Latest / Cait & Court's Cozy Corner: Romance Readers / The ACOTAR refresh: Book 1
Transcript
- Cait: Hi. Court: Hi. Cait: Welcome back to season two of Cait and Court's Cozy Corner: Court: Romance Readers. Cait: Where we only talk about books that we love. And we're bringing you all of our favorite romance and romantasy reads because Court: Mm-hmm. Cait: our motto is Court: When people say that you don't need spice to make a book good, well you don't need running shoes to run, but it helps. Caitlin Stryker: And you know the drill, like and subscribe wherever you listen to our podcasts. Courtney Richter: Huh. Caitlin Stryker: oh my gosh, we're back and it's twenty twenty-six. Wow. Yeah. Courtney Richter: Yay I can't believe it. Yeah. Caitlin Stryker: It feels like a long break. I'm playing with oh my mic today. Courtney Richter: Yes, it's the like long and not long at all because it's that time look I got a new mic, so you might see it 'cause I'm trying to make oh my sound a little crisper than previous episodes and I'm playing with that today. yes. I'm playing Caitlin Stryker: no, you did something with your mic and we lost your sound. Courtney Richter: I muted it. There's a mute button. I guess I should not not play with it. How about that? I will find a way to just have it close by and not touch it. This is gonna be a disaster. You can already feel it. It's okay. Caitlin Stryker: That's about right. Don't play with it. Don't play with it. That's okay, I can edit that part out. Courtney Richter: No no, let everyone know that I don't know how to use a microphone. It's okay. Caitlin Stryker: It's alright. I was kind of cursing out oh my microphone before we started today, just because it's very Courtney Richter: Yeah. Caitlin Stryker: fancy. I dare not touch it because things levels are looking good. and if Courtney Richter: Right. You're smart. Caitlin Stryker: I mess with it at all, I'm so fucked. Courtney Richter: But well, I've been watching so many podcasts and they always have their mic and they're just like so casually like hanging out and holding it and using it. I'm like, How do you guys do that? Clearly not the way I'm doing it because I've already failed. Caitlin Stryker: No. Courtney Richter: but Caitlin Stryker: Also, like, I kinda like that we don't do that. You know what I mean? I kind of like I'm like, we're hanging out in our Courtney Richter: I agree. I agree. We're w We're in our corner. Caitlin Stryker: book nook. Like this is like oh my reading chair. You are seeing me in oh my actual reading chair right now. You know, I Courtney Richter: Yes. Caitlin Stryker: have a badass ring light in front of me, obviously. Courtney Richter: Yeah. Yeah. Caitlin Stryker: And there's a mic here, but like it's not part of it. Also mostly because I'm terrified of it. If I touch it, I will all technology will implode. Okay, so this is actually quite funny. So Court and I were messaging each other the other day and I was trying to send her a voice message. I Courtney Richter: Message. Yes. Caitlin Stryker: still don't really know how to send voice messages, listen to voice messages. So then I hit the thing. I think I'm sending a voice message. I send a long voice note. So it was like a dictated text. Courtney Richter: A dictated to text, yes, dictate to text, yes. Caitlin Stryker: Thing. And it was way too rambly. Like it shouldn't have been that. I thought I was doing a voice note. And then I like messed up again, being like, oh my gosh, I thought I was doing this. I sent another wrong thing. I finally got it right. And by the end, I was just like, I I'd be better with carrier pigeons. I need somebody give me a rotary phone. Courtney Richter: Yeah. Hold I I was laughing so hard. No no no what Kate has not told you. So she sent me a voice mail saying, I have big news things I want to tell you. I don't know how to use voice message. So I'm sending you a voicemail. But then her voicemail cut out, as voicemails do, because they only give you thirty seconds or something of her voicemail. So then I texted her and I'm like, it cut out. And then I got back like Okay, so is this how you okay, I'm doing it. That's the text I got. And then I got a big long text of her that is dictating. And then after the long text it just takes, let's see if you guys can hear this. Let's see. I just dictated And then that's when it ended, so I never actually got the information from her voice. Caitlin Stryker: No. No, the information never made it. I do. Courtney Richter: All we got to the point is that she needs carrier pigeons. that's that's what the resounding answer was. Caitlin Stryker: It's so that I'm I've just like I've been committed Courtney Richter: Yeah. Caitlin Stryker: to analog for so long that I've really shot myself Courtney Richter: Yeah. Caitlin Stryker: in the foot now that we're in 2026. Like the whole world is beyond me and I just wanna hide in the library with a book. Yeah. I know. No. Courtney Richter: No, it's it's literally like if I show you once, you'll just know how to do it. It's it's genuinely not that hard. it's just knowing which button to hit because it doesn't look like the right thing. There's a microphone that looks like that should be your voice recording, but it's not that. That is your dictate to text, as you figured out. It's just this like weird red lines that I guess is an image of like sound waves almost in like the corner of your texting box. And if you click that. Caitlin Stryker: As I figured out. Yeah. Courtney Richter: You're recording, but then it's scary because as soon as you click it's like recording. You're like, I'm not ready. Wait, wait, okay, how do I get right? And then it deletes, and then it's like send. You're like, no, no. It is, it is a little like heart palpitations to get used to it. It's a lot of pressure to get a good Caitlin Stryker: It's a lot of pressure. Courtney Richter: voice note. But then once you can do it, then it's just like super chill, easy. You can practice on sending me texts. That's fine. We'll just send voice notes. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Honestly, but then whenever you send me a voice note, I'm like, how do I listen to this now? No. Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Courtney Richter: Right. And it's awkward because you have to be in the right place. Like you don't want to be that person on a bus or in a public setting that's listening to a voice note out loud. And so it's hard. I usually only do them if I'm like, I can't, I know I can't put this into words properly to explain what I'm meaning. So I need to just like ramble for a second and like explode that onto Caitlin. And so I'll send her a voice note. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Yeah. oh my god. Speaking of us rambling for a second, we've been rambling Courtney Richter: Yes. Caitlin Stryker: about our technological inefficiencies here for a minute now. So let's go to the place that we just want to escape to, which is the book we're talking about today. yeah. Courtney Richter: Right, we're here for a book. I completely forgot already. Right. Yes. Today's very special. Caitlin Stryker: Today it it is. I mean, for me, this is the book that like this was oh my gateway drug book into this world. And I yeah, yeah. And Courtney Richter: For everyone. It's a romantasy. Yes. Caitlin Stryker: I I'm a big fantasy reader, anyways. Like a big, like Courtney Richter: Mm-hmm. Caitlin Stryker: classical fantasy stuff, more so than like a lot of I haven't read a lot of contemporary fantasy, but but I love fantasy. I love science fiction, like I just I love all sorts of made up wild things. And You know, everyone's talking about Avatar for a while. I just when I was when I was prepping for this episode, I looked and I was like, whoa, it came out in 2015. I didn't hear about Courtney Richter: yeah. Caitlin Stryker: it until like maybe 2023, maybe 2024. and then I remember hearing about it, I was like, okay. And I was not reading anything like smuddy or anything like that at the time at all. I know you were reading like romantasy and you were kind of telling me about it. And I was like, sure, that's for you, not For me, I was totally like nose in the air looking down at Courtney Richter: Yes. Caitlin Stryker: all of this stuff. And then oh my mom had a copy at like on her bookshelf, on her TBR bookshelf that she's that she's got going, right? And I had passed by Avatar like in Costco, and I maybe kind of wanted to read it, but like a lot of the gals who I'm really loved their taste in oh my book club, they were sort of making fun of it and being like, ugh. God, don't ever read nobody's art should ever read that. And then there were other gals who were like, I've read it, I love it, whatever, it's silly. And I was like, okay, I'm just I'm gonna be bigger and better than this book, kind of thing. Like this is oh my thought, but I'm also like, like, I really like fantasy and fairies. I'm so curious. Courtney Richter: Yes. Caitlin Stryker: and I saw it on her TBR and I just was like, Mom, I'm gonna take this. I want you to know that was August 2025. Like, Courtney Richter: Yeah. I know. Caitlin Stryker: I So this is how fast it happens. Like I read, sneakily read Avatar in August and Courtney Richter: And like three weeks later we were doing a podcast. Caitlin Stryker: Three weeks later, I'm like, we need to do a podcast about romantasy or romantic books because everyone needs to know. Meanwhile, Court's like, I've been shouting from the mountaintops for a long time along with a Courtney Richter: Yeah. Hi, welcome. Caitlin Stryker: bunch of other people. And I was like, Courtney Richter: Caitlin's like, hold oh my beer, and I'm like, I've been holding it for five years of our friendship. Telling you to come here. Caitlin Stryker: I have crossed over to the dark side and I am not ever going back. Courtney Richter: Yes. Yes. And it's the best place to be. Welcome to the dark side. It's like the dark side in Quarter Thorne and Roses, where people think it's the under the mountain city version, but really we are the city of Starlight. That's what Reading This Romancy World is. Which if you haven't read that book, that means nothing to you. But if you have read it, you know exactly what we're talking about. So, and we're taking the new year. The reason we're also diving in, besides the fact that we just Caitlin Stryker: oh my gosh. Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. You know. Courtney Richter: Love this book, is it's a great time for anyone that hasn't jumped into romanticies. This is a great way to start. I started with Fourth Wing and then follows quickly with this series. But either way is a great like foray into the romantic world. And it's just one of the classics. This is something any romantasy and romantasy reader should read, usually has read, and if not, is on TBR, like just do it. This is your sign if you've been waiting. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Courtney Richter: Read a quarter of the roses, Avatar. When you hear people talk about Avatar, this is what they are talking about. Caitlin Stryker: Yes. Courtney Richter: So we are gonna dive in. It's like diving into a classic, even though it's not a classic, but we did celebrate 10 years. I work in a bookstore as one of oh my many 50 jobs that I do. And we had a huge celebration of the 10 year anniversary of this last year, with like stickers and sales. And yeah, it was a big thing because it's a huge series. And Caitlin Stryker: oh my God. It is. Yep. You must have, yeah. Yeah. Courtney Richter: finally this year, the last book. was announced and has been beat it out, which means like she's storyboarded it. It hasn't been finished writing, but it's been beat it out and like it's going and everyone has been celebrating in anticipation of the last book. So we're gonna go through each book with you over the next few podcasts. so that you can really if you've read it, enjoy the world again. Come back with us. If you haven't read it, this is your chance to read it. And if you just wanna know what the heck this is about, this is your chance to do it. We're like Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Courtney Richter: I found out Gen Z often just watch movie recap videos and don't watch the movies, but so like they know what all the movies are about. I two co-works talking about this because I was talking about a movie player which and they're like, I know that movie in detail, but I've never seen it. And I'm like, I don't I don't understand what that means. What do you what do you mean you know it in detail and you haven't seen it? Caitlin Stryker: I feel like it would take just as long to watch a movie recap as it would to watch a movie. A book is a little bit different because a book takes a long time to read. Yeah. Courtney Richter: Well, it's true. It's true. And it's in your head. But anyways, that's what they're doing. So we are the book recap for those of you that aren't going to actually read it. So, this book, let's dive into it. A quarter thorn roses is the first one. That's why everyone calls the series Avatar, because they all follow this very first book. And listen, the first book is very beauty and the beast esque. Like it took me a minute. It took me a minute. Caitlin Stryker: Yes. Yeah. It's like so much so. Courtney Richter: To dive in. Like I I j actually, after coming out fourth room, like I had to reread the first three chapters for like a couple times before I was finally like got past chapter four and then really like got into the story. I was not instantly Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Okay. You know what? On Courtney Richter: in it. Caitlin Stryker: On that note, I don't think it starts strong. I do not think it starts strong. I Courtney Richter: It does not. It does not. It's a hard one to get into. Caitlin Stryker: started it and I was like, yeah, okay. I was right. You know, thinking that this was totally trash. Courtney Richter: I agreed. Caitlin Stryker: and then I guess you're right. I guess it's around like maybe something like chapter four. Yeah, you do. Yeah. Courtney Richter: Yeah, you have to get past the first four chapters to really start to get pulled in. You need her in the fairy world. You need to start seeing the odd things, the Lucy and and Tamlin relationship. It to Yeah, I I literally stopped so many times. Caitlin Stryker: It just like starts with her sort of hunting in the woods or like finding food for her family, right? Like that's where it opens. And you're it's just it's world building, Courtney Richter: It's yeah, it's world building. And Caitlin Stryker: but it's also like it's really thin world building. Like it just doesn't feel like I it didn't, Courtney Richter: Yeah. Caitlin Stryker: it didn't grab. I was like, okay, this isn't heavy duty, like deep world building, you know, with a bunch of layers going on. It was so surface. Courtney Richter: Well, because i if you know the story now though, like that makes sense because Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Courtney Richter: that actually is how the human world is seen to all the fairies. Like it all makes sense. Say RJ Master's a genius, but it is hard to pull you in. It does and honestly, all her books take a minute. Like Crescida City books, those three you've you haven't read them yet. They're so good. But you need to get through the first book, like which is a hefty book, Caitlin Stryker: Exactly. Makes sense. Hard. Hmm. No. Yeah. Courtney Richter: and then the last hundred pages, you're like, Whoosh, and then you're in and you're Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Courtney Richter: diving into the next two. But it you she her world building or slowest. I get why she does it, but it's a lot. It's not a quick pull. It's not like you need to get in there slowly water away into the cold water until it gets after your neck and you're like, okay, that's good now. I can it's warmed up to oh my body. oh my body temperature is equaled out. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. No. No. Yeah. Yeah, you d I mean I definitely I definitely just thought everybody was crazy for the first like four chapters. And then I was like, in. And and what Courtney Richter: Yeah, me too. I was like, I'm not gonna like this book. Caitlin Stryker: kept me going was like I just wanna get to the fairies fucking part. Like I just wanna know what this is all about. Like what all this hype is about. Yeah. I was like if everybody's Courtney Richter: Yeah, you wanted the smut. Yeah. To be honest, it's Yeah, continue, sorry. Caitlin Stryker: I was like if everybody's just like, you know, screaming from the rafters about this and it's like being banned places and it's all over the place. I'm like, there's gotta be something that happens, you know, that's interesting. And so I'm like, I'll keep going. And well, you know, here we are now. So Yeah. Courtney Richter: Well, it's the last hundred pages. The last hundred pages of this book is what makes it what it is. It's what really launches once she goes under the mountain. That's what launches the true story. Like Farah isn't that likable in the first book until you get to the second one. But but but this is oh my f I haven't reread in a while, and I just reread it. And I have to say, this time, even though I know where it's going, I really got to just enjoy. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Okay. No. Yeah. Yeah. Courtney Richter: Like I took a moment and just pictured like, what if this was just the book? Like what if this is where it went to? Before she goes under the mountains. So just in the love story of her and Tamlin. And it I it caught me again. I have myself for a moment still being like, Team Tamlin. Like Caitlin Stryker: Right. I know. Well, and I mean, let's not we don't want to spoil, we're just talking book one right now. So, you know, book one is Team Tamlin. I know I just in case. Yes, but just in case, Courtney Richter: everyone knows though. We know, we know where this everyone's heard of Reese. He exists. Caitlin Stryker: I'd like to stay on like Team Tamlin's side for this book because I think it's interesting. Cause I also think it's interesting that this book is so like very early on once she goes into the fair world, I'm like, we are totally riffing Beauty and the Beast here. You know? I yeah. Courtney Richter: yeah. But here's the thing, Kate. I part of me thinks I'm part of me is surprised that you are not Team Tamlin all the way, only because what he wants of Vera is part of your dream. Like he just wants her to be a princess in the castle and read and paint all day. Like there's part of me when you talked about your princess fantasy. I'm like, there is a part of him that just wants that, just wants to put you up there. Caitlin Stryker: Hello. But totally. I mean, so can you imagine how team Tamlin I was like by the end of this book? Like just how in I was on that. And then it's when it flips in, we'll get into it in book two. It's when things flip in book three. But Courtney Richter: Yes, okay, okay, okay. So here's the story setup of this one. Here's here's the world. So Farah is a human, she's hunting in the woods, she kills this oversized large wolf that turns out to be Faye. Because she her family's literally starving, and it's fallen to her to provide food and money for her family. Her father has a broken, mangled, her mom died. Her b father has a mangled, broken leg, can't do anything. Caitlin Stryker: yes, yes. Yeah. Yeah. Courtney Richter: So she is taken to hunting the woods to care for her sisters and her father. Kills this wolf and then realized after that it was a fae. But she still goes, she sells the meat, sells the goat, gets some money from the market, all this stuff. And then all of a sudden Caitlin Stryker: And then can I interject though just before that the one detail when she sells it at the market is remember those the like culty people, the children of the blessed or something who are at the market? No, I know, Courtney Richter: yeah, but they don't even matter yet. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Caitlin Stryker: but it's a weird moment when you're first reading it. You're like, what is this? Courtney Richter: Yeah, it's like slipping and world building, the children of the blessed that like the fairy world. So you're like hinted, you don't really know what the fay world is, but it's like being hinted at. And then this like gnarly beast shows up at our door. Who killed him? Who was it? Coming back to find the killer of this wolf. It was fair, obviously. And he says, We have a signed treaty between humans and Faye not to kill each other. You broke the treaty. Therefore, your life debt Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Yeah. Courtney Richter: is now owed to me, and I'm gonna take you back to oh my world. And the sisters Caitlin Stryker: Mm-hmm. Courtney Richter: and dad, no one can stop him or do anything. They don't even try. They're just like, Yeah, she and she doesn't want them hurt. They don't do anything. They're like, this sucks, Fera. Sorry. Like they're sad. They're crying, but they're just like, yeah, this makes sense. You're you're gonna go with them. so Caitlin Stryker: Hey, don't even try. Let me tell you. Yeah. There's five books, and I'm still kind of mad at them for like how they didn't even try. No. Courtney Richter: Great. They they're not great siblings. And that's a theme that happens in the story. But in this current book, they're like, okay, you're going. She goes, he takes her on her back, binds her so that she can't leave or get off, and just like makes her sleep, takes her through into the Fae World. She awakes in his big grand. Is it's not really a castle, though, it's like a manor, right? I think it's a manor, but a castle. It's a castle-esque Caitlin Stryker: Yeah, but it is. It is the most like Courtney Richter: manor. Caitlin Stryker: it's the court of spring. Like it is the most pink and Courtney Richter: Yeah, Spring Court. Caitlin Stryker: purple princess dream girl palace situation that she gets dropped into. Courtney Richter: Yes, and is furious about being dropped into. She's not happy. And he's basically like, Your life debt is owed to me. You're oh my slave, but you can you are free to go anywhere in Perinthia, essentially. Like, I won't keep you as a slave because fairies used to keep human slaves. But like you do have to stay here. And there's him, and then he's got his buddy Lucian, and they Caitlin Stryker: Like yes, Yeah. Lucian. Courtney Richter: all have masks on because Caitlin Stryker: Mm-hmm. Courtney Richter: they have been cursed that this mask that they were wearing can never be removed. Cause they were basically when this curse happened, they were at a party, a masquerade, and the curse landed, and they all got stuck wearing the mask they were originally wearing. So he's wearing a golden mask. And I don't think it's an animal. I think it's just like a golden ornate mask. Yeah. And Lucian is wearing a fox mask. And that's yeah, he's a fox. and there's that in like a couple Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it's just an ornate mask. I was gonna say, yeah, he's up the animal one, yeah. Courtney Richter: people working around the house, but just very few. And she's in this world now. And they're kind of like, they're talking to her, trying to engage it's very beast Beauty and the Beast. Like he's like huffing and gruffing, and she's like, I'm your slave. He's like, No, it's like you can go anywhere, but the West Manor. It's kind of like, it's very much that, like the West Wing or whatever it is in Beauty and the Beast. Caitlin Stryker: Very yeah. Totally. Yeah. Yeah. Courtney Richter: And then over time, their relationship starts to build. You know, Tamlin is doing sweet things. He brings her to this like grove, this glen that has Starlight Pond that she gets to go swimming in, and apparently it's just the best. feeling in the world, perfect temperature swimming. She starts to trust him. Lucian sends her on this little quest to find a surreal, which is it surreal? Surreal. Caitlin Stryker: I always read it as surreal. Courtney Richter: Surreal. Okay, define the cereal. And if you snare a cereal, they will answer your questions. And what she wants to know is like how she can get home or how like is she ever gonna be able? Is there any loophole she doesn't know of to break this life debt owed? That's what she's looking for. So she goes out, he tells her, bring some chickens, do a snare, and you'll catch a surreal and let it go. She goes, captures him. He is like, I can't believe a human caught me, and basically tells her, There's nothing you can do, you can never return, stay with the high lord, and all will be well. That's What he tells us, stay with the High Lord, all will be well, and stop trying to like fix this or do something human. And then these nagas come out, Nagas, and she chose chooses to free the Surial first before attacking them, like as an act of kindness, shoots him down so he can run away, and then Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Yeah. Courtney Richter: fights Naga, but Tamlin shows up in his beast form, kills them, saves her. They go back to the castle. Caitlin Stryker: Mm hmm. Yeah. Courtney Richter: And that's when they really start like the relationship starts building that little bit more. And and she's starting to trust him. He talks to he there's someone who comes and he's like, hide in the bushes. And she hides in the bushes and they're talking to this invisible thing, but she can like hear his voice, and everything about it sounds like death and awful and going. And when he leaves, she's Who is that? They're like the Atar, and they keep talking about a blight, and the blight is coming, and she will be mad to hear about this, and she'll be angry. And she doesn't know who she is. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Courtney Richter: She's trying to figure out what the blight is. She's trying to figure out who this she is. And then they had the night of the calamari. And they keep telling her, he's like, you have to stay in your room. It's a big festival. It renews our magic in our, in our gardens. I'm forgetting the word. The what's the word for everything you grow? You're like agriculture. You're Caitlin Stryker: their harvest, like they're Courtney Richter: I guess so. Essentially, this this is a celebration, the new year, and they do the great rite in the calamari, and that's what causes their harvest season to be successful, and they have to do it every year. So Caitlin Stryker: Yeah, yeah. Courtney Richter: she's in there, they're drumming, she's like, these drums. She goes to the door and then Tamlin comes down the stairs. He's shirtless, like looking gorgeous, painted up for it. He's having a hard time controlling. He's like, You have to stay in your room. You cannot come out to this. Right. And she's like, Why? And he's You just can't. And he won't tell her what it is. And he's like, just stay in your room. Of course, he takes off and he's like shaking and can barely control himself around her. She doesn't listen. She goes to the party. She gets caught by three fairies that are like a human on Calamari. What a nice reward for us. Ooh, we're so lucky. And she's like basically Caitlin Stryker: Mm-hmm. Courtney Richter: about to be raped and is like, get away from me. And then this guy shows up and is like, it's you. I've been looking for you. And she said it's the most gorgeous man she has ever seen with violet eyes and dark hair. And he saves her from the three fade. They just see him and they run away. And she's like, that's a crazy reaction. Who's this guy? He doesn't tell her who he is. He asks what she's doing there. She doesn't say. She's like, I have two friends that I'm here with. They brought me. And is like, go back to wherever you came. Like, be safe. Don't talk to him or if it's not safe for you. And she's like, okay, leaves and runs into Lucian, who is like, What are you doing here? Basically grabs her, throws her over his shoulders. Runs her back to the palace and is like, stay here. He's like, he's gonna smell you and be so mad. And like, you need to stay here. And she's like, why? What is happening? Someone just give me some context, please. Maybe then I would listen, which I kind of agree with. So if someone had this crazy party with drums and they're just going and no one's told me anything other than I can't go, you better believe I'm gonna spy. A hundred percent. So, Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So totally. You're gonna sneak up and check out what's going on. Yeah. Yeah. Courtney Richter: and he's like, okay, we have to perform the great right, which is basically as the high lord. He needs to go find a maiden. All those women you saw down there are gonna line up in a cave after he kills a white stag, and he will pick one of them to mate with to perform the rite. And he's like, and it's not gonna be gentle, so you don't want it to be you, which obviously just makes her go like, you think I don't want it to be me. she's like a little bit shocked, a little bit turned on, and like Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Yeah. Courtney Richter: oh my God. And he's like, now I have to go because he's gonna smell you and not be able to find you. And have to try to control him. Finally, she's Fine. He's like, stay in your room until the morning. She goes to her room, he leaves, she sets up a snare, goes to bed, but she wakes up at like two in the morning, the drums have stopped, and she's like, can't sleep, so she decides to go get a snack, takes apart her snare, leaves, gets a snack, comes back, Tamil and finds her, crowds her against the wall, and is like, You should have been in your room. And she's like, I Wanna food, don't tell me what to do. And he's like, I could smell you and you weren't there. Do you know how crazy I went? It made me choose someone else, like it as the great, right? And she's like breathing hard and he's doing and he and she's like, You can't he I told you to say to her, she's like, You can't tell me what to do and he just bites her. Caitlin Stryker: yeah. Courtney Richter: neck to keep her in place like an animal to stop her from moving and she gets super turned on by it and and they're breathing and then he she he pulls back and then she slaps him and it says again like you can't tell me what to do I was coming from oh my room and that like kind of like gets him back and he's like go to your room don't come back out and then she gets turned on more by that and he can smell it which I love the way Faye can always smell them turn being turned on. It's always so great. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Courtney Richter: And stalks off. So now they've had this weird like he bites her, she goes back to her room. The next morning she's got a big bruise on her neck. And Lucian like, Where'd that bruise come from? And she's like, Ask him. He's like, I told her to stay in her room. She didn't listen, so I bit her. Like that's like Start up. Nights later, they have another party that's like the start of spring, the start of everything. And at that party, she's dancing. She has fairy wine. And again, Lucien's don't drink the wine. Don't drink the wine. You will regret it. And she's like, I don't care. And she drinks the wine, dances. Tanlin takes her dancing, and then he takes her to watch the light of the light of the mists? Spirit of the mists. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Yep. Courtney Richter: The swirls, they come, they dance, and they're Eetheron. So they dance together and they end up finally kissing, finally kissing. Finally, have this amazing kissing, the sun going up, like finally. And she realizes she's like, trusts him and feels strong feelings for him. And they're all like happy the next morning. Once again, Lissine like calls it out, like, hey, you guys came in late. Caitlin Stryker: Finally. Yeah. Yeah. Courtney Richter: And she can tell Tamlin's kind of like, is she gonna like upset that we kissed? Does she care? And then she looks at him as like, Well, after you bit him in the neck, a few kisses means nothing. He's it means nothing. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Courtney Richter: She's like, Nothing. And Lucien's like, spare me, please. Like, you guys. And then right when they're joking about it, all of a sudden this presence comes into the room and they grab Vera, throw her behind the curtains, and they glam like, don't move. And this guy comes in, she doesn't know who it is, and they say his name is Rieslin and he's there checking in. He's like, Amaranth wanted me to check on you, see how things are going. And it's clear he has more power than the other two. And they call him Amaranth's whore and like you're disgusting. Get out of here. And he's Well, we haven't seen you in fifty years. Like, we're checking how things are going, like kind of hinting at things that are coming. And they he's about to leave and he notices there's three settings and then he realizes they glamoured someone. And so he is able to break the glamour, sees Faye, Farah, and is like, How dare you glamour me to them? And he's like, It's you. And we find out he's the guy that was at the night of calamari. Like it was him that was at the party. He is like, too bad. He goes into her mind, can see that she's like you know, tells Tamil and how bad she wants to have sex with him, how much she wants to feel like his fingers between her thighs, like reads all of her dirty thoughts, calls them all out. In the middle of like being terrified to death, she's also like super embarrassed at the same time. He's basically like, Okay, well, maybe I'll tell her about you. Maybe I won't beg. And the two guys have to beg, like on the ground, faces on the ground to not tell. And he's like, Well, see, tell me your name. And she makes up the name of a neighbor because she doesn't want to tell him her real name. He leaves. And Tamlin's like, Okay, that's it. We have to send you back home. You can't stay. Like Amaranth. And she's still yeah, it's too dangerous. The blade's coming. I can't protect you anymore. You have to go. And she's No, I don't want to go. I want to stay. Like, this is now oh my home. This is where I belong. I'm the happiest I've ever been. Like, let me stay. He's like, We can't. I can't. Caitlin Stryker: It's too dangerous. Yeah. Cause she's falling for Tamlin now at this point, right? So she's like, Yeah. Courtney Richter: She's fallen for him hard and finally feels. And like I, because again, I was doing an overview that I've just gone into detail at random points, but she was really like fighting being here. Obviously. It was against her will. She was taken as a life debt. Like she did not want to be here. And finally, she's kind of been won over by it all and is like loving being there, wants to be with Tamlin, wants to be part of this kingdom. And so he's like, no, you have to go. So that night, finally, that night, we get all the steamy sex. Caitlin Stryker: And you guys, I mean, as somebody again who Courtney Richter: that was a long breath to get here. This is where we're at. That's where I'm pausing. I'm just trying to Caitlin Stryker: pain I think we can pause there and like talk about that part. Great. Courtney Richter: get to that. Caitlin Stryker: Great. I love it. Because you know, so th two things. One, when everyone was like, this is what it's like. This is how, you know, it's so spicy and it's so crazy. And I'm reading this book and I'm like, nothing is happening. And I thought at one point, like I thought early on with Lucian and Tamlin and they're at the table and there's all this tension and The guys have masks on and there's these secrets. And I'm like, these two guys are about to take her down and she's gonna love it. And Courtney Richter: Right. Caitlin Stryker: it's gonna be so fun. Like I thought this is gonna happen. Nope. That certainly doesn't happen. No, and I mean, right? Courtney Richter: No, there is no three way with Tamlin and Lucien. I wish there was, but Caitlin Stryker: I was hoping for it. I was like, this is what I'm here for. And then doesn't happen. And then there's just all of this tension and he never tells her anything. And like of what's going on. So she just keeps sneaking out, you know, and all these things and showing up places. And then he bites her and like, here we go. Now we're gonna get more. Nope. Nothing. And it just it took so long to get to the heat. Now, again, this was like I hadn't really been into romantasy or romantic things at this point. So this is Courtney Richter: See. Yes. Caitlin Stryker: what we would call a slow burn. We have a world building situation going on and a slow burn going on. And so oh my mom is just, I think she's reading this book now on vacation. and she's like, Well, I'm about to start it. She's like, Does it get spicy fast? Like, when does it whatever? And she's like, all excited. I was like, okay, stick with it. But it does not get spicy until at least halfway through. And she was like, really? I was like, I know, I know, I know, but just trust me. Yeah, it's a Courtney Richter: Like three hundred pages or something. Yeah, it's like three it's Caitlin Stryker: it's further than halfway. But I'm like, just trust me. Don't give up on it. and so she's like. Okay. I can't wait to hear what she thinks. anyways, and so so that so Lucian and Tamlin thing doesn't happen, it never happens. That was kind of a bummer. and then it was so interesting when she goes out to that calamari like spring right thing that he tells her not Courtney Richter: Yes. Caitlin Stryker: to go to, and she goes anyways. And at this point, she's been out in the Faerol because she already was with the Sur Surreal and It's dangerous out there, you know, like it i it's dangerous for a human body in the Fae World. Like any little scrape, any little thing, like everything can kill you out there. You know, like these beings are somewhat immortal. So they so everything is around them is stronger. so I was like, wow, she is brave to go out there. Like I'd be so curious, but also I don't think I would have gone all the way into the party the way she did, because it just felt like like she could get away. Courtney Richter: She went on a horse, so at least she felt protected. But the part I f the part I forgot, when they go to that like starlight gl when they finally kiss, he Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Courtney Richter: removes the glamour he had on her. And so she didn't realize there had been tons of like workers and people at the c at the castle and how everyone really looked, because he had made everyone look almost human for her and hid Caitlin Stryker: That's right. Yeah. Yeah. Courtney Richter: anyone but the necessary. So all of a sudden she comes downstairs and she's like, Who are you? Who's this for why is the place full of fee that weren't here before doing Caitlin Stryker: Yes. Courtney Richter: like you know, mediocre jobs and and he's like, Well, we just didn't want you to be scared and we hit everyone until you were ready. And that's like kind of the signal that she's like Caitlin Stryker: Yeah, we hit everyone. And also made everyone look the same. Courtney Richter: they made everyone look the same, but it's kind of the sign of like she's starting to become she's comfortable here now. She's starting to become more accustomed. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Courtney Richter: And then calamari happens after that. So now she can see everyone. And they even say it's a night that people are allowed to cross boundaries. So in this world, whatever court you're from, like you stay in that court. You don't cross into the other courts. But on calamari night, Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Yeah. Mm hmm. Courtney Richter: People from the other courts are allowed to come in and participate in the Great Rite. It's basically a big sex orgy party. Which I really hoped I had wanted him to find her that night. I really wanted that to be the spice. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. It's basically a big sex or determination. Yes. Same. And so when she like when she bumps into those Other fay guys who are like, Ooh, Courtney Richter: Mm-hmm. Caitlin Stryker: and you can tell they're stalking her, like they're totally gonna rape her. And Courtney Richter: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Caitlin Stryker: it was like, no, no, no, no. And then when this guy comes in and stops it, and I was like, Here's Tamlin, here we go. And it's not, it's some other guy, but who's like gorgeous. And you're kind of like, okay. And then he's that guy is like, just like go, you know what I mean? And then Courtney Richter: Yeah. Caitlin Stryker: she bumps into Lucian and it's like, something's gonna go down with Lucian. Nope. He just takes her out of there. Courtney Richter: Just super fast. Like, nope. Caitlin Stryker: And it it was one of those moments where you're like, no one is ever gonna have sex in this book. Like Courtney Richter: Mm-hmm. Caitlin Stryker: It's just not gonna happen. And then Tamlin comes back and now it's like, he's not, he's not gonna get a hold of himself. And then he just bites her, which is like so hot because you just want something, you want anything. Yeah. Courtney Richter: Yes. Yes. and he says he's like, she didn't want me to be it made me pick someone else. She didn't want me to be gentle with her, but I would have been gentle with you. And then like well and then bites her. Like it's Caitlin Stryker: I mean, but also like think on it, because then it probably would have been really weird because I think It's a great rate. It sounds like maybe there's just like sex and there's like other people around and everything, like it's not like a private moment. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Courtney Richter: No, they go into the cave. Like people know though. They're watching you go in, and then I think they go in alone and then perform whatever right it is, but they're not of their own mind. Like he's taken over. He lets this magic come into his body that makes him seek out whoever the right person will be and then have the act, and then it it causes bountiful harvest, basically. The magic goes into the ground and and makes the kingdom plentiful. But I don't think the actual act is watched by other people. But regardless, it's a it's it's yeah, they don't that's he doesn't pick her. Caitlin Stryker: Okay. I couldn't. Courtney Richter: Would have been hot, but I'm glad he didn't, because then when we actually get the spice in this book. Like they actually, honestly, if you didn't know where the rest of the series went, she did build the relationship really well. The slow burn. Like you were at this point a hundred percent team Danlin and Vera. You were like in it and with them and want this. Like when I heard what happened later, I was like, no, I'm never gonna get on board with that. Like I Caitlin Stryker: Yes. Totally. Yes. Yes. And you I mean that is so necessary. Yeah. Courtney Richter: when I knew what when someone told me like the spoiler of what was coming, I was like, No, I'll be Team Tamlin all the way. Caitlin Stryker: oh my gosh, I'm so glad I didn't know the spoiler and we're not gonna give it now, but because I think it's like so key as we go on. But so yeah, so now we're in love with Tanlin at this point. Like we are all in, we don't ever want her to go back to the human world. Courtney Richter: Yes. And he's sacrificing her. He's sacrificing her to go back, breaking his own heart. He tells her he loves her. And like and he's sending her home. And people it's so heartbreaking. He's so sad. Caitlin Stryker: it's crushing. I'm like, don't send her home. And the serial said stay with the High Lord, right? So you're just screaming at the book. Yeah. Courtney Richter: Yes. Yeah, you're like, why are you leaving? And she almost says it back and doesn't and chokes on it. And Lucian's even pissed. He's you can't give her a couple more days. And like Tamlin's just shutting it It's like, nope, has to be now, has to be now. And you can tell Lucian's not happy about it. And there are a few people are kind of saying odd comments to her. And so she gets in this carriage. He sends her like amazing sex that they just like keep coming, fall asleep, have sex again, keep going. Like everything she wanted, falling apart. Caitlin Stryker: It's amazing. It really is a nice payoff. You're like, yes. Yeah. Mm hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Courtney Richter: Yes. Yes. Well written, smuddy scenes for it. And then she goes home and her sisters are now in this humongous house. Basically, Tamlin set it up and glamoured them so that they got their wealth back. And they think she went to live with an aunt to take care of her who was dying. And that the dad's ships were found and all their money came back to them. Basically, that's like the story that they now believe. So she comes back to them being wealthy and living their life and like. thinking Vera was just off with an ant. And she doesn't quite know how to like align herself with that. But then she realizes her mistake that she's come home. Her other sister, Nesta, like Elaine is fully in a Elaine's gotten engaged. She's like with these other people. She's with an anti fairy. So like humans, there's like a league of them that like want to kill all the fairies and wish that they didn't exist and think iron kills fairies. Like all the humans think Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Yeah. Courtney Richter: iron hurts fairies and that fairies can't lie. And neither of these things are true. But they think it. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Well, it didn't take on Nesta. Totally took on away. Yeah. Yeah. Courtney Richter: and Nesta finally confesses to her, like, I remember what happened to you. Like, they glamoured us, but it didn't take. I I know that that guy came and took you and did it. Nesta, on Nesta and her dad. But she didn't fall for it. So she is playing along, but knows and she knows Farah wants to go back. Farah confesses she wants to go back and she helps her do it. She's like, I have to, like the war is coming. It's going to kill everyone here too. Like, I have to go back. We're not safe, basically. And she Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Yeah. Courtney Richter: wants to go save Tamlin. So she finds the hole, the riff in the wall that essentially separates the worlds and goes back to find an empty spring court. The court is empty. The only person still there is Alice Ailis? Alice. Caitlin Stryker: The wall. Yeah. Ailis, Ailis. Yeah. Yeah. Who is a lower Faye. So Alice is Courtney Richter: who was a lower fee. Caitlin Stryker: what like when the glamour came off and she realized Alice, who was basically like her handmaiden, almost had like b like tree bark kind of like skin, right? And was like Courtney Richter: Yes. Yeah. Caitlin Stryker: like looked a little bit differently and everything. And that was Yeah. Yeah. Courtney Richter: Because she's actually from the summer court. Yeah. Caitlin Stryker: And is also not a high Fey. So she is sort Courtney Richter: Not a high faith, yeah. Caitlin Stryker: of a a different I mean, she's still the fairy species, but I don't know, it there's like so many layers. They're not human. Yeah. Courtney Richter: Yeah, they had made her look rounder and plumper, more human-like when the glamour was on. And then when it was real, she was more like sunken in. She had the mask on still and was still Faye, but obviously not High Face, you know, that glow that high face have. So she's still there and tells her basically that the curse was that everyone in the Spring Kingdom would be st forced to wear these masks, and they had 50 years for someone to fall in love with Tamil. They'd have to send out someone would have to kill one of the Faye, one of the guards, bring her back. As like a life debt, and they would have to fall. Very much Beauty and the Beast, like someone to fall in love with the beast stuck in the mask. I and that the 50 years is almost up. And Amaranth came when she left. She came back to like collect them all and force them to go underground. She let them stay in the spring court for 50 years. That was like the agreement. You can stay in your court for 50 years. When the 50 years is up, if no one has fallen in love with you, you have to come live in the underground city, which is like the world Amaranth has made. Because she came. Sorry, there is a lot of world building, but there's a king hybrid. Caitlin Stryker: Very much being used. Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Courtney Richter: That lives in another world. And he's planning to take over this world of the courts, of the high courts. And he sent Amaranth and she started the takeover 50 years ago. So 50 years ago, this curse came from her that cursed all the courts. People that were, she was having like a party. The people at the party got stuck there. And the people in the other courts Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Courtney Richter: had other things happen to them. And basically, Tanlin's thing was they all have to wear the mask and they have 50 years to make someone fall in love with him. That was the like deal she made. And if it doesn't happen, he has to be her slave. For life, like Mary, she loves Tamlin and wants to like be with him. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. And it's so crazy because right as Faro was she as Tamlin was sending Farah away, she was like basically bit her tongue. From saying I love you to Tamlett. Yeah. It had to be said though. Yeah. Yes. Courtney Richter: I know, which part of me is like, I feel like the only thing with the curse, like, she did feel it. So like part of me is like the curse really should have been broken, anyways, because the feeling was there. But the fact that it has to be said, it's always those fee loopholes. so yes, it had to be said. And I don't think I don't think she's told that part, right? Because she can't Caitlin Stryker: It she can't be told that yeah, no, she's not told that part at this point. She doesn't exactly. Exactly. No. Courtney Richter: Yeah, she's not told even at this point. Yeah. So but that the curse had to be broken and now they're under the mountain. And so she's determined, like, I'm gonna find oh my way under the mountain to go save them. And A list is one, like, you can't like she's there because she's collecting her stuff. She was gonna escape to the summer kingdom because the summer kingdom has also mostly been left alone. Like the the former high court of the summer kingdom was killed at this party and stuck there, and like the other people are still in summer. So she's on her way to go there. So she tells Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Courtney Richter: There, how to get there using underground tunnels. Warns her away, but she's like, You're gonna go no matter what. So she kinda just gives her a little advice and tells her how to find her way to the underground. There Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Yeah. Courtney Richter: it goes. Somehow finds her way. Crazy. She obviously gets captured as soon as she's there. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. I mean, there's no way for her not to be. Like she is walked into the hornet's nest. Like she's in the belly of the beast. You're you're gonna get captured. And very much so. Yeah. Yeah. Courtney Richter: Yes, she's in the belly of the beast. And Amit is thrilled, thrilled by this, and brings her to the front and center when she gets caught by the Ators, I think, catch her in the cave. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Courtney Richter: And right beside her is Tamlin with the mask on stuck to sit right beside because like Ameth's design is eventually to Tamlin basically her like husband or mate. Like she wants him to be her partner. That's like the agreement they made if he failed in the fifty years. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Yeah. Courtney Richter: Reese is also there because Reese is her, or he's been forced to basically service her for the 50 years that everyone's been underground. And on the wall behind her, Lucian's there, everyone's there. On the wall behind her is the body of her neighbor, the name that she gave when Reese asked, What's your name? So he clearly Caitlin Stryker: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Lucian's there. Courtney Richter: gave that name to Amaranth, didn't think it was gonna be a real person. Caitlin Stryker: No. Courtney Richter: And they went, and she did find out when she was with her sisters that they had been. That girl had been kidnapped and the house had been burned down. She found she did find that out before getting into this cave. I just remembered now. And she's there. Caitlin Stryker: Yes. Yeah. She did. And then she sees her like pinned to the wall. Now we're under the mount, and things get way darker, Court, than I ever thought. Courtney Richter: Dark. Way darker. We are no longer in a romantasy. We are now fully in a dark fantasy. Once you're under the mountain. Violent. Yes. Yes. Caitlin Stryker: It was it's so violent once you're under the mountain. Like next level, I did not see any of that coming. I was like, Courtney Richter: No. Caitlin Stryker: whoa! Like she's playing with her food. It's fun, it's more, it's too boring to just kill Courtney Richter: Yes. It changed like Amaranth. Okay, so Amaranth makes her deal, because for some reason she likes to make deals. that if she can complete, she's playing with her food. She doesn't expect her to be able to do it. Caitlin Stryker: everyone. Yeah. Courtney Richter: So she's like, if you can pass oh my three tasks, then I'll let you go. The curse, then I will break the curse. Is what she agrees to. Or you can answer this riddle, and if you get it right, the curse will instantly break. And if you get it wrong. Everyone will die, or something like that. Like it's very high risk. I can't remember. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Very high stick. Courtney Richter: Basically, she agrees that she will do the three tasks. So, her very first one, she gets thrown into this pit, and it's some kind of huge blind earthworm with gnarly teeth, just isn't chasing her. And she realizes she's in the holes of this earthworm, and everyone's up above watching her, trying to escape this guy, tunneling through, doesn't know what to do. She ends up landing, Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. it's great. Courtney Richter: and it's like Pit where all these bones from its meals and things are, and she ends up coming up with a trap basically to snare it, breaks the bones on her legs, sets it all up, all these spikes, goes up there, chase it, the thing falls in, lands on all the bones she set up, dies. She beats it. No one expected it. They're all shocked. And she likes to take one of the bones and whips it up at a hammer to cover her in the mud and guts, because she's covered in poo and gross and mu, like disgusting, Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. No. Yeah. Courtney Richter: blood, everything. And So she's won it, everyone's a little impressed, and they throw her back into her cage, basically. Thing one, done. Tamlin's up there, like she doesn't get to talk to Tamlin, she doesn't get to see him. Like he makes no reaction about her at all because he doesn't want her Ameth know who she really is. even though she knows, but he doesn't pretend to care. He pretends he does not care, does not bother. She's super injured. the first time is it Lucian that comes to help her, or is it always Reese that comes to help her? Caitlin Stryker: No. Yeah. Yeah. Yes. I feel like the first time. It's no, it's always Reese who helps her in some way. Lucian comes to help her. Reese sends a song. Yeah, it's too many injuries. Yeah. Courtney Richter: Yeah, well, l Reese makes that bond with her at one point. So Lucium comes the first night, tries to help her get c cleaned up as best he can without being noticed. Like comes visit her. They kinda check in, like, what are you doing here? You shouldn't have come. Shouldn't have this, like, I'll try to help you all do oh my best. He's gone. But then she's like slowly kind of dying because she's got all these cuts and bruises and not clean. It's too many injuries. And he doesn't want to fix her too much because he doesn't want to become obvious. So then Reese visits her. Caitlin Stryker: Yes. And he's like a dark, dangerous creature. You know, like Yeah. Courtney Richter: And is like the night the high court of the night kingdom. And he he's the guy that was at the house and the guy that she met on Kalmar. And he makes a he's like, I will make a deal with you. Dark, dangerous Tamlin and Lucien have made like the night court are the worst of the worst. They kill for fun, they're horrible people, they do nothing but for their own gain. Like they are the worst. So Caitlin Stryker: Well, and it's they call it the Court of Nightmares, so yeah. Courtney Richter: Court of Nightmares, yes. And so she fears him, but he's like, I will make a bond with you that if you basically I will heal you and let you live, but you have to agree basically to be oh my slave under here, and that when we get out of here, if you survive this, you have to come first he says every two weeks, you have to come to oh my court every two weeks, oh my call. And she makes it once a month then. Once a month, Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Courtney Richter: for as long as he wants she has to go and spend a week with him. She agrees to it because otherwise she's going to die. Caitlin Stryker: Mm-hmm. Courtney Richter: And she gets a tattoo that covers her hand all the way up her arm as soon as she agrees to it. And that's their bond, essentially. The bond. and she gets given these tasks of like impossible things that she has to do while she's waiting in her cell for her next contest. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. The bond. Yeah. yeah, like like scrubbing the floors totally clean in like a dirt tunnel. Like, you know, like or in the hallway, but it's like it would never be possible to do without. Courtney Richter: Yeah. Yeah. So sh with a muddy bucket. Yes. So this after her second battle is something with Lucy and the two of them are in like these levers, like almost elevators, platforms, and the thing's caging, and she has to read these three switches to decide the right ones to do. And she can't Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Courtney Richter: actually read, but Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Courtney Richter: She's like trying to she figures out the first one. I can't remember how there's like a clue she figures out, and then she can't read the second one. But when she goes to grab one, the hand like burns her husband heats up. And so she gets it as a signal from me. He's like, That's the wrong one. She picks the right one. Basically, Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Courtney Richter: saves the two of them. They get out. She solves it. She saves her and Lucian. Lucian's mother Caitlin Stryker: And though this is our discovery that she can't read. We're like even as the reader, you know? Courtney Richter: No, we already no, it's not. She no no no. When she's at the court, she has all these books from Tamlin and she can't read them. She's trying to learn words. And then he takes her words and makes it into limericks, dirty limericks. And that was part of their like bonding. But this is Reese's discovery that she can't read. Caitlin Stryker: that's right, that's right. Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Courtney Richter: so then she's given the task to clean the floor, but she's given a dirty mop bucket and a dirty sponge. They're like, you have to clean it, but basically she's just moving dirt around. She's like, I'll never be able to do this. And they're like, if you don't do these tasks, like you will die. Sends her to do it. And then Tamlin's Lucian's mother comes down and thanks her for saving her son because she saves Lucian by completing that task and basically does the cleaning for her so that she's able to do it. Saves her, because otherwise she have been killed. As like a one-time thank you for saving her son. Then Reese, between that and her third task, like starts to come to visit her Caitlin Stryker: Yes, yes. Courtney Richter: every night. He brings these two like little things. kind of creatures that can pass through walls and they're not really like people, they're twins. Wait, yeah. And they paint her body from head to toe and dress her like covered in paint and then this little bit of like drabs of fabric over her breasts and vagina and parade bring her up to party every night. Caitlin Stryker: Like wraith types. Yeah. But like essentially naked. yeah. And bring her up to party every night. And like he feeds her the fairy wine. And so she's just kind of like writhing around. Courtney Richter: Yes. So she's Yeah, not feeling anything and doesn't and never remembers it the next day. Like he just brings her up every night, displays her. Caitlin Stryker: But and but it's like very sexual and sexualized, and she's on display, and it's like Yeah. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Courtney Richter: Yes. On display. And he's doing it to get under Tamlan's skin. And Tanlem's always sitting up there with Amarath and can't respond. And he does this over and over every night between that and her last task. And then finally, for the last task, sh he brings her up and one time Tanlem does appear beside her. Like in this little cove, he manages to get away to be beside her. Finally for a second, and he grabs her and kisses her. And they almost start basically Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Courtney Richter: having sex against that wall. And then Reese catches them. And out of anger and because he has to be able to like disguise the paint that's marred on her, which is why he painted her. So if anyone touches her, he'll know. So then he kisses her like violently, so that Amarinth will see that and think it's him that smudged the paint and did it. Out of anger. Caitlin Stryker: Mm-hmm. That smudge. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And he basically says, doesn't say to Tamlin at that point? He's like or something, he's you've put her in danger now. Cause like if Amaranth Courtney Richter: Yes. Caitlin Stryker: Amaranth then knows how much Fair means to Jamlin, then we're in big trouble. Like Yeah. Courtney Richter: Yes, even more so. Yeah, he du he's pissed at Tanlin for basically using this moment not to get her out, but to like kiss her. And that's actually like he wasted an opportunity, essentially. so he kisses her to own her claim her again. And then Amaranth comes up with a third task finally for her. And this is like we're getting near the end of the book. She has to kill three people. That's what the th so I think she goes back to her cell that night. She's lonely. She's been having a hard time. She hears faint music through her cell that like keeps her company, keeps her going. yeah. And so again, Ametha's like, you have to do this. So she has to kill just two innocent Faye, which she very much does not like to kill people, innocent people. She chooses kindness. Like she is a good person that way. Like she really, this is so hard for her. She kills one person. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Keeps it going. Yeah. Courtney Richter: Who is begging not to be killed, obviously, because they don't want to die, even though S break the curse. She manages to kill the second person, and then she's like, I'm not gonna do this now. It's a third. Like she was about to turn the knife on herself. Then that the mask is pulled off and it's Tamlin. And that's who she's gonna have to kill in order to complete the test. But what she doesn't know Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Courtney Richter: at first, because she's obviously she's like, I'm not gonna do this, but even before it was Tamlin, she's like, I'm not gonna kill another person. Like she was about to turn the knife and just kill herself. Then she remembers hearing little things about Tamlin having a heart of stone. It's something that was said throughout the book, something mentioned with the heart of stone. And she like looks him in the eye and then is like, and like he gives her a signal, like, you can do this. So she stabs him because she realizes he has a heart of stone, literally has a heart of stone, which whatever that means, but it does. And so it doesn't kill him. Like she stabs him, he does it. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah, mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Courtney Richter: And then nothing happened. She turns to Amaranth, like, you said you were gonna break the curse. And she's like, I did, and I will. I didn't say when. And she's like, So maybe I'll like keep them for another 50 years. Like some point I'll get bored, but basically it's not sh Farah missed that loophole when she had said it. So then Farah's thinking, and as Amaranth jumps to try to like kill her, she remembers she's like trying Caitlin Stryker: Yes. Yeah. Courtney Richter: to kill Farah. And she remembers, she realizes the answer to the riddle that'll instantly get rid of the curse, which is love. Love is the answer. Love is the thing that you can't be destroyed, or blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I can't remember the whole thing, but it's love. And as she says it, she says it, and Aaron shrieks and kills her. But everyone gets released from their curse. And Vera is dead. She can like see herself over the body, kind of starting to float away, but she's got this tether. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Yeah. Riddle, yeah. Yeah. Courtney Richter: Something she looks down is pulling her towards back to Tamlin. And Reese's there and then's around her body. And she can feel this tether pulling her back. And so she decides to follow the tether. And while that's happening, Tamlin is begging all of the high lords of the different courts to please give a drop of their magic that'll bring her back to life. And they all agree because she did literally just save all of them. All of them are now freed from this curse. They've all equally been under for the last 50 years. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Save all of them. Yes. Yeah. Courtney Richter: So they all come up and for her sacrifice, give her a drop of their magic, give her a drop of their magic. Winter, spring, summer, fall, autumn, and of course, Tamlin. and and night and day. All of that's the seven cores, right? So they do, and she comes back to life, and she's now Faye. Okay, we're just getting to the end of this book, but this is all happening. And now she's back to life, Faye. Tamlin's crying. Reese's there. Like as soon as she had died, Reese attacked Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Yeah, night and day, all of it. Yep. Courtney Richter: Amaranth and Gilder. Tamlin's just Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Courtney Richter: there crying. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, he's like, yeah. Courtney Richter: They're back like she survives. She wakes up the next day in a room and sell and they're like, Okay, we're gonna go back to life. She feels some kind of tug on the bond and she knows it's Reese, so she goes to see him to say goodbye and like thank him and he tried. He's like, I'm glad you made it through. They kind of a little chat and he's like, Maybe I'll see you one day. And because of the bond. She's like, Are you truly gonna make me like stick to the bond? And he's like, Well, we made a bond. Like kind of leaving it up in the air. We'll see. And then something happens. They laugh right before he disappears and she sees this look of shock. On his face, and he says, It's you, and then gone. That's it. And then she and Tamlin and Lucien are going back to their palace to Spring Court to go live out their lives, get engaged, and get married. Is basically happily ever after. After this, like and I'm rushing through it, like the last hundred pages is all the stuff under the mountain. And it's insane and amazing. And the best part of the book Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Happily ever after. Yeah. Courtney Richter: and total chaos. And she's a badass. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Yeah. Courtney Richter: And that's where you start. To get some respect for Fair, because I know quite a few I had it all along, but there are quite a few people that like didn't love Fair in the first book. They're like, I'm not crazy about her as a female main character. They didn't feel she was strong enough, or that she had enough of her own ideas. Caitlin Stryker: Hmm. I disagree with that. Courtney Richter: I I actually I agree. I didn't find it, but people that did, I'm like, just wait, just wait. And when you get into the further books, you'll find that anyways. But Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Yeah. Courtney Richter: I do know there are people that had that kind of opinion in the first book because she's so satisfied with kind of being kept with Just painting and doing and in that way, which I see, but also like after the life she came from, let a lady enjoy a few weeks of just eating and fucking painting. Like she earned that. Yes, and having someone love her and care about her, like who never got attention from her father and never got from their mother. Like, let her live in this, enjoy it for a moment before Caitlin Stryker: Right. Yeah, it was so earned. Yeah. She was like starving in a hobble. Yeah. She very much earned it. Yeah. Yeah. Courtney Richter: like needing to be the next thing. And anyways, and then when she was in the place, like as soon as she went under the mountain, she was an all star. Like she kicked ass. Caitlin Stryker: An all-star. And well, like we said when we started talking about this, you know, the beginning of the book, you're kind of like, okay, I don't know, you're not attached yet, like any book, right? And all that stuff, and you're just kind of like, okay, I don't know. And it does sort of seem a little annoying, and then like the sisters are so brutal. and everything, and it's all good, and then she goes off, and yeah, you're kind of like, I don't know about this gal, but then as it goes along and you go on the journey with her, and she has her, you know, her her growth that she goes through. I think it was when she made her way back after Tamlin sent her away, and then she went Courtney Richter: Mm-hmm. Caitlin Stryker: to go to Under the Mountain. That's when I was like, Okay, yes, like she's you know, she's getting some fight in her, some gum shit, more gum shit. She was. Courtney Richter: She was that at the beginning. Like, yes, she didn't stand up. Sure, she didn't stand up to her sisters, but she did figure out how to go hunt and like provide for her family. But I guess she was a bit of a doormat in terms of like letting them walk all over her and never calling them out. And let it like even the little money she made, they'd be like, I'm gonna go spend this on boots. Like she very much did not stand up for herself or say anything to the people that were walking all over her. So that was true. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. That part was annoying. Yeah. Courtney Richter: But we see that start to come out with the guys. Like she starts to talk back to Tamlin. Or no, to Lucian. Like they start having that kind of rapport and that friendship. So I think I Caitlin Stryker: But that's also yeah. Courtney Richter: see it, but I was fine with it. Like it never bothered me. I just got I got a little stuck in the beauty and the beast of it. Like that's what when I first read it, that's what irritated me slightly. Which most of her series are both start as some kind of inspiration from Disney. But she very much takes it away from that and it's its own. Caitlin Stryker: Same. No, because it works. Yeah. Hmm. Courtney Richter: thing and becomes the Akatar lore that we all know. But this is very much Beauty and the Beast until the last hundred pages. And then it's this Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Yeah. Courtney Richter: whole other adventure. Like buckle up and now we're here. Caitlin Stryker: Well and Beauty and the Beast isn't originally Disney. I mean it's originally a fairy tale, you know, Courtney Richter: Well yeah, of course. Yeah. Caitlin Stryker: which which works. but it was very heavy handed, that for the beginning Courtney Richter: Yeah, yes. Caitlin Stryker: of it, for sure. And then it takes a turn, you know, that you just don't see coming that's really exciting. Yeah. Yeah. Courtney Richter: Yeah. Exactly. Like hold on, get through that. We know that. I th the author knows that. She's not pretending that it's not. Because where it goes to is totally worth it. Yes. Caitlin Stryker: Totally worth it. Which we will be talking about next in our next episode. We're Courtney Richter: Yeah, we'll keep going. Caitlin Stryker: gonna talk about where this goes. That was in an I mean hats off court. That was a very good Courtney Richter: I was like, Kate, we have to do one episode about each book 'cause they're so big. Caitlin Stryker: They are so big and so much happens and especially I mean Aquatars set the first one sets up so Courtney Richter: So much, yes. Caitlin Stryker: much that to then go into right away like in one episode what what's next you kind of just lose it like it's like you know yeah yes come on this ride yeah so much there's a reason we're doing it in January yeah same very proud to say it Courtney Richter: Yeah, you need to live in this world. And if you haven't now, go read it. Come back and then watch the next come along with us. Read along. Go take this and take each episode. It's so fun. I love this series so much. It has a special place. I'm proud to say I like Aquatar. Yes. Some people hide away. Guilty pleasure. I'm like, no, it's just a pleasure. There's no guilt as set associated. Just a pleasure. I'm Caitlin Stryker: Just not sure. I know. Courtney Richter: I'm all in. Caitlin Stryker: Why would there be? Also, like bonus, it's on banned books lists and everything like that. So that just like makes it even better. Best press, best press a book can get. Courtney Richter: I know, I love that it's a band book. I don't understand why it's a band book, but so is like the summer I turned pretty. Like it's really weird. I don't know what details. Right? Read the band books. Caitlin Stryker: Freed the band books. On that note, we're gonna say Courtney Richter: Yes. Caitlin Stryker: goodbye for today's episode. Courtney Richter: Bah Caitlin Stryker: We will be back with the next book in the Avatar series, A Court Mist and Fury. So be ready. A whole Courtney Richter: Mm-hmm. Be ready. Here we go. Caitlin Stryker: lot more happens. Right? Courtney Richter: I certainly hope so. There's five bucks. Caitlin Stryker: Alright, that's it for today's episode of Kate and Court's Cozy Corner. We'll talk to you again soon. Bye. Courtney Richter: Hey bye. Caitlin Stryker: You know the drill. Be sure to like and subscribe wherever you listen to our podcast. Courtney: Thanks for tuning in to Cait and Court's Cozy Corner Romance Readers. Caitlin Stryker: Executive producers and hosts, Caitlin Stryker and Courtney Richter, Producers, Canasia Ngo and Hollie Lobosky. Original music, Cassie De Silva.