Latest / Fated / We're Finally Ready for Splintered Harmony...ACOTAR Recap Part 2
Transcript
- Tay: Welcome to the podcast where your next favorite story is already written in the stars. April: We're your new book besties, April. Tay: And Tay, here to get your book craving started and satisfied. April: Why? Tay: Because around here it's faded. April: So grab your current read, maybe a cozy drink, and hide your TBR list because today we are discussing books three through five in the Avatar series. Tay: Yes, and y'all to preface, we're gonna say that this is a spoiler filled episode. April: Yeah, obviously we highly do encourage you to read these books if something that you sound like you'd be interested in. If not, feel free to skip this episode and we will be back with something different next week. Tay: And these episodes are merely to catch up the current fans who have read the series and they just need that April: Mm-hmm. Tay: quick refresher before a chord of splintered harmony comes out. April: Yeah. Other than that, if you haven't left yet, we welcome you. Tay: We welcome you to the night court. Or whatever court you want to be a part of. Yes, we do. Night court or nothing. Just kidding. April: Yes. Whatever court, we don't court shame here. That's right. Right. We judge you if you're spring court. Just kidding. Uh-huh. Tay: Yeah, no, no, that's that's a real, especially after our last episode. If y'all got to the end of that episode and were like hardcore Tamlin is our guy, I have April: Ha ha ha. Tay: a good therapy, like therapist I can April: Mm. Tay: send to you and just like they hold your hand and be like, no, no, no. You deserve re-sand love. You don't deserve Tamlin love. April: No, no, no. I know, right? Speaking of which, jumping right into it. So book three, A Court of Wings and Rune. I love this cover. I'm still so sad that they ever changed them, but still love it. We've got mysterious Ferah eyes on the back. If you're watching this on YouTube, we're showing off the two different versions of this book that we have. But Big Batty, King of Highburn, and Prithian are in the thick of war in this book. it literally is a court of wings and rune. And Fayrah, you know, it picks up literally one of my favorite things about SJM is she always like picks her novels up right where they ended. She doesn't do like a you know silly time hop. Tay: Jump ahead. Mm-hmm. April: yeah. And she puts you right back in there. Fayra is back at the spring court and she is there to just mess everything up. And honestly, she does a fabulous job. Tay: She really does. She dismantles it from the inside out. And so much so that she steals Tamlin's bestie. We talked about Lucian April: Yeah. Tay: and him being like a diehard Tamlin. Well, guess what? Him and Farah say blow this popsicle stand and leave together, April: Yeah. Tay: which is incredible. Cause it's like you would never think that he would ever leave Tamlin's side, but that speaks volumes. You're like when he's like, I'm dipping. April: I know. Yeah, it's real bad when your bestie ditches you. And you Tay: Mm-hmm. April: while we're in the spring court, Ianthe is somehow even more detestable than she was before. We have the weirdo twins. I don't even remember their names. In my head, they were just the weirdo twins. So and they are essentially ruling this court kind of out from underneath Tamlin. And you know, you find out Fayra, she temporarily loses her powers because she's been getting dosed with this stuff called Fabane. And she doesn't even really realize it because it's been very like minuscule that they've been doing this to her. But she still does manage to escape with our boy Lucian. And that leads to this epic moment of just like their whole escape is just such like an epic moment in the book. I really enjoyed reading it. Tay: Yeah, it was really I remember being excited for them and April: Mm-hmm. Tay: rooting for them to get out. But she rescues herself, which is really like I love how SJM makes the women in her story not so helpless in that regard. She's like, no, like April: Mm-hmm. Tay: yes, we want our guy to rally, but also too, these women are gonna be self sufficient enough to get it done. And that's what she does. She gets out of there April: seriously the build up to that moment. You're so ready for it because Ferah's, she's like I said, she doesn't have her full powers. She's got just little tidbits. Lucian is spent because he's been taking care of them this whole time. They've had to cross into the winter court and they're being chased by Lucian's maybe evil brother. 'cause at this point, all we really know about him is that he had, you know, essentially, I mean, he abused more. He, you know, dumped her at their Nightcourt border when they were engaged, you had learned this story in Akamath. And you also learn that like he stapled notes to her body So like at this point, we fully believe Lucian's brother is a piece of shit. we fully believe that. And you know what? He may still kind of be that in some regards, but he's attacking them and Pharaoh, one of my favorite parts before our favorite bat boys show up. Is she has this moment, this goes back to SJM really wanting to write strong female characters, is Farah really goes through this like she could hear Cassian in her head kind of being like, What are you doing? Get up. and I really, really love that she has, you know, this training that she's gotten from Cassian and also honestly the whole inner circle that she's having to use in this moment when her powers are no good, because it literally it saves her life. And then when they land and it describes the ice cracking, it's just like chef's kiss, a great moment. Tay: Yeah. And honestly, too, one of the best reuniting scenes, cause our girl gets back with Reese. And let me tell you, it I remember being like, I could envision the scene of them seeing one another. And Reese is April: Mm-hmm. Tay: like, Leave, and everybody leaves the house. And so him and April: Yeah. Tay: Faber can have their reunite. And I'm like, that is what I want. That is honestly. For y'all that haven't read Crescent City, and maybe we should do a whole series on it. April: Mm-hmm. Tay: but I would say that was something that was lacking for me in Crescent City, is like that April: Yeah. Tay: big reunite moment. and that one is one of the best ones. I would say that one, and then April: So good. Tay: Rowan and Aylen April: Mm-hmm. Tay: getting back together. That was also super epic. It was like, my gosh. Because like in that one, he's like, Where's my wife? And that was like a April: Mm. Tay: What do you mean? So reliving those moments for me is so so fun. So once again, if y'all are listening, y'all haven't read these books, please read them because they're just like something about that moment that like I don't know, gives you all the feels, every rom com put together of like them making eyes and being like, Yeah, baby, I missed you. So definitely that was the best April: Yeah. Mm-hmm. So good. It is. I Tay: part. And then two, she really like embraces then at that point that she's high lady of the night court and goes April: Mm-hmm. Tay: all in. She's not there to play. April: Yeah, she goes full in. And, it's literally it's a quarter wings and rune. So they have war happens, rune is happening everywhere. seems like the king of highburn is winning, and really truly they outnumber them significantly. And so our inner circle is trying to work with the other high lords, they're trying to work with the humans, and there's resistance on both sides for different reasons. There's that scene where Azrael just loses it. because of Tamlin insulting Ferah and he's like, that's my high lady. And Tay: Yeah. April: it is such a good moment. So I was like, Az, I need more Azreel because I'm so invested in him. Tay: I think you're about to get fed. I think you're about to get fed all of it, baby. April: We better be. Tay: I'm so excited. I really he is a April: Yeah. Tay: shadow daddy that like all of us need and want to hear more about because I'm like, I need to know. I need to know all about him, especially April: I need to know. Yeah. Tay: too that like he was so willing to defend her honor and they kind of do. They April: Yeah. Tay: go separate, like they all start to like get to the different courts and everything. Lucian makes his way to go do it. And also to y'all, April: Mm-hmm. Tay: Lucian is very willing because we learn. That Miss Elaine is his mate. So, but April: Mm. Tay: Elaine is not doing so well after being in that cauldron. She is having visions April: Yeah. Tay: and like talking like a loony person. So, and she, you know, clearly is not well enough to even understand him or anything. And he's saying, You're my mate, and she's like, What do you mean? April: we will see what all comes out of that. Yeah. We're gonna see what happens Tay: I can't even know my name right now. So and April: in Splintered Harmony because obviously they're probably gonna be a part of that story. because that's definitely a plot thread that has not ended, in my opinion. Yeah. Tay: Yeah, it hasn't been explored really. But it's everybody lives in this bubble of they know. So like they're like April: Mm-hmm. Tay: respectful of Lucian, because it's like, well, yeah, April: Mm-hmm. Tay: that's your mate. But also she has no idea what's going on, bro. So like you have to chill. So like he's like, okay, April: Yeah. Tay: well, I'll just serve the court and do what I need to do and be close by. So if she needs me, I'm here. And and that's kind of the role he just takes on for the rest of the book is really just being an advocate for April: He's kinda like background from there too. Cause he goes off to Tay: Yeah. Yeah, he's really April: he goes off to the other continent, right? To try to find help for them. And we find out Nesta essentially has like you don't really know what it is in Akawar. You're like, maybe it's death magic, maybe it's like you don't really know what she is or what she has going on. And that's on purpose. Tay: Yeah. Yeah. They think she's like an ultimate witch though, because of her cursed finger that is like playing a April: Yeah. Tay: part into it too. They're like, she stole from the from the cauldron, etc. So but she's just April: Mm-hmm. Tay: right now, in in pretty much this whole book, she spends pissed off at the world. and that's her role. I mean, she has an epic moment and we'll time kind of talk about that at the end of the book. But she is just yeah, very much so. She doesn't know how to fight. April: And helpless. She's so helpless too in this book. Tay: She doesn't know how to like, she just she's in the denial phase. So, you know, the five April: Mm-hmm. Tay: stages of grief, she is fully in denial. I am not a fae. This is not happening April: Mm-hmm. Tay: to me. Me and my sister will leave here like completely in denial. That's where she's in Dululu denial land, this whole book. So in April: Mm. Tay: her book, we will get over denial and we have to go through all the other stages, but that she's definitely April: Yeah. Tay: living in right now. so her sisters April: Yeah. Tay: are are going through it. So But Fayra's like, hey, we gotta focus on this war against Hibern. Her and Reese start to go look for the bone carver and the weaver. April: Mm-hmm. Tay: and so the bone carver and the weaver, they actually have a sibling, called Calchi. Kochet. Okay. I April: I think it's Coset, but I could be wrong. I could be wrong. Tay: pronunciation. But y'all you know, so sorry, April: Yeah, so sorry. Tay: y'all. I if I'm butchering it, just give us the actual, like, you know, how to say it phonetically. April: Mm-hmm. Tay: but They are two of those the sibling of Colche. I don't know how to say it. Anyways, April: Mm. Tay: I think we're actually going to find more about that secret sibling April: Mm-hmm. Tay: in this next book. just based on some of the spoiler-like things out there. just couple sentences we've gotten. I was like, okay, so this is gonna play a part into that. And that was something too. And during this reread, I was like, okay, I wanna focus on these characters because I know they're gonna kind of circle back around. April: Mm-hmm. Tay: but the bone carvers in the prison. and I what do you imagine the bone carver looks like? Because I pictured like not like a child, but like like just someone that's like very young, I don't know, a April: okay. So the like the bone carver appears to you as different things, right? So to Reese, the Bone Carver was appearing as Jurian and to Fayra, he's appearing as their future son, as Nyx. And Charlie Bowater, who is one of my most favorite illustrators ever, she did a piece on this and I wish I had it because I have it somewhere. She did a piece of the bone carver and it's a boy, but he's he's like maybe eight or nine. years old and it is a beautiful piece of artwork. I'll have to look it up and show you later because and anybody else listening, please look up Charlie Bowder. Any of her artwork is beautiful. She does the series and so many other series such good justice. But that's ex because of her artwork and I happen to see it. It's like that's what's in my head now. Tay: Such a unique artist because I can usually pick out her art in a room and be like, that's it. Like, that is one of those. So, such a good artwork. I'm gonna have to look that up. I want to see it. the April: That's her. Yeah. She's so good. Yeah. Yeah. Tay: I couldn't, I tried to do the jury and I tried to look, I just for me always was like what Fayra pictured because we get mostly of her POV April: Yeah. Tay: the entire time. So, but I picture like almost like really wicked looking, though, in some ways, like it's a April: Mm-hmm. Tay: Boy, but it's not a boy. I know it's supposed to be resembling ever son, but something wicked. Yeah. Like something like, you know, it's n something's not right here. April: Otherworldly Yeah. 'Cause he is. He is from a different world, which you find out. they're not from this world of Prithian, they're not from here. They've come from Tay: Yeah and April: some other place. And there's lots of fan theories on that. And maybe we'll find out in these next couple of books, kinda more about them, I think. Tay: Yeah. I think one of our favorite scenes now was it in this book or do we skip over it where she meets the weaver for the first time? It is this book, right? Where she rescues her own ring. April: It's an Acamath where she goes to get her ring. Yes. Tay: That she doesn't know, y'all, that's her own ring. She goes to retrieve April: Yeah. Tay: her wedding ring and doesn't know that she's doing that. And then she's just like, April: Yeah. Tay: You had me go in this crazy, wicked witch, nasty weaver's cottage, which I just picture. I think I had a quote or something. It was like a gosh, like a magical hoarder or something like that. And I was like, that's April: Mm-hmm. Tay: exactly what I picture because she walks in this place, and I mean, it is like stacked. floor to ceiling of crap and magical crap that this weaver has collected over time. and Reese, all he gave her instruction wise, is like, you'll just know. Like, bruh, what do you mean? What do you mean? I April: Mm. Exactly. Okay, thanks, bro. Yeah. Tay: have to go in this crazy looking scary lady's cottage and retrieve my own writing ring. But she does. She gets out and she's fine. But she's, April: Yeah. Tay: you know, definitely gives him an ear full about it, which I think is hilarious. April: Yes. Yeah, very. Tay: and also too very n them. It's like an it needed to be something like that. April: Yeah. And we get to meet the new winged people who have the feathers for wings. They're not Tay: Mm-hmm. April: angels, which we know what those are from Crescent City, if you've read. But they make their appearance. They had vanished long ago back from the previous war in Prithian, with their leader and his mate, who you find out is also a human who was turned immortal during that wartime. and they come in because like I said, the inner circle is calling on everybody they can to come and help them fight this war because Highburn is outnumbering them and their long lost father makes this appearance towards the end of the book and he's like, I'm here and he's on these ships and he's bringing back Lucian. And you find out with Lucian is also we have Jurian, but we also have Vasilissa, and I'm sure she's going to play a huge part in the new books too, would be my guess. and we find out that she is cursed by Coshe. so aka the bone carver and Striga the Weaver's sibling. And you find out that we're like the bone carver and Stryga aka the weaver, they're not necessarily evil, but they're also not necessarily good. Tay: Mm-hmm. April: they're both people who are in a sense like dreamers themselves, like the bone carver especially kind of fits in with that whole theme of being a dream a dreamer, but they're they're to me more like these very morally gray characters. They're my husband's, he's read this book. He loves these characters because he's like, they're so just you just don't know what they're gonna do. And so I'm really curious to see what their brother, Coshe, who is described as being straight up just awful, awful, evil, evil in this book by Vasilissa that you're I'm curious what he's gonna be bringing to us in the next in book, six, because I'm curious. And you find out Vasilissa, he was cursed by her. She's like a human queen, isn't it? by night and then a firebird or something like that by day. Like it's very swan like y almost. Tay: Yeah. It is. And I will say, y'all, it's been told to us that this new book is only like three hundred pages. so don't expect to be fed lots because the next book April: No. Tay: is like what, like eight hundred. It's like almost triples April: Yeah. Tay: in the count of pages. So I think she's April: Yeah. Tay: giving us a taste and she's gonna devastate you. to prepare April: Yeah. Tay: you because we're about to go into some really heavy things probably. but yeah, I think there's gonna be a lot of like I think a lot of the past too. So we'll kind of get to see maybe Prith like Prithian as a whole and like getting to this point and all of that, I'm hoping. April: Mm-hmm. Tay: but kicking back to our book, she The sisters, the so the wall ends up coming down. And I remember that Elaine ends up getting kidnapped because the cauldron uses Nesta as a vessel to see where they are. And Elaine gets up getting kidnapped. And one of the themes, y'all, is like I was so frustrated reading this because I'm just like April: Mm-hmm. Tay: Elaine is literally like causing so many issues in some ways because she's so helpless. And having all these visions April: Mm-hmm. Tay: and all the things and saying quirky things and you find out she's like a some type of seer, but she doesn't know how to really tell you what she's seeing. and so you're they're having to like translate all of the things that, you know, okay, like what does this mean? You know, kind of thing. Yeah, how to April: Mm-hmm. Yeah, they're trying to figure out how to help her. Yeah. Tay: help her and get her through this and things, but and then she ends up getting kidnapped and you're just sitting there like, like, what is the purpose April: Yeah. Tay: here? Because like right now it's just frustration all around. I'm like, and now they have to go rescue April: Yeah. Tay: her and all the things. but the I then finishing the book, you kind of see why all of that was occurring and what needed to happen April: Yeah. Tay: to get to that point because they realize that they're stronger together as sisters, and kind of use that in taking down Hibern. April: Mm-hmm. Yeah. And they do. And it's funny to me, like everybody's waiting for this epic moment of like Nesta. You you're so convinced reading this book. Fayra herself is convinced that Nesta is going to kill the King of Hibern because she kind of made that promise when she came out of the cauldron. Like, you know, because of what he did putting Elaine into the cauldron, she's gonna make him pay. But it's actually Elaine herself who ends up stabbing him And she uses Azreel's knife, Shadow Singer, which I think is such a cool thing, anyways. The whole scene is just like, what? as your first time reading it is such a great experience because you don't see it coming. Like you are fully thinking, okay, it's gonna be Nesta, if it's not Nesta, then like Fayra's right there, you know. But then there's Elaine who pops up behind him and saves the day. And of course their father, you know, he does get, you know, by the king of Hibern during all this, which is I think definitely what leads Elaine to do that. but it's great. Like you're here for it. Tay: Yeah. Yeah. And I think honestly too, a lot of the reason why Nesta couldn't ultimately kill Hibern is because Cassian had stepped in and Cassian was like literally about to die. April: Yeah. Tay: and we see why it's so important of why she almost got distracted in a way of like him being hurt. April: Trying to save him. Mm-hmm. Tay: and it was like, okay, like so and then now looking back and having read it, it like, okay, I understand because when you're reading it, you're kinda like she's almost distracted in a way, and you're thinking this girl April: Mm. Tay: who never shows her emotions, who's always very just pissed off of the world, and then all of a sudden is like gone stalemate, and you're like, wait, I thought she was gonna kill this guy. And she doesn't because she's more worried about Cassian, but can't rationalize that in that moment. April: Mm. Tay: and then, you know, our girl Elaine kills the king of Hibern and that was kind of like like, what? Like Elaine April: Mm-hmm. Tay: had that in her, little crazy Elaine. I didn't know she had that in her to kill her, but or kill him. But it was really like kind of like a mic drop moment too, because it was like, Thank goodness. Like we needed her to have that kind of like somewhat of a redemption arc of like, okay, April: Yeah. Tay: thank you for putting us through all that craziness, but we needed yeah, you are useful. We needed to see that. April: You are useful. Yeah. Tay: So he ends up dying. they end up basically winning the war. I mean, that kind of like puts a end to it. April: Mm-hmm. Tay: and the book kind of I would say leaves us with a happier ending. it's just kinda like April: Yeah. So you think you think they've won the war, everything is fine, but then you find out that like the cauldron that it's like you he you see it's cracking and it's like seeping out into their world. And so it's doing this bad world ending stuff, right? And so Reese and Fayra, they're like, Well, Fayra is kind of like taking the place of like the mother in the sense of like rebirthing the world and it all kind of goes along with you know, a really deeper plot lane that's been running through the story. But their thought is like, okay, let's feed our power into the cauldron to heal this crack that has happened because of it breaking the wall and all that k the King of Hibern used it for. And Pharaoh, you know, does that and then she finds out that like her power alone, no matter how immense it is, is not enough to seal this crack to stop, you know, this world ending stuff that's happening. And so Reese joins her and he's like hold he's like standing behind her, holding onto her, like. feeding her his power and she's using that to seal up the crack because he's the most powerful high lord of all time in Pythian history. And you find out that this is probably really the reason why he is. because with his power, they're able to seal the cauldron to stop it from, you know, cracking and spilling out and all that bad stuff. But then it's like this moment of where like Fayra realizes like she doesn't hear him breathing anymore. And then it's like I don't feel anything. And that mate bond is like not there in my chest anymore. And I just remember cause it's like you've only got a couple chapters left in this book. And it's like and you then she realizes Reese's dead and you're like Like it's so awful and it's the end of a chapter and like thank goodness I was able to keep reading because holy cliffhanger chapter Tay: Yeah. It was like, excuse me, like I my brain needs a reset. I cannot fathom what I just read April: Yeah. Tay: right now. April: It was immediate I immediately flipped that page. I was like, uh-uh, we are not ending this book like this. Tay: Yeah. Mm mm. April: We've been through too much together. Tay: Yeah. I it but was very her. I was like, she's gonna do this to me. Like it just was like, This is it. April: Yeah. If you've read Throne of Glass, you're not surprised. But you're also scared because she killed off so many good characters in Throne of Glass. You're like, my God, is she about to do it to me again? but exactly. He's not dead. And he's not dead for long. Thank the good golly gumdrops, you know. Tay: Yeah. I don't know how Pharaoh would've survived that. Y'all spoiler, he's not dead. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. April: and you find out you find out like Ferah, she makes she goes and she does the same thing that Resan had done for her at the end of her trials in book one. She makes all of the High Lords, including even Tamlin, give him a droplet of their power. And just like that, it brings him back to life. And Reese reaches into the cauldron and he pulls Amron out because Amran had kind of sacrificed herself for them. And still at this point, because it when this book came out, book three, Crescent City hadn't come out yet. I don't even think it was announced or anything like that. And so you know that Amran, like, I kind of like at first was like, well, she's not really like a Phoenix, because that's what Vasilissa kind of is. But then it's like, what is she? Cause she's like this big, glowing, mighty power and stuff. But Tay: Mm-hmm. April: if you've read Crescent City, it's pretty obvious what Amran really is. She comes from somewhere, like a deity somewhere, or like a an angel herself from Crescent City. She's probably Tay: Mm-hmm. April: from that world, is I think a really popular fan theory. but I just think it's such a great moment of like not only does Reese come back, but Amran comes back too, except for she's completely high fee. Tay: Yeah. Which is beforehand, I don't know, like she also gives me the vibe of the bone carver. Like something is always lurking beneath her. and you April: Yeah. Tay: can't just white quite put like a name to it. You're just like, Okay, I know April: Mm-hmm. Tay: something and they know something, they're like, Yeah, like she's the last person on earth you'd want to mess with. but like they don't really even know her full story. And it's like, but They're they are her family and they're like, when she's ready, she will tell us. Like they just have that faith that like April: Yeah. Tay: someday she would share like and she does. She shares like some of her past and kind of where she's from and everything, but it's still very like surface level. It's not like April: It is, yeah. Which makes me think that we'll be coming back to that sometime, probably, would be my guess. Tay: Yeah, and finding truly, yeah, truly, I think she's really gonna try and combine worlds. I'm hoping not, y'all. I have tried to give Crescent April: Yeah. Tay: City its fair shake. I really have, but I just at this point, April: We'll see. Tay: I don't even care about mixing worlds. Like we don't we don't need to worry about it. Like let's just live here in this moment, and that's fine. But yes, it's ended, they're all good. April: Yeah. Exactly. So Aka War ends, and there's, you know, they're good. It's like a happy for now ending, is what it Tay: Yep. Okay. April: is. And it's it ends very quickly after the end of the war. And, you know, Pharaoh, she's able to paint again. She gets a studio in Volaris, but it's like very surface level quick ending in a way that I think left her fans I know it left her fans because I was reading it when it came out. it left fans like wanting more because it was like, well we didn't Tay: It was like fighting, fighting, fighting, fighting, fighting, fighting, fighting. Sadness. like two pages of happy, and you're like Yeah. April: Yeah, weird humping in tents during war scenes. things are going down and you're like, this is weird. And so I think that's why it leads us into I don't even I don't even know that I call it book four. I know they call it book four, but to me it's a novella. And that is a course, Tay: So three point five. April: yeah, really, truly. It really is a novella. A court of frost in Starlight. And it's really short. What tell I was just looking it up because we were talking about book six being only 300 pages. My copy of A Court of Frost and Starlight is 229 pages. And so that's like imagining Tay: that crazy. Like it's gonna be so small. April: that. Okay, y'all, what are we gonna do? Anyways, that's a problem Tay: I don't April: for a couple weeks. but this book to me, I don't even really remember much about it, other than like feeling like it's a fan service novel. And that's definitely what it is. And I'm grateful for it. Don't get me wrong, like we get some really beautiful little scenes here. There's a weird like They're doing it in the sky moment, which I think a lot of people picked up on from this book. I mean, sorry to the people down below, but Mile High Club, I guess. I don't know. But yeah, there's to me this book was I mean, it's good and it's like a good like, it's it's it's more on that happy ending that we wanted and it definitely sets up a little bit for book five. Tay: Yeah, and two, you're kind of getting to see a little bit more of what they've been doing. and it's interesting April: Yeah. Tay: to see because Elaine goes from very messed up in Akawar to in frost of Starlight, after she kills that king of hybrid, it's almost like a switch kicks on and she's like, This is my life. I'm choosing this. And so she April: Yeah. Tay: starts gardening and starts going to work in the village and gardening for like all these different like I don't want to call them high ladies, but other Faye. that April: Yeah. Tay: need their and she takes care of their gardens and stuff. she's earning her April: Mm-hmm. Tay: keep in Valaris and she's making that known too. She says multiple times, you know, she's April: Mm-hmm. Tay: like, I'm making a life here. this is our reality. April: Mm-hmm. Tay: And and she's trying to express that to Nesta. Nesta's still in denial. And she's like, No, April: Yeah. Tay: I'm not. I and she's pissed off. Now she's an alcoholic. She's drinking. She is really just like April: Yeah, we've moved on to anger. Tay: taking on the role of Elaine, who is. the one that was like needing to April: Mm-hmm. Tay: be coddled. Nesta's now taking that role. It's like, okay, well, it's a me April: Yeah. Tay: show. and so that's kind of part of the book too. It's setting that up for her book. April: Mm-hmm. Tay: So they're kind of seeing that she's a little bit more on the burden side right now. and April: Mm-hmm. Tay: they're having winter solstice. She's not really wanting to be a part of it. The boys get into like a snowball fight of snowball fights. It's cute. April: Yeah, it's cute. It's a cute book. Tay: It's a good book. I would say it's like a Christmas read that all of a sudden you get in the middle of a series like April: Yeah, it's it really is. It it's cute and it's fun. And you know what you really do in my opinion, I needed something like that because Aqua War was a little heavy and you knew that there was so many unresolved plots, but at the same time you're like, I just want these people to be happy for a little bit. can we just have some moments? And so while there is setup for Nesta's book, which is book five, but there is also some really beautiful moments, like the snowball fight and them getting to just be friends together is really nice to Tay: Yeah. April: see. Tay: Yeah. I I did enjoy it. It was a nice little filler story between the two. April: Yeah, it is. Tay: and then two, when you're looking April: Mm-hmm. Tay: at a big picture, it really like is like, okay, we needed that because it was so heavy. Like, April: Yeah. Tay: I mean, this book is thick. And we had a thick book in April: Yeah. Tay: Mist and Fury right before it. So it was almost kind of like a nice April: Yeah. Tay: little breather too. She's like, Okay, this is a good taste for y'all, but also too, I'm not gonna April: Mm-hmm. Tay: overwhelm you. I'm hoping that that might be it. So it gets us back into the world, know? Like April: Yeah. Tay: I'm hoping that the splintered harmony book gets us like that what we want. she's feeding us, but she's also gonna leave it where it's like, this is what's coming. get prepared, you April: Yeah. Tay: kind of thing. I hope it's not too much of a mic drop. I hope it's more of just Just so y'all know, y'all are about to be on a journey again. And it's probably going to be like a court of Mist and Fury April: Yeah. Tay: again and then an Ack of War, where it's like that back-to-back, just really heavy books. So April: Yeah. Tay: we are set up now for the final book in the series that we currently have, which is A Court April: Yeah. Tay: of Silver Flames. Ooh. And I have the hard copy April: my god, the Tay: and the soft copy of this book. April: this book, my gosh, not only is this thing chunky, like Tay: Thick chonky. April: if an invader is coming in your house, pick up this book. Like Tay: Yeah. April: this is the one to get. Tay: Now we like obviously started this pod and I was like, you know what? I'm I've I've read the other ones plenty of times. This one is so thick. It hasn't been one of those ones that I like have reread. so April: Mm-hmm. Tay: it was like, you know what? I genuinely want to reread this so my brain is nice and fresh for this book to come out. And I April: Mm. Tay: would say I know it's not your favorite. I know. I know. And I'm not apologizing for her. I don't April: It is not. I am not a Nesta apologist, but I do think that it it opens up for like a conversation of Yeah. Tay: I don't apologize for any of her stuff. She definitely was in the wrong. April: No. Tay: She definitely deserved, you know, kind of what like cards she was dealt. And honestly, I think it April: Yeah. Tay: she needed that. It was like to knock her down a couple pegs. but April: Mm-hmm. Tay: it picks up right where Frost and Starlight leaves off, y'all. She is in denial. April: Yeah. Tay: She's not wanting to be a part of anything. And everybody is sick of her shit. Like, genuinely. They're like like April: She's hateful, man. She's straight up hateful. like Tay: sh a couple of the things. I mean, like, she just she doesn't want to show up for things. She says nasty stuff. and April: Yeah, it's like Fayra painted pictures and she's like, Well, where's mine? You don't ever do anything for me. And I'm like, girl, you don't involve yourself in nothing. But she is. And that's that's Tay: Yeah. April: Farah is different from Nesta. And she's a very different narrator than Nesta. And so, for me, for someone who I do not like Nesta at all, I'm not gonna lie to you. I do not like Nesta. Tay: I April: This is not my favorite book in the series. But I also I don't relate to Nesta. And I think that that's Where a a lot of readers get torn on if you like her or not. I feel like you either like her or you really don't like her. it kind of goes either way. Like you either relate with like Fayra, I relate with because she's someone who had to grow up early. She's someone who had to grow up really fast. Whereas Nesta is just filled with big emotions at all times. Like she's got no coping skills that she's developed because she's so full of I mean, not even just anger, but just so big emotions, you know. Tay: Yeah. April: and she copes with it terribly. Tay: Yeah. I think a lot of her what I'm gonna what I'm gonna rationalize about Nesta in my own way is she was the oldest daughter, so she got the most time with their mother. And when their mother died, it completely one changed Nesta, but two, it was like like all of a sudden it was like, you know, when eyes turn on you, like I've had friends who have where their parents have died, and it's like the oldest always ends up turning into like the parent. And I think she was like it like wanting her dad to do that. And her dad never did. He kind of almost took a April: Mm-hmm. Tay: step back and her she lost respect for her father. And so then she kind of was like, fuck it. I'm not going to help you either. you know, like I I'm I'm I shouldn't be the parent. I shouldn't have to do these things. Like I I sh I April: Mm-hmm. Tay: deserve to be the daughter going to balls and doing the things that I want to do. and suddenly she wasn't getting to do that anymore. It was like, you know, like it certain April: Mm-hmm. Tay: ways expected, they lose money, all the things. So I think too, she has literally lived in denial since her mother has died. And April: Yeah, for sure. Tay: becoming a Faye was not what she wanted either. It was like, no, I did I April: Mm-hmm. Tay: I want my life. I think her life and her picture in her head was living as a human, w wealthy with her family, and that was her life. That was like what she equivalated to like being successful. Yeah. Without April: In her family without necessarily Fayra there. Because her hatred towards Fayra is unexplainable to me, especially as a sister. I think that's where I also struggle with it too, is just imagining treating a sibling that way. But even from the beginning. But I will say, Nessa's her own person. And I do appreciate that they're such different personalities. and she copes like differently. in a court of silver flames, like they finally, like you said, they've had enough of her shit. And so they set her to the house of wind. Tay: Yeah, they've had enough of her. They yeah. She goes to the house of wind. Cassian and Azreel are actually donned as her posse to watch over her to make sure she's doing what she needs to do. they want her to train initially. And so they're telling her, You're April: Mm-hmm. Tay: gonna train, you're gonna do these things. If you're gonna be up there, you're gonna earn your keep, you're gonna work for the ladies in the library, and you're gonna do what you need to do. and you know, make your place in Valaris like your sister has. And then she's kind of spiteful almost at Elaine, who's this whole time she's been like camaraderie with. She's like all of a sudden like, fuck you, Elaine, like I'm I don't need you. Like April: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Well, and Elaine Elaine in some way is also picking up on Nestie, you need to fix yourself. Like you are in a downward spiral. Tay: Yeah, she's like, bad behavior. You're you're drinking. and then two, she's like screwing everything that walks. So there's men in April: Yeah. Tay: her bed every night. And Cassian literally there's a scene where he walks in her room and he's like, I can smell how many men are in here. And for Faye, I think that scene is so funny because I think about their heightened senses because they can always know April: Yeah. Tay: when somebody's been. And he just knows. He's like, Do you like people you walk around and they just know you reek of twenty men? And she's like, I don't care. April: Yeah. She's very unapologetically her. Tay: So it's like it's like, okay, fine. Yes. Very unapologetically her. and she's also the one that reads the romance novels out of the whole bunch of them. And I love that April: Mm-hmm. Tay: so they send her up to the house of wind and she actually develops a relationship with the house of wind home. It's like a magical house. And the house starts feeding her romance novels. They're like, here you go, and like magically appears and she's like, Thank you. Like I think that is so great. to see that in the book too. Cause that was when I started to w the first time around when I read that book, and like I was like, okay, like I could see like me relating to Nesta. I like reading smuddy romance April: Mm-hmm. Tay: novels. So like there were things that like started to win me over throughout the book. Cause I wasn't a Nesta like from the get go. I like thinking, why the hell is she getting her own book? Like, April: Yeah. Tay: but I think they needed that because because she is so unapologetically herself and so like April: Mm-hmm. Tay: That builds her up to be one of the most, to me, out of the whole series, one of the fiercest warriors that they have. I think even more fierce than Farah or Resand, April: Mm-hmm. Tay: in terms of scariness. I think if she walked onto a battlefield, April: Right, 'cause she's so intense. Tay: like they are very like, you know, no, okay, don't mess with her. but she doesn't start out this way. There, she's up in the house of wind, she's still doing her shenanigans. and She starts working in the library when she starts meeting the women who work in the library, and she starts to realize that all the women who work in this library have suffered some immense pain or loss or something has occurred in their life to where they are here. and we meet Gwen. Gwen is one of the ladies in the library. She's a redhead. She's kind of like spicy in ways, but she's also kind of like quiet and more reserved. So she's just like, ha ha, I wouldn't do that. Do it. April: Yeah. She's like quietly funny too. Tay: so and yeah, she's quietly funny. And so she they have one of the higher up ladies down there working it and she kind of gets into like a spat with her. And Nesta, you kind of see her start developing this relationship with Gwen where she's like going April: Mm-hmm. Tay: to bat for her. She's like, let me help her. So she gets this book that she had lost and like gives it to her to secretly like, you know, here you go. You got you have it, give it to her. So this lady's happy. And turns out there's no making that lady happy. She just perpetually grumpy, but it's like developing that relationship with Gwen. She's like, okay, and sh she needs that. She needs a female friendship because I think she needs to understand you you can't push away like every female April: Mm-hmm. Tay: in your life. And I think that helps her kind of start to break that. But she has that with Gwen. And then she has another girl named Emery, who she meets in town because she's actually buying I c I think she just food. She sells food. and it's like a cafe or a market that she runs. Yeah, sobkeep. April: Mm-hmm. She's like a shopkeeper, yeah. Tay: that she just inherited from her father. and she has no wings. And you're like, Well, why does like, you know? Yeah. April: Yeah, she's a female Illyrian, yeah. Tay: And you find out that her wings were cut off by her own father. April: Mm-hmm. Tay: and so she has her own story, her own trauma. So like Emory and Gwen, you're starting to understand and Gwen, you don't really know about her past until later was saved and rescued, but she lived a very tumultuous life before she came to the and April: Mm-hmm. Tay: you would never think because she's so sweet, you're like, I would never want that to happen to someone. and April: Right. Tay: that changes Nest's perspective too, 'cause she doesn't really underst she understands the girls down there have gone through trauma, but she doesn't really grasp that until she hears Gwen's story. and so April: Yeah. Well, because to Nesta up until that point, the worst trauma is her own trauma. Like she's very selfish and sh she doesn't yeah, Tay: Yeah, her own trauma. Very selfish. doesn't under like she's April: she doesn't like feel empathy for others because like her trauma is the worst that has happened. But then as she befriends those women, she starts to understand, like other people have experienced terrible things too. Yeah. Tay: Yeah, no, there's other people on this planet besides me. Go figure, Nesta. and but I I think that kind of opens up her humanity because she needed that. She needed to hear honest stories from other women April: Yeah. Tay: who had been through terrible things to one understand that she needed to be knocked down a peg and say, like, your story's not as like, you know, written as mine. Yeah, sure. You got turned into high fee, like, like, you know. you still have your life and you have a great life here and you need to embrace it. So April: Mm-hmm. Tay: Nesta decides slowly that she's gonna start training. Well, she starts training and she doesn't want to do it alone. So she convinces Emery and Gwen to join her, but they do it both begrudgingly and she kind of cons Emery into it. Emery is like in her shop and like cat Azriel just like shows up and he's and they're like, she's like, What are you doing? And he's like, Well, she told me to give you this invitation and she said you'd probably give me grief about you can't fly up there. Well, I'm here April: Yeah. Tay: to tell you that I can fly you up there and you can go so she's kind of like, but like I need to watch my shop. And he's like, Someone else we know can watch your shop while you go up here. And she's like, Okay, like she's every like every little thing that she knew Emery was gonna kind of backtrack, like she kinda filled in the gaps for. and Emery and Gwen. Yeah. April: Yeah. Shout out to Azriel for doing all that too. Tay: And they end up doing this training. Well, as they're training, they end up learning about the Valkyries. Cassian and Azreel talk start talking about them, and they're like, No, we never fought with them in battle, but we've heard wonderful stories about them. And the last of them died in this great war before you know we were born. and but we've heard stories and like y'all you remind us of them in some ways. And it's like, but we can train you and go from there and all the things. And as they're training, There's other things happening along the side, and we really learn about Nesta's power. and you April: Mm-hmm. Tay: learn that what can be made can also be unmade. And through all of that is through the cauldron. Like calls to like she's starting to understand, like she is very similar to the cauldron in that regard. And they learn about the dead trove. And the dead trove, we have the crown, April: Mm. Tay: we have the harp, and we have the crown harp. April: Mask. Tay: mask and mask is April: Mm-hmm. Tay: hers that she ends up getting from this like weird like I would say like merman I can't describe yeah yeah and he like drags her underwater April: Like silky. I don't even know what they are. They're weird. Yeah. And spooky. Tay: he tries to kiss her and marry her April: Mm. Tay: very weird scene also very creepy and eerie but she ends up April: Mm-hmm. Tay: besting this thing and she puts on a d the death mask And she raises the dead, kills this thing, and they get she gets out of the April: Mm-hmm. Tay: water and everything. And Nesta and Cassian what the hell did you just do? Because there's literally all April: Yeah. Tay: these things rising from the grave or whatever. And like it was just like, yeah, it sounded like a April: It's like unheard of. Yeah. Tay: very wicked scene. and she starts after she puts on this mask, she ends up starting having great scenes of like her magic coming to fruition. She sets the whole room on a fire April: Mm. Tay: with like this ice fire that looks like blue and feels. Cool, but it sets everything ablaze. and she's just going through it. April: Mm-hmm. Tay: her magic is really now coming to light. and we realize that her magic is death, which is like yeah, scary. Scary, scary, scary. Yeah. Yeah. April: Mm hmm. Yeah, essentially she's death magic, yeah. In a bigger way than Reesean, too, and in a much scarier way. Tay: And there's certain things in this book that I will say that kind of pissed me off about Reese. One of the biggest being is we find out Fayra's pregnant. April: SJM stamped all over his character in this book. Just stomp, stomp, stomp, stomp, stomp. Tay: Yeah. Yeah, she did. She and it made me but then too, I think that was two to kind of give some character building to Nesta in some ways. but that was April: Mm-hmm. Tay: something that like people got pissed off at her in this scene initially. But to me, I thought if my sister and I don't have siblings, y'all, this one does. but I was thinking April: Mm-hmm. Tay: I would want my sister to know. And so what we find out about her pregnancy is that Illyrians have wings and she April: Mm-hmm. Tay: is not clearly a Illyrian built, so Wings are supposed to go through her hoo-ha. and but because her pelvis April: Mm-hmm. Tay: is not shaped that way, you know, like it could kill her. and Fayra does not know that she's as a glowing and like enjoying her pregnancy and all that. And like, granted, they're not wanting to take that away from her, but I'm like, you like you only have nine April: Mm-hmm. Tay: months. Like, you need to tell her, like, she is like that's not something like y'all need to prepare her. And they're just tiptoeing around it this whole time. They up telling Nesta. And Nesta's like, why the hell have y'all not told her? And gets mad. And she holds, she does hold it in initially. but her and Fayra get into a thing and she like lets it out. She's like, You think Reese is so good? He's the your mate. Your mate hasn't told you that you're gonna die. And like she's like, What? April: mhm Tay: And like Fayra ends up like just being like like like reserved away from Reese and everything. And you kind of like sit there and you're like, man, that was. girl, why would you ever say that to her and everything? And then, you get the perspective of cause and then Cassian's all mad at Nesta, is like, how dare you tell that to my high lady, etc. Well, then Fayra actually comes back into a scene and she's like, I'm actually grateful to her. Yeah, she was pissed off when she said it, but she had the balls to tell me when all of you sons of bitches did not. And I thought that was kind of good. I was proud of our high lady. She's like April: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Tay: spoke up for herself. She's like, No, like. I but now I know and that's empowering and I can, you know, fight it. Like I will start to read with y'all and we'll figure it out. Like, you know, and then she told Nesta, she's April: Mm-hmm. Tay: like, granted, I'm not I'm not thrilled you told me that way. That was kind of messed up you, but I am, I'm April: Mm-hmm. Tay: glad you told me. Thank you. and so they kind of have this moment where she just, but she apologizes, and which is big for Nesta because Nesta does not apologize. And she's like, Yeah, she's like literally like. April: She doesn't apologize for anything. Unapologetically, remember. Tay: I'm sorry. and it eats at her. The days after she says that and Cassie and all of them are like, I don't want to talk to you. Nesta is go going back into her hole again. She goes back to her room. She doesn't want people to talk with her. she really reverts back almost. but she's sitting April: Mm. Tay: there like it's more self wallowing. It's not even like I'm the best or anything like what she used to think. It's like just like I am the worst. Like, why does Yeah, like why doesn't anybody April: Yeah. Well she's experiencing regret. Yeah. Tay: like, you know, or I shouldn't, I shouldn't even Be here. I shouldn't have said that. I took away her happiness, etc. but then Farah's little, you know, openly forgives her, which then I'm sitting there like, Farah, mic drop again, because like who can just openly forgive? So forgiving over and over again. Like, April: She f she's so forgiving to her sister, to Nesta, especially. She's so forgiving to her. Tay: she's like the best, be the bee's knees of forgiveness and of being character like development. Because I'm like, thank you. You're the girl. You're you're always April: Mm-hmm. Tay: our girl. but She gets over it. They go through this thing. Pharaoh ultimately, y'all, she survives. She gives birth. She's fine. The baby comes out all good. April: plot twists. Nesta fix that fixes that too, but we'll talk about that in a minute. But she does. She does. Tay: Yeah, she fixes that too. I know. But she's all good. So and I really would say the other kind of serve as a snats everybody else kind of serves as side characters because the real development here is that Nesta, Gwen, and Emery are forming this like sisterly bond that is the April: Mm-hmm. Tay: new Valkyries, and that's what they emerge as. And they together are going to do the right. Which the right happens on Ramiel, which is the mountain that they have in April: Mm-hmm. Tay: Volaris. and it's where the Illyrians have gone for hundreds of years. They climb up this mountain, they go retrieve this thing, and it like proves that they're great warriors. But like it is like a free for all, kill all kind of thing. And so April: And it's not something that's typically open to women because in the Illyrian society it's very a patriarchal society. whereas women like a s like Emery, you know, they have their wings cut off. They are, Tay: Mm-hmm. April: you know, not granted the same rights as men. so when they go through this achievement of doing the blood right, it really kind of changes the expectations or or the way that, you know, women in Illyria can be treated or like what they are able to accomplish. So it's really truly it's it's the whole big buildup of the moment in the story, really, truly. Tay: Mm-hmm. It's to them to be able to accomplish this and complete it, which they do. And it's so good because they all help one another. And that's like my favorite thing because they all are separated. April: Mm-hmm. Tay: They have to start at different ends of the mountain. They all end up finding one another. and this book fed me what happened in Throne of Glass with the 13. April: Mm-hmm. Tay: And that bond of I just like love, love, love strong women. And I love strong women written together. and this is what April: Mm-hmm. Tay: that book I think fed, and that's why I think I like it so much, is because it gave me that again, without a sad ending. spoiler. April: Mm-hmm. Tay: but I that is one of the biggest reasons why this book, I would say, is really like Emery April: Mm. Tay: and Gwen have fed, and I really want to hear more about their story. I necessarily I would say the first time around, I wasn't like a sold on like people are saying like Azreel and Gwen. rereading April: Mm-hmm. Tay: it recently and like really trying to focus in on the moments that they share in the book. I I can see it. I can see it just because April: Mm-hmm. Tay: there were moments when they're like training and like her and like Azreel have like looks at eyes one another, and I'm like, okay. April: Mm-hmm. Tay: I see what everybody was seeing now. I was so back then just focused, I think mainly on Nesta. side characters were just like a a muddled thing. April: Mm-hmm. Tay: But this way I was able to focus in and really try and focus on other characters because I was like, I know all of this is gonna be important for this next book. April: Yeah. Tay: and her and Cassian, though, finally admit that. April: They're together and they're mates. Even though it's probably been there the whole time if you've read the books, you've there's always been signs. Tay: Yeah. Yeah, there's been signs. She's just was denying it the entire time she lived. And what Elaine was living with Lucian is like, I don't want this. she knew that there April: Mm. Tay: was a tie, but it wasn't like I don't know, she just didn't want to be there anyways. so when her and Cassian finally start, they start off as like friends, and then they start off as friends with benefits, and then they start April: Mm-hmm. Tay: as lovers because they almost choose one another, like they choose one another, and then April: Mm-hmm. Tay: it dawns on her and him. simul he knows, but she finally puts it together like, You're my mate. Yeah. Like I April: It's like an accepting of the bond or whatever. Yeah. Tay: am meant we are meant for one another. So that was kind of exciting to see because it finally like showed her won her humanity. It's like, wow, she can love another human being besides herself. but I think also they're April: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Tay: both strong warriors in their own regard. And they that's the type of person April: Mm-hmm. Tay: I think I see Cassian with because he's so focused on like serving April: Mm-hmm. Tay: Reese and serving Valaris and doing what he needs to do in his own regard. I think having another s strong female counterpart where she's doing that herself. April: Mm-hmm. Tay: like they both need that. So that was something, April: Yeah. Tay: but having the blood right at the very end, they conquer it and her and, you know, Emery and Gwen, they do what they need to do. The Valkyries win over all the other BS contestants that were in it, which you end up hating. Like there's like multiple April: Mm-hmm. Tay: They all suck and they're all terrifying. They all try and kill each other. but they conquer all of and that was great. we also what else what else happened in this book? I'm trying to remember it kinda. April: Well, Nesta saves Cassian in this book too from Briar Lynn, who's been the new big baddie since Tay: Yeah. April: the King of Highburn is gone in this book. she ends up saving him, and her connection to the dread trove is something that is super duper important. I bet it goes on to affect probably the other books as well. but by saving him, because Briar Lynn, you find out she was using one of the dread trove objects, which was allowing her the crown. She was allowing her to control Cassian. And it's a moment of giving Nesta, you know, kind of like a side of being able to see that she is capable of doing good. We know she's capable of doing harm. We know she's capable of doing bad. but it's also a moment of she's capable of using her powers for good, beyond just like, you know, as a Valkyrie and what that's gonna mean for her. and then she does, of course, save her sister, which I feel like Tay: Yes. April: is a big turning point. And I I hope my hope is, and I doubt we'll see much of. This, I would hope though, is I want to see some more of the sister bonding in a way that Tay: Mm-hmm. April: like I want to see that relationship continue to repair because I don't think it's fully repaired. Tay: repair. No. April: I think it ends in a place where like Nesta does sacrifice a huge portion of her power to essentially save Fahrrah and Nyx, her baby. and she changes Fahrrah's body to be able to accommodate the wings. And she also changes her own, which is kind of like a Hmm, you know. but it's it's an acceptance for her. That's what I think is like she's accepting her place in this life, which we haven't seen her do at all. I mean, even since book one, Nesta was not accepting of what her life was like. And so we finally have that for her. but really truly, what's next is Coshe and what's going on with him? Because Tay: Yeah. April: what has he been doing at that lakeside and what about these other dread trove objects and what all is this going to mean because trouble's a brewing. Tay: I know. And then, you know, and two theories wise, there's a bajillion, y'all. there's April: Yeah. Tay: Gwen and Azreel, there's Azreel and Elaine, there's discourse about April: yeah. Tay: like Elaine breaking the bond with Lucian and like her choosing Azreel. I yeah, there's even Elaine April: And Elaine being like evil. Yeah. Tay: choosing Tamlin. Like, I I don't know what to expect out of the book. I really don't. And I think it's April: Mm-hmm. Tay: because I kind of lost my faith in SJM a little bit with Crescent City three. my my yeah, my April: Yeah, we need to be built back up again. Tay: storytelling skills from that book, from the second book to the third book, were so different. I was like, mm, huh? Like April: Yeah. Tay: it just it altered my brain. So I'm like, okay, so I she's my untrustworthy author. You know, we have untrustworthy narrators. Well she's my untrustworthy author. So I can't really speak to like what she's planning. But if I was to put a theory to it, I I think that maybe Gwen and Azriel, I think Elaine and Lucian will choose their, I don't know, own fate in some way. Or she just may choose herself. but I April: Mm-hmm. Tay: I genuinely am trying to think of my brain of not making like the three bat boys and the three sisters are all meant to be. Like that to me just seems like too easy or too like okay. Like, like I don't know. I'm just kinda like. April: Yeah. It does seem too easy. And I don't yeah. And we've seen snippets of the teasers. Tay: Like we put Nesta and Cassie in, but like April: Yeah. And we've seen snippets and teasers of one of the teasers that's been released is talking about like, well, can a mate bond be broken? And so like they're obviously hinting at that. Now, in typical SJM fashion, this could be talking about a totally, completely different mate bond than what we know of. Like Tay: Yeah. Yeah. April: So I don't want to put too much thought into it because every single time that Tay: No. And April: I think I know something and that I know what's gonna happen, y'all, something wild happens and I am so wrong. Tay: Yeah. No, and then there's so many weird theories. people are like, it's it's Fayra and Reese, they're breaking their I'm like, shut up, first of all. Yeah, that story has ended. April: Yeah, that story has ended. Like that relationship has ended in a happy ending. Like that one's done. Nesta and Cassian are in their happy relationship. Like I don't foresee any of that happening. Tay: Yeah, that's not breaking. Yeah, I do not see that breaking. People are like, it's them. I'm like, shush your face. Yeah. April: Yeah, when SJM has decided that you're endgame, you're end game. We saw that with Bryson Hunt. She had decided very early on they were end game, regardless of how I felt about it. And Tay: Yeah. April: so they're end game. Like but she's been very Yeah. Tay: Yeah. And and honestly too, Reese is her man. Reese is so her man that her man is so described to her husband. If you ever look at SJM's husband and then like what she describes, it's literally her husband. so, y'all, she's not gonna April: Even though she denies it. Tay: do the guy dirty like that. She's not gonna make suddenly Reese a bad guy. you know, I do think he has to switch he has April: Even though he did kind of suck a little bit in silver flames. Tay: to switch on a thing because he is Lord of the Under the Mountain. And he does have April: Yeah. Tay: to put on certain roles when he's in there, but I he's not a dark lord by any means. So I'm like, y'all can chill with that fan theory. That I d that one I d April: No Tay: will not accept and I know it is not gonna happen. I'm one hundred I'm I'm April: Right. Tay: so sure. I'm like ninety nine percent sure that that's not gonna happen. The other one percent is that betrayal from Crescent City. April: Right. Catch us eating our words in a couple of weeks. We'll come back to you and we'll tell you, wow, we were so dumb. So sorry we made you listen to this. Tay: but we hope all of this helped y'all because we needed the refresher just as much as y'all. We April: Mm-hmm. Tay: needed to be ready and grasp ourselves for this book. But as a reminder, this one's the 220, whatever, and the book is only like 300 April: Yeah. Tay: pages. So don't be prepared for a huge read. Be prepared April: Yeah. Tay: for you know, a gap. April: Right. All right, besties. That's it for today's episode. Tay: Make sure to follow, download, and share our podcast socials with your other book besties. We would love to know about your favorite scenes from these books. Please leave a comment on your favorite platform letting us know. April: Join us next week where we are switching gears completely and reading Halloween themed romances. Tay: boy, strap in, y'all, or pumpkin out. I don't know. But remember, keep reaching out your hand. April: Climb the mountain. Tay: And remember, you are the rock for which the surf crashes. April: We're glad you're here