Latest / Deep Trope Fantasy & Romance Podcast / Dire Bound Episode 5: Chapters 45–53 | Sturmfrost Secrets & THAT Graduation Ceremony

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Dire Bound Episode 5: Chapters 45–53 | Sturmfrost Secrets & THAT Graduation Ceremony · 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 this is episode five of our deep dive into Dire Bound by Sable Sorensen. And while this episode will only cover chapters 45 through 53 of the book, we are discussing it from the perspective of two people who have read the full book. So that means spoilers. If you haven't finished the book yet, pause the podcast and reading before joining us. Kate: triggers and content warnings in the book also apply to our discussions. So between that and our total inability to censor ourselves, please be advised that this podcast is for adults. Rachel: All right, let's get into it. The morning of Meryn's mother's funeral has arrived. Killian handles the arrangements and pays for it. She is buried in the Garden of Eternal Rest in the wealthy Northern Quarter, which is cared for by a sect devoted to the faceless goddess. They've brought a priestess to bless a ceremony, and Meryn says that though her mother wasn't religious, she'd have loved it. This feels important. If we are right in our theory, which we on episode four, and the faceless goddess is connected to the Sturmfrost Royals, and in fact, Meryn actually is the faceless goddess, do you think this sect is aware of the family's true identity? And perhaps that's why they sent a priestess? is aware of her identity, so it seems odd that he would select the location, but we also know that he is not above lying to Meryn about things like this. Kate: ⁓ Not only is he not above it, it's one of his favorite pastimes. knows she's the true queen, but would he know if she's the faceless goddess? You know, like, would he have that connection? Rachel: Mm-hmm. Right, I guess that comes down to who made the goddess faceless, like who wiped their identities? was this some sort of magic tied to the dire wolves to protect the Sturmfrost royals? ⁓ Or ⁓ was this move the Brightbanes in order to kind of eliminate them from history? Kate: Good question. in mind, I'm thinking maybe he just isn't. ⁓ thinking about her connection to the goddess and that's why this location would have been okay for him because we know it's all about him and his benefit. Rachel: Or did Stark actually make the funeral arrangements the same way that Stark arranged for her to have a private room and a beautiful ball gown? Kate: Well, was it just her, another assumption her that Killian arranged or did like Igor tell her that that was happening? Rachel: basically. Igor told her when she discovered that mother passed away that he and Lee were handling everything. And then chapter 45 starts and it's kind of like a passing comment that Killian handled all the arrangements. Kate: I didn't question that Killian arranged the funeral, again, because of Igor saying that they were working together on the preparations. But there is a key element to the funeral that I know that Stark orchestrated, which is bringing in her friends, which we will get to. Rachel: All right, yeah, I agree with that. I just think it stands out that sect devoted to the faceless goddess not only cares for the grounds, but also sends a priestess to oversee the ceremony. That just feels important. Kate: ⁓ Killian picked the location, but Stark sent the priestess to make sure that ⁓ mom had a proper send-off fitting her ⁓ identity. Rachel: I like that. I like that idea. Everyone from the Eastern Quarter comes, the women from the laundry, neighbors and friends, Igor and his wife Prina, and they are wearing their best outfits, including Igor in his military uniform. But they still look shabby in comparison to the riches of the Northern Quarter. And to be honest, I teared up a little at these people just doing their best to look presentable for a funeral in the Northern Quarter and wanting to show up for our girl Meryn and her mother. But... No matter what they do, they're going to seem out of place there. Kate: Yeah, which again, just rubbed me the wrong way and was another reason to hate Killian. Like if I didn't know Killian was a bitch, I might think he had her buried in the Northern Quarter to be nice, thinking it's a nicer place that's better cared for. But knowing that he is in fact a bitch, I don't think that it's an altruistic move because I don't think he's capable of that. ⁓ I think he did it to make her friends and family uncomfortable and to reinforce the fact that he's in charge. Rachel: Yeah, you're probably right about that. Kate: Hahaha Rachel: Just before the ceremony begins, Anassa alerts her that more people are on the way. Meryn's Rawbond friends and rest of the Strategos raw bonds arrive just before the ceremony. Gamma Daegan, the Strategos instructor that replaced Beta Egith apologizes, saying they didn't know. But Meryn cuts him off. She didn't tell them. It turns out Stark told them, and Meryn sees him standing there in the distance. And this is just such an important moment for Meryn to realize that she's part of the pack. Not only has she made true friends, but her entire pack wants to be there for her. Kate: The fact that Stark told them and not Killian even though Killian supposedly planned the whole thing and easily could have and really should have invited her friends, it's just another example of how he's attempting to isolate her from her friends and family. Cause he's a bitch. Rachel: Yep, sure is, yeah. And Stark is just... ⁓ Stark's love language. In addition to scowling we'll put acts of service, I guess, on the list. Kate: I know. I know. Yes, I love it. Rachel: I hope he does other acts of service. Kate: I really hope so too, and I know exactly where your mind is, and mine is there with you. Rachel: So the trope here is found family, both within the pack and with Igor and her community from the Eastern Quarter. Kate: Yes, for sure. Rachel: Meryn gives the eulogy, noting that despite her difficult life, her mother was never hard. She always loved her daughters and tried to be the best mother that she could. And this is just so touching and inspirational. Mental illness often becomes a person's entire identity, especially if it's related to the end of their life. But her mother fought to be the best person that she could every day. And Meryn was able to acknowledge that, which I just thought was really beautiful and touching. As the ceremony goes on, Meryn is struck by the contrast to her father's funeral when they didn't have a body. And we learn here he quote died. I'm using air quotes here because I am suspicious. Apparently his platoon was attacked by siphons who ripped them the shreds. recovering only his finger. And if there's one thing I learned from Peter Pettigrew, it's that a single finger is a great way to fake a death. Kate: Yeah, that was super sus. I 100 % do not trust it. No body, no crime. A finger is not enough. Rachel: No body, no crime. We're gonna be on the lookout for a nine-fingered siphon. Kate: Haha Rachel: Or I guess he'd probably grow it back. Based on based on how the siphons heal. And when she was when she was torturing that one siphon based on how they heal, he might have 12 fingers by this point. Kate: Would he? A few extra just, just in case. Rachel: Just in case. ceremony, suggests they go to her mother's house to sort through her belongings together. At the house, ⁓ takes a few items, including her mother's favorite scarf, which was a gift from her father. And it's covered in a pattern of and roses before she goes through the hidden floorboard. In the last episode, we mentioned roses as a possible symbol of siphons. Meryn ⁓ noted their sickly sweet which is also how siphon magic is described. And we've also theorized that Daddy Cooper could come back in later books as a siphon, turned while he was on the front lines of the war. Could these be a symbol of the siphons? And that's why he gifted it to her mother as sort of A symbol of uniting the siphons and the wolves. Kate: I also that would be reason that they chose to describe a scarf. know, like what? ⁓ Rachel: Right? Like it's not just a distraction, right? Kate: Yeah. I mean, we're very primed to not believe that anything is a coincidence. think that this is a hint at Mr. true identity. Rachel: ⁓ right, Mr. Cooper, not Daddy Cooper. Kate: I listen, I like daddy Cooper. I like it. I am gonna let that be your thing. Rachel: Have I called him Mr. Cooper for four episodes and just switched to Daddy Cooper today? I kinda like Daddy Cooper though. Kate: I think you've called him Daddy Cooper before. I just, he's just not the kind of daddy that I'm looking for. I'm looking for the shadow daddies. Rachel: I'm not consistent. Yeah, no, we're not on, yeah, we're on Daddy Stark alert for sure. We're on Daddy Stark, we're on Shadow Daddy Stark alert and we're on Mr. Cooper alert. He's not a daddy. That was a mistake. Kate: ⁓ huh. ⁓ huh. Okay. I mean, if it's what your heart was telling you, it's not a mistake. Rachel: I mean, who knows when he is. I mean, he probably is a daddy if he's a siphon, because they're hot. Kate: That's true. super beautiful. Well, we'll see. Rachel: when we see Siphon Daddy Cooper walk onto the page those 12 fingers do. Kate: ⁓ my god. Alright, need to calm down. Rachel: As she sorts through her mother's belongings, Meryn turns to the secret floorboard where she finds a stack leather-bound journals full of writing and drawings that seem to be a record of her delusions. Most of the drawings are of a crown with two wolves leaping at each other. Sounds familiar? and references to the names Lumina, Nocturn and Astreon Over the bond, Anassa urgently tells her to hide the journals and she shoves them in her bag just before Killian enters the room. Killian asks what she found and Meryn distracts him with an almost empty perfume bottle. telling him her father used to buy little extravagances like that for her mother. Killian takes a sniff and says he thinks the castle perfumer can replicate the scent so she could have another bottle for herself. This doesn't come back around. And I do understand that it was part of Meryn distracting Killian, but is there something about the scent that we need to be on guard for in the next book? Scent's are very powerful and it would be interesting if her siphon father smells her perfume and maybe remembers his humanity? Kate: That would be great, but I'm more excited about the fact that Meryn finally did something right when it comes to Killian ⁓ She ⁓ realized there's something she shouldn't share with him. She finally listened to Rachel: That's a great point. Kate: So love the perfume kind of coming back ⁓ as little ⁓ callback but mostly in this scene, I was just excited. Like finally, finally you're not giving everything to this man. ⁓ Rachel: Yeah, I mean it doesn't last long, but yeah. Kate: I know, but let me have this. Rachel: Later, Meryn goes to find Anassa on the wolf terrace, asking her what she knows about the journals, but Anassa tells her, I've told you all I can, and that she should do some research on her own. That sentence reminds her of what she said to her in Stark's library, which gives her an idea of where to start. Poor Anassa is probably her mind here, just wishing she could tell her the truth. Like, can you imagine waiting? hundreds of years and she's so close to the truth for like months and just not taking that next step. Kate: And just the frustration of watching Meryn attach herself to Killian, knowing what a shit he is and not being able to tell her anything. I keep going back and forth because I was so frustrated at Anassa for not talking to Meryn about things that she could talk to her about, right? Like you have things that you genuinely have to keep from Meryn, but she was... Rachel: No. Kate: withholding information that doesn't need to be withheld. So I was very frustrated her at that, but this one, I ⁓ how aggravating would Being so close, but so far. Rachel: Yeah, yeah. Meryn sneaks into Stark's quarters and finds them empty. Probably because Anassa told him to get out. Immediately, she is drawn to the bookshelf with the ancient books that originally caught her eye. One book is older than the others, leather cracked and worn. It has no title or table of contents. And the first chapter is titled The Sturmfrost Queens. It's a handwritten history of Nocturna's original rulers. a matrilineal line of bonded warriors with incredible powers who ruled for centuries. In school, Meryn had been taught that Nocturna didn't even exist until 500 years ago when King Cyril's ancestor took the throne and united humans and wolves under his rule. Before then, humans in Nocturna lived in scattered encampments, attempting to survive while being hunted by both dire wolves siphons. The legend said the faceless goddess sought to balance this power and gave the king the Dire Blade with the power to control the and bond them. But this book says Nocturna is an entire millennia older and the Direwolves were always allies with the Sturmfrost line. There are pictures in the book of queens ruling with the Direwolves by their sides and she sees a drawing of the crown of the Sturmfrost line, which is thousands of years old and imbued with powerful magic. And guess what? The crown matches the drawings in her mother's journals. Meryn realizes this crown must be the item hidden under the drain grate in the arena. Meryn is shocked. Could everything she's been taught have been a lie? Kate: Yes, it very well could have, and I'm about to go on a little bit of a rant, but stick with me. Rachel: Give us your rant, ⁓ Kate: It might sound far-fetched to erase a millennia of history from an entire population, but turns out it's actually pretty easy to rewrite history, even without magic. They say history is written by the victors, meaning the winners of conflicts control the narrative to justify their power. We see that a lot, a lot in not only the history of our country, but around the world. That conflict doesn't necessarily need to be war either. It could be class conflict. or a racial conflict, for example. In the US, we've seen how quickly history can be forgotten and rewritten to fit the narrative of some asshole in chief, not to name names. I could talk about this forever because it really, really pisses me off. But yeah, to answer your question, yes, everything they've been taught could very well have been a lie or at least heavily manipulated to suit the interests of those in power. And that's without magic. Just imagine what they could accomplish. when you get magic involved. didn't have to suspend my disbelief very much to think that everything that she thought she knew about the history of Nocturna could be a lie. Rachel: Yeah, I mean me neither. Kate: because I've had to unlearn plenty of things that I've learned in school. Rachel: For sure. whole life, I've been a historical fiction fan ⁓ and reading about like different time periods and people in places and times. And while the characters and the stories are not necessarily real, it's based on real events. And one author that I really love who does this is Philippa Gregory, who writes a lot about like King Henry the VIII and that whole period of time. And I listened to a really great interview by her where she writes typically from the female perspective. And the reason that she got into historical fiction and writing about these stories is because women's stories were just completely erased from history. And also, history was written by the descendants of King Henry VIII, who were still on the throne. Queen Elizabeth. So even Queen Elizabeth was erasing women's history because she wanted to frame her family in the best light possible. And it's just so interesting to hear about what goes into uncovering truths hundreds of years later through all the different hints and clues that you get in letters and then essentially trying to form a picture of somebody. with your context clues or what's missing in the documents and then having to essentially write a historical fiction because that's the only way to really tell this person's story. And again, like, yes, it's fiction. Like we don't actually know all these things that happened, but it's like the closest thing that they'll ever get to having their stories be told. Kate: Yeah, I mean, imagine if we found an old worn notebook or textbook like Meryn did. I mean, I feel like she's lucky here in that she doesn't have to piece too many things together. She is given the book. She's like, this is what actually happened. Like, she doesn't even have to gather that many other sources, you know? Rachel: Right. Right, it's just being hand delivered to her. Kate: So, you know, I wish we were all that ⁓ conveniently educated. Rachel: Hahaha When Meryn hears Stark approaching, she doesn't bother hiding the book. He stands in the doorway and takes in Meryn reading the book, as well as the engagement band on her wrist. She asks about the book, but he just congratulates her, telling her she'll, quote, make an incredible queen. Kate: Yes, she will. We just need to get rid of that pesky king and his even peskier son. Rachel: Meryn demands answers about the book, but Stark says he can't tell her anything in a neutral tone. ⁓ Wait, before we go on. He can't tell her anything. That's why he made that comment about her being incredible queen. Like, she thinks it's just him being snarky because she accepted Killian's proposal, but he's trying to hint at her true identity. Kate: Mm-hmm. Rachel: ⁓ poor Stark. Meryn demands answers about the book, Stark says he can't tell her anything in a neutral tone. When Meryn demands answers from Anassa she says the same thing. Meryn is just rocked by a feeling of betrayal. Are they working together to hide this from her? She storms out, telling him she's taking the book, and Stark tells her to be careful with it. When Anassa asks Meryn what she's going to do, Meryn slams down the mental barrier. So poor Stark, but also Poor Meryn. She finally built a relationship with Anassa and was starting to trust her, and even starting to trust Stark, but then this... But again, poor Anassa and poor Stark, because this is exactly what they feared, that she would trust Killian, not them, and just completely lock them out. Kate: Yeah, like I understand Meryn's frustration, obviously. She feels like she's getting answers and then like stopped before the finish line. But Stark and Anassa have never lied to her. Anassa was a dick for blocking her out previously and not helping her adjust to her new circumstances, but they've never lied to her. And I'm just not sure ⁓ they would have done to make Meryn think that they would lie to her. about not being able to tell her something. it seems like Meryn mad at them for withholding, but they're literally saying, can't tell you. Rachel: No, this is Anassa's fault. She fumbled this whole thing. If Anassa had been kind to her and taken her under her wing when they first bonded and clued her in to what to expect from the bonded and from the trials and made her feel welcome and like she was her teammate, I think that they would have had a foundation of trust so that this wouldn't shake her so much. and that she might just start to question like, why is Anassa being so cagey? because their relationship was built on such a rocky foundation. ⁓ I think this was Anassa's fault. Kate: Yeah. No, that's fair. That's fair. I just hate that she distrusts them so much and then will run straight into Killian's arms when he has lied to her face every day for their entire relationship. Rachel: ⁓ for sure, for sure. And she knows that he has. That's the craziest part. She knows that he lied for an entire year. Kate: So it's just, it's just. I Yeah. So to be like, I, again, I get it. She feels like she's totally in the dark and she is like, she's just getting these glimpses into the truth. So I get it, but I just don't understand why still trusts Killian. he lied to her for how long were they together? Like over a year? Rachel: Yes, at least a year. It was at least a year. Kate: That's commitment to being a liar. Rachel: And it's like a very detailed lie where he even had his fuck pad, as you put it. His commoner fuck pad. Kate: Very detailed. Yeah, ⁓ ⁓ okay. Rachel: Meryn holds up in her room, scouring the book for every detail she can find, furious with Stark and Anassa for whatever secrets they are hiding. She considers telling Killian, but ultimately chooses not to. Stark's words to be careful with the book stick with her, and she's unsure how Killian will take the news of a story so different from his family's narrative. Can you imagine? Like if he was a normal he might be Shooketh. but generally write it off as fantasy. But Killian would probably try to tell her that she wrote the book herself during one of her delusions. Kate: He would totally gaslight her. Absolutely. Rachel: Izabel checks on her and of course can't help but notice the engagement band. Once Meryn assures her that yes, they can be happy about the engagement, they can celebrate, even though they're sad about her mother, Izabel is exactly the kind of excited friend that you want when you get engaged, immediately jumping to plan a celebration. Like this girl would be the best maid of honor. And Meryn agrees to a small celebration with Tomison the twins and Nevah it's just such a sweet found family moment. They end up getting drunk on ember wine and completely forget about the cake until they smell it burning. They eat piles of whatever they can salvage, which if you ever burn a cake, this is really your only option or cake pops. Cake pops is the other option. Kate: I do love a cake pop. This scene definitely added a much needed moment of levity. It almost, almost made me forget what they're celebrating. Rachel: Venna stays back with Meryn to clean up and tells her she hasn't found anything concrete yet, but feels she's close to discovering something in the castle. She knows something definitely isn't right. Meryn hopes she will find something soon because after the Unity Trial, they'll head to the front. The morning of the Unity trial arrives and of course, Jonad starts it off by being a total asshole at breakfast. He challenges her, telling her she'll quote, die in the gutter like the common-born bitch you are. And he mentions that it's a good day for weeding out commoners. Kate: So he's sexist and classist. How charming. Rachel: They head to the arena, which is already full of nobles, along with the bonded family members here to watch the final trial. The unity trial will be a battle, the three packs against Daemos Daemos successfully breaches their defenses, ⁓ or Strategos creates a decisive And this just makes no sense. If the goal is to determine their unity as a whole, Why would they fight against one pack or fight each other at all? But at least splitting the packs 50-50 would make more sense in this because they talk about how each pack has its own strengths and weaknesses and how they need to balance one another out. And there's clearly an imbalance if you're just three against one. Kate: Yeah, I totally agree. I don't understand how the goal could be unity between the packs. Like you said, if they're pitted against each other like that, I assume the Royals came up with this trial, right? So I guess the goal, the king, yeah. So, you know, we can assume the goal isn't really unity, is it? The real goal is probably just asserting control and making sure that some bonded are killed. Rachel: I think the king. Yeah, the king. Yeah, the king. Meryn receives a deluge of information from the pack, such as terrain details and the outcome of potential tactics. But she doesn't feel overwhelmed by it or even need time to process it. She says, quote, there is no thinking, ⁓ only knowing. Daemos feigns an attack and Meryn's forces pivot to address it, but too late Meryn realizes Jonah is actually targeting Henrey in the north. That's when she realizes what he that morning about ridding themselves of commoners. He was always planning to kill Henrey. Kate: Yeah, cause he's a fucking coward. He's too scared of Stark to go after Meryn, so he's picking on Henrey instead. Rachel: 100%. Jonah's wolf strikes Henrey's with a fatal blow that doesn't kill the wolf right away, and Henrey's wolf, frenzied with pain, turns on him. Kate: And this is just so cruel, letting them both suffer rather than just finishing the job. Rachel: Yeah, you're right. Like we know that Jonad sucks, but this really emphasizes how awful he is. Kate: It's so cruel. Rachel: The Phylax defensive line to the north immediately shatters and the three packs are distracted by Henrey's wolf continuing to attack him. It is clear that Henrey will not survive today's battle. Meryn and Anassa realize they need to break ranks and take him out with mercy in order to turn the battle in their favor. Anassa says to Meryn, quote, this will mark you. As she nears him, Henrey begs her to do it. She swiftly plunges her knife into his chest, killing Henrey and his wolf instantly. And this is just so heartbreaking. Henrey wanted more than to become a Bonded and start a new life for his family. And he was just one away from realizing his dream. And as for Meryn, we've seen her become more and more comfortable with death. But this is the first death of its kind, a mercy kill for Henrey and to protect her pack. Kate: This definitely felt like growth for her. It was the first time that we saw her kill without. kind of being either in that frenzy or out of self-defense. It was a strategic move, but it was also still a merciful move. you know, in the beginning, she was leaning a lot more towards mercy. So it's interesting to see that she had to kill to be merciful in this instance. Rachel: ⁓ that's such a great point. It's a perfect full circle moment. Kate: Yes. Rachel: Meryn's instinct is to find Jonah and end him, but Anassa stops her, telling her she is above retribution and must focus on leading her pack. And this just to my theory that Jonad might get a redemption arc. ⁓ ⁓ least he better. If he is, and is a minor Empyrean spoiler, so just a warning to anybody who hasn't finished Onyx Storm. If he is a Jack Barlowe-style multi-book villain, I will riot. Kate: just don't know what they could possibly do to make me willing to give him any grace though. Like maybe they'll give him some tragic backstory, but that kind of thing would really just be an explanation for his behavior and not an excuse. Plus the things that bother me the most about him are not really his cruelty and ruthlessness and battle or the trials. It's the violent sexism and classism, like attacking people for those reasons and not to win the trial or to, you know, move forward. And I would just be really hard pressed to see him fix those parts of himself. Maybe if they made it so he was under some kind of like mind control curse that, and like he isn't in control of his own actions. I don't know. just, there, there are some really great villain redemption stories that I have. seen and read and I would be hard pressed for this to be one of them. So I don't know. I know that you are really like thinking that this might happen, but I just don't know if they'd be able to convince me of that. Rachel: I see what you're saying. I see what you're saying. And I guess I envision if he does get a redemption arc, I don't believe that it's going to be like a Jamie Lannister one where we start to really love the character. Like I think we'll still hate Jonad, but I think it'll be likely like him sacrificing himself for the pack or something like that. Like where it's like, yes, we're happy that he's gone, but we're also happy about the way that it happened. Kate: Yeah. Like, ⁓ he did one good thing with his miserable life. Rachel: Mm-hmm. Right. Kate: Yeah, mean, God-tier villain redemption arc for me is Prince Zuko in Avatar the Last Airbender. I know you've heard me talk about this so much because I'm obsessed with that show. But that... Yes, it's a cartoon, but yes, it's amazing. If you know, know. It's a beautiful show. It's perfectly written. And Zuko's redemption arc is God-tier. I promise you that. So that's the bar that I'm at. Okay. Rachel: Is this a cartoon? Kate: And it's just, it's a really high bar. Don't laugh at me. It's amazing. Rachel: ⁓ Kate: People in the comments, please defend this because Rachel needs to know that I am not alone in this. It is one of the highest regarded shows. It really is. Rachel: thought you were gonna say Squidward's redemption arc. Kate: No, I don't think that Spongebob has enough ⁓ continuity in their stories to have a full, you know, story arc like that ⁓ over the course of a few seasons. So just the depth isn't really there for me, but I see what you're saying. Rachel: I'm just giving you a hard time about cartoons, although how many seasons is this cartoon show? Kate: Three. That's why it's such a beautiful story because they knew exactly how much time they had. knew, okay, this is a three season story. So they perfectly planned everything to fit within those three seasons. They didn't overdo it. It was written with the ending in mind the entire time and knowing that they had three seasons to tell their story. It's incredible. Rachel: I just. And so that's why you won't give Game of Thrones a chance. Kate: Cause it's more than three, three seasons and they didn't, they didn't know what they were doing when they started. Yeah. Well, I don't think it's doing them any favors. I'll say that. Rachel: More than three. ⁓ okay, where was I? Okay. The trial continues for hours before Leader Aldrich announces it's complete. Daemos, although it sounds quite anti-climatic. Since no packs broke their unity, all survivors will become bonded at the graduation ceremony tomorrow. After the trial, Meryn sees the servants take Henrey's body to a strange door on the far side of the arena, rather than toward the castle. Though Anassa remains silent, she is watching the movement as well. Meryn watches as they open the door and she sees flickering lights and steps leading downward beneath the arena, just like the crown. As the newly bonded celebrate, Meryn pulls Venna aside and asks if she noticed what happened during the Unity trial. And immediately, Venna says, the fuck is under the arena? Meryn encourages her to find out, and she also tells her that thinks there's a crown buried under the arena as well. And Venna responds very well. She doesn't question her at all. She just immediately leaves to find out more. Kate: I love her. I do. I know we're not getting a whole lot of Nevah right now, so I just keep going back to my decision to fuck Vanna instead of marrying her. I love her. She's so curious and so suspicious. A girl after my own heart. That should be my wife. Rachel: Yeah, you messed up. I don't know what to tell you. Kate: I'm just, I know. Rachel: other important thing to note in this moment is Meryn did consider, like, can I trust Venna? Should I tell her this? ⁓ And takes a beat and decides, yes, I do trust my friend. ⁓ And, you to our point, Venna responded exactly as... even better than you could hope that she would respond, right? But... It's just such an important moment where Meryn is starting to build trust outside of just Killian. Kate: Yes, thank God. Rachel: Thank God. Meryn goes back to her room and pulls out Stark's book again, which at this point she feels like she's practically memorized. She racks her brain, scouring the book to see if maybe there is a clue about what's under the arena. She can sense Inas' presence, but slams down the wall between them. though they worked well together today, she's still angry about her betrayal. As she's reading the book, she hears a creep. and Killian steps out of her wardrobe. When he smiles at her, his smile doesn't quite reach his eyes. Meryn curls into him, his thumb presses her bottom lip, and she says it's like he's cast a spell on her. I know I've been very vocal about my theory that Killian has had Meryn in a vampire's thrall since day one, but Kate recently poked some holes in that theory. Do you care to share with the group? Kate: Well, we do know that he doesn't actually become a siphon until right before graduation, which means that he likely wasn't controlling her with siphon magic this whole time. But that doesn't mean that he doesn't have some other kind of power. So it's less that I'm trying to poke holes in the theory because I agree that it has always felt like he has some kind of unnatural control over her. Like all the points that you made and all the examples that you had, like it makes sense. I think I'd just like to explore other options for where that power might be coming from, or just seeing where is that kind of control coming from. possible that that control is even just coming from some of response on Meryn's side of, again, we've talked about her trauma and how that is impacting this relationship that she has with Killian. It might just be that he said the right things at the right time. And that's where this kind of control over her is coming from. ⁓ But yeah, I don't, just don't know that it's siphon magic because again, like he's not a siphon. Yet. Rachel: Yes, I hear what you're saying. am delusional enough to ⁓ that maybe he still has Siphon Magic somehow. Kate: Maybe, I mean, we don't know, right? We don't know. Maybe he does. Rachel: Well, let me explain. Alistair Brightbane has been moving from king to king for generations, for 500 years. Alistair Brightbane has survived by living within the king's bodies. Why? Siphons can live for thousands of years. They can essentially become immortal. Why would he need to live within their bodies? What happened to Alistair Brightbane that he needs to inhabit? another person's body. And they still have to become siphons for him to do so. Like, was this because he wants to sneakily be the king? ⁓ And since his potentially brother, Lucien, is ruling the siphons, this was only way to gain power without taking on his brother? ⁓ Now that I'm saying that out loud, that's kind what I'm leaning toward. Kate: Yeah, that does make sense. Rachel: either way Why did he choose this family? is it just happenstance that he chose this human family to live in for generations and he turns them at the moment before he moves into their bodies? Or is there some sort of siphon blood in their veins at this point because after so many years of like turned siphons fathering the next generation, they have a little bit of that magic in their body, these are some questions to consider. Or to your point, is this truly just a toxic, abusive relationship? as we learn more and more about Meryn and the trauma that lived through, ⁓ and the reasons why might be something that she is ⁓ susceptible to. maybe that is really the only reason that that he's able to assert this type of control over her. Kate: I don't know, but I can't wait to read Fury Bound and find out. Rachel: This is some great writing. I mean, it's some great writing that these are the types of questions that we're asking like on our millionth reread, you know? Kate: Oh, I know. Yeah, like we're getting deep. The wheels are turning and there's just so much to process. Rachel: Killian and Meryn kiss and Meryn wants it intense and rough, but Killian keeps slowing down. And again, it can just never be on her terms. She thinks, quote, I need a little pain if I want it to sink beneath my skin and linger like a tattoo. Hmm, I wonder who could give that to you, Meryn. Kate: Where is this new link between tattoos and sexual desire coming from, Let's explore that, shall we? Rachel: Hmm, I wonder. Kate: Please, please. Rachel: They start, please, please, please. They start hooking up and when she feels his lips on her neck, she says she hopes he can feel quote, the quickness of her pulse beneath his lips. And then she tells him she wants him to bite her and leave a mark. So to your point, Kate, technically he says he isn't a siphon yet and we learned that it will happen tomorrow, but. This just feels too heavy-handed to be foreshadowing. Kate: For sure, yeah. Rachel: So just makes me wonder, like, is he some sort of a siphon already? Like, the blue eyes, we know that he doesn't have the bright blue eyes until the ceremony, the graduation ceremony. But could he have already been a siphon and Alistair just doesn't take his body until then? Because, I mean, we know that he's a liar. ⁓ do we think he can't be lying? Kate: I'm leaning more towards the idea that you had of there just being siphon blood in the bloodline. So he's not full-fledged, but maybe he's got just some of those traits. Also, he's been raised by a siphon, so maybe biting just feels natural. Rachel: I know, but like her wanting him to feel the blood pulsing beneath her veins, like that just feels like being in a vampire's thrall and like having the desire for them to drain you. Kate: Yeah, that's true. I know, we both really want this theory to work. Rachel: I just don't understand why these lines unless they're truly just like trying to drop little Easter eggs to get us to guess leading up to that reveal. Just as things get hot and heavy and they are in various states undress, the door bursts open and Izabel is there squealing. Meryn yells at her to knock and they all erupt into giggles. Izabel is completely unfazed ⁓ and introduces herself to Killian, jokes with him and tells him she's seen him up on his dais. But that seeing him without his shirt on makes him a little bit more personable. Kate: Just wait until you see him without his humanity. Rachel: Izabel explains that she was looking for Venna, and Meryn tells her that she thinks she's hooking up with someone and hopes that Izabel will get the hint to leave, which she does not. Izabel invites them to go play drinking games with everyone else, and Meryn interprets this as her inviting Killian into the fold since he is now her fiance. While it might seem a little weird, Killian seems good-natured about it, and they proceed back to the party with the rest of the pack. As they're talking, Meryn starts to realize that Izabel is drunk, and typically she's very good at hiding that. She's not sure that she's ever noticed her drunk before. So I'm wondering, do you think that Izabel was actually drunk? Or do you think that she's faking it to keep Meryn from being alone with Killian? Kate: I definitely like the idea of her protecting Meryn from Killian, since she's not great at protecting herself from him. Rachel: Well, and also, Meryn has put up the iron wall between her and Anassa. So Anassa cannot communicate with her at this moment. is in Strategos, so technically Anassa can communicate with Izabel's wolf. So I'm wondering if she asked her to do this. Kate: Maybe that's an interesting thought. Rachel: I just think it's important that they point out not only that she's drunk, but that she's never noticed her drunk before when they've been at all these parties night after night. Kate: Yeah, mean, we know Meryn has been drunk before. Rachel: At Meryn senses a looming darkness and knows that Stark is there. He taunts her and it's a very tension-heavy scene. He asks her when the wedding is, since they're shipping out immediately, and his gaze drops to the mark that Killian left on her, which clearly upsets him. We talked in the last episode about bites and marks and the potential meanings behind them. So I think that this, the fact that it upsets Stark this much, think hints that it's definitely means something more than we know. Kate: Yes, we did. mean, he does not like the idea of somebody else claiming her. Rachel: ⁓ absolutely not. Stark says she needs her tattoo for that day, but Meryn says that she doesn't want him to touch her and he agrees, so he calls over Gamma Elinor to do it instead. After her tattoo, they leave the party and back in her room, Killian asks Meryn why she kissed him like that earlier. She doesn't really give an answer and he presses her on how she's doing, but she struggles to know what to tell him. He takes off his belt. and tells her he knows what she needs. Killian then binds her arms with his belt at her wrist, and we get another spicy scene. The first time I read this, I remember thinking, ⁓ no, he's going to trap her forever because you know you're sensing something creepy here, but it does end up being a satisfying encounter for her and not her just being locked up tied to her bed. Kate: and we have officially graduated from diet bondage. Rachel: Yes, this is full on bondage. Killian does do some edging, but overall, Meryn feels like she got what she needed from it. And he uses this term, get out the scream. Like she needed this massive feeling of relief after the Unity trial. Of course, Killian bites her. And with this being our final sex scene between them, hopefully forever, we can confirm he bites her in some way every single time they sleep together. We also get another Your Mind, which again is evil masterminds Sable Sorensen twisting a beloved trope into something dark, since we now know he has her trapped with the bracelet. Kate: They've got me having trust issues. They've turned this two great tropes into something darker. ⁓ Rachel: two great tropes, and some of our favorite types of spice in to something we never wanna see. Kate: Keep me on my toes. I love it. Rachel: Yeah, they do keep us on our toes. After Meryn and Killian fall asleep, she is awoken in the middle of the night by a soft tapping on the door. Meryn then sneaks out on an adventure with Venna, who has come to say she's found something and Meryn needs to see it right now. Venna silently guides them through the castle and Meryn realizes that she's using evasive maneuvers to ensure they're not being followed. They move deeper and deeper under the castle through ancient tunnels. and they descend past the dungeons where Meryn killed the nabber, eventually arriving in a hallway covered in marbling gold that leaves them to a marble prison full of children. Kate: So why bother making the child cages nicer than the dungeons? Like, does a child taste better when they're not completely devoid of hope? Rachel: Yeah, they're marinating them in gold and marble. Kate: Yum, yum, yum. Rachel: Venna explains the guards are on rotation, so they only have moments. Meryn finds Saela in a cell at the end of the prison hall. She reveals the Nabbers took her there from the start. She tried to fight back, but there were two of them. Saela tells her that the king comes every few weeks, observes the children, and then takes one who is never seen again. Saela thinks she sometimes hears them screaming. She's been passed over several times and worries that she's next. Meryn has no way of freeing her at that moment, and she's heartbroken to leave her, but she promises to return and to save her. Meryn thinks, fortunately, she knows someone who can help free Saela. Anassa warns her not to get anyone else involved, but Meryn is certain Killian will help. Again, she drops the iron wall between them, locking Anassa out. What the fuck Meryn? Remember when you laid in Killian's bed and heard screaming, but he gaslit the fuck out of you? Kate: Once again, remember when he literally lied to you every single day for pretty much your entire relationship? Why would you believe that his quest to find Saela is like the one thing that he wasn't lying to you about? Rachel: How is she the Strategos Alpha? This partially why I've decided that he has her in a siphon's thrall, because I just refuse to believe that she is this delusional. Kate: with you, it's really, really hard to see her keep going back to him. I just keep reminding myself of the powerful way that trauma can affect your brain. That's the only explanation I can fathom for her behavior with him at this point, unless we find a way for him to have her under some kind of unnatural control. But truly, she is in such desperate need of therapy. Rachel: Yeah, I don't think they have therapy in the bonded trials. Kate: Yeah, I think you're probably right about that. It doesn't seem like any of these people have access to mental health care. So that's a shame. They could all use it. Rachel: or the 500 year old wolf in her mind could help her. Kate: That would be nice. Rachel: Back in her room, just looking at Killian makes Meryn feel more in control over the situation. when Meryn says that she'll kill him. Together, they make plans to it at the graduation ceremony the following day. Killian explains that each Rawbond will approach the king to receive his blessing and become bonded. that will be her opportunity. Killian says he'll take care of the guards and figuring out how to get in and save the children. Girl, this was not the move. And I'm not just saying this as someone who knows the ending. I'm saying as I read it the first time, I was screaming that Killian is just not quite doing enough. He wants you steal the gun and drive the getaway car. Kate: Exactly. jumping straight to doing something so extreme rather than ⁓ ⁓ other possible ⁓ reasonable solutions to get the children out seemed so sus to me on the first read as I understand where Meryn is coming from. Her entire goal has been to find Saela She finally found Saela and is... seeing that the king is the reason that she is there. So I understand her jumping to, let's kill the dude, like, obviously. But Killian just immediately jumping on that idea when that's his father and like just not even discussing other options you know, ⁓ like even thinking through of the different implications of doing this, right? Like even if that's the conclusion that they came to, ⁓ they talk it through at all. And this is a huge fucking decision. ⁓ So was just super suspicious. Rachel: Yes, yes, and also If she believes that he loves her and loves Saela and wants to rescue Saela, he should horrified by what his father's doing. ⁓ And I that it's not a giant leap that he would have the same, ⁓ as a guy, that he would have the same conclusion that she needs to kill the king. I think that it's very fucking obvious that he doesn't have her best interests in mind when his only solution is that she should kill the king in a public place in front of all of the bonded, both past and present bonded and not like in his private study, which Killian as the prince would have access to. Kate: That's so true. This was really, this was the only option. Rachel: just in front of every possible witness there could possibly be. ⁓ and the nobles as well. Kate: Yeah, with nobody else having any context for what's going on. Rachel: Right, like she clearly can't control the narrative at all, only he can in that situation. It's just such a massive setup and she's so emotional that she can't see it. Kate: I hate I hate him so hard. Rachel: In the arena the next day, Meryn feels anxious and notes that it makes the shadows behave strangely. Kate: Figure it out, girl. How many times are you gonna note the shadows before you make a connection? Like, ⁓ it's so weird, my shadows are being all spooky again today. Rachel: Wonder what that's about. Meryn looks Achillean and of course immediately feels calm because as I believe he has her in thrall. And I'm going to read some excerpts here the exact description is pretty critical. He shines brighter than his father does, standing tall at his right hand. His hair is perfectly arranged, his hands braced behind him, his eyes glint a brighter blue than usual in the piercing sunlight. Remember how siphons are beautiful? Apparently he became one earlier that day, as he tells us, and though she can see his eyes are now the bright blue that were once his father's, She's so dignitized that she skipped right over all of those clues. Kate: She's just like, wow, he's having a really good hair day. Good for him. Rachel: I literally, ⁓ he looks great. He looks great, I love him so much. Kate: What a lucky girl I am. Rachel: Meryn lets down her wall and reveals her plan to Anassa, to which Anassa replies, make it quick. But just before the ceremony begins, the King announces that he didn't think they'd culled enough during the Unity trials, so there's going to be one last battle, a free-for-all battle between all of the wolves and riders. Meryn looks at Stark and the other instructors and sees that they are shocked, so this is definitely not expected. The king slams down the Dire Blade and the fighting immediately begins. At this point, we know Alistair Brightbane now inhabits Killian's body. To be ⁓ I'm not sure why it didn't kill the king when he left his body, but it appears Alistair can essentially move between siphon bodies at his will through blood magic. So I'm curious, does he control their thoughts and actions? And that's why the king demands this battle, hoping that more wolves would die. Kate: I think that would make sense. Rachel: So it's essentially like a siphon hive mind. I'm guessing between the siphons that Alistair himself has turned and then Lucien's siphons that he turns belong to him. Kate: Yeah, like their of followers. I feel like we've seen that before when it comes to vampires. Rachel: So that puts a question mark on the... children at Grunfall that may or may not have ever been there, because we were under the impression that it was a setup from Killian. And I guess it still could be, but... those would not be his siphons, I assume. Or maybe it is. maybe those are his siphons. Kate: Yeah, I don't know that we really know how far reach goes when it comes to the siphons of Astreona. Rachel: This is exciting. I think the Alistair versus Lucien war is going to be a major plot point in Fury Bound because ⁓ otherwise the whole thing just doesn't sense. Like it does not make sense why he's infiltrated Nocturna and they're not all just like a siphon land now. Kate: Yes. Yeah, I agree. They're still trying to keep it on the down low. Rachel: Mm-hmm. Chaos ensues, the wolves immediately turning on one another. However, Meryn is able to tap into the pack unity with a strategic pack, sending Fuck the King down the bond. Kate: While I do not think that this is the right plan of attack for Meryn in general, of killing the king in this moment, I am all for this energy. Like, yes, girl, eat the rich. Rachel: Eat the rich! Kate: Fuck the king. Rachel: Whatever control the king had over them breaks at that moment and the strategos are able to organize and protect themselves. She directs them to make it look uncoordinated so that nobody realizes that they're working together. During the battle, continues to lead her pack while she moves closer and closer to the king. Anassa asks Meryn if she's certain to which Meryn's response is just pure rage down the bond. Anassa lets out a howl. which all of the strategos wolves echo. we've got our feminine rage and we need to add that to the trope list. Kate: Yes, we do. And I love that one. I love feminine rage Rachel: Yes. I know. Anassa leaps into the air onto the king's platform and she sees a flicker of amusement in his eyes. Meryn leaps off Anassa's back and kicks the Dire Blade out of the king's hands. When Meryn picks it up, she feels a rush of ancient power course through her body. With the Dire Blade, she decapitates the king and the room falls completely silent. She turns to Kilian, who looks at her in pure horror and commands the guards to arrest her for killing the king. Anassa looks at her wildly like they're about to fight their way out, but something slices into Anassa's side. As they restrain her, sees a flicker of a satisfied smile cross Killian's face, but he covers it before she thinks anyone else can see. Pain sears the back of Meryn's head and everything goes dark. Fuck this guy, or as we've said, stop fucking this guy. It was very cool seeing Meryn take over the pack, and I think it was interesting that she was able to overpower the king's orders even without the Dire Blade. So this gives me hope for Fury Bound. Kate: That was super badass, but it's so hard seeing Meryn be betrayed by Killian over and over and over again. ⁓ mean, at least at this point, she will finally see him as the villain that he is, right? Right? Like, please, this is the end. ⁓ Rachel: Fingers crossed this was our last spicy scene ever with Killian. Ever. Fingers crossed. Kate: I know, like imagine thinking that after the first spicy scene with them, imagine thinking that we would be begging for it to stop. We loved that first scene. We loved most of the scenes, but... Rachel: We did love the first scene. Yeah, I mean, but we were also suspicious of him pretty early on. So. Kate: Yes, that's true. We didn't love the scenes because of what a great guy he was. Rachel: Right. This is where I wish that she was a better strategist as Alpha of the Strategos pack because she had the power with the Dire Blade in her hand to stop them, explain to everybody what's happening and decapitate the king. Now I guess because he is so powerful. maybe that wouldn't have worked, but I just, I feel like there could have been a little bit more forethought here. Kate: Yeah, I mean, think that's the theme for this entire plan. We could have had a little more strategy involved, could have put a little less of the most important part of the plan on Killian's shoulders and a little more thinking into this. How was she? She didn't think at all really about how she was going to get out of Rachel: Yeah, for sure. Kate: the situation once she killed the king. Like, Killian was just like, yeah, I'll take care of the guards or whatever. But like, the guards were not the only factor in this fallout. Rachel: Killian sort of protected her by arresting her and throwing her in prison because in theory, everybody there thought she was a bad guy. She could have been like super killed on the spot. Kate: That's true, but I'm not gonna give him any credit for anything. So. Rachel: No. No. I mean, she also had the dire blade in her hand, so she could have just stopped that, but yeah. Kate: Yeah, I don't think that she realized how much power she actually had with the possession of the Dire Blade. Rachel: Yeah, they could have eaten all the nobles. Talk about eat the rich. Kate: Ugh, what a wasted opportunity. Rachel: she's probably gonna be like, thinking about that in book two. I would be, I'd be in prison thinking, shoulda done this, shoulda done that. Kate: You gonna haunt her. Yeah. I know, I know. I mean, I think about that in the most mundane of everyday interactions that I have, let alone maybe the most pivotal moment of my life. Rachel: Same. Alright, should we get into our trope count? Kate: Yes. Rachel: So we have dead mom slash death of a loved one. have family. We have family heirlooms. We have rewriting history, which I feel like is becoming popular in a lot of books lately. Surely not being influenced by anything happening in the real world. Kate: ⁓ surely not, no. Rachel: So I'm gonna call that a trope, because I feel like we've seen it a lot lately and I enjoy it every time. Kate: I'm on board. Rachel: We get a you're mine, even if it was twisted into something that we hated. and we get feminine rage. So that's one, two, three, four, five, six, six tropes. Six tropes. Kate: And don't forget feminine rage. Yes, I think that's it. It's a good list. Rachel: All right, it is a good list Kate: All right, so we covered the tropes. Now let's cover fuck Marry Kill This week, I'm going to give you ⁓ Egith Leader Aldrich, who is the retired Strategos Alpha, kind of like in charge of everything. And then Gamma Daegan, who is the Strategos instructor that is Egith as she goes the front ⁓ on Meryn's behalf. Rachel: Okay. Kate: So what are you doing? Rachel: So we essentially have all of these Strategos instructors. So in different ways, there is a power dynamic there. We like that. It's a teacher vibe. ⁓ So that's a little forbidden. We like that. Kate: Yes we do. Rachel: ⁓ Well, I'm gonna kill Gamma Daegan because I feel like there's a good chance he dies anyway, being ⁓ as annoying as he is. Kate: He can't possibly stick around, right? Rachel: He's just, I mean, he's nice enough, but he's just like too nice and like cannot do anything on his own. So we're going to kill Gamma Daegan I'm not into that. ⁓ I'm going to fuck Beta Egith. don't know if they describe this in the book or they describe it in fan art or I just imagined it, but I imagining Beta Egith with like ⁓ long dark hair with like a the stripe through it that is like, yes, for Strategos, but also for like her age. You know what I mean? Yes. Like I imagine her, I don't know what she looks like in the book, to be honest. So this is what I've imagined. I imagine her as like an older Italian woman who is just like beautiful and just like puts olive oil on her skin, but doesn't need. Kate: Mm, the wisdom. Rachel: like anything else like makeup wise she's just like natural beauty. Kate: With the silver streak in her hair, is she giving you like Stacey London vibes? Rachel: Yes, yes, Stacey London. I'm imagining Stacey London. Kate: I love that. I love Stacey London. I like it. I like it. Rachel: Yeah. So fuck Beta Egith leader Aldrich, he's just, ⁓ I love him. He's like this wise older figure taking Henrey and Meryn under his wing for their special training. ⁓ as we've noted before, I like that he ⁓ is a retired Alpha. So he stepped aside for the younger which just shows his wisdom of knowing when his time is over and it's time for somebody else. Kate: That is an attractive quality in a leader. I do like that. Okay, good choices. I can't disagree with them. I mean, I'm going to, but I can't fault you for that. I 100 % agree with you on Gamma Daegan. He is not interesting enough right now to want to have him stick around. So sorry, dead. I am going to fuck Leader Aldrich because I do think that there's a lot of attractive qualities to him like you described, but need to marry Beta Egith, especially if you're describing her as Stacey London. Like, Stacey London was absolutely ⁓ of my like bi awakenings. the that you put that in my head, I'm like, done. ⁓ No Rachel: I love that. choices. Good choices. All right, before we get out of here, books we're reading. ⁓ Kate, I gotta know, have read Game One yet? By Navessa Allen. Kate: I have not, and I know that that probably surprises you because I love dark romance, but I have not had the time yet. I am really excited to finish that series right now, or at least the ones that are available. To be honest, I have not even read the second book yet. I read Lights Out. I have not read the second one yet, so I cannot read Game On. I'm behind, I know I need to. I need to get there. It's on my TBR. Don't hate me. Rachel: Okay, so some things that might incentivize you. So Game On is the last book in the series. It's a trilogy. Caught Up. A lot of people don't like Caught Up because it's like a mafia romance, but I think you like mafia romances, don't you? Kate: I don't dislike them. I don't know that I've read enough of them to have a really strong opinion at this point. Rachel: Okay, well, it's a mafia romance, but it's not. it's not like the godfather. Like it's a mafia romance with the main character, or excuse me, the is a sex worker. ⁓ And was something that I was like not into at first, but then like as I read on, I was like, okay, this is like entertaining. And like, it is part of the character development for sure for the MMC and how he copes with it. So, or how he not copes with it, but like, it helps him uncover parts of himself. You have to read Caught Up to enjoy game one because lights out and Caught Up will make you hate this side character and you will not want him as the main character. You'll be like, why am I reading this book and he's blonde and I hate a blonde. But this is the darkest one. This is the one where he is... ⁓ he's like a full-on villain, in my opinion. So I really liked that. And this is a spoiler. It's not a late spoiler in the book. Like it's a very early one. He's bisexual, which I think, I think is ⁓ shocking to the of person that you've probably created about this character in your mind by the time you get to this book, at least for me. So it was like ⁓ new insight into him. and it opens the door for some really nice possibilities. Kate: Say less, say less, I'm in. You got me. Rachel: And the FMC is a tattoo artist, which I feel like you would love. Kate: do love that. All right, I'll move it up. I'll move it up on my TBR. Rachel: I have four hours left on the audiobook and my Spotify credits ran out for the month, so I've got like two more days till I can finish it. I do recommend the audiobooks for all three. Kate: Yeah, I think I read Lights Out as an audiobook first. Rachel: Yeah, well, once you're finished reading the series, should talk about them because I want to talk about the different FMCs and MMCs and kind of rate our favorites. Kate: looking forward to it. Rachel: Well, thank you for joining us for our deep dive of Dire Bound We have one episode left, which will cover chapters 54 through the end of the book, including not one, but Kate, I have a surprise for you, two Stark POV bonus chapters. Kate: Say it again. What? Rachel: You heard right. There are two Stark POV bonus chapters. Kate: What do you mean? I mean, we read the one where it's like his perspective from like the beginning of the book of him like watching her in the fight and like killing that guy that attacked her. Like that's not, there's another one. Rachel: So. Yes, so it turns out was flipping through the Deluxe edition that we both have. You can see it on my shelf behind me. That we both purchased like, yes, you have it as well. We both listened to the audiobook. We both read the series or read the book multiple times, whether in the paperback version or on Kindle. Kate: Yes, I also. Rachel: I don't think either of us actually read our deluxe editions because we've read the book so many times. We just bought it as like a shelf trophy. So I was flipping through it last night when we were prepping to see like how many pages are left since we're now in, we're fully in the last 100 pages now. And I just looked at the end, I'm like, what is this? There's an extra Stark POV chapter in it. And it's the perspective. I have to read it. I still have to read it, but it looks like it's the perspective. Kate: Yeah, I have not. Rachel: of Stark when he gives Meryn her first tattoo. Kate: ⁓ my God. ⁓ my God. That is so exciting. That is really great news and I know what I'm doing today. Wow. Thank you. Thank you for sharing. Rachel: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, this is like, I'm sure they marketed this and it just flew right over my head because I think I assumed that it was the bonus chapter that's on the audio book. Kate: Yeah, yeah, didn't clock it at all. I'm gonna have to go back and see what I must have missed because yeah, like I obviously read the bonus chapter that was included in the paperback and like you said, I believe on the audio book as well. I had no idea. Rachel: So the bonus chapter that we've talked about, that one is in the paperback. Kate: Yes. Rachel: Okay, because it's not on Kindle, I don't think. Well, maybe it is. Maybe it is. Kate: It's definitely in the paperback. Rachel: We might need to do some research. Maybe there's a third one out there we don't know about. Kate: ⁓ my God. I mean, I do, see a lot of the international versions of the books, by the way, they're beautiful, like the special editions and things internationally. Really gorgeous. I don't think I have room on my shelf for that many more hardcovers of the same book, but I do appreciate them. So I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't something else out there. I mean, I had no idea that this one existed, so. Rachel: Well, if there is a special edition bonus chapter in German that is different than the bonus chapters available in the American versions, if one of our German listeners could send us a synopsis, we'd appreciate it. I know that there's quite a few of you. So ⁓ let us know. Let us know what we're missing. So we have one more episode of our Dire Bound coverage before we dive into Fury ⁓ And humble brag, I do have the Fury Bound arc currently in my possession. So as soon as we record episode six, I will be diving into Fury ⁓ And that comes out Tuesday, May 5th. And you can expect an episode that week. Our plan right now is to put out... a reaction episode later that week since I have the arc but Kate does not so we need a couple days to get our thoughts together and then we'll start our deep dive the week after. Kate: Big plans, big plans. So stay tuned, be sure to subscribe so you know when each episode drops. And if you enjoyed today's episode, please drop us a five star review and share with a friend. Again, we are a new podcast, so we really appreciate your support. And if you wanna follow us on social, you can find us on Instagram and TikTok at DeepTrope Podcast. Rachel: See you next week. Kate: Bye!