S6 : Ep 15 - Rites of the Starling - Chapter Chat : Prologue - Ch. 9

Summary

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Flights of Fantasy – S6 : Ep 15

Rites of the Starling – Chapter Chat: Prologue – Ch. 9
Release Date: May 4, 2026
Hosts: Anna, Kim, (Kristina absent for this episode)

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Episode Overview

This episode features an in-depth, chapter-by-chapter discussion of Devney Perry’s Rites of the Starling (Prologue through Chapter 9), the high-stakes, magic-rich sequel to Shield of Sparrows. Anna and Kim analyze character arcs, lore, plot twists, and literary mysteries, theorize about ongoing plot points, and share favorite moments with plenty of warmth and bookish banter. This chat was originally exclusive to Patreon and is spoiler-free beyond chapter 9.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Prologue Insights: The First Sparrow and the Origin of the Shield

• Political marriage and legacy of Sparrow Wolf:
  • The book opens with a flashback to "the first Sparrow" (Sparrow Wolf), whose political marriage unites warring kingdoms.
  • Anna: “She seems kind of young...she’s never really fallen in love and now she’s not going to get to.” (04:41)
• Voster Details:
  • Early mention of the Voster with “long green nails,” a new and particularly eerie detail (05:21). The hosts wonder if these features were present in the previous book.
  • Anna: “I wanted to vomit. I hate everything about that. But green nails is very interesting to me.” (05:28)
• Set-up for Inter-Kingdom Peace & Sacrifice:
  • The tone is established for themes of sacrifice, uneasy alliances, and the cost of peace.

2. Back to Our Main Characters: Ransom, Odessa, and Family Dynamics

• Ransom’s Search for Odessa:
  • Picks up days after Shield of Sparrows. Ransom searches for his wife, Odessa, and is worried when she doesn’t appear in Trio as planned.
  • Anna: “I’m such a sucker for ‘where is my wife?’” (07:13)
• Odessa’s Trust Issues with Her Father and Stepmother:
  • Speculation that Odessa’s father truly loves her mother, possible faked death; stepmother seems more protective than cruel (08:07).
  • Anna: “Everything that was done to make her feel quiet...was to protect her. So I’m hoping that her father is not actually bad.” (08:36)
• Evie’s Grief and the Importance of Found Family:
  • Heartfelt discussion about Evie’s devastating loss and Odessa’s capacity as caretaker (09:09).

3. The Journey: Reluctant Travel and Mysterious Guardians

• Travel with the Pale, Cryptic Vosters (Brother Dime and Brother Score):
  • Hosts express deep unease regarding Vosters; repeated comparisons to “Voldemort” due to their unsettling appearance and demeanor (10:18).
  • Kim: “It’s giving Voldemort.” (10:18)
• Classic Fantasy Trope: The Cryptic Mentor:
  • Frustration with non-answers from guides ("It is the path you must take.").
  • Anna: “Can you elabor-a little bit, please be more cryptic?” (11:09)
• Burden of Destiny:
  • Odessa is told she must “find the strength to endure for all of Calandra.”
  • Anna: “That's a huge burden to place on her.” (11:30)

4. New POV: Caspia and the World of the Starlings

• Caspia’s Introduction:
  • Caspia is marked by red hair and shares the Al Falter pendant with Odessa (12:13).
  • Anna: “She wakes up and she has a dream which she calls a dream, but it’s essentially a vision...of a silver eyed man killing her sister.” (13:01)
• Emerie’s Disappearance and Maternal Cycles:
  • Discussion of women repeatedly abandoning children—Emery, Saskia, Odessa’s mother—possibly due to starling traditions (13:33).
• Starling Power Fading:
  • Caspia’s world is matriarchal; starling women can typically shift into any animal, but several are losing their shifting ability (16:08).
  • Anna: “A couple of the women with the red hair are unable to shift...it’s clearly troubling the queen.” (17:08)
• Mysterious Swifts and Lore Connections:
  • Debate on whether “swifts” (giant birds) in Caspia’s world are equivalent to “crux” (monsters) in Odessa’s.

5. Deep Theory-Crafting: Swifts, The Crux, and Animal Magic

• Linking the Swifts and Crux:
  • Hosts theorize the swifts’ 30-year breeding cycle matches the crux attacks’ periodicity in Odessa’s world (17:28–18:00).
  • Anna: "The crux attack like, every 30 years or so...that is also when the swifts go when they're breeding."
• Was Emerie the Crux that Ransom Killed?
  • Anna recounts re-reading the climax of Shield of Sparrows, positing that Emerie, as a swift, may have attacked to protect Odessa (18:29–19:37).
• Voster Extinction Lore & Coded Language:
  • Discovery that the Vosters (Brother Dime and Score) may be survivors of a nearly exterminated class, revealed via "cowboy pig Latin" in Devney Perry’s author note (20:16–21:32).

6. Magic Systems & Differences Between Worlds

• Divine vs. The Eight:
  • The hosts note the difference in religious invocations: “the Divine” (Caspia, Xandra) vs. “the Eight” (Odessa’s tradition) (21:43–22:13).
• Magical Abilities of Vosters:
  • Brother Score shows immense magical power (e.g., turning water to ice, performing powerful blood magic), raising questions about his true nature (27:35–28:19).

7. Visions, Journals, and the Dreaming Thread

• Caspia’s Psychic Visions:
  • Caspia continues to have predictive dreams, leading her to embark on a quest to find/avenge her sister.
• Journal Mysteries:
  • Odessa possesses cryptic journals possibly written by Caspia’s mother or the first Sparrow—speculation about precognition vs. historical recollection (34:29–35:41).

8. New Dynamics and Supporting Characters

• Caspia and Xandra’s Banter:
  • Xandra provides comic relief and “girl’s girl” energy, especially when eyeing Captain (Cap), lightening the tone (29:28–30:15).
  • Anna: "Who is this fine piece of ass who is running this ship?"
• Exploration and Discovery:
  • Caspia and others feeling a magical "pull" to land, embarking on their rite/quest (39:11).

9. Animal Lore and Toxicity

• Fennec Beast Poisoning:
  • Callbacks to Shield of Sparrows, where Odessa survived an otherwise deadly Fennec tusk poisoning, which may signal latent starling power (39:29–41:37).
• Animal Tamers and Affinity:
  • Starlings seem able to control animals, indicating ties to their magical identity; anticipation that Odessa might discover a similar ability.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Vosters’ Appearance:

  • Kim: “It’s giving Voldemort.” (10:18)
  • Anna: “I wanted to vomit. I hate everything about that.” (05:28)

• On Mystical Destiny:

  • Kim (mocking Brother Dime): “It is the path you must take.” (10:48)
  • Anna: “Can you elabor-a little bit, please?” (11:09)

• On Sisterhood and Abandonment:

  • Anna: “What’s with all of these women abandoning their children?” (13:31)
  • Kim: “There’s just this pattern...Why are we abandoning our children?” (14:15)

• On Starling Animal Magic:

  • Anna: “I thought that the starlings could only become birds, but Caspian makes a big note to say that...you are able to shift into any animal.” (16:36)

• On Animal Mascots:

  • Kim: “If anything happens to that animal, I’m gonna lose my shit.” (41:57)

• On Evie's Grief:

  • Anna: “Evie, she puts back on her bloodied shirt because it has the blood of Xavier, her father, and she doesn’t want to take it off...this is heartbreaking.” (26:33–27:19)

• On Bookish Banter:

  • Anna (about Xandra and Cap): “She shows up and she’s like, who is this fine piece of ass...I love it.” (29:32)

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Important Timestamps

• Prologue Discussion: Vosters & Marriage Politics – (04:13–06:21)
• Ransom’s POV/Timeline Placement – (06:21–07:13)
• Rehashing Starling Family Theories – (08:07–08:56)
• Vosters’ Cryptic Mentorship – (10:07–11:16)
• Matriarchal Starling Society & Powers – (13:03–17:08)
• Swifts, Crux, and 30-year Lore Connection – (17:28–19:48)
• Old Language/Cowboy Pig Latin Lore – (20:16–21:23)
• Differences in Faith/Divine – (21:43–22:35)
• Brother Score and Magic Displays – (27:35–28:19)
• Journal Theories & Story of Sora – (34:29–35:41)
• Beowulf Attack & Magic – (35:47–36:37)
• Animal Lore & Fennec Theories – (39:29–41:37)

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Final Thoughts & Theories

• The hosts are drawn to mysteries around the Starling heritage; the role of animal shapeshifting; the crux-bird-swift lineage; and the slow reveal of the Voster’s history.
• Strong predictions about Odessa’s eventual connection to animal magic; lingering suspicion of Voster motives; and close attention to Caspia’s visions and how they weave past, present, and future.

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Tone & Dynamic

• Warm, friendly, and slightly irreverent, filled with inside jokes and open theorizing.
• The duo display a “besties in your book club” chemistry, mixing detailed textual analysis with practical reader reactions (“get me off this damn horse,” “I want my broody husband”).

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Summary: For the Uninitiated

This episode is a spoiler-light, high-energy, and theory-rich breakdown of the opening section of Devney Perry’s Rites of the Starling. Anna and Kim expertly weave analytical insights with heartfelt reactions as they track starling lore, debate cryptic clues, and celebrate female friendship, making it a must-listen for fans and newcomers seeking to spice up their reading experience with shared speculation and laughter.

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Transcript

[Ad Host]

This episode is brought to you by Hatch. You know when you finish a romantasy and you just need the next thing immediately Hatch has made that thing. It's called Ophelia. An original audio drama inspired by Hamlet where Ophelia finally gets to be the main character. Forbidden magic, a crumbling kingdom, a slow burn love triangle with a prince and his very guarded, very intriguing best friend. The kind of love triangle where you will absolutely pick a side and you will absolutely not be quiet about it.

[Anna]

Book one of the three part series is now available for free wherever you stream with new chapters dropping every Tuesday. For books two and three, check out Hatch co Ophelia Save on Family Essentials

[Sponsor Announcer]

at Safeway and Albertsons this week at Safeway and Albertsons fresh cut cantaloupe, watermelon, pineapple or Melon Medley Bowls 24 ounces are $5 each and Wild Caught Lobster Tails are $4.99 each. Limit eight member price plus selected sizes and varieties of Doritos, Lays, Cheetos, Sun Chips and Kettle cook chips are $1.99 each. Limit for member price. Hurry in. These deals won't last. Visit safewayoralbertsons.com for more deals and ways to save

[Anna]

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

[Kim]

We are so excited to be here today for an extra special episode. Today we are going to be sharing for the very first time on our main feed an entire chapter chat from our Patreon on Rites of the Starling by Devny Perry.

[Anna]

Now if you are new here, we do chapter chats over on our Patreon where we hop on every 10 to 12 chapters as we're reading and give our real time thoughts, theories and reactions. It's so much fun. It's easily our patrons favorite thing that we do. We decided to switch things up a little bit for Rites of the Starling and cover the entire book via chapter chats. Typically we will stop and save the last 200 pages or so to cover on a main feed episode, but for this book we covered the entire book over the course of six chapter chats. So in this episode we will be sharing our first chapter chat which covers the prologue through chapter nine of Rights of the Starling. There will be no spoiler spoilers for the rest of the book beyond chapter nine.

[Kim]

Yes. But if you want to hear our thoughts on the rest of the book. We have over five hours of chapter chat content detailing our every thought and feeling over on Patreon. We had so much fun theorizing with this book. In particular, Deveney did such an amazing job laying out clues throughout the story and we had such a fantastic time reading this book. All three of us just absolutely loved it.

[Anna]

Yes. And we also just want to take a moment to tell you all about what we have coming up next on the podcast. Guys, it's ballad time.

[Kim]

Yay.

[Anna]

Christina and I are diving headfirst into Sarah A Parker's Moonfall series with the Ballad of Falling Dragons. We were lucky enough to get to interview Sarah again and we are so excited to share that with you. Along with a first impressions episode and several main feed book club style episodes. Deep diving into ballad. And of course we are also doing chapter chats along the way as we read for our patrons. So please come join our patreon [e-mail] to Flights of Fantasy podcast so you don't miss out on all of the ballad fun.

[Kim]

Yes. So with that being said, please enjoy the first chapter chat for Rights of the Starling by Debney Perry.

[Anna]

Oh my gosh. We're so excited. We are here for our first chapter chat for Rights of the Starling. This chapter chat is covering the prologue through chapter nine.

[Kim]

Yep.

[Anna]

So spoilers from the prologue through chapter nine. I'm not even going to mention the other chapter.

[Kim]

No, because it.

[Anna]

Because it didn't happen.

[Kim]

We didn't read it. We're not there yet and we don't know.

[Anna]

We don't want to confuse you.

[Kim]

You guys get it. We are so excited. I'm especially excited because I did not get to read Shield of Sparrows with Christina and Anna. So I am so excited to be reading this and we are just having the best time. I stayed up way too late last night reading you guys. I know.

[Anna]

Okay, so Kim, you start us off. Kick us off with the prologue and the first chapters.

[Kim]

Okay, so the prologue was really interesting. It's like a flashback. It's essentially how the whole shield of sparrows was set up in the first place. It's the first sparrow. Her name is Sparrow Wolf, and she's standing in this room and there's all of these kings having conversation about who she's going to marry. And she's so upset and her father keeps looking at her like he's sorry that this has to happen. It's clearly for political gain and for peace within the kingdoms.

[Anna]

They were all warring. Yeah.

[Kim]

And so they are going to marry her off to another kingdom to kind of combine resources and kingdoms and people to have a better chance of defending their kingdoms and their land. Right, right. And she doesn't want to do it. She seems kind of young. Like she has never really fallen in love and now she's not going to get to it.

[Anna]

I know. And the guy that she ends up being betroth to seem. Or she thinks he seems like an.

[Kim]

Yeah. But we don't really get any. They don't further her story. But he just walks out of the, like, little cave area. And I'm like, okay, but was he. Yeah. Or was he, like, misunderstood?

[Anna]

I love that story.

[Kim]

Is it like Ransom, where you, like, think he's mean, but he's like, really not.

[Anna]

Not. Yeah.

[Kim]

So that was interesting. Something interesting is that the Voster in this scene has long green nails.

[Anna]

Yes. First of all, that really grossed me out. She was like, they're so long. They curled at the end. I was like.

[Kim]

I wanted to vomit. I was like, so. I hate that. I hate that.

[Anna]

I hate everything about that. But green nails is very interesting to me. I did not go back and look up in Shield of Sparrows. I should have. Maybe I'll report back in the next chapter chat. But I did not look up if any of the other Vosters are said to have green nails. But I don't remember that from book one.

[Kim]

I don't remember that either. It hasn't been mentioned any further. Like, where we are. It just says that they're pale. But I don't remember anything about them having green nails in the current where we are.

[Anna]

Yeah. Listeners leave in the comments if.

[Kim]

Yeah, if you remember that, remember that from Childa Sparrows. But okay, so that was kind of just the prologue, which was a really interesting start to the book. You're kind of like, oh, okay, so this is how it started. And then we flash forward and we get a Ransom chapter.

[Anna]

I was so excited. I got really excited. The first thing I did was I went to the table of contents. Cause I was breaking up the chapter chats or trying to see where we wanted to, like, how many chapters to break up. And I was so bummed, though, that Ransom's name was only there once.

[Kim]

I know.

[Anna]

I was like, damn it. And then I was like, caspia. Who's Caspia?

[Kim]

Who is Caspia? We'll get there. We will get there. Oh, we will get there. So basically, Ransom, this is immediately after the end of Shield of Sparrows. I mean, I think, like, maybe a couple of days. Yeah, he's going to Trio. Trio, yeah. Friends, we're not listening to the audiobook.

[Anna]

Christina's the one listening to the audiobook, so we'll have to wait for her opinion.

[Kim]

Yeah, she'll be here in the next one, and she can kind of report back on how all of these things are pronounced in the audiobook. But Ann and I are reading the physical book, so we're not sure. But he was supposed to meet Odessa in Trio. Obviously, she's not there, and he has a little bit of a where the fuck is my wife? Moment.

[Anna]

I love it. I'm such a sucker for where is my wife?

[Kim]

Where is my wife? Where is she? They were supposed to meet up, and obviously something happened, and now he doesn't know where she is. And I think he runs into Cathy.

[Anna]

He runs into Cathine, and then he says the one place that she would go if she couldn't make it to trial is to Quintus, to her father, because she trusts her father to protect

[Kim]

her, which I'm nervous about that. I'm nervous about her trusting her father.

[Anna]

Right.

[Kim]

She keeps just mentioning, like, it's okay. We're going to get to my father and he's going to hide us. And I'm like, okay, but he put you up to this in the first place. Like, he's the one that wanted you to go spy and find out where else Aria is. I know. And now I'm like, what if she shows up with. I'm assuming it's Evie.

[Anna]

Evie. It's Evie. Yeah.

[Kim]

Listeners, my daughter's name is Everly, and we call her Evie. So it's always like, a little bit of a trippy thing when they go by Evie, but. Oh, God, I love this child, by the way. It just makes me nervous. I'm like, what if she shows up and he, like, betrays them?

[Anna]

I know. So I had a theory at the end of the last book that I really. Actually, I believe that her father loved her mother, like, deeply loved her.

[Kim]

Okay.

[Anna]

I don't know if her mother is. Show me the body. I don't know if her mother is actually dead or if he protected her and sent her away. And then she remarried. Because the stepmother is never outwardly cruel. She just makes her dye her hair. And I don't know if that's also to protect her, because her mother clearly is probably one of these starlings, right?

[Doug]

Yes.

[Ad Host]

Yes.

[Anna]

With the red hair. And so there was just all of that. And I feel like everything that was done to make her feel quiet who she really is was to protect her. So I'm hoping that her father is not actually bad. Although her judgment is not great when it comes to girlfriends. All of her ladies maids were sleeping with.

[Kim]

She had the worst luck with ladies maids. My God, this poor girl.

[Anna]

So I don't know, but I'm hoping her father. I'm really hoping. Because if Ransom ends up in Quintus, I don't want her father to, like, attack Ransom.

[Kim]

Exactly.

[Anna]

So I'm hoping that he could die.

[Kim]

So, moving into chapter two. Odessa and Evie are with Brother Dime, and they're traveling. He won't tell them they're going. He won't tell them what's going on. They still believe that Xavier is dead in their minds. And so Odessa is trying to grapple with Evie, is grieving terribly for her mother Louella, who we know is dead.

[Anna]

Right.

[Kim]

And then they both believe that Xavier is dead, even though he's not.

[Anna]

No, he's not. I don't know. He hasn't woken up, but he's got a heartbeat.

[Kim]

Got it.

[Anna]

He's clearly in a bad place, because when Ransom leaves, he's like, watch over Xavier. If he dies, bury him. Xyz. He says something, right?

[Kim]

Yeah. So that's interesting. But Evie and Odessa don't know that. No, because they left before all of that happened. And so. Oh, I just. My heart goes out to Evie. This poor little girl. She is not doing well. And they're on horseback for days on end, and it's really rough. And they meet up with Brother Score.

[Anna]

Score. That's how I'm pronouncing it.

[Kim]

Creepy.

[Anna]

Yeah, I don't like any of the Vosters. Let's get that straight for sure. They creep me out. They're pale. At one point, they say, like, their ears are almost flat against.

[Kim]

Against their head. It's giving Voldemort.

[Anna]

It's giving Voldemort.

[Kim]

And so now I'm just picturing Voldemort, which is terrifying. Terrifying. I hate everything about that.

[Anna]

I don't like that.

[Kim]

They're super pale.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Kim]

And they have these really long robes and. Okay, so he finally tells her we're going to Ozarth, which is over the mountain barrier of Turin.

[Anna]

Right.

[Kim]

Okay, guys. We always say there's always an Elena in every book. If you know, you know, you know.

[Anna]

We won't. But there's always an Elena.

[Kim]

Always has to be cryptic. Can't ever give any answers. Can't ever answer any questions directly. Just either walks away. Silent treatment or just says weird things. Like, it is the path you must take.

[Anna]

Same mean. And then what does he say? He says, this is a journey you must take alone. It is the only way to discover your dynasty. And she's like, what? I don't have a dynasty.

[Kim]

What dynasty? He's silent.

[Anna]

He just walks away. And I'm like, can you elabor a

[Kim]

little bit, please be more cryptic?

[Anna]

No, no, this. It's driving me insane.

[Kim]

Yeah. He says, your father will keep you safe. And he says, you must find the strength. Because she's like, we can't keep going like this. The pace that you're setting is unreasonable. And he's like, you must. You must find the strength to endure for all of Calandra.

[Anna]

Again, like what? Discover your dynasty. Oh, and also, that's a huge burden to place on her. He's like, yeah, you got to do it for the whole country depends.

[Kim]

The whole country depends upon you.

[Anna]

And she's like, I'm so sorry. I just watched a bird massacre a group of people.

[Kim]

Yeah, I'm supposed to just be the sparrow little girl with me. And now we're traveling on horseback for days on end and we haven't eaten, and I'm very tired and very sore,

[Anna]

and I want my broody husband like I want him.

[Kim]

And I don't know who you are, and you won't give me any. Like, this is my nightmare. Like, truly, this is.

[Anna]

I've been on horseback. My thighs hurt.

[Kim]

I. Yes. Get my butt out of here. I'm sore. Please get me out of here. Okay, but then we move to chapter three.

[Anna]

So we move to chapter three. And this is Caspia's pov. This is the first time we're meeting her. I was excited about this. It is very clear from the beginning. She's got the flaming red hair, similar to Odessa, and she has the Al Falter pendant, which is similar to what? Odessa? Well, no, it is. It's exactly what Odessa has. The same color it brings to her skin. It's very interesting.

[Kim]

Very interesting.

[Anna]

Yes. But most importantly, we meet Caspia and she wakes up and she has a dream which she calls a dream, but it's essentially a vision. And she's having the same one over and over again. And it's of a silver eyed man killing her sister, Emerie. Red haired woman, which we know at the end of the book, obviously, when Ransom killed the crux, a body of a red haired woman who looked very similar to Odessa is what was left.

[Kim]

Yes, very interesting.

[Anna]

So Caspia has been trying to get her queen, her aunt, to Believe her. And her queen is head buried in the sand is. You know this is not true. You're just having a dream. They'll go away. Just ignore them.

[Kim]

Well, because Emory is missing and she abandoned her daughter, her very young daughter. And so Caspia is like, she would never have just abandoned. She would be back by now. She abandoned Graciela, her daughter. Like, I want to go look for her. Can we do something? And her aunt's like, no, no, no, no.

[Anna]

What's with all of these women abandoning their children?

[Kim]

Okay, thank you, Anna, because I was thinking about this last night as I was reading. Okay, so we have Emery and then.

[Anna]

And Caspian's mother. And Caspian's mother, Saskia. I'm not sure how to pronounce that.

[Kim]

Sorry, friends. And then we suspect that Odessa is like one of these people. And Odessa's mother, we think abandoned her.

[Anna]

Abandoned her or. Exactly. But regardless, they all left. Well, I guess Emery left because she fell in love with some guy named Max. Correct, Correct.

[Kim]

But is it due to the Ritus? Is it due to them having to go off on that rightist mission?

[Anna]

She had already entered starling phase and so had Caspia's mother.

[Kim]

You're right. You're right.

[Anna]

So I don't know.

[Kim]

But like, why are they gone? It seems like there's just this pattern, this pattern of these mothers behavior. And I'm like, what about who you are and what does this have to do. Why are we abandoning our children?

[Anna]

There's also no men except for guards. And so I thought it was really funny that.

[Ad Host]

This episode is brought to you by Hatch. You know when you finish a romantasy and you just need the next thing immediately Hatch has made that thing. It's called Ophelia. An original audio drama inspired by Hamlet where Ophelia finally gets to be the main character. Forbidden magic, a crumbling kingdom, a slow burn love triangle with a prince and his very guarded, very intriguing best friend. The kind of love triangle where you will absolutely pick a side and you will absolutely not be quiet about it.

[Anna]

Book one of the three part series is now available for free wherever you stream with new chapters dropping every Tuesday. For books two and three, check out Hatch co Ophelia save on family essentials

[Sponsor Announcer]

at Safeway and Albertsons. This week at Safeway and Albertsons fresh cut cantaloupe, watermelon, pineapple or Melon Medley Bowls 24 ounces are $5 each and Wild Caught Lobster Tails are $4.99 each. Limit 8 member price plus selected sizes and varieties of Doritos. Lays Cheetos, Sun Chips and Kettle cook chips are $1.99 each. Limit four member price. Hurry in. These deals won't last. Visit safewayoralbertsons.com for more deals and ways to save.

[Anna]

It was clearly everyone's procreating. So are we just picking random men?

[Kim]

I think so.

[Anna]

And we're just having babies, which is fine. More power to you. I love this feminine world.

[Kim]

Yes. I love a matriarchy. We would be a big fan of that in general. But I do love that. It's like, I don't know, we met this pirate and I had this kid, and then, like, he's gone.

[Anna]

He's gone now.

[Kim]

And I'm like, well, okay, that works out.

[Anna]

A couple important things here. She meets up with Queen Oleanna. Again, listeners, we will have Christina correct us. It could be Olena, but Queen Oleanna. To try and convince her to go look for Emery. And the queen shuts her down. But a couple important things here that we learn. One, it appears the starling's power is starting to dwindle. So the way it starts off is when you are born, I'm guessing you all have the red hair, and you are a quiescent. A quiescent?

[Kim]

I said quiescent. Yeah.

[Anna]

Okay. That is your first year of this little weird cult. Bird people.

[Kim]

Exactly.

[Anna]

And then you move into the Rightus when you fill the pull. And then if your Ritus is successful, you become a starling. And this is important. I thought that the starlings could only become birds, but Caspian makes a big note to say that when you go through your Ritus, you are able to shift into any animal.

[Kim]

Correct. Any animal form that you choose.

[Anna]

That. Four theories at the end.

[Kim]

Ooh.

[Anna]

Okay, Very interesting. So then the only other big thing we learned here is that the starling's power is dwindling. A couple of the women with the red hair are unable to shift.

[Kim]

Right.

[Anna]

Which has never been heard of. And it's clearly troubling the queen.

[Kim]

Clearly. But as usual, she is not discussing it. Also, this was where I realize there's something happening that I was confused about. And we were texting about this. So do the swift birds. Are they the cruxes in Odessa's world?

[Anna]

That's what I don't understand. Because they are not called crux in this world. They're called swifts.

[Kim]

Right.

[Anna]

And something that's really important is later on in the chapters that we're discussing here, when Caspia is on the boat with Xandra.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

She mentions the swifts migration Patterns and that how they have their breeding season, mating season, every 30 years, which is exactly about the timeframe that crux attack.

[Kim]

Yes, Anna.

[Anna]

And so the crocs attack, like, every 30 years or so. That is also when the swifts go, when they're breeding. And she makes a point to say nobody knows where they fly to for their breeding.

[Kim]

To lay their eggs.

[Anna]

To lay their eggs. So I still don't quite understand. I mean, swifts, if they're just birds, which they seem to be these giant birds which you can apparently ride on the backs of, apparently they're just violent by nature. I guess that would make sense if you have eggs that you're hatching and it's like a grizzly bear being protective of its young.

[Kim]

Well, because we were testing about this and it was like, but why did Emery, if she wasn't a crux, if she was a swift, why did she land and immediately just like, start going berserk on.

[Anna]

This is why I don't understand. And this was kind of one of my theories. So if she can become any animal, did she just choose a swift? Again, remember, they don't know where swifts go to mate. So if she became a swift, Emery would not know that the crux are deeply feared by the people in Calandra. So if she became the swift, she might have just become the bird because she wanted to become the bird, and that was her chosen animal for the day. But why did she become so violent, like, immediately, Immediately. So I did go back and I read when she shows up at the end of Shield of Sparrows, okay, that the thing that happens immediately before the precursor to Emerie attacking is the high priest touches Odessa and she is screaming and writhing in pain. Now, remember, her hair is not dyed anymore and it's fully flaming red with the curls. If she looks similar to Emerie, because Ransom is like, she literally has almost the same features, is there a chance that Emerie was flying and heard her screaming and there was some protectiveness or she thought, oh, my gosh, one of my sisters was captured and is being tortured. And so she goes crazy and attacks.

[Kim]

Maybe.

[Anna]

And so it wasn't really an early scout of a crux. Instead, it was just Emerie.

[Kim]

It was just Emerie because the swifts

[Anna]

that are in Caspia's land are just birds. They're not.

[Kim]

Yeah, they seem.

[Anna]

They don't turn into people. Which at the end of the Book of Shield of Sparrows, when Ransom sees the woman, I can't remember who it is, but someone says to him that has never happened before. They just die and they're birds.

[Kim]

So I think that means that that was not a crux. I don't think Emerie was a crux at all.

[Anna]

No, I think she took the form of a swift, which maybe in this world they call crux.

[Kim]

Okay.

[Anna]

But I don't think Emily did it because I don't think all crocs are these starlings. Does that make sense?

[Kim]

I agree with you. Something else I want to note really quickly. In this chapter, when Queen Oleanna is talking about the starling power dwindling, she said a word that was spoken in, like, an old language. And I was flipping to the end of the book to see how many pages there were, and there was a note that Daphne Perry had written. And she based this old language on what she is calling cowboy pig Latin.

[Anna]

That's interesting.

[Kim]

That her husband introduced to her in college. And they called it Elk language. And essentially, the code is you put the phrase lv, E, L, V, I in front of the first vowel and E, L, F, elf after the second one, and you separate the syllables with a dash. So if you go back and reread this conversation, she essentially tells Caspia that the Vosters were hunted to extinction in their world, in Caspia and Oleanna's world. And she's like, I don't want that to happen to us. We know the starling power is dwindling, but I don't want us to like the Vosters.

[Anna]

But she pronounces it.

[Kim]

She says it in the old language, so you wouldn't have been able to pick up on that. But when I looked at it, it looked weird to me.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Kim]

And then when I was flipping to the back, I saw Devnee Perry's, like, speaking in this language, and then she breaks down what it is. So I went back to that page, and I was like, she's saying the

[Anna]

Vosters, which is very interesting. Okay, hold that thought. Hold that. Pinning it, pinning it. So moving on to chapter four, we have Odessa. Okay, so that pinned note. Here we go.

[Kim]

Okay.

[Anna]

So Odessa makes a note that Brother Dime keeps invoking Divine. He doesn't make the sign of the eight, which would be the two mother, father figure gods and their six children that Odessa is familiar with. Instead, he keeps mentioning the divine, which is actually what Caspia and Xandra also invoke in Caspian's chapters. They say some vow, and they make it as if they're praying to a God, the divine. So going back to what you just told me about the cowboy pig Latin, So funny.

[Kim]

I know.

[Anna]

If Oleanna believes that the Vosters have become extinct, maybe not all of them were. And is Brother Dime a relation or one of these Voster?

[Kim]

I think so.

[Anna]

Right. Because he's talking about the Divine, and he seems different. He doesn't seem to agree with Ransom trusting the High Priest.

[Kim]

I completely agree with you.

[Anna]

Right.

[Kim]

I agree. I think Brother Dime, there's something different about him.

[Anna]

And Score, for that matter.

[Kim]

And Score, yes, absolutely. And I think they both don't trust the hype. There's something about the High Priest, and I'm like, okay, Ransom, I know you trust this High Priest, but I don't know. I don't have a good feeling about that.

[Anna]

Something's off. Okay, so Odessa, they're still on horseback. They're still making their way. They get chased by a grizzard. They run to safety. Brother Dime and Brother Score lead them to Daemon, who we meet. And this is interesting because he's telling a story. He's wearing a lion wick claw around his neck. And he tells a story about how his father had found this claw. And then he doesn't say the whole story. He just says, like, it gave him long life, it kept him healthy. And then when he died, he gave it to me. Which is really interesting because Caspia talks about this later on at the end of the book, which we'll get to.

[Kim]

She has a vision about it.

[Anna]

Yeah, she has a vision. And it's exactly what Daemon says here. It's like, my father found it. But Caspia adds the story that he helped rescue this lion wick, and that as a sign of thanks. This quote, unquote, they're normally monsters. It nudged its claw that had been caught, that had been chopped off in the trap. The Lionwick willingly gave it. And we know that all of these monsters carry magic.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Anna]

So that's interesting. Yes.

[Kim]

I thought that was very interesting. I'm just so intrigued with these visions that Caspia is having. And they seem to be kind of, like, coming out in different ways. Let's move on to chapter five. This is another Caspia chapter. So we figure out during this that Emery is Caspia's sister. Okay. And again, like you talked about earlier, Anna, they're saying, divine, guide my path. Always divine. Same gods as Brother Dime. And Odessa is noting this, that it's very different from they worship. I think it's Amma and Oda, and then they're six. And Odessa is constantly doing the eight, which I just think of as like. As, like, cross blessing.

[Anna]

Yeah. Doing the sign of the cross.

[Kim]

Yeah, yeah. But we learn more about how the women in this world shift into swifts, but they can shift into other animals. But I believe she says that most of them choose to shift into the birds. The swift.

[Anna]

They like to fly.

[Kim]

They love to fly.

[Anna]

They like to fly.

[Kim]

Who would not want to do that? But it's interesting that they can shift into any animal.

[Anna]

Animal. Yeah. I'm curious to see where that goes.

[Kim]

So basically, Caspia is like, well, I'm gonna go find Emery. I'm gonna board a boat with a sexy little captain. And I thought that. I thought that Caspia and Captain were

[Anna]

gonna have the cap. And I'm like, can we just call him Captain? I hate Captain.

[Kim]

Can we just call him Captain? I don't like Cap. Yeah, I don't like that also.

[Anna]

Can you just have a name?

[Kim]

Yeah, just give us a name.

[Anna]

Oh, no, never mind. Because he doesn't seem to know where they're going, so.

[Kim]

No, he doesn't.

[Anna]

Have we met him before and that's why we're calling him Cap. But no, because he doesn't believe that there land out there.

[Kim]

Well, he's just following. So they're going off Caspia's pull. She's feeling the pull to her rightus. And so she believes that her rightus is going and finding Emory and. Or avenging her death because she believes that Emory is dead and she wants to go find this silver haired man who killed her sister. And she believes that that is the pull that she's feeling. So she boards the boat and they're off there. Which is.

[Anna]

Yes.

[Kim]

So interesting. Then we pop back over to Odessa's pov. They are in Damon's cabin. And I loved this scene. No, I didn't love it. But I enjoyed them speaking with these people and getting off that horseback.

[Anna]

But they bathed, they took a bath, Kim.

[Kim]

Obviously that's why. That's why you love it, because they bathed and they were clean.

[Anna]

They're clean.

[Kim]

So she finds out that Alessaria is located somewhere in the Axmar Mountains.

[Anna]

Yeah, she kind of puts it together based on Ransom's map on his cuff. And she's like, great, we're headed that way. Which honestly is not good. Which is sarcastically great. Because she's like, the king is very dangerous, so can we avoid Alessaria, please?

[Kim]

Exactly. Exactly. And she chooses not to transcript on the journal because she doesn't want to betray Ransom because they're trying to hide Alessaria from the king.

[Anna]

Right.

[Kim]

And so she chooses not to write it down.

[Anna]

Oh, from her king. Sorry.

[Kim]

From her king.

[Anna]

Sorry.

[Kim]

Sorry. Yes. From her father, because, remember, that's what her father wanted her to do, was go find out where Alessaria was. But she's choosing, in this moment, like, I'm not gonna do that, because I don't want to betray.

[Anna]

Right, right, right. We have the shirt moment with Evie, which is so sad.

[Kim]

Oh, that was so sad.

[Anna]

And. And then her little bunny.

[Kim]

I know. That was like, my. Evie has a bunny that she calls Bun Bun. And I was like, this is heartbreaking. And they're given clean clothes to wear by Damon and his wife. But Evie, she puts back on her bloodied shirt because it has the blood of Xavier, her father, and she doesn't want to take it off. And Odessa's wrestling, and Evie's like, screaming, and Odessa's like, you cannot wear this shirt. So she gives it to Sally. She wants to wear it. And Sally's like, I understand. Let me see what I can do. She cleans it for her, and she cleans Evie's bunny, which is really sweet. And in return, Odessa tells them, hey, I think the migration is coming early this year. Because she's telling her about how she's pregnant, and she's like, we prepared. We have tunnels. We're going to store up food. And Odessa's like, no, you need to. No, do it earlier. Yeah. Also, interestingly, though, she doesn't feel Brother Score's magic the way that she does Brother Dimension.

[Anna]

I was confused by this, because in this chapter, she says she doesn't feel it. And then in the next POV chapter, she says she's tired of feeling his magic. So I'm like, can he control how she feels his magic?

[Kim]

At first, she thinks because she can't feel it that he's weaker than Brother Dime. But I think it means he's much powerful. Much more powerful than Brother Dime.

[Anna]

I wonder if he's more powerful than the High priest. Like, I wonder if him and Brother Dime are a part of this old world order of Voster, or at least in the descendants of the Vosters from Caspia's land, because he's able to turn water into ice. Then there's the powerful thing with the Beowulf that we'll get to. Yes, he seems very powerful.

[Kim]

Exactly. I don't know. Oh, but also, Brother Dime says that Score will teach Odessa how to read the old language for the journal. Because the journals that Odessa has with her are all in the old language.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Kim]

And Brother Score speaks that and is going to Help her kind of translate these journals. Yeah, but it's an interesting way to kind of infuse these. Like, they're very unsettling visions to me, even the ones that are normal. I'm like, but is this gonna happen? What does this mean?

[Anna]

I'm really curious to see. I mean, I hope we find out whose journal it is. I have wondered if it's Caspia's mother, because she says that her mother had these dreams as well.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

And so I don't know if it's her mother who's writing.

[Kim]

Could it be the first Sparrow?

[Anna]

It could be.

[Kim]

But what was the point of having her POV in the prologue?

[Anna]

That's true. But then how would her lineage. Like, she didn't have red hair, did she? I guess you don't have to have red hair. But I guess there could be people with magic all over. Cause I would like to know more about the first Pharaoh. But I'm interested to see where we go with the dreams in the coming chapters.

[Kim]

Agreed.

[Anna]

So, moving into chapter seven, we're back with Caspia. They're still sailing. They're looking for land, but we have a stowaway.

[Kim]

Xander shows up. I was like, oh, hey, girl.

[Anna]

This was hilarious. She shows up and she's like, who is this fine piece of ass who is running this ship I love?

[Kim]

I mean, immediately she's like, yeah, I want to fuck him.

[Anna]

I will tap that. It will happen.

[Kim]

It will happen.

[Anna]

Cassia says, I better find some earplugs.

[Kim]

Yeah. She literally is like, so do you not want me in his bed? And she's like, I don't care. She's, like, super cold.

[Anna]

I don't care.

[Kim]

So I'm totally gonna go bait him. Thanks.

[Anna]

Oh, my God. In their final POV chapter of Chapter

[Kim]

Chat, when she talks about him having

[Anna]

piercings, she was like, no. It's, like, really gritty.

[Kim]

She's like, it's incredible.

[Anna]

It's changed my life.

[Kim]

It's pierced and I'm loving my life. I was like, get you some girl. I was loving. I was like, I did not expect this. Like, little fun, feisty, sassy little friend. I love it.

[Anna]

We were missing this in the first book.

[Kim]

I agree. I completely agree with you.

[Anna]

We needed some more women to women interaction that wasn't clouded by two women who were sleeping.

[Kim]

Yes. With her betrothed.

[Anna]

Zandra feels like a girl's girl.

[Kim]

She totally does. And she loves Caspia very much. I mean, it's very clear. They're very close and. Okay, but what is this Quote about the swifts.

[Anna]

Oh, that's the quote that I read already about the swifts and how they have their mating season every 30 summers.

[Kim]

When she was like, nobody knows where they go. I was like, I bet we're gonna find out.

[Anna]

Yep.

[Kim]

I don't know when or how, but it's just interesting to me that that that was mentioned that nobody knows where they go. And first of all, why is it forbidden to go? Find out where they go, lay their eggs. Remember? She says it's forbidden. I'm like, why? Why? Why is it forbidden?

[Anna]

I don't know. This is, like, a history that's been covered up. I don't know. Kiana does not want anybody leaving. Basically, like, well, you're dead to me now.

[Kim]

Right? You leave. And she's like, you're dead.

[Anna]

You're dead.

[Kim]

But I'm like, I don't know.

[Anna]

Very interesting.

[Kim]

It seems. Very interesting. Okay.

[Anna]

Isolating. It feels isolating on purpose. Yeah.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

Okay. So we move back into Odessa's chapter, and she's on horseback. She keeps trying to escape, but Score will not leave her and Evie alone for them to escape to Quintus. So they are on horseback, they smell smoke, and they run into the forest. And she's like, maybe we should be running away from the smoke. But Score says, nope, we're going this way. Except he doesn't speak at all. He doesn't talk. So they get to this area in the woods, and there's this old woman who is building this giant bonfire, and she opens up a container, and there's a dead snake in there. There's no. With no head. And she has a puncture wound, and she's got green. So she has Lysa. And immediately Odessa realizes that this is a scene from the journal.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Anna]

So she's putting together. So it was actually Kathlyn had mentioned that the book, the journal, reads almost like a person's dreams, which is very interesting. Well, I mean, we've kind of already suspected that, but I think Odessa has finally the pieces together, because then, right in front of her, it plays out.

[Kim]

It plays out exactly like the vision from the journal. She burns the snake skin. She skins the snake. She puts the, like, charred skin on her, and she's screaming in pain. And Odessa's, like, holding Evie and brother Score has to go help this woman and helps heal her, and I think helps her kind of fall asleep, and then they just leave.

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[Anna]

So yeah, then they leave. But there's two other things we learn here. She talks about another story in the journal about Sora, which we kind of touched upon, I think, in the first book. But she talks about Sora and how Sora was a woman who sailed across the realm. She was gone for 100 years, and when she returned, she brought with her creatures we'd never seen before. And Evie asks what kind of creatures? And Odessa responds, monster. In Sora's story, they were created by a powerful God. A God? We don't know. And she brought them to Calandra. Is this like a story of the first starling? Oh, maybe. And maybe they brought the Swift.

[Kim]

Maybe.

[Anna]

I don't know. It's very interesting.

[Kim]

And then the Swifts in Odessa's world somehow become the crux, and then therefore, they're monsters. Yeah, that's so interesting.

[Anna]

And also while we're on this note, I want to really quickly, because I just realized this. I want to talk about the dreams. So Caspia, I thought her dreams were precognition. So she was seeing things that could happen, and then she just wasn't able to save Emery in time. But all of the dreams that she has this book so far in the first nine chapters are things that have already happened. But this journal entry is precognition.

[Kim]

You're right, it is about the snake.

[Anna]

Yes. But then this story of Sora, is

[Kim]

that from the journal?

[Anna]

Oh, no, it's not. The story of Sora is from a book of myths and legends, so that's different. But is the journal precognition? And then Caspia can see things that have already happened.

[Kim]

Maybe.

[Anna]

How is this together, exactly?

[Kim]

Exactly. I don't know. Because she's clearly seeing Emerie being killed, which we are 99% sure that Emerie was the crux that Ransom stabbed.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Kim]

So she's seeing that. That's already happened.

[Anna]

That's already happened. Unless there's another. No, because she says it's Emery. She's like, that's Emery.

[Kim]

That's Emery.

[Anna]

Unless Emerie isn't dead. And that was a different redheaded girl.

[Kim]

I don't think so, but very.

[Anna]

I'm really interested.

[Kim]

The timeline is interesting. Oh, God. Then this Beowulf attack. That was stressful as hell. I hated that.

[Anna]

Okay, so we have the Beowulf attack. And the main takeaway from this part is that Score uses really crazy magic and drains the bear wolves of their blood. And Odessa says, what are you? And he just walks away.

[Kim]

Oh, of course he is. I mean, of God forbid we get any kind of an answer from him. Yeah. Oh, God, this was so creepy and unsettling. And also, what are you? Who are you? What are your powers? What are your abilities? Because now remind me in Shield of Sparrows. I don't remember anybody talking about the Vosters or anybody having powers like this.

[Anna]

Not that kind of power. They are able to levitate things, or the High Priestess.

[Kim]

But this is.

[Anna]

But Score seems very powerful.

[Kim]

Incredibly powerful.

[Anna]

He's masking it. Well, I think so, too.

[Kim]

Yeah, I think so. I think he's able to mask his magic.

[Anna]

A lot of things. Yeah. So, Kim, walk us through the final chapter.

[Kim]

Okay, so this is back in Caspia's chapter. They're still on the boat. The crew is getting very fidgety. Water is lacking, which is like the irony of all. Irony that you're on the ocean, but yet your water supplies. You can't drink it. And so Cap is like, we're turning back. We are already halfway through our rations. If we don't turn back, we're going to run out of food and water. And she's like, one more day. One more son. Please, one more son. One more son. And he's like, okay, fine, but one more. And I'm not asking. And we're turning back. And she's like, okay, so this is when Taspia is mentioning more of the dreams and the visions that she's having. And one of those Is Damon's father. Like we talked about with the line wick claw necklace. She talks about that vision. We get way more details on it. And then there is a black silky haired boy who is floating books, which is interesting.

[Anna]

I know, I know.

[Kim]

And then we have a pretty little girl with gray eyes and a handsome man that I think are on like horseback and. And they kind of ride off together.

[Anna]

I was wondering if that was. I'm looking at. I wonder how they spell gray in the book. Because I actually listened. This was like the one time I listened to.

[Kim]

You think it's Evie and Xavier?

[Anna]

Yes. Yeah, I'm looking at who has gray eyes.

[Kim]

Detective Anna's on the case, you guys. Don't worry.

[Anna]

It was the little girl I'd seen in the comments. The girl with brown hair and big gray eyes. That's Evie.

[Kim]

Oh my God. So she's describing Evie and I'm guessing Xavier.

[Anna]

Yeah, I'm looking to see if anyone has a green cloak because I think the man in the vision is wearing a green cloak, but does not say in Shield of Sparrow.

[Kim]

Why is she seeing these? And what is she see? What is this vision of Evie and potentially Xavier?

[Anna]

I don't know.

[Kim]

Or I guess it could be. No, no, it couldn't be Ransom because she'd recognize him as the man with silver.

[Anna]

Yeah, no, she says it's a very handsome man. But I think it's supposed to.

[Kim]

It's Xavier, right?

[Anna]

I think it's Xavier. I think so. I think that's what we're supposed to think.

[Kim]

And what is the significance of that?

[Anna]

I don't know. Saddles young girl gray. She smiles up at him, beckons him close. Yeah, I don't know. And oh, but it's mountains. And that would be near where Elisaria is. Not that she was rescued away from there. Evie didn't grow up in Elisaria, but the mountains would be in the background. Are there moun interesting near Treeow?

[Kim]

I don't think so. I thought that they were in like a tree house.

[Anna]

Yes, they are. I just didn't know if there was another mountain range. Elder is in tree hour. Located in between two mountains.

[Kim]

Interesting.

[Anna]

So that very much could be Xavier and I think it has to be. Yeah.

[Kim]

So basically she's having these visions and then she hears them yell out that they have seen land. So they've made it to wherever this pole is. And I believe at this point Zandra has said that she is also feeling the pull. I think she comes to the deck with Caspia and says I'M feeling the pull too.

[Anna]

Yes. So I'm hoping that means that Xandra is also going through her righteous.

[Kim]

Going through her rightist. Yeah. And that is where chapter nine ends.

[Anna]

Yes. We've gone through majority of our theories that I have written down here to talk about at the end. We've already gone through like what happens at the end of the last book. How the crooks are normally when they're killed. Don't turn into women.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

We discussed Caspia's visions. Are they past or present? The only other thing I want to note is that in Caspia's first pov, in chapter three, there is a pet Fennec running around with Graciella. If you listen to my read alongs listeners, the Hill. I was willing to die on that. The fact that Odessa was poisoned by Fennec tusk powder and survived, which is literally unsurvivable. Yeah, she survived it.

[Kim]

Right?

[Anna]

So now that that is supposed to be extremely poisonous. And here they are, the starlings with a pet Fennec.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Anna]

But Odessa survived being poisoned by a Fennec.

[Kim]

Okay, here's my confusion here. Are these animals, do they have Lysa? Some of them. And is that why they're attacking? Like the Fennec that attacked Odessa? They're not really monsters. But they're infected?

[Anna]

Well, no, no, no. There are monsters and then the ones with Lysa act. It's like rabies is the best way. Is the way I thought about it. So they're all monsters. They're just distorted versions. The Grizzard is like a distorted version of a bear, and the Beowulf is a distorted version of a wolf.

[Kim]

I see. Okay. But so in Caspia' Swifts and Finnicks are.

[Anna]

Don't have Lysa.

[Kim]

Don't have Lysa. But also aren't monsters.

[Anna]

They're not acting.

[Kim]

They're acting like pets or just like regulars. Right.

[Anna]

We know that Caspia and Xandra, we learn in the final chapter that they're able to control the marrow wheels.

[Kim]

So they're laughing and giggling like it's a fucking dolphin. They're like, oh, tee hee hee.

[Anna]

I was like, I'm waiting for Odessa to like tap into that animal prowess.

[Kim]

Yes, yes. So that's interesting. And I think Caspia even says, I don't fear any animal on this journey that we come across, because no matter what. But they have an affinity with all animals because they can transform into any animal. So she's like, I don't fear any animal that we may come across on this, which I'm like, oh, dear.

[Anna]

So this is interesting. I'm curious because I do think that's going to come back up also. The reason I think it's going to come back up is because the Voster tells Ransom that treating Ransom with Lysa feels the same as a person who has been poisoned with fennec powder. And I'm not saying the fennec powder is still in her system. I don't know how. I mean, blood recirculates and stuff. So I feel like it's clearly out of a Jess's system. That happened when she was 13. But it is interesting.

[Kim]

That is so interesting.

[Anna]

I think this Fennec is going to come back up. I'm dying on that hill.

[Kim]

Oh, Anna. Okay. I totally forgot about that. Wow. Okay. What does that mean, though?

[Anna]

I don't know. So I'm really curious to see. It was just like a little passing. Gracie Ellis chasing the pet Fennec.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Anna]

They look cute. They're the foxes with big, huge tusks.

[Kim]

Tusks, yeah.

[Anna]

Yeah. Anyway, so fascinating.

[Kim]

I love all the little pets. I love phase.

[Anna]

Phase.

[Kim]

So cute. I'm like, if, you know, if anything happens to that animal, I'm gonn lose my shit. Yeah. I don't like when you introduce a cute animal and then something happens to it. Don't do that. No, don't do that.

[Anna]

I think this is maybe that's gonna be Odessa's first animal that she kind of tames or has an affinity for.

[Kim]

Some people are, like, scared of faze.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Kim]

And she's like, oh, he's. He's fine.

[Anna]

I'm really curious to see where we go with this.

[Kim]

I know. I'm so excited.

[Anna]

Okay, everyone. We hope you enjoyed hearing our first chapter chat for Rights of the Starling. If you enjoyed this format, there's plenty more where that came from over on our Patreon. And we will see you next time. Cheers and happy reading.

[Kim]

Bye. Well, friends, that wraps up another episode of Flights of Fantasy podcast. Don't forget to join our book club community on Instagram and TikTok at flights of Fantasy Podcast where you can share your thoughts, theories, and favorite moments with us and fellow listeners. We'd love to hear from you if you enjoyed today's episode. Please 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.

[Anna]

Time.

[Kim]

Keep dreaming, keep reading, and remember, every good story deserves to take flight.

[Doug]

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[Anna]

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[Doug]

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[Anna]

Yeah, the bird looks out of your league.

[Doug]

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[Anna]

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