LPN Deep Dives: HOFAS / Episode 1: Nerd-alie and Regular Fat

Summary

LPN Deep Dives: Crescent City – HOFAS / Episode 1: Nerd-alie and Regular Fat

Date: May 26, 2026
Hosts: Natalie Jean & Jackie Zebrowski
Podcast: LPN Deep Dives: Crescent City

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Episode Overview

In the much-anticipated return of LPN Deep Dives, Natalie Jean (Some Place Under Neith) and Jackie Zebrowski (Page 7) begin their in-depth breakdown of Sarah J. Maas’s adult sci-fi/fantasy epic Crescent City: House of Flame and Shadow (HOFAS). This first episode finds the hosts diving into the book’s prologue and early chapters, catching up listeners on the state of the multiverse, major reveals from the previous volume, and the dynamics at play as the third Crescent City book opens. With their trademark irreverent humor and wild tangents, Natalie and Jackie keep things both insightful and thoroughly entertaining.

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Key Discussion Points

The Return of LPN Deep Dives & Series Context

[01:46]

• The duo expresses excitement over starting House of Flame and Shadow, poking fun at the “torture” the series inflicts on its characters and its readers.
• They remind listeners that Crescent City is “the Degrassi of books—the next generation… it goes there!” ([02:26], Jackie).
• This episode is both a refresher for those who may not have touched the series in a while and an open invitation for listeners reading along.

Notable Quote:

“It really is the Degrassi of books. The next generation.” – Natalie ([02:26])

Multiverse Connections & Speculation

[09:14]

• Discussion of SJM’s multiverse, highlighting the crossover between Crescent City and ACOTAR (A Court of Thorns and Roses), especially the shock ending of the previous book.
• Jackie floats theories about the upcoming ACOTAR releases and how they may overlap with Crescent City.
• They encourage listeners to read across the connected Maasverse for full context.

Notable Quote:

“If you are this far in your journey, you should have read all the series by now.” – Jackie ([10:41])

Revisiting House of Flame and Shadow: Prologue Deep Dive

[12:02]

• The hosts set the stage for HOFAS, emphasizing that it’s a dense, information-rich entry (“Many, many pieces of information to absorb” – Natalie [12:51]).
• Natalie assures listeners that the podcast will help break everything down for those who don’t want to reread.

Scene Setting: The Hind’s POV

[17:04]

• For the first time, readers get the internal perspective of Lydia (the Hind), opening new angles into her complicated role as double agent.
• Discussion of the Asteri’s interrogations, ruthless power, and the new technological threats (mech suits).
• They highlight Lydia’s mastery of self-control—even on an autonomic level—to maintain her ruse.

Notable Quote:

“This is the first time we have access to her thoughts… and I like being inside of her brain.” – Jackie ([20:18])

Daddy Drama: Autumn King & King Morvin

[22:23]

• Introduction of the two Fae “baddie daddies” pleading their cases before the Asteri, as the fate of their “treasonous” sons hangs in the balance.
• Ample mockery of the kings’ cowardice and willingness to throw their children under the bus.
• Comic interlude on schoolyard teasing and nicknames, linking to the episode title (“Nerdalie and Regular Fat,” [28:17]).

Notable Quote:

“I was just called regular fat. And I accepted it… thank God, I’m just regular fat.” – Jackie ([28:48])

Torture Dungeons & Emotional Fallout

[42:19]

• Grim details as the action shifts to the Asteri dungeons: Hunt, Rune, and Baxian are beaten, wingless, and kept alive as bait for Bryce.
• Praise for SJM’s brutal but effective depiction of trauma, with nods to Throne of Glass for similar themes.
• The hosts discuss trauma dissociation, the cost of being a double agent, and the agony for Lydia (and readers) in this scene.

Notable Quote:

“The concept of that—she dove deep within herself, which is that sort of dissociation… trauma. Yes.” – Natalie ([46:19])

Bryce in a New World: ACOTAR Crossover Explodes

[52:01]

• The POV shifts to Bryce, now prisoner on a new world (“beneath a mountain”—a callback for ACOTAR fans), facing a trio: Rhysand, Azriel, and Amren.
• Bryce and her new captors engage in a battle of wits, with neither side giving up vital information too quickly.
• Discussion about language barriers, magic-based translators, and awkward interdimensional first impressions.

Notable Quotes:

“He tells her that he doesn’t enter where he isn’t willingly invited—because he’s perfect.” – Jackie ([60:52])
“Explain, or you die.” – Azriel, via Natalie ([82:11])

Massiverse Lore Revealed & Confirmed

[63:08]

• Major lore bomb: The planet where Bryce now finds herself is confirmed to be the original world of the Fae—directly linking ACOTAR and Crescent City.
• Amren recalls ancient history (the Daglan) and the legends of Fae migration, connecting to Bryce’s ancestry and the ongoing threats.
• Shout-out to “Yaz the Bookish” for helpful lore charts and resources.

Humor, Tangents, and Meta Moments

• Frequent playful foot references and jokes about “OnlyFeet” ([11:44])—the recurring/literal/sexual theme pops up in their banter.
• The hosts break the tension with side conversations about costumes, con experiences, and pop culture nods (e.g., Degrassi, Twilight, Reece’s “perfect” status).
• Unvarnished, relatable reflections on personal insecurities, adolescence, and who they’d be in supernatural worlds.

Notable Quotes:

“I think the real hell would’ve been if she wound up back in middle school…” – Natalie ([05:20])
“If you have to be a teenage boy… I think I’d rather live life as a raccoon.” – Jackie ([37:48])

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Timestamps of Significant Segments

• [02:26] — Crescent City is “the Degrassi of books”
• [09:14-11:03] — Multiverse crossover and what to expect from Acotar/Crescent City intersections
• [17:04-23:14] — Lydia’s (the Hind) POV and introduction of the “daddies of the baddies”
• [28:17-29:11] — “Nerdalie and Regular Fat” origin story, school-era bullying
• [42:19-47:12] — Dungeon scene: Hunt, Rune, and Baxian’s torture; Lydia’s dissociation and hidden anguish
• [52:01-63:08] — Bryce confronts Rhysand, Amren, and Azriel; lore confirmation and the translation bean scene
• [63:08-73:13] — ACOTAR and Crescent City direct lore connection; “the Daglan” = the Asteri
• [80:13–82:56] — Translator bean activates Bryce’s starlight; escalation with ACOTAR characters (“Explain or you die.”)

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Bryce, You Can Lie, But…

  “Bryce, you can lie a lot, but maybe right now you should have thought about it. You didn’t forethink this because you didn’t know that this could happen.” – Jackie ([58:39])

• Asteri/Aeons Connection

  “They were called the Daglan. If you haven’t read ACOTAR, doesn’t mean anything.” – Natalie ([73:08])

• Deep Fandom Lore

  “If [SJM]’s bringing it up, you know there’s a reason… Her little sprinkles that she places in… she doesn’t name someone errantly.” – Jackie ([70:15])

• Meta on Trauma

  “She dove deep within herself—that sort of dissociation… of what, unfortunately, a lot of us have dealt with in different kinds of ways.” – Natalie ([46:19])

• Humor on Feet & OnlyFans

  “Again, you have to pay for that if you want the feet—only feet. I guess it would just be called Only Feet.” – Jackie ([11:44])

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Tone & Style

• Conversational and irreverent: The hosts blend personal anecdotes, meta-fandom commentary, and sharp critical analysis, keeping the recap both deep and silly.
• Explicit, open, and warm: Sexual innuendo and self-deprecating jokes are frequent—but always with an undercurrent of empathy for the struggles and traumas depicted in the books.
• Fandom-savvy: Assumes knowledge of the wider SJM universe but makes space for newcomers, providing necessary context and pop-culture reference points.

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Conclusion & Next Steps

• The episode ends as Bryce is cornered by her ACOTAR captors in this new world, with major revelations about the magic, language, history, and potential threats merging the Maasverse.
• Listeners are encouraged to read up to Chapter 4 for the next discussion.
• Plenty of hints and teases about more torture, multi-POV drama, and SJM’s signature worldbuilding to come.

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For newcomers: Natalie and Jackie’s summary keeps you caught up—and entertained—while also serving as a recap for seasoned fans. If you’ve not kept up with Maas’s expanding multiverse, this episode is the ideal place to jump in.

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Remember: Skip the intros, outros, and ads—the real fun is in the banter, breakdowns, and hard-hitting Crescent City/ACOTAR connections.

Transcript

[A]

UC Santa Cruz is where students go to make a real impact. With hands on learning opportunities, students develop the skills to make lasting, positive change in the world. UC Santa Cruz is a leading public research university and home of the banana slugs. Advancing social and environmental justice since its founding, UC Santa Cruz is where changemakers become the leaders of tomorrow. Start your story at ucsc. Edu.

[B]

My mom inspired me to dream big and work hard. Signer Adams, what would you like the power to do? Bank of America Proud to be the Official bank of U.S. soccer and FIFA World Cup 2026 bank of America NA Member FDS. Welcome to Crescent City with your hosts, Natalie Jean and Jackie Zabrowski.

[C]

We have legs.

[B]

Ah, everyone can see our legs. Little feet, little feet, little feet. And usually you have to pay extra for that.

[C]

Yeah, well, I ain't taking these off

[B]

for nothing because again, that is extra for that. We forgot to let you guys know that there's a whole layer.

[C]

But it's.

[B]

You only get the feet. You get nothing else. And it will just.

[C]

It's the video podcast of just the feet.

[B]

Just the feet.

[C]

While we talk.

[B]

While we talk the entire time. But we will draw little faces on them. And is that something you're sexually into?

[C]

But that is behind a paywall, my friends.

[B]

You don't get that for free. Not on this show. Not when we are starting up. Oh, the torture book. Not when we get to get back to where our friends are in. In the book series. Guys aren't so spoiler excited. I get. Is it. Is it a spoiler? It's a torture spoiler. I. This is we. I feel like we teed it up at the end of the last book that it is a reminder for those that haven't read the third Crescent City in a minute or maybe you're reading along with us. And that's awesome. It goes there like the Degrassi network, though.

[C]

It really is the Degrassi of books. The next generation.

[B]

Oh, including the episode that they wouldn't show in America. Canada.

[C]

Wait, which one?

[B]

The Manny got many had an abortion. It was an abortion. Michael.

[C]

I've seen that one.

[B]

No, they wouldn't show in America. Maybe they do, you know, after the fact. But originally they wouldn't show it.

[C]

They showed a shooting. Because we have a lot of those here.

[B]

Yeah, that. Oh, yeah. No, that we're really, really used to. And that's why Drake. It's so funny. In every single blind. He will always be brought up. That used to be wheelchair actor. And they always bring.

[C]

I mean, I'll never see him as anything but. What's his character's name from that?

[B]

Jimmy.

[C]

Jimmy. I'll never.

[B]

Jimmy the basketball player.

[C]

I'll never see him any other way.

[B]

No, because also, here's the thing. I don't like Drake.

[C]

No.

[B]

And I didn't like Jimmy either.

[C]

No.

[B]

So it really all goes. It's not like, oh, he was the beloved of Degrassi. No, no, nobody. No, no, no. Anybody was thinking that. But you know, weirdly enough, I married into a Degrassi family because my sister in law's father played the principal on Degrassi. Your sister in law's not your father. It would be weird if I was talking about you in front of you.

[C]

But also your brother. My husband did many scenes in a show with another Degrassi actor in Heroes. Stillborn.

[B]

Hero. Stillborn. Oh, that's right. I forgot.

[C]

Yes, yes.

[B]

I forgot there was also a Degrassi in there, man. I guess. Oh, we all go there.

[C]

I guess we can all make it through.

[B]

Oh, I can make it. I know I can make it through. Except it's not playing anymore, so I

[C]

guess it didn't make it through, man.

[B]

If I hold out. If I flew.

[C]

I don't know. Oh, that. That's. If I flew.

[B]

If I flew.

[C]

I didn't never know what that word was.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

I would love to see a Degrassi that takes place on Midgard.

[B]

Oh my God. Oh, does the middle school go there? If you are there, like if you're sharing middle. Oh, God. Could you imagine like a shape shifter in middle school?

[C]

And it's like, oh, getting pressured to do mirth root.

[B]

Oh, I mean, weren't we all? I will also throw out there, though. It would be awesome to shape shift as a middle schooler because then you never have to be a human ever again.

[C]

Why? Why specifically as a middle schooler?

[B]

Because you don't want to be yourself when you're in middle school. Oh, yeah, no, and I was thinking of grassy specifically. Again. Yeah, no. So it's like. Then you could at least like. Well then fine. I'm gonna go shape shift into a snow leopard.

[C]

Oh, my God.

[B]

Bastards. And the snow leopard doesn't have acne.

[C]

It was rough walking through those halls for me, I'll tell you that.

[B]

No, no, that's. Honestly, I feel like Bryce thought she end up in hell. I think the real hell would have been if she wound up back in middle school. That would be the real torture if this whole book was her having to get out of middle school again and having to prove to people that she wasn't in middle school. But she had to go, man.

[C]

I think, though, with my adult brain, I go back to my bullies and just slap the shit out of them.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[C]

I'm saying violence taking care of business.

[B]

I mean, look at how you're dressed. I mean, I don't.

[C]

Yes, this does look like a Nazi costume.

[B]

So funny when Natalie wore this outfit when we were at one of the cons. And Natalie with the blonde hair and Natalie's so beautiful and tall and really you. Because I'm scared. You scared everybody at the festival because really, just I think people didn't understand that you were dressed as behind.

[C]

I felt deeply uncomfortable.

[B]

It.

[C]

I actually to the point where I took one of the patches off because I was like.

[B]

She literally just like, if I take this off, is it better? And I was like, girl, you still given. You still given Aryan Nation.

[C]

I know. Unfortunately, this is what the character dress is like.

[B]

And she is a bad guy. Is she at least where we left

[C]

once last we left off, we learned that the hind was in fact, a double agent.

[B]

Double agent. But look at this sick torque. I mean, the torque is really awesome.

[C]

Shout out to the company closet children. They didn't make it for closet children. Yeah, it's great.

[B]

The name of the company is scary.

[C]

Yeah, they're. It's weird stuff.

[B]

Oh, okay.

[C]

But it's supposed to look like a big barbell, but instead it's the perfect torque for. For the hein.

[B]

Here's nothing to do with the hump. The hip, I don't think. I don't know the hip. Hump of the hip for you giving it a torque. I refer to banging as torquing a lot, so Torking. Yeah. Giving it a torque.

[C]

Sounds like you're getting an athletic injury.

[B]

Who knows what happens when in talking sphere. Oh, no.

[C]

You blow your knee out.

[B]

Yeah, man. Oh, hey, that is. There really is, man. Nothing makes you feel your age than when you're in the middle of banging and you're like, hold on, wait. Ah, ah, wait. You're like getting like a Charlie horse or something. You're like, hold it. Let me move for a second.

[C]

I wish that I could tell you a story, but I really can't.

[B]

Tell me a story, Natalie. Yeah, you know you want to tell the story.

[C]

I can't tell you. And I can't tell the public because it's my husband.

[B]

All right, fine.

[C]

But it was quite fun.

[B]

You can tell it as if you're having sex with my husband. If you Want and then.

[C]

Is that what you like? I didn't tell that.

[B]

I'm just trying to give you an outlet for. For you to share.

[C]

Let's just say there was a cramp and at the wrong moment.

[B]

At the wrong moment. That's at the wrong. It is always it. I. You know, I will say as someone that does have a husband as well, let's just say Ivan, there's been some. Because here's the thing. Orgasm at the end of the day is a muscle spasm. So it really does. And I think a lot of us have known this because sometimes you're just like, no, not at this time. And it always gets. Honestly keeps you humble.

[C]

That's what it is.

[B]

It is good. It reminds you. It reminds you.

[C]

Keeps you humble.

[B]

But I guess we do have to. We gotta find our boys. Gotta find our boys. Do we need to find them? Do we hofast in the house. It's hofa. Can you get here to this episode? I hope it was fast for you.

[C]

Oh, how fast?

[B]

How fast can he get here? Yeah, yeah. N. Get him out of the way.

[C]

N. We are in the third of probably four question mark, Crescent City books, we think.

[B]

Or I'll throw it out there because now there's a. Now we do know that there are two more Acotar books coming out at the end. There's one at the end of this year in October, one in January. We do also know from the sleuths on Book Talk that the one that is being dropped in October according to, I Believe Barnes and Noble.com and the page count is going to be much shorter than the one that is dropped in January. Do you think now because there's all this stuff interacting with this book, I just realized something. Sorry, what did you realize? Is it something that's a spoiler? Yeah.

[C]

Oh my God, you guys. We can't tell you yet, but there might be some cool something. Whatever.

[B]

Yes, yes, it would be cool. But we are so. We don't know. So it's like, you know, there's like there's the little of Frost and Starlight, right? There's. There's our house of Frost and Starlight there in Acotar, which is more of our like Christmas special, right? Our Yule special. Excuse me.

[C]

Thank you.

[B]

Do you feel that this could be the shorter one? Could it be like an inter. I don't want to say inter species, inter series nod, maybe.

[C]

But I do feel like if she doesn't give that forewarning that people are going to be like, wtf?

[B]

Right. But I also do feel like at this point, you should have read all the series. Like, I feel like if we. If you are this far in your journey, you should have read all the series by now, I think.

[C]

No, I mean, in the sense of if it's just like a novella, people are gonna be like, you said the book, a book was coming, Right?

[B]

That is true. But it's still. It is still a book, even if it is.

[C]

Is it? No, it is. I. I don't. I'm not a hater of the frosted, so. I love a Christmas special. I love a bottle episode. Give me. Please.

[B]

I love.

[C]

Give me a Christmas cake. I mean, I'm sorry. A yule log.

[B]

Thank you. Oh, you want a log of my yule, Natalie, where you want me to leave it on your.

[C]

Give me some spiced mead.

[B]

I'll put a little mistletoe in that crap. Ew. Talking about Yule log. Talking about on your pillow.

[C]

But you put your foot in it.

[B]

No missile. No, I just put a mistletoe. Not my toe. No. Again, you have to pay for that if you want the feet. Only feed. I guess it would just be called Only feet.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Only feeds.

[C]

Only.

[B]

Oh, boy. Yeah. This is how we're starting off the book.

[C]

I'm trying not to sip every five seconds because it's annoying, especially for the editors. Sorry. But I get parched sometimes.

[B]

You gotta get your sip on. Get yourself.

[C]

So we are opening up House of Flame and Shadow, which now has been out for a year and a half, maybe because we were. We did a live stream when it first came out. We were doing predictions and now that

[B]

was when that came out and we. I read it so fast, I think I just literally, like, unhinged my jaw and just anacondated this fucking book. So I'm excited to go back into it because I do. I'm a. Say it, Natalie. You know, I feel like I'm already out the gate, given a lot of hate towards this, but I didn't hate all of this book. There's just portions of it that you're unfortunately going to hear over and over again that I dislike.

[C]

Yeah, I mean, you're allowed. You say whatever you want about it

[B]

for not censoring me.

[C]

We mentioned it before, but if you are not somebody who likes to reread books, this might be a challenge for you because there is many, many pieces of information to absorb.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And I personally like reading books over and over, so.

[B]

But that's also why we're here for you. If you don't want to read this again. Well, come hang out with us for many.

[C]

Yeah, we'll break it down. It'll make perfect sense. Don't worry.

[B]

At least we will remind you of all the parts that you have to remember to continue on with these series.

[C]

That's true.

[B]

And that's what we're trying to do here.

[C]

Just. Just a little tickle of your brain.

[B]

Yeah, Just a little. Yeah. Oh, you don't want to get a little tinkle in there.

[C]

Not. I said a tickle.

[B]

Oh, well, I don't want that either.

[C]

Oh, that's gross.

[B]

What about a tickle tinkle, which some

[C]

of us do have sometimes I think it has ti.

[B]

No, I mean when you piss yourself. When you get tickled so hard.

[C]

Oh, I thought you meant because you got it felt there was a burning.

[B]

Oh, then it's a burn. Yeah, I think. Then it's. I think if you're feeling a tickle, like a. Like a pickle tickle in that kind of way, I think you should go to a doctor.

[C]

It's the grossest way to call is say you have an sti, is you have a tinkle tickle.

[B]

Oh, I got a tinkle tickle. And somebody needs to do something. Something about it.

[C]

I think it's. You go to a clinic.

[B]

No. And cranberry.

[C]

I don't think that actually works.

[B]

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[A]

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[B]

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[C]

Well, we left everyone involved in quite a mess, didn't we? Everybody's upset, everyone's mad.

[B]

Yeah. And we had to wait a long time to get this book, so everybody else had to wait for us to get back into this book. So now everybody knows how we felt.

[C]

Yes. And now that we have again ACOTAR 6 coming down the pipe, will they intersect in some way? Because we now know that in the last book it ended with meeting a man, a male named my boy. He's perfect. He's never done anything wrong.

[B]

No, your boy's back.

[C]

And what seems to be the inner circle of a court of thorns and roses appearing at the end of House of Sky and Breath. Now, if you haven't read A Court of Florence Roses series, you don't really need to have context to them. In this book you will be meeting a crew of characters who you will not know and thus won't have insight into their motivations.

[B]

But also like, let us know too, if you got to this part of Crescent City and you hadn't read Acotar, I am curious to hear, did you keep going or did you put the book down and be like, okay, I need to go read Acotar now?

[C]

Interesting. Yeah, good question. Because you don't ne. You don't have to it to follow the storyline, but there are many nods to the books in these first couple chapters.

[B]

And also I. I feel like you do get dumped in in a way of like, you should know these characters. Like, I feel like it. It like they're not explaining.

[C]

Oh, definitely not going to explain it.

[B]

They're not.

[C]

So you won't have insight into their motivations unless you read the book. So yeah, but you don't need an encyclopedic knowledge of them if you want that sort of thing.

[B]

Unless you want it.

[C]

And if you want that sort of thing, check out our many episode series on mermantasy. Deep Dive, Speed of a Gordon Thorns and Roses. So the book opens on a prologue. We are not in Valeris. A prologue at the commencement of this book. No, we're back in the wretched eternal palace with the little twink Rigelus. Still his friends.

[B]

I love that he chooses to always like to. He prefers the twink body. And it's like, I don't know if that's the creepiest thing I've ever heard. For something that like can live forever. You love it. Yeah, yeah. It's just Being a little.

[C]

Being a little. Timothy not liking ballet or opera. You know, you're right.

[B]

Jealous is so Timothy.

[C]

Yes, well, where with the thoughts in this part with the old Hindi. The Hind. That's me today, who is kneeling in front of Rigelus and the other Asteri. The six Asteri plus the one empty throne. They're in that main room. We've gathered from the end of the last book that the Hind is a double agent. But it seems as though her cover has not been exposed just yet. Pollux is next to her, his wing possessively around her body. And he wouldn't be touching no woke ass woman, that's for sure.

[B]

No, you're right. And I hate that Pollux uses the fact that his ball skin wing is around her protectively. I hate that. This because I want a ball skin wing to be around me, to be protective and I don't want Pollux doing that for anyone. Even if it is the Hind. And we love the high now.

[C]

But in Pollux's case, it's a possession more than a protection.

[B]

I know. And not in a fun way.

[C]

No, not in like a fun, sexy way. More in like I own you, which we don't like. So she's fantasizing. She's sitting, she's kneeling before them alongside Pollux, and she's fantasizing about ripping the Asteris throats out. Good thing they can't hear her thoughts. They've taken Rune and Hunt somewhere and seem to be dealing with the wider scope of their problems. The hysteria that is. So we're here a couple days after the melee that had just taken place in this hall. And there was blood, destruction, explosions. But now, a few days later, the asterisk throne room has returned to a pristine form.

[B]

I'm sure that the Asteri got on their hands and knees and wiped it all up themselves.

[C]

Keeps them humble.

[B]

Oh. Oh, they didn't.

[C]

They didn't.

[B]

No. You know, they had like sleeves do it.

[C]

They did.

[B]

Or magic, I guess. Maybe they can.

[C]

Magic. They didn't want it to. They wanted. They wanted to make sure people had to like really work. They. They could have magic it and you

[B]

know, all this like grouting, you know, it's all white. Like there are a bunch of brushes you probably have to get. Oh, but then at least you can bring the bleach in.

[C]

You feel like it's extra clean that way.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah. So Lydia, which is who she thinks of herself as, of course, wills her mind shut against the rage and despair she feels and maintains her glassy facade. I am 99 sure this is the first time we have access to her thoughts. I was trying to find if there's any bonus chapters or anything, but I'm pretty sure this is the first time.

[B]

I'm pretty sure because she really. This is. I feel like when SJM realizes, oh wait, what if we could go inside of everybody's brains? And there is a lot and like inter chapter jumping from perspective to perspective. I feel like this is a lot to do with what. And. And many people dislike this book for many reasons. But one of the things that I've read was that people dislike that it does juke from perspective to perspective. But I like that. I like. I do like being inside of like the Heinz brain. I like seeing how. Because you were. We were so shocked at the end of the last book that it was the Hind, that was Agent Daybright that even thinking of trying to put it all together. Like I like being inside of her brain. Yeah.

[C]

I wanted her perspective.

[B]

Maybe you know, when we get to like an Ethan per se, maybe we don't care anymore. But don't worry for an example, that'll happen many times.

[C]

He is. He's got a lot of things to think. Okay.

[B]

He's got wolves to save. And don't get me wrong, I love wolves and I want the wolves to be saved. You know how I feel. You know, I'm still a Jacob, problematically. I.

[C]

You are a problematic Jacob, girl.

[B]

Thank you.

[C]

We'll see if you still feel that way after the new Twilight book comes out.

[B]

You wait.

[C]

Yeah, I'm gonna be a part of the problem. And yeah, I'm probably gonna read it.

[B]

I'm gonna read it. So he waits. He at least waits for the baby.

[C]

So romantic.

[B]

Waits for the baby to be 18.

[C]

So Mormon, by the way.

[B]

And he hunts and he waits and

[C]

he listens and watches her blossom. Yeah, blossom beautiful. Not gross at all. So yeah. So we're with her thoughts for the first time and we're really gonna get an access like the broader view of who she is. We realize that not only the Hind and Pollux are in the room before standing before the hysteria or kneeling before them, I should say. But the daddies of the baddies are also here. At least in the minds of the Asteris there. The daddies of the baddies. That's right. The autumn of the baddies is very funny. The Autumn King has been brought before his masters. Not only him, but we're meeting a new daddy. We've heard about him.

[B]

Oh, we've heard about him before our analysis. Yes, we've heard about him.

[C]

But don't you worry, Irish pirate.

[B]

He ain't never been bad in the picture. Depends on who you're been talking to.

[C]

Giving a little Australia.

[B]

You know, I. Sometimes I like to just open my mouth. So.

[C]

So we're meeting Cormac's father, King Morvin of a Velon.

[B]

Ugh.

[C]

It seems that they have both come to plead their cases before their gods.

[B]

Like, we're bad daddies. We're daddies of baddies, but we're not bad daddies. But we are bad daddies. But we didn't know we were daddies of bad.

[C]

See, in the Asteris mind, they're technically the good ones. The Sons are bad for affecting, but we see them as they're bad. The Sons are good perspective. Wow. No one thinks they're the villain. That's not true. I think some people definitely think.

[B]

Yeah. And I think they, like, kind of get off that they're the villain.

[C]

But, like, that's what I. That's what I've heard. But. So they're there. They've been brought before the Asteri because both Run and Cormac have been charged with treason and perfidy. Did daddies know? This is the question the Asteris have. Did you know what your sons were doing to this court?

[B]

How bad are the daddies?

[C]

How could they have not? You know?

[B]

But also, we did know that these baddies didn't like their daddies. So we would assume.

[C]

But they have to prove. That's the hysteria. Prove that Lydia watches as a starry whom she calls parasites in her mind Grill Morven. How could he have not known? King Morvin, however, is more than happy to throw his deceased son under the bus.

[B]

Well, I mean, it's easier to throw a corpse and to throw a live one.

[C]

It's true. Very easy. Had Morvan known, he would have handed him over to the asterisk throne your leisure sees. I would have gladly handed them to. I would never betray the Asteri. Ugh.

[B]

Just like on your little gravel knees, ain't you? Piece of garbage.

[C]

Yeah, they're cowards. You know that. Hesperius, the evening star is in the form of a blonde nymph. She scoffs and suggests, then there must be some sort of rot in your kingdom, King Morven. And they're also next to them is Polaris, the North Star, who is not a star. Not a star. Not in my book. Wearing the body of a white Winged, dark skinned female angel. She reminds Morvin that Cormac set himself on fire trying to burn them all. So, you know, it's like they're kind of being like the. You didn't know any of this was happening.

[B]

Pretty sure you did.

[C]

As if the hysteria could ever burn anyway. Like, please, like, go ahead. It's not like it would matter.

[B]

It's all he had. That's all he had. He had to do something.

[C]

I think that she's protesting too much, acting like you could never hurt us. So it's stupid.

[B]

He did it.

[C]

Yeah. Lydia thinks about how there's a legend that the Asteri can't penetrate the mistake nests of Avelin, an island, if you'll recall, that is always cloaked in a mysterious heavy fog. So there's a lot of mystery and intrigue surrounding the island of Avalon, which is where Cormac and his father were ruling.

[B]

And I do also feel like, you know, the Asteris been very busy because, like, I feel like if they knew there was this really cool place, presumably that is covered in a fog that they can't get through, I'm pretty sure they would be like, like imma bust your fog wide open.

[C]

Counterpoint, though, if they're not sure what it is, or they can sense that it would be like an. A foe to them, they don't want to show weakness.

[B]

And maybe they ignore it because, like, if they. If they pretend like it doesn't exist.

[C]

Yeah, whatever, over there. I don't. It doesn't bother me.

[B]

But also it's like you're really like Morvin. You really could be helping out, though. Like you really could be building something and helping people.

[C]

Some people just want to be. They want to be selfish, they want to be bad.

[B]

There's. Maybe he's just drawn that way. Whoa.

[C]

He's got big tits.

[B]

Big tits on him.

[C]

So. So they can't either. It's cloaked in this mysterious fog. Lydia's not sure if this legend is true. Apparently no one really knows, or if the hysteria have even ever tested this. This lore about whether or not they can get through the mistake. And then this area turned to the Autumn King addressing him by his name, Einar.

[B]

Is that why we never knew your name? Not because we knew it like, linked into something, but because it was so stupid that you didn't want anyone to know because you knew we were gonna make fun of your ass.

[C]

Yeah. It's interesting. It's mentioned in House of Sky and Breath once, but no one really uses it. And Maybe it's just because it sounds

[B]

like I know what you are.

[C]

A loser.

[B]

That's what I would say.

[C]

Yeah. In school, that probably is what happened.

[B]

Yeah. It's.

[C]

Why in the Degrassi of Crescent City,

[B]

obviously you don't want the name Betty either. Because everyone's like, sweaty Betty. Sweaty Betty.

[C]

I mean, it's every name.

[B]

What did you have with Natalie?

[C]

Fatally. Nerdily.

[B]

Those are stupid.

[C]

How dare you.

[B]

Big laugh. Huge laugh from the back. Huge, badly. And Nerdily got a laugh.

[C]

I was called a great many names that were much worse than that.

[B]

Nerdly. Nerdily is such a. It's also such a stretch. It's like. Oh, screw nerdly. All right, great. It was.

[C]

It was nicer than some of the other names, so I'll take it.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

You didn't get any.

[B]

I mean, I. No, I just. Straight. Just call. I was just called the usual. I was just called the Diesel. Yeah. And just called regular fat. But it just. Yeah, regular fat. Regular fat. And I accepted it. I said, thank God. I'm just regular fat. Oh, thank God. Oh, thank God.

[C]

So, yes, he's I n. And they are asking him, what did he know. He.

[B]

Of course.

[C]

He's like, hold my elixir, King Morvin.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

I've thrown both of my children under the bus.

[B]

Oh, yeah. Because he's like, oh, my children. Those aren't mine. I don't claim them.

[C]

He does. He disowns them. And he said, oh, those aren't my children anymore. They're disgusting.

[B]

Good for you. Do you feel better, Autumn King?

[C]

I know. He tells them he tried to clamp down on Rune, but he had become influenced by his sister, who, by the way, is 50 years younger than him. But I guess it's her fault.

[B]

Also very interesting, too. That's like. It's like in any way. He's not going to say it in a positive way at all of like, oh, because she's so power. Because she's more powerful than.

[C]

Yeah. Never.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Never acknowledge that. No. Just because of her wiles and her. Of her ovulation.

[B]

Because you can tell Autumn King obviously hates women he doesn't like. He doesn't like anybody. But, you know, he especially dislikes contempt for women. And I'm sure, God, it just. Oh. Grinds his gears that her power is

[C]

the same as his. Yes.

[B]

And he knows it. Oh, must upset him.

[C]

Yeah. Well, he says I denounce them both. A wave of his hand. Okay. By the way, did my daughter to go to some other dimension or something. Because they don't know what really happened to Brace. Nobody does.

[B]

They don't know where she went.

[C]

Octarius, the Southern star, sneers and asks whether he even cares where his son is. You didn't seem to ask about him. The Autumn King says he already knows where his son is. However, Lydia wills her heartbeat to remain steady. Just the thought of Rune, because as far as we know, she did maybe actually have feelings for him. So in this moment, she has to master. She's mastered so much of her. Even her like, autonomic system knows to regulate what signs would betray her true feelings to others. So she's like managing her heart rate,

[B]

which also does go to show she's been a double agent for a minute. I feel like having that kind of mastery. And also we do know that Lydia is vicious. So it's not like, oh, she, it's like, oh, she's morally great. It's like, nah, this is she dark. Like, I, I feel like it's like. I guess it is. I feel like it's far past the morally gray aspect of this. Well, I.

[C]

You could say that about a lot of characters in fantasy because they end up killing a lot of. Lot of people. Like everyone has killed a lot of people in this book. And we. What we can say about where she could go into the morally gray world is like, we learned that at the beginning when she pushed Sophie off the boat. She tried to save her, but she had to make it appear like she killed her to say. To keep the facade going to. In order to try to take the asteri down.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So that's that. That area where it's like, like she did kind of try to save her. She definitely could have made her death torture and she didn't. You know what I mean? So it's like, it's those like, impossible choices that make the morally gray characters interesting. Because you put yourself in that position. You don't. What would you do? Like, how would you hand. What would you do? You don't know?

[B]

No, but you do know you need to keep actual, like manipulative calm over yourself at all times, especially when hearing upsetting things.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

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[C]

So this is now discussing what what is happening to run right now. We don't learn exactly what the Autumn King knows just yet, though something he doesn't seem to know at all is that Bryce has left the planet. When the Asteri lazily mentioned that she is no longer on Midgard. Lydia watches the Autumn King attempt to appear low key. Like oh yeah.

[B]

Oh yeah.

[A]

Really?

[C]

The I don't care.

[B]

Boring. Wow. But like, where'd you go? But like also like what?

[C]

I don't care about this thing. I've studied for hundreds of years. Lydia thinks about how the only known other place people are able to leave Midgard for is Hell through the Northern Rift. So it appears she's also unsure of where Bryce has ended up. It seems like nobody knows where Bryce went. They just have to kind of hope for the best. The Asteris shut down further questions by saying they will not discuss what happened to Bryce. Couldn't be that. They also don't know. I'm sure.

[B]

No.

[C]

They dismiss the two kings, warning them to keep their traps shut about everything they've heard here or they will be eliminated. They both scuttle out of the room. Lydia steels herself as the Asteris attention turns to her and Pollux. They command them to rise and ask them of any updates on the quote, interrogation.

[B]

Maybe they're feather interrogations. Maybe they're with. Yeah, it's like tickle. It's a tickle tinkle.

[C]

Maybe that's what it is.

[B]

They give them STIs. They say, now you try to piss, give them craps.

[C]

Yep. Lydia becomes the hind in this moment and she, you know, she's projecting outward to the Asteri and tells them that Rune and Hunt will require time to break. Oh, that doesn't sound good.

[B]

No.

[C]

They also ask her about the Hellhound, AKA Vaccian. And Lydia again tells them that she will get the answers they need in time from them. So we've also learned that Vaccian seems to have been the mate of Danika and also a Double agent.

[B]

Which is why member of the whole last book, you're just like, what is. Because it's like Hind gives not a sniff of nothing. A Baxian.

[C]

He was. She was showing weird video games with you.

[B]

Yeah, it's like. And like asking Hunt how he is,

[C]

and they kept showing up and, like,

[B]

helping, helping, and so they didn't know. So it's because he was in love. He was in love with the spy himself.

[C]

He was mated. Oh.

[B]

But also it's like. Like, man, I know we're never going to, but it would be fascinating to get a novella of, like, we might. Who knows, Danika getting into the world of spying and then like, her falling in love with Baxian and all of that. You're right. We don't know.

[C]

Maybe we will.

[B]

So I'll call my daddy. SJM Call my daddy and put. You'll put you on our podcast. I'll call it Call my daddy. It'll be like, I can't. He's dead. S.J.M. i can't. Will you then tell me about what's gonna happen in the books? And then I'll use it like that.

[C]

Oh, yeah, you use it.

[B]

My grief. I'll use. Like that. Yes. Don't you want to tell me what happens to what you're gonna do?

[C]

It's my daddy. So great. I love. I think it's a great plan, Jackie. So she. She tells them that she's going to get information out of the gentlemen who are somewhere, as you always do.

[B]

Rigel is said. Said, gaze dipping to her silver collar.

[C]

We give you leave to do your finest work, Hind.

[B]

Ew. You love being a teenage boy, you creep. Ew.

[C]

I mean, if I were to have to be one, I would want to be a twink. Like, a mean.

[B]

I. Yeah, I get. I guess I. Yeah, I guess if you want. If you have to be a mean person. That's not true. You know, I. I'd want to be a big bosomed scary bit. Like, I'd want to be like, I'm

[C]

saying, if you had to be a teenager.

[B]

Oh, if I had teenage boy. Yeah, I guess if I had to be a teenage boy. Yes. I don't know, man. I think I'd choose. Like, I think I'd rather live life as a raccoon. Like, I think I'd rather choice and just be like, put me in the trash. I've got little hands already.

[C]

Just throw that in. There's not an option.

[B]

Come on, let me in your trash, Dadley.

[C]

I can't Keep you out of it.

[B]

I try that, man. Natalie gets up every day and she goes get. Get clatter, clatter, clatter out of the trash.

[C]

So. So they are dismissed from the room. And as Pollux in. In the hind walk down the magically repaired antechamber in the hall that leads to the throne room, Lydia reflects on the past few days and all that has occurred. She looks out the windows as the duo passes by them and out at the Eternal City and the seven hills on the landscape. She thinks about how this is the place where Hunt and Shahar held their battle, and that is now where the new mech suits are being stored. Almost as a You.

[B]

Yikes.

[C]

So we hear the new mech suits. It turns out that all of the work that came from last book was for. Not because the Asteri weren't being fully transparent about the. They. They kind of.

[B]

The bad guys weren't being fully transparent. That sounds like a bad guy thing to do.

[C]

Yep. They anticipated and so they hadn't. The. The Rebellion had not succeeded in destroying all of the Asteris new tech. In fact, in secret, the Asteri had created suits that didn't even need a pilot and could only it could be operated by, like. What's it called? Remotely. It's interesting, by the way, I just found this fascinating that the Eternal City is definitely, at least in part, based on Rome. And there's this ancient part of Rome called Palatine Hill, which is like, you should go see that if you ever get to go to Rome. Of like, it's right next to the Coliseum. And I kind of think it's a million times more interesting than going to the Coliseum.

[B]

Take.

[C]

But there's this place called Palatine Hill, which is the. It's like an ancient part of Rome, and it sits in the center of the seven hills of Rome, which is kind of what they're talking about in the Eternal City. And the. The word Palatine sounds a lot like Palantir. Who are the ones who are making drone technology right now in our world? And it's just very interesting. And I know that that's a reference to Lord of the Rings, but it's just really fascinating that in the books they're, you know, referencing this Palatine Hill kind of place, and that's where they're making drones. They're making just. I don't think that Mass was referencing that, but I just couldn't help see the parallel. And I wanted to mention.

[B]

I don't like any of it. Natalie.

[C]

No, it's not great.

[B]

Natalie. You're just introducing us. You're gonna take us to the torture chambers? Yep.

[C]

It's only gonna get so Lydia feels a sense of failure because she was trying to help Opian destroy these mech suits, and she didn't even realize they had these much scarier ones. And so she is like, I, this sucks. I've up everything. But she knows she must continue to endure all of this because it's. She's too far in. It's too late. She has to keep trying till she dies. Essentially, she and Pollux enter an elevator and descend to the level in the building just above where the 1, 000 mystics lay who serve the Asteris needs. Just like the ones in the astronomers building. But instead of three, there is a thousand.

[B]

Whoa. That's a lot of mystics.

[C]

Lydia knows that all 1,000 of them have been tasked with seeking out Bryce. Like the employees looking for the golden ticket for Veruca Salt, they don't get any bonus. I don't think if they find any chocolate, it. Nothing. I don't think so. So right now, all of those mystics are seeking out wherever Bryce went, which is to say the Asteri do not seem to know what happened.

[B]

No.

[C]

That makes Lydia question also whether it was hell where Bryce really went. Because if that was the case, why would they need all these mystics? So she's somewhere else in the universe, apparently.

[B]

And they can't find her.

[C]

They don't know where she is. As they depart the elevators, we see that they have journeyed to the dungeons, because, of course, they did. We're immediately overwhelmed by screams and an industrial horrorscape. Pollux asks if Lydia is keeping these males alive to act as bait. To bring, quote that back. AKA Bryce. We could only assume. Assume he means. Means, are you keeping Rune and Hunt alive to keep that as bait? We find out moments later, as Lydia enters a cell.

[B]

She stalked down the exposed steps into the heart of the chamber, where three males hung from gorse and shackles in the center of the room. Blood pooled beneath them, dribbling into the grate below their bare feet. She shut down every part of her that felt, that breathed. Athalar and Baxian dangled unconscious from the ceiling, their torsos patchworks of scars and burns, and their backs.

[C]

Oh, no. We knew it was gonna happen. But yeah.

[B]

Guys, the problem is that I don't know if it is. It's gotta be for everybody. It pulls me back to Throne of Glass.

[C]

Oh, yeah. Throne of Glass.

[B]

All of this.

[C]

I almost think Throne of Glasses is worse with the torture.

[B]

I do think so. I, I, I, I think you are completely correct, actually, Natalie. Truly. I want to reread Throne of Glass. I'm so upset already about having to re. Experience what happens in that book, that that is actually what has kept me from reading it again, even though I think it might be, like, my favorite series.

[C]

Well, also, you have to dedicate. You're giving. You have to dedicate a chunk of time.

[B]

A chunk of time. Start the series over a chunk of time. But I think you are correct. But I do feel that SJM wrote that so she could. Like, that she walked that so she could run this. Because this is. I, I do feel it's like it's multiplied because it's multiple people.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And.

[C]

God.

[B]

Sorry. I'm just thinking about Rowan and thinking about everything. Oh, my God. I just remember every day Jeff would come home from work as I'm sobbing, and I'm like, he's gonna find her. He's going to find her.

[C]

Jeff just, like, slowly closes the door.

[B]

Okay. All right. Okay.

[C]

Yeah. I, I wonder if we're gonna get more torture scenes in the new books.

[B]

I, the problem is SJM is really good at writing them.

[C]

I don't want to see Rhysanda.

[B]

I can't. I can't.

[C]

Because there was already that one. We can't. I'm not gonna spoil anything, but.

[B]

And their backs. You know, it's bad.

[C]

It's their wings.

[B]

It's their wings, and they're not there anymore.

[C]

Buckle up, guys. We're not going to go into crazy detail, but.

[B]

Right. Thank you, Natalie. I was gonna ask. I was like, I hope that we do kind of clip past some of this. I mean, we're.

[C]

Yeah. We're not gonna, we're not gonna be like. And then they did this slowly, but we have. We're in a torture dungeon.

[B]

I can't skip pictures when he's looking at Bryce and all the pictures.

[C]

That was the. We're not. At least they're not doing that this time.

[B]

I know. I know they're not, but it's just.

[C]

It's much worse in many ways. But so be forewarned. We're gonna be talking about a torture dungeon a lot. Lydia is struck with nausea as she observes the two angels. Bloody, mutilated backs where their wings once were. Their Gorzian shackles keep them from healing, keeping them alive, but tormenting them with pain. She can't bear to look at the other male suspended by chains in the room.

[B]

Leather whispered over stone and Lydia dove deep within herself as Pollux's whip cracked. It snapped against Athelar's raw, bloody back and the umbra mortis jolted, swaying on his chains.

[C]

I Just like that. I. The. The concept of that. She dove deep within herself. Which is like that sort of dissociation that you have to go.

[B]

Trauma. Yes. And of. Of what unfortunately, a lot of us have dealt with in different kind of ways.

[C]

Yeah. So Pollux demands them to wake up from their semi conscious haze. Hunt, freshly re haloed, bleeding and battered, opens his eyes. But he smiles at Pollux, refusing to let him see his anguish. Morning, sunshine. He taunts the hammer with bloody teeth.

[B]

A soft broken rasp of a laugh sounded to Athelar's right. And though she knew it was folly, Lydia looked. Rune Dannon, Crown Prince of the Valbaran Fae, was staring at her.

[C]

Were you being him? You just stared at me when you said it.

[B]

Lydia, you. He's not though. He's not. He knows. No.

[C]

He hates her. Right?

[B]

I know he hates her right now, Natalie. I remember.

[A]

I know.

[B]

It's a part of the torture. Natalie. I know. I know that he hates her. I know he can't trust her. I know that he hates her. And he'll never forgive. He'll never forgive what she's done and who she is.

[C]

But he might not. We don't know. He is a fright. His piercings have been ripped out.

[B]

Ow.

[C]

His chest is covered in lashes and bruises. He looks at her with disdain. She tries reaching him through her mind. Night. She hasn't had any luck. We know from the last book that he has locked her out, refusing her pleas after they were taken from the room where the harpy met her maker. Pollux's phone rings and he begins a call with more to offer while they stand in the room. Who the. The Mordoch and his wolves have taken their own mission out trying to find Bryce to punish her.

[B]

Keep sniffing dogs.

[C]

Yeah, keep trying. Idiots. Though Lydia was the one who killed the Harpy, the narrative, if you'll recall from the last book, became that Bryce did it so as to keep her disguise up when the others came into the room. So they kind of like masked the fact that Lydia had like un shackled them and stuff like that. And so far, even though Lydia was the one to kill the Harpy, the three men chained up in the room have not revealed the truth. They have not revealed her identity. But she doesn't know why. She can only guess for a moment.

[B]

With Pollux turned away, Lydia let her mask drop. Let Ruhn see her true face, the one that had kissed his soul and shared her own with him. Him. Their very beings. Melding Rune. She pleaded into his mind. Ruhn. But the fey prince did not answer. The hate in his eyes did not lessen. So Lydia donned her hind's mask once again. And as Pollux pocketed his phone and angled his whip anew, the hind ordered the hammer in a low, lifeless voice that had been her shield for so long. Now.

[C]

Get the barbed wire instead.

[B]

Yikes. Jesus. Jesus.

[C]

Lydia.

[B]

No.

[C]

Don't fall apart yet. You barely even got into this.

[B]

Sadly, we're not even in the first chapter. Natalie. Nope.

[C]

No, it's not going. Things are not well.

[B]

Don't make us read it. Natalie. Don't. Please, Natalie. Don't.

[C]

I'm the Hind. I'm here to torture.

[B]

That why you dress as the Hind up top? Because you're doing this to all of us with your torque abilities.

[C]

Yeah, I did want to use my. I just did want to show my torque.

[B]

It's a good torque. It's a. What is it? Children's hands. It's a children's hands. Oh, is it children's hand? Yes.

[C]

Makes it sound like it's a sweatshirt shop. Well, you know, it's not. She. She is a one. It's a small business.

[B]

I apologize, children.

[C]

It's a good.

[B]

It's a good business. It's not called child's hands.

[C]

So then, from there, in that world that we've just left, we're le. We're going away from the torture dungeon. It's not. It's not seeming like it's going well for anybody.

[B]

No.

[C]

But we begin part one of the House of Flame and Shadow the drop. And now we're sailing far, far away from Midgard to a place Bryce only knows as the place she was dumped out by the portal.

[B]

Oh, my God. What if that song was written about all of this? Because Come Sail Away is about aliens coming down, and so maybe that's what she thinks. All of this is. Is just by the sticks.

[C]

That is definitely a thought.

[B]

She's karaoke. It real.

[C]

Wow. Okay. That's. Yeah. Not a song that I would think of.

[B]

I don't think that's what's happening.

[C]

So now. Oh, because I wrote Sailing.

[B]

You wrote the. How dare you write the word sale in front of me? Natalie. It's like when someone does something horsely and asking me not to name. Every diamond. Jackie's Book Club. If someone said something horsely, I usually. Nay.

[C]

I thought you just Meant if somebody's voice was scratchy, you'd start naying at them, which is pretty rude.

[B]

It's very rude. Horse. Horse face. Jesus.

[C]

And now we're here in this other place where we last left Bryce. She was in this beautiful manor by a river where people seem to move freely, unafraid. Now we find her in some sort of cell. She knows she's beneath a mountain, but little else. Across from her stand three people who we briefly met last book. A small Fae being wearing gray silk

[B]

or maybe black velvet or black velvet. Thank you.

[C]

Because Jackie's dressed like.

[B]

Thank you. Thank you. That's who. I didn't have any gray silk, but I did have some black velvet, so. Thank you.

[C]

Y and two winged males in what appear to be scaled battle armor. One of them is the beautiful male who looked so much like Ruhn that she mistook him for her brother at first. In the last book.

[B]

Fascinating.

[C]

She sees that there is a mist of what looks like the night sky that seems to dance around him. She has taken this male as the leader. Resond, he told her is his name.

[B]

And she would be right.

[C]

It feels too much like a coincidence to have ended up somewhere with Rune's twin. The other winged male with Rizan was the one who had found her originally and carried the blade that interacted so strangely with the star Sword.

[B]

A shadow Daddy from a different time.

[C]

The small one with strikingly silver eyes. Whoa. Straight lasers.

[B]

Thank you.

[C]

Thank you. The is the one who recognized the language that Bryce had been speaking. The language of the old Fay.

[B]

Not that I'm old. I'm very young. But I'm very old. But I'm very young.

[C]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure your character is very old, but like, looks. Yeah. So the being had seemed shocked that she was speaking this language and told Bryce that the language had not been spoken on their planet for over 10,000 years.

[B]

Thousands of years.

[C]

This little Fay could understand it, however. Is that what it sound like?

[B]

Yeah, that is what it sounded like. Oh.

[C]

Oh.

[B]

Thousands of years that bleep blop has not been

[C]

bleep blop. Is that like racist against aliens?

[B]

Oh, I'm sorry. Aliens. Hashtag. Not all aliens. Bleep blop.

[C]

Okay, so. So could Resond understand this language because he is perfect and he's never done anything wrong. The small one reiterates what they have established that her name is Bryce Quinlan and that she's come from Midgard. She asks Bryce why she's come here. Bryce is still in a state of shock. And despair. She looks around the room. While this is clearly a holding cell, she. As she's looking around, she doesn't see instruments of torture. It's just sort of this barren room. Only a large grate is in the center of the floor in a chair. She does suspiciously hear sounds like that sound like hissing coming from the grates though. So that's not. That's not a good sign. She doesn't answer their questions. Instead she asks, what world is this? It's clear they haven't been together very long.

[B]

We kind of. We jump right back in.

[C]

Yeah. This is. This is like moments after where the last left the book left off. They haven't accomplished a lot of information. She is still like. Like gathering her. Like she's getting her bearings.

[B]

She.

[C]

She's in shock. She is so. Like she had to leave Haunt and Rune. She is in like utter despair right now.

[B]

Yeah. She was in the middle of battle. You know. It's like that's.

[C]

It's.

[B]

That's crazy.

[C]

So she asks them what world she's in. Bryce recalls Rizan taking her hand and teleporting them both to this room moments ago, where now the three are facing off against her as she sits in the only chair in the room. An interrogation chair, no doubt. Bryce and the small Fay lob questions at one another, neither wanting to give away personal information. She asks Bryce why she's covered in blood. And Bryce takes a moment to register that she is still in fact drenched in the harpy's blood. And her panic rises. Reality hits her again. That her mate and her brother are somewhere that is unsafe and that she can't protect them.

[B]

The walls and ceiling pushed in, squeezing the air from her lungs. Rizond lifted a broad hand wreathed in stars.

[C]

We won't harm you.

[B]

Bryce found the rest of the sentence lurking within the dense shadows around him. If you don't try to harm us.

[C]

The questions begin again. And so she's kind of getting a sense that they're immediately not becoming like brutes. But the threat is there.

[B]

Right. But she's not like shackled up. Like she's not. Like they weren't immediately like. Like her. Right.

[C]

Male handling. Yeah. So the questions begin again. How do you know this language? Where did you get the sword? Why did you come here? She mostly only has more questions to throw back. They're both kind of playing this game of not wanting to reveal too much. She gives them a sort of truth. That the star sword is a family heirloom that our ancestors are said to have brought it 15,000 years ago. She says it pointedly. Just so happens, as long ago as the small one tells her, no one has spoken the language on their planet. She worries that they will learn about the horn and her powers. So she tries to deflect from anything that would implicate her. Her. When the powerful Rizan firmly asks her how she traveled to their planet, she tells him that there are portals in her world. And she thought they only sent people to a planet called hell, but for some reason this one sent her here. She intentionally sort of stumbles over her words, letting them assume she is a bimbo of sorts. She tells them that her friend bet that he could send her to hell, but instead she ended up here.

[B]

She then reveals as you're covered in blood.

[C]

It's just like.

[B]

Yeah, we're just like. It's crazy. It was just like a bet. Yeah.

[C]

Yeah. No, this is. This is punch. This is Hawaiian Punch.

[B]

Bryce, you can lie a lot, but maybe right now you should have thought about it. You didn't forethink this because you didn't know that this could happen. And that's okay. But I. I do feel like part of Bryce can't handle at all something that's outside of her power. And so I imagine she's freaking out.

[C]

Yeah, she's. She's kind of trying to figure out what she should say and how much she should say because she wants information from them also. She then reveals that there is a prophecy that the Star Sword is to unite with a blade to bring the fae people together again. And maybe that's why the portals sent her to this place. That's perhaps a little too much info. But she blurts it out. Anything to get them to look away from the magic that she holds. Rizan accuses her of lying. She bats her eyelashes in the Bryce way. What do you mean, just a girl? I know why. She feels. Rizan's wrath grow and her temper returns. Tells him that her mate and brother were just taken captive by some kind of quote, intergalactic parasites. And she doesn't have time for their 20 questions. Rizond looks to the other winged hunk in the room and Hunk nods to reason.

[B]

Even just knowing that as is close, just. Oh God, I'm all percolated like a little cappuccino over here.

[C]

Yeah. She doesn't even think this other guy can understand her words. But he sees, seems to sign off to resonde that she's telling the truth to them as though he can gauge her body language. The small female demands Rhys look into her mind to determine the rest. Bryce's heart begins to race. He could enter minds.

[B]

She's screwed.

[C]

Her eyes dart around the room because she's preparing. Oh, Ruizan can go into my brain. What do I do? I need something, anything to cause a distraction. Any way for me to get out of this room.

[B]

Room.

[C]

But then Rizan's voice enters her brain, nearly makes her jump out of her skin. He tells her that he doesn't enter where he isn't willingly invited because he's perfect.

[B]

Oh my God, because he is perfect. And that's also. It's like such a hot thing to say. Even though it's like God, he's just so like ass backwards. Like he really. It's just like so. It's so hot. Hot.

[C]

So hot.

[B]

So hot. Oh, it's so hot. Where he isn't willingly invited.

[C]

He asks if he may look at her memories. She says no you may not. King, he says. Carry on with the interrogation. He snaps and three chairs appear for them to sit across from her.

[B]

He sank gracefully onto one, crossing an ankle over a knee, the epitome of Fae beauty and Eric arrogance. He glanced up at his companions.

[C]

Azriel.

[B]

He motioned lazily to the male, then to the female. Amren, I'm here. I'm here. Look at my talk. Different talk than your talk. This talk is horny.

[C]

Don't. Don't pull a muscle.

[B]

Yeah, that would even I'm living a torque, especially as Amaran man. You know Amin Amron. She good at it.

[C]

She gets wild good at it. He asks her again about the sword. She reveals to the room the three that it's alleged to have been brought to her planet by either Prince Pelias or Queen Thea. The tale changes in her world. We've learned this lore a little bit, but I'll give you a brief reminder a minute she sees Amren intake her breath sharply. She quietly asks Amron if she's heard these names. Amren tells her with some amount of shock in her voice that like the language, no one has spoken those names here in this planet a long, long time.

[B]

Long time.

[C]

Then Bryce is shook when Aaron tells her that they, those people, those names she just named once lived on this planet. Bryce is shook. And yet this makes sense to Bryce voice. A piece of this puzzle falls into place. She decides to vocalize her belief to the trio that this planet is where her kind, the Fae originated.

[B]

Oh, they get to Midgard. Natalie.

[C]

Well, we've heard a little bit about it and she's kind of the. Kind of confirming what rumors have been laid out, which also were the rumors

[B]

that were laid out at the end of the last book. And now this is like out the gate. The immediate confirmation of it.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And I like. Because there was like, you know, we had the whole countdown to the book of what? Like, are they going to immediately end the. I was surprised that she confirmed it as fast. But also it's like. Because there's so much other in this book that it's like. Yeah, okay. Yeah. It's different type beards. Yeah. You thought that one was far in the future, but no, actually that one was far in the future. And bam. You just got masked. Yeah, man.

[C]

So Azreal and Raan seem confused by this line of thinking. They clearly have never heard lore about their kind traveling to another planet. But not Amen. She doesn't seem confused. Ran raises an eyebrow at her. Share with the class. Amen. Aaron seems to have existed for quite some time longer than the others.

[B]

Let me tell you a story.

[C]

She tells them she remembers strange tales of people, large groups of people disappearing at once when she quote, got out. Which we don't know in this series, but we know from Acotar. Not this isn't a spoiler that she was in prison.

[B]

I'm a bad girl.

[C]

Yep. Live love after lockup.

[B]

Yes. Oh, maybe that's where it originated With Amaran.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And she was just like this. We need to take back the narrative. Okay.

[C]

Yep.

[B]

Cons. Love too.

[C]

That's. That's right. Rehabilitation. So.

[B]

And they're not getting in the penal system. No, no.

[C]

They need to get it in the pen. So the people of your planet. The people of this planet don't seem to know where these people went. And many folk tales sprung up over the many years. Bryce excitedly begins to spout off what she thinks happened, but Amren cuts her off. They are not interested in this right now. They want to know why Bryce ended up here. Bryce hesitates.

[B]

Hates.

[C]

She knows that even though these beings are hot and are being relatively nice to her right now, that the Fae are wily, tricky people. She won't make the mistake to over reveal too much, but then immediately does.

[B]

Because you really can't trust the world of the Fae. It is fascinating too that in so many lores and so many other uses of the world, a world of the Fae, how they do incorporate like. Like the Trixia side of the Fae. And I find it fascinating that SJM doesn't really like only in moments.

[C]

Yeah. Like the thing about having like, making sure your bargains are like, spoken properly.

[B]

Yes, exactly. So that there's no loopholes or anything like that. But it is. It is fascinating the way in which she plays with the tricksiness of the world of the Fae. So maybe it's just because I was rereading Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell and that. That that world of the Fae is very different than this world of the Fae.

[C]

So this is again, they want to know how and why she ended up here. When silence greets the room, Rizan leans forward, smiling. I'm not going to torture you. I'm not going to pry into your mind. But I'm also not letting you out until you time.

[B]

God. Oh, and you're just such a beautiful, slippery little eel.

[C]

Yes, I am. She snaps that she'll tell her friends. Well, she's like, well great. I'll tell my friends about this great vacation spot then. Because now she's being a little Bryce being sassy. Smirking, Resond asks if any other people are expected to arrive on their planet. She tells them truthfully that she doesn't think so. They ask again about the intergalactic parasites that Bryce mentioned and she stops herself from explaining what if they know of them and are just going to turn her over for some kind of favor? Rezan studies her. Then he snaps his fingers and her clothing and skin are clean. She can feel some sort of residue there, but the blood is gone. He tells her this is some incentive to show you we can play ball, tell us some information.

[B]

But times like that I would have been like, really would have loved a bath.

[C]

Yeah. Could I get like a massage?

[B]

It would have been, yeah, great to just take a moment after all this to take a bath. But I do appreciate the cleanliness.

[C]

Yeah, I'd be glad the blood was off of me.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

She decides to carefully give a half truth once again. She tells him some of what the Asteri are as she knows them to be, how they are ancient and that they showed up at Midgard 15, 000 years ago. She doesn't know why or how. She reveals that their history seems to be muddled with to fit the Asteris whims. So essentially saying this, the history was rewritten in the the image of the Asteri, the way the Asteri want people to know the history of Midgard. She explains a little of what they'd gleaned from her exploration into Dusk's truth. They found Midgard. The Asteri found Midgard and brought all kinds of species There to be used as their personal grocery store. So they just like Midgard became this place where all these veneer were placed so that they could suck suck on them.

[B]

Suck that power out.

[C]

But she tells them the story of the Asteri want the people to believe is that they are gods who have come and blessed Midgard with a heaven like existence. So the veneer there don't know that they came from other places. Essentially, she decides to reveal the lore also behind First Light and explains the drop and how they hand over some of their power to the Asteri. She can't bring herself to talk about Second Light in the way that death works there. She tells them that she has discovered that the Asteri have decimated countless planets in their endless hunger and greed. And she found that only three planets have managed to push back out the Asteri hell. A planet called Ifraxia, which is a world occupied by Fay and the planet of the original Starborn Fae. So in other words, this planet, the third planet, Ifraxia is interesting and you have to go wonder what's up with that. I know what the fans think, but we don't know much about it right now. This is just a planet that's brought up a third planet that they have not been able to consume.

[B]

If she's bringing it up, you know there's a reason that is the one thing sjm. Her little sprinkles that she places in. In the same way that she doesn't name someone errantly they. Also, she doesn't name this planet for no reason. Yeah, and at least that's definitely what Book Talk says.

[C]

Yes. Do we need. We don't. I mean, we don't need to go into a deep, long refresher on the tale of of Thea and Pelias. But like very briefly, Bryce conveniently thinks about that tale here.

[B]

The starborn, Thea, their queen, and Pelias, the traitor prince who'd usurped her. Theia had brought two daughters with her into Midgard. Helena, who'd been forced to wed Pelias, and another whose name had been lost to history. Much of the truth about Theia had been lost as well, either through time or the Asteris propaganda. Aidas, prince of the Chasm, had loved her that much. Bryce knew Theia had fought alongside Hel against the Asteri to free Midgard, had been killed by Pelias in the end, her name nearly wiped from all memory. Bryce bore Thea's light. Aidas had confirmed it.

[C]

So that is A lot of info that we couldn't got confirmed at the end of the last book that it turns out Hel was trying to fight alongside Midgard. They aren't the enemies the way the Asteri wants you to think. They were trying to all defeat the Asteri together. I once again want to give a shout out to Yaz the Bookish on socials for their incredible charts and graphs, breaking down all of the info in the sgm.

[B]

Unbelievable work.

[C]

Crazy. They are a true mvp. We use them for our streams. Go follow them because damn. It's like very, very helpful. There's an entire slide about the first wars, the way that all of those things worked out. There's like a timeline of historical events. There's like, like it's. There's different graphs. It's broken down visually. It's very helpful just saying shout out to. Yes. The bookish Bryce Weirley asks them how they accomplished kicking out the Asteri, because again, she's saying you're one of the planets listed, I believe the Starborn Fay planet that was able to push them out.

[B]

So how did you do it?

[C]

Do it? But Rizan insists there is no history record of anyone known as the Asteri. Amren, however, who seems again to be the oldest, contradicts him. It's in our history, Rhysand Amren said gravely. But the Asteri were not known by that name here. They were called the Daglan. If you haven't read Acotar, doesn't mean anything.

[B]

Doesn't mean anything thing. And also, if you have red Acotar and you forgot, don't worry, we'll go over it.

[C]

Yes. So in the books of Acotar, there is a mythical storyline about these ancient mythical.

[B]

Or maybe not so mythical.

[C]

Natalie, known as the Daglin. And many readers had already guessed that the Daglin and the Asteri might be one in the same. And it seems like that's being confirmed right here, or at least considered. However, when Bryce pushes them for more info, they tell her that the stories of the Daglin are so old that much of it is relegated to legend and the legends revolve around them all being dead. Like this is this, like, ancient monster that was, you know, eliminated. But maybe they just moved on. Rizan seems skeptical at Bryce's insistence that they want to come back and exact revenge on this planet after such a long time.

[B]

Hungry, Hungry angel hippos.

[C]

Yeah, and this is more less out of hunger, more out of spite.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, spiteful spiteful.

[C]

Hippos. Yep.

[B]

Well, I don't want to play that game. I imagine there's a lot of. Slaps. Yeah, a lot of slaps with a

[C]

big old rhino foot. So our hippo.

[B]

How dare you. Now, all hippo, please apologize to the hippos.

[C]

None of them are rhinos. Yeah. Sorry to hippopotamuses.

[B]

Natalie. Trying to get us canceled by the hippo community. Yeah, the hip podcasters. Whoa.

[C]

Hippos. Oh, cr. Sick.

[B]

I'm gonna let you sit in it. Not see for a second.

[C]

So, yes, Bryce is telling them that if they are one in the same, they are trying to come back here and exact revenge. Bryson said this, that the hysteria are so ancient that it's like no time has passed to them in 15,000 years. They want to know what resources the Asteri have that they could possibly even

[B]

come back here with.

[C]

And Bryce is struck with the realization that these beings don't know what technology is in the same way and that she has to try to explain it to them. Guns, bombs, war machines. She makes a decision. She holds her hand out and tells Resond to take it. And look at her thoughts.

[B]

It's just easier, girl. Let's just. We gotta get.

[C]

It's hard also you to try to explain these weapons of death. They're just.

[B]

And why anyone would ever create them, you know, in a world where magic exists. How dare you? You create weapons like this?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, yeah.

[C]

So he looks at her for a moment, and then he kind of just disappears. Amren calls this winnowing, but Bryce knows it as teleporting. They ask if she can do it, and she's like, no, I'm not special.

[B]

No.

[C]

Azriel and Amron watch her, and Bryce notes that Azrael also has shadows, but different from reasons she calls them, quote, wilder and like Cormacs, which is interesting. So Asriel's shadows look like cormacs, reappears holding what Amren calls a Veritas orb, again, something that we saw in Acotar. Rizan has another thing in his hand, and he holds out a small silver bean.

[B]

Little bean.

[C]

He hands Bryce the Veritas orb and tells her that what she thinks of will appear in this orb for them to view, sort of like a tv. She takes it and thinks of all the horrible weapons she's seen on her planet on the news, the guns that she's fired herself, and then hands it back to the trio. Rizan basically takes the orb and hits play. And she watches the horror cross their faces, watching all these death machines appear before them.

[B]

She's like, sorry for my peep diary.

[C]

Our planet's really shitty. As the scenes play out in front of them, she names the weapons for them. Omega boats, guns, missiles. The trio try to hide their shock and ask if she believes these aary wish to bring the. These weapons here to their world. Yes. Bryce says as a trio talk amongst themselves through Raan's mind. Speak, apparently, because they're all having silent conversation. Yep. And they're all making gestures like birds.

[B]

I just don't know. For as many books as I read with people that can speak into other people's brains, how do they not show on their faces that they're talking to someone else? I don't know. Like, I. Is it the ADHD in me that I'm just like, how do you have a full. And just be like, I'm just being a girl and. And also calculating. Calculating. Disgusting planning.

[C]

And that's your only issue with it, though. That's it. Just.

[B]

How do you keep it from your face?

[C]

I think you do have to practice it probably sometimes you still can't hide it. You know, Right now they're probably having a very measured conversation, you know, so they're all just.

[B]

Yeah, it's very. Yeah, I think it is purse heavy. And I'm not talking. I think it's lit.

[C]

Purse heavy.

[B]

Yeah, it's big.

[C]

Not where they keep their tampons.

[B]

No. So I feel like Amron keeps her Tamron. Tamrons anywhere she damn well pleases. Sure. And she calls them her tamrons too, because she refuses anyone. She's like, they are named after me. That's how old she is. She was there before tap bombs existed.

[C]

I was thinking more that she was named them after Tamlin.

[B]

Oh. Because. Yeah. He would soak up the blood, wouldn't he?

[C]

Yeah. So Bryce contemplates. As they're talking amongst themselves, Bryce contemplates whether Eard has sent her here to this planet. It that in her desire to end the asteri urge stepped in instead of getting the princess of hell to simply destroy the first light. That to truly destroy these parasites, the fame must be reunited.

[B]

The fame must be reunited.

[C]

When sword and dagger unite. I think sword and nice. When sword and tiger. So were the fake. The fake.

[B]

They do it too. They do it too.

[C]

So she. She is then handed the small bean. The Amron explains if you swallow it, it acts as a translator of sorts. Basically. I know. Please give me that. Basically, you can speak the language being spoken at you if you Swallow it. Bryce considers for a moment whether she should swallow this mystery pill, but says it and swallow, swallows it. She's like, I want to know their language. And if they wanted to kill me, they could probably just like, just cut my head off.

[B]

They would have done it already. So.

[C]

So she swallows it. She feels it sort of like coursing through her body. And then moments later, she feels light explode inside her. It's so intense that she crumples to the floor. After a few seconds, she opens her eyes and sees the three of them staring at her dumbfound. She has realized too late that whatever magic she just swallowed has reacted to her starlight. They haven't tricked her. She realizes she can, in fact, understand their language. Suddenly, their shock at her starlight seems sincere. And a panicked Bryce can only hope that it didn't activate anything in the horn.

[B]

It did. Emran turned to Rhysand and said in that new, strange language. Their language? No,

[C]

the glowing letters inked in her back. They're the same as those in the Book of Breathings. That's from Acotar.

[B]

They must have seen the words through her T shirt when she'd been on the floor. With every breath, the tingling lessened, like the glow was fading. But the damage was already done. They once again assessed her three apex killers contemplating a threat. Then Azrael said in a soft, lethal

[C]

voice, explain or you die.

[B]

Swing, swing, swing, swing.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Goes a trolley. Bing, bing, bing. Those my bell Ezrel. Yeah. I missed him. I missed him.

[C]

I know.

[B]

Mrs. Big. Oh, he swad in shadows. Oh, and he's got a dagger. And it's a truth teller. And, oh, our boys are here. I miss them.

[C]

It seems as though we're going to get some Azriel POV in the upcoming book.

[B]

Oh, yeah. I want to know what goes on inside of the.

[C]

No.

[B]

All right. Love him, Natalie. I love him. I love them. I miss our. I miss our bat boys.

[C]

Well, we're going to see more of them in this book.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Put those feet down, Natalie. Those are extra. Please read up until chapter four for next week.

[C]

Hi, I'm Julianne Moore. I learn a lot from every role, but some things stay with me more than others, like the impact of Alzheimer's disease. It's important to think about brain health now because there's so much we want to do. Acting early to protect brain health may help reduce the risk of dementia from conditions like Alzheimer's disease. Ask your doctor about your risk factors and for a cognitive assessment, learn [e-mail]

[B]

this is a paid partnership with Lily. Tired of overpaying with DirecTV, Dish offers

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