Book Review of Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

Join Karl and Em as they review Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros. A thrilling romantacy adventure based in a dragon rider's college where Violet assists the Rebellion and works on her relationship with Xaden.

This episode will contain spoilers, mentions of death, violence, sexual activities, and is not for all audiences.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Hello everyone. I'm Carl. And I'm Em. Welcome to our podcast discussing all of the latest books.

(00:20):
This is our second episode and we will be discussing Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarrows. We promise to give
you all of our honest opinions and all the characters, chapters and scenarios and we don't
mean any harm to the authors. This is solely our opinion. We will be giving our rating of the book
at the very end. We'll be discussing details throughout this episode and we promise to Carl
him like we read him. Iron Flame is a nonstop thrilling adventure fantasy set in a brutal

(00:45):
and competitive world of a military college for dragon riders, which includes elements regarding
war, psychological and physical torture, imprisonment, intense violence, brutal injuries,
perilous situations, blood, dismemberment, burning, murder, death, animal death, graphic language,
loss of family, grief and sexual activities that are shown on the page. Readers who may be sensitive

(01:08):
to these elements, please take note and prepare to join the revolution. I love that. All right.
So to start off our episode, we're going to break down different major things that happened
and go into some detail in some of them and maybe not as much in others. We have announced at this
point that episode three will be a deep dive into both fourth wing and iron flames. We've also
announced that episode four will be fan theories and maybe a little bit more of a deep dive into

(01:32):
why those fan theories make sense or why they don't make sense. But at this point, you should
already know all that and know we're headed with those. We hope that you have read this. If not,
spoilers will be ahead. We advise you to come back and watch this after you've read it. The first
part of the book we have discovered at the end of fourth wing that Brennan is alive, which is
Violet's brother. There was two big things that I took away whenever they were in, I believe it's

(01:57):
pronounced Orisha. And so Brennan, with him being alive and everything, he's actually changed his
last name from Soren Gale because it was his way of staying alive for six years without anybody
attacking him because his mom is really known for... Yeah. His mom's really known for keeping the secret
of the Venon and the Wavron and not being alive and stuff like that. And murdering a lot of people.

(02:21):
Yes, that as well. Especially because the Rebellion's kids are part of the revolution. They're all
there and Orisha and so that could be a huge risk for him. The other part that we learn is that Adarna
has grown and she no longer can stop time and she's also changed her scales and her colors,

(02:43):
which will become significant later on, but that is two major things that are talked about as well
as there being a secondary Wardstone inside of Orisha that can protect Orisha if they could get
it going, which becomes a theme throughout. But I'm not really going to pinpoint much on the Wardstone
thing until the very end whenever it does become super significant just because I feel like it was

(03:04):
a little bit of repetitive of I'm trying to bring the Wardstone. I'm trying just because it's a lot
of repetitive. Is there anything that you found in that first part of them being in Orisha before
they return back to the sky that you found important? Not necessarily important maybe,
but with Brennan I thought by changing his last name, he also was showing that he was committed
to the revolution and where his loyalty was, I thought that was more of a symbolic thing too.

(03:27):
And then I also just really like that Violet is so stunned that it's still standing and she's like,
wait, what do you mean? Like she's read all these books about what happened, but you know,
she has her actual experiences. So I just really like that she got to see his home and where he
lives and she got to see more of Zayden and what makes Zayden Zayden. So I like that.
I really liked as well that some of the members of the councils were just like,

(03:51):
she's a soaring gale. Brennan was like, so am I. And they're like, well, you've showed your loyalty.
And I'm like, well, you're not even giving a chance for the girl to show her loyalty. She can't
come out running or anything. Exactly. What is she supposed to do in five seconds?
But also she did with that battle, the last battle. Yes. I mean, she didn't decide to go back to
Bezdias. She decided to stay in fight with the rest of them. So she very well was given that option.

(04:15):
So she did that. Yeah. And not even just the battle, but before then she could
kept secrets for the revolution. She didn't quite understand it fully, but she still did
keep the secrets. And so I think I don't think they give her enough credit either. But also,
I liked that that he took responsibility for her. And you see it later on what he actually
meant by that with a scar above his heart. And I love that it's above his heart. But

(04:37):
I liked that he was like, he pretty much said, you come after her, you come after me.
Like you got to go through me to get to her. You know, I like that a lot.
Yes. Yes. And I really, I really think that, especially relating further down the line with
him pledging himself, she didn't even realize really what that meant. I mean,
she did because of the rebellion kids situation, but I don't think she realized that they still

(04:58):
did that situation. And it made me like him a little bit more because like he like took
permanent scourge for her. I know that sounds weird, but it was just like, you know, like
getting a tattoo above his heart. It's just added a little extra to him in general. But
I would have died. It was a little V score. But anyways,

(05:21):
well, it never really says I don't think what form it is because we can imagine that.
But so then after they decide that they need to go back to bass guy and
rejoin and back like everything's normal, I really personally enjoyed the scene where they
walked back in as they're reading the death roll. And Zaden says, well, this is awkward.

(05:41):
I just imagined myself being there and just be like, oh, he's alive. Wait a minute.
But and then like whenever she's sitting there and she's on the platform talking to her mom and
describing what happened a little bit, Dane's dad is like, are you sure that's what happened? And
she's like, well, I don't know. You tell me, what do you think happened? Like I really honestly

(06:05):
liked that. And then when she stepped down and she basically just told Dane to keep his effing
hands off of her, I was just like, but instantly hatred for Dane after him sending them to die
and Liam died. Dane, he's become Voldemort in my head. So horrible person.

(06:26):
He's like a Voldemort.
He will not be named. I hate him. But I also liked a little bit that Dane's dad,
we got like a little bit of a threat towards Violet and everything. And so which became
this guy with you or whatever it was. Yeah. And which becomes a theme, which I'm not going to go
into too much detail about a lot of it, but basically throughout the whole entire rest of the book,

(06:51):
as long as they're at best, they all have these assassins coming at them. And that's always the
quote. And there is one scene that I really enjoyed Violet, whenever one of the assassins comes after
her. And she says, yeah, I've already killed the messenger situation. I really loved that thing,
which I'm jumping a little bit ahead. But it becomes a thing a little bit. And to me, it was

(07:14):
sort of significant. But there was a lot of things in this book, which Carly and I already
talked about a little bit, that was just a little bit unnecessary with what we already have available
to us. Now, in the third, fourth, the fifth book, it very well could become significant, but there
was just a lot that we thought that was in here that just could have been removed based off of

(07:35):
what we already know. But as we know, Rebecca hides a lot of things in what she's writing. So I feel
like maybe they are significant, maybe not. But I guess we'll find out whenever she finally ends
the series 20 years down the line. But we'll probably talk about some of them, like when we
talk about fan theories that did relate to that, we just didn't catch it, or maybe it doesn't or
whatever. But yeah, I think too, and it honestly, I kind of got it, but it didn't seem significant

(08:01):
to me. But even as soon as she returned, and they did call out Dan's dad, her mom instantly
believed her in punishing that. I was like, Oh, okay, I didn't expect that.
That was a whole different change from last book, because she really didn't believe her on much,
because she thought she was so weak. And I really don't know as to what exactly happened besides
her bonding to the most biggest dragon, but even then, I don't feel like that was significant

(08:25):
enough, because she still didn't really change in the end of fourth wing. Yeah, or that and she
didn't know about the lightning building until after she got back either. So to me, there was a
lot of that was just what happened to connect the dogs that didn't get told. But that's that we
might come back and yeah, that might come back at the end too. Like maybe we didn't really know
her mom, you know what I mean? Like we, we were getting violets point of view because Violet made

(08:49):
out of understood her mother instead of really what you know what I'm saying. So yeah, but also
with the whole like, Dane, don't put your hands on me or whatever. I loved that Zayden was like,
let me just go ahead and mark my territory over here so that you know, yeah, you know,
and I know and she knows and everybody else knows. I love that. That whole moment just for me was
just like, oh, spicy. I was just like, man, and this is the third or fourth time to Dane's been

(09:13):
put in his place in public by Violet. So it's gotta be, he has no shame. I don't understand it.
And I think she mentions later on that you took the memory you didn't ask for the memory. And you've
never really asked me for anything you just have taken things for me. And I think that relates back
to the Liam situation too. You took a friend for me without even asking me what was going on. You

(09:36):
just decided to send this off to be killed. And now I lost one of my friends because of this.
So then we move on, we learn out that Rihanna has been promoted to section leader. And then we
learn out that Dane's been promoted to wing leader, which was implied in the whole situation. So
nothing, it wasn't expected. And then we come to conscription day where Sloan, Liam's little sister,

(09:58):
has to cross the parapet. And we find out that she hates Violet's guts because she blames her for
Liam dying, which to me is understandable because she really wasn't there. She only got snip bits of
it. And what she did learn from Imogen, oh, basically, you know, Violet's horrible, Violet's
all this, they really honestly didn't have time to be like, let's run me over situation. Because

(10:21):
basically by time Imogen got went over, it was like battle, you know, final battle and fourth wing.
So well, I thought it was cute that Imogen had written Sloan a letter, we get a little message
about, I mean, a little mention of that that, well, you said you hated her too in the letter and
Imogen's like, well, that was before this is now, or I like that that we see, because it very much

(10:43):
just mirror how Imogen slowly became to like her or respect her, at least initially, and then now
Sloan, their relationships are mirrored in a way. Yeah. And I think the other important thing is who
that we get is that Violet starts withdrawing herself from her friendship so she can keep their
secrets from them. And then also, I believe it's pronounced solis, which is Verish, which is a new

(11:05):
professor that's been brought in. His dragon basically just tries to murder everybody, but
specifically he seems like to have his sights on Violet, which to me honestly didn't quite make a
lot of sense because other than maybe that he had more of allegiance to Dane's dad than what we
hint to because he just says that Dane's dad says that he's his friend. But to me, there was a little

(11:26):
bit more there for him to instantly just be like, you're horrible. I'm needing to burn you at this.
I'm just going to mention, someone asks her even points it out. Does your mom have beef with him
or something? Yeah. Even for Verish, is that how you pronounce it? And even for him, much less the
dragon. And she's like, I have no idea. I don't know anything about this man. But I think it's
more related to that she is her mother's daughter. And I think he's scared of what she could do for

(11:53):
the revolution. And I think that's why she targeted her, I think. Well, and Taryn makes the comment,
he says, you do not have the right to burn what is mined as solis, which just sets up to me this
little bit of beef. But I think that Taryn makes the beef a little worse later on. For the dragon,
for sure. Yeah. And I feel because he comes after the dragon, it makes Verish a little bit more

(12:18):
coming towards Violet. But I'm not quite sure other than Verish thinks that Violet can give him
information that he wouldn't otherwise get about the rebels, that maybe that's the only reason why
he'll pin points after her. But even then, I really don't get what the beef is, other than the fact
that maybe he was a little bit more loyal to Dane's dad than what is let on. But I think that

(12:43):
beef is really even more, but I mean, Dave's dad's trying to send assassins after her. So I guess it
does make sense that he's trying to kill her multiple times too. So. But to me, that all seems
like I'm not even sure I'd call it a beef. I think it's more or less like trying to protect their
own tales. Like she could expose them for what they're doing and who they are. And clearly Violet's

(13:05):
mother, who Dane's dad has been her aide for years, had no idea that Dane's dad would do things like
that. So I think that's more of what it is she knows and could expose them and they're just trying
to cover it up. Yeah, I mean, that's a possibility. But it seemed very intense. It was made such a big
deal and there never really was an answer wise. He's so set on torturing Violet. Like when he thought

(13:28):
he was going to get out of her, that he couldn't probably get out of a lesser weaker rebel. Well,
and there is this flow at the beginning of a chapter that I think may give a little bit of
hint to that. But there was a correspondence that was sent to General Mel Green that says
after three consecutive deaths of prisoners during interrogations, it is this command's opinion that

(13:50):
Major Vera should be reassigned from an active wing until further notice. So I'm wondering if
that's just him and going into a little bit of a fan theory. Is he Vinnan? That's because of Jack,
that's where I went. But then to work so closely together, I wondered if he wasn't Vinnan also.
But I don't recall comments about him having red eyes or anything. But I would have to re-read to

(14:14):
confirm. But I mean, to me, just something is a little bit extra. He's just evil. If he's not
Vinnan, he's evil and a jerk just like Jack was before he became Vinnan. And clearly they pick him
well. And I personally compared him to Umbridge and Harry Potter, because you always have Voldemort

(14:34):
that you hate. But everybody secretly hates Umbridge a lot more. So to me, Veresh is like Umbridge.
They torture students. They literally... perfect.
Like, yeah, good comparison. So then we learn a little bit that Nolan has got a secret door
in the healer's wing that he's hiding stuff from. And it just slightly gets mentioned. And then also,
then we come to the match challenge between Sloane trying to challenge Violet. And to me,

(15:00):
she was really brave to do that, knowing that she could wield lightning. She's got two big
dragons that stand behind her. And she's not even bonded to anybody yet, nor does she have a
sign that she's just like, I'm going to challenge her because she killed my brother. Honestly,
seeing the way that she progressed from being horrible at fighting on the mat, if Violet was

(15:21):
Zaden or somebody, or even Jack, I mean, she would have died right then and there. So I'm just,
you were stupid for that. She was. That same scene also gives us where the first year tries
to kill her, right? Yes. I know you really enjoyed that scene a lot. It did come out unexpectedly
to me for sure. Me too. I really thought she was going to let her and Sloane battle it out.

(15:43):
And Sloane just get taught a lesson. Like, I thought that was the whole point of the storyline
at that point. And all of a sudden, this first year comes out of nowhere and is like soaring,
Gail. And I like when he, when Nadine was like, I'm Violet Soaring Gail, and he just snaps her neck.
I was so shook. I was like, wait a minute. Okay. But then even more so, and I wish I had a quote

(16:06):
pulled up, but even more so when Violet then says, nobody interfere, you know, pulls her daggers out.
She's like, I'm Violet Soaring Gail. And then she kills him. And it takes her a little bit. She
doesn't quite do it as quickly as I would have preferred. It was throwing out a little bit. But
I was like, okay, that, that is the Violet that Zaden has been teaching. That is the Violet that

(16:27):
defends her friends. And I love that it like, she didn't want to fight Sloane. Like she's,
she very much is not a fighter. But when it comes down to it, and she has to handle her business,
she handles her business. I love that. Well, and I feel like that was a change from last book too,
because last book, she was like, I'm not going to kill anybody on the mat. That's not what this
mat's there for. And then literally the first thing we get on the mat is her killing somebody.

(16:49):
So I feel like that was a huge character development. And I don't know if that was
particularly a good one or a bad one, but I feel like that just made her a little bit more hard.
And which we get the quote somewhere in here that basically the second year teaches you how to deal
with the death, it changes you a little bit more than the first year does. So maybe that was just
drawing that back to that. But I feel like that scene was not necessary. I mean, it was a good

(17:13):
scene. Don't get me wrong. But like,
I think it was a character development for sure. I think she has decided that she no
longer can risk being merciful from the get go when it's that aggressive. Like obviously,
if she'd just killed Jack Day one, she would not have had all the problems that she had. So I think
she's accepted that death is necessary at some point. And that was an instance that it was. I

(17:34):
will also say I partially liked the scene, because afterward when Zayden arrived, she was like,
don't worry, it's got my blood. Yeah. And he was like, what? He was like, what? What do you mean?
Well, and I did like that brought in with him at the end that was like, oh, well,
this is the violet I knew you could be. But then it made me not like Zayden a little bit,

(17:56):
because I was just like, you knew she could be this horrible person that would go and murder
people. And the thing is too, is what really threw me is that she felt guilt for every one of the
people she did kill, including Jack. But yeah, this guy, she didn't have any remorse. So it really,
to me, made her a little bit more stone cold and not as likable as what she was. Because to me,
I could relate if I went out and like murdered somebody, I would probably feel bad about it.

(18:20):
And then, you know, not just like Jack being a psychopath and snapping someone's neck and
be like, oh, it's his fault because he had a weak neck. But to me, this was very like,
we would not be friends if you were like Jack, just so we're clear.
I would tell you about yourself. But to me, it wasn't the violet we've known,
you know what I mean? But yet she came back to that later in the book where she was remorseful

(18:41):
about somebody dying and stuff. To me, that was a little confusing for me because she was the violet
that feels guilty about people. I mean, even some simple stuff that she felt guilty about,
the words she couldn't bring up a couple times, she felt so horrible that she was going to cause
all these deaths. But yeah, that and then not only that, but she multiple times saved Jack and

(19:02):
didn't kill him when she could have. And then she even felt bad about actually thinking she had killed
him. And then this guy, she doesn't feel anything for even the thing. And I wrote it off as like
the brutality that he showed towards Nadine, a friend. That's what I think you really see,
like how hard violet can be is when you do threaten her friends. She didn't kill Jack

(19:23):
until Jack almost killed Liam. Not one time did she actually go for death until it reached someone
else. And I think that's why she probably didn't feel guilty now. Or maybe it just wasn't written.
Maybe she did feel guilty and just wasn't written because I do agree that it happened and we moved
past it way too quickly for violet. Yeah, it just means I don't even feel like it could go back to,

(19:44):
oh, well, after she witnessed all this death and Liam dying and stuff in the fourth wing battle,
I don't even feel like it could go back really to that because she didn't feel guilty after the
next person she hurt. So it's me. Something about that scene just didn't quite line up with the violet
we know. And I get it that maybe it was probably trying to character develop her into that whole

(20:05):
second year makes you harder. But then the rest of the whole book was, I don't know, it was a weird
related to that. We even see later on, like when she almost kills cat, because cat is overpowering
her emotions, Zaden even says, I'd be happy if you did it. I'm fine. But you wouldn't be happy
if you did it. And so that's why I stopped her. So we even come back to it being emphasized by

(20:26):
someone else that they know she'd feel guilty about it, much less her actually showing she's
felt guilty. So yeah, I don't know if that was intentional or not, but it was different for
sure. Yeah, something with that to me was missing a little bit. But the actual quote was the first
year is whenever some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of the rest of us

(20:47):
lose our humanity. And it's all part of the process of turning us into effective weapons. And
don't forget for a second that that's a mission here. And by last desensitizing us to death.
And to me, it just, I don't know, something she just was so desensitized that in that particular
instance, but then even up on the rooftop, whenever the infantry try to kill her, and Jack comes to

(21:09):
save her and everything, she's still feel guilty about killing the infantry people. To me, there
was so much that just didn't quite make sense with that scene. But I did like it. Don't get me wrong,
it was unnecessary because it didn't relate back to a lot of different things.
Yeah, it definitely was different than what we normally see. And I would say that probably even
the assassins that were sent to kill her, she felt less guilty about that we didn't see her drone

(21:32):
on and on about it like we did in the first book. So yeah, maybe it does all connect to make her
harder, but that then we have other scenes that show, well, maybe she's not as hard as we think
or whatever. So it was weird back and forth. But to get through because there is so much to cover
with this. So we meet bearish a little bit more in depth, where he orders a dharma to appear,
and he start going on these flight lessons with her. And that to me becomes a little bit important

(21:55):
because he starts punishing her for. I wonder if he knows that I'm dharma can't show almost.
I think his dragon was probably one that caught a dharma coming back to the veil whenever she comes
in. So I think that's possibly a thing. But I also wonder he had read some of the course,

(22:17):
because there was a lot of bits out of correspondence of how to kill venons and how to do that at the
top of the chapters. So I'm wondering if maybe he had access to a lot more reading that was not in
the archives, or was aware a lot more of that, that he knew a little bit about a seventh breed.
And then you have this random golden dragon that's not been seen before that happens. But I also think

(22:41):
that he really is just generally curious about a feather tail because it's so secretive that he's
wanting to bond the feather tail himself. So he's trying to learn more about it. I think that may
play a little bit into it as well. But basically, whenever he demands it, Terrence, like you know,
Terrence, like you don't command dragons, how dare you try to command them. And she basically then

(23:02):
goes to see Zaden on her. The schedule visits was a little, I know where it was coming from,
but to ban them from seeing each other for seven days. And then some of times even ban them
from seeing each other when they were there. Just to me was a little too drawn out for me a little
bit sometimes. I agree. It was very, very dramatic. Yes. And it was a little unnecessary at times,

(23:24):
but I get why it was there because it really heightened a lot of the not being able to work
through their trust. But at the same time, I felt like that was drawn out a lot as well. It was a
lot of back and forth with, I don't trust you. Oh, we don't get to talk for three or four weeks.
Oh, let's try to get together with trust. And then we find out something else. Then I don't get to
talk to you for three or four weeks. It was a really drawn out thing. And it probably could have

(23:45):
been shortened a whole lot by them just sitting down and solving their problems for like two hours.
And then it would be done. I mean, like, I feel like he says that later. He says,
I told you to ask me questions and I'll answer them. And she says, he did say that. And I'm not
exactly asking questions. But at the same time, when you're in the middle of a life or death
situation, you're being tortured over here. And it's hard to be like, Oh, how is your mother alive?

(24:10):
You know, they didn't really get to do that until they were in one spot altogether. So I don't know
if that was like the point, but I thought in the Scottsie game time quite a bit. And yet instead
of sitting there talking things out, they were just sitting there having sex. So it was just
part of the relationship. But you have so many deep drawn issues that literally from half the

(24:30):
book we're talking about your trust issues to down into that. See, but I think that was also
like alluding to the fact that he was still hiding a big secret. But I agree that it was drawn out.
I'm over that plot of him keeping secrets and her trying to find out. And I'm hoping that in
book three, we don't do that. Well, and I think Violet says something like, stop playing that
bullcrap with me that I don't ask the right questions. And to me, that was a stupid thing.

(24:54):
Like, okay, she doesn't know what questions to ask, but yet you're not going to tell her what's
important for her to know. And to me, it was childish. A little bit. Yeah, it was very immature.
Like this was their first relationship ever. You know, it might have been like in kindergarten,
whenever you're just like, Oh, you know, he kissed another girl in the playground situation.

(25:14):
It was just, I don't know. If you think about it, they are in their early twenties. So
maybe that's why maybe they really are that immature. I don't know. But it did. I agree. It
did seem very much like, can we just get this together? You have a lot more important things
to do than this. Yeah. And I feel like a lot of scenes that were rushed to focus on some other
more important things that actually had to relate with the world ending. And to me, it was just almost

(25:41):
like trying to add too many different elements to one situation. And I don't think it meshed very
well. And Rebecca, I love you. So don't take this by any means. But I think part of it may have to
do with the fact that fourth wing was so popular last year that she was trying to rush to get this
book out. So that was just like an easy storyline to do maybe. Or it could have something to do with

(26:04):
the future books a little bit. I was going to say, we talked about that, that maybe we don't
understand it because it hasn't happened yet. So maybe there is more relating that we don't know.
In what we know about, it just like a lot of it seems unnecessary. And I get where it was coming
from that it built up the trust. And I do get the end where she ends up having a secret. She's like,
well, now I'm the one keeping secrets. And it's like, okay, well, now are we going to go into

(26:27):
third book with Violet and hurt him getting an arguments because she's keeping secrets? It just
was a little unnecessary. Well, and on that, the secret she's keeping though, I don't feel like
it's detrimental to their relationship. Like he kept secrets that directly impacted their
relationship, where this secret directly impacts the entire world. But she's not hiding it and

(26:49):
benefiting from it either. You know what I mean? Like it's just some of the secrets that Zaden kept,
I feel were detrimental to the rebellion. And because she still was not very good at blocking
out Dane. And as we could even see in this book, she still couldn't block him out as much as she
had hoped for. So he still wasn't at a level that to me, it made sense to me why he kept some of

(27:13):
the secrets because she couldn't keep them out. And I think it was almost like she took it as
almost insults to her that he didn't have to, she felt she was strong enough to block him out. But
then we find out he really wasn't. And I maybe that's what it really related back to. Because in
that scene, whenever Dane did read her thoughts in her interrogation, she was like, oh crap,

(27:35):
I really didn't get to block him out. So maybe that was what it related back to. But then it
all fell out of context that just was unnecessary to relate to that epiphany.
Well, yeah, I think too, like in the interrogation scene, they give, they dose her. So I don't think
it's fair to judge her shields based on that because they literally cut her off from her dragon
and her power and everything. So I don't know that I would assume it's connected because of that.

(27:59):
But two things about that, I hope that we get more about that serum and the antidote and everything,
like her mom had the antidote. So clearly, her mom knew about it. But I hope we get more into that
and how that's being used, maybe how it'll benefit them with the venom, maybe, I don't know. But
also I will say that he did keep multiple secrets. And a lot of them I can understand why kept them

(28:21):
from her, especially at the first book. But even more so, I actually sympathized with him keeping
his second secret because he admits the only person that knew was his dragon and even his dragon
kept it from her mate, which means that's how serious the secret is. And after he tells her,
he does say like, I've been wanting to tell you, but I, you know, it's a really hard secret to

(28:43):
give to you. But if you want to wrap me out, I understand, like he even accepts that now that
she does know that he's trusting her either to keep it or do the right thing, if that's what she
believes the right thing is and tell or whatever, you know, so I don't know. I just think like
she takes it very personal and I get it because everybody else in her life has betrayed her.

(29:03):
So it's very dramatic and it feels like everybody that she loves and knows is not telling her the
truth. So I get why she had that reaction. But it also just still seems very like you should
tell me it to me and almost seem she wanted him to come home every night and be like,
this is exactly how my day went and everything that we would just know. So it just seemed a
little bit immaturity and I don't know if that was intentional or not. But to me, it was a lot of

(29:27):
that was unnecessary for sure. Well, and so here's my little theory. I think that's going to play into
next book. I think he probably has kept more secrets because like we talked about, I think maybe
he is somehow related or connected to the Vinan and he's known this whole time and hasn't said
anything. So unfortunately, I think there are going to be more secrets that we're going to uncover.

(29:48):
But also, I think that because she's now keeping secrets, I think it's just more of a plot line
too to keep it at that like tension level between them rather than them just giving into it and
writing it out. You know what I mean? Like I think it's part of the plot, but I don't I don't know.
I'm not really here for it. If I'm being honest, I'd really like them to be happy ever after and
fight their battles together. And the other thing too is she seemed to be upset with him that he

(30:13):
didn't remember to tell her something from his past. Kat, for example. Yeah, some people don't
find certain things significant as other people, again, in maturity a little bit with it. But so
then we get to the scene where they are kidnapped and dropped off in a forest and made to survive.
And the most important thing that I took from this was A, the connection being severed with the

(30:36):
serum. But whenever they're in the forest, she was across Bade. And that was a little bit of a
scene of why it was there. But I feel like it was supposed to be significant at some point.
And I don't know if Bade was close because she knew Jack was alive or what exactly the reason was.
Also, it talked a lot about why Bade was so angry with her. Except Jack wasn't dead. We thought he

(31:01):
was dead, but he wasn't actually dead. So why was Bade that angry? Like, I don't know. And also,
I think sometimes, for example, they talk about that the dragons picked their riders very carefully
and intentionally. And Bade knew how Jack acted, knew Jack's thoughts. I just don't understand. To
me, it doesn't rationally make sense for the dragon to be that angry about her finally killing Jack,

(31:23):
because it was inevitable. I mean, somebody was going to kill him. The way he acted, it wasn't
that far off of a possibility. And then she literally bonded the next day to a new rider.
So I just don't see how that bond could have even been that strong from the beginning. I don't know.
It's weird. Well, the one thing that I really did take away from it is that

(31:44):
Rhiannon basically comes up to Violet and tries to ask her some questions. And Violet attempts to
lie to her. And Rhiannon just stops her and says, hey, don't do that. It's gonna ruin our relationship.
Don't do that. And to me, that was a very significant turning point in Violet realizing,
crap, I've really started to destroy this. I need to try to sort of mend it. But then again, she

(32:04):
also I love that she's a bad liar. Yes, yes. It's very odd character for Violet.
So then we come across where she starts bringing in, I believe it's pronounced Justina,
that she starts bringing her in and getting her to understand. But I think one of the very
important things that set up the character of Justina, which I don't know if she's going to

(32:28):
be more significant, but I assume because at the beginning of both of the books, there is an excerpt
where it says that Justina has transcribed the events, which I also want to talk about that too,
because it does word as that she transcribed the the language and all events are true and the names

(32:49):
have been preserved to honor the courage of those who have fallen. May their souls be committed to
Malik. And so does that mean that they die in the fifth book? What happens that opens up some of
those fan theories there, but very insignificant in this conversation, but just thought I'd throw it
out there. But I really thought that this line really set up a little bit of my trust in Justina,
which I don't know if she's going to become Eve Lornhardt or anything, but it says that our

(33:15):
archives are incomplete either by ignorance or intention. And she just instantly became
trusting. And she also makes the comment, if you were any other writer, I would have considered
that you had a faulty memory and got the title wrong or even the subject matter, but you're you.
So she instantly, because she knew Violet so well that she just trusted her, which to me was total

(33:37):
flip on the whole day in situation, gained and trust her from the get go just because she hung
around with Zaden. And I'm sure Justina knows that she's bonded to Zaden. She instantly trusts her,
whether or not she's part of that or not, because she knows her so well. So I really think maybe
hey, Dane Moore, just going to be honest with you. This girl who like really didn't seem like she

(33:58):
was that good of a friend, trust her completely. And then here you are sending her to die or whatever.
Well, and so I see it a little bit differently between Dane and Justina. So like Justina, I think
part of it like, and maybe that's like the way my brain works, like it's logically like I can see
other evidence that supports what you're saying. And so that makes me tend to believe what you're

(34:21):
saying. So like, for example, we talked about like that all the books have been translated
multiple times down the line, which obviously means something has gotten lost.
Certain is a different question, but something gets lost in translation. It's inevitable,
especially multiple. And then that with the iron, iron rain and iron slain. Yes. Yes. Highlights later

(34:41):
on that one. And on top of that, the books are also only so many years old, which doesn't make
sense either. So there's like other evidence that she can see that lends her to believe that, okay,
something isn't right. And the fact that this trusted friend of mine, maybe even a mentor,
also notices it means I should be paying attention to figure out what's going on, you know,
and Dane, I think I don't like Dane. Okay, but, but are we fixing this?

(35:07):
In this book, we do see where like he really did trust his dad to have good intentions.
And he thought Zaden was the problem. And that's all he did. What he did. I don't think it's right.
And I still think he should be. What did you think was going to happen whenever he literally

(35:28):
sent a bunch of rebellions and violet off to this random outpost? I don't think they knew about the
vinnin. I don't think he knew about the vinnin either, but he knew about the supposed Griffin
attacks. Yeah, I think he thought they would just kill the Griffins. I think he, but I will say,
I will say, she says to him, violet says, you said you'll miss me, dude. Like, how are you going to

(35:52):
sit here and say you didn't know what's going to happen when you literally said you'll miss me? And
Dane says, I said that because you made your choice, not because I thought you were going off to die.
So it's hard for me to believe that's the truth. But if it is the truth, then I can see you wear
more of like, I'm not defending him. Don't ever say that. But you are. You know, I'm explaining

(36:14):
how I can see that his motivations were maybe not necessarily bad motivations. He just had the wrong
idea. Maybe. I really don't think he would have. I really, really don't think his intentions were
to send her to die that day or any of the other people that went with them. I don't think he
wanted to see anybody die. I do have the opposite opinion of that because he left her in that first

(36:39):
interrogation whenever the team got captured and then in the interrogation, which we'll come to here
in a minute. Well, that was that RCR or CRC, whatever it was called. Yeah, but he, he seen how badly
she was beat up. And yes, he did walk away and say, Hey, I'm not going to, you know, try to get
her memories. But oh, this various dudes killed multiple people before, which he had to have known

(37:03):
about because I mean, his father, I don't know. I just, I think, I think in that, I don't, I didn't,
I was grateful and proud that he did not take her memories in that setting, especially after
authority told him to do so. And I didn't expect him to take her out of that because it was technically
at that point, nothing had happened that was abnormal for the setting. Veresh hadn't interfered

(37:28):
it yet. Veresh hit her after Dane said no. And then when he actually comes back when Veresh is
actually torturing her, he's like, you've had her here for five days. That's what I think he realized
like, that this was not, this was unsanctioned. This is not proper. That's what I think he accepted.
Something's, something's gone wrong with Veresh. And then he stabbed the man. I was, I was surprised he

(37:51):
stabbed the man. I thought he was going to talk the man into letting her out. That's what I thought
he was going to do. That did surprise me, which I knew he was not going to be able to talk Veresh
out of, of releasing her, but it just, no, but I just think that's what I thought. I thought that was
the route he would go because I didn't think he would just stab the man and murder him. Yeah. So then
there we get into a couple of little insignificant scenes as well. But to me, there were cute little

(38:13):
scenes. There was a scene where Violet basically tells Sloane, Liam's sister, that he wants, she
wants Imogen to start training her to get her better on the mat because she's basically losing
every mat challenge that she has. Because she's Violet. Yeah. And so she basically says that,
hey, I will give you the Liam's letters that were not burned if you agree to train with her.

(38:38):
And as they're walking away, I really liked the little, it's an add on to Imogen and Violet's
building relationship, which I think becomes a little bit more significant because I think that
Imogen's a lot of the reason why Violet didn't fully turn into this hardcore, I'm not speaking
to anybody, I'm not doing anything because I mean, Imogen was really the only one she would

(38:59):
let in because she was the only one that was really there to be around it. But she says,
she says, you are an Imogen shakes her head as she catches up to me, I see it now. And Violet
asked what and she says, why is Aiden fell for you? And she said, truthfully, you're effing
clever, way more clever than I give you credit for it. I bet you keep him constantly annoyed.

(39:20):
And she smiles and says, how glorious. It really started that, even though they're running together
every morning and stuff like that, to me that added a little bit of that friendship that they
have been keeping out of the whole thing, which was crazy to me because she tried to kill her
last book, but now they're becoming friends, spending every waking moment together.
Well, that's what happens when you're angry and your parents get murdered, you get mad at people.

(39:43):
That's why I was like, Sloan, totally understandable. If I thought you were the reason my brother died,
especially her brother who is Liam, who is so sweet and so kind, like if it was, if Jack's my
brother, well, he deserved it, but Liam did not deserve it. And so I'd be angry, I was angry at
Rebecca for killing Liam. So I can't imagine how Sloan felt. But I will say too, it's almost like

(40:06):
as their relationship builds, we see more and more of image and almost like a little sister of
Zaden like that. I love that you get under his skin. I love that you, you know, whatever. We just
see that a little bit more and I like that. Well, and then there was a scene right after that that
she makes a comment about how Zaden left Violet does, that Zaden left her a little letter. And
she says, I mean, it's weird that he's writing new letters and Violet's like, why, I think it's sweet.

(40:30):
And she says, exactly. But does he strike you as a letters kind of guy? He's not even the talking
kind of guy. And Violet says, we're working on our communication. It was just a little scene that,
I mean, because image and grew up with Zaden. So she's aware of who he is. But I think that
that theme plays out a lot in the book of that Zaden's not the same person with Violet in private

(40:51):
as he is with everybody else. And so that almost, especially when we meet that guy that runs the
other town, Kat's uncle. I'm not really sure how to pronounce this. I wasn't going to butcher it.
I don't like him. I do not like him. But we get that theme whenever he finds the weaknesses,
he really finds that Violet is Zaden's biggest weakness. And so that just, that really shows

(41:17):
a lot. So with then we find out in the right after there, the scene that when Zaden comes back to
visit, he finds out the Violet's been studying to figure out how to put up the Wardstone in
Eretia. And so it becomes a whole different argument of, again, the keeping secrets and

(41:37):
all that that keeps going back and forth. But there is a scene. And she makes a comment that
really made me on Zaden's side. Because I was just like, okay, one of their internal conversations
was honestly, what should somebody internally argue? I could just picture how Rhiannon and
Riddick and all of them standing in the doorway or we're watching this. But he asked her, how long

(41:59):
have you been hiding this from me? And she said, I haven't been hiding. I haven't hidden shit from
you. I've certainly told you selective truths. But isn't that what he's been doing this whole
time? And you've been mad at him about that? So it made me a little bit like. It's again,
that like, it's being immature. Like, what you're doing, you're doing it. So I'm going to do it.
Yeah. And she does that quite a few times in the book. And it may be not like her as much a little

(42:23):
bit. He's trying to be mature and really use the time that you guys get together to tell you what
you ask for, which shangers me on his part that he's not giving her everything that like selective
truths again. But it's me. There was just a lot of that back and forth. It was drawn out for me.
I do think like it makes sense that they would have had that disagreement between the last book

(42:46):
and the end of this one, you know, whatever thing. But I just don't think it needed to happen as many
times or as often as it did. Yeah. So then we get to what I think is a pretty significant scene to
start up a little bit more with Verish and Solis is that Tiring makes a scene in front,
whenever he's trying to punish Violet again for not producing a dharma. And Tiring grabs Solis

(43:11):
by the neck and brings Verish to his knees and says, apologize to her. That was the scene that I
was just like, Oh, Tiring, you've made this 10 times worse for her. But I mean, really after that,
it really wasn't too bad up until he literally kidnapped her and interrogating her. But really,
even then he didn't do that. It was Nolan, which he's another one. I can't stand. But

(43:32):
I was actually very disappointed to see that Nolan was not good. And to me that confused me. If he
was so hell bent on keeping her safe and mending her over and over and over and over again, I mean,
literally her whole life. And then this is what he does for her. And even then he had to have
known what happened with Ados and Verish and the the Vinnen and all that stuff for that to happen

(43:59):
to me. I feel like he knew a lot. And especially with him ending Jack and all that, I think there
was a lot that went on that he got hinted in on that made him to me become a little evil.
Oh, I agree. Especially like when I found out that he mended Jack,
I was like, why what you have enough people who are alive that need mending. And then you spend

(44:25):
all this time mending a soul. That to me, even if Jack hadn't come back and was evil,
you should expect him to come back as evil. You cannot mend a soul. That doesn't like that
doesn't make sense. Well, and to me, that was also the same thing of how did Niolan die?
Taryn's first writer trying to mend a soul, but yet he didn't. Yeah. So that that to me made me

(44:53):
a little bit he do Vinnen crap to, you know, if he did, though, you wouldn't think he'd be so exhausted.
Maybe. I mean, it really bothered me that he turned out to be bad. And then there was a really
cute excerpt at the beginning of one of the chapters I just wanted to pinpoint on just because
it was a little love letter, which it really bothers me that it keeps saying recovered correspondence,

(45:17):
because that makes me think that somebody's died. So also, though, do you notice that it says
recovered correspondence? It lists him as a lieutenant, her as a cadet, though? Yes. Yes.
So it's like, she doesn't even get past third year graduation. Yeah. If she does die. And then
again, to the excerpt at the beginning that commend their souls to Malik, you know, in honor of those
have died. Okay, we talked about them. But anyway, so this one says in the years after my father died,

(45:41):
I forgot what it felt like to be loved. Then I entered the quadrant and became the monster
everyone needed me to be. And I never regretted it. But then you gave me those words. You gave
those words to me. And I remembered, and I nearly lost you too. I'm striving to be better for you,
just like I promised. But I needed, I need you to know the monster is still there screaming to
use every ruthless part of me to get your words back. That was really sweet, because it was just,

(46:06):
I am doing everything I possibly can to show you I am better than what I think I am. And please,
just love me love me love me again. So it was I thought it was dumb that he refused to engage
with her until she actually said the three words again, when he had never actually even said them.

(46:28):
That bother me. Yeah, I think to me that was a little bit of I don't know,
childish. I'm gonna withhold this from you until you do right. But I do. There is a quote that
relates back to that that I liked. It says, I haven't exactly made it easy for you to trust me.
I'm still not making it easy, but you and I are not easy people. What we build together has to be

(46:49):
strong enough to withstand a storm or a war easy isn't going to give us that. And then he says,
something along the lines at some point, which I don't think it's in this one, but oh, here it is,
you're not you're allowed to have secrets. That's the point I prefer they not risk everything I've
worked towards for the last few years or your life. And yes, I'm still not happy about the scribe,

(47:10):
but we're not fighting tonight. I just need to know that the important things I won't withhold
information that could change how you make decisions. And I asked the same of you. And so I feel it
to me that was a really good summary of the relationship is nothing they have gone through
has been easy. And so she can't expect him to easily hand over his secrets because he's in back

(47:30):
to the letter even to he was made to be a monster made out to be a monster and stuff like that.
So she can't just easily think that he's going to change himself to be something she hopes he to be
and just spill everything. Well, I think that's what I've taken from the past two books as they're
building their relationship. He needs her to accept him as he is and not try to change him

(47:53):
into somebody because if you before we found out Dane was garbage, Dane was like this perfect,
who's a real follower like he did what he thought was right, you know, and Zaden doesn't do that.
Zaden does Zaden does what he thinks he should do, whether it's right or wrong to other people.
And I like that about him, but he wants to buy it to accept that. And also she has to realize that

(48:17):
he has an entire community of people that are relying on him. Like literally 107 lives are
marked into his back and he's responsible for them, much less the entire community back home.
I think she asks sometimes too much of him or she is like, which I understand because again,
if it was me in that position, I'd probably be the same way as Violet. I probably would be like,

(48:40):
I deserve to know. I can't trust you without knowing because trust issues. But I don't know,
I just feel like she doesn't cut him a break knowing that literally lives are dependent on the
fact that his secrets do not get out, especially before she can shield. Like that was a very heavy
topic at the end of the book and part of this one. And it's like, girl, you can't even keep Dane

(49:01):
out of your head. Dane, who's a third year, much less an actual combative soldier out here that
might have even stronger powers. And you think that he should just spill out his secrets so
everybody else can die? Like my thing is, I feel she wants to bear the weight of everything that
he is going through. Yeah, but she will never bear the weight at the same level that he is. And I

(49:23):
think that's almost very obvious in the physical aspect of he has little scars that were engraved
by her mother into his body. Yeah. That I mean, you're never going to have that as like Violet's
not. So she can't ask him to bear the weight the same with her as he has because she doesn't have
that physical reminder. And I'm sorry, but I mean, she really doesn't have that.

(49:48):
She didn't have that emotional barrier. Yeah, like, like she talks about at one point, he literally had
his whole family murdered for this cause where she just like found out her mom has been lying. So
that the emotional aspect, I totally understand as well, because I mean, if somebody died,
you're not going to grieve the same if you were not as close to that person as somebody else.

(50:11):
And even with the cause, I mean, she's she's not as into the rebellion other than after she finds
up Brennan's alive. I mean, yeah, he's in it, but he's only been it for six years. They didn't
slid at his whole life. So it's not on the same level of where she her see his secrets doesn't
have to be her secrets. Well, and I think that too, that she is she again, she sees it, she takes

(50:34):
it so personal, like he's withholding on purpose. He's withholding from her on purpose, rather than
he's literally withholding to save people's lives. Like, you can't you can't really be mad about that.
Your feelings can be hurt, but you can't really hold that against him. And this entire at least
the first part of the book is literally just her holding it against him. And it gets it gets annoying.

(50:55):
But she does take it very personal when everybody in her life betrays her. And I get that totally
get that. But it's somehow become like a common theme throughout the rest of this thing. And then
I will say, it's interesting to watch. So like Mira, Mira doesn't hold it against her one lick.
Mira says you tried to tell me I didn't listen. That's my fault. Doesn't say you should tell me

(51:18):
about Brennan. None of that. Her friends don't get mad at her for her secrets. And she even says to
herself like, So wait, they're not mad at me, but I'm so mad that Zaden, like she even acknowledges
that maybe she shouldn't be as mad as she is. But then she continues to still be mad at him.
And it continues to be the plot of the whole book. And I don't know, I just didn't. I really hope that

(51:40):
the next book is not that same plot line for their relationship. I do hope they've grown and matured.
You would think surviving a battle like this, they would, but I think because of what happens at the
very end of the book, which I'm not going to spoil just yet, if anybody's listening, that's just
getting snippets and didn't want to read it. Mom, we're an hour in. There's no way they listened
this long. And they're not listening to it. I got bad notes. But at the end, whenever everything

(52:05):
happens, I feel like that's going to be more of a, how do I save him theme in the next book? I think
that's a lot of what we're going to, we're going to run. I think that's actually probably going to
be the theme of at least the next two books. Yeah. So then we get into the big interrogation scene
with all of the squad, which I personally, I feel this really solidified their bond as a squad. I

(52:27):
feel like this took their friendship level to a whole. And honestly, I expected one of them to
break. I'm not going to lie. And I did too. I thought one of the guys were going to break. I'm not
going to lie to you. But I honestly, I wrote on in this, this whole section is that whenever the
truth sayer comes in, and was just like, you've got to give me the pieces of information. I'll

(52:47):
know if you're lying or whatever. And Riddick says, my map is under my mattress. And she says,
my effing jaw drops. I was just like, I mean, we just sit in here, just like throw it out crap.
And even like the man says, oh, we're going with the start lying immediately. So we don't know
when you're telling the truth strategy. But that's just like that comedic relief that Riddick brings.

(53:09):
But yes, whenever they're in there, and they're just being beat up over and over and over again.
And then whenever Veresh brings Ados or Dane in, and it's like, hey, you need to, you know,
take her memories. And he was that to me was the one time that I was okay. I'm wearing a tiny hair
or liking Dane a little bit. But he was just like, Hey, it says in the codex that you cannot do this

(53:34):
whenever somebody's, you know, injured this badly and stuff like that, which they emphasize like
her eye swelling shot and stuff like that. So he basically walks out and tells Veresh that he's
not going to do it. And so that was one hair of a moment that I sort of like Dane and he actually
did right for once in his entire life. But then the whole squad comes together, really works well

(53:57):
with the team and escapes this area. And I really whenever they walk up to the professor and is like,
hand us over our paths. Well, and that kind of so before that scene starts, when they're sharing
truths or whatever, I love that she's like, I'm in love with Zaden. And they're all like, girl, we knew
that. You know, everybody knows that. I thought it was so funny. And then it really does like you

(54:21):
said like solidify their bond and everything. It really does build that relationship. And I think
also when Veresh comes in there and then brings Dane in there, he has an active hand in it and
he's so like aggressive and trying to break rules and everything. I think the other three watching
also were like, something's not right. I think they knew this had taken another level. This wasn't

(54:42):
typical. And then when Dane says no, even more so, I think they're probably like, because I think
they're just seeing where it's like Rhianna looks at her like scared because when Dane comes in there
and they share that moment of terror, like he's going to do it again. Even though Rhianna doesn't
know what's at stake, but even she acknowledges like something's wrong, something's going on,
we're about to be exposed or you know, whatever. And I don't know, I just really, it really helped

(55:06):
me like, because again, I did, I thought one of the guys were going to break. I'm not going to lie.
When Riddick said that, before we find out she was a truth sayer, when Riddick said that, I thought
he was being honest and then they just weren't going to believe that he was being honest. That's
what I thought was going to happen. I thought they're going to be like, oh, so we're going to lie
and Riddick's over there thinking, I'm telling the truth, but these idiots don't even know. Like, I

(55:26):
don't know. Well, I think it's too with that. I think this was the interrogation where I almost
like set a trap for Zayden to show up and Violet kept saying to Terran, tell him to stay away,
tell him to stay away. It's a trap for him to come in and stuff like that. And I think that he
brought Dane in. You wanted him to break the rules. Yeah. Yeah. I think he brought Dane in too, because
he could, he tell the Dane was a weakness for her. So I think he brought- And that she was a weakness

(55:50):
for Dane, I think is more to it also. Yeah. And honestly, I think if they had not taken the drink
of the serum, that it probably would have happened and it probably would have went total opposite,
but luckily Violet was smart enough to detect that. But smart enough then, but not smart enough later.

(56:10):
When she says a familiar aftertaste, I was like, are you serious? Yes. Come on. Well, and then the
next scene we get, which you were very angry about when you were reading, is Jack Barlow shows back
up and comes back from the dead. Okay. So we can bring Jack back. Let's bring Liam. Like, why are we

(56:31):
playing games? I thought, I thought Rebecca said in an interview that once people are dead, they
say dead. Did she not say that? She said that she does not like the line of bringing somebody back
from the dead. You have Liam that sort of shows. I mean, he wasn't back from the dead, but Jack got
brought back from the dead. Also, I mean, we couldn't have just come up with somebody else that could

(56:52):
have been. Yeah, we could have spent somebody else evil. Yeah. It was just, okay, we're bringing back
the same argument from the first situation, but granted, it was significant because we find out
the venants can be in the sky with their vending powers and stuff like that. I mean, we're not
being wrong, but it's me like, okay, I get why he came back, but I hate him still. So it still wasn't.

(57:14):
Period. And I don't see how it like, by it being Jack, I don't really see how that added to the
storyline because we didn't like, there's a couple comments about like, I still don't trust him or
like, he's, you know, whatever. But other than that, it really doesn't change anything. No. And

(57:34):
Liam was too is the whole thing where, which we find out that one professor passed out the papers
that that's part that violet. Yeah, that Zaden had been injured and all that, but she passed out
the propaganda with that. But the other professors, the one that introduced like, oh, let's deflect and
like, let's bring Jack back in. Everybody welcome Jack. And it's just like, okay, when nobody liked

(57:56):
him. So why are we, and then the other thing is they all were clapping. Did you notice that
everybody except for the score was clapping. So then we get into a little bit into that
battle brief and they're sitting there going over everything and violet. So there's a hint from one
of the professors, which honestly, I don't know how you're going to relate scratching your neck,
you know, to, oh my God, and Zaden that, you know, got hurt or whatever. But yeah, that kind of took

(58:21):
me. But yeah, she gets up, leaves, and then she flies against orders, of course, which we know
she's going to end up being punished because of that. But she gets the flight jacket from, was it
Bodie? And I really liked that scene that he was just like, who in the world's jacket are you freaking
wearing right now? And that was a really cute moment with that. But that whole scene just to me was a

(58:45):
little, it was a little unnecessary, but I, I feel like a lot of things after this was a little
bit unnecessary. But we do meet Kat for the first time. So like that added to that, which,
and we don't like her either. But you know, towards the end, I like her by the end of it.
I don't like the plotline of like this jealous ex girlfriend. I'm just not personally a fan of

(59:09):
that plotline in any book. I think it's childish. But I guess it goes along with the, you keep secrets,
I'm gonna keep secrets, Bob too. So. Well, I did like what Taryn said about, about her. He said,
to which I will remind you that not a single dragon chose her, you were selected by two.
Pull yourself together. And I was just like, yes, please. Yeah, I love that. I felt, at that scene,

(59:30):
there's another scene later where she like questions his judgment. And he is literally like,
okay, babe, I chose you for a reason. And if you don't start acknowledging that, we're gonna have
problems. I'm tired of this disrespecting yourself. Like, I love that. I love Taryn. I love him.
And even Darda, I love, we get to see her little like, adolescent attitude. I love it.

(59:52):
And I do really like whenever she does return and everything that she goes up to the professor
that's doing all the math challenges. And I really like how he says, I'm not saying I have a favorite,
but if I did, I would suggest that this is what you do to cover your tracks because you left
against orders. I really liked that because you always have that favorite teacher that just,
you were their favorite, did a little bit more for you than others. I like that he says, and if I had

(01:00:16):
another favorite, I would hope that other favorite is teaching you to shield. I love that too.
And then we find out various corners her, she's going up to her room and he tries to strip her
naked. And my thing is, he was just trying to, he wasn't going to strip her naked.
I mean, I feel like he would end up if he cut off. Oh, oh, absolutely.

(01:00:38):
But my thing is, he was like, you're impersonating officers by wearing their jacket. She literally
is just wearing the jacket. She never once walked, if you're walking around in a Halloween costume,
that's a police officer. You're not impersonating an officer. You know what I mean? You're just
walking around in a police uniform. So it's just a dumb statement. But well, also, I like about

(01:00:58):
that that he tries to quote the codex at her. And she's like, actually, it's section two.
I was like, can you get on to me? Because I know the rules yourself, dude.
But well, and then I really liked whenever the other professor, I believe it's pronounced Kory
walks up and he was just like, well, you can hardly affect a second year to shield out the
overpowering emotions of a dragon, even when we struggle as officers, let alone as one strongest

(01:01:22):
parent and various, well, maybe you struggle, but some don't bow to the winds of their dragon.
In fact, we influence them. That would mean that you influence solace to set fire to a squad of
bonded dragons after the parapet. And he also was, well, we're done here. We're fine. We're solved.
And I was just then reflecting back to the whole Jack thing, whenever he kills Bade over the word

(01:01:42):
stone, me, can they influence the dragon? Hopefully we'll see more of that in the next book.
Well, and they keep emphasizing in both of the books to the comment that humans do not tell
dragons what to do. So I feel like that plays into that a little bit as well. We just don't
know anything really in detail about that yet. But the next part is sort of insignificant, but
me and Carly have both like talked about this. It didn't quite make sense whenever Violet was

(01:02:06):
attempted to be assassinated by some inventory that had been hired by Dane's dad. Jack ended
up saving her. And to me, that was just really confusing. I think for the both of us of why
he saved her. And Carly actually mentioned that she thought it was because he was trying to cover
his tracks and not be brought out as this, you know, bad guy who's secretly trying to be good
so that way nobody paid attention to him, which I think is probably the most reasonable explanation.

(01:02:30):
But again, I do feel like that scene was almost unnecessary.
Yeah, well, I agree. It was he does say in that scene that he didn't know it was her.
Yeah. But the Jack Barlow we all know and hey, wouldn't save anybody. Yeah. Yeah. He
wouldn't save anybody who cares if it's Violet. So the fact that he saved anyone is off character

(01:02:51):
and weird as well. I get it that she's the main character. So the problem I've killed her off.
But my thing is, is the whole thing could have just been he would have just turned around
seeing it was her even just seen it was anybody and just walked away. And then not only that,
but Violet didn't go up to anybody and be like, well, Jack Barlow saved me. Let's all give him
a ward or anything. So to me, just a lot of that was just unnecessary. And I just don't know if

(01:03:12):
that's the way I think that was to try to make this trust jack. And so then when he turned bad
again, the end, it was like, Oh, no. But I know I was wrong for that. I'm sorry, Rebecca. No,
it was a good. But no, I was wrong for that because Jack Barlow deserves to rot. But again,
it was just like another scene that I felt could have been cut out and made the book a little bit
shorter, which don't get me wrong. I mean, I get that it did build up a lot with a lot of these

(01:03:38):
scenes. But I do think that this book was extremely long compared to the other one. And some scenes
were a little hard to get through because it just didn't feel like it related to anything. And it may
in the future, it may. But because I mean, after I read Iron Flame, I went back and reread Fourth
Wing because there was so much that I was able to connect dots. So it's maybe the same for the
third one, which I like that as of where we stand right now with the two books we have,

(01:03:59):
it just didn't seem significant. And I do like when there's things that I miss and I pick up
when I reread, but I, but only when it's actually really important, not when it's just subcontext
or, oh, you know, I didn't think about that. For example, well, we'll talk about that in the fan
theories or whatever, but there are a lot of things I think like hinted towards Cygnus or whatever.
And while that's all fun and dandy, it doesn't really matter whether you hinted to it or not,

(01:04:23):
what matters is what's what it is and then how it's used. You know what I'm saying? So there's,
it doesn't change the story if you did or did not hint to it. It's good writing. And if you pick up
on it, congratulations. But like, I don't know, I needed to actually matter to the story for it to
be big to me or whatever. And not everybody's that way. Like I said, some people love to deep dive.
And that's, I'm a deep diver. The whole like Taylor Swift and her Easter eggs. I mean,

(01:04:45):
I literally FaceTime Carly the other night was like, Oh my gosh, I just rediscovered this whole
thing. To me, there was, there was quite a few things that were just surprising that we both
hadn't picked up on that were just so insignificant, but could relate to a fan theory, which we'll go
into that later. But so the next sort of scenes, which they break into the archives to try to steal
one of the journals that they believe have the hints to the Wardstone. Why do these people not

(01:05:11):
have a single thought about guess what, there may be alarms that it's going to go off for somebody
if we break into the archives? Yeah, it was, it was thought out, but not thought out. I feel like
Violet was smarter than what, what happened. You know what I mean? Even with the moment situation
after the fact, I feel like that whole scene was just so hard to her intelligence. Yes.

(01:05:34):
And I don't know if it was just because she was just in the moment. Oh, I've got something that
Zaden didn't think of I'm contributing to what Zaden's calling it or, you know,
or she was just desperate maybe or just because she knew something he didn't. I don't know.
Whatever it was, I was like, I thought she was supposed to be smart. Yeah. So then she ends up

(01:05:55):
getting kidnapped. Nailin basically drugs her and she ends up getting kidnapped by a bearish and
held for several days and they keep forcing the serum down her throats and so. Which also doesn't
make sense. So I would like to know in the next book what the life of this serum is because they
did have to give her more than one dose. Yeah. And when they were under, when they did their

(01:06:16):
initial like all four of them were in the scenario or whatever, they didn't give them more than or
they didn't intend to give them more than when they only give them the initial dose. But they
didn't give them any more liquids after that. So I'd like to know how long it actually lasts,
because even once they broke out the next day and we're out in the forest, they still couldn't
reach their people. So I just would like to know. But yeah. And I think it may just be by power

(01:06:38):
because at the end whenever Zaden goes in the bonus chapter and visits Jack and he says, oh,
I'm due for the next dose, which it seemed like it was like the very evening, the evening after,
the morning after it all happened. So because he's stronger, does he need more often doses?
It may just depend on how much is it the same dose or do they have specific preventing? I have a

(01:06:59):
lot of questions. Yeah. So when in the kidnapping interrogation, we get Liam again. And I was
literally, let me take this before we start. I saw Liam shut the book and started crying because
I was like, I'm not emotionally prepared to read about Liam in this context, ma'am. Well,
and I was really hoping he was going to be brought back to life or something. I'm not Liam was

(01:07:23):
honestly one of my favorite cages. And honestly, now like listening to Rebecca's interview where
she said, oh, Liam's not going to be brought back. I was just and it was really upsetting the first
time I read this because I was just like, oh my gosh, she's going to get brought back just like
Jack did. But and then I also sort of question whether or not of Liam into some of the fan theories,
but whether or not Liam was, was somebody else's signet being brought back or whether or not he

(01:07:47):
is part of maybe Violet's second signet, which we'll do. Drive into the theories that support that.
But see, and I think, I think I love the comment about maybe it was just a kindness from Malik.
I love the idea that, which I'm a big like, I love to read like Hades and Persephone,
but anyway, so I love the idea like even like the God of Death would still have some sort of

(01:08:10):
kindness or sympathy to land or whatever. But it also could just been hallucinations for Violet.
But I was happy at least heavily and back a little bit. Yeah. And then the other thing was,
what I found really, really crazy to me is that Veresh Violet discovers that Veresh has been
training Dane, which honestly then makes me hesitate with Dane by that comment for the

(01:08:33):
rest of the book, because I was just, he's worked closely and they basically said that he's been
pulling people into rooms and using Dane to try to go pat them in there. Yeah. And to me,
there is a scene earlier in the book that she comes across Nolan and he's just there and he's
escorting a girl in, he's like, you know, I'm mending a soul or whatever like that.

(01:08:55):
He's escorting some happy girl and she's like, well, she doesn't seem like she's injured. So
they're really pulling these well people into rooms for Dane to like try to pull back their
memories. And I'm wondering how many of those people they're actually destroying. You can't,
the first couple of times you're sitting there doing that, there's no way that people are not
being killed because like he's going too far or doing too much or you know, something. So to me,

(01:09:18):
it really makes me like question Dane a lot because I'm just what has been going on with
Dane behind these scenes that we do not know about. And now here he is like later on in the book,
going to their secret palace. And then it also makes me wonder, is he the people that tells
Mel Green where they are? Because Mel Green knows exactly where they are. And me and Violet question
is how does he know where we are? So there's a lot with Dane that makes me a little.

(01:09:44):
Yeah, I'm definitely not. I never will be on the Dane train. Let me just put it that way.
However, I'm not totally convinced, even though he did help translate, he did, he did do some good
things. I'm not totally convinced that he's as innocent as he likes to seem. He's too by the
book for me. Like he literally told Violet, I will go with a book over your life. So yeah,

(01:10:09):
I would let you die because of the rules. Yeah. And so to me, there is no way that this man is
just going to abandon everything and just walk away and just like be fine with that without at
least something being reported back. But there is a scene that I really honestly, it may be a little
bit more again, but she says to Veresh that you're hunting Zaden, but Taryn is hunting Solis.

(01:10:30):
You're the weaker on both counts. I might die in this chamber, but I promise you will. And to me,
I was just even though you are freaking tortured to death, basically, you still have a little bit
of sass and I like it. I did too. And I liked that. Well, and to start before she even said that,
he's taunting her and saying all these awful things and she's like, does Solis enjoy hiding?

(01:10:54):
Yeah. And he's actively caught off guard. He's like, what? Yeah. And then she says that,
the quote you just said, and then he gets so mad and he goes off and pouts or whatever. And she's
like, and then when later, when Dane does get her out or whatever and here comes Zaden and Dane
acts like he's going to kill Veresh, which also makes me wonder if he did that to hide some of

(01:11:16):
his own secrets. But anyways, we'll see. But I like that Zaden's like, no, that's Violet's honor
if she wants it. And Violet's like, oh, I do. I'm gonna be honest with you. I told you you're done
here. Well, and then the, I know this sounds really, really bad. And I even put like, what's wrong
with me and then put like, like Zaden coming in and just murdering a bunch of people for her.

(01:11:38):
They talk about literate bodies and then, you know, back in the other book, you know, him going
into the room and killing everybody for her. It's me that just, he's just, it makes it even better.
When Garak said, bro, you didn't say anything for me, I was like, no, absolutely he did not.
I was excited. And then he says, he says that, oh, and he, he sits there and he says something

(01:11:59):
along the lines of, you know, I told you there's nowhere you can go out and find you or something
like that. I think it's in this scene is where he says that. But I even put like, this is my note,
I said, why does this make me happy? And it's Zaden's hand wraps around mine and he jabs forward
driving the blame into Veresh Hart. And I memorized the look on Veresh's face as his life fades out
of him, just so I can reassure myself that he's really dead when the nightmares that rivally come.

(01:12:24):
And that was just, it was, I know this sounds so weird, but it was a romantic moment of like,
I'll help you kill him because you're not strong enough to do it yourself. But I mean, it really,
I don't know why that made me so happy, but it did because it's supposed to, it's okay. There's
other wrong. Yeah, it was, I don't want a man that's going to help me slay my enemies. What are
you talking about? I don't want Dane who's going to send me to die with them. Well, and then I,

(01:12:49):
we go into a scene where Violet's mom shows up and basically tries to help them escape,
which I'm honestly, I think that's why in the scene with Mel Green, they talk about her having
bruises around her eyes and stuff. I'm wondering if she was tortured because she helps them get out
of there, but not sure if everybody, anybody finds out about that or not. And I don't know if we ever
will, but I think it mentions like her lack of sleep. Like that is part of it. But I don't know.

(01:13:15):
It's hard when you're reading because like if someone had, for example, someone I knew came to
work and they had, I would say bags under their eyes or like dark, but I wouldn't say bruises.
Yeah. So you just don't know if that's, you know, you never know if it's intentional or if it was
just, sometimes a word is used to make it seem more dramatic and then really, you know, but.

(01:13:38):
Well, and then she basically describes why she made Violet go into the writer's quadrant.
And it basically, she says that she did that because she was afraid that Violet would uncover
all these secrets and want, and honestly, it sounds like she was, I'm afraid you're going to be
in the black Dane and do the right thing and tell everybody and get yourself killed. So to me, that

(01:14:00):
was very, it made me understand their relationship a lot more to me than when I did prior just because
she really does love her children completely. And this to me was just, I wanted you to live. And
this was the best way because I knew Zaden would protect you once you got into this quadrant.
So. Well, I think part of it too was, I think she says that that, you know, I had to force you into

(01:14:24):
here because I thought you would become more because you're a Markham's protege and that you would
learn all of this and you wouldn't just go along with it. And so instead of sending you there and
dying because of that, I'm sending you somewhere that can prepare you to fight back when that time
inevitably comes. Yeah, I think it was more of, I can't do it, but I can send you and prepare you

(01:14:46):
so that when you decide to do it, you have the tools and people that you need, I think.
Well, and I really like too that Violet, sister, whenever Zaden just let's go and Violet's like,
no, we need to give everybody the choice because, and I really, that implant was put in her mind
because there is a scene with Chesina that she says, Hey, I noticed you're pulling away from
everybody. You should give them the choice you gave me. And to me, I really feel like she really

(01:15:11):
didn't trust everybody. She was emphasizing trust, but yet she didn't trust anybody. There is a scene
with Garrick that basically they gather everybody in the room and they're just talking like crazy and
Zaden says enough and overwhelms the moshadows and everybody gets quiet and Garrick says show off.

(01:15:32):
And it says right afterwards, a corner of Zaden's mouth rises. And it's just a little bromance
thing going on there that I liked. But as they're sitting there giving everybody options, I find
it very significant that some of the dragons are willing to share what actually is happening to
the riders and some are not. And I think that is a little questionable too. Why are you not wanting
to protect your riders or the veils? Something was off with that. And that's not the question.

(01:15:56):
It makes me question you like if there's not, not necessarily that the dragons are a part or
helping the Venon, but more or less if there's not a contingency plan to protect the veil for the
dragons and just say screw you to all the riders. You know what I'm saying? Well, and I mean, that's
the second time now that that's happened because the girl in the first one that lets all of the

(01:16:17):
unbunded riders into Violet's room and she gets killed. I think her name was Amber. That's now
the second time Violet tried to share her memory with all of the dragons and some of the riders
didn't get that memory. So I feel like that's significant now that that's happened twice.
And so I feel like there's something there as well, but I'm not quite sure. I also like that
Taryn doesn't like that. He's like seriously again. And she's like yes. And so he doesn't anyways,

(01:16:42):
but I like that he's like, would you stop? Well, and she says something along the lines to herself
that it's one of those intimate connections that she he doesn't like sharing because of its intimacy.
I really like whenever the professors that defended her all, I'm coming with you to,
I've been waiting for this moment. And I really like whenever they show up right before we get

(01:17:04):
into the second part. And Brennan's like, what in the crap did you do? And Violet's like, well,
you said you needed riders. So I brought the ball to you. And it was just one of those brotherly
sister moments of now you've got me into this mess and I'm going to have to clean that for you too.
So I thought that was really, really cool. So then we get back to Eurasia and basically that's

(01:17:26):
whenever we find out that Zaden had bared the scar for Violet for vouching for her and everything.
And to me though, what didn't make sense is he had to bear the scar for Violet, but then all of
these other riders that come in, nobody had a bear scar for them. You know what I mean? It was
just totally, I think he did that when they very first came over because Imogen didn't realize it.

(01:17:48):
So I think it's more or less because when it's one person, obviously, that's a lot easier to control.
They wanted to chain her up. They wanted to lock her up for whatever you know. And also because
she is the general's daughter. And so I think when all of the people came, I think they didn't have a
choice but to accept it. Now they did even say we should question them all. But I think he went to
those extremes for Violet because first the risk was higher for her, but also because I think

(01:18:13):
it was a declaration that she comes before even Eurasia. He is his number one priority even before
then. Well, if Felix says something like that, one of his training sessions with her is he says,
we wanted to lock you up because we knew that he would give up everything that we have fought so
hard for for you. And you were his biggest weakness. You were what can destroy us all. So I think that

(01:18:34):
there was a lot of that too that was going on behind the scenes. Just so hot. Can you imagine?
He would condemn his entire community and all of his people and everything he's worked for to say
that we have problems like so much. We start reading some other things that are worse. So much
of this toxicity we're on board with. We both have daddy issues. That's the problem. But anyways.

(01:18:59):
All right, guys, you might notice that we are in different outfits. We had to come back as I had
some technical difficulties. So we're going to resume where we left off. So we started talking
about how Adana wakes up from her dream sleep, which they emphasize several bits in here that
this is the longest they've ever known any dragons asleep through their dream sleep. And that is

(01:19:20):
unusual, which all relate to her being this different breed of dragons. And then I also want
to touch on the fact that whenever Mira arrives, because they recruited a couple different, I
think they're called hordes, I'm just also going to add that I love that Taren is like he's letting
on that he's a little bit nervous about it also, but he's trying to maintain it so that

(01:19:42):
Violet's not totally freaking out. But he's also like, this is not normal.
Well, and it was sad to me to find out that she cannot bear a rider. And I feel like that was
paralleling her to Violet's disabilities as well. There is a quote that actually I overlooked. And
it really sets the tone for Adana's sass the rest of the book. But basically, Adana says,

(01:20:07):
can you carry the luminary? And Taren says, this question insults me. And she said, well,
can you carry a luminary while insulted? And I literally busted out laughing. I would have
never thought of that comeback either. And here she is the freaking dragon and thought of this
comeback. So I thought that was really cute. But I think it's called a drift of dragons

(01:20:29):
that comes running that way. And so Mira shows up and my favorite part is she just walks straight
up to Brennan and just socks him in the face. And then she's good. She's like, I socked you in the
face, you're fine. Buck it up, gross and balls. We're good. We're moving on. So I love how he's
literally gushing blood. And he's like, you had to break it. And she's like, I could have done
worse. You're lucky I didn't. Yeah, I really love that moment. To me, it made me like Mira in this

(01:20:54):
next chapter really well, because she basically was just like, you were right. The whole entire time
Violet, I was wrong. I didn't catch on to what you were saying. Tell me how I can help you. She
really just became like super supportive instantly of Violet. And she's so sorry, I underestimated
you. I'm not gonna do that again. So I really appreciate that as well, because most people
are not going to admit they're wrong, especially whenever you're the badass, like she is, you know,

(01:21:17):
everybody knows her reputation. So when Zaden is fighting the guy underground for the leave,
so he has time to spend with her. And this is random. But the girl goes, your lieutenant
Soren Gale's sister, and she like gets acknowledged as Mira's sister instead of her mom's daughter
or whatever. And she's like, Oh, I like that one. I might be okay with that one. I was like,

(01:21:40):
Yeah, that's the bomb. That's what we're setting here. Well, I mean, she really does have a
fantastic reputation. I was glad that we did get a little bit more time with her. And especially
the first one, the only really big scene we got was whenever Violet and Zaden first had their first
internal conversation. So it was really good to see that different side and have more of that sisterly

(01:22:02):
vibe with her throughout this book. So I enjoyed that a little bit more as well. Even though again,
it was one of those things that I didn't feel was necessary to have. But it was nice, especially
knowing now that her mom has died at the end of this book, it was nice to know that she has at
least one person in a corner because we got to know Brennan throughout this entire thing and
where he's at with everything. But we haven't heard much from Mira other than the fact that,

(01:22:26):
Oh, there's rumors she's over here. So that was nice to see as well.
Well, I think to not only see Violet and Brennan relationship, and then Violet and Mira's, and
then Mira's and Brennan's, but also all three of them and how the balance is throughout and how
different they are. And then getting to see how the mom interacts, each of those three also,
that was just a cool aspect to add something to the story. But I would agree that it wasn't pivotal,

(01:22:50):
it didn't add to the plot or nothing. It was just a little side thing.
And I did like the scene that it started out with the next chapter, them arguing and Zaden's like,
Oh, to have siblings. So it was nice to be reminded that they're normal people, but I don't feel like
it could have been as much as what it was kind of thing. It was just, okay, Mira showed up.
She's mad. Let's move on. I could have just been happy like with the break in his nose.

(01:23:11):
We moved on from that. I'd have been good there. Yeah. I mean, honestly, if we ended there, I don't
I don't think anything after that really had much significance to other than that little
second where Violet stood up to them for the first time. And I felt that was a moment that really
made them see her. But I don't feel like it was necessary for that because I feel like everybody
does see Violet in a different life than what they did. So I mean, it may be pivotal in the future,

(01:23:35):
but not for this book for me. Well, and I feel like partially it was probably included to set up
the dynamics when they went to visit the palace. Yeah. Yeah. And then like how Mira came to her
defense going down the stairs into the little arena and then Brunnen immediately went down there,
like whatever's happening, we're going to face it together. But also I won't say that added a whole

(01:23:57):
lot to the Violet still was the one that really faced it. They didn't really do that. So it didn't
really add, but it was nice. I did think that honestly, if they would have just cut to that
where Brunnen walks down the stairs and joins them, I'm going to, you know, guard my sisters.
You know, that would be added more to the story in that few seconds moments than the whole scene

(01:24:17):
after the punch in the face. So we then follow up with going to, I believe with Crowns, Cordon,
the palace. I'm going to say that's what it is. Where we discovered today. Y'all know what we're
talking about. So that's where we discovered that Zayden has his own little room in this palace,
which honestly, why does he still have a freaking room if they haven't been engaged

(01:24:37):
and so freaking long? But that's not here nor there, I guess. But before we get into this,
because I'm going to be very negative, but I actually, by the time we get past all of the
catty immature relationship with cat and everything, I actually end up liking cat. However,
it was very far down the line for me. It was. It was the end of the book. But yeah, I'm not a fan

(01:25:00):
of the jealous ex-girlfriend trope and where there's a tease and trust issues already.
Maybe that's my own insecurities, but I'm not a fan of that. So I struggled with that line of
the story. I was like, can we get this over with? Because they're literally fighting for their lives.
I'm not sure we should be fighting over a man. It was very drawn out to me for sure, because

(01:25:21):
it could have been one of those things. Again, the sibling whole situation, it could have been
just like, sure, this is his ex. Oh, I'm jealous. But we did, however, get all that to leave to the
throne scene. So I mean, that's true. We could have just skid to where they should challenge her on
the mat and then we get the throne scene. Those two parts I liked, but the rest of it. And I think

(01:25:45):
even more so, what bothered me is that every single character but Kat could see that Kat was being
ridiculous. And at that point in real life, if you act like that, people pull away, people don't
talk to you. She would have been isolated for that. There would have been consequences. So.
Well, I think she was in a sense, I mean, they didn't pinpoint exactly that she was. But when

(01:26:06):
they do go back to a ratio with them, that is one of their sitting in Rhianna's sister's house.
And she points out Kat sitting by herself and everybody else's chit chatting and intermingling.
So I think there's several points that she points that out that she's kind of isolated.
But I feel like that was honestly unnecessary. I feel like every moment seems to have like

(01:26:28):
an immediate villain, I guess you can say. And so that was that moments villain. But we could
have still been talking about the vinnan or something to make that villainous. But I do like
the little jealousy thing just because of where it led to. Because I mean, the throne scene was
chef's kiss. But it was just. Stop for children. That is for sure. No, no, this is we're getting

(01:26:50):
into the part that's R rated. So but it definitely to me was just a little bit more drawn on,
especially in like the scene that they were trying to do on the cliff side. So a lot of that just
added like a little bit sereneness to the whole scene. I feel like was important for that. But
which we'll talk about here in a second. But I just feel the catty nest was not in the same

(01:27:10):
points. Well, I think there's a difference. I don't know if it's like the way it was done
that bothered me more or just in general. But I think there's a difference in I'm mad at you
because you took the throne away from me. And I'm coming at you because of Zaden. It was written
more about Zaden. And then all of a sudden when they won on the mat, she starts talking about the
throne that she was supposed to have it all of a sudden changes. So I guess maybe that's what

(01:27:32):
bothered me more is pick make up your mind, first of all. And second of all, like, I know Violet
was about to win. But also if you're going to be this jealous ex who mouths at me and says
awful things, I have to beat you up. That's a principle. So then Violet didn't really get to
beat her up. And Zaden took her off. I was like, okay, I'm mad even more. Well, so side note, but

(01:27:53):
did you see the fan theory about how they believe that the guy that was the king son ends up with
her because she wants the throne and she ends up finding out that he's the prince. Ham. Yes.
Also, have you seen the fan theory that Kat ends up with Dane?
No, that wouldn't be far out for me. And that would be good for Dane. He needs a strong woman

(01:28:14):
that can take him under control. And I think she would like that too, to be treated like a princess
like, Oh, let me get the door for you because you may break your arm situation. So it may be good
for her. And she may need something like that too. Let it be like a side note, like get out there and
get off the page, go away. Like very side. So then I don't I cannot accept that Dane deserves

(01:28:39):
anything good. I'm still mad. Even though earlier this episode, I tried to defend him a little bit.
I wasn't really defending him. I was more explaining, but I still don't want him to have
anything good in his life. I'm still mad just to be clear. So then we get into where Violet shows
off to trade for the Illuminary, which to me was I feel there was one part of that that really

(01:29:02):
was pivotal for future books. Now, whether or not it was like pivotal in the moment,
but they were describing that the palace was built off of other lands that had already been
drained by Venon. And I feel like that could come into play in future books about how maybe
they stopped the Venon from being as powerful because if they fight on a battleground that's

(01:29:23):
already drained, what do they have? So I mean, I feel like that that was mentioned for a reason,
but I don't feel like it was. I have a theory, but you would think though, if the Venon were aware
that people were collecting the ground and building things out of it, building fortresses,
building arenas to protect themselves, you would think they would like clean up after themselves.

(01:29:46):
They would ensure they can't use that against them because they're not totally mindless creatures.
They're very cognizant and very aware for these awful power hungry people. And so you would think
they would cover their trails. So then I'm wondering if maybe there's not more to that
principle. I mean, it's a possibility, but my other thought is with that is maybe the Griffins
just aren't as important as the Dragonriders to them. So maybe they just don't really care because

(01:30:12):
the Griffins are the only ones so far that we know about that are using that. So maybe they just
don't really have any desire to have anything to do with them because whenever they're going into
the outposts and stuff like that, they're searching for the Wardstones. So if this location didn't have
anything like that and it's outside the barriers and stuff, so maybe it just wasn't a significant.

(01:30:33):
Something like long term, I guess. Yeah.
But if I found out that even no offense, but if the Griffin riders were smart enough to
start hoarding this stuff and building arenas out of it to capture Vinnan, I'm pretty sure I would
start cleaning up after myself to avoid the future use of that in battle. The one thing I want to
mention before we move on is that Sloane reads Liam's letters. Every time I mention Liam,

(01:30:59):
I get really choked up, but she reads his letters and it was just like a sweet moment where all
of a sudden it was she starts reading it was October's letters where Liam starts talking about how
his relationship with Violet starts adding on. Oh, I know. Can I read the quote from one of them?
That's the chapter 64. Okay. I'm going to cry, but so it says recovered course.

(01:31:21):
I need to read it for you.
So it says recovered course. It's on it's of Cadet Liam Murray to Sloane Murray and just for note
because you can't see. I have a little sad face next to it and it says you're going to love Violet.
She's smart and stubborn. Reminds me a lot of you actually. You just have to remember when you
meet her, she's not her mother. And what's even crazier is what happens at the end where the

(01:31:47):
mom has Sloane drain her life and it's such a full circle moment considering what happened with Sloane's
mom and Liam's mom. But when I read that, it's not even a sad scene, but then that all of a sudden
is just like the top of the page and I was just sobbing. I was like, literally anything with Liam's name on it.
I think you just cry. She's constantly sending me TikToks. I'm just Liam. I came to my phone

(01:32:12):
after not looking at my TikToks for like 20 minutes and there was 42 little notifications just from
her and it was all Liam content. Honestly, Rebecca should just have literally a whole book around
Liam's life because she would just like eat that thing up. I would devour that. Absolutely.
That's what I want. That's what I want. Okay. So then we move on to this challenge that they're

(01:32:38):
basically trying to prove that the Griffin riders are as big and bad as the dragon riders is basically
the gist of it. And I do feel like this was a pivotal moment, but I don't think the result of it
was as good as what the leadership hoped it would be because I don't feel like it really changed too
much other than the fact that a couple of people died. I agree. And even in the end, they didn't

(01:32:59):
really work as a unit in the battle either. I don't know if maybe book three is going to have more of
that, but as of right now what we have, I don't see the point. Well, and I think the only good thing
that I discovered from that whole entire part other than the fact that freaking was Riddick that
stabbed, but it really wasn't very important either to be honest. But the biggest thing that quickly

(01:33:22):
that was hard to have the emotional roller coaster Riddick may die because Brennan just
wept in and it was done. Yeah. But we did find out that as as they're walking up, they talk about
how the Griffin riders bond and it's basically they go cliff diving and if they land on the back
of a Griffin, great, they're bonded. If not, they just go into another place. Yeah. It's like another

(01:33:46):
just another day at the back hole. And I was just, okay, why are they so violent? Like this is so
not, but okay. But I mean, it was really one of those things that was the only important thing I
really found from that, but it was two or three chapters. It felt that was just all about this
whole situation. But yeah, that was really the only important thing other than them getting attacked
and then Violet learning that she can put lightning through the clouds, which just made sense to me

(01:34:09):
in the first place. So it's not a new discovery that like really had any standing, I guess for me.
No. And it also didn't actually help him battle, which made me even more mad because I was like,
what was the point? But I agree that that whole scene was drug out and there's not a whole lot
that really came from it. I will say too, isn't it crazy to me to do that scene whenever that

(01:34:33):
before they went into the forest and had to do that bonding thing then it wouldn't make more
sense to put that there and cut that other scene out to be honest. Gotcha. Yeah, I was going to
say too, isn't it crazy how violent the dragon training is and they're just fighting the griffons
even though the griffons are so inferior? Like it makes you wonder what are they? I don't know,

(01:34:55):
because they weren't actually preparing them to fight Venom either. There was like, it was like
somewhere in between Venom and Griffin, but neither really one of the other. It was just weird. I
don't know. Yeah, I think I think even the griffons keep saying they've been trained their whole
lives to fight Venom, but it doesn't really seem that case because they're not any stronger at
avoiding in the whole situation. So it was weird to me. Well, and there was a scene too before we

(01:35:20):
move on to mention the throne scene, but we get to the point where Violet and Cat get on the mat.
And I really do like this scene with Adarna and Tyrann and Violet and Adarna like,
scratch your eyes out really. The eyes are the softest tissue. Just grab your thumbs in there
and Tyrann goes, Darna, use some common sense. The kneecaps are much easier. Well, I guess that's

(01:35:41):
one way to look at it. At first I thought whenever he said, Darna, use some common sense. Don't mention
that when he first goes into battle or something, but instead it was, no, shoot for this instead.
I was just like, okay, well, that's how the dragons don't like her. That's, you know, it's bad. I mean,
especially Taren, like he does not get involved in petty stuff like that. Even in Violet and Zadens,

(01:36:02):
he's like, leave me out of it. Much less somebody else. So he would just eat them. I really liked,
and this is again, coming back to Violet and being remorseful. I loved that Zaden was like,
I wouldn't care if he killed her, but I know you would care. And therefore that's why I interfered.
I love that. Although I didn't want to watch her beat her up, knock her unconscious because she

(01:36:24):
deserved it. Oh, that's the sense Zaden apart to me in my head than Dane. Because Zaden's just,
you do you, but I'm just telling you what I have a feeling is going to happen in the future.
And Dane's like, no, this is the way you should do it because this is the way I believe you should
do it. So that was a whole different thing. Moving on to the highlight, I think of a lot of people
reading this series so far at least. I mean, I don't know how she could top it. This is my house,

(01:36:48):
even though I don't want it to be in the position. This is my throne, whether or not this is where
I'm supposed to be. And then you are mine. I'm going to keep fighting for you. It just like, oh,
it was just, it was such a good scene. But then I really love that. Not to get into details,
but I love that he was very much like, this moment is to reassure you, not to put anymore down in

(01:37:15):
your head. It's not up for discussion. I'm just going to show you what I mean. And we're going
to go on about our business, but I'm tired of you down yourself. And I really like too that he
really wanted to share his thoughts with her of what he was thinking in that moment. And I just
feel like it was a whole different level of intimacy that they had not hit yet. And I do think
that was really pivotal to their relationship and where it was going and where it started becoming

(01:37:39):
a little bit more mature. Keeping that in mind, they are in their early 20s. And like you said,
it is their first like real relationship because he says like he's never been in love before and
we saw from Violet at the beginning of the first book that she had never really had anything serious.
So I have to remind myself of that sometimes though. But at the same time, you're literally about to
die. You would think that would mature you a little bit and your worries would be, but maybe not.

(01:38:04):
Never been in that position. There's been a couple of times where you said, I will cut her, but you
know, well, yeah. But so there is leading up to the whole scene with finding out about
Zaden's second segment and briefly about Solis. There is a scene that I really like and I want
to talk about it more whenever Zaden Garrett gets back from this trip and she was like, oh,

(01:38:26):
I need to talk to Zaden like bad news. And she's like, no, just news, especially when there was
time to discuss. And Garrett says, good to see you, Vi. You definitely need to make him tell you
about the vinnan he took down outside of drathas. And she says, you what? And he said, thanks for
that asshole. And Kirk replies, just doing my part to help your communication skills thrive in a

(01:38:47):
stable relationship. And then image and response like you have any room to talk about a stable
relationship like that, even though it was like very insignificant, it reminded me that they're
just still like early 20, young adult. And I really like, Gary has stepped up and becoming one of my
favorites. I think fourth wing Riddick was one of those background characters that really stepped

(01:39:08):
up for me. But I have to say in this one, it's probably definitely, I mean, besides Liam,
Garak that has stepped up to do that. But well, and I would say too, that and Arna has added to
that with her sass and her teenage years. She really used that, I think, to bring in a lot of
humor to, especially during tense moments. That was fun. And then we find out that second signets

(01:39:30):
happen whenever dragons bond a rider in the familiar line. And that's whenever it clicks
for violet that Zaden's dragon is his grandfather's dragon. But my thing that I do have questions about
which I want to go into with our deep dive episode and our fan theories episode is they also mentioned
several times about the person that bonds with this person going mad. And yet we don't really see that,

(01:39:55):
at least not in an obvious way. But then we go into the scene where Solis finds and I do think
that that scene was pivotal to ending the whole Veresh ordeal. And also, I feel like that solidified
a little bit of a better relationship with cats and as well with Sloan and violet. And we also

(01:40:15):
discover what Sloan's signet is in that moment as well. So I think that whole scene was very pivotal
into ending that first part of the book to move on to the second part, which is the war that they
have with the Venom. Yeah, it pretty much wraps up everything to then go into that last scene,
last 100 pages or so, or whatever. It sets a stage for the next book. I will say too that,

(01:40:39):
but I did like to not only see how that bond solidified with Sloan and cat, but then from there
also to see what Endarna could do in an actual fight and to be able to protect violet and them.
So that was really interesting. And again, that brings me back to the point that there was a
griffin there and the griffin did nothing. The griffin didn't even snap its beak at them. So it's

(01:41:00):
just weird. Did they have to end up putting like fire out on the griffin's feathers or something
like that? That's the only mention of it basically the entire time. That's it. So there were several
things throughout the book that I thought could have been wrapped up a little bit better. I do see
the importance that of developing it and growing it, but I do think some of it was a little drug
out and that's probably one of them too. Well, and then we go into learning about Zaden's second

(01:41:23):
signet as they're gearing up to go to battle. And I do have to say we do like a man that admits that
he's wrong and that he's no better than anybody else. But he did say in there that he stopped
reading her whenever he realized he was no better than Dane, whenever she was mad at Dane for reading
her secretly. So I do love that a lot with him is that he realized that. But I have to say like,

(01:41:46):
who can say that he can really control it because he hasn't been trained to control it in any way.
So who's to say that he can or can't control what he can read and can't. So like for her to be bad,
Dane has to touch you supposedly to be able to read your mind the feeling when he's around the
person is what I'm gathering. So to me, it was hard to be mad at him for that and not only that,

(01:42:07):
but he had to keep that secret because who knew at any point in time whether or not he could trust
Violet. And really, they haven't had much time together to be able to do that. And I mean,
especially considering she was held in an interrogation chamber and possibly could have that
memory could have came exposed is right on Zaden for him not telling her to be honest. So I don't

(01:42:29):
think she could be mad about it. I would agree. And I will say I was less shocked that he had another
secret from Violet and more shocked that Segel didn't tell Taren. That felt more of like a betrayal
to me than Zaden and Violet. Like I didn't even care about Zaden and Violet. I was worried about
Taren and what was going to happen from there and any fallout that was going to happen between the

(01:42:50):
dragons. But also at the same time, that is her writer and you and I talked about it in that they
do have a strong bond separately, the writer and the dragon, much less the dragon and the dragon or
whatever the best mates, but they do have their own bond. And so there has to be some level of
respect for that bond as well. Now, I'm sure Taren does not care about that because he's Taren,

(01:43:12):
but I really like to see, I guess more of like the relationship between the dragons even that we
keep calling a mate to talk about they can't be apart. And we had that one scene in the first
book where they couldn't control their emotions or whatever. But other than that, we haven't really
gotten to see a whole lot about that or learn a whole lot about the intricacies of that that
mate bond or whatever. But when we talked about the fact that Taren was so devastated after the

(01:43:34):
loss of his last dragon that if Segel could have that same situation happen with Zaden, that could
end up killing all of them if it never got exposed. So and not only that, but who's to say that Taren
wouldn't tell Violet to protect her. So I mean, there's a lot of even if he didn't outright tell
her, he might have hinted at it in ways to hope that she would pick up on it. Because he said

(01:43:57):
that before that he didn't keep secrets, but that the same thing with Zaden, but he never outright
lied to her. And Taren is pretty good about answering her questions. So if she asked the
right ones, again, he might have hinted enough that she might have caught on earlier. And then
who knows? It's it I agree, though, that I don't think Violet me about it Zaden for that. I do
think though that and again, maybe this is the way I'm reading the book. Maybe I've misread it. I

(01:44:22):
don't know. I don't get the that his second signet is like intuition or like feelings. It has to be
thought because he's literally answered her word for word previously. And again, maybe that's a
typo or maybe that's intentional. I don't know. But he's literally answered things she said in her
head. And you don't get that from intentions. You get that from actual words. I don't know. So

(01:44:46):
I struggle with that. And like a great example is in this book in the palace, she has a thought in
her brain about cat, I believe this is about, and he answers it like uses the exact language that
she just used in her brain. There is no way he got that from her intention. Her intention would
have been to feel jealous or to feel envious. I think actually much might have been insecure. And

(01:45:09):
then we find out but he didn't pick up on any of that. Well, and I also have to say, I don't know
if this is a typo or not. But there is a quote from here somewhere in this book that says there
and says something along the lines of don't you read me human and speaking to Zaden. And so to me,
that's super weird. And to me, if he didn't know anything about that, why use that exact language?

(01:45:31):
And I don't know if that's a typo or what the case may be. But so we get to the battle and
to me, this had a lot of questions for me because, first of all, we know that Bay bonded another
cadet. So why is he there with Jack? And I mean, do they still have a bond? Yeah, what's going on

(01:45:54):
there. And then for the fact that he was somehow able to convince his dragon to climb up on top
of the sports zone and let me stab you through the head. And then not only that, but he doesn't die.
All of that just confuses the crap out of me. And then it's like, okay, but you're not going to let
Jack die when he kills his own dragon. But yet you're going to let Liam die when his dragon dies.
It just made me mad. But my theory is that they was not actually bonded to Jack at that point.

(01:46:21):
But then how did he convince him to sacrifice himself? And like, that's a great question.
And I think it's maybe related to the fact that all those other dragons aren't revealing to their
riders, everything that's going on. Maybe it has to do something with that. But there is a lot with
this scene that, I don't know, there was a lot of filler stuff. I feel like that happens in between

(01:46:44):
Jack stabbing his thing and the actual vinnin fight. But I don't know if it was all important
or not. It wasn't let's get ready for battle. We had this whole scene where they're in their room
and he's just like, oh, well, you know, I'm willing to close the door and let the whole world burn
around me. And I'm just like, okay, but it is burning around you. So let's get back to what we
were doing. So take a power nap to fight tomorrow. I was really confused. Yeah, there was a lot in

(01:47:08):
that that I was like, okay, I'm not quite sure. But then the other thing is too, is there was
a part on this scene that I did feel was important with those filler stuff is Darnia admits that
she's waited 650 years to hatch for Violet. And she talks about, oh, I heard the elders talk

(01:47:30):
about the weakling daughter of the general. I knew that you were the one for me. And to me,
if that's the case, then how did she not overhear the fact of how to raise the ward stones or speed
up this whole process and get rid of about 100 chapters? You know what I mean? It was just, okay,
well, you hear about this, but you're not hearing about all this other stuff. And then what about

(01:47:51):
help out with the Vinan? And I don't know if it's maybe just adolescence, if you ask me, I'll tell
you, or if it was an oversight. There was a lot that I feel like could have cut out, because if
Adana had been listening and been able to relay a lot of that information, it may be significant
in the future why she did it. But yeah, I would like that to be explained. If not, it definitely
was a waste of time. It was a way to draw it out. Also, I will say too that I was a little

(01:48:16):
disappointed that Violet didn't realize that she was a different breed or different color dragon,
but more or less that Violet wasn't paying attention well enough to acknowledge the fact
there were multiple scenes where it talks about she blended into the side of a mountain, she blended
into this or that, and her skills purple, and she does a three. And I picked up on it. And I

(01:48:36):
honestly typically when I read for the first time, I don't read that close. So if I haven't picked up
on it, then it's pretty obvious. And so I was like, shouldn't you have noticed that purple to green is
a pretty significant difference. It's not like it was purple and black, those look similar, but black
to green, that's not the same color. So a lot of that wasn't picked up because of all of the,
I'm jealous. I'm not jealous stuff that was going on. I feel like there was a lot of distractions

(01:49:01):
throughout the whole book. And I don't know if she was just trying to set up things for future books.
And so she was just trying to put as much as possible in there or what the case may be. But I
just feel it could have been set up better, which also I know that this book was rushed because of
the big hoopla about the, about the first one, which granted well deserved. But to me, it was

(01:49:23):
just a lot of extra things that could have been even put in a different book. And we could have
had a whole book about that whole, you know, storyline. So I agree. I will say too, that
we talked about it came full circle. And I just want to read this real quick before we forget.
And I don't get to say it, but I cried at this thing too. I don't even really care about Violet's
mother. I'm going to be honest with you. Didn't actually care about her dying. But this recovered

(01:49:47):
unscent correspondence of General Lilla Sorengale to her husband had me sobbing where I had to put
the book down and take my glasses off and dry my face. It was, if you haven't noticed, there's a
theme here where Carly cries at every book. So I do. I'm a very emotional person. Okay. But so it says,
most generals dream of dying in service to their kingdom. But you know me better than that, my love.

(01:50:10):
When I fall, there'll be for one reason only to protect our children. And that broke my heart.
As much as I cannot stand her mother, because what are we doing? You are a coward that would
wait and set your children up to be able to fight a battle that you're not willing to fight. That
bothers me. But it talks about, well, it says something to her mom about, do you think scribes

(01:50:31):
are inferior or that you're better than scribes? And Violet's mom literally says, the love of my
life was a scribe. Like she acknowledges, I don't think that at all. But somehow Violet's gotten
that impression. And so you can see the disconnect between her and her mom. And so I try to keep
that in mind when I'm reading about mom, because it obviously is coming from Violet's point of view.
But still, I'm not a fan. But that, well, that opened and had me sobbing. That scene didn't really

(01:50:55):
get me. But for some reason, her interaction, every time before she goes to a major battle,
and she has an interaction with her dragon, there's always a line or a paragraph that just gets me.
Taryn and her are talking and she was like, I'm so sorry, you shouldn't have to lose to writers.
And Taryn says, you must save yourself. I choose you not as my next, but my last. And should you
fall, then I will follow. And I was just like, Oh my God, same thing with Adana in the last book,

(01:51:21):
whenever she said, you have to leave, you'll know the moment I have to leave. It was just such a
touching thing that you could tell how much Violet cares about everybody else around her more than
even herself. It just added a lot to I think the whole thing. And you did really like the scene
because you texted me about it when you're reading it, that Lilith says when she's dying,

(01:51:41):
I'll see him soon speaking of her father. You literally were like, I'm sobbing right now. So
it was a very sweet scene to add. That and then when Sloan is actually draining her mom,
she yells for Adana, like wants her to help. And Adana says, I'm so sorry, I choose your life too.
You are mine. I can't let you die. And I was just sobbing. I just remember like, why are you doing

(01:52:07):
this to me, Rebecca? But then that is when someone says they dying. And so like she also on top of
all of that then feels him. And obviously, that's how she feels the moment like right before he
right before he obviously becomes fit in. So that's fun. So then the battle's done. And we ended up

(01:52:28):
finding out that Satan has drained the ground and started his process of becoming then which
Adi made him say it made me so freaking mad. I've literally watched people chuck the book
across the room after they finish this scene. To me, I don't see where it's necessary yet.
And I'm hoping it comes full circle at some point, but I gotta be honest with you. It's kind of hot.

(01:52:56):
It is hot that this man would go against everything he believes in in order to protect her.
That's how well, okay, yes, in that aspect, yes. But why did he have to be that in? But I mean,
I get it. Okay, but the scene, oh, this one gets me every time too. When Violet says,
what's out there that I should be scared of Zaden, what did he tell you? What did you see?
And Zaden says, you should be scared of me. My heart, I was like, what? No. No. So dramatic.

(01:53:27):
Well, to me, the whole thing and reading his excerpt at the end of the book, too,
there was a lot of questions that came from just one chapter. It just full on.
First time in the chapter, it's like three pages, four pages, let me.
Yeah, it just, it literally to me, it, the excerpt at the top had me questioning a lot of things.
The whole scene of related that this guy, I finally severed my tether with this dude.

(01:53:49):
The world is this guy. Why is he so like drawn to you? And I doubt he died. There's no way you
just killed this man off. And I swear brother now from Jack. Absolutely. Yes. Why is he even
still alive? I'm so sick of him. So there was a lot in this book that just added a lot of questions,
which is good, because at least I'm going to cliffhanger for the next one. But it's so freaking

(01:54:10):
long until the next books out. So that's disappointing. But it just to me, we're going to
dive into fan theories and try to predict what's going to happen. Yeah. So the next episode will
be deep dives. And then the following episode will be fan theories, just because there's so much
out there that we could deep dive into that we just did not have time to cover. But so my ranking
on this one is not as good as fourth wing. I think there's certain scenes that to me, I personally

(01:54:35):
would rank higher than what it was in fourth wing. But overall, there was just a lot of unnecessary
stuff. And very well, I may go back and read this after the third book and be like, okay, well,
actually, this all makes sense now. But as it stands with the series as it is to me, this was a
4.64.7 out of five, just because there was a lot of parts that it was hard to get into. But that's

(01:54:55):
just my personal opinion. And I love you, Rebecca, no matter what, because you have now become my
favorite series writer. But to me, there's just a lot, a lot that wasn't there needed to be there.
I agree, you're gonna be mad. But I would actually probably go even lower. I really felt like this
book was really drug out. And there were several times and I texted him during it while I was

(01:55:16):
reading it that I struggled to continue reading it. I knew the end would pay off because of Emily,
so that actually really was helpful to have someone to say like, hey, it pays off, read it.
I would probably add it a lot of tropes, though, that you were not a fan of.
That is also true. Yes.
Where I'm a fan of it. So I think that's probably where it was a little bit of difference as well.

(01:55:37):
I can see where somebody who doesn't like a lot of those tropes didn't really enjoy it.
Well, and too, on top of that, killing off such a fan favorite in the first book,
I liked that we brought him back some and we got to still see him a little bit.
But then she didn't really replace him with another fan favorite.
We instead kept bringing the villains. And so I don't know, I just felt like there was nothing to
to even the romance in this novel. There were a couple scenes, obviously, that were real good

(01:56:02):
throne scene. Love it. But it wasn't consistent throughout to build that relationship. It was
just really immature, petty. And then we added in the jealous ex-girlfriend and it just wasn't for
me. But overall, I mean, I'm glad I read it. I enjoyed it. I will read book three to see what
happens. Fingers crossed that Dane does not have a happy ending. But and I would like we talked

(01:56:25):
about I would like to see more of Garrick. I think if you break Garrick in there, I think the whole
Liam Hole would be filled a little bit for me because just based off of this, I don't say that,
but I would maybe I said a little bit. I'm not talking about it. He like it's all the way filled.
I do like to the fact that Sloane bonded the same sort of dragon that I cried during that scene.

(01:56:51):
So they were really good parts in this book. So I don't want to say it was a bad book. It's just
that I think maybe it was drug out some, which and I have that opinion about a lot of sequels. I
think sometimes the like you said, the first one has so much height. The second one's either a rush
or trying to provide as much as possible for the readers that are really excited. And then

(01:57:13):
somehow the storyline gets a little lost or a little dull. I think the same thing about another
sequel that we're going to read in a couple weeks, but I will say overall, I did still enjoy it and
I will read book three and no hate to Rebecca at all. But if I had to rate fourth wing now and rate
iron flame, I would give fourth wing probably like a 4.8 and then I give iron flame maybe like a 4.3

(01:57:34):
just because like I said, it was very repetitive, but still 4.3 out of 5 is amazing. So don't
well to me, like if it would have cut out quite a few chapters, I probably would have given it
another 5 as well. To be honest, I completely agree. It was there was a lot of repetitive
and I think honestly, if some of those tropes were not in there for you, I think you would have
rigged it higher as well. But I know that you're not a fan of several of the typical ones that

(01:57:59):
most people read. So well, I was very excited for the enemies to lever. That's a big, big trope of
mine. And it really was solved in book one. And normally it lasts a little bit longer than that.
So maybe that was part of it. I was disappointed because there wasn't that tension still.
And it hints at it, but it's not the same. They're not really enemies anymore.
She hates the theory that Dane and Violet are actually the enemies to lovers.

(01:58:23):
That's not a theory. That's stupid. I'm sorry, whoever thinks that, but you are wrong. And if
you're not wrong, I will burn these books. I won't, I don't damage books, but I will burn them if
that's the real theory. If that happens, I'm sorry, Rebecca, but I'm done. I gotta tap out this.
Yeah, it will instantly become a zero in her book. What's so really

(01:58:46):
mad? I wasted all my time reading these books. I'll be mad. I will come back and post. We're
going to do a whole episode about how you shouldn't read them if that ends up being the spotlight.
It may be a solo episode. So that's okay. I can talk by myself.
So I really did like it though, for real. And even if Violet ends up with Dane,

(01:59:09):
I wouldn't burn the books. I'd want to burn the books, but I wouldn't actually burn the books.
So to follow up and remind you guys, next week we will have our next episode on the deep dives.
Again, if you are not a fan of fantasy, this is not going to be the only thing that we cover.
So I'm glad you stuck around to this point and probably you're my mother and you're just watching

(01:59:31):
this for support. But I really appreciate you guys sticking around and listening to our thoughts.
We do have a couple other things lined up, which by now with this episode coming out,
you guys have already found out that we are reading 5 feet apart. That's our next intro into
April. So if you guys want to get that and start reading that, and we'll have an episode on that.

(01:59:54):
So if you guys have not already subscribed to our channel, please go ahead and do so. We'll have
bonus contents, bloopers. We'll also be sharing some bloopers on TikTok, on our Instagram, Facebook
page, share other books that we maybe side reading in the meantime. I just got some giant loads of
stuff from the $5.99 sale from Book Outlet, which if you don't know...

(02:00:14):
You got how many books, Emily? 63. 63. That's insane. But the other thing is too,
is that Book Outlet, if you would like to sponsor us, we would gladly take that as sponsorship.
So we absolutely appreciate you guys' support and you guys sending your
eight reactions to the books we're reading. I know several of my friends and co-workers have

(02:00:36):
been sending me comments and how much they've enjoyed this series and really have enjoyed it as
much, I think, as we have. And we really appreciate your support in doing so. This really means a
lot because we both enjoy reading so much and this is like a fun release for us outside of our work
days. So we appreciate it very much and we will try our best to keep you in the loop of what's

(02:00:58):
going on. Remember to follow us on Facebook and Instagram to get our announcements. We announce
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contain spoilers. They will contain our opinions and we absolutely no harm to the authors or
anything like that. All I know is this next book, I am going to need a box of tissues because I am

(02:01:22):
three chapters in and I already have crots. So that's a problem. When you sponsor us to
Carly needs plenty of those. So I'll just send all of mine to her. So here you go. But if you
guys have any ideas or books that you want us to cover, send out your requests. We'll try to cover
them as much as possible. If you guys have any questions, you can also check out our website.

(02:01:42):
We have a list of all of our episodes. We're on all of the platforms, Apple Podcasts,
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and like we read them. Oh, you nailed that one.