S5 Ep3: Rebecca Yarros: NYC Onyx Storm Event Highlights

Summary

Flights of Fantasy Podcast Summary

Episode: Season 5, Episode 3
Title: Rebecca Yarros: NYC Onyx Storm Event Highlights
Release Date: January 28, 2025
Hosts: Anna, Kim, and Kristina
Description: The "Flights of Fantasy" podcast hosts delve into their experiences attending Rebecca Yarros's event for her novel Onyx Storm. They discuss insights from the event, explore character developments, and share their favorite moments from the book.

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1. Event Overview

Location and Attendance
The hosts, Anna and Kim, recount their excitement about attending Rebecca Yarros's event at the Town Hall Theater in New York City. They describe the trip as a whirlwind but thoroughly enjoyable experience.

• Anna: "We were so lucky to get tickets to go hear Rebecca speak about Onyx Storm. It was so much fun."

Moderator Introduction
The event was skillfully moderated by Lori Hernandez, an Olympic gold medalist for the US Gymnastics team, who brought energy and enthusiasm to the session.

• Kim: "She was adorable. She's at school here in New York at NYU and she was so bubbly. So much fun."

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2. Writing Style and Process

Linear Writing Approach
Rebecca Yarros shared that she writes her novels linearly, developing scenes as the story progresses, which allows her protagonist, Violet, to grow organically throughout the narrative.

• Christina (02:39): "Rebecca kept the interviews totally spoiler free, but this is coming out and you guys have had like over a week now to read the book..."

Rapid Writing Pace
Yarros astonishingly penned three books in approximately 18 months, including writing 4th Wing in just two months. This intense pace underscores her dedication and passion for storytelling.

• Anna (02:39): "She wrote three books in about 18 months. Less than two years."

Future Plans and Break
Acknowledging her strenuous writing schedule, Yarros mentioned she's taking a well-deserved break before continuing with her series.

• Anna (02:50): "She was like, I'm taking a break. Yes. So prepare yourselves, everybody. It's gonna be a little while."

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3. TV Series Adaptation Insights

Pilot Excitement
Rebecca Yarros expressed her enthusiasm for the 4th Wing TV series adaptation, revealing that she has read the latest draft of the pilot and is thrilled with its direction.

• Christina (04:29): "She has read the latest draft of the pilot, and she was literally kicking her feet and squealing the entire time she was reading it."

Collaborative Planning
Yarros emphasized the importance of having a clear endgame for the series, ensuring that both the writers and actors are aligned with the story's trajectory.

• Anna (03:50): "For Harry Potter, Alan Rickman would not take the role of Snape until he knew how Snape's character ended."

Positive Reception
The host highlighted Yarros's positive outlook on the adaptation process, contrasting it with other series' struggles.

• Kim (05:06): "She literally said, the show is phenomenal. Quote, that is exciting."

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4. World Building and Lore

Creation of Gods and Religion
Yarros discussed the inspiration behind the gods in Onyx Storm, stating that they weren't drawn from any single religion but were a natural creation for her fictional world. She hinted at laying the groundwork for future books in the series.

• Anna (05:43): "She didn't take any inspiration from, like, a singular religion or anything."

Language and Inclusivity
A recurring theme in the book is the use of sign language as a common communication method, emphasizing the society's inclusivity rather than implying widespread deafness.

• Kim (10:35): "She was like, because it's an inclusive society."

Cultural Integration
Yarros touched upon the unification under King Auric, highlighting the blending of cultures and the eradication of old customs to create a cohesive society.

• Christina (10:43): "We're all one under King Auric."

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5. Favorite Lines and Character Depth

Zayden's Leadership Insight
Yarros shared one of her favorite lines from Zayden, highlighting his understanding of leadership and its burdens.

• Christina (11:59): "The best leaders are the ones who never want the job. This is your mission because Andarna chose you."

Riddick's Humor and Complexity
The hosts expressed admiration for Riddick's character, noting his humorous lines and intricate relationship with his dragon.

• Kim (14:14): "Riddick was so good."
• Anna (14:22): "He was like, 'I poured itching powder down, like, her scales, and she couldn't scratch it for, like, a week.'"

Taylor Swift Song Comparisons
Yarros drew parallels between Onyx Storm and Taylor Swift's songs, using them to encapsulate the dynamics between characters Violet and Zayden.

• Kim (17:26): "It's like two people who love each other despite all of these odds."

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6. Book's Ending and Future Expectations

Sense of Hope Amidst Conflict
Yarros aimed to leave readers with a sense of hope despite the conflicts presented in Onyx Storm. The hosts felt this was achieved, noting the book's ability to balance turmoil with optimism.

• Christina (18:24): "I want people to leave with a sense of hope in this conflict that we can find a way to fight back."

Foreshadowing and Upcoming Developments
The ending introduced elements that hint at future plotlines, including the potential for more character POVs and deeper exploration of the series' lore.

• Anna (20:00): "There are things that the Irids have said and there are things that, like, Andarna can do and that I think are going to be important going forward."

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7. Fun and Interactive Segments

Character Drink Orders
In a light-hearted segment, the hosts speculated on what beverages the characters from Onyx Storm would order at a pub, showcasing their deep connection and understanding of the characters.

• Christina (15:55): "Violet is a violet lemon drop martini. Zayden is a beer."

Audience Engagement and Reactions
Yarros interacted warmly with the audience, responding to their questions and sharing personal anecdotes, such as her love for Taylor Swift and attending her tours.

• Anna (17:31): "They come hang out in my office. This is the only career where it's, like, okay to have imaginary friends."

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8. Closing Thoughts

The hosts concluded the episode by reflecting on the magical evening spent with Rebecca Yarros, expressing gratitude for the lively discussions and the opportunity to engage with fellow fans. They encouraged listeners to join their book club community and stay connected through social media.

• Kim (21:03): "Until next time, keep dreaming, keep reading, and remember, every good story deserves to take flight."

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Notable Quotes:

• Christina (02:39): "Rebecca keeps the interviews totally spoiler free, but this is coming out and you guys have had like over a week now to read the book."

• Anna (12:29): "I love it."

• Kim (17:12): "She was so freaking cute."

• Christina (18:18): "And it tracks."

• Kim (20:45): "How? I don't know. But I just have to think that we're going to get there somehow."

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Conclusion

This episode of Flights of Fantasy offered an in-depth look into Rebecca Yarros's creative process, her engagement with fans, and the rich world-building within Onyx Storm. The hosts' enthusiasm and insightful discussions provided listeners with valuable perspectives, making it a must-listen for fans of Romantasy literature.

Transcript

[Rebecca]

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[Kim]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Rebecca]

Just do your own taxes in the app by 218.

[Christina]

What if I have lots of forms?

[Rebecca]

All good. All 100% free.

[Christina]

What if I had three jobs?

[Rebecca]

Still 100% free.

[Christina]

What if I once saw Bigfoot?

[Rebecca]

That has nothing to do with taxes. So still 100% free.

[Christina]

Now that's what I'm talking about.

[Rebecca]

Now this is taxes. See if you qualify in the TurboTax app excludes TurboTax Live must start and file an app by 2:18.

[Christina]

Welcome to Flights of Fantasy, your Romantasy podcast book club. I'm Christina, joined by my book besties Kim and Anna. And together we're diving into the characters, theories, lore and magic behind all your favorite fantasy romance books.

[Anna]

Okay, we are here. We are discussing. We were so lucky to get tickets to go hear Rebecca speak about Onyx Storm. It was so much fun. We were at the Town hall theater here in New York. Kim and I flew in. It's been a rapid fire of a trip, but it was so wonderful to go hear her speak.

[Christina]

It was so, so special. All right, so we're gonna walk you through the answers she gave. The highlights.

[Anna]

The highlights. So spoilers here. For the entire Imperium series. Rebecca kept the interviews totally spoiler free, but this is coming out and you guys have had like over a week now to read the book, so we feel like we can kind of discuss it a little bit more in context with the book. So spoilers for Onyx Storm. Yes, Just prefacing that. And if you haven't finished reading it, this episode will still be here. So just come back.

[Kim]

Hurry up and finish and come back because it's so good.

[Christina]

All right, so I'm gonna walk us through kind of the first group of questions that she tackled. Oh, sorry. First we should talk about our moderator.

[Anna]

Oh, my God. Lori Hernandez. She was so cute, guys. Olympic gold medalist for the US Gymnastics team. She was adorable. She's at school here in New York at nyu and she was so bubbly. So much fun. She totally brought the energy up, matched the crowd. It was great.

[Christina]

She is also a huge nerd about these books, which was so adorable and fun to see. She asked the questions we wanted to ask and she was so herself and nerdy and like doing these little voices with the dragons. It was such a special, perfect moderator. Totally agree. All right, so she did ask her about writing style. So some highlights from these questions. Rebecca said she writes linearly. She really doesn't write things out of order. This came from a question asking, what was the first scene she wrote in 4th Wing. And she said she really writes as she goes. So Violet is growing as she's writing specifically, which makes sense if you really think about it. She also, if we remember, wrote 4th Wing in 2 months.

[Anna]

Wild.

[Christina]

The whole thing.

[Kim]

Insanity.

[Christina]

Two months. I feel like maybe we knew that, but that is absolutely wild.

[Anna]

And we did the math this morning, and we realized she wrote three books in about 18 months.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

Less than two years.

[Christina]

Girl deserves a break.

[Kim]

She absolutely does. Yeah.

[Anna]

And she did say that. She was like, I'm taking a break. Yes. So prepare yourselves, everybody. It's gonna be a little while.

[Christina]

Absolutely, honestly deserved after this amazing gem of a book. Okay. She talked a lot about her family, which was actually really fun and special to see and hear a lot about her husband and how he, like, grounds her and supports her and their family and how after they shut that door, what happens at their dining room table in the kitchenette, that's important and stuff like that. And, like, that's how she gets her work done, is being able to have that reprieve. And this is interesting as well. She already knows the final scene of the final book of book five. And she said she specifically knows this because she had to submit synopses for all the books to the TV series.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Christina]

So they have to know how it ends, which I love that they know this, and the actors know this going in, knowing the major trajectories, that everyone's on the same and that they know where they're going. I love it. And I think it speaks to her planning.

[Anna]

Yeah. And, you know, we know that, like, for Harry Potter, for example, that Alan Rickman would not take the role of Snape until he knew how Snape's character ended. And so that's like, a thing in TV series is, like, the actors have to know their trajectory for the book in order to be able to play the characters appropriately. So that was really. I really thought was cool.

[Kim]

Laurie Hernandez was also so funny when she said that. She was like, I won't tell anybody. Just tell us. And, like, we'll keep it super secret. And Rebecca was like, no. And she's like, no. But, like, I need to know. Like, I need you to tell us.

[Christina]

No one will say.

[Kim]

No one will say anything.

[Christina]

She was so freaking cute. All right, Kim. So speaking of TV series, she told us some other cool things about the TV series.

[Kim]

Yes. So Laurie was like, what? Can you tell us about the 4th Wing TV series coming? Which, by the way, if you don't know, 4th Wing is becoming a TV show, which is so exciting. And she said that she has read the latest draft of the pilot, and she was literally kicking her feet and squealing the entire time she was reading it, which is thrilling.

[Christina]

Absolutely thrilling. And no spoilers for that series at all. But given the rumors of what happened with Sarah and the Acotar show, this feels like the complete opposite. She was totally happy, and she acknowledged that maybe the process could be hard for other writers. But she also said that it's not the case for her, and she is thrilled with how it is going.

[Anna]

And she said, we'll see. Our favorite lines. Yes, I, like, I immediately had one jump to my house, my chair, my woman.

[Kim]

I need to see that. She. Yeah, she seemed so positive and, like, excited about the series, which was really exciting for the fans to see. And she obviously acknowledged, like, it can be really hard. You're trusting somebody else literally, with your baby. Like, these are her babies. But she literally said, the show is phenomenal. Quote, that is exciting.

[Christina]

Very exciting.

[Kim]

We cannot wait. So exciting. Okay, we're gonna do a little world building with Anna section, like always.

[Anna]

Okay. So world building. This was so much fun. You know, obviously, like, I. That's my jam. Yeah. So somebody asked a question. We. They took it to the audience, and somebody asked, was there an inspiration for the gods? And she said, specifically for this book, she didn't take any inspiration from, like, a singular religion or anything. It was kind of just what came to her naturally. But she did say that it was laying the groundwork for books four and five.

[Christina]

We have said a lot in Read this book that it feels like the mentioning of gods has tripled from the last two books. Like, we kind of mention them. We may be like, oh, I swear to Malik, burn things. But we really talked about them a lot in this book.

[Anna]

Yes. And it was interesting to see the Griffin flyers. Right. Who. When they go to Chitara to go to the bar and they make a note of, like, they've been praying at the temples for, like, hours and nobody else. They never go. They never do any of that. So I feel like the flyers, it's a little bit more a part of their natural upbringing that they all go to the temples.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Anna]

It seems that Navarre has been kind of pushed aside.

[Christina]

Well, I think that goes back to Navarre's need for control and taking away those old religions and those old gods.

[Anna]

Because religion is inherently a way of Control. Right. So the government doesn't want that.

[Kim]

Yeah, right, exactly.

[Anna]

So it was also really fun to get the multiple POVs at the end. And she made a point to say to us that it was something she had to fight for. And she looked at the. The audience and gave a little smirk. Like that was something that she was really excited about. And it was really fun to get those POVs because I feel like we got a little more insight into other characters and especially the bonds with their dragons.

[Kim]

That was my favorite part of the whole pov. Sweet. Because we just get to see Violet with Aunt Darna and Taryn and don't get me wrong, love it. Eat it up. But it was so fun to see that banter back and forth with the other dragons.

[Christina]

And it was a good plot device because it showed us the battle that we couldn't logically see. Exactly. And furthered the plot. But I feel like it really helped develop those characters. I feel like I know Imogen way more than I ever. And being in Rhys head was really helpful. And I wonder if she's going to keep going with that and we're going to get more character POVs. I don't know how she's going to do Zayden going forward, so I don't know.

[Anna]

What Becca has said in previous interviews was that she was never going to give us Zayden's POV until he was done keeping secrets. And I feel like he's done keeping secrets, but now he's a Venin, and so that as a whole. Whole other layer of complexity.

[Kim]

But I feel like, given what happened at the end of Onyx Storm, I think we're gonna have to get his pov because I think him and Violet are gonna be separated.

[Christina]

How else would we know what's going on with him?

[Kim]

So we have to know what's going on.

[Anna]

Unless we're dreamwalking.

[Kim]

Oh, that's an option. That's interesting.

[Anna]

That's an option.

[Kim]

About the pov, she said, and I really liked it. I really liked putting in more POVs. Wink, wink, smirk, smirk. So I think that especially given how positive the feedback was about these POVs, I think then her publishers will be like, okay, let's put them more in moving forward.

[Anna]

Okay, so a few other things somebody brought up. What does recovered correspondence mean? Like when they say it's a recovered correspondence between Violet and Zaden and we've gotten DMs about this, like, does that mean they're dead? Like, it's a recovered correspondence. We've always thought that, Well, I mean, it can be a recovered correspondence because it was literally found. Like there could be a battle and the scaia is destroyed and they're recovering things from the wreckage. Like, it doesn't necessarily mean that somebody is dead. But when asked about it, she said there's a reason for it. And that was the quote. What does that mean? Ominous.

[Christina]

It's ominous.

[Anna]

I would have rather her have said, like, just wait and see. But I mean, it's a romantasy book. She writes romances.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Anna]

I'm not anticipating them dying.

[Kim]

No.

[Anna]

But I do wonder if there's going to be some. I don't know, it adds another layer and I don't know what it means.

[Christina]

It's giving the world's going to end.

[Kim]

Well, the question was like, should we be worried about it? Or like, what's the significance of the recovered correspondence? And she was like, there's a reason for it. And it was like, what do you mean?

[Anna]

What do you mean?

[Kim]

What do you mean?

[Anna]

But what you said brings me to the next question, which was, what does this mean when it says translated into the modern language at the beginning of every book, it's Justinia and it says like, we've translated this into the modern language, which insinuates that the current language that they're now speaking in Navarre is not the language. Or is it? Now everybody speaks the same language right, across the board. So what does that mean? I mean, you know. Cause right now, remember, after unification, they basically like, for lack of a better term, whitewashed the whole country. Right. We got rid of all the Teish customs and they didn't even know that when they go over to the Isle kingdoms that their. That their continent, Navarre, is called Amaryllis to everybody else.

[Kim]

Right. That was a cool reveal.

[Anna]

Yeah, that was a cool reveal.

[Kim]

Calling us this. I don't know what it is. And they're like, no, that's literally what your country is called.

[Christina]

And another tie into the gods, because it's Amari.

[Anna]

What does that mean? And I feel like maybe they might go hand in hand, the recovered correspondence and then the translated into the modern language. Like, I wonder if there's going to be something like you said, like an end of the world type situation, but not in necessarily. It's more of like an overhaul. Right.

[Christina]

I'm thinking less like end of the world where we're worried about them dying, more like we have broken down all the borders and we're all one.

[Anna]

We're all one.

[Christina]

We're all one under King Auric.

[Anna]

That's right.

[Christina]

You know, that's what I'm.

[Kim]

We're manifesting that.

[Anna]

Never gonna be Cam. Like, he's just Auric. Yeah.

[Christina]

Ever.

[Kim]

I love it.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Christina]

Yeah. Okay.

[Anna]

So somebody brought up, like, it was clearly a choice that you made to have everybody be able to sign with Jinia. Like, everybody did it. Except Sweet. A little sweet Sawyer.

[Kim]

He's trying. He's trying.

[Anna]

He's trying so hard, guys.

[Kim]

He is.

[Anna]

But she said she wanted the world to be as inclusive as possible, and that meant having the majority of people just know sign language as if it was, like, not a big deal. Like, we learn this. Like, we learn our common tongue.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

And she was like, so that's why it was never a thing.

[Christina]

And I love that it's very inclusive. And, you know, that led to us thinking that all scribes signed that no.

[Kim]

Were deaf. Yeah.

[Anna]

Which we were wrong, in fact.

[Christina]

Wrong.

[Kim]

But it was a testament to how inclusive the society is that we thought they were all deaf because it was like, why else would everybody need to know how to sign? And Rebecca's like, because it's an inclusive society. And it's like, touche.

[Christina]

Got it, got it, got it.

[Anna]

Touche, Rebecca. Noted. Okay. Okay. Yeah. So, Christina, can you take us in? She kind of gave us some favorite lines.

[Christina]

Yes. Oh, my gosh. This was so fun. So Laurie asked her a few times her favorite lines of certain characters.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Christina]

So Zayden was the first one, the big one. So she said, what is your favorite line you've ever written from Zayden? And this is long. Stick it with me. It's from Onyx Storm, which I thought was very interesting.

[Kim]

Very interesting.

[Christina]

Okay. It is. The best leaders are the ones who never want the job. This is your mission because Andarna chose you. Tarn chose you. What they never tell us in the quadrant is that rank is well and good, but you and I both know that the moment we fly onto the battlefield, it isn't the humans giving commands. I hate to break it to you, but you were selected by a general among dragons. You can choose to step into leadership or he can drag you. Either way, you are going to end up in front.

[Anna]

I love it.

[Kim]

Love it.

[Christina]

I absolutely love that. I also love that that is her favorite from him because it shows his knowledge of what she needs to hear from him in that moment. And also, it's just a really badass line.

[Kim]

It's a really badass line.

[Christina]

They chose you.

[Anna]

I feel like it's foreshadowing, too, of the ending.

[Kim]

Oh. And what's to come out?

[Christina]

We're setting this up. She is going to be our reluctant.

[Anna]

Leader, which they make the best ones.

[Kim]

We've always said that they make the best ones. But I also think this could even just be a foreshadow for. They got sneak married, which is that she's going to rule Tyrandor while Zaden leaves because he's super Venon now. And I think that may be it. Like, Violet's gonna have to do this. And we know she never wanted to do it, but she was gonna do it for Zayn. And Zayne's like, well, cool, cool.

[Christina]

And I think that might lead to her actually in the revolution, helping to lead everything.

[Kim]

Absolutely, yes. Because isn't Tirandor one of the largest? It's the largest, the largest province in Hvar.

[Christina]

So yes. She also asked about Taryn and some of the comments made by Rebecca about Taryn were so much fun. She just talks about how much she loves him and she was like, yeah, he's just, he's just stuck with all these kids. I kind of think of Taryn as like a sorority house mom, you know.

[Kim]

He'S just like, make better choices.

[Christina]

What are you doing? Stop whining over him.

[Kim]

Oh my God, these kids.

[Christina]

Please get them out of here. Yeah, but also, I'm taking care of you and I love you.

[Kim]

It's just.

[Christina]

It was so fun to hear her say these things that we have thought in whole book. But our favorite line of Riddicks in this book was also her favorite line of Riddick's in this book, which was so much fun to hear her say. Oh, no, actually the question from Laurie was, were there any lines from Riddick that had to be edited? And she was like, no, but my favorite line of Riddick's was, there's a cadet in front of him, turns around and they're like, he's like, oh, I don't mess with second years. And Riddick says, good thing I fuck like a third.

[Anna]

I fucking died. I was like, riddick.

[Kim]

Oh my God, it was so good. Riddick was so good.

[Christina]

Credible in this book. Incredible.

[Anna]

Amazing.

[Kim]

The MVP of the book. Yeah, yeah.

[Anna]

No, 100%. Like that scene where he's standing in the water and the fact that it's a one sided conversation with his dragon and the dragon is like spraying water on him and he's like standing there's, hands on, like, stop it. No, I'm not. No, I'm sorry. No, don't do it again. And then you find I'm in My leathers. My leather boots. I only brought one pair of boots. And then, like, what the hell is that about? And he was like, ah. You know, I poured itching powder down, like, her scales, and. And she couldn't scratch it for, like, a week.

[Kim]

Yeah. So she's getting me back.

[Anna]

I was like, which track that Riddick would bond with a dragon who is just as into practical gifts.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Anna]

Like, it's so funny.

[Kim]

It's so funny.

[Christina]

Love that. I loved him. And I love that Rebecca said last night that her favorite character arc in this book besides Violet, is Riddick.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Kim]

And I completely agree with that.

[Christina]

I completely agree. I think it also shows how much fun she had writing this book.

[Anna]

Yes.

[Kim]

You can tell.

[Christina]

It feels like she had fun writing it and it showed because we had fun reading it.

[Kim]

Absolutely.

[Anna]

Totally.

[Kim]

This was the most fun book in the series, like, without it. I mean, easily, by far.

[Anna]

Okay. So another thing that was asked was if all of the characters were going out to a pub, what would everybody order to drink? And she immediately, without skipping beat, was like, oh, violets of violet is a violet lemon drop martini. Lavender, lavender. Lavender lemon drop martini. Which could not be more different than me too sweet. Zaden. Bodhi. What she said was, Zaden is a beer. And Bodhi would get a beer because Zayden got a beer.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

And then Garrick would just get a beer too.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

Like, they would all just be. Which.

[Kim]

That super tracks.

[Christina]

Love that.

[Anna]

Yeah, that very much tracks. Riddick. This was hysterical. She was like, oh, Riddick would be behind the bar serving jello shots.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

And he doesn't work there.

[Kim]

And I was like, this truck so much.

[Anna]

Jericho, the audience.

[Kim]

Oh, we were crying so good.

[Anna]

It was. It's like, yes, of course he back there. And, you know, at some point, he'd have, like, a pen behind his ear or, like, something or, like, a shirt would come up a little bit, and he'd be, like, pouring the jello shots and, like, licky.

[Kim]

He'd be, like, making it so sexy. Oh, he would. Absolutely. Yeah. And then he'd be like, you like. You like what you see?

[Anna]

You like what you see? Yeah. Body shots, everyone.

[Kim]

Yeah. Yeah. Dana would be like, absolutely not.

[Christina]

We're getting out of here.

[Anna]

Yeah. Ri would be a glass of red wine. She's very sophisticated.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Anna]

I can 100% see that.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Anna]

And I feel like she would actually be particular about it.

[Kim]

Absolutely.

[Anna]

Like, we're not ordering the house red.

[Kim]

No. I don't know why specifically. He doesn't give me that vibe.

[Anna]

Okay. Sawyer Which I just. I mean, I guess I see this, but he was an apple orchard cider.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

Which was.

[Anna]

I was like, really?

[Kim]

But I can see it.

[Anna]

Okay.

[Christina]

I can see it.

[Kim]

I could see it.

[Anna]

An Imogen was straight tequila.

[Kim]

Yep.

[Anna]

Just straight, neat, like a shot.

[Kim]

And then she basically, without saying it, was. Said that Imogen would be looking at everybody else and being like, you pussies. Yeah, she started saying that.

[Christina]

I mean, wimps.

[Kim]

Yeah. Sorry. Yeah, Everyone.

[Anna]

Oh, my gosh. That was funny. That was a good moment. That was, like, a really fun. I love hearing that. What the authors think about, like, the characters, because I'm sure they do have to think about it that way.

[Kim]

Well, she very much was like, these are real people to me. Like, they come hang out in my office.

[Anna]

Yeah. She was like, this is the only career where it's, like, okay to have imaginary friends and people don't, like, want to lock you up for it.

[Kim]

Yeah. Yeah, exactly. I mean, obviously, my favorite moments of the interview were when she talked about Taylor Swift, because Rebecca is a huge Swifty, which just solidifies my love for her. And she talked about going to the Heirs tour and stuff. And that was all really fun. But someone said, what Taylor Swift song would describe Violet and Zaden's relationship? And she said, it's still forever and always going to be Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince. She was like, that has been their song since 4th Wing. That is just, like, their complete vibe. But she was like, if we're talking about Onyx Storm, it's so it goes. Which is from Reputation, if you don't know. And if you know, you know, that is very much just two people who love each other despite, like, the chaos, and they're gonna come together and be together despite all of these odds. And it's, like, a little bit reckless and a little bit dangerous, but they just love each other so much that they don't care.

[Christina]

And that fits.

[Anna]

That fits.

[Kim]

And it tracks.

[Anna]

It tracks. And so it goes.

[Kim]

And so it goes.

[Christina]

Okay. And, I mean, one of the craziest parts of this book was the ending. Like, yes. Truly just the craziest section, for sure. And someone asked how she wants readers to feel at the end of this book, and she said, well, I want. I want people to leave with a sense of hope. And the entire audience goes.

[Anna]

And then she looked up, she goes.

[Christina]

Are those the people who finished?

[Kim]

Yeah. She was like, okay, okay, okay, okay.

[Christina]

Hold on, I'll rephrase, I'll rephrase. And then she said, I want people to leave with A sense of hope in this conflict that we can find a way to fight back. Okay, fine. Maybe I see more than a sense of hope.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Christina]

And then she also said that she wanted us to feel just generally what the fuck just happened?

[Kim]

Which was accurate.

[Anna]

That was how we felt.

[Kim]

Yeah. And then she was like, oh, is that how y'all felt? Like she was like in the eyes. We were like, yeah. And she was like, okay, good, then I've done my job.

[Anna]

I'm not like, super, but I haven't been pessimistic since the end of book two. Like, I know the venom thing destroyed a lot of people, but I was like, well, book two, we have to have some sort of conflict. Like, in my head, I expected. Not necessarily that, but I expected some big cliffhanger.

[Kim]

There has to be conflicts. It's a five book series. Like, you gotta have conflict.

[Anna]

It's not a trilogy.

[Kim]

Right.

[Anna]

So this is the middle book. Right. So we have to progress that along. And then the ending of this, in some ways, it did feel a little hopeful, because I feel like not hopeful. That's not the right word.

[Kim]

Well, I do. I think Violet is the hope.

[Anna]

Yes. Maybe. Yeah, Violet is the hope. And I feel like we've met the ered dragons. We found them, and there's gotta be an Easter egg that she's. I mean, we've. We will have a theories episode. We have some thoughts already.

[Kim]

Oh, yes.

[Anna]

But like, there are things that the Irids have said and there are things that, like, Andarna can do and that I think are going to be important going forward. And I think she started to plant those Easter eggs, right?

[Kim]

Absolutely.

[Christina]

I think I'm generally a lot more stressed than the both of you, but I think that comes from that Zayden is enemy number one right now. It's not like, oh, he just left to save Violet from his venomous. No. Everyone's like, he's evil.

[Anna]

That's true.

[Christina]

That is unfortunate. And we have to, like, now figure that out forever. Like, that's going to be a big hurdle.

[Kim]

It's not ideal, I'll give you that.

[Christina]

Thank you.

[Kim]

No, but listen, she is a romance author first and foremost. That's what she wrote for years before she ever started fantasy. And I just trust her that, like, they're going to come out of this unscathed. How? I don't know. But I just have to think that we're going to get there somehow.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Christina]

You know, that's the hope. That's the hope.

[Kim]

That's the hope.

[Christina]

Yeah. Yeah. All right. I think that's good.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

It was an amazing, magical evening with Rebecca.

[Kim]

It was so much fun. Like, the energy in the room was just great.

[Christina]

We got to meet some really sweet listeners. Yeah, it was really sweet. It was so cool.

[Kim]

That was really fun.

[Anna]

That was amazing.

[Christina]

Okay. Yay.

[Kim]

Well, friends, that wraps up another episode of Flights of Fantasy podcast. Don't forget to join our book club community on Instagram and tick tock 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 rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform. Your support helps us spread the magic of Romantasy to even more book lovers. Until next time, keep dreaming, keep reading, and remember, every good story deserves to take flight.