My House. My Chair. My Woman.

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign. Welcome to Spellbound, a Romantasy podcast. I'm Deidre. [00:00:14] Speaker B: I'm Jillian. [00:00:15] Speaker A: Hi, Jillian, thanks so much for joining us. If it's your first time listening, which it is for everyone, this is our very first episode. We're so glad that you can join us. Yes. And we are going to have a lot of fun today. But before we get started. Started. Just to tell you a little bit about myself. This voice is Deidre, a Chicago girl for the last. It'll be three years February 1st. Can you believe that? [00:00:38] Speaker B: You said that the other day. And I was like, what? [00:00:40] Speaker A: But I'm still telling people, oh, I'm new to Chicago. [00:00:42] Speaker B: Right, right, right. [00:00:42] Speaker A: I'm trying to keep it fresh. [00:00:43] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:00:43] Speaker A: You know, but Jillian and I met in a stand up comedy show here at the illustrious Lincoln Lodge Comedy Theater a couple years ago. We were doing a all female standup class and developed a friendship that has eventually evolved into of Romanasy and smut. [00:01:03] Speaker B: Smut. [00:01:04] Speaker A: We love it. We love all things. And so we're bringing it to a podcast that is currently pumping through your speakers. And what about you, Jillian? You want to tell a little bit about yourself? [00:01:13] Speaker B: This voice is Jillian. I am. I'm from the Chicago area. The suburbs, born and raised. Yeah, let's. And after the. Our. Our class. Our stand up class, I now have a weekly. Sorry, monthly show, second Friday of every month. Lip service, if you'd like to come. [00:01:31] Speaker A: A wonderful showcase of female comics all across Chicago. [00:01:35] Speaker B: So good. All the proceeds are donated to Planned Parenthood of Illinois. [00:01:39] Speaker A: Wonderful cause. Especially in this moment. [00:01:41] Speaker B: Absolutely. What else about me? You'll hear a lot about my dog Luna. [00:01:46] Speaker A: Yes. As well as my dog Birdie. [00:01:47] Speaker B: Yep. [00:01:49] Speaker A: Our girls. [00:01:49] Speaker B: Our girls. Yeah. You know, I looked up her horoscope for tomorrow. I'm in for it. [00:01:54] Speaker A: And what's going on with her? [00:01:56] Speaker B: Well, no, the horoscope says that she's like, there are a lot of stubborn behaviors tomorrow. So. [00:02:02] Speaker A: And what is. She's Pisces. [00:02:03] Speaker B: She's a Pisces. [00:02:04] Speaker A: Oh, my girl. Those are my. My of my big three. Do you know your big three? [00:02:09] Speaker B: No. What does that. [00:02:10] Speaker A: We're not really friends if you don't know your big three. My big three for those. Listen, I am a cancer sun, a Pisces moon and I'm a Pisces rising. I got heavy, heavy water, but deeper in my chart, which we'll have to do this exploration with you at some point too. I've got like a. I've got a very. I've got a variety Pack of signs and podcasts. In my. In my. In my chart, my dog is an Aquarius, which on its face as a Cancer sun and an Aquarius sun. You wouldn't necessarily think that that matches, but, like, I have downloaded various apps to tell me, like, how our relationship works. And we seem to have a golden relationship. We seem to have a golden connection. So there's something about our planets in total, like when they. When they look at our natal charts together that work really well together. [00:02:54] Speaker B: So you have good communication. [00:02:56] Speaker A: I think in 2025, that should be something that maybe you look into. That'd be great. [00:02:59] Speaker B: I think so, yeah. My three signs. [00:03:02] Speaker A: Yeah. Well, your entire natal chart, to be specific. And of course, it's like, you know, the time you were born, the location, it just tells where planets were in spatially, specifically at that time. And it just sort of split. Speaks to who you are as a person. I would get it done. You could also just go to a number of websites, just Google it. Like astro.com. yeah, is. I think that's the website. You can easily just plug in your information. And I think I need to do. [00:03:29] Speaker B: That because I think. Have I told you this before, that I share the same birthday, not the same year, but the same birth date as none like Elon Musk. None other than Elon Musk. [00:03:39] Speaker A: That is not something that I would advertise. Advertise. I would leave that. I'd leave that on the cutting room floor. Always. Always. If at any point there's. Elon Musk was born on June 28, don't raise your hand. [00:03:52] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. [00:03:53] Speaker A: Don't say me too. Because people are gonna be like, that's a psychopath. [00:03:56] Speaker B: That is a psychopath. Yeah. [00:03:59] Speaker A: No. Well, we have obviously and successfully diverged from the path, but we're so excited to be here. [00:04:05] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:04:06] Speaker A: And the whole premise of the show will be to talk about our favorite Romanasy books that we're reading at any given time. A number of series, a number of standalone books. But the whole intention is to laugh about our favorite moments. And so one thing that I think will be really fun for us going forward is just doing a general sort of. [00:04:27] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. News brief. Yeah. So this week, what have you heard? Did you hear anything about Romantasy the world? [00:04:35] Speaker A: Romanasy is having a moment, I think, as everybody knows. And I continue to keep seeing some of the same articles circulating. This week has been a big week for Romanasy, as we'll talk about, because we are very much getting into that series of books. So as you can imagine, all the news outlets are kind of circulating with really interesting news. But I did read a really interesting article that just kind of talks about some drama going down in, oh, like the Romanasy, like within the author sphere, to be specific. The girls are fighting. And essentially I read an article that was called did a Best Selling Romantic Novelist Steal Another Writer Story by Katie Waldman in the Atlantic. [00:05:22] Speaker B: Okay. [00:05:22] Speaker A: And it was a very interesting story. Essentially it was talking about an author by the name of Lynn Freeman, who many years ago was getting up in the middle of the night. She had like a newborn baby. She started to write a story and basically she developed a Romanasy novel or a fantasy novel. And she got an agent. She started to sort of, you know, work on her manuscript. They started to shop the book around to different publishers. It essentially went nowhere. And then 20 years later, she was shopping around and she happened to just pluck a book off of the young adult section in a bookstore. I think the book was gaining some momentum in terms of its popularity. And as she read through it, there were just really wild similarities between the like very minute details of the book and what she had written in her manuscript that many years ago she was shopping around to different publishers. And so what's interesting about the article, if you read it, is multiple things. There's players that are involved in the publishing of that very popular young adults book that were known to this author whenever she was trying to get her book off the ground. So there's a question of, you know, was this kind of shared in some way? But I think the broader conversation that was going on is, you know, we've read enough of these books and by the way, we are very new in our journey to Romanasy and just kind of getting into the genre. But I think even in sort of our shallow exploration, we found that there's like lots of I'll read a book and I'll go, oh, that feels very much like the story in this book. Or that feels like that person has the same sort of powers as this person in this book. And so the article is basically talking about how, you know, no one author can basically claim any one trope. Enemies to lovers, you know, forced proximity, slow burn, whatever your, you know, choice is. But it's kind of coming down to the, the very specific, specific details. And so like in this, this article, for example, they were talking about like, the main character in the popular book was a vampire, not a werewolf, as was in the original sort of manuscript of the woman that bought the Lawsuit and the. The main characters names are changed. But the main characters in both books, like, very specifically both moved to San Diego from Alaska after family members are killed in an accident. So it' that kind of granular, specific detail. And so anyway, they're tied up in a lot of legal action right now. So a very long, lengthy article. Very interesting for anybody that wants to nerd out on intellectual property. Get in there. Get in there. [00:08:13] Speaker B: That's very interesting. I mean, that. Yeah, that whole discussion. I've often thought about that because, like, you, I'll read the book and be like, well, no, that sounds like the last book I read. But I think, yeah. I mean, how many different tropes can you have? [00:08:28] Speaker A: I know. I read in this article, too, that there was like, there's a book out there about cheese. [00:08:34] Speaker B: Like, of romanticism. [00:08:35] Speaker A: Yes. And like, the main character, like, turns into different cheeses now. That's just. What, I don't know. A step too far. Not for me. I could tell you that I don't have time to maybe sit here and talk about a character that's going from Brie to Gouda. [00:08:48] Speaker B: That doesn't me Gruyere meets Manchego. [00:08:52] Speaker A: I'm a Colby Jack girl myself, so it's very interesting. So, yeah, one to check out if you've got time. [00:09:00] Speaker B: Cool. Cool. Yeah. Well, I read one. I think it was Time magazine. And of course, my algorithm probably brought this up because it was like, the feminism of romantasy topical. And it basically was describing. It was talking about, like, where do we get dragon riders? Like, where do we get this. This whole trope? And apparently. So there was something at the beginning of the article that was like, in the 19th century, women would ride astride. Like, they'd ride horses astride, you know, and men would say that it was unladylike to, you know, straddle. And. [00:09:41] Speaker A: And now in this day of our Lord 2025, they're like, reverse cowgirl, please. [00:09:47] Speaker B: Yes. But Anyway, in the 19th century, it was, like, to protect the hymen and reproductive capacity. And I was like, that's a bit much. Although I will tell you, I was going to start biking. I was, like, going to start a practice of bicycling until I read that that leads to enlarged labia. And I was like, no, I'm not. [00:10:07] Speaker A: You're like, I need no help in that department. No, thanks. Nope. Nope. [00:10:14] Speaker B: Anyway, back to the article. [00:10:17] Speaker A: There, there. Ha. That has to be wider known. All these people that bought peloton bikes during the pandemic. [00:10:22] Speaker B: I'M telling you, Deidre, maybe that's why. [00:10:25] Speaker A: Ridership has fallen off. [00:10:26] Speaker B: Probably. [00:10:26] Speaker A: Yeah. Nobody's saying it. [00:10:28] Speaker B: Yeah. They were like, what was that weird commercial that was like, this is the gift that keeps on or the gift that gives back if men buy their. Their wives. So, I mean, it was like, that's not giving back. [00:10:40] Speaker A: No. So that. That commercial was wild. That ad was crazy. Oh, my God. [00:10:46] Speaker B: Yeah. Another. Another world. Anyway, the rest of the article was just about how, you know, that women then could start riding, like, would start straddling and. And then it went to, like, horsey girl fiction, which then led to what they call dragon babe. And then it led to, like, Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones. You know Daenerys? [00:11:14] Speaker A: Yeah, I know Daenerys. Yeah, I like her. You're. You're. I. I did not like her at the end of the. Of the series. [00:11:22] Speaker B: No, I didn't. [00:11:22] Speaker A: But I did like her throughout the series until she kind of. She kind of went off and was acting wild. [00:11:28] Speaker B: Little wild. Did you read? So you know how I'm obsessed with the Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, like, are. [00:11:33] Speaker A: Deep in the drama. [00:11:34] Speaker B: Absolutely obsessed. So there was a text that Blake Lively wrote where it was. She was to Justin Baldoni and she was comparing herself to Denarius and saying that her two dragons are Ryan Reynolds and Taylor Swift. [00:11:50] Speaker A: Well, I was gonna say the Vinn diagram of horsey girl fiction and dragon. Is it dragon girl or dragon babe in the middle Are Taylor Swift fans. Do you know what I mean? [00:12:00] Speaker B: I know it is truly. [00:12:02] Speaker A: And not to say listen. And I'm not a swiftie. [00:12:05] Speaker B: Not gonna be yuck in your yuck. [00:12:06] Speaker A: No, I'm not a swiftie by any stretch of the imagination. I know all of her hits. I knew you were trouble. Is kind of my jam of Taylor Swift. Okay. But what I'm saying as a true fact, I think everybody can agree. Horsey girl and dragon babe overlays to create the most perfect. [00:12:22] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:12:23] Speaker A: Taylor Swift fan base. [00:12:24] Speaker B: Yeah, I think so. [00:12:26] Speaker A: More power to him. [00:12:27] Speaker B: Yeah. That was a. That was a great thought. [00:12:29] Speaker A: That is such an interesting text. Can you imagine drafting a text that describes yourself as Daenerys Targaryen? [00:12:36] Speaker B: No, I absolutely cannot. [00:12:37] Speaker A: And then goes on to say your dragons are your husband and your. [00:12:41] Speaker B: Your friend Taylor. Yeah, I know. It was very bizarre. [00:12:44] Speaker A: I thought you were going to say her kids. [00:12:46] Speaker B: No, no, it was. It's, you know, Ryan Reynolds because they. [00:12:50] Speaker A: Like, oh, what is she saying? Like, the dragons are going to go after anybody that, like, tries to attack her? [00:12:54] Speaker B: No. Basically there was a whole. There was a scene in the movie at the beginning that apparently Ryan wrote like rewrote and then Taylor did the soundtrack or did the song for. And so she was like trying to rationalize that. She was like, you know, they're my dragons. Like, they're my support people who give me, I don't know, inspiration. [00:13:19] Speaker A: Why don't you continue to keep us posted on how this unfolds every episode? We just need to have a it ends with us corner. [00:13:27] Speaker B: Absolutely. Belle. [00:13:28] Speaker A: We need to know the masses, need to know what's going on. Any other news on your end from a romanecy? [00:13:35] Speaker B: I think so. I mean, I was quite impressed with the release date of this new book and just how Rebecca Yarros has brought back this excitement that really hasn't been there since Harry Potter. Twilight. I was never a Twilight fan though. [00:13:55] Speaker A: No. I think I just aged out of sort of when I think I would have been excited about the release of those books. But in college I did have a friend that dragged me to the movie theater to see it and I have to say I enjoyed it. [00:14:08] Speaker B: Twilight. [00:14:08] Speaker A: Yeah, I enjoyed the Twilight. I enjoy the Twilight films. I just never sat down and read the books. But that's a really good segue into talking about the book and talking about the excitement of the release of Onyx Storm this week. Special shout out to Passages wine and books here in Chicago. [00:14:27] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:14:27] Speaker A: The owner, Amanda, was amazing. The cutest wine and book store in West Town on Chicago Ave. We went brand new. Gorgeous color scheme in there. She's really on the right track. Can't wait to go back in there. Really good selection of books so far. But I think, you know, she's up and running. She's getting it going. But essentially it'll be like sort of a wine bar. You can go and enjoy some wine by yourself with your girlfriends, whoever. [00:14:53] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:14:53] Speaker A: And read some books. But she had this great Onyx Storm release party that we went to and it takes something very special to have me start my night at this age beyond 10pm Beyond 9, if we're being honest. [00:15:06] Speaker B: Right, right. [00:15:06] Speaker A: And you and I went out there. We had a really great time. She had themed snacks. I think we were robbed during trivia, if I'm being completely honest. [00:15:15] Speaker B: I think we were. Yeah. [00:15:17] Speaker A: I also was thinking about this today. She did a great job of creating a little parapet when you walked into the event. [00:15:23] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:15:23] Speaker A: It was like a piece, a really cute piece of pl that she had painted and she put on like this, like don't say it, Jillian. And she had put it on like this tarp and she painted it. And I walked across it, at first successfully. I was paying attention. Later in the night, I tried to walk across it. I fell off. Which is to say that no drinking. [00:15:44] Speaker B: There was no drinking. [00:15:45] Speaker A: There was no drinking. This is a dry January for me. And I was like, I would absolutely be done in this book. Not getting past page five. So we had a really great time. And there was a couple of girls who showed up that were dressed as their favorite dragons, their favorite dragon riders. I appreciate the commitment to. [00:16:03] Speaker B: Absolutely. [00:16:04] Speaker A: To the theme. But, yes, this week we are talking about the first two books of the Empyrean series written by Rebecca Yarros, that is 4th Wing and Iron Flame, both released in 2023, which. I can't even believe that. No. [00:16:21] Speaker B: How did she do that? [00:16:22] Speaker A: Those two books released in a year? I can't do that in a decade. [00:16:25] Speaker B: And the Iron Flame was supposed to be two book. You know, there's two parts. Yeah, there are two parts to it. So that's a lot of book. [00:16:32] Speaker A: It's crazy. I was doing some, you know, reading, and it, you know, 4th Wing sold 2 million copies in its first six months, and it spent more than 70 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, 15 of which were in the top spot. Wow. And then obviously, as we just went into 2025, both books were the most read books on Goodreads in 2024. So, you know, as far and I, in one of the articles that we just sort of mentioned, Publisher, I think it was Publishers Weekly, said that of the top 10 books of 2024, five of them were written by Rebecca Yarros and her other girls, Sarah J. Maas, which is no surprise. So they're having a banner year. Love that for them. But yes, it's very timely that we're recording this episode on during the week of the release of Onyx Storm, and we'll be covering it specifically in our next episode. [00:17:24] Speaker B: So. [00:17:25] Speaker A: Right. Yeah, that's really exciting. So for those that are listening, I would. I assume you've done your homework. You're. You're likely very well aware of this book. But just to remind you and bring you up to speed, both Fourth Wing and Iron Flame follow Violet Sorengale, a very young woman who's forced to join the rider quadrant at the brutal Basquiath College, where riders bond with dragons and train to become warriors. Despite what appears to be her fragility, Violet cunningly navigates deadly challenges, cutthroat rivals and lethal dragons. And along the way, she forms an unlikely bond with not one, but two powerful dragons and becomes entangled with Zaddy Ryerson. [00:18:05] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:18:05] Speaker A: A brooding and a dangerous upperclassman harboring secrets and shadows. As Violet uncovers political conspiracies threatening their world, she learns that she must fight not only for survival, but for the future of her people. I mean, that's very succinct summary for all the things that happen in those two. Those two books. But I. I don't know. I love them. Yeah. And. Yeah. So I'm. I'm just curious to, you know, sort of talk about our favorite. We've been talking about these books for months. [00:18:37] Speaker B: Yeah, absolutely. And when I read through our text last night of, like, when I was reading it. Because you read it first. The fourth wing. And then I read it, I think, like, a couple months later. Right. [00:18:48] Speaker A: I think this is a very important note to talk about how we fell down the slippery slope of romantasy due to fourth wing. Yeah. Because I tell people, like, I think back at the beginning of 2024, really discovered a love of romance, specifically contemporary romance. Shout out to Emily Henry. She's one of the best out here doing it. But anyway, I just really kind of became dedicated to meeting my reading goals for the year. I think I set myself up for 30 books, which for me is like a big feat. But anyway, was waiting for my plane. I was in Raleigh flying to Portland, waiting for my plane. I was like, let me just download this damn book and see what the girls are talking about. By the time I boarded that plane and the plane was taxing down the Runway, I was. I was lost. [00:19:34] Speaker B: Yeah. It was like, let's get Never to return. Yeah. [00:19:36] Speaker A: Yeah. And it's all I could talk about. And I have to tell you, like, I think we're doing. We're like evangelicals about these books, Right. I was sitting at home this week, and I got a. I got an Instagram message from our mutual friend Chris. [00:19:48] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:19:48] Speaker A: He's on vacation right now. God bless him. He's like, escaped the terrors of Chicago right now. But he sends me this message out of the blue. He's like, I meant to tell you. [00:19:57] Speaker B: Oh, I started fourth wing, Kristin. He goes, I love it. [00:20:02] Speaker A: I love it. So we've got another convert. We got another point on the board, ladies and gentlemen. [00:20:07] Speaker B: Oh, good for him. [00:20:09] Speaker A: I love to see it. [00:20:10] Speaker B: He is really in it right now. [00:20:12] Speaker A: Yes. [00:20:12] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:20:12] Speaker A: He's in the throws. But, yes, we talked about it for months. And then you you cracked it open. You were like, you're probably like, let me just see. What is this? [00:20:21] Speaker B: Yeah, I bought the book. And I was like, all right, well, I haven't been reading. I might as well. And one of my first texts to you was, I think I love Dane. You were like, no, you don't. [00:20:34] Speaker A: Did I say that? [00:20:35] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. You're like, no, you don't. And I was like, I do. [00:20:40] Speaker A: That is so funny, because maybe I could see that even then because you're, like, super averse to violence. So I was like, dana's a very safe choice. Like, maybe that's what she's like, maybe that's what she's responding to. But you kept reading, and your opinion about things really shifted. [00:20:59] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, I didn't. Eventually, he, like, he showed himself to be, like, kind of a rigid rule follower, which I was not into. And then we saw Zaden, and obviously he's. Yeah, he's the one. He is the one. [00:21:12] Speaker A: And what's funny to me about you reading these books is that, like, you are a super reader. Like, I feel like I'm. I'm pretty. I have a pretty good pace. [00:21:22] Speaker B: Yeah, but you're like, devour. [00:21:24] Speaker A: Yeah. You, like, just take off from the. The starting line and just. Just zip out of here. And I'm like, let's. Let's relax. [00:21:32] Speaker B: Yeah, relax. [00:21:34] Speaker A: You're like, I'm already 3/4 of the way through the fifth book in the series. [00:21:38] Speaker B: I know. I'm always like, catch up. Come on. I want to talk about it. [00:21:42] Speaker A: But you did. And what's so funny is that, like, through the weeks, as you would, like, after you read this book, and then you obviously started the second book, and then you. You know, we're really invested. I would talk to you, and you were like, buying books for friends. You were like, oh, yeah, I just bought this. I bought it. You're like, sister, do you have a minute to talk about our Bible, Our holy book? [00:22:03] Speaker B: Seriously? I sent it to probably four friends. I was like, give me your address. I'm gonna send. I'm gonna buy this on Amazon and send it to you. [00:22:10] Speaker A: You need to convert. [00:22:11] Speaker B: Do you know how many of my friends read it? [00:22:12] Speaker A: How many? [00:22:13] Speaker B: Zero. Yeah. And for a while, I was like, are they avoiding me because they don't want to tell me that they haven't read the book? But they haven't. [00:22:22] Speaker A: I think whenever you're ready for these books, whenever you're ready for stories like. [00:22:25] Speaker B: These, you have to be ready. Yeah. [00:22:28] Speaker A: It calls to you when you're when you're fully ready. I felt that way. I mean, obviously we talked about that with our other favorite series, A Corner of Thorns and Thorns and Roses. [00:22:37] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:22:37] Speaker A: Which I certainly wasn't ready for back in 2015 when I was not ready. Fuck all. Who knows? [00:22:41] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah. But now it's like, you know, we've talked about this before. Like, welcome in. Food's in the back. We're all here. Yeah, we're all here for the same thing, you know? [00:22:51] Speaker A: Yes. I have one friend who has not gotten on board. You know who that friend is. And I love him to death. [00:22:57] Speaker B: I know. [00:22:57] Speaker A: Nathan. [00:22:58] Speaker B: I know. [00:22:58] Speaker A: He's still stuck on the parapet. God bless him. [00:23:00] Speaker B: Well, Nathan, I can't get involved. [00:23:05] Speaker A: He's like, I'm gonna read it. I promise he'll never read it. [00:23:07] Speaker B: I saw that book in his room and I was like, get going. [00:23:10] Speaker A: No, he won't. He's like reading other things. You know, he's. He's got other priorities. [00:23:14] Speaker B: Literary. Yeah. [00:23:15] Speaker A: Yeah, exactly. But it's so interesting that you talked about really loving Dane initially, because I thought about, like, when I knew I was hooked and I thought about it and I was like, chapter one, when, you know, we're sort of in those early pages, you're getting a really good download of the characters, their dynamics with each other. We spent a very good amount of time getting to know a bit more about our main female character, Violet Sorgel. And you know how she's kind of being cast into this situation that she's unprepared for, but her sister's trying to prepare her as best as possible, both physically and with the intel and the info that she needs to avoid whatever. And so, you know, you're just setting yourself up for that. But the moment that we are introduced to Zayden, I said, that's it. Well, I'm in here. Yeah, I really have nothing left to do for the next, I don't know, 48 hours. [00:24:07] Speaker B: Absolutely. [00:24:08] Speaker A: Because the way he was described, she describes everything about him, but she says even the diagonal scar that bisects his left eyebrow and marks the top corner of his cheek only makes him hotter. Flaming hot. Scorching hot. Gets you into trouble and you like it. Level of hot. And I was like, this is it. I'm in here. [00:24:31] Speaker B: You know, I think. I don't know if I told you, but I read this Reddit thread and it was like, there was this girl who was like, I can't believe I'm so obsessed with this 24 year old man. And there was one woman who wrote like, oh, I'm a full ass lesbian with a wife and I'm obsessed with him. And I was like, yeah, that's right. [00:24:51] Speaker A: There's something just so addicting about these characters. Well, the book, these characters, but specifically him as a main character. And I think their dynamic, his behavior, number one, is very much, I think, what kind of keeps us sort of engaged in this. [00:25:09] Speaker B: Yeah. Zaden is sex, honestly. [00:25:11] Speaker A: Absolutely. With a name like Zaden, how could he not be? As soon as you read that name, you were like, I know what time it is. [00:25:18] Speaker B: We know. Yep. We know. It's coming. [00:25:20] Speaker A: Amazing. I am curious about what you really thought. We have so many conversations about main female characters in these books. But I'm curious about your thoughts on her. How she evolved through the story or both books so far and. Yeah, just your general thoughts on that. [00:25:39] Speaker B: Yeah, I appreciated the, like, the narrative of she's got this, this joint condition and, you know, she's got kind of this like awful mom that is making her go to. She made her go, right? [00:25:53] Speaker A: Yeah. She was like, you're going to. The rider was like, what the fuck is going on? [00:25:57] Speaker B: Yeah. So I appreciate all of that. That she's. And she's like in there and she's doing it and she's surviving. But then when she meets Zaden or no, like when they sort of get involved, like she just becomes so insufferable. [00:26:12] Speaker A: It was really rough to read her point of view in the second book especially. [00:26:17] Speaker B: Yeah, definitely. [00:26:18] Speaker A: And the first book, I was like, I really like this, this girl. She's like, she's stronger than what people give her credit for. I know that you. We talked about this very early on. You did not love the nickname Violence. [00:26:31] Speaker B: Didn't love the nickname Violence. And also I read in a text like that I was like, I don't know, I see her as kind of homely. And you were like, oh, man, you do not like her. [00:26:43] Speaker A: You do not like that girl at all. No, but I think really initially liked her because I just really, I thought that she was really scrappy. I thought that she, you know, really had to rely on her wits and her smarts to, I think, you know, out outblast the people that were kind of coming for her. First of all, in this place, you have to keep your head on a swivel. [00:27:11] Speaker B: Oh, for sure. [00:27:11] Speaker A: All the time I was like, death is around every corner. My God. [00:27:14] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:27:15] Speaker A: And I, you know, I think through the characters of, you know, like you mentioned Dane and the Supposed. I guess, love triangle that was supposed to be Dane, her childhood friend. And then Zaden really did not like a character. Dane, who was such a rule follower and almost just kind of went too far into protection mode in. In a way that I don't. I just didn't feel like he really saw no Violet in a way that Zaden really saw Violet and really got her and really knew how strong and how smart and how capable she was, even if she didn't see it herself. And I think that's. I think that's why I enjoyed the, you know, nickname in the play, her name of violin. So just being like, you know, you're a lot. I think the. How. Just careful and sensitive of a blooming flower of a little violet. And it's like, she's not. She's not a shrinking violet. She's. She's. You know, she's capable of a lot more. So that's why I kind of like the. That's why I like the nickname of Islands. [00:28:18] Speaker B: I feel like. Because I thought. Whenever he said it, I was like. I felt like there was, like, kind of a wink. Wink. [00:28:23] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:28:23] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, yeah. But like, in a. In a way of, like, I know you're not violent, rather than like, oh, you're capable and you can be violent. [00:28:32] Speaker A: I think so. I think it's a little bit of both. I think it's like you're not. I guess the way that I'm trying to say, it's like you are. You're. Well, you are actually a lot more violent than people want to give you credit for, but I think less in a bad way and more of, like, you're a capable way, like, you're a survivor kind of way. You know what I mean? And so I just. Just. Yeah, I enjoyed that. [00:28:57] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. No, I wasn't a big fan. [00:29:00] Speaker A: You, like, hated it. [00:29:02] Speaker B: Every time I read it, I was. [00:29:03] Speaker A: Like, oh, God, that's so funny. I had, like, the total opposite. [00:29:07] Speaker B: So annoying. [00:29:08] Speaker A: Yeah, I had the total opposite feeling about that. I am curious to know from you some of the supporting characters that you really liked or wanted to see a bit more of. [00:29:22] Speaker B: So, I mean, I loved her whole, like, Rhiannon. Was it Rhiannon? Yeah, it was Rhiannon Sawyer Riddick, obviously, Liam RIP from the first book was just great. I heard this woman explain him as, like, the goodest boy was Golden Retriever. [00:29:42] Speaker A: Very much golden retriever energy. Did you about lose your mind in the second book when he came back? [00:29:46] Speaker B: It's like, oh, I lost my mind. [00:29:48] Speaker A: Which there's a theory that I saw that's attached to that a little bit, which I think is interesting. I don't really know know where the thread leads us, but. [00:29:55] Speaker B: Okay. [00:29:56] Speaker A: I think it's where I just wanted to bring that up. [00:29:58] Speaker B: Okay. He was such a tender boy. [00:30:00] Speaker A: I know. Such a tender, tender boy. [00:30:02] Speaker B: Oh, my God. [00:30:03] Speaker A: So sweet. [00:30:04] Speaker B: Oh, no. [00:30:04] Speaker A: You know who I want to hear more from, who I think needs a spin off, who I think need. We just need to. No, no. Rhiannon love Rihanna. Rhiannon was getting in with everybody in that damn sure building she was at the time of her life. I'm like, more of that. I want to know what's going on there. She has no drama with anyone. She's just trying to be a good friend. [00:30:24] Speaker B: Yep. [00:30:25] Speaker A: Like, she's the one. [00:30:27] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:30:27] Speaker A: More of a. No. [00:30:28] Speaker B: She's great. Yeah. I know. And I feel like they don't include enough of her, so I'm really hoping that that is. That's gonna be in the third book. Yeah. I mean, the other person I loved was Jinia, and I loved Sawyer and Jesinia together because he, like, learned how to. Wasn't he learning how to sign for her? [00:30:52] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, he was. That was so sweet. And I think in the first book. Right. Like, I think maybe Liam had a little crush on Justinia, too. [00:30:59] Speaker B: Yes. Yeah, I really wanted to see that, but. [00:31:03] Speaker A: Yeah. You know who I need less of? [00:31:05] Speaker B: Huh? [00:31:06] Speaker A: Catriona. [00:31:07] Speaker B: Yeah, totally. [00:31:08] Speaker A: She's probably gonna have a redemption arc here in the next book. I don't want to get into theories or anything. I'm just, like. For sure I was a little bit over the, you know, the cat fighting. The fighting over. Yeah, fighting over. Boy. [00:31:19] Speaker B: You know who I saw her as? And I know you see her as, like, a, you know, kind of a darker ha. But I see her as a blonde, and, you know, I saw her as Anya Taylor, Joy, who, like, freaks me out a little bit, and so that I kind of liked. [00:31:33] Speaker A: That's interesting. [00:31:34] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:31:34] Speaker A: I don't really have a casting for her, and the reason I don't have a lot of fan castings for this book is because, like, everything. Artificial intelligence has ruined my creative ideas, in my mind's eyes, of what these characters would look like in a fan casting because I'm so used to what the AI Generated images on social media look like. Do you know what I mean? [00:31:57] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:31:57] Speaker A: You know the pictures I'm talking about? We all know the pictures. [00:32:00] Speaker B: Yeah. Do you have a Zayden? [00:32:02] Speaker A: No. [00:32:03] Speaker B: So, okay, I. [00:32:05] Speaker A: It's whoever that boy is in the AI picture that we all. [00:32:07] Speaker B: The boy is okay. [00:32:08] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:32:09] Speaker B: I have a Zayden. And you know, I love Keanu. Like, he's. I think he's my Zaden. [00:32:15] Speaker A: That's the vein. Like a tan. [00:32:16] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:32:17] Speaker A: And younger. [00:32:18] Speaker B: And younger for sure. Like speed Keanu. I'm wearing Keanu socks right now, by. [00:32:23] Speaker A: The way, with his face on them. You are dedicated. When did you get those and where did you get them? [00:32:27] Speaker B: They are called. I don't know, Ange gave them to me. [00:32:30] Speaker A: But basically, Ange loves a sock gift. [00:32:32] Speaker B: She loves a sock gift. So I love getting a sock gift. But she. They have his face on him, but then he's got a unicorn horn and it's. He's can of corn, so. [00:32:45] Speaker A: That is interesting, isn't it? [00:32:47] Speaker B: That's so cute. [00:32:48] Speaker A: It's an interesting cross section. Yeah. Very good. [00:32:51] Speaker B: They're my favorites acts. [00:32:52] Speaker A: Are they. Are they lucky in any way? [00:32:54] Speaker B: No. [00:32:55] Speaker A: Okay. [00:32:55] Speaker B: Yeah. I'm not lucky. Yeah, no. [00:32:58] Speaker A: Yes, you are. You know, I do have castings for. I do have a casting for Rhiannon. Mine are a little bit obscure, but I cast her in my mind's eye as this actress by the name of China Ann McClain. She was a child actress. She was in, I know one Tyler Perry film when she was younger, but now I think she's a little bit known for her work in some of the Disney, like, Descendants movies. [00:33:26] Speaker B: Okay. [00:33:27] Speaker A: Anyway, I've seen her. I've come across her just through, like, social media from her, like, personal account. And she's like, very funny, very dynamic, very cute girl. And like, immediately, as soon as I was reading about that character, it's her face that popped up in my mind. And that's just who I stick with. I also, oddly, have a casting for General Soreng. [00:33:47] Speaker B: Yeah. Who is that? [00:33:48] Speaker A: Okay, another. Another sort of off the beaten path actress. Did you ever watch the show on Netflix called Mindhunter? You didn't watch it? You didn't watch it? It's violent. It's violent. [00:33:59] Speaker B: You know, but my friend from high school was in it actually. [00:34:02] Speaker A: Really? [00:34:02] Speaker B: Yeah. One of the serial killers. [00:34:05] Speaker A: What? [00:34:05] Speaker B: I can't remember the character's name, but yeah, he was in it. [00:34:08] Speaker A: You didn't watch it because it's violent. I should. I didn't. [00:34:10] Speaker B: I didn't watch it. [00:34:10] Speaker A: He didn't ask it. [00:34:11] Speaker B: No, no, no. Yeah. Even with him in it. I didn't. Yeah. [00:34:14] Speaker A: Yes. I. So it had two seasons. It's very good show. But she was also. She had a very Short stint on the Last of Us. Have you watched the Last of Us? No, I have not watched that. I knew you didn't watch that. It's also very violent. I love Pedro Pascal, but the whole. Love Petra. Pedro Pascal. Absolutely. The. The entire subject matter in both of those is violence. [00:34:36] Speaker B: Very violent. Yeah. [00:34:37] Speaker A: This in the. In the latter, guns to stave off zombie apocalypse that's brought about through cordyceps mushrooms that can grow in warm climates because they had to adapt due to global warming. [00:34:54] Speaker B: Oh, fun stuff. Yeah. [00:34:57] Speaker A: Listen, to go off the beaten path here again, I am not, like, a zombie. Like, I didn't watch the Walking Dead. Like, any of that stuff sucks. The whole the Last of Us freaks me out, really, because of the way that, like, the zombies are created. I'm like, we're going down a slippery. [00:35:15] Speaker B: Oh, man. [00:35:16] Speaker A: Yeah. I'm like, is this possible? [00:35:18] Speaker B: Anything's possible now. Holy. In the last four days, anything's possible. [00:35:23] Speaker A: Absolutely. In any case, we're in hell. [00:35:26] Speaker B: Okay. [00:35:27] Speaker A: We're just trying to have a slight sliver of joy in our day. So we're talking about fictional men and dragons. What else? [00:35:33] Speaker B: Absolutely. [00:35:33] Speaker A: So General Soren Gale. I have her. Oh, she was. She played a short. A short stint in that show the Last of Us. Her name is Anna Torv. And in the. In Mindhunter, specifically, she has, like, this really kind of Chicago Bob. But she's got, like, this air of authority to. [00:35:49] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. [00:35:50] Speaker A: That, like, she very much sticks in my mind's eye. Okay. For my dream casting of that role. Yeah. [00:35:57] Speaker B: I mean, I think I said before a young Sigourney Weaver. [00:36:00] Speaker A: Yeah, that's what I see. Yeah. I'm also thinking now as I'm talking about this, like, Robin Wright. Pen. [00:36:05] Speaker B: She would be good. Yeah. I kind of see her as, like a tall, like a, you know, I don't know, kind of a commanding force. [00:36:13] Speaker A: You don't see that in General Sorengale? [00:36:16] Speaker B: No, I do. I don't see that in Robin. Right, Pen? [00:36:18] Speaker A: Oh, really? [00:36:19] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:36:19] Speaker A: I think maybe because I'm thinking about her in Wonder Woman. [00:36:23] Speaker B: Oh, okay. [00:36:24] Speaker A: So I just kind of saw her in, like, a strong kind of way. And House of Cards, she played like this, like, kind of regal. [00:36:31] Speaker B: Another one I don't want to talk about. [00:36:33] Speaker A: Yeah. You don't like that show or you just don't like what's his face? [00:36:36] Speaker B: I just don't like what's his face. [00:36:38] Speaker A: Yeah. Which is so sad because he was a really great actor. [00:36:41] Speaker B: He was. You know what I read the other day? A profile on. On Logan from Succession. What's his name? Brian Cox. [00:36:51] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:36:52] Speaker B: And basically he was like, no, I don't think he should have been canceled. And I was like, whoa. [00:36:58] Speaker A: X out of the window. X. X out of the article. X out. [00:37:01] Speaker B: Did we not read about it? It's already. [00:37:04] Speaker A: It's done. No, we can't do any of that. And then finally, my last casting, Brennan. I have all of these obscure characters in my mind. Taran Killam. Have you ever. Have you ever heard of that? He is a comedic actor. He was on SNL for a little bit of time. He. For our age group, our generation, he was on. He was a co actor with Amanda Bynes on the Amanda Bynes show when she had a show when she was younger. But he's always kind of just done these obscure roles, and he just very much feels to me. [00:37:42] Speaker B: Brennan. [00:37:43] Speaker A: Yeah. Because in my mind, Brennan's kind of like nondescript. Right? That's so rude. That's rude. [00:37:50] Speaker B: That's. [00:37:50] Speaker A: That's a rude way to describe someone. Is nondescript. Well, but I do it more often than not. [00:37:56] Speaker B: Yeah, no, I know, I know. I had. Okay, so for Verish, I had. Which is like the kind of mean teacher I had. Ramsay Bolton from Game of Thrones. You remember that guy? [00:38:10] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:38:11] Speaker B: Such a creep. But also Tobias Menzies. He was an outlander. And then he was in the Crown. [00:38:20] Speaker A: I think you are television watching spheres are. We're orbiting each other. [00:38:26] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. [00:38:27] Speaker A: Except for Game of Thrones. [00:38:28] Speaker B: Except for Game of Thrones. Yeah. Because it, like, you're. It's got, like. It's British, but it's also violent. I love the Brits. [00:38:37] Speaker A: You. I love the Brits, too. [00:38:38] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. [00:38:39] Speaker A: I'm over here watching just straight American trash, murder, mayhem. [00:38:44] Speaker B: Okay. [00:38:45] Speaker A: I love a good, like, serial killer story. I like a true crime situation. [00:38:50] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:38:51] Speaker A: And I like action, too. [00:38:53] Speaker B: Action, Right. Yeah. The serial killer stuff. Like, I. Yeah. People get so into true crime, it freaks me out. Like, I have bad dreams so crazy. [00:39:01] Speaker A: Because I could fall asleep to a show talking about, like, the most horrendous things. I don't know. Have you ever seen those. Those videos on social media where people are, like, sleeping on their couch and, like, the TV is blasting about some person being, like, killed, dismembered, whatever. I'm very much that way. [00:39:19] Speaker B: Oh, my God. Yeah. [00:39:21] Speaker A: It's not comfort, but it's just. It's. I don't know. They've always sort of been interest. Of interest to me. [00:39:26] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. I don't. I don't know. I'm. I'm. I don't know. I have bad dreams, so I like a softer show. [00:39:33] Speaker A: Yeah, I love that. There is an actor called Mark Strong, speaking of the British. [00:39:40] Speaker B: Oh, okay. [00:39:40] Speaker A: That I would probably also think about in the role of Varish too. He was in the Kingsman. Did you ever see the Kingsman? [00:39:47] Speaker B: No. With. What was his name? [00:39:49] Speaker A: Taryn Egerton. [00:39:50] Speaker B: Oh, no, Those are good films too. [00:39:53] Speaker A: Those are good. [00:39:53] Speaker B: Oh, the Kingsman. [00:39:54] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:39:55] Speaker B: Okay, I was thinking. You were talking about the. The one about. What's his name? King. The. The king who has like a speech impediment. [00:40:05] Speaker A: The King's speech. [00:40:06] Speaker B: The King. [00:40:08] Speaker A: Different spheres, different spears again. We're orbiting. [00:40:12] Speaker B: Yeah, we are orbiting. [00:40:16] Speaker A: Yeah. Those are all the. All the casts, castings that they have for that. [00:40:21] Speaker B: Yeah. I mean, Viscom, Techarus or Toccardos. So, you know, I put in there and I always need to have a little Jonathan Bailey. Jonathan Bailey. [00:40:33] Speaker A: No, don't do my Jonathan Bailey. [00:40:35] Speaker B: Like, I know, but I think he. [00:40:36] Speaker A: Would be a good villain. [00:40:37] Speaker B: Yeah. Because the. I mean, how was Takaris described? He's like a good looking guy who's like. [00:40:44] Speaker A: I kind of pictured him older and like a little bit more. [00:40:48] Speaker B: Okay. [00:40:48] Speaker A: Because isn't he. He's Catriona's dad. Dad. [00:40:51] Speaker B: Oh, that's true. [00:40:52] Speaker A: You know, so I pictured as like an older man. [00:40:54] Speaker B: That's true. [00:40:55] Speaker A: Okay, what's the actor's name that's in to Jillian on our 37th birthday? Peter Gallagher. [00:41:00] Speaker B: Gallagher. I see that. I can see that. [00:41:03] Speaker A: I can see that. Let's put him in there. Slot him in there. [00:41:05] Speaker B: Yeah. I love a Peter Gallagher. [00:41:07] Speaker A: I love a Peter Gallagher too. Yeah, that's a good moment. [00:41:09] Speaker B: He was in the. He was in the OC with my. With my man Adam. [00:41:13] Speaker A: I can't talk about Adam Brody right now. Did I tell you that my mom and I finally finished the last three episodes of Nobody Wants this? I think I screamed at the television screen like five times, being like, do you see what is happening here? [00:41:26] Speaker B: Yeah. He was a tender boy, too. [00:41:29] Speaker A: At no point in my life have I ever found crow's feet so attractive. Then when he smiles. [00:41:34] Speaker B: Oh, man. [00:41:34] Speaker A: And his eyes crinkle. It's unfair. It is very unfair. [00:41:38] Speaker B: Yeah. And I didn't really like what's her name, her character. [00:41:43] Speaker A: Oh, no. Yeah, no, he was the best part of it. She still has a little bit of growing to do. She and the sister, to be honest. [00:41:50] Speaker B: Didn'T like her clothes either. Clothes are really weird. [00:41:53] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:41:54] Speaker B: Just as an aside. Anyway, should we Talk yum and yuck. [00:41:59] Speaker A: Yeah, let's do a little yum and yuck. Which this is a segment in which, you know, again, pretty self explanatory. We're going to talk about the things that made us go yum and the things that made us go yuck. [00:42:10] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:42:11] Speaker A: And I've got a couple of, you know, scenes here. There's so many scenes in this, in these books that we can talk about. But I just want to highlight a couple of the big moments. And for me, chapter 22 of the fourth wing, we really start to see sort of this energy start to channel through Violet in a way which she doesn't quite understand what's going on. But we soon learn that it's the sexual energy. Right. [00:42:37] Speaker B: Of the dragons. [00:42:38] Speaker A: Of the dragons. That's coursing through her body which is influencing her. And what is so odd about this moment is you really sor. See her being confused, but she. She'll also. Anything moving. [00:42:48] Speaker B: Right? Right. [00:42:49] Speaker A: I mean, anybody could get it. Liam was in danger. [00:42:52] Speaker B: Liam. I would have stopped at Liam. [00:42:53] Speaker A: She was about to. Our girl was very quick. She sent him home. She said, go home, go back. Yeah. But she felt like she had to get out. So she goes out and she finds our man Zaden smoking a little weed, trying to chill out. [00:43:07] Speaker B: Yep. [00:43:08] Speaker A: And I think what's interesting in this moment is as they find each other is Zaden goes into this, like, kind of mentorship role of basically explaining to her these feelings, these vibes that are coursing through her. And then they do this whole exercise of like, throwing up her shields, essentially, and blocking out the energy so it doesn't influence her so much before. She makes plenty of bad decisions. Like, Zaden had to learn the hard way, apparently, as he was figuring out the energy that coursed through him when he, I guess, first bonded with scale. But as I'm reading this, there's a part where she goes, only him here now, anywhere, whenever. I've never been this out of control over a single kiss. Never wanted someone the way I do him. It's exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. Because I know in this moment, he has the power to break me. [00:44:09] Speaker B: Oh, my God. [00:44:10] Speaker A: And I'd let him. [00:44:11] Speaker B: Oh, my God. Come on, Violet. [00:44:15] Speaker A: I was like, what the is going on? And the power to break me. And I let him. [00:44:23] Speaker B: Ew. [00:44:23] Speaker A: You're doing the most. [00:44:25] Speaker B: Yeah. I mean, it's really giving 19 year olds. [00:44:28] Speaker A: It's giving me. Yuck. Yum. Overall. [00:44:31] Speaker B: Oh, for sure. [00:44:32] Speaker A: Yum is an idea. [00:44:33] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:44:33] Speaker A: Yeah, it's all very hot in the. [00:44:35] Speaker B: Court, the whole courtyard. [00:44:35] Speaker A: There's a big makeout session before it breaks up because of a lightning strike, which at that point, we don't really know what that's about. [00:44:40] Speaker B: About. [00:44:41] Speaker A: And Zaden breaks it up. He has enough control to say, this isn't you. You need to go back. You know, whatever. She's feeling rejected, but in the meantime, it's like, not this. [00:44:50] Speaker B: Yeah, but there was a lot of good consent language in that, which I appreciated. [00:44:55] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. And she realizes. She talks a little bit when they break away, that, like, he's the one saying no. And she is going, he doesn't want it. He doesn't want to do this anymore. [00:45:08] Speaker B: Right. [00:45:08] Speaker A: So there's a little bit of that shift in that typical dynamic that you see as well. Cause it was Zayden being like, no, no. [00:45:14] Speaker B: Yeah. Cause he was like, this isn't you, and I don't want to do that. [00:45:20] Speaker A: And then another key and notable moment for me, and this is big for you, so I'm willing to let you sort of take it away and just tell us your thoughts and feelings about this scene. But in chapter 48 of the second. [00:45:32] Speaker B: Book, Iron Flame, you all know what chapter it is. You all know what's going on. [00:45:36] Speaker A: You know, my house, my chair, my woman. There's a lot going on in here. [00:45:42] Speaker B: Yeah, there's a lot. We all want to be in the throne room. Let's just. Let's be honest. [00:45:47] Speaker A: Yeah, there's a lot of. There's a lot of things coming out in here for number one, our boy Zane says, why did I jot this down? I'm committed. [00:46:01] Speaker B: He says, go for it. [00:46:03] Speaker A: Look at how beautiful you are. Violet. Violet. Coming for me on Tyrandor's throne. What are we supposed to do with that? Where do we go from here? [00:46:10] Speaker B: Wait, who's Tyrandor? [00:46:11] Speaker A: Tyrandor is. [00:46:14] Speaker B: What's going on? [00:46:16] Speaker A: Is he some long lost king? [00:46:18] Speaker B: I think so. Maybe, like, from centuries ago. [00:46:21] Speaker A: Yes, he. [00:46:22] Speaker B: He specifies. Tyrandor. [00:46:24] Speaker A: Yeah. Tyrandor's throne. To which Violet answers, I shatter. [00:46:30] Speaker B: Oh, my God. They're shattering. [00:46:31] Speaker A: Have you ever told a man you shattered? [00:46:33] Speaker B: No. [00:46:36] Speaker A: Christian, I'm going to turn it over to you. Had the woman ever told you she shattered, would you be like, shut up? [00:46:42] Speaker B: What? What are you talking about? [00:46:48] Speaker A: I can't even imagine. Wait, wait. [00:46:50] Speaker B: Okay, before you finish this, I saw a text, and you said, I can do without the phrase slamming home. [00:46:59] Speaker A: I hate it. Hate it. Cancel that in 2025. [00:47:03] Speaker B: Imagine telling a Man to slam home. [00:47:06] Speaker A: You're look, you're in the throes of passion. You're looking up at him. You're looking behind at him. You're in whatever compromising position there is. And you look at him in those. You slam it home. [00:47:16] Speaker B: Oh, my God. Oh, that's terrible. [00:47:19] Speaker A: Both not getting what we want out of this. No, it's over. [00:47:24] Speaker B: The plot is. We're. [00:47:25] Speaker A: We're off the plot. No, we. We've lost it. [00:47:27] Speaker B: We've lost a lot. [00:47:29] Speaker A: But he goes. I. Shattered. Splintering into a million glittering shards of bliss. Glittering as I scream out his name. Power and light course through me without burning. And I arch again and again, coming apart at the seams of what I think is me, but might be him. I'm gonna need you to get it together. [00:47:47] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:47:47] Speaker A: I'm gonna need you to know. [00:47:48] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm gonna need you to know, too. [00:47:51] Speaker A: I was like, first of all, it's not this great. And this is why. This is fantasy. It's because. [00:47:57] Speaker B: I mean. Cause it's like, if it's that great with Zaden. [00:48:00] Speaker A: Oh, we're not. None of us are getting this. [00:48:03] Speaker B: None of us are getting Zaden. [00:48:05] Speaker A: What? I'll say. It's a little bit of yuck for me. You know how I feel about this. I do. And this is no slander to our short girls out there. Right? Right. You and I are both tall. We're like, you know, five, nine. Yeah, but just this, like, whole. She's little. And there's a couple mentions throughout the book where she's like, I don't even reach his collarbone. [00:48:29] Speaker B: Oh, I hate it. I hate it. [00:48:31] Speaker A: Anyway, in this. This scene, it all comes home to. To ruse. She. Zaden goes, sit. And Violet says, for repeat performance. And Zaden goes, so I can help you with your boots. You're too short for the chair. [00:48:47] Speaker B: Ew. I don't like it at all. [00:48:50] Speaker A: Ruined it. Ruined it for me. [00:48:51] Speaker B: I know. [00:48:51] Speaker A: Completely took me out of the scene. [00:48:52] Speaker B: I see her like, what is she in a booster seat? [00:48:56] Speaker A: A high chair? Not to make her grudge. [00:48:59] Speaker B: I know. [00:49:02] Speaker A: It. Really? [00:49:03] Speaker B: I was like, she's, like, dangling her legs. [00:49:06] Speaker A: Oh, God. Just terrible. Oh, okay, here we go. I got a couple more. I would consider these yucks. I want to say these are in the same chapter. Unfortunately, I didn't make complete note of. Of this, but. Okay. He knows how my body reacts, knows exactly how to push me to the breaking point. And he has me covered when I explode. I don't like the optics. [00:49:34] Speaker B: No. No, what? [00:49:37] Speaker A: No. It has me covered. When I explode. [00:49:40] Speaker B: Oh, my God. [00:49:42] Speaker A: Oh, no. Run for cover. A little bit later in the book. Oh, wait, this is. Okay. Yeah. A little bit later in the book. I don't know what page. Sorry, did not take note of this. But Zaden goes, you really want this? This. And Violet goes, I want you feral. [00:50:01] Speaker B: Oh, God. What does that even mean? Call the cops, Call the coven, call the feds. [00:50:09] Speaker A: Things are not great. [00:50:10] Speaker B: No, No. [00:50:11] Speaker A: I was like, I can't imagine ever saying any of this. [00:50:15] Speaker B: No. [00:50:15] Speaker A: To anybody. I don't want anybody that. [00:50:17] Speaker B: Not without a. Not with a straight face. [00:50:19] Speaker A: Not with a straight face. Also, I just have to call out the fact that Zaden said a little bit later in the book, there's nowhere in existence you could go that I wouldn't find you. Remember, a man could never speak to me like this in my life. [00:50:32] Speaker B: A lot of the girls, like, online loved that, and I was like, oh, wow. Toxicity. [00:50:38] Speaker A: I'm gonna have to call it a yuck for me. Yeah, well, I can allow it in the book. I can allow it in the book. I just. It. It didn't resonate with me personally, and it's not something that, like, I would ever, like, said to me, yeah, no, don't stalk me. I don't like anybody in my space to begin with. So the fact that you're telling me there's nowhere that you couldn't find me doesn't. [00:51:01] Speaker B: I'm like, oh, God. Is Luna gonna be safe? What. What are we gonna do? But some people. [00:51:05] Speaker A: Really? I don't know. That resonates with some people. Not these two guys. [00:51:09] Speaker B: Not in 2025. No. [00:51:12] Speaker A: Not these two gals. Gotta tell you, not here. Not now. [00:51:15] Speaker B: We're calling the coven. We are calling the Covenant. Yes. [00:51:19] Speaker A: Which I. We got to figure out what I gotta. For next episode, I gotta remember the creator that really talks about. He's wonderful. Calling the. He talks about calling the coven and not leaving straight men unsupervised by a. [00:51:34] Speaker B: Girl or a gay. [00:51:35] Speaker A: Yeah. So we gotta. We gotta find him. Give him credit. [00:51:40] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:51:40] Speaker A: I think that those are my. My highlights, my yuck and yums from these books. [00:51:46] Speaker B: Well, so one of the things that I, you know, of course, again, like, read in our text is like, you were like, how do they manage to sleep together? Like, the night before this battle, like, I would be. My pants. [00:51:57] Speaker A: That's what I'm saying. [00:51:58] Speaker B: You know, my. [00:51:59] Speaker A: My bowels would be watery. [00:52:00] Speaker B: Yes. [00:52:01] Speaker A: Nobody wants that. Sorry. This is a crossover episode. This is a remix. [00:52:07] Speaker B: But you were like, I would be dry as a cactus. [00:52:10] Speaker A: Yeah, I said that. [00:52:11] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:52:12] Speaker A: Well, I'm really giving you some real true comedic content over here. There would be none of that happen happening. [00:52:17] Speaker B: No, no. [00:52:19] Speaker A: Oh, my God, we're gonna die tomorrow. Yeah. [00:52:22] Speaker B: Well, first of all, I'd be running away. [00:52:25] Speaker A: You'd be like, I don't have anything noble to do here. I'm not putting any wards up. [00:52:28] Speaker B: No. [00:52:29] Speaker A: I'm not saving these people. You all could go down. [00:52:32] Speaker B: Seriously. But they're like, no, I would be in it. I would really be in it. Yeah. [00:52:38] Speaker A: But I couldn't sleep. I could not have sex the night before. That's just not how it works. [00:52:42] Speaker B: I would, like, go in with the full knowledge that I'm gonna die. Like, I'd be like, there's no way. [00:52:47] Speaker A: Maybe that's a turn on. [00:52:49] Speaker B: Maybe. Yeah. Yeah. [00:52:50] Speaker A: That is what I do. I can't. I know how my body works. I have a. I have a stressful presentation the night before. There's nothing going down. [00:52:58] Speaker B: No, no. [00:52:59] Speaker A: I'm sorry. I gotta get these spreadsheets together. No, I gotta get my visuals in line. I don't have time for this. I gotta make sure I got my cue cards together. I can't. A battle. [00:53:11] Speaker B: No. Just no. Yeah. [00:53:14] Speaker A: So, yeah, that's. That's funny that I highlighted that too. [00:53:18] Speaker B: But I feel like that happens in all of the books. [00:53:20] Speaker A: So. [00:53:21] Speaker B: Like, in a Court of Thorns and Roses, it happened mid battle, which, you know, I don't like that dirt. [00:53:27] Speaker A: That scene. I think I read it. I noted it in my mind. I moved on. [00:53:31] Speaker B: Yeah, you stuck. [00:53:33] Speaker A: Were hooked on it. [00:53:34] Speaker B: They were covered in dirt and blood. Come on. [00:53:38] Speaker A: You know, I read these books and the only thing I can think about is everybody smells. [00:53:42] Speaker B: Everybody smells. [00:53:43] Speaker A: It smells horrendous. I. I'm constantly asking, like, what year is it? Because you read these books and it strikes me as, like, very medieval. But then there's mention of public toilets. [00:53:52] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:53:52] Speaker A: And I'm like, well, something's going on. [00:53:53] Speaker B: Well, I feel like this series is more of a modern. It has a more of a modern feel for me. [00:53:58] Speaker A: There are showers and all that stuff. [00:54:00] Speaker B: Yeah, there are. So there are showers and toilets and stuff? [00:54:03] Speaker A: Yes. Because there's a notable sex scene in the shower in book two. [00:54:06] Speaker B: Oh, right. Okay. [00:54:07] Speaker A: At the gym. [00:54:08] Speaker B: Yeah. But in the. In a court of thorns and roses, it's really. I mean, I don't know what's. Everybody's going on. It's the bathing chambers and. Yeah. [00:54:17] Speaker A: I don't know. [00:54:18] Speaker B: I know. [00:54:19] Speaker A: We need to Explore that a little bit deeper. I know. [00:54:21] Speaker B: Well, you know what I was thinking if my signet were. [00:54:24] Speaker A: Oh, yes, let's talk about that. [00:54:25] Speaker B: Like, I would like. Yeah, well, I would love the time traveling, but like, I wouldn't stay for very long before pre modern plumbing. [00:54:35] Speaker A: I need to see. I need to see what the race relations are back there. [00:54:38] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. Yeah. [00:54:40] Speaker A: I didn't know what's going on. Yeah. I might get trapped. So I don't know about time travel. [00:54:49] Speaker B: I don't know about time travel, but I. What is your signet? So mine was also, by the way. [00:54:55] Speaker A: I had to remind myself today about the fact that. Or why Violet has two signets. I was like, why does she get two signets? It's because she has two dragons. Yeah. But Zaden has two signets. [00:55:08] Speaker B: Two signets too. [00:55:10] Speaker A: He bonded. Well, I think I saw a couple things, but one I know for sure is that because he bonded with a dragon who was also bonded to a member of his direct family. So if that happens, you either go crazy, I think, or you develop a second sickness. [00:55:25] Speaker B: Right, right. [00:55:26] Speaker A: Okay. [00:55:26] Speaker B: The intensic. Yeah. [00:55:28] Speaker A: He's an intensive. Which usually is punishable by death, isn't it? So he has to hide it. Yeah. [00:55:33] Speaker B: But I like, I don't think it was the same exact thing. Basically the other one is like, you know that guy, that dude who was killed when he started reading people's thoughts? So. But I think it's something a little bit different. I could be wrong. [00:55:48] Speaker A: I think he can like, read people's intentions. [00:55:50] Speaker B: Intentions. Yeah, he can read people's intentions. [00:55:52] Speaker A: He's an empath. [00:55:53] Speaker B: Yeah. I mean, it's like, okay, can't we all. [00:55:57] Speaker A: Foaming it in? [00:55:59] Speaker B: I mean, seriously. It's called the social skills. [00:56:03] Speaker A: Okay. My signet. I think I said that when we went to Passages the other night for the book release party. This was a conversation around the table. [00:56:10] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:56:10] Speaker A: And I hadn't given it much thought, but I thought that. I think mine was teleportation. [00:56:14] Speaker B: Oh, right. Okay. Yeah. [00:56:16] Speaker A: I always kind of like that idea of teleportation. Like teleporting to different locations, which I think would be great in battle because I'm just like, yeah, I'm taking these things down left and right. You don't know where I'm about to be. [00:56:26] Speaker B: Right. [00:56:27] Speaker A: Because I'm moving. [00:56:28] Speaker B: Oh, I would like that. Yeah. [00:56:29] Speaker A: And then I think if I were to have a second signet and I said this and I think people were like, that could go left really fast. Because I was like, I Would like to be able to influence people's actions. For the good, but. [00:56:42] Speaker B: For the good. [00:56:42] Speaker A: For the good. [00:56:43] Speaker B: Okay. [00:56:44] Speaker A: For the good. [00:56:45] Speaker B: Who decides? [00:56:46] Speaker A: Exactly. So I'm like, maybe that's not a good. [00:56:48] Speaker B: It's a lot of power. [00:56:48] Speaker A: Yeah, that's too much power. No one man should have all this power. [00:56:53] Speaker B: No, I would have. I think I would do the. The healer. [00:56:58] Speaker A: Yes. [00:56:59] Speaker B: Yeah, I would be a healer. And partly because I. I would like to help people, but also because I have a little bit of a God complex, you know, a little bit of, like, I want people to like me. [00:57:10] Speaker A: Do we have time to unpack that? [00:57:11] Speaker B: No, we don't have time. [00:57:12] Speaker A: What's going on? [00:57:13] Speaker B: Maybe next time is that. [00:57:16] Speaker A: No, I really don't. [00:57:16] Speaker B: I don't have a God. [00:57:19] Speaker A: We have enough of those going on right now. [00:57:21] Speaker B: Yeah, we do. What's the other. What's the second one? I mean. I mean, obviously, and I don't think we've seen this signet yet, but it was sort of maybe hinted at that Violet has this. But, you know, it's sort of like when, like, people are like, what would you ask a genie with our three wishes? And somebody's like, well, I'd ask them for, like, you know, all the wishes. All the wishes, yeah. So the signet I would have is, like, that you can, like, take other people's signets. Yeah, I know it's a little cheap. [00:57:53] Speaker A: A little bit of what Sloan has. Because Sloan can siphon people's powers. [00:57:59] Speaker B: Oh, okay, then. Yeah. But it's a little bit different. I don't know in what way. [00:58:05] Speaker A: Just. Just a slight version. [00:58:07] Speaker B: There's a version. [00:58:08] Speaker A: It's. I've been seeing a lot. We can get to this when we talk a little bit about conspiracies, but I've been seeing a few people saying that Violet is a true truthsayer. [00:58:21] Speaker B: Oh, the truth teller. Yeah. [00:58:22] Speaker A: I'm like, yeah. [00:58:24] Speaker B: I don't know. [00:58:24] Speaker A: That bores me. [00:58:25] Speaker B: Yeah, that really is boring. [00:58:26] Speaker A: That bores me. You just get people to tell you the truth. [00:58:29] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, I guess it could be helpful. I don't know. I guess it could be helpful in terms of, you know, I don't know, like, reading the. The VI count or. [00:58:40] Speaker A: Yeah, I think I'd like to teleport. And I would like to. Maybe I'd be a healer for something for good. [00:58:49] Speaker B: Yeah, something for good. [00:58:50] Speaker A: Something for good. I like something that's, like, functional and useful for myself. Fun. [00:58:54] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. [00:58:55] Speaker A: Like getting. Leaving Basquiath and going and doing whatever I want to Do. And then coming back easily without the teleporting would be. [00:59:04] Speaker B: Would fit that. Yeah. Yeah. [00:59:06] Speaker A: I don't know. Maybe like. I don't know, being able to, like, decipher runes or something. You know the runes. Did you not do the homework? Ruins the. The root. Like, the thing, you know, in the book where they've got, like, stones when they've got the symbols. [00:59:24] Speaker B: Oh, God. I think you meant, like, Mayan runes. I was like, what's going on? [00:59:28] Speaker A: It's in the same family, so it's not crazy, but. But basically, you know, they're trying to decipher and, like, figure out what they mean because they're. [00:59:34] Speaker B: Okay. [00:59:34] Speaker A: They're. They're. They've. They're communicating something to the wyvern and the venin. [00:59:38] Speaker B: Okay. Okay. [00:59:39] Speaker A: They're, like, etching these runes in. [00:59:41] Speaker B: You know who that is? [00:59:43] Speaker A: I think that you missed that. That chapter. [00:59:48] Speaker B: You know who that is Basically, though, Elphaba. [00:59:53] Speaker A: Not this Wicked crossover episode. [00:59:57] Speaker B: I will always bring up Wicked. [00:59:59] Speaker A: I knew you were gonna fit it in somewhere. I love it. [01:00:06] Speaker B: I do. Yeah. [01:00:07] Speaker A: Yeah. Because it is. It's whenever she read that book. [01:00:09] Speaker B: Right, right, right. [01:00:10] Speaker A: I'd like to do that. I think that's really useful. There's only so much pressure we can put on Jinia. She is working overtime. [01:00:18] Speaker B: She really is. Okay, so that will go into our next. Like, the conspiracy. [01:00:23] Speaker A: Yeah. Take us away. [01:00:24] Speaker B: So in the beginning of. Is it the Fourth Wing or the Iron Flame or both of them, where it's. Jinia writes like, these are the stories of the Fallen. Do you remember that? [01:00:36] Speaker A: It's in. I can't. I don't know which book it is, but. Yeah. [01:00:39] Speaker B: And so people are like, oh, my God, is this a Roman Romeo and Juliet situation? Like, are they both going to die? [01:00:46] Speaker A: I will storm. [01:00:47] Speaker B: I know the capital. [01:00:50] Speaker A: I'm not going to get in trouble anyway, so I might as well. No repercussions. [01:00:59] Speaker B: Oh, my. [01:00:59] Speaker A: She could do it at her own risk. But I'm storming. [01:01:03] Speaker B: I'm going to storm the Capitol. [01:01:07] Speaker A: Who cares? Nobody cares. [01:01:10] Speaker B: Nobody cares. [01:01:13] Speaker A: God, can you imagine if that's what it is? [01:01:16] Speaker B: Wait, what are we talking about now? [01:01:18] Speaker A: A Romeo and Juliet story? [01:01:20] Speaker B: A Romeo and Juliet. Okay. I mean, that would be better than, like, just Zaden dying or. I mean, honestly, though, if Violet dies, that's okay with me. [01:01:31] Speaker A: I wouldn't be sad. No, I would not be sad. Is that anti feminist? [01:01:35] Speaker B: I don't think so. I don't know. I don't know. Maybe we should Google. [01:01:40] Speaker A: I. Honest to God, I read these books. I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. When's he showing up? When's he gonna be here? [01:01:46] Speaker B: In the. In the second book, it was, like. [01:01:48] Speaker A: Real rough because he was spiraling. [01:01:51] Speaker B: She was. She was spiraling. But also, he was gone for a lot of the time. So they. When they were, like, writing letters to each other. I don't really understand, you know what? [01:02:00] Speaker A: I didn't touch on before. I wanted hear these conspiracy theories, but I think it's important to note that. I think the sexiest thing in these books are when they're able to communicate with each other in their minds. But how inseparable is that to the people surrounding them? But anyway, do you know I would be a menace. [01:02:15] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [01:02:16] Speaker A: If the man that I was like, yeah, dating and sleeping with. Whatever. We're speaking in each other's minds. [01:02:21] Speaker B: Here's a problem. Here's the problem. How is it different than texting? [01:02:27] Speaker A: I think because you're always there, maybe. Right. You could just always. I mean, it's no different than texting, but if you're in somebody's mind, it's just, like, it's automatically on. [01:02:34] Speaker B: Okay. And then she can. [01:02:35] Speaker A: And there's no record of it. [01:02:37] Speaker B: She could shut him off. Right. Or she can. [01:02:39] Speaker A: They can shut each other out. Yeah. [01:02:40] Speaker B: Okay. [01:02:40] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:02:40] Speaker B: Okay. [01:02:41] Speaker A: But I would just pop up midday with something crazy. [01:02:43] Speaker B: Huh? Well, that's what she. [01:02:44] Speaker A: Maybe not even sexual, just crazy. It's me. [01:02:51] Speaker B: Boop. I saw a horse the other day. [01:02:56] Speaker A: Don't you think that horse girls and dragon babes align with Swifties? What's your take on that? [01:03:03] Speaker B: They'd be like, what the fuck? But she was super annoying. I mean, they did then, like, they were just insufferable with their pda. [01:03:12] Speaker A: It was very awkward for everyone. Yeah. There's a moment in the second book that I thought was crazy in that, you know, there's a number of challenges that are going on with their. You know, with their squad. And they are basically like. There's this whole challenge about a secret. Right. And everybody in the squad kind of has to tell each other a secret. [01:03:36] Speaker B: Oh, right. [01:03:37] Speaker A: Because it's going to try and be taken from them or something. I'm, you know. Right. Just kind of. I'm just going with this. [01:03:43] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:03:43] Speaker A: Through memory. And so each person gets up there, Rhiannon, Riddick, all of these people, and tells a secret that, like, maybe the others don't know. I kind of, like, gets up there and goes, goes, I'm in love with Zaden. Everybody's like, that's not a secret. I said, I know. I'm not reading this. [01:03:59] Speaker B: Come on. [01:04:00] Speaker A: And she's like. She's like, what? What are you talking about? Yes, it is. And they're like, we've been known. [01:04:06] Speaker B: Yeah. You know what I think about when I think about that scene, the scene in Mean Girls at the end. [01:04:14] Speaker A: I do not. I'm not connecting the dots, really, when. [01:04:17] Speaker B: Like, they're in the. They're in the auditorium, and there was, like, a bunch of girls that were in the burn book, and then they, like, get up on stage and tell secrets. [01:04:28] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. [01:04:29] Speaker B: Yeah. That's what I think of. [01:04:30] Speaker A: Yeah. And Damian's like, she doesn't even go here. That film was ahead of its time. [01:04:35] Speaker B: Oh, my God. [01:04:36] Speaker A: I remember going to the theater to see it in 2004 and being like, genius. [01:04:40] Speaker B: This is it. [01:04:41] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:04:42] Speaker B: Oh, my God. That was the best movie. [01:04:44] Speaker A: Great, great movie. I'm sorry. We have derailed from conspiracies. [01:04:47] Speaker B: Yeah. So. Conspiracies. So. Well, questions are, what will happen to Zaden and Violet's relationship now that he's a Venin? Will Zaden's bond with Bagel or whatever remain intact? [01:05:02] Speaker A: Bagel. [01:05:03] Speaker B: Bagel. Will Zaden's bond with him remain intact? Because, you know, Jack was a Venin, and he was able to kill his dragon because I think their bond was severed. And so there's, like, a fear. [01:05:18] Speaker A: That was so sad. I felt really bad for that dragon. [01:05:21] Speaker B: I know. I know. It's like killing a dog. [01:05:22] Speaker A: Yeah. That's what it felt like to me. God. [01:05:26] Speaker B: A sentient dog. No. Anyway, so the Vennon are. They're sort of wondering if, like, once somebody becomes Venon, they sever the bond with the dragon. And then towards the end, when he says that he's Vennon or. No. She sees the red eye. She sees his red eyes. He's like. Doesn't hear. What's her name? Scale. He doesn't hear her. [01:05:54] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:05:54] Speaker B: So we think maybe that's a severed bond. And then what happens? What happens to him and Violet? They can't talk to each other anymore then? [01:06:03] Speaker A: I think so. Right. Because aren't they all. They're all. [01:06:07] Speaker B: They're all connected. Yeah. But one of the biggest, biggest things. One of the biggest questions is. Or theories is that Violet's dad was Venin. Yes, I've heard that. And that. Because Nolan, who is the healer guy, he wrote a letter to her mom early on saying, like, we looked for a cure. We can't find it. So then People think that her dad is Venin, and that's maybe why she has the silver hair. Which, by the way, Zaden is obsessed with her hair. [01:06:39] Speaker A: He's like, if you ever want me to shut up, just let down your hair. Oh, my God. Be quiet. [01:06:44] Speaker B: It is too much. [01:06:45] Speaker A: Shut up. [01:06:46] Speaker B: Yeah. And I also picture it as, like, did you ever see, like, from X Men Storm? [01:06:52] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:06:53] Speaker B: And that's how I picture. I'm like, how are you? [01:06:55] Speaker A: But I like Storm's hair more because it's straight silver. [01:06:58] Speaker B: Is it? I thought it was just a streak. [01:07:00] Speaker A: Is it? There is somebody with a streak. Maybe. I'm picturing Bonnie Raitt. [01:07:07] Speaker B: Bonnie Raitt? Are we talking about Bonnie Raitt? [01:07:11] Speaker A: You know, she's got that streak. I need to look it up. But I think Storm has all silver hair. [01:07:17] Speaker B: You know what I'm thinking about? Bonnie Raitt. Yeah. [01:07:21] Speaker A: Not everybody will know that, but real ones know real ones. [01:07:24] Speaker B: I saw her in concert one. She's great. [01:07:26] Speaker A: Jillian, that is the most on brand thing you could ever tell me. How old were you and where was. [01:07:34] Speaker B: It go five years ago? Are you kidding? [01:07:37] Speaker A: That was like 1993. [01:07:40] Speaker B: No. Is it Ravinia five years ago? [01:07:42] Speaker A: No. So Storm has all silver hair. Oh, yeah. [01:07:48] Speaker B: Who is it that has just like, has dark hair, but then it has the. The streak of silver? [01:07:53] Speaker A: I don't know. [01:07:57] Speaker B: Maybe it's money. Right? [01:07:58] Speaker A: You're probably thinking money rate. Our girl holds it down for the silver streak. [01:08:03] Speaker B: She really does. [01:08:06] Speaker A: I. So it's interesting that you bring up the theory about Violet's parents and the Venin. I don't know where it exists in the book, but I came across a very interesting video on Instagram the other day. Because, you know, being who I am, everything I see on Instagram, I'm two weeks late from how it's been being. It's being generated on TikTok. Anyway, this one creator had an interesting theory based on something that was in the book. And it was a scene where Violet's dad was talking about a moment in which Violet's mom had come back from some sort of battle and her eyes were red. And we read it kind of as her eyes were red because she was really tired. But this creator was kind of suggesting that maybe it's because she. She. Yeah. Had been touched by the Venin. [01:09:00] Speaker B: Okay. I mean, she was a little Joan Crawford, you know? [01:09:04] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:09:04] Speaker B: She was kind of evil. [01:09:05] Speaker A: Yeah. She went down in the end, though, for her kids. [01:09:09] Speaker B: Yeah, she did. [01:09:10] Speaker A: It's sad. Yeah, it was very. It wasn't as emotional As a scene where mother is sacrificing herself for her kids was. And I. Violet was obviously very upset, but I just. I didn't get the sense that Mira Brennan were very upset. Upset at all. [01:09:24] Speaker B: Well, Brennan definitely not. Yeah. No, he didn't give a. Yeah. [01:09:29] Speaker A: Speaking of Brennan Sus. [01:09:31] Speaker B: Yeah, for sure. I know he might be a little. [01:09:34] Speaker A: Something's not right. And that's. There's so many theories flying around about him, but the overarching idea is that he's not to be trusted. I think that a notable likable character is going to die, but none of the dragons, possibly Mira. I don't know that I feel like Mira is going to make it to the end. [01:09:52] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:09:52] Speaker A: I'm sorry. Did I cut you off on your conspiracies? [01:09:54] Speaker B: No. Okay. Did you? No. [01:09:56] Speaker A: Okay. I just want to make sure. No, I think it's going to be revealed that Andara is going to be the most powerful dragon that's ever lived. [01:10:03] Speaker B: For sure. For sure. [01:10:04] Speaker A: She's got potential. She's got potential. [01:10:06] Speaker B: She's got star power because, you know, Taryn is only the second most powerful. And it's always got to be like it's the main character. We have to have the most powerful of all time. Yeah. [01:10:18] Speaker A: Maybe we'll find out that Violet's actually part venom. Her mother was. Maybe it's, like, you know, dormant in her. I think Sloane and Violet will form a closer bond. I hope so. [01:10:28] Speaker B: Sloane and Violet. Yeah. Yeah. [01:10:30] Speaker A: And speaking of forming closer bonds, maybe Violet and Catriona. I think Catriona will have a redeemable arc. Maybe they won't ever be friends, but they'll just be good, sort of like colleagues. [01:10:41] Speaker B: Yeah. Okay. [01:10:42] Speaker A: There'll be respectful boundaries there. [01:10:44] Speaker B: You know what really annoys me? Her. Her nickname, Cat. [01:10:47] Speaker A: I don't like it. [01:10:48] Speaker B: It's, like, got very, like, New England vibe, Like snob vibes. [01:10:53] Speaker A: I hate it. It's not. It's not a nickname that I would personally want if I was like Catherine or Katie. [01:10:58] Speaker B: No, no, no. [01:11:00] Speaker A: Don't, don't. [01:11:01] Speaker B: No, don't. [01:11:01] Speaker A: Don't give me Cat. [01:11:02] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:11:04] Speaker A: You know Prince Eric. What's he all about? [01:11:06] Speaker B: I was just gonna say I think I love him. [01:11:08] Speaker A: Yeah, I think I'm gonna love him. I think his brother who used to date. [01:11:13] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:11:13] Speaker A: Who used to date Violet. Wait, do you remember that? Yes. [01:11:17] Speaker B: I thought Zaden killed his brother. [01:11:19] Speaker A: No, there's another one. Right. That's. That Violet slept with. [01:11:23] Speaker B: Okay, I totally forgot that. [01:11:27] Speaker A: Don't. Don't quote me if it's wrong. Okay. But anyway, I think he'll come back making an appearance. [01:11:33] Speaker B: I. Oh, I think. [01:11:35] Speaker A: Well, I think who I think it is Prince Eric's brother. But I. But if it's not Violet's ex, whoever he is in the world will maybe make an appearance making Zaden jealous. [01:11:46] Speaker B: Okay, okay. Oh, there's gotta be that. [01:11:48] Speaker A: There's gotta be that. We need that. We need some sort of real love triangle because that was not Dane. [01:11:53] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:11:54] Speaker A: Was not bringing the power. [01:11:55] Speaker B: He was not bringing the power. And they got like insufferable. Like, I'm gonna say it again. They got insufferable. So they need to have some sort of drama there. [01:12:02] Speaker A: Yes. For the love of God, this is literally what my notes say. For the love of God, someone please end Jack Bartley Low. [01:12:09] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:12:10] Speaker A: End it. End it. It's giving Frankenstein's monster. [01:12:13] Speaker B: Who I think could play him. [01:12:14] Speaker A: Who? [01:12:15] Speaker B: J.D. vance. [01:12:16] Speaker A: That be that wonderful. [01:12:19] Speaker B: He's like a 20 year old, but he still could play him the most. [01:12:22] Speaker A: Punchable face in the world. [01:12:23] Speaker B: Oh my God, I hate that guy. [01:12:25] Speaker A: People are saying that Imin may have used her signet on Violet. I've seen. I've heard that. And I have seen that written which hers is to white memories, I think. [01:12:33] Speaker B: Oh, right. You were telling me about this. Okay. [01:12:35] Speaker A: I saw it today again. Even though I heard it by somebody at Passage. Passages. [01:12:40] Speaker B: Passages. Well, that's going to be. I feel like that's going to be another betrayal. You know, another excuse for her to be like Zaden. You're not. You're lying to me. [01:12:48] Speaker A: Oh, my God. [01:12:48] Speaker B: Because maybe imagin like on Zaden's orders or whatever, then wiped her memory. [01:12:55] Speaker A: Oh my God. Yeah. Which is a little. And then we're going to keep going down the dark path of being like you lie to me. You don't talk to God. I don't trust. You don't love me like I love you. Okay, this is something I saw that was interesting today. Repercussions of not burning the dead things after they're dead. For instance, Violet kept Liam's letters. And that's possibly why she had a quote unquote hallucination of him. But really his soul was never fully committed to Malik. Okay, because, you know, in. In throughout the books, even when people are falling off the parapet on day one, their things are burned. Things are like whatever. We commend their souls to Malik. It's done. Yeah, but. And like all of their possessions but Violet protected Liam's letters. People. There's sort of just this rogue theory out there that I saw that I thought was interesting, that because she kept these letters, he's not really gone. [01:13:43] Speaker B: Oh, my God. Like, kind of like there's like a Harry Potter vibe to that a little bit. [01:13:48] Speaker A: You would know better than I do. You know, I didn't. Yeah. I didn't get past the fourth book. [01:13:52] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:13:53] Speaker A: That was like reading War and Peace for me when I was like 11 years old. I was like, I don't think so. We are not gonna be out here. I think I read maybe like the. The four. Remember the fourth book was like, oh, it was ridiculous. Yes. [01:14:08] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:14:08] Speaker A: I wasn't. I couldn't. [01:14:09] Speaker B: Yeah. My mom and my brother all read them. [01:14:12] Speaker A: I love that. Okay, I'm gonna say this too. And I've been. I've been saying this from the very beginning. Violet's wound. Knife wound from the first. From the Venin attack in the first book. [01:14:23] Speaker B: When he stepped her in the kidney. [01:14:25] Speaker A: Yes. And then they take her to Athabine and she basically like, he doesn't sit well with me that she healed so quickly from that. And I can't believe that there' long lasting effects from being stabbed by Venin. [01:14:37] Speaker B: Yeah, maybe there is. I mean, a lot of people are like, is Violet going to turn out to be Venin? [01:14:43] Speaker A: She could be. Maybe that's why she heals so quickly, because her body, like fights the antibodies. [01:14:47] Speaker B: You know, what's. You know what? Oh, my God. Fights the antibodies. Okay, so here's a theory. What if the humans are actually Venin and the Venons are actually human? Do you know what I mean? [01:15:13] Speaker A: The old switcheroo. Maybe. Maybe anything's possible in these books, but those are just a couple things that don't curl all the way over for me. Viscount to Charis. I think so. He's not. He's not to be trusted. [01:15:30] Speaker B: No. [01:15:31] Speaker A: People think that maybe he's like a big Venin lord. [01:15:34] Speaker B: The Sage. They think. [01:15:36] Speaker A: I think he's a sage. Yeah. [01:15:38] Speaker B: Yeah. And in Zaden's dreams, I think so too. Yeah. Which is sort of like the. Was it the Night King in Game of Thrones? [01:15:48] Speaker A: Yeah. Something else that also just never. Never quite curled all the way over either. I know that last season of Game. [01:15:54] Speaker B: Of Thrones, I didn't even watch it. I mean, I was like, I'm not. No. [01:15:58] Speaker A: Sucked. [01:15:58] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:15:59] Speaker A: Terrible. [01:16:00] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:16:00] Speaker A: We will never. I will never forgive them for that. I made such a timely investment. [01:16:05] Speaker B: You did. [01:16:06] Speaker A: Months of my life. [01:16:07] Speaker B: You dedicated it at the same time. Yeah, yeah. [01:16:09] Speaker A: And then we get to that Last season, it's just completely fell apart. Fell apart? [01:16:14] Speaker B: Yeah. No, I. I, like, didn't even try. [01:16:17] Speaker A: All right. [01:16:17] Speaker B: It's like the last season of the Bear. [01:16:19] Speaker A: I was like, we're in a transition season. It was a transition season. I think. [01:16:24] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:16:25] Speaker A: That's what I'm telling myself. [01:16:26] Speaker B: Did you watch the whole thing? Yeah. [01:16:28] Speaker A: You didn't watch it? It was a do not finish for you? [01:16:30] Speaker B: I think I watched like five episodes. [01:16:32] Speaker A: It was a rough. It was rough. [01:16:33] Speaker B: It was rough. [01:16:33] Speaker A: It was rough. It was hard. But yeah, hopefully they'll get us the next go round. [01:16:40] Speaker B: By the way, did you see the Oscar nominations came in? [01:16:42] Speaker A: No, I didn't. I'm behind on that today. Everything. Everything that's on my news dashboard is scorched earth. So I need to find my way back to the light. [01:16:50] Speaker B: Well, I just had to make sure, you know, that Cynthia was nominated. [01:16:55] Speaker A: Of course. [01:16:55] Speaker B: She was good. So is Ariana, which she was good too. [01:16:59] Speaker A: Yeah, it's great. [01:17:01] Speaker B: You know, I'd slip a little wicked in there. [01:17:02] Speaker A: I love it. [01:17:03] Speaker B: One more time. [01:17:03] Speaker A: Yep. One more time. One more time. We. Lights out. Was Jonathan Bailey nominated? [01:17:11] Speaker B: I don't think so. [01:17:12] Speaker A: Give him his flowers. He's just a beautiful human being. [01:17:15] Speaker B: He is really. He. I mean, he's got time. He's got a lot of time. He's a good actor. [01:17:19] Speaker A: I love him. He could make love to a tree stump. [01:17:21] Speaker B: Oh, my. [01:17:22] Speaker A: Not make love. No. That's weird. He could charm a tree. [01:17:25] Speaker B: Charm. Yeah. With just that face, with that, like that smile. [01:17:28] Speaker A: He's great. [01:17:29] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:17:29] Speaker A: Wonderful. [01:17:30] Speaker B: You know, I'm excited to see about the end at the Oscars. What's his name? The Oz. Who plays Oz? [01:17:38] Speaker A: I thought you were talking about Dr. Oz. [01:17:41] Speaker B: No. [01:17:42] Speaker A: Oh, Jeff Goldblum. [01:17:43] Speaker B: Love him. [01:17:44] Speaker A: Love him. [01:17:45] Speaker B: That man is like 74. [01:17:47] Speaker A: That is a. That's a daddy. For real. [01:17:50] Speaker B: Yeah, That's a real daddy. [01:17:51] Speaker A: Mm. [01:17:52] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:17:53] Speaker A: I love Jeff Goldblum. That's another topic for another day. Maybe we'll come in here and we'll, like, list out our favorite salt and pepper silver foxes. [01:18:03] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. [01:18:04] Speaker A: Or zaddies in real life. [01:18:07] Speaker B: Oh, we have so many. [01:18:10] Speaker A: The list is long. [01:18:11] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:18:12] Speaker A: Well, that wraps up our show for today. Wow, we really got through. Thank you so much for joining us. We had such a great time. On our next show, we will be talking about Onyx Storm. I literally, I cannot wait to get off this microphone and go home and jump into the books. [01:18:27] Speaker B: Me too. [01:18:27] Speaker A: I'm so behind. There are so many people out there that have already finished. They're ready to talk about it. We got to get into the conversation. [01:18:33] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [01:18:34] Speaker A: They didn't need any time. Remember that one girl that we were talking to? [01:18:37] Speaker B: She canceled her work. [01:18:38] Speaker A: She canceled work. She said, I'm this gonna be wrapped by end of day. End of business tomorrow. [01:18:44] Speaker B: She was committed. I know. I can't. I. I don't know. I can't do that because I know that once I get started, I want stop. [01:18:51] Speaker A: I like the anticipation of coming back to a book like I like. It's hard for me to end at any point in these books because I'm enjoying them so much, but when I can finally find a place to end. [01:19:00] Speaker B: Yeah. I feel so excited to come back and keep reading. [01:19:03] Speaker A: You know what I mean? [01:19:04] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:19:04] Speaker A: Because I still got to pay my bills. [01:19:05] Speaker B: I still got to work, Right? That's true. Yeah. [01:19:08] Speaker A: I'm clocked in. I'm locked in. [01:19:10] Speaker B: I know. In between meetings, though. Crack it open. [01:19:13] Speaker A: You're just, like, bumbling through a couple more pages. [01:19:16] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:19:16] Speaker A: I respect it. [01:19:17] Speaker B: Maybe during meetings. No, no, with the camera off. I know. [01:19:22] Speaker A: All right, well, thank you so much for joining. We will be back and ready to talk about all things Onyx Storm very soon, and we cannot wait. Thank you to Christian McCann for listening to us yap about all dragons and fictional shadow daddies while keeping our sound in check. And as always, thank you to the Lincoln Lodge in Chicago, Illinois. See you soon. Bye. Bye. Bye. [01:19:42] Speaker B: Bye. [01:19:43] Speaker A: Don't.