herself is the heart of the moon. Not a relic or a weapon, but a living vessel of this ancient power. It is in her veins. It is in her blood. And at this point, all the secrets are out. Everyone knows all the things. Let's go.
- [38:07]
B
Let's go.
- [38:08]
A
But we do get some sweet, sweet moments with her mother here. Her mom says, I'm so proud of the woman you've become. Which, like, did make me tear up. I'm happy that Aurora got that. And again, choice drinking game. Her mom says, quote, they will make you feel as if you have no choice. There is always a choice, except in who your mate is. Okay? And then she says, have courage, little one. Which is when. Then Aurora finally lets go, embraces who. Who she was, who she's meant to be. It's all beautiful. And we get quote, I'm hurtling upward. The wind tears at my face and my clothes. I squeeze my eyes shut. I cannot breathe. I cannot feel my knees slam onto hard earth. I open my eyes. Pain sears my back and the sounds of battle fill my ears. I'm in the amphitheater and a wave of shadow crashes toward me. I let myself feel the rage of losing my mother. The emotion I was beaten into suppressing. The wildness I was taught to prune. It felt, fills my lungs and makes my entire body vibrate with the force of it. It hurdles inside me. It presses against my skin. I push myself to my feet. Enough. I meet the obsidian gaze of the darkness and the scream that has been building in my chest all of my life. I let it go. No, I unleash.
- [39:19]
B
Oh, love it. We love, we always love this moment with our main, like our leading ladies where they, you know, they unleash.
- [39:25]
A
Yes.
- [39:25]
B
The power just rises to the surface and we love it. Yes.
- [39:28]
A
They've accepted themself and their power and I thought this one was beautifully written. I liked it.
- [39:33]
B
Yes. So she unleashes and she destroys this, like, evil demon, creature, shadow thing that's from the night God that somehow Alexander got his hands on. And the fighting has stopped, but Alexander is still alive and he has Blake by the throat. And there's really no preamble, but he slides the blade across Blake's throat. And Aurora describes it as, quote, time stopping. And she runs to him and, like, holds him and he's staring up at her and he's like, let me go, let me go. And she ends up kind of hurtling down this darkness following him, almost like as he's slipping away. I kind of wonder if this is what it was like for Blake when she was bitten by James at the end of book one, you know, if this is kind of what he experienced. But she is. She dives into the darkness after him and she finds Blake in this well, the well that we talked about earlier where he's sitting in the bottom and he talks about being thrown in there, you know, with the priests on the night of the storms. But he's not a child, he's Blake. He's a grown man and he's dying. And she's reaching out her hand and she's, like, holding on to him and he wants to let go. He's saying, please, like, let me go. Break the bond. And he yells at her, break it. His voice echoes you. You have the power. You always have. And she just says, no. And he says, don't be obtuse, Aurora. Rain rolls down his face, his lips. I'll pull you down with me. And I think he means, you don't let go of me. I will physically pull you into this well. But also, if I die, I think you're coming with me. Or unless you break the box.
- [41:00]
A
That's how I read it.
- [41:00]
B
And you have the power to break it. And she says, I think of every dream he wandered into, smugness etched onto his face as he told me to fight the hypocritical, condescending, obnoxious fool. And she yells, you're not even trying. His throat bobs. The thread of the bond flickers in front of his face. Blake gaze moves to it. I feel what he's about to do, and panic bursts within me. Don't you dare. I grip the bond harder and grit my teeth. And she says, people like you and me, we do not let go. Blake. She throws his words back at him. He's breathing as hard as I am. He's steeling himself for something, and I can't tell what. His emotions no longer run through me. And he says, you will regret this, little rabbit. And she says, it's my mistake to make my choice. It's my mistake to make. And he kind of their banter. He yells, you stubborn fool. And she says, you obnoxious snake. Climb. And so he does.
- [41:57]
A
Hi, guys.
- [41:58]
B
Here's my morning routine.
- [41:59]
A
First I drink olive oil.
- [42:02]
B
Next, I take an ice bath, feeling super healthy.
- [42:06]
A
If your health advice sounds strange coming from a kid, maybe it's just strange. Psygnos pairs AI with a biosensor so you can track your body's unique responses to food, movement, and more in real time, helping you achieve your health goals. Get $10 off select plans@signos.com s I g n o s.com with code SPARK. This scene was epic. I loved this. Oh, my God, it was so gorgeous to picture with the rain. They're in the well. This is the first moment she's admitting, really to herself and to him, how much he means to her. Like, the fact that he is gonna break the bond to save her. And that makes her panic. And she's like, don't you dare. Don't do it.
- [42:47]
B
He's willing to die to, like, save her. He's like, break it. Just do it. And she's like, I'm not doing it.
- [42:52]
A
And remember, they just had the fight where she said, break it. Do it. Break it. Let me go. And he said, I can't. And then here he is, he wants to break it. He's yelling at her to break it. He's yelling at her to let him go. And she's like, I can't.
- [43:07]
B
No. People like you and me, Blake, we don't let go.
- [43:10]
A
Oh, God, I love that. That was a really beautiful little parallel there. Do we think that if he died in the well before breaking it, do we think she would have died?
- [43:19]
B
No, because we would see Aaron die. Remember, he talks about the reason he knew it would work to save her. Her at the end of book one is because he would see Aaron and Farah like, One of them would die, and then the other one would bring the other one back. And I don't know if. I wonder. I don't know.
- [43:34]
A
I wonder if they didn't bring the other one back. Like, if the other one did die, would the other one die?
- [43:39]
B
It's hard to tell what's the truth because we haven't really discussed the mating bond at length because nobody's really talked about it.
- [43:45]
A
We're Aurora here, trying to figure it out. But I do think it's just his sheer panic here of being like, I need you to break it. It feels like it's coming from a place of, I'm trying to save you because I think I'm gonna die here. I'm dying.
- [43:58]
B
Yeah, well, he says, I'll drag you down with me. Right?
- [44:00]
A
He's scared. What will happen to her? Okay.
- [44:03]
B
Okay. I also, you know, just while we're talking about their mating bond.
- [44:06]
A
Yes.
- [44:07]
B
I do want to just note the moment that Blake realized. Yes. That they were mates. And it's before she almost dies, right at the end of book one, when they're in the dungeon and Aurora is being held captive by James. And this is like when James is like, marry me, I'll make you the queen. And she says, no. So. But when she's in the dungeon, Blake comes into her cell, and she ends up, like, she can't really attack him, but she wraps her legs around him.
- [44:32]
A
Yeah. She's like, strung up from the ceiling.
- [44:34]
B
Yeah. But he drops the flask as I rear up again and he grabs me. His fingers tighten beneath my thighs and he jerks me toward him. My core slams against his hard torso and my legs wrap around his waist. The laughter dies from his expression, and an emotion stronger and uglier than hate surges through my body. It is consuming, unbearable, dark and powerful and unfamiliar. I want to tear inside of myself and rip it out. Blake's jaw hardens. There is no humor, no amusement in his eyes, only darkness. He smells like night, like the most dangerous part of the flesh forest. Like, for, like dark, forbidden places. His warm breath mingles with mine. His gaze dips to my mouth and he swallows. And then Aurora says, if you kiss me, I will bite off your tongue. He staggers back, dropping my legs, and I grip onto the chains to keep my balance. Something like horror or disgust twists across his face.
- [45:32]
A
Wowee. Wow. Is that not an, I realize, roommates moment? I mean. I mean, it's so good.
- [45:37]
B
It is. She's written Blake very interestingly, and Blake has very honest with the fact that Aurora being his mate complicates things for him. I don't think he's lying when he says that he didn't want this. This is not what I asked for. Neither of them chose this, which is very interesting. And I think that's why this horror goes across his face. He's like, well, because I now won't have a choice but to try and protect you.
- [46:00]
A
Yeah. This was not. I don't have time for this. This is time for this. Yeah.
- [46:04]
B
All right. So anyway, so he. So Blake survives, she saves him. He climbs out of the well. It takes everything out of Aurora. She's in a room healing. Christina, will you walk us through kind of like the morning after, what happens?
- [46:16]
A
Yes. Okay. So morning after the battle, Aurora wakes up to find Philip by her bedside, and he tells her that Blake survived and that also, he has barely left her bedside. So then Roy goes for a walk, and she stumbles upon James and Claire arguing. Okay. And James here, again, I don't know what we're doing with his character, but surprisingly, he apologizes a little bit. He's showing a little bit of a softer, less, I'm gonna backhand you and steal you away side. But most importantly here, he swears he won't betray Aurora because he now believes she's a gift from the goddess. And, like, you know, you have my word, you're important. I'm not gonna betray you.
- [46:50]
B
Yeah.
- [46:50]
A
So let's see where we go with that. But not long after that, Blake appears. Aurora admits she feels like nothing more than a weapon, something. Wars will be fought over and valued only for what she is instead of who she is, which is important, and again, important that she's sharing this with Blake. We're sharing our inner trauma, our fears. Blake pushes back, calling her a force of nature. I think he says she's a tornado here. I thought that was a really interesting phrasing. But he also tells her the truth about the bond. No more secrets. Here we are.
- [47:21]
B
Yeah.
- [47:21]
A
He does insist he never meant for the bond to root permanently, which is an interesting point. He thought he could pull away in time or maybe reject it or something, but he ultimately tells her that he hid it, hid the bond because of her relationship with Callum, because it would have destroyed them both, which it did, and because it complicated his own ambitions for the throne. Also, we're going back to morally gray. It's not just him being a good guy. So then he's like, also, you know, since it is this deep, I do think we've Missed our chance to break it. I think we're here. And this is. Yeah, this is where we live now. We get one more dream. Aurora slips back into Blake's dreams, except this one's a memory. This is very important to everyone. In this memory, she sees Blake kneeling before the God of Night. We see him ordered to seize the wolf kingdoms and find the heart of the Moon. Really not good look for Blake.
- [48:13]
B
So, no, it's not.
- [48:14]
A
This vision, like, rattles her awake and she confronts him, and he's like, okay, well, that was unfortunate. Let me just tell you the truth then. So he says, I don't just serve the God of Night. I do belong to him. That's just like, kind of how this works. I am Said Knight Prince, title of the book. That's me. Yeah. So. And then remind me why how he belongs to the Night Prince.
- [48:34]
B
Okay, so, yeah, because what he says is that was Night's big trick. He covets desperate souls. And I was so very desperate, I made a bargain with him, and he's. And basically, I would give him my soul. He honored his promise, I suppose. He gave me my freedom in the form of death. Only instead of my soul going to rest, he took it for himself. I thought I knew torment. I did not. Not until I became Knight's plaything. And then that's when he says, I would have done anything to gain my freedom. I was dead for months, but it felt like a lifetime. So again, he's been dead for months. And I think his friends, like, he made the deal, I'll give you my soul if you free my friends. Which I think happened. And it says, over time. I realized Knight was as desperate to get out as I was. And I made him a new promise. If he let me go, I would give him what he desired, which obviously is the heart of the moon, which is her. Brings us to where we are.
- [49:24]
A
Exactly. And I think the really important takeaway here that he really hammers in, that she's just too upset to hear, is that the mark on his ankle. He has a mark, the knights mark on his ankle. That it isn't loyalty, it's ownership.
- [49:38]
B
Yeah. He's not one of Night's acolytes.
- [49:40]
A
He is owned by him. And this is the reason why. And then also apparently, when he was escaping the moon goddess, he ran past that moon goddess's cell. And you know what she told him? She said, quote, my heart is your salvation.
- [49:55]
B
Okay, well, Aurora is the heart of the moon.
- [49:58]
A
Yeah.
- [49:58]
B
My heart is your salvation.
- [50:01]
A
Okay.
- [50:01]
B
I mean, obviously they're mates, so we can take that to mean just that. But, like, is it more.
- [50:06]
A
Yes. Can she undo the bargain? Can she save him from night? Can she, like, save everyone? Can she be the salvation of everyone?
- [50:16]
B
When she says your salvation, it could mean Blake, but it also could mean everybody.
- [50:19]
A
The wolves?
- [50:20]
B
Yeah.
- [50:20]
A
Everybody.
- [50:21]
B
Yeah.
- [50:21]
A
Oh, so good. All right.
- [50:23]
B
Okay. So this is the final quote in the book, and this is setting us up for book three. And it says. And this is Blake starting the conversation. He says, there is something I want above anything else. You know what that is, don't you? His eyes bore into me with such intensity that my breath hitches. The air in the room suddenly feels hot and thick. My skin prickles. As a bond vibrates between us, the dream I walked in on flashes through my mind. Me on the bed. The flush of his cheeks, the way his face looked as he pushed me down onto the mattress. I blink the vision away because it's too dangerous to look at. You want. You want your freedom. And then he says, what you want in exchange for what I want, without confirming or denying the statement to what she just said. And he says, a simple bargain. I look at his hand, still outstretched. Nothing is simple when it comes to Blake. I feel as if I'm making a deal with the God of Night himself. But Blake already has my soul. What more can he take from me? Those dangerous dimples crease his cheeks. Come on, little rabbit. We need to go now. They are coming. God has helped me. I put my hand in his. And that's the end of the book.
- [51:26]
A
Oh, it's so good.
- [51:29]
B
So, basically, it wraps up with him agreeing, I will help you. She says, I want to get my kingdom back. I want to take over the human lands. Philip is not going to be king. He's going off to the snowlands. Let me take the mantle and I will then be able to go to Callum as an equal, as a queen. And regardless of our mating bond, I will be worthy of him. Which, again, this is her insecurity, because he already says, you are my equal. Like, he doesn't need her to be queen. But she's like, no, I will come to him with a marriage alliance that he can't say no to, which I'm like, girl, that's kind of like tricking him.
- [52:05]
A
Agreed. Also, you're just going to be like, hey, Callum. So the bond is still there, but it doesn't matter because I'm queen, and that's a smart alliance, so no one can be mad that you maybe. Maybe it's that maybe it's that, like, so therefore, you will have the excuse, and no one can be upset with you that you're with someone else's mate, because it's what you have to do.
- [52:23]
B
Yeah. I also would like to just point out that I feel like choosing to rule an entire country just because you want to be with the man you love is, like, a really bad reason to go into business.
- [52:35]
A
Oh, my God. I didn't even think about that. Like, I just don't know.
- [52:38]
B
Do we have the chop to do this? Where's our business plan?
- [52:41]
A
Is that enough motivation to have all these people's lives under your jurisdiction?
- [52:47]
B
Okay, so we're gonna quickly just run through a couple, like, little final thoughts theories going into book three, because, oh, my gosh, we have to wait till next summer. I know, but I think this is being set up as a trilogy. That is what I can find online.
- [53:00]
A
That is what we have found.
- [53:01]
B
I'm curious to see how she wraps this up in one book, because I really do feel like there are a lot of loose ends now. I think we can maybe tackle the heart of the moon aspect. I am curious to see how she tackles this love triangle, because, again, obviously, we want her to be with Blake because that's our fantasy. But I do think that it's interesting that we've only just ended book two with her saying, you're my friend.
- [53:26]
A
Yeah, agreed.
- [53:27]
B
Like, let's be friends.
- [53:28]
A
I think we've got more growth to go there.
- [53:30]
B
I don't know how we do a whole. If she. If he is endgame. Unless he's. He's not.
- [53:34]
A
No, he has to be.
- [53:35]
B
Unless she's. I want him to be.
- [53:37]
A
Because it's. Yes, they did end with saying, you're my friend, but I do think when we think about the moment in the. Well, that's where she is emotionally tied to him. Actually, at the end of the day, like, life or death, that's how she actually feels about him, is, I can't let you go and I care about you.
- [53:50]
B
I think. I think the biggest hangout for Aurora, regardless of who she ends up with, is going to be this choice thing and that she isn't going to be. The mating bond was never my choice. I always chose Callum. And so even if she starts to feel feelings for Blake, I think it's always at least initially going to be colored by this idea of, oh, that's not actually me feeling these things for Blake. It's this mating bond making me feel these things.
- [54:14]
A
Agreed.
- [54:14]
B
And I think it's going to warp her and that is going to be the biggest hurdle for her to overcome in book three if Blake is endgame.
- [54:22]
A
Agreed. And I do hope he is. But I also do agree that's a very problematic place to be for her. Regardless of how many books there are, next book we're gonna have a lot to tackle. Like you said, Heart of the Moon.
- [54:33]
B
The Mating Bond.
- [54:35]
A
Mating Bond.
- [54:36]
B
Snowlands. We haven't even gone to the snowlands.
- [54:38]
A
We haven't gone to the snowlands. The Moon goddess being freed. Blake's Oath to the God of Night.
- [54:43]
B
Yeah, there has to be a showdown between the God of night and Aurora or the moon goddess.
- [54:48]
A
Something Shadow Wolf like. I don't know. There's a lot to tie up. Regardless, I am very excited about it.
- [54:55]
B
I agree. So.
- [54:56]
A
So yeah, guys, what a fun journey.
- [54:58]
B
This is so fun.
- [54:59]
A
I do want to note we are going to have a video exclusive for our patrons both tiers where we are going to be discussing the parallels of these two books and the Acotar series. I will say nothing else because that would be a spoiler for Acotar. But just so you know, that is going to be an extra bonus episode over on Patreon if you're interested to hear our thoughts on the parallels there and you have read all of Acotar and you've read these books, please head over to Patreon for that fun combo as well. But guys, we are so excited to have gotten to read this book with you and for what characters and next up in our lineup is going to be the Night and the Moth by Rachel Gillig.
- [55:39]
B
Oh gosh, guys, it's so much fun. Also, please look for our chapter chats on those. We have a whole schedule already posted on Patreon where you can read along with us. We had such a blast doing this and we cannot wait for you to hear our thoughts.
- [55:52]
A
Yes. Okay everybody, thanks so much for listening. Bye bye.
- [55:57]
B
Well friends, that wraps up another episode of Flights of Fantasy Podcast.
- [56:01]
A
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.
- [56:08]
B
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.
- [56:16]
A
Of Romantasy to even more book lovers. Until next time, keep dreaming, keep reading and remember, every good story deserves to take flight.