Latest / Deep Trope Fantasy & Romance Podcast / The Silversmith Deep Dive (Ch 1-8): Scar Theories, Almond Moms, & Nyrida Worldbuilding

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The Silversmith Deep Dive (Ch 1-8): Scar Theories, Almond Moms, & Nyrida Worldbuilding · Deep Trope Fantasy & Romance Podcast

• Rachel: Welcome to Deep Trope, where we go deep into fantasy and romance books, one trope at a time. We're your two book besties gushing over plot characters, Easter eggs theories, and of course, our favorite spicy moments. I'm Rachel, romantasy theorist. Kate: And I'm Kate, lover of all things dark and spicy. Rachel: And today is the start of our four episode deep dive of The Silversmith by LJ Claren. this episode will cover chapters one through eight of the book from the perspective of two people who have read the full book. So that means spoilers. If you don't know who the Butcher of Nyrida is, pause the podcast and come back once you've finished reading. Kate: And we're still a new podcast, so we truly appreciate every single like, subscribe, and share. Go ahead, get your friend invested in another unfinished series. Be the chaos you want to see in the world. Our goal is to make sure every romance and fantasy reader has a book bestie to gush over their favorite theories and their favorite spicy scenes. So be sure to connect with us on social media to join in all the fun. You can join us on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook @DeepTropePodcast. Rachel: And before we begin, be sure to check the content warnings on the book, because all trigger warnings from the Silversmith apply to this podcast. We're two unfiltered opinionated millennials, so maybe grab your headphones if you're around anyone who doesn't appreciate Smyth's dirty mouth as much as Ary does. All right, let's dive into the world of Nyrida We meet our FMC Ary in dire circumstances. Right off the bat, we're getting a pretty popular trope. The 19-year-old is starving, abandoned, and has just trekked four hours through the snow to buy bread at the market with her last two coins, which unfortunately cost three coins. The salesman turns her away unless she wants to use her pretty pink lips. Vom. Kate: ⁓ Rachel: She thinks that within a week, she'll need to butcher her two hens, Daisy and Penny, who have become not only her pets, but basically her only family as well. Or she'll starve. Our girl has gone through some shit because not only is she on death's door, but when a red cloth catches her eye at the market, she has a sort of PTSD reaction, thinking of a bloody nightmare that has been waking her constantly. So Ary returns home and Empty handed, and we learn that six months ago, Ary awoke with no memories of her life prior to that point after falling and striking her head in the cellar, at least according to her mother. So here we're starting not only in the worst possible circumstances, but also with a memory loss trope. Kate: Which I know you love. But I'm curious how extensive this memory loss was, or like how drastically it impacts her general ability to function. Like she remembers nothing from before six months ago, right? Rachel: I do. Mm-hmm. Kate: Like at this point I'm kind of torn because you know I'm not a huge fan of the like small, weak, young FMC trope necessarily. But at the same time, can I blame her for not having much of a survival instinct if she basically had to start from scratch like six months ago? Rachel: Right. Right. I don't know how much she knows. Like she doesn't seem to know anything about her life. I don't know how much like functionally she knows. We we kind of learn that throughout the book. Like we see her learn how to ride a horse and it turns out she doesn't need to learn 'cause she knows. ⁓ Kate: Right. Right. Yeah. Like does she how much does she have to relearn versus just kind of like instinctually knowing? You know, I mean, it it is one of those things like memory loss is such a thing, but it has so many different kind of levels to it of like ⁓ what are impacted and everything. So ⁓ I I was fascinated here, but it also it did help to kind of soften for me the ⁓ my like immediate feelings about Rachel: Uh-huh. Kate: this type of female character that we're starting with is like, listen, she's not just any frail nineteen year old FMC, okay? She has plenty of reason to be in this situation. Rachel: Yes. Right, yes, you can't blame her. She could be forty years old and still be in the same situation. Kate: Right. Rachel: Along with her memory loss, Ary is tortured by recurring nightmares and dreams of finding her father, Phillip and five year old brother Oliver dead in bed, with their throats slit and X's carved into their torsos. So adding to the tropes list, we have a dead parent, and I'm adding dead sibling to the list as well. before leaving eight weeks ago, her mother said, quote, I would give you up to have my boy back. I am done being your safe haven. Kate, imagine having your mom say this, especially when you already remember nothing. This girl has done nothing wrong. She is literally a victim of her circumstances. ⁓ And her mom is blaming her for the worst that has ever happened to her. So I guess we're adding Kate: ⁓ my god. Rachel: Shitty mom trope to the list? Kate: ⁓ absolutely. And this is this is just so rough because Ary literally only knows what Elowen has told her, right? Like she she's she's wiped clean, right? So everything that she knows about herself, about her circumstances, what either what she experienced in the the short amount of time that she does remember or is based on things that they've told her. So the fact that Elowen resents her. Rachel: Mm-hmm. Kate: Is it's like one of the six things that she knows about herself. Rachel: Right, right. And we see as the story goes on, we see like Ary feeling like a lot of things are her fault or she's feeling all this guilt and then no wonder because Elowen has taught her that like she's reformed Kate: Yeah. It's it's like one of the core pieces of her self image because she had to rebuild her self image from scratch. Rachel: Yes, yes. Right. Right. Yes, talk about abandonment issues. ⁓ Kate: Fucking brutal. Ooh. Rachel: Adding to how shitty her mother is, the bathroom, Ary looks at her skeletal reflection in the mirror, remembering her previously strong, healthy curves, and how her mother encouraged her to stay thin, saying, quote, Delicate and light, Ary. Anything more is unbecoming. for fuck's sake, we do not enjoy an almond mom. Kate: I am I I don't know, like the this part was so insistent of like Ary notes multiple times how Elowen was so insistent on her staying thin and her, you know, keeping her figure or whatever. I have to wonder, is there more to this than just being an almond mom? Like is there some hidden reason that Elowen was so insistent on her being thin and not eating too much? Like is she trying to suppress her power? It Like, I'm not opposed to the idea that Elowen is just like she just sucks. But it's mentioned so many times it just feels like maybe there's a deeper meaning to it. I don't know. Rachel: That's interesting that you think it could potentially be related to her powers or attempting to sort of suppress them. I was interpreting it as Elias being a piece of shit and only being interested in like the heroine chic supermodels. Kate: Maybe. But like but like they're also it's like an arranged marriage, right? So like does it really matter how attracted he is to her if they're gonna be married no matter what? Rachel: True. Yeah. But I'm I I mean, I think her job is to like make her as appealing as possible. Kate: Sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So yeah, again, like I I'm I'm not gonna just totally discount the that Elowen just fucking sucks. But it just it was brought up so many times and it also is just like not something that I I don't know. It feels like there could be something more to it. But Rachel: Mm. Kate: I don't know what that would be. I'm just like like why would why would she be so insistent when clearly it's not like Ary was like in danger of becoming like obese, you know? Like Yeah. I don't know. Rachel: Right. Right, right. Well, I wonder if that's something that'll come up in later books. Like maybe Elowen has ulterior motives. Kate: Maybe. Yeah, I don't know. I don't know. But yeah, maybe she just is the worst and is a really shitty ⁓ mother figure. Rachel: That being said, to your point, Ary sounds stunning. She has long silver blonde hair, freckles across her cheeks and nose, green eyes, but she also has some mysterious scars. So the first is a small scar directly over her heart, which is a mystery. Even her mother doesn't know where it came from. And then, lower down, a horizontal quote, smile. On her abdomen from a surgery that she had when she was younger. And her mother tells her that it was a growth that needed to be removed. ⁓ first of all, what kind of mother doesn't know about a scar above their kid's heart? Kate: Yeah. That's not just like, ⁓ you fell down and like I didn't I don't know, like you you fell so many times, how could I remember every single one? Like, no, this is like a very prominent scar on her heart that's so suspicious. Rachel: Right. And speaking of suspicious, that abdomen scar sure sounds suspicious. Kate: ⁓ yeah, my spidey senses were definitely tingling. What kind of growth? Does a baby count as a growth? Because that's immediately where my mind went. Rachel: It's good question. It's where my mind went as well. Kate: we get more clues ⁓ to that effect ⁓ later on that talk about. But that even even without those clues, immediately I was like, ⁓ smile shaped abdominal scar. ⁓ Suspicious. Sounds like a C section. And, you know, especially when she says that there is a growth that needs to be removed. Like she could have said, like, ⁓ you had your appendix taken out. I don't know. I mean, I don't know where an appendix scar would end up being. But like it could have been something else. But the fact that she's like, it was a growth in your abdomen. Rachel: Sounds like a C section. Yeah. Yeah. Right. So the stage is set and wow, this girl is in desperate need of help. Not only does she have no memory of her life, but what she does remember is full of death and trauma and abandonment. The fact that she is even attempting to stay alive is honestly impressive. But thank the Selvaren help is on the way. After bathing, Ary goes to sleep and is awoken by knocking and a voice she recognizes telling her to open the door. Her friend Tremaine has arrived. Gemma is described as having mahogany skin with ebony curls, amber eyes, and a curved defined, strong body. She's a filthy mouthed, relentless, force of a woman. Kate: hot. That's hot. Rachel: Hot. It's hot. Apparently Ary has been close with her for as long as she can remember. Kate: So like six months. Rachel: Right. And Ary's parents welcome Gemma from a nearby village. And the two of them were close, even though, again, Ary only remembers one month of their relationship. Gemma left a few weeks before Phillip and Ollie's deaths. And we get this weird line from Gemma when we meet her, where she says she's out of rum and she's angry about it. But the rest of the book, I don't really. You don't think of Gemma as being like a big drinker or having a drinking problem, do you? Kate: No, I don't think that that came up or I don't remember that being like a defining characteristic of her. So it did seem a little out of place. Rachel: Yeah, like she seems like she has a good time. Like when they go to the bar or the tavern, like she has a good time. She parties, but I don't think that she's like an alcoholic who needs her rum. Kate: Sure. Yeah, who would be like like incensed by running out. Rachel: Yeah. Ary is angry with Gemma for leaving and doesn't want to let her into the house, but finally relents, and we learn that Ary's mother, Elowen threw Gemma out. She didn't just abandon her at will. And here we get even more details about Elowen, the worst mother, or as we learn later, sort of pseudo-adoptive mother of all time. Gemma is angry that Ary's mother left her alone for eight weeks. We learn that Gemma was given orders, at this point, we don't know by who to return in two more weeks after Ary's twentieth birthday. But the plan changed since Elowen left early. And we also learn that Elowen is likely still alive. Kate: how? How is Elowen still alive though? Like did she ⁓ go ⁓ and like hide somewhere for a few weeks before going back to the caves and like talking to Simeon? Like where did she go that it took them eight to figure out that Ary was alone? Like it that feels like a long time 'cause they they they describe that like the caves are like not that far away. You know, like they're like a few Rachel: No, she said they say she's in the caves. They say she's in the caves. ⁓ Kate: Right. So then like how is she how is she still alive? How is how is how was that like not like such a huge betrayal or such a huge like offense to leave Ary alone and vulnerable that she's not like Rachel: Right. Right. Right, if they're that close, why didn't she they come sooner? Kate: Why didn't they come sooner or why isn't Elowen like imprisoned or I don't know, like ⁓ mean maybe she is. I guess we don't really know. But like, I know, it just seems like like leaving Ary alone for that long to the point where she's like starving to death when Ary is so important. ⁓ I don't like like what is it that it took that long for s for people to like realize that she was alone and come and fetch her? Rachel: Right. Mm-hmm. Well, and I'm also curious when Smyth found out that she abandoned her. Like, did he just find out when they when he shows up? Or did he find out from Simeon? Because I would imagine that the butcher of Nyrida would be happy to pay Elowen a visit. Kate: Right. he he would have slit her throat immediately. Like so so again, I don't know how Elowen is faring having done this bullshit. Rachel: Mm-hmm. Right. True. Yeah. What circumstances are Eloing is what circumstances does Elowen currently find herself in? Kate: Yeah. But again, also what like what actually took this long? Rachel: Yeah, good question. Kate: 'Cause it does feel like again, like Ary being the key to everything, you wouldn't just want to leave her alone for any amount of time. Rachel: Right, right. A few weeks after Phillip and Ollie were murdered, Ary found a note in the cellar sticking out of Ollie's books, and it was written in Elowen's handwriting. I'm going to read you the letter. S. Oliver has pneumonia. Ary has the same cold that caused it. Please send for help or come with provisions yourself. I need you, Elowen. And Ary recalls that supplies arrived when the family had been sick. when Ary confronted Elowen she wouldn't tell her anything. Kate: So this is weird, right? Like why why would they if they sent the letter to Simeon, why do they have it? Rachel: Right. Kate: Like where did that come from? Did what was it intentionally left for Ary to find? Or was it sent back with the supplies? Like if if you know, if you send someone a letter, you don't ever expect to see that letter again. Rachel: Right. It's weird. It's definitely weird. Or Kate: It's weird. So I don't really know what it means, but I'm like I it did stand out to me. That's like why why like return to sender? I don't understand. Rachel: Right, and how was it a return to sender, but they got supplies? Kate: Right. Yeah, 'cause I I was thinking like, ⁓ did it like not actually get sent or did it like was it like intercepted and rejected? Like, I don't know, but they got supplies, so you have to assume that it made it to its target. Rachel: And we're assuming that the S is Simeon, right? Kate: Right, that is what we are assuming. Rachel: So Kate: I guess we don't know for sure, but I don't we don't know any other S that would have received this. 'Cause the only other S that we know is Smyth and certainly if he had received something like this. Rachel: Right. Think you would have showed up sooner. Kate: He would have shown up a little sooner. So yeah, I don't know. It it was just weird, but I don't really know what to make of it. Rachel: So Ary asks Gemma about this mysterious S, and here we get the confirmation that it is in fact Simeon. Gemma asks her if she ever wondered why Phillip was a drunkard and why she didn't look like him. And no one ever said anything to Ary, but she felt like it she felt like he resented her for some reason. Gemma reveals that Ary looked like her real father, Simeon Whitlock. So Ary assumes that her mother had an affair with him, and Gemma nods in confirmation. However, Ollie was Phillip and Elowen's son. And Ary is so full of guilt with everything sort of connecting for her. No wonder Elowen resents her the way that she does she does. And Ary feels that it's her fault that they're dead. ⁓ that being said, Gemma says she doesn't know who killed them. Since Ary had been collecting berries when it happened, she assumes the killer must have been there for her, since Elowen very blamed her for their deaths. Kate: Yeah, that bitch. Rachel: They fall asleep when they wake, Ary goes to the barn to fetch eggs, and she finds the barn door open, so she closes it behind her. She opens the shutters and suddenly sees red ⁓ ⁓ she's trapped herself in the barn with a wolf who has Penny the Hen's limp body in its mouth. Ary notes a draft and thinks of Penny's spirit leaving through the window. Is this something that is within Ary's powers to sense? Kate: It's certainly possible. I feel like it's it's an odd thing to note if there isn't something more to it. we do learn later about the god of healing and resurrection. So it does, it feels kind of like maybe spirit energy would reside with the god of resurrection and therefore be within the realm of the Selvaren power. I don't know. Maybe I'm maybe I'm like stretching that, but it feels like if you can resurrect somebody, would have. like an inkling or a a sense of their spirit. And so I feel like it could be connected. Rachel: Mm-hmm. Yeah, I think we're gonna keep an eye out for that because there are other instances where she references spirits of of dead people and things. So I think we're gonna definitely keep our eye on that. Kate: Right. Mm-hmm. But also I love the idea that a chicken has a soul. ⁓ Rachel: I know. Yeah, yeah, poor Penny. The wolf lunges for Ary, who attempts to fight it off with a garden hoe. So our girl has not given up yet. But the wolf bites her arm and tosses her across the barn. Is an encounter with the wolf a trope? I'm leaning toward yes, like the big bad wolf. Kate: I mean certainly an animal attack feels like a microtrope at least. Rachel: Yeah, for sure, for sure. But before the big bad wolf finishes her off, a massive, scarred, leather clad protector with a man bun appears and fights it off, killing the wolf. The man looks shocked and falls to his knees and gently cradles Ary's face in his rough and calloused hands, quote, like he knew me. The first words he utters to Ary are I found you. She finds herself instantly soothed by the sound of his voice, inexplicably sensing that she is safe with him. And then he says, you're safe. Okay. ACOTAR spoilers. Skip ahead 30 seconds if you haven't read A Court of Mist and Fury. Does this go down in history as a Rhysand level first line? I actually think it's more devastating than ACOTAR. I mean, we see throughout the book that this man is a poet. But he's literally dumbfounded that he managed to find her after four hundred years. That all he can say is, I found you. Kate: And you're safe. Rachel: Right. Kate: It was definitely giving Rhysand vibes. Though Rhysand I feel like was maybe like a little bit more stealthy. Like with that line, you didn't know right away what he was actually saying. Meanwhile, I think Smyth really wears his heart on his sleeve. Like despite Ary's inability to see it for so long, I I knew right away at this moment that Smyth and Ary had intense romantic history. Rachel: ⁓ for sure. Kate: Like it was very clear. So w meanwhile, you know, like with with Rhysand, I was like there was something there, but it definitely took a little longer to like fully click into place. Rachel: Yes, for sure. I mean, both of these MMCs an example of just like devotion and yearning and like eternal love, but that's kind of where the similarities end, in my opinion. Like Rhysand is like suave, like ⁓ chic. I don't know ⁓ else to describe him. Yes, yes, yeah. ⁓ Kate: Yes. Mm-hmm. And like Smyth is just down bad. Like ⁓ But we love him for it. Rachel: Yeah. And he still finds ways to flirt with Ary, but like Rhysand is a flirt. Rhysand is a flirt. Smyth is like, I'm in love with her ⁓ need to throw her across ⁓ yes, and it kills me. ⁓ Kate: ⁓ yeah. And and it kills me Rachel: The wolf slayer carries her into the house and she instinctively her arms around him. She sees the tightness of his jaw. Would we call this a jaw tick? Kate: The context feels the same, so I'll allow it. Rachel: We get a lot of descriptions of jaw ticks and jaw clenches in this book for sure. Kate: Mm. 'Cause 'cause again, he is he's tortured. Rachel: Yes, yes. Inside the cabin, Gemma explains that three idiots arrived while she was in the barn. They are all attractive and look kind, but they're not intimidating like the Wolf Slayer. They're in their mid to upper twenties, so older than Ary, but still younger than the Wolf Slayer. The wolf slayer Ary's wolf bite and commands that it needs to be treated, but in a soft but stern voice. Okay, daddy. Kate: Yes, fix me, Daddy. Rachel: When Ary agrees to let him help her, he quickly tends to her wounds and she has this line that she thinks to herself I was glad to be in the hands of a man who knew exactly what he was doing. Girl, don't we all don't we all? Kate: Word. Rachel: once her wounds are to, it's time for introductions. Gemma explains the three men are here to help. And we meet Caz Sinclair, the oldest, though again, still younger than the Wolf Slayer, who has shiny black hair and hazel eyes, his brother Finn, who has the same features, ⁓ but is slightly shorter more brawny. And then Ezra Hart. Who has sandy blonde hair and freckles and deep blue eyes that matched Oliver and Phillip's. He reveals that he is Ary's cousin through marriage. His mother was Phillip's older sister. Ary observes her grumpy wolf slayer, who Caz introduces as Smyth. And Kate, because you know I love a little treat, and I think you like one too. Let me give you a very detailed description of Smyth. He's standing with his arms crossed and a cold, grumpy expression and clenched jaw. He's a head and shoulders taller than Ary, with well-kept dark brown hair swept up into a half-man bun and matching beard. He wears all black with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and the top button undone. Both arms are covered in tally marked tattoos that spiral up his arms. He has a scar down the right side of his face. And of course, he has muscly arms with veins, and his hickory eyes glow like honey. Ary thinks he's savagely beautiful. ⁓ as evidenced in his permanently clenched jaw, tension radiates through him. As she takes him in, Ary's breath catches in her throat and he looks tortured. This poor man is just praying that she recognized him. Kate: What a delicious treat. Thank you so much. Rachel: You're welcome. You're welcome. Always happy to talk about Smyth. Gemma reveals that she was not expecting Smyth, but Caz explains to her that Simeon ordered him at the last minute. And it turns out they have more secrets to reveal. Ary is destined to save the world! Kate: Course she is. She's our frail nineteen year old FMC with no idea she's a powerful queen. Rachel: Alright, so we're getting a lot of information here, so buckle in. Over 400 years ago, the Rexus dynasty ruled over Nyrida in what was called the Dark Ages. They were ruthless using fear and lies to rule the people. Nyrida was starving to death under their rule. Two men, childhood friends, found a way to overthrow them. Some say they made a deal with the 12 gods known as the Selvaren. Others say they were just lucky. For over a decade, they looked for the legendary magic of the Selvaren and they found it somewhere, quote, beneath Nyrida's surface, a place they never disclosed. They used the power to destroy the Rexus family and established a better, more peaceful world. Magic was used to cultivate the land and power was distributed equally. Ary's father, Simeon, was one of the men and became one of the rulers of Nyrida. As his only daughter, Ary is now Queen of Nyrida And this is a lot for poor no memory Ary to take in. But wait, there's more. The other man, Simeon's partner in the revolution, was Molochai While Simeon prefers to work his magic through herbs, potions, and spells, Molochai experiments with magic, a totally different kind of power. But they ruled peacefully together until Molochai met Simeon's sister Christabel, They let her be queen of the people, loved and revered by the people of Nyrida. And they set it up that the women in their family line would always rule because they believed that Nyrida would respond well to a beautiful woman in leadership after the ruthless male-led Rexus dynasty. But unfortunately, Christabel was only a figurehead. As if these two power hungry men would actually cede control to a woman. Kate: Yeah, that's that's never gonna happen. And I know that they're trying to maybe set Simeon up as the more reasonable of the two, which like maybe he is. I don't know. We don't really know that much about him, but I don't trust any man with a lust for power. So like, yeah. Rachel: Sure don't. Sure don't. Especially ones that cling to it for four hundred years. Kate: ⁓ yeah. No thank you. Red flag. Rachel: Molochai was in love with Christabel, but she didn't love him back. Instead, she fell in love with, married, and had a child with a well-respected soldier. And this turned Molochai full-on evil. He killed her husband and her baby stabbing it through the heart. Kate: Nothing is more dangerous than a rejected man. What's that saying? Men fear women will reject them and women fear men will kill them? Rachel: I mean, it's just awful. And Ary is horrified and she's shocked and she's angry that this hasn't been shared with her before. she instinctively turns to Smyth, ⁓ who is standing there angry, and yes, we get an official jaw clench. And I mean, I think we're all on the same page as Ary. Like, the fuck? ⁓ a baby through the heart? Like, that's insane. Kate: Insane evil behavior. Rachel: These murders weren't enough for Molochai, and he went back to the well, so to speak, of where they sourced their magic, and he took more. Something dark and evil with all consuming shadows. He cursed Christabel, and she died a slow, agonizing death 18 years later, childless at 39. So I'm personally offended that Molochai has shadow powers because you know I love me, a shadow daddy. And he is putting a ⁓ Bad name on them. So I do not accept this and I think he needs a new category. Like what would we call him? A crotchety shadow psycho? Because he does not deserve the shadow daddy name. Kate: Mm-hmm. Absolutely not. He might be a father and he might wield shadows, but he will never be a shadow daddy. I like shadow psycho. I feel like that fits. Or it could be like deadbeat shadow dad. Rachel: Deadbeat Shadow Dad. Cause he for sure, I think ultimately the number one thing that Molochai is is a deadbeat dad. Simeon and Molochai battled for control over Nyrida and eventually split the land, with Simeon taking control of the north and Molochai of the South. They believe that Molochai and Simeon's magic also latched onto their families. Christabel had visions of the future, and before she died, she summons Simeon to her room with a final premonition. "A young queen, born of ancient blood, will abandon a life of solitude, wield her God's blessed power, marry the prince of the people, and resurrect this world from Molochai's darkness." Kate, how many premonitions have you heard that include an actual person's name? Kate: Like literally none that I'm aware of. Very convenient for it to include Molochai's name, but not the name of the queen or the name of the prince. Rachel: Questionable. Kate: It's questionable. Rachel: Simeon allied with a family called the Wintertons when he retreated to the north. They built a fortress under the mountains called the Winterton Caves, and Alistair and Ophelia Winterton lead the people from those caves. Ary's mother, Elowen, is there as well. And Gemma will escort Ary to Simeon to train her in her powers before she goes to the caves to lead her people in this war to defeat Molochai. Kate: They're really expecting her to go from like zero to a hundred in a matter of weeks, though. Like girl doesn't even know that she can ride a horse, and you're telling her that she has to learn to use powers she's never knew that she had, marry a man she's never met, and lead a fucking country? Insane. Rachel: Sure is. Sure is a lot to take in. Kate: Good luck. Rachel: The Prince of the People in the prophecy is Elias Winterton, Alistair's grandson, the leader of the army who Ary is meant to marry. At this, Ary looks to Smyth, who looks tortured, but also compassionate towards her. Like the rest of us, Ary is overwhelmed with this data dump and runs outside. Smyth follows, bringing Ary some warm clothes and a pep talk. Another Daddy Smyth moment. She asks what would happen if she just stayed there. And Smyth tells her that obviously she'll starve. But let's play it out. If not, Molochai will soon find her anyway, and he'll send men and beasts after her to torture and eventually kill her She says she has no choice. And he says she has a choice. It's just a really shitty one. And this man just lays it out there. And honestly, like We wonder why she trusts him right away and there's so many reasons that she could, but him just being like forthright with her, I think, is part of that. Kate: Yeah, like I don't know. She's like you said, getting this like crazy data dump having to take in so much and he's kind of laying it out more plainly for her. I mean, obviously we know that he's still keeping quite a bit from her, but from her perspective, he's being straight with her and not necessarily coddling her. So I get it. Rachel: Uh-huh. Right. Uh-huh. Yeah, I mean this man, the fact that he's able to hold back as much information as he can is wild because he clearly sugarcoats nothing. Kate: This man. Yeah. Yeah, for sure. That's not in his nature. But there's also again this like innate thing in her that is connecting them, that is making her feel safe and comforted in his presence. So that's obviously part of it too. Rachel: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Ary returns to the house and says, okay, agreeing to the plan. And then Ezra asks for a moment alone with her. And she asks him if he has any other family in the caves. He reveals that his father passed away when he was young, but his mother is still alive. And he says they've all lost someone. And this is just an example of how dire the circumstances are for her people and the state of the war. And it's just commonplace that everybody's lost someone at this point. Ary tells Ezra that he looks like Phillip and Oliver and reveals that she never looked like them, which obviously makes sense now. But when Ezra asks if she looks like her mother, she says, not really. Internally, Ary reflects on how Phillip would get drunk. And he was thoughtful and kind, but just a tortured soul, which is why he would drink. Ary says that Ollie and Phillip's death seemed almost peaceful. Like, yes, they had these X's carved into them. But their eyes were closed and they seemed to be sleeping. It wasn't a typical murder scene. So Ezra says it likely wasn't the Butcher of Nyrida that got them, since it would have been a messy scene. And apparently the Butcher of Nyrida is this just monster who has been doing Molochai's bidding for years, and it's never a clean situation. We also learn here that Simeon is sometimes in the caves, but he comes and goes as he pleases. Once she's in the caves, Elias will take over her training and protection. says that Elias is a good man and that Ary will like him. We learn that the group was always supposed to arrive just after Ary's twentieth birthday, but Elowen went rogue and left, which is why Ary had been abandoned the past few weeks. Several days into the journey, Smyth appeared with a sealed note from Simeon saying he was now in charge. They don't know him or his motivation, but he already saved their lives when a band of thieves attacked them on their journey. I love in this book how we get a bit of a data dump early on that sets the story in motion. And on the reread, we see so many seeds that LJ Claren plants for us of things that come up later in the book, like the butcher of Nyrida and how Ary doesn't look like her mother. Kate: Agreed. And I appreciated that some things did seem pretty obvious, like how important Ary is to Smyth, there were still so many questions at this point that I just couldn't wait to get answered. Rachel: Yes. And I love when authors are talented at kind of giving us that that feeling that like, ⁓ we're on to something. It's something that they want us to be on to. Like we're on to something. But then there's yes, but then there's layers underneath that are shocking. It I feel like Devney Perry does this well as ⁓ in Rights of the Starling as well. Yeah. Kate: Mm-hmm. You're getting the breadcrumbs. Yeah. Rachel: As lunchtime arrives, Ary is embarrassed that she has no food to feed them. She had begged them to bury the chickens rather than eat them, and of course Smyth obliged. And when she reveals that she's been living off of vegetable broth and two eggs a day for the past seven weeks, Smyth is livid. And he's somehow even angrier when Ary reveals Elowen it was enough to maintain her figure. He pulls a package of jerky out of his bag and tells Ary it is hers. She will not share and demands that she eats it. Kate: Again, I need to ask, is Elowen just a piece of shit or is there more to her starving Ary? Rachel: Great question. Finn and Caz seem amused by this interaction. And Smyth gives money to Ezra and tells him to travel to Thesda a day's trip away to buy food and drink and directs Finn to go hunt. Finn invites Gemma to join with him, but she doesn't want to leave Ary alone with Smyth. Kate: Girls, girl. Rachel: Or a cock block. Kate: It could be both, I guess. Rachel: They prepare a hair and coffee for lunch, and Ary thinks to herself that she only likes the smell, not the taste of coffee, but she plans to like be polite and drink it anyway, since somebody's making it for her. But then Smyth surprises Ary by handing her a cup of green tea with honey rather than coffee, saying to her, You don't like coffee. But how could he know? This has to be so confusing for our girl Ary. She can't even remember her last birthday and this stranger shows up and remembers her Starbucks order. Also, is this a trope? I think it's a trope. Kate: Remembering a food preference? I don't know. Is the bar so low for men that basic consideration is a romance trope? Rachel: I mean remembering your Starbucks order, I think, is a trope specifically, 'cause that's that can change. That's a very specific order, you know, like not just that she drinks green tea, but also with honey. Kate: Okay. Okay, again, that feels that feels kinda basic, but sure. Rachel: I mean he remembered it for four hundred years. Kate: Smyth is a special kind of obsessed though, okay. But also, why is Ary not questioning Smyth a little more insistently about how he knows her? Because she does clock that, like, how does he know this? But she doesn't really like question him on it of like, Hey, how do you know me? You seem to be a stranger. How do you know me? Rachel: Right. So I think this all goes back to her memory loss. Like this girl has been wiped clean and she knows nothing of the world. Now these people show up that she doesn't know. There's one person that she knows. The rest of them seem trustworthy. They seem like they care for her. But she doesn't know who to trust and not to trust. And everything that she has been told is a lie. So you really you have to kind of in that situation, I imagine, you have to kind of go with your gut and Her gut is telling her that she is safe with this man. So I think when he says, you're my queen, it's my job to know you, she's just like, well, I guess I have to go with that. Kate: I mean, fair, fair. Like she I I feel like may yeah, maybe she is still just like in kind of like sponge mode of like she's just taking everything in and just going with the flow because she doesn't have enough context for anything to really question it that much. Like everything is a mystery to her. So if she questioned everything she didn't understand, she would lose her voice. Rachel: Literally. Kate: So okay, I get it. Rachel: Finn and Gemma spend the afternoon filling Ary in on even more information. maintains a network of spies, even in the south. ⁓ army, which are called Insidions, is strong, but it's still kept out of the north. ⁓ And is because Simeon's wards protect large cities like Tovick, Brinnea, and the Winterton Caves, but smaller villages and camps are protected only by occasional army patrols. They'll depart in a few days for Brinnea, where they will meet Simeon, and they will stop in Tovick along the way. Seems weird that Simeon wouldn't just train her at the caves, but okay. Kate: Yeah, I don't really know how much the rest of the team is like questioning things. Ary's brain is kind of mush at this point. She's not really connecting many dots yet. Again, for for reasons that we just explained. But I'm not really sure what the excuse is for the rest of them. Maybe they're just so used to following orders that they don't question anything that they think Simeon has ordered directly. I don't know. Rachel: Yeah, like they are literally trained, they're all army trained. Kate: But yeah, I mean it does seem like a weird choice to make, but they're just going with it. ⁓ Rachel: Right. At bedtime, Ary goes to lay down on the floor and Smyth is so angry he growls, saying, That's where you've been sleeping like a dog. And he insists that she sleep in a bed instead. Kate: Have you seen those dog beds made for people? They look comfy. Rachel: I have. As someone who thinks all the time about how I can sleep in the same bed as my dog when he's not allowed upstairs and also like not even allowed to get in our bed, I'm like, ⁓ if I got one of those giant dog bed so that I can cuddle with him? Kate: Ha ha ha. They they look so cozy they've got like the the like you know ⁓ like pillow, you know. So I don't know. Obviously that's not Ary's situation. She's just like on the cold hard floor, but it did make me think of that and how like, yeah, sometimes ⁓ sleeping a dog doesn't sound like the worst thing. ⁓ Rachel: Yeah. Yeah. Comforting, yeah. Gemma joins Ary in the bedroom, and as she brushes her hair, Gemma reveals that she doesn't trust Smyth, sensing something is off with him. Just before dawn, Smyth knocks on the door to change her bandages. Ary asks Gemma to step out, which she does reluctantly. And as he changes her bandages, Ary can't help but look at the scars on Smyth's face, which he seems embarrassed by. So here we have a scarred MMC trope. Kate: We love a man with a wild past. Rachel: We sure do. Smyth reveals he doesn't answer to the Wintertons or Simeon, but he does have an agreement with Simeon. As she admires Smyth's face, she asks him if he's met Elias, and he can't help the disdain that shows on his features. At this point, this starts a pattern of Ary unknowingly torturing Smyth throughout this entire book. Kate: Mm-hmm. ⁓ it's constant. But she does keep remarking that he looks pained or looks tortured. So she like recognizes how he's feeling, but is not connecting the dots to what's causing it. Rachel: Right. And like she tries so many times to like say the right thing and just makes it worse and worse and worse. Kate: Yeah, every time. Rachel: He asks if she needs anything for the pain, but only has alcohol, which Ary declines, referencing Phillip's drinking. Smyth becomes very protective, asking if Phillip hurt her, and Ary says no, that they just didn't seem to want her there because she was so numb after the accident, which she explains to him. And Smyth gets so angry at this. And then he asks if she is still numb, but she says she isn't. During the interaction, it's revealed that Smyth isn't being paid to be there. He simply says he's there because he's good at killing and she'll need to become good at it too. Smyth says he'll do everything he can to teach her to fight back rather than give in to others. And he gives us this interesting line quote, so that you're prepared to stand up for yourself when Alistair Winterton, his grandson, and their people realize you can't be confined to their pretty golden throne. ⁓ What ⁓ does this mean? Kate: What are you hiding from us, Smyth? I mean, I do imagine it would be hard to keep someone with God's given powers confined to a figurehead position like Simeon is used to with his queen. But is there more to it than he's hiding? Why does he expect her to fight back? Rachel: Why wouldn't he want her on the throne? Like he wants her to be queen, right? Kate: Right, but the Queen is a figurehead and Smyth knows that. Rachel: Right. ⁓ right. And he wants her to be like the true queen, having the true power. Kate: Yeah. Mm-hmm. But still. Rachel: Yeah, so he obviously knows something about the Wintertons and Simeon. Kate: Mm-hmm. Rachel: Mmm okay. We're gonna have to keep our eye out for that. Kate: Yes. Rachel: Ary asks why Simeon sent Smyth instead of Elias. Great fucking question, Ary. One we literally don't ever get an answer for. Kate: We would really love to know though. Rachel: Smyth calls her Aryella, which stands out because she hadn't told anyone else in the house her full name. And it ignites something in her. The hint of a memory, perhaps? Kate: So this is hinting that her memories might not be fully gone, just suppressed, right? So maybe there are ways that Ary could go about unlocking her memories. Rachel: Maybe. I hope so. Fingers crossed. Kate: Maybe she doesn't have to start from scratch. Rachel: Smyth insists that Ary spend the day resting and eating. And when Ezra and Caz come back with the groceries, Ary can't help but think that they should try to ration the food. And she thinks about Elowen telling her she needs to stay thin. So she tries to weasel out of eating it, saying the soup was enough for her. Smyth is not having this and says ensuring she is warm and cared for and well fed is the bare fucking minimum. He also tells her that she needs her strength because she's training with him starting tomorrow. Elowen is the worst. This is something that I think a lot of us struggle with, unfortunately, especially women. Bad lessons about body image and eating that are passed down through generations. ⁓ And from personal experience, I've struggled with my body image and weight for my entire life. Like I remember thinking I was chubby as a young child and knowing I shouldn't eat Captain Crunch because it was bad, because it had sugar in it. And this is something that really didn't shift for me until I met my husband, who, Smyth, is not that mindset. Smyth is having none of Elowen's bullshit. He's absolutely horrified by it and adamant that Ary needs to eat. Not because he wants to give her little treats and ⁓ just on her ass all day. I mean, yes, he does want to give her little treats. But he also wants her to train hard and become strong, and that's only possible with proper fuel. Kate: Yeah, I I too have had a very fraught relationship with body image and I've spent a lot of time and effort trying to heal my relationship with my body, but it's always an uphill battle. I remember like every single comment someone has ever made about my body, I'm always thinking about things that I'd like to change or hide, and it like it sucks. And I have much better, more useful things to spend my time thinking about, and it bothers me that it still occupies space in my brain. My husband too has made great efforts to change my perception of myself, but it's like the whole rest of the world is working against it. So anyway, when I read about some stick thin girl being told to watch her figure, it just really fucking pisses me off. And again, this is like the third or fourth time that it's brought up too. So again, that's like why it's stuck in my brain. And I was like, what is actually going on here? Because it's it's brought up so frequently. Rachel: Mm-hmm. Kate: But anyway, I I don't know if we intended to spend so much time on this topic, but clearly this poked some old wounds for both of us. Rachel: I think that it's relevant to most, if not all, readers. I mean, regardless of what size or shape somebody is, I think body image and relationship with food something that a lot of people struggle with. And I really appreciated that we ⁓ this in this book. ⁓ we see Ary overcome that and reshaping ⁓ in her mind as. ⁓ power and fuel to become more powerful. ⁓ I mean, I think that's a very beautiful story to to to read. that night, Ary dreams first of a warrior prince, flames, twisting dancing wind, and rushing waters. Then tally mark tattoos and hickory eyes. Then the dream shifts into a nightmare where Ary is inside a gold coffin, decorated on the inside with carved roses and covered in a frosted glass dome so she can't see out. She thinks it's weird that the inside is decorated, ⁓ and there is something small and nestled beside her and breathing. When Ary yells at the person on the other side of the glass to let her out, they ignore her and eventually the thing besides her starts whimpering and then wails. Kate: So Christabel had premonitions, right? Could these dreams be the start of Ary's premonitions? Or could they be pieces of her memories coming through? Rachel: Mm-hmm. Kate: The first dream hints at elemental powers, fire, earth, wind, water, right? And obviously the tally marks and eyes are Smyth. We know that already from your wonderful description of him. ⁓ and then the second dream, the glass coffin, giving like Snow White vibes. ⁓ there could like it could be ⁓ like a memory or something of like where she was kept while she was in her deep sleep. Rachel: Mm-hmm. Right. Mm-hmm. Kate: I don't know, that was somewhere that my mind went. But also, coffins that are decorated on the inside kind of bring vampires to mind. Of like using a coffin and like being alive inside of a coffin. Like that's the only reason that you'd really decorate the inside is if you're expecting somebody inside it to see it, right? Rachel: Mm-hmm. That's a great point. That's a really great point. Kate: So I don't know. I don't know what any of that means, but Rachel: Well, it's also kind of creepy because if that's where she was kept while she was sleeping, was she actually sleeping? Kate: Ooh. Ooh. That would be that would be torture. I mean, I feel like we've we've we've read stories like that before of people who are like supposed to be kind of unconscious or ⁓ ⁓ like a coma kind of state, but are much more aware and it's that that's like that gives me serious jeebies. Rachel: I know. Right. Yeah, like that's exactly how Alchemised starts out, and that book is intense. It's so dark. Kate: ⁓ it's so dark. It's so dark. so yeah, whether it's it's premonitions or memories or like nightmares is something that we already seen from Ary, right? Like her kind of flashback issues with her family's death, but it's gonna keep coming in this story. So we're we're keeping an eye on the nightmare situation and ⁓ where we can kind connect of these dots. Rachel: Mm-hmm. Yes. For sure. Ary wakes up to Smyth's strong arms grabbing her, saying, quote, come back to me, Aryella. And while Gemma yelling at her wake her up, this did the trick. As she wakes up, he even gives her a good girl. And our friend Claire at @RuningBooks recently read The Silversmith and was messaging me her reactions, including A count of all the non-sexual good girls that we get in this book. So we're officially counting good girls, and this is our first one. Kate: Is it possible though for a good girl to be non sexual when it's coming from someone like Smyth? Like even outside the context of sex, if Smyth is good girl to me, like I'm turned on. Rachel: I think that's what he's hoping Ary will be as well. He's like, Maybe this is the thing that'll trigger her memory to remember me. Kate: Heartbreaking. But yeah, I I don't think I don't think you can have a platonic good girl from Smyth. Rachel: That's that's fair. That's fair. ⁓ you know the line from Shield of Sparrows praise is for the Bedroom Cross. I think that's where Claire's coming from, where she's like, that's where the good girls have to happen. So to your point, yes, I'd agree there probably is no such thing as a platonic good girl, but it's outside of a Kate: Yes, yes. Rachel: bedroom scenario. Kate: Right, it's not it's not an explicit it's not an explicit scene, but it is sexual. Rachel: Yes. Yes. When Ary describes the coffin to them, Gemma and Smyth look appalled. And we get another jaw clench from Smyth. He brings her tea and towels so Gemma can clean her up. He'll be good at aftercare. Kate: Don't tease me. Don't tease me. I know I know that this is a slow burn. Rachel: I do love that we're getting like these little tidbits throughout the book that she's just like, this is how it's gonna be with him eventually, whenever we get there. Kate: It's killing me. Rachel: Ary falls back asleep to the sound of his pacing outside her room. And we get this line, quote, even the nightmares trembled before him. Okay, so you mentioned that we get a lot of references to nightmares in this book. This line sounds important. We see a lot of references to Smyth and connecting him with nightmares as well. So ⁓ I'm noting it here. Do you have any thoughts on what it could mean? Kate: Well, we do learn a little bit about Nyxar, who is the god of celestial night, which makes me think about dreams and nightmares. I don't know. there's also Molochai's shadows and darkness, which could be connected to nightmares as well. So like there's a lot of just like references to darkness, and I equate like darkness and that kind of like sinister vibes with nightmares. So Rachel: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Kate: I'm still not I'm still not connecting it yet though. But but you know, later on, like there there's these juxtapositions of like light and dark and the idea of of Smyth, you know, making the the nightmares tremble before him makes me think of that that juxtaposition of like, is he the one to drive out the darkness? Rachel: Right. Mm. that's so interesting. Wait, so Nyxar is the god of the celestial night, and you're saying dreams and nightmares. Is he like the god of the underworld? Kate: I don't know. I don't know if we learn that. Because there's there's another god that is the god of like healing and regeneration So I feel like resurrection is connected to like underworld or land of the dead. So I don't really know like I feel like there's some overlap. I don't know. I don't know that we met that god. Rachel: Okay. Mm-hmm. Okay. As we get Yeah. As we get into the book further and we learn more about the gods, this is definitely something we need to keep our eye on because when you bring up like darkness, I think of like a god of the underworld. we talked about how Ary seems to have some sort of a connection with spirits. Obviously, she has this power of regeneration ⁓ I just am wondering if Ary is like the queen of the ⁓ you know? ⁓ Kate: ⁓ my god, are we getting another Persephone thing? Another Persephone reference? Maybe. Maybe. Rachel: Maybe. You know that I just wanna every book to end up with us traveling to the underworld. Kate: I know. You dark little weirdo. Rachel: The next morning, we get ⁓ a he trains trope because they train in the snow. ⁓ And Ary standing there before they begin ⁓ with her arms crossed, sort of And Smyth is not about that. He asks ⁓ why is she standing like that? And physically puts her arms down at her sides, telling her she has nothing to cower from. And Ary has this line where she thinks about wanting to please him. So hello, praise Kink. Kate: She's looking for another good girl. She's hooked. Rachel: She sure is. She is. Ary will need to be faster and smarter than her much larger opponents, and he gives her a small knife, telling her it is hers. Smyth gives Ary a full body workout routine and he especially wants to train her core, quote, where her power lives. And he makes her do planks, which Ary basically describes as torture, and I literally couldn't agree more. Kate: God, I I hate planks. Rachel: They're the actual worst. ⁓ but I do want to focus on this quote where her power lives. Is this a reference to anything? Kate: They are. So I do feel like in in instances in other stories where there's a force trying to steal or manipulate someone's power, it's usually important to know where the power resides in their body. So maybe that's why it's relevant. Rachel: Okay, well, if you think that her power lives in her core, I think maybe we should be concerned about what was cut out of her abdomen then. Kate: ⁓ shit. I didn't I was so focused on it being like a baby or something. Rachel: And I don't think that that's off the table, but I'm just saying that's Kate: Which I I mean maybe Right, maybe it was, but mm Damn. Plot twist Rach Rachel: I know, I didn't put that in the notes 'cause I wanted to surprise you with it. Kate: Ha ha ha. Okay, much to think about, much to think about. Rachel: That night Ary eats and enjoys all of her food. And we're already starting to see her heal her body image and her mindset with food as she starts to view it as fuel to make her more powerful. The next day at training, Smyth describes Ary as more of a kitten, whereas her opponents are wolves and he kind of smirks. Kate: No. No. No more kitten. I'm done. I'm scarred from Killian. I won't hear it. Rachel: Well, fortunately he doesn't call her kitten. I think it's just a reference to her fighting style. Kate: Absolutely not. I don't I don't give a shit. Rachel: Ha ha Kate: I I will hear none of it. Rachel: Ary notices that Smyth wears two rings around his neck, larger and the other smaller. And ⁓ that's never a good sign, Kate. Kate: When the rings are around the neck and not the fingers, you mean? Rachel: Right, right. Usually ⁓ means that they have a dead wife. I think a ring around the neck is usually a sign of a dead spouse, yes. Kate: Yeah. Yeah. It's it's it's usually it's it's like a memorial. Yeah. Rachel: at dinner, they discuss Ary's powers and Ary asks the group if they know what they are. Finn says Christabel never specified, but Smyth reassures her that she'll find them when she's ready. Kate: Interesting that they didn't appear when she was starving to death though. Rachel: That's a really good point. Really good point. Kate: Like maybe maybe they're ⁓ more motivated by external threats than internal threats, but just feels like she was in pretty dire circumstances. Her powers would have it would have been convenient if they had kind of shown up to help her out a bit. Rachel: Yeah. Yeah that yeah, she could resurrect Penny. Kate: Just keep killing her her her chicken. Having like one thigh, one and Rachel: Wait, 'cause she can grow things back. She could have had a thigh and grown it back. Kate: Yeah. ⁓ my god, that poor chicken. Rachel: That would put this in a different category of books. Kate: Especially if the chicken really does have a soul, a poor tortured soul that would be. ⁓ my god. Okay. We have we have to move on. I can't I can't spiral about this poor chicken. Rachel: The morning they depart on their journey, Ary packs her bags, including a quilt, saying it's the only thing she wants to bring with her from her home. And she tells Smyth she wants to burn it down. This house symbolizes all she knows, which is ⁓ all a lie. And she needs to destroy current life in and her past life in order to find the courage to embark on this journey and discover the woman she's meant to be. Kate: I fully support this. The that house is fucking haunted. Burn it down. Rachel: Smyth says nothing and simply lights up some liquor bottles, of which Phillip had many, and sets the barn on fire. And then he gives Ary the supplies she needs to set the house on fire. And he says, Quote, you want it to burn, then burn it shall. And this is the kind of energy we all deserve in a man. No questions. Just yes, I see what a hellhole this was for you. And not only am I going to help you, I'm going to give you the tools to make it happen yourself. Kate: Big daddy energy. Rachel: As they depart, Ary feels overwhelmed at the task in front of her, thinking she's not sure she can do it, but Smyth reassures her and calls her Ella, and her heart flutters at the sound. No one has ever called her that before, and she likes having that name between them. Kate: So out of respect for that, I am going to continue calling her Ary. Rachel: Yeah, we can let that be their own special thing. Yeah. All right, so that brings us to the end of our chapters for this episode. So we have a pretty lengthy trope count to get through, I think. Kate: That's that's their thing. Mm. Yes, we do. Rachel: Do want to count ⁓ down for us? Kate: Okay, so we have a 19-year-old FMC who is poor and starving. We have memory loss. We have the big bad wolf slash like animal attack microtrope. We have a scarred MMC. We have the good girl. The jaw clench. He feeds her. He trains her. We have a praise kink, or at the start. Rachel: Mm. Yes, we do. ⁓ for sure. Kate: The start of one And we have the the hidden powers or hidden identity. Rachel: Mm-hmm. Kate: Those those are I think the main ones in the section. Rachel: ⁓ No, Did we say dead parent? Kate: ⁓ we didn't. Dead parent. Rachel: Dead parent. Dead sibling. Shitty parent. Kate: Ha ha ha. Rachel: Okay, and then I'm also going to add to the list unexpected party. So this is something that I saw Bookstagrammer, BookToker Antoinette Cea Lopes bring up about the Silversmith specifically. And I really liked it. So in this book, which she also says, which she also gives the example of this happening in The Hobbit, ⁓ unexpected party shows up. At Ary's house and informs her about the world and kicks her off on an epic journey. So this is like a yeah, yeah. And when you think about it, it this I think that what we all really like about this book is that there are we have 15 tropes that we already counted. There's so many like familiar things ⁓ that we see in a lot of fantasy books, but it's done in just like a different way. Kate: ⁓ I love that. Mm-hmm. Love that. Rachel: Yeah. All right, Kate. So I think we have time for a little game before we leave. Do we want to do a little fuck Mary Kill? Kate: Yeah, let's bring it back. I feel like we haven't done one of those in a while. Rachel: Yes, so I'm gonna give you our three idiots, Caz, Ezra, and Finn. Kate: Ha ha. Our three hot idiots. Okay, okay. Well, I think that I would I I'm feeling some tension at this point between Gemma and Finn. So I feel like I would fuck Finn, but out of respect for Gemma, maybe not marry him. Rachel: Yes. Okay. Kate: ⁓ and then I think that I would marry Caz, because he seems kind of sweet. Rachel: Okay. Kate: Which means that unfortunately I think I would I think I would kill Ezra because he's a little bit annoying at this point. Like he's a bit of a cock block. He's kind of like I don't know, create like he's he's kind of creating some tension with Smyth that I'm not loving. But yeah, I think I mean, I know I said that I would ⁓ would ⁓ Rachel: Mm-hmm. Kate: Fuck Finn out of respect for Gemma, but like Caz also has like a pregnant wife, but you know what? I just don't want to marry Ezra. So sorry, Marin. Rachel: with you, I'm killing Ezra. He's a cock block and I'm not here for that. We're not about that type of energy. ⁓ also makes poor choices later. Kate: No, because Yeah. Well, and also like Smyth does enough cock blocking for himself. We don't need anyone else helping him. Rachel: Right, right. Yeah. So we're killing Ezra. and I think I'm gonna marry Finn because they describe him as like steadfast, nothing can shake him. Like he just feels like the kind of energy that ⁓ somebody with a lot of chaos might need. Yes. Yeah. ⁓ yeah, that kind of stability as well. Kate: Right. And he's he's a little brawnier than Caz too. So there's like more of that stability. ⁓ Rachel: then I'll go with fuck Caz because you know he sounds like a good time. Honestly Marin sounds like a good time too. Like they might they might be open to a party of three. Especially because I think Caz might need a little pick me up once he loses his leg later in the book. Kate: Yeah. ⁓ spoiler, but yeah. I know, I know. But yeah, ⁓ so so it'll be like a a a like sorry your leg got amputated, let's fuck about it. Rachel: This whole thing is spoilers. Yeah, we'll add an extra leg to the bedroom. How about two? Kate: Love it. Love it. Rachel: Right, Kate, before we get out of here, what are you reading this week? Kate: So obviously I'm reading The Silversmith and will be, will be for like the next few weeks. but I'm also reading a little something for our August episodes. I did. So starting to kind of think about what we're doing there. I don't know if we're ready to share that yet, but we will. Rachel: Same. ⁓ did you start reading it? Okay. Yep, yep. Come back next week. Kate: Yeah, okay. And then ⁓ I'm also in the middle of finishing the audiobook for ⁓ Heat of the Everflame. Rachel: okay. I'm excited for you to be reading that. Kate: Yeah. It's it's long. It is long. It's taking me a while to get through it, but ⁓ I like it so far and I need to be prepared for the next book that's coming out, you know. It's ⁓ on on the many books that are on the TBR for the next installments coming out in the fall. Like this is the one that I'm trying to get through right now. Rachel: It is. Mm-hmm. Yeah, I feel you. That one is thick. She's a thick girl and there's a lot. Kate: Yeah, I think it's like it's like thirty five hour audiobook. Rachel: Yeah, and there's a lot that happens. Like I did the audiobook for that one as well. I did eventually buy the books. ⁓ but I'm glad I did the audiobooks because there's just a they're so long, but I had to re I had to ⁓ rewind a lot. Kate: Yeah, no, I am finding myself kinda like going back to chapters because if I'm not like fully locked in, like if I'm listening to it while I'm working or something, sometimes I'm missing key pieces and there's there's a lot to take in. But I'm I am enjoying it and ⁓ I'll get through it. I just I have a time frame because I I think I'm I think I have this one on hoopla, which you get twenty one days, which is a little bit better than Libby's 14 days, but still for this one it I'm like I'm pushing the limits. I gotta Rachel: Mm. Kate: I gotta get it done. Rachel: Right. Yeah. Yeah, you you're on a deadline. Kate: Yeah. What about you? What are you reading? Rachel: So I'm reading on audiobook, listening to Web of Vows and Vengeance by Aria Ashbrook. And this book, it's so good. I saw so many good reviews for it. And I feel I gotta admit, I'm a little guilty here. I received it as an ARC, an advanced listener copy, ALC, I guess, ⁓ a while ago, there's direwolves in it. And we were covering Wolves of Ruin, and I literally like could not. read multiple books about dire wolves. Like I was just scared that I would mess up our deep dive. Kate: Fair, fair. Yeah, I mean there's already so many kind of overlaps between a lot of these books that I find myself confusing them sometimes. Getting my wires crossed. Rachel: Yes. Yes. So I had to kind of put it on the back burner I was always planning to revisit it, you know, once we were done. And then it started like blowing up online and it's very well deserved. It's very good. It has like all the things we like, like trials, ⁓ found family, lots of hot men, ⁓ a little bit of a love triangle. I thought at first that there was gonna be a why choose situation because there's so many hot men, but ⁓ I don't think that's the case. ⁓ Kate: Mm. Rachel: The internet was like, you don't know what you're talking about, just keep reading. Kate: No. Rachel: ⁓ yeah. Kate: Okay, but can't a girl just dream, you know? Can't you you you can have wishes. Rachel: Exactly. Yeah. ⁓ but it's good. It's has captured my attention. It's a good one. And it's a good one on audiobook for sure. Kate: Well, I think that wraps everything up. Thank you so much for joining us on this week's episode of Deep Trope. Join us week as Ary and the gang head to Tovick and the tension ⁓ really starts build between Smyth and Ary in chapters nine eighteen. Rachel: And again, if you had a good time, we ask that you please like, subscribe, and share with a friend. Or ideally, all of your friends on social media. And if you want to stay connected throughout the week, you can follow us on social media @DeepTropePodcast We'd love to hear your thoughts on Elowen ⁓ and ⁓ favorite good girls from Smyth. Kate: Ooh, yes. Rachel: All right, see you next week. Kate: Bye.